"...it's not a toy Lonerunner, it's dangerous. You have NO IDEA what this magic is capable of..." Barrelfist's words pulse deep in my bones, coaxing the tears to run down my face, every stride I take down the sloped hill ahead of me pulls them further off my cheeks. Every breath I take is heavy in my lungs, a combination of this new climate and the pain in my heart. I slam against a tree to catch my breath, the memory replaying as if happening all over again. Each one adds their own beratement, another weight on my already clouded mind, my ears only register ringing. The whole council of elders gather around me with my contraption at the center, placed upon an upturned log. A metal box with light blue energy illuminating a number of runes at each side. Every few seconds it jerks lightly as if something is trapped inside trying to break out. I burst out trying to defend my creation to the enraged crowd "It can help!! If you would just lis..."

"ENOUGH!!" another elder screams, and with one swing of a greatclub, my dreams are shattered.

The shattered pieces feel warm against my skin, wrapped in a cloth and wedged between the breastpiece in my leather armor. My tears begin subsiding, emotion so heavy that my ducts have gone dry. Thankfully a moment of relief lies ahead of me, distracted by the forest coming into my consciousness around me. Birds sing nearby, I had heard their whispers before from a distance echoing off the peaks. But now they're vibrant and full as cries of joy greeting the morning. They offer respite to my pain, distracting me from the previous day's tragedy, and now among the trees I stand: heart broken and dreams shattered. My mind can do nothing but eventually convince my feet to walk.

And walk they do, one step after another. Wandering into the woods with no objective in sight. Just walking. Away. Away from the mountain peaks to my back, away from my pain, away from my home, away from my friends. I just walk. As the forest slides by around me I lose time, until my focus on the terrain is stolen away from my feelings when a voice calls out from the woods to my left. "OI!!" I turn to face the voice. "OI!! You there!!" stumbling out of a large bush, a small man, not but 3 feet tall comes barreling out with a bottle in his hand. He can barely hold his own balance and leans against a tree catching himself from falling over before continuing: "Y-you're a bit farr from home aren't ya?" his words slur. I stand relaxed before the curious creature.

"Maybe," I look back as if looking for the path I walked to get here, but I recall none of it. "I've been walking for a while." He raises an eyebrow as if I missed some undertone intention in his question.

"You look a little p-hale, are you *hic* homesick? Do you m-m-mish your mommy giant and daddy giant? Need a giant binky??" He barely manages to get the sentences out before his head hangs low, heavy with booze, very soon after his body follows face first into the dirt and dead leaves before I even get to answer. With a glance around my surroundings it's clear this man is alone. In his current stupor he's not likely to do well out here by himself. I'm sure he'd appreciate a kind gesture. His passed out body reeks but I manage to hobble him to his feet and throw him over my shoulders resting comfortably between my neck and backpack. His shallow breaths bring the stench over and over again hot on my shoulder, but I bear through it and take the man on my journey step by step, one foot in front of another. With each stride the underbrush and overgrown bushes fade away to reveal a path. Finally.... Direction. I look both ways: left and right, they are indistinguishable from each other winding off into the forest.

My shattered contraption pulses in its wrapping. Lightbulb. I grab it out and unwrap it, the pain of my heart returns as long as it's in my field of view, but I owe it to the ingenuity to let it have a say in our fate. Splitting the pieces in relative half in my hands I hold them towards each direction of the road waiting for it to pulse. 5, 10, 15 seconds go by and nothing, I feel beads of sweat fall from my brow while in deep concentration, hoping that it responds to my plea. Right as I am about to give up a wave starting from my right hand to the left pulses with a blue light as some of the pieces vibrate and float half an inch above my hand before falling once again. YES!!!! Thank you!!! I jump with excitement and clasp the metal shards together. Folding them into the cloth again I place them snug in their home. Right it is. My first step brings my excited revelation crashing down from its place in the clouds. *BAM* a sharp pain in my shoulder right below the blade drops me to a knee, the mass I've been carrying flies off behind me kicking off the back of my arm. I whip around to face him exclaiming my worry. "Are you okay?! What was tha..."

His demeanor answers my question: Crouched in a very aggressive stance he holds in his right hand a bloodied knife. MY blood. "No one carries Fliment III and lives to tell about it!!" he gnashes his anger through bared teeth like an animal. Instinctively I grab my shield and place it between us bracing myself for a possible assault. "I saved you from DEATH!" a thousand words seem to scramble through his head and he thinks hard about each of them, though taking his time with some, his ailment still wearing off. Eventually he gives up on a witty remark or attack, spits his anger out onto the ground, and sheathes his weapon. "I live that way" he cocks his head before heading off back into the woods we came from. I stay where I am, breathing heavily, frozen for an uncountable amount of time. Though I'm aware he's long gone, my anger gets the best of me and ends my frozen state with an outlash "You're welcome."

