Despite Darian once more half-heartedly insisting Liz and Quell should return to the capital, leaving her and her soldiers to ride to warn Constance, that night we all leave together. Liz refuses to abandon her brother, Quell refuses to break his promise to me, and even Earnest and Xamireb throw their names behind me. When did I get so many people who have faith in me? I barely have faith in me.

Now that we have three star drakes, travel is significantly more comfortable. No more getting squished between two sweaty humans—Hah. I guess I really don’t see myself as one anymore. But adding an extra seat as a buffer between me and Quell means I can actually enjoy the ride, and practice a little magic while I’m at it.

I try Attuning more of my blood, despite having Attuned all of it prior to now, and find there’s some new blood that’s unAttuned. I guess that answers the question of if I’ll need to Attune any new blood my body produces. Kind of annoying, because that means I’ll have to do a little each day—or at least set aside one day a week to catch up. This has got to be the most frustrating magical affinity out there. I open my eyes as I return my attention outward, and find myself looking at Quell’s back.

Then again, I could have an illusion affinity and not be able to make illusions.

As dawn approaches, we stop to make camp once more. I’m sure Darian would rather we press ahead, but even if we didn’t need to rest, the star drakes do. As the tents are pitched and dinner starts cooking, Darian takes me aside.

“Come on,” she says. “One day off is plenty. Back to training.”

I hesitate as I follow her a short ways from the campsite. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea. The shield was in attack mode when I stored it. I don’t want it to hurt you.” Or anyone else.

“All the more reason for you to take it out now than when you actually need it,” she says. “What’ll you do if we get in another fight? You don’t have any other weapons.”

“I have my Attuned blood,” I suggest.

Darian raises a skeptical eyebrow. “Do you know how to fight with that?”

“I could,” I insist, though I actually have no idea if that’s true.

“Show me.”

I really should have expected her to call me out on that. Well, no backing down now. I hold up my hand, and focus on the blood that’s in my palm. When I mentally pull at it, I can feel it move, pressing against my skin. It’s extremely unsettling. But if I want to use it as a weapon, then I’ll have to get used to it.

Hemetic Hardening, I think, activating the spell to solidify a portion of the blood. I picture what I want: a small spear-tip. I wince as I feel it form, like a stone in my hand, its tip prickling against the underside of my skin. All I have to do now is bring it out.

Steeling myself, I pull the arrowhead up, breaking through my skin.

“OW!” I grab my wrist, hunching over as the pain spikes up my arm. “Fuck! Shit!” A dozen more profanities stream from me as I squeeze my wrist and stop trying to pull the blood from my hand. That fucking hurts!

Darian bursts out laughing. I wince as I dispel the Hemetic Hardening, and the small point of blood that had broken through my skin pools into my hand. Gritting my teeth, I use Coagulate to scab over the wound. My hand still pulses with hot pain from the injury.

Quell pokes around one of the tents. “Is everything alright?”

“Yes,” Darian says, still laughing as she wipes a tear from her eye. “We’re just experiencing a learning-opportunity moment.”

I glare at her. With my other hand, I gesture for the Attuned blood still sitting in my palm to rise into the air, and it obliges. The sphere of blood is barely the size of a marble, but I shape it into an arrowhead anyway, then use Hematic Harding once more. The tiny spear-tip becomes solid. Putting all my will behind it, throwing it as hard as I can, I launch the projectile at Darian.

[Range limit,] Echo says right as the blood vanishes from my mental hold. The speartip makes it a few feet beyond my arms before its trajectory abruptly nosedives into the ground. The blood splashes against the dirt and is quickly absorbed by the dry clay.

Darian laughs harder.

I let out an annoyed huff. Range limit? I ask Echo.

[An Attuned element may only be controlled within the user’s range of Attunement. The range may increase as the user’s level or spell level increases.]

And my range is…?

[5.5 feet,] Echo replies.

Well that’s going to significantly reduce the usefulness of my Attunement as an offensive ability in a fight. I guess I’d have to use it as a sword or knife; though how much blood that would take, I’m not sure.

Darian subsides into chuckles, gesturing for Quell to return to camp; he doesn’t, and Liz and Earnest have come to watch, too.

“Thanks.” Darian is smiling as she shakes her head at me. “I needed that.”

“Glad my pain and ineptitude could bring you some joy,” I grumble.

“You wouldn’t have listened if I’d just told you it was a bad idea,” Darian says.

“I would have!” I object. Then I think about it for a second. No, she’s right: I would have still tried it. “Alright, you’ve made your point.”

