Not long after arriving in Gaylette, Terbius had found themselves at Baker’s Pub, wanting to learn the new city they found themselves in and how well the alcohol selection sat with them. It was a quaint little bar that had warm colored walls decorated with paintings. There were many tables where many of the patrons sat, and a few at the red cushioned bar stools. The dark wooden floorboards matched the tall bar. Behind the bar was an older human with dark brown hair and a bit of scruff on his chin. His steel blue eyes glanced over at the twins that just entered his bar with a welcoming smile before returning to focusing on cleaning the glassware.
Terbius took a seat and ordered the same drink at the same time, they both sat and drank in unison. They mirrored each other to perfect choreography, they got many looks from those around the room, though just about everyone could tell they were Spirits, no one knew why they behaved in such a manner. They even looked rather different from most Earth Spirits. Extremely curly hair that looked like a sunset, oddly enough, there was a single strand that would stick up and always point to the other twin. Their joyus almond shaped eyes of lilac were rather lighthearted and trusting. They had a strong physique, well shown by their lack of shirts. They both wore a light brown tartan kilt with a thin band of matching fabric draped across their chest worn in opposite directions of each other, pinned at the hip by identical gold pins laid with an Earth Rune. Brown leather boots rose up to just below the knee. They wore brown leather gloves, one longer than the other, mirroring each other still with opposing sides. Overall an unusual appearance for an Earth Spirits around the current Age.
“The usual, Gwen?” The bartender had just served the twins another round when he spotted a usual customer of his. He was already preparing her drink before she even responded.
“Of course Xander!” She cheered sitting down at the bar. The fair looking young lady sat adjacent to the twins at the bar. She was human with light red hair that was long and layered. She was tall and lean, wearing a sleeveless, light pink shawl that hung down to her knees. Underneath she wore a brown three quarter sleeve shirt that exposed her midriff, poking out from under the low cut was a bright yellow fabric. Around her neck hung an orange gem the twins recognized as an Earth Rune. Her pants were a pale orange tucked into a pair of brown boots with a bronze plated toe and heel. Her sweet caramel eyes caught Terbius looking her way and she gave them a warm smile and a wave just as the bartender gave her her drink. Both smiled back, a little more cheerful than before, as if they weren’t already. It wasn’t often they received a pleasant look from a human these days.
The boys were just about ready to stand up and move closer to chat with her, when a spritely blue figure seemed to make his appearance at her side. The Water Spirit by the name of Fleo, was very pale and skinny. His short powder blue hair, that darkened ever so slightly at the bottom, covered one of his golden eyes. Though he wore robes of varying shades of blue they were not that of The Water Legion. The way he acted didn’t seem like he was associated with them either.
“How about a fun time with me, little doll?” His wolfish smirk and leering eyes had Gwen in his sights.
“How about no! You aren’t my type…” Gwen hissed before taking another drink.
“Doll, I’m everyone’s type!” He wrapped his arm around her.
“Please don’t…” She was so plainly annoyed with his smug attitude and persistence she wanted to punch him in the face but she didn’t want to draw attention to herself.
Terbius gave a simple glance at each other and they knew what the other was thinking. They both stood up and moved over to where Gwen was sitting. Ter lightly smacked the back of Fleo's head.
"Oi! Let her be!" Ter raised his voice as Fleo bitterly glared over his shoulder, rubbing the back of his head. "She wants nothin' to do with ya!"
"So scram!" Bius stood behind his brother, arms crossed and a disdainful expression. "Or we'll make ya!"
“What? More Earth Spirits trying to bring nothing but trouble?” Fleo sneered, not in the least intimidated. He looked at them as though they were insects even though they were larger than him. Gwen slipped out from under Fleo’s arm while he was briefly distracted.
"The only one causin' trouble is you!" Bius leaned forward against the bar, blocking Fleo from trying to stop her.
"She'd like to enjoy her drink alone!" Ter mirrored his brother on the other side of Fleo so that they could get their point across before he tried to run off.
