49
Milo sat in the security room watching recordings of Fulka and Fergus. The two had become very close to the point that Jin was often sidelined.
This didn’t seem to bother the big Tank, who spent more time training with Master Finklestern.
Milo had watched those recordings, too.
“Is it really so powerful?” Fulka asked skeptically.
“My dad said any mage who holds it can stand up to anyone. Even the Mage Court. The Primal Core is everything. If I can get my hands on it, they’ll have to listen to me. I can prove to everyone that he’s cheating.”
“And if you can’t?”
“Then, I’ll make them believe.”
The sound of his words left Milo in no doubt that Fergus wanted to kill him.
It should have bothered him. But he’d listened to so many rants by the other young man that it all started to sound like noise.
What he was actually after was more understanding on why Fergus called it the Primal Core and not The Leveler, like the books did.
What did Fergus know that the books in the library didn’t?
“Well.” Fulka nodded along with him. “Something has to be done for sure. He’s getting out of control. If anyone can stop him, it’s you, Fergus.”
“I couldn’t do it without you,” Fergus said. He suddenly looked awkward. Like he wanted to say more.
Milo’s lip curled a little as he wondered if Fergus was having a similar problem as he was.
Whether he was trying to figure out what a girl was really thinking and feeling.
Fulka blushed, turning away. “I believe in you. That’s all.”
“Ugh,” Tania remarked. She was sitting next to Milo with her feet up on the console. In her lap was a ball of bright red wool. The click clack of her knitting needles had been rattling away for the whole morning as he’d sat there. “I want to throw up.”
Milo paused the recording. “Why are you knitting?”
“What do ya mean?” She held up the little square. “I’m making a sweater.”
“Why?”
“Why not?” She glanced up at him, then back to her needles. “I like knitting.”
“You haven’t done it before.”
“I didn’t know I liked it.”
“Right.” But his tone was dubious enough that she frowned.
“You don’t do things because you like doing them?”
“Of course I do.”
“There ya go, then.”
He let it go, turning back to the screen. Skipping ahead, he saw them head into the common room. They took a spot in the corner. Jin arrived and they spent an hour or so going over the next dungeon’s requirements.
Talking about who they could recruit as their fourth member.
Bored of it all, Milo switched it off.
“Finally.” Tania sighed in relief. “Just the sound of that kid’s voice gives me the heebie jeebies. He’s such a creep.”
“They sound close to making a move.”
“I hope it’s soon,” she said, still absorbed in her knitting. “I got ants in my pants with all this waiting. Wanna see?”
He shook the image of her crotch being covered in ants aside. “No. Not really.”
“Your loss.”
“And we’re sure there’s no way to get a key for the door?”
“Nope.” She tugged more wool. “We’ll have to stick to the original plan.”
“I don’t like it, though. It’s risky. Too risky.”
She looked up at him, pausing her knitting. Her tone was gentle.
“Milo, risks are part of what an 11-B does. We’re infiltrators.
We infiltrate. If we are destroyed in the process, that’s how it is.
” She picked at her little patch of red and smiled widely.
“Besides, you’re worrying for nothing. That key’s as good as ours already.
Ain’t no one gonna notice a thing. Trust us.
Clack will have it in your hand before you can say lemon squeezy. ”
“I still don’t like it. What about the last ward?”
“There ain’t spit on it in the library.” She flicked her eyes towards him. “We’re back to our original plan on that, too. Ain’t no way around it. I still think the creep knows how to deal with it. I’d bet my favorite brush that his daddy told him.”
“You have a favorite brush?”
“Don’t you?”
“No.”
“Well. You’re not a girl, are ya?” She flashed a winsome smile. “Us gals always got a favorite brush.”
“Milo?” Selma slid into the security room, hands tucked behind her back. There was a shy look on her face. “Can I ask you something?”
“Sure.”
“Umm.” Selma glanced at Tania, who rolled her eyes. “It’s personal.”
“Alright alright,” Tania scooped up her knitting and swished out through the door. “I know when I ain’t wanted.”
“I’m sorry, sister,” Selma called. “It’s just personal…”
“Don’t sweat it,” Tania called back. “Just so long as your bank’s closed…”
“What?” Selma flushed. “I would never!”
“Then all’s swell. You take your time.”
When she was gone, the tall golem turned back to Milo, twisting her ankle nervously as she struggled to know how to start.
The two golems were so different, he thought.
Which was also weird.
Wouldn’t there have been a template for their Intelligence Matrixes? Shouldn’t they be more similar? Sure, their strange slang and manner of speaking was similar. But their actual personalities were very different.
Where Tania was outgoing and tough, Selma seemed to require constant validation and went through periods of almost chronic shyness.
Like now.
“It’s alright,” he said, leaning back in his chair. “Just spit it out.”
“Well, it’s sorta personal,” she said. “I didn’t wanna bug you too much, Milo. I know you’re busy and all…”
“Please, Selma. Just tell me what you need. I’m not gonna laugh at you or anything.”
