Pepper’s wrist began to buzz with a notification. He slowly peeled his eyes open and saw the morning sun’s rays. They were streaking in through the workshop windows. There was a small purr from Meg, who was snuggled up tightly with him in his hammock. The night had brought just enough of a chill that she had awakened and sought the comfort of her older brother.
[:::] Immortals League match beginning soon. [:::]
Pepper tapped on his holodex and finally glanced at the notification that awaited him. He read the message and began to think back over the League schedule and who was competing. It took a few seconds for his brain to awaken, but he soon recalled it was a matchup between Stephen Landry and Shami Stovall, two of his favorite gladiators.
Pepper quickly dismissed the notification and tapped through the device. He chose the option to turn on the holoscreen in his workshop. The wall above his workbench illuminated as the screen activated and remained suspended in the air.
He immediately realized that the angle of the screen was not going to be a comfortable one for him to watch. He tapped away on his holodex and accessed the options. A quick adjustment, sliding his finger through the controls, and he watched the screen float from one side of the room to the other. He finally released his finger, which set the screen in its new position.
“That’s better,” he said under his breath.
The Golem League theme music came on and the familiar voice of Nick Bosloe filled the workshop. “Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to another exciting match in the Golem League. I know I am excited for this one, folks, as we head to the Immortals League, where we have Stephen Landry facing off against the one and only Shami Stovall. But of course, before we get to the match I need to welcome my cohost, the ever-exciting JD Glasscock.”
The screen zoomed out to include JD. “Well, thanks, Nick, and what a great day for a Golem League matchup—am I right or am I right?”
Pepper had a slight chuckle, as JD had shown up for the event wearing a button-up Hawaiian shirt and khaki cargo shorts. Nick, on the other hand, was wearing a dark navy-blue suit with a white collared shirt and a bright red tie. Nick chuckled and looked back at the camera with a slight shake of his head but a large smile on his face.
“You are certainly right, JD, and we are here at the Golem League, never having a dull moment.”
JD quickly tilted his head and snapped back and forth between his cohost and the camera. “You know, for all you folks at home… in case you are wondering, yes, I am wearing sandals.” Nick paused for a moment and his expression contorted as he tried to maintain his professional demeanor. “Seriously… they feel amazing. It’s great,” JD finished.
“Well, JD, now we’ve got that out of the way, let’s get to today’s match. I mean, though you are quite the fashion icon, I think that is really what the fans are wanting to see today,” Nick said as he did his best to keep the train on the track.
“You know, you bring up a great point, Nick. Now for all you at home, go ahead and follow me on League Chat, the official Golem League social media platform, and there you can get all my great fashion tips and tricks.” JD pressed his lips together and his eyebrows shot straight up.
The dead serious expression remained for a few seconds before he started to laugh and then continued. “But you’re right, Nick. The fans are here to see an epic match, and that is exactly what they are going to get! Because we have two classic gladiators facing off, and there’s no way this match isn’t going to be a good one.”
“Well, you are certainly right there, JD. Now, neither of these two gladiators are new to the League. And we, of course, have watched them both rise and fall in between the Pantheon and Immortal Leagues. So when we say experience, we certainly mean it,” Nick said and quickly turned to his counterpart.
“Oh, for sure, Nick. I mean, let’s be real about the League… now, we all love it, you know? But when we talk about the Pantheon and the Immortal, these are the cream of the crop. You know? There is only a ten-foot height difference between the two leagues, but you still have fifteen rune slots allotted to your golem. Finally, we’re talking five tons less in overall weight in the Immortal League.”
“But, JD, that is a serious weight difference,” Nick chimed in.
“It is, but it really isn’t, Nick. I mean, we see gladiators and their golems get promoted and relegated between these two leagues every year. When you are in the top two tiers, you’ve already got your system down and you’re dialed in to what works best for you.”
“Well, you’re certainly right about one thing—we do see our gladiators jumping back and forth often throughout these two leagues. It seems to come in waves where our gladiators come out swinging and having an epic year of success and the League is shaken up.”
