Their deaths went unnoticed like tears in the rain.

By: Miss Invisible

Hi all! You wont really see the connection between this story and Tortall till you reach the end, but read on it'll be worth it when you get there! I'm real bad at these intro things, but read on, have fun and try not to curse the writer for her ignorant use of language and grammar!



As Shiska looked out of the barred window, the one tiny square of hope in her dark life, her mind was quietly struggling to form a plan. All she new was that she had to get her sister, Anika out of here that was the only thing that kept her going, her sisters strength. Anika, the older one of the two consisted of a bruised and bloody heap on the ground for her last beating had knocked her unconscious. She was the fighter, and could tackle someone three times her size. She had a short and stocky build with blue eyes and short dull blond hair. The younger girl was the complete contrast of her sister. She was very tall and thin and could not fight at all. However she had a different kind of blessing, for she was stunningly beautiful with her waist length brown hair large blue eyes and full red lips. Although at this time, a blessing she thought it not to be, for she had sat there day after day while her sister took all the beatings. Untangling her long and too thin limbs, Shiska went to her sister. Se did the best she could to help her, considering that her hands were bound with heavy chains that absorbed all magic, and gave her pain if she tried to use her gift. She gathered her only family in her arms and despite her tiredness, could not stop the silent tears from flowing and the anguished sobs from racking her lean frame.

This is how it had been for the girls for over a year now. They had lost count of the days and months they spent in that cold dark cellar. Neither of them knew who was holding them only that the guards whom they saw wanted them to help destroy something or someone, they were never given a straight answer. For the girls had a secret, they both had gifts although they probably looked at them as curses, but be it gift or curse both had an extraordinary magic. One that even they did not understand but had found that together they could reek havoc, create peace, destroy houses, build castles, the possibilities were endless. But one thing was clear if used for good they could work miracles but if used for evil could bring about disaster. They discovered these powers three years ago when Shiska was 12 and Anika 14. They were suprised at the lateness of the discovery, but never the less they were over joyed, for their family was very poor having 12 mouths to feed and no money. But with two daughters each supporting a strong gift their father would be rich and they could give the siblings a better position in life. Things did not turn out that way though, as the word leaked out, some thieves gathered together and raided their small house. They killed every living thing in it apart from the two girls whom they carried off. Two hearts were broken that day, perhaps beyond repair, neither girl would forget the screams of their loved ones of the loud gearing of those blood thirsty men.

Hearing footsteps out side Shiska dashed her tears away angrily, the last thing she wanted was to give those cursed men the pleasure of seeing her cry! "They're back aren't they?" Anika whispered now fully awake. Her hands balled painfully into fists. The door swung open and two heavily built men strolled in. "Well girlies' you be lucky tonight he be here and wantin t' see you. " The first man drawled.

"Well you can tell 'him' who ever he is that I'd rather eat horse dung than even look at his slimy face!"

"Shut it you filthy scum!" He shouted kicking Ankia ruthlessly and knocking the girl unconscious for the second time that day. "It be th' pretty one 'e wants, and I dare say 'e'll wanna 'av some fun." The other guard chuckled and responded, "Yeah. S'a shame we can't join in!" They both seemed to find this highly amusing. Shiska knew better than to argue as they would only beat her sister more, so she tried to calm her mind against the growing panic. She knew instinctively that they would not hurt her body, but there were ways of inflicting pain and torture, just to the mind. One of the guards then picked Shiska up, and having slung his light bundle carelessly over one shoulder, aimed a well judged kick at the girl unconscious on the floor, and followed the other guard out.

The door of their prison slammed shut, sweeping the lone bruised and blooded heap into shadows, where not even the pale gleam of the moon through the barred window could penetrate it's darkness.

Anika groaned as the room swung back into a painful consciousness. For a few moments she did not realize what was going on. Then it all hit her and she cried out in anguish, for they had taken her sister, the one person left, the person to whom she was sworn to protect. She could not stand, but dragged herself towards the door, with each inch becoming more agonizing than the last. She reached the door eventually only to have it thrown open in her face, the pain of which nearly knocked her back into unconsciousness. She could hear the sounds of drunken laughter, and the soft thud as something hit the floor of her prison, then the door was slammed shut once more and the sounds of drunken laughter receded into the distance. Shiska had been thrown back into her prison, but anywhere was better than where she had just been. The scenes created by the torturing of her mind still swam before her eyes, she whimpered and crawled into her sisters arms. The older girl wordlessly held her as she cried, for nothing she could say would save her now from the horrors she had seen. She could see no signs of torture on her younger sisters body, but knew that it was her mind they had broken, her soul they had tortured.

They stayed like this for many hours and perhaps days, each one locked within their own thoughts, but drawing comfort from the nearness of their only family. Eventually after the pause of what seemed like a lifetime Shiska drew a deep breath and said, "I know what they want us to do, the reason they keep us here. They have studied our powers and know the extent to which they can be used. They want us to help destroy a land, a place. They want us to kill people Anika, or at least put them in slavery! And in return they'll give us our freedom, we'll be allowed to see the sun again!" Each girl thought longingly of a world beyond her prison, a world where they would be free. But they both knew that they could not kill these people or put a distant land into slavery, although they also knew that they could not stand to this principle for long. For they were on the verge of cracking, of going mad or worse. If that happened then their power could possibly be taken from them and used for destruction. "You know what this means, don't you? You know what we have to do." Anika forced these words from her parched throat, and in response her sister took her hand and held it tight. She knew.

Each child took one last look at the other and then relinquished the will to live. They simultaneously cried out in pain as their pearly white magic ripped through their bodies and the stone house but touched nothing outside. It destroyed the building and everything in it living or not. All that was left of this place that had served as their prison for so long; a house in the middle of no where, was a handful of stones, and the only things left to mark the existence of two girls wanting only peace, were several pearls mixed in with the stones.

And so, those dwelling in this distant land called Tortall owe their lives to two extinguished flames, two sisters whom they did not know. The people of Tortall continue with their lives, and not even one thought is spared, no words of thanks are spoken. The girls paid the ultimate price for the freedom of others and they will receive no reward. They took their own lives to protect a world that was not yet ready for their power.

Now only the God's know of their sacrifice, only they weep for what could have been, and for the lives that deserved most of all to be lived.

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What do ya think? It's just a short story it wrote whilst feelin kinda low, not very good, but I thought I'd post it anyway.

Miss Invisible

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