We have a mission, sister! (Nef and the 'rents)

[Anuberis]

Anuberis kicks the mattress Nefertati is lying on, deposting her unceremoniously on the floor.

"We are to watch our parents in person, on orders from the man himself. Get up! I don't have time to waste with you!"

[Nefertati]

She growled slightly, her brother was annoyed at something, since he didn't normally take it out on her. She stood up and looked at him for a moment before she spoke.

"Fine, you don't have to knock me on the floor, it was our idea first, remember?"

She yawned before pulling on her cloak, she didn't need anything else, it carried all she needed.

[Anuberis]

"That doesn't matter! This is an opportune time for us; and we must make haste. Come on."

Father lives on another planet, near to Armaiil's first laboratory, though Anuberis believes they may soon be moving. The two leave by way of an autopiloted shuttle, arriving at the destination in under five hours.

"Now...we find father."

[Nefertati]

Nefertati searches briefly with the force, her tail swishing back and forth.

"He's with mother and the other two it seems, at any rate, makes it easier for us."

She nervous but she seems calm on the outside, there's so much she doesn't understand though which puts doubt in the normal cold warrior.

[Anuberis]

"There's no way you can sense them already! We're in the middle of a damned spaceport!"

But even as he speaks, he sees his parents walk by bearing his younger siblings.

"Dammit all..."

He walks after them at a safe distance, watching and listening. What business do they have here?

[Nefertati]

Nef listens briefly to her mother speaking, prattling on and on it seems, then again, Nef hardly spoke unless to Armaiil or her brother but those were always short conversations. Her eyes flitted to the two cubs.

"So those are the ones you mentioned to her hmm?"

[Anuberis]

"Yes."

Their father is holding them both, one in each arm, dodging his head as they flail at one another, squabbling over something.

"The girl is Kalia, and the boy is Hiroaki. Kalia is six months your senior. Hiroaki was born five minutes after you."

[Nefertati]

Her eyes drifted from the cubs and to her mother then back again, she didn't know why but she was the most curious about her mother, the one she looked like a twin to.

"Hmm, the next army fights amongst themselves it seems."

[Anuberis]

"They are infants. They can know no better until they are able to comprehend the consequences of their actions. Kalia usually bests Hiroaki, unless he manages to bite her when she pokes at him. Of the two, Kalia will prove to be the stronger, though little brother's patience will make him dangerous."

The family continues on to the next display window. Now it's obvious what they're doing.

"Mother needs new clothing it seems."

[Nefertati]

She watches, wondering why doesn't feel the malice at their presence as she thought she should.

"Wonder how they would do if they were like us? Seems odd that Armaiil hasn't taken them too."

As usual, questions aways came to mind with her, there was so much unanswered and some things that didn't fit, she kept those to herself though.

[Anuberis]

"Kalia would be among us now, if father and mother weren't so ardent in protecting her. Hiroaki is simply weak."

A moment's pause, and he speaks again.

"I'm wrong. Father needs new clothes."

Inu is shaking his head. No, he will not wear that. Nor that. And especially not THAT. Ugh.

[Nefertati]

Nef fluttered her ears, she didn't sense weakness in that one, he gave a slightly lower power than his sister, still Nef didn't say this, if her brother didn't sense it, he would yell at her for saying it. Her ears fluttered a bit more as her mother leaned in to kiss father and Inu didn't move away much to Nef's surprise.

"What was that?"

[Anuberis]

"Um...it was obviously..."

Obviously what? He's never witnessed a kiss before.

"It's unimportant," he says dismissively. Though he cannot be sure...

[Nefertati]

Nef canted her head slightly to the side as they parted, both bearing smiles. What manner of? She was confused at this, what looked like what was going to be a bite or something led to no pain and both smiling. Her mother then took Kalia to hold for a moment and nuzzled the cub as Kalia had poked her face.

"What in the-?"

[Anuberis]

"It...don't ask me!" Anuberis snarls.

This is beyond him. How? She bit him, didn't she? Then why...and what the hell are they doing, letting the babies poke them and be bothersome with such little consequence? More of the strange biting, this time directed at their cubs. The babies giggle and return them as best they can.

