On the beautiful hill's grassy field, the Sun shone brightly. A fresh gentle rain shower had blessed the ground. And when I saw the two dancing figures, smiling at each other in pure unadulterated happiness, I knew that I would remember that peaceful moment forever.

Nova was the happiest she had been since Grandpa died. She had taken Harlow's hands and jumped up and down, sending splashes of brine around.

Their musical laughter was simply perfection in my heart.

I couldn't help but be grateful to this family of clock-engineers that had been helping us so much and for almost our entire lives. I knew much more now than I did in the past, and I was ready to admit that Logan wasn't really such an ass as he wanted to make us believe.

"Loke!" Said Nova, "What took you so long!? Look at this, look!" She shouted, leaving Harlow and pointing at her new belt.

Then she picked a knife hanging from it and threw it.

Right after it landed on the distant ground, for some reason, the knife came back, with almost the same speed at which Nova had thrown it and attached itself back to the belt.

"What did just happen?" I was astonished.

"Magnet principles," said Harlow reclining on the table.

"Meaning?"

"We inverted the polarity of Sunbronze and Moonsteel. When she pulls the lever on her belt, the Knives made of Moonsteel are drawn back to the Sunbronze belt. We calibrated it so that the heaviest part, the handle, will always be pointed toward the belt when returning."

I had never heard of anything of the likes before. But now, some of the attaching parts of Logan and Harlow's armors started making a little more sense to me.

"It's incredible; but, let me Trace it."

Dawn Clock-Belt

Durability: 100%

Bonus: Constitution + 5, Strength + 10, Focus + 5

Flow Capacity: 100%

Shade capacity: 100%

Strengths: Extreme versatility, Surprise factor

Weaknesses: Very dependant on Flow and Shade charge

This Clock-Belt has been produced by an Ultimate Tinker Class. Its bonuses are directly related to the MoonSteel and SunBronze alloys with which it was built.

It has eight sockets for Crystals or Stone reserves. There are six Magnet Knives that need to be charged with Shade; the Belt recharges, instead, with Flow. It has space for more tools, but they are currently empty.

Yeah, these whispers left behind the same feeling my bow had left. I decided then that the feeling was tied to a confluence of Flow and Shade; the presence of both a Flow blessed alloy, and a Shade blessed one strengthened my guess.

"For Sun's sake, it's great! And it boosts Focus too. It's good for her healing."

I turned to Harlow, "I really don't know how to thank you. Really. What could I do to repay you?"

"You already did, but if there's something I could ask of you, then I'd just ask for you to come back, preferably in one piece," her smile was disarming.

Damn…

"Oh, I don't plan on dying, not at all."

Of course, if I had a movement Perk, it wouldn't be bad, right? I told myself.

"I'm going to make this shield proud! Just watch!" Alistar added out of the blue, pumping his armed fist in the air.

"I'm sure you will, Alistar," answered Harlow, "just satisfy my curiosity. What's a Kobold doing with a human name?"

“My name?" Alistar hissed a chuckle, "Who said it's only a human name? Haven't you ever heard of the Juggernaut of the South?"

"The Juggernaut? Wasn't it a story to scare Kobold children into silence?"

He hissed a laugh again, "Maybe it's a myth for you. But the Juggernaut is real, the strongest warrior that walks the land. The Juggernaut hails from the south, from Kobold territory, and my father says that he was born without a name. He slaughtered his way through the battlefields, earning himself the name of the red star, the bloody star that always shines bright like freshly spilled blood every night after a bloody exchange. Alistar. The Blood-star!"

Harlow nodded, "I think I remember that story. But wasn't it something that happened a hundred or so years ago?"

Alistar crossed his arms, "We Kobolds live very long and keep growing throughout our lives. The Juggernaut might still be laying bodies in his wake, over there, where the people are called for the war, and he might be as tall as a mountain by now."

I had never seen him more sure of himself. But tall as a mountain? That might be a sight to see.

"That's a nice name," said Nova. "Too much blood in your story, though," she turned her nose up. "I would have preferred if he was a prince."

Alistar started laughing about her statement, and she rebutted with a story about a prince that married a red-skinned princess.

"Well," I said after they finished arguing about princes and juggernauts, "it's about time we headed back. Time is growing thin, and we've got slave traders to scout."

Soon later we were on our way down the hill, Harlow waving us goodbye.

"Be careful, and don't do things I wouldn't do," she screamed.

