Lost, Unbound, a Purpose Found - Mandragora

[Kasca Fen]

Soundtrack


Why did it always seem cold when traveling in space? Such a silly question in such an intellectual mind, but it persisted nonetheless, pestering her as she woke up and put on a bulky black cropped sweater over her navy jumpsuit. Kasca Fen had been traveling for the better part of two years. When she had stolen the ship from the old Jedi Order, now defunct and thus not looking for it, she had been pleasantly surprised to find enough credits to last her a good long while. It wasn't as though she needed much. She was on her own. Her plan to join the Dark Order faded away as easily as smoke faded towards the sky. Stupid force users can't decide what they want to be or how they want to do it. Just another reason why the Jedi just weren't who she wanted to be. Hang her mother and father for sending her to such incompetent people.

When she tried to meditate with the Force, she had received no answer to the burning question of what she should do next. Or rather, it had told her to wait. Kasca was methodical, logical... but patience? Not her strongest attribute. She couldn't make the timing be right for something if it wasn't. Resigned to this, she traveled, worked on her experiments, studied, and practiced. Hadn't this been what she had wanted there in the caves on Deneba... Uninterrupted time to do as she wanted? Well, the Force had given her that wish. It left her feeling a little lost and very alone, but one could not have everything. The Force was a guiding light and a teacher more than anything in her life. If it told her to wait, she would wait.

Two years in and Kasca had become at home on the ship that she had commandeered. She had a routine. Her experiments had grown and changed; some finished and some not, but her studies had grown stagnant. Her practices became boring and routine. With no new input other than the Force, Kasca felt herself waiting impatiently once more for the next thing. The next planet she was going to visit was Ryloth, said to be home of witches. The mystery, the religion, the spirituality of it all sounded so fascinating.

As she sat down to begin her morning meditation, she couldn't help but feel the impatience, loneliness and feeling of being lost keenly. The Force answered almost before she got herself settled into the meditation.

Prepare.
It is time.

Excitement filled her for the first time in ages. She felt so ready to begin a new chapter. The Force flowed through her like breathing, autonomous by now in its symbiotic life with her. Before she could get very far into probing what this new life would be, an angry blaring came from everywhere all at once. Red lights flashed in conjunction to the warning klaxon. Kasca opened her eyes and was on her feet before she could blink. Running swiftly through the well known corridor and into the cockpit, her eyes began searching for the trouble. Critical engine short! Kasca's jaw dropped. She had kept the ship in good working order, though she was not extremely well versed in ship mechanics. Nothing had seemed amiss before now. Not one to panic however, her jaw tightened as she began to work the problem. Entry into Ryloth's atmosphere was already starting. She would have no chance to fix the engine before it wouldn't make a difference.

She turned off the warning klaxon and autopilot, she began to fly. Kasca was not the best pilot in the Galaxy, but she was pretty decent. Even her telekinesis would not be able to keep the ship from going down. Would that be enough to save her life and her ship? Only time would tell.



... Across the sky, a silver ship shot like a laser from a blaster. It seemed to slow significantly as it hit the second and third layers of atmosphere though that did nothing to take away from the obvious trouble this ship was in. Smoke left a streak across the sky. Passing from sun drenched to the night side of the planet should have made her ship more difficult to see but it streaked across the sky and towards the ground with a glow of brightest blue. The Force was pulled to this mechanical monstrosity like a vacuum pulled in air.

Still, no amount of Force ability on her part, or piloting skill would keep the crash from happening. All she could do was slow its descent and angle the ship so that it did not hit but rather would skid across the surface. For once, the voices in her mind had remained silent as though they understood the necessity for Kasca to have her full concentration at her disposal. Finally coming to rest in the middle of broken trees, glowing plants and dark rocky surface. Kasca had left an indented scar with debris and detritus across the surface of Ryloth for the better part of 3 miles. She lay over the cockpit controls; unconscious, cut and bruised but only mildly injured. The Force shield she had wrapped around herself before impact had probably saved her life. The ship lay around her in pieces. Both big and little fires lit the site, mixing with the glowing plants around it.



