The Last Sand Golem

Night in the desert was cold and windy. Clouds were sparse on most nights, and the stars shine even brighter on this moonless night. Two people on a watchtower shivered as an especially cold wind blew. A ravaged town beneath them as they stood there in the cold, while the people below drank and sang the night away, among the many husked corpses.

”Rukia be damned! Why do we have to stay watch the whole night?! We didn´t even get any Ginga pelt. ”

His partner looked towards him and sighed, ”Have you already forgotten, Padro? It´s because you killed those children that were meant to be sold. ”

”Pah, those puny children wouldn´t even sell for 10 Crones! Have you seen their state, Rodur? ” The man spat on the ground and crossed his arms.

”You are underestimating the price of Sakarians blood. A bucket of it cost 500 Crones on the black market. ”

”…shit… ”

”Yes…shit… so stop complaining and go back to work! ”

”There is nothing out there, only some stray canis. ”

Rodur turned towards him and smacked his head, ”Stop your yapping and do your work. It is already bad enough that I am stuck there with you! ”

”Yes, yes, now stop hitting me! ”

The two men grumbled and continued to watch the desert.

”Wait… what is that in the distance? ” asked Rodur.

In the distance, a row of armored figures abeared from behind a sand dune.

Padro took out the spyglass and looked through it. His face palled, as he stand there frozen.

Rodur saw his face and shock him out of it, ”What did you see? ”

Padro still looking into the distance with the spyglass whispered, ”The Sakata golems are here… ”

”No…that is imposible! They can´t be here that fast. They should still be in the west fighting the barbarians! How are they already here! ” panic and disbelief settled in.

Padro didn´t answer him as he held the spyglass towards Rodur.

Alarms rang as the two men shouted with all their might, ”SAKATA GOLEMS ARE APPROACHING!!! ”

The whole encampment immediately buzzed in activity as 375 men and women tried to grab their weapons and armor as quickly as possible. They couldn´t run away as they were too tired and the golems could go on endlessly without stopping.

Fifty sand golems abroached the wooden walls of the barricaded town.

The hands were sweaty and their breaths shallow and fast, eyes still bloodshot from tiredness. They lined up on the town walls as best as they could grabbing every spear bow and rocks they could find.

Coming into range a man shouted ”Fire at will! ”

A barrage of spears, arrows and other random things flew through the air, but all was for naught, as the approaching army raised a wall of sand above their heads in unison.

The people on the wall became desperate and their aim worsened some even fled and jumped down the wall injuring themselves.

Reaching the gate unharmed a large sand golem with a flag on its back stepped forward and swung a large spear, diagonally.

*Boom*

The wooden gate shattered into pieces as the rest of the soldiers rushed in.

The people on the other side held their spears in place, but fear got to them as the golems shredded through the lines. Their weapons did no damage to the golems. No matter how much they throw at them their bodies would just reform and continue their relentless and systematic attacks.

Blood and body parts flew around as they continued walking through the town, in search of any survivors.

In the darkness of the night, cries and pleas from dozens of people could be heard as they were slaughtered.

The ”fight ” ended before the first birds even began to sing.

….

”Hey, look, look the sand guardians are back! ” the sound of cheering and applauding boomed in the empire as rows of sand golems walk in perfect synchrony into the city. The sand golems were almost completely made out of sand, except for a pure white crystal core with runes etched on it, hidden in the soldiers chest, and darker sand in form of armor surrounding their humanoid build.

They all were like carbon copies of each other, only the golem at the front, leading the others, looked largely different. It was a head taller than the rest with iron sand covering the body and a large flag of the empire on its back, acting as a spear and gathering point. All the others had some kind of different sand armor. The soldiers are the result of peak technology, runecraft, core shaping, and mana enchantment. Able to fulfill complex orders, and the sole reason why the Sakata empire ruled the desert.

One of the sand golems was #11077, which just returned from his mission, killing the Kubara tribe that was trying to claim territories, was stoically walking at the far left of the entourage. Children were staring at him in awe and amazement as he walks past. The adults applauded them for their successful mission. Even if they are just creations, golems, they were treated with high respect.

One of the children threw flowers at the sand golems, 11077 saw the little girl with a basket and flowers in hand and snatched one of the pretty flowers out of the air as he walked past.

The girls face brightened up as all the others just ignored the flowers, shrugging them off as she threw them. She jumped up