Chapter 25
As I walk through the forest towards my wife, Vaati just runs around, clearly exultant in his new body. Despite everything he's done, he just looks like a normal kid, happy to be spending a few carefree hours in the forest. I can't help but shake my head at the whole thing. Vaati, my worst enemy who I've spent the last six months trying to kill, is a little boy.
"What was it like, being a Dharkin foot soldier?" I ask hesitantly.
"Horrible," he replies, standing still for a moment. "You know how you felt when you were made into a kid, and you were just so much weaker and smaller than you were supposed to be? Take that, and apply it to your mind instead. It was like the whole world just sped up, because I was so slow. And I couldn't talk, or move too well, and I was all gross, and I was half naked all the time…" His voice trails off, and he shivers
"Why do your people condemn their soldiers to that fate?" I ask. In the human world, soldiers are given a high status of respect and authority. It's hard for me to imagine a place where soldiers are treated like dirt.
"They're not soldiers," Vaati says gently. "They're slaves."
Despite myself, I shudder. I've heard of kingdoms where people have slaves, where they force men and women into complete and utter bondage. The idea has always been beyond repulsive to me. I value the ability to choose above all else. That's why I became a guard instead of following what my bloodline would have me be.
"The thing you have to realize about our people is that their only goal is dominance. The king wants dominance over everyone. The people below him want dominance over everyone but him, and so on. Even the people on the second lowest rank want dominance over the twenty or so Dharkin foot soldiers they control. And when everyone wants dominance, there's always bound to be people at the bottom who are dominated. The problem is, all the Dharkin want those people to be humans," He says. I just look down at him, amazed at the understanding that this nine year old has.
"You're very… mature," I mumble.
He laughs. "It's just a requirement of being Dharkin. Maturity is kind of a necessity when your father kills you on your eighth birthday."
I choke a bit, and clear my throat. He looks up at me and adds, "It's Dharkin tradition to kill your kids when they turn eight. Then they're required to either wait until the final battle, or else discreetly steal a body. Most people chose the first option, but… I couldn't stand being a ghost. So I stole the body of a ninety-three year old minish on his deathbed. And my magic made the body turn young again. And then I lived as a child in minish woods for a while. It was nice. My only real order was to infiltrate, and I'd already done that, so I just waited. And then Ezlo took me on as an apprentice, and once I started pouring dark magic into the hat, it was done in no time. And then the king told me to put it on and take the power. And… you know the rest." He sighs, and says, "I really wish I could've just stayed a kid in minish woods. Then we wouldn't have this mess to deal with."
"But my father would've done this either way," I reply, frowning.
"Uhm, you mean our father?" He asks, laughing. "He's my dad too, you know."
"Wait, so we're…" My voice trails off, unable to finish the sentence.
"We're half brothers," He replies, grinning. "Not that it's much of a thing. Dad has lots of kids. He was trying to build up our forces, and such."
I just shake my head. Vaati is my little brother. The evil sorcerer who cursed me and tormented the kingdom is my little brother. It's bad enough that the king of the Dharkin is my dad, but Vaati, the person I went on an entire quest just to kill, is my little brother.
"But anyways, our dad wouldn't be back without me," he says, pulling me out of my thoughts. "I told you, I found him. He may not have thought it was too important, but what he doesn't realize is I found him in twelve different places."
"Huh?"
"When a Dharkin is killed, their spirit leaves their body. Sometimes, if it happens too violently, the spirit is split up and scattered all over the place. But you can't really control yourself or possess people unless you have the whole spirit, and it's impossible to put yourself back together when you're like that. So when dad died the last time, I went looking for him. That's why I didn't pay too much attention to the stuff you were doing. And after searching for ages, I found all twelve pieces of his soul. I put them all together in a bottle, then fed him some magic to form a body of his own. Without me, he'd still be scattered all over the place and he'd never have been able to come back."
"So essentially, you're the reason we're in this mess?" I ask.
"Yeah. Sorry. I really didn't know that… I mean, I thought I was going to be appreciated. I saved my dad's life, and he responded by…" His voice trails off uncomfortably. "I guess I was just stupid. I thought that maybe if I brought him back, it'd be different. That he'd be like a normal dad to me. But that's never gonna happen."
