Sorry for the late update guys! Thanks for the follows and favs! I promise I won't give up on this story, no matter how long my updates take. Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Sorry! Fun fact at the end. :)
Expired
Duvaine's stomach surged into her throat; she screamed in horror, knowing they were going to die. The wind filled her ears, blocking out all sounds. Link's callused fingers fumbled for a better grip around her. He held her against his body tightly, clasping her head firmly to his shoulder. Only heartbeats had passed, and it was only a few heartbeats more before they hit the frigid water.
The force of the impact punched the air from Duvaine's lungs. The water suffocated her senses; it burned down her throat and clogged her ears and nose. Link's grip hadn't loosened as he heaved them, in what Duvaine assumed, was up.
Somehow, they managed to break the surface. A torrent of water poured painfully from Duvaine's throat as she coughed and spit feebly; her lungs were on fire. She sobbed as she scrambled to latch onto Link's chest, afraid of going under again.
"Woah! Hold on—" He warned as she clutched at his neck, but it was too late. Duvaine dunked them both under the water in her panic to keep herself afloat. Her body trembled in fear, especially when Link abruptly disappeared from her grip. Panic blinded her as she kicked out, trying to find him again.
No! She wailed, her lungs screaming as she drifted. No! She couldn't lose him!
Arms wrapped around her from behind, locking her own arms against her sides. The image of a carnivorous monster residing in the lake unreasonably burned her mind. Duvaine struggled against the arms, terrified. Again, her head broke the surface. A high pitched scream of terror burst from her sore lungs. A large hand clamped over her mouth. A gruff familiar voice was warm against her ear, instantly relieving her tension.
"Calm down!" Link commanded. "Be still."
She did; her breathing halted in anticipation, then she realized they weren't drowning. Her fingers dug into his arm, her heart rate already decelerating as he clutched her to his chest. Duvaine focused on his heartbeat, his breaths, and tried to match them. She felt like a dead weight in the water, it was cold and uninviting. Her leg burned from the wound there, needles stabbed at her skin mercilessly. She whimpered.
"Link— I can't swim." She finally croaked. He actually had the nerve to chuckle.
"I know." He answered, "But I can. Do you trust me?"
"Of course I do." She answered too quickly; he chuckled under his breath again.
"Good. We need to get to the shore before they come searching for us." He began to tow her in. The cold drove deeper and deeper into Duvaine's bones with each stroke. By the time they reached the shore, she was fairly certain she had lost all her toes.
They dragged themselves out of the water sluggishly, both exhausted from the night's endeavors. Duvaine clutched her arms fruitlessly, trying to warm herself in the chilly night air despite the water dripping from her heavy clothes.
Before she could say anything, Link was squating beside her. His fingers were gentle on her skin as he traced the wound still bleeding profusely. Duvaine whimpered in pain, laying back so she wouldn't have to see.
"It's pretty deep." Link groaned quietly. Duvaine didn't reply, hugging her torso instead.
"It hurts." She blubbered, trying to keep the moans of pain to a minimum. Her leg was burning from the inside out.
"Can I―" Link's voice distracted her for a second. He was gesturing towards her leg. Duvaine nodded numbly and his fingers went back to work.
She squeezed her eyes shut tightly as he worked. His hands were gentle as they worked over the ruined skin. Duvaine inhaled sharply when he began to wrap it. She didn't hide it well enough, he paused, waited a moment, then kept going. Every time she did so, every time she ground her teeth together, he paused and waited a moment. The bandage he used was soaking wet, just like the rest of their things. There was nothing either of them could do about it.
"Did you ever speak to Zelda about the village?" The thought crossed her mind as she plopped down to the grass. It was the whole reason Link had come to Castle Town in the first place.
"I did." He replied, plopping down beside her. "She told me you would come find me, and assured me she would send troops to Ordon."
They lay out on the soft grass just past the shore. The entrance to the spirit spring was several strides away; Link didn't seem to be in any hurry as he caught his breath. Duvaine closed her eyes, letting relief wash over her with the hard ground beneath her. She did her best to ignore the pain.
"Thank you." She whispered.
"Any time." He replied; she could hear the small smile in his voice.
