"Wait!" Noble's cry came too late.
The cloak wrapped tightly around her, enveloping her form.
She clenched, shutting her eyes and preparing for something terrible to happen. But all she experienced was the comfortable warmth of the velvet. It was perhaps the most comfortable garment she had ever worn.
It was so comfortable, in fact, that Noble felt like she might disappear in the folds entirely.
"Uh, Bel!" Flint's concerned voice brought Noble back from her reverie.
"Sorry, I was just…oh!" Opening her eyes, the floating Master felt a new wave of panic.
Her body was gone! Had she somehow disintegrated into thin air?
Noble reached for her face. Pushing through two armslits in the cloak, she touched her flushed cheeks. She was still made of flesh and blood.
"I'm not a ghost!" Child of Promise heaved a sigh of relief.
"Was that an option?" Syrce laughed. "Of all the things I thought might happen. That wasn't on my list. You are very creative!"
Noble looked down at her hands. Whereas before they had been entirely missing, now her arms were cut off at the elbow.
"An invisibility cloak?" Noble moved. The cloth rustled and the light rippled, giving away her location.
It was more camouflage than truly invisible.
Why would Mirage make something like this?
Noble was moderately sure the gods and daemons could make themselves unseen without the help of an item of clothing, especially one as imperfect as this seemed to be.
Unless that wasn't its intended purpose.
'Divine beings didn't need powerful objects because they themselves were the source of the power. This was an item of convenience, which means…'
Noble thought for a moment. Nothing happened at first, but then the cloak shifted to a shade of purple that perfectly matched her eyes. She pulled back the folds of the cloak.
Her white tunic underneath, influenced by the magical fabric, also took on a violet hue. Buds like lilacs cascaded across the once-plain skirt, so real that Noble could feel the stitching beneath her fingers.
Having changed length, the mystical relic was now the perfect size for the wearer, much to Noble's delight. It was her turn to laugh at the change in development.
"It's a cloak for all occasions!"
If this indeed belonged to Imagination, then she never needed another cloak. This one would change to her whim, making any other item unnecessary.
'Of course, a female deity would make a glorified fashion accessory!' Flint scoffed inside her head.
Spinning around in the cape, Noble smiled. 'Oh? And what would you make, most wise one?'
'Something useful, of course. I would make the perfect chair!' Flint nodded with certainty.
Pointing out that she couldn't sit in it would have given away Noble's flaw, so instead, she remained silent and let him have the victory. Really, the floating Master was surprised that Flint had chosen something so reasonable and ordinary.
He had some sense about him after all!
"You look positively divine!" Syrce teased. "Purple is your color, and no one can convince me otherwise!"
Noble twirled once more in the cloak fit for a god.
"Thank you. It is nice to feel fancy every so often." She reached for the clasp. "But I've had my fun, and I am finished now."
"What? No! You must keep it! The original owner has no use for it anymore, and it looks so nice on you!" Syrce clasped her hands, catching the pendant around her neck in them as she pleaded.
"I thought…won't you need it?" Noble wasn't sure if the treasure trove belonged to Syrce, the army traveling with her, or the kingdom that she and her sisters ran.
"What is something as trivial as a cloak between friends? You have defended my people twice already. I think that deserves some compensation, don't you?"
The Saint smiled brightly.
"Thank you." Noble bowed deeply.
Syrce had her quirks, but she was generous and cared deeply.
'Sure, she gives you something, but I was there too, you know!' Flint pouted.
That was a decent point. Willingly or not, Flint had gone with her on both missions and fought just as fiercely as she had. Sure, he was a bit whiny and insufferable, but he was a hard worker as well.
"If you are compensating people for bravery, perhaps you might also find it in your heart to let Titus have something as well?" Noble tried.
The mossy-haired Transcendent furrowed her brow. "He already has the belt? You aren't that greedy, are you, Titus?"
Flint was caught off guard. "I, uh..."
"I am joking, of course! You should see your face!" Syrce's grey eyes were filled with mirth. "Take what you like, Titus. Any one thing can be yours except for the source of our quest."
The man was overcome for a moment. Noble nudged him gently with her levitation powers.
"I will choose wisely, My Lady." Flint bowed.
'I don't know what your angle or hers is right now...' The man spoke through their shared Memory.
'If it helps you, it helps us all.' The floating Master smiled. 'Anyway, you have earned it.'
Noble tilted her head at the wagon. "So, what will you pick?"
After regarding the harp, which had been wrapped up and put aside, Flint decided against taking it. While beautiful, the temptation to play it would be too high.
He stepped into the bed of the wagon to take a closer look at the items in the back. Syrce followed him, her eyes searching for the initial reason they had come looking for the cart.
Noble waited patiently while both of the others scoured the inventory. Finally, Flint pulled out something that made a genuine smile break onto his face.
"What is it?" Noble lifted off the ground slightly to get a better look.
Flint held out a black stone. "It's coal."
"I...don't understand." The lady admitted after a moment.
How could a rock...and a humble one at that...make him nearly giddy?
"Is that the Burning Stone?" Syrce asked over her shoulder. "It's a decent choice."
"Burning Stone?" Noble's eyes widened.
In Flint's hand, the coal suddenly burned red, putting off enough heat to make the lady in the cloak sweat.
"Don't you see?" Flint's voice cracked. "I manipulate heat. This produces heat. It will give me a whole new range of temperatures to work with!"
"I hope you will enjoy it," the Saint smiled briefly before digging through another box.
"I will." Flint gripped the stone tightly. He must have been redirecting the heat away from his skin, or else his palm would have been singed. Right now, the only thing burning was his dark eyes.
He looked at Noble with an unreadable expression.
'T-thank you.' His words were as foreign to him as the feeling of gratitude he seemed to be fighting.
'It's the least I could do.' Noble shrugged.
Flint studied her. 'That's not true. You could have said nothing. But I am glad you did.'
'Glad? Did you just express an emotion beyond loathing?' The lady in violet chuckled softly.
'Don't get used to it.' Flint narrowed his gaze, but there was a hint of playfulness still in it that was not lost on Noble. Perhaps the stone had thawed a bit of his frosty exterior in addition to heating the air.
Before either of them could continue their silent banter, Syce let out a cry of exultation.
"Here it is! It's always the last place you look...I know, I know it's probably because you stop looking, but that is beside the point!"
Pulling out a box the length of her forearm, Syrce presented the small chest to her friend.
This is what they had come to see.