Cassandra Pendragon

One more conversation. One more exhausting conversation and then I’d be on my way. That and…

A light weight landed on my shoulder and the sharp, gleaming beak of a huge raven clicked ominously close to my ear. “Do you have a moment,” the Broken Wheel inquired.

“A moment is about all I have. Why?” His silky feathers caressed my cheek when he rearranged his wings.

“Two things, actually. One, I’ve been out and about and have stumbled across a few things that might be of interest. Whom do I tell them to? Your brother? The silvery snake you brought along? Your grandmother? Two… I’ve met your friend, Kana. What, in Gaya’s name, have you done?” I stiffened immediately.

“Excuse me?”

“You don’t even know? Figures. Fine then, I guess that’s what we have to deal with first but you have to tell me what happened.”

“Why? Is she in any danger?”

“No, nothing of the sort, but she’s… broken, literally. I don’t mean her psyche, her being has been split apart. I can’t even begin to fathom how something like that can happen but…” he cawed indignantly when I jerked to a halt. He kept his balance with a few wingbeats, his claws tearing into my shoulder but I didn’t feel it. Silvery light reflected off his pitch black feathers when I focused on him, my body stiff like a board.

“Tell me, tell me now. What have you seen?” The raven eyed me coyly, trying to gauge if I’d take my anger out on him. We stared at each other for a few heartbeats before he gave in:

“It might be easier to show you. I’m sure you can see what I mean. She’s over there… talking to Brianna. Pete’s friend, the one you cured. I’m sure you remember her, you stumbled across her statue in that cellar, didn’t you? Well, I think I know why her statue has been there, I just can’t come up with an explanation. Once you see them side by side, you’ll know what I mean.”

“Marvellous,” I hissed while I was already walking in the direction the raven had indicated. “Any more cryptic, ominous nonsense you want to share before we get there?”

“It’s not nonsense and I’m sorry that I can’t be more explicit, but… you’ll see. There they are. Would you mind if I stayed here?”

“On my shoulder? Can’t remember you asking when you settled in.”

“I might have forgotten whom I’m dealing with, for a tiny moment.”

“I don’t mind, as long as you don’t pinch me… more than you already have, that is.” He didn’t reply but I felt his weight shift as he made himself and me more comfortable.

We were nearing one of the smaller cherry trees, scattered around Greta’s wooden body. Underneath the canopy sprinkled with pink, budding blossoms, sausages and bread, candy and apples were roasting over a merrily burning fire, the ensuing smells enough to make my mouth water. Pete and his ragtag band of adopted strays had somehow gotten their hands on a barrel of mead and decided to invite everybody they knew to share in the spoils of their endeavour. Even the young ones were sipping from horns or cups, depending on what had been available, even though I was convinced they had only received a watered down version of the amber liquid. At least I hoped so, but since none were staring at the blue sky, cross eyed, it couldn’t have been too bad.

Aside from Pete, Kana and the lively kids I had already met once before, I didn’t recognise a single face, which didn’t bode well for the future. Ever since my heart to heart with Liz and her friends I had been brooding. Ahri had managed to cheer me up a little, simply by being there for me, but the Broken Wheel had tossed me straight back into fruitless meanderings about right and wrong, duty and privilege. Not the most healthy disposition when I was about to be surrounded by people who would either stare at me, wide eyed and drooling, or outright recoil when they realised who I was.

Up until now no one had seen me approach, enraptured as they were by the story Kana was telling them. She stood in front of the fire, gesticulating wildly to emphasise her words, her silhouette wreathed in dancing flames. She had her eyes closed, as if she was reliving every single scene she so passionately recounted, Brianna, Vi, Amos and Jimmy huddled together at her feet, unwilling to miss even a single word. Quietly I walked closer and channeled a trickle of energy towards my ears until I could understand her. A second later I was beginning to blush furiously, the story she told one of my own exploits. She had changed my name, even my race, but still…

“It’s not often that gods go to war, but when they do they don’t fight for cities or islands, continents or even worlds… no, power, the kind of power we know, matters very little to them. When they do battle, they do it for the most unbelievable, for the most minuscule things. For a single person, to repay a kind gesture or to avenge a slight. Moments all of us know but forget a second later are the tipping points when suddenly everything changes.