“And that is what makes the Golem League the best in the world. Am I right or am I right?” JD finished with a laugh. Nick was about to segue into the next portion, but JD shot out his hand and continued. “Now, I have to say—and I know this might shock some people—but my money is on Stephen Landry today.”
A shocked expression came over Nick’s face. “Really? You think Stephen is going to pull out the win over the amazing Shami? Do tell.”
“I mean, Stephen has been around this league for a while, he has had his ups and downs, but this yeti golem he has made and used this year… I mean, one, it is a yeti, and that is just cool beans right there. Two, the electric guitar battle-ax combination. How cool is that? And finally…” JD reached into his chest pocket and retrieved a pair of sunglasses. He quickly put them on, and the orange and purple blended gradient was the exact same as Stephen Landry’s yeti. “How are these yeti shades not the coolest thing in the Golem League?”
Pepper started to chuckle and shook his head at the commentator. Nick was doing the same thing. “Well, JD, though I don’t necessarily disagree with you, there is something to be said about Shami Stovall and her death wraith. I mean, utilizing a powered chained lantern as a weapon is awesome to watch. The golem is just frightening to see in its grand spectacle.”
“That is what makes this arena such a fitting place for this matchup as well. I mean, here we are in Netherfield Arena. The lush green rolling hills in East Sussex of the United Kingdom is such a great location for this. A death wraith going up against a giant yeti on a cloudy, rainy, grim day. Epic,” JD exclaimed.
“Well, I know our fans are ready for this matchup, so let’s not waste another minute and get right down to the action, shall we?” Nick proclaimed.
The camera split to a view that looked out at the arena. The angle was from a lower position and pointed upward towards the sky. The golems looked even larger as the billowing clouds above forced the Golem League to shift perspectives for the viewers to enjoy.
The gray sky flashed with lightning, and the rumble of thunder only added to the intensity. There was a faint purple glow from the arena runes as they glowed to life. The rolling green fields of Netherfield looked slick from the intermittent rain.
Off to the left of the arena came a giant earth crawler. The massive platform carried Shami’s death wraith as the tracked wheels inched their way to the golem’s starting position. Pepper could just make out the slender figure sitting on the edge of the crawler.
He instantly recognized Shami and watched as she swayed her leg back and forth. The camera cut to a drone feed and the view hovered around Shami. She was lifting her operator helmet and placing it on her head. “Still going with the Black Magic helmet by Tonic Industries,” Pepper muttered.
The view continued to hover, but Nick’s voice chimed in. “And here we see Shami Stovell and her death wraith being carted to the edge of the arena.”
“This is just gruesome, man,” JD added.
Pepper watched as Shami tapped the side of her glove and a pink glow emitted from under her helmet visor. Faint pink and blue lights illuminated her gloves. Her fingers started to go to work, and a few seconds later, a deep blue light flickered within her golem.
The blue light soon faded into a warm yellow glow. A loud noise cried out across the arena—a sound that spoke of nightmares and darkness. The death wraith began to hover a few inches above the crawler’s platform. It continued to slowly float upward, suspended in the air, and then moved forward into its starting position.
The drone streaked from the left of the arena to the opposite side. There, at the other end of the rolling hills, was a figure. He was cloaked in a dark hood and a leather jacket. Pepper smiled and imagined Stephen walking directly off the stage of a metal concert and into the arena.
The drone arrived just in time to catch the red flare appearing from Stephen’s ocular operator glasses. He kept to his traditional Hyper Inline model that was made by the company simply known as Rage. Stephen’s gloves also illuminated and maintained the deep red coloration.
Then, in the background, with the thunder roaring overhead, came the distinct sound of thudding footsteps. Stephen’s golem was already powered up, and it marched forward. Its head crested the hill and you could see the white hair accents carved into the granite stone. An American flag–patterned bandana was wrapped around the golem’s forehead. A giant pair of sunglasses covered its eyes, and in its hands was a massive electric guitar.
