Chapter Twenty-Two: The Foundation
"You are wise to bring her to me. I will put some sense into her."
Two old women, with a young girl between them, simultaneously responded, "We hope so." One of the ancient women continued talking. "She means everything to our people. It is vital that she realize her full potential. Are you sure you can do this Astralose?"
The middle-aged man chuckled to himself. "If I can't, then no one can. But I must say, I never would have thought that I had a daughter. And one with such tremendous potential. You can come in now Nylania. We will begin your training immediately. I'll take good care of her," he continued as he turned back towards the old women. His daughter walked through the trees towards a decrepit structure that stood fifty feet away. "You needn't worry about her. When she has realized her abilities, I will send her back to you two. You can then do with her what you will. But for now, she is mine."
"Yes," they replied. "Well, good day Astralose. And good luck. We'll be watching you from our homeland. Come Kotake. We must hurry." The two petite witches turned, grabbed their grimy broomsticks, and flew off into the sky. Meanwhile, Astralose turned and followed his daughter.
"What is this building?" she asked when her father stood alongside of her.
"It is the Lost Temple. It has stood here since well before my time and will continue to stand here well after. I've been living here ever since I left Hyrule not long after you were conceived. I was on my way to Holodrum when I came across this place. I spent one night here and I haven't been able to leave for any significant length of time since. Now come along. Standing on the threshold of my home isn't going to do you any good. We have much to do. Go on." He pushed the young girl forward into the temple and then followed her in.
They descended countless steps before entering a huge chamber with a river of magma flowing through it. They crossed the stream by using a nearby stone bridge, went across the rest of the room, and entered a small side chamber. "Sit down," said the magician, offering a nearby wooden chair. The girl followed the order without hesitation. "Now, let's see some of your magic." Nylania did nothing in response. "Come on. Don't be shy. I can sense my abilities flowing through your veins. You have power Nylania. Never be afraid to use it."
She still did not reply. "Why won't you use your abilities? Honestly. You can trust me. I'm not going to hurt you," he said with a warm and welcoming smile. "I want to know why you refuse to use magic. I'm sure that you must have a good reason."
She gulped twice before finally speaking. "My mothers want me to do terrible things with my magic. They want me to kill innocent people. I don't want to though. I refuse to. I just can't!"
"Foolish child. What is it about children? They can never see the full picture. Don't you realize what you can do if you hone your magic? You can become more powerful than those wicked witches. They won't be able to make you do anything. You can use your magic for whatever you want, even good. Neither of them is your real mother anyway, so you don't have to do what they say. So do you see now? Don't deprive yourself of the endless possibilities that lie before you just because you're scared of your mothers."
Ideas began to fill the young girl's head. These ideas mainly involved trekking across the world, using her abilities to help everyone in need that she came across. It sounded fabulous to the youthful Nylania. "Okay Father. I want to learn."
"Haha! Thank the Gods! I will teach you everything I know. Let me tell you Nylania. You will be the greatest witch this world has ever seen. We will begin your training tomorrow at dawn. For now, you will sleep. There are blankets in the corner. Use them as you see fit. Goodnight my daughter." He kissed her on the forehead and left her alone in the room with nothing but visions of the future and all of the greatnesses she could achieve.
