Jazmee27 
|
======
Now, Alonso and I know we’re guilty of nothing at all. We’re not supposed to talk to each other, but we still have some of our “Personal Reserves,” or magic of our own that’s inside us, so we communicate telepathically at least twice a day. It keeps us calmer then we would otherwise be—especially me. I mean, I feel like I’m between five and seven, rather than nine or thirteen.
|
Reply #1441. Jul 01 12, 1:36 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
======
Mine and Alonso’s lives haven’t exactly been happy ones. For starters, our mother died giving birth to him and, for about five minutes or so, it looked as if we’d lose them both. Fortunately, my twin and I have an extraordinarily powerful magical bond, which is rooted in Prophecy. Neither of us knew what was written about us, but the one line reads, “neither can survive without the other.” On one hand, this is problematic; on the other, quite the opposite. It all depends on one’s perception.
As I’ve said, our lives didn’t get off to a good start. But there were a few months, or weeks, in which it looked like that might be turning around. Aunt Sorvania came to live with us, and father was very grateful to her for the help she gave around the palace. We didn’t realize at first, but she was pregnant with our cousin Aivahri, whose name in Qiryntian is Qahsanori, and in the Universal Tongue is Bheniyto. Father often asked about the dad, but Sorvania would always evade his questions.
Anyway, Alonso and I celebrated our first birthday without incident. Aivahri entered the Universe, and we took turns holding him, or doing small things for the baby or his mother. And then…
|
Reply #1442. Jul 01 12, 1:37 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
======
I seem to recall the day was especially cool for that time of year. Alonso and I had been exploring outdoors the days previous, but we were confined inside once more. I remember wishing we could go out, even though it was so cold. Next thing I knew, flames were licking at the palace, and father was motioning frantically for Alonso and I to follow him. Our older brother, actually our half brother—it’s a long story, was playing in a separate part of the palace.
Anyway, long story short, Auntie Sorvania handed Little Aivahri to father, and we all got out of there. Sometime later, Brendyn—that’s our half brother, Orvvessano, he only has a Scenorian name because… long story. Anyway, he comes staggering out of our home, coughing violently, and just as he reaches safety, the roof falls in. “Where’s your aunt?” our father asks, and he just points back to our home and starts coughing.
Later, after the palace burned to the ground and it was safe to do so, we picked through the rubble. Turns out she was close to the front door, but all around her was scorched stuff. And then the ceiling fell on her and…
From that moment on, Bheniyto refused to answer to his Scenorian name. “Aivahri no longer exists,” he screamed. “He died with Mama!”
|
Reply #1443. Jul 01 12, 1:39 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
======
It’s amazing how clear my memory of that is. I guess what they say about life and death situations is true—that those memories from one’s early life come flooding back.
|
Reply #1444. Jul 01 12, 1:44 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
======
Sunlight floods the floor of the cell I share with my twin and, for a moment, I am confused. As soon as realization of where I am sweeps over me, however, I begin to shake and cry out. And then I feel a calming hand on my shoulder, then soothing words in my mind. Scenorian words, spoken softly and tenderly…
My eyes fly open, and I find myself staring into eyes the same shade of blue as my own. “You’re safe now,”my twin tells me in our native Scenorian. It’s an ironic statement if ever I’ve heard one. Locked in a prison, condemned to death if the Dark can convince the members of the Tribunal… but when is to be our trial? And, come to think of it, why have we been brought back to the place of our birth? Such questions bounce around my head despite my vicious attempts to get rid of them. Dwelling on such things will only terrify me more; I need to be calm, be strong, if not for myself than for my brother who is bravely doing the same.
|
Reply #1445. Jul 01 12, 1:45 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
I LIKE THE BEGINNING, SO I'LL TAKE THE FIRST PARAGRAPH OR SO AND DELETE THE REST (that stuff can go in the "experimental" category)
|
Reply #1446. Jul 01 12, 1:47 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
DRAFT TWO
======
I bit my lip to keep from crying out at the injustice of it all. I refused to cry, even as my teeth sank in tender flesh and my own blood filled my mouth. Resisting the temptation to gag was next to impossible, but somehow I managed it. I could not, would not, let these monsters who had summoned my twin and I know just how upset I was. They would have to kill me, I vowed, before I betrayed even the faintest expression. Deep inside, I knew I was strong enough to defy whatever They brought against me. I could only hope the same applied to my brother.
|
Reply #1447. Jul 01 12, 1:49 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
======
I was born in Scenoria, and spent most of my life in the so-called “kingdom of justice” A “native” I might be, but only half, my mother being a Qiryntian princess. But, to us who live in this Universe, “native” means I haven’t set foot outside Scenoria. My twin, on the other hand… Well, that can wait until later.
