Bart POV:

“Big Bro!  Did ya hear!” Shawn

I look at my little brother, well, not exactly brother.  I call him little brother because we’ve been together for as long as either of us can remember, or are willing to, at least.  It wasn’t always the two of us, but that changed a few years ago when the Bitch Queen caught sight of our other brother.  We’re some of the only orphans left on the street, since the Iron King stopped sitting on his hands.

We’re on the street because of some… special circumstances.

“Hear what?” Bart

He starts hopping up and down, a little side effect of his instincts no doubt.  Once a Hare or Bunny-Kin gets excited they start jumping up and down all over the place, and Shawn has both their traits.  He could easily pass as either one, not even other Beast-Kin would be able to tell his Low-Beast heritage, though the males of their breed are treated more as breeding tools by the women.  Why the pure blooded ones are starting to get rarer and rarer in Eria.  Although, it would be foolish to say that they are hard to find, it’s just a change from being super populous to being an every other day encounter.

“The Palace is hiring new staff!  People with no aff-affifi-affilation?  No something having to do with any noble house and assured loyalty to the Royals!” Shawn

“The word’s affiliation, it means you're buddies with someone, and I doubt thats a good idea.  We might end up with the Three Terrors, not the first time they broke their servants.” Bart

Shawn just gets a smug expression on his face, signifying that he caught me, or more realistically, was withholding information.

“But it is the first time that the King’s own men sent out the word.” Shawn

That little tid bit of info gets me to shoot up from my haypile, we worked hard to get that hay, and look at him in expectation.  He had better damn tell me the rest.

“People are sayin’ its got to do with the martial law and the Silver Woman.” Shawn

Silver Woman?  Seeing my confusion he explained.

“Ah, right, you don’t listen much to rumors.  The Silver Woman was this real pretty gal, came in through the west gate, the tiny one that leads right behind the Flower Road.  Silvester said she was riding a white mare, type like the King’s Horse.  Thought that it was just some drunken ramblin’s till the Thanes came out and with the all of those Rangers… somethin’ bigs happenins’ bro.” Shawn

Well shit…  I get up and shake off the hay on my clothes before looking back at Shawn.  

“Well, let’s see if they can make use of a pair of street rats!” Bart

“And if not.” Shawn

“We steal all their crap.” Bart

It was a little phrase we came up with over the years, a motto even.  They reject our job request, they regret it.

But that has slowly been forcing us out of the capital.  We’ve been planning on, acquiring an Elk from a, friend of ours.  However, if we can stay in the capital, maybe even start living the high life, this’ll be real good for us!

We grin at each other and start running over to the outer ring, a giant wall in the center of the city that houses the palace.  A few weeks ago most of the guards on the wall were fired and replaced with Rangers, some of the best warriors in the country.  World even, by some accounts.  An army of orphans and street rats that got too damn tired with being fucked over by the nobility.  Anybodies dream is to be one of them, the top, as far as fighting goes. Only people who are better than them are Royal Knights and Royal Guard, anybody else is a dreamer if they think they can take on Rangers.

Two of us wheedle our way out of the abandoned building, an old base of the Blazing Sun, the predecessors of the Rangers Pact.  The prideful bastards got ousted by King Kelleran after he found out that they treated commoners like their own personal playthings.  Nearly got killed twice when I was younger.  While we’re on our way we decide to take a little stroll through the market.  I smile as the familiar shoutings of merchants and locals alike, many different languages assault my ears.  I eye a few beauties along the way, being in the capital of the largest trading kingdom in the world has it’s perks, like having lots of beautiful people sent as the honey traps of merchants.  Harder for someone to make an effective deal if they're not mentally collected.

I notice a few ugly ass female Cow-Kin that are wearing outfits that accentuate their curves.  They get plump easily, but that tends to just go towards their body’s points of interest.  The only reason they aren’t hounded by men all over is because they are ugly as sin!  Their noses are huge and their hair is a mess of browns blacks and whites, but in the sense that each individual hair is unique and has a straight color.  What’s worse is that they reek of milk, though for some reason only a few people can smell it.

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Once we’re through I look towards my brother, noticing a little more of a jingle coming from his pouch.  He grins at me and I just chuckle at his antics.  Never underestimate this cute looking kid, he’ll rob you for every sparrow you're worth without you ever noticing.  I’m honestly terrible when it comes to pickpocketing, much better when it comes to a heist, though I was never stupid enough to steal anything too big from someone too important.  It’s difficult running a one man heist, but oh is the payoff amazing.

We continue on our way, making a point of avoiding the guardsmen who don’t like us, so all but two.  There isn’t any evidence to show that we are real criminals, but there is plenty that shows we are good criminals, mostly being that there's no evidence of our deeds.  I mean, how else do you expect a pair of street rats to survive, after all.  After a session of alley ducking and the like, we end up at the line of people getting ready to join the Palace Servants, a cart coming through the gates and a squad of guards surrounding it.

Hopefully none of them recognise us.

I go to take a step forward, but the voice of an old woman catches my attention before I go with my brother towards the cart.  I look over towards her, a woman wearing a brown, ancient looking cloak and hood that covers all of her features, except for a spilling of golden hair coming from either side of where her head should be.

“The prince of whores shall take the throne of his forgotten birthright.  The blood of the betrayed shall have her vengeance, and all the world will feel her wrath.” Old Woman

She continues walking towards me, and for some reason I just can’t turn away.

“Forgotten bindings lose their light, the gods are waking, the gods are breathing.” Old Woman

She then looks into my eyes, and I stare straight into her glowing irises that glow in ever changing colors.  They look like the sun, flaring with pulses of red and yellow, while her pupils remind me of the eternal darkness of night.

