I rose early, the camp still quiet as the first rays of sunlight peeked over the horizon. Slipping out of my tent, I made my way toward the low woods nearby, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. The air was crisp, and dew clung to the grass, soaking the hem of my pants. Great, now it looked like I had a bathroom accident first thing in the morning.

As I entered the woods, I began scanning the ground. A patch of purple caught my eye, and I knelt to examine it closer. Lavender. The sight and scent reminded me of my conversation with Caden about Everspring. He’d described it as a village next to flowing fields of purple. I picked a bunch, rolled it between my hands, and inhaled the smell.

After some of the soldiers had confirmed that the herbs here were the same as I remembered from Earth, I was confident in what to pick. A few steps away, I spotted a cluster of sage. I plucked a few leaves and tucked them into my pocket. I had once taken a survival course just for the hell of it. I'd spent a week in the woods with a bunch of other men and women and an instructor named Jerry, who yelled a lot. It hadn't been much fun outside of learning about plants, mushrooms, and herbs. Mostly, it had been cold and wet. The knowledge was coming in handy now.

As I continued my exploration, a hiss cut through the morning air. I froze, and slowly, I turned toward the sound.

There, partially hidden behind a tree, was Churl. She gestured for me to join her. I glanced back toward the camp, ensuring no one was watching, then hurried over to her.

"'Good morning, Lady Churl," I greeted her quietly.

Her answering grin was wide and toothy – a sight that was a little unsettling. "My lord, er, Morth, er. Not real sure what to calls ya," she replied, her voice a raspy whisper.

I hesitated for a moment before answering. "I'm Varix now. Varix Vel'Naris. What do you think of the name?"

"Human names ain't got no meaning to me. Just a name."

"Oh. I thought it had a nice way of rolling off the tongue."

"Yeah. And it keeps you from gettin' your head rolled off, if you catch my meaning."

I chuckled.

"What cha got planned, V?"

"V?"

"VV?"

"You don't like Varix?"

"I don't know. Used to just calls ya Lord, or My Lord. Or Master. Or any other silliness what's made 'is head swell."

"Varix works great for me, friend. I don't need a swollen head."

"Fine. Fine. Reckon Varix is as good as any human name."

"Listen. I'm heading to a village called Everspring with some of the others from the healer's camp. It seems like a good enough place for a fresh start."

Churl nodded, her eyes darting around as if checking for eavesdroppers. "Good, good. Go be with the humans. See if I care. Now listen, there's news you should know. An amnesty's been declared. The races that were under Morthisal – they've reached a peace agreement with the pale king."

This could make things easier and safer for both of us. "That's... that's great news, Lady Churl. Right? Is that really his name? The pale king? Sounds ominous."

"Nah. Just a name we has for him. Now look. I got your staff. You keep going, and I'll follow. If the amnesty sticks, we'll be able to meet in Everspring."

"Why don't you bury the staff or hide it in a cave? I don't need it. Don't even know how to use it."

"I guess I could, but it's powerful, you know. T'was your favorite."

"I wouldn't know what to do with it, but I appreciate the information. Like I said, Lady Churl, I wouldn't be able to use the power if I wanted to."

"Fine. I'll find a place for it, I reckon. Give it a proper burial. I probably won't shit on it once it's in the ground."

I choked on laughter and pounded my chest.

"What? I hated that thing, but you, I mean the former you loved it."

"Do what you like with it, Lady Churl. I trust your judgment."

"You do?" She grinned. "Right. Right. I'll handle it, then."

"What will you do now?"

"I gots nowhere else to go. No one to go to. My clan's dead. Friends dead. Long way back across the borderlands. Besides. Someone needs to watch your back, lord, er. Yeah. I'll follow for a while. Make sure you don't end up in no trouble."

"I can't ask you to do that."

"Good thing you ain't askin'. I'm doin'."

"I won't argue with you, Lady Churl. You've been a true friend since I got here."

