Conquest of the Horde

"He's so....squishy." Sly mused as he nudged a finger into Reno's belly, causing the toddler to let out a delighted giggle before bopping Silvester on the head with a wooden toy train. The older child let out a yelp before going to rub at the growing welt.

"Strong arm for a little ball of pudge." A shrill little girly voice teased, coming up from behind Sly and handing the toddler beside him a little treat which Reno snatched up with enthusiasm. Cheyanne adjusted her curly black locks of hair and shot her twin a teasing smirk.

"Lucky shot!" Sly whined as he stood up, dusting his exposed knees off. The boy fiddled with his outfit, clearly uncomfortable in the child's size shorts and fancy vest his mother had dressed him in. Cheyanne giggled at him as she flaunted the small pink and white dress she had picked out herself that morning. "Jelly?"

Sly rolled his eyes at her. "So not jelly." The boy blinked as a set of diapers plopped down before him and his sister, Reno standing on his pudgy little legs in all his glory. Looking quite proud for a 2 year old.

"Reno has the right idea." Sly snickered. "Ewwww. Help me get his diaper on before mom and dad see!" Cheyanne scolded him, and before Sly knew it, he was grimacing as he helped Cheyanne redress their baby brother.

"You'll be a good mum someday." Sly idly complimented his sister, earning him a scolding from her. "Oh shut up." She blushed, giving him another bop on the head. Reno pouted as his liberating nudity was robbed from him - but not before giving his siblings a parting gift.


"...and that's why Reno peed on us." Sly nodded as he finished his story, soapy suds being washed from his hair by his mothers dainty fingers.

Reno looked up from the corner of the bath room. "Jelly?" He chirped the word out experimentally. His mother glanced at him. "...What did he just say?" She asked the twins, a hint of accusation in her voice.

"I think he wants jelly?' Cheyanne mused as she washed off her soap suds beard. Sunny shook her head, turning to the small bundle laying beside her. "You've got silly siblings, Archie." She teased, tickling the squirming green eyed bundle of pudge with a soapy hand, the infant cooing happily.

"Sunny, children." The family perked up, their collective gazes landing on Oliver as he stood in the doorway in a fancy black suit, holding a small, heavy sack in one hand and a bright, shiny platinum coin in the other. The family had never seen that kind of money.

"Family, I, well, I have some good news. Business has 'picked up', in a way." Oliver grinned.

Never seen that kind of money, until now.

---

"Reno, you little degenerate! I'll kill you!" Cheyanne's bare, wet feet slapped against the hardwood of the manor's halls as she chased her little brother down as fast as her delicate frame could take her. The stocky little boy was quick and agile, and his sister, wrapped only in a large, thick bath-towel, couldn't keep up. Reno sliding down the circular staircase of the manor was the final straw. "Grrr! Sly, Archie, stop him!" She screeched.

"You're doing mighty good, Archie." Sly smiled as he ruffled his younger brothers shaggy hair, watching as the boy practiced his writing ever so carefully, with far better skill than anyone else in the family had at his age. Silvester turned to Draven, chuckling as the toddler seemed to be experimenting with the taste of chalk before it was plucked from his mouth by his brother. "Keep practicing, Dravvy." Sly grinned as he stood up, turning his attention towards the great hall. He watched with a bemused smirk as Reno sped by, his stocky, boyish frame covered only by a pair of tattered shorts were as everyone else was in their Sunday best. Father would not be pleased.

"What happened now, Chey?" Sly looked up to the railing overlooking the great hall, his sister scowling. "That little bloody brat scared me while I was bathing!" She hissed, earning her a chuckle from her brother. "Lemme guess - the ghost trick again?" Cheyanne blushed, glaring daggers at Sly. "Guh! You didn't even try and stop him! All you boys are against me!" She stamped her feet. "You're all ugly and always playing in the mud and stirring up trouble!"

Sly snorted at his sister as she fumed. "You know I can see up your bath-towel looking up from down here, right?" He quipped. Cheyanne's face went pale for a moment.

