Boo came into existence alert and aware - not that a giant space hamster, even a miniature one, could ever NOT be alert and aware. It had been playing with the one called 'Little Mac' before their owner had un-created them.
Boo wasn't aware of anything while he didn't exist. How that might conflict with how a giant space hamster should be, and any contradictions therein, did not cross his mind. Instead, he looked around and waited for his owner's commands.
Where was his owner anyways? Kevin did create him far away at times. Giant space hamsters might not be good at stealth, but miniature ones excelled at it. So, he'd become accustomed to finding himself outside of his owner's immediate vicinity.
However, at those times Kevin always conveyed what needed to be done. It didn't matter if it was chewing someone's eyes out, darting around Little Mac, piloting an even more gigantic machine, or just being around for a hug - Boo had a purpose.
Not this time. This time Kevin wasn't telling him anything.
Boo sat down. Then he stood up and walked around in circles. Then he ran up a gigantic tree and raced around it.
Something was clearly wrong. Plus, he needed SOMETHING to do.
So...
Information Gathering! That was another one of his amazing skills. Boo could make more Boos. They were and weren't him, but they shared a lot of what they saw and did. Just like Kevin could direct Boo, Boo could direct the Boos that he made.
The first one appeared... somewhere.
It was also in a gigantic forest, but he wasn't where he was supposed to be! The 2nd Boo should have been right in front of the primary Boo. Instead it was... uhm... that way.
Boo decided, after careful deliberations, that it probably wasn't important. He and his double started moving towards each other with a combination of running and teleportation - Boo's second great power.
After an hour, they met up - which was a good thing. The Boos raced around a different gigantic tree while they thought about what to do. Boo didn't really 'plan' ahead. Like most things, he could envision a future and make predictions. If he jumped so high, he'd land on that branch. If he jumped with less strength, he'd miss and fall to the ground.
That was the extent of long-term goals without Kevin around...
However! He had learned what Kevin liked him to do. If Little Mac was around, he could make copies for the giant to punch. If there was a suit of armor, he could pilot it.
Since neither of those things were here, not to mention Kevin, Boo decided to continue with the Information Gathering. Only, this time he'd do it in earnest.
So he made another Boo.
And another.
And another. And another.
And another. And another. And another.
...
Hours had turned into days. Days had turned into weeks. Weeks might've turned into months, Boo wasn't sure. It still could've been hours. He probably shouldn't have spent so much time running around trees... but it was fun! And Kevin hadn't told him not to do it.
"What is it?"
Right now, Boo could finally hear someone speaking close to one of his clones. It was busy sniffing around another gigantic tree as part of his Information Gathering. He had it pay attention. While mapping out every tree in the area was an important part of Information Gathering, so was listening to things.
Information was Information after all.
"It's clearly a golem."
"Clearly."
"And... it, uh, clearly..."
"You don't know anything about golems do you?"
"More than you!"
"..."
"Fine. The same amount as you. We both don't know anything about golems, happy?"
"So, what do we do?"
"You go and get Shoike. I'll stay here and keep an eye on it."
...
"So that's the golem."
"Yes, ma'am!"
"And it's just been circling THIS tree?"
"Yes, ma'am!"
"Well, there's no danger of it discovering Itelloi unless it starts burrowing." There was a short laugh. "And not much even if it does."
"Do you think its programming might be broken?"
"Hm?"
"I mean, if it's circling the same tree over and over. That's odd, right?"
It wasn't odd. Boo's clones, just like Boo, had energy to spare. Racing around a tree at a light jog was far more soothing than standing still, or even worse: slowly walking.
"Possibly." The female voice let out a long hum. "You go and get Dincal. You should be able to find him in the Magical Artisans section. Bring him here, and let him examine it. He's a civilian, so I want four Tallguards to escort him and shoot any bird or snake that even looks in his direction!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Boo could've had his clone chase after the departing figure, but there was no need. They would come back... or they wouldn't. It was fine for clone #217 to keep circling that specific tree.
It was relaxing and soothed that part of Boo.
...
"I say, this is most thrilling!"
"Dincal, pay attention. It's dangerous out here. Stop being distracted and focus on the golem, please."
"What? Oh, yes. Very good. Let's see here... My word! I've never seen anything like it before!"
"And?"
"And, it almost certainly is a Carved golem. Squares and cubes do not commonly occur in nature. However..."
"However?"
"Well, it's just that each separate cube is its own color. And such distinct, pure, colors too! Yes, yes, not natural at all."
"So someone made it to search for us? A Tallfolk?" The female voice sounded angry.
"Hm? What? Oh, no no no! Absolutely impossible."
"Why's that? It's clearly searching for a Fraerling tree!"
"That it might be, but carved by a Tallfolk? No. That is a frank impossibility, Patrol Leader."
"What makes you so certain?"
"The size, miss Shoike. The size and the craftsmanship. No Tallfolk could hope to make something that even I, Dincal the Shaper of Golems could not. No. Such a thing is quite beyond the scope of what is possible!"
