The little box on the table said it all, and no, it was not a Shiny Stone nor a Dark Crystal.

What Logan wanted to give me was something else, something that belonged to Gramps.

It was his knife, the knife he had given to Logan all that time ago. The clock-engineer was giving it back to me.

"It's yours by right, take it."

"Why mine? It could be Nova's too?"

Logan smiled, "Didn't you take that rapier to gift Nova?"

"Well, I did, but I bet she'd be thrilled to have Gramps' knife."

"Tell me, Loke. Do you know the story behind that knife?" He asked me while pouring us something to drink from his house-brewed ale.

"I know that it belonged to gramps and that it was something he used in his days as an adventurer."

"His days as an adventurer, eh?" Logan chuckled.

I frowned, "What's funny about that?"

"Let's put it this way. Your grandfather was a baseline Flow-chemist; he barely Classed up his Sub-Class, and although he was a Hunter like you, he was decent at best. That did not take away from the man that your grandfather was, though, Loke. But such a knife, it did not belong in his hands."

I didn't know if I had to be mad about how he spoke about Gramps or be glad that he could speak about it as if they were friends.

"This knife, Loke, was a gift. It was a gift that your…" Here Logan sighed, "father gave to Newton when he asked him to marry his daughter; to marry Eleanor."

My eyes grew wide, "Bullshit."

"Why would I have to lie to you, stupid boy!?" He slammed his hands on the table, making the little screen bounce.

"Then why did Gramps tell us that it was his!?"

"That's because your grandfather was a lot of things, he was a Hunter for necessity, but he was not a man of war. All he wanted was peace, and this knife meant something entirely else."

"What does that mean?"

"This knife is a legacy, your father's legacy," Logan said.

"There are lands," he continued, emptying his glass and getting up to pace around the room. He was not wearing his armor, although the Sun was at its peak, he usually wore it as soon as he woke; today was different; "Lands, far to the west, way beyond the Widepeaks.

If one had to go there, he would have to pass through an entirely wild region, almost fully covered by green lands that give birth to the most exotic plants and creatures. But if one had to pass even over that region, he would find himself on Moonshore. A region bordering with the ocean but most importantly a region housing one of the most terrible warrior sects in the known world, the Specters."

I had never heard anybody speak of the Specters in those terms. To my knowledge, they were just another tale to scare the children, just like the Ghost of the Night.

"Alright… but what does that mean to me? Where does this fit?"

"Loke, your father, Faris, was a Specter. This knife is proof of that legacy. And as long as you have it, you are one of them."

"Wh-" I was taken aback, but Logan continued with his speech.

"Whoever carries one of these knives is untouchable in Moonshores lands, and it carries its value even here. The right people can and will recognize it. Having it does offer its modicum amount of protection, however, a good deal of danger too. Look for yourself, why."

Saying so, Logan opened the screen and presented to the world my grandfather's beautiful knife.

The knife had an entirely white hilt of the most pearly white one could find; it made me think of the Moon each time I looked at it. Its blade was slightly curved and had two points at its end, but most importantly, it was entirely black. Black of the darkest metal there was, LunarTungsten.

The hilt instead was covered by some sort of bone; I could not tell what kind of bone it was, but surely my ability would tell me.

Specter’s Dignity

Durability: 99%

Bonus: Agility + 25, Constitution + 35, Strength + 65, Focus + 25, Willpower + 25

Shade capacity: 1%

Strengths: Extremely rare boosts for a Weapon

Weaknesses: None

This knife is the symbol of a Specter. Nobody else can use it if not a Specter or their heir if they don't want to incur the the Order of the Night's swift revenge.

Spectre’s Dignity’s blade is made of LunarTungsten, while its hilt is made of Dragon bone.

Damn… Logan was right, and also, this was bordering on illegality.

A weapon giving boosts to Agility, Focus, and Willpower? It was incredible. And that parameter of Strength of 65 meant that it was stronger than a non boosted Sunguard's Khopesh. What a weapon… and it was mine now.

"I… can I really use it?"

"It's yours, Loke. It always has been."

"Why not Nova's then? It seemed just right for her Class."

Logan shook his head. "Specters don't accept Flow-blessed among their midst. You would be one by right if you ever wished to be one. Although I hope you don't; they are assassins by birth, and their life is nothing but blood, from the moment they are born until their inevitable death."

"If I gave you this weapon now, it's because you will need it. Also, it suits you more than you know. Chiefly given your Agility Skill. You don't know but, that's one of their signature abilities. Your father could use it too."

Hearing that, I did not know what to say.

"Did you know him well, and mom too?"

"I… knew them. Especially your mother, but," he filled and emptied another glass of ale in a second, "but that's a story for another day. Go on now, Harlow is waiting for you; she has a delivery for Murkstall."

