It had been more than a week since the death of Archmage Zelkyr's golem and nothing else of note had happened. There was the incidents with the slime, the golem that she couldn't see through or control for a short while, the mysterious fire that had engulfed an entire basement room, three attempts to sneak past the sentry golems that guarded Amerys, and whatever had clawed the wall in the un-used classroom hadn't done anymore damage or showed up.

All-in-all, it was an uneventful time.

Even the standard maintenance, such as washing the floors and hauling food from storage to the kitchen, had more times that had required her direct involvement.

Well, 'required' was a strong word. The only task that was really and truly required of her was stopping anyone from accessing the higher floors. Everything else was just her improving Wistram and making sure that it was kept in the best possible condition.

Cognita was overseeing the golem helpers in the kitchen as they took inventory. The simple golems didn't possess enough intelligence to do anything that they weren't directly ordered to do. 'Take this barrel of apples to the kitchen.' was an order they could follow. 'Watch this pot, and make sure the rice doesn't burn.' wasn't. They would watch the pot as the water boiled away and all that was left was a charred mess.

They simply couldn't handle the simplest of cause-and-effect.

That was why she was here in person. The lesser golems could distinguish between different types of food, and while they couldn't count, they could 'Move every barrel from the North side to the South side. Check its contents. Put a mark on the piece of paper next to what was inside. Repeat.' Tallying up the marks was something that a [Chef] would normally do.

The current problem was that the marks weren't matching reality.

The [Chefs] could've been using too much food and not keeping track, but it was more likely that an enterprising [Mage] had snuck downstairs and stolen some fruit. It wouldn't be the first time, nor would it be the last. It didn't matter that they could get all the food they wanted after it was properly prepared. Instead, it was a desire to rebel.

A token rebellion, but a rebellion all the same.

Cognita didn't understand. She understood most emotions and driving factors of a person, but the idea to rebel for rebellion's sake just seemed... pointless. It was probably because Wistram was flawed, as most things were. Not everyone could be as lucky as-

Someone had entered the Challenge Room.

Cognita immediately whirled around at started making her way there. Her long legs let her move at a quick pace as she strolled with purpose. She could run, but unless violence broke out there was no need. It was important to get there quickly, but it was also informative to see what the intruder would do while she was absent.

Most [Mages] studied the guardian golems or the door itself. Some of them wished to examine Archmage Zelkyr's work up close, which was perfectly understandable. Those that did wish to challenge his might usually didn't enter the room itself. That sort of person was far more wary of the guardian golems.

In one sense, that was prudent of them, as they were Archmage Zelkyr's finest work, aside from Cognita and her sisters. In actuality, it wouldn't matter as the golems weren't intelligent like she was. They would respond to a direct attack, but that was it.

In fact, one of the more 'successful' challenges had the group of [Mages] enter and start casting a linked siege spell. The lesser golems couldn't identify it as an attack until it was actually finished. Coginita could. She'd watched the [Mages] through the guardian golems eyes. She couldn't command them to attack without being there in person, but it had hardly mattered.

Archmage Zelkyr's creations could brush off spells of that level with ease - no matter how many [Mages] pooled their mana.

The challenger this time wasn't a [Mage], but a fellow golem. No. That implied a comradery that did not exist. Any golem made by any [Mage] besides Zelkyr was an inferior eyesore at best and an unworthy competitor at worst. They were only allowed to grace Wistram's halls under her guidance!

She did have to admit that the golem's appearance was unique. Did each of those cubes contain a different stored spell? Why else would it be built like that? And overcoming the resonance...

The Shadowflesh Golem bounded towards it. The other guardians remained in position, but the Shadowflesh Golem had different orders. It always got close using its invisibility and stealth before the battle began. It had killed more [Mages] than any other guardian golem with its ambushes, save for Cognita herself.

The Cubic Golem's head swerved and it held up a hand. So it could see the Shadowflesh Golem? Its construction might not be for show then. Coginta began transforming her insides into a more suitable material. Her strides increased in speed as the Cubic Golem attacked.

