Golem of the Crimson Heart

After I killed the doctor and the rest of his family, I lost consciousness. I suppose the all that mental fatigue is to blame. 

All I know is I woke up with the sun at sky's peak. And my memories back. Maybe it's been only hours, or maybe days, but I lost the track of time.

I'm not Kara. Kara was my friend. My little sister in that house. My hope is she made it out alive. How long she was free or if was ever found is beyond me.

Latarr...Now I remember. I was taken from my home and sold to the duke here. They kidnapped me from Nik, Kingdom of Okel, the region across the river from Fes.

For hours I've tried to scream and cry but all my feelings are locked inside by this body! Like I've reached the limit.

I walked around for a couple of hours trying to get my mind off this crap but to no avail. At one point I'm just lying flat on the ground and waiting out the time. Waiting for something to happen. 

Where's that bear? I wonder about the beast that helped me. Maybe it's hungry as usual and hunting for food. Or maybe it's gone and I'm alone again.

------------------------

With no use staying awake, I enter into rest. But the world around me is still quite visible, but slightly obscured. The rest gives me some sense of comfort. With only my senses active but my mind asleep. Like anything I don't find dangerous is just overlooked by my mind.

The bushes fizzle somehow alarms my mind. Jumping up and gripping the hilt of the sword I meet none other than the bear.

Relaxing my posture not being in any danger he approaches me and rubs against me.

I pat his back and licks my hand in response. At least you're cute. A small amused smile spreads on my face. Well, we can go for a walk in the woods. We're already here! Bhahaha! I turn to the bear.

No reaction. Well I didn't say anything out loud. Still, my humor blows. Eheh no difference from when I was alive. Embarrassing... 

Walking through the forest seems so nice now. Memories of my childhood slowly come back. My home was a lovely rain forest, full of streams and trees of different shapes. Hideously fierce animals.

This one is mostly deciduous and coniferous. Humans have always taken the land easier to manage. Still, who wouldn't want this. Harder to find food but at least safer. No crocodiles or black vipers. And especially no Amphisbaenas or Behirs. 

But my mind refocuses on the present . I come across a bedrock. Dirty light beige colored rock with numerous blueberry bushes all around it. No better place to sit.

I know what this bear will do. Sure when I look at him, he's already eating through the blueberries like crazy!

I sit on the boulder and with nothing else to do I take out the spell book and look through the pages.

Something else to learn. Why not?

Page after page but nothing useful. Advanced. Requires ingredients. Advanced. Advanced again. Need blood. Need a staff. Need an incantantion...Aha! Beginner's spell. 

Mending

-Beginner spell

-used to repair damage to an object.

-used to mend broken objects or repair cracks, breaks and similar damage. 

Warning!

-Do not use on organic wounds.

That looks easy enough. And yet...maybe I can use it to fix myself.

Directions:

-The individual must push and pull mana in and out of the object. Saturating the object with mana is the first part of the process. The second part presents the extraction. The damage features through which the mana is extracted with little resistance. Those at the moment of mana extraction are repaired. The restoration time is mainly affected by the flow of mana withdrawn. Connection with the mana must be all time active.Losing the connection results into restarting the mending process.

Aaaaaggh shit...Pulling back the mana from an object? I can push it in but pulling out? Hmm.

Looking around all that is are the bear, rocks and me. 

Doing it on myself on the first try? Why not.That's the whole point. So here I go!

I grip the little finger with the other hand. A little anxiety causes reluctance. With a deep breath, I bend my thumb in an unnatural way and manage to break it.

Surprise is all I feel when the finger breaks without any pain, along with some phantom sense telling me that the finger is missing.

Hohohoho...that was wicked. I slowly reposition the finger along the crack and follow the instructions. I channel my mana through my hand and push. Now I have to pull back. The feeling is hard to explain. When I usually use ignition all I do is push my mana in my fingers, as if I'm squeezing it. And snapping kinda releases the mana as a spark. 

Now it's pretty much the same. The mana going from one hand in the other is compressed with mana already existing in that hand. Making the mending useless.

Irritation is pretty visible all over my face. But I have an idea.

The book says that the reparations are the result of mana flow. I already have mana in my other hand. All I have to do is pull one hand's mana through the crack into the other.

The results were great. The finger is reattached to my palm and functional.

This is even better! It's just possible to fix anything through my body just by repeating this!

Another test is repeated on a soft stone that I broke. This time I follow the instructions in that. Push and pull using only one hand. And the stone is fixed. I break it again. This time I put it between both hands. By repeating what I did with my finger, I feel the mana flowing ,and the rock is again completely fixed!

