The little casket 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?” I said.
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,” I answered.
“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 was speaking 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, “B*******,” I found myself saying.
“Why would I have to lie to you, stupid boy!?” He answered, slamming 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 it was full day, he usually wore it as soon as he woke up, 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 monsters. 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 on 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 grandfathers’ 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. 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 which kind of bones 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 into the Order of the Night’s swift revenge.
Spectre’s Dignity’s blade is made of LunarTungsten, while its hilt is made of Dragon bones.
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,” I asked.
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 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 asked.
“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,” he said, stopping me once more. “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?” I asked, intrigued.
“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 I 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 wagon side.
“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 he 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 were at Murkstall less than an hour later.
“I just can’t wait to look at the state of things. It’s been six years since last it was a functioning village, Harlow; six-year,” I said. 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 two, 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-
“These are the village’s soldier’s armor, aren’t they? He’s given them back,” I said.
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 smiled gratefully. 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 could rarely see. He’s become softer somehow.”
I was struck by a realization 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 did. 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. She died protecting me from the incident, says Dad.”
“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 further push the conversation, 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 it like that.
I started speeding up without even realizing it.
Running in the field, uncaring of trampling on 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 through it.
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 inherited his father’s and mother’s Class.
Nicole Venture, Soldier Level 17 (1258/17000), Tailor Level 25 (14879/25000)
Health: 100%
Stamina: 95%
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?”
“Taller than you as it seems!” I said, cheery.
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 said, slapping my forehead much to Nicky and Harlow’s amusement.
Nova appeared from the crowd and literally jumped on me, “Happy birthday, silly! I bet you didn’t even remember! Did you!?”
“Indeed, I didn’t.”
“What did I say!?” she shouted, turning toward the village.
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?” I said Nova, realizing it too late.
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 did,” 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 said, faking 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 extremely good 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.
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.
“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 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 it a full-fledged warm-blooded Kobold, a 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 said, letting them wait 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 all 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 at him.
“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, but 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 wish you had witnessed this. What your Nova did, the strength of the village you loved so much…,” saying, so I poured the ale on the ground where he had been buried.
“I bet he knows,” said Alistar.
“I hope he does,” I answered.
“Alright, I’m going to drop on my bed; tomorrow will be a long day. We need to go to Veinforge to get Faruq,” he said.
“Faruq? You mean, that slave we freed?”
“Oh, right, you still don’t know,” Alistar chuckled. “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 the Veinforge mayor, and he wants to foster the relationship among our villages.”
“Wow, that’s good!” I said, “Veinforge is that village built inside of the mountain, that’s a good one; it would be really beneficial to the village. 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 he like the village? That’s weird.”
“Oh, no, she’s got nothing against the village; the problem is with what she has, if you know what I mean,” he answered, winking at me.
“What she-“
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… equals, she had fallen in love with him.
“No!” I said.
“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 hormone 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 said, after he got up, cleaning his trousers, and 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.
“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 entrance now, and I did not really know what to do.
Harlow was surely sleeping in Nova’s room, but if she wasn’t… If she was 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 did not have her glasses on, 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 asked stupidly.
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 this to me.
“Listen, Harlow, I don’t know… what if you regret it, what if you think I’m too young and-” she put a 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, 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 said, 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.