"Without you!" The twins spoke in unison, starting a bitter stare down between them and Fleo, who clicked his tongue in response. The silent tension was palpable, Fleo was fuming with a silent rage, ready to take it out on the twins.
“Boys take it outside if you are going to tussle!” Xander threw a serious look over his shoulder at the boys and pointed at the front door. “I’d rather not have to clean up any bar fights today!”
“Yeah let’s! I’ll wipe the floor with you punks.” Fleo quickly agreed, pushing past the twins and walking towards the door. He was not afraid of the two and expected some people standing by to help, seeing two Earth Spirits ganging on a Water.
“It’s sweet of them but seems like more trouble for them,” Gwen smiled as she watched Terbius excitedly follow the Water Spirit outside.
“As long as they keep the fights outside they are welcome anytime,” Xander grinned as he started making Gwen another drink. “Especially with the amount of coin they dish out.
“Too bad they aren’t my type!” Gwen sighed dramatically as she finished off her drink.
“Do you even have a type?” He smirked at her and gave her another drink and took her old glass.
“I’m a ladies woman!” She gave a sly smirk and took a sip of her new drink. “Put their next round on my tab for saving me the trouble of having to punch the guy myself.”
“Anything for you Gwen,” He voiced cheerfully as she walked over to the window and leaned against the wall looking outside.
The small fight started, though it was obvious that Terbius stood a far greater chance, not just by numbers but by the fact that Fleo barely stood below their shoulders. With Fleo going after Ter first it quickly became a game of ping-pong as the boys simply pushed the man back and forth, not daring to lay a fist and pure rough house the guy out of being a jerk. Bius was the first to lunge forward, grabbing the man in a grapple and tossing him through the air only to be caught by Ter and smashed to the ground. Though not enough to break anything, and if he wasn't “Earth-Tough” there would surely be a bruise to last.
"Terbius!" A loud shout from a petite Fire Spirit echoed through the streets. She stood not far from the commotion, just in front of the crowd that had formed. Kindle started to stomp her way to her younger brothers. Immediately the boys released the Water Spirit, who was too weak to get up from a simple tackle. Terbius stood up tall at attention, ready to receive any punishments they might be getting. The two were truly terrified of her, even though she stood at half their height and her dark curly twintails that blaze down to a brilliant red and large fiery eyes posed little threat by appearance, she still had a strong punch to knock them both out cold. "Alleyway! Now!" A fiery tone in her voice as she marched Terbius over and away from the streets to avoid any more unwanted attention.
“Yes, Sis’!” The twins' voices shook in unified fear as they quickly obliged to her orders.
"What did I tell you boys? We just got here and here you are making a scene in the middle of the street. Let alone a Water Spirit of all people." A tiny flame lit up from her single curl on top of her head that stuck out, which almost always happened when she was angry. Terbius had nothing to say, they were told not to cause trouble but they couldn't help but come to aid the lady.
Just down the alley, Aliya was awoken by the noise. She hadn’t even realized she had fallen asleep. She felt embarrassed about falling asleep in a place like that when she only wanted to take a breather.
“Ah! Hell! That hurts!” She whispered to herself as she winced, letting out a small groan of pain as her entire body ached. She noticed a few cuts on her arms and sides. She felt the stinging sensation they had on her cheeks as well, “And this was him holding back…” She pouted childishly, bitter again about her defeat.
"Honestly, what am I going to do with you two?" The tension in the alley started to fade as Kindle sighed and the tiny flame on her hair went out. Aliya realized she wasn’t alone and peeked around the crate between her and the trio of Spirits.
"We’re sorry sis’," Bius was the first to speak. They both felt bad, realizing how it probably looked to everyone around. They just got to town and they weren’t starting off with the best reputation. "Don't mean to cause ya trouble."
"We were just doin' what was right." Ter reassured, a bit sheepishly afraid of their sister’s potential punishment.
