I didn't know if I just wanted for the shock to end or last for all eternity. I sincerely did not know if I wanted to revel in the fact that my parents had been alive or simply cry because they had not come back in ten years.

And now I had to deal with their ultimate death or disappearance too?

What was I to do? What was I to tell Nova?

"Loke? Are you alright?" Roana asked.

"I'm sorry, Loke," Aisha said.

Alistar patted my back, then swiped me up into an embrace.

"It's okay; you were prepared, weren't you?" He whispered to me.

I raised my gaze to look at him, "Was I? What do I tell Nova?"

"You tell her the truth. She can deal with it; she's never even met them. You are her real family, Loke," said Harlow joining us.

I took her hand, and she smiled, stealing me from Alistar's embrace and grabbing me into a hug; she was still a couple of centimeters taller than me, I noticed then, but luckily, I would catch up to her.

Yet, I let myself melt into her embrace. It was all I needed.

After a minute or so, in which I was entirely detached from the world around me, Harlow whispered, "You've got to tell me what happened; there are a few things you are in lack of beside your arm."

I sneered, "Yeah."

"So," I heard the General say, "I guess I need to call back the search party then."

"I just want to go home, father, really…" Aisha said.

"I know, baby, but you'll have to leave at least a detailed report, your friends too, but not today. Today you rest; for Sun's sake, we all rest. Your mother hasn't closed an eye all this time."

"I missed you, dad," she said, looking at him in the eyes. "Let's go home."

After saluting once more and after having thanked us, promising something in return for the services we lent to the City, Aisha and her father left. Logan himself led them through the net.

He then waited for them to disappear in the distance before climbing back up the hill.

When he was back at hearing range, I knew that I had to prepare myself for a roasting; "Logan," I started, but he shushed me, telling me to wait.

He went inside of his house and got out with something in his hand.

I knew what that instrument was; it was a sniffer.

It could track Clock-tech meant for spying and hidden talismans.

He used it inside the house, around its wall, by the table, on the tree, and down the hill.

When he was sure nothing had been placed, he sat down on his garden table, placing the sniffer by his side, then locked eyes with me.

I gulped back down the saliva accumulating in my mouth ever since I started seeing him move around as if he was transfixed.

I couldn't help but Track and Trace him then.

Logan Raive Armorsmith Level 70 (Max/7.000.000), Clock-Engineer Level 70 (Max/7.000.000)

Health: 100%

Stamina: 98%

Agility: 25

Constitution: 40

Strength: 40

Focus: 43

Perception: 20

Willpower: 35

Strengths: Armor, Armored, Anvil Arms, Constitution, Focus, Intelligence, Strength

Weaknesses: Harlow Raive

Class Skills: Titanium Fingers (Agility), Forged Body IV (Constitution), Anvil Arms IV (Strength) Armor Records (Focus), Armored Resolve (Willpower)

Sub-Class Skills: Armored IV (Constitution), Heavy Metal IV (Strength), Clock-mind IV (Focus), Cloch-tech Manipulation (Willpower), Luck of the Draw (Fortune)

Race: Human

Sex: Male

Height: 185 cm

Weight: 81 kg

Age: 45

Origins: Sundoor

Family: Trisha Hernàndez, Harlow Raive

To my surprise, I managed to see information on what was likely Harlow's mother, but not only that, Logan's Tracing felt belonging to the Confluence, even his race was defined as belonging to Confluence, but he was a Shade-cursed, like me.

I couldn't explain it.

"Loke. We've got to talk, come, take a seat. You two, come sit here as well."

The moment I got closer and sat, I started apologizing.

"I'm sorry, Logan, really. I did not want to put Harlow in danger. What happened was the only thing in my mind that could solve the-"

"Did I say you could speak? I believe I didn't. I will talk first," his tone glacial.

"What you've done that day was probably the only thing that would have made you come out alive. I know how it works. I've been a youth in Sundoor, in the slums. But still, I've lived there."

"Harlow has told me how it unfolded, and without doubt, they would have killed all of you if you hadn't acted first. I know it because I've been there. I've been on Sundoor's side when those things happened. I've seen many outsiders, many nearby villagers and nomads get killed… Back in the days of my stupid youth, I've done it too," he sighed, stopping to drink a glass of ale.

