The Noble Queen-A Shadow Slave Fanfic

"I didn't realize airships like this existed anymore." Noble stood on a hovering platform as it lifted into the sky.

Four engines were at each corner of the wide square, keeping the aircraft stable as the people worked on board.

"The dark ages had a lot of drawbacks, but they did create a cool thing or two. I enhanced it with a little spelltech, but I will keep that inactive unless it is necessary. I don't want to draw attention to us." Endo motioned to the captain of the aircraft to move higher. 

"Won't our presence draw their attention?" Chip raised an eyebrow. "Nightmare Creatures are attracted to human souls." 

Those working feverishly around him shivered both from his presence and his words. 

"It's possible, likely even." Jet answered as she watched the cloudy dome pass beside them. "But the Skinwalker, for lack of a better word, is weird. It talks and learns. So throw out any preconceived notions. They likely won't help and may even hurt you."

Noble had to agree with the Saint's assertion. The few times that she had run into the Skinwalker had been very different from any other Nightmare Creature. It hadn't attacked her or even made its presence intentionally known. 

It was insidiously taking over people, but how did it decide who to kill and who to leave alone? Was it random or strategic? 

Noble didn't like either answer. 

'I can't worry about what I can't control. All I can do is make sure I am not one of its victims.' 

The airship rose ever higher, yet it was only halfway up the side of the dome. 

"We'll be there in ten minutes." Endo wrote down some calculations. "A little to the left," he called to the captain.

They were going to the very top of the dome. That was the safest spot to open, and also the weakest point since it was the farthest from the runes. Opening the dome there would create a space for the Masters and Saint to enter without compromising the integrity of the rest of the structure. 

Noble counted the minutes in her head as she watched the people on the ship prepare. They were going to be hovering for the entirety of the mission, both to facilitate communication and to be ready to open the dome a second time at a moment's notice.

The mundane humans were determined not to let anything go wrong outside the barrier. They were even more tense than Noble, a fact that the professor found mildly amusing. 

Just now the Master was strangely calm. She had gotten the backup that she requested. While the men weren't Saints, they were capable fighters who respected her.

'At least they will listen to me. A Saint might assume they knew better.' 

Jet treated everyone like their opinion mattered, but that was not true of every Saint. Maybe this was for the best. 

'Or maybe I'm just trying to comfort myself.' 

Noble's eyes swirled like two storms. She needed to think positively.

'The mission will be a success.' 

Eventually, the platform slowed to a stop. Noble swayed. She wasn't used to other things telling her when to stop and go. 

"We are here," Endo confirmed her questioning glance. 

Looking out, Noble scanned the landscape. This was much higher than she had ever gone on her own. 

'We are almost among the clouds!' 

The wilds of Australia stretched out before her, and for a moment she imagined what it might have looked like before the dark ages and the Spell descended. Hadn't she read about hopping animals, mammals with bills like ducks, and large birds and rats that might rival Nightmare Creatures in their ferocity?

'That would have been a sight worth seeing!' 

Endo leaned over the edge of the platform and gently released the four cords holding a large ring. As the last fastening was released, the ring slipped free and hung below them from four heavy chains. 

Hearing a soft humming, Noble looked over the side to see a soft luminescence radiating from the circular alloy. 

"It's ready!" Someone called. 

Endo nodded. "Are you ready, Saint Jet?" 

The three Masters nodded to the general. 

"We are ready," Jet confirmed. 

"Lower us down. Slowly, Captain Em!"

Endo's last word came urgently as the floating platform lurched. The airship slowed to descend at a snail's pace. The ring neared the dome. 

It touched and Noble held her breath. As far as she knew, this hadn't been tested. How could it be? It wasn't like humanity had ever sealed off an entire city with a barrier before. 

Fortunately, out of the millions of things that could have gone wrong, none of them did. Like a cookie cutter, the ring sliced into the dome without disturbing the surrounding area. 

The center of the circle deactivated, creating a window into the world below. 

Noble took a deep breath and circulated her essence. From here on out she would need to be ready no matter what happened. 

"This might feel weird," she told the others. 

Sarai had said as much the last time they fell together. 

The others didn't object and she took that as the cue to continue. 

Letting her eyes swirl, Noble gently let her Aspect take hold of Chip, Coy, and Jet. 

The four of them drifted over the edge of the platform. 

"Contact me when you need to get out," Endo reminded them as he indicated the small devices attached to their hips. 

As if they could forget! 

"Be ready," Jet's forceful words were beyond a command. They were utterly binding. 

"We will!" The technician saluted. 

With no other business to be conducted, the four sank below the airship toward the hole. 

From this height, natural clouds were caught in the dome and obscured the ground.

That was just as well. It would be bad if the Skinwalker looked up and saw a huge hole with four people passing through. 

Noble looked up, the rim of the alloy disengaged from the barrier, leaving no trace of its presence behind. The dome reformed, becoming whole once more. 

The four Awakened followed the edge of the barrier to mask their presence. As they neared the natural cloud cover, Noble wondered what she would see on the other side. She summoned The Other's Voice and passed half to Jet. 

'What do you think is happening down there?'

Jet's tense expression was almost entirely obscured by the mist around them. 

'I'm not sure. The only people we know are in safe rooms, so we don't have eyes on the city.' 

Noble already knew this. She was hoping for some guess by the Saint. Jet had even more experience than Noble with the Skinwalker and had lived to tell about it. 

'Any last-minute tips on how to keep from getting taken over by the thing?'

Jet allowed a ghost of a smile. 'Simple. Don't die.' 

While Noble had hoped for more, she didn't expect any new information. She was right. And the time for questions was over. Answers were about to come. 

The cool water of the clouds grew thicker, tickling her skin. But Noble did not feel like smiling. 

In fact, when she got through the white fluffiness, all she wanted to do was scream.