Where I come from the elders still tell one such story. A story where the heavens burned and the earth bled because of a present, because a young, scrawny girl decided to share her last apple with a stranger in the streets. Because she saw his burdens, saw the weight of aeons in his gaze, and simply wanted to make him smile. Well, she succeeded and her life… was never the same.

On a hot summer day in a city, not unlike Free Land, far from here, the god of… storms decided to take a break, to leave behind the woes of his existence and spend a few hours away from the stifling company of his siblings. He hadn’t planned on meddling, he hadn’t thought to stay for more than a day, at the most, but even his plans availed to naught when life had other ideas.

He had changed his appearance to look like a regular human, garbed in the robes of one cloister or the other, and settled down near a fountain, the soft music of splashing water a calming song that reminded him of the voice of a lost friend.” Naeina. Naeina had been her name. She had been a nymph, a water nymph, who had died when her river had been poisoned. I had been too late… the story of my life, and run to another planet to simply… mourn her. Her and the innocents that had perished in the fires I had unleashed, when I had seen her body. Another part of my life. Wrath and regret had always been tied together but, at least in that regard, I was doing much better already, even though it had cost me a steep price in blood and tears to get there.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

“He closed his eyes and listened, a single tear, glowing like molten silver, running down his cheek, when a small, fragile hand touched his knee. He opened his eyes and blinked in amazement as he stared down into a radiant smile, proudly revealing a tooth gap, the size of a small mountain.

“You look lonely,” the girl stated. “Here, maybe that’ll make it better.” She produced an apple from a threadbare bag and offered it to him. “It’s my last one, they always taste the sweetest.”

Mechanically he reached for the bright red fruit but when the smooth skin touched his fingers he hesitated. “Why,” was all he said.

“Don’t you want it? My ma always said a shared meal can overcome everything.” A shadow of his power stirred behind his eyes and the little girl took a step back, the realisation that she might just have stumbled across someone dangerous slowly dawning on her. Before she could do more than blink though, he had snapped the fruit in two and offered half of it back to her.

“Then share we will. Why don’t you sit down with me for a minute?”

“I… do you really want me to, milord?” A pinched smile formed on his face.

“There’s no need to call me milord. I’m… Samael. Of course I do, you remind me of someone I just thought about. She had your smile and was as prepared to share with a stranger as you are.” Hesitantly the girl settled down close by and began nibbling shyly on the fruit while the god watched her thoughtfully. “Why are you even here,” he suddenly asked. “It’s not yet dark but shouldn’t you be on your way home?”

“No one’s waiting for me,” she replied timidly. “I’ve never met my father and ma… she died last year. Rot fever, they called it.”

“I see. You shouldn’t share that much. It’s dangerous to trust someone you’ve only just met.” She shrugged.

“I know. I’m six, already. I don’t think you mean me any harm, though, otherwise I wouldn’t have stopped.”

“And how would you know?”

“Bad people don’t become sad like you are. I saw it in your eyes. You’re like me. You’re… hurting.” He sighed and finally bit into the fruit, its sweet, fresh taste a welcome contrast to his grey emotions.

“Maybe I am. But I’ll get better. So will you. We always do, don’t we?”

“I hope… it’s just hard. How do you do it?”

“Pucker my butt cheeks and wait until I don’t feel like screaming anymore?” She chuckled embarrassedly.

“You’re not supposed to talk like that around a young girl.”

“Ah well, if you’ve got the balls to approach me, I’m sure you can deal with some rough language and I don’t feel like coating my words.” His eyes lit up with a hint of silver when an idea suddenly struck him. With a flourish he got to his feet, an echo of his true nature shimmering through the flimsy disguise he had donned. “Or would you prefer to be treated like an esteemed lady, befitting of your noble character? If that’s the case, milady, please forgive this poor fool for the seeming lack of respect. It’d be my honour if you allowed me to take you out for the night and regain your favour.” He bowed from the waist, took her hand and breathed a kiss against her skin. “Would you like to see the world through the eyes of a princess?”

