"I haven't made a golem to be used in conjunction with illusion magic before," Zirko said as he sharpened a small hatchet. "In many ways, it's impractical. The amount of mana it takes to maintain an illusion over an extended period is nothing to scoff at, especially if it isn't a static image. Marg is one of the very few light mages who possess both the necessary power and skill to accomplish such a thing. But to use it on a golem..."

  Zirko's voice trailed off as he examined the sharpened edge of the hatchet. It twinkled under the light of the stars.

  Taka was sat upon a plate with Zirko in the outdoor section of the castle's training grounds. Zirko had asked Taka to meet him there, only a short walk away from where the battle mage had tried to murder the worm. Being outside with Zirko made Taka feel queasy, but he pushed those feelings away. He had expelled the spell that made Zirko attack him, but that didn't mean Taka knew the full story. It wasn't as straightforward as mind control, and the lizard man was still readjusting to his newfound freedom. Taka knew Zirko wasn't in full control of what he was doing, but even so, that didn't change what had happened.

  "A tree golem will be our best option. I can craft the physical form, enchant the wood, and then you can create the golem so you'll have full control over it," Zirko explained. "Enchanting the wood before you give life to it should make maneuvering and controlling it much easier."

  Taka nodded an acknowledgment, but kept quiet. Zirko scared him.

  Zirko, as if sensing Taka's fear, put down the hatchet. The lizard man looked at Taka, and Taka saw the pain in his eyes, the guilt, before Taka averted his eyes.

  "It's all a haze. Things in my head had been spotty, but I kept pushing. Then you came along, and I was told to speak with you about Syla."

  The lizard man shifted around, unable to get comfortable.

  "And you seemed genuine. But something happened within me, and now it all feels... fuzzy."

  Zirko looked down at his hands, balling his fists tightly.

  "I swore an oath, and I broke it."

  Zirko bowed his head to Taka.

  "I will do everything within my power to atone."

  Thank you, Taka sent, unsure what else to say.

  Zirko nodded back at the worm, then stood up.

  "I'm going to the forest to collect some wood, you should get some rest before tomorrow."

  I'll come with you, Taka sent, even though he didn't really want to be alone in the forest with the lizard man.

  Zirko nodded, and picked up the plate Taka sat on gently, then walked away from Kronkswell into the woods.

  Taka didn't understand why Zirko had brought such a small hatchet to get wood, until he saw the battle mage slice straight a tree trunk in a single swing. Taka was taken aback by the amount of power Zirko had, shuddering at the thought of what the lizard man could do to him. Zirko looked over to Taka, then looked away quickly, ashamed. Mending this relationship would be difficult, but Taka wanted to try...

  "I'm sorry, dude--"

  "Oh fuck off, Dylan. You're not that dumb," Taka said as he shoved Dylan back, who was chittering like an insect around him.

  "I'm sorry," Dylan repeated, "I didn't mean to break your shit."

  "What the hell were you even doing in my room?"

  "I dunno, Taka. I was just bored and--"

  "You can't just go looking through people's shit! And how did they even fall?! The box was under my bed," Taka shouted as he angrily gestured to a box of spilled records, many of which were broken, all across his floor.

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  "I was just looking through them and then I dropped them," Dylan said.

  "From where?"

  "...I was sitting on your bed and it slipped," Dylan confessed.

  Taka shoved his friend back and slammed the door in his face. He heard Dylan breathing heavily outside the door for a moment, but then he heard his friend move, and his footsteps grew softer and softer. Taka slid down against the door and slumped over himself, staring at the pile of broken records. He didn't have a crazy amount, and nothing too rare, either, but they meant a lot to him. A few were from his dad, most of them were random birthday presents, and a few he bought himself. He felt small as he sat by the remains of his fledgling collection.

  Taka and Dylan had been on thin ice for quite some time after that. Dylan never offered to explain why he went in Taka's room to snoop through his things, and Taka didn't ask. Dylan tried to make it up to Taka in other ways: making him dinner, doing his laundry, washing his dishes... all the little things. That was how Dylan showed he was sorry. But a few weeks went by, and things were only marginally less awkward. One day, Taka woke up and found a note that read 'sorry' with a few of his favorite albums in a box outside of his door.

