Children slept in little heaps of fur and straw blankets, their small breaths rising and falling in unison. The adults, however, filled the night with clinking cups, bursts of laughter, and the smoky scent of burning ale.
Nyte Fang, usually sharp-eyed and commanding, sat cross-legged at the center of the table with her cloak half off her shoulders. A flush burned beneath her fur and her grin stretched wider than her pride ever allowed when sober. She slammed her cup down with the authority of a general and the recklessness of a drunk.
"Alright, alright... let's settle this. Out of all the tribe leaders, who's the hottest?"
Huugi nearly spat his drink. "Leader, are you really asking us that?"
"Yes!" Nyte barked, wagging a claw like a teacher scolding a lazy student. "We train, we bleed, we plan wars all day... tonight we can talk about men. Don't act shy, Huugi."
Fumi, already pink-faced, leaned forward eagerly. "Father Heart is cute. I don't care what anyone says. He's a deer, he's tall, gentle, always speaks soft. You can just... imagine cuddling into his chest."
Every soldier at the table nodded in drunken agreement.
"Yeahhh, Father Heart's a sweetheart."
"Total cuddle material."
"Not bad for a deer."
Nyte raised her brow with mock severity. "See? Consensus! Father Heart takes the crown."
Huugi wiped his mouth. "What about Leader Sunscale?"
The table went silent for a beat before Fumi scrunched her nose. "Creepy. Always wants to compromise. He's like... 'maybe we shouldn't fight, maybe peace is better.' Ugh. Coward."
"Yeah," another soldier laughed, "he gives me the kind of vibes where he'd apologize to the enemy while they're stabbing him."
Everyone burst into laughter.
Nyte slammed her cup again. "And don't get me started on the Monkey King. Oldest leader alive but..."
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"Way too much of a bro," Huugi finished, rolling her eyes.
Fumi covered her face and giggled. "He's old enough to be my grandpa."
The table howled, pounding their fists against the wood. Even Nyte nearly tipped over from laughing so hard.
But then the mood shifted when Huugi leaned close and whispered, "Alright, but what about the bears?"
The entire table went quiet, a shared smirk spreading. Nyte put her cup down with exaggerated seriousness.
"Grax... and Grinex..." she said slowly, "...are sexy."
"Finally someone said it," Fumi groaned, fanning her face. "Grax's voice makes me melt. And Grinex? That scar, those arms? I'd let him crush me."
Nyte smirked and pointed at her. "Fumi, behave."
Huugi raised his cup. "To the bears!"
"To the bears!" everyone cheered, sloshing their drinks, laughter echoing through the night.
Away from the roaring table, Releyanda sat alone at the bar, her cup half full. She swirled the drink in silence, the firelight flickering across her face.
A pair of arms suddenly wrapped around her waist. Hidikai's drunken breath brushed her neck.
"Wanna have some fun before we all die?"
Releyanda stiffened. "Hidikai, not right now. There's a lot on my mind."
"Aw, come on, I'm horny." She kissed her neck, her words slurred with ale.
"You're always horny."
"I'll let you play dom this time," She hiccupped, pressing another kiss. "Let's do it... just like old times."
She slipped free, her hand firm against her chest. Her eyes burned with something heavier than ale.
"I'm really not in the mood. Not tonight. This war... it's the only thing I can think about. This is my moment to finally get revenge for what they did to my mother."
Hidikai's eyes steadily closed and tears poured out "Yeah, I know, I cry thinking about what you went through."
Releyanda registered her empathy but she also realized she was too drunk to regulate her emotions.
Releyanda's voice trembled as the memory rose. "She was a Royal and all she wanted was to treat the people of the Zoner Districts like humans. She was an activist, she fought against King Mr. Green, not through violence but through protest and social education. Because of that, she and her allies were arrested labeled traitors, scheduled for the Selection. I wouldn't be here if ee escaped... but she didn't."
Her voice cracked. She turned to find Hidikai already slumped against the bar table, fast asleep, her arm still half reaching for her.
Tears welled in her eyes, sliding down her cheeks in silence. She exhaled, brushing her face with the back of her hand.
Outside, the night hummed with crickets. Lanterns swayed in the wind, casting soft shadows across the quiet village. The children dreamed in peace, the soldiers laughed too loudly, and Releyanda sat in the middle of it all, staring into the dark sky.
The night before war had never felt so long.