Valicar ran, taking well over an hour to finally make it to the outskirts of the village, due to a minor accident involving Sophia’s new prize. The smoke rising in the distance had been visible for quite a while on their flight back to the village.
“What the hell are those church freaks burning that could make smoke that thick?” Mike scowled, worrying about their new world's home.
“Even if they burn the whole village, there shouldn’t be this much smoke! Let's just hope the villagers are ok and not fuel for that flame," Sophia said, gripping her book, worried about their new family.
While her parents had been distant, she never doubted her parents' love for their daughter Valicar, and the experience had been new to both her and Mike.
“We should hide the book and then try to see what's going on,” Sophia said.
With that, Mike was able to climb a tree with a rather large hole in its trunk that provided a decent, if not great, hiding spot.
“This should work, although some owl is gonna be mad he got evicted. Besides, are you sure it’s even a good idea to keep this thing, Sophia?” Mike asked.
Mike was never as quick to trust strangers as Sophia, but this was especially true with Warlocks they only met for five minutes in the woods.
“You heard James, this is the only hope we have of ever being normal again and stopping you from being my Johnny Silverhand!” Sophia said, knowing he wouldn’t appreciate her reference.
“Johnny Silverhand? Isn’t that John Wick from that game you wouldn't put down for weeks? And what does he have to do with anything other than us both being badass?” Mike asked.
Sophia was always a good student and enjoyed her free time nose-deep in media on Earth, while Mike was more of a meathead and enjoyed more physical hobbies, although he still loved big-budget action movies. Their strong suits made up for each other’s shortcomings, which was why Mike tended to be in control of the body more. While both had full control of their body, it was a mutual understanding that Mike had the final say to avoid accidents that plagued them when they were first learning to walk again.
“Technically the same actor, but no, that’s not why I bring it up. Anyway, while we are up here, let’s see if we can get a better view,” Sophia answered.
They climbed higher out of the tree's thick canopy, and what they saw only brought horror. The fire was everywhere, its orange glow casting an ominous light over the scene below. It wasn't just the village that burned but also the manor where their parents worked and the fields where most of the other peasants spent their days toiling. There, amidst the flames, were the charred remnants of homes and lives.
”Do you think that’s the good Lord Vernon… or what’s left of him?” Mike's voice wavered with a mix of shock and disbelief.
Past the fire were more of the Templars they had seen earlier. They were herding a line of men who had been bound at the wrist, heading to a man busy with a fire poker.
“OH MY FUCKING GOD! THEY'RE BRANDING THEM LIKE CATTLE!!” Sophia's cry was laced with horror and revulsion, her hands trembling as she clutched onto the branches for support.
The scene was beyond horrifying, with men screaming in agony as the red-hot poker seared into their flesh. At first glance, it appeared to be branding, but it was far more sinister—blinding. Sophia's stomach churned, bile rising in her throat as she struggled to contain her revulsion.
“Why are they only blinding them in one eye?” Mike's voice was tinged with disbelief as they watched the next man in line be pulled forward kicking and screaming.
“Is that the question you should be wondering? Mine is, where the hell are all the women and children, or Mom and Dad for that matter?” Sophia's words were barely above a whisper, choked with fear and dread as she scanned the chaos below, searching desperately for any sign of their loved ones.
Sophia couldn’t bear to watch the gruesome scene any longer and forced them to look away. Scanning the chaos below, she finally spotted what she was looking for—a smaller line forming on the other side of town. It was the village children, unbound but waiting with a sense of foreboding. At the front of the line stood a Templar, chanting as if performing some dark ritual. A strange light enveloped one of the children, mirroring the horrifying spectacle they had witnessed with Lord Vernon.
“We have to do something; he’s about to hurt that kid,” Mike urged, already making his way down the tree with a sense of urgency.
“What the hell is he doing to them anyway?” Mike's question hung in the air as they descended, their movements now more measured but no less determined.
“Who knows, some kind of magic apparently, but we should keep moving. Maybe we can find Theodore and Alexandra if we circle the village,” Sophia responded, her voice strained with worry as they prepared to search for their parents amidst the chaos.
Mike led the way, stepping as lightly as possible, periodically peeking through the underbrush to catch a glimpse of the village.
"Where the hell are all the women, and why would they only be blinding the men?" Sophia's voice trembled with fear for the villagers, her mind plagued by the same questions that haunted Mike.
