Cassandra Pendragon
The fire was slowly burning low, the log charred and crumpling. I got to my feet and fanned out my tails, listening to the whispers on the glacier above as the wind sang quietly amongst Gaya's broken bones. "It's time," I stated. "I'll see you in a few minutes but you'll have to take the long way round. If there's anything you want to ask, speak up now," or forever hold your peace I added silently.
"I…," the kitsune began only to end in a helpless shrug. "I'm sure I'm going to regret it in a day at most but I just can't think of anything to say," she finally admitted. "Except…," curiously I leaned closer but when I felt her slender arms circle around my neck and her tails quiver shyly at my side my curiosity turned into a warm, fuzzy feeling I hadn't experienced for quite a while. I had done well, hadn't I? I breathed in deeply, savouring her scent for the first time without the tang of smoke or cooking meat. She smelled like a meadow in spring, not quite as rich as the stronger aromas summer would bring but filled to the brim with vigour and a promise of growth.
"You're very welcome," I whispered as her head came to rest against my chest and her hair tickled my chin. I released my breath and more than just air left me, a shower of silvery blue sparks dancing around her for the fraction of a second before they sank through her skin.
She tensed and asked quietly: "what did you just do?"
"I made sure you're going to be just fine. Whatever or whomever you may encounter. Keep an eye on the slug for me, will you? I don't know what you see in him but I have a considerable interest in his continued existence now."
"And otherwise you wouldn't care," she chuckled as she pushed me away only to hold me at arm's length for a moment longer, her eyes sparkling. I touched my nose and winked.
"Of course not. The dealings of mortals are far beneath me. Haven't you realised?" I unfurled my wings and gently slipped through her grasp like the memory of a shooting star. As the energies of the fissure already latched onto me my gaze traveled to Indigorath who stood close by, his expression unreadable. "The same goes for you," I added. "She's the most precious treasure you're ever going to find. Treat her accordingly. I'll be waiting." Streaks of silver and blue enveloped me as I allowed the forces of creation to finally realign and propel me towards the future but a last, passing remark still reached me across the winds of time:
"I know. Thank you, Cassandra. Thank you, my friend." A warm, genuine smile tugged on the corners of my mouth while the world was swallowed by silvery mist. It was time to go home.
A heartbeat later I felt exquisite velvet underneath me, soft, warm tails around me and the slow, steady breath of a kitsune I had just held in my arms against my skin. "Welcome back," she whispered. "It's good to finally see you again. We've missed you."
When I opened my eyes the scene hadn't changed much except for the smugly grinning slug, leaning against a wall, and the decidedly lack of distance between the three of us. They had been strangers a second ago, but now…
"It's good to be back," I chuckled and gently pushed against Aglaia's shoulders. I wasn't sure how the two of them behaved as a couple but I knew for certain that I wouldn't have enjoyed seeing Ahri hug someone else on our bed. Whether I liked them or not. "How's life been treating you?"
"Better than you," Indigorath replied and slithered closer. "We've followed your exploits as well as we could…I'm sorry. I can hardly imagine how difficult it must have been. Knowing what would happen without stepping in… you're even stronger than I gave you credit for."
I shrugged morosely. "Or maybe I'm just a coward. Afraid to lose what I have even if it means sacrificing… it doesn't matter. Second guessing has never helped. What's done is done… or at least it should be. Why are you here, anyways? Aren't you afraid my family is going to run rampant on your ship?"
"The ship, as well as anything it contains, is yours," he replied smoothly. "Let's call it a downpayment, if it makes you feel any better. What you shared with us that night… let's just say we haven't been idle and there's much we have to tell you. But before we get into any of it, it might indeed be better if you could reassure your people. They've been antsy ever since you disappeared without any explosions following in your wake. In all honesty, they think you're a wrecking ball." I chuckled quietly and jumped to my feet, feeling better than I had in a while. It wasn't because I had gained an asset, though. I was simply glad that I had been able to protect something worth the trouble. Ahri's thoughts, fluttering through my mind caressingly, might also have played an important part in it. I hadn't been gone for more than two hours but I still had missed her. Damn it, I really needed that girl to a pathetic degree.
