Fear was something he knew well; he felt it while the final Jaguar loomed above him, he’d felt it when Mother spoke to him after his conflict with Fang, fear went so far as to tinge even his first memories of Awakening…

And Nameless felt it once again, as Shade feared him.

His brother’s mind was a cacophonous storm; its clouds, those of confusion and apprehension, while panic, anxiety, and fear, flashed like lightning within. The connection between them trembled and pulsated, the dizzying conflict of emotions obscuring Shade’s thoughts from him behind a thick wall of mental fog.

With his own fear swirling around his head, Nameless’s hackles raised, uncertainty ruling his own thoughts. He watched Shade closely, taking in his brother’s every shift and twitch, while his mind tried to parse through the telepathic maelstrom and discern Shade’s intentions.

“Do not… do it, Brother.” A wet rattling breath passed his fangs, sickness’s fetid grasp tightening around his throat, his body shivering at the slithering touch of infection… but he remained standing, resolute, attention focused entirely upon Shade, “Do not make me… break my promise…”

He shifted subtly, squinted eyes never leaving his brother, a tentative mental paw reaching out for… [Deception]’s support.

The Skill was weak and fragile, his mind and soul too strained by illness to bring out its usual efficacy. However, given that same frailty of body and mind, even the slightest nudge and minute caress of the Skill’s was ample enough support.

Minor, nearly negligible changes began to occur across his body and mind, [Deception] lightly working in tandem with Nameless’s preferences to conceal his intentions.

It awoke that more guileful part of his mind, bringing him to recognizing his sickly nature as being… advantageous to his desires; coaxing him into making the slight receding of his mind from his brother’s appear as though it were retreating at wave of malaise and fugue, while his adjusting his stance was masked as twitches of fever and pain or an effort to alleviate some of his discomfort.

The sickness that ailed him his camouflage, Nameless’s muscles coiled as he shifted, mind and body tensing in reluctant preparation. He didn’t have to fake the pain his movements caused, his body hissing with strain and fatigue, an uneasy jitter making his motions erratic and awkward. However, he still noticed the crudeness of his obfuscations; his own lack of focus and knowledge – as well as [Deception]’s untrained standing and currently reduced capabilities – creating a loose cover likely seen through with a moment’s drawn observation…

Not that Shade was in the position to do so.

With the telepathic union still remaining between them – even distant as it had become – Nameless could sense his brother’s conflicted thoughts, Shade’s focus completely consumed by the dizzying whirlwind of thought and emotion that raged within his head, distracting him from his surroundings.

He could nearly hear the roar of Shade’s mind within his own, his haze of delirium swirling, agitated by the gale of emotion that touched his psyche from across their braid, “That you… are so conflicted… is good. But-”

Body readied even as the flickers of a desperate hope tried to settle him, fear ruled his actions, claws now hidden behind the Otter’s corpse unfurling to click lightly against the stone, “But… if I catch… so much as the scent… of threat from you…”

“I will not hesitate… to choose myself… over my promise…”

As much as he recognized he cared for his siblings – likely far more than they did him – he realized there was a limit to his compassion, his mother and Fang having well defined it for him. The moment they became an obstacle to his survival, a threat to his life, was the moment no amount of shared blood or adoration would prevent him from doing what must be done.

“My weakness… will not prevent me… from fighting for… my life. Even against you… brother.” Shade’s oft surly self was amongst those Nameless cared for deepest, his promise having never been conceived if not for that fact. However – his eyes and mind carefully watching his brother for even the slightest twitch of hostility – familiarity would not blind him to the necessary…

If Nameless had to kill Shade to survive… he would.

The idea sickened him as deeply as the infection that burrowed into his flesh, that he could even conceive of such an act disgusting him so greatly that bile nearly welled up into his throat again. Still, no matter how much he despised the idea of coming to blows with his brother, he knew he had to prepare for the possibility.

