Storm opened up the map he found and saw a clearly marked path through the maze that went through two large unlabled rooms.
After studying it for a moment he put it away.
Then he opened the Journal and began reading through it as Aurora and Leyocan joined him.
"It seems Pyros discovered a route through the maze that has remained unchanged even during maze shifts." Said Storm.
"That means they went through a lot of expense to lock those rooms down.
The Arcanium only does that to rooms that hold great value." Explained Leyocan.
"Why not announce it though?
Why make it seem like it's still a part of the maze?" Asked Aurora.
"Because they don't want people snooping around there.
If people knew it existed, no amount of guards in the world would keep it hidden.
Eventually someone would succeed and find out what they're doing there.
But if they make it seem like it's still a part of the maze..." started Leyocan.
"Then they won't go there as they will think it's too dangerous... or that it doesn't hold value?" Finished Storm.
Leyocan nodded his head.
Storm continued to read through the journal.
The entries grew increasingly concerning as it continued.
Until he came across a particularly troubling report.
"No!!! It can't be!!!"
"Storm what is....?" Started Aurora.
Before she could answer, a shadow passed over their group.
They looked up in time to see an bladed fist coming down at them.
Everyone jumped back as the fist broke the table in two.
The sentry golem pushed both halves of the table aside before stepping into the room.
"How is that thing seeing us!!?" Asked Aurora with concern.
"Worry about that later!!" Shouted Leyocan as he began to lunge at the construct's side.
One of the lower arms twisted in his direction and Leyocan jumped aside just in time to avoid the spray of some kind of liquid.
Anything it touched was instantly flozen solid.
"Stay away from whatever that is!!" Warned Leyocan.
"I need your help, Fulgur!!" Yelled Storm.
A moment later his weapon appeared in his hand.
Though it had changed into a black spear with a golden blade tip instead of the staff Storm was accustomed to.
"Hope this form will suit your needs!!
Hurry before that thing kills or maims Leyocan and Aurora!!" Called Fulgur.
Storm rushed at the Golem and deflected a bladed fist that was moving towards Aurora at high speed.
In response, another one of the lower arms aimed at them and Aurora pulled Storm aside just in time to avoid a jet of fire from the tube.
All three of them tried to work together to overpower the thing, but any strike they landed on it just bounced off it's armored frame.
Storm tried to keep the bladed arms busy at the front while Leyocan and Aurora flanked it.
He stabbed at it's chest, but it blocked the strike by crossing it's hands, before kicking Storm in the chest.
Storm flew back first through an empty bookshelf.
Aurora fired a stream of ice at the golem and it's movements slowed as it's joints became frozen.
Shards of ice cracked and fell to the floor as it struggled to break free.
Leyocan rushed at the construct while it was momentarily stuck but it swiped a lower arm and knocked him off his feet, then raised a leg to crush his head.
Aurora rammed the opposite side and tried to knock it over, causing it to just barely miss Leyocan's head as it dropped it's leg back down to stabilize itself.
A backhanded strike with the flat of one of his bladed arms sent her flying across the room.
It turned in her direction and aimed it's freezing cannon at her as she laid stunned on the ground.
Exposing it's vulnerable back to Storm in the process.
"I'll have to kill it!!" Thought Storm with dread.
"Forgive me!" Thought Storm as he drove his spear into the vulnerability.
The machine trembled and released a choking sound as the armor was pierced by Storm's weapon.
Pressing with all his force, he drove the spear in deeper, drawing blood in the process, before unleashing a lightning blast through his spear and into the construct.
The construct twitched as the lightning did it's work, before collapsing face first into the ground.
Aurora and Leyocan got to their feet and carefully inspected the golem to make sure it was dead.
Once they confirmed it, Aurora turned to Storm.
"Thank you, Storm!" Said Aurora.
Storm gave no reply and instead grabbed the edges of the back plates and began to pry them open.
"Help me with this!!" Said Storm and the others quickly joined him.
As the plates were pulled open, a naked man was exposed.
When Storm tried to pull him out, he found that he was still attached to the golem by several wires.
"Please don't let it be him!!" Begged Storm.
After Leyocan cut the wires holding him, they pulled him out and turned him over.
Storm breathed out a sigh of relief when he saw his face.
It was a elf that Storm hadn't seen before with a slender build, copper hair and green eyes.
His eyes were still wide open, but he was already dead.
A large hole though his chest marked where Storm's spear had pierced his back.
"Storm!! What are we looking at here!? What did the Arcadians do to him?!" Asked Aurora.
"They're harvesting us!! Turning us into these things!!" Exclaimed Storm.
Leyocan and Aurora paled.
"So... all those golems we saw?! They are actually...?!"
Storm shook his head.
"Only the latest ones. The 'Sentry' ones.
"Seems Pyros discovered where they're being created.
He made a map before he tried to attack the site." Explained Storm.
"You don't think that they...?" Asked Aurora
"Already did this to Pyros?!
That's exactly what I thought." Added Storm.
"Blasted Mages!! These things are abominations that must all be destroyed!!" Shouted Mimereus mentally.
Storm could understand why Mimereus was so upset.
As he underwent a similar procedure when he was first slain all those years ago.
"Give me the map!" Said Leyocan.
After Storm handed it over, Leyocan studied the route, before guiding them back to the maze.