Ahri Arete

The world she had created was surprisingly beautiful. A lush, shadowy forest, with tall, moss bearded oaks, lindens, pines and spruces, growing from heavy, dark, verdant earth. Small creeks and emerald ponds were covered with water lilies and lotus plants, colourful dragonflies buzzing around the blossoms. Patches of ivy, bluebells and forget me nots added their sweet scent to the darker, musky fragrances of the towering trees and a warm wind ruffled through low hanging, thick lianas, producing a sound, almost like wind chimes. They weren’t real, of course, but rather memories from Shassa’s past, given form and life through her will alone.

I had arrived in the middle of a meadow, cornflowers, poppies, buttercups and wild roses turning the vibrant place into a carpet of reds, yellows and blues. Bees and butterflies danced between the stems, avoiding brown and white rabbits, who enjoyed nibbling away at clovers, while shy, larger animals, hid in the surrounding shadows. I could still see them, though, their outlines glowing a faint crimson in my vision. Predators and prey, deer and wolves, large eagles and hedgehogs, eyed the new arrival suspiciously, unsure what to make of the intruder. If it hadn’t been for my connection to Cassy and the dull, ever growing pain I felt within her, I would have liked to stay for a while. As it was, the contrast between where I was and why I was here, only served to intensify my nausea.

“I’ll be damned,” I whispered, turning around on the spot. “That’s not…”

“What you expected,” an alien, cold voice sounded from my right. Under the tree line, a tall, pale woman had appeared, her pitch black eyes focused on me with a disturbing intensity. “And you’re not whom I expected,” she continued, displaying a mouth full of needle like teeth. “You cauterised my wounds, didn’t you?” I smiled at her radiantly.

“I also pushed the stake through your body and gouged out a few of your eyes, but who is counting? I was understandably distressed. You almost killed my wife. You don’t seem worse for wear, though. How’s death treating you?” She shrugged and came closer, the outlines of her body blurring.

“Better than life ever did. Except… memories make for poor sustenance and I’m hungry… always hungry.” She had grown, her torso had become bloated and eight spindly legs had pushed through her skin, until she resembled the spider I loathed so much. “Are you here to feed me?”

She had gotten close, almost close enough to touch me, but I wasn’t intimidated. This wasn’t real and as much as she wished to hurt me, she couldn’t. “No… I’m here to ask for a favour.”

“That’s rich,” she chuckled, her pincers producing an eerie, grating sound. “I’m afraid, I’ll have to decline. But you’re very welcome to stay a while. For dinner, perhaps?”

Quick like lightning, she whirled around and rose on her hind legs, towering over me like a nightmare become flesh. Poison dripped from her frothing maw and a sickly sweet smell drowned out the scents of the forest. I clicked my tongue and manifested my wings, their eternal flames as hot and scorching in here, as they were in the real world. “Wrong answer,” I whispered and shot forward, my whole body ablaze with crimson fire.

The spider didn’t move, expecting me to be as powerless as she was. It was impossible to hurt a memory, after all. When my wings connected with her legs, crimson sparks ignited on her skin and an acrid cloud of burned chitin welled up. Screeching, she tried to keep her balance, but with two of her appendages missing, she couldn’t. I savoured her panic, the flailing of her limbs and the convulsive twitches of her eyes, as she fell to the ground, a prone form in front of me, just as she had been, the last time around. I raised my hand and brushed away a single drop of greenish blood, the only bit of her essence, I had spilled, before my fires had closed the wounds.

Grinning indulgently, I sashayed over to her head and crouched at her side, my wings crackling behind me with the promise of mutilation and pain. “Look, Shassa, I’m not Cassandra and I don’t have time for your games. I’m an angel, a transcendent force, so much stronger than you, that I can even torture you in a world of your own making. Test my patience and you’ll suffer. Deny me and you’ll suffer. The quicker you learn, the less painful this is going to become. Strain my patience too much and I’m going to take what I need and burn whatever is left of you to ash. There won’t be another cycle, you won’t be reborn. You’ve already lost your body and if you aren’t careful, I’ll make sure your soul and your mind follow suite.” Her eyes were wide, quivering in their sockets, but she didn’t try to get away from me, instead she stared at me almost curiously and with a grudging respect, I hadn’t expected. “I need a favour,” I repeated quietly.

“It’d be my pleasure,” she answered, while her form shifted again. The woman wasn’t maimed, but deep, burned gashes ran over her chest and along her arms. “What do you need?”