"This is...jeez!"

[Nefertati]

Her ears flipped forwards and backwards, she couldn't smell blood so no biting was happening. Her father then wrapped an arm around mother's waist and pulled her close. Nef waited for some movement towards causing pain but nothing happened, mother was purring? She knew that sound only because she had done it by accident once or twice after a good battle with the altered.

"You don't know do you?"

She asked after looking to Anuberis who looked as confused as she did.

[Anuberis]

"Didn't I just SAY that?" he snaps.

What in all the hells...? At least they're moving on. Little Hiro is crying; his father pulls a bottle from a pocket and holds it for him as he drinks from it.

"Feeding them."

Anuberis' stomach growls.

"We should eat too."

[Nefertati]

"Eat what? I don't have any money."

She watched the cubs, Kalia was making noises that sounded odd to her ears, of course the cub was just singing but the noise was alien to Nef's ears. Still Nef was hesistant to move, what if they were spotted?

[Anuberis]

"You're slack for once. I have money."

He steps up to one of the restaurants, just down from where Inu stands to order for himself and Sorr. Sorr sits at a table in the food court, keeping the children entertained.

"Your order?"

Anuberis and his father order simulateously.

"Three chili cheese dogs and a soda. It matters not which."

The voices speak in stereo, uttering the same words with the same inflections. Anuberis reels and pushes Nef forward to order. Inu doesn't notice; he's trying to remember the rest of the hastily put together order.

[Nefertati]

Nef mutters Idiot under her breath, her hood was drawn up to cover her face from father.

"Two normal ones and a soda."

She lowered her voice a bit, she knew she sounded somewhat like mother and she'd rather not have Inu know her by sight as well as scent.

[Anuberis]

"Who's an idiot?" Anuberis growls.

Mother has the same order as Nef...uncanny. They sit in a booth, secluded from their parents.

"Insanity."

[Nefertati]

"You are, don't even hide yourself, you're lucky mother distracts him!"

She said but kept her voice low to avoid attracting attention. She looks away from them to watch mother and father again. Mother is feeding the cubs bits of her food and the cubs purr softly. What was this weird behavior? And why did she feel the urge to join them?

[Anuberis]

"Idiot. I need no hiding."

Kalia is capable of eating solid food? Anuberis wasn't aware of this. He stays rooted to his seat, stuffing the remains of his hotdog into this mouth with the exact mannerism his father uses.

"They don't look evil, do they?"

[Nefertati]

'No, they don't."

She looked at them and smiled before she caught herself. They seemed nothing like he or Armaiil had told her, nothing seemed right. She fluttered her ears, had they been lied to? And if so how much wasn't true?

[Anuberis]

"We will follow them home and confront them there."

This is said with wavering confidence. The Jackel's pup isn't sure this is the best idea he's ever had, but at the moment, it's seems to be the only way for them to discern truth from falsehood.

[Nefertati]

"And then what? If they're how you say they are, they will only fight us."

But even as she said those words, her eyes were on them. Mother and father were laughing at Hiro who had gotten some ketchup on his face, the sound of it wasn't cruel at all. How could these people be as Armaiil and Anuberis had said? She could see no sign of any cruelty in either of them, just something that made the young woman feel happy despite herself.

[Anuberis]

"Then we'll fight them."

As an afterthought...

"Durp."

[Nefertati]

"And how will that help? How can we learn if we fight them?"

She looked at them, for the first time in her life, she wasn't sure if she wanted to fight.

[Anuberis]

"We will learn that Armaiil was telling the truth, and consider before we dismiss his advice again."

The family stands, clearing their table and moving off.

"Come on already."

He leaves his mess on the table, too preoccupied to bother cleaning it.

[Nefertati]

"You sure about this?"

Somethng was just wasn't right, mother and father didn't seem like the villians she had been told about. The uneasiness about that made her wary about fighting.

[Anuberis]

"YES, DAMMIT!"

