《Eye Of The Eclipse》


 1 Chapter 1: Gods, Kings and Outcasts

    Within a small forest clearing, over a dozen children as young as twelve years old and as old as seventeen were training primitively under a milky grey sky which as devoid of any features. To look upwards, nothing would meet the eye besides the faint rolling clouds coloured with the different shades of grey as far as the eye could see.


    Wearing a mix of tattered coarse linen and animal furs, these youths were all shouting and grunting while either sparring against each other, lifting logs and boulders or training their archery skills against the worn wooden posts which had been erected at the edge of the perimeter.


    Around the sides of the field and often walking through the groups, elders of the village constantly surveyed the group teens, often nodding in approval and offering pointers to increase their accuracy. This routine had been ingrained into each of them since the day the group had settled down in the forest and the small village had been created. This simple routine was done every day starting with sparring and archery before moving onto the creation and maintenance of the villages traps, tools and structures.


    Across the training field on outskirts of the village, within an isolated wooden hut surrounded by trees which couldn''t even be considered a part of the village, three people were laying on the floor while blanketed in the darkness. There were no windows to let in the light of day and the door was tightly shut, blocking out the surroundings. The sound of light breathing is all that permeated the silence.


    "Mom, when will you tell us another story? I want one about Loki?"


    "Okay, okay", chuckling while laying in-between two teens was a middle-aged woman with a small frame and long hazel hair tied back into a messy bun. Rather than the miss matched clothes of the people working on the training field, her clothing was made entirely from brown fur which seemed to have come from the same animal, giving a rough but warm and uniform feel. "The last story was about you though Loki, so this time I''ll tell one for Rykar."


    Over the years, their mother had always told Loki and Rykar that in their past lives they were once gods and generals who fought against demons, kings and saints who ruled over the masses or even scholars and doctors who strived to make life better for the unfortunate. Being able to hear about the adventures, battles and tricks which brought them to the edge of defeat and back again were the best moments that they had. Their only escape from the dull and repetitive lives that they had to face on a daily basis.


    Hearing the words of his mother, Rykar who had been laying lazily while fiddling with a piece of dry bread sat straight up like an arrow with a wide grin and glistening eyes. Although excited, he didn''t forget to wrap the bread in a thin cloth before accurately throwing it into a corner of the room out of sight.


    "I want to hear a story about the young warlord! Fighting against dragons and goblins and¡­" Getting carried away, he stood up while punching and kicking the air haphazardly while imagining all the evil he would effortlessly destroy on a battlefield.


    While watching her sons grow up, Linda had always been telling her sons stories every night up until they had been forced to leave home at 12 years old. That was all the time she could have given them through arguing and pleading with her husband to the point of tears, day in and day out.


    Thinking back over the ruthless treatment her children had faced over the years, her eyes grew hazy. Images of countless better lives that they boys may have faced had she not been their mother. Or even if she could simply be stronger than she was. The stories which she had told Loki and Rykar were only a fragment of those that she had spent her idle time wishing that they had been a reality.


    Any life could have lead them towards happiness, had they been born a farmer or a shopkeeper, yet they drew the shortest straw.


    Watching Rykar storming around the small room, the mother and son which were still laying on the ground let out opposite reactions. Loki simply glanced up at Rykar, bored and unamused that he wouldn''t be hearing another story of the adventures of himself. "do you really have to act like such a child every time"


    "Haha, don''t be jealous" Rykar smirked while retaking his seat next to his mother.


    Just as the three had settled down again, the frail wooden door was blasted off its frame, spraying splinters and damp timber all over the small room while the entire structure trembled threateningly.


    Without enough time to shield herself or her children, the bits of wood rain down on them while leaving scratches and traces all over their exposed areas. Howls of laughter echo in from the outside as a teenage boy walks into the room, his leather-bound feet dragging across the floor as if he was afraid he wasn''t loud enough.


    As light poured in, the three on the ground were stunned for a short while, however as their eyes adapted they were able to make out who was stood in front of them. A tall muscular youth with roughly cut mid length hair and unkept stubble littering his face. Dressed in the same style as the twins'' mother, he seemed to be wearing clothes of a better standard than any of the other youths which could be seen peering in from the outside of the door frame.


    "What the f*ck do you think you''re doing here!? You know this place is off limits, you better get out before I tell my husband." After recognising the young man, Linda was driven into a rage immediately. Chris, the eldest son of the village leader, her husband, had tormented the lives of her children since they had been born and that had only gotten worse over time. Outlasting Loki and Rykar from the village may have been a heartless decision, yet it also came with its benefits as it meant that they were away from the dangers which were lurking within the village itself as there was no contact allowed between the village and the twins.


    Hearing Linda''s threat, Chris stopped in place instinctively. Hesitating to the point that he even made a slight motion as though he was about to turn in his tracks and leave. However, in the next moment, a broad smile was plastered to his face as he turned to face them once again and looked down on them teasingly.


    "You see¡­ That''s actually really, really funny, seeing as it was my dad that told us to come here and pick them up for a little hunting trip. And while he was at it, he had been asking around for you... but it seems seemed like you were nowhere to be found¡­" The more he spoke, the further Linda''s face switched from anger to fear as Chris began to walk towards them again with slow and leisurely steps.


    "What''s also funny is that this shit hole is supposed to be off limits to everyone in the village, so why are you here right now? Out of the two of us, I wonder who will actually end up on dad''s bad side." By the time he had finished his sentence, he was standing right in front of the three, holding his chin as though in contemplation.


    "Get up, were leaving. Now." While their mother was frozen in place, he reached down and grabbed the twins by their arms with a vice like grip, pulling them up forcefully and heading towards the door.


    Out of the blue, a loud slap stopped everyone in their tracks as Linda reached round from behind and hit Chris across the side of his face before barging in front them and staring him in the eyes.


    "I''m going to speak to the chief. You had better still be here by the time I''m back." With a straight face, she glanced around, attempting to threaten the group before rushing out of the door but her wavering voice betrayed the confidence in her actions.


    Despite hearing their mother''s words, Rykar and Loki had blank faces as though they were unphased by what was happening. Even after being isolated from the village for the last three and only having contact with their mother, it had only taken a few minutes of being in contact with them once again before they were reminded of what life was truly like outside of their imaginations. Away from their colourful stories.


    Watching their mothers sorry figure running across the grassy clearing while adults and children alike simply looked on with vacant and uncaring expressions. There was no remorse, hatred or even contempt in most of their eyes, only disinterest. After seeing these looks for the majority of their lives, the twins had unknowingly adopted this expression while around others. The contrast would make anyone doubt they had the capacity to hold the vibrant expressions that was plastered across their faces just moments earlier.


    They could spend the rest of their lives dreaming of being gods and kings, but they will always open their eyes as an outcast, looking up towards a tattered roof under the rolling grey clouds.

 2 Chapter 2: Hunted

    With their mother having departed, leaving them with Chris and the others, Rykar and Loki were finally dragged from their dilapidated hut without much resistance.


    Although their eyes had partially adjusted due to the light that had been coming in from the broken doorway, as they got outside they still had to squint while using their free hands to shield their eyes.


    Despite the lack of sunlight, the grey clouds above illuminated their bodies after exiting, causing the teens around them to squint and take a few steps back. Even Chris quickly released his grip on them while crouching to wipe his gloves off on the ground, as though even the dirt was cleaner than them.


    Despite the ragged appearances of the youths on the training field and the few in front of the hut, they could be said to be the epitome of class in comparison to the two teens which had just entered the light.


    The figures of Loki and Rykar were stood up straight to the point that their posture even seemed to reflect confidence, however their faces and attire reflected anything but that. Emotionless eyes returned the stares of the youths in front of them. There was no fear, excitement, longing, hope or anger in their eyes, they simply looked at what was before them in a bored and uncaring manner.


    This was something taught to them by their mother throughout their entire lives. Not only telling them as they went about their lives, but there was a constant reminder and emphasis during the stories she would tell.


    ''You can do anything until you tell yourself you can''t. Even when the odds are against you, stand straight, because the only person that should be guaranteed to stand up for you is yourself.''


    While their posture reflected what confidence they could muster, their clothing showed a totally different story. They were in rags, literally. Random bits of cloth were held together crudely by using small animal tendons and skin which were frayed and tattered. Fragments of messily cut fur from small creatures such as rabbits and squirrels could be seen covering some of the more important areas such as their chest and loins.


    With the majority of their bodies being revealed due to the scant clothing, the most dominating features of the boys stood out to the crowd. Their skinny and underfed frames was apparent under their skin which was deathly pale for the most part, with red pigment dotted and lined all over their bodies as though they had been scalded or branded all over.


    Despite the midwife and their mothers claims of the boys being perfectly healthy despite the disfigurement of the skin, the rest of the village couldn''t see past the exterior and began ostracising them from birth with the encouragement of their fathers first wife. Even their father denied all responsibility of them with seconds of laying eyes on them.


    Without a second glance, they had been labelled as diseased and pathetic from birth.


    After he''d finished wiping his gloves off using the grass, Chris turned towards Loki while wincing at their appearance, already regretting his impulsive action of grabbing them.


    "Its about time you both paid the village back for taking care of you over the years. We''re going hunting." Without leaving any room for discussion, he then walked past them and further into the woods in the opposite direction of the village.


    For a moment, both Loki and Rykar were stood in place with their heads slowly leaning to their sides in contemplation. No matter how they thought about it, the logic in his words was questionable. At best.


    ***


    A day after having been forced onto the hunting trip with the other teens, Loki and Rykar could be seen trailing at the back of the group while various bags and pouches were strapped to their bodies, throwing off their balance and causing them to stagger slightly.


    Despite asking the others repeatedly for the reason they had been dragged out for this hunting trip, all they got in the place of an explanation was the silent treatment. Aside from having the others throw their bags towards them, there was virtually no interaction between them and the other four.


    "Somethings going on, this doesn''t make any sense¡­" While the others were talking and laughing up front, this wasn''t the first time Rykar had broken the silence in the rear with his mumbling.


    "We''ve always had to get our own food, make our own clothes and even make our own hut. What could they want us to pay for, is there a cost they want us to pay for them abandoning us?" he snickered while he spat out the last few words under his breath.


    While listening to him speak, Loki''s gut was twisting within him. He couldn''t put his finger on the reason, but he was sure that there was something very wrong with this hunting trip compared to the others he had seen the teens venture out on.


    While laughing up ahead, the conversation of the rest of the party never focused on them, rather, it was as though they were being completely drowned out.


    There were no snide comments, bullying, taunting or picking on them in any way over the last day of walking. They had only even noticed one occasion when someone had turned back to steal a sly glance at them, other than that it had been as though they had stopped existing as soon as they left the village.


    "There''s no point in over thinking it, we can just see what happens as we go. They have always been lazy, they probably just want us to carry all their stuff for them while they take care of the meat" While speaking in a low voice towards Rykar, Loki was trying to reassure the both of them that all would be fine but then his heart sank.


    James, who was walking right next to Chris, stopped in place and unravelled a weird looking rope from his waist.


    It was shaped like a Y, seemingly wound together using two ropes before joining them. the ends of the branches of the rope were shaped similar to nooses, making them fear for the worst immediately.


    As they caught up to his position while throwing a questioning glance at the rope, it could be seen that they were ready to bolt away within a moments notice. The only reason they had approached was because it was only James, while the rest of the youths had carried on walking ahead.


    "Put this around your ankles" he said while throwing the split end of the rope towards them.


    Without even answering to the demand, the twins stared back blank expressions. Out of habit, their heads began to tilt slightly to the side as they mulled over the possible reasons they could have been presented with the rope.


    Not a single positive outcome came to mind.


    "Fix your heads and put the damn ropes on!" Hearing James shout, the twins were forced out of their stupor, raising their heads towards him. Their gaze does not stop on his body, but wanders past it, where they are able to see that the rest of the group is no longer walking ahead of them.


    They hadn''t realised when, but the other three had stopped not far ahead and unlike the earlier part of the trip where they had been ignoring the boys, their stares seemed to be radiating heat as they watched the reactions of the twins.


    Sweat immediately began to form on the foreheads of Rykar and Loki, the gazes pressuring them as they slowly knelt down to fasten the ropes onto their ankles without breaking eye contact for a moment.


    After pulling on the rope to make sure it was secured properly, James pulled the stumbling twins back towards the rest of the group. As they all prepared to carry on walking further into the woods.


    "AWOOOOO"


    The sound of a deep howl broke through the trees causing everyone to freeze in place suddenly as though they had all been doused in icy water.


    "W-w-were n-not supposed to be far in e-enough yet¡­ right Chris?" Contrary to James'' earlier expression while he was dealing with Rykar and Loki, he now had a face full of uncertainty as he looked questioningly towards Chris.


    Despite his fear, Loki''s eyes narrowed out as he heard the question. Rather than being afraid that there were wolves, it sounded obvious that James was simply scared that the wolves had turned up earlier than expected.


    ''Tying up our ankles to prevent escape¡­ walking in this direction while expecting wolves¡­ we need to get away. NOW.''


    Alarms were screaming within his head as his sweating intensified. Looking towards Rykar, he couldn''t tell if his brother had picked up on the clues from James'' phrasing but seeing the rope tightly gripped within the teenagers hand, he felt that their best bet was to pretend he hadn''t realised anything yet in order to find a better time to escape.


    Opposite to what Loki was thinking, Rykar had also picked up on the wording from James. However, rather than waiting for the right time to escape, adrenaline was pumping within him as he clenched his fists to the point that they began to numb.


    Rather than waiting for the opportune time, he was planning on waiting till James dropped his guard and relaxed his grip on the rope which was attached to them.


    As soon as the opportunity presented itself, he would strike. This had to be done as soon as possible because there would be no chance for him to launch an assault once he had covered the five or six metres and was once again within the group as a four.


    At present, his body was turned to the side so as long as he turns his head slightly, he would be able to capture any movements that Rykar made. Rykar''s eyes were focused like never before, just waiting on the moment for him to begin turning his back and hoping that the others would also begin to turn away rather than looking at them.


    "Its fine, we still have around an hour to walk before we get there. We will keep going forward a while and head back slightly earlier if we finish the hunt." With the assurance from Chris, James straightened up slightly before throwing another glance at the twins while tugging on the rope, causing their feet to slip as they staggered forward.


    "Lets move."


    This was the moment Rykar had been waiting for!


    Time seemed to slow before him. He could no longer hear the sound of the leaves rustling, the birds chirping or the crisp footsteps breaking the leaves and twigs on the ground.


    All of his focus, every shred of attention he had, was directed to James and his turning figure.


    The group up ahead had already turned around as James'' back was finally presented to him and without missing a beat, he Lunged forward.


    There rope was only around 5 metres long so it would have taken but seconds for Rykar to reach James, however as he was still accelerating, a blurred figure flashed by his side before his eyes turned hazy as though someone had thrown a warm liquid over his face.


    ''They saw it coming!?''


    That was all that was running through his head as his hands were swimming across his face in an attempt to get rid of the liquid that was blinding him.


    As his eyesight cleared up, the first thing he saw was his hands which were stained red.


    Fear assaulted him as he recognised that they were covered in blood. Grabbing at his head in order to identify the wound, the results turned out futile. He couldn''t feel any pain at all. The next thing to come to mind was Loki, who had been next to him!


    ''Has Loki been hit?!''


    He swivelled on the spot only to find Loki with a similar spray of blood marking his body, however it hadn''t hit him on the face, as only some of the tattered clothing on his torso had been effected.


    Despite the roller coaster of emotions, in reality all of this had only taken two or three seconds for him to process.


    Relief washed over him when he confirmed the safety of is brother but then the abnormality of the situation dawned on him. There was complete silence, even the birds had stopped chirping at this point.


    Loki took no notice of the blood which splattered him and was staring fixedly ahead as though in a trance.


    Following his gaze, Rykar lowly turned his head only to be left in the same state of mind as his brother.


    Just two metres ahead of him was a wolf standing squarely on the torso of the struggling James while tearing his neck apart.


    He wasn''t even able to call for help, the most that came out was a sickly gurgling sound which was interrupted by the wolfs growls as it continued to ravage him without any remorse. tearing at his neck and shoulder again and again without paying any attention to the surroundings.


    The wolf appeared famished. Its ribs were clearly shown against its thinned out frame while grunts of satisfaction seemed to be escaping its muzzle as it savoured its meal.


    Both Rykar and Loki were dumb struck at this point. Their sense of sound was drowned out by their thundering heartbeats as they watched James'' struggles weaken.


    At first he had been pushing against the wolfs legs in futile before finally giving up. His face had been faced away from the twins but they could only imagine the begging look on his face as he looked towards his friends in a silent plea for help.


    From the corner of their eyes, a sudden movement startled the twins into looking up.


    ''Son of a B*tch''


    Expecting to see more members of the pack of wolves, the bodies of the twins tensed up even further. However, after regaining focus, there was not a shred of surprise in what they were looking at, only an anger that served to release them from their shackles of fear.


    Leaving behind the three others which were still in a daze, They could make out the figure of Chris fleeing through the woods in terror. He hardly even resembled a human being at this point as he fled while clawing at the ground with his hands and feet, desperately trying to create a distance from the rest of them and himself with only his survival running through his mind.


    He took notice of nothing around him as he scrambled through the trees. Not even the pale eyes of the twins burning into his back.


    As they realised that they had been left by Chris, all thoughts of retaliation was gone with the wind. All that was left on the minds of the people present was to survive as all costs.

 3 Chapter 3: Dead and Alive

    As the gravity of the situation finally crashed down on everyone. The twins made eye contact for the first time.


    No words were spoken and no signals made.


    The cries and screams issued by the other youths went unnoticed as they both broke into a full sprint in the opposite direction of the body being devoured in front of them.


    As Rykar had been in the middle of assaulting James before he got pulled to the ground, he was trailing slightly behind Loki but this only made it easier for them to decide on which path to take since only one had to lead. This made the escape even smoother seeing as they were too panicked to have been paying any notice to the direction they were fleeing in.


    Still sprinting at full speed, Rykar stretched his head back getting a glance of the scene behind. All of the others had how exploded out with hidden strength as though they hadn''t spent the last few hours walking through the woods at all. The trees were obscuring his vision so he wasn''t able to make out who was who, only that there were shadows moving rapidly in the same direction as that which Chris had escaped in.


    He had also managed to see that the body of James was still lay flat on the ground however it was now completely unrecognisable. He could barely be considered a person anymore. The lower half of his body was still intact however the top portion where his clothing failed to protect him from the wolfs attack was totally mutilated. Bone and organs could be seen everywhere to the point of spilling onto the dirt beneath him with gashes and tear lining them all. It hadn''t even looked like the wolf killed him with the intent to feed, more like it tore him up for the fun of it, treated his body as a chew toy and then moved on after getting bored.


    Wait.


    It was then that he noticed what was wrong with this scene. The body was still on the ground. The others were still running. They had managed to build up a lead¡­ But there was no wolf.


    His head then whipped back round looking intently at the back of Loki while refusing to glance back again.


    "The world is a cycle. The world is a cycle. The world is a cycle" He could hardly control his breathing while sprinting between the trees but the only bit of relief he could hope for was in those words that had been repeated to him so many times. ''The energy you send out will only come back around for you'' just like the law of karma. Never had he wished death on someone, but now? He was praying with all his might that the wolf was right on the heels of the other three. No, he hoped that demon was anywhere as long it didn''t have its eyes on him and his brother.


    It was at this point, the highest moment of Rykars anxiety, which Loki finally found the courage to look back at Rykar to check on his situation. It must be known that the twins had been together without fail since they had been born. While the others in the village could only see their stony and emotionless facades, the hundreds of minor changes in their features could easily be picked up by each other as though reading an open book.


    Beaten, teased, robbed, scolded, threatened or pitied, Loki was without a doubt the one who would keep a straight face, masking his interior feelings. Rykar was the one that would wind up incensed when things got taken too far however his brother could be described as calm and calculating in the most stressful of situations to date which had gotten them out of too many sorry situations to count.


    As Rykar saw his brothers face gaze upon him, it brought him back to those times, a feeling of comfort welled up within him as he felt that seemingly indifferent stare wash over him as though no situation was out of their control. Everything would work itself out. However, that only lasted a split second.


    As he was only a few metres ahead, Rykar was able to see every feature of Loki''s face clearly. Within a moment of looking back his face had changed dramatically causing tears to immediately threaten to break loose from Rykar eyes. Loki''s pupils had contracted to the extreme, his eyes left only with a pinkish hue while his lips parted and began trembling. Before Rykar could even take another glance behind himself to witness what Loki had seen, it felt like a hammer had crashed down on his shoulders, forcing him down to the ground. Due to the speed he had been moving, the inertia kept dragging him across the floor with dirt and twigs scraping across his face and unprotected skin while blinding him to.


    From Loki''s point of view, as he looked back, the wolf had already been in the air descending on Rykar like an omen of death. The sheer impact of what he had seen had left him unable to register what had been happening, hence his delayed reaction to it all. As Rykar had been dragged down to the ground, he couldn''t control his body as fear gripped him. Shutting his eyes tightly while denying the situation at hand, he increased his pace fleeing further away from his struggling brother, tears flowing freely from both of their eyes.


    The situation had all happened too fast, not letting either of them think about the rope that had been binding their legs together at all. As Loki increased the distance by another three metres, the rope grew tight while whipping him backward causing many of the bags tied to his waist and shoulders to break their bindings and spill their contents across the earth.


    As the wolf bit down on what should have been Rykar''s neck, its teeth punched into one of the bags which he was carrying. Who would have though that in this situation where Chris had set out to make their lives a hell, his own bag had stalled the wolf, allowing him a vital few seconds to struggle.


    The momentum from Loki kicked in at this moment, dragging Rykars right leg up over his back as though he was morphing into a scorpion. This allowed him to do a reverse somersault, switching positions with the wolf while leaving the both of them disorientated.


    Instincts took over on the wolfs side, the feeling of the leather left it thinking that it had buried its teeth into the vitals of its victim so it simply gave up on getting to its feet or surveying the surroundings and committed to mauling whatever was in its mouth.


    The sounds of tearing which followed caused the twins to break out in a cold sweat. Ryker''s left side was still slightly buried under the wolf so he pushed with all his might swiftly freeing himself. He then felt a massive pulling force helping him to speed away in the opposite direction which he didn''t fight against in the least. Still slightly shaken up from the tumble, this pull had given him a direction to focus on rather than escaping blindly.


    Stumbling in this new direction, he quickly made it over to Loki who was still tugging frantically at the rope like his life depended on it. The initial fall had left him shaken up as well and blood could be seen dripping from his ankle where the skin was visible torn open. The torn skin was the least of his problems. What scared Rykar was the way that his foot was clearly dangling at an unnatural angle as though there was nothing supporting it. Best case scenario was that it was dislocated. In the worst, it had been completely broken.


    Without the time to think deeply on the subject, Rykar dragged Loki to his feet as they both hobbled away, the thought of fleeing by himself hadn''t even crossed his mind. It was one thing hoping that the wolf went after the other youths who wished them harm, but it was another to purposefully sacrifice his own brother for a slim chance at survival.


    Looking ahead of them, they finally spotted a chance for them to escape their dire circumstances, A large tree at least three times the size of the others in the surroundings was standing tall like an anchor around 30 metres ahead of them. Aside from the size of the tree, another aspect that caused it to stand out from the others was that it was completely devoid of life and moisture, almost unnaturally so.


    Decay had set into the tree but this had also crept along the ground allowing no plants or grass to grow within a few metres from the base of the trunk. The pace of the twins was already as hurried as they could bear, every movement from Loki would trigger pain from his ankle, causing him to wince fiercely with cold sweat drenching him completely as his vision swirled and twisted, on the verge of blacking out.


    Recovering its composure, the wolf raised itself up questioningly, curious as to why sweet taste of blood that it had been expecting had not followed the leather being ripped open. Looking down at the ground, all that could be seen were pieces of bread and a water skin along with a few berries which were strewn across the ground haphazardly. Anger washed over the wolf as it saw its prey retreating.


    It begun taking steady steps towards them, rapidly increasing in pace until it had broken into a full sprint. The twins were directly ahead of it, nearing a portion of the tree which was broken apart forming a hollow which they had intended on using as a shelter against the onslaught of the terror behind them.


    The wolf was now so close that they could hear its footsetps clearly however not a shred of their energy was going to be wasted by looking at what was going on behind them. As they were within a metre of the tree trunk, Rykar released his grip on Loki, hoisting him off of his shoulder and barging him towards the entrance to the hollow. The gap was less than a metre wide so it would be hopeless if they both intended to scramble in at the same time. With his leg in that condition, if Loki didn''t get in first then there was no way he would get a second chance.


    Spinning round, Rykar faced the wolf while back peddling, hoping to plunge in backwards after his brother while being able to cover his blind side. At this moment, the wolf was only two metres away and every detail from the wet blood around its mouth, to the mottled dirt littering its fur was blindingly obvious in front of him. Its feet then left the ground, rising over a metre in the air, intent on crashing against his upper body.


    As Rykar fell backwards, he completely came to a loss of words. The limits of his comprehension had been met and then destroyed over and over within a moment and that was only the first of a series of unexplainable events.


    As the wolf had been barrelling towards him from the air, it quickly passed the area which the decay had been spreading around the tree. It was then that the entire wolf became monochrome, shade of grey enveloped its body as it melted into the wind becoming dust that when assaulted his eyes and nose, forcing the bewildered teen to shut his eyes while still stumbling backwards.


    A feeling of weightlessness then enveloped him, as though he was falling yet also completely still at the same time. There were no forces affecting him at all. While struggling to clear his eyes from the ashes of the wolf amidst his tears, he became aware of his surroundings.


    It was a circular room, with walls made out of what seemed to be wood yet he couldn''t make out any joints... as though it was sculpted from a single gigantic piece. The space was well decorated with two of everything; tables, chairs, beds, shelves etc. also made from the same dark coloured wood. Just next to him in a similar manner, Loki was already propped up against the wall while scrutinising the area before them.


    "W-were sorry for com- disturbing you! It chased us in the woods! Was a wolf and ¨C" Without the chance to fully take in the surroundings, Rykar finally realised that there were two people sat in the centre of the room staring directly at them, Rykar began to stammer out sentences which barely made any sense.


    "SHHHH"


    Loki interrupted quickly while taking a look out of the entrance. He had entered only a few seconds before Rykar. He had no idea where they were or how they ended up in the room but he was sure of one thing from the vacant gazes of the inhabitants. Their souls were no longer present in the world.


    It was at this moment the most marvellous story of the adventures of Loki and Rykar had begun. Nothing their mother could have dreamed would be able to prepare them for what was to come and it all began from a hollow within a tree with four gazes locked together. Two pairs of twins. One dead and one alive.

 4 Chapter 4: Greed and Gluttony 1

    With Loki''s words echoing in his head, Rykar was startled as he realised that they were currently stood in front of two dead bodies but after all they had been through, an inexplicably calm feeling came over him. He actually felt more secure while being next to a dead body, no matter how lifelike it may look, than to be in the presence of yet more people with unknown agendas.


    While examining them, the origins of the people in front of them looked anything but normal. Their clothing was the first thing to stand out to them as being amazingly immaculate. The darkness of the cloth seemed to suck in the light as it draped around them yet was sculpted to their figure. The twins hadn''t even imagined that clothing could look so neat, the closest comparison they could make was to the stories of nobles and kings that their mother had told them.


    This also led them to suspect that the duo had only recently passed away as, although the room was not well lit, there was not a speck of dust on them nor the rest of the space.


    Just like the rest of the surroundings, there were no superfluous details on the clothing however they still appeared compellingly eye catching as though simulating a black hole. While looking around, almost no attention was drawn to the attire however once their eyes had been trained on the bodies, it was as though the rest of the room lost its light in comparison, slightly stifling them with a formless pressure.


    As they finally pulled their eyes away, they came to rest on the faces of the men. They appeared middle aged, no older than thirty. All of their features seemed refined and perfected, only adding to the feeling that they were amazing works of art rather than bodies of the deceased. With long black hair that spilled over their shoulders and all the way down to the floor, spread out like tendrils of darkness comparable to the depth of the clothing. Their charm would have been comparable to that of deities, had it not been for the lifeless grey hue that radiated from their eyes.


    While in the village, they had seen many skin colours, from the brown skin of the archery instructor to the fair skin of their fathers wives, however this was completely different¡­ it was as though the skin of these two men had been made from stone, or ash. Which led to Loki hesitating for a moment before declaring them as bodies rather than sculptures. The darkish grey left the twins feeling bewildered but without any reference to go by, they simply cast it to the back of their mind.


    ''They must be the same as us, cast out for being different.'' As the thought crossed their minds, both Rykar and Loki began to feel an inexplicable bond to the two figures before them. although their stories had only been drawn up by their imaginations, there was so much alike between them.


    This tree appeared like the destined resting place for them all, only narrowly escaped by the anomaly which stopped the charge of the wolf just moments ago.


    Sobering up, Rykar walked over to one of the twins to stand directly in front of him. He had no idea why but there was no fear of the corpse. Not even agitation. He felt nothing but a compulsion to be close to the man who looked more like he was crafted from stone than someone who used to be alive.


    While watching Rykar walk over, Loki grit his teeth while shuffling himself over in a similar fashion. As he finally made his way over, he was no longer even able to stand, having long since over drafted himself in the earlier escape. Losing his balance, his body twisted awkwardly as he attempted to avoid contact with the body in front of him at all costs.


    "I leave my body and my tome in your hands, brother. May their contracts forever bind them and your word dominate the cosmos. Behold, the inheritance of Greed." An archaic voice sounded out clearly within the room however the voice was soft, almost a whisper. It was as though the voice never lost its strength as it travelled through the entire room before fading away as it made contact with the outside.


    Slowly looking up towards his left at Rykar, Loki was emotionally broken by this point. While reassuring himself that the whisper hadn''t come from the deceased man in front of him, he desperately tried to distract himself by thanking his brother for his support¡­ but Rykar was still stood two steps away from him.


    Loki stared blankly, seeing that Rykar was in the middle of reaching out his hand to touch the man''s face. It was then that the ''body'' in front of Rykar fluidly stretched out its hand gripping onto the incoming wrist of the boy who was now frozen in shock.


    Tears streamed out from their eyes as Rykar turned to stare into the eyes of his brother as they were both similarly gripped by the bodies before them. If the living state of the bodies were disregarded, the seated figures seemed to be tenderly supporting and holding onto their counterparts, as though seriously considering those as brothers.


    "I leave my body and my world in your hands, brother. May chaos serve as your sustenance and the void be consumed with every breath. Behold, the inheritance of Gluttony." Once again, an ancient whisper proliferated throughout the room, this time originating from right in front of Rykar.


    Both of the twins had been violently shaking by now, trembling all over apart from the areas which were firmly being held by the strong dark hands which were placed on their wrist and shoulder, gluing them to their positions.


    Without a chance to voice out a reply, the room dimmed down even further as a pitch-black mist began to radiate from the men in front of them. It swirled around the room as their bodies disintegrated into the finest particles, disappearing in a similar way to the wolf that had attempted to take their lives.


    As their bodies had finally completely dispersed into the air, the hands which had been holding them in place had vanished, causing both the boys to sprawl out on the ground unable to support their own weight. All they could see around them was a cloud of darkness, occasionally revealing small pieces of the room whenever there were gaps in the dense particles.


    Despite the abnormally high speeds that the cloud was moving, there was no disturbance in the room, only a sharp whistling noise, as thought the air was being repeatedly cut open.


    Struggling to pick themselves up, the brothers were both actively trying to cover the single metre of distance that was separating them however they were completely spent, without any energy left in reserve.


    Tears were still spilling freely from their eyes as they began to see changes around them. The particles were no long simply spinning randomly but were slowly converging around them, enclosing them in the darkness without the ability to even see each other.


    As the particles began to come in contact with their bodies, there was no more movement. The black motes of light simple sat on their bodies refusing to budge. To their horror, as the cloud condensed on their positions, there were more and more particles sticking onto their bodies, slowly covering them from head to toe.


    "AAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHH"


    Without even the strength to shake themselves loose, the twins let loose a desperate cry, praying for help to come in from the outside. Tears and snot covered their faces as saliva flew from their mouths as they clung onto their last shred of hope for survival. Their faces only comparable to that of James as he had been devoured by the wolf only minutes earlier.


    All pretences aside, appearances meant nothing when one was confronted by undiluted with despair. So much more so for these boys who were only at the tender age of thirteen.


    Before they could had the chance to find out if their plea had been heard, the cloud intensified once more, seeming to form a tide of eternal darkness as it poured down their throats like liquid night. Their senses were completely consumed as their orifices were used as entrances which the cloud used to rampage within them, slowly altering them from the inside out.


    From the moment the twins had let out their last struggling cry, the dark mist had robbed them of their senses, their world was now completely void. Emptiness was the only thing occupying them to the point that they were no longer even left with a sense of self.


    Time itself became an unfamiliar concept as their consciousness drifted through the nothingness alongside the silence and darkness which enveloped all.


    A second, a minute, a day, a lifetime¡­


    These terms mean nothing without something to compare against.


    And so, they slumbered within the void.

 5 Chapter 5: Greed and Gluttony 2

    Drifting within the sea of void, the twins were not able to get a grasp on anything, even their sense of self had been slowly washed away. Without even the ability to reflect on who, what, when or where they were, it was as though they were tuck in a trance somewhere between being conscious and unconscious.


    Everything had become stagnant with even the flow of time becoming non-existent.


    After what seemed to have been an eternity, one by one there were small stars beginning to release streams of light across the canvas of darkness. It was like someone had began turning the gears of time once more. It began slowly, with flickering lights only appearing every few minutes however as time went on, this increased rapidly until there was only seconds between each glimmer brimming to life.


    This was the first thing that greeted their consciousness after an eternal sleep. These lights continued multiplying until their brilliance became blinding, their perception reeling in pain as he attempted to close eyes which were no longer there. There was no way to control their view of the scene before them as these spheres unravelled themselves while only rapidly expanding.


    They had no idea what they was witnessing, these small orbs baffled them however as they began to focus on each of them independently, it felt as though they were sucked into them! There was no resistance or feeling of movement as their vision rapidly changed causing these orbs to rapidly expand in front of them.


    Their consciousness blurred through space as they flitted between these orbs, each showing him a completely different scene of life and death. Some of the scenes showed villages much like their own, others forests, planes of fire or sheets of ice as far as he could comprehend. There were entire empires sprawled out beneath their feet along with creatures they could never have imagined.


    It was as though he was taken back to his mother''s stories as he witnessed the scenes of war, grieving and festivity and prosperity. While was drowning in this feeling, his consciousness was expanding rapidly, without him even realising it he was suddenly able to taken in sights from multiple places at once. Bordering omnipresence, his sense of view eclipsed entire countries, taking in even the most minor details with just a glance.


    All of these sights were being absorbed greedily as they craved to see more of these amazing worlds present themselves. This was short lived however, suddenly the streams of information came to a standstill after arriving in a vast wasteland. Bones and blood were sprawled out everywhere as it as evident that an overbearing war must have taken place. The ground was soaked in rot and decay with no possibility of life being able to manifest.


    In the centre of this God forsaken battlefield, just one man remained at the peak of a mountain of corpses while taking his last breaths. His armour was entirely shredded with sections of the metal having been warped out of shape, protruding into his body and causing more damage than protection as his blood streamed down to combine with those below him.


    One hand supporting himself with the help of a glittering blade, the other was clutching onto an egg which was only the size of a fist as though it was the most precious thing in the world.


    Releasing the sword, he crumpled to the ground while gasping heavily. Using his not free hand, he began to painfully draw odd shapes and lines across the surface of the egg with precision that was unbefitting of his condition. His breath grew more ragged as time went on, only finishing after the egg was densely covered with fine lines. The once dull and plain egg now looked like an exquisite work of art as his hand once again dropped to his side, landing on the back of one of the brothers he had once fought magnificently alongside.


    He was now incredibly weak as energy rapidly left him, any attempt to move only resulted in trembling. When recalling his life, his eyes were growing blurry as tears threatened to break lose as he recalled all the sacrifices made by those closest to him just for this moment. The death, the pain, the trauma. Generation after generation had paid the price and all that was left of their glorious history was this moment.


    An entire people had been destroyed. A cosmos overturned. All for the blessing they wouldn''t get a chance to use.


    As his consciousness gradually slipped away, a final declaration left his mouth so quietly it came out as a hum. "We are the father. We are the mother. We sacrifice our flesh and our world to give life. We sacrifice our souls to watch over and keep you safe. Live and never will our blood die." As he breathed the last word, his head fell to the side as his eyes glossed over while fondly looking at the egg as though it was a loved one. Even in death, the tears hadn''t stopped flowing from his eyes despite his expression being seemingly at peace.


    That marked the last trace of life within this world being extinguished. Silence descended as not even the sound of wind effected the unprecedented battlefield. This place had been ravaged over a period of millions of years, yet even the earliest of the corpses showed only the slightest signs of decomposition. This only went to show the power of the warriors which had stepped upon this stage.


    Flecks of darkness pervaded the air as these immortal bodies began to crumple and disperse as had been seen within the room Rykar and Loki had been in. The scale of this decomposition was innumerable larger, as though comparing an ant with a dragon when looking at what had happened in that small room. Not only were the bodies of the warriors falling apart to form the mass of black cloud, the ground, water and rocks were all melting before the egg which was not glittering madly with a blood red light radiating from the runes which had been sprawled across its surface sending beam of light piercing into the cloud which revolved around it.


    The entire planet was soon completely broken down into the finest of particles however this was only the start. The neighbouring planets began to break down with their particles then joining into the fray, the scale of the dark mass becoming more and more immense.


    As the black hole exploded in size, hundreds of thousands of desolate planets and stars in the vicinity had been melded into the rotating mass of darkness. It then suddenly came to a stand still before contracting abruptly, drawing all of this energy into one point. The egg.


    It was all absorbed rapidly with not ant sign of slowing. Until the very end, the egg remained the same size without even quivering while taking in an incredible amount of energy from the bodies and planets. It took only seconds before everything was once more reduced to silence. There was nothing in the vicinity of the egg except void. It was as though even some of the space itself had been eaten away.


    Grey lights started appearing one by one while orbiting around the egg in random directions. These lights were similar to the darkness however they were much fewer in number. Despite this, there were easily hundreds of millions of these lights revolving while faintly pulsing. These pulses seemed insignificant to the eye but anyone in close proximity would be able to feel intense waves of emotion and longing being released with every beat.


    These were the souls of the people who fought the war and won. The souls of a people that were now extinct, completely erased from the flow of time.


    "We are the father. We are the mother. We sacrifice our flesh and our world to give life. We sacrifice our souls to watch over and keep you safe. Live and never will our blood die."


    "We are the father. We are the mother. We sacrifice our flesh and our world to give life..."


    "We sacrifice our souls to watch over and keep you safe. Live and never will our blood die."


    The words of the final warrior resonated through space as it was replayed endlessly by his comrades, friends and family before they gravitated towards the egg, becoming one with it. Their bodies, their world, and finally their souls were poured into the egg, contributing to the new life within.


    As the last soul flickered out of existence, a blinding light shone from the egg in the centre. Rather than the blood red that dominated it earlier, a grey light had mixed in, entwining and balancing the distribution causing grey and red to swirl across its surface.


    BOOM


    The void was torn open as the egg disappeared from its position. The special tears causing incredible amounts of turbulence which rocked the planets which were beyond the range of the dark vortex. All that was left in the space where countless warriors had raged for the last millions of years, was a vast cavity.


    . . .


    Wind blew steadily through fields of emerald green grass. The leaves above rustled softly as though trees were whispering tales to the wind while bird songs soothed the mind.


    Without disrupting the peace in the least, an egg appeared out of thin air, sitting silently on the ground while pulsing. With each pulse, the egg showed a growth in size, slowly sinking into the ground under its weight.


    Without any surprise or interruption, the egg grew all the way up to two metres tall before it halted. One final pulse caused an enormous tear to shred the middle before the cracks spread out like fractured glass causing the fragments to tumble down unable to support themselves while revealing a dark shadow within.


    As light began to infiltrate the shell, the figure within seemed like a lump of grey and black at first. The skin was stony grey yet flawlessly smooth with the muscle underneath being defined, lean and powerful looking.


    After being exposed to the elements, the figure shuddered strongly before unfurling, allowing the two teenagers within to separate from each other''s hold. These youths were identical, black hair cascading down to their waists providing the only contrast against their unblemished skin. Totally in the nude, they stared at each other vacantly.


    Mirroring each other, they could feel an obvious bond connecting themselves as though being two parts of a whole¡­ yet they could feel that there was also a vast difference which they couldn''t interpret.


    Eyes locked, their contrasting eyes blazed with curiosity. One iris was blood red while the other was soul grey, reflecting the same colours of the runes which encased the egg of their birth. Both cocking their heads slightly to the side, the silence was broken.


    "Brother, who are you?"


    "I am Greed. Brother, who are you?"


    "I am Gluttony. Brother, what is greed?"


    Greed paused for a moment, hesitating over the question before his eyes began shining resplendently in red and green before replying.


    "Greed is the unbound desire to possess all. To make all your own. A being blessed by the law of greed will own everything, binding creatures and humans, demons and gods to your will. There is no possession that you cannot have, no person that you cannot own, only those that you are not wise enough to take. Tell me brother, what is Gluttony?"


    Gluttony froze, taking a long moment to allow the concept of Greed to sink in before even contemplating his own answer. After mulling over and understanding the concept his brother had stated, his eyes began glittering wildly as he felt a sense of enlightenment.


    The concept of Greed was similar yet completely different to the concept of gluttony and by separating them there were two laws which perfectly complimented each other. In that moment he came to understand the essence of gluttony, of who he was and his connection to his brother. Taking a breath, he replied.


    "Gluttony is an undying hunger, the desire to consume all and the power to make all a part of yourself. A being blessed by the power of gluttony will never claim that there is nothing to eat, only that they are not powerful enough to consume it. To be a glutton is to eat. To eat is to become one with the world."

 6 Chapter 6: Reflection

    Gluttony''s last words reverberated through the space causing the scenery to twist and distort violently before Loki and Rykar once again felt their consciousness stir. The familiar suction feeling gripped them as they were drawn out from the current worlds greenery and cast back out into the emptiness of the void, the scene before them fading away rapidly.


    Their sense of self flooded their minds as the feeling of returning to their bodies assailed them. The feeling of the hard floor below them and the strong smell of wood brought them back to their current situation as their minds reeled, recalling even the finest details of their unconscious state vividly. It truly felt like they had spent an incredible amount of time in the void, to the point that their own states of mind had been altered and matured.


    The feeling of their minds being tied down and constrained within their bodies once again felt¡­ Uncomfortable.


    Opening their eyes, they were once again faced with the vibrant red and grey pupils on left and right sides respectively. These eyes were highlighting a face which was familiar yet different. There was a sense of familiarity as they squinted while piecing each others features together.


    "Greed? No¡­ Loki?!"


    "Gluttony? No... Rykar?!"


    They exclaimed simultaneously as they jumped up from the ground. Originally, they had been laying side by side while facing each other however just a moment later, they were sprawling away from each other in shock. What was facing them was no longer the patchy skinned, pink eyed and brown-haired counterparts. Instead, they resembled grey skinned demonic beings!


    Despite the similar facial layout, it was as though the colour pallet that made up their bodies had been reversed. Instead of their light hair, long inky black hair flowed from their heads down to their waists like tendrils of darkness. All of the scratches and bruises from before had vanished, even the injury on Loki''s ankle was fully healed without any traces. Their frames were no longer as haggard with the faint traces of bone deformities which used to hinder their posture. Despite their alertness, they were now leaning comfortably without the slight awkwardness present before.


    After a short pause, the tension in the air was smoothed over while the twins mulled over the recent events, organising them from the moment they stepped into this strange tree:


    The bodies in the room.


    Bestowing the bodies of Greed and Gluttony.


    The cloud of darkness surrounding them.


    The great war and sacrifices towards the egg.


    The birth of Greed and Gluttony.


    So¡­ were the two men the original Greed and Gluttony? Are they human? Who were the people that fought the war and why did they sacrifice themselves? What was the egg and where was it from? What did it do to our bodies? Are we still human?'' All these thoughts were spinning around their heads but there was only silence in the room as they looked at each other, neither of them knowing where to begin.


    ''I''m scared. Why are we monsters. Why did it have to be us? WHY IS IT ALWAYS US?!'' Tears flooded from Rykar''s eyes as he started weeping silently. Despite trying to hold it in at first, muffled sobs echoed through the room, the disruption sobering up Loki''s vacant eyes. His expression remained calm as he stood up and walked to the opposite side of the room towards Rykar who was propped against the leg of a desk.


    "It''s ok, mom will know what to do! Were still close, we can go back and find out how to fix this, she knows so many stories, she just hasn''t told us about this one yet." Holding onto Rykar''s shoulder, words of encouragement flowed out of Loki''s mouth like a cool stream, giving Rykar a brief respite from his depression.


    "Mhm, when we get back she can help us!" In between the sobs, Rykar''s reply came out as a whisper. Wiping the tears from his eyes, he looked up at his brother seeing his familiar yet unfamiliar face looking down at him. An ugly excuse for a smile was covering his mouth as his lips quivered. Despite the certainty in his voice as he reassured Rykar just moments ago, his entire body was trembling as tears streamed from his eyes before rolling down the side of his face and planted themselves on the floor.


    *Putt*


    *Putt*


    As their eyes locked, their final defences crumbled as they both erupted into loud wails, tightly embracing each other as the fear of the unknown gripped them in full force.


    This was the first time in years that they had let themselves cry. They cried for the unfairness. They cried for the fear. They cried for being abandoned. They cried for being alone. They cried for being unwanted. They cried for once again being different.


    It all came out in this moment, the tension that they had been living in recently had collapsed, leaving them broken and unable to hold it together any. Hours passed as they remained locked together on the floor sobbing without knowing when exhaustion had overcome them, allowing them to descend into a slumber as peaceful as the void they''d just awoken from.


    . . .


    As the twins awoke once again, the familiar grey light was pouring into the room from the entrance to the hollow which was easily two metres high and over a metre across, completely different from the metre-high hole they attempted to scramble through. Stirred by each other''s groggy movements, they broke away from the warm embrace, looking between themselves without the shock from before. After the constant storm of emotions bouncing them between being terrified to safe and then back again, there was finally calmness in the warm cabin like room.


    As usual, rather than interrupting the moment, they both went through a moment of reflection, going back everything that had happened in a new light with a fresh mind. Unlike previously, their states of mind were amazingly bright, everything in their pasts was there laid out before them in perfect detail. What was weird was that even when thinking back farther, they had no issues with memory¡­ If asked to recall the first story their mother had ever told them, they could manage it word for word easily.


    It was as though a veil was lifted from their memories, giving them the ability of perfect recall without hinder no matter how long ago the memory occurred. This also caused things to come together that they hadn''t taken notice of, like watching a play for the second time and catching onto the hidden details that didn''t seem to have had any real purpose originally.


    The exact route they had taken through the woods before and after the wolf attack.


    Every time James coughed into his hand, alongside his habit of wiping his wet hand across his leg when no one was looking.


    Instead of ignoring them as they had initially thought, everyone in the group had been glancing back at them constantly before murmuring amongst themselves¡­


    A few hours into their journey, Chris had begun to make hidden movements every few minutes. Strangely enough, he had been carrying two flasks on him. One wrapped around his back next to his bow and the second, smaller one, on his waist bound by a thin leather band. He never drank from this second flask, instead he would find time to speed up his pace before spilling a few drops of its contents on the ground then adjusting his pace once again and re-joining the others at the leisurely pace.


    Concentrating more on these moments, most of the time there was no indication of what was in the leather flask because he would have his body positioned in a way that blocked the sight of the twins. However he wasn''t able to block the vision of both twins at the same time on multiple occasions. It was just that they had never paid attention to the slight change in behaviour as it took place over just a few moments of time. Now, as they combed over the odd behaviour, there were so many different occasions where they could see the dark liquid dribbling to the ground from the mouth of the flask.


    Loki''s heart clenched as he relived the moment in more detail than when he was actually there. Light broke through the branches before glancing over the liquid, sending dark red glimmers beaming quietly before shattering on the ground. Again, and again, and again he watched his own relative spilling blood onto the ground.


    At that point it was as clear as day why everything had happened. Their father had sent them to be taken out for a hunt for the first time after over a year of estrangement. Taken even against their will, blood was spilled onto the ground as they made their way towards the territory of wolves. The rope was then attached to them and would most likely have been used to tie them up or even dragged as they were making an escape, left preoccupy the wolves as the others escaped.


    The only thing they hadn''t counted on was that there would be a lone wolf stalking them even earlier than they had expected, probably outcasted due to weakness which was the only reason they had lasted made it so far while under its pursuit. Had it been at full strength then they wouldn''t have stood a chance.


    Everything had been set out perfectly and this only made them break out in a cold sweat as they realised how close to death they had actually come.


    "Loki¡­" Rykar started, looking dead into his brothers'' eyes with a sarcastic smile plastered on his face. "You know when we were running from the wolf, all I was thinking of was how to get back to the village in one piece. Now, I can''t imagine what would have happened if we actually made it haha. I don''t know, it''s actually kind of lucky don''t you think?"


    Loki stayed silent while listening to his brother vent. Half of his mind was listening to Rykar while the other was thinking about their next course of action.


    "They sent us to go get eaten, but who knew we would end up turning into monsters instead, this is probably the next best outcome for them anyways. Hmmm I guess it is as it is." Rykar took off the last bag that was strapped to him and tipped the contents to the floor muttering, "We may as well see what presents they left us." He threw the empty bag to the ground, revealing a short claw mark on its side.


    While taking off his own bag along with the other two he was carrying, Loki didn''t look up at his brother as he unhurriedly laid out the contents onto the floor with a tranquil heart. "Rykar, we need to get mom."

 7 Chapter 7: A Walk In The Woods

    Before the twins lay piles of the items which had been taken from the rest of the bags. Besides the meagre amounts of bread, dried meat and berries that could sustain them for two or three days at best, there was two short lengths of rope, three flint knives, three empty water flasks and six arrows in the collection. That''s without including the larger three-pronged piece of rope that they had only recently unfastened from their ankles.


    Despite the desolate situation, the twins were actually feeling a sense of accomplishment, this was the most they had ever had to their names. Looking over their new belongings again and again, their smiles grew larger and larger as they giggled like goblins huddled over their hoard.


    "You know¡­ Now that the wolf is gone¡­ we could go back and get the stuff that was in the bags I dropped." Rykar''s eyes may have been on the pile in front of him, but his mind was on the treasures left scattered in the rest of the forest.


    "True¡­ and there''s James¡­ I don''t care, if his bow isn''t broken then its mine" Loki replied, his eyes similarly glistening as he regarded his new riches. "And since the bow is mine I get the arrows, you cant use them anyway."


    "F*ck that! You can''t take all the best bits. What am I meant to do, hunt with a tooth pick? If you get the bow then I''m taking the arrows, you can go find your own. I can use them in traps or to stab stuff!" Rykar snapped back as soon as Loki finished. Although he had no use for the arrows, he found it hard to let go of all the best things without a fight. The arrows were definitely the most valuable things in the pile besides the daggers, and the food would be split evenly regardless.


    "Oho, is that right? I think you''d find it pretty hard to use the bow or the arrows if I hadn''t pulled your dumb ass up while the wolf about to give you a massage earlier." Loki wasn''t letting this one go. "And I lead the way here. Practically, this should be my tree in the first place."


    "HAHAHAHA, what!? Id like to have seen you make your way in through that damn hollow after you finished breaking your leg by tripping over nothing. I carried you here AND pushed you in ahead of me! Do you know how much emotional trauma you owe me for!? I basically gave my life for you!!!"


    "Correction, you pushed me in AFTER I helped you up. So that means you only helped me because I helped you. You wouldn''t have even had the chance to help me if I didn''t save your ass! And the rope was tied to you! If you didn''t take me then you would have gotten chewed up too. Don''t pretend to be an angel you bastard!"


    "WHAT!?!?"


    Shrieks and yells marked the beginning of the trade deal between Rykar and Loki. Arguments and counter claims were thrown back and forth for over and hour before they settled on a common ground. Loki achieved his demands and was allowed to take the bow, if they found it, and all of the arrows. In exchange for this, Rykar would get two of the three daggers on top of the rights to call dibs on two items they came across in the future.


    . . .


    In a corner of the room, they sat at the short wooden table using the stools present while tearing into tough pieces of grainy bread. As the food entered Rykar, he felt slightly baffled. He was used to smaller portions of food and being able to feel satisfied however this was an even larger portion than usual and he couldn''t feel anything. It was as though the food was falling into a bottomless pit. He wasn''t feeling hungry, but he felt ''empty'' as though there was a cold hollow within him.


    Bushing the feeling aside, he wolfed down the last few bites of his bread as he saw that Loki was already finished and making his way towards the door. As he stood up and followed after his brother, he glanced around the room once again, hoping that they would be able to stay there for ever after getting their mother back. It was warm, there were two beds, shelves, a central fire pit, a table, stools. Hell, there were even books taking up an entire section of the wall! They hadn''t been taught to read so they had only left them in their place after a brief look but damn, ''We have books!''. It seemed like they had only left the village a day ago but that moment had marked the ascension from hell straight up to heaven.


    Walking out from the entrance, I was just like walking out from a normal door, the transition was smooth and the moment of awkwardness that they had been expecting never came. A few steps after exiting, they looked back once again to see that the tall entrance was gone, reverted back to the small hole that one would have to crawl through. A deep breath later, they made their way towards the location the wolf pounced upon Rykar.


    The scene was still exactly as they had left it. Two bags had fallen from his back at the time and been ripped open by the attack. The contents were sprawled over the ground with the small number of berries having been mushed into the dirt. They were now each carrying an intact bag on them, Rykar with two daggers on his waist while Loki was only carrying one however he also had arrows fastened to his back with the remains of the torn bag Rykar brought back.


    This encounter was rather fruitful, there was another length of rope and two hard pieces of bread along with a brittle net, for catching small animals like rabbits it would be perfect. There was also another water sack which was actually full but, due to how thirsty they were, they drained the contents before putting the empty sack along with the torn-up bags into Rykar''s bag. Although they couldn''t think of a use for the rags, they felt pained when it came to letting them go to waste.


    With their newly found capacity for memory, they had no trouble retracing their steps despite the twists and turns they had taken during their escape. Although the chase had felt like it lasted forever, it took them under 15 minutes to make their way back to the demolished body of James.


    Flies had already set into the scene with a weird smell starting to emanate from the body. Feeling sick, neither of the twins walked any closer after they stood around three metres from the corpse. "As you said, it''s your bow as don''t even think about asking me to get it." Rykar jested while clearly stating his stance as he noticed the intact bowstring. During the attack, the bow must have slipped from his shoulder and made its way to his waist, which explained why its body was now firmly planted under his ass.


    "Pfft. I don''t expect a scaredy cat like you to get it." Loki edged forwards as though he was afraid James would spring to life at any moment like the zombies his mom had told him about many a time. The closer he got, the more tense he became as the smell became more rancid while the buzz from the flies began to make his skin itch.


    Finally reaching the side of the body, he gave James a few kicks to make sure there were no sudden movements which resulted in waves of flies storming out from his mangled clothing.


    ''Please don''t wake up. Please don''t wake up. Please don''t wake up.'' Loki was half praying half screaming within his mind as he lowered himself to the ground. From the back, Rykar was craning his neck to get a better look without daring to step any closer.


    Without giving himself any time to lose his resolve, Loki bent over and grabbed the two ends of the bow before slamming his eyes shut and holding his breath. For the next few moments, tears threatened to break loose while he shuffled the bow from side to side in order to get it so slip out from under his body.


    With the body of the bow towards the back and the string to the front, James was basically in the middle of it which caused the bow or the string to snag on bits of his body occasionally before Loki was able to get it free. With a final tug, he fell backwards and landed awkwardly on the ground with his eyes still tightly shut but in his grasp was the bow he had won the rights for! Blood stained his hands as the sticky liquid dripped from the roughly crafted bow but it was nothing short of a treasure for Loki who had always wanted to learn archery.


    "HAHA, I told you I would get it! Let''s go!" Rykar had been edging over in order to get a look at the bow when Loki shouted out and bolted in the direction of the cabin. He could hardly hold in his excitement but at the same time knew that staying in the middle of the forest surrounded by the scent of blood was an idiotic activity.


    Rather than strolling through the woods in the same relaxed manner they had come, this time they were jogging while laughing between themselves after throwing caution to the wind, flushed with excitement as they ran in the direction of the cabin. Rather than taking the path they had escaped in, they took the most direct route, avoiding the winding path for a straight one which winded up showing them a section of the forest they had missed out.


    As they were only minutes away, the quiet gurgling sounds started to make their way through the trees, drawing the attention of the twins and putting an end to their laughter instantly as they skidded to an abrupt stop. Eyes facing the ground, they listened attentively while being ready to escape in another direction at a moments notice.


    Despite having never used a bow, Loki silently took an arrow from his back and knocked it while Rykar drew his daggers before they began moving forward at a snail''s pace, actively avoiding all the twigs and leaves possible.


    After only moving a few metres, smiles and laughter once again radiated from them as they looked upon a small spring which had just caused them to draw their weapons.They ran forward, eager to dip their faces into the water and drink their fill before the other.

 8 Chapter 8: Possessed By Demons

    Within the forest, there was no concept of day and night due to the absence of a sun in the sky. If one was to look upwards then apart from the textured grey clouds, there was nothing. This unceasing source of light was perfect when it came to productivity.


    At all times, nearly a hundred people could be seen scurrying around, practicing, performing maintenance or simply socialising in the open. Now and then, the odd few would enter their huts at irregular intervals in order to get a few hours of rest before emerging again to continue their routines.


    These short cycles of sleep allowed for there to be a constant, although lax and disorderly, surveillance of the area to be maintained at all times due to the busyness of the inhabitants. The only exceptions to this haphazard way of life were the regular intervals for training the younger generation and for food distribution which were signalled by a piercing whistle.


    Without raising the alarm of the village, the shadows of Loki and Rykar could be seen flitting through the trees on the outskirts while sticking close to the ground. Hesitation was evident in their movements as they constantly drew closer only to quickly retreat once again as the slightest movements and sounds startled them. Their own tension was bouncing between themselves, feeding into each other''s fears of what was ahead.


    Their goal wasn''t food or material values. They had come back solely for the purpose of taking their mother back to their new home and finally being free of the restraints their father and the rest of the village had placed on their family. In their hearts, the village may as well have been completely empty besides Linda. There was nothing to be missed or longed for in a place like this.


    Despite knowing that they had to wait until the distribution period, they realised that the closer they were to the village''s structures, the less time it would take for them to get to the main hut and back, reducing the risk of them getting caught.


    They were currently eyeing up the training field with scorn plastered across their faces as they watched the instructors guide Chris and the rest of the children through their archery and knife play exercises. It was like watching the bad teach the worse, the instructors were able to hit the targets, but their accuracy was questionable at best. The majority younger generation were a far cry from being able to match up to the instructor''s rough skills and technique, but Chris was able to step above and beyond his peers, performing even better than those teaching them.


    Watching his success while thinking back to his shameful display of cowardice in the forest only served to fuel the deep set hate the twins had already amassed towards him and the rest. They had been loitering on the edge of the village for quite a while now, while watching the youths train for the last hour.


    For that hour, the smiling faces of all present were burned into their brains. Every time they hit a target. Every time they cheered. Every time they hugged one another. Every time they praised one another.


    Every action that was performed only went to remind the twins of how unimportant they were towards the others. Maybe, just maybe most of the others did not know about the request to have them killed but even then, their disappearance was taken underfoot just like fleeting clouds. The ones that bore witness to it all, the remaining three that had escaped showed no remorse or discomfort on their faces. They had survived and would live in comfort, what more was there for them to think about?


    ''Did they not even care that James, their friend, wasn''t able to make it back with them?''


    *SCREEEEEECH*


    Their thoughts were broken as a whistle tore through the air. Shortly after, the entire village could be heard stirring as everyone began moving towards the source of the sound, the largest structure which was neighbouring the training field.


    As the instructors and students began making their way, the twins finally broke past their hesitation and rapidly circled towards the blind side of the field in order to infiltrate. While looking at their backs from an outsider''s perspective, Loki felt like the villagers resembled mindless puppets as they one dimensionally drifted towards the tent after dropping whatever was preoccupying them or rolling out of their homes.


    On the tails of these people, Loki and Rykar were slowly approaching the centre of the domestic space while checking the entrances of the tents they approached in order to make sure they were vacant. Stress built up rapidly as their hearts thundered within them. Despite moving slowly, the pressure made them feel as though their energy was being drained rapidly and Rykar, who was struggling to pull in enough air through his nose, had begun quietly panting from his dry mouth.


    Their mother and the other wives of their father would be the exception to this. They had always stayed within the main tent or pre-occupied themselves when this time came, after all, there was no need for them to queue for their distribution if it all practically belonged to them. This was their target. After checking their old hut before hand and assuring themselves that she wasn''t there, this was the second most likely place they could think to find her. If she was still absent, they would be clueless as to where to search unless they went through each hut one by one.


    Just as they approached the main tent, they paused. The chances were, it wasn''t just their mother within, but the rest of the wives also and maybe others too. This meant that they had to rush in, pick out their mother and get her to follow them while explaining what was happening¡­ And this all had to take place under the chaos that may be caused by the others in the room.


    That''s how they had planned it out beforehand.


    Just as they were about to make a dash for the entrance, the piece mat that had been covering the entrance shifted open with a man who looked around fifty or sixty years old stepping out. Despite the grey hairs which covered the majority of his head and beard, traces of dark blond still remained as though reminding others that there was time yet before his decline.


    Grey wolfs hide covered him from head to toe which had been sewn together using the tendons of animals with a layer of cloth underneath which could be seen through the few areas which revealed weathering. Besides the clothing of the men within the tree, this was the most majestic attire they had been in the presence of.


    Despite walking out, the man''s eyes were concentrated down towards his waist as he struggled while fastening his belt. Taking a few steps from the entrance, he saw two dirty pairs of feet from the corner of his eyes. "Didn''t you hear the whistle? Go get in line or go hungry." Without giving it any thought, he growled in their direction before turning in the direction of the distribution tent and leaving.


    After walking for a short while, he realised he hadn''t had a response from the two that were lagging behind. It had long since become a custom within the village to reply to his words with ''Yes Chief''. A custom which he gladly indulged in at any opportunity and which he began thinking of as a privilege which belonged to him. "Didn''t you hear wha-".


    As he turned around with the intend of withholding their rations, the remainder of his words caught in his throat as he froze in fear. Before him stood two creatures which were staring at him dead in the eyes. Their oddly coloured pupils shone while trembling softly as they locked gazes without blinking.


    The figures were scantily dressed in tattered leather and cloth which was barely held together and dangling from their bodies. There were blood stains mottling areas of the clothing while mould and dried dirt were covering their limbs causing them to resemble corpses which has clawed their way out of the ground before making their way into the village. In contrast to this, their faces were oddly clean, as though the rest of their bodies were irrelevant, yet they had gone out of their way to make sure they were recognisable.


    This is when The Chief realised the most haunting thing about the creatures, that despite their repulsive appearance, their faces were immaculate while bearing a perfect resemblance to his unwanted sons which were supposed to have long since been dead.


    "Gaaaaugh" Taking large steps backwards, The Chief screamed as he retreated while releasing his grip on his belt and pushing his arms out in front of himself defensively. As he tripped over himself and fell to the ground, his wild shout drew the attention of everyone in the vicinity, easily loud enough to be heard from distribution hut as everyone ran in the direction of the commotion.


    People appeared from all directions, quickly encircling the space and filling up the gaps between the tents in order to see what was going on. As the villages rushed over, they were shouting questions towards each other and hollering however everyone, without fail, fell silent as they bore witness to the twins who were stood within the encirclement.


    "A-Are they demons"


    An inconspicuous little girl muttered softly from the side of her mother, who then grabbed her and held her closely against her leg. The word would usually have gone un-heard in such a large group of people, however the pin drop silence was broken by nothing but the wind which allowed the words spread out clearly.


    From the back of the encirclement there was a strong movement as Chris, recognising the shout, burst through and ran to his fathers side, helping him up from the ground. "What happened?! Are you ok?" Without scanning the area, he glanced over his dad looking for injuries while questioning him and supporting his limp frame.


    Due to not having tied his belt properly, his pants had slid to the ground as soon as Chris propped him up against his shoulder, which caused his sons face to turn red as he struggled with the situation. The chief of the village was laying limp across his sons shoulder while on full display to the entire village yet no one so much as chuckled.


    "Someone help! Don''t F*ucking stand there you braindead idiots!" Chris began shouting into the crowd as the embarrassment began to turn into anger. A short, very short lived anger.


    While staring daggers into the crowd, he finally caught sight of the duo which caused of the disturbance. He was instantly able to see past the change of skin colour and the eyes, recognising his half brothers who were still frozen to their places as they stared at their father who had ordered their deaths.


    *BURGHH*


    Without skipping a beat, Chris emptied the contents of his stomach over his fathers'' body while crumpling to the floor alongside him. His heart had run cold as it clenched tightly within his chest while his stomach squeezed itself like a wet rag.


    "No, no, no, no, no, no, NO. This can''t be happening" his legs and arms had stopped working, not allowing him to put any more distance between them as he screamed in their direction with bits of sick still flowing down his chin.


    "I saw them die! It wasn''t my fault, it wasn''t my idea!!" It seemed as though he was screaming at himself rather than anyone in front of him as his head bounced between the twins and the faces in the crowd. His sanity had betrayed him as he broke down, clinging onto the words the little girl had absentmindedly spoken "YES DEMONS! They''ve been possessed by the demons! They have come for me! Father, mother you won''t let the demons take me, will you? HAHAHAH-". The last thing to come out of his mouth before his head hit the ground was the crazed laughter which was cut short as he lost consciousness due to the stress of his mental breakdown.


    Hearing the screams of Chris on the outside of the tent, the curtains once again began to drift apart as someone pushed their way outside¡­

 9 Chapter 9: In Mothers Eyes

    Not long after her children had been taken from the village on the ''hunting trip'', Linda had come terms with the fact that she may never see them again. After returning to the central village and confronting her husband, he played it off as a simple hunting trip with nothing to worry about and forbade her from leaving the tent.


    Refusing to listen to the blatant lies, she had attempted to escape and catch up to the hunting party only to end up restrained and tied down. Even with these confinements placed on her, multiple times had she made a break for the forest however that only caused her husbands other wives to come up with a more shameful way to bind her.


    The ropes were untied, leaving her free to move around as she wished. However, along with the ropes, her shoes and clothing had been taken from her while leaving her with nothing but her bare skin. Within the tent, this was acceptable seeing as it was not an irregular occurrence for the chief and his wives to be naked as it was a warm environment but when it came to being made to run through an entire village full of people and then into the forest without even knowing which direction to search in¡­ Even with her conviction, the thought made her grow limp. She may have been here a long time, yet her upbringing was still firmly rooted within her.


    And so, hours passed by which consisted of non-stop arguing and shouting before ending in an uncomfortable silence which was followed by even more quarrelling. This had caused everyone to steer clear from the Chief''s tent while even driving his other two wives away, taking up temporary lodging elsewhere in order to avoid the tension which haunted the room.


    In contrast, her husband made a point of sticking to his routine, hunting, eating, sleeping and training while returning to the hut regularly in order to make a point of being unphased by her anger. Stubbornness ran deep between the both of them as the confrontations degraded into the silent treatment with words no longer being exchanged as she sat naked in the corner staring at him venomously whenever he entered the space.


    . . .


    Linda woke up startled as she heard shouts and screams from outside. She as curious as to what was taking place outside the tent, wanting to go out and take a look yet she was held back by her lack of clothing.


    The cries of Chris came next, indicating that there was something wrong with his father which had left him alarmed, yet this only made her feel warm inside. ''The world is a circle after all'' she hummed to herself while stretching comfortably along the ground like a cat before bunching up some of the straw beneath her back for a better posture.


    "No, no, no, no, no, no, NO. This can''t be happening" more of Chris''s shouts came through the door causing her to feel even more intrigued with the situation. As there was no one else screaming, it was obviously not something which had alarmed the entire village, despite a few shouts from the others, it was generally quiet outside leading her to believe that the incident was isolated to her b*stard of a husband. But what could have silenced the man?


    "I saw them die! It wasn''t my fault, it wasn''t my idea!!"


    It took a second for the next few words to sink in. It was like a firework went off in her head as she bolted to her feet and rushed towards the exit of the tent, completely ignoring her appearance.


    The next words from Chris''s mouth went completely unregistered in her mind as she became oblivious to everything besides the hope that her children were outside. Without slowing down to move the mat which covered the entrance, she barrelled straight into it which caused it to be ripped off from the top of the door frame and entangle her as she fell to the ground.


    "¡­"


    There was silence outside as all eyes swivelled to focus on the latest development. After crashing to the ground with the mat barely hiding her body, Linda hurriedly propped herself up using her arms in the search of Loki and Rykar. She didn''t even flinch as she browsed past the sorry state of her husband and his son before continuing, her head darting around rapidly, only adding to her already disorientated state.


    "Rykar! Loki! Are you here? Please!" While gathering herself, she began to call out to her boys while desperately praying for a reply.


    "Mom?" her reply finally came as the twins called in unison. Covered in the matting, it wasn''t obvious to the twins at first but as they took a step in Linda''s direction, the few people that were partially in the way had moved aside hastily allowing for a clear line of sight.


    "Oh my god, my babies! Come here! I thou- AAURGHHH" As the crowd had parted, the first thing she was greeted by were a pair of oddly coloured eyes and grey skin. Due to a combination of falling due to being entangled and her own frantic searching, she wasn''t thinking steadily enough to have realised their true identities before reacting to the beings in front of her.


    The mind can be a scary thing. Due to her preconception of seeing her children once again being so strong, she couldn''t fully comprehend the situation. If she had simply put two and two together, the voices that called out to her, the crowd parting for her children, the heights and ages matching up¡­ instead, before even taking a pause, she began crying out once again. "Where are my boys!?".


    Loki and Rykar stopped moving. Physically and mentally rooted to the spot as their mind collapsed on itself.


    Looking at the two figures once again, Linda was about to ask them directly where her children were but stopped herself as she came to realisation, it felt as though a bucket of cold water had been thrown over her.


    When looking into their eyes, she saw the previous appearances of Loki and Rykar over lapping and becoming one and the same. Tears flooded from mother and sons all at once as the three pairs of eyes intersected with the ring of observers still watching on dumbfounded.


    Using her palms to wipe away the tears, as she looked up once again, she was left with her son''s backs facing her as they sprinted in the opposite direction while weaving in and out of the tents. Wherever they moved, people would flee in a desperate attempt to avoid any contact.


    "No! Rykar, Loki come back! Don''t leave me again!" Confusion struck Linda as she tried to free herself from the matting while crawling in their direction and shouting after them. Tears still flowing from her eyes, she became frantic as her naked body finally broke free. Rising to her feet, she attempted to break through the rest of the villagers and give chase to the fading figures only to be stopped and held down by those closest to her.


    "Why?! Let me go you con of a b*tch, get off me!" She rained curses and punches down on those around her indiscriminately as she struggled.


    "Linda stop. They are demons now"


    "They aren''t the sons you know"


    "Please forgive me, this is for your own good"


    "Please Linda, you have to get a grip!"


    They constantly shouted at her, trying to get her to see sense but all she saw was emptiness as she finally lost site of the twins who had departed the village and vanished into the woods¡­


    . . .


    Laying on their separate beds, Loki and Rykar were staring vacantly at the ceiling without having spoken a word on their return. Their tears had long since run dry.


    The scene from the village had been replaying in their heads with amazing clarity. Every single detail had been captured and recreated via their perfect recall, to the point they could count the number of breaths they had taken. They couldn''t forget it even if they''d wanted to.


