It was humid the moment they walked into the chamber. While the stone tile under their feet was no different in composition than it had been in any other room in the dungeon, here it was covered in the thick coating of moisture and patches of moss. There was a fog that lay throughout the room, leaving the top third of the chamber cast in mist.
Sitting in a broad pool that dominated the center of the room was the largest, strangest reptile Tarn had ever seen. At first glance, he had thought it to be a massive crocodile. It had the long snout of one the smaller terrors that Tarn had seen in the warm rivers of the south. But its back was covered by an oval shell like a turtle, an armor that was lined with shimmering hexagonal scales that shifted colors in a mesmerizing pattern.
Short stubby legs pushed the creature up right, as it slowly turned on all fours to face them. Tarn could see a green, viscous fluid dripping from the claws of its feet, while clouds of steam erupted from its mouth.
“Rings of Ishanas,” gasped Isca from behind him, wonder in her voice. “That creature is pretty amazing.”
“It is.” Tarn resisted the urge to take a step back as the beast’s ruby-red eyes focused on him. “The Axe sure knows how pick its monsters.”
//Garmea the Great
//AP: 200
Status effects: Lumbering, Enlarging
Lumbering – for the first two rounds of combat, this creature may only make one action.
Enlarging – After three rounds of combat, this creature gains 100 AP
First of the creations. The eyes, and the memory. The center, connected to all.
One of the hexes on the turtle’s shell began to illuminate, and a simple large cube of clay materialized on the shoreline before them. Tarn’s interface did not register an attack, and he found himself still with a full range of movement.
“That’s new,” Isca muttered.
“So do we just rush in?” Aryo asked, bouncing on the balls of his feet.
“It would seem that choice has been made for us.” Urthin pointed at the clay object before them, which began to shift and modify. As Tarn thought to go to his interface and initiate combat, he realized he was a second too late.
//INITIATIVE BEGINS
//ENEMY STATUS
Garmera the Great: 200 AP
Golem (Unformed): 50 AP
Ripples running across its surface, the misshapen pile of clay grew in size, gaining limbs and features. In moments it had become a crude representation of a form known well to Tarn and all across the Realm.
Forming a long, barbed sword in its hand, the clay orc charged at him. It moved with shocking speed for something that seemed so dense, more sliding across the surface of the ground than actually running upon it. In moments it was directly in front of Tarn, brandishing the weapon as it waited for its next pulse.
He could see no breathing from the creature, no life showed in its dead, dark eyes. Thin rivulets of mud ran down its face, and in the moment Tarn could have mistaken it for a poorly made orc statue.
It was a puppet of Garmera the Great, nothing more. A distraction.
The massive turtle stayed in the center of the water, its head barely lifted above the murky surface. To Tarn, it appeared almost disinterested in what was happening around it. One of the hexagonal shells above its head began to glow a bright yellow, unleashing a small beam of light that struck Urthin squarely in the chest.
Tarn stared over at Smiley, but he appeared fine. Checking his interface, he could see no loss in AP and no new status effects gained for the monk. A simple notification ran across his interface.
//IMAGE STORED: HUMAN (REALM)
Image stored? Peering past his foe, Tarn could see moving images in the shifting patterns on the turtle’s shell. But who was it storing images for, and why?
As the second pulse began, the clay orc swung out with the weapon, connecting with Tarn’s armor and taking 20AP off his total, as well as adding a count of [Bleed]. To his shock, the creature then seemed to simply melt into the ground, sinking and disappearing in the blink of his eye.
Aryo’s cry of surprise let Tarn know where the golem had reformed. Turning, he could see the creature was now brandishing its weapon at the young Zephyr, as new text entered his mind about the golem.
//Status effect update: Fluid - May move after an attack action, even if it has already moved this round.
A second light then shot from Garmera, this one a thin blue beam that silently struck a hovering Isca. Again, Tarn saw no damage had been taken from the attack, but she had gained the ‘Stunned’ status. As this negated her flying, she dropped down to the soft form of the swampy march, taking 10 AP from the fall.
//NO IMAGE STORED
//INITIATIVE SHIFT
As motion returned to him, Tarn ignored the urge to go check on Isca. Right now the tactics of the situation had his full attention. Something felt off about all of this.
“Ignore the golem,” Tarn shouted at Aryo. The kid was the only one who could reach Garmera and attack this turn, and he was sure that was the priority. “Get to the turtle and start doing damage.”
