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Ch. 6 Conspiracy.

A cloaked figure rose over him. The cowl concealed the person's face in deep shadows. From beneath the hood, strange words were mumbled. Clay couldn't understand what the man was saying. The sky overhead swirled purple and orange, while white lightning chopped through the dancing forms. Suddenly, the cloaked figure's hand plunged towards the golem's chest. A flash of searing pain coursed through Clay.

His eyes opened to the dim light of the room. The pale purple gemstones that lined the walls illuminated the room as the golem's eyes adjusted to their surroundings. He looked to the door, expecting the iron bars of his prison cell. He remembered he wasn't in Sijjin. He didn't know where he was. Somewhere in Orgas. He was glad that he at least knew the name of this world now.

He rolled over and pushed himself into a seated position. He was in the traveler's guild house. He recalled how one of his drow elf captors had brought him out of the bloodstone quarry. Clay had expected his treatment to have gotten worse after he left the prison, but he had been granted his freedom.

He recalled the word Marcel had used, necromancer. Then he thought of the dream he'd just had. Had the cloaked figure been Roland? Marcel had said that only a high-level necromancer could have created the golem that was Clay.

Rubbing his eyes, Clay stood up. As he walked to the door he saw a pair of leather shoes lying on the floor. While he had been a prisoner he hadn't had a pair of shoes to wear, he'd never actually worn shoes before. But, somehow, he knew that it was customary to wear shoes among civilized folk. Even if his feet didn't need the protection. He pulled the shoes on over his feet before proceeding to the door.

Opening the wooden door, Clay stepped out into the open hallway. Looking back, he saw the soft bed. It was nothing like the prison cell he'd known as home over the last month.

He found the stairs and walked down, the purple gemstones illuminating his path. At the base of the stairs, Clay looked at the reception desk. The young woman was no longer there. She had been replaced by a dour-looking drow.

The male drow looked down his sharp nose at the golem. "If you're hungry, take a seat." The elf gestured towards the dining room as his eyes returned to the paperwork on his desk.

While Clay didn't feel particularly hungry, he didn't have any better ideas. And so, entered the dining area and took a seat at one of the empty tables.

Seeing the new guest, the barmaid walked over with a pitcher and a mug. Clay watched as clear water was poured into the vessel, he licked his lips in anticipation of the drink.

"The house special? Or will you be ordering anything off the menu?" The woman asked. "The special comes with the room, anything else will cost extra."

Clay looked at the woman for a moment. "Just the special, please."

Nodding to her guest, the barmaid departed.

Clay took the mug of water and drank the fluid in thirsty gulps. While the prospect of food held little significance to the golem, he found the water to be quite satisfying.

Across the room, he saw the faces of his fellow patrons turned towards him. Curious eyes examined the not-quite-human-looking human. The traveler's guild patrons came from various races; human, drow, and several others that he didn't yet have names for. A pair of short, stocky, creatures peered at him over long beards. Their skin resembled the stony complexion of the golem's. However, his skin tone had taken on a more rosy hue from the bloodstone he'd absorbed in the quarry.

The waitress returned with a bowl of stew and a loaf of bread. Clay dipped the bread in the stew and ate the soggy morsel. Looking to the barmaid the golem nodded his approval, "Thank you."

The woman flashed a professional smile and left him to his meal.

As he ate his meal, Clay noticed movement. The stocky pair of creatures had stood up from their table and were making their way over to the eating golem.

"Salu, mate," the closer of the two bearded figures called.

Clay set down his empty bowl and wiped the corners of his lips with the back of his hand. He stared up blankly at the creatures. Even standing, they barely stood over his seated form.

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"Hello," Clay replied, uncertain what to expect.

"We noticed you earlier, with that fancy pants drow." The one who'd greeted him said, a note of derision carried through his voice.

"Aye." His partner added.

Clay felt an eyebrow raise.

The bearded face of the closer of the two wrinkled, "Sorry, mate. Meaning no offense. Just wondering what business you had in Jaskar."

Jaskar? Was that the city's name?

Clay shrugged, "No business." He felt no need to tell the pair about his journey in bonds from Sijjin prison.

"Really?" The bearded creature seemed pleased with his response. "Well, would you be interested in some work? We saw the rags you showed up in, can't imagine you have many coins to your name."