    Taking a step towards their mother''s figure. The villagers slowly parting. Their mother calling their names¡­ Her scream of horror upon seeing her children. Her denial of them, as she continued shouting for her sons. And finally, her tears upon the realisation of what they had become.


    "Hey Loki, you awake?"


    "Yep"


    "What do you think she thought when she saw us?"


    "Does it matter?"


    "I don''t know¡­ She always said that everything looks different through someone else''s eyes"


    "But does it matter?"


    "You think it doesn''t"


    "Food tastes different to everyone right?"


    "Hmm, yeah I think so, you like some things I don''t"


    "Right, but when you eat something you like, you react to it in a certain way right? If you like something, you wouldn''t spit it on the floor. Likewise, if something disgusts you then you wouldn''t swallow it."


    "Well yeah¡­ but I didn''t ask you if we taste good."


    "My point is, it doesn''t matter what we looked like. What matters is how she reacted to us. If she thought of us as her sons and wanted us, she would have at least called us after screaming¡­ like, I know we look different so that''s one thing. But she looked right at us, and still turned away."


    "But what i-"


    "Rykar, It took Chris about a second to recognise us and spill his guts, you''re not about to tell me that he is more familiar with our faces than mom is¡­ are you?"


    "No. I know you''re right don''t worry¡­ but still, I wish I could have seen myself through mother''s eyes"


    Silence once again took over the room as they shut their eyes, trying to drown out their own thoughts.


    "Me too"

 10 Chapter 10: Books & Leeches

    It had been nearly a month since Loki and Rykar had returned to the village in an attempt to bring their mother back with them.


    During the first few days, the atmosphere was bleak as they lost motivation to go on. They passed the time by sitting or simply laying there while staring vacantly into nothingness, occasionally breaking the cycle to numbly nibble at a piece of bread or some berries. The only exposure to the outside of the tree was the odd toilet break.


    It was only when they were out of food that they came to a mutual decision to venturing out in search, returning with a variety of roots, berries and fruits along with the refilled water pouches. Such became the routine.


    Days would go by without a word being spoken between themselves. Under this lack of communication, functioning as a pair was only made possible due to the intimacy they had built up over the years of familiarity. Their bodies and needs were all but identical in terms of their bodily functions, strengths and weaknesses¡­ However, this began to gradually warp as abnormalities began to surface.


    At first, it was barely noticeable, but it became increasingly apparent that Rykar''s eating habits were becoming more and more dramatic while he left the room in order to relieve himself less and less frequently. By the time three weeks had passed, he was eating three times more that his brother while having completely lost the need to relieve himself.


    It was as though he became a bottomless hole, with food pouring into him and simply disappearing without a trace. At first, he became worried over this, thinking he had fallen ill while anticipating the discomfort it would cause, however instead of feeling as though he was constipated or bloated, he felt full of energy as his previously hallow and depleted frame began to show mild traces of vitality. He then threw the matter to the back of his mind after consulting his brother, who''s answer didn''t leave him with much to dwell on.


    "Are you dumb? We sucked in the ashes of dead people, have grey skin, red and grey eyes, my foot magically healed, and our bones are fixed¡­ but you''re sitting there worried about eating more and feeling energetic?" As usual, sarcasm dripped from Loki''s answer however the familiar response helped to ease Rykar''s mind.


    After that short conversation, it was as though the clouds in their minds had been sliced open with a knife. It served as a turning point, opening up conversation between them and bringing things back to the way they had been before.


    Unlike in the past, there was never a mention of their mother. Since the conversation they had after returning, it was as though her presence had been erased. Without having to bring it up, her name had become a taboo between them. There had been an unspoken understanding on this as they both consciously tried to block her out while distracting themselves. Through idle conversation, collecting food and games, they actively distanced themselves and repressed their longing and sadness while finding ways to preoccupy themselves.


    With nothing much to do between gathering food and sleeping, aside from exploring the forest regions around them, their attention had turned to the collection of books that was spread along the long shelf.


    The shelf itself was curved around the circular wall of the room and took up around a third of its surface. It''s length of the shelf was divided into five segments around two metres wide with each of the segments having 10 rows extending from the floor to the ceiling. It wasn''t possible for the twins to reach the top shelf with their short statures, but they eventually worked around this by pushing the table over to the wall before stacking a chair on top of it, creating a make shift step ladder.


    Browsing through the books was just a random thought at first, of course neither of them were able to understand any of the symbols within them, but eventually their curious natures began to find a lot of joy in looking through the pages and finding images among the symbols. Some of the books were even entirely made of images with vivid colours of vast lands, fire breathing serpents or unidentifiable beings made of fire or plants. Monsters and wonderful creatures that had been isolated to their imaginations were given life in the books, given a projection in a lifelike manner which left them fascinated.


    It became an obsession, a thirst for knowledge despite it consisting of things they couldn''t even comprehend. It was like studying art, without knowing the intentions of the artist, they began to bring their own meanings to the pages. They would look through the pages of text and analyse the shapes and curves of the lettering, some looking like blocks, some like hieroglyphs and some having shapes that flowed like serpents across the pages.


    It wasn''t necessary for them to understand what they were reading, sometimes they even decided to give meanings to the stories themselves. It was just a matter of needing to see something they hadn''t seen before.


    Among these, there were also many which depicted the human body in various poses with arrows and symbols covering the blank spaces on the page as though trying to gesture and explain the contents of the diagrams.


    From then on, it became a part of their routine to sit and simply flick through the books and scrolls, page by page, book by book scroll by scroll. Whether the cover was glamorous and decorated, plane and unadorned or even ripped and tattered, they had no intention of leaving it unturned.


    . . .


    "When are we going to go get some meat?! You decided you want the bow but what have you done with it besides whisper b*llshit and play soldier. You couldn''t hit a rabbit even if it seasoned itself and sat on your plate." Rykar groaned out as he threw the last of the mulberries into his mouth.


    Over the last month, they hadn''t eaten anything apart from berries, fruits and the last of the bread they had saved. Even while back in the village, this was their staple diet however their mother would spice it up every week and sneak some rabbit or boar from the distribution tent if they asked often enough.


    As Rykar''s appetite had been expanding rapidly, he began to feel less and less content with their current diet.


    Hearing his brother''s complaint, Loki payed no attention. Continued to slowly flick through a large book with metal corners with one hand while using the other to precisely pick out berries from his pile of fruit and deliver them to his mouth.


    "I said that I want the bow and you agreed. So, the bow is mine. Why should I go out of MY way to go get meat for YOU with MY bow? You have daggers sitting on your waist doing f*ck all, go get yourself some." Loki mumbled back with a disinterested voice while putting subtle emphasis on the ''my'' and ''you''.


    "We already agreed that all food is shared. If I go get some, I know you''ll say you want half so I ain''t going to get it on my own." Rykar huffed while throwing himself onto the bed before looking up with a glint in his eyes. "Actually, fine. I will go. But from now, all the food we get doesn''t have to be shared unless we want to. Deal?"


    Loki paused for a second before looking up at Rykar with a dazzling smile plastered on his face, "Not a chance." he directly declined. When they initially came to the tree house, they agreed that the food they collect would be split evenly between them when they get back,


    This arrangement was a good way for them to share their earnings in the case that one of them found fruit that was tastier than the other managed to, they wouldn''t end up miserable. They also devised this way of equal sharing so that one wouldn''t go hungry due to bad luck while searching or in the case that one of them was injured or sick.


    At first this had worked perfectly and there were no complaints but recently this arrangement had turned into a shackle for Rykar and a blessing for Loki. Due to Rykar''s bloated appetite, he left the treehouse two or three times more often than Loki in order to find food, causing him to bring back a substantially larger amount. There were many times when Loki would join him, but realistically he could simply spend all of his time in the treehouse reading books while still living comfortably off the efforts of Rykar after he returned and grudgingly split his spoils.


    Dissatisfied, Rykar had complained many times but once they made a deal between them, unless they both agreed to cancel it, their always held to their words.


    However, rules are meant to be broken.


    The deal had stated that the food they collect was to be split¡­ didn''t that just mean that he should eat the food on the spot instead of collecting it? In this manner, Rykar ate his fill while he was out by extending his gathering sessions. After which, he would bring back enough food to last a while, which would then be split between himself and Loki.


    "Ah, I have a secret I forgot to tell you! Do you wanna hear it now or later?" Rykar questioned but without giving Loki a chance to decline, he continued, "You''re a f*cking leech."


    "You realise we''re twins right? Takes one to know one" Replied Loki while directing his attention back to his fruits, which just happened to be brought in by Rykar earlier.


    Jumping off the bed, Rykar Began to pack a bag with a water sack and other supplies before strapping it to his bare upper body. He then reached under his sheets and pulled out the thing he had deliberately been keeping concealed.


    Making a point of his latest achievement, he twirled it between his hands before slinging it over his right shoulder, which was now without any traces of dirt and free from the previous tattered clothing. This caused it to display a shocking black tattoo running from his shoulder down his entire arm, forming a complete sleeve which concluded at the back of his palm.


    "Fine, I made a net earlier, I don''t need your help. I''ll just go catch something and cook it there. Don''t worry I''ll make sure not to wipe my hands before I come back, that way when they come back with juices on them, you can suck your half of the meal off them like the leech you are"


    "Now that you mention it¡­ you''re right. Our diet is pretty boring latel- I mean, it can''t be healthy to only eat stuff like this mhm. I guess we should hunt together aye brother¡­ for health reasons" Loki hollered, dashing over to his bed and readying a bag before snatching his bow, with a similarly tattooed right arm, and chasing after Rykar who had already left the opening.

 11 Chapter 11: Do We Have A Deal?

    As Loki ran through the entrance of the tree house expecting Rykar to have made his way into the distance, he looked around quickly to determine the direction but failed to catch sight of him.


    "Ahem." An exaggerated cough came from behind him, causing Loki to jump before spinning around wildly before attempting to steady himself and maintain whatever composure he had left. Finishing his turn, he was confronted with Rykar''s smug face as he had his back leaning against the tree.


    Loki''s face flared as he realised that Rykar had deliberately rushed out of the door before concealing himself next to the entrance which would be Loki''s blind spot when he rushed out in chase.


    "Don''t look so happy with yourself, it''s not like you even scared me. I only turned around because I thought I dropped an arrow." Loki spat the words out before directly turning away and marching away with heavy feet.


    "Mmmmhmmmm yeaaahhhh... You might want to check again, I think you dropped your balls back there with your arrow hahahah" Sticking close, Rykar followed behind while jeering towards his brother but no reply came as Loki refused to admit to anything.


    Walking through the forest one after the other, Rykar had still been teasing loki despite it having been over half an hour after taking his brother by surprise. There was no way he would pass up the chance to milk this.


    After having bathed and maintaining their clothing, the boys had a completely different look about them than they had when they were last in the village. Flawlessly smooth grey skin covered their bodies without a trace of the blemishes and sores that covered them in the past.


    Upper bodies now exposed, they disassembled the fragmented skins and cloth that used to cover them in order to create pants that, while being patchwork designs, offered much more coverage and security while being more intact. Some of the remining cloths from their previous garments had also been used to wrap their feet, functioning as makeshift shoes that made their steps more comfortable and muffled.


    Now free from the grime that once plagued their skin, striking black tattoos could be found crawling along their right arms, forming complete sleeves. The darkness of the tattoos showed a depth to them that only seemed comparable to their waist length hair. The darkness seemed so thick that it gave the impression that they were formed from three dimensional black holes, allowing you to stick your finger through the surface and into an endless space.


    Rykar''s tattoo depicted a winding dragon, twisting in and out of space while devouring entire worlds as though swallowing marbles. The Stars themselves were dwarfed by its gargantuan size, only serving as sustenance to its majesty as it tore chunks out of the void for its sustenance. Wings enveloped the cosmos as the image came to life, it felt as though by inspecting it for long enough, one would feel drawn into the image while being suffocated by its might.


    On the other side, Loki''s featured a myriad of creatures and people, there were hundreds of forms of all different shapes and sizes which were all presented in the same black texture, as though three-dimensional silhouettes. Sprawled across his arm, they all bore a feeling of servitude as they were bound together by complex chains which wove through and around them tightly, constricting their wills.


    Despite being different in essence and design, dominance and oppression radiated from both their right arms indiscriminately.


    Combined, their skin, primal clothing, equipment, tattoos and eyes truly caused them to look more like beasts than humans. While running through the woods freely, they could easily be mistaken as phantoms or spirits, scaring people witless.


    . . .


    Hearing low rustling noises within a brush ahead of them, the twins pause before crouching low the ground. Slowing their movements, they began to crawl across the ground while holding their breaths, afraid that even breathing may scare off their dinner and ruin their first hunt.


    While Rykar unfurled his net, readying himself to toss it at any moment, Loki removed his bow from his back and swiftly knocked an arrow as he had done many a time within the tree house. His movements were steady and silent, completely the opposite to the traces of sweat that were beginning to reveal themselves on his forehead.


    This wasn''t simply the pressure of a first hunt for either of them, it was a precious chance to upstage the other. If one jumped the gun and scared the creature away, the other would take the piss for god knows how long while the former could only suck up the shame. If one of them waited too long, the creature could be snatched away and once again, bragging rights would be gone.


    Extra pressure was mounted atop Loki''s head as he had already taken a loss from Rykar before the hunt had even started and he was still bitter inside, swearing to himself is arrow would hit its mark.


    *SNAP"


    Despite moving slowly, Rykar carelessly stepped forward onto a twig which caused a crisp snap to cut through the air. All sounds stopped as the boys stopped moving and the rustling within the brush completely disappeared.


    "F*ck" Rykar swore internally while Loki felt as though a weight had left his shoulders. With Rykar already having ruined the perfect opportunity, there was no need to hesitate. He released his arrow into the bushes without having gained sight of whatever was within, not caring whether he was met with success or failure.


    After all, if he missed then it was now completely fine. He could just push the blame onto Rykar, saying he''d startled the animal and causing it to run away. If he hit it, then that would be even better seeing as he would have saved the day after a stupid mistake had been made on his brother''s part.


    Loki was beaming with anticipation as he watched the arrow leave the bowstring, whizzing directly into the bush with a whistle.


    What came after was a dull thud which was then followed by a high pitched whine. Loki was ecstatic as he laughed towards his brother "May as well have left your net at home". He Jeered while praising himself to the high heavens in his head.


    However the whining was quickly replaced with a low growl as a muzzle protruded from the leaves, followed by bloodshot eyes. Frozen, the twins looked on petrified as their next encounter with a wolf came to be much sooner than they had thought possible. Teeth bared, the fury on its face was blatant alongside the arrow which was protruding from its rear end.


    Without giving them time to retreat, the wolf dashed forward and leapt through the air, its fangs parted and claws extended with the full intention of ripping straight through Loki.


    Instinct kicked in without warning. Seeing the wolf was initiating its jump, Rykar had already began to spin on the spot, gathering momentum while swinging the net in his arms. After twisting in a full circle, he raised his arms and flung the net towards the wolf which was still hanging mid-air. The net landed dead centre while entangling the wolf''s fore legs and muzzle leaving it helpless.


    The glory of the leap had turned into a mess of fur and rope as both the wolf and the net fell from the sky while smacking Loki dead in the chest, knocking the air out of him as he was buried.


    Still running on adrenaline, Rykar rushed to his brother''s aid, raining kicks and punches onto the wolf''s side and head. Attacking anywhere he could in a brutal manner which resulted in dull thuds and whimpers as the beast struggled helplessly within the net. Much less moving its limbs, it wasn''t even able to open its mouth much due to the restraints as it lay helplessly on top of Loki.


    Unknown as to when, Loki then managed to worm his way out from under the wolf''s body while it was under the barrage of attack before adding to the assault with his own fists.


    The whimpers were getting more and more high pitched as the wolf came to the understanding of what fate had in store for it. It had all but given up as Rykar stopped attacking it only to take a step back as he drew his daggers from his waist.


    Loki then followed suit, taking just a step back while hesitating, unsure of whether to continue attacking or whether it was safe to evaluate the situation at hand.


    Looking at the wolf beneath him, wounded and clearly crying out, he hesitated. He couldn''t let it go, could he? He began thinking of ways that they could take the net back and possibly all walk away from this alive¡­ It was them that attacked first after all¡­ right?


    The fact of the matter was, they knew they didn''t want to take its life. Maybe before, but how could he kill something that was clearly begging for its life? It wasn''t so long ago that he had been in the reverse of this, that feeling of hopelessness and heart stopping fear that came with not knowing whether this was the end.


    "Don''t." Loki uttered with a weird tone. He had now retraced his steps and was once again standing directly over it, dangerously closely as though he was listening to its breaths. "I mean¡­ doesn''t it sound like its¡­ begging?"


    "I don''t know, I think its just hurt. Can we really jut let it go? No way I''m letting it out of the net¡­ and that''s the last of the rope?" In between ragged breaths, Rykar began to voice his doubts but he soon noticed that Loki wasn''t even paying much attention to him. More like he was talking to himself.


    Loki''s eyes were staring at the wolf still but now then were¡­ vacant. It was as though he was staring past the wolf and into nothingness. To Ryar, it looked as though he had started day dreaming in this critical situation but to Loki, he had felt something stirring within him which he was trying with all of his focus to grab onto. As though a part of him had revealed itself for a brief second before trying to submerge itself one again.


    "Lets make a deal." In his dream like state, Loki continued with a firm but mysterious voice. It sounded almost playful even.


    "Are you taking the piss, I just saved your ass and you''re still on about this b*llshit? Theres no-" Once again, Rykars voice trailed off as he received no response from his brother. Not even a glance. His brother had a habit of taking to himself but this wasn''t a monolog¡­ unless, he was talking to the wolf?


    His brother going loopy and talking to the wolf which had tried to kill him was the last of Rykar''s worries. He rubbed his as he thought he saw Loki''s tattoo¡­ begin to twist..?


    It wasn''t as though his arm was twisting or that this was a trick of the light. The chains within his tattoo literally began to squirm on his arm as they came to life. As they danced across his arm, wrapping and interlocking each other, a black mist was being emitted, slowly taking form before trailing down to his palm and condensing into the shape of a book.


    After materialising, the book was only large enough to fill his hand. It was incredibly light, all but weightless as though it wasn''t even there, yet Loki was able to feel every detail down to the rough leather texture of the grey cover. The page within were black and as the book spread open across his palm, they were revealed to be empty without a word or image in sight.


    From there onward everything ran as though by instinct.


    There was no surprise or confusion from Loki as he began to feel a connection between himself and the wolf. He had no idea when this was established yet It was there. Something he could sense, yet something that he could find no traces of whatsoever. Nothing but a feeling.


    "You''ll belong to me. You''ll do as I wish. You''ll become my possession, and in exchange, your life will be spared" The words flew from his mouth almost by themselves, each word was spoken clearly. Despite his tone not being loud, the words seemed to vibrate as they hit the ears, carrying a compulsive charm to them as the wolf looked on with clear eyes showing glimmers of understanding flickering within.


    "Do we have a deal?"

 12 Chapter 12: The Book Of Greed

    Rykar stood behind Loki with a look of bewilderment plastered across his face as he watched his brother separate the wolf from the net despite his continuous protests. The net was the only thing which gave them an upper hand and Loki was willingly throwing that advantage away.


    Edging away from the scene, he watched from a distance as the wolf struggled to its feet. The vicious attack that he had been expecting, never came. After the wolf was freed, its first course of action was to stretch out its bruised muscles before rubbing fondly against Loki''s side.


    "You have to be shitting me." Low murmurs could be heard from behind Loki. Rykar''s jaw may as well have hit the floor from the amount of shock he was in. His head was fully tilted to the side, hanging loosely from his neck as the display of affection played out before him.


    The change had happened too quickly, not even allowing enough time for the adrenaline to leave his system. It had gone from attacking the bush, to Loki being attacked by a wolf. Only to have the wolf trapped and battered before it changes sides, becoming all lovey dovey with Loki?!


    And all it took was some ''Do we have a deal?'' b*llshit that there''s no way a wild wolf should have understood?!?


    ''Surely, I''m missing something here.'' Racking his brain, the only thing that didn''t add up was the movement within Loki''s tattoo and the appearance of the book. Despite only being able to see it from behind, it was unlike any of the books that Rykar had seen left on the shelf within the tree. The scene of the dark pages and grey cover materialising from thin are was still fresh in his mind as he began looking own at his own bare arm, inspecting his own tattoo for any weird changes.


    Nothing.


    There were absolutely no changes to himself. Even Loki''s tattoo showed none of the strange movements that it had previously, despite the book which was still siting within his hand serving as proof of what had occurred.


    "So¡­ are you going to tell me when you became a walking bookshelf or are you still planning to keep it to yourself? I mean yeah, I hid the net from you for a little while but I think this and that are kinda¡­ different?" Rykar questioned his brother as he cautiously made his way over only after coming to the conclusion that the wolf was no longer hostile.


    Hearing his brothers voice once again, Loki was finally woken up from his trance-like state as he looked from the book, to the wolf and then back again. "Would you believe me if I said I don''t have a clue what''s going on?" He paused for a moment before continuing, "While you were beating down the wolf¡­ I felt like it started beg- no, more like it started offering itself to me.


    "Then it was like a connection opened up between us, I can still feel it now. It''s like there''s a warm stream flowing from it into me¡­ I can''t really explain haha. To be honest it hardly even felt like I was doing it. It all just... happened" Loki replied with uncertainty in his voice. His answer was filled with obscurity but there was no better explanation he could give.


    Twisting the book in his hands, the hard cover presented itself to him along with complex grey symbols which danced across it. That wasn''t a metaphor. As Loki and Rykar watched, an uncountable number of symbols literally danced across the dark grey leather, coming together to form intricate shapes before dispersing once again only to reform later on and repeating the cycle.


    "The Book of Greed" Loki muttered in a low voice as his fingers stroked the rough surface of the book.


    "Huh?" Rykar looked up in confusion, "You''re telling me you can read that?" Neither of the twins had been taught to read or had even seen symbols before they found the tree, yet he could hear a certain degree of certainty in Loki''s voice.


    "Yeah¡­ well to be honest, it''s more like I can feel them? Let''s just say I can understand it although I can''t read it. I guess its because its mine?" Loki''s reply was just as much of a question as it was a statement.


    "Err, okayyy¡­" Rykar let it slide as he watched on while Loki opened up the cover to reveal the first page. Taking up a quarter of the page, there was a life-like image of the wolf drawn onto the black page in what seemed to be a light grey ink. It seemed so realistic that it might come to life at any point like the symbols along the cover.


    Besides this, there were a handful of symbols which took up the top right section of the page, leaving the majority of the space blank. "Any feelings coming from this?" Rykar asked suspiciously.


    "Well¡­ it''s basically the deal we made earlier. The conditions are that the wolf belongs to me and has become my possession. In exchange, we spare its life. It''s also in effect now, it must be because we made the deal and followed through." Pausing for a moment, Loki went on to explain as best he could. In reality, he hardly understood the symbols himself. He could only draft a vague comprehension of their meaning through some unknown means.


    As he skimmed through the rest of the pages, they all turned out blank. There were no instructions or clues anywhere else within the book, leaving the twins lost once again.


    "Let me check!" Curiosity for the best of Rykar as he reached out and took the book from his brothers hands before he could protest. Holding onto the book for a moment, excitement welled up as though he had found a new toy, completely disregarding the wolf which was sat just a metre away.


    As he began turning it over in his hands however, the once solid book dispersed into a puff of smoke before wafting back towards Loki and converging within his arm. Not a single trace of the book was left behind.


    Unless you count the wolf that was sitting there, blankly staring at the two with an arrow still lodged in its behind.


    "What the f*ck man, of course you would break it after two seconds!" Loki complained while inspecting his arm worriedly.


    "Its cool, its just gone back in. you got it out before, just do it again." Rykar said dismissively as though everything was in control. "Remember, you said that you did it on feeling. Stop poking your arm and focus, try and get back to the feeling of pulling it out of yourself, it''s a part of you." Despite sounding confident, cold sweat was forming on Rykar''s back at the thought of breaking his brother''s new-found ability.


    "Ok, ok. But I swear to god, this better work." Loki finally began calming down. Taking a deep breath, he shut his eyes and attempted to recreate the feeling. Delving into himself, the mural of chains connecting and twisting began to take shape. Rather than feeing as though he was trying to draw the book out of himself, he began to feel as though he was pulling everything into himself. He desired not to be a link within the chain, but to be the hand at the end which held everything within its grasp.


    "See, I told you its no big deal. You always get mad over nothing" Hearing Rykars voice once again, Loki opened his eyes once again and looked suspiciously at him before looking at his hands and finding the book of Greed sitting there once again.


    The lightness of the book really was baffling. Despite it appearing in his hand, he hadn''t even felt the weight of it. While thinking of how uncomfortable the weightlessness of the book was, he grew surprised once again as the weight suddenly increased, becoming comparable to a normal book of its size.


    The realism made him feel much more comfortable while holding it as it sat firmly in his palm.


    "So, what are we going to do about this?" Rykar gestured towards the wolf which was still laying on the ground ahead of them.


    "What do you mean? I just told you, its mine. Of course its coming back with us" Loki hardly offered an explanation as he took a few steps towards the wolf before crouching down to inspect itswound.


    The wound had looked impressive from afar but it really wasn''t a big deal now that he was looking at it from up close. The arrow had gone in at a slanted angle so it went under the skin and a little of the flesh but it was hardly deep. Pulling it out, the wolf yelped while shivering in pain but that was all. Even the bleeding had only lasted a few minutes before coming to a halt.


    Unfortunately, neither of the twins had any experience in first aid besides washing and wrapping a clean cloth around a wound so they left the wolf to its own devices. After laying and licking at the cut for a little while, even the wolf seemed to realise that it was nothing to strain itself over.


    Situation resolved, neither of the twins had any desire to carry on their hunt. Turning around, they began to make their way back to the tree while picking up some of the usual fruits on the way back but were pleasantly surprised when the wolf stopped them with a bark.


    Running back towards the brush that it had originally been crouched in, it pulled out the remains of a rabbit it had been eating before the rude interruption and presented it to the twins.


    As Rykar looked over the body in disgust at first, his eyes soon lit up as he realised that, apart from one of the legs that had been partially eaten, the body was actually still intact!


    The hunt for meat was a success! Neither of the twins could wait as they skipped back while picking up twigs and branches in order to start a fire.


    "Hmm, I think I''ll call It Rykar."


    "Go ahead. I dare you."

 13 Chapter 13: Dinner For Four

    "Hey Rykar, you wanna see my book?"


    . . .


    "Aaaah my arm feels so weird when it activates, you know what I mean? Oh, wait¡­"


    . . .


    "Hey hey, wanna see something cool? Don''t look away!"


    . . .


    Ooooh what''s this? Looks like Bolt brought back another rabbit! Don''t worry, you can put your net away again, we share after all."


    . . .


    They say that time passes at different speeds for different people. That was exactly what had been occurring between Rykar and Loki since the Book of Greed had first appeared.


    On one hand, Loki was having the time of his life. At every opportunity he would summon and dispel the Book of Greed, black mist fluttering around him at all times throughout the day. It got to the point that he couldn''t be more familiar with the process. To an extent, he could now even effect how dramatically the book materialised, throwing black mist into the air around him or having it appear without disturbance.


    He couldn''t get enough of showing it off to Rykar at every chance so of course he never opted for the latter. Dark mist would flare up randomly while eating, hunting or ''reading'', there was always a chance to slide in some gloating in order to incense his brother.


    This is also the moment Rykar fell into the pits of hell. It felt like he was being haunted by the spirits of the damned as he listened to his brother whittling on while having to pretend to notice none of it. There were countless occasions where he was nearly unable to restrain himself and resort to punching him in the face, but he always simmered his rage and turned away, pretending to fall asleep with ragged breaths.


    With Rykar''s rapidly increasing appetite, he was now eating around four times a day, and this definitely reflected in his physique. While his brother looked healthy yet thin, Rykar had already began toning up with traces of muscle developing as his strength already surpassed Loki by around a fourth.


    There was no doubt that if it came to a fight Rykar would be the victor, but Loki would have also come out satisfied by knowing he had gotten under his brother''s skin. That was the thing with Loki, he would gladly suffer a bloody nose and a few bruises if that was the cost of driving his brother insane and Rykar knew this all too well.


    This was a war of attrition and for Rykar, who was on the losing side, time couldn''t be moving more slowly.


    . . .


    "Who''s there!?" A man shouted before jumping up from the ground. Standing in front of a startled younger looking woman, his right hand tightly gripped a sharp knife which flickered as the warm light from a fire glanced off its smooth surface. "I know you''re there, come out! We don''t mean harm."


    Hearing his calls, Loki and Rykar who were crouched behind a dense bush revealed complicated expressions. Truth be told, this was the first sign of people that they had come across since leaving the village and they were eager to find out more about them. However, they also knew what kinds of misunderstandings would arise if they were to reveal themselves.


    "Please, its just me and my girlfriend. If there''s anyone there, we would love to share a meal, even just to talk! We could all use a friend out here¡­" The man continued with a softer voice as though he could smell the hesitation in the air.


    His friendly voice and downhearted expression finally broke down the twin''s sense of caution. "W-were sorry, we didn''t realise you were here." Loki called out anxiously. Despite the chances of being chased away once they were seen, the hope of acceptance was a feeling commonly shared between both brothers as the edged forwards while still under cover.


    "No, No. Please don''t feel that way! To be honest were kind of lost haha, it''s been a while since we saw a friendly face. You said we, what are your names?" Hearing the immaturity in their voices, the man immediately switched to using a friendlier and more playful tone before helping the woman up from the ground.


    "I''m Loki. It''s me and my brother Rykar, it''s just us two." Loki became the spokes person as Rykar stayed silent at the side. He had a nervous feeling as he watched the conversation between the two. For some reason, he felt unsettled while seeing their warm and friendly attitudes and even felt tempted to run as the woman rose from the ground.


    "Boys, you should come here and let us see you. My name is Anna, this is my boyfriend Chris. There''s plenty of space around the fire, wont you come over?" Anna''s voice drifted over sweetly as she revealed the identities of the unknown pair.


    Both Loki and Rykar stiffened as they heard the name Chris once again as they built up a mental image of their half-brother. But a name is just a name, they already knew a few of the villagers who had familiar if not the same name, so it shouldn''t have been so strange to find another Chris. Coincidence as it may be, they still unconsciously put up their guard against this man.


    "Were not normal¡­ But were not monsters." Loki started before Rykar cut him off and continued, "We have a skin condition, so we look a bit¡­ weird."


    Hearing the second voice finally come out of hiding, Anna and Chris showed a relieved expression as their smiles grew. "That''s fine, we have seen many different kinds of people where were from, come join us." After speaking, Anna sat down and was closely followed by Chris. They both sat on one side of the fire while leaving the other side free, showing that they would keep their distance if the brothers joined them.


    Out of the shadows and under the light of the clouds, as soon as the twins stood up it could be seen how dramatically their ''skin condition'' affected them. The smiles on the faces of Anna and Chris froze immediately as they shuddered while resisting the urge to shout.


    Seeing their change in expression, the twins became downhearted at once, turning to leave without explaining anything but they were stopped as they began to crouch. "Hey, wait! I''m sorry Loki, Rykar. To be honest you just surprised us. We have seen a lot of people but none like you, you both have amazing eyes! Wont you still join us and forgive our mistake?"


    Loki and Rykar Looked at each other shocked before looking back towards the couple with weird expressions.


    A while later, four people were sat around a fire in the middle of the woods as they listened to the stories that Anna and Chris had to share with them. Apparently they had run away from a cultivation camp in the centre of the forest where people were forced to grow crops until they dropped dead. They had no freedom and weren''t even allowed to be together which drove them to escape first chance they got.


    They were not trying to meet up with anyone else that had escaped in order to live out the rest of their lives in peace. Throughout their narration of events, there was no shortage of attempts to question the twins on where they had come from and how to get back there.


    Under their relentless questioning, Rykar''s discomfort grew bit by bit as he refrained from answering. Contrary to this, Loki felt no reason to distrust them and spoke about their up bringing but only really focused on how evil people within the village were while abstaining from bringing up their mother.


    Everything concerning the tree they had been staying within had also been omitted after Loki picked up hints from Rykar that he wasn''t comfortable with the subject. They asked again how to get to the village, trying to convince the boys that by going back they would have a chance to talk it out with the others and get them to understand that they were normal but all they met with was "I don''t know" or "I don''t remember" which made sense since they had lived independently for an unknown period of time.


    "Ah where are my manners, I should have asked if you were hungry a long time ago! The food has just been sitting there going cold." Anna scalded herself before placing a pot over the coals of the fire. Soon after, bubbling could be heard as the soup within began to boil over and a meaty fragrance flowed out, causing the stomachs of all four to growl.


    Bringing out a round of bowls from the bag between them, Anna began to share portions of the soup to each of them. "Sorry we don''t have any spoons, but you can drink from the bowl." She apologised while tilting her own bowl and taking a sip.


    As Loki and Rykar did the same, their bodies shuddered which nearly causing them to drop the contents of the bowl all over themselves.


    Delicious!


    They had never tasted anything so good in their lives! Without bothering to ask what was inside, they practically downed the contents of the bowl before looking back at the pot with watery eyes and scalded mouths.


    "No need to rush! There''s plenty here haha."Anna said with smiling eyes. She then took their bowls before topping them up generously, "Ah, bread goes amazingly with it! Here, dip this in and then take a bite."


    "Mhm, you''re in for a treat!" Chris chimed in.


    The bread felt tough as they rook it in their hands but as soon as the corner was drenched, it became moist and spongy! There wasn''t much flavour there, but it seemed to capture the soup, turning it into a burst of liquid as they bit down on it.


    Even if just for the soup, they were so glad they made the decision to step out of the bush and join the couple instead of leaving. Swallowing the soup and bread, this was the only thought occupying either of their heads at the moment as they fondly looked towards Anna.


    Swallowing the last of the bread, their faces were still calm and content as the bodies of Anna and Chris began to defy gravity and bend sideways as the floor slanted and became a wall.


    Ah, that''s wrong.


    They had slumped to the side like dead fish as their bodies stopped responding. The bowls of soup slid from their hands, spilling onto the ground and forming a puddle next to their heads before everything went dark and they finally lost consciousness.

 14 Chapter 14: Welcome Home Kids

    Darkness covered everything in Loki''s field of view with the exception of a thin slit towards the corner. Whatever Anna and Chris had given him was still working wonders as he could barely maintain his consciousness as he teetered on the edge, often sinking back to sleep before a rough jolt would awake him once again.


    "F*ck me, how can a kid be so heavy?" Chris could be heard complaining through rough breaths. Whatever was being used to blindfold Loki had been tied around his head while going over his ears, making the sounds around him sound muffled and unclear. Besides Chris''s barely audible grunts, he could pick out a lighter sound of breathing which was much closer to him which he guessed belonged to Anna.


    Rather than replying to his complaints, she simply huffed lightly while continuing her uneven steps. It was these that had caused Loki to momentarily sober up as he hit his head against her back. With slight movements, Loki began to shift in an attempt to reach for his blind-fold but, aside from feeling numb all over, a stinging sensation greeted him. From the discomfort in his shoulders, he became aware that his arms had been bound behind his back, leaving all but zero chance of escape or retaliate besides rolling.


    The way that they had been captured and the fact they had only been bound and carried away all pointed towards The couple having no intentions of harming him or his brother but Loki had no idea how long that would go on for.


    Slowing his breathing and focusing internally, he reached out towards his mental connection with Bolt, the wolf he had tamed, and began to tug on the fine string which linked them. From the time he had connected with the wolf, he had noticed that there were many ways for them to communicate, although being only at a very basic level. Transmitting emotions and intent was entirely possible as he urgently called out to his partner.


    Within the withered tree, Bolt had been laying lazily on Loki''s bed but was suddenly shook awake as his sleepiness disappeared with him staring into the distance uncomfortably. After just a moment of standing stock still atop the straw bedding, he bolted out of the door, desperately following in tracks the twins had left just hours before.


    Time was passing rapidly for Loki. Each time he fell unconscious, he had no way of telling how much time had elapsed before he would wake up again. Loki could feel Bolt''s urgency in rushing towards them yet there was no way of telling the distance left either. Whether Bolt would make it to them, or whether they would arrive at wherever the couple were attempting to take them was completely unknown and hung heavily on his heart.


    "Get Down!" Loki felt his emotions surge as he heard an unfamiliar voice shout out from a distance away. The voice was brimming with urgency which left Chris and Anna no time to contemplate before they threw themselves to the grass, tossing the twins from their shoulders.


    Tumbling across the floor while still blindfolded and bound caused Loki to immediately become disorientated while his shoulders flared up in pain due to the unnatural angle they had been tied in. Taking advantage of the situation, he began to clumsily roll around while trying to free either his legs or his arms from the ropes. Without his vision, he had no hope to escape the situation, yet he found it impossible to do nothing while leaving all hope to, who he expected was, Bolt.


    One step at a time. Hands. Eyes. Feet.


    Snarls began coming from somewhere close to him. It was definitely Bolt who had finally come to their aid, but he couldn''t have been faring well as there were no shouts of pain from their captors. Both joy and worry followed as he renewed his efforts.


    After a short pause, Loki began to shake his legs furiously as he felt the ropes slightly give way. Complicate movements may have been a challenge but simply shaking aimlessly produced surprisingly fruitful as his legs came free. While struggling maintain balance, he forced himself to his knees as a sharp yelp split the air shortly after an aggressive shout from Chris.


    *SsshhhhFWAP*


    A screeching sound followed by two dull thuds. That was the only sound which accompanied the connection between Loki and Bolt crumbling into nothingness. Just like the connection between them, Loki lost all strength in him as he came to the realisation and slid to the ground lifelessly.


    "I owe you one man, that damn mutt would have taken my head off" Chris shouted to someone in the distance.


    The sound of laughter gradually became louder and louder as the source gradually made his way over. "Don''t mention it, next time you get some of the good stuff you better give me a shout! Looks like you made a pretty good haul too, just kids though? Or did you just take the lightest ones and leave a couple more for me to bring in?"


    "Heh, you''re not that lucky. These two freaks are basically lost kids with messed up skin. Practically been disowned so you could say we brought them back to give them a new home." Cruel words poured from Chris'' mouth as the two men stood towering above everyone, yet Loki didn''t even raise an eyebrow despite hearing them.


    Everything seemed so distant as he lay there reflecting on the short yet intimate relationship which had just been torn apart. The previous darkness which had been caused by the blindfold had now been completely occupied by vibrant memories, from the initial fight, to times that they had teased Rykar together.


    "Ah, you might not have noticed but that one was moving around quite a bit after the wolf jumped out. I don''t know if the tranquilizer kicked in again or if he''s just playing dead but¡­" The second man''s voice trailed off towards the end as he hinted towards something.


    "Mhm don''t worry, I aint risking it." After Chris replied, Loki could hear him taking heavy steps in his direction before he exerted himself with a grunt before his boots landed heavily. "F*cking hell Anna, can''t you at least get out of the way if you aren''t even going to help? I''m not even surprised just sat there as I nearly got my ass eaten!"


    "Well then¡­ night night kid."


    Broken out of his stupor, a sharp pain pierced through him as Loki was struck in the back of his head causing his mind to go blank as he sunk back into unconsciousness.


    Rudely awoken, Loki and Rykar spluttered and gasped for breath as they shivered on the ground, soaked in icy water. Wiping rapidly to clear their eyes, they quickly located and moved closer to each other before taking in their surroundings.


    "Hello and welcome to my camp. From this day on, you''ll know me as ''Sir''. I''m only going to give this induction once so listen closely to every word because if you miss anything or ask anything stupid you''ll be whipped. Interrupt me and you''ll be whipped. Cry and you''ll be whipped."


    "As a matter of fact, the only reason I''m here right now is because my assistant stressed how ''special'' you were and so I came to have a look. Bare in mind, you''ve already experienced a stroke of luck. If you hadn''t lived up to my expectations, causing me to come all the way here in vain¡­ you would have been whipped.


    As the twins looked up at him, the man finally looked into their oddly coloured eyes and paused for a moment as he squinted, reminding the twins of images of serpents they had seen within the books. "Hmmm, much more interesting than I imagined. Very good."


    "And for the rules. You will work in a cycle of 4 hours work with two hours of rest. Of course, I don''t expect you to tell the time, you''ll be notified by your zone managers. If you''re late onto or off of the field, you''ll be whipped."


    "Within your four hours of field work, you will gather and submit one hundred berries. If you fail within this time limit, it will eat into your leisure time. If you cannot even do this by the end of your leisure time, then you are useless to me."


    "Within the two hours, you can spend this time either in the dorm or in the eating hall. Food is available at all times and you may eat as much as you want as long as it does not limit your efficiency."


    "There is no violence between workers. I repeat none. My top priority is efficiency and if I find out that someone has caused injuries which then inhibit my workers efficiency¡­ you will be whipped and then you will be isolated without food for three days."


    "If you commit an offence three times or if you are found to have stolen or eaten any of the produce you are asked to harvest¡­ let''s just say you''ll wish you were being whipped"


    "While working, you are expected to do so in silence unless you have been spoken to by either myself or a manager. Speaking takes up energy, time and concentration. All of those things have effects on your efficiency, which then has an effect on my efficiency."


    "You don''t need to tell me your names, I think it will be pretty easy for anyone to point you out seeing as you''re not exactly¡­ subtle. Do you have any questions? Think carefully before you speak."


    "How do we become managers?" After a moment of deliberation, Loki asked. His first question would have been to find a way out, however from the guards, whippings and isolation, it wasn''t difficult to realise that it would have been deemed as a ''stupid question''.


    "Good, I like this one. To become a manager, you must report another worker of having broken the rules. This must be done with sufficient evidence as a false claim will only earn you time in isolation and maybe a whipping depending on how much time you wasted." Answering the question, ''Sir'' looked at them once again with a blank face, his bald head reflecting the dull light.


    "Oh I almost forgot. Attempting to escape will get you whipped and three days in isolation without food. Of course, you two can''t count as escapees seeing as you were born on the outside, so I''ll just write off the whipping." He then gestured to a group of muscular men towards the side, "We have two new brothers, how dare we not bring out a homecoming gift?! Aaahh of course, go give them the three-day un-catered tour of the isolation chambers, on the house"


    The twins shrank away from the rough handling of the men which were over twice their size before finally being dragged away while struggling. While staring daggers into the back of the ''Sir'', they watched him walk away as he called out in a snickering voice without looking back.


    "Welcome home kids"

 15 Chapter 15: Silence

    Loki and Rykar had been shown to a fenced off area before being pushed through the gates and greeted by holes in the ground. The area in front of them looked just like a bee hive, holes dotted the dirt floor at irregular intervals with some having been covered by lid made from leaves and vines which were woven together.


    The group of guards which accompanied them remained silent from start to finish, giving the boys an eerie feeling as they walked while sandwiched between them. At first, they had thought as though they were being treated like any other prisoner, however after thinking, the entire reception, bonus punishment and the surplus amount of security served to demonstrate the fear and uncertainty which was directed towards the boys despite them only being children in the presence of grown men.


    Due to the guidance of the guards, the twins were pried apart and lead to holes at separate ends of the Isolation field as they began to hear faint sounds of weeping spilling out from the lidded holes. Nervousness caused their steps to slow as they tensed up, yet a jab in the back forced them to keep up the pace as before being brutally shoved on their sides.


    Loki and Rykar were simultaneously pushed over the edge and fell over three metres down into their individual pits. "What the f*ck, you could have just said to jump in you b*stard" Rykar cursed furiously as he got to his feed and looked around the narrow hole only to find a bucket which emanated a rancid stench of excrement.


    His face scrunched up in anger and disgust, he kicked the bucket towards the edge of the hole and jumped to his feet before aiming to jump and grasp at the edge. Despite his repeated attempts, he only ended up with his fingernails full of dirt as he clawed at the lose walls. Resigning himself, he sat on the ground just like Loki currently was in his pit across the grounds.


    "Trust me kid, don''t drink it all at once." A low voice came from above their heads, each with a similar message as a skin bag was thrown down to them from the entrances. Unbinding the openings of the bags, the twins found that they were filled with water. This was all well and good at first but then they remembered that they were supposed to be stuck in the isolation holes for three days¡­ but there was only just over a days-worth of water in the bags they had been given.


    Without time to voice out their complaints, Light entering the pits rapidly grew sparse. Looking up, a woven lid could be seen being drawn over before slamming shut, throwing dust into the air and causing the boys to break out into coughing fits.


    The silence was stifling. While they were outside, they were able to vaguely hear the sounds coming from the surrounding pits however that was completely different once inside. The mats formed a much tighter barrier and the dirt was completely insulated. The sounds from within the pits had no chance of making out from on layer of matting while also penetrating the layer of matting from another hole. This made it so that there was a slight chance of hearing things from the outside, but once inside¡­ the isolation was complete.


    Down in their respective pits, the occasional crumbling sound could be heard as loose dirt trickled from the walls. Other than this, the only thing producing any sound besides their thoughts was their own thundering heartbeats.


    This drew on their memories from back when they entered the void, the first time they entered the withered tree in the forest, yet it was also drastically different. At that time, they were able to find a sense of peace within nothingness as they lost perception of both the material and immaterial. However here in this space, with all their senses intact, they simply felt trapped, confined and restricted.


    Waking up a while later, Rykar could already hear his stomach growling as he clenched his abs in an attempt to stifle the feeling of emptiness. Thinking back to his last meal of soup and bread, he once again had to tightly clench as he gritted his teeth, temper flaring as he thought back to the smiling faces of Anna and Chris.


    Time went by as slowly as could be. Within the pits there was no way of keeping track of what was going on and the worst thing was, the twins had no idea of how long a ''day'' was in the first place. Their mother had told them that in stories, days are counted by the skies lighting up before going dark but how was this meant to be measured here? How was their mother even able to count how old they were if the days going by weren''t apparent? Loki had long since realised the flawed logic in this but had refrained from asking after his mother avoided answering. However, it was now that these questions were popping up one by one within Rykar''s mind.


    Loki simply passed the time by laying flat on the ground motionlessly. Using up as little energy as possible and trying to spend as much time asleep as he could. This may seem simple, but it worked wonders, the time spent in the pit was still excruciating yet there had been so many more stressful occasions that it wasn''t much of a strain on his mind. Breaking his stance, he would occasionally take a sip or water or adjust his position slightly before sliding back into silence as though melding into the ground.


    Things were countless times more intolerable to Rykar. By now, he had to eat around four times the amount as Loki just to feel satisfied. With the way things were going, to stay in the pit for three days basically equated to twelve for him and the strain on his body was equally high.


    Unknowingly to the occupants of the pits, an entire day had finally passed. As a guard walked around the pits, occasionally pausing to listen to what was going on within, he found nothing abnormal. Passing by Loki, there wasn''t even a peep that was to be said. Moving on, he swept slowly to the other side of the field, checking the other pits as he went by and received a variety of feedback. From Shouting to crying, nothing was out of the norm.


    As he arrived outside Rykar''s pit, he heard low murmuring as though someone was whispering towards him. Obviously from within the pit, the sound would have been much more enhanced, to the point of a low shout perhaps. Curiosity took over the young guard as he god down to his knees and positioned his ear just softly on its surface in order to increase the clarity.


    "he he he ha he ha." The guards blood ran cold as he heard the intense laughter echoing within the pit. As the sound struck the mat and passed through to his ear, it was as though a demon was whispering directly into his soul, the anger, hatred and pure crazed emotions were almost tangible. Cold sweat made its way to the surface of his skin as his hair stood up on end. Tripping over himself once, he made his way to his feet and ran to the other end of the field where he then continued to only make half a round each time, clearly avoiding going over to Rykar''s half.


    As soon as his shift was over, he left without saying a word to the net guard on duty, raising a slight suspicion yet it was disregarded as the new face began to make her rounds.


    Three metres below the ground, Rykar had all but lost his semblance of a human being. Before entering the field, it was obvious that he had recovered physically much more than Loki had due to their malnourished upbringing. This had totally been flipped on its head.


    There were only a few hours left before they would be brought out and thrown into the workers society, yet he was currently knelt down on the ground with a crazed smile plastered on his face. He laughed hoarsely through his dried throat as he shovelled mud into his mouth through cracked and bloodied fingers.


    It hadn''t taken long for the hunger pains to get the better of him as he was thrown into the pit. Within hours, he couldn''t take the pain any more and drank all the water at once in an attempt to thwart it. This was successful for another few hours but after which, there was nothing he could do but curl into a ball and talk to himself to try and distract himself.


    Stories he had heard from his mother flowed from his mouth, recited word for word as he dug deep into his memories while trying to escape reality. Eventually, he awoke from his stupor with his fingers in his mouth, gnawed at until they were bloodied and frayed. A few of his finger nails had already been swallowed without him even realising.


    Desperation reaching, he squeezed out the last of the droplets within the water skin before savagely tearing into it with his teeth, swallowing the leather bit by bit as though it was a delicacy. This staved the hunger once again, but he knew it wouldn''t last.


    The final dregs of his rational flew out the window a few hours later. As the previous guard had knelt down to listen at the entrance to the pit, Rykar had been laughing wildly while repeatedly smashing his fists into the ground while his knuckles had long since been exposed to the bone. Wrists swollen from the repeated impact, he had bruises all over as his red and grey eyes shone like spotlights in the dark.


    As his fists rained down, blood was mashed into the ground. The dense and dried out dirt floor was softened by the warm thick liquid before being beaten into a muddy, bloody pulp. Like a machine, Rykar pummelled his own blood into mud before using his torn-up fingers to stuff the mixture down his throat before repeating the process.


    For hours on end he had repeated and repeated. His mind was far from focused on this task as it became second nature, the pain from his wounds had long since stopped being registered.


    Faces flicked through his mind rapidly and with amazing detail as his perfect recall worked overtime.


    Mother


    Father


    Chris


    Villagers


    Anna


    Chris


    Guards


    ''Sir''


    All these people were replayed through his head as his hatred intensified. Rather than casting them aside, he constantly confronted them as his blood boiled. The blazing anger only served to accelerate his heart rate, causing more blood to pump through his body before spurting from the wounds all over his hands. This was all once again returned to his body as he swallowed all that was drained from him.


    "Rykar¡­ Rykar wake up!" Voices began to travel towards Rykar, but he was still within a trance-like state, pummelling the ground before shoving whatever paste was formed into his mouth. "Rykar, snap the fuck out of it!"


    Finally, he was woken up as his arms wouldn''t respond. On instinct, he lashed out. Channelling all his pent-up anger, he swung out wildly towards his sides, yet weakness still overtook him due to blood loss. It was already a miracle that he was still conscious at all.


    As the disruption finally broke him out of his repetitive cycle, he finally blacked out as he slumped into the arms of his brother.


    Tears in his eyes, Loki was in a miserable state as his famished body cradled his brother. Throughout the three days of isolation, he felt distant. Many of his emotions had long since been locked away, even the death of Bolt was something he no longer felt any sadness for as he lay in the darkness.


    This all smashed apart when he was taken to his brothers pit in order to collect him before reporting to their dorm. Finding his brothers mental stare destroyed, his bloody hands, the mess all over the ground¡­


    The anger that he had been neglecting then broke forth like a raging tide. All the anger that Rykar had been accumulating over the three days seemed to condense into one moment as Loki''s eyes went cold.


    The guards that had been about to pull the boys from the pit all froze in place before slowly edging away from the brothers.


    Rykar lay bloodied and unconscious in Loki''s arms, completely disarmed yet his crazed expression and blood-stained smile was still sculpted to his face like a demon mask. In contrary to this, Loki''s face was completely tranquil, yet his eyes looked lifeless as he stared up towards the entrance of the pit at the guards who had taken shifts to confine them.


    His grey face and dull lifeless eyes looked at them all one by one, committing their faces to memory as tears of blood streaked down his face, dripping onto his brother''s forehead one by one.

 16 Chapter 16: Chance

    After Rykar was force fed some recovery medicines in liquid form, he quickly regained consciousness although being in a dazed and heavily weakened state. As he opened his eyes, he was greeted by the sight of his brother leaning over him attentively, refusing to leave his side despite having only recently been released from isolation himself.


    As he began shifting his body and feeling the pain in his bandaged fingers, the attendants around him rapidly staggered backwards as though he had arisen as a ghost. Their gazes resembled the looks the villagers had given him as they had returned to seek out their mother. His eyes narrowed as he returned their stares with a poisonous glance before asking his brother in a raspy voice, "Where are we?"


    "We got out of isolation not long ago, were in the infirmary now which isn''t too far from the food hall. They''ve said we have twelve hours before our shift starts so we can eat and rest up until we are called out." Loki''s voice reflected the same chill that could be seen in Rykar''s eyes as he filled his brother in on the current situation and the state they had found him in earlier.


    Listening to Loki''s description, Rykar felt nothing but hate. The level of suffering he had gone through had broadened his horizons multiple times over as he felt his body literally eating away at itself over the space of three days. All of this pain had been directed towards those around him as he reflected. Due to this association, just by looking at the faces of the people around him caused him to be greatly incensed with his heart speeding up as he withheld the urge to attack everyone in sight.


    Without wasting time, he called Loki over and asked him for help standing before they both made their way over to the dinner food hall. Walking through the streets, they could see houses everywhere. It wasn''t anything like the shabby wooden huts that the village had comprised of. Each of the houses had uniform wooden walls with pitched roofs and framed windows. They gave off a sturdy and organised feeling as the rows presented themselves in blocks, forming wide paths for people to make their way through the camp unimpeded.


    Despite these wide streets, no one could bee seen on these streets, not a single soul. They walked the short distance towards the food hall slowly and warily, casting glances around all corners. The atmosphere made it so that they couldn''t help but expect someone to jump out at any moment.


    Finally reaching the entrance to the hall which was easily four metres wide, the twins were both equally shocked to realise that the ''food hall'' that they were expected to eat in was actually big enough to accommodate the entire village they had grown up in! Just like the other buildings, it was made of wood, yet the ceiling was at least five metres high with row after row of tables lining the interior and a raging fire in the very centre, billowing heat into the surroundings.


    The cosy feeling of the huge room caught them off guard as they strode down the centre, towards the back end where there were multiple tables set up all along the back wall. As they skirted away from the fire to avoid the sweltering heat, the smell of the various buffet stations began to assault them. As they continued, they increased their pace until they were practically sprinting the last few metres. By some miracle, or gluttony, Rykar had long since left his brothers support as he moved with renewed vitality, reaching the counter simultaneously alongside Loki.


    They both looked over the tables ferociously before demanding a plate from the startled staff on the side of the counter. Most of the foods they had never even seen before, without asking to be informed of the names, they simply pointed out all the dishes they wanted. A short while later, two dark figures could be seen making their way over to one of the hundreds of empty tables while struggling to carry a mountain of delicacies each.


    Finally seated, they let out a long breath before reaching for their plates. Not bothering with cutlery, Loki picked a chicken drumstick while Rykar emerged with a beef and a kidney pie in his right and left hands respectively. Placing the food to their mouths, their teeth only just sank in before they heard a clatter directly opposite them.


    Taking a cursory glance at each other, they shifted their over-stuffed plates slightly to the side, giving themselves an opportunity to see the guest who had placed themselves opposite them without invitation.


    "How''s it going? Well that''s a dumb question, you''ve just been in isolation haha. Looks like the rumours were true, you''re just as beat up as I''ve heard. Damn your hands must hurt huh?" Taking a seat, the young man began a monolog without waiting for a reply from either of them, paying special attention to the wounds and bandages which covered Rykar''s hands, lips and forehead.


    "Well, it isn''t really much of a guess, more of an observation. I''m going to say that you in the bandages is the demon and you''re the clever one." He continued without minding the silence of the twins. Loki and Rykar had long since continued their meals, quickly demolishing the pies and drumstick while currently looking for their next victim among their plates. They didn''t feel any particular bad will towards this young man, hell it was even nice that he didn''t seem weirded out by them. However, it would be stupid of them to have not learned their lesson by now.


    Just because they aren''t afraid, it doesn''t mean they mean well. They price for this lesson had been unexpectedly high.


    "Where are my manners, you can call me Chance. I''ve been here a while now so if you need any advice, feel free." Hearing his odd name, Rykar paused for just a moment before burying the desire to make conversation once again and reached for his plate. "Damn, tough crowd huh. Well either way, what I''m about to say will help you out so, even if you don''t want to reply, you should listen, or you''ll have to learn it the hard way."


    Chance stopped for a moment as though he was waiting to see if either of them would take the bait and actually ask a question, yet he was sorely disappointed. He was a handsome young man with short brown hair, freckles and a charming smile. His face gave off a friendly impression, yet his dark eyes were clear and steady without any hesitation. Despite the odd colour of their eyes, he never averted eye contact from either Rykar or Loki first, causing them to look down at their food with a sense of nervousness.


    "The camp is split into four groups which operate in cycles, four hours work and two hours rest. Every hour, a bell will ring with a different tone, corresponding to the groups that have to either get to work or stop work. Do not be late. Energy is the most valuable asset here. Two hours to eat and sleep is not nearly as much as you think it is, you''ll just get used to always being tired.


    "The work we complete is harvesting essence fruit. These look like little berries, BUT they are actually pretty heavy. Each of them weighs around ten kilos and the stems holding them are really tough to cut through so it will wear you down quickly. My advice is to collect around four of them before handing them in, rather than loading yourself up till its overly heavy or you''ll burn your energy faster.


    "Every time you submit them, they will be counted and quality checked. If the essence fruit are blemished, damaged or haven''t been cleaned properly, they will be taken in but won''t count towards your quota. Make sure you check the quality and ripeness before picking them and be even more careful while doing so.


    "If you finish collecting a hundred before the time is up, you can either leave early to get food or you can collect more which you can then get bonus points for. There are loads of little things you can get like alcohol and clothes and stuff but its not needed. Hence me being here, I finished my shift and skipped the dinner queue by coming early." Expelling a long breath, he looked at the twins expectantly.


    "I mean, it''s nice talking by myself and all¡­ but don''t you have any questions? Like, none?" He coaxed.


    "Why are you talking to us?" Loki finally asked in between bites. His question was well placed and made sense, yet his voice betrayed the fact that he had no real interest in the answer.


    "Haha, now that makes it more interesting! See, were having a conversation now!" Chance smiled broadly as he threw a potato into his mouth before continuing. "To be honest, I was really curious about what kind of person would have to be in the pit to scare Jamie half to death! After he got out of there, he begged all the other guards to switch with them before finally admitting that he heard a demon in there!"


    Chuckling to himself for a while, Chance then continued with a similarly soft yet more serious voice. "But then after bumping into you today I can see you''re just kids. I mean, I guess I''m not much older since I''m only eighteen, but I know how difficult it can be to end up alone."


    A sad smile was left on his face as he finished the last of his plate. "Another word of advice, friends aren''t so easily found in here, so your current attitudes are perfect. Don''t miss me too much, you''ll see a whole lot more of me by little amigos." Standing up and walking towards the side, he placed his plate on a rack before walking out of the entrance of the hall.


    Just as he left, a loud and low-pitched bel rang throughout the space, causing both Loki and Rykar to jump. Before the reverberations of the bell even faded away, a massive tide of people flooded into the tent chaotically rushing up to the stations at the far end. Men and women equally strove to make it to the front of the crowd before barking out their orders at the staff which began operating overtime as the requests came rolling in.


    Hundreds of people immediately crowded all of the tables within the hall as Loki and Rykar watched on blankly from their corner.

 17 Chapter 17: Another Plate

    As the dinner hall filled up and seats began to grow scarce, people began to look towards the corners of the hall for a place to enjoy their meal. It only took a few minutes before Rykar and Loki became the centre of unwanted attention once again.


    At first, the largely piled up plates in front of them helped to hide many of their features from people in passing. However, as people began to take up the seats across and beside them, silence descended and spread through the surroundings like a plague. Eyes, chins, forks, knives and fingers were used in order to point them out as everyone''s focus was directed to the previously inconspicuous corner.


    Pin drop silence took over the space. Everyone seemed to be waiting on their next actions of the ''demon'' and his brother. Yet they were left waiting in vain. Rykar and Loki continued eating at a steady pace without even looking up at those seated or standing around them. Pies, vegetables, meat, rice, bread¡­ all these items disappeared from their crowded plates one by one under the gazes of the onlookers without any sense of disruption. The mechanical eating went on. And on. And on.


    "Aaah I see the demon and his sidekick are enjoying their meal!" A loud voice parted the crowd as a small group of people strode towards their table. All of the people sitting in the immediate vicinity packed up and made room as their places were taken by the newcomers.


    "Don''t talk to peasants, its not good practice." Another voice chimed in, shortly followed by another.


    "No, no. I''ve heard it''s actually a plague, demon is too good a word for this kind of thing." Remark after remark began pouring from the group. The silence of the surroundings only caused the commotion to become more pronounced as the already loud voices continued to increase in volume.


    "Can''t you see this is a discussion between adults? Why are you peasants still here, its about time you left. Go on, shoo." Finally the owner of the original comment spoke up once again. A glance from the twins revealed a middle age woman of short stature. Just like the others around her, her clothes were immaculate and clung to her figure as though tailor made. Her curves were only accentuated as she leaned forward on the table propped up by her elbow while looking straight into their eyes.


    Having finished his meal, Loki let out a sigh of contentment as he pushed his plate slightly away from himself, lifting his arms over his head and stretching without paying any attention. Drawing out the moment, he then got up and strode towards the side before placing his plate away and walking through the centre of the hall towards the exit.


    Murmurs began to spread through the crowd as the onlookers mustered their bravery while braking out of their dazes under the influence of the pompous group. Shallow laughs could be heard as they jeered in low voices with the words ''demon'', ''sidekick'' and ''peasants'' being thrown around brazenly.


    Without the ceremony displayed by Loki, Rykar dragged himself up from his seat suddenly. The quick movement causing the chair to be pushed back across the ground with a high-pitched shriek, shutting the crowd up instantly as they waited on his reply to the taunts. Within the room, only Loki hadn''t looked back as he continued to make his way out with the intention of finding his dorm and resting.


    Fingers wrapped in blood stained bandages wrapped around the sides of Rykars plate as he lifted it and made his way towards a side of the room with heavy steps. He moved in a straight line, refusing to allow anyone to stand in his way as his eyes bore into anyone in front of him, crumbling their resolve to hold fast. As he came to a stop, he placed his plate on the side before taking a breath and projecting his voice.


    "Another plate."


    His firm yet immature voice rattled across the room as he spoke to the staff behind the buffet station. In confusion, everyone including the pompous group looked on as Rykar then went on to select over ten items from the counter before his plate could hold no more.


    "Another plate."


    The same words rang out once again before the staff brought out another dish with hesitation in their movements. He then selected another ten delicacies before balancing the plates on each hand and beginning his return along the same path he had taken there. The plates weren''t overly heavy, yet the weight being imposed on his hands caused his wounds to open up once again. Fresh blood began to make its way to the surface of his bandages before dripping down onto the floor with a dull pattering sound.


    Reaching the table, he sat down in the exact same seat which was directly in front of the woman who had sent him away, before heavily planting both plates onto its surface. The screech rang out once again as he drew his seat under him while looking her straight in the eyes. Without missing a beat, he began to eat once again while paying no attention to the small amounts of blood which were present on everything he reached for.


    As Rykar began slowly making progress on his plate without spending any energy on those around him, the noise within the hall gradually became energetic once again. Instead of the discussion being aimed towards ridiculing the twins however, the topic had shifted more towards simply being curious about them and even praising the ''demon''s attitude.


    Two dull tones reverberated through the air before the sound made its way through the windows and into the room the twins had been allocated. This was the third time they had been woken up by the various blares that made their way to their ears. Shuffling frustratedly on their beds, they turned over while throwing their blankets over their heads. Before they could even find a comfortable position to re-enter their dreams, the door was booted open as a loud voice thundered without regard to their sleepy states.


    "Work starts NOW! You''re both assigned to the second branch, get up and follow me to your allocated field. From now on, you''ll go straight there after you hear the signal that just sounded." A burly man with a permanent scowl on his face shouted quickly in their direction before turning and leaving without giving them a chance to respond.


    Hearing his footsteps fading rapidly, both Loki and Rykar left their beds without bothering to rearrange the bedding and gave chase. As they caught up to his large figure, they had to jog behind him just for them to keep up due to his footsteps being nearly twice the length of theirs. Without looking behind to see if they were even following, he spoke once again. "From now on, you won''t have your own house. You''ll be in the bunk house of your branch. Its not far from here but we won''t be going past it on the way to the field, you''ll have to ask someone within the branch to lead you there."


    As they left the cover of the wooden buildings, they were greeted by a massive expanse of silver which covered nearly as far as they could see. In the very back, they saw the tiny crowns of trees which must have been tens kilometres away. Now and then, thin wooden towers could be seen standing almost four metres tall throughout the fields as the figures inside watched over the workers, frequently raising their telescopes to peer out from the openings in the top.


    Hundreds of people were leaving the fields after being patted down by the staff working security, yet even more were queuing up at large stations before making their way onto the field carrying containers. As they continued walking, the burly man took them straight to the front of the queue while under the gazes of those present. Arriving at the front he took a small rectangular container and a small knife, handing one of each to both Loki and Rykar.


    "Do not loose either of these. You''ll be containing the essence fruit within these cases before submitting them at one of the stations at any point. There''s a cloth in the case for you to clean each fruit before handing them in." He then reached under the desk and took out what looked like a crystal marble with silver liquid swirling within. "This is a ripe essence fruit, it only glitters silver once its ready to be harvested, before then its simply a grey colour. You''ll learn the difference pretty quickly. Go find a spot in the field and start picking."


    As he said his final words, he made his way into the distance before climbing up into one of the wooden towers and keeping watch. Looking around, neither of the twins knew which direction they should walk in. There were rows and gaps within the crops which would allow them to walk without crushing anything, but the field was too big for them to know where to start. "Which wa- "


    As Rykar began to ask Loki where they should go first, the sound of a whip ripped through the air before he felt flames erupt on his back. Falling to the ground, he screamed in pain as he rubbed his back against the cold dirt.


    "I''ve heard that Sir told you the rules directly. There''s no talking out here so keep your mouth shut." A cold voice came from behind them. Loki looked back while Rykar was still writhing on the ground only to find that a manager had crept up behind them while they had their attention on the burly man from earlier. Obviously, he had been hoping for them to forget about the rules, giving him an opportunity punish the newbies for breaking the silence in negligence.


    Standing up, Rykar stretched while feeling his back still flaring up in pain. Despite the manager glaring at him, he remained silent despite his cold eyes as he picked up his case and knife. With a final look, he turned and began walking away with Loki trailing behind.


    Within the line, a group of people with clean, well fitted clothing and venomous eyes watched the twins departing figures. After exchanging a nod with the manager who had just rebuked Rykar, they watched him walk off in the direction the twins had left in.

 18 Chapter 18: The Safety Of Rules

    Venturing off in similar directions, Loki and Rykar began using their curved blades to extract the ripe essence fruit. At first glance, the bushes were glamourous and dazzling to the eye. They sprouted from the browned earth forming an instant contrast due to their silver stems and leaves. Silver flowers branched off at the ends of the stalks, enclosing the marble shaped fruits within the golden laced petals.


    Despite their delicate appearance, touching them would completely break one out of their reverie. The stalks felt as though they were made from bone or rock, the weight of them alone made it difficult to curve or manipulate them at all for either of the twins.


    While encased in the protective leaves, the majority of the fruit on the bushes were either small and completely covered or had grown large enough for their bodies to just about pry apart their leaf''s protection. In any case all of these were still dull and grey, indicating they were not ready to be harvested. Out of these, only around one or two percent of the fruit would emit sparkles now and then as silver particles could be seen circulating within.


    This percentage may seem small on paper, but in consideration, just the few tens metres around the twins easily contained over three thousand of such berries. The plants were short, only around half a metre tall and similarly wide, yet the nutrients within them was amazingly condensed. With as little as thirty fruit growing on each, it would take a few seconds just to search through each plant''s flowers.


    Then there was the actual harvesting. Using the blades, it would take tens of slashes just to relieve each fruit from its casing of silver and golden petals. After which, it would then take another dozen to remove the flowers from their attachment to the end of the stalks they grew from.


    This was the time-consuming element of the work that the twins had to complete on a constant basis, but it was far from the most stress inducing. Although Chance had told them previously that each of the fruit would weigh around ten kilos, that was only the lighter ones. The average weight was around twelve kilos and the heavier ones even went up to fifteen! Despite this discrepancy, there was no way to know which fruit would weigh more or less because they were all the same size after maturing and all of the weight would be supported by the stem until it was detached.


    Loki may have taken on the rest of Chance''s advice without putting it to the test but Rykar had to learn the hard way. After filling seven out of his ten slots within his container, the trip back to the nearest submission stand was three times more consuming on both his energy and time. Not daring to open his mouth to swear openly during working hours, a flurry of abuse directed at himself, the field and anything else he laid eyes on had echoed through his head for the entire four-hour shift that day.


    His anger had long since been on the boil. Seven shifts had already passed by and, without fail, he had always gone over the time limit by at least twenty minutes. This may not seem like a lot, yet the rest period was already short as it only lasted two hours. With his appetite, cleaning three plates was an easy feat but the time it took him to eat them was the issue. By the time wiped himself clean and got into the bed he would then be lucky if he got over an hour sleep.


    Loki was just scraping by himself, usually finishing up around ten minutes after the deadline before making his way over to the dinner hall to complete his routine. Initially, he would come over to help Rykar, but it wasn''t long before he realised exactly why he wasn''t completing his harvest on time. Contrary to his thoughts, Rykar was actually able to pick the essence fruit much faster than he was. His hands were surprisingly nimble despite his rough grip on the curved blade. His strength had still been increasing at a steady pace, quickly recovering beyond what it had been after his release from isolation.


    The issue was his injuries. Or to be more accurate, his new injuries. Ever since the first time the manager had whipped him for speaking, the same man had been following Rykar throughout each and every shift without fail.


    "Stop whispering!"


    "I heard that!"


    "Who do you think you''re talking to?!"


    "Did you just look at me funny?"


    One sided shouts would constantly be heard from wherever Rykar was working and every time a shout was heard, the sound of a whip breaking through the air would follow closely after. After his first fault, Rykar had never so much as opened his mouth to yawn while working on the fields but this seemed to mean nothing.


    Whips and beatings would strike randomly as he was working, often just after he had plucked a fruit. The pain from the whip or the blunt force of kicks would often cause his hands to become unsteady, dropping the fruit and damaging it on the ground if not making him crush it within his own fingers.


    Noticing Rykar still on the field working, Loki attempted to help him after filling his quota for the first two shifts¡­ but this only made the beatings worse while giving another target to the abuse. Stern gestures from Rykar served no purpose the first time as Loki simply came back next shift but Rykar only left a few words as they walked into the field for their third. "If you consider me your brother, you''ll let me handle this."


    Despite the dull tone in his voice, Rykar''s eyes were already showing signs of redness as the vessels pumping blood through them began to surface. The lack of sleep was setting him more and more on edge while his faint muscles were in a constant state of tension.


    From that shift onwards, communication between the brothers became non-existent. Apart from beginning their shifts at the same time, their lives were completely out of sync as Rykar would eat and bathe only after Loki had already fallen sleep. Even when he did see his brother, there was nothing to be said as the smallest details would ignite a nearly unbearable rage.


    Waking up to the sound of the two tone which ushered them to work, Rykar gritted his teeth and growled as he slammed his fist into the side of the bed. As they had already moved back into the bunk house, this startled the others and caused over twenty pairs of eyes to zoom in on his bunk.


    Without caring for the glances, he tore off his sheet which then became tangled within his legs due to moving around in his deep slumber. There it was, fire raced through his veins as he began to shred the blanket with his bare hands. His strength was nothing out of this world despite being stronger than the average adult. It was just that the quality of the sheet was truly lacking, causing the frayed edges to come apart under the tension.


