Of Wolves, Potions, and Goat Cheese - Chapter X

Chapter X: A Potion Girl, Breaking and Entering (Again)

The lights of Hyrule Castle flickered on and off. Like the kingdom itself, the castle was grasping to any semblance of life, struggling to maintain a sense of composure. Every few minutes or so, the electric lights would hold, illuminating Shad and Fae’s path through the ground floor. As soon as they grew comfortable, however, they would suddenly shut off once more, blinding the two in unending twilight.

Shad huffed as he, once again, had to relight his lantern. Despite having to use it less, given the lighting situation, it felt like he was wasting oil, having to constantly put the flame out and relight it mere minutes later. Fae couldn’t say anything to comfort her former schoolmate, instead fixing her eyes on the map that was provided to her. She felt like it was of little use to her, given her utter illiteracy with maps; yet, Shad insisted he led the way while she navigated.  

The redhead couldn’t protest this, either. After all, Shad’s father was welcomed in Hyrule Castle many times, and there was no doubt the young man had, at least, a vague idea where he was going. He was also the only one with a weapon.

Hyrule Castle was a maze, and it was explicitly designed that way. The winding passageways were intended to confuse potential intruders, to break enemy ranks so that Hylian soldiers could face them in smaller numbers. The halls were so narrow, she and Shad were forced to walk in single file.  

“My father once told me this was for tactical reasons,” Shad explained in a hushed tone. “Apparently, blueprints for the castle were created shortly after the Blight.”

Fae nodded at this, and her legs were shaking as she kept pace just behind him. “Zelda Alma once said it was inspired by the Lost Woods...”

The young man hummed affirmatively, yet he didn’t continue the brief conversation. Fae let the silence hang in the air, and she was suddenly much more aware of their footsteps. Her shoes clacked with every step she took on the tiled marble floor. Just hours ago, the sound was a comfort as she navigated the museum. Now, in the barren, demolished halls of Hyrule Castle, it only made her that much more aware of their situation. She and Shad were intruders, and every footfall and every twitch of the lantern could alert any lingering scouts or enemy guards to their presence.

WIP Wednesday - Breaking and Entering

“We’re here,” Shad whispered.

“R-Really?”

The young man nodded his reply, and he slowly opened one of the large, oak double doors. The door gave a loud creak, causing the two to wince, and Shad rushed Fae inside before closing it behind him.

The girl’s mouth hung open as she took in the sight of the royal library. To her surprise, it wasn’t as damaged as some of the chambers leading up to it. While there was no shortage of books scattered about the ground, nothing appeared to be intentionally scorched or destroyed. Perhaps it was because, despite the grand library having a second floor, it must have been out of the way of main path leading up to the throne room. Despite that, the room was completely devoid of light. The lamps weren’t even attempting to flicker, nor the brass chandelier over their heads. Feeble as it was, Shad held the only light in the library.

Had it been under different circumstances, Fae would gladly have gotten hopelessly lost in the library, losing herself in the thousands of tomes lying in wait. The collection was likely hundreds of years old, after all! Alas, the situation was much more dire than Fae desired. Still, the library was immense, and nothing appeared to have any clear labeling system, from what Fae could see. Worse still, there wasn’t exactly a librarian to point them in the right direction. If Shad was specifically instructed to come here to grab sensitive documents, where were they even supposed to start?

“So...” She hesitantly turned to Shad. “W-Where are we supposed to go?”

“Auru informed me of a private chamber here. It was once his office, I believe. The documents there are reserved for the royal family and their scholars.” He took a small key out of his coat pocket, and he sighed through his nose as he stared down at it, his hand trembling slightly. “I do hope it was left untarnished.”

The redhead nodded slowly, and she took a step towards Shad before speaking again. “D-Did he say where it is?”

“No, just...” He clenched his fist over his key, and he shook his head as he tucked it away in his coat. “It’s somewhere on this floor, Miss Kelda, rest assured.”

Despite the confidence he held in his words, Shad still took a moment before proceeding ahead of her, sticking close to the wall.  

“... O-Okay,” Fae eventually replied, more to herself as she trailed along behind him.

Their backs were practically glued to the wall as they shimmied along. There had to be another door somewhere in the library, and Fae could only hope they’d hit it soon. The longer they lingered there, the more aware she became of the castle’s creaking and cracking. She didn’t know if it was merely the building’s infrastructure causing those noises, or if guards and sentries were finally moving around outside of the library. Did someone finally realize their intrusion? Was someone—or something—looking for them?

