Chapter 14 ‘The Gamble’

Pondering over the problem while the golem continued etching sigils, Markus had to admit that the real reason why It was a difficult problem to solve, stemmed from the fact that he was not sure exactly why it had happened in the first place. The memories he had deliberately infused into the golem to allow its procedural and experience-based learning were nothing special, just the vague concept of learning that had come to mind at the time. But perhaps that was it? Maybe his intent and focus had been too vague and that had allowed the process to go awry.

“Is something the matter?” Lord Dupont asked, though his tone was far from concerned.

“Well, yes and no. I don't know if Anabelle took note of it in the report or not, but my golem has a few eccentricities and I think I may have figured it out, but I am not sure. The process of giving it the ability to learn seems to require being in tandem with a particular learning focus and because I didn't provide it with one, it has some issues.” Markus tried to be both vague and specific, unsure of just how far he could trust the Guild Chapter-Master or if he would even understand.

“So you would like to know what the intended purpose for the golem is, so you can provide it with that missing specialization, so you can see if it prevents or lessens the eccentricities encountered with the first golem?” Lord Dupont asked, proving himself ruthlessly astute in his logic by deducing Markus’s motives so exactly.

“Something like that...” Markus agreed, trying to keep the surprise from his voice.

“Well it was going to be a surprise but...” Lord Dupont ran his fingers over his chin thoughtfully for a moment then nodded, “Well since it is necessary for the experiment I don’t see a problem with it. The final test is combat. Your golem’s capability for combat will be tested in a number of ways so I can determine if it could serve as an improvement over the current generation of golems. Is this a sufficient explanation for your enchantments?"

Markus nodded, “If combat is to be the focus of the test, It will need slightly different enchantments that can make a rather significant difference in the final result, thank you for your consideration. There is one thing though, the golems initial skill level will be...not great, but if it could observe a practice bout or duel before the test, it will improve its skill significantly since my golems are designed to learn by observation as well as skills I impart to them on their creation."

Lord Dupont cocked an eyebrow, then furrowed his brow momentarily before relaxing again, “It will be arranged."

Markus scratched the back of his left hand, “The golem’s combat efficiency will also be higher wearing armour than without it, but it isn't strictly necessary.”

Lord Dupont looked thoughtful for a moment then shook his head, “If it is not necessary, then it would be for the best not to use it since the test is to assess its general capabilities, not solely its efficiency. But that is still good to know."

Markus nodded, he had expected as much. The allowance for a demonstration match so the golem could learn some basic fighting skills was already quite generous. Concentrating, Markus directed his attention to the wooden doll that would soon become a golem and then began reshaping and directing the mana stored inside the jewels embedded in its body.

First, Markus established the sensory and protective enchantments. Understanding that the golem would not be wearing armour during the test, he made sure to keep most of its surface areas on a relatively low sensitivity. It would still allow the golem to feel and understand when it was under threat of harm or damage, but not so much that it would suffer unnecessarily when struck. Or at least that’s how Markus hoped the alterations would behave.

It took close to an hour to complete the primary enchantments. After carefully double-checking his work, Markus allowed his concentration to fade again. The final enchantments would bring the golem to life and he wanted to wait for the speech collar before starting that final process. Even though he had not been using his own mana to form the golem’s enchantments, the exercise was still mentally taxing, so he thought it would be best if he took a break in the meantime.

Markus walked back over to the table and took a seat, rolling his stiff shoulders and rubbing his neck.

“Everything is going well, I trust?” Lord Dupont asked cordially.

Markus nodded and replied without opening his eyes, “Everything is ready, I am just taking a break while we are waiting on the collar,"

“So soon?” Lord Dupont asked incredulously.

Opening his eyes, Markus just managed to catch a glimpse of the doubt in Lord Dupont’s expression before his convivial mask snapped back into place. “I had a lot of practice when I made the first golem and I double-checked my work. The only enchantments I still need to imbue into the golem should only take a half hour or so at most, maybe a little longer if I think of something else I could add.” He shrugged nonchalantly and poured himself a drink, but did not drink it.

The intense hunger had returned to Lord Dupont’s eyes, “Mrs Annabeth should not be too long now I should think,” he rapped his knuckles on the table and glanced at the inanimate form of the wooden doll laid out on the workshop table.

It only just occurred to Markus that he had not heard Anabelle speak since Lord Dupont had been seated at the table. He supposed she must feel intimidated by the presence of the nobleman considering he was her boss's boss. Working under that assumption, Markus felt no need to force a conversation, choosing instead to sit back in the chair and relaxing as best he could.

Lord Dupont had been right, Mrs Annabeth had only taken another half hour before she walked out onto the terrace and deposited the modified leather collar on the workshop table beside the wooden doll.

Markus got up and prepared to finish enchanting the golem, clearing his thoughts as he approached the table. He was vaguely aware of Mrs Annabeth leaving again, no doubt to arrange the changes to the next test.

“I want you to carve this sigil into the disk,” Markus ordered the golem, pointing first to the sigil he had sketched out on the paper earlier and then to the collar.

“Obedient: Of course Creator.” The golem moved to begin the task but stopped and looked back at him, “Envious: Will Creator provide Dolly with a speech collar as well?"

Markus considered this, “Perhaps not the same design, since your neck is too small, but yes, I will probably work on something in the next couple of days."

