“In my travels, I’ve seen Myndiri ruins grander than anything humanity could ever achieve. Not even buildings, but ruined husks more majestic than the Imperial palace or even the twin cathedrals of Saintsrest. Entire abandoned cities nestled in outcropping where we might conclude as uninhabitable. That is why magic must be controlled. So that the oppression brought about by their grandeur, and the subsequent atrocities that emptied those same places will forever be brought to heel.”


    - Hunter Justicar Enrique Villefort, Witch Hunter Instructor, “Combating Mages and Rogue Heretics”


    <hr><hr>


    Goblins and bandits, a classic tale of problems outside the cities, Sophie mused.


    “At least we found the trouble, and probably where Sir Taurox would be.”


    “I was thinking to myself.”


    Sophie let out a soft snarl at her sibling. Sophia just shrugged.


    “Think more quietly.”


    Before Sophie could retort, the tavern keeper''s distinctive one-two gait reached her ears.


    The tavern keeper had brought them their drinks, interrupting the silent duel. Satisfied that the glasses reached them safely, he pulled out a beat up old scroll that unfurled into an even more worn map. The man didn’t speak however, just expectantly waited for them to taste their drinks, one task that Sophia filled with gusto.


    Sophie watched with a small hint of admiration at how her twin had taken a sip then promptly downed half the glass.


    “Ahh.” Sophia sighed contently, “Nice.”


    Disbelieving, Sophie chanced a sip herself and almost gagged.


    If Aryana’s gentle and somewhat floral scent was akin to a lovingly balanced meal. This concoction was the equivalent to grabbing a handful of pungent flowers and stuffing it down her throat in liquid form. It didn’t help that the alcoholic wave that battered her senses afterwards was made all the more bitter by the contrast created from the sweetened floral syrups.


    “Ack!” Sophie coughed and hacked, her throat desperately attempting to clear itself out.


    The tavern keeper almost grinned. Unlike Sophia who was trying and failing to suppress a laugh.


    Hells! Sophie cursed.


    “Hah.” Sophia snickered.


    Sophie weakly glared at her to little effect. Her twin had endured the effects of the drink surprisingly well.


    “How?” She croaked out.


    “I’m the better version of you, remember?” Sophia smirked.


    Sophie wanted to retort but her mouth had curled up in disgust, the alcoholic aftertaste now hitting in full force. Goddess that’s bitter.


    “Well then.” The tavern keeper grunted more seriously, “If you two are done?”


    “We are.” Sophia answered for them.


    “Here.” He pointed to a spot outside of town, “Last I heard, the lads went there.”


    The duo waited for him to continue, but he had already begun to turn away.


    “Wait. That’s it?” Sophie managed to eke out.


    The tavern keeper turned to stare at her, a look of annoyance creeping across his brow.


    “Yes, that’s it.” He stated bluntly.


    Without giving her a chance to respond, he walked away, busy with other customers. Sophie felt indignant. They had been told practically nothing and the man had simply walked off. It was a disrespect that she didn’t expect.


    A hand brushed against her shoulder and pulled her mind out of the mire it was sinking into.


    “We have what we need. Let’s go.” Sophia urged.


    “Huh? But…”


    “Focus, Sophie. Whatever problems the town has is theirs to deal with alongside the rangers. We have our own goals. You might want to play the hero, but we don’t have the time for it.” Sophia let out a low growl, cutting off Sophie’s opposition before it even began.


    “You’re right.” Sophie responded with a dejected whisper.


    With her shoulders a little lower and her unease a little greater, she followed Sophia out of town towards where the tavern keeper had pointed towards. But when she looked up to find the skies slowly clouding over and the menacing shadow of the High Wall looming over the land. A slow shiver took hold of her. The frosts would not be merciful this year.


    <hr><hr>


    Most of the flower fields around Brightfields had already retreated in preparation for the coming winter. The only thing that now stuck out of them were the scattered watchtowers that kept an eerie vigil over the increasingly silent landscape. A few traders and caravans continued to pass through, offering the two a pointed reminder that nothing stops the trade flowing in and out of Arteria.


    Veering off the beaten path, the two found themselves getting closer and closer towards the Highwall. Something felt wrong about them. A darkness that seeped forth from the peaks onto the world that they watched over below. Sophie winced as she felt something watching over her. But unlike the observant gazes of Arteria’s soldiers, this felt alien, and not at all pleasant.


