Chapter 33: FRIENDS


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    Never rouse an earth golem’s wrath, especially the ones forged in clay. When their calm shatters, the very earth trembles in protest. It is a quiet kindness that masks a devastating power that can bury kingdoms if provoked.


    ***


    Something was wrong.


    Cragmarr''s clay feet left deep marks as he tromped across the temple grounds in the morning. His four arms hung loosely at his sides, but his orange marble eyes swirled with intensity as he scanned the courtyard. Monks scattered like leaves in the wind, their green robes rustling as they found urgent business elsewhere.


    Through his connection to the earth, Cragmarr detected waves of unease rippling through the stone foundation. Something was wrong.


    Master Fengbao emerged from the main hall, his weathered face composed into a mask of serenity.


    "Honored Golem and friend." The Master bowed. "Welcome to Thunder Temple."


    "Master Fengbao." Cragmarr returned the bow. "I am here to escort Ember back to her imprisonment."


    "Ah." Fengbao''s expression didn''t change, but his Zii flickered. "We received a request to release her into Samurai custody."


    "That is not possible," Cragmarr''s eyes swirled. "I am her ward. The Jingozi would never—"


    "The order came from the Jingozi themselves." Fengbao produced a token marked with the skull symbol. "They have released her from their protection."


    The earth slightly trembled beneath Cragmarr''s feet as rage boiled through him. Though bits of gravel crackled between his joints, he forced his voice to remain level.


    "I see. And when was she taken?"


    "Last night at midnight, I am afraid."


    Cragmarr''s inner heat threatened to crack his outer shell, but he maintained his placid demeanor. The Jingozi had betrayed their own rules and chosen vessel, but why? He could not let his true reaction show.


    "Thank you for informing me, Master." Cragmarr bowed again, deeper to hide the orange glow emanating from his chest.


    As Cragmarr held his bow, a flicker of silver caught his peripheral vision. His marble eyes tracked the metallic glint between the garden''s cherry trees.


    "Master Fengbao, might I spend time in your gardens?"


    "You may," Fengbao''s eyes narrowed. "But remember—no faction business on temple grounds."


    "Understood, and thank you for your hospitality." Cragmarr kept his voice neutral despite the urgency building in his core.


    The monastery leader''s footsteps faded across the stone courtyard. Cragmarr followed the trail of faint silver motes across the moss-covered path. The shimmers led him deeper into a secluded area of the garden, past meditation stones and carefully pruned bonsai.


    A rustling came from behind a flowering bush. Cragmarr stood perfectly still, his four arms relaxed at his sides. The bush shook again.


    Kitty burst from the foliage in a flash of silver, launching into Cragmarr''s waiting arms. Her scales clinked softly as she curled around his shoulders, her long snout pressing against his clay neck. Cragmarr''s top right hand stroked her plush fur while his other hands steadied her weight.


    "Thank you for watching over Ember." Cragmarr kept his voice low, mindful of any monks nearby. "I know what you did during the trials."


    Kitty cooed acknowledgment, her tubular tongue flicking out to taste the air.


    "She needs our help now more than ever."


    A deliberate head bob from Kitty, her dark eyes reflecting understanding. She unwound herself from his shoulders, dropping silently to the moss-covered stones. Her tail wrapped around Cragmarr''s bottom right wrist and tugged insistently.


    ***


    Cragmarr''s clay fist struck the iron door again, each impact sending vibrations through the tunnel walls. The earth spoke to him down here, whispering of hidden passages and the heartbeats of those who thought themselves concealed. His connection to the ground confirmed at least six Ninja signatures on the other side of the barrier.


    Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    His orange marble eyes swirled with frustration as he pounded the metal. The sound echoed through the narrow passage, but still, no response.


    A small rectangular panel scraped open at eye level.


    "Leave now," a voice hissed through the slot.


    "I am Cragmarr, ward to Ember." His four arms crossed over his chest. "I request entry."


    "Your ward status means nothing here, Golem. The Jingozi have no power in these tunnels."


    The panel slammed shut with a clang that set Cragmarr''s teeth on edge. Heat radiated from his core, causing small rocks embedded in his form to crack and fall. His patience, cultivated over a century of service, finally snapped.


    A Jingozi battle card materialized in his upper right hand, its edges crackling with orange energy as he channeled maximum Zii into it. The card grew hot, threatening to ignite.


    Kitty backed away, her silver scales reflecting the orange glow emanating from Cragmarr''s arm.


    His fist holding the card connected with the door. The metal shrieked and tore free of its hinges, flying inward to crash against the chamber''s far wall.


    "Stay close, little one," Cragmarr''s voice rumbled like an avalanche as he turned to Kitty. "But no killing, no matter what happens next."


    The silverglint''s head nodded in agreement as Cragmarr ducked through the ruined doorway, orange light spilling into the darkness ahead.


    ***


    Now a foot taller because of his battle cards and buff meta, Cragmarr''s clay form barely fit through the doorway as he entered the chamber. Six armed, red-clad figures dove on him, their combined weight barely registering against his hulking frame. Their attempts to slow his progress only irritated him further.


