[17JosephLC]

Alexios and Maria were a pair of cute, 10 year-old twins. They both had the pale skin of the Byzanite Empire's people; though Alexios had short, curly brown hair and eyes green as the oasis; whereas his sister Maria had shoulder-length, straight brown hair and eyes as blue as the midday sky. They had come with their parents to the Great Gobara Desert during the Byzanite Empire's first attempted conquest and colonization. They had wanted to seize the lucrative trade routs and spice fields for their own.

Naadiya's tribe of nomadic locals, as well as all the other peoples of the Great Gobara had united like nothing in an age. Nomadic tribes and settled cities unified to throw back the invaders. The war still went on, but it was seeming a stalemate. The twin's colony caravan had been ambushed in the night by Naadiya's tribe. Many had been slain, and those whom weren't were taken as slaves. Alexios's and Maria's parents had died during the raid, and Naadiya, perhaps in pity, had claimed the children as part of her spoils. Though the children had quickly come to love their new adopted mother.

"Mama!" A pair of twin voices cheered, and they soon came running out of their rooms. The children wore a pair of white togas as to not forget where they came from, and because it made it easier for Naadiya when the time came around to apply some maternal discipline to her nicely naughty children. Soon, Naadiya was practically tackled by her children as they hugged her.

"We're so glad you're home, Mama," Alexios cheered.

"I made an offering to the Aspects to ask for your protection," Maria told her, trying to sound mature.