Chương 398: When vs If
Before everyone had left the table, Noble went on to describe the battle against the Corrupted Titan. Noble had returned to the house before her children, so the news of her ordeal came as a shock.
The boys were enthralled by the idea, asking every manner of question. They wanted to know every gory detail, much to Noble's chagrin.
"Did you manage to rip off an arm in addition to its heads?" Brock made a disturbing motion with his butter knife.
Noble frowned, "No."
"Can you describe its blood?" Blaze asked clinically, ready to record his findings later.
"It was red, like ours," his mother told him. "And smelly."
"Do you think it would taste good?" Brock took a large bite of his food.
"What, the blood?" Noble felt a little nauseated.
"No, the Titan! Koprive told me that his uncle told him that the higher the rank, the better tasting the meat is." Brock informed them like this unnamed uncle was the foremost expert.
"If I get to try it, I will let you know." Noble pushed her plate away a little. She had lost her appetite a little.
"I will try the meat myself when we move. Or maybe I'll wait until I kill one myself. I'll have to think about it." Brock nodded seriously.
"That is a lot to think about," Fort's smile was tight.
He liked how easily Brock had accepted the news of the move, but the idea that the boy wanted to chase after such big targets was a little concerning.
Hopefully, in a few years, he would be a little more sober-minded. Today, Fort was willing to take the win.
Oblivious to their father's thoughts, the boys continued with their detailed inquiry.
Noble responded to each question in the best way she could, both to answer their curiosity and help her process the events of the day.
It was nice not to have to hide it from her family.
Rain listened with quiet fascination. She might have seemed less interested than the boys, but Noble could feel how she hung on every word.
And Fort…the man constantly squeezed her knee under the table, letting her know how glad he was that she was safe. The gentle pressure was reassuring, reminding her that the ordeal was over.
Thankfully it had only taken an afternoon, not months. And now she was home, with any physical reminder of the event already healed.
If anything, she looked like she had had a tiring workday.
Finally, the boys ran out of questions, and quickly left the table to either write down their notes or practice their battle moves. Noble watched them leave with a relieved sigh.
She turned to her daughter. "You've been very quiet. Is there anything you want to ask now that your brothers are gone?"
Rain bit her lip, weighing if she should ask what was on her mind. She sighed.
"I really only have one question. When you were fighting the Titan… were you scared?"
Noble contemplated her answer.
"In the moment? No. I had no time to be scared. There was work to be done. The thing I was most afraid of was disappointing you and not being home on time. I even sent a message with Catphine to explain in case I was late."
"But you didn't freeze up or want to run?" Rain persisted.
"I couldn't abandon the Awakened in the citadel. I may have had the option to leave, but I never would have taken it."
Noble loved her family and wanted to return to them, but just like when the gate opened in the NQSC, she valued others' lives above her own.
"I see." Rain pushed around the remaining food on her plate with her fork.
"You do?" Fort studied his daughter.
She met his eyes and nodded. "I don't know how to explain it. Hearing mom talk...I was worried for her, but I also found myself wanting to fight alongside her. Rather than turn me off to the idea of moving to the Dream Realm, it made me think about the tactics I would use and how I would have handled the situation."
Rain ducked her head.
"Not that I think I could have handled it. At my current level, I probably would have been one of the first to die. But someday...someday I want the chance to try. To do that I have to be stronger, smarter, and better prepared. Maybe going to Ravenheart is the best way to do that. If it is, I would be stupid to consider not going."
"I have never once thought you were stupid, Rainy," Noble winked.
The teen chewed on the inside of her cheek. "Does going mean that I would be able to choose when I go into my first Nightmare?"
Fort choked on his drink, silently suffering as he tried to clear his throat.
Noble tried to keep a neutral smile, but her eyes betrayed the hurt she felt.
Rain hadn't said if she was going to enter a Nightmare, she had said when.
'Seb.'
The couple had already lost one child to the Nightmare Curse. Back then no one had any say in the matter. The Spell took whoever it wanted.
But now that Rain suddenly had a choice, she had already decided that she would take on the trial.
While Noble couldn't exactly blame her—Awakening would be Rain's only way to return to the Waking World—the mother still would have liked to talk through the options with her teen.
"Oh," Rain belatedly realized what she had said. "I wouldn't go any time soon. I might not go at all. I just wanted to know–"
"It's your choice, yes," Fort answered finally, his chest tight. "That decision will belong to you and not the Spell."
"We will support you, Rainy," Noble promised.
"It was just a passing thought. I probably will not try," Rain added quickly, hoping to wipe the defeated look off of her parents' faces, "But I like that I won't be taken by surprise."
Noble's eyes stopped swirling as her expression softened. "I like that too."
"That is assuming I don't get infected between now and when we move." The teen watched her parents' faces.
"Any time you feel unnaturally sleepy, we will request to leave for the Dream Realm with no questions asked," Fort assured her. "You just have to wait long enough for the gate to get here, or, you know, not get infected until we get there."
"I'll do my best." The dark-eyed girl smiled. "Wait, Mom! If you are leaving, what does that mean for your citadel?"
"Saint Jet has taken control of it for now. It's in good hands." Noble assured her.
"What about Auntie Sarai?" Rain furrowed her brow.
"She told me today that she will come with us. Sarai has been wanting to expand her baking business into the Dream Realm anyway. She was more excited about the thought than even your brothers."
Noble had felt the baker's emotions. She was ready for a new adventure.
"Alright then...I'm in." Rain nodded firmly.
Fort decided not to point out that she never had the option of being 'out'. He straightened his shoulders.
"I guess that is it then."
Noble nodded, "Ravenheart, here we come!"
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