Chapter 27: CHAPTER XV – Raiding Party

Descending slowly after one last look-see in the targeted hive’s vicinity, it felt as though a weight had been lifted off of her shoulders when Sphaere realized the nagging feeling that had been plaguing her until recently had vanished altogether. Taking this as a good omen, she smiled and had Cekell accelerate their descent. 

Crashing to the ground like a bolt of lightning yet continuing on as though it were merely a minor elevation alteration, Sphaere stepped forward with a question, “How do y’all normally go ‘bout raidin’ a hive?”

“We hit it hard and run fast!” R208 blurted out as he tried to shake off his surprise.

“He means that quite literally.” A212 sighed, “It’s not something we ever mastered, we only discovered Nectar on accident when a fleeing Reptilia lead an angry iron hoof right through a hive.”

“Lighting a fire to smoke them out worked!” R208 bellowed.

“Yea, the first time!” A212 reminded, “They wised up to that pretty quick, the second time smoke was to be used in an attempt to ward the vicious little buggers off, it drove them into a frenzy that nearly killed two of your Series!”

“That was why we stopped trying to smoke them out?” R208 replied with genuine confusion. “I thought it was because we were forbidden from using fire.”

“No, the Reptilia Series was forbidden from using fire when one of you nearly burnt down the gate!” A212 shot back.

“Oh yea!” R208 remembered with excitement, “R117 thought if he built a fire up high enough, he would be able to hunt at night! Admittedly not a good move, but I completely understand what he was trying to accomplish!”

“Imagine what he would have been capable of, could he see past his own snout.” A212 commented.

“That reminds me, we still need to get Rhystea to make our swords glow! Then we could hunt at night without burning down the gate!!” R208 clamored.

A212 paused for a moment of contemplation before admitting, “You know, that would probably sort out a few problems for everyone.”

“Exactly! Lots of reasons people want to see in the dark!! Almost every night, someone gets their tail stepped on when someone else gets up to go to the bathroom!! Ha! You know, every now and then, something brilliant spills out of that beak of yours!” R208 erupted into laughter.

“Every now and then.” A212 repeated back to him before turning his grin on Sphaere. “You’ve got a plan, right?”

“O’ course!” Sphaere answered with a growing smile of her own, “Well, kinda sorta. Plannin’s Rhystea’s specialty, but I’ve got an ace up my sleeve!” Turning from Aves to Aves until she found the one that brought down the iron hoof. Stepping up to him with a devious smile, Sphaere asked, “Hey Shooter, I don’ suppose ya’d let me borrow one o’ them rocks ya’ve been luggin’ ‘round? I promise ta repay ya when we get back!” And batted her eyelashes at him for good measure.

With a goofy and bashful grin, the Aves quickly produced a rock, which he fumbled, but was quick to snatch it back out of the air. Without a word, he stretched his arm out and offered it to Sphaere.

“Thank ya, Shooter!” Sphaere said softly before accepting it and trudging closer to the hive that was still some distance away. She could see a few wasps hovering around, but didn’t doubt that there were many more holed up in their hive. 

As they approached the point where they were only a stone’s throw away, R208 asked, “So what did you want that rock for?”

Without saying a word, Sphaere answered by rearing back and lobbing the rocksplosive so that it landed near the hive, exploded into a thousand pieces with a thunderous boom, and showered shrapnel across the side of the hive.

R208 was somewhat disappointed when he announced, “You missed!”

The droning of the wasps intensified as they came pouring out of the entrance to the hive. Having awaited this moment, Sphaere sicced Cekell on them, “Get ‘em!”

Cekell let out a howling squawk as he formed a large gravity field and each wasp was slammed down to the ground. 

Turning to R208, Sphaere assured him that, “Oh, I never miss!” Before heading on towards the hive. Everyone else stood in silence and watched as she marched right up to the edge of the gravity field, where she turned and realized they had all hung back.

