The shield appears in the air before me, immediately lashing itself to my arm like a handsy kid afraid of being dropped.

Oh! We’re in a tent now. How did we get inside? Is it time to fight something?

“Gods’ grace,” Constance murmurs. He stands, drawing his sword as well, and red magic swirls around his hand: holding it in place, I realize, much how the Aegis clings to me.

The shield and sword immediately zero in on each other. Their eagerness is almost a hunger. Nervously, I shift the shield away.

“You sense it, too,” Constance says. “That these weapons are twins.”

“No way.” Quell stands as well, looking between our weapons in bewilderment. “That’s impossible!”

“What is it?” Darian asks. She seems mildly interested, but clearly the least clued in of all of us.

The Aegis nudges at my mind, urging me toward Constance’s sword. What it wants from the sword, I can’t say. Does it want to be used in tandem? Does it want to fight? I’m not sure even the shield knows.

“It is the Crimson Aegis,” Quell breathes.

“Does that mean something?” I glance to Constance, but he’s looking at his weapon thoughtfully. I wonder what sort of words the sword is whispering into his mind.

“Does it mean something?” Quell cries. “It’s the Blood Shield! Thorn’s Bane. The Crimson Aegis. One half of Viktor’s Arms.” His gaze shifts over to Constance. “But what did you mean they’re twins?”

“Just look at them,” Darrian remarks. Both sword and shield seem to be made form the same black metal, embedded with glowing red jewels. Both also share a vaguely demonic aesthetic.

“They yearn for each other,” Constance says, watching the Aegis. His gaze shifts up to me, crooking an expectant eyebrow.

“He’s right,” I say. “They feel drawn to each other. I don’t know why.”

Quell rakes a hand through his hair in astonishment. “But… Constance, that would mean yours is the Crimson Scimitar!”

His brother frowns. “It sounds vaguely familiar.”

This sends Quell spluttering. “Vaguely familiar? Brother, you’re wielding a sword of legend! And Nye, the shield! Come, now, don’t you remember the story of Monarch Viktor?”

“I was more interested in battle tactics than fairytales,” Constance says shortly. Maybe he’s too proud to admit embarrassment over Quell knowing more about his sword than he does. Constance sheaths the Scimitar, and the mental pull vanishes. I breathe a sigh of relief. The prince waves a dismissive hand toward me, indicating I should do the same.

Wait, the Crimson Aegis thinks. That’s it? Already? But we didn’t even get to—

I add the Aegis back to my inventory as well, then all of us sit back down once more.

“It’s far more than myth,” Quell says. “As is evident from the two weapons before us!”

“Then please enlighten us, Prince Quell,” Darian says, still the most unperturbed of anyone in attendance. “What are we dealing with?”

“Of course,” Quell says confidently. Then he quickly adds, with slightly less conviction, “I read about it in a book. The Aegis and Scimitar are powerful, legendary artifacts. They were wielded by Duneshade rulers for generations, but lost when our ancestor, Queen Providence, fell to a sand wyrm nearly four hundred years ago. Until today, no one knew of their whereabouts.”

Quell leans forward, his eyes dancing with excitement. “It’s said they were originally created in response to a great monster terrorizing the lands. It couldn’t be slain—only contained—so Monarch Viktor had powerful artifacts forged to act as the beast’s prison. Managing to cleave the beast in two, they sacrificed a hundred souls to seal each half of the creature into the Aegis and Scimitar. Viktor then bound the weapons’ wills to their blood—forcing the creature to serve them and all within their lineage. Apparently, the wielder had to feed it a steady stream of blood to keep the demon sated and bound within its vessels.”

I lean back, eyebrows raised. Is all that true? It’s certainly blood thirsty; that much I’ve seen firsthand. “I’d really love to not have to do that.”

“Especially as a dhampyr,” Darian adds. “Losing blood can be dangerous for us.”

“Well, I suspect at least the blood part might be dramatic embellishment,” Quell says, nodding to Constance. “After all, Constance has been unknowingly wielding the Scimitar for years, and he hasn’t been making any blood sacrifices.”

For the first time, I witness Constance squirm. “Well…”

“What!” Quell cries. “What do you mean? Have you been hiding this from me and Liz?”

“It’s not a sacrifice, per se,” Constance says. “But its magical abilities can be amplified if it’s exposed to blood. It doesn’t have to be mine, either.”

“Like the Aegis’s Blood Ward,” I think aloud.

Constance raises an eyebrow. “You have a name for the technique?”

