South Bank, Varaleth shipping Yard, City of Varaleth, Early Morning:

“This is absolute bullshit! I spill one cup of coffee, and now I’m forced to start here even earlier than I already do. And to top it off, I get paired with an Elf. An Elf, of all things!”

“Oh, stop your whining, furball. I’m not any more thrilled about this than you are. At least your punishment makes some sense. I was late to a meeting by a minute—one minute—and now I’m freezing out here with you."

“Oh, grow a spine, knife-ears. Summer’s only just ended, and it’s barely cold out here.”

“That’s easy for a hairy mutt like you to say—at least you’ve got all that fur to keep you warm.”

The two huddled around a flaming barrel, its meagre warmth barely fending off the autumn chill—though Claud Marrok, the werewolf, didn’t really need it. Varaleth's shipping yard was the last place anyone wanted to be this time of year. Solar magic didn’t stretch this far, and no one bothered with other measures as the temperatures plunged after summer’s end.

Both were security enforcers, though they were more accustomed to spending their early mornings watching Full-Moon wrestling highlights or reading a newspaper over a warm morning drink.

Pulling out a pocket watch from his work shirt, Calud checked the time with a growl.

“Family heirloom, this, handed down from my father”, he muttered, tapping the frozen bezel. “But at this rate, it’s gonna freeze solid. What am I supposed to do with it then?”

“Oh, enough with your complaining, wolf,” the elf, Malhad, said, his voice laced with dry amusement. “It really doesn’t suit you.”

Claud’s ears perked up, a low growl rumbling in his chest. “And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“You know very well,” Malhad replied with a smirk. “Aren’t your kind supposed to be the ‘tough ones’? Or am I mistaken?”

“Oi, watch it, tree-hugger. No wolf’s ashamed to show a little emotion every now and then—petty or not.”

“Speaking from personal experience, I take it?”

“Grrrrrr...”

“I kid, I kid. No need to puff out your chest, my furry friend,” Malhad chuckled. “Let’s just try to tolerate each other a little longer until the shipment arrives, hm?”

Claud felt the familiar growl rise in his throat but held it back, his sharp eyes narrowing as he turned his gaze toward the dark, restless sea beyond.

"You're lucky I'm such a nice guy, elf, or I'd have already—"

–Thwip!--Thwip!--

"Huh?!"

Ever heard the phrase "eyes in the back of your head"? For werewolves, that’s almost literal—except their heightened senses of hearing and smell do the work. Claud’s instincts flared like a warning bell, and before he even realized it, he ducked just as something small and sharp whizzed past him, embedding itself in the concrete.

"What the...?" Claud muttered, crouching to get a better look at the object meant for his neck. He pried it off the ground—a dart. Tranquillizer, no doubt. The design was unmistakable.

"Someone’s got guts. Maybe this morning won't be so dull after all." He called out, "Hey, elf! Take a look at this here–!”

Thud!

“Hm? Elf?”

No response. Of course, there couldn’t be—how could someone sprawled out on the ground, deep in slumber, respond to anything?

“Bloody hell?!” Claud rushed to Malhad’s side, eyes narrowing at the dart lodged in the back of the elf's neck. He never saw it coming.

"Alright..." Claud muttered, raising his head and sniffing the air. "Who’s got the guts to—"

Thud... thud...

“There—!”

–Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!--

“—Urk!”

He hadn’t even fully turned when three darts slammed into his side. They stung—burning like fire under his skin. Claud staggered for a second, his body reeling from the impact. But then, with a snarl, he forced himself forward, dropping to all fours, sprinting at full speed.

“Rrraaaaagggh!”

–Thwip! Thwip! Thwip!--

“Ugh!”

Another set of darts hit him from behind. It didn’t make sense—how had he missed another presence? But the searing pain in his back told him the truth. His body, strong as it was, started to falter. Numbness crept over him like a suffocating wave.

His legs eventually gave out, and Claud crashed to the ground, all numb, unable to even feel the weight of his body hitting the dirt. His vision blurred instantly, the world spiralling into darkness around him.

The last thing he registered was the sound of heavy footsteps fading into the distance, followed by a glimpse of towering, two-legged figures before darkness brought him into a blissful slumber.

