text: [Themes: edutainment, serious]
  
  It's barely dawn, but you have traveled under cover of darkness to a secret location where several prized horses are being kept. You intend to purchase one of these horses and enter it in the race. You must choose wisely.
  
  You are greeted at the villa by Marco, the man you put in charge of training your district's horse. Marco arrived the previous day and has been evaluating several horses. Marco has narrowed the choices down to two horses:
  
  (1) Peperoncino ("Hot Pepper"): A very fast but unpredictable horse.
  (2) Dormigliona ("Sleepy Head"): A slightly slower but tamer horse.
  
  Your moment of decision has come.
  
  > buy Dormigliona
  Several days have passed, and you have discovered that Dormigliona is a much slower horse than you had been led to believe. Marco, the trainer, has informed you that he doesn't think that Carlo, the jockey you had planned to hire for the race, will be able to win with Dormigliona. Marco thinks it might be a good idea to hire Francesco, a famous jockey well-known for his uncanny ability to win races no matter what horse he's riding.
  
  You agree that Francesco might have be good choice, but you've heard rumors that he's not trustworthy.
  
  You must decide on a jockey.
  
  > keep Carlo
  A mysterious man has asked you to meet him on the steps of the Duomo at mezzogiorno (noon). He has an important message for you. He tells you that your recently-hired jockey Carlo is a traitor who has been paid handsomely by the Tartuca to make sure that your horse comes in dead last in the race.
  
  You ask the man how he knows this, but he refuses to answer. He walks away. Later that evening, you visit Marco the trainer. You tell him about your mysterious conversation. He laughs and says that the man is a liar who has been visiting all of the contrada leaders and telling them similar stories about their jockeys. It's a scheme by one of the other contrade (perhaps the "Giraffa") to create chaos before the race. It's too late to get Francesco who has been hired by another contrade, but Marco says that if you're that concerned about it, he'll hire his nephew Antonio, a promising young jockey.
  
  Several days have passed, and you have discovered that Dormigliona is a much slower horse than you had been led to believe. Marco, the trainer, has informed you that he doesn't think that Carlo, the jockey you had planned to hire for the race, will be able to win with Dormigliona. Marco thinks it might be a good idea to hire Francesco, a famous jockey well-known for his uncanny ability to win races no matter what horse he's riding.
  
  You agree that Francesco might have be good choice, but you've heard rumors that he's not trustworthy.
  
  You must decide on a jockey.
  
  > hire Francesco
  A mysterious man has asked you to meet him on the steps of the Duomo at mezzogiorno (noon). He has an important message for you. He tells you that he's a distant cousin of your recently-hired jockey Francesco. He says that Francesco suffers from a mysterious illness. He says that Francesco gets so dizzy that he can't walk down a street straight. He says that if you're smart, you'll dump Francesco and hire a new jockey before it's too late.
  
  Later that evening, you visit Marco the trainer. You tell him about your mysterious conversation. He laughs and says that the man is a liar who has been visiting all of the contrada leaders and telling them similar stories about their jockeys. It's a scheme by one of the other contrade (perhaps the "Giraffa") to create chaos before the race. It's too late to get Carlo who has been hired by another contrade, but Marco says that if you're that concerned about it, there's still time to hire his nephew Antonio, a promising young jockey.[Themes: fantasy, RPG, drama, serious]
  
  I had nothing to my name to begin with. But I was happy.
  
  My wife's name was Jeonna. Jeonna and I were very happy together, we lived on a small house. Jeonna sold the boquets she made with wildflowers that grew around the mountain and I did whatever odd jobs came up around town. We lived off of these funds and we knew we could never get rich off of what we did but... We were happy. That was enough.
  
  Jeonna had two children late one Spring, twins. A healthy son, a son I was proud of to call my son. And a daughter, a daughter that I loved with all my might. While our son was unusually strong for a child, our daughter grew weaker by the day. The doctor said she wouldn't last long.
  
  Jeonna and I didn't believe him.
  
  Jeonna came up with the names for our son and daughter through an ancient language that her mother had taught her. Ari was the name of our daughter, it meant 'life', and Hitari was the name of our son, it mean 'protector of life'. Jeonna was happy staying behind and only gathering the flowers that were near our house. She wove a basket for Ari and Hitari to ride in so that they could go with her. She believed that nothing would harm our family.
  
  I was cautious of what the doctor had said.
  
  Even though I didn't believe him. I knew that he had seen children like Ari die before. So I was worried, I was careful, but I didn't believe him.
  
  Ari fell ill when she was two, right when Jeonna and I were beginning to be convinced the doctor was wrong, our fears came crashing back onto us. Ari grew weaker day by day until she became too weak to feed. Jeonna would cry herself to sleep at night, when she slept that was. Most nights she was too scared to fall asleep to the possibility that she might wake up, and Ari would be dead.
  
