Cassima's Quest

'Cassima's Quest is a fanfiction story, that tells of a quest by Cassima to help out a good wizard named Col defeat and save the Black Cloak Society (unofficial). As such it gives yet another alternate theory for history behind the society.

Part One
By Soumya Rangarajan It was a terrible night. The lord had unleashed a powerful thunderstorm upon us, turning the sky as black as Mannanans eyes. However, I pondered the possibilities of the situation and an idea soon came into my head. I, Cassima, will put an end to the Black Cloak Society and all their evildoings. I woke up from my bed with a sudden rush of energy flowing through me. I glanced at the other side of me and saw Alexander sleeping peacefully. Alexander, who rescued me from that horrid vizier, Abdul Alhazard. Alexander, who brought my dear parents back from the land of the dead. After all he has done for me, I have finally found a way to return the favor. You see, both Alexs and my family have been tortured by the black cloaks some way or another. My beloved father, Calipham, hired Abdul to be in charge of the events in the castle. Abdul soon became fathers trusted vizier. However, with the prosperity showered on him, Abdul became more and more evil. He wanted more and more power as he went along. He started making plans to take over the entire kingdom of the Green Isles, but his intents were delayed. Mordack, younger brother of Mannanan, kidnapped me and took me to his castle. He wanted my hand in marriage, but naturally I refused. He then imprisoned me in his castle and made me his slave. My only reminder of my family was my locket. Mordack, as evil as he is, seized my locket and threw it into the sea. I sobbed in despair, thinking I would never see it again. King Graham, Alexs father, came to Mordacks castle through the labyrinth and gave me my locket. I was shocked, and asked him where he found it. He just told me it was a long story. Perhaps you know? Maybe you can tell me sometime. Anyway, Graham had come to save his family, whom Mordack had taken prisoner. After a battle of magic Mordack was finally killed. Crispin, the good wizard, appeared and sent us all back to our homeland. Before we parted Alex told me he would surely meet me again. I was then sent back to the Green Isles. It had turned out while I was gone Abdul had killed my parents and had stolen the valued treasure of each of the islands, blaming the theft on another island, making the islands feud with each other. I was outraged, but I was helpless against such power. I was locked up at the top of a tower and I was to stay there until after the wedding, when the vizier planned to kill me and make his genie, Shameer Shamazzle, pose as me. But by the lords love Alex came and uncovered Abduls plan. He resurrected my parents and in a final fight knocked Abdul out. Abdul is now a prisoner in the Green Isles and Alex and me got married and are now king and queen of the Gre en Isles. But that is not all. Alexs family have also had their bad encounters with the Black Cloaks. A few months after Alexs and Rosellas birth, (Rosella is Alexs twin sister and a dear friend of mine) a wizard by the name of Mannanan paid a visit to Daventry. Unknowingly, the family welcomed him in. Mannanan entertained the family all through his stay. Then, the last night he was there, while everyone was asleep, Mannanan stole the baby Alex and went off in the night to his castle in Lewdor. As Mordack had made me his slave, Mannanan made him his slave, cleaning the castle and doing all the work Mannanan was too lazy to do. For many long years Alex was like this, helpless in his masters arms. Then, two weeks before his 18th birthday, Alex discovered quite a few of his masters spells and used these against Mannanan. He turned Mannanan into a cat using one of these spells. He then escaped from that dreadful castle and made his way to Serenia, then to Daventry, where he fended off a three- headed dragon and saved Rosella. Another time the black cloaks came in was when Graham was taking a walk in the woods. When he returned to his castle he found it was missing! An owl named Cedric told Graham that Mordack had miniaturized the castle and taken it to his castle. He did this to interrogate Alex how to turn Mannanan back to human form. However, as you know, Graham learned of this and saved his family, killing Mordack at the same time. As you see, the Black Cloak Society has done many harmful deeds to us. We have won the battle, but not the war. If I am anywhere close to my family in courage, I must carry on this deed. I got up from my bed, silently so I wouldnt wake Alex, and dressed in my street clothes. I took only some cake, a jug of water, and my precious locket before I set out into the night. It was horrible outside, with the rain lashing down in huge sheets and the lightning making white cracks in the blackness of the sky. I didnt know which way to go, but what I did know is that I would have to get there fast........

