2 Welcome To Arkern Island

Vyn and Von hadn't gotten much out of the pilot—that's for sure. Vyn nearly strangled the living lights out of him but relented from the time he'd realized that he was the only pilot of the helicopter.

Now, they were on the island they had seen from the skies. And, certainly, it looked much more monolithic now that they were walking upon its lands.

They stood, waiting in a line. Around twenty people were in this line, waiting. Despite having no idea what they were waiting for, Vyn and Von simply slipped in and did the same as opposed to just dallying about cluelessly and drawing attention.

The line led to a little building, which was next to a tall gate. Both the building and the gate lingered as enigmas to Vyn and Von.

The building had large, golden moldings, black walls that absorbed very little light it any at all, no windows in sight, a roof protruding forward from which mammoth gold pillars fell, and embroidered art on the wall.

The art looked as though it was the work of a thousand hands. Strong curves in the lines, blended chalk, splashes of gold, prevalent stippling and white water color.

All these things snowballed into the manifestation of a marvelous masterpiece: A woman with freakishly long, white hair, an ethereal face of astounding pulchritude, a silky dress that reached her feet, and wings protruding from either side of her body.

"So it's caught your attention too, huh, Von?" Vyn asked, arms crossed over his chest.

Von averted his gaze.

"Don't tell me your crushing over it."

Von narrowed his eyes at him. "What am I supposed to rub my lips against the wall, and brush my boner along it?" He scoffed. "It's obviously a painting … a religious one."

"Could you two keep it down?" A voice from behind.

In turn, they both looked over their shoulders. It was the blue-haired lad from the helicopter. Clearly he didn't make it to Italy, and Vyn was certain he'd grown sulky about it.

"I'm sorry, what was your name again?" Von asked.

"Earl," he ran a hand through his dyed, well-kept hair with elegance and profound arrogance, "my name's Earl. Don't go introducing yourselves because I don't care."

Vyn smirked, turning around, and sticking out his chest. "Problems, Earl?"

Von nudged him. "Leave him alone. You're drawing attention."

"You two look freakishly alike for a couple," Earl looked down at his black-painted nails, "though I can understand why you've ended up gay."

"We're fucking twins, man!"

"Oh, really?" Earl placed a hand upon his chin. "I couldn't see that since the taller one looks handsome and cool, where as the one with glasses looks like something I'd draw with my left hand."

"That's it," Von slid a sleeve up his arm and marched toward Earl, "let's let him have it."

Earl hopped on his feet, cracking his head. "Beware of the fact that I'm quite dexterous with these hands of mine." He raised his balled fists.

Vyn smirked. "Show him, Von!" He cheered. "And remember, no hugging this time!"

Von raised his fists high. He felt his heart throbbing. He'd lost every single fight of his life. But he wanted to win this one.

"Hello, sir, is there a—"

Aran spun around and jabbed the figure to its face hard. Only after he delivered an uppercut next did he realize that he'd hit a woman.

The woman placed a hand on her face, her mouth gaped and her eyes widened in shock.

Aran deflated. "I'm sorry … I wasn't gonna hit y—"

She raised a leg and kicked him right in the Willy. Groaning, he doubled over. From the time he'd raised his head, she buried a fist into his face.

He collapsed right, groaning under his breath.

The woman fixed her tie, scoffed, and nodded off with aggressive steps.

Vyn dropped to his knees. He placed Von's head upon his lap, and sniffled. "Brother, are you alright?"

Von coughed. "I don't know if it's gonna work anymore."

Vyn sniffled. "What do you mean?"

"Hurry up and break up with him already!" snapped a man at the back of the line.

"Shut your fucking mouth and let my damn brother speak!" Vyn snapped back at him.

"I don't think it's gonna work after this," Von winced, "I don't think I'm gonna be having kids, Vyn."

"I'll send you some of my holy milk, Von," Vyn smiled, "she'd never know."

Von narrowed his eyes and pressed his bleeding lips together in a line. "Don't give that bullshit, Vyn."

"Next in line!" A husky voice sounded.

Vyn helped Von up to his feet. He had even gone so far as to pick up Von's glasses and place it on his nose ridge.

Von further fixed the broken frame. "Dammit. She broke my last pair when I can't see crap in this eye. Not after that nasty throw."

Vyn started toward the counter alongside Von.

A strange creature loitered behind the counter with apathetic eyes under roundish glasses.

The creature had violet eyes, pale grey skin, pointy-ears and prominent canines that protruded from her mouth, both top and bottom jaws. She had so many gaps in her teeth that it looked like her tongue was in jail.

Vyn sneered. "Damn. Who's been feeding you legos?"

"What was that?" It grimaced.

"Ohh, it's nothing," Von smiled, "we just haven't seen anything like you before."

"Your parents must be proud people," Vyn flashed a smile at her.

"It runs in the blood," it said. "Alright, welcome to Arkern, the lands of the obscured. Now, firstly, I'd like your names. Identity frauds are punishable by death."

"I'm Vyn Dick," Vyn said.

"Von Dick," Von said.

"I see you two have already made yourselves," she looked at Von's swollen eye, "comfortable."

"Well," Von furrowed his brows, "I'm not quite comfortable right now. Before I go suing you and pressing charges, I'd like a few questions answered. Firstly, why the hell are we here!"

"Sir," the creature's eyes glowed green, "if you would please calm down. You will be provided with counselor when we're finished clearing your names."

She picked up a tablet from the counter, scratched her pointy ears and pressed her screen.

She sighed. "There, new members of the Dick family cleared."

She turned around, and waddled her dwarfish body over to a strange machine that resembled a printer. Two strips of yellowish paper slid out of the machine.

Vyn had his eyes glued to her behind. Her waist were curvaceous but her behind was bulky even through the clothes that covered her greyish skin.

Von looked at Vyn, scoffed and shook his head in wry.

"Should I even be looking at this?" Vyn questioned, still peering at the creature's behind.

She turned around with the strips of paper in her hands, handing it to them. "That piece of paper in your hands has your information. Let a guard usher you past the gates. If the gates do not open, it means you have black mana within you and must be sentenced to death."

A freakishly tall man stopped next to Vyn and Von, looking his nose down at them. He wore a black furry hat, and gold clothes.

"Follow me," he said before turning around and marching off.

Vyn and Von looked at each other, nodded and only then followed the marching man down the path toward the massive gate afield.

Vyn even mimicked the man's march to point fun at it. But he stopped when he realized that he hadn't gotten as much as a smile from Von.

They stopped before the gate. It was at least a fifty times taller than even the freakishly man next to them.

It was back with gold embroidery and an ineffable eeriness to the air around it.

It creaked, and slowly opened. The floor seem to rumble as the gate's doors separated and opened autonomously.

Both Von and Vyn were dazed.

The guard turned to them. "You may now enter. Once inside Arkern, you should be greeted by a counselor. If not, they simply do not want to make acquaintances with your kind."

Von and Vyn simply walked through the gates.

They were greeted by massive trees that almost touched the skies, tall colorful grass that touched their calves, and a golden dirt path toward a gigantic castle in the distance.

Their breaths were taken away from them and replaced with speechlessness. Speechlessness that lasted for long—up until the very moment, a minuscule, hovering figure stopped before them.

The hovering figure before them was about the size of a hand. She possessed pink skin, horns, and a golden halo hovering in a fixed position over her head.

She bowed, "Hello there, Incubi! Welcome to Arkern Island, the lands to which you are now bound. I am Maeva, and I will be your counselor now on!"