It's Magic vs Machinery as Riss Cobalt, sorceress supreme, gets involved in a golem tournament in this pre-Kismet and Tell story. Golem fight! Ready! Gooooo!
Men Shouldn’t Play With Dolls:
An Early Adventure in Sorcery
Along the northern coast of the Alotha Ocean, near the foot of the Bakar Mountain range, sits a town called Loxlan. It has long been known among the magic-using community as a place of research into magic. Recently it has become a place of research into something new called “the science of mechanics”, as well. And it is also renowned for having great seafood dishes.
The latter reason was why I had decided to stop in Loxlan that day.
“Here’s your order, Miss Marissa,” the restaurant’s young waiter said as he placed a big plate of steamed crab legs and baked sweet potatoes on the table in front of me. “I hope you enjoy it. And thank you for your patronage of our fine establishment.”
“Uh-huh,” I said distractedly to him. The tantalizingly delicious-smelling food before me had captured my complete attention. “Sure. Whatever.”
The waiter walked off and I shook off the spell I was under and dug into my food. I grabbed a crab leg, cracked it open, and slowly moved it toward my mouth. “AHHHH,” I sighed in happy expectation of the juicy delicacy I was about to taste.
Then I heard screaming outside that was followed an instant later by a loud THUD sound and a great trembling of the ground that shook the entire restaurant. My table and chair toppled over. Both my lunch and my good mood were instantly ruined.
“My…my lunch…” I said as I lay sprawled on the floor beside my overturned plate of food in a position that was quite undignified for a lady of any age, let alone one of my age of seventeen years. I brushed some strands of blue hair out of my face, growled, and stood up. “This is a complete outrage!” I yelled. “Someone is going to pay dearly for ruining my lunch!”
I ran out of the restaurant with the speed of fury…and came to a screeching halt in the middle of the street. Pedestrians ran around me, screaming like crazy. But I paid them no mind. An unbelievable sight held me enrapt with awe and wonder.
“Wh…what in the name of the gods is that thing?” I said aloud to myself.
Coming down the street before me with large, slow, lumbering steps that shook the ground was a huge black thing that looked just like a giant human and that stood taller than a tree. Each step it took made a clanking metallic sound. A big arm swung out with a metallic creak, and a huge fist slammed into the roof of a building. The roof and part of the building collapsed.
“It looks like a golem,” I said as my shock began to wear off. “But I’ve never seen one made out of wrought metal before. And I don’t sense any magic emanating from it, either.” Normally golems are created by magic from raw materials like dirt, snow, wood, rock, etc. And they’re usually the size of a human, but by modifying the golem spell, the sorcerer or sorceress can change the golem’s size to whatever he or she would desire. But this thing before me was completely different. “So what in Dumarh’s name is that thing?”
A huge metal fist swung again, and another roof collapsed.
“Well, I guess it doesn’t really matter right now,” I decided. “I’ll find out what I want to know later. That thing’s on a destructive rampage and I guess I should stop it. And besides, it ruined my lunch.”
I willed the amplification magic of the emerald on the gold circlet around my forehead to come on, and the emerald glowed. Then I mentally pictured the runes of the spell I wanted. I held my gloved hands before me, palms facing each other. Then I chanted. “Infinite Earth, mother of all, grant me the purifying power of fire. Burning fire of justice, gather in my hands.” A swirling ball of fire formed between my hands, suspended in mid-air. I grasped it and threw it at the hulk as I called out the word to activate it. “FIREBALL!”
The ball of flame flew down the street to collide right smack in the center of the creature’s chest. The resulting explosion enveloped the thing in flames.
“HA!” I scoffed with pride. “Piece of…”
I broke off as the thing continued moving down the street, as the fire died down to just a few flames burning here and there on it.
“…cake?” I finished, feeling both slightly shocked and perturbed. My favorite destructive spell hadn’t worked. “Hmmm…If an amplified Fireball doesn’t work against it, what might?” I thought for a minute. “OH! I know. I’ll try this one.”
