Chapter 4

“So, what’s it like being a priestess? Did you want to be one, or was it forced upon you by your parents? Or did you do it on your own to make them happy? Is the temple cold? Do you have comfortable furniture? How does the plumbing work, way out--” Helen cuts Francine off before she can continue by raising her hand. “What is--”

“Be quiet.” Helen forces Francine to be silent this time by pulling the air from her lungs. “The river is near. Come.” Francine follows the overgrown path to the river, making faces behind her back the whole time. She refused to acknowledge how unsettling it was to have magic cast upon her, but she figured it was normal for those above her station so she tries to ignore the discomfort.

When they finally reach the water, Helen busies herself with forming the water into a sphere. This allows her to bring it all back at once with a fair amount of ease. It was an old trick taught to her in the temple. She lightly shakes such thoughts out of her head; her home was far away; she wasn't even sure if she would see it again. There was no use in reminiscing.

Francine forces herself to be silent, focusing her energy into playing with the grass surrounding her instead. She lets her thoughts wander to the shapes of clouds. For a brief moment, she is convinced she sees a doe -- the most common shape the goddess Iona is said to take -- and she smiles to herself.

Just as the sphere stabilizes the wave of energy reaches the duo. Helen’s water crashes to the dirt, creating a large, swirling pool of mud. The girl collapses with her magic, Francine barely managing to stay conscious. For the first time in her life, Francine is glad she has no magic flowing through veins. She calls out towards Helen, but gets no response. It was a good thing the girl was light.