Xiphos

Chapter Two: Twin Thieves

I write now not to share a story. No, that's long over with. I write now to convey a message. Nothing is as we know it to be ... There are things I have discovered in my travels no one else has seen and it is not for the faint of heart to read. Proceed with caution.

- beginnings of an unfinished journal discovered on a dead  man's body near the northern mountains, circa 275 r.e.

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It was a normal day. Well, for Calix and Imber, at least. "Normal," in this instance, referring to their usual daily activities, including, but certainly not limited to, wreaking havoc in the streets, running along rooftops, thievery, and all around mischief.

This was the 'running along rooftops' part of the day.

The two were racing along the top of small businesses and homes. The small pouches hooked to their waist jingled and slapped against their thighs as they ran, the bags containing coins and other trinkets from their adventures pickpocketing in the city center.

"Shouldn't we take a break?" Calix yelled to his sister.

She shot him an annoyed glance. "No, and you already know the answer to that. We only take a break on Uana-day."

Calix sighed. All this running was starting to wear him down, and he felt a cramp coming on in his left leg. "Are we almost there?"

"Calix, you've run this way with me a thousand times. You tell me." As she was saying that she turned back to look at the people following them. Only three were left, and they were a ways behind the two.

Imber grabbed Calix's wrist and pulled him to the right, sliding down the back side of the slanted roof. She landed on her feet while Calix stumbled behind trying to regain his footing. Still maintaining a firm grip on his wrist, Imber then dragged him into the back of the building.

She paused, waiting. The footsteps on the roof receded, as usual.

They looked at each other and grinned. Mission success. The two proceeded down the flight of stairs to their left, descending down a dimly lit spiral staircase. The metal creaked under them, whining in protest to the weight. Parts of the black paint on the staircase had chipped away, unveiling the silvery shine underneath along with some of the orange rust that clawed at the edges.

The two carefully stepped down over the missing step that had fallen in a few years ago and continued their way down.

At the bottom they were confronted with what appeared to be a dead end. Looks can be deceiving, however, and it was only after moving the large decorative pot in the corner that a crawlspace could be seen. Imber went first, getting on her hands and feet to make her way through the dusty opening. She handed him the bags before going through and once on the other side he slid them through the opening and soon followed suit.

The two brushed off the dust and webs and headed down the hallway. Once they passed through the door at the end, the room on the other side erupted into cheers and several small children came running to hug the two.

"Imber! Calix! You're back!" a small girl exclaimed, jumping up and down in front of the two. The young girl bore a striking resemblance to the twins, her eyes the same golden brown color, her hair as fiery and untamed as Imber's, her face full of freckles along her cheekbones and thin nose.

Imber lifted the girl up into her arms, dumping the stolen goods into Calix's hands. He glared at her and walked away toward the back of the large room while Imber paraded around with Ofira on her hip.

The room was filled with children and older people, all looking quite thin in comparison to those on the outside. Makeshift tents had been created along all sides of the room, a light hanging in the middle of the ceiling illuminating the area entirely. In the center of the room there were rugs and tables thrown about in no particular pattern. Everything looked rugged and worn down, with holes in the tents and rugs and rust creeping in. The entire room was also filled with dust.

When Calix and Imber had arrived the place looked much different, more like a colorful bazaar with all sorts of entertainment. Everyone shared everything they had, and the light in the center of the room even seemed brighter. Then again, they were children the first time they came to stay at what was now fondly referred to as "The Compound."

That was when their mother had left them. Now they took care of the children in The Compound as others had once done for them. And, said children had taken a liking to Imber.

There were six children living there, including Ofira. The children followed Imber to one of the room's corners, where blankets and pillows were piled high in a disorganized clump. Calix and Imber had found some decent materials a while back to create a play area for the children, and thus the children's corner was born.  

Imber set Ofira down on the pillows and plopped down next to her, patting for the others to come sit also.

"Tell us about today's adventure Imber!"

"Yeah come on!"

"You never tell us anymore."

All of the children pleaded with her to share her newest story. Hearing footsteps approaching, Imber glanced up to find Calix heading her way.

"Maybe Calix will tell you all about it," Imber suggested.

Calix quickly shook his head no and gestured for her to come with him. The look in his eyes suggested it was something serious. Imber tried not to look worried, especially not in front of the children, but she knew something was wrong. He'd never looked at her like that, not since their mother disappeared years ago. She quickly stood and rushed to him.

She told the children, "I'll be back in a little while. Stay put."

Calix tapped his fingers against his leg quickly in an effort to let out the nervous energy building up inside him. He was walking -- no, it couldn't be called walking, but jogging toward the other end of the room. Imber had to run to keep up with him.

Various circumstances ran through her mind, some of the worst possibilities. Did someone die? Was he going to die? Did someone go missing? Did one of the elders go missing? Were they all discovered?

She found herself absentmindedly chewing on the inside of her lip, a bad nervous habit she had developed. Calix tried to calm her but it was clear by his look that he didn't believe his own words.

They reached the front. Everyone around them had quieted down significantly, and no one was talking above a whisper.

"What's going on?" Imber whispered.

"Don't you hear it?" An elder looked at her, motioning for everyone to stop talking altogether.

She paused and tilted her head to the side. A large bell was ringing in the distance.