He shudders, and adds, "Sorry, I'm done now. Go ahead and do it."
"Do what?"
"Hurt me. Change me back into a footsoldier. You know, whatever you're gonna do to punish me," He answers, like it's obvious.
"Punish you for what?" I ask, utterly confused.
"You know, bringing our dad back and starting a war. Or talking like I'm smart. Or running around too much. Or-"
"Relax," I say wearily. Now that he's not a Dharkin, he talks so quickly that it's hard for me to keep up. "I'm not going to hurt you Vaati. If you remember correctly, there were a few points where I could've killed you. And I didn't. I dislike killing. And I definitely do not harm little kids."
He cocks his head at me, and replies, "Weird. I've never been called a little kid before. When you're Dharkin, you're never a kid. You're just… Dharkin."
"I think it'd do you some good; being treated like a kid," I say, smiling.
"What's that mean?" He asks.
"It means… it means that the people around you take care of you. They cook you food, and teach you things, and tuck you into bed every night with a good bedtime story. They smile at you, and try to hide all bad things in the world from you so that you always feel safe. It means that you have parents who listen to you and treat you like you're the most important person in the whole world, and they hug you a lot, and no matter what hour of the night it is, they'll always be there for you to scare away the nightmares. It means that the world forgives you, because you didn't know any better. And it means that no matter what you do, you'll always be protected," I say gently. As I speak, my mind lingers on the images of my children, and a little smile fills my face.
Vaati sniffles, and I look down on him and see him crying. "Are you okay?" I ask hesitantly.
"Yeah. I just… I've never had that," He replies, looking at his feet. "And… it sounds nice."
Acting on the parental instincts that I've spent years building up, I place my hand gently on his shoulder. He jumps a bit, then looks up at me in confusion.
"It's meant to be comforting," I explain.
"I know. I just… I don't understand why… why you're being so nice to me," he sniffs. "I was so mean to you. You should hate me. You should've left me as a stupid footsoldier. And now you're… you're…" his voice trails off and he starts sobbing again.
I gently sit him down on the forest floor, keeping my hand on his shoulder. "It's okay, just let it all out," I whisper comfortingly. He just leans up against me, crying into my shirt.
"I'm so sorry," He sobs, shaking like a leaf. "I'm so, so sorry."
I nod. I'm not ready to say the words, "I forgive you" out loud yet. But… I'm beginning to realize that I don't blame Vaati for this. Even if he hadn't been influenced by the shared memory, he was still just a child, seeking his father's approval and living his life in the only way he'd been taught how. I don't think he deserves to be punished for what he's done. I think the things he's had to live through, being born a Dharkin, are punishment enough.
For a long while, I just sit on the floor, gently holding onto Vaati as he cries. He goes for a long time, occasionally looking up at me before pushing his face back into my chest and starting all over again. Instead of thinking about it, I just let my instincts as a father take over. I gently hold onto him and hum a soothing lullaby in his ear, trying to relax him. After about an hour, his tears dry out, and he just leans back, looking up at me with sorrow on his face.
"I'm so sorry Link," he says again.
"I know. It's okay," I reply gently.
"No it's not!" he shouts, looking around. "It's not okay! I did terrible things, and… and… you won't even hate me for it!"
He takes a deep, ragged breath, and says, "I feel like I don't know anything anymore. Because when people do mean things, you hate them. That's how its always been. And when people mess up, you punish them. And you're… you're… you're being so nice to me. Why are you being nice to me?!"
"You're a child, Vaati," I reply gently. "You're… my little brother." I try so hard to avoid shuddering as I say those words, but it comes regardless. Clearing my throat, I add, "It's like I said. When you're a child, your mistakes are forgiven. Because people understand that you didn't know any better."
He looks up at me with big, pleading eyes. In a quiet voice, he asks, "Do you forgive me Link?"
"Yes," I reply gently. "I forgive you."
He just looks up at me incredulously, his face a mask of confusion. "It's okay Vaati," I say in a calming voice. "I'm not mad at you. I'm not going to hurt you. You're not a Dharkin any more, and I promise, I'm not going to treat you like one."
"I've been Dharkin my whole life," He says shakily. "I don't know how to be anything else."
"You could start by smiling," I reply.