"I know, I know,” Kindle smiled and stepped back leaning against the wall. “I'm sure whatever he did he deserved it, you guys never did anything aside from what was right, you're good people Terbius, sorry you live in a time where the world hates you."
Aliya decided she didn’t want to interrupt the touching family moment. She also didn’t particularly want to interact with others looking the way she did, with tattered clothes and beat up, so she started to get up to sneak away, but she couldn't even manage that. She stepped on a bottle, which slipped out from under her and fell back hitting the wall and her body screamed out in pain.
Ter was about to speak up when their silence was quickly shot down by the sound of a trash bin falling over and debris flying at the other end of the alley. The boys couldn't help but snicker. Kindle shot a glance at the twins that could kill, and they immediately went silent.
“This is lame!” Aliya yelled out of frustration. “Today is not my day!” She stopped caring about leaving and just lay in defeat. She put her hand up and waved it about a bit. “Can I get a little help here?”
Terbius reacted without hesitation and without a word from their older sister the two dashed down the alley. Both of them manipulated the earth beneath their feet to accelerate their speed towards the damsel in distress. Ter rode the wall going high before slowly coming back down on one side of Aliya while Bius maneuvered around the debris till he too was by her side. They both paused for a moment as they realized she was a Water Spirit, but they were not discriminating against anyone who needed help. They gently lifted her up to her feet from either side.
"Are you okay?" Ter couldn't keep quiet. The twins were rather worried at the state she was in, they couldn’t help but wonder if there was a Spirit from The Earth Legion behind it.
"You look pretty roughed up…" Bius voiced noticing that her wounds were not bleeding much despite some of them looking rather deep.
Kindle had made her way over though not in the time that the boys had, she gave her brothers room to help, and just like them she wasn't discriminating against anyone in need.
"I'm Terbius!" They spoke together as they cheerfully introduced themselves.
“I’m good now, thank you. The name is Aliya.” She paused when it finally processed with her that they both said they were Terbius. “Wait so both your names are Terbius?” She looked very confused as she tried to wrap her head around the mirror image before her going by the same name. “Or am I just seeing double?”
“Yup, we're Terbius!” The two wrapped an arm around each other's shoulders and gave Aliya a big goofy grin.
"Sorry about them, they weren't rough with you were they?" Kindle asked in concern, knowing that Terbius could be a little too rough sometimes, though they usually kept a good job at watching their strength as of late. "Need me to treat your wounds?” A coy smirk fell on Kindle’s face “Looks like that trashcan was quite the enemy."
“It said I looked trashy and we got locked in a fierce battle.” Aliya smirked trying to keep things light. “I like to think I took out the trash! Some help healing would be nice, though.” She laughed and appreciated her offer for healing. Her own mana was too low to use any healing artes on herself for a while yet.
The small Fire Spirit nodded and her golden gauntlets glowed in a faint red light, the glyph below Aliya began to take shape more clearly and glow with the same pattern, while a second glyph took form above her, slowly getting brighter and brighter.
“Kindle? She's water!” Ter stated both boys looked confused by her choice of magic healing arte.
“Ya sure that arte will even work?” Bius continued his brother's train of thought.
"Of course it’ll work! I use it on you two, don’t I? It draws power from the fire within. Yeah, she’s made up of mostly water mana. But even if it’s miniscule in comparison, even a Water Spirit has the fire mana to spark it." Her hands took position one above the other, mimicking the position of the larger glyphs around Aliya. "Ignite Heart!" She said quickly but not loud enough to draw attention, while bringing her hands together pretending to squish Aliya, between her hands the glyphs moved onto Aliya and enveloped her in a bright flame like glow and removed her injuries. "There, that should do it, mainly for my younger brothers so it should revitalize you a tremendous amount."
Terbius began to clap with excitement after their older sister completed such an arte, they were always fond of her performance especially when it came to healing, considering the fact that they were always getting hurt in the most absurd ways.