The golem seemed mollified by his answer, quickly scurrying over to the collar and then carefully engraved the sigil into the quartzite glass disc.

Taking the collar from the golem, or Dolly, as he should get into the habit of thinking of it since there would soon be two of them. Markus fixed it tightly around the much larger doll’s neck to make sure it couldn't slip or shift easily.

Concentrating, Markus made sure to copy Dolly’s speech enchantments into the doll and the quartzite disc mounted in the collar. Satisfied that the enchantments would function correctly, Markus tried clearing his mind of all unnecessary thoughts and instead tried to keep memories of his limited combat experience as he slowly began weaving the final enchantments that would bring the golem to life.

It took slightly less time than Markus had originally anticipated, the patterns and flows of mana falling into place mostly of their own accord with very little guidance required. It was like muscle memory in a way, his mana and mind knew what and where to go as if they had done this a hundred times before.

All told, the second Golem had been brought to life in a little over two hours.

The new golem sat up on the table and raised its hands in front of the jewels that served as its eyes, slowly moving its fingers and turning its hands around to get a better look at them. It stopped abruptly, the golem’s attention now fixed on Dolly.

Markus still hadn’t released his concentration and could see the communication enchantments inside the golem drawing mana and also noted that the same was occurring inside of Dolly. They were communicating silently with one another, but why? “Dolly, what are you talking about?” He had briefly considered being more discreet but dismissed the idea since it wasn't necessary.

“Obedient: New golem is confused, has few memories. Dolly was sharing knowledge of Creator and experiences to set golem at ease.” Dolly fidgeted briefly, its attention alternating between Markus and the other golem. “Nervous: Golem does not understand why Dolly has a name and it does not, also, the golem is having trouble speaking because it has had no practice."

Markus frowned slightly, he had not anticipated something like this. Was it because of the relatively sterile nature of the memories he had used to form the template for the golem’s experiences? He couldn't think of any other reason off the top of his head at that moment.

“Insistent: Will Creator give golem a name?” Dolly was visibly agitated, a stark contrast to the relatively immobile form of the larger golem.

Thinking for a moment, Markus shrugged, he wasn't good at picking names for things. Markus was about to turn and ask Lord Dupont what he would like the golem to be called, but just as he was about to ask, a name came to mind. “Hector,” Markus said, “Golem, your name is Hector."

A growl, deep and gravelly reverberated from the golem’s collar, “H-E-C-T-O-R."

This reminded Markus that he had not put the same communication adjustments onto the new golem yet. While the prefixes were a little irksome, and the golems could now use verbal communication to express tone, it would help him sleep better at night to know that the golem he had just created had its motives expressed more clearly in case something went wrong and Markus had to fix it.

“Hec-tor,” The golem repeated, growing noticeably more familiar with speaking by the moment.

“Hold on a moment,” Markus commanded, “I need to make an adjustment,” Markus then remembered he did not have his monitor to perform the required inputs. “That’s not great...” He muttered, now wondering what the best alternative would be. Technically it wouldn't be necessary, the golem would already obey him implicitly, but the thought of sending it into combat without a few very carefully worded supplementary commands made him incredibly nervous. Markus' attention fixed on Dolly and he sighed, but not in relief so much as exasperation. “Dolly,” Markus said loud enough for the golem to hear, “I need you to copy the words of the primary commands into my tablet so I can give them to Hector."

Dolly took a moment as if to think before answering, “Anxious: Dolly will do as Creator commands,” the tablet in Markus’s pocket chimed as Dolly spoke.

Taking a minute to make sure the commands were all correct, Markus established a communication link with Hector and passed on the commands directly. Since the link was currently only a one-way connection, he would have to wait for the golem to give audible confirmation to make sure it understood.

“O-be-di-ent: Com-mands ac-cep-ted,” Hector rumbled, each syllable spoken slowly and carefully, the golem obviously not yet accustomed to speaking.

With that taken care of, Markus gave a sigh of relief and apparently not a moment too soon as Lord Dupont was now making his way over to inspect the golem, with Mrs Annabeth and Anabelle in tow.

“Is the golem ready?” Lord Dupont asked, his eyes fixed on the golem as he spoke.

Markus nodded hesitantly, “Yes, I think so. It still needs some time to familiarize itself with its body, but the enchantments and binding commands are all there."

Lord Dupont nodded, “Good, very good. Shall we indulge in the luncheon proper? Or perhaps move on to the next test right away?”

Markus wanted it to be over but knew his best chance for impressing the Guild Chapter-Master would only be possible if the new golem Hector was given time to adjust to its body. “I think I would like to have something to eat and drink before taking the next test,” Markus agreed, his stomach dutifully gurgling its own support of the idea.

Lord Dupont nodded, “Very well, Mrs Annabeth please inform the staff that we are ready for luncheon.” He walked back over to the table and resumed lounging in his chair.

Mrs Annabeth dutifully left to follow her Lord's command, leaving Markus alone with Anabelle and the golems.

“Uhm, Mr Markus?” Anabelle asked timidly, doing her best to get his attention without being too obvious and drawing Lord Dupont’s attention as well. “Will your golem really be able to pass the combat test?” She asked nervously.

Markus thought about that for a moment before replying, “Yes, I am quite certain it will. I am sure you heard about the break-in at my house?"

Anabelle nodded.

