Quick Recap

Shaking her head, Noble chuckled. 

"What kind of Nightmare? A strange one. And the time discrepancy makes it that much weirder. I don't know whether you were lost underground for much longer than you think or if my unique entry tossed me farther back in the past than it should have, but I have been here at least six weeks."

"Weird, but not exactly bad. That means you already know the central conflict and have a good grasp on the players," Nickel leaned in to hear what his coworker had to say. 

"I believe the central conflict has to do with a Tyrant called the Lord of the Mountains." Noble unconsciously looked toward where the peaks of ash and snow lay. 

"You aren't sure?" Sarai furrowed her brow. 

"You would know better than I do how this all ends. I was still trying to escape with the [Portcullis Key] and missed the time reversal." Noble scratched her head. 

"We didn't get any recap at all," Sarai's eyes dropped. "It was just blackness and then I woke up in that bedroom in this body. I am guessing the replay was skipped because you were already in here." 

Pinching the bridge of her nose, Noble sighed. The mistake she had made was huge, but she would have to move on.

"I am positive the conflict has to do with the Tyrant. An invisible barrier protects the city, but he and his minions nearly breached it last time they attacked." Noble paused. "As for who the key players are, that all changed with your arrival. Sarai, you are the temperamental Queen who was making my task impossible, and Nic, you are the terrified survivor of a campaign with my dead father." 

"Am I a washed-up drunk?" Nickel asked with a twinkle in his eye.

Noble blinked at him a few times. "I don't think so…In my only interaction with Derik, he somehow evaded my Ability to lift things and knew the city streets like the back of his hand. Why do I feel like you wanted to be a washed-up drunk?" 

Nickel smirked. "What can I say? It's a fun part to play, and no one ever sees you coming." 

"No, Derik was stealthy, just like you. It makes sense that you would replace him, actually. You had a lot of things in common." Noble had to admit both Sarai and Nickel were excellent substitutes for the people they had replaced. 

Nickel and Derik were both evasive and meticulous planners. While Nic did not have the capability to slip from her telekinesis, he had found his own way to slip through her grasp on the rooftop. 

Like the Queen, Sarai had fire power though it was not exactly the same. Emira's flames were molten and could be produced anywhere. 

But the similarities were striking.

Even their flaws were close. Sarai had difficulty controlling her emotions--it was one reason she appreciated Noble's calming influence-- and from what Noble could tell, Emira had a temper that raised the room's temperature and made her want to commit murder. 

'If I had known these two were coming, these are the people I would have picked for them to play.'

Noble wondered at the foresight of the Spell. Had it known all along, or were these people truly the closest copies and Noble had just gotten lucky? 

It was a mystery that she would likely never solve. 

"I will be sure to let the Spell know that you want to be a drunk next time, Nic. I am sure that will work out for you," Noble teased. 

"Thanks," Nickel seemed oddly pleased by the prospect. Was he already considering becoming a Saint?

They needed to conquer this Nightmare first! And to do that, Noble needed to fill them in on all the details so they could proceed. 

Noble coughed lightly. 

"Hm, as I was saying, I was dropped into the Nightmare six weeks ago. I landed outside the city where my character, Lady Brenna, was trying to escape. I was caught by a man and Symncus who turned out to be my two protectors: Counsel and Kosi. What is it?" Noble could feel the redhead's curiosity piqued. 

Sarai chewed her lip, hesitant to interrupt. "Uh, it's nothing. Just...What's a Symncus?"

"Was it that oversized cat-dog in your prison cell?" Nickel hid his discomfort behind a mask of indifference. 

"Yes, he is a Noble Creature and a Demon. He is very intelligent. Counsel has the ability to talk to him just like you and I are speaking now." 

"That's amazing! I cannot wait to meet him." Sarai clasped her hands.

"There will be time for that when we are through, but I should send him and Counsel a message that I am well and will return later."

Floating to one of the doors, Noble peeked into the hall and sent a message with a servant. At least she wouldn't have the two protectors' worry on her conscience. 

"Where was I? Oh yes, I came back to the palace where I had the strangest dinner with the Queen. She turned out to be my aunt and put me under house arrest until the big celebration of her hundred-year reign. Emira was quite a piece of work. And not very well-liked. The first night I was here someone tried to poison her drink." 

Noble's words caused Nickel to spit into his cup. "Please tell me that the person was caught. We are literally in her room having food and drink meant for this Emira." 

"Don't worry. Her Majesty dealt with the problem. It hasn't happened again since." Noble was fairly confident that the food was not tainted. "If you don't feel sick by now, you are fine." 

"That's not as comforting as you think it is," Nic rubbed his stomach. 

Sarai summoned a vial and passed it to him. "If you are too worried, have a sip of this," she offered. 

Nickel accepted the drink. 

"Anyway..." As good as it was to have friends surrounding her again, Noble could feel them repeatedly getting off track. "Anyway, since I have been stuck in the palace, I have been doing all the research I can on the Tyrant and his Heart. Counsel has helped me immensely in gathering all the information. 

"I have also been working to perfect my ability to lift things from the ground, training as much as I can in an enchanted underground arena, and oh! I learned a tiny bit of sorcery."

"I like how you threw in that last detail like it was nothing." Nickel shook his head. 

"It's not a huge deal." Noble flushed. "And not the most important thing that has happened here. When I figured out that the Tyrant was the main obstacle for the Nightmare, I worked to get both Counsel and Queen Emira to join forces against the foe. Unfortunately, Her Majesty refused to help me...which led me to join a rebellion that had already formed in my name." 

Noble went on to explain the circumstances surrounding Lord Byzas's and Lady Alura's deaths, how Emira had blamed Counsel but Brenna had saved him, her own experience with the Tyrant on the battlefield, and finally ended with the scene that had taken place in the Great Hall the day before. 

"You mean this Lord Gavin and Counsel started a revolt for you, without you?" Sarai listened to the whole tale with great interest. 

"Yes, and Byzas paid the price. I almost did too if not for Kosi." Noble sighed. 

"Only you could start a revolution without even trying," Nickel was amused. "Are you sure none of your fans from the Dreamscape somehow found their way in here?" 

"Haha, very funny," Noble wrinkled her nose. 

"What now? Do we form a plan?" Sarai had once again started to snack on the food in the center. 

Noble nodded at her fiery-haired friend. "We make a plan. And I know the first step. You surrender."