Lifting Cekell up to her eye level, Sphaere asked, “Can they walk over this, ‘r will it knock ‘em down like it’s doin’ ta them wasps?” To which Cekell chirped back curiously.

Sphaere turned her attention to and addressed her comrades, “Well I don’ know what that means, so ya might think twice ‘fore followin’ after me.” Wrapping Cekell up in her arms, Sphaere turned and headed towards the hive, pretending not to notice the multitude of wasps that twitched and struggled in vain, but couldn’t so much as stand, yet were still emitting a low droning, the sound of which had been muffled by either the increased gravity or from being pinned to the ground.

As they closed in on the hive, Sphaere informed Cekell that, “There’ll be a whole buncha containers in there, each filled with liquid. Think ya can go in an’ bring some back fer me?”

Cekell chirped back confidently.

“Do ya have any idea what I’m talkin’ ‘bout?” Sphaere shot back.

Cekell again chirped back confidently.

“I’ll take that as a maybe.” Sphaere acquiesced before turning her focus to the hive. An unusual and unnatural formation that engulfed at least part of all but the upper limbs of a tree, and seemed to be made of a plastic like material. She could hear more droning emanating from the hive. While the soldier wasps had emerged to thwart an impending threat, apparently there were worker wasps that stayed within the confines of the construct.

There were numerous orifices that perforated the exterior of the hive, and walking up to one such opening, Sphaere reiterated, “Containers filled with liquid. That shouldn’ be too hard ta find, cain’t imagine there’s many other liquid filled containers aside from what we’re after.” Before lifting Cekell up to place him within the opening.

Upon realizing what was about to occur, Cekell latched onto Sphaere’s arm and squawked back defiantly in vehement protest.

“Oh now, don’ ya gimme that!” Sphaere argued back, “I cain’t fit in there, an’ I’ve been carrying ya all day. It’s a simple enough task, won’ take ya long if ya’d jus’ get ta work! Soon as yer done, I’ll carry ya again, deal?”

Cekell gave her a wounded look and screeched once more in objection, but released his hold on her arm and allowed her to set him down. Once his feet touched the floor of the hive, he aired his grievance with one last sharp, almost angry squawk before stamping his foot, which was immediately followed by a sickening crunch from each grounded wasp that caused Sphaere to cringe. Without another sound, he turned and scurried off into the hive.

Turning back to her accomplices for this honey heist, Sphaere quickly noticed that all the Aves aside from A212 had already dispersed, and the Reptilia were spreading out to surround Cekell’s gravity field, but none had yet crossed that line.

A212 and R208 were at the edge and arguing with each other, but Sphaere couldn’t make out individual words even from R208’s booming voice, which was masked by the dull droning of the wasps from within the hive. 

Sphaere watched them bicker for a short time before deciding to spur them on with a shout, “Oi, if yer scared, ya can jus’ wait till Ceke finishes up! Maybe ‘e’ll need help carryin’ it all back, ‘r somethin’!”

A212 and R202 set aside their differences and fell silent, turning  to face each other before sucking in a deep breath and putting one foot in front of the other. They both tried to swallow down the knot growing in the back of their throats as they reached the threshold of Cekell’s gravity field. Breaching the edge, they marched on unabated, yet secretly reprieved from the embarrassment, if not harm, of having their faces planted into the ground. In unison, they both exhaled their tension in a sigh of relief.

“Phew!” Sphaere called out to them, “I really wasn’ sure how Ceke’s abilities would affect ya!”

“Not to worry!” R208 yelled back, “Nothing we couldn’t handle!”

“Pfft!” A212 scoffed, “That’s not what you were saying just a moment ago.” R208 turned and snorted his discontent at his Aves companion as they both continued on to the hive. About the time they drew close, the droning in the hive intensified, and Cekell started squawking abrasively. 

“What’s going on?” A212 inquired.

“Either Ceke gotta hold o’ somethin’, ‘r somethin’ got a hold o’ Ceke.” Sphaere answered.

“Will he be alright?!” R208 blurted out.

