It had been a good three hours or so since Rowen had been trekking around down in the sewers, and she was beginning to become a bit bored. The Like Likes had come back once, but they left her alone and retreated into the shadows. She had eaten a few of the apples she packed; the apples from the Kakariko orchard were shiny and sweet and were always plentiful, but she was still hungry after four of them. Her scimitar hung at her side in its scabbard, still caked with the dry blood from the earlier battle with the Like Likes. She was covered in blood and grime and her feet were beginning to grow sore. She sighed and sat down again. There wasn't anything else in here; she had hoped for another fight with a new creature. She rested her head in one of her palms. Maybe this was a mistake.
Then from deep within the darkness, she heard a throaty growl and loud footsteps. Rowen quickly stood and drew her ancient scimitar, holding it up near her chest. A pair of glowing, blood red eyes pierced the darkness of the sewer and almost blinded her and she closed her eyes just enough to keep out the light. The light from the eyes began to fade, and more pairs of the eyes appeared on all sides of her. A hissing laughter broke the silence and a score or so of large lizard-like warriors stepped forth, each armed with a long, blood stained blade. Rowen jumped, startled, as they closed in around her and she gritted her teeth. This didn't look good; their long, forked tongues darted in and out of their mouths like a snake's and they all shrieked loudly. Rowen covered her ears, afraid that she would be going deaf, and deflected a lightning quick strike from the assumed leader of the bunch. She struck back, scraping its sword arm, and was immediately knocked to the grimy ground. They all leapt in on her, pinning her to her spot, and swung at her with all they could muster. She managed to block most of their shots and suffer only minor scratches on her face and arms. Then, with a loud cry, she drove them all off with a wide swing of her scimitar and hacked away at them like a machine, blood streaming down her face. But, it seemed for each one she felled, another came in to take its place. At this rate, she would never get out of here in one piece. She needed a strategy and she needed it fast.
* * *
Link and Navi stared at the mark on their friend's hand in disbelief and horror. Navi grew a paler blue and her small wings drooped a little. "What is that?" she squeaked.
Luke shook his head. "I don't know what it is." He looked up at Link now, who looked inquisitive. "Is…is there something wrong?"
Link looked up suddenly, his expression seemed a bit dazed now. His throat was dry and he could find no words to respond with. "I'm fine," he managed finally, turning his head to look at Navi, who was resting on his shoulder. He could feel the little fairy shiver and nudge his throat; she was cold. He hesitated a moment, then took off the Golden Gauntlet on his left hand and held it out for Luke to see. "I should have shown you this earlier," Link said, forcing a grin.
"You too?" Luke said, looking at the mark on his own hand, then at the one on his friend's. "What are these, Link?"
"It is the mark of the Triforce," Link replied. Luke looked confused, so he explained. "Do you know who Din, Nayru, and Farore are?" Luke shook his head. "They are the three goddesses who created Hyrule. Din is the Goddess of Power; Nayru is the Goddess of Wisdom; and Farore is the Goddess of Courage. After they created our world, they continued to the afterlife and the place where they left the world, the Sacred Realm, was where the Triforce was formed. The Triforce is an ancient relic of unimaginable power and many people desire it, good and evil alike. And people with the mark of the Triforce on the backs of their left hand have a piece of the relic within them. Mine is Courage. Zelda, too, has one; the Triforce of Wisdom. And Ganondorf, the Evil King, has the final piece, the Triforce of Power. But if there are only three, why do you have the mark on your hand?" Link explained.
"I see now," Luke replied, "but still, I am rather confused why it is there."
"Hey Link," Navi piped up, "why don't you go ask Rauru? I bet he'd know something about it."
"Good idea, but first we've got to get out of here." Link grabbed Luke's left hand with his own left and they sprinted off down the halls, despite the guards inhabiting them. "Earlier you said something about a plan?" he directed at Luke, who nodded and opened his mouth to speak. But Luke stumbled over the corner of a rug and fell; Link paused and turned around to help his friend, but the knights took him and Navi into custody. The guards then seized Luke, avoiding his fins purposely, dragging him back off to the dungeon. They all failed to notice the Black Triforce on Luke's hand begin to glow.
Link struggled to get free and was, in turn, rammed with the butt of a spear in the stomach and he fell to his knees, gasping for breath. Navi flapped her wings wildly, spreading her fairy dust everywhere, and the guard holding her inhaled the majority of it and fell asleep on the floor. Navi giggled a little and flew off in attempt to help Luke get free. But when she landed on his shoulder, it seemed he was unconscious. The guards had failed to notice her.