-~-

Somewhere within the Elderwoods, Morning:

We never truly understood the reason. We asked countless times, yet the answers never quieted our curiosity.

All we knew, as far back as we could remember, was that we wanted to see the world.

Not in the way some grand adventurer sets out with dreams of conquering every hidden corner or unearthing lost treasures—no. We just wanted to step outside, to breathe in the same air as everyone else, and experience what they experienced. Simple as that.

Yet, from the moment we took our first breaths up until our fifteenth birthday last month, the only world we knew was the one our family painted for us, within the walls of our grand mansion home –Karugame Manor. That was our only reality.

Mostly, it was through many forms of literature, both engaging and boring, absorbing the tales they told of the distant lands and realms and whatever lived within them.

We imagined every corner of existence through the stories they shared, the feats of both legendary figures to the unremarkably common, and all their triumphs and struggles, and by tracing the words and reading between the lines, we stitched together our own rough picture of what the world must be like.

With many trials and errors.

Our first idea was that the world was as flat as paper and shaped like a disproportioned rectangle or something like that. Then we got that map for our ninth birthday from our uncle, which completely made us rethink everything we thought we knew.

The world wasn’t flat in the slightest; it was round, like a ball, and it was a far, far bigger oddity than we originally let on.

Eldrithoria. The “World of Fantasy”. A spherical patchwork of seven different realms separated and connected by the Great Pulsing Sea, itself an unofficial eighth. Each realm started as a separate home to its inhabitants, each thriving in its own strange and wondrous way. A norm that would span for a number of centuries until the unlikeliest of events would bring them all together.

War.

Yeah, if a clueless individual thought that everyone miraculously just met up and everything was all lovey-Dovey, holding hands and singing the same tune, then wow … they were hella wrong.

Take the Elves, for example, from Fel-Grande: “The Realm of Forestry”. Born into a society where, from the moment they could walk, talk, and have a simple enough comprehension of the world, they believed everyone else was beneath them. Case and point? No one could match their grace, connection to the vast amounts of nature, or so-called "civilized" ways. They walked the earth as if it were their personal stage, and every other living lifeform was a mere prop.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, you’ve got the Werewolves from Hallo-Transyl: “The Realm of the Hollow” — Raw, primal, and grounded in the brutal law of survival of the fittest. In their eyes, they were the ultimate predators, destined to dominate all.

It probably explains why they would never get along with the vampires, who were essentially, and literally, their neighbours. The idea of those two getting along was as likely as oil and water blending seamlessly—or mixing at all, for that matter. In fact, I think there’s a minor couple of years old war they’ve yet to finish.

Then there’s us, the Witches — or Witch-folk if you want to get technical. We’re what many would call “irregularities”, both mentally and physically –like it’s very common to be asked how and why our organs in the opposite side of everyone else. The answer. No clue, as is the answer to everything else about us. The living embodiment of unpredictability – at least on the surface.

Truth is, if you had to sum us up in one word, it’d be vile. Hella vile. As the oldest beings capable of bending the world's laws through magic—a little fact the rest of them can't touch—we’ve always held a position no one else could. And sure, we may fall short in areas others excel at, but when you can insult someone and have the power (and the balls) to back it up, what else do you really need?

Though just saying such does not do any amount of relative justice, for now, try not to take it with a grain of salt.

Anyway, regarding all I have said, it is very understandable that both of us can admit that we didn’t exactly live up to our kind’s reputation these past four weeks—being forced into the role of reluctant lap-dops. For goblins, of all creatures.

Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

The way they had treated us—minimal living standards, running death-defying errands daily in a place like this—it’s a disgrace we'll carry with us for the rest of our lives. Sure, we left it all behind with their scaly corpses, and maybe with time, we’ll get over it, but experiences like that have a way of changing you, no matter who gets the last laugh in the end.

That’s not to say nothing good came from it. I mean, for two kids who’d lived in luxury all their lives, surviving the way we did for a whole month outdoors—on our own, no less—I’d say we did a fair job. We fended for ourselves, faced down every challenge, and gave those scaly bastards the kind of punishment any self-respecting witch would’ve been proud of.

All that’s left now is to get the heck out of here, and then we can finally get back to what we set out to do a month ago.

