“Go for the joints!” I called out as I charged at the next golem.
Kegohr and Vesma were already in the thick of the fight. Vesma was darting back and forth between the golems. She skidded across the sand to strike one of them in the ankle, then leaped up and past another as it lunged at her. Hearing my advice, she slammed her spear tip into its shoulder joint. There was a terrible scraping sound, and the golem’s arm hung limp by its side.
Kegohr had found another approach. Wielding his hefty mace, he didn’t need to worry about what could be sliced or stabbed, just what could be crushed, and that was almost everything. With a two-handed blow, he shattered the forearm of one of the golems. As it staggered back, he followed up with an overhead blow that caved its whole head in.
I jumped in between two of the golems. Both swung at me, and I ducked. They weren’t clumsy enough to hit each other, but it was close enough to throw both off as they shortened their swings. I used Compress Ash to hardened my right arm and took the opportunity to shoulder barge one of them in the chest. The impact against solid stone hurt a little, but my attack did its job. The creature was knocked to the ground, and I finished it off with a decapitating blow.
I turned to the other golem just in time to raise my shield and block a downward strike from one of its stone swords. The other one came in from my right, and I parried with the Sundered Heart. The creature chopped wildly at me, a relentless flurry of blows that seemed designed to throw me off balance and keep me on the defensive.
As the golem went for another hit, I cartwheeled clear and kicked its hand. The sword went flying from its grasp and landed point down so that its blade vanished halfway into the sand. The golem went to grab the weapon, but I charged and hit the stone soldier with a flying kick. The two of us went tumbling in the dirt, but I was on top and smashed it in the face with my sword. It wasn’t enough to break the stone away from the joint, but it left the creature dazed. A moment later, my sword swept down a final time, sliced through a joint at its waist, and ended it.
I got back to my feet, ready to take on the next golem, but the fight was over. Kegohr and Vesma stood over the remains of the three they had killed between them, while Kumi applauded from the road.
We dug through the remains of the ruined golems and pulled out their cores, the shining slivers of Vigor that lay at the heart of such magical beasts and that gave Augmenters access to new powers. They wouldn’t be of any use to Vesma and Kegohr, who only used fire magic, and I would have to wait for a good opportunity to absorb them and potentially unleash my new powers. So, for now, they went into a bag alongside our food.
We arrived at the village as dusk approached, the sun kissing the horizon in a burst of glorious red light that gave the sands around us a rosy glow. One of the less sand-engulfed buildings provided us shelter—an ancient shrine with an altar dedicated to earth gods. Even in there, the floor was half-buried beneath the sand, right up to the altar’s base.
We sat at the clearer side of the room and ate a dinner of smoked fish. Kumi, attuned to the ways of water, found an old well and coaxed out what little dampness remained in its depths. It was enough water to slake our thirsts after a long day of walking and fighting.
“I don’t know how often that well will provide,” she said. “We should be careful with our water.”
“You’re a water Augmenter,” I said. “Can’t you just create it whenever you need it?”
“Unfortunately, no. I am a Wild.”
“But Kegohr is a Wild, and he can create fire without needing any other source except Vigor along his fire channels.” I smiled. “I’m not trying to ask stupid questions. I genuinely want to know.”
Kumi sighed. “I wasn’t trained in a guild, so my understanding of Augmentation is completely natural. I haven’t tried to absorb cores before, nor have I ever defeated the water spirit. I’ve been able to use the Song of the Sea since I was only a little girl.”
“That makes sense. Kegohr can use more than just his Spirit of the Wildfire because he must have defeated the fire spirit and trained with Radiant Dragon.”
“I assume so, yes.”
“Well, water won’t be a problem while I’m around.”
“True,” she said. “But even your Vigor has limits.”
“I’ve yet to find them,” I said with a smile.
The atmosphere became more somber as we looked out into the night.
“This place really has fallen into ruin,” I said.
“The wheel of life carries all around,” Vesma said. “Even the mightiest civilization crumbles in time, and a new one rises with the wheel.”
I smiled at her. “You sound very philosophical.”
She shrugged. “I was quoting a poem I read.”
“The words ring true,” Kumi said. “From what you said of the Wysaro Clan and now this cult, it seems like many are defying the Emperor’s will. Are we seeing the end of this empire?”
“Not if I’ve got anything to do with it.” Kegohr stretched out on a blanket with his hands behind his head. “Or you, I reckon.”
With dinner done, Kumi said that she wanted to check on the well again. I walked out with her into the twilight.
“How are you doing?” I asked as we stood by the well.
“Not so great,” she admitted. “I’ve never been away from the Diamond Coast like this. I’d miss my father and my people even if I wasn’t missing water
