Chapter 14
The Behemoth placed two meaty hands on the old man's shoulders and pushed him down to his knees. Prince Ralis placed a foot on a bench, his arms resting over his knee, and looked down. "Auru, is it?"
"Yes." The old man's voice shook.
Someone else cut in. "Stop this! This is a holy place!"
Ralis looked up. Eldin's priest stood before him, his face twisted in fury. Pinkish light filled the hall as sunlight flitted through the cathedral's stained-glass windows.
"Get out," Ralis spat. "Unless you'd like to discuss it with my companion here."
The white-garbed priest took one look at the Behemoth, the conflict clear on his face, then turned and stalked off, muttering under his breath. Ralis watched him go. He didn't care about offending the sensibility of any Hylian superstitions. In fact, he found everything Hylian-related grating.
"You're certain it was her?" he asked, addressing his captive once again.
Auru bowed his head. "She used magic. It was her."
"Who was with her...?"
"Just-just a man," Auru stammered. "He wore a mask. A silver one."
"Damn."
Ralis had only one aim - bed the princess, show the dominance of the Zora by bringing the stubborn girl to a helpless state of bliss. It was crude, but so what? He didn't care which Zora did it, either, whether it was himself or his dearly-departed friends.
All that mattered was that a Zora did it first. But now she was in the hands of some Hylian commoner. It was simply unacceptable.
The prince felt his cheek twitch. "And you have no idea where they went...?"
"No, Your Majesty." The old man met Ralis's stare. "I used to serve her family. A long time ago. Serve the king, I mean. I don't particularly care for her. She's a tyrant."
Ralis's eyes narrowed. "She's my wife."
He nodded at the Behemoth. The big man grabbed Auru by the head and twisted. A crack echoed around the hall. Auru fell limp as he tumbled to the ground.
"Well, that was clever," a smooth, feminine voice said. "If he didn't care for her, he would've been willing to help us."
Ralis turned and tried to search for the source of the voice. It was no use, of course. Midna knew how to keep herself well-hidden. She only ever revealed herself to drop hints on which way to go. It was galling.
"You're the Tracker," the prince replied. "So go track."
He didn't want to admit that she was right. Ralis had grown up in Zora's Domain a shy and awkward boy. He was certain the other Zora whispered behind his back, questioned his every movement. He'd hated that.
When he'd come of age, he'd been plagued by lustful thoughts, but didn't have the courage to speak to any Zora girls his age - all except one, and she'd reciprocated his feelings. But she was a commoner, and Queen Rutela had forbade it from going further.
Thwarted, Prince Ralis had found himself forced into a marriage with Princess Zelda. The Zora had endured decades of abuse at the hands of these humans, and now his mother had accepted an alliance on the word of this girl...? No, just no. The princess would submit to a Zora, and then, finally, Ralis would get the respect that he deserved.
"Are you finished daydreaming?" Midna asked.
He ignored her, and gestured to the Behemoth instead. "Come."
The big man shuffled after him as the prince left the cathedral and stepped out into the cool, Eldin air. Ralis unhooked a pouch from his belt, pulled the stopper free with his teeth, and sprinkled some water all over himself. He'd been too long away from the Domain.
The Behemoth hadn't said a word since they'd left the castle. He obeyed, though, and Ralis was grateful for that.
The prince had learned from Captain Rusl that Hylian soldiers were given Red Potion from a young age until they reached eighteen. After that, they wouldn't need it anymore; it stayed in the body, working its wonders. The Behemoth had received the same dose within a matter of hours. It remained to be seen if any ill-effects would result from that.
Red Potion. The Hylians most closely-guarded secret. Well, it was until Rusl had unwittingly let it slip to Ralis. Now the prince knew the name of the young man who brewed the stuff for the Hylians.
As the prince walked off with the Behemoth in tow, a cold smile slashed across his mouth. Perhaps things were about to turn his way at long last.
The cart climbed up the final rise toward their destination. Zelda glanced at Link - he had his mask off now - and saw the crease in his brow.
"What is it?" she asked.
"I'm sure there was another town near Eldin," he said. "Larn, it was called."
Zelda blinked in surprise. "You've...heard of it?"
Link turned to her. "Shouldn't I have?"
"It's the town that was taken by the breach." She stared at him, as though seeing him in a completely new light. "Only Sahasrahla remembers when that happens..."
If Link had anything to say to that he didn't get a chance. He brought the cart to a sudden stop. Zelda looked ahead.
An archway set in a huge, stone fort stood before them. The sigil of the Royal Family had been carved into the façade. Twin pillars covered in lichen and moss stood vigil at the front. The fort was deserted, sunlight winking from behind the glassless windows. Birds circled overhead, swooping and soaring.
Zelda swallowed a sharp intake of breath. She saw what lay beyond the archway. A shroud of thick mist.
Zelda stepped down from the cart. Her mouth had dried.