The small light did nothing to quell her fears. Every step they took, the shadows grew taller, constantly shifting with and seemingly following them. Fae didn’t dare move her eyes elsewhere. If she focused on anything else, would the shadows start moving closer? Was she being paranoid, imagining figures that weren’t there? Given the situation, it wasn’t unreasonable to be on high alert. After all, there was no telling when they would finally be spotted.

Eventually, Shad’s back hit a small door with a thud. Fae gave a sharp gasp, and the young man swiftly shushed her. Still, the two stared wide-eyed at it, and they shared a glance before Shad took the key out again, his hand trembling as he took a shuddered breath. Unlike the large double doors on either side of the library, this one was a normal, rectangular door. It had a brass handle on it, and just above the handle was a keyhole.

“D-Do you think it’s...?”

He pushed the key into the lock. The two leaned forward, and Shad twisted it. A small click sounded, and Fae sighed in relief.

“Oh, thank goodness,” he mumbled, and he grabbed the handle and pushed the door open, ushering Fae to follow. She obliged, and she took in the new room.

There was a certain must to the room, as if it hadn’t been exposed to air for a long time. The documents and tomes surrounding them were aged and yellowed, the spines worn, and the pages cracked. In truth, there weren’t many published books on the shelves; instead, most of them were a large selection of papers bound together between pieces of leather and lettered with pressed ink. There wasn’t much wiggle room, and there was little more than a desk and the documents on the three walls surrounding it. It appeared to be meant for only one person at a time.

Shad set the lantern down on the desk, and he took out his journal as he thumbed over the back pages. Perhaps his colleague had left instructions for him there? Still, unsure where to look, Fae gently pressed her pointer finger along the old collection, skimming over their titles in search of the correct item.

“Don’t go looking for that cursed swordsman,” Shad suddenly chastised her. Fae’s eyes shot open and, for the first time since they got there, she scoffed at her former classmate and crossed her arms.

“And you don’t go looking for oocca,” she huffed in reply.

Shad glared at her in return, and he shut his journal before starting to glance over the bookshelves opposite the desk.

“I was informed these documents were sorted sequentially,” he explained bluntly, “with the legend of the first chosen hero beginning here.”

He pointed to the right of the desk, highlighting the start of a royal family member’s intellectual journey. If events were sorted in order, that meant the Interloper War was more than likely placed where Shad was looking. The thought to spite Shad and dig for the manuscripts to the Hero of Time’s journals was enticing. It would have been so easy to do. The shelf just to her right covered the most recent event in Hyrule’s history. Everything was right there. The War of Blight and the ogre mask destroyed the Hero of Time and warped him into the “cursed swordsman” everyone referred him to.  

The Chronicles of a Cursed Swordsman painted him as a dark character—a man plagued by unseen demons, longing for Queen Zelda Alma whilst married to another. How much of the published book was genuine? How much of it was sensationalized by editors and further warped by every hand that touched it, every mind that questioned why he wore that horrid mask and committed the atrocities he did?

Were they not so short on time, perhaps Fae would have been able to entertain the thought. With a sigh, she joined Shad at the middle set of shelves and started at the bottom, whereas he searched from the top.

Of Wolves, Potions, and Goat Cheese - Chapter IX

Chapter IX: A Potion Girl, Seeking Answers

Fae’s entire body was in pain.  

She groaned as she slumped against the lone tree on Jovani’s lawn, her eyes squinted shut as the muscles in her legs burned with every action she took. Last night was her first shift at Telma’s bar, full of running around the establishment to serve and cook for every patron who came in. A day later, her body was still reeling from the foreign actions she was making. Fae never thought herself as unfit, given her average figure; then again, she hadn’t done any mandatory physical activity since she was fourteen. At least Telma was kind enough to give her the day off...  

Fae looked over across the yard, a small frown on her face as the mother cat and her kittens tentatively pawed at the bits of salmon on the grass. Ten hours of bar work she went through the night before, and she couldn’t even follow up and bring the cats the cucco bits she promised them. She could have sworn the mother cat eyed her with scorn as she took a bite, but it very well could have been her imagination. Perhaps she was just being too hard on herself.  

Perhaps the cats could feel her negative energy.  

