Adventures in Interning: Becoming the Sentinel pt1

Two things happened in rapid succession that Kaytlyn proved unprepared for. First, she and her boyfriend, Vondell, had to break up. His parents had somehow found out about them and sent their son away. Vondell was sent to the Spring Druids to continue his magical education. Since their Vale was on the far side of the planet, the skunk boy would rarely see Kaytlyn again. Vondell tried to give up his druidic training altogether to be with the fennec, but she told him to go. Kaytlyn didn’t want to hold him back from achieving his potential, so she yelled at him to leave. Everyone told her it was an adult thing to do, but the fox girl was still devastated. She barely left her room for a week until the second incident happened.

 

    A plague of undeath swept across part of the planet. A team of druids from the four seasonal circles had dealt with the threat, but a full council meeting convened at the Altar of the Earth Mother. Usually, acolytes weren’t allowed to attend this kind of meeting, but Kaytlyn was apprenticed to the purple-eyed lioness Archdruid Violet so she could come along as a learning experience. Four stone buildings stood in cardinal directions around the perimeter pool fed by the planet’s pure essence. Chairs had been placed around it for the leaders of the four seasons, with benches set a little ways back for their chosen retainers. Kaytlyn was on strict orders to behave and not cause any trouble. That didn’t stop her from checking out the other circles. Unfortunately, Vondell wasn’t with the Spring delegates, but there was a low chance he would be.

 

    “Hey little bro, hows it hanging,” a sea otter with blue stripe fur tattoos asked when he caught Kaytlyn spying on the summer druids. He wore an unbuttoned blue aloha shirt with a colorful floral pattern and purple board shorts. “Name is Bodhi. I’m a surfing lifeguard.”

 

    “My name is Kaytlyn, not bro,” the fennec scoffs, confused by the otter’s strange clothes. She had heard other circles had different dress codes, but none of the summer druids seemed dressed appropriately. They all wore shirts like Bodhi, swim trunks, or bikinis. “I’m a Grove Warden in training.”

 

    “That’s pretty radical, dudette,” Bodhi smiles, offering a fist bump. When the fox reciprocated the gesture, the otter pulled it back with exploding attention. “Acolytes are the future and your Grove Wardens are pretty cool. Protecting bros and what not.”

 

    “I guess,” Kaytlyn sighed, looking down. “I wanted to be stronger and Grove Wardens are the strongest Harvest Druids. Most people dismiss me because I’m small.”

 

    “You got it a little twisted, bro. All the strength in the world means nothing if you don’t have the courage to act on it when someone needs you,” the sea otter turned slightly to reveal the large shark bite on his tail. “I’m not the strongest dude, but when one of my girlfriends was attacked I didn’t hesitate. Don’t focus on being stronger. Focus on being ready to help those that need you.”

 

    Bodhi’s words followed Kaytlyn as she also tried to check out the other seasonal circles. Winter druids mostly dressed in grey and white armor like they were going to war. There were two that seemed creepier than the others. One always seemed to be sharpening a different instrument of some sort. The other attended to a cauldron wearing pure white clothes and animal bones. Their leader was a fennec with an eye patch and a missing ear on her left side. That was General Aesira, and despite being slightly under five foot, she commanded the respect and fear of everyone around her in her pure white armor.

 

    Spring welcomed Kaytlyn amongst them with open arms. They all wore multicolored clothes and flowers in their hair and fur. None of them seemed interested in being assertive or commanding respect. The spring druids only cared about tending to their animals and making sure everyone at the gathering had enough to eat. Guru Bookes assured Kaytlyn that Vondell was doing well with his new trainer and making friends. This news made the fox feel saddened again and happy for him.

 

    After a couple of days, the conclave assembled to official order. There was much arguing amongst the Druid leaders, mainly spurred on by General Aesira. With the recent undead plague, the balance needed restoring, and she was willing to do it by any means necessary. Archdruid Violet quickly shot down every one of her radical ideas, creating a rift between Fall and Winter. Big Kahuna Keone, a black and white husky with floral patterns dyed into his fur, and Guru Bookes interjected where they could but were wise enough to stay silent when needed.

 

    “We need to create a new Druid Sentinel to bring balance back to the planet and purge all necromancers its surface,” Aesira shouted with a snarl. “It is the only way to make sure something like this never happens again!”

 

    “This is not a time for spilt blood,” Violet snapped back at the fennec. “We can’t just kill innocent people that happen to use a type of magic you don’t like.”