...The first sensation that came to her conscious mind was smell. Burning metal, durosteel and plastic tingled her nose and smoke caused a cough to jar her to more wakefulness. Kasca groaned. Her eyes squeezed shut as she felt the pain of the cuts and bruises. Not dead yet. Good sign. Gathering her belongings took a while, strewn about as they were and she lamented the loss of her current experiments as she limped over the ruins of her ship picking up what could be salvaged. Finally packed up, Kasca turned in place, letting her senses stretch forth. The Force would guide her steps here but where did it wish her to go? Compartmentalizing her pain, the sound of fire licking the wreckage, the smell of smoke and rock, she closed her eyes and concentrated. Where did the Force call to her the most strong? Where was her new destiny to be found?



[member="Rapax"] [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

 

[Rapax]

He was meditating in the nightlands with the tome learning and reading from it he only had the tome for a few days since Orcus and he spent his time studying and understanding the tome that had been lost for so long that he brought back home, He felt stronger with it in his care then he has felt in a long time, But that moment was interrupted by the sound of a ship flying over him and crashing into the nightlands, Another visitor has come to Ryloth he sent a message to the nightmother [member="Katrine Van-Derveld"] of what happened and coordinates of where it crashed before he started climbing and making his way over, He put the tome away before making his journey to the site in question. He wondered for abit what caused the ship to crash and more importantly Who was it that was there, As he got closer he concealed his presence as he made his way to the crash site he kept his wits and senses about him as he viewed over the wreckage and the bruised woman that was outside. He waited for a moment to see what she would do before making the next move


[member="Kasca Fen"]

 

[Kasca Fen]

The Force had brought her here. Not that she had needed much prompting, but it had apparently decided she needed a harder hint than she was getting. This was where she was meant to be and she was not leaving anytime soon. Perhaps it knew her well and her tendency to get annoyed and decide the place and the people were not worth her time. Her hand reached up to a spot on her head, bleeding like all head wounds do. Kasca pressed the pad of her thumb to its surface to staunch the bleeding and turned around once more slowly. She reached out her senses, flooding herself with the Force and gathering it to a purpose. Find my direction.

For several long moments, she turned and there was nothing but soon enough there was a hint, a touch. She paused, icy blond hair flowing in the wind of the cool night. Her forehead wrinkled in concentration as she moved slightly to the left and slightly to the right, testing the sensation she was feeling. It was like a pull, like the smell of chocolate pulling you to the kitchen where brownies were being made. Not that she had ever had that kind of home life, but the concept was grasped well enough. Kasca's brow unfurrowed and she took a deep and steady breath. She took a step forward, then another. Upon the third step, her eyes flew open. She expected... something, but there was nothing before her. She was sure this was the direction she needed to go in. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. A tingly rightness suffused her body. Little did she know she was heading straight for @Rapax.

Stepping ever forward, she took a fourth step and a fifth and a sixth....

 

[Rapax]

He took note of [member="Kasca Fen"]'s injury as she walked forward as if something was tugging her along like a lure straight towards him which in that case he decided it was time to meet this one and see what brought her here aside from a crash as she happened to fly by, He leaped down from his perch and walked over to her keeping his mental barriers up to prevent intrusion but he kept heading to her before speaking in a normal tone but he kept himself weary incase she gets aggressive that is if she could with her head injury.

Welcome to the nightlands..... I am Rapax...who are you?

He was curios about this person who crashed here and what fate had in store for her.

 

[Kasca Fen]

Kasca was on her 8th step when she felt, rather than saw [member="Rapax"] jump down. Her pale eyes opened as he landed before her and took in his frame and stature. For a man, he wasn't tall, but to her petite frame, he was at least a head taller than her. She stopped and made no sudden movements as he approached her. She kept her eyes focused on him while her other senses, the Force included, explored him and the space around them for others. He may be a single person, but she didn't trust that anyone was ever truly alone. Appearances could be deceiving and she was wary. Her head throbbed and her pale skin was marred by the slowly dripping head wound.

"I am Kasca Fen." She said cautiously to the stranger. "The nightlands?" She let her eyes drifted over the area around them for a moment and then back to the stranger. "Is this where the witches are?" She seemed cute and harmless as she asked the question though she was hardly harmless. Kasca could hide her intention if she wanted, but the Force was guiding her to be her curious self and revealing that she was looking for the witches on this planet as a way to introduce her intentions.

