I am back with a new chapter! Thank you to Sai257, That anon guy, RandomButLoved, and peritdotdiamonds for your reviews!
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The Third Ritual
Chapter XI
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Zelda hesitated at the door to her and Link's bedroom, her hand hovering over the gold handle. The stone hall was dark since night had long fallen outside. Normally being up at this hour would make her exhausted and short tempered. Perhaps she still was both of those things, but too many questions circled around her head. She couldn't relax, not until she had answers.
Link had been brought back to the castle an hour prior. Doctor Jim Goro had immediately been summoned. Even as Link regained his strength and began to talk more, assuring everyone he was fine, Jim Goro couldn't be calmed when he saw the Hero's throat. Over and over again he kept saying, "This is impossible. You should be dead." But all vital signs proved the contrary. Still, Jim Goro told them something wasn't right with Link, explaining that his pulse was too slow and that his temperature was too cold. But the Hero was responsive to tests to determine his vision, hearing, reaction time, and pain sensitivity. His memory was perfect, his strength was there. Nothing made sense. The normally amiable Goron had left in a fit of anxiety, promising he would be back the next morning for more tests.
Link had taken all of this grudgingly. The rest of the party that had brought him back home had cleared out, but Zelda doubted any of them were asleep yet. They wanted answers. She was only able to dismiss them by demanding she talk to her husband before anyone else and then she would confer his story to them. She was glad she was going to get the night alone with him. There was much that needed discussing.
Taking a breath to steady herself, the Queen entered their bedroom. Link was sitting up against the headboard of the bed, his pajamas on and sheet pulled up to his stomach. He broke into a large grin when she appeared. His eye binding had been set on the night stand, and both blue eyes held love and life in them.
"You're back!" he said. "Is there a crowd waiting in the hallway?"
Zelda returned the smile, crossing the moonlit room to sit on the bed across from him. "I managed to get everyone to go to sleep and hold off any meetings until tomorrow."
"There is nothing to meet about. I'm fine. Look at me! I'm fine."
"I am looking at you, Link. And not only do I not understand how you could have survived such a wound, but I also don't understand how it could have scarred over in only three days." Her hands clenched into fists in the sheets, her frustration clear. "Where have you been? Our bond has been silent. How did you get wounded? And why were you under the ground?"
He took a deep breath, his eyes distant for a moment. But after a long pause in which she expected him to start his story, he only asked, "It's been three days?"
Zelda nodded.
"I don't understand," he said simply. "I haven't eaten anything or slept. Unless I was in that pit unconscious for days? Or time moved differently in the Underworld?"
She held up a slender hand. "Hold on. What pit? What Underworld?"
Link shook his head, seeming to clear his own thoughts. "Okay, let me start from the beginning. That morning when we were separated, I went to the nearby town to buy you a new bow. I left a note and didn't expect to be gone long. But Lilith was in the village. She tried to kill the people there and we fought. I won, but she didn't die. She said she couldn't be killed. Then she knocked me out."
Zelda nodded vigorously, leaning forward. "Yes, that's what the villagers told us! That you stabbed her through the heart and she didn't die. When she left with you she set the place on fire. Don't worry, aid was sent there. Ganondorf and I arrived about a half hour after she left with you. The screams from the town woke us up. We gave chase into the mountains. Where did Lilith take you?"
"Near the coast, by a steep cliff," he answered. "I was tied up and drugged. Jasper was there." At Zelda's gasp he elaborated. "He was a middle aged man, bald, with some kind of paintings or tattoos down his face. The clearing we were in was . . . awful. Corpses of people and animals were everywhere. I could feel the dark magic in the area."
"Did Jasper tell you anything about himself?"
" . . . He did. He said he was a member of the cult you've been reading about. He's the last surviving member. Mordecai hunted the cult down and killed everyone except for him. Jasper was sent into the Realm of Eternal Darkness. When we killed Mordecai and broke his sword, Jasper was one of the many people released. His purpose now is to complete the ritual of his cult."
