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'What's this?' asked Ulric some time after Iphigenia began her clumsy routine.

'Something happening outside?' asked Valdys when she saw him peeking through the gap between window shutters.

Susi lay on his lap and growled softly, but he silenced her by petting her head. 'There's some sort of four legged golem coming with a cage on its back along with some guards.'

Valdys moved up behind him to see what he was looking at and the other girls gathered at other windows. 'That's a prison golem.' said Royle of the golem that resembled a thick, walking stone table with a head at one side and an enclosed platform on its back with iron bars, large enough to hold a dozen people. He glared at the group walking in front of it. 'I know that man in the middle with the long black coat, Rolak. He's the one collecting taxes.' He suppressed the urge to spit after speaking the name.

'Do you even have money that can be taxed?' asked Ulric.

'Almost nothing, but they take part of our own harvest as tax.'

'Look. There's another one coming.' said Elzbieta.

Everyone watched another golem approaching the first group, and this one had a humanoid body like the other's they'd seen, but instead of hands it had large axe blades. Ulric raised his eyebrows. 'What the..'

Royle clenched his fists. 'That's one of the village golems. It's strong enough to cut a tree down with one swing of its axes.' The group halted at a house within sight. 'That's Galuk's house!'

'What're they doing?' asked Conchim when the guards pulled an older man from the house and pushed him into the cage.

'They're going to take him to one of the lord's farms where he'll be forced to work!' said Royle and pulled on Ulric's arm. 'You're strong! You have to help him!'

Ulric looked from the boy to the scene outside. 'That would only be a bad move right now.' he grumbled.

'But you have to! He's old and will die there!'

Elzbieta laid her hands on the boy's shoulders. 'If we fight them right now, we won't be able to find a weakness and defeat the lord and his men, and those golems. Everything will be for nothing.'

Royle glared at the group. 'I want them all dead.'

The axe golem raised his arms, and in a loud crash destroyed the front of the house. Ulric's fists itched. 'They'll get what's coming to them.' he grumbled. 'I promise you that.'

***

'He keeps demanding more and more each year.' said Hubero when he came home to check up on Emileo. He stroked the peacefully sleeping boy's scruffy hair with a sad smile as he worried about his family's future. 'Many of us worry we won't have enough left to feed ourselves next year. We might even have no choice and need to work on the lord's lands to survive.'

'All while he uses those detestable golems to stifle righteous protests.' said Elzbieta.

Hubero nodded gravely.

She looked at Ulric. 'We'll need to take out those golems first. That should disrupt the actions of the guard and provide opportunity for the people to fight alongside us. We won't be able to take down all those trained men on our own.'

'I went over the various processes of creating golems and how they're controlled.' said Valdys. 'There's a common requirement in the form of mana sources, one that gives the golem power, one that controls its actions. If we can take out either, we can disable them.'

'I'm guessing the lord wants to keep all control of the golems to himself.' Ulric said.

Valdys nodded. 'Then he should have an object for that purpose. The only problem is, it could be almost anything.'

Ulric looked between the window blinds at the wrecked house. 'He'd likely worry it might get stolen.'

Elzbieta sat back in her chair. 'So it'll have to be something he keeps close, otherwise it might be out of reach if he needs it.'

'So, something on his person, something he can't lose easily.'

Royle looked at his father. 'His rings?'

Hubero smiled at his son. 'His rings.' He turned to the others. 'He wears a few rings and rumour has it that he never takes them off.'

Ulric grinned. 'Sounds like something worth investigating.' He tuned in to Iphigenia and explained the situation.

'All right, I'll see what I can find out.' she said.

***

Malovick shot back with his chair from his desk when he spotted the cloaked figure in a dark corner of his chambers. 'Who are you?'

Tarrence lowered his hood and the lord held his breath while his heart raced in fear. 'Who I am matters not. What I am about to tell you does.'

Malovick's gripped the arms of his chair to stop his hands trembling. 'What do you want?'

Tarrence showed him the slightest of smiles. 'I don't want anything but to warn you of invaders that have sneaked into your country and will try to get rid of you.'

The thought of a threat to him triggered Malovick's defensive nerves. 'Who!? Where are they!?'

Tarrence stepped a little closer while holding out his hands with a shrug. 'Unfortunately I don't know where they are, but we're talking about a group of four women with two bloodwolves. I suspect they could be collaborating with others to stay hidden.'

Malovick gazed in disbelief at him. 'Women and bloodwolves!?'

'Yes. They're cunning and strong, so it's best to use great force to catch them and set an example.'

Malovick frowned in thought. 'Indeed, I can't have anyone think they can get away with opposing me as the rightful ruler.' He slammed his fist on the desk. 'I will find them and crush them!' He turned to the door of his chamber. 'Herford! Get me the captain!'

The door opened a moment later and a young man's head popped up behind it. 'At once, milord.' he said and disappeared again.