"I was not there, but I'm confident that those brats had come precisely for that reason. Killing hobos, nomads, and stupid villagers that climb towers to look at stupid fireworks," he added.

"But what was really dumb of you was taking that girl prisoner, Loke. You heard who she was, Harlow has told me. You should have left her alone, not even dared to touch her. Because for what you've done now, there will be consequences. Not for you… oh, I bet you wished," he shook his head, "but for the whole region."

"I sincerely have no idea how you managed to convince that girl into joining up with you, into lying for you, and to her own fathers no less. But even a royal pardon would not be enough to shift things back to their course."

"Why? What is going on?" Roana asked.

Logan turned toward her, "After the consecutive catastrophic changes you've been causing… Killing a Sunguard, slaying a group of slave traders affiliated with it and thus uncovering the illegality; summoning a Titan's rage on the forest, destroying a Featherland's ship; now murdering pesky sons of nobles and whatnot, and finally abducting the daughter of a General. All this chaos has brought forth a sweep of the Inquisition."

"They want to change things," he added.

"What do they want to do?" Alistar asked.

"The Inquisition will start asking for Sundoor's representative to be placed in each village. They will evaluate the people and their behavior, judging if they are fit to dwell in the Wastelands region or if they need to leave. They are likely going to do the same with the nomad tribes, maybe even more acutely given the troubles they have been causing on the region's western and northern sectors. So, if we did not pay taxes before because they didn't need us to, we shall do it now just because we are being regulated. We shall need to accept their crowns, and we will have to abide by new rules. Rules that before this moment were only spoken."

I was concerned, "What does this all mean to us? What does it bring forth?"

"I… do not know," Logan snorted. "A lot of things; not all necessarily bad. Indeed, if we all play our cards correctly, the villages could shine for such a chance. At least as long as the current treatment unfolds. But if it were to end, if the war and thus their excuse to show the desire for integration were to end… we would likely get all wiped out from the map. They don't need us, after all."

"Now speak, that girl; how did you convince her to lie for you?"

I was still shocked, mostly because I was still thinking about my parents but even at the implications of what Logan had just said. However, I did not hesitate, "We've had a few close encounters with death and saved each other's back. We saved her; she saved us. Also, she is different… different from the regular Sundoorian. The way she speaks, the way she acts… she is looking for peace, for racial acceptance. She is looking for a way to change Sundoor. To mold it under a different banner. And she might have the means to do just so. Thus, we have promised collaboration in her endeavor. We will do our parts, and she will do hers."

"So, she wants to become a counselor? I see how it is not an entirely far-fetched idea given who her father is, but he is not faring that well. As you've seen, he's come here by himself. He is looking for close friends. People of importance."

"People of importance? I don't want to disrespect you, Logan, but why would he come here?"

Logan sincerely laughed at that. But it was not Logan the one who answered; it was Harlow.

"The delvers. The region's strongest delvers don't train themselves in Sundoor's Golden Tower; they come here. And dad is really well-known for the councils, the expertise and the goods he can provide them. His name is known even in the City. Dad is one of the most important and highest rated Clock-engineers in the whole of Sundoor. A master Armorer."

"If he would return to the City, or even just returned to lend his help to them, with his advanced clock-tech and his specialties. He would be a valid asset to fortify the war efforts," she said, convinced.

Roana was the first to connect all the dots. "So, if that General was to bring him back to the City, convincing him to join, he would have the edge over the whole war front, and thus, likely increase his status on the upper echelon of Sunguard's empirocracy."

Harlow nodded.

I understood, I did… but I couldn't help but ask myself, could it really be that easy? Was Logan really such a master in his art that he could reshape dozens of years-long war with just his tech's presence?

It was hard to believe, but then again, I had never really clearly seen what was in that basement; so, I couldn't really know what he was capable of.

As a few moments of silence went by, Logan decided that he had had enough of talking, "Come on," he said, "you must be starved. Come eat."

We were indeed hungry, and the knowledge of it made our hunger explode and our stomachs roar.

My stomach rumbled, even though I just wanted to lay down and do… just nothing; however, Alistar's realization of something that until now had escaped him made me smile.

"So, now that I think about," he said, "I believe I've lost my chest armor… it's gone to the City together with Aisha… Nice compensation for helping her not show off her tits to the world."