  Hitari caught the cold as well.
  
  I wasn't surprised, really, the two of them shared everything. They had the same emerald eyes and golden blond hair. They both opened their eyes at the same time, fell asleep at the same time, and fed at the same time. One couldn't sleep without the other and if they were separated for too long they would start wailing for the other. Personality wise they were almost polar opposites, Hitari was calm and intelligent from the start. Already having small, child-like conversations before he was even a year old. He learned to walk almost as quickly as well, he was physically very strong. Ari got the hang of talking when she was about 16 months old, but she started walking at the very same time. Ari was weak, but she made up for it in the capacity of what she could learn. And she never forgot anything, ever.
  
  Jeonna was worried even more so, even though I told her it was only natural. Then, it happened one day.
  
  Ari and Hitari disappeared.
  
  Jeonna and I didn't know where they could have gone. We searched everywhere, woke up the entire village and sent out a search party to look for them. The village elder found them by the lake outside of the village. Hitari's hand was interlocked with Ari's. Ari was being gently brushed by the water's edge of the lake. Hitari was gripping her as hard as his little hand could manage, he was out of the water's reach. Neither of them had the fever anymore.
  
  The lake was said to be the portal to the Spirit's World that spirits went through when they died.
  
  The village elder proclaimed that Hitari must have pulled Ari away from the spirits, thereby saving her and giving her more time in the world. Jeonna and I were overjoyed, no matter how ridiculous the reason they ended up there. Neither of us really believed the elder, it's only now that I look back on that day and wonder if he may have been onto something then. Life went peacefully and Hitari and Ari grew up wonderfully.
  
  They were six when the next tragic event happened.
  
  > Jeonna was killed by the King's men.
  I could not believe what had happened.
  
  Our 'glorious' King killed Jeonna, my lovely Jeonna.
  
  A neighboring kingdom came to raid our village, the King's men charged in to help our village. Jeonna and I were overjoyed, we would be safe. Jeonna and I took Ari and Hitari up to the attic to protect them from the battle that raged outside. We all huddled in the damp, dark attic, scared but hopeful. Frightened but faithful that our 'brave' King would take down the bandits.
  
  "Momma? What are those noises?" Ari asked Jeonna with wide, scared eyes. Jeonna wasn't sure how to explain it, neither was I. My daughter was too innocent to be exposed to the evils of the world. Hitari slung his arm around Ari.
  
  "Don't worry Ari, it's just nasty monsters trying to raid the village. And they're coming to get you~!" He teased, Ari pushed him away and protested lightly, but a new light came into her eyes.
  
  "Like the one's in my closet! Hitari! Do you think you can scare these monsters away too?" She asked happily. Monster's in my daughter's closet? She always did have a wild imagination, but why didn't she come to her parents for protection as most little girls did? I suppose Hitari must have played that role for her at this time. Perhaps it was wrong about me but I was jealous of my son. Jealous that he got to share in the childhood memories of Ari when I should have been there as well. Hitari laughed and smiled,
  
  "I can't but some others are scaring them away right now! That's the monster's cries of fear!" He explained, referring to the yells and screams outside. Ari laughed quietly.
  
  "Monster's afraid... What a silly thought!" She said as she laughed. Jeonna and I smiled at each other. Then Jeonna gently quieted down Ari's laughter and we were surrounded in dark silence once again. Only broken when the lone cry of a fallen solider pierced the silence.
  
  The battle was over quickly, the King won. Jeonna and I went out to the square with the rest of the village, we had Ari and Hitari stay behind so that they would not see the carnage.
  
  Jeonna never liked blood, even when she pricked her hand on a thorn she could never look straight at the blood without a look of disgust wrinkling her beautiful face. So as we walked through the dead bodies of King's men and bandits alike, she buried her head in my shoulder and held my hand like a child would when frightened. I hugged her close to me, the ominous scent of death wafting up around us and making me crinkle my nose in disgust.
  
  The people gathered around the King's men who were giving a rallying speech to shake the fear of battle off of our soldiers. If only Jeonna and I had walked up a minute later, if only we had decided to stay with the children... If only...
  
  "... We have discovered a traitor among your village! The wretch shall be publicly executed for their crimes in causing a loss of so many good men!" The lead soldier shouted, the people murmured uncomfortably. I was surprised, I knew everyone in our small village well, I was sure there was no traitor among us. The soldier looked around before his eyes settled on Jeonna and myself. I hugged her closer to me. He sneered.
  
  "And that wretch is that woman!" He shouted as he pointed to Jeonna. Jeonna sucked in a gasp and I screamed a protest in outrage. I was helpless and a gang of soldiers knocked me back and ripped Jeonna from my grasp. She was shouting my name the entire time they led her up to the lead soldier. I screamed her name back and tried to wrestle my way through the soldiers. The people were too stunned to move.
  
