The village outside was in chaos. After Impa swiftly helped her slap on her leather kidney belt, bracers, greaves, daggers, shield, and sword they burst out through the door together. Kiden lingered behind stammering, "What do you want me to do?!"
Impa vanished into shadow without a word, presumably towards the screams that rose from the heart of the village. Kali's heart beat so hard and swift, she was sure it would burst from her chest, "Stay inside! The house is warded!" she ordered as she sprinted towards the source of the attack, her hands in an iron grip around her sword and shield. The rancid smoke stung her nose and her eyes, but it wasn't the only stink that poisoned the once clean air. As she sprinted, there was also the old pennies stench of blood. She had to find her friends. She was certain that Link would have jumped straight into the battle, and Impa had disappeared just moments ago. Was she ready for a real battle? She'd only practiced so far, but…No, now was not the time for overthinking.
A shadow darted at her head and she only barely registered the movement in time to roll forward and down in the grass. She whirled and had enough time to identify the creature as some manner of horrific bat-like creature. The wings were like a bat's….but where the body should be was a bloodshot, slit pupiled eye and a gaping fanged hole for a mouth beneath it. She could truly see how one could get lost in a battle as her arm automatically shot out, the blade of her sword slicing clean through the creature. Kali turned from it before she could see it hit the ground. She turned the corner to face the well, almost at the center of the village. What she saw there was a group of villagers fleeing away from the conflict, and one woman that struggled to keep up shoved her young screeching son away from her as a spider the size of a pony launched itself upon her, shoving her back against the side of the well. She was about to be shoved in and Kali ground her teeth as she sprinted for them. Unsure of how else to get the spider's attention she lept onto it's back, feeling now that the top side of it was made of some sort of dark stone. The spider kept the woman pinned but the attention of its fangs went quickly towards the girl on it's back. It snapped at both of her hands and she was nearly forced to let go, and be flipped backwards off of the spider as it's body writhed to try to shake her off. She released her hold on the spider with her hands and instead secured her hold by throwing all her weight into punching the edge of her shield into it's fanged mouth. That really must have pissed it off because it shoved off of the woman enough for her to scramble away. Just as she was about to maneuver her way to the front of the spider to see if its underbelly was as armored as it's back she heard someone call her name. She looked up and Kiden was standing several feet from the fight staring at the position she was in with horror coloring his face. He seemed too afraid to move, and she opened her mouth to demand that he get back to the house. The spider thrashed more wildly now and decided to flip itself onto it's own back with her still clinging to it. It's legs scrambled for purchase as Kali groaned painfully, the breath being knocked out of her body under the crushing weight of the creature. Somewhere during the struggle the spider had dislodged her shield from it's maw because its fangs were coming down on her. She braced her sword between them, resisting the push of the spider by placing her other hand on the flat edge of the blade. "Kali!" she heard Kiden cry out again.
She had her eyes squeezed tight, trying to think, trying to figure her way out of this situation. "Kick it over!" shouted another voice.
Kali gasped, the ability to breath returning to her, and raced her boot on the belly of the spider. She bridged hard at the same time she shot the mass of the spider over her head. She rolled, breathing heavily to her side and glanced up to see Link drive his own sword into the underbelly of the spider in one savage movement. She managed a short smile at him, glad to see he was safe, before she rushed to her feet. "Kiden, get back to the house right now!" she shouted, her voice guttural with the rush of battle.
"No! I can't just stand around and do nothing!" he yelled in reply, just as fierce.
"Listen to her," Link intervened, "She can fight. You can't. You would just be a distraction!"
Kiden ignored him and surged towards her, grasping her shoulders with both hands, "If you were smart, Kali - you'd flee from here. We all know they are here to draw you out. The safest place for you is at the castle like the princess said!"
Kiden stood his ground silently and Kali released a loud growl of frustration, "We don't have time for this! The answer is no!" With that, she rushed away, following Link closely.
She would just have to keep an eye on Kiden, and at the very least make sure that he wasn't being attacked. From the top of the stairs nearest to the well, she could finally take in the state the village was in. Almost every building was bright with strange purple flames. Groups of villagers were being chased from their homes by a variety of horrible, wet fanged creatures. She turned with wide eyes to see the windmill that she'd loved so much engulfed in smoke and flames, no longer turning. There was no question who was responsible for this. "Focus, Kali," Link said, his tone as steady as stone. He had said the same thing to her when she lost focus in training too - it always seemed to draw her back.
