Well, the small fires and weird noises were all focused around an area. It should be pretty easy to figure out a central point to the events. There's a cave there.

Yeah, pretty much the natural habitat for anyone that isn't part of a faction. Felix briefly checks that nothing is going to ambush him from behind and then stealthily enters the cave.

There's something inside, a fairly small, metallic...semi-humanoid mecha. It seems to be in a rest mode.

That is a bit alarming. They didn't expect to find mechanical wizards in this world. The next world over did have a base, but the records showed that no one allied to them survived or escaped. It was a place for experiments so they didn't have a lot of resources devoted to defense, that was their downfall...

Felix tilts his head, he has a hunch. And after waiting a minute, Percy didn't show up to tell him that the hunch was a completely crazy idea.

The mecha shifts abruptly, as though it can sense someone else there.

Felix holding up his hands (he doesn't need weapons, but it is a symbolic gesture).

"Hello, I come in peace and friendship," Felix announces.

It spins to face him, startled and...scared? Fire surges through it as it moves.

Felix waves his hands. "Sorry, for startling you. But I come here as a potential friend."

It's still, and then what is probably its head tilts. "-Friend?"

Smile. "Yes, friend. I like to make new friends."

"I- don't know what that is."

His smile falls. "A friend is someone that... likes your company and when you're happy."

Silence, a sense of confusion at that idea. "-o-oh. I've-" The mecha manages to make itself smaller. "Never had one before."

That's heartbreaking. "Do you want one?"

"...I think I'd like that?"

"I would like that too!" Smile.

A...head? Pokes out from the side of the mecha, and then a small being made of fire scurries up to the top of it, curling up and looking at him.

Awww. That's the cutest fire elemental he has ever seen. "Hi, I am Felix." He offers a hand. Felix is fire-warded, of course, he is a fire mage.

The fire elemental moves close enough to sniff at Felix's hand, but doesn't seem to know what else to do with the gesture, and scurries back to its perch on top of the mecha.

Too cute. "It's safe to touch," Felix says still holding his hand up. "What's your name?"

Blink, confusion. "I- um. Name?"

"Ah... a name is a word that people to designate you, in specific."

"O-Oh." Pause. "Battery?"

Felix considers just responding with "nice meeting you".

But he looks between the elemental and the small automaton armor. "Why Battery?"

"S'what I am. What they called me."