Aww, but that was just getting entertaining.
I lifted some books off one of the chairs across the desk from Vellum’s, set them on the floor, and then took a seat. Belatedly, I noticed the top book’s title, Runes of Frost. Interesting.
“So, nearly killed myself, I hear?”
Vellum took her own seat. “I understand that your nonchalance is a way of deflecting from real concern, but I need you to take this seriously. Yes, you very nearly killed yourself. That is not a matter for jest.”
A corner of my mouth turned downward, but I nodded. “I understand,” I told her.
“I don’t think you do, or you wouldn’t have done it.” She was matter-of-fact, neither teasing or scolding in her tone. “Set the sword on the table, and draw it out enough to expose the runes.”
I followed her instructions. It was only at that point that I realized that the feather I’d attached to the handle, the one meant to block the sword’s supposed curse... was gone. My lips tightened as I considered possibilities for how that could have happened.
She raised a finger, pointing at the four runes. “How many of these runes do you understand?”
I glanced it over, thinking about my research, and pointed to one of them. “This is some sort of advanced variation on an ice rune. The others... I’m less sure about.”
“And you still felt it was wise to bring this weapon into a simulation.”
I shrugged. “I didn’t have any evidence to indicate it was dangerous.”
“You didn’t have any evidence.” She raised her hands to shield her eyes. “I will not demean your intelligence again, but you must consider this seriously. You did not have any evidence it was dangerous because you did not understand the weapon at all.”
That felt a little unfair, but she did have a point. “I’ve practiced with it, both alone and with Teft in dueling class. Also, I heard a bit about it from a former climber, and took some precautions.”
“Oh? And what sort of precautions did you take?”
“I bought a gryphon feather to counter the curse on it?” I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly.
Vellum leaned across the table, glaring. “You mean to tell me that you brought a weapon that you believed to be cursed into a test?”
I winced. “I thought the feather was sufficient to handle it?”
Heh. Handle it. Unintentional puns are the best. I didn’t laugh, though. Her glare was a little too intense for that.
“You... didn’t happen to find my feather, did you?” I asked hesitantly.
“Oh yes, I found the remains of a feather,” she said, her voice pleasant. Had her eye twitched? “Frozen and blackened. It crumbled to dust when your friend attempted to pick it up.”
Well. That was more than a little foreboding.
“Okay, I admit I may have miscalculated.”
“You were unwise. But, in fairness, so was I.” Vellum sat back in her chair. “I saw the sword on your hip when you first visited, and I failed to recognize it. That oversight was as great as your own, and for that, I apologize.”
I wasn’t sure what to say to that. “I... accept your apology?”
She nodded amiably. “Good, good. Now, you’ll also accept some rules.” There was steel in that final sentence.
Oh, that sounds bad.
She raised a finger. “One. You will not bring that weapon into any further simulations.”
It was a brutal restriction — the sword was one of my key assets — but it made sense.
She waited for my nod before she lifted a second finger. “Two. You will not train with the sword without my direct supervision. We will schedule lessons for you to learn how to wield it properly.”
That was going to slow me down considerably, but I still nodded again.
Third finger. “Three. You will read this book on empathic weapons.” She slid a book across the desk. “I expect you to study it closely if you expect to use the weapon during your visit to the tower later this year.”
I blinked. “Empathic weapons?”
Vellum nodded, pointing at the fourth rune. “This is a spirit rune. It is among the rarest enchantments to find on an object, and among the most dangerous. When you wished to shield yourself from fire, the sword responded. It continued to attempt to shield you even after you lost consciousness. This rune is why.”
I blinked. “You’re saying the sword is intelligent?”
“Perhaps intelligent is too strong a word. Without a detailed study, I cannot say if the sword is self-aware. It does, however, have a spirit bound to it, and that spirit is bound to act according to your will. This gives the weapon tremendous potential power... but if misused, it could easily be fatal to you or your allies.”
I remembered a flash of the dream, the swordsman holding this same blade. Was the spirit tied to the sword his own? Perhaps that explained the dream. I could have been seeing one of the weapon’s memories.
I hadn’t seen how that memory had ended yet, but I was pretty sure I knew where it had been going.
“Okay. I understand your restrictions and accept them.” I pointed at the exposed surface. “Can you explain the other two runes?”
Vellum looked where I had indicated. “One of them is an extremely advanced rune for interfacing between sword and wielder. The fourth rune,” her brows knit together, “I confess I don’t recognize. A rare event, I assure you.”
Interesting. “Do you think it poses an additional threat?”
“Everything we do not understand is a potential threat, Corin. It is, however, also a potential advantage. I will write the rune down and search the archives in my own free time. My curiosity would permit no less.”
I saw the gesture for what it was. “Thank you, Professor.”
“Now that you’ve been thoroughly chastised, I suspect you owe your friends a visit. They were quite concerned.”
Friends?
Oh, she meant my team members. I hadn’t really processed most of them as friends yet, other than Patrick. I still wasn’t sure I could call Marissa a friend; I barely knew her. Jin was closer, but he was more of a business associate. Probably.