I couldn’t really believe what I was hearing.

The Stars in our Fortune Attributes indicated how many times our Skills could be Promoted. It was unbelievable.

“But, then… what about my bad luck?” I asked.

“Your bad luck? Did you think you were the first person to lose an arm?”

Indeed I wasn’t.

“And what about the Shade-cursed hair, eyes, and skin then?”

“That’s just who you are," he said, shaking his head, "look at me; I share some of your traits. I was born with two Shade Stars, though,” he smirked. “The Flow or the Shade might find peculiarities in you, things that they like, so they bless you before you are born. Or so the Church of the Sun says. I’m not a Priest though; I’m a clock-engineer.”

“But… what about the stars that Classes give?”

“More ground for you to Promote your Skills. However, remember that you can evolve a Skill only based on your stars. If you have got only Shade stars, you can only Promote your Skills with Shiny Stones. The opposite is true for Flow Stars.”

“What about me? I’ve got both thanks to my Tamer Class.”

“Yes. That’s tricky." He paused.

“I’m following; go on.”

“Once you promote a Skill, that Skill takes the aspect of Shade or Flow entirely. Meaning that it won’t change back. If you were to promote a Skill with your sister’s Dark Crystal, you would not be able to promote it once more until you got yourself another Flow Star.”

“I get it… But it could be useful.”

“Indeed, it could. The best delvers know which Skills are best evolved and in which way.”

I nodded.

“How do I do it?”

“Do what? Promote your Skill?”

“Yes, I think I’ll do it now.”

Logan Raive tsked.

“You already know what to use it on? Why if that’s not one diligent little man, eh?” it was a mocking tone.

“My Trace Skill is complete. If I upgrade it now, it’ll be easier to study the slave traders and end their tragedies. Not all villages are as lucky as ours.”

He slammed his metal cup on the table. “Go on then, grab it and Promote your Skill. But you will regret doing it so early.”

I locked my gaze in his and held it. “What do I have to do?”

“Touch it, and let the Shade in.”

At that point, something picked the interest of my developed senses. I could not hear Nova’s sleeping breathing pattern. She seemed to be trying to hold it in.

I turned my eyes and attention to her. But then I heard it again. Everything seemed alright; why would she fake sleeping?

“Harlow, give me those damn blueprints. I’ve done my part! If the brat wants to get himself killed, I will not be responsible for sending him off with a crappy weapon.”

“Thank you,” I said, “for everything, Logan. Tell me your price.”

“Just leave that crap you brought and get out of my sight. Oh, and don’t you dare tell Nova about this until she becomes at least smarter than you! I doubt it’s gonna take long anyway!”

He was still a little tipsy, but I could feel he was sincerely worried for us for some reason.

“Thank you for your advice,” I teased him.

“Shut up!” He shouted, heading down the basement, then we could hear him shout, “Harlow! Bring me the tools. And don’t let them leave until I’m done!”

Harlow sighed. “Like we were going to let you go; it’s already night out there.”

“Thank you too, Harlow.”

“Yeah, thanks for the dinner, redhead,” said Alistar.

“You’re welcome, scales.”

“Did you get any of that?” Alistar asked me once we headed out.

The last shining rays of the Blessed Hour washed over our faces. The twilight from the engineer’s hill was beautiful to see. And I couldn’t hide to be fascinated by its contrast with the dark, looming Castle in the distance.

The giant clock-birds flying in the sky shone of the twilight’s light, and the ground smelled of an incoming shower. It would rain at a moment's notice.

I closed my eyes to take in all the new knowledge I had gained.

I’m not unlucky.

I almost couldn’t believe it.

We sat in silence on the working table that had remained outside. Until Alistar broke it, “Are you going to use it now?”

I nodded.

“I want to see this! Just let me sit comfortably.” Saying so, the Kobold took his place, sitting on top of the big table and gluing his eyes to me.

