Little Friend
The idea of creating a true living creature—something like a bird—fills Ethan with both excitement and caution. Unlike the simple golem he had created, a living, breathing creature would require a delicate balance of multiple elements: earth for its body, air for flight, water for fluidity, life to animate it, and perhaps even mind to give it awareness and instinct.
Ethan understood that this would be a complex process, something far more challenging than anything he'd attempted before. But the thought of creating something as elegant and free as a bird pushed him forward.
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He began by crafting the body, starting with the Earth Element. From the ground beneath him, Ethan drew up soil, shaping it into the rough form of a bird. He molded its wings, delicate legs, and the curve of its beak, paying close attention to detail. The shape was simple at first, more like a rough sculpture than a living creature, but he refined it, making sure the body was light and small enough to take flight. Using the Air Element, he hollowed out the bones, mimicking the light structure of real birds. The form was there—now he needed to bring it to life.
Next, he focused on the Life Element, drawing on the natural vitality around him. This part felt familiar, like when he animated the golem, but he knew it had to be more complex this time. A bird's life force was far more delicate than that of a simple golem of earth. He carefully channeled energy into the figure, feeling the spark of life take hold within the form. The body twitched slightly as the life force began to flow through it, filling it with potential.
Then, Ethan added air, allowing for the breath that would fuel its movements, giving the bird the ability to fly. The air felt light and gentle, weaving through the body, focusing on the wings and lungs, imagining how the bird would soar through the sky. The Air Element flowed into the form, lifting it slightly, as though eager to carry the creature into flight.
He then channeled water, using it to give the creature fluidity and grace in its movements. Water allowed for smoothness, flowing through the form like blood, creating a sense of flexibility and coordination in its limbs and wings. Ethan could feel the bird's body becoming more supple, more real, as the Water Element wove into the structure.
Finally, he focused on the Mind Element, the most delicate and crucial part. The bird needed not just life, but instinct, purpose—a mind capable of guiding it through the world. Ethan reached into that elusive thread of thought and awareness, channeling it carefully into the creature. He didn't want to overwhelm it with too much consciousness but gave it just enough to function as a true living being. He focused on instincts: the urge to fly, find food, and seek shelter. The bird's mind took shape slowly, like a faint spark flickering into life.
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The form before Ethan began to move, its body twitching slightly as the various elements came together, giving it life. The wings fluttered weakly at first, then more confidently. Its small legs shifted as it stood on the forest floor, testing its balance. Ethan watched in awe as the bird—his creation—opened its eyes for the first time, a faint glimmer of awareness flickering within.
It took a hesitant step forward, then another. The bird tilted its head, peering around the grove as if seeing the world for the first time. Ethan could feel the life force pulsing within it, strong and steady, guided by the instincts he had given it. It wasn't fully sentient—its mind was simple, driven by basic needs—but it was aware, alive in a way that his previous creations hadn't been.
Then, in a moment of pure wonder, the bird spread its wings. Ethan could feel the Air Element lifting it as it took flight, its wings catching the breeze. It flapped awkwardly at first, then soared higher, circling the grove in a graceful arc. The sight filled Ethan with an overwhelming sense of accomplishment—he had done it. He had created life.
The bird landed gently on a nearby branch, chirping softly as it looked around. It was independent now, no longer just an animated figure, but a true living creature, capable of navigating the world on its own. Ethan could sense its thoughts—basic, instinctual, but present. It was aware of its surroundings, of the need to find food, and of the sensation of the wind beneath its wings.
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For the first time, Ethan had combined multiple elements to create something truly alive—something that could think, feel, and move freely through the world. The bird remained perched on the branch, its small form a testament to his growing mastery over the elements.
With the success of creating life behind him, Ethan began to think about communicating with one of his creations through the Mind Element. The golem, still wandering the grove in its simple, curious way, already had a basic mind—a flicker of awareness that he had given it earlier. Now, he wondered if he could go further. Could he talk to it? Not in the way humans speak, but through the direct connection of thoughts, using the Mind Element as a bridge.
Ethan focused on the small golem, its earth-and-stone form clumsy but alive, and reached out with his mana. The Mind Element was subtle, almost like a whisper that connected minds together. Unlike physical speech, it didn't require sound or words; it was pure thought, a flow of ideas and understanding.
He gathered his concentration, trying to link his thoughts with the golem's. At first, there was a faint resistance, like the golem's mind wasn't used to receiving outside input. But as he carefully wove the Mind Element into that connection, Ethan began to sense the golem's awareness more clearly. It was simple, not capable of complex thoughts, but it existed—its mind filled with instincts, curiosity, and a vague understanding of the world around it.
Ethan focused on sending a thought, something clear and easy for the golem to grasp. "Can you understand me?" he thought, pushing the idea gently toward the golem's mind.
For a moment, there was nothing—just the faint pulse of life inside the creature. Then, he sensed a small shift, as if the golem was trying to process the thought. It paused in its movements, turning its head slightly as if listening, though it didn't have ears in the traditional sense. Its awareness shifted toward Ethan, and he felt a faint sense of recognition—it knew he was there, that something was communicating with it.
