Chapter 15: She Who Masks Her Tears

"I—OW!" Link yelped as Sela's claws nearly lacerated his scalp.

"What did you pick up, and where?" asked Lora.

"It's a squirrel...I found her in the base."

"Oh. Alright, then."

Lora casually left. Link shifted on the couch and felt a sharp prick; a nail was sticking up from the old thing.

"Owch!" he hissed, hopping up and rubbing his behind. He looked up and found one of Lora's eyes peering at him through the cracked door. He forced a smile, saying, "I'm fine!"

Lora slid out of sight again. Link waited five seconds then flew over to the door and opened it a little. Sela stuck her head out to look, too. The Executioner was nowhere to be seen.

"…uh oh," Link muttered.

"She's gone." Sela whispered. Her eyes were almost the size of oranges. "She just teleported."

"Right...she's in a hurry."

"Yes. Er, she...didn't seem to care about me, right? She didn't care?"

"I...don't think so?"

Link shut the door then turned to look over his living room. He squinted and tilted his head, finally noticing the dark corridor underneath the stairwell. Sela hopped to the floor with a little thump.

"Oh, my goodness, I saw the light for a moment there," she said, shaking herself off. "Sorry if I almost scalped you, Link. I panicked."

"It's okay," he said kindly. He had to duck a little under the stairwell to enter the hall and then found another door.

"Okay, a bathroom," Sela said, when they looked in. "Good lord, I barely even saw down this way."

"What's that?"

"I think there's another—what's what?"

"I saw a face."

"What?!"

"Two faces."

"Where? In here?" Sela asked, backing up.

"Oh, it's just a mirror," Link said nonchalantly. She didn't like his tone and looked up in suspicion, but his expression was even.

"…uh huh. Oh, I see it now," Sela said wearily, spotting her own eyes glimmering back at her. "There's two, then, the one above the sink and the one that stands up. I'm going to come in here one time or another and scare myself, I know I am…"

At the end of the little hall was another door that led outside to a fenced in area. The yard was overrun with dead grass and there was a large patch of blackened ground in the middle. Tetra's Bullshot had a yard just like his and both were divided with only a single length of old, dirty rope.

"I'm not sure what this blight is," Sela said cautiously, sniffing at where the grass turned black. "It's not over there in her yard..."

Link squatted next to her. "It's fine. Someone just made a fire. Look..." he said, pointing around the perimeter of burnt grass. "There's the ring of stones they used to contain it."

"Ah, okay. Whew. Oh—! Speaking of fire, thank you—"

Sela spirited back into the Bullshot. Link found her in the living room, nosing at the oil lamp on the desk.

"I wanted to check before I forgot…this doesn't have any oil in it. That old Keese Edna couldn't have been bothered with anything else than her foul odor, could she?" Sela asked snappishly, making him snicker. "God, let's hope we can find some oil around here, Link…the Bullshots don't have Eye Lights and we do not want to be in complete darkness at night."

Link took to the stairs, remembering that he had a closet upstairs. He opened it and flinched back as a shadow loomed over him.

Several moments later Sela appeared at the door, ears erect. The bedroom was quiet. There was a pile of extra blankets on the floor that hadn't been there before.

"L…Link?"

He popped up from the blanket pile with a roar, spooking her a foot off the ground. "Oh, you!" she yelled with a smile. "I should've known!"

"Heh heh…I think this might be what we need…" Link pulled several blankets away, revealing a jug filled with dark liquid.

Sela carefully helped him down one stair at a time since it was pretty heavy. As soon as she reached the bottom of the stairs she sneezed.

"Bless you."

"Thank you. Ugh! Goodness—there we are, you're good. We need to get some of this filth cleared…but I will say, it's nice being so far from the street. It's much quieter."

Link removed the lantern from the table. "Did you want to stay here with us, Sela?" he asked as he began filling it with oil.

Sela didn't answer, taking a moment to scratch behind her ears with a hind leg. He thought she may've been trying to keep a casual air, though.

"I've thought about it," she said. "I mean, I'm generally a nomad anyway. I've been in Pisces' base for about a year or so. It could be time for me to make another move."

"Really?"

