{"id":4478,"date":"2016-12-12T00:01:14","date_gmt":"2016-12-12T05:01:14","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=4478"},"modified":"2017-01-04T15:34:08","modified_gmt":"2017-01-04T20:34:08","slug":"golem-maker-hills-part-four","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/golem-maker-hills-part-four\/","title":{"rendered":"The Golem Maker of the Hills, Part Four"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Golem Maker of the Hills<\/strong>
\nA Story by Aaron Canton<\/strong>
\n-Part Four-<\/strong><\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

The next morning was bright and sunny, though the mountain chill remained in the air and hit Grannick as soon as he stepped out of the inn. Rather than complaining, though, he stretched and tilted his head so the wind played over his face and helped rouse him. That, at least, was familiar; the inn with its draft-proof walls, luxurious mattress, and fine mulled wine he\u2019d had with his dinner had seemed like another world.<\/p>\n

\u201cDo you need anything else, sir?\u201d asked the innkeeper, a slight man named Nerril. \u201cBreakfast? Perhaps you\u2019d like to borrow some archery equipment to go goat hunting?\u201d<\/p>\n

Grannick looked back at him. \u201cI don\u2019t need anything right now. But if you could gather everyone in the town square in an hour, I\u2019d appreciate it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nerril frowned. \u201cWhy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIt is for…\u201d Grannick trailed off, and for a moment he wondered how someone good at this, like Laika, would respond. \u201cA surprise,\u201d he finally said. \u201cOne that everyone in the village needs to see.\u201d He smiled, trying to match Laika\u2019s energy. \u201cNobody will want to miss it.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nerril still looked confused, but Grannick saw a hint of intrigue on the man\u2019s face as well. \u201cAll right. I\u2019ll tell my staff,\u201d he said, then hurried back inside. A moment later, Grannick heard him call, \u201cMadelor, get up! Meeting at the town square in an hour!\u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment, Grannick was reminded of his first real battle, when he\u2019d gone up against a massive boar, survived its attempts to gore him, and ultimately smashed its head in. Like then, his heart rushed, and a fiery exuberance spread through him. He chuckled quietly, then caught himself and hurried off to tell others about the meeting.<\/p>\n

Over seventy people were in the town square by the time the hour was up, Maltra\u2014though not Laika\u2014among them. There were also about twenty golems made of stone, mud, grass, and even one of marble present. The mayor walked up to Grannick before the latter man took the stage. \u201cMr. Aldermair,\u201d he said. \u201cI heard you called a meeting. Do you mind me asking what for?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI wanted to talk to the whole town about the golems I\u2019m ordering,\u201d said Grannick. He leapt onto the stage despite the heavy armor he was wearing, earning a few claps and whistles from the crowd.<\/p>\n

Maltra frowned, and Grannick again felt a foggy confusion creeping over him, but he pushed past it. Laika, he guessed, would just start talking to people without getting sidetracked, and he would do the same. So he turned away from Maltra and called, \u201cEveryone! I\u2019d like to talk to you about the golems of this town! I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

The crowd immediately applauded, and Grannick saw a few other children cheering on their parents\u2019 shoulders. He winced and held up a hand. \u201cI am a mercenary who hunts bandits,\u201d he said. \u201cBut there is only one of me, and there are a lot of bandits.\u201d He paused as a few people laughed. \u201cSo I want to buy some golems to help me. I was thinking…fifty or so.\u201d<\/p>\n

A hush fell over the crowd, and then the applause and cheers returned, even louder than before. Maltra\u2019s suspicion fled from his face, replaced by naked greed, and he smiled unctuously as he climbed on stage and then bowed. \u201cWe are at your service,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd would be happy to provide you with all you might need for your duties.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grannick nodded. \u201cHowever, I cannot stay long. There are too many bandits. And I must leave soon to fight them.\u201d He paused, wishing he knew how to make his thoughts fit together better when he spoke, but he plunged on like he was sure Laika would do. \u201cHow long will it take you to fill my order? If longer than a week, I must\u2014\u201c<\/p>\n

\u201cWe can do it in three days!\u201d said Maltra, earning another round of gasps and whistles from the crowd. \u201cOf course, there will be an express fee, but for an order of that size, I\u2019m sure a sizable<\/em> discount could be arranged.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, Laika\u2019s real fast!\u201d shouted a kid from the front row. \u201cShe can make a mud golem in two seconds!\u201d<\/p>\n

So the townspeople didn\u2019t know what Laika was going through, Grannick thought. They believed she could whip up golems in a few moments, like she\u2019d shown Grannick, and didn\u2019t know that she took so long to make a saleable<\/em> golem that she was working fifteen-hour days. \u201cThat works,\u201d he said. \u201cBut first, can I talk to Laika again? I have, uh, a few more questions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOf course, of course!\u201d said Maltra, beaming. \u201cAnything you say, sir!\u201d<\/p>\n

He left and returned ten minutes later with Laika stumbling behind him. Her hair had been styled into more elaborate braids, and she was now wearing a fancy blue dress, but the dark circles under her eyes were visible. When they got to the stage, Maltra nudged her, and after a moment, she pressed her hands together and managed to chirp, \u201cHi, Mr. Grannick! What would you like to know?\u201d<\/p>\n

There was forced cheer in her voice, and Grannick wondered if Maltra had threatened to increase her workload if she made him look bad. A white-hot rage coursed through him again, but he kept his hands off his war hammer and said, \u201cI want golems to help me hunt bandits. If I asked you for fifty golems, could you make them for me?\u201d<\/p>\n

Laika looked down, looking small and exhausted. But when she spoke, it was with a bright, \u201cYes, sir!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cIs that more than you usually make?\u201d He looked back at Maltra. \u201cWhat kind of orders does she usually\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI can do it,\u201d interjected Laika, shooting a quick glance towards the smiling Maltra as she spoke. \u201cI do orders like that all the time.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou do?\u201d Grannick frowned and tried to look confused, which wasn\u2019t hard. \u201cHow long does it take you to make each golem? I\u2019ve heard that archmages spend weeks on a single one.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laika opened her mouth but then hesitated, and then Grannick saw a glimmer in her eyes like she knew what he was doing. \u201cNot me,\u201d she said at last, speaking a little more strongly. \u201cI can make one golem an hour.\u201d<\/p>\n

Nobody spoke for a few moments, and then the crowd began to murmur as a few people worked out how many hours per day Laika would have to work to meet the deadline her father had set. For the benefit of the rest, Grannick added, \u201cBut your father said you could turn out this order in three days. If you do one an hour, won\u2019t you be working…?\u201d He took a few moments to do the math himself. \u201cAbout seventeen hours a day for the next three days?\u201d<\/p>\n

The crowd started to look uneasy. Maltra\u2019s smile slowly faded into a grimace, and then he said, \u201cWell, she doesn\u2019t usually<\/em> work those kinds of hours…but you\u2019re a special customer who needs our help to keep us all safe. After all, we wouldn\u2019t want bandits to get through while we were waiting for more golems, would we? Now\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Grannick turned away from him and looked at Nerril. \u201cWhat was the most golems this town ever sold in a day?\u201d<\/p>\n

Nerril hesitated. \u201cWell, three months ago there was that trade caravan that got lost and stumbled into our valley. When those merchants learned about us, they all wanted one…think they took home about twenty or so. Left the very next morning.\u201d He paused, then turned to Maltra. \u201cWait. You said Laika could make one golem every few minutes. Now you\u2019re saying she needed twenty hours for that order?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNo, no.\u201d Maltra forced a laugh. \u201cThe one-hour is just for the very best, hardiest golems she makes, the kind that this mercenary would need. For common, conventional golems she really does need just a few minutes\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut Mr. Maltra,\u201d said Laika, \u201cYou told me I\u2019m not supposed to make golems fast anymore because they fall apart too quick and you can\u2019t sell them. You said that all my golems need to last for at least three months, and you know I need at least an hour to make a golem last that long.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maltra\u2019s face had gone pale, but Grannick didn\u2019t give him a chance to recover. \u201cLaika,\u201d he said. \u201cHow many hours a day do you spend building golems?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cFifteen, Mr. Grannick,\u201d she said, eliciting gasps from the crowd. \u201cMr. Maltra says if I spend less time on it then I\u2019m letting everyone down.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cNow, dear, don\u2019t tell stories,\u201d Maltra hastily interjected, before turning to the others. \u201cYou know my ward has a very<\/em> fanciful imagination. She told you all last year that I was overworking her, but you all saw that wasn\u2019t true\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou told us it wasn\u2019t true, and we believed you because you\u2019re the mayor!\u201d shouted an elegantly dressed woman. \u201cBut now you yourself<\/em> said she needs an hour to make each golem and that you\u2019ll have her do fifty in three days!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLiar!\u201d screamed someone else.<\/p>\n

Maltra hurriedly glanced between Laika, Grannick, and the crowd before settling on the latter. \u201cLook, even if…even if the situation isn\u2019t ideal, we can all see how essential my girl is for our economy. Without her, we\u2019d still be a ramshackle collection of huts. Now we have a proper smithy, a full inn, two<\/em> taverns, a cleric\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t know you were making your daughter work sixteen-hour days to get those things!\u201d shouted an older man. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong with you?\u201d<\/p>\n

The crowd surged forward against the stage, forcing Maltra to back up. He grabbed at his daughter, but Grannick stepped between them. \u201cYou should go,\u201d said Grannick. \u201cI don\u2019t think they want you as mayor anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Maltra scowled, but when he advanced on Grannick, the hulking mercenary let his hand drop a few inches closer to his hammer, and the mayor\u2019s face lost all color. He turned and rushed away.<\/p>\n

Then Grannick realized Laika was hugging him. \u201cThank you, Mr. Grannick!\u201d she said, leaning her head against him as if tempted to go to sleep. \u201cMr. Maltra says I have a duty to make golems for the town, but…\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHe was wrong,\u201d said Grannick.<\/p>\n

Laika was quiet for a moment. \u201cMr. Grannick? If I stop making golems, is the town going to be hurt?\u201d<\/p>\n

Grannick paused, wishing he\u2019d thought further ahead. \u201cI don\u2019t know. I\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cExcuse me.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grannick and Laika both turned to see a collection of well-dressed individuals Grannick guessed were the merchant class in town. Nerril was there, as well as a broad-shouldered man with soot-stained hands who was probably the smith, a woman Grannick had briefly seen that morning running the general store, and a few others.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to apologize,\u201d continued Nerril, looking at Laika. \u201cWe didn\u2019t know how your father was treating you.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cAnd we also wanted to say you don\u2019t need to worry about golems anymore,\u201d said the blacksmith. \u201cWe\u2019ll be fine if you stop.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cReally?\u201d Laika asked. \u201cMr. Maltra said the town would collapse.\u201d<\/p>\n

The shopkeeper shook her head. \u201cWe\u2019ll use the golems you already made to carve a road out of the mountains; they should last long enough for that. The inn, smithy, everything else you earned for us, we can use them to make this town into a base for whoever wants to come here. There\u2019s always trade caravans coming over these mountains. A proper town with an inn, shops, a doctor, and everything else people might need will have plenty of business.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laika brightened and then straightened up as if a load had been removed from her shoulders. Grannick couldn\u2019t help but smile. \u201cThat\u2019s great!\u201d she said. \u201cThat\u2019s really, really great!\u201d<\/p>\n

The merchants apologized a few more times, which Laika accepted, and then the crowd dispersed. Laika stayed with Grannick, though, and after a few moments she asked him, \u201cWhere should I go now, Mr. Grannick? My parents are dead, and Mr. Maltra won\u2019t want me anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grannick hesitated for a long moment. \u201cWould you like to come with me?\u201d he asked at last.<\/p>\n

Laika\u2019s mouth dropped. \u201cReally?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes.\u201d Grannick knelt so he was level with Laika. \u201cI was sent into these mountains to find the gold from that wagon. But you found it first, so you deserve a share of the reward. I can take you back to the city with me so you can get it, and then we can find a place for you to stay.\u201d There were mages Grannick knew of that might want a talented apprentice and a few nobles who might appreciate the chance to have an heir with talents besides squandering the family estate. Social situations still weren\u2019t his strong suit, but with Laika helping him, he was sure he\u2019d find her something.<\/p>\n

\u201cYay!\u201d Laika hugged Grannick again. \u201cAlthough…does that mean I have to give up Goldie?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d said Grannick. \u201cIt belongs to someone else. But don\u2019t worry. In the city, there\u2019s all kinds of toys and other things you could make golems out of, if you wanted. I could help you look.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laika was silent for a few moments, and Grannick worried she was upset over the loss of her favorite toy, but then she nodded. \u201cI want a really<\/em> good toy in exchange for Goldie, though.\u201d she said. \u201cPromise?\u201d<\/p>\n

Grannick grinned. \u201cPromise.\u201d<\/p>\n

As Laika ran off to get her golem, Grannick rose. For the first time in ages, he realized, he felt good while within the boundaries of an inhabited settlement.<\/p>\n

Maybe other people weren\u2019t so bad after all.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n

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 <\/p>\n

\u201cYou have no idea how grateful we are,\u201d Vanarl said from across the table. The merchant\u2019s face was the picture of contentment, and he\u2019d just set down a tip for the waiter that was more than the price of his actual meal. \u201cLosing all that gold would have been catastrophic for my branch of the guild. Believe me, when we have any future jobs, you\u2019ll be the first name we think of.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grannick grunted his approval, paused, and then said, \u201cThanks.\u201d He was sitting at ease on a rough chair in the Renzeya Adventurers Guild and drinking a mug of ale. \u201cAnytime.\u201d<\/p>\n

Vanarl nodded, then inclined his head as someone made a squeaking sound near the top of the staircase. \u201cAnd how is she doing?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cLaika?\u201d A smile came unbidden to Grannick\u2019s face. \u201cShe\u2019s good. Thanks for understanding\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

