Nestres and King Khantretakhim turned to face the door as frigid gusts of wind stormed the inside. They watched Ventelu awkwardly stand at the doorway after closing the door, a puffy figure loomed by his shoulder.
"My! Baby Ventelu, what happened? What caused you to stay outside in the cold rain?" King Khantretakhim asked.
"I'm so sorry, King and Heir. Befehlnadir, the Chaos Enabler, held me for a fight. I had to hold him back until I figured out what made him weak," Ventelu explained.
King Khantretakhim rose from her favorite rocking chair. Her wool socks slid perfectly over the smooth wood floor.
She stopped before one of the shelves before reaching up to the top row. A white towel came down in her grasp, then she turned to face Ventelu.
"Heir Nestres, can you please fetch Ventelu some warm sweet tea? Dip your washed pinky inside the kettle to ensure it won't burn baby Ventelu's tongue," King Khantretakhim requested.
"Of course, King." Nestres replied.
As Nestres walked further away from the bright fireplace, King Khantretakhim stepped closer to Ventelu. Her hands were gentle as she dried him up.
"Baby Gat -"
"Yes, ma'am?" Gat called out from another room.
"Please fetch Ventelu some fresh clothing. I don't want one of my babies to catch a cold," King Khantretakhim requested.
Gat slipped out of Ruda's drowsy hug, then she felt her way across the room until she found herself in the closet. She quickly picked up something comfortable for the young pre-Noble.
The orange flames flickered bright enough to force Gat's arm over her face. She carefully walked around three of Zeek's pack members and Senestis.
"Here you go, ma'am. Is there anything else you need?" Gat asked.
King Khantretakhim shook her head before thanking her. Prompting Gat to retreat to the guest room.
Ventelu kept his eyes fixed on the fresh set of clothes King Khantretakhim requested for him. He held his hands out so she could give them to him.
"Go to the washroom and change, quickly. Heir Nestres will be back shortly with your sweet tea. After you've drank, lie down near the fireplace," King Khantretakhim instructed.
"Of course, ma'am," Ventelu agreed.
After changing, Ventelu stumbled back inside the livingroom. His feet felt warm inside the socks, regardless of how cold the floor itself was.
Nestres greeted him with the sweet tea, sat comfortably on a wooden plate. Ventelu thanked his Heir, then sat down beside one of the Ferals.
"So tell us, Ventelu. The Chaos Enabler - what about him?" King Khantretakhim asked.
Ventelu took a sip out of the cup. "He's very strong, but very inexperienced. It looked like he was discovering his strengths during the fight itself. But he is still powerful enough to hold me down.
I'm starting to think I am becoming less powerful everyday."
One of Zeek's Ferals sat up, then leaned against him. "Don't say that, brother-boo. Maybe you need some more training. Have you been lifting weights, eating right, and training with your fellow Nobles?"
Ventelu shook his head. Causing the Feral to warmly mile. She hugged the young pre-Noble tighter before promptly letting go.
"It's okay. I'll invite you to train alongside our dad!" she added.
Hearing her invitation caused Ventelu to flinch. He secretly was afraid of most Noble Minds, with the only exception being Senestis.
Otres gave off strict and serious looks all the time. Gatruda may be an adorable pair, but the fact that they're both technically dead unnerved him. And Zeek seemed mysterious.
But Senestis was just a guy with multiple personalities. Some hostile, others innocent. Which interested Ventelu enough to want to have a friendly bout someday with him. As a way to show respect.
"Don't try to bring baby Ventelu into things he doesn't want to do." King Khantretakhim ordered.
The Feral nodded. "I'm sorry, King."
"What else do you know about Befehlnadir?" King Khantretakhim asked.
"He is very durable, with just as much power. I can tell he has experience as a warrior. Probably similar to my past as a low-man unit member," Ventelu explained.
King Khantretakhim nodded. She tried putting together a mental image of Befehlnadir. Healthy muscles, rough tan skin, Ventelu's direct yellow eyes, light-orange hair, and a Zegus build.
"I figured out his arena, too. Just a storm - chaos ready to unfurl at a moment's notice. He seemed in control of snow, thunder, and rain."
Nestres coughed. Catching everyone's attention. Senestis drowsily rose from his sleep. The first thing he did was look up at Nestres.
"Did Neddy come home? Where is he? I want my Neddy..." Senestis yawned.
"No, Kuta'ko. 'Neddy' Zeek is still not home. Go back to bed," one of the females replied.
"Aw..." Senestis laid back down.
Nestres leaned closer to Ventelu. "The Chaos Enabler's arena sounds chaotic, obviously. Under so much chaos, he only has so much control. Was the weakness just that?"
Ventelu took a sip from his cup, then turned to look at his Heir. He nodded, waiting to see what his shadowy expressions would muster up.
"Seems easy enough to exploit, then. Just trick him into fighting himself." Nestres continued.
"Impossible. This Chaos Enabler has experience in combat, he won't just let you come over and beat him down with his own tools," King Khantretakhim replied.
Ventelu nodded in agreement. His left hand reached down to his stomach where the axe dug deep. The pain still lingered - it felt like being hit by a train going full speed.
Nestres sighed. "We'd have to face him off again to get a better grip on his strengths and weaknesses."
"He wants to fight you, Heir. I don't know why, but he asked me about you. Maybe they are planning to fight us quicker than we think," Ventelu suggested.
King Khantretakhim leaned back in her rocking chair. She frowned, worried about her 'babies' being killed off so soon.
However, Nestres chuckled. "Well, if they want our position, we aren't giving it to them. Don't relent."