PART FORTY-NINE - THE SHADOW OF MY KIN
By the time they caught up to Misko, it was too late. Far too late.
That single word crashed into the earth like a mighty hand, vanishing the contemptible shadows and shaking the entire chamber. Chips of the ceiling flaked and even the pillars began to fall, one pitting against the other. Everyone swayed and stuttered in their steps.
Even Katie, while she hovered in the air, felt the world moving too quickly around her. She didn't know if she was screaming or not. Only one thing was made clear her.
We lost. We lost. It's all over!
Everything seemed much darker than before, odd as her color was beaming white. They lost. They lost.
Misko didn't care for the destruction he caused as he was in the middle of taking something from the dragon. His dagger cut through the webby substance and he dug his hand right in. At the sound of them approaching, he spun, quickly stuffing his hand into his pocket and making a run for it.
"Oh no, you don't!" Sophia grabbed the back of his shirt and threw him to the ground. Misko yelped. The tunic fell at his feet. "We'll be taking this back now."
Despite the thunderous noise happening around them, Katie was in awe of the sight of it. The tunic didn't look the least bit stained after containing such an entity, instead looking freshly clean as if straight from the laundry rack, the color vibrant. The net-shaped hat was attached to the tunic by a string.
And it looked to be at the right size for Link's size.
Silas didn't notice the family heirloom. He stalked up to the bandit, breathing heavily from the running. His entire body shook, whether with fear or with rage, Katie didn't know. "What have you done?" he screamed. "What have you done?"
Slews of the ceiling thundered as it made its way to the ground, throwing up dust and stone. Cracks spread through the walls of the chamber before the bricks burst out.
The realization of it stunned Katie, her color still frozen in its shocked state.
It's really over. It's all over.
Misko trembled before Silas. "I—"
"What do you have there?" Silas demanded. "What is that?"
Katie gasped. "Dinraal's scale!"
The light suddenly dimmed around them. "Look out!" Sophia grabbed Silas and Misko, jumping out of the way from a falling pillar. The pillar was already crumbling like sand before it reached the ground, chunks sprayed everywhere with thin trails of dust behind it.
Impressively, Link kept his spar up with Banard. The two were locked into a fierce clash that sent sparks flying. One could only wonder how Banard's blade could withstand the brutal swing of the holy sword. The chaos surrounded them, the very ceiling crashing down, the pillars breaking off one by one, and yet the two swordsmen didn't pay heed to it.
Sophia saw this and brought out her daggers. "We have to help him."
Silas looked up at Dinraal's mighty head, his face despaired. "This place will cave us in."
"We're doomed," Simon cried, quivering. "We're all fucked."
Katie started to cry, a tearful, rising panic shattering her courage. Normally, Silas would try to comfort her but that same panic was in him as well, up in his shoulders, his eyes and soon it will break him to pieces.
"Don't say that," Sophia snapped. "So long as we're still alive, we can do something about it."
"The town," Silas croaked, tears shaking out of his eyes as he stared at the falling chamber. "The town. That demon is there with them right now. Our people." He turned to Misko and Katie saw his hand twitching at his dagger.
It could be the influence or the personal umbrage she held for the bandit, but Katie was very much eager to see just how good Silas got with that dagger.
"I know the escape," Misko blurted out. "I can take you there. Really. I don't want the tunic anymore."
"That's because you took the scales!" Katie snapped. "Put it back!"
Another pillar fell. Debris came in waves, forcing them to back away. The ground cracked with areas either rose or fell after slews of mortar crashing into it like meteors.
"We have to get out of here," Misko said, eyes wide and wild. "What's it going to be? I take you there and you let me go."
Katie fumed. This rodent made off with Ruto's gift and now he wanted them to let him go?
Silas scowled and turned to Simon. "You already know the way, don't you? Simon?"
"Huh?" The cat snapped back to reality. His fur stood on straight and his breath quickened too much. Silas repeated his question and Andrew threw a look around. "I-I don't think I remember. It's been a while."
"You're not sure?" Silas snapped. "How can you not be sure?"
"S-Silas," Katie whimpered. She didn't like this. She never liked to see him mad and now it was worse when she saw him so afraid that it looked as if he'd lose his mind.
"We can help each other," Misko said, shrinking at Silas's vicious stare.
The stately pillars thundered, and Katie saw one colliding with another, bringing forth an enormous cloud as they fell. The Hylians raised their hands against it, someone crying out. When it settled, they saw the figures of Link and Banard still dueling.
How they still doing that?
Silas seethed at Misko, his hand still at his dagger. Then, the hand moved away. "Fine then," he said icily, "but betray us, you thieving bastard, and it will not end well for you. Is that clear?"
