The faint crackling and popping of the fireplace rung throughout the living room. Shadows cast the surrounding wooden furniture in darkness, highlighting only sections of three resting hybrids.
Nobody spoke aloud, it was all done in whispers. They tried desperately to fall asleep, but repeatedly failed due to their anxiety.
"Psst... Jakery? Ether?" Demon, the middle sibling, whispered. He scanned his younger brother's face for any movements. "... Ether, are you -"
"Shh." The oldest sibling hushed him. Ether glanced down into his chest, where Jakery's head was resting. "Young Jakery's trying to sleep."
A dramatic pop startled Demon. His body jolted, reacting to the sudden noise. After realizing what had happened, he sighed before closing his eyes again.
"Don't force yourself to sleep, if you can't," Ether whispered.
Instead of responding, Demon kept quiet. Focusing on his thoughts, which were massive threads of illogical fears and anxiety.
Fiery oranges danced over his body, keeping him warmth and comfort. The smell of lavender-scented wood filled their lungs, calming them just enough to keep the siblings weary.
"Shora," Jakery whispered. He stretched and shifted within Ether's motherly grasp. "Do we really have to impress?"
Ether paused before answering. His eyes idly stared into the fireplace, watching the passionate dance take place. There was a moment of hesitation in his thoughts.
"Can we just give it our all and lose with pride? You know I don't enjoy hurting anybody," Jakery continued.
"Then you won't hurt anybody," Ether replied. "But we have to put our skills to good use soon. Otherwise, the leaders will claim we're slacking."
Demon scoffed, careless of what any of the leaders think about them. After all, their lineage, Coros, was already prestigious for their efforts in their Legion.
If it wasn't for Solice's, their father's, attempts to break down rivaling Legions, their home would be different. He lived and disappeared a champion, tenacious and loyal.
"Can't we take this generation off?" Demon yawned. He raised an arm over his face to get a better look at his siblings. "Even Solice's mom was ruthless."
Ether sighed, frowning deeply as he idly stared out into the darkness. "No... I don't think we should. We owe it to our parents and Sherpa for putting us here."
He cocked his head back, leaning against their couch's pads. "Like Valentine taught us, we need to find what starves us. And earning a seat on Kas' fiercest warriors is what's starving me."
Jakery sneezed, body violently erupted up-right. The amount of stress, drowsiness, and uncertainty weighed his shoulders down.
Both of his older siblings watched him collapse onto the rug, chin first. A soft thump confirmed he had connected with the coated floor.
Glaring embers washed his silky, black hair with a combination of oranges and reds. The familiar warmth of a fireplace brought him great comfort.
"Like Shodo is showing, we're not starving for this. Maybe you are, but not us," Demon finally answered. "Something else motivates us. We want different things."
Demon fell silent, taking a moment to remember stories of fabled Ferals, who traversed through thick canopies and dense jungles.
Since young, he became obsessed with the ideals of a Feral. Hearing how powerful and unique they were when compared to Thawed, Threshers, and Zegi humbled him.
Other tales even motivated him to learn some of their native language, Kenekuor, and even train like them. Equipping throwing knives as a substitute for the females' claws.
"Yeah, but think of how far we can go if we boost ourselves with this up-coming Age of Recruitment. 'Demon, the Fanatical Wildman.' Doesn't that title sound good?" Ether replied.
Before Demon could respond, soft snoring caught their attention. Jakery finally found the peace to sleep with.
Sweet dreams of having strange, but wholesome adventures with a strange Yomie took his mind by storm. Quickly dragging Jakery's body deeper into its resting state.
"Eh... I think Jakery didn't like it. Besides, how would he get the life he wants? You know he wishes to be a proper Yonie and forget about his Zegus side."
"M - maybe... no, no - that won't work. You're right about him. Threshers will automatically become confused," Ether groaned. "For some reason, they cannot comprehend how being half-Thresher doesn't make you genderless."
Demon nodded, smirking as he did so. "Exactly. I want to be like a Feral, you like Solice, and Jakery like a Yonie. Our goals don't align."
The reality shut Ether up. He understood how strange their team was. Especially when only one of them was focused on carrying their legacy.
A strange mixture of worry and fear brewed together to cause Ether to second guess himself. He wasn't sure if he was capable of doing this alone.
"How about we help each other reach our goals?" Ether suggested. "I'm sure we can get us all where we want to be. The only factor is our -"
Demon collapsed against the rug. Eyes shut tight, and shoulders relaxed. His masterfully made sleeping gown coated most of his troubled body.
Ether fell silent again. His eyes ran back to a random corner in the room, shielding themselves from the brightness.
Nobody was awake but him, filling his stomach with the feeling of isolation. He reached down in hopes of grasping the nasty emotion, but felt his own shirt.
Although it felt horrible, he knew it was what Valentine talked about. The emptiness of a hungry stomach - the emptiness of a goal that needs someone to fulfill it.
Both meant either to him. The night slowed down, buying him time to breakdown how he would prove to be Solice's successor.
"Starting with Age of Recruitment..." Ether yawned. "We'll... we'll take on our challenge... then, I will... I will sleep."
His eyelids got heavier and thinking slower. The only things in his focus were the burning wood in the fireplace and his goal.
Most other thoughts and emotions fled from his mind as he prepared to wake up in the first day of their trail: Age of Recruitment.