'Don't underestimate them.' said Tarrence. 'They're a grave danger to you and the current peace of the country.'

'I'll make sure-' Malovick said as he turned to Tarrence, but the canine demon was already gone. He huffed. 'Doesn't matter. No one will undermine my right.' he muttered and pondered where to begin the search.

***

'You again?'

Iphigenia gave the guard the most innocent smile she could muster. 'I'm sorry, I was just dumping the kitchen waste on the compost heap and when I saw this golem here I was a little curious but then I bumped into the barrels as I stepped back and-'

'All right! All right!' said the guard as he held up his hand. 'I get it already.' He looked at the mess of barrels, planks, crates, and drapes around and over the golem standing under the overhang. He pondered asking why there was a pair of stockings hanging from its large nose, but decided he didn't want to know.

'I'll clean it up right away.' Iphigenia said, and reached out to a barrel but the guard grabbed her lower arm at once.

He cleared his throat. 'No need, I'll just have the golem do the heavy lifting.' he said and pulled her gently back as he looked up at the golem. 'Golem, stack the barrels, crates, planks, and return the drapes to their chest. And, return the stockings to wherever they came from.'

Iphigenia grabbed the guard's arm as she looked at the golem coming to life and begin his tasks. She turned her gaze in awe at the guard. 'You can control the golem? That is so great!'

He blushed and grinned a little. 'Ah, it's really nothing. We can only give regular orders to the golems.'

She pressed her chest against his arm. 'Really? But isn't that already impressive?'

He cleared his throat. 'It's the lord who has final control over all the golems.'

Iphigenia gazed at him with large eyes. 'How is that even possible? Can he use magic?'

The guard chuckled. 'No, he controls them through his rings. The constructor imbued them with magic.'

'Ooohhh..' said Iphigenia and watched the golem stack the crates. 'But still, to think you can give orders to such a strong thing.' She let go of the guard's arm. 'I have to go now. What's your name?'

'Oh, eh, Vitro.'

Iphigenia gave him a bright smile and Vitro's heart skipped a beat. She stepped back. 'See you around, Vitro.' she said and went off towards the kitchen.

Vitro stared at her back until she disappeared into the kitchen, then sighed as he wondered if she was worth the trouble he'd inevitably have to face.

***

'Confirmed, it's his rings and he really never takes them off.' said Iphigenia back at Royle's home. She had used the rest of the time at the castle to ask casual questions before returning with Mantia to her home, then sneak to the others. 'The guards can give casual orders to the golems, the captain and vice captain can give more important fighting commands, but Malovick has the final say.'

Ulric fingered his cup while he and the girls, Hubero, and Royle sat around a long table with two nearly spent, thick candles lighting the dark, and Wiliamy fixing a meal at the stove with Kaui giving her a hand. The party decided to share their supplies and the family was delighted at the luxurious ingredients. Iphigenia continued. 'As for the mana to power the golems with, I suspect it has something to do with amulets worn by the guards. They have to wear them all the time but it seems they're not the only ones. I saw a shackle used for prisoners which had runes on the inside that were mostly the same as on the amulet.'

'That would explain why everyone forced to work on the lands is easily tired.' said Hubero as he looked from Iphigenia to Ulric. 'They also have to wear a bracelet as proof they've been working to receive their meals.'

'So Malovick is sapping the mana from everyone to power his golems.' said Elzbieta. 'Just how much do they need?'

'Nothing specific is mentioned in the books.' said Valdys. 'It depends on the type of golem and how active it is. It doesn't seem as if one needs that much but the mana can be drained so much that it leads to the death of the one providing it.'

Ulric looked at Valdys. 'So, in worst case scenario, a huge fight involving the golems could kill people indirectly.'

She nodded.

Iphigenia drummed her fingers on the table once. 'It just became more troublesome.'

Ulric hummed. 'There's only the one option, we have to get those rings from him.'

'He is under constant guard.' said Iphigenia. 'I haven't seen an opportunity where he's alone.'

'You'll have to keep him under observation as much as possible for now.' said Elzbieta.

Iphigenia nodded. 'I'll also try to find out more about the constructor. He's one very elusive character.'

Wiliamy and Kaui placed roast meats, vegetables, breads, and cheese on the table. 'But now we eat and are grateful for what you're sharing with us.' she said. 'It feels as if it's a feast day from when I was little.'

***

'What's the commotion?' asked Iphigenia when she arrived at the castle at first light for the next shift with Mantia. All guards were fully armed and moving out with golems trudging in their wake. She spotted Vitro preparing his crossbow and collecting bolts in the guard house and went over to him. 'Hey, what's happening? Is there a fight somewhere?'

Vitro looked up at her and thought there was at least one good thing happening. 'There's a dangerous group hiding somewhere.' he said while he continued his inspection of his crossbow. 'They're supposed to have several tamed monsters and are planning on attacking us and destroying our country. We're doing a search in all villages to flush out them and the traitors collaborating with them. Every guard and golem is called upon.'

