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Thessa felt a pull on her body. She felt the others traveling with her rip from her spell and disappear. There was a crack like that of lightning in a spring thunderstorm, a lurch, and then she found herself in a clearing surrounded by tall, unfamiliar trees. She looked around for Sarren and Fia, but they were nowhere to be seen. A slow panic began to rise from the depths of her soul. She took several steps toward the nearest copse of trees, then stopped. She whirled around and took a few steps toward the trees on the opposite side before falling on her weakened knees. The spell had taken a toll. She lifted her eyes at the sound of a rumbling coming from the center of the clearing. The rumbling became louder, and the ground began to vibrate, and then the grass and dirt formed into the figure of a human. Clods of dirt fell away, dried, and blew into the air with strong gusts of wind. Grass molded into strands of hair that fell to the figure’s back. A dirt clumped face took on definition, and two red eyes protruded for a moment out of the head. The face turned a beautiful shade of brown and the red eyes also turned a rich coco brown. The rest of the dirt fell away, revealing a flowing white gown. On top of the clearly female form’s head appeared a crown of gold. A set of ugly black wings formed out of the woman’s back. The figure stood about two heads taller than Thessa. She sauntered almost glided toward her with wings flapping. Thessa knew right after she formed who the woman was. She was Cassany, the winged goddess of death and the underworld.
Thessa, already being on her knees, just awkwardly bowed her head. She did not want to provoke the goddess until she could find a way to away from her grasp. Cassany raised her hand to the side and Sarren appeared out of thin air. The former Black Mage fell to her knees and bowed with her arms outstretched.
“My goddess.” She said. Cassany just glared at her silently. “Please, goddess. Let me explain.”
Cassany raised her hand and Sarren began to disintegrate. The woman screamed in agony as parts of her disappeared in a brown dust and fell to the ground with a swooshing sound. Cassany was punishing Sarren for the sheer pleasure of it. The goddess turned her gaze to Thessa. Strangely, Thessa was unafraid. Something inside her head reminded her that the goddess could not harm her. She was the Black Mage now.
“I needed her. I would appreciate it if you would bring her back.” Thessa said defiantly.
Cassany’s eyes narrowed, “You dare demand favors from me?” She said in a low rumbling voice.
“I do, goddess. You would do well to bring her back if you want me strong enough to defeat my mother and the others in the tournament.”
“Ah, your mother. So, you say you will fight her willingly?”
“Yes, goddess.”
“Pitiful! Your mother has not abandoned you.” Cassany said with contempt. “You humans are so quick to jump to conclusions, the wrong conclusions. She was taken away from you against her will by the Tourney Master and his naïve apprentice.”
“You were there?”
“I had a spy looking on through their looking device until the Tourney Master caught her. Your mother searches for you now, as we speak. Had you not left the cavern; she would have returned to find you.” Cassany said.
“Why would you tell me such a thing if I were willing to fight her? You are the mother of lies. It’s in your nature to stir up trouble.”
“Yes, I am the mother of lies, but ask yourself. What would telling you about your mother do for me? She would hunt for you, find you, and explain it to you. That oaf, the Grey Mage, will back up her story and you will forgive her. I have just cut all that nonsense away. Now you can forgive her, get all that worry and grief out of the way of your learning, so we may start building your power instead of going through all that drama.”
“Fine, but I still need Sarren.”
“Why? She has done nothing but betray you.”
“And she must pay for all that betrayal.”
“Ah, I like that,” Cassany waved her arm and Sarren reappeared as an apparition. “You can command her this way. Only you may see her. It will make it easier for you to learn.”
“A cat, goddess. I have always wanted a cat.”
“You wish for me to give you... a cat?”
“Sarren, Sarren can be my cat.”
“Oh no, goddess, please do not make me into a cat. I hate cats.” Sarren pleaded. She looked into the face of Cassany then gasped, “I mean, I love cats.”
“A cat, goddess, and you know she actually hates cats. It will be a perfect punishment.” Thessa said.
“I shall consider your request.” Cassany said.
“Also, where is Fia?” Thessa inquired. “She was in the travel spell with us.”
“Back where she belongs. I have no intention of interfering with another god’s champion yet. The White Mage is an ally for the time being. In fact, your ally is why I am here before you. You will have certain duties to perform in addition to your training. You will have to make certain sacrifices in order to gain power and keep my favor.”
