Chapter 2 - Prologue - The Cause of Everything (2)

Adalie stood there by the door in silence, she was staring blankly at the boys before snapping out of her daze.

"Boys, I need you to listen to me very closely," She whispers, crouching down and motioning for them to come closer, "We are going to leave this place, but we have to do so very stealthily."

"But why? Did something bad happen?...again," Valor asked in a hushed voice, looking at the ground and messing with his hands.

"Yes, something very bad! Your uncle is coming here to dispose of you, and I can not let that happen!" Adalie didn't dare to try and sugarcoat it, she needed them to know the severity of the situation.

"If that is true then we'll believe you, but how are we supposed to get around without being noticed, let alone past the guards?" Andros asked a facade of courage on his face.

"No need to worry, I have a plan and a good friend who is one of the knights protecting your tower. He's told me when the swift change for the guards is, so I'll make sure we get through unseen!" Adalie replied with determination.

They did indeed make it past the guards of the prince's castle tower without being seen, but they didn't think of one factor: their uncle had planned to visit that day to take them to the castle in the capital and place them in the dungeon.

"You two, come with me, I want the rest of you to wait down here. If those kids are anything like their father, they might slip away from our grasp to be ready to catch them if that's the case," Othello ordered and lectured, and they had indeed slipped away from their grasp.

As Othello was walking up the stairs he noticed that he didn't hear any noise like he did when he first visited the boys, though he just brushed it off as the boys having changed their attitudes from the time they were without food.

Though after Othello opened the door to their quarters his face was full of shock and anger, he didn't see the two twins anywhere. Even as he went through the bathroom and eating room, they were still nowhere to be seen.

"ARGH! Search the entire castle!" Othello shouted as he ran down the castle steps toward his horse and mounted it, "I want six of you to come with me, that dumb maid Adaline or whatever her name was must've taken them and ran…We mustn't underestimate those abilities of hers!"

"Understood!' the knights said as they mounted their horses and rode off after their King.

"Those damn brats and that cured maid, I'll make sure they pay for tricking me…!" Othello murmured under his breath so that no one could hear.

Meanwhile, the maid and protagonists of this story had already escaped through the Celeste Forest. Celeste was a forest belonging to no country, and inside was a lone plane with a canyon in the middle home to a creek and underground cave.

Priests and priestesses who served Gods that didn't generally have temples or were considered "unorthodox" lived there, alongside mythical creatures that were counted as extinct. That fact was widely known throughout the world, and only those seeking great adventure or death went there.

However, those who had certain clearance or willingly left the forest could pass through safely, and the Maid Adalie just so happened to be an old resident of Celeste forest.

"Quick, through here!" Adalie motioned, waving to the twins to follow her through the arch of two connecting trees, they were the entrance to another deeper part of the forest and acted as the only exit from a circular part of dense trees.

The two brothers quickly ran past her and through the thicket of the forest with Adalie running in between them, taking the lead, but making sure not to be too far ahead, just close enough for them to grab onto her if needed.

"Adalie, how much farther? I'm getting tired, I don't think I can keep running much farther!" Andros cried. He was much more skinnier than his brother and hardly exercised.

"It's alright, we'll be there soon enough if we just keep at this pace!" Adalie tried to reassure the two of them. She knew she couldn't offer to hold either of them or the other would also complain and slow them down more.

"Miss Adalie, where are you taking us exactly?" Valor asked from behind. He was carrying his wooden sword, like how Andros brought his favorite book with him.

"A safe place that will take care of you and protect you boys from any harm, i promise that whatever happens there, no harm will come to you boys!" She assured the twin boys behind her.

The trio ran through a less dense part of the forest, it wasn't exactly open, but there was enough space to ride a horse and carriage through. There were lots of animal tracks and such there but the trio didn't pay that any mind, they were too busy running for their lives.

But soon voices were heard, along with the sound of horse hooves and clacking armor. The shout of an order was heard behind and the trio turned they're heads to see who had caught up to them.

As they turned their heads fear struck each of them, seeing that it was the twins' uncle and six other knights, Adalie quickly looked for a small exit somewhere else or a hiding place for the boys. She found just that a few feet in front of them, and knew that she wouldn't fit in there, but took them there anyways.

She scooped the twins in each arm and sprinted as fast as she could, and she was indeed pretty fast. She was able to get far enough away from the group of horsemen that was chasing them. And even if they were on horses, she still had enough time to settle the two in there and make sure the knights couldn't grab them out of the hiding spot.

