Ten years has passed since those peaceful times with father, now it's just me and Rona my twin sister.
We are now at the eighteenth year of our lives and it's come to be a norm that I be outside at the seventh hour of the morning chopping fire wood for later and my sister be in her room chanting spells and making potions, preparing for our next mission.
As the sweat runs down my face, my muscular arms and my broad back, I hear her ever so slightly in the house. "Video spiritus sanitatem...(I see the spirit of healing...)"
As I'm chopping my six hundred and eightieth wood, I hear a familiar voice at the front of the house. "Hello good morning, I have some mail for the Insignum twins."
It's Roy the mail elf, I think to myself as I take my axe in my hand, lifting it on my shoulder while making my way to the front.
As I bend the corner I see a short, pointed eared elf with pale grey wrinkled skin, big green eyes, white messy hair and claws on each finger and toe as he wore sandals to go with his uniform and the big brown bag on his back.
"Yeah, morning. How many times do I have to tell you it's 'twin' singular and not 'twins' plural?" I question the elf with with a slight grin on my face.
He smiles with his off white jagged teeth and rolls his eyes. "Yes, yes, 'twin'. .... Sorry.
Anyway, sign here."
Taking the quill from him to sign the paperwork. "Okay. How's the family Roy, is Christy still pregnant?" I asked casually as if we've known each other for years.
"No, another 'twin', two more boys." Says the elf, taking back the paper work, the quill and handing me the bag, forcing me to put down the axe to hold what he gives me.
While fighting to balance, I ask. "How much is that now Roy, fifteen children?"
"Yes, so far." He says so casually, as if fifteen isn't a lot.
Looking at him confused at his statement. "What do you mean 'so far', is she pregnant again?" I ask with frowns on my forehead
"I'm hoping she is. You know my parents had twenty three of us and her parents had nineteen, so don't judge me." He says with a stern voice.
With the overwhelming weight of the bag, forcing me to put it down, I face him completely and in a sarcastic tone. "You really doing it, aren't you?"
The elf crossing his clawed hands together. "Maybe you should get someone to settle down with, you know, start a family and stop....."
He goes silent as a voice from behind me clears their throat "uhuh".
I look back seeing Rona at the front door, arms crossed, hair pulled back into a messy ponytail and a disgusted look on her face.
Roy not noticing or pretending not to notice the disgust look on her face and posture. "Oh, hi corona good morning, how are you doing today?"
Rona not letting up her almost angry stare at the elf. "Gaudete quidquid nic nico elf quare hoc? (Yeah whatever, why is this elf here, nico?)"
Me knowing that she hates all creatures born of darkness which includes wretched elves by which Roy is. "Rona, be nice, we're just having a harmless conversation."
And also, me being one of the three people who can understand Rona when she speaks, Roy asks. "What did she say?"
When we were little we never spoke any english, we only spoke this rare, dead language said to be the words of gods. Father taught us how to speak English but only I can differentiate between English and this language while Rona can understand it but can't speak it.
Me not wanting another dead elf on our record. "It's best you don't know, anyway enjoy the rest of your day and don't push yourself too hard."
Roy taking his wand in his hand. "Yes, thanks Nicholas, same to you, and Corona, it's always a pleasure to see you again."
Rona shrugs her shoulders.
I turn to her with annoyance on my face. "Seriously?"
Roy vanishes in the background with a whisk of his wand and a slight breeze follow behind .
"Quid? Ita ut ne amicus elf. (What? You shouldn't be so friendly with elves). She sates turning to go back inside.
"He hasn't done anything to anyone, an elf is an elf." I say while trying to pick back up the bag Roy just delivered.
Rona looks over her shoulder with a menacing look on her face and her hand on the short sword placed on her waist. "Nec refert. (Doesn't matter.)"
"Are you going to help me with this or not?" Ignoring her words and struggling to walk with so much load.
Walking inside I can hear her in the distance. "Quid suus 'forsit magis usquam fan mail. (Why should I, it's probably more fan mail anyway)"
"Most likely, but it's heavier than the rest." I shout as I can't see my sister anymore and she has left me outside to struggle with the bag.
Rona pokes her head out the upstairs window shouting "Yeah bene, suus 'quis' vos voló ostendere off in conspectu tuo amicae, maybe quod se armis summaque vobis. (Yeah well, it's you who wanted to show off in front of your 'girlfriends' maybe they mailed themselves to you.)" In a sarcastic tone.