Then she dropped a vase on his head.

"I told you to stop provoking your sister." Oliver sighed as he carefully finished the final stitch going across his sons forehead. "She was the one running around practically naked!" Sly vented.

"Lewd." Archibald looked up from his writing only long enough to get that little comment out, earning him a glare from his older brother.

"Cool!" Draven chirped happily from his corner. This time earning him a glare from his father instead.

"I don't care. She's the only lady in this house beside her mother and the maids. You need to be more gentlemanly around her." Oliver closed up his medical kit and patted his son on the head. He gave the boys a coy smile. "If you must go on with your barbaric games and pranks, at least leave her out of it most of the time." He chuckled before walking off.

Reno popped his head into the room when the coast was clear, eying his brothers for a moment. He produced one of Cheyanne's dolls, the thing stripped down to it's skivvies. "So I shouldn't show her this, right?"

The boys glared at their brother.

"Lewd."

"Cool!" Draven and Reno chimed in together as they watched the crudely made target dummy explode in a flurry of arcane flames. Silvester wiped away a sheen of sweat from his brow, grinning like a fool. "Am I a hot shot or what?" He smirks impishly.

"You look like you just ran a marathon, all to cast one spell." Cheyanne chided. "Didn't your mentor say not to try casting anything until he OK'd it?" Archibald innocently chimed in, more out of concern than anything.

Sly looked over to the smoldering dummy, watching Reno and Draven attempt to stamp out the thing. "They wanted to see a fireball. What was I supposed to do, break my siblings hearts?" Silvester shrugged. Cheyanne struts over, shoving a muffin into her twins mouth. "Yes. Now eat or you'll pass out after that." Silvester chewed the muffin lazily, eying his sister with a twinkle in his eye. "Tanks mum." His muffin muffles his words, but Cheyanne hears him loud and clear, shoving the muffin further into his gullet. "Stop talking with your mouth full, dummy." She teases before walking off. "I need to do my daily prayers. You idiots just...ugh! Don't be idiotic!" The girl rubs her forehead as she addresses Reno and Draven specially, clearly flustered.

"But being an idiot is fun." Draven chimes, following this up with a fake attempt to eat dirt, never breaking eye contact with his sister. "Yeah, who wants to be smart if it means boring stuff like whatever you three do all day." Reno smirks as he teases his other siblings, and then makes a slightly less fake attempt to eat Dravens hair, the pair rolling into the dirt as they wrestle, trying their hardest to show Cheyanne the joys of idiocy.

"By the Light they're so dense..." Cheyanne groans before walking back toward the manor. Silvester places a hand on Archibalds shoulder, the pair watching her leave...and then watching Draven and Reno gnawing at each other like feral wolves.

"...Want to go get some candy from the maids?" Sly offers Archie. The shy young boy glances at his elder, then at his other brothers...

"Gah! You're biting my butt you little brat!" Reno howled before pulling a reversal on his youngest brother. The middle child sat on a squirming Dravens face and promptly farted upon it.

"Lewd!"

"Oh, that's just wrong Reno."

Draven let out a wheeze as his brother stood up and ran off, cackling all the way. Sly and Archie watched as the 6 year old let out a war cry...before promptly ripping off his pants with the utmost ease and running after Reno like a half naked berserker. "Imma fart on your face Reno!"

Archie gave Sly a pitiful look. "Why? Why are they always naked?" Sly gave the child a comforting pat on the shoulder. "...Uh. Yeah. Let's go get that candy."



"...And again, it all comes back to you three being naked, doesn't it?" Archibald let out a long winded sigh as he settled down into a little mossy spot on the edge of the pond. Cheyanne sat close by, distracted with a prayer book. Silvester, Reno, and Draven popped their heads up from the murky pond water.

"We're not naked." Silvester scolds his little brother, the magi standing up and flaunting his water logged under garments. "See?"

