The sun had finally set not soon after and Ellessea had wished Raksha an awkward good night before shuffling to her room and leaving the two men alone.

Raul giggled at her sister’s antics and pulled Raksha towards his own room. “I think Ellessea likes you,” he stated matter of factly, after the door closed. He started pulling off his outerwear.

Raksha huffed, and started undoing his own, taking the pieces of armor off first. “Please, she’s just excited from seeing a man looking so different. I’m probably six or seven years older than her, she’ll get over it.”

“I don’t know.” Raul replied, climbing into his bed and looking over at Raksha who was still unlacing his boots. The bed itself was a simple affair, but looked comfy and practical. Raksha was a little uncomfortable with the idea of sharing his bed with another person, but the pros outweighed the cons here. He did not want to spend another night sleeping on the ground.

“Do you like her?” Raul asked, his eyes shining with eagerness.

“She seems nice enough,” Raksha replied with neutrality. After finishing up his boots and tossing them off, he looked up at Raul's disappointed face and gave a sigh.

“She actually appears to be a lot like I imagined,” he added with a slight grin. “A little naive, honest, loyal, friendly, energetic…..”

He finally got the last layer off of himself. “It was nice to see her defend me, even if it wasn’t necessary. It doesn’t matter though, she already promised to somebody else.”

Raksha climbed into the bed too, putting as much distance between himself and the other man, practically falling off the edge of the bed. Raul smirked at him, but let it go without saying anything.

They laid down and listened to the sound of the distant forest filter in through the shutters. It was a warm night, and Raksha did not bother with any covers. He was really glad he had decided to bath and wash his clothes before coming over though.

“What’s it like out there?” Raul whispered after a few moments.

“Out where?” Raksha answered, turning to face him.

“Outside the farm,” Raul said, waving her hand around, “outside of Delnin city. I hardly ever leave our farming community and I've only been to the city a few times. I’ll marry some girl here, sire some kids and raise them and I'll be here till I grow old. Just like everybody else.”

“I’m not unhappy with it. We get plenty of food and our greatest problem is keeping the swamp away. The city mages keep us safe and healthy. I know that many people have it worse than us, even right here in Delnin city. But I still wonder what it's like out there.”

Raksha didn’t answer right away, but stared at the ceiling.

“It's much the same everywhere.” He eventually replied, “people are people everywhere you go. Some good, some bad. I’d say the difference is the magnitude. Here, the population is relatively small, so the bad stuff isn’t so bad, and the good stuff isn’t that amazing. But at the capitol? Magic flows in the air and the most wondrous things happen. Flying ships, buildings taller than you can see with your eyes, and enchantments that can do the most astounding things. The annual life festival is something beyond description, as if all of humanity comes together and shows off their divine majesty for all to see.”

Raul kept a focused look at Raksha, drinking in the words.

“But the opposite is also true, crime and murder in the dark corners of the city linger. Poverty and desperation fester out of sight, and the cruel nature of woman comes out. I have seen both, I have lived both. For all the glory that the emperor brings, it also brings with it the putrid rot of society. When I realized how the two pieces were interconnected, the cost of some of the wonderful things we had, I decided to leave. It wasn’t worth it in my mind.”

Raul shifted in the bed, considering his words.

“You really were going to try and marry my sister?”

Raksha chuckled, “Well, I was going to feel out the situation first. If she turned out to be a big fat jerk, then no. But if she was cool and amiable, and sincere like her note had indicated….”

There was a pause and Raul added, “So, if not for the mana spring, you would have married her?”

“Perhaps. It's a moot point now, there’s no meaning in dwelling on it any longer.”

Raul didn’t speak for a bit and Raksha thought it was the end of the questions. But he spoke up one last time.

“Can you tell me one of the good stories?”

Raksha smiled and considered. “Sure. Have you heard of the Hoover Heights?”

Raul shook his head and Raksha plowed on, telling him about the trio of floating islands that hung in the air like clouds, that could only be reached by airship. One of her forerays in the regular corps involved tracking down a bandit group that had hidden themselves away in the islands, but mostly he described the amazing magic and scenery the islands had.

