《Statues: The Statue of the North》


 Part 1

    Far to the North, there remained a Statue not yet claimed by the royalty. Its dispassioned, cold gaze was a stark contrast to the empty servitude seen in your normal Statue. This Statue was bound to the North, not by choice, but by necessity. Its maker was the Original Metallurgist, who had crafted a unique Statue from a rare metal that seemingly had no real purpose. Perhaps It too, was touched by the Metallurgist''s madness. This particular Statue was made from a metal that melted at room temperature, and thus, It could only remain in the North, where the frigid temperatures kept Its body functioning and solid.


    It was the only Statue known to have no love nor affinity for the royals, yet It served them all the same out of deference for Its former master. Due to Its properties, It remained in a limbo state in the hierarchy- too pretty to be a peasant metal, too weak to be an industrial metal, and too selfish to be a noble metal. Thus, it remained in the North to serve the royals if they should choose to visit the North or stay within the Winter Hold, a place designed to shelter the Royal Family when they rarely chose to winter there.


    So how, in particular, does such a unique Statue spend its time when it''s not serving the Royals?


    You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story."Galla, here''s some goat milk. Take it to the smith, yeah?"


    Well, mostly it was spent running errands and doing chores. The Statue was nicknamed ''Galla'', due to the metal it was fashioned from, Gallium. The Gallium Statue had earned Its name from the village''s only blacksmith.


    This blacksmith had been an apprentice to a Metallurgist, but his skills were too lacking to serve in the Capital, and thus he was forgotten and left behind. He was also the only one capable of servicing and maintaining the Statue. And, more than that...


    "Galla, you got me milk? You''re the best!" The Smith lightly bumped his fist on the Statue''s chest, grinning wryly. That''s right. The two of them were what you might call ''friends'', or at least, that was the Statue''s understanding. It did not think like a normal person did, after all. The Statue raised Its hand and made a few gestures. "The kids? Oh you mean the baby. Yeah, Marcie had a kid. Pretty great, isn''t it?"


    It was not, in fact great, The Statue found ''babies'' to be quite noisy. It had witnessed the birth firsthand, and had subsequently affirmed to itself that Humans were terrifying in a biological sense. When It communicated this to the Smith, he started laughing for some reason. For some reason this displeased the Statue.

 Part 2

    The Gallium Statue held Its arm up, staring at the package It carried mercilessly. It was amazing what an expressionless face could communicate, but for some reason It wasn''t really working. "Higher! Higher!" the package squealed. Well, it was really just a kid. For whatever reason, the kids of the village adored It. With Its unfathomable strength and unique looks, it was the shining oddity of the village. However, the Statue really had no idea how to handle these small, organic beings. Currently one of them was dangling off of Its arm, suspended in the air and giggling. More had surrounded and played around It enthusiastically. Was this fun for them, It wondered? They could not speak with It, not like the Smith could. That was because only Royals and the Metallurgists could commune with the Statues, to preserve their functions as servants of the royalty.


    "Michael, can you let go? Your body heat is gonna start making him melt," a dispassioned voice spoke. The kid gasped in surprise and immediately let go, landing in the soft snow. "S-sorry...I forgot..." At last, It was saved. The Statue frantically made a few gestures, but its apparent distress only made the Smith laugh. "You say that everytime, but you still walk down this same road, yeah?" That made It pause momentarily, unable to properly process that. Its friend laughed and patted It on the shoulder. "Come on, let''s go get some drinks."


    This, of course, was purely metaphorical for the Statue, who could not eat or drink. Yet for whatever reason, It was constantly dragged along by the Smith to various social events and gatherings the Village held regularly. This would normally be problematic due to the warmth from fires burning within the buildings, but magical charms allowed the Statue some mild liberty to spend brief moments in the company of others.


    As It sat beside the Smith, who was drinking from a mug, It stared at the mug curiously. "What, want some?" He asked, giving a wink. The tavern was particularly rowdy tonight. Some merchants had come by with their caravan, so a lot of new faces had entered the scene. "What''s this thing?" A new voice asked. The Smith and Statue both turned in their seats to regard a rather posh looking man in a suit staring down at them. "It''s not a ''thing'', you know. His name is Galla." The Smith said with a snort. The Statue regarded the Smith and tugged on his sleeve, but for some reason Its intent was ignored.


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    The Merchant frowned, tilting his head slightly. "Sure looks like one. This is one of those ''Statues'' the Bolvans are so proud of, yeah? It don''t look like much..." The Statue jerked slightly in surprise as the man flicked its forehead, the soft chime of it''s metal ringing. "Never seen one before. They''re only in the main castle, yeah? Why''s this one out here?"


