And They Go by Sea

[Thomas Cosa]

2nd of Summer, 512 AV

"I still don't understand why we have to watch them."

"Because, apprentice, I said so," Thomas replied curtly, barely bothering to give the apprentice a glance. The masters had completed an order, and someone needed to see that it reached the docks, and as master apprentice, Thomas decided he wouldn't trust anyone other than himself; that didn't mean he wanted to go alone, however.

"And as master apprentice, the apprentice does whatever I say, correct?" Thomas smiled, eyes still focused on the three golems ahead. The golems carried a large metal chest, filled to the brim with small gadgets and automatons. Small trinkets compared to the actual golems Sahovas used for themselves, but Thomas saw no reason to export the real deal, when these toys seemed to satisfy the outside world perfectly.

"Besides, it's important you see the sky ever now and then," he joked, two doors opening alone, revealing the port. Silent, aside from the wheeling of the three golems, the ever present fog condensed around the three piers, despite the cloudless sky.

Thomas reveled in Syna's light, breathing in the fresh sea air, the scents of salt and low tide.

The duo followed the three golems towards the second pier, stopping only a few yards away from the captain, the only pulser to leave the ship.

Thomas breathed deeply, focusing on the young human. Djed pumped and bubbled, slowly coating the world in vivid colors and strange scents; Thomas noticed the the strong scent of musk and sea coming of the lad's skin, the oily feel of his hair and body, but perhaps most of the all, the fear. Under the influence of auristics, Thomas felt the prick of fear against his skin, like needles. Emotion had yet to become detectable by any of his other senses, but he always felt it.

The striking of needles against his flesh, the clammy feeling of cold water washing up against him -- Thomas knew this man, he was nervous and scared.

They always were, and they still came.

"He's scared," the nuit observed, whispering.

"They always are, and yet they still come. I wonder how much they profit of trips like these?" Thomas wondered aloud, loud enough for the young captain to notice -- and scowl at the duo.

"Perhaps we should consider making a golem that could swim, then they wouldn't half to come to the island, poor things," the apprentice laughed, cruelly.

"Perhaps," Thomas smiled, eyes widening, "Not the worst idea I've heard," he muttered, turning back towards the citadel, ideas forming.

[Thomas Cosa]

Thomas drew slowly, trying to get all the detail he wanted into the picture. He detailed the picture as best as his skill would allow, hoping against hope that whatever gadgeteer was unlucky enough to work with him would be able to understand the primitive sketch.

The pulser started with a trapezoid, awkward and much larger than the two circles underneath the irregular shape. Slowly, Thomas drew two lines jutting from the sides, curling something similar to a flower at the ends.

Underneath the first drawing, Thomas began to draw another trapezoid -- much larger then the original, and then he drew a smaller trapezoid inside the larger one. Thomas doodled three spirals in between the first and second trapezoids. Thomas then drew two slanted lines above the the larger trapezoid, placing the quill down, Thomas rubbed his wrist as the ink began to dry.

Chimes later, Thomas rolled up his plans, and quickly made his way over to Cid's work station, excited.

"Cid, I've got these plans and --."

"Got no time fer that, kid," Cid growled, haunched over his own desk. "Got me own projects, find s'meone else, yeah?"

"Someone else? Thomas echoed, confused.

Cid sighed, loudly, "Yeah. Not me, got it? I'm very busy, like, ain't got time ta look 'ver ev'ry petchin' design," he muttered, "Look," he paused, turning towards Thomas, "Show 'em at her, she knows what she's doin'," pointing towards a female creature, four arms balancing various plans.

Thomas nodded politely, remembering not to ask the grumpy old man for anything in the near future -- if he was too busy to help, Thomas was too busy talk.

[Thomas Cosa]

"There is already a transport system, yes? Why do you make this one?" The eypharian asked noisily, two hands stretching the designs out before her, "Besides, this...Laria thinks this is very bad, yes, no quality, Laria thinks," she frowned, dipping a quill in an ink pot with a third hand.

"It's a scout," Thomas rolled his eyes annoyed, "Something that'll go out, far out into the sea. It'll be able to communicate, decide whether or not anything Sahova needs anything on the ship, and judge the threat level of all incoming boats," he added smartly, proud of his work, "See?" Thomas traced the outline of the figure with his finger, "It looks like a boat, so it'll float, and this," he pointed at the springs that connected the large and the smaller trapezoids, "Will carry back goods, or bodies, or whatever, and the golems on shore will be able decide a good price for the material."

"Is...interesting, yes?" Laria nodded, "But how big is scout? What is it made of and what is this thing?" She asked, pointing at the flowery sketch attached to the back of the scout.

She continued before Thomas could explain, "You draw again, yes? Include scale, and label each parts, and then I order for you, and help you build."

