Leta looked on as Cassandra ate the fruit salad that Lia had prepared for the two of them. The young fawn could not take her curious eyes away from the scar that the brunette had been so proudly displaying ever since that terrible fight. As violent as the sealed opening on her friend's head appeared, the girl found herself unalarmed by the sight of it. She was more intrigued than repulsed.
"So, all your sisters have the same scars?" Leta asked, her fork idling inside her bowl.
Cassandra, meanwhile, was eager to scarf down whatever food she could eat. The woman's appetite was still in full swing. It was one of the things about her life in Castle Dimitrescu that seemed to have survived its journey to Locwitary. Or, maybe, she was always a hungry lady in her past life before that.
"Mhmm," she replied with a mouthful of greens, nodding her head as her amber eyes turned to the girl. She finished up her chewing and swallowed it down. A swift clearing of her throat, followed by a cup of water. "Bela and Daniela each had their own scars under their hoods, just like we all had this as well." She pointed to the rose tattoo on her forehead.
"What did your sisters think about it?"
"Hmm…" Cassandra rested her cheek on her palm as she looked around the room, swaying her fork around the rim of the bowl. "I don't know. We never talked about it with each other. Bela's hood came down once outside in the courtyard one summer. A strong wind knocked it back, and one of the servants saw it."
"What happened after?" Knowing the truth of what things took place inside that castle, there was a grim feeling that arose inside Leta's heart.
Cassandra already sensed that the child anticipated a terrible fate for the poor woman – and she was right. Saving her young friend from having to re-live the brutal visions that she endured, the brunette opted to change the conversation altogether. "Bela got angry, but it was the kind of anger she had whenever she didn't do something right. I think we all viewed our scars the same way at the time. I thought mine was ugly, but, I don't think that anymore."
Leta's face appeared more optimistic, now that she was hearing Cassandra's tone of voice grow more upbeat. It took her mind off the bloody reality of her friend's past – as Cassandra had intended. "What changed your mind?"
Lia materialized out of nowhere, appearing beside the table. Her eyes quickly found their way to Cassandra, coupled with a smile across her face. "Enjoying the food?"
"You got me to eat a salad," Cassandra replied as she stabbed her fork through more of the plants and nertefs. "So, I'm sure you know what I think."
The fawn grinned as she retained eye contact. "I'll take that as a compliment."
Her little sister pointed to an open chair on the other end of the table. "Lia, do you wish to eat with us as well?"
"I would, Leta, but I must help Milo study this paper that Cassandra and I found." Lia used her finger to take control of Leta's fork, stabbing more food through it for her. "And besides, there are no more nertefs to use for the salad."
Cassandra raised an eyebrow. "We're out already? We just got them a few hours ago."
"Uhm…" Lia's lips rolled into her mouth as her brow creased. "Sorry…"
"You ate them all this quickly?!" Leta shouted in disbelief while Cassandra broke out into a laugh.
With a short giggle of her own, Lia raised her finger in the air and signaled her departure. "Uh, I must go! I can sense Milo needing my help!"
"Wait…" Cassandra put her fork down. "Is there anything worth knowing about that newspaper?"
Lia's amused attitude calmed down as she focused on the more serious matters at hand. She shrugged her right shoulder as she ran her finger along the strands of hair behind her ear. "Pertaining to your situation…no," she said. "However, there is an article that you would be interested in. Something about this region called the Arklay Mountains. If you like hunting, it sounds like some dangerous things are living in there."
"When I'm done eating with Leta, I'll probably join you and give it a look."
"Milo's still combing through it," Lia gestured toward the rooms further down the long hallway. "I've never seen him so interested in writings before."
"I guess not-so-current events were an unexpected hobby for him, after all," Cassandra remarked with a snicker.
"I must admit…" Lia said as she thought about the stories and images the newspaper held. "Your world truly is an incredible place. The things it has are the likes of which I could have never imagined. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't jealous."
"Your world is peaceful, Lia. I don't know much about mine, but I can only assume that everyone in it is looking for what yours has."
The fawn stood still, processing what had been told to her. She squinted her eyes, closing them before grinning a short smile. "Yeah," she spoke with a breath of fresh air. "Locwitary is pretty beautiful." She straightened out her gown, directing her head back toward where Milo was. "I must go, for now. I hope you two enjoy your food."
"Thanks, Lia," Cassandra smiled.
Leta dug her fork deeper into her bowl. "Please don't eat the rest of the fruit, Lia."
Her older sister giggled. "No promises." A flash of blue overtook the room before she disappeared, leaving nothing but a few particles in her wake.
"Ah…" Cassandra went in for another bite. "I'll never understand how she does that."
"I can't wait to learn," Leta remarked. The little girl seemed excited at the prospect of the future that awaited her regarding her abilities. It meant a lot of learning in the future; devoting the necessary time to master the art of her magic. Maybe, Cassandra wondered, it wasn't her powers themselves that she was excited about, but rather, being able to spend more time with her older sister.
"You have a great teacher," she replied. "You're going to be the best fawn in the world after she's done with you."
"Lia knows so much." Leta took a bite of her salad, ingesting it quickly with a swig of water to help guide it down. "When I was younger, she was always practicing her magic, morning until night. Whenever she wasn't taking care of me, she was reading." She stabbed some more greens. "I hope I grow up to be as smart as her."
"You are. In fact, you're the smartest kid I've ever met. I wish I could be there to see you become like her."
Leta's face lowered with a sense of gloom. She looked like she had been hit with disappointment, though the way she tapped her fork against the bowl signified nothing surprising. Cassandra did not hesitate to pick up on it, asking what was wrong. The girl merely took a bite of her food to simmer her thoughts. It didn't help, as she was left staring down at the half-eaten salad.