As the thing came closer towards me, seeming to grow larger and taller the closer it got, I pictured new runes in my mind. My emerald glowed. I raised one arm to the sky and stretched the other out towards the metal monster with my palm facing it. I chanted. “Wind and air, come to me. Gather your forces and obey my command. Grant me the power of your fury.” Thunder rumbled and dark clouds formed overhead. Then a lightning bolt shot down, striking my upraised arm harmlessly. The lightning surged through my body for a couple of moments, picking up strength. Then I activated the spell. “Thunderbolt STRIKE!”
The lightning bolt shot from the palm of my outstretched hand and struck the metal behemoth dead on. The thing jerked to a sudden stop. I smelled something burning, but I couldn’t identify what. Smoke found its way out of the monstrosity. Then the metal thing fell over backwards with a resounding CRASH that shook the ground and stirred up a huge dust cloud. The wind stirred up by the collapse also made my little brown cloak flutter around my leather tunic as well.
I sighed and wiped my hands of the situation. “There now,” I said. “That’s much better.”
A man of late middle age ran up to me from behind. “Miss Marissa!” he said in shock…and outrage. “What did you do?!”
I turned to face him. The anger I saw on his face stunned me and I took a step back. “Uhhhh…” I said, at a loss for words.
“You…you destroyed my golem!”
I finally got myself together and crossed my arms over my chest. I glared at him, and he took a step back in fright. “I destroyed YOUR golem?” I said. “Well, sir, YOUR golem was destroying this town and frightening everyone. And it ruined my lunch as well. So what was I supposed to do? Just let it go around creating chaotic destruction? I, Marissa Cobalt, sorceress supreme and the bane of all evil in the world of Andor, couldn’t allow that to happen. To do so would have offended my sense of justice.”
An embarassed look crossed the man’s face. “I…uh…” he stammered. “Well, I guess…you have a point…”
I nodded curtly. “Darned right I do.”
Anger returned to the man’s face. “But I had everything under control until you showed up! You’ll have to make up for what you did to my golem!”
I stepped back and my eyes widened. The guy certainly had gall. “WHAT?!”
“I was on my way to shut down the golem when you showed up and took matters into your own violent hands!”
I growled. “Well, how was I supposed to know that?!”
“Did you bother to ask anyone?”
“NO! Everyone was to busy running for their lives from your rampaging golem for me to possibly ask anyone anything at all! And it certainly took you long enough to turn up. Where in Dumarh’s name were you? And how did you let the golem get out of control in the first place?”
The anger on his face disappeared, to be replaced with a slightly somber expression. “It…uh…wasn’t really my fault. Perhaps you can make up for destroying my golem by helping me with a little problem, Miss Marissa.”
“Well….” I considered it for a second. Normally, I get paid for helping people with their problems, with the ammount depending on the difficulty of the problem. But in this case, I would avoid having to pay this guy by helping him. Sounded pretty fair to me. I wouldn’t earn any money, but at least I wouldn’t lose any, either. “Okay, deal. What’s your problem, Mister….Uh, what’s your name, anyway?”
“You can just call me Jeke. That’s what everyone calls me.”
“All right, Jeke. What’s the problem you want me to help you with?”
“Come with me to my workshop. I’ll explain everything there.”
***
Jeke’s workshop was not more than a barn on a small farm outside of town. Up where the hayloft would be were shelves of books and various tools and a couple of small tables. But on the ground floor was a rather long wheeled table on which lay a partially constructed black metal golem. Around the walls of the barn, scrap metal and pieces of metal constructed into various body parts lay on the floor. I stood just inside the barn and stared at the construct on the table with my mouth hanging wide open.
“Impressive, isn’t it, Miss Marissa?” Jeke said proudly.
“A…a…a…”was all I could manage to get out.