"For more than this." She gestured to the both of them. A cough gave her pause, needles still poking the inside of her chest. "I mean all of it. You've done more than enough. Even when you knew I lied… I don't understand any of it Link. I don't understand why you're still here." The last words were whispered, as if afraid he would see her logic.
"Why would I leave you now?" He asked, clearly offended. He tilted his head towards her; Duvaine refused to look back as shame burned her ears.
"You know perfectly well why you should. Did you not see what I did? To that man? The one in market? Do you even understand what I really am?" She asked quietly, closing her eyes and holding her breath.
Silence stretched over them; despite her words of warning Duvaine wanted to move closer to him. She was freezing and he was warm.
He sat up sharply with a huff. "Duvaine, I know why you lied to me. Madame Fanadi showed me everything else. I know how you escaped, I know how you got to Ordon. I know who you are."
"A monster." She hissed, sitting up and looking down at her pale skin. "And I always will be."
"That's just a label they gave you because they didn't want to take the time to understand." His voice was quiet, yet hard as steel. "You aren't who they say. You are who you want to be."
She blinked as fresh tears threatened to spill down her face. "Link…" She breathed, her heart suddenly pounding in her chest. "I wish you hadn't found me in those woods, then I wouldn't have to be afraid of hurting you." Her voice was small.
He ground his teeth together, she could hear it. His hurt filled her atmosphere, she blinked.
"Oh Link, I only say that because I— I care for you." She found her courage and scooted closer to him. The sky was lightening, so she could easily make out the curve of his face. With a shaky hand, she cupped his warm cheek in her palm.
His eyes flashed to hers, the hurt fading. He clasped her hand against him when she pulled away, closing his eyes and pulling her into a hug. He was warm, so warm. Duvaine melted into him with a sigh.
They sat quietly for a long moment, just happy to feel each other's warmth.
"Who is Uma?" He asked against her sodden hair.
"She's mine and Fovi's nanny. But I think she may be somebody else…" Duvaine said thoughtfully, shivering from a slight breeze.
"Somebody else? What do you mean?" He asked.
"There's an old nursery story that's popular in Elohn. It's about a lesser goddess who fell in love with a mortal. Din cursed the mortal to teach Pathraza a lesson. I think…" She paused, realizing how rediculous she sounded.
"You think Uma is a part of that story?" Link asked, he didn't seem skeptical.
"She must be. It only makes sense… But I don't understand." She moaned, gritting her teeth from a sudden burst of discomfort. "I'm done lying to you Link. I haven't been honest with you from the beginning, I'm sorry." Her voice trembled, she buried her face deeper into his tunic.
"I haven't been completely honest with you either." His chest vibrated against her nose, she squeezed her eyes shut tighter.
"That's alright," She hummed. "You don't need to be."
He continued anyway, Duvaine's brow furrowed. "I knew you before the children found you."
"W-what do you mean?" She whispered, clutching him tighter, afraid he would let go.
"I kept having strange dreams." He finally whispered against her ear, "I was surrounded by darkness. I always knew it was just my own anger. It would wrap around me and smother me until I didn't I would ever feel anything else ever again. Then she would appear, she would look at me for a long time with a sad smile on her face. I would yell at her. I would tell her to go away, yet... she somehow always knew I was bluffing. She knew I was afraid."
Duvaine inhaled sharply, becoming still against him. He froze too, as if afraid she would push him away.
"She would whisper something to me softly, she told me she could fix it. She could fix all the pain and the anger. Her hair was longer than any I had seen, white as snow. Her face was almost as pale, and her eyes made me think she was a ghost."
Duvaine began to tremble, hearing him describe her out loud made her want to vomit. She wasn't natural―
"But she wasn't a ghost, she was a blessing. She ripped the chains away and would suffer through the pain so I wouldn't have to." His grip on her tightened slightly. "I would watch my darkness drag her away from me, and no matter what I did I could never get her back." His voice was bitter and furious.
Duvaine was still, finally after too long, she found her voice. "It was me?" She whispered. It made sense now, the way he had looked at her when she had woken in his home. He had been expecting something, what Duvaine hadn't a clue.
