Cera did not live very far away, but to No 6 the walk over felt like ages.
They had gone out with Tenna before; every so often the old Elf would need something from the market and take a golem along to carry the purchases. No.6 would relish such opportunities as rare chances to see the outside world… at least between the café and the marketplace. No.6 tried to be in the right place to get picked when they got a sense that the chance was approaching, but Tenna was the whimsical sort who liked to pick a different golem each time.
This time Cera was leading No.6 in the opposite direction. They tried to absorb as many of the sights as possible without turning their head and acting out of character. Just a few dozen paces away from Summer Breeze was the studio of the glassmaker that makes the dishes used at the café – No.6 recognized their emblem. The Galloping Kirin inn was a few more doors down; Tenna had been on friendly terms with the previous owner, but when she passed away her daughter saw Summer Breeze only as a competitor. Tenna had complained about that for months.
The people milling about were mostly Elves, but there were a few and Humans around as well. Ordinary people, going about their ordinary lives. .
Finally Cera led No.6 into the second floor of a modest-looking 3 story building. Cera’s apartment was quite bare: on one side, a small kitchen with a mundane wood stove on the other. In the middle in multiple stacks: tents, bedrolls, , and other adventuring accoutrements.
“You can drop the act now.” Cera turned around to face the Golem . “The other tenants are also adventurers, and they’re gone for the next few days; we’re alone.”
No.6 hesitated, but then allowed themselves to relax. Instead of standing still like before the Golem shifted their feet, holding their hands together nervously as they looked around.
“See that’s more like it.” Cera raised a thumb encouragingly. “Shackles are off. Bet that feels good eh? I can sympathize.”
No.6 curiously tilted their head, to which the adventurer responded by slapping her fist into her open palm. “This is no way to have a conversation, now is it?” She walked over to a rucksack and fished out a small slab of dark slate along with a cloth and a stick of chalk. “If you can draw enchantment circles then I’m pretty sure you can read and write.”
No.6 gingerly took the writing implements offered to them. They briefly considered what message to write – this was a momentous occasion, their first words. What should they be? Something impressive , a sentence or phrase that would assure Cera that her efforts had been worth it.
[Nice to meet you.]
Nailed it.
“Nice to meet you too,” Cera chuckled. “I suppose proper introductions are in order then. I am Cera Egrodottir, adventurer, brawler, and all-round troublemaker.” She crossed her legs and spread out her arms in an odd bow.
[I am Golem No.6 of Summer Breeze Café.] No.6 inscribed onto the slate. They wanted to say more, but couldn’t think of any other way to describe themselves.
The two paused for a moment, Cera waiting to see if No.6 would write anything else, and No.6 looking expectantly towards her in turn. “I suppose you haven’t had any practice in keeping a conversation going, eh?” She observed. “How about this: I’ll ask a question, and then you ask a question, okay? It’s a fairly common way to get to know one another.”
No.6 nodded in approval. They did have a lot of things that they wanted to ask, and they didn’t want to seem rude or pushy.
“Okay, first question then,” Cera pulled up a simple wooden chair and sat down on it while gesturing for No.6 to do the same, which they did out of politeness rather than any physical need. “I think I know the answer, but are any of the other golems in the café like you?”
[No, I am the only one who is aware.] No.6 replied, wiped the slate clean and wrote [How did you find out?]
“Oh you weren’t nearly as discreet as you thought you were.” Cera smirked. “For Tenna and his usual customers, yeah it was good enough to pass, but for someone like me you were obvious.”
No.6 was stunned, and a bit stung.
“Your body language: small finger twitches, glances when you think nobody is looking, small delays before following what should be automatic commands,” She listed and seeming to notice the hurt feelings added “Well, obvious as a repeat customer. The first times I noticed it I thought I might have imagined it, but over time there was no mistaking what I saw.”
[So why did you decide to talk to me?] No.6 wrote quickly.
“Hey, it’s my turn to ask a question.” Cera pointed out, quickly stopping No.6 who was fumbling with their chalk by saying “Only joking, it’s not a rule. I considered it, and decided that talking to you would be a proper test: either I make a discovery, or I expose a glitch and alert Tenna about it. You’re really lucky you weren’t found out by a more hotheaded person.”
[But weren’t you worried about looking strange yourself for talking to a Golem?] No.6 pressed.
“Nah, I don’t particularly care if some grandma with ear hair longer than her ears thinks I’ve been hit on the head one too many times.” Cera shrugged. “Tenna’s the only one in there whose opinion I particularly care about, and he has his own reasons for indulging me.”
Before No.6 could ask what those reasons were, Cera took her turn.
“So, I take it you’ve always been self-aware?” She questioned. “Why haven’t you told Tenna yet?”
It took a few moments before No.6 answered.
[Scared.]
