The arachnoid guard Xamireb holds the flap of the tent open for us. I roll my shoulder and crack my neck, the aches of the battle finally starting to catch up to me, then duck inside after Quell.

The tent is the size of a large room, and several rugs and pillows cover the ground. No chairs, though. There’s a leather map spread over the center of the floor, around which the pillows are arranged. Quell takes a seat on one of the pillows, politely sitting on his legs and folding his hands in his lap, while I unceremoniously collapse into a pillow across from him. God, it feels great to be sitting on something other than sand.

Xamireb and Earnest follow us in, standing quietly at either end of the tent. None of the others do, however, which is just as well given the size; they must be posted around the four outer walls in case, I don’t know, I try to abduct the prince and make a run for it, or something.

Well, given there already was an abduction attempt on the prince tonight, I guess that’s not the most unreasonable concern to have.

Quell sits in an uncomfortable silence after the first two guards take up their station. I’m starting to wonder if he’s also waiting for the last guards to file in when he looks abruptly up at me.

“About earlier—testing your claim. I really am sorry,” he says. “I wasn’t thinking—”

I snort. “Clearly.”

“—I wasn’t thinking about you when I ran toward the creature,” he continues. “I just didn’t want to get shipped back home. Not with Liz still out there.”

I fold my arms, sizing him up. Well, an apology is a start. “Liz is your sister, right? Princess Felicity?” Even as I ask, my thoughts go back to Álvaro, and my heart twists within my chest.

Quell nods, removing his fractured glasses from his nose. He moves like he’s going to wipe them on the front of his shirt—which is coated in sand—then seems to think better of it and tucks them into a pocket with a sigh.

“It’s true I’m not a fighter. But that doesn’t mean I’m useless,” he says. “She can’t be far, and we can’t afford to sit around and wait. We need to be searching for her now. In fact, I’m sure this most recent attack was launched as a way to slow our pursuit.”

I’m curious how giant cactus monsters can be launched at the enemy. But as much as I hate to admit it, his words strike a nerve.

“Look, I’m sorry for your sister,” I say. “My brother’s missing, too. I want to be out there looking for him right now, but instead I’m stuck here with you.”

I glance at the guards, wondering how much I should say around them. Earnest and Xamireb are staring stoically ahead, as if ignoring our conversation. But I don’t trust them not to snitch, so it’s best if I can keep anyone else from finding out about my otherworldly origins. Zeyaelid, that spider demigod, had asked for her abduction of Hans to be kept discreet, but there were too many witnesses there for me to believe no one will say anything. If there’s one thing I know, it’s that you can’t trust people to not be selfish or stupid. If it’s not one, it’s always the other.

“You’re really stuck with me, then?” Quell asks with a concerned look. “You’re forced to protect me if I’m in danger?”

“Seems that way,” I admit.

“What kind of magic is it?” he asks.

Echo? I ask.

[A user’s Role is a seeded parameter of the neuralarcane network commonly referred to as the System, which spans all fields of arcana studies.]

Well that’s useless.

“I don’t know what the magic is, or where it came from,” I say. “All I know is that if I don’t stick to its rules, it starts driving me mad.”

Quell looks horrified. “That sounds like a curse.”

I hadn’t thought of that. Is it a curse? It doesn’t feel like one. This System is all concrete and numeric when I’d supposed a curse would be more… I don’t know, spooky and wishy-washy. But if he’s right, then maybe other people in this world might actually know how to handle it. “Do you think so? Can I get it removed?”

“Possibly.” Quell taps his chin. “I’ve read of several cases of the Lifespring Oasis removing magical ailments. It would be as good a place to start as any.”

“Really?” Finally, it feels like something might be going right. I’m tired of being yanked around by every new thing I’ve encountered. The Role Requirement, the Bloodlust, the Aegis—I just want my damn autonomy back. “What’s the Lifespring Oasis? Where is it?”