“It takes a lot of willpower to injure yourself like that,” Darian says. “Especially on your hand; more nerves. If you’re ever really desperate, the back of your arm is a better place to work with. Larger area, less sensitive.” She flexes her hand. “Won’t stop you from holding a weapon.”

I flex my fingers, and the new scab pulls painfully at my hand. Good point.

“Not to mention,” Darian continues, “throwing your blood around in a fight isn’t the wisest move when you might be facing other dhampyrs. If your blood manages to cut into one with the Bloodlust, you’ll activate their ability, and now you’ve just upgraded an enemy to very powerful and out of control.”

Another good point. I feel kind of dumb for not thinking of these things already. “You didn’t seem entirely out of control,” I say.

The humor in her expression fades. “I trained for years in controlled environments to be able to exercise as much control as I did when fighting the Umbral Blades. And control is still barely applicable to what I was exercising. Stopping myself from eviscerating Felicity was a feat unto itself.” Her face hardens. “What I did was impulsive and desperate. It is not to be used as an easy power-up, do you understand? If you try the same, you’re likely to hurt an ally—or worse.”

I nod. “I’ve no intention to.” And that’s the truth. As much as I try not to think about what I did to those Moonfall soldiers who had Quell, snippets of gore and screams still creep their way into my dreams.

“Good.” She plants her hands on her hips. “Now are we going to get back to some actual training?”

I glance toward the campsite. Liz is sitting cross-legged on a boulder, tossing pieces of crusty bread into her mouth like popcorn. Earnest leans against the rock, arms folded. At least Quell has the good sense to look concerned.

I still edge a few more steps away from the campsite. “Give me some space while I summon it.”

Darian also steps back, gesturing for me to continue. I hold my arm out to the side, brace myself, then summon the Crimson Aegis.

The shield appears, and its emotions crash against my mind like thundering waves. I flinch as a variety of thoughts hammer against me in rapid succession. There’s a flash of surprise—an undercurrent of fear—the briefest glimpse of relief—and then it’s just pissed.

[Blood Ward activated.]

It grabs onto my arm, squeezing painfully tight, as it unfurling whips of blood which blindly lash out at the air around me.

“Stop!” I call out. “The enemies are gone.”

Are they? Are they? It wouldn’t know, being kept in such a dark and desolate place! We were in danger, and it was trying to protect me! Why did I punish it? I could have died without its help! What would have happened to the Aegis if I died while it was in that silent, lifeless place?

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

I blink, caught off guard. That was a good question, actually. I hadn’t even considered it.

It doesn’t matter, I tell it. I didn’t die, and you’re out, now. It all worked out for the best.

The Aegis simmers in its anger. Maybe everything worked out for me, but it didn’t know what happened or if it would ever be released from the nothingness again.

Er. Sorry? I was expecting it to be in attack mode, but I wasn’t expecting all of this. It’s mad at me, but I can feel what’s driving that anger: it was scared. It feels… betrayed by my actions. Sheesh, and I thought arrogant was about the only emotion it was capable of.

You didn’t give me much of a choice, I tell it. I told you not to attack those people and you were going to do it anyway.

It stiffens with offence. They were attacking us. Was it supposed to let us lose? Unthinkable.

No, I sigh. But there are other ways to win.

The Aegis isn’t convinced. And it’s still stewing in its frustration. But it’s calmed down a bit, and has even reluctantly acknowledged we’re no longer in the middle of a fight. The threads of blood stop aimlessly lashing about, gradually slowing their motion, until they abruptly dissolve into the air, flickering out.

[Blood Ward ended,] Echo reports.

I let out a relieved breath, consciously forcing all the tension out of my limbs.

Liz lets out a whistle. “That’s some shield.”

That’s one way to put it.

“It’s the Crimson Aegis,” Quell says, excitedly leaning over to Liz. A pained look immediately scrunches her face. “Remember hearing about it in our history lessons? No? What about the Crimson Scimitar? Oh, gods, I have so much to tell you. Well as it turns out…”

“Good job.” Darian steps back into position, and I tune out Quell’s recap of the weapons, which is quickly transitioning into a history lesson. “Now, reactivate that ability.”

“What?” I say, baffled. “No. It will skewer you.”

“It didn’t skewer you,” she notes.

“Because it knows not to.”

“So tell it not to skewer me.” She unbuckles her sword, sheathed for my protection, as always. “Come on. You want to be able to use these abilities in a fight? Learn how to use them outside of one.”

“It’s too dangerous,” I object. “The other abilities are ones I can control. They’re all defensive spells. But the Aegis owns the Blood Ward, and it’s not the same. It’s a weapon. The Blood Ward is only designed to kill.”

