Alarmed, Leavis spun around and beheld them. "Excuse me but have we met before?" Leavis inquired. Squinting his eyes to see them clearly his face formulating a frown.
The man at the front chuckled and pulled back his shroud revealing his handsome face with luxurious short golden hair and blue eyes brimming with authority and audacity. He spoke in a commanding tone, his voice deep, "Say! We seemed to have transformed far beyond our intent, too bad it's temporary, right Martin?" he tilted his head to the one at the back.
Who also pulled back his shroud, revealing lustrous short black hair and a pair of almond amber irises, his gaze filled with humility and courage an Adonis just like the one that spoke before him, he spoke in a deep whisper, "Yes, Stanley It is indeed a shame". They both studied the shock on Leavis' old wrinkled face.
"But how? This can't be, how did you transform? What power is this?" His voice filled with shame and bitterness as he spoke identifying his friends.
Stanley grinned and whispered, "Well this is how the story goes..."
****************************************************
The sun was over head as the two, Martin and Stanley returned home early from work, however, Martin was the first home, Martin returned eyes wide as though he had seen a ghost. when Stanley returned, he found Martin cradling himself in his couch, the room was dark and filled with soft sobs.
'The hell happened to him?', Stanley dropped the basket of vegetables and rushed to Martin's aid. Martin had been reserved through out the day which was quite unusual for him, he was usually up and about, helping with chores. Out of pure curiosity he asked "What happened to you?".
The thin bald man smiled a little, then returned his blank gaze to the floor of the cabin, as he sat on a couch near the fire place trying to get some warmth.
Much as it was a hot day, the cabin was cold, this being due to the damp humid nature of the surrounding forest. the small man's voice rung with discomfort as he blurted out "My brother, I'm worried he might be.... dead", he sunk deeper into the couch, sniffing and softly sobbing. Stanley frowned, feeling pity for Martin, younger brother to Penso.
Penso had always been the more audacious of the brothers hence his strong bond with Leavis and the eventual marrying of their sister, Genevieve Arabella. But from the moment Leavis begun to hurt her from time to time, Penso had grown tired of this and there was no hiding it. Then when Leavis run into hiding, Penso grew more enraged but his decision but decided to join in on the run, he had a name and not one of the good ones.
They runaway as brothers because Martin had nowhere to run, for his brother's reputation, he too was hunted, the first time he was almost burnt just to lore his brother out of hiding, that had done a number on Martin and it was visible.
"Don't sweat it Martin, if you're brother is still the man, we all knew, he's alright", Stanley assured him patting his shoulder, the frail man looked up with teary eyes full of needless suffering and allowed himself a smile then Stanley proceeded to the door and picked up the basket with meat then headed to the kitchen.
"I'd like some help cookin', no one does it like you!", he yelled from partition of the thin-walled kitchen, Martin rose with new hope in his heart and proceeded to the kitchen, where he played a crucial role in preparing a mouthwatering stew, much as he was timid, he was an excellent chef of renown skill and elegance. Probably the true reason his brother dragged him out here.
As he was dicing the meat Martin whispered, "Have you ever heard of the cave of wonders and treasures?", seating in a dull corner, Stanley was pulled back from his fantasies and retorted, "Don't tell me you honestly believe in that children's bedtime story?" he chuckled and frowned at the silence that followed.
Martin paused dicing and took in a deep inhale, then retold the tale, one that Stanley was already well versed with but regardless listened, after all the tale varied every time it was told for some unexplainable reason, as though revealing more to its secret.
When he was done narrating, he cast a glare at the now puzzled Stanley, then blurted out "And I know where to find it". Stanley looked upon him, with standing the urge to burst into laughter as he spoke, "C-come now Martin! You can't be serious about all of this?", Martin kept silent, placed the knife onto the counter top and spun around and in a clear voice commanded, "Then, follow me and see for yourself".
Stanley was astonished, not by the story unravelling before him, but by the uncharacteristic change in Martin's demeanor, almost like he was a new person entirely, plotting something. Stanley scrambled to his feet and followed Martin out the door and onto the damp path that stretched into the dull forest.
"Well, you see, I've known this for a long time now, but since my brother is long gone, now ... now I can show you where it is" originally Martin and his brother used to play around it until one rainy day when they entered it and were offered power but due to being young and naïve, run off but kept it a secret between themselves until now.
"How do you know it's real?" Stanley inquired, as they approached the cross road paths, before responding, Martin led them through the right path, "because we met the inheritors" that being the name of the great spirits that passed the cave on to their lineage once their task had been met. But Martin didn't tell Stanley about that, he kept it to himself for now.
"What do you hope to achieve by this Martin?", He cautiously inquired, knowing that his response housed the true intent of this all, Martin's pace slowed and the forest was silent, only their feet trotting and panting could be heard as Martin thought up a reason, one that seemed to be innocent not to cause his character to be questioned.
"Well, the answer is quite simple... I desire to change the will of fate, live a.... better life!" This was the reason he gave, but in truth, Martin wanted to avenge his family and waste Leavis, Martin knew that Leavis wasted his life and thus became a womanizer, using his charm and looks to play every woman, but if he hadn't, Leavis would be someone important in society, one can only blame his upbringing and a number of unfortunate outcomes that took hand in his personification.
