I stand erect against a sturdy wall in the Yeti's main foyer, my arms crossed as my fingers anxiously drum on my opposing elbow. The blaze of the sputtering fireplace across from me was my only companion, its chatters and crackles filling up the empty space.
It's been two days since my awakening from my close brush of death. Today's the first day I'm back up and moving around. I've spent these last two resting and downing various amounts of soup, served by Ashei herself, who refused to leave the room, even as I was clearly showing that I was getting better. Each bowl I ate helped me feel more like myself again, returning my fortitude and slowly erasing the uncharacteristic, worried look that Ashei gave every time our eyes connected. I couldn't bear to see that look. Each glance stabbed guilt deep into my veins. I caused her so much trouble, and I didn't want her to worry anymore. Silent concern for her weighed heavily on my mind. She never shared what she endured during the time I was out. The thought of asking her often ran hot on my tongue, but a nagging feeling she wouldn't tell me stopped me short. So I kept it close to myself, settling on being content and grateful she's just alive and well.
Now I stand here, dressed in green garb once more, my holy sword laid on the wall beside me. I waited impatiently for my teammates to regroup at Ashei's command, with her advising us that a plan of attack should be made as she is confident the thief's next strike will happen within the day.
Tension runs high through me, doubting the state of my body. I'm not entirely convinced I'm recovered enough for a fight. My arms still feel weak and my movements sluggish, unable to shake the deep chill that's settled in my bones. It's taking a lot of energy to stand, which is why I'm supporting my quivering legs with the wall behind me. The stifling weight of guilt wrapped itself tightly around my shoulders, judging the risks here as I think back to Ashei's mention of our fallen comrade. I don't want my carelessness and weak body to cause another casualty today. Ashei's already been through enough.
A squeaky door opens to my right, grabbing my attention. Two fur-covered knights walk through with Ashei entering from the rear. The unique, red fabric of her pants makes her an easy target with the white surroundings. The three file in, creating a circle formation between us.
I look over the two knights, as this was my first time seeing them. Male. I don't recognize either one of them and they don't stand out too much, but they must be close to Ashei, considering Ashei's reaction to their comrades' death two days ago. My new compatriots nod at our exchanged glances. "Glad to see you're well," one of the two men says, his voice bouncing off the empty room with no semblance of empathy.
"So," Ashei starts, "I am confident that today is the day those bandits will attack again. Their aggressive plight knew no bounds, so we must be on our highest of guards! I know we lost Mirril, but I think events will play out differently today. We have our recovered hero with us, who will share his courage and strength with us. With him having our back, we shall keep the Yeti's safe and bring justice to Mirril!"
The two knights cheer in unison, spirits lifted high. I fidget uneasily, noticing that Ashei is talking me up past my current abilities, not wanting these two men's lives hanging over my head.
"So what's the plan?" One knight asks, his face returning to a more serious composure.
Ashei smirks, "I'm glad you asked."
Master Sword in hand, I stand once again in knee-deep snow, overlooking off from a high cliff. The Yeti's mansion and the surrounding area in clear view from a far off distance, seeming much less imposing than usual due to my distance away from it.
I peer out, double checking everyone is still in position as the wind whistles through, my fur coat blown to the right. My hair also now flows freely in the wind, causing a shiver to tingle its way up my spine. I kept my green hat back at my room in the mansion, as I needed to camouflage into the snow around me. Wearing it would have made me stand out too much, which is a relief to me. One less part of the famed hero outfit I don't have to subject myself to, as I feel much more comfortable blending in with the white expanse as a nobody, indistinguishable.
I set my sights out on the field, searching for anything unusual.
No signs yet.
Ashei's plan was simple. I will be on higher ground, positioned at a higher altitude than where the bandits attempted their first entry, my comrades in closer proximity to the mansion. My job is the scout, and this is for two reasons. One, my body is still frail and not fully up to par, so I am given the easier job to search out, but will join the fray after my alert, armed with bow and arrow to supply backup and become an unexpected assailant. Two, ever since being a wolf, my nose has adapted past the capabilities of a human which greatly helps alert me to any changes in the environment. Though, I'm worried this wind will obstruct my sense of smell. Ashei and the other two are fanned out, ready to confront our enemies into individual, one-on-one battles. A much safer tactic, since the last scuffle our teammate fell in the crossfire of a six man battle.
Since I'll be higher up, our opponents probably won't expect someone to have an eagle-eye view over them. We will be better prepared this time around, I hope.
