Vitkus Twins

Chapter Nineteen

When two hours had passed, Jakoba had been it and Montgomery had dodged at her at the last minute. She was now lying on the ground, her shoulder was dislocated, but she was still grinning like a moron.

Jakoba knew she was slowest, but she had been getting faster and faster. Her slip ups were getting less and less, she was getting people instead of getting them because they had to save her ass from crushing into a tree trunk.

“I’ll check on Jakoba, she’ll be able to start her swordplay lesson,” Aldona told Montgomery, who just looked at her and nodded. “Or you can go over her hand to hand, leave the swords until we get a trainer sword for Jakoba; she knows my fighting style a little too well, meaning I’ll need to add more to it. The same with Azuloas.”

“It hurts when someone calls you predictable,” Azuloas told him.

“You two are the ones I fight the most; along with train with the most,” Jakoba informed them, huffing as Aldona healed her collarbone. “I’m not an i***t, even I can start picking patterns.”

“Didn’t blame you,” Azuloas told her, putting his hands in front of his face in a gesture to keep the limited peace.

“We should get going then,” Aldona told her brother helping Jakoba up, who nodded and followed Montgomery into the middle of the training field, Launce looking at the wooden polls before going over to them. “Justus will most likely be in the marketplace.”

“I hope this doesn’t take too long,” Azuloas admitted.

“Me too, Azu, me too,” Aldona told him.

The marketplace had a lot of people; shouting from storeowners and screaming children. It made Aldona and Azuloas glad that they usually went to the traveller’s market; less people and less noise when they thought about it.

This would be the perfect place to meet someone, where passing along information would be easier and she wondered how stupid Nestanha was for making such a perfect spot to be spied on, or was it their council trying to make more money?

Did the merchants care more about profit then their safety? About their customers safety?

They better collect him before he puts anyone’s position in danger. They spotted Justus sitting in a small teashop; a cup of green tea and a cake in front of him. Aldona nudged her brother before walking over and joining him.

“Justus,” Aldona and Azuloas greeted as they sat down.

“Šuniukų,” Justus greeted back.

“Lost? Someone hit you for flirting with them/or their partner?” Aldona asked him as she smiled at the waitress. She might as well make it look like they had planned a training session and were annoyed he didn’t show up. “You were late to training, we played Extreme Tree Tag and there were a few broken bones.”

“Got lost,” Justus agreed.

“Well, we were waiting Training Field Fifteen,” Azuloas told him, before narrowing his eyes at Emilio and Ahndray. “That was the one you told us to go to, wasn’t it?”

“It was,” Justus agreed keeping an eye on those who left the building and entered it. Before ordering Aldona and Azuloas something to drink and eat; they had been the one who tracked him down, even if Aldona and Azuloas sucked at tracking.

He had gotten the information he was after.

“We should go then,” Aldona told him blinking as a cup was placed in front of her, Azuloas grinning as food was placed in front of him.

“After we finish lunch,” Justus told them.

“We have training to get back to,” Aldona told him.

“Such a waste,” Justus sighed and Aldona knew that Justus was pulling her arm, but she didn’t like wasting anything.

“You were being followed, weren’t you?” Azuloas asked as Aldona started to eat her own cake, he wasn’t sure he was a big fan of white teas.

“All teams are followed,” Justus told them.

“It’s because we arrived with Viktorija,” Azuloas pointed out, before leaning onto his elbows and keeping an eye on those around them. “She’s one of us, one of the seven. She’s also our cousin, so they’ll be following us anyway.”

“And yes, we know Justus,” Aldona chimed in. “Anyway, you said she could train with us, with this small stop. She’ll be finished her patrol session and should be with Jakoba, Launce and Montgomery.”

-Nestanha Training Fields, Training Ground Fifteen-

Justus looked at the training field, it looked like the other ones he went to that morning. No source of water, not even a small pond. Launce and Montgomery were going over their swords play while Viktorija and Jakoba were in the middle of what seemed like a free for all.

