The kid awoke in my arms about half way back to Ashton. At first, I didn’t notice anything was wrong. It wasn’t until she started struggling that my mind snapped out of its daze.

  She shoved against me, a cry ripping from her throat. “H-hey!”

  ”…” Her voice- damn, she could claim to be Elysia’s daughter and I wouldn't be able to refute her-

  “L-let me go!” She lashed out at my arm, sliding off the Jackrabbit. She tipped toward the ground, falling off the vehicle-

  “…!” I jumped after her, snatching her up before we could hit the ground. The Jackrabbit, unmanned, sped away. We skipped across the ground, slamming into it repeatedly. I instinctively hugged her tighter, taking the brunt of the impacts. Our momentum smashed to a halt when my leg caught on a boulder sticking up through the ash.

  ”Ugh.” She groaned and rolled off of me. I raised my head, looking her over. She seemed fine. A bit bruised, but nothing looked broken. What a relief.

  ”Haah…” I let out a sigh and looked out toward the Jackrabbit speeding away. It stopped after a while, but walking through the ash would still suck. And my clothes were entirely stained dark grey now… ugh, white clothes were such a bad idea for a moon theme. Why’d I let Pursius talk me into this?

  ”Th-thank you for protecting me.” The girl timidly looked at the ground and stood up, wringing her hands. The earlier defiance and unwillingness were completely gone. “A-are you alright?”

  I forced myself to stand, feeling my broken leg pull weirdly. My ribs also tinged slightly, but nothing too serious. Ebonshroud flowed under my skin, hardening into a brace for my ribs. Worse than all that, my clothes were basically scrap. With the blood from before and now the ash? No way I’d get them clean. What a waste of Nytes. “Yep.”

  She looked at my leg pointing in a weird direction and closed her eyes tightly. She quickly composed herself, the emotion fading away. A regal aura seemed to fill her, and she turned incredibly collected. “S-sorry… who are you?”

  How should I introduce myself? Right, I should keep it simple. First meetings were important. Especially first meeting with someone like- well, like her. “Aylin. Warden.”

  “Lucia.” The girl stared at me for a moment before looking around the barren Ashlands. “W-why am I with you? How’d we get out- out here?”

  I paused for a moment and fished out the shard from the guard. It was in one piece, though the same couldn’t be said for my knock-off Glass. The transparent screen practically shattered in the fall. Thankfully, the one I got from the Bureau was still whole. “Here.”

  “What’s this?” Lucia accepted the shard, pulling an oculus from her pocket. The glass was cracked, though seemed to flicker to life. She tapped on it and set the monocle over her eye.

  As soon as she plugged the shard in, a video started up. I couldn’t exactly tell, but it looked like a recording from the guard. From before the crash, maybe? The audio- it was definitely the guards perspective of events.

  I took a step away, letting her focus on it. My attention shifted out toward the Ashlands and anything that might be a danger to my new charge. Out of the corner of my eye, I still kept watch over her. Her eyes… they turned shadowed as the video played out. She held herself together, but the pain on her face only grew with each passing second.

  After several minutes, she took the oculus off with a sigh. She stared at me intently, suppressed emotion flashing in her eyes. “Thank you for- for being with him in his final moments.”

  I looked away from her familiar silver eyes, an uneasy sensation running through me. “We. Good?”

  ”Yeah… yeah, I’ll follow you.” Her head dipped, ash-coated hair covering her face. Her expression broke briefly, though it was quickly repaired with a flush of that regal aura.

  She was obviously trying to hide it. I pretended not to see anything and took the lead back to the Jackrabbit, my leg throbbing with each step. I pulled out a thin layer of Ebonshroud underneath my skin, hardening it into a makeshift splint. It cracked my leg back to how it should be and fixed everything up.

  A few moments later, I felt incredible warmth at my side. Lucia wrapped her arm around my waist; she was too short to reach up to my shoulder. “Lean on me. It’s my fault you're injured, anyway.”

  “…!” I froze for a few moments before allowing her to take a bit of the weight. Not much, but just enough to relieve the pressure off my injury. We limped back to the Jackrabbit.

  Every one of her steps stirred the resting ash, creating trails quickly covered by rough winds. Thankfully, the rain had stopped at some point. “Are you… for hire, still?”

  ”Yep.” Even if I wasn’t, my calendar was clear now. Lucia wasn’t her, but she was just too close. The wisp knew what it was doing when it led me out to her… if I’d been just a few moments later getting out there-

  I took a deep breath through my nose. Best not to think about it. It didn’t happen. There was no need to get mad, even if I felt like finding her would be assassins and flowing Ebonshroud through their veins.

  I snapped back to attention, my focus sharpening on something moving in the distance. It was… a bison? Something similar to one? It cautiously watched us from afar, though seemed just wary of us as I was of it. Its head slowly dipped down, and it munched on… was that a block of cement? We were near one of those abandoned outposts, so maybe. What a weird creature.

  Lucia sighed deeply, waving a deprecating hand at herself. “I may not look it, but I’m the CEO of Cernobog Industries after my father… passed on.”