His shout echoes, drawing their parents attention for a moment before they shrugged it off.

"Listen carefully to me, Nefertati. We will follow them. WE will not attack. If THEY attack, then that proves Armaiil to be right. Do you understand?"

[Nefertati]

She nods, her tail twitching nervously back and forth, watching her parents' retreating forms.

"Whatever..."

[Anuberis]

Now they're losing them! Anuberis follows swiftly back to their parents' speeder. How to follow? Following in a cab is too obvious.

"We'll just have to chase them on foot."

[Nefertati]

"Fine by me."

She followed the speeder with force boosted leaps by jumping from roof to roof of the shorter buildings. Their parents were none the wiser of being followed.

[Anuberis]

Soon Nefertati runs out of buildings as the city fades into forest. Anuberis has spared his strength, running behind far enough not to be noticed, and sparing himself the trouble of leaping. Now, he weaves nimbly through the foliage, unknown to his parents.

"Foolish Nef..."

[Nefertati]

She thumps him in the back of the head with a fist.

"I heard that!"

Before making her way to the trees, she prefered speed, she could go for hours like this if need be, her training had been different than her brother's.

[Anuberis]

Anuberis mumbles something under his breath. Soon, they can see the tops of the houses in the village. Their parents arrived long before, and are inside the house already. What should he do?

"You knock..."

[Nefertati]

Nefertati growls and body checks her brother a bit to the side. She raises her hand to the door and it wavers there for a moment as her ears flutter nervously and her tail swishes slowly back and forth. Finally she knocks and sighs, for now, she hoped there wouldn't be a fight, she had too many unanswered questions.

[Inu]

Inu places Kalia and Hiro down as a knock is heard at the door. Jeez, they just got in, and already they have visitors. Inu opens the door and blinks, taking an involuntary step back. Anuberis and Nefertati are standing there, looking nervous and frightened, but by no means spoiling for a fight.

"What's the matter?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr's ears flick back, there was an odd tone in Inu's voice. Curious, she got up and walked over before immediately moving to behind her husband, even they had agreed to try not to attack the cubs, Sorr's memories of their last meeting were still quite fresh in her mind.

[Anuberis]

Anuberis growls at his father's question; sneering at the way his mother cowers behind him.

"I could ask the same of you."

[Nefertati]

Nefertati elbows her brother in the gut before glaring at him, his attitude wasn't helping.

''We know it's probably not our place given what we've done but we have quite a few questions that are left unanswered."

She fluttered her ears a bit, wondering why she was so nervous, she had seen both of them before.

[Inu]

"Fair enough," Inu says in reply to Anuberis. To Nefertati, he has a reprimand. "Don't hit your brother."

The father steps aside to let his children in.

"Sit down. Sorreessa, get them something to drink. Let's talk."

This feels...odd. By all accounts he should be fighting them...but he's just invited them to sit down. Now he knows how his father felt...

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She looks at the two cubs warily for a few moments more before heading of to the kitchen, this was all just too weird after what had happened the last time she had seen them. Still she looked around a bit and found some tea which she started to make for them all.

[Anuberis]

Anuberis settles himself on the couch, eyes casting warily about him. A poke on his foot causes him to quickly fold his legs beneath him. Kalia looks up and points.

"Beh! Beh!"

Hiro points too.

"Bee."

Anuberis growls.

"Can't they talk?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr reappears with the tea and sets it on the table before sitting next to her husband.

"Not yet, they'rrre not qujite old enough.."

Her eyes looked between the two, wondering why her younger daughter seemed so nervous, wasn't she arrogant like her brother?

[Anuberis]

"Hmph."

He sits, eying them warily.

"What's your deal?"

[Nefertati]

Nef growled slightly at Anuberis.

"You're not helping!"

She looked to the cubs and then to mother and father, how was she to start? It felt weird just being here after what they had done to mother, why weren't her parents angry?

[Inu]

Inu's eyes shift to Nefertati.

"Something amiss, daughter? What's your deal, I wonder? Why are you two behaving so oddly?"

[Nefertati]

She fluttered her ears and swished her tail back and forth, looking just like her mother when she was nervous.

