In the days following her expedition into the Mermaid's Cave, Judith Vilcaron had found little time to rest, despite her superiors' insistence that she had more than done her part for the greater glory of Nayru. Between the extensive report she had made to the Archcanoness, the revelation of her latent prophetic gift, and the wounds she had sustained on her quest, the young acolyte had been exhausted, and eventually her Sisters had been forced to confine her to a bed until she healed. During that time, she listened eagerly for tidings regarding the restoration efforts, and she took heart in the fact that, as tragic as the massacre had been, the Cult and the Zoras were able to reaffirm their ancient alliance by working together toward a common purpose. Of course, that friendship had been best exemplified by Judith's own partnership with the Zora mage Triton, who had valiantly accompanied her as she cleansed the Mermaid's Cave, protecting her from the worst of the monsters that had infested it. And as if to prove that Nayru Herself had smiled upon their endeavour, Triton had discovered a Kinstone piece in the shape of a Blue Clover as they completed their final sweep of the temple. Believing this to be a portent of divine favour from her Goddess, Judith had cheerfully allowed him to keep it as part of his reward for assisting her. Once she had recovered, Judith had hurried home to Lon Lon, not wanting to bask in the congratulations of her Sisters when her community needed her. It was only a short time later that she had been visited by the Holiday Moblin, who gifted her with several Kinstone pieces, including a Blue Clover... an exact match to the piece Triton had found! Having already witnessed the power of Kinstone fusion firsthand, the Hylian priestess had wasted no time in contacting the Castle-Town congregation and asking them to send for her former companion. Now she was back in the capital, and the moment of truth was at hand. According to her Sisters, Triton had arrived before her, and was waiting in the main hall just ahead... What incredible effect would the two pieces have, she wondered excitedly. Kinstones were still a subject of much fascination within the Cult. They were undoubtedly magical in origin, yet whatever enchantments they held were well-hidden, undetectable to even the most senior priestesses. Judith's first fusion had resulted in the creation of not one, but two powerful artifacts... Taking a deep breath, she pushed open the door. "S-Sir Triton? Are you there?"
He didn't like the way this plush carpet felt under his flippers. In many ways, Hylians and Zoras were fundamentally different... but in some ways, they weren't. He had worked closely together with a sister of this cult not that long ago, to great effect. During the aftermath of their battle with Octogon, he had discovered a small blue shard of... something. A large coin, he suspected. Upon further research, he had learnt that it was one half of a Kinstone, a strange type of artifact that was poorly understood in the literature... Imagine his surprise when he learnt the very priestess he had explored the shrine with had held a piece they believed to be an exact match to his. Upon receiving the missive, he had wasted no time travelling over. He was as curious as she was, after all... He smiled and gave a little bow when Sister Judith showed up at the door. "I'm here, yes. Did you bring the shard?"
"Ah! G-Greetings, Sir Triton. Nayru's blessings be upon you..." Judith offered a brief curtsy in response to the Zora's bow before continuing. "I h-have it here, yes." She held out her piece of the Kinstone, so that he might ascertain its validity as the twin of his. She wished there were more time to exchange pleasantries, but given that she had called him all the way from the Zora's Domain and kept him waiting, it would be improper to delay the transaction any longer than necessary. Noticing that her acquaintance seemed somewhat uncomfortable standing around, Judith seated herself upon one of the lobby's many pews, gesturing for Triton to do likewise. "A-As you can see, it is an exact mirror of the piece you recovered in the Mermaid's Cave. I cannot say for sure what will happen when this one is combined... But I have witnessed the effects of other fusions firsthand, and they have been quite wondrous! W-Why, they even have the Archcanoness intrigued, with their ability to create rupees or magical items out of thin air..." She trailed off, glancing downward shyly, before looking back up at Triton, her expression cautiously hopeful. "Oh, listen to me... W-Would you like to fuse them?"
Triton sat down next to her, taking the Kinstone piece when she produced it and examining it closely. At a first glance, it did appear as though it would fit his own shard perfectly. However... there was only ever one way to be truly certain, wasn't there? He handed the shard back, nodding. "Yes, certainly." Reaching into his pack, he produced his own piece of the kinstone, holding it out between himself and the priestess so she could touch her shard to it. "Is there some sort of incantation involved on our part?"
"N-Not in my experience, no... To my knowledge, fusion has always consisted of merely combining the two pieces together." Judith replied as Triton retrieved his own Kinstone. Such a beautiful blue... How could it be anything other than a sign, she wondered as she extended her arm to press the two pieces against one another. "Let us begin, then..." (Judith and Triton fuse a Blue Clover piece!)
With a simple click, the two pieces became one whole, fusing in the blink of an eye! ...But ...nothing seemed to happen? No wonder? Perhaps not all kinstones were as wondrous as Judith saw. It was a neat little trick to see them fuse, at least. At least, that's how it appeared. The next time he slept, Triton would have dreams of swimming through warm oceans. As he swam on and on, the ocean became a sea, and a sea became a coast. He found himself fighting through seasweed, struggling to see what was ahead. As he pushed and cast his way through, he found himself suddenly not among aquatic flora, but instead standing in forest. As rain dripped from pines above, he pushed forward through the shrubbery... towards something, seeking it all this time, but unable to describe. He felt it was just ahead. As he reached out towards it, he awoke, abruptly, and in that moment seemed to forget whatever it was he found. The next time Triton gains a treasure belonging to the Forest field, he will find it a bit easier to obtain than normal. The treasure's cost is reduced by one cost level (Highest to Higher; Normal to Low; etc.). If the treasure has a set cost, its cost is reduced by 10 rupees. True to her own gifts of prophecy, Judith also had a foretelling dream. The woman found her hand clasping the completed Blue Clover kinstone, and from it she felt the familiar cooling and calming sensation she so associated with her goddess. It felt precious somehow, as though it was destined for something greater. By morning, a gentle breeze woke Judith from her slumber. She looked toward her palm, as if expecting the cool sensation of the stone to be filling her hand--but it was not there. Had she kept that kinstone? Did she fall asleep holding it? Surely not, but, somehow she felt it was now missing. Not unlike a mother bird letting her child soar, the priestess somehow felt the stone would return to her in a more splendorous form. The next time Judith gains a kinstone piece, you can bet it'll be extra rare! Please be sure to mention this boon the next time she gains a kinstone piece, lest Judith not receive what she has rightly earned.