 

[Rapax]

He took note of [member="Kasca Fen"]'s name and her cautious movements as he kept himself shielded from any attempt to try and get into his head as he studied her and walked around her for a moment as she spoke and asked if this is where the witches are, He sensed there was more to her question then morbid curiosity but he chose not to press into the matter as he spoke while he circled her.

The nightlands are the birth place of the Mandragora Witches and this is the place where some dwell and some traverse the stars with there brothers and sisters, I am Shaman to one of the pacts of the Mandragora I made it my task simply to live and walk the nightlands for a time. Do you seek to speak to one of the witches or perhaps another Shaman?

 

[Kasca Fen]

If she allowed herself the time, she would have realized on a more cognizant level of the potential danger she was in. She no longer had a ship. She was on a strange planet, no where near civilization. She was injured and had very little in the way of supplies. The terrain was hardly hospitable. And there was a man who could easily be a foe as easily as a friend. Were she the kind of woman to panic, she might have allowed herself to do so. Instead, she approached the situation, calculatingly as normal. Kasca watched cautiously as the man circled her. He not only knew of the Mandragora, but he was also one of them. Relief she hadn't realized she needed washed over her and through her. The Force had led her correctly. She was where she needed to be. She did not hide this from [member="Rapax"] as she felt it. Now the rest was up to her.

"I am here to take my place." She said. Realizing that he might not understand her meaning, she continued. "I am not for the Jedi, they are not for me. The Dark Jedi are just as useless. My place is not with them. I tried being on my own but it only worked for so long before I found I was missing something vital. The Force answered me and guided me here. I do not know what I need to do, but I am here to take my place." She repeated. She closed her eyes for a moment, as if she were feeling a phantom breeze or hearing a voice no one else could. There was certainty and peace in her.

"Are you the one that helps me? Or is there another I need?"



[member="Katrine Van-Derveld"]

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

OOC note: In Scherezade's timeline, this happens prior to the events of A Shadow in Time.

"Another!" came the overly excited voice from a few feet away.

Scherezade came into the view of the both of them, a huge grin on her face. She had been bored out of her mind for the past few days, becoming restless, and had been annoying Katrine with stupid questions on her ship when the message from Rapax had been received. Since the Nightmother required the services of the Shaman for this or other specific purposes, Scherezade had been tasked with looking into the thing.

Of course, Scherezade very much doubted her ability to actually do the Mandragora any good with it. Her own Mark was mutilated, though none knew of it, and she had a lovely tendency to screw up almost everything she touched. Katrine still believed in her, but Katrine had also adopted her as a sister and sort of had to believe in her. Still, it was a risk she was taking.

But even if she failed yet again, Scherezade would be doing it as enthusiastically as someone like her could.

She'd used the Force to run all the way towards the coordinates, stopping only once to take note of a lovely beast roaming at a nearby river that she fully intended on turning into the next couple of weeks' worth of food, and had arrived just in time to hear the woman and Rapax speak. A pinch of guilt was felt in the girl's chest though when she was close enough. Rapax had taken the time, back when she'd just gotten out of her pebble, to teach her the basics of Sith Sorcery. Scherezade's path had extremely altered by then, and she had begun to go forth in the path of the Warrior, something that the array of visible weapons on her body easily attested to.

"Rapax, the Nightmother requires your services," the Sithling tried to say all formal-like. Truthfully though, it sounded more like a child playing at being a grown up. Still, there were things she could get done, even if official politics-stuff wasn't part of it.

Turning to the woman, Scherezade smiled again. "The Nightmother is the head of the Mandragora, who are the Witches of Ryloth. I'm Scherezade, her ward, and one of the Mandragora, and you are probably feeling so info-dumped right now!"

Glancing over the woman, it seemed that only now Scherezade noticed her injuries. She motioned for her to sit down on the ground.

"Info-dumps are easier to handle when you're well rested, have a full tummy, and your injuries are healed. I've got a few rations and some water with me. Hungry? I can also look into your injuries and get them to start healing faster."


[member="Kasca Fen"]

 

[Kasca Fen]

The excited voice caught Kasca off guard. She blinked in surprise and turned to see who had made the noise. She looked incredibly young... perhaps as young as Kasca herself and whereas the situation had been serious and formal before, [member="Scherezade deWinter"] seemed peppy, upbeat and happy, bringing levity and lightness. The young Arcanian found herself smiling in return. In contrast to Rapax, Scherezade was a breath of fresh air which made Kasca feel like she could relax and not worry about judgement. Not that she did. Looks could be deceiving in a multitude of ways. She was not a Mandragora yet.