“If you mean I have to kill people like I did as a blood feeder, I won’t do it!” Thessa knew the goddess needed her.
Cassany fumed at the words but regained her composure, “Then you will like the first task I give you. It is resurrection. I want to to bring someone back from my realm. He isn’t supposed to die as yet, and I can’t send him back directly. I need my Black Mage.”
“There’s no trick? The person won’t become some horrible blight on humanity or something?”
“No, of course not.” She said sweetly. “He is the son of the king. It will save your allies from the king’s wrath if his son returns alive rather than the way he is now.”
“I don’t care for your tone. You’re lying.”
Cassany fumed again, “See for yourself. Go back to your allies, the Blue Mage and the White Mage. They are already regretting killing the young prince. Resurrect him and send him home. I will do the rest. Since you do not like my tone, I am now commanding you.” She raised her hand and Thessa fell to the ground, pinned under an unseen force. “I know you believe you are somehow protected from my wrath, but know this. There are ways for me to punish you and ultimately replace you. Look at your cat for example.”
Sarren was horrified, “What? No wait.” With the wave of a hand, Sarren had become a cat with black and white mixed fur.
Cassany let Thessa up and faced her. “Sarren will instruct you. You will hear her thoughts in your mind. I have little time for you now, but I will be in touch. Go to your allies and resurrect Sir Danton!” With that, Cassany flowed back into the ground, “Tell her of the gold, Sarren.” She said before she was completely gone.
Sarren hissed. Thessa could hear her in her mind. You angered her. You stupid girl.
“Shut up cat and tell me how to get out of here?”
This is the clearing. It doesn’t really have a name other than that. Cassany loves to bring her servants here to talk, maim, or kill them. She would have told you much more had you not disrespected her.
“Disrespect her?” Thessa was on the verge of shouting, “I don’t know what that even means. I don’t serve her.”
Oh, you serve her now. You are the Black Mage. Sarren looked off into the distance, I wonder if it was Cassany who helped you with that. It must be the case. Someone like you could never have defeated me so easily otherwise.
“What would she have told me?”
The ins and outs of being the Black Mage. Remember when I told you that you would have to offer sacrifices? Well, you just sealed your fate with that. This resurrection may be easy for you, but you will have to do much worse later.
“I won’t kill people for her.”
Oh, you will. She told me to show you the gold. You are rich for a reason. You will... you know what? I am tired of trying to explain it to you. I think I will let you discover that for yourself. The only advice I will give you is you should go find a city to start off in and when you get good at disguise, you can move into smaller cities the way I did.
“Disguise?”
Yes, look at you. Your mother and becoming the Black Mage may have cured you from the beast you had inside of you, but you still look like a blood feeder. Here, pick me up. Thessa reached down and took the cat into her arms. Sarren pawed at a strand of Thessa’s hair. You can change your appearance. I chose to look like a man for the respect factor, but you can look however you want. It’s part of the Black Mage power skill set. The best infiltrator is the one no one can identify. It allows you to do the unspeakable things you are going to do for Cassany.
“I already told you. I am not going to kill people for the pleasure of a twisted goddess.”
Sarren looked at her with bewilderment, Really, what do you plan to do then? She will not grant you free will.
“Where is this gold then?” Thessa asked, ignoring what Sarren had said.
Did you hear me?
“Yes, I heard you. Now answer my question, please.”
It’s around. I will show you because the goddess commands it. We must travel to Emlestra, but first we have to retrieve the coin.
“Coin?”
It’s the key to finding your treasure. You can’t get to it without it. We can transport to my hiding place.
“Is it far?”
Not far.
“Good, then we go by land, the old fashion way.”
What? Why?
“Because you knew as soon as we left the cavern, Cassany would detect my magic and intercept me. Cassany knows that spell and uses it to track my movements, doesn’t she?”
Sarren nodded.
“Then we go by foot. Cassany can find me some other way.”
It won’t stop her.
“Maybe it will slow her down.”
She will be waiting to see if you go to the White Mage. She will seek you out if you don’t go right now.
Thessa took a deep breath, “Okay, once more. How do I go directly to her?”
Concentrate on the White Mage and you will us to her.
Thessa concentrated as Sarren moved to get comfortable in Thessa’s arms. In a burst of dark smoky light, Thessa used the spell.