Twin Perspectives: Chapter 1 All characters belong to their perspective owners no ownership is claimed for
non-original characters.

Special thanks go to Davner, Cavis, and Fish_Stomp for their help on this fic.

Twin Perspectives

Eps 1: Huh?

By: STRIKESTWICE@hotmail.com

Basvic was situated perfectly near the border of the old world and the new. Its

position had made it a center for trading caravans, as the two formerly separated lands

were once again connected in what was becoming a prosperous union. The mid sized

town had turned into a sprawling city state in these last twenty years of trade. The arid

almost desert land surrounding it slowly changed to that of green fields as priestesses and

mages created springs of fresh water in the surrounding area, to try to feed the ever

growing population.

If you were to walk down the streets of Basvic through the gates that stood

perennially open, past the streets filled with inns and bars that catered to the various

caravans as they passed through. Take a right at the square with the water fountain

depicting a golden dragon and proceed down the smaller merchants street you would

arrive at "The Lady's Collectibles and Gun Store." The large and well kept windows that

faced out onto the street allowing in a vast amount of light to the interior. Open the

wooden door and inside, much larger then the outside appearance would suggest, would

be rows upon rows of collectibles. Magical artifacts, created by people long since

forgotten, vases and urns in various hues, companionably sitting next to books and

scrolls, even in the piles of odd items dust or dirt could not be found. For the Lady Filia,

who owned the shop, saw to it that such things that would affront her very delicate

upbringing never existed for long. A woman of very refined upbringings, it was said that

she never aged as that would offend her.

A little farther into the shop down a path way that might disappear into the

clutter, through an arch and you would enter an entirely different type of store. This one

selling, in very small amounts, the best gun powder in all of Basvic. Guns, and rifles, the

newest most modern design in all the old world guaranteed, all created by a small red

foxman. But heaven help the person who tried to buy any of these items with evil

intentions in their heart. For Jared the Fox, only sold to those he liked and his guns, and

gunpowder, were in such demand that he could pick and choose his customers.

It was not unusual though for travelers to cross the great desert for the express

purpose of visiting this shop for one reason or another. Some to buy, but perhaps the

shops main attraction was not its wares but the other odd inhabitants. Because the shop

boasted its own pair of miniature pet dragons one white as snow and the other black as

night. These two miniature dragons would carefully rest somewhere in the sun as part of

the mounds of collectibles. Those not familiar with the reputation of the shop would

think them just another piece for sale until they got to close and then see an eye slit

slowly open starring at the person who had dared to intrude into their personal space.

Then in a flash both would disappear burrowing through tunnels of items for sale, into

crevasses only they knew, and reappear at the counter to perch on the low stand that was

reserved for them.

Perhaps the least remarkable thing of "The Lady's Collectibles and Gun Store"

was the daughter of Lady Filia. With hair a dark black, until it was touched by sunlight

where a hint of gold suddenly seemed to appear at the edges, as if aglow with an internal

light, dark brown eyes to match the hair, she seemed like a completely normal girl of

maybe fourteen or fifteen years. But for those few travelers who listened a little more

closely to the local gossip, they would be rewarded with the knowledge that she was now

in her twentieth year. Like her mother she was slowly starting to stop aging. But the

Lady Filia was too respected for anything but the most vague of gossip to reach her. Her

daughter though while cheerful and outgoing was unable to remove herself from being

the subject of gossip.

All of these things added up to make the store a tourist attraction and one of the

most profitable businesses in all of the growing town of Basvic.

To the two travelers who made their way down its streets, foot worn and dirty

from the dust of the desert. Pausing only a second at the fountain for some cool water

before continuing on their course to the shop. The one slightly in front of the other was

obviously a man, dressed in black armor with numerous spikes, and a large decal of a

skull stenciled onto the front of his breast plate. His golden red hair and complexion had

not helped him in the desert sun and he had turned a bright red from the heat with

sunburns piled on sunburns. The armor made of solid iron had rather then protected him

from the sun, instead acted in the opposite way boiling him from the inside out. On his

hip sat a short sword seeming in contrast to the large amount of armor he wore.

