"Speaking"
Individual thoughts/Mindscape talk with the twins
*Ability/Spell*
...
Murmurings rushed through the household, but only one remained calm. They had to be, after all. Plus, if they did get frazzled or jarred, then people would reconsider his position. A man like him wasn't allowed to get frazzled. He simply seemed like he was always in control of any situation, even when he shouldn't be.
What could be seen was a large behemoth of a man, next to him was a Cat Person, and then beside him were four quadruplets, all about three feet tall, most likely Prums.
"Is this all necessary for one person? Do you even know which one we're going after?" The Cat Person said, hands in their pockets. They were wearing a sleeveless black tee-shirt, a silver band going from their left shoulder down over their heart to their right hip. A spear could be seen protruding behind his head. Their blue eyes piercing the captain.
"It does not matter which one we grab, but we can't do anything if they are together or with witnesses. Allen, you know this," the large man's bass voice carried finality, which meant not to talk about it any further.
This Cat Person, Allen Fromel, vice-captain of the Freya Familia was standing next to Ottar, his captain, as they discussed the plan that their Goddess laid out for them. His blue eyes narrowed at the recent statement. "It'd be easy for me to slip in and nab them without anyone interfering. You said that they were level three, complete pushovers." Allen was known as one of the fastest in Orario. His alias, Vana Freya, not only dictated his drive but his dedication. If his Goddess wants someone kidnapped, then he better get to do the kidnapping as soon as possible. This delay was grating on his nerves.
Ottar did not respond, merely observing Orario from the top floor of Folkvangr. Allen scoffed before turning and walking away. What Allen didn't know was Ottar already had the perfect place to nab one of them. If they only went to the Dungeon, then his Lady's plan can be put into effect. No one saw it, and no one would have believed it if it was told to their face that Ottar the King smiled that day.
The Sword and Shield were blissfully unaware of the danger that lurked at their heels. It could certainly backfire, but this would be perfect to draw out Freya's wishes: To see their souls shine brighter than the sun.
There was laughter coming from the Dia Complex. Isaac and Irene finally decided to open up the first of many scrolls from their Grandmother. The elven twins were holed up in their room of the complex. The massive desk spanned at least three-quarters of the sidewall, big enough for both of them to have separate workspaces.
The architect did a fantastic job of making this. It made everything so much simpler. The container of scrolls lied in between them both. However, they were not ripping through them like some sort of crazed-filled rampage. Just by reading, they found out it was like a diary. A diary about their lives. The specific scroll that Irene was holding was one dated almost ten months before the twins arrived in this world.
...
To my future grandchildren,
I am going to start writing these in hopes one day you read them. I do not know what you will look like, what your names will be, or what you will grow up to be. There could be one of you, three of you, or five of you. I want to extend my love to you, even though I have not met you yet.
Your mother's reaction was priceless. She was absolutely delighted when she found out. It was even better when she was ignorant that she was carrying. The reason I knew was that I used a magic spell, it was only a spell to check for heartbeats, and when I noticed that there was more than one, I told her. I have never heard her shout louder in excitement, I had to stop her from jumping with joy, to preserve your lives. Thank me later.
Your father was excited as well, but nervous about what it meant for me. I told him not to worry, as long as he made my daughter happy and he planned on sticking around. No grandchildren of mine were going to be raised without a father! Now, I wonder if you'll look more like your father or your mother, maybe even me? Ah, now that is wishful thinking.
Even though we have not met, I could feel the magic residing within you (you all, if there are more than one) so I can see potential in you. I know you will make me proud. I also have a feeling that you will be born as quarter-elves. Most would think I would be upset with 'dissolving' the bloodline, but that is not their call. Something to learn, and consider it lesson one: All elves are stuck-up snob noses unless they prove it otherwise.
With love from your future Grandmother,
Sofia Vlahos.
...
The twins were giggling, "W-Why c-can I imagine M-Mom jumping around, hand over her mouth like that? That image is hilarious. She would be like, Oh my gosh, I'm pregnant, and then she would immediately start going into panic mode about everything for us," Irene said, holding her stomach as she had just finished reading it aloud.