With the hitchhiker gone I can continue my journey: to the right and the light begins to fade for the day, the sun disappearing behind the trees ahead of me. My weary feet confirm it's time to rest. I lay out my bedroll, place my pack at the head to lay on, my shield and quarterstaff within reach, and fall into my dreams quicker than expected. Something was offering me solace, a particular broken piece of me which decided to stay: the shattered box. But regardless of the comfort I discovered, my rest is destroyed, roused by a cold metal feeling on my throat. My eyes shoot open and I grab for my staff reflexively but the figure leaning over me with a knife to my throat halts me in my tracks. "Ah. Ah. Ah." a gloved finger shakes in front of my face before he brings it to his covered lips "Ssshhhhhh" I swallow my worries and feel the blade move up and down my throat with my Adam's apple. Around me I can feel the presence of at least 2 other individuals rifling through my belongings. "Don't worry, we're not here to hurt you, we just want your gold." I try to plead with him:

"I don't have mu..."

"Shut up!" he lands a fist in my ribs prompting a cough, my lungs gasping for air. The knife scrapes against my neck taking off the first layer of skin. "I didn't ask for your story, I said we're taking your gold." Complying with the demand feels worse than letting them get away with this, but it's definitely safer. I lie still while they finish their search, a small jingle noting that they found my small bag of coins. "Thank you" he nods antagonistically before standing up to leave, knife still drawn. Each of the figures slowly disappear into the foliage around my small campsite and the sounds of the night return to me.

Another familiar denizen of recent times: tears. They flow again like streams onto the backpack I've shaped as a pillow. Tragedy after tragedy, disappointment after disappointment, it's almost worse down here than the peaks were. Was I wrong? Do I go back? The shards of my box pulse once more against my racing heart. NO. There's no going back. With determination, and the morning light cresting over the horizon beyond the forest, I gather myself together, and pick up my things scattered across this small clearing. Another day dawns. Another destiny to forge. With renewed strength I throw my pack on my back and begin walking again, down the same path of yesterday. After a few minutes traveling my worries start to return, rounding the corner ahead of me: a horse carrying a man trots leisurely down the road towards me. I stick to the side of the road hoping not to draw attention and let him pass. Please don't hurt me. As he rides closer and closer, the clopping of the horse's hooves begins to match my speeding heartbeat.

I kneel down and grab up a handful of large stones from the road. I feel the energies of the box in my pocket and beckon them through my arm into the stones I just picked up, they feel heavier and begin glowing with a slight blue tinge. Hoping he doesn't notice, I prepare myself to throw them at his face just in case, while he gets 50, 20, 10 feet away. "Ho there young one!!" How goes the road??" a cracked, elderly face smiles brightly at me behind a long white beard partially concealed by the hood of a cloak. His horse stops and waits for my answer. Finally a break. The stones drop out of my hand onto the ground as a wave of relief washes through me, their magic fading on contact with the street.

"That's it?? No harsh remarks? No knives? Just kind greetings?" I question.

"What reason do I have to harm you?" he scrunches his eyebrows confused and concerned. I look down at the ground. "I take it you've seen kinder days. Which answers my first question." I nod, defeated.

"Last night I was robbed, and yesterday I was stabbed in the back, literally." I let it out with a sigh. He pauses for a moment raising an eyebrow, before digging into a saddlebag and tossing a pouch my way. "Here, a gift from the Eternal Light." I just manage to catch it in the air, coins! "You headed to Evercast?"

"I think so." I let my mind trail down the path ahead of me.

"When you get there, do yourself a favor and visit the Lighthouse, it'll change your life." he kicks his horse in the rear prompting it to continue down the road. "Safe travels," his voice gets louder as he continues down the path away from me until he's almost shouting. "Oh and be careful, the river floods over this time of year and it took out the bridge this time. UTUN BLESS YOU!!!" He faces down the pathway and slowly disappears from sight while I continue in my own direction. What the heck is an Utun?

A couple twists and turns of the pathway accompanied by a few hours of walking put me at mid day by the time I reach the aforementioned 'flooded bridge.' Winds playing with leaves and birds singing in the trees get drowned out by the roar of the river. Though one sound catches my ear ever so faintly as I approach: a slight snoring, coming from behind a set of bushes breaks my investigation of how to cross the river. So I take a look, peering through the bushes, hoping not to rouse the owner. It's there I spot a small human boy, no older than 14. He's slumped over a large log arching his back with his head on the ground, cocked to the side, and his feet up in the air. That can't be comfortable. Though it doesn't seem to phase him. Approaching slowly I push through the brush and draw my shield. "Little boy" I start soft and light to try and wake him cautiously.

"..." no avail, I raise my voice slightly:

"Ahem... Good morning!"

"..."

