Tala was curious to see what the little bear would do, given the incredibly complex magics that she could see bundled into it. Thus, she watched with anticipation as Kannis addressed the little artifact.

The mageling seemed resolute as she held the item, but Tala could still detect a note of uncertainty. What they knew of the artifact implied sapience, and while that was expected in powerful arcanous creatures like Terry, and virtually all magical creatures, it was rare in objects outside of forbidden experiments and the like.

-Well, Kit shows all the signs of either sapience or incredibly intricate procedural magics, on the order of complexity far beyond our ability to create at the moment.-

That’s true enough.

Finally, the young woman firmed her resolve and spoke, “Hello, I’m Kannis. What’s your name?”

At the first sentence, power seemed to be pulled toward the bear. Tala was able to see it being drawn starward, out of the otherwise stoneward streams of power.

Natural magical pathways seemed to awaken from their dormant state, much as silver inscriptions would for Mages.

At the second sentence, another set of interweaving spell-forms immediately started to draw in power, and Tala thought she saw flickers of power moving between Kannis and the bear.

Forming a connection, just as expected.

With all the moving pieces of the spellform, spreading out to overlay every part of the small bear, it was a wonder how fast it progressed.

Less than three seconds after Kannis had asked her question, the bear’s eyes opened.

They looked like doll eyes as it looked up at Kannis. “Hello, Kannis. I am Mathan Fannas Geard. Do you have a magical source attuned to you already?”

The voice was melodic, like Mathan was barely keeping itself from singing. Even so, it was surprisingly deep, wholly incongruous with the tiny thing.

Kannis was clearly taken aback by the articulate artifact.

Even so, she cleared her throat and answered, “Yes. I have a magical source.”

Wait… It isn’t speaking. Tala narrowed her focus on the magic around the artifact.

-No… it isn’t. It is pushing what it wants to communicate through an insane lattice of magic… it’s not a powerful effect, but it is complex. It looks like it’s outside of the range of anything we’ve seen and analyzed, ourselves.-

Not human magic, then… concept magic? We weren’t able to analyze too much concept magic even while among the arcanes. Is it simply using the concept of communication to… communicate?

-That’s a reasonable guess. That’s why we’re all hearing it, because that’s what we expect and will receive best.-

And it’s verbose because that’s the only way to convey exactly what it’s trying to convey.

-Precisely. The concepts involved are likely incredibly simple, from the artifact’s perspective, but the magic expands and elucidates it until we can understand it precisely as intended.-

That’s… useful?

-Indeed.-

The magical pathways widened and deepened within Mathan. “Excellent. It is convenient that you are so equipped already, and we do not have to seek out a source to claim. In that case, initiating our magical bond will only require your consent. Simply extend some of your power to me as a form of agreement, and I will do the rest.”

The mageling was obviously, rightly hesitant, “Is that required?”

The second set of pathways drew more deeply, thickening and deepening within the dimension of magic.

‘Give truth to bind, ask truth to befriend...’ Is it purposely cycling on its own conditions to add to the two-way bond?

-That seems likely. If something like this was set up to do harm, it would be insidious.-

Indeed.

Mathan was silent for a moment before responding, “No. A magic bond is not required, though I believe that I could not leave this region without it. The magic here sustains me, but now that I am active, I would waste away elsewhere. I sense much power nearby, but without a proper bond, I cannot detect its nature or how to access it for use elsewhere.”

Kannis nodded, understanding.

Tala, Rane, and Lyn had all discussed that portion of artifacts with the mageling so that it wouldn’t be a surprise or require detailed answers while within Artia’s shop.

Rane, Lyn, and Artia, for their parts, were all standing back and watching with various looks of fascination.

Ironically, Artia seemed the least surprised by the developments.

I suppose doing this for a couple of decades has made things like this, if not everyday, certainly not unique.

The mageling considered for a long moment, then pulled her own power up and into her hands, which were still clasped around the bear’s middle.