Jeke walked over to the table, and I could see just how huge the construct on the table was. It was at least twice as wide as Jeke was tall, and even though it wasn’t completed, it was still almost as tall as a tree. “This is my new prototype for my golem,” Jeke said. “The one you destroyed was just the first prototype for my design.”
I snapped out of my stupor and joined him at the table. The prostrate paradigm loomed over me. “First prototype?” I asked.
“Yes. It was made just to see if I could make a working golem in this way. When I found that I could, I began work on a serious design for it. That is what is on the table.”
“Okay. I see, I think. So, what’s the problem you wanted me to help with? You don’t want me to help you make your giant doll, do you? Because if you do, you’re out of luck. I have no idea how this thing is made. I’m a sorceress, not a scientist. I know nothing about ‘the science of mechanics’.”
“No. That’s not what I wanted your help for.”
“Then what?”
Jeke brushed some of his shoulder-length salt-and-pepper hair behind an ear and turned to me. “I’m not the only one around here making golems like this. A neighbor of mine, Karl, is also doing this. We are competeing against each other for the contract offered by the Lords of Westover for a supply of metal mechanical golems. There will be a contest held soon, at which a golem of mine will go up against a golem of his. The winner will be offered the contract.”
“And you want me to do what? Sabotage him? Assassinate him? Sorry, but I don’t do sabotage or assassinations. They’re not my style. I prefer the direct approach.”
He looked shocked that I would even suggest such things. “Oh, no, no, Miss Marissa!” he said. “Nothing like that. You see, I’m certain it was Karl who sent the golem rampaging out of control in the town. He’d do anything to win the contract - including preventing me from entering a golem in the contest. I want you to guard my workshop, to prevent him from trying anything else against my golem until time for the contest in three days. You may do anything you need to to do so. Just don’t let any harm come to my golem.”
“A simple guarding job, huh? Okay. I can do that.”
“Great! Thank you, Miss Marissa!”
“No problem.”
***
And it wasn’t a problem. Nothing happened at all those three days, except for once, and I don’t really consider it anything much, and certainly nothing to report back to Jeke about. See, I was making a patrol circuit of the barn the second night, and found someone trying to climb in a window. I fired a small volley of weakened Fire Darts at the form that hung halfway inside the window. Most of the darts hit the wall around the window, but a few – as planned – struck the person’s wriggling rump. There was a loud “YELP!” and the person quickly scooted back out of the window and ran off into the night while swatting at the small flames burning on the back of his pants. I laughed to myself as I watched him go.
And then, that following afternoon, the time for the contest came.
Jeke came out of the barn and stood over me. “Miss Marissa!” he called.
The suddeness of his voice startled me awake and made me jump; after I had finished my morning patrol, I had sat down on the ground by the front door of the barn and dozed off. When I had my wits gathered back together, I stood up and faced Jeke. “Oh, uh, hello, Jeke,” I said.
“Hello,” he said wryly. “Taking a little catnap?”
“Uh…yeah. After a long night of patrolling, I needed a little sleep. I have to be ready for anything, and I can’t do that if I’m tired.”
“Right. Well, my golem’s ready. We should have just enough time to get to the contest area before the contest starts.”
“Okay. But how are you going to get the golem there?”
“I thought I’d let it walk there itself.”
My eyes widened. “But…are you sure it’s safe? It won’t go out of control, will it?”
“Oh, no, no. It’s perfectly fine. See, I’ll be in the cockpit controlling it. There’s no way it can go out of control that way.”
“Ummmm…” Actually, I didn’t see. I had no idea what he was talking about. But I figured he did, so I went along with it. “If you say so, Jeke.”
“Good. Let’s get going, then. My victory awaits.”
He ducked back into the barn and opened the doors wide. Then, the long table was wheeled out. A completed black metal golem lay on the table. It was quite an impressive sight. The humanoid thing had to have been taller than a tree. Its shiny black metal shell gleamed in the sunlight. Jeke climbed up onto his creation and crawled along the chest. There, he opened up a small door that I hadn’t been able to see and crawled inside. The door closed. And I still couldn’t see the door’s outline.