He grins, showing off his little teeth, and then hugs me. Laughing, I pat him gently on the back, feeling a strange sense of relief. For so long, my hatred of Vaati has been a weight on my mind, pushing me to do things I really didn't want to do. But now, I've closed the door on that hatred forever, and Vaati is just a little boy in my mind. A little brother.
Eugh.
He lets go of me, then yawns hugely, looking very exhausted. I'm guessing that, as long as today seems to me, it's been even worse for him. He's been transformed twice, along with having his fragile emotions pulled around and played with. He honestly deserves to be exhausted, at this point.
"If you'd like, I can carry you back," I offer.
"Really?" He asks hesitantly. I nod.
He moves to lay down, then hesitates. "Don't worry," I say gently. "I'm not going to hurt you."
"Promise?" He asks in a little voice.
"Promise," I reply firmly. He smiles, then lays himself down on the ground. I pick him up and hold him in a loose cradle, rocking him gently back and forth. He falls asleep almost immediately.
Moving carefully, I make my way back to my makeshift camp. When I arrive, I see that my son's still asleep on the forest floor, snoring gently, and my wife's just sitting down on a nearby log, looking very graceful despite her dirty surroundings.
She stares at the child in my hands and opens her mouth to speak, but I hold my finger to my lips, indicating that she should be quiet. I'm not sure how heavy of a sleeper Vaati is, and I don't want to wake him. She nods, and pulls another pillow out of her sack, and puts it down on a clear patch of dirt. I gently lay Vaati down on it, resting his head, and I pull a blanket over him too. He sighs in his sleep, and mumbles happily.
I move over next to my wife and wrap my arm around her, relieved that I can actually do so now. Hesitantly, my wife whispers, "Who is that?"
"That's Vaati," I reply.
She just stares at me incredulously. "The Dharkin who followed us around was Vaati," I explain quietly. "The leader of the Dharkin was mad at him, because he failed to stop me from gathering all the elements. So he… he turned him into that thing so he could…" my voice trails off.
"It's all really complicated, and weird, but essentially, there are different ranks of Dharkin. The higher that someone's rank is, the more human they look. The Dharkin minds are all connected to eachother, and the higher ranked Dharkin can almost completely control the lower ranked ones. And when they killed me, I felt the thing that connects Dharkin minds together in my mind, trying to take me over."
My wife looks up at me with worry, and I smile reassuringly. "Don't worry, I got rid of it before it could do anything. And when the leader asked me how, I told him. Vaati overheard that, and he did the same thing. And then he followed us because he was grateful to me, for making him free, and he was afraid that the other Dharkin would hurt him."
"He said that he just wanted to be normal. So I took him to a portal and used my power to transform him into a normal human. He doesn't have a trace of Dharkin left in his system. He's, for all intents and purposes, just a normal human. And… he's only nine years old."
"So all this time, Vaati's been a little kid?" She asks hesitantly. I nod. She looks around, and says, "What do we do with him?"
"I think we should take care of him," I reply. She snorts, and looks up at me as though I'm joking.
"I'm serious, Navinne. He's just a little boy," I say firmly.
"This is Vaati," She says, exasperated. "He's the same man who killed the princess, and who possessed the king, and who cursed Jaden, and… who kept you away from me for the last six months."
"He's been raised Dharkin. He didn't know any better," I reply. "And he didn't actually kill the princess. He's never killed anyone."
She sighs, and looks over at him once more. Her face softens just a bit at seeing him lying down on the forest floor, hugging his blanket and mumbling happily in his sleep.
"He's my brother," I say softly. "We share the same dad. He's family."
She just sighs again, and looks up at me. "How do you know this isn't just a trick?"
"To what end? He's a normal human now, he doesn't have any dark magic or any connection to the other Dharkin. He basically asked me to make him completely harmless. I can't think of anything he could do to really make anything worse. And… from talking to him, I know he's sincere."
She nods, then looks over to him again. "He's really your little brother?" She asks.
"Unfortunately," I reply, shuddering.
"Fine," She mumbles, exasperated. I laugh, and gently squeeze her arm reassuringly. She smiles at me, and adds, "I've missed you Link."
