Chapter 28: The Golems Leave the Dungeon?!

It had now been a little over a week, since they started preparing for the golem war. Altem’s words of questionable, yet annoying wisdom, set them on a path to potential victory. Or at the very least, it gave them a fighting chance.

Checking off everything on his list of tasks, made them feel a lot more confident in the moment, but as the days ended, worries would plague their minds. Almost like preparing for a test back on earth. Studying the material and doing well during practice made you feel confident. When the day of the test is close, that's when all the bravery just drains out of your body.

They knew that they were running out of time, but how much time was left? Was the real issue. They weren't sure when exactly they should just head out and go to the dungeon. There wasn't exactly some sign from the heavens that they were waiting for.

They couldn’t just knock on the door either and say “Is this a bad time? Are we starting now? Three more days? Okay, see you then.”

They were also unsure of how prepared they were. They had already gathered many potions and gotten all their other supplies ready for a dungeon run. Regardless of those facts, they still didn't feel prepared for what was to come. They needed a plan of how to approach the situation.

If they waited for the golems to be able to make it outside then they would just keep coming in waves, after waves. after waves. They would get overwhelmed easily. The other issue was that if they tried to go too early, and they weren't strong enough to handle it, then that would also lead to their failure.

They kept wrestling with the idea for quite some time of when they should go. At one point they considered calling Vault’s patron for more advice about when the best time to strike would be. They were already considering contacting him to let him know that they had completed his tasks list.

Vault however was somewhat opposed to calling him, because he really didn't feel like dealing with him. On the other hand he might just have to bite the bullet and deal with all the extra baggage that came with that guy’s personality.

They were lost and also very desperate for some form of guidance, but no solutions stuck out to them. This continued until nightfall, wrestling with decisions and ideas. It was narrowed down to, when should they approach the dungeon? Are they prepared now to handle it? and if they manage to successfully defeat that crazy lady, what should they do with her?

They only managed to single out questions that needed to be answered, but not create any solutions. Putting it off was not helping them. They both decided to take some time to think about it in silence. Bouncing ideas off of each other wasn't helping them.

Vault sat by the campfire alone with his thoughts, and Harmony sat with the animals in their pet bed. Their thoughts were interrupted by the sound of loud thumping approaching from the distance. At first they were both confused by the noise and thought maybe it was a monster that had finally found their base.

They'd usually been relatively safe for the most part when inside the cave. None had really tried to approach it so far. The dangers they usually dealt with were much further from home, but this one was actually going right towards them.

The sound of the slow loud thumping was very familiar. It took a few seconds for them both to realize what it really was. They exchanged a look of pure panic, and they both mouthed a word to each other, out of fear that saying it out loud would make their fears truly real.

“Golems?!”

Vault quickly extinguished the flame from the campfire, their only light source. The cave became smothered in darkness and they both dashed towards the edges of the entrance. The wolf crept up next to Vault, the bat flew over and landed on top of Harmony's head. Both humans held a finger to their lips to gesture for all to be silent.

They peered outside the cave entrance and saw several golems marching in the distance. It has finally happened…The golems can leave the dungeon. Their range had greatly expanded to the point where they could now leave their home.

How the woman was able to control so many powerful creatures from such a great distance, neither one of them knew. What was she reincarnated as? What minor deity was able to give such an ability to a human being? What was the connection to the dungeon?

They could only wonder in silence and pray that they were not found. They waited for what felt like hours in an uncomfortable unsettling stillness. When the sound of their enemies could no longer be heard, they still remained in their spots for at least another hour. They wanted to be 100% sure that they were not found, and took no chances making any noise other than breathing. They both looked at each other with expressions of solemn understanding. They knew what this meant for them.

It was too late for them to avoid the bleak future that they were preparing for. Now they had no choice, but to try and make the first move. They decided to try and wait for tomorrow. They would rest and head out during daylight, so they could be at their best.

If they made their move right now at night, then the golems would not be the only thing they had to worry about. Those undead knights could also be out there along with other creatures that lurked in the dark. They didn't want to be surrounded by enemies from both sides.

That was something they were definitely not ready to handle. For now they needed to rest. Tomorrow…Tomorrow was the start of the Golem War.