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Open center stage. Melody clad in her black armor. The helm is missing. There’s an addition as well. A collar with a foreboding image on it. A thick mask across her face, hiding her mouth.
The spotlight flicks, off and on.
Center stage now holds Caprice. Before him a table with a cauldron. Spell books littered about. His arms and hands coated in an unfamiliar fabric. The same collar on his neck.
The spotlight flicks. Right stage lights up.
The twins together. Melody with the mask nearly muting her voice. Caprice with his arms bound by the fabric as he tries to move. The collar hung between them, marks left on their necks. Looks of pain. The twins together in their suffering.
Enter left stage. A knight in brilliant silver armor. The twins panic at her arrival. The collar splits to follow them, half behind each twin.
Melody & Caprice: ( Panicked ) The knight commander!
The lights flick. She’s before them. Melody tall and strong, Caprice barely standing. The lie they told performed for you dear audience. The lie that let them gain armor they could wear.
Lady knight: Melody. You and Kyrie are officially on leave. Unofficially, you have a report to investigate. Lives would be in danger if the order was obviously involved. Your ( disdain ) expertise will be required.
The lights flick. Center stage.
Melody and Caprice now the only things near human on stage. On the table between them a leather sack. The twins had a shared look of pain. Melody took the lead, reaching for the bag. Caprice turned away.
The lights flick.
Melody alone. A fae in her hands. Fiery red hair. Ember colored wings. At least what’s left of them. Their wings were torn and burned. Their skin was covered in burns that matched the knight commander’s fingers.
Enter stage right. Caprice. He carries a jar similar to the one they’ve used for Melody’s metal burns. The glow is different, darker. He takes the fae to start treatment. As he does, Melody’s presence fades. The light in her eyes dims. Caprice’s grows stronger. Changes after a bit… something different in his place.
Lights flick. The twins, center stage.
Right stage. Kyrie, Byssal, and Pelago. Left stage the dark past the twins have kept hidden. With the twins sits the first key to that past. The ember colored fae, healed wings and all.
Lights flick. The scene changes.
Trees that rise endlessly into the sky set the scene. Kyrie, massive and looking down at them all. Melody, fidgeting with something in her pocket. Caprice watching, knowing she has another key.
Pelago: ( Confident ) I trust you two. If they’ll test metals against everyone who enters then this is our best chance. If Smouldering wings, Wingless Spell, and I concentrate our magic the spell should be more potent. We might be able to make something that doesn’t need to cover as much of Overgrown Heart to shrink him.
Kyrie: Why haven’t we tried this before?
Byssal: ( Annoyed ) We did, it would only work with other fae. They’re almost pure magic, mine’s not that strong. ( Suspicious ) Why isn’t the girl helping?
The scene darkens. Melody and Caprice alone as they stare. The first of the questions they have to answer. The next key to their past. The fabric pulls Caprices arms to his sides. The mask grows thicker on Melody’s face.
Melody: ( Pained ) I can’t cast spells. It wouldn’t help.
???: ( To the audience) Between us dear audience. The young enchantress has lied. She can cast spells, many spells. With the right help.
The light returns. Caprice, the ember fae, and Pelago focus on a piece of bark from the endless trees.
The light dims again. Another moment shared between the two. Caprice holds his hand out to the audience. His right hand. Claws poke out of the fabric that still wraps his arms. He sticks them into his palm.
Two spotlights. One on each twin. Melody’s skin pales. Black blood falls from Caprice’s palm. Makes up a wing behind him. It only lasts for a second. Melody stumbles. Kyrie’s fingers are there to catch her. The lights return.
Caprice looks normal. The spell is cast. Something is different. No one notices, except for you dear audience. The black blood circles Caprice. Sits on the edge of visibility. Their secret dying to be exposed.
The lights flick.
Kyrie has a bracelet on now. His height cut by a third. The three spell casters set to work on another piece of bark. While distracted, Melody steps away.
A spotlight shines on her.
Melody: (
Monologuing
) I’d always felt more at home around humans. At least, around people closer to my size. It was never going to last. Caprice always knew that.
The others… They won’t understand once they learn what we are. He’ll hate me. Byssal might try to kill us. Pelago… Pelago will fear us. It was always going to happen. It was only a matter of time.
The spotlight turns dark. A hint of red. Melody puts her hand to her neck. Another spotlight on Caprice.
Melody: ( Cont. ) I’ve prepared for this. Caprice, he knows I’ve been ready. I have what we need. I didn’t think it would really happen, but now… Ember is here and they’re alone. This is the only option. All we can do to repay those who once raised us…
The spotlight fades. Kyrie’s fingers wrap around her. She tries to smile as he guides her back to the group.