Howling winds raged through the forest, leafs and branches withering at their touch. The animals dropped dead where they stood, their bodies decaying within seconds. Clear, green waters turned murky and rancid, the flowers within wilted and the insects vanished. The earth trembled, uprooting the trees, while patches of black, unforgiving obsidian appeared. Walls rose around us and with a mighty thunderclap, the blue, open sky disappeared behind hard rock. We were in the very same cave, she had been held prisoner. She had even recreated the foul statue, she had used to torture Cassy. Unimpressed, I cocked an eyebrow and turned to her.

“Theatrics won’t make it any easier…” I was interrupted, when I felt a faint tug at my consciousness, Cassandra’s voice a quiet whisper in the depths of my mind:

“When she does something impressive, she’s probably trying to distract you. Don’t drop your guard. She shouldn’t be able to harm you, but better safe than sorry.” When she had invoked our connection, I had experienced an echo of her pain an empty, dreadfully cold sensation, that was creeping through her veins, like the roots of a poisonous plant. I bit my lip and tried to shove the rising surge of pity and fear away. Her own worries were bad enough, she didn’t have to carry mine, as well.

“Thanks for the heads up, darling. But could you not interrupt, when I’m trying to intimidate an ancient spider? It lessens the effect somewhat, if I go cross eyed, in the middle of a sentence.”

“Sorry. I’ll stay quiet. Just… don’t let her fool you.”

“I won’t. Now, shush.” I rolled my eyes and focused back on the spider turned woman, who was by now lasciviously lolling around on the pedestal, she had been staked to, for so many years.

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“Was that her,” she asked. “Little Cassy? I do miss her. How is the feathered bundle of joy doing? Don’t tell me she’s in trouble. Is that why you’re here?” I was contemplating, how much I was going to share, but again, the angel on my shoulder couldn’t keep quiet.

“I’d tell her the truth. There’s no point in making her guess. It’ll only come back to bite us in the tails, later on.”

“Right, because trusting her turned out fabulously, didn’t it? Honestly, I know what I’m doing.”

“Fine… it’s just. I’ll shut up.” She tried to hide it, but she was giddy with hope and not a small amount of fear, her thoughts in as much turmoil as I had ever seen before.

“It is,” I said out loud. “She’s hurt and I suspect you can help her.”

“And you can’t? Must be serious.” She chuckled cruelly. “Now, that’s interesting. You, of all people, wouldn’t be, if there was another way. Which means I hold her life in my claws… again. I guess that makes most of your little speech from before rather pointless, don’t you agree? Of course, I can’t refuse you, since I’d lose my value, but a few, minor demands in return don’t seem unreasonable. As long as you can fulfil them, I’m sure you’re going to oblige. Wouldn’t want to risk her pretty neck, would you?” I ground my teeth, but I had expected as much. The carrot and the stick. I wouldn’t get her to play along without some sort of payment. At least she had understood that I wouldn’t take no for an answer.

“And what do you have in mind? A body? A few sacrifices,” I asked ironically.

“Oh no, nothing as sinister or taxing. A visit, from time to time… and some sort of source, I can use to create something real in here. It doesn’t have to be a soul, either, but a rechargeable mana crystal would be much more suitable than a mundane gem. Fill it with power, every once in a while, and we’re golden. Nothing terrible, right?” It really didn’t seem like much, but allowing an old, spiteful and evil sorceress access to magic didn’t strike me as a good idea.

“What do you think,” I asked telepathically.

“She’s not entirely cut off, anyways. Her soul is right there, with you, remember? I think, since she doesn’t have a body anymore, nor a life, she would have to consume it, use it like fuel, to cast spells. But in theory, she could. Granting her something less powerful but also less costly doesn’t seem too bad… which usually means it is, but I don’t see it.”

“And what about the visits? I suspect, she didn’t mean me, but you.”

“Ask her, but for me, it’s fine, either way. I’d have tried to talk to her soon, anyways.” I relayed the question. Shassa nimbly hopped off the pedestal and sashayed towards me, proudly displaying the burn marks I had inflicted on her. A small, confident smile tugged on the corners of her mouth, when she realised, where I was staring.

“What? No threats, warnings or something similar? I’m almost disappointed. Your darling must be in a royal pickle. As for the visits… you seem like fun, too. Either of you would be fine. Or the dragoness, but I imagine, you’re not going to allow her near me, without supervision. If I was to never see a dwarf again, though, it would still be too soon. They’re creepy.” If I told Xorlosh, what she had said, he would be celebrating for days to come.

“Fine. But since you want something in return, it seems only fair to include a punishment, should you fail. She’s dying, Shassa, and if her life ends, so will your existence. I promise you that.”

