Re: Back on duty ... again

[Casandra Lightheart]

They appered at the falls just like before Cas was dressed in the clothes she had worn the day of the ride with the Marques, she was wearing his sweater again. She was calm, and peaceful for the first time in days her hair was moving gently in the breeze.

[Guest]

Venis looked around and smiled. "Take a moment to enjoy the peace Casie, if we rush things could go wrong." She was wearing her black robes again. She looked around to see if Airtia was there as well. She should be right beside them.

[Airtia S. Cauthon]

It was a different way of getting into a person's subconscious and to her it seemed a bit like hypnosis. No matter what it was, it did what it was suppose to do and soon they were inside.

Once there Airtia was no longer sitting with her hand on Venis' shoulder, but standing and dressed the same as she was in the waking world. Now to take a look around and see what was coming next.

[Casandra Lightheart]

She walked to the edge of the rock and looked out over the falls. She closed her eyes and smiled softly as she wrapped her arms around herself.

"I'm ready lets go, I need to get this over with and get some sleep."

[Guest]

Venis walked out onto the stone. "Air, you ready?" She waved her hands and the water parted as it had before. Once again that cave was there. This time Venis wondered if it was there in reality. They stepped off the rock to walk across the water and into the cave. Once they were inside the cave it turned into a hall once again. for Venis and Casie this was a rerun, but it was Airtia's first time inside.

Venis used her finger to illuminate the hall. "Casie, I don't think he's in Deacon's room at the moment." She made her way down the hall, not all the pictures were in the same place. Newer memories or more important memories always got moved to the front. She stopped at Deacon's room and touched the picture through the fog, just to check for the dream walker.

Then she turned around and walked back towards the front of the hall and touched her own picture. "Casie, he's trying to outsmart us. He's in my room." She took a deep breath and hesitated as she reached for the door knob. "Are we ready?"

[Airtia S. Cauthon]

This was interesting. Very interesting indeed. First the waterfall, and then they were in a hall. It really seemed like Venis was the director, conducting the going-on of a mind of a person under hypnosis.

She like to watch. There were things to note.

The room concept was different, but she took it as being that the person was hiding in memories. She had seen this before, so it was not alien. It was tempting to poke around in Casandra's memories - never know what may be found, or destroyed.

Following Venis' lead, when they got to the room she stood in front of Casandra, remembering what was asked of her earlier. "I will act as yer shield Casandra."

[Casandra Lightheart]

(language warning from this point on)

Cas was as ready as she was going to get she nodded to Airtia and then waited as V opened the door. The memory was the same one that the dream walker had been trying to get her to remember the last few nights.

Her children were standing next to Venis and Casie was crying and hugging them.

"I'm sorry it is for your own good I have to send you to..."

She shook her head.

"NO THIS STOPS NOW!!!"

The memory faded, and Cas was shaking.

"You can't have it, you can't have them."

"You stupid little bitch, I almost had it this time. Oh look another friend, I am sorry but it still will not work it will just delay me a while.

Again like before the voice seemed to come from everywhere at once.

"Ah yes Airtia, her brothers wife, former head of the Templars in the Rose. What an interesting addition to this little group."

He was stalling; searching Cas' memories for anything else, but he wasn't finding much.

[Guest]

Venis stepped forward. "Well, well, well. Look who has been finding more memories to play in. So you know about the Templars. Good to know. So you know that Airtia and I are not the only Templars around then as well. Not worries." She walked forward more. There were very few people Venis trusted when going into battle. and there were even less that she trusted to safeguard a human life. She knew Casie was safe.

"So tell me. If you know so much, why isn't Deacon here yet? Oh that's right, you don't have the information he wants you to get yet. That's ok." She had reached him and was now circling him like prey. "Even if we hadn't arrived when we did, you wouldn't have gotten much. I told you, she doesn't have an exact location. You've been in the wrong head all these years. Such a waste of your time."

She stopped in front of him and stared at him. "I don't care what Deacon has on you, but what ever it is, you might want to face that rather than what you would face otherwise. Just a thought." She turned her back to him for a moment. She was looking around the room. It was so lovely at the moment. The Keep of The Society of the Blood Rose. Venis smiled.

She tilted her head as she saw someone leaving the Recruiting Tavern. "Hmm." She turned around and faced him again. "So, you think that if you look here, you will get your answers. Big mistake. You see, these memories, their mine as well. Wanna see what I mean?"

