Let the Fire Fly

Sarai paled. "What do you mean?" 

Counsel raised both eyebrows at her question. "You heard me. Unless you are pretending to be hard of hearing as well."

Noble rushed across the floor and inserted herself between them.

She leveled Counsel with a withering gaze.

"You cannot speak to my aunt that way! She was kind enough to grant you a sparring match and you ridicule her in gratitude. Why are you upset about winning a sparring match with Her Grace?" 

Counsel threw an accusing finger at his opponent. "That is just it. She let me win! I saw what she did in your battle in the throne room. This was nothing like that. She didn't even use her primary weapon, just some second-rate spear which can channel a pale form of her fire." 

"HEY!" The color returned to Sarai's face. He could insult her all day long, but the second he said anything against her beloved weapon, she was ready to go to war. 

Standing her ground, Noble held out her arms to keep both parties separated.

"What happened in the throne room was a mistake. And beyond that, it was a battle to the death, not a spar. You cannot expect the two to be the same. You won. Enjoy it." 

The man's finger and countenance fell. "So that is how it is. Her Grace wants to make a fool of me, and you defend her yet again." 

"No one thinks you are a fool..." Noble tried. 

But her words fell on deaf ears. 

"If Her Grace were truly trying, she would never have sent such a small ball of fire directly at me. She has seen me redirect them too many times. Am I a mouse and you a cat? Will you not even leave me some self-respect? It seems not..." 

Sarai pressed her lips together. "Counsel, I yielded because I wanted to save my 'second-rate' spear, not to let you earn a hollow victory. I know you may not believe me, but..." 

"You are right. I do not believe you." The man turned toward Noble and gave a stilted bow. "I will excuse myself, Your Majesty."

Noble handed him the vial in her hand. "Please reconsider. We would love to continue to have your company. Wouldn't we?"

Sarai's emotions were all over the place. The man had been rude to her twice, and she did not seem keen on having it happen a third time. It was understandable. 

'Why am I trying so hard to make them like each other?' Noble felt her head ache. Why was this so complicated? 

Sometimes she felt like she was losing herself. Counsel had been so instrumental in helping her when she arrived in the Nightmare that it was hard to remember he wasn't real. The bond that Brenna had made tied them together by law, and Noble was beginning to feel her emotions were deeply affected by Counsel's mood. 

But Counsel was an asset. His cooperation was vital in her current plans to tackle the Nightmare. They just needed to push through until the end. 

Noble briefly considered telling him that he was right. Sarai was a fraud, and she had replaced the Queen. But that would raise many questions, some that Noble wasn't sure she could answer. 

As much as it pained her, perhaps it was better to just keep the two separated for now. 

Counsel spoke before she could. "If it pleases Your Majesty, I will return when I can better hold my tongue. I do not want to offend you further." 

He shot the red-haired royal a haughty look then headed up the stairs two at a time. The women watched him go.

Sarai sniffed angrily.

"How dare he insult my baby! He just doesn't know how amazing you are." She stroked the spear lovingly.

"I am sorry he acted that way." Noble continued to look at the stairs with a contemplative expression.

"Is he always so outspoken?" The fiery-haired duelist pursed her lips. "Deep down I want to like him, but those kind of remarks make it very hard." 

"He is normally very charming. I think he was trying to lure you into losing your temper. Emira did and said a lot of things to him. After all of this time spent avoiding you, I had thought he would be more cautious. I was wrong."

"Well, despite his outburst, he is right about one thing...I did let him win." Sarai tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and looked away. "I might be weaker than the former queen, but now that I know that little trick of his, I can think of a half-dozen ways to counter it."

Noble couldn't help but smirk. "Emira called sorcery a trick also. Perhaps it is because you both share a sorcery Aspect that the Sorcery of Names seems unimpressive."

Sarai shrugged. "When he can make the world burn without a word, then maybe I will change my thinking." Looking up the stairs, she sighed. "I do feel a little bad about angering Counsel. I should apologize. I do want him to like me. Should we go after him?"

"It may be best if you continue only minimal interaction. Give Counsel space and time. He said he would come back, and he meant it. He is jealous of how much time I am spending with you, so he is sure to crash the party again as soon as he is calm enough." Noble was sure on this point.

"Are we having a party?" Sarai spun her spear and grinned.

"Yes," the new Queen nodded seriously. "And this party is about to get HOT!"

The redhead groaned. "This again? We have tried for days. I cannot emulate Emira's type of flame. I didn't even see it to know what it looks like or how it was formed."

"As I said, it was like lava. And although I think you can do it, that is not the most important thing right now…" Noble gave her friend a meaningful look.

"The column?" Sarai raised one eyebrow.

"Yes, the column," Noble confirmed. "I really think you can do it!"

"But you said Counsel was guiding it with his wind." The younger woman argued.

"But Emira acted like she didn't need him at all. I think he only amplified what she was already doing."

Having run the memory over in her mind, Noble was certain that Emira could have completed some form of the action on her own. And if the former Queen could do it, certainly Sarai could as well!

"Just give it another try…" Noble clasped her hands and pushed out her lip.

"Alright, no need to give me puppy dog eyes. You know I'll do it." Sarai clicked her tongue.

Noble beamed. "You're the best, you know that?"

"If only your protector friend knew that," the redhead shrugged.

Kosi raised his head and snorted.

"Not you, sweetheart," Sarai said with a dip of her head. "I meant the one with a cloud perpetually over his head when he is around me."

Satisfied, the Symncus lowered his chin onto his paws.

"Enough stalling," Noble tapped the tip of the estoc on the ground twice. "Let's go!"

"But what if it works and I accidentally melt the wall?" The other woman hesitated a moment longer.

"If it hasn't happened yet, it won't. And even if it does, then you'll get to see the cave drawings before the wall heals itself," Noble rolled her eyes.

She had told both Nickel and Sarai about the drawings and even recreated them to the best of her memory. But like the runes of the library, the other two had nothing in particular they could do with the information.

And Noble didn't dare try to take them inside. Sure the [Portcullis Key] had helped her escape before, but she wasn't sure how the magical wall would react to two or even three passengers.

Nickel had tried to use the key without her in order to enter, but the man did not seem to know fear. He frustratedly decided that he didn't want to go in there anyway.

"Just don't tell Nic if you get a peek at the mural. He'll take it personally." Noble winked. "Now stop stalling!"

"Fine."

Blowing out her cheeks, Sarai dismissed her spear.

Raising her arms, she took a deep breath.

And let her fire fly.