"As you wish. Now go on back 'afore anyone spots ya out here cavorting with a goblin. Lady Churl is it." She grinned. "Got me all blushing."

I wanted to give her a hug, but she brushed me off, turned, and disappeared into the woods as she continued to mutter about how proud she was of her name.

* * *

That night, I woke with a start and saw a bright light. Then I realized it was coming from my hands. They were in the air, twisting and turning, doing something! I gasped, shuddered, and thrust my limbs under the blanket.

I'd been having the oddest dream about being in someone else's body. Oh, look. That wasn’t a dream at all. I had also been doing magic in the dream, and maybe that's why my hands had lit up.

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Caden sat up and looked around our area. "Did you light a candle or a torch?"

"Uh, me?" I feigned sleepiness. "Nope. I was just sleeping away over here. No lights to speak of." I don't think I could have shoved my hand any deeper under the blankets.

"Ah. Just a dream, I suppose," Caden lay back down.

I stared into the darkness for at least fifteen minutes. Caden began a rhythmic snore that could probably use the attention of a CPAP. Cautiously lifting the blanket, I was relieved to see that my hands were no longer glowing. Sleep came later and was thankfully free of dreams and magic tricks.

* * *

The tent I shared with Caden had a pair of hard cots, for which my back was starting to thank me. Who knew that getting away from my $250 Walmart-special mattress would be such a good move for my mobility?

We had a small fire pit and a spit for food—not that we’d had anything to cook over an open flame. With the healer’s camp being filled with at least five hundred people, game was scarce here. Food arrived weekly, so there was no threat of us going hungry.

There were always hunks of hearty bread. It was sometimes a little stale, but it had a pleasant flavor somewhere between rye and sourdough, with plenty of crunch provided by multiple grains.

We had a lot of vegetables and some occasional mystery meat. There was cheese aplenty. Sharp and tasting like sheep or goat with delicate spices worked into the blocks.

“Wasn’t always like that. I spent many a night cold, wet, hungry, and wondering if I would die the next day,” Caden said, smiling as he savored a bowl of stew.

“Supply lines weren’t the best, I take it.”

I knew next to nothing about a war campaign, but I knew soldiers marched on their bellies. If they weren’t full and happy, they weren’t much good in a fight.

“We weren’t always winning. If your memory comes back, you’ll remember the dark times.”

"I'm sure I will," I lied.

“I had an idea to help with your memory loss,” Caden said. “Come outside with me.”

"Eh. Sure. Okay," I said, curious what he had in mind.

I was dressed in a leather jerkin and the same pants I’d scrounged off a dead man, although I’d gone to great lengths to clean them in the creek.

I followed Caden outside. The camp was a sea of tents and bustling activity. Soldiers milled about, some heading to the mess tent for breakfast, others tending to the wounded in the larger medical tents.

It was just after dawn, and the air was crisp and clean but warming quickly as the sun climbed higher. I took a deep breath, enjoying the fresh scent of dew-covered grass and pine trees.

Caden led me to a small clearing between the tents where two swords leaned against a tree trunk. He bent down, picked one up, and tossed the other to me. I fumbled with it and nearly dropped the weapon before getting a grip on the hilt.

"Come on, Varix. Let's see if some of that muscle memory will return,” Caden said with a grin and unsheathed his weapon with his good hand. For a man missing three and a half fingers, he had adapted to his situation quite well.

"I see you're a lefty." I nodded at the way he held his sword.

"Left, right, it's all the same when you fight. However, my left is my weaker stance. I may not be able to put up much of a fight. Let's find out."

After unsheathing my sword, I stared at the blade. My palms were soft, unused to wielding any weapon. I tried to recall if Morthisal had any sword-fighting skills, but my mind drew a blank. Note to self: Add a few callouses to your hands the next time you recreate your body image from scratch.

He raised it high, released a "Yah!" and charged. I quickly ducked to the side. Caden came up short and lowered his weapon.

