Thelby pressed her nose against the workshop window, her breath fogging the glass. Inside, human engineers bent over their machines, adjusting valves and tightening bolts. She had watched them for years from the forest shadows, sketching their techniques in the dirt by moonlight. Her tail coiled tight with longing. Those humans belonged to the industrial guild—the same one that had chased her away, calling her a wild creature. But she wasn't wild anymore. She had learned their methods and mixed them with her own forest magic, creating steam that sang through copper pipes. One day, she would show them what she could build. One day, they would let her in. She stepped back from the window and wiped her hooves on the grass. Watching wasn't enough anymore. The guild needed proof she could be useful, not just another creature lurking outside. Her tail glowed faintly as she thought about her plan. She would build something they couldn't ignore—a cart that could haul their heavy cargo through the rough paths. Not just any cart, though. Hers would run on moonwater steam, combining their brass and copper with her magic. She had already gathered everything: rotten blue wood from the forest floor, grey stone from the cliffs, gears and cogs she'd collected over the years. The purple gemstones she'd found near the old trees would make it shine. If she could move their goods faster than their horses, they would have to see her worth. They would have to let her prove herself. Working through the night, Thelby fitted brass valves to the blue wood frame and attached copper pipes along the sides. The grey stone made a solid base for the wheels, and she pressed the purple gemstones into the wood where they caught the moonlight. Steam hissed through the pipes as she poured moonwater into the tank, and the gokart hummed to life with a singing sound. She climbed aboard and gripped the wooden steering bar. The machine rolled forward smoothly, carrying her weight without shaking or stalling. This was it—her chance to show the guild she could transport their goods better than any horse-drawn wagon. Tomorrow, she would take it to the ancient garage where the guild members met, the purple and blue wood building with grey gemstones that marked their gathering place. She would arrive with her creation running, steam singing, and wait for them to see what she had made.