He only thought free for all, since the were using anything they knew to trick the other into dropping their guard. Justus didn’t know how long they had been going at it, or how many rounds they had already finished.

Aldona grinned as she went to attack Viktorija from behind, Jakoba looking at her with a raised eyebrow, but continued her own attack. Viktorija caught both of their legs, before throwing, throwing, Jakoba into Azuloas and Aldona into Justus.

Maybe Aldona should have thought a little longer on trying to attack a sensor from behind, Jakoba snorted with amusement.

“Stronger than you look,” Azuloas remarked as he put Jakoba back onto the ground, Justus putting Aldona back onto her feet.

“Not hard to,” Viktorija remarked.

“Finally, Extreme Tree Tag,” Jakoba shouted as she made her to the ground, Montgomery finishing his fight with Launce, his training sword resting against the side of Launce’s neck. “Justus can join, it’ll make it harder.”

“Not everyone we fight is going to be on the same skill level,” Aldona agreed. “Most are going to have years of training over us.”

“Tag while using tree walking and jumping from branch to branch?” Viktorija asked.

“Jakoba did try to attack me while we were tree walking,” Aldona told her.

“And then she tried the same with Montgomery and myself,” Viktorija told her, amusement while Jakoba just looked her straight in the eye. “Which is the reason I’m training with her like this, something about her ideas for training sound like they need a medic on hand.”

“We’re not going to try new styles of training in an ally’s village,” Aldona told her, Nestanha might be an ally; but she didn’t trust them all that much.

“Good idea, I’m not keen going to any of Nestanha’s hospitals,” Viktorija told her.

“While Jakoba and I are in the village, we’ll be your personal medics then.”

“I’m still training,” Jakoba told her, while Viktorija just watched as they stood in a circle. They would have to decide who was it, since Viktorija and Justus weren’t there for their last round. “Who’s going to be it?”

“I’ll do it,” Viktorija told them as they stared at each other, Justus snorted before shacking his head.

“I’m the teacher, I should teach,” Justus told her.

“Better then Emilek then,” Viktorija told him.

“Go, brats,” Justus told her, putting his hand on her head and messing up her hair. Something he used to do to Aldona when she was younger.

“The person who’s still it when finish; loses,” Azuloas told them.

Jakoba and Viktorija looked at each other, before going into the trees together. Aldona and Azuloas just grinned before doing the same, leaving Montgomery and Launce to nod at Justus before leaving him standing in the middle of the field by himself.

“You’ve done this before?” Jakoba asked Viktorija, as she watched Justus go after Aldona and Azuloas, the twins confusing him.

“In the Nightmare Forest,” Viktorija admitted as she flipped onto the branch above them, quickly grabbing Jakoba and pulling her up. Aldona going past them, Justus not far behind her. “We can’t go in there now, obviously, but if you’re in the village and looking to become strong and faster, it’s a good spot to play this game.”

“I think I’ll get stronger first,” Jakoba admitted, Viktorija grinned as she showed her a card like Aldona’s, but this one Jakoba hadn’t seen before.

Aldona and Azuloas were avoiding Montgomery when Jakoba and Viktorija disappeared; the twins nodded before a seal appeared on Aldona’s arm and they disappeared, leaving Montgomery to go after Justus or Launce.

“Partnership?” Jakoba whispered to Viktorija, who was hanging upset down and nodded her head before putting her hands out, Jakoba grabbed them and pulled her up, so they were facing each other.

“There weren’t any rules,” Viktorija agreed.

“Don’t kill each other,” Jakoba told her.

“Never play with Ismay then, that’ll be a hard rule to follow,” Viktorija noted.

“Would she even be able to make it up this high?”

“Not for long, or with as much grace as we have.”

“Plans? We’re not twins like Aldona and Azuloas are.” Jakoba knew those two could make plans without saying a word, but this would the first alliance that she had created without Aldona and Azuloas helping her.