She looked a little embarrassed and began to groom her ears. "Oh, you don't have to be that excited about it, Link."

She fawned when he suddenly pounced at her, knocking the oil jug over. He flung his arms out and pulled her up into a tight hug.

"Oh! Oh, Link, my old bones…child, you didn't spill anything, did you—oh no, it's empty. It's empty."

Link set her back on the ground, saying, "You don't look or sound old."

"I'll take that as a compliment. But I age much slower than you humans. And you're what…nine, ten, maybe eleven?"

"Thirty-five. I just look younger."

"I'm beginning to see that you like to meddle," Sela said, amused. "Your head is still too big for anything over twelve, I'd say."

"Okay…I just turned ten."

"Just out of the single digits! You're just a pup."

"How old are you, Sela?"

She looked surprised. "I…don't remember."

Grinning, Link crossed his arms.

"Fine, I just lied. It's a very delicate question," Sela said.

"I told you my age."

"Yes, well, that was after I guessed and you confirmed!"

He partially lowered his eyelids, smiling at her. Sela began pacing restlessly in a circle, clearly not keen on answering. She lowered her head and began to mutter.

"Oh, alright, Link…I'm…four hundred and forty four, in you human years."

Then Sela was struck with terror, freezing mid-step, slowly looking over at him with wide eyes. "Ah, I-I mean…"

Link knew what he'd heard, though, not that he knew what to think of it. He didn't have to look at her closely to realize that, even for a rodent that inexplicably old, she showed no signs of aging or gray fur. The little halo of fur on her head was pure white.

Sela was very flustered now, shifting her paws up and down as she fidgeted. "Link, you're staring again," she hissed.

He sat down in front of her. "I'm sorry. What's wrong?"

"I didn't—I mean I never meant to…say that. But you already heard it, so…what-what do you think?"

"I don't know. Are you a magical squirrel?"

After all, he had already met a talking fox who could use magic. Link suddenly thought of Lionel, the royal beast.

I wonder if Lionel can do magic, too. Like Lora. I don't think I'd be too surprised. But even still…there's something about him that's different. Even from Kita.

"…a technicality, so there's no harm in admitting it."

Link came back to earth, blinking down at her. "Sorry, could you repeat that?"

Sela flattened herself to the ground, agitated. "Dear, please stay with me. This isn't easy for me to talk about, so, and, yes. Yes to your question. Technically I am a magical…thing."

"Thing?"

"Yes, a thing."

"You're a squirrel, not a thing."

"…if you say so." Sela groaned, pressing her forehead to the floor. "Oh my Ziraj, I can just feel you aren't going to stop wondering."

"I don't have to. I can stop if you want."

"You're serious?"

"Yes."

She kept her head on the floor, eyes shut tight.

"Oh, but…I guess…I sort of owe you one," she said with a nervous laugh. "I already know a secret of yours that would lead you to certain death if anyone unsavory were to discover it…I guess you can learn about a similar secret of mine."

"Wh—huh?"

"Dear…remember you're an Outsider?"

"Ohh, are you too, Sela?"

She raised her head. The corners of her eyes were glistening.

"Wouldn't I prefer that, over what I have to tell you?" she said quietly, then sighed deeply. "I'm something much worse. Remember…I'll never tell your secret, or Tetra's. It has to be the same way around…you cannot tell anyone, e-especially not…HER."

"Tetra?"

"Child, use your sense! I'm talking about the Executioner!"

"Oh! Ohhhh," Link realized suddenly. "Is that why you're so afraid of her?"

"Yes. This is all crazy. Why should I stay here, and risk being around her, if-if…Link, just promise me. You mustn't tell anyone. You or Tetra, when or if she ever finds out. Do you promise?"

"I promise."

Sela sat up on her hind legs. Her eyes flashed a deep and potent red, the color of blood itself, and remained that way.

"Fine, then," Sela said coolly. "I'm not really a squirrel. I only take the form of one because it's comfortable and unassuming. I am really what you would call a…Draxie. We're a species that can shapeshift into creatures or objects at will…"

"Wow…!"

"But…we can only take the form of things that have similar physicalities to our natural state. I couldn't, for example, turn into a giant hulking bear no matter how many tears of will I shed."

