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[writersblocklhs]

Dareios

She gingerly reached into the hole, expecting at any moment to be grabbed or bitten by whatever had made its home in the crack. When her searching fingers encountered the soft paper, she shrieked and ran to the opposite wall, cowering in fear. Her thoughts ran wild. Was it a rat? A mouse? Some mythical beast? Her body shook and she could feel tears forming beneath her now-closed eyelids. When she felt no claws or teeth, she slowly moved forward, keeping her eyes tightly shut. She plunged her hand blindly into the crack and snatched out the paper, screaming as she did so. Her legs carried her halfway up the basement stairs before she even remembered to open her eyes.

She slammed the door shut and backed away from it, holding the yellowish, crumbling paper out in front of her as if it was a shield. Her father snorted with laughter from the couch, and her fear vanished instantly. “Dad?” She turned, her face breaking into a smile. As she took in the scene before her, her happiness left as quickly as her fear. Her father was fast asleep; the sound she heard was snoring, not laughing. There were beer bottles scattered on the floor and magazines stacked messily beside the couch, as they had always been. She sighed and tiptoed back to her room. Carefully, barely daring to breathe for fear of tearing the pages, she lifted aside the first paper, on which was handwritten a single, undecipherable word. She had expected to see some old paper of her father’s, a letter to an old girlfriend or some sort of grocery list (though she doubted that her father ever actually shopped for himself), but this was clearly something ancient, much older than herself. She sighed again at the prospect of the dreary old English tale she knew this would be, but nonetheless began to read.

‘There lived on a small island a man of great size, great agility and prodigious strength who was called Dareios by those who loved him, and Valko by those who feared him. Both groups numbered many, but those who feared him had terrible powers which only Dareios himself could claim to match. These powers were such that any man or beast struck by them would instantly perish. Dareios and his kin came many times close to death by these enemies’ hands, but by virtue of their strength and cunning, escaped just with their lives. Dareios had the heart of a lion, the eyes of an eagle, and the mind of a fox: and so he gathered his forces, roused their thirst for war, and created his plan in one night, so quick a thinker was he. He spoke to his men: “My prayer to the gods tonight is that we go forth with the hearts of ten thousand lions, the eyes of ten thousand eagles, and the minds of ten thousand foxes. This is my one great wish, for each of us in our lifetime is granted a single wish.” And so it was. They did battle on fields and in rivers; on mountains and in deep valleys. The gods were merciful and allowed Dareios victory, but they also took his wife and son, who was but a child. He lived in sorrow until the end of his days, but his people forever remembered his great deeds and his even greater sacrifice for the good of the world.’

Was that it? She turned the page over, but it was blank except for a short, hastily scribbled sentence: “Make a wish.” She shook her head. What a stupid, idealistic story. She tromped downstairs, her stomach grumbling. She put a hand to her head, which had suddenly begun to throb. Entering the kitchen, she looked up and stopped in her tracks. Her father was wide awake, spreading peanut butter on a slice of bread. “Hey, I thought you might be hungry.” He grinned, then held out the bread to her. She stood like a statue, mouth agape. Here was her father - her sloppy, lazy, irresponsible father - acting like a competent, even caring parent. It was too good to be true, but she wasn't going to reject what could be the promise of her greatest wish being granted. She grinned back and took the sandwich. As her father continued to chat, something nagged at her in the back of her mind. Something about a sacrifice. She ignored it as she sat down to dinner, her mind only on the food.

Written by Annika

#blah #wrotethisinaday

[writersblocklhs]

The Quintus Sisters- one

From the Files of the Council

The Quintus Family

Mayta Quintus

Power: member of the original twelve

Score: NA

Job: council member

Family: Father- none, Mother- none, Husband- Rindus Quintus (deceased), daughter- Tidra Quintus, daughter- Amistia Quintus (deceased), daughter- Aitsima Quintus, Granddaughter- Calea Quintus, Granddaughter- Soreda Quintus

Comments: None

Rindus Quintus nee Novendecim (Deceased)

Power- Healing

Score-1081/2000

Job: Teacher, medic

Family: Father- none, mother- none, Wife- Mayta Quintus, daughter- Tidra Quintus, daughter- Amistia Quintus (deceased), daughter- Aitsima Quintus, Granddaughter- Calea Quintus, Granddaughter- Soreda Quintus

Cause of Death- Dovelmudd sickness

Comments: none

Tidra Quintus

Power: Telepathy

Score: 1974/2000

Job: Vegetable Farmer

Family: Father- Rindus Quintus (deceased), Mother- Mayta Quintus, Younger Sister- Amistia Quintus (deceased), Younger Sister- Aitsima Quintus, Niece- Calea Quintus, Niece- Soreda Quintus

Comments: Spent some time as volunteer at the age of 23, has highest score known so far. Tidra Quintus and sisters are the only known people who can communicate thoughts rather than feelings, but only with each other

Amistia Quintus (Deceased)

Power: Telepathy, telekinesis

Score: 1034/2000

Job: Cleaning

Family: Father- Rindus Quintus (deceased), Mother- Mayta Quintus, Older Sister- Tidra Quintus, Twin Sister- Aitsima Quintus, Niece- Calea Quintus, Niece- Soreda Quintus

Cause of Death: Explosion while on mission

Comments: Amistia Quintus and sisters are only known people who can communicate thoughts rather than feelings, but only with each other. Amistia Quintus is one of few people other than original twelve with more than one power

Aitsima Quintus

Power: Telepathy, Telekinesis

Score: 1034/2000

Job: Vegetable Farmer

Family: Father- Rindus Quintus (deceased), Mother- Mayta Quintus, Older Sister- Tidra Quintus, Twin Sister- Amistia Quintus (deceased), Daughter- Calea Quintus, Daughter- Soreda Quintus

Comments: Spent some time as volunteer at age 21, was given job on mission control from 21-30 before being relieved of duty at recommendation of Mayta Quintus, Aitsima Quintus and sisters are only known people who can communicate thoughts rather than feelings, but only with each other. Aitsima Quintus is one of few people other than original twelve with more than one power

Calea Quintus

Power: TBD

Score: TBD

Job: TBD

Family: Father- Unknown, Mother- Aitsima Quintus, Grandmother- Tidra Quintus, Aunt- Amistia Quintus (deceased), Aunt- Tidra Quintus, Younger Sister- Soreda Quintus

Comments: None

Soreda Quintus

Power: TBD

Score: TBD

Job: TBD

Family: Father- unknown, Mother- Aitsima Quintus, Grandmother- Tidra Quintus, Aunt- Amistia Quintus (deceased), Aunt- Tidra Quintus, Older Sister- Calea Quintus

Comments: None

The worst thing about my childhood, I think, is not that it was based on lies, but it was based off of good lies, ones that I am guilty of wishing were true. The island I lived on had the illusion of safety and was also a good place to live, a little small, but comfortable, with a good community. I loved my family, my grandma, my Aunt Tidra, my mother, and my younger sister, Soreda. My only real complaint was school, a terribly boring waste of time.

It was called school, but Mom always used to say that it was just an excuse to keep the kids busy so the adults could do the mysterious, important adult business. We rarely learned anything, especially when I started going, at the age of 5. Often I would just go and play time-killing games with about 10 other kids like me, sitting on yoga mats in this one room wooden building.

one of my earliest placeable memories was the day I took my test to discover my power, in that very school.

I remember that morning, the teacher taking attendance as usual as a bigger kid played the drums that were next to the bench in the front of the room. I never knew why they were there, probably for the same reason that the back of the room had posters about fish.

Usually we wouldn’t do anything important in school, but somedays, we would learn history. That day, another teacher came in, and sat down on a sky blue mat so that she could teach us.

“Does anyone know why we can’t leave the island?“ She asked, in the tone of voice I recognised even then as the one adults use with young children.

I raised my hand, always eager to show everyone how much i knew, but she called on Maggena instead. “So that the bad people don’t get us.“ She said.

I stretched out my hand, bouncing up and down on my yoga mat. I knew I could give a better answer than Maggena. But the teacher didn’t call on me, so I had to shout it out.

“The bad people are the Obris. They took over the world after the flood and they made 12 people like my grandma-“

“Don’t interrupt, Calea.“ My regular teacher, Diana, said sternly.

“Does anyone know what those 12 people are called?” The history teacher asked.

Everyone knew the answer to that one, so everyone raised their hands. The teacher called on a boy named Nicolderus.

“The council!”

At this point, I was very frustrated. “The original 12!” I said.

“Calea!” Diana said.

“Sorry.” I mumbled, not because I was, but because I wanted to avoid an argument over the matter.

“We call the first 12 people to be created through genetic engineering the original 12.” The history teacher explained. “Of course, they weren’t the first people to have superhuman abilities, merely the first ones to have ones that were created artificially, and thus the most powerful. Unfortunately for the Obris, this meant that they were able to escape, and to conquer this island and use their abilities to protect it from the obris. Despite the obris’ efforts, no one has been able to reproduce anyone like the original twelve.” She turned to Nicolderus. “The council is the original twelve’s job, as they founded and protected it, they’re also the ones who control it.”

She continued to talk about the history of the island, which wasn’t very long, as we have not lived here for long. I raised my hand, but the history teacher ignored me, until I inevitably shouted my question out.

“But how do the original twelve protect the island?” I asked. I knew the answer, but I wanted the teacher to talk about the machine, which I found far more interesting than whatever it was she was talking about.

The history teacher ignored me when I asked my question, but Diana decided that enough was enough, and took me aside, out of the building, to reprimand me for speaking out of turn so many times.

After the morning activity, we went outside to wait for our parents, with the promise that we would take the test after lunch, making me nervous. In front of the school there was this volleyball court, really just an old fishing net tied between two poles, to the south of the ocean near the swimming areas. Some of the kids played, but I hated sports, sat on a wooden picnic bench and watched. I sat at the front of the bench, my head facing the field to my right, with the tall grasses to my left. I didn’t pay much attention to the game, I didn’t like watching sports that much more than playing them. It was very boring.

Finally my mother came to pick me up. She was wearing that ratty, oversized turquoise sweatshirt that she always wore, long enough that you could only see the tips of her fingers underneath it, over an orange turtleneck and long black pants. She must have been sweltering in it, it was one of those days that was so hot and humid that you could feel it in the air, pressing up against your skin, but she didn’t complain. her chestnut hair was wrapped up tightly in a bun, not a single strand daring to fall loose of it. She was holding my little sister, Soreda, then only two.

With her was my aunt Tidra, dressed in her favorite shade of green. Aunt Tidra was only a few years older than my mother, but she looked much older. Her hair was cut short and completely white, and her face was lined, which I always thought was due to the fact that she scowled so much. She was scowling now, absentmindedly fiddling with her necklace, the one piece of jewelry she always wore. It had 20, fat wooden beads, 10 of which were turquoise and 10 of which were green with just the slightest hint of yellow, only visible if you held it up against something that was a purer shade of green, and then only barely. But was really impressive about the necklace were the orange dots, which were painted on each bead, and had a gradient, that allowed it to, slowly and carefully, transition to green or turquoise. Whomever had made it had clearly spent a lot of time on it.

We walked to the main building, with the mess hall, together, past the vegetable garden where Aunt Tidra and my mother worked, across the lawn, over to the crowded porch. On the way, I told them all about my day in school so far, preferring not to let my Aunt Tidra talk.

We got lunch, and met with my Grandma at the table she was sitting at. She was dressed in boring but practical clothes, all brown, a smile on her face just for me when she saw me. She was the only person in our family with blue eyes.

“Hey Calea!” Grandma said. “How was school?”

“They’re mad at me.” I mumbled. Best to tell Grandma I was in trouble before Diana did.

“What’s that?”

“They’re mad at me.” I said, more loudly.

“Why?”

“Because I spoke out of turn.”

“You need to listen to what other people have to say, Lea.” My mom interjected.

“Shut up!” Snapped Aunt Tidra, glaring at her. Mom shrank back into her seat.

Grandma ignored the exchange between her daughters, as usual, and addressed me directly. “Why did you speak out of turn?”

“Because no one was calling on me.”

“Patience is a virtue.” Grandma said. “One that you’ll need as an adult.”

I sighed, wanting to get this over with as soon as possible. “I know.”

“They need to pay attention to the other kids too, you know.” Aunt Tidra added.

“But I know all the answers.“

Mom laughed, and Aunt Tidra glared at her. “Don’t encourage her!”

“You’re taking your test today, aren’t you?” Grandma asked over them. I nodded. “Nervous?”

“Are you sure I have powers?” I asked. “I can’t do anything like you and Mom and Aunt Tidra can.”

