Neighboring Lands

It's All Fun And Games, Til the Wisp Arrive

The wind is harsh, pelting my body with snow falling from the right, my breath forming powder as it falls to the snow below me. The snow itself has started to reach my knees, soaking into my pants and leaking down into my boots. My body feels numb, an occasional sting traveling up my nerve endings with the occasional step. My mind races for ways to find my way back to the castle, if only to be sure I do not die and leave the blame on Damian for my escape. My eyes burn, squinted to near slits as I try to combat the bellow freezing winds. Eyelashes have frozen to one another preventing me from opening my eyes fully if I wanted to. My arms are wrapped around myself, hands smothered under my armpits to prevent losing a finger due to the cold; I'm hunched over towards my core to try and keep my body temperature from dropping too low. A fallen tree near me is my saving grace as I practically swim in the snow to get to it. Ripping a thick, dead branch free I drag the end of my cloak up, tearing a heavy amount free and wrapping it around the stick. A simple and easy spell, one even I at my current level could perform, creates a long-lasting, extremely hot flame on the fabric; immediately the heat burns through the cold, causing my skin to feel as if it is melting as my brain is sent into shock at the sudden temperature change.

Clearing a spot on the fallen tree, I sit down and rip my boots off after kicking as much snow away as possible. Once freed from the snowy, frozen confides of the boots I let out a hiss in pain. My long wool socks are frozen to my skin, the heat of the fire causing them to steam and melt rapidly until the water nearly burns me. I rip the socks off as well, setting those aside as I look down at my feet, my toes tinged with the beginnings of frostbite, the rest of my feet seemed to be on track to become the same. As my body rapidly warms, the numb feeling subsides and gives way to violent shutters, my teeth clattering so hard I fear they might shatter like an icicle dropping from a roof. The ice on my lashes has long since melted, one of the first things to have melted with the lighting of the fire, my eyes frantically blinking to regain moisture. As I rest, trying to warm up, I hear them. Child-like giggles, humming and singing dancing through the air. No words are sung, just sounds to a tune only they know; yet it is hauntingly beautiful as it calls to me, begging for me to fall the pleading calls. Wisps, dangerous spirits of children lost in the forest, calling to lost travelers to lead them astray and suffer the same fate as them. A soft seafoam grin glow appears on the trees surrounding me, trapping me in a rapidly shrinking circle, their small spectral forms soon coming into view, twisting and turning like a raging fire promising warmth, no discernable features could be made out on where I assume their head must be. As they come closer I get a better view of them, their size being no bigger than a fairy in Hyrule, their bell-like laughter reverberating through my head and sending electricity through my veins, setting me on high alter; yet my body feels weak as if it does not wish to fight. I feel at ease, yet anxiety and fear are fighting just under the surface; with each passing moment, they come closer and closer, their whispers becoming clearer and clearer as they call for me to follow them. Breaking whatever trance I was in, I quickly move to put my socks and boots on, my prehistoric torch falling to the snow and going out, leaving me in the glow of the Wisp. The air feels warm, like a welcoming spring afternoon, the chill unable to break into their threatening barrier. Standing quickly I take a frantic step back, stepping over the fallen tree, to not trip and fall into the snow, as I stare down the Wisps before me. Cold, is all I feel against my back as a small, child-like hand, presses between my shoulders and pushes me harshly forward. I stumble, nearly falling over the fallen tree as it slams into my shins, pain shooting through my body as they giggle and snicker.

"Get back," I find myself hissing.

"Please," they all seem to say at once, a cacophony of children's voices floating through the air and into my ears. "Follow us. Let us take you to where you belong."

My eyes narrow, "I do not wish to die today, Wisp. Do not make me fight back against the lost souls of the innocent. I will if I must." Threats, something I have become accustomed to throughout my travels with the Chain...or will become accustomed to if what I dreamt was indeed real.

A Wisp rushes to me, causing me to jump back, and out of the bright glow of the spirits, the frozen night quickly takes hold of me once more; my body shuddering violently as I curl in on myself. "Do not be afraid. We may be spirits, but that does not mean we wish to harm." A singular voice speaks, belonging to a young boy belonging to the Wisp that rushed me; or so I believe.

Warmth enters my bones once more as the spirit stops in front of my face, my eyes going slightly crossed as I attempt to look at him. "I know the legends of what you wish to do. I am no ordinary traveler, and I will not fall for your trickery as so many others have."

They laugh, sounding much like a pack of hyenas surrounding their prey. "Spirits know more than the living. Have you forgotten in the years you have been gone?"

I freeze, eyes widening at his words, "how did you know?" My question comes out as soft as a breath.

"We know much," they all say at once, coming closer to me. "Come and see what we want to show you. Come and let us take you to where you belong."

I find myself losing fight, intrigued by the prospect of discovering what they might have to say; my mind brings up the image of Princess Zelda, quickly rushing away from Wild in the hopes of spying on a monster camp. My own curiosity had me following close behind her, and promising to keep this from Wild as he rested against a nearby tree, as I was supposed to be on watch and Princess protection. "Fine," I find myself saying softly. "I will follow, but should I feel you are leading me to my death, I will not hesitate to extinguish all of you." They snicker as they make no move to acknowledge my threat; dotting in and out of existence, forming a spaced-out path that requires me to run in the snow to stay within their warmth, and to keep up with them. My mussels burn and scream with strain the further and faster I push myself. The heat lasts less and less time as they speed up their dotting in an out of existence; as I reach one, they quickly disappear, another appearing ten feet ahead of me.

The snow is coming to a stop, and the Wisp shows no sign of stopping, as they stretch this game on, forcing me to push myself further than my untrained body ever has. As I come to a clearing near a cave, the Wisps do not reappear, anger overtaking me as I stand in the cold, looking around. Trudging my way to the cave I enter it, and immediately I am greeted by warmth as the seafoam green reappears around me. "Where the hell am I?" I growl.

"Home," they say in a sing-song tone.

"I knew this was a bad idea," I huff angrily. 'I should have never let that memory sway my decision. It only worked because Wild was there to help us when things got too dangerous.' Crossing my arms I sigh, "I suppose I am to freeze to death here in this cave and become one of you?"

Laughter fills the air before the same young boy's voice greets my ears, little chuckles breaking apart his words. "You are too old to become a Wisp, and we would never let a body rot in our home."

It's disturbing hearing a voice so innocent, saying those words; yet I push that feeling away as I place a hand on my hip. "Is that so? Then what is all of this?"

"Where you belong. This cave will take you there." He answers.

"And how do I know I can trust you? Any of you, really. I allowed myself to be swayed by a memory or a premonition, whatever it may have been. But I will not allow myself to die."

"Then you are already halfway there," they cryptically state.

My eyebrows scrunched together in confusion, "what?"

"The body will return home, while the soul returns to the body." Is my only answer before they disappear once more.

"The hell does that mean," I mumble to myself before collapsing onto the ground, allowing my aching body to rest. "At least it's warm in here...somehow..." Time seemed to be passing by slowly as if each second within the cave lasted eons, my mind has long since gone blank; my eyes shut as I drifted into a slumber. The worries of how to get back to Damian are now being cast aside for the me of the morning to handle.