"Has anyone seen ol' stealthy around? He's unusually late today." False asked everyone around her.

More or less everyone said some variant of "no" in response to what False had asked, which in turn left her slightly annoyed.

"Alright then, I'll speak to the Captain about it later. For now please head to your designated preparation stations to grab your gear then immediately head to your posts ready for the celebrations which are due to begin within the next hour and a half!" False called out to pretty much the entire Palace Guard in her usual commanding tone.

She was used to taking charge of the main troops as the Captain was often preoccupied with the Royal family's personal guard, despite the fact False wasn't even any kind of rank close to the Captains. She was just the leader of the archery squadron, nothing too special, especially when her own troops barely listened to her as they dislike the idea of being ruled by a female. Bit sexist if you asked her but no-one did.

"Hey Symmetry, how are you?" A familiar voice asked from behind False.

"Oh! Wels, I'm good thanks for asking. Also, False works fine between you and I. Higher ranks typically get permission to use first names with their friends. The last name thing is mainly to ensure the lower, less obedient members of the guard learn how to be respectful." False said in response to Wels.

"Oh, right. So... I wasn't sure what I'm supposed to be doing and you were who I was initially put with so I thought I'd ask you?"

"Ah, I see. Since you're new I doubt you'd be given a post to maintain so you could shadow Iskall for the rest of the day? He's going to be your leader once you've officially joined us, as you work with swords, correct?"

"Yeah, I work with swords." Wels confirmed.

"I'm also glad to see you in what looks to be comfier clothes. The armour you wore earlier was nice but I doubt you were comfortable in it?" False laughed slightly, smiling as she was speaking.

"Yeah, the sun came out and I was overheating a bit so I when err- I don't know their name... showed me where I'm staying. I moved my things in and got changed, thought it was more reasonable to wear something easier to move in as well, so I guess that was also a reason for changing." Wels said, "oh, I was rambling again wasn't I... sorry."

"It's quite alright! Ramble as much as you want, it's nice having someone other than Iskall to talk to! Speaking of which let's go find them so we can get you started with work."

The pair then made their way out the preparation and training zone to a large building not too far from the area they were just in. It was a large complex which housed anyone who was a part of the guard who couldn't afford a house of their own. It was a complementary thing for anyone who worked for the royals. Not everyone stayed here, however, as some people preferred to live alone or just have their own personal space instead of the dorm room like situation in the shared accommodation.

Iskall was someone who stayed in the accommodation as he was often broke and all the money he had was spent on upgrading his weaponry and buying food and drink for himself.

False pulled open the crooked old wooden door at the entrance to the accommodation block and signalled for Wels to follow her.

"Iskall is on the second floor, room number 152c so it shouldn't be too bad to get to his room." False said as she began climbing up the stairs to the second floor, Wels following closely behind her.

Once they arrived at Iskall's room, False knocked on their door and the duo waited to see if there was going to be a response. After a few moments, Iskall opened the door, his dark brown hair lay messily on his head and he had dark circles under his eyes.

"Wha- Who... Oh hey False." Iskall tiredly said, not quite being awake enough to think properly about what he was going to say.

"Iskall, are you alright? You were fine earlier, now you look, if you don't mind me saying... dreadful." False said as Wels remained awkwardly silent beside her.

"Oh this?" Iskall asked as he pulled his hair out of his face revealing what looked to be faded scarring. "Ah! Wels! Didn't see you there! Look come in, both of you I'll explain inside."

The trio walked into Iskall's apartment and he showed them to the seating area, it wasn't a lot. Just a small table with a single wooden seat that looked as though it could fall apart as soon as you tried to sit in it and nearby there was a single armchair which had various patches sewn onto it.

"Sorry it's not a lot, I'm refused anything better than this because people still refuse to accept my past." Iskall said as he used his hands to gesture to False and Wels to sit on either of the seats, which they both did.

"W-what do you mean, your past?" Wels asked, unsure if he'd asked the question right.

"Do you know about the true purpose of this side of the guard?" Iskall asked Wels as he sat on the table beside the wooden chair False had sat in.

"To serve the Royals and defend the kingdom?" Wels said, not-so-confidently.

"No. That's the job of the main force. This side of the force, the one run by the Captain, me, False and ol' stealthy, is the H.T.F. or Hybrid Termination Force. This side of the guard are responsible for hunting down and killing any and all hybrids as they are a threat to our society... or so the King says..." Iskall said, as Wels eyes widened the more Iskall spoke. "They don't tell you that when you sign up now as they want you under their contract, their control, before they tell you everything so you can't say no. Anyway, that's not the point. The point is, I was a hybrid, so-"

"YOU WERE A HYBRID?!" Wels called out in shock. "HOW'S THAT POSSIBLE?! Aren't you still one? How are you not one now?" His words lowering in tone the more he spoke until they became unintelligible mumbling.