I chuckled. If I had to follow that advice, I would only have to sit and build clock-tech.

"Come visit us, Harlow," Alistar said.

"Yeah... " she answered, uncertainly.

"She won't," Nova shook her head.

We knew Harlow; she had never beaten her fear of people judging her for her clock-parts. She would stay in her house forever if she could, or maybe not… maybe I could indeed make her change her mind one day.

As we walked through the plains and headed toward the village to drop Nova, I couldn't help but Trace everything that came in front of me.

And doing so, I managed to discover a few interesting things.

Like when I Traced a violet flower.

Sunny Lilac

Health: 89%

Strengths: Pigment

Weaknesses: Extremely fragile

This Lilac opens only with the light of the Sun. Its vibrant color can be extracted by drying its petals, and its uses cover every need, from drawing to hair color.

You've earned 18 Skill points. Skill points for Trace Major Perk Promotion: 34/2000

I could not believe that tracing a flower would give me almost four times the Skill points I earned from tracing my bow? Why was that? Besides that, it partly felt like feeling its connection with the Flow.

Flowers were all mostly connected to the Flow but Tracing now seemed to point out those kinds of connections as well.

Still, if there was to be an explanation for the number of Skill points I gained, then it could only be related to my ignorance.

Maybe the more I knew about something, the less experience I received.

To prove my point, I traced Alistar.

It did not give me any experience with the Major Perk, proving my point. However, I had another surprise.

You've earned 3 Skill points. Skill points for Trace Minor Perk Promotion: 3/1000

I earned Skill points for my Tracking. It was not much, but it was something. Although it did not work with plant life or objects, it did indeed work with people.

There was nothing new to notice about Alistar's information, but it gave me those few points.

The same thing happened when I tried it on, Nova. Three points, no new info.

That had me thinking about something for a quick experience catching… there were at least 90 villagers to Trace.

It wasn't like I knew them all, so I could even get something more than 270 points.

Now, how would I raise the Passive? I had yet to earn any Skill points for it...

"Loke? Are you okay? You've been spacing out for a while now," said Alistar. "The same goes for you, Nova; everything alright?"

I knew I might have been spacing out, but Nova as well?

"I was thinking about my new Skill. What's wrong with you, little monkey?"

"Nothing. And come on, stop calling me that, really. It's about time I stopped being a kid in your eyes, and you started treating me as a real warrior." When she spoke those words, Nova stopped turning toward me; she was serious.

I looked at her straight in the eyes.

"You were listening yesterday, right?"

She shook a little, but she stood firm. "I heard almost everything. And I want that Crystal. If I use it for my healing Skill, it might free villagers from the plague!"

I knew she would arrive at that conclusion.

"Nova... Let's take into account that your healing Skill was complete already. Since you absorb people's diseases when you heal, and you are alive only thanks to your immunity, tell me how you know it would not become even more sacrificing? What if, for a stronger Skill, you'll have to sacrifice even more? What if it shortened your life? What if it outright killed you? Did you think of that?"

Nova opened and closed her mouth, tightening her fists.

"How do I know if I don't even try?"

I barely managed to reign in a sigh, "Let's do it like this then. Evolve your Sub-Class. If you haven't learned a better Skill by then, and the one you use now is entirely unlocked, we'll evolve your Skill. Then you'll decide for yourself."

I couldn't stop her from healing people. It was her call. I would be killing what made her Nova.

After considering for a little, she nodded but didn't utter any more words for the rest of the trip.

When we finally reached the village, she practically threw herself at healing people.

I had no doubt she would tire herself to exhaustion for the rest of the day… and night.

What she did was very straightforward; she took the sick person by the hand and siphoned out the disease. Doing so, she sucked away the coldness in them, sacrificing a lot of body heat; however, the disease did not take hold in her, no matter how exposed to it she got.

Like me, she was immune. And could only get cold, never sick.

Meanwhile, I took my time to Trace the people, and Alistar started preparing a few rations for the days to come.

By the time we left the village, my Trace Major Perk had reached almost the mark of 200 experience points; the Minor Perk was 180/1000, and the Passive one didn't as much as show one point of increase.

I did not analyze all the villagers, not by a long shot, but the experience I got from them greatly differed; some even gave me upward of ten points. Proving that gaining experience really was based on how much I knew of the object of my Tracking and Tracing.