“Thanks a ton!” Aliya stretched, rather impressed that she cast such a unique healing arte without having to use an incantation. Aliya had learned to shorten her own incantations but it wasn’t very often she could cast one with just the name.
"We know injuries," Bius started, they knew the trashcan was not what really caused the injuries so they stepped forward about it. "And those weren't from a dumpster."
"So what really hurt you?" Ter continued, curiosity getting the better of them.
"Cause we want in on the fight!" They both said with passion in their eyes wanting a strong enemy to really fight against.
“You probably wouldn't want to do that,” she laughed a bit uneasy. “It honestly was just a test of power from the Wind Celestial. It was definitely not a breeze.” She light-heartedly tapped her fist against her head, “I failed.” It still bothered her deep down.
"Wait, you fought a Celestial!?" Terbius shouted in unison. Kindle was also shocked. Terbius’s collective minds started working wondering why and for what reason, they wouldn't dream of fighting someone as strong as that. Though seeing Aliya with such injuries and remarks about the fight, brought passion in the boys and they challenged themselves to one day be able to combat a Celestial.
“Yeah that’s the goal!” Aliya voiced with a grin. “I plan on fighting Turfurius himself eventually but it seems I don’t make the cut by myself according to Volarius.” Azurius seemed to believe that she had what it took. Maybe there was just something she was lacking. Regardless, some extra help would make sense since she was taking on a whole army of Spirits. She looked down the alley to the busy streets hoping she wouldn't have to search too hard. “I'll have to find a few people willing to help me stop this war.”
Before Terbius could speak and volunteer in response, Kindle stepped forward and put a strong fist on his chest, blocking their path.
"I'm going to stop you right there boys!" Kindle had immediately changed mood and was more serious than ever. The trio had moved to this city with very little belongings, hoping to find a place away from the hatred and live in peace where Terbius could walk without being completely discriminated against. All she wanted was to protect them, as strong and as tough as they were, she was their older sister and she felt it right to give them a home they could be comfortable with. Now this Water Spirit of all people is asking for help against the war, to put themselves right where they've been trying to avoid. Kindle was hesitant about an answer and refused the boys to speak. "We came here to get away from the war, not fight in it, I'm sorry but there's no good coming out of it if we fight, not for us at least," Kindle had turned around, about to drag Terbius out of the alley.
"No sis’!" Bius didn't budge, and neither did Ter, they stood their ground and brought a point up to their older sister, "This is a chance!"
"We can make it right!" Ter continued just as passionately but Kindle didn't turn around, she kept her back towards the audience that sought her. "If she's fighting to stop them..."
"Then we can help prove that…" The two spoke together with their arms wrapped around one another, "Not all of us are bad." As young as they were, the boys were smart at reading situations. They could tell that the war was a big deal and affected many. This Water Spirit was trying to stop the war, tested by the Wind Celestial, they could tell she wasn't getting help from anyone anytime soon. The fact that Aliya was working towards big efforts for change, they wanted in on part of that, though convincing their sister was the hardest thing for them to do.
She was hesitant to respond, her younger brothers’ words really meant something to her, and they really wanted to make things right across the world, but it was something that was too dangerous for them. She worked hard to get them where they are and they were about to throw it all away.
"I'm sorry Terbius but no, we're here to keep you guys safe, not run off on some half ass mission that may as well result with us dead in a ditch. We may help anyone who needs it but how do we know she's not part of some cult out to hunt Spirits such as you down." Kindle didn’t intend to sound so harsh towards Aliya but it was the best she could come up with to try and stop the boys.
“Cults are for the weak minded and brainwashed. I chart my own course in life.” Aliya crossed her arms and her expression turned ice cold. “Also, I'm not trying to fight a war, I'm trying to stop one so no more Spirits or even humans have to lose their lives. In any case, I would only ask those with the fire for it. If your heart isn't in it it's better to just stay home.” Aliya pated Kindle on the head and walked past her to the street. A searing but silent rage started filling Kindle at the way Aliya was talking. “Thanks a ton for the heals! Maybe I'll see you around!”
