Chapter 10: Cold and to the point

The Kokiri sword stirred nervously in Link's small hand. A bead of sweat dripped from his brow and into his eye, causing it to twitch. He looked on, refusing to break his gaze from the reptilian terror before him. The Lizafo never missed a step, waving its wretched blade menacingly, and hoisting its shield before itself as though it was accustomed to doing battle with ten year old boys like this one.

Link presented the monster with his most menacing glare as he squared off with it, trying to understand his situation. Only a week ago, he'd been an ordinary kokiri boy, safe within the confines of the lost woods, completely secluded from the world outside. Now he was going toe to toe with a giant lizard man that thirsts for his blood. He'd never fought an opponent so, "human" before. While clearly not a man, this beast walked like one. It spoke no words to him, but apparently it had reasonable intelligence, for it wore ragged clothes, and brandished a wicked sword and a cheaply stamped metal shield. Link had only used a sword for the first time a week ago, and now he was expected to fight such a fearsome beast?! 'It's not fair!' he thought to himself as he held his small sword before him. He didn't even have the luxury of his own shield, a small chunk of wood neatly carved from the sturdy trees of his forest home. It was without question his favorite tool, but it had all too quickly succumbed to the heat of this subterranean dungeon, bursting into flames as Link had leapt over one of the many pits of molten fire.

In the small chamber within Dodongo's cavern, cut into the base of Death Mountain, the low light of the torches, and the soft glow from the pools of molten lava made it seem as though Link was to fight his way from the pits of hell. In the pool of molten magma behind him, a fiery bubble rose to the surface and burst with a loud searing "TSHHH" that seemed to symbolize the start of this battle. The lizafo charged at his juvenile target, sword at the ready, and the claws of its toes clicking upon the hot stone floor of the chamber.

Link had no choice, he rushed at his foe. To anyone who may have been watching, it would have been unheard of to see this small child in green charge his opponent so intrepidly. A young boy with a tiny sword vying against a six foot lizard with razor sharp teeth and a large blade of its own, it seemed like a bad joke. But it would have been even more shocking to said onlooker if he continued to watch this "one-sided" fight. If someone were to look on, they'd have seen the young boy in green swiftly roll under the deftly swung blade of this lizard man and dive around behind him. They would have seen the young boy jump up and mount the scaly fiend from behind, wrapping his strong wiry arms around it's neck. Yes, if there were an onlooker, he'd have seen this young boy endure a savage beating from the beast-man's tail as he clung to its neck from behind, choking the flailing beast. Finally, any onlooker would have stared on in disbelief as this ten year old choked this hulking reptile to the ground, then drove his razor sharp little sword into the back of this beast's neck at the base of it's spine, killing it instantly. They'd have been speechless as they watched this child rise to his full height of but a few inches over four feet tall, the dead man-beast at his feet, and kick it in the ribs for good measure.

Link breathed the fire from his lungs, a hot breath he'd been holding throughout the course of his scuffle. He kicked the terror in the ribs, no response. It was dead. He wiped the blood from his face and sheathed his kokiri sword. His fairy companion, a small, winged ball of light dubbed Navi, reappeared from her hiding place within Link's pointed hat.

"Wow, Link! Where did you learn to do that?!" The fairy sung.

"Link looked down at his small, bloody hands. "I-I don't know," he whispered.

"Well maybe you're just a natural born killer!" Navi chirped jokingly. It was a harmless comment, but she didn't know that Link would never forget those words. At the age of ten he'd been pressed into sharpening an innate ability that most lack, and even fewer would ever know themselves, the ability to take lives.

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The soft tapping of hushed footfalls roused Link from his lamenting. As his eyes adjusted to the soft moonlight around him, Zelda's head full of platinum hair came into focus. She'd fallen asleep on his shoulder. Link's eyes darted down the alleyway where the sound had come from. Malon and Junto made their approach hefting their baggage and quietly conversing.

"It's time," Link whispered to Zelda as he nudged her. Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up, looking around the alley, and then at Link. She had insisted on waiting with him instead of getting some extra sleep for the trip, but it seemed she'd managed to do both at the same time. Link rose to his feet, stretching and letting out a soft yawn before helping Zelda to her feet. Still in a lethargic haze, she seemed content to smile at him and make an attempt to wrestle the sleep from her eyes.

