They Can’t Be That Scary

Hearing the sounds of birds chirping and the sound of the wheels running along the dirt road, Savina slowly opened her eyes. Sitting up, Savina felt a stabbing pain in her back. Grumbling, she gently rubbed her back.

"Catch."

Looking to her left, Savina caught an apple that Rio had passed her. "Bad night?" He asked sat next to Iseul who was again holding the reins.

Sighing, Savina moved closer to the two. "I swear, I'm getting a crick in my back from sleeping in this damn wagon. How long until we reach that witch friend of yours."

Smirking, Rio finished his apple, tossing the core away from the wagon and onto the side of the road. "Take a look."

"What?" Looking ahead Savina saw a small village ahead of them. "A witch lives there?"

"Not quite, she lives on the outside of the village. We can find some accommodations for later and then make a small walk to the witch's hut." Glancing back to Savina, Rio smiled. "Sound good?"

"I mean," Looking around, Savina shrugged. "It's not like there's much else going on."

~~

Hopping off the back of the cart, Savina held a hand up as she looked around the empty village square.

"Hey Rio, are you sure it's ok to just abandon the wagon here? What if the people here have a problem with it?"

Joining Savina in looking around at the square, Rio shrugged. "It's the middle of the day and there's no one in sight. I doubt anyone will have any problems with us."

Accepting the truth of the situation, Savina noticed Iseul. Stroking the horses' main, Iseul put a hand on his helmet, adjusting it slightly he looked up into the sky.

Walking over to him, Savina leant against the wagon. "What's wrong do you hear anything Iseul? This isn't another ghost town situation, is it? I don't quite think I'm ready to do any more spelunking just yet." Savina half-joked as she spoke.

Slightly turning to her, Iseul simply shook his head. Pointing away from the square, Savina followed his finger to an inn.

"Hey, Rio!" Savina called. Looking to Savina, she stuck a thumb in the direction of the inn. "That looks like a good place to find a room wouldn't you say?"

"Here's hoping they still have rooms," Rio answered. Turning to Iseul, Rio nodded to the horse. "Mind if you stay here and take care of our ride?" Without giving an answer. Iseul continued to stroke the horse's mane. Upon receiving no answer, Rio made finger guns in Iseul's direction. "Always great to hear from you bud." Starting in the direction of the inn, Rio waved over to Naia. "Come on Naia."

Hesitating for a moment, Savina nodded. As she followed after Rio, Savina could almost feel Iseul staring into the back of her head. Slightly looking back to Iseul, Savina whispered quiet enough so that Rio couldn't hear her.

"I swear Iseul, I'll tell him. Things just keep popping up."

As they reached the front door, Rio glanced at Savina as she turned back around. Stepping to one side, Rio motioned for Savina to go first. "Ladies first."

Shaking her head for a moment, Savina thanked him. "How kind of you."

Opening the door, Savina stepped through. Unlike the last time, she had stepped into an inn. There was no hustle and bustle, no patrons downing gallons of alcohol as if there was no tomorrow.

Taking a few more steps inside, Savina looked around. Candles flickered in their holders.

Walking up to the front desk, Rio eyed a small call bell. "I wonder." Tapping the bell produced a loud ding that almost echoed around the room. Savina and Rio could hear hushed voices from the door behind the counter followed by hurried scuffling.

Opening the door slightly, a man sheepishly peeked his head out.

Putting a hand up, Rio waved at the man. "Hello there. You wouldn't by any chance have any empty rooms, there's three of us and we're just-"

Rio watched as the man shut the door hiding behind it, the duo again could faintly hear the same hushed voices. Feeling irked by this, Rio stared at the door. "What's his problem?"

"I imagine he's been spooked by something, the same thing everyone in this village has been spooked by. Spooked so much that no one's even daring to be outside in broad daylight." Rubbing her chin slightly, Savina pondered what the reason could be. "Maybe bandits have moved into the area, a village like this would be prime pickings for even a small band of bandits. No walls, probably no proper guard force to speak of… Or maybe monsters? Monsters are prime spooked material."

Eyeing Savina, Rio could feel his left eyebrow twitch. "Ok, I get it. You can stop saying 'spooked now'."

The door opened again, this time a man and a woman stepped out.

Clearing his throat, the man stepped forwards. "Hello, you asked after rooms? How many rooms did you need?"