Link, who was beginning to draw breaths in again, looked up and saw Navi and Luke. Navi was shouting something in the young man's ear, but he didn't move and didn't speak. Navi was going to need some help. But with these knights watching him, Link could do nothing but watch. Then it hit him like a thunderbolt. He reached into his pack and pulled out a small nut, a Deku Nut. He closed his eyes and crushed the nut on the floor as hard as he possibly could and a blinding flash burst out of the shell and struck all eyes that remained unshielded. The guards holding the still Luke dropped him and cried out in pain, covering their burning eyes. Link stumbled to his feet, eyes still closed, and walked over to Luke, hoisting him up and putting one of his limp arms over his shoulders. And the three companions continued on down the hall, hoping that the effects of the Deku Nut would last long enough for them to get out of the castle. "Just hang on a bit longer, Luke, we'll be out of here soon," Link said softly, not wanting to draw more attention than needed. Luke stirred a bit and looked straight ahead; Navi perched on his shoulder, sending a warm sensation throughout his body and he groaned.
"I can walk, you know," he snapped, a little harsher than intentioned. Startled, Link released him, and the hybrid looked at his feet. "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that. I just…I just feel so different, somehow. I can't explain it."
Link placed a reassuring hand on his friend's shoulder. "I understand. Sometimes I feel like that too. Don't worry; I'm sure it's nothing. Let's just keep going. The effects of the Deku Nut won't last much longer.
"But Link," Navi countered, "how can we get out and shun attention from other guards and knights? You know the castle as well as you know the forest; isn't there a hidden sewer in the courtyard?"
"Navi, you're brilliant!" Link exclaimed. "I had forgotten about that! The courtyard isn't far from here. I'll bet that we can get there before the guards come after us again. If Luke is willing to do a little more walking, that is."
"I can do it," Luke replied, convalescing his posture steadily. "I'll do anything to get out of here alive." Link nodded and they turned left into a long hallway, at least a quarter of a mile long. Luke swallowed and followed Link and his fairy partner down the long corridor. At the end, there was a large door with light peeking out from the cracks and a beautiful design of a large blooming rose with an angel hovering above with a harp. The angel's hair was a shimmering black and covered her beautiful face so all that one could see was one of her green eyes, nose, and half of her rosy lips. Luke would have asked who the angel was, but he heard angry yelling from behind him. The guards were coming after them again, as were the knights. Link and Navi were already started on down the passageway, and Luke took off in a sprint, easily catching up to them. "They're coming back," he said.
"I know; we'd better hurry—" Link's sentence was cut short when the general of the knights stepped out in their path with his sword drawn at pointing straight at them.
"By order of the King of Hyrule, I hereby place you all under arrest. Drop your weapons and come silently," the general said. Link scowled and refused to obey. Navi glowed and angry red and flew wildly about the knight's head, but he did not heed the small fairy as any type of a threat. The general snapped, and threescore of knights appeared all around the three escapees. Luke's heartbeat began to race as the knights drew ever nearer, swords drawn and ready to clash in combat. His breath caught in his throat and his adrenaline rushed madly through his veins. The general of the knights waved his sword, and in loud battle cries, the knights rushed forth in attack. The sixty swords --sixty-one if you count the general-- seemed to be nothing but blurs when they slashed back and forth. Even the mighty hero Link was overwhelmed and had taken many vicious wounds. Navi was doing all that she could, but they didn't seem to care much about her. And as for Luke, he had never killed or harmed anything in his entire life and would not fight back no matter how badly he was hurt. He was knocked on the ground hard and could see the damage the knights were dealing to his friend; Link wouldn't be able to go on much longer at this rate and Luke feared for his death. There were many deep gashes in his body and the blood flowed out of his wounds like crimson water from a fountain. And then Luke felt hatred for the attackers and something sparked inside of him, something that he knew was not good. He climbed to his feet and that dark emotion grew until it clouded all of his other senses and the Black Triforce glowed even brighter. His once turquoise eyes grew red and he threw himself into the fray in the defense (or so he thought) of Link.
The knights yelled and (some) fled in fear. Luke was like the ruthless Morpha, which had once frozen all of Zora's Domain and its inhabitants. His fins cut through all bone and blade that they came in contact with, and the sickening crunch of broken bones and torn muscles hit all ears in the hall. Red blood covered the walls and clean white floor and some even struck Navi down. The little fairy sputtered and shook it all off, then hid in Link's hat. She was not the kind of fairy who liked to see violence and mass murdering, and this was possibly the worse she had seen in her life. Why else did you think that she stayed in Link's hat or pack when he was fighting? She only came out at those times when he called her or she felt that she was needed. Her wisdom for mystical creatures was second to none, even to Rauru himself. And Link could only watch in complete awe and terror as the peaceful Luke hacked away mercilessly at the knights. Body parts flew across the room and smacked the general in the face and Link saw horror in his eyes as he fled just when Luke finished off the last of the sixty knights, sweat running down his brow. The red from his eyes faded and he began breathing heavily; he looked all around his feet and saw the dismembered bodies of threescore knights and his eyes widened. "Did…did I do all of this?" he said to himself.
