Old Renault screeched to a halt in front of a large shape. Todor strained his eyes but even with the help of his new high tech glasses, he failed to recognize what stopped them. The engine died down in next few last sounds and cars interior got embraced by silence. Gadgets night vision adjusted and Todor gasped at what he saw. There, in the middle of the street was a bronze statue. It was quite an ugly statue, proportions of the body were wrong and there was no detail you usually see on the works of art. The uncalled bronze monster made a step towards them, giant foot cracking the asphalt as it landed.

"That is a mothercracking golem!" Cassandra yelped her face a wild grimace of surprise and excitement.

"Seriously?" Todor exclaimed pushing the gear shift into reverse and starting the engine again. The old car turned on smoothly so Todor snapped his foot on the gas pedal. They lurched in reverse backing off from the magical construct.

"Yeah, and not just any golem. That is a war golem. Only Elder Shamans of my people could actually make those," she explained casually bending forward to see the thing better.

"I don't have any beef with Morgs," Todor said tightening the grip on the steering wheel and looking at the mirror. The street was empty so they continued backing off at an unsafe speed.

"Well, Anadori High Ethiarchs can master enough mana to create such a thing as well, I suppose. But you didn't piss off any High Ethiarchs, did you?"

"Not that I know of," Todor said gloomily as the golem made another step and another. Soon it was running towards them and gaining upon them.

"The date turned into a strange direction. This wasn't the kind of excitement I was expecting," Cassandra said with a wild smile.

"You can say that again. Look, we can't outrun this thing. Any ideas?" Todor asked as he put more pressure on the accelerator but the old car gave all it had. I have to turn around to gain more speed but if I try that golem will be upon us before I could finish ...

"Not unless you have some bigger firepower than that gun on your belt," she answered with a shake of her head.

"And if I did where would golems weak spot be?" he asked remembering the railgun under Cassandra's seat.

"That depends who made this thing. You need to crack its power core, fire pearl or dragons eye cores are most common, but its location can be anywhere in its body," Cassandra explained calmly. Her wild grin was still on her face, but her voice sounded under control.

"Alright, under your seat there is a weapon that could do the trick," Todor said pointing. "Maybe ... hopefully."

He was too focused on Cassandra as she was reaching for the weapon when he felt like he was hit with a sledgehammer. The Renault stopped with a crash as the tires screeched, spinning in place. For a second he forgot where he was or what was happening. He shook his head and it cleared. Then he snapped his head back looking at what they hit and his heart sank. Another golem, all though quite a bit smaller than the one that was chasing them, was holding the car hostage from behind.

"You alright?" he asked Cassandra, she shook her head as well and reached for the railgun.

"What is this thing?" she asked giving the weapon to him.

"Successful failure," he said grabbing the railgun and turning it on. The weapon let out a subdued whine as its capacitors charged. As soon as he did that the glasses asked to link up with it and help with aim. He blinked YES right away.

"You mean like you humans? An experiment that overshadowed its intent," she said with a smirk.

"Something like that," Todor replied coldly.

I didn't even have time to check if this thing works, he thought as the link between the coat and the railgun was established. His concentration got broken when the golem that was keeping the car from moving rose his right fist and slammed it into Renault's roof. The sound of a heavy metal fist slamming the vehicle was deafening. Todor tried to the ignore ringing in his ears and huge dent that appeared behind them. Few hits like that and we will be crushed as mice in the tin can. We have to get ...

"We have to get out of here," Cassandra said out loud.

"My thoughts exactly," he agreed as he tried to open the door. The door was slightly bent by a crash into the golem so he applied more force. The door snapped open and he hurried outside. The golem punched one more time making the car cabin shorter by few centimeters. Todor saw Cassandra getting out on the other side and running around towards him.

He took a deep breath and aimed at the closest golem feeling the coat slightly restricting and relaxing as it helped him aim. The glasses showed telemetry and warned that it lacks data about his weapons specifications. You and me both, let's find out what this puppy can do, he thought as he pulled the trigger. For a split of a second, the whining of the weapon increased before large crack sounded in the air, echoing on the street. Only another sound that was heard was thumping of the larger golem charging at them from the street.

The smaller golem that was just a second before brutalizing Todor's vintage ride was now missing a head and a large part of its chest. A moment later he was thrown back by a buffeting winds made by kinetic explosions as the grain of metal sand impacted the magical construct at extreme speeds. A spray of molten metal exploded outward spraying the asphalt with hot jets of what used to be golems head. I shouldn't fire this thing at such a close range. My poor car protected me from that explosion otherwise I would be getting molten bronze crown right about now, he concluded. He glanced at Cassandra who stood a step away from him, mouth wide open staring at the destroyed golem.

"What kind of magic is this?" she asked moving her eyes from the mauled golem to Todor.

"Not magic, technology. Like a cellphone but for killing," he said with a shrug.

"My tusks it's like a phone. You just ... just," she shook her head in disbelief.

"No time to explain. We have one more," he said turning to the other threat.

Todor motioned Cassandra to hide behind his now ruined car. Kavacha system showed up statistics of his last shot, the speed of the projectile, energy spent and energy imprinted upon the target and many more that at the moment had no value to Todor. He blinked save and incorporate data into aim assist.

Todor took a deep breath taking aim again targeting the throat as he did with a smaller golem. Then he fired. The weapon whined again but this time golem rose his right arm at the same instant. The loud crack echoed followed by an explosion. Golems arm was gone, melted to goo and splattered all over the constructs head and chest. It was still coming at them, all though much slower than before.

