It took several months to convince them. Firil and her group were at a disadvantage, attacking a laboratory and being the only ones there still conscious made it difficult to convince people you weren’t the bad guy. Especially with a Gear right outside who had torn up the landscape.

But as soon as she convinced them to start an investigation into Oxe Meyers’ dealings, his entire empire came crashing down. After that, and with some help from the city of Kernasi who had recognized the Old Knight, they were free.

Sincan took the first step obviously, walking out and taking in the air. Moris just chuckled at the exaggerated motions. Sincan didn’t look back. He was still uncomfortable looking at Moris and his new eyepatch.

“So, what now?” Moris asked.

“Well, obviously our mutual friend Firil will treat us to the finest cuisine,” Sincan said.

“Not one second out and you’re already back to your old ways. You’re incorrigible,” Kos replied.

“Let him have it. We could all use some good food after all that. Firil herself would probably be the first one to offer had Sincan been patient for a bit longer.”

Firil chuckled, embarrassed. The will of Volt Meyer’s had been put into effect, transferring all the assets that Oxe had taken by force and giving them to Firil instead. Her wealth was a weight, however, as she now had to find a place to settle down and set up a schedule for herself.

I need an assistant more than anything. That could wait for later. Now was the time to relax. Truly relax for once.

****

Sincan stood in front of a building that he dreaded. Over the course of the past few weeks, Firil had been taking good care of him. Of everyone, in fact. But Sincan was a restless man. He had what he wanted all along in a sense, but it didn’t fulfill him as he thought it would.

So, here he was, to apply for a job he would never have considered were it not for a certain Cervo. He walked in and noticed some people arguing at the counter. They stopped their bickering to turn to Sincan who struggled to let out a sound.

“Oh, a request at this time of day? Alright, settle in, I’ll go get you a form that you can fill out,” the man in front of the counter said. The homlin next to him was well-built, and gave him a friendly smile.

Sincan raised a hand to protest him standing up. “Uhh, not quite. I’m actually here to apply.” Both men grinned when they heard that.

****

Firil shuffled through the papers on her desk, trying to find a specific report she swore she had put there. Several papers were knocked over in the process, ending up on the ground for her assistant to pick up.

“Aha! Found it,” she said in triumph. She took a closer look at it. “Never mind,” Firil said again as she relaxed on her expensive chair.

Her assistant handed her a new paper and showed it to her. She took it and read it, smiling. She took a pen and began writing. “Thanks, Mor. I don’t know what I would do without you.”

Moris began picking up the papers off the ground. “Well, me neither.”

She finished writing and put the paper onto a different pile. “Has Roxerd reported back from Sonh yet?”

****

Jake never thought he’d be able to get a job as fine as he did. He strolled throughout the department he was now head of, something that he’d wanted since he first began tinkering with machines of all kinds. He watched as his underlings worked. The project they were currently on required a new type of robotic arm, one that he had thought of a design for that seemed splendid.

Now, all they had to do was test it. Several arms laid about on tables, connected by wires and moving around continuously before being stopped and checked. Some of his workers waved at him and he nodded. The work would make a fine distraction from his thoughts about his friends.

****

Kos sat at a table with her parents. Unlike the others, she didn’t jump back into work. Instead, she decided to go back to her home and spend some time with her family. She poked at her meal with a fork, trying to seem busy at the quiet table.

Her brother finished his meal and looked at her expectantly. Oh right, the robot. “Hmmm, I’m not sure that was 5 minutes actually,” she said.

“Oh, come on, sis. You said you’d show me!”

“Not with that attitude. Look at the big mess you made,” she teased. Her little brother was hyperactive, but lately she managed to grab his attention by telling him about Okshender.

“Stop it, Kanst! Kos won’t let us meet him if you keep doing that!”

Kos picked up her phone and held it close to her so that her siblings couldn’t see. “Hello, Sincan? Yes, yes, I know how much you adore them but I’m terribly sorry to say that they’ve been misbehaving too much lately. Can you come back later? Thanks. Goodbye, Sincan!”

The children erupted at that, squabbling with each other and amusing Kos. She chuckled and looked to her parents, who had a smile on their faces as well.

****

Sincan ran through the snow, cursing quietly as to not alarm the child in his grasp. He was warned of an avalanche ahead of time, so he had made his way here as quickly as he could. The boy’s parents were already safe, taken away by Okshender.

Though Sincan wished that finding the boy hadn’t taken as long as it did, he still had a job to do. The boy started crying and Sincan tried to calm him down.

“Don’t worry, buddy, I’m here,” he smiled at him, hoping it had some effect. When it didn’t, he tried searching for another way. The downward slope was infuriating to run on, so Sincan had to watch his every step.

In the sky, he saw something that made him more confident than ever. He looked at the boy and spoke once more. “Want to see something amazing, kid? Look up.”

The boy followed his gaze, which landed on a blue white Gear floating in the air. Sincan heard the avalanche approaching behind him and jumped onto a tree. He adjusted himself before leaping off again, ending up in the grasp of Okshender.

“Thanks, Ok.”

“As always, it’s a pleasure, my pilot.”