Enter legal disclaimer here.
***
Danté couldn't believe it. When he tipped the cloth bag that had been concealed in his dinner, four red and two blue rupees tumbled out with a familiar clinking. 90 rupees -- the 90 rupees they had stolen from him. He looked to the door again. She'd left it unlocked. It wasn't a mistake.
'She wants to help me. She wants me out.'
As he began to stuff the money back into the bag, he realized there was something slipping under the door. When he bent to pick it up, he found it was a scrap of parchment. It read:
'You and I have more in common than you may think. I was also deprived of one of my parents, torn from my family, thrown prematurely into the adult's world. Just make sure you heed my words, and never end up like me. I've got nothing to give to this world. Nothing except you. You have to do something good for the world as your own debt -- I'm asking you to do a second for me. I'd like to think that by giving you back to the world, I've done my 'something good' for this world. Just don't you skip out on me, Zora. I know an excellent recipe for filet of Zora-babies.
Lumille
Ps- Sorry about not returning your handshake. I'd like to think what's on the back of this note is compensation enough. I just don't like slimy hands.'
His eyes widened as he turned the parchment. On the back was a complete and intricately detailed map of the entire fortress, including underwater escape routes and danger zones circled in red. He saw a short note scribbled at the bottom of the map.
'Don't get too antsy to take off yet, Zora. If you leave right after I've seen you, they'll have my ass in a sack. Wait until I give you the sign. Believe me; you'll know it when you see it. Well, you may smell it first.'
He took in a shaky breath and let it out again. If whatever she was planning worked... he would be Danté, the first Zora to ever escape pirate custody.
If only his mother could see him now. His face was grim as he tucked the bag into his pocket.
***
Lumille dashed down the hallway, the stink of burned blood right at her heels. The corridor she left behind her was a symphony of silent agony, with scorched limbs, clothing and hair causing the victims themselves to gag as they suffered in a heap. Lumille absentmindedly wiped her bloodstained hands on her cloak. She had to remind herself over and over why she was doing all of this.
Him. You're doing it for him. Danté. Him.
It had been almost six nights since the visit they had shared, and she knew she had to act quickly, or he would soon starve. His black eyes filled her mind again, and she burst forth with renewed energy.
He needs this. He has a life ahead of him.
His black eyes, icy-blue skin, shiny black hair... it terrified her whenever it occured to her that perhaps, in another place and time, she could have loved him.
'Whatever happened to the 'suffer alone, lose alone' Lumille I grew up with?'
Lumille skidded to a stop, her heart racing. She turned on the spot and saw Aveil leaning against the wall, one foot crossed in front of the other, arms folded across her chest, head down. A hint of a grin danced across her face. She looked up and met Lumille's hard eyes.
'I never thought I'd see the day. Lumille, Miss I'm-too-hurt-inside- to-ever-care, in love. It's better than an opera.'
Lumille, eyes closed, head bowed, was shaking. Her fists were clenched, her fingernails digging into her palms.
'Shut up, Aveil.' She said shakily. 'Just shut up.'
Aveil feigned horror as she stepped back a few steps, holding her hands in front of her as if to stop some attack.
'Whoa! Pretty tough words to come from a little wench.' She smirked, placing her hands on her hips. 'I bet daddy would be sooo proud of you.'
'Don't even, Aveil. Don't even start.'
'What, scared to make daddy proud? Scared he'll 'reward' you some more?'
Lumille was crying now. Aveil's tone was turning more and more vicious with every word.
'I'll bet you loved it. Special alone-time, daddy and daughter.' She began moaning in a high-pitched voice, not sounding much different from a young girl. 'Stop, daddy, no! Daddy, no... it hurts...' She began to laugh. 'What, did you think I didn't know? Ignorant fool. I'll bet those were the best times of your life, just--'
'STOP IT!!' Lumille was crumpled on the ground, her hands covering her head. She looked very much like a helpless child.