“What are you doing?” I asked, surprised.

“I want to see all the details. It’s a Skill thing. Don’t let me take your focus; go ahead.”

I laughed, “Alright. Here goes nothing.”

I opened the lacquered box I had brought outside.

The Shiny Stone was still there. It was… gorgeous, and it called for me. Irresistible.

The next thing I knew, I had placed my hand on top of it then, my head shot up, and the world disappeared.

When I opened my eyes, I was in a world colored in shades of black.

Where am I? I said. But there was no voice coming out from my mouth.

Just as I was not really breathing.

I just was.

The colors of the dark world around me ranged to many different variations of blue and black. But far in the distance, something extremely luminous bellowed for me to come. It looked like Flow itself.

I didn’t know how to move. I did not know if I needed to walk, jump, swim; everything felt so… ethereal.

And yet, there was no panic in me because something was whispering to me, not directly; it felt more like… a suggestion in the back of my mind.

“Wish for it.” It seemed to say.

So I did.

I wished to move forward, and I advanced.

Yes, that was the way.

I hovered toward the small light. Like a Screeching-widow, I moved but not moved; I slithered in the air if whatever was around me could be qualified as air.

When I arrived, I could finally see the little Sun in front of me.

“What do you wish for?”

The question came with its own answer. It sent me the image of my desire. Like it already knew.

But… why ask?

Can I wish for something else? I asked, intrigued.

“Not yet. But you might, one day. Now take it; it’s yours.”

“And may you find harmony.”

The world exploded in light, and I gasped real air in my lungs.

When I opened my eyes, I sprang up from the seat and stumbled with the legs of the bench; I fell with my back on the grass.

“Where did I go? Did I leave!?” I shouted at Alistar.

He was laughing.

“What happened to you? It seemed like you were having a fit! Then the next second, you fell with your ass on the ground!” He kept on laughing.

“I- the next second?”

“Yup.”

“I thought I had been in there for at least a few minutes…”

“I don’t know what in there means, but if it’s some human slang, I’m ignorant of it. You have been here; you did not leave once. But why do you ask? What did you see?”

“I… I think I saw the Sun...” I left him baffled.

We went to sleep that night; Harlow led us to a room upstairs, it was spacious, and there were comfy leather rolls.

We placed Nova on the less consumed one; she slept through the entire process.

I’m not gonna let you drink so much again, I thought to myself. Then I went to bed too.

Yet, I was too shocked to sleep.

I kept trying to find a meaning to what had happened, to my trip to a world of darkness or to that little Sun that had appeared in front of me. I even tried to these Tracing, I could feel something already, but it was escaping me.

However, it was clear that whatever had happened was incomplete. The change was incomplete. Maybe it needed another step. I might have to ask.

I could ask Harlow, but I would have to go to her bedroom, where she slept alone.

Alone. With Harlow. In her room.

Nope, it was better if I stayed there; I would wait and see what the night would bring.

It was a couple of hours in the night when, too excited to sleep; I understood what was bugging me, the change that I knew had happened but did not know how to place.

I could use the Major Perk without Flow!

How silly of me. I had been using it in the plain night. When I realized it, I silently slapped my forehead.

After that, I was able to fall asleep peacefully. At least until I started dreaming of Grandpa.

When we woke up, the Sun was already high. We had slept through dawn. It rarely happened to me.

I noticed that Nova was already up while I woke Alistar.

What waited for us down the hall was Harlow’s breakfast.

“May the Sun smile upon you,” I said. Something I didn't dare use with the villagers. But today, and with her, it felt right.

“Sun smile!” She answered.

“Happy Sun,” said a yawning Alistar.

“Hey, where’s Nova?”

“Oh, she’s trying out her new toy,” Harlow answered.

“They are complete!?” I stopped mid-sitting.

“Yeah. Don’t worry about thanking Dad; he said: ‘Give them the weapons and send them to their deaths. Fools!’” Harlow mimicked her father's usual tone.

