The large man no longer seemed so large with his shoulders slumped and his face riddled with concern for his golem. He inspected Delion once, twice, thrice over, making sure there was no permanent damage.

His opponent did not share such concern, simply offering her returning companion a passing glance as it took its place behind her.

The large man’s concern stirred something within me. Pity, I supposed.

“Is Delion alright?” I asked the large man.

“Delion will be fine, thank you.”

The large man offered no glances, no looks my way as three inspections seemed not enough.

“I am sorry for...her.” I hated to apologize for another, though I supposed I should be the adult and offer at least that. She may not be my daughter, nary a friend even, but I felt somewhat responsible for her actions, especially if she would not take responsibility herself.

A soft chuckle, a shake of his head, and the large man reclaimed his imposing posture.

“No need to apologize, boy.”

That word again...damn his dead daughter for giving him a pass on such disrespect.

I rolled the sin off my shoulders and readjusted my focus on what was truly important.

“How do you think she did it?”

“Did what?” the large man asked.

“Kept such a golem, such a power, without even a Heartstone.”

The large man chuckled once more. If I had a golem, this man would not be so quick to such disrespectful actions.

“Stay with her, my friend. Follow her. I hope you will gain a lot from her companionship.” The large man slung his pack across his shoulders. The large man and the girl shared a look once more, a soft smile highlighting some form of respect between them.

But why respect? Respect for the crude actions of a little girl attacking a man at his weakest? What respect was found there? And what did the large man mean that I could “gain a lot” from the girl? What could I gain from a child? Unless...unless he meant...

The large man turned and waved, Delion mirroring his actions in perfect symmetry.

And then they left.

As the sound of Delion’s steps retired from audibility, what the large man meant I could gain became obvious.

I would steal Golem’s Heartstone.

Now, if I were to steal that creature’s Heartstone, I would have to be cunning, crafty. The girl may not be its technical master; though, it seemed to believe so. She would not take too kindly to my actions, and thus neither would Golem. A plan must form, and this plan…this plan must succeed where I previously had failed. Failure was no longer an option, and my banishment would soon end.

The smell of my mother’s blueberry pies enriching our home would soon soothe my aching body. My sister’s hugs, those blankets of love, would thaw my frozen appendages. My father’s eyes would fill with pride as I returned with such a specimen, the tears would cease to greet me at night. Perhaps my father would even return my inheritance. A return to society, to the normalcy of life. With Golem as my servant, and maybe her as well if I felt merciful, I would soar through the ranks of the land. Paltriness would soon turn to prestige.

Those nightmares, the ones that conquered every moribund night I had barely lived through since my banishment, would soon melt away.

The only one who stood in my way, my only true obstacle, was this lame girl.

I could not help but glare at the girl walking in front of me, guile forming my mouth to a smile. Thus far, she had disrespected not only her elder, but a male of her eminent class. She had ignored me, humiliated me, and allowed my ungloved hand to freeze. My mind swooned over the plans it formulated. I had been knocked down before, but I would rise again. She would regret her transgressions.

“Excuse me. Little girl.” I loved how powerful my voice sounded again. Speaking with the large man had allowed my vocal cords to work out some after so much time in silence.

She continued on, ignoring my words.

“Girl. Your golem is injured.”

Now she halted. She turned, her normally uncaring eyes showing a slight spark of concern. I had her.

“How so?” she asked.

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“Its back. The rock is cracked, splintered really, from the fight.”

“I am aware,” she stated and turned back to continue her march.

“It needs to be healed!” I stammered out. I just needed her to trust me. Besides, I did not truly lie, as the dimming flames around Golem’s shoulders did show injury. My time in school taught me a bit of how to remedy our mountainous companions.

She continued her walk, Golem beside her mirroring her steps.

“Golem will heal over time, as all life does.” Dammit, she was too simple to follow my words.

“Yes, you are correct.” How to get a fish to take the bait? “Though, it is in pain, and there is a way to soothe it.”

This time, she did halt her steps.