Quell laughs. “You really aren’t from around here, are you?”

My gaze flickers nervously to the guards, but they’re still staring straight ahead. Luckily, Quell seems to catch my look and the hint.

“Ah, right,” he says. “Someone from Valenia probably isn’t very versed in our history.”

It sounds like a weak cover to me, and it probably is, but I guess that’s what we’re going with for now.

“The Lifespring Oasis,” Quell continues, “is an opening into The Lull—an other-dimensional source of life arcana. It radiates nature and healing magic, which permeates the surrounding desert to create an oasis of greenery and, well, life. The Gilded Desert boasts the largest animals in the world due to the Lifespring’s influence—that’s where the likes of that carrion cactus come from.” He nods toward the tent flap. “But the Oasis doesn’t just augment the plants and animals in the area, it can also perform incredible acts of healing and cleansing. Pure, concentrated life arcana can break down all kinds of adverse magic. It’s why I think it would be a good place to pursue a solution to your curse.”

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

“That sounds great,” I say. A healing oasis in the middle of the desert. Maybe it could also do something about the codependent demon shield I’ve gotten saddled with. And if Álvaro’s anywhere around here, it might draw his attention, too.

But even as the proposal is lifting my spirits, Quell’s face is scrunched in a grimace.

I narrow my eyes. “So why do you look like you’ve just eaten a sock?”

“There’s a bit of a hitch,” Quell admits. “The Lifespring is contested land between us and the Moonfall Dynasty. That is, between the Duneshade Kingdom and Moonfall Dynasty. It’s sort of a big source of friction between our two countries, actually.”

Oh great, a border dispute. Just what I wanted to get mixed up in.

Quell claps his hands together. “Good news, bad news. The good news is, the Lifespring Oasis is already our destination. Bad news: we were going there to investigate rumors of a Moonfall occupation which, based on the events of tonight, appear likely to be true. Other bad news: Liz’s abduction means they will likely try to send Constance and I back home, where we’re far from the battlegrounds and out of imminent danger. And if you have to stick with me, that means you’ll be heading there, too.”

I frown. “That was more like good news, bad news, bad news.”

“Well, yes, technically speaking,” Quell admits. “But maybe it could be good news, bad news, bad news, good news. This unique situation we find ourselves in presents an interesting opportunity.”

I look at him skeptically. “Can’t wait to see how you’ll spin this.”

“We both want the same thing, ultimately,” Quell says. “I don’t want to be sent back home when I’d rather be out here looking for my sister. And you want to get to the Lifespring, which is the intended destination of this company. If you help me find Liz, then Duneshade’s resources don’t have to be split and we can just focus on clearing the Oasis. Once we determine it’s safe, both of us can visit, and you’ll have a chance to rid yourself of this curse—and me—once and for all.” He splays his hands. “See? A mutually beneficial opportunity!”

It does seem like the fastest path toward trying to get rid of this strange Role Requirement that has me saddled to him. More importantly, though, I desperately want an opportunity to look for my brother. Helping Quell search the desert is more likely to give me that than getting dragged away to some distant kingdom.

“Alright,” I say. “We do have some common goals. I’ll help you find your sister if you agree to go with me to the Lifespring Oasis after.”

His face brightens. “Of course! Thank you.”

“But,” I add, “I want to make one thing very clear. I’m not going along with this because I have a choice. We’re not friends. And after the way you abused my curse—or whatever it is I have—I don’t particularly like you.”

His face falls. “I really am sorry about that. I won’t take advantage of your situation again. I promise.”

He better not.

We lapse into an uneasy silence after that. For several minutes, neither of us say anything; a trend I’m more than happy to continue, though from Quell’s renewed fidgeting it’s clear he wants to say something more. Luckily, we’re saved from the calamity of small-talk when the tent-flap snaps open and Prince Constance and Captain Darian stride in.

“...never should have happened,” Constance says, face dark.