“You can do that,” she stammered, his sudden change had left her breathless.

“That and more, if you want me to.” Now it was on her to ask:

“Why?”

“Because I think you deserve it? Because you offered to share what little you have and that shouldn’t go unrewarded?”

“But… tomorrow…”

“Will come. Don’t think about it.” He gently pulled her to her feet, his mask cracking even further as a gentle smile illumined his features. “And should you come to enjoy what I have got to show you, we can still talk about it… tomorrow.”

“Won’t you be gone by then?”

“Only if you want me to. So, what do you say? Shall we leave this place and forget our troubles for a single night? I can’t promise that the meals will be as exquisite as your apple, but complaining to the waiters is half the fun, isn’t it?” Still trying to come to terms with his offer she nodded shyly. “Well then, first…” he snapped his fingers and a wave of light enveloped her. When it receded she was garbed in the most precious dress she had ever seen. Admiration and a tinge of fear tugged on her heart when she quickly spun around, afraid the glaring display had attracted the attention of the onlookers, but they seemed… stuck, like ants in amber. “They can’t see us,” Samael explained. “Tonight isn’t about them, it’s about you.” He swallowed the last bite of his apple and straightened, the final layers of his disguise evaporating. “And maybe about me. Let’s see if two old souls can still have a bit of fun, shall we?” When she took his hand again it felt different, colder, and she wasn’t even scared when her world vanished into a whirlwind of colours. The next thing she knew she stood atop a tower, high enough to tickle the clouds, the fertile lands of her home sprawling away to the horizon all around her.

“You’ve never been here, but it’s your capital, a few weeks travel away.” His voice almost didn’t reach her, enraptured as she was with the view. “One of the royals is out of town, Princess Yasmine, and for tonight, you’re her.”

“But… but I…” she mumbled.

“Leave it all to me. Being a mysterious stranger comes with its perks. One more thing before we head down and look for an appropriate carriage that can hold up to Your Highness’ standards: whatever you do, don’t leave my sight. Is that clear?”

“Crystal,” she replied, a widening smile on her face as the truth slowly sank in. “I don’t even know where we are.”

“Then it’s about time you found out. Come along. There’s a whole city I want to show you and we only have a few hours.” A soft tug on his hand made him stop and raise an eyebrow questioningly.

“What if I don’t want to go back on the morrow,” she whispered.

“Then you won’t. But we’ll have to come up with another name since the real princess won’t be gone forever. Might be a bit embarrassing if the both of you were to meet in the streets.” And just like that the first day of a new life had begun for a little girl who only wanted to share an apple with a stranger.

It wasn’t all peaceful, though. Luck inspires envy, envy engenders spite. Our little girl was forced to fight for what she wanted, many a time. She did it on her own, most of the time, for only the things we bleed for ourselves are worth a damn, but whenever her strength seemed to run out there was a storm brewing on the horizon and in its wake her dreams could flourish. An unlikely friendship grew, a friendship that spanned years, decades, centuries, a friendship that saw societies crumble and kings die, that endured wars and strife, a friendship that overcame betrayal and anger, envy and spite. He even marked her, granting her the ability to weather the storms of time, to challenge every foe the world could throw in her way.” Kana opened her eyes, a luminous tear running down her cheek as her gaze fell heavily on Brianna, who listened raptly at her feet.

“It was a small thing, hardly any different from a common birthmark, except… it looked like a set of wings, surrounding a broken crown.” Brianna’s eyes widened as she impulsively reached for her shoulder, her fingers twitching nervously. With a gentle smile Kana added for her:

“Yes, if the story is true, it might yet be there, for even if she died long ago, the power of the promises once made to her wouldn’t crumble, even when faced with death. Would you like to meet him again? For I am sure… he’s still out there, looking for his friend, even if she’s wearing a different face by now. Or should I say two?”

“Where is he? What did he look like?” Brianna whispered chokingly. Kana sighed, her bright eyes searching for my gaze.

“Turn around, turn around and you’ll know. Even the tears are still there.”