She said as she watched [member="Rapax"] leave to attend the Nightmother, a woman she would undoubtedly get to know in time. Even trying to be formal though, Scherezade seemed only to be play acting. It was not what she was normally. The rapid and delighted conversation of the other made Kasca a little light headed but extremely pleased. She sat down at the invitation to do so.

"Perhaps a little. It is just a relief to have found what I came looking for. I am not sure how this all works and for me, the more information the better. I like information dumps." She grinned even wider. As a scientist by nature, she enjoyed more information at her fingertips and if this girl was willing to give it up, perhaps it would be easier for her to become a Mandragora and finally find the place she belonged.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

The woman smiled back at her and seemed to have a positive reaction to the Sithling. For a moment, a look of confusion passed over Scherezade's features; she was not used to that. If she'd bothered to think things through before she opened her mouth the first time, she would have thought that she'd be waved off again, since that seemed to be the usual response to her and her antics. But hey, she was not going to look a gift rancor in the mouth. Good responses were good!

She momentarily towered with her full 5"11 over the petite woman as she flung her backpack on the ground, her hands working quickly to get the water and food out and set it in front of the woman before taking a seat next to her as well. "If you told Rapax your name, I wasn't close enough to hear it," she said apologetically.

Slowly, her hands began to roam over the woman's body, keeping a good 5 inches away from actually touching her. Scherezade wasn't a fan of touching when there was no direct need of it. If anyone ever needed a human shield on the battle field, she was among the first to throw herself between them and the damage, cover them, whatever it took. But a hand on the shoulder? No thank you, keep your hands to yourself.

"What are you looking for?" she asked as she began to work. The injuries weren't severe at all, though the bleeding at the forehead was annoying. Scherezade grabbed a cloth and instructed the woman to press it against the wound as she resumed scanning her body with the Force, right up until she found the ankle.

Okay, twisted ankles. Not her forte. She was better with open flesh, whether it was opening it or closing it.

Still, her hands hovered above the ankle now as she concentrated, knitting the bones back. She wanted to say that it was going to be easy and be done in a moment, but really, she was going to need at least a quarter of an hour to get it to a place where the woman could actually step on it without pain, and even after that she'd tell her to rest with her leg up for at least another day or two. Scherezade wasn't a healer by any means, but there were things she could do to at least help a person be able to leave the battle field.

But, a quarter of an hour meant plenty of time to talk!

[member="Kasca Fen"]

 

[Kasca Fen]

Kasca was used to people being taller than her so it didn't intimidate her that [member="Scherezade deWinter"] was taller and loomed over her for a moment before she sat down. "I am Kasca Fen." She replied, giving the woman her name and not hiding who she was. If she was to become Mandragora, she would be giving them everything she was anyway. Why not be honest and open. There would be time enough for keeping secrets and there were plenty of secrets that would be unlikely to come up in introductions that would remain hers.

She watched the woman begin to examine her body and take in the extent of her injuries. There weren't many, Kasca had been very good at shielding herself during the crash. Still, there was a twisted ankle, a nasty cut on her forehead and a mass of bruises and smaller cuts all over her body in a myriad of places. The crash could have killed her. The fact that it didn't was a testament to her concentration and power in the Force. While Kasca was decent at healing injuries, she had spent a great deal of energy on protecting herself during the crash and didn't have a lot left for something as trivial to her as cuts and a twisted ankle. It might not be trivial injuries to some, but to her, they were more an annoyance than a genuine problem. She didn't decline healing by DeWinter though. Annoyances were still annoyances.

"I am looking for the group the Force has guided me to. I belong there. I belong with them. I just never knew their name until now." She was focused, back to serious as she had been. She closed her eyes for a moment and let the name sink in and pour forth from her mouth, natural and normal for her to say as though she had been saying it all her life and with great passion like a caress. "The Mandragora."

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Kasca Fen. It was a good name, as far as names went, though Scherezade couldn't really place on the origin of its owner based on that. Not that it mattered much; origins, either complicated or simple, rarely implied anything about where the person was going.

