Little one? I’m going to choose to ignore the condescension there. But “Telling my story” is easier said than done, given the limited vocabulary at my disposal. I also don’t even know if I’m getting the grammar right, for whatever language they speak here. Is it different from signing? Different from English? Hopefully he’ll be able to parse something out of my string of verbs and nouns.

I move my glass over the page. “I AM KANIN.”

“Kanin,” he repeats with a frown. “Is that the type of creature you are? I must say I’ve seen nothing like you before.”

I move my glass to “NO” and poke at it in exasperation. Come on, you seem smart. This is like the first few days trying to communicate with Noli all over again.

Zyneth taps his chin, thinking. “Not what you are. But it is… who you are? Your name?”

“YES!”

“Kanin,” he repeats, offering a finger. I tap a piece of glass against it in a mock handshake. “A pleasure to meet you. I do apologize for the attempted electrocution. My name’s Zyneth.”

An apology is a good start, as alarming as it is to realize he’d actually been trying to kill me. Good thing I’m immune to Electric damage. I guess all it takes to talk to someone around here is making it through the initial murder attempt.

“Those snakes earlier,” he says. “Were you trying to protect me from them when they attacked?”

The question fills me with embarrassment. I leave my glass on “YES,” orbiting the word for emphasis. He clearly hadn’t needed my help to dispatch the den. And to think how much I struggled with just two of them!

He laughs, eyes crinkling up, and the glow from his irises reflect off his golden freckles in a yellow glimmer reminiscent of his electricity. Not going to lie, the sparkly vampire aesthetic is kind of doing it for me.

“An admirable effort. You have a good heart, at least,” he says, which manages to sound more patronizing than complimentary. “But you said you need help. Can you tell me what’s wrong?”

Now that’s a loaded question. I have a couple different ways of tackling it, but it’s hard to say which is the best. I guess I should start with the easiest to communicate goals and then work up from there.

“I NEED TRAVEL TOWN. URGENT.”

“Town?” he asks. “Which town?”

Unfortunately, I hadn’t figured that out yet when Noli made the cheat sheet. Instead, I point in the direction of Harrowood.

He glances along my glass. “I suppose traveling at your size isn’t ideal, is it?”

I move my glass to “NO” and he chuckles.

“Well, luckily for you, I am headed in the same direction,” Zyneth says. “I don’t suppose you’d like some assistance?”

Relief floods through me. Those are the words I’ve been waiting for someone to say since I got sucked into this damn world. Finally, someone that can help us.

Us. The word sounds hollow without Noli here.

“YES,” I circle. “PLEASE.”

“Aren’t you polite?” Zyneth jests. “Now, how would you like to do this? I think any further discussions can be saved for the road. Many of those snakes are merely stunned, so we best be on our way before they rouse.”

Yikes, if I’d known that I wouldn’t have gotten so comfortable chatting in the midst of all these skeletons.

He holds out a hand. “I could carry you? Unless you’ve some other suggestion.”

I find the idea completely humiliating, actually, but there’s something I need to do, first. I don’t have a way to explain to Zyneth, however, so I simply leave him behind as I hurry off to the side, picking my way over the snakes’ bones that litter the forest floor.

“Kanin?” Zyneth calls after me, perplexed. I’m only gone for a few seconds, though: just far enough to get within range of the piece of glass I’d thrown earlier, then I hurriedly call it toward me and go stumbling back. Zyneth watches with interest.

“It’s an Attunement,” he says, though I think he’s more musing to himself than asking me a question. “Curious and curiouser yet.”

Zyneth’s palm is still outstretched, though I hesitate before stepping on. If I do this, I will literally be putting my life into his hands. I have no reason to trust him, and every reason to think he could squash me on the slightest whim. Yet, it’s the first glimmer of hope I’ve had in a long time. Maybe this is why they call it a leap of faith.

Cautiously, my soul fluttering with anxiety, I step into his hands.

Zyneth stands, and the movement presses me flat against his palm as I’m whisked into the air. I manage to snag my cheat sheet with some glass before it’s out of range, and then it follows me up; I keep the sheet levitating nearby.

“Handy,” Zyneth notes as my page floats to his side. “Can you still talk like this?”