  “Young?” When I thought of CEOs, images of grizzled old corpos came to mind. Not some teenager who looked like she might collapse at any second. Especially not one who I pulled from a downed HAT.

  ”Seventeen… it's been a hereditary position for generations.” She shrugged loosely, her hand tightening on my side. “Look. I- I don’t know who I can trust after the hova went down. Will you… be my guard?”

  “Yep.” I was already planning on protecting her anyway. At least, until I figured out what was going on. And she was still a kid. I used to hate kids, but they had a soft spot in my heart now. You really couldn’t appreciate something till they were gone.

  Her drooping eyelids lifted slightly into a small ghost of a smile. “I’ll pay you back as soon as I can.”

  “No-”

  [Nighteye warns against refuse. It’ll just make you look suspicious!]

  Ugh, the cat had a good point. Looking suspicious was the last thing I wanted. Although she was hiding it well, she was already guarded against me. Not that I could blame her given the situation. “Fine.”

  If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

  ”As soon as I can get everything back under control…” She dropped her head, expression hidden by her long golden hair. “If I can get everything back under control…”

  She wasn’t very confident… Not that I said anything. I could fight monsters. I could do duels. I could do a lot of things. Running a corporation? Not one of them. I mounted the Jackrabbit with her help. She got on behind me, hesitantly wrapping her arms around my waist. Hopefully, she wouldn’t fall off this time. I hit the accelerator.

  Under the constant hum of the engine, neither of us spoke. Thankfully, the journey back to Ashton was a boring one. Just like on my way out, I dodged anything that looked dangerous and wrapped around every building just in case. There were all sorts of weird creatures out here that I’d rather not mess with. Not with a broken leg and something to protect.

  Getting back into Ashton wasn’t an issue either. She had a white SIGIL as well, surprisingly. She was an awakener, though it seemed she lacked in Skills. Otherwise, she should’ve been the last one standing in the hova. Security didn’t give us any trouble.

  As for the Jackrabbit? I had to pay a slight fee thanks to a few bullet holes from the bark bitches, but nothing too major. It did cut my wallet way down though, which was sliced even further when we decided to stay in a hotel until the morning. I wasn’t in great shape, and Lucia was hesitant about immediately going back in. She didn’t spend any of her Nytes either, worried about someone watching her accounts.

  I checked my SIGIL. Hmm… I should go run some more rifts soon. Not only for the Nytes, but also to power up. For once, I felt a familiar drive to get stronger. My mind raced with information as I thought about everything I’d read on the Grid until now… maybe I should try to find a Skill catalogue before committing to anything else? Outside of the Skill I was already working on, of course.

  I stuffed my hands in my hoodie pocket and followed Lucia into the hotel room. I kept my eye peeled, checking the corners and obscured spots out of habit. Nothing… not like I expected anybody to be lying in wait to begin with. Never could be too sure though.

  Lucia didn’t seem to have a care in the world though. She jumped onto the bed, bouncing on it while her golden hair splayed everywhere. A moment later, she shot to her feet with an overly bright expression that didn’t quite hit her eyes. “I call the shower!”

  I watched her bolt into the bathroom and moved to the other bed to take a seat. I clicked the TV on after a few minutes of hearing the shower run. I flicked to a news channel and pretended not to hear the muffled sobs and sniffles coming from the bathroom.

  [Nighteye wonders why you aren’t going to check on her.]

  She went out of her way to hide her sobs, didn't she? And that smile she showed me before heading into the bathroom… She was trying to keep up a strong front. To not look weak. I’d have to be some kind of monster to shatter that.

  [Nighteye’s ears drop defensively as she catches a random stray.]

  Just let her have a few moments to grieve. Going down in a wreck was already a lot, but then add on betrayal? That wasn’t something that a med patch could just be slapped over. Besides, we barely knew each other. I wasn’t in the best position to offer comfort.

  I sighed and shook my head, focusing back on the TV. It turned it up, allowing her to cry without any considerations for noise.

  — — —

  In the morning, I woke up early and went out-

  [Nighteye coldly harrumphs. Dishonest in even your own thoughts?]

  Okay, okay, fine. I didn't really ‘wake up’ early. I just didn’t sleep. Every time I closed my eyes, memories of her last moments haunted me. That, combined with the light cries from Lucia? It was impossible for me to sleep. I just laid there most of the knight, staring at the fitfully sleeping girl.

  I went out and got donuts from a bodega on the street corner. I returned to the hotel, adjusting my aviators. I pushed open the door to the room-

  I ducked backward just in time to dodge a clothing rack’s rod slamming just past my head. I hastily secured my coffee with a Ebonshroud tendril, ensuring not a drop spilled. The donuts didn’t get the same treatment and dropped to the floor. I took a step back, forming a dagger in my sleeve-

  “S-sorry.” Lucia called out from inside the hotel room and lowered her improvised weapon. “Y-you weren’t here and I just- I just-“

  I sighed and grabbed the dropped donuts, stepping back into the hotel before anyone could come to investigate the noise. “Break. Fast.”

