^^ Rogue Golem ^^

--- Pietro Hidden ---

Oscar settled into a corner of the room, spreading out his equipment, and I nodded, walking over to one of the men who seemed to be calling the shots.

He looked up at me, and grunted softly. "I'm guessing you want to play?"

"If it doesn't throw off your teams." I nodded, thankful for the translator spell that was in my ears and throat.

He nodded and waved over a few people who'd been loitering on the side of the circular pit of water, fishing people out.

They approached, sized me up mentally, then looked at him. "Yeah, Green?" One of the women asked.

"You still want to play a round? I've got you a sixth." He pointed a thumb at me.

She looked at me critically. "You ever played before?"

"No. But it looks simple. The idea is to knock the mage into the water, yes?" I asked.

She sighed. "And don't get toasted, yes. Basically. You're allowed to use basic magics, but nothing more than one sequence at a time, or it's against the rules. You follow?" She asked.

"Sounds good to me. Does the mage have the same limitations?"

"No, the mage is only allowed to throw fireballs, and there's a set size and heat, though there's no rules on how bright they can be, so watch your eyes. We'll take the match, Green." She said simply.

He nodded and waved to the mage on the other side, and they started fixing the melted ice. After they were done, it lowered to our level, and the players jumped onto the sections in front of us, spreading out over the three opposite the mage.

As they touched the platforms, they wobbled, and I grinned at the added challenge, taking off my boots and socks for better traction before leaping onto a section, next to the woman who'd spoken to me.

"My name is Pietro." I said, looking at the mage critically.

"Gwen." She said, and then bent her knees, just as the man she'd called 'Green' whistled.

I darted over the platforms, dodging the veritable wave of fireballs that were instantly spread around the mage by diving between the platforms.

My hands were strong enough to dig into the ice, and swing myself back up, then resume running over the pieces of ice, though they were now noticeably thinner.

I halted, arms windmilling, at the edge of the last segment, and glared at the grinning mage, who had melted the segments around himself completely, eliminating my footholds.

I backed up a step, and then launched myself over the twenty foot gap, tackling him into the water, while grinning at his indignant squawk of surprise.

I climbed out, dragging him behind me, and dropped him next to Green as Gwen hopped off the ice next to me.

She punched my shoulder. "The point is to stay out of the water, genius!"

"But the overall objective was to have at least one player on my team on the ice, and the mage in the water. Therefore, I succeeded." I nodded, and then allowed one of the mages to dry me off when he offered.

She laughed loudly. "Alright, man. Geez... a freaking Kamikaze play in his first match, I can't tell if I love him or never want to play him again!" She grumbled to her team, who had reached us.

They chuckled and shook their heads, wisely refusing to comment. Green nodded. "Well, good job anyway. You up for another match, as the Mage?" He asked me.

I blinked slowly. "I am unable to make a fireball, so I cannot fulfill that role."

He raised a bushy eyebrow. "You can't make a single... fireball."

"No. Anything over one sequence I can't do." I shrugged.

He nodded. "Okay. I guess you're stuck on defense, then. You looking to make this a regular thing?"

"Not necessarily. I came to see what the fuss was about, but it seems pretty simple. Fun, but not very mentally engaging, like I'd hoped." I shrugged, walking over to Oscar, and sitting down slowly, then pulling my boots on.

He chuckled. "Well that was quick."

I shrugged again. "I only wanted to test the game for any sort of mental challenge. It has none, and therefore I am done with it, except as a stress relief, perhaps."

"Mm... well, I need to buy more ink, so why don't we go into the city, and see about getting some more, and giving you a new hobby? I don't think anyone plays Go or Shogi here." He said thoughtfully.

"True. Let us, then. Do you have any money?" I asked.

"Oh sure. I sold some gold I made with Alchemy to a street peddler. Turned quite a profit." He grinned mischievously.

I shook my head at him, chuckling softly. "Cheating innocent people out of their money..."

He laughed, and packed up his things, walking towards the bridge between the two towers, which was only a few meters from the door.

As we journeyed down the first tower, the 'Tower of Enlightenment', we stopped a few times, speaking with students whom I recognized from his exam.

Eventually, we made it to the gate, and the city beyond.

The residents gazed at us warily, all likely remembering my rampage, a month ago, when I had thought my brother was their count's prisoner. I had caused quite a bit of property damage.

We found the ink merchant he apparently favored, and they began haggling, apparently deciding the appropriate price for magical quills, which Oscar was trying to exchange for large quantities of ink.

I simply leaned against a wall, cleaning my fingernails slowly, and meticulously. My nails had been chipped, when I'd gripped the icy platforms, and so I had to carefully trim them all to the same length.

One of the aftereffects of the forced alterations of the Hidden Clan was a specific obsessive compulsive behavior, usually something that was in disarray during our augmentations.

Now, I was unable to allow my nails to be imperfect, even to the point of halting conversations to focus on them until they were perfectly shaped, and clean.

Once they were perfect, I slipped my gloves over them, to protect them from any further damage, and looked at Oscar.

