The dark passage swallowed the tall figure but didn’t rush to close. The vague idea of escaping the dungeon, evading supervision, might have crossed any prisoner’s mind. However, Suri ruthlessly dismissed it, paying it no attention. Her gaze remained fixed on the darkness, obedient to a strange, unconscious feeling. She dared not move, feeling someone else’s intense attention. Pushing all her senses to the limit, Suri struggled to discern even the slightest detail. Nonetheless, all efforts were in vain.
The unseen guardian maintained an icy calm, revealing nothing of his whereabouts. The unfocused gaze of the discovery slid past, never finding its target. Yet, one fact about such vigilant behavior intrigued him.
Fast footsteps echoed around the corner. The closer they approached, the less tense Suri felt. Soon, a girl hastily entered the room, carrying a pleasant aroma. Brown eyes harmoniously matched short chestnut hair and sun-kissed skin. A sprinkling of freckles completed the look of a lively nature, no older than sixteen.
“I am Cassia… aera,” she barely uttered, then fell silent, waiting for a reaction. Suri frowned, unsure of how to respond. Cassia, as if remembering something, pulled a small white stone from her pocket and pointed at the wall, drawing whimsical pirouettes in the air. Suri sensed an expectation but doubted that her words would be comprehended. The girl persisted, leaving Suri no choice but to try.
“Cassia,” the guest repeated, pointing to herself with a calloused hand.
Sighing, Suri inscribed her name with utmost care. Before she finished, Cassia remarked, “So you’re aera Suri.”
The inhabitant’s gaze held an unspoken question. Cassia once more pointed to the wall. A neat inscription appeared, saying, “How?”
Any doubts Suri had about communication issues vanished as soon as Cassia correctly pronounced her name.
“The stone in your hand is my artifact. Not too useful in ordinary times, but it came in handy with your arrival,” a proud smile stretched across Cassia’s sun-kissed face. However, the complete lack of any reaction from the stranger quickly dissipated her jubilation.
“Of course, telepathy is nothing amazing,” she muttered dishearteningly. The smooth white stone slipped from Suri’s weakened fingers. Cassia, now as pale as her interlocutor, lunged to the ground, hoping to save her only assistant in a rather challenging task. But fate spared its wrath, taking the girl’s fright as the sacrifice, leaving the stone intact.
“My fault,” Cassia murmured. “But please, don’t scare me like that again. The Sky knows when my brother will manage to find something similar.”
Suri nodded, clutching in her hand, presumably, her only chance to make sense of at least some things. Using her palm to erase the neat inscription, she wrote a string of following letters, “How does this work?”
“I don’t really know myself,” Cassia shrugged thoughtfully. “In Azur, no one allows me to use the artifact after a few… unfortunate incidents. But it seems you don’t need to get your hands dirty anymore.”
“Do you know what I’m thinking?”
The girl nodded affirmatively, her gaze unwavering on Suri. Overwhelmed by the intensity of the stare, Suri found herself torn between a multitude of questions swirling in her mind and a fear of the strange force that seemed to lay bare a person’s soul. Surprisingly, Cassia appeared to be in an equally awkward position. She heard nothing, absolutely nothing, no matter how hard she tried. Unless the stranger willed it, her thoughts remained concealed from others. The servant could already envision the Council’s reaction to such disheartening news.
“Your eyes are so unusual, just like the sky over Azur,” slipped from Cassia’s tongue. It seemed like a banal phrase, yet it sounded with such straightforward nonchalance that it instantly diffused the tension.
“I offer my deepest apologies, aera. I’ve just never seen anything like this before,” the girl stammered in embarrassment. “But if you don’t have any questions yet, allow me to tidy up your appearance.”
Cassia didn’t wait for a response, disappearing into the passage and almost immediately returning with a stack of clothing made of rough, colorless fabric. She unfolded the bundle, a hint of pride in her eyes, revealing a very simple tunic with the only adornment being a woven belt, drawstring pants, and low boots made of soft leather.
“I hope I didn’t make a mistake with the size. Maybe just a little…” the girl mumbled thoughtfully, assessing her ward with an evaluating gaze.
Then, she brought a container of water and scraps of clean fabric. All her actions indicated a genuine intent to undress and wash the inhabitant of the stone room, who was entirely unprepared for such treatment.
Suri insisted on her independence, gesturing vigorously and clutching the white stone in her palms. However, Cassia remained resolutely deaf to protests.
