“Come to me oh my earthen servant. I beckon thee to come to me.” There was something supremely embarrassing about talking to nothing but air. Even if it was in his own dreams in front of a single witness who by all accounts loved him unconditionally.

Lock raised his arms in the air, and bellowed again. “I summon you creature of the earth!”

Ankh laughed. Lock however felt a twinge at the back of his mind. Well, more like a slowly rolling pebble pressing against his brain. An odd feeling, he couldn't quite describe it. As with most senses that weren't natural. How was one to tell a blind man how a colour looked?

-/-

“Why make her wear a blindfold?” Ino asked as they leisurely waited in front of the Trydan estate. He was watching Kamin, a red blindfold over her eyes running after Harald, who was holding a stick with the electrically charged ring on it.

They were playing catch, and Kamin seemed to be having the time of her life.

“There is an interesting phenomena in the skill trees inherent to every class. Namely that all of them, and I do mean all of them, eventually offer a skill that provides, in simple words, a sixth sense.” Lock began explaining. “These skills are notoriously difficult to master, but necessary nonetheless, because no matter how strong you are, if you can't defend yourself against an Assassin Class, that strength means nothing.” He paused to breathe. “Now let me ask you a question. Who would you rather mug? A blind girl, or a girl who has progressed so far along the road of magic that she is already trying to develop a sixth sense at age eleven.”

Ino seemed to think on the question for an inordinate amount of time considering how simple it was. He probably thought it was a trick question. Eventually however, he answered. “The blind one.”

Lock nodded. “These simple little deceptions are the lifeblood of competent living. Remember, sometimes what people perceive you too be, can be more important than what you actually are.” He said.

Ino bowed his head in his direction. “Thank you for your words of wisdom, master.” He said reverently.

Lock simply snorted.

“You know for someone who says that they don't like teaching you sure have a lot to teach, and are very good at it.” Ino continued on, blowing on Lock's ego, probably buttering him up for something.

“I'm not good at teaching, just intelligent enough that any endeavour I pursue bears marginally sweeter fruits than those of others. It's called having a brain. You should try it.” He retorted.

A faux confused expression took over Ino's face. “A brain master, where may I purchase such a commodity?”

Lock ignored him and turned his attention back to the two children playing. Just in time to see Kamin face-plant on the ground due to a slight unevenness of the earth beneath her feet. His hand instinctively shot up from where it had been resting at his side to grab Ino's shoulder, who had already pitched forward to help his sister up. He received a glare for his efforts. It disappeared however when Kamin simply picked herself up, and continued chasing Harald.

“You're right, sorry.” Ino said and sighed, slumping in on himself.

“I think I can finally understand where father was coming from. You are by no means torturing her, but you're treating her as if she wasn't even blind.” He muttered.

“That's the point, I've been training her for a week already, you should know this.” Lock shot back.

“Acting like you already are who you want to be.” Ino said. “It isn't a very logical approach.”

Lock gently turned his head upwards and back, laying it on the obnoxiously yellow wall of the Trydan compound. The sky was almost a ridiculous colour of blue. The laughter of a kid in the background accompanying the scene made him think of the halcyon days of his distant childhood. He breathed out slowly and closed his eyes.“Rationality does not provide purpose. Unless one wants to enslave one's self to the biological human condition. In the end, for all that it has elevated us above other beings, it is but a tool to pursue the irrational.”

“You come up with that on your own?” Ino asked.

“Difficult question really. I came to the conclusion on my own very early in life, but later found out that as with all things, there had already been a man who'd come to the same conclusion and had written it down. There were probably countless others before him who simply weren't remembered.” Lock answered.

“What was his name?”

“Hume.”

“Never heard of him.”

“I imagine you wouldn't have.”

“I read, you know.” Ino said, affronted, making Lock smile.

“I never said that you didn't, but you can hardly read all the books in the world now can you.” Lock mocked, at which Ino hmm'ed.

“It sounds like an interesting book, though. Do you still have it?” Ino queried further.

Lock laughed, finally looking down from the sky and slowly letting himself fall to the ground where he sat down. “No. It didn't really survive the journey.” He said.

“A shame. Must have been an arduous journey, although to be fair books are easily destroyed.” Ino said.

“It was indeed a very hard road, bigger than life, really.” Lock said wistfully, feeling himself starting to disassociate from the situation. He rubbed at his temples. What was he doing here? It suddenly seemed so ridiculous that this was how he was spending his immortality. Running around trying to achieve it all over again, but then getting distracted and spending time with a bunch of children at least 70 years younger than him.

“Well you're here now, I guess.”

“An astute observation.”

“Are you at least enjoying it?” Ino suddenly asked, some concern tingeing his voice.

“Fuck if I know, to be honest.” Lock answered, running a hand through his hair.

Kamin's laughter suddenly pierced through the haze that had begun enveloping his mind. The voices of children had a tendency to do that. The clearance of the mental fog also brought another realization, namely that Lemmings was close. Very close.

So it had worked, called on his golem in his dreams and having him come in real life. Risky perhaps, seeing as they were in the middle of the city. But even if he was discovered to be what he was, well, people didn't care too much about openly used magic, as long as it wasn't hurting anyone that was.

“Our third party member is coming.” Lock said. He glanced at the startled seeming Ino and concluded that he'd ripped the boy from his thoughts.