Her hands continued to work as she listened, a look of worry flashing over her features now. She knew... Too damn much about people thinking they belonged somewhere just because something within the Force whispered to them. And she had the knowledge of her grandmother imprinted in her mind, centuries worth of information from one of the scariest Sith Sorceresses that the galaxy had produced, and one that did not have the dignity to die yet and leave her remaining family members alone.

"The Mandragora are cool cookies most of the time," she said carefully, "just... Be careful with all that Force guided me here, Force guided me there sort of stuff. We'll know soon enough of the Mandragora spirits want to claim you or not, just..."

She sighed. How was she going to explain this to a complete stranger without actually putting her off? Not that she was sure she could really, honestly. When she'd been claimed, she'd merely been claimed.

"Unless you do something stupid, you're going to live an average lifespan or above," Scherezade tried, "and you're going to experience a lot through it. Like, a metric ton of bantha poodoo kind of a lot. Just remember that whatever the Force guides or doesn't guide you to, most of it is up to your own interpretation. You'll belong with the Mandragora as well as you would belong anywhere else; through a series of choices chosen, moments experienced, and people you come across. Always remember the choice part. Fate does not exist, it's just a word people use to make excuses for choices both good and bad."


[member="Kasca Fen"]

 

[Kasca Fen]

"Cool Cookies." She said this slowly, wonderingly, having never heard such slang before but finding it amusing nonetheless. But she let her musings slide away as she paid attention to the gentle warning about whether or not the Mandragora spirits would claim her or no. It was a worry. If she was not worthy or could not be worthy, her search and journey here would be useless. Kasca listened very carefully to the rambling explanation of such an excitable girl. In the end, it made sense in a stream-of-consciousness type of way. The bulk of the warning was interpreted by Kasca, but it did not deter her from the path she had chosen. It seemed as though Scherezade might want reassurance? Perhaps that was not the word precisely but Kasca attempted to put her new acquaintance at ease.

"I do not believe in fate... never have." She grinned ruefully. "I am far to practical for that. I asked for a direction. The Force gave me one, but it is up to me as to whether or not this works for me. The Force has given me directions before, but they did not work for me. The Jedi Order, the Dark Jedi... neither seemed to fit and I might strike out here as well, but I want to try. I am choosing to try despite my failed attempts at finding a place for me before. The Force is only one thing in a series of things that determine my life. Sometimes it is the greatest of those things, sometimes it is not. The Force is a part of me, like my brain and my heart and my soul but it is not all of me... if that makes sense."

Being young and relatively inexperienced, she too had a sort of rambling stream-of-consciousness type of discourse. Time and experience would eventually smooth her out, but she wasn't there by a long stretch at 18.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Scherezade openly made a face at the mention of the Jedi Order and the Dark Jedi. She was not a fan of either group. Her blood sang with the power of three powerful Sith bloodlines, and she'd known she was one of them the moment she was out of the Pebble. There had been two Jedi in her family, at least two that she knew of, and both of them had been weak and useless. Or at least, weaker and useless-er than her. She knew she was not up to par with with the demands of her last name and her appearance, but... Well, maybe another year or two would change that. Sometimes it was a little comfort that her family was not around to watch her struggle.

To the rest of Kasca's words, she could only nod. "It does," she answered with a little smile as she continued to work on her ankle, "Just make sure you remember that. I've seen enough people forget."

Sweat was beginning to appear on her forehead. She paused only for a moment to wipe it on the back of her hand. Healing was definitely not her forte.

"I hope you hit your non-failed attempt soon," Scherezade said in earnest, "I'm still looking for mine. The Nightmother holds my loyalty, but if something were to happen to her, I'd have to pack my bags and find another place. I'm afraid the Confederacy itself isn't really for me. But neither are other places that I know about." Changing the subject quite sharply, the Sithling looked up at the woman, "so where are you from?"


[member="Kasca Fen"]

 

[Kasca Fen]

Kasca was glad to know that what she had said made sense to someone else. There was a reassurance in being understood even if it was only for a time and only by one person. It was a connection she had not had in a long time. Her brother was a slaver, hating her to the very marrow of his bones. Her parents were fickle and manipulative. She couldn't depend on family. She had not depended on the Jedi, light or dark. They had not deserved her allegiance.

