Chapter 53: 'Inan 'ak Gilto

~~Well, all things considered, it looks like we got done what we needed to do. It feels like it's been almos—Well, apparently, it has been nearly a month since something went as planned. Right now, I'm watching Gorons load up bundles of food and supplies onto the Seventeen. Which actually looks like a train again. We have a passenger car for miners who want or need to leave the Fire Realm, and we also have a freight car for the supplies. The Gorons gave us a fresh load of coal and refilled our water, too.

~~I have to say I'm fascinated with them. They have a tremendous work ethic, and nothing ever seems to slow them down. Luggard was telling me a few minutes ago how they shoved the Seventeen onto a revolving section of rail to turn it around and then carried the new cars onto the track. And their work chant is actually quite catchy, even if it only uses the word "Goron".

It was a bit of a shock when the Seventeen emerged from the tunnel back onto the side of the Mountain of Fire. Probably even more so for Link and Luggard since they decided to ride the locomotive on the way back to the Dark Ore Station while Cale, Irleen (conducting language lessons again), and Ligado rode in the passenger car. Sello was still asleep under the bench, although a bottle rolling about the cab floor indicated that he had not been passed out the entire time. Luggard ran the train slower this time, wanting to make sure that the tracks did not ice over on the slope ahead.

"So wha's the plan?" Luggard asked above the locomotive's noise.

"What do you mean?" Link replied.

"The miners. We can' fi' 'em all in one car."

Link glanced back at the car as if to confirm. It was bare, black metal with a single door facing the locomotive. "I don't know. I think it'll have to be Roland's call. We can at least take anyone sick or injured; staying out in this cold place probably won't do them much good." He glanced back again. "I wonder why he didn't ask us to pick up some cars while we were up here. The Gorons clearly didn't mind."

Luggard shrugged before peering around the side. "Tha's wha' I been wonderin', too," he said when he pulled back in. He paused for a moment. "If we 'ad a decen' train, 'e might've been worried 'is men migh' deser'. Bein' withou' supplies 'n all."

Link's mouth drew a grim frown. "Yeah, maybe. And now that we've got one, they just might try it."

"Again, wha's the plan?"

The response was a sigh as Link tried to think. It was not as if they could disguise the train. And leaving the train and walking the rest of the way seemed to just beg for trouble whether they could brave the cold or not. So Link replied, "Well, maybe they won't try anything as long as we deliver the supplies."

"If we go'a, we can ditch the cars."

Link sucked in a breath through his teeth. "I'd prefer to avoid it. How good does that look for us?"

Luggard glanced at him. "Be'er a bastard than dead."

Link did not like the sentiment and glared at him. "It won't come to it."

Luggard sighed. "Look, I ain' go' nothin' agains' wha' we's doin'. Bu' if we ge' crowded, I's takin' off."

"Then we'll stay the night. We talk to Roland, have dinner at the station, then leave tomorrow morning. Roland will talk to his men, maybe keep them reasonable. We're not going to do anything impulsive. So long as Roland knows that we're just bringing back supplies, he'll have a head start on his men if they decide to run for it."

Luggard stared at him for a moment. "Ya's tha' sure Roland'll 'ave our backs?"

"If anyone was desperate enough to run, they would have stowed away on the Seventeen the moment Roland gave his orders. The Goron town would've been a better location to run to; remember, we've still got that giant Malgyorg to go through."

Luggard huffed out a laugh. "By tha' argumen', no one'll wanna go with us t'morrow."

"We'll see."

The Seventeen pulled into the station almost an hour later. The sun was still in the sky, barely into the afternoon. Roland and a few of his men already stood on the platform, having been alerted to the train by the pull of the whistle as it had been approaching. The brakes gave a squeal as Luggard slowed the train, and then the train gave a gentle rock upon stopping. Roland hollered to his men.

Then he walked up to the cab. "Looks good, boys!" he called up to them. "Tha's faster than Ah 'spected."

Link put his knees on the bench and looked over the edge at him. "It was actually a pretty easy pick-up," he said. "The Gorons were really helpful. They even gave us these cars."

Roland nodded. "'Ow's the slope?"

"Tricky," Luggard said, joining Link by stepping on the bench and leaning his butt on the edge. "Bu' tha' sal' 'elped. Never 'ad t' take a slope like tha', bu' we ge' trainin' for anythin'."

"Lucky for us," Roland said as he glanced at his men unloading the supplies. "Wha's the passenger car for?"

Luggard shrugged. "Passengers."

