Night had fallen and the flames still burned in the fire pit, their life slowly fading in time to the moon above. The moon's easing descent cast a pale blue hue over the trees, while the failing embers painted the brush in a warming orange. Xieren had fallen fast asleep, the peaceful expression on his face hinting at a pleasant dream.

  Suddenly, he jolted awake.

  "...!" Sitting upright, he scanned the area around him. Was that...just some animals maybe... With weary, uncoordinated movements, he reached up to scratch his head, but the pain from before shot through his arm in an instant. Groaning, he let his body go limp. "Just a dream?"

  Peering to the sky above, he searched for the pale light of the moon. Barely could he see it hidden behind the trees, making way for the coming morning. It was late into the night, clearly. Early in the morning, truly. Taking in a deep breath, Xieren let out a heavy sigh, curling in on himself as he watched the weak flames sputtering and popping. It was already a warm night, but the failing glow of the fire made him feel comfortable. It felt safe.

  The more he watched the dying light, the more he felt that satisfaction from before. He did this himself. Letting out a soft chuckle, he picked up a small, thin twig by his side and poked it around in the fire. He listened to the fading pops and crunches, a smile forming as he watched with childlike amusement. Thinking about this as a form of training, it makes it more bearable.

  As he wandered off into thought, absorbed in this and nothing else, he was suddenly alerted to a second presence. Sitting up, his gaze shot straight to the forest around him, trying to pry deep into the trees and brush.

  Is this just an animal? It doesn't feel like one... He gulped as his hand ebbed its way toward his dagger at his hip. If this was a person, they were likely skilled if they made it to this point and still held a presence this strong. He might need to run back to the shrine and grab his sword. Climbing to a crouch, he rested his hand on the hilt. At this point, a heavy sense of fear had overtaken him. So much so, that he had forgotten the barrier was still up.

  As he waited for this presence to reveal itself, there was the sudden arrival of footsteps that gradually grew louder, clearing away the typical cacophony of buzzing and croaking. No doubt that this was a person.

  Xieren kept his gaze set forward, straining his eyes to see who was approaching. Never in his five years had a person who wasn't sent by the royal family ever come here. Most people that came to this forest would die before getting very far, or would turn back filled with regret. Only those of the finest skills and training were able to survive inside Nanshan, or those who came in large groups.

  Gripping his blade, Xieren readied himself to strike, and just as he did this, the figure emerged. The figure that had presented itself from the darkness was tall, so much that Xieren had automatically assumed the man was a foreigner, but he quickly decided that wasn't the case. He was dressed in an oddly beautiful, yet dirty, dark-colored outfit with sashes and bags here and there. Despite Xieren's initial wariness, the strong presence that had alerted him to this stranger had almost vanished entirely. What kind of man was this?

  Xieren took a moment to look over this stranger, his hand still on his dagger. He didn't know whether to speak or not. He had no idea what this person was capable of.

  Still approaching, the man came to an abrupt stop just outside the barrier, his long black hair moving about in an almost mystical way as the lighting illuminated his features. They were sharp and handsome, an odd contrast to his disheveled clothes. Looking into his dark eyes, Xieren felt a chill run up his spine.

  An uncomfortable silence hung over them as they stared each other down. Finally, Xieren was the first to speak. "You... Who are you?" He felt his heart pounding in his chest, fear still rising as the words left his lips.

  The tall stranger seemed to mock Xieren with his eyes. There was little discernable expression, but they seemed to sneer. "You don't know me?" He responded in a low voice. "All the better." Falling to a kneel, he smirked. "I heard of your plight, Prince Duan."

  Xieren's stomach turned for a moment, but he pushed the unease aside. "Who are you?" That heavy silence returned before the stranger answered, "I am Liang He. Know the name?"

  "Liang He?" The name didn't ring any bells, not at first. After taking a moment to think on it, a memory from when he was still prince resurfaced. When he was younger, about 15 years old, before the death curse made its appearance.

  "The Liang He?!" It was a whispered shout. Liang He, as Xieren recalled him, was a notorious, violent thief. Terrible Liang He, they called him. What could he possibly want with the exiled prince?

  Pulling his dagger from its sheath, he prepared to defend himself, but halted, finally remembering the barrier. Liang He seemed to notice the realization in Xieren's movements and gave a low chuckle. "You feel nice and safe in there, don't you?"

