Sassella

"Revenge gives me no pleasure, nothing does. Though I believed the words of the Captain, and I was glad when someone saw my worth, nothing can make me happy except to be near my Lamto. Enough talk, I know what I must do. My last wish, now, is simply, to release you."

- Call of the Winged Panther 

Sassella is a Potonawi/Tientiyu girl who eventually works under Uro’s army using her power of touch to stone. She makes her debut in Vermonia Book One: Quest for the Silver Tiger.

Appearance
Sassella is a young woman with long lavender hair and purple eyes. She is of a slim tall build and tends to have parts of her hair covering her face. Normally, she appears delicate and graceful, but if she gets angry and uses her power, she transforms into a bird-human like creature with black wings and claws on both her hands and feet. Her teeth and ears become pointed and her eyes more hollowed and frightening. Her hair also flows and moves like snakes.

Powers
Sassella was born with the ability of that everything she touched turned to stone (excluding vegetation). She inherited this power from her father, an earth-wielding Tientiyu. Despite only being half Tientiyu, she eventually became more powerful than her father at a very early age. She regards this power as a ‘curse’ with the only known cure for it being turning herself to stone.

Story
"The very sad story of Sassella. The stone monster.

''Her touch is deadly, turning all to stone, even those she loves. Her first love is now a statue. He waits for her forever, cold and silent. Gazso controls her strings, he is her master.''

''It’s the eternal story: Girl loves boy. Girl kills boy, death does us part… HA, HA, HA, HA, HA! ''

''A terrible story. Watch how this unfolds sad Mel. Every place poor Sassella went, she was despised and feared. All the villagers knew her fate and what she had done to her love.''

One day Sassella met a kind general who promised to free her curse if she fought for him.

OBEY AND BE FREE

''So Sassella joined Uro’s army. Your friends will meet her at the mirror shrine."''

- Gazso (Quest for the Silver Tiger)

 Sassella was born with the curse of turning things to stone with her touch. Her power froze her Potonawi mother after she was born, and at the age of four her powers suceeded her fathers, and he too was turned to stone. With nobody else to look after her, she grew up alone. As she got older, she found love. Lamto was a Potonawi villager and know one knows how they really met. In Book 2, it tells how they met at sunset every night on a cliff. One night, Lamto tries to convince Sassella that she's not evil, even though he doesn't know she's cursed. And Lamto wants to be there for her. That night, Lamto goes home and his sister talks to him, he seems distant, so Maika (his sister) sneaks up on them in the woods the next evening, and grabs Sassella's arm, not knowing about her curse and she starts to turn to stone. She calls out for Lamto but it's too late. Sassella tells him of her 'cursed' power. Lamto leaves sad and confused. At home, outside his window, he hears an angry mob going after Sassella, trying to kill her. He runs to the cliff, trying to warn her but the villagers had already gotten to her. He finds her sitting on the edge of the cliff crying and bleeding with multiple cuts. Sassella is angry at herself and sad. She tells Lamto that she was forced to use her powers to keep them from hurting her worse. She says she shouldn't be alive and tries to throw herself off the edge of the cliff. He catches her and pulls her away from the edge and tells her that it's not true. She tries to break away, but Lamto is already turning to stone. He says that it will be better that way and that he'll be able to wait for her forever. She cries and cries and finally, a servant of Uro appears in front of her and tells, her that if she joins him, she'll be able to take revenge on the villagers who hurt her and be respected. She accepts.

She is later employed to capture Naomi, Jim , Doug and Rainbow on their travels to the Mirror Shrine. She is shown to 'throw' her power which hits Naomi first, and Doug in a second try. Doug then discovers the location of the Mirror Shrine and enters, with Sassella following trying to stop him. Before Doug frees Raitetsu, he is struck down by Sassella. Jim bravely grabs and pins her down while he is turned to stone. Despite Sassella's hideous transformation and protesting, she does not move as she fears that she will break Jim. This gives Doug time to free Raitetsu and faces Sassella where she calms down, defeated, and tells her past story and the love she lost from this curse. She tells that the only reason for use she works for Uro was because he promised that he would free her of this curse. Realising her mistake and the destruction she has made, she lifts the stone curse from all she people she touched by turning herself to stone.

In Book Seven, Lamto reunites with Sassella as he confronts her stone corpse, which is still in the Mirror Shrine from Book Two. With his love and power from the master of Tientityu, she is brought back to life although her power of touch has not yet been lifted. Despite being the immediate option to be freed of her curse, she declines for the moment as it is the only power she has to stop Uro. Despite Lamto wanting her to stay with him, she makes the decision to stop Uro first from destroying the Turtle Realm.

Relationships
Sassella is in love with Lamto. It is her drive to free her from the curse.

Quotes
Quest for the Silver Tiger:

''" The warriors from Blue Star will not escape my embrace. Let everything turn to stone…. If only Uro would keep his word to me." ''

Call of the Winged Panther:

'' "Once I suceed in capturing you, the curse on me will be lifted at long last! This fury englulfs me! Against my will, everything I touch turns to stone. Why was I born with this cursed power? IT TURNS ME INTO A MONSTER!" ''

'' "This cursed power that kept me from the one I love. I can still see him waiting for me. My heart breaks when I remember him. But only anger overwhelms me now." ''

"Look at them! I had no choice but to use my power. Even if it was an accident, I still turned your sister to stone. I shouldn't live!"

"Let them... fear me. I want revenge."

"Revenge gives me no pleasure, nothing does. Though I believed the words of the Captain, and I was glad when someone saw my worth, nothing can make me happy except to be near my Lamto. Enough talk, I know what I must do. My last wish, now, is simply, to release you."

Battle for the Turtle Realm:

Sassella: ''"If I lost this power, I can't help the fight against Uro. With these powers I would be more effective." Lamto: "You've suffered enough. Don't go. Stay here with me, we can finally be together."'' Sassella: " I will be, Lamto. Once Uro is defeated."

Appearances
Book One: Quest for the Silver Tiger 

Book Two: Call of the Winged Panther 

Book Six: To The Pillar of Wind (mentioned only)

Book Seven: Battle for the Turtle Realm