Iphigenia's stomach turned. 'What're you going to do with them?'

Vitro slung his bow and the belt with bolts over his shoulders. 'Capture, trial, sentence them. They'll likely be hanged.' His name was shouted from outside and he grabbed Iphigenia by her arm. 'If you see anyone suspicious coming, stay away from them.'

She watched him hurry off and focused on the others. 'You all need to escape at once! The guard is looking for you!'

Ulric peered out from a window towards guards and two golems in the middle of the village, kicking in doors if the weren't opened quick enough and entering the houses there. 'We just noticed. They're already here.'

'The way out back is no good.' said Elzbieta. 'There's a golem stationed there.'

'Fuck!' growled Ulric.

'I could lure them away.' said Conchim.

'I don't think that's wise. They're all armed with bows and crossbows and I don't want you to risk getting shot if we can't attack them at the same time.' He looked back at Wiliamy holding Emileo and Royle in fear. Kaui sat with them to comfort them. 'We also have to think of what will happen to the family if we try to run. They might be killed in the ensuing fight.' He sighed as he watched the ruckus and the rough treatment of the villagers again. 'We might need to surrender to avoid bloodshed.'

Iphigenia spotted Hubero in a group of people at the side of the castle. 'We can say we took Hubero's family hostage to silence him. Let him warn the guard to keep them safe. Vitro said there'd be a trial first, so we have time to escape or attack from the inside.'

Ulric looked at the other girls. They nodded reluctantly in agreement. 'All right. Tell Hubero.'

Iphigenia hurried over to the back of the group and pulled on the back of Hubero's tunic to grab his attention. He turned to look back and she gestured to keep silent and step back. They retreated to a tree and Iphigenia made sure no one was watching them. 'Go tell the guard the ones they're looking for are at your house.' she whispered.

His eyes went wide. 'That's betraying you!?' he said and Iphigenia hushed him at once.

'Yes, you're going to tell them you had to keep it secret because otherwise your family would be murdered.' she said and glanced around again. 'It's the only way to prevent you and them being sentenced as traitors. I hope.'

'But what about you?'

'Don't worry about us. It seems they're not suspecting me and we still have some time before they might kill us.' She gave him a shove. 'Now hurry before it's too late to make the plan work.'

He gazed in doubt at her for a moment, then nodded and hurried towards the village. 'Let's hope this works.' said Iphigenia.

'Indeed.' said Ulric and looked at Conchim. 'If I see an opportunity to create a safe distraction, you fly away.'

She nodded. 'Don't do it if there's any lethal risk to you.'

He grinned. 'No worries, I need to stay alive to protect my dear party members.'

By the time the door came crashing inside with the hit of a golem, everyone put up enough of a fight to mask their voluntary surrender. Ulric and Susi growled as they were driven into a corner by shielded guards. Elzbieta whacked a guard with the broad side of her sword while Kaui did the same using a frying pan. Valdys just took her time chanting to give her captors ample time to draw their swords at her. Conchim slapped another guard with her wings until she surprised him with her surrender. He kept spitting out feathers while tying a rope around her.

Hubero rushed inside and embraced his family. 'Thank goodness you're safe!' he said and turned to the captain when he stepped inside. 'Thank you so much for saving them, captain.'

The captain twirled one end of his thin, black moustache, and puffed up his chest in pride. 'Of course. Capturing a few enemies of the state is no problem for me.' He watched his captives with disdain. 'You'll regret trying to attack our country.' With a dismissive gesture, he swayed his arm. 'Take them to the dungeon!'

Ulric glanced around while he and Susi were muzzled and led outside, but saw no opportunity to help Conchim escape while many guards had their crossbows at hand. 'We're coming your way, Iphi.'

She stirred a stew firmly in the kitchen while gripping the ladle. 'Are you all safe?'

'We are. No one was hurt except for the guards who received a few bruises.'

Iphigenia let out a relieved chuckle. 'Good.' She sighed. 'Now what?'

'See where they take us, keep our eyes open for ways to escape, think of a way to get to Malovick and grab his rings.'

'All right, I'll keep scouting the place.'

One of the guards leered at Elzbieta and leaned closer to a fellow guard. 'A shame that such a pretty elf has to be thrown in the dungeon. I know a better place for her to stay.'

His friend sniggered. 'I think I know the place. Plenty of room and no unwanted visitors.'

'Just us and some nice goods.' the first one said and reached out to grab Elzbieta's behind. A snarl from Ulric behind him startled him and he looked back with a pounding heart. 'Shut that beast up! Does it think it can do anything to us?'

'He's warning you.' said Elzbieta and the guards looked at her. Her glare sent freezing shivers down their spines. 'What he'll do is nothing compared to what I'll do to you if you don't keep your hands to yourself.'

The guards distanced themselves from her and she turned her attention back to the front. The second guard leaned closer to the first. 'They say elves are overrated anyway.' he whispered, and the first nodded.