A heartbeat later, Noble tumbled out of the world of darkness and landed on the cold, rocky ground.
Pain wracked her soul as she scrambled away from the figure who had abducted her.
She cried out only to have a shadowy hand wrap itself around her mouth.
"I'm sorry." A man manifested before her. "Transporting people like that usually doesn't hurt them."
"It wasn't the journey but the bumpy destination!" Noble waved away the shadow hand before rubbing her rear.
"Ah, that makes more sense. Sorry, just the same." Sunny took a step back to give the woman space.
Noble took in a few deep breaths to steady herself. The surprise travel through a breathless world and then a crash landing had rattled her more than she cared to admit. Part of her had expected Sunny to make an appearance but not with such an explosion of motion!
"Did you mean to abduct me like that, or did you think I was there to harm Rain?" She asked.
"You did get closer than I would like to admit without my notice, which did suddenly put me on my guard." Sunny shrugged. "But it is good that we have a moment. I need to speak with you before you see Rain. She's undergone some changes since you last saw her, and I wanted to prepare you."
"I know she Awakened, if that's what you mean. That's why I'm here." Noble felt Sunny's emotions spike.
"How could you possibly… did someone from the citadel tell you in the waking world?" For once, the Saint truly seemed at a loss.
"One of my Attributes connects me to others and their feelings. My connection to Rain is especially deep. I felt it when she Awakened naturally. It was quite something to experience secondhand. I can only imagine how it was for Rain." Noble nodded slowly.
Sunny squinted at her.
"Then I suppose that makes where I brought you even more poignant…"
Now that Noble's eyes had adjusted to the surroundings, she looked around. "Where exactly are we?"
"Where it happened." The Shadowy Saint tilted his head toward a mound of dirt a little distance from the cliffside.
No, it wasn't dirt; it was flesh.
Noble moved cautiously toward it. While she didn't feel any malevolence coming from it, her instincts would not allow for any surprises.
Seeing the many stab wounds, Noble could not believe her eyes. The fatal injury was the creature's lopped-off head, but there were countless other wounds on the creature's motionless limbs.
"Rain and Tamar did all this?"
"No. Tamar was too injured to fight. Rain's desire to protect her when that thing finally caught up with them helped her to finally form her core and Awaken."
Noble looked at the limbs, some of which seemed to have detached on their own before being dispatched. The blood on one of them was still oozing.
She gave the man with her an incredulous glance.
"Some of these wounds are fresher than others, and I know Rain has been asleep for many hours."
Sunny tilted up his chin. "I may have finished what she started so the minions would not, but the kill for the Tyrant is all hers."
Noble's eyes opened wider as she realized what she was looking at. This was like the hydra that Jet had killed. It wasn't one monster. There were dozens!
"It had been chasing her and Tamar for days. Rain finally had enough and took care of the problem." A small smile crept onto the man's face as he felt a surge of pride all over again.
"I had hoped it had died when it fell into the canyon with the girls, but dying by the hand of its prey is a more fitting end for that creature," Noble added her own motherly affection to the elder brother's emotional display.
'Rainy…you are on another level.'
Sunny raised an eyebrow at the woman beside him. "I don't suppose you 'felt' the fall as well?"
"No. I was probably in the waking world when that happened. My connection to Rain is strong, but trying to feel across Realms is a bit much even for me." Noble smiled gently.
Sunny continued to stare at her, causing Noble to giggle.
"Not knowing is killing you, isn't it?"
The shadowy Saint gave her a sidelong glance and crossed his arms. "Hm, yes, well, that's nothing special. I've died before!"
Noble shook her head. Rain and her brother could both be very stubborn. It was endearing in its own way.
"If you must know, I have a friend at the construction office, and he notified me when 'Rani's' survey team arrived without her. Fleur and Ray told me what happened."
Sunny's expression darkened.
"That troublemaker blabs too much."
'I knew he would say something like that…'
Noble shook her head. "Don't worry, I'll be sure to act surprised and astonished when Rainy tells me. When she gets home, I know Fort and the boys will be excited to hear her version too."
"Home?" Sunny furrowed his brow.
Noble nodded.
"Yes, I am assuming Tamar knows or at least has an inkling of what happened. Rain needs to avoid the Sovereigns, and since Ki Song is sending out her army in the next week, there is no safer place for Rain than at home."
"Have you met your daughter? Safe and her aren't exactly terms I would put together…" Sunny rubbed his forehead. The number of crazy things he had seen his sister attempt as a mundane human could fill a book longer than one of his exploration reports.
Unable to argue, Noble shrugged.
"Be that as may, I'm bringing her home. I'm going to have to tell her I'm a Saint, but it will be worth that price." Noble could feel the man's uncertainty as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"Best of luck." He answered at last.
'What's that supposed to mean?' Noble narrowed her gaze. "Do you know something I don't?"
"Yes." Sunny licked his lips and took a step toward the canyon. "It was good talking to you, Noble. Enjoy your reunion with Rain."
"Saint Sunny…" Noble didn't get past those words before the man instantly dissolved into shadows. He sped over the side of the cliff, mixing with the myriad of shadows of the Weeping Goddess.
'What could be so terrible that he ran from me like that?' Noble pursed her lips.
Maybe Rain wanted to continue with construction. She did love building things.
'She won't keep wanting to build roads when she realizes how they are being used. Anyway, if that's the case, there are many construction projects in Ravenheart that she can take on. Among other things, the city needs streets constructed as it continues to grow.'
Noble glanced at the waterfalls and clicked her tongue.
"Coward. Whatever the issue is, I can take it. Rain will be happy to come home, you'll see!"
No answer came, and Noble was forced to abandon the fruitless argument.
She cast one last glance at the dead abomination.
There were no more answers to be found here. The girl who had them was asleep in the citadel below.
Noble lifted into the air, made herself almost invisible once more, and followed Sunny over the side.
'Let's try this again…'