Katie swayed uneasily. "We have to get to Link first."
She never saw Link battle someone with such intensity before. Banard could hardly be insurmountable as he was only Hylian. Link had faced Lynels, Hionx, and had even gone face to face with a commander. Nothing in this world should be able to stop him.
Yet she thought of what went down in their last fight, how easily Banard kept him back.
And now it looked very much the same, with Link on the defense rather than the other way around. With every step he took back, Banard filled in that spot and more with a quick slash of silver.
Banard is his equal.
Maybe not his equal. Maybe Banard was even better.
No, Link is the strongest! He can beat anyone!
Shouldn't Banard be tired from his time in the catacomb? It didn't look like it. He seemed more energized if anything, despite his haggard appearance.
Link gave him no repartees. He didn't jest. He didn't toy around in his moves. He didn't waste a single space to even taunt. He had a face locked into fierce concentration and contempt. Every swing of his sword had muscles in them, enough to raise the dirt around him.
"Link, we have to go!" Katie yelled.
Banard gave him no space to talk. He whirled, blade angled up and Link barely had the time to counter it. A sly smirk flashed on Banard's face when he used his side to give Link a shove that forced him a few steps back. Link got this balance in time, grounded his teeth and dropped something just as Banard lunged out.
The silver swordsman stepped on the ice arrow obliviously, sending out a sheet of white up his lower half, and freezing him solid. The man cursed nastily, glaring at Link who stepped away from the fight.
Link gaped, awed at the tunic. "Shit, you really got it?"
"No thanks to him," Katie hissed.
Misko shifted nervously.
The ice started to crack, forcing Link to make a split decision. He shoved a bag into Silas's arms, along with the tunic. "Take care of that for me. I'll catch up."
"Link, no!" Katie cried.
Sophia grabbed his arm. "You are coming with us. If you stay here—"
He pulled his arm with a fierce look. "You have your town to save and I got beef with him. Take care of my tunic. I'll be real pissed if you get it ruined, you hear?"
Silas fumbled with the small bag and tunic. "What am I supposed to do with this?" he demanded and peered inside the bag with shock. "Link, I can't—"
"You need it more," Link pressed, his eyes darted back to find Banard broken out free.
"That's a dirty move, son," Banard said darkly.
Silas looked outrageously exasperated. "Banard, you have to see reason. Look around!"
"Not my concern."
"Not your concern?"
"Forget about him!" Simon snapped. Misko eagerly nodded. "We have to get out of here now!"
"None of you are going anywhere," Banard growled, somehow ignoring the largest of the pillars crashing into the ground. The results were deafening. Everyone but Link and Banard cringed as dust and broken mortar rained down at them.
"We can fight him together!" Sophia insisted, looking at Link.
He shook his head, eyeing the silver mercenary. "Go to your town."
"I won't—"
"Sophia, we have to go," Silas insisted. "You can help Link, but I have to go!"
"I'm not leaving you alone!"
"Then come with me! Link, you'll meet us there, right?"
Link stepped forth when Banard sprung out. The two of them smashed with steel, the ringing of metal buzzed in the air. "Take care of my tunic!" Link growled, voice strained under the weight of the silver sword. "I'll cut you right open if something happens to it!"
Misko visibly relaxed. "Come on! It's not far from here!"
Katie couldn't move, watching the furious exchange of steel. At a time like this, somehow everything seemed slowed around her as her mind vacillated between safety and duty.
Duty had always been clear, from the moment she stepped out from the comforts of home. It was simple, wasn't it? Hadn't she prepared for it? But there were so many things that confused her, so many things that didn't add up. And now, after seeing so much, all she wanted was to be away from it, to be safe, away from the awful things that wanted to hurt her.
Silas stopped when he saw she wasn't following. "Katie, what are you waiting for?"
But Link endured it, and kept enduring it.
And now she needed to endure it too.
That resolve shifted her color. It even drove away some of that fear threatening to cripple her. "I have to stay with him."
More pillars fell. More debris piled up. Silas stared at her as he couldn't believe it. "Katie—"
"This is my destiny."
"It is not your destiny to die here!"
"Kid, we gotta move!" Simon snapped.
"You don't understand, Silas," Katie said sharply. "I have to stay with him! My place is by his side."
"Katie, he is not a hero." Silas looked desperate at her and for a moment she thought he'd snatch her up and take her with him. "Don't die for his sake. Please come with us."
"He is a hero," she said, and saying it out loud, it lifted that dreadful haze of confusion. The fog had been cleared. This puzzle she played with herself has reached its end. Yes, she could think now. She didn't feel Louis's influence as strong as before. He was no longer here for that. "Link is a hero. He's going to save your town."