'And you want to help people. Idiot. You can't even help yourself.'
Aveil turned and briskly walked down the hall, away from the crying girl. When she came to the end of the hallway, she signaled someone around the corner. Immediately, five purple-clad gerudos came charging down the hall, set to kill. Lumille's head jerked up. If she was going to do it, it had to be now. Without another moment's thought, she stood, turned, and broke into a dead run.
Cannons. I need to get to the cannons. Or he's not got any chances left.
***
Danté knew it was coming. It had to be. It had been six days, and now all this was happening. He heard people running up and down the hall outside his cell, he heard crashes and cries. He smelled blood.
But he knew it wasn't time. It couldn't be, not yet. The sign hadn't come yet.
He couldn't see anyone inside Aveil's room. That had never happened before. There was always someone there to guard the treasures inside. The last person he had seen in there had been Aveil herself, and she had looked fit to tear a tree from the earth, roots and all. He was more thankful than he had ever been in his life he was not the one responsible for her mood.
He paced. He listened. He waited.
Then it came.
The blast.
He bolted to the door, wrenched it open with great difficulty, and never looked back.
***
The entire central tower and building was gone. Lumille almost cried with relief.
She had made it. He was safe. She struggled to look up and out the window. She saw him. He was running where she'd told him to... to the water. The drains would help him escape.
'You'll pay for that one, traitor.'
The five were all surrounding her, leaving her no escape paths. She didn't care.
He was safe.
One guard struck her with the wooden rod of their spear, and Lumille felt her nose snap.
Another took the fine tip of her spear and began to trace intricate patterns on the inside of Lumille's right arm. Her world went white with pain when another pressed down on her nose with her thumb.
The torture didn't last. She was gone before long.
She didn't speak a word throughout the entire ordeal. None, except 'Danté'.
***
He was free. Free.
Danté dove into the ocean and swam faster than he had ever done in his life. Under no circumstances did he ever want to be anywhere near that fortress again.
Well, no circumstances except to get a certain handshake he had missed.
***
***
Danté couldn't believe it. When he tipped the cloth bag that had been concealed in his dinner, four red and two blue rupees tumbled out with a familiar clinking. 90 rupees -- the 90 rupees they had stolen from him. He looked to the door again. She'd left it unlocked. It wasn't a mistake.
'She wants to help me. She wants me out.'
As he began to stuff the money back into the bag, he realized there was something slipping under the door. When he bent to pick it up, he found it was a scrap of parchment. It read:
'You and I have more in common than you may think. I was also deprived of one of my parents, torn from my family, thrown prematurely into the adult's world. Just make sure you heed my words, and never end up like me. I've got nothing to give to this world. Nothing except you. You have to do something good for the world as your own debt -- I'm asking you to do a second for me. I'd like to think that by giving you back to the world, I've done my 'something good' for this world. Just don't you skip out on me, Zora. I know an excellent recipe for filet of Zora-babies.
Lumille
Ps- Sorry about not returning your handshake. I'd like to think what's on the back of this note is compensation enough. I just don't like slimy hands.'
His eyes widened as he turned the parchment. On the back was a complete and intricately detailed map of the entire fortress, including underwater escape routes and danger zones circled in red. He saw a short note scribbled at the bottom of the map.
'Don't get too antsy to take off yet, Zora. If you leave right after I've seen you, they'll have my ass in a sack. Wait until I give you the sign. Believe me; you'll know it when you see it. Well, you may smell it first.'
He took in a shaky breath and let it out again. If whatever she was planning worked... he would be Danté, the first Zora to ever escape pirate custody.
If only his mother could see him now. His face was grim as he tucked the bag into his pocket.
***
Lumille dashed down the hallway, the stink of burned blood right at her heels. The corridor she left behind her was a symphony of silent agony, with scorched limbs, clothing and hair causing the victims themselves to gag as they suffered in a heap. Lumille absentmindedly wiped her bloodstained hands on her cloak. She had to remind herself over and over why she was doing all of this.
