The room was enveloped in darkness as the late hour descended, but Mike's movements remained swift and sure. Sophia's enchantments granted their small body superhuman capabilities, allowing them to execute feats beyond their physical limitations. Initially, controlling such a body had posed challenges, but years of practice had refined Mike's agility to unparalleled levels. Meanwhile, Sophia's attempts to wield their vessel's physical strength through magical means had resulted in comical mishaps, such as finding herself stranded in a tree after a simple jump. While the body belonged to both of them, it was Mike who truly mastered the art of combat. His years of swordsmanship and instinct from his previous life bestowed upon him a natural advantage in controlling Valicar's movements. Over time, their partnership had evolved into a seamless synchronization, with Sophia swiftly summoning a blade and augmenting Mike's senses and strength with a barrage of spells. As the attackers descended upon them, their intentions clear, Mike was acutely aware of every move they made, his senses heightened to an extraordinary degree. Clad in black and armed with daggers, the intruders launched a simultaneous assault on the twins' bed.
"Iginis!" Arcane power surged through Valicar's limbs like wildfire as she lunged forward, her movements fluid and precise. The clash of blades erupted in a dazzling display of blue light, illuminating the darkness with an ethereal glow. Valicar's blade, imbued with frosty magic, met the intruder's dagger with a resounding crack, freezing it solid in an instant. The dagger shattered into icy shrapnel, scattering across the room like a burst of frozen confetti, as Valicar's blade continued its inexorable path toward the man's face.
His eyes widened in terror as his features were engulfed by a rapidly spreading layer of frost. With a sickening crunch, his head solidified into a grotesque ice sculpture before detonating in a shower of frozen fragments and crimson gore, painting the walls with a macabre mosaic of red and blue.
"Brain freeze!" Mike's laughter cut through the chaos, dark humor mingling with the stench of blood and magic in the air. Sophia winced at the grisly sight, her stomach churning at the violence unleashed by her twin's blade.
As the first assailant fell, Mike's momentum carried him seamlessly into his next move, a swift and calculated strike aimed at the legs of the nearest attacker. With a deft flourish, his blade sliced through the air like a deadly dance, severing his legs. The man collapsed with a cry of agony, his limbs rendered useless by the devastating blow.
Meanwhile, Sophia seized the opportunity to unleash her own brand of devastation, channeling raw magical energy into a point-blank spell of unrelenting force. "Moriv!" Sophia declared triumphantly as the spell erupted from her outstretched hand with a concussive blast. The force slammed into the remaining intruders with bone-crushing impact, sending them hurtling backward. Their bodies collided with the unforgiving stone wall, the sound of breaking bones echoing through the room.
"They won't be getting up for a while," Mike remarked, his voice tinged with satisfaction as he surveyed the aftermath of their brutal counterattack.
"That's the point; they will get up eventually," Sophia remarked as she avoided delivering fatal blows if possible, opting to incapacitate rather than kill. “Not all of us are okay with murder, Mike.”
"Whatever, Batman," Mike teased as they moved to engage the last three men. Fear flickered in the eyes of the intruders as they realized they were no match for the Monster of Drisco. With a sense of desperation, they turned and fled towards the windows, preferring the risk of a three-story drop to facing their formidable opponents.
These attacks had become increasingly common since the bounty on their heads had risen again. Following the Emperor's ruling to keep the twins safe, their bounty had mysteriously appeared in the underworld's bingo book. This was the third attempt this month alone, and it was becoming exasperatingly frequent. Easton had stopped killing the intruders after the first dozen or so, claiming it was good training, though Mike suspected he simply didn't want to deal with the hassle.
As a result, the twins had ceased locking the windows, as the cost of replacing the stained glass was a nuisance for everyone involved. It was clear that the Church was behind these attacks, sending their lackeys in hopes of eliminating the twins before they could become a true threat, using third parties to do their dirty work.
"Wanna just let them go, maybe they can talk some sense into the rest of the lowlifes?" Mike suggested as the fight died down prematurely.
"Wow, is that mercy I hear coming from you?" Sophia quipped sarcastically.
"It's just not fun when there isn't a challenge, you know that," Mike complained as the last man jumped through a window in sheer terror, shattering the glass in his haste.
