As the ground around them shook, the two guards standing at the main gate leading into the town of Rotler both suffered a serious case of shivers. All their hair suddenly stood up as a massive hunk of artificially grown flesh, all sealed within thick and heavy armor, walked from one guard post to another. The construct was massive, at least three meters tall. Every part of its body was sealed inside metal, with one glowing red orb embedded into the top part of its chest, which allowed it to see. There was no need to create a head if it wouldn't need one. The massive hands could snap a human like a twig, and under the heavy steps, the ground itself shook.

"Holy shit, dude, I can never stand near those golems. They freak me out so much," one of them whispered as the giant creature walked past them.

"Yeah, tell me about it. I know they protect us, but it still terrifies me. Imagine facing them on the battlefield. Some people actually use those they purchase from us for war."

"I heard about that too. The earth rumbles as they walk. They can't be harmed by most conventional weapons and magic. You get close, they knock you down and then trample you. Ugh. Terrible."

"You two can rest easy," a voice came from behind them. The guards twitched as they turned, only to find a familiar face standing at the gate.

"Chief!" one of them called out and they both immediately stood straight as arrows.

"At ease, soldiers. We're not having an emergency. Loosen up a bit."

"Umm... Yes, ma'am!"

"So, you are still having trouble getting used to our golems?" she smirked at them.

"Well, not really, it's just that... they are a bit scary, don't you think?"

"That's the whole point. Our founder created them not only to be strong but also to scare away those that would mean us harm. And look how well it has been working so far. We've got tens of them patrolling around and should they fail, this massive wall would be enough to hold back any threat." She looked up at the immensely tall stone wall that circled around the entire city.

"We're not saying that we don't feel safe. It's just a bit unusual."

"Well, you better get used to it. There will be a lot of our golems on display in just a few days."

"Huh? Why so?"

"We're gonna have a visitor. Got a letter not too long ago. Some elven hunter came across a bunch of orphans after a demon attack and he wants to bring them here."

"Oh, poor kids."

"Yeah. But that's exactly why we must make sure we look good. This place must look welcoming. The golems should be a symbol of safety and prosperity. Imagine what they will think if they see our own guards scared of them."

"We will try out best, ma'am."

"Good, I will be counting on it." She waved them goodbye and headed back into the city.

"An elven hunter, ey? I bet he's gonna have a lot of high standards for this place," one of the guards muttered to the other.

"I'm soooo boooooored!" Alma groaned and leaned over to the side, resting her head on Surdi's shoulder.

"We should be arriving in Rotler soon. Have patience. This cart can't go any faster," Glavas tried his best to quiet her down.

"I bet it can if we spook the horses," she grinned at him.

"Try that and I will tie you down for the rest of the trip."

Alma stuck her tongue out at him and turned her attention to a small bag sitting next to her, which she got from Glavas as a little compensation for the incident with the Scalder. Inside was a box of crayons. A gift that Surdi begged out of the elf with an impenetrable argument that if Alma got something for the trouble, he must get something too to make it even.

"What does the coat of arms of Rotler look like again?" she asked and Glavas handed her a folded map. In the very corner of it was a round circle drawn with the gray texture of stone. Its center was filled in with dark blue and on it stood an artistic representation of the headless, one-eyed golem. "Hmm... That one is definitely one of the strangest." Alma picked out several of the colors and began recreating the symbol on her cast, which was already decorated with crests of all the previous cities they've visited in the past three weeks. The earlier ones looked more like spilled paint, but the more she was getting used to drawing with her non-dominant hand, the better and more detailed her arts became.

[Are we going to see the golems?] Surdi asked, equally bored out of his mind, but not expressing it as visibly.

"Yes, we will. The place is famous for them. But they are still machines made for battle, so you two will stay away from them, understood?"

"Yeah...," both of them responded, hiding the fact that they'd probably try to climb one, should Glavas let them do it.

It didn't take much longer for the cart to finally come to a halt. Voices could be heard on the outside and that was more than enough to let the children know that they have finally arrived.

"We're here!" Alma called out and both of them rushed out of the cart's door like two frenzied devils. When their eyes met the metal giant standing in front of the carriage, however, their enthusiasm faded.

"Hello there, little ones," a person spoke and approached them from the large gate ahead. She was a middle-aged lady wearing a set of heavy armor, but unlike the other two men standing beside the golem, hers was garnished with a few golden ornaments on her chest plate and shoulders. She also seemed to be lacking a helmet, letting her long, red hair tied into a ponytail flail in the wind. "Where is your guardian?" she asked and slightly crouched down to see eye to eye with them.