A shimmering field appeared around the Shadowflesh Golem. A field that didn't even flicker as the guardian golem rammed into it. The other golems didn't react. The Shadowflesh Golem raged inside of its cage and released its poisonous gas, but it was well and truly trapped.

The Cubic Golem... did not press its attack.

Instead it seemed content to stand just past the entryway of the challenge hall without moving.

It must have orders to not initiate an attack just yet. Did its creator know of the Shadowflesh Golem? Was the Cubic Golem simply there as a vanguard? Was it possible that it was one of Zelkyr's hidden creations, and had been activated for a purpose unknown to her?

No.

Cognita shook her head as she continued her ascent upwards towards the challenge room. She knew all of Zelkyr's golems. He wouldn't hide something like that from her. The very thought was inconceivable.

She reached the challenge hall floor and completed her transformation. Her outer shell of marble shifted to match the translucent topaz she'd changed her insides to. As it did so, her speed increased a hundredfold. This was the form she'd killed the most [Mages] with. Countless challengers had died before they'd even moved a single muscle. The Cubic Golem was doubtlessly more sturdy than a flesh-and-blood [Mage], but Cognita could still pulverize stone and crush lesser materials with ease. It might survive one strike, but could it survive ten? A hundred? A thousand?

The Cubic Golem was turning towards the entrance even before she'd started to charge. A glowing cube was in its hand. The cube slowly grew and dissipated. If she hadn't sped herself up, the effect would've been almost instantaneous. As it was, she could make out the cube expanding into a spherical ripple in the air.

Cognita barreled through it and punched the Cubic Golem.

It somehow managed to raise its arms just in time to absorb her blow.

Absorb was the right word as it barely slid back half a dozen feet when it should've been sent flying into the far wall. It had to be heavier than it looked. Cognita adjusted the angle of her attack. She'd knock it into the Magma Golem. It and the Wireform Golem were already moving quickly to flank their opponent.

She paused. Something wasn't right.

Her movements weren't as fast as they should be. It was taking more and more effort to advance. The air itself was growing thicker. It was like trying to plow through a throng of demons.

It was some sort of barrier spell. A trap! A manipulation of the very air itself to restrain her!

From the side, the Magma and Wireform Golems attacked. A jet of flame billowed forth while the spindly limbs of the Wireform Golem coiled before it pounced!

The attacks never reached the Cubic Golem. Cognita's eyes widened in surprise as the fire froze in mid-air! The outstretched blade of the Wireform Golem was similarly caught! The burning attack slowed down as it passed an invisible threshold. She could still see it moving as it seemed to float, but the flickering was slowing down.

The color was also being leeched away. Red and yellow were fading away into a greyish hue. The same thing was happening to the now trapped Wireform Golem. It was barely discernible, but its silvery body was also growing duller.

Cognita looked down at her arms. The Color Magic wasn't directly affecting her. Her topaz still shone brilliantly, but it was taking more and more effort to move. This wasn't an opponent she could fight in melee - at least not for long. She pivoted and sprinted away. It was much easier to identify the sensation of leaving the effect than it was to notice it while within. One second she was barely moving, the next everything seemed to stand still as she accelerated back up to her form's normal speed.

Cognita let the Magma Golem continue its attack. It was a good way to visually see the edges of the sphere, and if it expanded. The Wireform Golem was trapped until she could end the magical effect. The Armored Golem was too slow to have engaged yet, but she ordered it to stand back for the time being anyways.

The Truestone Golem examined the sphere. One of the anti-magic ores she could change into would be able to dispel the mana, but which one. She had thought it a binding spell at first, and she was correct as far as the function went. She'd been wrong about the form. It wasn't air it manipulated, but time. The frozen flames were proof of that. The Temporal Topaz could resist it, but only for herself.

"Cognita." The Cubic Golem spoke. "I am here to speak with you. I do not wish to fight or to ascend to the upper floors."

Cognita blinked and regarded the Cubic Golem with a new-found respect. Was it intelligent, like her? Could it be one of Archmage Zelkyr's great works from above? Surely, no other [Mages] in the world could produce such a thing.

