Mutual Curiosity

Sarai paused in the doorway, a question passing to Noble through the Other's Voice.

'Do you need me to stay?'

Shaking her head, the professor reassured her friend. 'I'm sure it is fine.'

The younger woman backed into the hall. 'Let me know if I need backup.'

Noble smiled softly. 'I will.'

Not that either Noble of Sarai could do much against the powerful Saint. But the professor appreciated the sentiment.

Once the door shut, the new Master and venerated Saint were left alone. 

A strange magical torch lit the room with an eerie light, reflecting off Cor's raven-colored hair. The glossy color reminded Noble of the feathers of the Lord of the Mountain. 

Saint Cor's transformation ability was becoming a murder of crows. Was it just a coincidence, or was there a connection?

"I read the whole report of your interview," Wake of Ruin interrupted her thoughts. 

Noble's eyes opened slightly. "Do you do that for every new Master?" 

"No, but this one held particular interest for me. Both the subject matter and the location of the Nightmare." The Saint tilted his head meaningfully. 

"Oh? Oh!" The professor suddenly realized what he meant. "Please do not think that anything I said about Ender reflects on you personally. I would never insinuate..."

"Please relax, Child of Promise. I am capable of separating myself from the person whose place I took." Cor chuckled before turning serious. "I have come to terms with who he was." 

"You two are very different. That is why it took me so long to connect the dots," Noble told him honestly. 

The Saint's face softened for a moment. "That is generous of you to say. Especially since you believe he went on to be some evil mastermind of a sorcerer." 

"I know he did. It didn't come up in the interview, but a seer told me of the villainy of the one who had the portcullis key long ago." Noble paused as Cor's eyes lit with recognition. 

"You are talking about a black ball?"

The professor nodded. "Yes. You saw it?" 

"Ender had it when I entered the Nightmare, but it wasn't a Memory," Cor recalled the Nightmare with a far-off look. 

"Did you use it to start the protective barrier?" Noble remembered that the Bloom of Doubt was not defeated in his Nightmare. The Saint had managed to contain its influence instead.

"I did not. The method I used...well, I was younger then." Cor's stern expression warded Noble from asking any more about that part of his experience. 

So she turned to the thing she wanted to know most instead. "Was Lady Brenna in your Nightmare?" 

"From what I gathered, the woman that Ender loved died in a feud with the kingdom's Queen. Then Emira died in a battle with the Tyrant, which is what drove the people below ground. Based on the information you gave, I would not be surprised if Ender orchestrated both of their deaths." Cor's mood turned melancholic. 

"Don't blame yourself. It wasn't you who did it," Noble blurted.

"Blame is a funny thing. One can be innocent yet still feel the guilt." Barking a laugh, the Saint shook his head. "Forgive me. The death of two people long ago should hardly affect me when there are so many dying even as we speak. It was good that you survived, Ascended Noble. Humanity needs more people who can beat the odds." 

"Is that what you wanted to talk about? Beating the odds?" Noble tilted her head.

The Saint tapped his fingers together. "In a manner of speaking. You asked how things are going. The situation in Antarctica grows more complicated all the time."

"I can't imagine that clans on the brink of war with each other and Nightmare Gates make for a very peaceful landscape."

Cor managed to keep a neutral expression, but Noble could feel his surprise.

"You seem to be well informed. I am going to assume that the first bit of information came from Master Cellio and not your husband."

Indeed, Nickel had mentioned that a war was coming between the clans. It was easy to guess that conflict would bleed over into the Antarctic Campaign as soon as the great clans committed to send aid.

"My source was not my husband. It was my own experience and observations." Noble answered without hesitation.

"Then your experience will also tell you that we are short on reliable help. Aside from a handful of remarkable people, the government is in dire straits." Cor watched her face carefully.

Having served diligently at the Academy and with the relocation efforts, Noble knew very well how short-handed the government was. She could only guess with so many soldiers dying in Antarctica that more holes in leadership were being formed. 

"This isn't a recruitment speech to go south, is it?" The professor raised one eyebrow. 

"It could be."

Wake of Ruin's harsh aura silenced any sarcastic remark Noble might have made about him not being a very good salesman. He continued.

"Of course the army could use more soldiers. But I know that is not your desire, nor mine for you if I am being frank. You have proven that Antarctica is not the only place in need of protection. So if anything, I would ask that you ensure your talents are used to the best of your ability. And...should the army be in need of your particular skills in the future, I trust that you will once again answer the call as you did at the Gate. So yes, this is a recruitment speech in a manner of speaking, just not for the campaign you expected." 

"You don't have to recruit me for a team of which I am already a part. My goal is the same as any good Awakened: to help humanity." Noble unconsciously touched her hand to her heart. "It's the right thing to do." 

Cor grunted softly. "You remind me of another Master. She's always putting others first as well." 

"Sir?" Noble could see the man's thoughts drifting. 

Wake of Ruin stood, the scent of death suddenly stronger by the action. "That will be all, Child of Promise." Cor paused, a small smile gracing his stern mouth. "It is quite a True Name. I do hope you live up to it. I have certainly lived up to mine. Perhaps Ender and I have more in common than I would like to admit." 

Noble looked at him. Cor had been among the first generation of Awakened. To survive and become a Saint while not being attached to a Legacy Clan was a nearly impossible feat. 

Did he somehow feel responsible for the calamities of the Spell, or had he created some of his own while fighting against it? How much had he destroyed to get where he was today? 

"Wake of Ruin…" A thought came into Noble's head. "The thing in the deep that was in both of our Nightmares..."

"You want to know what actually happened to it?" Cor filled in her thoughts. "You want to know if I or someone else destroyed it?"

The professor nodded.

Cor pressed his lips together.

"I could tell you, but if you are anything like I suspect, my word will not suffice. So, enjoy your excursion into the deep, Child of Promise. And if you find anything. You know what to do."