Cassandra Pendragon

“Impressive,” I mumbled, my eyes glued to the syringe. “How does it work?”

“If you want to know the spells and theory behind the artefact, I can’t help you. As for how to use it: you see the small wheel on the side? It has three settings. The etched triangle and circle indicate extraction from either the father or mother and the third, plain, one injects the essence into a carrier. It’s actually surprisingly simple for what it does.”

“You don’t say… can it be used on every species?”

“You mean sentients, don’t you? In theory, I think so. There shouldn’t be much of a difference, but I haven’t tried. I imagine the presence of magic might interfere with the enchantments, though.”

“The silver lining… still, you haven’t answered my question. You’ve never tried to find out who your mysterious benefactor is?” He shrugged.

“Of course I have. Just until I’ve been warned off, vehemently. But I could hazard a guess. A profound one. Have you heard of Captain Blackthorne? He’s one of the two leaders we have, who was actually born and raised in Free Land. He was a gladiator, bred to live and die by the whims of others, but he survived.”

“I’ve heard of him, but not more than the usual gossip. What are you getting at?”

“It’s said, he met someone during his time in the fighting pits. An artificer of enough knowledge and power to ensure his survival. Once he had fought his way to freedom, he came back for the man who helped him. Together, they managed to rise to power in a quick and bloody struggle. Now, I’ve never truly put much stock in the word on the street, but it’s hard to discredit rumours you’ve seen proven, right before your eyes. Especially when Blackthorne’s thugs warn you off with a few punches to the gut. There you have it. And now, I’m a dead man walking, should you ever breath a single word of what I’ve told you to another soul.”

“I don’t think I will. In that regard, you’ve got nothing to worry about. But I do wonder… what’s in it for him? Why would he, whether it’s the mage or the Captain, take such in interest in your work?”

“Your guess is as good as mine. Maybe he’s trying to find an alternative to airships? The elves hold a monopoly on flying stones, I can’t imagine that sits well with the local powers. Though, now that I come to think of it… there’s something… they’ve shown quite an interest in extracting the essence of things, already dead. Most of my earlier research was dedicating to harvesting deceased animals. It wasn’t easy, but I found a way.” He paused, when he heard my sharp intake of breath. “It sounds like you might know why. Care to tell me?”

“No, I don’t think I will. You can’t tell what you don’t know and as much as I dislike you, I’m not going to endanger your life carelessly. If I’m going to take it, it’ll be on purpose... I’m sure your ominous benefactor comes by regularly to check on your work. Do you know when he’ll return?”

“I can’t say for sure. Sometimes he comes by twice a week and then, I don’t see him again for over a month. The last time was a few days ago. Incidentally, it was the very same day you…”

“Turned the Mask into stardust and memories?”

“Yes, that. How… I can’t see, so you don’t have to be afraid of me ratting you out. You could tell me who you are, couldn’t you?”

“I probably would have, if you hadn’t been such an ass. I’m not going to tell you my name, though, at least for now, but I can tell you this much: I’m the bringer of light and for good or ill, I’m going to try and illuminate the shadows, you all have been hiding in, for far too long.” I imagined most people would have been laughed out the door, sprouting cheesy nonsense like that, but I had already put the fear of god in him, with just my voice alone and he wasn’t going to question me now.

“You’re either a raving lunatic, who’s going to find a bloody end, sooner rather than later, or you might just be what we need. I… for what it’s worth, I’m sorry, but a young woman, coming into this store with a fabulous tale and gold to throw around… I had to take the chance.”

“And what’s that supposed to mean?”

“You gave me a gold coin, only to look at a book. Do you know how many people around here even possess a single one of those? Not too many, let me tell you. And you just gave it away… I still assume you’ve got a treasure stashed away somewhere and the risk was worth it. I couldn’t have imagined that I would run into one of the few archmages, this town has ever seen.”

“I don’t see how that makes it any better, but I already figured you were a greedy bastard with dubious morals. And that I probably shouldn’t have shown you my money. Oh well, I’m not going to throw you into the ocean, if that’s what you’re worried about, but you’re still an ass.”

