Water flowed out of Solqulo's fingertips. He waved his hands over his garden, making sure each flower received an adequate amount of water.
Fruzzy kneeled not far from Solqulo. She pressed her hands into the soil, looking for which roots needed watering the most.
Like usual, she worked quickly and quietly. Not stopping for anyone or anything. Except for Ketra, who kept accidentally pricking her hands on thorns.
The ground trembled as Ketra threw her tantrum. She cried and complained about how 'mean' the flowers were.
Fruzzy looked up at her. The Feral finally learned her lesson, prompting her to stand away from the flowers while hugging herself. Tears still slid down her black cheeks.
"Ketra, dearie, don't touch the flowers there." Fruzzy said. She reached for a nearby rose, then she rubbed her index finger against the pedals. "Pat them softly right here."
Solqulo glanced over to the duo, gentle smile on his face. He watched Ketra flinching away from the pedals as her wounds hindered her.
"Hey, dearie!" Solqulo called out to Ketra. "Give me your hands, I'll make you feel better."
In response, Ketra held out her hands while marching softly yet quickly through the small path. Despite her severe lack of common logic, she still understood how much these flowers meant to Solqulo.
When she reached the aged Thawed, he encased her hands within his. Now, a different type of chemical replaced the water.
The substance touched the wounds, causing Ketra to quietly yelp and tug her hands away. But she resisted. And shortly after her wounds stung, she felt better.
Solqulo let go of her hands.
Ketra smiled as she inspected the wounds, none remained. She felt giddy, evident by her hopping and hands waving all around.
"Feels good, right? You can go pat the flowers with Fruzzy, but don't touch the thorns," Solqulo warned.
"Neddy, what is a 'thorns?'" Ketra looked up at Solqulo.
"Those brown, pointy things. They are very mean and will sting you," Solqulo answered.
Ketra frowned. "Meanie brown, pointy things... why can't we remove them?"
Solqulo laughed. "It's impossible, there's thousands of them in this garden alone. Now be careful with them and enjoy yourself."
Ketra smiled as she turned and carefully made her way through the narrow path. Fruzzy waited for her right where she left off.
They patted flower pedals gently, making sure not to disturb them. Ketra forgot to be gentle several times, but Fruzzy was patient and understanding. Eventually, she learned.
While the trio were busy with the backyard garden, Ventelu stood watching the sunrise. He held his Sky Beast in his hands, letting her rest for a while.
The door swung open, sending a chilling wave to hit Ventelu's side. He turned to see who it was. Nestres locked eyes with his pre-Noble.
"Good morning, Ventelu. You seem lonely here, go help Solqulo or play with Ketra. I'm sure they'll value your company," Nestres suggested.
Ventelu shook his head. "No, thank you, sir. I'm spending time with my pet." He mumbled.
Nestres walked up beside Ventelu. "You can't spend your everyday life with a Sky Beast when you have a family around you. That's what we are, Ventelu. We have each other."
Hearing his fatherly tone comforted Ventelu, but he was still not interested. Trez was there in every major moment in his life.
She was the first tame he learned to ride and the Sky Beast that earned him his honors back when he was a warrior. Trez meant more than Nestres could understand.
"Don't forget what's happening later today. We'll stand and fight against Hitirus' pre-Nobles. The outcome is unknown, but we know that we'll fight tirelessly. So give it your best, even if you might end up fighting your friend," Nestres continued.
Ventelu sighed, frowning at the thought. "I don't want to fight Ether. He helped me a lot. I wouldn't be as good with an arrow today if it wasn't for his Third Rule acting as target practice."
Nestres nodded. "Ether meant a lot to me, too. A half-Thresher Coros member. When I met him, my eyes widened. It was like finding a jewel."
"I hope Ether doesn't forget who we were. If I am forced to fire my arrows at him, I want to have a respectful and fair fight. That way whichever side ends up winning leaves with the memory of a friend, not an enemy," Ventelu replied.
"I'm sure he'll remember you. Now, enjoy your time with the rest. This might be the last morning we spend together," Nestres suggested again.
Ventelu turned to see Solqulo kneeling beside Ketra and Fruzzy. He hesitated at first, but eventually forced himself to stumble down the stairs and onto the gravel path.
Trez flapped her wings, taking flight to land onto his shoulder. He felt a little better after her feathers gently tickled his neck.
Ketra looked up to Ventelu with a smile. She waved at him, inviting her friend to join her other friends.
Solqulo noticed Ventelu's slow approach. Prompting him to greet him with an inviting smile.
Seeing how much attention he was getting unnerved Ventelu, but he wanted to spend what was possibly their last morning together.
He stopped and lowered himself to match Fruzzy's height. Solqulo then resumed his lecturing about flowers and how to properly take care of them.
While they listened, Nestres watched. He smiled to himself, proud of growing into his position as an Heir alongside such brave and friendly pre-Nobles.
Nestres questioned if they had the strength to handle Hitirus and his crew. Befehlnadir was as menacing as he was strong.
And Ether's fiery strength would appear in full force again. Unlike last time, there would be no distractions to drain him of his flaming fury.
But maybe they stood a chance. Hylo wasn't experienced enough to hang with Fruzzy and Ketra. And Hitirus hasn't shown his strengths yet.
Maybe there was hope in a battle where half the cards were facing down.