"DIOMEDES! DIOMEDES, MEET ME ON THE OTHER SIDE!" Dagon yelled from across the loud town square.

Diomedes nodded and ran swiftly around the large crowd of protesters, meeting Dagon halfway.

"What is it?"

"What is it? Dio, look at this? We have to get out of here before something bad happens!" Dagon answered, casting a bloody hand in a wide arch toward the angry people.

"Dagon, we can't leave."

"Why not?"

"If we don't stay, than this place will fall apart."

"But if we do stay, than we will fall apart!"

Diomedes looked at the angry faces around him and wiped the back of his hand across his forehead. Dagon wasn't going to let this opportunity of doubt in Diomedes pass, so he pressed on.

"Dio, I like my head where it is."

As if on cue, Diomedes suddenly shoved Dagon out of the way and drew his sword, just in time to block a downward blow from Berglund. Dagon immediately leaped to his feet and jumped onto Berglund's back, bringing his sword against his neck. Berglund did not dare move.

"See what I mean?" Dagon hissed at his brother.

Diomedes nodded and quickly nocked the silver pommel of his sword over Berglund's head, nocking him out instantly.

"Now, COME ON!" Dagon shouted, dragging Diomedes away from the unconscious Berglund.

They stumbled and ran through the rubble as fast as they could without falling. The town was a shambles and some of the fallen buildings were still burning. They thought they had left unnoticed, but not every citizen was occupied in throwing a tantrum.

A lone figure loomed in the shadows of a half collapsed building, watching with intent eyes as they stumbled over the cobblestones. They weren't out of it yet.

Diomedes reluctantly followed his brother out of the town and toward the small farm where their horses were stabled. He leaped over the wooden fence with ease, much like a gazelle, and ran into the barn as quickly as his legs would carry him. While digging for the saddle Diomedes also grabbed an old burlap sack, carrying it with him to his horse. He had chosen the color of his horse wisely, wanting it to blend in with the familiar country side. It was brown, but it had blotches of different color browns and greens all over it. It's eyes were a soft creamy brown color and it's main and tail fluttered in the wind, making it look very elegant with it's foot long horn protruding from it's head.

"Hey girl," Diomedes said softly, patting his horse on the side of her neck.

"Well I hate to tell you this, but we're getting out of here...And we're doing it right now."

Seibel (His horse) nodded her head in recognition and didn't move an inch when Diomedes put all the tack on, making sure the saddle girth was on tight. Seibel would often blow her stomach out so that when Diomedes put the saddle on and she let out her breath the saddle wouldn't be tight. But than, of course, when he tried to mount, the saddle would slip and Diomedes would come tumbling down. So he made sure it was always very tight.

After that Diomedes ran to the apple bin and dumped several of them into the burlap sack, along with some carrots and a bag of oats. It wasn't much, but that was all the food he could find in a barn. Tying the sack to Seibel's saddle, Diomedes mounted and rode out of the barn to meet Dagon, who was already waiting for him on his own horse, Sid.

"Well it certainly took you long enough," Dagon hissed, peering around nervously.

"Now let's get out of here before someone sees us."

Diomedes stole one last glance at the destroyed town and sighed, feeling guilty for leaving. He remembered all the times he had almost fallen into that old well, only to be saved by Dagon who was always overly protective. For being twins they were actually quite different.

"Dio, come on!" Dagon persisted.

He had already made it to the tree line. Diomedes reluctantly turned Seibel toward the forest and rode up to his brother, a sour expression on his face.

"Are you sure this is the best thing to do?" he asked.

"We have no other choice. Look, I don't want to leave either, but we're no good to those people dead. First we have to focus on staying alive, then we can focus on helping them."

"Such a pity," a voice came from behind them.

Dagon didn't even have to turn around to know who it was. That voice was so aggravating and snake-like that he almost wanted to send it flying out of existence.

"I was looking forward to seeing you cower in a dungeon," Berglund finished.

Dagon rolled his eyes and shoved Diomedes.

"I told you to hit him harder."

"You never told me that!" Diomedes protested, finding it incredibly unfair of Dagon to blame him.

Slowly the two brothers turned their horses around to face Berglund, feeling like nothing ever went right for them. Which was partly true.

"Now you can come back with us peacefully, or we can give you the whole nine yards. Which would you prefer?" Berglund said, his voice so slick that Dagon felt he could slip on it.

Of course Berglund wasn't dumb enough to come alone and he had three guards with him, but if they did it right Dagon was sure that Diomedes and himself to take them down.

"Now," Diomedes began, trying to buy time.

"I always found nine yards a bit hard to calculate, so you can have either five or ten. Which do you prefer?"

Berglund's expression turned into one of annoyance. He didn't share the twins' good humor and had little patience for them.

"I don't have time to play games-"

"Sir!" one of the guards called out, his voice urgent.

"Sir the other one is gone!"

Suddenly Berglund's eyes opened wide and he whipped his head in every direction, trying to catch site of Dagon. Diomedes just sat there smugly, staring at the desperate Berglund.

"Well don't just stand there!" Berglund shouted.

"Find him!"

The guards immediately dashed into the woods as fast as they could, leaving Berglund and Diomedes alone.

"So," Berglund started, slowly approaching Diomedes.

"Which one are you?"

Diomedes didn't hesitate to answer, "Dagon." He didn't know if it would help any, but you never know.