Markus glanced at her, but turned his attention back to Hector and Dolly, “The intruders were killed by Dolly, my first golem."

Anabelle’s eyes grew wide in surprise, her mouth opening and closing noiselessly.

“Dolly, I want you to run Hector through some exercises, but don't leave this section of the terrace, I want to keep an eye on the pair of you.” Markus made sure to keep his tone authoritative since he was giving commands to a combat golem.

“Enthusiastic: Of course Creator!” Dolly waved for Hector to follow, and jumped off the table.

Hector followed obediently if a bit sluggishly, its posture hunched and limbs moving slowly as if the golem were weighed down by unseen burdens. However, little by little, Hector's movements began to quicken and its back straightened. For now, Dolly was simply leading Hector around the terrace at a slow pace but was noticeably increasing the pace every so often for a few seconds before slowing down again.

“You jest surely,” Anabelle whispered, her eyes following Dolly as the golems walked about the terrace.

Markus shook his head, “It seems like it only directly killed one man, but it had blinded another by tearing into his eyes. One of the intruders slit their companion’s throat, to stop him from crying out or perhaps so he couldn't be captured, I'm not sure. Somehow the golem knocked the last intruder down the stairs and then watched him suffocate from a collapsed lung.“ Markus turned his attention to Anabelle, “To a golem, a command is just that, it cannot disobey and will perform to the best of its ability to follow that command. Killing someone, it doesn't come into their thought process in the same way it would for you or me. For the golem, following the protection order, it will determine if someone will prevent them from following the command and eliminate them if necessary. The only reason the intruder at the bottom of the stairs took so long to die, is because he was no longer deemed a threat."

Annabelle raised her hand to her lips in shock, frightened into silence again.

“I think you still misunderstand, my golems aren't inherently dangerous. Without a command requiring them to commit violence, they won't. They don't have the same motivations people do, they don't experience stress as we do. Dolly had ample opportunities to commit violence since I first created it, but the only acts of violence it has committed were as a direct result of a command to defend my home and more specifically my daughter.” Markus again had told a half-truth but saw no benefit in telling her about how angry the golem had been while performing its duties. Sighing, he picked up his pack and took a seat at the table to wait for the luncheon.

The luncheon had been just about what Markus had expected, consisting of many small delicate servings catered to niche acquired tastes. His flavour palate was too crude to appreciate nuanced flavours in such small portions, so Markus was left feeling hungry and thoroughly dissatisfied. He had originally planned on having a glass of wine but wasn't willing to risk any impairment of his senses without something to soak the alcohol from his system.

Lord Dupont held no such reservations, drinking wine like a fish in water. Curiously, he did not seem to be inebriated in the least. “Ah, what a sumptuous repast!” Lord Dupont declared while rubbing his stomach appreciatively. “Now, perhaps it is best we move on to the next test,” he rose to his feet and stretched leisurely. “I should think the training grounds would be prepared for us by now."

Mrs Annabeth answered as if he had asked her the question directly, “Ser Dimos and Instructor Masse are both ready and suitable training equipment has been arranged for the test my Lord."

“Very good,” Lord Dupont clapped his hands then rubbed them together eagerly, “Let us depart then."

Markus shouldered his pack and called out to Hector and Dolly “Alright, enough of that. It’s time to move on to the training grounds.” Both golems fell into step behind him and Markus, in turn, followed behind Mrs Annabeth.

The Guild training grounds were nothing particularly special in and of themselves. The grounds were an open field maintained behind the Guildhall. Large enough to allow for team exercises or for a couple of adventurers to practice horsemanship, but not enough to practice massed engagements.

The grounds were currently cleared of all obstructions, but there were many of the deployable walls set off to one side of the grounds, most likely to simulate enclosed environments for part of the combat test.

Two men, one armoured in maroon brigandine and the other in a black gambeson were casually conversing with one another by the arming racks, where all manner of weapons were on display, some of which Markus had never seen before. Both men stopped talking as they noticed the arrival of Lord Dupont.

The man in the gambeson was probably Instructor Masse, which meant the other man in the brigandine was Ser Dimos, a minor noble with a knighthood. As both Masse and Dimos approached, the gravity of the situation began to catch up with Markus. Both men were in their late forties, but as adventurers, they had aged well and were no doubt as fit for combat as they had been in their mid-twenties.

“Guild Master,” Masse bowed at the waist, “Everything is prepared as per your instructions, is this the, err,” he glanced pointedly at Hector, “The new recruit I shall be training this eve?” Unlike most nobles, Masse seemed genuinely good-natured, or was at least making an effort to appear as such.

Lord Dupont nodded, “Indeed, I have been told that the golem is capable of learning martial techniques and other skills besides, so this will be an interesting opportunity to witness the process first hand, wouldn't you agree?"

Masse glanced at Hector again, giving a half shrug as he replied, “I suppose we shall see what we shall see my Lord."

Ser Dimos proved himself to be far less convinced as he snorted in scornful derision, “It’s nothing more than a golem, not even made of stone. I would wager that I could dismantle the sorry simulacra within a minute or less!"

Markus rankled under the knight’s ire. The blowhard hadn't even seen what his golem could do yet and he was already dismissing it out of hand. Unwilling to start a feud with a noble family, Markus kept his mouth shut, but it wasn't easy.

