Rumours of the dangerous blade spread, and it didn't take long for X to hear of it. Curious, he went to go see for himself -- and his blood ran cold when he recognised the hilt and the dull red gem.

Not his, though, he reminded himself. Not his. His memories of the sword went for longer than he'd been alive. It was Valdis's, and X couldn't imagine that she would have ever let go of the blade willingly. He called her immediately, opting for the immediate voice-to-voice conversation instead of leaving her a message. Especially with what happened during the storm, he needed to know right away if she was in trouble.