Behind him, a small girl walked wearing loose fitting pants and a comfortable

brown shirt, looking like a thousand other peasants even to the small dagger she carried

on her left side. A small almost invisible scar trailed from her left eye oddly formed in

the shape of a tear. The expression of annoyance that seemed to cover her face at being

forced to follow the large man was easily understood by anyone who got down wind of

him. She swiped her long green hair, carefully tied with a brilliantly white bow, with her

left hand and hurried to catch up with the man.

They both entered the shop with the air of having been there before. Eyes

roaming over the goods with little interest as they walked into the store, as if they were

accustomed to being surrounded by curiosities from a hundred lands. Behind and below

the counter someone rustled through the junk thought too valuable to be displayed with

the rest of the items for sale. The two travelers turned as one towards this person and

waited.

***

Senritsuko was trying to sort out the mess Black and White had made of the

emeralds from the Frige Rain Forest Area. For some reason only known to the two little

dragons, the green sparkling seemed to call to them in an irresistible way. Senritsuko had

tried locking them up, hiding them, putting the emeralds in a safe place, and even

scolding the dragons. All it accomplished was a tongue lashing from her mother about

displaying the merchandise and a new mess every morning. When someone walked into

the store.

She grumbled to herself, as she finally got the display right, when a terrible stench

reached her nose. Unlikely her mother, she was less then the refined lady, but still

something smelled like it had been a week out in the sun. That meant that she was going

to have to light some of the precious incense shipped all the way from the Norwagan

Region. Whoever it was had better buy something.

The girl stood up and almost ran into the two heads peering down at her. She

took a step back in fright as the carefully arrayed tray of emeralds spilled its goods,

throwing precious stones tumbling down behind the counter.

"Hey, sorry to startle you!" The man yelled at the top of his voice. The woman

with him glared, then offered her hand to Senritsuko.

"Hi, cos' lon' time no see." She glared at her companion again and easily lifted

the fallen woman off of the floor. "See's you up to the sam' old thin'. Me and bro were

wonder'en if you be wanten to join us on a little trip to New Sairag to see Aunty."

Senritsuko paused deciphering the comment for a second as she stared at her cousins.

Well not actually her real cousins, as far as she knew the only real family she had was her

mother, but her adopted family more then made up for it. The first thought that leapt into

her mind was that maybe if she ignored them they would go away. The two seemed to

take on the general personality, she paused trying to phrase it politely and then gave up,

distinctions of their parents. That of being completely immune to the word "can't." It

seemed to just be permanently removed entirely from the Gabrieve family tree.

Yuki, the older twin by a few minutes, and yes they were twins even if they

looked nothing alike, stared back at Senritsuko with that puppy dog look that seemed to

always get her whatever she wanted. Meanwhile, Valeck had begun toying with one of

the displays his large armor and numerous, pointless spikes forcing him to very carefully

dodge one item to look at another, a display of extreme flexibility destined to failure as

yet another display went crashing onto the floor. They were always like this, a pair of

destruction that only needed to be focused... focused Senritsuko suddenly got a bad

feeling.

"What did you two do now?"

Yuki's puppy dog expression fell even more into complete and utter despair.

"Nothin', just had a miss-understandin'." She turned the full force of that expression on

Senritsuko.

"You didn't blow up another town, did you?"

"That was an accident, and it wasn't an entire town just the harbor." Valeck

yelled too defensively, "and no we didn't blow up a town, we sort of lost something."

Senritsuko sighed and began boiling some tea. Whenever these two tried to

explain their reason for random destruction it was best just to sit down in a comfortable

spot, preferably with a cup of tea, a trait she had inherited from her mother, and listen to

their tale of woe. She turned around and looked expectantly at the twins.

"Well, you see, there was 'is t'oll prob." Yuki started to explain.

"Hold on what is a t'oll, like a bridge tax?"

"No, a troll problem. Sis let me explain please or talk normally." Yuki got a

stubborn look in her eyes but passed the conversation to her brother.

"As my sis was sayin' there was a troll problem locally and Ma and Pa had gone

off on another second honeymoon, again." Senritsuko doubted that anyone else would

call the two old adventures looking for trouble a honeymoon, but she let it slip. "So I

took it upon myself to remove these pests from the locality. I set out to find their lair

using directions from the scared farmers." Behind Valeck his sister was coughing

politely. "Oh, and sis accompanied me."