"Me too," I reply, running my fingers through her soft hair. She just leans up against me, resting her head on my shoulder. I hum quiet love songs to her, singing her to sleep. After that, I just lean my head up against a tree and sit, watching my whole family sleep. I know that people have died, and that many more will in the coming war. But for now, I let myself feel peace in the quiet, cool forest. I close my eyes and, with my wife in my arms, I drift off to sleep.
I awaken early in the morning. As I come to, I see my son yawning, and wiping the tiredness from his eyes. I smile groggily at him, and he nods in my direction. The he freezes, and just gapes at me.
"I fixed my curse," I say, somewhat unnecessarily.
He smiles and wraps his arms around me. "Welcome back Dad," He says happily.
"Good to be back," I grunt. He nods, and sits on the ground next to me. I am, to my relief, much taller than him now. It was beyond strange, being smaller than my thirteen year old son.
He looks around and, when he sees Vaati, he frowns. "Who's that," He asks curiously.
"Uhm, that's Vaati," I reply.
He glares at the sleeping kid, and before he can say anything, I add, "It wasn't his fault, Jaden. I've felt the shared memory of the Dharkin. It can suppress and control you. Vaati was being controlled by that man. And… he's just a child. Look at him. He didn't know any better."
"He made you a child," Jaden whispers. "He made me a child. He did such horrible things..."
"And he has to deal with them for the rest of his life," I reply. "Had he not been born Dharkin, he never would've done any of this."
He looks at him, then nods. "Maybe you're right. But… why is he human?"
"I made him human," I reply, shrugging.
"Oh. So he's not… he can't…"
"He doesn't have power any more," I insert.
"Good," he replies. After that, he just stares at him for a while. "He looks so… innocent," Jaden mumbles.
"I know, it's disturbing. That, and the fact that we're half brothers…" My voice trails off, and I shudder.
"So that means he's… my uncle?" Jaden asks incredulously.
"It's probably best not to think about it. But… I think that after this whole mess is over, I'm going to take care of him."
"So he's gonna come live with us? And he's gonna be like your kid?" He asks.
"I think so. I don't really know, at this point. But I think that he needs to be shown how to live a human life, instead of a Dharkin one. And I don't know of anyone else who can understand what it's like, trying to be human despite the fact that you're… not."
"After everything he's done, you're just gonna be like his dad?"
"I don't know Jaden. But… he is family. And he has nowhere else to go."
He just shakes his head. "I guess I kind of understand. I mean, I've seen how brutal the Dharkin were, even to their own people. But… I still feel like I just want to punch him in the face."
I laugh, and pat him on the back. "So Jaden, do you think you could hold down the fort for a little while? I want to check in with the others, to see make sure everyone… survived." I can't help but dwell on the king, and on the other guards. How many of them are still in the castle, gazing towards the forest with cold, black eyes?
My son nods, and I rise to my feet. I move slowly in the direction of the others, my keen ears picking up the sounds of voices from a few miles away. When I arrive, my very presence seems to halt all conversation. Everyone in the forest just stares at me, either because of the bracelet I'm wearing or because of the fact that almost everyone here thought I was dead.
I clear my throat and push through the crowd of silent people. I search for a while, but finally, I just ask, "Is king Javian okay?"
Some of the people around me nod, and as conversation slowly resumes, one of my former comrades, Reevy, approaches me.
"Good to see you back to… yourself, Sir," He says, smiling at me.
I nod, and reply, "It's good to be back."
"If I may, Sir, the king has set up a guarded camp a little ways away. I can escort you there."
"Thank you," I say honestly. Without another word, Reevy, still dressed in his plate armor and carrying a sword, leads me through the throngs of people through a small, peaceful patch of empty forest. Finally, in a secluded area surrounded by trees on all sides, I see a large tent with the king's seal painted in red. There are guards surrounding every side of the tent and, at seeing me, they all bow respectfully. Unlike Reevy, they're wearing their helmets, so I can't really see who they are. But I can't help but smile at the fact that, once again, I'm their leader, and I don't have to look up at them.
I consider knocking, but I honestly don't have any idea how to knock on a tent. Instead, I simply peek my head in, and see Javian, sitting at a desk looking over scrolls, as usual. Smiling, I move into the tent.
He turns around, and looks at me for a few moments. I smile, and bow to him once more, dipping my head low towards the ground.