There was a pulse of power as the drop of Kannis’s magic seemed to change the composition of all the power within the small thing, like dipping a teabag into hot water.

With a wave of black fire, the hair burned away, leaving a surprisingly lifelike metal bear in its wake.

Kannis gasped, pulling her hands back and allowing Mathan to drop the few inches to the counter, where it landed in a crouch.

No, not a bear, a bear-man. It was eerily similar to the wolf-men they’d seen in the recording the night before, but mainly in that it was an obvious blending of man and predator.

In Mathan’s case, there was none of the wrongness that the wolf-men had exuded.

The little figure stretched, the metal moving as if it were flesh. It then looked down at the wooden counter and tapped one foot.

Immediately, wood seemed to flow up through the material, and it was a wooden figure instead.

It looked up with a smile. “There. I determined that you did not have any form of enhanced strength, so the added weight of a metal form would be a burden. Did I do well?”

There was a look of childlike need for approval in the little wooden face.

Then, Mathan frowned. “You look startled. Did my transformation shock you? I apologize.” It looked down at its articulate paws. “I only have my nature to act upon, and it seems that it has been so very long since one of my kin was able to gain a foothold here. I do not know what I should be doing.”

Kannis cleared her throat, moving a bit closer, “Your kin?”

“Yes, I am a keeperling, born of the ordered void.”

Tala felt her eye twitch. What?

-What?-

The little wooden bear-man nodded as if satisfied. “Your people have done an excellent job keeping the devourlings from gaining a foothold within this place of magic and power. While the power you have supplied is minor, I can do much with it. You have a truly excellent, unending source.”

Kannis straightened. “Oh! Let me give you some more. I am a gated human, which means that my soul draws in magical power from… well, I don’t truly fully understand so I shouldn’t pretend like I do.”

Beside her, Lyn smiled brightly but didn’t interject.

Kannis reached out and tentatively placed her hand on the bear’s head, directing her meager throughput into the artifact. The creature froze, clearly drinking in the power that was offered.

A minute later, Kannis pulled back. “Better?”

“Oh, yes. Thank you, bonded one.”

“Is there anything else that I can do for you?”

“Well, if what you say is true, then I seek souls for myself and my kin. I sense so many nearby, can I have those?”

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

There was a long beat of silence.

The bear looked around. “Was I not understood? Did my conveyance sub-spell fail?”

Kannis shook her head. “No, Mathan. You want… souls?”

“Yes. As many as possible.”

“Why?”

“For power of course. We cannot exist here without power. You sustain me, but you cannot possibly sustain all my kin. Souls will remove the need of sustainers.” It looked around, seemingly fervent in its desire.

“You can’t have human souls.”

“Why not?”

“Because people are using them?” Kannis responded with a bit of disbelieving exasperation.

“Truly?” The bear looked around again, seemingly able to see through the walls in some manner. “Are you sure? Interesting… Regardless, I take your meaning. What about after their frail vessels fail? The souls will not mind being put to use, then; I am sure. May we have the souls of the dying?”

The mageling’s eye twitched, but she seemed utterly at a loss of what to say.

Rane glanced toward Tala, “Tala, would you inform my master that something here requires his attention?” He turned to the little bear and nodded sagely, “He is a leader of this city and has the power to negotiate for anything within its walls.”

“Oh!” The little artifact sounded genuinely pleased. “That is excellent.” It looked to its bound. “He will be able to help us, then.”

-Done.-

Thank you.

-This is fascinating… unless it actually has a means of harvesting souls… Then it’s terrifying.-

The little bear turned its head to regard Tala. “You. You are communicating… with yourself, who is not your self but is tied to your self, within yourself… Are all humans as confusing as you?”

He can sense us talking?

-Maybe? It seems likely based on what he just said, but I don’t really know what that means.-

The quick exchange passed in less than a blink, then Alat gasped. -Existence shield!-

Tala flooded her elk leather’s defenses with void and iron, even as her iron pooled outward across her skin, under her through-spike, ensconcing herself in self-isolation.

