Once again whole, the mirror began to spin, the spark at the base illuminating the rest of it with a beam that could rival the sun.
Light engulfed the group. Cyrus screeched, taking off to flee from the overwhelming brightness.
The humans, except Noble, were unable to do the same, and the floating Master wasn't about to abandon her cohort. So instead, they shielded their eyes and waited for the moment to pass.
Noble no longer had control over the separate pieces; they had melded into one as the mirror whirred to life.
'To life?'
Child of Promise felt her heartbeat quicken. Surely the mirror wasn't a living being. That was crazy even for the Dream Realm, right?
As the light started to fade, reflections of it seemed to bounce off every surface. It was as if the entire air around them was made of water. The mirror slowed its spinning, and Syrce reached out and took hold of the handle.
The moment her fingers curled around the base, the light ceased as if it had never been.
The mirror was held out for all to see.
It was beautiful. It was mystical. And, most importantly, it was complete once more.
"We did it." Syrce's happiness was unbridled. As angry as she had been about the temporary failure, she was ten times more jubilant in her success.
Her emotion was infectious, and it filled Noble to overflowing.
Noble smiled, quite pleased that she had helped make her friend's dream come true.
"Does this mean your sister can come now?" she asked.
"She can come. They all can! All of our dreams can come true now." The Saint spun around once, admiring herself in the gilded glass.
"Let's not get carried away." Noble's elation faded.
She glanced toward Roan, whose expression had also become tense. That kind of claim was dangerous, especially when the Masters all knew that this world didn't survive in the end.
Of course, it was quite possible that Syrce had never completed the mirror before. The piece they had found in the wyvern's nest had happened by chance. Maybe the group here had originally taken on the dragon prince without their secret weapon.
If that was the case, then the odds of success had already shifted in their favor.
"Don't worry," Syrce lowered the mirror. "I know my limits and our goals. I won't get carried away."
"What's next then, ma'am, if you don't mind me asking?" Aether dipped his head.
Syrce smiled widely. "I'm so glad you asked, future royal! Now that I have the tool, I have to capture the power of the palace to use it properly."
"The power of the palace?" Flint frowned. "What power can you get in those ruins?"
Syrce gave him a strange look. "Not in the ruins...under them."
Of all the things the Saint could have said, this was the most unexpected.
The Dragon Prince's presence on the top of Bastion made more sense now. He knew there was power to be had there. Perhaps he hoped the power could heal him. He just didn't know how to access it.
"You want to dig under Mirage's home with that Dragon up there ready to eat you?" Flint rubbed his temple. The more he knew the Saint, the less sane he thought she was.
"A day is not enough time to prepare!" Aether backed his companion.
"We need to kill him eventually anyway, but if it eases your mind, we can just sneak by him first until we get the power." Syrce nodded.
"We?" Helie raised an eyebrow.
"Of course! You are some of the best warriors left in this group. Now that you have all seen the mirror, I thought you would be jumping at the chance to accompany me!" Syrce looked a little hurt. "Do you not wish to join me? Surely you must be curious about what is ahead, Lady Bel."
"You mean what is u-underground?" Noble could not have cared less about the dragon at that moment. That scaly beast would have trouble getting the better of her twice.
Her worry stemmed from quite a different source.
'Seriously?! What is wrong with the Spell? Why is it always forcing me to go where my flaw is almost a confirmed death sentence?'
"Blondie shouldn't go underground, Lady Syrce," Flint shook his head.
Noble blinked at him in confusion.
"Why not?" The Saint furrowed her brow.
The surly man coughed. "She has a bit of a...dirt allergy."
'So he figured it out after all.'
Noble had hoped that her sudden change of subject that morning had distracted Flint from her admission, but it seemed that he had connected the dots himself anyway. Rather than ridiculing her, he was...trying to help?
That was as confusing as it was kind.
"Then we just will have to keep Bel from getting dirty." Syrce waved her hand dismissively. "That will work, won't it?"
Flint raised a finger in objection, "You don't underst–"
"That will be just fine. I will be careful," Noble cut off whatever Flint was about to say. Just because he knew about her flaw didn't mean she wanted it announced to everyone.
'Of course I told it to the man who can't keep secrets...what was I thinking?!'
"Good. What about the rest of you?" Syrce looked expectantly at the others.
Helie, Aether, and Flint were all technically under her command. If any of them objected, they had better give a compelling reason for going against the Saint's wishes.
The three looked at Roan, the true leader of the cohort. Whatever he said, they would accept.
"As long as your plan does not involve a direct confrontation with the Prince, I think it would be fine to see what Mirage's home has to offer." Roan's words caused Flint's expression to sour.
As a member of Clan Valor, Flint didn't like the idea of others poking around the secrets of Bastion, even if those people were mostly from Valor's vassal clans. But there was little he could do about it. This is where the Nightmare had led them, and the conflict needed to be resolved.
"Good." Syrce packed the mirror into the small box and took it from Helie's hands. "Two evenings from now, we will head out after dark. When the full moon rises, we should already be in place to find the entrance."
The Saint's smile grew. "We are so close. I can feel that things are finally going to turn around for us!"
"We will see what happens in two nights, Lady Syrce." Noble was not willing to commit to anything yet, but the Saint didn't mind.
"You are right, Bel. You always are. You and the whole Realm will see. The war is over, and this is our moment."
With her shoulders straight and her head held high, the woman looked like an ancient marble statue. Syrce looked invincible, and Noble hoped she was.
The Saint bounced up and down excitedly.
"Ah, I feel so full of energy! So full of life! There's only one thing to do to release some of this energy, and Orrin isn't here to help. So it will have to be one of you." The Saint looked at the five Masters. "Who wants to spar?"
Noble took back her wish. An invincible Syrce was the last thing she wanted just now.