Astrin's allies paced up the hill as quickly as they could. It was darker now. The night would end soon if they didn't find Mimoza in time. The stars almost seemed exceedingly bright, and Astrin paid close attention to the crescent moon looking down at the hilltop.

"Bad omen," Astrin murmured. "Spirits could still dwell here."

"This better be worth our damn time," Basil growled.

Astrin looked forward at the captain, "I assure you, it is."

There were twelve soldiers altogether. All of them Scythian guards, dutiful to their Athenian masters when given the task. There was an aura of confidence in the air, but Astrin's mind was on the stone tablets Mimoza had read to him. Egyptian legends had always unsettled him. There was always an air of mystery to them that he could never quite soften to.

"I swear to the Gods," Basil growled marching ahead of the team. "I'll chop your arms and dick off if this is for nothin."

Basil was a voracious man. Even in his late fifties he was still strong with a warrior's body. He was stubborn and proud. Basil had so much experience and stories under his belt it had reached the point that most things seemed beneath him. Broad-shouldered, enormous with blonde hair and blue eyes like most other Scythians, Basil towered over his men like a giant leading ants.

Astrin only nodded as he followed behind him. Their relationship was smeared because Astrin had fallen asleep a few times while under his watch. Such behavior would have gotten most soldiers executed, but Granit saved Astrin from such a fate, by convincing Basil to let him adopt Astrin under his own wing.

Basil only agreed to go visit cabin out of fear that his lifelong friend Granit was in danger. But the man had no respect for Astrin. He marched with weightedness as the both of them walked together as allies, but not as companions.

"Look," a soldier behind them said. The horizon was still dark, but a thin light unveiled ahead of them. It was an aura of orange hue. They all expected to see the morning horizon to hit their view. Instead, it was a green fire.

"What in Poseidon's eye is that?"

The light shined the top of the hill. Like a glistening lamp, the green fire was condensed into a single spot on the hilltop to spread its light throughout the entire clearing. It smelled like fruit. Apples, grapes and pears, meshed together into a mushy aroma that seemed like freshly picked delicacies prepared for a morning supper.

Except there was no food in the area. Just ravaging flames burning away the grass as it morphed into oddly cylindrical shapes dancing like a consciously aware fire. "That's the cottage," Astrin said. "Mimoza went in there."

The cottage ruins stood in the flames. Bricks melted as the fire raved. It seemed like melting clay, morphing into sluggish mud as the fire burned quickly through its surface. Mild smoke blew into their faces. It served as a minor annoyance, smelling kindly as it entered their lungs to commence a coughing fit.

They walked around the blowing smoke, and stepped closer to the hill center. Two figures sat silently in front of the cottage. Their legs were crossed and they wore black robes listening to the sizzling sounds of the fire in front of them. The oddest thing about them had to be their hair. White hair as cold as snow, both of which were cut just above the neck.

They were silent. Watching the fire as though it were a spectacle. Fireflies drew close to them. Between the stars, the grass, the moon, and the fire, it seemed as though these two purple-robed people were the center of it all.

"You there," Basil stepping behind them, "what happened here?"

The white-haired twins didn't say anything. Their backs faced him as they stared silently at the fire.

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"Answer me," Basil yelled out. "What kind of magic is this?"

One of them rubbed at their ears, "my you're noisy. Do you mind? I'm trying to enjoy the spectacle."

Basil leaned his sword at the edge of the boy's neck. The iron sword nearly touched his skin. He only stopped to give an order. "You're coming with me, wretch." A man with zero tolerance, Basil was never the type to tolerate unruly behavior. "Dark magic has no place in Athens."

"Aether," the girl next to him spoke. "It's Aether magic, not dark magic. Not much a difference, but at least use the proper terminology."

"Boy, you'd better get up and come with me. If you don't, it's within my rights assume you're the child stealer."

"Ironic," the girl said. She tapped at her chin, and then twirled her finger around a longer end of her hair. "Pollux, if you're going to kill them, please do it quickly. I'm really not in the mood today."