[Thomas Cosa]

Thomas sat down in a huff, hurriedly pulling his designs over the desk. He placed two stones on the end of the parchment, holding the designs stiil. Pulling a quill out of his pants, Thomas dipped the feather in an ink bottle, and quickly began to make the adjustments to his scout designs.

He outlined the top of the first trapezoid, making a sort of rectangle. Thomas traces the long shape again, and then scribbled a note in the ancient tongue besides the design.

Glass band needs to completely circulate the top of the golem, giving the golem an almost 360 degree potential for sight.

Thomas then detailed the separate pieces, labeling the parts and attempted to do a scale for each one -- it was sloppy but understandable, and he hoped Laria would be able to correct his math. Thomas scribbled another note on the left hand side of the paper.

Designs meant to accommodate a scale of a hand per inch, golem should end up measuring around ten hands tall.

Thomas finished, rolling up the scroll.
...
"Good, good," the eypharian nodded approvingly, "Still, sloppy, yes? But is better, now. I fix measurements, and parts, they come in six days."

[Thomas Cosa]

8th of Summer, 512 AV

"WAKE UP!"

Thomas groaned, barely awake as four hands poked and tugged at him, beginning to drag the young pulser off the pile of hay he used as a mattress.

"Wha --," Thomas yawned, rubbing his eyes with a free hand, "Laria?" Thomas asked, shapes getting clearer, sharper, as he woke up.

"Order is here, Master Apprentice. You are being needed on the floor, I will be assisting, yes?"

"What order? And helping with what?" Thomas asked, confused. He stretched, pushing his body up for a brief tick, standing on his toes. He yawned again, rolling his shoulders, trying to bring back some feeling into his joints.

"Your project, chupra. Sometimes you are being too much like those, Benshira, yes?" She teased, gently touching his forehead, "You must use your brain, or lose it. I am thinking the masters could always be using fresh bodies, yes?" She smiled, although Thomas got the feeling it was far from sincere.

The duo made their way across the lab, Thomas nodded at the various apprentices that he had know, and surpassed, now their master. He was proven their better, and while a nod wasn't much, it forced the other apprentices to at least acknowledge his posiiton.

They couldn't ignore their master, after all.

Finally reaching the small work area Thomas claimed as his own, Laria waved over four golems, one carrying a very large box. Thomas watched as the eypharian directed the carrier, gently guiding the golem to place the box sideways alongside the workbench.

She then pointed to several screws alongside the box, and one of the smaller golems began to unscrew them, gently removing the lid, and began to arrange the parts by size and purpose.

"First, we check to make sure everything is here, and then, we build, yes?" Laria started counting the pieces, checking them against their design.

[Thomas Cosa]

"I am not so trusting with the golems I have not been building," Laria said, leading one of the larger golems towards the wooden planks, "But Cid is needing them, and he is more important than either you or I, at least for the moment," she sighed, grabbing some metal railing.

"So, I use the common golems. You watch too, and then next time, you won't be needing me, yes?"

"Look," she directed Thomas' gaze with a free hand, feeding the metal railing to the golem with her other three, "I will be setting up the railing, I make the 'walls' of your little scout or boat or whatever," she said, guiding the golem along the planks of wood, metal railing connecting every four planks together, "Sixteen individual planks, each roughly two hands, so four makes a wall, and then we have four walls, correct, master?" She asked, not really looking for answer.

"Mhmm," Thomas nodded, giving a response anyway.

"Yes, but you will still be needing to secure the railing," Laria added, stopping the golem momentarily, two hands searching through a tool box. The eypharian tossed a wooden mallet and some nails towards Thomas, the pulser fumbling with the tools. "See the holes," she pointed at the four holes that lined the metal railing. "Secure them, I make sure the railing is good and set after."

Thomas waited until the first four planks were connected, that kneeled down next to the wall.

Holding the first nail secure, Thomas began to pound away -- gently. It took the pulser a few chimes, but he eventually got the nail in. Thomas then proceeded to do the next three nails the same.

Then, despite the eypharian warnings, Thomas helped feed the railing for the next three walls, deciding it would be better if he learned. Gently, Thomas carried the metal into a slot into the golem. The golem started, a whirling noise as it accepted the metal, and it carefully rolled it over the four wooden planks.

Finishing the walls, the duo proceeded to nail in the nails, securing the railing in place.

[Thomas Cosa]

"With the legs, THE LEGS," Laria groaned, four hands pulling a wooden wall, as Thomas attempted to raise it. His fingers were already beginning to burn, sweat sliding the wood between his grasp. Thomas stifled his own complaints, not bothering to ask the ephyarian why they weren't using the common golems to help with the heaving lifting.

"I am not trusting these golems; I do not make them, I do not know how they are thinking," Thomas mouthed the words, the sentence almost committed to memory. Laria spit it out only every bell, and it was the same response he had received with every protest and complaint.

Thomas grunted, pushing the wall with his shoulder know, putting as much force as he could behind it.

Finally, he heard a small click, and Thomas slopped down, tired.