"I was more than a little surprised when I found you. I almost thought you would recognize me too." He laughed at himself, the sound resonating against Duvaine's ear. "But you just screamed and ran away."
Duvaine couldn't help a small huff of amusement. She remembered clearly, being blinded by how attractive he was, then being terrified he was going to kill her.
"I thought you were going to try and kill me." She admitted. "I had been running for two weeks by myself, I was scared."
He hugged her tighter, burying his face into her neck. "Never." He whispered into her hair. Something swelled deep inside Duvaine's chest. What could this possible mean? She had only felt something similar with Fovi; this love she felt for Link went much much deeper than that though. It was as if her entire being were drawn towards him.
A memory flashed in the back of her mind, the way Anoc had felt for Fovi. That sense of devotion, to love somebody else with all of your being. This is what Duvaine felt for Link. Her heart was melting in her chest, the feeling was overwhelming. It filled her with warmth from the top of her head to the tips of her toes. She knew that if she could, her entire face would be afire with blush.
"Link…" She whispered, opening her eyes slightly. The sky was brighter than before. "I— The sky." It all drained away, panic rushing in to replace it, "The sun!"
He pulled away and looked at her in confusion. Understanding crossed his glistening face, then he was pulling her up into his arms.
Duvaine gasped in pain from the jostle. Her arms wrapped around his neck to help him support her. He ran towards the cave, the shade of it even colder than the early morning air. He looked at her with bright eyes, a smile spreading across his pale face.
"We made it!" He grinned.
"We can't stay hidden in here—" Duvaine gasped, sentence cut off as she doubled over in pain.
Agony ripped through her skull and burned down her limbs. The darkness spread across her skin all at once. She watched it sizzle across her hands in a blink. "No!" Her voice turning into a strangled cry.
"Duvaine!" Link shouted, almost dropping her as she writhed. She clenched her eyes shut, trying to dispel the demon taking over her body and soul.
The world was a blur as she became weightless. Link's arms around her felt like smoke. Her skin itched with pain as his emotions swirled around her head. She moaned in agony, trying to ease the fire burning behind her eyes.
Not again. She pleaded silently. Please let it end.
There was nothing but the pain and the darkness. It pushed against her mind, forcing its way in by sheer force. In a futile effort, Duvaine pushed back. She bit her tongue as the misery surged through her veins. Her body convulsed, her limbs not under her own control. A tormented cry echoed off the cave walls; Duvaine realized after a moment that it was her own.
"Please!" Link called out. "Help!" His voice was shaking, barely under control.
Duvaine's eyes were half lidded, but she felt herself being gently laid on damp earth. A hand cupped her face lightly, fingers fluttered across her face in obvious panic. She tried to open her mouth to say something, but it came out as a pained squeal.
Light shined through her eyelids; she cracked them open to see what was causing it. Her head lulled awkwardly, revealing the largest snake she had ever seen. Her first instinct was to cringe away from it; the fear was lost as the pain of what felt like a knife plunged deep into her skull. Her leg was nothing compared to this agony.
Why do bring me thissss demon, chosen one? An ancient voice hissed, resonating through Duvaine's bones.
"Please! Help her!" Link begged, the hand on her face disappeared.
The bessst way to help her isss to kill her. The voice was angry. Wrathful anger struck Duvaine in the chest, powerful enough to be noticed even through the torture.
"There has to be a way. Help. Her." Link's voice was murderous.
There issss only one way to cure thissss diseasssse she carriesss. It's voice was slow, thoughtful.
"How?!" Link demanded. Duvaine tried to reach out to him, to calm him. It didn't work as she curled up on herself instead, trying to drive the monster out of her head.
Kill the sssource of the cursssse. Only the Hero Chosen by The Goddesses has the power to destroy it completely.
"The source?" Link spat. "What souce—?"
"In Elohn." Duvaine moaned. "Where it began."
"How?!" Link challenged fiercely.
She will not sssurvive long enough for you to cleanse Ibo. End her ssssuffering now Chosen one, you are doing her a kindnessssss—"
"How!?" He demanded again, his voice brutal.
The deity paused, Duvaine could barely catch the words as her hearing faded. You mussst pledge to it… your ssssoul.