She tilted her head and spoke over her shoulder while watching her prey. "Hey Cas, remember the day that Kahn and I got married?" The scene changed then as Cas remembered the day she married them. "Now here's where the fun part comes in. I could walk over to my husband and touch him. And wherever he is, what ever he is doing, he will know about what goes on in here. Now, you know who my husband is, right?" She turned to walk over to him. But all she did was turn, she hadn't taken a step yet.

[Airtia S. Cauthon]

Enter the antagonist. Hearing what was said only caused her to smile slightly. That was a plus to being in the memory of a person who hasn't seen you in years. Their memory only went up to a point and then ended. There were advantages in that, not to mention that he gave her an interesting tidbit of information.

Often people gave out information to see how the other person would react to what was said. The best thing to do in such a situation was not to respond at all. At least not verbally. And she didn't, Airtia gave a simple, very slight, bow of her head to acknowledge what was said.

Change of scenery did not bother her; she remembered this time as well, though not as vividly as Casandra and Venis. For now she waited. Since the figure was being addressed by Venis, there was no telling what he might do.

[Casandra Lightheart]

The scene changed when V talked about the wedding, it was mid fall at dusk with a cool breeze blowing.

There was Cas standing in front of Venis and Kahn she was in green silk robes her hair loose and blowing in the breeze.

She was smiling at them as she performed the ceremony; but the smile never did reach her eyes, in fact if anyone looked closely her eyes were a bit red.

She was a friend so she could not just leave after they had been married, as soon as it was polite Cas moved off by herself and quietly watched.

"So what does the God of Death have to do with us I'm not dead and don't plan on being dead."

[Guest]

Venis' wicked laugh returned then. She knew that this memory would be a hard one for them both, but she had so much more power in here. There was a lot of joy in this memory and she would pull on it if she needed to for strength. "Not yet child." She began to circle her prey again. She was toying with some rather wicked thoughts at the moment. "But you will be."

She stopped circling him as a noise was heard off in the distance. That wasn't from her wedding night. That was something new. That noise didn't belong. He couldn't alter the memory, so nothing that had happened that night or the visions of those present at that time would come to harm. The only thing he could do was bring in something that only existed in the in between, where he now stood. But the problem was, Venis, Casie, and Airtia were also in the in between.

She listened again. Was he bringing someone or something in with him? She brought travelers and it made sense that he could as well. So what did he have in his lair that he could bring in there with them. She looked over to Air and Cas to make sure that they heard it as well and were at the ready. It could have been anything.

She circled her prey once more standing before him. "Tell me dream walker, is what Deacon holds over you truly worth your life? Because that sound has sealed your fate. You will die. There is no question of that. But here is where the question does lie. Do I bring Kahn into this, and have him find your lair in the waking world while I have you trapped in here? Or do I just kill you later?"

She heard the noise again, his control over his traveler was limited. He wouldn't be able to stop it if he wanted to, she could feel his fear. But he wasn't afraid of things he should be, not death later, or even now. No, he had very little fear, but it was of Deacon, more specifically, what Deacon had on him. "I have already told you, you are in the wrong mind for getting the answers you seek."

She walked away from him for a moment. In the direction of the sound. She was going to see what he was bringing in. "Airtia, if he decides to enter my mind to find his answers, talk to Casie and bring us all out. But do not stir me in the waking world. I will need my full concentration in my memories. Take her back to the falls through the marked passage, she will know what and where it is." She knew Air would understand. In the meantime, the sound had moved, it wasn't coming from the same place. She wasn't going to chase it everywhere. Let it come.

[Guest]

Tasha needed something from Venis' room. It was pertinent that she got them now. So she left her room and walked the few steps to Venis' door. The door was closed. But she knew that it was ok for her to go in. If Venis was entertaining a gentleman caller at this time of day, her internal bedroom door would more than likely be closed as well.

So with a hand upon the door she turned the nob and pushed the door. She could hear the soft music as the door opened. That was odd. Venis didn't usually leave her music playing if she wasn't in her room. Her bedroom door was open. That was when she saw Kjay. And as the door opened the rest of the way she saw Venis, Airtia, and Casie sitting in chairs with their eyes closed.