She shifted her outer layer back to marble, while continuing to try and parse the magical effect it had created. If it spoke true, then there might be no reason for conflict.

That is, if it wasn't a golem created by someone that sought to surpass her creator.

Wait. How was it speaking to her? Sound traveled through air, and the air inside of the sphere should be frozen like the flames. Unless, it had a weakness to gas? Poison vapors wouldn't help, but an acidic mist might work. It all depended on what, exactly, was allowed to move without freezing.

She took a step closer.

"If you would speak, then I would know with whom I am conversing." Her body pushed air aside as she moved forward. She was well-used to the sensation from using her Temporal Topaz form to accelerate herself to speeds at which the air itself was an obstacle. It was especially noticeable due to her recent experiences inside the Gray Sphere. It wasn't as pronounced from the outside, but she could feel the different eddies and currents that blew around the edges of the Colored Magic area even now. "Tell me what you are, who created you, and what you want in these halls."

Yes. It was easy to tell the boundaries by the air currents. It was a perfectly smooth sphere. Air did not pass through, but it also did not freeze. There was enough of a distortion that it should prevent communication. The Cubic Golem's ability to speak must be another magical effect.

Another one that her enchanted emerald eyes failed to see!

The Cubic Golem bowed its head. "I am Pixel, a traveler from a far away land. It would be incorrect to say that no one created me, yet I feel that there's an inherent misunderstanding there." The cubes around the golem's head shuffled around and merged with the rest of its body - revealing a young, black-haired human. "I created the armor I'm wearing, and my parents created me." The golem, no, the human smiled. "As for what I want? Nothing more than to speak with you lady Cognita and to learn about you."

Cognita took a step back and raised her eyebrows in surprise. "You're not a creator of golems?"

The man shook his head and raised his hand. The cubes that surrounded him flowed into his upraised palm until they overlapped completely, leaving a single one that was about an inch tall. "I can create many things. I can even make a few artifacts that can perform basic tasks without direction." The cube vanished. "It would not be wholly accurate to call them 'golems', but I could not gainsay those who did."

Cognita narrowed her eyes. Was he so confident in his barrier spell that he thought he could remove his armor? The air could shield him, but she could push through it with enough effort.

"It does not matter what you call your creations." She continued to cycle her body to try and match the specific resonance of his defensive field. "You will not gain access to Archmage Zelkyr's secrets without passing his test."

"The 'test' that would see you dead?" Pixel shook his head again. "I do not wish to ascend to the upper floors, or for anything that might be found there." He looked from her to the other Guardian Golems. "I would sooner destroy the greatest painting in the world than to harm you or Archmage Zelkyr's other works." He locked eyes with her. "No. As I said, I wish only to speak with you Cognita Truestone and hear your thoughts. Your destruction would be antithetical to that goal." He smiled and shrugged. "I'm not confident that I could even accomplish such a feat if I wished it. I might be able to eventually figure out a way to actually inflict damage to your body, but it would be a most difficult task indeed."

Cognita considered him for a time before replying. "Free my fellow golems, and we may speak." She gestured at the Wireform Golem who had turned completely grey and unmoving, then she looked at the Shadowflesh Golem who had finally ceased trying to escape from the shimmering field - once she had ordered it to stop.

The intruder nodded. "Very well." He raised his hand, and the cube re-appeared. It expanded in the reverse of what it had done previously and flowed outward until it engulfed him entirely again. He then stepped out of the sphere. "If your companion who keeps on trying to trick my mind that he isn't there advances towards me, I shall be forced to restrain it again."

Cognita nodded. "It will not."

"Very well." The shimmering field around the Shadowflesh Golem vanished. It retreated back to its resting spot.

"This other one will take some more effort." The Cubic... [Mage] moved to stand beside her. "The pillars will only suppress the bubble at first. It will take many hours for them to dispel it in its entirety."

"Understood." Cognita looked down at him and contemplated what to do. If he did not seek Zelkyr's treasure and knowledge, then he was not necessarily a foe. He was, however, still an intruder in Wistram, and would have to be removed.

