Snow whirled outside under a sky freckled with stars as an enormous turtle lumbered slowly across the frozen mountain plains. Its massive shell gleamed under the moonlight like a domed palace, and on its back perched a quaint wooden house, lanterns swaying from the eaves. Frost glittered along the turtle's wrinkled skin as its colossal feet crushed paths through the snowdrifts.
Inside the house, warmth and light spilled through a cozy room. Candles flickered on shelves crowded with books, trinkets, and glowing jars full of tiny, drifting lights like fireflies. In the center stood a large wooden table, and spread across it was a map the size of a carpet. In the hush of night, the parchment glowed softly under hovering crystal orbs that shed gentle illumination. Tiny motes of light spiraled above the map, forming illusions of mountains, rivers, and moving clouds.
The three travelers gathered around the table like a peculiar little family.
The big golem loomed over the map, arms crossed, blue runes flickering faintly across his granite skin. His voice was deep and firm as rolling thunder.
"No. We should travel south," he said, eyes narrowing at the small one, who was currently standing right on top of the map, his little boots leaving dusty prints across mountain ranges.
The small golem waved his arms frantically, gears clicking and whirring inside his body.
"⟁⫽⧁ 𐍈⩇𒑃 ⧉ ⫷𐍂𒍟! North! NORTH! NORTH!" he shouted, pounding his tiny fists on the big one's helmeted head as the tall golem leaned closer to hear.
Sparks flew where his fists connected, but the big golem barely blinked.
"The North is far too perilous," the big one rumbled. "A Demon Prince's power stirs there once more, and with it spreads chaos and ruin. We cannot risk venturing into that accursed land. All that we have found so far are ruins and devastated lands."
The small golem huffed, cheeks puffing out like steam valves.
"𒑰⧠⩉ ⟡⍫𒍟 ⧪⫽𐍂 ⟊⫷ !" he cried.
The tall golem leaned forward, glaring.
"Have you lost your senses? The risk is far too great, all this madness for a trinket of stone?"
"⟊⧠⟡ 𐌖⍀⫷ ⧉⫽ꖇ ⍫⧫⟊ " the small one shot back, stamping his foot on the map so hard that a little illusionary mountain quaked and shed snowy sparkles.
In the background, the girl sat curled up on a velvet armchair, chin resting in her hand, eyes glittering with amusement. She was half-listening while idly flipping a coin between her fingers, a coin that sometimes shimmered, sometimes vanished altogether as if slipping in and out of time.
"Stone?" she piped up suddenly, tilting her head.
Both golems froze mid-argument, slowly turning to look at her. The small one immediately launched into a wild explanation, arms windmilling, tiny clockwork gears spinning under his cloak.
"⧗⧪ ⩉⟒𒑂 ⫽⚚⟟⫷ ꖌ𐌑⫸ ⧉𐌖⫽ ⍫⟊𐍈 𒍂⧁⟒ Ϟ⧗⟊⚚ ⟊⧫ꖜ 𒑃⧘⩇ ⧪𐍀⍫ ⫷⟡⧗⦿ 𒑰⧠⩉ ⟡⍫𒍟 ⧪⫽𐍂 ⟊⫷ " he babbled.
She blinked.
"Truly? Is it so?" she asked, leaning forward, her eyes alight with curiosity.
"Yeah!" the small golem insisted, nodding so hard his mask rattled on his face.
She turned her gaze to the big golem, one eyebrow raised.
He sighed, crossing his arms, purple embers pulsing faintly in his chest.
"It's true," he said gruffly. "There's a stone, a relic hidden long ago by the same small one, many lifetimes past. A powerful artifact, and yet that fool insists on finding it. The North is usually harsh but manageable… but not now. A terrifying energy has taken hold there, especially since the outbreak of the new war. That's why he is so desperate. This is something capable of bringing either great harm or salvation."
A moment of silence fell. The gentle ticking of clockwork, the creak of the wooden house atop the turtle's shell, and the distant howl of the icy wind filled the space.
Then the girl grinned, a spark of mischief in her eyes.
"Then it's decided. We're heading north."
She pointed dramatically at the spot on the glowing map where illusionary blizzards spiraled over jagged peaks.
The small golem let out a triumphant cheer, throwing his arms in the air and accidentally tipping over a candle, which the tall golem caught before it could ignite the map. The house rocked gently as the giant turtle carried them toward destiny under a sky glittering with stars.