to be continued

Part2
As I walked through that terrible weather in the pitch-black night, I saw a light. It was a very strange light, very bright and greenish in color. I went closer, curious about what it was, and where it was coming from. As I neared the light I saw it was the lamp seller. Alex had told me of seeing him in town while he was on his quest to uncover Abduls plot. He had 6 lamps, lined up in an orderly fashion. The one the strange light was a green glass vase, very much the same shape as Shameers bottle. The light seemed to have no source, just coming through. "May I purchase that green glass lamp, sir?" I asked. "Oh, that thing. You can just take it, miss. I have no use for it at all. Rather would get rid of it." he answered dismissively. "Wouldnt you need the light, sire?" "What light? Its as dark here as it is anywhere else in the land." I was starting to think I was hallucinating, but I took the lamp and was on my way, thanking the lamp seller for giving it to me free. I held the lamp gingerly, as if it was going to fly out of my hand at any moment. I was feeling very hungary, so I took the cake and the jug of water.I thought about Alexander, and how he would still be sleeping. I knew he would discover I was gone and start looking for me. I must accomplish my task quickly. Suddenly, the light started to swell. It grew bigger and brighter and bigger and brighter. I had to shield my eyes from the brightness. Then, the light seemed to just fly out of the lamp. The lamp then went out, leaving me in total darkness. I could see the silhouette of a man, very tall and skinny, with a beard flowing down his body. He looked very great and wise. "Welcome, my child," the shadow spoke. He then raised his arms to the sky. As he did this the light that was in the lamp started to glow again. "Who are you?" I asked nervously. "I am Col, a friend of Crispin, who helped your father-in-law, Graham, get his family and castle back. I am here to help you on your quest." Col spoke with a gentle voice, but a voice that showed his power and glory. "Oh, thank you for coming, sire. I have started walking but I do not know which direction to go in." I was very happy that I could get some help so I could finish off those Black Cloaks for good. "Which way do we go, sire?" I asked. "You can call me Col, and I suppose we must start with going to the Black Cloaks hideout. This is the only place where we will be able to get the task done. You see, for a long time there was no such thing as the Black Cloak Society. All wizards were good. But then Mannanan came along. He was from a very good family of wizards. His parents were fine people. But somehow while Mordack was a child an evil wizard entered the wizards home as a guest. He cast a spell upon the whole family to become evil. Then he simply vanished into the night. The next day the wizard, who had always been so kindhearted, became mean and cruel. He simply dropped out from our wizards society and started his own society, the Black Cloaks. At first the only members were those three, but two things happened. All this time the wife had 2 more children, Hagatha and Mordack. These two became very evil also. The other thing was the world was turning more and more evil. The evi l spirit got more victims under his spell, therefore getting more wizards to join the Black Cloak Society. So, to end all the evil in the Black Cloaks, we must defeat the spell and its maker, who turned out to be Mannanans uncle, the nice wizards brother, who chose to join the other side when he was a baby. "So this is how we have to defeat them! But why didnt you just defeat them when you found out how? Why did you wait for me to come in?" I was very surprised by this story and had many concerns. "We were cautious, my child. We made sure we knew who would be the defeater of the Black Cloaks. The spell was cast in a way that only one person would be able to break it. The person who would do it was a girl, a girl that had gone through many ordeals with the Black Cloaks. In our research we found exactly who that girl was." "It was me!" I managed to get out. "Yes, Cassima, it is you who will defeat the Black Cloaks. Come along now. We have no more time for questions. We must get to the castle right away." With that Col raised both arms in the air again, and this time we were teleported from the village to the island where the castle of now Shadrack, leader of the Black Cloaks, stood. All the time we had been talking the lamp was glowing brightly. It was needed here too, for the sky was as black as the cloaks themselves. The lamp was the only way we could find our way to the castle. We moved quietly, as to not make a sound and get somebody knowing we were here. The castle loomed dark and dismal in the distance. As we walked it got bigger, until finally we were at its gates. I remembered when I was living in the castle. Graham had got through of the ways of the labyrinth under the castle. I knew there were two ways to enter it. One was through the crate, and the other, the one I used often, was a small crack in the back of the cobras hood. Nobody knew about that crack but me, except maybe some of the Black Cloaks. I knew that Cor would not be able to help me from this point on, so I bid him farewell and set off to the cobra gates alone. I located the crack and quietly slipped in. I was then instantly teleported to the dungeon of the labyrinth, also of which there was a way out which only I knew. I explored the dungeon, looking for any clues on how I could defeat the evil wizard. I finally found some words etched into a stone just below the exit. They stated If as anyone can get out of this dungeon without any help, they automatically gain the wizardry powers that Mannanan lost when turned into a cat. "Hmmm....that is definitely interesting," I thought. Since obviously nobody will be helping me get out of the dungeon, and I know the way out of here, I should gain Mannanans powers and use them against the evil wizard! I, Cassima, have finally found the way to make all evil vanish from the earth! I found the brick to get out and drew a heart on it. The brick then let loose and a greenish smog seemed to smother me. It was then I knew I got Mannanans powers of wizardry. I would not use them for evil, but for good. I then opened the latch and gingerly stepped out. I made my way to the door to the first floor and stepped through. All was quiet. I knew the wizards must be at their meeting in the laboratory. I crept through the halls until I got to the staircase. I then went up them silently. When I reached the top I found the organ. If I play the song of evil the wizard shall appear. I sat at the stool and began to play. I knew I had to shut my eyes and ears out of what I was playing because if I didnt I would gain the evil. All was silent. Then a thundering boom sounded in the room. I stopped playing and got my concentration back. There, standing in a black cloak, was a menacing wizard. His face showed his fury at being disrupted from his rest. "Well, well, what have we here. A pretty little girl." he leered. But I wouldnt stand that. I raised myself until I was level with the keyboard, and then I teleported myself to the edge of the room. I could see his face turn from fury to horror. "How can you do that! Women have no powers!" "Just wait until you see this," I said. With that I threw a huge fireball his way and the last battle started. He countered by turning into a dragon and swallowing the fire. He then sent spits of fire my way. I turned into a rainstorm and dried them out. I sent a bolt of electricity his way. He simply ducked and the bolt hit the lab, engulfing it in flames. I just hoped that the wizards would get out alive. Then the wizard did his most energy-consuming thing. He turned himself into a star and planned to scald me to death. I gathered every piece of strength I had and turned into a black hole. I then swallowed the star up in one gulp and all powers flowed out of me. I then sat, exhausted after the battle. Then Col appeared. He had all the Black Cloak wizards with him, except now they were no longer evil but good. "Congragulations, Cassima. You have done what no one else could possibly have done. I give you my deepest thanks and so do all the other wizards as I send you home." With a sweep of his hand Col sent me back to my bedroom. Alex was starting to get up, and I could see the sun shining through the windows. I knew then that this was going to be the happiest morning of my life. The End