  Her silver eyes welled up with tears. “I’m so sorry. You went to go get breakfast and I- I attacked you for it-“

  I shrugged and set the donuts down. Thankfully, they weren’t crushed or smooshed or anything like that. I wasn’t sure what she’d want, so I just went with a dozen of varied kinds. “It’s. Fine.”

  “No it’s not! What if I- what if I-“ Lucia shook her head, roughly rubbing at her puffy red eyes. Seemed the shock from last night was wearing off. She barely held back even more tears. “I’ve already injured you once!”

  I set down my coffee and flexed my arm, patting it. “Strong.”

  ”Heh…” Her expression twisted for a moment before she forced a dim smile. “Still…”

  I pulled the frost dagger out, passing it to her. “Here.”

  ”This-?”

  ”Better. Weapon.” I nodded to the clothes rack propped up inside the closet. No point leaving her unarmed. What if something happened while I wasn’t near? Besides, she’d probably get more use out of it than I would.

  ”Are you sure?” Lucia eyed the weapon, her hand twitching slightly.

  I bobbed my arm up and down. “Yep.”

  ”Thanks.” She grabbed the dagger and sheath, wrapping it around her waist.

  The room went silent as she picked up a donut. I watched her, moving to the window sill and sipped at my cup. It wasn’t great, probably some kind of low-quality instant mix, but coffee was coffee. Better than nothing.

  In the distance, sounds of a firefight and the wails of sirens echoed through the thin walls of the hotel. Other ambient noise of Ashton filtered in. The TV loudly blared some corporate shit that was closer to an advertising campaign than an actual show, though she seemed to have some interest in it.

  “Um… do you have trouble speaking, by any chance?” She asked hesitantly. The tension in her shoulders pulled back slightly.

  ”Old. Injury.” Injury wasn’t quite right. It was closer to a curse than anything, though it was slowly getting better.

  ”Right… sorry for asking.” Lucia slapped her cheeks slightly, causing her complexion to become rosey. “I’ve been making a plan… I-is it alright if I stay with you for a while? Not too long. I just need to lie low and see who’s still loyal inside Cernobog.”

  ”…” I tilted my head to the side. Hmm… could I convince Kali? Probably, right? She had a heart of gold. If I showed up with Lucia and told my roommate I picked her up off the streets, she’d probably give in, right? Or maybe she’d smack me upside the head for kidnapping…

  Lucia’s silver eyes twisted. ”Is that a no?”

  “Room-mate.” I shrugged, hoping she got my point. “Stay. With. Stran-gers?”

  She fidgeted for a moment before sighing. “I- I have a Skill. It lets me see- um- strands? No- ugh! It helps make decisions, I guess. I can’t see you with it… but almost everywhere else reeks of danger. My options are- they’re not great.”

  Eyes of Providence? It sounded like it. I squeezed my eyes shut for a moment. Just like Elysia and the rest of the royal bloodline of Serhymn… And Nighteye had the gall to tell me Guiding Moonlight wasn’t a wish. How could things be so similar?

  [Nighteye raises a paw in defense. She couldn’t have known things would turn out like this!]

  Then is there a reason she looked so similar to my Elysia? Or was it purely just chance? No- if the appearance was just chance, then why did she also have the Eyes of Providence? A descendent, maybe?

  It- it wasn’t… impossible. Highly improbable, but while I was intimately aware of what happened to most of her kids, there were a few who slipped through the gaps. One of them could’ve ended up here, just like me… It would’ve had to happen long before Serhymn fell to the three.

  Maybe Prince Asra? He disappeared right after the- the contract. It would’ve been about… eight centuries ago? Was that right? Or princess Elynder vanished too a couple hundred years after that. Did it really matter in the first place? It could all be coincidence.

  Although… Eyes of Providence didn’t work on me just the same as the royal family’s version… Or I should say, no longer worked on me after that bastard-

  I bit my tongue, forcing the thoughts away. Best not think of the devil lest he came, yep? Nighteye? You have any ideas?

  [Nighteye tries to inspect Lucia. She sighs in frustration, proclaiming another Star is blocking her vision.]

  Hmm-

  “Did you hear me?” Lucia tilted her head to the side, her golden hair bobbing with the motion.

  I frowned at Nighteye. Quit distracting me. “Sorry…”

  “Ugh… I was saying, and you’ve already saved me. If you had any ill-intentions toward me, you could’ve done something back at the wreck. Before I-“ Her expression wilted. “I injured your leg.”

  I patted my leg, swinging it lightly. It wasn’t back to a hundred percent, but it was no longer in an off direction. Wardens already healed quicker than mundanes. Add in my already fast ‘natural’ healing? “Primo.”

  She went silent, staring at my leg intently. “Still…”

  “Bastion? Ready?” I changed the subject. I imagine there was only so much she could do down here, and I was more than ready to get back to the apartment.

  “I guess…” She shook her head, finishing off a donut. That false cheer returned to her face as she forced a smile. “Whenever you are.”