"It's nothing, we just have questions is all, his answers don't fit somehow."

[Inu]

"Questions? Well ask them then, instead of dawdling over it."

[Anuberis]

"Fine."

Anuberis glares at Nefertati. Lost your nerve, coward? Traitorous woman...

"We have fought you several times father, but not once have you gone berserk on us. Why hold back?"

[Inu]

"Why does that matter?"

[Anuberis]

"Because one would think you'd have used it to kill us by now. Especially after what we did to mother..."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Same reason why I never harmed you severly, we wouldn't kill our own children."

She answered her son but her eyes were on her daughter, she wasn't as afraid of this one, Nef hadn't done anything other than heckle her a bit.

[Nefertati]

"Then why did you abandon him? You left him to die..."

[Inu]

"We didn't. He was stolen before he was born."

Inu speaks with a flat voice, betraying no emotion. He looks steadily at both children, not favoring one over the other. This will be the greatest test of his patience yet.

[Nefertati]

"Stolen how? How could he be stolen before he was born? Armaiil told us you left him and would kill him if you could."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"jI was taken by the alterrred and jin the end, jI lost hjim when Arrrmajijil decjided to take hjim frrrom my womb. jI was helpless to stop hjim."

She did the same as Inu but her gaze stayed a little bit more on her son, she had always felt there could have been something else she could have done to save him.

[Nefertati]

Nef's ears flipped backward and forward over and over as she mulled it over. It sounded wrong but then again not something one would put past Armaiil, she had seen some of what the man had done. Could that be true though? She looked to her brother who was clenching a fist and an eyebrow raised.

"How can we be sure you're telling the truth? Armaiil said you hated us."

Her tone had a slight growling note to it but she was unsure now more than ever. Would Armaiil lie to them? She wasn't sure of it in hearing this.

[Inu]

"Very little of what Armaiil says is truth. He claims me to be the greatest warrior alive, but I have yet to win a conflict."

[Nefertati]

Nef's tail swished back and forth, it did somewhat make sense, if Anuberis was left to die, why wouldn't they have just killed him? She looked to her brother, now didn't seem like the time to ask what happened to her so she passed it for the next question. She looked down at her siblings who were wandering about on the floor.

"Are they meant to be your allies later on against Armaiil?"

She fluttered her ears, it sounded stupid now that she had asked.

[Inu]

"I will have him dead long before they are old enough to throw punches, daughter," he says with a smile. "What name has the doctor given you?"

[Nefertati]

"Nefertati."

She looked away, seemingly now nervous about the both of them, her tail flitted about and her ears fluttered just like her mother would.

[Anuberis]

Anuberis can't believe what he's hearing. He was stolen, not abandoned?

"Insanity."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"You've seen what jI do to prrrotect my cubs, why would jI just abandon you?"

[Nefertati]

Nef fluttered her ears once again, hesistant to ask the one question that she wanted to know about most in fear of what her brother might do.

"What happened to me? Both were a bit sketchy on telling me."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She didn't look to Anuberis, she knew he was probably glaring at her anyway. Nefertati had the right to know what happened and being her mother, Sorr wasn't about to keep it from her.

'You werrre taken too, shorrrtly afterrr you werrre borrrn, he sajid he was lonely."

[Anuberis]

"Puh."

He looks away, resting his chin in his hand and glaring into the next room. This is so stupid. He'd almost rather fight them. At least it'd spare him some embarrassment.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr looked to her son, she hadn't told the whole truth for his sake, she doubted he would want his sister knowing he stole her away. Her eyes then wandered to all of her cubs as she wondered how things would have been if things hadn't gone wrong.

[Inu]

"So...what mission has Armaiil sent you here with?"

He can find no other reason for their appearance here, nor can he think of why they would confront them in this manner. Surely the mad doctor has something up his sleeve...

[Nefertati]

Nefertati shrugged her shoulders and fluttered her ears, she didn't know why really, Anuberis did but he hadn't told her.

"Don't really know, Anuberis said we had been told to come here."