“How?” she asked.

Alright, now I had her.

“I believe it is not much farther!” I claimed. As much as I hated to reclimb a mountain we had just descended, plunging once more into the frigid atmosphere, it was for a good cause.

I rubbed my bare hand as I glanced back, confirming the girl still followed. Her expressionless face told me nothing, though that may be a good thing.

“I found this place when I was wandering alone before we met!” I called over the rising winds.

Finally, we stopped before a rocky wall nearly 10 meters high.

“What is this?” the little girl asked. Nearly demanded really.

“Up there,” I pointed. “We need to get up there. Do you think…”

She sighed. Did the golem sigh, too? No, golems do not have human emotions. The cold must have been getting to my head. I needed to get the Heartstone fast so I may descend.

Golem lifted the girl and me onto the ridge above. Before even inspecting the view above, she looked back at her golem and glared, as if commanding it. Whatever the glare meant, Golem obliged, and climbed the plateau to join us.

Bubbles of lava popped not 20 meters away. The lake of lava near which we resided spread across the plateau nearly 50 meters on each side. A river poured down from the cliff above. The heat from it, even from such a distance, instantly melted my frozen eyelashes and even began to make me sweat moments later.

“Stand back,” I commanded the girl, using my arms to shield the fragile child from stepping any closer to the boiling liquid.

“What is this?”

“Did you not learn of your golem in school?”

“I left before I was old enough to be taught.”

“You left?...but why…no matter.” Such a simple girl. “This is a lake of lava, remnants of an eruption long past. It is deep, as told by the fact the lava has yet to solidify.”

“What of it?”

I rubbed the stress from my nose, though the layers of my glove prevented it from really helping the matter.

“Golem, your golem, is a ko’ golem,” I fought to quell the annoyance in my voice. I hated saying its dull name. “Its power resides in fire, or extreme heat. That is where it was born, or so it is believed. When…Golem…is injured, it will heal over time as you said. However, it is possible to speed up the process by returning it to its natural element.”

The little girl soaked in every word into her lame ears, allowing her simple eyes to show no emotion or brain function once more. Perhaps she did not understand, could not understand. A few moments later, though, it appeared she had finally soaked in my words.

What a lame girl. How I hated her.

She turned her attention to Golem and nodded. Without hesitation, Golem walked into the lava, its thick flow devouring its feet, then knees, waist, shoulders and finally its head.

Long standing silence did not interest me as much as it seemed it did her. Anxiety proved more an enemy than she. I paced the new plateau we found overlooking the lava lake, this one far enough away to survive the heat.

“Golem has been in there a while,” I pointed out.

“Yes.”

What a simple reply from a simple girl.

I finished my pacing, the aching in my legs becoming too severe, and took a seat beside the girl. The night sky loomed above.

I looked at her with veiled despise, hoping to show more intrigue than anything.

“So, why did you leave?” I asked her.

“I had to,” her monotone voice replied.

“Were you banished as well?”

She shook her head, her eyes still staring into the lake. They swept over it from side to side, as if following something unseen.

“I banished them.”

“What does that mean?” I laughed.

She provided no answer, instead choosing to stand.

“Golem is done,” she muttered before descending the nearby rocks to the lake below.

She must have guessed right, as the moment we returned to our previous platform, Golem emerged. Lava dripped from its towering body, sizzling upon contact with the ground.

“How do you feel?” she asked.

An eruption of flames, bright enough to warn any potential enemy from any distance that it was not a golem to be reckoned with.

“Good, now let’s go,” she commanded.

“Wait! We should rest. It is night and I have grown tired.”

The little girl glanced at me, pondering my words for moments too long.

“Fine. Where?”

Well, I had not considered that yet, only my aching legs demanding a halt to their adventure.

“Well…I am not sure. I believe the cave we stayed in previously is not far from here. I think…that way? Maybe…no, certainly.”

She did not even wait for my directions before she began traveling, in the opposite direction even.

“Wait, where are you going?”

“The cave.”