Cera sighed, then reached out and placed a hand on No.6’s shoulder. “It’s your choice, and I think you’re right to be cautious.” She told them, fixing her gaze on what equated to eye contact with the Golem. “Now I’ve known Tenna for a long time, many times longer than you’ve been alive. I know for a fact that if you came forward to him, he would do his very best to help you. However, discretion isn’t really his strong suit.”
No.6 agreed with that final assessment, having been around many of the old Elf’s gossip circles.
“So, as I see it you’ve got two options.” Cera continued. “One: we keep somewhat close to the status quo. You will continue to live and work at Tenna’s, and I will keep making up excuses every once in a while to get you a break from it… Apart from whatever you do at night, that is.”
No.6 rather liked this suggestion; they could continue to live out their peaceful life, but also finally fulfil their need for socialization. They were still curious as to what the next option would be.
“Option two: I help you run away.” The Elf went on, causing No.6 to recoil in surprise; it was a lot more drastic than they expected. “I don’t have a plan or anything for it yet, but if you are feeling trapped in your current life I’ll do my best to get you out of it and find you a lifestyle that fits you.”
No.6 lowered their head slightly, overwhelmed by emotion. There was one question now that rose above all, that they needed to ask before answering Cera’s offer.
[Why would you go to all this effort for me?] They wrote, carefully and deliberately.
The adventurer leaned back and sighed again. “A number of reasons, but they all boil down to the fact that I hate seeing any innocent sapient creature in bondage. There’s nothing I despise more than slavery, I think it’s the greatest evil in this world, and you are a unique victim of it where your slaver does not know they are such.”
No.6 took their time to reflect on that. They felt deeply touched that Cera would care about their situation, that she would go out of her way to help them if they asked. What would a life outside of the café even be like? It wasn’t like a Golem could just go around and live like anyone else. It would be much harder to hide, difficult to have privacy or act naturally…
[Thank you sincerely,] No.6 wrote on the slate. [I prefer to stay for now. I do not feel like a slave.]
“Good, I am glad you aren’t suffering or feel like you are under duress somehow.” Cera nodded. “And this way I don’t have to worry about hurting Tenna’s feelings or wallet. Still, you can always change your mind.”
[I appreciate it.] No.6 nodded back. They didn’t want to escape, but it was comforting to know the option would still be there.
Cera smiled at them. “Now let’s move on to more pleasant conversation topics, shall we?” She suggested. “You practically homeschooled yourself, right? I’m guessing only with the books and things you could get in that house. You did a very good job with so little; you write very well, and I’ve never heard of someone teaching themselves enchanting without any formal magical education. So, I figure I’ll help fill in the blanks. I’ve got a couple of books here…”
Cera stood up and walked over to an old chest in the corner. She fished in it for a moment, very carefully moving other things out of the way before retrieving a small bundle of books tied together with a leather belt. The covers were very worn and obviously quite old, but the pages still seemed to be in solid and readable condition.
“They’re textbooks from a school where I used to live.” Cera explained. “Some local history, a general description of the major powers on the continent. Granted, it’s about a century out of date, but it should give you a good idea of what’s around here for the future.”
She gingerly handed the books to the Golem. “Be careful, alright? They’re old, and… I have a sentimental attachment to them, so be gentle with them please.”
No.6 nodded, waiting for a moment before she let go of the books before carefully setting them beside them and scribbling onto the slate, [Thank you.]
She smiled again. “You’re welcome. They were doing no good holed up in that chest, especially with the money I was paying alchemists for moth repellant to preserve them.”
[I can’t take them with me.] No.6 noted, though they were sure Cera would have thought of that already. As expected the Elf nodded, answering “You’ll have to read them here, whenever I can get you away. I’ll keep coming up with excuses, don’t you worry.”
She had said so before, but hearing it repeated still made No.6 happy.
“Now, before I let you at those books, there’s one more thing I want to confirm with you.” Cera told them. No.6 paused their attempt to unfasten the belt holding the books together.
“You identified yourself as Golem No.6 of Summer Breeze before. Are you comfortable with that, or do you prefer to have a proper name for your very own?”
That certainly caught No.6 off guard. A proper name? They had never really questioned being just Golem No.6. It was what Tenna called them, and the number was marked on their chest just below the collar. It was enough to differentiate them from the other golems in the café, but now that they had someone to talk to…
The more No.6 thought about it the worse they felt. ‘Golem No.6’ felt off, felt impersonal and ill fitting. It wasn’t demeaning per se, but now the Golem felt naked without a real name.
[I want a name.] They wrote.
“I think I have something that would both honor your origin while still being a lot more personal.” Cera told them. “What do you think of the name… Shesh?”
The Golem felt so happy they thought their faceplate would crack and become a smile right there and then.
[I love it.] Shesh replied.
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Shesh!!! What a nice name!
Also, good for them! They've got a friend they can talk to now!
Thanks for the chapter
It's my pleasure!