Inspiration: Illuminando veritas invenitur, 'through illumination we find truth.'
Special Shout Out: This chapter is dedicated to the awesome OdnetninAdlez. I can't say enough good about this extraordinary man. He's a great writer. He can play the piano. He has a wonderful disposition, and he has honored me once more by reviewing. I want to say thank you, and reading your material inspires me to be a better writer. ~ZR~.
Shout Out: Ibayfully, you are truly wonderful thank you so much for reading.
Author Note: My other reedit is almost finished, and so I will be able to dedicate 100% of my time to this story very soon. I want to thank everyone for reading and for your inquiries regarding some of the inspirations and backstories. ~ZR~.
Chapter 7
The next day I woke up and groaned as I stared at the ceiling. I didn't realize how instant my guilt was going to fester inside me, but it was there. I felt terrible in how I treated Ilia the other night. All she had was concern for me, and I nearly bit her head off. I didn't understand why I got so short with her.
Maybe I'm not getting enough fiber, I thought, with a poor attempt at humoring myself.
It didn't work.
I still felt like an idiot.
"I'm never going to live this down," I muttered, running a hand over my face.
Realizing that lying there sulking wasn't going to do anything for me, I decided to get up and get ready for work. It was dawn, and everyone was still resting in the village. In about an hour that would change and the villagers would get up and begin their routine duties for the day. This was the case with Ilia as well. However, I was going to go by Mayor Bo's to see if she were awake anyway. Sometimes she liked to get up before her father to prepare washing their linens. If she was, I was going to apologize.
It's the least I can do, I thought.
I also knew I had to hurry because I needed to see Dr. Borville. The nightmare from the previous night only reassured me that my condition was getting worse. The dream was more intense than usual, and even though I had problems sleeping before, this felt more real. I thought Ghoma was there ready to kill me.
Why are my dreams so vivid now? I wondered. Why are they changing so rapidly? What does this mean?
There was only one way for me to find out. However, I was also keenly aware that Shad needed to get started on his research as soon as possible. The longer it was put off, the more ebbed the situation became. I was going to present the acquisition to the queen and see if funding could get started on it immediately. There was no telling how or if others were suffering as well, or for how long. All I knew was this: if a soldier was travailing, they were doing so in silence. I understood that psychology all too well.
A soldier's job placated on the guise of apt duplicity, I thought.
The citizens relied on fighters for protection. In a warrior's mind, protecting others was more important than protecting themselves. With this Twili sickness, if any of them were ill, many of them may have been choosing to deal with it the hard way, and that was silence. They probably reasoned if they told anyone, they would be thought of as weak, and to a warrior that would be considered a defeat.
I hope if anyone is going through this same thing, their symptomology isn't as severe as mine, I thought.
After I was dressed, I checked my appearance, left my residence, and headed for the main village. I walked over the moat by way of the bridge, and paused for a moment. When I saw the lantern lights on inside of Mayor Bo's house from the hearth, I knew Ilia was awake. She was probably cooking breakfast, or possibly making candle wax from bayberries. I took in a deep breath, wanting to get this over with so the awkwardness between us would subside. Ilia was already upset that I was sharing so little with her, and I only made things worse with how I reacted last night. However, contrary to my behavior, I hated friction, especially with people I cared about. I hated friction because it left too many things unresolved, and it appeased from a place of pride. I was a man of resolution, not of 'would be's', 'maybes', or 'ifs'.
Just apologize and hope for the best, I thought.
I paused when I got to the front door and took in another deep breath. However, before I could knock, the door suddenly opened. Ilia was holding a small cauldron full of liquefied bayberries and salted minerals. She looked surprised when she saw me, but her expression soon turned to one of indignation when she ignored me and walked past me.
Great, I thought with raised brows.
Ilia headed over the moat to the impasse leading to my house. She was probably heading for the spring to pour her mixture in the cooling grid she kept there.
"Ilia…" I trailed, wanting her to stop, but knew I was hoping for too much.
She continued on and I followed after her. It was just as I suspected, she was heading to Ordona's Spring. When she still wouldn't talk to me, I knew I needed to make more of an initiative. She was like any other woman. She wanted me to acknowledge her feelings.
Don't repeat your stupidity from last night Link, I told myself, just give her what she wants and be done with it.