By the times he finished, Raul had a steady even breathing going, indicating he was already gone. Feeling content, Raksha closed his eyes and let sleep take hold of him too.

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The next morning, Raksha woke up feeling energized and refreshed, reasserting the idea that sleeping on beds was far superior to sleeping on the ground. And not wearing armor while sleeping probably helped too.

He also woke up to Raul clutching him tightly while still snoozing away, his head laying right next to his.

Resisting the urge to shove the offending man away, Raksha calmed himself down and carefully extricated himself from the younger man’s grip, praising himself for not waking him up in the process. He put on his outer clothes but decided to leave the armor off for now. He exited the room, and closed it softly behind him, carrying the armor and sack awkwardly.

He turned around and noticed Ellane already up, sitting at the table and eating a bowl of gruel. She had hard eyes staring at him with an inscrutable expression, chewing softly. Not sure what else to say, Raksha tried to smile and said, “good morning.”

Ellane didn’t reply at all but kept eating, looking away from him. Raksha shrugged and started equipping his armor again.

Wearing the armor was so commonplace for him now, it often felt like a second skin these days. Unlike the bulky full plate armor that some in the Imperial corps liked to wear, the pieces Raksha had were of a much more lean design of his own making. He wore it so often that he felt naked and vulnerable without it on, feelings he tried to squash, knowing it was unhealthy.

Still, it was always a pain to equip, time consuming and inconvenient.

As he laced up the greeves he caught Ellane staring at him out of the corner of her eye. He gave her a wink and saw her blush and scowl, turning her head away. Raksha chuckled to himself. They were sisters after all, it would make sense if they had similar tastes.

He had to admit that slowly equipping armor all over his body probably was its own form of sexiness. And the two sisters were young, probably in mid to late teens.

“I am sorry for what I said.” Ellane suddenly spoke up.

“What?” Raksha asked, a little surprised.

“Yesterday,” Ellane waved, still not looking at him. “What I said about you, it wasn’t fair or right. I am sorry I said it.”

“Oh,” Raksha replied, pausing his laces in surprise. “Thanks. I really appreciate it.”

Elllane didn’t speak again, still determined to avoid his gaze. Raksha studied her for a moment, before getting back to work.

Ellane spoke again soon enough. “It's just,” She added with exasperation, “Ellessea pisses me off so much, you know? She got all this amazing stuff just handed to her, and she acts like it's the end of the world, like she has been cursed by God. If it was me, I’d be jumping for joy, but her? Well, you’ve seen her.”

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Raksha finished up her laces and looked straight at Ellane, “I understand, I really do. Having family can be tough. I have forgiven you already, but I do appreciate your feelings.”

Ellane finally looked back at him, looking to be considering his words. She asked eventually, “Were you really looking to marry my sister?”

“I was following up on the offer,” Raksha corrected. “It wasn’t like I was going to demand we wed immediately. It looked like a sincere offer, and if it could work out, then all the better. It's obviously not going to happen now. I’ve got other business here, it's not like I came all this way just for her.”

Raksha finished up the last of the greaves and pulled up the chest piece when Ellane spoke again, “You know… I’ll be inheriting the land now that Ellesea is heading to the city.”

Raksha looked at her, intentionally not taking the hint. “You are the second born right? What were your plans before this?”

“There aren't many options for second born girls,” She said with a grimace. “Some of us stay with the family, working under their elder sister as a farm hand, keeping the land and the family together. Our plot, though, is too small for that, we couldn't afford to support both our families so I was looking for options in the city. I thought about joining the delver's guild for a bit, or maybe getting an apprenticeship for some skilled labor. Sometimes the city takes an effort to expand the farming land, pushing into the swamp a little more, opening up some extra land to grab, but that didn’t look like it was happening soon.”

“Sounds rough,” Raksha added with commiseration.

“I would have had a few more years to figure it out, but I know plenty of girls who simply had to never marry and stay on the family farm as an extra hand. Those sorry bastards, I was going to avoid that at all costs. I’d rather die in the dungeon than end up like that.”