The young fawn set down her fork and twiddled her fingers, eliciting the smallest of particles from their tips. "I going to miss you when you leave."
Leta…
"Hey," Cassandra adopted a soft voice. "I'm not leaving right now, so don't be so upset."
"I know, it's just that…" Leta sighed just like any child would be when faced with the prospect of losing contact with someone they cherished so deeply. "I just don't want to lose a friend."
"No matter where I am, I will always be your friend, Leta." Cassandra tried to reassure her that all would be well, even though she knew otherwise.
"I'm not stupid," Leta stated directly; albeit in a friendly manner. She made it clear that in this case, honesty was what she wanted more than a comforting lie. "I know when you leave that you're not coming back. Lia and Milo have both told me how the realms work, and I know my sister is going to figure out how to get you home. I asked her if she could ever bring you back, and she said that she couldn't. It'll be like you were never here."
"No," Cassandra extended her hands across the table for her to hold onto. Leta instinctively reached out and gripped the top of her fingers, allowing the brunette to curl them into her palm. "It's not going to be like that. When I go home, I am never going to forget about the friendship we had. I wasn't lying when I told you that. I'm not going home the same woman I was when I arrived here, Leta. You will always be my first, real friend."
The girl's brows furrowed as she stared at her with the widest puppy-dog eyes that a child could muster. It was such a cute sight, though heartbreaking at the same time. "Promise?" She asked, hoping that there was no room for the brunette to fall back on her words.
"I promise."
Leta continued to hold onto her friend's pale fingers; her eyes fixating on the same hands that had ended so many lives before her. She winced after a quick flash of the brutal violence played out in her head. It was still so hard to believe that this was the same woman who had tortured and maimed all those helpless young women.
"What's wrong?"
"You're not going to kill anyone when you get home, are you?"
…
Cassandra's mouth opened as she tried to swallow a breath of air down her throat. It was that hard-hitting question that she was not prepared for. There were so many reasons why it swept her off her feet and dragged her through the dirt. She held no belief that she would ever find herself in the same sadistic mindset that had carried her through so many years inside that castle. There was no going back after the revelations that Locwitary had revealed to her.
Back then it was so easy to live in the lies when it was all she had known – no kindness or encouragement to sway her into doing better.
What really got her was how much Leta feared the loss of her friend occurring not just in a physical form – but mentally. She had seen the old Cassandra and ran in fear, and it was nothing short of a miracle that a girl her age had decided to forgive someone who had been such a monster. It was the fear of betrayal that beckoned her to ask; as any child would ask a parent if they were going to be coming home after a long day out.
They wanted to believe, but they could never be too sure because they feared the outcome so greatly.
Cassandra could not validate such fears.
She tightened her grip around Leta's hands, pulling her in close as her amber eyes stayed locked onto hers. If Cassandra could ever have been more sincere in her words – it was now. "Listen to me: I will never hurt anyone ever again. I was made into something horrible and I played that part well, but not anymore. I'm going to change what I've done, and rectify as much of the damage as I can."
She thought about the sickle that had been propped up against her bedroom wall ever since she had gotten here. With all of the changes that have come her way, the weapon, which was once a prized possession, stained with the souls of many departed at its sharp edge, had been reduced to a relic of terrible memories. She could hardly stand the sight of it, let alone wish to hold it again.
Cassandra understood what would be expected of her once she returned home. She'd have to pretend that she was the same daughter that Alcina had expected her to be. She'd have to feign the persona of a cruel witch with no soul, only to act in the shadows to unravel the evil that the castle perpetrated. Her sisters would still be stuck in their vicious ways, but if she could figure out how to change them, then she could break out of the façade.
However, playing that part could not mean mercilessly taking another life. The maids there would have to be saved, and she could not live with committing another act of murder. That sickle may have to be placed back in her hand, but by all she stood for, it would not run red with blood.
There was so much to do. So much to plan for. She wondered how in over her head she would be. Miranda's plot would have to be brought to light. The villagers would need to be saved. Alcina could not be allowed to control Bela and Daniela with her lies.
Everything was not guaranteed – success, especially. The only thing that she could count on was that she would be a force for good, instead of evil.
Her only concern was if it was enough good to triumph over all that evil.
"I am not going to kill anyone, Leta. My promise to you is stronger than these realms."
Leta's eyes glanced at her fingers with another bout of curiosity. It was the same inquisitive glare that Lia would have whenever she touched the brunette's face.
"What is it, Leta?"
"I believe you," the girl said, moving her fingers around inside Cassandra's hand. "It's just that, I can feel something in my hand. It's weird. I've never felt anything like it before."
"What do you feel?"
"It feels like confidence." Leta's fingers exuded another round of tiny particles that floated above them, escaping out the cracks of her friend's pale hands. "I think I feel how you are feeling, right now. If you were lying, I wouldn't be feeling this."
That's the same thing Lia can do.
A smile brimmed on Cassandra's face as she realized how the next step in Leta's development was unfolding before her very eyes. "You're going to be just like your sister. I'm so proud of you."
The young fawn shared the same expression as she heard that. "Thank you," she replied with a display of content glee. It was like a mental reward that had been sought after for so long. She was happy to have her friend by her side, and her older sister willing to lower her walls and work with her. It gave Leta hope for the future that lay ahead – something that used to be so uncertain.
The two would finish their food and spend the next hour trading stories about their lives. It was a reminder of their first friendly conversation in those woods just days ago. For such a young soul, Leta continued to display such remarkable maturity. Her childish nature was still alive and well; evident in her laughter and clapping whenever she became excited. Cassandra couldn't stop herself from doing the same things whenever they appeared. The girl was so heartwarming in the way she acted that it never failed to bring out the same in those around her.
