The Cards Know
Silvia wandered through the fair a bit aimlessly. She had fond memories of spending hours in this kind of fair as a kid, but the charm had just been lost on her. She hadn’t even been planning to come in the first place, a friend of hers had a spare ticket. Unfortunately, they were unable to go on the same day. So Silvia was here all alone. It wasn’t so bad. The weather was nice and there were enough trees around the area that heat wasn’t an issue. Some of the attractions had drawn her earlier in the day, but the lines were beginning to get out of hand. Now she was just walking around the grounds, vaguely hoping there would be an exhibit people had overlooked. Not that she had a pressing need to experience anything else at this point. This was more of a final before she left the fair.
Her exploration had just about wrapped up when Silvia saw it. There was a small, dark purple tent tucked away in the woods on the edge of the fairground. It had a faint, eerie glow coming from inside, a blue light flickering between two loose flaps that seemed to serve as the door. Silvia approached it curiously. There didn’t seem to be anyone else around it unless there was someone already inside. She looked around, but everyone else was still in the main fair area. Maybe she’d tell some people about this place after she finished her time in whatever it was. With a little bit of smugness, approached the tent and lifted up one of the flaps to see what was inside.
Silvia wasn’t sure what to expect, but she wasn’t overly surprised by what she saw. The main light was coming from an orb on a small circular table in the center of the tent. There were also small torches lining the walls, all emanating the same soft blue light as the orb. There were other decorations scattered around the tent, but Silvia couldn’t quite make out what they were meant to be.
“I’ve been expecting you.” The soft, feminine voice made Silvia jump a little before she found where it had come from. There was a figure sitting at the table with the glowing orb, opposite where Silvia was standing. Despite the ubiquitous lighting in the tent, their whole body was somehow still shrouded in shadow. She was unable to make out anything more than their silhouette
Based on what she’d seen, Silvia was expecting this to be some kind of fortune telling tent, and the cliche line made her all but certain. Rolling her eyes, she decided to play along for now. “How did you know I’d be coming.” She didn’t believe in any of this supernatural fortune telling stuff, but as long as it was free, she was still willing to see where it went.
“The cards, dear. The cards know all.” For the first time, the figure appeared to move. A deck of tarot cards slid into the light. “Please, sit down.” A hand reaches out and gestures to a small stool in front of the table that Silvia hadn’t seen before. She sat down, still curious about where this was going.
“So what do I need to do?” Silvia glanced down at the deck expectantly.
“Take the first card and lay it down on the table” Silvia leaned forward to do so, and then sat back on the stool. “Ah, the knight of wands” For the first time, the person sitting across from Silvia leaned forward into the light. Revealed was a soft feminine face, light purple hair that fell past her shoulders, and grey eyes that seemed to peer directly into Silvia’s soul. She was caught off guard by their intensity and found herself unable to do anything but stare back. While Silvia is caught in her gaze, the woman’s hand reaches out and rests upon the upturned card, causing it to glow slightly. “Mmm, your face is simply lovely. But back to the cards.”
Silvia jolted slightly at this, realizing she’d been staring. “Oh, yeah. Right, the cards. Which was this one, again?” She asked sheepishly, looking back down at the cards. She wasn’t quite sure but there seemed to be some kind of glow running along the designs of the card. It had to be some trick of the light. But she wanted to keep looking, at least to figure out what was causing that pretty effect.
“The Knight of Wands.” The fortune teller repeats. “It represents action, adventure, and fearlessness. It seems you’ll be embarking on a new journey to something new quite soon.”
This caused Silvia’s gaze to flick back up to her, away from the card. “A journey? Where will I end up?” She asked, with a hint of disbelief in her voice.
The woman shook her head. “I can’t say. It may not even be a physical journey. You might not have to go anywhere, but something will surely change for you.” As she spoke, Silvia found herself watching the card again. It just felt so natural to rest her gaze on it, at least for a little while. She could still listen to what the fortune teller was saying. “And I can help you along that journey, wherever it may take you. But that’s all for the future. For now, it’s better if you don’t think about it. Just focus and listen to the cards. They will tell you what you need to know”
Silvia found herself nodding along as she focused on the card. The woman had a soothing voice, and the glow in the card’s patterns felt so easy to watch. It was just so… nice. She’d lost track of the thread of her words, but that didn’t seem so important at that moment. But one thing did nag at her. With an effort, Silvia pulled her gaze away from the card. “I don’t think I ever got your name.”
“Ah, of course.” The woman said with a small giggle. “You can call me Cisne. And you, my dear?”
“Ah right, sorry.” A bit of embarrassment filled her voice. “I’m Silvia’
“Silvia,” Cisne repeated. “A lovely name for a lovely woman.” She gestured to the deck of cards again. “Well, now that we’ve established you’ll be taking a journey. Let’s see if we can determine its nature.”
Silvia had forgotten that tarot readings usually involved more than one card. She’d been so lost in the first card already. If just one card could do all that, what would two bring her? Reaching out, she pulled the next card off the deck and placed it next to the Knight of Wands.
“Oh my, the reverse Chariot,” Cisne said as she looked down at the card. “Normally, it represents a strong will, and control over your own path. But reversed, it signifies a lack of control and direction. I’m afraid this means the fate of your journey will be in the hands of another.”
Normally, a statement like this would have distressed Silvia at least a little. But the newly upturned card seemed to spring to life with glowing light. There was a distinctive pulse to the light now, and each card seemed to pulse in counter point to the other, creating a resonance between the two. Each flash began to slowly fill her bind as it built upon the groundwork laid by the first card. Despite her focus being drawn by the captivating cards, some part of Silvia’s mind still understood something of Cisne’s words. “Can I stop this…? Who would it be…?”
