Kasai's eyes widened.  "You're his brother?  So I have an uncle!?"

"It appears zat way!" Hitze exclaimed with a smile.

"Why didn't dad tell me he had a brother!?"

"Maybe because I've been trapped here for years."

"Fair point, but still!"

Hitze just laughed a little.  "I vondered vhy you reminded me so much of him.  It all makes sense now."

Kasai smiled, but hesitated.  "But if you're his brother, why do you have an accent but he doesn't?" she asked.

Hitze shrugged.  "Our fazer was German.  I guess I got his accent, but Zestó didn't."

"Oh.  Well, my and Fuego's mother is Spanish."

"I do faintly recall his girlfriend being Spanish.  I haven't seen him in years, though."

"Oh?"

"Ja."

The two of them spent quite some time talking, discussing family, friends, and even more.  It was late at night by the time they finally stopped.

Kasai yawned.  "I didn't realize how late it was getting...there's no way I'll be able to go rescue Fuego now..." she muttered tiredly.

Hitze hesitated for a moment.

"You can stay vith me for tonight and search tomorrow, if you'd like.  I don't have much; I don't live in a frist, but I might be able to-"

"What's a frist?"

"I should've seen zat coming."

Kasai giggled a little.

"A frist is basically a small group of people that live together here in ze Forbidden Hills.  Zey often build houses out of wood." Hitze explained.

"So were the little wooden tent-like structures I saw frist houses?"

"Most likely."

"That explains a lot."

Hitze nodded before yawning.  "I zink we should get some rest now.  Like I said, I don't live in a frist, so I don't really have a comfortable place to sleep, but you might be able to make a nest..."

"Meh, it's fine.  Dad trained me to get used to sleeping in places other than my bed, even if it IS most preferred." Kasai muttered, stretching and laying down on the ground, her hands under her head.

"Definitely zounds like something he vould do." 

Kasai giggled a little before yawning again.  "Goodnight, Uncle Hitze."

"Goodnight, niece Kasai."

Kasai eventually managed to drift to sleep, even if she didn't have any sirens singing nearby.  Hitze hesitated for a moment and snuggled up to her before drifting to sleep as well.

  ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ • ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  

Dokusei was sitting all by herself, apparently thinking about something.  The sounds of the others arguing, fighting, or actually doing their jobs for once echoed behind and around her, but she ignored it.  She was too deep in thought to even notice.

Nuclear slowly went over her.  "My queen?  Are you alright?"

Dokusei just sighed.  "I...I don't know.  I feel like something's not right."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I wasn't able to completely control Fuego.  I...I don't know how.  Usually my control works.  But this time it didn't."

"And?"

"I don't know!  I just don't see how it wouldn't work!  Is there something wrong with me?"

Nuclear hesitated.  "There's NOTHING wrong with you, Dokusei.  It's not that big of a deal."

"But it should've worked!  I should've been able to make him help us, but I couldn't even stop him from protesting!"

"You need to calm down.  That's the only problem I can see right now."

"But how can I calm down when I'm stressed out about having the WORST army in the world!?" she barked.

"... fair point.  But that changes nothing.  Just focus on the fact that we're succeeding in our plan." Nuclear reminded.

Dokusei took a deep breath.  "...right.  The plan.  Snow is still locked away.  As far as I know, our enemies are divided for the moment."

"Excellent."

She nodded once.  Nuclear put a hand on her shoulder.

"Just know you're doing well, my queen."

"...t-thank you."

Nuclear nodded before leaving her alone again, lost in her thoughts.

But...she might have fibbed a little about thinking about why her control didn't work.  Sure, she was confused about that, but there was something else bothering her.  Something much more important than that.

She missed her brother.