"Up, up, Master Cosa," Laria tugged at him with two arms, handing him a screw and a screw driver with a third. "The walls will stick for little time -- I made the holes before, while you were nailing, yes?" she nodded, pointing to two holes on the wall facing outward -- Thomas only assumed it would go through the farther wall, and the one perpendicular to that one, and hopefully they would stick. "You do this, I do other wall."

Thomas nodded, grabbing the screws, and beginning to connect the animation together. Slowly, and carefully, Thomas twisted the first screw in with his fingers, only using the screwdriver when the screw was too far deep for his hand. Thomas turned the tool slowly, carefully making sure the metal piece would keep the wood tightly connected. Thomas then followed up with the second.

By the time Thomas had managed to get the screws tight enough for his liking, Laria had already raised the second wall, secured it, and was well on her way with the third. Thomas helped the eypahrian with that wall as well, screwing the screws as they went along.

The whole thing now consisted of the three walls, deep grooves lining the inside of the wooden captraption.

"This is what we put there, the springs yet?" Laria pointed at two smaller boards, connected by three coiled springs.

Thomas nodded, grabbing one side of the botton board, Laria the other. The two slowly placed it in the wooden captraption, and then they pushed the last and final wall against the three already standing.

Thomas once agained screwed the screws in by hand, at first, and then proceeded to use the the screwdriver to tighten everything.

[Thomas Cosa]

"Now, you do wheels," Laria commanded, handing Thomas a medium sized box containing four sets of wheel, eight in total, as well as the accompanying handles.

"You'll help, though," Thomas countered, although it sounded more of a question. Despite everything, Thomas was still unsure of his own ability and wasn't entirely thrilled with the idea of working alone; especially since the Masters would be overseeing the finished product.

The eypharian shook her head, two hands pushing back the cascade of black hair, "No, you do. I must be adding the glass panels, and when you finish the wheels, I add them too," she sighed, rubbing her eyes, "Bring them finished to my desk, and then I do the rest, and the scout, or whatever, will be ready for the animation."

Thomas nodded, pulling out the various pieces and parts.

He had built the wheels for the follower golems before, and luckily, these weren't so different. They had the shield, which protected the actual disk, and the two seals, which contained the disk. Deciding to work out the handles later, Thomas began to work on the first wheel. The disc was the second largest piece, and easy enough to find. The two seals were easy to find as well, considering how organized the contacts were -- and Thomas began to connect the pieces.

The seals twisted easy together, holding the disc still -- and the shield snapped againt the disc, and then Thomas began to construct the handle.

From the back side, not covered by the shield, had a connection to the two seals -- which a handle attched to. The handle itself consisted of a small orb, and to which to metal rods connected, much simpler than the wheel.

Thomas quickly constructed the handle, and attached it to the wheel, repeating the process with each wheel, so eight times in total.

When the pulser finished, he laid the box on the eypharian's desk, and would be waiting tomorrow for the finished product.

[Thomas Cosa]

9th of Summer, 512AV

It was beautiful.

Thomas could hardly contain himself, watching Laria push his creation over to his desk. It was large -- almost, if not taller than himself. It was longer than it was tall, but no matter; Thomas had wanted some kind of boat to begin with, if anything, it looked more like a boat now. It was wooden, metal railings holding the entire construction together -- two rotating rudders graced the back of the pseudoboat. Glass topped the golem, reflecting the magelight of the lab beautifully, like a crown.

"You are much excited, yes? You smile too much, too obvious," Laria crinkled her nose, as if the blantant show of emotion offended her.

Thomas smiled at her anyway, too excited to care.

"Now for the fun part," he laughed, grabbing the boat thing.

"Yes, well, this I think you are good at? Yes?" She waved two hands, dismissing herself.

[Thomas Cosa]

Thomas quickly drew a circle around the wooden golem, a single line branching out away from the original circle. Then, the pulser sat down and drew a circle that encompassed himself, connecting the animation circles in their entirety.

Drawing the daeq glyph, he began to shape the curve the would be path of the Djed, small curves dotting the two circles, the glyphs would save more of the magic that could be lost in the transaction, creating a quicker animation process. He moved besides the medium sized golem, reaching underneath to draw the glyph for to unite thoughts, pechtpond. Separate, the glyphs did little in the animation process -- together though, they insured a much more cohesive golem. Slowly, Thomas detailed the conjoined glyphs, the little space that separated the bottom of the golem and the floor hardly enough to see what he was doing.

Deciding against risking his precious creation, Thomas pushed the golem away from the center, allowing himself more room to draw the glyph. Two circles intertwined, surrounded by another. Thomas finished, pushing the golem back.

Thomas then drew two pond ruins, hoping to balance out the Djed between the two circles. Two horizontal and parallel lines marking this ruin.

Thomas then checked the circles again, making sure nothing was broken. He needed to ensure everything was perfect, and safe, before he started his animation.