Noble took the soul shard in her hand and crushed it. As it dissolved, she took a deep breath.
The professor had never fully saturated her core. By exiting the Dream Realm so quickly on her solstice visit and then remaining in the safety of Ender's Deep, Noble had few opportunities to earn shards.
The influx of power was invigorating.
"How do you feel?" Fort eyed his wife carefully.
"Stronger," she smiled. "Thank you for holding onto it while I was sleeping. That helped."
"I need to get you more." Fort made a mental note.
The doting husband had bought many of them for her when they were first married, but shards weren't exactly the most rewarding gifts for him to present.
Eventually, he found that procuring Memories was more fulfilling...at least those could be stored in the woman's soul sea without needing to be destroyed.
"You don't need to fuss over me. I am fine," Noble looked down at herself. She still had on her armor from the fight. It didn't look fine, and likely neither did she.
The deputy director frowned. "It isn't fussing. Realistically, we need to get working on that as soon as possible. If you insist on going, Antarctica will have far more than a single beast to slay. You must be at your best."
Noble nodded. Of course, Fort was right. Anything less than top shape could be a detriment to herself and those she wanted to help. Saturating her core was now a top priority.
But that wasn't something she could do just now.
"I suppose I should change and get cleaned up." Noble rose after a pause.
Fort rubbed the back of his neck. "I would have helped you with that, but I cannot exactly dismiss your armor for you."
It only took a moment for the professor to dig out something new to wear. She selected some pants and a comfortable top that would fit better under her armor in case she needed to summon it again.
Hopefully, she wouldn't.
'So many things to consider these days,' Noble rubbed her forehead. Her life was always spent juggling a dozen things at any moment in time. She should be used to it by now.
A small sound from the bed caught Noble's attention.
"Are you alright?"
Fort nodded. "Just my stomach growling, nothing important."
Noble's eyes widened. "When was the last time you ate?!"
Before the incident, she had been on her way to get him lunch. That was many hours ago.
"I'll get you something right away." Noble took a step toward the door and then hesitated.
While she didn't want to make Fort walk on his injured foot, she also did not want to leave him behind.
Before she could make a decision, the Deputy Director reached out and caught her arm. "How about I call the porter, and he can bring us something?"
Noble relaxed. "That sounds lovely."
The porter came and offered them a small menu of selections. "May I recommend the special for the day? We have orange monster meat on the grill as we speak."
The professor stared at him in disbelief. "...Did you say orange meat?"
--------
The porter was serious, but Noble declined, opting for a more traditional meal. Fort was disappointed, but he also understood.
The rest of the trip passed peacefully, much to the couple's relief. The professor reluctantly took one more trek into the Dream Realm before they arrived at their destination. She came back just in time to see the fortified port peek over the horizon.
Due to the inherent danger of the sea, almost no one lived by the salty water. But that did not stop major merchants from maintaining water trade routes. It was necessary for the survival of humanity as well as their profits that goods travel between the continents as efficiently as possible.
And that meant braving the water.
The only others who were willing to be so close to the depths were members of the House of Night and the Military. The former always had a respect and affinity for the waves, and the latter needed to maintain the navy.
All three groups had a presence in the place where she was going.
Like manmade mountains, thick walls jutted up to the sky from all sides including the water. Atop them were weapons larger and many times more powerful than what the train could reasonably support.
It was a formidable fortress.
Noble pulled her eyes away from the towering structure to an equally impressive sight. The ocean stretched out before them, glistening in the afternoon sun.
Her heartbeat quickened.
Fort grabbed her hand. "You traveled across that?"
His voice was full of genuine wonder. The Deputy Director often projected the image of a peaceful beach on his office wall, but it was completely different to see it in person.
"If you mean an ocean, yes. If you mean the ocean toward Antarctica? No." Noble didn't want to lecture him on geography, but North America and Antarctica weren't exactly in the same part of the world.
She waited for the witty retort, but he looked seriously into her eyes.
"You become more amazing every day."
"What?" Noble blushed.
Fort nodded slowly. "You came across an expanse having lost so much, started over and made a new life. I don't know if I could have done it."
Noble pursed her lips. It wasn't like she had had a choice in the matter at the time. But the professor realized that nothing she could say just then would change her husband's high opinion of her.
Not that she wanted to. "Thank you. I think you are pretty impressive yourself."
All at once, the train was enveloped by massive walls, giving the couple the first clear view of the port.
Around three dozen colossal ships sat sleepily in the harbor, looking more like metal islands than methods of transport. They were much larger than the one Noble had arrived on years before.
"Look at that Spelltech!" Fort stared in wonder at the fortress itself.
"It's nice," Noble said noncommittally. By his heightened emotion, she could tell the man was very excited, but she wasn't exactly sure why. Her expertise was in Memories, not combining magic with modern technology.
"I hope they will let me get a closer look at some of it. What we have at headquarters is mostly defensive. This is a whole other level!" Fort pressed his hand to the glass.
"You sound like a child in a candy store." The professor chuckled softly.
"I cannot help it. You know I am a nerd at heart. If I hadn't found my place in the government, I think spelltech would have been a good profession."
"If you are really that interested, you could make it a hobby." Noble raised one eyebrow at him, but he shook his head.
Fort clicked his tongue. "I don't have time for a hobby. Unlike you, I have to sleep!"
The train slowed to a stop, and the doors to the cars hissed open.
Looking out the window at the platform, Fort spotted a familiar face. "There's our welcome party."
He stood and winced.
"Shall I carry you again?" Noble asked when she saw her husband's pain.
"Ha, very funny." He barked a laugh as he tried to adjust his foot in his shoe. "Wait, you were kidding, weren't you?"
"It's better than walking with a cane or a limp, isn't it?" The professor asked.
"Floating along on the ground like I'm above everyone? No, thank you," Fort saw his wife's eyes begin to swirl. "Wait, no! I didn't mean that the way it sounded. I simply meant that floating is your thing and not mine. Not that it is a 'thing!' I know you don't have any choice, but…"
Noble smiled humorlessly. "Don't let me stop you. You seem much more comfortable digging a hole in the earth than you do hovering over it."
Fort rubbed the back of his neck. "Much more digging and I'll be six feet under. Very well…carry me…"