"I'm naked." Reno quips before vanishing under the waterline, popping back up again with a rather large fish, tossing the creature onto shore. Archibald inspects it. "Did you....put it to sleep? That's a grievous misuse of your powers as a Harvest Witch, isn't it?" The scruffy haired man frowns at his older brother.

"Nah." The tanned skinned Briarthorn shrugs before vanishing under the waterline again. There is a moment of silence before Draven's scrawny form appears from below the surface, splashing around as he holds his prize between his teeth - a freshly caught, squirming fish he caught with his mouth. Draven trots up to the shore proudly with his kill dangling from his lips before plopping it down into the pile and gesturing at it smugly.

"....Nice catch. I still wish you and Reno would wear your swim wear. Light only knows what's in this water." Archibald scolds, grimacing as his younger brother simply holds his head up high and gestures to his scrawny form. "You're just jelly." With that, Draven casually backflips into the pond.

"Maybe if I just pretend they aren't related to me, it will become true..." Cheyanne makes a faux sobbing sound. "Hey. It's a start ok? At least Draven was wearing a shirt earlier. Progress. Baby steps." Silvester nods sagely before attempting to catch a fish with an ice lance.

---

"What do leeches taste like?" Draven lazily questioned, barely flinching as Cheyanne expertly plucked the creature from his back. "Like stupid little boys." The teen sighs. The smell of cooking fish fills their camp ground, and the moon starts to rise high into the air. "I bet stupid little boys taste good." "Shut up, Draven."

Reno hummed to himself as he experimented with a stray plant, slowly channeling the slightest bit of magic into the thing and causing it to bear it's fruit - the harvest witch plucking the juicy black berries and popping them into his mouth. "This is nice, ya know. Just all of us like this." The boy let out a yawn as he laid back in his knapsack.

"It is. Fresh food, sky full of stars, cool air, Draven's covered in parasites..." Silvester smirked as he floated casually above the ground, focusing closely to maintain the spell.

"I'm not covered in parasites - I'm covered in leeches. Different."

"Boys..." Cheyanne tossed aside the last leech from her brothers skin. "...You're all happy, right?" She carefully moved aside, getting cozy by the campfire.

"Leeches just want a piece of me."
"'Course I'm happy, Sis. I shoot fireballs out of my hands. What's not to be happy about?"
"Is everything alright, Cheyanne?"
"These black berries taste great."

Cheyanne sighed. "Nothing. Just...well, we're getting older." She shrugs, looking small.

"So?" Silvester twirled around in the air, coming to face Cheyanne and giving her a wink. "We won't stop doing things like this together no matter how old we get." The young man makes a gesture across his chest. "Promise."

Cheyanne smirks, shoving the floating boy away. "Oh cut it out. I'm just being all blubbery. Ignore me."

Reno perked up from his knapsack, looking concerned. "I sense something nearby."

Archibald glanced at Reno curiously, setting down his book. "We're in the forest, so there's probably lots of stuff nearby...is it dangerous?"

Reno is quiet for a time.

"Well Reggy? What is it?" Silvester frowns.

"It's...." Reno frowns - but soon after, his body jolts up in a shock. "Draven, duck!"

"Duck? Oooh, Silvester, shoot it down-" The scrawny boy lets out a gasp as his frame is tackled down hard by a small black wolf. The creature looks young and malnourished, but it's strong enough to shove Draven. The creature hurls itself at the boy.

The family is at the ready in the blink of an eye. Silvester's hand glows with arcane energy as gouts of flame rise up from his palm. Cheyanne focuses closely, muttering intently as her eyes focus on her little brother. Reno goes for a large branch, quickly moving in and attempting to whack the creature.

"Draven, run!" Archibald moves as fast as his legs will take him, his boney hands reaching out to try and grab Draven and drag him away - but his fingers close around air. The wolf pounces Draven, but the boy doesn't react quite the way expected - Draven's arms wrapping around the creatures scruffy neck and clinging for dear life as the wolf races into the woods, it's passenger not letting go.

"Oh no." Silvester groans before chasing after the creature. Cheyanne lets out a panicked wail before joining the pursuit.

