Chapter 24

Cassandra 2.1

    Right now Cassandra and Belia were in a room sitting face to face. Cassandra with her brows furrowed stare at Belia eyes and ask, "who's that woman?" She noted the tone of her voice but didn't care how Belia would take it. What was important was the identity of that woman who brought her a pressure she hadn't felt from another woman before. She could tell that she was not a native from the northern lands and was a foreigner, Cassandra also realize that she wasn't from the south nor West.

    The women from the River Lands all held auburn hair and the women from the Western dessert were tanner than most. Knowing that and with her paler than milk skin she clearly look like a foreigner from none of those lands and obviously neither from the northern lands. Belia had a sulking look on her face and Cassandra knew that she was mad at how she treated her before. For a moment she wanted to apologize but held it in. It wasn't as if she was in the wrong. Belia was full of herself and didn't adhere to hierarchy.

    "Her name is Jirald Ventress a woman from the Easter continent. She came to the Ashcold Castle when she was around the same age Cyrus is now. Who is she? And what's her backstory, almost no one knows." She pause and stood up and walk to the side counter and got some tea for them to drink. Cassandra didn't refuse the drink and also serve herself a cup. While blowing up the hot steam coming out of the cup Belia continue, "the only thing that runs around are rumors about her past. Some say that her whole family was executed and her escape to here was a stroke of good fortune, other say that she was a slave from the free cities of Be'ntos and was shipped here from Rich Port by the East and that from there she escape and went up north until she reached here to Castlely Ash." Cassandra cross her legs and lean back on the chair, thinking.

    If that's true, then where did all that power comes from? Cassandra was sure that no normal human can hold powers that equal to her and Cyrus in any way possible. The only explanation would be that she's a Heaven Gifted like her. But, that's impossible. She felt it from a moment. Her Aura was Bestial in a way and held this old, ancient scent that let her hair stand on end. Cassandra is specifically sensitive to the powers of the heavens. Just like the Holy Maiden of the Church. That’s one of the reasons Elizabeth and her became the best of friends, because their powers were almost identical, compatible to an unnatural degree. The only thing Cassandra knew was that her powers didn’t dwell on the Holy aspect of Energy like Elizabeth. It was like their powers were like two gears of a overarching machine coming perfectly together, matching to represent something from another aspect of space. But that woman. That Jirald Ventress was completely the opposite. And that mark on her chest. It look like some kind of curse? Or a Rune? Maybe Both?

    Cassandra once saw the Mages study Magical Rune to imbued Knights with magical forces of nature and let them experience a great leap in power. But what she saw and felt from Jirald Ventress was something else entirely. Something elusive and enigmatic. Like... Cyrus.

    "How come Valleyfall has a warrior above the Realm of Reality and never mention anything to the Royal Household?" Belia was drinking tea slowly and when she heard that she stare at Cassandra with arch brows. "First of all, why do we need to report if our house cultivate a top expert like that? Second, no one knew that she was such a strong being, I think that not even lord father knows about that. If he knew he would have gone to the Karvas Caves in the east and exterminate the Blue Snow Mountain Lions who reside there. Even Cyrus went there but he couldn't exterminate them all because they delve deep into the maze like interior of the caves, that not even him could navigate through. And I think she wasn't a combatant of that level the last time I saw her." Cassandra didn't say anything about how she answer her but follow up, "when was that?" Belia held her cub close to her lips and said. "Three months ago."

    Belia spoke one more time and said with a lower voice, "and her hair. It wasn't like that. It isn't dye silver but seems naturally grown." She kept silence as she drank her tea and later continue after taking a gulp, "how can she changed so much in three months? Not only her hair but her body as well. Her skin wasn't that pale, nor was she that tall and definitely her breast weren't that big." Cassandra stare at Belia face but didn't found any lies. It was as she wasn't speaking to her but to herself in a bewildered manner. Clearly Cassandra wasn't the only one who was shock to see a rival out of nowhere.

    When she was about to ask more a huge shock wave rocked the valley like a blast from one of the Maesters inventions. Cassandra jump from her chair and ran to the window who look over the castle wall and into the city below it. Her gaze flare with green, shimmering glow and her eye sight heightened until she saw the Martial Field in the far distant. She caught the figure of a hand of fire leaping out towards the cliff edge where two figures clothed in hoods stood. One of the person held another in their hand while the other swung a thin blade. Arc of grey lightning crackle as an arch flew across the air and split that hand of fire in half and continue on to the figure that looks as if he was bathed in flames.

    The earth of the valley tremble and Cassandra took a sharp intake of air as that figure in flame like Force Aura was push back and cough a mouthful of blood. He shouted something that she couldn't heard and later saw him propelled by a cloud of fire as he leap out and rapidly chase after the figures in black hoods.

