Cassandra Pendragon

The newcomer was tall and slender, his figure hidden underneath a heavy woollen cloak with the insignia of the rising sun embroidered on the sleeve. A hand-and-a-half sword was strapped to his side and the hilt of a dagger poked through the coils of a broad, wrapped leather belt. When he lowered his hood, burning, ruby red eyes squinted at the sun and his pale complexion was already turning towards the sickly, blistering colour of a sunburn.

Platinum blonde, almost white hair, cut at the shoulders, framed an angular, broad face, dominated by a pointy, overly long nose and elongated canines that were barely visible behind the tight, bloodless line of his lips. An aura of restrained strength surrounded him and when he spoke, his voice seemed distorted as if we were only hearing echos of his words.

“Your actions haven’t exactly endeared you to us, Alassara,” he said, his lips barely parting. “Is it that much of a surprise that I’m hesitant to approach the one I’ve hunted for the better part of the last century?”

“Not by my design, nor my choices. It’s not my fault that my dear, late brother was insistent on pitching each and everyone of his children against me. But I won’t hold the past against you, Silas, only the present. So I’ve got to ask, why are you here? Why are you even still on this island if you’re so afraid of my retribution?” His tongue darted our from behind his lips, almost as if he was tasting the air like a reptile.

“Because I’ve served your brother as an interrogator for the last twenty years and I’ve conducted the questioning of almost every single prisoner we have… had at the estate. As the last remaining master in Free Land, I feel obliged to share my knowledge with you, even if it may cost me my head. That’s why I’m here, to ask you to listen and act, something your brother never deemed necessary.” My curiosity stirred and I was tempted to ask a few questions of my own, but this was hardly the time. Even if he was most likely referring to the spies they had captured, Alassara already knew how much that information meant to me and I couldn’t imagine Silas would answer the questions of a stranger. Not unless I divulged who had killed the captain and I wasn’t convinced that was the best idea I could come up with. Maybe he wouldn’t care or even respect me for it, a show of strength and all that, but I knew much too little about their world to bet on it.

“If you want something from me,” Alassara replied, “speak plainly.” He hissed like a snake in response, his glowing eyes darting in my direction.

“Don’t worry about her. She’s on our side and if she wasn’t, there wouldn’t be much we could do, either way. So why have you come here and where’s your blood twin, Tharos.” He eyed me suspiciously but continued, nevertheless.

“He’s with the other Captains, lobbying for your acceptance, believe it or not. When we felt our sire pass on, he decided to put his influence behind you and sent me to seek you out. Neither of us wants to abandon what we have built over the years and this city is our home. We’re not prepare to see it swallowed by an upstart memory of the past, no matter how powerful or dark it is. So… will you have us?” Alassara scrutinised him and remained silent for longer than I had expected. If I had been in her shoes, I’d have jumped at the opportunity, but then again, I had already proven time and again that I was sometimes too quick with giving my trust.

Her eyes began to shimmer, a red hue breaking through the icy blue and I was convinced the both of them were sharing more than a simple gaze. It was tempting to use my second sight to make sure, but out of courtesy and respect, I refrained. Whatever they were doing wasn’t meant for the eyes of an outsider and I wasn’t going to risk spooking Silas or even turning him against us, or her, more accurately, only to satisfy my curiosity. As difficult as it was.

They appeared rigid and still, almost like living statues, only the menacing, flickering glow in their eyes giving away that something was happening, concealed from the mundane world. After a full minute, Alassara nodded and the intimidating flames petered out. I heard Silas’ sharp intake of breath, an unnecessary gesture but I imagined some habits were hard to break and his obvious relief when he shuffled away from her was more than enough to tell me how much he had feared what she might have done if she hadn’t been satisfied with what she had seen.

“I will,” Alassara said, her voice stately and controlled. “You and all of his children who want to seek refuge with me are more than welcome in my home. But make no mistake, you aren’t mine and you won’t become a part of my family. I value your honesty and I need your help, but I’m not your sire and I never will be. I’ll protect you and I’ll always listen to your council but I can’t… I won’t make you into something you are not. You’ll always be his son. What you make of this legacy is completely up to you, but you won’t share in mine. Can you live with that?”

“Neither of us,” Silas responded, “has any ambitions to stand in line for your throne. We want… well, if we can’t bury our grievances in the days to come, it won’t matter what we actually want.” For the first time since he had appeared, he focused on me, his face an unreadable mask.

