Cassandra Pendragon
The flickers of familiarity instantly transformed the calm after the storm into something much more homely. Even my brother's snores fitted right in when we moved the… I still had trouble calling those creatures furniture but for the sake of argument let's stick with it, back into place. We were mainly chatting amongst ourselves with Reia using Aglaia as a shield against Mordred's exuberant advances, while Indigorath and Shassa were trying to keep out of the way, whispering in hushed tones. Who'd have thought, from a tasteful snack to a budding friend in the matter of minutes. Maybe the spider was more human… more humane than I had given her credit for.
A few minutes, filled with laughter, insubstantial gossip and the scraping of frozen claws and paws across hardened wood, later the cabin almost looked like it had before I had given my best rendition of a whirlwind and swept through the cluttered room. Except for the bed. Crumbled, bloody and ripped the dark velvet simply didn't hold the same appeal anymore and the snoring, bruised fox on top also seemed slightly out of place. Plus it smelled musty. The bed and the fox.
"Sorry for that," I mumbled in the Common Tongue while I hovered clumsily around a golden deer turned chair, uncomfortable with sitting down but even more hesitant to remain the only one standing. The rest of my family apparently had no qualms with the bizarre arrangements anymore, already lounging away on furs, still attached to their original owners. Even Reia didn't mind. On the contrary, with the first shock overcome I could practically hear her biting back the words: "can I have one," while she ogled the bucking unicorn. We had had those back on Boseiju and I had to admit, it made me feel nostalgic. Maybe we could get one of the foals. Thawed, of course.
"No worries," Aglaia replied as she looked up from an almost scientific discussion about black powder and guns my mom had pulled her into. "But you didn't have to rip the bedding apart. I do have some garments you could wear, you know. We're not that different in size. Or you could have just skipped the dressing bit entirely. I'm sure none of us would have minded."
"I'd have," Reia whispered, quietly enough for only me to hear, "but unfortunately I seem to be the only one. What is it about you and incinerating clothes anyways? Is that some weird fetish?"
"How would you even know what a fetish is," I asked from the corner of my mouth, frowning. She blushed, which, considering the events of the last half hour, was hilarious in and of itself.
"I…," she stammered but I had already smelled the rat.
"You've been talking to Liz and her friends, haven't you? Gods, what has she taught you?"
"Nothing I haven't smelled on Ahri and you often enough," she pouted. "You're fine with me seeing gutted or soulless corpses but you don't think I should know how cubs are made? Are you serious?" I couldn't quite come up with an appropriate response so I only shrugged and focused back on Aglaia. Which the miniaturised devil of course took as a concession, grinning cheekily. Soon she'd pick up Mephisto's favourite game of keeping score. Woe to me, somehow I didn't expect to come out on top.
"Thanks for the offer… and the flowers," I told our host. For the fraction of a second I was tempted to tease the mouthy vixen, her bravado probably about as hollow as an empty bottle, but I managed to resist. "I actually do have a few spare sets with me but I didn't feel like getting dressed properly in front of you… again. This'll do until I can have a few moments of privacy." I gesticulated for everyone to listen. Surprisingly they all did and the chatter died away.
"Now, luckily Indigorath and you should be up to speed so I'll skip the tedious explanations. We have a few things to do. First and foremost I want you, Sera, and you, Shassa, to dig the memory of the Soul Sigil he's encountered out of my brother's mind while he's still unconscious. Once you have it in a memory crystal, strengthen it until we figure out where it's come from. Can you do that?" The spider and veiled dragoness exchanged a glance filled with curiosity and weariness, the prospect intriguing and unwelcome at the same time, before my grandmother replied:
"Most likely, but not in a handful of hours. It might take a few days. Strengthening an ethereal thing like a memory is tricky. Apply too much force and it crumbles."
"I expected as much," I mused. "Doesn't matter, it's been over a year. A few days won't change a thing. But none of our tribe sets sail until we have this figured out. Arthur probably won't wake up anytime soon. I'll tell Sylvia before I leave. If she wants to tear someone's ears off, she can as well have mine. You can try involving Quenda, the silver dragoness. According to her she's a genius. Might as well put it to the test." I massaged the bridge of my nose, ordering my thoughts, before I continued: "Mordred, it'll fall to you to tell Richard that we'll need a few watch towers. The canons to arm it we already have. I know I haven't explained what they are but you can ask our friends here. The two of you, do you plan on running away again immediately?" I asked Indigorath.