“You know you really remind me of my Grandfather for some reason!” Ino suddenly exclaimed, putting a fist up to his chin and thoughtfully looking at Lock.

Lock looked down at his arms theatrically. “I don't seem to have any wrinkles” The words elicited a laugh. “Your grandfather though? Can't remember meeting him.” Lock continued, at which he received a confused look.

“You've been visiting him for every day of the week, almost I think. He really likes you.” Ino said, and a lightbulb went off in Lock's head.

“You mean Kirin?” He asked curiously.

His brother-in-law nodded, before shaking his head. “Well his name isn't really Kirin, I'm surprised he introduced himself as such to you though. He hates it when young people call him that. Something about missing the proper gravitas.”

“Wait, if Kirin isn't his name, then why did he tell me it was.” Lock said, now genuinely confused.

“It's a title.” Ino said, exasperated. “He probably said something along the lines of 'People call me.' I guess.” He finished.

Lock thought about it for a moment before standing up. “Sounds pretty stupid.” Was all he said before starting to walk towards the slowly approaching form of Lemmings. It was funny how the crowd parted before the earthen giant that was covered so that people only thought him to be just a giant.

Ino chased after him, affronted. “To bear the title is an absolute honour!” He huffed aggressively at him.

“It's the name of some dumb animal, I don't know what's supposed to be special about that. It's a bit of a downgrade really, humans are much more intimidating.” Lock calmly replied as he finally walked up to Lemmings and hugged the golem, feigning a reunion with an old friend for Ino.

“Humans aren't even close to the top of the food-chain you know.” Ino grumbled, at which Lock simply shook his head.

“And with that attitude they never will be.”

Ino groaned.

“Good to see you Lemmings.” Lock said to the golem, and returned back to where Harald and Kamin were still playing. He was curious if Kamin would recognize Lemmings for what he was, but by the lack of any reaction as they entered her effective range, her senses were either still too underdeveloped, or she didn't understand the significance of what she saw.

“We're leaving.” Lock said simply, causing Harald to grind to a halt from where he'd been jumping around Kamin. The aforementioned girl would have fallen down from the sudden stop had Lock not caught her with the palms of his gauntlets.

Ino stopped his sulking for a moment and raised an eyebrow at Lock.

Ignoring him Lock turned towards his fiancée. “Do you want to walk or be carried?” He asked, at which the girl blushed.

“Carried.” She replied almost immediately.

Nodding Lock carefully picked her up, not wanting to stab her with his sharp gauntlets and deposited her into the outstretched arms of Lemmings. Kamin was a small girl, barely four feet and very thin, in comparison to Lemmings she looked almost ridiculous.

“I could have carried her.” Lock heard Ino mutter, at which he sighed, ignored him, and started walking.

Lemmings started following immediately, unburdened by the girl he was carrying in a princess carry. Her white apparel, pants, sweater and cloak, as dirty as they were, made for a funny contrast against Lemmings' almost all black appearance. Harald was the second to catch up with their departure, falling in line a few steps behind his master. Ino was the last, wizard's robe fluttering ungracefully as he ran after them, staff clutched tightly in his hands.

They probably made for a funny sight. Lock looked like a knight, if a slightly scruffy and criminal one, this fit in well with being in a party with a wizard such as Ino. Harald however looked, and was, a jumped up peasant who'd found a sword on the ground, and Lemmings was a giant whose intimidation factor was lessened by the fact that he was carrying a blindfolded young girl on his shoulders.

Lock almost wanted to start walking faster and leave them behind. It was odd walking about with a bunch of kids. Most people would probably think they were his friends, whereas he was actually their teacher.

He hadn't put on his helmet earlier since he'd just been waiting around, and it was hardly that unsafe right before the Trydan compound. He did so now however. For security purposes of course.

Harald picked this exact moment to strike up a conversation. “This was the longest week of my life.” He said without any preamble.

Not knowing what to answer to that, Lock simply nodded. Harald continued unperturbed.

“However, it feels like I've learned more in this one week than ever before.” He said, which felt like a bit of an odd thing to say to be honest.

“You learned one skill.” Lock cautiously replied.

“An active skill, all that I had before that was the swordsmanship one. It's just. By focusing my mind I can create magic. I feel like an actual adventurer now.” He said. “I also earned one point in Endurance and Dexterity, and the sparring that we did has helped me improve my swordsmanship immensely.” He paused for a bit seemingly lost in thought. How he did so Lock had no idea, quite honestly the boy didn't have a lot of them. “I guess what I'm trying to say is, thanks.” He eventually forced out.

“It says a lot about you as a person, that you're able to thank me for making you go through a week that most others would refer to as hell.” Lock said.

Harald shot him a curious look. “What exactly does that tell you?” He asked.

“That you might be a masochist.” Lock replied. He heard Ino laugh somewhere in the background. Harald seemed mostly confused. “All jokes aside though, it tells me that you're a good person who is able to discern between sadism and professional conduct that sometimes brings with itself, some pain and suffering.” Lock lied through his teeth.

“Also, you're paying me, it was quite literally, no problem.” Lock added, and turned his head away from the now blushing Harald.

A few minutes of peaceful walking later he heard Harald softly speaking to Ino.

“What's a masochist?”