Cassie
I put ten minutes of flight between the Nephilim and us before landing. I knew the mages weren’t following, but I didn’t want to be anywhere near them regardless. When we did touch ground, the fight wasn’t over. The tension in my friends’ bodies spoke of fear.
:Hold her down,: I sent to the others. Wendi grabbed Rana’s arms in a double-shoulder-lock, and Kenta tied her legs with hair after I released her from the ruins of my teeth. I’d lost several to the toad’s repeated punches and gained a black eye. :Don’t be too rough, but she’ll hurt herself if she keeps struggling.:
Meanwhile, Lea, Paul, and I, in girl form, took turns on the healing coin for Daniel. His shallow breaths eventually settled into actual sleep. The healing aura also regrew my teeth in a bloody and painful process. With his life not in danger, we focused on Rana.
Poor Rana. :How are her eyes?: I asked Paul, who knew about my blindness from when I’d wielded him, and we’d shared senses.
:Red,: the lantern boy sent, mental voice drained and heavy with fatigue.
“She’s not talking,” Kenta said, voice nervous and unsteady, the edges of his hair still smoldering.
We all knew that was a bad sign.
Lea stepped forward with tears in her eyes. “Maybe I can—”
“—Let me try,” I interrupted that line of thought. Lea assented with a nod, wanting to avoid a drastic use of her magic at all costs.
I shifted my wings to fingers and approached, reaching up—Rana was so tall in toad form—to cup her face in my hands and pull her writhing, angry head towards mine.
:We’re safe,: I sent to her privately. I didn’t want the others hearing this. I felt uncomfortable using what I’d heard in my dreams to push her buttons, but I needed all the tools at hand.
:Daniel’s alive, look,: I gave her a view of where he lay. Though blood covered him, his chest rose and fell in a steady rhythm. :He’s breathing. We’re all here. You’re not alone. Everyone is safe. We’re all together. You’re not alone.:
:The red is fading, Cassie: Paul sent to me, relieved.
Slowly, the toad’s struggling ceased. She stared into the distance as Wendi and Kenta loosened their grip. Rana worked her jaw as if trying to speak, but no sound came. She seemed lost.
I embraced her middle, my hands not meeting around her tree trunk torso. I pressed my cheek into her stomach. The hug seemed to work. Her fighting toad form waned and shrunk. Her humanoid features reasserted, and clothes materialized on her body. I tucked Rana’s head onto my shoulder since she was much shorter than me with my claws on.
“Thank goodness,” Lea whispered.
“Where...” Rana looked around. She saw everyone staring at her, and the blood drained from her face. Then she vanished, reappearing seconds later a dozen yards distant, having slipped away.
“Rana!” Wendi called as the frog girl left.
“Don’t worry about her,” Kenta dismissed the devil girl’s concern.
Wendi frowned. “She’s still injured.”
Shaking his head, Kenta replied, “She can heal herself.”
The red devil girl yelled after Rana’s retreating form, “Thanks for saving us! We couldn’t have gotten away without you!”
We heard a groaning sound and turned, I sooner than the others, to find Daniel awake. Wendi was at his side in a second, huge fingers brushing hair from his eyes as he rose to an elbow.
“Did we win?” He groggily counted our faces. “Where’s Rana! Is she...?”
“She will be alright,” Lea comforted him with a gentle grin. With everyone safe, good humor returned to our group.
“For now,” Kenta added, earning a few annoyed sidelong glances.
“Ahem, Kenta, you may let go of me,” Lea motioned to the grip of hair around her waist from where he’d pulled her out of harm’s way at the end of the battle. The Kaminoke released her with a grumbled apology. “And thank you, for saving my life.”
Kenta turned away to hide his face, straightening his singed tie and dusting off ash-covered sleeves as he spoke, “As if I could stand there and watch you die.”
Lea met my eye and gave a conspiratorial nose-scrunch smile. I heard Kenta’s elevated heart rate and smiled back.
“How did we escape?” Daniel said, woozy but able to stand. “Who healed me?”
“I’ll fill you in on the end of the battle later with my Shew Stone; I had a good view,” Wendi said. “Tesem, Ziege, and I saved you.”
