
03-18-2011, 12:07 AM
Chapter 1
They were twins. Not by blood, nor by parents, nor by anything in all reality.
Why were they twins? Allow me to reply...
Passion, hope, faith...they held all that in spite of their abuse and weary time gave them both.
One by the name of Abase lived in a plantation house next to a lake. The place was surrounded by vegetation,though the air was heavy and humid.
His father, Capshus, and his mother, Preteshus, loathed the idea of their son having a wife, as well as self-belief, and independence.
The other, whose name was Mizeri, lived far from any sign of (actual) intelligence with her mother, Vexashun, her brother, Naevete, and her grandfather, Ville. The place where she existed was in the suburban area of a city, though everyone around seemed to have their head under everyone else's foot. Across the edge of the black gate that guarded the house, the branches of a small passion fruit tree hung over.
With a 2,058 mile distance, no one really knew or cared, except for them.
As if captured in a mirror, one yearned for the other. It seemed as if it were years.
One night, that all changed.
"Abase, have you got them?" Mizeri whispered, keeping her voice low as she lurched out her bedroom window, leaving a small note on the underside of her vanity table.
"Yes, love...I have." Abase pulled her close, a soft, catlike smile on his lips.
The stupid mutts outside the ebony gate began to yap like the cruel, ratty little squints they were. In anger, Mizeri shoved her foot through the ridges of the gateand the small mutt snapped at her. Grabbing an unripened fruit from the tree, she hurled it toward the dog, which let out a loud squeal.
"What was that?" her family asked among themselves, stirring impatiently. "What happened?"
Mizeri and Abase looked at each other in worry. Abase grabbed the ebony cloak and surrounded the both of them in it. Lifting his lover onto his back, he ran...ran...
After they were out of sight, he set her down and looked into her eyes...
Or at least, he would have if she hadn't fallen asleep on his back.
Staring up into the night sky, he held a smile.
"Look up at the moon in the sweet dark of night
Just the way our lips hold shine
I wish you were looking up to the same moon...
Look at the moon, my love...
See how our hearts reflect, the way the sun and the moon do...
Every touch may be our last, so run with me, my love, and run fast."
This he softly hummed, the beautiful melody surrounding them as he began to walk more. Upon finding a small patch beneath a large bush, he sat down and laid her on the soft grass beside him. He played with her hair as he hummed more of the aria.
"Even to leave the solemn homes that would bring later grief
Our homes against our hopes and beliefs
And to those who know our secret,beware.
If you tell, your life is at stake...
Whisper to anyone, slumber, and never wake.
Drearily, Mizeri opened her eyes and pulled herself up, twining her fingers with his and humming as well. She sang a lighter side of the aria:
"Learn it and accept the fact that neither can live with a dead heart
If you're human, you would understand.
If not, follow your leaders' command.
Kill us if need be, though you'll never catch him without me.
Into the moon, like into my eyes, never look away..."
The two drifted off to sleep, tucked and nestled under the snow-pea vines.
In the chilly morning ,about an hour before sunrise, Mizeri stood and nudged Abase awake.
"Dear...wake up. We need to get a move on before we're caught..."
"I know, love.." he mumbled with a grogginess in his voice. "Let's gather some food for the journey before we leave..."
Mizeri nodded, and began taking off her palla (Greek wrap-around) to pick vegetables from the garden he had laid them both in.
She picked from the abundance, a mix of small jackfruits, acorn squash, snow-peas, grapefruits, herbs and a few jujubes (mini apples).
Abase smiled as his beauty stood up from her collecting.
"I'm ready to go." she whispered, keeping her voice lowered.
"As am I," he replied, leading a horse, taken from the barn across the field, into the garden.
"You found a horse?" she asked, smirking lightly.
"Of course. I can't have my empress walking on a dirt road now, can I?"
With a blush, she simply nodded a thank you, and mounted onto the horse, hugging to his hips...
Chapter 2
As the couple rode off, the servant Peon watched them from behind the ivory wall that guarded the garden patch.
"The mistress has left me to perish...why has she left with that infernal man?"