I gauged her for a moment, and watched as she poured the saponified liquid in some candle holders. Afterwards, she set the holders in the water for them to congeal. She then stood up and wiped her hands on her pants. Her back was to me.
I bit my lower lip and sighed.
Come on Illy… I thought.
"Ilia…" I started again, then decided to just say it, "Ilia, I'm sorry."
There was a brief silence between us. One that was uncomfortable and awkward. She still wouldn't turn to look at me. I understood she was upset, but this stubbornness was starting to become cumbersome.
What does she want me to do? I thought. Beg?
I took a step towards her and placed a hand on her shoulder, but she quickly snatched herself from my grip.
"Shouldn't you be leaving, hero?" she demanded in a quiet voice.
I didn't budge, but I knew I had that coming. I acted presumptuously the night before.
"I wanted to be sure you were okay first," I replied.
Ilia looked over at me from her side view.
"I'm fine," she snapped, "just get going."
With that, she tried to walk past me, but before she had a chance to, I circumvented her by wrapping my arm around her waist. I pulled her to me in a tight hug, and true to form she was blushing. She still wouldn't look at me.
"Ilia…" I said again.
She was staring at my tunic.
I raised my eyebrows.
"Ilia, look at me," I said.
She was stubborn, she wouldn't at first.
This woman... I pondered.
"Come on…" I trailed with a grin.
Reluctantly, her pretty green eyes met mine. She still had a stern expression on her face.
"What?" she said with a short undertone.
I raised a finger to stroke her cheek.
"I'm sorry," I said again.
Ilia looked away and shook her head.
"You're sorry," she repeated as if she didn't believe me.
I nodded.
"It's true," I said, trying to be convincing.
Ilia looked away again.
"I'm mad at you," she said quietly.
I grinned again at her saying that.
"I know," I said, and squeezed her a little in my arms, "forgive me already."
She shook her head again, and sighed. She reached up and tussled with my collar.
"You…" she trailed, "you really scared me last night."
I sighed, knowing that was true.
"I didn't mean to," I said sincere, "I wasn't thinking."
Ilia bit her lower lip.
"That isn't an excuse," she replied.
I nodded, agreeing with her.
"You're right," I said, "I was out of place."
Ilia's eyes widened.
"You were more than out of place," she said, "you were an arrogant jerk."
I raised a brow, seeing her point. I had no rebuttal for that.
"You're right once more," I replied, "I was."
Ilia tried to hide it, but a small smile crept across her lips.
"Awww, I finally got one," I said of her smile.
Ilia blushed again, and didn't meet my eyes.
"Well," she said, "I guess I can forgive you this one time, but don't let it happen again."
I nodded a reassurance to her.
"If it ever happens again, you can have me flogged," I joked.
Ilia chuckled at that, but then looked at me seriously for a moment. She reached up and caressed my cheek. I was surprised at the action.
"I…" she started in a whisper, "I would never wish that upon you. You mean too much to me."
I gave her an odd look for a moment at her tone and her facial expression. That was the thing with this woman. I was never sure how she was going to react. I really missed when she was just black and white Ilia. She was much easier to understand when she was direct and to the point. This shade of grey she was presenting me with was confusing, and the confusion was all the more amplified when she reached up and kissed my cheek.
What is wrong with her? I thought. First she's angry with me, now she wants to kiss me?
"You mean a great deal to me too Illy," I said, deciding to ignore my thoughts, "and... you'd really be helping me out if you could do me a favor now that we're back in good graces."
She gave me an odd look and grinned.
"What are you talking about?" she asked.
I gave her a hopeful stare.
"We've been doing a really good job at work," I began, "and I told the guys that I would ask you to make some Hylian butter cookies if they did well."
Ilia drew back and looked at my face slightly perplexed for a moment.
"What?" she asked with a tone of tempered disgust.
I raised my brows slightly at her question.
What's this all about? I wondered.
I gave her a strange look, but decided to repeat myself anyway.
"Do you think you could whip up a batch of your Hylian butter cookies?" I asked again. "I love those things, and I promised the guys at work that I'd bring them some."
For some odd reason, Ilia looked at me heated.
"Oh you did, did you?" she snapped.
I drew back a little.
What now? I wondered.