“Tesem! He wasn’t on our side; how did you get him to help us?”
She shrugged. “I asked.”
He stared at her as if at an alien, totally incomprehensible being. The others and I were puzzled as well. If Wendi and Tesem spoke, it must’ve been on a secure Rosetta Stone channel because I didn’t hear anything.
Daniel coaxed the answer from her, “So, what happened with you while the rest of us were fighting?”
“Oh,” Wendi said after realizing how things must appear to everyone else. “Tesem made us an offer near the beginning of the battle. He said if we stopped trying to hurt him for real, he wouldn’t run over and beat up our friends. I didn’t think we could’ve stopped him if he chose not to fight us, so I agreed.
“We were throwing play-punches, later on, to make him look busy. Tesem’s a good guy, so when Danny got hurt, he agreed to help.”
Kenta snuffed the last embers in his hair. “Could’ve used a Black Dog in the fight.”
“Yeah, if he was so nice, why didn’t he come with us?” Daniel said, genuinely curious about Tesem’s motives.
Wendi considered. “Tesem said something about how bad people worse than these mages would come after him if he left now. I guess that’s bad timing.”
The others agreed, muttering their regrets and thanking Tesem in his absence.
:Cassie, can I have a word with you?: Daniel sent. Everyone else was discussing the battle and winding down, so his approaching me made sense. I felt a little nervous about him using sendings, though.
:Sure.:
:I wanted to thank you. Everyone did their part, but I think you deserve special mention.:
:That’s nice of you to say, Daniel. I guess, even though I didn’t fight anybody, distracting the mages on the wall kept things from getting out of hand. It’s not like I could’ve held Verglas’ or the Bear’s attention, though.:
Daniel furrowed his brows as he listened to me. :Not what I meant. Yes, your contributions to the battle were significant, but I meant the Plan. Cassie, do you know what I would’ve done without your Forecast?:
I did. Daniel would’ve marched us out in a defensive formation, straight to our doom. It would’ve made sense in theory to watch what cards the mages played and react on the fly. In every possible version of this I Heard in my dreams, Verglas and the Elementals crushed us wholly and utterly.
I nodded.
:Cassie, your Forecast gave us the first-move advantage—that’s the difference between white and black in chess! Going on the offensive put the mages on the backfoot, and having a Plan gave us momentum to overcome the rough spots. So, thanks again. I’m not sure what comes next for us, but I have to assume we’ll be forced to fight again someday. When that time comes, I’ll be counting on you.: Daniel inclined his head in a bow of gratitude, ignoring several pairs of eyes drawn to the motion.
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Flustered by his praise and not knowing how to reply, I decided to break the tension. “Hey, Kenta, what’s for lunch?”
More conversation followed as we set camp. We all needed the rest. I told the others we didn’t have to worry about the mages for now; I could fly us eight times further than before in my new form. They relaxed a bit, but tension lingered in the air. How long had we been on the run? Our life from a single week ago seemed like a dream.
I had changed almost beyond recognition, and I’d made a new friend. I sat to check my Shew Stone with my hands—my brand new, nearly human hands!—to find a message from Tarō.
Cassie! What happened out there? How many mages did you beat? Tell me everything! Hey, remember to Nightwalk tonight. You need the practice. Oh, and I hope all your friends are okay too.
I had a good chuckle over that. Tarō is such a kid. I tried not to encourage him too much, recounting the battle without the graphic bits. Bless Rana for thinking to give the boy a Shew Stone linked to ours; I can’t believe I didn’t have the idea.
He didn’t write back immediately, so I decided to go to bed. No telling what Koto was keeping him busy with!
It’s funny; I should’ve been too excited to sleep. This would be my first rest without the nightmares in three years. I crawled into my sleeping bag, zipped myself up, plopped my head on the pillow, and relaxed.
I felt more self-aware of my conscious state than I’d thought possible. I had a distinct impression of where sleep was, so accessible I could reach for it anytime, anywhere… as if I could put myself to sleep under the rain and wailing wind of a thunderstorm if needed. Yet, I instinctively felt something missing.