As she listened to Scherezade speak about the Confederacy, she found that she was curious about what that was but before she could ask or even answer her new friend's simple question concerning her home, she heard something. Kasca turned her head just slightly in the direction she thought it was coming from. She wondered idly if Scherezade could hear it too. It sounded faint to begin with, a tickle on the senses. Was it music or just sound? Absently she answered Scherezade, "Arcania." but her eyes and ears where not focused on the woman healing her leg any longer. Her attention both mental and physical and perhaps even spiritual, had become focused on the sound.

The singing, as it turned out to be, had started to grow loud enough for her to really hear. It was... fascinating and unlike anything she had ever heard. With the melody hitting her ears, it also hit her in another way. She felt pulled, beckoned. Without thinking, she stood. "Do you... Do you hear that?" She asked as she took her first step towards the singing, then another. Her foot was not entirely healed but it didn't matter to her. Barely limping, Kasca walked, drawn like a moth to a flame.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Arcania. Scherezade searched her memories, trying to see if there was anything in them about it. In her own, there wasn't. But she couldn't find anything in grandmother's memories either. It didn't mean the old hag hadn't been there though; probably just that nothing of note happened in regards to it while she roamed the galaxy. She sighed, trying to come up with something, anything, to keep a conversation going, the sweat pouring down her face at a faster rate now as she continued with the healing of the ankle.

And then came that question. She'd asked the exact same one not too many months ago.

And she knew that there was no point in trying to keep healing now. The music was going to take Kasca over until she did something about it.

"Nope," she laughed, "but I know what you're hearing."

Taking her hands away, Scherezade wiped them on her pants and got up. Kasca hadn't touched the food or water, so she supposed that would be better saved for later. Then again, they could just leave the stuff here. No one would touch it.

"If you let me use the Force, I can carry you with it while you point me in the direction it's coming from," she smiled.


[member="Kasca Fen"]

 

[Kasca Fen]

"Nope," she laughed, "but I know what you're hearing."


Kasca grinned. Somehow she wasn't surprised that her companion knew what was going on. There was suddenly this excitement building up within her now as she walked in the direction the singing was coming. The pull grew stronger with every step and though Scherezade offered to carry her so that she would not further hurt her ankle, Kasca was beyond caring. The healing that had been done had helped a great deal... enough at least that she would not do further damage on the short walk to the place where the singing originated. At least, that was the sense she had as her feet moved over the terrain. It wasn't the easiest terrain, but it wasn't as hard to navigate as some places she had been with the Jedi Order or the Dark Jedi before.

"I am well enough." She said to the offer. Then she frowned, though her obvious perturbation was not enough to stop her from moving towards her goal. Her footfalls came more swift, more agile. The singing was soothing and simultaneously made her feel expectant and nervous. Finally, as they approached a cave, Kasca turned her bright blue eyes to her companion. "What is your name by the way? I forgot to ask."

Her eyes wouldn't stay on Scherezade for very long. Kasca was too focused on the singing and the pull that brought her closer to the cave.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Scherezade sighed. She really would have preferred to carry the woman with the Force instead of having her step on that ankle. That ankle was going to hurt like a mothercracker later on and somehow she knew she was going to be the one to bear the blame for it. Still, she followed quietly, looking at Kasca with interest. Were those the expressions her face had wielded when she heard the song for the first and only time? Had she been that excited?

Truthfully, she did not remember. She had existed for less than a couple of hours when it happened, and she barely knew her own body when it did. Life was a learning experience, which was something the Sithling knew in such a tangible manner that it almost hurt.

Still, she followed Kasca, her eyes almost always on that damned ankle. She saw how she moved, knew that the pain wasn't there in a way that would slow her down. That was good, at least. But it was still going to bug her later on.

When the two arrived at the cave, Scherezade sniffed. Her nose was not really animalistic, but having spent half a millennia in a surrounding without any scents, her nose had become more sensitive to her surroundings than those of regular people around her. On top of that, she could also sense with the Force in a way that should only describe as smelling things.

And the cave smelled a lot like Rapax.

Suddenly, Scherezade thought she knew which spirit would be claiming Kasca Fen.

"Scherezade deWinter," she replied, looking at the entrance. No one else was around. Was she supposed to go in with her? Let her do it on her own and wait outside?

No. Just because she couldn't sense anyone there, didn't mean that no one actually was.