She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. Whatever was going on, the rest of the world need not know about it. Venis had her hands upon Casie's head and Airtia had her hand on Venis' shoulder. Tasha petted Kjay and walked quietly over to the chest she needed. She opened it and pulled out a bag to see if it was what she needed. It was, so she closed the chest and walked over to the couch. She sat down and leaned back, crossing her right leg over her left as she sat and waited.

[Casandra Lightheart]

"Who says Deacon holds anything over me?" He has an evil smile on his face as the noise got louder. "Your mind is not the one I am supposed to be in, I will not leave hers. As for your husband he will not find me in the waking world, no one will." The joke was on Venis the noise was just a noise there was nothing there and he vanished from where he was and appeared behind Casie, and wrapped an arm around her waist and began whispering in her ear. "Tell me where they are or I will hurt your friends."

She dug her nails into his arm and raked her fingers across the skin.

He grabbed her wrist and spun her around slapping her hard in the face. "That was a stupid move you dumb whore." He was trying to get a rise out of all of them. He has spent enough time in Cas' mind to know what buttons to push. "You spent a week in a man's bed that admits that he doesn't love you."

She put her free hand to her face that had stung bad but she refused to give him any other satisfaction.

"Enough, this is my mind these are my memories, I will not let you do this."

She closed her eyes and tried to let her mind go blank.

[Guest]

Ok, Venis was most definitely pissed off. He dared put his hands on her. Venis was behind him in a blink of an eye. She grabbed a fist full of his hair on the back of his head and pulled him back away from Casie. She figured Airtia would have her covered. She took him back a few steps and then brought up her knee as she pushed down his head.

She did this a few times, each time his face was making contact with her knee. She was relentless as she smashed his face. His nose was good and broke before she threw him back and away. she turned to face him again. "This is your last warning, get out of here and never come back." She gave a small hop as one of her legs came back and swung at him with a lot of force. Her foot met with his ribs, there was a cracking sound.

[Airtia S. Cauthon]

What happened in a persons mind when they were sleeping often had detrimental effects in the person's waking world. If this was a taste of what she experienced on a daily basis . . .

Casandra had her eyes closed and hand on her face, Airtia which had hurt more: the slap or the words. She stood in front of Casandra and placed her hands upon her shoulders tightly. "Open yer eyes Casandra," Airtia said, a harsh, low tone hoping the seriousness of what she was saying would get through. "This is yer mind, he tis the invader, do nae shut yer eyes tae him. In yer own mind ye are powerful and he can nae do anything tae ye here that ye do nae allow."

Perhaps this was not the type of help that Venis had in mind. Earlier she had told Airtia to help Casandra find her way back to the waterfall but, it was not her nature to retreat at the first sign of trouble. She had to give Casandra the option.

"Iffen ye want tae leave, we can."

[Casandra Lightheart]

She opened her eyes she had not seen what V was doing she just knew the man had released her.

"I don't quit. I closed my eyes so that I could try to clear all memory from my mind."

If anyone had asked her it would have been the words that hurt worse. No one but her knew what happened, and other then kissing nothing had gone on.

She heard the other words too and stood up straight. Airtia was right this was her mind, these were her memories. She nodded at Airtia and looked her directly in the eyes before she turned to face the dream walker.

"This is my place you trespass here now leave."

The area around them went dark Cas had shut off her on memories and at least for the moment made her mind focus on nothing.

He used Cas speaking as a chance to disappear from where he was and reappeared a distance away. Aw the little bitch has a backbone now. That she is not alone, even managed to clear her mind.... for the moment." He laughed. and looked directly at Cas who was starring at him.

"Well Lady Casandra Marie Lightheart of Claremount Castle, do they know that your title is fake?" He knew for a fact that Venis knew but he didn't think Airtia did and it didn't mater this was one of the most painful memories in her mind and he was going to make her focus on it if he could.

Cas was trying hard to keep the memory down but there were shimmering colors in the air.

"Do they knew that someone died so you could get that title?"

That did it the shimmering became a full blown memory and there was a very young Cas holding a man in her arms crying, he was talking to what was clearly his steward."I am dying treat her as you would me for it is my wish that Claremount and all the comes with it goes to her."He looked back at Casandra and with his last breath said. "I love you."

She was crying but that was all of the memory that he was going to get from her she stood strait. as once again her mind closed and went everything went dark. She moved so her back was turned to the door with the heart, she was not leaving.

