Solar Age
~ 300 years after the Schism

-Kassandra-

Adept Kassandra Élysées lay in her bed at the Archange de Lutèce. She had opted to remain at the Academy throughout her training and education instead of moving to the Hôtel-Ange like most Healers. She wanted to stay with Chloé, who would not move out of the Academy until she became a Mage Expert. In the bed next to hers, Chloé snored lightly. Kassie and Chloé shared a room with two others, both of whom were sound asleep as well. Kassie was the only one awake.

Beside her bed, propped against the wall, was her carnelian agate staff. It shimmered lightly, except for where the multiple hairline cracks ran through the tip, distorting the prism shape. Something itched constantly in the back of her mind, and it would not go away. With a sigh, she sat up and swung her legs over the side of her bed. As she pulled on her robe and sash, one of her roommates stretched and turned over, waking up.

"You should be asleep," she yawned. "Why are you awake?"

"I'm going to the Hôtel-Ange for an early shift," Kassandra lied.

It was not uncommon for her to be the first to leave or the last to return. The other girl shrugged and turned over again.

"Suit yourself," she said.

Kassandra pulled her hair in a ponytail, nose wrinkled in frustration. She knew she should be sleeping. She and Chloé were leaving for the Old World in just a few hours. Kassandra had gotten special permission to check in on the Déchu woman; which had included a formal statement from her family expressing a debt owed for saving Casimir's life. Not even Grand Master Emyr or the Archmage could refuse such a formal request from the Élysées family.

For Kassandra, it was much more than that. Whatever had affected Casimir, she was certain something similar had happened to the woman, but in a more advanced state. If she could study her, and find out how to heal her, Kassandra might be able to reverse or eradicate Casimir's condition, as well.

At least, that is what she desperately hoped for.

We will find a way, Kassandra's anima promised. There is always a way.

Kassandra slipped out of the room and made her way down to the main floor of the Archange de Lutèce. She just wanted some time to collect her thoughts, a few moments of aloneness. She sat in one of the long benches and stared up at large stained-glass windows. They shone dimly, despite there not being any sunlight behind them.

Nearby, a figure cloaked in shadow rose from the ground. Kassandra's eyes widened as two pale, slender hands appeared out of nowhere and made a motion as if to lower a hood. The shadow melted away, revealing Chloé standing there, rose quartz staff shimmering in the darkness.

"I woke up and you weren't there!" Chloé scolded.

Kassandra sighed. Overprotective Chloé, as always. Like with Casimir when she was younger, Kassandra could never go anywhere without one of them hovering over her.

"I only wanted to move around a bit," explained Kassie. "I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep."

"Are you angry with me?"

Kassie was surprised by the suddenness of the question. "What? Of course not, why would I be?"

Chloé squeezed her rose quartz staff. "You haven't talked to me much lately, since you came back from the Old World. I know you're going through a lot right now, and I've tried hard to be there for you, to listen. But I can't listen if you won't talk to me."

"Sorry," Kassandra sighed after a moment.

"Kassie, we've been inseparable since we were toddlers. You can talk to me about anything. If you want to." Chloé walked over to join Kassandra on the bench.

Kassandra did want to talk about it, but she also did not know what to say or how to say it. "I'm worried about Casimir," she said finally, reluctant to bring up the subject of her brother.

Chloé looked down at her hands in her lap. Kassandra glanced at her. Chloé and Casimir had a strained, on-again, off-again relationship. After their most recent breakup, Chloé had been overly cheerful, even more so than her usual bubbly self. Now she seemed contemplative, a look that did not fit with Chloé's bright personality.

Chloé sighed. "Do you know why I broke it off this time?"

Kassandra smiled. "Probably because he did something stupid again."

Chloé returned the grin. "You know how when we were little, any time I was upset about something Casimir would take me by the hand and twirl me around and ask me to marry him?"

"Of course," Kassie responded, suppressing a laugh. "It always made you smile."

"It did," Chloé admitted. "But we're not kids anymore. He treats me more like you, like a little sister. And he still does that, pretends to ask me to marry him."

Kassie did not know that; she had thought the joke died out when the two of them started dating. "So," she said, "he did do something stupid."

"If he can't see that I've been growing up, too, there's nothing more to be said." Chloé reached over and squeezed Kassie's fingers. "It doesn't mean I don't still care about him. I'm worried, too. I really am."

