Twin brothers Frei and Qionne are separated by a cursed mirror. The younger is forced to shoulder the burden of the throne, while the older must learn to have courage and return to his world. In their wake is an empire at the brink of war, and a dar...
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It was a few weeks after the death of Caiaphas.
Qionne was spotted in the outskirts of Torin's borders one hot afternoon. The prince of Elfeinne continued his march, wearing a new olive-green cloak and a new bow and set of arrows he had crafted within the woods of Basilinne.
The path he went through was desert-like, speckled with small rocks and hard sand baking in the sun. Glittery pebbles which shone like diamonds and white colored driftwood scattered all over the place, usually the evidence of previous ambushes on unfortunate wanderers who were unaware of the path's dangers.
The road was commonly a traveling route for illegal immigrants, thieves and bandits and its notoriety was favorable among pilfers who smuggled priceless goods from one province to another. For those who were familiar with Torin's mountainous geography, they would know that most encounters within that path often lead to a bloodbath.
But in spite of the known dangers, Qionne chose the route since no one knew of his nobility within the area. There was more danger in traveling through safe cities, where every eye knew who he was, than a peasant's road that catered to anonymity. The fact that he dressed like a thief was a plus.
He happened upon a small trading village, most likely a place not found in any existing map. It was a hidden community between two rocky hills, known to those familiar with the place as the High Roller Den. There were no houses, save a few small secured huts for storage and makeshift stables for horses. In place of homes, there were tents made of animal skins, though some of the less shabby ones appeared to be made of priceless fabric. By the hillsides were unique fortresses made up of wood and stones.
It was only normal for such a place to be battle ready, since it was a gathering for criminals who were most likely on the famous list of Garuda's most wanted.
He found a circle of ruffians at the heart of the small market. The gathering, as he had heard, was an 'auction' for stolen goods and antiquities. Though referred to as a legitimate auction, Qionne knew that it was a human cockfight over these coveted rare artifacts. A betting pool was made for the fighter who would win each match, and the victor would achieve his featured prize. The prince could only assume that apart from bags of gold and silver, or artifacts that every kingdom on Terra dared to covet, slaves were also part of its promised winnings.
There were fighters of every race and kind that participated in the event. Some were men armored with metal plates and wielded ancient looking pistols who would participate in the quick draw matches. Others were groups the size of half-giants and others slender as scarecrows participating for the brawler battles. There were also some Orients with bald heads and blank eyes, wearing robes of blood red and ebony black who moderated the event.
A lot of Torin Brawlers dressed in armor and iron studded belts and coats littered every category of duels. There were also a few dark-skinned women from the Atlantis, although their shaved heads and bulky muscled figures would cause some confusion over their genders.