She was truly the pinnacle of innocence in a reality where such horrible things can happen. It was no wonder how someone like her was able to undo the travesty that was the brunette's life. Never in a million years did she think she could have ever been turned away from her evil ways, but Leta had accomplished the impossible.
To Cassandra – she was someone worth fighting for.
The hour was growing late. It was going to be another day in Locwitary down in the books. Roughly four or five since she had arrived here. At first, the mere hours ticked by slowly. This place had come off as an endless hell that slowed time down to the very last millisecond. Now, after everything she had embraced, time flew by like it was nothing.
It was easy to see the Specter Moons rise and fall at this rate. In the back of her mind, she believed it was because time understood when someone was enjoying themselves. Good moments only lasted for so long, and since she was in the middle of them, it was time to kick it into high gear and floor the machine. Cassandra didn't care. She was too lost in the happiness to think about its conclusion. There was a sense of how wonderfully platonic things in this world were becoming. There were routines now, and she loved each of them.
Dinner was going to occur later, and she was looking forward to some more of Milo's cooking – unlike Lia, who still complained about the man's choices of cuisine. Leta cared to disagree, but like Cassandra, the girl did not have a picky appetite.
Sitting in her chair as she spent the early evening indulging in reading along with Leta when it came to studying her powers, Cassandra watched as Lia practiced her art of window-opening. The fawn appeared to have been honing in on a new technique that she was visibly concentrated on. The book she often clung to was so large, that even a lifetime of reading it was due to miss a thing or two.
Lia had stated that repeated readings were required due to the bias of the reader's interpretation. Fawn teachings, as she described, were meant to be understood as life went on. One would not simply grasp a solid understanding of some concepts at first glance. It was good enough cause to bury one's nose in those pages every night, seeking to pick up on something they may have overlooked once before.
Lia was adamant that she herself had been overlooking something crucial when it came to her windows. As she stood there by the side of the table, her fingers glowed a sharp blue. There was so much power that she was channeling through her veins that trails of smoke could be seen as they emitted from the edges of her nails.
Not a single hint of strain on her face. If her powers had caused her any pain – she did not indicate it. More and more particles condensed as her magic was cast out. Her fingers experimented with different movements, each seeking to sharpen the quality and scope of the world she sought to observe.
Cassandra's world.
The vision was foggy; obtained solely by the memories that Lia had experienced the previous day. As stagnant as the operation appeared, it bore hidden progress deep down. Lia was astonished at how close she was able to cast a view on her own. Without the direct aid of Cassandra's touch, she could now conjure up scenes and close viewpoints of the strange village that the brunette once lived in.
It was hard to tell past the murky obstruction that distorted the viewpoint, but Cassandra could easily pick out the dreary fields that populated the front section of a certain villager's house. The various scarecrows that lined the fields stood as fuzzy sticks, but their shape was unmistakable. Those fixtures weren't just built to ward off crows – but evil as well.
It was ironic that they were unknowingly built to worship the very same evil that their builder had feared so greatly.
The backdrop of the image was grey, signifying another gloomy, winter sky. Pockets of white floated around on the edges of the energy square; snow.
Cassandra's eyes kept finding themselves shifting back to the window that Lia constructed, balancing her attention between the peephole to her world and the book that the youngest fawn was learning from. Lia paid the two no mind, as she was too engrossed in her work. She had to have been making progress, Cassandra thought.
"Leta, can you try making this ball move?" Cassandra retrieved a small yarn sphere from a tiny wooden box that the girl had brought out to help her study. It was a common set of tools for a young fawn; ones seemingly adapted from poil craftsmanship, as Lia had mentioned herself and her peers practicing with rocks and sticks.
Twiddling her fingers so that she may find greater control of her energy, Leta's green eyes glanced at the ball in her friend's hand. She took a breath, preparing herself for what may be a difficult task. She wanted to succeed, but in the past, her efforts had often resulted in nothing more than a scolding from Lia. With Cassandra here and a reconnection between the two fawns themselves, the girl found doubt that things would go bad if she failed.
The two women had promised the child that times would be better – now, she had to promise herself that.
"Okay…" Leta held her hand out to the ball and concentrated as hard as she could. Particles began to materialize from the tips of her fingers; appearing all the way down to her palm before her skin cast a bright blue aura less than an inch away from it. The glow morphed into a tiny flame that hovered around in the air – balanced by an unseen force.
The child appeared stable as she focused everything she could on the little prop, which Cassandra had allowed to rest by itself in the middle of the table. The brunette wanted to encourage her, but she had decided to utilize silence so that the girl would not be distracted. Leta clenched her teeth and squinted her eyes, reducing her breathing to long draws as the forces that propelled from outside her hand began to stretch out.
The flame only went so far, but as Cassandra's eyes drifted down to the target, she watched in awe as the ball started to vibrate. There was no questioning that it was Leta's magic at work. With each flick of her dainty fingers, the sphere turned slightly and bobbled along in its place. She was gaining control little by little, sprouting additional particles from her hand as she did so.
Great job, Leta! You got this!
The ball suddenly began to spin in place in a clockwise fashion, picking up speed as the energy the fawn exuded wrapped itself around it. It did not move from its spot, but the yarn bundle's rotation jumped to a fast pace. Cassandra could see the potential for the item to mirror a bullet, but she hesitated to interfere at first. It was only when the individual strands of yarn blurred into the greater beige shape of the ball as it spun that she found her concerns growing.
