As Numi dangled from the mouth of the emberwolf as it ran across some interior plain, she tried to imagine why all the fantastical things seemed to happen to her. None of her classmates had ever teleported, seen a wisp, been blinded by mana, or been kidnapped by a magical wolf on the far edge of the kingdom. Most of them hadn’t even been to the capitol.

No, Numi decided to believe that she was just a tad cursed by the Purelight, but she was having trouble thinking up why it’d decided to do so. Had it been because of the rampant spying she’d had the golems do? Because of all those times she snuck out of the house? Could it have something to do with her cheating on the signaling exams?

She was jerked from that line of thought when the wolf suddenly leaped from the floor to the wall and back, giving her no small measure of whiplash. She almost made the mistake of opening her eyes, but stopped before she could subject herself to that nauseating disconnect.

“Do you have to be so rough?”

When no response was forthcoming Numi tried to imagine what the environment looked like, curious beyond measure. The air was hot and heavy inside, not too unlike the Wisp’s place, and she could hear the wolf’s every footfall echoing off the walls just like when she’d visited the Kicno keep. In her mind, she imagined an expansive cavern paved with stone brick bridges above glittering fields of lava, and sighed again at the reality-impaired state of her eyes.

Remembering a measurement spell as the wolf galloped, Numi gathered mana at the tips of her fingers and started to signal a weak probe, chanting the poorly memorised phrase under her breath. The spark of magic had barely ignited before it was forcefully extinguished with a rapid shake of the wolf’s head.

“No casting.” He growled between leaps.

“I just want to know what this is!” Numi complained. “Are we underground?”

“An ancient fortress.”

“In a cave?” Numi asked. “It feels huge.”

“Your ancestors needed huge.”

“Can you describe it for me?”

“Quiet.” The wolf barked.

The wolf bit harder when Numi attempted to continue, so she quieted down and listened. Despite the situation, she found she was more curious than actually concerned, especially after having seen the Wisp fight the hunter back in the fortress hall. It was only a matter of time before the Wisp caught up, though she was curious at how the situation would resolve without anyone dying, or how their journey would continue afterwards. She privately hoped that the wolf would back down before the Wisp did anything rash.

After a minute, they flew into a far narrower corridor, something Numi could tell immediately by the weight of the air and the sound of their sprint. Gradually, she could feel the wolf beginning to slow until eventually they had arrested their pace to a mere walk, and a few minutes after that the wolf came to an uneasy stop.

“What’s wrong? They’ll probably still forgive you if you turn back now you know.”

In the time since the wolf had stolen away, Numi had made sure to check the status of her golems through the soul link they shared, pleasantly finding that the emberwolf hadn’t killed any in its escape. She’d been glad to know that, especially after the shock she’d felt after waking up after the battle.

“No.” The wolf said, distracted. “Trap-puzzle ahead. Last time we hunted here, traps not set.”

Numi frowned. “You better not die, it hasn’t even been a week.”

“You are calm.” The wolf noted. “Why?”

“I mean the Wisp will probably be here soon...”

“The traitor-soul was destroyed. The tempest struck him down.”

She bit a sarcastic retort down her throat so as to not reveal the soul connection and thought about it a bit more. “I guess it's because if you haven’t killed me yet, then you probably want to keep me alive?.”

The wolf was silent for a second, though Numi could feel it start walking again, plodding around some strange-smelling metal.

The wolf snorted in response. “I have saved you from your captors.”

Numi raised an eyebrow. “Captors? Don’t you think you have it a little backwards?”

“Humans and their machines are good at manipulation. You were their captive, unknowingly.”

“But Mr. Wolf, I am a human.”

“You don’t look human to me.”

Numi scoffed. “Mom and dad were, no, are human. I don’t know what that makes me if not human. ”

“And my sire was not the chief, yet I was.” The wolf started scratching at the wall. “Progeny is not destiny.”

“I don’t think that's really the same thing.”

The wolf stopped scratching.

“Are you immortal, Numi?”

Numi sputtered in confusion for a second at that curveball.

“Wha… What? I don’t think so?”

“Do you want to be?”

She opened her mouth to say ‘Yes, of course?’ but stopped herself.