"So do I," she whispered as I felt her presence settle in, her warmth slowly spreading through me. "Welcome back." I didn't reply but she knew what I felt and there really was no need for words. Instead I focused back on reality and said out loud:
"I guess that should be the moment for me to feel embarrassed but I really don't. I trust everyone I've brought along explicitly. Why the secrecy?" Indigorath and Aglaia exchanged a troubled look but before I could ask the kitsune explained:
"Your brother. Arthur. We don't trust him." I was already moving across the room, looking for something edible since I hadn't had the chance to try my arctic bird au feu, when I froze mid step, my tails rigid, a knot of worry tightening in my chest. Without turning around I breathed: "why?"
I could practically hear them exchange a meaningful glance before Indigorath picked up the thread: "a few things. Ever since you saved us we've kept an eye on Aglaia's tribe, Boseiju and Arthur's colony. There are… a few things that don't add up. Separately they wouldn't matter but as a whole… do you want to hear the entire story?" I nodded stiffly.
"Well then, it might be best to start at the beginning. How much do you know about what he's done ever since he left?" I turned around slowly, my mind surprisingly empty except for a growing thorn of fear I felt burrowing into my thoughts. Please, no…
"Not much… nothing to be honest," I answered hesitantly.
"We thought so," he continued. "Then I'll simply tell you what we know. You can draw your own conclusions. When he set sail he took a decent number of soldiers, friends and nobles with him. Of course they didn't always see eye to eye but in the beginning the shared vision of a new home was more than enough to keep them united. Only into their second year did something change. I…," he helplessly caught Aglaia's gaze and she willingly stepped in:
"Quite a few of his subjects were unsatisfied with Arthur's stance on who they were, what they were trying to build. In their minds their new home should rival Boseiju, becoming the central kingdom of the kitsune. Your brother… as far as we know he didn't disagree with them in council but one by one the dissidents… vanished." I frowned.
"That's it," I growled. "You're accusing my family of…," before I could even hear the anger thrumming in my voice, feel my rising temper, the kitsune raised her hand placatingly.
"I know. But we already told you. It's not a single occurrence but rather several. Can you put the reins on your ire for a few more moments?" Another clipped nod was all I managed. She granted me a pinched smile and continued: "good. I'm sure you know as well as us that those incidents most likely weren't accidents. One? Fine. But when every single one of your opponents vanishes it's just a bit too much to chuck it up to chance, isn't it? But you're right. We weren't there and there could have been a million and one reasons why they suddenly… disappeared. We thought the same thing, but…," she paused again and eyed me coyly. I only gesticulated impatiently. My mood wouldn't improve through her theatrics.
"Indigorath bribed several of his soldiers. Not to hinder him in any way but we thought that it might be prudent to watch him more closely. At first there wasn't much to gain. We didn't expect to uncover buried bodies or anything of that sort in the first place but there truly was nothing to find. Not even a rumour about those disappearances. Which struck us as odd, to say the least. Especially when we later found out that those weren't the only ones who had vanished without a trace. I don't know if you've heard but they share, or rather shared, their island with a bunch of humans. Somewhen into their third year a few cubs disappeared. Your brother ordered his mages, specialised in clairvoyance, to investigate. They allegedly found traces of a human thief in every dwelling where a child had gone missing and Arthur didn't hesitate to retaliate. He marched on the largest human settlement and demanded an explanation. He went in with only his most trusted guards at his side. When they returned they brought the defiled corpse of one of the cubs with them. A single one. That very night they burned the whole village to the ground and put every adult to the sword. The kids he took in as servants. Only until he could find a safe place to send them to, he claimed. A few months later they were actually put on a ship, but…"
"Let me guess," I breathed, "the entire ship vanished without a trace."
"Very much so," Indigorath rumbled. "Those bits and pieces already paint a pretty suspicious picture, but it isn't the end of it. There's one more thing. The kitsune I payed… about a year and a half ago they stopped answering my calls. With everything that had already transpired we chose to pay your brother a visit and try to puzzle out what might have happened…," his words trailed off and a visible shudder ran along his coils. Aglaia took over:
"I still have nightmares from that day. Even though they hadn't divulged anything important, rumours that anyone living there could have told us, he executed them as traitors. Their communication crystals had been found and they were killed… the old way, without a chance to even explain what they had done." The old way. I knew what that meant and I didn't like it. The Mask had suffered through parts of it, except he hadn't been thrown off a cliff after his ears and tails had been removed publicly. I swallowed dryly, my ears drooped and my tails fell to the ground, anger, fear and uncertainty slowly suffocating my thoughts until Ahri intervened:
"Don't. Don't go down that rabbit hole. Not yet, it's too early. You don't know enough."
