balance
is not something you find. You create it.
“Dees is not a negotiation.”
Cassiti gave the rather large man before her as calm a stare as she could muster, though she was admittedly rather intimidated by him. She had not had any exposure to men at all growing up, and while most of the ones she had run into in Fiore so far had been respectful and kind to her, it was not the case currently. This man before her stood over a foot taller than her own height, and he was rippling with all sorts of muscle that could easily overwhelm her if she allowed him the opportunity.
Unfortunately, she was her on a job that was oddly important to her. She had come across a public request for help from any available mage to retrieve some property that had been stolen from him. The cargo in question was actually a herd of horses that supposedly feasted on the flesh of humans rather than grass and fruit. It was a frightening concept, but who was she to judge a living creature that couldn’t help its nature? Besides, horses were sacred on Avalon, praised as the divine beasts of Aryennrhod. While these creatures were nothing like traditional horses, they still fell into the category, and thus it was her prerogative as Oracle to see to their liberation.
Luckily, her connection to horses through her Oracle status seemed to apply even to these creatures. She was able to track them down in these cursed lands relatively quickly, and they did not put up any kind of fight against her, despite the vicious natures she sensed within them. It was like they calmed at her presence, approaching to take in her scent and gently nip her clothing like any other curious horse might. But of course, this had drawn the attention of the guards and this barbarian in charge of them who was quite offended by the notion that this small young woman, barely more than a teenager, would have the nerve to walk into his camp and take his hard earned stolen prizes.
“And who’s gonna stop me, little girl?” he asked with a malicious sneer. “You? Even if you’re a mage of some kind, it’s still seven on one, and ain’t no magic gonna make those odds agreeable to you.”
Cassi did not reply right away, putting thought to her next words as she gently lifted a hand a stroked the neck of a beautiful dunn mare beside her. “I do not weesh to fight. My odds ahr not impossible like you seem to t’ink. For your sake, you mahst let me leave. I will retarn deez horses to dere rightful caretaker. Please do not put yourself in harm’s way over dis.” She did not elaborate on what she was hinting, knowing that it was up to the man to see reason for himself. If he could not choose the right course to restore balance without needing to be intimidated by the consequences, then it was not her place to change the course of his fate.
He laughed. “Yes, you’re very intimidating. Alright, boys, let’s put this black skinned snob in her place.”
It was the last words he would ever say. As soon as he and his men moved toward her with intent to harm, the horses lashed out at them violently, spurned to protect the Oracle with whom they sensed a connection. The men died in screaming agony even as Cassi stood by and waited for the carnage to end without interfering, a sad look upon her face. When the horses finished culling their captors, the young woman sighed and took a few minutes to pray over the bodies of the mutilated men, asking her goddess for fair judgement in the balancing of their early accords. Then, she called to the horses who followed her patiently without leads back to the address of the client that had put out the notice.
Cassiti gave the rather large man before her as calm a stare as she could muster, though she was admittedly rather intimidated by him. She had not had any exposure to men at all growing up, and while most of the ones she had run into in Fiore so far had been respectful and kind to her, it was not the case currently. This man before her stood over a foot taller than her own height, and he was rippling with all sorts of muscle that could easily overwhelm her if she allowed him the opportunity.
Unfortunately, she was her on a job that was oddly important to her. She had come across a public request for help from any available mage to retrieve some property that had been stolen from him. The cargo in question was actually a herd of horses that supposedly feasted on the flesh of humans rather than grass and fruit. It was a frightening concept, but who was she to judge a living creature that couldn’t help its nature? Besides, horses were sacred on Avalon, praised as the divine beasts of Aryennrhod. While these creatures were nothing like traditional horses, they still fell into the category, and thus it was her prerogative as Oracle to see to their liberation.
Luckily, her connection to horses through her Oracle status seemed to apply even to these creatures. She was able to track them down in these cursed lands relatively quickly, and they did not put up any kind of fight against her, despite the vicious natures she sensed within them. It was like they calmed at her presence, approaching to take in her scent and gently nip her clothing like any other curious horse might. But of course, this had drawn the attention of the guards and this barbarian in charge of them who was quite offended by the notion that this small young woman, barely more than a teenager, would have the nerve to walk into his camp and take his hard earned stolen prizes.
“And who’s gonna stop me, little girl?” he asked with a malicious sneer. “You? Even if you’re a mage of some kind, it’s still seven on one, and ain’t no magic gonna make those odds agreeable to you.”
Cassi did not reply right away, putting thought to her next words as she gently lifted a hand a stroked the neck of a beautiful dunn mare beside her. “I do not weesh to fight. My odds ahr not impossible like you seem to t’ink. For your sake, you mahst let me leave. I will retarn deez horses to dere rightful caretaker. Please do not put yourself in harm’s way over dis.” She did not elaborate on what she was hinting, knowing that it was up to the man to see reason for himself. If he could not choose the right course to restore balance without needing to be intimidated by the consequences, then it was not her place to change the course of his fate.
He laughed. “Yes, you’re very intimidating. Alright, boys, let’s put this black skinned snob in her place.”
It was the last words he would ever say. As soon as he and his men moved toward her with intent to harm, the horses lashed out at them violently, spurned to protect the Oracle with whom they sensed a connection. The men died in screaming agony even as Cassi stood by and waited for the carnage to end without interfering, a sad look upon her face. When the horses finished culling their captors, the young woman sighed and took a few minutes to pray over the bodies of the mutilated men, asking her goddess for fair judgement in the balancing of their early accords. Then, she called to the horses who followed her patiently without leads back to the address of the client that had put out the notice.
template by punki