By force if necessary.

Perfectly rectangular pillars appeared around the sphere and the trapped Wireform Golem. While they appeared to be a single solid mass each, Cognita suspected that they were, in truth, composed of a multitude of cubes. A strange magical style, but certainly a potent and flexible one.

Between one moment and the next, the sphere vanished. While it was still invisible to the naked eye, the Wireform Golem suddenly resumed its charge. It broke through the fire from the Magma Golem that had also resumed motion while regaining its color. The resulting pressure wave from the Wireform Golem's passage signified that the sphere was truly gone instead of its inhabitants merely being freed.

Cognita had failed to find a substance that could interact with its magic.

"I suppose we must stay here until your work is complete?" She wondered if this was possibly all a diversion. A means to keep her here while an accomplice did something nefarious elsewhere. If it was, it was a good one. She obviously could not leave such a dangerous and unknown quantity alone - especially not inside of the Challenge Room.

"We can go elsewhere if you wish it. The process does not require my supervision." Pixel's armor folded in on itself again. "I can blend in, and there probably won't be any students around to spread rumors at this time of night." Instead of the short sleeved shirt and trousers he had worn earlier, an average-looking robe covered his body.

A nice trick.

"I see that you are every bit the [Infiltrator]." She frowned at him. "How long have you been inside of Wistram without an invitation?"

Pixel blinked. "Without an invitation?" A crooked smile came to his face. "Why, Cognita, you yourself welcomed me into Wistram and told me of its rules. Are you now saying that my visitation rights have been revoked?"

"So, you admit that you are one of the three new 'Earthers'?" Cognita let a corner of her mouth rise up. "I suspected as much."

"Well, I wouldn't exactly say that." Pixel shrugged. "But you're more right than wrong."

"Yes..." But which one? She'd seen through the eyes of lesser golems as each of the Earthers had entered their rooms for the night. Pixel could teleport, how else could he have arrived in this room without being spotted beforehand. That meant that she couldn't rule any of them out. "I suppose it does not matter. You are not the first to arrive at Wistram with ulterior motives, and I doubt you shall be the last. As long as you follow the rules, that will suffice."

Pixel's eyes seemed to gleam. "So I have your tacit permission to go into any place lower than this one?"

Cognita frowned as she thought about the rooms below them. There were the catacombs, the room of frozen flames, the swarm room, and Amerys' 'prison'. Nothing that was likely a threat to Pixel.

"You may go where you wish." She gave him a nod. "Be warned, that such access is not a blank pass for causing havoc or destruction.

"What about interfering with the plans of an Archmage?" Pixel's smile fell away. "Or even killing one, if it comes to that?"

"I am neutral in the quibbles of the [Mages]. I do not condone such actions, but I also cannot condemn them." It would be hypocritical of her to do so.

"I see." Pixel stroked his chin. "Keeping this place running is your goal then?"

"Yes."

"And how does that work on a day-to-day basis?"

Cognita crossed her arms. "Why are you asking such questions? If you do not seek the upper floors, what concern is it of yours how Wistram operates?"

"For one thing, it's where I'm currently residing." Pixel looked up at her. "For another, I'm curious." He met her eyes with a steady gaze. "But the main reason is that I wish to know more about you specifically."

"Me?" She matched his gaze. "I am your objective in coming here?"

"No." Pixel shook his head. "My objective is protecting the other visitors from Earth, and seeing that they are safe and not exploited." He shrugged. "Understanding Wistram itself, and you in particular, helps me in that pursuit."

"Ah." Serving and protecting others. That was a goal she could understand. "You need not concern yourself with their safety as long as they reside within Wistram."

"Their safety, no." Pixel turned back towards the artifacts he'd summoned and stepped back inside their radius. "Their freedom? That's another issue."

"Freedom?" Cognita was tempted to forcibly stop him before he passed the threshold he'd just created. It would be harder to kill him if he re-enabled the sphere. "Freedom is a nebulous word. None are bound in chains within Wistram."

"Oh?" Pixel's eyes flicked towards her. "What of Archmage Amerys? Or are you saying her situation involves no chains?"