“I’m sorry, guys,” she whispered to all four of them, a sad smile on her face. “The market didn’t have cucco today...”  

The mother let out a soft “mrrow” as she took another bite at the salmon, to which the kittens eventually followed suit. Relieved that the apology gift wouldn’t go to waste, Fae sighed through her nose, and she lugged a large book out of her basket. She looked down at the title with furrowed brows: 

Hyrule at War: A History of Conflicts, Skirmishes, and Invasions in the Land Touched by the Golden Goddesses.    

It was a first edition copy of the book, and it was scarcely held by anyone, only read by those proficient in Old Hylian. It had been sitting on her bookshelf for ages, something her mother had taken from her former home when uprooting to Castle Town. The title spoke for itself, and the mention of “invasion” was what especially caught her interest when she first picked it up. For as much as Hyrule glorified its “unification” of the land during the Era of Time, and as much as her history classes made a big show of dragging out discussions of the King of Evil’s attempted invasion of the land many years ago, the history of the many other times the country was invaded seemed to be a thorn in the side of Hyrule’s pride, a stain to be washed out no matter the cost. 

Luckily, like an old quilt passed down through the ages, a handful of historians made the effort to preserve the history Hyrule attempted to blot out. The tome documented every major event in the kingdom of Hyrule as intimately as possible, from the legend of the Demon King’s demise to the War of Blight that rendered Southern Hyrule uninhabitable. The book was written just after that particular incident, so Fae could only hope that the contents within held more information than the history books from her classes. After all, she wasn’t seeking a recent war, nor a distant legend. Instead, there was one particular invasion she set her sights on: 

The Interloper War.

Of Wolves, Potions, and Goat Cheese - Chapter VIII

Chapter VIII: The Hero’s Shade

Link huffed a held breath before hopping down the ladder to his home. The burgundy poncho gifted to him was made with love, and he wouldn’t dare leave without it now. With the revolver now strapped to his hip, however, the blond felt far more like a ruffian than a hero. The spurs he strapped onto his boots were... a creative choice. Still, he couldn’t let that stop him. He had to find Ilia and Colin. He had to find the rest of the kids, too!  

He glanced toward Ordon Spring, his eyes focusing on the horse grass. Before that, however, perhaps he could find Epona, first. She’d been missing since he, Colin, and Ilia were first attacked by those bulblins. Maybe, wherever she was, she’d still be able to hear her song?

Unsure of what else to do, Link took a blade of the horse grass and blew into it, whistling her song as loudly as he could muster. He stood still and waited for a neigh, or a whinny, or for her footsteps, anything at all!

…

But nothing happened.

Only the chilling air nipped back at him, a horrid reminder of how much he exactly lost. With a sigh, Link let the horse grass drop to the ground, and he entered Faron Woods for the fourth time that week.

Of Wolves, Potions, and Goat Cheese - Chapter VII

Chapter VII: Respite

The light spirit’s words echoed in Link’s head.

Hero chosen by the gods...

Why? Why, of all people, was it him? He almost started laughing, the whole scenario was so outlandish to him! No doubt, the child in him was cheering in jubilation, elated to finally be playing the hero for real. The adult, however, was quivering where he stood.  

“M... Me? The hero?”

“Yes,” said Faron succinctly. “The golden power that laid dormant within you has finally awakened. It protected you from the shroud of twilight, and it shall protect you from the dark powers of the king of shadows.”  

“But, how do I—?”

“In the temple, deep in the forest, an ancient power sleeps...” The light spirit paused a moment, the warmth of her light doing little to soothe Link. “It is a forbidden power; one I had vowed to keep locked away for all time... But, this world weeps beneath a mantle of shadows. I fear there is no other option... You must match the power of the king of shadows, brave Link.”

“But... How? How am I s’posed t’—?”

Link pressed his left hand to his cheek, dirt-coated nails scratching burnt flesh. His eyes shot open, and his entire body stiffened as he jerked his hand back. His breath shallowing, Link willed himself to look down into his reflection, the rippling water only a slight wavering of the truth. The burn was larger than he thought. Almost his entire cheek was burnt, stopping just shy of his mouth. It spread to the base of his left ear, tapering off down the side of his neck. Just a couple of minutes of running around with his fur on fire had dealt that much damage to him...

Everything he’d gone through wasn’t a dream. His transformation into a wolf, his stealing the sword and shield from home in the dead of night, Rusl striking him with a torch and burning his face...

