"He's dead?" Noble halted her feverish plans to protect Tamar.
This was good news, wasn't it? Noble thought of Beric, who had just left in a very chipper mood. Did he know?
'Did he cause it?!'
"How? When?" Noble's thoughts were moving faster than her mouth could form the words.
Fortunately, Umbei was used to delirious Awakened seeking care. A terse professor was tame in comparison.
She scrolled through the file to view the records.
"Early in the evening. He went quickly without any strange readings beforehand. That's how it usually is. The delay occurred between death and removal because the guards were concerned that he might fake his own death to escape." The healer explained.
Noble couldn't fault the guards for their hesitation. She would have been wary, too.
'With an Aspect that essentially drains the life out of others, it's entirely possible that he could have awakened and drained enough life out of himself to trick the machines into thinking he was dead.'
"But they confirmed he is deceased?" Noble watched Umbei nod.
"A physician examined him to make sure. His heart was not beating, and without getting too detailed, the signs of death were all present. It looks like his body is in the morgue if you won't take anyone else's word for it."
Using her second sight, Noble sought out the morgue. It was strange to think that every place that held life for the purpose of healing it also needed a place to keep the dead.
Locating the room, Noble searched for Keth's emotional signature. It was not there. The professor widened her search to encompass the surrounding area. No sign of Keth's emotions was present.
Unless he was hiding underground somehow, he was dead.
"Someone is still guarding him?" Noble was only slightly surprised.
The healer nodded.
"Just until the Aegis Rose Clan claims him. Someone should be here to take him by this afternoon."
'If they aren't in a rush to get here, then they think he is dead as well.'
Umbei glanced at her pensive colleague. "You alright?"
"I'm fine." Noble pitied the young man a little.
He had been a pawn. If he hadn't died in the Solstice, Noble doubted that he would be able to avoid the repercussions of his failure.
'Unless they found Keth and killed him before he could awaken.'
Noble didn't want to believe it, but she couldn't quite push the thought from her mind. Harlow had been willing to bulldoze anyone who was a potential problem. A young man from a vassal clan that had only passed his first Nightmare would have been easy to remove from the board if the King of Swords willed it.
Hopefully, he hadn't, and Keth had just been the victim of unfortunate circumstances in the Dream Realm.
'And hopefully his victim will return without a scratch.' Noble tried not to think too much about Tamar, except to wish her, Ray, and Fleur well once more. Today would be the day they would be found. She was sure of it!
"I hope the rest of your shift is eventful in the best possible way," Noble patted Umbei on the shoulder as she moved away from the chair.
"Are you finally heading home?" The healer raised one eyebrow at the professor.
"Yes, with my busy schedule, I cannot afford to be late for a most important appointment." Noble nodded.
"I thought this was supposed to be your week off. Please tell me that you aren't launching into some large project." Umbei knew the woman well enough to realize the lady didn't sit still well.
"The biggest project yet, but don't worry, I have an excellent partner who is doing the bulk of the work. I am just his lovely assistant." Noble flipped her braided hair behind her shoulder.
"You can tell me more about it tomorrow." Umbei chuckled. "Enjoy your time with family."
"I will!" The professor waved.
Soon, she was in Ravenheart with the cool air pressing against her warm skin. A slightly acrid smell drifted through the air, so faint that even an Awakened wouldn't have been able to pick up the scent.
But to Noble's Transcendent senses, it was as clear as day.
'The volcano is active this morning.'
She glanced across the ice bridge to view the mundane part of the city. In the twilight before sunrise, smoke was drifting lazily from the many homes there. Wisps of a darker hue also floated on the breeze until they mingled with the clouds.
It wasn't a cause for concern. The strange mountain did odd things when the mood struck it, but it had never shown signs that it would erupt. The daughters of Song had assured the people that even if it did decide to try to overflow the rim one day, they had ways to drain off the excess before it ever reached the city.
'As long as the monster of the deep doesn't decide to take down the mountain, we should be fine.' Noble shook her head.
Just like the tales of the hermit, children's stories about a creature in the lava were as common as soul coins.
However, no one had actually seen any creature. It was a scare tactic used by parents to encourage their offspring to stay away from the edge.
As she reached the main town, Noble slipped a delicate piece of metal behind her ear.
'Testing... One, two, three.'
'Hello, gorgeous,' came the immediate response.
Noble's cheeks flushed. 'It's opening lines like that which make me miss our communicator conversations when we were dating.'
'What do you mean? I say that in person now when you come home.' Fort seemed mildly offended, which only made Noble's smile grow.
'Like this, there is no expectation, only anticipation.' The woman sighed happily. 'And speaking of anticipation, I am on my way home. Or is there somewhere else I should be heading?'
'No, we are well aware of how excellent your directional sense is, so we waited for you to come and lead the way.' The ambassador could not fool his wife.
'You thought I would get lost, so we decided not to leave until I got there?' Noble scoffed. 'You know I can just search for your emotional signatures and track you down, right?'
'It's a fact I find both comforting and terrifying,' Fort teased. 'Are you almost here?'
Floating up the path, Noble turned up a wide lane. 'I'm a couple of minutes out. Is everything ready to go?'
'I will check with our intrepid leader, but I believe so.' Fort paused as he presumably asked the question aloud. 'We are all set. How were things at the Academy?'
'Keth is dead, and my trio of Sleepers that I seem to have cursed has yet to return.' Noble relayed the information clinically.
'That's...news.'
Fort wasn't sure how to react. His wife couldn't blame him. She wasn't sure either.
'I'm sure you didn't curse them,' he followed up belatedly.
Noble chuckled, appreciative of his attempt to salvage his reply. 'I suppose only time will tell, won't it? Either way, I'm coming up the way. Are you ready for our adventure?'
The door opened down the lane, and a man decked out in his winter gear stepped into the street. He cupped his hands.
"With you? Always!"