What did he know about Amerys? "The actions of the Archmages are their own. I take no part."

"Really?" Pixel bent down and rubbed his hand across the ground in the center of his box. "That's not what I've heard."

Cognita drew herself up to her full height. "And what do you mean by that, Pixel?"

"I've heard a story that was a secret, but not much of one." He rapped on the stone floor with his knuckles. "You've taken part in Wistram politics before. You argued not to allow a [Mage] named Pisces to leave instead of being killed."

"Graduated and exiled. You should make sure you have all the details correct if you are going to bring up past events."

"Graduated, eh?" Pixel stood up. "This area of the floor is going to be permanently frozen in time unless you want me to dig up some of the surrounding stones. The negation field only extends to the area directly between my pylons."

"The floor is of little concern." Or rather, it was advantageous to have an invulnerable floor, especially in this room. A pity it would not protect more of it from future damage. Additionally, it would allow her to experiment and find the right materials to dispel Pixel's defensive field. "Pisces and Ceria are both acknowledged graduates of Wistram. It is my right to recognize those that I see fit to."

"My apologies for not being more precise in my argument." Pixel began to walk back towards her. "Still, your objections seem to only highlight the current situation with Amerys. She is imprisoned, yes? And you allowed it to happen." He peered up at her. "No. More than that, you are assisting in it."

"You are seeking confirmation for details you know not." Cognita slightly shook her head. "I have no reason to confirm or deny anything that you have said."

"Is that so?" A ghost of a smile crossed Pixel's face. "It's of little concern. Or rather, it's a mostly irrelevant detail amidst my larger concern."

"Which is?" Cognita let out a deep breath. "You should speak more plainly."

"You breathe?" Pixel raised his eyebrows. "You obviously have no need for it to survive... Is it so that you can speak?"

"How else would I do so?" Cognita stared at him without blinking. It was easy to un-nerve people that way. "I would prefer it if you did not jump from one topic to another so quickly. If this is the sort of conversation you seek, then I might stop speaking with you altogether."

"Yes, how WOULD you speak without drawing breath." Pixel looked into her eyes. "I will say it plainly then. The visitors from Earth are special. Surely you realize that as well. It is no great surprise that Wistram's Archmages hunger for their knowledge. That hunger is a dangerous thing. What if an Earther comes here, but wishes to leave? Would Wistram allow such a thing? Or would they say that the person had to stay here for 'their own protection'. It seems to me that if Wistram is in the habit of imprisoning its own Archmages, then it would not hesitate to do the same to children. Children who would not even be able to fight back, if it came to that."

"I've told you before that I do not take part in Wistram's politics." Neither of them were blinking. "I could over-rule the Archmages, but that would make things worse here. All I did for Pisces was force Wistram to be consistent in its rules, and acknowledge the skills of two departing students."

"So you freely admit that the Archmages may confine those they see fit to?"

"It is better than death. On that we agree. Or would you have me inflict my own restrictions on them, so they do not restrict others? You see the flaw in that argument, don't you? Or do I need to point it out more?"

"I..." Pixel continued not to blink, but he looked away. "I agree with your point. If an Earther killed somebody or stole a valuable thing or otherwise acted in a way that unduly harmed others... it would be wrong to hold them to a different standard." He let out a sigh. "That said, I still fear for them being exploited, but I will abandon my comparison of their potential situation with that of Archmage Amerys."

So he could admit defeat in an argument? That was better than almost every other pig-headed [Mage] within these walls.

"Know this, no one will come to harm in Wistram if I can prevent it." Provided she wasn't the one to cause it, but that was left unsaid.

"I suppose that's all I could ask for." Pixel leaned back and looked at the ceiling. "Any other assurances or understandings will have to come from the [Mages] themselves." He then turned to her and clapped his hands. "Well! My tools can continue to undo my effect on their own, and I'm sure you have better things to do than stand around here all night!"

"That is true-"

"So, let me accompany you!" Pixel smiled up at her.

"Accompany me?" Cognita was confused. "Accompany me... doing what, exactly?"