Peon watched, his eyes filled with sadness. Mizeri had always treated him kinder than the rest of the family did, because she understood how he was raised and how he was treated by her grandfather...he was cruel...
From behind, Ville brandished his gatto a nove code (cat of nine tails whip) and beat the poor soul with it.
"Hurry up, slave! If you're not going to do your job, you shouldn't be here!" Ville yelled, followed by a fit of coughing.
"Y-Yes sir...right away, sir.." Peon mumbled with a stunned gleam in his eyes.
Someday I'll get out of here...and I'll be with you, sweet mistress Mizeri...
"NOW, I ORDERED! STOP YOUR DAYDREAMING!" Ville lifted Peon up and hit him hard across the face.
Naevete had been watching entire time. "Pappoús! Stop it!" he shouted, pulling the injured Peon up onto his shoulder...
"What're you ordering me around for? This is how we disciplined slaves when I was a boy." Ville defended in vain.
"Well, you don't discipline our houseslaves this way. You don't want blood all over the marble, do you?" Naevete sighed, pulling Peon up and carrying him into the house.
"What did my father do this time?" Vexashun complained as she cared for Peon's wounds, roughly scrubbing away the splinters from his back.
"H-He whipped me, Mistress..." Peon replied weakly, not looking her in the eye...
"Why did he whip you?" Vexashun sighed, giving the same speech she always gave to the servants that misbehaved.
"I...I don't know..." he replied, flinching as she hit his head. At least it was softer than Ville's hits.
"Of course you know," Vexashun sighed.
After doing his household chores of cooking, cleaning, and working until his hands burned, he finally was able to rest his head for the night...
...or so he thought.
In the servant's barracks, a dark figure swept and leaned over Peon. Fearfully, the restless drudge tossed in his bunk...
"Peon..." the raspy, wicked voice called through the darkness...
Suddenly, a hard object hit him on the head and he fell unconscious.
When the poor boy awoke, he was in a dark room that smelled of cloverspice and anise; the air was so stale and humid that he could barely breathe.
He thought that he heard the soft sound of cloth rustling, and a raspy cough that was so familiar, but it hurt to think...
A dull but strong pain ran through his back and rump, as if he were being split in two from the waist down. He flexed his whole body, trying to dispel the pain, but only managed to make it more painful. As he exhaled, he realized that he was suffocating in his own breath. The pain escalated to the point that tears blurred his sight. It became excruciating, and it felt as though he were about to implode; eventually, a part of him did, and the pain slowly drained away.
He fell asleep, still breathing heavily.
In the morning, he had been returned to his barrack and covered with a black sheet.
"What happened in the night?" he thought aloud, too sore to sit up.
"Master took you in for the night," said another slave by the name of Gracia.
"I saw it. Why he did, I'm not sure," she continued, looking away from him.
With wide eyes ,he glanced downward, then returned his view to her.
"That...that sick pervert.." he mumbled, sickened at what had happened. He curled up, wincing slightly at the pain that lingered within a soft bruise.
Wearily, he stood up, wrapping the black sheet around his bare waist. "By the power of the Gods, I will leave this place..."
Gracia looked up to him. "Many have tried...if you do run away, take me with you."
He nodded. "And when we do escape, I'm going after our old mistress...and ask for her to be my love," he said in a dreamy voice.
"Are you crazy? That'll only get you both killed!" Gracia said in a mix of jealousy and alarm.
"I...I know...I just need to let her know...it's all I need."
Chapter 3
After a few days of riding throughout the city of Marmari, Abase and Mizeri finally rested in a place nearby Agia Marina.
"Abase...do you think someone will let us stay in a villa?" The young girl asked, pulling out a small grapefruit from the palla.
"I'm not sure, but we'll have to find a place one way or another. Once we've made a rest stop, we'll head to Troy, where we'll go by different names. Perhaps Eros and Therpeo!" he joked, munching on a snowpea. Mizeri giggled and broke the bitter yet sweet fruit, biting into the flesh.
Meanwhile in Troy, a young mercenary by the name of Syciphan leaned against an alabaster wall, his Machaira blade secure in the sheath. An old man with a purse full of money came up to him.