The weapon was a guitar and battle-ax combination. The edges of the guitar body were shaped like a dual-bladed ax. The neck and head served as the ax’s handle. Stephen flicked his wrist in a rotating motion and the six red energy strings pulsated to life along the weaponized instrument’s neck.
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The camera glided around to the side to show the massive golem dropping a giant box-like item beside its operator. The yeti continued marching to its starting position, while it began to act like it was playing the guitar. Without delay, the song “Seven Nation Army” began to blare out from the item that Pepper now realized was a giant speaker.
“Now this is how you make an epic entrance! You know what I mean?” JD said.
Pepper lay in his hammock and bobbed his head slightly along with the beat. He smiled and vibed to the song, which he had not heard before. The countdown timer appeared on the screen, and he cracked his knuckles in anticipation. His mind tried to tune in to what he believed was in the mind of Stephen Landry.
“Let’s clash these golems!” Nick bellowed as the match began.
Shami’s death wraith dropped its chained lantern down, and warm yellow and orange energy glowed from it. Every edge of the lantern looked like a sharp spike ready to puncture its opponent. The wraith started to twirl its weapon around. The movement started out slow but continued to twirl around and soon generated more speed. It quickly evolved into a single line of warm yellow that streaked across the sky.
“Oh, I am worried, JD. I think Stephen should have countered and rushed in to not allow Shami to make the first move like this,” Nick said.
He had hardly finished his sentence when the lantern streaked across the sky. It looked like a laser being shot towards Stephen’s yeti. The golem sidestepped just in time and the lantern flew past it. Stephen quickly countered the attack and brought his guitar ax down.
Shami attempted to avoid the strike and commanded her golem to recall the lantern. Her wraith quickly snapped its weapon back, but the ax blade had arrived already. Red and orange sparks of energy shot upwards. The chain was pummeled into the earth, but the wraith continued to adjust. It finally snapped its weapon free and the lantern returned to its owner.
“Holy cannoli, talk about catching a lucky break! I don’t know how that chain didn’t get severed, but great red velvet cake, is Shami lucky that didn’t happen.” JD’s voice erupted with shock.
“You know, JD, that is something we didn’t really talk about. The Netherfield Arena has large black granite boulders scattered all throughout it, but they rarely ever come into play. Today they might actually make a difference!” Nick replied.
Shami’s wraith started to float off to one side and began to swing its lantern back round. The golem adjusted and launched the lantern high into the arena. The height and angle was so great that Pepper thought it might actually touch the top portion of the arena’s barrier. The yellow line of energized chain fell back towards its target.
Stephen’s yeti lifted its guitar ax to block the attack. The lantern’s chain slammed down and started to wrap around the neck of the guitar. The yeti countered the attack and began to adjust its hips. A quick twist and turn and the yeti began to pull the wraith towards it.
“Oh dear me!” Nick cried out.
“Watch this, watch this, watch this!” JD spat out in haste.
The wraith flew across the arena, headed straight for the yeti. The yeti let go of the guitar with its left hand and started to wind up for a clothesline attack. Stephen’s golem leaned forward as the wraith closed the distance.
But at the last second, Shami commanded her golem to duck. The wraith didn’t stop, though, but used the momentum to soar past Stephen’s yeti. The wraith snapped its lantern back. Stephen’s golem only had one hand on its guitar ax and failed to secure it under the strain of Shami’s power. The ax went flying across the arena and bounced off the wall.
“This isn’t good! What is Stephen going to do?” Nick asked.
“Well, for one thing, he certainly isn’t going to be able to play a follow-up song,” JD replied.
Nick chuckled. “Well, I think there are bigger concerns than that.”
“I dunno, man… I could really go for Gorillaz, ‘Feel Good Inc.’ You know what I mean?”
