At her question, both Joy and Julie looked up.
And the moment they did, they were startled by the sight.
The massive golem stood silhouetted against the sky atop its floating platform. From this clearing, with the trees no longer obstructing their view, the sheer scale of it was overwhelming.
For a heart-stopping second, both women tensed for battle.
Julie's hand flew to her sword, the blade sliding from its sheath with a familiar shing.
Joy's fingers crackled with magical energy, her weapon beginning to materialize in a shimmer of light.
"Wait! Wait, wait, wait!"
Aqua rushed forward, waving her arms frantically.
"Hold on! Don't do anything!"
They paused, confusion replacing battle-readiness.
"We're not under attack!" Aqua exclaimed. "That thing above isn't an enemy weapon or anything like that! It's—"
She gestured wildly at Aisha, who was stuffing her wand into Skadi's mouth to stop her from biting her.