As they made a half-circle around the village, still no sight of their parents, the absence of women growing more conspicuous with each passing moment. The only girls to be found were no older than twelve, lined up with the other children, awaiting an uncertain fate.
“Well, at least we probably won’t be put into the blinding line if they catch us. I’ve grown kinda fond of our new eye colors after all,” Mike joked morbidly, his attempt at levity doing little to ease the tension between them. Despite his attempt at humor, both siblings were acutely aware of the whispers and stares they had received since arriving in the village, their unique appearance drawing unwelcome attention and suspicion.
"As if you would have noticed if the other kids didn’t tease us about it relentlessly. There are no mirrors, and the reflection in the water is barely good enough to see the color," Sophia retorted, acknowledging the peculiarity of their eyes. Despite her previous indifference, she couldn't shake the feeling that there might be something magical about them after all.
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"Hey! They haven’t picked on us in a while since I broke that big kid's nose," Mike boasted proudly as they reached the other side of the village.
“He was like ten, Mike. Why would you be proud of that?” Sophia chastised her brother.
“While I don’t care much for Alexandra, I won’t have anyone calling my mother a whore, especially that gutter snipe. Besides, he was bigger than us, so it still counts,” Mike defended himself. Rolling her eyes, Sophia decided to move just a hair closer to the treeline from the underbrush, and that’s when she saw it.
“They are taking them but where to?” Mike questioned, his voice tinged with concern. “I also don’t see Mom in that cage,” Sophia added, scanning the wagon. The women in captivity could be heard sobbing, their cries echoing through the forest.
“Well, if they are leaving with those Templar psychos, it’s probably not a pretty place. We have to see if we can unlock that door, Sophia,” Mike urged.
The wagon was guarded by two men who appeared to be hooking the horses to the carriage, preparing them to leave. Another guard was engaged in conversation with one of the captive women, whom Sophia recognized as the tailor's daughter, Mary.
“What could we possibly do, Mike? There are three men in full armor around it, and we don’t have a key to that gate. Even if we can sneak close enough to unlock the door, what then?” Sophia asked, her voice filled with uncertainty.
The guard talking to Mary took out a ring of keys to let her out of the cage.
“We know where the keys are now, so one step at a time, Soph?” Mike suggested.
The guard locked the door and led Mary into the woods in Valicar's direction. One of the guards hooking up the horses yelled, “Don’t damage the merchandise, you bastard! I’m not taking shit from the boss if you kill another one, Don!”
Don spun on his heel to yell back. “Why does a whore need all of her teeth? They just get in the way!” he said, with a sadistic grin.
“I’m fucking serious, Don. We can’t sell them for much when you have your fun, and the boss is gonna be by after they're done testing those kids!” Mary's terror was evident as she was led deeper into the woods by her jailer.
“Okay, we have to do something about that,” Sophia said, determination clear in her voice.
“About time you agree with violence as an answer,” Mike remarked as he took control once more, moving stealthily.
Meanwhile, Sophia remembered the next simplest spell she had read in the book. The spell boosted strength and added a minor protection spell to help cope with the stress such strength naturally put on the body. Sophia had briefly tested it on the run back, but it was difficult to read and sprint at the same time.
Given very little time to practice, she relied mostly on willpower. With a whisper of “ignis,” she felt the mana forming into a magical flame in the palm of her hand. Then, slamming her small fist into her chest, she felt magical strength flood their body, equivalent to that of a grown woman, empowering their movement for a brief time. Sneaking closer, they could hear a struggle taking place.
“No! No! Stop please!” The screeching was muffled but still horrific to Valicar’s ears.
“Quit moving, bitch, and this will go easy. But keep on, and I’ll buy you from the boss then…. I’ll have all the fun I want with you, but how many different pieces you're gonna be in depends on you!” the twins could hear the man nearby.
Coming into view, the man had his pants around his ankles, and Mary's clothes were torn from the chest down to her waist. He was trying to force her skirt up her legs when Valicar moved.
Picking up the biggest rock she could find on their dash, Valicar brought it up and then down with spell-infused fury onto the back of Don’s exposed skull. With a meaty thump, the man collapsed on top of Mary, in a struggle she tried to untangle herself from the man.
“Damn, nice spell, Soph. That rock must have been 40 pounds at least!” Mike admired the strength in their little arms.