"Katie—"
"I promise you. He is the hero and I'm to guide him." Katie glowed wistfully. "Even if he falls in battle, I still have to be with him every step of the way."
Silas's face fell. "No, Katie, please don't do this."
"I won't die here. We'll meet you in town, I promise, but right now you have to go!"
Sophia took her brother's hand since he still wouldn't budge. "You two better come back!" she snapped.
That crestfallen look on Silas hurt her, but this was something no one could understand.
But…can he really do this?
The place was falling apart. Her resolve faltered when she saw the others absconding the chamber. Their hard work, their sacrifice—all for nothing.
Yet seeing Link fight somehow drove back that despondency. Even up against Banard, even in this catacomb, he was still a force to be reckoned with.
"Link, above you!"
Link and Banard stopped when a shadow swallowed them. They both separated as heaps of rocks cascaded to where they've been seconds ago. Link held out his shield, falling back from the force of debris. He put away the shield, stood back up on his feet and held out his sword. His austere eyes glowed with the Master Sword, burning like blue flames.
A hero…
No taunts. No ugliness. Just this unbreakable force, that sheer courageous stand in the face of calamity.
Banard must've seen it as well, since he hesitated slightly at the sight of Link waiting for him.
"Let's dance," Link growled before running up to him with his sword raised.
Shadows sprung up from the ground, taking Sophia by surprise at first, but then the attacks grew repetitive. She didn't know what was going on, but there was only one goal in her mind.
Escape.
It didn't matter now. What they were doing here, how where they were—none of that mattered. They just needed to escape.
The torches fell off the wall, the flames caught onto the paintings. Chips and bricks of the ceiling broke off, the walls split beneath the weight.
"We're almost there!" the brown haired guy shouted. He did seem familiar.
Whoever he was, he certainly wasn't friends with Simon who threw a sharp look. "You better know where we're heading, bandit!"
Silas couldn't catch his breath since she wouldn't let him. If he stopped now, he wouldn't be able to go on. He wheezed, coughing. A red cloth wrapped around his waist, tying a small bag on him.
"C-can't," Silas rasped. "Sl-slow…down…"
Sophia gripped his arm, pulling him up the enormous staircase they found. It was dark in here, the walls quivering with its stones spilling out. Dust choked the air. Seeing this, the brown-haired guy—Misko—laughed out loud. "There it is! Now goodbye!"
He cried out when shadows emerged, seething at them. Their arms were no longer simple spears but with claws longer than her dagger. Sophia handed her brother over to Misko. She didn't faze the entities, even though they passed through her. Feeling them pass brought a cold chill over her spine, one that staggered her. With several swipes of her wrists, the enemies flickered out of life.
Misko wasn't happy to have Silas lounging on his shoulder, but he didn't complain when Sophia confronted the shadows that continued to spring up as they climbed up the stairs.
"Almost there!" Simon shouted, the ground rumbled, steps breaking off behind.
Sophia slashed her dagger across without stopping. The shadow wisped out, the fading mist streaming past her. Another one followed it, and then another. Left and right, she made her way through them, ignoring the unpleasant cries before they vanished. Then she heard a cry that stopped her cold.
She turned and realized that she had strayed too far from the rest of her companions, who were on one of the landings of the staircase. A shadow had approached behind Misko, towering over him with hissing red eyes. Misko cried out, dropping Silas to the ground before making a run for it.
"You coward!" Simon shouted.
Her brother groaned, sitting up on one knee and glanced up at the large shadow. Before it could even lift a finger, Sophia fired her shurkin—her last one—and the shadow screamed as the blade cut through it. The shurkin tumbled down, lost in the darkness. She helped her brother up, letting him lean on her and climbed up the rest of the steps.
There was a wide landing at the top, and she found Misko there, struggling against a wide door. "No, no—" He turned to them desperately. "It's stuck!"
"Move," Sophia spat, not waiting for him so he could. She shoved her shoulder at him, jostling him out of her way to give a powerful roundhouse kick that knocked the door off its hinges. Fresh air—real air—hit her face.
Sophia stumbled out, somehow the strength lost in her legs as she fell to her knees, overwhelmed with the sweet smell of the night. Behind him, the catacomb closed entirely, rubbles piling down while the four of them stood over a beautiful carpet of grass.
Silas choked, tears running down his face as he laughed. "Outside," he sobbed. "W-we're outside. We're outside!"
Sophia took in a slow, deep breath. Her ears ringing from the noise and she could finally feel the tension loosening. That whole time in there, she had to keep fighting against this pressure, this undefined presence. But now it was gone like mist in a hot day.
Simon still stood, staring at the blocked passage. He seemed only solemn while Misko broke down in a splatter of tears. "We're alive! I can't believe it!"