  "Die for your sins." The head soldier chanted as he unsheathed his sword and kicked her to the ground. I shouted to Jeonna, all senses were trained solely on my wife. She was paralyzed with fear as the soldier raised his sword. My voice began to catch in my throat. I yelled as if yelling her name would drag her back to me and away from danger. Then there was a tug on my sleeve.
  
  "Papa?"
  
  Ari. Ari and Hitari stood there. Ari looking up at me with scared eyes, she didn't understand what was going on. Hitari was staring ahead, at the soldier with the sword raised above his head. I was frozen, my eyes only turning back to my wife in time to see the metal come down. And slice clean through my beloved's neck. The soldiers parted for me. I fell to the ground on my knees, my palms in the red pool of blood of other men that had fallen. My tears joined the liquid pool. Ari tugged on my shirt once more.
  
  "Papa? What... What just happened to Mama?" She asked, tears were welling up in her eyes. On some level Ari understood, I don't know how she did but she did. I was unable to answer my daughter.
  
  When I looked up at my wife's body I saw that Hitari had moved to stand next to her, he was completely still. Just staring at the body, as if he was made of stone.
  
  I felt a hand on my back. Joviah Smith, the local farmer had his hand on my back.
  
  "I'm sorry, I'm sorry they picked Jeonna, she was a good woman." He said sadly. I focused in on one word,
  
  "Picked?" I asked him, Joviah's eyes widened.
  
  "You hadn't heard, every time the neighboring kingdom has invaded, the King orders his men to pick a random villager and call them a traitor and publicly kill them, take the blame off of his own head by using other's heads." Joviah explained. When I didn't reply he sighed and gently took Ari's arms,
  
  "Come, Ari, I'll take you and yer brother back to yer house." He said as he gently led her over to Hitari to take them back. I just stayed there for a moment. Rage burned through my heart, eating it at it's core. I wanted revenge, I wanted to make the King pay for what he had done. I knew then and there that I would get my revenge.
  
  I kept up on my promise.
  
  > Took action right away.
  I attempted to break into the King's nearest house at night, he had houses scattered all over the country but I knew the Queen was staying at this one. An eye for an eye, a wife for a wife.
  
  I was careless, the guards caught me and made quick work. They saved me until the next raid and presented me as a traitor from another land who gathered information.
  
  So this is what Jeonna had felt like?
  
  Sorry Ari, Hitari, looks like I won't be making it to dinner.
  
  > say "End"
  Those were what I thought would have been my last thoughts. But, as if fate was repeating itself in an endless loop. I heard a voice.
  
  "Papa?" My eyes opened and settled in on Ari and Hitari standing there. How had they found me? I may never know. Ari ran forward, the guards had attempted to stop her but she was small enough to duck under their arms and get a way to me. Hitari followed close behind her.
  
  "Stop! You can't kill him! You can't!" She was screaming, tears were running down her face. The guard with the sword raised his sword in warning, fully intending to kill me. I had tried to smile at Ari, telling her it was alright. And I had closed my eyes. Waiting for the blade that never came.
  
  Hitari had stopped the sword.
  
  When I opened my eyes Hitari was standing above the soldier previously holding the sword. Now the sword was embedded in the soldier. Hitari's hands were on the blade, he stood as still as he had when Jeonna had died. The ropes that had bound my hands and feet came loose and then fell below me. Ari had untied them behind me.
  
  "Papa, we have to leave, now." Ari said. Hitari came and joined us, the sword still in his hands. The soldier was dead. Hitari had a dark look about him. He was saying something to quiet for me to hear at the time, but now I realize he was saying 'I killed someone' over and over again. As if he did it without thinking, which perhaps he could have.
  
  Ari, Hitari and I were running away from the soldiers and villagers and everything, I thought we were free. I had stupidly thought we were safe. But there was a sound, soft yet it now rings in my ears every time I remember it. It was the soft 'twang' of an arrow.
  
  Ari's body slumped to the ground. Hitari stopped and ran back to her. Shouting her name just as I had when Jeonna died.
  
  Fate repeats itself.
  
  The rest was a blur to me, I remember dragging Hitari away from Ari, I remember tears and running, fear and loneliness. Sadness and loss.
  
  Then I remember when we were finally away from the soldiers, I turned to Hitari and uttered his name to talk to him, but he just looked at me and had said.
  
  "I am Ari from now on. I no longer 'protect' life. I am simply alive." He proclaimed. Hitari became Ari after that. I still am skeptical whether he changed his name because he couldn't protect Ari's life, or because it was a way to honor Ari, to remind us she had been alive. No matter how painful that reminder may be.
  
  End of Part One