He stood next to me, waiting patiently, holding a large, sealed ceramic vase, filled with what I assumed was ink.

"Alright. You got what you need?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yes. All I need, for today. I'm going back to the undercroft to get some more work done. You're relieved from guard duty!"

He saluted sarcastically, and I chuckled, patted his skull. "Alright, alright, shoo." I sighed.

He grinned and darted off swiftly, and I kept my eyes on him until he reached the gates of the city, then started walking around, examining the wares.

I found a man who was selling intricate metallic dragons, which, while they didn't move, were incredibly life-like. "Have you ever seen a dragon, sir?" I asked him.

"A few... mostly in the north. Wales, and the like." He nodded, puffing on his pipe slowly, the picture of relaxation, though his tapping fingers said otherwise.

"Wales... hmm. These looked like Norse Dragons, though. Maybe a few were transplanted... good to know that they aren't endangered, anymore. Glorious creatures, Dragons." I hummed.

He relaxed a bit. "Yes. They are... are you looking to buy, young man, or compliment my wares? I don't necessarily object to praise, but I usually like a sale at the end. Keeps my wife happy." He chuckled dryly.

I nodded, and focused on a small white porcelain dragon with feathers, instead of leather wings. "I'm looking to buy... my sister collects dragon-related things, and I was wondering, simply, if I should buy one of these... what type of dragon has feathers?" I asked him, pointing at it.

"Ahh, that's a Quetzalcoatl, an Aztecan Dragon, modeled after their chief goddess, I think. Quite beautiful, though their wings are very fragile. Difficult to shape from porcelain." He smiled.

I nodded, and then searched my pockets, producing a silver royal, and handing it to him.

He nodded and accepted it, handing me three silver nobles as my change.

Then he slowly placed the porcelain dragon into a cushioned box, wrapping a silk ribbon around it to hold the box closed, and gave the box to me. "Pleasure doing business, sir, please come back if you need any other porcelain done, I do commission work as well." He nodded.

"Interesting... I will, then. Have a good day." I stepped away from his stall, and flinched when a heavy object slammed into my head.

The metal pot clanged loudly, and fell, the metal deformed where it had struck me.

I turned slowly, and viewed the woman who had pitched the piece of metal. "Was there a reason for that? Or were you testing your aim? Dead on, I say; really, good throw." I asked casually.

She took a step back, and ran away into the crowd.

I huffed. "Why do only cowards challenge me? A bit of witty banter, and they run for the hills!"

The man who'd sold me the box whistled softly. "Don't turn around. There's a golem sniffing you." He said just as quietly.

I set my box on his counter, and turned to face the golem.

It's blank white eyes met my golden ones, and it flinched back, lashing a fist at me. It deformed in midair, becoming a crude axe, and I hummed in surprise.

Leaning back got me out of the way of the swinging axe, and I examined the golem closer. "Stunning work, really. Whoever made you really knew what they were doing." I nodded, and then caught the lance it had turned its left hand into.

"But you're not all that physically powerful; a multiple of three, perhaps four, to the strength of a normal human." I commented, and ripped it's arm off with a heave.

It screeched, and swung its axe arm at me, the arm extending at the last second, surprising me.

I darted around it, and examined its neck for a makers mark.

Finding one, I scoffed at the crude slash through it. "Ahhh, you broke free of your master!" I nodded, and then ducked his axe, catching the other fist, now regenerated, into my stomach.

I staggered back a foot or so, and then dusted off my shirt. "Impressive regenerative rate, however... that's why you're not as powerful, your creator built you to last longer, not be incredibly powerful for a day, and then die. Commendable effort." I frowned at the beast, and ripped both of its clay arms off, then went back to examining the mark.

"Seems like a Spanish or Portuguese Mark, but it's hard to tell with this jagged cut across it. Ah well. I'll just take your power source, and it'll all be over, buddy." I grunted, ripping a whole in its back.

I reached up into its ribs, and felt around in the wet clay for a Crystal of any kind. I found one, as his arms were regenerating, and ripped it out with a wet sound.

The clay collapsed into a large pile of grey goop, with a metal spine, ribs, skull, and legs, though its arms were freeform, which is what allowed them to move so freely.

I set the crystal in my pocket, and then picked up my box, waving at the incredulous merchants as I booked it out of the city, and towards the college as fast as I could, to check on Oscar, just in case.
-
I found him in the undercroft, doing something with a Teslan conduit and his new ink, and breathed a sigh of relief.

Then I spotted Tilda St.James, his friend who was a crystal mage, and walked over. I held out the golem's crystal, and smiled. "Can you tell me who made this?" I asked.

She blinked slowly, and took it, turning it over, and then hummed. "I can tell you it's Spanish Rose Quartz... very young, probably made with Alchemy... and that it houses a spirit, for the purpose of animating a golem or homunculus. But can I get you a name? No."

I grinned. "That's plenty, thanks. You can keep that, if you want. I don't know how to use it anyway."

She smiled and set it in a case of crystals, random in color and size. "Much obliged." She nodded.