“So you’re the enigmatic princess from a different time who has our masters, old and new, tumbling over their feet? Forgive my rudeness, but you look more like a treasure than the warrior guarding it.” I had to laugh at that.

“Oh my, you certainly have a way with words, despite your rough appearance. Which just stands to show, looks can be deceiving. Would you like me to prove that I’m more than capable of protecting what I value?” He raised his hand placatingly.

“That won’t be necessary. I’ve already heard Tharos’ tale and I’m in no rush to meet my maker again. I still hope for some good centuries before I follow him into the eternal night. But I just can’t help my curiosity… from what my twin and the captured spies have told me, I expected a monster, taller than life, with fangs and claws, oozing magic, not beauty incarnate. But than again, beauty and danger are more often than not the same thing. I just thought you’d be… less inviting. Or are you hiding?”

“Most of the time, but I really am what you see before you. Although, it’s not all there is to me and if you were to accept the invitation, you’d soon find out just how much lies beneath the surface.”

“I’ll take your word for it, no need to wake the sleeping dragon, is there? Either way, it’s a pleasure to make your acquaintance. I’m Silas, former lieutenant of the Dawn Fleet and now one of Alassara’s loyal subjects.” He inclined his head and despite his mocking inflection, I could tell that he was actually proud to belong somewhere again, that his offer hadn’t been rejected. Weird, as far as I had come to understand their people, I had always thought blood ties to be the only thing that really mattered, but apparently I had been wrong.

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“Cassandra, Cassandra Pendragon,” I replied with a small, formal bow. “Princess of a destroyed kingdom, loving fiancée and since recently, doting big sister. The pleasure is all mine. Now, Alassara and I were just heading back to where I’m currently staying and if you wanted to, your heartily invited to join us. I’m sure whatever the two of you have to discuss, it’ll be much more pleasant to do so in the comfort of a home.”

“Thank you, I appreciate the offer immensely but I fear I have to decline. However, I’d like to come by tonight and bring Tharos with me, if you didn’t mind.” I exchange a quick glance with Alassara and when she nodded, I replied:

“Sure, you’re always welcome for as long as you keep the peace. I’m looking forward to seeing you again, Silas. And please, give Tharos my best regards when you meet him. Our last encounter was unfortunately neither overly pleasant nor very productive, considering how everything turned out.” He chuckled, a deep, grinding sound that reminded me of the tide crashing against a rocky shore.

“I will and I’m sure he’ll be grateful that you’re still willing to invite him after everything that has happened. Alassara, I’ll do as you asked and hope I’m done by tonight. Good day.” With a smooth gesture, he pulled his hood back over his face and stepped into the shadows. A second later he was gone, only the lingering smell of decay served as a reminder that he had truly been there. Even in broad daylight, he could come and go unnoticed, like a spectre.

I turned to the vampire at my side and cocked an eyebrow: “care to tell me what this was all about?”

“Sure, but you already mentioned that those things are better spoken of in private and comfort. The streets have ears in Free Land and I would rather not risk the wrong people listening in. There’s much to discuss and I imagine you’d also like your friends to know what’s going on. Also, I want to hold my daughter again. If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to hurry back, but to answer some of the questions you have: Silas told me what they got from the spies they had captured and from the looks of it, the Pirate Islands are turning into a force to be reckoned with. Quite soon, they might be strong enough for an all out assault. And once Free Land falls… well, I’m sure you can imagine what might happen. I sent him to Tharos, for now, the most important thing is getting the fleet to return. Otherwise we’re going to lose most of our ships in one fell swoop.”

“But…” I stammered. “Didn’t… didn’t your brother know? He had the information, why didn’t he warn them?” A sad smile spread over her face.

“Simple: power. He thought he’d be able to dethrone the other Captains if they were to lose most of their soldiers and ships. Only a fracture of his fleet is with them and with the rest, he intended to take over the city and once he’d have held the power, it wouldn’t have been too troublesome to purge me and mine.” We were hurrying along the street, barely dodging the other pedestrians.

“But… he would have been swept away afterwards. There’s no way he could have weathered the oncoming storm alone. What had gotten into him?”

