Cassandra was practically thrown onto the ground by her mother-in-law. She clutched at her abdomen, a new instinct to protect her child. Muttering curse words and vomiting in a bush nearby from morning sickness, she stood up to see where she was at.
The princess looked up to see a beautiful forest. However, these trees were not trees of a normal forest. Leaves were a light purple color, with light blue vines and hot pink trunks. It was very strange and it made Cassandra dizzy.
Walking a ways, the princess and the Goddess-Queen reached a clearing. "Some of the centaurs have a disease," stated the queen. "Your first task is to cure all those who have the disease, state where it comes from, and give prevention strategies. Is that clear?"
Cassandra nodded. The Queen looked satisfied. "Good. You have until dawn tomorrow, approximately 13 hours." And with that, the goddess disappeared.
The young princess looked around, wondering where the centaurs even were. Thinking back to her studies, she remembered her mother telling her that there were a few ways to make them appear to you, and one of those ways was to make a horn. Problem is, the horn must be made without magic.
Settling down, she snacked on a peach that she had brought back from the palace. Looking around, she found the perfect material to make a horn out of, one of the pink trunks. Finishing her peach, she got out a knife and started to carve. An hour later, she made a small horn that she hoped would work.
It made the strangest noise that sounded like a combination between an elephant and a lion. Almost immediately, a tall, handsome yet mischievous looking centaur walked out of the trees, giving her a bow. His hair was a reddish color and freckles dotted all over his body, his eyes a dark, seaweed green color.
"Well well. If it isn't the Goblin Princess herself. Pleased to make your acquaintance." The centaur stepped to take Cassandra's hand. Looking surprised, she asked "how did you know who I am?"
The centaur smirked. "Ah, you are the most beautiful creature. Also, I know your parents." He winked.
Gasping, Cassandra realized who this man was. "Southern Guardian!"
He grinned. "The one and only! What brings you here to our humble abode?" He casually plucked one of the purple leaves and stuffed it into his mouth, chewing on it. He gave one to the princess. "Want some?"
"Umm, no thank you," she declined politely. Southern Guardian shrugged. "You are welcome to change your mind if you'd like." He picked on another leaf to chew on. "Mmm! Your loss, princess!"
Cassandra tried to not roll her eyes. "Sir, I am here to perform a task. One to cure the centaurs of some disease?" She tried to carry herself with confidence, but she couldn't help but be a little unnerved by him. No one knew much about the Southern Guardian. He always had tricks up his sleeves and prices to pay. Still, he did not lie and generally did not try to hurt anyone. He just was out for himself.
He considered it for a moment. "A task, you say? None of our magicians or any other magicians have been able to save my kind from this disease." He said sadly. "I hear you are an aspiring healer. Other than your beauty and your power, many have heard that this is what you'd like to become. What makes you any different from them?"
Cassandra really wasn't sure how to help them, especially if the best magicians couldn't heal anyone. It did make her nervous that people were expecting her to be a healer; putting more pressure on her. Still, she was happy that it wasn't superficial like her beauty. Being a healer was a skill that she did not inherit from her parents or was born with. It was something that she was working on learning herself. One that she was proud to claim as her own.
"The difference is, I will use science and knowledge from Above." She said proudly. At this, the Guardian laughed. "You think that you can use knowledge from some puny mortal humans in a place like this? Really?" He snickered again.
The princess let her body be consumed by fire, hoping to startle the centaur, but he just kept on laughing. Standing tall, she answered his question. "I'll have you know, humans have new technologies every single day. They do not have magic, but they are smart. You want to know why I'm so powerful? It isn't just because of my parents, but because I use science to understand where it comes from." At this, the centaur stopped and looked at her interestingly.
"Humans are weak and mortal, yes. But think about the technological advances that they have come up with. Not just with machines, but with medicine as well. We have not come up with new innovations as humans have for so long. All of our advancements, like indoor plumbing, have been taken from humans. It is time that we use medicine. Let me examine your sick and I will do my best to diagnose them."
