Abused and used like scrap, Golem has never known anything but pain. He exists to serve the Oracle's whims and needs. After escaping the Monastery, he hid himself away where no one would be able to use him again. Then one day a child falls asleep in his lap...
Marl is nothing special. He's low in the Earth Caste, set to watch over the Caste's problem child, Lichen. In search of the errant Lichen one day, he unexpectedly comes across Golem hiding deep in the mountains. Unlike his usual behavior, he desires to see Golem again.
Then Marl learns why Golem is hiding, and he realizes he must make a choice: the Oracle or Golem.