Zelda Verada's Arc

Chapter 2 of 2

Zelda stepped outside Fort Orynth's main gates, her notebook tucked under one arm. The morning sun warmed her orange fur as she headed toward the training grounds. She needed to see real medical procedures, not just read about them in dusty files. The Southern District Medical Clinic stood at the edge of the practice field, its grey stone and blue brick walls worn smooth by years of desert wind. Zelda pushed through the entrance and found herself in a narrow hallway lined with supply cabinets. The smell of antiseptic and dried herbs filled her nose. Through an open doorway, she spotted bandages being wrapped around a soldier's arm. She pulled out her notebook and began sketching the hand positions, the angle of the wrap, the number of overlapping layers. A medic glanced her way but didn't object, so she kept drawing. By late afternoon, Zelda had filled six pages with observations. She walked back toward the fort with samples of medicinal plants the clinic staff had given her. Near her research tent, she set up a metal drying rack with cloth-lined tiers. The desert heat would preserve the plants perfectly. She arranged each specimen carefully, labeling them with small tags. Above her workspace, a tall pole light cast steady illumination across the area. She could work here after sunset, transcribing her notes while the plants dried. Zelda sat on a wooden crate beneath the light as evening fell. Her manual was growing beyond simple sketches now. She had witnessed real techniques, touched actual medical tools, and collected plants used in battlefield care. The book in her mind felt closer to real with each new detail. Tomorrow she would return to the clinic and learn more.