Chapter Twenty

Grudges

I awoke in a dirty cell, handcuffed to the wall. I groaned, my head and torso throbbing. Glimpsing down, I saw that the few items I had with me at the time of the ambush had been taken, along with my symbolic tunic. I was wearing plain navy attire, and nothing else. My shield had been taken away, and I was suddenly glad that I had left the Master Sword in the training grounds, dreading the thought of anyone other than me wielding the legendary blade.

I noticed the arrow had been removed from my chest, and that I had several layers of bandages wrapped around the wound that was still lazily bleeding. I tested the cuffs that restrained my hands, pulling on them lightly before wincing as they cut into my flesh once again. I took a deep breath, waiting for my eyes to adjust to the darkness that surrounded my cell. All I could make out was that I was the only thing in the cramped area, nothing but stone walls and floors were there to keep me company.

I glanced around uneasily, trying to figure out what had exactly happened. Obviously I had been overthrown by a surprise attack and held captive by the Bulblins, but why? Where was I and why was I here in the first place? If it was the Bulblins who had arranged all of this, wouldn't their leader, King Bulblin, have told them not to do so? I mean just before entering Hyrule Castle to save Zelda I had fought him and he had told me that he follows the strongest side. I was the strongest side, wasn't I? Well, I had been back then. Who else could have...? My thoughts trailed off as realization hit home. Majora!

But why would the Bulblins be working for Majora? Wasn't that wretched mask meant to be searching for the Master Sword in the Sacred Grove? Wasn't our attack meant to be a surprise to him? Wasn't that why we had gone back in time in the first place; to have the advantage of surprise and preparation to beat the evil thing? Was Majora also prepared? It couldn't be... How would it have even known what we were planning?

I leaned my head back against the cold stone wall and closed my eyes, trying to remain calm. If Majora had created an army and intended to start a war, who was it leading: a hoard of Bulblins?

I didn't know how many Bulblins there were in Hyrule, nor did I know where they originated from, so I had no clue if this would be effective or not for Majora. All I knew about Bulblins was that their leader was King Bulblin, and that they were only strong when in packs. They fought dirty and cheap, and had little or no knowledge in training other than attack, attack, attack!

So, if Majora had gotten to King Bulblin and showed him that he was stronger than me, would the King have allowed his minions to follow the evil mask? Or had Majora simply destroyed the King and threatened the Bulblins somehow?

I had no idea.

There was a rattling sound that came from a few feet in front of me, and my eyes flashed open. My body tensed up, alert and ready, and even though I was chained down, I still braced for a fight. I bared my teeth as two dark figures that I assumed were Bulblins came into the little light there was in my cell. One of them held a flaming arrow, nocked and aimed straight for my chest while the other fumbled with the set of keys to the door.

Once it had found the right one, the cell door squeaked and groaned as it was pushed aside, and the creatures entered, the flame from the arrow casting strange shadows and shapes across the surrounding walls.

'Get up,' the one with the bow demanded.

I let out a low growl, lifting my hands up as far as they would go to show that they were chained.

The creature didn't miss a beat. 'I said get up!'

'I can't!' I snarled, my voice hoarse.

The Bulblin pulled back on the string of the bow, subconsciously threatening me. 'Do it or die!'

I remained where I was for a long moment, watching the flames dance around the tip of the sharp arrow and remembering the pain that had been alive in my torso only hours ago. I decided to obey this creature until I could fight.

I slowly got to my feet, wincing as the chains only allowed me to crouch, and even then, it felt as if my arms were going to be pulled out of their sockets. These chains were built into the bottom of the cell so only sitting would be possible, but these Bulblins didn't seem to realize that. I bit down on my lip as sweat began rolling down my face. I was in agony.

The Bulblin with the bow smiled wickedly. 'You're not standing.'

I shot the animal a glare. 'It's impossible to stand.'

His answer was to bring the bow closer to my chest.

I breathed in disbelief. 'I can't move, don't you get that?' I yelled at the stupid Bulblin.

There was a whoosh, and then a sharp, stinging pain welcomed itself on my right cheek. I realized that the Bulblin who had opened the door had slapped me with the back of his hand, and that he was wearing brass knuckles.

I clenched my teeth to keep from showing just how much that strike hurt, but I guessed the blood running down the side of my face was already enough of an answer to these low-lives.

'You will not speak out of line!' The one who had slapped me warned.

My answer was to stare daggers at the two.