Time passes and still no sign of change. The biting wind blows through and my body starts to feel numb again starting with my legs, sending a trickle of uneasiness down my spine as I recall my horrific experience of being out in this weather just a few days ago.
Suddenly, the crunching of hard snow and the distinct smell of days' old blood alerts my attention. I crouched down, huddling into the snow, noticing a pack of two strangers slowly making their way over towards the large house. I hurriedly raised my Master Sword above my head, the metal catching the faint rays of sunlight, the sign that they're here.
Catching their attention, Ashei and the two knights started off, beginning their own individual battles as they encountered their own opponent to fight. I watched them up above the cliff, looking like ants fighting in my sight. I started to prepare for my part in this story, my arm ascending to seize the bow that was snug against my back. Suddenly, anxiety flooded through me, my hands halting in it's path.
My eyes darted around the snowy landscape, only catching two enemies.
Only two foes? Ashei informed us there was a third! Where's the third?
I frantically scanned the surroundings once more, desperate to find a clue of a person I missed, with nothing showing any evidence to my dismay. I hurriedly stood from my crouching position, cupping my hands around my mouth to shout.
"Ashei! There's a thir–"
I suddenly stumbled forward, an invisible force pushing me as my sword falls out of my grip. Pain flared from my chest as a strained, garbled gasp escaped my lips. A thick, coppery taste filled my mouth as my vision wavered. With shaking hands, I glance down to spot a bloody arrowhead and part of its shaft poking out of my chest, inches away from my heart.
Before I could react, an arm snaked around my neck, thrusting me back into something hard, cutting off my air even more. I cried out as the arrow shoveled in deeper through my chest at the contact of whatever is behind me.
"Thought you were clever, huh?" A gravely, unrecognizable voice spoke into my ear. I heard a laugh on his lips. "Not clever enough." I coughed causing heavy amounts of blood to spurt up, dribbling down both sides of my mouth and staining the pristine, white snow below my feet.
The pressure against my neck tightened, sending throbbing waves of pain, my heartbeat deafening the sounds around me. Panic rushed in as I could no longer suck any air in, desperately clawing my nails against the clothed arm and thrashing about, desperate to find any way to get free, only to realize quickly that doing so would send me to death faster.
"We saw you," a voice said. I concluded this was one of the thieves. "Not at first and we almost didn't. But with the wind being so strong, It allowed us to spot a hint of green from your white cloak." The man chuckled, leaning close to my ear. "Green is a very standout color, you know." he whispered, concluding with a fit of laughter. I felt myself pale as I wheezed out a breath, the thought of death lingering close yet again made me dizzy.
"You all thought you were one step ahead here, but in reality we were." The man taunted. "Your leader there accounted for us three, but she didn't know that we had a fourth member. An archer, hidden deep in the woods, who was ready to fire at will." He squeezed tighter around my neck, making stars dance around in my sight. "But oh man, you were part of the equation we weren't expecting! It was smart of your woman leader to keep you up her sleeves!" In my hazy mind, I knew that wasn't the case, but I wasn't going to give him that information.
"And as for this," he grunted, grabbing a hold of the remaining arrow shaft on my backside and started to mercilessly push it deeper through my chest, causing me to cry out loudly, feeling it shred up tender muscles beneath.
"This arrow will be your maker. The poison should be spreading fast and it'll make sure you'll be out of your misery soon." Between his arm suffocating me and the poison starting its course, I was about to pass out, my world spinning and my legs unstable.
I'm going to be the casualty today, I admitted somberly to myself. Please, just let the others be okay. I prayed, not holding much faith for myself.
Sadistic laughter from the man and suddenly, my world went red. A huge surge of frustrated anger rose deep in me, an anger much more ferociously that I imagined possible. I was suddenly sick and tired of hearing this man taunting me. I'm angry that I just escaped death and now I'm reduced back back in its clutches again. I'm sick of the cold. Sick of fighting. Sick of struggling. Sick of playing the hero. Sick of being identified as something I rather let go.
It felt as if my body was waiting for this moment, to give my anger an opportunity, to let it all just explode at once. It seemed drawn from a never-ending well that I didn't know existed, and I was at its cruel mercy. But in the moment, it felt good.
Taking a chance, I jerked my body forward as much as I was allowed, giving myself enough space to dig the tip of my elbow into the man's side, his grip giving way with a grunt. I limply collapsed into the snow on all fours, inhaling precious air.
