How the Mortals Came to Embrace Death, a Story by Madelyne Jinx

By: Madelyne Posted on: March 31, 2015

How the Mortals Came to Embrace Death

A Story by Madelyne Jinx

NOTE: Anyone who knows Perl and Phelia knows that these twins have fought since they emerged from Loom Island. This was the inspiration that led me to write this fictional story based on tales of being locked in a pygmy dungeon, as related to me by my young proteges.

Ruby and Ambrosia were twin sisters born on the same day in the same year. Unlike some sisters who are best friends, Ruby and Ambrosia spent their entire lives competing with each other. It all started when they were locked away on Loom Island by some fearsome pygmies.

"You, over there. The ugly one." Their pygmy guard used common language, but his grunting type of speech lent a guttural tone to his voice.

Ruby pushed her sister forward. "Hey, ugly. He’s talking to you."

Ambrosia sidestepped and ducked behind her sister. "No way! He was talking to you!"

"You’re the ugly one!" Ruby cried.

"No! You are!” Ambrosia squealed. "You’re the ugliest! Mother always said-"

"Stop!" The guard bellowed. "You both ugly. Now here what do."

Before he could say anything more, an elderly man sharing the cell picked the lock on the door which caused it to spring open. This startled the guard who jumped back. The elderly man pushed both the sisters out the door and yelled, "Good riddance!"

Now, while most newbies who free themselves from this cell manage to kill the guard and go on, Ruby and Ambrosia spent so much time bickering that the guard managed to slit both their throats before they realized they were free.

Several hours later, a faint light pricked the darkness, then gradually grew brighter until Ruby and Ambrosia could see once more.

"Where are we?" Ambrosia turned her head this way and that, looking at her surroundings.

"Why are you looking in the dark? You’re so stupid. You got us killed." Ruby sighed.

Ambrosia glared. "I did not! It was not my fault! You got us killed!"

The girls did not notice that the floor beneath them began moving. Scenes from their young lives flashed by, one after the other. Their birth to a woman living alone in the forest. Each sister tearing a ribbon from her twin's hair. One sister setting fire to her sister’s grove while the other prepared to dump water on burning coals inside a searing hot forge.

Finally the ground stopped moving, but the sisters, they went on bickering. Finally dual bolts of lightning came down from the ceiling and sent a jolt of electricity through their veins.

"Ouch! Ambrosia! That was all your fault!" Ruby narrowed her eyes at her sister.

A loud, booming voice filled the inside of the cave. "Greetings! I am Lord Thoth, the Endbringer. It is I who deem you worthy of-"

"Stop lying!" Ambrosia screeched. "You always do this! For once if you would stop blaming me and-"

"Silence!" Lord Thoth bellowed.

The twins stared at this giant, ethereal man and then Ruby spoke. "Lord Thoth, I am so sorry. I-"

"Ha!" Ambrosia crossed her arms over her chest. "See? You apologised. That means you were wrong. Lord Thoth, tell her she was wrong and it is her fault."

"Well, I-"

"Ambrosia! This is Lord Thoth! He could end your life right now. You have to be respectful." Ruby stared at her sister and made a slashing motion across her neck.

"Oh! Yes, well." Ambrosia paused for half a second and then turned to the Divine Being before her. "Lord Thoth, could you please end my sister’s life?"

"No, this is the part where I ask you why I should spare-" Lord Thoth began, but soon was interrupted again.

"Ambrosia! Stop it!" Ruby exclaimed.

"Why? You were wrong, and you admitted it when you apologised." Ambrosia fake smiled at her sister, but her eyes betraying her true unfriendly feelings.

Ruby scowled at her sister and shouted, "I was being nice!"

Lord Thoth tried again to explain the process of returning to life. "Girls, you have to stop so I can ask you why I should spare you. Otherwise you will have to spend all your days in the cave with Me. And you would not want-"

"Oh, so now you lied? You lied to a Divine? Lord Thoth, is that punishable by death?"

Lord Thoth shook his head. With a flick of his wrist he threw the twins out into Sapience proper, where they landed Outside the Cave. Settling back onto His throne he sighed with relief. "Forget spending eternity with those bickering girls in My halls. They can live forever!"

And from that day forward, all mortals were given a free pass to pass through Lord Thoth’s halls as a way to return to life.