Roana and I laughed, Harlow… not so much.

"Yeah, I've noticed she was naked under your armor; tell me, Star, why is that?"

Alistar looked at me; I froze.

"I think Loke can recount that story in more detail than I. After all, when she lost her clothes, she was entwined to his neck? Right, Roana?"

Roana shrugged, but with a smirk.

Son of a Moon walker! I thought. "You are going to get retribution for this; better get yourself ready, Star!"

They laughed, heading inside the house.

"Harlow, that's not what it seems like; there's a huge explanation behind that, I swear!"

"Oh, it better be, Loke. It better be!" She said, but then after Logan entered his house, shaking his head, Harlow threw herself at me, giving me a deep kiss.

When we detached, she said, "I've been so worried for you… please, let's just not do that again, alright?"

I was taken aback; I had never seen her so puppy-eyed.

"I'm sorry, Harlow. I hope it'll never happen again, or; I'll at least try."

She shook her head, then she took me back in to eat the delicacies she had cooked.

I let out a sigh of relief, for my Harlow was not a jealous woman.

We were resting on the roof of the Hill house. The night sky was even more beautiful from up here, and the contrast with the Fallen Kingdom made it simply indescribable.

The only one that remained downstairs had been Logan; he said that he had preparations to make.

So, with Alistar and Roana's help, I recounted our recent adventure. In the end, Alistar stole the show, doing most of the talking, but I didn't care. As long as I could be on that roof together with my friends and the woman I loved, I was at peace.

Only the random thoughts that came and went, about my parents, momentarily stole that peace from me. But I managed to grasp it back every single time.

They had been the ones that abandoned us, after all. It was alright if I hated them; if I didn't grieve for them.

They had decided that their war efforts were more important than their children. So it was alright; their death or disappearance was fine for me. I could accept it.

I turned both my thoughts and eyes to Harlow; she was sprawling near me, the only thing barring our bodies from touching was Loki, who had decided to sleep between us; However, I took that moment to steal her Tracing from her.

Harlow Raive, Armorer Level 30 (6325/300.000), Clock-technician Level 41 (128.589/410.000)

Health: 100%

Stamina: 89%

Agility: 10

Constitution: 24

Strength: 25

Focus: 22

Perception: 6

Willpower: 20

Strengths: Armor, Armored, Constitution, Strength, Focus

Weaknesses: Perception, Loke Nightfold

Class Skills: Forged Body (Constitution), Overload (Strength), Deep Knowledge II (Focus), True Resolve (Willpower)

Sub-Class Skills: Armored (Constitution), Heavy Metal (Strength), Mind for Metal (Focus), Tech Manipulation (Willpower)

Race: Human

Sex: Female

Height: 178 cm

Weight: 63 kg

Age: 21

Origins: Unknown

Family: Logan Raive

I wasn’t surprised that Harlow’s Human race showed as belonging to the Confluence, Roana, as well as all people untouched by Shade and Flow, were just like her; it was her father the real mystery.

Surprised, I whispered in her ear, "You've Classed up."

She nodded.

"And you've gone through two whole levels of Clock-technician?" What have you been doing?"

"The Flow-cart," she whispered back, "I've been building it by myself. I wanted to come to look for you."

"Damn, I let you build it by yourself. What a crappy boyfriend I am."

She smiled, "You can always help me up now; however, I think you should go to your sister first. She's been acting up; she's furious at you. She even came all the way here to take her Dark Crystal; then she went back to train with Faruq."

"She did!? She must be furious; I wonder why she isn't mad at Faruq, though; he's the one that knocked her out."

Harlow smiled, "Yeah, I really wonder why?" she asked, jokingly.

I sighed, "She's head over heels for him, is she?"

"Yeah. He seems a nice boy to me, but dad says he doesn't like him."

"Did he meet him?" I was curious about that. Logan seldom failed in pretty much everything he did.

"He came with her as a chaperone. Dad says he is too servile for having such a nice face," Harlow added, giggling.

She was so cute when she giggled, and I could hardly contain myself.

"Oh well, he is indeed weird, his choices questionable, and his situation as well, but he doesn't seem like a bad boy. He's also way smarter than he acts. Do you remember how fast he acted when the whole mess happened?"