Aunt Tidra scowled at my mother, who was trying to get Soreda to eat some of the vegetables, rage simmering behind her eyes. “She doesn’t like it, don’t make her eat it!” She hissed.

“That’s because it takes practice.” Grandma said, answering my earlier concerns. “Your Aunt Tidra, your mother, neither of them could do much when they were kids.”

Mom pressed her lips together in a straight line.

“We could communicate telepathically for as long as we could talk. Maybe even longer.” Aunt Tidra said.

“True.” Grandma said. “But you couldn’t sense people’s emotions until you practiced, and Aitsima took years before she even realized she had telekenesis.”

Aunt Tidra smiled, then turned her attention fully to me. “You’ll be fine.” She assured me. “And no matter what happens, it won’t matter to us. You’re more than just your power.”

I hoped she was right.

#Briny

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One word story 9/20/2017

Once upon a daydream there was a cool unicorn, who liked bees, and honey, and cheese. One day the unicorn fell into twelve holes. one afternoon there was a bee on the eyeballs of a hairy, giant unicorn. Then the unicorn, named George, was violent towards Biden. The unicorn disliked cars because loud and scary noises were they.( I am aware the last sentence doesn't make sense, but neither does this story). After words the unicorn sat on a large log and ate computers, specifically macs, licked and swallowed (them) and then pooped sadly. He often barfed beautifully atop the majestic unicorn mountain range. So he furiously jumped over the wall, made by china, and other objects, including Mongolian bricks. One bright lucrative bunny said, passionately, that he was depressed (it might of been " the best "). However, he was very stupid and cheeky. The end!

[writersblocklhs]

Choose

Hey. Like I’m sure the rest of my fellow writer clubians are, I am swamped. Therefore, I did not have time to write the next chapter of my story. However, I did write the first 10 minutes of a play for my playwriting final, so I’m posting that.

This is said in the title page, but since I’m not posting it, I would like to let you all know that Cass, Sandy, and Kara all have tails.

(ANNA and MAY are sitting in a living room in a tableau. TEENAGE KARA is standing downstage from them.)

 TEENAGE KARA

February 16, 2209. I was only 5 years old, but I can remember every detail. Maybe it was the beginning of the end. (Walks upstage and stands beside ANNA) There she is. I’ll never understand why you two became friends.

  (ANNA and MAY unfreeze. ANNA

begins to fidget, restless)

ANNA

Can I please go to the playground Momma?

  MAY

I told you, no. I want you to be here when they come.

  (Enter YOUNG KARA, CASS, and

SANDY. MAY Jumps to her feet, runs

over to SANDY, and hugs her.)

 MAY

Cassandra! I- I’ve missed you!

  SANDY

(Doesn’t move) I go by Sandy now.

  MAY

(Still enthusiastic, releases SANDY and goes to CASS and CARA.) I

haven’t seen you two since you were babies!

  ANNA

You have tails.

  MAY

Anna! Don’t be rude. (Apologetically) She hasn’t- well-

  SANDY

Right.

  (Awkward silence falls on the

group.)

 MAY

Anna! You said you wanted to the playground- why don’t you go there with the twins?

  ANNA

You two are twins? You look nothing like each other.

  MAY

Anna! I told you-

  (ANNA runs offstage, followed by

CASS, followed by CARA)

 TEENAGE KARA

And off we went, banished so that the grown ups could talk. We can only imagine what they said.

  Page 2

MAY

(Wearily) I’m sorry Ca- Sandy.

  SANDY

I go by Sandy to avoid confusion- since that’s also Cass’s full name.

  MAY

Right. (Hesitates) I’m surprised you came back.

  TEENAGE KARA

I remember Sandy had said that we were going home. I remember I had thought that Trecan Island was our home.

  SANDY

(Closes her eyes.) Maybe I shouldn’t have. There’s danger here, but- (pauses) it’s- They’re going to- it’s much worse on Trecan.

  MAY

What do you mean?

  SANDY

I- (stops for a moment, mouth open. She takes a breath, as if to say something, and let’s it out) I- can’t- (stops, shaking her head)

  MAY

(Unsurely) That probably means it’s far off- right? It will become clearer when it get’s closer.

  SANDY

Do you believe that everything is fated? That what happens- that

Page 3

 there’s nothing that I can do?

  MAY

Do you?

  SANDY

I don’t want to.

  MAY

(Speaks urgently) Sandy, What are you afraid will happen?

  (SANDY doesn’t answer. MAY watches

her intently for a moment, then

sighs.)

  MAY

So… Cass can see the future too. Does she- see what you see?

  SANDY

(twirls a strand of hair around her finger) She’s young. She’s still learning.

  MAY

What about Kara? What can she do?

  SANDY

(closes her eyes) She can sense the emotions of those she loves. Like her father could.

 TEENAGE KARA

And for as long as I can remember, I felt fear from our moth-

Page 4

from Sandy, every time she looked at me. I was never sure whether

it was fear for me- or fear of me.

  MAY

That’s- that’s nice.

  SANDY

No it’s not! It will drive her-

 (SANDY stops talking, panting.

TEENAGE KARA scowls at her MAY

takes a step towards her. They hold

that position for a moment. Enter

YOUNG KARA, crying, holding a

noodle. SANDY opens her eyes and

runs over to her)

  YOUNG KARA

I hate Anna, and I hate Cass!

  SANDY

(Sternly) Hate’s a strong word. (becomes concerned) What’s wrong?

(CASS and ANNA run in)

  ANNA

She stole my noodle!

  YOUNG KARA

I only stole her noodle because she hit me with it!

  Page 5

SANDY

Calm down, both of you. Tell me what happened.

  YOUNG KARA

I wanted to play with them, but Anna pronounced my name wrong, so I told her she was doing it, but she kept on pronouncing it wrong!

  MAY

I’m sure she didn’t mean to. Right Anna?

  ANNA

Yeah.

  YOUNG KARA

When I corrected her, she hit me with a noodle!

  ANNA

I was joking! I didn’t hit her hard!

  MAY

Why don’t you tell us what happened, Cass.

  CASS

She wouldn’t leave us alone and she stole our noodle!

  YOUNG KARA

I hate you!

  SANDY

Kara!

Page 6

TEENAGE KARA

I could sense that I could easily win this if I got her on my side, but I couldn’t do that if I continued to insist on saying that I hated Cass.

  YOUNG KARA

(Hesitates) I mean- I’m really mad at you and I’ll never forgive you!

  CASS

Well fine then! I hate you too!

  SANDY

Hate’s a strong word.

  CASS

Yeah- well-

  MAY

Stop fighting, all of you!

(MAY and SANDY speak at the

same time)

  MAY (Overlapping)

Kara, give the noodle back!

  SANDY(Overlapping)

Cass, include your sister!

  (The two women stop, and look at

each other)

  Page 7

SANDY

May, tell your daughter to treat my daughter with respect!

  MAY

Anna, treat Kara with respect as soon as she stops being a bully!

  SANDY

Kara’s not a bully, Anna’s a bully!

  MAY

You’re coddling her, letting her think she can get away with stealing toys!

  SANDY

Stop telling me how to parent!

  YOUNG KARA

Cass becomes a jerk every time she’s with a friend!

  CASS

No, every time I’m with a friend you get jealous! Why can’t I have friends?

  YOUNG KARA

Because your friends are mean!

  MAY

You’re the one who stole the noodle!

  YOUNG KARA

She was hitting me with it!

 Page 8

ANNA

I was not!

  SANDY

Yes you were, you admitted it earlier!

  MAY

It’s a noodle! You can’t hit someone that hard with a noodle you accursed- (stops suddenly.)

  TEENAGE KARA

I sensed that May had said something important, felt a jab of hurt and anger from Sandy, but, at the age of 5, I did not yet fully understand what that word meant.

  SANDY

(flinching) What did you just call me?

  MAY

I didn’t- it’s all I’ve been hearing people like you be called for years I-

  SANDY

Stop.

  (MAY falls silent. ANNA, YOUNG

KARA and CASS exchange confused

looks.)

 SANDY

Kara, Cass, come on. We’re going home.

 Page 9

MAY

Home? You mean, the apartment I set up for you next door?

  SANDY

Home to Trecan Island.

  MAY

What? Didn’t you say that there was some sort of danger there?

  SANDY

I- (looks around the stage wildly) We have time- we have to-

  MAY

You can’t just- casually move back to another country.

  SANDY

(Snaps, angrily) It’s not casual. We can’t stay here, surrounded by people who hate us.

  MAY

(Pleading) Jingan is dead. The war is over. People like you aren’t persecuted here anymore.

  TEENAGE KARA

I hadn’t even known there was a war. It would be a few years before we would learn what they were talking about.

  SANDY

Jingan was just one man. What about the people who put him there?

  MAY

No one put him there, he took over by force!

Page 10

SANDY

He didn’t do it alone.

  MAY

His men are all dead or on trial for war crimes!

  SANDY

What about all the people who did nothing to stop him, because they were afraid of people like us, people with tails, people who could see what they could not! Just like you are!

  MAY

I helped you get across the border! I risked my life for you!

  SANDY

You helped an old friend. What did you do to fight Jingan himself?

  MAY

I had a daughter to protect!

  SANDY

So do I. Let’s go. Cass, Kara, c’mon.

  MAY

I want you to be a part of my life again!

  SANDY

Well I don’t want you to be a part of mine!

   Page 11

MAY

(Flinches) Do you really mean that? (Pause) What about our daughters? Anna, don’t you want to see Cass again?

  ANNA

Uh- okay. As long as I don’t also have to see Kara. (glares at YOUNG KARA)

MAY

See! (Pauses) she’s really excited about her new friend!

  TEENAGE KARA

I hoped that we never had to see Anna again. I didn’t like what I thought she brought out in you, Cass.

  SANDY

(Sarcastically) I’m sure she’ll survive.

  MAY

It’s wrong to separate- (stops) them.

  (SANDY opens the door. YOUNG KARA

walks over, then looks back at

CASS, but CASS doesn’t move,

looking between SANDY, MAY and

ANNA)

  MAY

Wait- I’ll tell Anna to include Kara too, the three of them could all be friends-

  Page 12

SANDY

When it matters most, Cass will choose Anna over Cara. (gasps.)

  (The two women look at each other

for a moment)

  MAY

What? What are you talking about?

  SANDY

(Blinks, startled. Begins to speak frantically) I-I don’t know. It just- came to me.

  MAY

Is it- a prophecy? What does it mean?

  SANDY

I don’t know. (looks at the girls.) And I don’t want to find out. (Looks at May) I’m sorry. But we can never see each other again.

  MAY

Wait-

  (SANDY exits, and YOUNG KARA and

CASS follow. TEENAGE KARA, MAY and

ANNA stand onstage for a moment,

and then the lights go down on

them)

#Briny

[writersblocklhs]

Nothing Quiet about Silence

Wavering in gripping silence pulls hair from my head. The strength to stay silent and relaxed pushes harder than any excercise or practice of physical might. Any athlete should sit in awkward silence such as this for an hour a day to strengthen their constitution and mental aims. To sit in silence such as this expands my understanding and labeling of all colors of awkward. I am but an apprentice in holding my tongue. A student in stubborn. A novice in smiling through gritted teeth. With silence comes questions and a sort of judgement as sacred as the judgement of the dead. Who moves when, where, why, and how quietly. There is nothing quiet about silence for our ears pick up every flaw in this lukewarm inquisition. This state of nontalkingness attaches to the mind and soul like the most persistent of leaches or deer tics. We dare not tear it out for fear that the worst is yet to come if such an act of heresy were to befall it. Silence steals our breath like death, forces calm and panic, like a plague. I am well educated now in the varying shades of quiet: tense, expectant, unanimous, miserable, forced, voluntary, companionable, lost, accidental, unnoticed, welcome, suffocating, choking. As you are reading this, what kind of silence has befallen you? #Ava

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Another Time

With no homework, no job, and a hotel that was trying to curry favor with the rulers and thus gave us everything we needed for free, I enjoyed a rare day of relaxation. I read a book, while scritching Mo contentedly.

When lunchtime arrived and Rila still hadn’t gotten back from Dea’s, Lucena began to worry and went out looking for her. Meanwhile, me and Mamila headed down to the hotel lobby to get some food there.

“By the gods, the prince is stupid!” Mamila declared, from her own book. She looked at me like she was expecting me to say something.

“That’s great.” I said.

“He’s only known Cieva for 10 seconds, and he’s angsting about how he has to marry one rich, beautiful person instead of another rich, beautiful person.”