All resistance proved futile when Suri tried to rise from the bed. Her legs buckled. If not for Cassia’s timely reaction, she would have felt the bone-chilling embrace of the stone floor. Stiff muscles refused to obey, turning their owner into something resembling a jointed puppet. Cassia, persistently and with great care, helped the stranger regain balance and removed the crumpled, dirty tunic over her head.
Only then did Suri notice that she was wearing exactly the same clothing as Cassia, albeit in a much more pitiful condition.
A questioning look, and the servant understood everything without words.
“I was the one who dressed you,” the girl replied, seamlessly continuing her previous actions. An awkward silence hung in the room. Cassia seemed almost embarrassed by her candor. She averted her gaze, clutching the wet fabric in her hand.
“I thought you might not appreciate waking up in an unfamiliar place without clothes. I wouldn’t.”
Suri looked at the girl in surprise. Cassia had guessed right. Something did trouble her, but for a different reason. She vividly remembered being in a surgical capsule with an elastic universal suit and sensors.
Cassia couldn’t discern what was happening in her ward’s mind. She could only pick up shades of emotions, and confusion rang louder than anything else. She felt strange. Earlier, she had been so afraid of the hunters new find that she hadn’t dared to look up. However, witnessing such a familiar, human reaction, Cassia couldn’t help but sympathize with her. Maybe the stranger was a blood mage, but right now, she resembled a lonely and lost soul. No matter how hard Cassia tried, she couldn’t imagine that such a clumsy creature with clear sky-colored eyes could bring an entire squad of seasoned warriors to the brink of life and death.
“Do you know who I am?” a clear question echoed in Cassia’s mind, so loud and unexpected that she flinched.
“Yes, aera. You are a blood mage.”
“Who is this?” an impatient voice intruded again into the girl’s consciousness.
As much as she wanted to answer, she couldn’t tell what she herself didn’t understand.
“You should ask Magister Pankratz or other members of the Council.”
“Can you take me to someone who can answer my questions?”
Cassia nodded, adjusting the strap at the stranger’s waist with a familiar gesture. Only her long hair remained to be dealt with. No one in Azur grew long hair for practical reasons, and she didn’t want to put the stranger in an awkward position. Using a thin strip of leather, Cassia braided the slightly wavy light hair, just as she had woven the belt for the tunic.
Suri understood perfectly well that she wouldn’t have managed without Cassia’s help. A wave of gratitude covered the dark chestnut crown, and the servant’s light smile became more sincere.
***
It took some time to restore mobility to the stiffened body. Cassia didn’t leave her ward’s side, and soon the two girls felt at ease in each other’s presence. Suri could never have imagined that she would meet someone with whom she would find common ground without uttering a word. It seemed like Cassia fully understood her feelings, or perhaps she truly did.
Soon, the stranger was ready, and Cassia beckoned her towards the open passage.
The narrow corridor didn’t differ much from the stone room. The only distinction was the howling draft created by strong crosswinds. In the distance, a yellowish light from a crystal could be seen, likely enticing occasional passersby. Glancing around, Suri didn’t spot anyone, despite a persistent feeling that someone was watching her.
Cassia confidently walked toward the crystal light, occasionally turning and checking on her companion. She had no intention of rushing, allowing Suri to choose the pace. If they were supposed to arrive at the Council at a certain time, that moment had long passed. However, for some reason, Cassia felt that the unusual new acquaintance could afford to be late, even for a meeting with the leaders of Azur.
Though the stones on the floor were uneven, each subsequent step became easier for Suri. Soon, her previous agility returned to her stride, only slightly lagging behind the brisk pace of her young guide.
“Just a few steps up, and we’ll be there,” Cassia encouraged, pointing enthusiastically at the stone door at the end of the corridor.
But a few small steps became the biggest obstacle for Suri. Her legs stumbled, and she felt herself losing balance. Annoyance at her own clumsiness pricked her heart as she tried to soften the fall by covering herself with her hands. However, at the last moment, someone held her, restoring the lost balance.
Suri didn’t even feel the presence of another person. Throughout the entire time, she didn’t hear footsteps or breathing. And she wasn’t the only one in her misconception. Cassia pushed the heavy door and turned around, inviting the stranger to enter first. At that moment, she suddenly turned pale, and the smile faded from her face. The girl clumsily bowed, afraid to look up at the one standing behind Suri.
After such a radical change in the lively and smiling companion, the one saved could hardly find the strength to express gratitude. Perhaps Suri absorbed Cassia’s fear of the unknown, but she stubbornly refused even to turn around.
Slightly turning her head, the girl nodded appreciatively into the void and walked past the noticeably nervous Cassia, disappearing behind the heavy door.