“Do I look worried?” Sphaere asked, cracking a smile.

“If I ever see you looking worried, I’d be inclined to turn and head in the opposite direction.” A212 replied.

“Ya wouldn’ help me out?” Sphaere gasped.

“If it was within my capability, certainly; but it’s no simple task just keeping up with you.” A212 admitted, before turning to R208 and adding, “Then again, if I didn’t have these lizards slowing me down, I think I could keep pace.” 

R208 turned to yell something loudly, but was interrupted when Cekell let out an angry screech and the side of the hive gave way to collapse as an exceedingly large wasp came crashing through it - straight at them.

The three on the ground with front row seats each reacted differently. A212 had the fastest reflexes, and when his mind performed a threat assessment, his already acute senses sharpened as he zoned in on the oversize wasp. 

Even as the gravity field grasp hold of the wasp, which in truth had already been neutralized by Cekell, A212 stepped forward, launching himself between the larger parts of the collapsing wall that followed behind the wasp, and landed a decisive blow against the wasp where it’s abdomen connected to it’s thorax, and cleaved the thing in two.

R208 saw the larger pieces of debris coming down and without hesitation stepped over between Sphaere and the collapsing wall. He slammed his tail down to brace himself as he attempted to catch the wall, the weight of which - or rather the lack thereof - caught him unaware, as did the chunk of material that broke off of the large piece he managed to catch, which subsequently bounced off his scaly dome, and down upon Sphaere.

Sphaere, who should have been the least surprised, was nearly blown away. Not only by the part of the hive that came crashing down, but by the reaction speed of both of her scaly and feathered friends. Being as she was facing the other way, she didn’t notice the large wasp until A212 lunged at it, her view of which was eclipsed as R208 slid his scaly self in front of her.

While Sphaere managed not to shriek in surprise, she did something between flinching and instinctively adopting a defensive stance. R208 had slammed his tail down right next to her, causing the barrier around her to flicker to life. She had to bite down on a laugh when a piece of debris bounced first off of R208’s head, then again off of her protective barrier. “An’ that’s why we don’ worry ‘bout Ceke!” Sphaere announced before her laughter escaped.

“You alright?” R208 asked, turning back to check for himself.

“Me?! I ain’t the one that got knocked upside the noggin!” Sphaere insisted with reinvigorated laughter.

Without a word, A212 kept his focus trained on the oversize wasp that was lying still on the ground.

Cekell poked his head out of the opening he had entered the hive through, and called out, “Ray ray!”

Collecting herself, Sphaere turned to Cekell, who reached out to offer her a squishy, white pod that she accepted. Cekell whistled curiously as he retracted his arm.

“Well, it’s certainly a container fer somethin’ liquidy, don’ think it’s the honeycomb though.” Sphaere noted.

Forgetting about he wasp on the ground, A212 identified the object in question, “That’s an Egg!” Stepping quickly to her side, he held his hand out expectantly and requested, “May I?”

“All yer’s!” Sphaere acceded as she relinquished the egg. Turning to Cekell, she pointed out, “Maybe this is a li’l more complicated than I thought. Would ya mind lookin’ ‘round a bit more? ‘Fraid that ain’t what we’s lookin’ fer!”

Cekell replied with less of a chirp and more of an exasperated bark before disappearing back into the hive.

Sphaere turned back to her accomplices and opened her mouth to say something, when A212 quickly stuffed the egg into his beak. “Jus’ like that, eh? Not gonna wash it, ‘r cook it, ‘r nothin’?”

“How uncouth!” R208 proclaimed with a snort for good measure. 

“Oh, I cain’t wait ta tell Rhystea that you said ‘uncouth!’” Sphaere declared before bursting with laughter.

Another angry screech from Cekell prompted the tree of them to turn their attention to the hive, which seemed to quiver before vomiting forth a swarm of wasps that scattered and disappeared with great speed.

“Jackpot?” Sphaere asked, voice full of equal parts hope and doubt.