Zelda had to let that sink in for a moment, staring wide-eyed at the bed. Finally, everything was starting to make sense. The pieces were falling into place. She looked back to her husband. "Did he do that to you?"
Link reached up, feeling the scar over his throat. "Yes. He began chanting. Lilith took the Master Sword and threw it into the ocean. I kept trying to free myself, and then . . . I heard a voice in my head. A woman. I didn't recognize it. She told me not to be afraid and not to fight. That . . . Jasper would fear me, or something along those lines. So I stopped fighting. And he cut me. And I blacked out."
"It certainly wasn't me talking to you," Zelda said, her brow furrowed in puzzlement. "Did she say who she was?"
"No, but I could feel my Triforce activating. I know this is going to sound crazy, Zelda, but I think the goddess was talking to me. I think it was Farore."
"That doesn't sound crazy at all. There is so little we understand about our Triforces. But, I have to ask." She leaned forward. "Are you certain you heard someone? When faced with the possibility of death, sometimes the mind imagines things to comfort us."
A corner of his mouth lifted in a smirk. "Zelda, you know I've been faced with the possibility of death many times. For years with Mordecai I woke up each morning wondering if it would be my last. I was not afraid." His expression softened. "But I was afraid for you. The thought of leaving you alone . . . it broke my heart."
Those words hurt. A life without her husband was unthinkable. The empty void he would leave behind would swallow her whole. She had a taste of it now; the only thing that had kept her from falling apart was feeling the smallest glimmer of his presence through their bond.
The Queen asked, "Did Jasper chant in that language we've been translating?"
"Yes."
"It affected me, too. While searching the mountains with Ganondorf, I collapsed and those words came spewing from my lips. Ganon told me I started convulsing. Then I felt horrible pain across my throat. Ganon knocked me unconscious. I woke up in the castle and was told they were unable to find you. All that was discovered in the mountains was a burned clearing." She paused, then asked, "So what happened next? After you blacked out?"
"I woke in a pit. I climbed out into a dark cavern filled with many pits. I know some were marked like graves, but I never checked mine. I went down a stone passage and found myself in this strange place. There was a black river, the ground and trees were barren. The sky was starless. And there was a castle. A woman came out of it that just referred to herself as Death. She said she ruled over the Underworld and that dead souls of evil people were sent here as a punishment. I tried to convince her I wasn't dead. So she told me the way out of the Underworld. I took a boat down the river. There were dungeons and monsters and horrible things. I was being chased my some kind of eyeless creature when I found a tunnel and dug my way out." He tilted his head to the side. "How did you find me? Why was Talisman there?"
Zelda breathed deeply, letting his story sink in. It was fantastical. But they had been through so much in their young lives already. She could easily believe such a place existed. "We went to Talisman so he could help me tap into my Triforce and attempt to find you. With Ganondorf's help it worked. We arrived only a minute before you climbed out."
Link smiled warmly. "I'm glad you were there."
She shook her head, laughing slightly. "I don't understand any of this. How did you get transported to the Underworld? How did you survive such a wound? The goddesses surely must favor you, Link, Hero of Legend."
His smile widened. "I don't understand it, either. Perhaps Jasper's spell does not work on someone with the Triforce. Perhaps it protected me from the dark magic. It is holy, after all."
Zelda took a breath, running her mind over everything he'd told her. Trying to uncover the answers. And then it hit her. The reality that, if not for some kind of divine intervention, Link would be dead. Jasper succeeded in his quest for the third line of the Ritual. Death shall come to the Goddesses' fool. It did. But it did not end the way the cultist had planned.
And with that realization, a pain cut through Zelda's chest as her heart clenched. And she sobbed. At once Link's arms were around her, his face buried in her shoulder. He held her there in the moonlight until the crying stopped.
