The Twins Story

Alchemy

Mikaso leads Larsith into his new house, making sure to be quiet so as not to wake up his sister. He quietly shows Larsith the main room of the small building. Suddenly the door to the back room opens and Misoka steps through it, a look of surprise on her face when she catches sight of the stranger that seems to be inspecting their home.

"Mikaso, who is this?" She walks over to her brothers side, never taking her eyes off Larsith. "Is he here about the incident from earlier?" She points at an empty vial, as if he needed a reminder of what happened.

"Haha, no he isn't here about that. I ran into him while I was in the market trying to find a filing cabinet." He looks over at Larsith and smiles. "Larsith here figured out I was an alchemist and said he wanted to check out our Atelier. So I figured there couldn't be any harm by inviting him over to check it out."

Larsith looks around the room, taking mental notes about what he sees. He grabs the hollow counter that is sitting crooked and easily moves it and sets it up against the wall beside the door to the backroom, making to where you have to walk around the counter to enter the room. He moves a few of the other objects around in the room and walks back to the door to look at his handiwork.

"I am glad to see that this place is the same as I remember it being. You know, the last person who lived here was an Alchemist as well. He is now a mage up in the capital, and he is very respectable and well known. Maybe you two will met with great things just as he did." Larsith stands there for a second before gesturing towards the twins. "I think I know somebody who can help you get some furnishings for this place and help you get your Atelier started. And I am going to assume all you have is a single cot in the back, it was probably left by the previous owner. I believe we can get you a set of beds as well."

The twins just stare at him, both with a dumb founded expression on their faces. Neither one of them had really thought about opening up shop yet since they just bought the place and still had work to do on it. Larsith seemed to be excited about helping them get everything set up as soon as possible, but that didn't really help with their biggest problem.

"Well we're actually to broke to refurnish the place. We got the place for cheap, but we don't have the money to to get the needed materials and tools needed to run an Atelier." Mikaso looks around the room noting how much work they needed to do before continuing. "I was going to search around for a job as soon as possible so we could start saving up for everything we would need."

Larsith has a funny look on his face, that the twins can only assume is out of confusion. "There are plenty of materials located out in the woodlands and fields around the city you know. Why not just gather materials instead of buying them? It would make things run much smoother that way."

"Do you really think we can protect ourselves from monsters and bandits?" Misoka waves her index finger between her and her brother. "Neither of us are really what I would say physically adept. Fighting is something neither of us can really do. So it is much to dangerous for us to go out gathering materials ourselves."

Out of nowhere Larsith starts laughing as he looks the twins up and down. "I guess you have a point about that. Well if protection is what you need I know of an association of mercenaries that is found here in the slums. You could always hire a bodyguard or two. The more renown the mercenary the more their charges are of course, but if it's just for a short trip out around the city you don't need to worry about getting many people. If things get hairy they will protect you even if it costs them their lives, but none of them will go down that easily."

Mikaso and Misoka look back at each other both thinking the same thing. They just explained to him that they don't have much money and he suggests they hire a bodyguard. Maybe it's due to the fact that he is a noble that he doesn't seem to understand the issue with their lack of money.

Larsith leads the twins through the crowded streets to a large building that is actually one solid color, a rare occasion in this city. There are four sets of giant double doors that have been left ajar, with people coming and going from the building at a constant rate. It is just as crowded in this one building as it was in the shopping district, and for good reason.

Upon walking into the building Mikaso immediately notices the countless billboards lined along the walls, where people are gathering and all talking with excitement. They all look different and carry themselves in different ways, but there is one thing that both Mikaso and Misoka notice right away; They are all battle worn veterans. Some have blades as big as a human body, others have daggers or small swords and there are even a few exotic weapons known as revolvers. They have spent plenty of time around warriors in their lives, but never had they seen this many that were this happy.

"Okay kids, follow me and don't wander off. It is really easy to get lost here in case you haven't realized that yet." Larsith starts walking toward one of the reception desks across the room and doesn't look back at either of the people he drug out here as if he knew they wouldn't run off when his back was turned.

They stop at a reception desk, a young lady with short blonde hair looks up and shows a look of surprise as she notices the tall man in front of her. "Oh, why didn't you let us know that you were coming today? We could have had arrangements made ahead of time my..."

"Lilliana, I am here to file a request. These two youngsters just opened up their very own Atelier, but they don't have the money to buy the materials for their synthesis. So we are here to get them a bodyguard to help keep them safe in the wilderness so they can go gather materials on their own." Larsith shows a dazzling smile that makes Lilliana blush. "You know who to hire specifically. And this job isn't optional. Let him know that this is how he will repay that debt he owes me."

Suddenly Mikaso gets knocked to the ground from somebody bumping into him. The burly man looks down at him with distaste in his eyes. "You need to stay out of other peoples way you little brat. Show some respect to the working class."

Misoka takes a step towards the man and wrinkles her nose at him. "Your part of the working class? That's odd, I could have sworn you were a troll. If we're fated to look like you, then I believe I will opt out of the working class."

The man goes to throw a punch at Misoka, making her flinch, but his fist never made contact. Instead Larsith is standing in the way holding the guys fist in his gloved hand. "You must have a death wish, attacking my student's like that. Shall we take this little scuffle outside?"

"There is no need to go anywhere you pompous bastard. We can settle this right here and now." The man goes to tackle Larsith, but is stopped by a man with long black hair tied back into a ponytail. His appearance is more like a samurai than a warrior. His two sheathed katanas resting on his hips.

"So much as try to harm a hair on his head, and I will kill you myself. Now go and apologize to the young man that YOU bumped into, or I might kill you yet." The man looks over at Larsith and just looks him up and down. "Why are you here?"

"Ah, Ardell. Just the man I came here for. I have a job offer for you." The man, Ardell, looks between Larsith and the twins before letting out a sigh of defeat.