§

Lissa looks up from the book, startled. She recognises the name Cieva, it was the name of 2 characters from her parents’ favorite opera, Orange Madness. She has always secretly hated it, but she hates to think of someone like Mamila mocking it.

§

“Why are you reading it if you don’t like it?” I asked, annoyed.

“It’s actually kind of so bad it’s funny.” Mamila said. She flipped to the end of the book, and read aloud in a dramatic voice, “Oh, ocean of tears, sorround me. Oh, ocean of tears, drown me.” She glanced up. “It’s a tragedy, so everyone’s dead at the end through a combination of suicide and murder.”

§

Lissa giggles, then instantly felt guilty. Someone like Mamila has no right to be reading that opera.

§

“That’s great.” I said again.

“And of course, later why doesn’t the prince realize that Evanus is evil, it is so, so obvious.”

“Well I don’t know!” I snapped. “Why do you expect me to know? I didn’t even read it!”

“Well it’s about this prince, his name is unpronounceable, so let’s call him Prince Prince, of course later he becomes king-”

“I don’t care!” I snapped.

§

“Still reading that piece of garbage?”

Lissa looks up, as Jason plops down next to her. She begins to panic. Benjamin will be here any minute, and the last thing she needs is her incredibly un-subtle brother who is actually wearing the uniform of the Freedom Fighters. She looks around, and sees that they are getting hostile looks. “Go away.” She says, frantically. “Remember I told you about Benjamin?”

“Yeah, that’s why I came. I don’t like my sister being exposed to an Orange.”

“I can protect myself.” She says, angered. “He’s my best shot at finding Evenra, and you’re going to ruin it!”

“Evenra.” He say. “Since when were you on a first name basis with that traitor? Evenra.”

“Just go away!” She says. “Or do you want to explain to the king that you stopped me from accomplishing my mission?”

“Yeah that’s the thing.” He says. “He thinks you’re taking to long. He wants me to- help you.”

Lissa clenches her teeth. “Go. Change.” Then you can come back and talk to Benjamin with me if you want.

“Aw c’mon. You don’t have to admit to agreeing with me.”

“You’ll scare him off!” Lissa says, angrily.

“How about I hang out across the room from you? You can pretend you don’t know me.”

Lissa is getting desperate, and she realizes that this is the best she can expect to get. “Fine.” She says. “But don’t say a word to him.”

He gets up and crosses the room, plopping down at a table and watching her. Lissa does her best to ignore him, and returns to the book.

§

“And he marries a woman name Cieva, and they have a daughter named Cieva, and he vows never to betray her, so of course he does-”

“I’m trying to read my own book!”

§

“Lissa!” Lissa looks up, and sees Benjamin walking in. She is aware of her brother’s eyes on her as she forces herself to smile.

“I brough’ some worksheets I use’ to use for my studen’.” He says. “An’ I finally got you the autograph ya’ ask’ for.”

He holds it out to her, and she takes it, smiling. “Thank you.” She says in ancient zimmuxevi. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see Jason fuming, and, remembering how she felt when she heard Benjamin use ancient zimmuxevi for the first time, instantly feels bad. Her heart begins to beat, fast. “Can we go somewhere else?” She asks, glancing at Jason.

Benjamin follows her gaze over to him. “Uh’ course.” He says. “We don’ wan’ any trouble, do we now? Do we?” He gets up.

As they get out of the café, she is aware that her brother is following them. Benjamin is too. He glances back, then says, “Why don’ we head over to me place. If he follows us there, we can call the cops.”

Lissa nods, heart thumping, hoping that her brother will be sensible.

Benjamin’s house is small. There are several fans in every room, and he turns them all on, but they don’t stop trickles of sweat from sliding down her skin. He leads her to a living room, filled with overstuffed furniture. As she plops down on a couch, all the reasons why she shouldn’t enter a strange orange man’s house fly through her mind. She reminds herself that if Benjamin tries anything, she has a gun and knows how to use it.

At least Jason hasn’t done anything stupid. Yet.

“So what do ya’ do?” He asks. “For a job I mean.”

“I’m a contractor.” She says. “I use my power- I can control water.”

He nods.

“What about you?” She asks. “What are your powers?”

He gets to his feet, and walks over to the wall. He touches it, and she appears on the wall, as if on a screen, sitting in the cafe reading Evenra’s memoirs.

She’s becoming more and more nervous as this goes on. “How are you doing that?” She asks.

“It’s fro’ ma’ memory.” he says. “It can’ be useful.”

“Oh.” She says. “I see. What’s your other power?”

“More borin’.” He says. “I can’ read minds.”

It takes a moment for this to register, and then she immediatly begins to panic, jumping to her feet. “You can read minds?”

“‘M jokin’. ‘M jokin’.” He said, laughing. “Ya’ shoulda’ seen the look on your face. I can’ make my face appear ‘n other places. It was a lo’ more useful befor’ we had computers that coul’ do the same thing.”

Lissa can’t speak for a moment. “Can you show me?” She asks, finally.

“Maybe I’ll appear in the cafe before’ I come later.” He says. “If we can’ still meet there.”

“I’m sure it will be fine.” She reassures him. She’s going to have to have a word with Jason.

He nods.

“Alrigh’ well, maybe we shoul’ get started with the lesson.” He says. “Basic came abou’-  Actually, ‘N a way, i’ started on Naden. Qaci, Zimmuxevi, an’ Ibwoni all mingle’ there in’ the towns along the shore of the islan’, an’ everyone started speakin’ in a mix of Qaci and Zimmuxevi. after the islans were unite’ by Mamila and Jarius Relan and Kenila Boazette, o’er the course of a hundred years, the two languages fully merged an’ eventually evolved ta’ becoem the basic we speak today’. So alo’ of our words are from ancien’ qaci and ancien’ zimmuxevi.”

He takes out a worksheet, with a lot of words written in basic and then in a language that she guesses is ancient qaci. He pushes it in front of her.

“Here are som’ pretty basic ancien’ qaci words. Can ya’ see if you can fin’ some basic words that come from ‘em?”

Lissa stays in the lesson for about half an hour, before leaving the house. Jason is waiting for her right outside of the boundaries of Benjamin’s property.

“How long have you been there?” She asks, scowling.

“The whole time.” He falls into step behind her as she walks down the street. “I can’t believe you went into the house with him.”

“Well I wouldn’t have had to if you hadn’t spooked him.” She says, irritated.

He heaves an an exasperated sigh. “Never mind that.” He says. “There’s something I really need to tell you.”

“What?” She asks.

“Not out in the open. Why don’t we talk about in Linus’s place?”

Lissa glances over at Linus’s house. “I don’t have time for it right now.” She says. “I’ll head over after work tomorrow, want to talk then?”

“Sure.” He says.

As Lissa walks away, she feels a little sad, though she isn’t entirely sure why.

§

After lunch, we headed back to the hotel room. Lucena was still not back with Rila, so we were stuck alone with Jalidda.

Great.

She was sitting in the fountain when we walked in, writing what looked to be a letter. She glanced up at us as we entered the room, her face stone.

“Are Lucena and Rila back yet?” I asked.

She shook her head no, and returned to whatever she was writing. I hesitated, trying to think of something Mamila and I could do out of the room, and away from Jalidda.

Thankfully, Lucena and Rila walked in right that minute. Rila’s eyes were red and puffy, like she had been crying, and Lucena was carrying a letter.

Mamila shifted uncomfortably, her lips stiffening in a way that suggested she was hiding something. “Can I get you a snack or something?” She asked me.

I hesitated. “Sure.” I said. “Could you get me some greens?”

She nodded, and walked out of the room quickly.

“You’ve gotten a letter.” Lucena said quietly, passing an envelope over to Jalidda.

“Any word on where Balius is?” I asked.

Rila shook her head, blinking. Lucena put an arm around her. Jalidda opened her letter, but I didn’t give her much attention.

“Do we think the Qaci have him?” I asked.

“Probably.” Rila said, her voice hoarse.

I hesitated. “But Zimmuxevi have no equivalent of a Qaci’s horns…” I said.

“Enough.” Lucena said. “Evenra- could you just- stop talking.”

I glanced over at Rila, her eyes squinched shut, and felt bad. “I’m sorry.” I said. There was something about seeing Rila, usually so in control, looks so- lost, that made me feel useless.

After an awkward silence, Jalidda said, “Liora is coming next year.”

I hesitated, confused by the rapid change of subject. Jalidda looked up, seemingly unaffected by Rila’s display of emotion.

Lucena looked, over, biting her lip. “Can you to go?” She asked.

I nodded, and got to my feet. Jalidda and I walked out, Jalidda still holding the letter. I parted ways with her swiftly, heading down to the lobby and finding Mamila instead.

I explained that I had been banished, and we headed outdoors. The sun was shining, and a warm breeze was blowing our hair around a little.

We found our way over to a library, and spent the rest of the afternoon there, and headed back over to our room when it got dark. Rila was gone again, and Lucena was sitting on her bed, an odd expression on her face, not appearing to be doing anything.

She glanced up as we walked in. “How’s Rila?” I asked her.

“At Dea’s again.” She added, bitterly, “Probably because the lot of us are such terrible roommates!”

“That- that’s not true.” I said, feeling guilty. “I mean, Jalidda is, and maybe I am, but-”

“I just can’t concentrate on Rila right now.” She said, frustrated. “There are a hundred other things going on!”

“There’s nothing else going on.” I said frowning. “No homework, no classes-”

“There’s no school going on.” She said. “Balius isn’t the only person in this school who’s missing, the estimated total is about 100. Many of them are heirs to nobility, quite a few are in line to the throne. Pretty much all of them have influental parents or relatives.”

“It feels like everyone’s in line to the throne.” I said, irritably.

“Well we don’t know if they’ve died in the fire, or if they’ve been captured by the reds.” She said. “And if they have been captured by reds, they could potentially be used as hostages, which will really affect the political situation.”

I sighed. I didn’t pay as much attention to politics as I probably should have, and I was starting to feel kind of guilty about it now. “How will it affect the political situation?” I asked.

“Well, if the families of the hostages will be expected to ignore the whole thing, or risk looking weak. But, as easy it is to forget sometimes, they are real people, and most of them do care about their children.” Something bitter flickered across her face. “So the King might lose allies if he does ignore the situation, or worse, specifically goes against the reds’ commands. But if gives into the reds’ potential commands, he’ll look weak. If he manages to find a third solution, everyone will be praising him left and right.” She sighed.

I watched her, curiously. She looked weary, in that moment, and older than she actually was.

“Do you know anyone who disappeared?” I asked, after a moment.

“My cousin.” She said shortly. “Padlaysa.”

“I’m sorry.” I said.

“Don’t be, I barely knew her. But the ripple effects of what I mentioned earlier might change my parent’s allegiances. And they’ll expect me to just switch sides with them. Just like that.” She scowled.

“And will you?” I asked.

She watched me for a moment. “I can’t answer that.” She said, finally. It occurred to me that Mamila was standing behind me, listening, and that Lucena had barely noticed at all.

I chewed my lip. “I’m not allied with anyone.”

“Really?” She asked. “Because everyone thinks you’re allied with Rila.”

The door opened, and Jalidda walked in. Lucena was suddenly more alert. “You said Liora is coming next year?” She asked.

“Who?” I said.

Jalidda ignored me. “You’ll find out soon enough. Yes, yes she is.”

“But I thought she wasn’t going to come until the year after next. She’s 8, right?”

“Who are we talking about?” I asked.

Lucena spared me a glance. “Liora. Jalidda’s little sister.”

“Half sister.” Jalidda said. She didn’t even sound annoyed about having to make this connection, but I remembered suddenly what she had said when she was trying to convince me to help her and Caymelorous kill Aquialus, about her mother getting poisoned when she was a baby. “Apparently she did so well on the test that they let her come a week early.” I had read stories about older siblings who were jealous about younger siblings’ successes, but that was not what Jalidda sounded like.

“What does that mean?” I asked.

“Legally, the  special fighters aren’t supposed to fight until they’re 15, so she get’s a year between fighting and when she finishes school, during which she could get extra training or something.” Said Lucena.

“So… what? She’ll be a special special troop?” I asked.

“There’s no such thing.” Jalidda said calmly. I realized I was clenching my teeth every time I heard her voice. “A couple of more naive people in court might think she’s smart, and she will have the misfortune of an extra year of school.”

“Liora’s betrothed to Aquialus.” Lucena told me. “She’s going to be the next Queen. A lot of other families want their daughters in her place though, so Jalidda’s needs to make Liora as strong as possible.”