Cocking his head to the side and raising an eyebrow, the centaur looked impressed. "Oh my. It seems that the princess of goblins isn't just a pretty face, but with an actual brain in her head." Casandra chose to ignore that last comment, but was pleased that he would be taking her seriously.
"Follow me, princess."
As they walked, the centaur asked her more questions. "And how will you bring technology and science to he Underground as something to be taken seriously? Will you be a teacher and a scholar, perhaps?" Cassandra nodded. "I have all the time in the world. I am immortal, and I hope that I can find others to help me with this. We can improve so many lives for so many creatures using science. We don't question how we do things enough. When we question and find answers, things will become clear for us and improvements can be made." She swiped a branch to the side. "According to the goddess, I only have until dawn to come up with a cure for your people. Tell me, what happened?"
At this, the centaur looked somber. "I'm not sure. Many have complained about their bones breaking. They're weak, and many are in a considerable amount of pain. If you can help us with this, we'd be grateful." He bowed to the princess.
Cassandra had heard a few things about the man. Or horse. Or half person. Her father told her that he would never act serious unless he was greatly bothered or in danger. She worried that they must be really hurt.
They came across a small village. "This is where the majority of the disease happen, your highness," said the Guardian. She nodded. A young family came out, mother, father, and a young girl. "Please," the mother begged. "Can you heal her?"
"It's alright." the princess coaxed the little centaur. "I won't hurt you. I'm here to help." She had her sit down in a comfortable spot. The first thing Cassandra noticed was the young female's eyes were not white, but blue. Looking around, the girl said that her arm and right front leg hurt greatly. It was a disease unlike anything she had seen.
The princess would often accompany her parents to check on their subjects, and she would give them medicine to heal. Seeing her love for science and her big heart, Sarah often encouraged Cassandra to use her strengths to make the world a better place. Since moving into Troy's palace, she had lost that sense of purpose. Now that she was faced with this task, she would do all she could to help them, even if she did not cure them during the allotted time.
She diagnosed the girl with some fractures, which was particularly strange since centaurs were so strong. After taking a look at all the other centaurs, she noticed that all of their scleras were blue and not white as they should be. Conjuring a medical textbook (unfortunately, the internet was not available yet in the Underground), she flipped through the pages. "Ah!" She exclaimed. "It seems that all of you have Blue Sclera or osteogenesis imperfecta."
The centaurs just looked at her, confused. "You have brittle bone disease," she explained. "This is caused mainly from genetics, or inheritance, at least in humans. It seems that all of you have the mild kind of the disease which is wonderful. The problem is, there's no cure."
At the sight of her patients panicking, she quickly changed her wording. "But since you all have the mild form of the disease, it'll be easy! Just be more careful and your body will heal." She conjured something, and set it on the ground. "If swelling or strange liquids form, you can take these. They're antibiotics. From what I see, all those who are hurt need rest to heal. No one needs surgery or metal rods out in them," she said with a relief. For her to perform surgery alone without equipment would be dangerous. She wasn't exactly a real healer yet, as she was planning on possibly going Above to try to be a doctor.
The centaurs nodded, unsure but they seemed to trust in her. Cassandra stood, looking proud of herself, until something whispered in her ear.
The Voice was back, telling her that it was not enough; the goddess would not consider this task completed. She needed to find the source and find a way to fully eradicate the disease. She tried to ask what to do, but the Voice just left.
Looking up at the sky, she saw that it was getting late. The princess needed to act fast if she was to heal everyone. She sat down for 20 minutes to eat, inviting the Southern Guardian to also dine with her and to discuss some things before she went investigating.