"Just three," Rio answered. Looking behind him and out the window, Rio asked a question. "What's happened here, last time I passed through this place was fairly alive, especially the village square, full of people bartering, but now it's empty. I would have thought considering how it's one of the closest locations to the capital it would be bustling with trade."

As the man was hesitant, his wife stepped forward. "The town has fallen on hard times recently, any travellers or traders that used to come here to trade have begun avoiding us. People are scared to leave their homes because… of the golems."

Leaning against the front desk, Savina was confused. "What are golems doing in Ruoroa? Has anyone in the capital been alerted to this?"

Crossing his arms, Rio wanted to know more about these 'golems'. "Why are the people so afraid of these 'Golems'? They can't be that scary compared to other creatures on this world."

"You don't know much about golems, do you, Rio," Savina smirked. "Golems aren't scary, they are quite the opposite. Unlike Beasts who are mostly quiet, fast, strike before you notice them. Golems are generally big, hulking behemoths. Being constructs they lack flesh, they're made out of materials that no blade could hope to penetrate and that's not even considering the kinds of weaponry they can wield. Which only nags the question." Putting a palm on the front desk, Savina looked back to the innkeeper and his wife. "Where are these golems coming from. They couldn't be an invasion force made by the Eastern Kingdoms, since we're nowhere near them. The Demons are too far north, and the Beasts have no understanding of how to create such constructs."

The wife spoke up. "The witch is actually looking into where they are coming from, the last she mentioned was something to do with an abandoned mine and that she would look into stopping them."

"I guess that gives us another reason to go and see the witch. Thanks." Rio smiled, starting to leave. "We'll be back for some rooms."

As the innkeepers waved them off. Savina turned to Iseul as the door closed behind them.

"I think I know what's making the golems, or, I at least think I know where they are coming from."

Walking back up to collect Iseul, Rio raised an eyebrow at Savina's comment. "Go on."

"So. If this witch friend of yours is correct and these golems are actually coming from an abandoned mine, we may have a dungeon on our hands." Watching Rio's expression, Savina nudged him. "So do you know what a dungeon is, Rio?"

"Yeah yeah." He responded. "Dungeons are locations that can form deep underground, either in naturally forming caves or man-made structures, you know, such as mines. From what I remember reading, dungeons form around an artefact at the end of the dungeon. But what I don't get is, how do artefacts even appear in dungeons?"

"No one knows." Savina shrugged. "Some think that a God creates them and leaves them for mortals, other's think that the planet itself creates the artefacts and then creates the gauntlet that humans have to fight through."

"Ok ok, I see now." Reaching Iseul, Rio had one more question. "Since you seem so knowledgeable on dungeons. I thought that the monsters that populate dungeons don't leave, or are unable to leave. How could these golems be roaming around, terrorizing unsuspecting villagers and travellers."

"That one's easy. It has to be a high-level dungeon."

"A high-level dungeon? I didn't know they had rankings."

Already knowing what the two were talking about since he could hear their conversation with the innkeeper and his wife from outside, Iseul ran his fingers through the horse's silky smooth mane.

Rubbing her hands together, Savina pursed her lips slightly. "If a dungeon is left alone for a long enough period of time, it will grow stronger and the artefact at its end grows more potent. If a dungeon is defeated within days, weeks of first appearing. Then the monsters inside will be weak and the effects of the artefact will be equally weak. But, as I said. Leave the dungeon alone for a few months or sometimes years, then monsters and the artefact grow stronger and if a dungeon is left alone for a long enough period of time. Then the super-powerful monsters that resided within will be able to leave their dungeon and well." Motioning to the surrounding village, Savina again shrugged. "I'll let you figure out the rest. Although it does beg the question, if a dungeon-like this has appeared within the confines of the Ruoroa kingdom, the capital should have been alerted and sent a team to wipe it out…"

"Well, let's just do our best not, to go near this dungeon. I'm sure we'll be able to make it to the witch's hut, get back here, and continue north in less than a day with zero problems at all."

Looking at Iseul and his new friend, Savina pointed to the horse. "What about this one?"

"We'll have to leave her here, just in case. If we come across any golems whilst riding the wagon to the witch's hut. I'd hate for our ride to get hurt in the fight, it's almost a wonder we weren't accosted by any golems on the way here since they are apparently such a threat. Oh well, come on. We should head off. The faster we get there, the faster we get out of here."