Good Morning

I scrambled my way off the ground, barely managing to pull out one of the hidden daggers as I pointed its sharpened tip at the possible attacker. "I'd be careful with those blades. If I were an actual intruder, I could have easily disarmed and killed you while you were stumbling around on the floor." A gloved hand reached out and removed the lid from the lantern letting its light spread throughout the corridor to reveal a smiling Audrey standing in front of me."Good morning Rose." Upon seeing who it was, I resheathed my dagger and tried my best to regain my lost composure. "Good morning Audrey, do you mind telling me what you're doing up so early?"

Audrey kept the same beaming smile as she placed the lamp on the ground and pulled out a map. "You, my easily startled friend, have caught me in the middle of mapping out the surrounding area and checking for any major differences." She placed a finger on an area marked with a paw print. "For example, this where you can find most of the animals that call this place their home."

< "Well, this certainly throws away the corpse looting idea I had going. But don't get too distracted. Exploring this place might be our chance to learn a few things about surviving in this world. Because dying sucks, and it would be a real shame if we get taken out by something as simple as starvation." >

Audrey spent the next couple of minutes studying her map and showing me the various places she had managed to explore, barricade, and otherwise steal from. She pointed out a handful of rooms that were still unmarked or uncharted and out of everything I saw, the one that piqued my interest the most wasn't a library like I expected. "Can you tell me anything about this section you marked with a crown?"

***

It had been a day since the attack on the market. Some people were still sifting through the ashes of their homes and businesses. The main suspects somehow managed to flee town after being chased through the streets, and the guards were on high alert.

The day had just begun as a ray of sunlight hit the eye of a woman dressed in tattered robes and armor, her arms still clinging to a leatherbound journal where she recorded her most sacred and sinful thoughts. She remained still in place clinging to the leather-bound book with a grip akin to that of a tightened vice, blissfully unaware of the ritual going on across from her.

The scent of burning incents and herbs ebbed throughout the almost barren chamber as another figure in robes sat cross-legged staring down into a crimson tome. The floor around them was decorated in a scattering of hastily drawn archaic shapes. After a few seconds of stillness, they began moving at a hurried pace digging through and removing things from a satchel secured to their side. A small bag of ash was then produced and emptied onto a pile of small bones as they lay resting in the center of the crude runic circle.

Soon the chants that began as soft prayer-like whispers soon increased in volume, pulling an unexpected reaction from the stationary book. Its pages flipped and turned until eventually landing on a page covered with longs lines of almost unintelligible text. Each symbol on the floor began to light as the ash covering the bones sparked back to life, covering the bones in a pale violet flame.

Every other light source in the room had noticeably dimmed, leaving the figure stuck in place. Their veiled eyes fixated on the soft light of their ghostly torch. "I can't believe you're still practicing those pagan rituals, Olivia." The second robed figure pulled down their hood, revealing the face of a young woman with pale skin contrasted by a pair of dark brown eyes and locks of obsidian colored hair.

Olivia barely managed to hold back the startled yelp she let out as she turned to face her sister. "Rituals they may be, but pagan they are not." Olivia defended. "My practices are merely a blend of research and application." she quickly added."Just don't go too far and end up getting yourself hurt. Believe it or not, I still need you," Junia said while strapping a mace to her belt. Hearing those words caused a small smile to appear on Olivia's nearly expressionless face; "Believe me, you'll be the first to know when and if something goes bad." Olivia then scooped the small flame into her and looked at it one last time before extinguishing it with a breath. "Let's get going, we've been in the same place for too long."

The twins then gathered the little belongings they had with haste, slowly making their way out of the vacant home that served as a temporary shelter. As they made it out into the street, Junia could feel the warmth of the sun shining on her face. "I feel like today's going to be a good one."