The Twins - NaNoWriMo '07

Chapter 10: Them


Stefan was too much in an emotional daze to realize anything. His foremost thoughts were crowded: compressed visions of Elements in Chaos, with the lone figure of Elena in the midst. He hardly felt it when his arms were wrenched behind his back and he was pulled away from Mol Ehni. Dimly he felt the horse trying to talk to him telepathically, but it was lost in the roar of the maelstrom that was blowing in his mind. He lolled in someone’s arms as he was roughly bound somehow and thrust on a chair.

Ana was jerked from slumber. Her mind was foggy as it was coming to terms with, literally, mountains of information about the four Elemental magics, those she would need for… what was it again? She squinted, trying to see, before she realized a blindfold had been placed over her eyes. She could feel that she was tied to a chair, but with what material – rope? Chains? – she could not tell. It was almost as though there was no feeling except that of pressure. Pressure… it rang a bell in her mind. She concentrated, trying to remember, but lost the thought. Frustrated she pulled at her bonds. A backhanded slap across the face put her in place, and she settled, furious and shocked. Whoever would physically hurt her?


Elena watched the scene before her impassively. She could say nothing, and the Seer was watching mind, in case she tried to telepathically say something to the Twins.

“What do we do now?” said Djenda gruffly as her figure as an ageing woman melted off of her. Revealed was a short creature with a forked tail. Her ears were large and her back hunched. She was one of Them. She had taken the real Seer’s appearance to better approach Elena and the Twins.

“We wait for a higher order,” said Thoth. He too, had taken the Air Master’s appearance after Elena had left to return to her castle. It was important for the twins to have their knowledge before They could move into action. Oh, his superior was going to be so pleased! He had managed to trap the Twins and their meddling mentor. The creature who had been impersonating Thoth was called Ra’ack. Ra’ack paced on his short legs, his tail swishing behind him. The horses were nervous of him, but Mol Ehni and Úilna were wary: they knew enough about Them to shield the fact that they were not ordinary horses. Sinev Kimsed was outright frightened and rolled her eyes, but the two creatures dismissed her: unless she began running amok, she could serve as dinner for later.

Finally, as the sun set entirely and night settled in, a third creature appeared in the sitting room. This one was taller than the other two, and wore a cloak of shimmering dark blue. It’s head was concealed beneath a deep hood, but it’s pointed teeth hissed in pleasure as it saw the bound twins.

“Exssssssellent,” he hissed, “Keep them bound and make ssssssure they do not essssssscape before the eclipsssse tomorrow.”

“Assssss you command,” said Ra’ack, bowing low. The superior creature disappeared in a cloud of smoky vapor.

“Sssssso we wait?” asked the creature that had taken Sha’Djenda’s appearance. She was female, and her actual name was El.

“Yess!” Ra’ack snapped as he resumed his pacing briefly, before throwing himself beside El.

“After tomorrow, we will be together forever...” he whispered in her ear, sending shivers down her spine.


On the chair, Ana was furious. She was bound and blindfolded. She wasn’t sure if she was still in Thoth’s home, but judging from the coolness of the night, she decided she was. Through her shield, she could feel that Stefan and Elena were still there, as well as Úilna and Mol Ehni. However, she also felt someone else. Someone who didn’t emanate trust. Therefore, she restricted herself from contacting the others.

The daze from Stefan’s mind was clearing. He was aware it was night, and he was aware that he was being held against his will. Somewhere, his memory also told him that it would be unwise to try and break free.

By now, Ana had worked out what her bonds were: they were made of Air. That’s why she could feel the pressure but no texture. Whoever it was who had bound her, they knew how to work the Air magic. Tentatively, she used her own newly-acquired knowledge to test the bonds. They surprisingly fell apart easily. ‘So it’s not Thoth who bound us, because his bonds would undoubtedly be much stronger. Unless he was forced to bind us against his will, and he intentionally made them weak so that we could easily break out of them without our captors necessarily knowing how,’ she reasoned, ‘No matter anyway, I’ve broken through mine. Now, if only I can break through Stefan’s as well without Them noticing…’ she realized with a start that she had put her captors in the feared ‘Them’ category. Not wanting to dwell on that, she felt for her brother’s bonds. Sure enough, they responded to her Air touch. She held the bonds together for now, as she concentrated, forcing herself to convey to her brother the idea of secrecy without opening a telepathic link. She relied on their ordinary ‘twin’ link.