"Here! That's me! I'm coming!" came from the cart. Then, accompanied by a horrific sound of popping knuckles and tired groans, a certain dark something climbed out. "Ugh... Man, everything hurts. Why do they make the carriages so small? Ow... My back..." All the guards stared at Glavas and his awful attire with eyes practically ready to jump out of their sockets. If the golem would have advanced sentience, it would most likely be staring at him as well.

"Umm... well, why didn't you rent a bigger cart. I know that a trip to Rotler is quite long since we are in the middle of the southern nowhere, but perhaps it could've made your trip a bit more pleasant."

"Nah, too expensive," Glavas replied and patted down his jacket, trying to make himself look as proper as possible. The amount of filth that fell off of it, along with the stains that refused to leave, have had exactly the opposite of the intended effect on the Rotlians, who, when they realized who the children were traveling with, started to pity them even more.

"Glavas, real pleased to meet you! A hunter for hire. And... that's actually not why I'm here. Sorry, force of habit."

"Greetings, Mr. Glavas. I am Ismaya. The one who sent you the letters."

"Oh yeah, the letters. About that restaurant I wanted to visit. It was really hard to get seats. I hope it will be worth it," he winked at her, hoping that she wouldn't tell the children anything about their true reason for being there.

"Of course. Naturally, everything is prepared. Although it is a bit busy for now. You will have to wait until tomorrow for your seats."

The children let out annoyed groans.

"Really? What will we be doing here all this time??"

"Sightseeing?" Glavas shrugged.

[Well, the golems look cool but creepy. Is the whole town full of sights like these?]

"What is he saying?" the chief turned to one of the guards standing beside the golem.

"Umm... well, I am a bit rusty, but... he thinks the golems are creepy but in a good way? And he wants to know if the whole city is creepy. I think, at least."

Upon hearing that, Ismaya couldn't help but laugh. "Don't worry, little one, our city is much nicer than you might guess. In fact, I think you will like it here. You could go and spend some time with the other children that live here."

"Yeah, kids our age usually don't like us," Alma tried to explain. "With my creepy eyes and them not being able to understand Surdi's signs, they usually tend to avoid us."

"Oh, but I am quite sure that locals will think otherwise. There are a lot of orphans here. Many have some sort of disability. Rotlians are raised to know how to help each other. So I wouldn't be so pessimistic until you meet them," the lady tried to encourage them.

[Wait, lots of orphans? Is that why you brought us here, Glavas?]

The hunter's heart skipped a beat. This was precisely what he feared. "Sort of. I feel like your past has quite a hold over you, so I thought that we would combine tasting something new and hopefully delicious with you trying to meet someone your age. Look, Rotler is known for helping out children with past trauma. I thought they could help you too."

"Huh... well, that's sweet, but it still doesn't beat the final issue."

"And what would that be, little one?" Ismaya asked.

[Well, other children are kinda...]

"Annoying."

Glavas buried his face into his palm. "Look, how about you just try it? You were willing to try all sorts of food with me, even some that still moved. So why not try new experiences too?"

[Oh yeah, that steamed tentacle. That was fucking gross, dude.]

"Tasted well though," Alma added.

"See? New things can be fun. Besides, we're here just for one night. Tomorrow, we'll be off again. You can survive one day with other children of your age, no?"

The kids rolled their eyes, which, in the case of Alma, was barely visible.

"Fine."

[Fine.]

With introductions quickly behind them, the chief of the guards led the visitors through the city gate and beyond the massive stone walls. The entire place looked so fascinating. The entrance was actually situated on a small hill, but the entire city was slightly dug into the ground, which meant that the walls appeared way taller than they actually were. From beyond the gate, the trio could see the whole place in its entirety. Unlike the cities they previously visited, this one seemed a lot smaller, but the sturdy-looking stone buildings, each looking like a small fortress, added a sense of importance to the place. The most visible construction of them all was a massive mansion in the northern part of the city, just to the right of the entrance. On the other side, to the south, was an impressively decorated town hall, with a single tower so tall that it could peek well over the walls.

"Wow... looks like a military base more than a city," Alma couldn't hold back her remark.

"Indeed. This place was built with security in mind. Our founder, that's the man whose statue you can see over there, near the town square, was a very practical man. He wanted to build a place where good people would be welcome and kept safe. A city that would be neutral. Under no leader, no banner, no flags. A place where crime would be eliminated and the inhabitants could live peacefully, even when the world would dissolve into chaos."

"So that's why this place looks like a prison?"

"Haha, well, a reverse prison, of sorts. Nothing unwanted can get inside. The golems protect us, the walls are enchanted, the buildings are sturdy and flame-resistant, and the whole place is surrounded by a lesser magical barrier. Trust me, aside from crazy cities like Valimar, no place on the entire Ezma is safer than Rotler."