  What makes him think that? Xieren's grip on the dagger tightened, and his form stiffened further. Despite remembering the barrier, he still felt uneasy. Nothing like this had ever happened before. "What does Liang He want with me? I am of no value to anyone. If you truly know my plight, you would understand that."

  "Five years is plenty of time to gather all the information you need." As if he was losing interest, Liang He propped his head up with his hand, still crouched before the barrier. "I want to make a deal with you, Your Highness."

  "...What? A deal?" Xieren muttered more to himself than Liang He, but the words still reached the thief's ears and a sly smirk appeared as a result. "That's right," he spoke with pleasure. "Wanna hear more?"

  There was a momentary pause before Xieren gave an answer. In a soft, slow voice, he replied, "I'll listen."

  Liang He's smirk seemed to spread, but made a hasty retreat. "First, I will say that I am here to free you. How does that sound?"

  That sounds preposterous!

  "You are lying."

  "No, no. Please, listen." There was no rush in his words as he said this. Lowering himself further, his gaze locked onto the prince's own, he added, "I know of the curse, and I know of a way to break it."

  Every muscle in Xieren's body froze as the words hit his ears, but in that next moment, life returned to him and he went back on the defensive. "What is this, Liang He? Is this something of a game to you?"

  "I admit, it would be quite a fun game." A mischievous tone laced every word, but he continued regardless of Xieren's negative reaction. "I mean everything I said, Your Highness. Will you follow me?"

  "Never. You must have lost your mind to think such a thing!" Besides, even if he wanted to, he couldn't step outside the barrier.

  The comfortable grin Liang He had worn had disappeared. Seeming to mull over the issue in his mind, he promptly came to a stand. As he did this, Xieren caught a glimpse of something hidden under his arm. It appeared to be a scabbard. He was armed. This set Xieren's defenses even higher.

  "Why would you want to free me? You aren't the selfless type."

  "Your Highness, we only just met." His tone was overflowing with mockery, along with the faux smile adorning his face. Tapping his finger against his jaw, Liang He answered, "As you said, my reasons are not selfless." There was a mischievous flash in his dark eyes. "There is a treasure I seek, and I believe you are the key to unlocking it."

  "What? That sounds like nonsense! What are you saying?" Confusion had overtaken Xieren's fear, and his guard was slipping away as they spoke, his movements far more careless than he would have allowed normally.

  Liang He went on. "This treasure I search for is beyond compare; a treasure that any man would kill to get his hands on. This treasure, from what I have heard, is supposedly guarded by the very same curse that afflicts you. By coincidence or not, that makes you the perfect ally to me. See? If I help you break the curse, we can both benefit from this."

  Xieren was stunned. No words came to mind for a response to this. Was it nonsense? It sounded so foolish—so fake. He couldn't believe a word of it! Liang He caught onto this doubt and continued. "This treasure has had a questionable existence. It was merely a tale I heard as a child. No one even knew who first spoke of it. One day, it simply existed in the form of stories. But, if there is a chance that it does exist, wouldn't you want to take it, Your Highness? Take this chance, and be free of this curse?"

  "This sounds to me like too many uncertainties." Xieren had moved to sheath his dagger, but realized he still wasn't feeling particularly safe yet and withheld. "Why would I go with you based solely on some fairy tale?"

  Hearing the snap in Xieren's voice, Liang He sneered, his features appearing fox-like in the warm glow of the embers. "My, Your Highness. Since when did you learn to bite?"

  Xieren winced, startled to hear such a thing. Being behind the safety of the barrier was truly having a careless effect on him after all. He worried for a moment, wondering what his people would think, but then he recalled that he had no people anymore. Yes, he was a prince no more.

  A prince no more.

  Because of the curse.

  "..."

  It was evident to both that the thoughts in Xieren's mind were taking a turn. His gaze was downcast, and his bravado had melted away. He felt once again like a broken man. Now his previous achievement of starting a fire meant nothing. Why get so excited? He'd been exiled!

  "...How could you possibly know a way to break this curse?" Dropping his defenses—only physically—he moved in closer to Liang He, his voice dropping to a whisper. "You, a mere thief knows something none of the best scholars, the priests or anyone else at all knows?"

  "... Yes." There was a low chuckle, a childish one accompanying Liang He's answer. "If you doubt me, fine. I will just leave you here. I'm sure there are any number of ways I can get to that treasure without you."

