323. Of decisions, consequences and a little bit of callousness

Cassandra Pendragon

On the plus side, I didn't feel as pressured anymore to get a move on. By now I had dawdled long enough that the inglorious end of that particular branch of Soul Catchers must have reached their higher ups, provided someone from within their ranks had been watching. On the other side, if someone from within their ranks had been watching… I'd probably only find an emptied out cellar anyways, once I finally got around to using my newly acquired key. Oh well, I had their names. Realistically, there wasn't much they could do to hide, especially since Rachmahn had even bothered with writing down a handful of addresses. The ones of said higher ups, presumably.

Consequentially I wasn't overly panicked when Mordred, Richard and a few dwarfs I had asked to help out finally appeared from the maze of narrow alleys. Each dwarfs was carrying a snoring child and my brother and his friend had their arms full of vials, daggers and other bells and whistles, including the odd bottle of what I assumed to be a rather pricy liquor.

Up until now I had resolutely clung to the notion of postponing every administrative problem until the planned gathering tonight, but it just didn't seem feasible anymore. There was so much to do, time was running short and, truth be told, I had already become convinced that the best I'd be able to manage before I had to leave would turn out to be implementing some kind of structure, never mind tackling the myriad of actual tasks that demanded attention. I had to prioritise and delegate and that meant I had to sit down with the people who actually had a modicum of experience when it came to leadership. Which, come to think of it, was a rather uncomfortable prospect. Arthur, his wife, my mom, Alassara, the remaining Captains, Sera, Greta, Xorlosh, the Madame… to name only a few I could think of from the top of my head.

Getting them to sit down together wouldn't be tremendously difficult but for them to sing from the same hymn sheet might turn out to be an entirely different ball game. And then, of course, there were the more practical things I couldn't ignore anymore. Trying to figure out if there really was a possibility to link Greta's roots to another place, finally having a look at the infamous network of gates the vampires guarded, collecting my armour, which should have been finished, by now, and, probably the most important bit, ensuring the chaos we had inadvertently sowed wouldn't bloom into another bloody conflict while we were away. Considering I had about 48 hours left my plate was sufficiently full and everywhere I turned something else seemed to crop up. Like the family drama in the making I had just witnessed. As much as I'd have loved to take the Madame up on her offer and listen to her story over a few bottles of wine, I simply couldn't. Not now.

Instead I suppressed a heartfelt groan, when I imagine how the next day was going to turn out, and got my sorry ass off the ground as soon as the elves vanished among the winding streets, tailing our youngsters. Liz was still wrestling with what I had told her and the Madame's girls had finally overcome their fear, slowly but surely inserting themselves into the less heavy conversations, blooming among our group. When I moved they died out, though, and this time, I didn't even try to hide my groan. Ah well, being the centre of attention was still a far cry better than being ignored but I could have done without either. At least the former slaves were occupied. The dwarfs and Clovis' men kept them busy and from the looks of it, some would manage to spend the night with a roof over their heads. Just a pity that I didn't know whom the roof actually belonged to. Another thing I'd have to find out. Come to think of it, I should probably have asked Rachmahn, when I still had had the chance. 

Lost and tired I stared into the distance, trying to order my thoughts, at least somewhat, before I was drawn into another escapade. Without really realising I tasted the complex scents around me, most of which I had already started getting used to, otherwise I might have struggled to keep my last meal down on top of it all, and focused on the slowly setting sun, a golden ball of fire gradually sinking towards the horizon. A flock of birds was flying towards Free Land, their shadows a speck of darkness, surrounded by a burning sky, already streaked with red and a hint of violet. An hour, maybe two, and the night would claim the city once again. Maybe the gathering wasn't as far away as I had believed. Getting everyone together would probably take until nightfall, anyways, and I could just as well use the few hours I still had. The question was: what for? Visit the Soul Catchers? Try to figure out what happened to Amon's puppets I had cleansed? Visit Zuma? Ask Alassara to show me the gates? Pester Greta about a way to possibly link Free Land directly to the Emerald Island… did I even have to partake in the meeting tonight? Wouldn't it be better to have someone else sit in in my stead, while I used the night to finally do what needed to be done? Without anyone else around, Ahri being the exception, I knew I might just be able to sever a few of the knots I was struggling with.