“Duly noted. And I am, but only when there’s a reason to be. Most of us try to get by with a modicum of decency, but it’s not easy, in a place like Free Land. I didn’t even commit a crime by blackmailing you, not even if I had tried to take your money by force, at least not by our standards.”

“I know. Which, again, doesn’t make it any better. I dare not imagine what would have happened if I hadn’t been who I am. Tell me honestly, what would you have made me do?”

“If you had been dead set on keeping everything a secret? Robbed you blind. I wouldn’t have touched you, though, if that’s what you were getting at.”

“Oh my, what a relief,” I replied dryly. “Now, then, I’m going to…”

“Cassy? Are you in here?” Ahri’s voice reached me, muffled by the floor. So much for keeping my name a secret.

“Up here,” I called back. “Just follow the stairs, the door is open.” While her light steps slowly came closer, I turned back to Zuma, but my concentration was focused elsewhere. My bracelet was still with the barmaids and since they were sleeping soundly, without anyone in sight, I summoned it again: “I’m gong to leave you with an artefact of my own to keep an eye on your shop. I’ll be back when the mage returns. The almanac stays with me, though. Seems like a fair price for your attitude.”

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

My host wasn’t amused at the prospect, but he held his tongue. One of few wise decisions he had made today. Quicker than I had expected, I heard the faint jingling of metallic wings and just when Ahri pushed open the door, Reia hot on her tails, did the small gizmo flutter in, through the open window.

“There you are,” my fiancée greeted me. “What have you been up to? We’ve been waiting…” she sounded a little reproachful, even though I couldn’t have been gone for more than 20 minutes.

“Oh, you know, I’ve been blackmailed, exchanged a couple of threats with my new friend over there and stumbled across another plot, probably aimed at Alassara and her family. The usual. What about you? Did you find anything interesting in the smithy?” Her eyes were darting from me to Zuma and back again, her tails quivering agitatedly. She hesitated, but decided to let it go, trusting I’d tell her if it truly was important. When Reia opened her mouth, she stepped on her foot to silence her.

“A few things, but nothing worth buying. I had to drag this little rascal away from the weapon racks by her ears, though.”

“You said I should learn to use a weapon,” Reia piped up, “and the ones there were really pretty…”

“And utterly useless,” Ahri replied exasperatedly. “I also told you, we would get you what you need, but you still decided to throw a tantrum when I wouldn’t let you buy a silver sabre. It would’ve bent and become dented with the first swing.”

“I didn’t throw a tantrum! I merely… argued my point. And some of your weapons are made from silver, as well!”

“Again, they aren’t. The blades are coated in silver but…”

“As cute as it is to watch you bond,” I interrupted, “this is hardly the time, nor the place. I’m done here, anyways,” I continued distractedly, while I manoeuvred my bracelet down the stairs and into a dark corner. “Except… Zuma, I want my money back.”

“Ah… sure, here.” He tossed the coin in my direction, a pretty remarkable feat for a blind man, even though he nearly missed. “It’s been a pleasure doing business with you, Cassy,” he added after a moment, emphasising my name.

“Cassandra,” I corrected him. “Only my friends get to call me Cassy and you sure aren’t one of them. Should you try to find out who I am, I’ll be back much sooner than planned and you won’t get away with a few punches to the gut. Make no mistake, I will hear about it. Unlike yourself, I don’t scare away everyone I meet and I’ve already found a few friends around here.”

“And I here I was, thinking we had left the threats behind us. Very well, I’ll keep quiet and out of your business. I assume, I’ll still see you far sooner than I’d like. Until then.”

“Come on, girls,” I said cheerfully and headed towards the door. “Let’s leave this place and then you can tell me all about the items that caught your fancy. Who knows, maybe I can find something that’s useful and sturdy enough to earn Ahri’s approval, yet pretty enough for my little sister’s acquired taste. I’ve been toying with the idea of showing you, what we took from Viyara’s home for a while, now, and this is as good a time as any.”

“Seriously,” the little vixen squealed, her suspicions already assuaged as she skipped down the steps after me. Just before I entered the sales room again, I heard Ahri’s voice quietly float down the stairs:

“I don’t know what you’ve been up to, but know this: should you betray her, you’ll answer to me.”