"Wels, look at me and let me explain." Iskall said, still remaining calm. "I was captured by the H.T.F. and I would be dead now if the Captain hadn't made me a deal. He said that if all evidence of me being a hybrid was removed and I allowed my magic to go dormant and I worked under his constant supervision I'd be allowed to live. He thinks I don't know about all the eyes he has watching me 24/7 but I do, so I drink to the point I don't remember that they're watching me. That's how I relax. That's why my eye is missing. That's why the King refuses to pay me in full and give me decent accommodation. He gives me the bare minimum so I can't complain that he doesn't provide the essentials for me. And I can't complain about the pay or else I'd be dead."

The room fell silent.

False had bowed her head, she knew Iskall's story. She knew every gory detail. She knew about the torture he was put through because he refused to give any information and how he's permanently bound to the castle grounds. She can't do anything to help him and she knows it. She'd end up dead if she tried anything so she has no other choice that to serve the guard.

Wels on the other hand remained in shock. He didn't know what to say, he'd never met a hybrid before nor had he any idea that he'd just signed his life away to kill them. He didn't want to kill hybrids but now he knew he'd have no choice than to suffer the same fate which is to do as he was told and comply.

Iskall lept off the table and wandered over to the corner of the room where there were a few cabinets, a sink and some shelves lined with two cups, a pretty much dead plant and a variation of herbs and spices and other random cooking products. He splashed their face with water before returning to join the others.

Wels was the first one to break the silence between them all.

"I-if you don't mind me asking, what were you?" Wels cautiously asked.

"I was an Ice Fae." They replied a soft smile formed on their face as they reminisced on the good old days, "My name actually means 'ice cold'. I used to have a large set of white wings, their feathers were a mix of snow and icicles. Snow would emit off of them whenever they moved. My left eye was a piecing bright blue and was the main source of my magic. My ears used to come to a soft point as well, before they were cut to look 'more human'."

Iskall pointed to each area of their body as they described their old features. In place of where their old eye was, there was a robotic looking eye piece, which appeared to have diamonds imbued inside it. Their ears has thick cuts along the top of them where they had been cut and underneath their shirt, on their back, was two large scars where their wings used to be.

Wels wanted to ask more questions but he didn't feel as though he should ask any more questions, by now he had assumed it to be a touchy subject.

"Look we can mope around all day or we can tend to our duties. Iskall go clean yourself up and I'll meet you at the training grounds to run you through your briefing. Once the ceremony is over and done with we can discuss this more later at my place." False said as she stood up and headed towards the door and Iskall left the room to go get changed. "Also, Wels don't worry about questions. It happened three years ago now, Iskall doesn't mind questions. Just be wary he can be sensitive about it all. The only thing you shouldn't ask about is their old family and friends, they don't actually know what happened to them but in their mind they died and there is nothing I can do to get them to stop blaming themself." She said softly to Wels.

After a short wait, Iskall rejoined the others and together the trio made their way to the training grounds. False went up one of the towers on the forest side to join some of the other archers and Wels joined Iskall doing the patrols around the Castle grounds.

...

"EX get out my bathroom! Use your own!" Xisuma shouted through the door to the bathroom.

"But yours is better than mine!" EX shouted back, whining at the same time.

"THEY'RE IDENTICAL BATHROOMS XAN!! GET OUT!!" Xisuma yelled back.

"Exactly so just use mine." EX said, muffled by the door.

"I'm not using your bathroom since MY toothbrush is in MY bathroom not yours!"

"Then use mine! I don't care." EX called back as he turned off the shower in Xisuma's bathroom.

"That's disgusting! Just no. Now get out, please!" Xisuma said in shock that his brother would suggest such a thing in the first place.

After several minutes more of just arguing, EX opened the bathroom door and happily wandered out wrapped in Xisuma's towels and with his brothers hair brush in his hand. Xisuma sighed as he walked into his bathroom and locked the door behind him. He was thankful he had remembered to shower earlier and only had to freshen up his mouth by brushing his teeth and washing everything away with some mouth wash.

Xisuma didn't take long to get himself ready and he made his way up to the main, central balcony on the first floor of the castle.

"Ah Xisuma, where's your brother?" The king asked.

"He shouldn't be too long father. He was sorting his hair out when I last saw him so I'd assume in the time its taken me to walk here, he'd be on his way here now."

"Hey father, Xisuma! What we talking about?" EX called as he walked onto the balcony, joining the other two.

"We were jus-" Xisuma was cut off by their father.

"We were just discussing how everything is going to run tonight. We will meet on the central balcony on the second floor at 4pm then there will be the announcements. The public will cheer and then do their usual business in celebrating. You two will return to the throne room for further celebrations and from there you will be free in interact with the public from 6pm onwards as long as you are accompanied by your respective guards at all times. Understood?" The king told the boys.

"Yes father." The twins both said in unison.

With that the twins left their father and went for a walk around the castle to try and pass the time until it was 4pm.

[Wasn't planning on doing another long chapter but here we are...
~Echo]