Before we woke there were machines. Machines were everywhere. They covered the earth and the skies, from the smallest machines, barely as big as the tiniest of the insects, to machines so imposing that their vast bodies could be compared to the glistening moon. Humans used those machines; they could become gods with those machines. Using powers that went well …

We reached the Monolith in twenty minutes, coming from momma Jane’s house, we could not run, not with our new load. I made sure nobody was around, then I placed my bounty on the ground by the Monolith and took out Ronda’s Crystal. “What are you doing?” Nova asked me when she saw me sit down. “Switching the Crystal. Oh, …

 If she could shine any brighter, she’d be the Sun. Nova was like that. Even now, looking at the city from the ruin of the clocktower, she shone brighter than anyone I had ever known. Not that I had known many at that point. The City in front of us, so close yet so far out of reach, felt like …

The night was in its full splendor, the skylights still shined, although dimly from the heavens above. And I was shaking like a leaf, planning my next move with my head in full swing. A Sun-blessed citizen of the Sundoor had died at the hands of a Wastelands dweller. There would be retribution. These things just did not happen to …

“We should get going. It’s about time for the Flow-carts to come and hang out in the Dump,” I said while still sitting on the crumpled walls of the clock-tower’s roof with my back inside of Harlow’s embrace. “Will they see us from up here?” asked Nova. While Roana already got up to leave, she had been unexpectedly silent for …

It was midday, and Nova, Alistar, and I were going our way toward Veinforge. The village was situated on the south of Crabriver. We had taken the inside route amid the mountains and walked on the left bank of the river. The verdant path at the sides of the river was chock-full of crabs and fishes Tracing, I noticed that …

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 …

When we departed dawn had just risen. We were all speedily leaving to get back in time to our houses; it would be a long day indeed, but one where all of Sundoor’s Wastelands would celebrate. From Sundoor itself to the smallest villages, they would celebrate to their heart’s content. It would likely be among the last of the warm …

We were hiding in a giant tree that had been thoroughly hollowed, yet still lived. Elves’ knowledge shined at these kinds of things, and momma Jane had done a wonderful job of it. We had climbed the tree from the inside out and were now standing behind two little doors, waiting for the Gnoll’s to pass. Our scent was covered …

I was sprawled on the ground; I could not believe how badly Alistar had just beaten me. I could understand that it was day, his time of choice, I had removed my broken clock-arm and had just barely unlocked the Form of the Vector, but damn, I thought; he had really thrashed me. If he had given me a spanking …