'Stand,' they both demanded in unison.

I said nothing, disregarding the pain that followed my actions. I managed to stand, and it wasn't long before my arms and hands grew numb, and I wondered if it was possible for them to fall off, because, at that moment, I didn't have doubts that it couldn't happen.

The Bulblin lowered his bow and laughed in my face, amused by my pained expression. It took all of my will power not to spit in his ugly face, but I knew that if I did that I would die. And then who would save Hyrule... And Zelda? I closed my eyes as an image of her flashed through my mind once again, and I was oddly grateful to hear the Bulblins speaking; they distracted me.

'We're going to release you from the handcuffs, but if you try anything, we won't hesitate to kill you. Got that, blue-eyed beast?'

I grimaced inwardly, wanting so badly to knock this filthy excuse for a life form out. But I restrained myself and nodded once.

I heard it as the bow's string was pulled back and the arrow was ready to be released as the Bulblin with the brass knuckles unlocked my hands. I groaned in relief, rubbing my sore and bleeding wrists delicately.

Brass Knuckles grabbed the back of my neck painfully and shoved me forward while Bow Boy followed close behind, arrow forever at the ready. The dungeon was dimly lit, but I could still tell that I had never been here before. Where was I? We climbed a winding staircase and as we ascended, I thought I could smell the humid air that Death Mountain was known for. I frowned deeply to myself. We were in Death Mountain? Why?

Had Majora made this abandoned mountain his lair?

I let out a startled gasp as I rounded the final corner, and noticed that I had actually been here before, except on a higher level.

We were currently standing near the entrance to the lift the Gorons' had built, but instead of entering like I had anticipated, the Bulblin with the bow nodded to another Bulblin stationed in front of a plain boulder. The Bulblin turned and immediately pushed aside the heavy-looking stone to reveal a secret hideout.

What the hell?

Brass Knuckles shoved me forward, and I hesitantly moved into the shadowy room. As we travelled through the long passage, the smell of Death Mountain became more prominent, and it took me a moment to realize that was because we were moving deeper into the mountain. That would explain the heat, I thought bitterly, wanting to wipe at my brow but knowing that if I even flinched, an arrow would be pierced through my heart. By the time we rounded the last corner I was drenched with sweat, my mouth hanging open, trying to taste the moisture in the air but knowing it was pointless. I idly wondered when I had last had some water. My throat was parched and sore. It felt like I had taken a bite out of the Gerudo Desert. I figured it had been a while.

The main room was pitch black and so damn humid. My eyes struggled to adjust while my ears twitched as familiar howls of Bulblins could be heard echoing off the walls. I noticed that the flaming arrow had been put out, and I wondered if I'd be able to escape. As if reading my mind, Brass Knuckles grabbed my arms and pulled them behind my back before urging me forward. I stumbled when I walked, uncoordinated and blind in this darkness.

'Light the torches,' a voice ordered from ahead.

The sound of fire bounced around the room while the Bulblins shot flaming arrows into posts that were very high up, causing the room to become shrouded with blinding light.

'Ugh,' I groaned, angling my head down, away from the unwanted heat of the fire. Brass Knuckles tugged on my hair roughly, causing my head to lift up as high as it would go. I cursed under my breath as a torch above me dropped some burning wax onto my already stinging and bleeding right cheek.

'Cuff him,' the same voice that had spoken earlier demanded.

I squeezed my eyes shut as Brass Knuckles wrapped some dry rope around my wrists, making sure to be as violent as possible with the gesture. The blood that rolled down from my wrists and through my fingers provided the only noise other than the burning posts as it landed on the ground.

'Leave,' the voice barked.

I heard it as the Bulblins shuffled away, and as soon as Brass Knuckles had let go of my hair, I dropped my neck down, relieved as my face became covered in shadows from the adjacent wall I stood near.

'You're in deep trouble now, boy,' the strangely soft voice said ominously. 'Tell me, do you fear death?'

I didn't answer, just stared down at the ground beneath me, watching as the flames cast shadows across my dusty boots.

There was a whirling sound, and then a pfft! My head snapped up as the sound of a blade connecting with dirt erupted close in front of me. I stared at the fancy dagger for a long second before unwillingly bringing my gaze up to see the face that the voice belonged to. My breath hitched, and I did a double take.