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It was hard to wake up the next morning. They were sore and tired and whatever sunlight that did make it into the room was dull and gray from the overcast sky. Their balcony doors looked over a Castle Town that was dreary and cold. Brown leaves were being blown from the trees, leaving the bark bare. They had arranged a breakfast meeting to fill the others in on Link's story and plot their next move. They had decided to invite anyone that was currently helping out on the mission to stop Jasper, which included Ganondorf, Acroff, Galen, Burning Joe, and Nabooru. Talisman and Isra were included for their input, although it was uncertain if the couple would be staying around or going back home. And Impa was also there as the liaison between the happenings of the castle and their quest.
Zelda got dressed in more casual clothes than she'd usually wear around the castle. A fine blue tunic hung over velvet brown pants. She kept her hair down and put on her gold tiara as well as the sapphire necklace Link had gotten her years ago.
Link looked at his reflection in the mirror as he finished getting ready. He felt exhausted, the journey through the Underworld must have really taken a toll on his body. He wore a green silk tunic that he allowed to hang loose over dark brown pants. He tied his eye binding behind his head and then hesitated, staring at the reflection of his throat. His hands slowly drifted down to hang at his sides. He couldn't go walking through the castle like that. It was sure to cause an uproar. So he grabbed a loose black scarf and draped it over his neck, covering up the wound. Zelda gave it a brief look before smiling at him as they made their way down to the dining hall for breakfast.
The others were already there and greeted Link warmly. After pleasantries were exchanged and the food was brought out, they all quieted down, prepared to hear Link's story.
"So," the young man began, making one sweep around the table to look everyone in the eye, "the morning that Ganondorf, Zelda, and I were traveling-"
Acroff cried out, his hands reaching out into midair as his chair toppled over backwards.
There was a beat of silence before Zelda asked, "Are you all right?"
The white haired man appeared again, kneeling on the floor. "Yes, but my staff just pulled me to the ground! Look, my strap ripped!" Indeed, the strap around his chest that held the Demon Staff to his back had torn. "I don't understand!" He turned and grunted, struggling to pick it up off the floor. It took a second pull before it came up, sending Acroff reeling into the wall.
"What is happening with your staff?" Talisman asked, his tone patient.
Acroff sat the black item against the back of his chair and returned to his seat. "For awhile now it's been acting ridiculous! It won't cooperate with spells I try, and sometimes it just acts on its own."
Talisman nodded thoughtfully. "I remember what you've told me about the staff in the past and how it gets its magic. Frankly, I'd never heard of it prior to meeting you so a minor magician must have created it. Someone with very little experience. The spell that holds it together must be wearing out."
Panic flashed across Acroff's face. "It can't! This staff is who I am! What am I supposed to do without its magic?"
"You can take it to someone else to re-enchant," Talisman answered. "It will cost a good amount of rupees, I'm sure, but that should fix it." He turned his steady gaze to the Hero. "Anyway, you were saying?"
Link recounted the same story he told Zelda. The group listened attentively and never asked questions. Their expressions would show shock, confusion, and worry and occasionally they would make eye contact with each other. When at last he was finished there was an extended silence. All their plates had been cleaned, and the windows showed a gray day extending over Hyrule.
"This is very troubling," Isra stated.
"I don't understand how you survived," Impa said, pain in her eyes. "The only explanation is that your Triforce protected you from necromancy."
"But then why send him to the Underworld at all?" Ganondorf asked, his arms crossed.
Nabooru suggested, "Perhaps it is the way the magic mixed. The Triforce could only do so much against this kind of ritual."
"Perhaps that was where the Ritual was going to send his soul," Acroff said. "But instead his whole body got sent from the protection of the goddesses."
Impa leaned back in her chair. "Whether or not this part of the Ritual was successful for Jasper, we must acknowledge that now the first three lines are complete. What was the fourth line, again?"
Zelda responded, "Six charms mark the end of mortal rule."
"What the hell does that mean?" Galen asked.
The Queen shook her head. "I have no idea. 'Charms' could refer to anything. Spells, items of value, items not of any value . . . I don't know where to go from here."
"The biggest question is," Link said, "where is Jasper now? He can't have gotten far."