“Arrogance. Cassandra… Cassy, we’re old, we’re predators. I don’t think he ever imagined that anyone could pose a threat to him once he had the city in his grasp. Well… current company excluded. I’m guessing, but I don’t think I’ll be too far off the mark if I say that he banked on resurrecting Aurelia with either your or my daughter’s help. That’s probably why he took her when he did. To make sure he could resurrect a warrior strong enough to help him against the looming danger. From what Silas told me, he grabbed her a couple of days after the first spy was caught. If it had worked, he might even have had a decent chance.”

When we entered the next main road and weaved our way through the busy afternoon crowd, on its way to and from the markets, I was starting to recognise some of the buildings around us. In the distance I could already make out what I assumed to be the house we were staying in, but I couldn’t say for sure. I had never before seen the thing from the outside, after all.

“Politics,” I spat. “Why does everyone have to be scrambling for a scrap of power, even if the cost is high enough to outweigh the gain by far?” Alassara hesitated for a moment, searching for the right words.

“I’m not surprised you see it that way, but not all of us have the luxury of knowing that they’re powerful enough to deal with whatever this crazy word throws at them. Every sentient being, from the weakest to the most fearsome has something it wants to protect. Be it its own life or someone they love, sometimes it’s even something as mundane as a treasure or their pride. Ultimately, we all fear loss and pain and we do want we can do prevent experiencing either. For some that means sticking to the shadows or training their whole life. For others, it means gaining power over their peers to ensure their safety. Tell me, are you really that different? What would you not do to guarantee your family’s survival? Or that of your girl? Are there any lines you wouldn’t cross, if she was in danger?” I wanted to reply with a resounding no, but I assumed she was being rhetorical.

“Of course not,” she continued. “Only, for you that means relying on who you are. But… is there anyone you fear?” I didn’t have to think for long.

“Definitely. But I guess what you’re getting at is, if there’s anyone I think I couldn’t best on my own, if there’s anyone from whom I couldn’t save the people I cherish. Truth be told, more than I care to admit. There are over 600 beings out there who could swat me like a fly, at least for now.”

“And how would you intend to deal with them, if you ever were forced into a fight? Ignore their existence? Run at them head first? Or are you going to try and rally some of them to your side when you’ve got the chance? Convince them to support you? I know the example is lacking since you don’t seek power for the sake of it or for your own gains but rather to have a chance to survive, but in essence, it still holds true. You could hide, you could run after all, couldn’t you?”

“I could,” I replied quietly, “but I’m afraid they won’t return the favour. My family… my other family, I’m not exactly sibling of the year when it comes to them.” She nodded slowly.

“I’ve guessed as much. And already you’re forging ties. Your mentor, your fiancée… aren’t you forced into the same political games? Unless you’re the one above all, god almighty, you won’t ever be strong enough to change the world on your own... Incidentally, is there a real god?”

“How should I know? I don’t think it matters overly much. If there is, he’ll be so far removed from anything we can comprehend that I don’t think we’d ever know. Just like an ant doesn’t know it’s living in your garden. But I think I understand. I’m just wondering… don’t you hold a grudge? It sounds almost like you accept or even admire what your brother has done.”

“In a very abstract way. I can’t overlook how much he’s hurt me and I’ll never forgive him for dragging my daughter into our games, but at the end of the day, he played his hand to the best of his ability. He lost because he didn’t know the deck was stacked. If he had won, all of that wouldn’t have mattered. I’d be dead, my daughter probably as well… his atrocities would be nothing more than dust in the wind. I don’t think he would have made for a bad ruler, not at all. I’m not conceited enough to think my own fate or that of my family has any significance for the world or even for this city. Most of the people wouldn’t even have realised if I had been gone.”

“That’s where you’re wrong,” I stated quietly. “We all matter. From the ant in the garden to the immortals, our decisions, our life, it has meaning, it has relevance. Creation is convoluted, infinite and impossible to understand. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the ages, everything matters. We don’t know what awaits us down the line and I don’t think we should, but for the moment… just imagine what would have happened if your brother had truly won. Maybe he would even have managed to unite Free Land under an iron hand, maybe he would even have managed to challenge the menace from across the waves…. but the suffering he would have caused to satisfy his ambitions would have twisted anything he would have built. Not every price should be payed. I’d rather lose the fight for a world I believe in than survive and flourish in one where I don’t recognise myself anymore. Our decisions matter for they shape who we are. That’s why I hate politics so much. Compromises are the death of dreams.”