Pepper shook his head with a slight laugh. He imagined what JD and Nick would be saying during one of his matches. He turned his attention away for a second as Meg adjusted herself in the hammock. The motion caused the two of them to sway slightly. Pepper brought his hand over and adjusted Meg’s hair on her face, then turned back to the action.
Stephen’s golem started to run towards its guitar ax. The camera panned around, and Pepper could see Shami’s wraith chasing it down from behind. The wraith launched the lantern back at the yeti. The weapon slammed into it from behind, and the yeti staggered forward.
It was able to keep its balance and kept running. Shami launched a second attack but was surprised when the yeti spun around and grabbed hold of the chain. Pepper’s eyes widened in surprise, and he watched as the yeti reached up and grabbed hold of the chain with its free hand.
The giant sasquatch roared and shook its head. The golem tightened its grip and snapped the chain in half. It let go of the chain and the wraith quickly recalled it. Shami’s wraith now only had a heavy chain to use as a physical weapon. Stephen’s golem, having severed the lantern, now tossed it lightly in its hand.
“My goodness! This has taken a surprising turn to say the least!” Nick commented.
“A hard right turn headed straight into epic coolness, if you ask me, man,” JD replied.
A dark chuckle came from Stephen’s yeti. It took a firm step forward and launched the lantern like a baseball. The wraith easily dodged the attack, but Pepper was sure the act was more to send a message than a threat.
The yeti began to take forceful steps forward while the rain continued to pelt down on the golems. Lightning bolts flashed high above the arena and the thunder rumbled like battle drums. The entire scene made the yeti’s power walk look even more ferocious as it closed the distance to the wraith.
Shami’s wraith started to snap her chain upon the yeti as if it was a whip. The end of the metal chain smashed against the yeti’s stone skin. The force was so great that Pepper could see particles of rock chip away.
This is insane! Pepper thought. He isn’t at all concerned about his runes being damaged from the attacks… Where could he have placed them?
The yeti’s upper torso was gashed and sliced open by the time it reached the wraith. Shami started to dash her wraith from side to side in an attempt to avoid the yeti. But it appeared to only delay the inevitable.
“This is not good for Shami! She looked to have been on the offensive, but now she can’t seem to gain the distance she desperately needs,” Nick stated.
“Well, Shami is now struggling due to her power consumption.”
“What do you mean, JD?”
“Well, she is clearly using an anti-gravity rune, which allows her golem to fly. That constant draw on the power core is a hard thing to sustain. With that rune constantly having to be powered, it means there is less energy available for her other attacks. Stephen doesn’t have that problem.”
“A great observation and insight as always, JD.”
“It will be interesting to see what Shami does.”
The yeti reached its hand out and grabbed hold of Shami’s wraith’s cloak. The wraith tried to float away; the cloak started to tear and rip. Stephen anticipated that and side-hopped his yeti. A quick adjustment and the yeti now had a firm hold on the wraith’s shoulder.
Stephen brought his golem’s free hand up and began to pummel the wraith’s body. The attack lasted a couple of rounds until the yeti finally grabbed hold of the wraith. The sasquatch lifted the wraith over its head and ended by pile driving it into the earth.
Sparks of yellow energy sprang from the wraith’s body. The yellow and orange light flickered for a brief second. Pepper was questioning whether or not the power core had actually reset itself.
Stephen’s yeti leaned back and started to pummel its chest like a gorilla. A bellowing cry rang out from the golem as it called out to the crashing thunder and lightning above. The yeti then turned and took a step in the direction of its guitar ax.
Shami’s wraith refused to leave the fight. Its clawed hand reached out and latched onto the yeti’s leg. Stephen didn’t even react at first but kept his golem moving ahead. The yeti continued for a few steps, but having to drag the wraith’s body was too slow and cumbersome for Stephen’s wishes.
Stephen turned his golem around, but not before the wraith got a firm slash in. The wraith’s claws shredded the yeti’s calf muscle. The yeti’s red energy flickered, and the golem looked to be delayed in responding to any commands.
