DUNGEONS & DRAGONS: Dawn of Revolution

The Friend

Ten years before the coalition war began...

Would this wood pile never end?! 10-year-old Zafa wiped his brow with a rag after chopping yet another piece in half for his family's firewood, then grabbed another piece and set it upright. He swung the axe down.

And again. And again. This one was so thick! Zafa got halfway through before he winced, pulling a muscle from the sheer effort.

Okay, enough of that. Zafa casually tossed aside his axe and called out, "Ma, isn't that plenty for today?"

Zafa's mother, Fiqri, took a moment to walk around the family's modest home, a wicker basket of laundry in har hands. "Zafa, keep chopping. We're going to need much more than that," she called out. "And be sure to weed the garden when you're done!"

So many chores, so little time. Zafa waited until his mother wandered off to resume her own work, then put his hands on his hips, looking around. His village, boring old Yehra En-Bikri, was probably the same as hundreds of other towns and villages here in Mehir Balad's southern region.

Once, just once, a traveling merchant from Zaddir City had passed through here, and Zafa and some of the other village kids had mobbed him to hear tales of the great capital. Thousands of people, all in colorful garb! A combat arena of brave warriors! The majestic Skyreach Castle, where his majesty the Caliph lived! More shops and food stalls than you could ever imagine! It was an entire world in itself.

Nothing like this stupid village. Zafa always wondered if the kids in Zaddir City knew how good they had it, living in such a place. They probably couldn't imagine helping their mothers wash shirts or help their fathers herd the oxen.

The next day, the merchant had resumed his trek south to trade his wares in the Trassus Kingdom, the kingdom that was "always blooming." The land of gardens and wine.

Anything was better than living in Yehra En-Bikri!

In fact...

Zafa double-checked that his mother had her back to him while hanging up the laundry to dry, then snuck his way outside the village's outer boundary, climbing over the wooden fences of the cattle ranch. One of the beasts mooed at him, so Zafa shushed it. Then Zafa broke out into a jog, making his way for the hills south of Yehra En-Bikri, with modest trees and scattered rocks on them and a burbling creek nearby. This was Zafa's favorite place to visit, usually with a few friends from the village, but today, he felt like going solo. Just a quick visit to see if there's anything new...

Zafa expertly vaulted over a small boulder, weaved his way among the trees, then climbed his way up the tallest hill yet, a big one with loose rocks and a few upraised tree roots. Shoot, this is some tricky terrain. At least Zafa made it to the top in one piece, shielding his eyes from the early evening sun as he scoped out the terrain. Not much stood out, except for the remains of an ancient stone tower, a wide ring of gray stone blocks about thirty feet wide, resting atop one of the flatter hills. Might as well go check it out again and carve his name onto one of the bricks with his little knife!

He was about halfway down the hill when his foot slipped on a loose stone. Zafa's stomach lurched as he pitched forward, throwing out his arms in vain. Ouch! Down he tumbled, landing in a dazed heap at the bottom of the hill.

"If I get a bruise, Ma won't be happy," Zafa muttered to himself as he got to his feet, checking his arms for bruises. Already, his upper right arm was getting a purple bruise. Ugh. At least he could hide that one with his tunic's sleeve!

Hang on... what is that?

Zafa stared at the odd boulder resting in a narrow depression between two of the hills, a shadowy zone that Zafa probably would have missed if he had taken a more direct route to the tower ruins. Had he ever seen that before? No, this was new. Totally new!

Tomorrow, Zafa would probably bring his friends to explore this place in more detail. But for now, why not take a peek, and make sure it's safe? So, Zafa carefully climbed down, double-checking his footing, and he almost slipped on a bare patch of mud. Whew, close one. Then, Zafa approached the odd boulder, which was lumpier than any boulder he'd ever seen before. And there was the sharp tang of iron in the air. Whoa, was there an iron vein around here? Yehra En-Bikri would finally get rich if mining started here!

"Hmmmmmm..." Zafa stopped before the boulder, noting the clumps of dark moss on it, suddenly hesitating. He'd heard tales of critters that lurked in places like this. What if redcaps or kobolds emerged and swarmed him? Darn it, he should have thought of that sooner!

His heart suddenly racing, Zafa whirled around, his wide eyes checking for any sing of danger.

None.

