Hylo and Ether hurried past the busy roads. Workers walked through the open streets, pulling wagons full of resources for the workshops to use.
When they arrived, Ether hugged Pearl tight, then turned to Azir. He smiled up at his father, eyes sparkling the typical Yonie admiration. Ether smiled back, then tugged on his cheek as a friendly hello.
"Is Orako doing okay?" Ether asked, worry haunted his tone.
Pearl turned to the nearby fire, a pot bubbled with fresh water mixed with crushed Gagura roots. "He's in terrible condition. Probably the worst I've seen anyone. And you know how I used to fix you."
Ether sighed, mindlessly staring into the ground. "I trust you to get Orako out there again." He turned to Pearl, then smiled with hope. "Your hands are responsible for miracles."
Hylo frowned. She watched her father disappear into the nearby hallway. The sounds of Azir's playful chanting and humming caught her attention, sparking an interest.
She marched up to him, then narrowed her eyes. "Baby Azir! Play with me, now!"
Pearl jumped the moment she heard Hylo's tone become demanding. It was like hearing somebody else speak. Something about how she spoke felt off.
"Are you trying to copy Ether?" Pearl awkwardly laughed. Her eyes scanned the room, making sure Ether wasn't lurking in the nearby shadows. Then she turned to her daughter. "Don't tell him, but… he's not the guy you should be copying."
"In fact, every time he used to demand things, I always laughed and toyed with him. Not entirely of love, but because he sounded adorable when doing it," Pearl shamefully grinned. "You're like him."
While Hylo listened to her mom educate her on how to properly demand something and get taken seriously, Ether was in Orako's room. His hand resting on Orako's chest.
"That's it…" Ether mumbled. "Breathe easy. No need to rush any breathes, just let the air flow."
Orako couldn't hear a word his father was saying. In that moment, he was in a deep state of recovery. One rare enough to cause Pearl to panic upon seeing her son alive.
Slight muscle outlines looked like carved out stone on Orako's body, something Ether noticed as he grew older. The feeling of knowing his son would be stronger rubbed him the wrong way.
After all, Ether had no outstanding muscles. Nothing to show off. His belly was flat, arms looked slightly above average, and legs... well, they were legs.
Nothing stood out about his physical appearance, mostly because he was half Thresher. Although, others noticed he was as strong as he was because of his Will.
"Shora," a fragment of Lya appeared beside him. "I know the feeling of seeing a loved one nearly die. That's what caused me to fall in love with your father."
Ether sighed, ignoring the vision. "I don't care about Solice, mom. Not anymore."
Lya frowned, placing a hand over her offspring's shoulder. "He loved you, Shora. Solice is the reason why you're as strong as you are."
Hearing his father's name again nearly provoked Ether. Causing him to shoot onto his feet, locking eyes with Lya.
"Solice is also why I am broken in two. I am stuck with Shora and Ether. A Zegus male and whatever that other thing is," Ether snapped back. "I don't know what I am and I hate half of myself."
She scanned Ether's hair, eyes, then face. "It is difficult to tell whether Shora is female or male. You're -"
Ether punched the nearby wall. "EXACTLY!" Anger seethed out like magma. "I - I'm sorry."
-Full Foward, exactly the same time Ether punched the wall-
Valiant retreated his arm after striking the table, eyes were narrowed and his heartbeats felt like drums. He glared at Niro, unsure of what to think of her.
"What do you mean?!?" confusion twisted with anger. "This is our opportunity to kill Hitirus, Niro. We can get rid of him."
Niro shamefully stared down at her reflection, the perfectly smooth table allowed her to see herself clearly. She saw a feeble girl, crying profusely.
"Don't cry now. YOU brought Hitirus' past to my attention. YOU taught me how dangerous he was. YOU! YOU! YOU!" Valiant screamed. "Now you want to cry?!?"
"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry..." Niro continued to cry. "Th - the people living in Conqueror... they -"
"They might not make it," Valiant finished her sentence. He took a deep breath, then rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Look, Niro, I don't want their deaths either. But we need to take our chance."
Hearing the bitter words flow out of Valiant's mouth surprised Niro. She believed Valiant was balanced and educated enough to know how to strike with precision.
She hoped her teachings had given Valiant the strength to know when a death is unavoidable and when it can't. Yet he wanted to destroy Conqueror to kill Hitirus.
Valiant turned to Yazzo, who was watching from a distance. She bowed her head, showing submission as she approached Valiant.
"Please, don't yell at her. Lady Niro knows how difficult it can be when friends turn into foes. She doesn't need that now," Yazzo suggested.
"You're right," Valiant returned his attention to Niro. "I'm sorry, fine Mistress of Peace. But I am eager to rid ourselves of this cancer."
Niro arose from her chair, keeping her head down. "Please do not... k - kill so many innocent Variants. For n - now, I'll focus on myself. If my name is needed, tell th - them I'm with Neva."
Both Ferals watched her as she left. Footsteps barely echoing and tears wetting her cheeks, which reflected the overhead lighting.
"She is a fine creature," Yazzo commented. "Why did you yell at her, but never had the guts to yell at your... loyal one?" she gestured at herself. "Is it because she is submissive and I'm not?"
Valiant felt the acid sizzle as he turned to face Yazzo. "Because Niro is indeed a fine creature, you're finer than her."
Yazzo growled, studying Valiant intently. "Regardless of what about my being catches your eye, I should still be yelled at. Or at least reminded that I'm lesser than you."
"I'm in no position of dominating you, Yazzo," Valiant walked towards the doors. "I know you're a fierce Feral - a true animal. Because of that, I admire you."
"Well, I'm never the kind to take compliments. For future reference, dominate me physically, not verbally. I haven't had that kind of action since my training years," Yazzo concluded.
Valiant slowly turned towards her. "If Conqueror falls, I'll be the one to remind your body its need for reproduction."