"Yeah, he's smart. Gotta give him that. Handsome, tall, smart, strong, does he lack anything?" She said, obviously taunting me.

"Well, he is not missing anything, so you should cut him up if you want to train your Skills on him; I'm all in pieces here, so you can mount me and dismount me as you see fit? Isn't it a good bargain for his looks?"

"Yeah, it is…" she whispered back, laying her head on my arm.

At that point, Alistar's story reached the place in which I started healing my face.

Harlow shot up, "You've developed that Perk!? That's why you haven't got your implants anymore!?"

"Yeah," I answered, a little taken aback.

"Loke! Do you have any idea what that means?" she vehemently asked.

"Well, honestly? Nope, zero."

She put her hands in her hair, "I need to tell dad about this…" she said, starting to descend from the ladder, then she looked at me, "What are you doing there!? I need to Trace you, come on!"

I turned toward Alistar and Roana, "What is going on?"

Roana shrugged, "Don't ask me; it's your girlfriend. Not mine."

"Aren't you coming?" I asked them back.

"Nope," Alistar answered, "I'm staying right here; I don't like looking when they implant things on you… it's unnatural. People should be able to heal, like us, like Kobolds do. We're perfect."

"Not helping…Ro, what about you?"

She shook her head, "You're on your own." Saying so, she let herself fall with her back on the roof, relaxing.

"What friend you are, leaving me alone in the hands of two clock-engineers with possibly bad intentions!"

"Your girlfriend, your choice, your life!" Roana shot back.

"Loke!" came Harlow's voice from below, "Are you coming or not!?"

I sighed, hoping that what would wait for me wasn't painful tests on my new Skill.

"Let me see," said a tired Logan, coming up from the basement of the house." Harlow had already taken my Tracing and was showing the print to her father.

He studied it for a while, then raised his head to meet my eyes.

"This is a step forward," he said, "however, it's still too soon to say. Without the Major Perk, it's still unlikely," he said to Harlow.

"What is unlikely?" I asked but was entirely ignored.

"What are the chances with that Perk, dad?" Harlow asked.

"I don't know Harlow… I'd be making only conjectures… but if I had to guess, I'd say… one in eight; or maybe one in sixteen," he answered, burning the Tracing results into the fireplace.

"What are you talking about? And don't ignore me, please!"

"A Perk, Loke. We're talking about a Perk that your Skill might develop," Logan said, tiredly.

"Is it good?"

"For us? Invaluable," he stated. I had never seen him so serious.

"It would be the dream of any Armorer. I wished to develop that Perk when I was still a young apprentice but gaining my Advanced Class and the Skill I received with it, shattered that dream. So, now we hope to find it on whoever reaches a strong enough connection with clock-tech."

A strong connection with clock-tech? I asked myself.

But who more than they, clock-engineers could have it. If not…

"A strong connection Like delvers that have been implanted body parts and that regularly come here to fight in a Dungeon made wholly of clock-tech constructs!?" I realized, quite unsurprisingly.

Logan smiled, really smiled at me. "Yes."

"I can't believe it! You are here, stuck in this place in search of somebody with that Skill?"

Logan nodded, "Yes. That's the primary reason why I decided to build my house here. Why does it impress you?"

"I mean, what would this Skill be able to do? You wouldn't even be the one to possess it; what good could it do to you?"

"It's not for me that I want to experiment on this Skill. It's for the sake of science. There is only one other person that I know with the full Skill. An Avian of Featherland. A soldier that had lost most of his body in the war yet managed to recover completely thanks to clock-tech implants."

"When he unlocked this Skill, not only was he able to heal his body parts entirely, he obtained a level of connection with clock-tech that has never been heard of before," he said.

"He is now known as The Dreadnaught of the North."

"Wait, you mean he has a Flow-ship?"

"No, Loke. He is the Dreadnaught by himself. He's the strongest Avian that has ever lived and studying him and his connection with clock-tech, Avian science as a whole, has made huge steps forward. That's why I'm looking for such a Skill. So, as I told you once already when you'll unlock the Major Perk, please come to me; I will need to study it."

"Alright… I guess I can do that."

There were quite a few things I wanted to ask of him. But maybe I would do it tomorrow.

I was not ready for any more remembrance of my parents for the current day. I could say that just today I had heard enough about them to last me for the rest of my life.