“And you’ve made a partnership with the only sensor,” Viktorija reminded her.

Jakoba looked at her, Viktorija had a good point. They all had some sort of advantage; Viktorija with her sensory abilities; Aldona and Azuloas with their bloodline. Even Montgomery and Launce had a bloodline that helped track their enemies’ movements.

Justus had his experience over them, same with Montgomery. This game had just more fun, Jakoba grinned at Viktorija and nodded her head.

“Let’s go then,” Jakoba told her.

Aldona and Azuloas smiled as Viktorija and Jakoba slowly made their way, but Aldona was it and she tagged her brother. Who tagged Jakoba, who in turned got Viktorija; who just smiled as she jumped and flipped until she landed on Montgomery’s shoulders.

“Can we keep her?” Jakoba asked.

“We’re looking into that,” Aldona and Azuloas told her.

When the game finished, it was Justus who had been it. That position changing hands more time than any of them care to keep count; both Montgomery and Viktorija had been it the least and Launce and Justus had been it the most.

Jakoba had been pleased when she fall in the middle along with Aldona and Azuloas; the twins knew it was because she had stuck to Viktorija like glue.

“That was fun,” Viktorija commented blinking when Aldona handed her a box of food. Aldona didn’t know if she’d like potato pancakes, but it wouldn’t hurt to try. “More fun than jumping Ismay and Etienne at random.”

“You do that?” Jakoba asked as she accepted her own lunch from Aldona, who moved towards where Launce and Montgomery were talking. “Potato pancakes, my favourite.”

“Oh, that’s what they are,” Viktorija commented.

“Never had them before?” Jakoba asked.

“No.”

“That’s fine, they’re a Vitkus recipe,” Aldona told them as she walked back, her brother joining in on Montgomery and Launce’s conversation. “Found them among Mama’s things.”

“You should train with us from now on,” Jakoba told her.

“Then I’ll need to make more food,” Aldona told them.

“How about I bring make every second day?” Viktorija asked them. “I know a few recipes that are popular around the village.”

“You don’t have to,” Aldona told her.

“I want to; I just need to go shopping.”

“Make a list then,” Jakoba told her; she didn’t see why she wouldn’t do the shopping if either Viktorija or Aldona was cooking. “Aldona cooks, Azuloas and Montgomery clean up and I shop; we all have our own little duties.”

“Okay then,” Viktorija told her, before quickly writing a list and passing it along to Jakoba, who just nodded before folding it into one of her pockets. “If we’re going to cook for each other, then you might as well stay in one of apartments at my place.”

“You to?” Jakoba asked her.

“Me too?” Viktorija asked.

“Azuloas and I own an apartment complex that Mama had brought when she was young, it was for any future Vitkus Clan members,” Aldona told her. “Papa moved in, but the war had killed many people from our clan.”

“And I live with them,” Jakoba told her. “And Montgomery.”

“I live in an empty apartment complex, but I don’t know if Mama or Papa brought it,” Viktorija informed them.

“But who shares with who?” Jakoba asked.

“The boys can share,” Aldona told them. “Justus can be on his own, Viktorija, can Jakoba and I stay with you?”

“Sure,” Viktorija told them.

“The boys will hang around for food,” Aldona told her, grinning as Jakoba pulled Viktorija onto her lap and hugged her. They had finished eating, Aldona sealing away their containers. “But that means you’ll have to try my dinners and breakfasts.”

“And you’ll need to try mine,” Viktorija told her.

“We can swap then.”

“We could also trade recipe books, that why we can cook anything we like.”

Aldona grinned at her as she nodded her head. Both started talking about cooking and baking, the things that they found useful for missions. Jakoba listened, even as Justus started talking to Montgomery, Launce and Azuloas.

Hyacintha and Melanthe were slowly making their way into Azuloas and Aldona’s mind spaces, both have been able to stay there for a few minutes. But it took a lot out of them, so they napped during the day and trained at night.