Isaac read it over her shoulder because Irene was trying to hold back her laughter the entire time. He was trying and failing to keep his own laughter under control. He ended up face-first on the desk because he leaned forward too far, hitting his head. The pain was negligible at best. Irene was right, that sounded like their mother. Their father was no different. He was excited to be a father, he loved the twins. Thankfully, he could always tell the difference between them when they were younger.
Both twins experienced twinges of pain at being reminded of their parents but that time was past. Both made eye contact and agreed not to mention it.
"Do you wanna read the next one?" Irene offered the next scroll to her twin. Isaac accepted it, looking at the date, a few weeks after the one they just finished. After untying the knot on the scroll, he opened it and he honestly expected dust to fly off of it, but no. It looked new, just like the rest. Preserved, just like the rest. This message was easily decades, possibly under a century old, yet the paper was still new. Riveria must have saved these over a long period of time, and the seals were still fresh. She never looked at them. Points for respect.
"Sure, why not?" Isaac said, already scanning over it.
...
Dear future grandchildren,
I can now write with full confidence that there is more than one of you inside my daughter. While we cannot watch you grow, nor can we determine how many of you there are, but I can. Being a mage allows me to sense others' magic power. I feel it strongly from my daughter, almost to the point of overloading my senses, so you are powerful little ones. Both her and my son-in-law are excited, yet worried about being parents. Thankfully, with age comes experience. That's me, in case you were wondering, and no I am not that old for a High Elf.
This is one month after we found out about your existence, and I cannot wait to meet you. On the bright side, my apprentice has been coming along well. As I am writing this, the thought occurred to me, I never mentioned her before. She is another High Elf, like me. Her name is Riveria Ljos Alf. She has the potential to be a powerful mage. Of course, she sought me out and practically demanded I teach her.
Anyway, that is for another message. This one is about you and being the newest members of the Vlahos family. They are already deciding names and such; they have some picked out and ones that they are on the fence about. While you might read this one day, I do not know which day that will be, but I can only hope you have a healthy, happy life.
With love, from your favorite Grandmother,
Sofia Vlahos
...
"So we're quarter High Elves? That's a confusing thought." He hummed, "They really seemed to care about us before we were even alive," Isaac whispered. Then why did they get treated like the shit on the street? Was there something missing? Something that can be explained with a simple letter?
"Isaac, I can feel you thinking too hard. You were speaking in my head for that, and I agree. There was definitely something that we are missing here," Irene tapped Isaac's forehead before standing up. "Are you hungry?"
"Yeah, but I don't want to make anything. Pfft, even if I tried, I'd burn down the kitchen before anything else," Isaac said, rolling his eyes and putting the scroll down on the table. He stood up, felt the muscles and joints pop and crack after sitting for so long.
"Should we ask Lady Dia if she wants to come along?" Irene asked.
"It wouldn't hurt to reach out because I think she's been in her office all day with Lady Loki," Isaac gestured to her door through the wall. Lady Loki showed up early this morning, surprising Isaac as he answered the door. She was all serious and it was slightly unnerving, but he quickly shook it off as Dia retrieved her. He mentioned it to Irene and she was probably 'forbidden information that if we mere mortals heard, our ears would singe off and we'd be left deaf and scarred' is what Irene said. Isaac believed it to be something else entirely.
Isaac ended up going outside of Dia's door and knocking, "Lady Dia?"
"Yes, Isaac?" He heard his Goddess's voice through the door.
"Irene and I are going to get something for dinner, we were wondering if you wanted to join us, or want us to bring something back for you," the elder twin said, getting to the point.
"No thank you, Loki and I still have details to discuss," Dia said with an exasperated edge.
"Alright, we'll be at the Hostess if you need us," Isaac chuckled before heading back to his room. Irene immediately asked how it went, and so he told her.
"Well, we better get ready," Irene said, tapping her knees with her hands. She stood and went to her closet while Isaac scrounged through his.
When both twins emerged, they shared a round of laughter. Isaac was wearing a casual tunic with pants, tucked into his boots this time, his hands and head visible. Irene was wearing leggings and tighter pants that accented her form, but it covered her skin just as well. The top was an older shirt of Isaac's that Irene constantly stole, so he gave up trying to get it back. We're weird aren't we?
Look who's talking, Isaac shot back before they both put on their greaves, daggers at the ready. Never leaving unarmed, one of many rules they developed over the years. The two exited their home and headed towards the Hostess of Fertility. They were blind to the fact that they had a tail.