Link and Zelda stood side by side in the cramped alley between the innkeeper's home and the Sea Side Inn. Midnight's full moon sprayed the cozy nook with its luminous blue light, making the quaint alleyway seem more majestic than it really was. Behind Zelda rested a small covered wagon, loaded up with supplies and hitched to a pair of horses that waited patiently for instruction, occasionally neighing and scratching the dirt with a restless hoof.

Having finally obtained sufficient funds for their journey, the party had set out to prepare themselves for what was to come. Junto and Malon had paired off and headed into town earlier to get supplies, whilst Link and Zelda procured this wagon and the horses for the trip. After getting what was needed, Link and Zelda had waited in the alleyway by the caravan, ready to leave when Malon and Junto returned. The group had unanimously decided that it would be best to move as a caravan, affording them the least burden and the most efficiency.

Link dusted himself off, feeling half ashamed that he'd been daydreaming on watch. There was really nothing to watch for, but it had been his decision to leave at midnight, so he felt as though his attentiveness was required. Junto and Malon hefted their payload down the alleyway, making a beeline for their waiting comrades. Junto's dark eyes shifted from the caravan to Link and Zelda as he approached, setting down the large sack of supplies beside Link. Malon also hefted a pair of bulging bags of equipment. She stepped to the rear opening in the covered wagon and set her payload down inside, then turned to greet her companions with a silent nod. This whole thing was pretty cloak and dagger at the moment, Malon didn't want to be the first to break the silence.

"Here you go Link, it's the best one I could find," Junto spoke in a hushed tone as he reached into the bag before him and fetched from it a sheathed sword. He handed it to Link, along with a royal blue shield he'd also produced from the bag, he then gathered up the sack and deposited it into the caravan with the rest of the supplies. Link pulled the sword from its scabbard and examined it. It was nothing special, the hilt was an angular knob of some kind of cherry wood and the double edge blade was forged steel. Link frowned. He had a long, drawn out personal history of breaking his swords. His fighting style was brutal, on both his foes and his blades. As he looked into the steel, he knew this sword would, sooner or later, be added to his collection of discarded broken blades. Only the Master Sword could withstand his masterful, however reckless, swordplay indefinitely. Flashing images of that sacred blade filled his mind for a moment. He pushed the thoughts away, if he compared every sword to the master sword, he'd never find satisfaction. He sheathed the blade, fastened its scabbard to his back and began to examine the luminescent blue face of his new shield.

Junto crossed the narrow alleyway over to Zelda. "Where's Talon?" he asked scratching his head.

"Where do you think?" Zelda sighed, motioning towards the caravan. Malon stepped to the rear opening and peered into the darkness of the wagon. She couldn't see anything, but she definitely heard the all too familiar sound of her father's loud snoring. She let out an exasperated sigh. When he slept like that, it was almost impossible to wake him up. Malon cringed at the thought of her past experiences attempting to wake her sleeping father. Once he had rolled over onto her arm as she tried to wake him, leaving her trapped for upwards of half an hour!

"Ugh!" Malon breathed as she gave up on the notion of waking her father. She circumvented to wagon to inspect the horses. She stopped in front of the two chestnut mares and looked them over censoriously. "Way to go," she began enthusiastically. "These horses are in pretty good shape!"

"Yeah, they were the best I could find on such short notice," Link commented distractedly. His seasoned eyes inspected every seam of the shield that Junto brought for him. The royal blue shield was made of cast iron and heavy to a fault. A terrible shield, he didn't even like the handle. The thing felt like more of an ornament than a real fighters shield. Link tried to stay positive; the thick heavy metal could surly take a beating like a champ, so there was an upside at least. He strapped the heavy shield onto his back, dusted himself off, and made his way over to Zelda, who was still standing in a daze, half asleep.

"Hey," Link spoke to her as he unfastened something from his waste. "I got so wrapped up in all the commotion earlier that I forgot to give this to you." Zelda's eyes widened as Link handed her Impa's family sword. She recognized it instantly; she'd trained with Impa since childhood and had never seen that loyal sword leave Impa's side. She took the sword from Link and shot him a pleading look. Impa was the best woman she'd known, more like a mother than a protector. And although Zelda already knew her fate, she had to hear it from Link before she could make herself believe what she already knew. A pang of sadness could be seen in Link's eyes as he looked down at the sword, and then into her eyes.