Then the golem started moving, and I jumped back out of the way. A huge arm and leg slid off the table and pushed the golem up to a standing position. Then it bent down and placed an open palm on the ground before me. Guessing a ride was being offered to me, I climbed – somewhat hesistantly - inside the huge hand. Slowly, the golem straightened itself and began walking.
We covered miles in a remarkable time, thanks to the hulk’s long strides. The golem headed for a large open field where a small grandstand had been set up and which was decorated with colorful penants. Then I noticed where the field was located, and a feeling of dread shot through me. We were rather close to Loxlan. If the golems went out of control, the town could be in trouble. I would just have to make sure that nothing bad befell Loxlan.
The golem took a stance at one end of the field and then set me back down on the ground. After it straigtened up, the door on the chest opened and Jeke climbed down.
“Well, Miss Marissa,” Jeke said as he stood beside me. “I thank you for your help. And I would like it if you would wish me luck.”
“Uh, yeah,” I said. “Good luck, Jeke.”
“Thank you.”
At that moment, a large red golem, very similar in appearance to Jeke’s golem, took up position at the other end of the field.
“That would be Karl,” Jeke said, also eyeing the red golem. “Looks like it’s about time for this contest to start.”
“And what exactly will this contest entail, Jeke? You never told me.”
“I didn’t tell you? I thought I had. I’m sorry. Well, Miss Marissa, the two golems will fight each other. The one that remains standing at the end will win, and its creator will get the contract from the Lords of Westover.”
“Oh, I see.” I looked at the red golem, and then Jeke’s words sank in. “Fight each other?! Jeke! Wait a minute!” I turned to Jeke, but he was gone, having already begun scaling his golem. I stood beside the golem and looked up the tiny figure climbing the monstrous doll. “JEKE!” I called. “FIGHT EACH OTHER? YOU TWO CAN’T DO THAT! WHAT ABOUT LOXLAN?”
I could barely see Jeke look down at me and wave. He apparently hadn’t understood my words. Then I barely heard a sound like a SWISH. And then Jeke fell to the gound with an arrow stuck in his back.
“Jeke!” I cried.
I knelt beside him and cradled him in my arms. He looked up at me.
“Miss…Marissa…” he said weakly. His voice was so low, I could barely hear him. “Please…take my place. And…please…win. Don’t…let Karl…get away…with murder.” Then his eyes closed, and he passed on, hopefully to the Next Realm. He seemed like a good guy, from what I’d seen of him, so that’s probably where he went.
Tears came unbidden to my eyes. But they were tears of anger more than tears of saddness. I placed Jeke’s body on the ground gently and stood up. “Don’t worry, Jeke,” I said vehemently. “I’ll make sure Karl doesn’t get away with this.”
I cast a Levitation spell and floated up to the open door in the black golem’s chest. Climbing inside, I sat down in a padded chair. The door closed seamlessly, leaving me in complete blackness. Then, on the wall before me, a scene of the outdoors appeared, as if I looked through a window. Light also illumined the little room I was in, showing me that I was surrounded by all kinds of levers and buttons and pedals. Fear gripped me.
“Jeke,” I said. “How am I supposed to take your place? I HAVE NO IDEA HOW TO OPERATE THIS THING!!!”
And then, to make matters worse, the red golem ran towards me.
“OH NO!!” I cried out in horror. “What do I do? Jeke! What do I do??” I looked at the levers, pedals, and buttons around me. “Well, I can’t just stand here. I guess I just trust to my luck.”
I grabbed a couple of levers and pulled on them, and pushed down on a pedal with my foot. My golem lurched into movement, breaking into a run right towards the red golem. “AAAAAAHHHHHH!” I cried out in fearful surprise.
