{"id":4861,"date":"2017-01-16T00:01:01","date_gmt":"2017-01-16T05:01:01","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/tellest.com\/?p=4861"},"modified":"2017-01-30T08:46:06","modified_gmt":"2017-01-30T13:46:06","slug":"golem-maker-city-part-two","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/golem-maker-city-part-two\/","title":{"rendered":"The Golem-Maker of the City, Part Two"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Golem-Maker of the City<\/strong>
\nBy Aaron Canton<\/strong>
\n\u2014Part Two\u2014<\/strong><\/p>\n

Laika stumbled back to the Adventurers Guild, head drooping and feet dragging, and went right to the stairs to go up to her room. Normally she would have stopped in the bar and dining area first so she could listen to the adventurers talking about the awesome quests they had completed and the great battles they had triumphed in, or\u2014if the bar had been quiet\u2014would have curled up in a corner with one of the diaries or journals retired adventurers had donated to Renzeya\u2019s library. But this time, her only goal was collapsing into bed and hoping the stupid day would just end already.<\/p>\n

\u201cLaika?\u201d She turned to see Renzeya passing through the lobby with a great jeweled sword in his hands. \u201cAre you all right?\u201d<\/p>\n

She was silent for a moment before shaking her head. \u201cSome mage kids broke my golems,\u201d she said quietly. \u201cAnd they threw me an\u2019 my friends out of the square so we can\u2019t play there anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat?\u201d Renzeya looked baffled for a moment before frowning. \u201cThat doesn\u2019t sound right. Why don\u2019t you come in here and tell me all about it?\u201d<\/p>\n

For a moment, Laika wanted to keep going. That was what she\u2019d done back in her hometown, after all. When she\u2019d been sad or upset, it had been her duty to hide that from all the villagers, get back to work making golems, and let whatever was bothering her fade on its own. But she wasn\u2019t in her hometown anymore, she thought; Grannick had brought her here. She could be sad in public now. \u201cOkay,\u201d she managed, turning to the bar. \u201cThat sounds good.\u201d<\/p>\n

The dining area was nearly full, a sign there was a big quest or job somewhere that adventurers were getting ready for, but Renzeya got her a seat in a big chair with a comfortable cushion. A few moments later a rich bowl of stew, a thick piece of cinnamon-spiced nut bread, and a big glass of fresh-squeezed orange juice were set in front of her. \u201cSo,\u201d said Renzeya, sitting across from her as if she was his only concern. \u201cWhat exactly happened?\u201d<\/p>\n

Laika quickly recounted the story as she dug into the food, and between the rich, savory taste of the chicken in the stew and the sweet spiciness of the bread, she began to feel a little better. But when she got to the part where Brandon had broken her golems, she felt her spirits drooping over again. \u201cHe said his magic was important and mine was stupid,\u201d she murmured. \u201cAnd then he broke them, and I couldn\u2019t pick up the pieces because he made me leave the square.\u201d<\/p>\n

Renzeya nodded. \u201cAnd so you\u2019re upset because they broke your golems?\u201d<\/p>\n

The girl began to nod before stopping herself. \u201cThat\u2019s part of it, but…\u201d She thought for a moment as she carefully split off part of the crust of the nut bread so she could savor it by itself. \u201cMy friends still couldn\u2019t use the square, and I felt really bad about it. Like I should have been able to help them.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cHmm.\u201d Renzeya leaned back. \u201cWell. That\u2019s a very mature response, Laika. It sounds like you\u2019re already thinking like a leader.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laika smiled a little, but it quickly fell when she looked back into her rapidly cooling stew. \u201cWhat should I do, Mr. Renzeya?\u201d she asked. \u201cBack home the mayor wanted me to be happy making golems for him, so he stopped anyone who was being mean to me\u2014I never had to do it myself. And they said adults can\u2019t help now because the mages are super important.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWell, the Vestigo Guild is<\/em> vital to the city,\u201d mused Renzeya. \u201cSo they do have influence. And they may well be willing to hush up misconduct from their apprentices rather than let them draw the guild\u2019s name into disrepute.\u201d The guild leader grimaced, fierce anger visible on his face, and for a moment Laika could see why nobody even thought<\/em> about starting trouble in Renzeya\u2019s guildhall. \u201cYou may have to deal with this yourself\u2014assuming you don\u2019t simply rebuild your golems and find another square.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t wanna find another square!\u201d Laika insisted. \u201cIt\u2019s not fair. We were there first, and we weren\u2019t even stopping them from playing. We just wanted to play too!\u201d She crossed her arms. \u201cI wanna make them let us back into the square and to promise never to break my golems\u2014or anyone\u2019s toys\u2014ever again. But I don\u2019t know what to do.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not just punch him in the nose?\u201d<\/p>\n

