Golem Heart

Athan crashed on the dungeon floor and rolled onto his side. He groaned quietly. Even if he did know the angels would drop them he couldn't completely prevent himself from being hurt. 

Athan stood up and looked at his surroundings. The dark dungeon was only lit by the camera that hovered over their head. The hole they had fallen into disappeared and the other teams were gone as well. Moss covered the walls and floors providing the faint smell of grass and dirt.

His companions were on the floor as well. Hybrid had a grimace on her face. Lucille rushed over to her and helped her up. Ghost and Damian also rose to their feet.

"That was exhilarating!" Damian said.

"Are you okay?" Lucille asked him.

"Perfectly fine!"

Lucille turned to Athan with worry in her eyes. "You're okay too right?"

"Eh? I'm fine." Athan said nodding his head. 

"Ghost?"

"We're fine. Let's get moving." Ghost said.

"Hybrid needs a little heal," Lucille said while touching Hybrid's arm. "Let's discuss our first move."

Athan wasn't sure what they needed a plan for. Dungeons were unpredictable. All they could do was walk and hope for the best.

[Lucian_is_real: Lucille is so smart and kind.]

[EbonthornVictory: I can't see too far ahead in the dungeon ;-;]

[Impulse#1: Impulse always has a great attitude]

"I will lead the group in the front. Lucille and Hybrid will walk in the middle for support. Damian and Athan at the back to cover any flanks."

"Sir yes sir!" Damian said saluting Ghost.

Lucille and Hybrid got off the ground and the team quickly got into formation. Athan glanced at Damian who was whistling. It was just his luck to be paired up with Damian. But from Ghost's point of view, Damian was the only one who knew Athan. Ghost probably wanted Damian to watch Athan closely.

They walked down the dungeon hall at a moderate pace, not encountering much on their way. There were no sounds in the dungeon other than the sound of their footsteps hitting the ground and Damian's whistling.

"Athan we're so lucky to run into each other here," Damian said breaking the silence. "We can never meet these days!"

"How do you two know each other?" Lucille asked looking back briefly.

"Us?" Damian responded. "We've known each other since we were kids."

[Lucian_is_real: What?????????]

[Damian's wife (real): How come he's never mentioned him before???]

[vixy: i'm sorry I slandered your childhood friend Damian. forgive me ;-;]

[Impulse#3: I went to high school with Damian and I've never seen this Athan guy before so...]

[vixy: you knew him personally in high school?]

[Impulse#3: No...]

[vixy: then how can you know! Damian is not a liar]

[Impulse#3: I was just saying. Don't come for my neck]

"You've known him for so long, but we've never heard of him?" Hybrid said.

"I talk about him all the time though..."

Athan still remembered the day he met Damian very clearly. Back then Damian's eyes were brown, but they still held the wonder and excitement he had in the present. At the time Athan was reading a book at the top of the playground slide. It was abandoned for the newer shiny playground so none of the kids at the orphanage played there anymore. Which meant it was perfect for Athan. Except for Damian who came and bothered him every day. One thing that hadn't changed after all these years was his inability to take a hint.

Athan wished Damian would stop telling people they were friends. Almost all of their relationship consisted of Damian following Athan around being annoying.

"I feel bad for Athan for having to deal with you for so long," Hybrid said. "Athan, has he always been so happy-go-lucky?"

"Pretty much."

"Eh? He didn't have to deal with me! I was and am a wonderful person to know!"

[EbonthornVictory: Hybrid and Damian are like a real sibling duo.]

[wewerealive: I feel bad for Lucille she's always in the middle]

[vixy: Damian don't lose to a 16 yr old...]1

"Wonderful is one way to put your attitude. More like overbearing. And loud."

"I think his optimism is endearing!" Lucille said.

[Lucian_is_real: That's right Lucille! Stand up for him!]

[Impulse#1: Don't start with your mess today @Lucian_is_real]

"I didn't say anything about his optimism," Hybrid said. "But if you really want me to..."

"Quiet." Ghost said stopping their bickering.