"Perhaps he's returning to the desert," Ganon suggested. "Back to the old cultist lair for the charms."
"I sent a letter to our fortress there," Nabooru told him. "I authorized them to apprehend anyone heading into The Desolation and keep them for questioning."
The large Gerudo scowled. "You didn't ask me permission for that."
"That fortress is under my watch, I don't need your permission."
"Anyway," Link sighed, not in the mood for their bickering, "we need to focus on what our next step is."
After a moment of quiet where everyone considered, Zelda said, "I will do some research in the library to find out what charms this Ritual is referring to."
Galen briefly lifted his hand. "I'll order different groups of soldiers to begin scouting the mountains and Hyrule Field for Jasper and Lilith. They can't have gotten far."
Talisman spoke up, "I would like to assist in your research, Zelda."
The young woman smiled. "I appreciate any help you can offer, Talisman. Your wisdom is much needed here."
"I need to get my sword back," Link stated, his voice strained. "I don't know where it could be now."
"We should ask the Zoras," Impa encouraged. "They can find it quickly for us, if they are willing."
Zelda nodded. "We have good relations with them. But . . . that is a long way to travel."
Acroff waved his hand. "Use me! My Demon Staff can create portals for teleportation, after all."
The young woman raised her eyebrow skeptically. "Will it be . . . safe?"
Acroff pretended to look hurt, but his worried sidelong glance at the staff proved otherwise. "I'm sure it will be fine. It's never let me down when I've needed it."
"Well, that's settled then," the Queen stated. "Let's all do our best to find leads quickly and ensure Hyrule's safety."
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That afternoon found Link, Zelda, and Acroff standing in the castle courtyard, thicker layers of clothes on against the cold. Link had a simple soldier's sword strapped to his back, and he continually adjusted it. The weight just wasn't right. He wanted the Master Sword.
"Alright, boy and girl," Acroff said theatrically, stepping forward and giving the Demon Staff a few twirls. "Let's go visit the fishy people!" With one more spin a dark portal swirled into the air before them.
As they stepped into it, Zelda stated, "Please don't call them that on our visit." And then they had left the castle behind and stepped into the entrance of Zora's Domain.
It was a large cavern that a wide river flowed peacefully into. Nestled in a valley that normally would be green and full of flowers during the spring and summer, now the grass was brown and brittle and the trees barren. A thin waterfall trickled over a cliff to their left.
Two Zora guards approached, holding tall silver spears. Their silver and blue scales glistened even in the limited sunlight. "Your Majesties! And Lord Acroff! It is a pleasure to see you!"
Zelda nodded her head with a smile. "Thank you. We were hoping we could speak to your queen, Rutela. The matter is urgent."
"Of course! Right this way."
They followed the guards into the cavern. It was pristine and peaceful inside. The majority of the Zora home consisted of rivers and ponds and waterfalls. The three Hylians had to be careful of their footing through some slick areas. Silver torches shed light and cast dramatic shadows. Zoras could be seen swimming, shopping, and running their local businesses. Any that noticed the procession bowed in respect. They were led up a spiral staircase before they entered the coral-decorated throne room of Rutela. She was a beautiful Zora who wore an opaque silk dress of yellow and had long fins coming from her head, nearly like Hylian hair.
"Your Majesties," Rutela smiled, coming up from her shell throne and bowing in a sign of who the superior ruler was. "I am honored by your visit. How may I serve?"
Their relationship with the Zoras had remained fairly good throughout the years. It had been the Hylian Rebellion, after all, that had freed them from Mordecai's hold. They fell under the umbrella of Hyrule's kingdom, however, they were highly independent and mostly self-governed. Their culture and food were unique, and they spoke with a melodic accent. Due to their need to be in water nearly every hour, they remained isolated from much of Hyrule since it was dangerous for them. They were very protective of their home since it was one of few locations that had so much water in one area.
"I regret to inform that my Master Sword was lost," Link stated, taking a step forward. "It was stolen and cast over the side of a cliff in the mountains not far from here. We were hoping you could send some soldiers to look for it and hopefully retrieve it."