“Oh, and Loke... When that Skill of yours, the new one, Technomantic Body, when it gains a new Perk, tell me.”

“Why is that? What does this Skill do?”

“For now, not much. But there is a remote chance, a very remote chance that it could give you some very rare Perks. I’m looking for one in particular. Well, any Armorer in Sundoor would look for such a Perk, but… it’s just so unlikely, never mind do as if I had said nothing.”

I shrugged, then thanked him once again while taking the weapon, but he just waved me away.

Outside, Harlow and the Clock-engineer's old Flow-cart, the one he did not want to show to the people, waited for me; there were huge sacs on the side of the wagon.

"What's all that stuff?" I asked, hopping on the side of the wagon.

"You shall see," was Harlow's response.

In this Flow-cart, there was only a seat for the driver. The rest was for the luggage.

Although it looked old and ruined, it was easy to understand that the engine had been modified when it started. The thing metaphorically flew over the plains.

I had to grip the rail not to get thrown overboard.

We got to Murkstall less than an hour later.

"I just can't wait to look at the state of things. It's been three years since it last was a functioning village, Harlow; three-years!" The excitement overflowed from my voice.

"You'll be surprised then because they really started giving it their all. And it seems they are each in top shape," Harlow said as she hauled the huge sack on her back.

She was about to get the other as well, but I practically snatched it away from her.

It wasn't too heavy, but neither was it light. It weighed roughly like the sacs with armor that we brought back to the-

I widened my eyes when it struck me.

"These are the village's soldier's armor, aren't they? He's given them back."

Harlow chuckled, "What would we need them for? We have an unlimited resource from the Fallen Kingdom. It's about time the villagers prepared their forces; the Shade Season is almost upon us."

I was grateful, and it surely showed in the smile I gave her. I would have never expected all this help from the clock-engineer, from Logan, really.

"You know," Harlow said as we left a hiding spot near the farm, "Dad's changed."

"How so?"

"When he saw your state and Nova's desperation, something… unlocked in him. Something I've rarely seen. He's become softer somehow."

I had to ask her then.

"Hey, Harlow. Did your Dad- was your Dad in love with my mother?"

She giggled, "Yeah, he never speaks about her, but I've come to the same conclusion. I believe he was. Even after he met my mother."

Right, Harlow's mother. We had never opened that argument.

"Did your mother… you know?"

"Yes. She died when I was small. Dad said she died protecting me from the incident."

"I'm really sorry.”

She nodded a thank you.

As seconds passed, it became clear she didn't want to talk about it. However, it was already something for me. I had never known much about her mother; it was the first time she spoke to me about her.

However, even if I wanted to push the conversation further, and I wouldn't, the sight of the curated cultivation fields in front of me made me perk up.

It had been years since last I had seen them flourish, cared for as they were now.

I started speeding up without even realizing it.

Running in the field, uncaring of trampling over anything, feeling the blessed smell of our farming field as a caress on my skin with Synesthesia, I traveled all the way through it; then I turned around and made another round.

It was a sight to behold.

"I can't believe it!" I shouted to Harlow.

She smiled from her eyes.

"That's not even remotely all, Loke. Let's hurry up."

We ran through the rest of the trail that brought us to the village's entrance.

A guard was standing in wait; it was Nicky! And the gate was functioning again!

"Loke?" She said from afar, "It's Loke!" she started shouting. "He's back!"

Nicky was a teen, like me. A regular; daughter of a soldier who had fallen to the plague, she had inherited both her father's and her mother's defining Classes.

Nicole Venture, Soldier Level 17 (1258/17000), Tailor Level 25 (14879/25000)

Health: 100%

Stamina: 95%

Agility: Low

Constitution: Intermediate

Strength: Low-Intermediate

Focus: Intermediate

Perception: Intermediate

Willpower: Low-Intermediate

Strengths: Agility, Strength, Focus

Weaknesses: Constitution, Family

Class Skills: Guard-up (Constitution), Stab (Strength), Wandering Mind, (Focus)

Sub-Class Skills: Fast hands (Agility), Concentration (Focus), Close-up (Perception)

Race: Human

Sex: Female

Height: 169 cm

Weight: 57 kg

Age: 19

Origins: Murkstall

Family: Trod Venture, Carlene Moor-Venture, Glen Venture

I could feel the slow murmur gradually grow from behind the gates.

They were already waiting for me.

After hugging the just a little spaced out Nicky, probably because of my new looks or because she felt that I had marked her with my ability, she asked me, “Did you get taller, Loke?”

I smiled at her. “Taller than you as it seems!”

Then I passed the gates and was welcomed by what looked like the whole ensemble of villagers.