"Is there anyone you'd like us to take back to the Forest Realm?" Link asked. "Sick, injured… anyone?"

Roland frowned as he glanced at the passenger car and then back to the settlement. "Ah'll see wha' me boys go'a say. Ah migh' 'ave ya take a few'a the boys laid up 'ere; we ain' go' the supplies t' deal with injuries."

"Sounds good," Luggard said.

"I wish it was possible to do moah," Cale said as he, Lidago, and Irleen approached. "Even if we made it heah, it still may be time befoah anotheh train arrives."

"Ah'd say ya boys did plen'y," Roland said. "More'n wha' we was 'spectin'. 'Tween the supplies 'n ya takin' some'a me boys 'ome, ya migh've jus' saved our asses."

"You believe so?" Irleen asked. Roland nodded at her.

Link glanced over at Lidago. "Are you all right?" he asked.

Lidago, arms wrapped tight around his shivering body, shook his head. "N-n-n-n-n-n-no l-l-l-l-like."

Roland nodded at Lidago. "Wha' 'is story?"

"We're taking him back to the Forest Realm with us," Link said. "We think he might be able to help us put together an airship."

Roland pursed his lips as he thought. "An airship, huh? Sounds like an ambition."

Link shook his head. "We just wanna go home."

Roland nodded. "Don' we all. Wha's yar plan? Ya 'eaded ou' t'night?"

"T'morrow mornin'," Luggard said. "We go' plen'y o' fuel t' ge' there, bu' we could use a couple good meals b'fore we go."

"Ah think we can manage tha'. C'mon down, we'll ge' ya in the warm."

~~We returned to the Dark Ore Station for the night. Roland worked out a list of men we could take back to Library Town with us, mostly apprentices and long-hour workers with a few of the injured. Somehow, only three people were injured when Crunchy went wild: me, Sello, and one of the apprentices who got hit by a stray piece of wood. It seems like Sello runs on an insane amount of luck.

~~That seems to be all we have to rely on. Luck. Luck we found the descendents of three Architects. Luck we found a way to the Fire Realm. Luck we haven't been killed somehow. Ever since falling to the surface, it feels like I can't do anything that I was trained to do. I had to learn how to use a sword on the spot. Although, now that I think about it, those few years of broom-fighting on the lower decks with Line might've helped. Still, what kind of training prepares you to take down an armor-plated beetle? Or a psychotic machine?—machines? I have to admit, as a former airman, I'm a little worried my luck may be running out soon. I can only hope to be back home before it happens.

Link went to bed early, still feeling sore from two days prior. It took him a while before he fell asleep, and he had been awakened when Luggard wandered into the small room and fell onto the bunk beneath him.

He woke up again when he heard voices outside. At first, he was not lucid enough to tell what was going on. He rolled over to get comfortable, one hand scratching at his exposed ear.

But the action seemed to wake him further. His head cleared, and, although he could not make out what the voices were saying, he could tell that they were shouting. Shouting like he had only heard once before.

When Whittleton was under attack.

The first sound he made came out as a moan as he forced himself to roll back over. "Luggard," he croaked. Then, "Luggard!?"

There was a snort from the bottom bunk. "Ugh?" Luggard grunted.

"Luggard, get up," Link told him as he slung his legs over the bed.

"Wha?"

Link dropped to the floor and located the Lokomo Sword in the corner where he had left it. "Come on!" he shouted while slinging the belt over his head.

"Ya go'a be kiddin'," Luggard groaned, finally pulling the blankets off his head. "Wha' coul—"

Link hissed to quiet him before stepping over to the door. "Keep it down, Luggard."

Luggard sat up. "Wha's goin' on, Link?" he asked, still not quite awake.

"Listen," Link told him as he slipped on his boots. "I think the settlement's under attack."

"Wha?" Luggard angled one pointed ear toward the door. "Wha' is tha'?"

"I don't know, but we'd better find Irleen, Cale, Lidago, and Sello; they could be in trouble."

Luggard threw his blankets off and stood up from the bed. "Don' Cale 'ave yar other sword?"

"Yeah, but I doubt he knows how to use it," Link answered. Then he looked up and down Luggard. "You wore your boots to bed?"

Luggard glanced down at his black-leather boots. "They's comf'terble."

Link shook his head and opened the door a sliver. The settlement outside was only illuminated by a few window lights too far away to see with. He could tell there was scuffling in the middle of the large, open area at the center of the settlement's grounds, but he could not make out the shadows in the dark. He did hear voices, though, and the nature of some of them left him wondering.

