Nathan grabbed the cloak lying on the side of the road. He drew it tightly around himself, ensuring his identity remained concealed. With that, he marched forward and slipped into the crowd.

Like before, Zayen stood atop a raised platform, addressing his subjects. Omarn stood at his side, but Rami was nowhere to be seen. For a few seconds, the crowd was silent. Then, whispers began to ripple through the masses.

“What is he thinking? Redirect what remains of our resources toward fighting the Dustend?”

“What a foolish boy.”

“This will be our doom!”

Before Nathan could do anything, a voice cut through the crowd, loud and clear. “I think this is a great idea.”

The speaker wore rough clothing, his face worn and gaunt. Yet, his eyes carried a spark no one else in the crowd seemed to have.

Nathan stared at the figure… he recognized that man.

Abaya?

A few others raised their voices in agreement, most of them farmers Nathan had helped before.

“All y’all need to shut up!” A farmer shouted. “The Dustend has wreaked enough havoc on our lives. If the king thinks we have a chance of ending it, we need to take it.”

“My entire crop was destroyed by the Dustend. It has to be stopped!”

More and more people began to speak up, mostly farmers. Zayen’s face remained impassive, but Nathan could detect a faint flicker of surprise in his expression.

Eventually, the speech concluded.

Some people left furious, but a surprising number appeared thoughtful, casting glances at the farmers who had spoken in Zayen’s favor.

Nathan slipped into the palace, waiting until Zayen and Omarn were alone before stepping into the throne room.

“Nathan!” Zayen exclaimed. “You’ve returned! We’ve been looking for you. We’ve deciphered the tablet.”

“Yes, I gathered that from your speech,” Nathan said. “What exactly did you learn?”

Zayen rose from his throne and descended the steps, pacing back and forth. “It’s the most astonishing thing,” he said. “It changes everything we thought we knew about the desert.”

“What is it? Can you explain?”

“Of course, of course.” Zayen approached Nathan and placed his hands on his shoulders. The height difference was awkward, but Zayen managed it. “You’ve done an astonishing thing.”

“Yes, but what exactly is this astonishing thing?” Nathan said.

Zayen clapped his hands together. “It’s killable.”

“What do you mean?” Nathan asked. “What’s killable?”

“The Dustend,” Zayen said. “It wasn’t always here. The tablet records that it appeared more than a hundred years after our ancestors first arrived. It was designed. Created. It’s not a force of nature. I don’t know what it is, but it’s certainly not natural.”

“So, what difference does that make?”

Zayen’s eyes widened. “Don’t you see? We thought we were battling a force of nature. You can’t kill sand or the sky. But this? This is a creature. The tablet describes a core—a heart. If we can target it, we might be able to kill it.”

Nathan nodded but still had questions. “Why the urgency? Couldn’t you have waited?”

Zayen bit his lip. “There was another part of the tablet.”

“What do you mean?”

“It’s getting more dangerous,” Zayen said. “In the past, the Dustend was little more than a nuisance. Not the monstrosity it is today. The tablet suggests it’s growing stronger. How long before it consumes the entire desert? I don’t know, but we can’t afford to wait any longer. It must be stopped before it’s too late—if it isn’t already.”

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Nathan was about to respond when pain shot through his arm. He grimaced as his arm twitched uncontrollably. Vines sprouted from his arm, tearing through his cloak and stretching toward the ceiling. Gritting his teeth, he forced the transformation back, his arm returning to normal.

Zayen and Omarn stared at him in stunned silence.

“So,” Zayen began, “has your arm always been like that?”

Nathan grumbled. “It’s a recent development.”

Omarn raised an eyebrow. “I’m trained in medicine and spiritual matters. Would you like me to inspect your arm?”

Nathan hesitated, scratching the back of his head. “I’ve already had it checked out.”

“Still, a second opinion wouldn’t hurt.”

After a moment, Nathan relented. Omarn approached, holding Nathan’s arm without a hint of fear. He examined the vines and bark carefully.

“I’m going to guess your arm isn’t normally like this,” Omarn said.

“Wow, you think so?” Nathan said.

Omarn snorted. “Don’t get snippy with me, boy. I was doing this before you were out of swaddling clothes.”

Omarn murmured under his breath, his hand glowing faintly as he scanned Nathan’s arm. A translucent window appeared before him, and he hummed thoughtfully.