"The Bridge of Eldin," she announced. "Just through that arch."
Link disembarked as well. He raised his crossbow and peered through the scope. "I can't see the other side," he said as he tried to adjust the sight. "And what is that tapping sound...?"
Zelda stepped forward, her eyes fixed on the way ahead. "Sahasrahla believes it's the noise that drives people mad."
Link looked up. Zelda didn't need to turn his way to know he was confused. "That fog," she explained, gesturing toward the bridge. "It fell through the Breach of Black Glass. Seeped through, to be exact."
"It's from another world...?"
Zelda nodded. "People walk into it and they don't come out. They don't reach the other side, either." She stared at the mist. It hung in pure silence. Even the birds were avoiding it.
Link didn't say anything, so she went on, "This is the only crossing over the gorge. We can't get to Snowpeak any other way." Now she did turn to him. "We walk from here. Even animals are affected."
Link considered this for a moment, then turned and released the horse from its harness. With a sharp slap on its flank, he set the horse off in the direction of Eldin.
"We have to cross it?" Link asked.
Zelda drew in a deep breath, then nodded.
"Outstanding," he muttered.
She hoped that it was just the cold that was making her tremble. "It does something to people," she said softly. "Sahasrahla used to say it lights the dark corners of the heart. If only it were that poetic."
"Any advice?" Link added.
"Don't listen to anything." If they died here, all would be lost. This would be a huge risk. "This is a test. That's what I believe, anyway. We can rise above it."
Zelda held out her hand. Link hesitated, surprised. Then, gingerly, he slid his hand into hers. He squeezed. It felt strangely reassuring.
She led him past the stone torches - now long cold and empty - and under the archway. Branches and shrivelled leaves blew over her ankles. They stopped at the edge of the bridge.
"Are you ready?" she said.
"See you on the other side, princess."
Zelda smiled and then, in unison, they stepped onto the bridge.
The mist swirled around her. Darkness fell. Cloying. Suffocating. Her heart felt like it was sinking into ice-cold mud. Plummeting. Falling. Panic rose in reply.
Her hand was empty.
"Link...?"
No reply came.
"Hello...?"
The silence was absolute.
A whisper carried on a cold breeze ghosted past her left ear.
You failed me, Zelda.
She froze. It was her mother's voice.
You let me die. All that magic and you let me die.
A child's mournful wail rolled past her right ear. Tears came to Zelda's eyes.
We served the king. We don't accept his daughter.
The voice - from the old man in Eldin - came from behind her. Zelda spun around.
Nothing. Just a wall of darkness.
Someone laughed. Harsh, deep.
Zelda felt her heart pound out a deep, slow rhythm.
We hate you.
She clutched her ears. It was like a million voices at once. All the people of Hyrule.
We hate you!
Tears streamed down her face. It was true, all true.
Hate...hate...hate...
Failed...failed...failed...
Zelda's boot kicked against something hard. A bed appeared in the darkness. An occupied bed.
"Mother...?"
The queen's unblinking eyes turned toward her. Bloodstained lips opened. "Why didn't you save me?"
"No..." Zelda whispered. "I would have. I just...I wasn't..."
"You let me die," her mother replied. "Such a disappointment. Why couldn't I have had a son...?"
The apparition vanished. Something else, though, had appeared in the darkness. A gap in the bridge wall. Zelda found herself walking toward it, mesmerised. The myriad voices returned - it felt like they were pushing at her back. In contrast, the yawning abyss beyond the bridge seemed like the comforting embrace of a lover.
Princess Zelda marched toward it.
Link stepped onto the bridge. Zelda's hand vanished from his.
The world shifted, blurred, then reformed. He found himself in an inn. The clientele were exquisitely dressed: the women in furs and painted faces, the men in rich, deeply-coloured feathered tunics. Crystal chandeliers adorned with a forest of flickering candles twinkled from the ceiling above. Gentle laughter, soft music and the tinkle of metallic cutlery tickled the air.
He slid into a chair at a nearby table. It had a solitary red rose standing tall in a thin vase of dark, smoky glass. Waiters passed by carrying platters of goblets filled with Red Potion. In fact, everywhere he looked, he saw people drinking the stuff.
You're nothing without it.
Link blinked. The thought had been a sigh in his mind. He blinked again. There were now three others sitting at the table with him.
Link's eyes stung. He recognised all three of them.
Illy...
"I believed in happy endings, Link," the first Ilia said. "Why didn't you let me have one?"
"You didn't even try to stop him," the second spat. "You let him kill me."
The third spoke with equal venom. "All that Red Potion and you couldn't stop me from dying. Maybe you should die, too, to make it fair."
Link's eyes fell to the rose as it turned black, then shrivelled to dust. Colour drained from the entire world. Everything became a monochrome grey.
Link breathed in deeply - once, twice. The first Ilia, her pretty face blank, dropped her gaze to Link's weapons.