Silence fell over them as the droning of the wasps vanished into the trees. The air itself grew heavy with anticipation that came to a head when Cekell once again popped his head out of the opening to the hive with a self satisfied squeak, and held out a wriggling wasp larva.

“Ah, hell no! I ain’t even ‘bout ta touch that thing!” Sphaere protested.

“I’ll take it!” A212 volunteered as he threw himself down in front of Cekell and held his hands up as if to receive some precious offering.

Cekell chirped in affirmation before dropping the larva into the waiting hands of A212, then turned to Sphaere, chirped excitedly, and held his arms out expectantly towards her.

“Wow, this is gettin’ ridiculous, but that totally fits the bill fer a container o’ liquid, don’ it? Could I ask ya ta try jus’ one more time?” Sphaere asked.

In the moment that Cekell hesitated to process, A212 crammed the larva in his maw. Sphaere cringed, but tried keeping her focus on convincing Cekell to continue searching for nectar. R208 accused his feathered friend of being a, “Bug eater!”

Intending on throwing a temper tantrum, Cekell flopped over on his side; but before he could commence wailing, he slid out of the hive. Before he could plummet to a sudden stop, Sphaere snatched him out of the air and wrapped him up in her arms.

Getting exactly what he wanted, Cekell chirped happily and moved to hug Sphaere back, which is when he noticed the pouting lip of her sad face. Leaning in closer and layering it on as thick as she could, Sphaere softly goaded him with a drawn out, “Please~”

Without nothing else to fight back with, Cekell succumbed with a groan. “Thank ya, short stuff!” Sphaere gushed as she squeezed him tightly before placing him back in the entrance to the hive, where he quickly turned around and tore off back into the collapsing construct.

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Once again, silence fell over them. R208 walked around the side of the hive to examine the exposed interior. A212 was examining the remains of the large wasp when Sphaere took notice of its wings. Making her way over next to A212, she knelt down next to him to get a closer look.

“It’s not very often that we interact with gravity wasps, but I’ve never seen one this large. It’s nearly twice the size of the rest.” A212 pointed out.

Sphaere was focused on the wings, which were rather long, narrow and extremely thin; more surprising was how tough yet flexible they were. Not taking her attention off of the wings, she gave a half hearted reply of, “It the queen?”

“The queen?” A212 repeated back to her, confused.

This pried Sphaere from her engrossment over the wings, to which she replied, “Yea, the queen. Ya know, the one in charge o’ ever’thang.”

“Like an Eminent?” A212 asked after a moment’s deliberation.

“More ‘r less, though with these thangs, she’s really jus’ a glorified baby maker.” Sphaere explained.

“They make their own babies?” A212 replied with a puzzled look.

Sphaere opened her mouth to say something and almost dropped her jaw. Her mind saw where this conversation could lead her, and she quickly steered the conversation in another direction, “Well, someone’s got ta keep all the rest in line!”

“Like you?” R208 responded while still examining the hive.

This caught Sphaere off guard, and all she could say was, “What?!”

“The tiny one adheres to your will, even when he doesn’t want to. You handle him well.” R208 clarified.

“Yea, the tiny terror’s wrapped ‘round my little finger, ain’t ‘e?” Sphaere stated with a laugh.

“Well, you’re a rather capable person, and you seem fairly accustomed to telling others what to do.” A212 noted.

“Hey now!” Sphaere took a slight offense to his words. “I only tell the ones that don’ seem ta know what’s goin’ on ‘round ‘em what ta do. Cekell only listens ta me ‘cuz I keep ‘im warm. ‘E really don’ like the cold ground, so if I carry ‘im with me, ‘e’s pretty quick ta do whatever I ask ‘im ta do.”

R208 turned and peered curiously at her, making her uncomfortable. “What’re ya lookin’ at?!” She blurted out after a moment of enduring his stare. The only reply she received was a deep snort, after which R208 went back to examining the hive.