"No." Duvaine whimpered.
"Yes." He hissed back, his voice broken.
"Please Link." She wept. "You can't— Please. I'm going to die anyway…" She whispered, eyes fluttering closed. "I want you to know—" She cried out and clutched her stomach. "You're the first person I ever learned to love." She gasped, letting the words fade on her lips as she uselessly reached for his face. "Don't make it for nothing..."
She could feel the breath leaving her body. From the bottom of her heart, she prayed the spirit would destroy whatever monster rose from her corpse if Link couldn't do it.
"No!" Link shouted, "You aren't going to die!"
His hands squeezed her shoulders tightly, then moved to cup her face again. His emotions ran through her, replaying over and over, only adding to the agony.
"There has to be another way!" Link forced, his voice filled the cave and echoed back at them; his breathing was ragged above her. She could barely hear it as she floated towards the final sleep. Another wail bled from her ruined throat as she clutched her head, pulling on her own hair in a desperation to get the darkness out.
The darknesssss can be moved to another for a short time.
"Do it." Link commanded, his voice as broken as Duvaine felt.
Duvaine knew she was dead, but before she lost all feeling there was a warmth pressed against her lips.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
A woman's high pitched scream filled Duvaine's ears intensely. Blinking her eyes open, she waited wearily while her surroundings came into focus.
The room was small, too small for the comotion within. Chatter filled Duvaine's ears; her gaze skipped around the dim room. It smelled of sweat, piss, and blood. Duvaine had somehow gone unnoticed, her body pressed tightly into one of the corners. The cold from the wall leaked through her shirt and spread across her back.
There was a woman lying on a bed, sweat plastered her hair to her face and pain muddled her features.
Curling her fingers into a tight fist, she dared to move closer. Who was the woman? How had Duvaine gotten here of all places? The last thing she remembered… what was the last thing she remembered?
Inhaling a rugged breath, she tried to look confident as she weaved among the servants. The woman's birth bed was only a step away when somebody ran into her. Duvaine gasped, bracing herself for the impact and sting of landing on the hard stone beneath them. When it didn't come, she pried open her eyes to find the servant disappear through her.
"I— I'm a ghost!" Duvaine gasped in horror. Nobody seemed to hear her. Swallowing down her rising panic, she reached the edge of the woman's bed on unsteady legs. "D―Did I die?" She whispered in fear.
The woman's scream filled the room again; it was more forceful this time, Duvaine covered her ears until it passed.
"Good girl. Once more. Come on now!" One of the servants murmured, holding the soon to be mother's hand fiercely.
Duvaine stared at the woman breathing heavily through her mouth. Tears streamed down her face while sweat glistened across her skin. It was easy to see that she was beautiful, but her auburn hair had lost any luster it may have had and dark bags sank beneath her eyes. Duvaine's brow furrowed deeply; somehow this woman felt familiar.
"Almost there! I see the head!" A woman between her legs encouraged.
Duvaine watched quietly, while the mother struggled to bring her child into the world. Her face was pinched; rigorous tears rolled down her face and one last scream of agony ripped through the tiny room. After what felt like hours, a new kind of cry replaced it.
"That's it!" Somebody shouted. Duvaine's eyes followed the voice; she watched the servant hold up a child. It was still slick from the womb. The women were quick to wipe the child down and wrap it up tightly in a blanket. Even in the light of the lanterns, auburn hair was visible sticking up at impossible angles.
They placed the child in its' mother's arms. Duvaine scrutinized the baby; she had never been so close to an infant before. Its' face was tiny, nose squished and eyebrows molded together. It kept its' eyes firmly shut as it wailed to the heavens, gums gaping and searching. The mother looked at her child with unrequited love, stroking its' face and whispering softly to it. After a moment, it calmed.
"What will you name it?" A servant asked quietly. Most of the servants had already filed out of the room, taking soiled clothes and buckets of water with them.
The mother blinked, looking thoughtful. "Galiel," She smiled. "Because she is my light."
"A beautiful name." The servant replied warmly.
"Thank you Uma." The mother whispered, earning a straight toothed smile in return.