"I need someone within this village to help me." She told him. "I realize that there may be a source of the mutation that we have not found. Who can come with me?" Mouth full of grilled cheese, the Southern Guardian spoke with food spewing out, causing Cassandra to conjure an invisible shield so she wouldn't get the food particles in her face. "Well, princess," he started. "I am of no help to you. I get food and water elsewhere since I am the leader and travel quite a bit." He took another chomp of food. "By the way, this Aboveground food is delicious!" He exclaimed.
"There," he told her, pointed to a young male centaur who looked to be about 15 years old. "That's Floberus. He's young and reliable. Many members of his family come in contact with the disease. I suggest you bring him along in your investigation." Cassandra nodded, thanking him.
She walked over and approached Floberus, who was gazing at the sunset. "Hello. I am in need of help to find the cure of the disease and I was wondering if you'd accompany me," she smiled. Floberus nodded. "Anything to help, Your Highness. What first?" Cassandra was pleased. "Lead me to your food and water supply."
It was difficult, crossing the terrain on her own two feet and being pregnant. It was lucky that Floberus was so kind and patient whenever she vomited, which was pretty often. "Ugh," she groaned. The young princess was ready to burst into tears.
"Shh, princess, take it easy." The young centaur gave her some tissues to wipe her eyes. "Call me Cassandra," she mumbled. A wave of sadness and overbearing sense of failure washed over her. Burying her head in her hands, she poured her heart out to Floberus. She told him about how she hated her beauty, how she missed her parents, how she felt responsible for Troy, and for her unborn child. "I just, how am I supposed to find a cure for you all, and within such a small time limit? I'm a failure and I feel that this is all my fault."
Floberus dared to give her a friendly pat on the back. "Cassandra, it'll be alright. Please don't stress yourself out. Here." He positioned his body a certain way. "Normally, centaurs do not let anyone ride them, but you're pregnant and small enough that it won't strain me." When Cassandra refused, he kept pushing her. "Please. I implore you. It'll make our trip faster and it'll be more safe for your baby." She considered this for a moment, thanked him, and climbed on.
Just as they were about to pass through a short cut, Cassandra yelled for Floberus to stop. Confused, the centaur let the princess slide off. There was something sinister about the area they were at. "Floberus," she whispered. "What is this place?"
Floberus was confused. He didn't know why Cassandra acted like they were about to be ambushed. With the exception of forest nymphs, no one knew the forest better than centaurs. Why would she detect any danger and not him? He rested his hand on her, worried that if something was wrong, she'd hurt herself and the child she was carrying.
"It's a place where many of us come for some fun. It's a good place to watch the stars or to play some games. Some of us don't like coming here for various reasons, but we haven't noticed anything wrong. Cassandra, do you sense something?" The princess didn't respond. After scanning her surroundings, she conjured some strange aprons. "Put this on." She instructed. The apron seemed quite heavy, and he held it in his hands before putting it on. "What is this?"
"It's an apron to protect from radiation. That's when something is emitting harmful energy, if you will." She tried to explain as simply as possible. "Let's go in."
Leading the way, Cassandra saw the most beautiful fireflies. They weren't just a single yellow fluorescent color either. They were yellow, green, red, blue, pink, purple, and so many more colors. She almost wanted to stop and bask in the breath taking sight.
Almost.
Catching one of them, she put it in a jar, careful to not let it touch her own bare hands. After a minute, she released it and went back to the outskirts of the area, with a very confused Floberus. "This." She held up the jar with some glowing residue in it. "This is what's causing the disease, my friend."
Floberus was stunned. "How?" Cassandra sat down on a rock, cradling her small belly. "Radiation. These flies are emitting some harmful things. Can't you detect it?" The centaur shook his head, a little dubious about her discovery. Cassandra sighed. "Alright, where do you usually go for food and water?"
He tiredly motioned to her left. "Just up there. Normally, we'd eat off the trees. It's quite easy for us. Water is that way." Cassandra nodded, and they went on.