Wind from an explosion buffed them both as they stared in horror.

"Fire again," Cassandra said, her calm voice a contrast to her scared face.

Todor nodded and aimed again. Glasses suggested a few spots on the charging golems body. One of the spots that system put as viable was the monsters hip. Why there? Oh, to blow it's leg away so it tumbles. He corrected the position to a new spot and pressed the trigger again. Whine, crack, explosion. The weapon's indication lights turned off.

The monster staggered crashing to the ground, rising the cloud of dust and asphalt pieces.

"That was my last shot. We should run," Todor said Cassandra taking Cassandras' palm into his.

"Well, you sure know how to show the girl good times," she said running next to him.

They left the street jumping over the fence into the park that surrounded them. They heard the golem trying to get up and failing, crushing to the ground with loud thumps.

"My car is ruined," he said panting.

"Yeah, poor thing," Cassandra responded, her breathing as calm as if she was walking. "I guess driving a priceless relic is dicey."

It wasn't a priceless relic when I got it, he thought, not bothering with words since he was out of breath already. The empty railgun on his back was a bit of a bother but after seeing what it can do he wasn't going to throw it away. His chest started to hurt and he stumbled over the root. Lights everywhere around them were dead but his increased night vision compensated for that. What they couldn't compensate for was Todors' unhealthy lifestyle.

"I need to rest, I am sorry," he said sitting on the grass and leaning on the tree trunk.

Cassandra looked at him for a second, confusion on her face. Then she nodded taking a sit in front him, legs folded under her.

"You are out of shape," she said matter of factly. No accusation just stating the fact.

"Yeah," he gasped, "Haven't exercised in ages. But nothing motivates the men like a good chase for his life," he added trying to smile.

"I don't think that thing is getting up again. Or finding us here even if it did hop on one leg. So we can rest as much as you need," she said flashing that charming smile of hers.

The sound of far away thumps made by trashing golem died down a few minutes ago. Todor realized that he didn't even notice it until Cassandra pointed it out.

"I thought golems are made out of a rock," Todor said, his breathing almost getting back to normal.

"Almost all of them are made out of a rock. Metal is a hard material to enchant unless it's specific kind of metal. But usually, those kinds of metals are far too expensive to be used to make giant walking monsters," she explained.

"Those things looked like they were made out of bronze," Todor said blinking at commands on his HUDs. He then replayed the moment he fired at the larger golem, "Yeah, definitely bronze."

"It's a hard thing to do. Cores used to power them are expensive but what is difficult is the amount of mana required to animate the metal in the first place," she said in more detail.

"Yeah, you told me that only Elder Shamans and High Ethiarchs could make war golems. I am guessing war golems are those that are made out of metal?" Todor prodded her to keep talking. Somehow information about the dangers around him made him feel safer. Knowledge is power, guard it well, he mused looking at the Cassandra in the dim light of the stars. Without the glasses on he probably wouldn't see a thing though so he thanked his luck for stumbling upon the device.

"Yes, just so. There is some chimera that could do it. Like vampires or folk'sol," she said repositioning herself into a more comfortable way.

Todor fidgeted when he heard it.

"Well, I guess that answers my question. Vampires sent those things after me," he said flatly.

"I don't think so. Last vampire hemomancer that was capable of such a thing died during the war of three banners. Vampires are dying out. I am sure there isn't anyone in Moriganhold that could have made those golems," she said assuredly.

Todor looked at her and nodded. There wasn't any reason for him to doubt her. But that doesn't mean vampires are not involved. Midnight Breeze could have hired outside help if his ego allowed that.

"How do you know all that stuff?" he asked her climbing to his feet.

"I had education in military tactics, coming from a clan dedicated for warfare and all that," she said getting up as well.

"If so, why were you so surprised with my railgun? You know what human military is capable of, right?" he asked stretching his leg that fell asleep while he was sitting in the grass.

She looked embarrassed.

"I was thought that apeling toys are useless gadgets," they started moving in the direction Cassandra indicated. "My clan was formed two centuries after the war of three banners ended. We haven't warred with Humanity First Alliance or any other human nation out there. So we just listened to our elders, which were mostly tent warchiefs and minor nobility."

"You guys make guns, it's hard for me to believe you actually fell for that since you knew what guns can do," Todor said honestly.

Cassandra laughed looking at him.

"Humans didn't invent guns, silly," she said amused.

"You studied Mundane era, how would you say such a thing?" Todor spattered in surprise. "Did you had guns before Sundering?"

"No, but," she trailed off, lost in thought. "Our gunsmiths always said," she slammed her forehead with a palm. "Well of course. It's easy to lie to people who are isolated and uneducated. Why didn't I connected that earlier, it's so obvious? You, humans, waged wars with guns for more than a century before the Knitting. You must think I am some brainwashed fool now."

Before Todor could reassure her that he doesn't think anything like that Ezezu buzzed in his mind. The impression of fire came from the book and a vague sense of direction from their right. A moment later the radar of his coat picked up movement. Soon data streamed in front of his eyes. Seven people with guns were closing in from their left.

"Someone is gathering mana for something over there," Cassandra said pointing to their right. "Three ... no, four of them."

So that is what you were saying, Ezezu. Thanks, friend. Satisfaction came from the book as a response.

Then his coat systems picked up four people Cassandra mentioned. They were coming from their right. Great, they streaming from both sides.

"There are seven people armed with guns coming towards us from our left too."

"How do you know that?"

"Never mind that, guess rest time is over," Todor said with a tired smile.