Duvaine gasped, and Uma's gaze flickered to her for only a second before concentrating back on the new mother. This woman couldn't possibly be Uma. She was young and beautiful! Her hair was shining and her skin was smooth. She didn't look a day older than twenty summers.
"Uma?" Duvaine asked. "What's happening? Where am I―?"
"I am afraid I won't be there to see her when she's older." The woman choked on a sob, hugging the child tighter. It seemed to pick up on it's mother's distress; it's wail filled the room again, just as heartbroken as the look on her mother's face.
Uma's gaze flickered over Duvaine again, the woman didn't catch it.
"If she were here now…" Uma began softly, "What would you say to her?"
The woman looked down at the child and kissed it on the head sweetly. "I would tell her I love her. I would tell her never to give up and be strong. She is my daughter, nobody else's. H-he can curse her twenty times over, but she will always be mine."
Duvaine felt something in her chest twinge. The woman's voice felt so familiar, but how?
"What of her name?" Uma asked quietly. The mother hissed in anger.
"Damn Zara and his names. It doesn't matter what they call her. Galiel. Duvaine. It will not change her being my daughter."
Duvaine's heart stopped in her chest. "Mother?"
"Hush now." Uma whispered, glancing at Duvaine through thick lashes. "I will watch over her. The last of my strength will protect her from the curse. When she is old enough, she will be the one to break it."
"I pray you're right." The woman whispered against the forehead of infant Duvaine. "I pray you're right..."
The room started to fade, Duvaine lunged forwards. "Wait! No!"
XXX
She crashed into darkness, tumbling and falling until finally she was still. She could feel bruises blossoming on her skin. Biting back a whimper, she pushed herself to her feet. Her eyes scoured the darkness, wet with sorrow. It was fruitless; she couldn't see anything.
"Hello?" Her voice was broken. "Is there anybody here? Mother?"
There was no answer, making goosebumps rise on her arms and legs. Before she could decide what to do next, a huge explosion flattened her against the ground. Debris and hot air blew over her in a cloud. Coughing from the dust, she peaked over a rock, not sure what to expect.
"That's it! We did it!" A voice echoed around her, startling her.
Duvaine waited only a second before a man appeared through the smoke holding a torch. She gasped and stumbled backwards, scraping her hands on the hardness of the ground. The man didn't seem to notice her or the noises she made.
It was her father, Zara. Except, he was younger. Much younger. His beard was only light scruff on his young face. His entire body was covered in dust, as if he had been underground for days.
"This is it!" He murmured, his voice echoing across the cavern. Duvaine blinked, finally following his gaze.
There was a great oak tree illuminated by the torch. The cavern was much larger than Duvaine had previously believed. The tree filled the space, even without leaves it's branches filled the enormity of the cavern. The roots were twisted and knotted, black obsidian rock nestled firmly beneath it.
Zara jostled closer to it, his body humming in anticipation. Duvaine moved closer as well, watching in fear as the roots began to glow in the darkness. Zara didn't seem to notice as he shoved the torch between two roots and moved closer to the obsidian nestled there. His fingers dusted off the rock, revealing words in a strange language.
"It's here. It's all here. This is where Ibo was buried." He sighed in delight, pressing his forehead against the cold stone. "We can finally seal it up for good."
Duvaine blinked in surprise. Seal it?
He stood after a moment, gazing at the tree with squinted brow. The roots were glowing brighter, then they began to tremble. Duvaine gasped as the mountain shuddered around them. They were thrown to the ground, Duvaine watched in horror as a large root wrapped around Zara's body.
"No!" She shouted, trying to stand. "Don't!"
Another root wrapped around her ankle, trapping her in place. It snaked up her body, squeezing tighter and tighter until she couldn't breath.
Zara yelled in fear as the roots around him glowed brighter and brighter until it filled the entire cavern with light. Duvaine screamed in fear, trying to shield her eyes. Her vision faded, the breath squeezed from her body.
XXX
The darkness can be moved to another for a short time. The voice hissed.
Do it! Link yelled.
Duvaine gasped, her eyes flying open to the light surrounding the spirit spring. Heavy breathing filled her eardrums, it took her a moment to realize it was only her own. Her neck was stiff, her back ached, and her limbs made of jelly.