The joy is new but welcomed. Something I did right.

---------------------

Walking around the forest was already getting boring. Everything is boring if you do it for two days. Without keeping track of which direction I started in, I got completely lost.

I turn back to the bear and look somewhat disheartened. Maybe you know where we are since you dragged me in here. I think what I want to tell him.

Right on cue, as if he understands me, the bear takes off downhill through the trees. And yet I follow. As if he's the smart creature. Well, what do I have to lose now? 

I jump after him to catch up. He's moving pretty good. Or maybe I'm still too slow. Kara was fast. And agile. Maybe in time I'll get stronger.

But the feeling of melancholy distracts me from the journey. That means I need to consume more blood. Damn it. It's the only way to better my body.

I was so blinded by my own astonishment that I hit a tree. Stupid tree. But the bear is barely five paces away.

I go through the bushes to get closer and see where I got. A road! Ha perfect! I scratch his furry scalp a little.  Good boy.

We come out of the shade of the trees and stand for a second on the sidewalk.

To the left is an open field. People are moving from left and right picking crops. Probably the harvest time. Two horse-drawn wagons are pulled off on the side of he road. 

They've just started and the wagons are empty. Better not spook them. A girl armed to the teeth and a giant bear ain't exactly the best surprise.

To the right, at the end of the road, I see a rather large house with a high tower. A stone fence without a gate leads to a courtyard where a few barrels stand next to the so-called tower.

Where you want to go? I put my fate once more in the bear's paws.

And the bear heads for the house. 

As I approach the house I see a sign on the wall: The Wonders Store. 

---------------------------

Tapping his fingers on the counter was a man about 55 years old, gray beard with black roots and wearing a white shirt and blue vest, with a pair of glasses tucked into the neckline of his shirt.

"Oooh haven't had any customers for a couple of days. No one on the road and everyone in the village is out farming." He moves around the room and sits on a bench by the window facing the courtyard. "Maybe I'll leave early for my appointment."

The gentleman lights a cigarette and takes a few puffs, still awed at his predicament. Before he can find something else to complain about, he sees someone over the wall, feeling happy. "Ohho! Looks like somebody's wants to buy something!" He puts out his cigarette and runs behind the counter, pretending to be busy.

Please come in... and the door opens.

Wooohooo!!!

A tall woman appears from behind the door. Matte black hair. Dressed in beige pants and a black top, with a coat on her back. And a spear. And an axe. And now that the man looks closer, a sword and two daggers on her hip.

Oh, my, a holy maiden! She's gorgeous! She's... dead?! Holy shit, she's so pale and all these scars on her! Looks like she went right fuckin' through the wagon wheels.

As she gets closer to the counter, the man sees the girl up close. No color in her eyes, round lips but gray and also like the rest of her visible skin with a few scar lines. Nice boobs.

"Hello, hello! My name is Dörk and I'm the keeper of this lovely location. What are you after,young lady?" I try to hold eye contact with her somewhat intense gaze. I hope she isn't trying to rob me!

She turns away from Dörk and peeks through the shelves of the store but somehow comes up empty. She gestures with her finger. Trying to communicate, she uses her index finger to stir through the air.

"Ehh...What do I sell around here?" The man tries to communicate back. She's probably mute. "I sell various household items and accessories for the common folk as well as some magic items and ingredients." Dörk claps his hands once and purple smoke appears after a small puff. "I'm a wizard. So what can I get you?"

They both start looking together through the shelves. 'Spoons'...'Plates'..."Maybe you want a couple of each? They're wood so they won't break."

The girl nods no. She looks from shelf to shelf. Some pencils and paper catch her eye.

"Oh a good idea. Makes the talking problem easier, doesn't it?" Dörk says. I didn't want to be insensitive! Glad she found them.

They reach a shelf with some body products. 'Deodorant: 5 copper coins' , 'Soap: 2 copper coins' and 'Hair bands: 3 for 1 copper coin'

She picks one up and tugs gently. Confused, she looks at the man for an explanation. "Ah these are rubber bands covered in fabric. They are like the sign says, you tie your hair with them."

Did this girl grow up under a rock?

A little worry shows on the man's face. Now that I take a closer look... Is she made of stone? Incredible!

"Uh, maybe household stuff isn't your choice. How about we go to the magic section?"

She nods yes.

Following the man through a door, she pretty much ends up in what appears to be a storage closet that has been remodeled to be a new area for the shop.

"This used to be just a storage room but since it has no windows and only one exit I thought I'd put the special items in here."