"Really, you think so?" In an equally sarcastic tone.
Rona rolls her eyes before retreating back inside from the window.
"It's referenced to both of us, so I don't think so. Unless you like girls too." I laugh to myself while finally making it through the door.
"Asinus. (Ass.)" Rona appears next to me kicking me on my foot causing me to almost fall over and drop everything.
Flinching as the pain comes as a surprise. "Ow." I frowned. "That hurt, why did you kick me?"
She walks past me and shut the door "Ne loquaris vestrum asinus excors. (You shouldn't talk out your ass, idiot)." still not looking to help me.
Her bitter mood has now reach me and now I'm just annoyed. "yeah, yeah, whatever, there's a lot of stuff here, I could use your help." I state but not expecting too much, for I know my sister is extremely stubborn.
"Qui populo gratus debet esse realiter. (Those people must have been really thankful.)" Completely ignoring my annoyed tone.
Instead of picking up the bag, I decide to push it to the living room since we're already inside.
"We did solve there rodent problem." I take a second to glance at Rona shaking her head at my efforts.
"Radices montis daemon vocaveris quinquaginta mus rodent. (If you call a fifty foot demon mountain rat a rodent.)" She says, after a few seconds she finally comes to help push the bag to the living room.
It takes minutes which seems like hours of pushing until we reach the room just a few feet from the door just behind the stairs.
"It's good thing we took those antidotes you made before we fought that thing, we probably wouldn't be having this conversation right now." Standing up straight and wiping off the sweat off my brow.
Reaching in the bag and picking up one of the boxes and placing it on the wooden table. "Nam et quondam, Audi te a me. (For once you listen to me)." Saying while looking at me with superiority.
Watching impatiently while Rona slowly unwraps the first box. "Well don't get use to it."
The tone of my voice makes her halt in her unwrapping. "Scis hoc esse non interpellavit me carmine facit, quod non est in tempore hoc. (You know this is interrupting my spell making, I don't have time for this.)" She says getting angrier with every passing second.
Knowing that she isn't going to do anything rash, I ignore her completely and begin fiercely unwrapping everything.
"Fan mail, food, more mail." While going through the boxes I find something unusual, a box within a box. "Oh, here's something, this is why these were so heavy." I say while looking up at Rona and moving to the clearer part of the table.
"Quid est quod quis ex ea? (What is it and who's it from)?" She asks now interested in what's going on.
Taking the piece of paper from the box. "There's a letter attached to it, and it's from uncle Luis, we haven't heard from him for months now."
Her mood changed from anger or annoyance to happiness or even sadness, saying quietly. "Sex mensibus prorsus. (Six months to be exact.)" The look on her face shows it doesn't know which emotion it should choose.
'He being our last known relative alive, I wondered how he's been doing since his wife died, aunt Blair,' I don't say anything out loud because I know Rona worries and I don't want to make the mood worse than it already is.
"Tum legit illud. (Well, read it). Rona spits, breaking the moment of silence that filled the room.
Uncle Luis' letter
Dear Nico and Rona, I know it's been quite some time since we last saw or talked to each other, and I know how hard it's been since William died. I've always treated you both as my own children and you were always my favorite niece and nephew. I've sent some money for the months I've missed and I hope you both are doing well.
I've been on a expedition looking for the lost sword of destruction but still haven't found it, yet. I think it's time I stop this, I've almost died every time I go out trying to find some clue as to where it is or where it has been.
This time the search lead me to the volcanic island of Kazan where I found a lost city in ruins, which said to be one of the first civilizations ever on this planet, when I got there although in ruins the city was full of life and beauty, the culture passed down from the first ones were breathtaking, anyways, the closer I got to the main temple in the center of the non active volcano in the heart of the island, the more dangerous it became with all the traps I came across, this was making me wonder, people only place traps in order to protect something invaluable and with that realization I became even more enthusiastic and even more excited to find whatever mysterious and heavily protected, yet unknown item, with me hoping it's finally the sword of destruction, my dreams where crushed by not finding the sword but a ancient language only the two of you can speak.
I've mailed you some sketches of a huge tablet engraved with the language you speak so fluently. For one I know that only the two of you can read and understand it and would be able to find the clues hidden in these engravings. I want you two to come to my home, I've put all the information on the packaging.
Ps. I have a feeling, we're not safe anymore, that something terrible is about to happen. All I hope is that we can stop it before it happens.
Yours truly, uncle Luis
Nov, 1179