"I'd heard that your curse has been lifted, but seeing you like this is still a surprise," he says, smiling gently. "It's been so long since the day you were cursed, and I must confess, a large part of me was worried that it would never end. I cannot tell you what a relief it is, to see you back to normal."
"I think I can understand how relieving it is," I reply, smiling.
"Yes, I'm sure you can."
"If I may, what was the… damage?"
"We lost about a fifth of the kingdom," He replies soberly. "And… that darkness went everywhere. It possessed the dead of all of our graveyards. And it possessed animals, too. They have thousands and thousands of soldiers, Link."
"Sire, there's something that you must know," I say uncomfortably. "The spirits are Dharkin. The reason they have so many spirits is because we killed so many Dharkin. They've been preparing for this for a long, long time."
He just sighs. "Curse Vaati, for bringing this upon us."
"Vaati really isn't that… bad," I mumble. "The situation is complicated, but Vaati is not to blame for everything that happened."
"He killed my daughter!" He shouts.
"No, he didn't," I reply quietly. "I've been informed, on good authority, that Zelda is still alive."
His eyes go wide, and he looks at me with a strange mixture of doubt and hope. "I saw her die."
"And you also saw Vaati as a tall, blond man," I point out. "Vaati never wanted to kill anyone. He could've killed me hundreds of times. He could've killed you hundreds of times. But he never did. And it's honestly my belief that the same applies to your daughter. When we regain the castle, I promise, I will search for her."
He smiles hesitantly, and nods. "I suppose I should be worrying more about the imminent crisis. But… oh, I have missed my daughter."
I nod once more. "Sire… If I might, I would like to propose a plan of attack." He nods, beckoning me to continue. "I still have the final element, and I do not believe that the Dharkin have any idea where I've stashed the sword. If I can reforge the sword of salvation, I believe it will allow us to fight on equal terms with the Dharkin."
"So what do you suggest?" He asks slowly. I think he's beginning to suspect what I'm about to say.
"I believe it would be best if I went in alone, made my way to the sword and reforged it," I reply.
"Link-"
"The more people I take with me, the more likely it is that others will die unnecessarily. We need everyone for the final battle, and honestly, taking others with me will not increase my chances of success," I say firmly.
"You have sacrificed so much," He whispers. "You alone have kept our kingdom safe all this time. Must this be your mission?"
I simply nod. "It is my duty, King Javian."
He just shakes his head at me. "If duty is what you make it to be, then I'm afraid you're the only one who ever follows it. I take it I cannot talk you out of this plan?"
"No, Sire," I reply. The whole reason I was cursed is because I put the king's orders above what I thought to be necessary. That is not a mistake I will make again.
"Very well. You have my blessing. Just… do not try to fight all of the Dharkin alone, Link. Retrieve the sword and return to us," He says gently.
"I will do my best, Sire," I reply, not wanting to make any promises. The last time I engaged the Dharkin, there were hundreds of them. And I slaughtered every single one of them on my own. If given the opportunity, I intend to do so again.
I bow, and turn to leave, but the king stops me by placing a hand on my shoulder. "One more thing," He says gently. "I've spoken with Seviller, and he's agreed to return to you your equipment. Speak with one of the guards outside. They'll retrieve it for you."
"Thank you, Sire," I reply.
"Farewell, Link," he says, looking up at me.
"Farewell Javian," I reply.
As I exit the tent, I turn towards one of the guards, and just look at him for a moment. Without me having to say anything, he leads me to a large chest behind the tent. Resting inside of it is the shiny steel armor that I've always worn as a guard. Smiling, I pull out the breastplate and put it on. And… it feels wrong. It's heavy, and bulky, and it restricts my movement. What's more, looking down at it puts a knot in my stomach, for some reason. This is the armor of a simple swordsman. And, for better or for worse, that is not what I am anymore.
"Tell Seviller that he can keep this armor. I have no use for it," I instruct. The nameless guard nods, and salutes me. With that, I cut through the empty forest to avoid the throngs of people, eventaully making my way back to my family's camp.
Jaden's sitting on a log, dutifully watching the surrounding forest with a bow in hand, occaisonally glancing at the sleeping forms of my wife and Vaati. At seeing me, he relaxes, and smiles. "Hi Dad," he says happily.