He turned back to Luggard and asked, "Women?"

"Wo-huh?" Luggard asked in return as he looked around the room for something to use as a weapon. "Women? Where?"

"Outside."

In the faint, red light of their stove, Link could see Luggard pause and cast him a confused look. "Bu'… there ain' s'pose t' be women 'ere."

"That's what I was thinking, too."

Luggard, failing to find anything else, picked up Sello's pin hammer from the table Link had left his possessions on. "Cale 'n them should be two doors down."

"Okay, let's go." Link placed one hand on the Lokomo Sword and the other on the door. After pulling it open enough, he and Luggard slipped outside.

Link could hear metal clanging in the distance. Their room was not far from the train platform, and there was no immediate sign of battle around them. Both kept their eyes cast to their right while they felt along the walls for the door to the other room.

When Link found the door, he stepped in as fast as possible. "Cale, Lidago! Guys, wake up!" he hollered.

"Dooooh?" Movement to Link's right caused him to jump. What he initially thought was a piece of furniture uncurled and stood, revealing a drowsy-looking Lidago. "You buy pot?" he asked.

"Con tùkħanu?" Irleen asked drowsily, rising from the table. "Līnca?"

Link stepped over and picked up her translator gem. "Irleen, are you awake?"

"Surprisingly, yes," she groaned. "And I'll ask again: what's going on?"

"The se'lemen's under attack," Luggard said, carefully closing the door.

Irleen suddenly jerked side-to-side in the air, releasing an alarmed ring like a small bell. "Wait, what!?"

"Cale!" Luggard said as he stepped over to the bunks. He kicked the side of the lower bunk. "Ge' up!"

Cale suddenly sprang up from under the sheets. "It can't have been me; I don't even like erotica!"

The room fell silent as Link, Irleen, and Luggard passed around the same, confused look. "Well, now I know where t' ge' some," Luggard commented with a grin on his face.

"Oh… was… was that aloud?" Cale asked, bowing his head to hide his face.

Luggard spotted Link's sword on the table and picked it up. "Ge' up."

"Why?" Cale asked, shoving the sheets off his body. "I've only just gone to sleep."

"Someone's attacking the settlement," Link said, watching Luggard buckle the sword belt. Then he glanced between Lidago and Cale. "We have to get out of here."

"Who could possibly be attacking?" Cale asked as he rose from the bed. "And at this time, too?"

"Girls, 'parently," Luggard said. Then he realized that the sword was on the wrong hip and tried to turn the belt around over his waistcoat.

"Come again?" Irleen asked.

"They buy pot?" Lidago asked.

"I don't think they're interested, Lidago," Link told him.

"Dooooh…" he droned in disappointment.

Luggard drew the sword. "So… we's awake. Wha' we gonna do?"

"Where's Sello?" Link asked.

"Oh, up theah," Cale said, pointing to the top bunk.

Link stepped up to the bunks and put a foot on the bottom edge to look up at the top bunk. "Sello, wake up," he told the dark lump.

"Ah told ya ah'd take ya ohm, budyou fergodda ask da toilet," Sello mumbled, followed by a strange chuckle.

Luggard glanced over at Cale. "Jus'… wha' was goin' on in 'ere b'fore we came in?"

Cale held up his hands. "Sleeping, I sweah!"

Link grabbed a handful of blankets and started shaking it. "Sello, get up!" Then he pulled on the sheets, almost falling from the bunks in the process.

Sello's arms immediately lashed out for the nearest object and wrapped around Link's head. "Ah wanna ride da tree!"

His arms slid down Link's head, and Link could feel the edge of the bed press against his throat. "Hk!" he choked out. "Khhhhs! Ghhhs, hhhhlpk!"

Luggard set his sword on the table and joined Cale in prying Sello's arms open. "Le' 'im go! Le' 'im go, Sello!"

"Shuddup!" Sello cried out. "You kizzd da brush!"

"Idio's more dangerous sleepin' than awake!" Luggard declared. He pulled himself up and delivered a smack to the side of Sello's head. "Knock it off!"

Sello's eyes snapped open, and, in his confusion, he released Link. Link collapsed to his knees in front of the bunks and wheezed for a bit as he caught his breath. Luggard dropped down next to him and asked, "Ya okay, Link?"

"I'll be fine," Link said in almost a whisper.

Luggard stood back up and grabbed Sello's sleeve. "Ge' down 'ere!" he declared as he hauled Sello out of the bunk.