Sophia had to smile, closing her eyes and inhaling deeply. Her head felt pleasantly dizzy, drinking in this rare moment of respite. She glanced up, hoping to see the stars, hoping for their names to pop up.
There were none.
It was entirely pitch black, but that was not the night sky. The stars have been snuffed out entirely. Not a trace of the moon. Something about this…she felt her joy turn to ash in her mouth.
Where even was this? This looked…like the outskirt of Desmera, not even far from town. The wildlife seemed so still like the dead. The town…
She stood up and froze. "Oh…oh no…"
Silas got up, all signs of leisure vanishing from his face. Pillars of smoke bloated up from Desmera, and if they listened closely, they could make out faint sounds of discord and destruction.
"We're too late," Silas whispered.
"It's not too late." Sophia gritted her teeth, dismissing the fear that threatened to dispose her composure. "Where's Link and Katie?"
"They'll meet us there..." Simon paused and turned to where they've escaped from. "Somehow…" His tone changed and his eyes hardened. "And where the fuck do you think you're going?"
Misko stiffened, glancing back.
"All this is your fault, you dumb fuck!" Simon screamed. "Look at the town!"
Misko trembled. "I didn't mean to! He-he told me—"
"Who told you? I'm the one who said it from the start not to go there! I told you only the hero can get it!" Simon stepped forth, his tail zapped up, every bit of his fur stuck out along with his claws. "Why the fuck didn't you listen to me?"
Silas sat down, or rather fell down on his knees, eyes distantly looking over at the town.
"Remember our deal," Misko said, voice wavering. "I'm done here. I'm never coming back."
"There'll be nothing to come back," Simon snarled. "You should go and die with them!"
"I'm getting out of here!"
"Then go," Sophia said coldly, still recalling how he shoved her brother to the side to save his own skin. "Go and never come back. You could die out there for all I care."
Misko looked as if she punched him. "Sophia."
"What? What do you have to say?" Pieces of their journey resurfaced. She turned away, arms crossed. "Was I really a nuisance to you? You planned to toss me to the side once you're through with me?"
Misko didn't say anything.
"I thought you were my friend," she said quietly. "I was ready to protect you, but I guess that was my mistake."
"I'm sorry," Misko said, sobbing. "I'm sorry, Sophia."
She turned to see genuine sincerity on him. His pallid face streaked with tears, looking so broken. She wondered how long he'd been down there on his own.
Call her a softie but seeing him like this, it was hard to stay mad. "Go," she said a little gently. "And don't die, okay?"
"Sophia, I'm sorry," he said, crying in earnest. "I'm sorry. I really am."
Simon scoffed disdainfully but Sophia ignored him, nodding at the bandit. "If you die, I won't forgive you, understand?"
Misko nodded. With one remorseful look, he ran off. Simon looked at her with reproach. "He's the reason everyone's dying right now!"
"He's not the one down there and doing all the killing." Sophia turned to the town. "We have to go there. Silas, can you move? Silas?"
He was still there on his knees, eyes staring forward.
"Silas!"
He jolted, and turned, looking so small and scared. "We're too late."
"If we stay here the whole night, then it will be too late," she said sternly. A part of her thought to leave him here, but what if a shadow snuck up to get him? She glanced up at the sky choking with smoke, unshakable fire roaring within her. How dare they do this? Destroying her home, her people like this…
Sophia gritted her teeth, returning her fiery gaze to the town. "Louis," she seethed. "Louis."
Faintly, she could hear him laugh.
Sophia took her brother's hand. "We are not going to let him win!"
"What's the matter, kid?" Banard laughed. "You look winded!"
Link jerked back from the silver metal, sweat rolled down his face in fat drops. With the ground shaking as it was, he constantly had to focus his balance while keeping away Banard.
Bruises burned at his side. His head still spun from the earlier blow he took, but years of instincts saved him time and time again. His wounds wouldn't bother him so much…if he didn't give Silas his whole medical supply. That shorty better leave him some.
And that wasn't Link's only problem.
"Link, you need to slow down! He's going to kill you like this!" Katie complained.
Link grounded his teeth. He already knew that. On normal circumstances, he'd have taken his time, tried to find Banard's blind spot. With the place going under, Link acted too impetuous, desperate to bring down this mercenary before the place caved in one them. Just look at that silver bastard, acting like he was having a picnic instead.
What the hell is he doing?
This was not for the Silver Company, and this sure as hell not for money.
We could get buried alive, hundreds of people will die, and this guy won't give two shits about it.
At least I have two blessing left.
It sounded wrong when he thought of it like that. As much as he didn't like having to rely on the girls in the cloud, he needed to use whatever he had at hand.