“Well, the shield has a name for it.” I frown. “That’s how I knew the shield’s name, too. Does the Scimitar not speak to you?”

“Not with words,” Constance says. “Nothing concrete. But I can sense its violent urges clear enough.”

That’s odd. The Aegis’s voice is pretty distinct to me. How come it’s not the same for Constance? Is it due to this System thing I have access to?

Quell must be wondering something similar. “We need to back up. There’s got to be something here I’m missing. Constance, you’ve had that sword ever since I was a child. You found it in the treasury, correct? You said the sword chose you.”

“Yes. I was browsing the royal artifacts when I came upon it.” He pauses, drumming his fingers on the hilt of the Scimitar. The hesitation draws out for several seconds before he finally lets out a sigh. “Though that is not the entire story,” he admits. “Nor entirely truthful. I’ve never told anyone else this before.

This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

“The sword was unlabeled, as are many in those chambers. But its design caught my eye. It almost seemed alive. I took it from its stand to… test it out.”

Quell abruptly laughs, and Constance scowls. “You were playing with royal treasures! Isn’t it prohibited to remove any artifacts without the curator’s permission?”

“I was fourteen,” Constance grumbles, glancing away from his little brother. Quell still seems to find this absolutely delightful, and if I know anything about little brothers, that just became blackmail material. “At any rate, I was still training in sword fighting myself, and wasn’t as careful as I should have been. I cut myself on its blade. That was when I felt its presence.” His gaze shifts to me.

I nod. “I spilled blood on the Aegis, too. I think that’s what woke it up.”

“Not only did it awaken, but we seemed to form a sort of bond,” Constance explains. That also happened to me; Echo called it a Pact. “Since then, I haven’t been able to get rid of it. Not that I’ve wanted to. Weapons with inherent magic are exceptionally rare, and wielding one both accelerated my fighting skills and brought me much respect and recognition. But if I ever try to leave it behind somewhere, the sword seems to know this, and uses its magic to stay at my side.”

Yet another familiar story. “I can’t get rid of the Aegis, either,” I say. “When it’s not in my Inventory, it’s latched onto my arm. Like it’s scared of being left behind, or something.”

Darian gives a disapproving grunt. “That all sounds fairly unsettling.”

Yeah, that’s one word for it.

“I did not want to tell anyone else about the nature of how I came to wield it, or that it appeared to have a mind of its own,” Constance says. “I feared they would label it cursed and attempt to take it from me.”

“Honestly, cursed might be an accurate descriptor, given how it was forged,” Quell says. “Perhaps there is some truth to the stories. At the very least, the weapons seem to contain an entity.”

“Which would also explain why they feel drawn toward each other,” Constance muses. “But if all this is true, if my sword is truly this Crimson Scimitar, and Nye wields the Aegis—you said these weapons were designed to serve our lineage.” He gestures to me. “So why are they able to wield it?”

Quell scratches at his cheek. “Yes, that is rather odd. But I think I might know the cause. Nye, tell them what you told me about your curse. I mean, uh, your other curse. The one about me.”

Yes, Quell, I got the picture. Again, not something I really wanted to advertise. I’m not totally sure how he thinks these things are connected, but I guess I’ll need to spill my secret to at least Darian and Constance if I want to make any headway on figuring out how to get rid of my Role.

“I don’t really understand how the magic works,” I explain to them. “But I am… compelled to stay close to and protect the Prince. Er, Quell, specifically. If I don’t, the magic drives me mad.”

“What?” Darian exclaims.

Constance just snorts. “That explains why you came running back.”

I wince. I’d sort of hoped they’d forgotten about my escape attempt.

“But why Quell?” Constance asks. “If that shield really is supposed to guard our family, the same compulsion should apply to me, or Liz, or our parents.”

Quell shrugs. “That much I don’t know. Perhaps it was simply that I was the closest when Nye here inadvertently woke it up. Our knowledge of the Aegis and Scimitar is incomplete. Whatever the cause, it’s bound to Nye now, and acting through them, it’s bound to protect me.”

Is that what’s happening? I’m not sure if Quell is connecting dots that aren’t there, or if he’s intentionally lying to cover for me. I could talk to Echo and had the Role of Knight before I stumbled upon the Crimson Aegis, so I’m skeptical these two things are connected. But Darian and Constance have bought the explanation, at least.