"Motherfucker! The one right next to it was open, jackass!" Sophia exclaimed in annoyance. "Well, better get these chunks of ice out of the room before they melt and start to stink."
"You know, you're starting to get a little too used to this, Soph," Mike remarked.
"You're the last person who should be judging other people's mental health, Mike," Sophia retorted.
"You're right about that," he chuckled.
"What about them?" They turned to look at the wounded men; one missing his legs was passed out on the floor from shock, but his screaming was sure to have woken half the house.
"Fuck it, the staff can deal with this. Let's crash in the library; that couch feels like a cloud," Sophia said as they made their way past the guards rushing into the room. The staff got to work with a simple dismissal wave from Valicar. Even the staff was beginning to get used to the unusual routine. With mechanical precision, the guards swept the room for more intruders as the wounded were secured and taken away, followed by the clean-up crew. But Valicar was long gone by that point, having eased into a slumber once more.
Waking the next morning, the twins went about their daily routine as usual. They started their day with training with Easton at dawn, a ritual that had become second nature to them. Sophia had discovered a way to remain asleep during this time, much like when she ran out of mana. This discovery came about after waking up one too many early mornings only to get beaten up. The sleep wasn't exactly refreshing, but it allowed Mike to learn to fight without magical enhancement if he was ever in a pinch. Now a young teenager, Valicar found it easier to wield a long sword, even if she was still short for her age.
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Following their training session, they moved on to practicing their healing magic, their bodies adorned with bruises from their rigorous workout with Easton. Valicar winced as she examined the dark marks marring their skin, feeling the discomfort keenly. But then, as Sophia channeled her healing magic, a wave of relief washed over them, one bruise at a time. It was a strange sensation, sharing a body yet experiencing different sensations simultaneously. But they had grown accustomed to it over the years, their movements synchronized in perfect harmony.
Valicar winced again as she nursed a particularly stubborn black eye, the remnants of a particularly intense sparring session. But Sophia's healing magic worked its wonders, and soon the bruise faded away, leaving their skin unblemished once more.
After tending to their bruises, they got ready, opting for simple pants and a tunic. Mike was thankful for the training, as it provided the perfect excuse to avoid dresses—a sentiment that Sophia wholeheartedly agreed with. With practiced coordination, they dressed and made their way to breakfast, where an impressive feast awaited them, a stark contrast to the meager meals they had grown accustomed to during their time on the streets.
After breakfast, they would normally move on to their studies of nobility. However, this day was different. Elinor had news about the attacks, and it was grim. Not only had Valicar's bounty increased to nearly 10,000 gold coins, enough to buy a barony, but word had also reached them that Bellic was on the warpath. He was gathering support for what would be the biggest offensive yet, and this was a line that Elinor had to draw.
As Elinor explained the situation, Valicar listened intently, though her focus occasionally wavered as she stuffed her face with food.
"The time has come for you to head south, my dear," Elinor spoke to Valicar as she shoveled another egg into her mouth.
"Kicking me out already? If it helps, it's not my fault the last one broke the window," Sophia quipped, eliciting a wince from Elinor.
"While I can't say I will miss the intrusions into my home, it has become clear the church's patience has worn far too thin," Elinor spoke plainly.
"The limits of your education are being reached as well; without guidance, you are as sure as a drunken sailor to stumble into trouble," Easton added, his tone grave and concerned.
"I can't disagree with either of you, considering you have been holding Alex hostage just to keep me here. Does this mean I can finally see her before we leave?" Sophia asked through gritted teeth.
"Come now, there is no need to be crude about it. She has been recovering and living a life of luxury, as I promised you. But I'm afraid she will still be in the capital, in the wrong direction. So moving you through the heart of the empire would be counterproductive, considering we are trying to get you out of the country," Elinor said nonchalantly, denying a child their mother.
"Someday you're not going to hold that card," Mike growled, his frustration evident in his voice.
"No need for threats, child. We all have the same foe at heart. Someday you will see that our goal is beyond that of simple survival," Easton interjected, breaking the tension. This had been a common conversation throughout the years, and although rehashed several times, the subject was still a sore one.