"Good morning Jaden," I reply.
"So… is the king still okay?" He asks hesitantly.
"Yes," I answer simply. He smiles in relief, then motions for me to sit down next to him. I do so, wrapping my arm around his shoulders.
After a few moments, Vaati stirs a bit, and his little eyes flutter open. He slowly sits up, and when he sees himself, he grins. "It wasn't a dream," he says happily.
"Good morning Vaati," I say, trying to sound kind.
"Is it?" He asks, looking around. "It seems kinda cold and dark to me."
"That's not meant to be taken literally. It's just something that we say to each other, to be polite. It's like saying, 'I'm glad you're awake, I hope you have a good day'. Something to that effect," I explain awkwardly. I've never had to explain the phrase 'good morning' to someone before.
"Oh," He replies, looking a surprised. "Thanks. And, uhm, good morning to you too." He smiles tentatively, and looks over at Jaden. "Uhm, hi," he mumbles, a bit awkwardly. Jaden just glares back at him.
"So… uhm… I just wanna say I'm sorry. It was really mean for me to curse you, and make you a kid. I was trying to do what I was told to, but it still was bad. Sorry," he says hesitantly.
"It's not really that," Jaden says coldly, standing up. "It's the fact that because of you, I've spent the last six months thinking that my father was dead and, because of you, he's suffered a lot. I couldn't care less that you made me a kid, Vaati. But you hurt my Dad." Slowly, he moves towards Vaati. Impressively, Vaati holds his ground, trembling. He doesn't try to fight, or anything. He just closes his eyes and gulps.
Jaden slams his fist into Vaati's face, his hard hand meeting Vaati's soft, delicate skin next to his right eye. Vaati gets thrown to the ground, and he gasps in pain, holding onto his face and keeping his eye closed. Impressively, he doesn't cry, though I'm guessing that, growing up as a Dharkin, he has a pretty high tolerance for pain. He just looks up at Jaden miserably.
Jaden gently presses his hand against Vaati's face, and it starts glowing with warm, white magic. After a few moments, the look of pain vanishes, and Vaati's eye stops swelling. "Thanks," He mumbles, looking very confused.
Jaden nods, and helps him to his feet. "Sorry, I just had to do that," He explains, sounding unrepentant.
"It's okay. You can do it again, if you want to," Vaati offers. "I'm used to being hit. They hit me all the time when I was a Dharkin. But no one's ever healed me afterwards." He says the words with such finality, like such behavior is inevitable.
"I won't hit you again, I promise," Jaden replies, a bit of guilt worming its way onto his face.
"Really?" Vaati asks hopefully.
"Yes," He says, looking tired.
"Thanks Jaden. And sorry, for all the stuff I did. I promise, I won't do anything like that ever again. I'm different now," Vaati says eagarly.
"Okay. So… we're good now, right?" Jaden asks.
"You're good, but I don't know if I'm good yet. I think I need to try harder to be good," Vaati replies.
"No, it's a phrase. Like… we're friends now, right?"
"Oh. I've never had a friend before. You would really be my friend?" Vaati asks, looking up at Jaden with big, pleading eyes.
"Sure," He says, shrugging. Vaati just grins, and throws his arms around Jaden, holding onto him really tight. Jaden holds his arms in the air awkwardly for a few moments, then, sighing, he wraps them around Vaati. He shoots me an annoyed look, and I just smile at him in understanding. It's hard to hate Vaati when he keeps acting like a strange mixture between a wounded puppy and an eager little kid.
"Thank you," Vaati whispers, still hugging Jaden.
"Yeah. You can get off now," Jaden replies.
Vaati nods, and pulls himself away. After that, he just runs around the forest a bit, picking up random objects and playing with them, and jumping up and down sparrodically. He smiles the whole time, clearly happy to be just a regular, human kid.
After a while, my wife wakes up too, and we bid eachother good morning. Then we set about making breakfast. I gather up some of the wild oats, and grind them up using a bit of white magic, while Jaden and Vaati gather berries. Then my wife cooks the whole thing in a pot with some water, and she even manages to find a bit of maple to go in it.
As the food's cooking, Vaati wanders over to the pot and sniffs it hesitantly. "What's that smell?" He asks curiously.