Cisne shook her head sorrowfully. “It’s already too late to stop it. The cards have spoken. As for your second question, you may have some choice in that yet. But you must act quickly. If you don’t choose who will guide you, fate will make that decision for you.”
This sparked a faint glow of hope in whatever was left of Silvia’s mind. “But I don’t know… who I can trust…” Her voice was distant and spacey as more and more of her focus was taken up by the cards. She simply couldn’t bring herself to look away from them. It just felt like so much effort at this point. But she needed to avoid the worst fate. Silvia needed someone she trusted to lead her down a good path on her journey.
“You needn’t worry.” Cisne soothed. “The cards may still have guidance for you. But to find it, you must focus well on them. You can see how they’re glowing and flashing. They’re trying to tell you something. But only you can understand their message. So you need to watch them closely. Try to tune out everything else, and let the cards guide you.”
“Yea…” Silva wasn’t fully processing Cisne’s words at this point, but they stuck in her mind nonetheless. She just felt like they were so important. Almost as important as the cards. But the cards held her focus, more and more with each flash, each moment. So Cisne’s voice could simply slip into her distracted mind. She was going to go on a journey. But her fate would be one the hands of someone else. But maybe that wouldn’t be such a bad thing. Silvia hardly knew where she’d even begin. But Cisne seemed so calm, so confident about this whole thing. She was simply speaking for the cards. And the cards knew all. The more she watched the cards and listened to Cisne, the more she was sure of it. She trusted Cisne. Trusted her to tell her what the cards were saying. So she kept watching. Kept listening. And now, the cards flashing began to change. It wasn’t obvious at first. Even if she was fully cognizant, Silvia probably wouldn’t have noticed it right away. The rhythm of the flashes began to become more uneven. Both cards would flash, but then there was a gap, just long enough for a third flash. But it never came. Something was missing. But Silvia didn’t know what. She couldn’t think about anything… couldn’t think…
“There’s one more thing you need to do.” Cisne’s voice cut through the haze forming in Silvia’s mind. “You might’ve noticed it by now.” Silvia nodded, although she couldn’t imagine what Cisne could be referring to. “The final card. Just one more, and the cards will have spoken all they have for you.” Cisne pulls the Knight of Wands and the Chariot apart, leaving just enough room for the third and final card to be laid between them. “You already know you’re going on a journey, and that your fate will be in the hands of another.” Another nod from Silvia. “Very good. So draw your final card, and let us see the fate of your journey.”
Without even thinking about it, or taking her eyes off the two cards already revealed, Silvia reaches out to the deck for the third time to slide another card off and places it in the space between the other two. As soon as it’s in place and she removes her hand, the card begins to flash, perfectly timed with the gap in the flashing of the other two cards.
“You’re doing so well.” Cisne continued smoothly “And this final card will seal your fate, telling you all you need to know. And this card is the last part of that. This is the Six of Swords. It represents transition, and leaving everything behind. So on this journey, you must let go of everything you had. Everything you were. You won’t need it where you’re going.”
Had she been fully aware, these words would have distressed Silva greatly. But now, lost in the cards and Cisne’s words as she was, she could barely process the words, let alone understand their full implication. “What… What can I do?” She asked absently. It was simply the first question that came to what’s left of her mind.
Before answering, Cisne rearranged the cards into a small triangle. Then the lights emanating from the cards changed once more. Instead of sequential flashes, the intensity of the light was constant now as it began to move counter-clockwise, moving smoothly between each card. The lights began to rotate around, quickly picking up speed until a spiral pattern formed, overlaid on the cards. Their original patterns were still plainly visible, but the spiral was still clearly visible.
“Look deep into the cards now, Silvia,” Cisne spoke again as the spiral formed. “They’re showing you the path you must take. All you need to do is follow it. But there’s one last thing that we must find. You know you’re going on this journey, and you must leave everything for it. But you don’t know who will be guiding you along, who will be in control of your destiny.”
It was a long moment before Silvia nodded again, barely even listening at this point. She just knows she needs to keep watching the cards. “Who…?” It’s all she could manage to say in her current state.
“I think you can figure that out.” Cisne reached out to softly caress Silvia’s face. “There’s someone who’s been showing you the way. And that’s the only person you can trust to guide you well. And I think you know who.”
Silvia’s head shifted a little at Cisne’s touch, but it was more of an instinctive response than a conscious reaction as she continued to stare helplessly into the spiral. “You…” It was the only answer left to her. As she spoke that word, Silvia felt like she was letting go of something important. A fleeting part of her mind tried to hold onto it, but it was all in vain. That part of Silvia’s mind had long since been suppressed to the point that it couldn’t do anything by wait for its extinguishment and replacement. Something better would take its place. But she didn’t need to worry about that. She didn’t need to worry about anything now. Cisne would guide her and take care of everything.
“That’s right, such a good girl.” Cisne moved her hand up and started petting Silvia’s hair. “I will guide you along this journey. But before we can begin, you must let go of everything. Leave it all behind. Let the spiral in the cards take it all away. I will give you a new purpose, a new identity,”
“Yess…” Silvia’s voice was barely audible as she continued to obediently stare, feeling her mind, her personality, her whole sense of self draining away, all into the cards. She couldn’t think, worry, or do anything but listen and obey as Cisne filled her empty mind with new words and truths.
“You’re doing so well for me, my dear.” Cisne smiled fondly at her newest conquest. “The cards have shown you where you need to go. And now, I will take you there. Today, you start your new life as my good, obedient little pet. And I’ll make sure you love every second of it.”
And with that, Cisne stood up and walked around the table and started whispering sweet, seductive words into Silvia’s ear. She told her all about how she would love to serve her, to obey her, be owned and controlled by her. And as these feelings began to take root in Siliva, she couldn’t wait to begin her journey with her new Mistress.