Yet, preparation was all he limited himself to. In much the same way as he viewed Fang – under the paw of Mother as she was – he looked at Shade now, as a potential threat, not an active one. Necessary his willingness to fight Shade may have been, he recognized just as readily that he was still… unwilling to be the first to engage in hostilities.

Shade’s being on a precipice of decision, his thoughts and emotions confused and diffuse, granted Nameless enough doubt to stay his claws. But it would be a lie for him to state that it was the only thing making him hesitate.

Staring at his brother, he could feel his mind rebel at even raising a claw against Shade, halting his limbs in place much like if he had waded into a heavy current, “However this situation proceeds… will start with you, brother. Because… even if my instinct… and fears… demand I strike you down now… I can- no will not do so…”

“For I would rather die… a benevolent fool… than live having taken… even a step towards becoming… like Mother.” He was aware of the stupidity of granting a possible opponent the first strike – especially given how weakened and frail he was – that willingly putting himself on the back paw would surely see him dead at his brother’s claws, if Shade so concluded to lash out.

But, if the worst possibility were to come, he would rather be on the defensive, then act first and become what he never wanted to live as…

A Betrayer.

“I will make the choice… I am willing… to live… and die by.” Nameless saw the haze of conflict in his brother’s eyes, heard the snarl of confusion and the roar of uncertainty through their [Telepathy], “Just as I hope… you will do the same… whatever choice… that may be.”

Shade’s mind remaining a dizzying swirl, Nameless waited, his body vibrating with barely concealed anxiety and anticipation. Long breaths and heart beats passed, his unease growing the longer his brother remained… occupied by his thoughts.

While his claws frequently retracted and extended with his nerves, their tips lightly *clicking* against the stone, his tail swished erratically behind him to summon up a small cloud of dust. Trying to stymie his building disquiet – and risk making himself look hostile – he delved into carefully listening to Shade’s mind, braving the maelstrom to glean some form of direction to his brother’s discord.

A lapse of judgment he was well punished for…

His own mind quailed under Shade’s, whatever strength of mind he had formerly found largely receded. The direct touch of his [Telepathy] sent a searing wave of pain through his skull, his mental paw flinching away to the sound of a narrowly suppressed hiss. He could feel the tendrils of malaise swell and undulate against his psyche, taking advantage of the backlash from [Telepathy] and his creeping exhaustion, to thicken the haze of delirium into a heavy fog.

Mind recoiling, becoming sluggish and fevered, Nameless struggled to retain the connection between himself and Shade as well as his hold upon [Deception]. Sickness buried its fangs deep into his consciousness, spreading its virulent fatigue into every recess, his sight blurring and body slumping under a heavy wave of weakness.

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He desperately fought against the powerful current, scrambling to keep himself from succumbing to the depths of frailty washing through him, “No… not no-”

[Brother?] At the touch of Shade’s voice, Nameless’s fatigue died under a scorching gale of panic, his head snapping so quickly towards his brother that he felt the skin of his still mangled cheek reopen.

His brother’s eyes were cleared, his mind feeling… calmer to the senses, though there yet remained a noticeable susurrus of the agitation, confusion, and fear that dominated his thoughts before.

[What. Are. You?] Shade’s words trembled and flashed through their telepathic thread, his brother’s emotions soaking his words so heavily that Nameless could taste them; disquiet, trepidation, fear… but also, an intrigue and curiosity rather than the disgust or hate he had expected.

Shock swirled around his eyes, doubt howling in his ears while his brother’s voice echoed in his head. Silence was Nameless’s immediate answer, too overwhelmed by a warring of hope and disbelief to form a tangible reply, the question whirling around his head like a hum of Hawkflys circling their prey.

“Could it… be?” his thoughts and focus thrown into disarray, he lost control, sending a deluge of impressions and emotions down the length of the union between himself and Shade…

An answer in its own right.

His fears and hopes, doubts and concerns, how he felt about Shade and their siblings… and even himself, spun down the telepathic braid to bloom against Shade’s mind in a cacophonous mental spray.

