"Anywhere but there!" Noble gasped.
But it was too late.
Flint's thinking had worked...much to her dismay.
Child of Promise felt an invisible cord wrap around her and attach to her soul.
And there was nothing she could do about it.
Flint stopped moving even as Cook continued into the forest.
"You have figured it out. Congratulations, Titus!" The mossy-haired Saint smiled.
Releasing the other man, Orrin patted his subordinate on the shoulder. "All this ti, we thought you had feelings for Cook since you followed her everywhere she went. But it was because you were tethered to her! Why didn't you say anything before?"
Syrce clicked her tongue. "Be kind, Orrin. Maybe he was embarrassed."
"My apologies, Titus." The Shieldbearer dipped his head.
The surly Master kicked at the ground and cursed.
"What is the problem?" Syrce raised an eyebrow. "It worked. You are free!"
"Free from Cook, maybe," Noble rubbed her forehead.
"Blast it!" Flint ran as fast as he could away from the picnic blanket.
He made it just beyond the treeline when his steps beca labored. Noble felt an imperceptible tug.
Curious, she dove into her Soul Sea.
'What in two worlds?'
Among the mories and Echo that hung like stars in the sky was her iridescent Soul Core. But attached to the multicolored orb was an intangible string. Noble couldn't see it, but she could sense it was there. It led from her soul to sowhere beyond herself.
To Flint.
The string was pulled taut, humming as it was continually pulled from the other end.
Yet she felt no urge to react or move.
That made so sense. She was the anchor. The tether was anchored to her soul by sothing that defied the laws of physics. It was a bond that her companion's brute force could not overco.
'Interesting.'
"What is he doing?" Syrce tilted her head
Flint had pulled his weapon and was swinging it in every direction around him like a wildman.
"Is he under attack?" Orrin placed his hand on his sword.
"No," Noble smiled at the Master's antics. "He is attempting to sever the invisible tether. Titus was not able to lift the anchor, but he was able to find a new one..."
The Saint furrowed her brow. "How would you know that? Oh…OH! You an you two are..." Syrce's eyes went wide as she interlaced her fingers.
"Yes," Noble nodded. "And we should probably go and check on him before he does sothing drastic."
Noble felt a gentle slackening of the line between herself and Flint as she stood and moved toward him. If not for her keen awareness of her own soul, the change would have gone unnoticed.
Orrin and Syrce followed behind the floating Master, fascinated by the developnt.
Noble had no ti to dwell on their interest. She had her own problems.
Flint was beyond distressed with the developnt. When his companion approached, he fixed her with a fiery scowl.
"Curse you, Blondie. What did you do to ?!"
Noble's jaw dropped.
"What did I do to you? You did it to !"
"You told to move the tether!" Flint's nostrils flared.
'He isn't seriously blaming for what just happened.'
"You asked for help!" She countered.
"Your 'help' distracted ! This is your fault." The angry man swung his sword, and Orrin's blade t it easily.
"Do not speak harshly or try to harm the lady." The Shieldbearer pushed the stroke aside.
"I wasn't trying to hurt her. I was trying to cut the tie!" Flint lifted his weapon, but decided against using it again. He sheathed it with a grunt.
"I am not sure why you are blaming Bel when you should be thanking her!" Syrce wrapped her arm around the other woman. "Without her, you would be stalking Cook into the woods. I an, unless you like that kind of thing…"
"I…l," Flint truly felt at a loss for words. Marching off, he dove into the nearby stream with an exaggerated splash.
His loud, angry mutterings as he pulled at the belt caused the won nearest to him to blush and move away.
Noble laughed dryly, turning back toward the blanket. "I think Titus needs so privacy."
She wouldn't put it past the surly Master to take off his armor in pursuit of his goal. Child of Promise had no desire to see what he was wearing underneath.
Syrce hooked her arm onto the blonde lady's elbow. "I don't know why he is so upset. What could be better than being linked to a friend?"
'I could think of a few things...like being connected to literally anyone else.' Noble bit her lip, frustrated.
Of all the people in her cohort to be stuck with, she had to be dropped next to the curmudgeon. It was unfair!
"I am a bit jealous," the Saint continued. "Soone else is linked to my dearest friend! Ah, well, what is it they say? Absence makes the heart rember."
Noble had heard a similar phrase: absence makes the heart grow fonder. One thing was for sure. Being close to Flint for long periods was detrintal to one's health.
His health, to be exact.
If the man was unsuccessful in his desperate swim, they would have to find a solution later.
What that solution was, Noble had no idea.
'If nothing else, when I escape the Nightmare, the bond will have to break.'
Her face paled.
What if it didn't? What if the Daemon's creation sohow left with them? What if she were stuck with a human appendage forever?
That would be a problem for several reasons.
A lifeti of mories was a fine promise with soone like Fort. But with Flint...that was a curse!
'Surely the Spell wouldn't do that. This is only a recreation of past events, not sothing that truly belongs to Imagination...right?'
Noble couldn't quite convince herself of this fact.
Having studied thousands of mories and enchanted items throughout her career, she had never seen anything like it.
mories were contained in the Soul Sea, and this belt was now anchored there too. It could disappear like she hoped. But it was just as likely that it might try to exit the Nightmare with her or rip her apart trying.
Noble took a deep breath. She was getting ahead of herself instead of thinking clearly.
'One step at a ti.'
Nearing the blanket, the floating Master felt the tether grow taut. As she took another stride, an indignant scream called out from the river.
"That's far enough! I thought you could asure distance properly! Are you trying to drown ?"
Noble turned around and looked at her cohort mber floating in the water.
'Don't tempt .' Her body leaned back slightly, and Flint's form glided along the water in response.
"Don't you dare!"
Pinching the bridge of her nose, Noble sighed. "I don't suppose we could bring the blanket over here, could we?"
'I prefer not to be murdered in my sleep.'
As Orrin went to work rearranging the picnic, the floating Master promised herself she would not let this connection be a long-term problem.
Whatever happened, she would find a way to break the tether to her soul.
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