"Does this mean you really look like a rat?" Link slapped a hand to his mouth, realizing it came out wrong.

Sela snorted. "Well, in general, I'd say we don't really look like any animal in particular…our shapes, sizes and colors are many. I do vaguely resemble a rodent when I'm untransformed."

Sela stood up on her hind legs, showing humanlike mobility as she spun in a pirouette-like motion, twirling faster and faster until her body blurred. Her form turned from a dusty red color to a dark, almost black shade of viridian, and her body began to stretch and lengthen.

Link felt as though he had chanced to blink once—and now found that instead of a squirrel, he had a hooded snake with red eyes coiled up in front of him.

"See?" the snake said. "I'm a very lean Draxie with a long tail. That can translate into different things. Over time, Draxies get a better sense of what forms they can and can't harmonize with. I have about seven or eight favorite things I like to turn into, heh, but this isn't one of them."

Link's mouth hung open and he still hadn't completely processed what he'd just seen. The snake had very pronounced fangs and he was a little cautious.

"It's still me. You can hear my voice," Sela said kindly.

Link gently touched her on the head, feeling the texture of her scales, the slight resistance as she kept her body upright. He jumped when her hood flared open.

"Sorry! I couldn't help it," Sela laughed. "Oh ho, of course turning into an animal means I'd have to get the hang of emulating its natural behaviors."

She closed her hood. "It can be a bit difficult sometimes, since my own natural instincts and senses remain the same no matter what I look like. It's common study for us to learn what it's like being an animal. I don't like being a snake for too long because I don't like them, but it is useful for putting a fright in people."

She spun, spun, again and in a whirl of colors, red and gold replaced dark green. Link leaned forward, baffled, as a woolen scarf flopped over in place of the snake.

Then a pair of eyes popped up on the fabric suddenly and he yelped, pulling back.

"It's me! It's still me, dear." Sela said. She had no mouth and her voice simply floated through the air by some wondrous quirk. "I once saw this scarf being worn by the local innkeeper, and I liked the design so much I had to try it! But I soon realized…I…can't really look at myself like this, right?"

She laughed heartily and so did Link. "It does look nice," he said. She showed she could turn into a silvery satin drape, a slender gray cat, a cucumber, and even a yard of steel chain. Finally she reverted back to her squirrel form, shaking her head dizzily.

"Okay, I know much more, but that's enough for now. It's been a while since I've changed that much in a short period of time…then again maybe—what?" Sela asked, since Link was still watching her intently. "…oh, if you're wondering what I really look like, then that I can't show you. That can be for another time."

"Is it because you're tired?"

"Turning back to normal doesn't need effort. I'm just not keen on it. I already told you that being a Draxie is a deadly secret and there's a reason for that, it being the Emperor. He's not here, but…"

"Okay," Link reassured her. "If you don't want to show me, I won't ask again. But what did the Emperor do to you?"

"To me, personally? Nothing. As for the entire Draxie race collectively—well, I suppose murdering most of the population, then forcefully herding the survivors to a desolate location does count as him doing something to me."

"What?!"

"Yes. It's because he fears our natural abilities to mislead, confuse, and baffle. Because we can discern truth from any lie, no matter how well-disguised it may be," Sela said bitterly. "I know nothing about how he came to be, but he's ruling solely on deceit and self-preservation. Every facet of his control comes from how well he can continue to misguide and lie.

"This is why Draxies are no longer permitted to roam the realm, as we pose a serious threat to his ultimate control. If we are discovered outside of our designated territory, it's automatic execution, and that's… after a tortuous interrogation."

Sela's expression broke slightly, but she did not sob or cry. She just seemed to hold her breath for a few moments.

"Even now, I just…don't get why he felt he had to do that. Can you dare imagine anyone else with a blacker conscience?" she whispered. "We were already very secluded, very docile, and not many of us left our true homeland—which now, I don't even want to know the state of it now. I don't think a single Draxie would have dared to try to…reveal things the Emperor may have wanted to keep secret. We didn't care about that sort of thing. We were, truly…content with staying in our birthing grounds. Then one day he decided to take advantage of that.