Link stood up, leaning on his sword for support. "Yeah, it was you." He pulled Navi out of his hat. "I didn't know you were capable of that kind of violence."
"Neither did I. I…feel so odd…I actually…enjoyed that," Luke replied slowly; Link arched an eyebrow as his little fairy friend healed his wounds. But Link did not say anything else and they continued on down the corridor to the large door at the end. Luke pushed it open to reveal a vast garden with beautiful marble fountains gushing crystal water and endless rows of roses, both red and white. A soft, soothing fragrance drifted through the air and all three of them felt relaxation come into their minds. Luke reached out a hand to touch a rose; he loved roses. Zelda always kept a freshly picked rose in her room, and they reminded him of her, the woman he loved as a mother. His fingers gently stroked the rose's petals and, to his surprise, the rose turned black and burst into flames. Luke jumped and followed Link and Navi further into the garden, past a brilliant white fountain, and up to a large, stone statue of a moon and sun. Link placed his hand on the sun and Navi rubbed up against the moon, and before Luke's very eyes, the statue broke into half and a small hole about two feet wide was revealed to them. Link looked back at Luke and slid in, Navi close behind him. Then Luke slid into the abyss and the statue repaired itself as if nothing had happened. They had gotten out of the castle safely, but there were also dangers in the sewers, dangers beyond their wildest dreams.
* * *
Rowen was cornered. She could not escape from these fleet-footed lizard warriors (she had tried thrice already) and could not fight her way through them. There were endless numbers of them, and she had lost track of how many she had killed within the last half hour. Her scimitar was no longer the silver color it originally was, it was more of a dark crimson now. But it was strong and had cut through many limbs and slain twice as many as it wounded. She could think of no strategy besides kill or be killed, as her grandfather used to say before he died. And, from where she was standing, she could still fight them off, but she didn't know for how much longer. Her body was beginning to weaken quickly and there were many wounds on her flesh. Weariness began to overcome her and her eyes drooped ever so slightly when she heard footsteps down the tunnel. With hope in her eyes, she turned to see two young men and a…a fairy?! She couldn't believe it. She was seeing an actual, live, fairy! "Hey!" she called out to them. "Hey, I need some help over here! Do you think you could…you know, get rid of these things? I'm starting to get a little claustrophobic."
The one in green reached into a side pouch and took out a large diamond with fire burning fiercely in the core. He held it above his head and yelled "Din's Fire!" The diamond burst into raging flames and spread until it touched the walls of the sewer, frying the lizards into nothing but bones and bad memories. Rowen flinched, thinking that she, too, would be scorched, but when she felt no pain, she looked up and saw no trace of her attackers. The two men walked over to her, both smiling. "Are you all right, miss?"
Rowen nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Thanks a lot; I think those thingies were gonna eat me or somethin' like that."
"Lizalfos? No. They just attack whatever moves. Odd, they don't usually hunt in packs that large. My name is Link."
Rowen extended a hand and Link grasped it firmly yet gently. "The name's Rowena, Rowen for short. And who're you two?"
"I'm Navi and this is Luke. He's kind of shy," the fairy said, flying playfully around Rowen's head and landing on Link's shoulder with a cute giggle. Luke smiled slightly, still shocked about his earlier performance. Rowen looked at him quizzically. "How come you don't speak? I don't bite, I think. Hum, well the last time I checked, I didn't but…times change!" She laughed happily and sheathed her scimitar. Link smiled.
"Sorry, I just don't feel much like talking right now. I haven't quite been feeling…feeling…" Luke tried to say, but ended up leaning against the wall. And Rowen saw the Black Triforce on his hand. Too stunned to say anything, she stared, mouth open slightly. She could hear his heavy breathing and saw sweat drip from his face to the musty floor.
"Hey, are you okay? You don't sound too well. You don't look too good either. If you don't mind my sayin' that," Rowen said as compassionately as she could. She wasn't one to usually talk like that, and she had to admit that it sounded rather false. She shrugged and looked at Link, whose brow was wrinkled with worry. "Hey…what's goin' on here? Am I invisible? I want to know what is happening! Spill it already!"
"I don't know what 's going on, Rowen, but it isn't good. Trust me," Link told her.