“This could change everything,” Constance says. “We could end the war with Moonfall before it even begins. The Scimitar is already powerful on its own. If it’s reunited with the Aegis, I feel the two would be more than the sum of their parts.”

Unsettlingly, I’d gotten that same impression. “Look, if you want the shield, I’d be more than happy to return it to your family,” I say. “Remaining tied to Quell is the last thing I want; the sooner I can get rid of this curse, the better. But I don’t think the Aegis will let me just hand it over.”

“Yes,” Constance agrees with a frown. “It would not be possible to do that with the Scimitar, either.”

“Which is why I suggested the Lifespring as a solution,” Quell says. “If anything can remove a curse, it’s likely to be the Oasis.”

Constance strokes his chin thoughtfully. “It would certainly be worth it to try.”

“Hold on.” Darian shakes her head. “I’m not sure I follow all of this—or believe that these weapons are something out of legend—but we can’t risk heading to the Lifespring now. We just survived an attack, and Princess Felicity is still missing. It’s too dangerous for Prince Quell to remain out here. He and the rest of the company should depart for the capital while I take a squad of soldiers to search for the Princess. If we return to the Oasis, it should be with reinforcements.”

“No!” both Quell and I cry at once. Even Constance looked like he was about to object.

“That will take too long,” I say. And getting cooped up in a castle will significantly reduce my chances of finding Álvaro.

“And I’ll be fine,” Quell adds. “I can take care of myself. Not to mention, I’ll have Nye there to protect me, too!” He adds a weak laugh, which he quickly lets die when no one else seems amused.

Darian stares across at Constance. “You’ve already made up your mind.”

“We can’t let this opportunity go to waste,” Constance says. “If the Crimson Aegis can be returned to Duneshade hands and reunited with the Crimson Scimitar, we’ll obtain a weapon like Moonfall has never seen. It will cement our power. They’ll never dare attack us again like they did tonight.”

The captain hesitates for a moment, then reverently bows her head. “As you say, Prince Constance.”

I slump in relief. It’s a good thing Constance wants the Aegis as much as he does. Not that I’m actively trying to get rid of it, but if it can buy my passage to the Oasis and get rid of the curse that’s chaining me to Quell, I’ll consider that more than a fair price.

“I will begin relaying directions to the troops,” Constance says. “You may lead the efforts to recover Felicity, as you requested. Do you have a plan?”

“My scouts are still searching for her trail, but I would like to move quickly,” Darian says. “The longer we wait, the more likely the Princess will slip beyond our grasp. The Moonfall agents were able to go unnoticed and get as close as they did by utilizing small but specialized teams. I will likewise gather a few select individuals, so we can maintain our mobility, and begin pursuing them as soon as we have located a lead.”

“Perfect,” Quell says. “In that case, Nye and I will be coming—”

“You’re not coming with me,” Darian cuts him off. “It will be safer to stay with Prince Constance and the rest of the platoon. My team will need to be skilled fighters.”

“But—”

“Enough,” Constance says. “The decision has been made. Captain Darrian is right that you would be unfit for such a task—you would only slow her down. Besides, once we secure the Lifespring, we’ll be able to divert more of our resources to finding Liz.” He claps his hands to his knees and stands. “For now, clean up and get some rest. It’s already dawn, and we’ll need the day to recover from our most recent battle. We’ll break camp at sunset.”

Darian rises as well; by the time Quell and I have stood, Constance is already ducking out of the tent. I guess we’re done talking, then.

“This is insane,” Quell says. “How can the Lifespring be more important than Liz? She’s royalty for gods’ sakes!”

“I understand how you feel,” Darian says. “But Constance is right that defending a critical location and obtaining a powerful weapon is crucial to our country’s security. Besides, you have nothing to worry about,” she adds, her voice turning fierce. “I will bring the princess home. I swear it.”

Quell looks glum when Darian leaves the tent, but I let out a breath, glad the interrogation is over. I feel a twinge of sympathy for Quell that he won’t be able to go searching for his sister like he wanted, but I’m honestly not bothered by the turn of events. Getting to the Lifespring faster means getting rid of this curse faster. And with an army behind us, there’s more resources to look for my brother along the way.

“Sorry, man,” I say to Quell. “I know that’s not the outcome you wanted.”

But to my surprise, Quell turns to me with a grin. “Oh, on the contrary, I think it went exceptionally well.” He claps me on the shoulder with all the strength of a kitten. “As my brother suggested, let’s get some rest. We’ll be needing it.”

Somehow, that smile fills me with a resigned sense of foreboding.