"Gee 'hanks for 'memberin' me."

"So any ways after fighting through two bands of random brigands, you ever

notice how they just seem to appear out of the woodwork whenever I go adventuring. I

arrived at the troll cave and after a few battles we finally faced the trolls. Ugly lot they

were, but I was more then a match for them with my sword skills alone I took out all the

lesser trolls until it was just me and my..." Valeck slumped onto the floor completely

knocked out by the heavy blow to his head from his sister from the back of her dagger.

"As my bro' was a sayin', WE had killed off the lesser t'olls and we'er facin' the

head t'oll. I fired off a flare arrow at it as he began castin' a go'em 'ell. To keep the

thin' distracted I charged forward tryin' to keep it off balan' as bro' finished the 'ell. So

lon' story short the go'em wiped the ground with it."

Senritsuko sipped on her tea. The pot having long since boiled by the time it took

them to do finish the story. "So what does that have to do with you to losing

something?"

"Oh, why we we're gone someon' broke into the man'ion and stoll the cryst-il

sw'rd we's were suppose to guard." Yuki smiled charmingly at Senritsuko. "Anywise

we were hoppin' you might join us, or let us crash here tonight." Senritsuko continued

sipping on her tea gazing at her younger cousin. She had been thinking about visiting

Aunty Sylphiel and Phelan in Searag 4, but having to put up with the Gabriev twins for

the two week trip would be the closest thing she knew to pure torture and Valeck was

right, trouble did seem to find the two of them or they went searching for it. She was

never sure which was the proper order, but she had to admit that it would be fun. Not to

mention that a sort of longing had been gripping her for the last two months, she wanted

to leave Basvic more then she could admit to her mother. She was tired of people

pointing at her when she went shopping or people coming into the store to gack at her. It

would be nice to get away if even for a month to somewhere where she wasn't known,

just another face in the mass.

"I guess, it couldn't hurt to accompany you to Searag 4." She sipped on her tea.

"What makes you think the sword is there?"

Yuki grinned, "we don't know where the sword is that's why we thought we

shoul' visit Aunt Sylphiel and ask her to do a fortun' tellin' for us." Senritsuko sighed,

she had been wrong two weeks with these two would be two weeks too long.

***

A light knock on Senritsuko's wooden door before it opened revealing the old

grayish red fox smiling slightly at her.

"Your leaving tomorrow?" He asked quietly.

"For a week or two, just to see aunt Syphiel and Phelan." She smiled wondering

how Phelan was doing, it had been a few years since the last time she had seen the young

sorcerer.

The old fox smiled back at her. "Everyone goes on a journey in their life. I felt

that your time was close. I think your mother felt the same way, that's why she had me

make this for you. It was supposed to be given to you on your twenty-first birthday, but a

month early isn't going to hurt."

He handed her a red rosewood box bearing the twin black and white dragons on

the cover. She cautiously opened the box revealing one of the new revolvers.

A masterpiece of craftsmanship, the gun glistened gold from the orihalcon plating

on the steel barrel. Runes of protection snaked down the sides of the weapon to the ivory

hilt that was inlaid with a white dragon on the side that was displayed. Senritsuko

removed the gun reverently turning it over to see the black dragon inlayed on the other

side of the grip. She opened the gun and stared at the pristine six slots and then checked

the barrel with a familiarity of someone who had run a gun store.

She put the gun back into the case and carefully closed the lid. Astounded by the

sure value of the gift. A prince couldn't have afforded such a valuable weapon. The

orihalcon alone was worth a thousand times it's weight in gold.

Jared gave her the roguish grin once again. "And these are from me." He handed

her two red bullets, each warm to the touch. Then handed her two ice blue bullets, both

with just a slight chill. Finally, as if he was presenting her with a truly amazing prize,

handed her a bullet that was enclosed in glass with a red ribbon inscribed with gryphs of

warding surrounding the little glass case in a cross of red.

"Does my mother..." He smiled at her and waved a finger.

"Some things are better off not knowing."

"Mom, always says the same thing when I ask about dad." Senritsuko said, her

eyes unfocusing. "Tell me about him."