Lord Dupont smiled like a wolf and pounced on the opportunity, “One thousand crowns then!” He stated gleefully.

Ser Dimos blanched, “Hey, that is a bit steep for a wager on such a thing don't you think?” He sounded unnerved by the Guild Chapter-Master’s unwavering and seemingly unfounded confidence, now wary that perhaps there was something he had not been told about the testing criteria. “The trial is still as we discussed, is it not?” Ser Dimos asked, now quite suspicious.

“Of course,” Lord Dupont agreed amiably, First to yield forfeits the match, with the additional provision that whoever is rendered unable to continue fighting shall also forfeit the match. As we agreed."

Ser Dimos, frowned for a moment, eyeing Lord Dupont carefully while considering his words for hidden meaning. Finding none, he split his lips into a cocky smile, “Why only one thousand, why not two? Do not tell me you lack confidence in your little pet project?"

“Done!” Snapped Lord Dupont, his eyes glittering with barely concealed malice. “Now, let us retire for a time, while Instructor Masse conducts what you must of course believe to be an effort of the utmost futility.” He turned and began walking towards a lounging couch on the far side of the grounds that had just been set down by a porter.

Glowering at the Guild Chapter-Masters back, Ser Dimos trailed along behind him without sparing so much as a single glance back at the rest of them.

Mrs Annabeth frowned, the intenseness of the expression only lessening slightly as she turned to address Markus, “Lord Dupont has expressed a great deal of confidence in you, it would be best if you do not disappoint him,” her eyes glittered dangerously, then she turned away and set off across the grounds to join her Lord.

Anabelle looked worried but said nothing.

“Well,” Instructor Masse said, “Perhaps it is best if we set to our task, but first a proper introduction is in order.” He bowed, though not half as low as he had for the Guild Chapter-Master, it was still lower than Markus had expected “I am Francis Masse, Instructor for the Guild,” he bowed again and looked expectantly at Markus.

Markus bowed as low as the instructor had for him, “I am Markus Farus, just a member of the Guild I guess.” he shrugged then bowed again.

Masse looked bemused and chuckled to himself, “Just a member eh?” He then looked to Anabelle, “And might I enquire after your name my dear?"

Anabelle blushed and bowed stiffly “Anabelle,” she glanced guiltily at Markus, then quickly added, “Junior Guild clerk,” she bowed again and made a rather extreme effort to not look at Markus or Masse, instead intently interested in the goings-on across the grounds.

Instructor Masse chose to say nothing about Anabelle’s behaviour, choosing instead to direct his attention to Markus, “With the formalities of introduction well handled, perhaps it would be best for you to illuminate me on what I can do to best serve the Guild Chapter-Master’s interests in this foray?"

Markus took a moment to make sure he understood the Instructor’s meaning, “Alright,” he motioned to Hector, “This golem is called Hector, it has been enchanted to be capable of learning skills it experiences in a similar means as we do, both by observation and by instruction.” Markus paused, allowing Masse the opportunity to interrupt or voice an objection, but he didn't, so Markus continued, “To this end, I would like you to teach the golem how to fight, preferably well enough to at least draw with Ser Dimos."

Instructor Masse thoughtfully stroked his finely manicured moustache and beard, “Strange, but of course, the personal requests made by the Guild Chapter-Master almost always are by their nature." He approached and assessed Hector, “I shall be first to admit, I am not familiar with the capabilities of golems nor indeed of constructs in general. However, I would perhaps suggest that we focus upon a weapon that would take the best advantage of the golems height and reach. The spear should prove quite effective against Ser Dimos’s style of engagement as well as his brigandine armour.” Masse tapped his chin thoughtfully, “But there will be no denying that this will be a rather crude affair, less determined by mastery so much as dogged determination I fear. Particularly since good Ser knight’s armour is enchanted most powerfully indeed."

Markus shrugged, “I expected as much, but what you should understand is that Hector is protected by enchantments as well and will not tire, fighting just as hard at the start of the fight until its conclusion, one way or the other."

Masse nodded, “Hrm, indeed, we shall make the best use of this advantage then. So a shield and a spear, provided the golem can acquire a basic grasp of the fighting style, I would think a defensive strategy could indeed hard press Ser Dimos. Whether it will be sufficient to defeat him, I am unsure, but we shall discover this together,” he smiled warmly.

Markus nodded, he liked the instructor’s attitude, “Hector, I want you to learn how to fight by watching Instructor Masse and doing what he says for the duration of the lesson.” He didn't feel the additional provision was necessary, but it was better to be safe than sorry.

“Obe-dient: Under-stood,” Hector growled, his grasp on speech beginning to show marked improvement. Hector’s attention visibly shifted to Masse.

Masse looked somewhat surprised, “The golem speaks? That is indeed quite unique.” he chuckled, “Let us be to our business then. Follow me Hector and I shall demonstrate the strength and nobility of the humble turtle,” though quite jovial, he seemed determined nonetheless.

Markus didn’t really have anything else to do, so he decided to watch the instructor's lesson. Aela had already strongly suggested Markus learn to use a shield, so who knows, maybe he could learn a thing or two himself.

Hector’s training lesson had been an interesting and rather unique experience. Masse had at first given rather detailed explanations for each technique and stance he demonstrated, but it soon became apparent that Hector did not need most of the explanations, just the stated purpose of the action and its potential benefits and drawbacks. In this way at least, Hector proved to be an excellent student, capable of following Masse’s instructions exactly as ordered and demonstrated.