"The trouble is, you think you have time," I quoted quietly, even though I was decently sure the beast kin could still hear my every word. Without paying much attention to the quizzical looks thrown my way, I closed my eyes, wrestling with a different question altogether. Wouldn't it even be better if Ahri and I stayed out of all the official trifle? Immortal solutions for a mortal world and all of that… I had already begun meddling and the results were questionable, at best. Objectively, all I had managed was throwing a… at least functioning city into turmoil. If Amon had had any kind of resources left, this town would have been ripe for the picking as soon as Ahri and I left. Calling that a victory was optimistic to the point of foolishness. Also… wasn't it the devil's greatest trick to convince the world it doesn't exist? 

I made a decision and the lethargy vanished form my limbs. It was time to act. The same way I had always done. During the night and behind the scenes. I had walked uncounted worlds and only one still remembered my name, a name that was already infamous enough around here to grant me influence with the people that mattered. The rest could happen without my direct involvement. I had other things to take care of. And should it become too bad… the body had burned but the noose was still dangling from the tree. If push came to shove I'd use it again.

"Ahri, Sera, would you join me," I asked while I purposefully strode towards my brother. The latter was taken by surprise but the former had been privy to the meandering of my thoughts and got to her feet with a bright smile.

"Finally," she commented silently. "You're quite cute when you're fretting, but I've missed that part of you."

"You could have simply said something, you know," I complained. She shook her magnificent head, her hair turning into burning waves in the reddish light.

"Not really. Both of us are still trying to figure out who we are. I didn't know… who you are is your choice, yours alone. I'll love you all the same, but the path you want to take is yours to walk. Just like I have to decide who I want to be."

"And who's that?" She didn't even need to think.

"What I should have been the last time around. Someone who stays with you until the end and makes sure you don't get lost. Cassy… I've told you before, I'm living this life as much for you as for me. You sacrificed everything for us to have a chance and I'll be damned if I don't do the same, now."

"In a way that's unbelievably sweet, but honestly, every time you say something like that I feel like tying you down somewhere safe and throwing away the key until everything's over."

"Right back at you. Tough luck, in that regard, we won't get what we want." Smirking, she added: "but if we try, we might just get what we need." The Stones had much to answer for, but she wasn't wrong and despite all my nagging, I wouldn't have changed a thing about her, even if I had been able to. I needed her to challenge me, otherwise I'd end up in the void again, alone and dying. Been there, done that, wouldn't recommend it to anyone.

I wrapped my tails around her, even though it was getting harder to fit the seven fluffy appendages around her slim waist, and pulled her closer. I kissed her cheek and whispered: "I have everything I need right here. I've promised you a date a while back. Are you free tonight? I can even entice you with fine food and wine, at least in the beginning, but there will be an occasion or two to… dance." Her breath caressed my ears when she chuckled.

"Translation: we go out with your sister, listen to her crazy ideas and then we cause carnage and mayhem while everybody else is talking in circles?" I bit my lip, not liking her description overly much.

"Something like that. Maybe with a little less gloom and doom. Carnage and mayhem aren't exactly what I have in mind, quite the opposite. If we stay within flowery metaphors, Free Land is a snake pit. A hissing, snarling, poisonous cesspool where the strong dominate the weak. Chaos only serves to exacerbate the problem. The only reason why we aren't drowning in a tidal wave of blood is our own strength. If they are snakes we are dinosaurs and in their shadow, even a cobra wouldn't dare move. Take that away and we're right back where we've started."

"But how do you intend to change that?" I sighed.

"Expose the ones who can't be tamed. Remember our talk with the Broken Wheel? I nearly lost it back then, when he mentioned cleansing the churches. I'm not willing to endanger innocent lives, but I'm not opposed to the general idea, not anymore."

"I… but how? How can we be sure where to strike?" I smiled coldly.

"Snake pit. Where one body ends, the next begins. It's like… a carpet. To disentangle the whole thing we have to pull on a single string first and I have an idea where to begin."

"So… you want to spend the night slaughtering your way up the food chain until nothing remains? I hate to burst your bubble, but that's chaos incarnate."