"Shelly likez legzzz!" Sello shouted just before hitting the floor on his stomach with a metallic clang. Link ducked to one side so Sello's boots would not pummel his head. Sello got to his feet and put on a triumphant stance with his hands on his hips. "Didn' hurt!"

"Shu' up," Luggard told him. Then he glanced down at Link. "Wha's the plan?"

Link coughed a bit before rising. "We should get to the Seventeen," he told them, his voice tinged with a small wheeze. "We should protect it."

"What about the fighting?" Cale asked.

"The fi-heet!" Link coughed again. "The fight isn't here yet. We should make sure someone's watching the train so it doesn't take damage. Then, if we can, we help the miners."

"Wha' good's tha' gonna do the miners?" Luggard asked.

"Retreat," Link said. "In case they can't hold the settlement."

"It's a plan," Irleen added in a hopeful tone.

Luggard shrugged and picked up the sword he had set down. "Okay. Irleen, can ya watch our backs?"

Irleen shook herself side-to-side again, making the same ringing sound. "Ugh. Yeah, I think so," she replied.

"Let's get going," Link urged.

Luggard went out the door first, followed by Cale holding Sello's hand. Link stepped out next, waving Lidago and Irleen behind. Lidago followed, his face showing confusion after not being able to follow the Hylians' conversation. While the rest of them huddled against the wall and moved carefully, Lidago just bumbled along behind them. Not that Irleen was any subtler, a little ball of light flying circles above Lidago's head to keep an eye out for trouble. Although more shadows were moving and even being thrown about the central clearing, no one seemed to notice them slipping by in the dark. The group hustled up the stairs to the platform.

Luggard and Link stopped cold in front of the others, halted by their shock upon seeing movement around the Seventeen in the light of a single lantern that had been left hanging on a pole at the top of the stairs.

"Xwali!" a woman's voice hissed in alarm. "Xili'anu!"

"Uh oh," Link uttered.

"Oh, not good," Cale whispered.

"You buy pot?" Lidago asked, his voice apprehensive as the situation dawned on him.

"Hayxwolan!" another woman's voice declared.

They finally jumped out of the locomotive's cab and into the wide cone of light. They stood at about Luggard's height, dressed in tight, silk-like clothing which only served to cover select parts of their bodies. Their skin looked dark in the lantern light, a tone that Link thought he had seen before. Two of them had brilliant, red hair while the other three sported black, all five having their hair tied high in the back into ponytails that swayed with their movements. Their mouths and foreheads were covered in hoods. A tight-looking waistcoat protected their chests, all blue except for the one wearing red at the head of the party. Their trousers appeared tight around their waists and wide further down, clasped shut at their ankles. And each one sported a large, curved sword which was much thicker at the blade's end.

"Get back!" Link shouted over his shoulder. Then he drew his sword as the women charged. He put it up just in time to block a swing from one side, although the weight of the larger blade came as a surprise. He stumbled sideways out of the cone of light. Then another strike came from the same side at about chest-height, and he decided to jump backwards to avoid it. He saw an exposed shoulder and tried to lay his own blade into it, but she proved far too fast and spun out of the way. This gave him a split-second to see another horizontal strike and hold up his sword to intercept the blade. Without his shield, he decided to put more strength into the sword by wrapping his right hand around the pommel. When the swords clashed, he found that the added hand helped him hold back the blade. His attacker tried to hook his sword and fling it aside, and the additional hand helped him keep it from flying out of his hands.

Meanwhile, Luggard held up his borrowed sword horizontally to intercept a high strike. His guard collapsed under the weight of his opponent's sword, and he stepped to one side before either blade embedded itself into his skull. He backed up and swung at her. She only leaned back, allowing the sword to glide untouched a hair's breadth from the end of her nose. Then she simply brought up her sword and clipped Luggard's exposed shoulder, slicing into his shirt sleeve and drawing a line of blood on his skin. Luggard let out a surprised shout and retreated with his left hand covering the shoulder. His opponent, twirling her sword, held up her free hand to signal her friends back. Luggard could sense the smugness oozing through her mask, realizing that, as the odd-waistcoat-out, she must have been their leader. This only made him mad, and he swung the sword from his left and up. She caught the sword with hers, positioning the straight blade on either side of her curved blade. Then, with a twist of her wrist, she ripped the sword from Luggard's hand and watched as it flew away from the fight. This left Luggard unarmed.

And, in her moment of gloating with a chuckle, he reminded her with a left cross that knocked her hard to the ground. "Ha haaah!" Luggard declared. "'Ow ya like th—ohf!" His victory was cut short by one of the other warriors stepping forward from his right and delivering the same blow to his cheek, tossing him to the ground.