It had not taken long for Masse to move on from theory and practice to adversarial example. They started slowly at first, drilling counter-attacks and blocking, but quickly moved on toward controlling an opponent's footwork and pressing the attack, all while actively maintaining an ironclad defence with the shield.

Instructor Masse stopped the training after about an hour, maybe less. Understandable, since the golem had no muscles to train, and as far as Markus knew, its memory did not fade, so there was no need to repeat activities to gain familiarity or the equivalent of muscle memory.

“I could perhaps teach the golem further, but I strongly suspect that Ser Dimos has taken notice of our progress and as such, further training would prove less beneficial than making the best use of his ignorance. Do you not agree?” Masse was stroking his beard and eyeing Ser Dimos across the training grounds.

Markus nodded, willing to take Instructor Masse’s professional opinion into account. “Do you think Hector has a chance?” He was curious, unsure of Ser Dimos' class and specialization, although he assumed Dimos had to be a Warrior, the unknowns left him nervous as to the fight's eventual outcome.

Instructor Masse smiled, “I think the golem will be more than capable of pressing Ser Dimos for a draw,” noticing Markus's disappointment, he chuckled, “I do not think you understand the enormity of the accomplishment a draw encompasses in this context. Let me illuminate the matter, but first, a question. What level do you think Ser Dimos is?"

Markus didn't know, so he shrugged and guessed, “Thirty?” He shrugged again, Markus wasn't good at estimating adventurers levels.

Masse glanced sidelong at him and chuckled again, “Not quite, but a good guess. No, his level last I checked was fifty-three."

Eyes wide Markus let the enormity of the challenge sink in, “And you think Hector can force a draw?” He was incredulous. Although it was true that Markus had never really tested the upper limits of even Dolly’s capabilities, he had not dared assume Hector would be capable of such a feat as this, regardless of the increased mana reserves. “Wait, you already said you don't understand how golems work. How do you know Hector can force a draw without knowing the level of punishment it can take before running out of mana?"

Instructor Masse shrugged, “I do not need to. From a strictly technical point of view and the fact that the golem will not tire, I am confident in my assessment of the outcome based on the important factors to which I am most rigorously knowledgeable.” He smiled reassuringly, “If it were a contest of brute strength, I would need to defer in part to your expertise, but given what I know of this specific opponent and the nature of the engagement, no, I am very confident in my initial assessment."

“Instructor, if you don't mind my asking, if you had to rank chimaera what level would they be if they were adventurers?” This was something that had bugged Markus for a while, having witnessed Aela and Svala fight, he knew they possessed phenomenal strength, toughness and speed, but he did not have enough experience to make a comparison to Warrior adventurers.

Masse was thoughtful for a minute, then slowly shook his head, “I am sorry, their relative strengths vary too wildly by the individual in my experience. As such it is too difficult to classify them accurately. I apologize that I could not be more helpful."

Markus shook his head, “No, you have been quite helpful thank you,” he bowed his head in respect.

“It appears that good Ser knight is quite ready for the test to begin,” Masse pointed to Ser Dimos who was now getting up from his seat and barking orders to Guild staff who in turn began hurriedly moving the portable wall segments.

After another ten minutes, the training grounds were transformed into a staggered field of battle. The walls were tall enough that neither Hector nor Ser Dimos would be able to look over them without some difficulty.

Markus escorted Hector to the centre of the grounds and waited. “When the signal is given, You will fight as if to kill Ser Dimos, but you will not follow through on a killing strike. Do you understand this command?"

Hector was silent and motionless for a minute before replying, “Obedi-ent: Will fight, not kill.” The golem rumbled.

Markus nodded, “Good, furthermore, if he falls unconscious or yields you will immediately cease your attack. Do you understand?"

Another minute passed in silence before Hector responded, “Obedi-ent: Under-stood"

Markus was a little nervous about the second command, but there was not a lot he could do about it. The terms were too subjective and open to abuse if someone was willing to take a few minor risks.

“I’m going to break your little toy!” Ser Dimos laughed loudly as he limbered up with a few practice swings of his long hafted warhammer. It was a brutal and beautiful weapon, intricately carved with sigils and runes, its form the pinnacle of the smith’s art and skill.

Without even checking, Markus knew the warhammer was heavily enchanted and the onyx jewels set into either side of the head of the warhammer would hold substantial reserves of mana. Fighting against the weapon directly would not be wise, and the golem’s unenchanted shield and spear would do little to stand against it.

With that in mind, a potential innovation to make up for this shortcoming suggested itself. There would never be a guarantee that the golems would have access to enchanted weapons, armour and other equipment, so what if he allowed them to enchant their own? It would not be true enchantment of course, much like the brooch he had enchanted for Aela, it would simply enchant objects with a predetermined enchantment the golem was in contact with. But to make it suitably efficient, he would need to allow the golem to differentiate between a useful object and something that would not be worth the mana.

Concentrating, Markus quickly set to copying and modifying some of the enchantments, effectively allowing Hector to make these decisions itself. Although he had initially been worried about teaching Hector to make the correct choices, it seemed the golem already understood. Hector had already circulated mana into its spear and wooden round shield as well as its steel boss but had not done so to the ground beneath its feet. This was promising. Markus allowed his concentration to fade and gave Hector a pat on the back, “Good luck,” he said, though he doubted the golem would appreciate the sentiment.

