Syrce's emotional signature was easy to find. Her striking personality was reflected in the feelings she projected for Noble to sense.
Coupled with a subtle pull from her Kingdom Keeper Attribute, the beautiful Master found her way through the Fortress without seeking assistance. It felt amazing to both know where she was going and be able to walk to it.
'Is this how normal people feel?'
'I wouldn't know, I've always been exceptional.' Flint allowed one corner of his mouth to tilt upwards.
'I would like to think you are one of a kind,' Noble nodded.
Flint stroked his chin. 'Truer words were never spoken.'
Noble decided not to point out that she hadn't spoken them. Although their reasoning differed, they both knew that the world could only handle one Flint.
More than that? Well, Noble shuddered to think what might happen.
The people around moved aside for the pair to pass through the streets. The wide tree provided ample space for outdoor walking, and now that the battle was done, the soldiers were heading home to rest. They looked and felt utterly exhausted.
That didn't stop them from pausing when they spotted Flint and Noble. At first, Noble thought that the people were simply giving deference to the third-in-command, but then she felt the heat of their furtive glances.
She nodded at one gentleman who found her gaze. He turned red and looked away, too stunned to speak.
Syrce was a Saint, so they had to be used to seeing powerful people. Maybe her hair color had drawn their attention? Most of them had darker shades.
Yes, that must be it.
Pushing away any thoughts to the contrary, Noble slipped her half of The Other's Voice from behind her ear and dove into her Soul Sea. She had been so distracted by all the other findings that she hadn't looked at her shiny new Memory!
The new orb floating in the sky was easy to find, and it came down to rest in Noble's palm before materializing in a rain of sparks.
'I wasn't expecting that.'
She looked down at a fractal blade in the shape of a tooth. Its glossy surface seemed to shimmer slightly out of phase from the rest of her Soul Sea, as if functioning in a different plane of existence. That was strange.
Then there were the runes.
Name: Paradox Fang
Rank: Ascended
Type: Weapon
Description: [He mimicked his victims so well that he could anticipate their movements. His thoughts became action, and that was his enemies' demise. It was his demise as well. Being always in the present and future unraveled his soul. When he turned to dust, all that remained was one glistening fang.]
'Very interesting.'
Noble was no stranger to mimicry. She had spent years in the Dreamscape absorbing styles from others and incorporating them into her own. What had the mysterious 'he' in the description done differently to lose himself so completely?
'Well, it says fang and victims, so perhaps he was a monster.'
Though humans could be monsters. Harlow was a great example. Her rotten core had been rooted out and replaced with a corrupted Nightmare Creature. There was poetic justice in her unremarkable end. That woman did not deserve to be remembered.
Whoever the person described in the Memory was, if they were like Harlow, then Noble was glad they were not given the dignity of a name.
Within her Soul Sea, she examined the Memory in more detail. The large tooth was not quite a sword. Its finger grooves on the handle and miniaturized crossguard were designed for close-quarter combat.
'It's a dagger.' Noble decided.
But what exactly did it do?
The flickering of the blade was a clue; it was both present and absent at the same time.
'Present and future…' Noble reread the runes.
She raised the blade, picturing the incoming strike. Filled with essence, the dagger sailed through the air.
'Oh!'
The slice itself was unremarkable. It was the space before the dagger that caught her attention. It was hard to see inside the iridescent light of her core, but the change was unmistakable.
The moment she had decided how she wanted to make the Paradox Fang move, it was as if the action had already taken place, even though she hadn't lowered the blade.
The air split ahead of her swing as if the dagger were a reverberation and not the originator of the change.
Noble was quite sure that if she hadn't followed through with the action or if she had changed her mind, the strange phenomenon would not have occurred. It either would have behaved like a typical dagger or, worse, would have had no effect at all. Her intent and follow-through were everything.
Having already struck while not having struck at the same time? That was quite the paradox indeed.
'I'll need to test all of this, of course.'
If only she had Bee Two and her fancy containment box from her classroom, then things would be much easier to decipher.
But this was a Nightmare, and Spelltech did not exist.
So the only thing to do was wait until she had time to try out her new Memory and gauge its usefulness. Hopefully, she would find a little time to do that before the next leg of their journey. If not, she would have to learn on the road.
'I wonder if this is strong enough to cut that belt?'
Noble was pretty sure it wouldn't, but it couldn't hurt to try. It would only take a moment to find out.
Dismissing the Paradox Fang, Noble left the iridescent sea behind and refocused her consciousness on the outside world.
A smile bloomed on her face as she looked sidelong at the other Master.
"What?" Flint rubbed his cheek. "Did I miss a spot?"
Turning a corner onto an empty street, Noble stopped by the wall of a taller building.
"Hold still."
Sparks formed in her hand, and already the plan for the cut played out in her mind. Flint's eyes opened wide.
"What are you…BLONDIE!"
Noble covered his mouth with her free hand. "Relax, I just want to try to cut your belt with my new Memory. Didn't you say you wanted it off?"
Flint had managed to bathe and tuck his new tunic inside the enchanted leather, yet it still hung snugly around his waist.
The man pushed his companion's hand away from his mouth.
"Sure, I want it off, but not at the expense of my manhood!"
"I'll be careful, I promise, just give me a chance." Noble waved the knife as she begged.
"You would love it if I became a eunuch. Not a chance. Now put me down!"
"Come on, I'll be quick." Noble smothered her grin as she raised her blade.
She would never really try it without his permission, but the lady was having just a little too much fun to let the joke end yet.
The light glinted off the dagger as she feinted a jab.
He clenched his fist, ready to shoot Noble with ice pellets if she came any nearer. "I'm warning you, woman."
"I don't know what you are worried about! I have only ever missed my mark at such close range once or twice. Those are pretty good odds if you ask me…"
The amusement faded from her face. Seeing her outline on the wall beside Flint had shown her another anomaly with her new Memory.
The Paradox Fang had no shadow.