"Stay nearby, Kiden - and don't get in the way if you can." Kali muttered as she shoved one of her sheathed daggers into his hands. Then she quickly joined Link, and pulled her shield to her shoulder. They plunged into the first group of enemies they saw and unleashed themselves.
There was something strangely calming about losing herself in the fight. If it weren't for the presence of Kiden, nothing outside of the enemy directly in front of her existed or mattered. After a few moments, Kali spotted Impa on a level up from them. Her eyes widened at the swift swathes of shadow shot through the air near the creatures she fought. Wherever those shadows went, the enemies died. She was able to take on groups at a time on her own, and Kali understood quickly why Impa had been made the guardian of this village on her own. Her stomach filled with dread as she realized that the monsters at least had some brains. She noticed that they were beginning to target Kiden specifically after a while. They must have noticed that she was particularly defensive of him, and that he had next to no defense for himself at all except the dagger he held in his hands. Which by the way he held it, might as well have been a butter knife. As she fell back more to try and stay near Kiden, they started to separate her from the sight of her companions. No, no, no. This was bad, fighting a horde of monsters by herself while defending someone else was a really bad spot to be in. There were so many….so many dark creatures. As soon as she defeated one, two more would take its place. From a distance, she could glance bits and pieces of Link, fiercely holding his own against 2 groups of monsters but now too occupied to protect the groups of nearby villagers from a new onslaught of monsters. Impa was being assaulted from all angles and didn't have the ability to save them either. Where in the hell were all these creatures coming from? Soon, they had her cornered with Kiden close behind her. She breathed heavily, refusing to give anymore ground but not feeling all that great about her odds of getting out of this. What could she do?
A voice boomed over the chaos, as if echoing through a megaphone, "Halt."
The snarls and growls of the creatures ceased, but they didn't move from their places. They didn't allow the cowering villagers to escape. It seemed that all stood still except Link, who cut down the last of his group in 3 vicious strikes, and Impa who was still too separated from them to be able to assist. Her group cleared a path for her to see 3 figures standing in the center of the once grassy village center. Kali struggled to catch her breath as she stared down Pallas, hands folded behind his back, flanked on either side by Bia and Styx.
"This can be stopped right now, you know," Pallas announced to everyone in the village, his voice somehow magnified despite it's cool tone. His eyes didn't leave hers.
Nobody responded. Kali ground her teeth together so hard that she began to shake - with rage, or with fear, she couldn't be was watching the man he now knew as Pallas from his position. "Just imagine," Pallas continued, "all of this merely because you keep some girl that you never knew before in your midst."
Kali's eyes didn't budge from Pallas's gaze, but she could suddenly feel the stares of every villager on her. She could already see the game he was trying to play, and her grip tightened on her blade. She lashed out, growling angrily. The last of the enemies before her and Kiden fell. "Go, Kiden," she muttered under her breath. "No," he responded just as quiet.
She saw Pallas's toxic green eyes shift only slightly over her shoulder, at Kiden. He was going to use him against her, she knew it. Pallas was unfair, he was manipulative, and he didn't care what he had to do to get what he wanted. "Just look at her!" Pallas crowed with delight, gesturing grandly to her sudden show of violence, "Like a wild dog! And yet she's fooled you all into thinking you can tame her!"
Link stepped into the path of Pallas's gaze, between them both and her heart squeezed. She didn't like where this was going. It was one thing to be blamed for all of this, but now Link was standing directly in danger for her sake. "Shut your vile mouth," Link growled, his tone nothing like she'd ever heard from him before. Every word echoed 'dangerous'.
"Ahhh, and you must be the Hero of Time." Pallas crooned. Link stiffened, and her eyes widened. How could he possibly know that? The man continued, tapping his finger against his chin, "Oh! Except the people of this time don't know that anymore, do they?"
She heard the villagers whispering, sounding confused and alarmed. Link angled his sword toward the three of them, sounding more vicious than ever, "If you know that, then you should know I am fully capable of taking you down."
Pallas shrugged, as if it couldn't possibly matter. "That wouldn't be necessary if you, and of course the village-" he gestured grandly to the people, showing a winning but slightly manic grin, "Would just hand over the girl willingly. Then all of this can just stop, and be turned back to how it was before. Perfectly normal."
Kali dared to tear her gaze from Pallas to see the groups of trapped villagers. A few were eyeing her accusingly, most looked conflicted - as if weighing the value of her life against the value of their peaceful home. One of the men, a large construction worker spoke up, "W-Well then….hand her over!" he demanded, sounding desperate.
"No!" a female voice rang out. Kali saw the crowd part slightly to also lay eyes on a dark red head. It was her friend, Anju. "How can you even consider it? You all know what he did to her!"