"The two stay here no matter what! I want you to leave after 30 minutes, then try your best to follow this map, it will lead you to a village in the center of the forest, you'll be sure of its location once you see a large open field and a giant creek in the center," Adalie lectured before turning around and gasping.

The boys didn't bother to respond as they saw the same thing Adalie did behind her, the knights and their uncle were only a few feet away from them. Adalie ushered them deeper into the space and shushed them, then turned their heads away.

A few moments later, the two boys only heard the screams of their caretaker as she was taken away by the knights. They knew a hand was put through the crack that was small enough just for the two of them to get in, and thankfully it was deep enough to where the hand couldn't even get close enough to grab them.

Both brothers waited there with their heads turned and eyes closed, holding each other's hand. They soon went to check if the knights were still there, but their tracks left them long gone.

Crawling out of their hidy "hole," the two looked around at their surroundings for any sign of the knights, but they were long gone, having given up on the two boys for the day, determined to come and find them later.

"Andros, you have the map right?" Valor asked, wanting to leave the area as soon as possible, scared that his uncle might come back to find them as soon as they finished dragging Adalie back.

"Yes, it's right here…Do you think Miss Adalie will be alright?" Andros asked, wanting reassurance from the one currently closest to him.

"I-I don't know, but we can only hope for the best…we should get going, i think we just need to follow this path here and then we'll arrive at the field," Valor assured, pointing at a part of the map, then grabbed his brothers hand and led him deeper into the forest.

***

"Valor! Let's get going, we'll be late if you don't hurry up!" A voice rang out, lecturing his brother.

"Ugh, stop being so annoying Andros, I'm trying to be as fast as I can!" Valor yelled out in response from the entryway of the house. He was tying up his boot's laces, and putting his sword on his side before going outside to meet his older twin.

Nine years had passed since they had to flee their tower and hide away from their tyrant uncle, the two boys had grown up rather well under the teachings of the clergymen and holy knights in the village, as well as being taught household skills and other such skills by the priestesses.

Andros was still smaller than his brother, but also still smarter. He had short wavy auburn hair and gray eyes accompanied by a pair of thin-rimmed glasses, that stuck out against his fair skin and slight muscle.

Valor, however, had long, dark copper-colored hair and the same pair of gray eyes. He was much more tanner and muscular than his elder twin, more so due to his swordsman-ship training. He was around 6'4, just an inch taller than his brother.

"Hmph, you couldn't have been any faster? And didn't Father Davian tell you not to wear those "Gaudy" boots to the ceremony?" Andros lectured, reminding his muscle-brained brother what their new caretaker had told them.

"I knowww, but they're just so cool, and I want to look the coolest at the ceremony, besides my dashing brother!" he empathized on the dashing part, trying to get his brother to stop lecturing him.

"Fine, but don't get mad at me if he lectures you later. In fact, I might just laugh right in your face, you muscle brain!" Andros said, continuing to walk towards the largest church in the village.

"Ouch," Valor joked, stopping in his tracks and putting a hand over his heart before laughing and running after his twin, "Hey! Wait for me!"

Today was the day of the ceremony where they would gain the ability to choose a job in the village, or become an adventurer and leave to go wherever they wanted. It was the most important ceremony after the coming-of-age ceremony that happens once you reach the age of 18.

The ceremony was a big thing for the boys, to them it was the day they would finally get their real freedom, and the ability to exact any kind of revenge against their uncle.

"Remember Valor, after today we can do whatever we want, so no need to hold back your true feelings, whatever the god and priest ask we answer honestly and truthfully, we don't have to hide our intentions anymore," Andros reminded, flames of determination burning in his eyes.

"Of course brother, I won't hide anything, and no matter what…I won't hesitate anymore, I'll tell them our desires, even if they're seen as wicked!" He then placed his hand over his heart and turned towards his brother, as if he was making an oath, "I promise that I'll protect you on our journey!"

The two brothers then opened the doors to the church at the same time, they were greeted by the people who took care of them for the most of their youth and other residents of the village who cared for them.

At the end of the carpet, standing next to an altar was Father Davian, the person who took them in and raised them during their teen years. He was the whole reason the twins survived the forest and made it to the village.

Father Davian had ash-colored hair and blue-hazel eyes adorned by glasses similar to Andros', but it had a chain attached to it with tassels hanging off the ends that had crosses in it. He was wearing the traditional priest's uniform and was carrying a book. He was only 18 years older than the twins and an inch taller than Valor.

As the two brothers walked down the carpet towards him, he showed a bright angelic smile full of care and proudness. Once Andros and Valor reached the altar, they kneeled and put their heads down.

"I greet the father," The two recited. Then the ceremony officially started.