Syrce chuckled humorously. "Indeed. The sky is as fractured as the ground. That is what war does. It shatters."
Noble's mind was reeling.
'The moon...is broken! How is that even possible?'
On her journey back the night before, the moon had risen and fallen behind her as they headed home. Now, she was able to see it in its full glory.
The crescent was split into dozens of large pieces. Each one was suspended close enough to the others to retain the moon's shape, giving it the appearance of a terrifyingly beautiful stained glass window.
The moon in Bastion had not been like that, she was sure of it!
"What about your Realm? Was it ravaged as well?" Syrce's words pulled her gaze from the heavens.
Noble thought for a moment. "It has been hurt by monsters and humans alike. And sadly, I do not think the damage will lessen any time soon."
Between the Spell's antics and the Sovereigns gearing up for a not-so-civil war, the future of the Waking World looked bleak.
Syrce nodded slowly. "Are your lands affected by the darkness as well?"
"I..." Noble wasn't exactly sure how to answer. It would have been helpful if she had more information. Perhaps she could...
"My Lady." Orrin appeared before the Master could make up her mind. He bowed deeply. "We have a message from the fortress."
"A message?" Syrce's unflappable mask was immediately in place. "How?"
"A Violet One brought it. He is waiting for you to remove the note." The Shieldbearer rubbed his hand.
Even in the pale light, Noble could see the cut on the back of his palm.
'He must have tried to retrieve the note himself. What kind of creature can scare a powerful man like Orrin?'
"Let's go." Syrce stood and motioned for her subordinate to lead the way.
Carried by her curiosity, Noble followed behind them both.
In the center of the camp, a creature had its wings tucked and its sharp beak was picking at a spot on its belly. As soon as the Violet One saw them coming, its head snapped toward them, staring unblinkingly with two glassy eyes.
'It's....it's a huge pigeon!'
While it did have some notable differences, like the crown of feathers on its head and its unusually sharp talons, the bird did resemble a much larger version of the pigeons that sometimes frequented the upscale parks.
Noble had always theorized that the pigeons were shipped in by wealthy people to make their parks seem fancier.
It didn't help that any bird who was unfortunate enough to find its way to the outskirts would eventually become someone's meal. Even pigeon was preferable to synthpaste.
The bird before her would have fed an outskirts family for close to a week. But Noble doubted any mundane human would be brave enough to try and kill one.
"How did he get to the center of camp?" Syrce raised an eyebrow.
"He found the night watch, and they let him in. I brought him here because I thought I could entice him to give up the message with some food. I was sorely mistaken." Orrin winced.
Sitting on a stump by the fire, the Violet One seemed to understand.
It glared at the Shieldbearer with murderous intent. He backed up behind Noble, ready to use her as a human shield.
"Such a pretty birdie," Syrce cooed. She stepped forward and pursed her lips. "Did that mean Orrin try to take your message? Shame on him!"
As she spoke, the Saint reached out her hand and stroked the Violet One's head gently. He chirped, then purred, then made a noise that Noble couldn't quite name.
"That is right," the Saint answered in a sing-song voice. "But I am here now."
In a smooth motion, Syrce pulled at the canister attached to the bird's leg. Then she tossed it to her second in command.
While Orrin released the intricate lock that held the message, Noble looked at another of Imagination's creations. Like the Pink Ones, the bird had an uncanny quality. It felt like something that shouldn't exist, and yet here it was before her.
Syrce smiled and waved her companion forward. "Come and see my dear Milton."
"I am good right here, thank you."
Noble could feel she was at the end of her tether with Flint. Any more and she would cause him great pain. That was her reason, not that she was a little nervous that the bird might try to gouge out her eye without warning.
The Saint looked disappointed. "Are you sure? He is a little shy but very friendly."
"Ha!" Orrin let out a stifled laugh. Realizing his error, he coughed. "I mean, aha! I have opened it."
The inner casing slid out at that very moment, much to the man's relief.
"Don't just stand there," Syrce clicked her tongue. "Read it. Is it from my sister by the sea?"
"No. It's from the fortress. We are needed urgently. They are under attack." Orrin's eyes opened wide. "The Darkness has gotten too close."
"And here I was hoping it was a family update. My hopes are dashed." Syrce's smile faded. "Wake everyone. We leave in five minutes."
------
When the news spread, the caravan was up and ready in half of the allotted time. The detour had cost them, but they were unwilling to let anything else stop them from helping out their comrades.
That was assuming that the battle was still going when they got there.
Despite the large piece of paper, the note had been sent in haste and was light on details. Rumors were that the bird had been circling for days, but Noble did not believe that to be true. The creature did not seem the least bit tired.
If they hurried, they might make it in time to fight against the mysterious darkness.
Flint seemed as nervous as Noble about the upcoming battle, but that did not stop her from asking him the question gnawing at her.
Having dismissed The Other's Voice the night before, the Master hid the summoning sparks by holding her hands against her armor.
She covertly passed her companion half of The Other's Voice.
'Flint?'
'What do you want, Blondie?'
Noble chewed her lip.
'Do you know anywhere that has a fractured moon?'
'Fractured?' Flint's mood shifted slightly. 'Are you trying to tell me that the moon here is in pieces?'
Noble nodded slightly when the man looked over his shoulder from the front bench.
'Have you seen anything like it?'
Flint turned back to the front and contemplated for a moment.
'I overheard my brother talking about a shattered sky once. He was speaking with a Knight of Valor. Said something about a strange copy. They stopped talking when I came, but the comment stuck with me. When I asked him later, he acted like I had gone crazy. Steel always likes to make me angry, though. You know this one time…'
'So you don't know where the place he mentioned is?' Noble stopped Flint before he could unload the litany of grievances he had against his brother.
The surly Master shook his head slightly. 'I do not.'
"Enough of this!" Syrce's outburst startled two of the three other occupants in the wagon.
Only Orrin remained unmoved. "My Lady?"
"I cannot wait any longer. I must get there immediately! You stay with the soldiers. I am going on ahead." The Saint looked at the other woman. "Bel? Would you like to go on an adventure? If things are as bad as I fear, we will need another warrior."
Noble allowed a small smile. "If you lead the way, I will follow."
Flint cleared his throat.
"As long as Titus can come too. We are still tethered," she added belatedly.
"I'll bring the Violet One as well." Syrce nodded. "He won't appreciate being left behind."
Orrin flinched. "No, he won't."
In a blink, three humans and their aviary companion raced across the countryside. Syrce alternated between riding the Violet One and racing along in her transcendant form.
The forest passed in a blur until, at last, they reached the Fortress.
There were just two problems.
One was the giant attacking the fortified walls.
The second was the Fortress itself.
It wasn't Bastion.