They did? That was news to her, but she supposed it shouldn't be surprising. Gossip goes around quickly.
"You all should be ashamed! You've seen how hard she's been working lately, training with Lady Impa! THIS MAN is the reason why!" Anju continued fiercely, her eyes determined.
Kali started to feel relieved when the expressions of the villagers began to shift, looking ashamed or more sure about keeping her there. Everything felt like it was moving in slow motion when, before her eyes, the man that was about to hand her over began to wrinkle and wither at an extremely rapid pace. He barely had time to let out a strangled scream before his whole body had mummified, then turned to bones, then to dust in the wind. The villagers burst into screams and tears and pushed as a group away from the awful remains of the man who once stood there.
Kali had never seen anyone die before. It was one thing to kill these creatures who bore no resemblance to living, breathing, caring humans. But that man probably had a family, friends, an established life here and now it was if he had never existed. She was stuck in place, staring at what remained of him, just a pile of dust in the grass now. She wondered if he had been in pain - surely he had been scared. Tears spilled over her cheeks. "For every minute you fools spend deciding, another one of you will be reduced to dust." Pallas chuckled, grinning at the effect the disturbing display had on her.
Link didn't hesitate, he rushed the three of them, sword at the ready. Pallas began to walk calmly toward Link, and just as they were about to collide Kali was able to register the portal that suddenly formed in front of Pallas. It was enough of a warning for her to raise her shield and sword as she watched the man vanish. Link's sword sang through the air as it missed his target, but he was met with the sudden movement of both Bia and Styx. Pallas reappeared directly in front of her, as she'd expected him to. She struck, but like before her arm was slowed, as if dragging it through cold molasses. Pallas's eyes glowed with triumph as he gazed down at her, his smile cocky. Kali growled, and brought her focus to her arm. If she was being slowed…
Suddenly, her blade also slashed full speed through the air. It only barely missed the auburn haired man in front of her, who now looked delighted. "Oh! You've been practicing then?" he asked her, as if the whole village weren't burning to the ground.
Kali took a second to see Link struggling to keep up with the shadowed twins ahead, and her heart pounded heavily. She didn't bother to answer Pallas as she struck out again. He sidestepped her this time, and held out his hand in the direction of her sword. The shine of the sword began to dull, and spots of rust bloomed on the surface of the blade. He was too powerful...she knew that. She knew that the only way to best him would be to do something he didn't expect. If she could speed up her movement to cancel out his slowing abilities, then she should be able to do it normally right? She swung the quickly deteriorating blade again, this time focusing on the movement of the sword and he dodged again, but only by literally a hair. A tuft of his own auburn hair floated to the ground, and his eyes widened with interest. She wanted to cut that grin right out of his face.. She didn't stop as she let the handle of the blade go, and in a smooth movement had her last dagger drawn. Kali felt a sharp pain in the front of her head as she focused on his movements now, slowing the turn of his body. She twisted around him, her dagger aimed to make a clean slice across his neck - but he too had figured out the canceling effect when their powers collided. He turned to face her, holding out a single hand to fully stop the movement of her arm. "Do you think you're so smart for figuring out the very basics of these powers?" Pallas cackled as she took two steps back from him.
She struck out again, and the same thing happened, only this time she sped up her arm just enough to wear he couldn't slow her down. Her head pounded again, and she winced. "What? Is it already starting to get to you?" he gloated, his fist lashing out. She was unable to stop it as it connected with the side of her face. She stumbled backwards, her mouth filling with the taste of her own blood. She glanced over her shoulder to see Link. At the sight of him, she was completely distracted. He was hurt - to what extent it wasn't clear. She only registered the sight of blood staining his clothes, down the side of his face. The shadows he fought were too dark for her to tell if they were injured as they lashed out at him one after the other, not giving him enough time to get his bearings. She was thrown backwards, and she cried out at the pain in her gut. Pallas had literally kicked her to the ground in a fit of maniacal laughter. She wanted to help her friend, but if she tried to run from Palla he would only use his powers to manipulate her ability to move. She didn't understand why he hadn't just killed her yet - he's had every chance to do so.
Pallas approached her grinning ear to ear, looking for all the world like he was about to stomp her guts out. What happened next didn't make any sense. He was suddenly crying out with pain, and scrabbling with his hands at the back of his head, neck, and back. Kali blinked stupidly before him, and shifted to see Kiden behind him. His goggles were in place over his eyes, and he had thick leather gloves on. Within his grasp was a ceramic container, which had previously contained some sort of liquid. The pieces connected in her brain. Kiden had been concocting something behind her the whole time, something that apparently was quite painful when it made contact with skin from the low hissing sound of the materials. "Run away!" Kiden urged, already preparing to run away from the screaming, seething man before them.