A fierce-looking woman stood beside a throne, and I imagined she had removed herself from her seat to throw the dagger. Her arm was still in the position of pegging a projectile, and she slowly shifted into an intimidating stance once she saw me looking. She crossed her arms and leaned back, one foot in front of the other as she examined me closely. 'Answer my question: do you fear death?' I now understood why the voice had been so soft. It was a woman's, feminie and velvety yet strong and dangerous at the same time.

I hesitated, noticing another dagger strapped to her hip. She'd probably aim for me this time around if I didn't answer. I took a deep breath, realizing sadly that her fiery red hair reminded me of Midna. 'No.'

The woman took a step forward, descending the three steps that lead to her throne. 'No?' She repeated in mock surprise. 'And why is that?'

I watched her with a steady gaze as she walked slowly over to me. 'You won't kill me.'

She raised her arched eyebrows, genuinely surprised at my response. 'You seem so sure of yourself.'

I examined the way she moved, figuring out the way she would fight by that small amount of information. She seemed to relate to Ganondorf in the way that she leaned on her right side more. I guessed she would be weaker at defending when the blows came from her left. Now if only I had a blade...

She stopped a few feet in front of me, and I realized I was at least a head taller than her. So why was I so intimidated? Did it have something to do with her twin glaives, or was it her obvious beauty? My eyes drifted from her shoes to her covered face, noticing that she was wearing very tribal-looking clothes. Was she a follower of Majora? Did she plan to kill me?

'I'd stop your scrutiny if I were you, kid. I don't like being ignored. I suggest you answer me if you want to keep your life,' she warned. Although I was most likely older than her, she acted like I was underage and inferior to her.

I grimaced inwardly, turning my gaze to her eyes. They were strange: golden in colour, narrowed, and strangely alluring. I wanted to see more of her, but a thin purple cloth was covering just below her eyes and fell all the way down past her elegant neck, the silky fabric transcending with the same material that coated her hourglass figure.

I bit my lip, remembering that she was the enemy here.

She raised her strong eyebrows as she watched my eyes linger on certain parts of her body, and she must have thought I was a major pervert, but really, I had just never seen anyone like her before. Was she of a different race that I hadn't heard of, or was she simply unique? I quickly averted my gaze from her legs-legs that drove me wild-and to her ears. I noticed they were not pointed, so she wasn't Hylian. But... They had a slight curve to them... So she wasn't a mere human, either? I shook away the confusing thoughts, returning my focus back to her words.

'Are you just going to stand here all day gaping at me or are you going to answer my questions, kid?'

I blinked. 'What do you want? Why am I here? Who are you?'

The woman held up her hand and closed her eyes. 'Ah, ah. I'll be the one asking questions, got that?'

I swallowed, once again frightened by this strange girl.

She opened her eyes and they flashed with a mischievous taint to them. 'If you want to ever see the light of day again, you're going to have to pay attention, kid.'

I narrowed my eyes, but nodded once stiffly, I knew I had no other choice but to obey her commands. How would I defend myself with my arms tied behind my back?

'Good boy,' she said, relaxing her posture and walking back to her throne. She sat down and beckoned me over with two quick curls of her slender fingers. I obeyed silently, wanting so desperately to be out of this heat. 'Kneel,' she said with her chin tilted slightly up.

'No.'

Her jaw dropped.

'You seem surprised,' I retorted, fighting a smirk. And just like that she was on her feet, standing right in front of me with her intricately designed dagger pressed against my jugular so tightly that if I even swallowed, I'd probably die.

'What did you just say?' She growled, her golden eyes alight with fury.

I somehow managed to keep my cool. 'You're not my Princess, nor are you my ruler. You have no authority over me, so I will not bow to you.'

She removed the dagger from my throat and I breathed a quick sigh of relief. I didn't miss it as her eyes flashed with surprise.

She took a step back and folded her arms, studying me closely. I hated to admit that she was even more beautiful up close. 'You're right,' she agreed calmly. 'I'm not your Princess, but if you ever plan on seeing her again, you will kneel before me.' The sharp edge was back in her voice.

'No.' what was I doing? This was suicide, I understood that. So why was I refusing her orders, did I want to die? Once again I felt as if I were split in two: one side was the logical and realistic side while the other was the courageous and adrenaline-junked-up portion.

The woman blinked. 'How dare you? Get on your knees!'

I remained standing, feeling as if my sanity was wavering.

She stood there for a long moment, fuming. 'If you will not willingly bow before me, then I will make you,' she threatened.

