"W - what, why? Ether?! Ether?!?" Jakery frantically said.
But there was no response, only tears. His older brother brought up his silver weapon, preparing to strike a clean shot on his own neck.
"WAIT, NO!" Jakery screamed.
Valentine rushed in, hoping to cease the situation. Upon arriving, his instincts forced him to treat Ether as an enemy.
No other thoughts fogged his mind, aside from the very clear actions. He tackled Ether against the wall, the back of his feeble Zesher head struck the hard stone surface.
As he was sliding down, Valentine planted his foot on Ether's chest before confiscating his weapon. Now, the whole situation was his to command.
Jakery's legs shook like crumbling buildings. He couldn't withstand the sight of seeing his older brother chopped to bits and his oldest trying to take himself out.
Reality collapsed on itself, Jakery saw darkness. No sounds. It was all empty. Until he started hearing faint crackles, like a burning flame.
Several hours have passed since the ordeal. When he opened his eyes, Oria loomed over him. She tried being the strong pillar the young Zesher could depend on.
But he saw through it. She was just as afraid as him. There was no point behind denying it. Oria understood that.
"... You probably believe you were doing what's right. Imagine the trauma Jakery would have to deal with after you're gone, too," Valentine said in a disappointed manner.
Ether shamefully nodded. Feeling too embarrassed to speak. It was in the moment, he couldn't have controlled himself. Despite being trained to deal with situations during the heat of conflict.
Oria looked down at Jakery, but not at him. It was as if she was looking at something below him. Maybe she was looking down at something that wasn't there or didn't exist.
Her eyes were void of any life. In their stead were two grey eyes. Completely denying the truth of anything that had transpired.
"Do you want to know a little more, Ether?" Valentine abruptly said.
In response, Ether nodded. But to this, Valentine shook his head.
"I want words."
"Yes," Ether's defeated voice answered. "Yes, I want to know more. Why is everything going wrong? Why did I kill Demon? Why did I almost do the same to myself?"
Valentine took out Ether's sword. "This isn't black or white. You know that. It's unrealistic. Your motive behind attacking Demon wasn't because you wanted him dead. But because you felt the need to defend Oria."
He shifted his eyes to the listening Feral. "Thankfully, she is okay. To my knowledge, she didn't hear the Broken Melody."
"Now..." Valentine planted the tip of the blade into the durable ceiling. "Every elite and warrior has their motive behind their feud with us. Some it's because we're targets. But to a few, they have a reason."
Ether shook his head, trying to deny the possibility. "No - no that's wrong. So wrong. You don't get it. We have -"
"Your lineage has been dominant since its arrival to the region. Solice? He was brutal and unforgiving. Cross his path and you better pray to whichever idol you worshipped."
Oria cleared her throat. "If I recall correctly, his mom was very powerful. Dinem, I think. She was the only one to have driven fear into my pack's heart. I remember the stories my father told me."
Valentine turned to face the frightened Ether. "You see? Everyone sees this as an opportunity to burn down a legacy for their own benefit. It's greed, that's what it is. Once they do, the Nine would have to seek new subjects."
"We're not the only lineage like this. Do you not remember the rumors of our 'Yarno counterparts?'" Ether snapped back. "They sound stronger than mine."
"Yes, rumors. But not confirmed. Besides, maybe the Nine would want to keep the same number of powerful lineages in Imbushko. By seeking another host, it remains that way," Valentine replied.
Ether drove his head in his open palms. "I can't. I wish Solice was here. Lya too. I want Lya to clean up my hair while telling me sweet stories of beautiful places and underground utopias."
Oria leaned closer to him. "Oh? Is that why you go by 'Shora' sometimes? Wait! Your mother treated you like a Yonie while your father treated you like a Zegus. Is that it?"
In response, Jakery and Ether nodded in unison. From his earliest days, Jakery remembered watching Lya compliment the oversized shirts he wore to bed. Sometimes even commenting a Yonie would fall for him on the spot.
"Everywhere you look, you may see something too gruesome to not mention," Valentine interrupted. "By nature, Yomies are very attracted to their partners. Lya losing Solice would have been a breaking point."
Hearing that last line made Oria cover Jakery's ears. She knew what Valentine was going to say, and for Jakery's sake. She wanted to keep him busy with something else.
"Danatato. You understand Icitru, don't you?" Valentine eerily asked.
"Yes... wait..." Ether processed the word. "Da means self, na means isolated, and tato means death. 'Self isolated death?' What?"
Valentine nodded. "When a Yomie's Yonie dies, she can't stand the mental stress. So much so they just up and die. Usually bleeding all their blood out of their mouth. Painful, yes."
Ether's eyes widened. "W - what do the Yonies d - do..?"
"Starve. They are too caring to move onto another partner," Valentine answered.
Pain and regret engulfed Ether's stomach. He knew what he was implying. The worst part about that was there might be some truth behind that.
After all, according to Alise and Lya, the whole expedition was supposed to be a quick visit and return. But Lya didn't return. However, most of the Ferals did.
"You're a special case. It appears some of your Thresher features have been shut down," Valentine tossed the weapon to Ether. "For example, you don't show that powerful Yonie love."
Jakery shook his head. "Wrong."
Oria hugged young Jakery tighter. Before fixing her posture to make sure she wasn't in between Valentine and Ether.
"Maybe that one has some exceptions. You've got a keen eye, no?" Valentine gestured at the sword.
"No I don't," Ether quickly replied.
Valentine sighed. "Of course... well, take a glance at your weapon's hilt."
Ether picked up the sword from the blade. Murder pulsed through his veins. As if it mocking his inability to comprehend what the weapon truly was.
On the very middle of the hilt rested a sequence of characters engraved into the weapon itself. Ether leaned closer to the fire in order to decipher it. Until the shadows perfectly outlined each crack.
His weapon had a name. And it was Tellendor. A name given to it by its second wielder. The one proceeding the first true Coros member, back when the lineage belonged to a different region and race.
"I never noticed this. How did you know about it?" Ether asked in awe.
Valentine looked up at the sky. "You're your father's son. The only other Coros left. Naturally, I had to tell you about it. Don't get me wrong, I didn't notice it until earlier. But..."
He looked back down at Ether, a mean tone in his eyes. "It was a reminder, not a discovery. I remembered Solice and our interactions back on Digon. He told me about it and the weapon's meaning."
Jakery gasped. "Tellen, Revolutionary Edge. And - and Dor, Fated Mind. The legend of the fallen warrior, Dor, and his near defeat by Tellen's hands. And also Dor's son's redemption. Isn't that it?"
Ether placed Tellendor to his side. "There's a reason behind that name. I know it."
Oria wearily chirped. "I am going to sleep beneath the Sky Beast. Good night."
Valentine glanced up at the slumbering Gloria. "Perhaps it's time we rest as well. You three can get a head start. I have some planning to do."