As Shade staggered slightly under the unhindered waves of his consciousness, Nameless quickly scrambled to regain control, [Deception] unwinding with the last dredges of his focus turning to [Telepathy]. Fear bubbled up into his throat – worry that his lapse in attention may be taken as an attack making him even more frantic – his fatigue banished under the rapid currents of panic.

Nameless could feel Shade begin to parse through the telepathic spill, his brother’s [Telepathy] slapping clumsily against the visions, emotions, and opinions imparted through his negligence…

But still devoid of hostility or even the slightest aggressive twitch.

Mental fangs outstretched to pull the telepathic plume back, he stopped, his brother’s emotions staying his paw. Watching Shade’s [Telepathy] novicely navigate the flood of impressions, he found his brother’s emotions to shift.

With every memory and emotion of his touched and experienced, some of the fear, anxiety, and unease that still plagued Shade, lessened. With each heart beat his brother spent swimming amongst the impartments, so too did Nameless’s own worries begin to recede, becoming more of a low burble – like that of a dying brook – at the back of his consciousness.

Intrigue began to dominate Shade’s external emotions, though scintillating flashes of caution and wariness still poked above the surface of his mind. His curiosity caused the braid of [Telepathy] to warble and shift under his awkward inspections, each drop of Nameless’s impressions consumed by Shade’s mind to burst upon his senses and soak into his own.

Nameless felt a… jitteriness sprout with Shade’s mind growing ever closer across their union; the continued lack of aggression, calming much of his fears, yet not completely. His remaining uncertainties demanded vigilance, despite the positive motions, draining him rapidly – his body and mind teetering on the verge of collapse once more – sickness beginning to overwhelm the panicked energy that had temporarily awaken him.

[I am… your brother. Our siblings’… brother. And the son… of our mother… just as you.] While his doubts demanded caution, his loyalty and better nature roared for his voice to fill the void that impressions could not. His words wove around the memories and emotions that dripped along their connection, Nameless straining his exhausted intent to its limits to gently brush his [Telepathy] against Shade’s, avoiding it overwhelming him or losing any of its honesty, [But… you are not asking for that… are you?]

Shade’s inspections shifted, his eyes meeting Nameless’s, the muted bloom of seriousness twinning back up the braid, [No. Are. Abnormal?] The final word was laced with the venom their mother and instincts embedded within them, but it was lesser than expected.

[I… do not believe so… but would I truly know… if I was?] He entwined his answer with truth, unwilling to lie in the face of Shade’s composure and curiosity, the voices in the back of his head howling with displeasure.

“It is… a risk to answer… honestly.” He searched both form and mind for a change, waiting with bated breath for the inevitable transition to combat, “But it is a risk… I desire… to brave.”

Only no such conflict occurred.

His brother stared for many breaths, long enough that Nameless lost his touch upon [Telepathy] – his end becoming muted and dark – only the barest whispers of Shade’s ongoing connection recognizable through the exhaustion dragging him down. The last of his energy dying in sputtering embers, he slumped down, eyelids becoming heavy and nearly uncontrollable, a mournful growl rumbling up from his throat as he ineffectively fought against the pull of debility.

He lost sight of Shade, his mind clouding with the heavy fog of fever yet again, body groaning in distress… when his brother’s voice hummed through his head.

[Voice. Smart. Old. Different. But. No. Hate.] Nameless lacked the energy to move his head, but he numbly felt the press of Shade’s body against his own, raising him up, [Different. But. Still. Brother. Honest. Truthful. Strong.]

[More. Questions. Answers. Wanted. But. Rest. Needed.] A low purr shook Nameless, flickers of emotion spinning through his slowed mind too fast to consider, [Will. Wait. Watch. Give. Time.]