    Leaving the bunkhouse and rushing to the fields yet again, no one stood within the vicinity of the twins on the walk there or even in the queue to collect equipment. Loki was walking alongside his brother but even then, he made sure to stand at arms-length. His usual composure was fading as he became fidgety under the stifling pressure that his brother was emitting without constraint.


    "Hey Loki, what''s the difference between being in this camp, and being back in the village?" Rykar asked suddenly, causing Loki to jump slightly.


    "Well¡­ We aren''t left alone any more. I guess it''s almost like we''re just like everyone else?" Loki answered with uncertainty in his voice.


    "That''s what I thought, but I think I was wrong. The difference is there''s no reason to fear anyone here, right? Well, apart from the managers. But¡­ that''s because there are rules." Rykar paused for a moment, seeming to pick out his words before speaking again. "Well, its not the managers they are afraid of, it''s Sir. Sir controls everyone because he can lock them up, whip them or kill them, right?


    "And in the village, they feared us because they thought we would harm them, right? Remember back when they called us demons? Did you see their faces? Hahaha, I bet you anything, they wanted to attack us and drive us out but it was fear that actually made them just watch is leave. Because there were no rules protecting them" Rykar suddenly turned to Loki and smiled as though he had just told a joke. "Sooooo, what would happen if people didn''t think the rules would keep them safe?"


    The lightness of his tone was completely out of place when combined with his increasingly bloodshot eyes and the air which stifled Loki to the point of it being difficult to breathe. "I- I guess¡­ I don''t know¡­" Despite taking a moment to ponder the question seriously, Loki had no idea what his brother was getting at.


    Rykar had always been impulsive so it had already been surprising to see him holding in this level of abuse over these few days without any confrontation. Loki thought that had been weird enough but was glad he was holding it together. It was only now that he was realising how negatively the situation had been affecting him.


    Four and a half hours of every six. Over eighty percent of his day was spent under the mental stress of not knowing when the next whip would cut into his back. Eighty percent of his time spent in silence, not able to speak with anyone and only listen to the verbal attacks of the manager. Eighty percent picking a fruit he had no idea what for.


    Many of the people within the camp were treated at least as workers, as long as the rules were adhered to. Then there was Loki who was treated like an outcast, avoided by the entire population of the camp despite the curiosity towards him. Then at the very bottom of the chain, there was Rykar.


    Unable to sleep enough, unable to seek company, unable to waste any time on anything other than food and rest. Unable to work in peace. Unable to feel safe. Unable to avoid the torment.


    After passing the station, Loki and Rykar were both given their knives and containers as they made their way towards their own areas of the field. From behind a booth adjacent to them, the same manager walked out with a massive smile plastered to his face as he made his way after Rykar.


    "See you in three days!" Rykar shouted towards Loki who was already ten of metres away by now. The shout wasn''t overly loud, but it stood out like butter entering a hot pan due to the field being deathly quiet. Everyone paused and looked up at the source, wondering who was dumb enough to invite trouble for such a dumb reason as to say goodbye.


    As Loki looked up, the smile on the managers face stiffened before brightening up once again. "Oh, you''ll see him soon alright!" swinging his whip, the manager jogged the last few steps before getting in striking range. Flicking his wrist, the whip lurched forward only to let out a crisp thud as it struck the metal container which Rykar had pre-emptively raised.


    Before the manager could even drag his arm back for another swing, Rykar walked over willingly rather than running away. Confusion washed over the managers face before he raised a hand, intending to push Rykar away and back into a more comfortable distance before raising his whip again.


    His hand, however, didn''t even make it onto Rykar''s shoulder before coming to an abrupt stop. Dropping his whip to the ground, everyone on the field stared wide eyed as he gripped his throat with one hand and Rykar''s wrist with his other. Blood painted the front of his shirt and trousers as Rykar''s knife lodged itself in his jugular, severing arteries and twisting violently against his ligaments.


    It was anything but a clean cut. Flesh and bone were ravaged unevenly while many pieces stuck wetly to Rykar''s hand. Despite the rest of his body avoiding the bits of meat, the blood from the managers throat had completely drenched him from head to toe as it squirted out wildly.


    Releasing his hold on the knife, the manager fell limply to the floor with its handle still protruding from his neck.


    Initially, Rykar had begun to walk back towards the food hall but before long he slapped his head in forgetfulness, causing drops of blood to fly into the air. Spinning on his heels, he returned to the managers side before picking up his container along with the blood covered knife. Handing the two items back to the station, he made his way off the field with every intention to eat his fill before the ''rules'' were enforced.

 19 Chapter 19: The Demon or The Smart?

    The arrival of a thirteen-year-old child covered in blood set off waves across the food hall as all within clambered over each other in an attempt to avoid him. There was no obstruction as Rykar walked through the mass of people who had only recently finished their shifts.


    Reaching the counter, the staff had staggered backwards until their backs pressed against the wall, refusing to even make eye contact. Seeing a plate already placed on the side, Rykar didn''t make it difficult for them, taking the plate and taking a seat at a table without caring for the food''s previous owner.


    Compared to the amount that Rykar would usually overload his dish with, the food on the plate seemed sparse and desolate in his eyes but this didn''t matter. Picking at it slowly, he shivered occasionally after swallowing. Soon after each bite made its way down his throat, his stomach would churn while threatening to eject its contents.


    Eating this plate of discomfort, Rykar''s mind was running over the events of the last seven cycles. The abuse and pain he had been put through and the rational behind his actions. He had more than enough time to think it out and he understood exactly thy he had done what he did. Only, now that he had passed that point, he was struggling to decide whether what he had done was right.


    The effect he wanted had come, the punishment would come as expected. Even if it was worse than Sir had explained, he no longer cared. His mind was muddled to the point that he mechanically ate the food without even registering the taste of it.


    ''But¡­ was the pain worth his life?''


    While mulling over the question, he had long since been surrounded by guards with large statures, many of which he had seen as him and his brother were first brought into the camp. Feeling a large hand clasp his shoulder, he jumped at first, before putting down the food in his hand and getting to his feet.


    "I won''t try anything, lead the way." He said plainly before making his way out of the hall within the centre of the encirclement. It only took around fifteen minutes of walking to get back to the isolation area from the food hall, but the entire journey was tense and uncomfortable for the guards. Despite the short walk, they already had a light film of sweat decorating their foreheads.


    As if oblivious to this, at the centre, Rykar continued onwards with a vacant expression on his face, totally unaware that for the entire walk, he had been murmuring to himself. Many of the words were too quiet to be heard by those surrounding him, but those that they could would cause them to shiver.


    "Deserved death¡­ Painful¡­ Not fair¡­ How dare¡­ Slice¡­ Victim¡­ Darkness... Silence¡­ Sleep... Hunger¡­" The words tumbled out without end as Rykar''s turbid eyes stayed glued to the ground just a few metres ahead of him. Despite his pace being on the slow end, the guards had simply taken shorter steps rather than order hm around.


    Despite this causing them to stay in this unnerving atmosphere for a few more minutes, they felt no qualms in leaving good enough alone.


    "I''m guessing you''re not the smart one, so I take it you''re the demon." As they entered the isolation space, Sir called out towards Rykar while standing atop a platform. "Truth be told, I didn''t think id be seeing either you nor your brother so soon. Although, I''ll admit you''re still just as pleasing to the eye.


    "Are you not enjoying my camp? I told you the rules very clearly¡­ so tell me, what is the punishment for murder?" Sir asked while looking down at Rykar. Despite the teen still having his eyes still concentrated on the ground, Sir continued to ask without clarifying whether he had his attention or not.


    Either way, failure to answer would result in punishment. He seemed to be aware of what resulted in punishment and Sir wouldn''t mind harshly indulging him in the least. It was a rare day where he was feeling relaxed, he had time to spare.


    "The punishment for harming another worker is being whipped and three days in isolation." Rykar replied. Although his eyes were still slightly glossy, he responded clearly and precisely to Sir''s question.


    "That''s the punishment for harm. I asked what the punishment was for ''murder''". Sir reiterated.


    "You didn''t mention a punishment for murder in the induction." Rykar stated. By this time, his eyes had become focused again, clearly looking up at Sir without faltering.


    "Do you think that the rules for murder and the rule for injury are one and the same?" Sir asked as his eyebrow quickly raised. Contrary to the serious topic of conversation, a smile was slowly making its way onto his face.


    "As far as I know, they are. Isn''t murder just a more serious injury? Besides, it wasn''t murder. I was defending myself." Rykar corrected.


    After all that happened, Rykar would no way stand for being accused of a baseless murder. He had already long since understood the reason for the manager to have focused his attention on him and had debated whether it would have been more effective to lash out on the manager, or directly on the source.


    "Hmmm, you have a good point. To be honest with you, there is no punishment for murder. That''s because there haven''t been any cases of workers murdering each other, they''re generally sacred enough of the rule against injuring one another.


    "Although there have been some cases of guards fatally harming managers, with managers doing the same to workers, this isn''t something that travels up the food chain. Do you know why that is?" Sir paused for a moment before taking Rykar''s silence as an indication to continue. "Its because of the value that you present to me. The best workers would have caught my attention, therefore won''t be harmed. The worst workers won''t make enough of a difference on my efficiency, so they simply eat more than they are worth, which doesn''t impact enough on my efficiency for me to care. Understand?


    "There''s simply an order of importance. Guards are more important than managers. Managers are more important than workers. Better workers are more important than worse workers. But that''s also open to interpretation.


    Let''s compare this guard next to you for example." Sir pointed to a guard with short hair and a large frame. As Rykar looked over, he shuffled slightly on his feet. "This man, the big one. I don''t even know his name, so he obviously doesn''t have much of a value to me. However, he is still a guard so it''s safe to say he is worth more to me than a worker, right?


    "BUT, the best worker under me is able to harvest three hundred spirit fruit in the four hours while still having time to go and eat dinner early. Do you think this guard is worth as much in my eyes as that worker?" he asked with a smirk, insulting the guard without qualms.


    "So, if we work well then we are untouchable?" Rykar asked.


    "''If we work well''? Is it just me, or do you seem to be under the impression that you''ll still be working beyond today?" Although it seemed like a question, Sir''s tone made it come out like a sarcastic statement. As Rykar came to understand the meaning of the question, his eyes widened for the first time as he broke out into a cold sweat.


    "If there isn''t any rule against murder then I don''t see why this should be made a special case." Rykar began to speak quickly as his mind turned. He fully well understood that he had to show his value now, even if that was just as a target of entertainment. "Also, even though I was being attacked throughout my shifts on top of being sleep deprived, I''ve filled the quota every time. I would be able to work at a much higher pace now that he''s gone."


    Rykar''s reply caused Sir''s face to light up for a moment has he looked down at his desperate reply in amusement. "True, you would be work much faster without the obstacle, however you also eat around four times as much as the other workers. Wouldn''t it be easier for me to bring in four more workers and just replace you?"


    "I don''t know how much those essence fruit must be worth, but the food we eat can''t be worth anything much in comparison seeing as its always there for the taking¡­ There''s already too much of it for everyone to eat before being thrown away. It would make more sense to have one good worker than four crap ones¡­ and you could just get the four extras while I work on top." Rykar countered once again.


    "I see, your logic is slightly flawed seeing as I simply like good workers, I don''t NEED them." Sir paused before continuing, "But I like efficiency, one worker doing two peoples work is much more attractive than four people doing four peoples work."


    Rykar let out a deep breath at this point. Without any clothing covering his upper body, his skin was visibly shining due to being slick with sweat. It was taking all his energy just to stand straight and avoid wobbling in the presence of this man whose mood was too unpredictable for him to understand.


    In planning, he had prepared himself for violent repercussions and an angry mob that was just as scared as they were angry. Instead, as soon as he arrived, he was thrown into a verbal battle with a snake in a smiling mask. He wasn''t sure if he was glad or not at such an outcome, but he was sure that it wasn''t something he found any easier to deal with.


    While he was still catching his breath, Rykar heard Sir begin to speak again but in the direction of the guards rather than himself. "Don''t bother with the whipping, he''s already had plenty. However, put him in the ground for three days. Also, if I hear of anyone else taking bribes which directly impact my efficiency again, they will be isolated and then demoted. That way they can make up for it."


    Hearing that Sir used the word ''bribe'' without him even having mentioned it, Rykar realised that the man had been keeping tabs on more than just his eating habits. Looking up, he began to re-evaluate the man who seemed to know about everything that went on between the thousands of people within the camp. He felt a certain nakedness under his gaze which didn''t just come from him being topless.


    As he was being ushered away from the podium, he began to think back to the last time he had been into isolation. His heart began speeding up in anticipation, but he didn''t feel a rush of heat. In contrast, his blood ran cold as he remembered the darkness and hunger.


    "Wait." Rykar''s thoughts were interrupted just a few steps away from what his home would be for the next three days.


    "I forgot to ask, are you the demon or the smart one?" Sir finished his question as he watched him with creased brows.


    "Is there a difference? Rykar asked with masked annoyance. He had no problems with being called the demon, it even suited the image that he was working towards among the other workers. Being feared would result in him being left alone and that shield of fear would even extend over his brother. The attack on the manager was done only after taking this image into consideration.


    What did annoy him, however, was that he was thought of as being dumb. He might be more straightforward and less cunning when compared to Loki but that was it. He wasn''t brainless or stupid, simply having a more direct way of doing things.


    "No, I suppose there might not be." Sir smiled before waving them off, indicating to continue with the isolation, before walking down from the podium and making his way out of the yard with a few guards in tow.

 20 Chapter 20: Think of Them Like Favours

    As Rykar was beginning his self-reflection within the darkness of the isolation pit, Loki made his way to the food hall in silence. As usual, he had finished his shift late, although not by much. However, the ten-minute delay was all it took for all the other workers and managers to have rushed off of the fields in search of food and sleep, aside a few stragglers in the same situation as himself.


    As he handed in his equipment and trudged off, he felt a heavy hand on his shoulder. "Damn man, it took you long enough! Do you know how many extra credits I worked up just trying to stay long enough to catch you? Shoulda got myself some food and then came back for you." Chance started complaining before even exchanging a greeting.


    "Get off me." Without even turning to look at him, Loki Brushed off his hand while taking larger steps towards the food hall.


    "Haha if you wanna walk away then you''ll have to do better than that bro. With your stubbly lil'' legs you might as well start running." Chance ridiculed as he easily kept pace with casual strides. Their countenances were polar opposites. Loki was obviously struggling to increase the distance between them while maintaining a deadpan face, however, Chance smiled and chatted leisurely next to him.


    "We''re not brothers and I''m not trying to get away from you." Rykar corrected coldly, reducing his pace as he regained his composure. Through thinking about Rykar, his mind had been clouded throughout the whole four hours as he worked away robotically.


    "Aha, my bad. So, Smarty, do you wanna know what the demon''s punishment was? I have little birdies all over the place you know." Chance asked while observing Loki''s reaction from the corner of his eye.


    "Would you leave me alone if I said I don''t?" Loki returned without even glancing at his counterpart. Hearing Chance''s next words, despite continuing to look straight ahead, his eyes shuddered while his heart skipped a beat.


    "Well that''s true, I won''t leave you alone either way. HOWEVER, if you don''t ask me then then we can just talk about everything BUT his punishment. Weather is looking pretty nice today right, feel that breeze?" Chance teased as he puffed out his chest and let the wind wash over his face.


    "¡­"


    Silence was the only reply Loki was willing to give. Even if he wanted to know Rykar''s situation, he wouldn''t let Chance have the satisfaction of making him ask. He was sure that there would be people all over the hall talking about it anyway. There''s no way it would be kept under wraps when gossip is all that comes out of the other workers mouths.


    All the way to the dinner hall, to the counter and then to their table, Chance carried on talking without showing any dissatisfaction towards Loki''s, silence.


    "¡­ bastards stole my credits." Chance practically spat the last few words of his story.


    Loki had been zoned out once again, but these words caught his attention. "You''ve mentioned credits a few times now, what are they?" He asked as he took a seat.


    Chance raised his eyebrow at the question, curious as to why Loki didn''t already have the information. Without delving into the matter, he began to explain, "We have the quota of one hundred essence fruit per shift. Every fruit after that will then serve as an extra credit.


    "You can use these to buy things like snacks, clothes, weddings or even better houses! You should see my place, it''s pretty neat. The best way to put it is that anything besides the food in here and the beds in the dorm will cost you credits. If you save up enough, you can even make your shift shorter or fully skip it entirely." He then fumbled around in his clothes for a moment before producing a rough coin which resembled a small disk of beaten metal. Sliding it over to Loki, he looked at him expectantly.


    "So¡­ this is all that one of those shiny fruit is worth? That''s it?" Loki asked in confusion. With how difficult it was to complete the quota and the importance placed on the fruits, he never imagined they were only worth some beaten metal.


    "Errr no. Think of it as a form of currency?" Seeing the suspicious look on Loki''s face deepening, Chance decided to change his way of explaining. "Ok, think of it like this. By submitting extra fruits, you get these coins which are like ''favours''. When you have enough of these ''favours'' you can hand them in and get things with them! These aren''t worth as much as the fruits actually are, but it''s a way of making people work harder so they can live more comfortably. Understand?"


    "So, we get something useless in exchange for something valuable. Then give these useless things in order to get things that are valuable. Is that right?" Loki asked after a minute of contemplation.


    "Well I''ve never heard anyone say it like that¡­ but its pretty bang on." Chance answered while thinking it over himself. "People will try to take them if they can, unless you get your own place, keep them on you all the time. Harming people is against the rules, but stealing isn''t." Chance warned sternly while pocketing his coin once again.


    "I got it." Loki had no other questions towards his discovery of currency, but the mention of harming people once brought his mind back to Rykar''s situation. "So, what was Rykar''s punishment?" he asked with a normal tone, trying to slide the question into the conversation as casually as he could.


    "Oh, what was that? I couldn''t hear you properly over the sound of my little birdies." Chance latched onto the question as soon as it came out. Milking the situation, his face warped into a clownlike smile which made Loki long to smash him square on his nose.


    "Go. F*ck. You''re. Self." Loki squeezed out the words one at a time before burying himself into his food, aiming to finish it as soon as possible before escaping from this jester.


    Clearing his plate, he got up while regretting haven fallen into Chance''s trap. Chance finished his plate at a similar speed before following Loki out while gloating at his shoulder. Loki couldn''t help but think back to a particular image he had found in one of the books within the tree. The image depicted a man crying in a corner while hugging his knees. Next to this man, was a small demon with a wicked smile plastered on its face as it floated next to the man''s ear whispering torment.


    As he looked over at Chance smiling while chasing at his back, he broke into a sold sweat as he really did start running. He began to think of anything that would help put some distance between himself and this evil spirit disguised as a handsome young man and his ''little birdies''.


    As a hand gripped his shoulder once again, Loki nearly shat himself as his thoughts spiralled out of his control. What once seemed like the calm smile of an older brother had suddenly turned demonic in his eyes. ''Surely his plan must be to annoy me to the point of insanity!''


    "F*ck stop running, do I look like a pervert or something?!" Chance scolded as he caught up to Loki once again. "Don''t worry Smarty, the demon is actually doing pretty well. Well I mean, he hasn''t been whipped or anything, so I guess that''s pretty well? He''s still in isolation though so you won''t be seeing him for another three days. I''ve even heard that he''s got quite the mouth on him."


    Hearing that it wasn''t the usual bull*hit of teasing that escaped his lips, Loki let out a sigh of relief. Chance then went on to explain the events of his brother''s meeting with Sir, finally setting his mind to rest.


    Although he was worried of what would come over his brother while in isolation this time, he was sure that he would be able to overcome this difficulty more easily than the last session they had to endure.


    "Thankyou, I appreciate it, Chance." Loki turned and addressed Chance by name for the first time. This served to bring a smile to his face as they both parted ways and made their way to their respective accommodations.


    At this time, Rykar had been sat in isolation for nearly five hours. The hunger was beginning to set in already as hi stomach would occasionally let out a low growl. He didn''t mind this at all as he went over the details of the event that just transpired. Now that he had time to sit in silence and go over his thoughts, the final gurgles from the managers throat were echoing loudly within his ears.


    In this enclosed space, the blood which covered his body began to give the air a metallic tinge. These things combined caused Rykar to heave occasionally as he would struggle to hold down the bile that threatened to come out of his empty stomach. In between these dry heaves, he muttered to himself with words that gradually came out more clearly.


    "Th-¡­ world is a¡­ circle."


    "The worl-¡­ a circle."


    "The world is a circle."

 21 Chapter 21: The World is a Circle

    In the first five hours of isolation, Rykar had already begun to feel the hunger take effect.


    "The world is a cycle."


    He would whisper faintly to himself in the darkness. The punishment he was suffering now was simply the repercussions he had to face as his actions completed their revolution. Simply a matter of cause and effect, nothing more. Everything that was happening, was deserved.


    By the tenth hour, his teeth were uncontrollably chattering as his lips began to fray. All blood that emerged would be licked clear with a flick of his tongue, refusing to allow the moisture to go to waste. For as long as possible, he refused to touch the water pouch he had been given, preserving his short supply.


    "The world is a cycle."


    Everything that the manager had done, had led up to this point. It was most likely that he had been doing similar things to people in the past. Those that didn''t retaliate had been driven into insanity or maybe even deemed as ''useless'' only to be discarded from the camp. Even if this wasn''t the case and only the beginning, didn''t this mean he was willing to take such evil bribes and would have continued to do so from that point on? His death was the remuneration for his actions, the cycle then complete.


    By the twentieth hour, he could no longer controls his body as he shuddered violently. The spasms were caused by the violent lurching of his stomach as it seemed to draw nutrients from the rest of his body.


    At this point, he finally released the seal on the water skin before pouring a fraction of its contents onto the floor in front of himself. After sealing the opening once again, he set it towards his side before pummelling his fists into the ground the water had spread to. Just like last time, he intended to pummel the ground into a paste before eating it but rather than using his blood to soften it, he hoped the water would last long enough.


    The issue was¡­ it had taken two days to have made it to this point before. This time, only twenty hours had passed.


    "The world is a cycle."


    Forty hours in, the water had run dry and the pouch containing it had already been ripped into shreds and devoured. Without anything else to rely on, Rykar simply continued to smash his hands into the ground methodically in order to generate a gritty bloody paste.


    The pain from his fists managed to stave off the gnawing hunger pains for a short while but after that numbed, there was nothing left to protect him from the raw cravings.


    "The world is a cycle."


    ''I''ve been placed here for my sins, but I''ve been placed in a space where at least I can eat the ground. What I''ve done is worthy of the pain I''m going through, but I''ve been given a way out. I won''t starve to death. I wont bleed to death. My debt will be paid after my time is up.''


    ''The pain is my release.''


    As Rykar''s thoughts churned within the darkness, Loki and Chance had been spending more and more time together during their shifts and work. While working alongside Chance, despite working at a much slower rate, Loki was able to pick up many of his tips and habits when it come to harvesting the essence fruit. This served to increase his speed by over half and allowing him to pick up a few credits at the end of every shift.


    He had also moved into Chance''s house. Despite communication between them being one sided for the majority of the time, Loki grew to appreciate the advice and life lessons that Chance offered him. Under his fa?ade of indifference, he took all of the lessons to heart while asking occasional questions.


    Many of these lessons were simply stories of adventures or talking about ways that he got out of certain situations, but they really opened up Loki''s curiosity regarding ''the outside'' that Chance had been brought in here from.


    It had become a habit for them to pack up and leave the dining hall a few minutes early at the end of each shift, at the expense of a few credits, in order to beat the dinner rush. This time, as they entered the hall, they found Rykar sat at the same table in the corner of the room as he always used to!


    "Rykar! Its good to see your ugly face, how long have you been out?" Loki exclaimed as he reached his brothers side.


    As Rykar had his back to them, Loki''s voice surprised him. "F*ck, I would have stayed in that hole if I remembered id have to see you when I came out." Rykar joked with a bright smile at the sight of Loki.


    Truth be told, Rykar''s reply blew away Loki''s preparations and defences. He had forced on a light-hearted tone because of his fear to Rykar''s condition, knowing how he had come out of isolation last time. Instead of the jumpy and depressed attitude he had expected, it seemed like Rykar had made a complete return and was even more full of life than ever¡­ not as though he had just come from three days of torture.


    Despite the smile and sarcastic remarks, both Loki and Chance quickly noticed the bandages around Rykar''s hands which still showed signs of having freshly bled. Isolation had definitely been hard on him.


    "Don''t worry about this, to be honest the pain helped get me through my cycle." Rykar chuckled as he waved his hands around


    "Cycle?" Chance interjected.


    "Why are you still here?" Rykar''s tone went cold as he heard the third party interrupt the conversation. Although the light smile remained on his face, his eyes seemed to cloud over, both red and grey pupils both dulled down as though a layer of frost began to cover them.


    Both Loki and Chance felt their hearts run cold while looking into Rykar''s eyes. The chance completely startled Loki. Rykar had always been the more temperamental one out of them, but there was never an occasion where his temper had come on so suddenly or strongly as this. And it had only been due to a simple question.


    "This is Chance! H-he''s been helping me out these last few days and we''re going to be living at his place from now on. Trust me, he''s a friend." Loki stammered at first but managed to get a hold on his voice as he continued. Despite his cold attitude over the last few days, Chance had truly won him over. There were no benefits for him to have gained by associating with them, yet he had anyway.


    It could be seen that as the time they spent together increased, Loki sat chance interacting with the other workers less and less. When he asked why Chance was ruining his own social life, he got the reply, "Its better to be in good company than surrounded by fools. You know, the way you described money was the most interesting thing I''ve heard in the three years I''ve been here."


    "We''ve met but I guess we haven''t really spoken¡­" Chance''s voice trailed off as he became unsure of how to continue. Rykar''s eyes were seriously giving him the creeps. Unlike the eyes of Sir who seemed condescending and unpredictable, Rykar''s eyes seemed to reveal condensed and undisguised malice.


    "Mhm, Loki, how much do you trust him? Do you believe he means absolutely no harm?" Rykar questioned his brother without taking his eyes off Chance for a moment.


    A Loki had already stuck up for Chance initially, he felt as though he couldn''t back down. "Yes. I trust him." He replied sternly.


    "Ok cool. I believe you. In that case, it would be fine to have him make a special ''deal'' with is right? Just with the conditions of him being a brother to us both. After all, my brother''s brother is my brother. Right, Chance?" Rykar''s words came out slowly and clearly with a hint of ridicule. To Chance, it seemed like a simple exchange of words would complete the deal, but Loki began to look carefully at Chance before he gave a reply.


    Truthfully, Loki was unsure about revealing the Book of Greed to anyone at all, but he also felt like this was something he had to commit to.


    "Of course, I agree, I give you my word. Recognise me as your brother and I won''t break your trust." Chance said with a smile on his face. As he had no idea about the binding force of the Book of Greed, he lay out his promise with confidence. Despite the cold look in Rykar''s eyes, Chance still only regarded him as a scared child, trying to defend himself after having his trust broken repeatedly.


    The story of their upbringing and travels before making their way to this camp had long since been spread around thanks to Anna and Chris.


    Hearing Chance''s reply, Rykar didn''t deny or accept the claim which caused Chance to crease his eyebrows. ''Was that not enough?'' he thought to himself.


    Still without a response, Chance turned to face Loki. Finding Loki staring at Rykar without blinking, he understood that they must be coming to some sort of an understanding which he wasn''t aware of. The silent stare went on for a short while as Chance simply watched on without interrupting. In the end, he was an outsider and it would take more than a few stories to get close to someone who had been through so much. He was already surprised enough when Loki accepted the invitation to stay at his personal accommodation.


    Gritting his teeth, Loki finally relented from the staring contest. "Fine, lets do it. I''ll make the deal, but we''ll do it after we eat and go back to his house. I''m not doing it here."


    The tension instantly eased as colour returned to Rykar''s eyes. "Ahaha that''s good! It would be great to get along after all. Hurry up and get yourselves some food, don''t just stand there hehe." Rykar''s expression and demeanour flipped a while 180 degrees in less than a second. It was like someone flipped a switch in his mind.


    Suddenly he was laughing while throwing small bits of food into his mouth, clearing off his plate before he got up and rushed to the counter ahead of them.


    Watching him run off full of energy, Loki and Chance let loose a breath of air as they began to take steps in the same direction.


    Compared to working in the field for four hours, this short interaction felt like it drained them completely dry while cold sweat dripped down the contours of their backs.

 22 Chapter 22: A Secret For A Secre

    As the trio walked into the small hut, Rykar looked around expectantly but ended up being slightly let down. Compared to the house within the tree, Chance''s house was very, no, extremely plain. There were three beds laid side by side on the back wall, across from them was a desk and two wardrobes. Other than these simple wooden furnishings, the room was bland and played down, a far cry from the "neat house" Chance had described.


    "Don''t look so disappointed lil'' bro, this is the sleeping room, the room in the back is more where I usually relax." Finishing his introduction, Chance led Rykar into the second compartment of the house where he then found three comfy looking bags.


    "This is¡­?" Rykar was stumped. He began to ask the use of the bags but stopped himself as he saw Loki and Chance jump onto a bag each. Smiles plastered their faces as they sank deeply into their respective seats.


    "It''s a chair but its so comfortable! Come try it!" Loki called out with a rarely seen trace excitement on his face." Both Chance and Loki watched expectantly as Rykar approached the remaining bag, cautiously lowering himself into it.


    "It''s a chair¡­ If that''s all that here, we could have just stayed in th-" The latter half of his sentence was cut off as he sank into the embrace of the soft bag. It felt as though he was being sucked in! The outside seemed to be made from some kind of a smooth cloth, but it was firm and didn''t threaten to tear. The inside was soft as could be, he suspected it was either feathers of something of the like.


    "Hahaha, haha."


    Within the room, only laughter could be heard for a long time as both twins finally took a moment to relax their pent up tension while in the company of another.


    A while later, the laughing fits finally subsided as they let out a sigh in unison. "Loki, are you ready?" Rykar got straight to the point. Moving in and experiencing the new chairs were not nearly enough for him to completely trust Chance, but Loki''s method of making deals, if it worked the same as with the wolf, would give him peace of mind.


    "Chance." Loki didn''t respond to Rykar and directly called out to chance instead.


    As Chance sat up straight and turned his head towards Loki, he was shocked to find a palm sizes book within his hand all of a sudden. His eyebrows raised in surprise, but he didn''t ask any questions. Reading the mod, he simply decided to wait for Loki to proceed with his actions.


    "Chance, me and Rykar are willing for the three of us to be recognised as family. In exchange for this, you will have no evil intentions or aim to betray us now or in the future. Do you swear?" Loki kept his wording short and concise. His words came out slowly as he put thought into every word. As he spoke, it seemed as though the air in the room started to vibrate ever so subtly, giving a solemnity and seriousness that had been absent previously.


    While eating, he had already put thought into phrasing the promise in a way that wouldn''t allow Chance to find a loophole. In the end, he decided that the best course would be to keep it direct and envelope many conditions at once, while also allowing a wide amount of freedom. This contract would allow Chance to act as freely as he wanted as long as he had no intentions to harm the two.


    "Mhm, I agree." Rykar voiced his approval of Loki''s rules set. Seeing as this promise had him included, he felt as though it was only right. As Rykar''s voice faded, a lifelike portrait in his semblance engraved itself onto the paper before their eyes.


    At this point, Chance froze for a moment while looking into the eyes of both Loki and Rykar one after the other. He already figured out that this was anything but an empty promise. Loki did nothing to hide the pages of the open book from his view, hence he was able to see the bright red symbols materialising one by one as each word was spoken.


    The severity of the situation dawned on him, yet after thinking about the terms of the deal, he became confident that the only reason that he was seeing the book in the first place, was because they were seriously hoping to trust him. "I swear." He finally agreed after the moment of silence.


    Sighs once again cut the air within the room as a whole extra set of tension was released.


    "Loki¡­ was that guys eye always like¡­ that?" Rykar was staring at Chance''s Left eye with his mouth gaping.


    He could have sworn that Chance had hazel eyes all this time, but now it was totally different. One eye had taken on the same blood red hue as theirs, while the other had remained as it was.


    "What is it?" Chance asked while turning away from Rykar and toward Loki. The second twin only had the same expression on his face after seeing his red eye.


    "I- Your eye is red. Its just like ours!" Loki exclaimed as his hand began to trace the outlines of his own eye. "This never happened when we did it with the wolf."


    With the lack of a mirror, Chance had no way to see what was actually wrong with his eye. However, in order not to escalate the situation and to dispel the traces of guilt that he could see making themselves onto Loki''s face, he quickly changed the subject despite his own nervousness.


    "Haha, the eye thing doesn''t really matter, its just a colour anyway. More importantly, now that were brothers and you''ve shown me your book, I have a secret to share with you." After speaking, he began to draw a series of precise lines on the floor with a sharp stone. As he scratched away at the wood, the lines gradually transformed into a complex mix between a diagram and a piece of art.


    There was a figure of a human sat at its centre with big and small circles twisting around it. These dots and circles were evidently being drawn into the persons figure, straight through the skin and diffusing into the body.


    "Ok, this is the best I can do for now, it''s Just so you get the idea! Now, sit on the bags so that your back is up-right and your hands are on your legs, like this." He then instructed the boys after making sure that they had the image firmly planted in their minds.


    "Ok, I need you to concentrate on my voice. Clear your minds entirely of everything besides the image you just memorised. Slow your breathing. Breathe in, 1, 2, 3, 4 and out¡­" Chance began to adjust their physical and mental states into the most relaxed condition that he could. As their shoulders sank and eyelids stopped fluttering, he revealed a cheerful grin as he found his experiment to be a complete and utter success!


    Finally, he sat down himself and began to recollect the words he needed. He sat for a few minutes in silence as he forced himself to recall everything word for word without the slightest of mistakes.


    When he finally began talking, he voice was plain without the slightest hint of emotion. There was a strong rhythm to his words as they rocked out one by one without any faults in the tempo.


    "Before void, there was nothing, no end nor beginning."


    "Before chaos, there was void, the emptiness which birthed everything."


    "Chaos became the essence, the source of physical manifestation, the original element."


    "Your body will has become the abyss, a black hole connected to the void."


    "The black hole within the centre of the world, consuming without relent or satiation."


    "¡­"


    Chance''s words continued on without pause as he eventually joined the twins, slipping into a hazy state between consciousness and unconsciousness. As his eyes closed, he felt as though he was a boat in the middle of the ocean, insignificant against the limitless expanse.


    The insides of The twins consciousness were identical at this moment. As they relaxed their bodies and minds, they quickly found themselves back in the strange state they entered when the two bodies disintegrated in front of them. Darkness surrounded them completely as their sense of time faded into the nothingness.


    Specks of light once again illuminated the world around them, whirling around like fireflies in the night. These seemed completely different than before. The last time they were in this place, it was as thought the lights were their own little worlds. These lights were a far cry from the vitality and vibrance demonstrated back then. Despite their colourful appearances, they were simply insignificant in comparison, like cheap imitations.


    "Your body will has become the abyss, a black hole connected to the void."


    As these words reverberated through their minds, they felt the world shake intensely before the specks began to rotate with them positioned firmly in the centre of this phenomenon. Beginning slowly, the motes of light picked up speed rapidly as they rotated before converging into their point of consciousness with a sensation of warmth flooding in.


    It was a feeling of fullness, like that first bite of food after coming out of isolation. Just, this was a kind of sustenance that they hadn''t ever felt, something so amazingly vital yet they hadn''t realised they were missing it.


    Within the room were now sat two boys and a young man. Sat on these seats with their eye closed, the room was a sight of tranquillity and calmness. As time passed slowly, a low current was felt in the air, slowly rotating through the room almost unnoticeably with their figures at the centre.


    This current immediately vanished without a trace as two low tones blasted through the air, startling them all awake. Chance opened his eyes calmly as he gazed at the two in front of him, however they had totally opposite reactions.


    Being shaken out of their delicate states by the violent horns, their minds went into disarray with them not understanding where they were or what was going on around them. Bolting to their feet, they staggered around the room while bumping roughly into the walls, grasping at anything for support but finding nothing.


    "Rykar, Loki its fine! Trust me there''s nothing here it''s just us, you''re awake and you''re fine. Calm. Calm." Trying to placate them, Chance rushed up while helping them up from the ground but moved away slightly straight after, allowing them to get their barings without invading their space.


    They finally looked up after a few moments with sweat on their faces but excitement in their eyes.


    "See, told you my secret was pretty cool." Chance grinned mysteriously.

 23 Chapter 23: Wanna See Something Cool?

    Without much time to explain things before having to rush towards the fields, Loki and Rykar still had no idea what they had been through for the last hour and a half. In their state of unconsciousness, it was as though they had seriously turned into black holes, with everything in the surroundings being sucked into them without restraint.


    After awakening and finally calming down, Chance only left them the words, "Don''t tell anyone about what happened. I''ll explain when I see you later, haha". After which, he ran into the crowd of workers before giving the twins a chance to follow up with any more questions.


    Loki and Rykar still went to the same station to check in while working next to each other. After the incident, it wasn''t just the managers that now kept a distance from the twins, there weren''t even any other workers within a hundred metres of either of them. Looks of apprehension and fear were thrown their way more often than they could count. Although this caused Loki to feel on edge, Rykar smiled and hummed to himself under this new limelight.


    It was infinitely more peaceful than it had been previously. From the very beginning, Rykar''s first shift had been filled with whips and curses, now gifted with this simple and monotonous atmosphere, he compared it to a paradise.


    Despite the gazes and work that had to be done, Loki and Rykar still couldn''t shake off the feeling they had experienced earlier. Thrown back into that void-like feeling, it was like reminiscing of the past, taking them back to the very first monumental change that had occurred within the tree.


    Although the moment had now passed, they still felt as though their bodies were surfing with energy beyond anything before. It was completely different from being well fed and rested. Clenching his fist around the handle, Loki felt as though the knife within his hand had grown lighter over the past two hours, albeit only slightly.


    At this moment, Rykar was only a few metres away from Loki. Rather than revelling in the inexplicable feeling, he had begun to harvest the fruit and had already taken back the first batch of three.


    Compared to when he first arrived at the camp, he could definitely feel an explosive growth in his physical condition. He began with only taking back three fruits at a time, but before he entered isolation for the second time, he increased his load to five fruit per trip. Despite being currently in a state of physical decline due to the lack of food in isolation, just on the hours of rest prior to eating and the events that happened after, he was able to carry three fruits per load already. That in itself was testament to his capabilities when compared to Loki, who was carrying three as standard.


    Without a doubt, this was a peaceful moment and he had many positive things on his mind due to welcoming Chris as a brother and the secret he had shared, but he couldn''t shake off the negativity in the back of his mind.


    ''How much am I really worth? Beyond an object of interest, Is there actually any value in me?''


    These thoughts kept surfacing no matter how many times he shook them off. At first, he simply said anything he had to in order to get out of the predicament, but slowly, he seriously began to question himself.


    Loki was smarter, more analytical, had a cooler head and could even materialise the Book of Greed. Chance was difficult to see through but just the secret he had just shown them was amazing, much less the rest of his experiences on ''the outside''. The guards had a certain amount of authority.


    All he was, was a ''pretty'' face, and even that was dependent on Sir''s questionable tastes. He didn''t even take his strength into account. All that strength would help him to achieve was collect more fruit. Fruit that could be picked by anyone. It wasn''t enough to make a difference.


    Even if it did improve Sir''s evaluation, that was irrelevant. It wasn''t something that made Rykar feel as though he was worth anything in his own eyes. Slaving over plants all day with nothing that set him apart from the other cogs within the machine that was this camp. It was a depressive thought that was now haunting him.


    Rather than being carefree like Loki, basking in the moment while enjoying the wonderous feeling, the meek thoughts began to ripple through his mind, dampening his mood rapidly. His eyes began to frost over once again as he stared venomously at the glittering silver pearl within his palm.


    He hated the idea of working only to give his own earnings away in exchange for trash


    Such a wonderfully beautiful fruit should belong to whoever took it. Why should they have to work only to hand over what they harvest? F*ck, he wouldn''t even earn anything before turning in a hundred of them!


    As he directed his negative emotions onto the glamorous fruit, it began to feel as though he was being robbed of what was rightfully his. To have a treasure sitting on his palm, only to have it ripped away at the next moment. His fingers slowly began to curl, closing around the fruit like a vice.


    Deprived of sleep. Deprived of freedom. Deprived of voice.


    It currently felt like he was more isolated than he had been while in the pits. In the dark, that was his world. No more and no less. Out here however, there was a world within sight, people within reach and fruit within his palm. Yet he had no power to act on any of the desires he may have.


    "Gluttony is an undying hunger, the desire to consume all and the power to make all a part of yourself. A being blessed by the laws of gluttony will never claim that there is nothing to eat, only that they are not powerful enough to consume it. To be a glutton is to eat. To eat is to become one with the world."


    Once again, he was taken back to the moment within the tree as the figures before him turned into dust. The words from that moment seemed to pass through time and sound out clearly within his ears, so clearly that they seemed nearly tangible.


    At the time, he felt that he understood the simple words. They were concise and to the point, but he now realised how much more profound they were. The statement wasn''t made in regard to food. To simply eating. It was a law of life itself.


    "A being blessed by the laws of gluttony will never claim that there is nothing to eat, only that they are not powerful enough to consume it." Rykar began to mumble the words under his breath, repeating them perfectly while staring at the fruit in his hands. It was now, more than ever, that he felt weak. Absolutely powerless.


    To have food right here, less then half a metre from his face yet not even daring to raise it up and take a bite out of fear of retribution. Was this all there would be to his world and to his life?


    "To eat is to become one with the world." As he finished the verse, his attention was solely focused on the fruit. His level of concentration and focus was unprecedented to the point that the world around him seemed to become greyed and silent.


    As the fruit occupied his vision, it felt as though as his consciousness was being dissolved into it. He began to sense the interior of the fruit and the myriad of particles swirling within. When this feeling reached the extreme, he could sense ever single millimetre of the fruit, feeling more familiar with it than his own body!


    ''This is mine, is belongs to me!'' he shouted within his mind. At this moment, he felt a coldness spreading along his right arm as the eyes of the dragon within his tattoo seemed to come to life for a brief moment. Despite not seeing the dragon move, he could feel it crawling up his shoulder before burying its teeth into the centre of his forehead!


    A blinding pain shuttled through Rykar''s body as he shrunk to the floor while clutching his head. The pain only lasted a moment but, in that time, he felt as though he was drawn into a completely new dimension.


    There lay a sphere comprised of dried dirt and rock, thousands of metres in diameter, which was floating in empty space while rotating quietly. At first, all was silent but as the teeth of the dragon sank into his consciousness, a deafening heartbeat thundered at the very core of the rock. This huge disturbance deafened Rykar while causing cracks and fissures to emerge across the sphere''s surface like a spider''s web.


    After the commotion was over, heartbeats continued to pulse through the sphere but at a much weaker rate. It was as though a giant had woken from a nightmare, after going into shock from the awakening, it had finally been subdued and peace restored.


    The marks from the event still remained, however. Cracks could still be seen stretching across the surface of the dried-out soil and rock as the sphere retained its lifeless look, only becoming more desolate.


    As Rykar''s consciousness began to recede, he was startled as he saw an object just next to one of the cracks! Luckily enough, the cataclysmic event hadn''t caused it to fall into the depths of the sphere¡­ but it looked amazingly familiar.


    As he focused, he aw the shining pearl in its entirety. The essence fruit lay on the ground with only a few scratches on its surface. Silver particles still lined its surface and interior as the liquid continued to swirl naturally at its centre.


    Confusion washed over Rykar as his consciousness returned to his body. Looking into his palm, he found that the fruit which had sat there just moments ago was actually gone without a trace. A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead as he looked around on the ground and the surroundings. On one hand, he was checking if the fruit was simply misplaced. One the other, he was looking at the workers and managers in the surroundings for any reactions to what had just transpired.


    ''After everything that happened, you''re telling me that no one saw sh*t?!?!?! No f*cking way!'' He could hardly believe himself, but the evidence was in front of him.


    Steadying his breathing, he focused internally while trying to feel out the connection between himself and the dragon once more. There was definitely something there which was intangible yet had a presence of its own.


    Following the connection from one end to the other, once again he delved into the void. Once latching on to one end, it felt as though he was being sucked along a path with no way of breaking free. As he began to panic, light flashed, blinding his senses before breaking out of the empty darkness and into the dimension he had just recalled! That same rock was floating in the empty space with the essence fruit sat quietly on its surface without a change.


    Without missing a beat, Rykar recalled his consciousness before rushing around the field in search of another ripe essence fruit. It only took a few seconds before he had his net target as he peeled the petals and plucked the fruit with renewed vigour, all of the previous self-depreciative thoughts had vanished with the wind.


    Focusing on the fruit, there was no change no matter how much Rykar looked. Frustrated, he began to go over the process while regaling his emotional state at the time.


    "To eat is to become one with the world."


    ''I WANT!'' He nearly screamed out loud as the epiphany hit him dead in the face. He had an extreme desire not to eat the fruit, but to take it and make it his!


    With this frame of mind, he once again directed his consciousness towards the fruit which resulted in the familiar feeling of diffusion. After a few seconds, his mind was once again filled with the details of the fruit, from the size to the weight and blemishes.


    ''I want it. This is mine.''


    He uttered within his mind. Then without any fanciful effects or sounds, the essence fruit simply¡­ disappeared. Staring at his empty palm, Rykar''s heart beat was thundering within his ears to the point that he couldn''t hear one of the managers shouting at him from the distance.


    "F*ck! Aye, get back to work!" The man shouted angrily but as Rykar suddenly jolted up and looked in his direction, he became lost for words. Despite the brave front, he was definitely afraid of this demon. Deciding that one warning was enough and declining to continue, he huffed and walked away quickly while convincing himself that he only left because there were other things to be done. He definitely wasn''t scared¡­


    After the manager left, the section of the field was left to Loki and Rykar, who quickly noticed that there was no one watching over them any longer.


    "Hey! Loki!!" Rykar walked over and exclaimed quietly while pretending to look at the bushes in another direction.


    As Loki looked up, he had wariness in his eyes as he looked for any managers in the surroundings. Not just managers, he took a look for any workers too as he knew they had more than enough initiative to invite trouble unto them.


    "Don''t worry its cool, their gone¡­ Wanna see something cool?"

 24 Chapter 24: I Forgot To Say

    Chapter 24: I Forgot To Say


    As their latest four-hour shift ended, the trio ate dinner at break neck speed before rushing into their room to reveal the latest secret.Chance still had no idea what was going on as the twins ushered him off the field without even finishing their quota, leaving him to spend the remaining credits in order to make up for it.


    Truth be told, he had no qualms about this as he had more than enough on hand. However, over the time he had been spending with Loki, he had been trying to introduce him to society in a way that would leave him independent.


    This was also his intent with Rykar, but they had only just gotten acquainted, yet he had long since realised that his underlying issues left him much farther away from the social norm. Leaving the twins to develop isolated would only leave them in more and more difficult situations, but Chance himself was far from a model citizen.


    "Guys, I don''t mind bailing you out but this one''s only a present for Rykar''s isolation release, don''t be thinking to make a routine of this¡­" Chance''s protests could be heard from the moment they left the field to the moment they stepped into their lodging, but his tone made it difficult to take him seriously.


    As they departed the dining hall, snickers and whispers could be heard behind the three. At first, they paid no attention to the background noise as the twins dragged the helpless Chance out by the arms, but before they reached the door, it became apparent who the targets of the conversation were.


    "Haha, the number one berry picker lowers himself to playing daddy to the little monsters. How cute. So, when did you fall so low, Chance?" A shrill voice exclaimed, which was all too recognisable to Rykar. As the trio turned around, they came face to face with the party of well-dressed snobs.


    Their queen was still stood in the centre, refusing to be anything other than the focus of attention as she puffed out her chest. The entire hall prepared themselves for a dramatic confrontation as tension grew.


    Although the provocation seemed to be directed towards Chance, all eyes on the room were focused on Rykar, waiting to see if his volcanic temper would explode once again. Within the corners of the room, guards and managers were subtly positioning themselves in a way that would allow them to swiftly react if the situation escalated.


    "Haha." Contrary to their expectations, Chance retained his silence and Rykar only laughed before turning around and continuing to pull on Chance''s arm, much to the surprise of everyone including his brother. "Be careful what you wish for." He called out cheerfully as they walked away.


    "Isolation must have done you good, seems you have some sense for a change." Loki chided in a cheerful mood, but Chance kept his mouth shut and allowed himself to be led out. With every step he would let out a wince, trying to stifle the pain which was being transmitted through his arm via Rykar''s grip. He couldn''t be more clear about the extent of the rage the boy must be holding in at that moment. This new mask almost made him feel more afraid than when he openly displayed his temper.


    Sat on the feather cushions, he was just about to ask what the whole rush was about when he saw a shiny object flying at his face from Rykar''s direction. "Think fast!" Rykar called out after Chance had already clamped his hand around the small bead before it smacked him in the eye.


    "That''s not how ''think fast'' is meant to work, dumb ass. You''re meant to say it before- What the f*ck have you done!?" Mid way through his sentence, he realised that the object which now lay within his palm was nothing other than an essence fruit!


    "Do you not understand how f*cked everyone of us is going to be once this gets out?! We can''t hide it and we can''t f*cking eat it! Do you know how many people are after our heads as it is?!?" This time he actually lost his head. Of all the blunders that they could have committed, stealing the fruit was the absolute limit.


    At this point, even if Sir didn''t want to punish them, he would anyway. This is because there can''t be any precedents of someone getting away with stealing, and the only way to instil fear of this capital offence was to lead by example. No one who was caught had ever been seen again, only screams coming from the isolation space.


    Hell, if anyone is caught stealing then all other punishments towards others are pardoned. Anyone in isolation is able to leave early and everyone gets a break from their next shift. Reporting or catching someone trying to steal a fruit is treated like a national holiday on top of a promotion to manager! It would only be a dark day for the culprit, who''s screams would be heard from the direction of the isolation grounds for hours on end before being silenced for good.


    Without paying any heed to Chance''s furious shouts, Rykar got up from his seat and walked over to him while the latter became stumped for words. Under Chance''s furious and confused gaze, Rykar snatched the fruit from his palm and held it up at face level with two fingers.


    And then? *poof*.


    The fruit disappeared with a trace. There was no forewarning, sign or fancy effect. It simply disappeared from plain sight. After a moment of pause Chance jumped from the seat and grabbed at Rykar''s hand, inspecting it thoroughly. The boy still had no clothing covering his upper body, so it was nearly impossible for the kid to have done any sleight of hand while right in front of his face, as far as he was concerned.


    "What the¡­" This whole time, neither Rykar nor Loki had spoken a word, they simply gazed at each other with laughter in their eyes as they watched Chance plant himself back on the cushion with his head in his hands.


    "Ok are you going to tell me what''s going on now? I''ll give it to ya, you got me this time." Chance finally admitted his defeat as he let out a long breath. Instead of killing his braincells while trying to come up with a reasonably explanation, he reigned himself to asking the smug teenager in front of him.


    "Hahaha, it''s my almighty, amazing and heroic power! It makes Loki''s sh*tty book look like a children''s toy!" Rykar boasted without any sign of restraint. "I can take things from here and put them in¡­ well¡­ another place. I can also take them from there and bring them here." Loki began to explain confidently, but as his words came out, he began to realise he wasn''t even too sure what his power was either.


    The spinning mass of rock and dirt, the void connecting to it and the dragon that served as a pathway were all things that he couldn''t quite put into words. As far as he knew, the only thing they all had in common was that they only seemed to exist within the depths of his mind.


    "Hahaha don''t fool yourself. Chance is smart enough to realise my book is better. Your dumb ass ''power'' just makes you useful as a backpack at best. Might as well change your name to ''Sack''. Would suit your dumb ass better too." Loki cut through as he showed slight signs of annoyance while watching Chance listen to Rykar''s explanation intently.


    At this point, Chance couldn''t care less about their bickering as he watched the essence fruit flicker in and out of existence on Rykar''s palm. All that he felt was a drastic sense of relief. Knowing that the fruit wouldn''t lead to their destruction, it was a massive weight off his mind as his anger dissipated in a flash.


    He soon came to know that the only reason Rykar was behind on his quota at the end of the shift was because he had amassed a small pile of the fruit on his "sphere" and lost track of the time. Whereas Loki was jut plain slow.


    "You guys are both the luckiest and unluckiest people I know." Chance said with a sign. The sudden interruption caused the twins to pause for a moment before Chance continued. "well, you''re lucky that you have amazing powers that could be used in so many situations. You''re unlucky because you''re trapped here where neither of them can be used to their full potential. Do you know how much we could get done outside! Goods would just fall into our hands!


    "If you think I''m excited now then you can''t even imagine how the others would be. Our dream would become a reality in a heart beat haha." The last laugh from Chance seemed to almost be more of a sob. His eyes moistened as he mentioned his hopes for the first time in the presence of either of the twins.


    "What''s your dream?" Rykar asked with his head slanted to one side as he sized up the emotional young man sat in front of him.


    "Well, I have two. The first is for me and my other brothers to leave far away, to another world away from all this. A world full of prosperity where live is easy and dreams are made through work and not connections. I''m sure you''ll meet my friend some time, I only wish it would be in better conditions." Chance started spilling out stories in a context that neither of the twins could understand.


    "But they are on the outside right? Why wouldn''t it be in better conditions¡­ it can''t be worse than in here, right?" Loki asked with a toothy smile.


    Both Rykar and Chance turned to look at him as though they were sizing up an idiot. "Sorry chance, you had to deal with this idiot all alone while I was in isolation, it must have been hard." Rykar said with seriousness in his voice.


    "Haha, nah it was all good. My point, Loki, is that they will be sent in, there''s no way for us to get out and see them before then." Chance rephrased his words. He thought he had been clear enough at first but Loki surprised him with his lack of understanding.


    "Ooooooooooh, I forgot to say! Were going to be getting out of here pretty soon. Within five shifts if its quick, twenty shifts if its slow. Fifty shifts if they are actually incompetent." Loki''s words left both the others stumped.


    "You can thank me later, believe it or not, you just have to listen to me and well be out in no time." He finished before asking a series of questions and making the final adjustment to his plans.


    Over then next hour and a half, Loki had Rykar store away many items within the house while taking note of how quickly and discreetly these things could be accomplished. It seemed that smaller objects were relatively easy, taking only around a second of concentration before being able to make them vanish or reappear. While larger objects took proportionally longer lengths of time. To make one of Chance''s pieced of clothing vanish took around ten seconds while causing Rykar to be unable to focus clearly for the next few minutes.


    Next was the layout of the camp and the method of its entry and exit. In order to enter or exit, there was a need to go through a gate which was located at the deepest location of the camp, with the passage way being strictly monitored. Access to this gate was only possible with Sir''s approval and presence, which was only given for scheduled import or exports of goods.


    The linchpin of the entire operation was the cooperation of a man who refused cooperation. In his book, there was only obedience and repercussions.

 25 Chapter 25: Bad For My Health

    For the following period of time, Chance really had no opportunity to go against Loki''s plans. This was mainly due to the face that the only thing he was asked to do, was nothing. That''s right. Aside from the simple yet lengthy questioning about the workings of the camp, Loki practically disregarded Chance''s involvement and simply tasked him with¡­ nothing.


    And so, his daily routine was once again fixed. He would go out into the field alongside the twins every day and work as usual. After collecting Essence fruits and credits over the shift, they would all leave around ten minutes earlier at the cot of a few credits each. Going to dinner, they would all eat together with Rykar easily eating three or four times as much as the others, before heading back to their room as the other workers began arriving in the food hall from the fields.


    With the time they spent in their home, they alternated between sleep and meditation each shift. Although the feeling of tiredness would lessen after a period of meditation, similarly with sleep, they would still feel some fatigue as they awoke for the next shift. To balance this out, the twins followed Chance''s advice on meditating and sleeping in cycles.


    While taking on this cycled routine, it also allowed Rykar to come to an understanding towards his body''s new constitution and a way to appease his elevating levels of hunger. It seemed that the amount of food wasn''t what was important, but the amount of energy that he was taking into his body! Due to this, the shifts which he meditated, he would feel more tired physically due to the lack of sleep, but he would actually feel less hungry than if he slept.


    Chance had explained what the meditation was and how it worked, to the best of his ability. It was a technique which his late mother had passed onto him from his father.


    Chance himself didn''t understand too much about how it worked, as a large section of the files didn''t make sense to him. However, the notes, concepts and diagrams which were available within the files were able to grant him a vague understanding.


    It was a form of meditation which allowed people to harness the energy in the surroundings, channelling it into the body. The body would represent a black hole, causing the surrounding energies to slowly gravitate with the said person at the centre. This would have an amazing strengthening effect on the body over time.


    What was shocking was how quickly the twins were able to enter the state of meditation. Despite Chance saying that he wanted to show them something, he was certain that he would have had to guide them along over a long period of time before they would be able to accomplish anything, if at all!


    With himself, it took him weeks of daily practice. And that was with him following the manual to a nearly religious level! What the twins knew, was that they were able to enter the perfect mind frame due to being overly familiar with the feeling of void from past-experience. Since the very first session, they were already showing a greater level of conceptualisation, causing their level of progress to outstrip that of Chance despite his much longer period of practice.


    Sparked by curiosity, the conversation quickly went off topic. Rykar and Loki began to branch from the original subject and went on to question him about his life while growing up, only to find that came across a brick wall with Chance deterring the bombardment of questions with light hearted jokes or just laughter. It didn''t take long for the brothers to realise that Chance was reluctant to delve into matters of the past.


    The improvements were astonishing. Rykar wasn''t able to see the increase in his physique as much due to there not being a way to test it. Within the camp, their movements were constrained to the fields, the food hall and their accommodations, unless you count isolation. So, the only way to test their strength was with the ease in which they were able to pick the plants from their ridged leaves and stems.


    These were now easily pliable for Rykar now that he had recovered his strength. He was able to walk around the fields picking at will, while only spending a few seconds on each fruit. If needed, he could even pry the petals apart with his bare hands, discarding the knife entirely but that would only extend the process.


    Loki was previously behind his quota at all times with his body remaining skinny despite the new nutritious food made available to him. Despite this appearance not changing much, his body began to develop a healthy firmness with his skin no longer appearing thin. His appearance could now be regarded as slim rather than skinny, along with both his torso and legs being covered in black cotton clothes which hung nicely despite being slightly itchy.


    There was still a clear gap in strengths, however. Rykar could pick just under three hundred fruit within the four hours, although this was being limited to just over two hundred at the moment. Loki was picking around one hundred and fifty within the same time. Chance however, far outstripped them both and was picking upwards of four hundred each shift while using a portion of the credits on rent, clothes and other commodities while saving for a holiday.


    Loki''s part in the escape plan was slightly more active than Chance''s. Before each shift, he would tell the other three which location they would be harvesting the essence fruit from while pointing out focus points to Rykar.


    During each of the shifts, the amount of essence fruit which the group actually submitted had plummeted significantly despite remaining over the given quota. While working, Loki and Chance would find opportunities to cross paths with Rykar while stealthily dropping portions of their harvests. Rykar would then find an opportunity to store the fruits with shining eyes.


    Rykar''s task however was nothing to do with storing the fruit, this was just a bonus. Every shift, he would submit around two hundred fruit while saving the rest for himself. This was mainly to prove his ''worth'' to Sir and deliver on his promise of results. The rest of the time, he actually focused on the essence plants themselves!


    It was difficult for him to store the larger plants due to their volume, however medium and small plants were no problem if given a few seconds of focus. On many occasions, Rykar would crouch down and place his hands on the base of a plant, looking as though he was simply picking a fruit. Moments later, he would stand up and walk away with his container and knife in tow.


    The place he had just knelt would only have a vacant space in its spot. These spaces were inconspicuous at first, but it became apparent on further inspection that there was indeed a gap in the row of plants. This delay in the discovery time was essential, along with the strategically picked locations which Loki had targeted.


    The main strategy employed was simply chaos. The sheer incoherence of the spread would leave and unpredictable pattern, while the locations were still concentrated enough to give a certain scope of containment. It was a delicate balance of making everyone in the area a suspect, yet not planting targets on their backs. Now it was simply a waiting game.


    It was indeed as Loki had said. Twenty-nine shifts later, Sir could be seen walking among them within the fields, seeming to be inspecting the plants under the guidance of three managers. He was only out for an hour, but each of the points he inspected related to one of the plants which Rykar had slyly seized.


    By this time, Rykar had claimed well over two hundred plants but it was apparent that not all of these had bee discovered. Sir and the other managers only looked over forty odd locations before he calmly walked back into the camp without casting a glance backwards. All of the workers within the vicinity watched on in surprise while making sure they remained on their best behaviour, heads down, they only dared to steal glances with the sides of their eyes.


    There was never a good occasion if one had to go and see Sir, so they already associated this man with calamity within their minds.Most of them didn''t even dare to breath loudly as they put forth their best efforts to increase their work rate to the max, only taking a sigh of relief as his back faded from view.


    Within the food hall, the trio were once again sat around a table while stuffing their faces before the rest of the workers intruded the space. Rykar and Loki were eating without restraint but at Rykar''s side, Chance simply picked at his plate with a conflicted expression.


    "Guys¡­" He began but then took a pause, as though he was choosing his words carefully. "I think we should stop. I know there''s no way for them to pin this on us, but you don''t always need proof to decide someone is guilty. Sir was in the field today, so he obviously knows what''s going on."


    Rykar simply carried on eating as though he hadn''t heard Chance at all, but Loki patiently explained between bites. "Its fine for him to suspect us, I''m going to confess soon anyway, but not just yet."


    Hearing Loki''s words, Chance spat out the bread he had been chewing absent minded. "Are you f*cking serious?!" He shouted while smashing his fist onto the table, causing all three plates to jump and clatter on the table.


    Loki didn''t continue to reply. His plate had slid away slightly after the table shook, so he simply slid it back in front of him and carried on eating while Chance too deep breaths calming himself.


    "Chance, don''t worry." Rykar finally broke away from his food with reluctance to comfort his new-found brother. "That''s how Loki is, he likes to annoy people, but he wouldn''t do anything dumb. He''s playing the mysterious game, so he hasn''t even told me what or why we''re doing this but if you get mad then it''ll just make him happy¡­ I thought you''re meant to be the grown up and mature one" He rolled his eyes as he turned his attention back to his plate.


    Failing to convince them while only managing to infuriate himself, Chance gave up despite the uncertainty he was left with. Either way, he was in too deep to jump off this ride now. Even if he did try to get rid of suspicions on himself and snitched on the twins, what would he say?


    ''Rykar, a boy born and raised in the forest without even clothes, sucked them into his hand''?


    He would probably be thrown into isolation just for wasting Sir''s time. Throwing the matter to the back of his mind, he started to gobble down the food on his plate with a renewed gusto. He didn''t even pick up his fork, simply shovelling it down his throat with his bare hands as the food became the release for his anxiety.


    "You guys are bad for my health."

 26 Chapter 26: A Holiday Sounds Nice

    *PTUH*


    While Chance was still muttering under his breath while digging into his plate using his bare hands, a wet noise could be heard landing on the end of the table, next to Loki. As the foreign noise attracted the attention of the trio, they looked over but only saw the back of a woman as she swaggered away in the direction of the food counter.


    *PTUH*


    *PTUH*


    *PTUH*


    While their attention was still focused on the back of the woman, the sound repeated. Followed by the wet squelch of saliva on the end of the table, another figure walked off in the same direction as the woman without so much as a glance backwards. This process repeated another six times as the entire entourage of pompous workers which had stirred up trouble from day one, made their way through the hall.


    As though it was a ritual, as each of them passed by the table which Chance, Loki and Rykar were seated, they would spit exaggeratedly on the end of the table without looking directly at any of them. The gloppy balls of spit would land on the table the brothers were eating at but didn''t directly hit any of them, however the intent behind the action was clear.


    Watching the group make their way to the counter before ordering their meals with bright smiles plastered on their faces, Rykar''s eyes once again froze over, yet he kept an amiable smile on his lips. The expression was strangely contradictory, like a battle of wills was taking place between his upper and lower face.


    "Trash with nothing better to do." Chance swore at them before going back to his meal at a much slower pace than previously. Although he was trying to down play their actions, it could easily be seen that his mood had also taken a turn for the worse.


    Loki was the only one that had no change in expression. As he saw the second glob of spit land, he already began to turn his face back to his food with a straight face as he continued eating at a steady pace. Calm and collected like the surface of a lake, as always.


    "Rykar, chill out. They are just wasting their energy." Loki said a few words in a poor attempt to pacify his brother. Knowing that his words wouldn''t have much of an effect, he tried to let his temperament and actions serve as a guide for his hot-headed sibling.


    "Why did the manager die?" Rykar asked suddenly. The question caused Chance and Loki to pause for a moment. Rather than accepting that Rykar had killed a man, Loki had long since tried to simply bury the occasion without looking back on it. Just like many other experiences he had been through, he hoped that not talking about it would help it to go away in time.


    "He died because he was doing evil things. He was abusing his power. He was being greedy." Chance replied with slow words, highlighting the evils of the man without touching on Rykar''s participation.


    "Hmm, and who killed him?" Rykar asked again without agreeing or disagreeing with the previous answer.


    "You did." This time, it was Loki who answered while Chance faltered, unsure of whether to answer the question. Loki looked straight into Rykar''s cold face and stated directly, "You slit his throat."


    Rykar still wore a mixture of emotions on his face as he heard his brothers reply. Although his brows flinched slightly, his eyes never wavered, maintaining their clear and cold look.


    "Both your answers are right, but not all the way. The man died because he decided to do the bidding of that woman and her groupies. He could have carried on doing what he was supposed to, but ultimately, she caused him to go on to his death. In the end, his death falls to no one but himself, which was the end of his cycle. All the bad he has and will have done, came back on to him at that moment.


    So, to answer the first question, he died because of that woman. To the second question, he was the one who killed himself. I simply helped him to complete his cycle." Rykar finished confidently.


    As Rykar and Loki heard his explanation, they both felt their backs crawl as they looked upon Rykar in a new light. It was only now that they understood what he had meant when he mentioned the "Cycle" after getting out of isolation. Loki never realised how he had taken their mothers words to such an extreme.


    However, that wasn''t the reason for the sense of discomfort between Loki and Chance. That stemmed from the revelation of how seriously the death of the manager had impacted on Rykar psychologically.


    This "Cycle" which he had delved into, had become the perfect defence mechanism. It worked to distance himself from his own actions while placing the blame on others, allowing him to act on impulse with a flawless justification.


    They both came to understand that Rykar felt absolutely no guilt or remorse in his actions despite them being carried out in self-defence.


    Both of them were left speechless as they looked at his smiling face. All this time, they had felt that Rykar''s eyes were filled with anger whenever they frosted over, but now they weren''t sure what they were looking at. It was as though Rykar really was hiding a demon inside himself. A demon that found the perfect chance to manifest itself during his period of isolation, when his physical and mental state was at rock bottom.


    In the space of seven shifts and three days of isolation, a completely new side to Rykar had emerged and developed without his brother noticing a thing.


    "All this working in the fields lately is pretty tiring. A holiday sounds nice. Luckily¡­ it seems that their cycles are about to come to an end." Rykar stretched his arms under the mindful gazes of the other two. "Guards! I found people stealing essence fruits!"


    Hearing Rykar call out, the six closest guards in the room came over quickly as though they were afraid to miss out on such a big present. "Who is it, point them out now. I hope you understand its three days in isolation for a false claim." The nearest guard reminded him solemnly as he looked around the room.


    There was still around five minutes before the shifts would formally end, so besides all of the food staff and guards, there were only around twenty or thirty workers enjoying an early dinner. Although the numbers were meagre, every single pair of eyes were glued to the source of the voice like flies to sh*t.


    Without answering the guards question he Rykar looked over the group of seven while still smiling. Soon, everyone within the room had their eyes facing these new targets with either hopeful or sympathetic looks. Either they would be found innocent and manage to pace Rykar in isolation once again, or these tyrants would finally face the punishment that they had long deserved.


    Rykar slowly rose up from his seat, his long inky hair tumbling down past his waist as he twisted his hips as though stretching for a marathon. He then slowly began to walk in the direction of the group, which were still holding their plates while gob smacked.


    Even Loki and Chance were shocked as to this latest development, but after a moment of contemplation, the situation dawned on Loki as he watched on in horror. "Rykar! Are you sure!? Is this just an accidental misunderstanding?" He called out to his brother while trying to give him a way of reversing the situation before it became impossible to turn back.


    Rykar stopped for just a second, looking at Loki''s pleading expression, before laughing out loud and continuing towards the group. At this point, Loki''s shout had woken them up from their reverie, causing them to chuckle amongst themselves while raining curses down onto Rykar.


    "Who do you think you''re accusing?! Shut up brat! Watch as your brother sentences himself to isolation." The pompous lady shouted towards Loki as she looked at Rykar with ridicule in her eyes. This kid had just invited disaster onto himself in a childish strop, how could she pass up this opportunity to cause this ugly demon even more misery.


    "Haha, didn''t you learn your lesson the first time?"


    "You really must have been raised by animals to throw out such lies."


    "Disgusting."


    The remarks came one after the other, however Rykar still maintained a slow and steady pace which caused the tension to slowly fade away. The slow pace was taken for uncertainty and weakness, however only Rykar understood that this was valuable time which he utilised in order to adjust his focus and mental state.


    As he reached the front of the group, the woman took initiative and strode forward to greet him. "Go ahead, where is the fruit then you unwanted little brat?" She ridiculed with scorn on her face.


    "What''s your name?" Rykar asked. Whenever his pictured this woman''s face, he realised that all he associated her with was anger, pain and annoyance. Up until this day, he hadn''t asked her or anyone else her name.


    "¡­ Elizabeth, not that you deserve to know." Elizabeth replied after a slight pause. Truthfully, the question had thrown her off guard and left her dumbfounded. She had expected almost any possible retort but such a simple question, such as her name, had left he lost for words for a moment.


    "Elizabeth¡­ Elizabeth." Rykar repeated the unfamiliar name a few times before he pronounced it right. "So, Elizabeth. Do you know how much pain you''ve caused those around you? How much pain you''ve caused me?" He continued to ask.


    At this point, it wasn''t just Elizabeth who was stunned. Everyone in the hall, including Chance and Loki, had been listening intently and had heard Rykars blunt and direct question. Everyone had expected a brutal and violent confrontation, or at least a harsh verbal conflict! Even the guards had been prepared to move at a moment''s notice if needs be.


    "Does it matter?" While Elizabeth''s mind was still slightly dazed, she simply answered on reflex. From this reply, Rykar seriously understood that she didn''t care for how her actions affected those around her. The pain she inflicted on others was insignificant in comparison to her whims.


    "¡­"


    Rykar had no response to her words as he let out a sigh. Despite the questions, they were merely due to curiosity. Nothing would have changed the fate of Elizabeth and her group at this point.


    With slow and deliberate movements, Rykar took a step forwards and extended his hand into the pocket on her left-hand side. As Elizabeth was still thinking about the questions and answers that had just taken place, she was slow to react. By the time she noticed Rykar''s movements, his hand was already buried deep into her pocket!


    As she jumped backward in reflex, Rykar''s hand was pulled from her pocket. The only issue to this was that, unlike the empty hand which had entered the pocket, Rykar''s fingers were not clasping onto a shining silver bead.


    Everyone''s breath caught in their throats in that instant. The only noise which could be heard clearly was the weak sigh which left Loki''s Lungs before he got up and made his way towards the exit, refusing to watch the rest of Rykar''s performance.


    As Elizabeth''s legs buckled from underneath her, she slid to her knees while no longer having any grip on reality. It was as though her heart had turned into a rock, crushing her organs from within her chest with an unbearable pressure.


    With eyes still focused on the bead which had long since been dropped onto the floor like a worthless item, no one in the room paid attention as Rykar used light steps to weave in between each and every member of the group.