"Link, stop going for the kill! You're smarter than that!"
"Shut up!" he snapped, slashing his sword and it sailed past the man when swiftly stepped back. "What the hell do you know about swordplay, sprit?" Link backed away, Banard's sword nearly grazing his face.
Banard chuckled. "What's with the rush? Got somewhere you need to be, kid?"
Link didn't have the patience to humor him. A small part of him hoped to knock Banard out of his senses. The ground felt like it would give out at any moment, and the man didn't seem at all concerned.
Rocks thundered. Dust flaked. The two scurried to avoid the detritus. The air grew heavy and opaque with dust. Link stopped, trying to look through the thick fog, a hand up to his mouth to keep from coughing.
Things began to quiet down a little. He held in his breath, keeping light on the ground. At least he had the element of surprise on him. He might be able to—
"Link, are you okay?"
Link jolted and spun to see Katie. He cursed.
"Ah, there you are!" Banard said delightfully. His figure showed up near a fallen pillar.
Link couldn't even glare at Katie ruefully. Dammit, her glow was what got him spotted. What in words and days made her think he needed her?
The silver sword cut through the duty veil, going past Link mere inches. Startled, Link staggered and nearly lost his footing on broken chips of marble. He set his foot down firmly, gripping his sword in two hands.
The dust finally settled to show Banard smiling. "Not too bad, kid. Not bad at all."
Their blades collided, skidding and grinding painfully. Banard moved it like his own arm. His wrist flicked and the blade changed ways. Link turned to his side, the silvery sword graze his arm. It was a small price to pay since now Link got close enough to smack the shit out of the man's face with his shield.
Banard didn't see it coming and the man stumbled back, but recovered. He grinned, wiping the blood off. "Haven't had a battle like this in a while. Gets the heart pumping, you know?" He went at Link again.
Link blocked. Big mistake. His legs weren't even bent to brace for the attack. Banard put his weight and the force knocked Link to the ground. He grunted and then quickly rolled away before the sword could pierce his heart. Promptly, he used his hookshot to latch onto a broken pillar.
By the time he steadied himself at a fair distance, Banard had pulled his sword from the ground. Link winced at the ache. It wasn't in the arm that absorbed the shock of the attack. It was all over his body, the fatigue of pushing himself this far, of the lassitude this place had brought to him.
And here Banard was, looking chipper as ever, as if he stepped out of a bathhouse. "I'm real curious," the mercenary said, walking towards him casually. "How did you escape, kid?"
For a moment, Link didn't understand what the man was talking about. Then he saw how Banard clenched his gloved hand. To anyone, they would've thought he was just tightening it on his hand. Link recalled that mark, a mark that no one alive should be able to keep outside of that land.
"You look way too young. How'd you end up there in the first place?"
Link's face darkened.
"Oh," Banard said, free hand rose to his cheek, "shit, did I just hit a nerve?"
"Shut up!" Link shouted, lunging out at him, but Banard kept the Master Sword back easily. They locked blades, with Link pushing harder than he should.
Banard leaned forward, cocked his head to the side. "There's plenty of us," he said and Link froze, looking up. "Why the look? You think it's only us two, huh? What are we, the lucky ones? Nah, kid, there's a whole lot more of us. A lot more."
The Silver Company.
"What kind of operation are you running?" Link growled, his sword brightening as if feeding onto his anger. "What the hell are you people up to?"
"Survival," Banard said, breaking off the swords and kicking Link in the gut. "That's what we're doing!"
"Link!" Katie cried.
Link rolled over the broken stone, gasping. He stopped with one hand out and threw himself up to his feet, gripping his sword. Inexorably, he glanced at Banard's gloved hand, the one that revealed his true background.
Before, they couldn't have that mark branded on their hands since people—very desperate people—easily cut off that hand. In recent times, or as recent when Link had been with them, the marks were then branded on the backs. The fact that Banard had it done on his band meant he'd been there for a very long time.
But Link never had a mark. He'd been too young.
Banard narrowed his eyes. "How the hell," he said, "could you have survived?'
"What are you talking about?" Katie asked.
Link grounded his teeth but didn't say anything.
Banard raised an eyebrow, leaning his sword against his shoulder nonchalantly. "Strange kid, you are. What are you doing all this for anyways? The world's gone to shit, if you hadn't noticed."
Link scoffed. "Oh, I've noticed, old man."
"It's going to get worse."
"I know."
"And you're still here."
"To kick your ass."
Banard sighed, glancing up at the ceiling. It had stilled, for now. Though the remaining pillars were cracking under the weight. Who knew how much time they had left.
