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[center][h1][color=92278f]A Golem’s Bluff[/color][/h1][/center]
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[indent]The hardened gaze of her friend’s smile was met by a very different reaction. While Ren went on to ask further questions about resting, one specific thunderous cry that dominated the discord of wind-carried roars caused Devlin to shutter violently. The already paled tints of her complexion faded to white, her eyes tightened as if in view a ghost, and her chest expanded sharply as images of her childhood friends, her parents, family, and the former glory of her home town of Despiun flashed across the screen of her mind. She remembered –[/indent] 

[indent][indent][i]…There’d been rumors of a strange creature haunting the local woods of Despiun. The villagers referred to this creature as a Hechin (The Despiun name for Forest Golem), and was said to have been akin to a guardian of the forest; exacting punishment on anyone who sought to damage the natural balance of life in the woods. Yet, the folks of Despiun considered themselves safe from the virtues of such a creature, for they did live in harmony with nature. While there were those in the village who considered the Hechin to be little more than fable, others claimed to have actually laid eyes upon the beast. Of course, for the younger generation of Despiun, such tales provoked their fascination and conjured the need for forbidden adventure beyond the realm of safety.  

Devlin must have been no older than eight when she, in the company of two older children and against permission of the village elders, embarked on an adventure to the deeper areas of the woods where the Hechin was said to reside. 

The day had been long and they had almost given up their search for the Hechin when Devlin herself, while straggling behind on their trek, stopped to observe the outgrowth of a tree moving in a less than treelike manner. It was then, when the other two children turned back to see why Devlin had ceased to follow, that they all became aware of Golem’s ominous presence. Stepping out from the sanctuary of its covert position, it displayed no hostility towards the children. It simply brewed dauntingly at a small distance watching with scrutinizing curiosity until one of the older children – the son of a local blacksmith – snapped a branch from the flowering tree beside him. It had been the boys intention to offer the Golem a gift, and somehow felt like a flowering branch was befitting of the cause – but the Golem didn’t see eye to eye on the matter. No appreciation at all. 

In a sudden eruption of rage, The Golem released a procession of mighty roars and charged ferociously at the young trio. Naturally, the other two children screamed in mortal terror as they fled back to the village, but Devlin did not. She stood her ground. She was fearless. Solidified in what could only be described as intense admiration, she watched until the Golem came to an abrupt halt within inches of her position. It loomed over her like a tower of strength. Its warding roars fell silent. 

Looking up into the eyes of the glaring beast, the little girls face scrunched into a precious smile as she extended one tiny hand to touch it….[/i][/indent][/indent]

[indent]Devlin wasn’t aware it was happening; her stony expression was compromised. While conforming to the joyous smile of that little child she used to be, her fingers extended to touch the hand of Ren while her lips parted to release the smooth, rasped quality of her voice;

“Don’t let the Hechin scare you….” She consoled the musician, as the smile then ran from her face. “Sounds like someone disrespected the forest.” 

While the distant roars faded with the winds for the moment, she regarded the dawning sky, then looked down at the street below where the Lamplighter was already starting his morning rounds. Returning her focus to Ren, she said; 

“It’s later than I thought. No point in resting now. We’ll eat then start our journey. What time do the market food stalls open?”[/indent]