That looks like it's moving way too fast…
The spere only increased in speed as Leta closed her eyes, diverting every fiber of her mental track to the flow of the magic that coursed through her veins. She was too entuned with her abilities that the influx of energy was becoming too great. The ball spun faster and faster, creating a whipping sound as it began to smoke. Seconds multiplied the intensity, and Cassandra had to act.
"Leta, wait…"
The fawn's concentration immediately broke, and as soon as it did, the ball shot off the table and toward her sister. Lia's focus on the window she projected may have been great, but her senses were even greater. By the time the ball hurtled in her direction, she flashed out of the way, just in time to prevent the bundle from striking her. The window she had conjured dissipated upon her departure, and Cassandra and Leta were left in shock, wondering if she had been struck.
Another blue flash appeared from the edge of the table, and Lia was now seen standing there beside her nervous sister. Leta lowered her head; the sense that she had failed once again alive and well inside her chest. With a click of her tongue, the older fawn kept her eyes on her sibling.
In earlier times, the child would have received a barrage of verbal let-downs, degrading her for her inability to accomplish what should have been basic skills. It was a reaction born from multiple instances of the same, and today shouldn't have been any different.
Leta spoke quietly as she kept her head down, "I'm sorry."
Against all her expectations, Lia's initial aggravation quickly subsided as she sighed and knelt beside her. Leta's eyes turned to her with a curved brow above them as she reacted with a hint of shock. Cassandra watched as the two fawns held one another's hands, touching foreheads as the older sibling consoled the younger one.
"Don't be sorry," Lia responded softly. "I've made that mistake countless times. It's all part of growing up as a fawn – a surge, especially." She withdrew her forehead from Leta's, turning her shining green eyes to the girl. A stray tear formed along Leta's left eye, but her sister was quick to wipe it away. "Don't cry. You're making me so proud. Your mistakes are part of your learning, and I can't wait to see the woman you will become someday."
In an instant, Leta's sadness went away and she wrapped her arms around Lia, giddy as ever to hear the encouragement that she yearned for. "Thank you, Lia!"
Cassandra happily looked on at the sight in front of her.
Those two truly are sisters. It's so perfect.
A giggle passed through Lia's white teeth as she rested her chin atop Leta's bushy head of hair. "As always, dear sister. How about we attempt this again?"
"Yes!" Leta released herself, hopping up from her seat. "Cassandra, did you see where that ball went?"
"Hmm…" The brunette peeked under the table, to no avail. Her eyes turned to the rest of the wide-open library as she scanned around for the item. The bookshelves could not have retained such a thing. It would have bounced right off the stacks of books that were lined up against each other, leaving not even the smallest of cracks for something to hide. The floor was free from clutter, and the training ball would have stood out against the grey, stone floor.
Where is it?
The projectile had shot off at such a fast speed that it should have made a sound the moment it impacted something. The more Cassandra and Lia aided in the search, the longer they found themselves fruitlessly maneuvering about the room. There was nothing.
I didn't hear it strike anything. It was moving so fast; I wouldn't be surprised if one of those books exploded. Huh…nothing at all.
"Lia," Cassandra turned to her friend. "Can you sense Leta's energy or anything like that?"
"That's the thing…" The fawn seemed oddly puzzled, if not perplexed as ever. Her eyebrows pressed together as her mind ran every equation that it could possibly muster. What was a normal search for Cassandra was something more to this woman. "I can sense Leta's energy. It leaves a trail in its wake, just like every other fawn after they perform an act. I'm sensing it right now…and it just disappears right over there."
She pointed to where she had been standing. There was no impact on the books. In fact; Cassandra previously could not even see the books at all. They had been obscured by the window that Lia had put up.
The window…
Cassandra stood there, stunned as the circumstances molded into a distinct possibility. "Lia…are you suggesting…"
There was hesitation in her voice as she slowly breathed in and out. Her eyes fell to her hands, desperately trying to make sense out of what had happened. The only conclusion that she had come to was the same one that Cassandra had. The only one that added up.
"Yeah," she replied, the shakiness in her voice rattling along. "I don't think it's in this world anymore…"
Milo and Lia both combed through the portion of the book that Lia had been studying before her attempt at conjuring up the window. The fawn's slender finger passed through each column of hand-written words, searching for the directions that she had been given. She had to have read those words countless times, but every swipe was akin to her first go-around at seeing it.
To her right, Milo stood by, anxiousness rising inside him as he paced around with his hand gracing his beard. "Are you sure it went through the window?" He asked Lia.
The fawn did not respond at first, but it was clear that she heard him. Her finger went from page to page, still unable to find what she was looking for.
"Lia?" Milo called out again.
"Just…wait!" Her eyes shifted from left to right, still scanning for anything that could yield a clue. "Ugh! I don't know…maybe." She rose to breathe. "It had to have gone through. We've been searching for the ball for so long. It's nowhere to be found."
Milo remained adamant about eliminating every potential explanation. As much as he wanted to believe that the window had become a door, he needed to be sure that it was the only rational answer left. He had tossed a million possibilities at the fawn – all of which she denied. "Did Leta's magic burn the yarn ball into ashes?"
"No." Lia stepped away from the book and over to her sister's hands, inspecting them for any sign of burns. "She has no blisters. There's nothing that indicates her fire turned hot. I saw that ball come toward me; it was still intact."
Leta gazed at her sister with a nervous feeling washing over her. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, Leta." Lia shook her head before she got up and returned to her book. "You might have done something right."
Milo approached her from behind, peering down at whatever page it was that she was reading. "Have you ever tested the threshold of these windows? Do you think something has always been able to go through?"