Another binding vow, another oath to keep, but I meant every word. Should she die… no, she wasn’t going to. I was going to make sure of it.

Shassa nodded. She had come close enough again, that I could feel her presence, like a heavy, poisoned blanket, gradually wrapping itself around me. A final step brought her to my side and her breath brushed against my cheek, when she whispered:

“Can’t say, I’m surprised. Tell me what the vixen has done now, and I might agree to your terms.”

It was now or never. “She’s done nothing. Your dear friend and protégée has cursed her, using the soul of someone else. She… her soul is dying.”

“Oh my, it really is serious, but I don’t quite see, how I should be able to help. If she was just another, regular person, maybe. As it is, I don’t think I can even observe what’s happening to her, never mind curing her. I imagine, you’ve an idea, otherwise, you wouldn’t be here. So, tell me about that crazy scheme of yours. How improbable is it?”

“We don’t know… she can be summoned, just like a spirit and I can use her powers, without spontaneously combusting. If I was to let you in, you should be able to work your magic through me and consequentially, through her.” She clicked her tongue pensively.

“That might actually work. Might. Provided I can figure out what’s happening to her and find a way to unravel the curse… on the bright side, you won’t have to kill me, if I fail. We’ll both be dead, anyways and so will she. Interesting… I believe that’s what gamblers call all or nothing. You better make it a big gem, enormous, even. And I expect a visit every other day.” I blinked in surprise.

“Just like that?” She smiled softly.

“Just like that. What happened between us… it’s nothing personal. I like you, the both of you, and I want to see, where you might be headed in the future. Don’t take it the wrong way, I’ll still tie you to a statue and squeeze you dry, given the chance, but I’d feel slightly bad for a few minutes. Besides… I’m starting to get bored. Memories can’t surprise you and this, my dear, is definitely something new, so I’m in. The question is, are you really prepared to allow me inside… yourself? You’ve probably been told, that you’ll be safe. Let me disabuse of the notion. Once there, I can kill you faster than you can expel me. Are you still willing to go through with it?”

“Of c…” I was cut short by Cassandra’s mental screams:

“Absolutely not! Are you insane? She’ll…”

“What? Kill me? Don’t be stupid. As soon as I’m gone, she’ll have to withstand your powers, without me. She’d burn in an instant. Do you honestly think, she’s suicidal? That she’d throw her life away, out of pure spite?”

“I do,” she rumbled, but was forced to admit: “but not to kill either of us. To thwart Amon, sure, but her best bet to screw with him is helping us. I still don’t want…”

“We’re far beyond the point, where want matters. You’re hurt, Cassy, you’re dying. Get your head out of your arse. It’s my decision, anyways, and I’ll gladly risk my life to protect yours.”

“Great, just fucking great. How’s that supposed to make me feel?”

“As if it matters. You can bitch all you want, once you’re healthy. Until then, let me do what is necessary. I can’t remember a single instance, when you considered anyone’s feeling, you always did, what you thought had to be done. Now it’s my turn and so help me, you won’t interfere. Am I clear?” Her thoughts raced and her emotions flashed from gratitude to guilt to anger and back again but she didn’t contradict me. She’d make me pay, later, but if we got to that point, it would have been worth it, a million times over.

“I am,” I told the spider, who watched me curiously, her fangs dripping poisonous saliva.

“Fantastic,” she purred, the sound so very strange, coming from her nightmarish maw. “I expected as much, but I wasn’t sure. Well then, I guess it’s time for you to prepare a ritual and for me, to make sure my skills are still up to snuff. Call me, when you’re ready. Oh, one more thing. Prepare the gem, we’ve talked about, beforehand. I’m not going to return to this place. Should we survive, I want what I was promised. Until then, farewell, little angel. And the best of luck.”

I nodded and willed the world of memories around me to dissolve, until I was back in the underground room. I had expected a tirade to greet me, but Cassandra was only staring, mirth reflected in her silver eyes.

“What’s so funny,” I demanded to know, still slightly miffed at her continuous interruptions.

“Oh… nothing much, but… when you used your powers in there… look down, darling. You really are beautiful.” Irritated, I did and immediately felt grateful I had insisted on being alone with her. My fires had burned away my clothes and I was standing before her, stark naked. When I raised my head again, her eyes were sparkling mischievously, as she forced herself to her feet.

“We still have some time,” she said, while she seductively glided towards me, her tails caressingly wrapping around my waist.

“Are you really up to this,” I whispered against her lips, when our kiss broke. She only smiled.