"Oh, okay. If you want it that way…" Rowen took a drink out of her water bottle, which had somehow managed to stay clean throughout all of her struggles. It was a little warm, but it was something to drink and she wasn't one to complain. She offered some to her new acquaintances; Link took a small bit in his hand and held it out for Navi, who happily splashed into it and washed off all the blood that was splattered on her earlier. She glowed a bright blue now and shook out her wings. "Well, that's not exactly what I had in mind, but I guess that works, too." She screwed the cork back on the bottle and tucked it away for the time being. Link helped Luke to sit and Rowen began to feel rather worried. She sat by Luke and smiled. "Hey, are you feeling all right? You're beginning to make me worry and I don't like to." Luke didn't reply; he just stared forward blankly. Rowen looked up at Link and Navi. Link smiled vaguely and she felt a little better about the situation, but not by much. She sighed and leaned backward. She was tired.
Finally, it was Navi who broke the silence. "I think it's about time that we left this place. I don't feel comfortable down here and who knows what else is down here. Link, how do you propose we get out?"
Link clicked his tongue once and dug through his pack, searching for his ocarina. He pulled out the small blue instrument and placed it to his lips. A sweet melody echoed through the tunnels and trilled a bit; Rowen grinned and plucked the strings on her harp, matching the tune Link was playing. A green light began to kick up and surround the travelers and the duet played on until it grew so bright that Rowen had to close her eyes. And then, they were all gone.
The next thing Rowen noticed was that they were in a clearing surrounded by minimal trees and a platform with a large triangle on it. A melody played from deep within the forest and Rowen thought she recognized the tune from somewhere, but she couldn't put her finger on it. "Where are we?" she asked Link, who was holding up a dazed Luke.
"The Lost Woods. Or, to be more precise, the Sacred Forest Meadow. This is the place where my friend Saria played her ocarina all the time. The song you're hearing now is her song, Saria's Song. If you play this song, you can talk with the spirits of nature and the Kokiri will call you friend," Link explained.
Rowen took a moment or two to memorize the song; she rather liked it. "But the Kokiri already call me friend. I've been visiting them ever since I was a little girl. I just never came in this part of the Lost Woods before."
Navi looked up at the sky. It was a golden brown with a touch of orange. "Morning is coming; we'd better head back to the village and see if there's anywhere we can stay until we're ready to move on. Uhm…where are we headed, anyway?"
"Who knows. Where ever destiny takes us, I suppose," Link replied, already leaving the spot where they had appeared. Rowen and Navi raced to catch up with him and Rowen allowed the fairy to perch on her shoulder. "My house is still vacant; we can stay there. It's small, but it should be able to provide shelter to three people and a fairy."
"Then what're we waitin' for? Let's go!" Rowen said. She was ready for a long nap and she didn't care where she slept. As long as it was inside.
* * *
Luke was standing out in the middle of the forest, looking up at the night sky. He was the only one awake at this time, except the nocturnal hunters, and dawn was a good three hours away. He sighed softly and blinked. The stars were beautiful tonight. He was feeling just fine; maybe that dizziness and sick feeling were just an illusion. Or then again, maybe not.
Then the light from the stars faded and so did the moon. Confused, he looked blindly around for any source of light. There was nothing, not even the fireflies were shimmering now. A hissing noise rang out from the darkness and drew nearer, nearer, nearer. Luke fled in the opposite direction of the noise, afraid, but everywhere he went looked the same, just like the Lost Woods. The hissing grew louder and louder until it was all around him and he covered his ears, falling to his knees and crying out for it to stop. But it didn't. It closed in even closer and a dark laughter replaced the hissing now. He made out the outline of a tall, shadowy figure and glowing red eyes that pierced his heart. He wanted to flee, but the laughter and those eyes seemed to petrify him on the spot and the figure lifted him up by his throat and thrust a hand right through Luke's chest and he felt sharp nails graze his heart. Red blood flooded from his wound and covered the green grass. And by the glow of the eyes, Luke saw sharp fangs surrounded by a sinister smile. "Did you miss me?" a deep voice hissed.
Then Luke screamed. There was a sharp pain in his heart, worse than anything he had ever felt before, and Rowen, Navi, and Link woke up in a start. Rowen's hair was a complete mess and she looked very tired; her eyes were still half closed. "Whass goin' n?" she managed. "Is it monin aeidy?" Luke screamed again and clutched at his heart painfully. Rowen put her pillow over her head. "Stop dat an' go ta seep. No screamin' in da middle of da night. Can't a woman git some seep?" And she just kept rambling on and on until Link nudged her and took her pillow.
"Wake up," Link sternly snapped, "this is serious."
Rowen sat up slowly and rubbed her eyes. "Well, why didn't you say so in the first place," she replied, her speech making more sense now than it did earlier. "D'you think he's havin' a nightmare?"
