Page 86 of The Anointed's Paladin

Whatever. I looked down, to find an old, worn path cutting across the field. I’d follow that, I decided, wherever it wanted to take me. The universe brought me here, and if it wanted me to finish this quest, it’d have to do the rest of the work itself.

It was eerily quiet as I walked along in the dark.

I felt like my ears were straining, trying to make outsomethingother than the sound of my feet trudging along the ground.

Was that a noise? I looked to the side, but nothing was amiss. Dark shapes were looming ahead of me, but as I walked closer, they formed into nothing but trees.

My ears must be playing tricks on me. I took two steps forward as I thought I heard Nidori’s laugh up ahead. Was it her? Had she been healed?

I stopped, listening intently, but heard nothing.

I gritted my teeth.Get it together, I told myself. I kept going forward, determined to not lose my focus again, no matter what phantom sounds and shapes came to me.Just follow the path.

I heard another rustle—surely, I hadn’t imagined that sound?

A figure stepped out of the trees ahead of me, cloaked in a bright crimson robe. She was slight, willowy, with long hair in thick blackringlets. Her face had dark skin, with an elegantly hooked nose, full cheeks, and luminous honey-brown eyes.

“Hello,” she purred, lowering her hood and looking at me inquisitively.

I glanced at her feet; they were bare.

Cassandra.

My hand darted to my sword, but before I could draw it, I felt a wave of adoration envelop me. It eclipsed the cloud of hopelessness I had been wallowing in, leaving me with a pleasant…emptiness. My hand dropped limply at my side. My eyes went back to the woman. Or perhaps she was a Goddess? She was perfect, either way.

“You weren’t going to attack me, were you?” she said, her mouth turning down in a frown.

“I- I apologise,” I said, sinking to my knees as she approached. My eyes fell to the ground and cheeks burned in shame. There was just…her. Cassandra. It was simple. Peaceful.

“You have good instincts,” she said approvingly, and I looked up again, hopeful that she wasn’t angry. She tilted her head to the side, pupils dilating, then clasped her hands together. “Hmm…you have a familiar face.”

Surely not. I would have remembered meeting her before. She stepped closer and peered at me. A smile slid onto her face, and I smiled as well, overjoyed that she was happy.

“I know where I’ve seen you. When I scried for my wayward slave, you were at his side.”

“You…saw me?” I asked, amazed.

“Yes. You have some rather distinct features. But here you are now. Alone.”

Her voice sharpened on the last word. I blinked.

“Where is he?” she snarled, gripping my shoulder and digging in her sharp nails. I cringed backwards.

“I don’t know.” The thought tugged at my mind, but I recoiled as it hit a painful feeling. “He left me this morning. He’s making his way to the tower.”

I nodded at the tower, visible through the trees.

“What could he possibly need with that place?” she asked, her tone slipping back to sickly sweet.

“He’s looking for the relic,” I breathed. “So he can summon Cirae by cutting his brand. Then he’ll receive his blessing. He’ll be free.” Something stirred in my mind again, demanding attention. It was important. But my thoughts felt so slow. It was so much work to think. Much easier to relax and enjoy her presence.

“Hmm. That ismostunfortunate,” said Cassandra. “We can’t have that, can we?”

I shook my head, a cold sweat breaking out on my brow. Couldn’t we? We couldn’t have… his freedom. The thought gnawed at me. Whose freedom? It was something to do with the pain...

I started as her hand gripped my face, nails digging in hard enough to draw blood. I whimpered. She had said something, but I had missed what it was. She gripped my face, drawing my attention back to her.

“I said, we need to hunt down Kaine.”

---