    "Someone''s gotta keep the winter home clean," the Smith replied easily. "They say they''ve got the strength of a hundred men. That true?"


    "Depends on the Statue. Different metals have different abilities," The Smith said cautiously. The Merchant nodded slightly. "How much for him?"


    "What?"


    "How much? I''ll give you a million gold, right here, right now." If Statues could frown, this one would have the deepest of one on its face. It was not too well versed in economics, but it was aware that this was a frighteningly large sum. "Are you mad? Statues are property of the Royals. It''d be high treason to ever sell them to an outsider. Even if I could, I wouldn''t give him over for any amount. He''s my friend."


    "Friend? This thing? Does it even know what friendship is?" The Statue nodded in affirmation. "I''m not asking you, you piece of junk."


    "That''s not a piece of junk. That''s our Statue you''re talking about." The Bartender interjected, giving the merchant a glare. "If you''re gonna start trouble, get the hell out of here." Jeers from the crowd arose. The Merchant scoffed, then left unceremoniously, joined by his buddies.


    "Sorry about that. It''s easy to forget how much foreigners don''t understand," the Smith apologized to the Statue, who shrugged and turned to the bartender, tapping the wooden counter with Its finger. "Eh? You''re asking for a drink?" The bartender asked with a raised eyebrow. The Statue turned towards the Smith, and the two communed silently for a moment, before he turned to the crowd to vocalize the Statue''s intent. "Galla says he thinks this is the part where he says ''I need a drink.''" Cheers and laughter erupted from the entire tavern at that.

 Part 3

    The Gallium Statue was a unique oddity unlike any the Kingdom had ever seen before. Itss aversion to any kind of heat meant It could not stay in buildings for very long. There were ways around this with magic devices and such, which the Smith laboriously maintained and kept functional, but overall, anything above freezing was not wise for the Statue to be near. On a nearby glacier, It sat, looking at the dancing lights in the sky. "Can''t sleep?" A voice asked. The Statue turned Its head to regard the newcomer, sarcastic displeasure clearly felt from its blank expression. "Haha, I know you can''t sleep. It was a joke." The Smith said. Bundled up in wool and furs, he sat down beside the Statue, looking up at the lights. "It''s cold. The Winter will be a rough one, I think." The Statue nodded in agreement.


    Other statues would not operate well in this cold. The frigid temperatures would render them brittle and cause warping, a flaw that was sometimes unfixable. It was why most Statues could not be found in hostile environments, preferring to stay within the cushy environment of the capital. "The whale hunt is coming up soon. You going to join?" he asked. The Statue nodded. "Hey, we''re NOT useless without you, ok? Last time was just an accident!" the Smith protested. Last time the whale hunt had happened, the Statue had not joined. Without Its strength, they had a very difficult time catching the whale, whose kind had become crafty after decades of surviving and enduring their annual hunt.


    The next day, while the Smith was working on the small bracelet the Statue wore, there was a knock on the door. "One moment!" The Smith called, opening the door. "Michael? What is it?" he asked, surprised to see the kid at his door. "There''s some mean looking guy who wants to talk to you. Told me to get you," Michael said with frightened eyes. The Smith''s eyes narrowed. "Is that so? Alright, let''s go. Galla, grab the bracelet and come."


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!"They said they didn''t want the Statue to come." The Smith frowned. "Or what?"


    "....they said it wouldn''t be anything good, whatever that means."


    "Galla, stay here then. I''ll be right back." The two left, leaving the Statue alone. The warmth was becoming uncomfortable, so the Statue grabbed the bracelet and put it on, then stepped outside, embracing the cold chill in the air.


    It waited. And waited. The sun began to set, and then the Statue noticed Michael running. "Galla! Galla! It''s terrible!" the kid grabbed the statue''s leg, on the verge of absolute panic. "They took him! They took my friends too!" The Statue looked down and listened as the kid explained that armed men had kidnapped the Smith and some of the Village''s children. The Statue tried to communicate with the kid, forgetting that he could not hear. Instead, it gently placed a hand on the kids shoulder and crouched down, looking him in the eye.


    "Galla...? Are you going to go?" the kid asked, shivering. The Statue nodded, slowly standing up and waved a hand, wishing for the kid to leave. Sensing this, the kid quietly ran into the Smith''s house to hide. As soon as he went inside, the Statue slammed a fist into the ground, sending a wave of white snow scattering into the air. For the first time ever, the Statue''s senses expanded, encompassing the surrounding area.


    As guardians of the Royals, they were able to seek where ever their handlers and masters were at all times. In a very short time, It had located the Smith in a nearby glacial cave. The Statue disappeared, its body a blur as it nimbly ran across the snow, unhindered by its softness. Gallium was usually soft and weak, but durable and strong in the cold.


