The Cherubs
Chapter 1
"Say the magic word. Go ahead, say it!" Urged the Highest Conscience.
But the Wizard, whilst absentmindedly massaging the base of his long, white goatee with one slender fingertip, hesitated.
"Why not? Why not just spill it out? The conjuring word, ether it now before all's too late!"
"Love!" Whispered the mage at last.
"Good!" Chimed the Higher Conscience.
Their musically intoned voices slowly dissipated, like the sounds in an echo chamber gradually diminishing as further they depart.
Next, an invisible cloak of ceremonial defense wrapped itself around the Magus, shielding him from all known evils upon the Earth. Then, the force field materialized and expanded outwardly, appearing to be a perfectly circular, crystalline soap bubble.
The magic orb pulsated like a twirling, million-sided prism, reflecting diamond shaped ribbons of rainbow-colored light away from the ancient man, contorting his image humorously as would a fun house mirror. From within this warped sphere of twinkling, transcendental light, the Diviner released four more syllables, each as critical to the supernatural enchantment's success as the next.
"Please and thank you!" He uttered up to the heavens.
Mystically powerful tonal gyrations within his words ignited the shimmering, protective shell, and within moments it burned away like a glowing, sizzling profusion of a thousand phosphorous sparklers lit all at once, then immediately snuffed out.
When the sinewy, yellow smoke cleared, there beneath the Thaumaturge, in a freshly weaved Birch branch basket padded thickly with Silky forklet moss, identical twins appeared, each fat and purple as a botanical, alpine blueberry.
The newborns' halos mirrored miniature Milky Ways, spinning yet motionless swirls of galactic blacks, light-speed whites, and dark ocean blues. Their fabulous auras flashed as do the hopeful, incandescent tips of amiable witches' wands, as they emit glittering star dust times two to the hundredth power.
Suddenly, almost imperceptibly, the twins' cherry red lips began moving, like the pursed rims of humans at the end of hospice care, comatose and begging thirstily for water. From these eerily opening and closing mouths an echoing drum beat of secret language burst forth, saturating the surrounding woods a hundred yards in all directions with a constantly fulfilling, joyful rapture.
Their dynamic dialogue rang out as glorious music, singing epic verses of faith and hope into the Shaman's deaf ears. The melodic pounding fathomed deep, thudding and shaking the ground like giant brontosaurus steps. These vibrations too were charmed, easily breaching the Agurre's impenetrable core, where as warm, caressing hands they cupped every good intention of his wise, Warlock heart.
In such a gentle grip of monumental power and beauty, the Clairvoyant, along with his happy, dancing spirit, wept.
"Oh, my dear little dandy lions!" He cried. "This day you've given an old man such a wonderful gift. One I shall always remember, never forget, and in grateful kindnesses forever repay."
"Finish the miracle!" Crooned in the Highest Science, in speech sweet and velvety as pure maple syrup. "Say the syllables that will align the planets and heal the sun. Speak the words that must be spoke, the letters all and we shall win. Yes, ether them now and victory is ours. Do it, complete the spell!"
"Blessed be these Cherubs!" Proclaimed the Soothsayer.
And with this final, bounding declaration, the fate of the miraculous duo became sealed, and they transformed into real human beings.
Chapter 2
The babies grinned wide and giggled long at the tickling of their maker, as he simultaneously cut and tied each navel with his two-inch long, sharp and adept thumbnails.
"Hello my kiddies!" Purred the Wizard. "I'm your father, and you may call me Pappy."
The naked twins peered up at their new daddy with adoring eyes and tried repeating mankind's tongue. But their extraordinary endowment of twin speak couldn't help them here, so they simply giggled with silly hardiness instead.
"I want to teach you a word which may top them all," tutored Pappy, "It's a simple articulation, yet may one day open the delicate doors of our Universe to you. The expression is indefatigable and undefeatable when said with proper conviction, so, are you ready my dears?"
While similar to normal infants in many ways, the twin's unusual entry into the here and now bequeathed upon them otherworldly skills, including an ability to fully comprehend every language known to man and womankind. Thusly, upon hearing Pappy's question they grunted and groaned like normal babies do, with gobs of slobbering spittle dripping off cleft chins.
Yet upon understanding his utterances, the boy's and girl's saucer shaped eyes glowed like electrically charged orbs of neon gas, and they bobbled their huge, bluish heads in coordinated up, down, and sometimes sideways tics.
Pappy recognized these signs and movements to be their ken, so he shared with them the word.
"Yes, and yes!" He forcefully projected.
His booming voice thundered fearsome and penetrating as an alpha male lion's rutting, midnight roar.