    At a workbench ahead, two young Ninjas—twins—looked up from their preparations. Their eyes widened at seeing him with their guild mates clinging ineffectively to his arms and torso.


    Cragmarr loaded another Jingozi card, channeling Zii through his earthen form. With a swift spin, he flung the attacking Ninja in all directions. They crashed against the stone walls with dull thuds, though he carefully modulated his strength to avoid serious injury. He could have crushed them like dry leaves, but that wasn''t his purpose here.


    "Hikari!" The boy called out. His sister tossed him a sword.


    The twins moved in unison, blades flashing as they struck at Cragmarr''s clay body. He activated another card, using his four arms to deflect their attacks with precise blocks.


    "Kaito, he''s a Jingozi dealer!" Hikari shouted, her blade scraping against his forearm.


    "Get Sora!" Kaito commanded, pressing his attack as his sister broke away.


    "Wait," Cragmarr rumbled, recognizing the names of Ember''s friends. "I do not wish to fight you."


    But Kaito continued his assault, forcing Cragmarr to maintain his defensive posture. The boy''s determination showed in every strike, though his attacks couldn''t penetrate Cragmarr''s enhanced defenses.


    Cragmarr absorbed more mass from the stone walls as he activated another Jingozi card. The Zii energy pulsed through his body, drawing in minerals and earth until his shoulders scraped the ceiling. He''d deal with Kaito''s attacks later. Right now, he needed to catch Hikari before she reached Sora.


    His thundering footsteps shook the underground chamber as he charged forward. The stone doorway crumbled around him, too narrow for his bulk. Fragments of rock pelted his clay surface as he burst through, leaving a Cragmarr-shaped hole in his wake.


    Hikari''s red uniform flashed ahead in the torchlit corridor, nimbly ducking and weaving as she sprinted. Behind him, Kaito''s blade struck ineffectively against Cragmarr''s clay legs, the boy refusing to give up despite the futility of his attacks.


    The hall curved left, then right, branching into smaller passages. But Cragmarr kept his focus locked on Hikari''s retreating form. His enhanced connection to the earth let him sense the complex network of tunnels through the bedrock. The girl led him deeper into the Ninja stronghold, likely toward their leadership.


    Perfect. That''s precisely where he needed to go.


    Each of Cragmarr''s steps left small craters in the stone floor as he barreled forward, his mass and momentum unstoppable. The crude tunnel walls cracked and buckled from his passage. Dust and debris rained down as his shoulders ground against the ceiling.


    "Stop! You''ll bring the whole tunnel down!" Kaito shouted from behind.


    But Cragmarr pressed on, tracking Hikari''s swift movements through the maze-like passages. He''d find Taikumi and get answers about their plans for Ember, even if he had to tear apart their entire underground complex.


    Cragmarr skidded to an abrupt halt, stone fragments crumbling beneath his feet. A woman in an elaborate kimono—Sora—stood at the end of the torch-lit corridor. Despite her geisha disguise, her deadly Zii aura radiated through the hall.


    He had heard whispers about the tier IV Ninja assassin—stories of targets found dead without a mark on them, of impossible infiltrations and devastating ambushes. If even half of those tales held truth, he would be reduced to dust before the hour was done.


    But Ember needed him. The risk meant nothing.


    Sora''s hands moved with fluid grace, drawing five Jingozi cards in a practiced fan. The cards hummed with gathered Zii energy as she loaded them for combat. Cragmarr responded by drawing a single card, channeling his earth-based power through it.


    As Sora''s body tensed to attack, a silver blur launched from behind Cragmarr. Kitty sailed through the air, her metallic scales gleaming as she landed on Sora''s shoulders. The assassin''s movements instantly shifted from offensive to defensive as she tried to keep the silverglint at bay without harming Ember''s beloved companion.


    "Kitty, no!" Kaito''s voice rang out from behind.


    The momentary distraction was all Cragmarr needed. His clay muscles bunched as he prepared to strike—


    "STOP!"


    The thunderous command echoed through the tunnel. Taikumi''s figure emerged from the shadows, commanding enough to freeze everyone in place.


    Cragmarr''s clay form shrank to his standard size as the Zii energy dissipated from his buffs. The weight of his regular body settled in, shoulders no longer scraping the ceiling. He kept his four arms taut at his sides, ready to draw more cards if needed.


    "My old friend," Taikumi stepped forward with an easy smile. "There was no need for such a dramatic entrance."


    "We are not friends," Cragmarr replied. "Our only connection is through Yukiko."


    The merchant''s smile faltered slightly.


    Cragmarr continued, his voice grinding like stones, "A friend would not have denied my request for a meeting."


    "Ah." Taikumi''s shoulders dropped. "You must understand, these are strange times. We didn''t know who to trust if the meeting would be safe." He gestured at the gathered Ninja, their weapons still drawn. "Even now, we can''t be certain about trusting Ember herself."


    Cragmarr''s clay features remained impassive, though his eyes tracked every movement in the tunnel.


    "Please." Taikumi motioned to a doorway. "Sit with me. Let us talk properly."