The group fell silent listening to his orders. Athan could faintly hear something to his left.

thud. thud. thud.

What was that noise? Was something tapping on the wall?

Thud. Thud. Thud.

No. It sounded more like...

THUD. THUD. THUD.

Footsteps!

A giant fist of soil burst through the wall to Athan's left spraying debris everywhere. Athan and Damien jumped backward as another fist broke the rest of the wall.

A giant golem head poked through the wall. Its gaping black eyes looked around at them, soil sliding off of its shoulders. 

"A golem! How exciting!" Damian said while pulling his axe off of his back.

He charged toward the golem excitedly. Athan had never met another person with such unwavering bravery. It was idiotic but almost admirable.

[Impulse#1: Go Impulse go!]

[EbonthornVictory: Things are finally getting interesting]

[vixy: first monster of the dungeon is a golem!]

"Damian don't do anything reckless!" Ghost said while pulling out his sword. "I go on the right, you to the left. Lucille and Hybrid provide support."

The team all agreed and went into motion. 

Damian swung his axe cutting off the golem's hand in one swift motion. He swung it again, but this time a bright lavender energy escaped from the axe and chopped the rest of the golem's arm off.

The Golem roared and tried to swing its other arm at Damian, but Ghost cut through it before the creature could. An arrow lodged itself in the golem's chest releasing a green toxin on contact causing the golem to bubble and smoke.

"Wait," Athan said holding his hand out.

Hybrid made a finger gun with her hands and shot out three blasts of powerful magic energy finishing off the golem. Its soil body crumbling into a pile of dirt.

[EbonthornVictory: TEAM EBONTHORN ALWAYS WINS!]

[Impulse#13: Great teamwork from everyone on the team]

[Lucian_is_real: They own this challenge]

[wewerealive: The other teams should just give up now!]

[Damian's wife (real): Frost didn't do anything...]

[vixy: Ghost didn't tell him to do anything]

[juliasmiles: Why didn't they listen to Frost tsk tsk]

[Impulse#2: Why should they listen to him??????????]

[juliasmiles: The golem heart...]

"Quickly before this thing reforms. Let's find the heart" Ghost said.

The four team members dusted through the pile of dirt looking for the stone that served as the golem's heart.

"It's not there," Athan said. "I told you all to wait."

Working in teams was always a chore. Athan couldn't really blame them. Golems were confusing creatures, but what was the point of working in a team if people didn't listen to him?

"I didn't even hear you..." Hybrid muttered. "And I listen to Ghost's orders, not yours."

"Athan, why isn't the golem's heart here?" Damian asked.

"The golem's eyes were hollow."

"Eh..." Damian said tapping his axe on the dirt. "I guess we rushed in too fast."

"You rushed in too fast. This is what I mean by being reckless." Ghost said.

Wasn't he the one who was giving out orders? They destroyed the golem because he told them to.

"What does its eyes have to do with anything?" Lucille asked innocently.

[vixy: oh no ;-;]

[Impulse#1: Does that mean they didn't defeat the golem?]

[juliasmiles: It's just going to keep coming back until they find the heart]

[Damian's wife (real): Why didn't Frost say something sooner????]

[juliasmiles: It's not his fault...]

Why were these bozos assuming this was a mid-level dungeon? Golems didn't often show up outside of them, but this was a challenge! This dungeon could be high-level. Difficult-level. Extremely-difficult level! 

Athan assumed these people were experts since they were in a guild. The only thing they seemed good at was teamwork and fighting. He didn't want to be the brains of the group. Why was he the only one who knew about golems?

Most golem's eyes would be lit up with a glowing light from their hearts. A golem without a heart meant there was a golem master out there and they'd keep being bothered by this golem until they found it and destroyed the heart.

The dirt on the floor swirled up building the golem back together piece by piece. The team all stepped backward. 

"What should we do in this situation?" Damian asked. "Run?"

The golem fully formed roared at them making Athan's ears pop. Its warm breath washed over them the earthy odor attacking their senses.

"Running would be best."