ROADS LIKE THE ONE BETWEEN KNOBBER HILL AND TIRISH HAVE BEEN USED FOR DECADES. MANY SUCH ROADS EXISTED EVEN BEFORE THE BIG BANG. RELICS OF A DIFFERENT AGE, MANY CONSTRUCTED WITH TECHNOLOGIES LOST TO TIME.

GIVEN THEIR HISTORY ITS NOT UNCOMMON TO FIND ANTIQUES AND RELICS ALONG THE PATHS.

WHAT AL FOUND COULDN’T BE DESCRIBED SO ELEGANTLY THOUGH.

"A BOX?" ADRIA ASKS AS AL BRUSHES A PILE OF CAKED DIRT FROM HIS FIND.

THE CRATE IN QUESTION WAS SPOTTED BY AL’S NEAR PERFECT VISION IN ACCORDANCE WITH HIS IRREGULARITY DETECTION ALGORITHM. IT’S SHARP CORNER SEEN STICKING FROM THE MUDDY ROAD WAS QUICKLY MARKED FOR INVESTIGATION DURING A SHORT BREAK IN THE TRIP.

"OH?! THAT’S A GOLEM." GAB ANNOUNCES AFTER STEPPING OVER TO INSPECT AL’S WORK. "I SAW ONE LIKE THAT BACK IN A MUSEUM WE VISITED IN ACADEMY. THEY STOPPED MAKING THEM IN THIS STYLE LIKE EIGHTY YEARS AGO, AND THAT ONE LOOKS EVEN OLDER."

"THIS THING’S A GOLEM?" TROY ASKS RUNNING A FINGER OVER A CHIPPED CORNER OF THE CREATION.

"MHM, IT’S IN ROUGH SHAPE BUT THESE HERE ARE LEGS." GAB POINTS TO THREE SMALL STALKS STICKING OUT FROM THE BOTTOM OF THE KNEE-HEIGHT CUBE. "AND THE STONE ON ITS FACE ACTS AS A VISUAL FEED."

JUST AS GAB EXPLAINS, AL SETS THE GOLEM IN ITS STANDING POSITION. WITH ITS LAST FOOT MISSING THE GOLEM QUICKLY SINKS INTO A TILT.

"COULD BE WORTH SOMETHING TO COLLECTORS IF IT WERE IN BETTER CONDITION." GAB REASONS WITH A FOREFINGER AND THUMB TO HER CHIN. "WORKING, I IMAGINE IT WOULD SELL FOR MORE THAN A FEW HUNDRED TO GOLEM FANATICS."

THIS STATEMENT QUICKLY SPARKED A HEATED DISCUSSION BETWEEN THE GROUP, EVERYONE HAD AN OPINION OF GOLEMS TO SHARE, EXCEPT AL. AL WAS FOCUSED ELSEWHERE.

HIS HANDS MOVED HESITANTLY AT FIRST BUT WITH LITTLE EFFORT HE PLUNGED HIS FIST INSIDE THE LEG HOLE AND BEGAN FEELING AROUND THE BODY OF THE MACHINE.

‘JOURNAL OF FITZ B. GODDARD’ A BOOK FOUND IN JINX, AND WRITTEN BY THE ORIGINAL DESIGNER AND PRIMARY REPAIR TECHNICIAN OF THIS EXACT MODEL CAME IN MUCH MORE HANDY THAN AL OR ANY SECOND HAND OBSERVER EVER EXPECTED IT TO. I’LL NEVER DOUBT YOUR READING CHOICES AGAIN AL.

BUT CREDIT ALSO GOES TO CAROL WHO GAVE AL THE IDEA TO BEGIN REANALYZING OLD CONTENT FOR DEEPER MEANINGS HE’D BEGUN DOING THIS ON MANY OF THE BOOKS RELATED TO GOLEMS. AND AS IT TURNED OUT, THEY WERE RIPE WITH IT.

"URK." THE GOLEM GRUNTS FORCEFULLY AT FIRST.

AL NODS TO IT AS IF IT NEEDED TO COUGH OUT SOMETHING, HE PROBABLY RECOGNIZED THE CONDITION STATUS.

