Disclaimer: I do not own the "Avalon: Web of Magic/Quest for Magic" series, or the song "The Loon", they belong to Rachel Roberts and Aesma Daeva respectively.

Upon the lake, upon the windless water
Swim down to me, beautiful bird
Mercy, stay not forever out of reach
I hear, I hear your evening song
Strange alien song

Ruin placed several colorless crystals on the stone table in front of him. He was in the magic room again, the only room in the palace he had inherited from his noble fairy aunt that was not furnished in expensive white marble, elegant furniture, and rare paintings. He smiled to himself as he thought of his own kind, fairies--The ones at the court were silly creatures, always fighting amongst each other and the other courts (which, he noted, was good for him as it would allow him to take over while the royals were busy with their stupid quarrels). However, there were fairy societies here on Aldenmor, though they tended to be distant from the court and very critical of monarchies. Ruin's aunt had been a very isolated woman, preferring to be with her spellbooks and bonded pegasus than with other creatures. Ruin had been her favorite nephew, what with the two being very similar in nature and their never-ending desire to learn all they could.

Watered in blood in which I sink and drown
In flesh and by shackled flora-bound,
Feed the ache of this exile's alien song.
I hear, I hear your evening song

The sorcerer brought his thoughts away from his beloved aunt and other fairies to carefully place the crystals in various designs, copied from an ancient, leather-bound, yellow-paged book. The spell was simple, written in modern Aquatanian, and would serve his purposes quite well. As Ruin said the watery, ocean-like words, he noticed with satisfaction that the crystals began glow softly, emitting a pale, white glow to help out the failing candle in the otherwise dark room. Ruin placed the final gem, a small, lackluster amethyst, and waited. Unchain me
Mercy, don't abandon me

Spirit bird, unbind my withered limbs
And cut me from this torment

The faint glow gradually grew to cover the stone walls of the room with its warm light. Violet and white energy pulsed from the crystals, mixing and sparking. Ruin watched with curious eyes, and was delighted when the magic settled down and the crystals disintegrated to a fine powder. The sorcerer reached out a hand and brushed the powder from the table into a small velvet bag, leaving behind some of the glittering dust.


Arrayed in pearl, blushing illuminate deep wounds
Vast seas that rack and crash
Moonlight upon my throat

Tempest black

"More, Ruin?" Setia asked in his head. She had remained deadly silent while he was doing this, perched behind him on a particularly rocky part of the wall. Ruin turned and held the bag out to her. The gargoyle snatched it with an outstretched claw and tied the tiny golden ropes to her wrist, with Ruin's help.

"Yes, Setia. Emily must continue to get the visions, she is crucial to my plan."


Mercy, stay not forever
I suffer your endless song
Here I choke

Emily, Adriane, Kara, and a few magical animals sat in the tiny living room of the cottage, talking about Emily's visions. Adriane and Emily were discussing who this "Ruin" might be, when Kara suddenly became very quiet as she stroked Lyra's spotted fur. The cat turned her understanding green eyes on her bonded, waiting for her to say something.

Replume, refire, ravage my unholy ghost
My heavenly mate, burning bright
Bloat and cry out, flame in the infinite
For all the world is spirit furnace

"Do you know where you were?"

Both of the other mages stopped speaking. Emily thought for a moment, straining her mind to remember what the mansion in the dream-like sequence had looked like, but she shook her head. "There were no windows, not any that I could see, anyway."

Ozzie suddenly jumped up excitedly. "There was a giant palace like that deep in the woods of Farthingdale! It belonged--and may still belong--to a lone fairy woman by the name of Dormarie."

Emily glanced at him. "The person I saw in the vision was a man," she said.

Ozzie's eyes sparkled. "My cousin once did a small job for many years ago--She had a nephew."

Old age, my god, love, and white this blizzard night
All songs strangle under ice, flame out, and die
Forsaken evermore; linger frozen everlasting song

There you go... The newest chapter of "Cassandra"! I really need to update this more often if I want to finish it on time...