“I don’t know.” She admitted. “It sounds like a pain.”

The beast stopped and set her down unexpectedly, but Numi didn’t dare move, not that she thought she could get very far if she did.

“It is a curse.” The wolf agreed. Numi felt the warm breath of the wolf just inches in front of her as it stared intensely before suddenly jerking away. She heard the wolf sit down. “I will describe some symbols. Translate.”

“And if I don’t?”

“Then I copy your Wisp in persuasion habits.”

…

Chip sighed as he wrenched a paw out of yet another muddy hole, freeing it with a loud sucking noise.

[You’ll have to clean that out of the cracks before it solidifies.] The slate crafted fox said hopefully. [Or it’ll become stiff.]

Chip twitched in a remarkable imitation of the late captain as he thanked the young fox. They’d been out on patrol for almost two hours now and were just now on the way back, but the recruit he’d brought hadn’t shut up the entire time. From asking about Numi to needling for stories about his prior operations under the captain, Chip was thoroughly regretting bringing him along with him and Whitepaw.

[We know, pup.] Whitepaw growled. [Both of us have been outside before, you know.]

[Oh, yeah.] The recruit withdrew.

[It’s always good to freshen up on standards though.] Chip gave the testy scout a hard glare. Wiggles had always entertained their limitless questions and statements that they had in the beginning, and Chip had no intention of breaking that tradition, even if it was irritating. It wasn’t like they were actually coded with the entirety of knowledge after all.

[I would say that’s more common sense than a standard.] Whitepaw rolled her eyes. [But alright.]

If you discounted the storm, then they walked in blissful silence for a few minutes until a familiar cliff face started to rise above them up ahead. To the northeast, Chip could see the Stoe breaking a path to the horizon, looking like a flowing sky from this distance. The telltale granite pillars of the stone forest stood vigil behind.

[I still don’t know why you argued about that.] Chip said, gesturing to the river. [You know the Toma doesn’t cut through the mountains.]

Chip felt the scout glaring at the back of his head, but he pretended to ignore it, only wishing that she would give him a little more respect as her new captain. [Well?]

[You three trust that emberwolf too much.] She said eventually. [They’re told to be barbaric at the best of times, but you guys are letting one lead us on? What will we do when he eventually runs us into an ambush?]

[I just trust the Wisp.] Chip said simply. [If the ancient mythological savior of mankind thinks we can trust our guide, who am I to judge?]

[Weren’t you just telling us in the fortress that it didn’t live up to legends?]

[I only said the legends were exaggerated. Not that it didn’t live up to the more sane retellings.] Chip looked back quizzically. [You saw how it fought that hunter in the main hall, right? It must’ve released an entire signalling school’s worth of mana in just half an hour.]

[The archmage Lagos could shoot firebombs without a chant, but you don’t see people looking to him for being a good judge of character.]

[Lagos was the fourth king of Austraesia.] The recruit added.

[Thank you.] Chip replied politely. [But the Wisp trusted us, right? And I haven’t seen him make any missteps thus far.]

[It hasn’t really had time yet.] Whitepaw came up beside him to motion at the cliff ahead, where a small opening had suddenly come into view amongst the rain sheets. [Looks like we’re back.]

As they entered the cave, Chip immediately noticed that something was wrong. Numi, the wolf, and the foxes were nowhere in sight, and a peculiar rectangular opening graced the back wall. Almost as distressingly, in the center of the room sat the Wisp’s core stone burning like a sparking stone of coal.

Chip leapt towards the core stone, sending telepathic message after message while Whitepaw ran over to the opening in the wall with some barks.

[Wisp? Wisp?!]

[Yes?]

The curt reply caused Chip to withdraw for a moment. It sounded too calm to belong to such an obviously damaged construct, but it had definitely come over the soul link. The Wisp was alive at least. Releasing some of his panic as he thought of it, Chip quickly delved into the soul links with a small spell, relief flooding into him as he found all of them intact for the moment.

[Where did the others go? Why are you so small?]

[Emberwolf 1 had us camp on the front steps of some facility.] The Wisp replied. [From my era, judging from the mana emissions. Lightning almost struck dead on when I was near the door, and the emberwolf used the opportunity to escape into the complex with Numi.]

