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C H A P T E R 3
[The Face in the Water's Gloom]
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Link tore the telescope from his eyes and squinted skyward. A great, winged-beast descended out of the cloudbank and swooped around the ship, artfully dogging cannonballs. With a vulture's beak, vibrant plumage and mighty talons, the beast looked like the biggest kargorok Link had ever seen. It was nearly as large as the firing pirate ship and its frightening wingspan stretched the length of three houses. The winged-beast banked toward the island and Link found himself grabbing hold of Aryll.
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"Aryll, get down!" roared Link over the shrieks and explosions.
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"LOOK! IT HAS SOMETHING IN ITS TALONS!" Aryll pointed and Link raised the telescope again.
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She was right—rather it had someone, not something. Clutched in its claws was a person…a girl. Link zoomed in further and he discerned a furious snarl on a young woman's face. The girl freed one of her arms and, with surprising swiftness, she unsheathed a dagger. Boldly, she stabbed it into the bird.
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The bird cried out again as it swooped over the gap between the two islands of Outset. The stab must have caused it only mild pain, for the winged-beast paused just for a moment. But it was long enough for the pirates below to get a dead shot.
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BOOM!
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The entire island was shaken tremendously and lightning erupted from the darkening sky.
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The girl fell from the beast's clutches toward the rocks below. It was to Link's astonishment that she managed to grab hold of a withered branch that clung to the sheer, rock walls. The lifeless bird plunged into the waves with a colossal splash and Link was sure it was dead.
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"Aryll, stay here," Link ordered. He began to climb down the cliff, resting his feet on thin, craggy ledges. The girl couldn't cling onto the lifeless branch forever; he was going to lend her a hand.
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"Where are you going?" Aryll screamed, but he didn't answer her.
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It had begun to rain, making the slate ledges all the more slippery as he inched his way toward the young woman. Making a bold jump to a wider projection of rock, he found himself shy of an arm-reach from the girl. Link didn't even get a good look at her, for as he reached out to her and she to him, there came that same, wretched screech.
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The beast burst out of the waters below in a mad fury. Its horrible, gleaming eyes locked onto the two of them and narrowed dangerously. It sent its tail towards them like a whip and Link ducked just as it struck the rock wall. The bird soared away and Link saw that the branch had cracked off.
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Link peered down at the swelling waters below. She must have fallen into the sea and the distance was short enough that she may have survived the fall. However, the waters between the two cliffs were particularly dangerous because of the sharp rocks that rose out of the water like serrated teeth in a frothing, savage mouth. He had to get her out of the water fast, before the undercurrents smashed her against the rocks.
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"HOLD ON! I'M COMING!" he shouted crazily, leaping down from ledge to ledge like some sort of mad, mountain goat. Even afterwards, Link never questioned why he put his neck at such risks for a person he had never met, let alone cared for.
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Link reached the water's edge and he saw that the storm had churned the seas into a white, perilous frenzy. He tried not to imagine the might of the undertow she'd be battling to stay afloat. Amazingly, he spied her struggling to keep her head above water just a few meters off. Link made his way toward her, slipping on the kelp-covered rocks. He failed to maintain his balance and scraped his left knee badly.
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Grimacing from his stinging gash, he saw that, again, the girl was just an arm-reach away. He lunged forth on his stomach and caught her wrist. Link felt her give into the pull of the undertow and now it was only his strength keeping her from being dragged completely into the dark depths.
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Link eyes caught hers and, for a suspended moment, both starred with fascination at each other, their faces separated by the rolling surface of the water.
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It might have been the cool gloom of the waters, but her face was ghostly white. Large, colorless eyes took over most of her delicate face and a gold circlet graced her brow. Her fair, almost white, hair swirled about her head, reminding Link of a picture he had once seen of a siren. But sirens were thick-lipped, exotic creatures, while this girl radiated an ethereal innocence. Link had only caught a quick glance at the young woman who had fallen out of the bird's clutches, but he knew that the girl he held now was not she.
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As quickly as he had grabbed her, the girl slipped from his grip. A violent surge forced her above water and she kicked and fought as she gulped air desperately. Great swells were gathering in the frothing waters and the currents were suspended momentarily. The girl was caught unawares when the swell broke over the rocks, slamming her body against slate.
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There was no way she could be alive, but before Link could give it a second thought, he plunged in after her. The waters churned below the surface and vortexes of bubbles indicated where the undercurrents were. Link kicked downwards, seeing nothing but dark blue gloom.
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But just as his body refused to make one more motion without a breath of air, he caught sight of her. Link had hold of her and he was at the surface, treading water for the both of them. No way could he keep this up…both of their heads disappeared underwater…back up, with a frantic gulp of air on Link's part…down under again--longer this time… It was hopeless. Link wasn't about to let her go, but if he didn't her lifeless body would drag him down to his watery grave.
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"I SEE HER! OVER THERE!"
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Link barley heard the shouts, but just as he went under again, he saw the unpainted bow of a rowboat just ahead.
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"CAPT'N! CAPT'N!"
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"Help!" cried Link, accidentally taking in a mouthful of water.
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The boat was close now; the men inside stopped paddling for fear of hitting the pair with their oars. A pair of hands yanked the girl away from Link and he felt tremendous relief as he was alleviated from her sinking weight. Link reached out to be saved too.
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It was to his great surprise and alarm that the same set of hands that pulled the girl into the rowboat gave him a rough shove back into the waters. There must be mistake: who would toss a drowning boy back into the sea? Link tried again, hanging onto the side of the boat, almost swamping them.
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" Sweet Goddesses! He don't take a hint, do he!"
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Gripping him by the front of his tunic, the man brought Link inches from his snarling, fierce face—a pirate's face. Link didn't like the cold glint in his beady eyes at all.
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"No! Please!" gasped Link.
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With a wicked, buccaneer grin, the man growled, "Tell Davie Jones 'hi' for me, lad."
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The handle of an oar cracked against his skull and with white stars exploding before his eyes, Link sank again under the waves.
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Author's Note:
Oooo…the pirates aren't so lovable in this story. Mediocre? Good? Utter trash? Tell me in a Review!Disclaimer:
Not in any shape or form does Zelda belong to me.