The water seemed fine at first, but when Cassandra drank it, she knew exactly why Floberus wasn't able to detect anything wrong with the fireflies. For some reason, the water was inhibiting her 6th sense, the "magic" sense where she used her powers to detect something. The centaurs were here for so long, no one was able to tell the difference! She told Floberus this.
"It would seem that many of you are stronger than others. Which is why you're not able to detect anything. Fascinating. I'll have to take some samples with me for further testing." She stashed some inside of her small bag, one that was able to expand to unlimited space inside.
Floberus nodded, now trusting the fey. Truth to be told, he was impressed that she had so much talent. "Cassandra, if I may, how will we find a cure?" Now that they knew the source, it still wasn't the end.
Cassandra sighed again, discouraged. How was she to find a disease without a cure? And with only a few hours left. No wonder this was an "impossible" task. "I don't know." She complained. "I'm trying my best and if I had more information and more time, I think I would be able to figure it out." A few drops of tears escaped her eyes again.
"I know, I know." Floberus tried to soothe her. "It's alright. Don't you worry, we can figure this out! Tell you what, I'll take you to a different place where me and some others like to drink and feast. The view is beautiful too. Just for a few minutes. I think it'll do you good." He smiled at her.
Cassandra nodded, not sure what else she'd do. Walking to another clearing, she drank the water. "This is good tasting water." She commented. "How many of you come here? It's a lovely spot!"
He grinned, pleased that she was no longer crying. "Not many of us, I'm afraid. I like to joke that the people to drink from here are the healthiest." Cassandra nodded, grateful for his help. She dipped her hands down and drank some more water. Something was different. She felt stronger, more energized. Feeling her hair, she noticed that it was thicker and shinier. Taking a risk to follow her hunch, she grabbed a fish and broke its spine.
Floberus jumped. Centaurs are vegans or vegetarians, so killing another animal for food was strange. "I'm sorry about that." The princess apologized. "I just want to see something..." She lowered the fish into the water, and immediately, it was healed. The teenage centaur gasped, amazed at what just happened. "Cassandra, how did you know?"
"Simple." The princess dried her hands. "I felt stronger after drinking it. This is no ordinary water, it's healing water. How does it do that, I don't know. But if you don't mind, I'll take these samples as well." Floberus even helped her with collecting the samples. "Floberus. I think this is why some of you have the disease and why some of you don't! And this is the cure. Don't ever play in this area again, and we should bring this back to the people." Excited at her finding, she and Floberus happily gathered some water and brought it back to the village. By dawn, all who were infected were cured.
"And to think, the cure was with us the entire time!" The Southern Guardian exclaimed. "Thank you Princess. We are indebted to you." Every centaur bowed his or her head in thanks, and Cassandra bowed in return. The Southern Guardian placed a vial in her hand. "This, my princess, is a gift from us to you. So long as this vial is near you, you cannot be killed by the gods. Good luck on the rest of your Tasks and with your child."
Cassandra bowed. "I am more than happy to help, and I would do it again. Thank you for giving me a chance." She was the vision every princess should be, gracious and understanding.
She reached over to embrace Floberus. "Thank you, my friend. I could not have done it without you." He embraced her back. "Of course. Don't forget about us and maybe come visit me someday." She beamed. "I will. You are also welcome to visit me as well. Take care." She kissed his cheek, making him blush.
The atmosphere shifted as the sun rose higher in the sky. Looking to her right, Cassandra saw Queen Ina again, looking mildly impressed. "Well, it would seem that you really are more than the average fey! Well done. Even gods could not heal them." She stepped forward. "Your next task is to find the Golden Fleece and present it to me. Be warned, it is not easy. The sheep from which you will sheer it off of is dangerous and will hurt you if you get close to it. You have one week. Good luck, princess."
Cassandra's surroundings changed, leaving her in a vastly different environment. This time, she was not in a forest, but on the middle of an island. Hearing her Mother-In-Law's cackling in the distance, she settled down to get some sleep before doing her second task.