Naturally and with no surprise, the sheer might of Pappy's great exhalation rocketed the twins backwards. Yet courageously they strained hard and brought themselves forward again, squealing with delight. Their shiny, chameleon faces went from pink to red to purple black, and immediately they attempted to re-emulate what they'd just heard.
"Yeh...it, beh...it!' They unsuccessfully bellowed over and over again.
Pappy cackled hardily with each of their failed attempts, and the twins became even more delighted by his growing joy.
The pair also understood just how terrible their human linguistics were. This knowledge further fancied them, and soon they were howling with uncontrollable laughter. Their infectious hawing quickly got Pappy going, and for a full minute and a half the three couldn't help themselves from cracking up. That is until ole Pappy soiled his robes.
"Oh, dear me, I've pooped myself." The old man announced matter of factly.
Enthralled to the point of breathlessness, the twins teetered right over in gob smacking, giddy ecstasy.
Chapter 3
"We must move!" Pappy suddenly spoke. "We've drawn attention to ourselves."
Using his Dragon-Bone staff, the magician conjured an airborne trick, floating the basket containing the babes six feet up into the air. Holding it there, he began walking towards his humble Chalet overlooking the sea, some three miles away.
Upon arriving at the residence Pappy bade his staff to open the massive, marble front doors. The grinding noise made by the great sheets of rock sounded like heavy plywood being dragged over gravely sand.
Once inside the scenic great room, he again summoned his walking stick to lay the twins in front of the massive, dragon scale hearth, and instantly, giant cut logs of Ironwood, Red Oak, and Shagbark hickory roared ablaze. The cane then rested itself high in the rafters, where out of owning hands it lived alone.
Quickly the Wizard departed to clean himself, leaving the twins gazing into the flickering firelight, which lit their chubby, round faces with a frightening, jack-o'-lantern glow.
Pappy did not stay gone long, and soon returned refreshed. Sitting in his gigantic reading chair directly overlooking the boy and girl, he quietly studied the backs of their bald heads, and took a moment or three to relish his astounding accomplishment. He gave many thanks to his all-knowing Highest Conscience and remained in meditative silence for some time. When he'd finished with prayers, Pappy refocused all his attentions toward the babes.
Beckoning and catching his mighty stave, which flew at him quick as a thrown spear, he aimed it at the bassinet. The bewitched cradle turned, with the twins in it. This change of perspective revealed two of the most adorable mugs the amiable seer had ever witnessed. The sight caused Pappy to pleasantly moan, as his proud heart melted into the delicious awareness of divine affection.
When the twins noticed him perched in the enormous rocker, peering lovingly down at them, two instant, ruddy smiles raised 'pon four fat, puffy cheeks, revealing one to die for dimple each.
"I'm going to introduce you to something you'll love so much you'll think you've died and gone to heaven." He promised them. "You may learn to want it often enough you'll begin to feel you need it."
Excited anticipation overtook their previous appearance of bemused curiosity, and even bigger toothless grins shot up at Pappy. Wanting to do this himself, he leaned his tired body far over and placed within each dainty mouth a feeding bottle filled with fresh cream and honey.
Fast and hard the twins began to suckle, smacking and slurping with such ecstasy, one indeed might've inferred they'd passed away and transmigrated directly to nirvana.
Their four sleepy peepers slowly and incrementally settled, going from fully open to three-quarters, half open to one-quarter, then finally totally shut. There they remained contentedly closed until the once full nipples contained nothing but empty air.
Chapter 4
By the time they were two the exceptional twins could walk well, albeit at a snail's pace, and quite proficiently talk.
Every day, late in the morning, Pappy took them on a short trek down a fairly easy, graduated path to the ocean shore below. Once there, they'd all three sit together on a humongous boulder, smack dab in the middle of the rocky beach, and he'd instruct them for a few hours in mathematics and the sciences. Then, the trio would wile away the rest of the afternoon playing games of any and every sort. On this particularly wonderful, late afternoon, Pappy taught the twins a new past time.
"Okay, I've got a fresh one for you little squirts, and it's called Searching for Whisperers." He announced.
The male and female, clad in identical red woolen onesies and grey woolen hats, bounced with glee.
"Oh yes, let's play it!" Yelled Needy, the boy.
"Yay!" Wanna hollered, clapping together her tiny hands. "We're ready for your challenge Pappy!"
"Alright, lean back like this," he explained, "and lie down upon the granite until you're looking up at the sky, as I am now."
The adept twins aped his movements lickety-split, then peered into an aquamarine atmosphere dotted with vast patches of cumulus clouds.
"Okay, what now?" Both eagerly asked, at exactly the same moment.
"What do you see?" Pappy queried.
