Kaara’s heart sank into her stomach. Of all the people in the world who could have been in this tent, why did it have to be her? How long had Sancta been dancing alone with Shiira’s private attention? Kaara had never seen her around during the normal practice times. Was she intending to dance on the eve of the ceremony as well?
“Take a break.” Shiira said to Sancta’s relief, “We still have an hour before normal lessons. By the end of this week you will be joining them and coordinating with them.”
Sancta took a breath to speak, but Shiira cut her off, “I want to hear no excuses, ifs, ands, or buts about it. Remember the importance of what you seek to learn. This dance is a communal spell which can be the difference between life and death for you and your siblings. Teaching you in private like this can only go so far. It must be practiced with the other people dancing.”
“If it’s unavoidable,” Sancta said with a respectful caution unlike the tone Kaara usually heard from her, “then I will put my feelings aside for one week. I refuse to lose to anyone, especially another healer from the Tibur.”
“Then break time is over. If you don’t want to trip over yourself next week trying to keep up, then put in the work.”
Kaara watched as Sancta followed Shiira’s commands to the best of her ability. Everytime she tripped, stumbled, or was off rhythm she was grilled for it by Shiira. Too Kaara’s surprise, Sancta took the criticism and responded with a greater effort than before. She could see the conviction in her eyes with each step she took.
That did not sit right with Kaara. Why was she different now? What was the reason she took Shiira’s criticism, but no one else’s? She looked down on everyone she met in camp, even adults like Tiksu, and yet for Shiira she obeyed her directions without a second thought.
“You know, your mother had the exact same expression on her face when she practiced this dance,” Shiira said, “It’s a good look for you, dear.”
Kaara raised an eyebrow. Did Shiira know Sancta’s mother? It was not surprising, considering the relationship between the Xirxus and Tibur went back for hundreds of years by now. The compliment seemed to catch Sancta off guard, though. She was unbelievably flustered.
“As if I don’t always look good.” She said, turning her nose up at Shiira.
Kaara backed away from the tent. Whatever was going on in there, she wanted no part in it. In fact, knowing that Sancta was practicing only made her want to practice more. The last thing she wanted was to allow someone like Sancta to win at something. After all, she had seen the way Anitus acted when he won. She ran for the forest, the one place she knew she could find peace.
She heard a bark behind her, turning to see a black Wulviir with an orange diamond shaped patch on its forehead, “Oh, hey Ragna.”
The wulviir panted happily, its tongue flopping around on the corner of its mouth as it trotted at her side. Ragna was already bigger than most adult wolves by now, but that was normal for a Wulviir.
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“Wanna watch me dance?”
Bark!
“I’ll take that as a yes!” She said as she found herself in an open space between two Ingen trees, “Alright, sit right there, Ragna.”
The wulviir obeyed without hesitation, licking his chops and pointing his ears up to show he was watching.
Kaara placed one foot forward, and splayed her arms out at her side. She decided to start with the ritual dance first. It was something she had practiced since she was very little. She had performed it a number of times in the past, and even incorporated those motions into her spells.
You don’t have a single high level spell you can cast without waving your arms around like a lunatic, do you?
Water came gushing forth from nothing, snaking around her frame as she swiped her hands through the air. She stepped, turned, and used the water as her dancing partner. It wrapped, coiled, and slipped along. She transitioned to her own ad-libbed dance. Those thorns Sancta had bound her with were in the back of her head. She only had Chompy to rely on if she could not move her arms or legs. If she was bound and gagged, she would be completely useless.
She thought back to her visit to Yvian. To the boy who had wreathed himself in flame, and his mother who effortlessly casted magic without a single word or motion. She did not need high level spells, she just needed spells which could keep her unbound.
She felt the flow of her dance, and allowed it to carry her next motion. To wear her magic like armor. Two glowing eyes formed in the water serpent Kaara had created. She froze her movement, closed her eyes, and focused on it.
Shackles made of ice bound her wrists, and neck. She strained her arms against them, if only to show they could not break. The water serpent turned to snow and fell to the ground lifeless.
Kaara did not know why, but the name came to her.
Jormungandr
Scaled armor made of deep blue ice snapped over her body. The temperature around her dropped so quick that even the winter air rushed inward to impart its warmth. The fanged maw of a serpent generated from her shoulders and snapped its jaws over her head like a helm. It melted away as quickly as it had appeared. Kaara collapsed to her hands and knees, shivering from the cold. She had never felt such frigid cold before.
Ragna whined, having been caught in the crossfire. He was limping away, spewing fire over himself to keep warm. His paw had been frozen through, and his fur was littered with ice crystals.
“Sorry!” She called out, staggering up on wobbly legs and hobbling over to him. Ragna was apprehensive, trying to keep his distance, “It’s alright, I’m sorry. I did not expect that to happen, here- come on- let me heal you.”
She summoned a glob of water to envelop Ragna. A dim glow later and Ragna’s frostbitten paw had healed.
Kaara collapsed in the snow. The ice was so warm. She could hear Ragna whining above her, his breath was burning her skin. Even just being near him was like being around a campfire. “Hey, Ragna… Don’t… Worry… Hey, it… hurts… you’re burning me…Stop.” She tried to lift herself up, but the snow was pulling her back down. The roots of the Ingen tree were poking above the snow’s surface.
That was strange, they only did that when they sensed a corpse. A figure dropped down in front of her. She was turned to her back, her vision blurred. The figure’s face was obscured, but they felt so warm. A bottle touched her lips. Seething hot liquid poured down her throat. She tried to choke it up. It sat in her stomach like boiling water.
Kaara cried out, but she could not move. She could not even how loudly she was shouting. She could only feel her throat getting sore.
The figure wrapped her in its embrace. It should have burned her too, but that warmth consoled her. Her consciousness slipped, and that warmth left her.