He was more then a little surprised that this had not worked. He growled and began muttering to himself almost like he was speaking to someone. Then he smiled and the area filled with a thick mist they were surrounded by it and there was a clicking sound like something tapping on stone. Out of the mist came two huge spiders both looked to be around eight foot tall. He laughed maniacally as the spiders moved to advance towards Cas.

She screamed at the top of her lungs and then froze in place she had gone deathly white and Venis would be able to hear Cas' heart rate increase to a dangerous level. Yes she was literally frozen from fear.

[Guest]

Venis was even more pissed now than she was before when he hit Cas. Spiders, that was evil, pure evil. And there were only two ways to defeat pure evil, pure good, or an even worse evil. Venis picked evil. She moved toward the man knowing that Airtia would keep Casie safe. As she walked past one of the spiders she reached to her side an grabbed it's leg. She gave a good yank and pulled it over onto it's back.

She had heard Airtia and Casie talking about giving up. That wasn't what Venis had wanted them to do at all, so she was glad that they didn't do it. She only wanted Casie taken back to the waterfall and then them all taken back to the waking world if the dream walker went into Venis' head. Not otherwise. So it was a good thing for Venis that they didn't go. But she was willing to bet that Casie was not as happy about it.

She knew how to get Casie's help, and she was about to need it. She had neared the dream walker and didn't even stop. "Casie, tree." She yelled out and Casie heard her. She might not be able to move, but she could think. There was her tree. With a wave of her hand Venis blew the dream walker back against the tree with a thud. He hit the ground, but she wasn't done.

Venis was barefoot under her robes, but she walked up to the man and kicked him in his head regardless. A flaming hand reached down and grabbed him by the throat and lifted him slamming his spine against the tree again. "I want them gone now." She didn't even look back, she just trusted Airtia. She squeezed his throat tighter. "And I want you gone with them." She was going to pop his head off.

But he pulled his own little stunt and kicked her in the stomach. She dropped him and he ran. He didn't run far, he stopped and bent over reaching for his throat an gasping for breath. As Venis stalked towards him he mouthed something again. A six foot snake began to slither towards her. "Nu uh uh, that won't work." She bend down as she walked and snatched up the snake by its head. She spun it over her head and threw it in his direction. It hit him in the chest and fell to the ground dead.

She had reached him again and he was met with a move that some of her friends and family remembered well. She spun around and the heel of her foot met with his face. She picked him up again by his throat. "Casie, boulder." And there it was. She threw him against it and then stalked towards him again. "You're still here." She was getting close to him again.

He suddenly darted forward hitting her in the stomach with his shoulder and driving her backwards to the ground. She raked her nails across his face making sure to hit his broken nose. He rolled off of her. She rolled over and grabbed his hair from the front, lifted his head and smashed it back against the ground. The spider that she had flipped over had finally managed to get back on seven of it's eight legs. She saw it out of the corner of her eye.

While she was smashing his head against the ground beneath him he managed to get in a left hook to her jaw. This caused her to let go of him and sit up. They both scrambled to their feet. They were both breathing heavily and standing there ready to strike as they faced each other. "You have no hope of survival. I will collect your soul in the end."

[Airtia S. Cauthon]

The appearance of giant spiders and Casandra's screaming struck a cord. It wasn't so much the scream, as it was the elevated heart rate. It took only a second to get it under control.

Venis had flipped one of the spiders and, as it landed on the ground, it stayed there struggling against unseen bonds. "Casandra, calm down or ye will throw yerself intae shock." It may look like Airtia wasn't doing anything but in reality she was for weaves of Air had captured the arachnids. Her silver eyes watching the prey.

She did not want to take her attention off of Casandra either, for she had to get her to calm down. The last thing she wanted was for Casandra to go in to a catatonic shock while they were inside her mind. Airtia took her right hand and moved to set it upon Casandras chest as she drew together weaves of Spirit to bring peace - peace and comfort not being her specialty - to settle around her. The weaves were more aimed at making her relax and hopefully they did some good.

Handling a few weaves at once, there was a look of concentration on Airtia's face. The held down spiders gave a violent shake as their legs pulled in, curling close to their bodies. Then they went still. Upon close inspection the spiders' blood could be seen oozing out of any open crevices. Normally she didn't use the Source for things like this, but she did not want to leave Casandra and therefore it was necessary.

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas heard V and the tree and bolder did appear when they were asked for. Then she felt Airtia place a hand on her chest and began to feel peace come over her. She took a few deep breaths and her heartrate began to slow. She turned and looked at the dead spiders and then to the dream walker. She stared at him and Venis.