Markus made sure that the smaller golem Dolly was following him, then quickly made his way over to the raised viewing platform the porters had constructed on the Guild Chapter-Masters side of the training grounds.

Lord Dupont was already seated, sipping at his glass of wine, Anabelle was seated to his right and Mrs Annabeth stood off to the side behind him. Markus took the last available seat to the Guild Chapter-Master's left.

“Am I correct in assuming all preparations have been completed?” Lord Dupont asked.

Markus nodded, “I thought of a final innovation and implemented it. If I am right, it could make a pretty big difference. I hope that isn't a problem.” He was a little worried the Guild Chapter-Master would think he had cheated somehow.

Shaking his head and chuckling, Lord Dupont took another small drink of his wine, “No, the test has not yet begun, so any alterations would not be deemed contributory toward invalidating the outcome.” He held out his glass for Mrs Annabeth to refill again, “Although I am curious as to what enchantment you felt would be cause enough to risk disqualification over."

Shifting a little uncomfortably, Markus tried to think of the best way to explain it, “It’s a bridging enchantment. It allows an object to enchant another object with another predetermined enchantment, so long as they are in contact."

“Very interesting,” Lord Dupont mused, now swirling his nearly full glass in his right hand, “But I had thought you worshipped at the feet of efficiency. Is such an enchantment not reckless and inefficient for one such as yourself? Or did you perhaps deliberately limit the scope of such an enchantment?"

Markus shook his head slowly, “No, I gave control of the enchantment to the golem itself. Hector will determine what is and is not worth enchanting. In this specific instance, Hector will decide which objects he comes into contact with will be hardened. I thought it would be best to keep such an innovation basic for the time being, given I haven't tested such a thing with a golem before."

Lord Dupont grinned and his eyes glittered, “A most remarkable innovation if it indeed performs as you say, it would most certainly save considerable funding in arming this variation of golem."

Markus nodded, although he had not specifically considered that. Only thinking of the fact that his golem had been put up to fight against an opponent bedecked in enchanted gear with nothing to fight back save all too fragile mundane weapons. At least with this latest enchantment, the golem stood a chance.

“Ser Dimos already has a wager on the outcome of the test, but what of you Mr Farus? Would you care to make a wager?” Lord Dupont’s eyes stared hungrily at Markus.

Markus shook his head, his common sense seeming to have prevailed for a change, “Sorry my Lord, but I do not have much to my name and I would not risk what I have for the sake of pride."

“Hrm, well the nature of the wager need not only be in coins, dear artificer. Although it should still be considered best practice to quantify a wagers worth in such terms to remain aware of the objective value.” Lord Dupont stared pointedly at Ser Dimos and Hector, “Surely there is something you desire?"

Markus began to shake his head again, but found himself reconsidering, “Hector; although I brought the golem to life, am I correct in assuming it isn't mine?"

Lord Dupont grinned, “Clever man,” he complimented, “Indeed, the golem is the Guild’s property, even if we do not have the means to control it, it is nevertheless Guild property.” Lord Dupont took another sip of his wine, “If you desire true ownership over the golem Hector, truly a marvel of enchantment by the way, then I would accept nothing less than two golems of similar enchantment as wager."

Frowning, Markus understood the Guild Chapter-Master’s intent. He wanted Markus committed to producing golems for the Guild, specifically his Chapter of the Guild. The possible uses for his golems had not been lost on Markus. He had seriously contemplated producing more of them to both protect his home as well as assist in generating revenue, assuming they could be taught tasks or trades of sufficient value. But what Markus knew and the Guild Chapter-Master did not, was that Hector and Dolly both possessed small parts of Markus’s memories and possessed free-thinking minds of their own; he could not in good conscience allow their sale and subsequent enslavement to the Guild. “Alright,” Markus agreed, “But only under the condition that Ser Dimos defeats Hector,"

Rather than be upset by the wildly unfavourable conditions put forward by Markus, Lord Dupont’s grin widened “Ah, a clever man indeed to judge his work so highly and to seize advantage of a competitor's greed. Very well, I agree to these terms Mr Farus, should Ser Dimos fail to reign victorious, the golem Hector shall be relinquished to your ownership. But should Ser Dimos stand victorious, you shall enchant two more golems of similar or same value for the Guild at no expense,” he swapped his glass to his left hand and offered Markus his right, “Do we have a deal?"

Nodding, Markus took hold of the Guild Chapter-Master’s hand and shook it, “We have a deal."

“Very good!” Lord Dupont squeezed Markus’s hand firmly before releasing it. He then stood and flourished his glass, “Let the fight commence!"

Ser Dimos immediately launched himself at Hector, his warhammer sweeping upwards from his right side, but his blow failed to connect as Hector deftly leapt to the side, the golem’s spear lancing out and bouncing off Ser Dimos’s greaves that protected his right knee.

Angered that his blow had been avoided so easily, Ser Dimos changed tactics. He began harrying Hector with overhead thrusting attacks, trying to connect the hammer's spike with the golem's body. He did not seem overly concerned as Hector deflected the strikes with his shield, no doubt assuming the golem’s shield was unenchanted and would break soon enough.