    "What happened? What was that sound? It sounded like and explosion, just like how a bomb would detonate." Belia came and look beside her out of the window but because she couldn't use the strange abilities that came with the Realm of Nen she couldn't see what Cassandra saw. Only the flash of light and the tremor of the ground was the only thing she could pick up. "Trouble." Cassandra answer her. Belia stare back at her and said back, "trouble? What do you mean?" Cassandra took a deep breath and relax. Today her emotions have fluctuated more than all her lifetime combine. 

    "Martial Cultivators." Those words were the only thing needed to be say. The relationship of the Noble Houses and the Martial Clans never have been good throughout generations but they have never went to war because that would only work to diminish the strength of the human race as a whole. With threats like the Strange Monsters of the Gate and the Wild Creatures of the South, the humans have little time to fight among themselves. It may be true that they battle here and there for resources and the Noble Households battle for territory but those are skirmishes that didn’t threat the humans as a whole but since twenty years ago the relationship between the Noble Households and the Martial Clans have deteriorated to the point that there will be no hesitation to draw pools of blood between them. 

    The best example would be the last two Conversion. The Martial Cultivators did everything in their powers to undermine the power of the Noble Houses and kill any and all talent that appear from the Noble families. With also the mysterious death of the Magical Beasts that have been happening throughout the years, the two Powers were already in depths of hatred for one another.

    "Where is my father?" Cassandra ask. She spin on her heels and walk to the door as Belia follow her steps. "In a meeting with my lord father, mother is there as well." The tone of her voice was as grave as Cassandra emotions. When they step out to the corridor a metal man stood straight on the wall beside the metal framed wooden door. "Clayton, did you feel that?" He twist his body ever so slightly and look at Cassandra through the slit of his helm. He nodded slowly and didn't utter a sound. 

    Cassandra travel down the corridor with Belia at her side and Clayton close at her heels. Belia look back at the big, metal man and said, "who is he? Does he speak?" Cassandra was taking wide stride through the corridor and gave her a short answer, "he is my personal guard. A Warrior from the Coliseum that I pick up years ago." That should be sufficient to answer her. The men of the Coliseums were nurture for battle and most were Slaves from the Wildlands. They came from the beasts infested Unknown Tundra and don't have much education per say. A lot of the Noble Households hold certain numbers of Slaves from the Coliseum as Warrior Slaves and as their Bloodlines protectors. It's a way to preserve the status quo in the Seven Kingdoms. 

The way the Nobles amassed warriors for their banners came in different ways. The Slaves of the Coliseum are the perfect ones to have as it didn’t take much resources to bring them up. They were adept at fighting and were naturally born warriors. The problem came in controlling them. Cuffs and Collars imbued with Runes may work for a time but the Slaves were as unruly as Savage Beasts and they may have a controllable number in their Castles but they wouldn’t be able to use them unless in an all for nothing battle. The Slaves, if they are not in close proximity of their masters it would be impossible to control them. That’s why they use them as deterrence against their rivals and more as Coliseum fighters for quick profit. Cassandra hated how the Nobles use them and she swore that once she becomes the Queen she would abolish all customs from the mad family and release the Slaves from their imprisonment.   

    They soon reach the spiral staircase and went down to the First hall of the Keep. Reaching the ground floor Cassandra found her father with Bethran, lady Liana and Lord Commander Eastling. They all group together with some Masters of the castle. Speaking in hush voices as if to keep the matter a secret, were perfectly well everyone in the valley felt the massive outburst of power from that clash. Worse of all, the news of the Martial Cultivators coming out of their Hidden Mountains weren't a welcoming news to anyone presence. 

    "Cassie you are here!" When her Royal father saw her, he wave out to her to come to his side. As she approaches he began speaking, saying, "I bet you already know what happen in the Martial Field, right." Cassandra nodded and wave for Clayton to stay at the side. " Not so long ago I received a Crow telling me that a lot of Hidden Mountains appear around the continent. No matter if there were the ones of the South, East, West, North and I even suspect the ones in the Archipelago of the Storm Isle must have open up as well. This mean that the Martial Clans are making an appearance in the Seven Kingdoms. The problem is not that they appear, but that a lot appear at the same time.” Cassandra took a breath of air when she learn of this. Now this changes everything.

     “For what reason did they come? I don't know but one thing for sure is that nothing good will come out of this. The dislike between the forces of the Martial Clans and the Noble Houses has deteriorated far too much in the last twenty years, much to the point that a war could start at any time." 

    He clear his throat and look at everyone in the hall, "we are not scared of them by any means. We have our Walled  Cities and they have their Hidden Mountains. We both have keep to ourselves all these years and never made any movement to influence the other side. The problem comes with the whole problem of the South and the undercurrent happening in First Light. Nothing that's is happening is normal. For all of them to appear out of nowhere seem as if they know something that we don't and that's what putting us in a disadvantage." 