[Inu]

"Why is that, son?"

He turns his focus to his eldest child, making eye contact even when he couldn't see the other's eyes.

[Anuberis]

"Why should I tell you that? It's no business of yours."

This is very true, and he doesn't fully trust his parents. His sister on the other hand...it seems they're swaying her. He can't view their actions as anything but false, and Sorr's explanation of how he came to be in Armaiil's care comes across to him as a lie.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorreessa sighed softly, it seemed no matter how many times she told him, he wouldn't believe her and she didn't understand why, why did he believe that sadistic monster over his own mother? She run her canine lightly into her lower lip as she thought, he didn't beleive the one proof she had so what could she do?

[Nefertati]

She growled mentally at her brother Must you be such a bother? They told us what we asked.... Unlike her brother, she didn't feel any malice towards them at the moment, they didn't seem evil to her and her siblings seemed happy with them, she found it harder and harder to believe that they were evil.

"He wouldn't tell me, I went along since I had questions."

[Inu]

"Is that so?" he asks slyly, raising a brow.

His son is acting very familiarly. Almost like...oh...say...himself?

"Why not son? What's there to hide from your sister?"

[Anuberis]

"DAMMIT, I'M NOT HIDING ANYTHING!"

He stands, drawing his blade as an automatic reflex.

"She asked what our business was with you, and I told her Armaiil had a mission for us! I told her what it's purpose was, which was all she asked! YOU are the enemy! You have no right to know!"

He glares at his father, eyes turning a dull shade of orange, teeth grinding and chest heaving with bottled rage.

"After all you've done...I should kill you now!"

[Nefertati]

Nefertati stood between them, her brother was getting too angry for her taste at the moment.

"That won't help right now..."

We agreed not kill him! It will do us no good to piss of Armaiil, he'll take it out on us! She sent to him through the force.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr spoke then but kept her tone even, she wasn't trying to start a fight.

"What djid yourrr fatherrr everrr do to you? jI was the only one who rrreally strrruck you jin battle.."

[Inu]

Inu holds a hand out for Sorr and Nefertati to stand down.

"Both of you, back off. If we must fight, then let's do it. No sense in holding it off."

The father's own blade rests by the door. He stands, drawing it from it's sheathe and stepping out into the yard. He turns and faces his son, taking a stance.

"There are only two rules; do not wreck the house, and do not involve your siblings or mother. This is between us. A duel man to man."

[Anuberis]

Anuberis spits contemptuously, his sword projecting it's energy field.

"Let's go then."

The Jackel's pup makes his move, a straightforward attempt to decapitate his father.

[Inu]

Inu simply leans back, letting the blade fly before his face with a soft hum. The father straightens his body with a slight smile.

"You've got power and speed, that is certain. But you seem to be lacking..."

[Nefertati]

She rose after them but understood she was not to help. Nef walked out and leaned on the outside wall of the house to watch, wondering if her father was as great as Armaiil had said, she had yet to see father fight.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr waited for Nef to walk out before picking up the cubs and putting in their pen, she didn't trust her daughter to be alone one second with her siblings. Once done, she walked out to watch, worried but at the same time, knowing her husband could handle it.

[Anuberis]

"Lacking WHAT, old man!?"

He brings his fist in line, swinging hard for his father's chest. He means to break his ribs.

"Speed and power are all that's necessary to fight!"

[Inu]

Inu catches his son's fist.

"Skill. Discipline. Do you not see the folly of Armaiil's berserk ideal?"

[Nefertati]

"Why doesn't he just go berserk?"

She said aloud before she caught herself, flicking an ear back to her mother to see if she had been heard.

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Because he doesn't want to kjill hjim, nejitherrr one of us wants you dead even afterrr what you djid. Despjite what you two have become, we wjill stjill love you."

[Anuberis]

"GrrrrRAH!"

He swings down with his sword, pushing against his father's hand with all his might, trying to break his father's grip.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

[Inu]

Inu drops his sword and catches his son's other fist, halting the blade's movment.