But Hector was not solely on the defensive, the golem timed its strikes to coincide with Ser Dimos own, launching powerful and accurate thrusts at his right knee and face. Each time a thrust came close to Ser Dimos’s face, he was forced to retreat or risk the blade of the spear penetrating his visor, but he held few compunctions over protecting his knee and would scoff at the ineffectual attack and press onward, confident in his armour’s enchantments to protect him.

The fight continued like this, back and forth with neither truly gaining an advantage over the other for a good ten minutes, and that is when the nature of the fight began to change. Ser Dimos was beginning to tire, his thrusts and swings gradually slowing and losing their accuracy, while Hector remained unaffected. But this did not necessarily mean that Hector was winning, there was no telling how much mana the golem still held in reserve.

Well, that wasn't strictly speaking true, Markus could concentrate and see directly how much mana remained, but that ran the very real risk of being interpreted as cheating. So as much as he wanted to, he just had to assume Hector had sufficient reserves to win the fight. Although, that did give him another idea for an enchantment, and a rather basic one at that. Withdrawing another scrap of paper from his pack, Markus began scribbling his idea down with a piece of charcoal.

Theoretically, he could link his tablet to Hector, or any other golem and have the modified light enchantment that served as the text function allow the golem’s to tell him in a rather literal sense, exactly how much mana they still held in reserve. Whether it was represented in a unit of measurement he would have to come up with, or just in relative terms such as half, or one third, it would still be good to know since he could not always rely on being so close to them to see for himself. This was all the more important because he still didn't know what would happen to either Dolly or Hector's minds if they ran out of mana. Markus assumed the worst, that their consciousness itself would experience a very real death, that even if he re-enchanted it, the unique mind of the golem would be gone forever.

“Dolly, I want you to copy this and transcribe it to the monitor alright?” Markus handed Dolly the scrap of paper.

“Obedient: Of course Creator!” Dolly had been watching the fight up until then and had been just as fixated as the rest of them.

A thought occurred to Markus at that moment, “Dolly, ask Hector how much of his mana reserves are left and send the response to my tablet please.” The golems could communicate without the tablet, but he had forgotten that even though he had not linked Hector to it completely, Dolly was, and the smaller golem had demonstrated it could communicate with its larger sibling directly.

Dolly was still for a moment, then began fidgeting as Markus’s tablet chimed.

Dolly Excited: “Hector reports mana reserves holding steady at eighty-two over one-hundred."

Markus blinked as he reread the message. Hector’s mana reserves were still at eighty-two per cent?

“Favourable news I trust?” Lord Dupont asked, eyeing the tablet curiously.

Markus did his best to appear indifferent, “Could be, but the match is still far from determined."

Lord Dupont smiled, “Ah, perhaps you have noticed Ser Dimos gambit?"

Markus didn't have time to mask his surprise so he saw little point in the attempt, “What do you mean? What gambit?"

Chuckling, Lord Dupont took another sip of his wine, “All this time, Ser Dimos has only been using basic attacks and minimal amounts of mana. I believe his gambit is to lure the golem into a pre-established attack pattern for it to counter, then brute force through the counter and perform a devastating counter-attack of his own, ah look, see?” He pointed to the fight unfolding below.

Partway through a thrust, and just as Hector jabbed its spear at Ser Dimos visor, the knight tilted his head to one side and instead of retreating, bodily crashed full force into the golem.

Hector was sent sprawling, crashing hard against one of the portable walls and before the golem could recover, Ser Dimos swung his hammer into the golem's chest and sent Hector smashing through the wall, the golem’s spear and shield, unfortunately, left behind.

“Such a shame,” Lord Dupont tutted, “Still, definitely in possession of advancements that will prove most useful indeed."

Markus tablet chimed, and Dolly became eerily still, her head glancing askance at the Guild Chapter-Master.

Hector rolled away and to its feet, narrowly avoiding the overhead blow directed at the golem’s head. Instead of retreating, Hector pushed forward, knocking the warhammer aside and delivering a hammer blow of its own to Ser Dimos groin before tumbling away again with astounding agility and environmental awareness, disappearing behind another portable wall.

While unharmed, Ser Dimos was livid, “BLASTED AUTOMATON! YOU DARE?!” He bellowed, charging around the corner and noticing too late that he had been lured into a trap. Surprised, the knight could do little as Hector bludgeoned his visor with a clenched fist, the combination of their momentum causing Ser Dimos to fall to the ground.

With his opponent temporarily incapacitated, Hector wrenched the warhammer from his grip and leapt back a ways. At first the golem readied the weapon to strike but seemed to change its mind as Ser Dimos staggered to his feet.

“Concerned: YIELD,” Hector growled.

“I will not yield to the likes of you!” Ser Dimos blustered, raising his fists and barrelled towards Hector like an enraged bull, batting the warhammer aside and trying to lay hands on the golem.

However, Hector was too fast, bouncing back and away out of reach, “Remorseful: Then be crushed.” Hector still did not attack, instead, the warhammer’s shaft split and splintered as it wrenched in the golems grip. Hector cast the destroyed weapon to one side and began walking towards Ser Dimos.

No doubt just as surprised as the onlookers, the knight only managed to take a single step backwards as he shouted in disbelief, “Im-Impossible!"