"Syciphan...I have a new job for you, presented by my cousin, Ville." the man said with a weak, dirty grin.
"What is it? Who must I kill this time?" he replied, eyeing the money in his employer's purse.
"A man who has stolen away a virgin bride-to-be. He goes by the name of Abase."
"And how much does this job pay? If it's too cheap of a price, I might as well join the Spartans in their horrible game of war..." He scoffed, gripping the hilt of his sword.
"Oh, Milord, it pays well. One hundred silver coins, andif you spare the girls' life, you keep her, plus a bonus of five-fold," he said, energy in his cruel, yet feeble voice.
"Is that so...? She's a virgin, huh? All mine..." Syciphan smiled beneath his hood, imagining the things he could sell her for, the things he could do to her...
"I'm in. Have the money prepared when I return. And to ensure you pay me..." He pulled the little man close and tore off the gold dial that he held on his neck. "...I'll keep this for safety." Walking away,the mercenary slipped it into his bag of goods.
The escaped slave and his friend hid behind the wall, wrapped in sackloth as a cover. "Abase? Isn't that the name of M'lady's lover?" he whispered to her, concern in his eyes. "I can't let him be killed...no matter what the price, my lady's happiness is most important...not even if he stole my love from me..."
Gracia solemnly looked into Peon's eyes. "You're sure? Wouldn't you rather steal her back from them both?"
Peon shook his head. "No. That would only lead to a war between the three of us. As well as...I truly love her...so, I would let her go, just to see her happy..."
Gracia sighed and looked away. "Well...if you say so.."
"I need a mule," Syciphan asked a merchant, who had five of the beasts for sale.
"One mule, fifty sliver coin. But I trade two mule and two bag of grain for seventy," replied the merchant, who was obviously foreign.
"Fine. Seventy it is..." He received all he had bought and set off, only to meet the runaways.
"Sir...we are travelers, who live in Marmari. Can you bring us there?"
Syciphan raised an eyebrow. "By your tone...you're educated, even for such poor clothing. Perhaps you've been taught by someone kind?"
"Yes, sir," Peon replied with a smile. "Very, very kind. I'm on my way to see that person now."
"To speak with her about the furthering of our education," Gracia finished, giving an excuse.
"Very well, then. I'll allow you to travel to the city of Marmari with me."
"Thank you, sir. How many days does it take, sir?"
"Six without stopping. We'll rest only at night, and our grain won't last long."
"Alright. We'll share it, then."
Gracia tugged on his sleeve, motioning to the sword.
"What is she doing?" Syciphan asked, his head cocked.
"Oh, ignore her, Mi'lord. She's a blind," Peon replied nervously.
Gracia sighed, giving Peon a glare.
"Odd...she doesn't look impaired to me..."
Peon nervously chuckled, hiding his hand behind his back. "Her eyes' function burned out is all..."
Peon and Gracia mounted one mule while Syciphan rode on the other.
"To Marmari." Syciphan mumbled, gripping the reign tighter in doubt.
After traveling approximately two days, they were stopped by two soldiers, Verticalty and Guileh.
"You three! This is a path used only for the Emperor," Guileh yelled, glaring sharply at Syciphan.
"You two don't look like royalty, pas du tout, pas du tout!" Verticalty playfully quarreled, in a very queer way...
"We're sorry, gentlemen...we probably took a wrong way...you see,I am an old militaryman myself. Care to grant us pass?"
Guileh looked at Verticalty, who shrugged. "Where are you three going, où, où?"
"Marmari. Why?" Peon replied, smirking.
"Because we might as well patrol on the way there," Guileh sighed, his arm gripping his sword. "But if we go, I want to ride on the mule."
"Ooh, if we ride, puis-je rouler avec le mignon?" The giddy soldier asked, eyeing Peon.
"Oui." Guileh replied, his eyes rolling.
Gracia looked at Peon, who had a disturbed look on his face...
"No," Syciphan sighed, giving a smart-alecky wink to Peon. "You wouldn't let a blind girl walk, would you?"