I gave her another oddball stare, not understanding why she was getting upset.
"Well," I replied, "I told them you were a great cook."
I needed to sweeten the cauldron.
A little lie will make her feel good, I thought.
She narrowed her eyes at me and pushed away from me all of a sudden.
"Is that why you apologized?" she demanded. "You wanted me to make you some damn cookies?"
I drew back again at her tone.
"Ilia-" I tried.
"You are so dense!" she interrupted. "Why are you so smart when it comes to some things, and just plain stupid when it comes to everything else?"
I was insulted with her calling me out of my name. I didn't feel that was necessary.
Really Ilia? I wondered.
"What are you talking about?" I asked.
My question seemed to infuriate her more.
"Forget it!" she snapped. "You make me sick! Sometimes I think I hate you Link!"
I felt my eyes widen.
"Ilia-" I tried again.
Before I had a chance to say anything else, she stormed off. It was probably just as well, that didn't go exactly as I planned.
It looks like I'm going to have to apologize… again, I thought, and closed my eyes.
"Maybe bringing up the cookies now wasn't such a good idea," I muttered to myself.
You think Link? I told myself, pondering the obvious.
I turned, deciding it was best that I just left and deal with Ilia when I got back. I knew I needed to act contrite when it came to it. Hopefully, the next time I could actually get it right. There would be no mentioning of Hylian butter cookies. I took in a deep sigh and mounted my mare. When Epona was riding steady, I turned her and headed for Faron impasse.
"I have got to figure out what is going on with that woman," I said to myself, "everyday she gets more and more bizarre. Her mood swings are really…" I shook my head. "I don't know what they are."
I headed down the narrow roadway of Ordana's Spring to the bridge leading to Faron. The sun was just starting to bleed out over the horizon, and the air was stiff with a bite of morning dew. It seemed like the perfect dawn, and there were many things I wanted to get executed that day. I wanted to start and finish the blueprint for the queen tomorrow. I wanted to make sure there was some form of a rubric for the logistics plan Telma was working on. I needed to make sure Aruru and Ashei started the mole hunt in their information network. I also needed to determine where we were going to have a secondary base of operations. After what happened yesterday, that had to be a serious consideration. If anything else got out, there would be no telling who or what would come after us.
That will be my assignment, I decided.
Having made my resolutions, I continued down Faron's impasse. The trot was just like any other: trees lined the road, rocks were displacing about the roadway, the air was nippy and stiff, and foliage popped and cracked under the weight of Epona's hooves. The trek that morning was just like any morning. However, I suddenly felt my ears perk when I heard a distinct crunch throughout the leaves several yards back. I wasn't sure, but I think it was the sound of footsteps.
What was that? I wondered, turning my head slightly.
I chose to ignore it for now, but my awareness was inadvertently heightened. I looked around with concealed caution, trying not to make it obvious I was searching for anyone. I continued through Faron impasse keeping my senses in check, and decided to confirm whether or not I was being followed by a simple test.
I'll accelerate and decelerate and gauge whether whoever this is will stay in step with me, I thought.
It was time to see if I was paranoid or not. I giddied Epona, and she trotted a little faster. I narrowed my eyes slightly and listened for that crunch I heard before. It was there, and whoever was doing it didn't seem to care I could hear them clearly now. I then slowed down, but instead of slowing down with me, the person pursuing me seemed to speed up.
Crunch, crunch, crunch.
It sounded until it was a full on run, and I knew the pursuer was done playing cat and mouse when out of nowhere, I heard a snap, or a whiz through the air. I ducked as a secondary reaction, and it was a good thing too. The sound was from a small projectile. My eyes widened when I saw the small missile pierce the bark of a tree a few meters in front of me. That alerted me that I was a sitting tekkite as a cavalry. I immediately got off Epona and continued on foot. I was surprised they decided to attack me so close to Ordon. Whoever this was, was bold.
So, I thought, they decided to come closer to home after all.
I wasted no time staying low and hurrying into the cave leading to the other side of the alcove. I felt a slight sweat bead my brow, but I continued forward. When I heard another snap, I knew my assailant was gaining on me. How they were able to gain on me so quickly without being on horseback was beyond me. I chose to keep my lantern unlit so as not to give away my location. I traversed through this cave enough times to know it like the back of my hand.