This is getting nowhere. I approach slowly so as not to frighten him, though I myself am frightened. I see no weapons. Only 2 books and a small traveling pack. Why is this kid out here alone? I take another look around and see no one else. Here goes. With a hand on his shoulder, and the other holding tight on my shield to cover my body, I shake his shoulder until he wakes. His eyes jolt upen and he bounces up with incredible haste, grabbing one of the books on the ground and holding it close to his chest. He taps the book cover and mutters a word "Hither" A purple light shivers over his entire body in a wave resonating from the center of his chest outwards then back in until it comes to a calm as a slight hue over his form, almost as if filtering the light. We both stand there motionlessly staring at each other hoping the other doesn't attack. I wait for him to break the silence:

"Who are you, and what do you want?" He's a short boy with slightly pointy ears (though not point enough to qualify as any sort of elf). His dirty blonde hair and deep blue eyes frame a young, and surprisingly soft face compared to my own cold-cracked features from the sharp winds of the peaks. He has hair, which is confusing to me, I much prefer my own bald head and deep blue tribal tattoos, but I digress. Though we appear close to the same age he has a lankiness that appears nearly comical next to my 7 foot frame, which gives him a swiftness I could never possess. But far be it from me to underestimate based on a physical build, I can tell he has magical prowess to make up for any shortcomings. He wears no armor, but instead, some interesting, ornate clothes that I do not understand. How is this cloth supposed to protect him from anything? And it's far too thin to help during the cold. The pouches, straps, and buckles adorning my leather armor is much more practical. Realizing he's not an immediate threat I respond first in body language by lowering my shield slightly, though not completely. Then follow up with words:

"My name is LoneRunner, I'm just passing through, you looked incredibly uncomfortable so I was just trying to help you." He looks up at me with raised eyebrow, not yet responding. "Now who are YOU?? Aren't you too young to be wandering alone?"

"Hello 'mouthful' Who said I'm alone?" He's bluffing, I show my disbelief on my face and he gives up the facade, dropping his defensive stance, which I mirror. "Fine.... I'm alone. Just as alone as you are." His words cut deep at the wounds from the elders.

"Your name?" I respond trying to ignore the hurt.

"Saemon." he holds out a hand towards me. I've heard jokes told over the customs of shaking hands but I've never done it. My first handshake, why not? I take his hand in mine and shake it side to side.

"Nice to meet you" I say, his expression of disbelief tells me I've done it wrong. But he ignores it and continues:

"Where are you headed?" He begins gathering his belongings into his traveling pack.

"Evercast, I think."

"You think?"

"Yeah, I'm not exactly sure where I'm going, I'm just GOING."

"Run away from home?" He's onto me. How did he know so easily? I pause, like I'm caught in a snare and if I take another move I'll be whisked away into a tree. "It's alright, I'm not gonna tell."

"Yeah.... Some differences in ideas between myself and the elders." I let out.

"So, you're looking for a new start?"

"You could say that."

"Well, I'm not going to pass that river alone," he gestures towards the roar beyond the underbrush. "You're welcome to share the road with me, sounds like it's been a rough one for you."

"Thank you, I don't want to be a bother though."

"You're not. It's a trade. You get us across, and I pay you by keeping you company afterwards." His proposal seems logical to me, but I'm still apprehensive. "Just until Evercast, then we can split ways if you so choose.

I take a moment to think. "Works for me. Are you ready to cross then?" He sighs and nods. "Hop on my shoulders." I turn around and kneel down so he can reach if he climbs on the log he slept on.

"Oh brother," he replies.

"Please take my bag." I hand him my belongings to hold above his head in order to keep them dry and begin walking. I've waded through this kind of water many times. But never with someone on my shoulders. Only a few steps in and I realize: I definitely misjudged the depth. "We're getting wet today, Saemon." The water rises with each step, now up to my waist.

"I don't think there's another choice." The water continues to come up my body until I finally reach the center, it touches my chin, his legs soaked just like the rest of my body, a sudden change in the current causes my balance to teeter, Saemon doesn't have much weight to him but leans into the change just enough to assist my balance and I manage to muscle our way through. After reaching the other side, SOAKED, I kneel down once again and Saemon walks on his own beside me.

We remain quiet for an hour or so before he breaks the silence. "Excuse me if I'm intruding on your personal life too much, but I can't help but ask. What was the disagreement between you and your elders?" I look down at my feet as I walk and talk.

"Have you met a goliath before me?" He takes a moment to respond.

"...yes" There's a frog in his throat, something is painful about his response under the surface. I'll ask about it later.

"As a whole, they don't usually like new things or ideas." I grab the box out of my pocket and reveal the shards in my hand. "One day while walking our borders I met a gnomish man with a pony carrying a small cart with a hundred different contraptions, there were wind up toys, music boxes, puzzles, and tons of fantastic, wondrous things, I had never seen before. I had to know more. We were never able to communicate but that man showed me incredible things that could be done with both the physical world and the arcane." I wave my hand over the pieces and they react to the magical energies flowing through my body floating, then dropping back to my hand. "So I finally made something, this small puzzle box. In my excitement I just wanted the tribe to see me.... To notice that I was different than the others and that I discovered something new that had infinite possibilities for our people....." The pain rises again as I relive those last moments in my tribe.

"And they rejected it didn't they?" He finishes the story for me. I nod, too worked up to speak. After a moment he speaks. "You know they're wrong."

"They were scared, and unders...." I try to defend them playing devils advocate, but he cuts me off.

"I'm not talking about the box. I'm talking about your name." I look at him in disbelief. "You're not alone anymore, and you no longer have to run. I think that deserves a new name." He closes my fist around the box with a smile "Tinkerer."