Stefan felt his sister trying to tell him something, and another feeling told him to not slip and answer telepathically. Slowly, he felt the bonds loosen on his wrists and ankles, and he understood what Ana was trying to say: he needed to pretend he was still bound. He had no way of telling her this, but by keeping his wrists and ankles in the position they were before, he hoped it would be enough.

Ana smiled inside as Stefan understood her. Now, she cast out her magic, searching for clues. She found Elena across the room and still. Though Ana’s eyes were shut, her enhanced senses and Elemental knowledge allowed her to know that Elena was alive and unconscious. Shifting her attention to the horses, Ana found a frightened Sinev Kimsed, and an indeterminate blur where Úilna and Mol Ehni were concerned. She realized for the first time that those two horses had hidden a lot from their masters – they were now obviously magical to Ana. Chuckling to herself and turning it into a stumbled breath, Ana turned her attention to her captors. There were two of them, and their auras seemed murky and fizzled with dark energy as she looked at them with her magical vision. They were entangled together, but Ana couldn’t tell if they were coupled or if they were simply sleeping. Not wanting to imagine the former, Ana retracted to herself and tried to analyze the situation.

Next to her, Stefan did much of the same sweep as she did. They eventually came to the same conclusion:

a) They were being held against their will.

b) They were still in Thoth’s home, which led them to believe that Thoth himself must be bound somewhere. Freeing him would only help them.

c) It was still night-time, and the eclipse was due to happen the next day. They had very little time to escape their captors and go wherever they were supposed to go for the eclipse… unless their captors meant to bring them there anyway.

With a sigh, Ana sagged against her chair. For once, she could see no way out. Their magical communications were being watched, Elena was unconscious, and Thoth nowhere to be found. Without telepathically talking, there was no way to formulate a plan.


The hours crept by. Ana couldn’t sleep. Her mind was too busy trying to find a way out of the trap. It swam in circles. Periodically, the vision of the sword the Mistress had given Stefan, pierced through what had been Cael, flashed in her mind. As though the image was trying to tell her something, but she couldn’t figure out what. Her eyes were shut against the blindfold. Sleep tugged at her, but half of her mind refused to give in. The other half…. Ooh the temptation of sleeping was so sweet. To forget about everything for an hour or two. To rest…

Stefan twitched. His mind dredged up from slumber. He remembered that he was trapped, that he was bound, and, with forceful clarity, that he was one of the Twins! One of the two that would complete the prophecy that the entire Land of the Goddess had been holding their breath for, wondering if this soon-to-be-dawning day would be their Armageddon or not. His Land, the Land of the Godless didn’t care one bit: long since had the prophets and Seers been ignored, shunned, and persecuted against for any prophecy to make its way in the world anymore.

Luckily for him and for all those following the Goddess in the room, Ana had not removed his Air gag. He bit deeply into the condensed pressure, wanting to scream and not being able to. Finally, he became conscious that soon, his anger would be noticed by his captors, and it was important for them to believe that he was still sedated, or at the very least, asleep. So he stopped his fight. He hated feeling so helpless, hated knowing that Elena was across the room and unconscious, hated that he couldn’t get up and nurse her wounds. No. Stefan threw his head back over the top rung of the chair, and sighed deeply.


The temperature was rising, Ana noticed, slowly but surely. She didn’t know if she had drifted off into sleep or not, but now, it was dawn. Her muscles were cramped from being kept in one position for so long. How she longed to stretch them! But no. Not yet anyway. Elena had returned to consciousness during the night, and was now merely sleeping on the floor.

Stefan heard shuffling movement and opened his eyes against the blindfold. He could see the rough weave clearly, as well as light beyond it. Indeterminate figures moved across his vision. He heard grunting and a sharp smack in response. Not wishing to be noticed, he let his head loll against his chest. A soft swooshing sound was heard.

“You are to bring them at midday,” growled an unpleasant voice. A shiver ran down Stefan’s spine and limbs.