"I…I don't know. Navi?"
The small fairy yawned and hovered over Luke's head. She looked deep into his face, then turned a purplish-black, trembled violently, and was flung backward. Link acted quickly and caught her in his hat before she hit the wall. "No, Rowen, I don't think he's having a nightmare. I think this is very real." Rowen swallowed hard and moved toward Link, who pulled her closer to comfort her. It didn't work well; Rowen was more frightened than she had ever been in her life and even Navi nestled against her cheek. "Don't worry, Rowen, we're all going to be all right," Navi said with a tiny, quivering voice.
"Are you sure, Navi? I mean, I don't have a good feeling about this. We'll be okay, sure, but what about Luke?" Rowen replied quietly. Navi didn't have anything else to say in the matter and the three tired friends could do nothing but watch and hope for the best.
Falling…falling…falling into the eternal abyss of darkness. The eternal abyss of bereavement, of devastation, of corruption. No soul in this world remains untainted by him, the God of Darkness and Destruction. All have been touched by his hands and none have kept their purity; all have fallen into their own transgression and cannot return. The dark overwhelms the light…
And now he is reborn. He emerges from within his prison inside a black representation to wreak his havoc once again and take what is truly his. All who stand against him with collapse into death…will collapse into their darkness. He is revitalized at last…Malice, the God of Darkness and Destruction…
Rowen hid behind Link in pure fear. Navi remained perched on Rowen's shoulder, trembling and turning a snow white. Link drew his sword and his expression was fatal. Rowen's hand strayed to her scimitar instinctively, but she could not find the energy to draw it from its scabbard. It grew so terribly cold in Link's small, childhood house and they were all afraid for their lives. For there was no longer a Luke, but a dark man sitting on the wooden bed bordered by a cold, thrashing, black, fiery aura; he was looking down at the floor. Large falcon-like wings protruded from this man's back and Rowen estimated that when they spread out as far as they possibly could, they would reach an average of a seven-foot wingspan. He was deathly pale, like that of a skeleton. Crimson hair with thin veins of black reached down to the middle of his exposed back and shielded most of his face. Long fingered hands with long nails rested on knees taller than the bed itself; this man was much taller than Luke would ever be. The only article of clothing he wore was a long sarong that had slits cut up both sides and tights underneath similar to Link's, but black, and black leather boots. He wore no shirt, which was rather obvious, and his unbelievably immense physique almost stunned Rowen, who was only peeking out from behind Link. Tattooed across his torso was a black dragon whose tail winded around his back and the very tip of the tail could be seen down by his waist. Navi whimpered and it was Rowen's turn to placate her.
This man threw back his head and laughed; the three of them saw his knife-like fangs and Rowen gasped. He finally looked at them through blood red serpent-like eyes. The lining encircling his eyes was dark and looked like Rowen's mother's eyeliner. She almost laughed, but her lungs had not enough air to provide for a chuckle, much less to breathe. The vermilion stone in the middle of his forehead shimmered within his cold aura and his sensation lashed out at them with long, wiry hands. He grinned sinisterly at them and stood; he was at least a head (maybe two) taller than Link, the tallest out of the small group. Link clasped the hilt of the Master Sword until his knuckles turned white and prepared for the worst. "So," began this horrifying man, "he finally acknowledges his abhorrence for the human race and all that reside harmoniously in the midst of it. Too long have I lingered for this moment. And an audience was here to witness my resurrection." The voice sounded like not one, but two people speaking simultaneously, word for word. Rowen shuddered. She had never felt fear like this before, and she had hoped that she never would.
"Who are you?" Link demanded. "What have you done with Luke?"
"Imprudent man, I am Luke. The true Luke. I am the darkness within him, the revulsion. I would have been revived earlier if it had not been for that princess and her affection for the amalgam. I am Malice, the God of Darkness and Destruction. Long ago I was sealed away in that accursed mark," (Rowen noticed at this moment that the Black Triforce on his left hand was gone and had reappeared in the clawed hands of the black dragon), "because my power could not be matched by any living creature. I repudiated to go on to the life after death as Din, Nayru, and Farore did after their labors were completed. And no one discerns what has come about of Rhapsody after these elongated eons."
"There are only three creators of the earth, stupid," Rowen blurted, then quickly covered her mouth. She wanted to smack her forehead. But Malice did not make any threatening moves and she breathed easily for the time being.