Passing on the streets at night was a different experience than in the morning. Magic stone lamps lit the roads and buildings, but it was mostly devoid of people. That didn't stop Adventurer's Way from being a madhouse. The twins hoped they wouldn't have to deal with the attention. That was another point of contention, but they'll have to deal with it when it reaches a critical point. Upon entering the pub, they could tell the place was lively. The twins immediately started looking for an empty table or booth but were elated to see a white-haired rookie, sitting with two people. One was his supporter, Lili, while the other was a red-headed man. He seemed older than Bell, but his whole expression was carefree.
The pair ended up going over to them, "Hello!" Irene greeted.
Lili inclined her head before she recognized Isaac, "Nice to see you again. Word is, you've become popular for your names."
"Believe us, we know. We stayed huddled inside until we couldn't anymore," Isaac turned to Bell. "Bell Cranel, my name is Isaac Vlahos, we've met only briefly and you weren't conscious for it."
Bell seemed shocked, then embarrassed, "Uh, hi."
"There room for two more?" Irene asked shyly.
Lili looked hesitant but Bell was the one who answered for the group, "Sure, since you don't seem to be freaking out about my rank up."
Isaac guffawed, not loudly, but it was more of a surprise, "We had a little bit more trouble dealing with our aliases. Getting named after a Titan is an honor and a burden. Probably looks like Tiona's Urga, or something to that effect."
"Oh, so you're the ones that the city is so excited about? Learning how to cope with it?" The red-haired adventurer said with a hint of empathy.
"You know the feeling?" Isaac asked.
"Yeah…" he took a drink of his mug. "Name's Welf. Welf Crozzo."
That name didn't click with the elder twin, but for the younger twin, it did. She whispered, "Magic Sword family? That Crozzo?"
Welf's tone turned sour, "Yeah, that Crozzo." He down the rest of his drink in response before signaling for another one.
"Nononononono, sorry that's not what I meant," Irene pleaded. "What I meant was I thought your family was in Rakia." Keep digging that hole, Irene.
Isaac intervened, "What my bumbling sister is trying to say is that you are not at fault for anything. Nor are we here to curse you out. Unless you somehow managed to make it to the Far West with swords like that."
"You're elves?"
"Quarter-Elves," the twins chimed.
Welf's mood lightened up a tad but still carried a sour undertone. "Don't ask."
Isaac raised an eyebrow, "Was never going to, I don't rely on that. I have my weapons, I don't need a fancy sword." Irene's voice chirped in his head, you can feel the irony in that statement, right?
"Good, then we might be friends after all. Do you drink?" Welf asked, seeming to warm up the conversation.
"Only on special occasions, and the rare exception," Isaac waved off drinking before turning to Lili and Bell, "I am glad your injuries healed up well you two."
Bell inclined his head, "What did you do by the way? From Lili's perspective, she said I looked a lot worse." He was fiddling with his food as he spoke. "Goddess Hestia was worried about me, but she seemed fine when I woke up."
Irene giggled, "That was because of my spell, Orb of Divine Healing, it healed your Mind and your body. I didn't know the effectiveness of it, but it saved you a day or two of bed rest. Our Goddesses are friends from Tenkai, so naturally, we'd meet."
Bell looked awed at Irene and she thought it was adorable that he was making that expression. However, Lili noticed and she was glaring at Irene. So, Irene noticed that Lili noticed and she glared back fiercely making the supporter shy away. "Rule one: Don't glare at her," Isaac quipped. "I know from experience. She's not going to steal him from you."
"Eh?" Bell asked as Lili bit her tongue in embarrassment.
"Lil' Bit, don't worry about it," Welf said. "So, what brings you two out here?" On cue, their stomachs growled, the smells of the food finally registered in their minds. They left because they were hungry. Welf laughed at their expense, "Well, that answers that question."
"Ahh, the twins!" Mama Mia's voice boomed over the patrons. "I hope you plan on spending money because I have something I think you'll like!"
"Sure thing, Mama!" Isaac laughed before sitting next to Welf, Irene next to him. On the other side were Bell and Lili. "So, I'll be the one to ask, what's your party situation like?"