“Despite boasting of being the strongest Series with the greatest hunters, the Reptilia have the fewest gatherers. In fact, while most other Series gladly welcome the Reptilia as friends; even the smaller, weaker Series would submit to the previous Aves Eminent, terrible though he could be, long before they would tolerate being adopted into the Reptilia. The Feline Series was strongly considering it… but not for long.” A212 explained.

“So?” Sphaere replied before turning to comment to R208, where she noticed he was leering again when their eyes locked and he quickly looked away.

Before A212 had the chance to elaborate, Cekell once again poked his head out of the hive, offered something with his arm stretched out towards Sphaere, and let out an noticeably more reserved chirp.

Sphaere quickly returned to the hive to accept what Cekell was holding out to her. It was spherical in shape and seemingly made of the same material as the hive itself, and about twice the size of her balled up fist. Before she could open her mouth to speak, A212 darted to her side and declared, “I think that’s it!”

“You think?” Sphaere repeated back to him doubtfully as she held the container of liquid out to him.

“Well, they don’t only make nectar, but something sour as well. You really don’t want to confuse the two, either.” A212 insisted before pulling out a small blade and carefully made a small opening in the container to reveal a honey-like substance.

“Yellow gold!” Sphaere proclaimed with an amused smile.

Carefully taking a whiff, his eyes went wide with excitement. A212 thrust the container towards Sphaere, causing a thick, almost oily substance to dribble down the side of the vessel. Sphaere started to lean forward to take a whiff for herself when the aroma hit her. “That’s some stout stuff right there!” She stated in excitement, which was contagious as Cekell proved with an excited squeal of his own.

“That’s right!” Sphaere announced as she turned back to and snatched Cekell out of the hive and tied him up in her arms. “Third time’s the charm! Ya did great, short stuff!” Cekell responded with his chirp of approval as he basked in her warmth.

“Well, this was your raid.” A212 remarked as he held the nectar out to her. “You want the first taste?”

“Thank ya!” Sphaere said graciously as she accepted the nectar. “Ya want ta finish yer story ‘bout the scaleheads an’ their lack o’ gatherers?” She asked before lifting the container to her lips to take a small sip of it’s sweet contents. “Hoo-wee! That’ll keep ya warm!”

“That’s all the Reptila want.” A212 shot back.

“What?” Sphaere asked, confused.

“He wants to lay with you at night.” A212 answered matter-of-factly.

“What what what?!” Sphaere would have said the word again, had she not choked on it. Her hands forgot they were holding on to anything as her embarrassment knocked the nectar from her grasp.

With quick reflexes and a waste not want not mentality, A212 quickly scooped the falling container out of the air before explaining, “He wants you to keep him warm at night. Reptilia don’t do well with the cold.”

It wasn’t often that Sphaere was at a loss for words, but before she could catch her balance, A212 went on to say, “Oh wow, I didn’t know you could change colors, that shade of scarlet suits you well!” And further knocked her off center.

Sphaere’s heart beat as though it were trying to escape, and Cekell took notice. Giving her an out, he placed a hand on her chest over her heart, looked up at her and chirped curiously. Fleeing from A212’s words, she turned her focus to Cekell and praised him once again, “Alright Ceke, ya found exactly what we needed! There was more where that came from, right?”

Cekell chirped back affirmatively.

“Thank ya can bring it with us?” Sphaere asked.

Chirping back once more in affirmation, Cekell reached out with his tendril and formed a barrier around the lower quarter of the hive, where it was most narrow. The ground shook as his barrier slowly ascended, tearing the tree from the ground and causing the upper portion of the hive to break away and fall apart. The section of the hive that was enshrouded in a barrier floated up shortly above Sphaere’s head.

Crumbling to the ground, the remainder of the upper part of the hive landed in front of A212, revealing the hive’s hatchery, where countless eggs had been placed into little divots that lined the interior wall of the hive. Larva could be seen squirming over the top of more larva, all their caretakers and defenders either dispatched or fled.