Vincent you arrogant bastard, I thought, keeping my breathing steady against the dank mildew cladding walls.
I paused for a moment and sidled against an adjacent wall, hoping to hear the sound of footsteps. However, as soon as I stopped, the person following me stopped. They were changing up their approach from before. Now that I was on foot, they were erring on a side of more precaution. It was then I knew I was dealing with a highly skilled, trained professional.
A hired assassin from Gerudo Valley perhaps, I thought in passing, going low to the ground and continuing that way.
I saw a shadow sink.
The killer went low right with me.
What the hell is going on? I wondered, doubling my pace as I hit the clearing.
I went towards the western perimeter and up the precipice leading to the treetops. I remembered going this way with Midna when we journeyed together. I was aided in getting to the other side with her help. However, now that I had the clawshots, I was able to travel through the area with relative ease. Even still, the individual giving chase to me looked to have those same means, because everywhere I hooked they were close behind me. I knew I mentioned wanting to execute several things that day. It seemed someone else had similar ideas, but instead of things, they wanted to execute me.
I better come up with a diversion of some kind when I get to the other side, I thought.
However, I was second guessing this assassin too soon. I waited in several spots in the treetops before I proceeded forward, but no matter how I thought I was going to segue into a more favorable position, the killer after me was right on my tail. Their maneuverability was to the point where it was beyond unbelievable. This person was acting like a second… me.
This doesn't make any damn sense, I thought, how are they this skilled?
I didn't spend anytime pondering over that. I jumped the fence connecting to the roadway leading to Eldin Fields. Once I was near the clearing, I called Epona once more and mounted her immediately. The road was cramped, and I turned my head to look over my shoulder to see if the assassin was still following me. They were, and I saw they were clothed in all black. It could have been a man or a woman, I had no idea. However, that wasn't the surprising thing. The surprising thing was the killer was chasing after me on… foot. They were running after a mounted horse on foot. To say I was surprised was understatement, but I had to hide my astonishment when they aimed their gauntlet straddled crossbow at my head once again.
Oh damn, I thought, and veered Epona to the left to dodge the projectile.
The killer took another shot at me, but I was able to dodge that one too. However, as soon as I galloped west towards Eldin Bridge, the killer tried something else. They tried to jumping on Epona.
What the hell? I thought in disbelief.
Before the killer could get a fixed handling on the saddle, I headed butted him or her as hard as I could, and we both fell backwards off my horse. We landed hard on the ground of the open field. I shook off the dizziness from the landing and immediately got into my battle stance. It was then the assassin did something else I didn't expect. They turned and started fleeing towards the bridge. I had a small bit of confusion at first, but soon that dissipated and I took off after them. I gained on them, and lunged at them to wrestle him or her to the ground. When I had them in a subjected position, I pressed my forearm against their neck to keep them steady. Once I saw they couldn't move, I started an impromptu interrogation.
"Who sent you?" I demanded, already knowing.
The killer wiggled in my grip but couldn't break free.
"Let me go!" the assassin rasped.
My grip tightened.
"Who sent you?" I repeated. "Vincent? Someone else in the court?"
The killer tried to bite me just then. However, I circumvented it and pulled off their headdress in the process. When I saw their face, I felt a pit of shock well in my stomach. I edged back.
What in the world…? I thought, letting my thoughts trail.
The killer looked more male than female, but still had an ambiguous otherworldly countenance about him, with red eyes and lavender colored skin. The mass of hair on his head was bright orange and yellow, but it was the tattoo branded on his neck that really caught my attention. It was a two headed serpentine insignia with an ordinance of bright light surrounding it. In the middle were some words written in ancient Hylian: illuminando veritas invenitur ...
"Illuminando veritas invenitur," I muttered to myself, "what the hell does that mean?"
However, I wasn't going to get an answer from my captor. In fact, the assassin tried to extricate me with a blade he kept hidden in his boot. I was able to block the piercing and directed it back to his side.
"Ahhh!" he cried out in pain from the stabbing.
I narrowed my eyes at him and my grip tightened near his neck.
"Now," I said in a low threatening voice, "I'm going to ask you again, who sent you?"
The apparition looking man narrowed his eyes at me and didn't answer. Instead, he bit down on something in his mouth. It only took me a moment to see it was a purple chu jelly capsule he had hidden on the side of his cheek. His mouth began to foam.