Pushing through the pain, I quickly scrambled to retrieve my sword and lunged at the thief, tackling him into the snow and preventing him any chances of recovery. I held the blade up to his throat, his face reflected fear for just a brief moment, then returned to an eased smile.
"Well, well, well." He tisked. "You got quite a nasty temper on you." He bellied another laugh, clearly enjoying himself. "You're quite full of surprises, boy!" His nonchalant, almost playful attitude of death staring him in the face angered me further, deepening the metal into his skin, making a bead of crimson travel down his neck.
"Shut up." I growled out through gritted teeth, having enough of it. I didn't want to hurt this man, but if he kept this up, I would have had no choice.
"I can see it in your eyes." He suddenly said, the sarcastic edge in his voice dissipated to seriousness. The abruptness of his words caught me off guard, almost wanting to ask him what he meant, but I remained silent.
"The fear. Anger. Resentment. Especially the longing." He continued. "Eyes are the windows to our souls, and what your eyes tell me is that you wish for more in your life. What you have is not enough. You have a lot of repressed anger–I can't tell from what–but you seem troubled. I almost feel bad for you."
I was taken aback, speechless. I suddenly felt naked and exposed. Uncomfortable. This man, this complete stranger that I've known for a handful of minutes, noticed all these emotions I've been harboring inside for years now and laid it out in front of me. Emotions that I've had constant, internal battles with. He saw right through me. Through it all. And I hated it.
"I knew someone like you." He continued. "Someone I used to follow. He used those same emotions in his favor with the help of a certain object and was able to accomplish his personal goals and dreams, before he died that is."
I sat there, listening. I found myself pulled in by his words, intrigued. Accomplishing goals? What object was it?
"I'll let you know, the object is very much closer than you think, boy." He jeered, his smile returning. "It's rumored that it's currently in the very same castle that you hail from. It can grant whatever you desire."
My brows furrow. It's at the castle? I felt an explosion of emotions flood me, anger taking the forefront of them all. Has Zelda been harboring a powerful tool at her own disposal under my nose without me even knowing? Suddenly, a deep curiosity and eagerness takes over, the tantalizing thought of being able to wish for whatever I want, the buried yearning for a different, quiet life away from all this hero business bubbled up to the surface.
I shook my head, pushing back my desires. I leaned into the sword cutting into the thief's neck. "Why should I trust you?" I ask, knowing whatever this man is offering me must be too good to be true and I can't buy into it.
The man's face split into a big grin. "Trust me or not, that's your choice, boy. But if you do pursue it, you better hurry, before that Queen of yours has other plans for it!"
A tentative moment passes. My heart jumps in my throat as I'm suddenly on edge, silently wondering if I have missed my chance for my freedom.
"What's the object?" I ask hesitantly, licking my lips, unsure if it was better if I knew or not.
"The magnificent power of the gods. The Triforce of Power."
My eyes widen as a flash of Ganondorf, the King of Evil, crosses my mind and suddenly all my struggles in the past two years come to the surface. The man who was revealed to be the true mastermind behind the Twilight invasion, the one who disrupted my life in Ordon and thrust me on this damning path of heroism, one that I never deserved. He is also the one who has the key to change my life again? Confusion ran deep. Nothing seemed to make sense anymore. The fact that Ganondorf somehow held the power to change my life for the better when he's done so much to rip me away from it all seemed like a crude joke. It felt like a slap in the face. Like even the Goddesses were mocking me from up above. Even in his death, they seemed to have found a way to keep my destiny tied to him, along with everything that I'm trying to get away from.
My lip curled into anger at the realization, the thieves' maniacal laughter bursting through once again.
"Time's-a-ticking, Hero!" he taunted.
I snapped, my mind blacking out. I mercilessly thrust my blade down into his heart without a second thought, ending the evil beside me.
The man's slack face was the last sight I witnessed before my body gave out, collapsing beside his carcass. The poison burned deeply in my chest, causing my stomach to spaz uncontrollably. I suddenly lurched, sending all the soup that I had these last two days back up and sat in a heap between us. The motion robbed me of the depleting amount of energy I had left, causing myself to sink into a black nothingness.
A/N: This is one of the longer chapters so far, but this is where the meat of the story's plot is introduced!
What will Link do now, now that he knows his biggest enemy holds the way to change his regretful life?
Special thanks to CuddlyMakani for taking the time to read each chapter and leaving wonderful comments! As always, my deepest thanks for reading and let me know what you think!