"Only if something… independent is left behind, afterwards," I replied more morosely than I would have liked. "Assassins, cults… they'll always be there, no matter what we do. For that to change the people have to change and that takes time. What we can do, however, is making sure they have a chance to. I… oh to hell with it, I don't mean to kill my way through the town, I mean to turn those who are the greatest danger into cowering, trembling husks. I mean to steal a page out of Amon's book. We need… fear, the fear of god… or the devil. I know how it must sound, but it's temporary." She remained quiet for a moment, her thoughts racing.

"That's not the first time I've heard that excuse," she finally breathed.

"I know. We've even already talked about it… It's a slippery slope. But I'd rather hate myself than bury another friend. On the morrow… a few things will have changed. Rachmahn, he promised me a list of everyone in Free Land who still holds power. That's going to be our first stop. I want it now. And then… they will either play along willingly or we'll make them, whatever it takes. There really is no other option. We just don't have the time. Guilds, associations, families… it's time they knew their place. This is not their playground anymore to do as they see fit. To establish rules, we first have to have a clean slate. I'm not deluding myself into thinking this is in any way sustainable, but it doesn't have to be. If I have to, I'll become the nightmare that finally shakes this place from its slumber." Except for a few whispered words we had been communicating telepathically but enough time had passed for us to almost reach Mordred. Time was up, in more ways than one, but a last, ambiguous thought still fluttered through our connection.

"I am with you, but Cassy, you have to be careful. Don't let the needs of today devour your tomorrow. Up until now you've always defended yourself or provided others with the tools to fight for what they believe in. This… is different. Please, make sure it's what you actually want."

"It's not," I replied while I already moved my tails and spread my arms to hug my brother. "Far from it. But I'm also done hiding. Today, when I killed a girl who had known nothing but cruelty in her much too short life, I realised something. What we want matters very little, for mortals and immortals alike. Our ideals, our convictions, they matter for as long as we live in luxury. Once the blood starts flowing, it's not a question of who we want to be anymore but of what is needed. And this town doesn't need a saint, a benevolent guide or even an angel. It needs… someone who stalks the street at night so the people can sleep safely in their beds. It needs the devil, someone to remind all those bigots and cowards that no one between heaven and earth stands above retribution. I've always thought of them as children, needing guidance and a firm hand, and maybe I was right, but I'm not going to preach anymore." Mordred's arms circled around my neck and when I breathed in his scent I added: 

"A funny thing, that. Back on earth people always thought the devil punished the wicked, made them choke on their own atrocities but that wasn't the point. I never meant and I still don't mean to punish, to judge. This isn't about the past, it's about the future. We won't get there if someone with a large crossbow threatens to poison us every second day. Let me be very clear: tonight, we're going to drag every single one their leaders from their beds and towards their sentencing. I won't be the one to sit above them, passing judgement, but the town they've sucked dry for years will. The people they've threatened, extorted, killed will be the ones to look down on them and decide their fate." Out loud I said, a cold smile playing around the corners of my mouth:

"Bother mine, thank you so much, again, but I fear I'm going to need even more from you." He frowned and mumbled:

"I don't think I've seen that expression before. Cassy, what's going on?"

"Change of plans. I'm going to need your help, yours and Richard's and Sera's. Tonight is going to be eventful and we have to prepare." 

"Sounds ominous enough. Care to explain what you've come up with," my grandmother wanted to know.

"Simple, really. The plan has been to decide on some form of structure, maybe even elect a leader, hasn't it? That part hasn't changed but I fear it might mean nothing without a clean cut… wash away the sins of the past with the blood of the guilty, if necessary." Sera and Mordred exchanged troubled glances, which didn't surprise me much. In a way I sounded like the villain in a cheap production and paired with my abilities that surely was a reason to become anxious. To soothe their worries I didn't beat around the bush:

"Look, you've just handed me the evidence that there are still plenty of people who think they can elevate themselves by confronting us. If we don't drag them into the open it's going to last for ages. So, while you do everything in your power to gather the townsfolk and whatever else you can come up with, Ahri and I are going out. I'm sure we'll have a couple of lovely, civilised conversations and some which will be less… amicable. In the end… everyone who's got a modicum of power will be here. Whether in chains or of their own free will."