“Oh, don’t tell me, Nick! Don’t you freaking tell me that is where the runes are … that’s brilliant, man,” JD commented.
“Well, it certainly appears that Stephen’s yeti is in trouble,” Nick replied.
The wraith didn’t stop or hesitate. It took another round of clawed swipes at the yeti’s calf area. Chunks of rock flew off the golem’s frame, and with a final slash, a small explosion of red energy shot out from the yeti’s leg.
“She’s done it, JD! She appears to have ruptured one of the yeti’s major runes!” Nick cried eagerly.
The light from Stephen’s golem went out and the massive yeti fell forward and landed with a crash upon the earth. The drone camera panned around to show Stephen with his head pointed straight up. His hands were down at his sides, and he finally lowered his head and shook it from side to side.
“Yo, that is straight up a fight we need to discuss, Nick. Erika … Erika, where you at, girl? Get in there and get us that interview,” JD commented.
“That isn’t a half bad idea, JD. Folks, we’re going to take a quick commercial break, but stay tuned, because we certainly cannot wait to get these two epic gladiators’ thoughts on this match. Don’t go away,” Nick followed up.
A commercial for the Tonic Industries Black Magic Helmet came on. Pepper chuckled. Yeah, like that wasn’t purposefully placed, he thought. He started to make his way out of the hammock, carefully navigating the weight distribution so Meg wouldn’t teeter off.
She moaned and started to rub her eyes. “I’m hungry.”
“Yeah? Do we need to get you some breakfast?”
“Mmhhmm,” she replied.
Pepper smiled at her cute appearance. She still clung onto the blanket they had been wrapped up in. He turned his attention back to the screen to see Erika standing on the right side of the screen and Shami and Stephen standing next to each other on the left. Stephen’s right arm was wrapped around Shami’s shoulder in a side embrace, and the two had big smiles on their faces.
“Well, I am here with two golem gladiators that need no introduction,” Erika said with a wide grin. “What a match, you guys!”
Stephen was shaking his head. “Yeah, I got to give it to old Shami here. I thought for sure I had her, man. You know, but go figure—she pulled out a win at the last second.” Stephen gave her a firm squeeze with his arm. He then let go of his embrace and crossed his arms in front of his chest, shaking his head slightly.
“I have to say, in the Golem League, it is so great to see how there isn’t a whole lot of opponents, but rather friends who face off with each other. What is that like?” Erika asked.
Stephen started. “Oh, for sure, man. I mean… who better to lose to than your friend, am I right? And not only that, I don’t really see it as winning or losing—more like you beat me this time but I am coming for you next time.”
Shami laughed. “Well, yeah—I mean, the majority of us have all come up the ranks together. We all started together and know exactly what it’s like to compete at these levels. Many of us train together and help one another out behind the scenes. Heck, we even talked about switching golems for today’s match.”
Erika’s expression changed to one of shock. “No way!”
Shami and Stephen chuckled, and they looked at each other with a shrug. Stephen rolled his head. “Yeah—I mean, why not? Like, how cool would that be for two gladiators to come out and just switch golems and go at it with no prior training or experience?”
“So what training did you do to pull off this victory, Shami?” Erika excitedly asked.
“None.” Shami laughed bashfully. “If we’re being honest, my husband and I were playing video games just before the match and I got all caught up in it. You know? And then I looked at the time and was like, ahh crap, I have to go battle Stephen. So, you know, I just winged it.”
Stephen laughed when he saw Erika’s mouth drop completely open and she leaned forward in disbelief. “You’re joking!”
“Heck, no! I mean, I’ve been winging it for a while now, and look at how far it has gotten me.” She smiled widely. “If something works, don’t change it.”
Pepper merely chuckled and shook his head himself. They make it seem so easy.
“Pep.”
He turned his head down and looked at Meg. “Yes, my lil Meg monster?”
She playfully smiled. “I’m hungry.”
“Okay… let’s get you some breakfast. Come on.” Pepper reached down, scooped Meg up into his arms, and began to carry her inside.