"There's no fun in fast work, sister. I at least deserve to enjoy myself now that we're free."

Castor rolled her eyes. "Stop being childish. If you're going to do it, at least be efficient."

Pollux turned his head back to Basil. He revealed the glowing red eyes that he hadn't ever seen. Realizing this was some sort of monster, Basil pulled his blade back while sliding it across the neck. A slew of purple blood gushed out. Pollux's head limped. It fell sideways, half chopped by Basil's sword. With a chuckle Pollux said, "that stung. Stung like a bee sting."

Pollux stood up slowly with his head still limp. Basil stepped back in horror as the boy with the cut neck turned around to face Basil. He used a hand to 'push' his neck back into place, the wound healing itself like the skin melted together back to the way it had been. With a smile Pollux said, "sleep."

Air came out of his breathe like burning steam. It flew into Basil's face and bursted into flames. Basil screamed in pain as fell back. His skin seared with a burning sensation while the fire overtook his body. His cries of agony came out hollow. Droplets of air sizzled over his body while it combusted into a green fire overtaking his body.

"I like Athens," Pollux said to the soldiers behind him. Pollux stepped forward, walked passed Basil's spasming body and toward the forest brush. With a calm gaze he spoke directly at them. "But the guards are quite a nuisance. If you could please just kill yourselves, I promise I won't have to hurt you."

A few of the soldiers took a glance at Basil. Even while the fire overtook his body, he was still crying from the burning pain. With no other options, the soldiers raised their swords and charged forward at Pollux.

Astrin stepped back. A person with that much confidence couldn't have picked a fight with twelve men without reason. The other armed guards stepped forward and swung their swords at Pollux. He wordlessly maneuvered passed their swings and blows, and attacked their pressure points with his fists.

Not a single blade could hit him. Pollux dodged by twirling around their blows and hitting their wrists and groins. As they gradually dropped their weapons around him, Pollux picked up one of the swords and began slicing across their skin.

He hit their necks, armpits, inner thighs and necks, everywhere that their armor didn't protect them. The jabs he created were thin, like a butterfly fluttering wings against skin. The guards didn't stand a chance against his agile movements. The dropped like a dozen swatted flies, wings broken and twitching on the ground.

Pollux looked up at Astrin last. There was soldiers' blood covering his robes, but not a drop fell on his face. Only some purple liquid still oozed out around his neck. "Hi," Pollux said to him with a smile. "My offer for you to kill yourself still stands."

Astrin turned around and sprinted. There was no victory to be found. No hope to succeed. He knew better. He was smarter than them. He refused to die for nothing against an unyielding enemy.

Astrin ran down the hill at the fastest speeds he'd ever felt. The fallen branches and forest brushes did nothing to deter him. With all the agility he could muster, he ran away from the cottage twice as quickly as he'd arrived.

"Hi."

Astrin froze. Ahead of him, the white-haired girl stood. He dropped back in shock from her impossible presence. Astrin gulped, "h...Hi?"

The girl walked towards him with a cynical smile. Just as the other boy had, she too had glowing red eyes. "Kiss, or death?"

"What?"

"Kiss, or death? I've always wanted to kiss a handsome boy. Now that I'm free, I'm allowed to follow my heart's desires. But since I've also never kissed someone before, kissing you would mean that I can't kill you. So which is it? Kiss me, or death?"

What kind of option was that? She had to have been some kind of witch. Could a kiss from her curse him somehow? Either way, he refused to die at this given moment. "Kiss," he said with a cracked voice.

She smiled. Castor leaned in close to him on the ground, and pecked a kiss onto his lips. "Tastes nice," she said with a smile. She pulled back to stand up, leaving Astrin in a daze. "Now, you'd better run quickly. My brother is quite protective of me. If he knows you took my first kiss, he'll no doubt emasculate you before killing you slowly."

Astrin's jaw dropped. He stood up, and ran away as quickly as he could.