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Chapter 19: The Whispering Stone
It started with a dream.
Elric stood in a place that wasn't a place—just sky and fog and stars that blinked too slowly.
There was no sound.
Only a shape in the mist.
Something old. Something watching.
Then a whisper:
"You are not just a Shepherd. You are a Seed."
Elric blinked.
"…Do seeds usually talk?"
---
He woke up tangled in his blanket, Mossback Sprite sitting on his chest and frowning like it was his fault the sun came up.
Downstairs, Grandpa Riven was waiting.
"Today," he said, handing Elric a smooth grey stone, "you're going to try again."
"To summon?"
"To listen."
Elric held the stone and sat in the grass.
He cleared his mind.
Then filled it again with excitement.
Then cleared it again.
Pebbles rolled up beside him like backup. Boneclaw curled beside a tree.
Elric took a deep breath. "Okay. I'm ready."
---
The stone pulsed in his palm.
Not with magic—but with feeling. A tug. A weight.
His pack shifted quietly as he focused.
Then…
Crack.
A faint glow appeared on the ground.
From the dirt, a creature began to rise. Small. Awkward.
It looked like a walking teacup made of moss and tiny stones, with stubby little legs and a surprised expression carved into its face.
It sneezed pebbles.
Elric gasped.
"…I made a mini golem."
---
Mossback Sprite clapped. Boneclaw sneezed. Pebbles rolled around it like a proud father.
The tiny golem tilted its head.
It didn't speak, but Elric felt it.
Not like a tamed beast.
Not like a command.
But something deeper. Like he'd grown it.
"…You're not summoned," Elric whispered.