'I won't do it.'

She lunged at me, her surprisingly firm fist connecting with my bandaged wound, causing me to buckle. Once my knees were bent, she kicked my feet aside as if I were mere trash. I landed on my knees with a dull thump as I struggled to breathe properly. I squeezed my eyes shut in affliction as the pain buried within my torso awoke and spread throughout my body like wildfire.

The woman laughed at my pained expression. 'If there's one thing you should know about the Gerudo, it's that we don't like being ignored. And we always get what we want; whether we earn that the easy way or the hard way is up to you, really. Now, tell me, why are you here?'

I struggled to comprehend her words. The room was spinning and making me feel nauseous. 'Be-because... Majora...' I wheezed, still bent over in pain.

'Ah, that's where you're wrong. You're here for a completely different reason, any wild ideas what that reason could be?'

'No.'

'I don't like that word, kid.'

'I... I don't h-have an answer...'

The Gerudo bent so that she was within eye level of me. She then tugged my hair back like Brass Knuckles had done earlier and forced me to look at her. 'Tell me, Hero of Twilight, what was Ganondorf?'

I leaned back slightly, creating some distance between our faces. 'A failure.'

The woman narrowed her eyes in anger and grabbed my throat, leaning over me. 'Wrong answer,' she growled. 'Would you like to try again, or would you prefer to die now?'

'Let go of me,' I rasped through my tight throat.

She leaned away, removing her hand but replacing it with the dagger. 'Try again. What was Lord Ganondorf?'

I wanted to rub my sore neck, but her sharp blade was in the way, not to mention my wrists were still bound behind my back. Why were the enemies always so cowardly and afraid to leave the victims with free hands? 'The...Great King of Darkness?' I guessed.

The woman smiled faintly, I could tell by the way her eyes scrunched up slightly around the corners. 'That's right, but I'm not talking about his title. What was he?'

'A thief? A traitor?' I tried.

She pressed the dagger into my neck, allowing a line of blood to appear. 'No, you fool! What am I?' She asked in exasperation, obviously frustrated that I didn't understand what she wanted me to say.

'I don't know!' I shouted.

The woman tossed the dagger aside and wrapped both hands around my bleeding neck, forcing me onto my back with her on top of me. 'You're a complete idiot! How did you manage to get the Triforce of Courage?'

I wanted to say a witty reply, but I could barely breathe, let alone answer her rhetorical question.

She choked me for a moment longer in pure fury, but then the fingers around my neck loosened and she pulled back.

I coughed and struggled to return the oxygen to my deprived lungs, watching the deadly woman as I did so. For a moment there I thought I was going to die.

'Don't look at me like that,' she scolded me icily. 'I only stopped because I need you alive... For now. Shall we try again?' Her hands slid down from my throat and to my bleeding torso. She pressed her weight into the wound and earned a cry of discomfort from me. 'There, I've found a new method of torture.' She smirked. 'Try one more time. Since you're so stupid I guess I'll have to word my question different: what is it that Ganondorf and I have in common?'

You're both complete ass holes? 'Y-you... Have the same... Eyes,' I realized.

'You're getting there. What else?'

I looked at her carefully, taking in as much detail of her covered face as possible. 'You have the same hair and skin colour...'

She reached for the dagger that she'd chucked earlier and leaned down so her face was centimetres away from mine. The blade grazed across my throat and then slowly down my shirt. 'What must that mean?' She purred, still straddling my waist.

I blinked, trying to remember what she had just said. It was distracting, to say the least, to have such a beautiful and exotic woman pressed against me like this. Enemy or not, she was very attractive.

'Oh, lost your train of thought?' She crooned, the blade tracing patterns across my rough woollen shirt. 'Let me help you out. We're both of the same tribe...' She trailed off expectantly.

'You're both Gerudo.' I managed to avert my eyes from her wandering hands and up to her face.

'Finally,' she sighed, leaning back slightly.

I shook my head back and forth slowly, trying to clear my clouded mind. What had just happened?

'Do you understand yet?' The Gerudo female asked.

I shook my head. 'Not entirely.'

The woman cracked her knuckles nonchalantly, looking away. 'Tell me what you do know, then.'

'You obviously knew Ganondorf,' I started slowly, watching her face intently for the expressions that would cross it. She remained looking blankly ahead, but she nodded once, urging me to continue. 'You know what I did to him...' I paused when her face scrunched up slightly, but she quickly composed herself and nodded sharply.

