"Hey," Calamite stands tall, looking below to the crouching Alon, "it's been a few days already..." his eyes darkening, "Do you think he died somewhere?"
Alon shrugged, shaking like a leaf on the blanket of snow, "Maybe he got delayed. We did change too many things."
Calamite and Alon are just outside the ruins of the castle, away from their warm, DIY, house just to go on a look-out for the guard.
"Wait..." Calamite crosses his arms over his chest as his eyes closing, "...you don't think he might've gotten into one of our traps?"
Alon blinks, thinking back on the very convincing snowy ground only for it to be a trap that when stepped on it, you'd fall off into the spikes below. Or the vines hidden by the snow that when tripped, a barrage of rocks would launch on the target. So with only his iris' rolling upwards to Calamite, he meets a worried look of his brother as well. Calamite's hand is over his mouth and everything.
Before they could think properly, they were already dashing ahead. They can't bring their lifesaver to be dead by some measly food traps while going on his way to the twins.
Alon and Calamite would jump in sync, swerve to the right and left, and sometimes go up to the tree to cross over some "invisible" traps—they forgot what traps there were along the way.
The twins stopped, Alon pants for air and kneels on the cold snow while Calamite crashes his whole body to the ground. This was because when they finally saw a marker on the tree, they knew there'd be no more traps.
"No body." Alon muttered, "Guard...not here.." he pants, breathing heavily as his upper body slowly leans forward to the snow. "We ran for nothing!!!"
Calamite pops up his head, "Well, he probably would've been fine without us." he claimed, "He's an adult, he can probably see better than us." he added.
Behind them was a series of tiny little, inconsistent, snow piles.
"I don't think he sees what we see..." Calamite said and Alon just plops to the snow, his little legs kicking.
Calamite deadpans, "Anyway, let's just go home for today." he suggested, "Not like we can just waltz inside the castle anyway."
Alon paused his kicking, slowly rising up with a red nose, "Yeah, you're right. And it's kinda cold, don't wanna stay here for too long."
"Then why not join me?"
Alon and Calamite jumps from the sound, inching back away from it. At first they only saw a boot but as their heads turn up, they saw a familiar face, it was the guard. The twins' eyes sparkle when the guard lend a helping hand.
"Why...are the two of you lying there???" The guard asked, his hand reaching out to the two kids to help them up, "You're..." he pause, "Ah, right. No names." he pointed.
"Alon." Calamite points toward his brother.
"Calamite." Alon does the same as his brother.
The guard widen his eyes, "You named yourselves?" he muttered, "That's...a nice name." he thinks it's weird.
The guard fakes a cough, "Ahem. My name is Helios, a Royal Guard." he starts, "I serve your father, the King." he reaches through a pocket and takes out a golden token, showing it to the kids, "This is a token of proof that I mean no harm so please, come with me; the castle is prepared for your arrival." he claimed.
There was a little pause, worrying the guard that the children wasn't convinced. 'Was my script a little off??' Helios thought, 'I should really practice some more!' he cries out internally.
"Can we grab some of our stuff first?" Alon asked, this surprised the guard but nodded wilfully with a smile.
"I will follow you both. It's too dangerous for your highnesses to go alone." Helios claimed, "I will help out sort your belongings as well."
Alon and Calamite take a short glance at each other before walking to the far right around the castle and the traps. "It's this way." Alon said, "The castle collapsed so our new house is behind it.".
"And we've been alone just fine." Calamite sharply added but that made Alon send him a questioning look as if to say, 'since when?'.
Helios sheepishly smiled, "Oh, right..." he whispered, following the two kids right behind them while his eyes catches the traps that the kids had made, it was sloppily hidden from the snow.
"Oh! We're almost there!" Alon said, running up a little more, going a little farther from the guard and Calamite when all of a sudden, the tree that was near Alon exploded.
Calamite and Helios could only watch in horror and shock as the two saw Alon flying off.
The next thing they know, Alon and Calamite were back in their cradle. Now their third life has ended.
If Calamite could, he'd like to show his displeasured face to Alon who was giggling heartily at the next cradle.
Ten years passed by once more, they built a shelter a little more nearer to the castle so the guard could come get them a little more faster and farther bit from the trees.
"We have 5 lives left." Alon counted, "And all those deaths were useless!".
Calamite sighed, "Relax, at least we know what to avoid.
"I think we're just meant to die before reaching the castle..." Alon muttered, turning to his brother who was busy lighting up a bonfire, "Should we just end the rest of the five lives we have?"