“Know this child, you are to play a part in the days to come.  Hold my gift, it is your only chance.” Old Woman

I go to speak before I feel a hand yank me in the other direction.  It’s my brother, he has a concerned expression on his face.

“Big bro, you alright?  You’ve been staring at that statue for a while.” Shawn

Statue?

I turn to look in the direction of where the woman was, seeing nothing there.  The crowd parts a little and I catch a glimpse of an old and dilapidated column of stone.  Well, not a column, more of an anthropomorphic column of stone.  The fuck just happened?  I wipe off a little sweat that had accumulated on my brow and realize just how hot I am?  Why am I hot?  It’s the beginning of autumn!  In Eria!  It’s always cool in Eria!  I turn back to Shawn as my breathing starts to calm down.

“Y-yeah, I-i-i’m fine.  Just… let's get over to the cart.” Bart

*********************

Gabriel POV:

I wake up with a jerk as a headache rips right into me.  I notice that a portion of my vision is turning grey, meaning I’m having one of those headaches.  I grunt in displeasure as I flail around in search of a bowl.  Had the stupidity to fall asleep in my lab, I double as an alchemist.  A hobby of mine.  I prefer theoretical alchemy, the reason stemming from my lack of legs.  I know for a fact that in the time of the Eldar, it was possible to create something they referred to as panacea, but all the texts never explained it’s formation or any of it’s ingredients.  Some think it a technique that required the arcane arts, but there is always the chance.

I find a bowl, one of the ones I keep around on the off chance I have a day like today, and bring it in front of me.  I know what’s going to happen, it’s not a rare occurrence, but thankfully uncommon.  I wait for some minutes before the lack of sight disappears all at once, meaning that the real headache starts.  I get a second of tranquility before all of a sudden I’m vomiting up last night's dinner.  Steak in between two slices of a roll, I have a thing for sandwiches.

I wheeze a few times after it’s all done, and my headache begins to subside.  Vanar came and started rubbing his scruff against my hip in an attempt to sooze me.  The behavior is a characteristic shown only by tamed Wargs, otherwise he would be growling at me in challenge, sensing weakness from his Alpha.  I smile warmly at him, this guy has been with me ever since I lost my legs.  He was nothing but a runt of the litter, cast out by his family, as far as I could .

And look at him now.  He’s discovered his place and played his part in the world admirably.

I just hope that we stay together for the years to come.

A knock comes at my door.

“Come in!” Gabriel

I slide my stumps over the prosthetics, the ritual far ingrained into my mind after six years of being legless.  I hear the door open behind me as I finish putting on the last strap of my left leg.  The voice is rather familiar, specifically of the oldest bastard in all Eria, Y’mar.

Fuck me, I hate this guy.

“A good friend of mine once said that only idiot alchemists fall asleep in their labs.” Y’mar

“Don’t you have some horse shit to shovel, Y’mar?  Now enough with this bickering, let me guess, I have to start my lessons with the Queen?” Gabriel

I finish my other strap and look up, Y’mar standing in front of me despite not making a noise since he opened the door.  This man is easily one of the most dangerous men in Eria.

“Wow, first try!  I must contact the church!  A miracle hath occurred!” Y’mar

“Ha ha, ha ha ha ha.  Ha.” Gabriel

I gave him my slow and obviously sarcastic laugh.  His fucking grin only widened.  I would love to punch him, but not having legs is sort of putting a damper on any attempt to harm the greatest swordsmen in the nation.  Plus apparently this guy has no off switch, so he will simply murder you in cold blood with a damnable smile on his face.  Thankfully his son isn’t damn insane, if this guy didn’t have his wives and Y’sar I have no doubts that he would have gone off the deep end.  Though, not that surprising after you find out what happened to the rest of his family…

“Anyways, as much as I love our conversations Master Y’mar.  I will be going now.” Gabriel

I really hate people like him who get overly friendly with a guy, probably why he does it too.  How this bastard manages to keep three wives I’ve no idea, and how they aren’t trying to kill him already I’ve even less of one.  Polygamy isn’t outlawed, or particularly frowned upon, but I just fucking can’t understand it’s appeal, other than for the obvious sexual reasons.

I walk quickly over towards where I keep my cane when inside of the lab, but to my annoyance it wasn’t there.

“Real nifty piece of craftsmanship you have right here.  You know, I’ve always wondered where you got such a thing, you’re not known for your woodworking and I’ve never heard of someone who could make such a special flute.” Y’mar

I turn around and hold out my hand, expecting the cane back, usually this is as far as he gets.  But apparently, he decided to turn it up a notch.

“Oh!  I’ve never seen this compartment before!  I wonder what’s insi--” Y’mar

“Y’mar, if you open that, a little word regarding the events following your daughter’s childbirth and subsequent death will reach the ears of every damn Ranger under you.  I wonder what Y’sar would think once he fou--”Gabriel

My words are cut short the instant a blade is brought under my chin and my cane falls to the floor as if nothing had been holding it previously.  I grin a little.  Take that you old codger, you're not the only one who can push buttons.

“hehehahahahAHAHA!  Oh man, for someone who can stare down even Saran, you sure are easy to push.  And don’t act like this was unexpected.  We’re talking about me here!  So how about this, we ignore one another, and that’s it.  We both know how much I hate a infighting, after all.” Gabriel

The blade leaves my throat and I can feel the glare borrowing holes into the back of my head.  

“The Queen is waiting.” Y’mar

Ah, finally.

He’s not talking like we’re friends anymore.