Chip blinked in alarm. An ancient wisp fortress? Didn’t that mean lots of traps and crazed defense golems? He couldn’t imagine choosing to go into one without its keeper still around...

[Why’d he take Numi?]

[Unknown. Food? A ritual?] The Wisp said. [I am not well versed in the motives of alternate sapients.]

Whitepaw finally stormed over from the opening, rage boiling behind her gemstone eyes.

[You told us we could trust it! What happened to ‘my current strength is overwhelming in comparison’?!]

[It is hardly feasible to account for being struck by lightning.] The Wisp deadpanned. [And I still believe we can. Emberwolf 1 has not slain Numi as of yet.]

[Are we going to wait for him to cook her first?] Whitepaw growled. [Why didn’t you follow the others?]

[Again, lightning.] The meagre core flames flickered intensely. [Repairs have almost been completed however.]

[What do we do then?] The slate recruit finally approached, looking amped up for a fight.

[The others are tailing them close behind, but we should still hurry.] The Wisp turned its attention towards Chip. [Chip, would you carry me while I finish the last of my repairs?]

Chip blinked. [Of course.]

[Then let's go.] The Wisp’s flames flashed a little brighter. [And be careful with me, I’m fragile.]

With that, Chip scooped up the small fire into his mouth and the party sprinted down the halls, racing after their master’s barbaric captor.

…

“Luck and light luck and light luck and light…”

Numi frantically prayed as she held onto the wolf’s back for dear life. She felt one of the wolf’s hind legs slip off the bridge they’d been fighting on, choking down a scream as it barely scraped back on top. From a short distance in front she could hear the rhythmic scraping and heavy thuds of what was assuredly a war golem approaching.

The wolf had relegated her to his back once he had realized just how little of a desire to run off and get herself killed to ancient traps she actually had, and Numi accepted it, seeing as it was a way better ride than dangling between the wolf’s jaws. She thanked the purelight that she had done so now, since with all the snarling, biting, and jumping the wolf employed in combat didn’t quite jive with her ‘no broken bones’ policy.

Unlike the automatons she had grown up knowing, the golem guarding this bridge had nothing resembling a pleasant personality, or even sapience at all. It emitted no sounds, connected no telepathy, and didn’t attempt to parley with them before it had come in swinging.

“Can’t you just run past it?!” She buried her face into the wolf’s back as she shouted. “You’re gonna get us killed!”

“The bridge-path is narrow.” The wolf sounded exasperated, as if it hadn’t almost just fallen off the bridge into what Numi could only assume was a bottomless abyss. “Be quiet.”

Numi yelped again as her ride jumped into action, flinging itself with percussive force off the bridge and onto the wall, a move Numi was gradually starting to despise with its every use. Air rushed past the back of her head as they flew through the air and landed next to the golem, and Numi felt the muscles in the elder’s neck stretch as it reared up and chomped down on the golem, accompanied by the sizzle of heat as its teeth heated up.

The hold didn’t last long though, and no sooner had the wolf bitten down than had a flailing stone appendage slammed into the side of the wolf with a horrifying crack. Flying head over heels backwards, the only thing stopping Numi from losing her dinner was the fact that she hadn’t had one.

They rocketed to the ground with pebbles, rocks, and dirt coming to greet them. Pain erupted all over her body, and she was unable to keep hold on the wolf’s back causing her to fly even farther afield. She made the mistake of opening her eyes in panic, her vision rolling through white clouds and blue skies as she twisted through the air like a rolling log, eventually coming to a halt a distance from the wolf, and thankfully still on the bridge.

“Ugh.”

She ignored the sounds of more combat from further down the bridge, and focused on sitting up, her head swimming with pain. Her legs and arms were aflame and stung when touched, leading her to think that she probably looked like she’d been through a light shredder.

Closing her eyes and focusing on her limited teachings, Numi called up the first applicable superficial healing spell she knew and began to signal from memory. It was difficult in the circumstances, with the pain and adrenaline rushing through her body, but first aid healing was thankfully one of the few subjects she’d excelled in. Though she did silently curse not still having that signalling staff dad had given her. She didn’t even have the staff the Wisp had made for her.