"Impa," he started slowly. "Wanted you to have this. She said that now it's your duty to carry on the ways of the Shiekan warriors." Link patted Zelda on the shoulder as she took the sword with disheartened hand. Despite her sadness, standing there in that moonlit alley in her Shiekan combat uniform, sword in hand; Zelda really did look like a Shiekan shadow warrior. Despite how much they'd gone through together, Link had never seen Zelda fight, but if she had been Impa's pupil, then he knew he wouldn't be disappointed. Zelda pushed her sadness aside and clutched the hilt of her new sword. It was a katana; a long, thin, single edge sword with a cloth wrapped, diamond patterned hilt. It was a blade of the east, the likes rarely seen in these lands, and even so, rarely desired by those without the skill to use them. However Zelda was perfectly aware of the delicate dance that razor sharp blade could do in the right hands. 'For Impa,' she thought as she tied the rudimentary rope scabbard around her waist. She was going to use this sword in Impa's honor; she would not disappoint her master.

Malon stepped over to her comrades carrying a huge battleaxe over her shoulder. "Seeing as everyone was arming up, I thought I'd pick up a weapon for myself!" She grinned as she hefted the giant blade effortlessly.

"That thing is huge!" Link exclaimed, pointing out the obvious. The double sided axe head was at least three feet wide and an inch thick; it must have weighed a ton! "I think you've been taking too many cues from mister 'my sword is bigger than my body' over here. Link jokingly remarked, motioning towards Junto. Junto just shot him a coy grin as he began to turn away.

"When you children are done out here, come inside so we can set up a game plan," and with that, he left the alleyway.

Malon promptly continued her bragging. "The arms dealer said he'd never met anyone who could actually swing this thing, so he just gave it to me! Apparently he'd been trying to get rid of it for years." Link had actually never considered Malon as a combatant before. It had completely slipped his mind that she would be fighting right along side him.

"Can you use that?" Link asked, still in disbelief.

"Of course, it only weighs eighty pounds at the head," she casually remarked as she spun the axe in a few intricate arcs for show. "You forget that I've done some lumberjack work in my time!" Link just sighed, there was another sword arm in the group, but he started to get the feeling Malon was just going to get in the way

"Don't be upset because a girl is stronger than you," Malon prodded playfully as she stuck out her tongue. Link considered that. He'd know Malon for a long time, and she was impossibly strong. In fact, Link knew the girl could out lift him, and he was by no means a weak man. Of course he would never tell her that.

"Yeah yeah," Link retorted dismissively in an attempt to withdraw from a losing conversation. "So are we done here? Because Junto is waiting."

Zelda picked up on his aversion and chimed in. "Uh oh, is the hero of time shying away from a challenge!" she ribbed. She would never pass up an opportunity to give her little Linkums a hard time! "I say we have an arm wrestling contest!" She pronounced with marked excitement. Link groaned. Now Zelda was in on it. Joining Junto inside was starting to sound better and better. He really needed to make more guy friends. No matter where he went, his female companions always seemed to pick on him.

"Yeah!" Malon piped in.

"For another time ladies," Link said waving his arms dismissively. "In case you've forgotten, we're on the first legs of our mission. C'mon, let's go plan this thing," He spun on his heel and hastily exited the alleyway, eager to join his sensible male compatriot inside the inn. As he walked away, he didn't see Malon and Zelda slap each other an enthusiastic high five before following him inside.

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This corner of the world consisted of two continents; Suud and Rexa. Both continents were shaped not unlike boomerangs facing each other at the open ends. Suud was the slightly larger westernmost continent that lay claim to both the Diamond Archipelago, and Santa Clara, and Rexa was the narrower eastern continent on which Hyrule was situated at the southernmost tip. The two continents "attach" at the northern and southernmost tips of the 'boomerangs', forming a rough diamond shape. In the south, the Diamond Archipelago connects the two land masses, making small boat travel, like that used by Link and his party, possible between the two continents. In the north, the continents were connected by an infamous land bridge built many centuries ago over rough and choppy waters. The building process claimed many lives; however the bridge did offer rudimentary, if not risky, passage between the continents for those brave enough to traverse the slick rocks and harrowing seas for twelve miles to get to the other side.