    It feels like the gaze of the void, but one filled with more malice. And specifically towards us, I don’t like it.


    She turned to wonder if her sibling was thinking the same thing or had read her mind. But if Sophia had done either of those, the impassive expression she held seemed to say otherwise. At least one of us feels confident.


    About an hour outside of town, the rolling fields grew more sporadic, now cut through with dense hedges and foliage lining the roads. Sophie still remembered the time she passed through here with Ary. How tired the two of them felt after their push from the smuggler’s road. The joy that they felt seeing a sense of normalcy. Heh, and we’re marching back out. Back into the wilds.


    “Not that far out.” Sophia teased.


    “You’ve gotten a lot cheekier today.” Sophie poked back.


    “Or maybe this is who I always want to act as. If not for everything.”


    “Ah… sorry.”


    “Nothing to be sorry about, what happened, has already happened. There’s no changing that at this point.” Sophia spoke out loud.


    “S-Sophia?” Sophie questioned.


    “What? I’m just having a conversation.” Her twin smugly shrugged.


    Yet in her carefree movements, Sophie could also tell that her counterpart was scanning the nearby treelines. She was alert and ready, prompting Sophie to try and fail to stealthy do the same.


    “But we can… you know…” Sophie pointed to her head.


    “Sure. But what do you think some grungy old rangers are going to think? They see two armed elves walking up, silent, brooding, glaring at each other. Compared to two people talking out loud, a little more relaxed, and likely more approachable?”


    “Hah…” Sophie sighed, “I guess.”


    “You know I’m right.”


    “Maybe. But admitting it is a different story. Heh.”


    “Heh.”


    The two shared a light chuckle and pressed forward.


    By now, the fields and town behind them had morphed into more treelines. A chilly breeze rushed by them and the two sniffled for a moment. Both pausing at the almost intrusive cold that danced around them.


    The once lively woods outside of Brightfields filled with howler monkeys and other wildlife were now more subdued and silent. It made the crunching of their boots against the trail painfully obvious to anyone paying attention. After a few seconds of doubt, Sophia boldly stepped forth, uncaring of the sound she made. Sophie hesitated but followed along.


    In the silence that followed, Sophie found herself nervous talking to her sister. They had gone through their past, caught up with recent events and even discussed the conference. It horrified her to realize that she barely knew Sophia. What wants or desires her twin might have. After all, though she had been a clone, she had blossomed into a different person entirely no matter how much she teased Sophie about being the same. We are different, and that’s good. But now…


    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    Now she was stumped. She was proud of how far Sophia had come. How she had persevered despite the trauma she had once faced. And she enjoyed the time that they had spent together today. Yet, she wanted to know more about her counterpart. To find out what other little bits of life that they differed in.


    “Just ask.” Sophia chuckled.


    “Gah!” Sophie jumped at the abrupt interruption, unwittingly letting out a squeak of surprise much to her sibling’s delight.


    “You’re so easy to read, Sophieee.” Her twin drawled.


    “Wha-?”


    “Your face. I know it well, cause I see my own every morning. And whenever I’m thinking, it scrunches up like this.” Sophia teased and demonstrated, her eyes narrowing and lips curling up. Even her ears twitched a little.


    “I… huh?”


    “You do it too. Or rather, I do what you do too. Looks a little weird, doesn’t it?” Sophia chuckled.


    “I… hey, that’s a little rude.” Sophie slowly realized the implied message. Am I that weird?


    “I’m kidding. Kind of. If you look weird, then I look weird. No helping it.” Sophia mockingly pouted before smiling, “So? What is it? Something’s eating you up, that much I can tell.”


    “Urk.” Sophie mumbled.


    Sophia just looked at her expectantly, eyebrows raised in amusement and anticipation in equal measure.


    “Ah…” Sophie sighed, “You got me. So… uhh… how are classes?”


    This seemed to take Sophia aback. Her sister visibly frowning before looking more confused than ever. A small victory for Sophie, insignificant in the grand scheme of things, but one in which she found some pride in having caught her twin off guard.


    “You know. How are your classes going?” She asked once more.


    “Uhh… they’re… fine? I mean, yeah. Nothing’s too difficult.” Sophia paused her stride to turn and stare into Sophie’s eye, making her wilt a little.