“Really?”

Ellane chuckled awkwardly, “Maybe. I didn’t have many options, you know. Ellessea becoming a mana spring, well, I know she hates it for some reason, but it really did solve all my problems. I get the inheritance now, the land. I can start looking for a man to marry.” She glanced over at Raksha and coughed lightly, “well, you know… if you are still looking for a woman to marry, I know that Ellessea is out of the picture, but, all the same reasons to marry her are available for me…” she gazed up at him hopefully, her face blushing.

Chuckling, Raksha replied, “I have forgiven you, but your first impression for me was less than stellar, Ellane.” He could see the girl deflate at that. “I know you were upset, but try not to insult every man you come across at first meeting and you’ll have a better chance with them. I suggest asking your brother for advice on this subject, I know he cares about you and has a good head on his shoulders. I know that with his help you’ll be able to land a pretty man, no problem.”

Ellane put her head down and mumbled, “I figured as much, worth a shot at least.”

Still chuckling, Raksha got to work on the gabison when Ellessea came out of her door. She was barely dressed, her hair a mess with sleepers still in her eyes. She yawned loudly before seeing Raksha and then instantly froze. Then she turned around and retreated back to her room, feigning nonchalance.

“That idiot.” Ellane muttered, getting up and putting her dishes in the sink. She moved to leave the house, putting on a brimmed hat before turning to Raksha one last time. “Seriously, please don’t give my sister any ideas. She’s thick headed enough to do whatever she wants, regardless of the consequences. But the punishment for disobedience goes far beyond an evening with no meal. The Yilner house won’t tolerate any problems with their plans, if they feel like it, they’ll exile all of us from the city. If it wasn’t for the church saying they have to wait till that boy turns sixteen, they would have taken her already. House Yilner is not to be messed around with.”

“I understand.” Rasha replied seriously. “I’m not here to cause trouble.”

With one last nod and snort, Ellane left the house, closing the door behind her. A few moments later, Ellessea poked her head back out. Catching Raksha’s gaze, she froze again, stuck between wanting to hide and trying to retain some dignity. Eventually, she opened the door normally and walked out as if nothing happened.

“Good morning,” She intoned casually.

“Good morning,” Raksha replied with some amusement. “Good to see you dressed this time.”

Ellessea paused, but decided it best to not respond, making her way to the kitchen.

“Can you help me tie up this gabison?” Raksha asked casually, turning his back to Ellesea to show off the laces there.

“What?” Ellessea asked, frozen, yet again.

“I can tie it myself, but it will take a while, it’s much easier with help.”

“Uuhh… I….. Uh…”

“Oh please,” Raksha snorted, “It’s a piece of armor, not a dress. Just help me tie it up. Or do you want me to ask your brother to help?”

“No! Err, no, I can do it.” She added stiffly, walking over. Raksha rolled his eyes as she studied the laces like they were a puzzle, seemingly suddenly unsure of everything.

“It’s nothing fancy, just tie each of the ends together tightly.” Raksha said impatiently, after Ellessea hadn’t moved for a few extra moments.

Quickly, hands popped into motion behind him. Raksha adjusted the straps on his greaves in the meantime.

While Ellessea was finishing up, the door to Rauls room creaked open and the little brother popped his head out. Seeing him, Raksha gave a little wave of his hands before returning to his greeves. Raul’s eyes got a little big as he saw the scene of Ellesea tying up Raksha’s back, but he made no comment and stepped out carefully. Unlike Ellesea, he was fully dressed for the day.

“There, done.” Ellessea stated, as if she just completed a six mile run.

“Thanks, can you do one more thing for me?” Raksha said, turning around to face her. Without waiting for a response, he practically shoved his sheathed sword into Ellessea’s hand. She grabbed it without thinking, eyes growing wide a moment later as she realized what was happening. She grew a panicked look on her face, looking around wildly, giving her brother a scared glance before adopting what she thought was a cool and stoic demeanor.