Zafa let out a sigh and contemplated the lumpy iron boulder once again, hand outstretched. If he touched the iron vein, would he get ownership of the new mine? How cool would that be? He'd be the boss of a mining community!

No, that's not right. Still, might as well check it out.

Zafa patted his hand on the iron boulder. It was pretty cool to the touch.

The iron boulder stirred with the loud scrape of metal on metal.

"Whoa!" Zafa leaped back, heart racing as he watched the strange boulder shift around, breaking up into pieces. Or was it already in pieces? It was hard to tell in this gloom. And boulders don't normally move anyway!

A pair of glowing yellow circles suddenly flared to life on the iron boulder as it rose higher, its arms stretching out, its head moving into position. Arms? Head? It looked like... a person?

A minute later, Zafa found himself staring at an iron thing, a bulky brute with a helmet-like head, in which its yellow eyes glowed. It stood on sturdy legs, its armored arms by its side, fingers relaxed. Was this thing waiting for something?

Zafa gasped, hands clapped over his mouth. He'd heard of these from travelers and traders passing through. An iron golem! Sworn to obey their masters' will, even if centuries pass!

"C... come here," Zafa breathed.

With more rusty scraping noises, the iron golem took a few unsteady steps forward. It stood right before Zafa, still looking like it was waiting.

"Uh..." Zafa looked around again as though expecting his mother to be right there, reprimanding him for playing with his new metal toy. Zafa swallowed. "Raise your right arm."

Scrape, scrape, clank. The iron golem raised its right hand into the air and lowered it again, the golem's yellow eyes still fixed on the boy.

"Can you talk?" Zafa asked timidly.

No answer.

"Oh. In that case..." Zafa scratched his head. Would this golem follow him home? Should he leave it here? Should he tell it more about himself? And what would his friends think if he showed him this metal man?

Zafa folded his arms, squinting at the golem before him as his mind raced. What to do, what to do... he sure could use another friend and protector, what with his father Nerub always on the road trading goods in his caravan... but kids like Zafa can't just bring a monster home! Zafa was supposed to be a good boy and do his chores. Chop firewood, pull weeds, check the pasture fence for damage, sweep the house...

Anyway, five minutes later, Zafa was smiling his head off as he rode on the iron giant's left shoulder, pointing home as the metal beast marched onward. "Go, golem!" Zafa cried. "You're my new friend. That means you'll do what I say. Or did I make you my friend because you already listen to me? Which is it, do you think?" He clapped a hand to the iron golem's helmet-like head. It didn't respond.

Now for the hard part: getting this thing home!

Zafa winced as the cows mooed in panic and scattered as Zafa's iron golem stomped right up to the wooden fence. "Wait!" Zafa cried before the golem plowed right into the wooden fencing. "Go around. There." He pointed, and the golem resumed its march, walking in a wide arc to reach Yehra En-Bikri's southeastern point. Wait, there wasn't much cover out here aside from the tall grass! Well, there was always the local barn. Zafa had to put this iron golem somewhere, and this would have to do for now. He'd explain this tomorrow.

Grateful for the evening twilight that was now setting in, Zafa maneuvered his friend through the increasing darkness, right up to the barn. Then, Zafa hopped down and checked the door. Good, it was still unlocked! The farming family that lived here was probably still finishing up the evening chores, so there was a little time left.

"Go in. Quick," Zafa hissed, motioning. The iron golem took a few heavy steps into the barn, and Zafa pointed to a cluster of hay bales. "Hide in there. I'll help."

At once, the iron golem marched to the barn's corner, crouching and going still. Grunting with effort, Zafa surrounded the golem with haystacks, using handfuls of more hay to cover the few gaps in the golem's cover. Zafa stepped back to admire his handywork, making sure the golem's glowing eyes weren't visible. They weren't.

"Gonna close up the barn real quick," a man's voice called out. "Sorry if the chores ran a bit long. I'll be inside for supper in a minute, dear!"

Shoot, that was the family father, a tough old tiefling named Haqri, living with his wife Azuf and their two adult sons and teenage daughter. Zafa got along with them all just fine, but if old Haqri caught him in the barn right now, it'd be awkward to explain.

Zafa slipped out and ran around the barn's other side just in time. He peeked around the corner and saw his tiefling friend secure the barn doors, sliding the heavy lock into place. Whistling to himself, Haqri turned, then made his way back to the farmhouse.

