Naveen

I brought the wine skin away from my mouth and recapped it. I tossed the now half-full container away from me. With a sigh I covered my eyes with one arm and said quietly, "Any other day....any other day Rina and I would enjoy doing our back and forth banter...just not today...please not today..."

I hadn't realized how close we were to that day when I had decided to bring them here for safety. And now...now that day had come. The day of my supposed death. The day my twin brother had died. Savien and Talon. Our names before we underwent the test together and found out the true price of our peoples strength.

Rina:

I studied him in silence for a moment then took a seat in a chair opposite of him. “Maybe I actually want to know.” I said gently. This was the first time I’d seen him not fully put together.

I gave a sharp laugh at that before growing quiet for a long time. "Today is the day I lost my closest friend...the one person who I could rely on no matter what was happening in the world." I sat up slowly and got to my feet. I didn't make any sign for her to follow, but I figured she would follow me anyway as I went to the doors to my private garden and pushed it open.

Rina:

I watched him go from my spot and hesitated before following him. I came up behind him and put my hand lightly on his bare shoulder. “I know how you feel. I lost someone like that. I know what you’re going through.” I told him softly.

"For power one must always pay a price...the stronger the power, the stronger the price..."  I said out loud before pushing open the doors and heading into the garden.  "Humans drove my race out of our lands, and into these very mountains.  They were as bad then as they are now.  We were slaughtered as we were forced to stay here by the humans.  And we were being forced to leave by the creatures that inhabit the mists.  My people were desperate.  It was then that She came..."  I paused and looked up at a statue.  It was of two elven boys, both devoid of the markings I wore.  Twins, with one wielding two knives, the other a great sword.  In different tongues around the base were the words, "The Twin Lordlings.  Talon and Savien."  I reached out a hand to touch the leg of the one wielding the great sword.  He had a stoic face, a face of a king.  The one I didn't touch had a face full of life, adventure, a laugh barely held back with a mischivious look on his face.  I left the statue then and went deeper into the garden.  "She offered us a way out, but told us the price would be something we could not stand to lose.  Our desperation drove us to accept her aid and she showed us how to enchant the moon into our bodies.  At first our desperation was all we needed to succeed.  But years passed and it became not enough.  Those who went under the transformation often didn't come back.  Too grieviously wounded to return.  It was then that we learned of the price.  For power we had to lose something.  Limbs, mind, organs.  A price was to be paid.  And so we sent them in pairs.  That way we could be sure that they returned to us, we could save them once they returned.  We had magic to do so.  But still only one returned, they told us about how the other had been consumed in varying degree's to fuel the price.  But the gift was never strong in those.  One pair went, father and son.  The son returned with a nearly perfect strain of the gift.  And we learned that family ties made it better.  Stronger.  The closer the bond and age between the two...the greater the success...."  I stopped in front of what could only be a grave.  I stared at it my hands clenching and unclenching.  "Twins are rare for our people.  One set of twins in thousands of births..."  I dropped to my knees as my eyes read the name on the grave.  Savien.  My voice lowered to a whisper.  "Do you know how wrong it feels...to look at a grave with your name on it..."

Rina:

I felt a chill run through my body as he told me the story. “Savien…” I read the name on the grave. I crouched down next to him and studied his face sadly. “Your brother… Your twin... died so you would have these powers?” I asked gently. “But… Savien… that was… you?”

I gave a wordless nod. "My name...my real name is Savien. I was never going to be king. My brother was a person of the people. He was responsible and everyone loved him...I was a trouble maker, I shirked my duties to have fun. I lived to laugh and enjoy life...I should have been the one to die." I drew a slow breath and punched the earth below, cracking a stone. "I didn't though...and I swore as I held him while he faded away that I would make sure his legacy was continued. That he would be known for great deeds for our people. My name has faded away, no one but myself celebrates or mourns this day but me. But my people have etched my brothers name into history."

Rina:

I didn’t know what I could say to him that would be of any comfort. Some things just stayed in your heart forever, no matter what happened. I put my hand on his shoulder again and squeezed gently. “You’ve honored him well. Your people seem to love you.” I said softly.

I gave a small shrug while reaching up to lay a hand on hers on my shoulder. "I have tried hard to live well by my people...but it is today that I drop all my duties and work on doing anything but being Talon. It is my one day of the year to be...Savien."

Rina:

In a way he was a lot like me. We were both born to do something we didn’t want to. We were both pretending to be somebody we weren’t. We both lost someone major in our lives. The difference was, he stepped up to his responsibilities, and I’ve been running from them my whole life. “I can’t imagine what that is like” I said distantly, lost in thought. “Should I go? You seem like you want to be alone.” I asked.

"No...I'm not sure I want to be alone right now. If I did, I would go to the arena and remove the beast that took up residence. And I shouldn't do that while drunk." I said softly, though I could feel the alcohol lessening already.

Rina:

“Not as amazing when you’re drunk, huh?” I said with a little amusement, though I honestly I wouldn’t have been able to tell that he was under the influence if I hadn’t actually seen him drinking.

"Not as amazing when you can't really get drunk for long. Sometimes it sucks to have this body." I gave a sigh and got to my feet before offering her my arm. "I'm going to go raid the kitchens. I need a battle buddy to watch my back."

Rina:

My lips quirked up into an amused smile as I let him help me up. I was starting to like him as Savien, rather more than I thought I should. "Alright, but you ought to put a shirt on before hand, you'll draw attention like that." I said with a pointed look at his shirtless chest.

"Hell, a solid suit of armor would be ideal if I'm to go against the cook master." I muttered but I complied and as I led her inside I moved off through some double doors to grab a black shirt. I pulled it on, and then some soft leather shoes. That done I came back out and crossed my arms to watch her.

Rina:

I crossed my arms loosely over the bronze fabric of my dress as I waited for him to get dressed. I looked around absently musing at how strange it was that I was alone with him in his room, and that we were getting along. I gave a little start when I saw him watching me.

I smiled a bit at her reaction but didn't comment on it as I walked over and opened the door behind her. "Come on."

Rina:

I followed after him. “Shouldn’t you be able to just ask for food? Wouldn’t they give it to you freely? Do you have to sneak it?” I asked, though I had fond memories of sneaking into the castle kitchen and taking food when I was little.

"I could, but not only would that not be fun...but the kitchen master is a mean lady and she scares me." I said with perfect cheerfulness. I had meant what I said, today was a day of mourning for me, and it was also a day in which I could just be myself.

Rina:

“So how are you going to sneak in?” I asked curiously, quickening my pace to walk next o him rather than behind.

"I know of a few ways, some are rather...dangerous. I wouldn't put you through them and since...Savien and I did them the kitchen master makes sure to rotate what fireplaces she uses." I switched names as we passed by a servant who gave me a deep bow and Rina a curious glance. I nodded politely and once we were out of range of her sight my face relaxed and I fell back into being my normal actual self.

Rina:

“I feel like I’m not the best lookout person for you. I’m not very inconspicuous being human and all.” I said after seeing the look from the servant we past, not that it was disapproving, just clear that I was different from them.

"No, I'm not bringing you for a lookout. You are going to be the one taking the food. I am going to be the one to be on lookout and on protection." I said as I flashed her a wink.

Rina:

“I… What? But I won’t know where anything is… What if I get caught?!” I asked, a little nervous now.

"You'll be fine, and the pantry is to the left, the ice box to the right. Grab whatever you feel like, I will be keeping the staff busy..and if you see the kitchen master, run. You don't want the pain that will follow." I said with a nod as I peeked around a corner.