"Hmm," he muttered.

He took a few slow, telegraphed swings at me next. I stumbled backward, clumsily raising my sword to block. The clash of metal on metal rang out, drawing curious glances from nearby soldiers. My arms trembled with each impact. I had no idea how to position my feet or where to place my weight. Every movement felt awkward and forced.

After a few minutes of this pitiful display, Caden lowered his sword and shook his head. "Varix, I hate to say it, but you either weren't a warrior at all, or you've lost every bit of knowledge regarding how to fight."

"Sorry," I said lamely.

"No need to apologize, my friend. We'll keep on trying different vocations until we discover yours. I don't suppose you can read magic books or summon a bolt of frost?"

Now, that was a good question. Calling up fire or ice had probably been second nature to Lord Morthisal, but it was foreign to me. I didn’t mention that I had already levitated and apparently knew how to make a glowing ball appear between my hands.

I looked up and shrugged. "Nope. As far as I can tell, there is not a magic bone in my body.”

Caden sheathed his sword and collected mine. He took a seat on the tree stump and regarded me. "If you're still interested in traveling with me to Everspring, we leave on the morrow."

I grinned. "Fantastic! I was running out of ways to avoid latrine duty."

Caden laughed and clapped me across the back.

"I'll be more than happy to lend a hand, and I can't wait to get on the road."

Caden's face lit up. "Excellent! We leave at first light. Most of us are from Everspring. A few others will push on past our little village."

"How long have you been gone?" I asked Caden as we walked back to our tent.

"Two years, three months, a week plus two days. I've missed my home."

"I bet you're excited. Do you have family there?"

"Yeah. Ma and pa. My brother Alic should be back by then as well. I heard he was made captain of a guard unit. I'm sure he'll regale us with his tales until he's blue in the face. Say one thing for my brother: He loves to talk about his accomplishments."

We continued our friendly banter as we walked back to camp.

* * *

I couldn't help but feel excited, but it was tinged with apprehension. This world was new to me, and the thought of venturing into it was more than a little scary. But I knew I couldn't hide out here forever.

That evening, as we packed our meager belongings, I overheard snippets of conversation from nearby tents. Soldiers spoke in hushed tones about pockets of resistance. Some stubborn followers of Morthisal refused to lay down their arms. The irony wasn't lost on me – here I was, hiding out in the former dark lord's body, even if I had been in power for all of five minutes, preparing to travel with those who had fought against me. If this wasn't the setup for the world’s weirdest buddy comedy, I didn't know what was.

"How are the peace deals going? Will the roads be safe?" I asked Caden as I rolled up my bedroll. I didn't mention that I had a friendly little spy by the name of Lady Churl.

He nodded, his expression serious. "Aye, there's talk of it. But until it's signed and sealed, we can't let our guard down. The road to Everspring won't be without its dangers. Still, there's talk of amnesty for Morthisal's forces."

I mean, I wasn't going to be good in a fight. I also knew that there was safety in numbers, and I trusted Caden. He had become a friend in the short time I'd known him. Maybe he could teach me how to swing a sword a little better than my pitiful attempts earlier.

As night fell, I made my rounds through the camp, saying goodbye to the friends I'd made. I stopped by the medical tent, where I'd spent so much time helping the wounded.

I walked through the main tent and found one of the healers and thanked him for teaching me how to take care of the wounded.

"You know, you've got a healer's touch, Varix," one of them said. "Don't forget that. If you ever decide to pursue the arts, I believe you would be a good fit."

“Thank you for your kind words,” I replied honestly.

The healers clasped my hands, thanking me for my assistance and wishing me well on my journey. I pulled her into a hug and got a gentle laugh against my cheek in return.

“Go on and get out of here,” she said. “I’ll miss your quick wit, Varix.”

“Safe journeys wherever they may take you.

My last stop was to the mess tent, but the cooks had closed up for the day. As I stared around the food preparation area, I realized I would miss it.