Chapter 37

Link stood at the foot of the mountain, arms crossed, and looked up the winding, dusty path that led to the black citadel where the Smiling Man had taken Princess Zelda. The sky swirled above, the sun blotted out by a red streak across the heavens, the stars bathing Hyrule in fractured light.

"So," said Queen Rutela, "are you certain you do not want any of my men to accompany you?" She stood with a group of armed Zora, their armour clinking softly as they waited.

"Thanks," said Link. "But this is something I need to do on my own."

He was itching to get away, in fact. He'd wasted enough time when the Zora insisted that he bathe in one of their healing springs. They'd given him clean clothes as well – an outfit of a deep, dark royal blue lined with strips from his purple coat. He didn't understand all the fuss. It was like the Zora were wilfully ignoring what was happening to the world.

"Nevertheless," the queen pressed on. "I'll give you five days. And then I'll send my troops in."

As the last of her words left her lips, a sudden tremor overtook the entire land. The queen's eyes widened. Her guards gripped their weapons. And then the shaking subsided.

"Three days," she corrected as the ground settled. "The fortress that you head towards," she continued. "It's a dark place. Haunted by Poes and the like. Watch yourself."

Link nodded.

Her face flickered slightly as she gathered herself to speak more. "I would like to…thank you, Link," she said. "For your valour."

Link felt his heart tremble slightly in response. He didn't want to feel anything when praised. Both criticism and praise were for children, not something he should be affected by.

No apology, I notice, he thought. Probably too much to ask in front of her subjects.

"My weapons," said Link. "Could I have them?"

Rutela had insisted that he hand them over after the battle. He'd complied – he was all out of crossbow bolts anyway. It seemed that, despite her words, the queen didn't entirely trust him.

Rutela gave a small nod and then stepped aside. Ryl – the Zora guard that Link had called Tall – came forward. He carried a tanned leather sleeve in his arms. One end was open, the other capped. A slight frown crossed Link's brow.

"We don't have any crossbow bolts," said Ryl in apologetic tone. "But we decided to make this for you. The next best thing."

"Place it over your left wrist," the queen added.

Link did so. It was a snug fit and hid his broken hand well. A little too well, as the black-capped end was bigger than three fists. But what was the point of it…?

"It's enchanted," explained Rutela. "And responds only to you. My sorcerers are not as powerful as Princess Zelda but they still do admirable work. Use your mind to command it to open."

Link projected the thought. The capped end opened, revealing the spiked tip of his hookshot.

"You can order it to fire, retract or close," said Ryl. "We had to shorten the chain so that it would fit. Not too much, though."

Close, thought Link. The spike slipped back in and the cap sealed up.

"No unpleasant accidents that way, if you know what I mean," Ryl added. He smiled. "What do you think? You'll not be needing a crossbow now."

"It's…" A crooked smile touched Link's lips. "I wasn't expecting this." He looked up. "Thank you."

They'd done all this in a day - both his new clothes and this modified hookshot. The Zora were nothing if not efficient.

Ryl held out his hand. Link hesitated again – still no apology from any of the Zora. With a quick sigh he clasped the guard's hand quickly and then let go.

Queen Rutela bowed her head slightly. "Go now," she said. "Bring back Zelda. And end this madness."

As Link turned to leave, the Zora woman shot out a hand to hold him back. He looked up into her dark eyes.

"This Smiling Man," she said. "I want him ended for what he did to my son."

She released him. Link said nothing. He hadn't told her about the truth of Ralis's character, about what he'd been doing at the moment of his death. Link had only mentioned that he'd been killed in battle - true enough - and that the Smiling Man had possessed him.

The queen had accepted his words.

Link began his trek up the path.

The air grew colder the higher Link went. A biting wind howled, tearing at his face. Link used his free hand to unhook the Silver Mask from his belt and slip it on.

'There you are.'

Link stopped short. 'Fi?' He couldn't believe it. 'Is that you?'

'Clearly. Who else could it be? Or do you speak to a lot of women in your head?'

Link felt a smile grown under his mask. 'What happened to you? Where have you been?'

'The Smiling Man…he smothered me. It was cold and dark and unpleasant.' She paused, then said, 'I think he's forgotten about me now. I hope he has.'

'I'm sorry,' said Link. 'About what happened.'

There was a short pause before Fi spoke again. 'I see that you have lost a hand in my absence. That was careless of you.'

Speaking of his hand…

'Fi,' said Link. 'Can you analyse this thing on my arm? It's got my hookshot. I just want to know there aren't any other surprises.'

He may be grateful for the gift, but that didn't mean that Link was willing to trust the Zora completely. Especially not after what they'd done to him. He waited for Fi's response. The wind continued to moan.

'It is what you said it is,' said Fi. 'A cap for your hand that contains your hookshot. Nothing more, nor less.'

Link felt some of his tension sag hearing that.

'Terrible colour, though,' Fi added.

A brush with the void seemed to have left his friend equipped with a fresh, new biting attitude.

'Where are we, anyway?' she went on. 'This looks like a very precarious path. Were you planning to fling yourself off the mountainside in your grief of losing me? Well, do not fear. I am here now.'

Clearly this new Fi would take a lot of adjusting to. She said everything in such deadly seriousness, even the most bizarre of comments.

'I heard that,' she said.

Link smiled again. 'We're back in our Hyrule, Fi,' he explained. 'The Smiling Man has Zelda in that citadel up there.' He gestured with his hookshot arm.

'Then why are you wasting time talking to a voice in your head?' she chided. 'Let's press on.'

'I agree.'

But Fi wasn't done yet. 'You'd lose your head if I wasn't around. You've already started with your hand.'