Him. You're doing it for him. Danté. Him.
It had been almost six nights since the visit they had shared, and she knew she had to act quickly, or he would soon starve. His black eyes filled her mind again, and she burst forth with renewed energy.
He needs this. He has a life ahead of him.
His black eyes, icy-blue skin, shiny black hair... it terrified her whenever it occured to her that perhaps, in another place and time, she could have loved him.
'Whatever happened to the 'suffer alone, lose alone' Lumille I grew up with?'
Lumille skidded to a stop, her heart racing. She turned on the spot and saw Aveil leaning against the wall, one foot crossed in front of the other, arms folded across her chest, head down. A hint of a grin danced across her face. She looked up and met Lumille's hard eyes.
'I never thought I'd see the day. Lumille, Miss I'm-too-hurt-inside- to-ever-care, in love. It's better than an opera.'
Lumille, eyes closed, head bowed, was shaking. Her fists were clenched, her fingernails digging into her palms.
'Shut up, Aveil.' She said shakily. 'Just shut up.'
Aveil feigned horror as she stepped back a few steps, holding her hands in front of her as if to stop some attack.
'Whoa! Pretty tough words to come from a little wench.' She smirked, placing her hands on her hips. 'I bet daddy would be sooo proud of you.'
'Don't even, Aveil. Don't even start.'
'What, scared to make daddy proud? Scared he'll 'reward' you some more?'
Lumille was crying now. Aveil's tone was turning more and more vicious with every word.
'I'll bet you loved it. Special alone-time, daddy and daughter.' She began moaning in a high-pitched voice, not sounding much different from a young girl. 'Stop, daddy, no! Daddy, no... it hurts...' She began to laugh. 'What, did you think I didn't know? Ignorant fool. I'll bet those were the best times of your life, just--'
'STOP IT!!' Lumille was crumpled on the ground, her hands covering her head. She looked very much like a helpless child.
'And you want to help people. Idiot. You can't even help yourself.'
Aveil turned and briskly walked down the hall, away from the crying girl. When she came to the end of the hallway, she signaled someone around the corner. Immediately, five purple-clad gerudos came charging down the hall, set to kill. Lumille's head jerked up. If she was going to do it, it had to be now. Without another moment's thought, she stood, turned, and broke into a dead run.
Cannons. I need to get to the cannons. Or he's not got any chances left.
***
Danté knew it was coming. It had to be. It had been six days, and now all this was happening. He heard people running up and down the hall outside his cell, he heard crashes and cries. He smelled blood.
But he knew it wasn't time. It couldn't be, not yet. The sign hadn't come yet.
He couldn't see anyone inside Aveil's room. That had never happened before. There was always someone there to guard the treasures inside. The last person he had seen in there had been Aveil herself, and she had looked fit to tear a tree from the earth, roots and all. He was more thankful than he had ever been in his life he was not the one responsible for her mood.
He paced. He listened. He waited.
Then it came.
The blast.
He bolted to the door, wrenched it open with great difficulty, and never looked back.
***
The entire central tower and building was gone. Lumille almost cried with relief.
She had made it. He was safe. She struggled to look up and out the window. She saw him. He was running where she'd told him to... to the water. The drains would help him escape.
'You'll pay for that one, traitor.'
The five were all surrounding her, leaving her no escape paths. She didn't care.
He was safe.
One guard struck her with the wooden rod of their spear, and Lumille felt her nose snap.
Another took the fine tip of her spear and began to trace intricate patterns on the inside of Lumille's right arm. Her world went white with pain when another pressed down on her nose with her thumb.
The torture didn't last. She was gone before long.
She didn't speak a word throughout the entire ordeal. None, except 'Danté'.
***
He was free. Free.
Danté dove into the ocean and swam faster than he had ever done in his life. Under no circumstances did he ever want to be anywhere near that fortress again.
Well, no circumstances except to get a certain handshake he had missed.
***