    Every person he passed by, an empty hand would thrust into their pocket.


    Every person he passed by, a silver light would flash as his hand left their pocket.


    Every person he passed by, a glittering essence fruit would be left discarded at their feet.

 27 Chapter 27: Too Easy

    "What the f*ck is wrong with you?!" Both Chance and Loki screamed at Rykar simultaneously as he walked through the door of their house.


    After thoroughly and utterly implicating Elizabeth and the rest of her cohort, Rykar had sat down and finished his meal in a completely unhurried fashion. After clearing out four plates, he leisurely made his way back to their accommodation with a smile on his face, humming a happy tune with brisk steps. Hell, he practically skipped to the front door.


    Truth be told, he had been expecting Loki''s outburst due to the way he left the hall earlier, but he had expected Chance to be more understanding. With innocent eyes, he looked at the two people opposite him with an expression of someone who had been wronged.


    "What do you mean? It was the end of their cycle¡­ if they are meant to live, then they won''t come to any harm, right?" Rykar''s head tilted to the side as he asked bewildered. At this point, he truly believed that he had done nothing wrong, what was meant to happen would happen and that would be the end of it.


    "Are you thick? There is no cycle! You did this, not anyone or anything else!" Loki carried on shouting, unable to understand his brothers thought process. "Do you not understand that they will die now? You have KILLED them! We wont even be here much longer so WHY?!"


    "Chance, do you feel the same way?" Rykar looked away from his brother and questioned Chance before answering the question. As Chance saw Rykar looking straight into his eyes, he grew conflicted. On one side, he felt that the deaths of Elizabeth and her group weren''t completely unwarranted. However, on the other, he felt that this wasn''t a decision that should be made by such young children. It was too early for them to be exposed to such an environment.


    It wasn''t so much a matter of it being wrong, but a matter of setting principles for the twins to use as a foundation. Loki and Rykar were now at a crossroads which lead in completely different directions yet was based purely on perspective. With all this in mind, Chance slowly nodded his head with a rare look of seriousness on his face.


    "I see. So, Loki, why was it wrong and what does it matter to you?" Rykar''s tone took a 180-degree turn. Rather than the questioning voice he used earlier, his tone still remained light and casual yet the question became a statement rather than an enquiry.


    "Nothing, but its not right." Loki calmed down by this point, yet he wouldn''t budge on the matter. "Mom has always told us that taking life is wrong unless absolutely necessary."


    "Yeah, she did, didn''t she? She also told us that we were kings, right? Oh, and something about generals. OOOOHHH yeah, I nearly forgot about that saying she used to go on about, ''a mother''s love never dies''" As Rykar said the last words, his voice began to show signs of wavering for the briefest of moments before regaining its strength. "From the moment we were born to the second we got to this camp, its been proven time and time again that life isn''t fair. Its what you make of it."


    Rykar''s words caused waves to tumble in Loki''s mind as he shuddered from the recollection. Despite his rising emotions, rather than becoming even more aggravated, he had already calmed down and re-assumed a straight face and calm demeanour by the time his brother finished his short speech.


    "Mn, you''re right, what you do is your business as long as it doesn''t affect me." Loki confirmed, neither agreeing or disagreeing with Rykar''s frame of thought. Instead, he simply decided to take it into account. At the end of the day, they had been given multiple opportunities and it was only the morality of the issue which left him conflicted. These people were not worth falling out with his brother over. Not even close.


    "The plan is being pushed forward and modified. Along with what''s happened recently, Sir will want to be meeting you fairly soon." After dismissing the argument at hand, Loki got back onto topic without allowing any interjection from Chance. "Its simple, once you go in, tell him that Loki needs to talk to him directly about missing plants. Make sure he understands that I can''t go to anyone else about this apart from him directly."


    "Mhm, that''s it? No worries, consider it done." Rykar didn''t even ask for the rest of the plan, he adopted a carefree attitude as though the conflicts of the day had never even taken place.


    Chance simply watched on from the side. Aside from the nod he had given early in agreement with Loki, he hadn''t even gotten a word in sideways! He was actually shocked at the sudden change in atmosphere! It was as though a storm had rampaged across the land while blowing all the buildings and tools up into the sky, only to set them back down perfectly in their original places¡­


    If anyone came in, it would be impossible to tell that anything out of the ordinary had happened while looking at the twins calm exteriors.


    "I don''t know if your relationship is healthy or unhealthy¡­ I can''t even suggest you guys talk it out." Chance muttered under his breath as he slumped onto his bed, no longer paying them any attention. "We will be called out pretty soon and told about the break. To be fair, there''s more than one person that was caught so maybe we will get extra time¡­"


    True to Chance''s words, it didn''t take long for bells to ring wildly through the air. Guards walked around the camp summoning everyone into the fields on one side of the camp. There was no open space within the camp for the thousand of people within the camp to fit at once, so they had to be a bit more inventive.


    Standing in the field, all of the workers were standing between the rows of plants, evenly spaced apart as though they were a rag tag army. A makeshift platform had been constructed in the place of one of the supply points, on which Sir stood tall, while surrounded by guards and managers. None of the workers were able to even get close to him, despite them out numbering the guards and managers fifty to one.


    The workers shuffled anxiously. Despite the nervousness which was obvious within the crowd, excitement was working its way into the atmosphere as people began to grow expectant of the break which was to come. All of the chatter and hubbub died down as Sir cleared his throat while holding up a spherical shaped device. As the sound was emitted from hi throat, this ball amplified it to the point that everyone could hear him clearly without even the need to shout.


    "I''m going to keep this short. Congratulations to Rykar for revealing seven thieves amongst our midst. The usual reward is a shift worth of holiday to the entire camp, therefore this shall be magnified seven-fold. Twenty-eight hours of free time will be awarded to the workers from this moment onward, return to work promptly at the sound of your corresponding signals.


    "Rykar will skip ranks, being promoted straight to the rank of guard. This is also effective immediately." He then scanned through the crowd before locking eyes with the cheery faced Rykar. "I''m sure you''re eager to know the benefits of becoming a guard, I also have a few questions which you''ll be answering for me. One of you, take him towards my office."


    Sir was still facing Rykar as he ordered his guards, not even bothering to spare them a glance. Despite his speech indicating that Rykar had done a great service towards the camp, there was no warmth in his voice. Everything came out in a matter of fact sort of style, with the promotion and invitation to his interrogation leaving no room for refusal or debate.


    Finishing the short speech, Sir walked down from the platform without even bothering to dismiss the crowd in front of him. As though waiting on his every word, no one from the crowd had any intentions of moving from their spots, even after he had disappeared from their sights for over ten minutes. It was only then that one of the guards gave them permission to take their leave while ushering Rykar in the direction which Sir had left in.


    The entirety of the harvester workforce, close to three thousand people, had gathered on the field in a hurry for this speech which had only lasted less than sixty seconds. Despite this, there were no complaints, only excitement at the prospects of unlimited rest and food within these twenty-eight hours.


    Due to only having two hours of rest between shifts, this left everyone seriously short on time to do anything else. Recreational activities or finding time to get acquainted with the opposite sex were all but impossible in this time frame, unless they were willing to forgo thee vital rest they needed before the gruelling field work. A break this long was unheard of within the walls of this camp! Despite the fear and resentment they still held for the twins, a sliver of gratefulness began to emerge in their eyes.


    So, Rykar. I wonder how you knew that these people had been stealing from me? Each and every one of them no less." As Rykar walked into Sir''s simple yet luxurious office, he wasn''t even given time to approach the wooden desk before Sir began to question him.


    "They didn''t look like they were walking normally. They seemed kind of off balance and the only thing which would be small yet heavy enough to stagger them is probable the fruit. I wouldn''t have noticed if they hadn''t been bringing attention to themselves." Rykar countered while shrugging.


    "So, you made an assumption purely based on their manner of walking?" Sir reiterated through squinting eyes. Receiving a nod from Rykar, he still maintained his suspicious gaze but had no way o refuting this. "So, you haven''t seen anything else that''s strange on the field? Bare in mind, if you have interesting information, it could lead to the freedom of yourself and your brother."


    As Sir extended this piece of bait, a warm smile crept onto his face. Rykar wouldn''t have been able to tell, but this was a similar expression to that which he had made before. The top and bottom half of his face were perfectly mismatched. While the warm smile hung on his lips, Sir''s eyes seemed to be radiating a poisonous air as they bore into Rykar.


    "F-freedom?" Rykar stuttered the word while thinking hard. "Does it matter what kind of information? And do you promise?" he let go of his carefree attitude and took on the look of an anxious thirteen year old at once. It was as though a child was being led by the nose with candy as Rykars eyes went wide and he shuddered at the thought of being released.


    "Any information that is useful and a guarantee, you''ll be free! To be honest, you''ve probably already noticed that there are no other children like you here. I don''t really like having children work so hard when its possible they may have bright futures ahead of them. It''s possible to get you out but ill have to pull some strings, help me to help you Rykar." Sir went full on charity worker mode.


    The poison in his eyes vanished as his voice turned watery and sorrowful. "I used to have a son he would have been your age if not for¡­ aaah I''d rather not bring up the past." He laughed depreciatingly as a tear dropped from his eye, which he quickly wiped away up using his sleeve. Clearing his eye, he looked up at Rykar with hope. In his eyes, the youth now seemed on the verge of tears as he felt sympathy for the once hardened man in front of him.


    "Well I don''t have much." As Rykar began to speak, the warmth seeped out of Sir''s eyes for a moment. "But Loki has been telling me that some of the people in the fields have been acting weird¡­ I''m sorry, he told me that he couldn''t say what, in case someone heard. I really don''t know¡­" Rykar let out a disappointed sigh while scratching his head, trying to recall his brother''s exact words.


    "No, no. That''s plenty! Go get your brother, I think you may really be able to go free!" Sir''s eyes regained their light as he jumped up from behind the desk and patted Rykar on the shoulder as he ushered him out of the room.


    As Rykar''s back faced him, Sir''s face contorted fully. A malicious smile was plastered on his face as his tongue snaked out of his mouth. His eyes narrowed into slits as he gazed down at the poor boy in front of him who he had just strung along like a puppet on a stick.


    ''Too easy.'' Their thoughts mirrored each other.


    From the front, looking back at the two walking towards the office door, one would be able to see that both man and child had the same evil and malicious expressions on their faces as they walked forward like marching demons.


    One in front, one in the back. Both were playing a game of hunter but only one of them would end up the prey.

 28 Chapter 28: No! Wait! I’m coming!

    "How did it go?" Chance asked as soon as Rykar made his way through the door. It had only been around half an hour since Rykar had left under the direction of the guard. Chance seemed to have been waiting on his arrival, unable to calm his nerves as he waited bolt straight on his bed. Contrast to this, Loki could just about be seen sat down on a feather cushion in a state of meditation while an almost indiscernible breeze could be felt coming from the second room.


    "Who do you think I am? The greatest actor to ever have lived stands in front of you, bow down and accept my grace!" Rykar opened his arms like a manganous lord while tilting his closed to the ceiling. When the praises he had been expecting didn''t come, he looked around with mock sadness in his eyes.


    "You know, it all makes sense now! You must have been kicked in the head by a donkey while you were a baby. How unfortunate." Chance shook his head while thoroughly destroying Rykar''s sense of achievement.


    "Ha! The donkey you''re talking about must''ve been your mother!" He countered, preparing himself for a drawn out round of insults. While he was stockpiling possible comebacks in his head, Loki walked out of the other room. His presence disrupted the flow of the conversation between Rykar and Chance as they reluctantly fell silent while still glaring at each other.


    "So, how did it go?" Loki asked flatly.


    "Come on bro, its not that bad! You should have stopped being mad at me by now!" Rykar moaned.


    "So, how did it go?" Loki asked again in the exact same tone as before.


    "Lokiiiiii come onnnnnn broooo.There were only a few of them! it''s not like I went on a killing spree! Wait, technically I didn''t even kill them! I only framed them!" He would let up, adamant to regain his innocence in his brother''s eyes. He knew that if Loki kept up the silent treatment then it would only get harder as time went on.


    It may not have effected interactions between them, but his life would become a hassle, with his brother serving as nothing but a pain in his ass. No jokes, no help, no conversation, no advice, there would be no unnecessary interaction between them. It would be like trying to interact with a chunk of wood.


    "So, how did it go?" Loki carried on saying the same line like a broken record.


    "Ok, I''m sorry Loki. It was wrong for me to have done that to them, I shouldn''t have played with their lives like that. I won''t do it again." Rykar relented, accepting all responsibility with a downcast face.


    A black swirl wrapped around Loki''s palm as the Book of Greed materialised. The book already open with its eerie black pages facing upwards. "Promise you won''t kill anyone anymore."


    "Hahaha, you can go f*ck yourself and your wooden face if you think I''m going to end up in that book. I''m sorry but I''m not THAT sorry. They had it coming." Seeing the red characters beginning to take form as Loki spoke, Rykar immediately dropped the act. He shrugged and jumped onto his bed, pretending to immediately fall into a deep sleep.


    Loki let out a sigh as he looked down at his Rykar, who was exaggeratingly snoring as saliva trickled down his lip. "Dumbass. Ok, stop messing around. How did it actually go?"


    "As I said, I''m the genius actor, blessed by the gods." Rykar wiped away the spittle and sat up lazily with a grin on his face. "He bought it completely and he wants to see you immediately! He''s promised almost anything we want including freedom, although that''s obviously bullsh*t. I''ve told him that you''ve seen something on the fields but don''t know who to tell. There''s someone waiting outside for you now"


    "Mhm, good job, I''ll be back in a bit. We''re going to be really busy for this entire holiday, so I suggest you get some sleep. You too Chance, we''ll need all the energy we can spare." With that, Loki made his way out of the door. As he made his exit, a guard was patiently waiting not too far away, ready to direct him back to Sir''s offices.


    It was only round twenty minutes before he arrived at the same room which Rykar had recently made an exit from. Walking with the guard was quiet as usual, with them making their way to the rear side of the isolation pits. Sir''s office was located in a house which was three stories tall and designed like nothing he had ever seen before.


    The roof came to a point, with transparent glass windows placed an even distance apart. Loki couldn''t help but walk over to one of these windows to touch and examine the cold and colourless sheet. While living in the forest, he had never seen anything similar to this apart from the clear water of the spring. He was able to understand what it was straight away, however, due to the multiple references heard in his mother''s stories.


    "Loki, it''s been a while." Sir''s voice drifted over as the door to the building opened. "Come in, come in. I''m sure we have much to talk about."


    Loki was welcomed in with a warm smile while the guard waited outside, motionless as a statue. As the door shut behind them, it was like being welcomed into a new world. The glass in the windows and the snug fit of the door completely isolated them from the outside while the heat from the fireplace was kept in. it felt like he was being embraced in blankets just by standing there!


    "I hope you feel comfortable! Come over." By this point, Sir walked to the end of the room and sat behind his wide wooden desk. "I took the liberty of bringing out a few snacks, I hope they are to your liking. I know the food in the food hall is aplenty but they lack a certain, finesse."


    Approaching the table, the papers and books which occupied the table when Rykar had been there were nowhere to be seen. The table was now covered in decorated plates which held cakes and pastries, most of which, Loki had a hard time even recognising as food.


    Loki slowly walked over while sizing up the plates. Under Sir''s expectant gaze, he raised one of the cream covered cakes to his nose and smelled it lightly before taking a small bite.


    "Mmfh!"


    Loki''s eyes bulged as he almost swallowed his tongue. The cream and fruit jam practically melted into his mouth before he had time to register what was happening. The taste alone almost made him want to ditch any plans the trio had against the man in front of him. Scoffing the rest of the cake, he eyed the rest guiltily.


    "Haha take your time my boy, there''s plenty! I also packed a few boxes just over there." Sir pointed towards the corner of the room where three boxes were stacked one on top of the other. "You can bring them back to your brother and Chance as you return. I know you''ve all been working amazingly hard on the fields lately. So, your brother tells me that you have something you with to tell me directly.


    "Well, I know that there have been people stealing the fruit, those seven were working with them. But I know that they were also working with managers to take the actual plants too! I swear I would have reported it sooner, but if I told someone who was in on their plan¡­" Loki''s voice trailed off as though he was thinking of his fate should that situation arise.


    "No, I totally understand! I''ve known for a while that I have untrustworthy people among my people. I just couldn''t figure out how deep this runs. This is something only you can help me with Loki, I''ll be forever in your debt." Sir didn''t even show any greed or happiness as he spoke to the child in front of him. Only sadness could be seen plastered on his face as he seemed to be mourning the betrayal of a family member.


    "I know who it is, the main person taking them all! I don''t know exactly how he''s been hiding them, but they just vanish shortly after they are uprooted or delivered to him." Loki''s face showed a look of confusion and fear. "What if he makes me disappear too?"


    His body began shaking as he held onto the edges of the desk so tightly that his fingers could be seen losing colour. Looking at the ground, tears dripped from his eyes and hit the floorboards below him with a crisp sound.


    "NO! I refuse to let anything happen to you! Trust in me Loki, I''ll take care of everything." Sir exclaimed as he stood up and dabbed at Loki''s eyes with a handkerchief before getting back into his seat. "If there''s anything I can do to compensate or make you feel more comfortable, just let me know my child. Anything."


    Loki slowly stopped shaking as his breathing regained a regular rhythm. His hands left the table and dropped down towards his waist while he took a step closer to the desk.


    "I- I have th-three requests. If you can do this, I''ll tell you exactly who it is that''s stealing the plants from you!" He stated his demands.


    "I''m listening, as long as it''s within my power." Sir replied while placing his hand over his heart.


    "Ok. Me, Chance and Loki can do anything we want during this holiday, complete freedom." The first condition became known.


    "Absolutely."


    "You need to do your best to ensure that no harm comes to us until after you deal with the thieves! I want you to accompany us everywhere until they are dealt with." The second demand.


    "Of course! I wouldn''t trust anyone else to escort and guarantee your safety but myself."


    "I- I don''t know what I want the third thing to be yet. Can I leave it blank and ask you to fulfil it later? I promise it will be something within you''re power!" A watery-eyed Loki looked up at Sir as his third and final demand spilled from his mouth.


    At this moment, Sir hesitated for a brief moment. He couldn''t place his finger on it, but something seemed to have his nerves slightly on edge. He tossed the thought to the back of his mind immediately while putting it down to the thoughts of traitors.


    "You have a deal." He said solemnly. "So who has been stealing from me and betraying our trust?"


    "Well¡­ It''s me, Rykar and chance that have been sealing the fruits and plants from you. I don''t know how Rykar does it, but he is able to store them and make them disappear and reappear." Confusion spread onto Sir''s face as he heard Loki''s words.


    Both their faces changed at the same time. Loki dropped the childish act as his eyes became cold and distant, as though he wasn''t even looking at a person. On the other side, Sir''s face showed confusion and mockery before anger set in.


    "Are you f*cking with me boy?" Wrath was evident as Sir rose from his seat and made to grab Loki by the throat.


    Just as he was thrusting his hand over, he froze in place before clutching his head and chest. The pain which tormented him was so great that he couldn''t even shout or lose consciousness. Slumped over the table, he squashed the cakes and pastries as he writhed in agony.


    "Wow wow, it''s not bad to go back on deals remember. I wouldn''t hurt me if I was you¡­" While speaking, Loki''s hand, which had been hidden from Sir''s view by the desk, rose up and revealed a black and grey book. The page was covered with red symbols alongside a vivid figure of Sir, which was in the corner.


    "By the way, I decided on my third request. After this holiday is up, you will take me, Loki and Chance through the portal and out of this fragment before forgetting about us completely. Thanks for the treats, I''ve really never tasted anything as good as this! Well, I''m going back to get the other two, as our escort, you''re coming along right? Or do you want to break the deal again?"


    Symbols danced on the page once again just before Loki threw it into the air. As it moved away from him, it disappeared into a cloud of black particles which then fused into his tattoo. The sight left sir shocked as he began regaining his breath.


    Without waiting for an answer, Loki turned and headed towards the exit as Sir crawled after him desperately.


    "No! Wait! I''m coming!"

 29 Chapter 29: Time flies While Having Fun

    The entire way back, Sir staggered along behind Loki as he slowly regained his composure. As he began to find his feet, his eyes lost their look of fear while becoming hateful and snide the further they walked. However, whenever Loki turned back to check on him, he would drop the vengeful look in an instant, showing a small smile while looking innocent as a puppy.


    "Haha, that''s my bro! Way faster than we expe-" Rykar''s voice trailed off as he saw Sir making his way through the door shortly after Loki.


    "Sir!" Both Chance and Rykar jumped off their beds, standing at attention.


    "Don''t worry, he''s just here to make sure everything goes as planned, Right Sir?" After a silent nod of approval from Sir, Loki began to fill the other two in on the terms of the contract.


    After hearing all of the arrangements, Rykar simply laughed out loud while slapping Loki on the shoulder. Chance stood next to his bed with a blank face. As he heard each of the conditions, a few more strands of hair would stand up on the back of his neck. He had been stuck within the camp for over three years now, yet the two twins had managed to get them out within a few days!


    Not only was he stunned at the terms of the contract, but the clever use of words which Loki had used while putting it together! Sir had sunk into a bottomless abyss without even knowing it.


    "Sir, I think we should establish some rules now." Loki turned to the entrance.


    "I already know the rules. You said them clearly early so don''t go adding things now. I already know how this works and I have no intention of breaking the terms." Sir interrupted quickly. He already had an idea of what was happening despite the absurdity of it all. The terms of the contract were set in stone, with excruciating pain being the repercussions of attempting to break them.


    "Oh, of course. These are just some other things which come under the same agreement. Think of it as the special conditions, or ''fine print'' as Chance calls it." Loki shrugged before continuing.


    "If you call for help, I will punch myself in the face."


    "If you make weird gestures towards other people then I will punch myself in the face."


    "If you order us to do anything that we don''t want to, in private or public, I will punch myself in the face."


    At first, Sir was confused with these absurd requests. If anything, he would be absolutely thrilled for this demonic little sh*t to punch himself to death then and there. However, as he began to think that Loki had a screw lose, his blood turned cold as realisation hit him and everyone else in the room at the same time.


    Rykars eyes seemed to be filled with stars as he smiled towards Sir as though he was looking at his new favourite thing.


    "Tell Loki he isn''t sh*t compared to me or I''ll punch myself in the face!" He shouted.


    "What?" Sir looked around confused but was interrupted by Rykars abrupt countdown.


    "3, 2, 1. Mmf." Rykar grunted as he thrust his fist into his own cheek. He hadn''t used full strength, but it was more than enough to leave him shaken for a moment.


    *THUD* Just after Rykar''s fist landed, Sir''s eyes bulged as veins stood out on his neck and temple. He fell to the ground convulsing like a fish out of water for around five seconds before lying motionless. A tear fell from his eye as he propped himself up with his elbow as he panted heavily. The pain earlier was so intense that he wasn''t even able to breath for the duration of the episode.


    It was bad enough that the content of the contract bound him to following after and allowing the trio to do all they wished before releasing them. However it was even worse to find out that they were able to completely and utterly abuse the clause which caused him to do whatever was in his power to protect them from harm.


    Even if this ''harm'' was caused by themselves.


    "I''ll punch myself in the face if you don''t call me daddy!"


    "You''re my daddy!"


    "I''ll punch myself in the face if you don''t punch Rykar in the face!"


    "Bu- NURFUHHHHHGHHHHHAANGHHHH." Of course, he couldn''t personally cause any harm to them either.


    After a long and traumatic session of requests from the twins, even Chance found it difficult to watch Sir squirming on the ground as he stopped Loki and Rykar from continuing. By the time Sir got up, his eyes were bloodshot while saliva speckled the sides of his lips. He looked at Chance as though a god had descended to save him from this eternal damnation.


    "Ok, so what are we doing till we leave? The best use for our time is probably to enter mediation." Chance said.


    Loki and Rykar looked over at him at the same time with confusion on their faces. In the end, it was Rykar who spoke up. "Why would we waste time doing that? There are literally NO rules right now and Sir is here to make sure we are fine¡­ we should go take as many essence fruit and plants as we can hahahaha." Rykar burst into laughter as he heard the sound of Sir gritting his teeth in anger.


    Loki nodded slightly in approval as he heard Rykar. "Not yet, first we need to get clothes. Chance, you said we would look weird on the outside right?"


    "Mhm, most of the clothes in here are pretty normal¡­ but you have pretty bad taste. You should have let me come to the shop with you before you bought that top." Chance confessed to Loki while looking at his oddly fitting black top.


    Shortly after, the four people exited the small clothing store. Chance was still in the simple but neat clothing he had been wearing before but Rykar and Loki looked drastically different. Although still in black, they had now gotten rid of their tattered pants and any other leather garments they had previously worn


    Head to toe they were in black cotton clothing with a hooded cloak wrapped around their shoulders. The cloak was not needed in the short term, but according to Chance, their appearances on the outside would definitely cause a stir. Wearing the cloak would help to avoid the majority of the unwanted attention which would be directed their way.


    Shoes still felt very uncomfortable for them both, as though they were carrying clumsy weights on their feet. It also unnerved them that they couldn''t actually feel the ground below them. in order to work around this, they were able to find strips of leather and black cloth within the store which was then used as makeshift foot wraps.


    "I mean, apart from looking a little shady, you guys would fit in anywhere." Chance remarked, followed by a mumble of approval from Sir. He had been remaining quiet for the majority of the journey, simply offering mumbles of confirmation or denial now and then. The event from earlier had left him visibly shaken as his spirits were visibly dampened.


    What made Chance afraid, was that he had also signed a contract with Loki. Luckily his contract seemed to be completely different in nature and not nearly as exploitable in comparison to Sir''s.


    Another thing that gave him the chills, was the repercussions for breaking the contract. They left no visible effects on Sir''s body despite the immense pain! Reminding himself to think twice, then a couple more times before making any deals with Loki, they made their way onto the field.


    Without waiting for anyone to say anything, They collected a set of equipment from one of the deserted stands and began harvesting the plants and fruit at breakneck pace. Rykar would have preferred to simply collect entire plants constantly, but it took much more time to transfer while leaving him feeling sluggish for the next few minutes after.


    Due to this, he would transfer a plant, then rest for a period before repeating. In this time, Loki and Rykar would collect as many ripe fruit as they could. After delivering these to Rykar to be transferred, they would leave for another area of the field to repeat.


    This caused a steady flow of plants and fruit to be transferred into Rykar''s other world. It didn''t take long before the ground was littered with hundreds of fruits while the amount of plants was also ever increasing!


    Many of these fruits would slip into a few of the cracks which were found in the dry ground, but the area around the plants seemed to be regaining some nourishment. The first few plants that he had transferred had begun to take root. Despite the awful conditions of the soil, none of the plants seemed to show any signs of withering.


    Spectating the area for a longer time, Rykar noticed that some of the plants which had fruit in their vicinity would have roots extending over to the fruit. This seemed to server as extra nutrition to the plants while allowing them to take root faster. With this new information, Rykar decided to separate most of the fruit to another area of the sphere, while purposely placing many of the fruit within the vicinity of the plants in order to aid their growth process.


    Time flew by, it didn''t seem long, but they had already been on the field for six hours before they finally decided to take a break. Sir''s eyes were bloodshot and looked as though tear of blood might erupt at any time while he watched his precious plants and fruit be plundered.


    Eat, sleep, work. The same cycle they once had to commit to, had once again resurfaced. During the entire holiday they imply repeated this routine, however they woke up with smiles on there faces as they skipped to the fields to plunder under the watchful eye of Sir.


    They even forwent their period of meditation just so that they would be more rested, increasing their efficiency while robbing the man who stood beside them.


    Time flew by like a summers breeze, it seemed like the blink of an eye before it was time for the other workers to get back to their shifts. Which meant it was time for the three brothers to say their final farewells to Sir.

 30 Chapter 30: Tears

    Sir was currently accompanying Chance, Loki and Rykar towards the deepest region of the camp.


    Despite these three being only moments away from making off with hundreds of Essence plants and multiple times more essence fruit, Sir was currently humming merrily while nearly skipping through the wide earthen paths of the camp.


    The people in the surroundings watched wide eyed as this feared individual had an unprecedented smile plastered on his face. Little did they understand the level of mental and physical pain he had gone through while they had been enjoying their holiday to the full. The only people who had ''maybe'' suffered more than him, were Elizabeth and her group of tag-alongs.


    "So, what is outside actually like?" Rykar asked while turning towards Chance.


    "It''s a sh*t hole. In the city, you''re either rich or poor, there''s almost no in-between. Despite that, it''s a hundred times better than in here. At least out there, there''s a chance." He replied with a carefree smile. Despite him trying to act natural, the twins were easily able to pick up on his excitement from his fidgeting hands.


    "Hmm, is that where your name came from or do your parents just have bad taste?" Rykar jested.


    "Believe it or not, you''re bang on haha!" Chance erupted in laughter after hearing the remark. "No matter how bad the situation is, there''s always a chance. If there is none, then make one. If you can''t make one, then I guess you''re f*cked."


    "Even after living with Rykar, that''s the stupidest thing I''ve heard in my life." Loki added on the side as he carried on walking straight faced. Suddenly he turned his head towards Sir as though struck by a sudden inspiration. "Where are we, and what is outside? Explain properly or I''ll punch myself in the face."


    "F*ck." Sir swore as his good mood was ruined. "This is a fragment owned by the Grace company. Outside is simply one of the planets attached to one of the worlds Grace owns. In here might even be better than out there. You have food, water, beds and clothes. Out there, you''ll might end up with nothing."


    Hearing Sir''s explanation, the twins were even more confused. They looked towards Chance, waiting for him to correct what they had heard but he had slight confliction on his face.


    "If we were to go out there like normal people, then maybe. However, don''t forget that were rich right now! Not only that, but my brothers are still on the outside." He comforted the twins with an awkward smile.


    Hearing this, Sir also revealed a smile but the insidious light in his eyes shined brightly. Of course, there was no way he would continue speaking in case of tempting these demons to stay even longer.


    With Sir increasing the pace of the group, it was only a few minutes before they came to an open square which held a large wagon. The entire area was buzzing with activity as people filled the wagon to the brim with containers similar to the ones which the workers used on the fields.


    The difference between them was that they were more than three times at large. If every slot within them was filled, they were most likely holding between thirty and forty essence fruit each. All of the workers here were bigger than the guards in size, easily lugging these 350kg containers between two of them without breaking a sweat. The wagon was nearly full as the trio had arrived, so it wasn''t long before the carriage was filled to the brim with over a hundred of said crates.


    Just in front of the wagon was a simple looking arched stone gate standing straight from the ground with no other supports around it besides its own frame. Although it had a simple appearance, the gate was huge, standing over ten metres tall and six metres wide. Inspecting the interior of the gate was like staring into grey and muddy water. It was as though there was a thin film in place which wriggled and squirmed as it obstructed their view to the other side.


    Watching the warped and murky entrance, neither Rykar nor Loki couldn''t hold back their curiosity as they began walking around the stone gate. As they circled around, they confirmed that the rear end was exactly the same as the front. Aside from the dull film in the centre of the gateway, the gate stood completely solitary, like someone had constructed a door frame in the middle of a field.


    Excitement was written on the faces of both boys as they completely ignored the strange looks they were receiving from the workers which avoided them while inspecting the goods on and around the wagon. Chance and Sir were expecting the twins to drown them in questions after seeing the gateway, but they were surprised as the twins simply looked on appreciatingly.


    After having lived in the tree house for an extended period of time, they hadn''t really though that it was so strange to be able to enter unknown spaces by walking through doors any more. They were more thrilled at its design than its function. Compared to the simple and hidden entrance to the tree, this looked like a portal had sprouted from the ground!


    "How long before we can go?" Rykar ran back over and asked while Sir was in the middle of talking to one of the brawny members of staff.


    After taking a piece of paper and a coal pencil, he turned to the three. "The carriage is ready to depart immediately. After exiting the tear, you''ll be in close proximity to the main road. I''ve already advised these men to allow you to take your leave. Anything else?"


    "Tear?" Loki asked while looking toward the gateway.


    "Access to this fragment is due to a tear in space. This gateway serves to stabilise it, allowing constant access to and from the planet on the other side." Sir explained anxiously. Even while talking, he only gave them half of his attention as he scribbled on a clean sheet of paper rapidly.


    "What are you writing?" Loki asked suspiciously while looking at the paper in his hands.


    For a second, sir stopped while looking over with a shrug, "Every export is worth tens of thousands of gold coins. Do you think I would allow anything of my merchandise to slip out of here without my written approval?"


    "Hmm"


    Loki and Rykar shrugged it off however Chance didn''t seem to take the bait. He walked over to Sir''s side while glancing at the sheet he had been scribbling on. It only took a cursory glance before he walked back over to the side of the twins with an uncaring expression of approval.


    "You can read?" Loki asked with a raised eyebrow.


    "Did I ever tell you I couldn''t read? Do you naturally assume I''m brain dead or something?" Chance countered with another question.


    "Why didn''t you teach us?"


    "Why didn''t you ask?"


    "Why didn''t you tell us you could read?"


    "Did you ask if I could read?"


    "I assumed you couldn''t, you didn''t bring it up."


    "Who told you to assume? I didn''t. Do you see words posted anywhere around the camp for me to read? I don''t. Just because I didn''t ask if you have teeth, doesn''t mean that I assumed that you didn''t."


    "That makes no sense. This kind of conversation is exactly why I assumed you can''t read."


    "What''s that meant to mean?"


    "Read into it." Loki ended the conversation as he hoisted himself onto the ledge at the back of the carriage before taking a seat. Seeing Loki take the space with the most room, Rykar quickly jumped up too, leaving Chance on the edge with the least space.


    Sir had long since zoned out as soon as the battle of words started. It had only been twenty-seven hours, yet he lost count of how many verbal battles Rykar and Loki had destroyed Chance in. By the time Chance had jumped onto the wagon, the guards at the entrance of the gate had shifted out of the way and the horses had begun to move.


    Watching the carriage begin to enter the tear, it was as though the horses entered water. Their bodies disappeared bit by bit before being fully enveloped. It didn''t take long at all for the rest of the carriage to make its way through, with Chance, Loki and Rykar waving merrily at the pointed eyes of Sir. His return smile was even warmer than any of them could have expected.


    Just before they crossed over to the other side of the tear, they saw Sir pulling a torn sheet of paper out from the underside of the file he had been authorising. Giving the sheet a quick glance over, he pocketed the information with a sigh and began turning around.


    The world in front of their eyes began to swim for a moment, as though they were looking through a glass of water. Colours swam while the images distorted, twisting and forming wild and crazy shapes before seeming to evaporate into nothingness entirely. As the twins looked around, the world seemed to have totally transformed. The wooden houses and grey clouds had entirely been left behind, becoming a field of darkness and lights. Looking up, speckles of light mottled the entire sky as the nightscape stretched as far as their eyes could see.


    "Aaah, its been so long since I saw the sea of stars!" Chance exclaimed as an inconspicuous tear fell from his eye.


    As difficult as it may be to imagine, the twins were completely and utterly lost for words as they followed Chance''s line of sight, raising their heads up to look at the night sky.


    The sight had set waves off in their minds. Despite the visions they had witnessed, they came nowhere close to observing the beauty of the night sky. The unfathomable depth and silence they felt from the world around them had caused them to feel utterly insignificant for the first time.


    The clouds which dominated the skies of the fragment they had been residing in up until now had unknowingly made them perceive the world as a large yet small place. A place where anything was possible, and they were the centre of everything.


    The beautiful yet oppressive feeling caused tears to streak from their eyes, travelling down their faces and dampening their clothing.


    These tears weren''t the same as Chance, who felt the view was beautiful and familiar. Returning to this place brought hope and excitement to the young man, who had found his way home.


    Instead, they were tears of reflection. They had once again lost a sense of belonging they had never had. The peaceful moments leading up to their escape from the camp had been shattered in a moment. There was no particular reason, nothing that hadn''t already expected. It was simply that the gravity of the reality had caught up to them.


    Once again, they had found themselves more lost than ever before.


    More powerless than ever before.


    More insignificant than ever before.


    Pulling up their hoods, both Rykar and Loki hid their faces as they stifled their sobs, afraid of ruining Chances moment of peace.


    Unknown of when, Rykar and Loki''s hands found each other and clasped together as the carriage slowly rumbled on in silence.

 31 New Authors Contes

    @@


    Hi all! first off, I want to thank any of you who have read up until this point, I really appreciate it :D


    This chapter is just to say that I''m planning on taking down this version of the book and re-publishing it as a participant of the new authors competition that'' going on at the moment! Ill be posting around 1-2 chapters a day in order to catch up, so after around half a month or so, there should be new chapters coming out once again.


    Id love it if you were to follow the new version and I''ll make sure it''s up to date in no time!


    Thanks again and wish me luck in the contest :D@@

 32 Counting Lights

    While the boys continued taking jabs at each other, the busy main roads were gradually replaced by narrower streets which then faded into ones that were yet more constricted.


    The conversation died down entirely by the time the roads were only wide enough for the trio to walk side by side with less than an arms-length between them. The entire street''s width wasn''t even compared to the sidewalk of the streets they had just come from.


    The difference was like day and night. The buildings showed increasing levels of wear and tear, as though the residents competed to stay in the most delipidated houses possible. There were even a few which had roofs that were all but entirely caved in. Only the faint flickering light of candles between the cracks in the walls revealing that people still resided within.


    Despite the streets being nearly completely empty, eyes would constantly peer out from within the buildings as the trio''s footsteps collided with the damp cobble pathway. More and more eyes seemed to glare at them from the shadows of the interiors.


    Loki and Rykar couldn''t help but shrink themselves further under their cloaks while subconsciously shuffling more closely behind Chance''s larger frame. Despite the silent gazes, Chance continued to walk forward confidently without interruption, as though oblivious to everything.


    *UMFF*


    Darkness engulfed the twins'' faces as they smacked into Chance''s jacket. "You done being scared of nothing or do you need a minute?" he guaffed at their insecure behaviour while grouching down to the ground.


    Before either of them had time to think of a come-back remark, the sound of rusty hinges tore through the entire street as Chance tore open the cover for a manhole. Without missing a beat, Chance jumped in while the twins looked on slack-jawed.


    It wasn''t so much the action that left them shocked in place as much as it was the bravery of it.


    The street full of eyes was hair raising. The darkness of the manhole was eerie and unnerving.


    But the smell that broke lose after it was opened seemed as though Chance had ripped open a tunnel into the pits of hell itself. By the time the smell had reached the twins, their pupils had fully dilated as they froze in place unable to even wretch.


    For the first half a second as the smell washed over them, consciousness had left their bodies weathered the invisible storm Chance had thrown at them.


    Shivering, they fell to their knees, unable to even summon the strength to stagger away, as their muscles turned to jelly.


    Hands and knees on the ground in front of the abyss, it felt like they were kneeling on a ledge that decided life and death. It had been over a minute by now and despite their frozen expressions, internally they were screaming for the torture to stop.


    On one hand, they dared not take another breath, yet on the other, their oxygen starved bodies were begging for relief as their lungs shivered within them. Had it not been for their constricted pores, they would have long since been drenched in sweat as their hearts thundered in their chests.


    Without knowing when, every set of eyes within the windows and crevasses which had been following the group since they appeared, had vanished. Not a single trace of life was left within dozens of metres of the abyss which chance had opened, besides the two tormented children.


    "¡­"


    "¡­"


    A moment of eye contact was all it took to convey a thousand feelings. Without a doubt, both Rykar and Loki had come to a mutual agreement.


    They would rather die than give up their last breath of ''fresh'' air that inhabited their lungs.


    Slowly, their eyes began to close as they welcomed the darkness. Unfortunately their eyes didn''t close fast enough, they were just in time to see a pair of white calloused hands reaching out of the abyss like the claws of Satan himself.


    "MMMMNNPPHHHAAAAAAaaaaaaannnnnnn!"


    As soon as they felt the icy grip clasp around their wrists like an iron shackle, they emptied their lungs without a missing a beat. Their screams reverberated along the buildings like a dying cat being strangled before they were dragged into the ground head first.


    * * *


    "Come on, you know it was kind of funny!" Chance chuckled as they made their way through the dimly lit sewers. His pace seemed completely leisurely as though the thick are and rancid smell was non-existent.


    In the low light behind him, two pairs of venomous grey eyes pierced through the darkness as though intent on boring a hole through his chest.


    Both Loki and Rykar cut sorry figures as they staggered behind Chance while gasping for breath. The air within the tunnels was viscus to the point it felt as though they were breathing in a dense fog. Their lungs were working over drive just to fuel their bodies with this muddied and rancid air, even walking was exhausting.


    For the last two hours, the three had walked in all but silence as the twins trailed behind Chance while giving him the cold shoulder. The sound of Chances occasional laughter rising above the subtle gurgle coming from the stream below them occasionally.


    As they entered the manhole, they were welcomed by an eerily lit passageway around 4 metres wide with metre wide walkways on either side. The walls were dimly lit by light grey stones emitting a milky light which were imbedded every three metres.


    The light from these stones was so dim that it didn''t even cover the space between them, causing areas of complete darkness more often than not. Over the edge of the walkways seemed to be another dark and bottomless gully that simply extended straight downwards with only the sound of sloshing liquid serving to gauge the depth.


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    Taking in huge breath while choking on the fumes at the same time, the twins hugged the wall with their eyes glued on the edge of the walkway.


    By the time they snapped out of their daze, all they could hear was Chance laughing wildly while clutching his sides so hard he doubled over.


    Refusing to give him the satisfaction of their anger, they stood up in silence simultaneously as they stared at him. "ok ok, let''s get going." He muttered before walking off while still wiping tears from his eyes.


    And hence the walk continued.


    Rykar had long since sobered up from his anger towards Chance. However his stubbornness still caused him to be unable to forgive him and start speaking before Loki did.


    To pass the time, aside from struggling to breathe, he began to count the lights as he went by each one. Recalling those he had already passed by, he started muttering internally.


    "1055, 1056, 1057, 1058, 1059, 1060¡­"


    "2391, 2392, 2393¡­"


    "3441, 3442¡­"


    The process went on and one until the voice in his head seemed to drown out all else. The sewers seemed endless with there not even being enough light to tell one tunnel apart from the other.


    "Wake up you retard. Chance is gone." A voice tugged on Ryker''s attention for a moment before being drowned out once again by the numbers.


    "3678, 3679, 36- What the fuck do you want?! Don''t touch me you leech." After failing to receive a reply from Rykar, Loki skipped all pleasantries. Stepping to the side, his hand whipped out as he slapped his brother on the back of the head causing him to stagger towards the edge before regaining his balance.


    "Look in front of you! Who are we meant to be following?!" Loki''s voice was still level, although slightly raised, yet the sweat running down the side of his face betrayed his nervousness.


    Even digging in their memories, it was as though Chance was there in front of them as he had always been. Then he simply wasn''t.


    They stood in place, unsure looking both ahead and behind them selves as they were unsure whether to back-track or continue. Within the maze of the sewers, any choice they made seemed far worse than making none at all.


    At this point, they could only hope that this was Chance playing another prank on them.

 33 Just A Hand Shake

    Rykar froze in place as the passage descended into silence. The slow roll of the sewer below them seemed deafening, second only to their still elevating heartbeats which thundered in their ears as they peered into the darkness without making a sound.


    The sound of blood raged in their minds, their fear clouding their ability to accurately pick up anything in the surroundings.


    While concentrating on the path, they completely failed to notice a gloved hand extend silently from the gully below them. The hand gripped the side of the walkway silently less than half a metre from Rykar''s foot. Simply reaching out would be enough to drag him deeper into the darkness.


    Soon enough, the hand was joined by another which clasped the edge just as firmly before staying stationary as though waiting for something.


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    Three, four, five, six.


    Six pairs of hands lined the sewer. The first, in line with Rykar''s leg and the rest extending in the direction of their backs. Three figures cloaked in black, similar to Rykar and Loki, pulled themselves up simultaneously without a sound as the boys were still frozen examining the passageway in front of them.


    "He- he has to be in front." Rykar took a light step forward as he spoke. "If he went behind then we would have seen." The statement seemed like the obvious, but it was just as much to convince himself as it was to get Loki moving.


    They had barely moved a dozen steps forward before the three shadows had extracted themselves from the gorge completely, clinging to the wall as they tailed closely behind.


    The distance between the two groups shrunk within seconds as the three figures fanned out. Two of them lined up directly behind the twins as they crouched to the ground, steps sounding out in sync with their targets.


    The third then trailed slightly behind as they prepared to assist either side if the need arose. Hearing Rykar''s earlier statement, this third member had been with extra caution, often looking around for any signs of extra company.


    Passing another set of lights, the distances closed to the point that the two arms were only inches away from the necks of the twins. Focusing so intensely on the passage ahead of them, there was no way to for the twins to hold a grasp on the situation until one more step fell under Loki''s wrapped feet.


    His blood ran cold as their shadows extended underneath them due to the direction of the lights illumination.


    The shadows behind them were almost perfectly obscured from the torso and above however their legs began to show as doubles with the shape of the cloak much less apparent on the alien figures behind them.


    Throwing himself forward while snatching the hem of Rykar''s cloak, they tumbled to the ground. Loki landed awkwardly as he hit his side while looking up at the assailants.


    Staring back at him were three blacked out figures. Trousers, shirts, hooded cloaks and even makeshift masks adorned them as though they had been mummified in ashy black cotton.


    "MMF!"


    From the side, Rykar struggled to tear his hood from his face. During the fall, due to his cloak being yanked from the side, his hood had mostly reversed, serving only to obstruct his vision and breathing.


    The previously silent and stealthy figures froze before straightening up. Unable to tell which, one of them let out a sigh before reaching into the back of his trousers to pull out a short knife. Following suit, it wasn''t long before they all had blades in their palms.


    Aside from the first, the rest of the weapons resembled sharpened pieces of metal more than an actual blade. Their twisted and jagged bodies only served to make them look even more horrifying as they seemed to glow softly in the grey light.


    "Stand up and face the wall."


    By now, Rykar had just taken the hood off his face. Unable to fully grasp the situation, he stared dumbly between the three attackers and his brother while Loki got up from the ground and made his way to the wall while keeping his eyes on the two in front.


    "Get. Up." The figure repeated slowly. The voice used was slightly calmer and less forceful than the last, yet this was made up for as the sharpened piece of metal slowly shifted in Rykars direction, reminding him of the threat.


    Pulling his cloak from his shoulders as he climbed up, Rykar shuffled slowly towards the wall in the same fashion as Loki.


    Silence was all that remained as the five sets of eyes peered into each other.


    "These guys are like beetles¡­ How many people do you need to deal with two kids?" Everyone stiffened as Rykar muttered underhandedly as he and Loki watched a fourth shadow climb up from the edge in the same manner as the previous three.


    "Don''t lump me in with these fools."


    The third member of the group, who had initially been keeping watch at the back, whipped his head around at the sound of the voice. Looming over him was a figure at least a head taller than himself wearing a similarly black cloak.


    Bewilderment flashed over his face as he looked up at the masked face towering over him. If given time to think, He may have even thought it a complete joke. The figures face couldn''t even be called ''covered''!


    The new assailants face was partially covered by a hood which was slightly too small, revealing the front portion of his blond brown hair. Even then, the disguise only got worse. With no suitable mask, Loki and Rykar were able to immediately make out Chance, who had simply buried his face into his collar from the bridge of his nose and below.


    "Get the fuck off me!" While everyone was still responding to the situation, the third member jumped back on reflex only to realize his hand, along with the twisted metal spike, had been clamped onto by the new arrival. His heart started beating out of his chest as he twisted but couldn''t break free as the pressure gradually increased.


    As the blood was slowly squeezed out of his fingers, numbness quickly set in but was followed by an intense heat as his hand erupted in pain. "Pffshhuueee¡­" clenching his stomach, all the air in his lungs was squeezed out from his clenched teeth as he fell to his knees.


    Before he had even emptied his lungs, the other two in his group already had their weapons at the throats of Rykar and Loki, forcing their backs flat against the wall in a bid to escape the blades.


    "¡­"


    The deadlock once again continued until the kneeling figure gasping sharply, sucking at the air like a fish out of water.


    "Come on guys, why so tense? It''s just a handshake! I haven''t seen my good bro Robin in so long¡­ almost looks like you''ve all forgotten even basic manners?"


    Even after hearing the sarcastic words from Chance, the grips on the blades only tightened. By now the twins could only stop their breathing in an attempt to negate some of the force being applied on their throats by the cold edges.


    The situation became anything but relaxed as the figure restraining Rykar used his free hand to grip him by the hair, throwing him to the ground and pulling him into a full mount without the blade being farther than an inch from his throat the entire time.


    "Who are you and how do you know Chance? You have until three, two-" His words trailed off as Chance straightened his neck, pulling his lower face from the collar in a smooth motion as soon as he noticed the situation going awry.


    "Hmm¡­" After the brief stupor, the eyes under the hood hardened as they shot a venomous look at Chances face. "Not a bad try at all."


    As soon as the words left his mouth, he looked back towards Rykar indifferently before the blade plunged down.

 34 A Snap Of The Fingers

    *Snap*


    *Tink*


    As the dagger plunged down, the sound of the tip digging into the damp stone path rang through the tunnel shortly after a soft but sharp snap.


    With his heart in his throat, Loki''s eyes nearly popped out as he struggled to see the point of impact but the cold edge at his throat kept him pinned in place. His anxiousness was only heightened as the figure hunching over Rykar was posed in such a way that his arm obscured the vital scene from his view.


    With his hand still firmly clasped onto the dagger, the person above Rykar was still looking Chance dead in the eyes as he began shuddering uncontrollably. A muffled groan left him as he scrunched towards the ground covering Rykar completely.


    At this moment everyone''s tension was at its peak, all eyes were on the two bodies splayed on the ground in front of them. Suddenly the narrow walkway seemed like an unsurpassable distance. Despite being so close, the stalemate was impossible to bridge as anyone moving from their position would open up their counterpart to move freely.


    A few seconds passed in near silence. The body covering Rykar continued to shudder occasionally before a weak whisper could be heard before being cut off once again. "Let me-"


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    In a fluid motion, the body leaned to the side without resistance as Rykar emerged from underneath.


    *Clack*


    *Pop*


    Mixed reactions were shown on the faces of everyone present. Loki and Chance were visibly relieved as they breathed out a massive breath, the relief in Loki''s mind completely blinded him to the blade who edge was now shallowly embedded under his skin, drawing out a small sliver of blood.


    On the complete opposite, even under their masks, the eyes of the other two assailants were plastered with worry and despair as the third member was put into a full mount by Rykar.


    A sliver of his neck had been cut open which allowed for a steady stream of blood to soak into his cotton shirt, giving the black cloth a muddy grey colour. The assailant on the other hand was completely powerless under his grip.


    The hand he had been clutching the blade with was in a weird contest with Rykars own. Despite holding onto the majority of the handle, Rykars much smaller hand managed to latch between his index and middle finger.


    The origin of the previous snapping sound was obvious after seeing the angle of the fingers in Rykar''s grip. It seemed unimaginable that in just a moment, both fingers were bent almost to the back of his own palm while his middle finger looked to be snapped along its two joints. What was left looked more like an inverted spider limb than a finger.


    Without a doubt, the only thing holding the person from shouting themselves hoarse was Rykar''s right hand which was clasped tightly around his throat. It can''t have been more than five seconds since the grip was established but, through the gap in the mask, the persons eyes were already frantic and bloodshot.


    Without relieving the pressure on his throat in the slightest, Rykar looked up and locked eyes with the last functioning member of their team.


    "Let him go or I swear to God, this little freak is a dead man!" In response to the deadpan eyes, he shouted while pulling Loki from the wall.


    Whether it be to intimidate Rykar or simply due to fear causing him to place an extra shield in front of him, threw his own back onto the wall, instead taking a stance behind Loki''s back. After the rapid adjustment which was far smoother when compared to Rykar''s, the deformed edge was once again poised to slit Loki''s throat from the front.


    Silence. Rykar continued staring for another few seconds before once again¡­


    *Pop*


    One of the few remaining joints in his captive''s index finger was popped out of place due to his exerted grip strength. As if on cue, the person in his grip began to thrash about wildly as as his remaining arm and leg dug into the ground but this was soon stopped as the grip on is throat was adjusted.


    His eyes began to dye red as the blood vessels within began to rupture. Any strength left was used to tilt his eyes towards his companion in a begging look as his eyes began to lose focus.


    Being on the receiving end of this final stare, the person holding Loki began to tremble. Completely torn between leveraging Loki for his own safety and, on the other hand, a chance to save a friend.


    Before having made a decision, an arm wrapped around Rykars throat while another clasped his right hand which was digging into the assailant''s neck.


    Without a chance to react, his forearm was clenched just below the wrist, causing him to release his captive as he was yanked to his feet. Even with his rapidly increasing strength and weight, he was shocked to find that, unlike with the previous assailant, he was powerless against the hold being applied to him.


    Almost as quickly as he was picked up, he was put down once again before whipping around to find Chance standing next to him.


    "That''s enough. Let him go." Since the twins had met Chance, never had they seen him without his joking Attitude, even when seemingly angry he would always have traces of softness which made it hard to take him seriously.


    If anything, it served to cross the bridge between their ages, causing the twins to develop a childish relationship with him as friends rather than that of the respected older brother.


    It only took two short sentences to completely obliterate that image.


    Chance was not stood straight with an intimidating atmosphere leaking from him. Even under the dull lighting, everyone present couldn''t separate their eyes from his as he seemed to watch everything in front of him.


    There was no room for question as he coldly stared at them one by one yet even as his eyes moved, it felt like each of them were still locked down by a searchlight.


    "Charlie, get up. Rob pick him up. Boys, follow me. I didn''t mean for it to go this far but were nearly there." Before his words even finished, he turned away and continued down the tunnel as the others picked themselves up and silently followed after him as a single group.

 35 Brothers

    Less than five minutes later, after a tense yet un-suspenseful journey, Robin unceremoniously jumped over the ledge and into the dark expanse below. While Loki and Rykar were still hesitating and internally question what was going on, the three figures behind them staggered past them both without a word while, much more gently, beginning to lower themselves over the edge too.


    First was the one which Chance had been holding on to. Despite a swollen hand, he wasn''t hindered as he hopped over the ledge in a similar yet more restrained manner to Chance. After he was out of sight, the uninjured member began to lower the figure which Rykar had been choking. He remained unconscious as the figure below held him in order to stead his decent. The final figure then sat on the edge before sliding his body over and disappearing.


    As the last two left above, Loki and Rykar both rushed towards the edge which was still shrouded in darkness. Quickly eliminating his sense of unease, Loki climbed over the side ahead of Rykar. Shrinking to his knees, he lowered himself over while tightly holding onto the edge.


    The lower he went, the faster his heart beat in his chest as he couldn''t feel anything below him to land on. Even after fully extending his arms, his feet kicked around fruitlessly as he dangled hopelessly.


    "Help me back up." Unwilling to release his grip and embrace the leap of faith, he called out to Rykar while applying strength to his arms. "Hurry up!"


    Fear descended like a brick in a pond. Although he wasn''t going any lower, the gurgling sound of the waste below him was louder than ever and paired with the tangible darkness that enveloped him, his body was rapidly becoming weak under the mental stress.


    While trying to brace his feet against the wall in front of him, he quickly realised there was actually nothing there! The underside of the path they had been walking on was surprisingly hollow underneath.


    Looking up, Rykar had already rushed over about to grab onto his hands in a bid to pull him up when Loki felt a hand clamp over his leg. He his stomach felt like it slipped out of his mouth as he was dragged under the walkway in a sharp but fluid movement with no regard for comfort.


    Despite seeing Loki''s hand disappear, Rykar only felt a little caution towards the edge of the pit before steadily lowering himself in a similar fashion. After extending himself as far as he could, he resolutely let go of his grip on the ledge above.


    Although, after seeing everyone climb down one after the other, he was certain that it was safe, his eyes still flew open as he scanned the darkness fiercely in the brief moment he was falling. Less than a second felt like it was being dragged on for years before his foot found stable footing.


    The small protrusion he was now stationed on was only slightly extended out when compared to the edge of the walkway he had fallen from. Although usefully finding the footing, his heel hung off the side while the balls of his feet supported his entirely.


    Looking ahead, he found himself to be at the mouth of another passage which was around three metres wide. The floor of the passage immediately reminded him of the beautiful yet intoxicating starlit sky that he had seen as he left the fragment just a few hours ago.


    Stone which resembled those on the walls of the tunnel outside were scattered along the ground like pebbles. Some were so small that they seemed almost like a fine grey dust, while the larger pieces were as large as a thumb with obvious signs of being smashed off from a larger piece.


    Together, these pieces mimicked starlight as they cast milky light over the floor of the pathway. This light being more than enough to make out Loki panting on his knees in a bid to recover from the hock of the sudden fall.


    The others, including Chance, had already made their way further in while disappearing one by one into an archway which had a frame that was similarly embedded with these milky stones.


    After a moment of respite, the twins followed the others along this short but dreamlike pathway and through the gate of stars.


    The dull milky light immediately dispersed and was replaced by a warm glow which spilled out from all corners of the room. Contrary to the expectations of the twins, the sudden change didn''t cause any discomfort to their eyes in the least as the soft light covered them.


    "Ahahahaha no way!" Without a chance to take in their surroundings, a peel of laughter tore through the silence as multiple figures rushed over to embrace Chance. "You son of a bitch, how the hell did you get out?"


    "When has anyone been able to keep me locked up? More importantly, I see that all it took was three years for you finally some facial hair huh." Chance began chatting with the others as though nothing had happened outside.


    Outside of the three they had come in with, there were three new faces in the room which all carried huge smiles as they gathered around two in the centre. In their black robes, the whole scene looked suspiciously more like a cult meeting than a friend''s reunion.


    As they continued to chat, names and memories were quickly thrown around but Rykar and Loki used this time to take in the room they were now in. It was more like a small hall rather than a room.


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    There were clear dividing sections between areas used for the living, sleeping and storage spaces. It was hard to believe that such a warm and comfortable space existed just below the eerie pathway they had been walking along for so long.


    The walls were clearly the same stone construct as the rest of the tunnels, but the floor had been thoughtfully covered with a light brown carpet which only complimented the sun-like glow coming from the sun stones in the corners of the space.


    Despite the styles of the furnishings being mismatched, they all looked comfortable. Beds, tables, chairs


    "Loki¡­ Can you smell that?" Rykar asked while sniffing at the air like a hungry dog.


    "What are you doing? It doesn''t smell like anything." Loki answered while looking at his brother as though he was crazy.


    It was only after he finished speaking that he realized that the rank smell that had assaulted them from the moment they opened the manhole had actually disappeared. Throughout the journey, the smell had become more and more tolerable to the point that they had thrown it to the back of their mind completely by the time the confrontation with the three figures had passed.


    However, the ever-present smell still left a sinking feeling in their chests. Now, after entering the hall, it was almost as though they had entered a totally different space all together. They both began to think back to the cabin within the tree instinctively and started to compare the two.


    "And these are?" Although initially forgotten, the short conversation between Rykar and Loki immediately drew the attention of the entire group, halting their conversation immediately. Even knowing this must be company brought by Chance, those that hadn''t seen them before tensed up slightly while the three which were already familiar with them showed traces of fear.


    In their sights were two devilish looking boys sniffing the air strongly enough for whistling sounds to be heard as their red and grey eyes darted around the room seemingly in contemplation. Their feet being only bound and lacking proper shoes only added to their wild and beastly appearance.


    "These are my little brothers. From now on their a part of this family." Chance introduced the twins with a laugh as he glanced over the boys then the three that had ambushed them in the passageway. The final member who had been unconscious from the clash had awoken and joined in the circle shortly after entering the room yet he weakly shuffled closer to the man in the centre after noticing Chance''s eyes passing over him.


    "Rykar, Loki come over and introduce yourselves. There''s nothing to worry about here, the situation earlier was my fault, a joke gone a bit far." He then shrugged off the previous matter.


    "Hold up brother, its great that you''ve brought back some¡­ new friends. But I''m not sure this is the best place for them." As the twins began to move in their Direction, the man standing next to Chance took a step forward while staring down a them.


    Despite the smile on his face, his dark eyes looked at the pair with a deadpan expression for just a moment before turning back to Chance as though they didn''t exist.


    "Mmm I see. So, remind me, when exactly did I ask for your opinion?"

 36 Of Course His Name’s Chris

    If the warm atmosphere had been diluted slightly with the introduction of the twins then, comparatively, the room had now been dipped in a bucket of ice water at this point.


    An awkward tension hung in the air as the man stood just an arm''s length away from Chance while staring into his eyes unwaveringly. With Chance''s words, the smile on his face similar changed with the room.


    "You''re right, it''s been over three years since you''ve asked for my opinion yet here we are, better than ever." He spread his arms while gesturing to those around him for their affirmative. "We''ve been through so much and held down the fort and now you come back and throw extra baggage onto us?"


    "Robin, I don''t seem to remember you complaining back when you were the ''extra baggage'' that I threw into the family?" Chance finally called Robin by name before gesturing around the space in a similar way to him.


    After a short pause, Chance began to walk around the room as though inspecting everything. As he went, he would extend his hand to brush the surface of a few of the furnishings while speaking as though he was thinking aloud.


    "Sure, you''ve managed to hold down the fort, but as far as I can see, this place hasn''t changed over the last three years. You''re still sleeping on my beds. Sitting on my chairs. Eating at my tables. Walking on my carpet¡­ Yet you''re able to tell me who I can and can''t bring into my own home?" By the time he finished, Chance was standing just in front of the twins while casting a look of ridicule towards Robin and the rest of his entourage.


    "Your home? We''ve all worked to turn this place into what it is today. You think you get to fuck up and then come on back whenever you''re ready? We''ve all grown and made a place for ourselves over this time. We would love to have you back as a part of the family, but we don''t run off your orders." Robin begun sounding more confident the longer the conversation dragged on.


    The other five behind him were initially conflicted, eyes facing the ground as they couldn''t decide whether to speak up for Chance or Robin but as his speech came to an end, their eyes slowly became resolute as they looked around before steadying their sights on the pair.


    "Hahaha so it''s not just the facial hair after all! It sounds like you''ve become half decent at pushing words down other people''s throats while I''ve been on holiday." Chance laughed while slapping his thigh. "So, is it just me and Robin here or do the rest of you have anything to say?" he scanned the crowd, crumbling some of the bravery they had just began to accumulate.


    Before anyone on the other side made their decision clear, Loki and Rykar had already walked over to Chance''s right side as they looked over the rest calmly as their faces were recorded in their memory.


    At their appearance, the youth who''s fingers had been crushed by Rykar walked forward with a similar resolution before stand next to Robin, all the while staring venomously at both twins.


    Now that his mask was down and face revealed, it was easily seen that his sallow looking face should be around sixteen or seventeen years old, while his green eyes and blonde hair made him look more freckled snake given his sharp jaw line.


    The same appearance on anyone else would even seem handsome and charming if not for the rotten expression he was wearing.


    "That lizard literally tried to stab me in the neck and he''s still mad about two fingers?! Talk about ungrateful." Instead of shrinking away from the intense stare, Rykar nudged Chance in the leg before complaining out loud about his unfair treatment. Instead of calming the situation in any way, the words only made the teen shake in anger despite still holding back any words.


    "Don''t mind Chris, he''s always been one for temper tantrums." Chance jested before gesturing towards Chris. "Come on man, the kid''s like six years old, let it go."


    After a moment of silence, both Loki and Rykar chimed in unison, "Of course his name is Chris." Once again all eyes looked towards the twins in contemplation of their odd words.


    The moment was then broken as another figure walked over to stand beside Robin, which was then followed closely by another. The first was the person which Chance had locked hands with during the initial stages of the confrontation whereas the second was a tall and lean looking youth around the same age as Chris which they had only seen after entering the room.


    Seeing the odds completely out of his favor by this point, Chance sighed as the last two walked up from the other side of the room to join up with the rear end of Robins group.


    Robins warm smile once again returned as he found himself supported by all those that had accompanied him over the last three years, solidifying his control over the group over that of Chance. As he took a deep breath, preparing to deliver another charismatic speech towards the newcomers, he buckled forwards as he felt pressure on his shoulder.


    As he recovered, he saw a tall figure walking past and stopping only when side by side with Chance, along with Loki and Rykar.


    "Rob, you?" Chris seemed the most surprised of everyone as he choked back his words. After the situation outside, Rob who had faced it with them was one of the last people he had expected to take Chance''s side.


    With his face revealed, Rob''s seemed calm and gentle when compared with any of the previously mentioned despite having a clearly more robust body. He looked to be slightly younger than Chris and even Robin yet didn''t display any immaturity. Standing confidently while shoulder to shoulder with Chance, he looked calmly over the rest without judgement or resentment in his eyes.


    "You''re right, we got by just fine after he was taken away. Would we have gotten by if he hadn''t picked us up in the first place?" He asked but didn''t wait on an answer before continuing. "Three years later but he''s still Chance."


    "But in the tunnels-!" Chris started but was cut short by Rob.


    "Realistically¡­ That was all your fault." Hearing his short reply, Rykar, Loki and Chance all nodded simultaneously which looked rather comical in front of the serious faces before them.


    "I can''t blame you for your decision, Chance has helped us all accomplish so much. But it''s still five against two¡­ I guess you could even say four if you count those two¡­ things. We can give you some clothing and food but this isn''t a place for you to stay." Before Chris had another chance to play the blame game, Robin stepped forward once again while offering a set of ''generous'' conditions towards the opposition.


    "Of course you''ll be giving us these things, if you''re feeling even more generous then I would mind you gift wrapping everything before you fuck off out of here." Chance replied before walking up to robin with steady steps.


    Bracing himself for a confrontation, Robin took a step back while raising his fists, only to once again be shoved out of the way by Chances shoulder as he strode further into the hall.


    By the time he had walked past the group on the bed, everyone standing next to Robin had erupted into a clamour. Half of the chatter was based expressing how good the conditions Robin presented already was and the other half were openly criticising Rykar and Loki as Demons who had ruined everything before asking Chris what had taken place in the tunnels.


    It wasn''t long before Chance strolled over to the largest bed in the room before sinking into the mattress with a dramatic sigh. As soon as he saw this, Robin''s jaw clenched as he took a breath.


    The chatter still continued as Rob followed in Chance''s steps before taking a seat on his bed, back against the wall with his feet propped up calmly while watching the others. Just these simple actions alone expressed their stance on whether they would be departing peacefully or not.


    Unlike Chance and Rob, Rykar and Loki stood closer to the entrance unsure of what it was they were supposed to do. Not only did they not know whose bed or chair was whose, they didn''t have the confidence to walk past Robins group which already showed tremendous hostility towards them. This was even more so even when compared to Chance and Rob.


    The standstill couldn''t possibly last much longer. Being totally ignored in their own homes and asked to leave? Even with the bond that tied them, this bond was deteriorating at a visible speed as the tempers of the group seemed to seep into the hall.


    Loki and Rykar were in a nerve wracking position. Now placed on the opposite side of the mob, they were isolated from Chance and Rob, only able to fend for themselves in this situation. The were able to hear their hearts in their ears as the tension climbed. Clenching their sweaty palms doing nothing to calm them.


    "Ah! I know its rude of me to ask for more after you''ve already given is to much." Chance sat up from his laying position while slapping himself on the head as if condemning his forgetfulness.


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    He stood up from the bed as the serious expression from the tunnel returned to his face.


    Without allowing a chance for him to finish, Robin already stepped forward, marching up to Chance as he drew a blade from his waist with a smooth motion. "Ask for more? You think you have a right to anything at this point?" The anger in his voice turned his words into more of a growl than his previous generous tone.


    "Where''s¡­ My¡­ Money?"


    As each word left Chance''s mouth, he took a step forward. With the rapidly marching Robin coming towards him, by the second word, they were already a metre away from each other.


    As the third word fell on their ears, everyone was silent as they watched Robin''s blade be snatched from his hand as though an adult mishandling a child.


    Along with the shock from seeing Robin''s powerlessness, a weird expression remained on their faces as even Rob looked towards the floor with sweat breaking out on his forehead.

 37 Thick headed

    *Cough cough¡­ cough*


    A choking and disarmed Robin fell heavily to the ground while clutching at his throat. Knife now in hand, Chance scanned the room impatiently as traces of anger started to show on his cold face. Taking a deep breath, he asked in a much more neutral tone. "Rob, where''s the money?"


    Despite his initial hesitation, the innocent look still remained on Robs face as he redirected the question as quickly as he could. "Where''s the money Chris?"


    In the middle of the group, everyone suddenly pulled a step away from the snaky looking youth. "¡­ Where''s the money Charlie?"


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    "W-where''s the money Robin?"


    It only took a few seconds for the complete turnaround, but all attention was now firmly placed back on Robin, who had only just recovered his breath. The other throwing the blame around faster than a hot potato.


    "It gone." Still on the ground, Robin sputtered out the two word through clenched teeth. Despite his pathetic state, there was no remorse in his voice as he confessed to losing what seemed to not even be his. "If you want it then you can go get it back from the channel guards."


    There was burning anger in Robin''s voice as he spat the words towards Chance''s feet, but also an unmasked tone of gloating and satisfaction. The loss of the money wasn''t as important as the fact that it would never reach Robins hands again. Back from the grave, Chance had returned and within ten minutes, everything had been flipped sideways many times over. There shouldn''t have even been any contest between them, yet here he was, on the ground like a broken puppet as everyone watched on in silence.


    "The guards? Why... how could they lay hands on it?" Chance asked but there wasn''t the expected frustration in his voice just a slight confusion. It seemed like he was talking about something that didn''t have any relevance to himself. Even the twins found his tone strange much less the others in the room. The expected explosion of emotion didn''t show any sign of igniting.


    "It doesn''t matter! All that matters, is that it''s gone! You came here for nothing. What did you want to take from us? Our brothers? Our money? Out home? You could have be-" Robin struggled to his feet while shouting self righteously once again. The last-ditch effort was cut short as Chance strode away and sat back down on the bed without a care.


    "You''re right, all that matters is that it''s gone. Why are you all still here? Take what you need, it''s about time you guys left, no?" Waving dismissively, Chance waved off the others before seeming to remember something. "Loki, Rykar. Pick any of the beds you want, there''s plenty of space."


    Even with their slightly larger numbers, the thoughts of a confrontation dissipated without any more fuss. Half of their group were already injured to some extent, with the others not wishing to follow in their example. The five, including Robin, began to move listlessly through the mall hall while picking out clothing, sheets, bags and other odd objects.


    The twins finally found the confidence to make their way through the opposition and stiffly selected two beds which were farthest away from the group of scavenging teens. Due to their reservations of getting close to Chance or otherwise, the sheets and pillows on these beds were untouched, making the twins marvel at the colourful and soft cotton.


    "Put it down." Loki had just picked up a pillow before the Chance''s voice startled him, immediately dropping the fluffy wonder, he spun towards Chance''s bed opposite him indignantly.


    Chance wasn''t even looking in Loki''s direction as his eyes burned into Chris''s back. Compared to Robin''s much more dramatic movements while stuffing his bag with belongings, Chris had been much more lowkey while packing a smaller sized bag with clothing, forks, knives and plates.


    Despite the unassuming behavior, he was heavily sweating throughout the entire process. This could be easily caused due to the pain stemming from his injured right hand, but Chance disregarded the possibility entirely. As he spoke up, it wasn''t just Loki who jumped. Robin and Chris froze at the same time as they looked over while trembling.


    "Do I have to ask you again, Chris?" Chance slid his feet off the bed from his reclining position, planting them firmly on the floor. He was now sitting completely upright while directly facing Chris as though ready to rush out in a moment.


    After a brief look of apology towards Robin, Chris reached into the cotton sack-like bag and pulled out a small wooden box which looked as though it was meant to hold jewelry. The lightly dyed wood seemed inconspicuous when compared to the rest of the room, easily blending in no matter where it was placed, yet Chris showed a huge reluctance while setting the box down.


