"Relax. Let the medicine flow through your body."
Hild's voice carried through the dimly lit bathing room, calm but firm. Werf, Jil, and Fenr sat in the large wooden tub, the water tinted a faint red from the dire wolf's heart. Strange, fragrant fruits floated around them, their potent essence dissolving into the liquid.
Werf and Jil obeyed, leaning back against the sides of the tub as they took slow, steady breaths. The warmth of the bath, combined with the slight tingling in their skin, made them uneasy at first, but soon, their bodies started to loosen.
Hild studied them, her arms crossed. "Now submerge your heads. Keep your eyes open."
Jil opened one eye and frowned. "What? That sounds—"
"Do it."
Neither of them argued further. They knew better. Taking a deep breath, Werf and Jil glanced at each other before slipping beneath the surface.
The water was murky, thick with floating bits of fruit and the remnants of the dire wolf's heart. Werf felt the warmth wrapping around his skin, soaking into his muscles, making them tingle. It was strange, like tiny sparks dancing along his arms and legs.
His fingers twitched involuntarily. Then his toes. A warmth built up in his chest, unfamiliar and oddly comforting at first—until it wasn't. The tingling intensified, crawling up his spine like hundreds of invisible threads wrapping around his bones. His body tensed, his small hands grasping at the water as though trying to hold onto something solid.
He wanted to say something, to call out to Jil, but his mouth was underwater. All he could do was squeeze his eyes shut. But then he remembered—
Hild's voice echoed in his mind. Keep your eyes open.
It was easier said than done. He hesitated for several long moments before forcing his lids apart.
A sharp sting immediately pricked at his eyes, spreading like fire through his skull. He wanted to shut them again, to block out the pain, but something stopped him. The water around him didn't look normal anymore.
It swirled, thick and heavy, as though it were alive. Strange shapes twisted and turned, colors shifting unpredictably. He didn't have the words to describe it. He didn't know how to make sense of what he was seeing.
His lungs screamed for air, but he held out for as long as he could. He needed to understand what was happening. He needed to see—
Something brushed against his arm.
His heart leaped in his chest. A shadow passed through the water, flickering just at the edge of his vision. Was it Jil? Was it Fenr? Or was it something else?
A sudden jolt of fear overtook him, and instinct finally won. He pushed off the bottom of the tub, gasping as he burst through the surface. Water streamed down his face, his chest heaving as he sucked in deep, ragged breaths.
Jil surfaced a moment later, coughing and sputtering. Fenr clung desperately to her, the small wolf's fur plastered against his tiny frame. He let out a weak whimper, shivering.
Hild stood over them, watching with an unreadable expression. "Longer than I expected," she mused, her tone somewhere between approval and curiosity. "Not bad."
Werf blinked, still disoriented. His body felt different. Lighter, yet heavier. The tingling had faded, but something remained—a subtle warmth deep within him, like an ember waiting to be fanned into a flame.
Jil wiped her eyes furiously, sniffling. "That was awful!" she whined. "My eyes feel like they've been stung by a thousand bees!"
Hild chuckled. "That means it's working."
Jil shot her a glare but was too exhausted to argue.
Werf glanced at his hands. He opened and closed his fingers, flexing them experimentally. They still trembled slightly. He didn't have the words to describe what had just happened, but he knew one thing for certain—
He had changed.
Hild tossed them towels. "Get out and dry off. Your bodies need time to absorb what they've taken in."
Jil grumbled but obeyed, wrapping herself in a towel before picking up a still-shivering Fenr. Werf followed, stepping out of the tub and glancing back—
The water had turned black.
Jil noticed it at the same time, her eyes widening. "What happened to the water?"
Werf stared at the once-clear bath, now murky and thick like ink had been spilled into it. A strange, unpleasant odor rose from it, different from the herbal scent from before.
Hild smirked. "That's the filth inside your bodies."
Jil recoiled. "Inside us?"
"The medicine bath forced it out," Hild explained, gesturing at the dark water. "The impurities clogging your bones, your muscles, your very blood. The stronger you become, the more you'll purge. This is only the beginning."
Werf swallowed hard, looking back at his own hands. So much filth had come from him?
Jil wrinkled her nose. "That's disgusting."
Hild chuckled. "Strength isn't always pretty."
She studied them both, then smirked. "This was the easy part. The real training begins tomorrow."
Werf's fingers tightened around the towel. He didn't know what Hild had planned, but for the first time in his life, he felt something stir deep within him.
Excitement.
Determination.
This was only the beginning.