"Ah, the youth are so quick to die," the man said. "But that's not what I meant. You're dead set on getting your tunic. You know you should get out of here."
Link swallowed, narrowing his eyes. It had always been survival of the fittest where they were from; family, friends—none of that mattered over there. If you had someone in your group that's spreading disease, you kill them. If you have someone who can't fight well, you kill them. For anyone who dares to put a drain on your resources, for someone who puts your life at risk—as a survivor, you do whatever it took to stay alive, no matter the cost.
There was no point in telling Banard why Link was doing all of this. This man could sell his own woman if he could buy a few drinks from it.
"Someone like you," Link said slowly, meeting the man's eyes, "will never understand."
"Someone like me?" Banard mused. "And what about you? You think you're a saint? Wait, wait, don't tell me!" He laughed. "You really are the hero?"
"I'm not the hero," Link hissed. "I'll never be a hero."
He dashed forward and Banard followed suit. Before they could meet, a large pillar fell, separating them. The ground started to sway as cracks madly spread across the ground. Some parts rose and some disappeared below, the whole ground undulating like waves.
Banard couldn't be found anywhere. Hopefully, the bastard fell. Maybe break his neck while he was at it.
Cascades of rocks smashed too close to Link. He cursed and leaped when the ground beneath him started to drop. Higher and higher, he climbed up and he had to stop when it struck him. The carcass of the great dragon fell down into the dark abyss, the head being last.
"Link!" Katie cried, flying around to avoid the shower of rocks.
"Dammit!" Link climbed back down to lower grounds in order to reach her. His hand shot out for her, but more rubble fell over him. At one point, he lost his footing.
A deep, sinking sensation drowned in his stomach as he scrambled for ground. There was none. Anything and everything was falling, the pillars were gone and so was the dragon. He could've sworn he heard someone laughing.
Katie screamed in his fist. He had managed to grab her at the very last second. Her white light shined enough to appear red through his fingers. It soon vanished as darkness swept around him.
It's not over, Silas thought firmly. It's not over. We're still alive. We can still stop this.
His valor disintegrated when the wind hit his face, bringing forth the smell of blood. He gagged, coughing through it. Cold sweat washed over him when they saw the cobbled street.
Blood trickled down the stones. Bodies lined up the streets, faces frozen in fear with blood soaking into their clothes from the long, deep gashes made from sharp claws. Silas suddenly felt lightheaded, and had to lean against the wall, his breath gone.
"There they are!" Simon shouted, his voice raised to a high pitch.
The once impassive shadows moved with deftly speed, their motions releasing puffs of smoke from their forms. A few blocks away, Silas saw people pilling out from around the buildings. The streets were choked to its throat with villagers shoving and pushing.
Some had tried to get to the gates, but more shadows ran amok, forcing the group to turn the other way. The blood looked like black oil in the cold night, the air mixed with screams of terror and it reeked of death.
Even if people could reach the gate, there was nowhere to go.
The twins and Simon already noticed just how dark the sky was. Looking at it closely filled Silas with such shaking dread that he felt his heart stop. Desmera was stuck beneath a dome made of pure mist.
This place will be their tomb.
"It's over," he croaked, his voice a bare whisper. His legs were growing weak as darkness began to crawl on corners of his vision. "It's too late. It's too late…"
Villagers who were smart enough to avoid the main streets came through the alleyways, scurrying from the ravenous chaos. But Silas saw something smoky coming from behind. The villagers had to run out in a single-file, squeezing between two hunched buildings. When they reached the streets, they spread out like sand from an hourglass.
One of them tripped. A boy no older than Silas. He rolled over his back, whimpering when the shadow loomed over him, claws out, teeth snarling. The shadow never touched him though, for a sharp dagger tore through it like a curtain.
Sophia turned to the guy. "Find somewhere to hide," she said before going over to Silas, hand on his shoulder. "What do we do?"
You ask me that?
Silas tried not to, but his eyes inexorably skipped over the corpses. The gashes tore through their clothes, blood seeping out. Silas tasted bile at the back of his throat, and so he forced himself to look away. They weren't just killing his people—they were slaughtering them.
And, oh, the noise of it. The fracas that came from villagers who knew nothing of this sort of raid. They scattered, thinning out from the streets, but the shadows were everywhere. They had always been everywhere, haven't they?
A hard hand squeezed his shoulder, making him flinch. "Stay with me, okay?" Her eyes were solid iron, filled with palpable rage. "We will make it out of this. It's not too late, do you understand me? Now drink a potion.
Silas shook his head. He already drank two. He couldn't believe Link actually gave up his entirely medical supply.
You'll need this more than I do, Link had told him.