    After withdrawing his hand, he then busied himself once again with collecting other miscellaneous items but at a much faster pace than preciously. Robin was obviously more reluctant to give up on the box but after looking hatefully between it and Chance, he soon gave up any other notions and continued his work.


    Before long, half of the smaller and more portable items within the hall had been stuffed into bags, sacks or makeshift blankets and pulled out of the door. Silence enveloped the room as the four that remained found nothing to talk about.


    "Rob, this seems to be as good a time as any for us to have a catch up, what''s been going on while I''ve been gone?" Again, it was Chance who broke the silence.


    With the absence of Robin and the others, It felt as though there was a large pressure relieved from Rob as it was now much easier to speak freely without the confliction between both parties. Despite clearly demonstrating his stance towards Chance''s side, it still remained that he had been a part of the others up until this point and the feeling or betraying them still left him uneasy.


    After a long period of detailed explanation from Rob, the other three in the room developed a more complete picture of the last three years of events on this side of the fragment.


    By the time Robin had been captured, the goal of the entire group was close to fulfillment. Out of the seven thousand gold needed to cover their transport fees, over five thousand had already been stockpiled, only needing a last surge to push them over the threshold.


    As Chance''s longest friend and right-hand man, Robin naturally stepped out in Chance''s place and began to make decisions for the group, gaining their acknowledgment without an issue.


    By a stroke of ''good luck'' Robin had come across a bet which was supposed to have lead to sure fire profits as long as they had the capital to invest. The time this would have saved them in coming up with the last two thousand could be measured in years and this temptation was too much for him to bear.


    Of course, after losing over two thousand gold to the fixed bet, they had been left completely devoid of hope when it came to leaving as a group. At this point, it became a consensus that two of the group would ascent to Grace while the others would support themselves here, waiting for the others to make a name for themselves before coming back to retrieve them.


    Of course, the two chosen to leave, along with the startup funds, were Robin and Chris.


    Shortly before their departure, Robin once again came across an offer which was too good to resist, but this came directly from the guards managing the transportation array.


    If they were to pay them directly, instead of taking the official route, then the guard would be able to sneak them into the array during one of the trips at the cost of only half a standard ticket! By forgoing their startup costs, this would have been enough to get the entire group of six into the Grace mainland!


    However, with all shortcuts come risks. After handing over the money, the guards denied all relation to the group while pocketing thousands of gold, all at the cost of a few sweet words of promise.


    Without anything left to rely on, they began saving once again yet this time¡­ Robin was the sole focus. By saving the first thousand, Robin would ascend before returning when he was able to help their situation. The money in the box was most likely all that had been saved up for his ascension.


    "hmmm" Chance let out a sign before leaning heavily onto the bed. "I don''t think I''ve met anyone with as thick a skull as that idiot."


    It wasn''t only limited to those two occasions that Robins attitude and short sightedness had led both him and the others down the worst possible path. Without learning from his ways, they had just walked out on the biggest opportunity they could have imagined.


    The abilities of the twins in itself were already staggering, much less the wealth that had been accumulated within the camp which they wouldn''t even be able to spend in their lifetimes no matter how luxuriously they wished to live.


    From the side, Loki and Rykar listened intently to the tail as it was recounted as their emotions stirred frequently, feeling both hope and disappoint, yet at the same time, glee blossomed wildly as they reveled in the disaster which Robin and Chris had faced.


    However¡­


    "Are you going to tell us what ascension to the grace place is or nah?"

 38 Deep Pockets

    Long story short and contrary to Rykar and Loki''s grand expectations of ''ascending to grace'', by the time Chance finished explaining their motives the twins felt quite underwhelmed. ''Ascending'' was quite literally stepping through another portal which was similar to that of which they already had. The only difference was that they wouldn''t be stepping into a fragment such as the one they had just come from, but rather another planet within the sea of stars which was many times more prosperous than the one they were currently standing on.


    Within both the mind of the twins and the short messy explanation that Chance provided them, the difference between the transfer which they had just mad and the transfer they were intending to make was literally¡­. Negligible.


    Watching the twins unimpressed faces as his painstaking description, Chance felt as though he was staring into the eyes of a dead fish. "Ungrateful bastards, go to sleep and stop bitching."


    In his mood, Chance flipped over onto his side before making a show of dragging his quilt over himself. Rob was still laying on his bed in contemplation while Rykar and Loki got up intending to settle in properly when two crisp claps resounded from the direction of Chance''s bed.


    Without a warning, the sunstones within the room went shut off, once again plunging them into darkness.


    "Are you special? You realise we can''t see right!?" Rykar shouted into the darkness after stubbing his little toe on the corner of something. Dropping to the ground, he clutched his foot as though it had just shattered.


    "Heh."


    A snort was his only reply as silence quickly enveloped the room.


    *Pap¡­ Pap pap*


    The glow from the sun stones slowly spread into the room. Over two or three minutes, the hall was gradually restored to its previous state, overflowing with warm light.


    Awakened from their slumber by the initial claps, Rob, Loki and Rykar rubbed their eyes as they struggled out of the quilts. Unlike Rob and Loki who sat up and jumped out of the bed after just a moment, Rykar was completely entangled within the quilt, only pulling himself free with some difficulty.


    Due to the size of these beds, being twice as large as that he was used to, it was difficult for him to feel cosy, causing him to roll around till he felt a familiar constriction from the blanket in his sleep.


    "I have some things to take care of, Rob take them around the city. Get them some food and new clothes along with... well, whatever else they want. The money in the box is for them." Chance threw a few suggestions over to the trio as he pulled a shirt over his head.


    "Sure, where should we go first?" Rob asked groggily. Instead of an answer, a deep rumble shook the room as Rykar stood next to his bed sheepishly.


    "Ok, food it is." Rob continued with a laugh. By the time they were all ready and making their way towards the exit, Chance had long since left out, seemingly in a hurry.


    Running over before the others got a chance, Rykar grabbed the box that Chris had been forced to leave behind. Sliding off the lid, he found column upon column of shiny gold coins. They were all quite small yet neat and uniform in size and weight, only around a centimetre in diameter and two millimetres thick, making them easy to carry individually.


    Despite the light weight, there were a few hundred of such coins within the box, making it quite heavy for its size.


    "Just take a few, we don''t need them all." Rob instructed when he saw Rykar lifting the entire box and walking towards the entrance.


    "No need, I got it." Rykar wasn''t to be dissuaded as he stood by the exit waiting for Rob and Loki.


    "We can''t walk around with that much gold, its like begging to be robbed. Leave it here." Annoyance could be heard in his voice as he began to feel the strain of looking after children from the get go.


    "I said I got it." Rykar wasn''t planning on explaining anything or entertaining Rob. He was even less inclined to reveal his ability to someone who had attacked them within the first second of meeting him.


    "If we leave it here its just as bad. No one is here and all the others know about the box now. It makes no difference." Loki interjected the two as he walked over to the exit. Hearing the sense in his words, Rob stopped aiming to convince them despite his reservations.


    He was only tasked with showing them around, the money was theirs. He wasn''t there to babysit them. After a deep sigh, he relaxed the tension on his shoulders and his mind before leading the way out.


    After another journey through the reeking tunnels, it only took them around half an hour before they opened up another man hole and climbed out, finding themselves in yet another alley.


    "Ok, were only around an hour from the central district here, do you guys want to try street food or somewhere mo-" After looking back at the twins, Robs heart staggered in his chest. "Rykar, where''s the box?" He asked in as calm a voice as he could manage.


    "Don''t worry, I got it." Rykar replied offhandedly.


    From the first moment that they woke up, Rykar had been acting dismissively towards Rob despite his allegiance to Chance. This was slowly eroding his patience towards the twins and making his attitude towards them more and more reserved and passive.


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    "You got it? Are you for real? Have you ever even been in the tunnels before last night? Do you know HOW MANY people go down there? Did you just fuck the box off into a corner thinking it would be safe?" But passive didn''t mean he wasn''t pissed. Rob''s breathing quickened again as his teeth chattered in rage as he thought about the potential loss.


    "I said don''t worry, I got it. Let''s go somewhere we can sit down and eat." Rykar said with a smile but his eyes continued to glance around the alley.


    "Phewwww breath. Breathe Rob. In, out. In, out. Ok, lets go. If you didn''t remember to bring anything with you, I''m not paying." Once again, after a few deep breaths, calm returned to Rob''s face as he turned away and began walking away without urging the twins to follow.


    The trip to the restaurant was much less lacklustre compared to that the night before. Despite the day being much brighter, the sky no longer stimulated that wonderous and oppressive feeling while their hoods and the bustle allowed the twins to escape almost all unwanted attention.


    Arriving at the restaurant, Rykar and Loki were once again let down when comparing reality to their expectations. Despite being too hungry to care, the restaurant was more like a room full of drunks which had been furnished by broken and mismatched tables. The air was laced with alcohol and smoke while the wooden flooring beneath them was damp enough for them to feel it through the bindings on their feet.


    Rob led them towards a discrete corner before sitting down and calling a young boy over. "Bring us three roast platters and a jug of water." With only a nod, the boy ran off again, making his way between the other staggering customers with ease.


    "Why here? Even the food hall in the camp was better than this." Rykar asked while scanning the area.


    "Well firstly, I haven''t had the pleasure of visiting your beloved camp. Secondly, why not here, do you know a better place? Yeah, I thought not." Instead of reacting badly to Rykars attitude, Rob decided he would simply do the next best thing.


    Make this outing as uncomfortable and uninteresting as possible for him.


    Just thinking about all the locations and sights he would show them around the back alleys and shady food he would get them to eat made him feel bubbly inside. But first, a breakfast that was at least half decent was a must, especially seeing as he would be taking part in this meal with these brats.


    What followed was over fifteen minutes of uncomfortable silence. Instead of looking around the room, Rykar decided that he would spend the time boring into Robs eyes while Rob refused to show any signs of discomfort, calmly staring back with a smile.


    By the time the food clattered onto the table, both their eyes were dry to the point that they could probably strike a match off their surfaces, yet they refused to yield. As the water jug was placed in the centre of the table, it finally obstructed their sight as Rykar used this as a chance to look towards the waiter.


    As if nothing happened, the trio began to gorge themselves on the platters of roast beef, chicken and vegetables that sat in front of them. With a generous helping of gravy, the twins had to admit that the quality of the food was a few steps above that of the furnishing.


    Mid way through the meal, Rykar gestured towards the same boy who had been patrolling the tables. As he rushed over and looked at him of the first time, the boy immediately went slack jawed as he stared dumbly at Rykar''s face. The red and grey eyes seemed glaring even under the hood.


    "Bring three more platters." Rykar asked while pointing at his plate. Without hearing him, the boy stood stock still for a while more before turning around and walking away in a daze. His previously seen nimbleness was now replaced by a ridged walk as he shuffled behind the counter once more.


    As the plates were finally finished, a tall skinny man walked out from behind the counter with another three platters in his hands. As he stopped by the table and looked at Rykar and Loki, his eyes also shot up but he remained calm and steady as he pushed the platters in front of them while clearing the others away.


    "Sorry, those are all mine." Rykar corrected as he moved the platters from in front of Rob and Loki, squishing them over to his side of the table. "You guys want anything else?"


    "I''m good." Rob replied after yet another deep breath.


    "Do you have chicken and mushroom pie?" Loki asked. After getting an affirmative he requested the pie with extra gravy.


    "That''s seven silvers. I haven''t seen you round here but with an appetite like that, make sure to come back again haha. My boy is a bit shy, but he likes you so lets call it 5."


    "Haha thanks." Rummaging in his pocket for a moment, Rykar pulled out 5 coins before dropping them in the man''s hand. At this point both the tall man and Rob''s eyes bulged as the five gold eyes caught the light.


    "Haha my cousin is a bit slow at times. His parents sent us to sell off their life-stock and he''s yet to learn the value of money." Rob stood up quickly and directly pulled four coins back from the man''s hand while he was still in a dazed state. "Change for that would be great."


    Sitting down again, he sipped from his glass as though nothing happened while the man laughed his agreement before walking away.


    "Fair enough you might not know about money, but do you not even know fucking colours? Were you dropped as a child of something?!" Rob hissed across the table while throwing the coins back towards Rykar.


    Despite not knowing the exact err in his actions, he could tell that he had definitely made a blunder. Thinking over the situation, Rykar made no attempt to refute Rob as he quietly began eating again after a word of apology.


    Moments later the tall man returned with a large pouch which was resented to Rykar. Holding the pouch in both hands, he looked inside to find nearly a hundred glittering silver coins.


    Handful by handful, he began to reach into the pouch and stuff the coins into his pocket, only pausing for a moment before reaching for another hand.


    Seeing Rob looking over as though he was literally looking at a retard, he spoke up. "Don''t worry, I have really deep pockets."

 39 The Face of the Rich

    Leaving the tavern, Rob was visibly much more stiff and wary than when they had entered. Without having to ask what the issue was, the twins quickly aligned problem with Rykar''s careless display of the gold coins just from Robs attitude towards him after the exchange.


    Taking many more twists and turns than they had in the beginning, they quickly left the back alleys and entered the much busier commercial streets. Despite wanting to lead them around the back alleys for the entire day, Rob''s paranoia kicked in, leading to him seeking comfort and safety in the eyes of the public.


    Paying attention to their path while observing everything around them, Rob quickly noticed that the large amount of coins Rykar had pocketed in front of him were making no noise at all within his pants. ''I have deep pockets'' The line replayed in his head as he stole glances back towards the flat pockets of his pants with a frown before looking away dismissively.


    How he managed it wasn''t important at the moment, without having a nearly a hundred coins jingling on him, that made one less target painted on their backs. With or without the laws of the city in place, there were no shortage of those that would gladly relieve the coins from a group of youths throwing around gold and silver so flamboyantly.


    Rykar''s blunder made him feel a sense of tension and responsibility towards the situation, causing him to fidget slightly while looking down the quickly widening streets. More and more people were slowly beginning to appear as shops and stalls came into view, yet he didn''t know who or what he should be taking care to avoid.


    Contrary to his brother, Loki was walking calmly along the side as he had been the entire day. Long before they had even left the hideout in the sewers, Loki had refrained from saying anything. Not bothering to break silence even in the defence of his brother, he quietly observed while trying to get a feel of Rob.


    At the end of the day, the only difference between Rob and the others was that he was with them at this moment. There was nothing binding him, everything could just as easily become another repeat of Chris and Anna. Truth be told, he was slightly disappointed in Chris for disappearing while leaving them in the hands of a stranger.


    Watching Rob as he guided them through the crowd, Loki let out a sigh. As the breath ended, a figure flew through the crowd with perfect timing before smashing into his stomach and sending him to the ground without a chance at resistance.


    Any remnant air was forced from his lungs as a burst of saliva was forced from his mouth due to the blunt force.


    "Mmft¡­ Aaah!"


    After a moment of carelessness, a child of no more than years old had run through the crowd before colliding heavily with Loki, sending both parties to the ground. Seeing the fall and hearing the reaction, many people assumed the worst for the child, leading to the crowd around the two quickly parting.


    The extra attention only served to add fuel to the fire. The boy got to his knees only to begin wailing after seeing Loki''s face. The wailing became complete hysterics after looking up to find Rykars face staring down hatefully at the source of the disruption.


    "What are they?"


    "Are they even human?"


    "I want eyes like that!"


    "Look, their like demons!"


    "Don''t stare too long, their skin is just f*cked up"


    Rykar froze as the murmurs and shouts from the crowd crashed against him like a torrent. The eyes focused on them warped as the faces surrounding them morphed. Mother, Chris the village youths, father, instructors. One after another, these faces reappeared real time and cast their cold eyes over the boys.


    Recovering his breath, Loki as faring no better. Struggling from the ground he made his way into his brother''s embrace as they endured the surging emotions being imposed on them from the crowd around them.


    Initially, Rob had intended to leave the twins to their own devices. It had barely been two hours since leaving the sewers and he had already had enough of their shit. However, after blending into the crowd and looking back, the scene before him made his heart clench.


    The crowd was no longer anything like the few dozen people it had started out as.


    Two boys, barely thirteen years of age were completely encircled buy over a hundred people, taking up the greater half of the street, as they cowered in the centre.


    Due to the commotion, more and more people were coming over to see the spectacle, to the point that some people were leaving their stalls unattended due to their curiosity.


    "For f*cks sake!" After just a moment, Rob burrowed his way back into the crowd, shoving and barging his way into the centre as quickly as possible.


    "Oi, watch where you''re going!" A woman shouted after being pushed out of the way, but Rob acted as though he hadn''t heard a thing. Breaking through the encirclement, he reached the centre only to find a, empty circle as all eyes were focused on one of the sides.


    Rob took a deep breath while trying to suppress the sudden anxiety which rose after finding out the twins had already departed. Sweat leaked from his back at the realisation of how stupid his action of leaving two defenceless children in a crowd of hundreds was.


    Annoying or not, they were young, immature and clueless as to how the world worked, much less a city where 8/10 people wouldn''t approach you without an ulterior motive.


    Breaking through the other side of the original encirclement, Rob hurriedly chased in the direction which people had been staring in when he had arrived.


    By now, Loki was being dragged with almost no resistance as he was supported on Rykar''s shoulder. Most of the time, his feet weren''t even touching the ground as Rykar barrelled through the swaths of people.


    Still delirious in anxiety, panic gripped him as Rykar squeezed on his Loki''s shoulder with enough force to bruise. Still winded from the collision, Loki was in no better shape as he stared at the faces around them without even the bearing to pull his hood back over his head.


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    They were running with no sense of direction. Nowhere to turn to and no one to escape with, the only thought for Rykar was to find a safe and quiet place. The rest was a complete blur.


    As his mind cleared, he found himself huddled in the corner of a warm looking room. Along the sides were masks and costumes of all designs. Feathers, scales, gold, crystal and silk seemed to naturally unfurl from the stands and displays along the walls.


    Still clutching Loki, he turned to find an elderly man smiling warmly at them from behind a counter on the far side of the room. The vibrancy from the outfits formed a strange contrast to the whitewashed walls of the store, yet when paired with the sunlight, it was difficult to describe the atmosphere as anything but welcoming.


    "Looks like you''re having a rough day boys." The voice of the man was just as warm as his smile however the twins felt no safer than they had before.


    Despite the grandeur of the store, there were no other customers. It was weirdly quite yet somehow the silence was once again calming, rather than unnerving. Loki shrugged off his brother before taking a look around as his heart slowed its pace and his eyes lost their previous glaze.


    "If you''re calm enough to feel thirsty, water is just on the side. Help yourselves, help yourselves." The man chuckled, waving his left hand as the he watched the twins slowly coming to themselves. "Don''t be so weary, you came in of your own accord and you can leave in the same way."


    "Own accord?" Loki asked slightly confused.


    "Ah, by your own free will. Or at your own choice if you will. As long as you''re within my store, you''re a customer first and nothing less." Gesturing to the water and then to the rest of the store, he maintained a friendly smile. "Welcome to The Face of the Rich. Or The Face, if you will."


    During his introduction, Loki and Rykar had made their way over to the table at the side before taking small sips from the small porcelain cups filled with water.


    "so this is a¡­ costume shop?" Rykar asked while stroking the sleeve of an exaggeratedly furry jacket. He couldn''t help but think of how stupid someone would look once they actually put it on.


    "You''re not wrong, but you''re not right. I sell outfits which cater towards the identity people want to be seen." The man paused for a moment as he simplified the words in his head. "Many rich people don''t feel rich until they look rich. This Is the identity they want others to see."


    "If a poor man walks through the street in rags, he will be mocked and dismissed. However, if the same man was no richer, yet wore golden jewellery and magnificent furs, the same people would treat him with respect and due diligence." The man smiled while slowly walking over to the twins before taking the coat off the rack.


    "Tell me boy, what was the difference between the first time and the second time the man walked down the street?" He asked. With well-practiced movements, he wrapped the cloak over Rykar''s shoulders then ushered him before a nearby mirror.


    Looking at himself in the mirror, Rykar was slightly dazed. His opinion of the clothing seemed to slowly warp as he straightened his back and relaxed his shoulders.


    Watching from the side, Loki''s eyes glittered as he mulled over the question. In his head, the clothing was the obvious answer, but it didn''t seem as though the question was as straight forward as it first appeared.


    "The clothing he was wearing."


    "How much the clothes were worth."


    Rykar answered first but was quickly followed by Loki. Drawing his eyes from his own reflection, he looked into the old man''s eyes via the reflection of the mirror while Loki did the same from the side.


    "Two very similar answers, but they are both equally as wrong as each other." The man chuckled and removed the cloak from Rykar''s shoulders before continuing.


    "The man was no different the first time and the second time he walked down the street. He was worth just as much in either situation.


    "He would go back home to the same family, eat the same food, sleep in the same bed and return to the same job in either case.


    "He would be the same poor man with nothing to his name, and clothes don''t change that."


    For the first time, the smile on his face dropped as his eyes turned vacant in melancholy. The sudden pause only gripped the attention of the twins even further as their minds spun, rapidly trying to use this pause to figure out the answer to the question before it was given to them.


    ''The difference was not in the man, but the people around him. These people constructed an identity so far fetched and broken from reality simply due to what they could see at a moment''s glance.


    "That''s what I sell at this store. I sell that first glance. I sell whatever you want people to see. I sell the face of the rich."

 40 Stronger After Being Broken

    The old man''s words sunk deep within both of the children. Without even being able to understand the extent of what the man was saying, they were easily able to gather the majority of his message. The clothing someone wore didn''t effect themselves nearly as much as it effected those around them.


    It was all actually relatively simple. Looking a certain way effects the way that those around you perceive and interact with you.


    "But¡­ If people know your face, then it doesn''t matter what you wear." Loki said after sinking into thought. The concept sounded flawless but there was a gaping hole in it. "If the man walks down the street and a friend meets him, they will treat him the same as they always have. And if it''s an enemy then they will still do the same."


    Clothing only made sense if you were in a place you wouldn''t be recognized. This trick may work for many, but for those like Loki and Rykar, who''s descriptions are probably already circulating rapidly within the city, it was pointless.


    "very good point young one. However, a costume doesn''t stop at just the clothes. This shop didn''t garner its name nor reputation for no reason." Walking back towards the counter, he led the twins past the first half of the shop and farther in.


    After passing this point, they saw that the latter half of the store was much less furnished while having less racks and tables than the first half. Instead, there were shelves upon shelves lining the walls which housed masks of all descriptions.


    The patterns and colours lining them almost made the twins breathless as they laid eyes upon the intricacy.


    "These¡­ are masks?" Loki asked while reaching out to one of them. The designs on the mask seemed fantastic despite bearing no semblance to a real face. The proportions of the features sat together perfectly, with each of them marked out with different tones which were brought together on a metallic white base.


    Before he could touch the mask, the old man gripped his arm with his ever present smile still on his face, however his eyes twitched slightly as he answered the question.


    "If you will, please don''t refer to these as mere masks. A mask can be made from anything. Tear a strip of cloth from your shirt and you have a mask." He then released Loki''s hand and took the mask from the wall with delicate movements.


    "This is a ''face''. Every face you see before you is completely unique. You will not find another with the exact same design no matter how similar. Just like between the two of you, there are many similarities in your faces, however the differences in expression and subtle tones make your faces completely unique unto themselves."


    The twins nodded in unison while scrutinizing the masks before them once again, trying to pick up on the smallest details on the seemingly identical facades. "So what about those ones, are they still even faces?" Rykar asked while striding across the room to a shelf packed with ''shattered'' faces.


    The faces stood out among those of the rest of the store. Rather than resembling human faces with the delicate features of eyebrows, lips and noses all in the correct places, these looked more like a plate that had been dropped and places back together perfectly.


    There were no features, only two eye holes sculpted into the white material which made up the base. The only other feature that could be picked out were the cracks which filled the entire face.


    These cracks were filled with various tones of gold, red or black depending on the mask.


    "Their¡­ broken?" Loki asked after the old man stuttered for a second. He reached out towards one of the masks without reservation yet the man didn''t stop him this time round.


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    "What?! How come he gets to hold one but I can''t?" Rykar''s outburst prompted a chuckle from the man in their innocent and forward attitude.


    "These are a little different. Call them test products if you will." A sigh floated through the room before he continued. "You know, there are cultures within the sea of stars that believe that once a plate, bowl or vase shatters, it shouldn''t be thrown away but instead, repaired.


    "These repairs are often carried out by using precious metals or other materials such as gold. After the repairs are done and the cracks are filled with gold, the piece once again regains its previous shape yet it also becomes a beautiful piece of art!


    "Due to the way the cracks are formed at random, none of these would be found to be the same across any two of these pieces. Just like ones face, it stands alone within its identity.


    "These metals and materials that now run through the piece also serve to reinforce the base material. By breaking and then overcoming the original damage and blemish, the piece is once again able to be reformed and strengthened.


    "I find both beauty and resolve in this and wanted to embody it in the form of my faces but, as you can see, they haven''t exactly caught on." He laughed to himself once again as he looked fondly at the masks clustered together on the shelf.


    Shivers ran through the twins as they listened to the elder''s monologue. Whether it was an emotional and well thought sales pitch, or his real feelings, they felt an emotional attachment towards the masks on the wall.


    "How much are they?" Loki asked as he inspected the mask in hand. Carefully turning it over, he was surprised at how smooth the surface was. If he had closed his eyes, he wouldn''t have been able to tell where the cracks were located.


    "Aha, if you can bring out one gold, its yours. Two gold coins and the whole shelf belongs to you!" Even with his composure, he nearly burst into laughter at Loki''s question.


    The boys before him presented themselves in tattered clothing, cloaks which resembled torn rags and wet strips of cloth in the place of shoes. It was a wonder if they were even wearing anything under the clothing.


    They had wondered in from the street without even their wits around them. Years in any profession allows people to develop certain skills and looking into people was something that the clerk had prided himself in.


    "I beg your pardon, please excuse my manners young ones. Howev-¡­"


    *Tink*


    *Tink*


    *Tink*


    For a while, the soft sound of two coins colliding with a wooden surface was all that could be heard within the store.


    ...


    After leaving the store, each with a dark wooden box in hand, the twins quickly made their way off of the main road and found themselves a secluded corner.


    Not only had they bagged themselves over twenty faces with two golden coins, the attitude of the old clerk hadn''t even faltered as he offered the twins a standard black cloak each as an apology for his rudeness.


    Laughing within the awkward situation, he pocketed the two gold coins and accepted Rykars excuse of having ''sold off his family''s livestock'' with a wave of his hand before sweeping the shelf clean and loading up the ''discount'' purchases into the boxes.


    Rummaging through the boxes, it took the twins over five minutes to decide on which mask they wanted to wear.


    "This one is better than yours, it has more gold"


    "No, mines way better, it''s got red, black and gold in it."


    By the time the twins had gone back and forth a dozen times, they both settled on nearly identical masks with veins of black running across the smooth white surface. Once putting them along with the cloaks, the twins were totally unidentifiable.


    Unnaturally black hair trailed out slightly from their hoods, helping to mask their ash grey skin. The pulled up hoods covering half their foreheads while allowing a strong impression of the mask underneath.


    The white masks ominously revealed themselves from within, coupled with black veins and a pair of red and grey eyes staring from the two openings, this made Rykar and Loki look like a pair of short ghosts.


    The only thing limiting their sense of mysteriousness from reaching the level of intimidating was their lacking stature.


    Using each other''s appearance as a ''mirror'' to judge how they themselves looked, the excitement could be measured by their shivers and clenched fists despite their faces being covered by the masks. It took most of their self-control just to prevent themselves from shouting and rushing back onto the main road and into the hoards of people.


    "Do you think the boxes are too big for you to hide them?" Loki asked while inspecting the box in his hand. While it wasn''t very large, it was around twice as big as the box that Rykar had stashed earlier, containing the gold coins.


    Rykar also frowned as he pondered on the question. "Should be fine, it''s not that heavy¡­ F*ck it, I''ll just try!" Giving up on trying to compare with any other object he had managed to store, Rykar crouched on the ground and stared intently at the box before slowly experiencing the familiar feeling of ''infusing'' himself with the material.


    It was a weird sensation, as though the box was a sponge and he was pouring himself into it as though trying to fill it up with water. Slowly the ''water'' leaked into the wood, tracing the outline of the box before sinking further into the centre.


    By the time he had traced the outline of the box, miniscule beads of sweat were already forming on his forehead as the inside of the mask became humid. However, after breaking through the wood, the process was much smoother as the ''water'' sank into the internal space before sinking into the masks simultaneously.


    From the outside, Loki watched Rykar sitting on the ground with the box on his lap and his palms pressed firmly against the sides.


    Three seconds later, Rykar began to tremble softly as he pressed his whole body closer to the box as though he was to hug it.


    Two seconds after that, the box vanished as though it had never been there. Apparently Rykar had been overly tense during the process seeing as, after the box disappeared, his arms flew together as though embracing himself as he doubled over into his own lap.


    "I know no one loves you but hugging yourself is a new low, even for you." Without giving Rykar a chance to recover, sounds of mockery floated out from behind Loki''s mask, causing his face to go red as he hastily released himself from his own embrace.


    Stifling his heavy breathing, he stood up with the help of the wall next to him before grabbing the second box from his brothers extended hands. The process once again repeated itself and Rykar was visibly grasping for breath as beads of sweat could occasionally be seen dripping from the chin of his mask.


    After only a minute of rest, hunger once again gripped Rykar as his stomach loudly grumbled. He stood up from the ground expressing his desire for more food.


    "I''m not even joking this time, there''s something wrong with how much you eat." Looking his brother up and down, Loki seriously contemplated how much food he had put away earlier and how much he would be eating again soon.


    Thinking back on it, it can''t have even been two hours since he had eaten three servings of the roast! "Wait a minute. You can save and bring things out from your storage right? Why don''t you just put in loads of food in there and take it out¡­ instead of going out to get food every time¡­"


    "Sorry ''genius'' how many chances have you seen for me to throw shit loads of food into my pocket without anyone seeing?" Rykar spread his arms while looking to the sky. "Yeah, that''s what I thought."


    Shrugging without giving an answer, Loki tidied up his clothing one last time before the twins made their way towards the end of the ally.


    "I can''t wait to eaaaaaaaaat!" Rykar put his hands in the air, exhailing loudly as he rounded the corner.


    "I got something tasty for ya!"


    A deep voice hummed from the other side of the corner, just out of sight. Jolted by the sudden interruption, Rykar didn''t even have time to bring his arms back down to his sides when a leg whipped round the corner and collided with his stomach.


    Like a ball being blasted, his feet left the ground by over an inch while he doubled over in mid-air.


    The inside of his mask had barely had enough time to dry from his sweat before being caked once again. This time, instead of sweat, it was a pool of saliva and snot which had been blasted out from Rykar''s mouth and nose as the rest of the air within his lungs had been forced out.


    "Damn this brat''s heavy. Didn''t even fly that far."

 41 How Many Chances

    "Damn this brat''s heavy. Didn''t even fly that far."


    Coughing out his lungs, Rykar was on the floor before Loki even noticed he had been attacked¡­ which is probably because a fist followed up just after the kick, only, the target of the fist was the confused Loki.


    Similar to his brother, he was blasted in the stomach as a hooded figure sped round the corner, following after his left hook which had been thrown in advance.


    Catering to the difference of height, the fully grown figure had generously bent their knees and swiveled his hips, all in order to land a perfect strike to Loki''s solar plexus. The only thing that could be heard between the interval of Rykar landing on the ground and Loki being hit, was the intense ruffle of the cloak against the wind.


    The pain from the muffled strike didn''t even take effect immediately, the only thing which erupted in Loki''s mind was the feeling of breathlessness as his body ejected its contents within his mask. Pie, meat and vegetables plastered his face as he slit to his knees.


    The force behind this attack was probably not even half of what Rykar had received, yet the placement of the strike had completely devastated his system.


    From the excitement earlier, the boys now couldn''t even think straight as they heaved and coughed on the ground like shrimp.


    The two standing over them didn''t waste words, quickly bending down as they tore the dripping masks from the boys faces, letting out a slight gasp as they did so.


    Even while wiping the snot and vomit from the masks, they took a moment to marvel at the faces of the twins.


    "Their eyes really are amazing! The masks are probably worth nothing compared to if we were to sell them off!" A feminine voice came from the figure which had struck Loki. She grabbed his face for a moment with her gloved hand, staring into his eyes.


    Through his tears, Loki could just about see a pretty figure looking down at him with dull green eyes.


    "There''s something up with this kid" a much deeper voice came from the second figure. He was squatting over Rykar while pulling on his cloak as though testing something. "I think this kid is even heavier than I am¡­ must be around a hundred kilos!" There was a trace of shock in his voice.


    The woman quickly rushed over, trying to grab onto Rykar who was struggling on the ground. She could barely establish a firm grip and was just as surprised to find her partners words were pretty accurate. "holy shit what is he made of!? Maybe not a hundred but not far off."


    "Change of plan. You can''t carry this one and I''ll be too slow if I do. He''s dead weight." Without waiting for an answer, he walked over to Loki and picked him up without caring for the struggles. As a shout escaped his mouth, a fist smashed into his face like a rock into jelly.


    His mind was immediately thrown into chaos. The world simply became a blur of bright and shiny dots as his eyes roamed around in a daze. All he heard was another massive crack before, once again, he felt the hold hard ground pressed against his side.


    "Do you know how many chances I gave you?"


    Loki''s mind turned in fear as he thought on the question. He simply didn''t understand and was too afraid of uttering the wrong answer. The world was still spinning, the ground grated on his face, his eyes were watering and he could barely breath between coughs.


    "One when you stood within the crowd."


    *Thud*


    Loki reflexively clenched his body as he heard the sound of something colliding with a body. He wasn''t sure if his senses were in too much disarray to feel the beating or if the punishment was being carried out on his brother instead.


    "One when you waited outside the store so patiently"


    *Thud*


    Wait¡­ outside the store? He stopped moving as he shut his eyes and put his entire focus on listening to the commotion around him.


    "One when you followed them to the ally."


    *Thud*


    Muffled groans and pleas could be heard between each of the strikes.


    "One when you left. To be honest I thought that was enough" *Thud* "But who would have thought you doubled round to the other side?"


    *Thud*


    Mustering the strength to look, he saw Rykar on his knees while using a wall to support his weight as he clutched his stomach with his arms. A figure was laying on the ground not far from him with her leg spayed at an awkward angle.


    With the hood pulled back, her dark hair now fell over her face like wet string as it clung to the sweat that rolled down her forehead. The pain she was in must have been incredibly difficult to bear as veins could be seen on her forehead and neck.


    Tears streamed down her face as she watched the scene in front of her while holding in the urge to cry out loud.


    By now, the burly man was whimpering after being given a moment of respite. Hearing his shallow and staggered breathing, Loki followed Rykar''s and the woman''s line of sight. Turning is head just in time to watch Chance Lift his foot and heavily bring it down on the base of the man''s back.


    Following a massive snap, there was silence. Unconsciousness saved the victim from the pain which would have followed, had his willpower been slightly higher.


    "Please, it wasn''t my idea! I was only following my friend! I swear." Promises and blame poured from her mouth like a broken fountain as Chance walked towards her, discarding her companion shortly after he had passed out.


    "I swear¡­"


    "If only¡­"


    "I''ll do anything¡­"


    Promises, apologies, stories about her past, how pitiful she was. The rate at which she fired off information at the twins made it sound like a mosquito was droning in Loki''s ears as he was stills lightly disorientated.


    Unlike Chance''s deep and clear voice which seemed to dominate his ears when it sounded out, she seemed like a frail animal that was barely capable of coherent speech.


    Yet, seeing her on the ground, Loki couldn''t help but sympathize with her pain. Disregarding the ordeal he had just been put through, he began to mutter under his breath as he halfheartedly spoke out in her favour.


    "If you''ve got something to say, say it with your chest." Turning towards Loki, Chance had once again adopted a cold and indifferent fa?ade which the twins had seen for the first time within the sewers.


    Shuddering for a moment, Loki took a deep breath before organizing and repeating his words more clearly. "I think, I think this is enough." As he finished, he couldn''t even hold Chances gaze as he looked towards his brother for support, urging Rykar to back him up with his eyes.


    Rykar looked up from the woman, taking in gazes of both Loki and Chance. By now, his breathing had steadied and he was back in control of the majority of his motor functions. His head slowly tilted towards the side as he mulled over his brother''s words.


    "She wanted to take our eyes." He said with a deadpan voice, much like Chance, his voice was said in a matter of factly way. It wasn''t a question, but something which caused Loki to think about how far the situation could have devolved without Chances interruption.


    "She only said we have nice eyes. If we do this, were no better than them. Why hurt people more than we need to?" By not his voice was growing stronger as he found his own conviction. He felt much more at ease debating with his brother than with Chance.


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    "All we see are people that hurt each other. Her leg is broken and that guy is so messed up! We can leave it at this." He ended strongly, failing to allow Rykar room to maneuver. As long as his brother was torn, surely Chance wouldn''t act any further.


    Puzzlement was still on Rykar''s face but he didn''t refute his brother as he pulled himself up from the ground while using the wall as a support.


    Pausing at the side of the woman, her green eyes stared up at him like a deer in the face of death. She didn''t even have the mental capacity to beg for forgiveness as she looked at the face of the boy who now towered over her.


    Hair messy, saliva caking his mouth, blood leaking from his nose. He looked down blankly as he asked "Do you swear never to do this to anyone again?"


    "Yes! I swear on everything I hold dear! I would never. Please, I beg you." Brought back to reality by the question, she started panting and begging.


    "Good. You owe him your life." He nodded in his brother''s direction with a small smile, which prompted a drawn out sigh of relief from both Loki and the woman.


    "Don''t worry Rykar, I can even get her to swear on my book" Loki began shuffling over as a dark mist slowly became visible in his surroundings.


    As though he was taking a casual step up some stairs, Rykar raised his leg up to knee height before slowly lowering it over the woman''s head.


    Exasperated by the sudden and awkward movement, fear and cautiousness caused her to go with the movement as she lowered her head along with his foot until she was sandwiched between the ground and his bound foot.


    Seeing her head make contact with the cobbled ground below them, Loki winced without knowing what to say or ask.


    Once again, a similar sound was heard within the alley as a loud snap was heard.


    After bouncing slightly on his off foot, Rykar shifted the other foot to the side of the woman''s jaw before transferring the weight of his entire body into a stomp.


    All begging was tossed to the wind as the woman rolled on the ground with renewed vigor while sharp squealing grated on the ears of those present, and conscious enough to hear it.


    Despite seeing the scene before him, his expectations had totally betrayed him as Loki watched the situation unfold.


    Rykar and Chance each picked up the masks from the ground closest to them before casually walking towards the end of the alley where people were peering in, drawn to the screams that had been echoing for a while now.


    His face switched between shock and horror as he looked between those on the ground and the figures of Rykar and Chance as they made their way out of the alley without exchanging words.


    Watching the two in front of him about to become submerged within the crowd, he finally ran forward to join the duo before forcing a path through the audience together.

 42 Perspectives

    Preserved meat, chips, sweets, fruit, snacks, nuts. A wild assortment of foods rapidly disappeared from Rykar''s hands as Chance dragged the twins from stall to stall before taking short breaks while using the cover of alleys to utilize Rykar''s ''pocket''.


    As though nothing had happened earlier, they dove straight into a shopping spree after exiting the alley without so much as mentioning the previous incident. Though uncomfortable, Loki held in his distress as the incident replayed in his mind.


    The crisp snaps of bones and the pleas for mercy were fresh in his mind as bumps rose on the back of his arms. With the way in which Rykar and Chance had acted, he couldn''t help but feel as though he was missing something which they simply hadn''t explained, yet he still failed to see any merit in their drastic actions.


    Two lives had been ruined just like that.


    There we''re no shortage of broken, deformed or simply poor people on the side of the street which served as a real-time example of the fates of the other two. Unless they had serious savings or someone to look after them, the rest of their lives would be bleak at best.


    "Do you think that begging for food on the side of the street is the worst that life gets?" Noticing Loki''s gaze lingering on a wrapped up figure lying on the edge of the sidewalk, Chance Spoke up while abruptly stopping in the middle of the street. "Or that broken bones are the worst pain someone can be in?"


    Cursing was heard from all directions as the three stopped under the lead of Chance. The traffic behind them began to split like a stream flowing around a rock while attracting no shortage of angry stares.


    As though he was about to speak further, he turned back slight before hesitating and continuing forward once again. Baffled by his actions, the twins followed on once again while venturing off to any stores or stalls that seemed interesting.


    Hours passed and it was well into the afternoon when they finally returned to the hideout within the sewers. As they walked in, the first thing they saw was Rob, who was pacing around the length of the hall with his hands buried under his armpits while muttering quietly to himself.


    The second thing to take note of were four boxes which were around 50cm tall and just as wide. The black boxes were each covered in their own thin black cloth and were stacked one on top of another beside Chance''s bed.


    "Care to explain why these two were alone? All I asked was for you to show them around for a couple hours, was it so hard?" Broken away from his thoughts by the sudden voice, Rob looked towards the entrance at the new arrivals with both relief and anxiousness on his face.


    His mouth moved a few times as though he was struggling to formulate a sentence before letting out a prolonged sigh and straightening his back. "I f*cked up, I''m sorry." After the straight apology, it was as though a rock was lifted from his shoulders. Sweat could still be seen on his brows but the tension in his expression and posture had eased up dramatically.


    As Rykar and Loki stood to the side, heads down without saying a word, Chance continued in a stern voice. "What happened?"


    Stiffening up for a moment, Rob began to recount the events that transpired from the very moment that they left the hall. None of the moments were glossed over as he narrated the contents of the day while paying special attention to the many times Rykar had displayed ''childish'' and ''unreasonable'' behavior.


    Listening from the sideline, there were a few moments where Rykar couldn''t help but want to speak out in his own defence. However, holding true to the Chance''s request before entering the room, he didn''t say a word as he listened to Rob''s ''biased'' account.


    By the time he began speaking about the events which led up to them being surrounded by the crowd, the twins almost even sympathized with him after putting up with Rykar for so long.


    The only mistake which Rykar had thought he made, was to reveal too much money within the tavern. Knowing that it brought such a strong reaction and the unwanted attention, he made sure to only bring out the money needed in the future.


    However, after listening to Rob''s recount, there were nearly half a dozen other occasions where either he or his brother had unknowingly invited danger unto the group, had someone been paying slightly more attention to them at the time.


    Straying from his line of sight. Being excitable and loud. Uncovering their faces to get better views into windows and stalls.


    All of these little actions they had overlooked at the time made sense when hearing it back. Though they may be children, their appearances didn''t allow them the liberty to make such immature decisions in the environment they were now in.


    While overlooking the larger quarrels they had during the day and the stubbornness he had shown, Rykar seriously considered how Rob had been bottling up and covering for the mistakes he hadn''t even realized he had made.


    "Then there was an incident with a crowd. A kid wasn''t paying attention and ran into one of them¡­ after he fell to the ground, it wasn''t long till we were swarmed and things got out of control."He paused for a second as he swallowed.


    "By the time I made it back to the centre, they were gone so I chased after them but they were long gone." Sighing, he looked up at the two boys for the first time with apologetic eyes.


    "A boy bumps into them and you lost them just like that?" Chance asked suspiciously.


    Hearing the question, it was Loki''s turn to perk up, looking between Chance and Rob as he unconsciously began to lean his head towards the side in contemplation.


    Remembering Chance''s words as he was assaulting the man in the alleyway, there was no way he could not have witnessed what had happened in the square.


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    "One when you stood within the crowd.


    "One when you waited outside the store so patiently


    "One when you followed them to the ally."


    At the bare minimum, Chance must have seen the event as the crowd was being formed, much less how Rob had failed to stick with the boys by the end of it.


    Loki''s eyes glistened before he averted his gaze, looking down towards his feet and further hiding his face under his hood as he focused on Rob''s next words.


    "I didn''t mean to lose them! I had no idea they were going to rush out like that but-"


    "But what?"


    "For a moment, I''d had enough. I know it was a stupid mistake to make and I swear it won''t happen again." Hearing the honesty from Rob, Chance sighed in relief as he unclenched his fist.


    Hearing the confession, the twins couldn''t even bring themselves to be angry, after listening to his entire side of the story, there was no way they would have put up with themselves, much less simply hesitated for a few moments.


    The tension within the room quickly eased up as they made their way to their beds. It was only the middle of the day but everyone besides Chance seemed to be out of steam.


    As they lay there, Chance had the twins recount the events that took place after they had broken through the crowd, filling in the happenings within The Face which even he didn''t know of.


    Hearing about their encounter with the head hunters, even lying within the comfort of his bed, Rob visibly tensed up when he heard about the situation they had been placed in.


    The feeling of having narrowly averted a crisis made him break out in a cold sweat as he fearfully looked over at Chance who was humming without a care in the world as he trimmed his nails with his teeth.


    "Mmmhm, we need to have a real talk and now seems like the right time." Spitting out the chewed up nail, Chance stretched before sitting up on his bed and nodding in the direction of Loki.


    Noticing the movement, dark mist began to slowly revolve around his arm as his tattoos came alive underneath his cloak.


    All eyes in the room were immediately drawn towards the phenomenon as Loki hid his smug smile under his mask while watching Rob''s eyes widen.


    Picking up speed and converging at a rapid pace, the mist first formed the outline and then the body of the black and grey book which, following Loki''s will, opened without any force and slowly flipped its pages dramatically.


    "Show off"

 43 What problem?

    Within the next two hours, Rob had signed a contract identical to Chance''s, trading goodwill for the acknowledgement of brotherhood.


    After his figure and contract details appeared and began dancing on the grey pages in red, He was filled in regarding the pasts of the twins before being introduced properly to the abilities of the twins along with the meditation method which Chance now felt secure enough to divulge.


    Expecting him to be taken aback with the bombardment of information and the weirdness of the situation, Chance lay back down on his bed expecting to take a nap before the night''s antics, yet he snapped awake just as he lay his head down.


    "So what are the rules to your book?" Rob asked offhandedly.


    "What do you mean? If we make a deal, then you have to stick by it. It''s pretty straight forward." The simplicity of Loki''s answer caused Rob to become baffled.


    "Do you know how many ways there are to break contracts? You''ve had this for so long and haven''t even done a test?" Once again, the irritated look danced across his face as he looked between the twins and Chance.


    "I''m an idiot¡­" Realizing the oversight on his part, Chance began muttering from the side while his eyes darted around the room in thought.


    "Watch this." Walking over to Rykar, Rob flexed his fingers which caused crisp popping sounds to resound.


    Before anyone could pose a question, Rykar''s face made a ninety degree turn as Rob''s hand connected beautifully along its left side.


    Loki almost burst into laughter before realization struck him. Rob had just promised to act with no intention to harm them, yet he was able to slap Rykar, obviously inflicting pain?


    "See, there are ways around things, I wasn''t actu-" Before Rob could finish, he was already knees to the ground while Rykar towered over him while hyper ventilating.


    After receiving the slap, it took him a second to come to, before wordlessly planting a solid hook into Rob''s stomach. Due to the size difference, Rob took the hit expecting to brush it off with a laugh.


    No matter how he looked at it, he wouldn''t have expected the fist of an annoying and barely developed twelve or thirteen-year-old to pack as much punch as a rock falling from a f*cking mountain.


    He was sure his stomach had exploded within his torso as he clutched at his stomach. The sound of the blow also surprised everyone else within the room as they saw the short exchange before Rob skidded backwards before falling.


    Rushing over to check his condition, Chance gave the all clear as he lugged the gasping figure over to his own bed to give him some quality time to recover.


    "Rykar, Loki, come here a second." Chance ushered the two over to the centre of the room before asking them to remove their upper garments.


    Weirded out at first, they were both skeptical but it didn''t take long for them to yield under Chance''s persistence.


    Stood before him now were two almost identical boys, from their eyes to the length of their hair was the same to the point it was uncanny. Besides some areas of bruising, the tones to their skin was also identical, as though they were cut from the same piece of stone.


    "While in the forest, you guys were the same size, right? I man, you''ve always pretty much eaten and done the same things, right?" Chance inquired while circling them.


    Occasionally he would poke one of the boys under their ribs, on their backs or on their shoulders before pinching or poking the other in a similar way.


    "Yeah I guess so, why?" Loki replied while watching Chance inspect Rykar.


    "I mean, its not obvious. But there are obvious differences between you both." Starting off uncertainly, Chance pointed out a few differences in their physique which surprised even themselves.


    "If what you''re saying is right and you started around the same point from the change¡­ It''s probably been around three months or so, if that, since the encounter in the tree. This would only make sense if Rykar is growing around two or three times faster than you are Loki."


    Stood next to each other, the muscular development on Rykar was far superior to Loki.


    While Loki still seemed slightly malnourished, he had a much fuller figure than before. There were no visible traces of his harsh upbringing apart from his naturally stony and uninviting expression and mannerisms. His body being only slightly underdeveloped for his age.


    However, when compared, Rykar was already at the size of a healthy looking child with some slight separation seen within his muscles.


    It was the difference between a child that grew up playing while enjoying a normal childhood and a child that grew up in a training or comparatively harsher environment.


    "One more thing."


    Inspired by the comment he had heard after the man had struck Rykar back in the ally, Chance extended his hands under Loki''s shoulders then picked him up steadily for a few seconds to get a rough estimate for his weight.


    "You should be somewhere around 45 kilograms I''d say." After a moment of contemplation, he revealed his guesstimate and moved on. "Ok, your turn."


    Rykar raised his shoulders slightly in anticipation to be weighed for the first time in his life.


    The first attempt at the lift failed dramatically. Watching Chance stiffen up in blatant effort before giving up caused both boys to burst into laughter. Snickers could even be heard coming over from Rob''s bed, revealing that he had recovered to some extent.


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    An exaggerated cough and stretch, Chance took up position once gain. Bracing his legs, he clenched his core tightly before finally getting Ryakr off of the ground.


    Unlike with Loki, where he prolonged the moment, Chance released Rykar less than two seconds after getting him off the ground as he stood there gob smacked.


    "Well?" Rykar, Loki and a weak sounding Rob inquired at the same time.


    "He''s, he has to weigh¡­" Chances face tensed up as though calculating within his mind. "At least 95 kilograms. I don''t see how that''s possible with your size, you made of rocks or something?"


    "Haha, 95 kilograms of pure muscle, brains and good looks!" Rykar guaffed while strutting around the room proudly with his chest puffed out.


    Contrary to Rykar''s uplifted mood, Chance furrowed his brows while failing to understand how a child of less than a metre and a half tall could possibly be so heavy. The density of his body would have to be freakishly high.


    "I''ll be getting a scale when I next were out. I want you both to weigh yourselves every night that you can and keep it written on the wall over there." Chance finished by pointing over to the far wall, where a white board was hung.


    Nodding, Loki once again put his mask on his face, which was slowly darkening, as he watched Rykar prance around the room like a show horse while flexing his pre-pubescent muscles.


    Suddenly raising his head, his expression flared as a dangerous glint in Loki''s eyes caused even Chance to feel uncomfortable after locking gazes with him.


    "Rykar, do you still have ''that'' problem?" Loki asked carefully.


    "What problem? I mean, aside from having too much muscle, I''m good!" Clueless as to what His brother was talking about, Rykar started inspecting himself while flexing even harder


    "You know, letting things out¡­" He prompted again while trying not to give anything away.


    "Man, what are you talking about?"


    "Well, don''t say I didn''t try." Loki sighed in ''resignation''. "Ever since the change in the tree house, I''m pretty sure you haven''t taken a shit. Sure you said you haven''t had to piss either? You sure you''re not in any pain? I mean, makes sense you''re pretty heavy by now."


    Silence.


    Silence so thick you could butter your toast with it.

 44 My Name Is Rob.

    It took nearly ten minutes for Rykar to get past his depression after Loki outed him so brutally in front of everyone. By the time he rejoined the conversation, Rob had made a full recovery and was in an intense discussion with Loki and Chance.


    Despite being the main focus of the conversation, Loki didn''t add much to the talk, instead sitting with a serious expression and soaking in all of the opinions of the other two.


    After the revelation of Rob, Chance understood straight away how easy it could be to work around the contract imposed on others, depending on the wording used.


    In the case of Rob, he had agreed to being recognized as a brother in exchange for ''not doing things with the intention of causing harm to or divulging the secrets of Loki, Chance or Rykar''. However, when he slapped Rykar, this was a clear contradiction of what Loki had ''thought'' the contract entailed.


    This played out by working on the ''intent'' of Rob.


    He didn''t hit Rykar with the intention of harming him, but to ''help'' the boys understand the loopholes in the contract. If he had attacked Rykar with the intention of simply causing him harm, or without the subject being on gaining understanding into Loki''s ability, he would most likely have crossed the boundary and come across a backlash before even getting close.


    However, this was only conjecture at this point. Therefore, for the next two hours, test after test was run to figure out just how far the wording could be pushed, leading to a set of loose rules and regulations which Loki could keep in mind.


    Any contract which was agreed on by both parties, yet was impossible to be completed by both parties, would result in the runes on the paper scattering. Once again leaving Loki with a clear grey page.


    This was the case on many occasions, such as when Rob and Loki agreed that, if Loki gave him a gold coin, Rob would grow wings and fly through the sewers.


    There were also many other cases which resulted in the runes shattering and dispersing on the page.


    If either side decided they wanted to withdraw from the agreement before the deal was finalized? Shattered.


    If either party included other people or objects which were beyond their control or didn''t belong to them? Shattered.


    If either party fell unconscious before the contract was finalized?


    Shattered.


    If someone, outside of the negotiations parties, intervenes and speaks up for either side?


    Shattered.


    Something that baffled all present was the way that it didn''t actually require being vocal to express intent for the contract. Using signs, nodding or otherwise expressing agreement with the proposed conditions would seal the deal as long as the motion was done with that intent in mind.


    Communicating could be done via the page, without the use of any speech at all!


    The dancing runes within the page were illegible to anyone reading them, in normal situations. However, while formulation a contract or if being read by someone that had participated in the formation of the contract, If all parties were able to see the book, the they could change the contents with just a thought, bridging all language barriers.


    Towards the end of the tests, the four within the room became too lazy to speak and instead laid the book within the middle of a square formation after dragging chairs over. Runes constantly danced and squirmed across the mages of the book as changes were being made to the contract without anyone opening their mouths at all.


    One of the most important things to note, was what happened when additional conditions were made to an initial contract.


    Instead of agreeing or disagreeing with the initial conditions which were set, on occasion, Rob began bartering or suggesting counter offers. Rather than shattering like they had been expecting, the runes on the paper instead deformed and increased in number, forming additional clauses.


    Although this allowed much more flexibility, it highlighted an important flaw in the system. With each change that was made and the longer the contract was open without finalization, the harder it was for Loki to focus.


    On one occasion, the deal went backwards and forwards for over five minutes which, by the end, Loki was barely speaking coherently.


    An initial agreement of trading two slaps for one punch with Rykar, ended with Loki being on the receiving end of six punches and three slaps in exchange for Rykar calling him boss and spinning in a circle.


    Closing the deal, Loki fell to the ground and collected his thoughts for nearly an hour before opening the book and tearing up the finalized contract without a second thought.


    Reading it through before tearing it, he couldn''t even believe he had made such a stupid and pointless deal in the first place, much less put himself on the receiving end!


    The trial and error gave a basic outline on the uses and best ways to form a contract.


    As fast as possible.


    As specific as possible


    With as few alterations to the initial contract as possible.


    These rules would not only make sure that there were less loopholes to exploit, but also guarantee that Loki was in his best condition mentally when the contract was drawn up, reducing the risk of him being exploited.


    After the initial wonder and giddiness of finding a new toy finally wore off, Rob became much more doubtful on whether the contracts that had been drawn up actually had to be respected. After all, all is good on paper, but anyone can write down fancy words and promises.


    Thinking up something simple, he decided to violate his contract just to see what the repercussions would be, if any.


    "No matter what I whisper in your ear, you cannot repeat a single word to anyone again. Deal?" Loki offered with a raised eyebrow. After seeing Sir''s reaction to the breach of contract before leaving the fragment, it was difficult to say he didn''t want to see how Rob would handle it.


    Nodding his head, Rob leaned in closer as Loki cupped his ear and whispered as the runes solidified on the paper with a profile of Rob alongside them.


    "My name is Rob."


    His choice of words made Rob laugh for a moment as he thought of the implications of the contract if he was made to go through life without being able to utter any of those words again.


    "What''s your name, aye?" Loki laughed to himself while asking. Face still hidden under his mask, his smile couldn''t be seen but could easily inferred.


    Taking a deep breath, Rob exhaled heavily as anticipation bubbled up in him. He had no idea what to expect but he couldn''t feel anything different than usual.


    "mmmMMMMM¡­"


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    Was the last sound he made before collapsing to the ground with the whites of his eyes showing and his mouth agape in a silent scream.


    Everyone in the room felt their hearts lurch as they rushed to their feet, dashing towards him at the fastest speed possible before dragging him over to his bed and leaving Chance to look over his condition.


    No matter what he did, Chance was unable to find a single issue with Rob''s body despite his pained look. Luckily, it wasn''t long before his iris''s rolled back around and his breathing stabilized as he entered a state of slumber.


    It hadn''t even been twenty minutes of the trio sitting in silence before Rob finally came to. He sat up from the bed quickly and without issue. There was no grogginess or anything to hint at the episode that he had been through not even half an hour prior.


    "All the contracts we''ve been practicing with so far, get rid of them." His first words after waking up were anything but playful.


    After making Loki void any contracts that they had made during the day, besides the initial contract pertaining to their loyalty to each other and the minor revisions made to it, he went on to explain, as best he could, what happened after he breached the contract.


    Hundreds of fragmented and broken sentences were used to get the point across but it all came to one conclusion. There were literally no words he knew of that could begin to describe the level of pain he felt in that moment.


    It went beyond anything he could feel with his body, as though something within him was being shredded up then smashed together again before the process repeated itself. Infinitely.


    The pain had distorted his sense of time so severely that by the time he hit the ground, he honestly believed that several hours had passed.


    All experiments with the contracts stopped after that, with Rob adamant that they could continue messing around, but it would be without him.


    He no longer even gave suggestions and opinions, closing himself off and sitting on his bed in silence. The change in attitude made the rest of the room much more sullen, destroying the jokey atmosphere as the three continued the conversation.

 45 Beneath The Law

    Compared to Loki, Rykar''s ability seemed much less complicated to work with after experimenting with a variety of objects and situations. At one point, they even went as far as to capture a rat from within the tunnels. Put simply:


    The larger the object, the longer and more strenuous it would be place inside and take out of the pocket.


    As long as they were separate objects and not connected, they could be taken out separately. However, if stuck together or tightly bound to each other, he wasn''t able to manipulate objects individually.


    If he wasn''t supporting the full weight of an object, it was more difficult to manipulate.


    If it was moving or ''alive'', it was almost impossible to accomplish anything with the object.


    All in all, a phrase which Rykar used towards the end of the tests, summed it up very well. "It''s like pouring water into a cup with a hole in the bottom. If I don''t fill it to the brim before I run out of water, then it was all for nothing. Anything other than me holding the thing with my full focus makes the hole in the bottom even bigger."


    By the time the sun had set, they were no longer making any headway into their investigations, so they finally called it quits. Pulling out snack after snack, they settled down to a hearty meal, which was mainly consumed by Rykar, before Chance implemented the next stage of their plan.


    Before leaving, the only task to complete was for Rykar to offload a steady stream of the spiritual fruit while the other three carefully wiped them with soft cloths before inserting them into the four boxes that had been sitting there since they entered the room.


    Chance revealed that the boxes were for the sake of going to an auction but wouldn''t speak on it any further after explaining what an auction was to the twins.


    Despite the reluctance to speak on it, the boys only felt more curious as they could see the excitement in Rob''s eyes as he obviously knew where they were going. His eyes only glittered even further when he laid eyes on the magical looking fruit which looked like there was living silver glitter within them.


    Each box had four layers, each layer containing six small slits which were obviously designed with the intent of containing jewelry. There was a soft, dark red fabric, which Chance identified as silk, cushioning each of the slots which made the entire box look dazzling as the fruit took their places like jewels.


    The only problem remaining was the weight of each box. Despite the small size of each fruit, individually they were up to 10kg each, bringing each box up to a staggering 240kg. The only thing more shocking than the weight, was the ease with which Rykar and Chance hoisted up the filled boxes.


    Loki, surprisingly, was also able to manage but his steps were obviously labored, not even making it to the door before returning the box to the ground. Rob, on the other hand, struggled to lift the small box yet it remained on the ground as though mocking him.


    "What the f*ck is up with you guys? This isn''t possible!" Rob shouted in exasperation.


    Unfortunately, even while being able to carry the boxes for a short while, it wouldn''t be possible for Chance or Rykar to cover a significant distance with them. This was on top of ruling out the two boxes which would be left behind, wasting even more time with two trips.


    "Why not just carry the empty boxes and unload the stuff somewhere closer to the auction?" Loki asked while watching Chance pull a tray from under his bed. It was flat on top while supported by wheels on the underside, serving as a convenient tool to transport the boxes.


    "It''s not that we can''t, we could try and find a safe place, but would it be safer than here? You need to proactively think on your own from now on, think of the reasons things are being done rather than simply going for the most convenient or short sighted answer."


    Chance sighed and began a small lecture as the twins attracted another slightly frustrated look from Rob. It was apparent that, despite being much closer, their low awareness levels were still getting to him.


    "It''s easier to move the boxes while empty and load them later, but there is no safer and more discrete place than this. Anything we do outside has a way higher chance of being seen by others. We don''t keep secrets just for the sake of doing so, but because secrets keep you safe. If you can reduce risk, then reduce it. If you can keep a secret, keep it. However, to do either of those, you have to think before you speak or act."


    They worked in silence from then on, Rykar and Loki made a conscious effort not to act too conspicuously or ask stupid questions without thinking strongly about it first. Chance and Rob nodded to each other on the occasion that, before leaving the room, Rykar removed his black and white mask, exchanging it for another white based one but with red cracks. Handing a similar mask to Loki, he also switched his out without any questions being asked.


    The masks now stood out as bright as day with the red accents standing out from their otherwise black clothing and hair. The bright red substance glistened in the low light as though it was more of a liquid flowing between the cracks.


    With Chance and Rykar taking turns dragging the cart and lifting the boxes, they navigated through the narrow streets once again. Growing more familiar with the environment, the twins no longer gawked at everything, keeping to themselves and concealing the odd bouts of curiosity that popped up.


    It hadn''t even been half an hour since they had left the sewers before the group followed Chance into a bustling tavern. Walking past the communal area filled with rowdy drinkers, they continued to the back room without a pause. Noticing their movements, many people within the crowd began to watch them without restraint, trying to measure the hooded visitors but strangely averted their eyes when they noticed the masks on the faces of the two boys in the back.


    Heading through the doorway, they were confronted by a frail looking boy who looked up at them with pleading eyes as he held out his hands. With a smile on his face, Chance emptied four gold coins into his palm before continuing on his way. Watching the scene play out, there wasn''t even a single look of surprise as the inhabitants continued shouting curses at each other.


    Further down the hallway, the hubbub from the other room quietened down as the group walked forward while escorting the stack of boxes. The end of the corridor seemed to lead nowhere as an empty wall greeted them before a loud click sounded from beneath.


    Gasps sounded out from the boys next to them as Chance and Rob smiled at each other while holding in their laughter as they watched the twins hold out their arms as though bracing themselves against the air.


    The twins quickly grew used to the sinking sensation as the floor descended shakily into darkness. With the hallway left above them, the only light provided was that of a short torch standing in the corner, illuminating the brick wall and giving the occupants of the lift a sense of speed as they looked on.


    "We''re headed to the grey area beneath the city." Chance began explaining, drawing the attention of the twins at once. "First we''re going straight to the auction house to drop off these boxes, then we can pick up a few things for you guys and stock up on supplies for when we ascend to grace. If there''s anything you want to check out, let me know as soon as you can, its convenient down here but not a place you want to spend long."


    "What do you mean ''grey area?''" Loki asked while counting the bricks as they passed overhead.


    "It''s technically a lawless region. So to say, if you were to steal something from a store or kill someone in the open, no one would be coming to arrest you. But the chances are, someone else would just come kill you instead. It''s an ''eye for an eye'' type place and if someone has a store or business down here, it''s safe to say they have connections god knows where.


    "This is an open secret, but the area is governed by the top brass of the city. The centre of the underground is literally right beneath the castle. If you f*ck with the Royals, whether down here or up there, you''re royally f*cked.


    "Keep your hands to yourself. Keep your eyes to yourself. Keep your ears to yourself. Don''t speak to anyone unless you get the ok from me or Rob.


    Also, everyone wears masks or disguises down here. If you can see someone''s face, they are either untouchable or it isn''t their real face. Maybe even both. The best protection is being unknown, before knowing who someone is and who is backing them, there are few who will start trouble.


    Don''t take off your masks at any point and don''t reveal anything which could be used to point you out from a crowd. Your eyes are enough of a giveaway but heterochromia isn''t exactly the rarest thing to find. Your skin, I guess just keep it as wrapped as possible. Your glossy ass hair too, put your hood up and tuck it in for f*ck sake."


    Looking the boys up and down, picking out flaws in their anonymity was getting Chance more and more frustrated but there was nothing for it. Besides having the twins close their eyes and walk around mummified, there was no way from hiding all of their tells.


    Pulling a black cloth from his pocket, Chance wrapped it around his lower face a few times. Paired with his hood, his entire lower and upper face was covered, only leaving allowing his eyes to peer out. During the monolog, Rob had already covered his face in a similar fashion but with a brown piece of cloth, allowing the twins to tell them apart much more easily.


    "Is anyone else wondering what heterochromia is?" Rykar threw out the question after the silence had continued for a short while. At first, he had tried to ignore the word, but after not being able to get it out of his head, he tried figuring out the context. By the time Chance stopped talking and was wrapping his face, Rykar had completely stopped listening to him, watching the bricks as he repeated the word in his mind like a lunatic.


    "I didn''t think I should ask¡­" Loki admitted before looking over to Rob.


    "Don''t look at me, its Chance explain stuff not me." Quickly shrugging the responsibility, Rob joined the others in staring down Chance.


    "Lord give me strength before I-" Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, Chance put his hands under his head to massage his itching forehead. "Eyes, it''s when you have different coloured eyes."


    "Any other questions?"


    "Why use a cloth? Why not get a face like ours?"


    "How much do you think that costs? Go ahead, give me your best guesstimate?"


    "Like ten gold coins?"


    "Wrong."


    "fifty?"


    "Wrong"


    "Thirty?"


    "Go higher dumb ass."


    "Ok, like 100?"


    "Youre looking at around five hundred a piece, minimum." Losing his patience in Rob and Rykar''s back and forth, Chance spilled the beans while looking at Rykar''s mask with a tired expression. However, it wasn''t long before his expression turned to surprise.


    Rykar pulled out two masks with a black and white theme. The bases of the masks were black with the veins being white, seeming like a mirror image of the white and black masks they had initially worn before they were attacked.


    Taking the masks, Chance thought of speaking up about their worth but decided to just take the gesture with good will. Thanking them, he unwrapped his face before donning the mask and telling Rob to do the same.


    With such a small change to the entire outfit, it seemed as though they were much more imposing and mysterious than the rag tag bandits in cloths that they appeared as previously. The masks seemed to change their bearing as they straightened their backs with eyes much calmer and more confident.


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    Once again, the philosophy of the The Face demonstrated itself.

 46 Shopping

    With a shake, the platform stopped descending as it came into contact with the ground. Without even a door to usher them through, the group of four were greeted by a simple ''opening'' in the chute they came down. It looked more like a piece of the wall had fallen out, rather than an intentionally made entrance or exit.


    Pulling them out, Rob and Chance only just got the twins, who were still in a stupor while looking around, off of the platform before the unseen chains rattled, followed by the wooden plate ascending once again.


    "How do we get back up?" Loki asked while looking at the vertical tunnel they just came down. He had expected it to look like a tube suspended in space, or a column shooting into the air but he was slightly disappointed. There was no better description of the route than to call it a chimney.


    The chimney was partially submerged in the wall, looking as though it was a bulge in the throat of a giant. Stretching up for around fourty metres, the ceiling of the massive cave they were in was anything but small, yet was still not overly massive.


    The only reason they were able to make out the ceiling so quickly was because of their close proximity to the walls of the cave. This made it that they were able to see where the ceiling and the wall connected. If not for that, it would be easy to mistake the ceiling for the night sky.


    Similar to the tunnels that ran through the sewers, the walls and ceiling of the cavern were embedded with tens, if not hundreds, of thousands of the grey stones alongside the odd sun stone mixed in irregularly.


    "You said you have to charge sun stones. How do they charge them from up there?" Rykar asked on top of Loki''s initial question.


    "There are only entrances and exits to the underground. If you come down one of the chutes or staircases, you can''t go up the same way. The only exception is the castle in the centre." He pointed to the hulking pillar in the centre of the cave.


    Just the distance from their location to the pillar was over three kilometres. With the pillar being around half a kilometre in diameter, it gave the cavern a total diameter of 4.5km, centred around the pillar.


    "That pillar is actually the foundation of the castle in the middle of the city. The entire city and this dome underneath it is supported using the pillar as the foundation. It''s the perfect example of nothing being outside of the control of the Royals.


    The sunstones do need to be charged but the glow stones don''t. By mixing them in with each other, it lets the sunstones feed off the glow stones and help illuminate the space which the glow stones alone aren''t strong enough to. It''s like a cycle."


    Beginning their journey as Rob and Chance used the walk as an opportunity to expand their horizons, filling them in on many things, they quickly made their way towards the auction house, which happened to be an amphitheatre styled structure that was connected to the south side of the Castles pillar.


    The entire underground area seemed to radiate a feeling of desolation and ruin. All the walls seemed to be crumbled. Entrances weren''t planned out with roofs and arches, rather just holes in walls. There were no roofs on many of the buildings. Rubble could be seen all over the ground, along with mess and bloodstains.


    As an area that was under the control of the royals, why not have it more regulated? It couldn''t possibly be that difficult to implement a few of the laws from the area above considering the proximity. Hell, this was literally their basement!


    Asking the question to Chance, even he wasn''t able to come up with a solid answer. After contemplating it himself for a while, he simply passed it off as ''that''s the way it was'' calling it a forgotten area.


    Entering the lobby of the auction house, the space finally lost its aura of desolation. Although still lacking in many of the niceties seen above, the room was crisp and clean. The wooden flooring was swept and polished while the white walls provided a stark contrast with the grey, red and brown pallet seen outside.


    "Dear guests, how may I help you today?" A middle aged clerk came over wearing an all-black suit complete with a white tie.


    "We''re here to list items to the auction." Replied chance while handing over four black slips. After looking at each slips individually before comparing the numbers written on the bade of each of the boxes, the man snapped each slip in half. Passing one half back to Chance, he pocketed the others before continuing.


    "Appraisals will be completed within the next three hours. Would you like me to prepare you a space to wait?" He asked with a smile.


    The clerks interest in the conversation was only matched by his own bland looks. Having gone through the procedure god knows how many times, he was obviously well versed in saying the bare minimum without being taken offensively.


    Despite this going through his head, beneath their masks, Chance and Rob were actually surprised. As far as they knew, once you entered the building, whether people were around or not, just to see the appraiser would require the clerks to open the boxes to see if the contents were worth their time.


    Attributing the change in attitude to the masks, they left the auction silently with the twins non-the wiser.


    "So, three hours. Any plans for the meantime?" Rob looked around while wondering.


    "We could go get food?" Suggested Rykar, already excited by the thought of investigating more food stalls.


    "This place really isn''t known for its food, we can save that for when were back up top. This is the perfect place to get some shopping done though. Whatever we need will be here and as of now, money isn''t an issue." Leaving the courtyard, Chance strode into the masses of people, followed by the other three, just as they had done so many times in the past two days.