"Will you? You're not focused. You're flailing blindly at an opponent who is considerably more calm and composed than you are. Simply by having my wits about me, I can defeat you."

[Nefertati]

Nefertati fluttered her ears before flipping them back at mother.

"Why?"

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

"Why? Why wouldn't we? You arrre my flesh and blood, how could jI not love my chjildrrren? What kjind of motherrr would jI be jif I hated you?"

Her eyes looked to her husband, she understood what he was doing now.

"Yourrr fatherrr loves you too, he fjights gojing berrrserrk because of jit."

[Anuberis]

"..."

Anuberis recognizes the truth of his father's words. It's humiliating.

"YOU....BASTARD!"

Anuberis pushes his father back as his father does the same. Both of them take several steps back, and Anuberis clenches his fists, gritting his teeth, trying to think of some way to repay the humiliation he feels. He's got nothing.

[Inu]

"You will see, some day."

Inu walks past his son toward the house.

"Go out and calm yourself. When you're composed, come back. We'll try again."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

She watched the two cubs for a moment, Nef seemed to be pondering her words and Anu seemed to be calming down a little but not much. Of the two, Sorr wasn't afraid of her daughter, Nef seemed to have less of a bloodlust than her brother. Her eyes drifted between them for a moment before falling back to her daughter.

"Ljike we offerrred yourrr brrrotherrr, you arrre welcome to come home should you decjide to leave Arrrmajijil..."

She looked into Nef's eyes for a moment before following Inu inside.

[Nefertati]

Nef fluttered her ears backwards and forwards as she pondered her mother's words. How can they be evil? Nothing they have said has pointed to them hating us... She thought to herself, she still didn't bear any malice towards them, looking through the door at them out of the corner of her eyes for a few moments. She then looked to her brother, wondering what he was thinking about all of this.

[Anuberis]

Anuberis makes the long leap to the treeline, escaping into the dense brush. Idiocy. This is sheer idiocy. What is he to think? His father is not what he thought, yet he cannot betray Armaiil's teachings. The boy is torn.

[Nefertati]

Nef watches him go but doesn't follow, her brother wasn't headed in the direction of the spaceport therefore wanting to be left alone for a bit. Leaning against the wall of her first home, she waited, all the while pondering all of what she knew, finding it harder and harder to hate her parents.

[Inu]

"Come in and close the door. The breeze is making Hiro cold."

Inu picks up the baby, wrapping him in the deep folds of his shirt.

"I never got the chance to hold you like this, Nefertati..."

[Nefertati]

Nef smiled before she caught herself and wandered into the house, shutting the door behind her. She looked at them for a moment, wondering what it would have been like to grow up with her mother and father instead of with the doctor. She felt calmer in these walls than back at Armaiil's lab. She could see just a bit of Hiroaki's face that was not hidden in the folds of Inu's shirt, he giggled when he saw her looking at him and waved.

"Bee!"

Nef giggled despite herself before looking to her mother and father.

"I didn't want to ask since he was getting madder but what happened when I was stolen? You've been as vague as Anuberis was."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr bit her lip lightly and pondered for a moment. She should be able to know what happened.

"Well jit was shorrrtly afterrr you and Hjirrroakji werrre borrrn, he sajid he was lonely and wanted someone arrround.....jI hate to say thjis, but yourrr brrrotherrr was the one who stole you..."

[Nefertati]

Only her ears showed what she was feeling as they fllicked backwards and forward. She pondered over it, it made more sense than anything else but she wasn't angry, just sad that she wasn't able to learn for herself sooner.

"At least I get a reason out of someone...."

Kalia had toddled up to her just then and Nef patted her sister's head lightly, she wondered more than anything how things could have been.

[Inu]

"Your brother's intentions are pure. He wants the best for you. He wants the best for himself. However, his means are not. These methods will only lead to what he hates most. He will see, someday."

[Nefertati]

'He's beginning to see I think, the more questions I ask the more I sense him getting nervous about the answers."

By now Kalia was poking lightly at her sister's knee, babbling away, probably wondering why Nef looked so much like her mother. Nef reached over and poked her ear back and the baby giggled.