I rearrange my glass, using several pieces to hold the paper rigid while I hover the rest over the words. It’s a little tricky when he begins to walk, and even trickier when I move the paper and it catches the breeze—but I can manage.

“YES.”

“I wasn’t anticipating a travel companion when I started down this road,” Zyneth says, stepping over the crippled bonefangs that litter the path. In the dawning light, the white of their bones stand out from the surrounding dirt like a newly fallen blanket of snow. “However, the company is welcome for as long as it may last. My business will take me to the Petrified Groves, if that’s in your direction.”

Er. I don’t recall seeing that on the maps. Then again, I recall very little of what was on the maps, and I certainly don’t intend to take them out now. “MAYBE?”

Zyneth laughs. “Maybe? Do you not know where that is?”

“NO,” I admit.

“Hm. But you’re sure this is the direction you need to be going?”

Sure is a strong word. In fact, any city is as good as any other, as long as it’s got a wizard who can help. I do know, however, that heading back toward Peakshadow would be a bad idea. Even ignoring how small it was, if anyone else there had seen me, like Tetara, when the predator was summoned…

My insides twist. Forcing the thoughts aside, I circle, “YES.”

“Well, I’ll take you as far as you need as long as it’s on my way,” Zyneth says. “Though I fear you cannot come with me to the end, as I’ve my own problems to track down. It would likely be too dangerous for a little flask such as yourself.”

I’m not exactly eager to face any more danger myself, so that’s fine by me.

“Is there anyone in particular you’re looking for?” Zyneth asks. “Something you’re seeking?”

I hadn’t written down Cloud’s Arcane Artifacts, either, though I suppose they’re sort of a crapshoot anyway. “WIZARD HELP.” Man, I really should have gotten Noli to write out more words.

“A wizard?” He looks over my paper, then taps the name written next to “Kanin.” “Noli? Is this them?”

I cringe. “NO.” Just seeing her name there has me dripping with guilt. A reminder that she should have been here, too.

“Ah, alright. What do you need a wizard for? My specialty is somewhat different, but I’ve still dabbled plenty in the arcane. Perhaps I could help.”

Don’t do me like that. Don’t you dare get my hopes up. Still, I respond with, “MY SPELL EXPIRE. NEED WIZARD HELP. URGENT.”

Zyneth clearly tries to puzzle through this. “You need a wizard to help you with a spell that will expire. Your spell. I don’t suppose you could tell me more about the spell? No, I can see you’ve hardly got any words here to work with. Interesting, interesting. What will happen when the spell expires?”

Looks like I didn’t get “I’ll die” written on the cheat sheet either. Great. “DANGER” is all I can point out.

“To others?” he asks.

“NO.” Well, technically both Noli and I, but I’m not about to muddy the waters with more things I can’t explain.

“Yourself?”

“YES.”

“I see.”

We walk in silence for a minute. I wish I could tell what he’s thinking, but his lack of pupils and the whole glowing eyeballs thing makes it difficult for me to read his expression.

“Might I try something?” he finally asks. “It’s a spell. It won’t harm you.”

I’m not terribly excited about the prospect of him doing magic to me, if I’m being honest, but I also don’t see that I’ve much of a choice. “YES.”

“Excellent. It will just take a moment.”

A yellow light appears beneath me, radiating from Zyneth’s palm.

[Your magic has been Identified,] Echo says.

Oh, uh. Okay. Good to know, I guess.

The light disappears. “You’re a homunculus,” Zyneth says, voice filled with surprise.

“NO,” I reply.

Zyneth blinks. “No? You don’t believe you’re a homunculus?”

“YES AND NO.” I’m a human, dammit. This homunculus thing is just… a temporary and extreme inconvenience.

“Well your spell appears to be a homunculus spell to me,” he says. “That’s the spell you’re worried will expire? I suppose that makes sense. A wizard needs to renew the core that powers their homunculus, periodically.” He hesitates. “But I have never known a homunculus to be sentient before.”

“THANKS,” I circle.

He laughs. “Or sarcastic. That’s why you say you’re not a homunculus? You’re something… more.”

“YES.” Finally, someone who gets it.