It wasn't too much longer before Zafa made it to his own family home, where he got a well-deserved lecture about being late for supper and staying out too late. Normally, Zafa found that annoying, but for once, he didn't mind, and he really was out kinda late. Worth it, though!

He couldn't wait for morning.

*o*o*o*o*

"Thanks for breakfast, Ma," Zafa said once he finished off his plate the next morning. He pushed back his simple wooden chair and made for the back door. "I've gotta get started on chores. Still got more firewood to chop."

"Look at you, taking charge of the day's work," Fiqri said fondly as she cleaned up the breakfast table. "Well, there's plenty to do today! The garden still needs work, and we ought to patch up the roof today, too. I'll need your help!"

"Yes, Ma," Zafa said vaguely as he took his leave. He had one major task before chopping any blasted firewood today: retrieving his new friend! This might be a little tricky, now that he thought about it...

Zafa tried to look casual as he made his way to Haqri's family farm, keeping a close eye out for the entire family. He saw Haqri's wife Azuf, an air genasi, busy scattering feed to the clucking chickens. Nearby, one of Azuf's sons, also an air genasi, was letting the cows out of their simple wooden shelter for another hard day of grazing and mooing in the pasture. No sign of the rest of the family... so far, so good.

Mercifully, the barn door was already unlocked, so after checking over his shoulder once again, Zafa slipped inside and hurried over to the corner. He pulled aside the hay bales, then sighed with relief at the sight of his new friend.

"Are you all right?" Zafa blurted out. "Did anyone see you?"

The iron golem shook its head with a creaking noise. Thank the ten gods for that!

"Stand up. Let's get you out of here," Zafa told the golem. "There's work to do, and I'd like your help." He broke out into a wide grin. "That, and I can't wait to show you off!"

The iron golem awkwardly got to its feet and marched right to the barn door. It pushed the tall wooden door open, just in time to behold old man Haqri standing right there.

"Azuf, dear, I might have forgotten - BY THE GODS!"

Haqri leaped back in shock, then fell flat onto his bum, breaking his fall with his hands. He stared up in terror at the golem glaring at him with those unblinking yellow eyes.

"Haqri, what's the matter?" came Azuf's voice.

"M-monster!" Haqri pointed with a trembling hand.

"No, it's all right! He's with me!" Zafa hollered as he jogged out of the barn, waving his arms. "I found him at the hills to the south. He won't hurt you, I promise!"

"What in... by the ten..." Haqri couldn't stop staring at the golem.

"Haqri! What is that?" Azuf cried as she hurried over to the scene, lifting her simple work dress a few inches to run more easily. Her curly black hair fluttered behind her.

It occurred to Zafa that he should have checked before marching his new friend into open daylight! Well, too late for that. "Good morning," Zafa greeted them, trying to sound casual. "I'm sorry I used your barn to store my new friend here. I didn't get back home until twilight last night, and your barn was the only place big enough to hold him. I won't use the barn again without permission!"

"All... is forgiven, my boy," Haqri said with a trembling voice. "Your friend didn't break anything, did it?"

"No, but I had to cover him up with hay bales just in case. They'll need tidying up. I'll help."

"That you will, Zafa," Haqri said as he slowly got to his feet, his wife giving him a hand. "This... what is this metal man?"

"An iron golem. I touched his armor, and he started obeying me," Zafa explained, patting the iron golem's metal thigh. "I dunno who left him there or why, but he's mine now. He's safe."

"Can you prove it, Zafa?" Azuf asked, fists on her hips. "We've never had anythin' like this here in Yehra En-Bikri. How can we be sure it's the right tool for the job?"

Zafa preferred friend to tool, but now wasn't the time to quibble over the details! So, he spread his arms wide. "What would you like him to do?"

"I've got that tree stump near the edge of my vegetable patch. I gotta get it removed so I can make room for more turnips and cabbages," Haqri suggested, giving the iron golem a funny look before turning to point at his vegetable patch. "Have this fella remove it for me."

"You got it!" Zafa clapped his hands together. "Golem, remove that stump."