"Did you think I was too harsh on Nova?" I asked Alistar after we left the village or barely managed to, given the resistance many put to stop us from going to a "suicide mission."

Alistar took his sweet time to answer, "I'm going against my interest in answering you, so trust me when I say I'd like my parents and the villagers to heal; however, if that would require Nova's sacrifice.. then if I were you, I would just take her and leave."

I could see that Alistar was sincere; it did really go entirely against his interests to say something like that… or maybe he was trying to convince me by proving the opposite to appeal to my soft side. No, no. He had never been that type of person; it was just my survival instinct speaking. He was a good Kob.

"Are you sure you can deal with a shield and spear set up?" I said after studying his equipment. He had indeed worn armor in the end. Our soldier's armors consisted of leather armor with a few important parts bolted with metal. And even though there was a saber at his belt, his weapon of choice was a spear.

Alistar was indeed a fisherman, or more precisely a fisherkob.

We continued the trip talking small talk, and by the time we reached the Dump, an opportunity to test our new tools provided itself.

A swarm of Dire-rats.

Dire-rats were as big as foxes, normally. Black furred, and at least five kilograms heavy. However, they kept growing and did so for as long as they could. We once killed one as big as a Flow-cart; I believed I leveled-up back then. But it wasn't all about their size. Their numbers could grow uncontrollably if there were a continuous source of food, keeping them steady.

There were periods in the Dump where there was a continuous source of wealth for them. It was during the Festivals.

Tonnes of unused food were wasted during those periods, and it would all funnel the monsters' already too fast for comfort, reproduction. Creatures from the Drylands and sometimes even from the forest could be seen invading the Dump at that point. Not to mention nearby villagers searching for equipment, Stone or Crystal, batteries, and replacement parts.

Getting back to focus, a swarm like the one in front of us, consisting of a dozen rats, could grow several times bigger over the few weeks past a Festival. It was still not the time for it, thankfully, but there would be one a couple of months from now.

Sundoor held one for saluting the Flow season and one for welcoming it. A Flow season lasted six months, and we still had a couple more to go in front of us. The six months of Shade seasons, where the night lasted longer, were much more challenging for us to go through.

"I think I'm going to take those on. It's been more than three years since I last fought anything that big. Have you got my back covered?" Said Alistar.

"Go. Anyway, I think there'll be a couple more trouble encounters for us as we cross. I've got no scout with me anymore," I said.

I couldn't help being sad about Ronda, which brought me to being sad about Gramps.

To take my mind off of it. I started Tracking and Tracing the rats.

Dire-rat, Level 7

Health: 98%

Stamina: 83%

Agility: Moderate-High

Constitution: Very Low-Low

Strength: Low-Very Low

Focus: Low

Perception: Low-Intermediate

Willpower: Low-Intermediate

Strength: Nasty Bite, Swarm

Weakness: Low Parameters

Dire-rats almost always come in mischief. Alone they rarely bother fighting their prey. They will always choose the weakest target to attack or swarm.

A feeling of cold... it couldn't else but be tied to the Shade then. Dire-rats were Shadelings, after all.

And by the time I Traced them all, I received these last messages from the whispers.

You've earned 1 Skill points. Skill points for Trace Major Perk Promotion: 231/2000

You've earned 3 Skill points. Skill points for Trace Minor Perk Promotion: 214/1000

I believed those were a lot of points for a single day. Maybe I would be able to complete the promotion by the time I was finished with the slave traders.

"Let's take them by surprise," I said. "If you climb up there, you'll be able to jump on top of them." I pointed to the destroyed frame of a building.

"No, thank you. I've got my methods."

His methods were… rather straightforward.

As I raised my new bow and nocked a regular arrow, Alistar was charging.

He was slow; no point denying that.

By the time he reached up to them, the swarm had opened up.

I looked at the scene by switching my sight from rat to rat, studying which of them would be attacking first. They did all the same time.

Alistar was too slow for them.

The squealing and squeaking for an instant became deafening. Then they were all on top of him, and I couldn't shoot for that very reason.

Damn, I had no experience in fighting with someone acting like that. I had to wait for Alistar to shake them off; and he did it with all of them at the same time, surprising me.

Rotating with his spear in his hands and pushing them aside with his shield, he dislodged them from his body, then stabbed into one of them, killing it on the spot.

His Strength was decent. Although the shield gave him five Strength points, they belonged to the Augments tab, which meant that he did not overall become five points stronger. The points could only be considered while he used the armed arm as a means of attack or defense.