Kassandra squeezed Chloé's hand too. Chloé wiped her face where a few tears had run down her cheeks.

"What if I can't figure out what's wrong?" Kassie asked, fighting her own tears. "What if my Healing isn't enough? And my staff. My magic hasn't worked quite right since this happened."

Chloé hugged her tightly, and Kassandra relaxed into her friend's embrace. "You will. I have all the confidence you'll get back to normal, and find out what's happening to Casimir."

"Confidence is the thing I'm lacking," Kassie admitted.
"Then trust that my confidence in you is enough."

Kassie nodded. "Thanks, Chloé."

"Of course," Chloé answered. The bells in the Archange de Lutèce chimed the morning hour. "It's already about time for us to leave, isn't it?"

"I guess it is," Kassandra agreed. "Let's get going, then."

-Kassandra-

"Here we are," Yvain Gendarmes said. "Laon Cathedral."

Kassie held tight to Chloé's hand as they stepped out of the Bridge Gate. There were six Élu, more than was typical for assignments. The additional support came from Thérèse Chevalière, who served as the team's secondary Battlemage as well as liaison, hopefully, to the Déchu at the cathedral. The rest of the team were Adept Éric Maçon of l'École de Communication, Enara Abas, Mage Second of l'École de Transformation, and Adept Chloé Lécuyer of l'École d'Éléments.

Enara, tall and stern, looked down at Kassandra. "Are you sure about this?" she asked. Her skin was a rich ochre, her eyes and hair so dark they were nearly black.

Kassandra nodded. Yvain shrugged. "Kassandra and Thérèse will go together, while Éric, Enara, Chloé, and myself will stay here, outside the barrier."

"If they are even allowed through the barrier," Enara huffed. "Why would they let any of us through?"

Thérèse crossed her arms. "They let us through last time."

"You were being chased by a rabid sanscoeur," Enara pointed out.

Kassandra winced. She was used to Thérèse's abrasiveness, but Enara was on par with the red-haired Battlemage. It grated on Kassie's nerves sometimes, but she was one of Casimir's best friends. If Kassandra were honest, Thérèse was a better confidante than Chloé sometimes, because Kassie could count on Thérèse not to hold back for fear of hurting anyone's feelings.

Chloé latched onto Kassie's arm. "I'm going too."

Yvain frowned, but relented. They turned their attention back to the cathedral. Kassandra remembered Casimir telling her it felt small and neglected, and that Eremiel and his family were the only Déchu living there. To Kassandra, Laon did not appear as Casimir described. She thought, rather, it was sad and lonely. The angelic caryatids looking down on them looked as if they wanted to cry if their stone faces would allow it. It made her heart ache.

"Who is that?" asked Chloé.

Kassie followed her gaze and noticed a girl peering out from a high window. The sun was in just the right position so she could not see clearly, but it was not the face of either Déchu archer Kassandra had seen at the daemon fight. She cautiously raised a hand in greeting. The face disappeared, and moments later the cathedral door slowly opened.

Like all Déchu cathedrals, Laon was surrounded by a strong barrier. In the sunlight, Kassandra could almost see it if she looked hard enough. She could feel it, though, like a repelling magnet to her magic. She stepped as close as she dared, Thérèse and Chloé a step behind her.

The girl who appeared in the door stared at them. She was very young. Her bright eyes were honey colored and seemed to channel the sunlight behind the cathedral. She wore a simple wrapped knee-length tunic of cotton fabric; her arms bare from the shoulders. A sun wheel adorned with garnets lay heavily against her chest, and seemed too big for her. Her deep brown hair was curly, clipped with gold and ruby fasteners, and her skin was a richer brown than what Kassandra might have expected in Avennio. Then she remembered the two archers, the woman's warm bronze skin a contrast to the man's lighter, rosy complexion.

The young archer stiffened under Kassandra's scrutiny, frowning slightly but raising her chin and throwing her shoulders back, as if daring the Élu to make a move against her.

"I am looking for Eremiel and Batel," Kassie called.

"My father is not here, stranger," the girl returned, "and my mother is not receiving visitors. You may speak with me if you are seekers."

"We aren't seekers," Enara interjected before Kassandra could answer.

"Then I ask what business you have with us," the girl replied quickly. She spoke like an adult, sounding much older than she appeared. Thérèse took a tentative step forward beside Kassie. The Déchu girl crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

"Are you Ariel?" Thérèse asked, in a softer tone than Kassie had ever heard from the Battlemage.