[Inu]

"He's considering every option. Leave him alone for a time. He will eventually make his decision. Bring her here. It's time these two had a nap."

[Nefertati]

Nef raised an eyebrow and picked up the cub slowly and carefully, she didn't want to hurt her by accident. Kalia looked up at her and giggled, poking at her face. Nef blinked a few times but stood and handed her over to Inu.

"I don't have any idea what he'll decide though."

Nef herself didn't really want to leave but she didn't want to leave her brother either, the young woman was torn but one side for now seemed to have a stronger pull on her.

[Inu]

Inu carefully lowers them both into the pen on the floor, tossing blankets lightly over them and handing them both bottles of warm milk.

"Don't worry about it. Have faith in Anuberis to make the right choice. What's important for you is to make your own decision."

[Nefertati]

"Working on it, I just hope he doesn't make the wrong decision, I don't want to fight him over this."

She looked down at her siblings, she really didn't want to leave here. It felt more like home than anything else, she felt safe and it was quiet, no sounds of pain here. The more time she spent here, the less she wanted to leave.

[Inu]

"You won't have to. Trust me."

Inu sits down on the sofa and yawns mightily.

"I won't let my children fight one another."

[Sorreessa Tarrineezi]

Sorr leans her head on Inu's shoulder.

"Norrr wjill jI, the chojice jis only yourrrs to make...."

[Nefertati]

Nef nodded, she just wasn't ready to choose just yet, though home was winning right now.

"I'll probably decide soon enough..."

[Inu]

"This isn't something to be decided quickly. Think carefully before you make your move."

[Nefertati]

"I won't but not like I haven't been thinking for awhile on it."

Her eyes drifted to them again, her mother falling asleep on Inu's shoulder, her father looking as though he wanted to fall asleep too. Nef yawned herself, she didn't think staying here would be too bad.

[Inu]

Inu nods once, his eyelids drooping.

"Come over here. If we're gonna put the other kids to sleep, may as well get you a nap too."

[Nefertati]

Nefertati fluttered her eyes in confusion, come over there? Could they trust her that much already? She remained silent, not sure of what to do.

"....."

[Inu]

Inu shifts and gestures to the empty space next to him.

"Come here, Nefertati. Sit here and lean on me. You look tired and stressed. Some sleep will do you good. If you don't want to sit here with us, you may borrow our room."

[Nefertati]

Nefertati fluttered her ears, Anuberis would kill her if he came back and found her like that. Her instincts shunned it entirely so she chose option C.

"My spot here is fine..."

She yawned and leaned her head on the armrest of the couch she sat on directly across from them, tail flitting about nervously.

[Inu]

"Very well."

The father tilts his head back with a sigh, letting his eyelids close. Anuberis isn't far, but he's not doing much. The anger rolling off of him is like an inferno.

[Anuberis]

The Jackel's pup sits in a tree in the dense forest, eyes burning with anger and suppressed tears, sitting with his knees drawn to his chest and his arms folded, breathing heavy and with anger. His father is such a fool! He made a mockery of Anuberis without even caring, rebuked him for what he has always believed in, and what's more, he did it without anger. His father defeated him without touching him, without attacking once, and in the end told him to come home when he was good and ready. Come home! As if he could live with those two hypocrites down in that log cabin! Nefertati seems to have abandoned him for them. Fine, that's just fine! He doesn't need her! Or their godforsaken parents! He'll return to the laboratory alone, and keep fighting by himself. Anuberis stands and escapes back to the city, his anger driving him on faster than before. The sleeping family in the small cottage doesn't know he's gone until they wake up hours later, too late to stop him from leaving.

[Nefertati]

When she awoke, she couldn't sense her brother at all. Had he gone home without her? That had to be it, she couldn't sense him anywhere around.

"I have to go..."

She said simply to her parents before heading in the direction of the spaceport. She knew what would happen if she stayed here, it wasn't safe to be there. She had to go despite that she didn't want to. It wasn't long before she stole a small ship after killing it's owner and set off back home.