Without a word, the iron golem turned and lumbered toward the tree stump in question. Zafa and his farmer neighbors walked with it and marveled as the golem crouched, seized the tree stump, and tore it out of the earth after a few seconds of straining and creaking. Dry, dusty soil scattered as the golem ripped out the stump and all its roots.

"Well, I'll be!" Haqri cried out. "I couldn't get that out with two of my best oxen hitched to it."

"Could it build a fence? Or herd the cows?" Azuf asked, all fear forgotten. She looked eagerly to Zafa, who shrugged with a playful smile.

"I dunno yet. All I did was walk it here last evening," Zafa confessed. "But hey, I'm open to experimenting some more with it!"

And so they did, and it turned out the golem wasn't so good with skillful work like building fences or herding cows unless taught exactly how to do that, and it would take time to teach this thing. And it was too clumsy for finer work like tailoring, and far too heavy to climb onto the roof for repairs. But if any heavy lifting needed to be done quick, call the golem!

Zafa got a similar reaction when he presented his new friend to his mother.

"First of all, how dare you run off to those hills alone when the sun's setting!" Fiqri scolded her son near their vegetable patch and garden. "Something terrible could have happened to you! What if you broke your leg? Or what if this thing attacked you?" She gestured at the iron golem.

"I'm sorry, Ma," Zafa said earnestly. "I was just kinda bored last evening. I wanted to just get out there and have some fun before gettin' to bed. But at least the golem is friendly! Just look at him."

Fiqri nervously locked eyes with the iron golem. Neither spoke.

"So... can we keep him?" Zafa asked, as though bringing a stray puppy home.

Fiqri sighed and ran a hand over her face. "Zafa, my precious boy, please understand that I worry about you because I love you. It's every mother's worst nightmare to see her child hurt or realize they've disappeared."

Zafa's heart clenched with renewed guilt. He was really pushing it this time. "I'm really sorry, Ma. I won't wander off again," he promised. "But I'm here now, with my friend. I'm ready for work. Or rather, we both are. He obeys my commands!"

Fiqri gave her son a sharp look for a few seconds before softening her gaze. "Really. What can, uh, he do?"

"My golem uprooted a tree stump on Haqri's farm," Zafa explained happily. "He can do manual labor. Strength stuff."

Fiqri raised an eyebrow. "How about finer work?"

"He's not so good at that. But maybe with some practice?"

"Let's see." Fiqri gestured at her weed-choked vegetable patch. "Make your golem friend clear the weeds. They grow faster with every season, I swear..."

"Okay. Golem, pull the weeds!" Zafa commanded.

It didn't take long for the iron golem to crouch before the vegetable patch and start tearing everything out of the earth at random, weeds and onions alike flying every which way.

"No! Stop!" Zafa cried, grabbing the golem's arm. "Just the weeds!"

The golem froze, turning its head to look at its young master. By the ten gods, if only it could talk to confirm orders and ask questions!

"Okay, that's enough!" Fiqri demanded. "I'll need another hour to fix this patch. Tell your golem friend to fetch water for today."

Zafa ordered his golem to visit the well, but when they got there, the golem tugged way too hard on the well's rope, and snapped it just like that! It was a real pain for Zafa to find another rope, set it in place, and climb down into the well to tie the bucket onto the rope's loose end.

Perhaps some fence repair for the neighbors to the north? Nope, the golem broke four different timbers before the irate neighbors shooed away Zafa and his iron golem friend. And feeding the chickens was a hassle and a half when the golem threw the corn kernels with such speed, the chickens squawked and scampered for cover.

"Okay, some chores just aren't right for a golem," Zafa conceded when his annoyed mother gave him an I-told-you-so look. "Just the strength stuff! If we need to saw down a tree, my golem is your guy!" He knocked his hand on the golem's chest for emphasis and winced. Wow, that chest plate was hard!

"We'll see, Zafa. For now, make your golem sit quietly while you do your chores with your own human hands," Fiqri told her son, and there was no arguing with that. The iron golem sat cross-legged under a tree as Zafa toiled all morning, wondering what his golem was thinking. Did it find this funny? Was it bored? Curious? Who's to say? At one point, a songbird landed on the golem's head, chirping and pecking at it before moving on.

At least the neighbor kids loved it!

"Wow, Zafa! What is this thing? Is it alive?" one of the village girls, eight-year-old Olamu, asked as she and a few other kids around Zafa's age clustered around the iron golem.

