"The best place for inspiration was the ocean side. Do you know how many weird shaped monsters live on the beach or in the water? They are completely different from those underground or the surface. The mountains can't compare either.

" Grey was feeling the memories flow as he spoke.

The apprentice realized that grey was caught up in his memories and began to carefully work on the small details again. This was unnoticed by Grey who continued on with his inspirations,

"The ocean was amazon. It was terrifying since it never looked to end but after I developed some basic pressure gear with elemental mana crystals I was able to sink to the bottom and explore. We use similar suits to mine underwater ore veins.

"

"I was wondering how you would deal with flooded caves. I bet there are a bunch of ores that only show up in underwater caves.

" Gil thought this was pretty cool since he had never thought it possible to go underwater and be able to explore.

"Of course there are. How do you think we make the weapons with high water elemental affinity. My model here even has ice jade around her neck. That is mined in very cold caves. Often underwater and frozen in ice.

" Grey pointed to the pendants and shared more information that Walker greedily memorized.

"Anyways, I went in to the shallows to explore and found a world I had never seen. Plants called corals and fish with spikes. I saw spiders called crabs at the bottom crawling under rocks. The legs are what I modeled the spider leg design after. They are very useful. But what was the main inspiration to my first major creation was the hermit crab. Have you heard of them?

" Grey was eager to see if they had the same mind set as him yet again. He had a good feeling after they had spoken about his spider golem before.

"I actually have. I'm not sure what they really look like but I was told by a traveler that they carry their house on their backs. The merchant shared a shell he said was its house and that they were everywhere at the beach. I wish I could go there.

" Walker recalled walking the market with his mother and meeting this merchant. It was a very fond memory he had since he had seen that the world was full of many things he had yet to see on that day.

"In a way they do. The shells are their defenses from things that would eat them. They crawl in to it when they are afraid and nothing can hurt them. I took that theory and created a golem similar to that for the dwarven army. It is called the hermit guardian golem.

" Grey smiled with great pride.

The apprentice had let go of the tools he was using and become enamored with the story., This was the first time he was hearing of the first creation his master had built.

"I know of the guardian hermit but I did not realize you based it off of a real animal.

" The apprentice sifted through a stack of old blue prints and designs.

"I have the design here. I always wondered how it came to be.

"

"You're my apprentice for a reason I see. This is it.

" Grey took the design and showed it to Gil, Walker, and Midnight. The three looked through every inch in amazement.

"I created it so that all the parts fit within the hard metal shell. The legs all come to sharp points so they can attack. They detach easily so that the main body can hide within the shell even if it gets stuck. Then there are the orbs on the eyes used to evaluate and send images to other orbs. It has explored some very dangerous ruins and crypts we have dug in it. Not to mention braved the mountains at one point.

" The uses Grey gave them all sounded very valuable to the people.

"Wo when you say it joined the army it doesn't mean for wat. It means for the good of the dwarven people. Is it water proof as well?

" Walker was more curious by the second.

"Yes, well, the smaller guardian hermits are. They are for the exploration of underwater tunnels. We need to make sure they are not attached to rivers where some older monsters may live. The larger ones are for surface use only.

"

"Underwater rivers? That sounds even more dangerous than still water or anything that might live in it.

" Gil couldn't imagine what terror he would face if he fell in an underwater river that would sweep him away to who knew where in the underground.

"Many miners have been lost in the past. That is why I went so far to look for designs. The models we had made based on river monsters and river animals just couldn't withstand the pressure from some of the strong underwater rivers in the mines. I needed something more and I went looking in the ocean. There are only strong things there. I had hoped to find the merfolk but that wasn't what I found, I still got my inspiration though.

"

Grey paused for a moment then came to a realization,

"you should have headed out. Every second you waste here is a moment the outside world run by you. Do you think you will find a design for your next golem in here? Will you find the materials we need in here? Or will you choose to let your mind rot away like so many failed golem builders before you?

" Grey did not hold back and caused the apprentice to run away toward the apprentice's living quarters.

"Now to clean up a few things so this is safe for when he returns.

" Grey too out a piece of white chalks and outlined the table. Next, he took some small mouse shaped golems from his pocket and places them down.

"Guard this area.

" The small mice came to life and roamed about the work bench.

"Sorry about that, some apprentices get jealous and try to play some pranks. If I like the work I will let some small security golems watch over it.

"

…..

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