"That is where you are mistaken. Rhapsody, the Goddess of Life and I are the fourth and fifth creators of this world and all the living beasts. We are never cited in old legends of the earth's beginning for we did not continue on to death and were, therefore, dubbed unimportant. But I am now resuscitated, and this world shall become nothing but an infinite wasteland where naught will endure. The agonized and dying screams of all people shall leave me satisfied and all will be swathed in darkness!" Malice laughed once again and Rowen covered her ears. And the impious man, if he could be considered a man, saw her fear clearly. He reached out a hand and summoned her forth; Rowen found that she was not walking toward him, but floating two inches off of the floor. She was afraid as she looked him in the eye and feared worse for what he would do. He ran his index finger down her cheek and his nail cut deep into her flesh; her red blood spurted from the thin wound and dripped onto his hand. "Such an appealing human," he said softly, his hand resting on her wound. Now Rowen was angry. She smacked away his hand and glared at him.
"Don't touch me," she snarled at him. "And my name isn't human; it's Rowen. Remember it." Her feet touched the ground and she stormed back over to Link and Navi, who could only stare at her. They had to admit, she was brave, but foolish. She reminded Link of himself when he was a young boy, but he didn't quite have the same personality she did. Link turned his head to look at her; her look was irritated and agitated and Link realized that she had quite a short temper. "'Appealing', humph. I'll appeal you, you…"
"Rowen, hush," Link interrupted and Navi agreed.
"Don't 'hush' me—uhm, I mean, okay," Rowen replied, fixing the scowl she had planted on her beautiful young face. She grinned awkwardly at her friends. "Uh, sorry, lost my temper." Link shook his head and looked up at the ceiling.
Malice cleaned the blood off of his finger with his tongue and smirked at Rowen. "Feisty, aren't we?" She glowered at him and snorted angrily. He chuckled amusedly. "A stalwart woman; no conjecture that men admire you."
"Shut up," she inserted spontaneously, stamping a foot on the wooden floor, which creaked with age. "I've beaten the shit out of tougher men, and you aren't one of them, you—"
"Rowen, I think that's enough," Link interrupted when he saw the look on Malice's fear provoking (yet somehow striking) face. "You should hold your tongue for now."
"Yes, take note of your friend's recommendation. Little girls are not thought to use fetid lingo in the presence of superiors." Malice folded his arms across his chest. "I shall grant you leniency only because of who you are."
Rowen's temper flared now, and Link had to hold her back. "Let me go, Link, let me go!" Then she directed her speech at Malice. "When I get free, I'm gonna rip that smirk off your face and shove it up your ass!"
"Rowen—"
"Don't think I won't just 'cause I'm a woman!"
"Rowen—"
"Are you listening, you winged freak? When I get free, your going to taste my old, rusty, scimitar! That's right, you're gonna be beaten by a woman! A woman!" Rowen shrieked, paying no attention to Link.
"Rowen!" Link finally yelled, and she calmed down a bit. "This is not the time to be mouthing off, and this is not the kind of…of…person," (he had failed to find a word that suited Malice without making him angry or making the sentence sound odd), "to be saying these things to." Rowen sat on the old table hesitantly.
"Taste…" Malice said thoughtfully. "That reminds me that I have consumed naught for myriad years. Quiescent spirits have no need for sustenance, but breathing, living, individuals do. I thank you for the prompt and I depart from the thrice of you here. Farewell, for now." And his aura enveloped his entire body. Link leapt forward in feeble attempt to catch him before he disappeared, but he went through the mass of black and purple flames and hit the wall hard. When he turned around, there was no sign of Malice at all. But it was not Malice the three of them worried about; it was the things he would do the people and the country.
But Rowen worried more for Luke than Malice.
"Come on, let's go!" Link exclaimed, rushing out of his house and calling on his mare, Epona. She immediately came to him from her grazing (she had stopped living at the ranch after Ganon's defeat) and whinnied happily. Link mounted her and helped Rowen onto her back behind him and Navi, clinging to Rowen's collar, prepared for another ride on the swift horse. The Kokiri children ran out of the way as she ran and Rowen whooped. She loved fast horses, like her stallion Silver Stream. He was in the stable in Lon Lon Ranch and would come to her whenever she called his name. He had better hearing than any feline and was faster than most four legged animals, except, perhaps, Epona. Come to think of it, she hadn't ridden him in a while…
"Hey," she said over the whipping of the wind and the beating of Epona's hooves on the ground, "do you mind if I call my horse? I think that I'm going to fall off back here." A nod was her response, and she yelled loudly, but not loud enough to hurt any ears, for her horse. It was only moments before a black dot appeared a half-mile before them. Silver Stream galloped up to them and ran alongside Epona, matching her almost step for step. He was a gorgeous horse with a silky black coat and a long, flowing, silver mane and tail that shimmered in the sun. His dazzling green eyes looked to his owner and Rowen climbed off of Epona's back and onto her stallion's; he seemed glad to have her there and neighed with excitement. Since Rowen had raised him from the minute he was born and treated him as if he was human, it was like they could read each other's minds, and he knew that something was going to happen. And Link was surprised that the younger beast could keep up with his own horse, which was said to be the fastest living horse. But, unfortunately, neither of them had the time to ponder the subject of who's horse was the quicker.