"Go on," she added with a reassuring smile. Kasca would know what to do. Follow the song, touch the grimoire, be claimed by the Jart. Every Witch experienced it differently, but those were the three key points that were shared by all. "I'll follow after you. You're safe."


[member="Kasca Fen"]

 

[Kasca Fen]

Soundtrack


It is time. It is time. It is time.

It is time.​

It is time. It is time. ​

​

​

The cave looked uninhabited from what she could see, but Kasca did not have night vision naturally and thus she could not know for sure. Yet how many mystical places would a dangerous creature hide unless it was bidden to be there for some purpose. She could feel the ghost of the soreness on her ankle to come, but it did not bother her here. The little Arcanian was too focused and in the end, she would find the pain to be freeing and a worthy sacrifice to the journey. The pain would only be temporary at any rate, not as important as these more pressing parts of the journey.

She turned her head now, her white blonde hair tussled and long, to fully gaze at her new friend. "Scherezade. How fitting. Thank you." She returned the reassuring smile with a confidence filled one of her own and left Scherezade to follow after her. Now, she had to fully face her future.

The music rose in volume, encompassing her ears so that she could almost hear nothing else. The anticipation in the heart of her body pulsed otherworldly and strange yet oddly soothing. She expected the air within the cave to be cooler in temperature than outside, but the drop in temperature was more than expected. Was this how it was supposed to be? She almost wanted to turn back and ask but a glimmer in the distance reclaimed her attention to her task and let her fears and uncertainties fade once more into the background noise of her mind.

The glimmer brightened as she approached revealing a podium... an alter? Upon it lay a book of leather and paper. It looked supple and beautiful and as if it was a siren, she was called to its presence. She stepped up on a dais she didn't even realize as there and reached out with a delicate, petite hand.

It is here. It is here. The Grimoire.

Jemla bo Tosarta. It is here. Touch it.​

It waits for you. It is here for you. The Jemla bo Tosarta.​

As her hand fell to the book to open it, her voices fell silent. The chaotic chorus gone along with the beautifully alluring song that had beckoned her here. Kasca looked up in alarm, only to find that she was not in a cave any longer, but a beautiful pale stoned beach, its shore reaching for miles in either direction with no end in sight. Wind whipped at her white blonde hair as she turned to survey her surroundings. The sky was overcast, almost stormy though no rain fell. Thunder reverberated in the distance, a rhythmic crackling across the sky.

The book was gone and in its place, her left hand caressed a bird the likes of which she had never seen. It leaned into her touch, simultaneously needing her and taking ownership of her. It was a strange sensation to look in the bird's eyes and know she was one of its flock. Feathers extended from a wing slid up her left side. Slicing pain raced through her, sharp and unyeilding. To the white pebble strewn shore she fell, sucking in breath as the tattoo burned itself into her flesh creating the bond made manifest between the bird and the woman. Kasca looked up, tears burning in her eyes, unused to pain as she was. The Jart leaned forward once more to her hand. The feathers of its wings dripped the blue of the ocean before them both as it enveloped her until there was nothing left but its protective surrounding.

Then, as suddenly as it had all appeared, it was gone and Kasca was once more in the cave, collapsed on the floor where once the podium and grimoire had stood.

 

[Scherezade deWinter]

Scherezade did not hear the words that Kasca heard, did not see her visions. All the Sithling saw was the petite in some form of a trance, standing behind the altar, her body almost frozen from the moment she touched the grimoire. She couldn't help but wonder if that was how she had looked when it had happened to her only a handful of months ago. She was aching with questions, questions she'd never found herself in a position to ask other members of the Mandragora, but she would not dare to bother the ritual in any sort of way.

The Sithling found herself looking with mild interest in her shoes as she tried to give Kasca some privacy in her moment, even if Kasca was in her trance or vision or whatever you called it, and was probably unaware. Normally, Scherezade would have gone crazy with waiting, finding a way to get herself stabbed by someone just to relieve some of the boredom that came with it, but this time she felt... Not at peace, but close enough to it for it to count.

It was the thud that snapped her out of as she looked, and Kasca was now on the floor. The altar and the book were gone.

Grinning, Scherezade half bounced to her before going down on a knee.

"So?" she asked with excitement, "which spirit was it? What'd you see? Also, please remember to tell whoever asks that your ankle situation is not my fault, okay?"

[member="Kasca Fen"]