"Just the three of us, and we-"
"Master Bell, please do not speak about that," Lili said, scolding him.
Irene gently cut in, "What we're asking is if you want the two of us reinforcing you on the middle floors. We are about to hit those ourselves."
"Wait, you've never been to the middle floors? You're level threes!" Welf exclaimed.
"With no experience on those floors, we might as well invite the Dungeon to do us in," Isaac countered. "I have zero shame in admitting to taking it slow, but I'd rather not die to a kobold just because I didn't expect it after fighting hellhounds."
Lili was skeptical, "So what do you two do in the Dungeon?"
Irene filled in, "I support the rear line, and mostly keep this one from doing something stupid." She gestured to Isaac with the latter half of her statement
Isaac confirmed, "She's right, and I usually just do the running around and killing the monsters that attempt to get to Irene. I could work as the middle if Welf and Bell want the excelia. I'm not greedy about it."
It was at that moment plates were set down, a full on feast, and their stomachs couldn't get any louder, "You would be wise to take them up on their offer, Mr. Cranel."
Everyone turned towards the waitress who spoke. Bell was the first to speak, "Miss Ryuu."
"Taking two level threes to support your party is not a horrible idea. In fact, it may be your best bet. The middle floors are completely different from the upper floors," the elf waitress, Ryuu, said. Then, she turned to the twins, "Please keep an eye on him while you are down there."
As she turned to leave, Isaac was the first to comment, "Getting an elf's approval, well shit… Guess Grandma was right." What do you think?
"Well, she did say wisdom came with age," Irene finished. She's speaking from experience. She knows the horrors of the Dungeon.
"Ouch, that's harsh, insulting her like that," Isaac teased, snickering all the while. He ended up getting Irene a plate of the literal feast in front of them. They each brought five thousand valis with them, so it should be enough, unless Mia raises the prices again. Isaac then set himself his own plate and immediately started digging in.
The conversation veered to different topics, like what Orario was like for them—avoiding the bad experiences—and what they thought about it. However, one question was brought up, "Bell, how old are you?"
The Little Rookie swallowed his bit of food, "Sixteen."
"Really? I'd swear you were fourteen with the looks you got," Irene said. "He just looks so cute with his baby cheeks," she reached out and pinched one of his cheeks, making a red flush appear on his face. Lili, as angry as she was, let this go… very begrudgingly. "We're seventeen ourselves, eighteen in a few months."
"Uhm, I… eh?" has stopped responding.
"So, is that a yes or a no?"
"To what?"
Isaac had to restrain from rolling his eyes, "For us to join you in your party? We could get to floor fifteen if we wanted to."
"Wait, how long have you been in Orario?" Lili asked.
"Three weeks, give or take a couple of days," Irene answered as she munched on her meal.
"And you want to join us? With little experience?" Lili questioned, but this time with an edge in her voice.
An edge that Irene was taking personally, "I've done my research about the middle floors. I know they are not a walk in the park. I know what they can contain, and I certainly do not need a lecture from you, Lili." Lili noticed the veteran-hardened look in her eyes, and to the Prum, that spoke volumes. "The only way to get experience is to go down and get some, so… yes or no, since it seems like you make Bell's decisions for him…"
Cool it, she gets it, but I think you're drawing attention, Isaac warned while flicking his eyes to the rest of the tavern. Irene followed and exhaled. "Sorry about that, just do not pick at me with experience. We all have to learn the hard way one day."
"Well, with confidence like that, how can I say no?" Welf said, raising his glass.
"What, are we a democracy now?" Isaac teased.
"Hey, I'm on your side!" Welf argued back, in good nature. Bell still seemed racked with indecision.
Irene put forth a proposal, "How about this? The next time you go into the Dungeon, which is…"
"T-Tomorrow, to explore the middle floors," Bell filled in.
"...we will meet you at Babel and you can give us an answer. Sound fair?" Irene finished. Isaac nodded in agreement. The offer was out. "To sweeten the pot, I'll see if I can talk to Lady Dia and Lady Hestia about an alliance."
Welf, having finished his drink, "An alliance?"
"Precisely. If Hestia needed to call on us, we would show up, if we needed her, then Bell, and presumably you and Lili, would show up too. While records do not show a lot of alliances ever being made, it was assumed that the Zeus and Hera Familias had one," Irene explained to the Crozzo.