"Damn it!" I muttered, knowing I was about to lose my only lead in this.
His eyes rolled to the back of his head, and he began to convulse violently. I was trying to prevent him from seizing, but the poisonous reaction was too great. When I saw that there was nothing I could do for him, I let him go and took in a frustrated breath. He was dead.
A suicide assassin, I thought, as I stood up, whoever sent him wanted to make sure no one knew anything after he put me down.
I took several steps back and stared down at the dead killer. I took in a deep sigh and bent over to catch my breath at my knees. However, the brief feeling of relief I had was short lived. Out of nowhere, the body of the assassin began to disintegrate and for whatever reason that triggered a purge from my body. I fell on my knees and grabbed my wrist from the immediate pain.
"Ahhh!" I groaned.
The purge lasted several minutes and a large beacon of light drew from within me. It surfaced and swirled in a cadence of spectra, then went heavenward towards the atmosphere. When the occurrence was over, I was perspiring slightly and I was trembling in relief. I looked over to see where the body had gone, and it was nowhere to be found. It just disappeared. I took in an unsettling breath and stood up.
What is going on? I wondered. That's never happened before, and why the hell would I suddenly have reactions to something or someone else?
Recognizing I needed questions answered in immediacy, I mounted Epona and headed for Castle Town. When I arrived, I made sure I was hooded so I wouldn't be recognized. I had an hour to kill before I had to head to the Situation Room. I slipped through the alleys and made my way to Dr. Boreville's quarters, but before I knocked on the door I looked around to see if anyone had followed me. With what had just taken place, I wouldn't be surprised if there was another set of killers on my tail. I was taking no chances.
Stay focused, I told myself.
When the door opened, Dr. Boreville's bifocal eyes startled me for a moment. He was undeterred, and when he saw my face beneath my hood, he immediately gestured for me to come in.
"Master Link," he said in a low voice.
I nodded, walked past him into his residence, and unhooded myself. When he saw the stress in my face, he knew something had gone wrong.
"What's happened?" he asked me.
Before I spoke, I went to search his laboratory to make sure we were alone. It wasn't anything against him, I was just being cautious. He saw the slight paranoia on my face.
"Don't worry," he said, "there's no one here."
You never know, I thought, going to check anyway.
I took in a deep breath and sat down on one of the cots and ran my hands over my face. We were silent for a moment.
"Has…" he started, "has it happened again?"
I looked across the way, thinking someone was about to enter through the front door. When I saw it was a false alarm, I nodded blankly.
Stop jumping at everything you see, I scolded myself.
"Yes," I replied, not wanting to look at the physician.
The doctor looked at me in concern.
"When?" he asked.
I shook my head.
"Yesterday and this morning," I said, "both around the same time."
Dr. Boreville's eyes widened.
"Why didn't you come see me yesterday?" he asked.
I didn't have an explanation that warranted anything other than an excuse.
"I haven't told my friends yet," I detracted.
The doctor gave me a disapproving look.
"You didn't come to see me because of that?" he demanded. "What does that have to do with anything?"
I sighed, knowing his reproach had its merits. Keeping this a secret from everyone had its downfalls.
No one knows what's truly going on with me but the doctor, I thought.
"I have to keep this a secret," I said, "I have no idea what's going on with me yet."
Dr. Boreville sighed and shook his head.
"You better put that pride aside son and tell someone what's going on," he said, "you don't have to tell everyone in your group, but someone besides you needs to know what's going on. If your symptomology gets worse you could find yourself in a very dangerous situation if you are all alone with no one to turn to."
I was about to answer, when out of nowhere a voice answered for me.
"The doctor's right," the voice said, "I knew there was more than you were letting on."
I turned at the sound of the voice, in complete shock that even though I searched the room and got a reassurance from the doctor that no one was in there. I was even more surprised when it was who it was that I saw.
How in the-? I cut my thoughts short.
Dr. Boreville was flabbergasted as well.
"Unreal," he whispered, fixing his glasses to make sure he was seeing right.
My stunned disposition subsided for a moment and was replaced with a subtle anger.
"What the hell are you doing here?" I demanded.
Please write a review and tell me what you think. Chapter 8 is coming soon!