"Can you see him anywhere, Navi?" Rowen called up to the airborne fairy.
"No, not yet. Just a bunch of clouds and grass," the little fairy replied, darting to and fro every three seconds or so. Everything seemed to be peaceful, as it always was. Navi sighed. Maybe Malice was just an illusion and Luke was all right. After all, Link had gone right through him. But that was when his aura was surrounding him. When he touched Rowen, she bled, so he must be real. She sighed again. "There doesn't appear to be anything wrong out here; maybe he went into the market to get some fruit. Or what's left of the market. It's surprising how quickly the Hylians can rebuild that place."
"Actually, Navi, I doubt he's at the market," Rowen answered. "I'm not sure why, but I have a feeling he's in the field. We would have heard and seen destruction if he was in any populated area. He's obviously not stupid, despite the fact that I called him stupid," she said, and then paused. "Do ya think he's mad at me for that?"
"Just keep going, Rowen," Link replied. Rowen nodded.
"Anyway, if he was in the air, Navi would've already found signs of him, right?" Link nodded and Navi shook her wings. She couldn't nod, exactly, so she had to find alternative ways to communicate. "So he must be either flying low or walking."
"That's logical," Navi said, "but no one is in danger out here except for us. No Hylian, Goron, or Kokiri ever run around out here." Then Link turned pale. Navi noticed this and landed on Epona's long neck. "What's the matter?"
"There is someone who runs around out here," he said gravely. "Peron, the running man."
"The who?" Rowen asked inquisitively.
"You've never heard of the running man?" Navi asked.
"No."
"He's a man who lives for running. He usually runs somewhere around Gerudo Valley at this time of day…Gerudo Valley! Come on, let's go! We have to get to Peron before Malice!" Link exclaimed, nudging Epona's ribs gently and she began to gallop. Silver Stream and Rowen followed beside them, not wanting to be left behind. And Navi still rode on the mare's neck.
"Wait a sec," Rowen called out, "how do we know Malice eats people?"
"We don't," Link inserted, "but we have to find Peron nonetheless."
"Okay, whatever," Rowen said and urged Silver Stream into a full gallop, passing ahead of Link, Navi, and Epona. She turned her head around. "We'll check ahead this way," she said.
"Link, left!" Navi said quickly, and Link swerved the beautiful mare to the left, passing behind the ranch. It was then that Link remembered about Malon.
"Navi, I need you to do a favor for me. Go find Malon and tell her that I'm sorry that I didn't meet her at the market entrance; tell her that something else came up. Then have her go back to the ranch and stay indoors. I don't want to take any chances of her getting hurt. Then come find me when you're done. Can you do that?"
"Sure," Navi said and started to fly off. "Be careful!"
"I will, I promise." But Link felt uneasy without Navi by his side. She'd be all right; she always found a way to get out of any unwanted trouble. Link smiled as the wind whipped through his hair and blew his hat off of his head. He reached back to try to catch it, but it was already out of his grasp. He had no time to go back for it, so he just rode on. No Navi and no hat. He hoped that he wouldn't lose anything (or anyone) else.
* * *
Rowen reached Peron before Link did and set Silver Stream out to graze for while she held cautious conversation with the running man. Every moment or so, she would listen to him talk and look around for any signs of Malice or Link. Even while standing still, Peron jogged in place eager to get on with his running. But Rowen held him back with witty retorts and he grew to enjoy her company. "So, how long have you been running? Do ya ever get tired? I would. I'm no runner, that's for sure. Unless I'm runnin' for my life, I leave all that stuff up to Silver Stream."
"You seem to be able to run long distances, though, miss…uh…what is your name, anyway?"
Rowen giggled. "It's Rowena, y'all can call me Rowen. Everyone else does. And you're Pren, right?"
Now it was Peron's turn to laugh. "Peron, actually. Hey, here comes your friend." Rowen turned around and saw a hatless Link. She chuckled, then cleared her throat and tried to look serious, but the look Link gave her only made her laugh out loud and point.
"You've got hat hair!" she quipped, tears running down her cheeks. Link flattened out his hair the best he could, then took her hair down from the plait she was wearing it in. She shrieked with laughter as it cascaded down her shoulders and Link thought to himself that she looked similar to the angel carved in the courtyard door. And she even played the harp and had the same color eyes. Rowen saw him staring and waved a hand in his face. "What're you starin' at? Do I have somethin' in my hair? It's not a mess, is it? Darn, I spent an hour—"
"Its fine; just déjà vu. You look like someone I've seen before."
