It had felt as if the Golem had died far too easily, and it was for that reason that Lily remained on guard even as the dust settled, and the fragments of construct's core fell around it. It had sizzled when she touched it, picking up one small piece before it, too, dissolved. 

Now they were at the oasis above, Lily and Cassandra ascending so as to get a farther view. Neither saw anything except continuous land. The lake, trees, and rock formations ahead were the most interesting parts of the floating landscape, but there was precious little beyond that. It almost disappointed Lily. The golem had whetted her appetite, and made her believe that more challenges were ahead, but no such thing occurred. All that was left was scouting. 

Cassandra was more enthusiastic, it seemed, hurriedly digging into her backpack for her coal pencils and paper. She found a rock protruding from the ground and flitted towards it, alighting on it with as much grace as she could muster, then started sketching the area ahead of them.

Lily knelt down behind her, looking over her shoulder at the image starting to take shape. She glanced back and forth between the rocks on the paper and the ones that were very much real. "You drew a lot as a child," she said quietly, only for them to hear. "I'm happy to see that you've stuck with it." 

Cassandra's hand stilled, her cheeks growing faintly brighter. "[i]Mère,[/i]" she chided, glancing over her shoulder, meeting the now-green eyes of her mother, and let out a small gasp–she had returned to the brown haired, dark-eyed appearance that Cassandra remembered from her childhood. She looked as the woman she had known as Susannah, as mother. 

Lily returned her surprise with a grin of her own, utterly unapologetic. "I figured you might appreciate it," she said and put her hand on Cassandra's cheek, guiding her to look at the unfinished sketch once more, and started undoing the tangles in her hair that flying had caused with a small brush-Cassandra also took the hint and resumed drawing, leaving the elder demon to do as she wished. 

"I have acquired many skills in my time," Lily continued after a short while, "but drawing was never really one of them." 

"Ironic," Cassandra chimed in, pausing just for a moment to offer Lily a teasing look and smile, "seeing as you seem so fond of creating masterpieces, if of the flesh and not the page." 

Lily snorted, and had Cassandra been anybody else would have avenged the comment by foregoing care and simply tugged a knot out instead of coaxing it undone carefully. "Are you accusing me of being a harlot?" She asked, wrinkling her nose. "Young women shouldn't use such language," she shot back. 

"I have seen the... shapes you prefer these last few days. How you don't suffer backaches is a mystery." 

Lily hummed. "Being able to walk away from a building falling down on your has its advantages," she replied and pulled gently on Cassandra's hair in its entirety, pulling it into a ponytail before separating it into three, each portion held between different fingers. "Besides, this is nothing. There was one man many years ago, and he had a certain fascination, shall we say." 

"You're kidding?" Came Cassandra's reply, though she didn't turn her head her incredulity was clear from tone of voice alone. [i]"Quelques hommes...[/i] By the way, why are you braiding my hair?"

"'Some men' indeed," she laughed. "And because I think it would suit you, and it's generally better for flying. It doesn't tangle as much, and I think it suits you." A moment passed, and Lily reached a hand over Cassandra's shoulder. "Give me a ribbon, or something." 

Though unseen, Lily was certain that Cassandra rolled her eyes, as she let go of the pencil and, with a flourish, produced a small length of purple ribbon. "You're lucky my [i]Projections[/i] are better than yours, or you'd have to let [i]all this work[/i] go to waste," she teased.

Taking the ribbon, Lily tied it in a bow around the end of Cassandra's braid before letting it fall down her back, eyeing her handiwork. "You're lucky, because if you hadn't I would've just used grass." 

The indignant glare Cassandra sent her over her shoulder was met only with an innocent smile and fluttering eyelashes. "You wouldn't dare," she said, taking hold of her braid and cradling it over her chest. 

Lily shrugged, and rose. "Maybe not, I suppose we'll never know, since you did have a ribbon." 

Their attention was grabbed by the nearby angels who had returned, one of them seeming to be giving a report to the one who had actually been useful in the altercation with the stone golem. Lily turned her attention fully towards it, picking up the conversation that was happening. 

"Scouting parties, not a bad idea," Cassandra said under her breath, her eyes once again trained on her drawing. 

Lily, however, had other things in mind. "Are you certain you shouldn't tag along?" She called out, meeting the angel's gaze from afar. "They seemed not very useful against that pile of rocks below." 

Cassandra glanced up, frowning. "Mother," she admonished, "what's the point?" 

"Not much of one," Lily admitted flippantly. "They're very easy to rile up, those angels." 

Sighing, the younger demoness packed her pencils and sketchbook, closing her backpack. She stood up and hoisted it over her shoulder. Now standing even with Lily, she gave her a disapproving stare, and while it didn't make her back down it did give Lily pause. "Let's go," Cassandra said and motioned towards the entrance back into the pillar-tower. 

"You seem angry?" 

Cassandra shook her head. "I'm not. But our time is better spent getting word back to the Demon Hunters, and whoever else need to set up a forward post here. Leave the angels to scout ahead if they want, because if both of you stay here, and both of you are so bored you just end up antagonising each other, he [i]will[/i] get hurt." 

Lips pressed in a thin line, Lily nodded and followed her daughter, sparing the angels a passing glance. A part of her was happy that Cassandra had specified that the [i]angel[/i] would wound up hurt, not her, and yet it seemed there was some judgement in it. Disappointment, perhaps? She hoped not. 

She fell silent and dutifully followed, manifesting wings once they were inside the spiralling stairs to gently hover down rather than walk. 

There was time until their next mission. So far, they had secured one area. 

Perhaps Fenn had time to play fetch?