I winced, and the image of Aquialus rose to the top of my mind. Future Queen or no, I didn’t envy Liora. “Does Liora want to be Queen?” I asked.

“It doesn’t matter what she wants.” Jalidda said, as if she was talking about the weather or something.

For a moment, I didn’t know what to say. “Oh.” I said finally.

#Briny

[writersblocklhs]

The memoirs of Evenra Cole

When I woke the next day, sun streaming in through the window, I experienced the feeling of complete disorientation that comes with waking up in an unfamiliar place, before the events of the previous night came crashing down on me.

I sat up. Neither Lucena nor Jalidda had woken yet, and I could hear Lucena snoring, making me cringe. Rila still hadn’t gotten back.

I climbed out of bed and walked over to the window. The village we were in was small, and I could see the river from where I was standing. I was trying to think, but I was having trouble doing so over the snoring.

“Evenra?”

I scowled. It was Jalidda. She was awake.

“What?” I said irritably, turning around. Her face was expressionless as always.

“Nothing.”

I hesitated, reluctant to turn my back on her, and tried to force myself to think. Mamila and my parents. I needed a way to find them.

The snoring stopped, and Lucena got up. She looked between us. “You two going at it now?”

I frowned. “What?”

“The atmosphere in the dorm has been downright frigid between you, Jalidda and Rila. I can tell that you guys need a fight to- get it all out there. But now’s not a good time.”

“I don’t harbor any ill feelings towards Evenra.” Jalidda said evenly.

Lucena climbed out of bed. “Did Rila ever get back?”

I shrugged. “Evidently not.”

Lucena glanced at the door. “Think I should get her?”

“She’ll come back on her own. Until then, she’ll be fine with Dea.”

She gave me an odd look.

“What?” I began to feel uncomfortable. “Do you- not trust Dea?”

“I don’t trust anyone. Not Dea, not her roommates.”

“Oh.” I remembered all of the times I had already been called naive, and did my best to try to figure out what she meant to show that I wasn’t. But I was tired, and worried about Mamila and my parents. “Okay.”

There was a knock on the door. I walked over and opened it.

Mamila was standing on the other side of the door.

I let out a squeal, ran over, and hugged her. She returned it awkwardly, as she did, dropping…

“Mo!”

I knelt down as she rolled over, allowing me to rub her belly. “I’ve been so worried about you Moe-wee.” I told her.

“What about me?” Mamila asked, irritated.

“You’re smart. I knew you’d figure something out.” I told her. I looked up, realizing I was grinning like an idiot. “How did you find us?”

“I pretended to be Aquialus’s. Turns out a lot of people are surprisingly scared of him, considering the fact that he’s ten years old, so no one tried to claim me.” She walked into the room. “How long are we going to stay here?”

I shrugged. “Lucena?” I asked. She was usually the authority in our dorm on this sort of thing.

Her face wrinkled slightly, her eyes flickering between Mamila and I. “The estimate is that it will take 3 months to reclaim Leiton, but the academy might be burned down by then, so it will take a long time for it to rebuild.” She said finally. “We’re not going to spend the whole time here though, they’ll be sending us to the other academy, in Cordem- oh, I don’t know. Soonish.”

I nodded, still grinning. “Okay.” I said continuing to rub Mo.

I was safe. Mamila was safe. Mo was safe. Everything else, I thought, could be fixed in time.

#Briny

[writersblocklhs]

Kh-artia's Quest

Chapter One

The sun glinted in the blue waters of Samesdone. My friend kh-artia was running down the small lake’s shore. We had decided to walk down to the surprisingly clear lake, on my suggestion. Although it was a relatively warm day I really didn’t feel like I wanted to go into the water. “Kh-artia, come back. I am bored.” I wanted someone around on the beach to talk to or even to just observe. No answer. I could have followed her footprints but I wanted to sit down, more than I wanted to chase my over energetic friend.

Kh-artia and I had met at Gregon School of the arts; only a few months ago. I didn’t really think she was going to be interesting when I first looked at her but she was friendly, and she soon proved me wrong. Kh-artia is extremely brilliant, annoyingly even more so than I am. Kh-artia was a very private person, despite her being charismatic, she was also slightly eccentric, although I’m not really one to judge.

“Hey, look what I found!” My curiosity was peaked and my thoughts were cut short when I saw my friend running towards me.

“Whoa, slow down. What is it?” Kh-artia opened her hand to reveal a beautiful stone. It was light green in color and was quite shiny. It reflected the noonday sun, and her beaming face.  She clutched it firmly and started to spin around. It seemed that she was happy, but it was strange that she would be jumping around just for a semi pretty rock. She continued to spin around with the rock, and on her third spin she opened up her arms and accidently released it. It went flying, almost hitting the clouds before it gently splashed into the water.

“I’ll get it” I then immediately regretted my offer when I went to the edge of the lake. Although I really didn’t want to go into the water, it was too late to retract my statement and so I solemnly waded in. I was able to see the stone, slightly blurry underneath the murky water, and my hand went down to reach for it. The water was cooler than the air but it felt very relaxing nevertheless. My hand fumbled for a second or two and then I felt a smooth edge. I picked it up.

“I have it” I called out shaking my right hand up in the air for her to see. She was nowhere to be seen. I felt a strange tugging on my feet.

Beneath the water it appeared as if black seaweed was sticking to my feet I tried to kick it off but it kept growing tighter. I could feel the rough scratchy surface of the assumed seaweed.  I looked up when I heard a hissing sound. The stone I was holding started to move, I could feel a tugging, almost wreathing feeling in my clenched fist. I moved the rock in front of my face. It was a snake. The black scales glistened in the light and for a second, I was hypnotized. After I had broken from my short trance I tried to drop the snake, but my hand wouldn’t budge. I blinked and looked again. I sensed something awful was about to happen.

A short breath. Behind me there stood a woman enclosed in black, she held my fist firm around the snake. I elbowed her but she didn’t move, if anything she moved closer, pressing herself against me. I once again looked to the horizon hoping kh-artia would save me from what seemed to be some sort of trip. An iridescent mermaid lunged at me, she hovered in the air for a moment or two and I saw in front of the glorious red hair, a familiar face.

 My feet began to sink and it wasn’t very soon before I had to gulp for air as I was pulled under the water and through the sea bed. I was trapped. A dark room was what awaited my eyes. I could sense a moving snake, gigantic, wrapping itself around an invisible barrier protecting me. I looked at a small fire several feet away from me and I surveyed my surroundings; or at least what little I could see, crunched up ion the cold floor. I could see a stone wall on my right and a little to the left of where I was sitting, a corridor. A faint glint was down this darkish green corridor, I squinted and made out a small fire. The little light there was reflected green on a metallic bar. I saw that I was trapped in a cage. The giant snake which entangled itself around my current state, glanced at me with large glowing green eyes, and a saliva dripping mouth.

[writersblocklhs]

Summary of Another Time so far

Summary of events of story so far:

The universe the story takes place in contains 2 islands, and 3 sentient species: Qaci, Zimmuxevi, and ibwoni.

The Qaci is native to Qacdeca, which is the Northern part of the larger island, and a desert. Everyone in the universe is born with a magic power, but Qaci’s powers are reliant on their horns. Most, but not all, Qaci have fire powers.

Zimmuxevi are native to Zimmuxevis, which is the southern part of the larger island, and contains more food and water. Zimmuxevi are amphibious, but need to spend a certain amount of time in the water to survive. Most, but not all, Zimmuxevi have water powers.

Qacdeca and Zimmuveis are seperated by the Black Mountains.

Ibwoni are the hybrids of the first two species, but cannot reproduce. They have 2 powers instead of one, are not reliant on horns, and can breathe underwater but can survive without it to the same extent that humans can, meaning they need it to survive but don’t need to immerse themselves in it on a regular basis.

Relaeh are people who have the ability to become physically stronger from others’ physical and emotional pain. Statis are the opposite, they have the ability to heal others, but only by hurting themselves. Both of them are the more powerful powers, and Qaci with these powers are not reliant on their horns.

The story itself is divided between the past and present. In the past, there was a war between the Qaci and the Zimmuxevi that has been going on for hundreds of years. One of the people involved in the war, a Zimmuxevi woman named Evenra Cole, goes forward in time to the present, which is what ties the two stories together. (We’ll find out more about this later)

Lissa Fily lives in the present. She works for an organization called the Freedom Fighters, which are a group of Zimmuxevi who believe that the Qaci and Ibwoni secretly control everything in a vast conspiracy. Most people dismiss them as nut jobs, and they are more dangerous than most people think. Lissa is sent to find Evenra, who has become famous for writing a book called Another Time, the Memoirs of Evenra Cole which tells her story of what had happened in the past, however, as Evenra had had her name legally changed, she;s hard to find. Lissa reads her book, and through her reading the book we read it as well, and befriends an elderly ibwoni man named Benjamin who claims to know Evenra, and offers her lessons in ancient Qaci.

Zimmuxevis has a monarchy, but anyone in a position of power is required to spend at least two years in the war. Those in power get out of this by setting up special schools for the smartest zimmuxevi in the country so that they can learn to be military strategists, and have more protection. The children of noblemen cpnveniantly end up getting placed in these schools more often, however, Evenra is the daughter of a farmer living in the black mountains, and is let into the school so that they can have plausible deniability. At the moment, she is 10 years old and in her first year at the school.

Evenra’s memoirs take place during the end of the war. Despite fighting each other, the Qaci and Zimmuxevi have an agreement that they will send all Relaeh and Ibwoni to Naden, the smaller island, which serves as a prison island. However, this rule has been broken by the Zimmuxevi King, who doesn’t have a name right now, as his son and heir, Aquialus, is a relaeh

but is allowed to stay on the island, and will eventually become King. At an earlier point in the story, Evenra’s friend Caymelorous, and her roommate Jalidda tried to talk her into helping them assassinate Aquialus, but they were betrayed by Jalidda, and Caymelorous was sent to Naden, before Evenra committed to this.

Evenra also puts in excerpts from the memoirs of Mamila Relan. Mamila is a Qaci who was captured and enslaved by Zimmuxevi as a baby, and her horn was cut off so she doesn’t have powers and doesn’t know what her power would have been. However, she is determined to find a way to grow said horn back, which no one has ever done before. At the moment, she is Evenra’s slave, and they have agreed to help each other achieve their goals.

That’s pretty much all that has happened so far, if I’ve forgotten something and you get confused, just ask me :)

#Briny

[writersblocklhs]