  "Allow me to accompany you..." Xieren's throat tightened as he forced the words out. His gut was protesting, warning him that this was too risky. He had so little information to go with, and yet his pride and determination cared not. If he had a chance to regain his title, he wanted to try. "Liang He, I don't trust you, not really. But if there is a chance... If there is a possibility that I can leave this darkness behind...forever..."

  "Then take it. Yes." Liang He's narrow eyes narrowed even further. There was little trace of a smile as he spoke, but his gaze announced a clear amusement. Xieren knew next to nothing about this man, save that he was a vicious thief who would do anything to get what he wanted. And that was when he was a child.

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  Fifteen-year old Xieren was disgusted to hear such a thing. A mere thirteen year old causing havoc, mixing with a crowd of ruffians and bandits. High-class thieves and assassins. And rumors even said he worked with dark cultivators. It all seemed too fantastic. Supposedly, the boy always escaped capture somehow on top of it all, which made people even more frightened. Xieren had no idea what to think. The rumors were astounding, but they sounded so far-fetched, he had to rub his temples sore before he could even process them. And yet, children turning to crime to survive was a very real problem, one he was not acquainted with. Were all of the rumors true?

  "Liang He, what is this treasure you're after?"

  "Oh?" His head fell to the side as if he hadn't expected this question. "What I am after is an astounding treasure, one that lies, supposedly, in the heart of this very forest." His gaze had drifted off, but it had flashed back to Xieren for a quick moment. "It is an item called the Tear of Moonlight."

  "Tear of Moonlight?" This item Xieren had actually heard of. But as Liang He said, it was a mere tale; a story to keep people occupied.

  "That," said Xieren, "is what you're after?"

  A troubling curve appeared over the handsome youth's lips once more. "You've heard of it? Good. So you know what it does."

  "Of course, but it is wholly fictional! Something like that would be picked up and swept away by the gods in an instant! It would destroy the balance of the world!"

  "And yet, I am sure it is here."

  "How?" Xieren noticed a shimmering glint of amusement in the thief's eyes every time he started to doubt him. It appeared to him that Liang He did see this as a game.

  Liang He replied, "For over a year, I have been mapping out this forest, and I have taken the utmost care to put down every detail I can." As he spoke, he rested his hand to his chest. "In other words, I memorized it."

  "You don't have a real map?" The tone in Xieren's voice noticeably deflated. "What kind of thief are you?"

  "I'm a good one." Head tilted, that smirk seemed to grow more comfortable, like it was never planning on leaving. "The other night, I was finishing up a new route I had come across, and from there, on the other side of a crevice, I could see the Tear's light. Nothing in this forest could make a light akin to the one I witnessed aside from a mere ghost. But this wasn't that sort of frail light. It was either the Tear of Moonlight, or someone set up camp using some blazing blue fire. Which one seems more likely to you, Your Highness?"

  "..." He didn't want to say it. Acknowledging this would get his hopes up, and if that happened, failure to break the curse would be mind-crushingly painful. But still, there was always a chance...

  After a visible inner debate that left Liang He stiffling a chuckle, Xieren submitted to his optimism. "Alright. I get what you mean." Before the thief could reply, Xieren held up a finger. "But I have one final question."

  "Ask away."

  "Do you know how to break my curse?"

  "We'll find a way."

  "Well, what about—"

  "You said that was your final question, Your Highness. It wouldn't be like you to lie."

  "You speak like you know me, but you don't." Xieren shook his head, a feeling of shame coating his face with warmth.

  By this point, the fire was dying, with only embers left to light their conversation. Liang He's troublesome expressions were losing visibility. At least, for the most part. That pale light from the moon shined down upon them, but not with the same intensity of the former fire. The situation felt far more serious as the light from the pit died. It felt to Xieren that he was running out of time.

  "Liang He. Are you saying you wish to have me take the gem because I am immune to the curse? And from there..." Between them, a silent understanding fell. But even still, Liang He voiced the plan. "The gem will grant the possessor one wish. You wish to remove 'death touch', and then I will take the gem for myself."

  "And your wish?"

  Liang He lifted his finger, mimicking Xieren. "No more questions, remember? Do we have a deal?"

  "... Yes." This answer elicited a joyful flash over Liang He's attractive features, but they made a hasty return to a near unreadable stare. "Alright. Now, all we have to do is break you out of here."