"I can promise you that when I cast a window, the energy is only reflecting what the realms are showing," Lia told him as she returned to scouring the pages. "There is no way something could enter that plane of travel."
Cassandra, who had been observing the entire exchange between them with great curiosity, could not stay silent as she sat in her chair. She wanted to be a part of this – especially because it was her world that the window had been viewing. "You were trying something with my memories, correct?"
"Yes, I was," Lia said to her as her eyes stayed on the paper.
"Has any fawn ever viewed the memories of someone from another world before?"
"Never."
There was an idea that spawned inside Cassandra's head. She remembered the stories of the Dagger of Death's Flowers that had been told to her. A weapon that harnessed the magic of countless fawns that was able to tear through the barrier of these realms, cutting a path through to her world. The rift, in reality, had caused a devastating explosion, taking the fawn who held it into the abyss.
That dagger transferred its energy into me. It brought me here. I died, but I didn't.
"Lia…" Cassandra got up from her chair and walked over to her. Milo and Leta didn't say a word as they watched her take her place at the edge of the table. "What if the way to reach my world isn't dependent on your powers? What if it's me?"
Lia seemed unphased. "That's why I'm looking into your memories. I need to make a connection to that dagger. If I somehow tap into its energy, then I could hopefully bridge these realms."
"That's what I'm getting at." Cassandra tapped her finger against the table, snatching the fawn's attention in the process. "What if the dagger left enough power inside me to link our worlds? If that dagger caused so much damage cutting through those barriers, then maybe it had too much power."
There was a stillness in Milo's eyes as he listened to what the brunette had said. It wasn't just a momentary processing of words that halted his previous mindset. There was something in the way he looked at the ground that gave light to the idea that his whole world had been flipped upside down. Cassandra glanced at him as she herself pondered the gravity of what she had said.
The man tilted his head, raising his finger to his chest as he turned in one direction but switched around to the opposite. He didn't know where to go. All he knew was that he couldn't just stand around. Lia took notice and stopped what she was doing. "Milo?" The fawn looked at him.
"My biggest concern…" His brown eyes met with hers. "It was that you would hurt yourself with these powers with yours."
"I know how to manage my powers, Milo," Lia reminded him. "You don't have to worry."
"Yes," Milo agreed. "But, it isn't about that. Remember when you first saw Cassandra's memories? Remember how it affected you?"
"Yes?" Lia looked around the room, unsure of what he was trying to say.
"You haven't fallen into weakness after touching her since, have you?"
Lia shook her head, reflecting on how many times she had physical contact with the brunette. Even the kiss she planted on Cassandra's lips did nothing to inject uncontrollable shudders across her nervous system. When they first held hands, the cascade of visions bombarded her with a strength that she had never yet seen before. She wondered why such a thing had occurred, rationalizing that her friend's other-worldly qualities were the prime cause.
When Leta had been affected later on, Lia had found herself too lost in her anger to think about it any further. Even now, her concerns fell on raising Leta as a surge. The girl's powers had undoubtedly revealed themselves much later than they should have, but it made sense that a surge would have been more sensitive to touch compared to a normal fawn.
That had to have been why her sister's previous interactions with Cassandra did not yield any traumatic visions – her powers were not at a suitable level. The more Lia thought about it, the more she realized that Cassandra had always been a source of strange power in this realm. She had been too caught up in hatred and love to understand it.
Milo spoke again, "What if you can draw the strength you need from her?"
Lia faced Cassandra, eyeing her as she debated such a thing. "I still don't understand what you mean. I've experimented with my windows before, even after I've held Cassandra's hand. Nothing. How could this be different?"
The brunette shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know." She threw caution to the wind and briefly pulled down her gown's collar, exposing the scar along her left breast. "Touch this, and let me know if you feel something. You can sense my emotions; can you sense anything else?"
Lia's eyes fell on the scar before she shook her head again. This was all nonsense to her. "I've never felt anything else besides your emotions, Cassandra. Believe me, I've searched, and nothing else is there. If you – ugh, fine." She extended her fingers and graced the curve of her breast, riding the bumpy ridge of the fused skin with the tips of her digits. It was the epicenter of where the dagger had struck her. If there was any energy left to be felt, it would be there.
Nothing.
"I'm sorry, Cassandra," Lia said as she withdrew her hand. "I can't sense a single thing."
The brunette took the fawn's hand and placed it against the large scar on her temple. It had previously unleashed another horde of visions, so it was worth a try, in her eyes. Physical contact had caused such chaotic outcomes in the beginning, so why wouldn't they continue to work? There was only one explanation that Cassandra could come up with.
"Do you still feel anything?" She asked.
"No."
"Maybe you absorbed my power. Can a fawn do that?"
Lia immediately pulled her hand away and returned to her book with urgency. Cassandra had only expected to receive a yes or no, but the way the fawn's eyes lit up left her wondering just what exactly did she ask? Even Milo was perplexed at the reaction. He leaned over, peering at the pages that she frantically searched through.
This time – Lia knew what to look for.
The mounds of paper turned until her hand came to a sudden stop on one in particular. Her finger slammed against the top left corner, skimming through the written texts in a desperate search for the information she sought.
Milo could not remain silent. "What are you searching for?"
A quick shush from the fawn was all he got as she traced her finger across every line. Another flip of the page and her forefinger stopped, pounding the most important line of them all. Lia promptly stood up; book in hand. "Yes!" Her voice was elated with eagerness, but before she could continue, she breathed to relax, knowing that what she was about to say had to be clear and concise.
"Fawns can absorb energy," she began. "It goes with our healing. Siphoning the energy from a consenting person, and transferring it to us is how fawns can heal another fawn's wounds. The dagger has fawn magic, and I must have sub-consciously accepted it when I held your hand. It gave me those memories of yours and I took too much." Her eyes narrowed as she processed her own words.
