Chapter 119: The Golden Husband

*Date: 33,480 Third Quarter — Kingdom of Satar, Capital City Parthanon*

The next morning, they hurried to their workshop and put up a sign saying they were on a break. After that, Marven led them to the sewer entry. Demir brought his drake-scaled shield but didn't wear his armor set, preferring mobility over protection. Marven also brought her bow and a quiver of arrows, just in case.

Velori didn't give off a crazy witch vibe, but in a world like this, anything could happen.

They carefully scaled down into the sewers. The tunnels were relatively large for a medieval city, but then again, they weren't made by human builders. Elven architecture stretched high above them, the stonework precise and elegant even in a place meant for waste. The walls were covered with battle scars, gouges in the stone and blackened patches where fire had once scorched.

Marco ran his fingers along a deep groove. "This place used to have many quests. Those marks are remnants of that time."

Demir nodded. "Yeah, I guessed."

Marven silenced them with quick gestures. "Shh!"

The sewer road ahead was empty, but light was flickering in and out at the corner, casting strange shadows on the curved walls.

Demir whispered, "Should we separate—"

Marco cut him off quickly. "No. This is not a quest. If we die, we die."

Demir sighed. "Okay, okay. Let's just check everywhere one by one."

The trio started toward the flickering light and were shocked to find a loose cable from the corner, electrifying the air every two seconds. Blue-white sparks crackled and jumped, illuminating the passage in irregular bursts.

Demir stared at it. "The world is starting to wear, I guess."

Marco shook his head. "No. It can't be."

Marven crossed her arms. "It's obvious. The medieval coat will eventually wear off, and whatever structure it's made on top of will surface."

"How are these people who've never seen electricity going to react?"

Demir stepped past the sparking cable carefully. "Hopefully we'll get out before all that."

---

As they advanced through the tunnel, the smell started to wear off, or perhaps Demir simply remembered smell fatigue. A few rats bypassed them without bothering to attack, their eyes reflecting the distant flickers of light. Their self-appointed quest was going smoothly.

But what followed took their breath away.

A giant mound of gold and silver was lying in a chamber ahead. The metals seemed melted, combined with something at the center in a grotesque amalgamation that defied natural laws.

Marven's eyes went wide. "This is where she was hoarding. But why?"

As soon as Marven's question ended, the giant pile of metal started moving. "Are you here, my love? What did you bring me this time?" The questions came from the impossible mound of metal, the voice like stones grinding together.

The trio looked at each other in puzzlement. But what followed shocked them even more. The metal mound started to stand and took the shape of a thirteen-foot-tall golem, gold and silver mixed in swirling patterns across its surface. Its center was made of simple rocks, and when Demir looked carefully, some bones were sticking out between the metallic plates.

Marco stumbled backward. "What the hell is that?"

Marven's shock quickly turned to calculation. "Jackpot. We're going to be rich."

The golden golem turned toward them. "Who are you? What are you doing in my home?"

Demir raised his hands and pushed Marco and Marven behind him. "Sorry, we didn't want to disturb you, but we're looking for Velori. Do you know her?"

The golem's voice rumbled like distant thunder. "Know her? She is my wife."

Demir's stomach dropped. "I was afraid you'd say that."

"What happened to her? Why is she bringing so little of these golds? Has she abandoned me?"

Marven stepped forward, anger in her voice. "What the hell are you babbling about? She clearly brought everything she has to you. Look at yourself! She's bare bones because of you!"

Demir pulled her back. "How the heck did her husband turn into a golem? This doesn't make sense."

"Lies!" The golem's voice boomed through the chamber. "She needs me, and I need her. My gold... without gold..." Then the golem noticed Demir's sword and shield. "If she stopped bringing me shiny metal, I will take it from you!"

The golem took two massive steps to close the distance and swung his giant golden fist.

Demir raised the shield and took the blow. His whole arm reverberated from the impact, and he felt the bones rattle in their sockets. "Hey! We're not here to rob you or attack you! Stop it!"

Marco was already backing away. "We can't reason with a golem. Let's run!"

Marven nocked an arrow. "What are you two on about? This is a construct. We can defeat him and take the gold and silver!"

"I knew it!" the golem roared.

Then screams echoed through the tunnels. "Nooooo! Leave him alone! He's my only thing left in the world!"

The old elven woman Velori appeared, her breath heavy from running at her age. "Leave him alone, you savages! I knew I shouldn't be trusting players!" She was angry and crying at the same time, tears streaming down her weathered cheeks as she pushed past the group and reached the golem.

The size difference was enormous. One flick from the mostly-metal creature would have crushed most of the woman's bones.

"Where were you?" the golem demanded. "After measly four silvers, you didn't bring anything! I'm dying here!"

Velori reached up to touch his golden surface. "Sorry, my love, but you know we completely ran out of money. I was waiting for these idiots to make money, and I was going to steal from them, but..."

Demir stepped forward carefully. "Velori, get it together. That thing is clearly not your husband. You gave all your husband's savings and your shop to him."

"Shut up! You're just a bunch of kids! What do you know about love? He is my husband! He crafted this golem to look for treasure in the sewer after the shutdown, but..."

Marco finished the thought grimly. "But it killed and ate him, so you think he is your husband."

Velori spun around, fury in her eyes. "What kind of twisted mind do you have? Of course not! One day they didn't come back. When I came down to see, I saw them attached to this!"

She pointed at something behind the golem's leg. When the trio took a step closer to see better, they saw another loose cable mended with the golem, electricity pulsing through the connection in rhythmic bursts.

Velori's voice cracked. "This lightning thing, whatever it is, killed both of them and mended them together. But when I spilled the gold they'd found, it flickered life into them."

Demir started to say, "That doesn't—" He meant to say it didn't make sense.

Marven cut him off. "What does make sense in this world, Demir?"

Velori's protective stance didn't waver. "Stay the hell away from us!"

"Look, we don't want to hurt anyone," Demir said, lowering his shield. "We followed you here because we thought someone was extorting you..."

"How thoughtful of you! Now get out! Leave us alone!" She clung to the giant metal beast, her thin arms wrapped around a leg thicker than her entire body.

Marco took a step back. "Look, lady, that thing is bound there to that loose cable, and it ate your whole fortune..."

"Get out! Leave us alone!"

The golem took another step, as far as being tethered to the cable allowed, and gave them a threatening look. "Leave us alone."

Demir raised his hands in surrender. "Okay, okay. We're sorry. We don't want to hurt you. We can talk at the workshop, okay?"

He looked at Marven. She had been excited about getting huge treasure, but seeing it was a sentient lover, her interest vanished. She lowered her bow.

The trio slowly backed away and left the sewers.

---

"I mean, we can't just kill them like we used to," Marco said as they climbed, "but..."

"But what?"

"Never mind."

Demir made sure Marven and Marco left the sewer safely, then climbed out himself. The fresh air instantly brought their sense of smell rushing back, and the trio started sniffing their clothes. Everything smelled like shit.

Marven wrinkled her nose. "Let's go to the bathhouse. You can't accept customers like this, and I can't sell anything."