  Xieren almost shook his head, but withheld the urge. He had no idea how this man intended to do such a thing. Without the opposing spell-bound talisman that the guards wore, no one should be able to break down the barrier. And yet, in that next instant, Liang He simply kicked one of the stakes from the ground, tearing down the barrier like it was paper. Xieren's face tensed, his eyes went wide as his thoughts struggled to comprehend what he just witnessed.

  "Time to get up, Your Highness. We need to get moving." His voice was low but fierce as he stepped back from his handiwork. Xieren was filled again with hesitance. Yet, for the sake of his title, he pushed aside his concerns.

  He wanted to go home again, he wanted to be the man everyone said he would be. He had to try! With a small amount of effort, he climbed to his feet, replacing his dagger into its sheath. Xieren was fairly tall for his age, yet this did little to diminish the height Liang He had on him. Regardless, Xieren did not allow this to intimidate him. "I need to grab my sword first." Xieren left his gaze on the comfortable-looking Liang He before turning and retrieving the weapon. He needed to make it clear right then and there that, if the situation came to it, he would kill.

  The night would be gone before long, but the darkness still reigned as they wandered and weaved their way through the eerie trees that made up Nanshan. A heavy silence predominated the atmosphere as they moved. Even the animals and the spirits within the forest had quieted down. Xieren had plenty more questions he wanted to ask, but he knew that any question would be met with a rejection. He chose not to ask anything more. Once he felt the atmosphere was too quiet, though, he spoke up. "I...suppose I am grateful for your help, Liang He." His voice was low, but due to the sudden silence all through the forest, Liang He had no trouble picking up on his words.

  "I have to ask; how did you know where I was?" Though Xieren couldn't be sure, he thought he heard a chuckle from the thief. "I told you, didn't I? I've scoured nearly the entirety of Nanshan. I found you quite a ways back." Peering back at Xieren, he finished with, "I've just been waiting until everything was in place."

  "Everything?"

  "No more questions, remember?" He wagged his finger, Xieren sucking his cheek in as he watched this with contempt. Still, Liang He went on. "Though, I suppose it's fine now." Liang He paused his stride and leaned back into a tree. Xieren followed, crossing his arms as he shifted his weight. "By everything, I mean the timing; when would your guards be gone? My familiarity; Did I know enough about the forest yet? And will Prince Duan feel comfortable enough to come with me? Will he feel fed up with his situation enough to come with me?"

  Xieren felt his stomach turn. "How long have you been watching me?"

  "Not for long, not really." Liang He's voice had a lazy drawl to it as he pushed himself away from the tree. "I first saw you about a year ago. I watched you for a while before returning to other things up until these last months. That was when my plan was coming to fruition. Since then, I have been waiting for the proper time to approach you."

  Xieren still felt uneasy, but he said nothing in response to this. "I see... How have you been getting here, Liang He? You speak as if you come here frequently."

  "That's right." Liang He began to wander off, and Xieren followed. "I've been living here, but that's not important right now, is it?" Xieren could hear a smile in Liang He's voice. "We must find the start of the trail." Without warning, Liang He turned back to face Xieren. "I know this forest like the back of my hand, Your Highness. Trust in me."

  Xieren felt that hesitance creeping up once again. Swallowing it down, he nodded, and like that, the two headed deeper into the forest, the sun only just starting to rise.

  The tension present was heavy and—despite the fact it didn't seem to affect Liang He—Xieren felt he was being strangled by it. Though he didn't want to admit it, Liang He did save him. At least, that's what it felt like. Granted, he was in a much more dangerous position now, but the feeling of freedom overpowered his fear of any attacks. Xieren had taken part in martial training since he was small. If any danger presented itself, he felt he would be prepared enough to take that danger out with no issues.

  Ah. His mind started to wander as he thought of this. His skills were superb with the sword. He was known well for his handling of blades from a young age. He was known for many things, all good. And yet, this curse put a swift end to it all. He was no longer the blessed prince. The beautiful, intelligent, gifted prince of Shanhua. He was nothing but a scary story. He was probably told about to children to keep them in line. That's probably what he was demoted to. He wasn't something people aspired to be like, he was something to fear.

  As their walk continued, Xieren couldn't hold off the urge to look down at his hands. The black gloves were looking dirty and slightly worn. Opening and closing his hand, he felt the fabric against his skin. It had been six years since he last felt the touch of another person.

  "Wanna hear a story?"

