Hawk finally found her ,or more correctly it
frozen in mid stride on the
a mile further down .
He certainly didn't recognize what he came apon as her,a living female human.
"It was a fifty foot dragon dragon automaton,with most of that
length in its hull and turret neck.
The head was a small thing,only useful to spray out fire at the target and house the optical sensors.
The human scalp of long brown hair still lay impaired on one of the barbette spears
that served as armour protection for the automatons head.
The mechanical wings were thrust forward,with chains and gearworks visible
in between the metal ribbing.
The thing the victim had been converted into was a
Ares Nine Battle Automaton,the self replicating variety.
Its internal smelters were functioning and as Hawk looked on in horror
a draft of heat and smoke suddenly blew out of of the air vents
somewhere on its upper reaches.
It was dormant and Hawk certainly hoped the self replicating machine
stayed that way.
Very carefully Hawk eased back.the way he'd come.
What he hadn't noticed was that the raised rear leg had slowly been descending to the ground.
So his head banged against a foot place,tiny gears started
activating various other machinery in the hull .
Hawk heard the unmistakeable
\<CLICKK> and ran for his life
Behind him he could here the gears spinning fast as the human female
turned to Aries Battle Dargon Nine stirred to life ( or whatever machines starting up
call "life"