"I know enough to take it seriously. And to understand why they don't trust him. Oh gods, what if… what if he really… the cubs…"
"Then we'll act. But you don't know and you shouldn't condemn your own flesh and blood without proof or hearing their side of the story."
"You… do you think I should simply ask him," I stammered.
"Ask? No… Cassy, you're an immortal. If you need something, whether it's the truth or something else, you won't ask. You'll demand. Get to the bottom of it fast, there's too much hanging in the balance. We can't let him take the children if only a part of what they've insinuated holds true."
"Do you… do you think it does?" She sighed.
"I can't say for sure but I know that he's willing to sacrifice much more than you or I would in the name of duty. The problem is… I can't entirely refute the possibility with a clear conscience."
"Neither can I," the voice of a growing, crystalline dragoness joined in. In response to our surprise she simply said: "don't tell me you've forgotten that I'm privy to your thoughts as well? Figures. Well, I am and I did listen. If you don't want to I'm sure Sera and I can ask him in your stead as well. Very nicely, of course." For a moment I pushed my rising temper aside and even managed to ignore the pang of annoyance as I realised that I truly had no privacy left. Not even to wallow in self pity.
"No. My blood, my problem…," I began but was shut down immediately by the both of them.
"Our family," they hissed in unison and for the fraction of a heartbeat I wasn't quite sure if I wanted to kiss or strangle them. Probably the former since I wasn't on the verge of panicking anymore. I still rolled my eyes to put up a token effort, the sensation travelling across our link like a message. They didn't even bother with a reply, though, while Aglaia and Indigorath were apparently still trying to puzzle out why my expression was changing rapidly.
"Fine. If you're so adamant, pray tell, what are we going to do?"
"Ahri's right," Viyara replied immediately. "Bravado aside, no matter what he's up to, no matter what he might be hiding up his sleeve, he can't lie to you when you look him in the eyes, can he?"
"No… unless he doesn't know himself what he's done but I wouldn't go that far, just yet. Fine," I said again and massaged my temples, winking at the wide eyed couple conspiratorially. "Which means I need a few minutes alone with my kingly brother. Can you make that happen, Viyara, without drawing anyone's suspicion? We… I owe it to him. In case he hasn't done anything wrong I don't want to be responsible for tarnishing his reputation."
"You won't be," the dragoness reassured me. "Can't I simply tell him that his sister wants a word in private? There's nothing strange about that, is there, especially with everyone knowing that you've been snooping around for the last half hour… which reminds me. You're not going to get around an explanation, later. Since when can you time travel? And can I tell Aurelia?"
"You can, but only her, Reia, my mom or Mordred. I don't want anyone else to know."
"Not even Erya?" I shook my head slowly.
"Maybe, one day. But right now she has a family of her own to take care of."
"She's sworn to you, you pig headed, winged troublemaker," the dragoness complained. I couldn't help but purse my lips. Where had the sweet dragoness gone, too shy to even manage a proper conversation with me without blushing? Sometimes I really missed her.
"That's precisely the point," I retorted sharply. "She's older than you, Viyara, and I bet she's living with as much regret as Ahri or me. Do you have any idea how tempted I was to… stay? I think I would have been able to. As soon as I'd have touched my past self we would have merged. I could have tried reliving the last four years, preventing every single death, rooting out Amon long before he would even have known what was going on. You can see my thoughts. You know how much it hurt. Do you want her to feel the same way, to suffer as I did? Because she would. Knowing there's a chance without being able to take it… it's torture and it gets worse the more you regret." Ahri already knew, the laws of creation were as apparent to her as they were to me, but Viyara needed a moment to digest my words before she asked:
"Why? Why didn't you try?"
"Because I'd have made everything a million times worse. Think about it like a… like scales. I have the power to tip them but I can't return the balance. That has to happen all by itself and it won't be me who'd have to pay the price. Chances are I would have saved Boseiju only to watch the rest of the world die and burn around me, you, Erya, Layla… Aurelia included. I'm not willing to risk that happening. Are you?" She remained silent for an uncomfortably long time.