Hector grabbed Ser Dimos helmet with both hands and began to squeeze. At first, nothing happened, but then the screaming started. Ser Dimos was hammering Hector with his gauntletted fists, but the golem ignored him, its palms slowly drawing closer together as it began to crush the knight's helmet.

“Angry: Yield or die,” Hector growled, his rumbling voice devoid of the strain a living man would have felt from such an impossible feat.

Ser Dimos did not yield, or if he did it was indistinguishable from his pain-filled screams. His flailing slowly subsided and his body went limp. Ser Dimos fell in an unceremonious heap as Hector released his grip.

“Obedient: My enemy is unable to fight. I will cease hostile action.” Hector announced and knelt by Ser Dimos's body. Taking hold of the helmet, the golem began applying pressure again.

Instructor Masse was already sprinting through the grounds as Lord Dupont turned to Markus,

“It would be wise if you called off your golem!"

But before Markus could give Hector a command, the golem had already finished what it had begun.

Hector had not been performing a coup de grace as they had feared, the golem had only been removing the knight's damaged helmet.

“Concerned; This man requires medical aid!” Hector announced loudly, standing up straight once more and waiting for fresh orders.

“Very interesting,” Lord Dupont murmured, sipping wine from his glass he carefully regarded Markus as if taking his measure for the first time. “I underestimated you,” a small smile crept across his face “That does not happen often, but, I am a man of my word and will honour our agreement. The golem is yours.” his smile widened as he turned to the grounds again, where Ser Dimos was being loaded onto a stretcher “Just as his crowns are mine,” he chuckled, now having returned to a more sanguine mood.

“What about my evaluation?” Markus asked.

“Hrm? Oh, you already passed. The innovations you have made thus far are in excess of warranting special treatment and protected status. The showcase of your golem’s potential was for my own edification.” Lord Dupont smiled wanly, “Although it is a shame to have lost the golem, oh well."

Markus felt a little frustrated by this answer but was relieved that the ordeal was over and didn’t want to risk the Guild Chapter-Master’s ire by stepping out of line.

“I do hope you will seriously consider taking a contract with the Guild to produce more of these golems, for which you would be well compensated of course.” Lord Dupont looked at Markus expectantly, waiting for an answer.

Unfortunately, Markus was not yet comfortable with the prospect of creating more golems, for a myriad of reasons, but the most prominent was exemplified in Dolly’s myriad of eccentricities, “I’m sorry my Lord, but I must refuse, for now at least anyway. There are still issues in the golem enchantments that I must explore further. I hope you can understand."

Lord Dupont nodded, “I cannot say I am not disappointed, but I can understand a craftsman's desire to deliver a quality product.” He sighed and shrugged, “It is what it is, well, I shall fill out the documentation to support your protected status in the Guild and assign Ms Anabelle as your Guild contact unless you have another preference?”

Markus shook his head “No, not really.” He honestly wasn't familiar with any of the other Guild staff to even know their names.

“Good, I do prefer to reward those who take the initiative in such matters. As your Guild contact, it will also be her responsibility to provide reports on your comings and goings, as well as any activities of note. This is not intended to be invasive so much as allowing the Guild to provide adequate support regarding any untoward actions individuals or organizations may take against you. Does this sound reasonable?”

Markus nodded, he wasn't thrilled about the prospect of the Guild looking over his shoulder, but it was a necessary compromise for the safety he needed for Arlee and Abigail. “Yes, that’s fine. But tell me, Ms Anabelle has said it would be possible to make special requests or for allowances to be made, is that true?"

“It is, do you have something in particular in mind?” Lord Dupont seemed intrigued.

“I do.” Markus took a steadying breath, “I want a guarantee of safe conduct for chimaera companions I will be working alongside in the coming months. I don't want them being hassled by the guards or by any adventurers trying to make a name for themselves. Is that possible?"

Lord Dupont was silent for a while before answering, “It is, but of course we would need certain assurances from you as well."

“Alright,” Markus agreed “What assurances would you need?"

“A Guild staff member must be present at all major gatherings within town limits, Ms Anabelle should prove sufficient for this purpose. Also, we would require, of course, that you sign a good behaviour bond, taking responsibility for their actions undertaken within town limits. Is this agreeable?” Lord Dupont was watching Markus intently to see how he would react.

The thought of being held responsible for others actions didn't sit well with Markus, but he didn't have much choice if he wanted to take advantage of Aela and her family's offer to provide a vanguard for the dungeon bounties, which he needed in order to gain levels. “What do you mean by major gatherings?” He asked, suspecting an unwelcome and deliberate vagueness in terminology.

Lord Dumont smiled, “Town statutes quantify a major gathering of chimaeras as three or more individuals."

Now Markus could see what he was driving for, “Which would mean, if they are staying in my home, a Guild staff member would need to be staying there as well."

The way Lord Dupont smiled said it all. “Correct,” he agreed amiably, “Although of course, in this instance, the Guild would, of course, compensate you for the inconvenience to your household."

Markus sighed, this was probably as good a deal as he could get, and the extra income wouldn't exactly hurt either. “Alright, I agree to these terms,” he held out his hand.

Lord Dupont eagerly reached out and shook Markus's hand, his smile now the widest it had been all day, his eyes alight with the thrill of another deal struck in his favour. It left Markus with the unnerving feeling that the aging aristocrat had gotten just about everything he had wanted.