Epilogue 3 – Arcane Discussions
Taking one last look over her shoulder at Liz and that shiny black outfit she was trapped in, Sassy closed the door to the training room as Chrona began instructing Liz on how to examine and break the enchantments that held her prisoner in not only the suit but the mythril cuffs and collar as well. She could feel the thrum of energy through the ancient wood of the door as her fingers lingered upon it, the chronomantic power that altered the flow of time within the room strong.
“Elizabeth’s decision does not sit well with you?”
“Ya’ bet it don’t,” Sassy replied with a frown, turning from the door to regard Chrona, crossing her arms over her chest as she leaned against the door. The head of the Order of Hecate looked just as she had moments ago when she had stood inside the room with Liz, the same medieval-style dress, the same hairstyle, the same timeless appearance. Even Sassy, having known the woman for over a century and a half, couldn’t tell if it was the real Chrona or one of her shadows plucked from her past that she sent out to be multiple places at once. The ways of chronomancy were not Sassy’s specialty by any stretch of the imagination, and Chrona kept those secrets very close to her chest.
Sassy set her jaw, ready for a long argument. “Ah don’t think she was ready ta go back out inta the world after all, and she comes back in here lookin’ like that! I didn’t know whut ta thank when I saw her on that travel platform. And a wearin’ a mask with some’a the most devious enchantments I’ve ever seen ta boot! If’n the girl had her head on straight, she wouldn’t be in a spot like this!”
“You should not dwell on what cannot be changed,” Chrona replied calmly in her detached way, clasping her hands in front of her, the clock hands within her eyes glowing faintly as they slowly ticked away, one forward, one backward, future and past. “Elizabeth has acknowledged her mistakes, realizes that she must learn more, and is making an effort to do so now. Perhaps you should look at this as a learning experience as well, as she has decided to do. I for one am quite pleased that she has found renewed interest in her studies.”
Sassy shrugged, looking toward the floor, still frowning. “Ah still don’t like it none. Magic is goin’ crazy out there, an’ she ain’t ready to deal with it, Chrona! All them people just flingin’ it around all haphazard-like, not knowin’ a thang about how to properly use it…it’s only a matter a time before they cause a real mess. An’ someone a comin’ in from another plane to steal three artifacts from Scheherezade herself? Whut in the hell is a goin’ on? I don’t like it!”
Chrona remained silent for a moment, and Sassy could feel the woman’s eyes on her. “I cannot tell you, Sassy.”
Sassy’s eyes shot back to Chrona, narrowed. “Come on, Chrona! Is this really tha time fer all that stuff about not changin’ the future? We ain’t never seen nothin’ like what’s goin’ on out there, ain’t never seen magic surge through the world like this! It ain’t even been a year and already we got people a comin’ in from other places lookin’ ta stir up trouble! Ah thank we need a proper look at what you’ra seein!”
Chrona’s head tilted to the side slightly, her gaze meeting Sassy’s, and she took a step forward and into a shadow. She suddenly looked ancient, her face darkening and looking more drawn and exhausted, but then quickly regained its timeless quality as she stepped forward again, back into the light. “I cannot tell you…because I cannot see the future now, Sassy,” Chrona said softly.
Sassy blinked. No, she couldn’t have just heard that. “Whut?” she said, blinking again.
Chrona was right in front of Sassy then, leaning in close, their eyes never breaking contact. “My sight into the future is clouded and I cannot see what lies ahead, Abigail Dawson,” she said, her voice low, but firm.
Sassy gulped at Chrona’s statement. Whenever she brought out Sassy’s real name, it meant the situation was serious…or that Sassy was in serious trouble. “Ya…ya mean ya can’t…” Sassy stammered, unable to articulate the words.
“For some time now,” Chrona replied, her voice barely a whisper. “All paths I have explored upon the streams of time lead to the same dark cloud that occludes what lies beyond. There is much to be concerned about, Abigail, but I cannot tell you the nature of what these things may be.”