Murkstall had, practically, been scrubbed-new.

Houses without moss covering their walls, a ground freed by the overgrown vegetation, people dressed in clothes instead of heavy blankets, clean faces, shaved beards, and an ensemble of tables festively decorated.

They were throwing a party, a party for me? I get that they were grateful, but… oh my, I realized.

"Today's my birthday, isn't it?" I slapped my forehead, much to Nicky and Harlow's amusement.

Nova appeared from the crowd and literally jumped on me, "Happy birthday, silly! I bet this year you didn't even remember! Did you!?"

"Indeed, I didn't."

"What did I say!?" she shouted, turning toward the village.

They were all there, crowded together, glasses at the ready. Dressed with light colors, not with pelts to protect them from the cold of the plague...

Somebody exclaimed, someone else muttered about having lost or won a bet.

"But if today's my birthday, that means that yours has already passed?"

Hers was exactly one week before mine and lost as I had been in my studies and training, I had entirely forgotten about it.

I slapped my head again, but I could recover from that massive blunder.

"Yup…" she said, faking a sad puppy face. "You entirely forgot about it," she faked a sniff.

I laid the sack on the floor and fiddled with the back of my belt, where I had stashed my new knife, gramps' knife, and another bundle, tightly wrapped in cloth.

"Then I guess I'll have to save the present I got you for next year, right? Isn't it bad luck to give you the gift after your day's through?" I faked sadness.

"What!? No! Who says it's bad luck!?"

I laughed out loud at her sincere outrage.

"Here then, before you start crying."

The bundle contained both the rapier and the knife I had taken from the slave trader's boss. And they were both excellent weapons. Both were very suitable for her Class.

"Wow, Loke… these are beautiful!" she exclaimed, wielding them up. She placed them on the belt the clock-engineer had made to her, then she took me by the shirt and threw me in the midst of the people.

It was chaos after that; there was even music.

I hadn't felt such joy from the villagers since I had memories.

It became a day I would never forget.

It was twilight when Alistar showed up, but the celebrations were still in full swing.

The party was something that the villagers had waited to do for the whole month during which I was being restrained at the clock-engineer's house, of course, it wasn't only for me. It was for us all, a celebration for having healed from the plague, for having returned to normal life.

"Where were you, son of a Moon walker?" I was tipsy, and that was putting it mildly.

"I'm sorry, Loke. I was being… restrained. She's stronger than me, well, pretty much everyone is, for now," he said, chuckling.

"She's stronger than-"

Looking at the direction from which he was coming from, even half-drunk, I managed to make two plus two.

He had come from the river's side.

"Son, of a Moon walker! You did it, didn't you!?"

"Shh! Lower your voice; my family doesn't-"

"Hey, everyone!" I shouted, jumping up on the table.

"I have an important announcement to make!"

Alistar became red, even redder than the red his scales had decided to take, making him a full-fledged warm-blooded Kobold.

He might have lost the ability to breathe under the water but had gained an increased resilience to walk the lands.

"Get down! What are you doing, you-" He interrupted himself, "Wait, did you grow taller?" But I didn't answer him; I was too intent on making my speech.

"Today is a day of festivity! We celebrate life; we celebrate the return of normalcy, of richness and abundance! The return to our life, true life!"

They all cheered, shouting in the air, but I was not done.

"I want you all to know that I love you, all of you! But today, we need to celebrate something else as well," I let them wait, building up for what I was to say.

And if Alistar had breathed a sigh of relief, he understood that he wasn't going to save himself from what I was about to say.

"We celebrate Alistar's ascension to the Koboldhood! Let's all drink and cheer, for Alistar has lost his virginity!"

Applauses, bouts of laughter, cheers, and hurrays for Alistar followed my announcement, and the young among us came to give him a pat on the back; although most hurt themselves, it helped in having Alistar loosen up.

"I'm going to get you back for that! Count on it!" He shouted as they carried him away to have him recount the tale.

"Cheers!" I screamed back.

It was dark, the smell of wine still loamed around, yet most people had gone back to sleep.

"Man, what a night…" I said to Alistar while sitting by the side of Gramps' grave.

Nova had already fallen asleep, she had managed to get drunk again, and I had put her to bed while Harlow had stayed in the village. She was a shy girl, having grown with only her father, and because of her incident, yet she quickly adjusted to the party's mood thanks to everyone's cheeriness.

Alistar grunted a yeah. We had managed to get him drunk.

I still had a glass of ale in my hands, and I knew what to do about it.

I got up and headed to my grandfathers' grave.

"Cheers, old man." I said as I poured the ale on his tomb, "I wish you had witnessed this. What your Nova did, the strength of the village you loved so much..."