In the end, blow after stab, after blow, the weak rats started perishing at his hands. When finally only four remained, they left him alone and decided to escape. I took that time to end them.

The first couple I killed with only one shot. I lowered my body slightly and aimed for a couple of them, running in a straight line. The regular arrow hit the farthest one, while the Trick Shot pinned the one right behind to the floor.

The other two I killed without using Trick Shot. It wasn't worth it.

However, as the last one got away, I almost lost it for a couple of seconds.

The Dire-rats were simply too big to snuggle into the waste, so it could only try and run away as far as it could.

When I saw the survivor and readied my bow, it was quite far away. I squinted to use the maximum sight I had and mark the beast; then I released my arrow.

You've earned 2 Soul fractions. Soul fractions for next Hunter level: 330/25000

Pitiful, really. I was delivered this note four times in a row. But another surprised me.

You've earned 5 Skill points. Skill points for Trace Passive Perk Promotion: 5/500

Something I greatly appreciated.

I just wondered how to increase it steadily. Maybe squinting had done the trick, or I needed to be in the heat of the battle? I had no idea.

"That was good," said Alistar. "But I'd like bigger prey."

"We can always go look for Rag-trolls. They dwarf you and are much stronger than you, but with your Constitution, you might as well get a couple of direct hits before I have to take them out myself," I replied in a mocking tone.

"You've yet to see my forte, Hunter. Only then can you talk! My spear is my main weapon for a reason. So, sit tight and look, when and if, we do find one..."

"Yup, it seems we might have just gotten that lucky!" I could see one of those trolls in the distance.

"Really?" he said, turning to look at the incoming beast.

"Can I take it back?" Alistar said when the Rag-Troll got close enough, and he could admire his full size.

I chuckled, "I've got your back; go ahead."

Rag-troll, Level 19

Health: 100%

Stamina: 87%

Agility: Low

Constitution: Moderate-High

Strength: High-Very High

Focus: Low

Perception: Low-Intermediate

Willpower: Low-Intermediate

Strength: Powerful body, Recover ability, Strength

Weakness: Agility

Rag-trolls cannot heal their wounds or recover from them, but they can patch themselves with most forms of living tissues. Rag-troll's blood is a chemical object of uncommon rarity.

You've earned 16 Skill points. Skill points for Trace Major Perk Promotion: 247/2000

You've earned 3 Skill points. Skill points for Trace Minor Perk Promotion: 217/1000

That last bit of information I did not know at all, which meant that the Skill did indeed offer me valuable information that I could not otherwise discern.

Which made me even more excited at the thought of finally leveling it up.

Shield in hand, Alistar waited for the troll's approach. I had a few doubts about how that could really help, but it seemed that the troll really did go for him in the end. It was unnatural, almost as if there was a Skill in play, it could have been just that.

Surely, the next attack he launched on the Rag-troll was tied to a Skill, as his spear suddenly shot forward with a power I hadn't seen him display before, perforating the monster's calf, before Alistar retreated to create some space between them.

The Kob kept gracefully dancing around the monster; it was an unexpectedly good match against him. They were both slow and had a high Constitution. However, the troll was much stronger, which meant that Alistar could not openly receive one of its attacks, not with the unbalanced Strength to Constitution equilibrium he had.

I already knew we would have to disclose our Status to each other; it was to build trust and act as a team, and knowing each other's weaknesses and strengths was the best way not to get ourselves killed.

After a few minutes, the battle seemed to be going into a stall, especially because the Rag-troll had the rats' bodies to use to patch its wounds, and although Alistar's Constitution was great, Stamina and Health needed Skills to be increased and empowered, Skills neither he nor I had.

The battle had to end, so when he turned toward me for a second, I knew what I had to do.

I released the arrow I had nocked.

With an applied Trick Shot, I took out the monster whose focus was wholly on Alistar.

You've earned 5 Soul fractions. Soul fractions for next Hunter level: 335/25000

The Soul fractions I received were most probably shared between us, but they were pitiful all the same. I suspected it was because of the ease and the numbers of Rag-trolls I had killed over the years.

"We need to have a few more battles to stabilize our team fight, but I see it's already going to be a good power balance."

"Yes," Alistar nodded, heaving, "Next time, though, don't listen to my bullshit, and just shoot."

I sincerely laughed at that; then, we continued toward our objective. Little Bush.