Mathan seemed to sway slightly even as he turned his gaze elsewhere.

Rane drew its attention back with a few words, “She is a special case, really. Most of us are rusted easy to understand. Tala just likes to go about things in her own way.”

The bear seemed to hesitate, as if unsure of what is going on.

Explain, Alat.

-Reality threads were reaching out to you, manufactured and manipulated by his magics. You got your defenses up in time, but I think he’s forging bonds with the others.

Before Kannis could respond, Master Grediv appeared beside the counter.

Artia gasped and stepped even farther back than she’d already been standing.

Lyn’s eyes widened, but she maintained her place, protectively off to one side of her mageling, seemingly still ready to attempt to interfere.

Rane visibly relaxed at seeing his mentor’s arrival.

Tala smiled. Good. That didn’t take long.

-Indeed.-

Mathan looked toward the new arrival. “Oh! One of power and might. May we have your soul?”

Master Grediv raised an eyebrow, then lifted a hand, power wreathing the digits in what seemed to obviously be a means of smiting the little artifact.

“Wait!” Kannis stepped forward, surprising everyone, seemingly herself most of all. “I don’t think he means any harm. He seems to be learning about our world for the first time.”

“‘He?’” The little artifact resonated. “Am I a ‘he?’”

Now, that’s a can of worms. Identity for an artifact has to be a tricky thing to handle.

Master Grediv didn’t lower his hand, but he blessedly seized the conversation. “Little artifact—”

“I am Mathan Fannas Geard. So named by the maker.”

The Paragon tilted his head to the side. “A void-bear guardian? Is that your personal name, or that of your kind?”

“Personal… name? I am what I am. The ‘who’ is irrelevant. I am bound and will serve my bonded in search of souls or other suitable means of powering myself and my kin.”

-Umm… Tala? Look at this.- Alat showed Tala a few key points from the conversation as seen by Tala’s voidsight, and each time that Mathan explained something to them, or them to him, his reality node grew. It wasn’t a lot, but it was noticeable.

More than that, the tether between it and Kannis was already huge, considering they’d only just met. It was still something that Tala might expect between new acquaintances who had hit it off well, but it was definitely an oddity. Moreso that it seemed to grow whenever… Whenever a truth was asked for. ‘Ask a truth to befriend.’

-‘Reveal truth to grow in power.’ Every time it reveals a truth, or has a truth revealed, it grows… stronger?-

At least more present.

Master Grediv looked up to Kannis, deciding that he should talk with her, given she’d stayed his hand. “I’m sorry, Mistress. I do not know you.”

Kannis colored, lowering her head. “My apologies, but I am no Mistress. I am a mageling to Mistress Lyn.” She gestured to Lyn. “This is an artifact that we just purchased and are trying to understand.”

Master Grediv sighed. “A potentially sapient artifact? Those are often… frustrating.”

“I am fully sapient, thank you. I do have the potential for more, though.” The bear seemed positively gleeful to share information.

No wonder. Every time it does, the node grows.

Tala cleared her throat, drawing everyone’s attention, though Mathan didn’t orient on her. “Its magics are creating a relational connection between itself and whoever it’s speaking with, growing it in depth and meaning. I believe that it might be doing something similar with everyone as questions are asked and answered. Additionally, it is more present every time it reveals truth or has truth revealed to it.”

The bear’s node grew.

Really? I suppose I revealed truth to others, around it? That counts?

-That’s so unfair…-

Tala sighed. “I cannot judge its intent, but if we aren’t careful, you all might regard it as a long-known friend before we’re aware of what’s happening. I’ve protected myself, but I don’t think I can protect any of you.”

Master Grediv narrowed his eyes, gazing pointedly at the little wooden bear. “Is this true?”

“Is what true?” It seemed genuinely confused.

“Are you magically forming relational connections?”

“Yes.”

The Paragon seemed taken aback by the simple, forthright answer. Still, he seemed hesitant, “Do you wish to explain?”

