Chapter Seven: Siri's Aim

"I don't see what good slowing us down will do you, Link," said Tetra a little coldly. She and Link had been somewhat at odds since he had decided to give up the search for the new Hyrule to pursue Kurai. Link had used a cyclone to get to the far northern seas and ask for Tetra's help, but she hadn't exactly been welcoming.

"Have you or any of the Pirates heard anything about missing fairies?" Link asked. Tetra turned away nonchalantly. "You can ask Mako about it if you want to," Tetra replied. "I'll be below deck if you need me. Please keep your little friends under control." Tetra gestured to Siri and Medli who were sitting in the crows nest precariously while the lookout, Zuko, tried to persuade them to leave. Link really did wish that they had stayed on Outset Island, but with Siri hungry for revenge and Medli worried sick about Komali, there was no denying them. Maybe it was better this way. What where the odds that Kurai or Malum would find them way out here?

Link went to speak with Mako about the empty Fairy Fountains. "Even the one on Outset Island was completely deserted," Link told him. "We checked it before we left."

"Very interesting," Mako said flipping through his book that he always carried with him. "There have been many accounts of fountains drying up and even a few cases where the Great Fairy was scattered into many pieces, but never a complete disappearance."

"Could it really have something to do with Kurai?" Link asked hopefully.

"Well, I don't know much about witches and wizards, but I really do doubt it."

"Why?"

"Because fairies use a purifying magic. Completely different from dark magic. If the fairies left, I would guess they're hiding and not magiced away."

"Are the fairies immune to dark magic?"

"About as much as you or me…so no."

Before Link could ask another question, there was an indistinct shout from Zuko in the crows nest.

Link ran up onto the deck and found that Zuko had been shouting about something Link hadn't seen since his adventures began, a Helmaroc King. It flew up and took the stern of the ship in its talons making it jerk to a stop. Link started to reach for his Skull Hammer. That had defeated the monster in the past, but then he realized that Malum was sitting on the bird's back. Link had had more than enough of this wizard, but before he could do anything else he head the familiar whooshing of a shadow portal opening. He turned to find a huge portal had opened on the deck and Miniblins, Bokoblins, Moblins, Kargorocs, and Peahats were all pouring out of it. Link drew his sword, but hesitated to look back at the Helmaroc. The great bird seemed only to move when Malum did like a puppet, so Link figured that he must have been controlling it and keeping its head high so that no one could break its helmet. Link didn't have time to worry about it now. Right now he had to join the pirates who were already fighting the flood of monsters on the deck.

Siri had been up in the crow's nest when Zuko spotted the Helmaroc King. While he was shouting down to the crew below, she had been firing at the large bird with her Slingshot, but it didn't seem to have any effect. Suddenly, Kargorocs and Peahats were surrounding them. Siri set to work in shooting them down, but they just kept coming. Medli ducked down to avoid the monsters all around them. She then grabbed Zuko's telescope from him and whacked a Peahat clear out of the sky with it. She didn't intend to run and hide from this fight.

Siri looked down below where she could see the huge shadow portal and Link and the pirates fighting off a number of other monsters. Something had to be done! She couldn't let Kurai's stooges win this battle. That's when she noticed the young sorcerer riding atop the Helmaroc. Dressed all in black and waving his hands about as if he was conducting some sort of spell. "Malum," she hissed as she shot down another Peahat. Whether taking him down would help at all or not, she wasn't letting him get away. She aimed her Slingshot through all the chaos ensuing around them and fired from as far back as her Slingshot would stretch.

Malum never knew what hit him. The Deku Nut hit him right in the head and he fell from the Helmaroc King's back onto the deck of the ship. In the same instant, the monsters all stopped in their places, the Helmaroc looked around in utter confusion, and the shadow portal on deck closed snapping the pitchfork of a Miniblin in half.

The Helmaroc seemed to get a hold of its senses long enough to look down at Malum who was lying unconscious on the deck. As it bent down to supposedly pick him up, Link rushed in with his Skull Hammer and smashed the Helmaroc's helmet into pieces. The bird screeched and let go of its grip on the ship. Siri was now bombarding the monster with Deku Seeds and unable to handle it without its helmet, it flew off into the distance.

It didn't take them long after that to clear the ship of the rest of the monsters. Even Niko picked up the pitchfork half on the deck and joined in the fight. After the last monster was defeated, Tetra put away her dagger and shouted, "Will you look at this!" She then walked around to truly survey the deck. "Spears, sticks, and broken weapons everywhere! Talon marks all along the stern! And what do we do about him!" Now she was pointing at Malum who was still passed out on the floor.

Siri came sliding down the ladder now and Link had to step between her and Malum. "Out of my way, Link!" she shouted. "I brought him down!"

"Yes, I know," Link pleaded. "You really could have killed him, Siri, if he had fallen into the water."

"So? Who's side are you on?! How do you know that we even could kill him? He's probably just like Kurai! So full of dark magic that its impossible!"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that," said Mako from behind Link. They looked to see that he was holding a small round mirror that he had apparently taken from Malum. "This is a Magic Mirror," he said as he flipped his book open, which apparently he hadn't put down throughout the fight. "This is most likely what he was using to open those shadow portals," he continued. "Without it, I bet our little locked room down below will hold him just fine."

"Good!" said Tetra who was throwing spears and sticks overboard. "He's caused us more than enough trouble. Lock him up!"

Siri shot Tetra a glare, but said nothing. Link then went and quietly told Tetra that they should keep a constant guard to watch Malum. Mostly to keep him from trying anything, but also to keep Siri away from him. He had to admit that he didn't know her that well, but could she really have meant what she said?