As I neared the red golem, its arm swung out at me, its hand in a fist.
“Yipes!” I yelled.
I instinctively pulled on a lever. My golem’s arm swung out to block just in time. I pulled another lever, and my other arm swung at the red golem. Karl blocked. Then he kicked out, sending me flying backwards. My golem landed with a resounding CRASH and made the ground shake. Karl approached me.
“Stand up!” I said, pulling on levers and pushing on pedals. “Stand up! In Dumarh’s name, please stand up!”
Karl’s golem stood over me and readied a fist. My golem lurched up, just in time to get hit. Down I went on my back again. Karl stepped up, and I pulled a few more levers and pushed a pedal. My golem kicked out, thankfully connecting with the red golem and sending it flying back. A few more pulls on levers and pushes on pedals got my golem standing back up, just as the red golem stood back up. Karl ran at me again, an arm reaching to its back. I ran towards him…just as the arm came back around with a large sword in its hand!
“Oh, DAMN!” I yelled.
Before I could think, I was close enough for Karl to attack. The sword swung, connecting with my shoulder. Lights on a few buttons began flashing around me, and an alarum bell rang in my ear.
“I KNOW!” I called in irritation over the bell. “I KNOW!”
I ran past the red golem, managed to stop my golem, and turned around. I charged at him again, with no idea of what I could do. I didn’t even know if my golem was equipped with any weapons. Karl prepared to swing his sword again, and I ducked slightly and tackled him. The two golems toppled to the ground. Karl managed to flip me over, sat up, and thrust his sword into my golem’s head. More lights flashed, and more annoying bells rang. Steam filled the room from somewhere.
“DAMN!” I said. “This doesn’t look good. How do I open the door??” I scanned the various buttons and levers. My eyes focused on one blinking red button. I could barely read the label on it. “Emergency Exit?” I said. “Sounds like that might be it.”
I pushed the button and the door opened. I scrambled out of the chair and out the door. In my hurry, I ended up tumbling off the golem and landing rather uncermoniously on the ground. I looked up in time to see the red golem raise its arms in victory and start to slowly walk off amid the cheers of the spectators on the grandstand. Then I felt my golem vibrating rather ominously behind me.
“Oops,” I said. “Better run.” Then I suited action to words.
A few seconds later, my golem exploded. As I watched it burn and the spectators running away in fear, I remembered Jeke’s final request. A few tears fell down my cheek.
“I’m sorry, Jeke,” I said. “I didn’t win. But I promise, I won’t let Karl get away with murder.”
I walked out to the middle of the field. Standing there, I raised an arm to the sky and pointed the palm of my other hand towards the retreating back of the red golem. The emerald of my gold circlet glowed. “Wind and air,” I said, chanting the spell, “come to me. Gather your forces and obey my command. Grant me the power of your fury.” Dark clouds gathered overhead. Thunder rumbled. “Thunderbolt…” I said, beginning the activation of the spell. A huge lightning bolt struck my upraised arm and surged through my body. I let it do so for a minute, letting it gather lots of power. When I was ready, I finished the spell’s activation, calling out with a voice full of anger, “STRIKE!!”
The lightning bolt flew from my outstretched palm and struck the red golem in the back. The golem abruptly stopped moving, shuddered for a second, and exploded.
I stood there and watched it burn. Justice had been served, but for some reason, I didn’t feel satisfied. Not like I usually did.
“It’s been said that men shouldn’t play with dolls,” I said to myself, musing aloud. “I suppose that’s true . Especially with dolls like these.” I paused for a second. “These dolls shouldn’t have been created in the first place. The living dolls that are golems belong to the world of mages. We’re the only one’s who can truly create and control them. I think I’ll go have a little talk with Lord Etain and the other Lords of Westover about this.” I smiled wickedly. “Yes. They’ll definitely have some explaining to do.”
Full of determination, I walked off the field.
