Vitkus Twins

Chapter Nine

Aldona and Azuloas looked at each other as they reached the border of Labia, Okoetia and Geocguk; it had taken them a few days to get here by foot; taking shortcuts where they could and there were tunnels that cut down their travel times. Now they were going to take a tunnel that would take them to the other side of Labia, which would take them closer to Horoguria. It would still take them a week to get there.

There were connecting caves that would cut down their travel time; so Aldona and Azuloas slipped into one of the caves without a word. It was something that had been created during one war; or another. Some of them were old enough to be traced back before the Clan Wars. Both were glad that no one thought to cave any of them after they were created, or even caved them in to trap their enemies inside.

“Are you ready?” Aldona asked her brother, when he nodded her head. They pulled their cloak’s hood over their heads; it wouldn’t do if someone saw them or their dragons. They even went by other names so no one in Sashan knew what they were doing by themselves.

Aldona went by Zyta Pūķis-Dziedātājs and Azuloas went by Eryx Pūķis-Dziedātājs. Neither Melanthe or Hyacintha would want to be left behind, and the twins weren’t willing to leave their partners behind.

So, they had spoken to Cassiopeia about and she had agreed with their logic.

They knew that Zyta and Eryx went already in the Target Book; a book of targets either missing or from other villages. Launcelot had been the youngest to be placed into the book at fourteen, while Zyta and Eryx would be placed into the book at fifteen.

Zyta was known as the Asiņaina Eņģelis and Eryx was the Asiņaina Ragana. Launcelot was known as Ombre de Corbeau, while Page was known as Épine d’hiver. They knew leaders from other villages weren’t happy with some of their man being taken down by children, but they were fine with letting Asiņaina Pirmslaulību take down their traditors.

“Eryx, we need to find their base,” Aldona told him, when they were on missions it was safer not to use their real names, just so someone overhear them and tried to track them down.

“Launcelot told us where is was,” Azuloas reminded her, when Aldona looked at him with reddening checks with a pout on her face. He guessed the stress had gotten to her, since she had read the same letter that he had; but she tended to forget small details when she was under a lot of stress.

“Well then Eryx,” Aldona told him when she unsealed her map, before nodding to herself and walking down the tunnel. Glowing flowers at their feet; seals on their steams and this made the two think that it was created by the Vitkus or the Kazlauskas Clan. “We should get going, if we’re late, they might be killed before we get there.”

“You’re just embarrassed that you forgot,” Azuloas told her.

“It’s not a good trait to have,” Aldona told him.

Azuloas sighed before putting his arm around her shoulders. He knew that she would be fine once she calmed down, it just when someone’s life was in her hand. More so when it could end up with their deaths if one thing went wrong.

“It just doesn’t help with missions,” Aldona told him, before pinching her nose and looking up to see if anyone was in the tunnel with them. “I’ll be fine once we get there.”

-One week, Labia-

When Aldona and Azuloas walked out of the tunnel, Azuloas spotted a wagon with Valdemarr sitting at the front. Valdemarr’s Liquors was popular in Sashan’s Travelling Market, but since neither Aldona nor Azuloas went there, he wouldn’t know them.

“Stupid dead last, going off by herself,” a girl muttered as they paused to allow the horses time to eat something and drink some water from a nearby drinking pool. Valdemarr was ignoring her, but Aldona and Azuloas knew she wasn’t being professional, and her teacher wasn’t telling her off for it.

They must be from Nestanha Village.

“If you’re going to call such things, of course she’s not going to stay around,” Aldona told her as she stepped onto the path. “And it’s not very professional to act like a spoiled child in front of your client.”

“And you are,” the teacher asked them, looking at him she could see that he was Emilek D’éclairs. It was rumoured that he was Justus long-lost twin brother, since both were known for being late to non-life-threatening things.

“I’m Zyta Pūķis-Dziedātājs and this is my twin, Eryx Pūķis-Dziedātājs,” Aldona told them. “We’re from Sashan.”

“We’re allies,” Azuloas told them, before looking at the male student. He looked like Launce, the same dark hair and eyes. “You must be Etienne Atspoguļo, Julia Atspoguļo’s nephew.”

Etienne just blinked at them.

“I’m Emilek D’éclairs,” Emilek told them as Valdemarr just continued brushing one of horses coats and making sure the leather of their harnesses wasn’t bothering them and didn’t need adjustment, Aldona kept in the side of her vision.

“Ismay Martin,” Ismay told them.

“Do keep your student in line,” Aldona told Emilek.

“She might make you lose more clients then what she’s worth,” Azuloas chimed in. “Valdemarr is a consent in Sashan, we’d hate to see him come to harm because he was left with a child.”

“Aren’t the Pūķis-Dziedātājs Clan the one with dragons?” Ismay rudely asked them, now Aldona was glad that Jakoba wasn’t like this little brat anymore. Thank goodness, they thought to get her away from her toxic parents.

“We are,” Azuloas coldly told her, but before she could say anything; he put his hand up and made sure that Hyacintha was still covered by his cloak, she had unique scales and even a moron would be able to connect the dots. “But neither of them would want to be around you, so no, we won’t show our partners like a free circus performance.”

“Escort mission?” Aldona asked before Azuloas could say anything to Ismay, even if she did a stern lecture on respecting non-human partners.

“Escort mission,” Emilek told them looking at Ismay with a warning gaze, Aldona had to guess that he was going to talk to her later. “I do apologize for Ismay, it would seem we need to talk about behaviour in front of allies and clients.”

“Viktorija is just as bad, stupid dead last,” Ismay hissed.

“Client’s can’t blame anyone for having limits,” Aldona told her.

“Academy results don’t mean anything on the field,” Azuloas added. “We’ll keep an eye our for Viktorija, since she might be dealing with some bandits. This spot is popular for them.”

“We have a simple drop off mission, five minutes at most,” Aldona added.

“Viktorija Adelyte Kazlauskas isn’t worth the air she breathes,” Ismay muttered to herself, Aldona glaring at her. They couldn’t say anything to Ismay, since that would mean they’d have to explain the reason they did so.

“Unprofessional,” Azuloas told her. “If you were in Sashan, you’d be permanently benched for such behaviour.”

“Ismay,” Emilek warned her, Ismay looking at him with a raised eyebrow.

“We’ll keep an eye out for her,” Aldona promised before walking away from them, Melanthe poking her head out as she did so. Her partner wasn’t impressed, Jakoba used to be like that and that made her heart ache that her closet friend could’ve thought she was a waste of space.

“I’d say it was nice meeting you, but that wouldn’t be true,” Azuloas told Emilek and Ismay, who just huffed.

Aldona just wanted to hug her cousin and not let her go; Azuloas followed her both silent as they continued down the path. Melanthe would warn her if anything was sneaking up behind them, well, anyone besides from Azuloas.

“So, we’ve might finally meet her,” Azuloas said once Team Emilek were out of their sight. “The Merchants we’ve spoken said she was polite to them.”

“Ismay is awful,” Aldona pointed out.

“Like any cousin of ours would just put up with it,” Azuloas told her, Aldona had almost torn into Jakoba when she treated Launce like he was property. Hyacintha poked her head out of Azuloas’ hood surprising both as she did so.

Aldona just looked at her brother as his partner shot through the trees without a single word, before blinking and telling him, “follow her.”

Azuloas nodded before running behind Hyacintha, he wouldn’t stop her. Azuloas wanted to know what made her fly as quickly as she and the only way to find out; was too follow her.

‘I smell three people,’ Melanthe told her poking her own head out of her hood. ‘Two females and a male; one smells young.’