    It would make them pay for their insolence in blood.

 Part 4

    Within a few short minutes, the Gallium Statue found itself at the mouth of a large cave. The Statue fearlessly walked in, ignoring the wave of warmth from the heat within. The charm at it''s side began to glow a faint blue, signifying it was working to shield its body. It crouched down and slinked along the shadows, recalling the movements it had inherited from his creator.


    "Your metal flows as liquid, and so should your movement." It came upon a guard, who was yawning and grumbling to himself. He stiffened, then collapsed as the Statue came from behind and snapped his neck with a sickening crunch. "What the hell?" Another voice spoke from behind, prompting the Statue to pivot and thrust a fist, caving in the second guard''s face and sending blood and teeth spattering across the ground. Blood hissed, a vapor arising as its warmth contrasted with the chill of Its body.


    It advanced slowly, creeping from shadow to shadow. No man could stand in its way. Time passed, and eventually it came across a face it was surprised to see. It was the merchant, noisily drinking from a mug at a table and boasting to a nearby guard. "That stupid Smith was a fool. He''ll sell for a good profit. The kids, I suppose I can sell to that one dude with the peculiar interests..."


    The Statue stepped forward, entering the light and causing both the merchant and guard to start. "What the hell? How did you find us?!" The Merchant barked in surprise. "Take It out! I want him scrapped!" The Guard drew a blade and advanced upon the Gallium Statue, who had picked up a nearby dagger. It dexterously parried one blow, then another, launching a riposte that slammed the blade into the man''s helmet, staggering him.


    Roaring in pain, the guard launched a vicious blow, and the Statue was forced to position its arm in front of it, unable to bring his weapon to bear.


    The blade slammed into the Statue''s arm, shattering the bracelet and carving a large gash into its arm. Despite It''s cold body, Gallium was not very strong against cuts. Without the magic protection afforded by the bracelet, the blazing heat began to affect the Statue''s body, giving it a metallic sheen. The blade became mired in the now half solid arm, allowing the Statue to slam the blade straight into the guard''s face, who crumpled to the ground immediately afterwards. The Gallium Stature gripped the handle of the sword in its arm and yanked it out, sending droplets of metal outwards. "What in the nine blazes are you!!?" The Merchant shouted, running into a nearby hallway.


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    He slammed a lever, causing a large iron grate to slam down between the Statue and the Merchant. "Haha, you''ll never get to me now!" The Merchant jeered, a nasty smile upon his face.


    The Statue felt at peace with Itself. Trapped for too long in a solidified form, It had forgotten its true nature. The Gallium Statue tensed, forcing its melting body to remain together, and then it took a step forward. It''s face and body began to collide with the grate...before going through them. Its semi liquid state allowed the Statue to phase through the gate, and It stepped on the other side, advancing towards the Merchant.


    "Stay back....stay back!" The merchant shouted, but there was nowhere for him to run without getting past the Statue. It advanced and grabbed onto him, clutching his face with Its now melting arm. The Merchant panicked and inhaled the liquid metal, which began to clog up his lungs. Unable to breathe, the Merchant thrashed in the Statues arms, liquid metal scattering with every movement he made. The Merchant slowly collapsed, and the Statue stepped back, staring down emotionlessly at him.


    It reached down and barely managed to grasp the ring of keys he had on his belt, then continued its search for Its friend. And soon enough, the Statue had found him.


    "Galla, is that you?" The Smith asked, looking up in surprise. Both he and the kids that had been taken were in a single cell. It didn''t take long for the Statue to unlock it, and the Smith moved forward to hug him...only to stop in shock. "...Galla, you''re melting..." he muttered. The Statue remained silent, only choosing to place a hand on the Smith''s shoulder. "Alright, we gotta hurry..." they began to run, kids in tow, towards the exit. With every step, more and more liquid pooled on the ground, a silvery trail left behind the Statue. It could no longer maintain Its form, as the Statue''s body began to shrink and warp. "Just a bit further, Galla!" The Smith said, panick evident in his voice.


    His teachings did not go into how to fix this. "I am glad I have helped you." The Statue''s voice echoed in his mind. "But I can go no further. I am happy to have called you my friend." The Smith stopped and turned around, staring at the Statue, who was now lying on the ground. "No, no. We can still make it!" He said, tears forming in his eyes. Liquid metal pooled at his feet, continuously expanding outwards. "Do not mourn. Our kind are meant to be expendable." The Gallium Statue raised its head, looking the Smith in the eye. "From the earth I came, and to the earth I will return..." As It spoke those words, the rest of the Statue''s body melted, losing its shape.


    All that remained was a large pool of silvery metal that glistened in the torchlight.