Chase rode on the golem's back until his arms grew tired from hanging onto the giant. The shaking and rough texture of the granite man didn't help matters much during the ride either, and Chase eventually just hopped off and followed the golem, as the gargantuan being seemed to know exactly where to go through the volcanic valley.

"Almost there, then see Master," the golem said, a huge smile on his stone face.

"Who's this 'master,'" Chase asked.

"Master is Master! Don't you know?" the golem responded, still smiling, but wondering exactly what planet this human was from if he didn't know who Master was. Little did he know...

The two circumvented a spring so hot that it was unbelieveable that water even filled it, as it seemed to steam and evaporate constantly, bubbling and boiling without ceasing. After less than another mile's walk (added onto the nearly 10 they'd already traveled, this was a brief stroll), the golem stopped, and Chase with him.

"We here. Wait now for Master."

"It's getting dark..."

The golem looked up as he sat down. "Dark. But, Master here soon, then home!"

"Where's home?"

The stone face looked at Chase as if he should know the answer to that question. "Home is home!"

Chase sighed hung his head. He was tired, he had lost every one of his friends, including his fiancé, he'd lost his ship, and the only things he had to show for it was the blaster pistol he'd had since he'd gotten it when he was 6 and named it "Tiny," a huge stone man who didn't
understand that home had a name, and sore feet from a 10 mile stroll. He closed his eyes for a brief moment before hearing another voice.

"Gnarl!"

The golem jumped to his feet and waved his arms wildly. "Master! Over here!"

Chase's gaze shot up, looking at the approaching figure, the first human Chase had seen other than Dan'Tiree since the crash. He appeared to be an older gentleman, probably fifty years of age, Chase guessed, bald on top, with a pointed white beard and moustache, and hair that
came over the ears. He wore light blue robes and appeared to be, despite looking fifty, in excellent health as he came closer.

"Well done, Gnarl. You look as if the training went well," the old man spoke in a fatherly tone, a smile on his face.

"Yes Master! Gnarl do well. Fight Magma Heart! He get away," Gnarl hung his head a little in disappointment as he mentioned the flaming dragon's escape.

"No shame in that, my boy. Scaring him off is more than most can say they did," the "master" said to the golem. "Now, what is this you've brought me?" he said, walking over to Chase, who had since stood up and had been watching the newcomer.

"Good evening," the old man said, stretching his hand out towards the smuggler, "my name is Pabs. This is Gnarl. Obviously, you've met..."

"Yes, we have," Chase said, eyeing the old man carefully.

"Oh, please," Pabs laughed, "if I had wanted to try something, I'd have done it by now, or had my boy here do it." Chase thought about the logic for a moment, then, unable to argue, held his own hand out and took Pabs' in his.

"Chase Jericho."

"A pleasure."

"Me Gnarl!"

Both Pabs and Chase snorted a bit of laughter as the elder patted the wrist of the golem. "Yes, my boy, we know. How could we forget."

"Oh! Me find this, Master!" the stone man gleefully held out his fist to Pabs and opened it,
exposing the shattered wrist of Gramps.

"Hm," Pabs said grimly, turning to Chase, "your henger?"

Chase looked at him blankly, confused.

"Ah. Well, if it is or not, I suppose we can discuss this on the way back to the mainland. My
boat is waiting. Do you have your own transportation, Mr. Jericho, or do you need a lift?"

"Um, no, I don't..."

"Don't what, have transportation, or need a lift?"

"Have transportation."

"Ah. A place to stay?"

Chase shook his head sadly, staring at the ground.

"Then come with us. You can stay at my home in Poannka. That is, in exchange for your story." Chase nodded once more and the three headed to a nearby bay for the trip to the mainland.

A mainland Chase knew nothing about, on a planet Chase knew nothing about, with people Chase knew almost nothing about.

PezCat