Kali turned again, seeing Link struggling to his feet. He faced one of the twins, his breathing ragged. Her green eyes widened with horror as she saw the other twin closing in on him from behind. Link didn't see him. Kali couldn't stop both of them at once. She was too worn out, she didn't even have anymore daggers to throw. Visions from her nightmares suddenly flashed in rapid fire in her mind's eye. Link being strangled to death. Link being cut down a thousand different ways. Always in her defense. "No.." a choked whisper escaped her, as she pushed herself to her feet.
The following moments felt like she was pushing herself through mounds of sand, but it also appeared that way for her friend and the enemies about to take him down. Link had been one of the first to find her, to trust her, to have faith in her, to make her laugh, to take her exploring, to show her this beautiful, strange world. She thought of the way he nudged her shoulder, the way they made faces at each other, the way they sparred to settle their differences and all the stupid arguements they got into that never mattered. Kali felt like she was being consumed by purple flames that were destroying this village as she pushed her legs towards him and the shadowy blade just a foot from the back of his neck. She couldn't stop the twins….but she would not let Link die. She let out a strangled cry, "NO!" as she came upon him.
Her body carried them both forward, directly into her own portal that had been created and they vanished. The portal closing directly behind her.
Traveling through the portal was like having the wind tear at you from a thousand different directions, but she didn't dare let Link budge from her tight bear hug. They both shouted with surprise, with fear and Kali suddenly realized she had no idea where they were going. They finally met solid ground, as if her flying tackle had suddenly just resumed. She landed on top of him, her arms around his neck and they were both breathing heavily. Kali felt her panic finally rising into her throat, the intense fear of losing Link forever that overtook every other thought and action. She raised herself above him. His gaze went quickly from concern to startling alarm as her hands fisted in the green collar of his tunic. She gave him a harsh shake, and her trembling voice echoed, "You dumb, stupid IDIOT!"
He did indeed look dumbstruck at her words, at her actions. "You almost DIED!" she went on, tasting the tears that had poured involuntarily down her face. "You moron! Why would you fight those two by yourself!"
His expression softened, despite her giving him another shake. "You WON'T do that ever again!" she shouted at him, sobbing openly now. He was moving to sit up, placing his hands gently on her fists on his shirt. And she was scooted off of him so he could face her, "Not for me.." she sobbed, her voice pleading. "Never. Don't ever do that again. I wouldn't….I'd lose my mind, Link."
His own words echoed in her head, from when they were talking on Death Mountain.
"Kali, when you disappeared. I thought I was going to lose my mind."
She hiccuped loudly, and his thumbs stroked her fist until her grip finally released. "I think we should talk about this another time." he said, his voice suddenly sounding hard.
When she glanced up, she noticed that they were surrounded by arms guards with their weapons all aimed towards them both. She suddenly recognized with rising panic where her portal had taken them. They had dropped directly into the throne room of Hyrule Castle. But...she shouldn't have been able to get through the castles wards. Upon the dais where the magnificent throne sat, Zelda was standing. Her usually cool expression was turned to shock, and confusion at what she was seeing. Kali sniffed and palmed at her cheeks, trying to wipe away the tears and blood. She jumped at the harsh command of one of the guards, "Hands up trespassers!"
They both complied, Link looking more resigned and Kali trying to pull herself together. The intense fear of watching him die right in front of her was less now, but now completely gone. "It's alright." Zelda said calmly, "I fear that something has happened. Tell me, now." Her words were swift but not cruel.
Link was the one to answer, "Pallas has attacked Kakariko, it burns as we speak."
Zelda's reaction was quick and calm. Her voice held the commanding tone that even made her stiffen to attention, "Find Captain Hector - send a battalion of soldiers to Kakariko Village, and supplies for recovery. Quickly!"
The guards didn't hesitate as they rushed as a unit out of the grand, royal blue doors of the throne room.
Why had her portal brought them there? Why the throne room of all places? Kali finally released her grip on Link's shirt, her hands cramping from the stiffness of her fingers. Link gently held her hands, watching her silently. Zelda also seemed to be doing the same, watching her carefully but without a word. Kali looked into Link's blue eyes, her expression already apologetic as she slowly stood. She shook off his attempts to help her up, and stepped slowly towards the princess until she stood at the bottom of the dais.
Kali swallowed, and met the princess's thoughtful gaze.
"I agree to stay here to be trained."