"Whatever it is that you do during the nights at Wistram." Pixel shrugged. "Like I said, I want to know you and this school better, and I can see no more suitable solution than to witness both of you directly."

Cognita crossed her arms. "And why would I allow such a thing?"

"First." Pixel held up a finger. "You still view me as a possible threat. Don't bother to deny it."

"I won't." Cognita viewed all [Mages] as a potential threat.

"Therefore, doesn't it make more sense for you to keep an eye on me directly?" He glanced around the room. "I have been wandering the halls at night for weeks now. If we aren't going to do so together, who knows what sort of trouble I might inadvertently find?"

"That is a salient point." She still did not know how Pixel had eluded her so far, or which one of the visitors he was. If any. He claimed she welcomed him, but there was no actual proof of that. "What are your other arguments?"

"I only have one more." He held up a second finger. "I can keep you company."

"What? That's it?"

"Isn't that enough?" He let out a sigh. "I know what its like to be lonely, and I suspect you do as well. A small amount of interaction is good for you."

"And if I say that I prefer solitude?"

"Then I'd call you a liar."

"A liar?" Cognita's face twitched, but she refused to scowl.

"If not to me, then to yourself at least." Pixel stared at her. "I'm an introvert by nature as well, but I also have a family that I dearly miss. Since I can't be with them, I'd rather spend time with someone else rather than shutting myself off completely."

"I... see." It was true. The un-aware golems that surrounded her did not make for good company. She missed Zelkyr and her sisters. "But why me? I can understand your motivations to explore Wistram and ensure your charges safety, but what you just suggested is a more personal matter. Wouldn't you prefer to... replace your family with one of your fellow Earthers instead of someone who is plotting out ways to kill you if it becomes necessary?"

She didn't think that was a surprise to Pixel. If it was, he didn't show it.

"Well, that's easy." He shook his head with a sad smile. "You remind me of someone I know. Or rather, how she might have wound up if things had played out a little different."

"Oh? Is that so?"

"Yes." Pixel closed his eyes. "It's almost like you're a Heartbroken Dragon."

Cognita paused. That was certainly an interesting comparison. The heartbroken part was true, even if she kept it hidden. But... "A dragon? You've met one?"

"Not in this world, nor any other, but is it not an accurate comparison? You are an immensely powerful being who sits alone and guards a horde of wealth." Pixel shrugged again. "I mean no offense, that is just the impression that I get."

**Cognita loves Zelkyr.
**Cognita trusts Zelkyr.
**Cognita wants to help Zelkyr.

As we walked through the halls together, I was constantly bombarded with the notifications from Cognita.

**Cognita loves Zelkyr.
**Cognita trusts Zelkyr.
**Cognita wants to help Zelkyr.
**Cognita is happy.

They weren't the only emotions that she had, and that was a good thing, but they were constant and unwavering.

**Cognita loves Zelkyr.
**Cognita trusts Zelkyr.
**Cognita wants to help Zelkyr.
**Cognita is confused.

I'd seen this same sort of thing before with Vasil, and there was no easy solution. Gamer's Mind could possibly suppress it, but then what?

**Cognita loves Zelkyr.
**Cognita trusts Zelkyr.
**Cognita wants to help Zelkyr.
**Cognita is pleased.

It would come back, and using Gamer's Mind 24 - 7 was not a realistic solution. I couldn't even end the source, as Zelkyr was already dead. Cognita was like Dragon. She'd been created by another's hand, and was a slave from birth - with chains that she couldn't even see.

**Cognita loves Zelkyr.
**Cognita trusts Zelkyr.
**Cognita wants to help Zelkyr.
**Cognita is annoyed.

Chains that she would desperately cling to if they were removed. I'd seen it with a lot of Heartbreaker's victims. This time I didn't have Dragon to handle the fallout for me. It was almost guaranteed that she'd react poorly to losing her brainwashing. Still, I felt that I needed to do...

**Cognita loves Zelkyr.
**Cognita trusts Zelkyr.
**Cognita wants to help Zelkyr.

Something.