“And a sword isn’t?” Darian counters. “Don’t be naive, Nye. If you draw a weapon, you best have the willpower to use it. But a sword can cut an enemy as easily as an ally, if you don’t have the control to wield it properly. Control comes with practice. You want to feel safe using that thing to protect yourself? To protect others? Then let’s practice.”

I grimace. She’s oversimplifying things with the Aegis. It’s not the same as swinging a sword; this entity has a mind of its own. But she’s at least right that I’ve nothing else to use if it comes to a fight. Even if I started training with a sword today, it would take years for it to be as effective as this magical weapon. If I want to survive future fights—if I’m going to protect Quell, and trek across treacherous lands in search of my brother—I need to master the resources at my disposal. I don’t have to like it for it to be true.

Alright, I think at the Aegis, and it grumpily rouses from its sulking. We’re going to get in another fight.

Its irritation vanishes in a flash. Good! This is adequate reparation for my prior affront. It accepts my atonement. When? Where? Who? Oh, that person! We will destroy them.

No! I hurriedly think as its attention latches onto Darian, her sword leveled toward us. No. That’s not how we’ll win this fight. And seriously, how do you not recognize her by now?

The Aegis bristles with indignation. It is not the shield’s fault all these squishy organic creatures look the same!

“Ready?” Darian calls.

“One minute,” I say. “I’m still working something out.”

For this fight, you’re allowed to use the Blood Ward, but you’re not allowed to kill or maim her, I tell it. You can’t even make her bleed.

The Aegis is skeptical. Killing is the most efficient way to win a fight. And a quick defeat is a clear display of its superiority!

Talking to this thing requires the patience of a saint, I swear. Not in this case, I say. For this fight, drawing blood from the enemy means we lose.

Now the Aegis is extremely confused. But how? How can one defeat their enemy and still lose? This doesn’t make any sense!

This one, uh, likes to bleed, I say, inventing an admittedly awful lie using the only logic I think the Aegis would understand.

It likes blood? The Aegis considers this. Well, that is a very understandable thing. Completely relatable. But this presents a problem! How will we establish our supremacy if it wants to lose? If we win, then it loses, which means it wins, so we lose. But if we lose, does it wins, and its winning means it loses? The Aegis doesn’t understand! This is all so confusing.

Oh no, I’m going to break the magical shield. We can still win, I hurriedly tell it before it undergoes some sort of existential crisis. Darian can be defeated by knocking her down. More than anything, she doesn’t want to end up on the ground. I mentally picture us standing over a downed Darian, foot on her chest in some absurdly victorious posture.

This, however, the shield understands. Yes! Victory. We will stand over our foes in triumph, and they will subjugate themselves before us!

Yeah, I think, grimacing. Something like that.

I nod to Darian. “Okay. I think we’re ready.” God, I hope so.

Darian charges toward me. I crouch behind my shield. Alright, I think to the Aegis. Let’s do it. Another Blood Ward. And remember, you CAN’T make her bleed.

I get the mental equivalent of a blink from the Crimson Aegis. Blood Ward? It can’t do another Blood Ward. It’s all out of blood.

I growl. “Are you freaking kidding m—”

Darian’s sword crashes against the shield, rattling my teeth. I clench my jaws shut and activate an Endure to stop the vibrations.

How much do you need? I snap, stumbling back as Darian continues to advance. She tries to hook my shield and go for my feet, but it’s a move she’s used before, and I know what to watch for this time.

The Aegis can use any amount of blood. But the more blood, the better its attack. So, lots of blood is best!

I slap my recently-scabbed palm to the back of the shield, and activate a Devour. There! Take some. Not a lot though! I need to stay on my feet.

The Aegis delightfully agrees, bands of red magic snapping around my hand to keep it pressed against the metal. A brief burning sensation against my palm makes me wince, then I feel a distinctly uncomfortable suction-like sensation as it pulls blood from my hand. And in a different, equally strange way, I can sense it entering and becoming part of the Aegis’s magic. It’s my Attuned blood, now buried somewhere inside the shield. The realization is dizzying; it’s like I can feel myself inside the metal. The line between us, blurred. I falter, briefly dazed and dissociated. Darian takes the opportunity to slam her pommel into the side of the Aegis, snapping my arms to the side.

[Blood Ward activated.]

The whips of blood snap from the surface of the shield, stabbing toward Darian. That shakes me out of it. No! I think, willing the spears of blood away from her. And they divert, stabbing into empty space. The Aegis and I are equally confused, but I figure it out first. It’s my Attuned blood. I can still control it even after the Aegis has absorbed it.

