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Izel was often a good kid, listening closely to all of what her Mama and Papa told her and helping others out anytime they needed it. She was by nature a giving spirit, and never one who accepted anything back for her deeds, simply enjoying helping others, Still, she did sometimes have a bit of a roguish spirit, and tonight she had decided that it was time to sneak out and have a little bit of fun.
"Come on Ichtaca! It'll be fine! When have we ever been caught hm? Never." Izel was trying to drag Ichtaca out of his room, the boy trying to refuse to go this time.
"You decide to drag me along every single time you do something bad, do you want me to get in trouble or something? Do you want to get in trouble?"
"We're not gonna get in trouble hermano. I have it all planned out. We'll take the back hallway down to the hidden exit and take that out into the plaza. After that, we'll sneak around the side to the woods and be on our way." She spoke the plan so nonchalantly that Ichtaca began to think that maybe she did have this all under control for once.
"But what are we going to do once we get out?" The boy gave a smirk as he saw her stiffen, pulling his wrist from her grasp so he could cross his arms in front of her. "Hadn't thought about that one had you?"
Izel looked at him for a few moments before letting out a groaning sigh. "So I haven't figured out exactly what we'll do but I really just want to get out tonight. I also don't want to go out by myself though. And you wouldn't want your dear sister to get hurt would you?"
"Why not take Horado or Atzi with you? Why is it always me?"
"Well Horado is so overprotective that he'd never let me go out, in fact, he'd probably just rat me out to Mama and that'd be no good for anyone. And then Atzi is so quiet and hidden, she doesn't really like to do anything like this and she would also probably just tell Mama."
"So you chose me because I won't tell on you?"
"Precisely, now let's go!" She turned and started down the hall, not having to look behind her to know that her brother was following her as she twisted and turned down the halls before heading down a steep stairwell until the pair finally stepped out into the cool night air at the base of the pyramid that the temple sat upon. "Alright, this way and stay close. You stick out in the dark like white on black."
"Well, I would guess so since that's exactly what it is." The words were a low whisper, Ichtaca gestured to his white skin and hair as he spoke.
"I know, I know," was the only reply he got as the two began moving around the open plaza, trying to hide behind what they could as they made their way toward the trees and then plunged into their depths, running away from the temple.
Ichtaca turned to look at her as they finally stopped in an open clearing, glancing around for a moment before giving a shrug. "So you thought of anything yet?"
Glancing around the forest she thought for a few moments before a smile spread on her face. "We could go watch the fights."
"Izel."
"Just to watch hermano! What's the point in sneaking out if we don't go and do something with that freedom?"
He watched her for several long moments, his foot tapping the ground idly as he thought it through. "Fine, but we're only watching. Those fights are how Tía Maya got hurt."
"I already know that." The words were a groan as Izel turned around and began the trek toward the pits, ducking around and under branches and trees as she went along until the loud raucous noise of fighting could be heard.
As the two exited the trees they were met with a large clearing that had a deep pit at the center, a huge group of people lining the entire rim as they watched the two current contestants pummel each other. This was gonna be fun to watch.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
It was only an hour till dawn when Izel and Ichtaca finally made it back to the temple, entering through the same route they had used to get out.
Moving as quietly as they could down the halls they were almost home free until the two rounded a corner and were met with the one face they didn't want to see at that moment, their Mama.
Chimi stood with her arms crossed in front of her, looking completely calm if not for the incessant tapping of her foot that seemed to echo in the other empty hall. "Where have you two been?" Her words were even and calm and that alone made the two ever more fearful.
"We, um, went to sit outside and look at the stars. Couldn't sleep." Izel murmured out, desperately praying to the gods that the excuse would work even though they knew it was a long shot.
And a long shot it really was. "You know I know better than that. Ichtaca, the baby monkey you were supposed to have already taken back to the jungle woke me up so I went to put it back in your room only to find you weren't there. So I decided to check on the others and found Horado and Atzi exactly where they were supposed to be, asleep. But Izel, Izel was missing. And this was several hours ago." She narrowed her eyes at them now. "So I'll ask you one more time, where were you?"
Izel and Ichtaca quickly looked at each other before exhaling shared sighs as they accepted their defeat and Izel took a step forward. "I'm sorry Mama, it was my idea. I wanted to go out and have some fun and I forced Ichtaca to come along with me."
"And what was this fun?"
"We, um, went to watch the pit fights?" Izel cringed back at the anger that ignited in her Mama's eyes. "I'm sorry Mama, we didn't do anything else but watch though! I promise! And Ichtaca shouldn't get in trouble."
A hand on her shoulder stopped her talking as Ichtaca smiled at his sister softly. "No, I let you drag me out so I'm as much at fault as you are." He looked up at Chimi now. "I'm sorry Mama, we should've known better. And as for the monkey, I promise I was gonna take it back but I wanted to be sure its foot was all healed."
There was a tense silence for several long moments as Chimi watched them closely, the tapping of her foot the only real sound until she gave a smirk at the two. "Well, it seems I don't even have to get onto you two. You've already learned your lesson."
"So, we're not in trouble?" Izel asked hopefully.
"Oh no, you two are still definitely in trouble. In fact, you're both grounded from practicing magic or swords until the next full moon and you're to stay in your rooms all day tomorrow, or really it would be today now." She walked up and grabbed hold of them by the wrist, dragging them down the hall and toward their rooms. One reason to ground them to their rooms was that she knew they were both exhausted after being out all night and this would give them time to rest, but she wouldn't tell them that.
Once everyone was in their places and she had alerted everyone that the two were not to leave she returned to her own room for a couple of hours of sleep.
Izel and Ichtaca would be bored for the next couple of weeks but they would at least learn their place. And they would be getting plenty of rest throughout the day and even if they couldn't practice, they would surely find some other way to keep themselves entertained.