I listened to the others’ breathing, heart rate, and movements, becoming aware of their precise sleep states. Most of them dozed, Kenta struggled with a dream, and I knew Paul was unconscious—don’t ask me how. It seemed I’d finally gotten in touch with The Sleeper In Suspension, one of Biān Fú’s lesser-known names.
Rana! I remembered I missed Rana.
Finding her became easy when she dropped Camouflage. I’ve never been certain whether this was her version of an invitation without using words. Surely, if she didn’t want to be found, there wouldn’t be any way to find her? Maybe that thinking is flawed; I felt a little intrusive going to her when she’d left to be by herself.
This time, I decided it best to intrude. So, I took off as quietly as I could to not disturb the others. She lay in a sleeping bag on top of a hill staring at the stars above I couldn’t Hear. Rana sat up before I landed—I’m not sure how she knew I was coming.
She didn’t say anything, so I began, “I got your note.” I called forth a Shew Stone message I’d found after waking in the Tsukumogami House.
It was titled, “Ways To Lift A Curse Of Flesh To Stone (Not Exhaustive)” in Rana’s awkward block handwriting:
* Panacea (Progenitor level Alchemy)
* The Purifying Milk of a Sacred White Taurus (Pantheon level)
* Cleansing Water of an Ace of Cups (Aquarius, Pantheon level)
* Horn of a Unicorn (Extinct)
* A Snake Bottle made by a Genesis (Impossible, none of them have woken in a Myriad)
* Kill the snake that cast the curse and sprinkle its blood on the statues (Medusa herself, 0% chance of success)
* A Snake Stone (Find an Ophid and barter or trade favors. Easiest, but still practically impossible—how many friendly snakes do you know?—Expensive?)
I caught her in my arms and hugged her tight, tears on my face, and rocked us in happiness, “You’re the best, Rana! It’s possible! It might be difficult, but there’s a real chance we can bring them back! Thank you so much. You’re the best!”
Her being stiff in a hug was normal, but this time she tilted her head to expose her neck. I shook my head ‘no,’ and she lifted her arm so I could get at the vein. “I don’t need it anymore.”
Her heart rate reacted violently to the statement, going erratic, though her movements remained steady as she pulled from my embrace. “Then what are you doing here?” she said, and the quiet words stung sharp.
I desperately wanted to say, ‘I’m here because you’re my friend, moron!’ but worried she’d only hear the last word of the sentence.
I should’ve known from my nightmares Rana wouldn’t take my changes well. With her monster transformation in mind, I was painfully aware of how badly this could go. Maybe she wanted things to return to the way they were.
Continuing on like that wasn’t an option. I didn’t have it in me then to explain who was on the other end when I drank and why this had to stop. Thankfully, my foreknowledge had given me time to prepare.
I’d spent time thinking about why she wouldn’t want me to stop draining her vitality and hurting her. I felt like I was being dense, but I’ll admit I had trouble. I know for a fact there’s nothing addictive in my saliva from none of the people I’ve… tasted… reacting that way.
I decided Rana’s issue was unrelated to the act of my feeding. It must be rooted somewhere in her past. For as much as I love Rana, I know so little about her. I’ve pieced together certain things from our years of friendship, but most of her life before the T.O. is a mystery. I’m in no position to push her on that front, but it gave me an idea.
I tried being honest. “I remembered something about my colony last night. They were fruit bats, not vampires, which means blood drinking isn’t the default for my kind.” She already knew some of this, but not the next part. “Except, our vitality is still below average with good food and a full night’s sleep, so where does the extra vitality to get on par with humans come from?
“Then, I remembered sleeping alongside the Tsukumogami and how nostalgic it felt—because my colony slept all bunched together like that! And then I thought, what if my kind can pool their vitality the way animals share their body heat by huddling together? It kind of makes sense, doesn’t it?
“So, what I’m saying is, if you still wanted to help me, instead of me stealing your vitality, we could share?” It had all seemed more sensible in my head, and I felt vulnerable after opening myself to possible rejection.
“By sleeping side by side?” Rana asked for clarification.
“Exactly,” I said, regretting I put all my eggs in this basket. My theory could end up being no more than wishful thinking.
She deliberated a moment. “And you think it will help keep you at your best?”
I didn’t want to make a promise I couldn’t deliver on, but I put as much confidence as I could into my, “Yes.”