Sassy blinked again, her mouth opening, closing, then opening again before she could finally speak. “H-how long have ya not been able ta see?”
“The streams of time diverted toward the dark cloud several hours ago,” Chrona said, her expression unchanging. “At the precise moment the artifacts were stolen from the museum, in fact. Whatever the thief and her master have planned for them is of grave concern to the world, and the very reality we exist within. The only thing I can say with certainty is that Elizabeth is to play a pivotal role in what is to come; even with my sight blocked, I can feel the tug of the time streams around her as she begins to influence them.”
“Wait, wait, you mean ta tell me that Liz has been dabblin’ in chronomancy? I know ya taught her that little trick she used at the museum, but-” Sassy spoke quickly, her mind reeling from what Chrona was telling her. Chrona had only taught Sassy that ritual to create a short-lived time bubble to reverse damage to an area about fifty years ago. Needless to say, when she had learned that Liz had not only been taught the spell, but had already used it, she had felt a little jealous.
“No, Abigail, that is not what I’m saying,” Chrona said, her voice filled with infinite patience, never rising, though there was just the slightest twitch of a smile upon her lips. “I’m saying that I see in her the same potential as I have witnessed in others throughout history, those who have affected the course of the world…from kings to scientists to lowly farmers, good and evil and all that lies in between, however it was that they changed the world, they tugged at the time stream, made ripples within it that grew and grew until the radical wave of change slammed into the status quo and washed it away. She is not the only one whom I see in such a way, mind you, but she is perhaps the most pivotal, the one able to affect the greatest change.”
“Oh my god…” Sassy muttered, her hand going to her mouth as she processed what it was that Chrona had just told her. “W-who else have ya…?”
“Those with whom Elizabeth has fought beside tonight,” Chrona replied. “The artificer and her technomancer friend, the gun mage and the pink werebeast, even the one who manipulates shadow and the very one who stole the artifacts away. All of them I have seen affecting ripples in the time stream this night. It is not uncommon that individuals such as these converge when the world is at a pivotal point.”
“You ain’t gonna tell Liz, are ya?”
Chrona gave a small shake of her head. “No, of course not. I cannot influence the time streams in such a way. But, what I can do is call together the council and discuss my clouded vision, and what we are to do about the upcoming hardships we shall face. I feel that it is beyond time that we integrate ourselves back into the world at large. You have recognized the lack of proper magical techniques by the populace of Sentinel City alone, so perhaps we shall attempt to remedy this, to some extent.”
Sassy swallowed, frowning. Going back out into the world, after all this time… “Do ya thank anyone’s ready for that kinda thang, though? I mean, some folk ain’t been back to Earth since the Dark Ages, ya know? Some a us ain’t never been to Earth at all.”
Chrona eased back, turning. “We cannot continue to remain as neutral observers in our cloister. The Order of Hecate was meant to protect the magic in the world and oversee its use. I fear that our duty has not been properly executed due to our hesitancy in dealing with this sudden influx of magic back into the world, that we have lingered on our studies of its nature more than we should have.”
Sassy stood straight, nodding. She felt her heart beating faster in her chest at the thought of going into that steel and glass abomination Sentinel City had become. Things were so much simpler back when she’d last been on Earth, even after all the chaos of the War Between the States. “Yeah…Ah gotcha. When’s the meetin’?”
“I have already been speaking with the others within the Order; it shall be tomorrow at this time,” Chrona said. She turned her head, her faintly glowing eyes locking onto Sassy. “I have a task I would like you to complete while we wait.”
“Okay, sure. Anything ya need,” Sassy replied immediately.
“I would like you to reach out to Assane and Richard, ask them to attend this meeting.”