Another Time

At this point, I cannot continue writing my experience, as what is about to happen to Mamila, while I was not present, must be told in her own words. Therefore, I give you an excerpt from the memoirs of Mamila Relan, telling how she escaped from Leiton when the Qaci took control. § From the memoirs of Mamila Relan I had learned how to hover at a safe distance during Evenra's simulations. Too close and I would be accused of getting in the way. Too far away and I wouldn't be able to see what was going on. When Evenra and the new boy, Milus, went across the river to spy on a magical illusion, I knew better than to go with them, and instead watched the rest of the group wait, not at all patiently, for their 'scouts' to return. "My skin is drying out." Said Edela. Without any further comment, she began to walk towards the river. "Excuse me!" Snapped Cassandra. "Oh, I'm so sorry." Edela's voice became mocking. "Permission to go to the river, Leader?" "Permission denied!" Cassandra snapped. "What are you going to do in the middle of the desert in Qacdeca?" "Die probably." Edela said, not sounding overly concerned. "It's not my fault the scouts are taking too long." "One of them is Milus, and he's new." Said Balius. There was an awkward silence. Everyone in the class knew, by then, about the failed plot against Aquialus, and everyone had an opinion on it. No one wanted the class to argue about it, however, so they all simply avoided anything that remotely related to the subject- until now. "This is insane!" Porlanus snapped. "What? That Milus isn't up to speed?" Asked Balius. "I think it's quite reasonable." "Don't play innocent with me!" Said Porlanus. "Alright, that's enough." Cassandra said cautiously. "There's no need to overreact." This just made Porlanus angrier. He and Cassandra fought a lot back then, and it often seemed like whatever one would say, the other would take it as a personal challenge to disagree. "What's insane," said Porlanus, is that half the class acts as if Caymelorous was some sort of hero when he wanted to kill our prince- are classmate- our prince!" "Excuse-" Dea started to say, "No one's suggesting that." Rila's said coldly. "Are you sure you are not the one looking for trouble?" "Aquialus is a monster!" Dea exploded. "I'm right here." Aquialus said casually. I wondered if there was an implied threat in his statement, or if I was simply imagining things. "Dea-" Balius started to say. "I'm sick of cowering!" Her yellow eyes found Porlanus's. "And I know that you think that he's your friend, and I don't know how you could, but believe me, he's not." "Dea!" Rila said, grabbing her arm. "That's enough." There was silence for a moment, and then Dea nodded. "Of course." She said, her voice smaller. It was shaking now. She moved her face towards Aquialus, but I had the distinct feeling that she was not really looking at him. "Pardon me." "Of course." Aquialus smiled, his eyes glinting. And that was when the bells, which signaled there was a fire, or other emergency, went off. There was a moment of confusion, and then people started running to the water. I froze. During a fire, Zimmuxevi were supposed to go underwater, but I would not be able to breathe underwater. It was possible, of course, that it was a drill, in which case I could simply stay where I was. But I couldn't help but worry that it was not a drill. If there was a fire, the water would be safest. But I could be punished if I took up space intended for the more valuable Zimmuxevi, officially or not. I imagined yellow hands pulling me under the water, drowning me. I shuddered. I heard shouting in the distance, and my feet made up my mind for me. I bolted, running in the opposite direction of the buildings. I caught sight of Mo and, not entirely sure why, scooped her up and ran between the buildings, off of school property and into the town. The niff squirmed in my arms and threatened to scratch me. I almost dropped her. I wasn't sure why I didn't. I should have. Fear had been a constant presence in my life, ever since I was a little girl, as natural as breathing. But now, it threatened to overwhelm me, the only thing overriding it a simple desire to survive, to keep the tenuous, but not without hope, life that I had carved out for myself. As I ran into the town, I saw flames, so I simply turned and ran in the opposite direction, pushing remorselessly through a crowd determined as I was to escape their doomed town. And then I saw the Qaci. I had never seen a free Qaci before, their horns perfectly intact. Well, perhaps I had as a baby, but I didn't remember that. They came from the direction of the fire, shouting in a language I didn't understand- my brief studying of the qaci language was not enough to translate any of what they were saying. I should have gone to them. They may have taken me back to Qacdeca- later I would hear stories about qaci soldiers freeing qaci slaves. But those weren't the stories I had been raised on. I had overheard Jalinus, Evenra's father, tell tales where beautiful, graceful Zimmuxevi maidens were kidnapped by monsters who had glowing red eyes and horns and fire, and despite the fact that they were never specified as Qaci, the qaci soldiers seemed as if they were those monsters come to life. As I turned and ran in the opposite direction, one of them grabbed my sleeve. I heard him say something, but unable to understand the words, I thought it was a threat. I pulled myself free and ran through the crowd. § I couldn't run forever. I was quickly exhausted, cramps spreading across my stomach and beginning to hurt my chin, but fear kept me going after that. Still, I soon had to stop, in the middle of a forest. I was far enough from the water that I thought there was unlikely to be near a Zimmuxevi town at least, and I doubted Qaci soldiers would go looking for anyone here. Mo was somehow still there. Feeling irritated but somewhat proud of myself for protecting her, I put her down on the ground next to me and began to pet her. She purred, and rubbed up against me. I laughed, despite myself. "Evenra is going to be jealous." I told her. Evenra. I shut my eyes, as the situation I was in began to sink in. I hadn't thought, in my moment of panic, about what I was doing when I ran away. Now I realized that I was a 12 year old girl lost in the wilderness with no way of finding food, shelter, or water. If I made my way to a Zimmuxevi town, city, or village, then some stranger would most likely lay claim to me, as easily as picking up money from the ground. After all, there would be no way to find Evenra. On the other hand, perhaps if I headed North, the way I came, I would end up in newly claimed Qaci territory. Maybe they would take care of me. Maybe they could find whatever family I had been stolen from. I got up and began to walk in what I hoped was the right direction, then stopped. I didn't know much about Qaci culture, but I had heard that they were obsessed with perfection. Stories of what they did to the imperfect flew through my head. I would later learn that these stories were invented by Zimmuxevi to prevent Qaci from running away. At the moment though, the threat was enough for me to walk back to my tree, where Mo had fallen asleep, and try to think of something else. I had had a plan, Karus dammit. I would rise with Evenra, use her growing power to have access to the greatest recourses in the country so that somehow, someday I would find a way to regain my horn, and the power that was rightfully mine. Then, only then, would I be worthy to return to Qacdeca. Having overcome the greatest weakness of the Qaci, I would be welcomed as a hero. But there there was a flaw in the plan. I was completely dependent on Evenra. I clenched my teeth. Maybe if I headed to a Zimmuxevi town, I could find a way to get a message to Evenra, and she could buy me back. Unsure, I got up and began to walk again, as all the obvious problems with this plan occurred to me. I had no good way to get a message to Evenra. Evenra probably didn't have the money to afford me, and she might not want me back that much. I stopped again. "Maybe you could find Evenra." I muttered to Mo. "Sniff her out. But if you could, you wouldn't care anyway, would you? I began to panic. I tried to calm myself, reminding myself that I had gotten myself out of bad situations before, and that I had survived in this world for 12 years. A new plan occurred to me. I got up, picked up Mo, and began to walk again. All the reasons why my new plan wouldn't work began to occur to me, but this time I kept walking. It was this or nothing.

[writersblocklhs]

The Golden Orchard- Part Two

After the filling lunch Nick invited George to take a stroll about the grounds. They walked out of the large dining room and down a hallway to a set of grand French doors. Nick pushed the brass handle and stood aside to let George pass.” It’s been a long time since I have been here.” George observed, although he couldn’t exactly tell if he had ever visited before. A chilly breeze blew through George’s thin jacket, and he had wished he had brought a heavier one. The wind chilled him to the bone and he wished the tour would be short. trying to distract himself from his slight discomfort he looked around at the spacious lawn. It was well maintained; Nick could afford it. Since it was autumn as of a week ago the leaves on the nearby trees were turning vibrant hues; the fire colored leaves reminded George of his warm house he had left behind to arrive here.

“So have you changed anything around...”

George was cut off by Nick handing out a warmer coat and urging him to put it on. Nick was surprised that George was having such an effect to the coldness that hang around the grass; George’s subconscious shivering was put to rest when the fur lined coat collapsed onto George’s soldiers.

Nick began walking and George was left like a running rabbit compared to his friend’s elegant, long gait. If Nick was trying to comment on anything it wasn’t heard; the leaves gathered in piles in the side yard, where they had shortly just turned into, were blowing around their feet, almost like an outreaching vine. He turned his head to the right, and over the top of a low, crumbling, stone wall, he saw the afternoon sun illuminating a yellow field. Two trees marked a gap in the wall, a perfect entrance into the majestic field. It was tantalizing for George to follow Nick away from the field, a field that seemed to be beckoning him to give in to his curiosity and explore.  A small bird darted in front of the pair and nestled on an old and rotting tree trunk. “I have to get that thing removed, please excuse it.” Nick pointed to the eyesore. “The truth is I have been very occupied these last few months”

“Doing lord knows what!” George suppressed his comment. He not only figured it was not his place to ask but he knew it was rude, especially after receiving the coat; Nick would tell him eventually, if he wanted to.  For lack of anything productive to say or even a polite response to Nick, George didn’t say anything. Nick tried again to engage George and once again it was met with the same reaction; George was now being the elusive one. They continued to walk in unspoken thoughts and feelings, until they returned to the back door; a full circle.

 “Thank you for the coat.” He felt obligated to remark; it was a more than usual friendly gesture between the two men. Nick stared moodily into the hallway;” I’m going to the library” he walked down the corridor; his heavy footsteps echoing throughout the walled paper walls. George realized that it wasn’t exactly an invitation; it was a statement. Since it wasn’t blatantly clear whether George should follow him or not, he decided not to. Nick seemed upset, but at what? However, he now didn’t know what to do.

“Can’t you get out of the bloody coat yourself!?”

“What? Excuse me, did you just say something?” it was muttered so hush-like and quickly that George innocently wondered if he had in fact actually just thought of it; He would never really know. A servant bustled around him; buzzing around his front then behind him. He helped George ease off his temporarily gifted jacket. The servant quickly buzzed out again through an entrance to the right, of where George was pondering. George then felt a rush of blood go to his face when he realized that he had been standing there, with his mouth open, for at least twenty minutes; just looking like a complete fool. He should have stopped the servant; he would need the jacket again. He sharply turned on his right heel and walked down the hall; his light footsteps barely touched the ear of the observing servant; who, slouched against the wall, had been amusing himself at George’s expression, before offering him to help with his jacket.

[writersblocklhs]

Memoirs of Evenra Cole

It’s been a while since I wrote this. I keep on finding other things to do I guess. And anyway, if I’m mostly writing this for me, why should I keep writing if I don’t want to anyway? I’ve never liked writing, I always dreaded written assignments in school. And since some genius decided to lump in writing with history, I’ve had to help teach it. But I digress. I mentioned me in a lesson today, as briefly as I could. Evenra Cole. One of the kids asked if she was the one who was found when he was a baby. Has it really been that long? He wouldn’t even remember a time that I was not on this island, living, breathing, working. I answered the question with as little detail as I could. I felt uncomfortable when I talked to them about me, like a spotlight was shining on me. “Why did she do it?” A little girl has asked. And I had been thinking, going through all of my reasons, ranting in my mind. But people are cynical about history. They’d expect me to have some selfish, political motivation. I was afraid that if I suggested emotion was involved, that the children would realize something was up. § Lissa slams down the book angrily. She seethes, furious not just with Evenra, but with herself as well. Evenra. When did we start thinking of her as Evenra? Evenra Cole. Lissa could never let herself forget, the woman portrayed in this piece of propaganda does not really exist. The real Evenra is an evil, scheming traitor. Nothing is worse than a traitor, she thinks. "Some 'un looks angry." Lissa jumps, then looks up to see the old man. Benjamin. "Oh! I was just at the part where-" she tried to think of a part that she read so far that she could pretend to be outraged about. "Where she found out Jalidda was the traitor." "Yer early then." "I've read it before." She said, trying to look the part of a hardcore fan. Then it occurred to her that Benjamin might ask her something about the book that she might not know, blowing her cover. Stupid "Well, I sen' an electric letter, an' Evenra says that she 'ould be happy to sen' an autograph, but it's taken' a while to go all the way from Naden." So Evenra was still in Naden. That was good to know. "Oh never mind. She can take as long as she wants. I'm sure she's very busy. Thank you." He looked amused. "She's not 'n the business o' savin' the day these days." Lissa nods. "Of course. She teaches level 4 right? Or-" "She still teaches." He said nodding. "An' she's good too. But it doesn' seem very 'ealthy to me, to tel' the truth. She can' seem to decide if she wanna run away from 'er past, or toward it." "That's understandable. But enough about Evenra." She had decided a treasure trove of information already, and she didn't want Benjamin to realize that she was only tolerating him for the opportunity to find her. "How has your week been?" "Oh- good enough. Still gettin' settled in-" "I'm sorry- did you just move here?" She knows that he has, she remembers that she saw him moving bags in, but she can't let him recognize her as the girl who was rude to him. "Yeah- I jus' retired." He says. You just retired and you have great grandchildren? "Oh that's nice. What did you do?" "Taught ancien' languages." He says proudly. "Qaci and 'muxevi." "Oh?" Lissa says. She doesn't quite believe that someone like Benjamin is smart enough to learn another language, much less 2. She herself knows ancient zimmuxevi, she had been taught it since she was a baby by her parents, right alongside basic. She's not sure whether she would like to advertise this skill to this orange, but her curiosity wins out. "Are you any good?" She asks in ancient zimmuxevi. His mouth falls open for a moment, and then he grins. "You can speak ancient zimmuxevi." As he talks in the foreign language, he continues to drop some of his consanants. There's something impressive about that actually, it suggests that he is very comfortable with the language, but Lissa horrified to see an orange using this noble language. Still, she tries her best to hide it. She continues to speak fluently in ancient zimmuxevi. "How are you liking it here in the South?" "It's lovely." He says smiling, speaking in the dead language as well. "Although-" he stops. "What? What is it?" "I'm the only qaci-zimmuxevi hybrid in the neighborhood." He confesses. "Most of the neighbors are very friendly and polite, but there's this one house that's crawling with-" he stops. "There's no word for it in the ancient languages. Zimmuxevi who think that they are better than qaci and qaci-zimmuxevi hybrids. Zimmuxevi who hate them." Lissa flinches. "you mean the freedom fighters?" She asks cautiously. He shrugs. "I don't know what they call themselves. It's nothing. Don't worry about it." She hesitates, not wanting to give any indication that she is one of the freedom fighters. "There are groups like that on both sides." She says carefully. "There shouldn't be 2 sides. Not anymore." "I know that." She says quickly. "I only meant that there are also r- qaci and uh" She frowns, trying to remember the word that Benjamin had used, unwilling to ask and reveal her ignorance. "qaci-zimmuxevi hybrids who act the same way towards Zimmuxevi." He eyes her for a moment, and she is suddenly nervous. "There are qaci still, who believe themselves superior to the Zimmuxevi. But neither they nor groups like the- freedom fighters will- accept the qaci-zimmuxevi hybrids. Those who hate the Zimmuxevi also see the qaci-zimmuxevi hybrids as being- tainted by the Zimmuxevi. That can't be right. She desperately tries to think of something to change the subject to. "Do you speak ancient qaci as well as you speak Ancient Zimmuxevi?" He smiles. "No." He laughs. "I speak it better." An idea occurs to her. "Can you teach me?" He regards her for a moment. She manages to meet his eyes for the first time. She's never really looked an orange in the eyes before. There not as bright as she expects, there a dark orange, like brown." "Why do you want to learn?" She hasn't thought of an answer to that. As she struggled to think of one, he interrupts her thoughts. "I think it would be- good for you." He says finally. She clenches her teeth, feeling that she is being condescended to. "Give me another week and I'll come back with a lesson. And a signature from Evenra." He smiles. "I mean it this time." "How much?" She asks. He shakes his head. "No charge, no charge." He assures her. "I look forward to our next lesson." When Lissa gets home, she uses the InterWeave to look up red supremacists. She ends up on a page in the InterWeave community belonging to a woman named Andrea Bronson. She reads the first post she sees. It's a rant about how Zimmuxevi and Oranges should all leave the land and live in the ocean. Enraged, Lissa writes a long, detailed response, explaining that oranges have filthy red blood in them, and that about 12 nautical miles from the islands on all sides was the Mirtinas Belt, which scientists believe would kill 92% of Zimmuxevi who would breathe it- and they don't even know what would happen to those it didn't. After she is finished, she goes back to make sure it's all written in 4 letter words so that the idiot on the other end can understand it. She starts working on a project for work, with the smug sense of satisfaction she gets from arguing with someone on the InterWeave. Her screen gives a chirp, signaling a response from Bronson. She is unable to resist seeing what it is. "Good. I hope you all die then."