"It's a golem. It's metal that moves with magic," Zafa explained proudly as the kids prodded the golem with curious fingers. "I found it by the hills. It only obeys me!"

"Do a trick, golem!" one of the boys, five-year-old Gheti, told the golem, throwing up his arms. "Do something fun!"

The iron golem merely stood there.

"Say something!" Olamu implored the golem. "Zafa, does it talk? Can it understand me?"

"It understands us, but it can't say nothin'," Zafa said. "Sorry, but it's just brute strength. See? Golem, pick me up."

On Zafa's command, the iron golem knelt, picked up Zafa, and set the boy on its shoulders. Zafa waved at the kids, grinning from ear to ear.

"Olamu, honey! Get away from that blasted thing," the girl's mother hollered, a basket of fruits under her arm. "It looks dangerous."

"It won't do nothin', Ma," Olamu said over her shoulder. "Zafa said so!"

"You know what a prankster that boy can be," Olamu's mother told her.

Zafa, meanwhile, commanded his golem to walk him around the village, and off it went, all so Zafa could say hello to everyone, waving as they stared in shock at the magical metal beast stomping through their simple village. Along the way, Zafa got a request to help chop down a thick hickory tree (and it almost took off someone's head with a clumsy swing), break down a fence so a new one could be built (rather messily), carry an old horse to the stable (it almost broke the horse's leg), and get a wagon unstuck from a muddy patch of earth (a wheel was nearly torn off in the process). Still, even if the golem was kinda clumsy, this sure beat Zafa having to do his own chores! Golems don't even get tired!

"I'm telling you, Ma, this golem will change everything," Zafa told his mother eagerly that evening at dinner. "I think every village should have one! Especially for older folk who can't do their chores so well anymore."

"Zafa, I don't think golems are meant for that," Fiqri told him. "The traders say golems are weapons. They protect old tombs and wizard towers from intruders. Or they might get sent off to war somewhere."

"Yeah, but not my iron golem," Zafa declared. "He's a man of peace! I think of him as part of the family. Don't you?"

Fiqri gave her son an appraising look. "Zafa, is this about your father?"

Zafa felt his heart clench. "Well, no..."

His mother kept giving him that look.

"Kind of," Zafa admitted, hanging his head.

"I understand it's hard not having him around much. I really do," Fiqri told her son gently. "Always on the road, working for his trade guild... it's been three weeks since the last time he was here, hasn't it?"

"I think so."

"Well, even if my Nerub isn't around that much, he's still your father," Fiqri said gently. "He's alive, not a metal monster."

"My golem's not a monster!"

"I didn't mean it like that," Fiqri said quickly. She made an uncomfortable smile. "Zafa, how do I put this..."

Zafa was way ahead of her. Not that he liked it. "I shouldn't try to replace Pa with the golem. Right?"

"Yes, Zafa, that's right. Frankly, I'm still not entirely comfortable having that thing around."

"You want me to get rid of him, right?"

"If it's not dangerous, then..." Fiqri started.

Zafa perked up. "Then I can keep him after all? I promise I won't make him do anything bad!"

"If the golem's not dangerous, we will see," Fiqri decided. "If it was dangerous, we'd already be running for our lives. But if it won't do anything harmful on its own, we can have it here until I decide what to do about it."

"Please, Ma. Let me keep him! I know the golem can't be like Pa. But he can still be my friend!"

"Does that thing even talk?"

"N... no."

"Does it love you?"

"No, but I love him!"

Fiqri gave her son another look.

"I... really like him?"

"That thing won't be around here much longer, Zafa. I'm sure a solution will show itself," Fiqri said. "Until then, let's live our lives like normal. Don't get too attached to that golem. It may be fun to play with, but it doesn't belong here."

"Even if he's not dangerous?"

"We all did our work just fine before you found it," Fiqri told him firmly. "That thing makes a real mess when it tries to work, doesn't it?"

"Kinda."

"And we already have our own laborers and animals for our daily work."

"... yeah."

"Then it's settled," Fiqri said. "I'm sure some adventurers or traders will have use for it, and may even trade us something valuable for it. That golem may do someone else a lot of good. It's not a farm tool."

Zafa sighed and resumed eating. "Fine. You're right."

"I'm sorry if you have to say goodbye to your friend, Zafa," Fiqri told him gently. "But it's for the best. Please understand."

"Okay."

Later that evening, Zafa went out the modest home's back door and found his iron golem standing there, its eyes glowing brightly in the twilight as the moon rose from the horizon. "I'm sorry, buddy. But we can't be together much longer," Zafa told his new friend, his voice a little choked. "Ma says you don't belong here. And I guess I see her point."

The golem stared at him.

"I'll miss you," Zafa cried out, wrapping his arms around the golem's cool iron body. "Please remember me. I'll remember you."

No response.

"Will you pat me on the head? My pa does that whenever he goes on a trip."

The golem's joints creaked as it patted its right hand on Zafa's head three times. Hard.

Zafa winced and held his aching head. "Whoa, that's enough. You're strong, golem."

It kept staring at him.

"I have to go to bed, or Ma will yell at me. You'll be okay here for the night, right? Stay here."

Zafa reluctantly headed back inside, giving his golem one last look before going inside. As ordered, the golem stood rigidly in place, awaiting its next order.

Four days later, Fiqri's solution arrived.

"We've got ourselves some adventurers. Look," an elderly lady, a certain Mahishaif, said as she pointed at the four strangers riding into town on their horse-drawn carriage.

"Good day, villagers," one of the strangers said, a sun elf man with his red hair in a short braided ponytail, and a glowing sword strapped to his back. "Good thing we found this place. We're low on supplies, and we're ready to trade."

"Got any good ale?" a barechested half-orc man said with a wide smile. "I gotta wash down that pheasant with somethin' good! Haha!"

"Every town has ale," the third adventurer, a firbolg woman with a bow on her back, chided him. "What we need is dried meat and hardtack to keep our bellies full. That last raid was a rough one. Took a lot out of me."

"You took out that roper's eye in one shot! You can't be that tired."

"You know what I mean."

"So, any traders here?" the fourth adventurer, a halfling woman with a leafy staff on her back, called out. She waved a hand. "Hel-lo? Anybody?"

Zafa braced himself and raised his hand. "Me."

Five minutes later, the four adventurers were checking out Zafa's iron golem behind the family's home as Zafa and Fiqri stood a bit to the side. "I like it," the half-orc said. "I'm tired of fightin' golems in tombs and stuff. About time we had one fight for us."

"It'll slow us down on the road," the sun elf man put in. "These things aren't quick on their feet. And this one looks rusty."

"He obeys my commands," Zafa added. "Can you make him obey you?" It made his heart ache to even ask.

"Sure thing, kid. Let me see..." The halfling lady waddled up to the iron golem and rapped its chest three times with her leafy staff. A glowing violet rune flared to life on the golem's armor plates, and then the golem's eyes turned the same color.

"That means it's in neutral mode," the firbolg lady told Zafa. "Now we can imprint on it."

"This is a complex spell. A little acknowledgment, please," the halfling insisted.

The half-orc clapped his hands. "Yes, very well done."

The sun elf haughtily approached and put his hand to the iron golem. "You shall obey me. Is that understood? Nod if so."

The golem nodded.

"What will you trade us for it?" Fiqri asked, and she soon got her answer: a magical chest that would preserve the food and drink inside it forever. Perfect for winter! That, and a finely made knife from the Illaran Kingdom and a bottle of Trassian wine.

"Off we go! Come on, big guy," the half-orc said when the deal was done, slapping the iron golem on the back.

"It only listens to me," the sun elf reminded him. "Golem! Let us go. Don't fall behind."

Zafa watched as the four adventurers continued on their way, the iron golem keeping pace with their horse-drawn carriage. On and on they went until they vanished in the horizon beyond the rolling hills.

"It's for the best, Zafa," Fiqri gently reminded her son. She held his shoulders. "It can't be easy saying goodbye."

"Yeah, I..." Zafa choked out. He decided against making the comparison he and his mother were both thinking about.

Fiqri leaned down and kissed her son's forehead. "Why don't you have fun with the other village kids today, Zafa? Your chores can wait for tomorrow."

Zafa wiped his stinging eyes. "Okay, Ma. Thanks. I will." He jogged into the village to round up his best friends and see who was up for a game of kickball today. Just an ordinary, innocent day to forget.