"It's just some oatmeal," I reply. "You don't have to stand so close if you don't like how it smells."
"No, it just… it's just weird. I've never smelled anything like that before. It's making my mouth all wet, and it's making me feel hungry. But it's… it's not bad…" his voice trails off and he just looks up at me uncomfortably.
"That's what food smells like," I explain hesitantly.
"It's not like any food I've ever eaten," Vaati replies.
"What did you eat as a Dharkin?"
"Raw meat," he says matter-of-factly. "It didn't smell like this."
"Well," Navinne says, looking down at him, "It's almost ready."
Vaati just shrugs. "Do you want me to wait somewhere else while you guys eat, or can I watch?"
"You're going to eat with us, Vaati," I explain gently.
"Why?" He asks.
"For starters, you helped us gather the berries. And right now, you're staying with my family. When people stay with us, we feed them," I reply.
"Why?" He repeats.
"Because that's what we do. It's called being nice."
"But why would you be nice?" He asks, frustrated. "If you give me food, then you'll have less food. It doesn't do anything for you. So why would you be nice?"
"Because… it makes you feel good," I reply. "And it makes the world a better place. I've been a person who's in need of shelter, and food. Several times in the past few weeks, actually. And the only reason I survived is because people were nice. The thing is, when you're nice to other people, it may not appear to have any benefit, but it just helps to create a world where everyone is nice to eachother. And I promise, that will benefit you in the end."
"I've never thought like that before," Vaati mumbles, looking at his feet. I just pat him on the shoulder and leave him to think on my words.
After a few moments, I wander over to the forest and grab a large log of wood. Using my magic, I cut it into four pieces and shape each piece like a bowel. Then, focusing, I grab a few twigs and shape them like spoons. They're a bit rough and dirty, but far better than nothing. My wife happily dishes up the food, and everyone except for Vaati starts eating. The oatmeal really is quite good; not the best food I've seen my wife prepare, but considering we're in the woods with barely any cooking supplies, it's better than I could've hoped for. The berries mix well with the maple flavor that she added, and the hearty food makes me feel nice and warm inside.
I finish pretty quickly, then glance over at Vaati. He's still holding onto the bowel, rubbing his fingers down the side of it, and he makes no motion to eat.
"Do you not like oatmeal?" I ask hesitantly.
"I don't know," He replies.
"Try it."
"I… I don't know how," He mumbles, a bit ashamed.
"Here, let me help you," I say softly. Gently, I place the spoon in his hand and guide it towards the oatmeal. I show him how to scoop some up, and I lead the spoon all the way back to his mouth. He wraps his mouth around the food, and then his whole body goes rigid.
"Are you okay?" I ask, a bit worried. He doesn't reply. He just keeps looking straight ahead, an expression of shock on his face.
"Vaati?"
He just looks up at me, looking very surprised and confused.
"You need to chew it, and swallow it," I instruct. He nods, and slowly chews up the oatmeal. He takes a big gulp then, in a quiet voice, asks, "What was that?"
"That was oatmeal," I reply simply.
"It… it…" His voice trails off, and he just looks at me for a few seconds. Then, hesitantly, he looks down at his bowel, and begins attacking the oatmeal.
He shovels the into his mouth as fast as humanly possible, grabbing huge spoonfuls and chewing them up at lightning speed. The whole time, his face is filled with bliss, and he keeps making yummy noises, almost like he's purrning. He finishes his oatmeal in two minutes flat, then just looks down at his empty bowel.
"I guess you like oatmeal," I say, smiling.
"That's… that's…" His voice trails off and, smiling, he says, "Thank you. I didn't know food could be like that. It was so…"
"Delicious?" I suggest.
"I don't know what that words means," he replies.
"It means that it tastes good," I explain.
"Taste?" He asks.
"Like… when you put the food into your mouth, it had a specific… flavor to it, right? A bit like touching but different?" I ask hesitantly.
"Yeah," He replies, looking up at me.
"That's called taste."
"Oh," He says. "Dharkin don't really talk about stuff like that. We eat raw meat, or bark, because it makes us tough. No one ever said anything about taste."
"Well, humans work a bit different. We try to make everything taste good."
"It… it made me happy. And it feels nice in my stomach," He says, smiling hesitantly.