"How do you know my name?"

"You must not remember us. I came here once, with two of my friends. Your father gave us sanctuary when we were being chased by a sanscoeur we could not fight." Ariel looked at her, wrinkling her nose as if trying very hard to remember.

"My brother, Casimir, was one of them," Kassandra added. "My name is Kassandra. I tended to Eremiel and Batel briefly during a fight with a daemon recently. I hoped to see how they are doing."

"That was weeks ago," Ariel said. The archer's eyes dulled slightly, though their honey color still seemed to shine in the sunlight. Her expression turned reproachful, almost accusatory. "Why come back now?"

Kassandra blanched and lowered her gaze. "I'm sorry. My brother is suffering from something that seemed similar to what was happening to Batel," she admitted, unable to meet the girl's eyes. "At least, I think it is. I'm trying to understand what it is, so perhaps we can prevent the illness in the future."

The young archer frowned again. She saw the Déchu's gaze flicker to her fractured staff, and she shifted uncomfortably. "Batel is here," the Déchu admitted slowly. "I won't have her disturbed. She is not well."

"I beg to see her," Kassie pressed. She felt the rest of her team's eyes on her. "We come in good faith." Their gazes locked, but Kassie would not back down this time.

"Fine, but be quick. I'll show you to her. If you'll follow me." She glanced at the others behind Kassandra. Kassie looked behind her at Yvain, Éric, and Enara, who still stood a safe distance from the barrier.

Yvain shrugged. "We're here for you," he said. "The intention was for you to go inside, if allowed, and for us to leave immediately if not. The three of us will stay here. Thérèse and Chloé will accompany you. Those are my terms."

Ariel looked at him, considering, then at Thérèse and Chloé. Chloé wiggled her fingers in a hello, which seemed to make Ariel relax. Chloé had that effect on others. She put them at ease, and Kassie was glad to have her here.

"Then Laon opens its wings to you," Ariel said rhythmically. She looked at them, then shuffled her feet. "Speak your names, please." Kassie, Thérèse, and Chloé did so, and Ariel repeated the phrase, and their names.

Kassandra felt the holy barrier dissolve, and the magnetic push of the Déchu's magic disappeared. She started to walk towards the cathedral, but Enara called for her.

"Transformation: Hirondelles," she said. Her staff glowed and split apart into four small birds, glittering in dark red crystal. One each flitted towards Kassandra, Chloé, and Thérèse, while one remained with Enara. Chloé giggled as she reached out a finger for her little crystal bird. The other two found their perches on Kassandra and Thérèse's shoulders. "If anything happens, send my birds back to me," she told them.

"That won't really work," Ariel chimed. "Sorcery can't be used within the cathedral walls unless I've given you sanctuary. You can try," she added, gesturing to Kassandra.

Thérèse strode forward first, slipping through the barrier, and as she did, Enara's crystal bird melted away, rejoining the bird on Enara's own shoulder. Ariel grinned.

"What about me? The last time, I couldn't summon my Gift," Thérèse said.

Ariel shrugged. "My father was the one who granted you sanctuary. He had more control over that. I'm still not very good. I can keep you out or allow you in, but I cannot keep those I allow in from using their magic. Besides, if you're here to look at my mother, I wouldn't very well keep your Healer's abilities locked."

As a test, Thérèse transformed her staff, and smiled when she did. Ariel winced.

Kassandra looked at Thérèse. "Mage Second," she said, "even if you can, I think it would look better if you didn't."

"Right," Thérèse said, and released the sword, returning her staff to its normal, long-stemmed rose form. "Sorry."

"It's okay," Ariel responded, her voice shaking a bit. "This way."

The group was silent as the girl led them into the apse and to the right. Abruptly the girl stopped them before showing them up the stairs into one of the towers.

"You look like your brother," she said simply. "I don't remember it very well, but when I look at you, I remember the man who made lights dance for me." Kassandra smiled, glad to hear something nice about her brother for once. "Batel is my mother and Eremiel is my father. I should thank you for saving her life, though I regret I cannot bring myself to do so. You'll see why when you meet her."

Ariel was a very blunt person, it seemed. Kassie felt her stomach churn and she swallowed down the rising apprehension. What had happened? Ariel paused in front of a door. Kassandra nodded, indicating she was ready. Ariel sighed and gently pushed open the door.

"Mother," Ariel called in a voice barely above a whisper, "I have guests who wished to visit with you."