Aliya waved before she vanished among the crowd of the busy street. She decided to head to an inn. She figured she could get a room for the night. She changed out of her tattered clothes into her sleeveless ocean blue coat with long tails, the wave swirl pattern was an amethyst over the black down the middle of the front. She wore long black gloves with a midnight blue cuff at the top with thigh high boots to match overtop white pants. She wore the same belt with the Water Rune Buckle. higher on her waist, hanging off the smaller belt was an ornate dagger she always carried with her but never used.
She decided to head out and try to see if she could recruit anyone before she went to sleep. She didn’t realize that she was being watched by the Wind Spirit who had run into her outside of town. Teal eyes observed as they always did with a strange fascination in regard to the Water Spirit. She watched as Aliya wandered the streets of Gaylette, asking any Spirit she happened across if they were willing to help. She'd ask any skilled looking human if they would lend aid. She'd even stand in the middle of town trying to rally aid to her cause. Unfortunately everyone would shrug and say that it wasn’t their problem, as the young observer had expected out of the people in Gaylette.
“There you are Breyze!” A small fox with a green bandana around his neck called out to the young Wind Spirit on the rooftop observing Aliya and taking notes as he was used to finding her doing. “I figured you'd be out spying on people from the rooftops when you weren't in your usual spots!”
“Hello Master Pree! Welcome back!” Breyze greeted the small fox Spirit cheerfully, looking up from her notebook, as he sat next to her oversized leather messenger bag. “Did you enjoy your adventure?”
“Yes siree! I’ve got loads of stories for you too!” He voiced cheerfully. Pree looked up at the sky upon hearing a low thunderclap coming from deep within the dark clouds above. “Perhaps we should go home? Looks like it might rain soon! Quite odd, didn’t seem like it earlier.”
“That’s because of the Wind Celestial!” Breyze’s voice held an excited fascination as she pointed to the sky with her purple feather quill before she pointed down at Aliya in the square. “See that Water Spirit? She fought him earlier and he used a High Arte that started changing the weather. It’s fascinating what he can do but I’m more curious about her powers right now.” Her interest was piqued when she had spotted the portal behind her that Aliya had come from but it vanished before she could investigate it. She had been following Aliya all day, maintaining a respectable distance so she could observe. “She ran into me earlier and there was some strange Mana she came out of that immediately disappeared. Lord Volarius also commented her power was quite odd but he didn’t see what I saw.”
“What would possess a regular Spirit to think they could fight the strongest Wind Spirit of this Age?” Pree tilted his head in curiosity, the pith helmet that was a bit too big for him shifted as he did so, remaining on his head because of the holes in it that his ears stuck out.
“She seems to want to stop the war,” Breyze giggled.
“Is her power that great?” Pree sounded impressed.
“Must not be she lost miserably!” Breyze shrugged and shook her head with a smirk, she was a bit disappointed, but after hearing Volarius’s comments her curiosity was maintained. “But then again she didn’t use it against him… Not what I saw anyway… I wonder if she can really do it. Can she really stop this war? Or will she break and give up? Or will someone else stop her? What an interesting tale it will be…”
Breyze and Pree watched as Aliya sighed, sitting on a bench in the middle of the city square taking a break from her recruitment attempts and having nothing to show for it. Everyone she talked to was some variation of, “It’s not my problem.” She could tell everyone in this city were just being stubborn, ignorant or wanted to avoid it all together.
Aliya tried to think if she had any allies outside the war she could rely on. She didn’t want to ask anyone in The Water Legion especially since they all had such a one track mind in regards to the war and even though she was ready to fight she wanted to see if there was some other way around it. She didn’t know where either of her brothers were hiding and everyone else she knew was dead. This was her only option. “Maybe I'll have better luck in the capital?” Aliya mused aloud looking up at the sky. “Maybe tomorrow, I'm beat…” She yawned and stretched, getting up and returning to the inn.
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