Noble prepared to jolt the Saint with emotion, but Helie pushed her back. The brunette took her fist and slammed it against Syrce's sternum.
"What are you–" Noble's words stopped short as Syrce's eyes popped open.
The Saint turned her head to one side, coughing up a combination of rocks and water.
Noble rubbed the woman's back as she wretched.
"Helie, how did you know to do that?"
"It seemed like her heart needed starting. I was never taught how to really do chest compressions properly, so I improvised." Helie shrugged.
Awakened bodies didn't exactly work like mundane ones in many ways, so Noble was glad that in this case, everything had worked out. She turned her attention to the woman lying on the ground.
"Syrce! You are alive! I'm so glad."
The Saint wiped her mouth with what was left of her tattered sleeve and forced a smile.
"That makes two of us. That push you gave me was what I needed to finish the job, but it nearly finished me too."
Helie looked around nervously, but Noble quelled her fears. "Mae is dead. And before you ask, yes, I am sure. I accidentally detonated Syrce in the process."
The brunette Master's eyes went wide. "That was the bright light?! I thought maybe Aether had done something crazy."
"No, this time the crazy was all mine, Aurelia," Syrce stood up. "We need to get back to the fighting. There is still much to do–Oh!"
The Saint gripped her side as she fell to one knee. Noble noticed the peach fabric was tinged with crimson.
"You are hurt!" Noble knew the woman wasn't well, but seeing it was a shock to her system.
Syrce pulled at the fabric around her middle. Now that Noble had seen it, the gaping wound was hard to ignore.
The Saint covered it with her arm. "It's just a flesh wound. Mae took a chunk out of me at the end there. I'm fine, really. What you should be worrying about is my people! We need to help them kill the rest of the Others and those monstrous abominations."
"The Nightmare Creatures have been vanquished for the time being," Helie assured her. "And the soldiers are holding their own against the Others. Now that they don't have to be careful about creating the mist for Mae to absorb, they can fight more fiercely."
Noble nodded. "We can let them know you're alive. Leave that to me."
Syrce relaxed, letting her shoulders slump. But then she looked up the hill, and her eyes opened wide. "Roan and Aether! They are fighting the remnant! We need to help them stop the dragon!"
"You aren't going anywhere in this condition, except somewhere to rest." Noble chided the Saint.
"But the Remnant! You cannot beat it without me." Syrce tried to sit up.
"No offense, My Lady, but I'm not sure we could have defeated it with you in top condition. Right now, you would be a hazard," Helie explained.
Noble nodded. Whatever asset Syrce might have been, the fight with Maelys had taken her off the board. Syrce coughed, and a small amount of blood played at the corner of her mouth before being wiped away with a tattered sleeve. The Saint's essence was exhausted, and so was she. Beyond her determination, she was little better than a mundane human.
"You need to get her out of here," Noble told Helie.
Helie was taken aback. "I need to stay and…"
"I won't trust anyone else to protect her. You will make sure she is safe. I'll lift you across the river away from the Others and the Prince."
Noble's quick check confirmed what she had already known. The spiders had all crossed the lake or died in the process. The safest place was on the other side, away from the island fortress.
"You do not plan to fight the Remnant on your own, Bel. You aren't strong enough!" Syrce's face filled with panic.
"I'll figure something out." Noble forced a smile. "Besides, Roan and Aether have managed just fine for this long."
The floating Master felt her heart clench. The men were not just fine. She could feel their exhaustion.
They were at their limit.
Noble knew deep down that her appearance would make little difference. With the way things were, there was no beating the Dragon Prince tonight with three Masters.
Syrce seemed to read her mind. Amid the forming pool of blood, she sat up and gripped Noble's arm. Frantically, the Saint's nails dug into the protective armor.
"You cannot sacrifice yourself, Bel. Remember what I said!"
Noble remembered those words well. The only way to beat something powerful was to be more powerful. But that was impossible.
Even on her best day in the Dreamscape, she could never come close to the mighty Remnant.
Unless she found a way to change the game. If not…
Noble shut her eyes and forced a smile. "I will be fine…"
Syrce's grey eyes had no humor in them.
"That's what my Mae said..."
Pulling her arm away, Noble donned her helmet. "Well, I mean it."
Helie frowned. "What are you planning to do?"
Child of Promise shook her head with a chuckle. "Something stupid."
"Give the boys my love," Helie nodded. "I can get her out of here. You get going."
"No! Bel! Take me with you!" Syrce's pale hand reached out, but there was no energy left in it, at least not for now.
Noble easily evaded her, lifting into the air. "Stay safe. Both of you."
"Good luck." Helie waved.
"Thanks," Noble unsheathed her Zenith. 'I'll need it.'
Taking off toward the top of the hill, the floating Master passed over the human army. They were fighting for their lives, having barricaded themselves behind the wall which Helie had fortified.
The soldiers were holding their own against the reflections, with one exception. The Other currently holding the relic sword was knocking back the humans without mercy. Noble recognized the man as the same one who had stolen the mirror earlier.
Frustrated, she sighed.
'That won't do…'
Noble swooped down on her journey, knocking the blade out of the man's hand. She sent the sword flying up the hillside, far from the Others' reach.
'No sword for you! Now behave!'
The man ducked under the Zenith, and she took out two of his companions in her deadly arc.
[You have slain an Other.]
[You have slain an Other.]
The Spell seemed more confident in its designation, but that didn't stop Noble from being frustrated that she had missed her mark. But there was no looping back.
The humans would have to make do for now until she could get them across the lake to safety. Silently, Noble checked on her connections to the people, strengthening them by any means possible.
Above were the two people who needed her the most.
The top of the hill glowed red with melted lava. The Prince stalked through it, unbothered by the liquid rock he had helped create.
The parts of the ground that were still intact were marred and cracked by the terrible battle. Overhead, a griffin soared with two men currently on its back.
Aether was about to make another dive onto the Dragon's scarred back when he spotted the floating Master.
He patted Roan on the shoulder, and the griffin veered to the side, barely avoiding the Dragon's breath of fire.
Noble waved to them as they neared, and the three headed high into the sky.
The dragon watched them go, refusing to take his good eye off the warriors.
"Where's Syrce?" Roan furrowed his brow.
"Injured but alive. She needs to recuperate." Noble spoke quickly.
"Do we retreat?" Aether wiped the sweat from his brow.
Noble shook her head. "The soldiers would not be able to escape. They are still fighting off the Others. This ends tonight. It has to. Now get back!"
Roan furrowed his brow. "What are you going to do?"
Already the dragon had turned to look at them with a malevolent gleam in his eye.
Noble narrowed her gaze.
"What else? We fight fire with fire."
With that, she joined the suicidal mission to defeat a Remnant of the Doom war.