"I bet he knows," replied the tipsy Alistar.

"I hope he does."

"Alright, I'm going to drop on my bed," he said, getting up and waving in place, "Tomorrow will be a long day. We need to go to Veinforge to get Faruq."

"Faruq? Who's Faruq?"

"That slave we freed, remember? The Flow-blessed boy."

"Oh, the good-looking one, yeah... why is that?"

"Why is he good-looking? I don't know, hummie... nature? I guess?"

"Star... I meant, why do we have to pick him up..."

"Oh, right, right... you still don't know," Alistar giggled. "He's been coming here at least twice a week to ask if you were back; he wanted to thank you personally. Then we started bonding, and it turns out he's an excellent light warrior. Also, he's the son of Veinforge's mayor, and he wants to foster the relationship among our villages."

"Wow, that's good! Veinforge is that village built inside of the mountain, that’s a good one; it would be really beneficial to Murkstall. We've got the farms; they've got the ores. It's a damn good thing."

Alistar chuckled, "Yeah, I bet you won't say the same thing when you'll see what Nova has to think about it!"

"Why? Doesn't she like the village he comes from? That's weird."

"Oh, no, she's got nothing against Veinforge; the problem is that she might like him a bit too much if you know what I mean," he winked at me.

"What do you mean?"

It was a day of revelation today as well. I kept getting them one after the other.

Nova had something I wouldn't like; Faruq was a Flow-blessed, a very handsome boy, a capable warrior... wait... she had fallen in love with him!

"No!"

"Oh, yes, indeed. And dude, I think your sister could be considered a girl now, although she's still growing; I think she had her period."

Which meant hormones bursting like crazy. Damn, this was going to be a mess! She was still too young, to… and what if she wanted to marry!? She could use that to foster the relationship between the villages as well; she could use it to justify her motives! Damn, it was going to be too soon! Everything was happening too fast!

"Hey, Loke. Calm down; you're freaking out!" Alistar said, looking at how I was trying to pull at my still too short hair. "Don't make weird conclusions and speak to her tomorrow. She's still very young, but she's very mature for her age, even if she hides it. You among all should know better."

"And one last thing," he added as he started heading back, "I think this long night has yet to be over for you. There are girls who want to get in your pants, but your Harlow will sleep at your house, so… figure out what you are going to do. Because I doubt she'd push you away tonight. You might still be too young for her, but she doesn't seem to have only sisterly feelings for you."

Leaving me alone and confused as I had never been, Alistar turned around once more and used a phrase we had long since stopped using among us, villagers.

"May the Sun smile upon you, Loke!"

It was the Church of the Sun’s greeting. Something we thought we had banished from our hearts, and it was already coming back.

"Sun… smile…" I returned the greeting in his informal form.

I was at my house's door, and I did not really know what to do.

Harlow was surely sleeping in Nova's room, but if she wasn't… If she were in what had been Gramps' room, which was now mine, it would mean only one thing…

When I walked up the wooden stairs and peeked into Nova's room, she was the only bundle of bedsheets snoring with her arms and mouth wide open. Harlow was nowhere to be seen.

Swallowing down, saliva and fear, I headed to my new room. And there she was, still awake, under the bedsheets, reading from a clock-engineering's book.

"Took you a while," she said, putting the tome on the cabinet.

Her red curly hair was loose, she was removing her glasses as she spoke, and she wore only a red shirt. I had never seen it before; she used to wear only white ones. This one partly revealed her cleavage.

"I've got a gift for you, Loke."

"I… am I ready? Are you sure?" I stupidly asked.

She chuckled, "I know I am, but if you aren't, then come here because I will convince you."

I headed to the bed, embarrassed like never before. She was the only one capable of doing that to me.

"Listen, Harlow; I don't know… what if you regret it, what if you think I'm too young and-" she put the finger on my mouth, it was slightly warm, her clock-arms always were.

"Loke, you might not know this, but you've given me back my hope,” she said, fixing her gaze into mine.

“When you were taken to my house because you had lost your arm all those years ago, I still refused to show my face in front of anyone. I did not want anybody to see me as I was. But you were just a boy, a little boy, so I felt I might show myself in front of you.

However, that day, when I held your hand as Dad installed the implant on you, you said something to me. Something that I will never forget."

"What, what did I say?"

"You said that I was beautiful as the Sun and that if you survived," she chuckled, "You would marry me."

I grew red as a tomato.

"Well, you did survive, didn't you? Twice. So even though it might be a little too soon for marriage, I guess we deserve at least to take the first step."

"Alright…" I knew I was smiling like a fool.

Then, just like that, she closed the distance between our faces, and our lips met.

That night, we celebrated the most beautiful and peaceful day of our lives.