"That's a nice crossbow," she purred. Inky darkness swirled in her eyes. "Why don't you unhook it from your belt there?"
Link did as she asked.
The second Ilia wore a seductive smile. "Aim it under your chin," she said, her voice breathless. "Please, sweetie."
Link did. The metallic tip of the bolt scratched his skin.
The third Ilia leaned forward, naked anticipation gleaming in her eyes. "Shoot."
Link's finger curled around the trigger.
"Shoot," the third growled. "If you ever loved me, you'd shoot."
His trembling finger pulled slightly - then Link kicked away from the table, his chair tumbling backward; and as it did so, he readjusted the aim of his crossbow and fired. It shattered the chandelier swinging over the table. A shower of glass splinters crashed to the floor. Link rolled back and slid across the floor, firing his crossbow all the way. The bolts took out two of the table legs; it toppled onto one side creating a makeshift shield between Link and the three women.
Speaking of whom...
The trio of Ilias were changing. They began to shrink, their faces melting into squat and snorting pig-like shapes, their skin turning a deep green.
You were born to kill.
Blades shimmered into life in the three creatures' stubby fists. The sharp tip of a sword splintered through the centre of the tabletop. The circle of wood then ploughed toward Link as the grunting creatures pushed it on.
Kill.
Link flipped out of the way just as the squealing table reached him. With swift hands, he exchanged his crossbow for his sword. The creatures were upon him in an instant.
Metal chinked as Link skewed the first attack aside. A swift kick sent the second attack awry. Link sprang to his feet, and plunged his sword home into one of the creatures. Smoking green sludge oozed out of the wound.
Kill.
Link pulled the blade free and swung two-handed. It sliced through the second monster's neck.
Kill.
The third creature doubled over as Link punched it in the gut. Snarling, the monster righted himself in an instant. Link kicked it away and raised his sword overhead, ready to -
Kill! Kill! Kill!
Don't listen, Zelda had said. This is a test.
Link paused. The last creature shrieked in fury. Link had to decide - and quickly. Red Potion rushed to his head, but he stamped down on it. He knew this had to be his decision alone.
The monster lunged, swinging its sword. Link lowered his own blade. Eyes closed, he felt the Red Potion stir again - and realised what he had to do.
No. No more relying on the potion. He calmed his heart and mind. Thoughts fell away. He drifted on an infinite sea. He felt free.
Silence.
Something tugged at the corner of his mind. He recognised it as the same source of his initial vision, the one that had told him about the Breach of Black Glass. 'Your path is askew' it had said then. Now a new message came from beyond time and space: Your path is straight.
Link opened his eyes again. Darkness surrounded him. The inn, the creatures - all gone. The mist, whatever it truly was, had conjured it, and it was the mist that spoke now.
How? No one is immune to the Spell of Sorrow.
"I doubt that very much," Link replied as he sheathed his sword.
Why? Why do you doubt? No one doubts me. I am doubt! I lurk in the heart of every living thing!
Link pressed his lips into a cold, thin smile and said nothing. Zelda's words came back to him: Don't listen to anything.
He wouldn't. Her excepted.
The mist that cloaked the Bridge of Eldin burned with rage and hostility. He ignored it, pushing it away from his innermost soul. Link took a deep breath. He refocused his thoughts so that they only went in one single direction.
Princess Zelda.
He reached out into the darkness.
She stood on the precipice. One step was all it would take. Her clothes fluttered in the gentle breeze while her hand came to rest on the jagged broken outcrop that marked where the wall had fallen away. She felt the crumbling rock under her palm.
Voices swirled around her head - accusing, resenting, hating. Zelda's eyes ached from all the tears. A spasm of pain racked her heart in time with every thud. The dark hand of despair clutched at her soul and dragged her down, down, down...
An unspeakable urge ran through her. It prodded her. She lifted one foot. There was nothing beneath except dense, thick fog. It probably wouldn't even hurt. Closing her eyes, she leaned forward -
When a hand caught her wrist in a tight grip. Zelda's eyes sprang open and she whirled her head around.
"We're done here," said Link, and pulled her back with a strong tug.
The spell shattered.
Reality winked out.
Princess Zelda fell to the soft earth, gasping for breath. She wheezed as her mind began to finally settle. How long had she been here...? And what in the world had happened on the bridge...?
She glanced over her shoulder. The bridge was behind them - they'd reached the other side. And, more importantly, the fog had rolled away, leaving the Bridge of Eldin standing free under the full glare of the sun.
Relief made her whole body sag. Zelda's clothes had stuck to her skin and now the breeze tickled the dried sweat. A shaky laugh overcame her, her mouth spreading into a giddy smile.
We made it!
She turned back. "Thank you kindly for -"
Zelda stopped. She wheeled her head this way and that. There were trees with thick, twisted branches. There were small, forest animals that gave her a curious look as their whiskers twitched, then scampered away.
But there was no Link.
Link was gone.