[writersblocklhs]

The Golden Orchard - Part One

George sat down onto a formal chair. It was one of many that littered his friend’s living room. As soon as he positioned himself his friend, Nick, spoke “It is rather a gloomy day, is it not”.

George rather pitied his friend’s attempt to make conversation, and so he replied with a simple “yes, Nick. It is a very dark day”. However, most of Nick’s days were rather dark, for he was never one to try to have fun and he rarely invited any visitors. Because of this self-inflicted isolation no one could truly call themselves a friend of Nick. But George liked to think of himself as the closest acquaintance of the solemn Nick, having been one of the only ones who attended college with him. The dark austere curtains also blocked most of the light from entering Nick’s living room which only contributed to the gloominess. With no instant reply George allowed himself to gaze over the large and overly decorated room. His eyes met his friend’s silhouette.

Nick was elegantly leaning with his left arm onto the untouched piano. His long figure was clad in black with the only color coming from his pale face with its two green cat eyes. His slender figures were toying with a pen. In this position he stood in silence for another ten minutes or so before the deafening silence was broken by a chime from a miscellaneous clock. “I hate that wretched thing, but at least it works.” It was so abrupt that George didn’t register that Nick had spoken the first time. George was glad there was a clock, for he felt that if there wasn’t a clock then surely there wouldn’t be any way to tell that time passed in the house. “I guess I should get ready for dinner” Nick nearly whispered and left the room. George decided to follow suit and he went to find the room in which he was staying.

Once George had shut the heavy oak door to his room he glanced at his watch. It was five minutes past six; it was plenty of time to get ready and write down the day’s events in his worn leather journal. He had arrived at Nick’s house that morning by carriage. He left his house in Englewoood a few hours before that. He had spent the morning in his room unpacking his modest trunk. He then was told by an old servant to go to the dining room. When he walked into the dining room he was surprised to see that his host was not there. After a few minutes of waiting Nick gallantly strolled in, “I am sorry I am late, I was busy”. Nick invited George to sit and followed suit.

George was surprised that nick was busy it seemed completely different than his usual free schedule. He also was interested in the fact that Nick didn’t share what was detaining him. He managed to shrug away his curiosity. Nick started to pick at an orange which he grabbed from a bowl of fruit. In his own world Nick eventually realized that his companion hadn’t any food and asked a servant to send up something. The servant gave a short nod, looked George’s way, then left.  While the food hadn’t arrived Nick obviously tried to converse; “Your journey, I assume, was fine?”

“Yes it was. Thank you for asking. However, one of the wheels on the cab I took broke and so I had to switch carriages.” Not wanting to let the conversation die out George inquired after the house and expressed his thanks that he was invited. George wanted to question also why he was invited but didn’t feel as if it was the right time to ask.

Both parties were clearly relieved when the food arrived and allowed an excuse for them not to speak to one another.

[writersblocklhs]

The Memoirs of Evenra Cole

Lissa plops down at a table to wait for her order to be served. A group of reds sits down across from her, and she scowls. Cheerful Cuisine is doing it’s best to resist the reds’ take over, but even it is having problems. At least it is better than Sunmoo.

She gets out her book and begins to read.

§

The new boy, who had come to “replace” Caymelorous-

§

“May I sit here?”

Lissa is annoyed, but when she looks up, she freezes, bile rising in her throat. It’s the old orange man, who she had seen on Linus’s street.

“Of course.” She says, her desire not to make a scene and draw attention to herself outweighing her disgust. She returns to the book.

§

The new boy, who had come to “replace” Caymelorous-

§

“Watcha reading?”

Annoyed, she lifts the book so he can read the cover- assuming he knows how to read of course. She realizes that she won’t be able to pay attention to the book anyway, but continues to pretend to read to avoid talking to him.

“Another Time, the Memoirs of Evenra Cole. Ya’ liking it?”

She nods curtly, and turns the page noisily.

“I find it very interesting.” He has a thick Nadenese accent. “Ya’ know, I don’ mean to brag, but my grandson was the one who found ‘er.”

Lissa is suddenly paying attention. “You have a grandson?” Lissa asks. Oranges are not capable of reproducing.

He nods. “I adopted ‘is father.”

Lissa hates the fact that Oranges are allowed to adopt children, but doesn’t say anything. “And he knows her? Evenra Cole?”

“That’s what I said.”

Her heart begins to thump, quickly, in her chest. “Have you ever met her?”

He nods. “She’s not the- how do I put this- she has a lot of problems. Don’t get me wrong, she’s a nice girl. It’s not easy for her, ya’ know. Imagine jumpin’ forward a thousand years. Everyone ya’ know would be dead!”

Lissa nods. “I’d like to be able to meet her.” She says, trying to sound casual. “People don’t recognise her as much as people like Mamila and Jarius Relan, or Bejius and Kenila Boazette, but she played just as big a part in creating- well- the world we know today!” She doesn’t add that it is her opinion that the world was a better place before those people came along and ruined it.

“Well she likes to keep ‘erself to ‘erself- doesn’t want the attention of bein’ famous you know.” He looks her up and down. “Are ya’ old enough to remember when she appeared here? 10 years ago now!”

She nods. “I was a teenager then.” She hesitates, chewing her lip. “What’s your name?”

“Benjamin. Benjamin Lymano.”

“I’m Lissa Fily.” She hesitates, and decides it’s best to ask for something small first. “Could you get me her autograph or something?”

He nods his head up and down enthusiastically. “I bet she’d love to give one to a nice girl like you. I come here every week, do ya’ want to come here to meet me next week? Same time, same place?”

She nods. “Sounds good to me.”

With that arrangement made, Lissa decides to put her book away and talk politely with the old man. He is a great grandfather of 4, a grandfather of 2, and a father of 2, and he tells her funny stories about each of them as children. He has one red adopted son and one zimmuxevi adopted son. After listening to him for a while, she realizes that as she had laughed and smiled upon hearing stories of his red son, red grandson, and orange great-grandchildren all while forgetting their color. Disturbed, she gets to her feet and announces that she has forgotten a previous engagement, leaves immediately, promising to come back in a week for the autograph.

She walks down the street quickly, wanting to put as much distance between herself and the old man- Benjamin- as she possibly could.

§

The new boy, who had come to “replace” Caymelorous, was named Milus. He was short, pudgy, and the new scout.

I took an instant disliking to him, one which was perhaps unfair. Every word he spoke to me, I interpeted in the most uncharitable way possible. I avoided him as much as I could. Which wasn’t that much, because we were the only scouts in our group. He came from the capital city, Didonem, but was poor, like me. It didn’t make me at all sympathetic to him.

“That’s the current Qaci president.” I said, annoyed. The two of us currently had to observe an illusion that had been created magically and report back to the rest of the group- which was just across the river. Milus had no idea what the current qaci president looked like, as he was months behind the rest of us, but I wasn’t inclined to give him the benefit of the doubt. “Lets go.”

“Who’s the boy next to him?”

“His grand-”

Suddenly, the ringing of the bells that signified a fire or other emergency began to ring noisily. The illusion in front of us flickered and died, revealing our instructor standing before us, her face pale.

“Is this a drill?” I asked, panicked.

“I- I don’t know about any drill being scheduled…”

My heart pounded. I looked around. Nothing in sight was on fire, but I wasn’t foolish enough to think that there meant there wasn’t an emergency. I didn’t walk to the water like I was supposed to, I ran over and dove in, closing my throat and opening my gills, and began to swim, faster than I had before, not checking to see whether the rest of the class was with me. After a couple of minutes, the river became crowded with people.

I had been swimming for some time when I heard someone who sounded like a teacher scream, “Turn around! Go South!”

I spun in the water and tried to do so, but had trouble moving against the press of people going in the opposite direction. I up, trying to get above everyone else, where it would be easier to swim, and saw fire surrounding me. I dove back down, heart pounding. Where was Mamila? She couldn’t breathe underwater…

At some point, there seemed to be more people realizing they were going in the wrong direction, and began to turn around, making it easier to move. I stopped when I left the school property, and started to pop my head above water, when a hand grabbed my arm and pulled me back down.

“It’s the Qaci.” She said hurriedly. “We need to keep going until we’re out of the town.”

In history, they will teach you that the border between Qacdeca and Zimmuxevis are the mountains, but that wasn’t exactly true.

Basically, the Zimmuxevi started out in the South, and the Qaci started out in the North. When the Qaci figured out how to cross the mountains, and each side discovered that the other one existed, they decided that they wanted the other side’s territory, and went to war. Thus, each side would take territory on the other side of the mountain all the time. The problem was, it was really hard to get too many people across the mountains, and so even though the Qaci could claim territory South of the mountains, they would not be able to keep it for long because they would be outnumbered. The zimmuxevi had the same problem.

“Have you seen Rila or Jalidda?” Lucena asked.

I shook my head. “But the Qaci can’t breathe underwater-”

“They have their ways of getting us if we stay in the area. That’s why we need to move.”

I continued to swim, obediantly.

The next half hour was a confusing jumble. Was I safe? Where was everyone else? Where was Mamila? If I wasn’t safe, when could I be? All I knew was that I had to keep swimming.

Eventually, we saw  an adult we vaguely recognized from school, though neither of us could remember her name, and swam over to her, and asked her what we were supposed to do. She directed us to the surface, her job seemed to be to watch for students in the crowd of people fleeing from Leiton, where we found ourselves in an unfamiliar town. A crowd of students was gathering.

I don’t know how long we stood there, in the town square, waiting as more and more people come. Finally, the steady stream of kids turned into only a trickle, and then stopped altogether. The headmistress came out with someone else who amplified her voice, and told us to find the teacher who we were with when the alarm bells rang. Lucena deserted me to find her water-controlling teacher, as I desperately tried to find mine. After a long time, I found her, but then I had to wait as others tried to find their teachers in the crowd.

After a while, the headmistress got the idea of calling out the names of each of the teachers and having them raise their hands so that their students could find them. This worked well, but it took hours. By the time that our teacher actually took attendance I was drained, physically and emotionally.

“Dea Atemhus?”

“Here.”

“Rila Boazette?”

“Here.”

“Evenra Cole?”

“Here.”

“Milus Cresden?”

“Here.”

“Cassandra Horn?”

“Here.”

“Helenus Horn?”

“Here.”

“Porlanus Jole?”

“Here.”

“Edela Kadar?”

“Here.”

“Balius Mondite?”