Before he could say anything else, a gleeful squeal sounded, and Laika slid down the stairs on a few carpet squares which had been golem-ized and were gamely gripping onto Laika with their edges.\u00a0 They also hovered just above the stairs, courtesy of a spell cast by one of the more magically inclined adventurers who frequented the guild. \u201cWheee!\u201d squealed Laika. \u201cYay!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cShe seems to be fitting in well,\u201d said Vanarl. \u201cI suppose it\u2019s a more hospitable environment than her home, anyways.\u201d<\/p>\n

Grannick had debated adopting Laika himself, but he knew it was impossible; he routinely went on missions into war zones, bandit strongholds, and environments so inhospitable they made the mountain valley look like pleasant farmland, none of which were any place for a young girl. So when he\u2019d stopped at the Adventurers Guild and notified the couriers he\u2019d completed his mission for Vanarl, he\u2019d also mentioned to Cedric Renzeya himself that he had a little girl with him and needed to rent her a room for a few days while he worked out what to do with her.<\/p>\n

But Laika was so excited during her stay in the guild\u2014spending hour after hour listening to the other adventurers tell their stories, playing with children of the other warriors who sometimes stopped in to see their parents, or curled up with the journals of heroes who had left copies of their memoirs in the guild\u2019s extensive library\u2014that she didn\u2019t want to leave. When Cedric Renzeya had seen her using a little golem to sweep out her room so she didn\u2019t have to \u2018waste time\u2019 that could be spent playing, he\u2019d broached the idea of having her stay permanently. Grannick, who could find no flaw in the arrangement, had agreed.<\/p>\n

The most notable signs of Laika\u2019s presence in the guild were the new golems wandering around. While Renzeya had pledged to never force Laika to make golems, he\u2019d also given her access to various unusual stones, metals, and plants in case she wanted to practice, so she usually spent an hour or two a day making golems out of new things and seeing what they could do. The golems in turn were put to work at various little jobs around the guild, from sweeping out the rooms, to caring for an ill adventurer with a contagious disease that might have infected a human caretaker, to guarding the door. The latter task was handled by two iron behemoths who had been trained to knock down any intruder and to bow and bang their staves in unison when Renzeya or Laika herself came in to make for a more dramatic entrance.<\/p>\n

Grannick also noted that a few new books about swashbuckling pirates had found their way into the guild library, and the backyard now frequently featured \u201dsparring practice\u201d where Laika and a half-dozen other children dueled with golems while the actual warriors of the guild\u2014most of whom had been charmed by Laika\u2019s cheerful attitude and helpful nature\u2014shouted advice and encouragement. \u201cYes,\u201d she said. \u201cShe\u2019s doing well. And she\u2014\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cMr. Grannick! Mr. Vanarl! Hi!\u201d Laika scurried over. \u201cThank you again for the gift! I love my new dress!\u201d She glanced down at the brilliant blue fabric of her outfit, which had been enchanted by a mage in Vanarl\u2019s merchant guild to always sparkle and glimmer even in the worst lighting\u2014their way of showing their appreciation, Vanarl had said, for Laika\u2019s help in securing the gold and bringing it back to him. \u201cIt\u2019s really pretty!\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThank you,\u201d said Vanarl, smiling at her. \u201cIt\u2019s good to see you again, Laika.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laika beamed and turned back to Grannick. \u201cAre you gonna stay long? Miss Naphkator\u2019s been teaching me some really cool sparring moves, and I wanna show you!\u201d<\/p>\n

Grannick nodded, and Laika\u2019s smile somehow got even wider. \u201cThanks, Mr. Grannick!\u201d she called before scurrying off. \u201cYou\u2019re amazing!\u201d<\/p>\n

Vanarl chuckled. \u201cI don\u2019t remember you ever staying in town longer than you needed to before,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd for that matter…the job I mentioned, with that bandit \u2018king\u2019 in Warus I need you to stop before he intercepts our next shipment. I suppose you don\u2019t need to leave for a few days since our convoy\u2019s been delayed anyways, but…waiting around like this isn\u2019t like you, is it?\u201d<\/p>\n

He trailed off, and Grannick shrugged. \u201cI guess not. I\u2019ve never really got along with other people. But…I\u2019m learning that some of them are worth getting along with.\u201d<\/p>\n

He grinned and raised his glass, listening to the merry hubbub of the guild around him, as well as the happy laughter of the greatest golem-maker in the land.<\/p>\n

 <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Golem Maker of the Hills A Story by Aaron Canton -Part Four-   The next morning was bright and sunny, though the mountain chill remained in the air and hit Grannick as soon as he stepped out of the inn. Rather than complaining, though, he stretched and tilted his head so the wind played […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":3274,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"spay_email":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_is_tweetstorm":false},"categories":[145,146],"tags":[273,525,1454,149],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2016\/03\/Short-Story-Panel.jpg","jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p1UVey-1ae","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4478"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4478"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4478\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4479,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4478\/revisions\/4479"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/3274"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}