Less Talking

"Meeting time!" Sarai chirped excitedly. "Just like old times!"

"If by old times you mean the day before yesterday, then sure," Nickel shot her a complicated look. "I want to know what we got from the Nightmare." 

The Librarian stretched as he spoke. Noble guessed he hadn't slept since returning, and as far as she knew he hadn't slept for days before the Nightmare ended either. His body had to be exhausted, but he was putting off getting some shut-eye.

Perhaps he was worried about having his first real dream in years. Her own had been horrific. Or maybe he was too eager to find out all of the Dream Realm's secrets to have time for something as mundane as rest. 

"I think you might need a nap," Noble pointed out in a motherly tone. 

"I'll sleep when I'm dead," Nickel brushed aside the comment, stifling a yawn. "I'm fine. Ready for a fight even." 

"Oh?" Sarai smiled innocently. "Barely a day since our last battle and you're already ready to jump back into action?"

"Of course! A Master should always be prepared to fight." Nickel raised one eyebrow.

"Alright, let's do it!" Sarai clapped her hands, her eyes glittering. 

The other two looked at her, a little stunned. 

"Do what?" Noble asked carefully. Was the woman wanting to go out to start slaying Nightmare Creatures already? Had the sweet baker gone insane? Fortunately, the younger woman clarified quickly. 

"Let's have a friendly battle. We can see what each other can do! We could obviously just tell each other what our new Abilities are, but wouldn't it be more exciting to show them off?" Sarai's enthusiasm was infectious. 

But Noble hesitated. The last time she had fought in the Grand Hall had ended in disaster. Emira had nearly killed her and only Kosi's intervention had allowed her to survive. The floating Master pursed her lips. 

'This is different. It is a spar with friends. There is no fear of death. Anyway, the room in the Nightmare and this one are technically not the same place.' 

A small smile formed on Noble's face as she shrugged lightly. "Why not? I wanted to see what my Ability can do under pressure. And it will be fun to try to puzzle out what you can do as well." 

The two women turned to Nickel. The librarian crossed his arms. "Fine. I suppose anything is better than a dance." 

"You can't fool me. I can feel your excitement," Noble narrowed her gaze. 

"I don't know what you are talking about." Nic's eyes darted away. "Let's get this over with." 

"Not exactly what you want to hear at the beginning of a duel," Noble chuckled. "I hope you won't surrender too easily." 

"I know you are just trying to play on my vanity," Nickel arched his brow. "It's working." 

A moment later, greataxe appeared from sparks. Noble found some amusement in its unusual size but had no doubt that the man wielding it would do it with skill. 

"One of your new toys?" Noble tilted her head. She had never seen it before.

"The King's Defender." The man in black gave a short nod. "What are you bringing to the table?"

The two ladies eagerly complied. 

While Noble summoned the Zenith, Sarai brought out a polearm that neither of the others recognized. The elegant atgeir was long and thin with a golden point a the end. In addition to the armor-piercing spike, a slender axeblade protruded from one side of the far end, making it extra deadly. 

"I call her Amber," Sarai said. "She works similar to my sweet Aching Ember." 

"Ember and Amber? Cute!" Noble liked the nickname. She would have to find out more about all of the new weapons later. She looked down at her xiphos. "I lost the Unlikely End. This is Zenith." 

Her companions said nothing, soaking in the gravity of her words. The esctoc had been Queen Bee's signature since her foray into the Dreamscape. 

It was a great loss. They allowed a small moment of silence. 

Then, with the weapons selected, the three looked around the Great Hall. It was a lot larger than the long, missing arena that once lay below the palace. Noble wondered for a moment if they might be able to excavate to find it. It wouldn't do much good without the magic to fuel it though.

So the hall was as good of a venue to battle as any.

"Try not to damage the walls. I would hate for this place to come down on our heads before it's even two days old." Noble looked at her friends.

"Wait, if we are making ground rules, I'm adding some," Nickel narrowed his gaze. "No using any of your powers except your new one."

"Does that go for me also?" Sarai pouted a little. 

Clicking his tongue, the man in black looked at her. "You especially! I may be hungry, but I don't want my goose to be cooked!"

"None of us will use anything except our newest Ability." Noble agreed for them.

This was a golden opportunity.

It would give them a chance to try out their strength as Masters and also tinker with their new skills.

Plus it sounded like more fun!

If they had been in the Dreamscape, this exhibition would have drawn the largest crowd of viewers since the face-off between Queen Bee and Mongrel. Knowing how much a battle like this would have been promoted, Fort would have likely finally gotten the bobblehead he so desired. 

Instead, there were no observers on the balcony overhead. Only the ghosts of kings and queens of old might be able to peek in on the epic display. 

Despite the lack of viewership, the three combatants were more excited than they had ever been in an official battle. 

The three formed a triangle in the center of the room. 

A baker, a teacher, and a librarian, who would have thought they were three of the most prominent duelists in the Dreamscape before Ascending?

And now they were three of humanity's newest Masters! It was a strange thought. But everything about the Spell was strange. Noble would just have to get used to it. 

"You heard Queen Bee: no friendly fire, Fire." Nickel eyed the baker carefully.

The redhead laughed. "You don't have to worry about me. I will stay cool as a cucumber."

"Good. I can personally attest to how bad the place looks all messed up and melted," Noble hid her wince behind a mask of sarcasm. 

They all summoned their additional pieces of armor including helmets. The extra protection did not look as impressive or sleek as their usual Dreamscape attire, but it was much more functional.

The cohort had seen each other bloodied from battle. There was no need to keep up appearances. Being safe was more important than looking impressive. 

Nickel glanced out from a slit in his dark mask. 

"Are you ready?" He asked casually with his enormous blade resting on the ground. 

"Yes!" Sarai tapped Amber lightly on the ground in assent. 

"If I say no, will that change anything?" Noble smirked. She spun her xiphos around in an arc before bringing it to her natural stance. 

Just like that, the stage was set.

The trio stared at one another as if suspended in time.

Then all at once, an explosion of energy rocked the hall.