I mostly go by the name Orehlio , which is my Scenorian name. Translated to Universal, it would be Alonso. And there’s this Prophecy which names me Rhozeynta, which means “He Who Overcomes the Darkness.” My identical twin Orseviyto, who grew up primarily on our mother’s home planet, Qirynse, goes by Qodiehnto—Qodi for short—and refers to me as Qqori, full name Qorteviyno. I hate my Qiryntian name because it sounds like some sort of disease. The shortened one’s OK, I guess. At least Qodi and I agree on that. And, oh yeah, his Universal name is Ontario Gonzales and the Prophecy says he is the “Sustainer of Hope and Peace,” Rhozestheynta.
|
Reply #1448. Jul 01 12, 1:52 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
======
The Dark have this group who call themselves “The Assembly,” or “The Tribunal.” They summoned us with this spell called ceventekahra anivastra. Scenorian, as with any other language, can be hard to translate into the Universal Dialect. I guess if I had to try I’d say it meant either “come immediately” or “come hear what important thing I hafve to say.” Regardless, it’s a spell of “Summoning,” which means those who’ve been called upon to answer can’t refuse—not without severe consequences to themselves—such as, weakening themselves by draining their own magical energies—and making the Dark angrier then They were to begin with, and they’d still end up in front of the Summoner. In our case, we knew better than to even try to resist. Still, we were treated as if we had, forced to endure hours of excruciating physical and mental agony.
|
Reply #1449. Jul 01 12, 1:53 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
======
The first Summons transported us to the least habitable region in the Universe. Xynor, known as the “Torture Capital of the Universe,” has just one city-village, Xaitora. Just who came up with the title “Criminal Cooler” is unknown, but it’s well established that the place swallows prisoners whole. History’s full of examples… but I prefer not to think of them. Such a road leads nowhere good. Let’s just say that I couldn’t be who I need to be if I allowed myself to dwell on such thoughts. I’ve a duty to protect Ontario—and, by extension, the entire Universe.
|
Reply #1450. Jul 01 12, 1:54 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
======
The Xynorans can, and have, hold us indefinetly without charging us with a crime, slowly weakening us with various tortures until the effort of living becomes too much and we succumb to death’s warm embrace. The Scenorians, on the other hand, are bound by law to read some sort of bogus charge before resuming any. I guess being a citizen pays after all—some, but not much. Once that charge is read, any and all method of torment is fair game.
|
Reply #1451. Jul 01 12, 1:55 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
======
There’s this demon, Aleksandr Ardeko, whom I believe is half Qiryntian and half Xynoran, that They call The Surgeon. His “specialty,” I believe, is brain surgery—although he also dabbles heavily in operations to remove various organs, some to be sold on the black market, others to be used immediately to restore a demon to full health. He also works with this character—on rare occasion—named Bheniyto Ramirez, who’s known as “Butcher II,” and finds a perverse pleasure in cutting human parts into tiny pieces, with or without removing the bloody tracks. At times Surgeon and Butcher complement each other, so long as Butcher doesn’t “damage” anything crucial.
|
Reply #1452. Jul 01 12, 1:56 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
======
I have already had two such “procedures,” one to remove a kidney and another—the next day—a lung. Sometimes, another part of the “operation” involves “blood collection,” and I’m not even certain how it’s done. All I know is, it is then used as “blood magic,” which has many and varied uses. What I am certain of is that the “collector” is one Qydrazimor Voliyno—who mostly goes by the name Qydra, our evil, sadistic fairy cousin.
|
Reply #1453. Jul 01 12, 1:58 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
======
Qodi, too, has been “under the knife,” losing—in addition to the same organs I had taken--both eyes and ears—as well as a few fingers and toes, the price of attempting to “resist” or, to put another way, “being defiant in the face of excruciating torture”--in not even a week. And now’s as good a time to explain our communication system: I’m not sure how it works, but our magical abilities haven’t been adversely affected by being confined here—if anything, they’ve grown in strength and ferocity. Without magic, both of us agree we wouldn’t be able to remain as calm and as as we’ve been since being Summoned.
|
Reply #1454. Jul 01 12, 1:59 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
======
Qodi and I are snatching a few moments of uneasy sleep before our captors come to whisk us away for another “torture session.” My twin’s breathing is so quick that, apart from a second or two, I’ve been unable to rest. What will happen, I wonder fearfully, if Qodi dies under the strain? What will become of me? I push the unsettling thoughts away. He *mustn’t leave me, no matter what. My mind races with myriad possibilities, each as implausible as the next.
Suddenly, my muscles tense as my ears pick up the faintest sound. I nudge Qodi ever so gently, and he’s instantly awake. “What is it,” he hisses, moving as close to me as he can. [THEY'RE COMMUNICATING MIND-TO-MIND, BUT ANYONE LOOKING FOR THE FIRST TIME WOULD NEVER KNOW IT.] “Footsteps,” I whisper as my heart slides all the way from its rightful place into my mouth. Barely breathing, my twin and I wait for the door of our cell to be unlocked.
