"Good job, I certainly thought you were a dead man," said Tom.
"Are you amused by my amazing military skills?"
"You're what now? anyway, after observing how you survived two shard golems, I think it is time for me to consider a better term than the last deal…. let's call this a mutual friendship"
"I'm pleased that you are not going to kill me, because of my usefulness but where am I? I have been living here alone for three weeks by now, and I have not understood a single thing about this place"
"That is normal, low lander. This is not any place you know of, and you somehow came right into the most dangerous place of the whole jungle," said Tom, eyeing me.
"That is your fault, you chased me and probably wanted me dead, how do you know my language?"
"You ask too many questions, lowlander."
Tom took both shards and tossed them to me
"what— what am I to do with these shards?"
"It is easy, just hold them until we get back to your camp," said Tom.
Tom went forward, scouting the area and I slowly joined him, "we are going to hunt more golems and get their shards." Tom set on going, without any concern of what I think on this matter. "Ah, great another Frank just like my old friend,'' I said and went to follow him.
He was running at a good pace, slow enough so I was able to catch up with a bunch of shards in my hand, looking back I missed Frank, he was probably dead or lost just like me. Frank was the guy who helped me load the cannon on the general's battleship. Now thinking about it, all of these events felt weird, first that man who made fireballs out of his hands, then I get strangled into this unknown place and find this Tom guy, who somehow can bend the earth to his will. Magic was not a thing back in my homeland, no one tried or knows of any kind of magic. It is a folk tale for kids and adults who are looking for an excuse to kill their neighbor, by calling them 'Magic holders.'
Tom stopped in his advancement, he raised his arm and made a straight palm, like an Alestra soldier. That made me curious, had he been to my homeland? "You see that blue shard golem, it is coming toward us, but don't be scared they don't sense us, not yet," Tom said. I followed where he was pointing, and to my surprise, that golem looked way larger than the other ones I encountered. "So, is he something stronger than the other ones we face?" I said. "No, only bigger, look if you want to be part of this work, to hunt golems for their shard you must take a risk and by the way we are going to be playing 'the bait and catch game'" said Tom. "bait and catch, What even is that?" I said. "It simply means that I will be the catcher, which means the fighter, and you will be the bait who will taunt the golems," said Tom. I couldn't believe what he said, "you want me to be bait? But I can't fight!" I protested. "That is why you are a good bait, think about it, to survive you are going to run for your….uh, what do you call it, oh yeah for your dear life," said Tom, he was smirking at this point. "Oh, you monster, have it your way, I will lure that golem I never was scared of beast, to begin with," I said. "That is good to hear, but I doubt it. Now here's the plan."
As he said, all I have to do now is RUN. I took on running, the golem was faster than I anticipated, for his size I thought he was slower than a turtle. Oh no sir, that monstrous size means nothing! So I ran and ran, there was a set point I had to reach before Tom reveals himself and deals with the golem himself. I had to go up the hill toward the rocks, going up the hill made me extremely slow, especially with the shards in my hand. I wanted to drop them, but Tom said that the only way to lure golems in was with shards. I don't know if it is true or not, but I don't have a say in this, he was firm with his plan. So I went up and reached the point, the golem was right behind me. I could feel his hands almost touching my back, and then the ground beneath the golem disappeared, in a sense that it just came off. It was the doing of Tom, I knew it but how did he remove the ground? No, he didn't, he just moved it somewhere else, and so the golem fell onto the trap. Quickly Tom went for the shard and took it out, the golem stopped moving. "Good job lowlander," said Tom, "I am still annoyed with that nickname, at least respect me by saying my real name," I said. He replied with "No" "I can not, because you are still a weakling lowlander" he said, then instantly said, "here you go." He tossed me the shard and I caught it, I didn't have my backpack with me, so I couldn't put it somewhere safe.
"So, what happens to these golems after they die?" I said. He glanced at me and said "The rocks aren't alive, it is the shards that give them life. As long as we have the shards and the shards aren't destroyed, the golems aren't dead" said Tom. "That is interesting, so what are you going to do with these shards?" I said. "To build a weapon for you, if you are going to be my humble servant you need a weapon so you can defend me and maybe yourself," said Tom firmly. "And when did the servant get the right to have a weapon? I thought that was not allowed" I said. "Maybe where you live, but in my turf, everyone needs to have shard weapons, or they are dead meat,'' said Tom.
"I don't want a shard, instead teach me how to do what you do," I said. Tom went right close to my face, an inch separated. I could see his dead cold, icy eyes. "Maybe, maybe you can do it, but I need to warn you, lowlanders aren't good with magica," said Tom. "Well, what is magica, I thought it was called magic," I said. "No lowlander, magic is a fairytale. It has some truths, but a fairytale nonetheless. Magica is what I can do, to bend the elements of nature," said Tom. "So, is that what you were doing? Bending the natural elements, how?" I said.
"Little Lowlander, it is simple yet complicated. The simpler answer is that all this happens inside your head, but your atoms are the ones who make it possible," said Tom, he looked around glancing for danger, and continued "Elements are what we make out of it if you were to believe in bending the earth you might be able to, but that is hard and may be restricted to lowlanders." said Tom.
"Why is that? if it happening in your minds and we are restricted from it, are you saying we are incapable, stupid?" I said, Tom looked bright like when a teacher reacts to a student saying the right answer. "Correct lowlander for that I will promote you to highlander, how about that? at least you are improving somewhat," said Tom. "Great," I said.
We continued our path, we finally got back to the camp, my camp. I still don't know where Tom lives, and he doesn't want to tell me. From the looks of it, I owe my life to him in a way, he tried to kill me yes but also saved me numerous times. He said he will try to teach me about elements and maybe help me learn one of the elements. Until then I have to serve him with his shard collection, that's what he calls it.