Clay thought about the offer. It was true that he didn't have any money. He'd only been able to stay at the traveler's guild because Marcel had paid for his stay. Still, he didn't know anything about these creatures.

"You're right, I don't have any money." The golem stated, letting them know he had nothing for them to steal.

The pair seemed to pick up on his suspicion. "You seem tough for a human, it almost looks like you have the stone skin of a dwarf."

The golem recalled how the drow had been uncertain whether he was a human or a dwarf when they had captured him. He figured that meant the creatures before him were dwarves.

Clay held his tongue, unsure what they were about to ask him.

"Anyways, the two of us need a bruiser for an expedition we've been planning," the lead dwarf stated.

The proposition occurred to Clay to be somewhat shady. But, the golem didn't have any better plans to earn a wage now that he'd gained his freedom.

"This expedition, could you tell me more."

The pair of dwarves exchanged a satisfied smile. "Glad to have you aboard."

"Wait, I didn't say I agreed," Clay protested.

"Oh, you will." The lead dwarf disregarded his protest.

"The land around Jaskar is pockmarked with excavation tunnels dug into the terrain." The dwarf stated. "The mines are already dug, and they're filled with treasure suited for the right pair of enterprising dwarves to dig up."

The proposition didn't sound quite as shady as Clay had first expected. They were miners, a task the golem had grown quite familiar with during his time in the Orgas plains.

"For this operation to go smoothly we need someone to watch our backs while we dig up the earth's hidden treasures," the dwarf said with a gleam in his eyes. "To that end, we were hoping you'd be willing to lend your sword arm against the nasties waiting in the depths."

It sounded pretty good. He hadn't received any damage when he'd been attacked previously, it seemed unlikely that he'd have any trouble dealing with whatever creatures they encountered.

"Okay." Clay agreed. "Though, I don't have a sword."

"No worries, you can borrow mine." The lead dwarf said with a grin, "I feel more comfortable with a pickaxe in hand anyway."

"My name's Daernog." Said the grinning dwarf. "And, this is Mumfrey."

The dwarf named Mumfrey stuck out a hand, which Clay grasped firmly. A suspicious look shot across Mumfrey's face as they released their hands.

"My name's Clay." The golem said evenly.

Daernog showed no concern for the look that had passed between the two men. "Clay? A strong name. Well, we have some provisions to acquire before we leave. If you can wait here, we'll be back before long with the rest of our equipment."

Clay nodded his consent. "I'll be here when you're ready."

Daernog clasped the golem's hand and parted with a smile. The pair of dwarves shuffled off, leaving the guild hall.

Clay watched the pair leave and sat back and relaxed, satisfied that a plan was forming. No longer was he a slave, and now he had work to do. It felt good to have a purpose of his own.

His meal finished, and Clay got up. Rather than going back to his room, the golem opted to go out into the city. He wouldn't travel too far, but he couldn't pass the opportunity to see the sights of Jaskar.

Leaving the purple glow of the traveler's guild hall, Clay walked out into the dimly lit streets of Jaskar City. His journey from the Rayin family headquarters to the guild hall had been hasty and he hadn't had the opportunity to examine the layout of the city as he'd passed through it.

The street corners had large pyres of flame billowing up through iron cages. Even with the large fires, the streets were dark and foreboding. Clay kept his travel slow, not wanting to lose track of where the traveler's guild entrance was.

"That thing's not human." Clay heard an excited voice proclaim.

The golem came to a stop before he came around the corner. Inching forward, he glanced past the building until he saw the two dwarves speaking in hushed voices.

"You're right. I've spent my life handling stone, I'd recognize it anywhere."

"What should we do?" Mumfrey asked.

"Hmm, we'll have to put our plans on hold. Go get the gang together. Tell them to gather outside the South gate." Daernog told his partner. "Whatever it is, it's valuable. Otherwise, there's no way Marcel would have handed over the coin to set it up with the guild."

Clay was surprised by the conspiracy the two dwarves were making. He'd felt optimistic about the venture that the two short, bearded, men had invited him to join. And, here they were conspiring against him. The betrayal stung.

As the two dwarves split up, Clay thought about his next move. He hadn't left anything in his room, the guild paperwork was safely tucked into a pocket in his shirt. It seemed a dangerous notion to return to the guild hall knowing that he was being targeted.

Opting not to return to the guild, Clay allowed himself to get lost in the labyrinthine city of perpetual darkness.