A few shelves filled with what would be to the common man, junk. A few baskets of herbs, mushrooms and a stand of vials. A few books titled 'Fantastic Animals and Where to Find Them', 'Power Rings' and 'Hunting Monsters' among others.

"The books are quite expensive, at least 10 silver coins." Dörk takes a few steps to the left and picks up a scroll from a pile."Here I have some spells I made myself. Each papyrus is unique, though the spells repeat. If whoever buys it passed the spell from one to another no one would buy them."

The girl takes the paper labeled: Call Back

"I invented this to replace the Magic Hand in different applications. The spell pulls an object through the air back toward you." Dörk reaches out for a book and it flies into his hand. "It can just do such actions in a straight line or just rebound and continues on its way. Not too smart, can't maneuver around obstacles between you and the thing, but much faster. Perfect for a weapon."

The young girl rubs her fingers in a gesture familiar to salesmen.

"The spell is four silver coins. Once you open it, the spell is embedded in you. Inside you'll find a few more explanations. You don't need an incantation, so since you don't have a voice I assume you'll like it."

She nods her head in agreement.

"Cool. Come up front and I'll help you."

----------------------

"Since you bought the scroll I'll let you get the paper and hair bands for only 2 copper coins."

Sounds like a good business.

Kara passes him the money but Dörk, with a slight move of his hand, makes them disappear.

"Hehe...The safest place to keep money is where no one else can get to it." he smiles. "Now let me explain in great the spell. First open the scroll."

Breaking the wax seal and opening the scroll a somewhat complex circular symbol glows and after 2 seconds it fades out.

"Ok now you can start using the spell. Why I named the spell 'Call back' is because you need to mark the item you want to call back to you." Dörk hands Kara the pencil she just bought. "All you need to do is to imprint your mana within the object, after you first call the object, your mana is permanently stamped."

Just like mending.

Kara follows Dörk's instructions, but pushes too much mana into the pencil and it explodes.

"AAH! Oh that scared me. It went off like a firecracker!" the man offers Kara another pencil. "Try again." looking stern.

On the second try, the pencil stays in one piece. "Good, now concentrate on the pencil and think about it coming to you. The spell is fully automated, just thinking will activate it."

As explained to her, Kara thought the action, but instead of the pencil flying into her hand, it hits her across the face.

"Oh yeah..it helps to visualize where the object is coming for. If you just want it to come at you, it'll hit you in the face." he says with a somewhat amused grin.

And following the salesman's instructions, this time the pencil does the right thing.

"Ohho fantastic. You're ready."

Kara gives a thumbs up.

"Well I'll close for the day. I've got a road trip. I'm leaving in a couple days and I have to get ready around here."

Dörk and Kara approach the door and the girl opens it to let herself out, but before she can take a step, the bear pokes his head in.

"Oh shit a bear! Look how big it is!" Dörk panics.

Kara waves to get the man's attention before he does something stupid and pushes the bear outside. She scratches his scalp and follows after her.

Holy I thought I was screwed! It was so close, if I hadn't seen it, I wouldn't have seen tomorrow! And on top of everything this girl acts like she's the boss. A familiar?

"Thank you so much for visiting and shopping!!! Bye bye!" and Dörk slams the door. "Customer will be a customer, but bears are not welcome in my house!"

--------------------

Back on the road Kara, followed by the bear, she gets back from where they came out of the forest and see the wagons again.

Hmm... it saids in the book that even moving consumes energy. Maybe... No... I must.

Walking back through the forest to get closer to the wagons, where they had got to load.

Sneaking toward one of them, the straped horse sits on the grass, not even spoting them. The bear follows Kara and somehow imitates her by belly crawling.

If I steal their horse and wagon I can at least leave them something. Kara reaches into her bag and finds some coins and leaves them by the side of the road in a sock.

Here we go. 

They both jump in the wagon, the bear in the back among the wheat straw and Kara in the front seat to handle the horse. With a flick of the reins, the horse is up and running.

"Hey, that's my cart! Stop!" the man starts to run after the wagon. Once he gets closer and closer, he manages to get in. Almost.

"GROOROOOOAAR!!" roars the bear, showing himself at the poor man who trips over his feet in fear.

"Heeey! Come on please stop." begs the man.

"Honey! Look at this." says a woman behind the man who shows him a sock. "She left money in this sock!"

The gentleman looks in his wife's sock and is amazed. "Four silver and one gold coin?!? Ohohoh!"

The man stands back on his feet and yells at the top of his lungs. " THANK YOU!"