“I know you wouldn’t! You’re always real understanding. But there’s some things…”
“Is it about your core?”
“No!” She flushed brightly at the mention of her most intimate component. “No, that’s not it. I was just thinking. You know… In the dungeon the other day… It was kinda hard.”
“What was?”
She reached up to push some hair out of her face. To tuck it behind her ear. The long thread instantly slipped back out again.
She tucked it again.
How could a 7-foot tall golem who could punch her way through a living creature and stand drenched in its blood while calling for him to look at her be so painfully shy?
“Well. Do you remember that ice mage? The one who kept running away?”
He nodded. The mage had been good at throwing up walls and then hitting her with long icy spears from a distance.
It’d frustrated her as she’d had to keep charging through heavy barriers of ice.
“It was so annoying!” She almost whined. “And I was thinking… Tania’s got those things in her arm?”
“The darts?”
“Yeah.”
“You want some?”
“Well, not those exactly.” She shook her head. “But… You know. There’s some pretty upgrades for 61-F models that would be real helpful. I know I’m not Tania, but I could be more helpful if I could do more than just run and punch, see?”
“You were feeling shy because you wanted to ask for upgrades?”
“Milo!” She pressed her hands to her face to hide her blushing cheeks. “You don’t have to say it so crudely!”
“Selma, it’s maybe because you’re not like Tania that I haven’t given you anything more than what you had when I first built you. Because she’s more…”
“Confident?”
“I was gonna say nagging, but sure. Confident is fine.”
Selma giggled. “I can’t do that, Milo.”
“Alright.” He picked up a small journal and started flipping through to find where he’d made a list of possible upgrades for her. “Let’s see what we can find for you.”
“Really?”
“Yeah, sure. Why not?”
“Oh, Milo!” She threw herself at him and lifted him up off the chair into a hug that squeezed his face tight against her large and comfortable breasts. She smelled of perfume. Was she wearing perfume? “You’re the best!”
And before he could do anything, she snatched his face by the cheeks and planted a kiss firmly on his shocked lips.
Milo’s eyes snapped wide as he froze like a frightened animal.
He’d never been kissed before.
Ever.
And here he was being kissed by a golem he’d made with his own hands. Her plump lips soft against his. Her perfume rising through his flared nostrils. Her breasts pressed hard against his chest.
As she lifted him almost a foot off the ground just to do so.
Milo kicked his feet, trying to find something to stand on.
Then she flushed bright red. Blinked at him.
“Eep!” She dropped him like a hot rock.
He landed heavily. “Ow!”
“Oh! Milo! Milo, are you alright?” She gulped as she waved her hands helplessly in front of her. Her expression looked torn between fear and concern. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean it! I was just so excited!”
“It’s alright,” he said. The kiss was still thrumming on his lips. “It’s… okay.”
“Really? Are you sure?”
“I’m fine.” He dropped back down into the chair and shook his head. “I understand.”
She stared at him, a sad look in her eyes. “I know I ain’t your berry patch, but I’m always here for you, Milo. Like you’ve always been there for us.”
“My berry patch?”
“Yeah.” She nodded. “I’m just a golem. And a big one. And I don’t show ya my intimates as much as Tania does. But I’m shy. That’s all. I know it. And I’m trying not to be. But I can’t help it. It’s what I am.”
Milo still didn’t know how that connected to a berry patch.
But he shook his head. “I like you as you are,” he said. “I don’t need you to be like Tania. One of her is more than enough.”
“It’s nice of you to say.”
“I meant it.”
“Then it’s even nicer.” She glanced over her shoulder and lowered her voice. “Can it be a secret that I kissed ya, Milo? I mean, I didn’t mean to do it. So, it don’t count, right?”
“I guess.”
“It’s just I don’t want Tania to know.” Selma tucked her hands behind her back again. “She really likes ya, Milo.”
“I know. I like her, too. I like you all.”
“You don’t understand, Milo. She really likes ya.”
His throat felt tight all of a sudden. “Does she? How can she be sure?”
Selma blinked. Then the sad smile turned into a giggle. “Are you still thinking of that whole personal use thing? Do you think that’s why we like ya?”
“No.” He shrugged. “Maybe.”
“Ah, Milo. That ain’t how it all works. You know, you really gotta get access to the Prime.” Selma took a deep sigh. “There’s so much you gotta learn.”
“I know.” He picked up his journal again. “But let’s talk about your upgrades instead.”
The big golem leaned down to put her face close to his. Her cheeks were pink.
“You’re a real nice guy, Milo. And real smart, too. And I’m glad you agreed to keep our kiss a secret. So, seeing as we got to first base, do ya wanna check out my boobs, too?”
“Uh, I don’t think she’d like that…”
Still flushing, she lifted her top. Her breasts were much, much larger than he remembered, and her nipples were hard and pink and pointy. She grinned widely. “All’s fair in love and war, Milo.”