    Her expressions softened as a crinkle of understanding slowly spread through Sophia’s face.


    “Is this… is this small talk?” Sophia questioned.


    Sophie nodded, now a little embarrassed from the intensity of Sophia’s stare.


    “Well then, let me try again. Classes are going fine, though I wish there was less homework since we’re all getting quite busy with the conference on top of everything else. How about you?”


    “I… I’m doing alright. Could be better though, heh.” Sophie chuckled a little.


    “Heh. Going to ask me what I ate for dinner next? Maybe even what I do for fun?”


    Sophie was about to protest when a curious thought entered her mind, what does she actually do for fun?


    “Yeah, actually. What do you do for fun?”


    “I practice.”


    “Your blade?”


    “Anything really, not just combat skills. We’ve got enough of that between the two of us.”


    “Oh?”


    “Other stuff too, cooking, knitting. A little bit of gymnastics, acrobatics specifically. Helps with the skulking around.” Sophia winked knowingly.


    On the other hand, Sophie was shocked, her pleasant smile on the verge of cracking to reveal how stunned she was. Her sister cooked and knitted, this was entirely new and unexpected. It also made her jealous. I want to cook better too. For the others, and for Ary. Hah, and knitting… I didn’t expect it from her. But… a small grin snuck onto her face, it’s cute. Might even suit her.


    Lost in her own thoughts, Sophie was once again startled. But this time, it was just Sophia tapping her on the shoulder. Before she could ask what the problem was, her sister was pointing down the road towards where two shadowy figures stood. A part of her wasn’t surprised, but rather more impressed at how Sophia had so easily analyzed the situation and deduced a course of action they should take. Made all the more impressive but how seemingly accurate she was.


    Sophia turned and winked at her, the smug look on her face somehow irritating Sophie as much as it engendered a small sliver of pride.


    “You’re too straight forward, Sophie. Gotta think like some guy who hides in the shadows or well, trees here, most of the time, like me.” Sophia whispered.


    Sophie scoffed but did not reply. Their attention now landing back on the rangers in front of them.


    “Well?” Sophia nudged her, “This is your commission.”


    Right. Helping Lucinia is an actual commission, heh.


    She put on a more courtly demeanor and straightened her back. Time for formalities.


    Thus, she decided to do the most sensible things when meeting strangers on the road. She raised her arm up, and waved.


    The two figures didn’t respond at first, but then one held up a palm, signaling them to halt their advance. Message received.


    The duo didn’t want to be caught off guard however, and both of them double checked their own weapons just in case.


    A whistle, then two, then a few more noises echoed in reply to the figures at the end of the road.


    “Interesting choice for communication.” Sophia mused.


    “I would imagine they meant for it to be used in denser woodlands than this.” Sophie replied thoughtfully.


    “No. I mean, what if you can’t whistle?”


    “What?” Sophie audibly spoke up, startling herself before turning to her twin with a hiss, “Really? That’s your most present concern?”


    Sophia just cheekily grinned. What a strangely elevated level of glibness.


    But it was too late. The ranger had begun walking towards them and whatever words Sophie had lingering in the back of her throat retreated. Decorum was called for, and at the end of the day, she was an official adventurer.


    “Hail, protectors of Arteria.” Sophie called out.


    The rangers paused in their stride, glancing at each other before muttering something and resuming their advance.


    “Hail travellers. So you know of us. Then you also know that the woods are dangerous these days on your own.”  They returned her greeting, though keeping a relatively safe distance from the duo.


    “We do.” Sophie acknowledged, “But we come here with a mission. We know of a minotaur seconded to your order. We wish to speak with him.”


    It was, perhaps laying their cards a bit too out in the open. But Sophie had no reason to distrust the rangers like some of the other security branches. So far, they have continued their work and even got their own into trouble with the assault on the Kolonia. It was perhaps this honesty that set the rangers to deliberate amongst themselves. The first of the two on the road seemingly knew who Sophie was based on those words alone.


    The rangers traded a few more whistles, some coming from hidden areas in the woods around them. The lead ranger said nothing to the duo, merely motioning them to follow.


    Wary but optimistic, they followed along.


    The rangers led them through a series of winding almost fully concealed pathways amongst the trees. Without them, even with their own keen senses, Sophie doubted they could traverse this terrain after the first twists and turns.