There was no responce. I glanced over at Rila and Dea, whom Balius usually was with, but they stood alone, identical faces as pale as butter.

“Aquialus Zimmer?”

“Here.”

Aquialus had always looked like a miniature wrestler, but now he looked like a young god. It was more than just the usual getting-more-muscular, he seemed to have grown taller, and his skin had an odd sort of- freshness to it. I shuddered, wondering how he had gotten it.

“What about Balius?” Asked Rila, trembling.

“I’m going to ask about that now.” Said the teacher. “Everyone stay where you are. This isn’t terribly well organized, so it’s not implausible that he could have just gotten lost in the crowd.”

“Or he could be off playing the hero!” Rila burst out, as the teacher walked off. Next to her, Dea was sobbing and mumbling things like, “My fault” and “Not again, not again” that didn’t make any sense to me.

The bustling town of Leiton, which had grown up around the military base there, had many people in it who were not in the school. But since many of us were children of noblemen and relatives of the king, the students got preferential treatment, getting to stay in a hotel instead of just getting a “Well, good luck” from the people in charge. It was still much less luxurious than many of my classmates had been used to, however, instead of an entire sweet, me, Lucena, Jalidda and Rila shared one room, with 2 twin beds.

I flopped down on the bed which I was supposed to share with Rila. The other girl had left to go to Dea’s room, as Balius had still not been found. My body was screaming at me to sleep, but my mind would not let me. Where were my parents? Where was Rila? Would I ever even find out?

#Briny

[writersblocklhs]

The memoirs of Evenra Cole

Caymelorous looked better than I had steeled myself to expect. He was a bit dirty, but he wasn’t injured or anything.

Mamila and the soldier waited behind me, as I walked over. He didn’t look up, not even when I was right in front of the bars. “Caymelorous?”

“Evenra!” He looked up. “What are you doing here?”

“I came to see you-”

“You’re bleeding.”

I winced. “Are they really sending you to Naden?”

He winced. “Yeah. Yeah they are.”

To understand how I felt then, you must know how Naden was thought of back then. It’s not enough just to know the facts. It was the worst sentence one could receive. It was anarchy. People didn’t think or talk about it that much, but even as I write it down now, my body tenses, and I automatically move my arms to protect myself. Of course, that might be partly because of my later experiences with the place- but more on that later.

Take your hand, and clench it into a fist. Really hard. Imagine not being able to really clench it, but keep trying to do so. It feels weird, right? That is the closest I can come to describing how I felt, but all over my body.

“Hey.” He said. “At least I’ll be out of Aquialus’s reach when he becomes King.”

I thought he was making a feeble attempt at a joke, but when I looked up, his face was completely serious. He glanced over at the soldier, then said, “What I told you before- it’s completely a hundred percent true. You have to trust me.”

“I do.” I said, and meant it this time. “I believe you.”

He watched me for a long moment, as if expecting me to say more.

“Then you understand that Aquialus can’t be allowed-”

“That’s enough.” the soldier walked over. “It’s time to go.”

A part of me wanted to kick and scream, to grab onto the bars and make him drag me out. But I didn’t. I turned and walked out.

“It’s not going to be safe here!” He called. “For any of you!”

When the door shut behind us, I’ll I could think was, It already isn’t.

Class was still going, but we didn’t even consider attempting. The school nurse turned us away, having heard about the plot against the crown prince, and we ended up in our room. My back felt as if it were on fire. We tried our best to wash our injuries in the water fountain.

Rila came about an hour later, walking briskly. “Help.” I mumbled.

Her expression didn’t change when she saw us. “I brought food.” She said. “For both of you.”

I had never seen her address Mamila before, except when she wanted something.

“Dea has a friend who’s a healer that she’s getting.” She went on briskly. “He hasn’t been trained that much, and he’s no stidas, but he’ll see what he can do.”

“Why are you doing this?” I asked rudely.

“We’re friends, aren’t we?”

I didn’t say anything. We were friends- but not particularly close friends. And that was just me, not Mamila.

Jalidda and Lucena hurried in. I felt my stomach drop. Rila froze.

“I have as much medicine as I could get without looking suspicious.” Jalidda said hurriedly, eyes focussed on the ground. “And Lucena’s got some food.”

“I already have food.” Rila said tersely.

Jalidda was at least as deep in the plot as Caymelorous was. If not more so. There was no reason why she wouldn’t also be sent to Naden. Unless-

“You sold us out didn’t you?” Mamila’s voice was shaking with anger.

There was a long silence.

“I’m going to see if I can get some more food.” Said Lucena. She rushed out.

“The plan had no chance of working.” Jalidda’s voice was level, but not as emotionless as it almost always was, there was now the smallest bit of heat in it. “I simply chose not to go down with it. You should be grateful I told them before you signed on.”

“You wanted me to be your assassin!”

“Don’t pretend you were thinking of anyone other than yourself!” Rila said fiercely. “You know that the royal family will remember this- you were doing it to carry favor!”

“Why are you so upset? I protected your cousin.”

“Aquialus is your cousin?” I asked.

“Caymelorus is my cousin too!” She snapped. “And more o a famila than Aquialus and his father!”

“What?” Mamila asked.

“Which makes you closer to the throne now.” Jalidda said matter-a-factly. “Aquialus, Cordus, your brother, Bejius, and then you. That makes you fourth in line to the throne.”

“I don’t give a damn about the throne!” She snapped.

“Everything we told you about Aquialus is true, and it makes him a dangerous enemy.” She said to me. “If you’re wise, you won’t make him yours.”

“You-”

The door opened, and Dea walked in with a boy, a few years older than we were. “Alright, I can’t heal it completely, it will be painful, and when I’m done, it will be like were if it were a couple of days old.” He said “Who wants to start?”

No one said anything for a moment. “I’ll start.” Said Mamila finally.

His face fell, but he had her lie on her stomach and lift up her shirt. I noticed he was releculant to touch her, but I didn’t say anything.

She screamed, quickly and easily. I recoiled. If someone as tough and stubborn as Mamila screamed like that, how bad would it have to be? I stepped forward, awkwardly. He stopped, glancing up, and she panted. “Everyone outside, I need to be able to concentrate!” He snapped. I hurried out, and as I did, I noticed that Jalidda had taken advantage of his arrival to leave.

The screams began again.

“What’s he doing to her?” I asked, frantically.

“I don’t know” said Dea.

“You don’t know?”

“I don’t need to know. I trust him!”

“Well, I don’t trust you!” I snapped. I turned around, ready to storm in there, when my back gave way and I fell to the floor. There was a moment when the world seemed to go fuzzy, when Mamila’s screams grew quieter. Then they grew louder and sharper than before, and I blacked out.

“Evenra?”

I opened my eyes, disoriented for a moment. I was in my room, Mamila was leaning over me.

“How’s your back?” She asked.

The pain flared up again. Seeing the expression on my face, she said, “You’re lucky. You slept through the guy’s ‘healing’.”

“Lucky?” I asked, disoriented. I sat up. “How long was I out?”

“A couple hours.”

“A couple Hours?”

She nodded. “You’re lucky that he had a free after lunch, he wasn’t willing to risk his education for us. The others left after lunch was over.”

“How much longer is the school day?”

“A half hour. We still need to get to school tomorrow though- we’ve missed too much already.”

I nodded, already dreading it. “And we’re going to have to figure out school lunch. We can barely afford dinner from our job.”

“We could skip it…”

My stomach protested at the thought, but I didn’t say anything.

Everyone was staring at us as we walked down the hall… or perhaps I was just imagining it. Classes were lonely without Caymelorous making snarky comments as the teacher was talking. Several times I turned to make a smart remark to him as the teacher was talking, and saw only an empty seat.

I walked through the hallway in a daze. Rila tried to go out of her way to talk to me now, but I was no longer interested. Mamila stayed close the entire day, like an anchor.

Jalidda bought us another lunch. Part of me was tempted to say I didn’t want anything from a traitor like her, but I hadn’t had dinner the night before and was too hungry too hungry to be proud or angry.

On the way to one of the classes, I had been staring at the ground as I walked, and bumped into someone. “Sorr-” I started to mumble, looking up. I stopped when I saw his face.

“I know what you did.” Said Aquialus.

#Briny

[writersblocklhs]

Another Time, the memoirs of Evenra Cole

I hesitated, wondering if I should walk beside them, or try to sneak after them. Neither seemed like something I was likely to get away with. Finally, I picked up the pace until I was walking right next to them.

The Qaci looked over at me, as if wondering whether he should say something. I felt a surge of repulsion, then instantly felt guilty.

“What’s going on here?” I asked.

He didn’t say anything. I looked over at Evenra, whose face had gone pale. “I’m supposed to report to the main office. They didn’t say why.”

I felt a growing sense of fear in the pit of my stomach. We stepped outside, and headed over to the main building, over to the main office.

“Evenra Cole?” Asked the secretary.

Evenra nodded, and the secretary walked into the office. She returned a few seconds later, her expression grave. “Come in.”

I followed her in, where the headmistress was sitting behind a desk, her expression blank. The man who had brought us here did not follow.

His eyes flickered to me. “What are you doing here?”

Dammit.

“She’s with me.” Evenra said, her voice shaking.

For a moment, no one said anything. His eyes flickered between us. Finally, he simply turned to look at Evenra.

“I trust you know why you’re here?”

She glanced at me. Play dumb. I silently willed her. Play dumb. Play dumb. Play dumb.

“No.” She said, quietly. “No I don’t.”

He raised an eyebrow. “So you have no idea,” He said, “That an anonymous source reported that there was a plot to assassinate our august prince?”

She looked at me. I tried to look encouraging.

“No. Is- is he alright?” She asked.

“The prince? He’s perfectly safe.” She watched her.

“That’s good to hear.” She said, trying to smile.

Another silence.

“May I ask what this has got to do with me?” She asked, finally. I watched the headmistress. “According to this, anonymous report, you were told about this plan on Saturday, by Mr. Caymelorus Brand and Miss Jalidda Chaden. Do you deny this?”

“Yes.” She said.

The Headmistress smiled, in a predatory way. “What if I told you,” She said, “That 11 plain clothes cops saw this conversation, and all of them report that you were there.”

“It was dark.” Evenra said without thinking. “They might have been mistak-” She stopped. “At least I’m guessing it would have been.” She said lamely.

“I’ve heard enough.” She rang a bell near where she was sitting. “You’re clearly guilty. You will recieve 20 lashes, and a warning. If you are involved in anything else like this, you will, at best, be expelled from this school, and at worst, be exiled to Naden. In addition, you will no longer be allowed the free school lunch.”

I hesitated, heart thumping, torn between self preservation and a sense of obligation towards Evenra. “But she wasn’t involved.” I said releculantly. “She refused to join them.”

“Refused to commit to joining them, yes, but she also agreed not to turn them in, and during the course of this conversation, she had ample oppurtunity to break that promise. Had we not discovered this plot, and had Mr. Brand and Miss Chaden succeeded, she would not have stopped it. And neither, it seems, would you.”

I desperately tried to calm myself. Why hadn’t I kept my mouth shut?

“But I am aware, of course, that not reporting the plot is not as bad as being part of the plot. And that is why I am letting you off so light-”

“Light?”

“Yes, light.” Her eyes flashed. “Had you actually agreed to take part in the plot, you would be sent to Naden, with your friend Mr. Brand-”

“Caymelorus was sent to Naden?” Evenra asked.

“He hasn’t had his trial yet.” She said impatiently. “At the moment, he is being held in Leiton until he is sent to Didonem, where he will be tried as a crimminal.” Didonem was the Zimmuxevi Capitol at the time, all the way to the South. “But he will be found guilty. The case against him is airtight.”

“But-” Evenra started to say.

A young zimmuxevi man walked in, wearing the zimmuxevi uniform. “20 lashes each.” The headmistress said, curtly. “Both of them.”

He lead us out. Neither of us spoke. I reached out and took Evenra’s hand.

The man lead us off the campus and into the town, over to an imposing building labeled, Leiton Military Prison.

“The Headmistress said we were going to be- whipped.” Evenra’s voice trembled on the word ‘whipped’. “She didn’t say anything about going to prison.”

“Relax.” He said gruffly. Easy for him to say. “The Headmistress doesn’t want you to be- punished- on campus. It’s not the first time this has happened.”

After that, it was a blur. I cannot describe the way it felt, to those who do not know, and I hope that you do not, the feeling of your bare skin being being hit by a whip, the absense of all thoughts, only pain, and the desperate waiting for it to be over.

And then, it was over, and across from me, Evenra was pulling her purple tunic back down, over her bloody back, her face screwed up in pain.

