The [Fire Insurance] charm had been carefully procured for her by some broker in the Waking World–Noble couldn't quite recall the man's name–specifically so she could battle in the Dreamscape without worrying that Sarai would burn her with friendly fire.
It was a solid piece of equipment, and perfectly suited for its purpose. But her current armor, which she had acquired specifically for the Nightmare and used an ungodly amount of credits on, had no slots for charms.
Thankfully, the Fire Insurance was able to be worn like jewelry, so Noble had it almost constantly tucked beneath her clothes for whatever might happen.
She had been burned too many times.
But she had no qualms with others seeing the bauble. Aether's interest was genuine, and she was happy to show off the Memory. Memories were one of her passions, after all.
But when Child of Promise lifted the charm from beneath her fresh tunic, a very strange thing occurred.
The decorative fringe hanging from the clasp of her cloak floated up toward her necklace as it passed. She pulled her hand and the amulet away, and the cape returned to normal.
"Did anyone else see..."
One look at the others' stunned faces proved that they had.
"It was like the garment was reaching for the charm." Aether furrowed his brow. "Has it ever done that before?"
"If you mean reacting to the world around me, no. Other than changing colors at will and being resilient, it has acted ornamental. I sometimes forget it's a divine relic at all." Noble glanced from her hand and then back at the metal clasp.
What exactly did it want with her Memory?
'It is about the right shape to…'
Instinctively, Child of Promise lowered her hand once more. The charm once again drew the fringe toward it. Like tiny fingers, they tugged at the bauble until Noble released it.
Then, something even more unusual happened. The clasp swallowed the charm.
Perhaps swallowed was the wrong word, Noble realized, but she had no other term for what had occurred. The clasp had, in the blink of an eye, changed shape to accommodate the new fixture.
Now, where the plain fastener and fringe had been, the stone from her Fire Insurance proudly stood.
Yet, Noble could still feel the Memory was attached to her soul. More than that, the Spell had not said that it was destroyed.
Mirage's cloak had simply assimilated the charm into its existing design. If she tried, the floating Master knew she could dismiss the Memory without issue.
"Fascinating!" Roan spoke Noble's feelings, mirroring her wonder. "How does it feel?"
"Different." Noble shrugged her shoulders.
The weight of the fabric was the same, but her body felt cooler than it had before. Like her Queen Bee armor, the charm was augmenting the cloak from the inside.
"I feel…fireproof." Noble smiled.
The corners of Flint's mouth twisted mischievously. "May I test that?"
The glint in his eye made the lady shiver. "Maybe tomorrow…"
While Noble could see the sense in trying out the garment with its addition, there was no reason to do it while the man who was magically tethered to her looked like a homicidal maniac.
Syrce idly touched the starstone around her neck. "I wonder…"
Noble could follow her line of thought. The charm and her amulet were around the same size.
"Your necklace is magical too, isn't it? Would you like to see if it works with the cloak?" Child of Promise reached for the clasp.
The professor in her had many questions, and she wasn't above experimenting over a meal. But after a pause, Syrce shook her head.
"No. It is quite tempting, but that was a gift for you." The Saint motioned to the food. "There will be time for that later. Please eat!"
The group filled their plates, still wondering about the strange occurrence with the cape. Noting their silence, Syrce frowned.
"For people who have been looking for one another, you don't seem very talkative."
"We are just enjoying the ambiance." Noble didn't want to add that they couldn't speak absolutely freely in front of their hostess.
They would have to discuss the crux of the Nightmare and their strategy another time.
The Saint's frown faded instantly. "I am glad you like our little party! It may be hard to believe looking at the ruins, but there used to be many wonderful festivals and celebrations around Mirage's home."
"I thought you said she was solitary?" Noble was quite sure on this point.
Syrce grinned, happy to see her friend had been listening.
"Imagination kept to herself, but the city below was the center of our cultural world. Anything worth happening occurred there. My sisters and I used to beg to go with our parents when they traveled for parties or court functions."
"Were you ever able to go, My Lady?" Aether leaned in as the Saint nodded. "May I ask, what was it like?"
"Of course, you would want to know about political soirées." Flint rolled his eyes as he took an oversized bite of food and washed it down with a healthy gulp of wine.
"Who wouldn't be?" The mossy-haired hostess raised one eyebrow. "And yes, Maelys, Lyra, and I did get to go a few times, but I'll never forget the first. We arrived at dusk, almost this time of year, and the city was just beginning to light. The palace on the hill looked like a giant crown. I don't think I have ever been so full of wonder in my entire life!"
"Did the party live up to your expectations?" Noble remembered the Valor ball.
Parts of it had been lovely, and other portions had been…almost deadly.
"It was better than I could have imagined. Dancing and intrigue. I had more than my fair share of suitors after that trip. Maelys and Lyra, too. I didn't think life could get more perfect. I was right."
"It sounds memorable," Roan answered diplomatically.
Noble glanced at him, wondering how many events he had been to over the years with his famous wife. While he dressed fashionably, Child of Promise guessed that the cohort leader was more comfortable at home with family or in the wild than among a crowd of dancers.
With a far-off gaze, the Transcendent hummed softly.
"Memorable indeed. Sometimes at night, I can still hear the music. After that trip, I wanted to go back almost every waking moment, but when I finally did, things were not the same. War was on the horizon, though I didn't know it. And now look. The city is drowned, and a Prince reigns on the hill. Such a thing was unfathomable when Mirage was alive."
Remembering the Dragon, Noble shivered. It hadn't been like any corrupted creature that she had ever encountered. He reminded her of Kosi in some ways–proud and unrelenting in his goal. But there was an underlying hatred that simmered in all corrupted creatures.
Was it just because he was stuck in a land that was not his home, and he was bitter? Child of Promise didn't think so.
Syrce had said that the Spirit at the bottom of the waterfall had once been friendly. Yet it had attacked them and killed many of their group. Deep down, Noble believed the Prince was on a similar sinister path.
Like humans who fail the first Nightmare, the dragon was succumbing to corruption.
It was only a matter of time before the noble creature was no more.
Stretching her senses to the hill of Bastion, Noble checked on the dragon.
Just then, Flint's spoon glowed green.