A Descent into Madness

A Descent into Madness

The day had begun quite normally. Keyser and Cassanndra decided to help a friend do some mining. They traveled to Neul Eilean with their guards and met up with Nayalia, who was learning to tinker. She wanted them to help her mine some sand.

The beach was across the field from Nayalia's home. They quickly got to work. The sand elementals did not like their presence, and the group had to dispatch several of the creatures. Sandslimes also attacked them frequently. Each time, the guards made short work of them.

At long last, they were finished, gathering approximately 10,000 sand. As they were putting away their gear, another Muiri, Illezar, came by. Introductions were made and Nayalia invited them all back to her home to relax for awhile.

All too soon, the party broke up. Keyser and Cassanndra took their guards home, and left again, to tour some islands that Cassanndra hadn't visited. They went to Thystorin, Thealorne, and Dilumn. They also traveled to Innis Muir and Tir Miann. It was a long journey.

In Tir Miann, Keyser entered the graveyard. Cassanndra hung back a little bit. Suddenly, he disappeared into a portal. She followed reluctantly.

"Well, it can't be too dangerous, or else he wouldn't have went in there," she muttered. Keyser was a little careless at times, but never when she was with him. So she went through the portal.

A stranger's bloody remains greeted her. Keyser grinned.

"What is this place?" she said.

"Angidh Tir, the dark fey city," he replied, smiling at her sense of adventure.

She wrinkled her nose. "Smells like death in here."

"Don't worry, my love. The former inhabitants have moved on. Besides, I've been in far worse places, and in worse company." He winked at her, trying to lighten the mood.

"I hope you're right about that."

"Julia and I have been here often whilst mining and fighting the trolls in the caverns beyond. It is quite safe in the city proper." He smiled reassuringly at her.

Cassanndra and Keyser rode cautiously through the streets of the abandoned city. Dark bloodstains had soaked the cobblestones. Occasionally they would come upon a locked chest, and Keyser would open it. One was booby-trapped, and it almost killed her. After that, she stayed well back while he picked the locks.

Although the inhabitants had fled, the shopkeepers had not. They plied their trade on whoever traveled through the empty streets. Cassanndra followed along behind Keyser, trying not to think of what could have happened to make those bloodstains. The residents must have liked bloodsports. She shivered.

"Are you ok?" he asked her.

"Oh, um.... yes, I'm fine," she said. She really wasn't fine at all. The bloodstains were like those after the attack on her village. The smells were overwhelming. Rats scurried past her. Occasionally, Keyser would have her stay behind while he explored an unknown passage, reappearing from the darkness after a short while to inform her of its contents or inhabitants.

He smiled. "Let's take a carpet ride."

"Oh, that would be nice. I've not been on a carpet ride." She tried to look happy. He seemed to be enjoying this little trip to the dark side.

So they traveled to the Star Chamber.

Upon landing, the same foul smell assailed her.

"Not again," she muttered.

To Keyser she said, "I've always heard of the Star Chamber, but have never ventured here. I've heard there are creatures that lurk about."

"Oh yes, there are, but they are mostly in rooms or caverns only accessible by the telepads on the ground. Just stay back and don't step through any portals. It should be safe, though." Again, he flashed her a reassuring smile.

They traveled empty streets stained with blood, looking for treasure chests. None were to be found. He led her into a strange chamber, with dead trees, a hideous caricature of the upper world. Was this where the inhabitants had once congregated? Keyser ambled over to a chest hidden behind a statue. The lock was tricky, and took some time to pick.

Cassanndra slumped forward on her horse. She couldn't look at the terrible sights any longer. She was sweating and very pale.

"I have to get away from here, Keyser. This is too much... I cannot bear to be here another second." She began to chant the gate spell.

He hardly noticed her discomfort, the surroundings taking him back to another time, another world as he fiddled with the stubborn lock. He glanced up, seeing his companion by the door, only not in Sanctuary, not with Cassanndra... he was back in Novus, feverishly working a lock on a chest while Thorn's mistress Emerald watched the door for him. He noticed Emerald's face was more pale than usual, a realization that snapped him back to his current surroundings. Seeing Cass's discomfort, realizing where he was and had been this whole time, he forced the lid with a hurried snap of a pry bar. He mounted his horse quickly as she threw the gate open, following his beloved through to their home.

"I have to wash the stench of death off me," she said.

"Are you ok?" he asked.

"No, I'm not." She sighed. "At first, I felt adventurous, but the blood, the smell, the rats...." she trailed off, unable to continue. She removed her clothing. "This was my favorite outfit. Now I'll have to burn it. The smell will never come out." She absentmindedly tossed the dress on the floor, and settled into the bath. Keyser joined her.

"I'm sorry," he said, putting his arm around her. "I just thought you might like to see some places you haven't been."

"Well, I did, but sometimes there are places better left alone."

Later, she couldn't sleep. Each time she closed her eyes, she imagined she could hear the screams of her family. She got up and walked to the window. The streets of Lower Mynoc were silent. Keyser looked so innocent when he was asleep, she thought.

"But there is death in him," she said to herself.

****

Cassanndra recalled their conversation as they were mining. Nayalia and Keyser were speaking of time. Nayalia was learning to create glass objects as she had never learned the skill in all her long years of life.

"It wont be but another decade or two before i may have to hang up my katana," he said. "But yes, i think i shall have Tanaki teach me more of tinkering in time, when i can no longer fight and explore caves."

