Page 26 of Frostforge: Passage Two

Wolfe opened a panel in the golem's chest cavity and carefully placed the heart inside.The room held its collective breath.

Nothing happened.

The golem remained motionless, the heart's blue glow dimly visible through gaps in the metal plating.Ten seconds passed.Twenty.Wolfe removed the heart with a brisk motion.

"Insufficient ice magic infusion," she pronounced, her tone clinical."The construct cannot channel the heart's energy.You will rebuild."

The girl's face drained of what little color it had, but she nodded stiffly, accepting the judgment without protest.Thalia felt a twinge of sympathy despite herself.The girl had spent weeks on that construct.

Wolfe moved to the next station, where a boy with a jagged scar across his chin waited.His golem was smaller, more compact, with articulated joints that suggested speed rather than brute force.When Wolfe placed the heart in its chest, the construct shuddered once, then straightened, its metal fingers flexing with audible clicks.

The boy's relief was palpable as Wolfe nodded approval."Adequate," she said, which from her was high praise indeed.

She retrieved the heart and continued around the room, leaving alternating waves of relief and despair in her wake.Two more students passed the test; one failed.Then it was Thalia's turn.

Her palms were slick with sweat as Wolfe approached.The brass golem gleamed under the forge lights, its design noticeably different from the others — more elegant, with curves where others had used harsh angles, and intricate filigree work around the joints that served both decorative and functional purposes.

"Brass," Wolfe commented, the word neither approval nor criticism.

Thalia nodded, not trusting herself to speak.She'd chosen brass for its superior resistance to corrosion, a property she'd discovered through experimentation rather than instruction.Iron and steel were traditional, reliable — but brass sang with magic in a way the other metals didn't, at least to her senses.

Wolfe opened the panel in the golem's chest and placed the heart inside with practiced precision.

For one terrible moment, nothing happened.Thalia's heart sank.Then —

A surge of energy flowed through the brass like liquid light.The golem's eyes — elegant slits Thalia had carved and set with quartz — illuminated with a brilliant blue glow.Its fingers twitched, then curled into a fluid motion, unlike the jerky movements of the iron constructs.The golem turned its head, the movement unnervingly smooth, and looked directly at Thalia.

Recognition.There was recognition in those glowing eyes.

Thalia stood transfixed, barely breathing.She had created this.This rudimentary form of life, this consciousness, however limited — it had sprung from her hands, her understanding of metal and magic.

The golem raised its hand, mirroring Thalia's unconscious gesture.Around them, the forge had gone utterly silent.

Wolfe carefully removed the heart, and the light faded from the golem's eyes.It froze in position, a beautiful statue once more.The Instructor studied Thalia for a long moment, her expression unreadable.

"Well done," she said finally, the words quiet but clear.

Thalia exhaled slowly, dizzy with relief and lingering wonder.Her golem had not only animated but had demonstrated a level of responsiveness that exceeded any of the others.The validation flooded through her, momentarily washing away her concerns about the materials.

But as Wolfe moved away, reality reasserted itself.Her test had succeeded with a temporary heart.To create a permanent core, she would need materials of the highest quality — materials that were apparently being systematically replaced with inferior substitutes.

Wolfe stopped at the station beside Thalia's, where Einar waited.His golem was imposing, nearly seven feet tall, with a bulky frame and crude facial features hammered into a steel mask.The chest plate showed signs of hasty repair, faint weld lines visible where the broken pieces had been rejoined.

Wolfe frowned slightly but said nothing as she placed the heart into the golem's chest cavity.

The response was immediate and catastrophic.

Blue energy surged through the steel, not with the controlled flow of Thalia's brass construct, but in wild, erratic bursts.The golem jerked upright, its movements spasmodic and uncoordinated.A high-pitched whine emanated from its core, rising in pitch and volume.

"Something's wrong," Thalia said, backing away instinctively."The energy flow is —"

The golem lurched forward, one massive arm swinging in a wild arc.Einar scrambled backward, stumbling over a tool cart with a crash.Other students scattered, pressing against the forge walls.The construct staggered as the magical energy coursed unchecked through its frame.

With a final, convulsive movement, it overbalanced and crashed to the stone floor.The impact shattered its hastily-repaired chest plate, sending fragments of steel scattering across the floor.Blue energy discharged in a blinding flash, and the whining sound cut off abruptly.

"Stay back!"Wolfe's command cut through the chaos.She approached the fallen construct warily, her movements precise and controlled.The golem lay in pieces, the heart still pulsing erratically among the wreckage.

With practiced movements, Wolfe deactivated the heart, the blue glow fading to nothing.The sudden silence was deafening.

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