Still Wandering, Day 79 A.F

Where had the time gone? Not even eighty days had passed since the Flood ravaged the Earth. Not even eighty days had passed since I became an orphan, losing my mother. Not even eighty days had passed since the life of every surviving human changed forever.

It seemed like lifetimes ago. I wasn't even certain I was completely human. Perhaps none of the survivors were human. Perhaps that was why we'd survived. Perhaps the world had been changed in more ways than the obvious.

I ridiculed myself for allowing my new routine of searching for safe plants for our little band, trading friendly banter with Tybira, or conversing with Cyprian Marsione begin to feel normal. It wasn't normal. None of this was. I wasn't meant to survive an apocalypse or control plants with no explanation. Or maybe I was... Matthew and Enki seemed to think so, and they knew far more than I.

Cyprian was still recovering from his injury, although his wound had miraculously closed. He remained weak, a fact he openly protested. The strange man hated being useless, complaining that he should be able to repay his rescuers. More accurately, his rescuer. Cyprian seemed to be convinced that I was the only one who had anything to do with his saving. Enki wasn't thrilled with this sentiment, but I'd attempted to assure him that it was only because I was the first person Cyprian saw when he'd opened his eyes.

While Tybira and Enki talked privately, I'd taken to speaking one on one with Cyp. The mysterious man was always polite, charming even, but spoke very little about his past.

"What can I do for you, Flower?" he asked, obviously growing frustrated with his inability to contribute. Despite my protests, every day was the same. Cyprian would complain about being useless until he forced himself to rise from his makeshift bed, only succeeding in weakening himself. Then he'd settle down until the next day.

He'd also taken to calling me Flower, a name I somewhat resented. Lady Lotus was named after a flower, and I didn't want to share yet another similarity with the witch that still urged me to slaughter my companions. Cyp claimed I smelled like flowers, a fact I also rather resented. Why on Earth has he gotten close enough to smell me?

"What you can do is lay back and rest." I raised my eyebrow in challenge. I knew better than to expect Cyp to listen, but I'd still try. "I can handle everything."

He propped himself up on his forearm, smirking at the rocks I was attempting to start a fire with. "Not from what I've seen. Strike the stones away from yourself."

I stiffened. It wasn't the first time he'd commented on my capabilities. Making matters worse, Cyp was usually correct. I glanced down at the two warm stones in my grasp. After he'd pointed it out, my error was obvious. If I continued striking the stones the way I had been and a spark was successfully produced, it would float back to burn me rather than light the dry grass before me. With a groan I changed my method, mentally cursing Cyprian.

Both he and Enki seemed perfectly capable in the wilderness, possessing a vast knowledge of survival skills never taught to women. Tybira had originally been equally ignorant to the ways the men seemed to automatically know. Lately, no doubt with the assistance of the Magician, Fauna was becoming far more attuned to her trio of wolves. She was adapting to our situation with animalistic speed, leaving me to be the weak link. Guiltily, I almost liked Cyprian relying on me. I didn't want to be the only useless person in our tentative alliance.

-Then don't be.- Matthew's voice carried an excited edge. His presence was more acute than usual, as if he was close to me. That was assuming he was real. 

Lady Lotus's voice purred seductively in chorus with Matto, Don't be the weak one. You have claws. Use them. Show the others who rules them. The Empress.

-Empress stirs!- Matthew cheered, evidently able to hear the witch's thoughts just as easily as he heard mine. -She will awaken shortly. Soon Ayesha will sleep forever. Empress returns. Ayesha does not.-

That's certainly not comforting... I glanced at Cyprian. The Hanged Man was evidently not as well off as he claimed. Cyp's eyes were shut in a grimace. Good. Although I worried about his discomfort, I didn't want him questioning my mental conversation. He might not be able to hear Matthew, but I feared he'd notice something.

-Speak to the Lion,- Matthew suggested. -Blood sister.-

Tybira? Tybira seemed like a lovely woman, but I detested Matthew referring to her as my blood sister. I only had one sister. She'd been taken from me. Tybira would never replace Lalita. She's not my sister.

-Not yet,- he acknowledged. -Eventually. Far. I see far!-

Glancing in the direction of Enki and Tybira, I noticed they appeared to be arguing. Although I couldn't hear them, they both gestured violently. I could feel something brewing, a metallic scent tinging the air.

Enki's mischievous face vanished, replaced with that of a living corpse. A figure with pale skin and milky dead eyes reached toward Tybira.

I scrambled to my feet but knew it would be too late. By no means a fast runner, I'd have no hope of reaching Tybira before Enki. If that even was Enki.

With horror, Tybira fell back. Her wolves surged forward, snarling. Gladiator circled his master while his two companions charged the creature. Freki reached him first and sank her white fangs into his ankle.

The figure plummeted with a yell, Enki landing on the ground, clutching his bleeding ankle.

I rushed towards the pair, leaving Cyprian laying half asleep where he was.

Tybira stared down at Enki, fear no longer in her face. Only defiance. "What did you do?" She raised her hand, summoning her wolves to her side as though she commanded an army. Tybira's eyes glowed with a red tint, not so much that she was seeing through the eyes of her animals, but only merging, gaining their qualities.

