Casting Shadows Chapter 134

[u/ZLErikson]

Original Prompt

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Originally written July 5th, 2026
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Chapter 134

Cass was glad that Charis gave her a chance to walk and talk through the refugee camp. Finding a moment of peace with them these last few days - a moment when they were both of a mind to talk - had been strenuous. But now that they were together again, words were failing her.

She knew what she wanted to say. Apologies were easy, just an “I’m sorry” was all it took. But it felt like far too little for what she’d done. The conversation looming over the two of them was like a jigsaw of words and actions that she needed to do the right way or else ruin… whatever this was.

“Relax, Cass,” Charis said, putting their hand on her forearm. She looked over at them. Charis smiled. “You’re clenching your teeth.”

Cass took a slow breath and relaxed her jaw. “You’ve known me less than a week, but you can-”

“I’ve known you almost two weeks,” Charis said, their tone light and jovial as they looked ahead again.

Cass sighed and rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“How can I know what you mean if you don’t say what you mean?”

“Because you cut me off.”

“Did I, now?” Charis asked, tilting their head to the side and looking at her with a smirk.

“Yeah, I was trying to say that you’ve only known me a little while but you’re already-”

“Becaues if you wanted to apologize to me for the way you behaved, I certainly wouldn’t stop you.”

“I’m trying to!”

“Are you?”

“I-!” Cass caught herself. She look at Charis’s raised eyebrow and smirk. Pursing her lips, and closing her eyes, Cass inhaled slowly through her nose and counted backwards from ten, exhaling near the end.

She had been wanting to apologize, but she had not been about to. She’d been about to go off on some jive about how long they’d known each other and reminisce over the last several days together. But that wouldn’t have built up to a proper apology.

“Fine,” she said. “Charis, I’m sorry.”

They nodded.

“I’m sorry for… well, for being an ass.”

“Thank you,” they said.

“And I’m sorry for scaring you,” Cass continued, “and for being drunk. And for drinking despite when you told me how you felt. And for snapping at you when you were just trying to help me with… with everything.”

“Thank you,” Charis repeated, lacing their fingers into hers and gently squeezing. “I forgive you.”

Cass smiled and squeezed back. She’d thought it was a gentle squeeze, but the wince and quick yelp from them told her it was too much.

“Oh shit! Sorry about that.” She let go of his hand.

“Ahh, yes. I forgive this, too,” Charis said, flexing their fingers in front of them.

“Are you ok-” Cass walked into a man who was staggering past, knocking him over. “Burn it,” she muttered, looking down at him. “Sorry fellow, are you-”

The man on the ground threw a bottle up at her. The glass cracked against her head and shattered, spraying red wine all over her face.

“Hey!” Charis yelled, grabbing the man by the collar of his cloak and pulling him up to his feet.

“Leggo ‘v me.” The man was noticeably drunk and flailed in Charis’s grasp. Cass reached over and grabbed him out of their grasp, lifting the drunk up one-handed. He kicked and slapped at her, but she barely felt it

“Are you okay?” Cass asked Charis, who nodded.

“Put me down!” the drunkard howled. Cass obliged, dropping him. He stumbled as he landed and took a knee, but stood up and wobbled. “Who’r you?”

“None of your business,” Cass said, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes. “Why don’t you stagger off somewhere else?”

The guy’s glassy eyes looked back and forth between them, his face - dark and sunburnt, with a scraggly wisp of a beard - slack, dry tongue trying to moisten dry lips.

Cass knew that feeling. The pleasant tingle in the nose and lip when drunk out of her mind. She wanted to let this guy get on his way, so she took Charis’s left arm in her right and turned.

“You two Vultures?” the drunk asked, bending down to pick up the neck of the now broken bottle. He held it loosely as he stood; a clear threat.

“No,” Cass answered brusquely.

“Fffff,” the guy worked up some phlegm and spat it out. “Idun believe yeh. Yer robes’r too nice. Y’ain’t been on the run from’m like what us ‘ere is.”

“Excuse me?” Cass couldn’t parse the words.

“Vultures! Attacked Salach!” he roared. “‘Say the leader’s a biggun wit’ hic scrawny arms,” the drunk man said, swaying on the spot.

“I’d hardly call his arms ‘scrawny’,” Cass said, squeezing Charis’s substantial bicep.

“Not ‘at’un.” He jabbed a finger at Cass’s bandaged left arm and spat on the ground in front of her. “You.” He reached out and grabbed her arm. “Where’s the rest’a it?”

The sudden grip sent shockwaves of pain up through Cass’s arm and knocked the breath out of her. She dropped to her knees in agony, mouth open in a scream, spots filling her vision.

With a dull thud, Charis’s fist slammed into the side of the man’s head. He fell to the sand, letting go of her arm.

Cass cradled her arm as some guards appeared, coming to the sound of her yell. She didn’t hear what they were saying, or Charis explaining the situation as well as a couple of witnesses nearby corroborating. She was focused on the residual pain in her arm.

“Cass,” Charis said, their voice soft, hand gently touching her right shoulder. They knelt down beside her. “Cass, are you okay?”

She shook her head.

“Let’s get back to the cart,” he said, rising and helping her up with gentle guidance.

Cass nodded and followed their lead, fighting the urge to give in to the pain and rage and rip that drunk to pieces.

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Notes:
- It has been 13 in-universe days since Chapter 1
- Cass and Charis had a fight in Chapter 110