The plan was circuitous and bold, albeit risky. Hyrule was the nation on the very southern tip of Rexa, bordered only to the north by the desert nation of Boxa. The rest of the country was bordered by the sea. And Junto's destroyed kingdom of Ritz was the northern country of Rexa through which the land bridge was built. After the Garo overtook and slaughtered the people of Ritz, they took up a tentative residence there. And now they would do a similar number on Hyrule, securing the nation long enough for whoever hired the nomadic killers-for-hire to occupy the land to arrive. Now that the Garo had jumped into full force, they would lock down all sea passage between Hyrule and the rest of the world. The plan was to make the journey on foot, or more so by caravan. The party would trek north through Suud, cross the land bridge into Ritz. Then they would have to assassinate the Sorceress whom empowers the Garo warriors with their fell arts of death. Zelda hadn't been too thrilled with the idea of plotting an assassination, but said nothing in light of the gravity of the situation. After killing the sorceress, the party would Journey south through Rexa, and enter Hyrule through its Northern border with Boxa. This is where things get sketchy, at some point along the way; the plan was to enlist the help of enough others that they could have a small force of at least fifty skilled warriors. Upon reaching Hyrule they would break off into teams and run guerilla tactics against the Garo until they could seize an opportunity to kill general Gojin. If the general died, the rest of the Garo would be forced back into roving the shadow world without the power of the sorceress keeping them here.

Zelda let out a high pitched whistle. "That is one hell of a plan," she noted, never taking her eyes off the map on the inn table. Everyone (except for Talon) was gathered around the large table in the inn, staring at the map that had been marked up and drawn all over. Malon stood silent trying to let the plan that they had all just put together sink in. After a few moments, she finally spoke.

"So we navigate a huge continent, cross a treacherous land bridge, plan and execute a major assassination, journey deep into Rexa, Storm into our country and take it back from these bastards, and then have one final harrowing slugfest with that super powerful Gojin guy from before atop the ruins of our decimated capital city?" She looked around at the faces in the room. Everyone was quiet now that Malon had put the plan into words. The eyes of everyone present danced from the map, to the eyes of each other, to those of Malon, and back again, looking for some reassurance that they weren't about to do something completely crazy. Finally, Link spoke up.

"Look guys, I know this sounds crazy, but Hyrule is my country and Iwill fight for her, just as I have so many times before. If any of you don't want to come, I won't think any less of you, and I mean that. This will be deadly dangerous, and yes, there will be blood. And now, even though everyone in Hyrule is-" He paused for a somber moment, and then continued. "Now that everyone in Hyrule is dead, you guys might think me a fool to lay my life on the line for a nation without a people, but I think it is my duty to fight for those who couldn't fight for themselves. I'll fight for them! Even if I stand alone, I'll stand alone atop our fallen nation's capital, with that bastard Gojin's head at my feet and I'll stand tall. I'll stand for a nation whose people were silenced in a day. I'll stand for the Hyrule that may be soon forgotten in the wake of its destruction. But at least I'll have fought for her, for Hyrule."

Link looked around at the faces in the room, he had never been good at making speeches, but he did his best. And he meant every word he'd said. Finally he placed his hand over the table right above the map.

"Who's with me?" He asked roughly, his voice acting up after his passionate speech. Without hesitation Zelda placed her hand over his and wrapped her other arm around him affectionately.
"You know you'd be lost without me!" Zelda jested. Malon stepped up and placed her hand on top of Zelda's

"Hyrule is my country too. This may be crazy, but in a way it's an adventure I've always wanted to go on." Malon commented. Now she understood what Link meant long ago when he'd told her that most adventures always start with bloodshed. He'd told her never to forget that, and now she knew. Junto stepped around his chair and placed his hand over Malon's.

"Hyrule is not my country. But my own nation suffered that same fate at the hands of the same foe. While the circumstances were less than desirable, I'm very glad that I've met all of you and I consider you more than friends." Everyone lifted their hands into the air at the same time in a silent cheer.

"It begins," Link breathed.

