A Tavern on the Outskirts of Val Royeaux, Friday Evening

[seeks_truth]

"I believe we have done enough sightseeing," Cassandra said, as she packed her few belongings into a bag. "We should make for the White Spire soon. They should be able to help us divine a way to return you to the island - or at least give them proof that my missives about it have been true."

She took a deep breath, then pulled a small package out of her bag.

"Though first, I have a gift for you. In case this does work, and we return you to Fandom."

[[ for lucille. eta: blood and violence in the comments. ]]

Comments

[crimson_sister]

Lucille did as Cassandra told her. She didn't like being this helpless, but there was nothing she could do about it. She watched as two more bandits appeared, and worried that they would be too many for Cassandra.

[seeks_truth]

The first bandit came rushing at her, blade first.

She met him halfway, pushing off with a loud war cry - and hurtling herself in the bandit's face, slamming her shoulder into his nose hard. She smashed the back of her sword over his head, then lashed out with it, striking a second bandit straight in the arm.

The second bandit cried and dropped his weapon, bleeding heavily.

[crimson_sister]

There was something beautiful in how Cassandra moved, in how the blood flowed from the bandit's arm. For a moment Lucille was distracted, but she quickly regained her common sense and slowly moved backwards.

[seeks_truth]

A third bandit struck at her. She caught his blade with her own and kicked him in the stomach.

The fourth was keeping suspiciously to the background. Cassandra peered over the heads of the three bandits she was facing-- and then her eyes narrowed.

That was a mage staff.

"Apostate!"

[crimson_sister]

Lucille remembered what that word meant, but didn't know what one of them could do. She crouched to the ground, watching as a purple mist formed around the staff. That couldn't be good.

[seeks_truth]

A second later, a bolt of pure spirit energy crackled through the air, soaring past Cassandra and the third bandit - the one she was currently pounding down into the dirt with the back of her sword and her fist - and soared straight at--

"Lucille! Down!"

[crimson_sister]

Lucille ducked and threw herself to the side. The bolt shot past her, just, and she could feel her heart pounding. She saw the silhouette of Cassandra fighting the bandits and tried to decide what to do next.

Stumbling a little, she got to her feet and rushed against the mage. Running faster than usual because of her clothes, she had almost reached her when the purple mist began forming again. The mage released a wave of power, which had Lucille fly backwards and land on the ground again.

[seeks_truth]

"Lucille!"

Cassandra extricated herself from the bandits with all due haste. She let out another loud battle cry and launched herself physically at the mage. "Stop, apostate!" she snarled, punching the mage in the face.

Repeatedly.

[crimson_sister]

The mage stumbled and fell to her knees, the spell that had been building around her fading. Lucille's head hurt, no, her whole body hurt, and the adrenaline made her push herself do her feet. She reached for a sword that one of the bandits had dropped, and swung it, without much skill, down on the neck of the stunned man.

[seeks_truth]

The mage was not stunned for long; in fact, her fingers were groping quickly for a knife at her side.

That could mean one of two things: impending assault, or impending blood magic. Either notion filled Cassandra with further rage.

So she punched again. And kept punching. And kept punching.

The mage stopped moving soon enough.

[crimson_sister]

Lucille watched the blood flow from a deep wound in the bandit's shoulder. She felt oddly calm all of a sudden and turned to the next one, who was reaching for his sword. Lucille swung the sword again, and although she lacked precision she still managed to almost sever the man's hand. He screamed.

[seeks_truth]

Cassandra, already covered in blood, yanked herself off the mage. She drew her sword again. "Surrender!" she snarled, pointing it at the nearly-dishanded man's throat.

[crimson_sister]

He let out a helpless whimper, clinging to his limp hand and staring wild-eyed at Cassandra. "Just let us go. Please."

The mage lay unmoving on the ground and blood pooled quickly around the man Lucille had attacked first. The last one was still alive, and he repeated his comrade's plea.

Lucille watched. Cassandra was... beautiful. The blood that covered her armor glistened and Lucille wanted to reach out to touch her with her own blood-stained hand.

[seeks_truth]

"Run," Cassandra snarled, unaware of Lucille's admiration. She was rather more focused on keeping the other girl safe.

Both bandits took the opening immediately, fleeing at high speed.

[crimson_sister]

Lucille took a step away from Cassandra, and watched the bandits disappear. She felt dizzy, both from the attack from the mage and from the adrenaline rush.

"Does this happen often?"

[seeks_truth]

"Unfortunately," Cassandra growled.

She peered down at the dead mage, narrowing her eyes. "He was reaching for a blade," she said, squatting down beside him. "And..."

A strange gem, of some kind? She had never seen something like this before.

[crimson_sister]

"What is that?" Lucille asked.

[seeks_truth]

"I am uncertain," Cassandra said, pursing her lips. "We should take it to the White Spire. Perhaps they will know."

She reached out to pick up the gem, having to root around in some blood and other matter to do so.

When she held it up, it was glowing.

[crimson_sister]

"Is that magic?" Lucille asked. "The glow." Then she felt silly for asking, as Cassandra had just said that she didn't know what the gem was.

[seeks_truth]

"Perhaps," Cassandra said, frowning. "Perhaps it is a weapon. I should--"

That was all she managed to say. There was a large flare of light, and the world around them melted away...

... to make way for the Preserve.

[crimson_sister]

"What..." Lucille began, about to ask Cassandra another question, when the world around them changes.

"I believe we have returned to Fandom."

[seeks_truth]

"Maker!"

Cassandra tried to drop the stone... and then realized she no longer had anything to drop.

"It's disappeared!"

[crimson_sister]

"Oh." Lucille immediately looked in her bag. "The book is still here." Which was reasonable, but it was important to her.