Kaladin would have teleported to Kakariko village, but he had forgotten that he even could've teleported. The idea of teleportation by pulling out a device was still foreign to him. Instead, he walked.

Syl stopped him only a few feet from the inn. "You'll never believe what's at the top of that hill. You've gotta come see!"

Kaladin chased after Syl. A little bit of exploring wouldn't hurt.

A few minutes later, he came to the top of the hill and discovered…A pond in the shape of a broken heart? A man was standing there, dejectedly looking down.

As Kaladin approached, the man turned to him,"Oh, hey, are you also looking for the Sweetheart's pond everyone keeps talking about? I've been waiting here forever, but nobody has come. I'm starting to wonder if I'm in the right place. Are you here to find your true love?"

"I wish. Though I don't know about you, if the pond is shaped like a broken heart…Do you really want to find your true love here? I mean, I doubt that meeting at a broken heart pond would bode well for a relationship. And frankly, isn't it better to go out there and try to meet the lucky girl than just wait here for something to happen? You're never going to get anywhere if you don't try anything."

The man sighed,"I guess you're right man."

Seeing how sad he looked, Kaladin said,"Why don't you come down with me and we'll get something to eat?

"Sure."

After a good meal at the town inn, Kaladin learned a lot about the man, named Mimos. His grandfather had fought in the war of the Calamity, his mother was disappointed with his "lack of initiative," and Mimos knew next to nothing about dating. He wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed but probably would have fit right in with Bridge Four. Kaladin missed them so much. He paid the tab, and Mimos grabbed his bag.

"Dang man, I feel so much better now. You're right, I'm going to go out and make my own destiny. Hey, and I wish you the best of luck in yours," he said.

"And to you as well. Let's do this again sometime. I'll visit the next time I'm in town."

"I hope that's soon. See you later!" Mimos waved as he walked out.

Syl turned to Kaladin. "Wow, that was quick. We've been here less than a week and you already have a new friend. Mimos is such a cool dude. We should get Navani to figure out a trans-planet span-reed system when we get home to keep in touch."

"If we ever do."

Syl just gave him a look. Kaladin knew that it wasn't hopeless, but how was he supposed to defeat an evil shard? What he wouldn't have given for a few friends by his side from Roshar. If nothing else, eating a bowl of Rock's soup would have made him feel better.

Syl seemed to sense his mood. "We'll figure it out. This Ganon guy can't be as hard to defeat as Odium. Ganon doesn't have an army of Fused at his disposal, or Unmade, or any other number of awful things."

"That's cheerful. Thanks for reminding me that we still have Odium to fight back home."

"I can't cheer you up if you won't let me." Syl developed a mischievous grin,"On a different subject, how do you feel about Paya? I'm not sure what she thinks for sure, but that was quite the blush."

"That doesn't mean anything. Have you seen Shallan? Besides I refuse to date ever again, much less somebody from an entirely different planet, with an entirely different culture. You're as bad as Mom sometimes." Kaladin couldn't suppress a smile at Syl's newest attempt at matchmaking.

"Ha, job accomplished." Syl started to do what appeared to be a victory dance. She was insufferable sometimes.

It was noon, and Kaladin started to head out of town after lunch with Mimos, but Syl stopped him, yet again, for a random investigation.

"You have to come see this! It looks so spooky."

Syl had taken off before Kaladin could comment.

Down below the ridge was a spooky-looking statue, old and worn in a way that even Goddess statues weren't. It had a malevolent air, and Kaladin didn't want to stick around.

"Syl, it must just be a forgotten Goddess statue, carved by a particularly bad artist. We've got things to do today."

Smoke appeared, along with a purple light, not unlike void light, around the statue. An angry voice emanated forth from it, saying,"Who dares disturb my slumber?"

Kaladin had already seen a talking statue in the last week, so this time, it didn't startle him as much.

"You talk too?" he said. The statue reminded him of something.

"What do you mean, too? No matter, I deal in life and power, all are equal before me. I will trade with you for a price."

Hadn't Dalinor received a boon from a creature called the Nightwatcher once? He didn't know all the details, but the statue seemed about right for something outside of Vorhin propriety.

"I've heard about you-"

"From who? Who still remembers my name?"

"Uh…lots of people. I'm not sure you're the same being but I've heard about someone called the Nightwatcher in my world? Who also deals in power and makes trades? I'm not really interested at the moment, especially since it's once a lifetime. Also, no offense, but I rather not get on the church's bad side. I've angered them enough already. Thanks though?"

"I do not know who this Nightwatcher person is, but I promise you that they cannot offer what I can. And I will gladly take your offerings anytime. There is no limit-only what you impose upon your dreams."

"It's been nice meeting you. I'll come back later if I think of something I need…" At the cheap price of my soul and eternal servitude, he added privately.

"Aha," the creature said, and light seemed to fly out of his pockets and into the statue. "I claim this mysterious light from the strange gemstones you hold. It is precious to you, is it not?"

Kaladin checked his spheres, and they were empty.

"I had to work hard to get the Goddess to fill those. I don't know what you just did but give back the stormlight. I'm not paying you anything. "

"Fine, but know that the Goddess strikes a much harder bargain than I. I will grant you the same power, but only for rupees, instead of the four spirit orbs you had to toil to find. Keep that in mind the next time your spheres run dry, He Who Talks to Gods."

With that, the statue fell lifeless, and the purple smoke dissipated. When he looked at the spheres he was holding, the stormlight was in them once more.

Kaladin marched a good twenty feet away before he finally turned to Syl.

"I hate to admit it, but collecting spirit orbs is a lot of work. We might have to come back eventually, even though I don't really want to take stormlight from whatever Odium-powered demon that was."

Syl said,"I guess we'll just have to worry about that later. Besides, it's not like we know it was working with Odium. For all we know, the Goddess could be some kind of dark god, though she doesn't really fit the description. Anyway, we've got a land to save and a dark god to vanquish. Onward!"