Laika brightened a little and turned as Renzeya looked up at Lily Naphkator, who had moved next to their table with a tankard of beer and a plate piled high with chicken drumsticks and roasted potatoes. Lily was a tall, wiry woman with brown skin, a jagged scar across her right cheek, and a rapier at her side with a big diamond set in the hilt. As far as Laika was concerned, Lily was one of the coolest adults ever. \u201cPunch him?\u201d Laika repeated. \u201cWould that be okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhy not? Sounds like that mage twerp hit you first by breaking your golems. \u2018Scuze me, kid.\u201d Lily dropped into the seat next to Laika and bit a large chunk off a drumstick. \u201cJust give him one right in the face. He\u2019s a mage, right? Most of them are pretty bad in a brawl\u2014and unlike you, he<\/em> hasn\u2019t been trained by one of the best duelists in the land.\u201d She smirked. \u201cHe\u2019ll go down like a sack of potatoes, and he won\u2019t bother you anymore.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cBut…\u201d Laika glanced at Renzeya, who was frowning, before turning back to Lily. \u201cWhat if he tells someone and gets me in trouble? Or Mr. Renzeya?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cJust tell him that if he does that, you\u2019ll come back and beat him up again.\u201d Lily took a long draught from her tankard. \u201cDid that myself once. A minor noble wanted my family\u2019s ancestral lands, so he bribed a barrister\u2014that\u2019s someone who says what\u2019s legal and what isn\u2019t\u2014to fake up a title deed saying he was the real owner of my manor. Then he had his goons try to evict me for trespassing.\u201d Her eyes gleamed, and Laika\u2014as she always did during Lily\u2019s stories\u2014leaned forwards so she could hear better. \u201cI thrashed his goons, of course, but when I went to thrash him, he got all smug and said he\u2019d have me thrown in jail. So\u2014did I leave?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cUh-uh!\u201d said Laika, who knew Lily never backed down from any confrontation when she was convinced she was in the right.<\/p>\n

\u201c\u2019Course not!\u201d Lily continued. \u201cHe had this big marble statue in his yard, so I grabbed my enchanted mace from my pack, went up to it, and bam!\u201d She mimed swinging a mace. \u201cKnocked it down in one strike, made him go all white and gape like a fish.\u201d She bulged her cheeks in a fish-like way, drawing laughter from Laika. \u201cBefore I left, I told him that if he tried to have me arrested, I\u2019d bring his mansion down on top of his head. Next day, I heard he\u2019d taken an early visit to his summer home in Cranebridge. That was three years ago; I\u2019m pretty sure he\u2019s still there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laika clapped at the end of the story, but as Lily took another swig from her tankard, the girl\u2019s brow knitted. It was one thing for Lily to threaten someone, she thought, but Lily was really strong. Even if Laika could hit Brandon hard enough to make him not want to tangle with her again, she didn\u2019t think she could make him so scared that he wouldn\u2019t even tell his teachers what she\u2019d done. He\u2019d go to them and cause a lot of trouble for her and her friends.<\/p>\n

\u201cAw, come on, Lily. You\u2019re always about the smashing.\u201d Laika turned again to see the wizard Averic Cenard approaching. He was a short, red-faced man who had a big black mustache and walked with a cane that doubled as his wizard\u2019s staff. He was wearing his formal robes, which Laika knew meant he was meeting with other wizards that day. \u201cEver hear of the subtle arts?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cSure.\u201d Lily grinned. \u201cThose\u2019re the arts where you chant for half a day to cast a spell on the bad guys, except by then all the real<\/em> warriors already showed up, beat up the bad guys, and made off with all the loot.\u201d<\/p>\n

