-A day after arriving at Krugi-
Ether sat on the rug, staring mindlessly into the crackling flames. The embers danced with glee as he cast his small shadow across the room.
Hylo and her siblings poked their heads from around the corner, curiously watching to see if their dad did anything. But he didn't. He was defeated and at a loss for words.
Pearl emerged from the dark closet, carrying her executioner's sword in both hands. Just like the rest, she was dumbfounded by Ether's lack of energy.
"You haven't eaten anything recently, are you okay?" Pearl's gentle voice rumbled like snowflakes crashing against windows. "The rest of us are worried sick."
"Bring everyone here," Ether's voice was low and his eyes firm on the flames. "I don't have much time right now, but I think I should bring this up."
Instantly after hearing that, Pearl stood deadly still. She wondered what he meant by 'I don't have much time.' Was he threatened with death? She couldn't tell.
But her overprotective nature ran wild, she was ready to execute whoever did this to him. She ran through different strategies she'd use to butcher the offender and make an example out of them.
The room grew colder as Hylo emerged, followed by Azir and Etherna. It felt like a ghost was in the room with them, except that ghost was visible and confused.
Ether turned to face them individually. "Pearl, do you remember Danitour? The guy I had conflicts with before Risk threw him out?"
She nodded, eagerly waiting for him to confirm Danitour threatened him. The executioner's sword weighed heavily on her palms, hungry for Danitour's neck.
"During Conqueror Fall, he decided to attack me. Out of self-defense, I fought back. Doing so was a huge mistake cause Infinus and Volatile had a little conflict," Ether quickly explained.
Hylo stepped closer to her dad, holding out her arms like Pearl usually did. "Neddy, it's okay! We still love you!"
Her innocence brought a smile to Ether's face, albeit a weak one. Hylo has a lot to learn, he thought. Especially now with the possibility of her and her siblings moving to Yarno.
"Th - thanks Hylo, but that's not the issue," Ether's voice turned grim. "The penalty for this was Infinus HAD to give up an elite of Niro's choosing, which happened to be me."
Pearl planted the smooth tip of her sword onto the wooden floor, coming down with a heavy thud. "What?!? She can't do that, you're a leader, not an elite."
Ether shrugged. "Leader, elite. Those don't matter to a foreign Legion. All they see is a special looking Variant and they instantly think 'elite!' It's the same thing that passes through your mind when you see one."
Azir walked up to his sister, stealing the hug that was meant for Ether. "Neeeeddy! Whaaat will you dooooo?"
"But there's an upside," Ether quickly turned to Pearl. "Niro said I can bring my loved ones if they wanted. So I am offering this to you all, and... where's Orako?"
Etherna waved her arms everywhere, catching their attention. "Great Ko is in love, I saw him and an older female Feral chirping at each other and practicing something."
"Huh..." Ether turned to the fireplace, hoping the flames would write a response for him to read. "Hopefully they're just friends, I want to bring Orako with us."
Pearl glared at the same fireplace. "I'll rip Niro's head off her damn shoulders. She will not steal you nor our family from Imbushko, we belong here."
Out of instincts, Ether shot up to his feet. "No, you will not. It was a fair deal and if you want to stay here, you can. I'm the one that's forced to leave."
Hylo stepped in between them. "I'll go with Neddy!"
Tension flared as the two adults locked eyes, looking for a reason to be angry at each other instead of at Niro. But there was nothing inside. They were both devastated this was happening.
Ether walked up to Pearl, keeping a sense of gentleness in his stride. He embraced her, planting his forehead between her breasts and listening to the cold beats of her heart. She hugged him back.
Pearl began to shake, almost crumbling like a tower of ice. "I don't want to go, but I also don't want to leave you alone. You're my Shora - my Ether. I promised Lya I'd be by your side."
"Lya knows when to make a sacrifice," Ether's muffled voice replied. "She sacrificed her relationship with her family when she accepted Solice has her mate. Even sacrificed her life to a goliath for our sake."
"She was a brave Yomie," Pearl commented. "So I must be a braver Thawed. If - If you're going, I'll pledge my allegiance with you."
Hylo turned to her siblings. "Pledge your allegiance with Neddy!"
Azir let go of her, then raised his arms. "Pledge!"
Etherna frowned, crossing her arms and rocking herself back and forth. "Why are you being so bossy?"
Hylo tilted her head in confusion, wondering what she meant by 'bossy.' She pointed at Azir, then at Etherna.
"I am not bossy, I am being what Neddy is being - a leader. You and you are not pow - pawer... pover..." Hylo paused, trying to remember the word. "Powerful! You and you are not powerful like me and Neddy!"
Azir stepped aside, knowing full well what this meant. He brought his hands behind his back and began to watch as Etherna approached her sister.
"Powerful? I am more powerful! Look," Etherna flexed. "I have many muscle."
"No, no. I am strong, I have many more muscle!" Hylo flexed in return. "I am also a lot thicker and bigger. And Neddy said the only warriors that last without Third Rules are the thickest and biggest."
"And strongest!" Etherna snapped back. "And won't all that fat get in the way later?"
Ether picked up Hylo, separating her from her sister. "Hey, you two, calm down. Also, its common knowledge for Variants to stick with a little fat over their muscles, it cushions hits."
Pearl took Hylo from Ether's arms, letting him pick up Etherna. "Its true. That's why most Zegi and Thawed have weaker looking muscles than Ferals. They keep some fat on them at all times."
"Yeah, also don't fight over who is strong," Ether added. "I know you want to prove to your sister that you're powerful independently," Ether looked down at Etherna's innocent stare. "But it's important to know you're only so powerful without somebody to back you up."
Etherna sighed, nodding and hugging Ether. "Neddy, can we go find Orako? I want to see if he wants to come with us."