The lives they lived had changed a lot since they brought Jester’s proof, and as they were promised, each of them obtained what they wanted.
Anna’s Tower might not be the strongest or the most influential in the Mage institute, but her’s was the richest, even when compared to the Tower of Transmutation. While the Elental Tower with its ’new’ Tower owner had been turning more recluse as ti goes by. It would seem that the blood they lost during their previous Tower Owner’s betrayal hadn’t been recovered, and with how the current Tower owner prefers to keep to herself, it can be seen that their decline was ant to happen.
Giving The Tower of Contracts a chance to exceed them in every way possible.
While for Kassandra, the old tower owner of the Illusion and Phantasm Tower, she can’t return to her old post, that was obvious. But she did got the position of a shadow head that was affiliated with the Tower and enough fundings to keep her busy.
The lost life of the two had returned and better than ever before. Not to ntion, the scourge of Jester had disappeared from their lives since the incident in Yethel’s small seaside town.
Though there were so things that had worried Anna a lot since that day. "He won’t be back.. Would he?" She had wondered this often, confining her worries with Kassandra that had a lot more relation with the one known as Jester. Who after hearing such worries can only say. "He will... that’s the kind of bastard he is.’ She knows his interests, his hunger for joy that oftentis worked against his own plans.
Such a contradictory fella which for a mage like her never made any sense. But it didn’t an she never understood him. She knew him all too well, for she had felt what he did at a ti. "He is like a child, looking for new toys to play with and if he gets with those toys, he will destroy them." She spoke, recalling the past, the horror’s she was forced to go through due to him.
But there was no fear on her face even while knowing his revenge might just be along the corner. For she knows his limits. His weaknesses. And she had taught Anna as much as she could to deal with a dream parasite like him.
And things were just fine this way, nothing odd and nothing going bizarre. With exception of the war, the Rudrain tragedy and then the subsequent birth of a nace in the form of that immortal serpent.
Most of these things were far away from them, never holding or affecting them in the slightest.
Well, that was until a day ca when Kassandra’s face turned dark while she lifted her sleeve to check the mark that was left on her arm. "Calling?" This mark in a way was a slave mark left by the Church of Red Sun, though they were not cruel beings, nor was this slave mark used for any evil, but closer to a calling which one can’t deny no matter what.
For this was the promise they made in return for their freedom, and she had taken up this offer on her end as well.
But things were different this ti, instead of the regular redness on her skin, this one lit up like fire, searing her flesh and before she can understand or deal with the situation, a face appeared in her face, followed by visions of different places, dark places, horrific places leading her to the face of the young man again, that started to change and mold into different forms.
Until the face of a young child appeared in her vision.
A young child going toward a mountain range that was familiar as well as familiar to Kassandra. "The One called Jester is looking for the key to his survival, impede him, but don’t sully your hands." With those words, the mark suddenly evaporated on its own, leaving only the injury. Which can be taken as a sign of her freedom from her servitude to the church, as well as giving her a chance to abandon this mission if she wishes for it.
Because unlike before, there is nothing forcing her during one of those church missions, it depends on her will if she wishes to take it or not.
And the answer to it was always obvious. ’He is trying to recover?’ She recalled those words, but she couldn’t make out the sound or the voice of the individual that spoke to her, suggesting their divine essence. So Kassandra shut off her mind, going back to the topic at hand. "Jester is trying to co back."
The truth was, she never understood what happened to him, why Yethel went into lockdown all those years ago and why Jester’s entire existence evaporated.
A fact that she only learned after certain upheavals in Yethel that got out. aning that all those cult activities outside were just false flags by Jester’s n to keep the illusion that he lives on and remain active. But since a month ago, she had learned of more details and the state of Jester, obviously spread out about him by Lord Emotion, which Kassandra didn’t know.
All she cared about was his injury and the fact that soone will probably look for a way to end him, even if it wasn’t her. Which would probably keep Jester busy for the next few years until he recovers.
But what was this? He had a way to recover from his injuries? No, sothing was not right. This can’t be allowed. ’But why do they care?’ Kassandra suddenly wondered a thought she never had to before.
As early on, most in her church had denied his existence, they even said it might just be her dream and her way to cope with her cris of youth. And when it turned out he was real, even then, they didn’t give him much priority, focusing on matters more important than a mad spirit causing mayhem.
So what about now? What of those visions?
’Sothing.., is not right.’ The mark left on her usually just heats up, pushing herself to et up with the church personnel who would give her the job. While receiving visions of the missions directly? That really hasn’t happened before.
And what of those visions? So of them seed like the events of the past and then so even seed to showcase sothing of the future. "Huh?"
These thoughts were too heavy on her mind, causing Kassandra to burst a nerve and bleed from her nose a bit. But she never stopped, her mind actively thinking of what was going on, before coming to a simple conclusion. "I have to inform Anna." With the events that had transpired since, she and Anna had beco pretty close.
So like Anna had done with her worries, Kassandra had co with her own to Anna’s doorstep, who currently floated in her Tower with a giant summoning circle below her feet.
She was going to summon a new spirit beast from the realm of Spirits, but she stopped the process after sensing Kassandra’s existence and her perspiration. Which causes Anna’s prior worries to explode. She wondered if Jester was back.
A fear that ca true when she heard Kassandra speak of her experience. "You were under Church’s control?"
"You are focusing on this instead of that bastard being back?" The attention of Anna seed to be sothing else than what actually mattered, or so Kassandra thought.
"You know the relation between the Church and us, is there a need to ask why I was worried?... So tell , were you working with the church the whole ti?" Kassandra’s connection with the Church of Red Sun was no mystery, but it would be a different matter altogether if she was branded in a way.
Which Kassandra had to clarify although it would have been impossible before. But with the Mark no longer existing she can explain what it was and why it was odd that it did sothing like this.
"Probably a test for you, they are checking where your allegiance actually lies when there is no mark to fear." Anna said, before thinking. "Though the visions are concerning." Visions are never simple and using such high level ans to send a ssage spoke enough about this importance.
"Well whatever the case is, Lord Wortham had asked to inform him of any news I got of Jester... It’s better to confide in him now that you are free, he might have a way to prevent any accidents."
The two had remained ignorant of the eting between Jester and Wortham, and how the two had co to a certain understanding. But after initially getting so good food from Jester and knowledge about the world of Dreams, Jester had disappeared, leaving him hungry, which caused a slight hint of anger and wonder what might have transpired.
Which is why he had asked the duo Archmages to keep an eye on Jester’s news and if they were to find anything, co visit his castle at the fastest speed possible.
Which they did, arriving in the room where Lord Wortham with his childish face welcod the duo to the table. "Speak of it, what have you learned of Jester that might interest ." He asked. Looking forward to why these high priority targets would dare visit him.
"Sir, I have found his location." Anna spoke, telling all she could and even calmly explaining the fact with the mark, which didn’t seem to surprise Wortham too much.
What did surprise him was the place Jester might be going. "Abyss of Madness, such a perilous place."
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