All of that happened, over the course of mere hours.

His burnt flesh would be a permanent reminder of that.

“Have courage, chosen hero.” The spirit started dissipating, her light cooling the unbearable warmth within him. “The forbidden power lies in the temple, sleeping in the forest depths. Should you seek it...”

Faron offered no further explanation, leaving Link to figure the rest out for himself.  

WIP Wednesday - Sparring

Celine grunted and rolled from her opponent’s downward swing. The polished wood screeched beneath her as she twisted back onto her feet, gripping her saber in both hands. Yvania was undeterred, one slender arm held behind her back, and her grip on her blade lax. Not a hair was out of place, not a single blonde curl ripped from her ponytail, while the redhead’s hair was draped over her face, her breathing slightly heavy from her more intensive efforts to dodge Yvania’s attacks.  

Without warning, the girl stabbed the dulled blade through Yvania’s handle and knocked it out of her hand. The blonde’s honey-colored eyes bolted open, frozen as the saber clattered to the ground. Most of the other ladies in the training hall continued like nothing had happened; many blades hit the ground every day, after all.  

Though she still panted as she straightened herself, Celine was beaming as she held her right hand out to shake. “Good game!” she cheered. Yvania, however, didn’t accept her invitation, merely sticking her nose up as she moved to collect her saber.

“Brute,” she scoffed.

Celine’s long ears drooped slightly at the comment, her lips jutted into a pout as she stared down at her blade. Was it really so brutish of her to fight the way she did? It worked perfectly well when she and Forge were running around the woods.

Suddenly, she felt a lithe, gloved hand on her shoulder, and she spun around to meet whomever touched her, her sword held out once more. The moment she spotted platinum-blond hair, however, she quickly relaxed and dropped one of her hands.

“My apologies, Lord Mascus,” Celine muttered with a small bow. However, Mascus held a hand up to silence her.

“No need, Lady Celine. You train admirably.” The tall man placed his hands behind his back, and he hummed softly before continuing. “However, I must ask...” His narrowed eyes shifted from her face to her saber, and he let out a soft ‘tch.’ Already, the room had fallen silent.

“Where did you learn your stance? It’s certainly not what Madame Dreya instructs of you.”

“Oh, um...” The young woman’s face flushed as she hesitantly slid her feet back together. Already, she knew everyone’s eyes were on her, her back and her arms tensing at the thought. For a moment, she hesitated to answer, but she knew Mascus wouldn’t go away until she gave an answer. “Well... One of my friends taught me. After the incident that, uh...” Celine touched her hand to her right cheek, a visual reminder of a years-old mistake, “he showed me how he fought. Just in case I ever needed to protect myself.”

“Why with two hands, if I may ask?”

“So I can swing harder,” she replied bluntly.  

Of Wolves, Potions, and Goat Cheese - Chapter VI

It was Link’s worst nightmare.

The wolf broke into a run as he followed the boars’ scent, his breath shallowing and his heart pounding harder the nearer he drew to Ordon. He couldn’t protect Ilia or Colin, and now his entire village had been attacked by those horrible creatures. All while he couldn’t do a thing about it.

His pace finally slowed when he approached his home. There, seemingly patrolling the outside of the village, was a pair of those green bokoblins. They were pacing back and forth in front of his treehouse, each brandishing a club in one hand. Link’s eyes narrowed, and he growled lowly as he sank to the ground. These monsters singlehandedly ruined his life and stole his friends from him, and now they were guarding the entrance to Ordon like they owned the place. What could they have possibly done to his village...?

Their beady yellow eyes shone in the dark, their bandanas covering the lower halves of their faces.  

No more wasting time.

No more hesitation.

Link sprang into action.  

He charged at the closest one and tackled it to the ground, knocking the club out of its hand. He snarled and sank his fangs into its neck, his front paws keeping the monster pinned down as it wildly thrashed beneath him. Its companion swung its weapon into Link’s side, sending the wolf sprawling into the tall grass. He huffed as he rose back to his feet, his eyes narrowed and his fangs bared. He leapt at them again, sending one to the ground before biting into the other’s weapon hand. The monster screeched and dropped its club, holding desperately onto its hand as it bled red. While it was distracted, Link bit into the first one’s neck again, his grip only loosening when it stopped flailing and twitching beneath him.  

