The Masters all looked at one another.
The air was almost electric with the energy pouring from the Saint. What would happen if Syrce did not get the exercise she desired?
They didn't know. What they did know was that none of them wanted to be the recipient of that overzealous exertion.
Noble tensed.
'Not good.'
Helie was the first to react.
She took the hand mirror and its case. "My Lady, let me take that for you. You want it returned to your wagon, I presume. I will be honored to do that while you find an appropriate sparring partner."
"I should go monitor the hillside of the city and map the best path to our destination." Aether bowed.
'You don't even know where we are going for certain!' Noble narrowed her gaze at the polite younger man.
"My wife doesn't like it when I spar with a woman other than her, My Lady." Roan's lie was particularly egregious. He had sparred with both her and Helie before the Nightmare. He was using Tyris like a human shield.
Flint crossed his arms. "That's not going to happen. With all due respect, I want my head to remain on my head and not turned to ash if you please."
'At least he was honest…and only moderately rude.' Noble smiled in spite of herself.
"Bel?" Syrce's grey eyes turned on the last member of the group.
Noble's smile faded. She had seen this coming, yet she still had no excuse to provide the Saint.
Maybe part of her wanted to go against the powerful being. Queen Bee was a champion duelist. A challenge like this would be excellent to scratch that itch.
'What am I thinking?! This is crazy!'
The power difference was too great, and Syrce was too unpredictable. Flint could heal a lot, but he couldn't help her regenerate an arm or leg.
Noble had seen the Saint obliterate humans without a second thought. While Syrce wouldn't do anything to maim Noble on purpose, the potential for accidents with the exuberant Transcendent was uncomfortably high.
"I fear I would not give you enough of a challenge," Child of Promise answered diplomatically.
"I see. None of you wants to go up against me." Syrce bounced on her toes. "I've got it! Since none of you wants to do it alone, all of you can face me together. It's perfect. Thank you all for your generosity!"
"But Aurelia has already gone off," Aether tried.
"She can catch up when she returns. Now let's pick a proper spot while we wait for my sister's lady-in-waiting." Syrce changed into her Transcendent form and moved farther into the forest.
The four remaining Masters looked at one another.
"I suppose we should follow her." Rubbing the back of his neck, Roan smiled. "To be fair, it is good practice to face off against someone more powerful than us."
"It might be fun," Noble shrugged.
"If by fun you mean that Lady Syrce will wipe the floor with us, then yes," Aether chuckled softly.
"Maybe you will be a human mop, Star Boy!" Flint straightened. "I can hold my own."
"Are you saying you will last longer than we can?" Noble raised one eyebrow.
"There's no question about it." The surly Master smirked.
Roan and Aether squared their shoulders. Like Noble, their pride had been challenged.
"Last man standing?" The cohort leader held out his hand.
Aether and Flint put their hands in the middle.
"May the best man win," Aether nodded solemnly.
"Or woman," Noble put her hand in with a wink.
Having lost sight of the Saint in the trees, the four headed in the direction where they had last seen her. Fortunately, she was not far off.
The clearing was not large, smaller than most Dreamscape arenas. The trees were packed in tightly from most of the sides, creating a natural barrier.
Syrce smiled brightly. "It's a little cozy, but I think this will work nicely! Are there any monsters around, Bel?"
Noble closed her eyes and felt for any unwanted presences. "Unless there are more of those wights lurking under us, I think we are safe for now."
"Bring forth your weapons. I am ready when you are!" Syrce nodded.
"Wait! We need some ground rules," Noble was not sure what the Saint had in mind, but the spar needed some parameters.
"I'm listening." Syrce lowered the sword and pushed back her mossy hair.
"First, you cannot transform. In fact, I think it is in all of our best interests if we don't use our powers." Noble nodded slowly.
Flint coughed. "What about using other people's powers?"
"That is a spark of genius to get around the rules, but it would also be cheating."
The floating Master was glad that Flint didn't have the belt anyway. He wouldn't be tempted to try to cheat.
"I will choose the weapon. Everyone must use a sword." Syrce glanced around at the men. All three of them had one at their side, so the request was easy to honor.
"Very well," Noble folded her hands. "As for the match itself, it is Syrce versus all of us. If your body is touched by Syrce's sword, you are out. If any of us land a hit against you, Lady Syrce, we get the win. Agreed?"
"I mean, it is a little less fun when there is no blood to be drawn, but I can see the sense in your reasoning," the Saint tapped her chin. "A single touch to the shoulder would be a bit more of a challenge for me."
"Fine, then we have to land a hit on your shoulder as well," Noble tried to make it even, but Syrce shook her head.
"Anywhere on my torso, and I will concede the match." The Saint jumped, and a girlish squeal escaped her lips. "Oh! This should be fun! And I just thought of the perfect prize! To whomever lands a hit on me first, I will give the post of my second-in-command until Orrin returns."
"But, My Lady, I thought I already held that position," Flint frowned.
The Saint grinned, "Then I suppose you'd better not lose."
Flint grunted. "I'm not bowing down to any of you fools. Better stay out of my way."
"We will see whose sword is the swiftest," Aether retorted with a smirk.
While the three men readied their swords, Noble called forth the Zenith. Sparks formed in her hand as the sword came into being. Her reach was not as long as any of the others around her, but she wasn't afraid.
Size wasn't everything. She had bested men much larger than her with weapons far deadlier over the years. Noble was more wary of their skill than their blades.
"There you are! I was wondering what happened to…" Helie paused, looking around at the group of warriors. "Don't tell me…"
Syrce spun her sword. "You are just in time. And I see you brought your sword! That is perfect."
Helie gripped her blade. She had summoned her weapon in case she had come up against a Nightmare Creature, but now she wondered if this was worse.
Noble reviewed the rules and reiterated Flint's challenge. If someone managed to get the hit on the Saint, they would win both the Master's bet and the prize from Syrce.
Helie narrowed her gaze at the surly Master.
"Let me get this straight. If I win, I get to boss you around? Alright, I'm in."
Readying their blades, the six combatants took their places. Syrce stood in the middle of the ring while five Masters surrounded her at the edge of the clearing.
Five Masters against one Saint? The numbers might have been in their favor, but the odds were not.
Even though Syrce was not in her Transcendent form, the air was alive with the energy radiating from her.
Noble was quite sure that if the Saint willed it, the energy would materialize and attack them on her behalf.
That was a horrifying thought.
'She is no ordinary Saint,' Noble reminded herself.
This woman was an ancient Saint. One forged in the fires of the end of the Doom War.
Seeing the determination in Syrce's grey eyes, Noble doubted that double the number of Masters could best her.
But Noble was no ordinary Master, and her cohort was no ordinary group.
If Syrce wanted to win this match, they would make her earn it.
As if reading Noble's thoughts, a wicked smile formed on Syrce's face. She held her blade, a single word falling from her lips.
"Begin!"