Rutela's glossy eyes fell on the Zora sapphire that Zelda wore around her neck, a gift given by Rutela herself to the young woman when they won their freedom. "We would be happy to assist. Please make yourself comfortable here, I will have my best divers search the area. I am very sorry this has happened." She smiled and swept out of the room, followed by the guards.
The three sat down on a long cushioned bench of white stone and blue pillows. Some time passed in silence before Link said, "I'm sorry about your staff, Acroff. Talisman might be right. We don't know how long it has existed. It could be wearing out."
The man sighed heavily. "The same way you feel right now without your Master Sword is the same way I feel about losing my staff. I don't know what I would do."
Zelda suggested, "When this all blows over we can search for the best enchanter in Hyrule and have it fixed."
"Thanks," Acroff replied, but his voice still sounded miserable. "I just want to help. I don't want my magic to fail me when it's needed most."
They spent the rest of their wait in silence or casual conversation. But as it took longer and longer for the Zoras to return the anxiety in the room grew stronger. What if the Master Sword was not found? Would they be able to defeat the evil of necromancy without the blade specifically made to combat such a thing? But after two hours finally the guards returned with Rutela. And grasped in the hands of one of the Zoras was the Master Sword.
Link couldn't stop himself from exclaiming as he jumped up. "Oh goddesses! Thank you so, so much!"
Rutela smiled. "Our Hero needs his sword to defend us."
Link took it, the metal cold and some seaweed wrapped around the hilt. "Where was it?"
"If we properly identified the cliff then it fell directly below to the bottom, about fifty meters down. It is a miracle the currents didn't drag it further into the ocean. It truly must be a blessed blade."
More thanks were exchanged and then the trio exited Zora's Domain. The sun was setting, casting the valley in shadow. Once again Acroff was able to create a portal to take them straight to the grounds of Hyrule Castle. A few servants and soldiers were startled at their sudden appearance, but then bowed and called out greetings. The sun was behind the castle, and they stood in deep shadow and cold.
"Thank you, Acroff," Zelda said. "That made things much easier."
He smiled.
They walked up the large steps into the castle only to nearly run into Burning Joe as he transported a large painting down the hall.
Link pulled up quickly. "Hey, Burning Joe. Where are you hanging that?"
"The greeting place," the thin man responded, still focused on his task.
Knowing that was his way of explaining the formal chamber where they sat with guests, Zelda held up her hand. "Hold on! You know I have to approve the art for that room first. We can't have another incident like the nude one of yourself you did. Let me see."
Without much change of emotion, Burning Joe stopped and swung the large painting around, showing them his work. As usual, it was very good. The man was talented with paint and had a vision for realism. This one showed a long dark hallway in the castle. Banners hung lifeless on either side. A single torch was towards the foreground of the art, but deep in the recess it was darkness. The only thing visible was a solitary white figure standing in the shadows.
Link felt his heart clench. He pointed to the figure. "Burning Joe, who is that?"
"The ghost."
"Ghost?" Acroff gasped, looking confused.
"You've seen it, too?" Zelda asked the artist.
Burning Joe nodded. "Many times. When I walk at night. It is hard to see up close. I don't know details. Just this is all I see. Just this."
There was a long pause as Zelda and Link stared at each other, worry pouring through their bond.
"Can I hang it up?" Burning Joe asked.
The Queen hesitated. " . . . Sure. Go ahead."
As the man left Acroff asked, "What is going on? You two didn't tell me about this!"
Link let out his breath heavily. "We've had a lot going on. But there have been frequent sightings of a supposed ghost in this castle. I've seen it as well. We have no idea what to make of it."
Acroff looked extremely uncomfortable, glancing around, but said no more.
"Let's get some dinner," Zelda stated. "I'm hungry."
"You two go on," Link said. "I'm going to pray in the temple for a few minutes. Thank the goddesses for returning the Master Sword."
His wife smiled. "Okay, honey, we will meet you in the dining room."