"Mon Dieu, non! Very well...we shall leave you alone," Verticalty sighed, winking at Peon, who jolted in disgust, pulling his hood higher up.
Guileh raised an eyebrow. "Hey...you look familiar...didn't I see you somewhere? On a poster or something?"
Peon shook his head, not giving direct eye contact. "No...no, I didn't do anything."
Syciphan raised his eyebrow as well, but shrugged, bid good day to the odd soldiers, and rode off with his group.
Chapter 4
Walking up along the coast to a villa, the two lovers' faces were as bright as the moon in the sky. "Finally...a place to stay..." she held him close, closing her eyes in relaxation.
"Indeed. According to the owner, it only has one chamber..." Abase smiled, holding her.
"Mm..." Holding his hand, she knocked on the door. When no one replied, she looked inside, seeing that it was completely cleared out for the two of them.
"Rude of them to take most of the furniture." Abase sarcastically mumbled, kissing the crown of her head.
"Let's go inside...at least there's a warm fire..." she whispered, shivering in his arms.
They gently closed the door as they strode inside, lured in by the comfort of the warm fire and the scent of the owner's bubbling soup, which she had left for their arrival. Next to the fireplace was a bed, big enough for the both of them, made of hare and deer's hides with a lamb's wool blanket. Beside the bed was a wooden table with small stools, suitable enough for dining, with two small wooden bowls set atop the table.
"Well, we can't leave the pot to burn over now, can we?" Mizeri playfully asked, leaning down to the scent. She lifted the lid on the pot and the delicious, tempting fumes wafted to Abase.
"Mm...what does it have?"
"Carrots, truffles, fennel, cilantro, barley, and some lentils..." she leaned down, tasting the broth."...with a hint of garlic, aniseed, and some coriander."
Abase smirked. "Culinarily advanced, hm?"
Mizeri smiled. "I have very fine tastes." She ladled the savory broth into a bowl and handed it to him. They each sipped from their bowls and melted at the flavor.
When they finished their meal, Mizeri lay down on the bed for a quick nap. While Abase watched her sleep, he stroked her cheek, smiling lightly. "We've escaped, love...although I'm going to need a job to keep us both thriving. I'll go to town, and when I come back, I'll have enough money to buy away the throne..." he joked, a solemn, yet sad look in his eyes...
Something seemed to burn within him, like a fire that not be extinguished by anything but her. His thoughts wandered elsewhere,procrastinating...
Slowly, he touched her face, waking her from her sleep.
"Ah..." was all she could sigh out before he kissed her.
Mizeri looked into his eyes and smiled. "Go on and take my worth, before some other man steals it from you..."
Abase smiled, playing with her hair. "Very well, then, my love..." he moved down, undoing the sash that held her peplos together. She blushed, laying out on the bed openly...
The rest of that night was only remembered by the two.
During the night, the three travelers slept in their tents; Syciphan by himself, and Peon and Gracia in the other.
However, Gracia couldn't sleep. She held close to Peon, cuddling against his back.
Why don't you awaken? Don't you know my feelings? Can you not see them? she thought.
However, the other fugitive was awake. "Gracia...what are you doing?" Peon asked the adolescent, who was clinging to him.
"Keeping warm," she replied, closing her eyes at the lie.
"In this heat?" He rolled over to face her. "You're lying," Gracia turned away, her face bright red.
"It's....just..." There was a long silence. Peon sighed and rolled over again, but soon felt her arms wrapping around his shoulders.
"Don't touch me," he quickly mumbled. "I only want to be embraced by Lady Mizeri alone."
Gracia jolted back at the statement and pulled the wool blanket over herself, perhaps out of chill, or for the comforting warmth, or because she wished for his embrace. A few lonely moments passed until the rustling of Peon's stirring caused the silence to break. She felt his warmth embrace her, his breath humid on her neck.
"I'm sorry," he whispered. "You were just trying to comfort me..."
Reluctantly, Gracia held him back. "Y-Yes..." Tears ran down her cheeks, but she didn't let them show.