With a quick breath, Aryo set into motion as he stepped away from the clay orc that stood before him and instead ran out into the shallow water of the marsh, dodging cattails as he moved. Coming to a halt for the end of his first pulse move, Tarn was glad to see the small sparks signifying his [Momentum] status taking effect.
He didn’t need to look for Urthin, he knew the monk would be using this turn to stealth into the shroud. Instead, he called up his [Bowshot] and fired at the frozen clay figure a few yards away.
//OFF-PULSE ACTIVATED: FLUID The Golem may avoid the first attack against it each round, and move to a new target within 40 feet.
Tarn watched with frustration as the creature simply sank into the ground, its clay mixing with the mud and grasses of the swamp. His arrow passed harmlessly through the air, while the creature reappeared directly next to Isca’s stunned form.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
As the second pulse began, he could hear the sparks flying as Aryo managed to reach Garmera and began attacking. Tarn’s focus was on Isca, but his concern was quickly cast aside as Urthin stepped out of the shroud right next to the Kithikin and the Golem. Two long knives embedded into the false orc’s back, and the facsimile melted into the ground, defeated.
Thank you, Smiley.
Turning back toward Garmera, Tarn let a second
But a new golem was already here to replace the last one.
//INITIATIVE SHIFT
The cube of clay quickly began to reshape itself, twisting and convulsing as it grew and expanded. In moments, it had become a creature unlike any Tarn had ever seen. Rock-like arms and torso, but no head of any kind, and a single broad limb beneath its waist.
The one leg flexed, and it leaped far into the air. Landing in front of Urthin, the two arms conjured up a long, bladed pole.
The same golden beam Tarn had seen come from turtle reached forth from its shell again, landing upon Isca’s crumpled body. Just as when it had ‘stored’ Aryo’s image, no damage was registered, but a different message ran across Tarn’s interface.
//IMAGE STORE CANCELLED: UNNEEDED FILE
With its second move, the strange rocky golem swung its weapon at Urthin, the bladed edge of the pole catching his armor and inflicting the same 20 AP and [Bleed] that Tarn had taken. Just as before, the odd misshapen creature then melted into the ground, only to reform directly before Tarn’s eyes.
He looked over the creature’s shoulder at the massive turtle in the center of the murky water, waiting for another beam to shoot outward from the shifting hexagonal scales on its shell. Where the others had been white and blue, this one had a crimson hue to it and was targeted not at anyone on the team, but rather upon the shore of the pond.
As his interface informed him, the ability was called [Summon], and he was not surprised to see a second cube of clay form upon the marshy land next to the water. The golems themselves were merely a distraction, but one that would get out of control soon.
//INITIATIVE SHIFT
It was clear to Tarn they needed to end this faster before more golems could be created. Looking back at Isca, he was relieved to see she was now free of the ‘stunned’ effect.
“Get in the air,” he shouted at her. “Try to stall the golems. Urthin, you and I need to help Aryo with the turtle!”
Tarn called up his [Chain Flail] and targeted the turtle, having to look around the rocky form of the golem in front of him to do so. Adding the
As he found himself face to face with the creature’s shell, Tarn was momentarily overwhelmed by all the images in front of him. What from a distance appeared to be just shifting colors was actually a series of images repeating on each scale, brief views into other worlds.
On one he could see what looked like an island on an ocean, with a massive axe slammed into the side of a mountain. Another was a huge city, filled with lights and strange vehicles. A third showed a world that seemed on fire, while still another a sand-blasted desert pocked with small, shattered pyramids.
The Axe Dungeon was present in them all. Is this a record of its journey? The turtle’s text had called it the eyes and the memory. Did that mean-
“Tarn!”
Urthin’s shout brought him back to himself. He forcibly pulled his eyes away from the dancing images in front of him, and to the timer running down in his head. He had only seconds left to make an attack.
Selecting [Flail Attack] he swung his weapon just as his timer ran out, delivering another 30 AP to the damage Urthin and Aryo had already done, as well as the
But looking over his shoulder just as the still time came in, he saw that Isca had managed to take down one of the golems on her own. That left one still to deal with, its form undetermined.
//INITIATIVE SHIFT
The clay cube at the shoreline began to move and shudder, growing in height and sprouting limbs. Two legs formed, then two arms and a head. Then as the torso elongated, a pair of thin wings emerged from its back. It took to the skies, two long antennas running out of its forehead as it streaked toward Isca.