Link found himself pinned against the far side of the platform, two of the warriors having backed him there with sword blows that he managed to keep at bay. He stood with his sword pointed between the two, head shifting side to side as he waited for one to make a move.

"Wahayxwolak max?" the warrior on the left asked.

"Ay'a," the warrior on the right, the one who originally attacked him, replied with a nod. The left one nodded, dropped her guard, and backed away. Link, puzzled by this, kept his guard up. "Salya, Xili'anan? Nayx walayxomak max?"

Link thought he heard the word "Hylian" in that statement, although it was hard to tell with her pronunciation. He was sure she was taunting him. But Link had never fought against another human before, let alone a girl. He was not sure how he should handle the fight. At least, not until he remembered sparring practice against Meilont. Although he had actually been the target, he remembered how Meilont use to fight against him. He steeled himself and tried to picture her as Meilont.

He advanced one foot, and she swung low as if to take off his leg at the knee. He blocked the strike and advanced again. This brought him close enough that he turned the sword in his grip and swung the flat into her ribs. She let out a startled wail and backed up. Link could not see her expression in the dark, but the way she pressed her right arm against her side appeared to indicate that he had done damage. She swung out with a grunt and nearly clipped Link's head. He stumbled to his left and, after placing the sword completely in his right hand, laid the blade against her right thigh and sliced through both trousers and flesh.

"Maylofan!" she declared. "Hayxwolan!"

Link's eyes snapped right just in time to see her friend charge. The blow was heavy, having come from over her shoulder and down on him. Metal clanged together when Link tried to catch it with his off-hand supported by his left hand pressed against the flat of his sword. Her swing sent a shock through both arms, and he could feel his arms want to fall lifeless to his sides when she pulled away. She reared back for another strike, and Link quickly switched hands. Then he spun out of the way. He used his momentum to swing the flat of his blade and caught the side of her head just above her ear. She stumbled, dropping her sword, and fell over the side onto the roof of a building in the pit below.

Pain shot across Link's lower back as the other warrior's sword ripped through both his tunic and his undersuit. He almost stumbled over the edge after her, but he kept his feet and spun just in time to catch a diagonal slash intended to cut into his right shoulder. His movement was swift and powerful, knocking the heavier sword away with a force she did not have time to recover from. He lunged and used the tip of his blade to draw a red line across her forearm. She cried out and dropped her sword. Link held up the sword as if to lay in another strike, and she backed away with both arms cradled against her stomach.

"Xwali…" she said to herself. "Waba muskak ijd…" Then she turned and jumped off the platform onto the tracks.

Link did not watch her run away. He turned to see that Luggard was wrestling with the group's leader while another was latched to his left leg, trying to keep it pinned. Lidago stood near him and held the last one at arm's length from him by her leg, taking sword strikes to his legs as if they were nothing. Sello had disappeared from sight; Link hoped he had taken cover. Cale was still standing in front of the stairs, looking left and right as if trying to figure out what to do. Irleen hovered over Cale's head, her shouting incomprehensible to Link due to the distance.

Then Link spotted a glint near the train. With horror, he realized that there was a sixth warrior. And she had a bow and arrow in her hands.

"Look out!" he shouted as he dashed towards them as fast as he could.

Fuh! Thip! Link stopped in his tracks, his breath halted by pure terror.

Cale glanced down at the arrow in his left shoulder with almost an unperturbed intrigue.

He stumbled backward and tripped over the stairs. Irleen's scream pierced the night, a horrific sound that could not possibly come from a being as small as her. Link could only watch as Cale tumbled out of sight.

Then his grip tightened on the sword, and he ran forward again. "You bastard!" he hollered.

He did not see Lidago's captive suddenly laid the flat of her blade hard against Lidago's face after pulling herself up to get the reach. Lidago reeled and dropped her onto her back. She recovered, sword forgotten. Link's only target was the archer hidden in the locomotive's cab, who fumbled around for another arrow when she saw Link charging for her.

She was saved, however, when Lidago's former captive performed a spectacular leap over the pile made by Luggard and the two others. Link dodged to one side, surprised to see her suddenly so close. She took advantage of this shock and the fact that Link was still holding his sword in the left hand. She drew back her right elbow and thrust it hard into Link's chest.

Link dropped his sword and fell to one knee, stars blurring his vision, breath suddenly no longer in his lungs.

When he looked up, the last he saw was her leg swinging at his face in a powerful, spinning kick.