"ARF ARF." THE GOLEM CHIRPS URGENTLY, TILTING ITS FACE AROUND. IT STUMBLES UNDER ITS SINGLE FOOT BEFORE BOUNCING AROUND IN A CIRCLE TO DETERMINE ITS LOCATION.

THE GROUP AROUND AL WERE STUNNED BY THE SUDDEN RESURRECTION. IT TOOK A MOMENT FOR ANYONE TO VOCALLY REACT AT ALL.

"TYPICAL AL I SHOULD SAY?" ADRIA ASKS IN A SLIGHTLY EXASPERATED TONE.

"ARF!" THE GOLEM CRIES AGAIN IN EARNEST DESIRE FOR ASSISTANCE.

AL CAREFULLY SETS DOWN BESIDE IT AND STARES INTO ITS SINGLE EYE AS IF TRYING TO COMMUNICATE.

"ARF." THE GOLEM SIGHS BEFORE CONTINUING TOWARDS AL. "ARF. ARF."

"I SEE." AL NODS. "IT WANTS US TO GO THAT DIRECTION."

AL POINTS THE SAME DIRECTION THE GOLEM CURRENTLY FACED, DEEP OFF THE ROAD ONTO A LARGE PLAIN.

"HOW CAN YOU TELL?" TROY ASKS IN AMAZEMENT. HE, LIKE THE REST WONDERED IF PERHAPS AL HAD COMMUNICATED WITH THE GOLEM THROUGH FREE MANA SIGHT OR ANY NUMBER OF THE OTHER SKILLS HE HAD DEMONSTRATED. THEY WERE ALL CURIOUS HOW HE HAD DONE IT.

"THE DISPLAY ON ITS FACE." AL PLAINLY EXPLAINS HOLDING THE CUBE UP TO THE OTHERS. INSET IN THE CRYSTAL EYE, SMALL WORDS ANNOUNCE ITS NEED FOR ASSISTANCE TOWARDS THE SOUTHWEST. THE LIGHT WAS WEAK BUT IT WAS CLEARLY VISIBLE.

THEY EACH FELT DUMB FOR A MOMENT BUT BRUSHED IT OFF TO FOLLOW AL IN THE DIRECTION HE INDICATED A MOMENT AGO.

EVERY DOZEN STEPS THE GOLEM LET OUT A MECHANICAL BARK TO REMIND THEM OF THEIR TASK. IT WAS ANNOYING BUT THE POOR THING COULD BE FORGIVEN FOR HIS PROGRAMMING.

THE GROUP RAN ACROSS A FEW RANDOM BEASTS INCLUDING THE VICIOUS DEER BEASTS BUT LUCKILY THEIR NUMBERS WERE LOW SO GAB AND ROUIN WERE ABLE TO TAKE THEM OUT AT RANGE. IF THEY GOT INTO CLOSE RANGE OR WERE FAST ENOUGH TO DODGE GAB’S EARTH MAGIC THINGS WOULD CHANGE, ESPECIALLY SINCE TROY HAD STAYED BACK TO GUARD THE CARAVAN.

"ARF." THE GOLEM CALLS FORCING AL TO CHECK THE DISPLAY AGAIN.

"ASSISTANCE IS APPRECIATED." AL READS BEFORE SMILING. "APPRECIATION IS UNNEEDED."

"MHM THAT'S RIGHT I THOUGH YOU WERE SOME RUSTED OUT HUNK OF JUNK, I HAD NO IDEA SOMEONE AROUND HERE HAD A WORKING GODDARD." GAB ADDS WITH A NOD. "THAT’S WHO SENT YOU TO GET HELP RIGHT?"

"ARF." THE GOLEM LOUDLY CHIRPS. THE DISPLAY DIDN’T CHANGE SO AL COULDN’T FIGURE OUT THE MEANING.

AFTER WALKING A GREAT DISTANCE ALONG THE PLAIN THE GROUP FOUND A SMALL PILE OF ROCKS COVERED IN CRUMPLED WOOD.

"IS THIS…" ADRIA BEGAN TO ASK BEFORE BEING INTERRUPTED BY THE GOLEM’S CHIRP.