His true plan being to waste Leavis to a point where he would lose himself in the power he would gain and die a nobody, but first he had to peak Leavis' mind to be interested in this so he proposed, "I need something.... no, I need you to do something for me..." stopped and turned to Stanley who looked as though the reason he gave was lacking.
"What is it that you need me to do?" he fixed his gaze that lingered with uncertainty at Martin who added whispering, "I need you to tell the tale to Leavis when he returns", Stanley was now even more curious and disturbed by that remark but decided to respond with a hollow "yeah! why not!" to throw Martin off track, after all, curiosity killed the cat.
Martin smiled innocently and resumed his trek, Stanley following at the back, in his mind he knew for a fact that Stanley didn't believe his reason but couldn't prove him wrong, after all he mentioned granting Leavis the knowledge of the cave to throw him off the trail of figuring out his true intent.
And his plan had worked, knowing that Martin was related to Leavis' wife had caused Stanley to assume that he wanted this power to punish Leavis in some way, but the moment he spoke about telling the tale to Leavis, his assumption faded away, after all it would only be foolish to grant your foe your source of power.
Before they knew it, they had arrived at the wide entrance of the cave of wonders, but Stanley didn't buy it," Are you serious? this is just a wolves' territory" he span around convinced that it was a waste of time and as he was about to retreat, Martin muttered out, "Come see for yourself", this peaked his curiosity so he sighed, turned to face the cave and blindly followed Martin "This can't be worth the stress!" he cursed, whispering to himself.
At the entrance, they were welcomed by an unnerving malodorous of decaying flesh, bones littered all around as well as human skulls, and Stanley was taken aback, instinct gripping him by the gut as he covered his nostrils to prevent himself from retrieving his breakfast. What was strange about this was that Martin didn't look bothered in the lightest, "they are coming!" he in formed the now puzzled Stanley.
Without warning, a force entangled the two, pulling them as they surrendered unwillingly into the cave which got darker the further that they went in. And then, without warning, a blinding bright golden light burst forth, causing the two to squint in bewilderment, then a pair of silhouettes emerged from therein, the malodorous being swept away by a divine fragrance of roses and a sweet perfume, filling the atmosphere with a peace and serenity.
"This... this is impossible!", Stanley whispered in astonishment then the light seized, but the cave remained glowing, due to the magnificent figures that shone with a divine glow, revealing themselves as a pair of fraternal twins, the boy was bare chested with what seemed like tattoos running along his slim figure up to his amber irised eyes, he had surreal short midnight blue hair in wide bottomed cream trousers, his sister bore a pair of cunning ember wide irises, dressed in a slightly translucent cream dress that outlined her splendid figure and markings like those of her brother run along her pale white skin.
Her beauty was captivating, her voice soft and fragile as she addressed them," Welcome to the cave of wonders, what do you desire?" she spoke as though she had been expecting them, this astonished Stanley, but not Martin. As Stanley shook his head to return from his bewitching from her beauty, he maintained composure and let Martin speak.
Her brother glared at Stanley, "what! Is it so wrong to admire beauty?" he whispered and looked upon her once again. "We seek eternal youth" Martin spoke and then knelt and bowed before them, leaving Stanley shocked and he also hurried to bow to his side, in reverence Martin added, "Please grant us your power".
The twins stared at each other in amazement, then the brother spoke out in a deep and revered voice, "For men of your ages to bow before us, ancient and wise spirit, whose lives span millenniums with such reverence we shall grant your desires, tell you of the conditions but..." he paused and looked upon them before adding "... you must bring to us a third one, one of your own" In Stanley's mind it seemed inevitable that Leavis was meant to know.
Enraged, Martin gritted his teeth and collected sand as folded a fist against the cave floor, his voice filled with false humility as he responded "Yes! We shall let him in on this". Stanley could tell that he was unravelling but didn't know why.
"It is settled then, but I must warn you, the price for your desire is your will, you shall serve us without fail, or perish instantaneously", the brother added as his sister stood by him, observing them silently.
Stanley didn't like the terms to the agreement but went with the flow, listening and at the chance, glancing at the bewitching beauty. He just couldn't help it, but what felt strange to him was the serenity he felt in their angelic presence, he felt like he could spend forever here, but just when he was beginning to feel at home her voice pierced through the silence "Both of you, rise and face your judgement", her voice cool and mysterious.
"I'm not liking the judgement part of the statement, but if she's the judge, being in her presence might as well be the only judgement I need", Stanley though to himself as he and Martin scattered to their feet dusting their foreheads and robes. And then, she added, her voice echoing and stern "For your desires, you shall face the 9 trials, and as for receiving them you must be anew once you emerge"
Her brother picked up from there his voice echoing "To fail the trials is certain death, to back down is certain death and so is failure to comply.... begin", the two felt a spell of dizziness briefly cloud their conscious, they staggered, scram and broke into sweat and tears and before they knew it, the trial was complete. The twins gone and Martin whispered to Stanley "When the time comes to tell Leavis in the cave, take all the credit and make it sound believable". Stanly gritted his teeth from the pain and hurriedly nodded in agreement....
They stealthily returned to the cabin and rested, Leavis found them in their rest by the fire place....