His body shook as he unclenched his jaw, and he was panting when he turned to the other green monster. He couldn’t stop now, he rationalized to himself. It was the only thing he could do. The wolf barked and pounced into it, his weight easily toppling the screaming creature. Though he hesitated only a second, Link opened his jaws again and bit down.

It was the only thing he could do.

WIP Wednesday - The Beast of Faron Woods

His pace finally slowed when he approached his home. There, seemingly patrolling the outside of the village, was a pair of those green bokoblins. They were pacing back and forth in front of his treehouse, each brandishing a club in one hand. Link’s eyes narrowed, and he growled lowly as he sank to the ground. These monsters singlehandedly ruined his life and stole his friends from him, and now they were guarding the entrance to Ordon like they owned the place? What could they have possibly done to his village...?

Their beady yellow eyes shone in the dark, their bandanas covering the lower halves of their faces.  

No more wasting time.

No more hesitation.

Link sprang into action.  

He charged at the closest one and tackled it to the ground, knocking the club out of its hand. He snarled and sank his fangs into its neck, his front paws keeping the monster pinned down as it wildly thrashed beneath him. Its companion swung its weapon into Link’s side, sending the wolf sprawling into the tall grass. He huffed as he rose back to his feet, his eyes narrowed and his fangs bared. He leapt at them again, sending one to the ground before biting into the other’s weapon hand. The monster screeched and dropped its club, holding desperately onto its hand as it bled red. While it was distracted, Link bit into the first one’s neck again, his grip only loosening when it stopped flailing and twitching beneath him.  

His body shook as he unclenched his jaw, and he was panting as he faced the other green monster. He couldn’t stop now, he rationalized to himself. It was the only thing he could do. The wolf barked and pounced into it, his weight easily toppling the screaming creature. Though he hesitated only a second, Link opened his jaws again and bit down.

It was the only thing he could do.

When its body finally stilled, Link stepped back, and he was forced to take in exactly what he’d done. Their necks were practically crushed from how hard he’d clamped down. Their heads were turned towards him, their dead eyes still shining a bright yellow. Chills ran down Link’s entire body, and he reflexively backed a few paces, his ears folded against his head.

He killed them.  

They didn’t even attack him, and he killed them.

They attacked his home first.

He was right to do it.

Right?

… Right?

My Ao3

Of Wolves, Potions, and Goat Cheese - Chapter III

Chapter III - The End of Paradise

Dinner with Rusl’s family was always a treat. Uli’s bread was the best in all of Ordon, in Link’s opinion, and the stew she made was always top notch! Somehow, even without any meat in it, she always seasoned her broth and the vegetables so that it mimicked the taste of beef. Most times, it was the only way the village could even hope to capture that savory flavor.  

Link bowed his head lowly in thanks as Uli poured him another bowl of stew. Large chunks of carrots and potatoes poked out just above the broth, and the blond’s mouth watered at the mere sight of it. Suddenly, one of his pointed ears perked up, and he tilted his head slightly. From the distance, he could hear Jaggle chewing Talo and Malo out like a goat chewed through grass. Evidently, even though everyone else in the village had rounded, distinctly human ears, the rest of the family could hear it, too, as Rusl merely shook his head as he took another spoonful of soup.

Colin, on the other hand, fidgeted in his seat, tentatively holding a bread roll in his hands.

“Pop, I... I-I didn’t get ’em in trouble, did I?”

All three of the adults shook their head, though it took a moment for his father to speak up. “Ya did the right thing, Colin. If Link didn’t run after ’em when he did, we dunno what woulda happened to ’em!” Rusl then turned to Link. “Link, I really can’t thank you enough, son. That was a brave thing ya did.”

Link chuckled bashfully and rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks slightly pink. Still, it did nothing to deter Colin’s fears, as he kicked his feet against the wooden legs of his chair.

“They’re gonna hate me...”

“Then they’re gonna have to hate me, too!” Link replied, resting his arms on the table. “Look Colin, I told ya t’ tell pop, and if they have a—”

“Elbows,” Uli gently scolded.

Link sheepishly set his arms back down in his lap before continuing.

“A-And if they have a problem with ya, they gotta get through me first, ya hear?”

Of Wolves, Potions, and Goat Cheese - Chapter I

Chapter I: Dusk

Summer days were swiftly growing shorter in the Ordona province.  