"Not much," Wanna decided.
"Blue and white?" Wondered Needy.
Expecting a proper explanation, they glanced over at their father.
"Then what is that?" Pappy asked, pointing to a cloud mass that had inexplicably appeared five-hundred meters above.
Sounds of tandem oohing and awing escaped from the twins like volcanic gases bursting from a lava cone.
"Oh, my goodness!" Gurgled Wanna.
"Will it hurt us?" Needy popped.
"Of course not," Pappy assured them, "this dragon is our friend."
"Our friend?" Wanna decried, "how can something so big and scary be our ally?"
"Looks can be deceiving," Pappy easily answered her.
"Hey, who are you and what are you doing here?" Needy assertedly questioned the magnificent beast.
The dragon slowly and ominously swiveled its enormous head toward the twins, then set a piercing gaze upon them. Almost imperceptibly the giant mass began wafting dreamily downwards, gaining in size and fearsomeness while descending.
When but a hundred meters away, it froze in the misty stillness.
"I'm Anassasin!" Boomed the wyvern, causing the toddlers to in unison shriek.
The apparition puffed heavily at the fright she'd given her charges, then released a wispy trail of tamped-down, grey smoke from her silver lined snout.
Respectfully she added, "and I'm at your service my Lords. I've come to take council with you, my future King and Queen."
Pondering the same thought, Needy and Wanna turned fast and offered each other stares of mirrored astonishment.
"Whatever do you mean?" They dually put to the basilisk.
Anassasin frowned and glared at the old man.
"You haven't told them!" She pressed.
"This has nothing to do with me," the Wizard coolly replied, "speak to your sovereigns yourself."
"I can't," Anassasin declared, "I'm disappearing."
In the blink of a catastrophic eye the fantastic reptilian's huge scales began drifting apart, and within seconds Anassasin lost every semblance of her former grand and glorious self.
"Where did she go?" Needy sadly wanted to know.
"Did she die?" Wanna mournfully asked.
"She's returned to the realm of the Whispers my dears, but don't fret or be afraid, Anassasin will be back.
On the birthday the pair turned six, they possessed intellectual fortitude on par with highly educated adults and could physically keep up with most grown folks as well. However, Wan and Nee still carried with them a few emotional shortcomings normally associated with the wee minded, and on this particular early morn petting desires topped the docket.
"I want a marine iguana!" Nee announced.
"Same please for me!" Enjoined Wan.
There were a thousand square miles of lowland scrub, rolling hills and evergreen forests surrounding their isolated cliff side dwelling, which provided a plethora of mascot choices for the twins, but unfortunately none were on the girl or boy's list.
"We don't have any of those around here." Pappy reminded them. "How about an nice Arakan turtle, or a flying summer tanager? I'll build the cages! The males are a brilliant red, females the gorgeous color of yellowish."
"A giant lizard!" Wan complained.
"They're our favorite!" Swore Nee.
"Little squirts," Pappy whined, "that means I'd have to conjure them, and I shouldn't be wasting my waning talents on such trivialities. Besides if I do, they won't be real, technically. So, I'm sorry my dears, but the answer is no."
"It's alright Pappy," Nee offered, "we'll help you with the spells."
"Yep, there's nothing we can't do if we do it together." Stated Wan.
The old Sorcerer didn't like the idea, but the twins' persuasive ability, one of their strongest ethereal expertise, had already reached near perfect vitality, and showed exponential potential for working future wonders, so Pappy's fragile objections toppled like castle walls crumbling to trebuchets.
Pappy would have liked to have stayed with the twins forever in the forestlands of Tripitaka, but upon their seventh birthday he knew in his aging alchemist's bones that the time had come to introduce them to the mortals.
He decided to send them to the Encinitas Temple, where many years ago his dear friend, Paramahamsa Yogananda, had founded an international religious organization called the Self-Realization Fellowship, or SRF. The flowery, tree-studded patch of seaside property sat overlooking the Pacific Ocean in the charming little town of the same name, Encinitas, in California.
Such a splendid and magical botanical garden would be the perfect place for his dynamic duo to grow up and take their impactful place in human history. For the history of the world was his business, and his business the history of the world.
His first order of business in putting the twins on the mortal map was a trip to Scripps Memorial Hospital, where presently Doctor Holy, and his colleague, Doctor Moly, were sitting motionless and speechless in an examination room with dumbfounded looks on their indoor-tanned faces.
Dr. Moly rescanned the blood test results, tilting his toupee-covered head ever so slightly to the right, his wide-open mouth gasping silently for air. "I've never seen anything like it," he finally remarked with a frown, shaking his head as though he'd just been served another ace from a female opponent in mixed doubles.