'And you want revenge?' I finished, my eyes locked on hers.

She glanced down and met my gaze. The Gerudo twirled the dagger in her hand and sighed. 'Just one more thing...'

I gulped as she bent so that her face was mere inches from mine. I struggled to breathe as I felt her fingers caress my neck and collar bone, slowly slipping under the fabric of my shirt. I closed my eyes as her warm touched distracted me from the once dominating pain squirming around my torso, and I tried to clear my head once again.

'Ganondorf was something to me that I know you're familiar with,' she whispered against my ear, her breath causing me to shiver. Her hands moved down my chest, leaving trails of ice behind, just from her touch. Her fingers closed around the pendant around my neck and she gently nipped at my ear, causing my eyes to flash open and stare at her in bewilderment.

What was she doing? Just before she had been trying to kill me!

She watched me carefully, and with her free hand, she pulled down the cloth that covered from her nose to her neck, revealing jaw-dropping beauty underneath the fabric.

Why in Din's name does she cover her face up when she looks like that?

Her hand tightened around the pendant as she touched her full lips to mine, closing her golden eyes.

All logical thought left me as I attempted to kiss her back, but I felt a cold object press firmly against my jugular once again, and as I opened my eyes, I heard it as she ripped the pendant from my neck and leaned back, examining Ilia's Horse Call closely.

'Hey,' I managed to gasp, my head finally clearing. 'Give that back!'

The Gerudo held the dagger against my throat as she twirled the charm, studying it. She finally turned her eyes back to mine and smiled mischievously. 'Yes, as I was saying,' she said in her velvety voice. 'You know the feeling I shared with Ganondorf.'

'What?' I asked, utterly confused. I just prayed that she didn't plan to destroy Ilia's charm. That ivory horse call meant a lot to me.

The Gerudo waved the charm in front of my face. 'The girl that gave this to you, you were in love with her,' she said matter-of-factly.

'Ilia?' I gasped in surprise. 'No, she wa-'

All the appealing calmness of this woman vanished, and she grabbed my hair roughly as the blade of her dagger greeted my clammy skin, causing me to wince in pain. 'You son of a bitch! You killed him! You took him away from me!' She screamed, her voice echoing off the walls and rebounding back into my ears. She removed the dagger from my throat and stabbed it straight into my bandaged and already wounded torso.

She continued to yell over my screams of agony. 'I will make you pay for this, you worthless Hylian! I will find your little Ilia and execute her right in front of your disgusting blue eyes! Then, I will kill you slowly and as painfully as possible.' She pressed the dagger deeper into my flesh, and I threw my head back, shouting out every curse I knew as the pain somehow managed to increase in my torso.

The Gerudo climbed off me, and I rolled onto my side, shaking uncontrollably as the blood drained from my wrecked body. Make it go away, make it go away, I thought desperately. Dear Goddesses just kill me now; I can't take this pain any longer!

'Bulblins! Get in here, NOW!' The woman screamed, and seconds later I heard the howls and footsteps of several Bulblins as they entered the Throne Room. 'Stitch this creature up!' She continued to shout, though the Bulblins were already in the room and could hear her just as clearly as I could.

I heard the shuffling of their feet as they moved over to where I lay on the floor and I clenched my teeth as their grubby hands yanked the dagger out of my body with no gentleness whatsoever.

The woman once again bent beside me as the Bulblins worked on bandaging me up and pulled on my hair, leaving me with no choice but to stare into her crazed eyes. 'I am only leaving you alive for two reasons, you filthy Hylian,' she growled, bearing her teeth. 'One, so that you will watch as I kill the love of your life like you killed mine, and two, so that you can see it as your precious Hyrule falls after Majora's attack. How will the pathetic people of this cursed land survive without their Hero fighting for them because they are too hopeless to do anything for themselves? Don't think for one second it was a coincidence that I captured you days before Majora and his army attacks, I wanted you to see your home and everyone you loved destroyed, just like I had to witness myself.' She stood back up as the Bulblins lifted me off the floor and began to carry me out of the Throne Room promptly. The Gerudo walked beside me, her eyes still burning with fury so intense I had to shield away from her. 'I will keep you alive until the time is right, Hero, but I will make sure that every day you are here, I will torture you in the most inhumane ways possible. Don't for one second think that you have gotten away with killing The Great King of Darkness, Ganondorf!'