While the twins had gotten the chance to see her at a distance, they had to be denied a meeting. Alexandra was in good health by all accounts and even happy, but she had lost all memory of the years before she was sold into slavery. The doctors believed she would recover with time, but the trauma she had endured had sent her into a near-catatonic state. When they found her, she was little more than a drone working on House Landon's property. She was capable of simple tasks such as cleaning and cooking, but the beatings were still evident on her body. Over the last two years, she had made progress with the help of what passed for therapy in the empire. All agreed it was best for Valicar to stay away for fear of what it could do to her still delicate mind. Although a tough pill to swallow, the twins had accepted the deal as long as Alexandra's treatment continued.
"Very well, when shall we leave?" Sophia asked, seeing no point in continuing the argument.
"Today. Your things are being loaded into the wagons as we speak," Easton replied before downing a shot of whiskey with his bacon.
"What things would that be?" Sophia asked genuinely curious, as they had come here with little else but the clothes on their back.
"Just some items that will make life in a Spark school a bit easier. Although half of the cargo is your tuition for the next few years, assuming you pass the exams."
"Exams?" The twins asked in unison, their curiosity piqued.
"Just some trials they put the commoners through," Easton continued. "The entrance exams have always been a thing since the founding of the academy. While it is rare to get in without the backing of a noble house or institution, it does happen. There are several ways to enter the academy; we had planned to simply recommend you using House Norail's name, but the growing tension with the church has changed things. Without a recommendation, the only way you can enter is the commoner route. You will have to win a top-ten spot in the arena to enroll. The thing is, though, you will need to finish in first place to win the grand prize," he said with a grin.
"What is so important that I need to win first place?" Sophia inquired, her curiosity evident.
"The Bag of Dalioum," Easton explained, "is a legendary item that most would kill for. We believe it's another key, both by the description and that map you brought along from the vault narrowed it down quite a bit. After all, not many of them are left. A bag that can hold a room full of equipment is a valuable thing."
"So it's a storage item?" Sophia queried. "I was under the impression such things were common."
"Well, there was a time when they were common, but with the rarity of such mystical beasts nowadays combined with the demand for their skin, it's hard to get the materials," Easton explained. "That's not even considering the rarity of space mages capable of something like that. Anyone with the power to bend space-time doesn't usually spend their time building toys for adventures. Besides, this one is different. The mage that made this was an Archmage high elf or something... anyway, the twinkle fingers made it from the skin of a griffin, so its storage space is vastly bigger than anything else you would find out there."
He downed another glass before standing. "Anyway, I'll catch you up on the way; we best get moving before Bellic catches wind of our plan to flee south."
After several half-assed goodbyes from Valicar to the family of the house, she and Easton departed south on the same road that had brought her here years ago.
"Finally, we get to see the world again!" Sophia exclaimed, her excitement palpable. From what Easton had told the twins, the trip would take nearly six months. The first leg would be spent returning to the sea, followed by a grueling four-month journey over monster-infested waters. They would sail southeast around the southern continent's coast until they reached a local village. Easton knew a shortcut over land from there, which would significantly reduce their travel time.
The final stretch of the journey would be on foot. The school was inland several hundred miles, with its port blocked by a peninsula that ran the length of half the southern continent. To Sophia, making the trek felt akin to walking over where the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal where before they were built, compared to going all the way around the coast of Africa or South America. It was simply faster.
Even though all of the territories belonged to the Academy, it was a deep wilderness meant as natural protection while also allowing for nearby supplies for all of a wizard's alchemical needs.
As the first month came to a close, they found themselves once again aboard the Storm Breaker. "It has been too long, men!" Easton's voice boomed across the deck, greeted by cheers of welcome from his crew. He had only left the mansion a few times over the last few years, always returning quickly to protect Valicar, but with the increase in attacks over the last few months, it had been too long for the old sea dog. "What do you think?" Easton asked Valicar.
"Well, I have to admit she has a certain charm," Sophia replied, her eyes scanning the ship with admiration. It was a vessel that would once again carry them across the sea.
“Charm… huh, that is something she has in droves,” Easton said thoughtfully before giving the orders to disembark.