"It's impossible!" Dr. Holy exclaimed, peering back and forth between the paperwork in his trembling left hand and the two adorable seven-year-olds sitting right in front of him. "They simply cannot be identical twins. These test results," he continued, shaking sheets of printed lab work in midair, "are entirely and completely beyond reason and therefore out of the expletive question!"
"Alight, I'll do it," the Medium agreed.
The words of his changed mind slopped from his throat as does muddy sand when caving back into a freshly dug hole of itself.
Perplexed, he asked the twins, "Did I just say, yes?"
"Mmm hmm, you did," they giggled.
"Amazing," he replied, "why this is wonderful news, you little squirts are progressing even faster then we'd expected. Alright, we'll attend to your lizard requests later, as today we must to go into the wilds. There's something hidden within and procuring it can no longer wait. Go, get your things, pack for two days, return to me by noon."
But Nee and Wan resisted, equally setting their childish minds upon getting what they wanted now, not later. Teaming up their desirous wishes, they turned that heavy force against Pappy's will.
"No, we want our miniature Anassasins today!" They together wailed.
"Enough!" Bellowed the Necromancer, "do as you're told!"
A 50-mph wind blast whooshed in behind his demand, knocking the sassy twins sharply backwards a yardstick each.
The old man's focused dynamism still carried more weight than any other living thing upon water or land, and even the twin's formidable charisma bent to it quick as mice fleeing from a hungry cat.
Wanting more than ever to please their beloved father, the twins returned to him early, packed and ready for the adventure.
"We're here!" They announced together, bounding merrily into his study.
Their obvious admiration for him beamed as hero's worship, and such high praise coming from rare, exotic people like Wan and Nee would impress anyone, even the most infamous Magician on the planet.
Pappy suddenly felt as if cheerful little pixie wings had been pinned under his somber mood, because fast it began to rise.
"Yes, yes, you're here, so you are, so you are!" He jollied. "That's the spirit my dears, excellent job, excellent job!"
Then, something far away and vitally important re-caught Pappy's attention, and he stared blankly into the space above his head, where a hazy future loomed, one not even the great Wizard could pull more than just vague obscurities from.
"But now!" He beckoned, breaking the dark vision. "We simply must be off little squirts, we simply must. Follow me to the stable."
Over the years Pappy had worked his powerful spells and magical potions on all manner of sempiternal creatures great and small, but his unforeseen impuissant capacity to pull the strings of mortal men and women had at times made him feel more like a lolling wet nurse than a prodigious doctor of alchemy.
For although he knew the tellurians were at times as fickle and faithless as an army of slippery frogs in a jumping contest, he also knew they possessed one key element of intellectuality—a surprising Caecilian superpower! —which now and again made the task of controlling the earthlings hard work indeed. They called it freewill.
To be sure, the artful old warlock regarded human willpower as the most venerated and anthropomorphic of all hominid conations; and it was exactly this kind of earnest determination and hard-as-nails stick-to-itiveness he wanted to see in his twins. He had imagined and created the pair out of thin air for the primary purpose of saving humankind, a task in which only the most well-intentioned of Homo sapiens in full possession of such steadfast virtues might ever bring to pass.
So, he waved his hand and uttered the words, "creatio ex nihilo," which in Latin meant creation out of nothing, and for a brief moment the doctors froze into motionless mannequins of marble-eyed deviltry, their pinched, deeply wrinkled faces and five o'clock shadows etched like alabaster in the grotesque and uncanny fashion of lacteal wax figures peering blankly into space.
"Ipso facto, tabula rasa, deus ex machina." Pappy entreated, waving his hand in the opposite direction. The doctors sprang suddenly back to life, with dazed, what-just-happened looks on their ruddy faces.
Two readied stallions and a loaded wagon awaited them in the paddock. Wen and Nee climbed gleefully up and into into the dray, their laughter spilling out of it like flatulence from a whoopie cushion. One of the horses was black as tar, while the other mare looked a shade of polished ivory; together they slowly began pulling the cart, without instruction, out of the corral and then more purposely uphill along the path to Jeddies Peak. Pappy watched the caravan quietly, but the twins were not so hushed.
"What's gotten into Jelly?" Queried Wan.
"Whoa!" Pappy wailed, and the caravan stopped. "Aren't you forgetting something, Jelly?"
Jeddy's Peak was named in honor of Professor Aydan Jeddy, one of the four men created by the mother and father of the Gods, who themselves had been created by the Primordial Twins, Asha and Ugresh. Jeddy had discovered the peak in the 27th year of the Lordless, which in human years translated to roughly 10,000 years before the first human hieroglyphs dated between 3400-3200 BCE.