Simon looked at the chaos helplessly. Silas never thought this pugnacious cat really cared for Desmera, but then he thought of the trouble Simon went through to warn them of Irela, of the bravery he possessed to venture through that catacomb once more. How did he feel, seeing that all his work was for nothing?
"What can we do?" Simon uttered, shrinking down.
Sophia gritted her teeth and pushed herself forward, moving swiftly away from a shadow that had sprung up on them. Its claws went through her like smoke, but her dagger cut through it like butter. "Come on! Standing here will accomplish nothing!"
Silas couldn't move and so Sophia grabbed his hand, and she nearly kicked Simon to get him to move too.
There were more corpses.
"Don't look," Sophia told him, eyes keeping straight.
Silas had been their Lord and so he considered it his duty to look. One of the corpses had a familiar face. The bartender. And there was his wife, Mrs. Jea, lying on her face, recognizable by her sunny hat.
Black dots speckled across Silas's eyes. He was no stranger to death. He'd been to the program after all. But this? He never thought to see anything like this in all his life. This smell. The way people bled so easily, it made you wonder just how did Hylians come to rule this world. They were so…so fragile…
They've reached one of the courtyards, joining the raucous chaos. There were soldiers leading people away, but Silas saw trepidation infecting them as well. You can tell from the way their shoulders tensed, their eyes widening at the shadows.
People shoved passed the twins, so focused on survival that they didn't even notice them. The shadows don't really chase anyone specific. They just target anyone that came close. But when the twins and Simon neared the fountain that lay at the center, several of the shadows stopped and immediately targeted Sophia.
She waited for them eagerly, her daggers glinted in her shaking hands. Silas knew she was out of shurkins but that would never stop her. Dexterously, she slashed left and right, moving with incredible grace that it dawned hope in Silas.
Sophia did what was natural to her: protecting their home. No hesitation, no slight fear. The shadows grew furious at this but none of them could touch her.
Silas leaned against the wall and searched around for Grey, praying to all three Goddess that he was not among the corpses. There was no sign of a man wearing golden-plated armor anywhere. A good sign, perhaps.
What do I do? Oh, what do I do?
His hands ran through his finger. The screams were hot iron to his ears. It could be heard from all over the town. More people ran down the hilltop, looking like torrents of water down a slope. Hordes of shadows pursed them like a dark flood. Their eyes pierced brightly.
The shadows were intemperate, furious, as if they've waited so long to extract revenge.
Silas noticed a child wailing in the middle of the street. People passed by her without another thought. It was incredible how the child wasn't trampled yet. Despite enervated and terrified, Silas pushed himself off the wall and ran to the child, pulling her to the side.
He gripped the kid's shoulders with shaking hands, trying to find his voice. "Wh-where's your mother?" he asked, raising his squeaky voice above the shrieks, the cries for the Goddesses, the pleas for mercy.
The child only wailed. Then a woman of about thirty snatched the kid up, hugging her tightly and crying. She then ran without even noticing Silas. He sat there, stunned, as more people passed by him. His mind seemed to be moving through thick honey, since he could not get his body to move until he remembered his sister.
"Sophia?"
She'd been by the fountain, but now that he raised his head up, he found nothing there but people huddling.
"Simon?"
Silas cried out as a hustle of people moved past him, forcing him to join a sea of moving bodies. Fear was so strong here, a presence of its own. He could smell it. It reeked everywhere.
He had to shove his way through the dense crowd, almost tripping over elders and feet. Jostled, shoved, pushed. The screams were daggers in his heart. An entire ocean of it, swarming. There was no escape to it. Every corner he turned, even if he closed his eyes, it was everywhere.
People packed together. The shadows appeared everywhere, forcing them to keep changing ways. Seeing as how rife they are with crowds, Silas eventually broke out of it. Sophia was not in the fountain or anywhere in the area.
The streets grew a little empty when he ran deeper away from the south and down the incline towards the spice markets. The wind carried the smell to him. Nothing of spice but of remnants of people. The strength drained from his legs, and the burning sensation in his lungs forced him to stop.
"Ah…" He held his throat, squeezing his eyes shut at the fire burning in his mouth. The air choked out of him, leaving him wheezing and panting. He had to drink a potion.
Someone screamed nearby and he turned. A shadow seethed at a man on the ground. The man looked to be a cook in a dirty apron, crawling back and crying. The shadow's long claw tore out of his chest and the man went down in a wet gurgle.
The empty bottle shattered at Silas's feet. Silas only stilled when the shadow paused and slowly turned to him, its ruby eyes narrowed. Oddly though, it didn't go for him. It turned and went to look for more victims.
Don't look. Don't look.
But Silas looked. The man's face was locked into a terrified scream. Those small eyes, however, glared at Silas accusingly.
