Noble was still contemplating the information the next morning. It was the day of the Solstice, however Noble didn't head to the Academy immediately. It would be a long day and a late night.
So instead of rushing off to the waking world after a sleepless night, Noble was up early and at the Dreamer Academy when the sun rose.
Two figures were waiting for her by the front gate.
Noble smiled. "Fancy meeting you here. You could have met me for breakfast, and we could have come together, you know."
"Brock wanted to get here before you." Blaze continued to stretch out his arms and legs.
"Baby bro was up all night on his project; he needed to get out!" Brock nudged his twin.
Noble gave her younger son an inquisitive glance, and he looked away sheepishly.
"I wasn't up all night. I had a nap in the middle!"
Noble had seen the excitement in Blaze's eye when she had brought him the shard the night before. It didn't surprise her one bit that he had immediately plunged himself into the next phase of his work to harness the geothermal energy of Ravenheart.
"Limit your work to daytime from now on. You're still a growing boy," Noble reminded her son.
The teen nodded, though she doubted he would heed her warning.
Opening the gate of the Academy with her telekinesis, Noble motioned for her boys to follow. "Shall we?"
All three of them pressed their fingers to the gate for luck as they passed through. The moons had set not long ago, and a hint of sun threatened to peek over the horizon.
Forgoing the outdoor combat areas, the trio headed indoors to Noble's favorite spot to practice.
With her luminescent Memory in hand, she found the valve that released a steady stream of collected natural gas into a series of long, thin tubes. The lamps along the wall, which had been dimmed for the evening, suddenly flickered to life.
The design has been inspired by a place Noble had seen in her second Nightmare, and watching her own version of it always brought her immense pleasure.
The room was wide and tall, reinforced with strong materials and runic magic. The ground was covered in soft earth that Noble had imported from another part of the Dream Realm. It absorbed the shock of hits and limited the need for repair.
The place was a perfect arena for those who wanted to test the limits of their strength without causing damage.
Dismissing her Lucent Taper, Noble tilted her head toward the far wall, where suits of armor and other protection were resting on wooden forms.
"Suit up."
The twins smiled at their mother.
"Yes, Teacher," they bowed.
Really, they didn't need to be told, but the routine helped them get in the proper mindset.
The boys picked their desired accoutrements. Blaze opted for a lightweight leather covering while Brock chose a more sturdy metal armor that could withstand stronger strikes. The latter was strong, muscular, and grounded, and able to support the extra weight, while the former hoped the lighter, more agile option would allow him to avoid being hit altogether.
Then they selected weapons before joining Noble in the center of the ring.
Both boys had chosen swords today. They were blunted, of course, but they could still pack quite the punch.
Noble floated a practice sword into her palm. It was different than her enchanted Memories, but would be no less deadly to her children if she was not careful.
Thankfully, Noble had learned how to hold back. There was no safer place for her children than when they faced off against her. While they might suffer a bruise or two, her skill, coupled with her Kingdom Crafter attribute, would protect them from serious harm.
As Noble's grip tightened around her weapon, her eyes began to swirl. "How do you want to pair off?"
The boys didn't blink.
"Blaze and I against you, Mom." Brock backed up and lifted his blade.
"You should know that answer by now," Blaze nodded.
Despite her stern expression, Noble was proud. Even knowing they would lose—there was no other option when going against her—the boys still refused to split up.
They squared up opposite her, ready for action.
"Very well," Noble lifted her practice sword and extended it. "Begin."
The Saint waited for the young men to make the first move. If she always attacked first, they would only ever learn how to fall on their backsides. So to mix things up, Noble sometimes waited to humble them.
Such was the case today.
The boys immediately moved to flank Noble on either side. This was the perfect plan to ensure the seasoned warrior could not get both of them at the same time.
Brock moved at her first, and Noble adjusted her sword. He pulled back at the last moment, opting not to strike his blade against hers. She tapped him on his elbow as he retreated.
"Be mindful of the length of your sword as well as your opponent's."
She had seen a painful demonstration of that the day before with Keth. He had all the tools at his disposal to get a victory, but he neglected the simple mathematical calculations to make it a reality.
Noble would not let her boys make the same mistake, at least not when it counted.
Behind her, the younger twin prepared an offensive of his own.
"Lift your elbow," Noble chided Blaze without turning around. The boy flinched, causing him to rethink his attack. "Your elbow can make or break the angle of your strike. It is also one of the hardest parts of your body."
Noble indicated the spot on her armor. At least there was no Memory there that could harm her children. Not that Noble was convinced that Keth's charm Memory had been the one to harm Tamar.
In fact, she was almost certain that it hadn't. Bee Two had gotten a scan of the Memory on a previous day—the day that the young man had been less than impressed with the service he had received from the android.
As Noble suspected, her assistant found nothing about it having essence-siphoning power. It was meant to enhance the strength of an area.
Though Bee Two's examination might have missed something, it was unlikely.
After Bee Two had also sent over Keth's Academy files, Noble only became more suspicious. He hadn't told the interviewer his Aspect.
'He is hiding his powers behind the guise of a Memory, but why?'
This was the problem that had kept Noble up overnight. Had he been so insecure in the first fight with Tamar that he felt cheating was the only way to win?
The professor couldn't help but feel that his use of his Aspect in the duel was accidental and due to poor control.
The way his emotions spiked and how he covered them up suggested this was the case.
If Keth wanted so badly to be accepted by the scions of Valor, why was he not bragging to anyone and everyone about his insidious power? The knights would certainly take notice and try to cultivate that kind of talent.
Hiding it didn't make sense.
Noble was pulled from her reverie as Blaze and Brock finally descended on their mother as one force.
The battle began.