-Next day-
Pearl sat behind Valentine as the wind drifted around them. Today would be a strange day because of what was happening: snow would touch Krugi for the first time this winter.
Which made several Thawed, including Pearl and Valentine, an overwhelming amount of joy. It was because of a holiday that came from Thawed culture, called First Flake.
During First Flake, Thawed celebrated the blessing of snow and the benefits it provides for them. It also marks the first day of their transformation into a Winter's Fit Thawed.
The difference between the two being Winter's Fit Thawed were a lot more gentle and caring than their normal versions.
"So..." Pearl broke the silence between the two. "How were the Coros brothers when you raised them?"
Valentine looked over Gloria, making sure they were taking the correct path to their destination. Fields of grass passed under them as they flew overhead.
"They were a playful trio. They learned quickly and enjoyed socializing with others," Valentine answered. "Instead of teaching them proper lessons, I taught them through books."
Pearl imagined the Coros brothers playing with one another. To her, it seemed weird. She was a single child so the concept of sharing parents with someone seemed distant to her.
But also their nature seemed out of touch.
Demon was now a Distorted, one that saw no problem in taking lives. Jakery claimed his first life and awoken his first rule. And Ether had various broken hearts since the Sunset.
Picturing all three brothers playing with one another seemed otherworldly. Especially with Ether's current condition with himself.
Valentine leaned forward, making Gloria descend from the skies. They were approaching their destination through the thick morning fog.
"I recall seeing you walk out of the brothers' home without any armor. Did you sleep there once?" Valentine suddenly asked her.
Pearl remembered the time Ether and her shared a moment together. The night he expressed his playful Yonie side to her while she drifted to sleep.
"Honestly, yes. Ether asked me and I stayed," Pearl truthfully answered.
Valentine laughed. "Did that little guy catch your heart?"
Pearl felt embarrassed, but not in the traditional sense. It was more like an encouraging embarrassment. One she felt guilty of feeling.
"I... I can't hide the truth. He did, sort of. I still feel distant because of the huge difference between us," Pearl replied.
Valentine made Gloria slow down. She was gliding the rest of the way down.
"You mean because you're a Thawed and he is a Zesher? That difference is nothing but lies! His mother was a Yomie and his father was a Zegus. All Variants have one thing in common, guess what it is?" Valentine encouraged Pearl.
Gloria landed on a batch of orange sand. The two Thawed got off and prepared to scout the area around them.
"Is it our looks? We look and behave similar... mostly," Pearl unsurely answered.
Valentine took off his heart-shaped mask and inspected it for any damages. "Wrong. It's the fact we are close cousins to all Zegus variants. The only reason we cant evolve into other Variants like they can is because we already are too involved into our own aspects."
Pearl's boots released silent metal clapping as she paced the area in front of them. "Are you saying you think I want to reproduce with Ether? I mean, if he asks nicely we can but that's not my concern."
The older Thawed laughed as he put on his mask. "I suppose you're right. Best advice I can give you is to treat Ether with care. I've seen how sensitive his Yonie side can be."
"I'll keep that in mind. I seriously want to get closer to him," Pearl concluded.
What stood in front of them was enemy territory. Of not just the Light Legion, but also the Ophus Legion. If anyone caught the two Thawed, it would be horrible for not just them, but also the whole Legion.
Their captors would force them to give information about the Infinus Legion through mentally torturing each one. To Primes, especially Thawed, their minds were sacred and special.
If something ever happened to it, only the guardians of a mountain could save them from the disaster that tends to follow.
Valentine took a deep breath and walked forward. Pearl followed him. Even the slightest noise was enough to stop them from moving for several seconds until they felt the coast was clear.
"Do you have any tips on entertaining Ether?" Pearl whispered.
Her ally didn't respond. His full focus was on getting them to where they needed to be: outside of the Light Legion's stronghold.
This was where they would break their grip on that side of Imbushko. Which would make it easier for Infinus to weaken their defenses.
After walking for what felt like years, they finally arrived outside the stronghold. Valentine began sketching down details and descriptions on a piece of paper.
Pearl kept an eye out for anyone coming near them. She was there to be Valentine's assistant after all.
Aimlessly daydreaming in a certain direction for several minutes didn't interest Pearl. So she looked up at the stronghold as well.
Distant lights coming from lamps and candles gave the stronghold a nightmarish theme to it. Which interesting Pearl. Her eyes looked along the walls for anything standing there on patrol.
Sure enough, there were several Light Legion archers looking over the walls. Their silhouettes looked like phantoms hiding away in the mystical heights of a mountain.
A sight Valentine was familiar with.
"Done," he suddenly grunted.
The Thawed folded the piece of paper and took off his mask. Pearl watched him do something odd with it. Valentine opened a little compartment inside the left side of the mask.
When it opened, three small books that looked no bigger than the inside of her palm, stuck out to Pearl. One of these books was the Book of Will, written by a legendary warrior named Muto.
Before Pearl could get a closer look, Valentine shoved the piece of paper into the cramped space. Then he closed the compartment.
Since they were still very close to their enemies, Pearl didn't want to react in any sort of way. Because she was afraid of being caught.
Valentine simply nodded, and walked the opposite direction towards Gloria. As the duo walked, Pearl wondered more about the books inside.
She recognized the first one, but not the others. If her little knowledge of Valentine was correct, these books were also part of increasing one's strength and commitment to survive.
It what he was known for: teaching his students lessons through legends and books.
By now, the fog was starting to clear up. The skies above began getting brighter, but no sunrays passed through the dense clouds.
Now growing impatient, Valentine broke into a wild sprint towards Gloria. Pearl didn't waste time in following him. The two ran through the strangely open area. Sometimes coming across the occasional batch of sand.
And finally, they reached Gloria. Each Thawed took their seats on the back of the Sky Beast and held on tight.
Gloria opened all four of her wings, and leapt upwards. Once she was reaching maximum height in her jump, she flapped her wings and took off towards Krugi.
As the wind and early snowflakes passed them, Pearl remembered some questions she wanted to ask Valentine.
"What were the three books inside your mask?" she suddenly asked.
"Book of Will, Book of Mentality, and Book of Survival. So far, I've taught the brothers about the Book of Will, since it might help them the most someday," Valentine answered.
An idea formed inside Pearl's mind, although she felt like Valentine was going to deny her request. But she still wanted to try it out.
"Can I borrow one of two others? Maybe me and the two siblings could learn something together?"
Valentine chuckled like a father. "Do you promise to teach them instead of distract them? I mean, we both know the real reason why you're doing this..."
Pearl couldn't stop herself from laughing along. It was obvious she had grown attached to Ether over a short amount of time. But Valentine wanted to challenge her.
"Well, little Thawed. If you want my student's heart you have to answer one difficult question, what made you like him?"
"What? Hmm..." Pearl thought to herself. "How much more gentle and caring he is. That's probably it. How tight he held me that one night and the senseless but adorable words helped me sleep like I never slept before."
Valentine nodded. "You have a good reason. Now hold on tight, First Flake is going to start soon and we're not going to miss it! This is your chance to get closer to Ether as well."
Pearl excitedly held onto the Sky Beast's feathers and embraced for the fast speeds. She was excited for her transformation into a Winter's Fit, but also excited to hang out with Ether.