“Now, where’s that map? I should be right about –”

I rummage through my bag, searching for the map of this damned forest. Gotta hand it to those goblins—literal idiots, no offence—but they sure know how to surprise you. That map I got a good look at was surprisingly detailed and well-crafted. Good thing I swiped it before we left, or else we’d be… w-we’d be... Ugh...

“Aw, crap!”

“Hm? Brother? What’s wrong?”

“I just realized I forgot it”, I complained as I lowered my head in disbelief. “Dammit, Hiroshi, how could you have forgotten it?”

“Forgotten what exactly?”

“The most important thing we would need right now. And it’s back in that cave.”

“Huh? C-can you stop speaking in riddles?! What’re you talking about?!”

“… Sigh… I forgot that midget goblins map.”

“Eh”

Her eyes went wide, utter disbelief written across her face. The next thing I knew–

--Pow–Pow–

-My arm was taking a beating from a flurry of punches it wasn’t nearly prepared for.

“You forgot the map? The map?! Of all things!”

“Ow! OW! Sis! Stop it- Argh!”-That hurts!”

“It’s supposed to hurt, you idiot! You dolt! How?! How could you forget something as crucial as a map?! YOU DUMBNUT!!!”

I bolted in some random direction, with the raging fumes of my furious twin sister hot on my heels, her anger practically palpable.

“Mother was right when she said you’re always so clueless about the important stuff!” She yelled with furicity, each step she took making thorny vines erupt from the ground and slither after me. “You left behind the one thing we needed to escape this forest!!!”

The thorns came down at me from all directions, and to be honest, it was both the most intense moment of my life and also a crucial learning moment for me. I’d never tested the limits of my body like the way I am now, ducking, jumping, and swinging through branches to avoid an early demise. I have to admit I’m kinda impressed at myself. Good for you, Hiroshi. Hopefully, you will survive this moment and praise yourself properly later.

“Oh, put a lid on it!” I shouted in desperation, weaving through the underbrush. “I was enjoying the sweet sounds of those bastards choking on their own death clouds! You’d have done the same if you were in my shoes!”

“YOU'Re MISSING THE POINT!!!”

-BAM-

“Gu-fah!”

Now I know my sister better than anyone, almost to the point I can anticipate a lot of what she can and will do–her tackling me down a hill was not one of them.

We began to tumble and turn over one another, Sis still trying to make me sorry for leaving behind that map by ensuring I wasn’t free from whatever blow her fists could deliver. You’d have to live it to know how irritating it was, so much so that you’d agree that I made the correct decision to recuperate all those blows. We threw hands like there was only one tray of pudding left for dessert.

“You! Stupid! Brother!”

“No! You’re Stupid!”

-Bam!-Pow!-Ca-blam!-Bam!-Bam!-Wham!-

We tumbled down that hill for what felt like an eternity, crashing through the undergrowth until we finally came to a stop at the bottom. Exhausted and gasping for air, we lay sprawled out on the ground, too drained to move, staring up at the clear blue canopy above us.

“... Hah … Hah … Hah … victory for … Amaye …”

“... Sod off! … Hah … Hah … I won that fight …”

“... Perhaps … in your dreams … maybe …”

“ … Oh, why don’t you just–... Ugh … I’m too tired to go on with this …”

I pushed myself into a sitting position, glancing around at our new surroundings. Strangely enough, we’d actually made it out of the forest, for real this time. Now, we found ourselves resting by the side of what I vaguely recalled from a book as something called a highway.

… Hang on? … Highways are just long paths for vehicles and vehicles, well… they go places, which usually includes–

"Brother! L-Look over there! Something’s coming towards us!"

“Huh?”

I followed her gaze, squinting into the distance. Sure enough, something was headed straight for us. It was massive, sleek, and shimmering—gliding just above the ground with surprising speed.

“Is that… what I think it is?” Amaye’s voice buzzed with excitement as she jumped to her feet, pulling me up along with her.

“Well, sis, there’s only one way to find out!”

Without another word, we darted into the middle of the wide path, shouting at the top of our lungs and flailing our arms above our heads like two crazed lunatics.

“PLEASE STOP! PLEASE STOP! PLEASE STOP! PLEASE STOP! PLEASE STOP!” We cried in unison.

