Soften the Blow

Using her telekinesis, Noble cleared the furniture closest to the dining table. This would require some space.

'Here goes!'

Noble summoned the orb which she had been reluctant to touch since returning from the Nightmare.

The space beside her filled with sparks, causing both her children and husband to scoot back instinctively.

A few moments later the sparks solidified.

The creature before them was halfway between what would have been considered a cat and a dog only larger than a horse. His golden fur looked velvety smooth, except for where it jutted out around his face in a haphazard mane. His dark eyes looked as proud as they did innocent.

But they also looked empty.

Noble's smile turned sad. She had intended to show Sarai and Nickel her new echo, but time had not permitted it. So this was the first time seeing her friend since his death.

For this was Kosi.

'No, it's an echo. Kosi is gone.'

To be fair the real Kosi had died countless years before. What Noble had known had always been just a recreation, only her emotions toward him had been real.

"Whoa!" Blaze was the first to snap from his amazement. "You have an Echo!"

"He's a Symncus," Noble informed them. "When I killed Kosi, I received an echo from the Spell."

"Oh, Bee." Fort was filled with compassion for his wife.

"Can I pet him?" Blaze brazenly stepped toward the creature's jaw.

Echo or not, the Symncus could still eat the child in barely two bites. But Blaze trusted that his mother had control of the situation, and his fascination was greater than his fear.

The kids had not seen many animals in their lives. Aside from the occasional bird, their only interactions with living animals were at the NQSC's exotic aquarium. And those were only small creatures. Nothing nearly as large as this demon.

"You see a Noble Creature for the first time and your automatic reaction is to pet it like a house cat?" Rain clicked her tongue at her younger brother.

"You're right," Blaze tapped his chin. "Can I ride him?!"

"Me next!" Brock didn't want to be left out.

Before either boy could gain access to the Symncus's back, a subtle rumble emanated from the creature's chest. Noble was startled.

She looked at the demon with a tense expression. His face turned towards hers, the empty eyes still showing some expression.

Noble felt something stir in her soul. A connection with the golden Symncus tugged at her heart. The echo was a recreation of the spell, yet there was a tangible quality to him.

While crude, the creature before her had something akin to feeling. It was nothing like the mighty emotions of the transcendent demon, but it was sensed by Noble's Ability just the same.

Reaching out, Noble laid her hand on the Symncus's mane. It was so soft! She petted him gently. The golden creature reacted to her touch by nuzzling against her palm.

Was that because she willed him to or because the beast had a mind of its own?

Smiling at her new echo, Noble decided not to think about it too deeply.

"I think we should take it slow. No rides today, but petting him is probably fine."

Blaze didn't wait for confirmation before his hand shot out to touch the velvet coat. "He's so soft!"

When nothing bad happened to the youngest child of the family, the other two children followed his lead and stroked the golden Symncus. After a moment, the creature purred softly.

"He seems sweet," Rain rested her head against the creature's side in a modified hug.

"Does that mean we have a pet?" Blaze asked, looking at the echo with curiosity.

"If by pet you mean something attached to my soul sea that is also a Transcendent Demon, then...I suppose?" Noble hadn't exactly given the matter much thought.

"Our very own pet!" Brock nodded excitedly. "What shall we call him?"

"Call him?" Noble furrowed her brow.

When she had decided to show her family the echo, it was to soften the blow of seeing a replica of Kosi. She had hoped their excitement and awe would help her cope with her recent loss. 

And they were all very excited. Too excited–except Fort, who was eyeing the large beast in his house with a pensive expression. The other three were brimming with overwhelming energy, reminding Noble of when they were toddlers.

They had wholeheartedly embraced the idea of having a new creature in the house in a matter of moments. 

Noble glanced at the Echo's runes. She knew from morbid curiosity that human Echoes were labeled by their given name or true name if they had one. But the line next to this creature's name simply said. [Noble Symncus]. 

For a moment Noble thought it might be labeling it as hers, but the lack of the possessive apostrophe meant that the Kosi was a Noble Creature when he died. The creature before her was simply a Symncus. 

Noble hummed softly. "The Spell didn't give him a name."

"He needs a name," Brock insisted. "We won't know what to call him otherwise."

"We should name him something sweet. I love it when powerful things have cute names." Rain patted the Symncus's mane gently.

Brock scrunched his face. "No! He needs a powerful name! Something to reflect his might. Look at those muscles! They are even bigger than mine." Brock flexed his biceps. "You can't give someone like him a wimpy name."

"I think Mom should decide." Blaze looked at his mother. "You should pick a name, Mom."

"A name?" Noble faltered. 

The Echo turned its furry head and looked at her also. 

This was too much pressure! 

The Echo snorted, sending a wave of air through the room that blew the curtains on the far side. He sat down and stared at the matriarch of the household as well. His tail curled and released impatiently. 

Noble couldn't even catch a break from her own echo!

The golden fur around the creature's neck rippled at her thought. If Noble didn't know better, she would think the beast was laughing at her. 

But that, of course, was absurd. Her brain was just projecting her own insecurity on the only non-speaking being in the room. 

Taking a deep breath, Noble ran through a dozen names in the span of an instant before dismissing them. None of them did the golden beauty justice. 

She had had nine months to think of the boys' names, and Rain and Seb had arrived in her life already named. 

How was she supposed to come up with the perfect word to encompass this fluffy demon on the spot?!

'I just need one name this time, not two.'

Names had a lot of meaning. And the process of naming had the potential to be deeply personal. 

In a way, Noble felt that by giving the golden being his own identity, she was attempting to replace Kosi.

The thought gripped her heart.

But then she reminded herself that no matter what, Kosi would have remained when she left the Nightmare.

The creature before her was called an Echo because it was a recreation—a reminder— of the original. This would remind her of the Symncus that she had come to love.

'This is Kosi's legacy. As long as I have him, I can honor what Kosi did for me.' 

While that did help settle the issue in her soul, it didn't do anything to help the four pairs of eyes staring directly at her. 

In the end, she decided to follow her father's rule of KISS: Keep It Simple, Stupid. 

It was a rather crude rule, but it was a helpful reminder to her to never overcomplicate her life. That's what the Spell was for...

'Something simple. He's golden. He's big. His fur reminds me of the sun…hmm...no, that name is already taken...So I'll go for the next best thing.'

"Helios," Noble announced with confidence. "His name will be Helios."