The Tale of the Siblings

In a kingdom ages ago, in a land far from the safety of Champions, lived a lonely King. The heroes of his kingdom had long since ran, deeming his kingdom doomed. Looming around every corner of the lands were the Grimm, who mercilessly killed anyone who stepped outside the walls. They clawed at the walls, ready to destroy them at any moment. Sadly, the King had no more knights, no more Champions, no one to protect his poor, starving kingdom.

As the King prepared to evacuate his beloved land, there was a commotion outside the walls of the city. Rushing with his advisors to see what was going on, they were in awe of what they saw. Two people, a man and a woman, were slaughtering Grimm with ease. It was glorious, no one could even keep up with their speed. The Grimm never had a chance against the two.

Finally, every Grimm in sight was disposed of, the two warriors facing the King and his advisors. Now that they were standing before them, the King could see the warriors for who they are. The woman bowed before the King, her brilliant white hair flowing in the wind as her blue eyes locked upon the King’s. Staff in hand, she hummed as she observed the group. Meanwhile, the man nodded at the onlookers, his blue locks tied back as his silver eyes glanced at the woman. Ripping his blade from the body of a Grimm, he brushed off the blood upon his being.

“Tell me, brave heroes,” the King spoke, stepping towards the two with a warm smile, “What are your names? We would like to thank you both for what you’ve done” The two seemed surprised, before they nodded.

“I am the Day, and this is my brother” the woman spoke, motioning to the man.

“I am the Night, and this is my sister” the man said, motioning towards the woman.

“A feast shall be thrown in your honor!” the King said, and with that, the King and all his Kingdom celebrated the sister and brother that saved their kingdom. In the grand castle, at a long, wooden table, the King’s servants brought forth a meal fit for an army. The brother and sister were surprised at the lack of knights in the castle, and asked the King who protected his walls.

“Alas, the knights have left, leaving my people helpless to the wrath of the Grimm” He spoke, his voice echoing through the halls of his one-glorious castle.

“Then we shall train some new knights, ones that will defend their kingdom!” The Day said, a smile on her face as she raised her staff valiantly.

“Nonsense,” Chastised the Night, his voice cold as a winter’s night, “We shall train hunters who attack the Grimm, bringing glory to the King!”

The King sensed a strange animosity from the two, but intervened. Being a wise king, he knew that a solution could be found, if not at least an agreement.

“During the hours of light, the Day shall train our defenders,” the King said, before turning from the Sister to the Brother, “During the hours of darkness, the Night shall train our hunters” Both seemed fine with this deal, and agreed to train any able-bodied warriors to fight or defend their people.

In hours of light, the Day walked the lands, training her defenders to be servants of the kingdom. Her radiance was something many thought long gone, and reminded them of the days before the dark times. Knights walked the walls once more, and slowly, trade began to flourish in the city once more. The King himself, being a younger man, saw her as the most beautiful maiden in all the lands. He always had an advisor or two trailing her, watching and taking records of her innumerable kindnesses. The Day never rested until all was taken care of, and not a harsh word ever escaped her lips. She was a beacon of hope to all who saw her.

In the hours of darkness, while the Day slept in her quarters, the Night arose to take up arms. His anger would never be quelled, and those that joined his cause found trying times ahead of them. Their blades laid waste to the Grimm, clearing out the woods nearby. Armed with only their will, and the combined hatred of the Grimm, the Night’s hunters carved a path to the nearby towns, and offered aid when needed. Those who met the Night saw him as fearful, but honest and understanding. His kindness was not like the Day’s, for his actions brought as much comfort as the soothing woods of his sister.

As the hours of twilight came along, the Day would beckon the Night to rest, for the darkness was long and numbed the mind. In the hours of dusk loomed overhead, the Night would carry the Day to her bed, knowing if no one stopped her, she’d never rest until far into the dark hours.

Other kingdoms heard of the two champions, their names spreading about the region. Hearing of their actions, a wizard in the darkest corner of the world began to traverse the lands. This wizard was known for his powers over the very essence of life, his magic having changed fate itself. Traveling the road to the kingdom, the wizard spotted the hunters as they travelled back. As it was, the dark hours were coming to an end, and they were all very exhausted from their task.