    Two hours quickly passes as the four went from shop to shop, only taking breaks to find a secluded space where Rykar would store the purchases while the other three kept watch.


    Clothes, cooking equipment, bedding, medication, hunting supplies, survival gear. Almost anything considered useful while in a new environment, they bought. The time that they stopped during each break began to take slightly longer as Rykar''s mental fatigue began to build up over time. The initial excitement from shopping had faded, causing the dull routine of buying essentials to cause him to grow bored. This only caused him to run out of steam even sooner.


    It was when there was just over half an hour left that Rykar truly just wanted this trip to be over. Nothing was on his mind besides going back to the auction house and being done with it all. It was also at this time that Chance dangled the carrot on the stick, perking Him up immediately.


    "Ok, there''s only one more stop for supplies before we head to the last place. You two don''t really have anything to defend yourselves with, there''s a friend of mine that sells weapons on the other side. You two can pick out some things before we go to the auction house." The first half of Chance''s words almost sent Rykar to the ground in a tantrum but the second half had the complete opposite effect.


    The last supply stop and storage break was completed in record time. It wasn''t even ten minutes since Chance brought up the topic of the weapons before they were in front of yet another run-down store with swords, shields and knives in the store front.


    The entire journey there, Rykar and Loki had both pestered him with non stop questions. Colours, materials, what they looked like, what the shop was called, you name it. Pointless question after pointless question was fired his way as his patience began to fade into nothingness. Completely ignoring them, they made the last stretch of the journey.


    As with the other stores, Chance simply strode in before looking at the wares on display. Following behind him like a trail of ducks, the twins also looked at the weapons in front of them with glittering eyes as they scrutinized the dull blades and blood stained pieces of armour.


    "Don''t touch this crap, you''ll probably get a disease from this before you manage to swing it at anyone." He snorted before throwing a dusty helmet behind the counter.


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    The sound of metal hitting a hard surface never came. Instead, an angry cough came from the other side, followed by a series of swears, as a scrawny man wearing leather clothes pulled himself up while rubbing his side.


    The armour was tight fitting with metal studs and buckles placed seemingly randomly throughout. With a full shaved head and skinny build, he looked like a lizard when paired with the texture of the armour.


    "Go F*ck youself, you dumb son of a b*tch." Grogginess still in his eyes, he pulled two daggers from the underside of the counter, snarling as he advanced. "You think money and fancy masks get you anything in here? You just fucked up."

 47 Another Handshake

    "Chance told us this was the place to come for premium refurbished goods, not rusted garbage." Responding to the man''s aggression, Chance drew a dagger from his side before crouching slightly. Rob mirrored his movements silently while separating from the group, allowing him to move in from the skinny man''s left, given an opportunity.


    Not only their words, but the silent cohesion between the masked figures immediately sobered the man up. "How do you know Chance? Where is he now?" He asked while stopping his advance yet keeping his daggers drawn.


    "He''s laying Low."


    "That bastard''s still in the city? He owes me money and one way or another, I''m getting it."


    It took a few seconds of silence before the man realized he wouldn''t be getting a reply at all. Stabbing both daggers into the wooden counter and taking a seat next to them, he squinted with his legs crossed lazily.


    "You might be in the right place or you might not. Either way, don''t think you''re getting shit without clearing what''s owed." His smirk was only half formed before Chance started walking over with large steps. With the distance quickly closing, the man became alert, quickly reaching for the daggers imbedded by his side.


    Too slow. As his hands clasped the handles of the blades, he didn''t even manage to exert any force before a second pair of hands clasped around his. The soft yet slightly rough sensation from the low quality cotton made his heart run cold as it sank into his stomach.


    "You were a little quite from way back there, say that again for me. Please." Chance kept the same dead pan tone since he began speaking to this person. Even after the rapid dash he used to cover the last four metres, there wasn''t a hint of labour in his breathing.


    "I said, you ain''t getting sh-" pushing the words out through a clenched jaw, he tried to talk before bursting with all the strength he could muster while in the awkward position, planning to throw Chance off by the sudden movement.


    The theatrics and monolog payed off with¡­ a barely discernable tremble, before his hands were once again stilled.


    "I don''t care about your ''issues'' with Chance. You can solve them on your own time. We''ve taken OUR time to visit your store in order to make a purchase. Whether you accept money not, we will be leaving that door with what we came for." As he spoke, Chance was increasing the pressure on the joints of the man''s fingers, causing them to press into the hilt while emitting a pop now and then.


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    The anger on his face hadn''t eased up in the slightest, with the only difference being that his eyes began twitching slightly due to the pain. "Nice to make your acquaintance."


    With that unspoken agreement, the man pried his hands free once Chance let up on the pressure, before walking down a flight of stairs which had been obscured by the counter previously.


    "So what should I call you and the rest of your group?"


    "Whatever you want." The rest of his questions directed to their identity, what kind of items they wanted or how ''Chance'' was doing were all answered in the same way. Nothing was given away and all conversation was driven straight into a dead end as the other three felt no need to break their silence, despite the twins feeling curious to the relationship between Chance and the unnamed store keeper.


    Barely four metres down from the top, a door at the end of the staircase opened up to another floor directly below the store front above them. It was as though the building had been built lower into the ground rather than simply building a second floor up top.


    Sun stones lined the walls along with a cluster of them stuck together on a pole in the middle of the room, surrounded by walls liked by swords, daggers, shields armour etc.


    If the twins were excited before, they practically had trouble stopping their hearts from exploding when they thought of owning the items in front of them. As opposed to the rusted and ill maintained assortment in the store above, these pieces of equipment had been maintained well with only a few nicks and dents present.


    Unless being picky, there really wasn''t much they could have asked for besides being brand new. The man stayed at the entrance of the floor, only moving a few steps to take a seat as he resigned from asking any questions to the group after the initial failure.


    Splitting off from each other, they all explored the small room independently, picking up and looking through many of the items carefully. Loki and Rykar even going to the extent of trying on some of the armour which was obviously too big for them.


    Half an hour later, after much testing and whispering between members of the group, they stood in front of the storekeeper with an assortment in their arms.


    Loki had a set of light leather armour consisting of pants, armguards, bracers and a chest piece. Aside from the armour, he picked two mid length daggers with blades around 25cm and a standard short bow along with its arrows.


    Next to him, Rykar had a similar set of leather armour, although in a slightly darker shade. What was suprising to everyone in the room is that his weapon of choice was not actually a weapon¡­ After half an hour of rummaging and scrutinizing the weapons available, he had settled on a glove which combined with a bracer.


    The bracer had a dull steel exterior with a leather and cotton interior to add padding to the hands and arms. The knuckles and fingertips formed sharp points barely half a centimeter long which served as the main offence. The arm portion of the bracer extended all the way up to the elbows and ended with a blade like protrusion which ended beyond the elbow, laying flush with his tricep if Rykar straightened out his arm.


    All in all, it was a weirdly offensive based defensive item but it seemed to suit his tastes and felt comfortable once he put it on. Other than that, there was a short sword which he grudgingly selected along with it when Chance refused for him to have that as his main weapon.


    Apart from the twins tastes in gear, Chance and Rob went for similar attire. Leather armour, a long sword and a dagger, the standard set seen around the city.


    "Give us some space to change." Chance threw two bulging bags of coins over to the man before staring him down. Weighing the bag in his hand, he smiled before going back up the stairs but it could be heard that he hadn''t closed the hatch behind him.


    Knowing that ht was most likely listening for anything untoward or any information he could pick up on them, the group remained silent as they undressed, taking off everything but their masks and underwear before putting the armour on and then their cotton clothes on over them... With the exception of Rykar who''s shirt wasn''t able to hide the protrusion on the elbows of the gauntlets, causing him to wear them on top in a revealing manner as his arms dragged along his sides.


    Rob and Chance helped the twins to fasten themselves in, which was awkward on their part, but they put up with it as they were anxious to finally be in their gear. Storing the residual clothing in his fragment, Chance caught sight of a pair of metal greaves strewn in the corner of the room which seemed to be an extension of his set of bracers.


    The steel was designed in a similar fashion with a cotton interior and leather straps. Where the knuckles of the toes would have been, there were pointed metal studs along with a spike at the knee. Like the bracers, it was designed so that it would lay flat against his upper knee and thigh when straightened yet protrude if he bent.


    "hmmmmmmmmmmm." With a squint in his eyes, he squatted in the corner while pouring all of his intent into the leg guards. Ten seconds later, he stood up and sauntered over to the rest of the group, impressed with his own achievement but even while doing so, he began to eye up the rest of the goodies in the room with greed.


    "You ladies done yet? I got a store to run out here." The man called down from the entrance causing Rykar to grimace at the poor timing. Their group made their way up and out of the store without paying the man any attention but he called out behind them.


    "If you see Chance, tell him I hope he''s doing well. We''ve worked together before, this is always a place he can fall back on." He shouted towards them with his voice becoming more sentimental towards the end.


    "Mhm, if I see him again, I''ll pass on the message." Chance replied in the same deadpan voice without pausing at the door.


    Watching them leave and take a turn at the street, the expression of care on his face disappeared as he rushed to the doorway and stared at the group of four with squinted eyes. Balled up in his hand was a bounty notice of three portraits.


    The two on the top looking like adolescent boys with stone grey skin and odd coloured eyes while the third on the lower half of the page was exactly Chance.

 48 Incompeten

    Arriving at the auction, the same clerk from earlier was at the door with a smile on his face as though waiting for their arrival. "It''s great to see you all again so soon!" He welcomed them before leading them further into the building without giving them the chance to refuse.


    "If you''d like any other refreshments, be sure to let me know." Sat on a leather sofa, hot and cold drinks along with fruits and snacks were placed on the table before they once again moved back onto the topic of conversation.


    "First and foremost, I don''t know if intentional or not, but it''s in my deepest regrets to inform you of your late timing for the auction which took place six days ago. However, registering for the next event is of no issue!" He dropped the bad news before picking them up with the good. "May I ask your names or affiliation? It would make transactions much smoother and more convenient."


    Once again not receiving a reply from any of the four in front of him, he continued his monologue unperturbed. "Aha, of course, confidentiality is if most importance as well, excuse any intrusion."


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    Politeness only goes so far before it becomes inconvenient. For the next few minutes, the clerk began to spout words of encouragement on becoming premium members of the auction, the prestige of the establishment and even his name and affiliation with the company. By seven minutes into the conversation, they had learned just as much about James''s, the clerks, wife and children as they had about the auction house.


    "When is the following auction?" Unable to hold back any more, veins were bulging underneath Chance''s mask as he cut James off while he was in the middle of talking about the first auction that had ever taken place.


    "Ah, I''m sorry I digress. The next auction is in just under three months, 84 days to be exact." Letting it sink in for a moment, he continued. "However, if you would like to have your lot sold ahead of time, the auction house would be glad to take if off your hands at 80% of their expected value."


    "And the expected value?"


    Well, market value for essence fruit would generally fetch in the region of 800 per fruit. With a deduction of twenty percent, you''ll walk away with 61,440g for the 96 fruit at 640g each." Summarizing the calculations, James paused for a moment to let them think it over. "For the sake of your convenience, this can be rounded to 62,000g and paid for with gold notes." Seeing three of the four figures shake slightly, betraying their excitement, James smile before pulling out an envelope without waiting for their actual confirmation.


    "We''ll wait on the auction. Thanks for your time." Shocking everyone in the room, Rob directly stood up and left the room followed by the other three who reacted quickly enough to hide the majority of their surprise.


    "Wait! All of the terms are still negotiable, can we sit down and speak about any concerns?" James asked while hurriedly catching up from behind.


    "What time do we have to be here for the auction?"


    With all his other words being ignored, he resigned himself to losing the opportunity to buy the goods outright. "The auction starts at ten in the evening. Will you be using our storage or returning with your lot?"


    "What are the requirements of storage?"


    "Ten gold per day."


    "Deduct it from the profits made after the auction."


    "I would strongly recommend you leave behind your contact details in the case of any unforeseen events."


    "Don''t worry, myself and our associates will trust in the reputation of the auction house."


    At this point, James stopped following them with nothing but a simple send-off but they weren''t even out of the door before they came across another issue. A group of ten shoddily dressed men were causing a scene right next to the entrance of the structure, leaving the group with no option but to walk around or go through.


    Even with the majority of their faces covered, the impression Rykar''s group got from their eyes and demeanor was that they were purely out for trouble.


    While Rob and the twins began to adjust their path, Chance continued to walk forward, directly into the group that became startled at first before closing in on them, immediately diverting their attention away from the unlucky clerk.


    "Can''t you see we''re busy having a conversation? Fuck out of here, or didn''t your broken ass mask come with eye holes?"


    "Who the hell is this clown?"


    Jeers immediately followed as they encircled the group of four. Even with the twins lacking height, they didn''t escape the glares and advances of the second group. Completely out of place when compared with the rest of the lobby, the rest of the customers and clerks simply watched on as the scene unfolded itself.


    Even some of the other customers seemed more willing to attempt to prevent a clash between the groups than the clerks, however the clerks could be seen assuring them while trying to split their attention away. James watched on for a moment before seeing Loki look back at him, only then did he seem to come to himself and begin calling for security.


    "Don''t bother yourself." Chance muttered to himself before punching the groupie closest to him in the throat. Before giving the rest a chance to react, another was taken down with a punch to his solar plexus as everything began rushing into motion.


    Caught up in the moment, everyone''s focus was directed to Chance, giving Rob the perfect chance to rush through the opposite of the encirclement, surprising one of the shorter men as he drove his knee into his ribs.


    Aside from the initial surprise, the rest of the men quickly enlarged the encirclement rather than tightening it. While this left the three members that were initially assaulted on the ground, it gave the rest of them much more space to breathe while stopping anyone from escaping or pressing the attack on nearby members.


    Of course, the drawbacks of the move were just as obvious. In the centre of the new circle, two smaller figures with red and white masks stood tall, looking over the scene without so much as moving a finger while three of the assailants were disarmed simultaneously.


    The black masked members were now on the defensive, daggers bared as they crouched over their fallen enemies like a dragon on its hoard. One had a knee planted on the chest of a man while planting one dagger on his throat and the other raised in preparation for any other advances. The other didn''t even take such preventative measures.


    The first man to fall was on the ground still struggling to breathe as the tallest black-masked figure planted his knee on his throat, stopping all movements with the unspoken threat of crushing his wind-pipe. The second assailant laying close by had also long forgotten his courage as the dagger pressed up against his throat firmly enough to slice slightly through the cotton mask in front of it.


    "Is it worth it?" Calmly using his free hand to reach under his coat, Chance pulled out a small cotton pouch before dropping it between his legs in front of the crowd.


    Seeing the money on the ground, the surrounding people''s eyes all gathered on a particular person who didn''t seem to stand out compared to any of the others. Even during the argument between the staff and other members, he had been observing from the side rather than taking part.


    "Gold or silver?" a feminine voice asked from under the dirty grey face mask.


    "You''ll find out when you open it."


    Struggling while barely being able to see into the eye holes of the man''s mask, black cracks were the only thing she could tie to the bored sounding voice. Looking between the unknown bag, the three on the ground and the clerk that was still ambling around while looking for security, she finally nodded.


    Unable to bear losing three from the get-go, on top of the two white and red masked figures watching on nonchalantly, she couldn''t find a better way out from the situation that the one presented to them. Their eerie silence only unnerved her further while being unable to gauge their ability as combatants.


    With her in the lead, a hole opened up in the direction of the entrance, leaving enough space for them all to walk out side by side.


    "After you." Withdrawing from the building in stages, the twins left the encirclement with slow and deliberate steps as though baiting the group into attacking once again. Leaving the entrance, Rob got up from his assailant before following them out. Finally, releasing the two from the ground and dusting off his clothing, Chance followed the two out after calling out to James who was still watching on.


    "Give my regards to your security. I pray everything goes smoothly the next time I see you. We won''t make a habit of dealing with the incompetent."


    With only the onlookers, the staff and the group of assailants left in the room, the group quickly pulled themselves together, helping up the three on the ground before making their way to the exit, only to stop as three of their members break from the group in the direction of James.


    "What exactly is ''a small favour'' and ''child''s play''. I''ll have your fucking balls before you set me up you bitch." The reserved attitude of the leading woman took a complete turn as she stormed towards James with baled fists.


    "Don''t forget who or where you are." Similar to her, James''s meek and friendly attitude was completely replaced with disgust as he stared her down without fear. Before she even made it within ten steps of the man, doors opened towards the sides of the hall where armed guards showed themselves with their daring gazes.


    "You and your group of trash just had to deal with four people. Four. Much less, all I asked for were their masks¡­ Nearly three times their number and you DARE to still show your face? I was surprised at one woman but damn, your whole group must be full of women and children. See yourselves out."


    Even the injured members were quaking with rage, much less the three in front of James, yet they all swallowed their pride before the onlooking guards and left with only Chance''s pouch to show for it.

 49 Relocation

    Leaving the underground without a hitch, the group of four walked out from yet another bustling tavern in the heart of the city while drawing all the surrounding attention onto their masks. Looks of suspicion and jealousy were shot their way from all directions yet there seemed to be no obviously malicious intentions.


    "Go back to the base, store whatever you can before meeting me at the library as soon as you can. Remember, don''t stay in there for longer than an hour." With the already sparse number of people on the streets at night, along with the crowds willingly clearing a path for them, Chance was able to speak in a low voice without fearing anyone picking up on the vague words.


    "Don''t stop for anything and be quick. If I''m not there when you arrive, rent a booth." With that, he stopped and turned around, quickly weaving through the three behind him as he made a dramatic exit.


    "Damn, he really acts like a super hero with that mask on huh." Rob guaffed before taking the lead. "Don''t worry about earlier, you guys have been through a lot but believe it or not, things like this don''t actually happen every day out here."


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    During the exchange within the auction house, truth be told, it wasn''t that the twins had no reaction to the sudden violence going on around them, but that they didn''t know how to.


    Whether to help Rob or to help chance? Whether to make a run for it? Whether to follow them into the encirclement? All of these drew a blank and even when walking through the door on Chance''s command, they were doing in robotic and cautious manner rather than slowly with the intention of intimidation which it had been perceived as.


    By now, the adrenaline had only barely worn off. With a nod, they followed behind Rob while thinking up all the ways they could and would have acted given the chance to reenact the moment.


    Of course, in their heads, they all but single handedly took down the dozen assailants on their own.


    Following Chance''s instructions to the T, it wasn''t even half an hour before they had navigated the sewers and back in the hall, piling up their belongs up next to Rykar. While Loki and Rob were busy ''redecorating'', Rob was sat on a stool picking up sheets, chairs, blankets, bags, clothes and boxes before making them disappear one after the other. By the time they had been in the room for not even half an hour, almost all of the smaller and lighter objects had been stored away, leaving some of the bigger dressers, mattresses and unwanted objects strewn across the floor.


    *Dingling*


    Breaths stopped as they heard a ringing sound from the side of the hall. Since they arrived and ''reoccupied'' the hideout, Chance had relocated the majority of the alarm systems, placing the trip wires in locations where the ''old residents'' wouldn''t be able to easily locate. This wire system was precisely the reason they had been able to sneak up on the trio as they had been approaching the base previously.


    "Follow me. Quick!" Seeing the unresponsiveness of the twins, Rob hissed at them before dashing over to the entrance. Once inside the starry looking hallway, it may seem dreamy, but the corners and walls were difficult to make out due to the lack of depth perception. Issuing places to the twins, the three boys pressed up against the walls while shrouding themselves in their cloaks as best as possible.


    With baited breaths, they waited.


    And waited.


    Yet half an hour later, there was still no inclination that anyone was coming this way. The tension that had been keeping Loki and Rykar up had begun to fade despite Rob refusing to lower his vigilance.


    Ten more minutes passed, along with the rest of Rykar and Loki''s concentration. Even Rob was beginning to suspect the wire having tripped by a rodent or a random wanderer as the trip wire was located barely ten minutes from their position.


    *Shlick*


    The sound of clothing sliding across stone was heard as someone lowered themselves over the edge and onto the platform which served as the entrance to the tunnel. From a lack of sound to the total opposite, the noise almost made Loki sh*t himself as both the twins felt their stomachs in their throats. The bravado and all the ''what if''s'' that they had thought up for the prior altercation were already gone with the wind as they pressed themselves into the wall with a renewed gusto.


    "I''m telling you, if he was in here, he would have come out long ago. Back in the day he would do the same, ''don''t invite trouble into your home, it will break things''." Robin''s confident voice could be heard not even four metres from where they were hiding.


    The same sound repeated itself as three more people lowered themselves from the lip of the ledge. This time it was their long-lost friend, Chris, who started kissing ass straight away. "Besides, they got the jump on us before. We''re 4 men strong and they''re basically carrying two babies with them."


    "Yeah, but better safe than sorry." One of the others chimed in, expressing their reluctance in their actions.


    "Fuck those guys. That bounty is as good as ours and I don''t give a f*ck if he gets turned in alive or just as a head on a stick. Either way, were here now. Were only taking what''s ours." Strolling straight past their locations with his chest puffed like a peacock as he spoke, Robin lead the others into the hall before stopping just as he got a clear view in.


    Mouth agape, he didn''t even have the capacity to express how pissed he was to find all but the mattresses and bed frames to be missing. Hell, it had taken them years and god knows how much trouble to bring down and set up the items here bit by bit, how could it have been removed in a night?!


    While they were busy processing the scene in front of them, Rob was stuck deliberating the best course of action. With the almighty Chance here, he wouldn''t be full of confidence while initiating an attack on the group of four, but without him? He was now unsure if the group would even have a chance of running away safely.


    Weighing up the freakish strength of Rykar along with his own proficiency in combat, he figured they may have a chance but this would all hinge on Loki''s ability which was yet to be seen in any way, other than his ability with words... And like hell were they going to be able to talk themselves out of this one.


    Either way, as long as he takes two of Robin''s group and the twins hold themselves against one each, they have a fighting chance at the minimum.


    Without having the confidence to tell the twins anything without being heard, Rob simply tapped their shoulders lightly before loosening himself from the wall of the tunnel, moving slowly in the direction of the light and the four silhouettes ahead.


    Even this close, he hesitated. The biggest flaw in the plan wasn''t whether the twins could hold off one person each. But rather, would they? Sweat ran down his face while thinking about the inexperienced twins and knowing how they froze up in the altercation just hours earlier.


    Looking back while half expecting them to still be pressed up against the wall without the gust to back him up, he was surprised to find them closely moving on his tail. Their movements were still shaky but they managed to stay silent. Seeing him look back at them, they both froze up for a second while thinking there had been a mishap but they hardened themselves and took a deep breath as they saw Rob nod towards them.


    Rob tensed up, ready to spring forward immediately but was quickly stunned back into stillness as he felt a hand grab his shoulder. Cursing their cowardice, he looked back a second time to find one of the masked twins shaking his head at him while gesturing to his own hands.


    Almost laughing to himself for missing this himself, he almost hugged Loki, who was now readying his bow and arrow. With the arrow strung, the nerves of the two were almost as tight as the bow string as they waited for their cue.


    It wasn''t even seven metres that separated the two groups and with all the time in the world to fire, Loki spent the next two seconds screaming to himself in his head, ''it''s ok, just like a million times before. Nothing but an animal in the woods.'' Even to the very end, he couldn''t stop his hands from trembling slightly while looking at the back of Robin, who was now slowly walking forward cautiously and in disbelief.


    *Dwong*


    He let rip straight at his target. Before the arrow even landed Rob had rushed forward, towards the two on the right side of Robin while leaving the person on his left, Chris, to Rykar and Loki.

 50 Accidents Happen

    From silence and bewilderment, the situation quickly delved into total chaos. Their group had just been staring wide eyed at the ransacked room before them when a thud came from the middle of them, closely followed by a pained cry.


    Clutching the head of an arrow which had penetrated through to the front of his torso, Robin slid to the ground with bloodied hands while failing to contain his shock. Before his knees even touched the floor, one of the figures on his left was send sprawling forward by a flying kick to his spine while a short black figure tackled Chris to the floor.


    Turning to his left side, Robin could only watch the last person remaining on their feet, who was now locked in a melee with a taller figure, similarly dressed in black yet with a while and clack mask.


    "What the fuck." Dragging himself towards a nearby cabinet, his mind raced as he struggled with the reality of the arrow which bore through him. Looking up from his soaking hands, he saw the thick trail of blood leading from his initial position all the way to where he was now yet still refused to believe it was his.


    Chuckling to himself, numbness and confusion were all he could process. The now unfamiliar room, the sounds of struggling and burning pain seemed to fade into the background as he blankly looked between the figures around him as though watching a play.


    He saw one red mask on the ground with Chris but he was quickly gaining the upper hand. He may not have been using any weapons but the gauntlets he was wearing easily tore up his opponents clothing while leaving bloody gashes wherever he gripped. His completely disproportionate weight, while considering his size, made it anything but easy for Chris to out maneuver him as he was pinned repeatedly before finally getting him in a full mount with one hand twisting his right and the other clasped around his throat.


    One black mask was exchanging blow for blow with Mark, the third member of his group. They were fairly evenly matched yet the black masked figure showed blatant hesitation in his blows. His dagger, which had never left his left hand, had not struck true even once, even while considering he had been on the receiving end of many small knife wounds.


    By the looks of it, Mark may be able to finish up quickly if he gets in a lucky blow before lending a hand to Chris.


    Even through his numbness, his weakly beating heart winced when he looked further to the side. Unluckiest of all, his Jake had remained grounded from the beginning of the ambush until now. Sprawled on the ground while surrounded in a puddle of his own blood, His head looked like a piece of wood that a lumberjack had hacked into.


    The culprit of this was none other than his own set of drawers which had been left out due to being thought of as unnecessary. The hard wood edge which he had sat on so many times in the past, was now stained red along with specks of skin and flesh still decorating the impact zone.


    Tearing his eyes from his fallen comrade, Robin looked back over to the two altercations which were wrapping up in front of him with tears unknowingly flowing from his eyes. Unknowing as to whether from the blood loss or the tears, his vision became hazy and distorted as he made out a figure that he had overlooked this entire time.


    Still stood at the entrance of the hall, Robin locked eyes with yet another red masked figure which was staring straight at him with his left hand trembling as it clenched around a short bow. From the beginning until then, there had been no movement from this final member, which had caused Robin to not even perceive him.


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    None of his features could be made out. By now, he was nothing but a shadowy figure with swirling darkness as black spots began to creep into Robs vision. The figures mask looked like a mess of white and red which entwined together like ink in water yet the last thing he registered before sinking into unconsciousness were the red and grey eyes which had been locked onto him from beginning till end.


    As Chris coughed from being choked, Mark lost focus for a moment, pushing Rob away and using this moment as a chance to survey the situations of the rest of his group. Seeing everyone on the ground without exception, he panicked and threw his dagger at his assailant without thinking. Using the moment when he dodged to the side, he then used the opportunity to charge forward, slamming past him and dashing into the final figure guarding the entrance without a care in the world.


    Even with the towering figure launching himself in his direction, Loki stood stock still as he stared at Robin''s lifeless body petrified. Against his expectations, his hand had trembled at the last moment and threw off his aim completely. Initially, is intentions were for the shot to hit Robin in the leg before potentially needing a second shot to stop him from retaliating. Opposed to this, he didn''t even have the opportunity to reach for his second arrow before his vision locked on to the blood which was leaking from his victim''s stomach.


    Being knocked out of the way, Loki barely even registered the impact before crashing into the ground and waking up from his daze. In the room, everyone was now staying deadly still apart from Mark who had dashed through the tunnel while leaving nothing but the sound of hurried footsteps to remind the other of his memory.


    Without even watching him leave, Rob was now standing in a similar manner to which Loki had just been. He was shocked by Robin''s death but he was even more shaken by the death of Jake, who was lying on the ground not even five metres from him.


    The intention behind the attack was nothing but self defence, feeling there was no other option but to take the initiative in the attack seeing as they would never be able to leave peacefully. Incapacitating his old friends was the best case scenario, while forcing them to retreat would have still brought about the desired results. However, it had never crossed his mind for even a moment that anyone in the room may lose their life during this time.


    While on the ground, Chris had limited vision but was barely able to see Robins lifeless body propped up not too far away from him while the smell of blood gradually filled the room. Vision darting between his friend''s body to the masks of the assailants, panic quickly took over him as he resumed his struggle with desperateness despite Rykar''s demand to stay down.


    As the only source of disturbance in the otherwise eerie atmosphere, he quickly drew the attention of both Rob and Loki who got up from the ground and hurried over with the intent of helping to hold him down.


    With death all around him, Chris quickly mistook their intentions as he saw them encircling him and began thrashing around as though his life depended on it. Bracing his body with his legs, he clenched his core while lifting and swiveling his hips suddenly. The momentum successfully threw Rykar off while he forcefully removed his assailant''s hand from his throat, albeit a sharp sting.


    Throwing himself to his feet, he looked down at Rykar before glaring defensively at the other two masked figures. Edging round them slowly, he held his hands up in a gesture of retreat as he made his way to the side of the room for safe passage to the door.


    Not event three steps into his retreat, his vision went black and his legs grew soft as he fell to one knee. Gasping for breath, he realized that his throat was blocked, leading to a feeling of suffocation. He quickly brought his hands up to his throat only to feel a warm sticky sensation as he coughed out a mouthful of blood and fell face first to the ground.


    Coughing and spluttering, the adrenaline faded off just enough for him to feel the searing heat coming from his neck. Weakness overcame him as he fought the urge to close his eyes. Perfectly eye level with him now, was Rykar''s hand which had been previously clutching onto his neck.


    The very same metal glove which still had his flesh and blood caught on the sharp fingers from where his neck had been gauged.

 51 Let Me Tell Him

    As his legs could now barely support him, Rob quickly sat down on the ground while bugging himself. The entire time, he wasn''t able to drag his eyes away from the body of Chris, who was still staring in their direction with a bewildered expression on his face. Now seated on the ground, his mind was even more shaken due to his new line of sight giving the impression that Chris had been looking straight at him before passing away.


    Having been lost within himself much before Rob had, the heavy barge which had sent him to the ground also helped Loki to pull himself together slightly. Getting up from the ground and walking over to Rykar, he couldn''t help but wince when he caught sight of his brothers still dripping hand.


    "You need to clean that off. We need to leave here and get back to Chance right now." Going with his suggestion, a barely audible grunt came from Rykar''s throat before he turned his head away from the still warm body of Chris.


    "Do we leave them here or?" Still mumbling his thoughts, Rykar asked as both twins glanced at Rob who now had tears soaking his face, despite not making a sound. Without the time to steady his resolve, the moment of Chris''s death had completely stunned Rykar as he witnessed it play out. Despite not having said anything, as former companions of Chance and Rob, there was a, unspoken intent to avoid causing irreparable damage to them during the ambush.


    Wiping his eyes, Rob quickly stood up and did his best to compose himself in front of the boys. Despite what had happened, he had been left in charge of the boys once again. This was anything but a good time for him to let his emotions get a handle on him.


    "Rykar, I''ll owe you a big favour. Would you mind storing their bodies for me? I''m hoping for a chance to bury them later. Anything''s better than rotting down here" He paused. After taking another few seconds to glance over the three bodies, he looked over to Loki before agreeing with his previous suggestion. "As soon as we''re done with them, we can leave. There''s nothing else we need here but be sure you find something to wipe your hand off with. Also, can you throw me a spare cloak man?"


    A second later, Rykar pulled a new black cloak from thin air and threw it over to Rob before taking a few breaths to steady his nerves. Closing his eyes and giving himself a quick pep talk, he knelt next to the closest body before pushing his feeling that sensation of extending his senses into the Chris''s corpse.


    Each body was big and dense to the point that to store a single one, he had to focus for around three minutes. This grueling process left him sweating through his mask, droplets visibly freeing themselves from the end of his chin.


    A worrying thing for him was, while looking internally, the floating sphere still had the same 10m radius, yet the surface area was starting to become cluttered with all the objects within. Taking up nearly half of the area was a glittering field filled with hundreds of spirit plants, along with a large pile of the fruits themselves. The individually picked fruits were situated in the centre of the field and their rampage within the fragment before they escaped had allowed the stack to reach nearly a metre and a half high. The meagre amount which they had put up for auction hadn''t even put a dent in it.


    Under a quarter of the space was then taken up by the various supplies, furniture, clothing and gear that they had spent the last two days getting. The good thing about these things, was that most of the supplies were hard goods, allowing them to be stacked up on top of each other, limiting the potentially large amount of surface area they would have taken up. Rather than spreading outwards, he simply planned to stack and potentially organize the space when he had the free time to facilitate the mental burden.


    This left over a quarter but less than a third of the space for him to place any new additions to his collection. Including the three bodies.


    Reluctant to place them with any of the other objects, he set them in the centre of the empty area, far away from everything else as possible. In the centre of the once empty space were now three bodies lying side by side with their backs on the ground. Each one was gory in their own way with blood soaked clothing and a messy wound somewhere on the body.


    With the important things wrapped up and most of the evidence of the fight cleared up from their clothing, the three didn''t wait around with any trivialities. Instead of trying to clean up the scene or salvaging any more of the furniture, they headed straight to the library, where they found Chance sitting outside casually while drawing the attention of passersby just with his mask alone.


    "Took you long enough. We''re staying here till the auction starts." Taking their silence as indifference, Chance turned round and headed into the library while leaving Rob at the entrance with his pained expression still hidden under his mask.


    Not knowing how to begin the conversation and still having the three bodies fresh in their minds, the twins stood behind Rob while being even more distressed when it came to conversing about anything at all. The entire trip up to this point had been made in silence besides one sentence uttered by Rob.


    "Let me tell him."


    And that was exactly what they intended to do.


    "Welcome to the Grand Library! How can I be of service today? Entry is 50 silver a person with a room being 1 gold per day." Welcoming the four guests, a man in black overalls hurriedly sat up from behind the counter while presenting their options without wasting time.


    "How large are your rooms?" Chance took the initiative, quickly finding out that there were actually two sizes for the rooms. The first, being the 1g room which was around 25 square metres equipped with chairs and a central table. The second costed 3g a day and featured a much larger table, sofas and even a small refreshments area within a 70 sqm area on the upper levels of the 20 story library.


    Much to their surprise, renting a room for over 7 days qualified them to receive a discount, bringing the price down to 2g a day. Hearing them asking about many of the more costly options, the librarian raised an eyebrow for a second before looking at their masks and shaking his head. ''a different breed after all'' he thought with an internal sigh.


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    "Premium room, 83 days. Bring food for 7 people three times a day." Leaving the man to do the math, he gestured to Rykar, who took a bag off his back with oddly shaky movements before shoving his hand into it and waiting for the librarian''s reply.


    While still calculating the massive figure, the librarian looked down at the much shorter figure while slightly baffled by his movements. Rather than waiting for his reply, it seemed as is he was simply going to wait there, with his hand stuffed inside his backpack, until he came up with the sum.


    It was an awkward thirty seconds before all the money was accounted for and the librarian personally toured them round the space before leading them to their rooms. From the outside, the library honestly looked like nothing special to say the least. The wood and stone exterior of the building even made it look old and slightly clumsy in some places, with the only thing for one to marvel at being the buildings size, towering above all the nearby structures.


    The inside was the polar opposite. Marble and stone laced the interior with pillars shooting towards the massive domed ceiling. Mezzanine floors could be seen throughout the entire dome, with a spiral staircase winding up a large central pillar like a blooming flower with the wide staircases branching off and linking it with the floors. There were people everywhere, hurrying around the forest of book shelves while a smooth and comfortable silence, perfect for reading, laced the hall.


    Rather than going up the stairs, similar to the underground ''chimney'', the centre of the central column functioned as an elevator which smoothly and silently delivered them to the 18th floor before decending once again without them.


    Leading them down the long hallway illuminated with sunstones and a large window pane at the far end, the librarian ushered them towards the room they would be staying in for the next three months.

 52 Cornered

    After leaving the four each with their own access bracelet, the librarian quickly left them at the door to the study without introducing any of the contents to them. If needs for questions, there was a communications device within the room they could use to order any books, food or other materials they may need in their research.


    Taking a quick look at the bands that now occupies their wrists, they scrutinized the metal chain that had small holes going around the centre. Only one of the dozen holes was filled with a small golden bead which represented accesses to their room and also the VIP section of the library.


    It didn''t take them long in the slightest when it came to exploring the room either. The librarian had referred to it as a ''study'' and that was exactly what it was. Despite the high price tag and the nice materials within the room, it was nothing more than a mini library with a dramatic view of the city.


    Aside from the sight of people scurrying through the streets below, the interior of the room was bare. None the less, it was a large space with three tables taking up the centre and wall-length desks taking up the two long sides of the room. With the floor to ceiling window taking up one of the shorter walls, the other was occupied by two doors. In one of the rooms was a sleeping area with two beds while the other contained a bathroom which was fitted with a toilet, sink and a bath which could easily hold two or three people.


    The space was clean and smelled like knowledge, yet that was as far as it went. The shelves above the walls were bare and the tables were empty bar a few ink wells and stacks of paper. It was like moving into a new apartment with nearly nothing but walls and some luggage to your name. The space was well designed to be roomy yet have a lot of functional value. For a long project, there was an amazing amount of space to be used yet for comforts such as sleep? That was simply an afterthought. Truly a place fitting for a dedicated scholar.


    Under the instruction of Chance, the three tables were pushed against one of the long edges of the room, intending for them to go unused for the most part. This left a large space on one side of the room empty, while the other was simply, what seemed to be, an astronomical amount of desk space for just four people.


    "Ok, from now till the auction is study time!" Chance declared while taking off his mask for the first time since he put it on. "We''re staying here till the auction, then we will be leaving this hell hole ASAP. No matter what happens, you need to remember not to even open the door without having your mask on. Earlier I found out that there are bounties placed on our heads, issued from the royals no less.


    "This is no doubt related to the escape from the fracture. With even Rob able to find a way around the contract, no doubt Sir was able to. And even if not, there are so many people in there that saw us, no way we wouldn''t be brought up at all after leaving."


    "That''s what Robin was talking about!" Rykar interrupted as he drew the attention of everyone in the room.


    "Robin? What were you doing with him? What did you talk about?" With his interest piqued, Chance asked with a raised eyebrow yet there was only an awkward silence which answered. Still masked, he couldn''t gain anything from their faces and so took their silence as an unwillingness to speak.


    "I mean, it''s on you if you want to tell me or not. Just keep in mind that it''s best you don''t blindly believe whatever he said. It''s rare that he would say anything that doesn''t have a plot behind it, much less to any of us right now." Looking between them again, he was about to continue with the plan for the next few months but was halted once again when Rob strode forward.


    "I was trying to tell you before but there wasn''t time. I never meant to hide it." Even without seeing Rob''s face, Chance''s heart began to tense up when he saw the tears beginning to leak from the bottom of his mask.


    Giving him time to breathe and organize his thoughts, Chance didn''t prompt him to say anything more, simply waiting for him to collect himself enough to continue.


    Thirty seconds and many deep breaths later, Rob managed to shakily begin to recount the events which transpired since they had split up after leaving the underground. When he mentioned Robin being hit by the arrow, there was a frown on his face but from then onwards, he betrayed no anger, sadness or frustration even as Rob ended his recounts.


    Not knowing what to expect, Rob tensed up, shutting his leaking eyes as Chance walked up to him. The outburst he was expecting never took place, instead, a hand shook him by the shoulder while another patted his wet collar, ridding him of a few tear drops that were yet to soak in.


    "I''m sorry, I should have gone down with you but never expected anything like this." Sorry and blame were all Chance spouted for the next few minutes while the boys finally let up their pent up emotions, breaking down on the spot. He did their best to console them, knowing that this was a huge deal, even for Rykar who had comparatively more experience with these matters. The unexpectedness of it all took them all by surprise.


    It wasn''t until the day had turned to night that they were forced to reel in their emotions due to a knock at the door. Giving them a moment to place their masks back on and tidy themselves up, Chance opened the door to find a librarian, similarly dressed to the first, with a trolley of food alongside him. Not sparing any words, he gave a polite nod to them before leaving the trolley in his care as though afraid of disturbing the occupants from their studies.


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    Food was another experience all together. The awkward silence that accompanied the meal made it difficult to enjoy any of the new flavours and textures that they were experiencing, yet no one made a move to break it.


    With the food out of the way, Chance took the moment before clearing up to finish the speech he had started earlier. "I know that so much has happened in the last few days, more so for you two than for any of us, but we all have to look forwards. I want to try and stay positive but the reality is, we have enemies at all sides.


    We have the backers of the auction house trying to get a read on us and as soon as they find out were nobodies with connections to an unexplained supply of essence fruit, were f*cked.


    We have Sir, along with the entire camp and half the city, looking for us with a fortune put up as the bounty. Hell I might have even turned myself in if we didn''t have such good prospects right now.


    And to top it off, we now have a witness to what happened back in the sewers. That''s the least of our worries though, without identities or bodies, it''s a dead end without any proof. The thing to do now is not run into him or anyone he describes us to¡­


    This leads me to what we will be doing in the near future. For the next three months we won''t be leaving the library for any reason. We will literally be following all the rules stated for the underground. What is unknown is the most dangerous, you wouldn''t put your hand in a hole if there might be a snake in there."


    Their time spent in the library was vital. Not only did they need a place to stay where they could feel safe and secure without arousing questions, they need time with the twins. The biggest and most glaring flaw in their current group was the fact that the twins had little to no weal world experience or knowledge besides their mother''s stories. Their short negative interactions with almost everyone around them hadn''t helped this in the slightest.


    Over the next three months, there would be three grand focuses. Firstly, Chance would finally be teaching them to read, write and count while also going through books himself, in order to know more about the world around them. After the grilling from the twins concerning bubbles, fragments and worlds, he realized just how ignorant he was in terms of the world he was living in. Aside from stories of ascending and practical skills, like stealing, pickpocketing and fighting, which would help with his immediate situation, he didn''t have much else to offer in terms of knowledge.


    Secondly, a crash course in fighting was also desperately needed. Being no grand expert himself, at least Chance and Rob were able to hold their own in the majority of situations. They didn''t have many ways of offering training to the twins besides learning on the go. From the next day onwards, they would have regular sparring sessions to get them used to being in altercations and, more importantly, being beaten up.


    Thirdly, they would spend a portion of their time strengthening themselves via meditation. Rob still had no idea how to work the technique, while the rate of advancement the twins had shown within the fragment had baffled even Chance. Though not as insane in the case of Loki, they had both seen sharp increases in their strength which demonstrated itself on the fields.


    Despite the anxiety and slightly nauseous feeling still haunting him, hearing about the method of getting stronger once again slightly brought Rob back into the moment.


    Still trying to fight off the remaining shadows within their minds, all three wanted to busy themselves immediately despite the tired looks in their eyes. With Rob asking about the meditation method and the twins putting on their masks and preparing to leave the room, Chance quickly halted their actions and forbade them from anything apart from sleep until dawn hit the city.

 53 Sand In The Sea

    The sun hadn''t even cleared the horizon before Rykar and Loki excitedly dashed out of the room fully equipped as though ready for war. With Rob in tow, they quickly scanned their bracelets before descending the lift and venturing into the forest of bookshelves.


    Being recognized immediately due to their extravagant masks, a librarian silently began to trail behind them with a silver cart after informing them that he would be waiting on them and willing to answer any questions. History, mathematics, statistics, culture, science, weaponry, biology, farming. Walking through just two of the hundreds of bookshelves, they were already baffled as to which topics to explore while recited the titles of any books they pointed to on the shelves.


    Growing annoyed of the aimless searching, he took the initiative to turn towards the librarian. "Excuse me, where can we find books related to exploration? Mainly focusing on geography, animals, plants. Information on fragments and worlds, along with travel information are also needed." While speaking a thousand times more refined than usual, he straightened his back while attempting to put on a fa?ade of someone who could actually afford his getup.


    It didn''t even take two seconds of thought before the woman smiled and lead them just a few shelves across. "This row, along with the next two, house books which are mainly focused on the world around us, the sea of stars and more of the commonplace flora and fauna. Please let me know if there are any specifics you are interested in and I will do my best to help."


    Like kids in a candy store, the twins no longer even asked Rob any questions as they pulled books off the shelves and looked at the covers with glistening eyes. There were an assortment of designs, some very abstract, while others giving a clear idea of the contents of the book. Plants, animals, mythical looking beasts, stars, swirling clouds. These books were piled up on the cart one after the other while the more blank and dull designs were put back on the shelves without suspense.


    It wasn''t long before there was a second librarian right next to the first, along with a second trolley due to the first being too full. While one went to take the first set of books to their study, the second was also half full when the next question came from Rykar. "Where are the story books? With generals and armies!"


    Barely containing his excitement, he only calmed down slightly when Rob tugged his shoulder to get him to stop skipping while they followed the librarian across the shelves once again.


    "Just these shelves?" He asked when they arrived at a quieter section of the library. This was a walkway dozens of metres long and with books lining the sides, yet it didn''t seem to be even a drop in the ocean compared to all the shelves they had walked past to get there. Despite the grand scale, Rykar seemed disappointed that they only took up such a small section, even with this much already being enough to keep him occupied for years.


    "No, this whole section is. From this isle, to the end of the wall. This is allocated to the both factual and fictional based stories and poetry." The librarian corrected.


    Almost on cue, the twins once again went into a frenzy, picking all the fancy looking books and especially those with plenty of pictures, illustrations and diagrams within. It took the longest hour of Rob''s life before they finally went back up to their rooms after having sent up four trolleys of books between the two librarians tasked to them.


    With their first meal already set up on the table, there was no suspense as Chance got them to finish eating before gathering around the table once again.


    Without allowing them to dive straight into their story books, Chance first took the opportunity to go through the books related to the world around them and before selecting one to read between them. With the book in hand and the twins at either side, he read through the book slowly. Without rushing or ignoring any of their questions, he pointed out the letters and words as he went, making sure that he explained how the words were formed and giving them an understanding of the mess of shapes sprawled across the paper.


    Amazingly enough, as many of the key words were repeated, the twins were already able to see some patterns in the shorter and less complex sentences, piecing together one or two words within a sentence by the end of the first chapter which came to amaze both Rob and Chance. They were practically sponges when it came to learning anything!


    It took till noon to go through the first two books, with barely a break even to get a drink as Chance started feeling his throat get sore with the incessant questions from the other three in the room. Most of the questions they asked, he was just as clueless as them towards the answers. Despite this, their horizons were expanded again and again as gasps of astonishment often broke the flow of reading.


    The world system within the sea of stars was the easiest to explain, with a simply yet meticulous way of categorizing the grade boundaries. The sea of stars was virtually endless, while constantly expanding and growing around itself. Changes would occur at every and any moment, oftentimes throwing entire solar systems into chaos before reforming themselves or simply becoming desolate space.


    Ever light within the sky, usually referred to as stars, were actually entire worlds! The light being emitted from them was actually a form of energy which was emitted from the condensation of energy which forms their world boundary. This ''world boundary'' was a form of protection and isolation which served as the benchmark of a planet becoming a world.


    Before this boundary was formed, planets weren''t even qualified to me mapped out by official channels oftentimes, as they were still classed as being within development and may be abandoned at any time. Grace, the planet they were on, was a perfect example of this.


    Despite the habitable atmosphere for life and civilization, the planet was all but devoid of energy, potentially requiring up to a thousand years before accumulating enough to support its cataclysm, propelling itself to form its own boundary while expanding dramatically in size.


    Generally, after each cataclysm, a world would increase its grade by one, however, there have been many cases of a world going through a small scale cataclysm. While this would still cause its barrier to develop and increase its size, this wouldn''t be enough to qualify the world for the next grade. There was no glorification for this, it was simply referred to as a failed cataclysm. The cons of this situation often outweighed the pros, as each cataclysm requires a much vaster accumulation of energy compared to the last.


    Omega, the largest and only recorded rank 9 world was literally at the centre of the sea, with the rest of the sea expanding from the centre around it. Due to the pull gravitational from Omega, the larger the planet, along with the strength of its boundary, causes the more prosperous worlds to congregate towards the centre of the sea.


    Contrary to their initial expectations of the larger worlds being in the centre and the smaller ones being on the periphery of the sea, the worlds themselves were surrounded by other planets and worlds, with the orbits of which crossing over and switching zones often. This all caused the sea to have a volatile nature with each world usually supporting the flow of various smaller ones within its influence.


    All in all, where they were now, on an offshoot planet under the control of the corporation ''Grace'', there were living on nothing but a grain of sand within a sea bidder than they could imagine.


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    Their only reason the company invested in this planet in the first place was due to the naturally formed fragment, which only needed minimal investment to stabilize its eco-system. This was essentially getting two worlds for the cost of one, while providing a safe and secure environment for the essence fruit plantation. Despite its size, it was apparent that the plant was only in its initial stages, with the growth of the plants and replantation of a portion of the fruits from each harvest, the project would sweep through the rest of the fragment in its entirety.


    The reason they were slowly picking off the escapees was because there was no rush in the first place! They were literally stuck within the same cage they thought they had gotten out of and eventually they would have no place to go along with the expansion of activity. With the escapees serving punishments, this would prompt order and stability within the camp, providing a new bottom tier and giving those already working there, a sense of superiority. All this came at the price of a few workers ''escaping'' every month due to the security ''dropping their guard''.


    They thought their sense of the world had expanded, until they moved onto some of the basic geography and found out that not only worlds, but cities were classified by the grade system also. What was laughable, was that the ''city'' they were living in was actually an outpost for the expansion into this planet. It honestly didn''t even quality as a grade one city, without many of the basic systems in place to even function as one.


    By the time lunch rolled round, it felt as though the informative books they had been reading were more like story books and fantasy works. Their expectations towards leaving the planet and venturing onto Grace were actually dulled by the context of the book, leaving them skeptical to the possibilities of it all.


    "Rob, pick a book for them to read through for the next hour or two. I need to go get something but ill be back in no time." Chance patted his stomach while donning his mask and gesturing to the others to do the same before as he made his way towards the door.


    "Where are you going?" Loki asked. He felt it weird to only be a day into their ''study'' yet Chance was breaking the rule he set for them, not to leave the library.


    "I have to get back to the sewers and pic something up. I would have brought it earlier but it really couldn''t be helped." He sighed as he made his way out but it didn''t take long for them to busy themselves as Rob threw a book towards Rob. Catching it reflexively, he found himself holding a thick tomb with its cover depicting a dragon breathing a jet of fire towards a knight in full armour.


    "This one." Both twins grinned excitedly.

 54 Lights In The Dark

    It wasn''t even a third of the way into the story before there was a knock on the door, prompting the occupants to once again don their masks. Without standing at attention, as soon as Rob opened the door, Chance strolled in and shut it behind him.


    "Miss me?"


    "No, but Rob is sh*t at reading. You read it." Rykar held up the book towards Chance with pleading eyes.


    "Nah, I have something to show you guys first." Reaching under his cloak, he pulled out a thin stack of papers which were bound simply with some string winding around its long edge. "These are the notes from my dad. They are the reason I figured out the meditation technique!"


    At the beginning, he started somberly as he retold his story of being left within the sewers from the young age of six. Even before then, he had no memory of living anywhere else, yet with the sudden disappearance of his parents, he had simply been left to fend for himself without having a clue as to the rhyme or reason. Despite the short story, the implications of being left to survive within a city such as this, at a much younger age than themselves, left the twins appalled.


    "I guess that''s the standard out here. If it isn''t convenient, ditch the baggage." Rykar shrugged it off with sarcasm and annoyance.


    "Nah, I was angry at first but, until I find proof to suggest otherwise, I know they wouldn''t have left me behind for no reason."


    "Well, that''s on way to look at it." He agreed, before stubbornly going back on himself. "But I''m not giving anyone the benefit of the doubt."


    "Either way, it''s not important now. This will be way more useful to you guys than a crappy sketch I did in the sand from memory."


    Instead of flicking through the pages one by one, Chance simply untied the binding before laying out the sheets one by one in a 4x5 grid. There were actually more sheets than they had expected, with the stack simply looking much smaller due to the paper being slightly worn and aged.


    Rather than having to go through the pages like any book, the pages had come together that formed an entire tapestry, with a figure sitting cross legged in the centre while surrounded by notes, scribbles and diagrams. Taking a step back while marveling at his organization, Rob and Rykar patrolled the edges of the sheets while being careful not to step on any of them.


    Despite the faded ink, the tapestry depicted a human figure which was sat within empty space, surrounded by stars and swirls. There were lines and swirls illustrating the stars seeming to form a vortex with him at the centre, but they seemed hazy, drawing in everything indiscriminately. It seemed to perfectly depict the feeling that all three of them had experienced while meditating, as the world began to revolve around themselves, the centre of everything.


    Most of the notes on the side simply went into more detail yet covered the same things which Chance had told them while explaining how to enter the meditative state. By focusing on words, or simply a state of mind, while feeling the intent behind the technique, it was an easy feat. An ''easy'' feat which had taken Chance years to achieve.


    "Your parents, did they make this themselves?" Loki asked with a confused tone that left Chance curious.


    "I don''t know, why? I wouldn''t say ''parents'', my dad was always stuck on drawing this up but I don''t know if he designed it or not."


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    "I know a book that looks almost just like this. It''s still pretty different, but the man and the stars are the same. It looks like one of the last pages."


    "What, so you''re telling me that you already read this in a book? Back when you lived in the woods and couldn''t read, yeah?" Chance burst into laughter while disregarding Loki''s comment as a joke.


    "No, I''m being serious. I''ve seen it before."


    Annoyed with Loki''s insistence, Chance changed topic, explaining the principals of the technique to Rob while leaving the twins to their own devices.


    Rykar quickly went over to the book he had left behind and began to put his newly learned vocabulary to good use but Loki didn''t join him. Frustrated at Chance''s condescending attitude and rude dismissal, he grabbed a chair before taking a seat at the other end of the room, settling down next to a stack of papers and an ink well.


    With messy hands and a few smudged lines, he gradually became more proficient with the pen while scribbling away on the papers before him. "Why would I lie about a dumb book." He cursed at their behavior.


    With Loki preoccupied and the other two invested in the diagrams, Rykar quickly grew bored with the book he could barely understand. Piecing together one in five words was fun at first, with the blatant improvement, but without being able to understand the majority, the world of dreams soon came calling while his eyes closed on themselves.


    As he drifted away, he dropped the book completely, listening to Rob and Chance discuss the notes on the theories of void and his experiences when it came to calming himself while emptying his mind.


    . . .


    Darkness.


    No stars and no light, yet being able to sense everything within the space as though it was as bright as day.


    Rykar''s consciousness seemed to melt and thoroughly disperse as is expanded outwards from a small dot to the size of a sphere of nine metres in radius. The darkness felt never ending despite the warm and comforting pulse which he felt from the centre of his being. Rather than simply being a dormant ball of consciousness, he slowly began to perceive pathways flowing within himself.


    Still lacking his sense of sight, two cool tendrils extended from a spot just outside his detection range, reaching all the way to his core before staying there and revolving around itself, like a ball of yarn being rolled around itself. The tendril formed a ball while compressing itself over and over, giving him a feeling of fullness.


    Like grasping in the dark, he tried to push himself in the direction which the meagre stream of energy was flowing in from yet, although speeding up the stream by a fraction, was unable to do anything to effect or speed up the flow further than that. After reaching just below ten metres out, his consciousness had also stopped expanding at the same rate as before, now barely spreading a centimeter out with each passing minute.


    Frustrating him endlessly, he felt as though one of the sources of the streams was only a tiny but further before he would arrive at the source. The other much smaller one, however, felt as though it was endlessly far away even now.


    9.9m in diameter. The core of his being was still beating faintly, with the cool streams supplying it with a sense of comfort. However, despite still not finding the sources of this input, he was able to pick up what felt like ''nodes'' which he had a desire to connect to, making himself while.


    Like fireflies in the dark, hundreds of these nodes lit up simultaneously as he reached out to them. Just like that, a circuit was formed, with a fine stream coming into his core and then hundreds of silk-like threads extending out towards the periphery like a spider''s web. Despite not simply being on the receiving end anymore, the feeling of wholeness and growth didn''t decline in the slightest, as though he had taken a massive step in the direction of accomplishing something huge.


    Slowly but surely, the meagre amount of energy that was flowing into his core was being amplified slightly, allowing the output to barely fall behind what was being drawn in. It was like breathing in a deep breath, yet with each exhale, more air was being released than being inhaled.


    Syncing his breathing with the slow and steady pulse from his core, he felt his consciousness unwillingly recede from the 9.9m mark, all the way back to the size of a pin before vanishing completely while leaving the previously built circuit completely intact.


    . . .


    "Don''t touch him, this could be important."


    "What if all this air makes him blow up?!"


    "Dumb ass, it''s obviously not the air that''s going into him. By now he would be fatter than this room. He would be a stain on the walls if it was actually air."


    For the last half hour, the other three occupants of the room grew increasingly worried by a light but noticeable current of air enveloping Rykar with him in the centre. Despite not being strong, only comparable to someone blowing out a candle, it was didn''t simply cover just the area around Rykar, but also the rest of the room. Chance even opened the window fully in order to allow air into the room, preventing the low whistling noise caused by the gap in the door.


    Laying along the edge of a table, Rykar''s hand was dangling over the edge, along with a sliver trail of saliva which escaped his mouth. The book he had been reading was now on the ground, open at the last page he had been looking at. All indications lead to him looking as though in a deep sleep, but his breaths were bafflingly long, causing Chance to only guess he had entered meditation.


    1, 2, 3¡­ Counting the seconds between each inhale and exhale, Loki found it to be almost fifty seconds during each inhale! Without placing his hand over his hand and nose, it would be difficult to even realize he was breathing relying on sight.


    With nothing they could do to stop or help the situation without the risk of disturbing what was happening, they eventually decided to simply let him be, returning to their previous tasks while keeping an eye on him.

 55 Its Lonely Being A Genius

    After unknowingly passing the time in silence, Rykar woke up to the sound of arguing and exclamations. The other three were huddled over the tapestry while flipping through a makeshift leaflet with messy writing and ink blotches scrawled across each page.


    "This but doesn''t make sense, there''s supposed to be three, but this starts with everything together."


    "That''s the beginning though! The one his dad drew must be the final version!"


    "I don''t know, it might not even be the same manual, some of it is the same¡­ but the figure sitting in the middle looks different¡­ could just be something different right?"


    "It''s obviously the levels, instead of being the last, maybe this one is the first?"


    Sliding off the table with effort, Rykar stumbled in their direction with his eyes still blurry and watering. Rubbing his eyes and tilting from side to side, he looked more like a heart broken drunk than someone who had just woken up.


    "Huh, these? They''re not the same?" He asked while still in a daze. Between his hazy conscience and blurry eyes, the image in Loki''s hand and the large image on the ground seemed literally identical.


    "Are you retarded? How do they look the same?" Loki shrugged his brothers hand from his shoulder before looking back at his sketch. "Holy sh*t, he woke up!"


    "How are you feeling? There''s food on the side if you need anything." Chance asked with worry in his voice before placing the back of his fingers on the drowsy boy''s head.


    "The hell man, get off me. I already ate a while ago, I''m good."


    "Good? You''ve been out cold for the last three days. I''m surprised you didn''t break your back or something while you were lying like that. We weren''t sure if we were meant to move you from the table."


    Despite the small surprise, Rykar barely even reacted when he heard about his extended sleep. Taking a moment to decide whether he was hungry or not, he threw anything else towards the back of his mind when he recalled Loki calling him a ''retard''.


    "Who is retarded you retard. The big one is obviously a copy. Even a bat can see that much. Its LITERALLY a blurry version of what your holding with your crusty hands." Snatching the leaflet from his brother''s hand, Rykar held it at arm''s length before grabbing comparing again with deliberately squinted eyes.


    "It took you three days to draw this crap and we have perfect memory, how hard would it be for someone else to copy it? Three days of work and you came up with less than I did after waking up from a nap." He signed while letting his arms fall to his sides. "It''s lonely being the only genius in the room.


    Worrying for his mental health after waking up, Chance stared at him for a moment before realization dawned on him. "The retard is actually right! This isn''t its own thing, it''s probably a copy of a copy of a copy. Obviously the details change a bit each time."


    The biggest difference between the two main images, were the flow of stars entering the body. On the one that Rykar was now holding, the stars were still drawn into the centre, but were done so in a uniform spiral shape. The stars were all drawn into long and narrow cyclones which looked to rotate around the centre, forming hundreds of ''wind tunnels'' channeling into figure.


    The version which was laid out on the floor was instead the opposite. It looked as though the stars were entering the figure simply by being sucked in haphazardly and in no particular order, converging at the central position.


    This was all in comparison to one of the last pages of Loki''s shakily drawn version. There were also words scrawled across the pages, along with plenty more diagrams and little drawings, yet they were all done in a language that no one present had any proficiency in.


    Going back to the starting pages and flicking through in order, the pictures showed clear levels of progression. On the first page, it showed an image similar to the one which was on the ground, pulling in particles indiscriminately, but with much less volume.


    The second stage depicted two thick vortexes on opposite sides of the figure while rotating, creating the basis. Each of the tendrils rotated while forming a miniature tornado. While sucking in the particles in this manner, the rotations of the two vortexes acted like propellers, serving to pull in the particles from the surroundings. This funnelled them in before entering the openings of the vortexes themselves, which compressed them further after drawing them in.


    Looking through the images, each one revealed the vortexes spreading out like tentacles until they were too numerous to count. With each expansion in number, they seemed to become more compact and narrow, yet grew in width till the figure was only a small dot in the centre of what looked like a cyclone.


    "Well, either we''re still at the first level, or we''ve been doing it totally wrong. Either way, I guess it''s been going well, no?" Chance asked with uncertainty in his voice.


    "No ''we'', you''ve been doing it wrong. I''m a genius, I''ll get it in no time." Rykar guaffed before retiring from the conversation, beginning to busy himself with the snacks strewn across the table. Most of the items hadn''t even been touched as they had been cycling between busily discussing the notes and sleeping for the last few days.


    "Do you have any other books like this that you read in that cabin Loki?" Rob asked while rubbing his hands together.


    "Yeah, Rykar read some of them too, why?"


    "What are you waiting for! You should make copies of them too!"


    "Why would I do that? It''s just wasting time." Loki looked up at him like he was talking to an idiot.


    "How is it a waste if this one made you guys so much stronger in a few weeks?"


    "Rob, think a little would you. It was because of the notes that we got this far. They might be wrong but they are going in the right direction. We can''t even read this one." Chance tapped on the bound sheets which Loki had drafted. "Where would we get if we only had this and not the notes? And the notes took years. Not three months."


    After falling into silence for a moment, Rob grudgingly let go of his annoyance towards Loki before going over hit fathers notes while scanning the other version for any inconsistencies.


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    They had already been discussing the notes throughout the night so, despite it only being afternoon, they were all tired. With the latest breakthrough in their understanding, their motivation failed them as the three of them faded into meditation or sleep one by one, giving Rykar some quality time with the food.


    Which he quickly grew bored of. Just like Loki, he hadn''t spent the last few days on increasing his literacy skills, although for different reasons. This caused the same situation to befall him very quickly, as he grew bored with the books. After having a taste of Chance reading the books to them, he grew complacent with simply reading books by looking at the pages which were only every few pages, if that.


    Playing with the object within his fragment. He began pulling objects out of thin area before juggling them and making them disappear again. Without realizing it, he had become way more accustomed to storing smaller objects like coins and marbles, it wouldn''t even take much of his time or energy to perform. Like a magician or a master of sleight of hand, he had these trinkets appearing and disappearing at will, as long as he thought of it before hand and locked onto it within the space.


    While practicing, his mind soon wandered towards the bodies within the central area. Unable to suppress his curiosity, he sat down and projected his consciousness into the fragment without reservation, quickly seeing the area spreading out before him and noticing the very obvious changes.


    The bodies themselves had sunken down considerably, the majority of the moisture in their bodies seemed to have seeped through their skin, causing them to look frail and dehydrated. Contrary to this, the ground around the three had seemingly been revitalized when compared to its parched and desecrated former appearance. The earth around the cracks seemed to be softening while the soil around the entire sphere had darkened due to the presence of moisture.


    His previously weird state of consciousness finally felt as though it made complete sense as he made the mental connection with the space. He could feel the flow of energy from the bodies being drained by the ground while energy from the very centre of the sphere was branching out and connecting to the soil and roots supporting the the field of essence plants.


    The third flow of energy, he actually felt coming from his physical body. A thin stream of energy was being transferred from himself and into the core through a link which felt infinitely long, like a thread stretching endlessly into darkness.


    Despite his excitement, a bit of unease was triggered when he thought of how space seeming to be ''eating'' both him and the bodies of his friend''s ex-companions. Despite holding no bond or good will towards these people, he wasn''t sure how Rykar and Rob would react to it.


    After a moment of hesitation, he simply decided to turn a blind eye to it. If asked, he could always deny having known anything about the changes occurring, it''s not like anyone aside from himself could see the goings on within the space.


    Much less feeling guilty about the bodies, he began thinking that it would be better to get more! Seeing the changes within his space and the revitalization of the earth made him feel a weird sense of accomplishment as he felt the development of the space through the increased strength of the beating core within its centre.


    Thinking up ways to get more bodies without tipping off the others to what he was doing, he began to think of potential opportunities to feed his fragment, and whether it would need people of if anything dead would do.


    With this train of thought, he manipulated a portion of the supplies, laying out other foods within the clearing. Samples were taken from the various bags as both fresh, dried and preserved versions of meat, vegetables and cooked foods were laid out one by one.

 56 Battle Royale

    "From today onwards, we''ll be playing a game that we came up with years ago, back in the hideout." The boys were causally chatting over yet another hearty breakfast when Chance took the opportunity to drop another mini bombshell.


    Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a small plate-like pad which emitted a light glow. "That is?" Rykar asked after having been passed one, along with the rest of the group.


    "It''s a noise pad, usually used by little kids as a toy to be honest. It does literally what the name says, makes a noise if you smack it." Demonstrating its use py placing it on the table and bringing his fist down on it, he turned to Rob and stuck it on his back underneath his cloak. "Pick someone and stick this pad onto the centre of their backs where they aren''t able to reach."


    Obviously, the twins chose each other, sticking the pads on while Chance waited for them. "Rykar'' can you take the whiteboard and weighing scale from your storage? I''ll need them for this next bit."


    It wasn''t long before the whiteboard was mounted onto the wall along with a scale underneath it. The board was then divided into two portions, one with the dates listed along with Rykar and Loki''s names, in order to record the twin''s weight increases. The other was then divided into four columns with one for each of their names.


    "This is the start of a never ending battle royal. If you hit the plate on anyone else''s back, hard enough to make it croak, you get a point." He looked around at the other three, smiling as he saw the look of nostalgia on Rob''s face. "If your pad is hit, no one is able to get another point from you unless there has been five minutes wait time between hits.


    "You''ll know when this time has passed because the pads don''t make noise if hit too frequently, the light will also dull slightly. If you hit it and it DOES NOT make a noise, then it doesn''t qualify for a point, whether the light is on or not.


    "Any questions?" Chance took a moment to check the twins understanding.


    "Can you only hit it with your hands, or anything?" Loki asked.


    "Anything, as long as it was you that caused it to get set off."


    "What does the winner get?"


    "Nothing, but I guess we could come with something later on."


    "Can you team up on others?"


    "If you want to, but only the person that hits the plate gets the point. If you think you can trust each other enough then sure, go for it."


    With the last of the questions being answered, Chance started packing away the breakfast dishes along with Rob before suddenly stating. "Ah I forgot, the game starts now." And with that, like a mirrored image, Rob and Chance launched themselves in the direction of the twins. Before they could even get up from their seats, they had been wrestled to the ground, followed by a ''weng'' sound similar to a frog''s croak coming from their blind sides.


    "That''s not fair!" They both shouted at the same time.


    "What''s not? What rules were broken, huh? Stop moaning and take your time out like a real loser, hahaha." Rob danced away while keeping his front facing Chance. Even after so long, he still remembered to keep him at arm''s length, regardless of having just worked in tandem with each other.


    Since the introduction of the new game, tension was as high as could be between the four. Even when leaving the room to venture into the library for more books or snacks, they would leave the door back first, constantly in retreat from one another.


    Regardless of who was reading, no one would be found sitting next to Chance or Rob. In order to adapt the lessons, Chance had to request a device which projected the book onto the wall once placed underneath it. Seeing as they had already spent a hefty price on the study and food along, there wasn''t even an additional fee for its use. Much to the joy of Rykar, who was now growing complacent, seeing the dwindling number of coins in his box.


    Over the last week, seeing themselves falling farther and farther behind Rob and Chance, tensions finally grew too high for the twins to be contented with sneak attacks on each other and the occasional failed attempt on the other two. Just like the situation at present, there were many times where neither side was willing to back down without securing a point, even after the failed initial assault.


    In battle mode, the twins were now strafing in a circle while taking care to look out for the locations of Rob and chance, who simply watched on from the corner of the room for now. Hesitant to take the lead, they had been feeling each other out with faints for the last thirty seconds, like two kittens afraid of the real confrontation.


    With Rykar being the first to work up the courage, he broke the stale mate, quickly rushing at Loki with his arms outstretched. Looking more like an agile zombie than a fighter, his arms were quickly caught by Loki, who then fell over and tumbled to the ground.


    Usually, they would have been almost evenly matched, but because of the ever increasing disparity between their weights, Rykar was able to pull out, flipping Loki over before thumping him in the back with his palm.


    With the noise coming from his brother''s pad, he quickly rolled away before running over to the board in excitement. Just as he was picking up the pen, Loki once again appeared, scuttling up behind him like a cockroach before leaping onto his back. The momentum carried Rykar head first into the board, before another ''blerp'' sound came from his back, along with the pain from Loki''s elbow.


    Degected as usual, they both quickly put their points on the board, totaling up to a meagre four for Loki and six for Rykar. Feeling proud of himself for a moment, Rykar then turned to Look at Rob and Chance''s columns which had already broken into the triple digits.


    *Clap clap clap*


    *Clap clap clap*


    Two sets of slow applause sounded out simultaneously from opposing corners of the room. "Damn, that was like watching two retards screw in a light stone."


    "A light stone covered in oil." Chance added. "Ok, I can''t take this anymore. From now on, from mid-day to three in the afternoon is officially a cease fire period. We''ll start sparring practice for you two. Hell, you could brush up too Rob, I swear you just keep picking points from the kids and turn p*ssy whenever you see me."


    Rob stopped laughing after being outed by Chance. "Picking your fights is just as important as fighting them." He countered before laying on his back and ignoring the rest of the conversation.


    "Ok, half an hour till noon, once lunch comes, take a break then well start sparing. Rob, take Loki and I''ll take Rykar."


    "Why do I have to go with you?!" Rykar complained at his misfortune.


    "Because you''re too heavy for the weakling over there to handle. We''ll be grappling too. Also, remember this is sparing, it''s not a fight. Well, I guess either way, if I punch you in the face then you''ll feel it."


    "Since when did sparing include punches?"


    "What kind of a question is that? This is sparring not play fighting. This whole game is to get you used to fighting and watching your own back. It''s been a whole ween and all you''ve learned so far is how to roll on the floor and sleep on your back.


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    "People hit each other, that''s the way fights work. People get hurt, that''s the way the world works. You aren''t always going to make it if you rely on lucky accidents or taking people by surprise." Despite being impressed by their competitiveness and cautious attitude over the last week, the twins had honestly done nothing differently compared to the first day.


    The lack of variation and or improvement had been grating both Chance''s and Rob''s nerves as it began feeling like the game had simply hindered their learning speed rather than help the learning experience to become more well-rounded. Instead of simply guiding them in the right direction, he realized it was time to take a more direct approach.


    "Rob, I need to go get some ''training sprays'', look after them for a little while?"


    "Sure, I got this. Damn I actually forgot all about those things." Rob laughed while throwing a selection of books to the twins for them to choose from. Even with the ceasefire just over the horizon, neither side was willing to drop their guard until breakfast was officially at the door.

 57 Training Sprays

    It wasn''t even an hour later than Chance once again knocked on the door once again while holding two cylinders in each hand, two red and two blue. Without giving them the chance to ask about their uses, he pulled a dagger from his waist before spraying it with one of the blue canisters. A fine grey mist shot out, forming a grey layer over the blade, around a millimetre thick, before he released the stopper once again.


    Waving the blade around in the air for a moment, making sure that the gel had firmly set in place, he threw it straight at Loki who didn''t even have a chance to react before it smacked him, tip first, in the stomach.


    "Aaaahhh!" He shouted as he slid to the floor while clutching his side and cursing at Chance. Tears streaked down his side as he tried to stop the non-existent blood flow while under the laughing gazes of Chance and Rob.


    Despite his initial shock, Rykar quickly noticed the lack of blood and the fact that Loki''s hand was the only thing keeping the blade against his stomach. Leaning in and pulling it from his brother''s grasp, he quickly inspected the rubbery film which now coated the blade while reveling in the horrified look which was still stuck on Loki.


    "Damn, who knew you were such a good actor, almost brought me to tears." Chance and Rob laughed while holding each other up for support.


    "Ok, for real though." Shaking the blue can first, he continued. "This one is just a waterproof spray, its usually used to patch up things like roofs or walls for a temporary fix, but it can be put to other uses if you have a good imagination.


    "As Loki demonstrated for us, it makes a thin film that is pretty jelly-like and sticks on for around a day, depending on how much wear you put it through." Next he shook the red can. "This one is literally a first aid spray, it can help stop bleeding and heal bruises but, F*ck me, when I say it hurts, I mean it hurts. Just do your best to not to take too many hits or this is your both your recovery and punishment."


    Soon enough, Rykar''s gauntlets and Loki''s daggers were coated in grey while and unarmed Chance and Rob stood across from each of them respectively. Their only goal was to land as many blows as possible while correcting any mistakes that were pointed out by their ''mentors''.


    Comparative to Chance and Rob initially making it sound like they would be dodging and correcting them, it was much more accurate to say that Rob and Loki were forced to run from the pain than strike at a target.


    "Don''t close your eyes when you get hit."


    "Don''t step back every time I step forward."


    "You can hit me too you know."


    "Stop being scared."


    Apart from the sound of fists on skin and leather, these comments constantly rang through the room as the twins were given a proper education.


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    "Let me hit you once!" Rykar shouted when there was just ten minutes left of the ceasefire.


    "Haha, this isn''t how it works. You won''t learn anything from freebees and cheap shots. Believe me, you''ll thank me later." Chance promised while chopping the kid on his cheek.


    "Well, I think it''s about time to call it. The ceasefire is just about over, just enough time for us to ''treat your wounds'' before we get back to our studies.


    "It''s cool, it''s just a couple bruises." Loki brushed it off. Still annoyed at having taken such a one sided beating, he refused to show any of the aches he was currently experiencing.


    "Not a chance, your lip is bleeding! Can''t let you go out like this or it till look like we''re into child abuse." Rob declined while shaking the red can with a grin.


    "I said I''m good." Loki didn''t plan on giving in but when he saw Chance and Rob advancing on him while Rykar tried his best to slide into the back room unnoticed, he knew he was already screwed. "I swear, if you touch me I''ll cut you in your sleep."


    Despite it not working, he continued threatening them while retreating but after half a dozen steps, his back struck the door to the room. With the route of escape presented to him, he wasted no time before spinning on his heels and snatching the handle.


    "Hehe, where you going so fast, aye?" He didn''t even have time to twist before Chance''s demonic whisper sounded out, directly into his ear. "There''s nothing to be scared of, you''ll barely feel a thing."


    Rykar watched on from a crack in the door as sweat began to form on his back. Despite Loki''s struggling, Chance and Rob easily stripped him down to his underwear before taking a canister each in their free hand. What was revealed was a body covered in bruises and scrapes, however, this wasn''t the case for long, as he soon had a thin film covering the majority of his body.


    Despite His stubborn nature, Loki wasn''t able to stop himself from thrashing around as an itchy and burning sensation filled his mind. His skin felt like it literally began to crawl as the stagnant blood and damaged skin began to visibly scab over. Although he didn''t cry out, his hands and legs spasmed while trying to break out of the grip of the two demons kneeling at his head and feet.


    Three minutes later, Loki lay on the ground devoid of any energy. Surrounding him was a pool of sweat, formed while his body attempted to relieve some of the heat caused by his crazy struggle.


    "Damn that was a hell of a workout." Rob signed as he let go of the wrists he was holding onto.


    Rob was still hidden in the room, peeking out of the crack while praying that Loki had preoccupied them long enough to make them forget about him.


    Sadly, his hopes were crushed as The two demons looked in his direction with shining eyes. He nearly spat his heart out of his mouth when they locked eyes through the narrow opening.


    . . .


    After tormenting them with the red spray, neither twin had the energy to even sit up and read the book alongside Chance, so they simply sat with their backs against the wall as they listened to him narrating the contents with their eyes closed. Despite the lack of exciting content of the stories they had a preference over, they were still amazed and left with wondrous feelings as their imaginations ran wild while Chance recited historical texts and descriptions of the races that they had thought to be nothing but fantasy.


    Titans, beasts that were as big as mountains, destroying everything in their wake.


    Elves, royalty of nature which harmonized the ecosystems of entire planets full of greenery while being associated with various arts and beauty.


    Vampires, creatures of death and silence. Preying on the young and weak while fleeing from those that pose danger to them.


    Dwarves, masters of engineering and architecture¡­


    Fairies, the lords of forestry and rearing fauna¡­


    Dragons, hoarders of anything valuable¡­


    Harpies¡­ Centaurs¡­ Goblins¡­ Sirens¡­


    The list went on extensively. It wasn''t long before they branched off from mythical beasts and began to go into the different variations in the human race, which seemed just as mind boggling a task to wrap their head around as it was to grasp any of the rest.


    It was just like this that the next three months passed by.


    Before the first month even passed, there were practically no words that Chance or Rob were able to show either of the twins without them being able to recognize them. The reading preferances of the twins gradually changed too. First, they were fanatic about the stories portraying heroes and different mysterious but eventually, rather than focusing on the heroes, they began to look at the setting of the places and the actual characters and monsters used. While reading a story, they would often have five or six other books to hand, which they would use to look up the monsters and environments which the stories actually took place in.


    While this gave the stories much more of a background, it also annoyed the twins to great lengths when they found inconstancies between the stories and the actual reality of the monsters or settings. It began to dull their desired to reading these and want to find these places to experience them for themselves.


    The change in genre of their reading was, however, a minor detail when compared to other aspects. One of which being their combat capabilities which had sky rocketed. Much to the distress of Rob and Chance, they actually shared a mutual understanding after the end of the first month, beginning to hold back in their advice giving to the twins.


    At first, their advice was a way of venting some of their superiority towards the boys but gradually, the only way they could slow down the progress of the twins was to hold back on their words. The advice itself was fine, the problem was that after correcting on of their mistakes, they would practically never make that same mistake again.


    Their impeccable memories, along with their desire to absolutely destroy their older counterparts and use the red spray on them, had caused them to become relentless in their attacks. The use of the blue spray also made it that they didn''t really have to hold back in their blows. Half way through the second month, after both Rob and Chance begun to sustain mild injuries after each session, the boys were given another surprise.


    At the beginning of a particular sparring session, what greeted them wasn''t the barehanded Chance and Rob. Instead both of them were holding their daggers while their faces of shame were hidden from the view of the twins by their masks.


    The third drastic change was something much more simple yet mind boggling. The weights of the twins had increased rapidly.


    Especially Rykar.

 58 Lights Ou

    Due to mutual agreement, the timing for breakfast had been shifted to an hour before noon, along with the start of the ceasefire. The group had long since finished their meal and were lazing around the room seemingly in a stupor. A stupor filled with schemes towards the upcoming ''training'' session.


    Seeing the clock on the wall was now only two ticks away from striking midday, Rykar was the first to get up, followed by the others, as they took their positions on either side of the empty area. For the last three months, this space was used almost exclusively for their sparring sessions, which only became more intense by the day.


    Without fail, after each session, the twins were on the receiving end of the ''treatment'' spray which was supposed to ''cure'' their aches and pains. Although unwilling, they had already resigned themselves to their fates, now stripping themselves without the aid of others and standing stock still whenever it came to that fated moment. Towards the beginning, they had struggled with all their might, however, eventually they refused to allow Chance and Rob the satisfaction of seeing the discomfort it brought onto them.


    A minute before noon and all of their equipment was coated in a fine layer of the waterproofing spray. Clenching and unclenching his fists, Rykar performed some light stretches across from Loki who was now swiveling his akimbo daggers between his palms confidently.


    Seeing their seemingly relaxed attitude, Rob and chance felt sweat on their backs while they tried to warm themselves up. They didn''t know what, but compared to the usual atmosphere in the room, something was up. And with no time to prepare any countermeasures, they could only be on the receiving end.


    "Same rules as usual, or do you want to switch it up for a change?" Rob asked testily but was met with no answer as the twins continued watching the seconds hand of the clock tick away.


    Just under the clock was the board with the scores still tallied up. The twins were still even as of now, while still nowhere even close to that of Chance and Rob. However, the discrepancy was no long as obvious as before. Breaking a thousand, Chance was well in the lead due to his continued sneak attacks and obvious dominance in the beginning, but this soon reached a plateau.


    Rob was obviously in third place with six hundred points, while Rykar and Loki had actually drawn very close with 470 and 458 respectively. Over the months, their styles had developed in completely different directions, showing superiority in different situations. While Rykar was very suited to prolonged fights and direct confrontations, Loki gained the majority of his attacks from well times strikes which were usually followed by a swift retreat.


    Looking over to Chance at his side, he was unsure as to what he should do. Usually he would step in and close the distance but, over the last month, he was gradually becoming unwilling to stand anywhere close to Loki for obvious reasons.


    Without any more time to think up a contingency¡­


    *Dong*


    The sound of a bell rang through from the open window. Not only did the tone destroy the silence but also the stillness of the room. Loki bent his knees, remaining in a slightly crouched and springy posture as he inched forward with his daggers still jumping in his grasp at irregular intervals. Despite Loki''s slow and deliberate footwork, all Rob could concentrate on were the dancing daggers which drew on his natural responses due to the sudden movements.


    The slow advance on Rob''s side was nothing like the events of the other side of the arena. Just like usual, Rykar had gone straight for him, closing the distance and sticking close to him to the point of being completely uncomfortable.


    Due to his smaller size, his ability to slide in and between Chance''s strikes made it that much different. He would stick close while attacking with anything that could be used, whether it be his head, shoulders, knees, toes, elbows, you name it.


    Attacks would come in at unpredictable angles and timings. The biggest challenge to overcome when it came to facing Rykar''s style of fighting, was the accumulation of pain over time. One finger jab in the ribs or chest was a nuisance which stung, but could be brushed off. However, six jabs in the same area? Oh, now that''s a whole other kettle of fish.


    Honestly, if not for the waterproofing spray which blunted not only his fingers and toes, but the sharp spikes on his elbows and knees, Chance would most likely resemble something along the lines of a beehive.


    Not to mention, this intensity would continue until he was either restrained or defeated. He seemed to be like a nuclear reactor, possessing unlimited energy until the final moment where his engines totally stopped. It was like there was no concept of ''tired'', only on and off.


    The be ''spars'' with Rykar were literally all out brawls and after nearly three months, he was getting good at taking a beating. It was a competition of who could tenderize who the best. And despite winning, Chance was definitely tender. Instead of the joy he felt at the beginning, these spars began to fill him with dread but despite trying to bargain with Rob, he refused to trade sparring partners.


    At one point, he even resorted to asking Rykar if he wanted to switch partners to try something new, only for a vehement refusal. Rykar was totally and utterly driven to overcome him before moving onto anything else.


    With only three days left to the auction, this was as good a time as he was going to get. Waking up, having slept with his back against a wall as usual, he had spent the entire morning going over all the experience had acquired over these months, hyping himself up from the very crack of dawn.


    While Chance was taking his tenderizing session, Loki and Rob were still in a stalemate. The complete opposite of Rykar, Loki''s style was comprised of hit and run tactics, using feints and misdirection to strike soft and or vital spots with precision each time. Each movement was efficient and clean, everything slotted into place with its own purpose in his game plan.


    If Rykar''s style was like a bull in a china shop, Loki''s was more comparable to being sat down in front of a chess board. Rob would always come out in a better situation than Loki would, but that''s totally due to the layer coating his daggers. In the recent half a month, if it had been an unrestricted blade, he would have had his vitals hit and bled out, if not having died instantly, many times over.


    . . .


    Five minutes into their brutal battle, both Rykar and Chance were covered in bruises and sweating profusely. Behind their masks, neither were able to read their opponent''s expression or gather a reading on how fatigued they actually were. This sense of unknowing caused Chance to slip into a bottomless pit, feeling his energy slip away faster every second.


    Struggling to hold on, he was head butted in his chest, causing him to stumble backwards a step while Rykar stuck to him tightly. He didn''t even have time to completely regain his footing before an elbow shot towards his face from his bottom left. With no other options, he tilted his head upwards, taking advantage of the height difference to escape Rykar''s reach.


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    With the Elbow trailing under his chin, Rykar''s arm suddenly extended before retracing its path, latching firmly onto Chance''s head before cementing its grip with a handful of head. Pupils dilated in panic, Chance had no way of escaping when Rykar took a light jump, leveraging his opponents head in order to elevate further while forcing him down.


    Feeling as though everything was moving in slow motion, Chance sighed in his mind as he saw Rykar''s eyes flash behind his mask as he curled his core in on itself, dragging his knee up to meet the side of his face.


    ''Is this son of a bitch is trying to kill me?'' Was Chance''s last thought before his lights were turned out. Thoroughly.


    . . .


    While Chance and Rykar were getting up close and intimate on the other side, Loki and Rob had already completed multiple exchanges themselves. Rob found it too difficult to engage on Loki for any extended periods of time due to his fast strikes which would fill his heart with alarm.


    Trying to put an end to his hit and run tactic, Rob began to use the rest of the room as a ring at one point, forcing Loki into a corner and locking him down finally! Who would have thought that Loki would take a mere spar seriously enough to attack with full force on his crown jewels? With no option left but to dodge, Loki used the chance to dive and roll out from the corner before once again initiating his frustratingly effective tactic. Each exchange wouldn''t last more than three of four moves, after that, whether or not he landed a solid blow, he would move backwards.


    While Rykar and Chance were both sweating from their furious exchange, It was only Rob who was drenched in this match up. Sweating and panting, he cursed at Loki before diving in hoping to somehow grapple him to the ground.


    Within the range of Rob''s closing arms, Loki didn''t move to evade, instead pushing his daggers forward simultaneously, striking at Rob''s armpit and pelvis. Whether or not these would be clean strikes, he knew he would regret it for a long time if he continued. Forcing himself to roll of his left leg, Rob swirled around the blades but was once again at the same distance from his target as he was initially.


    "Fuck!" He finally swore in between a breath. Unable to think of another way out of the situation, he decided he would go all or nothing. At the end of the day, as long as he doesn''t lose, everything was fine. If he was hurt too badly tomorrow, then that would only give him an excuse to postpone any other matches for the foreseeable future.


    Taking a forceful step forward, he planned to drive Loki into a corner once again but was astonished to find that instead of maintaining the same distance, Loki took a step to his left before both blades flashed. Assuming a backhanded grip, he lunged forward at a low angle, striking level with Robs thigh.


    Similar to Chance, dealing with the height difference was once fun but now it was nothing but detrimental. Crouching down and lowering his blades to block the strike, he literally lost his mind as he watched Loki''s daggers swerve into the ground around half a metre in front of him.


    With his eyes focused so intently on the odd movements of Loki''s daggers, he didn''t have time to comprehend the change in Loki''s body movements.


    It wasn''t simply the two daggers that had rotated downwards and his strike gone off target. Loki''s entire body was now airborne as he performed a summersault fueled by the momentum of the initial lunge. The blades which were initially moving forward were then replaced by his feet as he reached 180 degrees, which gradually increased in size and definition as they honed in on Rob''s face.


    It wasn''t even fifteen minutes past noon when the same thought was repeated once again.


    ''Is this son of a bitch trying to kill me?'' Lights out.

 59 Recognition

    Unfortunately, due to the agreement on the ceasefire, even though the points were there for the taking, Loki and Rykar could do nothing to elevate their scores using their defenseless victims. However, this didn''t stop them in the slightest when it came to binding up the pair, taking their sweet time to make sure they were fully conscious yet unable to escape when the healing spray was applied.


    With the opposing party finally tied up, Rykar fell to the ground panting heavily, with Loki only faring slightly better, able to make it to a chair before releasing all his weight at once. Lazing across from each other, they both entered meditation in a bid to calm themselves while speeding up their recovery.


    The air in the room began to follow a shallow current as a breeze drifted in the direction of the boy''s respective positions.


    Over the last two months, despite not managing to make much progress, Loki was constantly thinking about the first stage of the technique which had been drawn out. How could it be possible to get a tornado elongated enough, while also getting it to spin around him? He tried all the methods he could think of, yet it bore no results. Honestly, he was sure that should have found the method within, at least, one of his previous attempts, yet it was as though there was something obvious which was lacking as the base. Like trying to power an engine with water. His only assumption was that this missing element must be explained somewhere within the written notes they were unable to translate.


    On the other side, Rykar had achieved similar results due to his lack of ''research materials''. The bodies that were in the central space had all but completely decomposed, and with this, the energy flow he could feel had reduced accordingly. The other foods he has left out had also rotted down and formed a layer of compost on the ground.


    While these foodstuffs had also released a stream of energy towards the core, it was nowhere near as plentiful and the only conclusion Rykar could come to, was a difference in freshness. Without being able to leave the tower, he could only wait patiently, holing up his desire to add to the collection.


    He had thought of asking Chance and Rob to go out and get more research materials, but felt that they may easily tie the experiments to the bodies of their friends, thus asking for them back, which was something he was completely unwilling to do at this point.


    Just from the plethora of foodstuffs and the three bodies, the ground had gone from a dried out clump of dirt, to what now seemed like a large clump of soil. The cracks in the ground had softened down a lot, despite there still being off traces, and the moisture in the ground had obviously increased.


    The essence plants had taken root and were on the receiving end of the energy being stored within the core, slowly draining what had been stockpiled. With the feeling of there being a supply of energy previously, Rykar now felt a sense of unease, thinking that the progress that had been made, would soon begin the process of reversing itself.


    "What the hell is with you two?! The way you fight is cheating!" Judging from the shouting, Rob was the first to awaken.


    "But did we win?" Brought back to his senses along with Rykar, Loki asked while still seated on the chair.


    "That''s not the point. Take these damn things off me. This is meant to be training, not a death match."


    "But did we win?"


    "And where are my clothes? I didn''t realise we were raising two little perverts!"


    "But did we win?" Loki stuck to the same line as Rob continued to squirm across the ground, soon causing Chance to wake up in a daze.


    "Man, just be quiet. Hurry up and get it over with, I know you didn''t strip and tie us just to let us go." Chance only took a second to understand the situation and take the easiest way out. Either way, he was sure that any other way of leaving the bindings would be via extortionate means, which would have been completely un-worth avoiding this bit of discomfort for.


    By this point, it wasn''t the burning, itching, stinging discomfort which was the most annoying thing about the spray. Those things were just after effects.


    The real thing that the spray represented was shame and the fact they had lost. It was wordlessly reminding them that they were beaten down over and over again, to the point that it almost became an obsession for them to overturn the winning streak of Chance and Rob at least once before they left the library.


    The event itself only lasted a few minutes as the two on the ground shivered, unable to hold back the


    Urge to scratch themselves all over, yet not willing to reveal their discomfort to the twins. Even behind their masks, they kept nonchalant faces just in case the twins packed up anything from the looks in their eyes.


    Even when unbound and clothed, the two didn''t initiate any conversation as the group read in silence.


    It wasn''t until dinner that Chance made a recovery, asking a question which they had all but forgotten about up to this point. "Loki, what are the differences between mine and Rob''s contracts?"


    "Nothing much really? You both agreed not to do anything with the intend to maliciously harm us or each other and that we would be like brothers."


    "Mhm. Rob, what colour are my eyes?" Chance asked while raising his eyes to allow his iris''s to be seen more easily.


    "What do you mean? Their still brown like before, no?" Rob hesitated as he answered, confused by the sudden question while the twins tilted their heads in wonder.


    After the case with Chance, the twins were so used to seeing him with his eyes being one red and one brown, that they forgot it was any different when they had first met. Chance himself had forgotten all about the anomaly that had popped up also. Even when seeing himself in a mirror, he was able to see his red eye, so it wasn''t something isolated to only the twins.


    "Loki, read it again and go over it more carefully. You need to see if the words used are the same." Chance insisted while slowing his pace of eating while he anticipated the reply.


    "You''re right¡­ I get it!" Loki gasped before looking between Rob and Chance. "Chance''s contract states that he will be recognized as a brother but Rob''s says that we will treat him as one."


    "And what is the easiest and most commonly used way or recognizing something?" Chance added with a smile.


    "By looking at it¡­"


    Realization dawned on the three while Rob''s face was still twisted in confusion. "Are you guys done leaving me out or should I just leave you to it?" He asked while beginning to feel annoyed.


    "You''ll get it in a second. First we need to change your contract. It''ll be the same as before, just changing the phrasing of some of it. While we''re at it, we can actually make the changes that we talked about back in the old hideout.


    Not even five minutes later, Rob was in the background shouting out in amazement before switching to vehemently praising his good looks, brought on by his new heterochromatic eyes. Just like the other three in the room one eye glimmered red, as though liquid crystal was swirling within his iris.


    "You know that were the only ones that can see it right? Girls won''t be able to tell the difference, there goes your only hope of losing your virginity buddy."


    "What''s a virginity? And why do you want to lose it?" Loki asked the question which was on both his and Rykar''s mind after overhearing them bicker for a while.


    "Virginity¡­ is the first time you do something. But you need someone to help you usually. So you have to find someone to do it with¡­" Chance halted, thinking for a while before giving a strangely worded description which still left them confused.


    "So you can''t do it if you don''t have someone else to help? Why can''t you do it on your own? I don''t get it, what do you have to do and why?" Both Rykar and Loki began to assault him with questions, trying to fill in the gaps in his poor excuse for an explanation.


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    "Oh, if you could lose it by yourself then he would have list his virginity to his hand a very long time ago." Chance burst into laughter while Rob glared at him. "There''s no shame in paying your way if no one likes you bro. It''s not your fault you''ve got a face like a mashed potato."


    "Pay? Why would I pay. I''m just waiting for the right one."


    "Yeah, sure you are."

 60 Surprises

    The next three days passed without any mishaps. Since entering the Library, apart from a few rare occasions where Chance had to slip out, they had succeeded in isolating themselves and avoiding unwanted attention.


    Initially while leaving, Rykar had ben excited at the thought of pocketing as many of the books as possible. However, this idea was quickly thrown out the window as Chance berated him for it. With all books having had an inventory taken, it would do no good to have even their backup identities on a wanted list for something as petty as a few books they had already read. Much less to go down and take them directly from the shelves under the eyes of the librarians which always accompanied them.


    Too much risk and not enough reward. If he wanted a few of the books so badly, he could always simply buy them, but by then Rykar''s desire had faded as he stored the rest of his belongings before making his way over to the others at the door.


    On the way, the only thing left to be placed within his storage was the board which had recorded their weights and scores. Looking at the progression, from start to finish, even he was surprised by the numbers whenever he saw them.


    Beginning their secluded studies, Rykar was at a weight of 101kg. While he was already nearing three times the weight of a standard child around his weight, he was actually eating three times the amount as Chance and Rob before feeling satisfied at each meal.


    Over the stay, this also gradually increased. By the current date, Rykar alone was eating five adult portions of food at each meal. Due to it being a gradual progression and that they ate meals together buffet style, none of the group actually noticed anything until they witnessed him destroy the majority of a meal by himself while they were engrossed in studies.


    The end of the first month brought an increase of over 30kg to his weight while Loki put on around three. This left him at 140kg in total with only slight changes to his size, he hadn''t even increased massively in height, only growing around 3cm.


    The second month, the speed at which he gained weight increased once again, reaching over 190kg. This was an increase of 50kg, a third of his original weight, in only thirty days! This was also what tipped the scales of his spars with Chance. His brutal brawling style was a reflection of his increased endurance and stamina.


    Third month in, his rate of increase seemed to shallow out compared to previously. He still gained a mind boggling 60 Kg, but seeing that the increase wasn''t as steep as it had been before, they released a breath. It seemed he would at least hit a boundary at some point, rather than simply becoming as heavy as a mountain given enough time¡­ Right?


    Walking through the door at nearly 250kg, Rykar honestly didn''t feel much different than he had entered it three months ago. His movements were still similar to how it had been previously, despite dramatically stronger than he was in the past. Due to the proportional increase in both his strength and weight, he simply couldn''t feel it while manipulating his body.


    From the moment they shut the door to the study for the last time, it wasn''t even two hours later before the group of four were once again at the entrance to the auction house. Stepping into the all-white reception once again, they hadn''t been standing at the counter for even two minutes before James strolled over to them while led by an older man in similar attire.


    "It''s been too long!" he greeted them warmly, as though everything from the last encounter had been forgotten. "Your room as already been prepared, sorry for the business of the hall. If we had more notice, we could have welcomed you more privately."


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    "Its fine, lead the way." Once again, Chance took the lead but this time, he wasn''t doing anything that the twins couldn''t comprehend. Unlike blindly looking at his actions and mimicking as they had been before, they had already begun to think into things themselves, especially after reading so much into, not only stories, but also etiquette and people skills.


    Understand how and why certain language was used in certain situations had been something they were totally alien to previously. The basics of using tones and extending their previously limited vocabulary had broadened their horizons vastly, they were simply lacking real life practice and observation.


    The ''room'' James brought them to was more like a balcony than an enclosed space. Positioned at the edge of the circular shaped auction room, they had walls on three sides while the front was left open. There were also rooms to their left and right sides, continuing along the walls at an angle that made it difficult to see the habitants unless they were right at the edge looking out.


    "I''ll try my best not waste any time with trivialities. Due to not being able to contact you and determine the fine details of the sale, the auction house has managed these things in your place. Your items will be sold in the mid-section of the auction. They''ll be sold case by case rather than as a singular lot."


    "Why?" Loki asked.


    Initially surprised by the immature sounding voice, James explained patiently without even a hint of a condescending tone. "By selling in smaller portions, multiple buyers can be targeted. Instead of simply selling to one buyer which is willing to pay the most, we will be able to get the highest price from multiple people.


    "Without publicizing how many cases there are, it also builds tension. Anxious buyers spend more than calm ones." Finishing his explanation, he paused to see if there was a continuation to the questions. Receiving none, he continued.


    "I will be your clerk for the duration of the auction, so feel free to ask me for any refreshments or information you feel is necessary."


    "Do you have an itinerary available?" Chance asked. Upon confirmation, he requested a copy for each of them.


    While handing them the leaflets, James didn''t forget to add. "There are always items in the auction which are not advertised openly, for a variety of reasons. There are always at least a few surprises every three months."


    Looking through the itinerary, the group was quickly able to confirm this when they saw their only lot being advertised. Despite being sold by the case, they were only noted down as ''Essence fruit'' within the leaflet, which would most likely surprise those expecting them to be sold in a small quantity or singularly.


    "Why keep it discrete? It makes sense that it would be harder to get sales due to people not bringing enough money for what comes up unexpectedly." Loki asked again, the business side of the auction house was beginning to interest him.


    "Good question young man. But you don''t have to worry, most of the clients here are aware of this by now. However, if you find yourself short, there are a plethora of low interest loans and item exchange policies available within the auction house for those finding themselves unprepared." He smiled ''sincerely'' at the group.


    As soon as he started talking about loans and policies, Rykar and Loki were reminded of a book they read the previous month about the scheming methods of devils and businessmen.


    "No need." Loki ended the conversation and returned to silence once again, waiting for the auction to begin.

 61 Mischief & Ragnarok

    The auction was a boring affair for the twins. Lot after lot took their positions on the central podium of the stage, most of which being jewellery, clothing, weaponry or antiques of dubious origins. The quality of the items was always guaranteed, but the origins were conveniently glossed over during the lengthy descriptions given.


    The only thing to distract them was James'' voice which chimed in on occasion. Despite having said that he wouldn''t disturb them at first, after his short conversation with Loki, he began to redouble his efforts to become more familiar with the group.


    Many of the things he said weren''t actually intended to spark up conversation, simply explain some of the commonplace rules and habits of the auction house as though he was commentating to no one in particular. Seeing the slight movements which were betraying the fact that Rykar and Loki were actually paying attention to his monologue, he often changed the direction of the topic he was on depending on something as small as a little nod or a slight tilt of one of their heads.


    Just seeing his actions, Chance and Rob raised their vigilance against him due to the skill he was revealing in reading the twins reactions. Judging what, when and how to say something solely based on the subtle body language of masked and cloaked people was a feat in and of itself. Even if this was made easier due to the targets age and inexperience.


    "Do you want to make a deal, James?" Taking advantage of one of his pauses, Loki took the initiative to propose a contract he had been mulling over for the last few minutes.


    "Deal?" James asked while looking at the two taller figures. He was happy at first, having established contact, but this would be for naught if the deal proposed was something which was not also agreed upon by the two which seemed to be the actual shot callers.


    "Of course, I''d love to¡­ Depending on the conditions of course." He finished while laughing it off.


    "You can ask me anything you want. But, you only get one question and you have to forget the answer when you leave this room." Loki spoke slowly, thinking about any loops within his conditions before continuing. "In return, as long as we are your customers, everything you do will be in our best interest, deal?"


    Going over the deal in his head for a moment, James looked over to Chance before stating his reply. The difference between this being a deal between a child, and a serious request where he could ask something more invasive, rested on whether he had the approval of the head of the group.


    The booth was quiet aside from the auctioneer now introducing the latest item. Being sold off this time was a set of thirty swords, all uniform and clean of any crests, marks or insignias. This was commonplace in the underground markets. The creation and sale of weapons was restricted to licensed brokers which would not only have to pay yearly for the right to sell, but also pay an extra sum as tax on wares sold. To back source weapons on the mainstream market, a makers'' mark would be placed on the merchandise.


    This didn''t simply aid in profits for the governing bodies, though. The makers'' marks also served as a quality check on any merchandise, thoroughly elevating the asking price depending on popularity and a variety of other factors.


    For the first time since the auction began, Chance tore his eyes off the stage, looking between Loki and James a few times. Beneath his mask, his eyes darted towards a set of dancing red symbols which were held in Loki''s hand before he nodded, turning his head back to the stage without saying a word.


    With the confirmation he needed, James immediately sealed the deal with Loki, who pulled his now empty hand from the far side of his seat, which had been obscuring James view.


    For a moment, Loki just sat there in a daze, looking at his hand as though it wasn''t even his. He flipped it while looking at the back and front, only sobering up when Rykar nudged him from the side after feeling the oddness of his brother.


    "Err, yeah. I mean, what''s your question?" Despite the nudge helping to pull him back slightly, his mind obviously wasn''t in the moment.


    "Ah, of course. But, do you need any water? We also have a variety of teas available which help sickness or nausea¡­" Concern was evident in James'' voice as he looked between the twins.


    "No, I''m good."


    "I see. Well my question is only a simple one. All this time, we haven''t been properly acquainted. As you already know, my name is James, therefore I''d like to know the names and faces of those within your group."


    "Fine. I''m Loki." He introduced himself before pointing towards the others in turn. "This is Rykar, Rob and Chance."


    "Loki, you were named after the God of mischief?" Seemingly unfazed by their identities, he asked about the origins of Loki''s name before looking over at Rykar. "I could be mistaken but ''Rykar'' sounds as though it''s been derived from the Great Ragnarok, although vaguely."


    Hearing the possible origins of their names, the twins were instantly intrigued, anticipating any follow up James might provide.


    "I can understand Chance, the demon and the smart being in the same place, however, ''Rob'' is a new name for me." Everyone in the room looked over at James simultaneously, ready to jump out of the seats at any point.


    "You''re already here to enjoy the auction, why be so tense now. Either way, we have much to talk about seeing as you were able to smuggle such a large amount of essence fruit from under my brother''s nose. Even for me, I have to say that''s an accomplishment in and of itself."


    "Anyhow, the guards are just outside, I''ll have to ask you to excuse me while I call them in." Everything James had said seemed to have been said to a good friend of his while sitting around a table of snacks. His tone had no seriousness to it at all, completely ignoring the threatening vibe coming from the four in front of him.


    Turning slightly, keeping an eye on them while extending his hand back, he grasped the handle of the door and twisted.


    Just as the door opened enough for him to slide out if needed, he called out lightly without intending to leave the room. "Guar-"


    Four masked figures leapt to their feet at once, but they hadn''t even taken a step from their original positions before they once again returned to their feet and continued watching the auction as though nothing happened.


    Their movements truly resembled a jack-in-a-box. Jump scaring the unassuming victim before returning to their original positions.


    In the time between them standing up and sitting down, James had already been scared witless, literally throwing himself through the crack in the door head first. Due to catching his shirt on the handle, his cuff, along with his blazer, had been torn all the way to his elbow on the way out.


    From the other side, the clamor of a few people could be heard as they checked on his condition. Not even five seconds passed before four guards rushed into the room looking down at the four seated figures with their weapons drawn.


    "Stand up and place your hands in front of you, you''ll be apprehended until further notice." The first one to enter the room said in a stern voice.


    "Why?" Chance asked in a suspicious yet impatient tone.


    Before the guard could continue, James rushed back into the room completely flustered. "What do you think you''re doing in here? Get out. Leave us."


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    "But Sir, you-"


    "I won''t repeat myself." Being questioned by the guard obviously helped to bring him back to his senses sooner.


    "Is this how your establishment runs thing? Apprehending clients whenever someone trips over?" Rob mocked from the side while they watched the guards leave.


    "Not at all, not at all. My apologies for the misunderstanding, some of the more newly trained guards are simply too impetuous at times. A small disturbance can be enough to make them want to establish the safety of all present." He sighed while shaking his head, doing his best to pass it all off off as a guard''s overprotective behavior.


    "Safety? What happened?" Loki asked while looking down at James'' sleeve. "That''s from when you went for the tea?"


    "Tea?"


    "you noticed I haven''t been feeling well, you said there was a tea which was specifically good for nausea."


    "Ah, of course! Just a moment, I''ll inform someone to bring it over."


    "No need, I''m not thirsty anymore."


    "Ah I see." Losing his chance to cater towards Loki, the closest thing he found to a conversation, made him feel dejected for a moment. With the tea being supplied, James hoped that he would have had a further chance to pry into Loki''s appearance when he took the opportunity to take a sip. Too bad the guards had ruined the mood¡­


    "Do you like reading?" Rykar asked.


    Hearing another immature sounding voice, James wasn''t surprised in the slightest due to them being a similar stature. "Yes, in fact I do. I''m a firm believer that knowledge is wealth."


    "Have you come across Ragnarok before?"


    "Mhm, and the God of Mischief." Loki added in, unwilling to let his brother wrestle the conversation from him.


    "Ah, these are two very different subjects. However yes, I was once very intrigued in the subject of mythology! The god of Mischief is known as Loki, while Ragnarok is hailed as the great destruction, bringing ruin to all. Whether it be gods, mortals or the sea of stars itself, they were all ravaged by the great calamity."

 62 Now You Do

    The auction carried on without a pause. The auctioneers voice hadn''t fluctuated in the slightest as he introduced the follow items. After the first, there were quite a few runic weapons which followed in succession.


    A wide variety of items had been enchanted, all noticeable by the symbols which glinted on their surfaces. With their newfound wealth, Rykar was tempted multiple times to start throwing his money around but was quickly stopped by Loki. Recovering from his earlier daze, he quickly highlighted small issues with many of the items qualities and even their suitability towards his brother.


    Oftentimes, the enhancements of the weapons would cause its qualities to lean it in one direction while neglecting another. The first sword which had belonged, now deceased, man''s deceased father was probable the most well rounded weapon so far. Much to the intrigue of the other three in the room, Rykar and Loki''s conversation had actually demonstrated an astounding capability to think outside the box, especially when compared to their ages.


    "The next item is a short bow which has been augmented to fire silently. Even when used as a melee weapon, movement through wind will not cause it to emit any sound. The weapon is ideal for ambushes, along with it''s sturdy body being able to support close combat to some extent."


    As the auctioneer announced the next item, Loki and Rykar looked at each other before continuing their game.  "As the only genius in the room, obviously I know what''s wrong with it. Do you want to go first or me?" Rykar said in a low voice. Despite being in the room with others listening, due to being carried away with the mini competition they had been playing, he all but forgot about their presences.


    "I did the last one, go ahead." Loki didn''t pay any attention to his cocky attitude.


    "Mhm, if you don''t know then just say. There''s no shame in admitting your flaws." Rykar tried to get a rise out of Loki, as usual, but failed as his comment didn''t even receive a response. "Bows come with arrows. Even if the bow doesn''t make any noise, soon after the arrow is let loose, you''ll know the direction its coming from. So if you miss the first shot, you''ll still be caught."


    After Rykar''s proud reply, Loki nodded in approval before adding, "Yeah, that''s one thing, what about the second?" He didn''t even have to see Rykar''s face to know that his brother was eyeing him suspiciously.


    "What second point? Even if there is one, it''s not the main one."


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    "It''s a pretty big one though. The bow was made to be ridged so that it can be used up close but that also means that it doesn''t bend in a way that bows are usually meant to. So it''s harder to use for most people, you would need to put in a lot more strength to use it properly." Loki said plainly.


    "And what are you meant to be all of a sudden? A bow maker?"


    "Nah, I just read better books than you do."


    This statement only added onto Rykar''s regret of not robbing the library blind before they had departed for the auction. He almost salivated at the thought of hoarding all the books within his fragment and reading them without his brother.


    While off in his own world, they continued to watch the auction in silence. There weren''t any other ''surprises'' that ended as dramatically as with the sword, although there were many items which made them all want to bid now and then, they honestly felt reluctant to part with their fortune so soon after having gained it.


    The crowds began to rise from their seats below, making their way out of the hall in an orderly fashion without any signs of commotion.


    "Are we going to ascend tonight?" Still with his defenses down, Rykar asked the question excitedly.


    "Leaving so soon? James interjected without waiting for the reply to the question. "The auction is very hospitable to its guests, there''s no need to be in a rush to get back to whichever branch you''re from."


    "Branch?" Loki asked.


    "Branch of Grace." James corrected, feeling that his words had been taken out of context and therefore were misunderstood.


    After sitting for so long, the twins mind frames had softened considerably to when they had left the library. Without giving them a chance to reveal any more of the groups ignorance through their careless questions, Chance quickly stepped in.


    "I''m afraid we were delayed in our initial travels. Truth be told, we are already three months later than intended. The first set was supposed to be sold at this auction, yet we only just managed to deal with this batch." He took up a staunch stance, not leaving any way for them to stay while making it sound as though further partnerships were already set in stone.


    As such, James didn''t continue to hassle them in the least, even suggesting that the trio take the personal gate, privately connecting the nobles to the mainland, rather than leaving for the public teleportation array.


    The contract which Loki had established quickly made itself useful. In order to use the private array, people would still need to register with the party which was allowing them entry, in this case the auction house, in order to keep track of people and personnel where possible. However, there are always ways around things like this. This is also when the four became sure that James was anything but ''just another clerk''.


    If his cocky revelation of his familial ties to Sir wasn''t enough to go on, the ease at which he guaranteed their access to the teleportation array free of charge simply cemented this. It wasn''t long before they were standing within a large hall along with around twenty other individuals. Occasionally, another one or two people would enter the hall before getting into small groups of those apparently acquainted with each other.


    There were only two people within the hall that were actually standing on their own while seeming to have no intention of approaching anyone, yet this quickly changed when a third person seemed to materialize out of thin air, right in front of the group of five.


    Without welcoming anyone else, the ''new'' arrival smiled to Loki as though he had been reunited with a long lost friend before chuckling and offering his hand.


    As though looking at an idiot, everyone stared at the figure in front of them while sizing him up. He wore a similar getup almost everyone else in the room; a black cloak outfitted with black garments. Nothing really stood out, as with everyone else, aside from the mask adorning his face.


    The only reason they were able to tell that he had been smiling, was because he wasn''t actually wearing a full face mask like everyone else. Only the top half of his face was covered by the porcelain white mask, completely exposing his chin and a mouth full of pearly white teeth.


    His dark brown skin contrasted against his mask and teeth, causing the majority of attention to be drawn to them. Weirdly enough, it was incredibly difficult to actually focus on the young man. Without actively looking at him without diverting their attention, it was as though he disappeared from the spot, going unnoticed despite being just in front of them.


    Originally against the idea, Loki decided to take the man''s hand, shaking it firmly despite being of much smaller stature.


    "You can call me Marcel! To be honest, I didn''t expect to find another kindred spirit down here, aha" He laughed to himself once again. Without understanding what was going on or what was funny, the group could only look on awkwardly with their masks helping to hide the confusion on their faces.


    "Do we know you?" Chance stepped in while they were still performing their drawn out handshake.


    Despite his friendly attitude towards Loki, he didn''t even offer a glance, much less an explanation to Chance.


    "Do we know you?" Loki repeated, unsure of whether he would receive the same treatment from the odd character.


    "Well I guess you don''t, but were related through element right? That''s close enough, there aren''t many of us in the first place, much less down here. So what''s your conversion?" After asking he quickly back tracked, apologizing for the abrupt question.


    Loki didn''t mind the question and neither did he understand it, so he simply didn''t say anything, accepting the apology and putting it behind them until someone in the group could make sense of it.


    "Why didn''t you reply to him when he asked if we know you?" Loki asked straightforwardly.


    "I didn''t want to talk to him, so why would I reply?" Marcel asked quizzically.


    "Why come over to speak to us if you don''t want to talk to us?" We are a group, not one person.


    "No, I came over to talk to you, not a group."


    "Why would you do that? If you treat my brothers badly, why would I want to talk to you?"


    Thinking over the question for a moment, Marcel''s mouth opened slightly as though in sudden realization.


    "You''re right." He turned towards Chance. "Sorry about that, you guys don''t know me. Well, you didn''t, now you do."

 63 You Owe Me

    After the introductions with Marcel, the conversation didn''t really go any further, with him simply being contented to stand in proximity of their group like a fifth member.


    This point was also as far as James was able to accompany them before having to return to the auction house to deal with matters pertaining to the aftermath of the auction, settling accounts and other transactions. With him repeatedly encouraging them to return for the next auction in three months time.


    "Are you just going to follow us till we leave?" Rykar asked while looking back towards Marcel. Although it was difficult to notice his presence without actively looking for him, it was difficult for him to shake the feeling of having a stranger next to them. This was only escalated even further when he couldn''t see him, as though he was being haunted.


    Seemingly having learned his lesson from his last attempt at conversation, Marcel no longer ignored the rest of Loki''s party. "It''s not really following, were all going to be exiting together either way. I''m just standing a bit closer to you guys than the others." He shrugged while walking over to Loki''s side.


    "Then why can''t I see you sometimes?" Rykar followed up by switching topic while squinting in his direction.


    "You''re just not looking hard enough."


    "Then why can I see everyone else?"


    "Can you see the girl in the corner?"


    "What?" Rykar, and the rest of the group, turned to the corner of the hall that Marcel had nodded towards. "There''s no one in the corner."


    "Point proven."


    Annoyed at his attitude, Rykar split from the group and marched in the direction of the corner. It didn''t take long for him to reach the corner which wasn''t fully illuminated by the sun stones yet visibility was anything but low due to the rest of the hall being brightly lit.


    Even up close, there was nothing there. Rykar began to squint his eyes in a similar way in which he had done in order to lock onto Marcel''s position while inspecting the space inch by inch. Gradually, a thin shadow seemed to come to light, standing out very slightly in comparison to the rest of the wall. It looked like there was a shimmer of smoky water across a small section.


    Curiosity gripped him.


    From their initial positions, the other three watched Rykar walk over to the corner of the room before slowly stretching out his arm as though he was trying to pull away a veil.


    "You know your friend might die, right??" Marcel asked while looking incredulously at Rykar''s suicidal actions.


    "What?"


    "Would you stick your hand into a bear''s mouth?" He paused. "No? Didn''t think so."


    Without explaining anything else, he just let them put the dots together themselves. It only took around two seconds before they all shouted simultaneously while drawing the attention of nearly everyone in the room onto themselves."


    "Rykar!"


    Too late. Just before they managed to get the shout out, Rykar had finally felt something solid to touch. Rather than feeling whatever it was on his fingers, instead he felt it clasp around his wrist like a soft yet firm grasp. The feeling was the only think he could register before his senses were literally thrown into disarray as he sailed through the air.


    Flipping and turning without end, he reached nearly seven metres up before he began to descend once again. The intended collision with the ground caused everyone to wince, yet the colossal impact they were expecting didn''t come to pass. Standing under Rykar was Marcel, holding him in a lopsided princess carry which served to reveal that Rykar''s landing spot would have definitely been his head.


    After the sudden attack, everyone silenced themselves and their companions just in time to hear a careless voice address Rykar and Marcel.


    "Keep your hands and your pets to yourselves."


    There was no follow up after that, as the owner of the voice simply maintained her silence. Rykar was still too shaken up to retort, while Marcel seemed to have no interest in getting into a confrontation with her. He carried Rykar sloppily without having dropped his trademark grin for even a second.


    "Pretty heavy huh? You''re lucky. I''m pretty sure she planned on painting the ceiling with you." Marcel dropped Rykar while speaking in a way that was difficult to figure out if he was being serious or sarcastic.


    "She''d try to kill a child for just that?" Even Rob was a bit taken aback by the severity of her actions.


    "''Just for that'' for one person'' could mean everything for another. Besides, I''m pretty sure a big part of it is because she saw him with me."


    "You mean, saw you with us."


    "Doesn''t make a difference. What does matter though, is that he owes me." He said pointing down to Rykar, who was now shakily getting to his feet.


    "We don''t owe you a thing." Loki and Rob countered at the same time.


    "I didn''t say you owe me anything. I said he does." He then looked down at Rykar with his smile deepening. "How much do you want to bet that I could kill him before you could even say my name?"


    "What do you want from us?" Chance finally spoke up.


    First, he wasn''t really too concerned with how everything was going. Although Marcel seemed to have an odd character, that was the extent of it. However, after watching Rykar, who was near enough 300kg, be thrown into the air by an invisible figure and then caught by Marcel without even breaking a sweat, he felt like someone clutched his heart.


    "I just want to be friends!" Marcel laughed out loud while holding his chest, as though they had wronged him. "Well, to be friends and for him to join my guild." He added while pointing at Loki.


    "We''re already in one."


    "Oh really, which one?"


    "Does it matter?"


    "Not really, well we can just stay friends for now. And I''ll be taking this one with me later, he owes me after all." Marcel ruffled Rykar''s hair as though he was playing with his little brother.


    "Anyway, it''s almost time to go. As friends, we should all go up together!" He looked at the staff member that walked into the hall then he turned to Loki. "Happy? I''m involving everyone now?"


    It felt as though they had been taken hostage with only a few words having been said. However, even with the weird tension in the air, the playful nature of Marcel made it hard to take it seriously.


    Following the new attendant, they made their way out of the hall and through a long hallway before arriving at a lift which was easily at least ten times the size of the one they had come down. Even with around thirty people standing on the platform, there was still plenty of space to spare.


    Sunlight greeted them as they surfaced from the underground. Within a massive archway which served to protect the entrance from the elements, the platform carried the group of people to the ground level. Without even realizing the passing of time, it was already early morning after having spent the entire night at the auction.


    There were high walls all around them, sealing them into the area while also giving them an idea of exactly where they were. The elevator actually connected directly to the castles courtyard! Aside from defensive walls and the castle itself, the artistic paving of the pathways were framed with swaths of flowers and decorative statues of all shapes and sizes.


    There was even a network of small streams that wove between the spaces, complete with narrow bridges for easy crossing. Compared to the rest of the city, it felt like they were back within the fragment. The grey and browns that were so commonplace on the outside of these walls seemed completely artificial compared to the vibrancy before them.


    Even though everyone was still behind their masks, Chance''s group could tell that none of those present even spared the scenery a second glance before exiting the archway under the direction of the attendant.


    "Nice, but way too artificial. There''s no thought to it, besides whether it looks pretty or not." Marcel commented as he saw his new ''friends'' in a stupor, falling slightly behind the rest of the group.


    "Artificial? Are they fake?" Rykar asked suspiciously before plucking a delicate looking flower. Seeing it actually fall from the stalk, he quickly hid it in his pocket in case one of the staff caught him.


    "Not fake, but there is nothing like this in the wild. The most reliable thing is something that can function on its own. This place is just made to show off in front of guests or impress a date after a night out." He sighed while watching them check the flowers as they slowly continued down the path.


    "So you have a garden better than this one?" Loki questioned.


    "Haha, do you think I''d be here if I could afford a garden like this, much less a better one?" Marcel laughed without shame. "I just don''t like show offs."


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    "Why are you here? To make friends?"


    "Haha actually, you''re not far from the truth. I guess you could say this is my punishment. And yes, I am here to make friends, you came along at the perfect time!"

 64 There Were Only Two

    After getting more used to the scenery, the group picked up their pace, gradually closing in on the larger group up ahead.


    "Look! There are puppies!" Rykar exclaimed while running over to a group of three black and brown puppies hidden together in the grass. While one of them stayed, slowly approaching Rykar out of curiosity, the rest of them disappeared into the bushes without missing a beat.


    "Hmm, compared to Bolt, they look like rats." Loki dint spare them a second glance as they began to cause bitter memories to resurface. Unlike Rykar, the rest of the group held no interest in the pups, while Marcel was only really intending to go wherever Loki went, so they quickly opened up a distance between them as they continued in the direction of the other group.


    "Hey there, are you lost? Are you hungry?" Looking around, Rykar made sure there was no one else in the vicinity before pulling out a small piece of dried meat from his fragment. Smelling it for a moment, the puppy made no further advances on the snack, simply looking up at the masked figure with round eyes and tilting its head questioningly.


    Mimicking its movement, Rykar''s head began to slant to the side as his eyes slightly lost focus while sinking into deliberation. After a moment, he lifted his mask slightly before throwing the piece of meat into his mouth. With his now empty hand, he began slowly reaching out towards the puppy at a rate that he hoped wouldn''t startle it.


    "Why are you guys walking so fast?'' Rykar called out as he jogged over to the other four.


    "If you want to waste time playing with rats, that''s up to you." Loki brushed him off without even looking back.


    "Wait!" A high-pitched voice came from behind before Rykar even managed to rejoin the others.


    Running up along with a middle-aged maid was a young girl with blonde hair and a white dress which was splattered with traces of mud and greenery all over. Struggling for dear life were two puppies which were dangling within her grasp. Each step she took caused them to bounce heavily, throwing them off balance while being rocked in her arms.


    Rykar, along with the others, paused as she approached.


    "Can we help you?" Chance stepped forward and asked. The question was more directed to the girl''s attendant than it was towards her, yet she didn''t give the woman a chance to speak before spewing incoherent phrases while still panting for breath.


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    "Kevin! You, puppies. He wasn''t two, three."


    After seeing the group up close, the girl had definitely lost the courage that had brought her this far. Saving her from herself, her attendant stepped forwards after taking a deep breath to similarly steady her breathing after chasing the young girl the entire way.


    "Sorry to disturb you all. The young Miss has lost one of her puppies, Kevin. While looking for them, the other two came from your direction so we were hoping you may have seen him." Despite being slightly flustered, the attendant was able to speak flawlessly while patting the young girl on the back to calm her down.


    The child surely wasn''t any older than seven years old and this was only more pronounced due to the way she seemed about to break into tears for only missing a puppy for a few minutes.


    "I saw the puppies a little while ago, but there were only two¡­ I wanted to stroke them, but they ran into the bushes." Rykar answered for Chance, coming forward to stand alongside him while scratching the back of his head through his hood.


    Looking at him from the back, Loki narrowed his eyes while staring suspiciously into the back of his brother''s head. Without saying anything, he waited for them to finish up their discussion before walking away after promising to inform someone if they caught sight of Kevin before they departed the castle.


    Unknowing whether the others also noticed something wrong or not, the group continued walking in silence. Under his cloak, Rykar''s shirt was already so slick with sweat that it was sticking to his torso like a second skin.


    Using the silence as an opportunity, Loki finally found the time to examine the strange feeling that had occurred back in the auction house when he had established the contract with James.


    The process was very similar to that of the other contracts he had formed in the past, but this one felt drastically different.


    It didn''t matter to who or what he made a contract with in the past, whether with another person or with Bolt, the wolf, he would be able to feel the presence of the contract via a sort of tether or link which connected them. This link would be as fine as a thread of silk, only really demonstrating the existence of the contract and nothing else.


    The change which had occurred this time, was that the silk thread that had been expected to form, was actually much thicker than any of those he had formed previously. Due to this increased thickness, it was like the functions of the thread had been magnified, allowing him to sense the subtle changes which he hadn''t been able to before.


    Instead of just function as a tether, he was able to feel a one-way flow of energy entering him through the thread. The amount of energy was miniscule in comparison to his own, barely even noticeable had he not been a stranger to the feeling, but it was there non the less.


    In the grand scheme of things, this meant nothing. However, it honestly served as a base mark as a way for Loki to increase his rate of storing energy outside of simply meditating! Thinking of Rykar''s cheat-like ability to eat and gain both strength and mass, it felt like he had been given a method of once again leveling the playing field.


    Now, he just needed to find a way of amassing more contracts while also understanding why he was gaining more energy from this contract than from the others he had established in the past.


    Woken up from his dreams of glory and destroying his brother, Loki found that they were once again with the main group and standing on the outside of a side circular platform which had colourful symbols literally dancing across its surface, similarly to how the tattoos had moved across his and his brothers arms previously.


    Without being fixed in place, the symbols swam, not only across the base of the platform, but also up the pillars which indicated the border of the array. In the fashion of a wall-less and roofless temple, the structure stood there majestically like a jewel in a sea of green.


    "The array is all set up and ready for immediate use, please make your way onto the platform." The attendant which lead them all this way ushered them onto the platform with a wave of his arm and a smile.


    Entranced by the symbols, aside from Marcel, the group kept staring at the dancing shapes even while making their way up the shallow steps and onto the platform. It was an extremely weird feeling but no matter how much they focused and tried to ingrain one of the symbols into their memory, as soon as they looked away, they would forget it immediately.


    This caused the colours and featured of each of the runes to become indistinct. When recalling the platform, it was simply a circular piece of stone with a few decorations. Nothing like the majestic platform which was glimmering in the morning sunlight with a variety of colours and shades reflecting off the surroundings.


    Although they were entranced by what they were seeing, they didn''t have much time to enjoy it before they felt a similar feeling to what they felt upon their previous exit to the fragment. The space around them twisted and rippled as though water within a storm before they felt themselves being stretched and bend out of shape.


    Before, it felt as though they had stepped through a liquid screen, but aside from the initial moment, this began to feel completely different. It was more like they were being stretched and thrown at great speeds, like an arrow being loosed from a bow.


    This feeling didn''t even feel like it lasted for a second before they came to. Lights surrounded them as though they were covered in a vibrant fog. All around them were buildings which climbed towards the sky while objects hung in the sky like balloons, decorating a ceiling like stars.


    Unfortunately, they didn''t have the liberty to enjoy the view before they were assaulted by the feeling that the world was crushing down on them to the extreme.


    The best way for them to compare what they were going through, was like an empty wrapper being squashed in on itself, deflating it while crushing the original contents. Rob was the first person to fall to the ground with his eyes rolling into the back of his head and blood streaming from his nose and ears.


    Next was Loki and Chance, but they were in much better condition than the former.


    Rykar lasted a few seconds longer, just enough to see marcel charging over to them from the side. For the first time since they met, his trademark smile wasn''t anywhere to be seen.

 65 Questions

    Walking up to the feeling of dramatically soft sheets and pillows, Loki sat up to find Rykar going through the same motions right next to him. Strewn atop the king-sized bed were also Chance and Rob, but they were still out cold with traces of blood around their facial openings, despite traces of it having been roughly wiped away.


    "AAAaaaahhhh!"


    Clutching their head in their hands, they both erupted into a string of roars as they struggled to keep hold of their senses through the blinding pain which was assaulting their heads. It literally felt like their sculls were being kneaded like an egg in the hands of a child. The sharpness only making them hope that their brain wasn''t seriously being impaled by their broken sculls.


    After what felt like forever, the pain started to regress, allowing them to think straight. It wasn''t like the pain slowly retreated either, on a scale of 10, if it was initially at 10/10 then, within thirty seconds, it had already faded down to a much more manageable 2/10.


    "What did that f*cker do to us?!" Rykar cursed under his breath while still holding his eyes shut, afraid that any dramatic visual changes at this point might bring back the nightmare he was just freed from. The darkness was a comfort, along with the fluffy sheets he was splayed across.


    "Talk about ungrateful, I didn''t do a thing. But one thing you guys definitely didn''t do, was your research." Marcel''s voice shocked Rykar awake. Rolling in the opposite direction from the voice, both twins did a messy reverse summersault off of the bed and used it as cover from the other side.


    "Firstly, do you think a bed would save you?" He laughed while shaking his head. "Secondly, if it weren''t for me, you guys would literally be lying in the middle of the transport hub right now. After a while day, is be surprised if you even had underwear left on you after the rats got at you."


    Thinking over the show of skill he had performed up to this moment, the twins really did feel that their actions were pointless. It was more the battle royale game they had played in the library which had them putting up their guard due to the sudden noise while they were in a drowsy state.


    Sitting on the bed with their legs crossed, Loki took the chance to ask what had been bothering him. "Why have you been after me since we met?"


    "Well it''s a long story. But let''s say I was down in that outpost as punishment, along with that girl you ''met'' earlier. I''m a part of a darkness oriented organization and I was given a deadline to recruit a new member with at least a decent amount of potential."


    "Why were you being punished?" Rykar interrupted but Marcel didn''t seem to mind.


    "Because her sister was being a bitch. I just happened to say it a little louder than the others."


    "So, they punished you just for getting into a fight?" Rykar wasn''t buying the vague description. Even Loki wanted to follow up and ask further but, in the end, he wasn''t as unreserved as his brother.


    "Well we fought, and a couple people died."


    "How many is a couple? So, you both had to bring people? Did she find someone to recruit too?"


    "She didn''t have to bring anyone."


    "Why didn''t she have to?"


    "Because she didn''t kill anyone."


    "Who did you kill? Why did you kill people, but she didn''t? Did you kill her sister?!"


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    "For a side character, you sure have a lot of questions huh?"


    "Why am I the side character?" Rykar was offended by the comment. Truthfully speaking, he felt as though he had one over his brother in many ways since they had entered the library and he began to gain mass like crazy. Even his ability was proving to be much more useful in many cases.


    "Because I said so." Finally, Marcel sighed and ignored any further questions from Rykar. Turning his head slightly to indicate he was looking at Loki, he continued. "The reason I want you to join is because your element leans towards darkness, which is actually a pretty uncommon thing in humans.


    "You don''t have to pretend, as soon as you passed out on this side of the array, it became obvious that you''ve never been off that planet before. With that being the case, there''s basically no way you know what I''m talking about, much less have a guild backing you.


    "Everyone has a certain element that they lean towards. This is caused by a lot of things; body type, conditions growing up, parents, personality and a bunch more that I don''t even know. At the end of the day, you might lean towards ice because you have a very calm and ridged way of thinking, or that very same person might instead lean towards metal due to the same reasons but different factors coming into play. Put basically, don''t ask me."


    He pulled out a device which looked like a silver piece of rectangular metal with a black display. On the screen were innumerable white dots scattered around like snow in a blizzard but there was an obvious cluster of them towards the centre.


    "This can detect energy that is affiliated with darkness. Truth be told, its not too accurate or reliable, but you definitely qualify for recruitment. Not only that, but you haven''t even entered Hell Forging yet, so its actually crazy for you to have this kind of a reaction unless your compatibility is naturally pretty high." He sighed and cocked his head. "If anything, I''m jealous. Just goes to show, you really can find treasure anywhere."


    "Why does it have to be darkness-based people that join?" Loki asked while thinking over what he had said. "Wouldn''t it be better to have a mix?"


    "It doesn''t always have to be. There are some guilds that are for anyone to join. But if you focus on one thing, you can become much better at it than you would if you tried to focus on everything. That''s also how larger organizations work a lot of the time. Its better to be great at one thing and cooperate with others, than to be ok at everything but have everyone else do things better than you." Sounding like a true scholar initially, he paused before adding. "Unless you''re rich, then you can do what you want.


    "So what''s your guild good at?"


    "The usual, collecting information and stuff. You''ll figure it out soon enough, up to you if you join or not afterwards." From the sounds of it, aside from forcing them to join him to the place, he wasn''t actually planning on forcing them to stay after they had heard what they needed to hear.


    Without any real choice in the first place, the boys agreed to go along with him, but only after the others woke up. It wasn''t much farther into the conversation that they actually became aware of the real reason they had fallen unconscious as soon as they had made it to this side of the array.


    Just like what was shown on Marcel''s detection device, but in a quantity more than 1000 times more concentrated, the world was filled with energy. The concentration of this energy played a huge role in the rank of a world, with it being many times an increase in density with each cataclysm.


    The event which had practically crippled them was actually very simple to explain. With the planet they had been on before not having even qualified as a world, the concentration of these energies was scares compared to that of this branch of Grace.


    With the simple rules of diffusion to go by, in order to balance the inside with the out, as natives to that environment, they had miniscule amounts of energy within themselves.


    It''s like placing a sponge in a room full of mist.


    With the sponge sitting in the room, even for extended periods of time, it would never fill with water, due. But if you put that same sponge in a bucket of water, it would immediately suck in all the water around it in order to create a balance between the inside and out.


    With their bodies acting as the sponge, the energy poured into them. Without being prepared and having a person or item to make the change more gradual, it was a violent event for their bodies to absorb enough energy to stabilize itself and form a balance with the the new surroundings.


    Passing out was already a light affair. Without Marcel or either of the twins knowing anything beyond basic first aid, it was left on Rob and Chance to recover from the experience on their own.


    "Why didn''t you take them to a hospital or something?"


    "Since when did they become my problem? I just need to bring back a candidate." Marcel chuckled.


    Loki and Rykar didn''t even get mad or annoyed at the comment. Truth be told, they would expect themselves to do the exact same thing in their position.


    "Oh, I have a question for a change." Drawing the twin''s attention away from their friends once again, he looked Rykar dead in the eyes as he asked. "So, what really happened to that puppy?"


    "Since when did that become my problem?" Rykar countered lazily, about to lay back on the bed.


    "Not too sure, but id guess just about around the time you got that bit of fur stuck in your glove." Marcel laughed again before walking forward and grabbing Rykar''s arm despite his protests, pulling off a small tuft of fur before calmly returning to his seat.


    "If you were in our guild, you''d at least be shown how how to make a dumb dog disappear without leaving traces all over yourself.

 66 Yousre Late

    "If I wanted to catch it, I could''ve. Do you see a dog here with me? No? Ok then." Dismissing the claims, Rykar was adamant that he didn''t know what happened to the dog. Without having it there with him, Marcel had no better clues as to what he could have done, besides harmed the dog and left it there.


    While Rykar as under the playful scrutiny of Marcel, Loki watched him from the side with a frown on his face. After spending all his life with his brother, there was no way he couldn''t tell that he was lying, whether he hid his face under his mask or not.


    "Stop getting so mad, kid. Its just a dog. I don''t care if you killed and ate it or if you just gave it a hair-cut." Marcel laughed when he saw Rykar getting more and more riled up. "I mean, I can''t say the same for your brother though¡­"


    With that last comment, Rykar turned to meet his brothers piercing gaze before turning silent for a moment.


    "How do you know were brothers?" Loki snapped to attention. The entire time they were in the underground, they hadn''t taken off their masks once, much less referred to each other as brothers. They still had their masks on at this point and were fully dressed, so he was skeptical about how marcel found out.


    "I had you guys carried here. Do you think it was hard to take off your masks them put them back on?" Marcel replied as though he was talking to an idiot. "Anyhow, enough wasting time. I''ll get some food brought up, eat your fill then were heading over to the guild."


    "We can go after they wake up." Rykar decided to be stubborn, not willing to isolate himself from Chance while in the presence of someone as weird as Marcel.


    "It wasn''t a choice." Marcel left the room while ignoring anything else that was said by the brats behind him.


    Closing the door, Marcel leaned his back against the wall slightly away from the door frame while casually inspecting a trolley of pastries and breakfast items. Picking one randomly and throwing it into his mouth, his eyes narrowed under his mask as he listened in on the conversation taking place behind the door.


    After seeing marcel leave the room and making sure that the door was shut tightly, Loki turned to his brother. "What did you do to the dog? Don''t lie."


    "I already told you."


    "You didn''t kill it, did you? First, in the fragment. Then, that woman. Now, just a random puppy that didn''t even do anything?! Why are you hurting everything? It''s just like dad and everyone else we''ve seen up till now!" By this point, Loki was practically shouting at his brother while trembling in suppressed anger, thoughts flashing over what they had encountered up until now.


    "I didn''t mean to." Rykar began in a soft voice. "I was only trying to pick it up but- but I forgot about my hands." He spread his fingers, showing the sharp joints and pointed fingers. "There was so much blood, I didn''t know what to do."


    Hearing him retell the story, Loki''s anger slowly dissipated after realizing that whatever happened was just an accident.


    "Where is the puppy?"


    "I- I hid it inside some bushes and put dirt on the blood"


    "Don''t worry ab-" Loki stopped mid-sentence as the door opened with Marcel dragging in a tray of food.


    "How did you get the food that fast?" Rykar asked questioningly as he tried to regain his composure.


    "I already had it ordered. Not everyone lacks preparation like your group haha."


    "How did you know when we would wake up?"


    "Secret."


    As they ate, they threw a few more questions at marcel but were only met with vague replies, provoking their curiosity and actually making them want to get to the guild even sooner.


    "What''s the name of your group anyway?" Rykar asked. In all of the books he had read, large groups and organizations always had cool or mysterious names which made him shiver while picturing them.


    "The Guild."


    "Yeah, organization, guild, same thing."


    "The Guild."


    "Yeah, I get it, I meant guild. So, what''s it called?"


    "The. Guild."


    "You mean, the guild is called The Guild?"


    "Yeah."


    "Wow...¡­"


    Walking through the city towards The Guild was almost a prefect repeat of their past experience of leaving the fragment. The only difference was that the guide was now Marcel rather than Chance, along with it being day instead of night.


    The city was at least ten times bigger than the ''outpost'' they had previously resided in. With millions of residents and buildings towering into the sky, they felt like they were amazingly dwarfed when compared to everything around them.


    As a way of comparison, the library was the second tallest building, second only to the castle, in the outpost. Sitting at 26 floors, it was a giant when compared to anything around it, yet there were a handful of buildings with a similar height just on the street they were currently walking on!


    "Damn, you guys draw so much attention." Marcel grumbled most of the way. Even while withholding their curiosity, their masks brought quite a few glances from bystanders despite them quickly averting their eyes when they were able to notice Marcel leading them.


    "Were not even doing anything. And you''re wearing a mask too." Loki countered. Their behavior perfectly matched up to how they had been acting in the underground. Truth be told, he could fine no fault in their actions unless they were expected to become invisible.


    "There''s a difference. They won''t look at or see me unless there''s a reason to. And your faces are worth more than their weight in gold. Anyone with eyes can see that mine isn''t the same." He sighed while struggling to hold his back straight. "If anyone would see me now. Looks like I''ve fallen to the levels of a body-guard."


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    With the grumbles continuing for the next half hour, they finally arrived outside a massive garden which was cordoned off with a lavish looking two-metre-tall metal gate. Inside wasn''t overly busy but there were still people everywhere. Many were lazing around, taking advantage of the good weather, while others were sparring, reading or just conversing with one another.


    Basically, this was a park.


    And a public park at that.


    "We came to¡­ play?" Even while confused, Rykar was holding the urge to rush through the gates and explore. The space was easily over five kilometres long and just as wide, taking up a massive chunk of space on the periphery of the city. One end of the park even extended towards the towering wall of the city.


    It was an extremely well decorated and complete park. There were play areas, paving, fountains and even small gazebos and huts every now and then. Nearly the entire ground was covered in grass and shrubbery, with flowers blooming freely and trees providing shade along the paths and in their own small bundles of forest.


    Comparing it to the castle gardens would be a complete injustice. Able to understand what Marcel meant when he criticized it so harshly previously, they honestly felt as though this was a field which had been cut out of a forest before being transplanted here directly. There were even traces of fauna scattered around.


    "You''ll see soon enough." Entering the gate, Marcel took them straight down the winding paths without so much as thinking before turning at an intersection.


    With the twins mindlessly following behind him, it wasn''t long before they began to feel as though they were seeing things they had already passed by. The sense of de ja vu only got stronger, causing them to grow skeptical of their guide''s sense of direction.


    "Don''t worry about it, just follow behind me. We''ll be there soon enough." As though having eyes on the back of his head which could see their suspicion through their masks, he said a few words to reassure them while carrying on forward.


    True to his words, it wasn''t even three minutes later that they stopped outside an outhouse which seemed to appear out of thin air. This building was styled totally differently from the others around it. Rather than following the trend and being made from wood, this was a solid stone construct with columns holding up the structure. It was more like a temple than anything else.


    "What the hell, you took us to church?" Running his mouth as usual, Rykar couldn''t stop the words from tumbling out in his surprise. One second he was following Marcel down an empty path. The next, a massive hall shot out of nothingness! The hall wasn''t big, only around ten metres high with each of its six walls being just as long.


    "What part of this looks like a church? Please enlighten me." For the millionth time in the last few hours, Marcel sighed before sizing up the entrance and heading inside.


    "Guild Head, I-"


    One moment, they were following Marcel through the archway. Before they knew who he even begun speaking to, he practically turned into a human torpedo as he flew in between them, straight in the opposite direction they were walking in.


    "You''re late."

 67 6:27

    "What the f*ck?!" The twins watched Marcel shout while climbing to his feet from five metres behind them. "I already sent someone to tell you what was going on!"


    "And?" The figure in front of them was clad in an inky black cloak which made for a stark contrast against the sunny weather and green fields just outside of the temple. "Does that change the fact that you''re late?"


    Before he could speak, a small black butterfly flew from under the guild leaders hood and fluttered unsteadily towards Marcel, who lost all composure as soon as it revealed itself.


    It hadn''t even been two seconds since the butterfly made an appearance, but Marcel was already on his feet and bolting in the opposite direction. Without even a shout of fear, his footsteps were entirely silent as he flashed along the path like a madman. It was like watching a ghost or a shroud of black mist.


    "If you run, it''ll be set to level three." With the wind blowing, the quiet voice of the guild master was barely even audible to Rykar and Loki. Considering whether they should relay the warning that was obviously intended for Marcel, they looked between the two of them.


    And just like that, Marcel stopped dead in his tracks. Hesitating for a moment, he turned around before approaching the show-moving butterfly of his own accord.


    After stopping a few steps away from it, the twins continued to watch on awkwardly as it landed on Marcel''s ear, only slightly visible to them from under his hood. Then, like a shadow being dispersed by the light, the butterfly melded with the area just above his ear as though it had never been there in the first place.


    With the ordeal concluded, Marcel made his way back over to the group with light footsteps. Unlike before, it was now much like when they had first met him, very difficult to lock onto his presence without actively trying to do so.


    Although the situation was between the two of them, Rykar and Loki couldn''t help but tense up when they were in the direct line of sight of the new arrival.


    "Come inside, well see if you actually completed your mission or not." After a moment of silence, they all made their way into the miniature temple under the guidance of the leader.


    The interior of the temple was just as baron as the outside. The walls and floors didn''t even have a finishing layer. Rough stone was all that was seen in any direction, the only exception being the greenery which could be seen between the void left by the columns.


    Aside from a stone seat at the far side¡­ it was a completely empty space.


    This only made the area feel even bigger. The twins felt as though they had stepped into a hall of giants while looking up at the lofty ceiling which was easily twenty metres high.


    "Which breathing technique do you use, and how did you come across it?" Without even asking their names, the guild leader threw out a question they could barely understand.


    "Don''t have one." Loki took the initiative and answered for them both.


    "How old are you?"


    "I don''t know."


    "What are your names?"


    "We don''t have names."


    "Do you understand the situation you''re in?" Even beneath his hood, impatience began to radiate from the guild leader as the air began to feel heavy in the hall.


    "¡­" Stuck between keeping up his immature front, Loki hesitated before giving the first serious answer since the questioning started. "No."


    "Well let me explain something. It doesn''t matter how or why you are here. You have been provided with an opportunity, an opportunity that you are about to destroy before even having realized.


    "Those with elemental affinities which lean towards darkness or things considered ''negative'' are always isolated due to society and what is considered as ''light and just''. You being here already means that you are within this group of people, so you may be considered to have a talent, but you will not be able to nurture it without support.


    "That being said, I''m not offering you the support you need. I''m offering you the chance to obtain it yourself. And if you want to obtain it, then you will have to win it."


    Turning away from them, the guild leader soaked in the suspense as he walked over to the large seat towards the back of the hall. Taking a seat, he continued his explanation with a slouched and lazy demeanor.


    "This might be a guild, but for the majority of the members, this may as well be called a market place. You have no strict rules or conditions other than keeping your identity hidden and secrecy towards any guild activities.


    "There are constantly requests and missions being given out and upon the completion of these requests, you receive contribution points which can then be traded in for rewards.


    "If you join then decide to never take on a mission, that''s fine.


    "If you join and decide to go on a spree, that''s fine too.


    "However, once a part of the guild, you ride on the back of our reputation. Taking missions using The Guilds name, without approval, will result in consequences you would rather not face."


    "Do you have any questions up to this point?" He asked with his head resting in his hand.


    "What can we exchange points for?" Loki asked suspiciously.


    "What do you want?" The leader asked in return.


    "Runic equipment?"


    "Yes."


    "Transport tickets to other worlds?"


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    "Yes."


    "Training?"


    "Of course."


    "To get someone killed?"


    "Easily." Waving his hand, the leader quickly began to realised the limited worldview of the two in front of him based on the items he was requesting. "A list of items will be provided if you''re accepted."


    "If? He said we were brought here to get recruited." Looking over at the silent Marcel.


    "He brought here to give you a chance of getting a chance of joining The Guild." The leader corrected.


    "Chance of getting a chance?" Rykar asked, thinking the person in front of him had stumbled on his words.


    "Exactly as I said." The leader didn''t explain himself before asking for a final time. "Are you taking the test, or are you here to waste my time?"


    Looking over at Chance, Rykar hoped to get some kind of an inclination as to what they should do, but all he saw was the steely lower half of his face.


    "We will do it." Loki answered for his brother who was still showing uncertainty. Either way, he felt as though they wouldn''t have a good return if they were to decline.


    "Good, at least you know how to say the right answer once in a while." With that reply, the majority of the tension that had been building up in the room had vanished just as quickly as it had come. "Marcel, you''ll do the first test."


    "Don''t try to go all out. Start off slowly and adjust to the rhythm as it changes. Keep going for as long as you can." After leaving those instructions, the leader reclined even further into the uncomfortable looking stone chair as he watched the scene before him.


    Marcel wordlessly walked over while still creating no traces of sound at all. It really was like watching a movie without the audio playing.


    Gesturing to Loki first, he lowered himself into a combat position before beginning to throw some slow punches and kicks into the air before him. It took a second for Loki to understand what was happening, but after a while, he realized that Marcel was showing him the pace that they would be initiating the spar at.


    A dozen strikes later, Marcel stopped and began to move forward at a similarly slow pace until he was within Loki''s striking range. Just like that, a slow spar began to play out, just like they were dancing with each other.


    On one hand, Marcel''s movements were fluid and calm, whereas it was apparent that Loki had some difficulty with handling the slow speed. Often time, he was a moment ahead or behind the movements of his opponent. The changing of pace which allowed him to speed up or slow down his strikes simply made him look clumsy and odd.


    A minute later, the pace had picked up to the point that it was no longer uncomfortable. The pace was still comically slow when compared to a real fight, but they were exchanging moves fluidly while Loki was beginning to focus less on the test and more on moving like he was used to. Despite being slow, he no longer aimed to block or parry the majority of the moves coming at him. Instead, he reverted to the hit and run tactic which he had developed over the two months within the library.


    Time passed slowly and without knowing when, the leader was no longer slouched against his seat. He was currently sitting forward with his head in his palm while his elbow was resting on his knee. In front of him, Loki was weaving between Marcel''s strikes while swinging out with his dagger every once in a while.


    He was never too hasty, always prioritizing his own safety over any of the ''opportunities'' that presented themselves for him to strike. The patience and foresight he was showing was truthfully nothing special when compared to many, but it was enough to surprise Marcel and the leader when his age was taken into account.


    During the entire four minutes, despite his obviously growing fatigue, he didn''t slow or speedup his blows, restricting himself to the tempo which had been set by Marcel without trying to catch his opponent off guard.


    Six minutes later, sweat was beginning to surface on Loki''s shirt and he was barely holding on. The speed of the fight was already above anything he had experienced while sparring with Rob, yet the pace was still slowly increasing. It had already been nearly a minute since he had last even tried to throw a blow at marcel. The spar had degraded into a game of cat and mouse, yet he was adamant that he held on for a long as possible.


    Despite being on the losing end, it was exhilarating to have such a wide space to practice his reflexes in. The attacks were in a completely different style when compared to Rob and Rykar too, making him happy for the change. Some of the angles may be tricky and the speed was difficult to handle, but it felt like the moves were much more standardized, lacking the trickery or personal flare of the others.


    Sadly, his legs gave in before his willpower did.


    He soon fell to the ground under his own weight, barely able to get to his feet while Marcel stood over him. The silence he had kept since they had entered the temple still prevailed, but the trademark smile was once again covering his face as he offered his hand to the boy.


    "Six minutes and twenty seven seconds."

 68 Did I Make It?

    "Six minutes and twenty-seven seconds."


    Watching the latter half of the spar and hearing the leader announce how long is brother had lasted, Rykar''s competitive spirit had been sparked. However, knowing that the focus was on his brother rather than him, he couldn''t get past his fear of the man sitting on the throne and ask to take part in the test.


    "Haah, haaaah, haaaaah." Panting on the ground, Loki looked up at Marcel''s face with eyes which were stinging due to his own sweat. His eyes through his half-mask still revealed nothing to the boy, but his mouth was twisted in a half smile as they made eye contact.


    Despite how tired Loki was, Marcel hadn''t even opened his mouth to take a slightly deeper breath throughout the entire six minutes. Even now, standing there, he didn''t show a single sign of fatigue as Loki listened carefully only to find he couldn''t even hear his breaths. Thinking back, besides the collisions of their bodies, Marcel hadn''t seemed to have made any sounds at all through the entire event.


    "Not bad. Oi, number two. Step forward." The leader shifted his gaze from the boy on the floor and gestured towards Marcel.


    Number two?


    Confused by the turn of events, Rykar hesitated to step forward when he remembered Marcel''s initial dismissal of his presence. Taking the first step towards his soon-to-be sparing partner, he stopped moving just as quickly as he had started when he saw Marcel swivel around and bow at the waist to the man on the throne.


    "Hm? You may speak." Almost annoyed at the intervention, a dark glow flared up next to Marcel''s ear where the butterfly had disappeared previously.


    Releasing a drawn-out breath, Marcel spoke his mind without any delay. "Loki is the only one that showed an affinity with darkness. The device didn''t show Rykar as having any potential despite his weird body type."


    Silence reigned for a moment while Rykar''s mind was buried in disappointment. Even after building up a slight feeling of friendship with Marcel during the journey here, he was surprised not only by the immediate dismissal, but more so by the way he was referred to as inferior to his own brother.


    All of a sudden, he was back in the camp. Stood in front of him was Sir, along with is goons on the sides. "So, which one are you? The demon or the smart?"


    He was feeling it more and more lately.  As though there was a gulf between himself and his brother which wasn''t necessarily in terms of ability. But the way that they were differentiated between. Especially when it came to being useful to the group, rather than themselves.


    The one who was first to get his powers.


    The one who was first to get acquainted with Chance.


    The one who got them to escape the camp.


    The one whose powers were useful for more than just being a convenient backpack.


    The one who replicated the complete version of the meditation technique.


    The one who played the biggest part in ascending to Grace.


    The one who had talent.


    Despite there being mutual contributions to these things, Rykar felt as though he was constantly being buried under his brother''s shadow.


    Under his mask, Rykar closed his eyes as he tried to calm his feelings of disappointment. As the darkness greeted him, his subtle trembling came to a halt while a soothing feeling reached out to him.


    Like following the smell of delicious food, this cooling stream led his consciousness all the way back to his fragment where the mass of earth was slowly rotating with numerous belongings and supplies covering it. A small field of foods. A small pile of equipment and supplies. A field of Essence Fruit plants with a pile of fruit within its centre. And, finally, a small circular clearing with the decayed bodies of Robin and the others.


    The soothing flow was actually coming from this area. Venturing over to that side with his mind, the view quickly magnified as he saw the remains in more detail. The bodies weren''t completely dry yet, still in the process of decomposing yet, as there were no other lifeforms in this space, it wasn''t a gruesome sight filled with maggots and insects.


    The initial stream of energy which had initially been coming from these bodies had slowed down to a trickle, yet was still present and being distributed to the many nodes within the field of essence plants. However, another node had been connected to this desolate patch, boosting the energy being absorbed by a small amount.


    Just to the side of the three bodies, a fourth had unassumingly joined them and was laying there in silence.


    With fluffy ears, a short tail and eyes which remained to shut, a puppy of only a few months of age was laying prone with a patch of fur missing around its neck.


    ''Looking'' over the puppy''s body with his consciousness, Rykar felt deeply conflicted. The mournful scene of the dead puppy lying next to yet more corpses, paired with the calming sensation it was giving him, completely contradicted each other.


    While still stuck between feelings, the temperature of the hall dropped a few degrees as Marcel was berated. Woken from his reverie, he listened intently while hoping he would get a chance to show his worth.


    It was no longer about whether he wanted to join the guild or not. Instead, he was simply intent to show his worth in comparison to his brother.


    "Do you think I need a device to babysit me? Or that it''s more discerning than I am? His affinity with darkness exists, its simply mixed with other attributes. Not to mention, I expect they have been together the entire time. It''s looking for stars at noon, of course the stronger reading will cancel out the latter.


    "¡­"


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    Unsure of what to say, Marcel didn''t even have time to think and reply before the black light shone again, prompting him into silence.


    "Start."


    As soon as the leader affirmed his decision, Rykar stepped forward until he was only a metre away from Marcel. Staring at him with eyes which were blatantly withholding anger, he lifted his arms and crouched slightly, lowering himself into a fighting pose with a million and one flaws.


    And thus, it began. Starting off slowly, Marcel threw punches down at Rykar''s chest level and arms, allowing him time to adjust to the pace. However, this seemed to be anything but effective.


    Rather than easing into it slowly, Rykar was always a step ahead of the pace which had been set. Each and every one of his return strikes were over-compensated in terms of speed and power.


    Compared to the smooth initiation that Loki had, this was full of fumbling, with all of the blows coming to a shaky stop instead of a balanced finish. Every time, Rykar would push Marcel''s arms farther off course than need be.


    "Stop."


    Just as abruptly as the round started, it came to a stop after 43 seconds.


    "If you can''t control yourself, don''t waste my time. This is a spar, if you don''t understand that its not a time for you to be throwing your arms around then get out." Annoyance could be heard in his voice as the leader paused the fight. Even this small concession was only something he decided to give due to his favorable impression of Loki.


    "Begin."


    There hadn''t even been 15 seconds between the stop of the previous spar and the start of the current. Without even giving him time to calm down, Marcel reset the pace and threw a punch at Rykar''s chest once again. Like clockwork, this was exactly the same blow that he had used to open up the two previous bouts.


    Rykar was literally shaking. He could barely focus as his frustration overrode his bodily functions but luckily, at the bare minimum, he managed to slow down his movements to match the pace of marcel despite the tension that was turning his body to stone.


    No sound came from His opponent. Even his mouth, which was usually weirdly over expressive, was now stone cold as he threw fist after fist at Rykar. The time seemed to pass by in a blur. After a short while, Rykar was too lost in his own thoughts to even notice that the blows were quickly increasing in intensity.


    Humiliated.


    Frustrated.


    Cast aside.


    Irrelevant.


    He was basically a human shaped cocktail of all these emotions. His thoughts strayed all over the place as he thought about what had just happened.


    From Loki''s perspective, his brother had been given another opportunity to simply calm down his nerves. The chance they were being given had basically been forced upon them, but it still seemed like something very interesting to say the least.


    Not to mention, when put into a situation where they were being tested, who wouldn''t want to pass, even if it wasn''t in order to get the reward?


    However, when looking at it from Rykars mind¡­ The leader had stopped the spar because he was making a fool of himself. At no moment within Loki''s match was a comment made, much less a stoppage! There was even an interested feeling coming from the leader as he had leaned forward in his seat.


    Once again, he was the side character.


    *Bang*


    It was like a hammer slapped him on the head. His ear had been struck and he went reeling.


    As he came to, his body felt battered and broken as Marcel struck him with a flurry of kicks and punches. He didn''t even realize when it was that he could no longer keep up with his movements, and even those he could see, he wasn''t able to dodge completely.


    Block. Block. Then block again. That which he couldn''t block? Take the hit with a part of his body that he hoped wouldn''t hurt as much.


    He was being pushed farther and farther backwards with each attack. Even when holding his ground, his feet didn''t have enough traction with the ground to prevent him from sliding back on the stone below him.


    ''It hurts.''


    ''How long has it been?''


    ''have I held on longer than he did?''


    ''Can I stop now''?


    The constant low kicks to his thighs left his legs feeling like jelly. His knees were on the verge of collapse, holding only because he was no longer raising them to take steps backwards of forwards. He was like a statue being pushed backwards bit by but along the ground.


    Apart from the one blow that connected to his ear, seemingly to wake him up, Marcel had been generous enough to not attack his face.


    Despite this generosity, Rykar crumbled to the ground after another kick to the leg.


    ''Did I make it?'' He thought as he stared at the vaulted ceiling above him.


    "Five minutes fourty two seconds."

 69 You figured it out?

    The world was mute to Rykar as they left the miniature temple behind them. Having heard the announcement from the leader, he seemed to recede into himself as he wallowed in his own disappointment.


    With both twins passing the test, they left with a wad of pages which had been bound together in each of their arms. ''You should know all of this like the back of your hand by the time the assessment comes to pass. If not, save yourselves the effort.''


    With that, the leader allowed Marcel to show them out, but not before disabling the restriction once again. He had told Marcel to brief the twins during their return journey and it wasn''t long after they set foot on the path before Loki started firing questions his way.


    "When do we leave?"


    "What is the test?"


    "How long will it take?"


    "How long do people usually last in the spar?"


    It turned out that the passing boundary was different from person to person. First off, the participants age would be calculated and then divided by three in order to decide how many minutes they would have to hold out. As Loki and Rykar were 13 years old, they had to last for four minutes.


    In the case that they had cultivated to a certain level, they would have that initial boundary multiplied depending on the situation. Dismissing that, the average grade boundary was between four and six minutes for this test and they had passed with flying colours despite Rykar''s depression.


    The test would take place in two and a half months. It was currently the beginning of spring, so with the turn of seasons, they would be setting out from the city.


    It turns out, the assessment was largely a form of survival training rather than anything complicated. The rules and duration of the test changed all the time yet, for the most part, they simply had to reach a destination while adhering to certain restrictions which would build up over time.


    Carrying weights. Staying silent. No talking. Running naked. Not being able to touch the ground. These were all restrictions which had come up in the past and repeated many times throughout many of the assessments. Many of the more specific details, Marcel simply wouldn''t answer.


    Their only preparation for the event would be to read through the book which had been given to them, understanding the details and recommendations within. There wasn''t even a need for them to acquire anything special for the test as the necessary equipment would be supplied to them before they set out. However, it would be up to them if they wanted to acquire said equipment and familiarize themselves with it beforehand.


    The rules concerning before and the beginning of the assessment were actually very lax. There weren''t even any restrictions on items you would be able to take with you during the assessment, however after that, anything else would either be supplied by The Guild or manufactured by yours truly in the wild. There was no other interference allowed once they began.


    Mind racing, Loki was already thinking up dozens of equipment and food items which would help them while out in the wild but he was shot down in the next instant when Marcel strongly advised him to ''travel light''.


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    By the time they arrived at the inn which they had been staying at, the entirety of Loki''s questions had either been answered or ignored. With the final few moments before his restriction triggered once again, Marcel left them with the last piece of advice.


    "Don''t waste your time sparring in these few months, you already passed that part of the assessment. Run, run and run some more. Train your stamina as much as you can, there is no ''too much''. You''ll be moving over long distance on foot, if you''re not ready, you won''t last a day no matter how little you bring."


    By the time they were back in the large room, they both sat on the bed in silence for a moment before Rykar lay down and curled up on the opposite side of the bed to Chance and Rob.


    Having only woken up a few hours ago, Loki wasn''t tired despite the intense bout he had been in earlier. Looking at his brother and the others, he disregarded the idea of exploring the outside before taking a seat on in the middle of both parties.


    Despite the mattress being bouncy under his weight, it wasn''t nearly as comfortable as the silky cushions they had been using. He was considering asking Rykar to take on out from his pocket, but it was obvious his mood hadn''t recovered from the way he had ignored them during the entire trip, even when questions were being directed towards him. He had simply hugged his book while walking in silence.


    With nothing better to do, he shut his eyes while throwing his consciousness into the ever too familiar void but opened his mind again within seconds. Shock was plastered across his face as he looked around himself rapidly, as though searching for ghosts.


    Closing his eyes once again, he was baffled by the complete change which had occupied his field of view as compared to previous occasions. Instead of the nothingness that used to cover his ''sight'' when meditating before. There were obvious dots of dark grey light which dotted the entire scene like raindrops.


    The only reason he hadn''t thought them to be stars, was because they were obviously moving, albeit slowly. After losing himself to this state slightly, he adjusted himself to the standard procedure without being flustered by the appearance of the lights.


    Just as he had suspected, the lights slowly changed trajectories and began to zone in on a spot with him at the centre like a black hole. Once the motes of light collided with him, they just disappeared without a trace.


    From a bird''s eye perspective, it was as though there was a very slowly rotating tornado in the room. The lights rotated around his body in a clockwise fashion while getting ever closer. This was the first time he was actually able to sense the energy around him and seeing the effects he was having on the world around him.


    The minutes ticked on as he observed the spiral as though he was locked in a trance. The way the particles moved and his effect on them was constantly being reflected in his mind.


    ''Tornadoes¡­? What if¡­''


    Splitting his attention towards his centre, he divided his sense of ''self'' which was a bottomless black whole. Despite sounding complicated, it felt like he was delicately twisting and then pulling a spinning ball of clay apart at the centre. While a small portion of the core was left in the centre, over 80% was split between either side.


    Once this ball was separated perfectly, he then began stretching his arms out to their respective sides while continuing the original rotation made during the split.


    Now, rather than having half of a ball a ball rotating in each hand, it was more like he was holding two spinning plates which dragged in the particles in the vicinity. As the two plates served as funnels, movements of the particles in the surroundings began to change alongside their positions. Instead of a tornado pulling in the particles from the top, it was now more like branches reaching out from the sides, with both sides counterbalancing each other.


    Unlike before, where he entered a sort of brainless state, each time his concentration wavered or a misjudgment caused the balance to shift, he would feel a stinging and pulling sensation from the central sphere as though it was being dragged and distorted to either side.


    Awkward as it was at first, he quickly grew used to the feeling of balancing either side while using the feedback from the central sphere as guidance.


    Sitting in the centre of two vertically spinning tornadoes, he was now drawing in the dark grey particles around 1.5 times faster than he had been previously.


    Feelings of accomplishment all but overwhelmed him as his figure within his consciousness overlapped with that of the diagrams which he had replicated from the books within the cabin.


    With his emotions surging, he lost control of the delicate balance he had been building up all this time. Although it wasn''t a large disturbance, the small change was large enough to send him reeling as he felt like some had run a hot blade over the surface of his skin.


    *Haah haaah haah*


    With sweat forcing its way out of his forehead, he opened his eyes and fell towards his side while panting. Despite the pain, he maintained a toothy grin as he stared at the off-white sheets below him. Balling up his fists, he looked towards Chance while struggling over whether he should forcibly wake him up to share his accomplishments or not.


    Holding back the temptation, he let out a sigh before turning in the direction of Rykar, who he expected to still be stuck in his feelings.


    Contrary to this, Rykar was sat up while leaning against the wall while watching him with eyes that almost seemed to be glowing.


    Since they had entered the room, they hadn''t even taken off their masks before getting into their respective spots on the bed, so Loki wasn''t able to read his exact expression. Despite this, the sweat on his forehead halted all signs of drying up when met with the red and grey pupils which were barely visible through the holes.


    "W-what do you want?" Strange. That was the only think he could think of when he saw his brother in the last two hours. Whenever his brother was in a mood, he would always vent these emotions. Whether it was by forming another sort of competition, shouting and being dramatic, or even straight up starting a fight.


    Silence wasn''t a way that he was used to seeing Rykar react to things, that was much more like himself. He would often silently plot on a way to exact revenge on his twin through petty tricks or traps.


    There were only four times in total that he had seen Rykar like this, and the most disturbing thing was that three of them had been very recently.


    The first was when they were bullied to the point of spitting blood by Chris and his ass lickers while they were younger. They had both stayed silent when dealing with their helplessness, refusing to even explain the event to their mother.


    The second was when they had been called demons by the entire village. Even their mother had reacted badly to them, staggering away with the intent to disown them.


    The third was when he was bullied to the point of hunger and sleeplessness. The mental stress he was under caused him to lash out in the worst way possible against the overseer which had been lording over him. Coming out of the pit, he was like a completely new person, yet that coldness which he had built up had been fading recently.


    Finally, was now after having taken the beating from Marcel.


    "I guess you figured it out?" He asked in a neutral voice, as though he was reading a passage from a book instead of asking someone a question.

 70 Pre-natal

    Although much later than Loki, Rykar had also decided to meditate in an attempt to calm himself down. Just like his brother, he had been shocked when he realized the changes that had come across the surroundings in this state. This shock quickly turned into glee as he pulled the sparkling lights into himself while feeling the slight hunger that had built up, slip away as.


    As opposed to the grey lights that Loki had been drawing to himself, it was more like the world had turned into a fragmented rainbow for Rykar. Fireflies of different colours and shades clouded his consciousness while over a hundred times the particles available to Loki had opened themselves up to him.


    Due to the density of the motes of light, he was drawing them in from the surroundings at a much slower rate than while on the planet they had ascended from, but the amount he was drawing in was staggering.


    It was at this time he felt the disturbance around him, as though a ripple was spreading out from just next to him. ''seeing'' the strange movement of the darker particles, he opened his eyes to see Loki sitting there with a calm look on his face. Despite not knowing the intricacies of the situation, there was no way he couldn''t tell that there was something completely different when comparing the feeling he got from their meditative states before.


    ''He figured it out.''


    Clenching his teeth, he tried to push the thought from his mind, but he was becoming more certain as the minutes passed. Loki had figured out how to turn the tornado into its smaller branches, just like it was shown in the book. Whereas he was still stuck doing it wrongly like a bumbling fool.


    It was this moment when Loki fell to his side before looking around the room, finally locking his gave on his brother.


    After the short interaction, Chance and Rob seemed to pick the perfect moment to wake up and split some of the tension coming from Rykar''s silence and blaming gaze.


    Two hours, seven portions of lunch and countless questions later, Loki had finished recounting the entirety of the day''s events to Chance and Rob.


    "You kids aren''t seriously thinking of going through with this ''thing'' are you?" Chance laughed slightly as he looked between the twins. "Sure, he makes it sound all fun and dandy. But it''s a ''training'' session where you don''t know where you''re going, or how long for. Hell, you don''t even know who you''re going with or what the hell The Guild is. Its obviously a criminal organization at best.


    Were you both dropped on your heads as babies? You''re telling me, a guy basically kidnapped you. Took you to a park, into an invisible temple. Beat you up. Played with magical butterflies. THEN asked you to come back in two months, and you agreed?! The most you can tell me about him is what his f*cking mouth looks like!" By now his voice was so high that he was practically singing.


    "You don''t get it. This was crazy!" Even with his calm attitude, Loki was finding it hard to keep his cool while explaining what was so crazy about the experience. The feelings that Marcel, the leader and the entire hall inspired were in a league of their own.


    Despite the danger they felt initially, there was a certain yearning when seeing the few mysterious things that they had encountered. Honestly, it wasn''t as much the mysteriousness of it all that drew them in. Neither was it the access to resources they were promised.


    All in all, wasn''t this JUST like all the books and stories they had been reading?!


    Mysterious organizations.


    Special abilities.


    Super speed and strength.


    There wasn''t a chance in hell they would miss out on the opportunity, much less with the development of their own abilities which seemed to make no sense. F*ck staying in the city and buying a house, this whole thing was literally SCREAMING the word adventure.


    "I don''t know about Rykar, but I''m going." Loki''s mind was dead set.


    "F*ck that. You two aren''t getting into this." Chance replied with hist as much conviction as Loki had, if not more.


    "Oh? I didn''t realise we had to ask your permission to go anywhere." With this final counter, Loki sank into the mattress as he closed his eyes and entered meditation.


    "Ry-"


    "I''m going." With that, Rykar also closed his eyes and ignored any attempts to speak sense into the boys. With Loki already having explained the method he used to split the initial whirlpool into two separate tendrils, he began to throw all his focus into achieving the same result.


    "Take care of the kids, he said. They are like family, he said." Rob muttered sarcastically from the side which drew a glare from Chance.


    "F*ck all this!" Chance jumped to his feet while stretching aggressively. "Let''s go for a walk."


    "Walk? And leave them here?" Rob looked at the silent twins while mentally comparing them to caged birds. "What if they end up heading out again? Why not take a look through though the books they brought back? They''re both the same by the looks of it."


    Thinking for a moment, Chance quickly took a seat on one of the chairs before reaching for the book that Rob was offering him.


    The book wasn''t exactly thick, but it also couldn''t be called thin at all. It was at least 100 pages but it looked slimmer at first due to the length of the spine being around 50cm. Out of the 100 pages, Chance hadn''t even flicked through 20 before he put down the book and slapped himself in the face before picking it up again to make sure he wasn''t seeing things.


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    Following in his footsteps, Rob grabbed the other book from the book before flicking through the first few pages only to find them filled with detailed drawings and notes on various plants and trees. On each of the pages, there were at least four different plants offering basic explanations on the environments they were found in, their features and some of their basic applications.


    Creating numbing paste, foods, poisons, clotting blood, alleviating stomach pains, soothing sores on the feet. The book had it all, along with a handful of animals which were more commonly seen and likely to be found during the training assignment.


    He had only been looking through the book for a while, but unlike Chance''s reaction, Rob was greatly interested in the contents of the book. It wasn''t particularly awe inspiring or something he wanted to pursue but, having lived in the city his entire life, he hadn''t come into contact with plants in their initial forms aside from those which were edible.


    It wasn''t just the first few pages that were filled with these things. Over two thirds of the book was dedicated purely to plants with a few animals far and few in-between.


    "Are they sending them to become f*cking herbalists or something?" Chance muttered while turning to the later portions of the book.


    The next few pages went over some basic equipment that anyone would be familiar with had they been camping out in the woods before. Knives, flint, rope, bandages, flasks. It was all listed with their applications just in case anyone was dumb enough to be unaware.


    *Elementary Meditation Technique*


    This newest heading caught his attention before he had even finished reading the third word. What welcomed him further down the page were a set of diagrams which were similar yet entirely different from those they had been looking at until now.


    The diagrams were still depicting the human body and various routes through it, but the way the energy was flowing through it was completely different.


    The most crucial thing being that the technique they had been using up until now seemed to turn them into bottomless holes. Energy in the surroundings would be effected as through there was a force pulling them into their bodies. Their bodies would then absorb this energy when it came into contact with them.


    The technique in the book could be described more as a¡­ breathing technique?


    With each breath, energy in the air would be swept into the lungs. After which, the technique would come into effect, filtering this and causing it to be absorbed into the body from within. Without even trying it out, it was difficult to image this being even a fraction as effective as that of what his father had been working on.


    Determined to try this out regardless, Chance mentally laid it to the side as he zoned in on the contents that accompanied the technique on the next few pages.


    These pages actually laid out the basics. Like, the BASIC BASICS that hadn''t been included in his fathers notes or had been lost when they had split up. The technique that he received was as complete as he could hope for, however there was nothing in the way of development or explain exactly what was happening when he was using the technique.


    It was as though he was given a cake to eat but had never seen any of the raw ingredients before.


    For half an hour, he read over the next three pages three times over while completely ignoring any questions or comments from Rob.


    What they were currently going through was the ''post-natal''. This was best explained as the body accumulating enough energy for it to realize its full potential, similar to a caterpillar being within a cocoon.


    Without sufficient accumulation, either by slowly accumulating energy or by a strong external stimulus, the body would never usually reach the point where it was able to complete this metamorphosis. While metamorphosis was literally the most basic requirement possible for one to continue down the path of harmonizing with their respective attribute.


    Thinking of potential and latent energy, humans could be compared to a bucket of water with a hole in the bottom. As they become, not only does the bucket get bigger, but the whole also gets larger. With the bucket starting at max capacity, it''s then on the decline from then onwards.


    In order to achieve the metamorphosis mentioned, one would have to start accumulating energy in a bid to refill this ''bucket'' past bursting point after a certain amount of time and by doing so, allow themselves a second birth.


    Hence, what followed the pre-natal was the post-natal.


    Information further than this was omitted with a simple message ending the book. Along with a positive note prompting the applicants to strive for success, there were five pages dedicated to nothing but a few of the potential things that could be acquired through their private channels.


    Just this list alone left Chance wondering if it was too late to join the assessment himself.

 71 You Can Just Eat I

    After having started reading the guide which the twins had been left with, Rob and Chance didn''t end up leaving the room to give the twins some space after all. Hell, they hadn''t even left their seats to stretch their legs in the last three hours.


    When all was said and done, the book was simply a comprehensive survival guide. Rather than going into too much detail in any aspect, it covered everything, and more, to a shallow level while giving anyone reading it a direction to research further at their own discretion.


    The first chapters covered flora and fauna; Commonly seen animals along with their traits, edible plants and fruits, plants which carry medical attributes and finally plants which carried harmful or poisonous attributes.


    The next sections began to introduce helpful equipment, how they are used and a few methods of optimizing that which should be carried on your person. It was a pleasant surprise for all four of them when them when they saw both the medicinal and the waterproofing spray canisters in this part of the guide.


    Next was the breathing technique, this part was something which Chance had already gone over previously so he simply summarized the contents and introduced the newer aspects to the others before moving on.


    Second to last, was the basics of the basics. Things such as looking for water sources, how to set up a fire, orienteering and some basic animal traps came under this, seemingly as a way to wrap up the contents of the book and show how the various elements worked together in actual practice.


    The very last page had a simple title and the contents were just as simple. It read-


    Rules:


    No verbal communication of any kind for the duration of the trial.


    You cannot be found to have harmed another contestant.


    No restrictions on personal belongings, however you will carry everything yourself.


    You may quit at any time, however while taking part in the trail, you will follow all instructions.


    Finishing the book, Chance let out yet another sigh before looking over at the twins. "I stand by what I said before. This seems too suspicious to be safe, but it does seem like there are benefits, this already seems like information worth as much as we have on us." He said while tapping the cover of the guide.


    "Im still going." Rykar persisted adamantly before Loki mirrored his sentiment.


    Rob wanted to interject but Chance laughed it off before following up, "I didn''t say you shouldn''t go, ice already been convinced. I was just saying, in case something happens just remember ''I told you so''.


    "Just wait till we get back so we can spar again. Let''s hear you say it then."


    "Yeah sure, that''s if a bear doesn''t eat you guys first." Rob finally had a chance to throw a comment into the mix. "How about we check out the city now? You guys said you need somewhere to run, and we still need to get a lot of the things on the list."


    With everyone in agreement, Rykar stored his book within his fragment while Chance held onto the second one as they left the inn. While passing the front counter, Rob took the opportunity to check how long Marcel had payed for their stay and was pleased to find they had another three days on the tab, giving them plenty of time to decide if they wanted to relocate or prolong their stay.


    The streets were just as the twins had left them. Busy. The location of the inn wasn''t exactly in the central area, but it wasn''t very far from it. It wasn''t even five minutes walk from the entrance before they came to an area which could only be described as a marketplace.


    The ''stalls'' weren''t set up on the street, as they had seen before in the underground of the planet they were last on. Instead, it was as though the majority of the front and side walls of the buildings along the street had been punched out. Leaving a makeshift cave on the lowest level which allowed easy access and clear views of all the wares within.


    Despite the weird format of the street, there was a smooth feeling towards the transactions, the customers and salespeople had a sense of order and patience towards each other that allowed the street to be loud, but not boisterous. Crowded, but not chaotic. No doubt the frequent patrols of armored guards helped, in no small amounts, to achieve this.


    Going from building to building, it wasn''t long before many of the items on the list began to present themselves.


    Travelers bags which were more comfortable than those usually slung across the back, much more suitable for being worn for extended periods of time.


    Travelers tinder: two blocks of what looked like a grey metal. These blocks would be cold to touch under normal circumstances, however when placed in close proximity to each other, they would generate an attractive force like weak magnets. Once they were actually in contact with each other, they would release weak flames in all directions. These were perfect as simply gathering sticks and twigs before throwing these into the middle of a pile would soon result in a fire. They could also be reused indefinitely.


    There was also a knife which functioned in a similar way. The blade was around twenty centimetres and in the same dark grey colour. The knife would usually look similar to that of a standard blade, but with the flick of the handle, a second blade would extend from the base, connecting with the first to form a double-sided blade. The contact would also result in faint flames covering both sides of the blade.


    Bandages and ointments were also collected, enough to last a year or so. Despite the overkill on some of these things, the majority of them could simply be stored in Rykar''s fragment once they returned to the Inn, so there wasn''t actually any issue in their carrying capacity. A portion would also be left to Chance and Rob while the twins were absent.


    Many useful items and gadgets made their way into the bags carried by the group of four, who walked around the market with glittering eyes while practically throwing gold coins at anything that caught their attention.


    With their ''faces'' they weren''t worried about someone finding trouble with a stranger with a decent amount of money. Once many of the passersby and stall holders saw the book that Chance would occasionally look through, they were only treated more sincerely and often found that many of the goods were discounted for them.


    Just like this, they walked past every store while looking inside curiously before finally stopping in front of one in wonder. Seeing the book in their hands, the woman within quickly came to greet them, "Hello there, My name is Christie! You four must be preparing for the The Guild''s trial, am I right? The spirit fruit around the city are usually sold at a flat rate but I can offer you a 5% discount if you take away more than 100 in one go."


    "Were fairly new, what is the flat rate?" Chance asked while raising his eyebrows towards the glittering fruits which were placed in rows on silky pieces of cloth all around the store. The walls were practically filled with them, just sweeping his eye across the place revealed over a thousand.


    "Ah I understand, in that case, take my card and if you have any other questions regarding resources within the city, feel free to ask away." From her breast pocket, she pulled out a small card which had glittering patterns similar to the interior of the fruits on display. "The flat rate is 1000g per fruit, its very rare to find a lower price without having established a relationship with a broker beforehand."


    "I see, so what exactly do these fruits do?" Hearing the return question from Chance, Christie''s eyebrow raised slightly as she looked between the masks they were wearing and the book in his hand. "Our family has a focus on medicines, truth be told, I''ve never seen a raw spirit fruit."


    With an apologetic and almost apologetic look on her face, Christie quickly apologized to the group in front of her before introducing the fruit properly. "These are raw and unprocessed so it makes sense you may not be familiar with these appearances. Its true that making medicines and extracts from Spirit increase their effectiveness many times over, but they do take much more time and effort to prepare.


    The most basic way to handle these is actually the most straightforward! You simply eat them. The shell is slightly hard, so some people prefer to pierce them and simply extract the liquid within. However, the shell is actually highly nutritious, therefore the best way to consume the fruit is to either swallow them whole or chew through them as standard. They serve as an amazing way to supply the body with energy and, due to being unrefined, they can keep you feeling full for even longer due to the slow release!"


    Under their masks, the four in front of her opened their eyes widely as they realized that the fruit were pretty much no different than any other fruit or berry! Well, if you didn''t take into account that these grape sized fruits weighed around ten kilograms. Much less swallowing them whole, it would be great if it didn''t rip a hole through their anus on the way down!


    "I see." Chance pocketed the card before continuing, "When we run out of medicine, we will make sure to come back." He then turned around and left before Christie could continue with her sales pitch.

 72 2.5 Months

    Initially, two and a half months had sounded as though it would have taken forever to pass. Altogether, that was even more than the time they had spent in the spirit fruit farm and within the planet which homed Chance and Rob combined.


    In reality, once everyone had settled into a constant routine, time flew by before they knew it. Just as Marcel had suggested, the majority of the twins'' time consisted of running, running and then more running. The park which served as the base of The Guild was also the perfect place for their training, as the paths were wide, coupled with the vastness of the park which must have covered over 50 kilometers. Every day, they simply picked a path and ran.


    Other than that, they spent a good chunk of the time reading. With Chance spending most of his time catering to them in order to make sure they were prepared for their upcoming trial, they always came back to a selection of books. Unfortunately, they were mainly guides and instructions which Chance and Rob had picked out for them, along with some materials to practice the things that they had read up on.


    Then the last segment of the day would usually end in them eating a bumper meal while they discuss the city, their progress, mediation method and anything else that comes to mind. Finally, they would all meditate, before finally succumbing to their exhaustion.


    Walking through the park once again, Loki and Rykar took in the scenery in silence as they began to trace the path that Marcel had taken them the first time they visited.


    "Do you think she is part of The Guild?" Rykar asked while nodding his hood slightly in the direction of a woman who was sat on a bench reading a plain looking book. "She is always here but picks a different bench every time."


    "Yeah, she is probably a hidden guard or assassin or something." Loki replied while glancing over a few of the other people strolling or lounging around the area.


    The first few times they had come here, there was no way they would be able to pick out the regulars at first glance. However, with their perfect recall, it didn''t take long before they noticed many faces that would show themselves day after day with their own habits.


    A man reading a newspaper. A woman reading a book. Teens playing catch. Couples flirting. People playing with their pets. There were so many regulars that the twins began to try and pick them apart, creating a guessing game between themselves with the aim of finding out who belonged to the organization and who was simply a passerby.


    "We should find out when we pass the test anyway. Don''t forget the ones you picked either! We can ask Marcel so we find out who got the most right."


    Feeling the weighty back across his back, Rykar cursed the inconvenience of having to mask the existence of his fragment. Diverting his attention from the path, he directed his focus internally before marveling at the goodies he had collected over the time they had been world of Grace.


    Not only had the spirit fruit grown well, there was now heaps upon heaps of dried food, canned food, processed food and fresh food. Practically anything he could want to stuff his face with was now readily available to him, along with a surplus of equipment which could equip a dozen people, albeit modestly.


    The bodies in the isolated space had long dried up and there hadn''t been any notable changes to the appearance of the land mass which continued floating steadily in the void, aside from its now cluttered surface.


    Beneath the surface layer, however, Rykar was beginning to feel a sense of fullness. The dried up cracks were long gone and the density of the sphere was clearly climbing at a slow but steady rate, Now fiving off a completely different feel when comparing it to the initial dried up, oversized mudball which presented itself to him.


    This change also made much more sense to him overtime. Despite the cooling feeling of absorbing the vitality of the bodies that had been placed inside before, the cycle of taking and giving energy to the plants seemed to actually create a small surplus of energy each time. This would actually be stored within the landmass, similarly to a battery being charged.


    With plenty of time to reflect on the matters concerning their abilities, both Loki and Rykar had made many advancements in their understanding, not only their own abilities, but also how their bodies seemed to respond to these changes.


    With Rykar functioning as a moving ball of energy and Loki who moved much more precisely, using his energy more efficiently, they seemed to become two sides of the same coin, each with their own traits which the other lacked.


    Each lost in their own thoughts, they progressed towards the temple slowly while suppressing their nervousness with their curiosity and excitement.


    Many gazes hovered on their bodies throughout the trip, but that was hardly surprising in any way. It was a bright day with barely a handful of clouds in the sky, yet those around them would only see two short figures, wrapped in black cloaks and eerie red and white masks, walking through the fields as though they were pretending to be reapers. Their appearances could be called anything but inconspicuous in such a relaxed setting.


    "Have you ever heard of being ''low key'' before?" The twins jumped out of their skin as a sudden but familiar voice sounded out behind them. "Besides, why are you here? Wouldn''t it have been easier to wait for someone to come get you."


    "When did you tell us that someone would come get us? You just told us the date, so we came early instead of late." Loki countered after taking a breath.


    "Ah, must have missed it out. Well either way, you wouldn''t have missed the calling as long as you''re within the city." He shrugged it off before walking in front of them. "There are a few hours to go, but there are already many people here. We can wait it out in the hall."


    As they followed him, they started asking any questions that came to mind but most of the questions didn''t receive a direct answer. Something along the lines of ''you''ll find out when its time to start'' was the most they got out of the guy who had seemed like such a chatterbox before.


    "Don''t be so anxious about it all. If you pass, you pass. If you''re not cut out for it, there aren''t too many ways to cheat your way through." Marcel tried to console them in a weird fashion. "Besides, you''ve done a good job of increasing your stamina over the last couple months, you''ll be able to get by just fine at the start, it will all depend on how fast you improve under pressure."


    With a light whistling sound, the temple seemed to materialize once again at that moment. Despite trying to focus on the area up ahead, they still couldn''t fathom how it seemed to come out of nowhere yet gave the impression that it had been there all along.


    "Let''s go, I know at least one person that will be happy to see you again!" Skipping ahead as though he was a child in a candy store, Marcel entered the hall while exclaiming in a singsong voice, "Kyraaaahhhh, look who I found! It''s your bestie!"


    *SCHWOOSH!*


    The already soft murmurs hall seemed to freeze even further as dozens of pairs of eyes swiveled in the direction of the sudden disturbance. This silence lasted all of four seconds, before the murmurs returned with the intensity of a beehive on steroids.


    At the front of the hall, a space slowly separated in order to give a direct line of sight to two identical figures standing next to each other. Just like everyone else in the hall, they were masked and hooded.


    Truth be told, their equipment didn''t even stand out among the crowd around them. The opposite held true actually, even as the twins looked straight at the pair, their attention was frequently drawn to those on the periphery.


    Made from dark brown leather, their close fitting pants garments clung to their bodies before a second layer consisting of various pouches, pockets and buckles was stacked in order to allow convenient access to a variety of items. A black cloak was then draped across their shoulders with the hood deeply hiding their masked faces.


    Similar to the Loki and Rykar, the pair''s masks had obviously been tailor made to their features. Similarly to the growth rings of a tree, their light brown masks rippled outwards unevenly with red highlights used to accent the eyes and jawlines.


    All together it was a very striking appearance, which coupled together to form a bearing that made the twins subconsciously feel inferior.


    "Who is this supposed to be?" After the initial pause, the figure on the right asked with an annoyed tone. Surprising the twins, the voice was actually feminine, although not so obviously.


    "Don''t be so cold!" Throwing his arm around Rykar''s shoulders, Marcel introduced him with added details. "This is the one that you met down on that planet a couple months ago!"


    Turning her attention from Marcel to Rykar, she paused for a moment before tilting her head in recognition. "Take off your mask, kid."

 73 Black Butterflies

    "Take off your mask, kid." Within the already silent hall, the words seemed to bear down on everyone. Adding on Marcel''s earlier taunt, the twins would have to be brain dead to not have realized that one of the opposing women was the exact person that Rykar nearly bumped into after the auction.


    With a chuckle, Marcel wrapped his arm further around Rykar''s shoulders while using his other hand to stroke his hood with mock affection. "Now, now. Why are you always like this? Are you forgetting that one of the rules of the training is to stay anonymous? Jheeze, listing to you, I almost mistook you for the guild leader."


    "I''m not going to repeat myself." With her having crossed half the distance by this point, Rykar began to ready himself to break free from Marcel''s grip before escaping in any possible direction.


    "After years of training, I once again find you throwing your weight around in front of children." A bored voice cut through the tension before causing everyone''s eyes to fix on the large seat towards the end of the hall. Without anyone knowing when, its vacancy was occupied by the hooded figure which everyone in the room was familiar with.


    As if having been through this too many times before, the guild leader continued without giving them any time to refute. "Level 3 punishment. Now shut up and stand to the side." Two black butterflies exited his sleeves before fixing themselves onto the necks of the arguing parties.


    With the heated event having come to an abrupt end, the guild leader didn''t waste any time before beginning his speech to this latest batch of applicants to The Guild. Looking around the room, he nodded his head slightly after counting the people present. The hall now contained over 200 figures all dressed in cloaks with masks and hoods, giving off a weird impression to anyone unused to the scene.


    With his heart rate still elevated, Rykar did his best to push back his stalled anxiety in order to pay attention to the what was being said.


    "It''s good to have so many people joining us today." He began by giving a dry welcome to the youths before him. "I''ll start by introducing you all to you to those who will be leading you for the duration of the training. Along with myself personally leading the way, there will be Marcel, Nyra and Arwen. As they are the three who caused the commotion earlier, I have no doubt that you are all familiar with who they are. If not, you''ll have to observe and figure it out.


    "For the most part, the rules of this training are the most simple they have ever been. You will follow us until told otherwise. Make sure to bear in mind, this test exists in order to measure your self-sufficiency, adaptability, endurance and ability to learn. It will not be short, and it will not be easy.


    "There will be no verbal communication of any kind allowed between you and anyone else, even us.


    If I, or any the other invigilators, have something to tell you, then we will. If you have a question you want to ask, don''t. If you have an issue you need help with, keep it to yourself. If there is something you don''t understand, think about it yourself until you do. As soon as you speak, your trial will be considered forfeit and I recommend you make your own way back immediately."


    A small wave of whispers spread through the crowd at this point, yet the guild leader didn''t prevent this, instead continuing to deliver his concise instructions unperturbed. "In a moment, butterflies similar to those attached to the previous two will attach themselves to you all. This is in order to monitor your speaking and keeping track of anyone who can''t keep their mouth shut, they will not restrict you in any way. They will also keep track of your location in the case of any unforeseen events.


    As mentioned in the guide, any belongings you wish to bring with you are fine, however no mounts, forms of transport or external methods of lightening the load placed on yourself are allowed. Anonymity is also necessary. As you won''t be speaking anyway, there shouldn''t be much of a need for you to reveal your identity to others. As such, once your face is exposed, you fail.


    "Communication will be restricted within the next five minutes, so if you have anything to say to one another, use this time well."


    While the hall burst into conversation, Rykar and Loki stood next to Marcel in silence while still digesting the information. Listening to the excited chattering of the other participants, it seemed that this year''s trial was different from others due to the lack of specific rules. The duration of the test seemed to weigh on their minds too, as the only hint towards to the time was ''It will not be short''. But who knew what the hell ''short'' was?


    Loki then turned to Marcel to ask "Other than the rules that he said, everything else is fine? Like, if we fight with someone else, it''s all fine as long as we don''t speak to them?"


    "Well, as long as you didn''t hear that in the rules, you''re free to do whatever you want. However, I can tell you that we, as moderators, will not be interfering in the results in any way." Marcel chuckled before resting a hand on either of the twins'' shoulders. "So, you can rest easy, her bark is oficially worse than her bite."


    ''For now at least'' he added internally.


    The next five minutes passed by uneventfully. With the majority of the information having being told to them beforehand, they didn''t learn anything new apart from the reason which Marcel and the two sisters were so hostile to each other.


    Marcel was actually the most promising follower of the guild leader. For over a decade, he had been developed somewhat as the pseudo leader of The Guild. Although there were many members who were more senior in terms of age and experience, none could compare to Marcel in terms of trust and position. That was with the exception of Nyra and Arwen. These girls were similarly a set of twins with an origin which even Marcel didn''t have enough knowledge about to speak on.


    After being brought back with the Guild leader around eight years ago, they rapidly progressed with flying colours. If there was something asked of them, it was never whether they would do it, but whether they would do it amazingly or¡­ well, there were no other results from them. It was to the point that if the leader asked them to dig a hole, they would probably spend the rest of their lives digging it unless they were told otherwise.


    Aside from their die hard loyalty to the leader, The only thing that Marcel really had to say about them was that Nyra had a temper like a raging bull yet her sister, Arwen, was the complete opposite, calm and composed while being a person of few words.


    Without elaborating in the slightest, Marcel chalked Nyra''a aggression as being due to ''just a bit of friendly competition''. This raised the eyebrows of both twins when they thought about how bad of a situation they might be in and exactly what Marcel could have meant. ''Surely this kind of hatred can''t be normal around here'' They thought while taking a step away from him.


    "So why are you dragging us into this?" Loki asked while considering the awkward situation he was being thrown into.


    "I didn''t put you in any situation. I recruited you and she decided to get mad." Marcel raised his hands while dismissing the accusation before nodding his head in Rykar''s direction. "Anyhow, it was him that walked into her and pissed her off. Besides, am I supposed to just stay lonely and without friends just because she will throw a bitch fit?"


    By the time they got this bit of information from him, some of the surrounding participants began to approach Marcel, as an invigilator, in order to ask for advice on the upcoming trial. Without the chance nor the patience to refute his claim, the rest of the time whisked away from them in this fashion.


    Not a second after the five minutes ran out, the guild leader was back on his seat at the front of the hall while Marcel, Nyra, and Arwen stood at his sides.


    "We begin immediately." With a wave of his hand, a black cloud of butterflies spread through the room, fluttering soundlessly before seemingly disappearing when coming into contact with the ears of the participants.


    As this was happing, many of the people in the crowd flinched or subconsciously tried to dodge these shadowy forms however it all proved fruitless. Much less dodging them, they couldn''t even feel when they attached to them. It seemed as though from start to finish, they were caught in an illusion which finished almost as quickly as it had begun.


    Nothing else was said before he stood up from his seat and walked through the crowd of participants. Unsure of his actions, everyone cleared a path directly in front of him, allowing the group of four to pass through the crowd and through the arched entrance unhindered.


    As the group left the hall, people seemed to begin coming back to their senses as they quickly followed after them.


    "What the hell was that?" One person mumbled under their breath while nervously scratching the side of their neck.


    Just as soundlessly as the butterfly had merged into his neck, it peeled itself away under the surprised gaze of the people close enough to notice. Rising above the crowd, the butterfly broke into a cluster of particles before fading away entirely.


    "Trash. Find your own way back." The voice washed over everyone. Not a single person had left the hall, yet there was already someone who had lost the opportunity which had been presented to them.


    "I didn''t even say anything!" The person shouted in denial as he felt his heart drop but there was no reply to the injustice he felt.


    Despite no one hearing whether this person spoke or not, they buried the event in their hearts before marching out behind the group of four which were leading them towards the unknown.

 74 A Natural Disaster

    As the group of over 200 people, which were all clad in an assortment of masks and black cloaks, left the gates of the city, the eyes of everyone within sight were trained on them. ''Looks like its that time of year'' many people who had been around to witness this spectacle previously thought to themselves while the voiceless black cloud trickled out of the city.


    Despite the oddness of the scene, not even five minutes later, there wasn''t even a cloud of dust to remember them by, as life within the city resumed its flow as though nothing had even occurred. However contrary to the calmness on the streets, discussions broke out all over the city as leaders of various powers responded to the changes taking place with practiced procedures.


    "That demon is leaving again. Which gate did he exit the city?" A grey haired elder asked his attendant while sitting behind a solid oak desk which had its surface riddled with documents. Rather than waiting for a reply, he massaged his creased brows before waving dismissively. "It doesn''t particularly matter. Clear all active forces in that direction unless they are working within an established settlement."


    With that, he resumed reading the document which was previously in his hand but soon stopped again as he noticed that there hadn''t been any movement. The attendant''s eyes shifted around the room in confusion before she questioned cautiously. "With all due respect sir, removing all operations in the eastern wilderness will cut revenue by over a third."


    "You''re young, but your father wouldn''t have sent you over here if you weren''t bright. Let me ask you, if you knew that a natural disaster was about to sweep through your establishment, would you stop operations and cut losses or continue working as normal while sustaining any damage passively?"


    Despite being confused by the comparison, the attendant answered the question at hand. "I would freeze operation and cut losses, sir. But he only went with tw2 hund-"


    "You will answer your own question if you substitute the leader of The Guild with the natural disaster in question." The elder sighed before once again dropping the document. "Did you know that The Guild only has barely twenty years of history? That being said, it took the guild only twenty years to rise to the largest ''information gathering agency'' within the capital city.


    "That may be slightly surprising, but do you know what the The Guild is actually renowned for within our circle? The fact that people disappear constantly, yet this has never been linked to them by the officials or law enforcement, or the royals even once.


    "Every trial which they go on, they will encounter many people who simply happen to be in the path of The Guild as they travel through the wilderness. If any of these people are people that you have relations to, you may as well order their tomb stone starting now."


    "Since when is ''evidence'' needed? If anything, just make some up." The attendant was stupefied by the logic behind what was being explained to her.


    "You''re right, we don''t need evidence, however, whoever we send will disappear. Whoever the royals send will disappear. I''m not talking about hundreds, or thousands. There are hundreds of thousands of unexplained disappearances, yet not a single drop of blood to remember any of them by.


    "And dealing with this is simple." By now, the elders words seemed to lose their heaviness, as though he was reseing with himself just as much as he was to his attendant. "You just have to leave them alone. Don''t bother them, or him, and nothing will be touched. Aside from that park, they care little for anything else.


    "This is also the reason that those from the higher branches of Grace haven''t come down to deal with this issue. Because it would cost them more effort than its worth, in order to deal with an existence that they know nothing about, yet only wants to be left alone."


    It would be a lie to say that the attendant wasn''t skeptical by everything that was being said, but without a say in the matter, she walked backwards, leaving the room before closing the door respectfully.


    By the time the door had closed in front of her, tens of these conversations were repeating themselves all over the city while a grand migration began to take place in the east of the city. Anyone with even the slightest bit of backing was immediately contacted the told to either vacate the eastern wilderness or enter an official settlement as soon as possible.


    The scale of such and event was almost comparable to a national event.


    Despite the growing waves which were spreading throughout the country, the majority of the people participating in the trial were actually clueless as to the scale of what they were taking part in. All they had on their minds currently was to keep up with the four figures in front of them.


    The first few hours were filled with tension, but as evening fell everyone had already calmed most of their initial nerves and the realization hit them that this test was exactly as it had been described.


    The first day had consisted of a simple run across the grasslands which spread out to the east of the city. Rather than following the road directly, the guild leader and the rest of the invigilators ran perpendicularly to it instead, with it being around half a kilometer to their side.


    Running on the grass as opposed to the hard ground was much more taxing on the stamina of the group, but this was nothing compared to the extent of their capabilities.


    With a weird rhythm, the leader would vary between walking, jogging and running at seemingly random intervals for different amounts of time. This was all done without a single word being said and without him even looking backwards once.


    Following along like a flock of black sheep, the group ran blindly for up to half an hour at a time before being allowed to walk, or only slowing to a jog if they were unlucky.


    Having left in the morning, it had now been nearly twelve hours and the sun was beginning to glow orange on the horizon when the guild leader finally stopped in place. With the moment of respite, many people fell to their knees while those that were too afraid to relieve themselves during the march hurriedly ran to the side while fumbling with their pants.


    "Rest." Only one word but it let the tense mental states of those that were still keeping their eyes trained on the guild leader relax.


    Splitting up, the ''invigilators'' moved into different positions as though they had no intention to converse with each other. Noticeable to the Rykar and Loki, Marcel walked closer to their group before sitting cross legged on the dense grass and pulling off his boots without paying any mind to those watching his movements.


    Rummaging in his backpack, he then pulled out a few stalks of something before throwing them into his mouth alongside a sip of water from a travel flask and crushing it into a paste before smothering the paste on some of the more tender parts of his feet.


    The eyes of many around him began to shine as they recognized the herb as one of those which were included in the guide and strongly recommended to be brought along in their travel packs! Almost at the same time, tens of people crashed to the ground before struggling to pull off their shoes and repeat Marcel''s practiced movements.


    The one thing they had taken for granted was the state of Marcel''s feet after he had taken off his shoes. Rather than pulling slightly red or sore feet from their boots, many people experienced blood running down their calves before their feet even left their shoes. Rykar and Loki were unfortunately included in this group.


    Only now that they had a moment of rest to take much of the pressure off their feet had they realized the depressing state that they were in. Many areas had the skin rubbed clean off, revealing red and sensitive flesh underneath, which was increasingly obvious when it came in contact with the air.


    Clenching their mouths to hold back their anguish, tears involuntarily threatened to spill from their eyes as they tentatively removed both feet from their boots before laying them on the ground and rummaging through their bags for herbs and bandages.


    After repeating the procedure which Marcel had generously revealed to them, they smothered their feet in a light layer of the paste before binding them. Taking a moment to clean the bloody interior of their boots, they quickly pushed their feet back into them along with the rest of the participants. As fatigued as they were, they were aware of how likely it would be for the leader to begin what felt like a grand migration once again without waiting for them to prepare themselves.


    Without any words needed between them, the twins sat with their backs to each other before shutting their eyes and getting as much rest as possible. Many people within the participants now understood exactly what the leader had said when he explained the trial as being a test of their ability to learn, among other things. With such a useful tip being given out by the invigilators at the end of the first day, there was no doubt that there would eb many other habits and tricks they would have to pick up on which were much more subtle.


    Without their freedom of speech, there was truly nothing much else to do within the middle of a field besides to sleep. Unknowing when, exhaustion washed over everyone as they sank into the embrace of sleep.


    Rykar flinched as he heard the sound of a boot scraping heavily against the grass next to him. With his hands lifted in defense, he looked through a small gap to find that there was no one currently in front of him. The culprit was already bolting into the distance, becoming nothing but a faint shadow in the dark while a handful of people remained on the ground, evidently still sleeping deeply.


    Twisting while still in his seated position, he looked around cautiously while barely being able to make out anything in the faint light which the scares stars provided him.


    While only able to see a staggered trail of people in front of him which were all hurrying in the same direction, his chest sank as he realized that they had been all but left behind. Barging against Loki''s back with his elbow before darting to his feet, he pulled his brother up despite his disorientated state.


    After grabbing his brothers head and directing him in the direction of the fleeing shadow, Loki''s body stiffened as though injected with chicken blood. Staggering backwards, Loki''s eyes sharpened as he took in the few people left on the ground which couldn''t have amounted to much over ten.


    A second of eye contact later, they both broke out into a sprint regardless of the pain their feet had been in a few hours ago, desperately trying to catch up with the tail of the group.


    Looking behind, the figure that had staggered, resulting in the heavy step that alerting the twins to their desperate situation snickered before rapidly accelerating. It wasn''t long before the figure casually rejoined the other invigilators at the front of the group which continued walking at a relaxed pace through the dead of night.

 75 Life On The Road

    It had already been a month. A month which couldn''t have been more monotonous if they had tried. Sleep was a chore. Walking was a chore. Eating was a chore. Relieving themselves was a chore. Running was a chore. Learning was a chore.


    Everything that they had done so far was constantly requiring their utmost focus in order to absorb the discrete lessons where were being inadvertently force fed to them.


    Within the past 30 days, the twins had picked up a plethora of skills, while many habits had almost become a second nature. Fire making, eating while moving, energy conservation, setting up a camp, treating wounds, dealing with pests, placing traps and alerting devices, remaining alert while sleeping.


    Unknowingly, they had settled into a routine of silence which revolved around keeping their senses honed on at least one of the instructors at all times. Those who were found to be lacking in stamina or were slow to pick up on this key point had long been since left behind during their dreams.


    Their fatigue during the days of constant travel had also lessened to the point that, although they were constantly aching, they were currently in a much better condition than they had been towards the end of the first few days.


    It wasn''t long before a set of unspoken rules were understood by those that remained standing after the most difficult phase of adapting to the challenge.


    1. Do not sleep heavily. At bare minimum, be aware of the movement of those around you.


    2. Do not eat heavily. Taking bites throughout the day would keep sustain their energy without causing them to feel sick due to the frequent changes in pace.


    3. Whether it be relieving yourself, foraging food or treating an injury, make sure to squeeze these activities into the time when the forerunners were walking.


    4. Copy the movements and habits of the instructors as closely as possible.


    5. Where possible, make sure to meditate in order to increase strength and boost recovery instead of sleeping.


    Sliver light shone through the leaves of a dense forest as the moon broke through the cloud covered sky. For a moment, the silver rays allowed an eerie view of over 150 cloaked figures postured in a variety of positions across the forest floor. Either laying, sitting or hunched over, the figures didn''t make a sound, causing even the nocturnal animals to dance around them without their usual alertness.


    As the clouds wrestled the moon back under their blanket once again, the light disappeared just as quickly as it had arrived, plunging the space back into darkness.


    In their usual position, the twins were sat cross legged while propping their backs up against each other. Rather than giving in to their exhaustion as they had towards the beginning of the trial, they were currently in a semi-conscious state while drawing in the motes of light which surrounded them. The animals which were going about their nightly activities casually suddenly froze before slowly backing away from the cloaked figures as though they had only just noticed their existence.


    In the middle of their retreat, four silhouettes began to shift one after the other, silently rising to their feet before casually jogging into the darkness ahead of them.


    Sparked by these movements, the figures on the ground picked themselves up without so much as a grunt before breaking into a similarly paced jog. While moving in the same direction, the crowd moved at a pace that allowed them to keep sight of their leaders without expending too much or too little energy.


    Due to the sudden series of movements, a small brown fox was startled by the ''appearance'' of the figures, prompting it to turn on its heels in fright. Struggling to dig into the soft dirt with its paws, it fell to the ground, staining its flossy fur before finally pushing itself forward with all the strength it''s quaking limbs could muster. Unfortunately, before it had time to bound away, a large gauntlet clasped firmly around it''s head. The fox''s cry didn''t even have time to escape it''s throat before the poor creature''s head was crushed into a ball of bone and flesh.


    As though everything was a dream, the body disappeared from the spot before it even had a chance to turn cold. Rykar then stood up while dragging his stained gauntlets across the dirt. Having just got to his feet, Loki noticed the movement along with the traces of blood left on the ground, causing him to look his brother up and down in uncertainty.


    Noticing the look, Rykar just shrugged it off, indicating that he wasn''t injured, or at the very least that it wasn''t anything serious, before he took off in the direction of the others.


    Unaware of the scene he had just missed, Loki continued onwards through the darkness with a numb feeling. The novelty of the adventure had worn off which caused this trip to become a mind-numbing experience. Rather than saying they were learning survival skills, most of the participants were simply trying to pick up any tips and tricks which would make the march more bearable.


    The most recent habit which Loki had been trying to get a hold of was the method which the invigilators ran. Truth be told, looking at a glance, there was absolutely nothing which stood out as glamourous or vital about it. However, during the last week, he noticed that at some point they didn''t actually make any sound when they took a step. The only reason that people were able to keep track of them was because their cloaks moved in the wind... without this, there was nothing even when their boots came into contact with the ground.


    Hell bent on committing this to his admittedly lacking arsenal of skills, he begun to review the differences between the way that they moved closer towards the begging of the excursion as opposed to now. When searching his memories, there was no evidence of a gradual transition into these silent steps. As though this was planned in advance, on the 23rd day since they had been on the road, the four of them simply started moving with a smooth feeling. The bounds that they made across the grass became measured and rhythmic while the force behind each step appeared to lessen.


    Despite his intriguing observation, along with his recent obsession with precision, the almost all he had to show for it were bruises across his feet and multiple cramps in his calves. Admittedly, he felt that he was onto something. He was actually able to dampen the sound of his steps slightly but was only able to keep this up for a few minutes if he was running. This didn''t even feel like an achievement when considering the way that the guild leader, along with the three invigilators, had kept this up for nearly ten days now.


    Another issue was the nature of the rest of the participants. He was far from the most observant person within the group and he could feel this all too well. After having scoured though his memories for the moment that the instructors had begun to apply their silent steps, he was enlightened to the fact that over 70 of the remaining participants had begin to mimic these movements, albeit tragically, before he had even caught on to the fact they were being used.


    The progress of Loki and his brother could not be understated though. Many of the other participants could be seen to have much more developed physiques than the twins did despite, the cloaks which obscured the majority of their features. Contrary to the the poor performance they had put in earlier, the twins were now able to hold pace with the bulk of the group instead of just barely clinging onto the tail end of the procession.


    In this way, a month had passed.


    And then another.


    And yet another.


    Snow was yet make an appearance, yet frost covered the ground as the morning dew begun to relent under the declining temperatures.


    Three months had passed in the blink of an eye as each and every one of the cloaked figures stopped counting the days since long ago.


    The crunching sounds, which would usually accompany anyone walking through such an environment, had no place here. The first month seemed to be the watershed between those that had a chance to complete this test and those that were only cut out to fail.


    With their travelers packs which were almost devoid of their initial contents, 176 figures silently walked through the frost while leaving nothing behind other than shallow prints in the crisp ground.

 76 Harpies

    Dawn had just broken with the sun splitting the horizon when the trial finally welcomed its second stage.


    Stood within a vast clearing while surrounded by the same forest they had grown familiar with over the last four months, tens of shadows were cast as the participants gathered yet maintained a loose distance from each other.


    With the last four months having been spent in silence, the majority of the people present had become used to the constant isolation. Maintaining a distance from one another while functioning around their peers became almost second nature, as the remaining contenders eliminated any chances of accidentally, or otherwise, ending their trials due to interacting in a way which crossed the bounds.


    "Its good to see that a large portion of this year''s participants were able to make it up until this point. I hope that you have all been able to learn much more than simply to live within isolation and independence within this forest."


    The Guild Leader began to speak, surprising many of the people who had hastily readied themselves to begin this day''s march. "You can think of this space as the center point of operations from this point onwards. For the next six months, you will remain within this forest, with no limits on how far you decide to venture from this point."


    With the restriction on their voices, no one dared to even hum in disapproval. However, as the participants registered that the trial would continue for at least another six months, shuffles broke out in the crowd as people grew restless.


    Rykar and Loki looked towards each other with slight nervousness bouncing between them. Their initial plan had been based around the trial lasting four months, give or take a month, before meeting up once again with Chance to begin the second stage of operations within the city. This would obviously still hold true if the time period changed slightly, but the jump from four months to a minimum of ten months completely blew these expectations out of the window.


    While people were still taking in the latest development, the Guild Leader''s cloak began to flutter while a dark flame sprung to life around him. Enveloped within the flame, he looked unperturbed as he waved his hands in a slow and deliberate fashion, prompting chunks of black flame to splatter into the air like raindrops.


    Rather than submitting to the pull of gravity and falling to the grass below, the small clusters of fire continued to float in their original positions while quickly expanding and taking on human like forms. These airy figures gradually condensed in a very similar way that the butterflies had, but in a much more magnificent manner.


    The final result was 100 small dark figures with the bodies of humans yet supported themselves in the air using wings that took the place of their arms. Along with the mismatching look of the wings, the legs of these creatures were clearly bird-like, with ridged looking talons at their ends.


    "These are Harpies and they will be accompanying you all shortly. During the next six months, in addition to maintaining your silence, you will now be avoiding these creatures. Whether they see you or not has no repercussions, however they will give chase. If you are touched by a Harpy three times, you will fail the trial.


    "If you fail to escape the pursuit of a Harpie, you will be granted a three-hour grace period where you will no longer be targeted or followed. You can use this time as you will." At this point in the speech, the motionless Harpies seemed to come to life, dancing in the sky ant interacting with each other like kindred spirits.


    To the horror of those below, the speed and agility of these shadowy creatures was akin to that of a sparrow. As they spun around each other, it was dizzying to track their movements as they twisted and spun in the air.


    "Once six months passes, you will once again return to this point by sunset. If you are late by any margin, you fail. Use the rest of this day to prepare yourselves. The Harpies will only leave this clearing at sunrise tomorrow." Hearing about the ''holiday'' many of the people listening intently to the speech lost a few points of the agitation which had been building up.


    Being used to their states of tension and vigilance, many people within the crowd began to feel quite lost and empty as they looked around unsure of what to do next. Reverting to the habit they had picked up over the last few months, they began to scour the field for the activities of the other invigilators, however, they were soon surprised to find that they were nowhere to be found.


    "Every month, the number of Harpies will double." With the last of his words fading into the wind, the Guild Leader also dissipated right in front of everyone''s eyes, leaving them all to their own devices.


    Shaking his head, Rykar followed Loki into the distance before rummaging in his pocket and pulling out a Spirit Fruit before slightly tilting his mask and throwing the heavy ball into his mouth. With the food that they scavenged on a daily basis not being anywhere near enough to sate him, this was a habit that he developed early on.


    Due to the slow rate of absorption of the fruit, along with the abundant energy contained within, each one would be able to tide him over for around a week. Although this was alongside the other food he would regularly eat in order to keep up appearances amongst the rest of the procession. This was rarely meat, as it was still exceedingly difficult to catch anything while constantly staying within an acceptable range of the group.


    Swallowing down the heavy fruit which felt like a ball of soft lead, Rykar looked at his brother in silence. Both thinking about their own concerns, there was no other interaction between them other than a nod before Rykar began taking items from his bag and handing them over. Only after Loki''s bag was fully restocked did they turn away from each other, running in different directions.


    An hour later, Loki was still jogging through the forest at a controlled cruising speed. With the Harpies expanding out from the center point, his common sense told him that it would be safest to get as far away from that location as possible before night fell.


    Despite having travelled through the night on many occasions previously, anyone with a brain would understand that travelling in the wild was completely different when one was alone versus within a group of nearly two hundred. Without the intimidation factor of their numbers, there was no longer a reason for the true predators of the wood to avoid him.


    *Snap*


    The crisp sound split the quiet forest, causing Loki to spin on his heels. Despite his eyes darting around the spaces behind him, he failed to pick up any movement, yet he refused to reign in his suspicion. Taking quick steps backwards without moving his head at all, he tread lightly on his toes while backpedaling.


    Hearing that the target was once again on the move, a shadow partly revealed itself only seconds later but was stunned in place when it saw the backpedaling Loki staring straight at it.


    When in Rome, do as the Romans do. With his cover completely blown, the figure discarded all attempts of remaining hidden. Instead, they sprinted in Loki''s direction at full speed.


    Initially, they had been over 100 meters from each other, with trees strewn haphazardly between them. With this holding back, to some extent, their ability to break into an all-out sprint, the game of cat and mouse still resulted in the pursuer constantly gaining ground on Loki.


    Loki was far from being tired, but a film of sweat was beginning to form on his face as this unexpected situation caused him no small amount of pressure.


    With his head running hot, Loki tilted his head backwards only to regret the reality which presented itself. Less than 20 meters away the pursuer was now cutting through the trees. The cheap cloth serving as a facemask only covered the bottom half of their face, revealing a pair of squinting eyes which were obviously a result of a hideous grin which couldn''t be seen.


    Taking a deep breath, Loki stopped dead in his tracks before dragging his daggers from the sheaths on his sides.