Lia went from speaking to them – to speaking to herself, "It overwhelmed me, but I stopped in time. I got stronger, and then I could sense the memories from…that thing." Her eyes shifted to the scar on Cassandra's head where the cadou had been implanted. She approached the brunette and touched it again. This time, she scanned for something different.
Not memories – but origin.
"Something doesn't feel right about what this thing is, Cassandra." Lia moved her hand around in various spots across the large scar.
Leta sat there with parted lips and confusion spread across her face. "What thing?" Cassandra glanced at her with unease.
Lia's fingers became warm as she dove deeper for information. "I took this thing's energy as well. It was residual, just like you. It's dead…just…just like you."
Cassandra rolled her eyebrows upon having to hear that phrase once again. "I know I died, but –"
"You died twice," Lia said. "Once before you changed, and the second; after you were killed with the dagger. This organism died as well, but it hasn't come back. The energy of the dagger brought you here, because…"
"Because what?" Cassandra asked.
"Because transferred fawn energy doesn't die," Lia said with revelation looming over her. "It outlives the fawns who possessed it." She held the page that she had been reading up to Cassandra's face. The illustrations showed the dagger with blue lines etched inside of it; signifying the magic that had flowed from within. "The dagger's metal was strong because the metal is solidified fawn energy. So many fawns banded together to create it and it acts like a collection of their powers. As it is separate from you, your body seems to be host to the energy – not the organism."
She shut the book, returning her eyes to the brunette's head. "Just like that organism is a collection of others. Organisms that do that are not found in this realm – nor yours. Milo tested your blood after you were bitten by that dhin, and I helped him. I don't know what else was in that blood, but it was something – something dormant. Whatever those women put inside you, part of it was not from your realm at all."
Is she saying that those 'cadou' creatures… Wait – the Black God. Miranda has always said she came into contact with it. She never shut up about that. Her powers. My powers. Is it…
Cassandra had to sit back down. Her breaths were growing tighter. Milo pulled up a chair for her, which she quickly accepted. Leta approached the brunette, taking her by the forearm as she comforted her. "It's okay, Leta. I'm alright. It's just that, I think everything is starting to make sense now."
"What is this thing inside your head?" The girl wanted to know.
Cassandra swallowed her nerves. "In my world, this evil woman, who led our community, worshipped something she called the Black God. She said she touched it and it bestowed upon her all these powers. She and another woman took me and two other women from the village as slaves to one of her people. We were implanted with some organism that changed us into what you saw. That was why I could turn into all those insects, because I became one with it. The only thing is, that evil woman was also one with it. And if I'm not mistaken, there are organisms in other realms that live to infect others."
"Yes, but…" Leta stammered, anxiety brewing as she stared at the peaceful, loving woman beside her who had defied such barbarous qualities. "Lia says they can't leave their realms."
The elder fawn stepped in. "Unless something opens them up. Something like that dagger – or whatever else those fawns and poils worked on."
Cassandra tilted her head. "Was there another dagger?"
"Some say there was, but it allegedly blew apart upon using it. There were cracks in the air, according to what my book says. I wouldn't be surprised if pieces of that metal found their way into other realms. If that wasn't enough to allow one of those infectious organisms to squeeze through, the dagger itself created a massive rift and found itself in your world. Maybe, something else followed it."
Cassandra gulped as she thought about the repercussions of such an event. The effects of the cadou were prominent, but in terms of crossing realms, she only arrived in Locwitary following her death because of that dagger. It was no wonder why such an artifact had enough power to transfer her body back to the world of its origin. However, the chance that it may have created an opening from another realm into her own, was a frightening thought.
It was even more frightening to suspect that part of her body may have been infused with the characteristics of something so lethal.
"But, the realms have filters, right?" Cassandra asked, curious if something willingly trying to cross through would even survive such an attempt.
"Yes," Lia affirmed. "But those filters mean nothing if someone were to open a pathway to another realm. At that point – it may be able to enter with everything it has."
Whatever entity the Black God was; its reach was only limited to her mountainous region. Cassandra found solace in the fact that the rest of her world may have been safe from its infection. If so – then the threat of it was minimal, hopefully.
Despite the circumstances; she could only remain thankful that the perfect storm of events had taken place that allowed her to come here. Not only did she get a second chance to discover who she was, but she also stood another chance at life. She could return to her world and save her sisters.
If only –
"Lia, can we try to open up the window again?"
The fawn appeared hesitant for the moment, but as she looked on at Milo and Leta – both of whom believed in her – she sighed and nodded. "Take my hand," she instructed. "The technique I was practicing requires me to channel my energy in a spiral pattern. I was aiming to be more precise with the window, but I can only channel it like that for so long. If I take your hand and draw from you, I can perhaps re-open it again."
"Let's do it." Cassandra held out her hand and Lia took hold of it. Using her left arm, the fawn held her fingers apart before she slowly pinched them together. Blue particles were already beginning to come out from her skin when the brunette felt the warmth radiating from her palm. On top of that; she could also feel the flow of her own strength as it funneled through her forearm.
Lia had to have been taking it from her, she thought. It was a vampiric act, but one done with the sole purpose of good. The steady tide of magic pulsated through Cassandra's veins in a controlled manner. The fawn knew not to take too much too fast so that her friend would not become weak – nor would she herself fall ill like the last time.
As she swashed her hand around in the air, taking long breaths as she did so, Lia's magic created an ovular window that displayed the snowy village landscape. The whisking wind was unmistakable, coupled with the shadowy figures that casually moved about; performing work around the land. They weren't Lycans – they were people.
