"My Lady!" Orrin dipped his head lower.
Taking the cue, Flint reluctantly followed suit.
Noble's eyes met the Saint's, and for a moment she could view their grey, terrifying depth.
The strange being that had helped them was not a deity or a noble creature. It had been Syrce's Transcendent transformation.
That was the chasm of difference between a Master and a Saint. Noble, Flint, and Orrin would have perished on their own. Yet with Syrce, the tide of battle had turned almost immediately.
Except for some minor assistance on where to aim, the mossy-haired champion could have completed the battle on her own.
The realization was truly humbling.
But wasn't that a good thing?
Noble had entered this Nightmare to get stronger. To protect those she loved!
The increase in power she could gain by conquering the trial would give her an almost incalculable boost. If anything, the display should encourage her that she made the right choice to enter the Seed.
But before Child of Promise could conquer the Nightmare and attain immeasurable power, she had a very important issue to deal with first.
Syrce's anger.
Noble felt the emotion radiating like the manifested pure energy that the Saint had just been. It was cold, fierce, and unyielding.
And all that emotion was aimed at the three warriors before her.
It was no wonder Orrin was trembling.
"You were supposed to return within the hour." Syrce's words cut like knives.
They had agreed to that. Noble glanced up at the sun through the trees. They had passed that deadline by a wide margin by now.
Noble lowered her head. "I lost track of time."
"Of course you did, Lady Bel." The grey-eyed woman clicked her tongue. "It wasn't your job to manage it. And speaking of jobs…"
Syrce's wrath turned toward Flint.
"You were supposed to protect Bel. Leading her against an abomination that powerful was in direct defiance of that pledge."
"I don't need protecting." Noble furrowed her brow. "I–"
The Saint's eyes crackled with energy as the wisps of her hair around her face stood on end. "I cannot tolerate this blatant disregard for my orders. What would have happened to Bel if I had not been there to rescue you?!"
Child of Promise flinched. "I don't think you can reasonably..."
"I will tell you what would have happened. I would have lost my dearest friend! There is no doubt about it. Your punishment will be severe." The air between Syrce's fingers crackled.
Orrin bowed deeper, his heart beating wildly. He seemed ready to accept his fate. But Noble was not.
"Stop!"
Overcoming the fear coiled in her belly, the floating Master moved between the Shieldbearer and his commander.
"Bel, step aside." Syrce's words were compelling, but Noble found the strength to resist.
"I cannot. If you want to punish Titus and Orrin, punish me first."
Dipping her head, Noble tried not to panic. If the Saint decided to remove her goodwill, things would go very poorly, very fast.
The Transcendent's eyes filled with a storm of emotion.
"You do not fall under my orders. They do."
"I was the one carrying them. They had no control over when they returned as long as I held them in the air." Realizing she was painting a very poor picture of herself, Noble coughed. "Besides, is there not a time when orders must be ignored for the greater good?"
"Greater good?" Syrce raised one eyebrow. "Are you saying my orders were not good?"
The blonde shook her head. "Not at all. They were based on the knowledge you had at the time. But the situation changed, and we made the best of it. Thanks to Orrin's tracking, Titus's keen sense of the creature's weak point, and your overwhelming might, the swarm can no longer hurt your people. Humans have one less Terror to worry about in these woods."
"That is true," Syrce looked around at the carnage. "Still, an order is an order, and there must be a punishment for those who go rogue."
Noble swallowed.
The Saint lifted her hands. She placed them on the blonde's shoulders.
"For the sake of the greater good, I think that punishment should be to gather as much of this meat as the men can carry and bring it back to the group. It will be good to have something to bring with us to the Fortress beyond just the relics."
"I think that is a wonderful idea." Noble smiled.
The crackling energy in the Saint's body receded. Her normal, affable demeanor returned.
"It is settled then!" Syrce clapped her hands. "It is always nice when you talk some sense, Lady Bel. What would I do without you?"
'Without you, I wouldn't be a pack mule for moth meat!' Flint shook his head slightly.
'You would be dead meat instead,' Noble replied.
As if hearing their thoughts, Syrce giggled. "Haha, it's true!"
"My Lady, before I complete the task, may I inquire after Drusus's body? And Livia's too." Orrin added belatedly.
"What do you mean?" Syrce's smile faded. "You found them?"
"I lost control of them right before Lady Syrce arrived. But I don't think they were eaten. If I had to guess…" Noble scanned the area. "Unless they ended up under the Widow, they would be right…about…there!"
Hanging like a cradle in some of the broken branches, Noble spotted one of the two crimson pods.
Leading the charge, Syrce headed straight for the cocoon. A half step behind, Noble followed the Saint as she took in the state of their surroundings.
During the battle, Child of Promise had not paid attention to the change in the landscape. Now that it was over, she was truly startled by the devastation.
The sickly, yellowed trees that once dotted the area were uprooted on their sides or missing entirely. The cave which held the Widow was gone, having been obliterated when the Terror stood to attack.
The monster corpses and their red silk looked like stones and moss scattered across the broken earth. The change was profound.
At least it had happened in the middle of nowhere. When the gate opened by her in the NQSC, thousands of homes and businesses had been destroyed.
Here, given enough time, the forest would heal on its own.
That was a small mercy.
Reaching the first cocoon, Noble saw Livia's pale face and blue lips peeking out.
"Such a shame. We will bring her back for a proper burial." Syrce received a small knife from Orrin, and she finished the cut that he had started.
The silk sluffed away, revealing the rest of the woman's still form.
"Careful, some of that thread is poisonous," Noble advised as Syrce passed the knife back and moved to lift the guard.
"I am very hard to kill," Syrce smiled bitterly. "I will be fine."
Together, the group found the second coffin fifty meters farther. This time, Orrin cut away the threads that bound his kin.
Tears filled his eyes as he spoke softly to the young man. "You followed me on this dangerous journey, my boy. I hope your next one is more peaceful."
Using her Ability, Noble lifted the young man from the cocoon and laid him on the ground.
Syrce set the woman beside him. She sighed.
"That's done then. Let's gather the moth meat and then get these two home."
But then, something changed.
The blue lips of Drusus trembled slightly.
He gasped.