Like all such endeavors, what once sounded simple had long since become arduous. The master and his apprentice toiled day and night for months, lathing wood, forging gears, and fashioning springs. Now it lay before them, crouched upon the workbench, its assorted limbs and attachments splayed in all directions. They stared at it for a long time, each alone with his thoughts, until finally the master gave the briefest of nods.

Carefully, the apprentice lowered the glowing ember down into an awaiting compartment. Rods reached out to grasp it, and the boy found he was no longer in control of the process. He stepped back as whirs and clicks sounded, and the automaton hauled its self up upon multiple legs. Creation stared back at creators, its eyes burning with fierce intelligence.