"In a nasty way, I understand his thought process. Fear is a strong driving force and creates problems that don't even exist. With his power, and fear, I suppose he thought he should never have to worry about even one of us daring to challenge his agenda. The message he gave us was enough and he knows it. Now we're cowards…just like him."

"But...Sela, you left. I think that makes you brave."

Her eyes twitched angrily, but then she flared her nose and let out another sigh.

"No," she said calmly. "No, no, no. You just don't understand. That was not the reason I left, because I found some inner strength or rebellion in me…"

"But, why—"

"Don't ask. It's not an appropriate talk for now. But fine, I do admit…I felt better after leaving so long ago. I took a chance, several of them, and things seemed to work out for me generously. Of course…despite the risk. Now, my survival falls solely on my ability to keep myself inconspicuous. The exact same goes for you and Tetra, but I'm older and have a lot of knowledge and experience. T'huh!"

Sela laughed mockingly at herself. "Trust me, that doesn't mean I have confidence. You see how I'm shaking now, right?"

"You seem lonely," Link said suddenly.

"Your bluntness is a national treasure, Link."

"But are you?" he asked, moving to lie on his front to look her in the eye. "If you left the other Draxies behind and can't reveal what you are, then you really haven't had anyone with you this entire time."

"That's right," Sela said humorously. "Pretending to be small-brained rodent does get me free food, as you can attest to."

She laughed, but he didn't crack a smile. Sela pulled her tail around.

"Ah, don't go feeling any sort of pity…I made my decision, so that's that," she said. "Life hinges solely on the choices we make. I certainly don't regret my choice to break free from oppression."

She paused, stared off into space for a moment, then caught herself and went back to grooming her tail. Link was no longer fooled by her casualness.

"Please stay with us," he said.

"For how long?"

"As long as you want."

"Hm. I'm not sure. I'm a bit nervous about that red-haired devil. She's been trained specifically by the Empirical Order to spot my kind."

"I'll protect you from her."

"No, now, no," Sela said, standing up and looking him in the eye. "I'd rather die before I let you get into mess with her because of me."

"I don't want you to stay alone, Sela. Didn't you hear when she said she didn't work for the Emperor and hated him?"

"Mm…when I heard her say that, it did not sound like she was just trying to put you at ease," Sela admitted with a wince. "But if she finds out you're willingly carrying a Draxie around, she'll tan your backside and you'll never sit right again. At the least. You must think a little harder, child…we're both fugitives in this world. Imagine if Lora finds out you're stacking another wanted head on top of your own."

The both of them froze, then simultaneously scanned left and right.

"Then…let's work together," Link said, quiet but adamant. "We've already fooled her once…I think."

"I think too, yes."

"But, you can stay as a squirrel…or a scarf! I could carry you around and no one could know."

Sela looked up at him with a wan smile.

"Um, if you want to," Link said bashfully. "I don't want to make you uncomfortable."

She sighed and looked at the ground, upset. "I'm positive it can work, Link. If I didn't think it could, the conversation would have stopped before now. But I'm too weak. I really don't want to be alone anymore. Th—I…appreciate you trying to make me feel welcome. Thank you. It's a deal, but if there's ever a moment where I'm caught…I won't allow you to take the fall for it."

He shook his head slowly, smiling a bit. Sela scowled.

"You're stubborn, aren't you?" she asked.

Link held a hand out for her to climb on. "My grandmother says so. I don't agree with her, though."

"Oh, but if she thinks it, it must be true!"

Although Sela's eyes were wet and brimming, her tears didn't spill over. Her little chest was heaving sharply with each breath.

"It's okay, Sela," Link said lovingly. "You won't ever have to feel lonely again."

He leaned over, gently kissed the top of her little head, and then set her back on the ground. Sela's eyes flashed red and he thought she was going to transform again, but she didn't. She sat upright, looking around.

"...right. So, well," she began awkwardly. "If this is our new home for now…we should look to tidying it up. I'll let the window up so it can air out a bit."

She trotted two paces, and then suddenly lifted into the air. Link watched, awestruck as she hovered across the room and lightly touched down on the windowsill.

He smiled to himself as he got up. Clearly she was growing more comfortable around him, and he was quite thankful for that.