“In that, we’re in agreement,” Darian replies. “It was an inexcusable oversight. One I intend to rectify.”

Quell stands up as the others enter. “Did you learn anything about Liz?”

Constance waves a hand at him to sit back down. “The ambassador continues to be tight lipped about tonight’s attack. It’s early yet, however. We will get something out of her eventually.” He takes a seat on a pillow at the head of the room.

Hesitantly, Quell sits back down as well. “We can’t afford to wait for eventually.”

Irritation briefly flickers across Constance’s face. Then, he sighs. “I know.”

Darian sits beside Quell, unintentionally (or perhaps very intentionally) arranging the seating so I am alone on my side of the tent and everyone is facing me.

“My scouts are searching for her trail,” Darian tells Quell. “For now, there’s nothing we can do until they report back. It’s nearly sunrise and the camp is exhausted. The best course of action is to rest and then decide our next move tomorrow.”

Quell sags, but he doesn’t argue. The whole room feels tired.

“Before bed,” Constance says, “we’ve one last matter to take care of.” He gestures to me. “You.”

Yeah, saw that one coming.

“My name’s Nye,” I say, realizing only Quell and I have technically been introduced. “I’m not from Moonfall, as I’ve said before.” I put a hand on my chest plate. “And yes, I know how it looks.”

I hesitate, at that point. I don’t know how much I should say. There are demigods out looking for people like me, apparently, so telling them I’m from another world is a nonstarter. But I don’t know how else to explain my lack of knowledge of, well, everything.

Quell seems to pick up on this. “Their tale is complicated,” he says, gesturing to the guards. “I think such conversations should be held in private.”

Well, it’s not just the guards I’m worried about, but I guess the fewer people within earshot, the better.

“Sending the guards away seems unnecessary,” Constance says.

“It shouldn’t be a problem.” Darian flicks her hand, and the soldiers respectfully bow their heads and leave. “If the newcomer tries anything, I’m more than enough to handle them myself. No offense,” she says to me.

I smile, tight-lipped. “A little offense taken.”

Constance taps a finger against his knee impatiently. “The guards have been dismissed. Speak freely.”

Those last words are definitely more of a command than a suggestion. But I’m still not sure what to say.

To my surprise, Quell jumps in first. “They’re a victim of necrotic magic,” he says, and I think it’s safe to say all three of us are surprised when we turn to him. “Their body is from a Moonfall soldier killed in the battle. When the blast carved out that crater, the body must have come in contact with an underground pocket of wild necromancy arcanum. Since it was still fresh, it likely became a vessel for whatever soul—or souls—might have been trapped inside the magic. You’re new to this body, right?” Quell asks me.

“Um, yeah,” I say. He sounds so confident, I’m almost convinced myself. Or maybe this isn’t far from the truth?

Darian looks skeptical. “I’ve heard of souls trapped and held back from the afterlife—but such magic is not only forbidden, but exceptionally rare. How did your soul end up here specifically?”

“I’m not sure,” I admit. “I think… I think I died.”

It’s the first time I’ve said it out loud, and it’s like a kick to the stomach. It was easy to not think about with all the action going on. But now there’s nothing to fight. Nothing to distract me.

I died.

The others are silent for a moment, and when I look up, their expressions are soft and pitying. It summons a reflexive defensiveness in me, and whatever face I was making, I try to wipe it away.

“It doesn’t matter,” I say shortly. “I’m here now.”

Constance slowly nods. “Indeed. The mechanics of how are not important to me, either.” Quell appears ready to disagree with this, but Constance presses ahead. “Rather, there is something more pressing I wish to speak about. That shield of yours. What can you tell me about it? I would like to see it.”

Now this is something I’d like to get some answers to as well. I glance to his own blade, still sheathed at his side.

“Sure,” I say, standing and taking a step back from the others. “It calls itself The Crimson Aegis.”

Quell’s eyes go wide. “It’s called the what?!”

[Crimson Aegis removed from Inventory.]