But it doesn’t. Instead, an unfamiliar voice asks, “are you away from the door?” At first, a question such as this would have surprised me, but I’ve come to know that the doors have been electrified. “Yes,” I answer because Qodi has gone stiff with fear. “Good,” the voice replies, sounding relieved, and a moment later I hear the telltale click of the lock. My eyes widen in amazement, for I’d assumed no one—aside from maybe Qydra, who has his “ice daggers”—was familiar with magic.
|
Reply #1455. Jul 01 12, 2:04 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
======
The visitor met my raised eyebrow with a curt nod. “Magic’s forbidden here,” he explained, “which is why you haven’t seen much of it.” He paused, then added, “Those of us who disregard the rule do so because we just don’t care, for one reason or another. In my case, my half brother –one of your captors, named Xiveydo, though you’d not have met him—protects me from any consequences of that nature.” I was having trouble following what he was saying, but couldn’t very well say so.
“What are you doing here,” I finally manage to ask. To this, he just smiled and held out an official-looking document. I gazed down, then drew in my breath in a hiss of surprise. “But that’s--,” I began. “The Scenorian seal,” replied the visitor, “yes. Give this to whoever comes for you this morning—for you’ve been ordered home.”
|
Reply #1456. Jul 01 12, 2:05 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
=====
They tore up the paper in front of me and scattered the pieces, then grabbed me roughly, knocked me down and bound my wrists and ankles. Then they carried me to the Surgical Center, where I was tied to the examining table and left to wait hours for Surgeon to arrive. I felt a fear greater than anything I’d experienced before, tried to swallow it down, and wound up gasping for breath as I choked on it. That was when I remembered, with a start, that I only had one lung remaining to me. What fate awaited me now—and who would take issue with it before I perished here in this hellhole? As I attempted to calm my thoughts and breathing, I knew it was an exercise in futility. This was it: the test to mask all tests, the day my true character would reveal itself. I swallowed, and very nearly choked again as the lump of fear in my throat got bigger and bigger.
|
Reply #1457. Jul 01 12, 2:06 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
======
I was still waiting two hours later when Surgeon finally walked into the room. “Sorry to keep you waiting,” he said conversationally, “I was called away to an urgent meeting.” He then stepped forward and, faster than I’d have thought possible, plunged the scalpel he’d magicked into my abdomen. I gasped in spite of myself, feeling hot tears burn my crystal blue eyes.
Suddenly, Aleksandr stepped back and removed the instrument, his expression thoughtful. This scared me more than anything, as he’s always been so careful to guard any sort of physical reaction. “Pardon me,” he muttered, and with a snap of his fingers my abdominal cavity knit back together. He then moved closer to me and whispered, “I forget myself sometimes.” Then the weapon flashed once more, and I was stunned to realize just what he had in mind. In vain I tried to move my head to the side, but whether from magical or physical restraints I could only lay there, helpless, as the blade moved with horrifying slowness. “This is how Qodi felt,” I thought as the cold fingers of abject terror closed around my heart.
|
Reply #1458. Jul 01 12, 2:08 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
======
I’ve often thought how amazing it is that one can endure so much pain and yet survive. That night, I lay in the darkness, fully aware that I’d never see even the faintest glimmer of light again.
I jumped at a light touch on my shoulder. “Relax,” Qodi whispered. “How—“ I rasped. “Use the magic within you,” he answered simply. I tried, and oddly enough found it still answered my every command. “Twins in every way again,” my brother remarked, attempting to lighten the mood if just a little. “Twins in every way,” I agreed weakly. We sat in silence for some time before he said, “clasp my hand,” and though I was confused I did as he asked. Immediately, I felt warmth radiate through my body, and a sense of pervasive calm stole through me. Without even realizing it, I drifted into a sleep untroubled by nightmares.
|
Reply #1459. Jul 01 12, 2:09 PM
|
Jazmee27
|
======
The next morning, I asked Qodi where he’d learned to do that. “What,” he asked innocently. “You know what I’m referring to,” I snapped. “Do I,” he asked lightly, then added, “something I learned in School.” I thought about that, then disagreed. “None of our classes—“ I began before he cut me off: “You misunderstand me, Qori, I meant that one of our *classmates showed me how!” I sat back, surprised I hadn’t been able to figure it out myself. “Anastasia,” I whispered, awed. “We do share some of the same magics,” he responded. “I’m glad,” I told him, and was astonished to find I meant it. For the Power my twin had used so expertly is what is called “Mind Healing,” and is quite controversial because it allows the one yielding such energies to influence the mind of the one he or she touches. Most times, it involves one or two fingers touching the forehead—but now I knew the same could be extended to the wrist. “It’s due to the Twin Connection,” ‘Qodi explained, and I understood. It’s because the magical tie between us is so much stronger than that between most in the Magical Community.
|
Reply #1460. Jul 01 12, 2:11 PM
|
Legal / Conditions of Use
|
Play Now! 
: