The golem ignored the wolf's attempt to defend the shards. Her yelling and barking had no effect on the creature, which lurched towards the chrysalis shards scattered across the ground regardless. It was intent on capturing them and adding them to its collection - the golem itself was composed of several rocks of similar composition and colour, but there were small shards embedded in its torso, arms and legs that would suggest it was the chrysalis shards it was after. Only when the deer had come up behind it and tapped it did the golem slow its pace. Its churning grinded to an eventual halt, and the golem sat there for a moment. Then the rocks comprising its body rotated, scraping across one another until it faced the deer. It lurched towards her, reaching out for the gem on her hoof.

"Speech" Thoughts

A snarl continued to vibrate through Arkrael's chest as the darned thing just kept going towards her stone shards. Yet as Tamelyn moved in closer and touched the thing Arkrael's entire being froze. No. Something wasn't right. The thing had come to a complete stop and Arkrael took a tentative step closer. "Tamelyn, should move probably..." She murmured almost in a whisper as she lifted a paw as if to nudge at Tamelyn's leg. Though, just as she began to try and convince Tamelyn to move the thing began to move again and her fur bristled up quickly. It all seemed to be happening fast. At least in Arkrael's mind it did. That thing was going after Tamelyn! What it would do with her once it got it's grimy paws on her Arkrael was unsure. Arkrael wasn't about to find out.

"Tamelyn! Mooove!" She cried out to the deer as she rushed forward, her paws kicking up moss and dirt alike as she desperately moved to intercept the hand that was going for Tamelyn. A snarling bark forced its way out of Arkrael and just as she got close to Tamelyn she made a leap for the extending arm. Intent on getting it away from her friend.

She grunted as she smacked into the rock's 'arm' and just barely caught on, wrapping her paws and trying to dig her claws in. This was surely a bad idea being so close to something that could grab her as she struggled to hold on and keep the rock arm away from Tamelyn. Her heart beat drummed loudly in her chest as her ears pinned back tightly against her head. "We run, have to Tamelyn!" she barked out desperately trying to figure out how she was going to distract the thing so Tamelyn could go and she would make sure she was right behind her. For now she attempted to bite into the golem's wrist, if that could really be justified as such a thing and held on tight. For now. She would have to let go eventually and she didn't want to stay on this thing for too long. Having no idea what this creature wanted with either of them.

Tamelyn We'll reel away til the break of day
and dance together til morning!

A shudder ran through the animate rock pile. After a beat of stillness, it slowly swiveled to face her, and Tam got the unsettling sensation that it was looking at her despite having no eyes. Come to think of it, it didn't have a nose or a mouth or ears either. How was it moving? How did it live? She raised her ears, a hopeful smile on her face. "Hi?" Maybe it was just lonely and looking for a friend. "My name's Tam-ah-len and I--"

Her words were cut off in a yelp as the thing moved towards her, swinging a rocky fist at her foot. More specifically, the shiny of something on her foot. She tried to skitter away, but her legs were still new, and she tripped, long limbs tangling up as she fell to the ground. Frantically, she tried to right herself again, expecting to feel that stone appendage clamp onto her leg any second.

Instead, there was a flash of black, and suddenly Arkrael was grappling with the golem. She slowed it down for an extra second, just enough time for Tamelyn to jump to her feet again and leap clear, coming to a halt and turning a short distance away. Her heart was pounding in her chest, introducing a new and entirely unpleasant emotion. Later, when she knew words for such things, she would recognize it as fear.

Now, however, as she watched her friend trying to bite and claw the unyielding stone, fear was replaced by anger. Arkrael had quite possibly saved her life, and she was just cowering here like a little baby (the fact that Tamelyn technically was a baby didn't register at that point). She turned to face the golem, pawing the ground and lowering her head, brandishing antlers that she did not and would never have. "Hey! Over here!" When that produced no effect, she growled and charged, attempting to headbutt the golem's leg.

As it would turn out, headbutting solid rock was a profoundly stupid plan.

The hit was solid and strong, but she was likely the one who was most hurt by it. She bounced back, tumbling head over heels again to land in the dust with a groan. Feeling dizzy, she tried to pick herself up again, though the ground appeared to be pitching underneath her feet. Perhaps if they could keep the golem distracted between the two of them, they could confuse it long enough to escape. She'd have to be able to run without pitching over, though.

"Listen to me."

table by lisa

"Speech" Thoughts

Arkrael gave a loud yelp when there was a sudden cracking sound and she scrambled as she lost her hold and hit the ground, slamming against her shoulder and a pained whine escaped the pup. Shaking herself she quickly scrambled up to her paws and desperately looked back over towards Tamelyn to see if she was alright. She seemed unsteady on her feet, but she was at least standing. Swinging her gaze back towards the golem Arkrael bared her fangs as she growled lowly. Her ears pressed back against her head as she subconsciously tucked her tail against her belly.

This thing was dangerous and bad news. It had no face, no eyes, no nothing. Yet it had easily went right for Tamelyn. They had to get out of here. She backed up, trying to get herself towards Tamelyn. Yet she made sure to keep in the path the Golem might go in to get at Tamelyn again. Something strange vibrated in her and her breath hitched. The humming vibrations coming from the stone in her chest seemed to grow louder and before Arkrael could even begin to wonder what was going on something changed in the ground she stood upon.

A faint vibration started at her paws and Arkrael's multi-colored eyes quickly shot down to the ground. It grew in intensity, but not so much that it did much but give a little shaking towards a small area around her paws. Her head swung up as she stared at the Golem wondering if it was that creature that was causing the ground to shake. She had froze in her spot, unsure what to make of what was going on. Her mind was in a whirl of chaos. Screaming for her to move, to do something instead of just standing there like a scared puppy, but to no avail could she get her paws to work. They had to leave. Had to get away from this thing. It was too dangerous.

Without hands of any kind, or digits meant for true grasping, the golem had a limited range of motions. It likely gathered the shards from broken chrysalis because it couldn't break the shell itself; maybe it was trying to build itself some hands in the process. So when it swiped for the deer's hoof, it did so with the intent to strike the stone and pry it loose via force. But the deer was stepping backwards by the time the golem reacted, and when its mindlessly dragging steps began to pull it away from the chrysalis and towards the tripped-up deer, there was a shudder to the ground below.

The rocks around the golem's five feet began to lift and dance. The golem went unaffected by this low-level spell, but it did turn once more - its torso scraping and grinding against segments of its legs - and faced the wolf. The canine's use of magic was what diverted the golem's attention. It zeroed in on the energy and began to advance towards Arkrael. Had it been more intelligent, the golem would have ignored both of the creatures and focused on the chrysalis. But it was about as dumb as the rocks that composed it.

Tamelyn We'll reel away til the break of day
and dance together til morning!

It didn't even seem to notice her head connecting with it's leg. Great, she had given herself a headache for nothing. But there was no time to sulk, not when her friend was still in danger. It was beginning to dawn on Tamelyn that two newborns couldn't hope to take this monster down. As much as it galled her, they would have to make a run for it. With another growl, she turned and ran, expecting to see Arkrael trailing behind her.

She wasn't.

The wolf cub was frozen, whether in terror or in the grip of the shaky ground beneath her feet, Tamelyn wasn't sure. But the golem was making a beeline towards her. "Arkrael! Come on! Please!" she shouted, chest tightening so that she could barely breath. Desperately, she looked about, trying to find something to divert the golem's attention. There was nothing but the crystal shards lying on the ground. Inspiration came in a sudden flash, and she dashed towards them, grabbing one of Arkrael's opal chrysalis pieces in her mouth. She would have used her own, but her chrysalis was still inside the trench, and she wasn't sure she'd be able to jump out again. Tamelyn turned to face the golem and splayed her legs, shaking with equal parts determination and fear. She twisted her head to the side, took aim, then flung the shard at the golem, hoping to hit it and draw it's attention back to the broken chrysali.