“Ah! Good hunters!” the wizard spoke, cheerily greeting them as he walked towards the group, “I have heard of the exploits of your leader, the glorious Night! His blade is feared by the Grimm, and his face is known throughout the entire world as a champion of good!” Hearing this, the Night stepped forward, looking over the wizard with surprise in his eyes.

“Yes, I am the Night, what is it that you could want?” the Brother asked, sending off his hunters so they may rest. He was not use to receiving such praise, and even began to smile a bit.

“You and your Sister, the Day, have inspired many to take on the lives you two follow, and to fight off the Grimm both during the hours of light and dark!” the wizard explained, before raising his hands to the Brother, “I wish to give you both a gift, something that will aid you two on your quests” Hearing this, the Brother nodded, and led the wizard to the great hall of the castle.

“It’s hard to keep fighting during the hours of darkness,” the Night spoke as they walked, his grip on his blade loose and his eyes tired, “I would like to get some rest when I can… will this be long?”

“You need strength to last throughout the dark hours, and to lend that out to your warriors…” the wizard rubbed his chin, thinking over the Night’s plight as they walked about the twilight, “A way to Rally your hunters to the honor of their duty, right?” Nodding, the Night agreed, but their conversation was cut short when the cries of the Day echoed through the town. Her voice was soothing to the two’s ears, and seemed to bring a new life into the town as the hours of light rolled along. Entering the grand hall, the two stopped before the King of the lands, who stood with the Day.

“Brother, it’s time to rest, you’ll be too weak to help your hunters if you don’t head off to bed now” the Day said cheerily, always a morning person. Huffing, the Night glanced away from his sister, and the three looked at the wizard.

“You must be the Day!” the wizard spoke, warmth filling his breast as the Day nodded, “I have heard of your deeds, captain of the impenetrable wall, the unbreakable Day! Your staff inspires wherever you go, your beautiful locks a symbol of hope!” the Day blushed, not knowing what to say in response to his king words.

“Unbreakable is hardly what I would say, my duty and my soldiers are what keep these walls up… but the taste is hard to keep up,” the Day explained, waving off the words of the wizard, “My Brother is the strong one between us, his blade cuts through stone as if it were leaves!” The wizard smiled, glancing at the Night as he looked away, embarrassed by the Day’s words.

Word of the wizard spread fast, and numerous men, woman, and children began to flood into the great hall of the castle. Hearing that their heroes were to be rewarded, they wished to partake in the festivities, and watch them receive their much-due praises.

“Royalty, knights, champions of good…” the wizard spoke out, raising his hands as the Sister and Brother approached him, “I am here to reward these two brave heroes for what they’ve done, not only to your Kingdom, but for the world as a whole!” However, the Night was drifting off, not use to such festivities during the light hours. His Sister tried to cheer him up, but it was to no avail.

“First, so that he may rest, I will give the Night his reward,” the wizard explained, walking up to the Night and putting his hands upon the Brother, “For your tiring hours and long, heartless hunts, I will unlock your true power! The ability to fill your troops with vigor, and rally them, while taking away the numbing of the dark hours!” A light aura appeared around the Night, like the glow of the moon high in the dark sky. Turning to the Day, the wizard put his hands upon her as well.

“Please, I don’t need anything” the Day said, turning the wizard down. Smiling up at her, he took her hands in his, and whispered his magic words.

“I shall give you what you deserve, then,” the wizard spoke out, his magic brushing over the young woman, “You shall have the strength you need to hold up those walls, and to hold the hopes and dreams of all you fight for!” As a glow washed over the Sister, she stepped back and looked over herself, her normal radiance now almost blindingly bright. The Night watched on as his Sister picked up the great table of the hall with ease, amazing the onlookers.

“How is that fair?” the Night growled, glaring down at the wizard, “Her power amazes and inspires those who see her! That strength would have better use fighting the Grimm!” The darkness had crept into his tired mind. Seeing his Sister cheered on and praised for her gift made his gift feel worthless, almost like the wizard was mocking him.