"IT’S AN OLD WELL?" ROUIN ASKS, STEPPING DOWN INTO THE DITCH WHERE THE COLLAPSED WELL LAY.

I SUPPOSE THEY CAN CALL THE GOLEM LASSIE… I GUESS NO ONE IN THE GROUP WOULD UNDERSTAND THAT REFERENCE THOUGH.

GAB DUCKS A HEAD INTO THE CRUMBLED ROCKS WITH A SAD EXPRESSION IGNITING HER WAND WITH GREENISH LIGHT ONCE AGAIN.

AFTER A LONG MOMENT SHE PULLS HER HEAD BACK IN WITH A FROWN. "JUST BONES. I WONDER HOW LONG HE WAS THERE WAITING FOR HELP."

THE GROUP TURNED A BIT SOUR AT THE THOUGHT OF THE GOLEM CHIRPING AT THE ROADSIDE WITH NO ONE WILLING TO STOP. YEARS PROBABLY PASSED BEFORE IT FINALLY RAN OUT OF MANA OR SNAPPED A FILAMENT.

"WE SHOULD BURY THE REMAINS." ROUIN CONCLUDES WITH A GLANCE AT GAB.

THE MAGE GIRL NODS AND RETRIEVES HER WAND TO BEGIN CONSTRUCTION OF THE GRAVE. A SMALL CUBE OF SOIL GLOWS AND COMPRESSES, AFTER THAT SHE TAKES A DEEP BREATH AND THE PROCESS REPEATS.

ROUIN BY THE CRUMBLED WELL CAREFULLY RETRIEVES A WELL-KEPT VINE ROPE FROM HIS LEATHER SACK AND TIES IT OFF TO A NEARBY STUMP BEFORE GRACEFULLY LEAPING DOWN THE HOLE WITH LITTLE REGARD.

THE GOLEM SEEING THAT ITS TASK WAS COMPLETE SLUMPS DOWN IN AL’S ARMS AS IF EXHAUSTED.

"GOOD WORK. YOU CAN REST NOW." AL SMILES, PLACING IT ONTO THE GROUND CAREFULLY.

"THAT’S IMPRESSIVE." ADRIA MUSES WITH A GRIN OF HER OWN. "GODDARD’S WERE SOME OF THE EARLIEST ATTEMPTS IN COMPLEX MAGIC MACHINES. IT REMEMBERED THAT COMMAND FOR PROBABLY OVER A HUNDRED YEARS."

"THE COMMAND CAME FROM THE PERSON IT LOVED MOST." GAB PANTS THROUGH A MAGIC CAST. "THERE’S NO WAY IT WOULD BE FORGOTTEN."

ADRIA’S CHEEKS GREW PINK AT THE THOUGHT BUT AL HAD OTHER THOUGHTS ON THE MATTER.

"MACHINES CAN’T LOVE, IT’S MORE LIKELY THE GOLEM HAD SELF-SCRIBED THE COMMAND ONTO ITS PLATE, IT MAY EVEN HAVE BEEN A HANGUP IN ITS SHUTDOWN REQUIREMENTS. IT PROBABLY THOUGHT IT COULDN’T SHUTDOWN UNTIL IT WAS COMPLETED." AL EXPLAINS PATTING THE GOLEMS HEAD AREA WITH A SAD EXPRESSION. "IT WAS COMMON FOR STRANGE THINGS LIKE THIS TO HAPPEN IN EARLY GOLEMS. THE THEORY IS THE MANA CORE CONTROLLING THE GOLEM ACTED LIKE THE MANA IN A BEAST IN SOME RARE OCCASIONS. ALLOWING IT TO ALMOST HAVE A MIND OF ITS OWN IN SOME CIRCUMSTANCES. LUCKILY ENGINEERS SOLVED THE ISSUES BY FILTERING THE MANA THEY CHARGE THE CORE WITH."

AL EXPLAINS IT ALL IN HIS NORMAL COLD INFORMATIVE TONE THAT HE USES WHEN REPEATING THINGS HE HAD READ.

ADRIA DIDN’T UNDERSTAND IT BUT SHE FELT LIKE SHE HEARD PITY IN HIS VOICE.