As the two left, Link turned down one corridor and went through a pair of ornate doors into the goddesses' shrine inside the castle. There was a larger temple outside of the castle, but it was often busy. Link liked his solitude. The room was medium sized with rows of benches and a large statue of all three goddesses up on the altar. Incense burned and low candlelight lit the area.
Link sat down on the first bench, looking up at the statue. In recent years he tried to visit this area more often. The goddesses had led them through every trial that came his way and had blessed him with a home, a wife, and happiness. And again, it seemed, they had protected him from Jasper's magic and returned his Master Sword to him. He felt he owed them some time out of his days in prayer and meditation.
As the Hero of Legend, Link still wasn't sure what role the goddesses intended for him. Perhaps only to be a champion for good and protect the common people. He would do so happily. He'd been given power and would use it as best he could. He would protect so that other children wouldn't grow up like he did – orphaned and alone. But what was he supposed to do with his piece of the Triforce? Was it simply a vessel for his power or could he actively use it? Was he supposed to speak to Farore daily, or was his relationship supposed to be more passive? Should he continually ask for guidance or trust his decisions would be the right ones?
All he could do was hope he was on the right path and the Farore would bless his quest to rid the world of the necromancer. And so he closed his single eye and bowed his head, and allowed his thoughts to drift inward.
I don't understand what happened to me, he mentally spoke to Farore. But I feel that you guided me in that clearing with Jasper. I was spared. So I know you have more plans for me. I will stop Jasper and Lilith and restore peace to Hyrule again. But I feel . . . wrong. The Underworld affected me. Will this pass? Or will I always have some lingering symptoms of that brush with death?
Link opened his eyes, his elbows resting on his knees. He didn't expect an answer, but it felt good to talk about his emotions. It helped unwind the tangled mess inside of him. He needed to ensure that he talked about and came to terms with what happened to him in those mountains. He had kept the pain from Mordecai bottled up for so long that it gave him posttraumatic stress. Precautions would be taken from here on out to keep his mind clear and focused. At least, he would try his best. It would help if he fully comprehended why he didn't die and why he was sent to the Underworld. For now, he would need to be content with not knowing.
There was a flash of white in his peripheral vision. Link whipped around to see the ghostly figure dart out the shrine door. But something was different this time. This time, he was sure he could distinctly make out a foot.
Link immediately got up and ran out into the hall. He saw the foot again as the figure made a left down a now dark and deserted hallway. Running after it, he skidded around the corner to see it pass through a door as if it wasn't there. The young man hurried to the small wooden door and flung it open, his heart racing.
He was faced with a cleaning closet. Brooms and mops hung on the back wall and boxes full of supplies sat on either side. And in the small space between it all, huddled on the floor, was a girl. She was completely monochromatic, shining with a dull, eerie white light. Like fog in a swamp. She appeared to be thirteen or fourteen. Thin and bony, a simple, sleeveless white dress hung to her knees. Her hair was stringy and unkempt, hanging over her face and to her waist. Her eyes were big as they started up at the shocked and grounded Hero.
"What the hell?" he breathed, gaping down at her. "What are you?"
"My name is Silada," she whispered, shaking. "I-I don't know where I am."
"My lord!" a soldier's voice came from the side, causing the already tense Hero to jump. The soldier jogged down the hall. "Is everything all right? I saw you running."
Link's head whipped back and forth between the girl and the guard before saying, "Come over here! There is a girl who is lost."
The soldier hurried up and slowed to a stop in front of the open closet. He stared down, then looked up at the young man. "My lord?"
"We should see if she needs medical attention," Link advised.
The soldier's frown deepened. "My lord . . . there is no one in this closet."
Link couldn't describe the emotions that gripped up as he turned from the guard's confused face down to Silada's scared one. His voice was barely audible as he asked the girl, " . . . Are you the one that possessed my wife?"
Her gaze did not leave his as she answered, "Yes, I am."
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Update 10/30/18: I am a published author! Go to my profile and the link at the top will take you to my bookstore!