Within seconds, the object loomed larger and larger, barreling toward us with no sign of slowing down. Our once frantic shouts dissolved into barely audible murmurs as we both realised in unison how utterly foolish we were to stand directly in the path of something much larger and most definitely physically harder than our feeble forms.

“Uh … Hiroshi? It’s not stopping…”

“Y-Yeah … I can … I can see that …”

It was only a few yards away now. And yet, neither of us moved a muscle. Was it shock? Ignorance? Or simply the overwhelming sense of awe that rooted us in place, face-to-face with something we’d never seen before? One thought flashed through our heads at the same time.

-~-

“~~Making my way down stream~~swimming fast~~worries drowned back in my past~~”

She swayed lazily in her seat, the pulse of music from her earphones thrumming through her pointed ears, drowning out the world around her. And honestly, who could argue she didn’t deserve to unwind after the day she'd had?

Being an elf—specifically, dark elf—hadn’t made the last few days any less unbearable. Hours of mind-numbing boredom and irritation, ferrying obnoxious passengers across the mountain routes.

Each one louder and ruder than the last. It wasn’t something she’d ever enjoy, especially

since it was all just punishment. If it wasn’t breaking up pointless squabbles, it was overhearing inappropriate conversations like they were everyday gossip. And as if that wasn’t enough, not once was she able to partake in a lunch break, a damn lunch break! –oh, the audacity of it all.

Now, a quarter into the last long three-hour trip of her shift, she had every reason to kick back and savour what little relaxation she could. No passengers, no last-minute changes to her schedule—just a smooth, clear ride home. Luckily, her coach was built for exactly this kind of scenario, designed for those who preferred to let the magic take the reins. With the autopilot engaged, the coach followed the steady pulse of a magical beacon, guiding itself effortlessly back to base. No worries, no hassle—just a guaranteed trip home without a hitch.

Or so she thought.

Now, no one can blame her for being completely ignorant. The two obstructions that triggered the emergency stop protocol went onto the middle of the road on their own. It didn’t stop her body from being thrown off her seat, face first, into the main screen.

--SPLAT!--

The design of the coach's body and mechanism meant that sudden stops do not impede safety protocols, so unless anyone inside is strapped in as they should be, they’d probably not even notice they stopped until it began to move off again. That is if you can ignore the deafening siren that came before it, which she did unintentionally.

“...Ah … Aaaahhh …”

Her body peeled off the glass, gravity doing its job as she slid down and landed unceremoniously on the floor beside her seat.

For a moment, she just lay there, dazed and blinking rapidly, her brain struggling to catch up with what had just happened. Blinking like mad, she pinched herself, half-expecting to wake up from some bizarre dream. When the sharp sting confirmed otherwise, she groaned and dragged herself back up to her feet, still disoriented but slowly regaining her composure.

"Those Bloody good-for-nothing feral wankers! Running onto the road..." she muttered, rubbing her forehead. "Oh, I swear, if it's still there—please still be there—it’ll wish it was born as something that could fly! Cause there ain’t no way it’s a-running from me!."

Kissing her teeth, she waved her hand, and the side door opened. Strutting out onto the path, she cracked every bone in her body that could showcase how screwed anyone else would be when she started throwing hands–

“Alright! Who's crafting their death sentence this morning?! Bloodhounds? Stinkbugs? F*cking DoDo’s?!"

"...Uh-Uhhhhhh...?"

"Eh? What in the—?"

She halted mid-rant, struck silent by the sight of two identical faces gazing back at her—ocean blue hair, piercing blue eyes, and a light brown complexion. These were no feral beasts, not in the slightest.

"Witches? Out here?!"

The resemblance between them was striking, too uncanny to dismiss. They had to be siblings, possibly twins—she was certain of it. The two ragged figures before her wore attire that had once looked wealthy but was now dirtied and torn as if they had belonged to labourers for far too long.

The girl, with longer, finer blue hair that glimmered in the faint sunlight, stood a step behind her brother, who sported a shorter, tousled mess of darker hair. Both bore expressions free from nervousness, though the girl seemed even more uneasy. Their slight trembling betrayed their true nature; They posed no threat.

"U-uh... hi! Uh, sorry about that! I, uh, should’ve been paying more attention to the road. Heh... Typical me, always ignoring the important stuff... heh, heh..."

