"I don't mean to pry, but did your spoon just…change colors?" Aether scratched his head.
Flint glared at the jade piece of cutlery.
"Green for enemy." He shut his eyes. "The dragon is watching us…"
"He must have known we were talking about him," Syrce glanced up at Bastion.
"Uh, perhaps we should change the topic then…" Noble retracted her second sight. Her ears burned.
She knew that staring at powerful creatures could sometimes draw their gaze. It seemed that the Prince was also sensitive to her strange combination of abilities. That was a lesson learned.
Ignoring her advice, the man with the spoon waved it in the air at the ruined city.
"That lizard thinks he can look at me whenever he likes? I'll show him!" Flint stood.
It seemed the surly Master was the fighting type when liquor got in his system. That was unfortunate.
Especially since his target was a ridiculously powerful dragon. Subtlety was not the man's strength.
Flint began to march away.
Rolling her eyes, Noble pulled on the tether, dragging him back to the blanket and his smirking companions.
"You have as much chance of beating that dragon while drunk as a blind man has of seeing the end of his nose." Noble made the man's tunic extra heavy to force him to sit back in his seat. His legs gave way a little too easily.
'Flint, I know this is a celebration, but we really should remain on our guard. You never know when…'
The surly Master removed The Other's Voice and tossed it into her lap. He was done listening to her in his head for the evening.
"I don't need a mother," he mumbled, "and I'm not drunk."
"We all need mothers," Syrce pursed her lips, "especially soldiers. It gives them someone to come home to."
The man had no response to that. He lowered his spoon slowly.
The utensil returned to its silver hue.
Flint shrugged. "Guess the Prince lost interest in us."
Noble's face relaxed. There would be no attack from the dragon, at least not right now.
"That spoon is quite impressive," Aether said without a hint of irony.
"Maybe to someone like you, Your Highness. I prefer weapons to cutlery." Flint clicked his tongue.
As Aether reached across the blanket to get the last purple fruit, the spoon shot out and rapped him on the knuckles.
"Huh, would you look at that? It is a weapon after all!" Flint smirked as he scooped up the fruit with the spoon.
"Flint." Roan's tone was full of displeasure. He looked ready to take the man to task outside of camp if necessary.
"It is fine. I do not need another," Aether's smile was strained.
Flint looked at the other man, and the determination in his eyes wavered. He sighed. "You can have it, Your Highness. I won't have anyone call me a thief."
Aether received the fruit with a smile. "I would never!" He rubbed his hand. "Though I do wonder how you have become so deadly accurate with your flatware."
The surly Master shrugged. "As Steel says: 'If you are too weak to fight for it, you are too weak to eat it.' I didn't get my first good piece of meat at the dinner table until I was in my teens."
"That's terrible!" Syrce slammed her cup on the blanket.
"What? Don't try and tell me that you never had to give someone a black eye just to get the drumstick over dinner." Flint watched the other Masters and his hostess shake their heads. "Weirdos."
The surly Master ignored their piteous looks as he searched for the bottom of his cup and refilled it.
Aether coughed lightly. "All the same, I appreciate the courtesy. The fruit is delicious."
"Don't mention it." Flint waved his spoon in the air. It shifted through a few different shades before lowering. None of them were green. "Just remember me when you are all high and mighty someday soon."
"Flint, may I speak to you. Now." Roan took the drink away from his companion before he could down another glass.
"Wait," Syrce stopped the men in their tracks. "Why do you keep referring to Aether like he has some royal title?"
"His Highness is Titus's silly little nickname for your scout," Noble answered quickly.
"It's more than just a name, it's basically a prophecy." Flint chuckled.
"I insist you desist, Sir," Aether spoke through gritted teeth.
"What?" Flint balked. "Are you telling me that there is no secret agreement between you and Princess Morgan?"
Syrce furrowed her brow. "Who is this Morgan? I am not familiar with the name."
"She is from my Realm," Noble rubbed her neck.
"And Aether is engaged to be wed to her? Is that why you have come looking for him? To bring him to your Realm?" Syrce's eyes sparkled as if she had uncovered some great secret.
"Well…" Noble looked to Roan for assistance.
"We do hope to return everyone to the Realm where they belong, My Lady. Of that, you can be sure." Roan answered seamlessly.
"And when we do, I do hope Lord Anvil will get a glowing report about me from his future son-in-law." Flint tried and failed to wrench the cup from his cohort leader.
"You…you…" Aether's face burned in the fading sunlight. "Excuse me."
The young man stood stiffly and bowed. He headed off in the direction of his tent. Feeling his emotions, Noble could not just let her cohort member leave. She gave Syrce an apologetic dip of her head.
"Forgive me. I will check on him."
As she stood and left, Noble heard Roan's frustrated whisper. "Spell help me if I don't make you regret this in the morning, Flint. You are worse than a loose cannon."
Noble did not remain to hear the drunken man's defense. She had to hurry and catch up with Aether before he got outside of the range of the tether.
'Though maybe a little pain would do Flint good. It might sober him up…"
Noble shook her head. Inflicting soul damage on her cohort member would have to wait. She spotted her goal.
Aether was stopped right at the limit of Noble's range, gazing up at the sky. As the last of the sun disappeared, the beautiful stars filled the heavens. Soon, the fractured moon would come into view, but for now, it was absolutely peaceful overhead.
Aether took a deep breath, letting the unpleasant emotions melt away.
"It was very kind of you to come after me," he said as Noble came alongside him silently. "But you didn't have to. I am not as fragile as I may appear."
Noble smiled at him. "Who said anything about coming after you? Perhaps I wanted to get a little fresh air and stargaze."
The young man did not contradict her.
She paused, staring up at the stars.
"But if I were to ask you how you are doing…"
"I am under the night sky now." Aether held out his arms and basked in the starlight. "So I am doing much better. Thank you for asking. And how are you?"
'Always the gentleman.' Noble smiled softly.
"If I am honest, I am concerned. About you, that is."
"You think I am too willing to let people, Flint in particular, push me around." Aether's gaze turned on her, his pupils reflecting the beauty overhead.
"Well, yes. You are far too obliging. You deserve respect, and Flint treats you like a doormat. You don't have to take that from him. Or anyone really. You have to put him in his place so he knows where you both stand."
"Put him in his place, hm? My, that does sound nice." Aether smiled winsomely. "Sadly, I can't."
Child of Promise furrowed her brow.
"Yes, you can. All you need to do is—"
Aether held up his hand, causing his companion to pause. His smile faded.
"You don't understand, Bel. I mean it. I can't."