"Uh." Archibald stands there, dumbfounded, before turning to Reno. The tanned boy gives his little brother a shrug. "...Guess we better route 'em."

---

"Draven! Please! I'll let you taste the leeches, just let go of the bloody wolf!" Cheyanne propels herself as hard as she can through the midnight forest, only having the magical glow of a flame trailing Silvester to guide her. Her twin stays close, his feet pounding the ground hard as he tries to keep up with the fleeing creature. "Reno!" Silvester calls out in the dark, barely making out the sight of a lantern wielding boy and his companion in the distance. "Be ready to whack it at the river!"

The wolf makes its way towards a small river dividing the woods. If it can make the jump, it could lose its pursuers. Not so much the little boy straddling its neck. The wolf jumps, going high and sailing across the thin river. It never makes it.

A pillar of water rushes into the air, freezing in place. The hounds skull connects and it crashes to the moist riverside soil. Sly smirks at the sight. "Once again, Silvester saves the day." He watches his siblings speed by. Cheyanne is notably frantic. "Draven! Draven! Are you o- oh my Light."

The wolf is very much still awake. It twitchs meekly in Dravens stranglehold. The boy looks up with innocent eyes, slowly sleeper holding the stunned wolf into submission. "Can I keep him?" He asks naively, looking only slightly stuffed up from his wild ride.

Cheyanne gave another faux - or maybe real - sob. "You bloody brat, you scared us half to death! There's no way I will let you take that beast home! Sly, kill it or something!"

Draven gave a huff, tightening his grip on the wolf. "I want him!"

"No!" Cheyanne stamped her foot in defiance.

"Yes!" Draven insisted

"No!" Cheyanne argued with the nine year old.

"Uh. Guys?" Archibald frowned as he observed their surroundings. "Where is our camp?"

The group went silent. They looked around for a moment, noting the darkness and silence of the forest around them.

Then the lantern at Archibalds side went out.

"Hard to believe the local militia is so destitute that we have to supply our own equipment. Not that I'd want to wear that ragged old armor." Cheyanne turned up her nose at the sight of the marching militiamen doing morning rounds at their compound. The militia camp grounds were protected by weathered, rotting wooden logs lined up to form an imposing, but aging defensive wall. The tents and buildings were tattered and water damaged. The soldiers wore brown leather armor that was peeling at spots, intricate designs carved into their tunic had been worn away by time. The leather smelled sickly sweet and decaying. Bows were splintered and crooked. Shields rusted and weak. Swords bent and dull.

They would glance at the two teenagers now and then, shooting glares at the twins, in their freshly smithed, custom made scale and chain mail. Their elegantly made long bows and strong steel swords and shields. Silvester eyed his sister, the girl looking more awkward and shy now. "Guilty much?" He quipped, only to feel his sister give him a firm thump of her fist on his shoulder. "I'm just saying..." She huffs. "I'm angry at their leaders for not keeping them well equipped. It's not their fault they're stuck wearing ratty old armor." Cheyanne gave an awkward cough before changing the subject. "You promise me you'll stay out of trouble, alright? I'll miss you, but I'd rather not have to see you in the infirmary."

"We'll still see each other from time to time. Not like we'll be far apart. If I ever want to see you, I'll just get shot with an arrow to the k-." He let out a huff as Cheyanne bopped him on the chest again. "Don't you dare finish that so called joke, Silvester Briarthorn." Cheyanne hisses, earning her a snicker from her brother. The pair were quiet for a time, simply content to watch the movements of the militia around the camp. Cheyanne leaned against her brothers side, embracing him in a tight hug. She sighed as he returned the gesture, with his own little comment, of course. "You're such a sap." He teases, only to hear the sound of his sister growling against his chest. "Oh relax. You're a priestess soon, stop being so aggressive."

The girl looked up at her brother with a scowl, which slowly softened. "Stay out of trouble, you bloody ogre." She huffed.

"Of course, mum."

Another bop, this time, on his head.