The response that came back to Ethan wasn't in words, but in a feeling—a simple acknowledgment. It was like a quiet "yes," a sense that the golem understood something, though its ability to grasp complex ideas was still limited. The thought was rough, instinctual, but there was a connection now, a basic line of communication established through the Mind Element.
Encouraged by the success, Ethan pushed the experiment further. He sent another thought, more complex this time. "Can you move toward me?"
The golem hesitated for a moment, as if processing the command. Then, it took a slow, deliberate step in Ethan's direction. The movement was clumsy, but the golem was clearly responding to his thought, following the mental link he had created. Ethan could feel its mind processing the instruction, though it didn't fully understand why it was moving—it was simply reacting to the impulse he had given it.
As the golem moved closer, Ethan sensed its awareness sharpening slightly. The more he communicated, the more the connection strengthened, allowing it to think a bit more clearly. Its mind was still primitive, but there was potential. If he kept working with it, Ethan might be able to develop its awareness further, teaching it more complex ideas or even emotions.
The exchange was fascinating—without physical words, Ethan had managed to establish a direct mental link, allowing him to communicate through thought alone.
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The golem stood before him now, waiting, its mind quiet but alert. Ethan could feel its attention on him, ready for another instruction or thought. The Mind Element had given it a level of interaction that went beyond basic movement—it was starting to respond to him in a way that felt almost... alive.
With the mental link established, Ethan decided to take his experiment further by giving the golem a sense of identity—a name, something that would help it understand when he was directing his thoughts specifically toward it.
Ethan focused his thoughts and sent a clear, simple message through the Mind Element. "Your name is Greg."
At first, there was a pause as the golem—Greg—processed the thought. Ethan could feel its mind shifting, trying to comprehend the idea of a name, a label that referred specifically to it. The concept of identity was new to Greg, but after a moment, Ethan felt a flicker of recognition. It wasn't a full understanding, but Greg began to associate the name with itself.
Ethan sent the thought again, more firmly this time: "You are Greg."
This time, the connection felt clearer. Greg's awareness sharpened slightly, and Ethan sensed a small response—an acknowledgment that Greg now knew the name referred to itself. It was a basic form of identity, but it was a step toward giving the golem a more concrete sense of self.
Satisfied with the naming, Ethan decided to test Greg's capabilities by giving it some simple tasks.
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He sent another thought, clear and straightforward. "Greg, lift your arm."
The command reached Greg's mind, and after a brief pause, Ethan saw the golem's rocky arm begin to move. It was slow, clumsy at first, but Greg raised its arm just as he instructed. The movement was deliberate, and Ethan could feel the mental effort it took for Greg to process the command. Still, it was a success—the golem was capable of responding to direct instructions and understanding basic actions.
Next, Ethan gave Greg a slightly more complex task. "Greg, walk in a circle."
There was a longer pause this time as Greg's mind processed the request. Its awareness seemed to shift, trying to visualize the movement. Then, slowly but surely, Greg began to walk in a rough circle around the clearing. Its steps were uneven, and the circle was more of an awkward loop than a perfect shape, but it was clear that Greg was following the instruction to the best of its ability.
Ethan was impressed by the progress. Greg's movements were still basic, but it was able to comprehend and execute commands beyond simple gestures. Encouraged, Ethan decided to push the limits a bit more.
"Greg, pick up that rock," Ethan sent the thought, directing it toward a small stone nearby.
Greg paused, turning its head toward the stone. Ethan sensed the golem's mind focusing on the object, processing the new challenge. Slowly, it walked over to the rock, bent down, and gripped it with its stone hand. The motion was clumsy, and the rock slipped from its grasp a couple of times, but after a few attempts, Greg managed to lift the stone and hold it in its hand.
The task was simple, but it was a significant step. Greg was learning, not just reacting. It was using its awareness to complete tasks, even if the execution was still rough.
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Finally, Ethan sent one last instruction: "Greg, put the rock down and come back to me."
Greg carefully lowered the rock back to the ground, then turned and walked back to where Ethan was observing. Each movement was slow, deliberate, but the golem was clearly responding to the mental commands.
Ethan could feel the mental connection growing stronger with each task, and Greg's mind, though still simple, was learning to follow increasingly complex instructions. There was a limit to how much it could handle right now, but Ethan had managed to give the golem a sense of identity and enough awareness to perform basic tasks.
Greg stood before him again, its small stone form waiting for the next command. Ethan could sense a faint pulse of pride in the connection—Greg recognized that it had done what he asked, and in its simple way, it was pleased with that.
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It was clear that with time and effort, Ethan could continue to develop Greg's abilities, teaching it more complex tasks or even emotions and problem-solving skills. For now, though, he had created a golem with a basic mind and enough awareness to follow simple commands.
Ethan decided to leave Greg with an important task: watching over his stone-shadow body while he headed to the village. Greg had already shown it could follow instructions, and this would be a good opportunity to see how it handled a slightly more passive role, keeping an eye on things in his absence.
Ethan focused his thoughts and sent a clear instruction to Greg through the Mind Element: "Greg, stay here and watch over my stone body. Keep an eye out for any intruders or threats, and let me know if anything happens."
Greg nodded—an odd, stiff movement given its stone form—but Ethan felt a sense of acknowledgment through the mental link. Greg understood. Ethan gave it one final glance, sensing its readiness, before shifting back into his pure mana form.