Forcing herself to sit up, she instantly wished she hadn't.
Not three feet away from her, a massive furry heap was curled. Her heartbeat exploded from her chest as she scrambled away. Around the animal, Link's clothes were shredded and ripped apart. His bag lay forgotten, his tools strewn out of it carelessly.
A horror filled shriek ripped from Duvaine's throat. She backed up to the wall in terror as the animal startled awake. A deep growl filled the cave, rumbling off the walls. The thing that had eaten Link stood up with the most menacing snarl she had ever seen. Fear ripped through her as it stalked towards her, she couldn't back up anymore; there was nowhere else to go.
Tears tumbled down her face; she found her gaze locked to the eyes of the creature.
They were the bluest blue she had ever seen, and they were familiar. A dream rushed back into her memory. The memory of a memory... The memory of a memory that wasn't her own. A blued eyed beast traveling with an imp in search of light. Duvaine froze where she cowered, her eyes widening.
"Link?" She quavered. It paused, the growl falling silent. "You're not going to hurt me." She whispered, reaching a shaking hand towards him.
Link's wolf form was huge. He was just as tall as her still, his ears even taller than the top of Duvaine's head. His snout was a mixture of gray and white. A pattern formed up the sides of his head and met between his eyes. His earrings still pierced his canine ears. His paws were gigantic, each one the size of Duvaine's face. Her fingers stroked through the soft fur atop his head, he closed his eyes with a warm huff.
"Wh— What did you do?!" She demanded in horror.
He didn't, couldn't, reply. Duvaine took a step closer to him; he instantly forced his nose into her face, sniffing loudly and intruding.
"Ack! Link! Stop!" She tried to swat his nose away as he sniffed her hair. Duvaine tripped over her own feet and landed hard on her bottom. "Ouch!" She scolded, giving him a glare. "Would you stop it?" She demanded as he continued to sniff her.
That's when she realized something; Duvaine could feel Link's curiosity. "What?" She blinked, "If you took the darkness away, why can I still sense you?" Before she could do anything else, her hair fell passed her shoulder. They weren't white strands that met her gaze.
Without saying anything, she clambered to her feet. Her leg was somehow healed, even the bandage gone. She stumbled outside, shielding her eyes from the sun's rays. Kneeling beside the lake, she tried to even her breathing as she leaned over the water.
Strands of auburn hair fell over her shoulders, the ends threatening to dip into the lake. "What happened to me?" She gasped in shock, barely catching herself from tumbling headfirst into the water.
Her hair was indeed auburn, her eyes were a delicate shade of brown. Her skin was rosy, filled with a flush she had never witnessed before. Duvaine… had color.
"L-Link?" Duvaine turned back towards him, biting her lip. "What happened?"
He was sitting back on his haunches, looking at her expectantly. His relief was amiable, leaking off of him like a water faucet.
"You're happy about this?" She asked quietly, he cocked his head at her. "You saved me." She whispered. "Link you saved me… at the cost of your— your body."
He shrugged his massive shoulders, giving her a look that said: I would do it again.
"Is this…? Is this how I looked when I was born?" She knew the answer already, had she not just witnessed it?
She sat beside him, trying to process this. Her fingers were intertwined with the longest piece, as if the color may disappear if she rubbed out the ink. The strands shined in the daytime sun, looking more red than brown. Duvaine took a deep breath and shifted closer to Link until she was able to wrap her arms around his neck. He held still, and she whispered into his fur.
"Thank you."
He hummed back quietly, nuzzling her head. A tear leaked down her face. Without the darkness she was only a girl, the man she loved was a blue eyed beast, and they were supposed to stop a darkness that was hundreds of miles away.
"Now what?" She whispered.
XXXXXXXXXXXX
Fun Fact: When I was first drafting this story, Duvaine was pictured as a runaway demon escaped from another country. In that draft, I had chosen opposite colors. She was portrayed as a fast moving sprite with pitch black hair and pitch black eyes that could easily maneuver through the trees. That was how I had her meet the children as their "imaginary friend." I decided this was a typical setup for a typical mary sue, and so she changed!