The fear was leaving her and in its place was peace. She just looked she was compleatly calm.

"Venis leave him for now."

She turned to the dream walker.

"Give Deacon a message for me, tell him if he wants to know where the twins are then he can come ask me himself."

For the first time since she had become aware of the dreamwalker she stared at him. In his weakened state and because she was compleatly calm she smiled.

"Leave now."

Her voice was barely a whisper but held a tone of athority.

He looked at her and was about to say something but he began to fade out. "How...." He was gone.

After he was gone Cas just sat down and looked at them both.

"At least I will have a few days rest now."

[Airtia S. Cauthon]

The screaming had stopped and the rapid rhythm of Casandra's heart started to settle to normal. It was safe to release the Weave, and she did so reluctantly. It was always hard to let go of the Source. Airtia removed her fingers and then let her hand fall, having it settle back into it's natural place. Her job, for the moment, was done and she stood off to the side.

It was then that Casandra had even spoken. Albeit softly, it was what the voice held that made the difference and that meant that a lesson had been learned and it made Airtia feel slightly accomplished. Teaching people to fend for themselves, pushing them to do more. "Ye did well Casandra."

Taking her eyes from Casandra and directing them to the area of the vacant DreamWalker. Even the dead spiders faded from this existence.

[Guest]

Venis was rather in a zone as she was ready to strike her prey once again. She did not hear Casie tell her to let him go. But she saw him disappear. She turned her head and saw the spiders laying dead, and they disappeared as well. "You did a great job Casie ... Thank you Airtia, I knew I could trust you with her life." She went to take a step and staggered, she looked as if she was ready to fall, her arms holding her stomach.

She somehow made it to where they were and she turned and looked to her left. "There's the door, are we ready to go?" She looked at Casie and Air to see if they were ready.

[Casandra Lightheart]

Cas looked at Airtia and smiled soflty.

"Thank you."

She wrapped an arm around V's waist and headed for the door with the heart. They went down the hallway past all the pictures and doors. She didn't look at any of them and soon they were crossing through the falls and back across the water onto the rock. She was not sure what to do now.

[Guest]

Venis leaned her head on Casie's shoulder for a second. "I love you ya know." They were back at the falls in no time. Venis took in some of the fresh air and relaxed for a second as she was sure Casie would want to do, maybe even Airtia. But her stomach was telling her to get a move on.

So she began to speak to Casie. "Casie, it's time, it's time to go back to my room. Kjay is there waiting for us to return. Open your eyes Casie and focus. Focus on something in my room and bring us back." Venis watched for something to appear from her room to know she was getting through on both plains.

[Casandra Lightheart]

"I love you too."

She was soon opening her eyes as she heard V remind her Kjay was there. She remembered he was right there at the door guarding it. She opened her eyes and looked towards the door and soon Kjay came into clear focus.

"Good boy come here."

She had not seen Tasha yet.

Kjay came over to Cas wagging his tail and began to lick her hand while Cas scratched his head behnd his ear.

She was so tierd but V needed help first.

[Guest]

Venis saw Kjay not far from where they were and soon she too was opening her eyes and was back in her room. Her room that was spinning. Without a look she began to rise from her chair. She knew that Airtia would also be opening her eyes and it was safe for her to move from them.

She stepped away from the chairs headed for her bathroom with her arms across her stomach. She still hadn't looked around her room yet, but she felt her presence. "Tasha." She stumbled her way through her bedroom to her bathroom and went in to hide herself away from the others. Before even waiting for Tasha she dropped to her knees before the stool and her stomach muscles convulsed as she made a sound and opened her mouth.

Nothing but blood came fourth, what else would you expect to find in the stomach of a vampire. Two more convulsions followed by her making that horrid sound again. More blood into the stool. She reached up and pulled down on the little silver handle and all evidence was gone. She rose to her feet again and began to pull her dress up. She had the dress gathered up to her chest and she looked down at her stomach.

The bruise was already purple and rather large. She knew then that if he had damaged her like this with his kick to her stomach and his tackling her with his shoulder, than surely she had truly broken his nose. As she held the dress with one hand she touched her fingers to he bruise with the other. It was tender and sore. This had never happened to her before. It took one hell of a beating for her to even get a little bruise, and this one was huge.

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