Like most spells worth casting, even the most rudimentary healing spells were almost excessively complicated, the only way someone of Numi’s talent was able to cast them with any expediency was with a bound word. That was always something unique to each person, as to even bind the spell the caster would need to first signal the entirety of the spell and then apply more signalling to summon it from a chosen chant or couple words.

Unfortunately, Numi hadn’t rebound most of her spells since the time she’d made them, a lazy habit she now vowed to correct at the first opportunity. As such, seeing as they’d been somewhat lazily copied from spell books and tomes, the signalling was nowhere nearly as efficient or effective as she was now capable of, leaving her almost a quarter drained after only 4 casts.

Just as she finished the final cast however, she heard and felt the wolf trotting back over, a particularly high pitched yelp still nipping along the winds in front of it. Behind, the golem started plodding over, each menacingly heavy footfall followed by the feeling of force mana.

“Wolf?”

“Argh.” A hint of fear joined the revulsion in the wolf’s voice now, something that did nothing to assange Numi’s worries. “Wisp-golem is too strong. Must be a high war golem.”

“Can’t you melt it?” She asked, panic rising in her chest. “Or knock it off? Or anything?”

“Stone.”

The reply was simple and expected, but that didn’t endear it to Numi any more.

“Then pick me up and run back!”

The wolf was silent for another two footfalls.

“I will run no more. Die, but not run.”

A frustrated sigh replaced the fear. Why get all this conviction now?

Her mind flew through all the lessons her teachers and the tomes she’d ‘borrowed’ at had given her, trying to find some offensive magic that could cut through stone or incapacitate it, but nothing presented itself immediately. There was a reason stone was used for most golemancy, and it wasn’t because it was easy to counter.

Suddenly an off-hand comment from her father bore its way to the front of her mind, and Numi stood up unsteadily.

“Get behind me!” She shouted to the wolf.

She wasn’t able to ascertain the wolf’s face of course, but Numi could only assume that it was bewilderment. “Just trust me!”

He didn’t object, and Numi felt its fur brush past her as it took up position behind her. Ahead, the footfalls grew uncomfortably close, though Numi did briefly wonder why it was moving so slow.

It didn’t matter. Numi was taught to never look a gift horse in the mouth anyway.

She lifted an arm and pointed it to where she thought the golem was, trying to sense out where the most force mana was coming from. As she felt it come within spitting distance, and the looming presence over her, she moved her hand a hand length to the right. Then, she said a single command word, not bothering to edit the summoned signalling.

Instantly, a small, insanely focused pulse of mana shot out towards the golem’s gem, or where she intuited it to be. A loud crack echoed through the hall, followed by a deafening thump as the golem toppled to the ground.

There was silence for half a second as the dust settled, and Numi carefully turned around to give the wolf a large toothy smile at her success, all of the prior fear flowing away.

“How?”

Numi started brushing off dirt from her coat and hat. “My dad always complained about how unstable the mana flows on golems he made were. Especially at their binding point.”

“But you aimed?” The wolf replied. “Are you not blind?”

Numi blinked in confusion. “I just used mana sense. It was pretty obvious what with all the force mana coming off of it.”

Though I did have to be pretty close to be certain. She thought to herself.

The wolf started hacking, causing Numi to scoot back in alarm before she realized that she was actually just hearing him laugh for the first time. Eventually he slowed down and Numi felt him bow his head, signalling her to get back on.

“Always surprised, we elders are.”

Numi got on and the wolf started walking down the bridge, though now with a pronounced limp and several broken bones that Numi didn’t quite trust herself to fix. The Wisp would probably be able to heal it in any case.

As the wolf stepped over the body Numi took a deep breath, her curiosity at the room’s appearance once again rearing its head.

“Do you think you could describe the room for me?” She asked tentatively. She braced herself for another ‘no’, but the wolf was quiet for a moment.

“Wisp-walls. A deadly blue-gray.” The wolf began. “Below, rivers of …”

Numi smiled as she listened, adding the images to her mind. Hopefully the Wisp wouldn’t be too hard on him when he caught up.