"Here." Noble passed Syrce The Other's Voice again. "In case you need to fully transform, I will still be able to hear you."
Syrce nodded and placed her half of the Memory behind her ear. With that, everything was set.
Noble floated her Zenith in the air as she positioned the rest of the group. She could have summoned a bow of her own, but the idea of taking her eyes off the other humans in order to aim made her stomach clench. They were counting on her to navigate, and she would do her best to use both her second sight and her eyes to keep everyone safe.
The Zenith would require much less of her attention. At times, it felt like an extension of her, especially when she had the poison activated on the blade. That took too much energy and seemed to have little effect on the Dragon, so for now she let the blade function normally.
Well, as normally as a blade flying through the air at the behest of a floating Master could. The Zenith would fight on her behalf, and she could think of no truer weapon. As a bonus, since it was a Memory from her Soul Sea, it did not take any essence to move.
The same could not be said of her fellow humans. Fortunately, their care for her–or perhaps hers for them–alleviated some of the strain. While her reserve was draining, it was at a slower rate than she would have normally expected if they had been inanimate objects or enemies.
'Small mercies.'
Noble tried not to think too deeply about it. She had too many other things to consider.
The group made a circle around the Dragon. He looked up at them, ready to spew fire at whichever came near enough to be reached by his flame.
He was so focused on the sky that he paid no attention to the sparks on the ground.
Forming amid the molten slag, Helios jumped from rock to rock with silent stealth. He had tried his luck with the Others, but now he hungered for something with real meat on its bones.
The Symncus jumped onto the Prince's back claw, digging his own into the crimson scales. While his effort wasn't enough to breach the Dragon's armor, it gave him purchase. Like a cat climbing a tree, he scaled the Prince's leg.
Finding a deep gash, Helios extended his claws and dug into the damaged flesh.
The Prince roared, turning his head to find the ant that dared try to bite him. He shook his leg, ridding himself of the obnoxious insect.
Of course, Noble had never expected Helios to seriously wound the Dragon. As soon as the Prince moved to extract the echo, everything happened in a blink. The echo disappeared as inexplicably as it had appeared, making the tail swing to remove him unnecessary. With one leg in the air from the shake and the tail mid swing, the prince was forced to tilt his head as a counterbalance.
That was the moment the humans were anticipating. His good eye turned toward the sky as his crown of horns threatened to impale the heavens.
But the heavens had other plans. Stars poured from the sky as lightning arced from an invisible cloud. An arrow laced with some white substance streaked through the open air, as orbs of energy raced in from the other side. The Zenith, ever deadly in its aim, hurried to keep pace toward the Dragon's eye.
The timing was perfect. The aim was unparalleled. The hit was devastating.
Or it would have been if not for one thing...
The crown on the Prince's head.
Noble had not paid it much attention before, but that had been a mistake. The crown was not just decorative; it was an implement of war. The twisted horns glowed, extending in every direction.
One received the lightning like a rod. Another drank in the starlight. A third batted the tainted arrow carelessly away. Many more repelled the orbs. Not even the Zenith was able to escape unscathed, being caught among the root-like crown.
But the Dragon did not stop there. The branches of his horns extended in every direction, looking like they might swallow the sky.
Noble scrambled to get her companions away from the mayhem. But not quite fast enough.
Roan's swords met the viney spires, managing to cut through the tip of the closest one before he moved away. Syrce seared the crown as it tried to grab her, managing to get away unscathed.
Helie and Aether were not so lucky. Since neither had a close combat weapon at the ready, their reaction time was too slow. One horn caught Aether, knocking off his helmet and gashing his cheek before a sword of starlight beat back his assailant.
Helie was caught by the ankle. Her armor strained under the pressure. She rammed the snaking crown with the butt of her bow. Her body was pulled in one direction while her leg was wrenched in another. She pried herself free, but another piece of the crown was already reaching to capture her again.
"Lean back!"
Helie barely had time to react to Noble's command before the Zenith broke from its bonds and soared toward her. The brunette shifted just as the blade cut through the tip of the horn that threatened to entangle her.
The group gathered far above the grotesque scene.
"Aether!" Noble looked at his bleeding cheek as guilt filled her.
"I am sure it looks worse than it is," the polite Master assured her as he summoned his helmet back to his head.
Syrce gripped her side, the red on her garment growing ever deeper as her orbs returned to her. Seeing the look on Noble's face, Syrce clicked her tongue. "Don't blame yourself, Bel. It wasn't your fault."
"You need to rest—" Noble began.
"I will decide when and where I rest." The Saint shook her head. She pressed her palms against her side and grunted. "Though I will say that was quite unpleasant."
"Indeed. Who knew the Prince had that kind of power? I saw that it got you, too, Helie? Are you alright?" Roan watched the brunette force a smile.
"It's a twisted ankle. I've had worse from wearing high heels."
"What do we do now? Those horns change things. Before, we could reach his face, but now?" Aether's expression was grim.
"It will take all night or longer to defeat him." Roan nodded.
"If we can at all…" Helie sighed.
Noble watched the rampaging dragon. "That's time we do not have. If the Mirror Maze is only accessible by the full moon, we need to finish this before it sets, or we will be stuck here until…"
"I will handle it. I must. I got all of you into this mess. Enough suffering has happened on my account." Syrce's eyes filled with determination.
"My Lady, you are delirious. You could barely use your transformation just now. Your wound has reopened. It isn't healing right. Look! Your hands are red with your own blood!" Helie resumed her barrage of arrows on the Dragon even as she spoke.
"No one survives this Dream Realm alone. We are a team." Noble insisted. "You are hurt. Let us help you."
"Fine, you can help me." Syrce furrowed her brow. She pointed at the ground. "I will aim for the dragon's mouth. Once I am inside, I will explode with your assistance like last time."
Noble shook her head vehemently. "Just because it worked on Mae doesn't mean it will work here. Besides, the dragon will swallow you before you ever get the chance."
"It will be hard for him to swallow when his head is no longer attached," Syrce countered.
Noble backed them away from a ball of slag launched at them from the ground. "Syrce..."
"It's settled then." The Saint smiled sadly. "Wish me luck!"
With that, she fully transformed, broke free of Noble's hold, and dove toward the Dragon Prince.