“Brave hunter, I don’t intend these gifts to be used for fighting, they are to help those that you serve” the wizard spoke, shying away from the angry Brother, “Your power will invigorate your hunters, and push away the numbing of the darkness. Her strength will let her hold up all that this kingdom hopes for, no longer will she be strained”

“That strength would do more to slay the Grimm, and inspire those that fight the darkness!” the Night roared, shoving the wizard aside in his anger. He wandered off, unable to stand much longer with how tired he was. Once the celebration was over, and the wizard approached the Day, and warned her of her Brother. She brushed off his warning, believing once her Brother rested, he would be back to his normal self.

Meanwhile, the King invited the Day to an outing with him. Unlike the previous days, the defenders were at ease, no Grimm for miles. This let the Day and the King spend all the hours of light together. Meanwhile, as the Night slumbered, the darkness whispered to him, keeping him from resting easy all the hours of light. It was close to the hour of dusk, and when the Day began to stumble and grow weary, and the Night awoke to take his post. Seeing the Day with the King, the Night walked forward and demanded she head off to rest.

“Brother, the light is still young, and the King needs my company!” the Day spoke happily, but the Night would not have it. He tried to yank the Day away, taking her from the King. In anger, the Day shoved her Brother away, her new strength sending him crashing into the walls. Horrified, she ran to his aid, praying her Brother was still with them.
“Brother, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to hurt you!” the Day cried out, but her voice was silenced as the Night impaled grabbed her arm. She felt her power drained from her, the Night using his gift to drain the power from her. The darkness crept around the Night, his restless spirit and mind giving into the hunt.

“Sister, rest now…” the Night whispered to her, driving his blade into the Sister. She took one last look at her Brother, and with a twist of the blade, the Night sent her away into the darkness. Stepping over her body, the Night prepared to strike down the King. He cried out for his guards, but before they could arrive, the wizard approached the Brother. He’d been wary of the Brother since the other day, and had kept a close eye upon him.

“You’ve used your gift not to rally, but to kill an innocent person,” the wizard spoke gravely, and he raised his hands to the Brother, “The darkness has twisted your gift, and turned it into a power for evil” The Night felt his body freeze, unable to move as the King’s guards, and his hunters, arrived to his aid.
“For your actions, I lay a curse upon you and your lineage… the Grimm will never stray far from you, the gift you possess will curse every heir you have, and the blessing of your sister shall pass to each of your heiresses” With that, the very light around the Night began to scar him. His back tore apart, marking him for the rest of his life for what he’d done.

“Remove this monster from my kingdom, immediately!” the King roared, and with that, his knights tried to grab hold of the Night. In a blur of despair, the Night ran away the moment he could, disappearing into the hours of darkness, never to return.

The King mourned his beloved Day, laying her to rest with the kings and queens before him. Without the Night, the hunters were troubled by the Grimm more than ever before. Without the Day, the defenders found it nearly impossible to keep the kingdom safe. In memory of the Siblings, the hours of light were named the Day, and the hours of darkness were to be the Night. Even in the face of this immense sadness, the King never let himself fail in his duty. No matter what tragedy strikes, one should never let the darkness numb their thoughts.

-The Divitiae Mansion, Modern Day-

“That is the tale of the Siblings,” the lady of the house spoke to her young daughter, “Can you rest already?” The young, dark haired girl nodded happily, laying back in her bed with the covers up to her neck.

“But… why did the Night kill his sister?” the girl asked as the older woman stood up, yawning a bit herself.

“Her gift was very visible, while his gift wasn’t, because of that, he thought his gift less than the sister’s. He hated her for her gift, and wanted to take it away from her,” the woman spoke, before leaning in and kissing her child’s head, “The hunt ruins one’s mind, and is really unhealthy for them… he went mad after killing so many” Thinking it over, the young girl shook her head.

“I thought the moral of the story was to not judge yourself by other’s gifts?” the girl asked, causing the older woman to roll her eyes.

“Got to bed already” the lady spoke, and with that, she headed out of the young girl’s room.