End
okay. i was thinking, the ending wasn't that great. so i made an alternate, extended ending. hope you all like it better. i kinda do.
Men Shouldn't Play With Dolls:
An Early Adventure in Sorcery
Alternate Ending
Cue scene: Riss standing in middle of contest field, talking to herself:
“It’s been said that men shouldn’t play with dolls,” I said to myself, musing aloud. “I suppose that’s true . Especially with dolls like these.” I paused for a second. “These dolls shouldn’t have been created in the first place. The living dolls that are golems belong to the world of mages. We’re the only one’s who can truly create and control them. I think I’ll go have a little talk with Lord Etain and the other Lords of Westover about this.” I smiled wickedly. “Yes. They’ll definitely have some explaining to do.”
The emerald on my circlet glowed, and I activated the spell. “Teleport!”
A bright flash of light later, I found myself in the “grand meeting chamber” of the Lords of Westover. It was just your basic, run-of-the-mill castle room. Torches lit the dank room. Tapestries hung on the walls in an attempt to cover the moss and mildew. A long table sat in the middle of the room. Lord Etain sat at the head of the table, with half a dozen lords sitting on either side.
All of them turned to look at me, utter surprise on their faces, as I suddenly appeared in the room and stalked up to them. I stood at the end of the table across from Lord Etain and slammed the palms of my hands on the tabletop.
“Miss Marissa,” Lord Etain said, looking at the anger on my face. “What…”
“Just WHAT is the big idea?!” I screeched.
“What are you talking about, Miss Marissa?” one of the other lords asked.
“Your little attempt to build up an army of mechanical golems, that’s what!”
“Oh, yes,” said Etain. “That. Uh, well, allow me to explain…”
“Please do. I’d love to hear your explanation as to why you think you could get away with infringing on what rightfully belongs to the world of mages. For you see, I just came from the contest in Loxlan. And though it is feasible to build mechanical versions of golems, they’ll never be as good as the ones magic-users can create. Because we can control them. Mechanical golems are too susceptible to going out of control and causing unnecessary damage.”
I then related my experience in Loxlan to them.
Etain and the others got thoughtful looks in their eyes.
“I see,” Etain said at last. “Thank you for letting us know that, Miss Marissa. We will scratch the idea of mechanical golems.”
“Good. But that doesn’t explain why you wanted them in the first place, or make up for the affrontery of encroaching on the world of magic.”
“Yes, well, you see, Miss Marissa, it was for the defense of the city. We had thought that, if we ever went to war, it would help us considerably to have an army of huge metal golems. They could decimate the enemy easily, and spare us a large number of casualties. And it would also save us from having to call in magic-users to create golems themselves, for I understand that creating a golem uses a large amount of magic power.”
I stared at them, dumbfounded. “Yes,” I finally got out. “Yes, it does take a lot of magic to create a golem.” A growl built up in my throat. “Which is one reason why we don’t do it often, if at all! Another reason is that they aren’t necessary! Just because something is possible doesn’t mean it’s purposeful! Sure, I can create a golem, but why should I? What purpose would a doll like that serve? NONE!” Runes flashed in my mind. “Wind Burst!”
A gust of wind with the strength of a small hurricane blew through the room, blowing the men out of their chairs and up against the walls.
“Next time don’t play with dolls!” I said. I shook my head.“GAH! Men and their silly war-games!” I turned away from the table. “I’m out of here. Let me go find something to eat. Maybe then I’ll calm down.”
A quick Teleport later and I was out of the room and back on the streets of Westover in search of a restaurant.
If you enjoy being taken to the edge of your seat, yanked sideways, and left spinning through the sky on a speeding wyrm, rejoice. The gripping, white-knuckled conclusion of the Dragon Racers trilogy is here.
Due to illness my cover artist, Jack Hoyle, of t-rexstudios.com is still producing the final cover for this title. The cover shown is just a place holder cover. Thanks for understanding, MR
Pharark, the Demon of Destruction, is
