A Cassarian Story
Varian always knew that he cared for Cassandra. But he didn't realize how much until she was gone.
Six long years after Cassandra leaves Corona, she finally returns. Varian is overjoyed, but she comes bearing terrible news. A stran...
Abhu groans. "I get that you think I'm an idiot, but I know what fire looks like, even if it is just a representation etched into stone."
"How the heck are we supposed to get fire down there?" Cassandra wonders, gesturing toward the lagoon.
"There's gotta be a way," Hugo says. "We've managed to figure everything else out, up to this point."
"Maybe there's, like, a drain somewhere?" Cassandra suggests. "Something that'll get rid of the water."
"I thought of that already," Abhu says. "I searched up here for a switch, and down there for an opening. Nothing."
"Could something that isn't fire work?" Hugo says. "Like, just some kind of heat source?"
"Nope, I heated up some rocks and placed them up against the symbol down there. Nearly scalded the skin off my hands doing it."
"What about—" Varian begins to say.
"Tried it already," Abhu interrupts.
"You don't even know what I was going to say!"
"Doesn't matter, I've tried everything!" Abhu's voice rises in frustration. "I even got desperate enough to trick that freaky giant firefly into coming here, and nothing!"
"Hold up... Giant what?" Hugo says, eyes widening.
"Obviously you haven't tried everything, because we still don't have the orb," Varian says to Abhu, completely ignoring Hugo. "There has to be a way, we just haven't found it yet."
"Well when you figure it out, let me know," Abhu says. "Because I'm finished."
"We're aware that you're a quitter, Abhu. You don't have to keep saying it," Varian says.
Abhu growls with irritation, but only shoves past the three of them and leaves the lagoon area.
"Eh, we don't need him anyway," Hugo says, crouching down to stare into the clear water. "We'll get to the bottom of this!"
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Cassandra knows they don't need Abhu. She's known she doesn't need him for a long time. But his harsh words from a few weeks ago still weigh heavy on her mind. It isn't necessarily because they came from him, it's the fact that anyone said those things about her at all. And without even knowing all the horrible things she's done in the past... He just already believes she's a horrible person. So, maybe it's true.
"Earth to Cass! You alright?"
She breaks out of her thoughts, realizing that Varian has been trying to speak to her. "Yeah, sorry. Guess I'm just tired," she tells him. "What did you say?"
