[Jaykobell]

"You were scared by a wave," Senervel barked. "That's all there is to it."

"No, that's not all there is to it!" Sandford countered, getting more and more irritated. "I was doing well in the training. Just shut up and get lost," he snapped, turning his head away. Senervel didn't know what he was talking about, he knew, and he didn't want to keep on arguing about it. He was tired enough as it is, he needed all of his energy to fight against sleep...

The Lucain sighed and dropped it, watching the Berry Kuhna train instead.

Marble was swimming against the stream, being small making it difficult for him to keep his head over the water. But nonetheless, the Kuhna kept on struggling against the harsh water, ignoring the cold temperature.

[Senervel: 187, Marble: 129, Sandford: 97]

[Jaykobell]

"I was just telling Marble our childhood," Senervel stated suddenly. "It reminded me of many things..." he mentioned, flicking his tails.

Sandford didn't say a thing. The past? Why worry about things that have already happened? He saw no use in staying stuck into the past.

... He found it necessary only when it mattered Her. Only when he could remember the sweet times he had been able to spend with Her, only these times were necessary to remember... They were important, so important... without them, who knew how insane he could become?

"... Sandford." Senervel was now looking over at the Khimera, his eyes adopting a sad and serious expression. "Why did you start killing for food, back then? You could have found a job, like everyone else... I could have, as well. Why didn't you do that?"


While the two brothers were speaking of their past affairs, Marble was fighting against the waves, which kept getting bigger, colder and harsher. He could swallow water every time he was getting hit by a wave, his eyes victims to this as well, his ears getting blocked with water. But the smaller feline refused to give up. He wanted to prove to the others how strong he was, despite his small size.

[Senervel: 188, Marble: 130 -- Level up, Sandford: 98]

[Jaykobell]

Sandford didn't reply right away, his tails flicking slightly in sleepiness, his eyelid getting heavier. Then, finally turning to Senervel, he replied, "Because when you're the bigger one of the family, you don't think about doing things slowly. We both needed food, and you were small, which meant you were growing more and more every day, and you therefore needed more food. I couldn't just work for a small amount of money and be 'honest' while you could be starving at any moment." He looked up at Senervel, his eyes showing... sympathy? What? "Back then, he was... sane, if you want. I was someone with morals, and back then, my priority was you, and your safety. Whether I was going to get punished or caught, I didn't care. Because it was to be for you," he told, his voice calm. "But then... then I got driven insane by my passion for blood and killing. You did well to get away from me, although I still influenced you." He looked away, setting his head on his paws, saying nothing more.

Senervel was staring at him in much surprise and shock. He hadn't expected the Khimera to answer such a thing. He had never known that his brother had actually felt a bond towards him in the past. He sighed, laying on his side. It seemed so far away now...

Marble came out of the water, his fur hanging down from his belly, his arms and legs shaking from the cold. He wasn't used to temperature training, and swimming in cold water for such a long time, he was certain he had gotten frostbites now.

[Senervel: 189, Marble: 131, Sandford: 99]

[Jaykobell]

Senervel's ears stood on his head, pricked, as Marble came walking back towards the Lucain and the Khimera. The poor Kuhna seemed completely frozen, his ears drooped and his tails brushing against the ground weakly. His breath was easy to see when he would pant, and it was obvious to notice he was heavily shaking.

"Fool..." Senervel whispered, walking over to Marble. "You should have said you weren't used to such training. You could have gotten a lethal condition," he told the Kuhna.

"I-I ha-hadn't ex-expected the water to be s-so cold..." the Berry breed stuttered, freezing.

Sandford raised his head, turning his eye towards the Kuhna. "... Bring him over here," the Khimera asked. He was bigger than the Kuhna, and his fur was warm. Maybe this would help the feline warm up...

[Senervel: 190 -- Level up, Marble: 132, Sandford: 100 -- level up]

[Jaykobell]

Senervel seemed doubtful of the Khimera's request at first, hesitating and wondering what to do.

"You want him to die from cold?" Sandford complained as he noticed his younger brother was hesitating. "Bring him over here, it'll warm him up," he explained, flicking his tails with impatience.

Senervel nodded weakly, picking up Marble carefully and bringing him over to the Khimera. He settled the feline down, pushing him towards Sandford's belly fur that was showing up.

"Cuddle up," Sandford said, avoiding eye-contact. "We can't have you fall sick before the war, when it's so soon," he told the Kuhna, and turning to Senervel added, "Go find him something to eat. Nearby, if possible, for fresh meat and warm taste. Hurry up."

Senervel nodded and ran off.

Marble curled up against Sandford's belly fur, feeling the warmth of the Khimera's coat flooding over his frozen skin, closing his eyes and curling into a ball against the bigger feline. He found it strange, being from Sandford, but he felt grateful, as well...

[Senervel: 191, Marble: 133, Sandford: 101]

[Jaykobell]

After a short while, the Lucain came back, holding a rabbit between his jaws. He walked over to the duo of felines, dropping the rabbit beside the Kuhna, making the white and purple boy open his eyes slowly.

Marble looked up, and smiled as he saw Senervel. "Eat," the Lucain told him, pushing the rabbit towards him. Marble nodded his thanks and weakly crawled over to the prey, opening it carefully and eating it with much delight.

Sandford was licking his fur busily, as if he was actually caring about his looks. Senervel had actually noticed Sandford had been licking his coat rather often since their trip to Wilt'no, wondering why.