“It seems you have an uninvited passenger,” Omarn said.

“Yeah, that’s what my doctor said. Don’t ask how it happened; it’s a long story.”

“More intriguingly,” Omarn added, “there are traces of divinity here.”

Nathan’s head snapped toward him. “Did you say divinity?”

“Indeed. I’ve never seen anything like it. Except perhaps in a few artifacts in the treasury, divinity is not something I’ve encountered from a scan. What is this thing?”

Nathan’s jaw worked soundlessly for a moment. If Omarn was correct, then Papim was right—the divine seed was no myth but a real phenomenon. He struggled to process the revelation.

“That’s... interesting,” Nathan said finally. “Do you have a shirt I can borrow?”

Zayen, who had been silently observing, raised an eyebrow but called for a servant. Within moments, Nathan had a new shirt and cloak, his arm once again concealed.

“Now,” Zayen said, “putting… that… aside, I have a task for you.”

“What would that be?” Nathan asked. “If you’re after my arm, you’re not getting it.”

“What? No,” Zayen said. “The tablet mentioned a location. Something important lies at specific coordinates. I want you to investigate.”

Nathan nodded. “Where do I go?”

Zayen smiled. “I knew I could count on you. Speak to the research team for details. Just try not to get run over.”

“What do you mean?”

Zayen smirked. “You’ll see.”

----------------------------------------

Nathan headed down to the royal archives. As he approached the doors, he could hear a cacophony of noise from within. The sound of a plate shattering mingled with the hum of dozens of people walking back and forth, talking. Somewhere, pencil tips scratched furiously against paper, at least thirteen or fourteen of them by his estimation. Someone was moving boxes — two, maybe three at a time. It was chaos.

Nathan pushed open the door.

The royal archives were packed. Packed with people, packed with equipment, packed with energy. At least twenty new faces crowded the space he could see, and judging by the noise, several more occupied the back rooms.

A firm hand grabbed his shoulder. “Are you the new guy—?” Kamil’s eyes widened as recognition dawned. “Ah, Nathan! My apologies. We’ve had so many new arrivals lately that I assumed you were one of them.”

Nathan offered a wry smile. “I guess the king wasn’t kidding about redirecting all the resources for the Dustend.”

“The Sandara Kingdom possesses many scientists,” Kamil explained, gesturing to the bustling room. “It’s actually one of our greatest strengths. You don’t see them often because they’re usually tucked away in the upper levels, conducting studies on agriculture, medicine, and countless other topics. But now, the king has pulled them all here. Every single one of them.”

“I see…”

Before Nathan could say more, a man carrying three boxes stacked precariously high tripped, sending the boxes tumbling forward. Nathan sidestepped smoothly and caught them before they hit the ground.

“Thank you!” the scientist said, breathing heavily. He looked up at Nathan and froze, his eyes widening.

Nathan handed the boxes back. “Here you go,” he said, scrutinizing the man’s face. “Have we met before? You look familiar.”

The man laughed awkwardly. “I, uh, have several brothers. And we’re all identical. You probably ran into one of them. Maybe out in the desert or something. Anyway, I really have to go!”

Nathan squinted at the man as he scurried off. “What was that about?” he muttered.

Kamil chuckled. “Oh, him? He’s an odd one. Used to be an interpretive dance instructor, if you can believe it.”

Nathan raised an eyebrow. “How does an interpretive dance instructor become a scientist?”

“He’s surprisingly adept when it comes to intellectual pursuits. I was shocked when he applied, but he passed all the qualifications with ease.”

Nathan shrugged. “Well, I guess it’s none of my business.” He shifted the conversation. “Anyway, I believe you have something for me?”

“Ah, yes. The location, right?”

Nathan nodded. “That would be nice.”

Kamil reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded piece of paper, handing it to Nathan. He unfolded it and scanned the contents. The directions were written using the sun’s position as reference points. Satisfied, he stuffed the paper into his pocket.

“Thanks,” Nathan said. “Hopefully, I’ll have something interesting to bring back.”

“Indeed.” Kamil’s expression grew serious. “Be careful. I don’t know if the king told you this, but the tablet seemed to imply there was something dangerous involved. Nonetheless, it’s critical to stopping the Dustend. Best of luck.”

Nathan extended his hand. Kamil took it, and they shook firmly before Nathan turned and left the building, ready for the journey ahead.