"Children." Olivers voice boomed as he approached the pair, two of the militia's highest ranking members trailing behind, looking quite pleased. "Lieutenant Amman, welcome to the force, recruit." The man's hand grasped Silvesters shoulder firmly. Cheyannes hand was taken by the others, held gingerly in his loose grasp. "John Henry, Senior Healer." Oliver eyed the militia and their poor equipment. "I expect my donations will be used to properly gear these men. I have three other children who I wish to have experience the discipline of the militia. It would be...displeasing for me if they witnessed their peers wearing such low quality equipment the next time I come here to enlist them..."

The twins rolled their eyes as their father made the two men squirm, holding the pair hostage with lucrative Briarthorn funding. Eventually, goodbyes would be exchanged, and the twins sent on their way to begin their training.

They seldom saw each other after that day.

"Come on Archie, ask her." Reno gently nudged his younger brother his elbow, smirking as the boy beside him let out a whine.

"Cut it out, you oaf! She'll notice." Archibald retreated a few steps back, curling his body in on itself slightly in an attempt to look smaller. The brothers were a stark contrast. Archibald, at 16 was easily the tallest member of the family, towering over his brothers. His skin was deathly pale and taut against the bony provinces of his body. His dark hair shaggy and wild compared to how well kept the others maintained theirs. His eyes easily the most brilliant green of the bunch. Not hazel like Reginald, or blue like Silvester. Green. As his mother said - 'A lady loves emeralds, Archie'.

Reno was shorter. A stocky 18 year old. He was easily the most well muscled, the most burly and strong, with 'the arms of a bloody dire bear, as father would say. His dark hair was long and styled. His skin, once as pale as his brothers, was deeply tanned by years out in the sun, 'communing with nature'.

Reno gave his brother another shove in the direction of the young woman. A little sister of one of Cheyannes friends. She, the older sister in question, Cheyanne, and Sunny Briarthorn stood around the plaza of the family manor, gossiping gleefully as the two teens loomed nearby in a gloomy hall way.

Archibald hissed at his brothers insistence. "I will not make a fool of myself to sate your bloody curiosity!" The taller teen attempted to flee back to his room. His teacher was surely waiting, ready to continue their discussion regarding the elemental composition of the human body, but Reno wasn't about to let the lanky teen flee.

"Archie. You and Cheyanne may be the only ones in this house without an ounce of romantic desire. Hell, I see Draven with a new girl everyday. Draven. The fourteen year old. How does that make sense to you?" Reno gave his brother a critical look, watching as Archibald grew flustered. "What about Silvester? Or you? Hmm? So what if Draven is growing up to be a little bloody man who-" Archibald was cut off by a sigh from his brother.

"Arch, I'm a harvest witch." He smirked. "We sow our wild oats out in the field." Reno looked smug.

"Lewd."

"Shut it."

Reno continued to pressure how brother, even as Cheyanne occasionally shot the pair a judgmental look from across the hall. "Silvesters been courting some Lordaeron girl. Dunno if she's high society or not but she's very..." Reno made an hour glass figure with his hands.

"C-curvy?" Archibald uttered with a blush on his face.

"Curves to put a dwarf girl to shame."

Archibald was now sporting a nosebleed. He failed to notice it, even as it threatened to drip down and stain his pristine white lab coat. Reno produced a handkerchief, dabbing the smear away. Archibald didn't even flinch.

"Come now, Archie. Make your brother proud before I head down to the militia?" Reno pouted teasingly. He took his enlistment lightly, but his brother shook out of his stupor and shot the older teen a frown. "Blast you, Reginald." Archibald sighed deeply before steeling himself. He brushed back his hair, checked his breath, and puffed out his chest. "...Will you come with me? I uh, need someone to distract her sister, Cheyanne, and mum."

Reno smirked, slapping a hand onto how brothers shoulder. "You can always count on me to be your sword arm, little brother." The boys shot each other confident smirks and strutted over to their 'prey' with a certain swagger in their step.

They had no luck that day.