"…"

"…"

The awkward silence, uncofmfotr at it’s simplest, neither of the twins responding. She scratched the back of her head, unsure of how to proceed.

"Um, so... w-what are you two even doing out here in the middle of nowhere? Are you lost or something? Where’d you two come from?"

The siblings exchanged glances before silently pointing towards the dark, twisted forest to their right.

"EH?! From in there?!" she exclaimed, eyes widening. "That’s a death maze! How long were you in there?!"

"S-since we were bor–

"Four weeks!" the boy interrupted the girl, cutting her off sharply. "W-we’ve been in there... for four weeks," he corrected, his voice soft but firm. “I-t’s a … long story we wouldn’t want to indulge in…”

"A whole month! ... Wow, that’s impressive. Way longer than I ever lasted." She raised an eyebrow, half-impressed. "I went in there once with some friends for a stakeout some few months ago. None of us could handle the atmosphere; not exactly made for elves you see—"

She stopped herself mid-ramble, taking a moment before readdressing the two.

“Ahem! Well, that’s not exactly relevant,” she said, waving off her own tangent. “Look, this isn’t the best spot for a chat, and you two look like you’ve had better days. Why don’t you hop on my coach? I’m heading back to the city after a dreadfully boring few days I’d rather not discuss. I wouldn’t mind the company. What do you say?”

She cast a curious glance at the siblings, waiting for their response. They exchanged a silent look, clearly communicating without words.

“D-don’t worry! I have no sinister motives. I’m part of the law enforcement in that city—actually, I’m one of the higher-ranking officers, so you two are in safe hands. Pinky swear!”

She watched their reactions closely; they seemed a bit more at ease, which was a good sign. The boy then reached into the side of his bag, rummaging through an open pocket before pulling out a crumpled dirtied piece of paper.

“We... we’re trying to get here,” he said, handing the note over.

The dark-skinned elf unfolded it, comically whipping out a pair of reading glasses she didn’t need, her eyes scanning the paper's contents.

“Hey! I know this place!” She grinned, her eyes lighting up. “Yeah, I pass by it on my lunch breaks. In fact, I live just a few blocks away. I guess you this means you two are around fifteen years old, I take it?”

“E-eh? H-How do you know that?!” The wich girl asked her.

“Oh it’s common knowledge how old a witch is when their coming-of-age ceremony begins. I have a friend who invited me to hers, the light show was mezmersing. You had to be their to know just how much!”

With a bright smile, she returned the paper and motioned to the side door of the coach. “Well then, you two have found yourselves a free ride. De-De’s Express is offering a complimentary services for special circumstances—no payment required.”

She paused, then added with a chuckle, “Oh, and we haven’t even introduced ourselves yet. I’m Demethys Lilac, dark elf vice-captain of the Varaleth Peacekeepers' special ops and security Force. But just call me De-De. Everyone does”

The twins exchanged a glance, and with a shared smile, they stepped up and boarded the bus. De-De followed suit, waving her hand to close the doors and then settling into the driver’s seat.

“Feel free to choose any seat you like,” she called back. “I’m not picking up anyone else for a while, or at all –thank the stars– so whether it’s a window seat, an aisle seat, front or back rear rows, whatever you two prefer.”

The twins marveled at the interior of the coach, their eyes wide with wonder. It was spacious, immaculate, and the seats looked invitingly comfortable even before they’d settled in– A far increase in condition from the goblin’s hideout cave,

After a brief deliberation, the twins finally chose two seats on the right side, about midway down. The girl settled into the window seat, her faces ecstatic reaction to just how comfortable the seat was, while her brother slid into the seat beside her, carefully placing their bags at their feet.

"Alright, passengers," De-De's voice crackled through the coach’s intercom, which caused the twins to jump at the unexpected sound all around them. "The coach is now departing. Please sit back, relax, and allow yourselves to be securely strapped in. We’ll be on our way right now!."

Vrrrrrrrrmmmmmm!!!

The engine immediately whirred to life just as glowing straps secured the twins into their seats, both intrigued by the ordeal, just as they felt the coach lift itself and move forward, gradually picking up speed.

“Next stop, Varaleth”