"We don't have any pressing matters to attend to," the Purple Worm replied after he had shared a glance with his vixen, "but my kin is living close by. Usually I spend as little time as possible in their proximity. The one you killed is still the only one I've taken down. Luckily, after your appearance, they haven't bothered me much, preferring to wage war among themselves."
"Hmm… would you like to stay a while? I'm sure your experience and knowledge would be invaluable. The father and son couple I brought along, they're pretty accomplished traders and from what I've seen they might even be able to surprise you. Which means you could get everything you need and your safety… well, I don't think you'll find a more protected place, especially if we have a few towers armed with canons. Think about it. If you want to stay, talk to Mordred. He'll introduce you to the humans who've accompanied us. Even if you won't, I'd like to ask you to wait a few days. At least until I've returned. It shouldn't take me more than a week."
"We meant to spend a few days anyways," Aglaia replied. "But where are you running off to?"
"The north, to the Emerald Island. It's not as bad as it sounds. I won't have to fly there and back again but, in case you haven't heard, there's a war brewing between…"
"The fey and the elves," Aglaia completed my sentence. "We've got a few friends up north, I'm sure you remember. When are you leaving?"
"I actuality wanted to be gone already but then you appeared and my plans went down the drain. Damn it, I'm sure there's a whole throng waiting for me down there already."
"You're in luck," Viyara interrupted grumpily. "Aurelia left to play the messenger. Incidentally, would you mind returning to me or else inviting us over? The crow is starting to become unbearable. The family drama is snoring on the bed, isn't it?"
"It's a raven," I corrected her almost instinctually. Nobody likes being called a crow. Or a magpie for that matter. "Sure, go ahead. Nobody is going to stop you. You'll find the way, won't you?"
"I'd find you in the depth of hell… for good or ill. Why don't we meet up on deck, though? Your little cove will hardly fit four more." Her concentration wavered, a faint pang of annoyance, tinged with an echo of the Broken Wheel's questions, dripping through our connection. The feathered god was bombarding her relentlessly, trying to figure out what had happened.
With a sigh I replied: "We're pretty much done here, anyways. The sooner we land the quicker we can get the canons from board. And I'm running out of communication crystals. Would you mind asking Greta to prepare another one? I'll fuel it once I'm back. I really want to give one to Aglaia. Especially if they intend to leave again, soon."
"That's not urgent, they're going to stay until we can establish a gateway. You can hand them their panic button afterwards. On that note… I've felt your unease when you first saw what they're using for furniture. What happened? Did you suddenly start appreciating the subtle beauty?"
"That's the most dragonic thing you've said in a while. Still… it was more Ahri's disgust than mine and I'm a bit more relaxed now," I replied with a shrug. "I can hardly touch those things but it's not my place to judge. Honestly, killing them wouldn't be much better. Just… I understand why they've taken pregnant specimen but it's still barbaric. So are some breeding facilities. Doesn't mean I'm going to try to burn them to the ground. The animals in here at least don't realise that they've been captured and… sealed. Was that what you wanted to hear?"
"I was simply curious. I've got some distaste for similar practices because of my father's repository but I must admit it's magnificent in its own way. You couldn't create that kind of beauty artificially. And they don't suffer, never have. But I guess when you're ultimately striving for freedom it would seem barbaric. Which makes me wonder why you're brushing it off, now." Goodness gracious, maybe because I had been a little busy? That wasn't it, though.
"The kind of freedom I long for has much to do with the ability to choose," I answered haltingly. "Can an animal choose freely? It's a philosophical question but I don't think so since they aren't aware that they might die, that their actions define who they are. They simply exist. Does it really matter? To be blunt, I'm also not going to pick a fight over a bunch of colourful chickens and strangely shaped pigs. Even if they do sparkle. Can we talk about animal cruelty some other time?"
"We could, but if you don't feel bothered… would you mind if I got one?" I shouldn't have gotten out of the tree today, I really shouldn't have. My ears twitched in annoyance. At least I didn't have to mince my words, Viyara would know anyways.
"Honestly, you could. But truth be told, I'd think less of you. Simple as that. Indigorath needs them to survive. You don't. You can have a pet, though, if you really want one."
"A simple no would have sufficed. You do tend to forget that I'm half dragon and I'm still learning. Besides, the people I trust the most are you and an ancient vampire. You can't fault me for having trouble grasping the whole right and wrong thing." I would have loved to deny it, but…
"Wise ass," I mumbled. "Can I get back to my conversation now? Thank you."