Nayalia smiled. "Tinkering is fun."

"Yes it is," he replied.

"It is more fulfilling to create," Cassanndra said, a bit wistfully. She stared down at the ground, continuing to dig sand.

"I can make pitchers and goblets and things!" Nayalia said.

"I prefer to do the hard work of gathering flax and cotton and other things," Cassanndra said.

"I may also learn more woodworking," Keyser said.

"That would be a valuable skill," Cassanndra said.

"Yes it would be--woodworking and tinkering. I could make toys." Keyser grinned at the two women. "For little muiri children at that."

Cassanndra laughed.

Nayalia blinked, looking confused.

"Surely there will be some little blue and gold dragons to make toys for--yes?" he asked her.

"We have no little ones yet," Naya replied.

Keyser winked. "In time I mean."

"There must be an egg first." A faint blush crept up Nayalia's cheeks.

Cassanndra looked shocked.

"Well how long does an egg take to hatch, Naya?" Keyser asked.

Nayalia pondered for a moment. "Depends on the type of Dragon."

"Oh. How long if you were to have an egg?" He grinned. "Just curious."

Nayalia furrowed her brows. Cassanndra blushed faintly and kept digging furiously.

"Possibly almost a year."

"Ahhh," said Keyser. "So not so different from a human." He smiled at Cassanndra. "Timewise I mean."

Nayalia shook her head and then looked to Cass carefully. "Do you two plan to have hatchlings?"

Cassanndra blushed deep red.

"Haven't really talked about it yet," Keyser said, chuckling. "We are too busy planning the wedding first."

Cassanndra smiled weakly at them. They continued mining and no more was said on the subject. She was relieved. Only she knew the truth.

There would be no children for the two of them. Her severe injuries from the rape had removed that possibility. She tried not to let them see the tears slip down her cheeks. The day was hot, and there was still a lot of work ahead of them.

It had been hard to pretend she was all right, but somehow she made it through the rest of the day.

Now, as the sun began to rise, she heard Keyser stirring. How would she ever tell him of this devastating news? She would have to. She would have to tell him, and offer to break the engagement.

Cassanndra stood near the window, watching Keyser stir in the bed. "Good morning," she said. She looked tired and drawn.

The morning light glowing in the window had woken him up. He smiled at her. "Morning, love." He rubbed the lingering effect of sleep from his eyes, sitting up on the edge of the bed.

"Did you not sleep well, sweetie?" he asked.

She shook her head. "No, I didn't." She walked over to the bed. He took her hand in his, kissing it.

"Why is that?" He smiled softly at her.

She stared past him, at the wall. "Last night, in those cities..."

He looked concerned. "Everything all right, Cass?"

"It brought back memories I hadn't thought about in a long while. I couldn't sleep. I kept hearing screams in my head." She gripped his hand tightly.

Keyser looked down at the floor, realizing what she was talking about.

"I am sorry," he said. "I should have been more considerate of your past." He smiled, holding her close.

"But.... that is not the only thing that kept me awake." She sighed.

Keyser motioned for her to sit with him on the bed.

"No, that wasn't the only thing." Cassanndra sat down heavily on the bed, and stared toward the window. "That wasn't even the most upsetting thing."

He put his arm around her. "Would you like to talk about it ?"

She smiled weakly. "If only it was that easy..."

Keyser reached up and brushed a strand of hair from her face, and then kissed her forehead. But his loving caresses could not remove her sadness.

"Well, if you ever want to, I am here to listen..." he trailed off.

She took a deep breath. "Yesterday, when we were mining... you were teasing Naya about the dragon egg.... remember?"

He nodded. "Yes of course..."

"And possibly making toys someday..."

"Mmmhmm?" He hugged her reassuringly.

"And then she teased you about little ones of our own...." she said, almost whispering the words, choking back tears.

Keyser nodded, smiling a bit, until he saw her eyes welling up.

"What is it, Cass?"

She took another deep breath, looking down at the floor.

"I don't know how to tell you this, Keyser... I do not know what your expectations are..."

He squeezed her shoulder and kissed her forehead again. She could not look at him but continued to gaze down at the floor.

"But--I fear I am unable to bear children..... there will be no little ones." Tears slid down her cheeks.

He held her close, wrapping his arms around her, as she revealed this bit of her past. He whispered in her ear. "It's ok, sweetie."

"In addition, I... I will release you from the engagement... since you didn't know."

He blinked in astonishment. "What?"

She did not look at him. "I will not make you keep a promise that was made in bad faith....." She tried not to sob the last few words.

"Release me from... no, no.. that's not why I want to marry you..."

"All men want children, do they not?" She looked a bit surprised.

"I want you, Cass. If we cannot have children then so be it; I am deeply in love with you Cassanndra, children or no children."

"You're just saying that....." She tried to smile as he was reassuring her.

He gently lifted her chin to look her in the eyes. She finally met his gaze.

"I am not just saying that. I want to spend the rest of my life with YOU; THAT is why I proposed. I love you."

"But..."

"All of our joys, we rejoice in together, all of our sorrows, we share together. That is what this commitment means to me. I love you, regardless of whether or not we ever have children."

"You're sure it doesn't matter?" She looked searchingly at him."

"Yes I am. I love you no matter what. I'll be there for you, no matter what. I love you, Cassanndra." He leaned forward and kissed her.

She returned his kiss and hugged him. "I love you, Keyser. Our joys and our sorrows....together."