"If you'd like, you can have some more," My wife offers, gesturing to the pot of oatmeal.
"I can have more?" He asks incredulously.
"Sure," She answers, shrugging.
He looks at her for a few moments, then nods eagerly. "Please," He says, handing her his bowel.
She smiles, and scoops a big serving of oatmeal into it, then hands the bowel back to Vaati. He looks at the food like he can't believe it's really there. Then, once more, he starts shoveling it down.
"You don't have to eat so fast," I say gently. "Take some time to enjoy it."
Vaati nods, and begins eating a bit slower. He still finishes his second bowel of oatmeal, and then he just lays down, sighing in contentment. "That stuff is so nice," He mumbles happily.
"I'm glad you enjoyed it," My wife replies.
"It… tasted amazing. I wish I knew how to do stuff like that with food. Then I could make people happy, like you," He says, looking up at her.
Navinne blushes, and replies, "If you'd like, I can teach you how to cook."
"Cook?" He asks.
"It means 'prepare the food so that it tastes good'. I could start showing you how, if you want to learn."
"Really?" Vaati asks, sounding excited.
"Sure," She says.
"Thank you!" He shouts, running up to her and flinging his arms around her. She looks down at him awkwardly, then gingerly pats him on the back.
"Sorry," He sniffs, letting go of her. "I didn't get to hug people too much when I was a Dharkin. But I like hugging people. And Link said that it's part of being a kid, and I want to be a kid, cause that's what I am now."
She looks at him for a few moments, then replies, "Well, you can hug me as much as you'd like."
"Thanks," He says meekly.
After that, my wife starts teaching Vaati how to cook, and me and Jaden just sit down next to eachother, watching them. We have a long, peaceful day that passes much like the morning did. Vaati spends the whole time bristling with energy and excitement, and he follows Navinne like a shadow, asking her all sorts of questions about food and regarding her like she's royalty. It's nice, to see him look up to her.
Me and my son hunt a bit, taking down a deer and a few birds for dinner, and Vaati helps my wife prepare the meat for lunch and dinner. After that, we just sit down. Vaati runs around for a while, and then he finally falls asleep, snuggling with his blanket and his pillow. My wife sits on the other side of me, watching him.
"He's really hard to hate, isn't he?" She asks, smiling softly. I nod in agreement. "I think you're right, though. He seems very sincere. And I shudder to think what he's gone through."
"It makes me feel really lucky," Jaden says, looking up at me. "I've always known exactly who I am, and I've always had parents who love me, and a nice family, and friends. And he hasn't had any of that. I… I wish things could've been different for him. I think he would've been really nice, if he grew up as a human instead of a Dharkin."
"It's not too late for him," I reply, smiling. "He's young. I think, given time, he'll be able to heal from all of the things that have happened to him, and all of the things he's done. If he keeps trying this hard to be human, I think he'll succeed."
"I hope so," Jaden says softly.
"Me too," I reply. With that, I rise to my feet and begin gathering my supplies.
"Wait, where are you going?" Jaden asks, looking up at me.
"There's something I have to do. Wait here," I say firmly.
"No way," He replies, hopping to his feet.
"Jaden-"
"I'm not a kid anymore, Dad," Jaden says, cutting me off. "And I'm not going to let you go back to the castle all alone. I'm coming with you."
"It's too dangerous, son. I am your father, and you will do as I say. Stay here," I instruct.
"I know I need to respect you, Dad," He says gently. "But… I can feel that I need to come with you. Just like I could feel that you're still alive. You've always taught me to trust my feelings, and they're telling me that you need me to come with you."
I open my mouth to object, but then I remember sitting at the tournament, wanting to tell the king to leave but keeping silent because he told me to. If there is one thing I have learned, it's that I must never let other people stop me from doing what I know to be necessary. And yet, I'm trying to do that very thing to Jaden. He's no longer a child who needs to be protected from himself. Whether I like it or not, he's old enough to be trusted with his own fate.
I hesitate, then mumble, "You can come, Jaden."
He smiles, and nods. "Thanks Dad. I promise, I won't let you down."
"Just don't get hurt, okay?"
"I won't," He says. With that, he grabs his bow and his sword and follows me out of the forest.
Under the comforting blanket of the dark, night sky, we set out for Hyrule castle.