The piece hit the golem, bouncing off it's rocky hide and back to the ground. Unsure whether she had succeeded in distracting it or not, Tamelyn raced back towards Arkrael. On instinct, she lowered her head and butted the wolf's shoulder, trying to startle her out of her frozen state. "Come on, let's get out of here!" She would only try to run away once more if Arkrael heeded her words and followed.

"Listen to me."

table by lisa

"Speech" Thoughts

It came closer. Closer and closer the golem crept and Arkrael could only stare at it. This was foolish. Why was she so suddenly scared. Her jaw clenched as the top of her nose began to wrinkle. Her fur began to bristle up all over the place, but to no avail could she convince herself she needed to move. Her breath choked in her throat as a sudden object went flying by her and smacked right into the golem just as it's strange fingerless hand reached out towards her. She was shocked at first, unsure of what it had been, but then something butted into her shoulder and she quickly snapped her head around to look, half expecting to see another thing trying to grab at her.

Tamelyn. She stood there looking at her desperately, listened as Tam spoke again to demand they get out of there. Something washed through her and Arkrael found herself able to move again. She gave one quick look at the Golem before nodding quickly at Tamelyn. "Alright, let's go!" She yipped as she dipped her own head down and pushed against Tamelyn's side, urging her to go first and that she would follow. As scared as she was of the golem, Arkrael would not let Tamelyn be at the back where the golem might be able to grasp them up. She cast one more saddened look at her stone shards. She had wanted to keep them. All of them. Yet she know at this instant she would not be able to. Not with this golem that was trying to get them.

The golem's intentions were clear - it was headed straight for the wolf, until the deer had kicked a few shards of chrysalis towards it. Though there was no magic use, it could sense the magic imbued in the shards. The golem slowed its pace, torso scraping against rocks as it turned towards where the chrysalis shards had landed. They were closer than the wolf, so the golem shifted its direction and began to lumber towards them, slowly crawling towards the shards until it had contented itself with them, ignoring the wolf and deer. They would be safe so long as they didn't engage in the golem any further.

Tamelyn We'll reel away til the break of day
and dance together til morning!

Finally, things started to go right. Arkrael snapped out of her daze, and the golem turned it's attentions back to the shards. Now, maybe they could finally find safety. Tamelyn made to run off, but happened to look back just in time to catch Arkrael's disappointed look towards the crystal shards, which the golem was now affixing to it's body with ponderous intent. She slowed, thinking for a moment. "Wait right here." With that, she turned and slunk back towards the golem, trying to move silently as possible. She grabbed one of the smaller opal shards in her mouth, then turned tail and ran back to Arkrael, hooves scrabbling on the stone. She dropped the piece in front of the cub, giving her a broad smile. "Now we can go."

They had already taken enough chances with the golem, and so Tam saw no reason to stay. She ran off, making sure she wasn't too fast for Arkrael to follow, searching out a path in the underbrush. The encounter had left her frightened, but it comforted her to know that she wasn't entirely alone in this world of tunnels and shadows.

-exit Tam-

"Listen to me."

table by lisa

"Speech" Thoughts

Arkrael watched Tamelyn with a confused expression as the fawn scurried back closer towards the golem. She couldn't help the sensation that ran through her spine, causing her hackles to bristle up as she stared at the golem to make sure it was not going to make a go for Tam again. When Tam returned, placing a small piece of her opal at hr paws a broad grin stretched over Arkrael's features. Her tail began wagging happily as she instantly leaned down and grasped the smaller stone into her jowls. she uttered a happy, yet muffled, thank you to her hatchmate before she quickly ran after the fawn. There was no looking back. The golem was dangerous. Far too dangerous for them to even contemplate dealing with. Though Arkrael would return. And hopefully that Golem would be no where near. For now, her adventure would begin. There were surely plenty of things to see and she would be happy to do some of that adventuring with her new friend.

Exit Arkrael