"Do you want to climb on, my lady?"
Stunned by the question, Noble's mouth opened slightly.
The man with her quickly amended his words as his ears reddened. "I meant climb on Kosi. He can carry us both, and it is likely the only way we can get back in enough time for you to get ready."
"Oh." The professor looked at the creature. She had never ridden an animal. And they were supposed to ride together? How would that even work?
"If you prefer that I run beside you..."
"No," Noble realized that she was even less confident in her ability to stay on the back of the–what had he called Kosi?– the Symncus, if she were riding alone.
"Very well then." The stranger whistled again. "Down you go!"
The golden beast knelt on the ground.
In a swift motion, the man was on Kosi's back and already reaching for her hand.
'Here goes nothing.' Noble accepted his help and was pulled up behind her companion. 'Good. Kosi doesn't count as ground. I can actually sit on him.'
While the professor had believed this to be true, it was still nice to have her hypothesis confirmed as she settled into her seat. But her respite was brief.
Noble was barely able to place a respectable distance between herself and the man when her ride shot forward. "Whoa!"
Her hands found the man's shoulders in front of her. He chuckled at her surprise. "You would think this is the first time you have done this."
"Kosi's so fast!" Noble deflected.
On four legs, the Symncus closed the gap between himself and the wall in only a few moments and then began to race around the side. Aside from the up-and-down movement of the creature's long strides, it felt very similar to flying.
The soldiers at the top of the wall looked down as they passed but otherwise did not react. The sight must not have been strange to them.
'Interesting.'
Noble took the momentary respite to circulate the little essence she had left as well as collect her thoughts. There was so much she wanted to know.
But how much could she ask without drawing suspicion? For now, she would continue to stick to whatever the man was willing to provide naturally.
'The man. Hmph. He was close to proposing, and I don't even know his name!'
At least he had given her the woman's name whom she had replaced. That was something.
"Are you tired?"
Noble flinched, startled by his words after an extended silence. "Why do you ask?"
"I don't mean to sound rude, but at this point in our journey after I track you down, you are usually talking my ear off about how I stole some adventure or other from your grasp." There was an unmistakable smile in the man's voice. He must have enjoyed being scolded by Brenna.
"Am I really so predictable?" Noble wanted to know.
The man stiffened. "Only sometimes."
The professor remembered a moment before when she had rebuffed his romantic overture. He had wanted things to go differently.
Noble needed to pull him from those thoughts. "I can berate you if you like. Or better yet, I can complain like a child until you get tired of my voice."
"I would never get tired of your voice," her companion argued.
"Oh? That sounds like a worthy challenge." The professor thought quickly. "Why is it so hot today? Why is my hair so tangled by the wind? Where is the gate already? How long until we get back to the palace? I am so thirsty! Actually, I'm STARVING!"
The last bit was caked with a special whine which her children only used on the rarest of occasions. It was meant to incite the pity of any adult listening, but usually only succeeded in making those around them shake their head.
Just like the man in front of her was doing now.
"It is the middle of summer. Because you chose not to let the servants pin up your hair this morning. The gate will come into view before you can count to twenty and we will be at the palace before you can count to five hundred. As for your thirst and hunger, you have to learn to plan better. You do not even have a bag with you. Shouldn't an adventurer always be prepared?"
Even as he spoke, the man procured a water skin from somewhere at his side and passed it back. Noble ignored his snide remark, happy to be able to quench her parched throat.
"Thank you."
With careful timing, Noble released one of his shoulders and drank what she could. The water felt exceptionally refreshing after all she had been through.
'I cannot believe that worked! My kids would be so proud…'
The thought brought a pang of sadness to Noble's heart. How long would it take for her family to realize what happened?
Brock and Blaze would be proud of her heroics. But after that wore off, the boys would begin to miss her.
'Rainy may never forgive me. I abandoned her.'
Not that Noble had had a choice. The Spell had abducted her into the Nightmare.
But that didn't lessen the guilt the mother felt. It did, however, strengthen her resolve.
Whatever it took, the professor would give it all she had and conquer the Nightmare.
Or die trying.
'Those are kind of the only options anyway…'
The trio rounded the corner of the city wall and Noble finally spotted their first destination. A break in the white alabaster walls gave way to two thick wooden doors reinforced with heavy iron.
"Looks like Theo is at the gate today."
'Is that good?'
The stranger had no spike in emotion one way or another. It seemed that the words were merely an observation.
Their golden mount slowed to a stop as they neared the city's entrance. A dozen men barred their path.
Noble did not think any of them were Awakened, which meant Kosi could easily rip through the soldiers without a second thought.
If the men realized this, they did not show it. Spears in hand, they awaited their superior's order.
"Hail Theo, Captain of the Watch." The man's voice was formal.
"Who seeks entry into the Kingdom of Crestfall?" Theo stepped forward. He was not an Awakened, yet Noble could sense his brute strength.
'Crestfall? I'm not familiar with that kingdom's name…' Noble stored the information away for a later time.
Meanwhile, her companion raised his voice. "You know who we are. Let us through! We are in a hurry." The man leaned to one side to give the captain of the watch a full view of the other passenger.
"State your name and business." Theo crossed his arms.
Pretending to be disinterested, Noble eagerly awaited the answer.
The man riding Kosi huffed but complied. "We are Lady Brenna and her Counsel. We are heading to the palace. Her Majesty is expecting us."
"I did not see Lady Brenna exit," Theo raised one eyebrow in question. But Noble realized that the query was not aimed at her.
"Are you accusing me of some wrongdoing, or are you commenting on your inability to keep watch?" the man retorted.
Theo bristled. "Make way for Lady Brenna and her entourage." He spared the man a parting glance as they walked by. "I hope you know what you are doing, Counsel. It is a dangerous game you are playing."
The stranger smiled and clicked his tongue. "It is sweet of you to worry, Theo. I had no idea you cared so much!"
With a low whistle, the man encouraged Kosi to race down the street.
Noble mulled over the interchange between the men, but she smiled in spite of their cryptic exchange.
For at last, she had something to call the man in front of her.
Counsel.