Solbearers: Part 8- The Cave

Where are we heading?" Cassandra asked.

"Supposed to be a cave of ticks north of here and your visions have given me an idea. I'll explain when we get there" Jesse responded.

Upon arriving Jesse spoke as he was removing his shoes "This cave should be light work for me. I'm going to go in with my bow and kill every tick but one. When that one runs out Inti will pin him face down. Buibui will put his hand on the back of your head and you put your hand on the back of the tick's head. Between Buibui's magic and your gifts you should be able to prompt a vision of where we will go next. Chen and Shinji if you hear my gun something has gone wrong come save my ass but make sure we still leave one alive and chase them out."

"Jesse I... my visions don't work that way" Cassandra stammered.

"It's the best plan we've got" Jesse started "do your best and we'll adapt if we have to".

There were nods of reassurance all around and Jesse entered the cave. The group anxiously waited, mere minutes felt long and stretched out until a solitary tick emerged. Inti lept from atop the cave opening. The tick's legs squirmed restlessly as Inti's talons pinned it to the ground by its arms. The signature purple-black glow of Buibui's magic flowed from his hand to Cassandra's head, down her arm and hand until it reached the vampire's head. Their target writhed and so did Cassandra until she fell backwards. Buibui and Jesse tended to Cassandra as Shinji swooped in and beheaded the beast.

"Nothing" Cassandra confessed disappointedly "I couldn't see anything".

"Inti and Shinji clear the bodies from the cave" Chen spoke "I'll get a fire going soon and we'll camp here for the night".

Jesse disappeared without a word and Cassandra nodded off inside the cave as Chen, Shinji and Buibui shared stories.

Cassandra awoke and rolled over to return to sleep but was interrupted by Jesse's voice "Hey Cassandra, I caught some fish you should eat".

"I just want to rest" Cassandra replied.

"Sleep is important but so is food" Jesse insisted. He paused but then continued "You know no one's mad at you right? We had a plan, we did our best but you didn't have a vision and that's okay. One plan doesn't work we move on to another. Now please have some food and then you can rest again".

With a smile Cassandra picked herself up and rejoined the group for some fire roasted fish that tasted surprisingly good as the group shared more stories. Buibui shared stories about ancient wars of spider and mosquito vampires. Shinji spoke of his greatest hunts and M.T.F.'s most unusual clientele. Cassandra spoke of her replica business and most difficult odd-jobs. Chen explained the history of his order. Jesse shared his past of hunting tick vampires across North America. Inti was too busy eating fish and tick body's to share much conversation.

Cassandra slept well that night. Funnily enough she was no longer worried about having a vision but that night she had vivid ones. Maybe the magic they attempt with the tick prompted them, maybe reassurance from Jesse prompted them, maybe both or maybe neither but either way Cassandra saw what she needed to see.

She saw water that must have been flowing east based on the position of the sun. She saw a beaver dam. She saw the base of a massive tree and a passage leading under it. Finally she saw the strange little vampires fighting with the ticks ones. Unlike most of her dream visions this one did not wake her. She slept contently for the rest of the night knowing that when she awoke her team would have a new heading.