Disclaimer: I do not own the Avalon: Web of Magic/Quest for Magic series or the song "Cassandra", they belong to Rachel Roberts and Theatre of Tragedy respectively.
He gave to her, yet tenfold claim'd in return
She hath no life but the one he for her wrought
Proffer'd to her his wauking heart, she turn'd it down
Riposted with a tell-tale lore of lies and scorn
Prophetess or fond?
Tho' her parle of truth
"I ken to-morrow -- Refell me if ye can!"
Yet the kiss and breath -- Apollo's bane
Seer of the future, not of twain
"Sicker!" Quoth Cassandra
Fifteen year old Emily Fletcher walked out of the front doors of her high school, carrying her bookbag and flute case. Marching band practice had just ended, and she needed to get home to help her mother at home with the animals. This week had been especially busy, and Emily wanted to help out in whatever way she could. The setting sun cast a golden glow on her curly auburn hair as she trudged home, pulling her coat tighter around her body. Autumn added a colorful new look to the quiet suburban scenery, and Emily watched as a cold breeze forced an old oak tree to relinquish some of its red and gold leaves. As her white, two-story house came into view, the young mage's thoughts turned to spending Christmas with her father and stepmother in Colorado. She would be leaving in three weeks, and she and her friends had to work out feeding schedules for the animals at the preserve, not to mention closing down the Pet Palace for the season, because she knew her mother wouldn't be able to handle both the veterinary practice and the animal hotel, which would undoubtedly be flooded with pets while people went on their holiday vacations.
Still is she lief and quaint in his eye
A sight divine?
A mistress fuell'd by his prest haughtiness
If he did grant, wherefore then did he not foresee
Belike egal as it to him might be?
Emily turned the knob of her front door and was immediately greeted by the sight of a sleeping ferret sprawled on the kitchen floor. She stepped over him and entered the living room, calling out, "Mom?"
Carolyn Fletcher's voice came from her bedroom. "Hey Em, I thought we'd go out to eat tonight," The healer's redhaired mother said as she closed her door behind her. "That alright?"
Emily nodded. "Do you need any help with the animals?"
"No," the vet replied. "Two of the dogs were picked up today, so that makes it easier. Oh, and call Kara, she called about an hour ago."
"Okay, did she say what she wanted?"
"No." Carolyn answered as she walked into the kitchen and scooped Ozzie off the floor. "Have a nice nap?" She asked the golden-brown rodent.
Prophetess or fond?
Tho' her parle of truth
"I ken to-morrow -- Refell me if ye can!"
Yet the kiss and breath -- Apollo's bane
Seer of the future, not of twain
"Sicker!" Quoth Cassandra
Emily picked up the cordless phone in her room and dialed Kara's number. She waited patiently while it rang twice, before hearing a click and Kyle's voice.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Kyle, is Kara there? She called me earlier."
"Yeah, hold on. Kara! Emily's on the phone!"
After some shuffling on the other end of the line, Kara answered.
"Hey! I wanted to talk to you," the Blazing Star said.
"So I hear," Emily replied.
"Lorren contacted me," her voice dropped to a whisper. "He says something very strange is going on. He wants to talk to all of us. Can you come to Ravenswood tomorrow?"
Emily mentally ran through her chores. "How about around noon?"
"Perfect. See you then," Kara promptly hung up the phone.
Emily placed her phone back in its cradle. She was worried-- They hadn't heard anything about the Dark Sorceress or the Spider Witch in quite a while, which had given them time to live fairly normal lives. What if the mages had let their guard down and they had been planning something the girls wouldn't be able to handle?
Or was he an aeried being?
Or was he weening -- alack nay mo
Her naysay wrought his heart
Her daffing was the grave of all hope
She belied her own words
He thought her life, save moreo'er scourge
She held him august, yet wee
He left her ne'er without his heart
Emily ran.
She was sprinting barefoot through an unfamiliar forest at breakneck speed, while she felt something evil and loathsome chasing after her. Branches whipped at her face, while rocks and sticks on the forest floor made her feet bleed. Her lungs screamed for breath and her throat hurt from the cold wind, but she had to keep ahead of the malevolent thing behind her. The Healer rushed blindly on, feeling utterly alone and desperate. Suddenly, a log came into her view, that she hadn't spotted until too late. She found herself flying through the air as if in slow motion, and landing painfully on her ankle. She watched helplessy as her foot twisted at an unnatural angle and closed her eyes as she felt the evil thing catching up to her coming closer, closer...
The redheaded mage's eyes snapped open to darkness. At first, she panicked because she felt something binding her legs, until she realized that it was her bedsheet. She took a few deep, shaky breaths to rid herself of the last remnants of the dream as her eyes adjusted. She sat up and ran her fingers through her thick curls, finding one tangled knot after another. She glanced at the clock on her bedside table, which read 4:29 AM. She sighed, figuring she wasn't going to get back to sleep, and got up to feed the animals.
I need coffee, she thought drily.
Prophetess or fond?
Tho' her parle of truth
"I ken to-morrow -- Refell me if ye can!"
Yet the kiss and breath -- Apollo's bane
Seer of the future, not of twain
"Sicker!" Quoth Cassandra
Or was he an aeried being?
Or was he weening -- alack nay mo
Her naysay wrought his heart
Her daffing was the grave of all hope
She belied her own words
He thought her life, save moreo'er scourge
She held him august, yet wee
He left her ne'er without his heart
Yup... New story! This one is centered around Emily, of course, and will be twenty chapters long. Hope you enjoy!
--Rainpath