She wasn’t holding back. Even several metres away, my fur bristled from the amount of power, she had put behind her words. I could just about imagine the colourful assortment of expressions, Zuma’s face was cycling through again. It’d take a miracle, for him to breath a single word of what had happened here today to anyone and judging from the dull thud, that reached my ears when Ahri joined us, he had finally taken the chance to react appropriately and fall unconscious. It truly had been a long and bad day for him and it wasn’t even noon, yet.

Out in the street, I blinked in the glaring mid morning sun, the sky a perfectly blue blanket. A few, tiny feather clouds, dashing along, far above our heads, their form blurry and unstable, were the only sign, that up high, the first winds of an incoming storm were raging furiously. They didn’t reach us, yet. We still had time, but I couldn’t say how much. A day, maybe?

“So, what happened at the smithy,” I asked over my shoulder, while I scanned the growing crowd for a shock of long, golden hair. Viyara was getting closer and I expected to see her any minute.

“Your sister adamantly wants to buy a weapon that’s pretty but utterly useless and the vendors, of course, see it as a chance to get rid off their non-sellers… ceremonial swords and some such,” Ahri complained. “The next time, you can try and explain to her that there’s a reason why weapons aren’t made of precious metals.”

“The best ones are,” Reia chimed in stubbornly. “Silver is easier to enchant and with the right spells, the softness of the metal won’t matter.”

“It’s not easy to create lasting enchantments, most decay quickly enough, over a day or two,” I explained. “Runes are another matter, but you don’t know any, do you? Ahri might be able to help you out, but as far as I know, it takes a while before you can implement something as complicated as you’re imagining.”

“But I’m surrounded by mages! Don’t tell me, none of you could… what about the dwarfs, Erya, the elves? One of them has to be capable enough.”

Shrugging, I smiled at Reia, while I performed the mental gymnastics, necessary to access my stamp. My awareness shifted and the inside of the space overlaid reality for a moment. I wasn’t yet good enough to simply focus on an item and make it appear, I still had to visualise the whole interior. A moment later, the ornamented fans and the returning dagger materialised in my hands. The kid already knew the trick, but her eyes still lit up. Come to think of it, it might also have been the softly glowing metals and the shimmering gems, though. She appeared to be quite partial to them.

“Here, what about those? Enchanted, pretty and yet practical enough, that I’m sure Ahri won’t mind you using them.”

“I… what are they, even,” the vixen reverently mumble, her slender fingers clasped around the closed fans, their precious adornments glittering under the sun. The dagger wasn’t spared a second glance.

“Battle fans. Let me show you.” I carefully grasped her wrist and made her flick the delicate metal sheets open. “Closed, it’s a sturdy short sword, opened, it can be used as a shield, a discus or a blade. I’ve never seen one in use, though. The fighting style is probably immensely difficult to learn.”

“I could teach you the movements,” Ahri said slowly, studying the unfolded weapons.

“I didn’t know you could use fans, when did you learn that,” I asked, intrigued, but she shook her head.

“I didn’t, but I’ve wielded so many different weapons, by now, I just know what works and what doesn’t. These, for example. I can already tell you, you won’t be able to use them the way you think. When they’re opened, you don’t have enough leverage to actually parry a blow from a sword, never mind an axe. I imagine you’ll have to work with distractions, always attacking, always moving. Weave around your opponent, open and close them, time and again, until he either expects a jab with a dagger and you cut him open or he defends against a thrust and you slice him up. You’re right, though. The fans are going to be devilishly difficult to use properly.”

“But you can teach me,” Reia begged hopefully, her eyes bright. The girl was enamoured, her fingers tracing the gilded engravings.

“I can try,” Ahri sighed, “but it’s not going to meet your expectations. You’ll have to become stronger and faster, first, then I can start showing you some techniques. We’re supposed to practice in the mornings, anyways, that is, unless Cassy manages to drag us into another chaotic mess before sunrise. You’ll want to join us, if you’re still dead set on coming along. We’ll work on your footwork and transformations, first. Let’s see how far you can get in five days.”

“We’ll start tomorrow,” I added. “Which reminds me, Reia, where’s the seed I gave you?”

“I’ve got it here, I never leave it behind. Do you want it back?”

“No, you can hold on to it, but remember to keep it safe. It’s all we’ve got left of our home.”