There was more to his brother’s words, just outside of Nameless’s grasp, however he could do little to pursue them. But… as fevered confusion blinded his mind, and made limp his body, he clung to but a single string of Shade’s [Telepathy]…

A string that blossomed in his mind with an acceptance that made the darkness that followed just the smallest fleck brighter.

―――――――――

The Sister chased away the Brothers three times before the fevers and infections passed from his flesh, and two more of their pursuits after for him to be able to walk with only the barest gnaw of lingering pain.

He had grown… impatient the more sunrises he witnessed through the cave’s mouth, the desire for action and motion aggravating him the longer he was forced to rest. But it was lessened greatly by his brother’s continued presence.

While he had sensed acceptance from Shade – and had awoken at all after passing out, his brother having not killed him while incapacitated – the truth was far more complicated.

Turning his head, he looked at Shade's yet still sleeping form; his brother curled around himself, a wing covering his head, “He is still understandably… wary of me. His acceptance but a small part of the whole; fear, curiosity, and uncertainty just as present now as they were when he first questioned me.”

Through what moments of clarity he had had, Nameless had answered what questions Shade had asked, doing his best to assuage the loudest of his brother’s doubts. However, there was a limit to what he was capable of – and willing to – divulge to Shade.

Especially one instance in particular.

While it was the truth that he did not believe himself to be an Abnormal, there were signs that made him hesitant to state that he wasn’t one. Most of the information and knowledge Nameless had of Abnormals coming from the mouth of Mother and the imprints embedded in his mind; both described creatures warped and changed by the presence of some nature of unusual Trait, turning them into something other and dangerous…

“Far too close of a depiction of myself, then I would rather think…” While Nameless did not believe himself warped by its presence, it would be an utmost lie to say he was not changed by [Preternatural Wisdom]. That it was likely also the cause of his [Telepathy] being considered Abnormal by his Reflection, further confused his opinion of the circumstances, “[Adaptive Physique], [Lesser Mana Conduits], and [Lesser Soul Resilience] could all be considered deviations as well, stemming from [Wisdom]’s existence.”

It was a concern he had kept well buried from his first Awakening, a deep fear that twisted around his very soul sending a chill through his entire being, “But, if I am an Abnormal, what could I possibly do about it?”

[Preternatural Wisdom] was as much a part of himself as his heart or lungs, intertwined with his very soul, his identity. There was no manner of removing it, even if it was warping him… but, despite the depths of his fears and concerns regarding the Trait, Nameless had lived through nothing that made him believe it would change him into the disastrous beings depicted by his impressions.

“Even its… replenishing of my soul reflected a supportive existence, not a destructive one.” That [Wisdom] even had something approaching a mind of its own further pushed him towards accepting his truly being an Abnormal as Shade had supposed… however he huffed and quickly fled from that line of thought.

“Abnormal or no, it matters little…” He watched Shade twist in his sleep, moving to lay on his back, stomach exposed, and wings splayed open across the ground, “As long as I remain myself; a Sphinx, brother to my siblings, Nameless...”

He looked away from his slumbering brother – that even with his doubts he would trust in him enough to leave himself vulnerable bringing a smile to his lips – the barest beams of light shining through the bottom of the foliage cover with the dawn, "That's what matters."

Nameless's eyes followed the streaks along the stone floor, the light of the Brothers creating shimmering rays against the dust that floated through the air, “Fears can wait for another dawn. Today begins our hunt, a return, it would be best that I prepare rather than wallow and brood.”

With a long stretch he readjusted himself along the ground, getting comfortable as he focused his mind. His soul opened, streams of glimmering blue and green liquid twisting within the air to meet before him, spreading into a flat rippling pond. It shimmered with an ethereal light that he knew left the world untouched, tangible only to him, its dazzling hues coruscating in his eyes.

Browned metallic strings wove around the pond's edges, bordering and solidifying it, further glistening metal pushing through the now calmed surface to rest on the face as text. With the last line, his Soul Reflection flashed in a scintillating burst of rich greens and blues, stabilized, complete… and changed.