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The wagon wheels grew quiet as the road gradually shifted from cobblestone to dirt. The caravan had finally set out, headed northwest for the bridge that would allow them to cross from the Island of Santa Clara, onto the main continent of Suud. The further from town the caravan traveled, the more Link began regretting his decision to embark at midnight. The faint glow of the street torches didn't reach this far out of town, and the full moon left many shadows that may house undesirables. Link knew nothing of what lurked in the shadows of this nation, but if it was anything like Hyrule, it was nothing good.

The horses plopped along the dusty road through the gloom, deftly directed by Malon and Talon who sat at the reigns on the wagon, navigating a map in the dull light of the lanterns. The covered wagon was only large enough for the party's cargo, two people to ride inside, and two at the reigns, so the team took turns resting in the wagon, at the reigns of the horses, and walking alongside the caravan on watch for thieves, monsters, and anything else that might attack them. Link had decided to take first watch and briskly marched beside the wagon trying to keep up with the overly ambitious horses.

"C'mon Link! A strapping young man like you can't keep up with these little old horses?" Talon jested from the seat behind the reigns. 'Easy for you to say old man!' Link thought as he struggled to keep up without breaking into jog. The heavy cast Iron shield on his back certainly wasn't helping. 'Junto sure knows how to pick 'em' he thought to himself. He took up a fleeting jog to catch up with the horses before trying his best to conserve energy by breaking into another power walk.

The road from Santa Clara was one of obscurity at this time of night. The four lanterns on either corner of the wagon did little to illuminate the areas off to the sides of the road. In reality the road was nothing more than a dusty path etched out of the grassy hillside by continued travel. The sides of the road were populated with bushes, shrubs, and tall grass. Link frowned, he didn't like it. The full moon cast fingers of pale light from the sky as if straining to touch the road ahead, allowing Link to see faint silhouettes of trees and objects, but never enough to spot any prepared attack that may have been waiting for them. Link did the only thing he could do, keep an eye out. He scanned both sides of the road again.

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Zelda couldn't sleep. Now that they were on their way she was much too excited to sleep. Maybe she would go outside and walk with Link. She smiled to herself as she thought of giving him a hard time. He really was fun to play with, but he knew that she was only kidding. The wagon ran over a rock causing it to bounce and Zelda to knock her head on one of the many boxes within the wagon. She rubbed the spot on her forehead tenderly. 'Ow! I hope that doesn't leave a bump!'

"Damn," a hushed mutter rose from the corner of the cabin. Zelda sat up from the most uncomfortable position she'd been lying in and looked over at Junto. He sat in the corner of the cramped wagon bathed in the sickly yellow light of a dying candle. He was scribbling something into a small leather bound book, or at least he had been. Now he sat frustrated at his inability to write in the wagon without being subject to bumps and jostles that caused him to scrawl ink all across the page. He tore a page from the book and threw it out the back of the wagon, muttering under his breath. He prepared to tear out another one when he noticed Zelda was staring at him.

"Eh, it's hard to write in here," he muttered a little embarrassed. Zelda crossed the tiny cabin over to Junto and sat down on a box across from him.

"What are you writing?" she inquired, casting an interested eye at the book.

"A kind of chronicle, of my travels," Junto replied as he closed up the book and set it to the side. "I like to document my journeys. I don't really know why, but it just seems like a good idea. I started once and actually found that it is a great way to pass the time, very introspective. So now I do it all the time."

"That's really cool," Zelda exclaimed. "So do you keep them somewhere? I mean by now you probably have a whole bunch of those little books filled up right?

"Well yeah, I used to," Junto spoke quietly. "I filled my basement up with these things, I figured one day I'd share a whole bunch of stories with my kids or something." Junto shifted uneasily. "But they were destroyed with my kingdom, so it really doesn't matter." Zelda gasped.

"Your kids!?" she breathed.

"No! My books!" Junto corrected her with an amused grin. Zelda sighed. She just realized that Junto probably thought she was an airhead or something now. As a matter of fact, now that she thought about it, she and Junto had never really had any conversation since she'd met him. She made a mental note to really get to know him before all this was over. She could start by proving that she wasn't an airhead.

"So Junto, how many-" Zelda was interrupted by a shrill whistle from outside. The wagon stopped, sending Zelda careening into a box with a thud.