To Sphaere, it was a creepy crawly hell that sent a shiver down her spine, not out of fear, but utter disgust. Cekell had written her embarrassment off as a minor discomfort, albeit one that reached all the way to her heart. Fortunately, he recognized that disgust was minor compared to fear, and did not over react. Instead, he gently lifted the barrier that contained both Sphaere and himself up to and on top of the part of the hive he had already raised.

To the Aves, it was a veritable buffet of tender morsels, and that’s not even counting the nectar they were out there for to begin with. The sight of this feast that had spilled onto the ground in front of him caused A212 to throw his head back and let out a piercing whistle. A few moments later, his feathered friends flocked to him, one after another. 

“You seem to have the nectar under control, would you mind hauling it back home? I’m going to help the Aves out, the more bugs they eat means that much more meat for me!” R208 called up to Sphaere.

“Can do!” Sphaere yelled back, relieved to be out of the situation she had been in. “Oi! Yank the wings off that big wasp! Actually, jus’ grab as many as ya can find! I think yer boy A224 could use ‘em fer somethin’!”

“Got it!” R208 bellowed back, “We’ll meet you back home, we shouldn’t be too far behind you either, this stuff is pretty light and we’ve got plenty of hands!”

“See ya there!” Sphaere responded before turning her attention to the warborn curled up comfortably in her arms. “So, now we’re flyin’, eh? Can we visit the moon tomorrow?”

Without even looking up at her, Cekell chirped back in affirmation.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Sphaere noted, “Yea, I should probably clarify, that was jus’ sarcasm. I cain’t rule out the possibility that ya might actually try an’ take me ta the moon. While that does sound interestin’, we don’ really need ta go ta the moon, m’kay?”

Again, and without moving, Cekell chirped back in affirmation.

“Aww crap.” Sphaere confessed as she heard Rhystea’s voice in her head, (If you wake up on the moon, you won’t have anyone to blame but yourself.) There was a short pause before Sphaere went on to confess, “Holy crap, she even sounds annoyin’ly proper in my head.”

Once again, although more softly this time, Cekell chirped back in affirmation.

“Oi! Ya passin’ out  on me? We’re not gonna fall out the sky if ya do… are we?”

Cekell replied with a squeak, and Sphaere shook him until he looked up at her. With less of a squeak and more of a bark, he conveyed both his bewilderment and aggravation.

“Take us back.” Sphaere insisted. When she saw the gears turning in his head, she quickly added, “Gently. I reco’nize that look, yer up ta somethin’.”

Cekell grumbled and curled back up. There was a moment’s hesitation before Sphaere opened her mouth to say something, but as soon as she did, she could feel her ride lurch forward. “Watch yerself, twerp, yer cruisin’ fer a bruisin’!”

Cekell neither made a sound nor tried to hide the smile that spread out across his face. Before Sphaere had a chance to admonish him, a crack of thunder immediately above her commanded her attention. 

Having a barrier between herself and the storm, Sphaere hadn’t noticed when it started raining; and unlike the thunder, the downpour made no sound even as it collided into the barrier. It was strange for her, to look up and see the rain without hearing it, and made this place she was in seem that much more alien – as did the trickling streams that ran down the side of the barrier, not unlike rain on a windshield.

For their return trip home, Sphaere kicked back and watched the silent rain. Moments of tranquility like this had been a rarity since she arrived, so she did her best to enjoy it. It wouldn’t last long.

 

“Satisfied?” Verakry asked haughtily to the spent warborn laying on the ground before him.

“No, not in the slightest. I couldn’t so much as touch the thing, let alone wound it.” Devose complained.

“Brute force isn’t your only avenue of assault, you’re being far too narrow minded. It’s not always as simple as hitting something where it hurts, in those instances you will have to apply more than violent force. If smacking the thing does little more than annoy it, and smacking the thing harder only annoys it more, maybe a change of tactics are in order.” Verakry suggested.

“Such as?” Devose inquired.