Located at the southernmost tip of the kingdom of Hyrule, the Ordona province technically wasn’t a part of the country at all. The tiny, rural village was separated from the nearby forest, Faron Woods, by a massive gorge segregating Ordon from the rest of the kingdom. The only connective tissue to Faron was a wooden bridge held together with rope. Though the ropes were thick and the wood was sturdy, few doubted that a strong wind would easily knock a man off-course and send him spiraling into the ravine below.  

Link’s brow furrowed as he found himself looking down the gorge. There was no bottom as far as the eye could see; only darkness would await him below. With a shake of the head and a shrug of the shoulders, the young man tightened his grip on his mare’s reins, pulling himself further across the bridge as he trailed behind his mentor, Rusl.  

“You’re fallin’ behind, son,” the older man remarked as he looked behind his shoulder at the boy. “You’re not slackin’ on me now, are ya?”

“No, sir,” Link replied softly. He glanced up at his chestnut mare, Epona, and gently pet her snout.  

Traveling to Faron Woods to chop wood was nothing new to the young man. It was something the men of Ordon had to do around this time every year; with autumn on the horizon, winter was doubtlessly swift to follow. When that time came, it was best for the village to be overstocked with firewood, so that nobody would have to risk leaving their homes to gather more. Even though Ordon almost never had a winter intense enough for snowfall, it was still best to air on the side of caution.  

Who’d have imagined something so dangerous giving so much comfort?

The fire crinkled and crackled just beneath the iron cauldron she’d set in place. Its warm embers pierced through the logs, one burning bright red through its hollowed bark. Already, she’d have to feed another log to the blaze, though she didn’t mind in the slightest.

Fae opened a cabinet beside the hearth, revealing a decent, yet dwindling, amount of timber. She pursed her lips in a straight line. She knew she’d have to go down the southern road and buy more soon. Hopefully, since it was the middle of summer, the price wouldn’t be the absolute worst. But how to carry it all…?

The young woman shook her head and let out a huff, and she grabbed a good sized log and carefully tossed it into the fire. Despite knowing her brew would take a whole day to cook properly, she sat in front of the fireplace and let herself bathe in its warmth. Even Keese seemed to agree with her, the old bird curling up in her lap for a nice nap.

The wood cracked and splintered as if it were ice in water, contrary as it seemed. A bright orange illuminated the fresh ashes beneath the logs, the bright orange flames transitioned to an even brighter blue at the base.

Even now, Fae was entranced by the fire, bright green eyes locked on the hearth as the fire danced just below her cauldron. The redhead could only wish she had a blanket. Despite the heat outside, the warmth of the fire was one she could never turn away from.

~.*.~.*.~

((Fire’s burning at home. Wanted to do some writing practice real quick))

Take to the Skies - 6/?

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... In her chosen people's darkest moment, the white goddess descended from the heavens. Her radiant harp strummed with music that stilled the battlefield, and she said simply unto her chosen people,

"My dearest Hylians. Quarrel not over such petty affairs. You have been blessed a thousand times over with gifts of fertile soil and bountiful land. You thrive within your city, and you've no worries to speak of. Please, my precious people, cease this fruitless feud.”

The goddess Hylia's words were intended to quell the anger in the hearts of men, to realize what the white goddess had given them and to be thankful for them. Yet, all the same, the peoples in the land of Hylia wound up here...

Take to the Skies - 5/?

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{This section will be heavily revised once I have more written for it. I'm currently developing my magic system and trying to figure out how to notate it.}

~.*.~.*.~

"Again."

Celine took a breath and closed her eyes.

In through the nose, and out through the mouth. In through the nose, out through the mouth.

She pressed her fingers to the open wound on the back of her hand. It was barely a scratch, little more than a paper cut.

Stay focused, Celine. Say the magic words, and your hand will start tingling.

It was something her father told her a million times. Healing was supposed to feel like the warmth of a kindling flame. Her fingertips were supposed to tingle, as that was the magic gifted to them by the white goddess herself. Eventually, she wouldn't even have to think about using her magic. Eventually, it would become second nature.

For now, however, all she could do was pray.

"Hylia sanat. Deus candidus sanat. Mea sanat, Hylia candidus."

Celine waited, her eyes squeezed shut. Barely a minute passed. Suddenly, she felt Mother Aleesha's ruler strike her hand. The girl yelped in pain, only to be hushed into silence.