 

    “You Harvest Druids have always been too soft to do what was necessary,” Aesira drew her snow knife weapon and brandished it at the lioness. “Perhaps you’d like to settle this with a duel instead of wasting words.”

 

    “Do not tempt me,” Violet hissed through her teeth as she summoned her bladed staff. “This is long overdue, you murdering bi-”

 

    “Hey! This is not a place of battle,” Keone cut in, shoving his fishhook club between them.

 

    “The creation of a Druid Sentinel to bring back balance is a good idea, but not to purge, to help,” Bookes calmly suggested as he finished making a flower crown. “If we can peacefully agree to allow the chosen person to fulfill their duties properly without outside influence then we can vote.”

 

    “I can agree to that,” Violet snorted, shooting Aesira a dirty look.

 

    “If that is the will of nature then I can as well,” the fox made an obscene gesture at the lioness with her answer.

 

    The selection process for a Druid Sentinel candidate began in earnest. Each Seasonal Circle’s best members attempted to perform the selection ritual. The hopefuls read the sacred words on the tablets of the altar, along with an offering of magic and blood.

 

    “Nope,” Archdruid Violet declared as she stopped Kaytlyn from trying to perform the ritual. “You are expressly forbidden from trying.”

 

    “But there’s no age requirement, and you always say how strong I am,” the fennec girl protested, disappointed.

 

    “Trust I know something you don’t,” the archdruid sighed as another Harvest druid failed the selection. “Go home for now. This process could take a while.” Kaytlyn started to protest, but the look from her teacher cut her off. Downcast, the sandy-furred fox girl trudged back to the portal and walked through.

 

    Back in Drakethorpe, Kaytlyn took the long way home through the park. She didn’t want to go home and sulk. As one of the few druids left in town, the fennec figured she would ensure the park was healthy. There was no need to fret as everything was well looked after. Kaytlyn was mostly telling herself that she was being helpful. Suddenly, a larger blue rabbit girl in a black silken dress jumped out from behind a tree.

 

    “Johana, I don’t care about whatever nonsense you’re on about today,” Kaytlyn grumbled as she kept walking unphased. The rabbit witch had been bullying the fox for a while and setting her up to get falsely punished with extra chores. “Save whatever it is for some other day.”

 

    “I heard about Vondell,” Johana called after Kaytlyn. “I didn’t have anything to do with that.”

 

    “I never never thought you did,” the fennec said with a big breath. “It was far too cruel for even you. Besides, I know you’re an ally. Don’t suppose you’d hex his parents for me.”

 

    “There is one that I’ve been meaning to try out but I do have to charge you,” the rabbit girl smiles. “I want your first kiss.”

 

    That request froze Kaytlyn in her tracks. She had thought that her first kiss was going to be Vondell. Unfortunately, they didn’t get the chance to make that happen. It wasn’t like Kaytlyn hadn’t thought she might like girls as well, but this wasn’t exactly going to be like easing into the water. It would be a small price to pay for revenge, and with everything else going on, the fox girl wasn’t exactly in her right mind. Kaytlyn hesitantly kissed Johana on the lips for a brief second. When she pulled back, the two looked at each other for a moment before having a second, longer kiss.

 

    “Don’t you fucking tell anyone,” Kaytlyn cried as she ran away. She didn’t understand it, but now she had new awakening feelings for Johana. Feelings similar to the ones that she had for Vondell.

 

    A week passed, and then a month without a candidate passing the selection ritual. With no Sentinel selected yet, General Aesira funneled all her winter druids through the process. She didn’t care if they were good candidates but was playing the numbers, hoping one of hers would get chosen. Kaytlyn wanted to see Vondell, and becoming Sentinel would allow her to do so. Even if she didn’t get picked, Archdruid Violet might kick her out of the Circle for defying her, and then she could switch over to spring.

 

    Kaytlyn waited until late at night when no one else attempted the ritual. Using her penguin talisman, Franz, while the fennec snuck past the guards. While the flightless bird warped the perception of time for the guards, Kaytlyn performed the selection ritual. A drop of blood, a piece of magic, and a bit of fur make a small trinket tossed into the pool of world essence while the fennec read the sacred words from the tablets. Energy from the pool rose in a cascade and enwrapped the sandy-furred fox girl.

 

    “I was wondering when you’d try,” a soft, motherly whispered in Kaytlyn’s ears. “From now on, you will bear my mark, for you are my Sentinel.”