"That's the signal!" Junto exclaimed as he clamored outside, grabbing his sword along the way. Zelda snatched up her own sword and promptly followed Junto out the back of the wagon, rubbing her sore butt on the way out.

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"Just give us the girl and the wagon and we just might let you live!" The apparent leader of these bandits ordered Link.

"Get out of our way," Link replied calmly, trying not to lose his patience with these vulgar men. In the flickering light of the lanterns on the dusty road, Link stood before the wagon facing the 12 heavily armed, unwashed bandits that blocked the road ahead. The leader of whom seemed to the ugliest smelliest of them all. He wore a breast plate and pair of boots, but left the rest of his body stark naked, allowing full disclosure of his unwashed body. The rest of his men were similarly clad, with incomplete sets of armor they'd surly pillaged. However they seemed to possess the decency not to leave their genitals hanging out.

"These here are our trails, no outsiders," the leader began again. "However if you give us-" He cut himself off as Junto and Zelda rushed from around the side of the wagon to join Link. Zelda wanted to gag, the collective rank odor of this man, coupled with the display of his filthy unwashed genitals made her want to puke. Junto stepped up beside Link taking up a very similar "super calm" demeanor.

"I take it back," the unwashed leader spoke again. "Give me both of these here wild women, and your wagon and I might let you live. Zelda had heard all she needed to hear. She removed Impa's family sword from her waist and held it at the ready. Link held out his hand, motioning for her to stand down. She eased up a bit, but didn't put her sword away, something told her this wasn't going to end peacefully.

"This is the last time I'm going to warn you. You have two options, die or leave. It's that simple," Link stated matter of factly. After a moment of mulling over Link's words, the leader burst out laughing, releasing a wave of putrid breath in Link's direction. The man cackled for a moment and then finally regained his composure.

"Kill them" He finally ordered his bandits. Those were the last words that man ever said. Before his mouth even stopped moving, he was in two halves on the ground. Zelda didn't even see Link take out his sword, much less swing it. The next few seconds were but a blur. Zelda saw the bandits charge, and she saw them die. Zelda watched, incapable of moving as blood sprayed left and right. She caught a few glimpses of Link's green tunic and flashing steel, he was so fast. Somewhere between three and four seconds in, Junto jumped into the fray, joining Link as they deftly cut down men like the grim reaper himself. When there was but one of the bandits left standing, Link high kicked the bandit in the face, causing him to careen to the ground. Link leapt into the air and came down with his boot on the man's windpipe, crushing it and killing him instantly. The whole fight was over in eight seconds.

Zelda had never seen so much blood in her life. She'd never seen Link like that, so cold and detached, so icy and apathetic. In fact, she'd never seen him kill a man. She'd seen him practice swordplay with the guards, and she had seen him fight Ganon long ago, but she'd never seen him like this; snatching away men's lives as though he was plucking plums from a tree. In those short eight seconds, Zelda had learned more about Link than she had in the entire time she'd known him. She remembered the time she'd first met him after his adventure, how broken he was over the things he'd seen and done. Only now did any of this really click with Zelda. She'd never seen the whole picture before. Link was a lot of things. He was a craftsman, a romantic, a hero, a lover, a fighter, a knight and many other wonderful things. But he was also a killer. And he was damn good at it. Zelda loved Link, she always would, but she had never known this side of him. The cool detached killer. She'd never seen him doing what he did best, his claim to fame, his talent, what got him where he is today. She stared at Link, transfixed. The images of the last few moments replayed in her mind. His usually amorous face had been a blank slate, the face of a cool headed life taking machine. He didn't even look angry as he forced his steel through those men's bodies. Only apathy had shown on his face, a blank and emotionless expression.

Link kicked the final man hard in the ribs, breaking a few of them but garnering no response. The bandit was dead. Link wiped the blood from his face, then looked down at his rough, callused, and now bloody hands. A feeling of déjà vu washed over him for a moment. And for but an instant, he could hear a tiny voice in the back of his head from years and years ago. "You're a natural born killer!" He didn't know where he'd heard that before, but it was definitely coming back to him now. Link breathed the fire from his lungs, a hot breath he'd been holding the whole time. "You're a natural born killer!"