Kyrie: ( Concerned ) Melody, be careful. They say if you wander into these woods you’ll never come out.
Melody: Don’t worry about me. You’d find me.
They smile at each other. The lights flick.
Kyrie now the size of a normal giant. His hand on the ground where they can fit the third bracelet around his wrist. Melody approaches. The spotlight shines on what she’s doing. This time her words for those on the stage.
Melody: ( Forlorn ) I can give these a design. This one I’ll pick, but the others… the others will be up to you.
Melody places a hand on his bracelet. That same symbol from the collar once worn by the twins appears. Pelago and Byssal gasp at the sight. Caprice darkens. Melody pulls the collar from her pocket. Slowly puts it around her neck.
Byssal approaches her. Grabs her arms and tries to tug the collar off. Caprice stops him. The lights dim for all but the twins and the wolf.
Byssal: ( Furious ) What the hells are you doing? Putting this on yourself. Where did you even get this? Someone might have its match. Are you trying to be killed or sold on the black market!?
Caprice & Melody: ( In unison, voices unlike their own ) We’ve taken care of its match a long time ago.
Byssal looks confused. Nervous. Maybe even scared. He backs off. The lights return. Melody touches a hand to her collar. The key Caprice tried to destroy. The one she knew could prove useful one day.
Kyrie wraps his fingers around Melody. A hug. Byssal backs off, disturbed. The three spellcasters get to work casting the spell on the last bracelet.
The spotlight focuses on Caprice. He steps away and faces the audience.
Caprice: ( Monologuing ) I never cared for humans. Melody did. I was too different from them; they didn’t understand me. Melody and I looked the same, but I never liked when they called me her sister. The fae understood. Helped me find who I was. Pel, Byss, and Kyrie were the only ones that gave me the feeling of the fae who raised us. They’ll abandon us soon…
The light dims. A deep red color. Another spotlight shone on Melody. Caprice hugs himself.
Caprice: ( Cont. ) I thought Melody wasted her time preparing. Hoped it would never happen. Ember was nearly dead, those cursed knights didn’t care how the armor hurt them. Ember is safe, but the others aren’t. Everyone from our home is in danger, we’d saved it once. We have to save it again, even if it might kill us. At least our curse is good for something.
The lights dim until the stage is dark.
They flick on.
Right stage the house that holds the giant, the wolf, and the fae.
Left stage. The house Melody and Caprice live in. The garden made for the little family they have with a naga and drider.
Center stage. The twins side by side. Above them a full moon. Caprice is topless. Melody holds her shirt in front of her. Behind them, translucent wings. Mirrored scenes.
Melody’s is the left wing. The tip has a waning crescent moon. A scene of a clearing in a forest graced the bottom. Barely visible, all of it a dark black.
Caprice’s is the right wing. The tip with a waxing crescent moon. A clearing in a forest for himself.
As they stood under the moonlight the clearings filled. Melody’s with cheerful people of all kinds. Caprice’s with the scene of a fight once lost. Two courts.
Caprice: Mel, you don’t have to go. We can stay like this.
Melody: We knew it was coming, Cap. I’ve prepared, I’ll come back.
They held hands as they let the moonlight give them strength. Few fae gained power this way.
Caprice: ( Whispering to himself ) Maybe we never should have left…
Melody: ( Fighting tears, whispering to herself ) It had to end someday…
All the lights go black.
Center stage, the wings alone. Dark black. A void that could suck up any and everything in an instant.
In the shadows, Melody and Caprice crumple to the ground. Over them stands a person Kyrie had seen the ghost of. Once when Melody lured black market dealers.
Deep black hair. Lanky frame. Eyes a solid purple. They start to sing. Voice haunting, ethereal. They sing until the last of the lights fade out.
???: ( Joyously ) That dear audience is the opening to our climactic play. We have awaited this moment eagerly. The enchantress and the giant have started their travels. The spell caster, the fae, and the wolf wait in anxious silence. We cannot wait to see who wins our little game. It gives us so many questions. Will we get to play with the giant among giants? Can we remind the little fae what it means to fear? Perhaps we can finally show the wolf that he’s not able to protect anything. Sadly, we have to wait just like you. Dear audience, prepare for this show. It’ll be an amazing experience.
The song begins again. Two spotlights. Melody and Kyrie, hand in hand walking off the right stage. Caprice, Pelago, and Byssal sit on the left stage. Nerves clear while they attempt to act normal. The mask on Melody’s face starts to fade. The fabric binding Caprice’s arm starts to smoke. Their protections won’t last much longer…
???: (
Continued
) Oh, admission? Just your name. We ask for so very little, won’t you give it to us? Won’t you join our game?