“I very much would like to, yes.”

There was a momentary pause before Master Grediv prompted, “Please explain.”

“Of course! The magics that make up my being are not hidden or obscured in any regard. I have no core morality, because morality implies the ability to choose, and I have none. Though, I do have sapience…”—there was almost a hitch in the little artifact as it seemed to try to comprehend what it had just said—"I do not understand that contradiction so I will not focus on it. I simply act upon my base magics and the instructions of my bound, either directly or those implied which I interpret. Thus, without a morality, I have no need to hide from either those you would deem ‘good’ or ‘bad.’ Neither should want me destroyed because I oppose neither. I am wonderfully compatible with all thinking beings.”

Master Grediv opened his mouth, then closed it in a motion that was hauntingly reminiscent of Rane.

I guess we know where Rane learned it, then?

-So it would seem.-

The Paragon shook his head, a hardness entering into his eyes. “I don’t like that you are magically forging emotional ties with me, little creature. Are you capable of stopping?”

“No. If I severed that portion of my magic, I would no longer be me, thus ‘I’ cannot stop.”

After a short moment, Master Grediv nodded. “But you can stop, and leave an altered ‘you’ who doesn’t do so?”

The bear tilted his head to the side, seemingly considering. “Yes. It would cause a cascade, the results of which are beyond my understanding, but it would leave me without that portion of my functionality.”

-That was another big boost in its reality node.-

Yeah… do we know what a larger reality node even means?

-I think we’ve found it correlates to how much sway a being generally has over the world around it?-

That’s not vague or unhelpful at all…

-Sadly, it’s what we have.-

I know…

Master Grediv nodded once. “I am not comfortable with the magics this artifact is demonstrating. We do allow sapient artifacts on occasion, if their functions are not hostile, but I believe the emotional connections that are being forcibly formed should be considered a form of hostility.”

The bear nodded once. “If my bonded agrees, I will initiate the severing. I feel I should note: I cannot be held responsible for the results. The connections you wish to prevent go in both directions, and my magic has quite a lot of… sub-aspects to deal with anything not so connected.”

There was a beat of silence before the bear continued.

“But, as I will no longer be me, that’s his problem. I pity that guy… and all of you, but mostly him. Kannis? Is this your wish?”

Was that… a joke?

-I think so? Maybe he is flexing his sapience?-

Possibly.

“I… I have no idea.” Kannis looked to the Paragon. “Isn’t this like cutting off a part of a person’s brain?”

Master Grediv shook his head. “No, it is more like castrating a particularly aggressive dog.” He paused. “It isn’t ideal, but it is preferable to putting down the creature. At least, that is how I have always understood it. I know much but not everything.”

“And if I say no?”

“I will suppress his magics until they cease to be, leaving a well-sculpted wooden statue.”

“Ahh…”

Mathan looked between the two. “I am glad you find me well crafted. I do not wish to be sent back to the void, but I will not contest any action taken.”

Kannis sighed. “In that case, Mathan, yes. Let’s remove the involuntary connection building magics… if that’s what they are called.”

The little bear gave a serious nod. “Understood. You have all taught me so much in my short stint of existence. Thank you. Goodbye.”

Without further delay, a blossom of power reached out from the core of the magics within the artifact and struck at itself, savaging one section of the magical pathways within.

There was a flash and the majority of the power held within the destroyed spellforms was sucked back into the remainder of the structure of the artifact’s natural magics.

Tala watched as the remaining magic severed from the artifact, now identical to Kannis’s magic, snapped back to its source. It was more than ten times what the girl had offered the magical item to begin with.

Kannis jerked and gasped as if she’d been slapped, but Lyn caught her shoulders and steadied her.

The little bear shifted, looking around itself before reaching out and touching a silver coin artifact laying on the counter within its reach.

The wood gave way to silver, the shape of a bear morphing into that of a stocky man, before it lifted its gaze to Kannis. “Hello, bonded. I am Fannas Geard. Am I more acceptable to you, now?”