The Noble Queen-A Shadow Slave Fanfic

A tenebrous ball manifested in Noble's hand. 

Emer pursed his lips. "How very…unimpressive. Is this really what you came about or are you testing me?" 

"I would never test you. Your time is valuable." Noble was too eager to feel irritated by the diviner. She would suffer a myriad of slights if he could give her even a little clue about the [Portcullis Key]. 

Of course, Julius had given her the translation of the runes the day after they had met. He would never let his former pupil down by forgetting to do what he promised. But the mangled runes had not given her the wealth of information she had hoped. 

The original text had been rather typical of the Spell, giving information but very little context. 

[To gain access to the truth, the Demon of Dread never needed an entrance.] 

Noble's eyes opened wide when she first saw it. The mention of Daemons was always notable, and it proved her suspicion that the Memory was something truly incredible. 

It also confirmed the professor's need for secrecy and discretion as she continued to gather information. That is why she had come to see Emer in an unofficial capacity. 

But as interesting as the original runes were, Noble could not help but be drawn to what was written over them. 

[Only the foolish allow themselves to be denied entrance.]

The second set of runes' words had made Noble's head spin. She had so many questions.

Who had the mysterious sorcerer been that had made the change? Had they been called foolish and sought revenge? Had they been denied entrance to a place and altered their Memory just to prove their own worth? 

Noble mulled over these queries and more countless times before setting up the meeting with the diviner. Emer was one of her last hopes of discovering anything new.

"What is its name?" The emissary asked the most obvious question. Though in truth he likely didn't need the information. He would discover a wealth of knowledge on his own soon enough.

The professor answered him anyway. "It is called the [Portcullis Key]."

"Strange key. And how long have you been in possession of this Memory?" The diviner feigned mild curiosity. 

"About two weeks now. Will that make a difference in what you can find out?" Noble's face tensed.

"Perhaps. People are easy enough to divine, but inanimate objects can be trickier. The longer they have been in a person's possession, the more specific the information which I can get." Emer took another sip of his tea.

'Why did he put such a strange emphasis on the word specific?' Noble decided not to test the emissary by voicing her question. 

"There is only one way to find out for sure." Emer carefully pulled at each finger of his left glove before slipping it off of his hand. He held out his palm. "Let's see what your trinket has to offer." 

Turning over the ball, Noble leaned across the table and dropped the [Portcullis Key] into the diviner's grasp. His fist immediately closed around it. Emer's eyes glowed. 

But only for a moment.

Blinking twice, the diviner's clear gaze returned. "Hmm…" Emer pulled his mouth to one side. "Curious."

"What? Did it not work?" Noble clasped and unclasped her hands nervously. 

"If by 'it' you mean my aspect, then don't be absurd. Of course, it worked. Not work…what do you think I am? An amateur?" Fortunately, Emer did not pause long enough for Noble to respond. "It worked, just not how I anticipated. That in itself is fascinating." 

"Care to share your… fascination?" The professor tried to tread carefully. The man was not one who could be pushed into things. If he suspected her impatience, he might make her wait even longer before giving his revelations. 

Luck was on Noble's side. Emer gave a short nod. "That ball of yours. It has some very nasty energy." 

'I could have told him that,' Noble rolled her eyes internally. Anyone who had been in the presence of the [Portcullis Key] could feel the malevolent aura it put off.

"I have noticed as much," she answered calmly. 

"The being who possessed the Memory before your student was exceptionally powerful. He was bent on destruction. He reveled in the misery of others, and wielded this [key] to do something heinous." 

"What did he do?" Noble was riveted by the story. Once she found out what the key actually did, she would at least have information to give Catphine. From there, the two could decide the best course of action. 

"I told you my aspect worked, but not as intended." Emer seemed a bit annoyed. Noble wasn't sure if the bite in his words was aimed at himself or her. "I could not see clearly. There was a haze around my vision. Like after images instead of the original ones. I saw an insanely powerful man approach his enemy with a fierce grin. He pulled out the [Portcullis Key] and then…" 

"And then?" Noble leaned forward in rapt attention. 

"And then the vision went dark. All I could sense was fear. I could hear people screaming in terror and agony, then nothing. I have never had that happen before." Emer pursed his lips at the admission. "It could be because you have not had the ball for very long. I could try again in a couple of months or a year. That is if you are still interested when the time comes." 

"I appreciate the information." The professor hid her disappointment. Really, she shouldn't be. She had gained some useful information. The Memory was powerful as she suspected and should not fall into the wrong hands. 

'Does Emer's vision mean the Memory is a tool or a weapon? Or maybe both?' The vision, as she suspected, only brought her more questions. 

"I can recommend another Awakened to assist you if you are impatient," Emer suggested in the ensuing silence. "Of course, that would require an official meeting to be set up so that things can be run up the chain of command properly." 

The professor's eyes lost their blue hue for a moment. "That won't be necessary!" Noble brandished a large smile. "Thank you for your consideration and time. I will not keep you any longer. I must go." Noble stood.

"You did not touch your tea. That is most unusual." Emer mused. "You must be upset about something more than just this." 

Noble bent down and picked up the cup. Though it was still very hot, she drank down the liquid without complaint. "I merely forgot about it in all the excitement," she explained. "Thank you for your hospitality. I will leave you in peace."

Forgetting for a moment that the [Portcullis Key] was a Memory to be dismissed, Noble reached forward to take it back from the diviner's hand. 

"No!" he warned, but the call came too late. 

As the professor took hold of the ball, her fingers brushed up against the other's palm. 

A sudden rush of energy passed between them.

The emissary's gaze lost focus.

"Awakened Emer?" Noble asked and waved her hand, unsure of what to do and how to proceed.

Emer stared steadily forward, his arrogant expression now completely blank. Only his measured breathing spoke of the life within him.

"Great, Noble, you broke the Seer," she chided herself.

Noble closed her eyes and focused all her energy on the other Awakened. Perhaps she could emotionally jolt him into returning. 

All around the emissary, she sensed a whirlwind of emotions, the strongest of them being confusion, shock, and fear.

But before Noble could impress her own feelings on top, the diviner suddenly blinked twice. 

"GET BACK!" Emer screamed, causing Noble to snap open her eyes in shock.

The diviner's face paled. With an unsteady breath, he replaced the glove on his palm. "I wish you hadn't shown me that!" 

"Sorry! I did not know!" Noble quickly dismissed the Memory and stepped away. "What did you see?"

"You are going to need that key, Awakened Noble." Emer pinched the bridge of his nose. "And I never want to see you again. At least not in the waking world. Why did you drag me into this trouble?!"

"Sorry," the professor repeated, though she had no idea what trouble he meant. "I will avoid you in the waking world, I assure you." After what just happened, it was a promise that would be very easy to keep. "Goodbye, Awakened Emer."

"Good luck, Awakened Noble," Emer responded cryptically. His face softened ever so slightly. "And, if I may, my condolences on your loss…"