“Such as pinning it down with gravity, spiking it’s molecular vibration, or freezing it all together. Such feats require control and finesse, which may not be as easy as hacking and slashing; but in the right situations, can be even more effective.” Verakry explained.

“Without the Umbral Point, I am handicapped.” Devose admitted.

“Yes. You are. Relinquishing it was a mistake - for you at least. Your brother forges ahead with impunity while you try to play at catch up.” Verakry admonished the anguished warborn. 

“And you think my brother stands a chance against that thing?!” Devose inquired in disdain.

“I think that thing will be attracted to the energy of your brother’s barriers, and I think the first thing your brother will do when he finds himself faced with adversity is apply a barrier around that which he wants to protect – inadvertently making them a tempting target. While you fight to fell your enemy, Cekell fights to protect his allies. This is merely an exercise to force him into trying a different path to victory. Such experience will stimulate his growth. Unless of course he attempts to simply pound the thing into submission.” Verakry elaborated.

There was a moment of hesitation before Devose recalled his resolve. Knowing he had no other worth, he meekly asked, “How do I get stronger?”

“First, you must decide what strength means to you. Is it the ability to lay your foe low without fail? Is it undaunted at the thought of besting him in fair contest? That’s up to you. Until you can align your will and your purpose, they may as well be in conflict. In truth, your brother’s case is rather simplistic. He wishes to keep something safe, and in doing so, has fought with frantic desperation. He never realized his own potential until he was driven into a corner.” Verakry analyzed. “He didn’t want to fight you until you threatened what he holds dear. Cekell had everything on the line. What have you risked? Have you fought for more than a grudge? Tell me, does your hatred give you strength, or does it hold you back? Does it mean anything at all?” 

Devose hadn’t really thought about it before. He had indeed hated Cekell for killing his mother, but he never really knew her, so there was no true sense of loss. The flames of his hatred had been stoked by his father, and while Devose knew family was important, he did not understand why, let alone how important. 

The bond between Devose and his father was weak. He felt a sense of duty and obligation to his father, but his father felt next to nothing for him. He never had anything precious to him, so he had never experienced rage or fear being incited within him over something precious. Lacking such motivators, his drive was weak. He could try hard, but without a strong drive, could he really move forward without holding anything back? Was he fueled by nothing more than a simple desire for revenge? He expressed his discontent by balling up his fist and slamming it into the ground.

Verakry had paused to contemplate, where he realized that time was also a factor. “There’s also a matter of experience. Your brother has been shuffled from one confrontation to the next from the moment he was born. By comparison, you have been coddled, having such things as training provided to you. He was fighting for his life before you ran your first practice drill. Which do you think amounted to more practical experience?”

“I see, so rather than observe my brother, I need to either confront him, or otherwise spend my time building myself up. You may be right about my grudge getting in my way, I’m too focused on him. I need to apply my efforts to building myself up, and watching him get stronger doesn’t make me any stronger. While I may be able to learn of his strengths and shortcomings, that feels… almost underhanded.” Devose surmised. 

“Excellent conclusion, I look forward to seeing you progress now that you hunger for it. Go, administer your brother’s test, see for yourself how he handles the same obstacle that you yourself have confronted. Tell him you plan on overcoming him if you must, and then hone your edge. The rest will come in time, there’s no need to rush a confrontation, it will be more beneficial when you both can gain from it, rather than using it to simply sate your hatred.” Verakry directed.

Devose turned to the block of ice composed of frozen air which contained the acid amoeba, the likes of which could easily engulf an adult iron hoof. Verakry had locked it in place by solidifying the atmosphere around it, mere moments before it had devoured Devose. “Release it, and I’ll make sure to deliver it, along with father’s regards.”

Verakry smiled, complied and vanished. The frozen air dissolved almost instantaneously, but the amoeba, still sluggish from the cold, lurched forward with intent. (I must apologize as well. Dragging someone else into my grudge was low. I can’t be like that if I want to look down on him from up on high.) Devose thought to himself. 

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