Calamite stilled, "Don't be silly," he snap himself out, continuing to rub the sticks together for the fire, "that's just suicide now and that's a sin."
Alon huffed, "You're thinking about that God? He doesn't exist. Especially when there's nothing about this in the book." he reasoned, "Come on, it's not like you were that religious before."
Snap!
Alon shrinks back as he saw Calamite slowly stands from his spot, the twigs had snapped. And when Calamite turns to look at Alon, the boy could see a flare of anger in Calamite's eyes.
"So you'd kill yourself? Kill me?" Calamite questioned, "I don't wanna die! I still want to go out there and live my life!"
"Woah, woah! That's why I asked you, it's just a suggestion." Alon sheepishly smiled, dismissively waving his hands as he said, "I won't do anything rash."
Calamite glared, "You better not, even if you only thought of it just a little bit, doesn't mean it won't make a huge impact on your mind." he claimed, "Be careful what you think, it might consume you."
"Blah, blah, blah! I get it, don't worry~!" Alon grinned, "I'll go check the traps. See if there's rabbits in it." he said.
Calamite nodded, "Alright, and please do be careful." Alon saluted but then he noticed a large shadow right behind him and when he turn to see, it was the guard from the previous lives.
The guard's eyes lit up when seeing the two boys, "Ah, you must be his majesty's sons! But why are the two of you outside?" he asked.
Calamite gasps, "You're the guard!" he announced.
"U-uhh..." Alon takes a step back, the guard was too close that it took him by surprise when he saw the man.
"My apologies, I did not mean to startle you both." The guard claimed, seeing that the twins did not reply, he continues, "My name is Helios, a Royal Guard. I work for the King, your father."
Helios takes out a token, "This is a token of proof that I mean no harm so please, come with me; the castle is prepared for your arrival." he claimed, waiting for the twins answer thinking they'd refuse a stranger's claims.
"Alright," Alon started, "let's get going then."
"It's freezing here." Calamite added, "I don't really wanna stay here for too long."
Helios, startled by the answers, stammers in his words, "Y-yes—Right! Then, this way. Please."
And as Helios was about to lead the way, Calamite and Alon immediately grabs Helios' hands, surprising the guard further.
"Careful, any tree might explode..." Alon warned, his eyes full of concern.
Helios felt a tug from his left and turns to see Calamite's raging face but his eyes filled with massive fear, "And don't let the wolves catch us no matter what!!"
'Explosive trees? Wolves?' Helios thought, his brow raised, 'Can trees even explode??? And wolves shouldn't be a problem, they're usually on the other side of the castle.' even then, the guard nods and makes a look out as they walk through the snow.
And as if in random, the wind keeps up a pace, getting stronger and stronger with each step that the twins took.
"Urgh! That's weird..." Helios said, "There's shouldn't be an upcoming blizzard." he muttered under his breath but the twins still heard it.
Calamite could hear the loud bangs of doom behind him while Alon eyes on the dagger that's on the hilt carried by the guard, preparing for an easy death if needed.
But then they see the guard crouching, "Excuse me, you're highnesses. I think it's too dangerous for you both to walk for the rest of way." he claimed as he sweeps off their feet and carries the twins in his arms before continuing to walk again.
"Good idea." Alon replied, earning the attention of the guard, "The wind wouldn't let me breathe easy for how strong it is now." he said, causing the guard widen his eyes before turning to Calamite to check.
And when Helios turned, he meets the eyes of a person that has undergone enlightment and acceptance, causing Helios to look puzzled.
Then Calamite places a hand on the guard's shoulder as he says, "Take us out if we start choking." Calamite gestures his hand with a swipe across his neck and Helios could hear a crackle behind him as he realized what it meant.
"Aiyee!! No! I would not do that to your highnesses!" Helios said, looking both to the twins. "Don't worry, your highnesses, I will ensure your lives are secured until we get to the castle!"
Alon frowned, wrinkling his face, "We really hate pain..." he said, "so if there's even the slightest of pain then." his hand gestures a swipe across his neck.
Helios panicked, "Eek! Please endure, your highnesses! We're almost there!!" he said as he runs to quickly get the little princes home safely.
'Why in the world would they even think like this!!' Helios cried out in his mind.
The more Helios run, the more foggy the path was, "Ack. I should've brought a lamp with me..." he muttered, squinting his eyes as he slows down his run but still kept up a quick pace. But just up ahead on their way, something dark was coming their way.
Alon jokingly says, "Haha, must be a huge boulder or something."
Calamite glared, "Don't jinx us!"
And a huge boulder really did appear.