Kable rested a gentle hand, his only remaining biological limb, on the sketch hanging on the wall of his office. Nearly twenty years had passed since the memorial had been made of when he and his two friends had worked for the stranger to produce that marvelous machine. While he’d aged and gone on to do many great things, that event was still the greatest pride of his life. Even becoming a [Foreman] failed to be a close second. If he could exchange a moment like working on that machine again for a Class Promotion, he’d make the trade in a heartbeat. He smiled ruefully. Then again, he had never married nor had a child, and he knew that neither would ever happen. Perhaps learning of his nephew’s birth came close in terms of the feeling of intimacy that being a parent could provide. The war… had scarred him beyond the mentally terms. He shuddered. He hadn’t looked at his naked form in months… for when he did, tears came to his eyes.
The wars after the Dark Lord’s defeat had brought a lot of unhappy times to many, not to mention the loss of many loved ones. Out of those who had died, Jerkins had lived the longest. He had died in a collapse during a siege of the battle tunnels while trying to reinforce the supports. He had even achieved the [Master Craftsman] class, a feat that Kable had never and would never be able to match. Of the three, Jerkins had been by far the most talented, but his sacrifice had been necessary and honorable. Had it not been for the efforts of his team, perhaps the entire city would have fallen. Kord had died in the early days after the Dark Lord’s death. He had been transferred into the army to be a [Soldier]. Kable sighed remembering. The big guy had been so happy to finally gain a Warrior-type class to defend the Kabali. Kord had been well-liked by his companions, and in the end, he too had died saving many lives. There was a polite knock on the door before it opened. Kable closed his eyes, blinking away the tears that threatened to emerge, remembering his friends as he turned around to face the young Kabali who had entered his office.
While examining this newcomer closely, Kable immediately noticed that he was young but very able-looking. There was a gentle look about him despite his firm stature. It was unusual for a Kabali to keep their back straight since it was often considered arrogant and foolish, but he did so as if it were natural. “My mother sent me here because you are the [Foreman] of the area. I understand that you have a few empty warehouses. I wish to rent one.”
Kable looked at the youth, unsure. He seemed able, but who was his mother and why was she important? “I see you are a Kabali, but are you a Kabali?”
The youth put a hand behind his head. “I am what I am, and I do what I do.”
Kable paused, amazed. Despite the vastly different appearance, he could almost see the reflection of another in the youth. Shaking his head, Kable chuckled, “You are very different from other youths, I see. I assume you know the conditions?” Kable paused a moment to let the young Kabali confidently nod. Grabbing a pen, Kable scribbled down a few notes to the local [Manager] of the warehouses. “Give this to Lopex. He’ll know what to do.” The Kabali boy took the paper and glanced over it to make sure everything was in order before bowing and preparing to leave.
Suddenly, as if it were an afterthought, Kable asked, “I must ask; what trade do you follow?” The Kabali ignored the slight tremble in his voice that contained the hint of his grasping hope.
The youth turned, presenting his shoulder. “That of my father’s.” Kable looked in amazement at the badge knitted to his shoulder, a sphere with a ring around it. He had heard that the trade had been expanding in recent years but had never thought that he would be able to see it in person again ever since they’d suffered a great setback in the aftermath of the Demon Wars.
“When you say your father, you don’t mean…” He paused, wanting the youth to say it. His eyes drilled onto the youth’s every expression.
“My father is James Hues. My trade is in non-magic conveniences. I am an [Engineer].” The youth bowed and gave an amused smile before walking out the door. Staring at the disappearing shadow, Kable smiled, thinking once more of his friends who had died in the wars. He’d always known they hadn’t died in vain, but perhaps… perhaps, they’d sacrificed for a future beyond even his imagination. Kable could not help but think, ‘If he’s anything like his father, things are about to get very interesting.’ Shaking his head of these stray thoughts, Kable pulled out some parchment and prepared to write a few letters. After all, for such a promising youth of a family to which the world owed such great favor, well, Kabl was more than prepared to pull a few strings.