Lia concentrated harder as the quality of the window sharpened and the details of the village became clearer. Milo looked on at the land, gazing at how similar both this community and Acomb were.
He chuckled a small breath from his lungs. "Our worlds are not so different, aren't they?"
Sweat began to appear on Lia's brow as she fought against the influx of energy that rebounded inside her. Her powers heightened the effects of what otherwise had gone unnoticed; acting as a flame to gunpowder.
There was no time to allow such a flame to grow out of control.
Leta picked up another ball out from the training box, aiming it at the window as she prepared herself to throw it upon command. As the window reached its peak of clarity, the young girl cocked her arm back – ready to send it straight ahead.
But before she could – a mound of snow came falling out from the bottom of the window and onto the castle floor. Lia immediately jolted back; cutting the connection between her and Cassandra and shutting the window down. Everyone in the room was in shock at what they had just seen. There was no questioning what had happened, but the alien substance kept the Locwitarians in the room at a distance.
Lia shuddered as she pointed to the piles of white that had plopped onto the stone floor. "That's snow, correct? It's bad, isn't it?"
"It's…" Cassandra paused as she stared at it. She wanted to say it was; given how it had been her mortal enemy throughout all her years inside that castle. She remembered the visions that Lia had shown her of her past life. How she stood out in the cold, still standing despite the temperature.
It was only another way Alcina and Miranda had stolen her freedom from her. They made the outside world a deadly thing. Such a trait was reserved for only the most captive of prisoners.
Ingenious – if intentional.
Convenient – if accidental.
All the limitations that the harsh temperatures caused her were nothing but a product of Miranda's heartless experiments on her. It was hard to shake the fears of what came so naturally. She knew that standing inside this library, the way she was now, the snow was nothing more to her than what it would have been to any other human – cold, and nothing else.
The brunette said nothing as she walked up to the pile in front of her, reaching down to touch it. Her hand stopped just a few inches before her fingers could come into contact with white. So many years of fear.
So many years to undo.
Cassandra dug her hand into the snow, feeling the freezing blast of the sub-zero temperature inside it. Her skin went partially numb, but there was no agonizing pain. No weakness in her body crippling under the freezing substance. She pulled her hand out, staring at the tiny flakes that melted onto her skin.
"It's fine," she said. Lia took her up on her word and walked up to her, placing her hand on top of the brunette's shoulder.
"I think this is it, Cassandra," she said with a sad tone, knowing the path that had now been made possible. "I guess this is where you leave us."
Cassandra closed her eyes as she rubbed her fingers against her palm, shaking off the last remnants of the snow in her hand. With a slow grace, she rose and looked back at the three people who helped her out so tremendously over the last couple of days. So many things had happened – good, and bad – that had left a permanent impact on the once sadistic woman's shattered soul.
To think that now was the time to put on her things and go was the most surreal feeling of them all. It was less than a week ago that she was in this very same room; throwing chairs and threatening to kill whoever got in her way. Everyone here had been a complete stranger at the time.
Now, they were a family.
Milo kept quiet as he stared at her, waiting for the inevitable. The man had been just as guarded as she was, but she could see how dismayed he was that Lia's window had finally provided a way back to her world. It was like he was going to lose another person that he cared about; someone who understood him for the man he was.
Lia felt the same way. Her eyes could barely stay on Cassandra as she kept her hands cupped together at her waist. The fawn had to have been very upset; especially considering how her heart had yearned for companionship with the woman. It took a great amount of will to continue to work towards getting her home, even though she had admitted to wanting something that required the total opposite.
Lastly, Leta shared the same amount of disappointment – if not more. The girl nervously played with her fingers, taking a breath as if she had messed something up for herself. Cassandra could see how much she regretted sending the ball into the window. She wanted her friend to stay, and her actions had just expedited her departure. A short sniffle personified what was going on internally, though she tried her best to not show it. She had gone through just as much as Cassandra since this journey began, and as quickly as she was able to gain a friend – she was about to lose one.
I guess Lia's right; I can go home now.
Her eyes scanned around, taking in the feeling of so many things that were left undone here.
They all look so sad. I have to go. I can't stay here.
More silence persisted as they awaited her response. The floor was all hers now. Not a single suggestion to re-direct her.
"Yeah," Cassandra replied. "I guess it's time…"
"Alright." Lia hung her head as she picked up her book from the table and sighed. The fawn appeared to be so defeated, but she ignored her desires in favor of the greater good. "I'll help you gather your things, if you want. We'll meet back down here, and I'll conjure up another window."
The brunette's lips parted before they rolled in, followed by a slow nod that quickly picked up in speed. Her eyes fell to the floor, just like Leta's. "Thank you."
She began to make her way toward the exit of the library; Lia following behind her. Leta could be seen out of the corner of her eye, taking a seat on the chair that her friend had been sitting in. The girl's head sank as Milo came to her side.
This is really it, isn't it? I've been wanting to leave, and now, I'm getting what I wanted.
She approached the exit, facing a long row of stairs that led to the upper rooms. Up there would be her robes, jewelry, and sickle – everything she needed to fall back into her old world.
Just up these stairs and…
"Wait." Cassandra suddenly stopped; her hand raised to halt Lia's advancement. She turned around, glancing at those around her before exhaling. Her saddened brow was on full display. Her eyes carried a dreadful gloom of a woman on the brink of further regret. She was at a crossroads. There was no doubt about it.
"What is it, Cassandra?" Lia asked her.
"Are you sure that you are able to conjure up a window to the same time period? The one you showed me looks sufficient enough. I can still save those villagers. I can possibly save my sisters." Cassandra's amber orbs beckoned her for the truth. "Please, I need to know if this is indeed still possible for me.