Chapter 5
The next morning, Gracia was holding onto the pole that stood the tent up. Peon pulled himself up and patted the sleeping girl on her cheek.
Syciphan, fully dressed, was watching from the opening. "Aren't you dressed? We have to hurry up and get a move on. I have a time limit, you know. Soldiers can't dilly-dally."
Peon gave him a skeptical look, and then nodded. "Give me and my sister a minute." He pulled on the rope that held the cloth entrance up,and the heavy cloth fell.
Shaking Gracia awake, he gave her a stern look. "Come on. We have to get going. That Syciphan...it's almost like he's watching us all the time...Get dressed quickly. We're continuing our journey, and who knows when Ville's men will catch up..."
Without a word, Gracia simply nodded. However, Syciphan was intently listening outside. So these are the runaways that were on the post...if I turn them in at Marmari,I might get a reward...
After the travelers were ready to set out again, Syciphan had an idea. A horrid idea. A wonderful idea. A horribly wonderful idea.
"We'd better hurry double-time. We've missed a few hours of travel already," he slyly remarked to the other two.
"Oh...all right." With that, they started their travel with a rushed pace.
In Marmari, after the sun had risen, Mizeri was still asleep in the wool blanket. Abase had left to find a place of work.
"OPEN UP, IN THE NAME OF KING ALCMENES!!!"
Soldiers broke down the door and surrounded the sleeping girl. "Is she the one we're after?" they asked among themselves. "She cannot possibly be the girl...she already has a ring on her finger, don't you see? The description was a virgin, an unmarried virgin. This isn't her."
The voice and dark shadow of the captain of the guard was all it took to stop the soldiers. "No...this IS her. I would know my niece anywhere...detain her. We'll keep her imprisoned until further notice."
"What about the boy, the one who kidnapped her?" one of the soldiers asked.
"We'll go after him later. For now, all we can do is pray to Olympus that he didn't steal her worth already..."
The soldiers quietly lifted her off the bed and wrapped her up in the wool, being careful not to wake her.
When the poor girl awoke, she was in complete shock. Filthy, dirty old men surrounded her, and she was in a corner, still wrapped up in a harmless bundle, completely defenseless.
"Ooh, mah...lookit daht l'ttle missie...Zeus on 'igh...a'might' purty,ain'cha?" they crawled closer to her as she let out a yelp. "N-no! Get away from me! I have to get out of here!" She gave them a scared look and unraveled herself from the wool prison. The foul-smelling men continued to crawl on top of her, trying to overcome her and take her. She was thrown to the floor like a doll, hitting her head on the concrete, where she blacked out.
Abase walked from afar toward the small villa, where his wife was supposedly staying. He had luckily found a job as a bard and shipwright, and his eyes were bright from his success. As he came closer to the villa, he then realized that the door was torn from its hinges. He fell into a panic, and as his eyes traced over his ransacked possessions, he looked to the bed where his love had been sleeping peacefully from that morning. His eyes shifted over it in worry...then he dropped to his knees. Where has my love gone...? Has she abandoned me like everyone else has?
His lip twitched slightly and his eyes faded to a sad shade of green. Tears streamed down his cheeks, though his mouth hung open slightly like a dead fish.
"Oh my, dear...how unfortunate..."
Abase turned to see Preteshus standing there. She gave a cruel, joking smile, and then kicked the dirt into his face.
"You shouldn't have left. Now your money is gone and your 'love' has left you. What to do now?" He could hear the pace of her steps in the sand.
Ch-krshk-ch-krshk...ch-krshk-ch-krshk...
He stood up and slowly opened his eyes. The small pebbles fell from his lashes and he flicked the remainder out of his eye. "No. I don't have any proof that she left, nor do you. I'm going to search after her...and find her. If I get killed, then so be it. If I can't have her..." he shut his eyes tightly, from both the stinging pain in his eyes and also in his heart..
The aged woman scowled, stood up straight, spit in his face, and walked out, wiping her feet on the woven mat roughly.
I know I'll find her...he nodded. We've worked too hard to let it all slip away...
Last edited by The Stories Whispered; 04-05-2011 at 03:54 AM..
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