I chuckled, but then she sat in front of me.

“Loke, listen. I understand that you want to do this, but Nova doesn’t have to go through that… she’s twelve, for Sun’s sake… Think about it!”

“But she’s not coming with us,” I arched one of my eyebrows, stuffing my mouth with smoked meat.

Alistar added his own, “It’s gonna be myself, best Hunter in town, and momma Jane, nobody else.”

He was eating with gusto. Kobolds were a carnivorous bunch.

“Oh, thank you!” She was indeed relieved.

It was soon later that we finished eating and went to look at our new equipment.

I was immediately drawn to the piece of cloth hiding the body of my new bow. But the quiver was not hidden, so I studied it.

It was nothing like a simple quiver.

The bronze-colored metal-framed quiver had four panes in which to store arrows. They were separated by two metal sheets forming a cross-shaped wall inside of it.

For those reasons already, it was bigger than a normal quiver. However, there was more.

Around its mouth’s edges, six metal arrows with blue fletching and six others with orange fletching were bound by twelve rings; in turn, these rings were parallel with the twelve outgrowths looking like bulbs heads that had been mounted on the edges of the quiver’s butt.

I did not understand right away, but it took me a few seconds to guess what those were.

Those were six frigging Crystal grenades and six Stone grenades. And they had been attached to a spherical support at the butt of the quiver. If I extracted one of those arrows, I could shoot a Crystal or Stone grenade. Or even use the grenade by itself since they looked detachable.

There was a monstrous leap forward from what I normally used.

I Traced them.

Crystal Blow Arrow

Durability: 100%

Flow Density: 100

Strengths: Great damage potential

Weaknesses: Direct hit may detonate the grenade

This Blow-Arrow has been produced by an Ultimate Tinker Class. It can deal a lot of damage. Inflicts Heat and Blast damage. It scales with Focus.

They scale with Focus, I thought, marveled. Like magic! Wow!

I could swear I heard another line from the whispers, but it was lost in the details of the arrow. Then again, I was too excited to care.

Stone Blow Arrow

Durability: 100%

Shade Density: 100

Strengths: Great damage potential

Weaknesses: Direct hit may detonate the grenade

This Blow-Arrow has been produced by an Ultimate Tinker Class. It can deal a lot of damage. Inflicts Frost and Piercing damage. It scales with Focus.

This time I felt something different about the tracing; it left a certain cold feeling to it.

If my previous Trace was warmer than this Shade-based arrow felt colder instead.

After the description, I heard the voice again, but this time, I properly focused on it.

You’ve earned 3 Skill points. Skill points for Trace Major Perk Promotion: 6/2000

My hands were trembling with excitement.

So, that’s how it’s gonna be? Good! Two thousand is not a lot! I could probably do it in one day if I put my mind to it!

“Hey, Loke!” Alistar called, bringing me out of my reverie. “This shield is awesome! It’s mind-blowing! Look at this!”

The shield was silver, it was an alloy I had already seen around the house, but I did not know its name. I would know shortly, though.

It was a minuscule kite-shield. However, that seemed to be good for punching because a metal glove was attached to it, and yet when Alistar pulled a gear in place, the shield extended.

It became thrice its size, a proper kite shield.

Retractable Arm-Shield

Durability: 100%

Bonus: Constitution + 15, Strength + 5

Shade Capacity: 100%

Strengths: Great defense potential

Weaknesses: Lever might get stuck

This Arm-Shield has been produced by an Ultimate Tinker Class. Its defense is really high, and it works as a hammering tool as well. It is made entirely out of MoonSteel and has four sockets for Crystals or Stones reserves. A punch delivered with this Arm-Shield will do a lot of damage.

This time as well, the slight coldness came together with the whispers. I was convinced then that it had to do with Flow and Shade. The shield was made of MoonSteel, an alloy blessed by Shade. Maybe that was the reason for the feeling.