    He look at her and after a pause he later turn his eyes to Bethran as he had a frown since the beginning of the conversation, "where is that little brat? Is so late and I haven't even meet him." Belia look at her father that threw her a look and said, "if nothing out of the ordinary happen he should be coming soon." Hearing that Her Royal father nodded and later look back at her, "you meet him right? How was your impression?" Cassandra tilted her head to his direction and gave him a short answer, "incredible and mischievous." There were more words to describe him with a heavier than a mountain feeling in her chest but now wasn't the moment or place to talk about it. 

    "Good! Bethran, that child would represent your family name and both of our families will unify under the same banner through this marriage." It was decided then, she sigh. Now they need to sign the contract and consummate under the eyes of the ancestors to call it official. For some reason she felt light, like a feather. Her chest felted as if the Mountain like pressure went up in smoke and a relief spread throughout her bones.

    "Your majesty, is there anything that point as to why the Martial Clans have appear all of the sudden?" Robert asked. Cassandra also look back to her father and was wondering the same. He mention that a Crow came with a letter. She expected that he may have more information.

    The Hidden Mountains that the Martian Clans resided in are places not found by maps or roads. Many people have been on expeditions to search for these Hidden Mountains but none have come with results. 

    Ashkavir is a large continent with a third of its lands populated by the human race. The spaces uninhabited by the Human Race are stretched to an unknown, they fold on to themselves and the remainder of the land is hidden by view. This was an aftereffect of what happened in the Age of Heroes. 

    Legends foretold that Beings of unknown powers descended to the Human Realms and attack with the aim of exterminating them. Cassandra didn't believe in stories of old but she does believe in the Magic that once permeated the world. 

    The Magic was use to seal someone or seal something. The Noble Heroes of the past sacrificed their Bloodlines powers and waste the World's Magic for the purpose of that ancient mission. After that the atmosphere was strip of the magic and the humans who once were born with the talent of magic or the Magical Creatures that populated the lands were now devoid of their powers and are now on the brink of extinction.

    What correlation did this all have with the Martial Clans? The answer to that are the Hidden Mountains. These Mountains are spread throughout the land and if the rumors is anything but true it would mean that they live inside these folded spaces.

    How the Martial Clans accomplish such a thing is a mystery for anyone who have wanted to unravel the mysteries of the mountains themselves but one thing sure is true and that is that these Mountains Hidden in space are things created by Magic.

    All this is available knowledge that the Maesters have recorded in their books and as a Royal Cassandra is eligible to read these mysteries wonders and frown upon them. 

    So the news about all these Hidden Mountains appearing out of the blue could shock anyone who know the behind the scenes knowledge.

    Her Royal father thought for a moment and said, "the letter told no more than that. But I know that this isn't the first time that a Hidden Mountain appear and their people travel Vendelia's Lands. I have always been suspicious of the Nobles of the capital working together with them and I have sent my people to investigate about the weird air around First Light." He turn and look at Bethran and said, "That's why one of the reasons I came here was to appoint you as the Right Hand of the King." Cassandra nodded to herself at the side.

    Bethran was the most eligible person to hold that position. After Standuarld death a lot of Nobles came to take up that position. She was there in the Council as all these Nobles offer tempting proposal for the position of the Hand.

    From Mines to Forested areas perfect for hunting beasts. These Nobles wanted to buy her father and give quick benefits. The things offer would have been taken if it was any other but sadly they were speaking to her father. Things like Mines of Mystic Crystal and Hunting Grounds for hunting Beasts were the resources that the Nobles always fight for. 

    These could strengthen a family if use well and could have long term development. But her father wasn't looking for any of that. The death of Standuarld was a conspiracy that didn't take a dumb man to think it through. He was poison. He was an incredible man who have raise a lot of talent throughout the Kingdoms. A lot of people envied him and more hated him for his position. He was the first low-born who have ever occupied a place above the Nobles head. 

    Cassandra wasn't surprised that he was killed but the more she thought about it the more doubtful she became that the Nobles were capable of pulling such a stunt under her Royal father nose.

    "The other reason was that I think the Martial Clans had a hand in the death of Standuarld." Hearing that Cassandra eyes widen. Not because she was surprised that the Martial Clans have someone who could kill Standuarld but because they managed to enter the Royal Palaces and kill a man as high in a position as Standuarld.

    She may have not particularly care about the games in the capital but she never thought that the cards they played were vicious and problematic all the same. The words of her father were very clear. They didn't not only have a traitor or traitors in the capital but some really high in the hierarchy. 

    This means that the mess her father would leave behind if she doesn't hunt the Verg would be more than she could imagine.