Despite the chill air, Link felt a surge of warmth within. He was glad Fi was back. Now he didn't have to do this on his own.

'I'm touched,' said Fi.

'Stop listening in.'

'Stop thinking so loud.'

'I do not think…loudly.

'You do. It gives me a headache.'

Link sighed. Maybe he would've been better off on his own.

'I heard that, too.'

With a shake of his head, Link moved off up the path. A glance over the edge of the path told him he was already at a dizzying height. But that wasn't what struck him the most. The world below was scarred with deep cracks that spilled out a molten orange glow. A sprinkle of flickering lights marked burning fires. Faint smoke drifted over the land. Hyrule was on the verge of tearing itself apart.

The path began to narrow. Dead vines, dry and crackling under his boots, lay littered across the ground. Link passed a boulder on his left. He gave it an idle glance -

And it sprang suddenly into life, growling, a mouth littered with a needle-sharp teeth opening wide.

Link jumped back. His head spun – he was too close to the edge. Link felt the empty void behind him. He dug in his heels, looked up -

And the boulder was just a boulder again.

Link stared, his heart thudding. A glance behind him saw how close he'd been to falling. Mere inches. Link scrambled away, setting loose scree tumbling down the mountainside.

'What was that?' he said. 'Did you see that?'

'See what?' asked Fi.

'That boulder, It –'

Link stopped himself. What exactly could he say…?

'It what?' said Fi.

'Never mind.'

The Smiling Man was playing his games. Link just had to refuse to roll the dice.

As he made his way up, the terrain became stranger. Huge, gnarled roots poked out of fissures in the ground, but there was no way trees could have grown up. When he stepped on one, it shuddered as though it could feel his touch. Link swore he could even hear a faint groan. When he stepped away he saw that he'd left a dark footprint of blood.

'Are you really not seeing all this, Fi?' he asked.

'I see you staring at the dirt,' she replied. 'Is that what I'm meant to be seeing? Because I'm not impressed.'

Link decided not to ask anymore. He turned a corner and a long shadow fell upon him. Link stopped, and looked up. The citadel loomed above now, dark and foreboding. He saw that the path carried on up to a large, crimson door studded with metal bumps. His eyes scanned the fortress again. Glassless windows had been cut into the stone face of the building, with nothing but shadows visible within.

He'll be expecting me to come in through the door…

Link raised his hookshot arm.

Open.

The spike sprang out.

Fire.

The spike exploded straight up, tip spinning, and bit into the wall above one window.

Retract.

The chain began to wind in, taking Link up with it. He had to grip onto his left arm hard with his only hand to steady himself against the pressure. Still, without his Goron gloves, he felt the strain all the way into his shoulder socket.

Once Link reached the top, he swung in through the window, pulling his hookshot free as he did so.

Close.

The spike slid back into the leather sleeve like a snail retreating into its shell. As he massaged his arm to get the blood flowing again, Link looked at his new device, impressed.

'Not bad,' said Fi.

'Outstanding, even,' Link replied.

Cold seeped up from the floor and through his boots. The room was dark. Pitch-black dark.

'Fi…?'

'Already started,' she said. 'There are two people on the very top floor of this building. One of them is Princess Zelda.'

'Thanks,' said Link in his mind. 'I was actually referring to the lack of light.'

'Oh.'

Twin beams poured out of the Silver Mask's eyeholes.

And then a flock of Keese, disturbed by the light, flew straight into him. Screeching, they fluttered around him, leathery wings scratching his mask. He even caught a glimpse of yellowing fangs.

It was over almost as soon as it had begun. The bat-like Keese fled through the window.

Link doubled over as he tried to catch his breath. When he rose again, he looked around him.

The room was empty. Dust and grime smeared the floor. Cobwebs hung from the walls. There was a single door. Link moved toward it and tested the knob. It opened with a soft click. Light seeped in through the narrow crack.

Link slipped into the passageway beyond. Something sighed. The light vanished, plunging him into darkness. A chill breeze followed. An eerie silence reigned supreme.

Link glanced over his shoulder. 'What's going on, Fi?' he projected. 'Are you sure there's no one else here?'

'None that I can…detect.'

Link's skin prickled as something brushed past him. He froze. A disembodied cackle whispered in the air next to his ear. He jerked his head that way. Darkness greeted his eyes.

Link waited, his muscles coiled, not daring to move. His heart thudded.

He heard something creak. A door slammed. Another laugh followed.

Link was reminded of something Queen Rutela had said. Haunted...

'Fi,' he said. 'What's a Poe?'

'A spirit creature,' she replied. 'They can pass through walls and are almost invisible to the – oh.'

Link felt an icy touch at his shoulder. He spun around.

Nothing was there.

I'm up against a ghost. Just grand.

'Not quite,' said Fi. 'Your hookshot can still affect it.'

Link stared into the darkness. His eyes caught something subtle. A flicker of darkness in amongst the rest of the gloom. Link pulled off the Silver Mask and re-latched it to his belt. He stood his ground, peering.

A swirl of light spun out from the dark. It solidified into the form of a floating lantern. Link tensed, his mouth going dry. The walls trembled. Somewhere, a plate shattered.

And then there it was, bursting out of the black. A glowing, roaring thing with spindly arms sped toward him, slicing through the air, a tattered cloak trailing behind it, narrowed eyes full of hate.

Link tried to raise his hookshot arm – but couldn't. It felt as though it was encased in a heavy block of ice.

The Poe screamed in triumph. Link's eyes widened. He couldn't even open his mouth. His jaw spasmed in pain.

The Poe collided straight into Link.