"Really? Who?" Rowen inquired, but Link did not reply. He smiled and stroked Epona's mane gently. Silver Stream galloped over to his owner and reared with a startled neigh. "What? What's the matter?" Rowen asked her horse, a hand on his soft muzzle. All the stallion would do was whinny and neigh and look in the same direction. Rowen turned slowly around and saw Malice standing behind Link with a wicked grin on his lips.
"Is your steed anxious? He seems to be acting moderately antsy," Malice hissed, his eyes focused on Peron.
Rowen swallowed. "We're busted."
Malice spread his wings wide and a violent wind kicked up out of nowhere. "Indeed," said he whilst approaching them impassively. His vermilion eyes gazed down at the perplexed man with a shimmer that neither Rowen nor Link liked the look of. Peron did not move; Malice reached a hazardous hand toward him slowly and the runner jerked backward, then turned to Link.
The dark god placed a grin on his face that reflected his name.
Peron opened his mouth to ask a question, but Link stopped him before a single syllable escaped from between his lips. "Don't turn your back to him; you never know what he'll do!"
"He can't possibly be any worse than that Evil King Whatshisface," Peron stupidly replied. Rowen smacked her forehead and shook her head, hand still resting on her fore. Rowen seized the runner's shoulders and turned him around to keep an eye on Malice, but he was gone.
"Hey, where'd he go? Did he run away?" Rowen said rather foolishly.
"I doubt that, Rowen," replied Link, sliding off of Epona's back and unsheathing the Master Sword. "Nevertheless, keep your eyes open for Malice and don't let Peron out of your sight, Rowen."
Rowen turned to Link. "Huh? What'd you say? I wasn't payin' attention."
"Rowen, turn back around!"
"What for?" she asked, doing as the hero told her to. Peron was standing there looking at the two of them with an embarrassed grin on his face. Rowen growled at him; he cleared his throat. She shrugged. "He's fine. What're you so worried 'bout?" She looked at Link over her shoulder and he rubbed his temples in distress.
"Are you always like this?" Peron asked.
"Who, me?" Rowen asked innocently. "Oh, yeah; 'always look on the bright side', that's my motto."
"Bright side, that is entertaining," the blood curdling voice (or possibly more like voices) of Malice echoed from above them. "No longer will a bright side hail in this humanity when I am finished. All that will exist is death and corruption and darkness will reign over all."
"Yeah, yeah, yeah, we've heard this crap before," Rowen retorted. "'The age of darkness', whoooooooo! I am so afraid of the monsters underneath my bed. They're gonna come out and eat me!" she quipped sarcastically.
"Silence!" Malice snarled; lightning crashed in the background and struck the ground near Rowen's feet. She yelped and jumped backward into Link's arms. He arched an eyebrow at her and she grinned sheepishly at him. Clearing her throat, she released herself from his grasp and dusted off her silver tunic (which Lynda had so graciously washed for her last night). "Do not endeavor to coax the murderous temptation within my mentality as it will be the final occasion you breathe!"
Rowen rubbed her head in bewilderment. "What are you talkin' 'bout? I can't understand all those big words. Could ya possibly use littler words and simpler sentences?"
Malice growled deeply in his throat and landed in front of the young lady. She swallowed and backed away; he pursued her at a slow pace until she tripped and fell backward. He glared down upon her, eyes glowing irately, and she feared her fate. "Do you ridicule me?"
Rowen stumbled over her words nervously. "Yes…er, I mean no…or yes…uhm…I dunno."
"Answer me straightforward!"
"No!" she blurted quickly then bit down hard on her own tongue.
"Hmm," was the reply from her oppressor; he turned away from her to face the Hero and the runner. Rowen hid behind a tree and peeked out from behind it. She could hear her teeth chattering in her jaw and she clamped her teeth together tight. And Malice spread his arms wide. "But Link, that is what you are referred to, correct?" An angry nod. "I must thank you for leading me to a worthy quarry. It is always amusing when my prey can flee quickly. Luke knew of this man and often ran against him for the sport. Let us see how quickly he can take flight now!" And, despite Link's denying cries to the evil god's comment, a petrified Peron took off running as fast as he possibly could toward Kakariko Village. Rowen, who had come out from behind her hiding place, swiped at the air and cursed.
"No no no! Don't go that way!! That's the way to my home, ya dork! Argh, I gotta stop him before he gets there!" she exclaimed, more afraid for her loved ones than her own safety. She mounted Silver Stream and the beautiful stallion took off at a full gallop. Link, also, mounted Epona and followed closely after, silently cursing the goddesses and fate.