"Almost," she said. "There's one more thing you need to get to quickly, especially if you're going to detain Arthur. His colony. Considering they have been infiltrated by a marked spy before, they might already be in dire straits. With their king and most of their soldiers gone it'd be the perfect time to… your guess is as good as mine. You have to make sure they don't need help."
"Thanks," I thought warmly, maybe a bit proudly, my qualms with her behaviour all but forgotten. "I mean it. Thanks for watching out for my… our people. You've already accepted them, haven't you?" I was more impressed by her behaviour than her worries. I mean, what were the odds?
"I'm trying... they are mine by name, aren't they? Or at least will be. No need to thank me. Get back to your oh so important conversation and don't leave me alone with the raven for much longer. Or he might just end up as a broiler. I'll try to find out if Aurelia and Greta would be able to surveil your brother's home from a distance. If they aren't, you can ask Sera or the spider. Maybe even your mom." Her focus drifted away and I… I felt a comforting surge of warmth whenever I thought about how she had changed. Even though I admittedly missed her shyness. A few weeks ago she would have been entirely entranced by my own antics, by my magic and looks, and wouldn't even have spared a single thought for a settlement of kitsune she had never met.
While I had been distracted Mordred had taken over, smoothly stepping in when I had suddenly drifted off. "… don't know the first thing about Purple Worms or canons but if you have my sister impressed, who am I to judge? Sounds reasonable to me. We'll pay for the materials and you can keep a third of the finished product… ouch. What?" I had glided closer and stomped on his foot.
"Let the people who know a diamond from a quartz worry about the details. Or at least involve mom. I assume this is about producing guns and black powder in Free Land? You haven't got the foggiest what they need and even though I do, I don't know how expensive it's going to be. Don't make a fool of yourself."
"You let the spider out of her cage," he mumbled petulantly, "and it was her idea." True enough, Shassa and Indigorath were still standing side by side while Sera had been drawn into my mom's conversation with Aglaia.
"Really now? Pray tell, what's in it for you," I asked and cocked an eyebrow. When she shrugged her eight legs twisted in unison, a slightly creepy albeit graceful gesture.
"I'm curious. Harvesting the latent energy of the elements without magic is an intriguing idea. Plus, if you make the smaller versions available in Free Land the idiots down there are going to kill each other in droves. Combined with the magic you unleashed, a chunk of the city might turn into a surprising amount of harvestable energy. It'd go to waste otherwise so I might as well use it to improve my home." Holy… There was so much wrong with her sentence that I momentarily didn't know how to react. Send her back? Break a couple of legs? Ignore her and focus on the actual message: I don't want a body, I'm content to stay in my crystal, my home? My tails twitched mechanically and my befuddlement ultimately cumulated in a pretty familiar outburst:
"Huh?"
"Which part has gotten you confused," the spider inquired curiously and titled her massive head. "That I think humans are stupid, that I'd like to use the resources nobody else will or that I'm actually not very keen on returning to the world? I honestly can't tell. Every part should be pretty self explanatory. Maybe not the latter. Ask Indigorath. He understands." How… friends? Soulmates? Did Aglaia have to worry? I had never expect a slug to be a… monstrous ladies man.
A full belly laugh that didn't quite fit the row of saw like teeth it escaped from made me jump. "Oh, your face, you should have seen it," the Purple Worm chuckled. "Is it that hard to understand? We're both at odds with our nature. I need to consume more than I want to take to survive and so does she. Admittedly, my qualms are based loosely on my morals and Shassa simply doesn't like to be controlled, not even by her own hunger, but the result remains the same. I wouldn't willingly vacate a cozy gem either, without making sure my new vessel was… more suited to who I am."
"Are you trying to become a vegetarian," I stammered, my brain still hung up on his explanation.
"Why not," he shrugged, the movement making his jowls quiver. "Having to spend a considerable amount of time worrying about your diet isn't fulfilling."
"As for me," the spider added hissingly, "I'm not as restricted as he is but I've told you before, I have to eat. Living creatures. What I haven't told you is that I'm rendering down more than their flesh and fat with my venom. While I can live on animals I need to partly absorb pieces of their essence to support my body. Have you never wondered why I was a nightmare made real, even in the past? It's because we, the Arachnea, are connected physically to the ethereal forces. We either die in our younger years, bloodied and broken, or we become masters of dark sorcery. But we need appropriate sustenance. I'm not missing it. Without a body, as long as I don't squander my reserves, I can exist without the hunger. For now I'm better off as is. Even if you plan to pawn me off. Who's the lucky winner? Since you mean for her to work with me I assume it's Sera."