"If I'm going to die, I'd better be nice and clean once I get to see Loraine," Sandford replied, as if the Khimera had known what the Lucain was thinking...

[Senervel: 192, Marble: 134, Sandford: 102]

[Jaykobell]

Senervel gasped and blinked at Sandford's comment. Dying? Wasn't he the one who had said that he wasn't going to die during the war? What was he saying now...? "What are you saying?" he asked, his tails flicking in disbelief.

"What I just said," Sandford replied, licking his shoulder. "I refuse to die... but the strongest ones have joined the Imperialists, I doubt that even us won't get killed, Senervel," he meowed, looking up. "We'll have to be extra careful."

"Don't forget we're going to have allies, too..." Marble meowed weakly, swallowing a bite from his rabbit. "We won't be alone out there..."

"No, but that doesn't mean we can't be careful," he meowed back.

[Senervel: 193, Marble: 135 -- level up, Sandford: 103]

[Jaykobell]

"Marble's right, but we can't rely on our allies only," Senervel mentioned, settling down. "We'll have to give it our all to win this war, or to even survive."

"When don't you need to give it your all to survive?" Sandford said, stating a fact. "We'll have to show the Imperialists we're not cowards or weaklings. They may have a big ego, but we have bigger morals." He yawned, blinking his eye slowly.

Marble nodded. "But that doesn't mean we can't rely on them sometimes, either," he added, swallowing another bite. "That's why they're there: to help us if we need help."

[Senervel: 194, Marble: 136, Sandford: 104]

[Jaykobell]

Senervel nodded. "But we can't always rely on them, that's what we said earlier." He turned to Sandford, telling, "Maybe you should sleep a little."

Sandford hissed in disagreement. "No. I don't need sleep at all."

"The less you sleep, the less sanity you have," Senervel pointed out. He didn't need an insane Khimera attacking everything on his path when going to register.

Marble pushed his rabbit towards Sandford, cutting off the conversation the two were having. "Here..." he meowed to the Khimera, giving the last pieces of his meal to Sandford.

Both the Khimera and the Lucain blinked. "Why?" Sandford asked. "I don't need it."

"This is thank you for the help..." Marble meowed, insisting.

[Senervel: 195 -- level up, Marble: 137, Sandford: 105 -- level up]

[Jaykobell]

Sandford looked down at the rabbit in front of him for a moment. He had never been expressed kindness before... he didn't know how to reply. "Um... thanks," he said simply, crouching down to eat the leftovers.

Marble smiled and turned to Senervel. "Do you think we're ready now...?" he asked the Lucain.

Senervel thought for a moment. "I don't know. Maybe we should go over the basics a little more. And then we'll be ready to go and register."

[Senervel: 196, Marble: 138, Sandford: 106]

[Jaykobell]

Marble nodded. "Alright. Should we have a small stamina race around the falls?" he proposed. They couldn't just stay here doing nothing, after all.

Senervel turned to Sandford to see what the Khimera would say to that. "Well?" he asked the feline, who was now finishing the rabbit.

Sandford licked his lips, done with the meal. "Yeah, I suppose we could do that," he agreed, flicking his tails lazily. "Let's do that and meet back here once we're done."

The three pet nodded and ran off.

[Senervel: 197, Marble: 139, Sandford: 107]

[Jaykobell]

Once their jogging was done, the three pets came back, panting lightly, considering they all had swam before running off. The three had looked around the falls, trying to remember the scenery before going to register, as the time was so close...

Senervel looked up, the sun setting down, the sky now of a flamey-orange color. The colors reminded him of Sigurd, who was currently bearing his pups, and yet.... he had to go to war, even before their birth.

Sandford walked over to the Lucain, sitting down. "Are you going to wait until Sigurd's pups are born?" he asked, wondering. He also wondered if Sigurd would understand if the male wouldn't wait.

Marble walked over. "I was going to ask the same thing... what is something happens to you?" he meowed worriedly. "What would your pups think...?"

The Lucain looked down, replying nothing...

[Senervel: 198, Marble: 140 -- Level up, Sandford: 108]

[Jaykobell]

Finally, the Lucain replied, "I don't know." He looked up at the setting sun, sighing. "I can't tell what could happen while at the war. I could get killed, and then... who would help raise the babies?" He sighed again. "Wouldn't that be an irresponsible act?"

Sandford waited a moment before replying. "Well, I'm sure Sigurd is aware you're going in the war. Remember that we'll make sure no one between us dies."

Marble nodded in agreement. "Yes. Us Wielders, or as we are soon to be, are more qualified to give informations and help the fighters. I'm sure we'll do fine," he assured the Lucain.

Senervel didn't reply anything. He wasn't used to getting help or friendship from anyone, and he was at a lack of word...

[Senervel: 199, Marble: 141, Sandford: 109]

[Jaykobell]

Senervel then finally nodded. "Alright. Then I believe it's about time for us to leave." He got up, making a few steps forward. "Are you ready?"

"More than ever!" the Khimera shouted, getting up and walking over beside his younger brother. "It's time for us to go and beat up some Imperialists!"

Marble ran up beside the two. "Yes! Let us protect the ones who need help! Let's go and register for the war as proud Wielders for the Purine!"

The three pets nodded and headed off... maybe never to come back again...

[Senervel: 200 -- Level Up, Marble: 142, Sandford: 110 -- level up -- All have left]