"Ah, so like an enhanced buddy system?" Welf dumbed it down for the non-researchers in the room.
"Basically. Sis, you gotta work on the simple explanations, but that's why I'm here," Isaac jabbed his sister's shoulder.
"Lili is still wary of you, because Lili doesn't want anyone to take advantage of Master Bell," Lili said, stating her… devotion to Bell?
"If anything, Lil' Bit, we're taking advantage of them, because two level threes in the middle floors where everything is level two? That's a no brainer, so my answer is going to be yes anyway," Welf said.
Isaac had one more question, "You're a blacksmith, right?"
Welf smiled, "Indeed I am, I can make a lot of things, but I won't make a particular item."
"Hephaistos or Goibniu Familia?" Irene asked right after, without missing a beat. She knew that he wasn't going to make magic swords. The books from the library said how Rakia once had an unstoppable army because of the Crozzo line. Since a curse was placed on the bloodline, they fell to ruin.
"Lady Hephaistos, she's the one who accepted me, even though I refused to give my last name. I think she said that she could see my potential, and so for the past two years, I've been in her familia," Welf explained.
"Well, you might have two new customers once we get you materials for what we want," Isaac said, swallowing his food. He burped afterwards, excused himself before looking at the time. "As much as we want to stay, Lady Dia might wonder where we are, so we should head home. Thanks for the company!"
"You're welcome!" the three of them cheered back.
With that being said, the twins stood, left a hefty sum of four thousand valis, which was handed directly to Mia. It covered the meal and then some before leaving the Hostess of Fertility, bellies full, and a proposition.
Dia immediately continued speaking once she felt her blessings leave the house. She opened a cabinet and pulled out a special carton of wine. "Oh, Dee-Dee, you didn't!"
The wine that Dia was holding was the Soma Familia's wine… called Soma. However, it was a reject batch, getting the actual stuff was nigh impossible unless you were in the familia. "Before you ask, no. I am not drinking it, and I get to limit you because we really do have things to discuss."
"Uh-huh, I understand, now gimme gimme gimme," Loki extended her arms and flexed her fingers like a child reaching for a new toy. Dia gave Loki a glass and poured some in, filling it about three-quarters of the way.
"So, you believe Freya's coming after my children?"
"Honestly, after what we named them, yes. She was laughing and giggling like there was an inside joke that only she knew. I'm sure you'll be getting requests to convert them," Loki said, taking a sip of the wine. "Ahh, this is the good stuff, shame we can't get any of the real stuff."
"If any Diety comes to my door with that, I will slam the door in their face and be satisfied with it," Dia said, internally fuming. She isn't going to blame their Grandmother for having a daughter who then in turn had children as well. That's irrational.
"You know," Loki grinned, "Irene's got a pretty nice set of-"
"Finish that sentence, and I will personally escort you off my property and take away the wine, and not necessarily in that order," Dia laid out the law. "I know you have your fantasies with the females of your familia, but not in my house."
"Eek! Not my wine!" Loki clutched the glass closer to her. "A-Anyway, what do you plan on doing? I can't offer to protect you because that would seem that I want them for myself. We're already one of the powerhouses of Orario. No offense, but I do not need them."
"None taken, but I just think that Gods will try to start something just so they challenge me to a War Game, or they might do it anyway," Dia said, tempted to take a sip of the wine."
"Well, they need proof, more than just word of mouth, so as long as your children don't get into trouble, then they should be fine," Loki inclined her head.
Dia sighed before leaning back in her office chair, "Manipulating evidence is a thing, so I will always have to be on the defensive. We came to Orario to get away from the drama, them getting Aspis and Harpe as their aliases make it difficult now that information of their Grandmother came to the surface. Speaking of, did Riveria tell you what you wanted to know?"
Loki nodded, but she was clearly upset. "The worst part was, I knew she was lying about something, but since she's bound by their language, I'm not allowed to intervene. I don't suppose your children are the same."
"Loki, you were there when they said they would have to lie to me about it, but you can offer to be there for them. However, with how your familia treats you sometimes…"
"Oh, I know, but I like it when they're like that, it means they still care enough to engage, and honestly, it makes it entertaining to me," Loki said, downing another glass of wine. "Is there anything else that you wanted to talk about?"
