"I told you to stay outside, Cassi!"
Kat was mad at me. It wasn't really my fault; there had been a mad snake lady! Kat had gone into a friend's house for some money and had told me to stay outside.
So I had been standing near an ally, leaning against Juliet, when she freaked out. She tensed all over and started growling and pushing me with her snout into the alley. She pushed me against the wall, hiding us with her black fur in the shadows. I slowed down my breathing nervously as I tried to peak under her side. That was when I saw it. A woman with what looked like two snakes for legs! What the heck? I shrunk back against the wall, sucking in a breath. Juliet didn't move a muscle, almost not breathing. The...
Thing slithered into the alley, making hissing noises as it looked around. That was when Juliet moved. She moved so fast that I almost missed it. She lunged and bowled over the monster and began tearing at its skin. It screamed. I jumped back in surprise, cracking my head against the wall. I fell sideways, my head throbbing, putting a hand to my head. I heard a hissing noise, and looked up as my vision cleared. Another snake lady was staring down at me, tongue flicking in and out of her mouth as she smiled evilly. Oh crap. I gasped and leaned away. A shadow leaped over me and pushed snake woman 2 down. Something clattered out of the snake woman's belt. I reached out and grabbed it. It was a bronze knife, about the length of my arm from my elbow to my wrist. I picked it up, deciding it might help me survive this alley, when Juliet was jumped on by snake woman 1. Snake woman 2 slithered out from her clutches while she was distracted and hurtled toward me. I prayed to Apollo, as Erica had taught me, and threw the knife as hard as I could, then shut my eyes tight. All I heard was Juliet growling. I opened my eyes slowly to see an alley full of angry hellhound and yellow dust. Ok, that must be the dust monsters explode into... And the snake woman must be a... Dracaena. I picked back up my knife and Juliet and I hurried into Kat's friend's house. Kat was just thanking a woman when I burst in. That was when she yelled at me.
"I told you to stay outside, Cassi!"
"I'm sorry!" I cried, holding out my knife. "Snake lady, Jules, this knife." I explained.
Kat nodded quickly in understanding. "I see. Now get outside while I finish up with Mary. Go on, get out!" she snapped, shooing me with her hands.
"Ok, ok." I muttered, grabbing Juliet's collar and tugging her out the door.
When I got out on the street, I began examining my new knife. Then a car almost killed me. I flipped off the jerk and returned to my knife. As I studied the handle, I noticed several scratches. I wiped my thumb over them and realized they were words. Or I thought they were words.
ηλιαχτίδα
But somehow I knew what they meant.
"Sunbeam." I muttered. It seemed to pulse with heat momentarily when I said its name. "Great," I said, starting down the street with Juliet at my heels. "Now I have a weapon. Where do I keep it?"
Almost in answer to my question, I noticed a small building labeled, 'Fighting and Weapons Shop.' Well, that's convenient, I thought, heading for the store. Juliet followed me, but I made her wait outside the shop. I walked in to see a mostly red room with swords and nun-chucks and all sorts of weapons lining the walls, but no sheaths.
"Can I help you Miss?" I jumped in surprise, spinning to see a little old man, shorter than my humble 5'4, leaning on the wall next to a particularly lethal looking sword. He had pure white hair, but was surprisingly muscular for an old man. "Sorry Miss." he grinned toothily. "I didn't mean to surprise you."
I looked at him. Something about him made me nervous. "It's ok. Do you have any knife sheaths?" I held out my knife. He frowned.
"Yeah, I've got a few in the back. Come on, Miss."
I trailed after him nervously, glancing around the store. It was the poster store for foreboding. Just epically creepy. Large animal heads and weapons lined the walls, and everything in the shop was in a menacing red and black color scheme. The main animal head appeared to be a boar, which bothered the back of my mind, but I ignored the little voice telling me the fact was important.
"Here are some of my best knife sheaths." he said, pulling out a clear plastic tub of some fancy looking things that were red and black that appeared to strap to my ankle, and setting them on the counter. I tried to put my knife in one. It was too small. The next one my new knife slid out of in 3 seconds.
Over the next ten minutes we tried on all the sheaths he had. None of them fit my knife. Not even the adjustable ones. The guy found this absolutely hilarious. He chuckled every time one didn't fit. Meanwhile, I just kept getting more and more frustrated. Something about the situation just really pissed me off. Then he handed me the last sheath. I put my knife in it. It was too big. I threw it back on the counter with the others.
"This is ridiculous!" I snapped. "How can none of your knife sheaths fit my knife?"
The man chuckled. I felt a strange urge to punch him in the face. "Oh, Cassidy. I knew none of these would fit your knife! I just wanted to be sure."
Ok, that sent warning signals flashing. A creepy guy, in a creepy shop, full of weapons knew my name.
Get out of this, Cassi.
Said a weird voice in my mind that sounded like Erica.
"Then why am I here?" I asked the man wearily.
"Because I have one that will fit!" he said, laughing like a madman.
I cringed away from him. "Dude, do you have problems?" I asked, pointing at my head.
He sobered instantly. "Of course not!" he snapped. "Rude child."
Ok, someone's got anger issues. I thought.
Nice job Cassi, you made him mad.
Erica's voice congratulated me. I ignored her.
"Where is it..." the man had gone behind the counter and was searching around underneath it.
This is your chance.
Erica's voice whispered in my mind.
Get out.
But I didn't move. My feet stayed glued firmly to the floor. I couldn't lift them. I strained, but they wouldn't budge. Then the man stood up.
"Here we go!" he stated cheerfully, handing me a knife sheath. I took it cautiously. It was beautiful, with little patterns scrawled across the warn leather. I squinted harder at the patterns and realized they were words, in the same language as my swords name, which I was beginning to realize must be Greek. The words were moving, flashing around on the surface.
Απεργία επιφυλακτικότητα Κίνδυνος Φόβος Ενθουσιασμός Σταθερότητας
Strike Danger Wariness Fear Stability Excitement.
But one word seemed to be repeating over and over, crisscrossing around the other words.
Κάσσια
I understood it. The word put a warm familiar feeling in my stomach.
Cassia.
The man was grinning again. "That is the sheath that belongs with your knife."
I stared at the swirling interchanging words, trying to make sense of their complicated dance, but all I read was Cassia, Cassia, Cassia repeated over and over.
"What does it mean?" I asked.
He chuckled. "Well don't you see, Cassidy? The sheath is just happy to have its owner back."
"But I've never had it before." I said.
He smiled knowingly. "Yes you have, Cassidy."
"But it's saying Cassia. My name is Cassidy." I pointed out.
He shook his head. "No. Cassia and Cassidy are one in the same. You were reborn, Cassi."
Well, I took forever to write that, and it's really short, I'm so sorry. It's a little fast paced, but that is how Cassi is seeing the world. And guys, please don't think Cassi is stupid, this is her very first time being out there. She's very trusting, and doesn't yet realize how dangerous the world can be. You know if something convenient had happened to Percy or Annabeth or someone, they would have run the other way, but Cassi is new to this. Don't judge her too harshly.
On a second note. I have no idea what rebirth is like, but this is how I picture it.
Ksklus: Thank you, and I'm so excited to write that part. Sorry it took me so long.