You’ve earned 5 Skill points. Skill points for Trace Major Perk Promotion: 11/2000

“That’s disgustingly cool…” my eyes were wide open.

I already wished to have it for myself. Not that I could properly use it, but it looked amazing.

“Did you really design all this stuff?” I asked Harlow.

“Yes. Nowadays, I’m the mind, and he’s the arm. He’s just trying to make me get experience, but am I or am I not spectacular?” She said, folding her arms and smiling.

“You are… a spectacular woman from every point of view, Harlow.”

Excited as I was, I did not hold myself back. And before I could turn blank as a sheet, she turned purple, coughed, and heading out of the door, said, “Well, let me know if you like them.” Then she walked out.

“That was a nice pitch, embarrassing, for sure, but very nicely done. You might have gained quite a few points with that,” Alistar said. He still studied his new beautiful shield while grinning as he spoke to me.

“What do you know? There’s not even another Kobold for you to court in the village!”

“I would like to let you know that Crabs’ River doesn’t only have us in the vicinity. Other villages are using it. Villages, with Kobold, female Kobolds, if you know what I mean,” this time he turned toward me, winking.

“You wish! Even if you’ve known one, I bet my right arm; you did not go further than a hello. Besides, you had the plague; you wouldn’t risk infecting somebody else, I know you!”

“Well… that’s alright, but I had quite a few pleasant conversations!”

I chuckled, “Come on, don’t be sad now; you can do whatever you want now!”

“Mmh… I hope you’re right.”

The plague scarred one forever; those that had it would always be afraid of giving it to somebody else. They were not infectious anymore after freeing themselves of it, and even if they did not have the Constitution for it, once cured, they would not be infected again.

I could have encouraged him more, but now it was my turn to uncover the bow.

What paved in front of my eyes as I lifted the dried hide was the most beautiful piece of clock-tech I had ever seen in my life.

The compound bow was made entirely in silver and bronze alloys, which meant MoonSteel and SunBronze. The strings were made of an elastic wire that I couldn’t recognize. At the height of the limbs' bolts, two spikes suggested its use in close combat, a help in harsh times.

Twilight Compound Bow

Durability: 100%

Bonus: Strength + 10, Focus + 10

Flow Capacity: 100%

Shade Capacity: 100%

Strengths: Great attack power, strengthens Focus based builds

Weaknesses: Slow arrow nocking; frequent need of cleaning and oiling

This Compound Bow has been produced by an Ultimate Tinker Class. Its Strength and Focus boost are directly related to the MoonSteel and SunBronze alloys, and it has four sockets for Crystals or Stone reserves. It shoots only metal arrows; arrows with a wooden shaft might snap in flight.

The feeling brought forth from the whispers was once again different; this time, they left behind a vague feeling of wrongness... of danger... so weird. I wondered what it could be.

You’ve earned 5 Skill points. Skill points for Trace Major Perk Promotion: 16/2000

However, I was hypnotized.

That was the best weapon I had ever seen in my life. Although Gramps’ knife looked like something a king from fairy tales might have, the bow in front of me was unique in its own right.

Gorgeous, spectacular.

If that wasn’t enough, four types of arrows were hidden behind the leather veil.

Twelve Shatter arrows, those that I fragmented after penetrating my target; they had been marked with yellow fletching. Then there were twelve Piercing arrows, useful to pierce through armored enemies, with green fletching. Twelve Saw arrows, like the one I had received from momma Jane, although these ones were made with a metal shaft, like the others, they had red fletching, and finally regular arrows with brown fletching, there were twenty-four of those.

The Saw arrows and regular arrows were the ones that could more probably be recovered after shooting. There was no way to reuse Shatter arrows, while there was a chance of recovering Piercing arrows, but that meant they had been misused.

Yes, I thought, tightening my grip around the shaft of an arrow. We’re going to get our Roana back. I know it!