“Anything exceptin’ that,” Sassy replied in a sour tone, her frown returning and deepening. “Those two might as well be chaos incarnate, and they ain’t done much to keep thangs a runnin’ smooth out there if’n ya ask me. Ya remember that little ‘whoopsie’ they caused back in the 30’s and 40’s with that little Austrian kid? That weren’t no little thang ta just sweep under tha rug, Chrona.”
Chrona’s smile was either amused, understanding, or both. It was hard to read. “As I understood it, that was a miscommunication that went far out of their control; they were unaware of that boy’s true nature and could not view the ripples he caused in the time stream as I could. And yes, their methods are decidedly unorthodox to be sure, but they have lived on Earth for most of their lives; they are far more in tune with the planet than we are given their nature. And correct me if I’m wrong, but were you not friends at one time?”
“Ah dunno if Ah’d go that far,” Sassy replied, thinking back to her days after the war, exploring the furthest reaches of what had become the western United States before she had come to stay within the Sanctum. She’d met up with those two and had been privy to more than one argument between them, and the destruction that could result when they got really fired up. Well, fired up in Richard’s case, and cold as ice in Assane’s. How the two had hooked up to begin with was something of a mystery, and to still be ‘married’ after all these centuries… “Let’s just say that Ah had the displeasure of spendin’ a lot of time around’em back in the day.”
Chrona’s smile shifted to something more lascivious, a look she didn’t often give. “From what I’ve witnessed, I don’t think you were displeased with the time you spent with them. In fact, I seem to recall quite a bit of pleasure involved.”
Sassy’s cheeks were suddenly on fire. “I was a hopin’ you’d forget about all that…” She hadn’t even known Chrona at the time, but Chrona’s unique way of observing time meant that she was aware, at some level or another, of everything that had happened between Sassy and the pair as they’d travelled throughout the west. “Shouldn’t you be tha one ta go out’n ask’em to attend? Ah mean, it would hold a lot more weight if’n the invitation came from you.”
“Ah, but I was never so friendly with them, and they seemed to very much enjoy your company back then. Those two have always had issues with authority figures, and I feel they would resent my asking them to attend.” Chrona’s stoic look returned as she started gliding off down the hall. “Richard is in New York city currently; he’s running a detective agency or something akin to it, and Assane is in Los Angeles amusing herself by dealing with some very questionable types of predators in her typical way.”
“Oh, for tha love a God,” Sassy muttered, rubbing her forehead, as she recalled just what Assane’s ‘typical way’ consisted of; if she read what Chrona had said correctly, Sassy knew exactly what kind of predators Assane was hunting. “Are ya really sure we need ta bring’em inta this? Can’t we just…not?” Sassy called down the hall after Chrona.
“It would be much more beneficial to have those two genies informed of the situation than to risk either of them inadvertently stepping into the middle of this and causing their unique brand of trouble, would it not?” Chrona said, her voice never rising though she had gone quite a ways down the hall. “Are they not the most direct descendants of Scheherazade that we know, and is it not her legacy that has come to the forefront? Certainly they are aware of the new influx of magic and may even have useful insights for us, at the least, having been living upon Earth throughout this event. Good luck, Sassy!” Chrome said, vanishing around the corner.
Hands on her hips, Sassy blew out her breath, stared at the floor. “Ah’m a gonna need more’n just good luck on this thang,” Sassy said to herself, finally turning toward the residences to retrieve some additional gear beyond just the twin pistols and cartridges she had on her gun belt. “And Ah’m a gonna be real lucky if’n all Ah need is a dang chastity belt ‘round those two…”
A bit of a breather here, discussing some of what exactly has been going on, and what will be coming up in the future. Felt that it was a good opportunity to develop Chrona and Sassy a little.
Don’t worry, though; before the next story arc launches, I’m definitely going to be getting you more Black Cat while she’s dealing with that new suit she finds herself stuck in. I have plans on a whole short story devoted just to that, in fact. 😉
P5 is winding down; only two epilogues left after this!
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Until next time! Urban, out!