  Taka and Dylan decided not to live together after that year, but their friendship rebounded. It took a few months, but Taka was able to forgive Dylan. Taka really missed his friend...

  Sir Filo? Zirko said directly into Taka's mind, bringing him back to reality. In front of his eyes, stood... Deon? Taka used telekinesis to lift his plate in the air, but Deon waved both hands at Taka in a way that lizard folk showed they weren't threatening. Taka used his TELEPATHY skill and opened a link with the older lizard man.

  What are you doing here, Deon? Taka asked.

  "I came to help you do something before you left. To help you with something. We'll see," Deon said cryptically.

  Help me do something? Taka thought to himself. That was a strange way of something, and much more roundabout, even if similarly as vague, as Deon usually talked.

  "You know a bit about battle magic, yes?" Deon asked. "That it's not a singular type of magic, such as earth, or fire, or any of the 8 standard elemental Magia."

  Yes, Taka sent, his body tensing up.

  "Battle mages are rare because in order to even be able to wield that sort of magic, you have to have an aptitude for at least 3 kinds of magic, with one of those being fire. Zirko has an aptitude for all elements except for psychic and light, which is extremely rare. What is even more rare is his aptitude for ancient magic."

  Deon knelt down to get to eye level with Taka.

  "There are spells that are supposed to be lost to time. Spells that are considered too dangerous, too powerful, for even use in war because they are that difficult to control," Deon explained carefully. "There once was a spell, a more primordial spell in the family of blood magic. It was said to be lost to time after the fall of Modonia."

  Deon looked TO Zirko, and Zirko nodded. Deon let out a deep sigh and continued:

  "But it isn't entirely lost, because someone managed to find the runes before the city was swept and steal them. And then they studied them, and now, have a basic, a very basic understanding of said Magia."

  And what is said Magia? Taka asked, unable to refrain from taking the bait.

  "Transmutation," Zirko said quietly. "Living transmutation."

  Taka's blood went cold. Transmutation. Like what they did to Syla. He felt the rage fester in his heart, the mana in his body swirling around into a black cloud of --

  Taka took a deep breath and held still. No. Deon and Zirko are not those creationist pricks. Taka wasn't even sure that worshippers of Valish were called creationists, but he was supposedly the god of creation, so creationist pricks felt like a fitting name for the awful fae who worshipped him.

  How does this relate to me? Taka asked.

  Zirko and Deon looked at each other as if they hadn't decided if they were going to tell Taka, which only pissed him off further. They had gone through all the trouble to get him away from the castle, so he wasn't going to let them back out now.

  Why? Taka pressed.

  "Because we might be able to give you hearing and the ability to speak," Zirko blurted out. "Maybe. Theoretically, yes, the spell should be able to do that, for the hearing part at least, but it has never been done before."

  "However, live transmutation is always incredibly dangerous, for all involved," Deon added. "The level of control required to transmute a living being to give them an entirely new sense is... high. Very high. Which is why I offered my assistance to Zirko. Going to Modonia, and life anywhere where you'll have to communicate with more than 2 beings at once will be a lot easier if you don't have to use TELEPATHY all the time. And because we don't know how to help you get back where you came from, this most likely will be your best option to better acclimate to our society."

  Don't mention anything about raw magic, Deon sent to Taka. Zirko doesn't know. This will be more painful than anything you've ever experienced, but there's a high chance we can get you your hearing. Speech... we can discuss that if this first exp-- this first procedure goes well.

  I will be able to hear? On my own? Taka asked.

  That is the goal, Deon sent back.

  Taka didn't even think it over twice. Whatever risks were involved, whatever pain he'd have to go through, it was far outweighed by the prospect of sound. All sound: music, footsteps, rain, the crunching of vegetables, voices, all things he would be able to hear himself, not through someone else's ears.

  Yes, Taka sent to both Deon and Zirko. Please, how?