“What a surprise. I thought you had already stripped me for all I’m worth.” Wilfred smirked at Ezra and Milo.

Ezra took an open stool, and Wilfred waved the approaching bartender away. Ezra didn’t mind. He wasn’t here for a drink. “It took us more trouble than it was worth to track you down.”

“Good,” Wilfred took a sip of amber liquid and swirled the glass. “If it were easy, Faulpher-tek would have tracked me down a dozen times over. Why are you here anyway?”

“I have questions,” Ezra said, “about Faulpher-tek.”

“I don’t work for the damn company. What makes you think I have answers? Unless you’ve found something out about Marlaove, I don’t owe you a thing.” He scratched his graying stubble and looked down at his drink, considering if another swig would help.

"Well, that's how we found you,” Ezra leaned in, hoping to capture more of Wilfred’s attention. Milo, on the other side of Wilfred, nodded to support Ezra’s claim. “We asked around about Marlaove. Niall, a shop owner, directed us to a retirement home where Marlaove used to visit, and some of the people there told us about this bar.”

“And I’m supposed to find that impressive?” A puff of air, perhaps a condescending laugh, brushed past Wilfred’s lips. “I knew the man for twenty-one years and have been searching every day for four months. An afternoon won’t make a difference. Your pathetic investigation doesn’t even scratch the surface.”

“What’s even your relation to him?” Milo interjected. “We heard he was a farmer, a gun for hire, a guild negotiator. We can’t make heads or tails of it, and my head keeps spinning trying to find an answer.”’

“An old friend, a business partner of sorts. He took on a lot of roles over the years, but he always had one thing in mind.” Wilfred’s eyes reflected so many memories back into his glass. “Protecting others around him. He saved me more times than I can count.” A grim smile briefly turned up the corners of his mouth. “But you're not really here to ask about him. Tell me your questions. Today’s been slow, so I’ll humor you.”

Ezra paused; his questions had escaped him after he thought Wilfred wouldn’t entertain them. They quickly returned as he spoke. “Does Faulpher-tek have the ability to control the A.S.H.O. system? During our Morltin test, there was a device that paused the use of skills for a short time, and then while we were in the testing area, our levels were frozen.”

“Curious,” Wilfred grumbled as he straightened his back. “Their founder may have discovered the system, but I don’t know if they have any ties to the Office of Trainees.” He stared at the gleaming wall of bottles as if there was some mystery to be solved in their reflections. “Although one time, years ago, my skill was on the fritz when the Terra’s were chasing after me. It was a few days after Marlaove and I hit one of Faulpher-tek’s warehouses. They must have been the ones who sent the Terra’s after us. Could’ve been the same device or just a prototype.”

“You have to understand,” Wilfred continued. “They’re not after Sky-seeker’s. If it publicly came out, they were developing devices that restricted people’s use of the system. Two or three Voyagers, along with a battalion of Stoletime seekers, would tear them to shreds within a week.”

“Then what are they after if not control?” Ezra asked.

“Simple. Profit.” Wilfred finished off the rest of his drink with one hearty gulp. “And maybe some warped sense of safety derived from the foolish notion that they’re the only ones that can protect people. Do you know how weapon grades work or even what they are?”

“They measure the power of weapons or artifacts. They’re numbered one through five, with an additional sixth level called transcendent. Artifacts are also separated into several categories that are used to classify them. Theres weaponry, enhancement, protective, various, unknown, and transcendent.”

Ezra stared at Milo, bewildered. “How do you know all of this?”

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“Because I listened to the orientation.” Milo shot back a cocky grin. “Would’ve done you good to do the same.”

“Sky-seekers below the Morltin rank aren’t allowed to own weapons above grade two.” Wilfred motioned to the bar tender to get him another drink. “That’s a pretty limited pool of customers for Faulpher-tek especially in Subterris. The same applies to any artifact. Certain exceptions are allowed for licensed individuals, but that’s such a small group of people it doesn’t matter. What does matter to those slimy bastards is driving the demand for weapons. And it’s kind of hard to do that when you know most people who could hurt you are on an even playing field. Yet if you put dangerous weapons in people’s hands, others will want to buy equally dangerous weapons to protect themselves. Thus you begin an arm’s race among your customers.” He gave the bartender a nod of approval and cleared his throat as another glass was set in front of him. “You get it now?”