She cried out in surprise at the sight of it, recognizing the same thing Tarn did. The golem was a Kithikin, or at least a close approximation of one. It didn’t possess Isca’s innate flying ability though and had to use its first action just getting in the air.
Garmera’s [Shaken] forced it to pass on its first action. Yet then images continued to run across its surface, now showing scenes that did not contain the Axe but other dungeons. The Sword was present in some, while Tarn also saw a massive shield, a giant mace, and a wizard’s staff that looked a thousand feet high.
Had Garmera been in them all?
Looking closer, each massive weapon had a thin crimson line running into the sky like a thread, a common feature joining them all together. The color was identical to the soft skin Tarn could see in the gaps between Garmera’s scales.
The second pulse then started, and the images all suddenly vanished. Tarn blinked as the turtle’s shell now appeared to be just plain dull greens and browns, faintly glistening with humidity. Yet a heat was emanating from within, a pulsing temperature that increased with each second.
Tarn saw the golem take its second action, firing darts at Isca’s frozen, hovering form. Then he was pushed several feet away from Garmera’s side by a wall of heat, thrusting him back and doing 10 AP of damage. Urthin was propelled along with him, while he was sure the same had happened to Aryo on the other side.
A pair of messages ran across his interface.
//INITIATIVE PAUSED //All relevant images captured. Processing storage for departure.
Several feet away, the golem suddenly dissolved back into liquefied clay, falling to the ground in a series of large blobs, and sinking into the moss-covered stone.
Garmera’s head pulled within its shell, and the turtle began to levitate itself out of the swamp. Thick, foul water poured from the surface of the beast, and it began to rotate. Slowly at first, then increasing in speed, while the scales on the back of its shell began to flash with color once again.
The colors merged at the rotation and continued becoming images Tarn could recognize once again. A sword, an axe, a shield. One weapon after another, then shifting into faces. They were human and aged, but Tarn could not recognize any but the final one shown.
Lurim. His arrogant countenance stared back at Tarn, smiling as it was projected upon the blur of the Garmera’s shell.
There was a loud clap of thunder as the turtle simply vanished, leaving Tarn staring at a confused Aryo from across the pond.
“What?” Aryo came running over, splashing in the shallow water. “What was that … turtle? It was just spinning there, and now the battle’s over?”
“Unusual,” Urthin muttered. “Unusual to say the least.”
“Those images.” Tarn turned to Smiley. “You know more history than anyone else I know. Did any of that mean anything to you? What did you make of them?”
“I do not understand.” Urthin looked back at him in confusion. “I saw no more than you or the others. Simply a large creature, and the summoned golems it created. If there were images, they were only seen by you.”
He saw nothing? Was this another vision? Another attempt by the dungeon to speak with me?
Nothing the Sword had said about the Axe suggested it would communicate with him. And Garmera had shown him images of many dungeons, many worlds.
A buzzing sound pulled him from his thoughts as Isca touched down in the bog next to him.
“Are you okay?” Tarn asked, momentarily shifting his focus. “You took some good hits out there.”
“Isca!” Aryo cut in. “That last one… the last golem. It looked just like…”
“…a Kithikin,” she finished. Her eyes were wild with excitement. “Yes! Tarn you saw it too, right? Isn’t this incredible?”
He looked back at her in surprise.
“I did see it, but I thought you would … maybe be upset by it.”
“Upset? It has seen us… seen my kind! That means there might be other Kithikin in the dungeon somewhere! It said my image was ‘unneeded’.”
“I guess that’s true,” Tarn nodded. He wasn’t sure Garmera was from this dungeon, but he wasn’t sure he was wrong either. He saw no reason to take her hope away.
“Then let’s go!” she said, pulling at his hand. “The next chamber should reunite us with the others, and then on to Ak-Thanon.”
“That’s right,” he said, squeezing her hand tightly before releasing it. Urthin and Aryo fell in step behind them. While doubt and confusion about what Garmera meant continued to whisper in his ear, he forced himself to move on.
There would be time for Isca, for the mystery of the dungeons, and even for Ak Thanon. On the other side of the door was the last room in the Axe, the moment when his team would reunify and prepare for their last conflict.
When the question of Yarex would finally be answered.