Sophia was sickened to her core. She had been a bystander in Mike's scuffles with the local kids, but this was different. The way his body went limp, the feeling of his skull giving way before the rock—it was all too much.
“Fuck, Mike, did we kill him?” Sophia panicked, her voice trembling with fear and guilt as she looked at the motionless form of Don.
“Hey, Mary, you need to be very quiet, okay? We are going to try to help the others, so just stay here,” Mike instructed the traumatized woman.
Moving past Mary, Mike bent down to pick up the key ring from Don's belt, along with a dagger which he quietly slipped into their pants.
“It doesn’t matter, Soph. We got the keys and at least one person’s free. We need to open that cage and give the rest of them a chance to run for it,” Mike said to his sister, his focus solely on their next course of action, not dwelling on the fate of the man they had just incapacitated.
Mike, started to make his way back toward the wagon when Don sprang back to life. He was on Valicar before Mike could dodge, and despite being weaker, Valicar was still far stronger than any child should be.
“This motherfucker is tough, I could really use some more juice, Soph!” Mike yelled urgently, his voice filled with strain as he struggled against Don's grip.
“I just need a second, but I’ve never pushed this hard before, Mike. I don’t know what will happen,” Sophia replied, her mind racing with fear and uncertainty.
Don's hands closed around Valicar's neck, squeezing tighter and tighter as Mike fought on. “Soon, Sophia!” Mike grunted, his voice strained.
Suddenly, every ounce of mana Sophia could muster was pushed into her palm once again. “Ignis!” The flame erupted in her hand, but unexpectedly, so did the screaming.
The spot where Sophia held Don began to cook and burn, blisters forming on the man’s wrist. He let go, and the strength from the flame flooded Valicar’s body. Mike used this opportunity to follow up the attack with a kick to the man's knee, breaking it causing him to fall to his other knee.
The power was fleeting, and Mike knew he had to end it soon. With determination in his eyes, he brought his enchanted fist to his now eye-level opponent, and with a single devastating punch, Don’s face exploded into a bloody mist from the arcane-fueled blow, his body collapsing to the floor.
“I don’t think he will get up from that. Thanks for the save, Soph, the power of that last spell was incredible,” Mike said with a mixture of relief and admiration.
Mary was still stuck in a trance of some sort, her eyes wide with shock and fear.
“I’m really tired, Mike…. I’m just gonna rest my eyes for a second.” Before Mike could respond, his left eye closed of its own will, and no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t open it again.
“Soph, quit playing around. We have work to do. Can you cast that spell again?” Mike asked, growing increasingly concerned.
Starting to work his way back to the wagon as quietly as he could, Mike hoped Mary would remain as silent as she had been.
“Sophia? … Are you actually asleep?” Mike muttered to himself as Sophia's voice vanished from their shared mind in Valicar.
This had never happened to them before. They had shared every waking moment of this life together, and to learn this would not always be the case was disturbing in a way. Mike had grown accustomed to never being alone, and the newly found silence was deafening. With one eye and no magic, Mike decided to proceed with his plan.
“Well, what do we have here?” a new voice called out from behind Mary. Mike turned to see the other guard from the wagon standing over both his comrade's body and Mary's.
“So you managed to kill him somehow, Bitch. I must say I’m impressed. He would go down so easily to someone so weak, but that idiot had a way of fucking things up.”
The guard kicked Mary in the face with a sickening crunch, her nose audibly breaking under the force. Blood spurted from her shattered nose as she let out a muffled cry of agony. Then, with a twisted grin, the guard turned his gaze to Valicar.
“Oi, Laz, we missed a kid. Let the boss know we've got another one for testing.”
With every ounce of unenchanted strength he had, Mike bolted for the wagon, hoping to lose his pursuer in the dense underbrush.
“Sorry, lady, gotta dip... I tried, though,” Mike thought as he rushed past Mary's sprawled-out form. But before he could clear the woods, the guard was upon him, tackling him to the ground.
"Now, you're gonna come with me, little one. I don’t know how you escaped the patrols until now, but every one of your filth gets checked. Until we burn out any mage blood and those who hide them from this land, his grace will never truly bless us," the guard snarled.
Mike, restrained by the man, was dragged back to the camp, heading toward the line of children from earlier. As he was led away, Mike couldn't help but think, "Well, shit... at least I still have the keys."