“It makes sense, but what do you have against Faulpher-tek? No one takes on one of the major corps without a good reason.” The silent inferno behind Wilfred’s eyes was seared into Ezra’s memory. He had an idea of how Wilfred would answer, but he was too nervous to presume anything in front of this rugged man.

Wilred furrowed his brow at the memories the question invited. His wrinkled hands trembled until he gripped the glass and felt the liquor slosh against the sides of the crystal cup. “They took someone very dear to me. In a situation not too different from the one in the weapons store earlier today. Except that time, no one had the foresight to stop it. My wife and daughter weren’t even in the store. Just passing by on their way home.” He blinked as a strangled emotion rose to the surface. One he was determined to keep down. The despair in his voice was quickly replaced with simmering rage. “They don’t care who they hurt or gets caught in their schemes. It’s all just business to them, and they’ll keep taking until their bottomless greed is satisfied. Maybe Seekers Day will be the end of it.”

Milo’s distant stare returned to Wilfred. “Why Seekers Day?”

“The last words Marlaove spoke to me.” Wilfred took a deep breath and emptied the cup. “The last thing he told me. Barry has been compromised, but I’ll find another path. Now I know their deadline has moved up. Don’t wait for Seekers Day.”

“Do you know who Barry is?” Ezra asked.

“Until yesterday I didn’t.” Wilfred yawned and pushed the glass away from him. “I found out a man named Barry works in a Faulpher-tek warehouse on the outskirts. With you knowing this much already, you interested in coming?”

Ezra folded his arms on the counter and tapped his left wrist in rhythm with his thoughts. We were never really after Marlaove, but it seems like Wilfred can’t provide the answers we want. Is it worth just waiting to meet with Douglas? It’s still two weeks to hone our skills. The powerlessness he had felt when Time-scale was deactivated washed over him. That embarrassment wasn’t something he wanted to feel again. Anything that could give them an advantage he needed to take. I don’t know how lucky we’ll get next time.

“Sure will go with you,” Ezra decided.

“One issue,” Milo said as he peeked around Wilfred. “The Light-bearers said they could only watch over Emma for the day.”

Wilfred raised an eyebrow, hopping for a quick explanation.

“A little girl we were asked to watch over,” Ezra explained.

Wilfred’s refusal was apparent the moment Ezra had spoken. “I’m not taking her along.”

“Just give us an hour or so. I’m sure we can figure something out.” Milo put his hands up to try and quell any doubts.

“One hour. I’m not staying here much longer.”

Ezra and Milo nodded and got off the bar stools. “See you in an hour," Milo called back as they exited the Silver Margwen. Wilfred responded with a tired and backhanded wave.

It didn’t take them long to navigate back to the Light-bearers guild hall. The day had gone on long enough that the streets were beginning to become less crowded. As they entered, the noise from earlier in the day had still not died down. Ezra felt a tinge of shame once he saw a sign indicating a celebration for new Morltin seekers was happening on the second floor.

Milo tapped Ezra on the shoulder. “Stay here. I’ll go get her.” He dissappered into the back of the guild hall as Ezra observed the rowdy Sky-seekers.

They smile because they are strong. That was the only conclusion Ezra could come to. Perhaps if Owen were here, he would tell me that I’m wrong. That there are so many other reasons someone would smile. Yet Milo still smiled. But he’s different, Ezra told himself. He’s always that way. I’m not him.

“Hey, I didn’t think we would run into each other this soon.” A voice that sounded like sunlight entreating all to feel its warmth made Ezra raise his gaze. A girl with amber eyes and freckles dotting the bridge of her nose smiled back. “How’s it going?” Camila greeted him again.