Even I shrank away as Tybira loosed a vicious snarl just as feral as Romulus beside her. She peeled back her lips, revealing wickedly sharp canines. Her ears elongated to a point. The Mistress of Fauna was almost fauna herself. With her wolves flanking her, I could clearly see why Tybira's card was known as Strength. She wielded the singleminded focus of animals, as well as their fangs. I remembered her voice in my mind, her Arcana Call as Enki had called it. -Red of Tooth and Claw.- I wondered how long it would be before that snarled prophecy came to pass.

"Tybira..." Enki rasped, seeming both terrified and entranced by her display of power. His face flickered rapidly, images flashing too quick to distinguish. "Tybira please! Let me explain. That wasn't me. Just an illusion. I can't control it!"

He tried to move away from the feral ruler of the wild, but crimson streamed from his ankle.

Tybira didn't seem the least bit swayed by the panic and sincerity in Enki's voice, closing in with unbreakable focus.

Helpless and unsure what to do, I looked to Tybira's wolves. Perhaps they would refuse to obey their master when it came to mauling the Magician. Evidently, the trio wasn't keen on the idea. Freki huffed a protest at Tybira, looking at her imploringly. At their resistance, Tybira loosed another growl and the wolves stiffened. They seemed to loose any free will they were allowed and closed in on the pleading Enki.

"Tybira, please!" In what must have been a desperate attempt, Enki raised his hand. From his palm floated a glimmering green image of a looping infinity symbol, resembling the ones that crowned the illustrated people of the Magician and Strength Tarot Cards. Finally, I was seeing the powers Enki had alluded to since his arrival. He raised his hand, sending the symbol towards Tybira until it floated directly before her unwavering gaze.

She blinked several times, eyes clearing. Tybira's face was a portrait of confusion, attention darting between me, Enki's injury, and her frustrated wolves.  Her eyes settled on the drops of blood that clung to Freki's muzzle, realization dawning.

"Tybira..." Enki's voice was soft, gentle, imploring her to listen. "I'm sorry... Sometimes... There's a reason I don't often use my powers. The more I use them, the harder it is to control them. Sometimes I slip up, especially when I get upset. But it's always still me beneath the illusion."

The Mistress of Fauna swallowed, very much aware that she'd nearly caused Enki's death. When her lips parted again I noticed that her fangs had retracted.

She turned to me and I struggled with the urge to strike. My claws tingled and Lady Lotus whispered in my mind. See? You can't trust any of them. So fast they turn on each other. Turn on them before they turn on you. Harvest their icons.

"I need to talk to you. Alone." Tybira's voice still thrummed with power, but she seemed vulnerable and frightened. "Just give me a few minutes."

I watched Tybira turn sharply and hurry away, looking back at Enki. "You really can't control it?"

He shook his head, shame plain on his face. "It's sort of like a compulsion. I want to use it. There's almost a voice telling me to... But the more I listen to it..."

I could have finished his statement. The more you want to use your powers. Did all Arcana have their own version of Lady Lotus, whispering traitorous suggestions?

"Exactly." Enki nodded. "I can usually ignore it, doing small illusions in private so I don't go insane by bottling the urge completely. But the higher my emotions run, the harder it is."

I debated whether or not I should ask him what he and Tybira had been arguing about, but one look at his eyes, the mischievous light extinguished, told me I was better off waiting. I'd ask Enki when he was ready, or ask Tybira when she was. Whichever came first.

What would be a safe question I could ask before my conversation with the girl who'd almost torn into a man with her own fangs? "When I first saw you, or any of the Arcana for that matter, there was an image that seemed to be projected over them. For you, I saw a man at a table, Tybira was a girl with a lion. Is that similar to your illusions?"

Enki nodded, to my relief confirming that my topic was acceptable.  "No. We all see that when we first meet another Arcana in person. It's called a Tableau. They signal the identity of the other Arcana, along with the calls. Yours is a woman sitting on a throne. She wears a poppy dress and a crown of twelve stars. Her hair is red and strewn with leaves. She's surrounded by white roses, crops, and... blood."

I shuddered at the grisly description. This was the first thing the other Arcana saw when they met me? No wonder Enki wasn't keen to befriend me, I looked like some sort of witch. Not some sort of witch—exactly like Lady Lotus.

Not wanting to hear anything more that might tie me further to the cruel woman of my dreams, I backed away from the Magician. "Um... I think I should go talk to her..."

"Make sure she knows I'm sorry," he said, genuine despair and worry in his voice. Enki wasn't afraid that he'd nearly been killed, but afraid that Tybira might not forgive him.

"I promise," I vowed, turning away. For once, Enki's company was more appealing.

The Mistress of Fauna was a short distance off, out of hearing range of Enki and I, but close enough that I could see her. She stroked her wolves, but I couldn't tell if the remains of her fury and power surge had dissipated.

Although I was hesitant to approach her until I was sure she'd calmed down, I worried showing fear would only portray weakness to her animalistic senses. With an effort to not appear nervous, I made my way over to Tybira Lowell.