I ran over to her. “Can we go now?” I asked, wondering if the school nurse would see us.

The soldier had the grace to look guilty. “Of course. I’ll take you back.”

“Wait.” Said Evenra. “This is the Leiton Prison?”

“Yes.”

“Do you know if Caymelorous Brand is being kept here?

Interlude

Lissa

Lissa winces in sympathy as she reads the part describing how Mamila and Evenra had been whipped. She had been whipped as well- when she was a teenager she had been rebellious- some people in school had fed her some radical ideas- and she had been born into the rebels. She had deserved it, she had parroted the beliefs of reds and oranges.

Wait, what is she thinking? How could she have anything in common with Mamila Relan, of all people?

Well, you both breathe. An obnoxious, juvenile part of her brain says. You both blink, I think- do Qaci blink? You both live on earth.

There is a point there, she decides. So what if they had a few little things in common? It isn’t anything important.

She’s in your private apartment, in the Rebels’ complex at the moment, but she decides to take a break from Evenra’s book and stretch her legs. She gets up, puts the book down, and heads out, nodding at Aaron, as usual, keeping watch over the entrance, to make sure that no one sneaks in that has not tied himself to him.

Voodoo dolls feature in some stories, but Aaron’s power was to use them- sort of. It’s not like slicing one in half would slice the subject in half, Aaron could use the doll to slowly drain the life out of the subject. The dolls couldn’t be made without the subject’s permission, and are required in order to enter the rebels. Since Aaron has a walkie-talkie that allows for a direct line to The Leader at all times it ensures that no one would turn traitor on The Leader. It doesn’t make Lissa feel any better. It’s hard to trust one’s life to someone like Aaron.

The entrance to the Rebels’ complex is in the basement of Linus Jole, the frontman of the rebels. The whole thing is underground. She heads out through Linus’s house, and begins walking down the street. It’s a beautiful day, the sun is shining, birds are singing. She smiles. Sometimes, it can be easy for her to forget to enjoy herself. She has her own house though she rarely visits it. She stops by now, waving to two zimmuxevi children, a boy and a girl, playing in the neighbor’s lawn. She doesn’t know their names. They wave back. I’m fighting for you. She thinks.

She grabs a bike, and heads over to the bike trail. She thinks as she bikes, chewing on everything she has read so far.

She remembers 10 years ago, how she saw on the News that Evenra Cole had washed up on the Northern Shores of Qacdeca. She would have dismissed it as a hoax, another lie from the red run government, but her parents told her that The Leader had personally assured them: it was true.

But over the next 7 years, the islands forgot Evenra. Much to her pride, Lissa had officially joined the rebels, just like her parents, as well as getting an outside job that utilized her power: to control water, as well as help the rebels, as a government contractor.

Until 3 years ago, when the memoirs had come out, and everyone was swarming all over them. But not her. Yes, she had gotten the gist of what was in them from the InviWeav- nothing wrong with being curious- but she couldn’t support what she knew would be propaganda.

Until The Leader had entrusted in her one of the most important missions of all- finding Evenra Cole. Leading her to reading the memoirs.

But now, she wonders if The Leader might have been better off trusting someone else. She has, far too easily, been sucked into the story. She is reading it as if it were a novel rather than looking for actual clues.

As she walks back down the street over to Linus’s house, she sees an elderly orange man, his hair and bear completely white, trying to carry heavy looking bag.

She feels a wave of revulsion. An orange- on her street! “Go!” She yella, unable to form words. He probably wouldn’t understand anyway. “Go- away!” He glances over at her, then walked back into the house.

Shaken, she walks back into Linus’s house. Back to the book.

#Briny

[writersblocklhs]

Another Time, the Memoirs of Evenra Cole

“Thoughts?” I asked as we walked.

She didn’t say anything for a few minutes. “I need evidence that Aquialus wouldn’t make as good of a king as your friend.”

“What do you mean? Aquialus is torturing slaves so that he can become stronger, of course Caymelorus would be better.”

“Assuming that he’s telling the truth about that part.” She said. “Do you trust him?”

“Yes.” I said. “Do you?”

“No. He get’s to be king if you kill Aquialus, he’s probably lying. If keeping Aquialus from the throne is so dangerous, he can do it himself.”

We walked onto the campus. I stopped.

“What is it?”

“A couple of times, I thought I heard screaming.” I frowned. I thought I could hear it now, much fainter than usual, but couldn’t be sure that it was not just my imagination.

“I don’t hear anything.”

“I’m scared.” The words fell out of my mouth, without me meaning to say them. I could imagine Mamila rolling her eyes.

We walked into our dorm. It was a Saturday Afternoon, so we were the only ones there. I lit a fire, making it easier to see her face.

“You didn’t tell me that you were researching your horn.” I said.

She turned to the window and began fidgeting with the drapes, an obvious ploy to keep me from seeing her expression. “It’s none of your business.”

“Are you trying to escape?”

“I still haven’t found a way to grow it back so no, looks like I can’t!” She snapped, her voice suddenly choked. “Why do you care?”

“Because your my slave!” I shouted.

She spun around, her face streaked with tears, and I immediatly regretted what I said.

“Mamila-”

“Go!” She shouted. “Just go!”

I stepped outside, into the living room, and climbed into the fountain, ducking underwater do that Mamila couldn’t follow me.

After sitting there for a few minutes, Jalidda ducked underwater. I stifled a groan.

“Made up your mind yet?”

“I left, what? 15 minutes ago? Of course I haven’t made up my mind yet.” I said grouchily.

“Why did you come here?” She asked.

“My skin was drying out.”

“Why did you come to the school?” She said, with no sign of frustration.

“I don’t know!” I snapped. “Because that’s what your supposed to do, isn’t it? Go to school so you can be one of the generals or special ones in the army! If you survive, you can becomes someone who actually matters! Everyone knows that- but you wouldn’t would you? You’re in line to the freaking throne!”

“329th in line.” She said calmly. “I’m not going to-”

“Who cares! You’re never going to have to worry about anything, if you don’t want to- you’ll just be safe in your bubble!”

“Do you think it’s safe in the palace?” She snapped, her cool finally broken. “My mother was poisoned by a political rival when I was a baby! People have been making attempts on my life when I was a child! When will you get it through your head- there are no rules, it’s every man for himself! No wonder Aquialus is so messed up!” She stopped blinking. “If you want to be part of it,” She said more calmly, “You will have to do things far worse than stopping someone who has the potential to become a mass murderer.”

I got up, my head breaking the surface of the water, my skin suddenly cold. “I’m going.” I said. “I’m going to bed.”

I climbed out of the fountain, and walked over to the door. I put my hand over the handle, then stopped, remembering my earlier argument with Mamila.

“Evenra?”

I closed my eyes, suddenly tired. “I said I wanted to think about it, that means I want to think about it.”

“It’s not that, it’s-” she stopped abruptly. I turned. Her face was, as usual, completely blank.

“Go to bed.” She said. “You can give your answer in class tomorrow.”

I nodded, then opened the door and walked into the room.

Mamila was sitting on the bed, reading, but she closed the book quickly when I walked in, and looked up.

I closed the door, then walked over to where Mo was sitting, and scooped her up. She yowled and squirmed in my arms.

I walked over to the bed, still holding the niff. “What are you doing?” She asked. “Why must you do this to Mo-”

“Ambassador Mo.” I corrected her.

She smiled releculantly. At that moment, Mo jumped out of my arms and ran off to the other side of the room. She giggled.

“It worked better when you would do this with stuffed animals.”

I sighed, and sat down on the bed. “What do you want from me?”

“I already told you, on the mountain. Weren’t you listening?”

“Power? Do you just want power?”

“Don’t look at me like that. You wouldn’t be here if you didn’t want power too. Is it to much to ask that I be your partner through it?”

“You only want to be my ‘partner’ if you can get something out of it! You don’t care about me at all!”

“Oh, and you do?”

“Yes!”

“I find that very hard to believe.”

I flopped into bed and blew out the candle. “Goodnight!” I snapped.

“But-”

“GOODNIGHT!”

At this point, I would like to put in an insert from Mamila’s memoirs, and let her tell you what happens next.

From the Memoirs of Mamila Relan

I used to go to the school library all the time, claiming I was taking out books on Evenra’s behalf. Books soon became a favorite past time, the characters would come to life in my head. I would work harder to be more like my favorites, and imagine the sort of advice they could give me, if they were real.

Back then, everything in zimmuxevi culture revolved around the war, including the stories, all about zimmuxevi heroes and heroines fighting evil Qaci. Often, Qaci slaves simply didn’t exist at all.

Broken Trust was no exception. It took place before the first King, Melenus, united Zimmuxevis against the invading Qaci, and told the story of a young women named Mokardena who inherited a city state from her father. However, when she is Queen for only a year, she is forced to abdicate the throne to her old flame, Mocanus, but then the city is taken by the Qaci, and they both ended up getting captured by the Qaci president… it’s a somewhat silly story, but twelve-year-old me adored it.

I wanted to do other research in the library as well. My entire life I had been taught that it was impossible for me to grow back my horn, but now that I had one of the biggest stores of knowedge at my fingertips, I wanted to see if it were really true. But I didn’t search for information for months, telling myself that I was probably being watched, making up conspiracies in my mind… in reality, I was afraid of what I might find.

Still, I eventually found the courage to search, and search I did, never taking out books about it from the actual library, reading entire textbooks on the library benches. And yet, through it all, I never found the information I was looking for.

Until now.

Everyone in the Islands were born with a power, and they meant everything. They were our place in society. Without it, I was a cripple. I couldn’t even consider escaping to Qacdeca, because at least here, I wasn’t so unusual.

2 days later, Evenra mainly talked to Rila as we walked to our first class: history. I headed to stand at the back of the classroom, with the other Qaci, and watched Evenra look around, and sit at her usual seat in the middle row. My eyes went to the front row, where Aquialus was sitting, and I wondered whether what Caymelorus and Jalidda had said about him was true. I couldn’t help but notice that despite being 10 or 11 years old, he was insanely muscular. I had noticed it before, but now I had a possible explanation.

After history, Evenra walked over to me, avoiding Rila as we walked to Battle Strategy class. She didn’t want to be seen talking to me, of course. “Have you seen Caymelorus?”

I frowned. Between watching Aquialus and actually trying to pay attention to what the teacher was saying (and history was one of the more interesting classes) I hadn’t thought of Caymelorus. He usually sat next to Evenra. “Maybe he’s sick?” I suggested, as we headed into the Battle Strategy classroom.

I glanced over at where Caymelorus usually sat, and sure enough, there was no one there. An unpleasant idea occured to me. I looked around to make sure no one was watching, then walked over to Evenra. “Send me out of the room.” I whispered.

If the students wanted something like water, they were supposed to send a slave to get water instead of missing class themselves, but they had to sign something first. She nodded, took out a scrap of paper, and wrote, Getting homework from last class. And signed it, then handed it to me. I glanced around again, then left the room.

The hallways were almost completely empty, and as I walked, it occured to me that I had no idea where Jalidda would actually be. I glanced around, then headed outdoors and across the river to Building 5, room 381. I hesitated, then knocked on Jalidda’s door, just in case she was in there.

When no one answered, I opened the door and walked in, heart pounding. Jalidda’s room was surprisingly bare: there was nothing to decorate the walls, only a mirror. The walls were painted plain white.

There was a desk, however, but when I tried to open the drawers, they were locked. There was nothing actually on the desk.

I hesitated, heart pounding, trying to think of other ways to find Jalidda’s schedule. I considered heading to the main building, and asking the secretary that had given our room assignments for it, but even if I could come up with a plausible story for why I wanted to know, Evenra’s pass said that I was getting her history homework.

I gave up, and headed back to Battle Strategy, which was nearly done. I would need Evenra to catch me up on what I missed. Great. When it was time to go, I saw her walk up to me.

“Did you find him?” She asked, as we walked down the hall.

“I wasn’t looking for him.” I said, irritated. “I was looking for Jalidda.”

“Jalidda?”

“I was wondering if it had to do with the- conversation we had last Saturday.” I said. “But I didn’t know what class she has.”

“I could have told you that.” She said, with a smug, irritating little laugh. I clenched my teeth. We headed into my least favorite class, Qaci.

I had only been being told about yet another reason a noun could be in the dative for a couple minutes, when I saw another Qaci, this one an older man, walk over to Evenra and say something I couldn’t hear. She shot me a frightened look, then walked out with him. The teacher droned on like he hadn’t noticed.

This time, I didn’t hesitate. I followed them out the door.

#Briny