'It's just like riding a bike…not that I've ever ridden one. Maybe I should learn? I couldn't sit on the seat with the tires on the ground. I'd have to float the bike and make the wheels turn. And then there is making tracks on the ground. Would it even be considered biking at that point? Maybe I could ride on the ceiling? That could work…'
Noble mulled over the possibility as the students filed into her class.
There was a decent number of pupils, considering how many had already returned to the Dream Realm via Saints.
Those left behind were the ones who would enter the yearly trial of the Solstice either by choice or bad luck. Noble had already felt a pang of guilt concerning the second group, especially when meeting Fleur.
She could help them Awaken by bringing them to the Dream Realm herself, but at the expense of exposing herself. That was not yet a risk she was willing to take.
Pushing back the thought, Noble once again focused on the bicycle situation. With newly paved streets being more widespread in Ravenheart, a bicycle might really come in handy as the city continued to grow.
Did those even exist anymore? Not the kind that used spelltech to get around, but the kind that her grandfather had talked about his grandfather using.
Those would be perfect! Had anyone already thought of bringing them back?
Not that Noble even needed one. In fact, she was pretty sure that the ground would interact with the seat and cause her pain as soon as she tried to sit or use the pedals. Still, for regular people, the idea had merit.
'Ah, well, I guess I will have to let someone else claim that million credit idea. It's not like I have time to run yet another business.'
The class continued filling up while Noble went through the messages on her data pad, yet the two ladies from that morning still had yet to show. The professor hadn't really expected Tamar to come, but Fleur had seemed enthusiastic at their parting.
Ray was there, though. He seemed like he was actively trying not to hide himself, which Noble appreciated. He was less unnerving when she could feel his agitation and not just guess from his hunched demeanor. But why was he so jumpy?
Ray was seated by the aisle, looking ready to leap up and bolt from the classroom.
'Or straight at me...'
No, his backward glances told her that the young man was expecting something from behind. His head hadn't turned to face her once after he sat down.
Was he worried about being attacked? Noble wouldn't allow that in her classroom. If anyone had a score to settle, this was not the place to do it.
Noble's communicator chimed, indicating that the top of the hour had been reached. It was time for class to begin. Sliding from her chair, Noble let her eyes sweep across those in the room.
Most of them were new, but a few were graduates of the Dreamer Academy. Noble smiled at the familiar faces as she took her place. Coughing lightly to get the room to quiet down, Noble began her usual introduction.
"Good afternoon, Sleepers. For those of you who do not know me, I am Professor Noble. In case you are unsure what room you wandered into on this chilly afternoon, you have found your way into Memory Assessment and Utilization. How many of you have a Memory in your possession?"
As always happened, everyone raised their hand. Noble loved that moment especially for some reason.
"Good, that means you are in the right place. Now, let's get started. I can tell by the wary look on some of your faces toward the corner of my classroom that you have met my dedicated assistant already..."
A gentleman in the front row scoffed. Clearly, his encounter with the android in question had not gone as planned.
"Bee Two, you seem to have some fans out here." Noble crossed her arms as the alcove opened. A recharged android came waltzing out more like a runway model than a robot.
Bee Two surveyed the room, seeming to size up the Sleepers using some metric only the android knew. Two synthetic eyes came to rest on the young man right before her. The assistant seemed to mirror his sour expression.
Noble coughed. "Well, I will skip the preliminaries and get right to it. Every Memory has value. Whether it be weapon or utility, the Spell deemed it worthy enough to be crafted and added to a soul's arsenal. Whatever Memories you possess, you need to learn how to use them. All of you are smart enough to know that, or you wouldn't be here. So the question is, how do we figure out the best way to utilize our personal arsenal?"
A few hands shot up in the air.
"Yes, your name and your answer," Noble pointed to a student toward the left of the classroom.
"Back, Professor..."
Noble furrowed her brow. "I'm sorry? Back where?" She looked behind her to make sure there wasn't something lurking.
"My name. It's Back." The young man didn't seem much surprised by her reaction.
'Poor guy. Was his mother thinking about how much her spine hurt when she named him?'
Oblivious to Noble's musings, Back continued with his thought.
"We use our intuition."
The Professor nodded. "That is part of it certainly."
"Trial and error?" The next student, whom she knew from her school in Ravenheart was named Balefire, added.
"That is also important. Perfection often only comes with practice." Noble smiled.
"We need to look into the deep nature of what the Memory is at its foundation. There is a poetry to the Spell's design, and once we know that, really know it, we can reach the full potential of the equipment and ourselves." A third student offered.
When he said his name was Absurd, Noble nearly spit out the sip of water she had taken from the glass on her desk.
'Seriously, someone somewhere has to be messing with me.'
"My cousin Tristan goes to a woman who can look into a Memory and tell you all about it," the young man in the front row barely raised his hand before answering.
'Tristan? Oh no...not another from the Aegis Rose!' Noble wasn't sure if she had bad luck or if the younger generation from that clan were all a bit salty, but the professor had yet to meet one in the past few years that she wasn't relieved to see leave. She furrowed her brow, remembering something.
"I think I saw you outside when I was was walking across the campus this morning." His less-than-pleasant emotional signature was noticeable even if she was focusing on finding Tamar an acquaintance at the time.
The man's emotions spiked, and Noble realized she had made him uncomfortable.
"Forgive me, your name is?"
"Keth of the Aegis Rose Clan," the legacy answered.
"Well, Keth, that sounds very useful for your cousin!" Noble tried not to let her previous experience color her perception of the young man too much. "However, most people don't have easy access to a seer."
He shrugged. "That's their loss."
"I suppose it is," Noble wasn't willing to argue. She clapped her hands together. "So, in the absence of a seer, I will propose we find another reliable method to begin our journey to mastering our Memories. I need a volunteer. I promise it won't hurt…much."
Despite her joke, many hands immediately shot into the air. Looking at their eager faces, Noble knew she would have a lot of Memories to evaluate today. So where should she start? Noble's eyes fell on the young man who was low in his seat, still glancing fervently at the back of the room.
"Ray!" Noble called, startling the boy from his hiding place. "Come on down. I want you to go first."