Silas stumbled and fell, his head smacking into the wall behind him. The pain dazed him for a moment, but it did little to take away the maddening terror in him. He pressed his back against the wall, mouth wide but no scream could leave him. He could only sit there, stupefied, amidst the cataclysm that had seized his home.
Everything…was for nothing.
He could laugh if he didn't feel like screaming and ripping his hair out his scalp. The planning he'd made to move settlements, the torture he spent in that horrid catacomb, the sacrifices he made, losing bits of his sanity and himself—all for nothing.
Silas could a small crackle break out of him. A laugh. He could only laugh.
If only Sally told them…
Maybe she had though. Maybe she had, but no one listened to her. There had been people querulous about leaving their roots.
Now we're all dead!
Silas covered his mouth, hoping to stop these awful giggles. His people were dying, and he was having a laugh at that?
The stifles stopped when he turned to the man who lay in his own puddle of blood. Did some people make it out at least? Or was everyone here, getting picked out one by one by the shadows? How long could Desmera stand?
A couple passed by him, but he barely saw them through the thick fog in his mind. The world muted around him, as if his soul dispatched itself from its vessel. This numbness, it was cold but better. Far better. It gave reality the impression of a dream.
What…what would Father do?
The question was pointless, because Lawrence would've done something to obviate all of this. Not only was his son a bastard and an invalid, but he also, somehow, managed to doom his town. It didn't matter that Silas tried his best, it didn't matter that he nearly lost himself in the catacomb.
He lost.
He failed.
The wind blew at him but this time he breathed through his mouth. Slowly, numbly, he moved to reach for another bottle, remembering that he had the bag tied to him by the tunic.
He felt the fabric and paused. Now he met with a lot of cloth merchants, testing out their materials himself to see if they were worthy of his contract. While many of them passed, they all paled in comparison to this fabric. It was somehow both soft and rough, a fine material. Looked like it could fit Link nicely like a glove.
Link, Silas stared up, clenching the tunic in his hand. His tears made dark spots over it. Link. Oh Link. I need you now.
Silas squeezed his eyes. "Din, Farore, Nayru, please…please, a hero. A hero…we need…we need…"
He's going to save your town, Katie had promised him. He is the hero and I've to guide him.
Silas bowed his head, staring at the red tunic with tears pearling down his face. Link stayed behind in the catacomb, fighting Banard to give them all a chance to escape. And now Sophia was somewhere in town, aggressing the shadows all on her own.
Then…then what am I doing?
Those two…they've always retaliated, haven't they? The temerity they both possessed, while it was troublesome, they also managed to win with it. They didn't give up, didn't seem to know what it meant to give up.
Silas got up slowly. It had to be slow otherwise he'd risk losing his balance. No one noticed him, not even his own soldiers when he tried to reach them. They haven't abandoned their positions yet, but guided the villagers to safer routes. The shadows weren't rife around here, as it wasn't large enough to hold a crowd. Up ahead, he saw their red tints moving like angry fireflies.
His eyes rose further to the east to where the town square would be. A chill ran up his spine when he saw it was far darker over there, as if a dark hole sucked away the light. Black mists plumbed from above.
The shadows were eschewing Silas for only one reason.
Their king awaits me…
That made him want to sit back down, curl and hope the ground would soon swallow him. His body even remained inert, as if his mind refused to go along with it. Helplessly, he looked over the fallen victims, those who have been too old, too big, or simply too unlucky to get caught.
My people…
He glanced back to where he last saw his sister, hoping to catch a glimpse of her. No such luck. He shouldn't be too worried about her. Honestly, those shadows won't stand two seconds against her.
Whereas I will be rendered to ribbons if his highness changes his mind.
Silas swallowed and his hands were sweaty when he brought out the dagger. It seemed so silly as the shadows were immaterial to anyone but Sophia. Yet holding the blade made him feel stronger, useful, and gripping it tightly stopped his tremor.
Silas moved forward with newfound fortitude he never knew he had. Katie's promise, Sophia's fight and Link's destiny—he used them to keep that hope alive.
No one could think of going to the town square, where the very source of the attack originated, but he had to do something to stop this nightmare, or at least stall enough time for Link to get here.
As long as he was alive, Silas could do something, anything. Even if it meant he'll die.
You can only be brave when you're scared.
Silas didn't feel the least bit brave but he was getting angry. It blistered his skin. Anger was good. Anger was making him stupidly brave, so that counted.
"I'm coming for you, Louis," Silas said, voice hoarse. He breathed in heavily as he raised his eyes. "Do you hear me, you son of a bitch? I'm coming for you!"
I can tell you one thing for sure that it was hard writing these next few chapters.