Cenard chuckled and sat next to Renzeya. \u201cAh, but when one spell can best an army of villains, perhaps spending the day casting it is preferable to spending a fortune hiring \u2018real warriors\u2019 by the dozen to fight them.\u201d He steepled his fingers as Lily laughed and Laika smiled, familiar with their longstanding argument. \u201cIn any event, Laika, you have a prodigious talent for one so young. Why not beat this Brandon fellow at his own game? Show your magic is superior to his. Embarrass him off the field.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laika tilted her head. Cenard had taught her a few techniques, mostly for gathering up her magic to build stronger golems, but when she thought back to them, she couldn\u2019t recall any that would guarantee her a victory. \u201cBut he\u2019s got more training than me, and he\u2019s older. What if he\u2019s better?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cYou have a rare talent for one so young\u2014I think it highly unlikely he can beat you, particularly as he\u2019s quite likely to underestimate you.\u201d Cenard\u2019s eyes twinkled. \u201cHe won\u2019t know what hit him, and he\u2019ll be forced to back down… without any claim against you he can bring to the adults in his guild.\u201d<\/p>\n

Laika nodded, but her smile had faded. If Laika beat him in a magic show instead of a fistfight, then he might not be able to go to the adults like he would if she hurt him\u2014he\u2019d just look whiny\u2014but he also wouldn\u2019t be scared of her coming back. He\u2019d just be embarrassed, and he might even seek revenge on her or her friends. Laika couldn\u2019t have that.<\/p>\n

Meanwhile, a third figure had stepped over from a nearby table. Renzeya nodded at the figure of Reynoll, an official whom Laika knew often served as the point of contact between the government and the mercenaries it occasionally hired. Reynoll had no weapons training or magic to teach Laika, but he knew more about the history of the city than anyone else Laika had met, and he was often willing to fill in the gaps\u2014or correct the lies\u2014in the adventurer journals Laika read for fun. \u201cI couldn\u2019t help overhearing,\u201d said Reynoll, his northern accent perfectly crisp as usual. \u201cAnd might I suggest a third option? That of diplomacy?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cDiplomacy?\u201d repeated Laika.<\/p>\n

\u201cYes. He holds the square. You want the square. Surely there is a trade you could work out.\u201d Reynoll munched on a piece of oat bread covered in melted goat cheese. \u201cPerhaps if you gave him a golem, he would leave you alone. And then you would need not fear retaliation from him or<\/em> his superiors.\u201d<\/p>\n

But that also felt wrong to Laika. Brandon was in the wrong, and he\u2019d broken her favorite golems, so why should she give him anything? And besides, she didn\u2019t want to be forced to make golems for people that would mistreat her anymore. She hadn\u2019t done that since leaving her hometown, and she wouldn\u2019t start again!<\/p>\n

Renzeya glanced at her and seemed to notice her frowning. \u201cI think we\u2019ve all given her enough advice, lads,\u201d he said. \u201cMaybe we could let her be.\u201d He then looked back down at Laika. \u201cBut if you do want to talk things over, I\u2019ll be up later, okay?\u201d<\/p>\n

Laika nodded, and as the others got up to go, she returned to her food. \u00a0Although she tucked in with gusto and was as nice as she could be to Renzeya and everyone else who greeted her, Laika\u2019s mind was still uneasy. She had to deal with Brandon, she knew, but despite all the advice she\u2019d been given…<\/p>\n

She had absolutely no idea how.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The Golem-Maker of the City By Aaron Canton \u2014Part Two\u2014 Laika stumbled back to the Adventurers Guild, head drooping and feet dragging, and went right to the stairs to go up to her room. Normally she would have stopped in the bar and dining area first so she could listen to the adventurers talking about […]<\/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":[273,525,1470,1454],"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-1gp","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4861"}],"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=4861"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4861\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4863,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4861\/revisions\/4863"}],"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=4861"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4861"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/tellest.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4861"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}