    Cutting through the undergrowth, the woods seemed to part before the rangers like obedient guardians. They led the duo to a small glade hidden behind a gnoll where an olden palisade surrounded the area. A few tents and other permanent structures had been erected here, the additions looking fairly new in contrast to the walls.


    The rangers waved a hand sign at the guards and the protectors of the camp allowed the party access.


    “Taurox!” The lead ranger called out, “Troublemakers for you.”


    The man gestured at the duo to wait for a moment, allowing them to glance at the ranger outpost.


    Hooded figures dashed about the place, men and women preparing for sorties against the darkness that lurks at the edge of Arteria’s woodlands. There was even facilities for a smithy and bowyer, though Sophie had expected as much of most military encampments.


    The thundering of familiar hooves dragged their attention towards a nearby tent. From it, a large figure emerged from the opening. Dressed not in templar silver but the brown-green armors of the rangers and bearing a small red sigil, the blademaster looked only mildly surprised at their arrival.


    “Not who I expected to see this afternoon.” The minotaur spoke after a moment.


    “This one’s the one who got everyone up the tits, isn’t she?” The second ranger queried.


    “Aye. Tis the one.” Taurox nodded.


    “They just damned well walked up asking for you. So I assume ya’ll got some business to handle.” The lead ranger let out a puff of air from his nose, “Whatever it is, just make sure you know what you’re getting into, aye?”


    “Yes sir.” The minotaur saluted.


    “And you two.” The lead ranger rounded on the duo, “Don’t start trouble in my camp. Save it for outside, got it?”


    “Understood.” Sophie answered for them.


    “Good. Taurox, report to me when you’re done.” He gave the minotaur a pat on the shoulder and then turned to the second ranger, “Let’s go.”


    “Yes sir.” The other man confirmed and gave the strange duo one last glance before leaving.


    As they started walking away, the minotaur held open the tent flaps and gestured for them. Sophie and Sophia appreciatively bobbing their heads as they entered.


    It was a small living space. Holding some essentials including a weapons and armor rack, a very oversized but likely average sized bed for a minotaur, and field supplies. At the center of it was a make shift table and chairs, the surface of which still held hat appeared to be a card game that had been left unfinished.


    Taurox carefully cleared the surface of it and sat down, the duo following his example in the other empty seats. His question didn’t need to be spoken, just an arched brow as he glanced at the duo.


    “We need your help. Just for a day.” Sophie got to the point.


    The minotaur nodded knowingly, as if he had already anticipated this. Though I suppose, aside from a social visit, there wouldn’t be any other reason we’re seeking him out.


    Yet he remained silent, so she continued.


    “There is a conference between a Traxian princess and the Traxian first minister here in Arteria. Off the books. We don’t expect trouble since she’ll likely be disowned and cast out without much fuss. But just in case, we need someone like you who can command attention in a fight. They’ll be bringing the Imperial guard and we just want everyone to leave the room alive. Without a fight.” She explained.


    The minotaur spent a few seconds processing this before letting out a soft whistle, “That’s a tall order for our first meeting in while.” The minotaur teased, his deep laugh echoing throughout the tent.


    “Sorry Sir Taurox, it’s just-”


    “No apologies necessary. Good to see you too, Sophia.”


    “Sir.” Her twin politely bobbed her head, in stark contrast to the irreverence in which she treated Sophie.


    “I’ll talk to the captain. But you’ll need to give me everything in detail. Dates, times, dignitaries, numbers, anything and everything.” Taurox answered.


    “I… that’s it? You’re willing to help?” Sophie let out a squawk of surprise.


    “The lads here will hold. They’re capable, more than competent. They can spare me for a day. Besides, even if it''s temporary, I''m a ranger. We''re here to help all of Arteria.” He chuckled.


    The duo looked at each other with a small amount of befuddlement. Both had expected at least some form of resistance. A welcome surprise, to be sure.


    “Well? Lay it on me. And tell me what’s happened since I’ve been gone, apprentice.” He grinned at the last words.


    Sophie felt her heart suddenly swell with pride at the words. She remembered how he had took time out of his day to continuously train her. That he had indeed, accepted her as a disciple. And in that, she was grateful. With one last traded glance to her sibling, Sophie sucked in a deep breath and explained everything that had happened since his departure.