Lia's hands curled as she cycled her energy around in her fingers. She could feel the new connection that had been set whenever she learned something new. Her body was unlike that of most surges. It adapted quickly to what it was given. She ran the technique through her memory, feeling a solid link between herself and everything that Cassandra had given her. The window required a tremendous amount of effort, but now that she had learned it, it was no longer impossible – as long as Cassandra was there.
"Yes." She nodded confidently. "I can open it again."
"Good." Cassandra's eyes turned to Leta, who was still sulking on the chair. "Because I remember your sister inviting me to some festivities that Acomb is going to have tomorrow. I wanted to go with her, and if this can wait for another day, then that would be great."
Leta's eyes immediately lit up and the fawn hopped out of her chair and ran up to Lia, tugging on her gown. "Please, Lia! Can we all go? Please?!"
Her sibling's expressionless face quickly morphed into a long smile as she giggled and patted the girl's head. "Yes, of course." Her own gleeful eyes then drifted to the brunette, happy that there was still more time. "If Cassandra wants to stay another day, then we shall."
The brunette chuckled as soon as Leta jumped from Lia and hugged her. "Then I guess we have the rest of the night to enjoy." Her words only excited the child further.
"Oh, yes! Can we play a game together after my studying is over?" Leta continued to beg Lia.
"We can study some other time," Lia told her. "Let's play."
"Yay!" She clapped her hands and ran off to go find something for everyone. Milo couldn't help but laugh as she watched the girl run in circles, unsure of where exactly to go. It reminded him of the days when Julianna was just a kid. The natural sense of joy in a young life could never degrade as generations went by, he believed. Even though his own childhood days were long past, he saw a part of himself in the way Leta carried on.
It was great to know that she had happiness.
Lia took a long breath as she craned her neck at Cassandra, brows furrowed with a soft smile. "Thank you," she spoke quietly.
"No," Cassandra replied. "Thank you."
A snowball immediately struck the fawn on the left side of her neck. In an instant, her body contracted and her eyes shot open wide, mouth agape as she gasped. "What the?!" The intense blast of cold was something that she had never felt, which rendered her into a cringing mess. Cassandra could only laugh as she watched her friend shiver in horror – her younger sister giggling by the snow pile.
"Leta!" Lia screamed.
"I found a fun game!" The girl shouted.
"Oh, you little –" Lia's body disappeared from view, only to re-form beside the snow. Without hesitation, the fawn scooped up a handful of snow for herself, eyes deadlocked on her sister with a mischievous fixation. It was time for revenge.
Leta tried to run, but a swift throw saw the snow breaking apart in the air like a shotgun shell's buckshot. The vast array of snowflakes pelted the child's body, leading to a scream and another giggle.
Cassandra could only stand there and laugh – until Lia used her powers to send a snowball in her direction.
A cold blast struck her in the chest, falling into her gown and down her cleavage. The brunette jolted as she tried to shake off the intense shock of the stuff. "Oh, my…why?!" Lia's laughter found the two trading spots, as she continued to shake the snow out from the bottom of her dress. It trailed across her stomach and thighs, causing Cassandra to perform a pseudo-dance to rid herself of the bulk of the winter's touch.
As soon as she was free of it, she ran to the snow mound and went for her own supply. Lia knew what was coming, and so did Leta. In the span of only a few seconds, all three girls were deadlocked in a snowball fight, hurling as much as they could at each other. Lia summoned her abilities to toss a hefty pile at Cassandra, only to have Leta object.
"Hey! That's cheating!" The girl's defense quickly fell apart as soon as Cassandra betrayed her with a sneak attack – a snowball to the back of the neck.
"No room for a fair fight," the brunette said, still withering from the onslaught that had been tossed her way. Leta huffed as she went for another round of snow, taking it into her palm before she happily added to the stack on Cassandra's head and shoulders.
Milo tried to exit the room before he could be dragged into this game, but Lia was too fast; using her magic to fling another snowball at his head. With a surprised groan, he patted off the chilly mush, smiling back at Lia as she giggled with her hand over her mouth. It was only the start of a very fun night, and he was happy to see the girls enjoying their time together.
It was a night he had always wanted for them.
NOTES:
Another chapter down! So, ever since I first created this story, I was never 100% sure how Lia would be able to bridge the realms. The science of it is virtually unknown, and thus, Cassandra is the only thing that stands out against everything this world knows and understands. Have fawns in Locwitary ever interacted with otherworldly beings before – no.
So, it seems as if her windows offer the chance for Cassandra to pass through and back into her world. Will she retain her powers when she does? Lia's comment about her dying twice is not without merit, and the next chapter will address Cassandra specifically, tying up some more loose ends in the process.
I'm not going to spoil the next chapter, but it has been on my mind for a while, and it will take this story to new heights. You can expect it next week on the 11th!
Also, regarding the Megamycete, there was always the desire to link it to another world. When I first created this story, I debated whether or not Locwitary would ever house something such as this, but it being from a different realm entirely makes more sense. Wonder if other infectious things could exist in such a universe?
Hmm…fragments of metal strewn across another realm? No need to worry about that in Locwitary, as there are no clock towers to be found there. Wonder if other infectious things could exist in such a universe?
Thirty chapters in and about another fifteen or so to go! This story still has plenty left for you all to enjoy, but I can't believe how fast time has gone since this all started. I am so happy to have you all with me on this. Thank you so much for being the best readers ever! I have never written a story this large before and it's all because of you!
I'll see you all next week, and in the meantime, hope you all stay safe and happy! 😊