The Noble Queen-A Shadow Slave Fanfic

Noble blinked. "Coy? Chip? What are you doing here?" 

"I believe my friend already explained," Chip was highly amused. 

Coy rolled his eyes. "We live in the EQSC when we aren't in the Dream Realm. Chip picked up that there was some trouble here yesterday so we decided to come and offer our assistance." 

"It turns out that even with a dishonorable discharge and a court marshall hovering over your head, they will let you in to help if no one else is willing." The burly man shrugged. 

"I'm sure it helps that no one wanted to contradict two Masters," Coy added. "They led us straight here and told us to sit tight." 

"That makes sense." Noble knew that Jet had been searching for help.

The soldiers would have been foolish to turn away anyone who the ghostly Saint might have contacted.

But there was something else on Noble's mind. She had noticed the change in Coy almost immediately. "When did you become a Master?" 

"Recently," Coy rubbed his neck. "It seemed like the right thing to do." 

Noble didn't ask what he meant. Based on their last battle together at Crestfall where he had nearly been the first victim of the adders, Coy had experienced the same pull that Noble had always felt: the need to be stronger. 

"Good for you, Ascended Coy. The world is lucky to have you." 

Jet joined the group a moment later. She leveled the men with an icy glare. "Are you two the fools who broke in here and tried to take charge of the mission?" 

"That sounds like us," Chip grinned. 

Coy quickly held up his hands, his big round eyes growing slightly larger. "I think there has been some misunderstanding. There was a call sent out asking for assistance with a rescue mission, wasn't there?" 

"There was, but it was on an encrypted channel." Jet's clenched her fists. "May I ask how you got a hold of it?"

"You may ask," Chip laughed, "but don't expect a straight answer."

Jet's lips pressed into a firm line. "If you heard the communication, then you know that we were looking for Saints." 

"I understand," Coy dipped his head. "We will get out of your hair."

The burly warrior stopped his friend from making a hasty retreat.

"Is Noble going?" Chip's critical eye made Noble feel queasy even without looking directly at him. 

Soul Reaper stepped closer to the burly Master. "She is." 

"When did you become a Saint, Noble?" Chip crossed his arms. "I mean the Spell should have granted you that title long ago. I just didn't realize you had made it official." 

"I didn't." Noble shifted. "I'm still a Master."

"I see," Chip tapped his chin. 

Frustrated, Jet threw her hands up. "I don't have time for this. Come if you want. We are desperate for help and I suppose a brash, foolhardy Master is better than nothing." 

"You flatter me!" Chip bowed. 

"And you'll vouch for your friend?" Jet gave Coy a once over.

"He's a better man than I and a decent fighter too." The former soldier said seriously. "My only complaint against him is that he smashed my flask Memory. The least he could have done was let me empty it first!" 

Jet nodded at the curly-headed man. "I like you already... Alright, Masters, come with me. Let's get the details ironed out. We are wasting daylight." 

The four members of the team went back to Endo, who was still absorbed in the myriad of screens. 

"I see that you found them," he started to smile. Jet's warning look made him cough. "Ah well, to business then. There has been no change here." 

"Have you figured out how to get us in and out?" The Saint turned her attention to the screens. 

Endo welcomed the question.

"The array is intricate and multilayered, but a combination of countermeasures and..."

Soul Reaper held her head. "Put it in terms that won't make me want to punch something." 

Endo gulped. "Yes, ma'am. Getting in is the easy part. I am not sure I will have to do much. Because the main function is to keep things inside like a fishbowl, there should be minimal resistance from someone as strong as a Master or Saint." 

The tech paused.

"The tricky part will be getting back out. Since we don't know exactly what those creatures are capable of, I tried to cut off every means of power and sorcery available. You'll have to warn me when you want to leave, Saint Jet, and I'll send a pulse to disrupt that portion of the protective measures. It will last only a few seconds but it should be enough. If any of the rest of you need to make an emergency exit, contact me and I'll send another pulse." 

"I guess you found a way to get the Mayor to the Dream Realm without getting him infected?" Noble raised her eyebrows at Jet.

"I came to an arrangement with Clan Song." Jet pursed her lips. 

'What kind of arrangement?' Noble exchanged a glance with Coy.

Soul Reaper did not pause to explain. "What about the rest of these guys?"

"We won't be going back to the Dream Realm with Saint Jet?" Chip raised an eyebrow.

"Lonzo and his son have to stay in the waking world. At the very least I have to stay until they are safely out of the city." Noble explained calmly. "So, Endo, how are you getting us out?"

"The same way you are getting in. I'll fool the array into making a hole." Endo pointed to one of the screens. "You fly everyone to the uppermost point, and I'll make an opening. Use this to contact me when you are ready to exit."

Endo handed her them each a small box. "Press here to talk. I am sorry it isn't more high-tech, but the low-frequency radios should work through the barrier."

"Should?" The word was not lost on Noble.

"Contact with the Mayor's communicator has become spotty. We are not sure what is causing the interference, but I think it could be due to the Skinwalker. I advise you to leave your devices here in case it is somehow tracking signals."

The two male Masters obliged, handing their communication devices over for safekeeping. Noble hadn't brought hers, and Jet didn't seem to have one either.

Endo walked them through the maps of the city and the last known locations of each of the individuals. It was safe to assume that they would not have moved considering the circumstances.

Noble had known that three people she was chasing were in a safe room inside a government facility. But when she found out the exact location, her face paled.

"Everything alright?" Jet noticed the change.

"It's fine. I'm…just not great with directions." The professor forced a smile.

"Then it's good Coy will be with us," Chip patted her shoulder. "He has the best internal positioning system of anyone in two worlds."

"That's good to know." Noble felt a small sense of relief that she wouldn't be solely responsible for finding their way. Still, she memorized as much of the path as she could.

The facts and figures were checked and rechecked to accommodate the two additional participants. The plans were solidified. Things were as set as they could be.

They were ready to go.