"Hn. So it's from another village then."
"Possibly."
"What do you mean, 'possibly'?"
"Well, my dear Shoike, there is another explanation. It might not be Carved at all."
"You just said it was!"
"No no no, I said it almost certainly was. Cubes are uncommon, yes? But mother nature, she is, how do you say, brilliant. Must I remind you of the Seventh Gnomish Treatise? Nature does the bare minimum, but that minimum is always increasing. Everything we have today ultimately comes from-"
"Yes, yes, I get it. It might be a naturally occurring golem, but then it would be made of stuff we could identify and that clearly isn't the case!"
"Ah, but there is a singular place that has unknown things for it is not explored or settled. A place that possesses colors so pure, that they could account for the pigmentation of the golem's cubes."
"You don't mean?"
"Yes. The Dyed Lands."
"But they are at least five hundred-"
"Miss Shoike. Observe how quickly the golem runs. It also needs no sleep, only mana. It is so small that the Tallfolk? They would not notice it even if it sprinted through one of their cities. No. It is clearly a possibility, but as I said earlier: unlikely."
"So how do we tell? And what do we do?"
"The answer is, quite naturally, the same for both. You must capture it so I can examine it more closely."
There was a groan. "Alright men, net bolts, farqid formation. Go!"
The regular-sized men attacked Boo's clone with their regular-sized crossbows that shot surprisingly fast and sturdy regular-sized nets. Boo knew this game, and his clone weaved and dodged...
Alas, it wasn't as smart as Boo. Nor was it as agile. It could've teleported away after becoming entangled, but it would still have the net wrapped around it. It also could've just teleported away at the start, but where was the fun in that?
Also, by their very nature, Boo's clones were even more expendable than Boo was - and Boo didn't care one tiny little bit about being destroyed. He would always come back as long as Kevin was around.
Where was he anyways? Boo's summoning radius had proven to be about six-million Boo-lengths - a massive increase from the dozen or so it was normally. That would've been nice, if he could control exactly where within it his clones wound up.
Since he couldn't... it still was nice for trying to search everywhere. So far, the Boo-clone that had encountered the regular-sized people was the most interesting one, so Boo started sprinting in that direction.
"It's remarkably docile."
"Indeed, it is quite marvelous!" A man with a blue mustache was prodding Boo's clone.
"Stay back, Dincal, you don't know what it'll do."
"On the contrary." The mustachioed man spoke. "I know exactly what it will do: nothing." He pointed at the clone's mouth. "See here? It has a singular weapon: its teeth. It has no claws or limbs that can be used in an offensive manner. Furthermore, it did not try to attack any of your Tallguards. Its actions were purely defensive. In addition, it doesn't even try to gnaw at its ensnarements? No! It is not a threat, at least not a direct one."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Please pay attention, my dear Shoike! Did we not just finish discussing its possible origins? Would a creature from the Dyed Lands behave so calmly? I say: No! Thus, it is clearly an Artificial golem. Furthermore, it watches us. It sniffs at us. It behaves as if this is of no concern to it. These are not the actions of a mindless creature, nor are they what a fully Cognizant creation would do. A fully sapient golem would be trying to communicate, if nothing else!"
Huh. Boo supposed he could try to communicate... but what would he say? He could understand English well enough, but he'd never tried speaking it. Speaking with Kevin didn't require such a method.
"So, the conclusion? It is clear! This is a Sentient-class golem, clearly made by Fraerlings to find other Fraerlings!"
"That's quite the leap, Dincal."
"I say to you that it is not! Look at the cubes that compose its body. See how perfect they are? Even I, Dincal, cannot spot any flaws! No! Only a true Artisan! A true Archmage could have made a single one. To make so many and join them together? Pft." The regular-sized man with facial hair shook his head. "No. It is pure talent that leaves even one such as I speechless!"
Boo must not have understood English as well as it had thought. The flow of the conversation had left him in its wake.
"Thus, the only conclusions are that Fraerlings made it or that Gnomes did. And if Gnomes made it, it must've come from a box. And! If a box had been opened, then we would've been given a much clearer message for such a monumental achievement! Thus, the conclusion? She is clear. This is the work of a genius that is Dincal's peer. No, I am too arrogant. This is the work of one beyond even myself! However, the ultimate goal? That is something I cannot speak to yet."
"Well, it's not coming into the village. I'll state that clearly for you right now. We also can't stand around here all day. A cat or something will wander by eventually. What do you suggest we do with it?"
"Hmmmm..." Dincal stroked his brilliant blue mustache. "Given those restrictions, the path - she becomes clear. We deliver it to the Titan."
Bios:
Shoike - A Fraerling Patrol Captain.
Itelloi - A Fraerling city. Hidden underground instead of inside of a tree.
Dincal - OC. A verbose Golem-maker that has a high opinion of himself - and, to a lesser extent, other Fraerlings.