Offended, the Aegis grabs control of its blood whips once more. Why did I stop it? It was going to win!

No! I think. Remember? We can’t stab her to win. We have to knock her down.

Oh. Right. The Aegis forgot about that.

I try to bring the shield back around, but Darian takes advantage of our faltered attack. She grabs the shield with one hand, holding it to the side as she plants a kick directly into the side of my ribs. I feel something creak, then I crash into the dirt, striking my head against the ground.

Oh! The Aegis delights. Thanks! More blood.

I groan, my armor grinding into every joint and bone as I try to roll over. The packed clay out here is a lot less forgiving than the sand dunes we’d started on. Darian stalks after me, pointing her sword toward my neck. “Dead,” I can already hear her say.

A line of blood snaps around her ankle, rising from where it had fallen to the ground. Darian flinches in surprise, but not as surprised as me when the Aegis lets out a victorious cheer. HaHA! Experience defeat by means of ground!

The whip pulls tight, yanking Darian’s foot out from under her. She flips, her sword flinging from her grasp, and slams into the ground, back first. She lets out a gasp, the air forced from her lungs. I lay there panting. The Aegis preens in victory.

A face swims into view overhead. “I think that’s enough sparing for one day,” Quell says.

A blood whip creeps toward his ankle.

No! The fight’s over, I say, mentally grabbing the blood in its magic and forcing it still. This isn’t an enemy.

The Aegis is a little disappointed. Am I quite sure this one doesn’t also need to be shown proper submission?

Very sure, I think, trying to catch my breath.

“You guys are going to beat the crap out of each other before we even find anyone to fight,” Liz says, offering Darian a hand up. Quell offers me the same. I take it and he stumbles forward, very nearly pulled to the ground. The guy must not have an ounce of muscle on him. I wince, pushing myself up to at least give the illusion he’s helping me stand, and I stagger to my feet.

“You okay?” I ask Darian, letting go of Quell to hold my side instead.

Darian huffs out a laugh, looking at me. “I’m not the one bleeding from the head.”

Oh. Right. I start a Coagulation before I lose any more.

“But good job,” she says. “That’s the most clever I’ve seen you fight yet. I’d call it a draw.”

I snort. “Don’t let the Aegis hear you say that.”

We limp back to camp together.

“Here,” Earnest says, handing us each a flask of water. Then he hands me a second one. “You’ll want to make up for that blood loss so you don’t pass out.”

“Thanks,” I say, gratefully taking both. Darian and I collapse back around the campsite. The first band of sunlight breaks over the horizon. I wince at the light and incoming heat.

“We’ll practice each morning until you feel comfortable with the shield’s abilities,” Darian says. I’m not sure if that’s meant as a promise or a threat.

I finish off one of the waterskins in a series of unbroken gulps, gasping at the end. “Actually,” I say, wiping my mouth, “I already feel a bit better about that.”

“Oh?” she raises an eyebrow. “That was quick.”

“It’s my Attuned blood,” I explain. “If the Aegis uses it for the Blood Ward, I still have some control over it. I can stop it if it tries to kill someone.” Finally. Some semblance of autonomy once more. Not everything is outside my control. This one thing, at least, I can handle.

Darian nods, but she doesn’t look as relieved as I feel. “That’s good. What if it uses blood that’s not yours?”

Ah. Right. “I guess I wouldn’t be able to control it then,” I say, some of my confidence faltering.

“Control is good,” Darian says. “But I expect it goes both ways, with you and that shield. What you really need is cooperation. Trust.”

“Trust.” I grimace. The Crimson Aegis is clearly something else. Something that has never been a person, never experienced empathy, never understood concepts of morality. It can be directed, certainly. But trusted?

“I’m not sure if that’s possible,” I admit. I don’t even trust other people unless or until they can prove they’re good for it.

Darian shrugs. “Something to keep practicing during our sparring matches.”

Liz sighs, rolling her eyes. “Soldiers, I swear. Can’t you go one day without trying to hurt each other?”

“It’s a good workout,” I object.

Darian nods approvingly. “They get it.”

“I really don’t see the appeal,” Quell says.

“Of course not.” I look back to Darian with a joking snort. “Royals.”

Instead of agreeing with me, Darian smiles, leaning over to hook an arm around Liz and pull her over. Liz laughs, tumbling into her arms.

“Oh, I don’t know.” Darian’s eyes crinkle as she looks down at Liz. “They grow on you.”