After a second of tension, Rana unzipped her sleeping bag. Relieved, I got in next to her and found her hand with mine. Shoulder to shoulder, we settled in. I heard Rana’s heartbeat stress at the contact, then gradually calm as we got used to each other’s presence. The steady rhythm soothed me.
“Did you ever get jealous of Wendi when we were kids?” Rana didn’t answer. “It’s just she was the only girl with a sister. I know it’s terrible of me to admit now, but, at the time, I wanted what they had so badly.”
Another moment of silence. “Why are you telling me this?”
“Because,” I told her, “I want to thank you for being my big sis.”
I heard her heart rate jump, but Rana rolled her back to me and said, “Get some sleep.”
I’ll admit I was a little disappointed she hadn’t given a direct response, but I’m glad I’d said what I’d said. I felt certain I’d avoided the nightmare with this choice. Rana wasn’t becoming a monster anytime soon.
Then her scent reached me—it was that time of the night for feeding, and the habit reared its ugly head. Her bare neck lay exposed beside me. I could practically taste the intoxicating red draught beneath the surface. I stopped myself. I couldn’t let Him get the better of me on my first night dry. I reached for sleep before my instincts awoke and entered my Mindscape.
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I awoke in the hayloft and flew out the open window. I didn’t want to waste time that night, as excited to practice Nightwalking as I’d be to unwrap a birthday present. I soared above the forest of my Inner World, leaving the barn behind, until I crossed the Threshold.
At the moment I transitioned from my Inner World into the Nightscape proper, I left behind all my security and protection as if I’d stripped naked. Part of me felt frightened. At the same time, I was liberated, my consciousness escaping the confines of my mind, my spirit exploring a universe of stars, discovering the place where everyone alive everywhere was somehow connected. The further into the Nightscape I flew, the farther my senses expanded, and the faster I traveled.
The nearest stars were quite close with my incredible boost of speed. I Heard their interiors in detail: a grass hut, a white-bricked house, a grand palace, and other, stranger locations. A few wingbeats propelled me from one star to another in the endless throng. I’d expected my friends’ Inner Worlds to be nearby, but I didn’t recognize any of these.
Finding the T.O. this way would be impossible.
I approached one of the stars and sensed its Threshold, a barrier of sorts. If I crossed it and entered, I knew, my power would diminish for any mischief I might cause—this was the protection I’d forsaken by leaving my Mindscape. Perhaps an especially powerful and determined Nightwalker could overcome such resistance.
Moving on, I glided deeper into the Nightscape. My sense of Hearing magnified beyond the ordinary bounds of possibility, supercharged in this realm, separating into three distinct layers.
The outer layer was my Far hearing, which sensed the presence of vast and incomprehensibly distant entities. This indistinct sense told me much about the Nightscape’s oldest and strongest denizens.
Beyond galaxies of stars, beyond a journey that might take me months or years or millennia, lay an infinite castle of darkness. The fortress of void worked its architecture of towers and gates and dungeons into the constellations of millions of stars. There, my instincts said, the masters of this place resided.
Equal and opposite this dark castle was another made of light. An island of day shining with the intensity of a supernova stood in the very depths of night, its colorless not-white light refusing to illuminate anything outside its borders.
Meanwhile, I Heard in every direction thousands of titanic beings of all shapes marauding through the stars. The very stuff of nightmares hunting victims in their dreams.
The middle layer was my Vague hearing, identifying threats before they noticed me. It made me feel safe with no blind spots and gave me ample time to retreat. This extension of my Auditions presented nearby entities as clouds of influence and possibility. I perceived them as shifting silhouettes of awareness, their size and shape dictated by their type and range of senses.
For a definitely random and not at all pertinent example… someone sight-based might have a cone of attention projecting in front of them as they moved.
The inner layer was my detailed, Vivid hearing, an extension of my sonography. It had the ultrasonic clarity I expected from my waking body but with extended reach. With it, I could peruse the stars immediately before me and inspect those floating islands for exciting details.
That’s mostly what I did, at first. I had no idea where to go or what to do here. I felt safe with no pressure of time, though the task of visiting each star in search of something I recognized felt daunting.
Then I met you.