“Having fun talking to Number One, I see.”
As I turn from the golem to face toward her, I see the faces of the other men with me. The older ones are better at hiding it, but I know that look. It's a look I haven't given any other woman since I met Melanie all those years ago. While the rest of the men are busy 'keeping an eye' on the sorceress, I decide to keep turning and check the armored man standing next to her.
This guy is incredibly well equipped. A full suit of plate glows of magic, made out of what I imagine must be adamant, a very rare greenish metal much stronger than steel and only slightly heavier. Two mismatched swords hang from his belt. One is a long sword with an elaborate handguard, hilt, and sheath. That one seems to be pressing the size limit of a one handed weapon. The other is of a style unfamiliar to me. The hilt is unusually long for its shorter blade and is wrapped in closely woven cord. The sheath shows it to have a smaller, slightly curved blade that reminds me of a scimitar or sabre of some kind. Yet the blade is not quite curved enough, and the handguard is a small simple flat circle of metal. A close faced sallet covers his head. He manages to stand very close to the lady without impeding her movement or bumping into her at all, his motions read of tenseness.
“I've heard of golems before, but I'd thought they were mindless. I didn't think they were capable of carrying a conversation.”
“Most aren't, this is my first design for an improved golem. One not prone to going berserk and with more mental capability. I'm Lady Averdine, and this is my bodyguard and sometimes gateman Sephram. I'm guessing by your voice that you are Watchman Nivar. What did you come to speak with me about? You, at least, didn't come to stare.”
At this, I hear the men behind all shift slightly.
“While investigating missing livestock, we followed strange tracks through the woods. At the end we found a nest and were attacked by a strange creature. It seemed to be a combination of other animals, and most likely magical in nature. Would you happen to know anything about that.”
She turns to the golem, “Number One, has anything like that been around here lately?”
“AFFIRMATIVE, A BEING SIMILAR IN TO THAT DESCRIPTION WAS SPOTTED NEAR THE PERIMETER THREE DAYS AGO AT TWILIGHT. THE LIGHT LEVEL WAS UNUSUALLY LOW AROUND SAID BEING. DESPITE TWO VERBAL ATTEMPTS AT DISSUASION, IT ATTEMPTED TO CLIMB THE WALL. I THREW IT OUT INTO THE WOODS. INJURED, IT RETREATED.”
“A crystalline creature?”
“AFFIRMATIVE, THE CREATURE ALMOST SEEMED TO BE A GOLEM ITSELF.”
“Crystalline... I think I know where it came from then. Down by New Lake, I can show you.”
“If we leave now it will be after sunset before we get there.”
“Not if we take a shortcut.”
With a few motions of her hands and some unidentifiable chanting, a portal opens beside us all, Lady Averdine and her bodyguard step through before I have a chance to protest.
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