"Just, if it's not too much to ask, keep a spare eye on them, like check in, not stalk them. I know they can handle themselves, but anyone level four or five could easily steal them from me, and I will not be prepared for that," Dia sighed, putting her head on the desk.
Loki stood and went to the otherside of the desk, making Dia lift her head. What surprised Dia was Loki hugging her. "You know, you were the kind of person I wanted to be, but then I found my mischievous side. I know we get along, but I think we would have gotten along better if you weren't cleaning up my messes." She separated from Dia and continued, "As for watching them, Riviera hinted that she would be. So, might as well consider her their mother, like how Tiona and Tione do."
Loki left a gobsmacked Dia in her office. She turned towards the wine, which was still there. That added surprise to the list. She fully expected for Loki to take it. Well, it's the little things that count.
That was when she heard Loki's voice greeting someone. Dia was going to investigate, but two familiar heads popped in the door, "We're home!" Irene chirped.
"Oh, you busted out the Soma wine, did ya?" Isaac asked, nodding towards the bottle.
Dia stood from her desk, grabbing the cask and putting it back, "Yeah, the way to Loki's heart is through her liver."
"Unsurprising, well, I'm going to get changed and head to bed, it was kinda fun. We sat down with Bell, Lili, and a smith named Welf," Isaac said before leaving the room.
As soon as he did, Irene turned to Dia, "How rare are alliances in Orario?"
"Where's this coming from, Irene?" Dia's attention was fully on the younger twin. Seeing the resolute look on her face did she continue, "They are not found often here, the last one recorded was-"
"Fifteen years ago, yes. I'm aware of that, but now that I got you on topic, would you consider making an alliance with Lady Hestia?"
"Before I answer that," Dia leaned on her desk, hands spread out behind her to preserve her balance, "why are you bringing this up?"
Irene rolled her eyes slightly, "Bell and his party of three plan on going down to the middle floors. I asked if we could join them since we planned on doing the same. Plus, with five of us, we'd be much better off than if we are alone." Dia pursed her lips, thinking. Irene continued anyway, "It doesn't have to be an official alliance, as much as I want it to be, but can't we team up?"
Dia considered her words before speaking, "Team up if they allow it. As for an alliance, I'll need to speak with Hestia about it."
Irene bowed, "Thank you, Lady Dia. Goodnight."
Dia was left with a lot to think about, and right now, if she hadn't put away the Soma, she certainly would have downed the rest by now. There was a lot on the emerald-eyed Goddess's plate right now. She only can do so much when the time comes.
Later that night, Isaac awoke with eyes on him. He turned over and saw Irene was still sleeping. Isaac tried going back to sleep, but the eyes weren't letting up. They were actually getting more intense. This time, he climbed out of bed, looked around the room even if it was pitch black, waiting to see where the look was the strongest. It was coming from the window? He narrowed his eyes and then it was gone. His tired-addled brain wasn't up to snuff. He fell back asleep moments later.
Irene rolled over in her bed soon after, waking up because eyes were on her, it sent a shiver up her spine. She woke up, much more alert than Isaac was, and she looked around, finding the source of the eyes. It went away quicker. She almost shot out of bed with a scream. Was she sleepwalking or something?
Little did they know that this information was being recorded by a Goddess. She sat on her throne with a smile, "So they can feel my gaze on them, albeit they have no idea why." She leaned forward, placing her elbows across her knees, but she still carried the elegance of her form. "This is certainly interesting, and it makes me want them even more." Her eyes traveled to their souls and she found they were unconsciously drawing closer to one another and she found them sleeping close by one another.
"Ottar?"
"Yes, Lady Freya?" The Boaz answered.
"Commence with the plan at your earliest opportunity, the smallest of chances, take it. I want to see them grow," she said with an evil smile.
"And of the boy?"
Freya licked her lips, "His time will come, but for now, my two playthings are nearly ready. See to it, my ever-faithful captain."
The Boaz bowed, "It will be done, Lady Freya."
...
Plot in the making, and I'm hoping to avoid common or cliché tropes. No big note, just enjoy. Also, I've recently downloaded Memoria Freese, new crossover event is pretty fun.