“Where to, milord?” hissed another gravelly voice.

“The power lines. The five power lines, three kilometers from here,”

“Very well milord, it ssssssshall be done,”

Though Stefan could not see it, the blue-cloaked superior sharply nodded at Ra’ack who was prostrated in front of him, before vanishing once more.

“Do they not intend to attend?” asked El.

“I do not know!” Ra’ack spat at her. She regarded him angrily and curled up on the corner of the couch.

“We’ll leave in an hour,”

“But it’ll be hours more before midday! Do you mean for us all to roast in the sun?” El contradicted.

“I mean to let them roast in the sun. We are creatures of the desert, remember?” Ra’ack laughed unpleasantly. It sounded like metal scraping metal to Stefan’s ears. Involuntarily, he winced.

Ana suddenly felt the intruding presence vanish. That unpleasant magical signature was dissimulated, or had disappeared, and, not caring which it was, Ana opened a private exchange with Stefan.

>Stefan! Are you awake?<

>Yeah, just in time to hear that creature say that we’re leaving in an hour to go someplace<

>Did you hear where?<

>A convergence of power lines apparently. Their superior who gave them the order – he’s gone now – said they’re three kilometers away<

>We need a plan. I don’t know if we’re meant to go to these power lines anyway to fulfill the prophecy, but I don’t want to go without knowing<

At that point, a third party tried to enter the conversation. Ana turned to them, and recognized Elena’s aura.

>Elena! You’re awake!< she exclaimed.

>Yes, although I could do without a headache. The two of you, listen closely: at the meeting of these five power lines, there are five interlocking arches. Within these, you are to complete the prophecy, somehow. I think that the ‘how’ knowledge will come to you as the total eclipse occurs. Strange things always work themselves out that way<

>But… aren’t you coming with us?< asked Stefan.

>I don’t know if I will be allowed to. They are creatures that seek the methods to their own ends. If they deem that I will serve no purpose at the arches, they will not bring me. And it is too tiring for me to talk telepathically, and more so over long distance. When They take you, and if They leave me here, then you will be on your own. Believe in yourselves as I do in you, and you will do what you must< Elena sighed. She faded away from the conversation, leaving the twins together.

>We need to get out of here< said Ana.

>I agree, but we don’t know where to go! And three kilometers, on foot, in the desert, with no water or headscarves… we’re just not going to make it. And besides, who knows how treacherous this desert is?< Stefan continued, cutting off his sister’s next thought >No matter how much it might look like it, how much dark sand is a darker twin to it, this is NOT Arizona. It’s not our home desert. And we know how dangerous deserts can be< he said, driving the point home, and urging Ana to recall the one time they were caught in a desert storm. Luckily they had been inside at the time, but they had both been frightened to death of the ferocious whirling sand that threatened to engulf them entirely.

>Alright< Ana said wearily >But how are we going to escape Their attention?<

>I don’t know yet… But I’m working on it!< Ana could feel her brother’s grin, and his optimism infected her.

Suddenly, Ana was roughly pulled from her chair. The pretense that she was still bound by Air was lost.

“Are you ready to work for ussssss?” said a voice, it’s stench making Ana want to gag.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about?” She replied, hoping she sounded strong and not half-scared to death, which she was.

She was thrown back on the chair, and she fell off, unable to find her grip.

“You impetuous girl!” and Ana received a backhanded slap across the face. Her cheek burned as the blood rushed to it, and then instantly cooled as her magic instinctively healed it.

“You WILL work for ussss because you will have no CHOICE!” El screamed at her, kicking her in the stomach.

“EL!” shouted Ra’ack, “She will not be able to do ANYTHING if you keep abussssing her!”

El turned her furious red-rimmed eyes to him.

“RAAAAAH!!” She launched herself at him, all claws out. They tumbled to the floor in a mess of limbs and sharp appendages.

“Stefan! Now is our chance!” she pulled him from the chair, and he roused himself immediately. Grasping each other’s hands, they threw themselves out the doorway. Unconsciously, Stefan cushioned their landing with Air, and they tore across the desert.

They didn’t know where they were going, not exactly, but they knew that they would be guided by the prophecy that linked them to the Land’s fate, and their will to survive.