"He died in the disaster of New Sairag." The fox had become distant as well. "I

barely knew him but he was a powerful priest."

"I know all that tell me, what was he liked."

Jared paused, "I'll leave that up to your mom."

Senritsuko fixed him with a stare she had learned from experience. The same

stare her mother had used on her too many times. "Why won't anyone tell me! What did

he do that was so bad." Tears started to fall from her eyes. "Am I cursed because of his

blood."

"Senritsuko don't."

"Just get out!" She pushed the man outside of her room with a strength that

seemed impossible for her little frame and slammed the door wiping tears with both

hands.

"Senritsuko you are yourself don't let any one ever say otherwise." He gazed at

the door for a second and then whispered. "If only I could have been your father in your

eyes."

***

She woke up, blurry eyed to the new day. Half formed fears and nightmares

unremebered had kept her awake the majority of the night as thoughts rushed through her

mind before she had a chance to even consciously think about them. they were gone.

She slowly began preparing herself for the journey. Putting on her traveling

clothes, a pair of wool britches, a comfortable white cotton blouse, and a black vest that

matched perfectly with her dark hair. Last she slung the holster around her waist, on the

left side, and secured the little clip at its base to stop the weapon from flapping when she

walked.

The weight felt perfect as if she had been missing a part of herself. It had been a

few months since she had used a gun and it felt nice just to have one again, especially her

own. She smiled at herself in the mirror admiring the picture presented to her. The

white ivory hilt pointing away with the dark side just a hands width away from touching

her. She tossed a sheet over the mirror and wondered when the next time she would

return home would be.

She finally left the room making sure that everything was in its proper place. Her

mother could never stand a disorderly room. She plastered a smile on her face and

walked into the kitchen to see the two sets of twins devouring a large breakfast. The twin

dragons where cheerfully fighting over a large chunk of meat that Jared had given them.

He was casually watching the other set of twins as they fought just as hard over a pile of

pancakes.

The girl sat down at the table and poured herself a cup of tea. Wondering if

something's ever changed.

Jared looked up at her as she sat down, cautiously as if he expected her to still be

angry. Instead she smiled at him and he let out a relieved sigh and smiled back. She

still felt a little uneasy, like something was turning in her stomach, about the

conversation from last night but she wouldn't allow him to believe that they had left on a

bad footing. Failing to taste the food or the tea she slowly and delicately ate her meal

still feeling a little uneasy about something. She always felt this way about going to

Sairag 4, some memory, forgotten, but still warning her to stay away, something about

her father.

***

"I still don't understand, why can't we ride to Sairag?" Senritsuko said, adjusting

her pack for the last time. For some reason neither one of the twins had mentioned that

they would be walking the entire way to the city. Basvic had already fallen behind them

hours ago and they had finally left the desert for the mountains and trees.

"Tradition," Yuki told her.

"I thought it was because Aunt Lina was scared of them."

"Mom's not scared of anything." Valeck said, somehow he and his sister hadn't

bothered to bring any thing besides themselves on this journey. But she was not going to

be stuck out in the middle of nowhere with out anything to eat.

"Let's see, she's scared of your aunt, slugs, and horses. Mom used to tell me the

story about where Aunt Lina torched half a city because a horse... We're being followed

aren't we."

"You jus' noti'ed. They've been behin' us for the last hour."

"I was going to wait until they finally decided to ambush us, but I guess I can

defeat them now." He paused in the middle of the small clearing and began yelling, or at

least talking louder then his normal yell. "Come out and prepare to die, for I am Valeck

the Gray Serpent, apprentice of Naga the White Serpent. Their is no one who can defeat

me!" At that moment, his loving sister, backhanded him into the ground.

"I'm sorry I didn't get that last pa't about you bein' un'efitable."

The group of bandits took the opportunity to slink into the clearing bordered on

one side by a lake. It was your normal group of boring rag tag bandits. All dressed in the

normal grays and blacks of those in the profession. The leader a tall skinny man with a

knife, tasted his blade in what he thought was a scary movement and then pointed the

now moistened weapon at the two still standing women.

"Hand over your money and your valuables!" Both of the girls looked at him and

his cronies.

"How's about you han' ov'r your's valu'les."

"Huh?" The bandit leader looked at her dumbly. "What did you just say?"

"She said, surrender or die!" Valeck yelled standing up again. "What there's

only ten of you? I don't know if your even worth my time."

The boss stared at the travelers in mystification for a second. This wasn't going

well, but their were only three of them after all and only the guy had red hair. Like his

dad had told him a hundred times, before limping off, don't ever attack female red heads.

"Get them!" He yelled charging forward.

"Freeze Arrow!"

"Flare Arrow!"

"Run!"

"Your not gettin' away!"

Senritsuko looked up at the sky, the sun was just a little bit past straight up. She

dropped her pack and pulled out a picnic cloth spreading it on the ground.

"Please, don't kill me!"

With a motion learned from practice she removed her shoes and sat down on the

cloth rifling through it until she pulled out the meal she packed.

"I shall smite the in the name of the Gray Serpent!"

She opened the box and a pair of chopsticks. Clucking her tongue when she saw

that some of the rice had mixed with the greens.

"Please let me live, I have eight children."

The battle was drifting away. The explosions becoming more distant as well as

the screams for mercy. Senritsuko finished her meal and went back to staring up at the

sky. A quiet peace had shrouded the glen and for the first time all day she felt relaxed.

BOOM!

The large explosion, rattled the entire forest and startled Senritsuko awake. She

hadn't meant to fall asleep, but the sunlight and a full stomach had been more then

enough to lull her into relaxation and then it wouldn't hurt to close her eyes for a second.

The explosion that had awakened her had also startled a flock of birds from the trees.

She watched the white and gray as they circled over head squawking their displeasure at

being disturbed.

The birds finally winged over the lake, heading for the forest on the other side and

crossing over a gold head. That same head was staring back at Senritsuko from the lake.

The gold head bobbed in the water the two staring at each other for a moment and then as

if with some unspoken signal they both started to move. Senritsuko stood up hastily,

stepping off the picnic cloth and putting her shoes back on. The head swam quickly to

the shore emerging in a glorious burst of gold and blue to stand on the small beach. The

fish head was attached to a body of a fish but with the arms and legs of a spindly human,

thin and pale and looking, oddly like they had been added as an after thought.

The fish screamed out chimera or monster most people who would come face to

face with such a thing would have either been preparing for a fight or run away.

Senritsuko was not a normal person she had grown up amongst chimeras and beast men.

So she waited patiently for the monster to do something, and the monster waited patiently

for her to do something. Finally, it gave up on the waiting game and pointed at itself then

stomped its left foot. The fish repeated the action again.

"Oh I get it your name is Stomp." Senritsuko said, "Mine's Senritsuko, pleased to

meet you. Would you like some tea?"

The fish shook its head negative and then pointed at the young woman's gun.

"Please don't tell me you want to rob me." The gold fish shot two spikes from its dorsal

fin into the nearby picnic cloth and then once again pointed to the Orihalcon inlaid

firearm. Senritsuko sighed, she had only been hanging out with the twins for one day,

one day, and trouble was already finding her. It had to be a curse or something. Without

a word, and quicker then the eye could follow she pulled the new gun out of its holster

and put two bullets right between the fishes eyes. "Damn, and now I'm going to have to

clean it." She sighed and went back to her picnic cloth pulling one of the spikes out of it

before digging through her pack and removing the cleaning kit for the revolver.

***

"Sweet, fish for dinner tonight!" Valeck yelled, starting to gather wood.

Senritsuko just sighed and hoped that this trip would be over soon and knowing that

another two weeks remained.

***

A man and a woman left "The Lady's Collectibles and Gun Store" each dressed

in a fashionably extreme outfit not in keeping with the climate. The man kicked at the

dirt "Damn, we missed them only by a day."

The woman looked up at the sky ignoring the temper tantrum of her companion.

"Don't worry we know where their going and it fits in with our plans." She started

walking in the direction of the city gates and beyond them Sairag 4, leaving her

companion to hurry along in her wake.

Behind them in the dark shadows of a nearby building a man dressed in purple

carrying a long staff with a red ball, shook his head at the actions of the two and

disappeared in the blink of an eye.

***

Send all complaints to STRIKESTWICE@hotmail.com, and thanks for spending the time
to read my fic.