  The sudden interruption startled Xieren and he gasped, his hand reaching for his sword on instinct. Liang He simply stared at Xieren before, slowly, his lips curled into that troublingly familiar smirk. It remained for a few brief moments before fading. "If you're not interested, just say so, alright?"

  Xieren was stunned by this. He hadn't even heard what Liang He had said. Blinking a few times, he muttered, "I didn't hear you..."

  "You didn't? Lost in your head then, Your Highness?" Liang He turned back once more to face Xieren. "You told me I don't know you. How about we take some time to get acquainted?"

  "What about the Tear?" Xieren furrowed his brows.

  "It will take some time to reach it, so knowing each other may be a good idea, don't you think?" Liang He took a moment to glance around them. "The sun is rising, so it would be beneficial to get going soon, though. But for now, how about I help you secure that?" He pointed to the hefty bag of food Xieren had been carrying on his back. If they were going to be traveling, they would need to eat, and Xieren had a decent amount with what the guards had given him.

  "Since we're just starting out, let's distribute the weight a little better. Let's go find a clearing where we can work." Without another word, Liang He strutted off ahead. Xieren was terribly confused by what had just happened, and after finally gathering his thoughts, he followed after the strange man.

  By the time they found a clearing, the sun was in full bloom. Liang He dropped onto the ground and Xieren did the same. Having passed the bag to Liang He with a deep-seated reluctance, the thief pulled it open and searched through it. Letting out a whistle, he said, "You've got a good haul here. Those guards know how to treat you royalty." His gaze drifted up to Xieren with ease before sharply dropping back to the contents of the bag. "No liquid? Well, I can fix that. Alright, here is the deal, Your Highness." Unstrapping a bag he had tied to his waist, he continued, "We'll clean and cut up the pig in here and split it between the two of us to lighten your load. You can keep everything else if it doesn't trouble you too much. What do you think?"

  Xieren was taken aback by this proposition. It felt fair, oddly enough. Especially for someone who prides himself on being a thief. "Alright. So, how do we clean it?"

  "Don't worry about that, Your Highness." He chuckled, his voice low as he pulled out a large knife from around his waist. "I'll take care of the dirty work. It shouldn't take too long. Just be patient."

  Xieren sat and waited, naive in the ways of carcass preparation, and so he simply watched. It was clear from the way Liang He moved that this was nothing new to him. In fact, he moved flawlessly. It was mesmerizing to watch him work. The way he slid the blade here and there, the way he flipped it and the carcass when switching sides. He was truly a master. If he's this good preparing a pig, how good is he with that sword on his hip? Xieren fell deep into thought, his fist pressed to his chin as he tried to picture these moves in combat. If he could do something like that, Xieren thought to himself, he would be a truly challenging opponent.

  Barely a length of time passed when the pig had been cleaned and chopped up. "Alright, toss me the bag." Following orders, Xieren tossed the large, emptied sack to Liang He. Without an ounce of hesitance in his movements, Liang He tore the bag.

  "What are you doing? That was a perfectly good bag."

  "Worry not, Your Highness. I'll stitch up some smaller, more convenient bags for us. Isn't that better than this one, large bag?"

  Xieren paused. The more he saw this man work, the more impressed he became. In a soft voice, he replied, "R-right. Yeah."

  Liang He smirked before preparing his work on the cloth. As before, it felt like no time at all before he finished, and there were now two, smaller-sized bags. Tossing one to Xieren, he said, "Your half of the meat is in there, so be careful with that. And here's the nuts and fruits." Xieren had caught the bag with the most casual of airs as his companion tossed it his way. "Uh... Thanks."

  "Of course, Prince Duan." With a sly glint in his eyes, Liang He jumped to his feet. "Do you feel ready?"

  "Sure." With a sigh, Xieren stood with a slight wobble. "You really didn't have to do this."

  "But I did." His head fell to the side for a moment, as if trying to gauge Xieren's reaction. "We have to get to know each other a little before trust can develop. And we're going to need trust for this. Now, let's get going." Without another word, he turned. Xieren was reluctant, still unsure about this situation. He still couldn't fully trust Liang He, but if there really was a chance he could be relieved of the curse, he had to take it. It had been six years since he first developed this...ailment. If it would have gone away on its own, it would have done so by now, right?

  This could be a true chance at freedom. If I can't break this curse, I'd may as well die trying. It couldn't be worse than living like this.