Raksha almost laughed out loud. “Thanks, hold onto it for a bit.” She leaned on closer to the sheath, grabbing it and tilting it up a bit so she could read an inscription on it. “Nice.” She said happily. “Do you know how much this would cost at the guild?”

“N-no.” Ellessea stammered, licking her lips.

Raksha laughed. “Well, a lot. Your mana output is very good, one of the better ones I have seen. Are you feeling fine, any fatigue or anything from the mana loss?”

“No, is, is that a thing?”

“It can be, if your spring doesn’t produce enough, you can drain your mana just like anybody else.”

“What, what’s happening?” Raul asked curiously.

“She’s filling up the enchantments on my sword for me with mana.” Raksha replied easily. “And doing it very fast too. I can see why the Yilner house wants you.”

Raul’s eyes bugged out. “You have an enchanted sword?! What’s it do? Can I see it?”

“Sure, give us a few more more seconds….. Here we go, thanks. How you feeling? Still good?”

“Yeah, I am fine,” Ellesea replied, trying to be as casual as him. “That was nothing, I push out more mana when I farm everyday.”

“Nice.” Rakshaw responded, grining. “Do this one next.” He grabbed her hand and shoved her palm up against his breastplate. Ellessea let out a sad little whimper but kept her hand there obediently. Her face was turning very red though. Raksha ignored her.

“Raksha!” Raul said, sounding scandalized, “you can’t let a woman touch you like that!”

“Relax, she’s just charging up my other enchantment. I’ve got a couple more if she’s up for it afterwards. You are really saving me a bunch of money, I really appreciate it. I might come by more often in the future. You can even charge me some coin if you want.”

“Just how many magical items do you have?” Ellessea demanded, forgetting where her hand was.

“Just a few.” Raksha grinned “I told you, a man’s got to keep some secrets. You won’t tell anybody, right?”

Both siblings shook their heads vigorously.

“Come here,” Raksha said, gesturing to Raul. He stepped forward and Raksha held the sheathed blade out to him so Raul could see.

“This baby has three different enchantments on it.” He pulled the blade partly out of the sheath for the siblings to see a gleam of sharp steel. “It’s enchanted for durability and sharpness, and a special one I am keeping a secret. I’ve had it for eight years now, and it’s gotten me out of many troubling situations. It’s my best friend, her name is Gallant.“

“You named your sword?” Ellesea asked, letting her hand get taken off the chest piece and put on one of the greaves. Somehow, it didn’t surprise her that that was a magical item as well.

“Sure did, when you’ve been through what we’ve been through together, it creates a special type of bond.”

Raksha saw a sort of pitying look dawn on Ellessea, so he shut up about it. He showed off a few of the other pieces he had to the curious Raul, and altogether had nine items charged up by Ellesea who appeared no worse for the wear, if only a little punch drunk. But Raksha suspected that was just related to that much wealth put in front of her at once.

The siblings, still were speechless and Raksha slung his pack over his back. “Well, that’s enough mind blowing for one day, I guess. I’ll take my leave, and you two can get to work.”

He headed out the door and Ellessea followed him out.

“What do you plan on doing?” She asked, looking down at the dirt.

“Not really sure.” Raksha replied easily, looking up towards the city. “I didn’t really come here with a solid plan. I 'll buy a place, maybe. Do some dungeon delving. I’m not pressed for time and I got enough money to look around for a bit before settling down somewhere. Maybe try to find another girl, who knows?” He added with a grin, looking over at Ellessea.

For once she didn’t blush.

“Raksha,” She said, a skeptical look in her eye. “You have all these things, clearly have money, and power and… I don't know. Enough enchanted items to make the Yilner’s salivate.”

Raksha looked back at her, following her words.

“You are such an amazing man, did you really come because of my offer? Why would you want to marry a lowly peasant farmer, like me?”

Raksha kicked his boots together, thinking. Then he looked back with a shrug and smile. “You know what? I really wanted to be a part of a family.”

And with that, he turned and walked up the road, back to the city.