"Then, Dagon, your brother will no longer BE A TWIN!" and Berglund brought his sword down with a heavy blow, only to be blocked by a blade that was not held by Diomedes.

"Sorry," Dagon said calmly, his eyes glinting with a mischievous light.

"But I can't let you kill my brother thinking that you killed the other one."

Berglund yelled and thrashed at Dagon, but this time Diomedes blocked with his sword and jumped, pushing Berglund off his horse and crashing to the ground with a giant 'thud'. They tumbled on the grass and wrestled for each others sword and Dagon just leaned against his horse and watched.   

Suddenly Diomedes vanished in front of Berglund's very eyes. Berglund himself stared at the ground in astonishment, not one moment later feeling himself being forced to the ground from the back. He could barely see Diomedes out of the corner of his eye before he was knocked unconscious...Again.

"Did you knock him hard enough this time?" Dagon asked, walking over to Berglund and dragging him to a nearby tree.

"I think so," Diomedes answered, running into the barn and grabbing a rope.

After they had tied Berglund up they made sure to grab any weapon of his that they could find. No point in leaving the enemy sharp tools. Who knows, they could hurt themselves!

"Come on Dio, before the others come back," Dagon said, mounting Sid.

Diomedes mounted his horse for a second time and followed his brother into the woods. They knew all the surrounding territory for miles and miles. In fact, it would take less time to name the places they didn't know. When they were little boys their parents had made sure they got a good education, and they excelled in geography.

The Tralem forest was not a very pleasant place, especially when night came about. The trees were tall and ominous, the shadows dancing on vine covered trails. Sure there was great hunting, but very few people went deep into the forest for fear of getting lost. Tralem was no place to be at night, but Dagon and Diomedes knew that their was a cabin about 3 miles away and if they were quiet enough and hurried then the trees would not be able to harm them.

Dagon looked around them with an alert eye, his fingers tense on the hilt of his sword. It was midafternoon and soon the sun would go down. Trees were entirely nocturnal and sometimes they didn't even wake up, but both Dagon and Diomedes would prefer to get to the cabin before nightfall.

Stay calm, stay calm, Dagon thought. Just because no one has ever come out of here alive, doesn't mean you're going to die.

You're gonna die, you're gonna die! Diomedes thought to himself.

"Dio, did you hear that?" Dagon suddenly whispered.

Diomedes looked up at the canopy of leaves, but still couldn't hear anything.

"No. What was it?"

"I don't know. It could've just been my imagination."

That was a possible explanation, although unlikely, but Dagon dismissed the thought as soon as he heard it again. Only this time Diomedes heard it as well.

"Okay, I heard that one," he said nervously.

It sounded kind of like a rusty door hinge, or something similar to that.

"How long do you think we've been riding?" Diomedes asked his brother.

"I don't know. We've possibly covered about 2 miles, but in this forest it could've been 20," Dagon shrugged.

The brothers both looked around them nervously. They had stopped their horses by now and the only sounds were of the natural world...Then it sounded again! This time it really did sound like a rusty door hinge.

"Stay here," Dagon instructed, dismounting.

"I'll be right back."

And without a moments hesitation he disappeared and then reappeared farther down the track in a matter of seconds. But he didn't stay long on the track. Any haunting noise probably would not be coming from the track so Dagon disappeared into the forest, leaving Diomedes alone.

For a moment Diomedes thought that it could be the trees waking up, but it was too early for that. Then he thought it could be a rogue band rummaging through the forest, but the sound they made wouldn't sound like a hinge of any kind.

Swallowing hard Diomedes drew his sword out of its scabbard and held it at the ready sensing trouble. He never liked it when Dagon just randomly left and he certainly didn't like it when he did it in the middle of the woods. Diomedes thought splitting your forces was a mistake too often made, but his brother didn't like to wait for things to happen.

Diomedes whipped his head around as he heard movement. Something like a cloak fluttering in the wind.

"Dagon?" he whispered quietly.

His throat was dry and the remark came out more like that of a croak from a toad.

Then Diomedes heard it again, this time in front of him.

"It's not funny Dagon!" he called hoping that it was just a joke.

No reply.

"Come out here! Stop playing!"

Still no reply.

Now Diomedes knew for sure it was no joke and he did not hesitate to flash out of there. Reappearing in the thick forest he felt more secure and began to gather his senses. Wherever Dagon was he would be no help to Diomedes. Something was out there and it certainly was not friendly.

Movement behind him.

Diomedes spun around and whipped his head in every direction trying to find the source of the movement. However he didn't have to wait long.

"Behind you," a voice whispered.

And of course Diomedes listened finding no other alternative. The voice belonged to...no one? Suddenly Diomedes felt a shove from behind that sent him sprawling on the wet turf. He quickly rolled over and brought his sword up just in time to block a deadly blow from a wicked curved blade. Diomedes caught one glance from shaded eyes before the body went flying across the ground. Dagon whirled his sword in a huge arch watching listlessly as it smashed into oblivion on the hard surface the strongest armor he had ever seen.

"Oh no!" was all he managed to croak before something came smashing on top of his head mercilessly.    

- What do you wattpaders think? Do you like the characters so far? Do you have an explanation for what's going on? Let me know in the comments. I'd love to hear what ya'll think =D Thanks - Anna