“Strange,” he says. “Truly strange. The glass part is unique as well. Did you know that?”

“NO,” I admit. Look, just because I’m in a homunculus body doesn’t make me an expert on them.

He nods. “Stone is the most common element for a homunculus, due to its durability. Sometimes wood or clay. Really, though, it depends on the core that powers the homunculus: It must be a complimentary affinity. Fire cores often power stone homunculus. Water cores for the wood ones. Lightning and earth arcana can be used for clay. Glass is unique, however.” He squints at me, and it’s hard not to squirm under his dissecting gaze. “I’m unsure which element powers this body. My spell did not tell me that much, and my knowledge of the artform is incomplete.”

I might have an inkling. If Trenevalt had been trying to collect an energy source from Between to power his homunculus, then that’s likely the “Element” that’s powering my spell. Which surely has something to do with the void. But what’s the difference between void and the predator? Are they one and the same? Is my spell being powered by the predator? Or is the creature just… something else that’s learned to feed off the void as well?

My mind spins trying to sort through all the possibilities.

“That’s not the only abnormality,” Zyneth continues. “Although glass is odd, I see no reason for it to not be possible, should that meet a wizard’s whims. However, this is an Attunement, is it not?” He taps my signing glass.

“YES.”

“And this?” He gestures to my body and the legs I’ve fashioned for it. “Did your wizard make this, or did you?”

I proudly puff myself up. “ME.”

“Amazing,” he repeats. “That shouldn’t be possible, you realize. Homunculi don’t have magic of their own to wield; they are artificial constructs, without minds, wills, or souls of their own. At least, that was my understanding before today.”

I’m not sure how to respond to that. I certainly have all three of those. But I mean, Noli and I can’t possibly be the first people this has happened too, right? We were definitely in the wrong place at the wrong time—but that doesn’t mean our circumstances are one of a kind.

Because if they are, then we’re unlikely to find anyone who will know how to fix this.

No, I’m sure there have been others. Maybe our case is just rare—but not unheard of. After all, Zyneth admitted his knowledge of homunculi is limited. He’s an artificer, not a wizard—whatever difference that makes. I’m sure I’ll find help in Harrowood.

I’m sure of it.

After a while of walking, Zyneth’s arm gets tired, so he offers for me to ride on his shoulder instead. It’s high-key humiliating, being treated like some kind of pet, but I swallow my pride and accept. I’m lucky he’s helping me out at all.

I dig my glass into the cloth on his shoulders, trying not to stab my gracious host in the process. I’m able to pierce the ends through a couple folds of fabric, and when I press outward with my legs, it pretty well locks me into place. It’s somewhat nicer to feel like my fate is in my own hands, again. Now I don’t have to worry about being dropped: If I slip, death by Fall damage will be entirely my own fault.

Nice.

For the first time in what feels like years, my vantage point is actually at human level. It’s refreshing, being able to see the world from more than three inches off the ground. It also fills me with a kind of aching wistfulness; I’m so tired of being so small and helpless. I miss my body. And I’m sick to my stomach of this constant fear hanging over me about what the predator might do to me next. Regret over what it’s already made me do.

Memories of the void come to me once again. It’s hard to simply dismiss them. And I guess part of me doesn’t want to just pretend like it didn’t happen. I took two lives. Even if it was the predator acting through me—even if I didn’t want it to happen—I still bear the memories of being the one who killed them. Of relishing it. Those people tried to stand up against a monster, and lost everything. And if I’d never been dragged into this world in the first place, they would still be alive.

My soul aches for home. Not even for family or friends. Not for food and sleep and laughter. I just miss things being easy. Not having to worry about life and death. Not having others to be responsible for. I wish I could feel what it’s like to live without this weight inside me again.

Gradually, the melancholy crystallizes into resolve. Once we figure this spell out—once I make sure Noli’s safe—I’m going to find some way to get our bodies back. Yes, I know I technically died to get here in the first place, but shit, I’ve got magic now. Anything could be possible. If I can live for two weeks as a bottle of ink, why can’t I heal my original body and take it back? Why can’t I find a way to get rid of the predator forever?

I guess, whatever the odds, I have to try.