Noble stared in disbelief. How was that even possible?!
Everything had a shadow, even Memories! Was the Paradox Fang invisible to anyone but her?
No, Flint had seen it, or he wouldn't have been so alarmed by Noble's actions.
So what was happening?
Then Noble understood. The paradox of always being in the future and the present meant the dagger was both there and not there. So that meant that light was being blocked, but also able to pass through at any given moment. The end result was a lack of shadow.
Would she have preferred two shadows? That would have been just as unnerving and made the dagger trackable.
'This…is a very weird Memory.'
Seeing her face, Flint relaxed his fist, and the frozen mist surrounding it dissipated.
"What is it?"
"Look." Noble pointed at the wall behind him with her free hand. She waved the dagger in the air. "Notice anything?"
Flint took a moment to register that there was no dark outline where the Fang should be.
"What kind of accursed Memory is that?!"
The blonde Master shrugged. "I'm not entirely sure, but I plan on studying it when we get back home. I take it you haven't seen anything like it?"
"Something without a shadow? That's a new one for me." The man leaned forward. "And you got it from that giant?"
Noble nodded. "I did."
"Blast it, Blondie. That should have been mine. I was too much of a gentleman and let you have your moment." Flint cursed his luck. "That's twice this week that Memories have been taken from under my nose."
"If we are being completely fair, Lady Syrce should have gotten the kill." Noble could see she wasn't helping. "But I appreciate your sacrifice as well."
"Appreciate, my foot! You were going to stab me with that cursed blade!"
Noble pulled her gaze from the missing shadow and eyed her companion seriously.
"I was never going to stab you, and you know it. Otherwise, you would have frozen me with that ice of yours before my blade even finished manifesting. You either trust me or you want that belt off badly enough that you are willing to suffer bodily harm to do it."
"Well, I certainly don't trust you..." Flint straightened his back.
"Then let me try, for real this time." Noble lowered her hand to a more reasonable level.
Reluctantly, Flint stepped forward. "If this somehow kills me, or worse, turns me into a toad, I am holding you personally responsible."
"Duly noted. Though I find it hard to believe that a toad is worse than death for you." The blonde woman smirked. "Don't they often get kissed and turned into royalty?"
"That's only in fairy tales, Blondie. This is a Nightmare. Now get on with it." The surly Legacy turned his head away so that he didn't have to watch.
He was right. The road they were on was secluded, but Noble could sense people were coming. She needed to hurry.
Looping two fingers into the top of the belt, Noble pulled the leather away from Flint's body. It wasn't much, but it was enough space to slip the dagger between the man and the relic.
She focused on the action. It would be one smooth slash. Infusing the Paradox Fang with essence, Noble pulled toward her.
As before, the reaction happened before the action was completed.
"Well?" Flint didn't dare peek.
Noble examined her handiwork. "I think there is a nick...maybe."
Something had definitely happened. She had felt the leather give before she struck. Yet the relic remained in one piece around Flint's waist.
"Should have known Imagination's creation would have held up against that trinket. It doesn't even have a shadow!" Flint stepped back and straightened his tunic.
"A moment ago, you were calling it a cursed blade, and now it is a trinket?"
The worst part was that he believed it!
'At least he won't try to take it somehow, I guess...'
As a soldier from the Fortress turned down the way, Noble dismissed the dagger and retrieved The Other's Voice from the folds of her gown. Tucking it behind her ear, she tilted her chin.
'Syrce is this way.'
They continued in silence for the rest of the journey. Flint was brooding, though whether it was over her new Memory, the failed attempt at removing the belt, or something else entirely, she couldn't tell.
Sending a little comfort and happiness, Noble felt the emotions not only be rejected, but forcibly shut down.
Maybe he just liked being unhappy, Child of Promise reasoned. Or he was just too used to disappointment to allow anyone to comfort him.
'Great, now I'm sad too.' Noble shielded her thought from her companion.
She was pulled from her musings as Syrce's voice wafted from the end of the lane.
"It is too close, I agree. But we will be safe for the night. The monster is dead, and I don't see another one taking its place just yet."
Syrce paused, considering her next course of action.
"First things first. The caravan should be here within the hour. Get them settled. Hoist the wagons, but don't unload them. We will continue on our journey. As for the future of the Fortress, I need some time to think."
As Noble and Flint drew close, the portly man bowed. "Yes, my lady."
Syrce waved in dismissal and then turned to the newcomers. Her face lit up.
Rushing forward, the Saint caught up the other woman's hands in her own.
"Lady Bel! How delightful! Isn't she the most beautiful creature you've ever seen?"
Flint frowned.
'Please don't answer that!' Noble paled, fearing the incoming insult.
Thankfully, Syrce was not bothered by the man's silence. She nodded.
"It's true! She looks divine! Bel, are you sure you aren't a descendant of the gods?"
Noble blushed.
"You are too kind. I can assure you that I am not."
"That's good." The Saint was relieved. "I would hate to have to destroy you over a silly little thing like that. As my dearest friend, I like you far too much!"
"That's good, I think." Noble coughed. "But enough about me. I couldn't help but overhear that there is a problem with the Fortress. Might we be able to help?"
The winsome smile of Syrce turned sad. "Now you are the one being kind. We do have quite a problem. The darkness has spread yet again. This time, it is too close for us to remain here for now. That is, unless you have some wisdom that might be of use to us, dear Realm Walker."
Syrce was sorely mistaken on the skill set of her companion. However, correcting her misconceptions seemed like a futile endeavor.
At any rate, Noble was very curious about what the darkness could be.
Maybe this was the source of the conflict that they needed to overcome. If that were the case, then the cohort would need any information the Saint could provide.
Noble nodded.
"I would be happy to do what I can. Where is this Darkness?"
Syrce led them to the top of the wall and peered down.
As Noble drew near, she felt the same uneasiness that she had the day before when looking for the missing guards. It was also the same eeriness she had sensed before turning off the path to take the long way to the fortress.
What kind of being was eliciting this kind of response?
As Noble peeked over the edge, her heart stopped. Her stomach clenched. Her mind reeled.
There at the base of the tree was the Darkness.
Only it wasn't a creature.
It was a Nightmare Gate.