Shadow Lord's Bane

by Split Infinitive

Link, succumbing to the corruption of power and fame, has become a somewhat eccentric dictator in his own right...or so Zelda believes.

4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4

The dragon Volvagia, stripped down to her skeleton, lay curled within one of CastleMount's cavernous upper chambers, her bones yellowing like melted wax. The chamber's one large window allowed a shaft of sparkling sunlight to illuminate the dead dragon's remains, revealing at that very moment two figures – the Forest Sage, Saria, draped upon Volvagia's curved skull and the Shadow Lord himself, pacing to and fro in front of her.

"And you want me to help?" Saria's dimunitive voice, made all the more tiny by the size of the room, floated in the air. "How?"

Link stopped short to stare at his old friend. His eyes dropped to the ruby, ripe with a crimson hue, gleaming around her neck, the properties of which allowed the Kokiri to leave the Forest for a few days at a time. "Just," the Shadow Lord, gesturing furtively. He'd always had a problem keeping still, as though his soul itself was itching to be released from his body. "I don't know." He realised that he'd been so much enjoying his friend's company that he'd not given much thought to a cohesive plan. "Just be there. And support me."

Saria, desperately trying to stifle a yawn brought on by the shimmering heat, idly flicked at the dragon's skull. "You don't need me for that, Link," she said softly. "What's this tournament going to consist of anyway?"

The Shadow Lord's lip twitched as he searched for the appropriate words. He hated having to explain himself. It was just so…irritating to spell things out for lesser minds. "I haven't quite worked that out yet. Talon's dealing with it."

Saria looked up. "Talon? I'd always heard he was a little lazy."

"What can I say?" Link replied, gesturing to the window where his city lay just outside. "He found himself a new trade. Blacksmith. Enjoys building things. Very motivated now that he's got himself nudged into his niche. Heartening to see, honest."

"Yes, I'd heard that, too…" Saria said slowly, her eyes beaming. "The King and tournaments… I remember that you won a joust once, and that's why he gave you control of Castleton." Tiny wrinkles formed on her face as she searched her memories. "If I recall correctly, a Zora knight won another little do some other time, and was given Zora's Domain as a reward."

Link nodded. "Exactly."

"Ruto wasn't too happy with that."

A sour look crossed the Shadow Lord's features. "Ruto is just as bad as…" He stopped, his dismissive tone evaporating. "Ruto just doesn't know what's good for her."

The Kokiri gave Link an odd look, but decided not to press the issue any further. She knew, from experience, that it was hard enough to keep track while conversing with the Shadow Lord. "But," she continued, "if you already have a stronghold to control…why are you wanting to impress him now?" Her eyes thinned to slits.

Bringing his palms together and his fingers to his lips, the Shadow Lord waited for Saria to follow through on her musings. At least, he knew, she was smart enough to work out most things on her own.

"Unless," the Kokiri went on slowly, lifting her head slightly as the sunlight got in her eyes. "Unless… you're expecting a little competition for CastleMount. And you expect this person to be familiar enough with the King that they'd enter this tournament – and then, you're hoping to beat them soundly – in public no less – and maybe even humiliate them, so that they'll never be able to curry the King's favour again." A thin smile spread across Saria's lips; the look on Link's face telling her that she'd struck home. "So, who is he?"

"She," Link corrected. "And she'll enter the tournament, don't worry. Though she'll try to kill me first, most likely."

The Kokiri, her soft features creasing into a frown, almost flinched. "She?" Saria gasped. "Kill?" Sudden understanding dawned in her eyes. "Oh. Her."

"That's right. She-"

The Shadow Lord was cut off by the sound of glass shattering. Saria's head snapped up and Link spun around as they saw the rolling arrow whiz through the air towards them. Turning gracefully on the balls of his feet, the Shadow Lord dodged the shaft, and then watched as it lodged itself with a splintering crunch into Volvagia's skull, the tail feathers still vibrating from the momentum.

Link ignored Saria's look of pure shock as he peered through the now open window, spying for an instant the brief movement of a somewhat skeletal figure. It was gone before it could even register in his mind, though he felt certain that his guards would be on it in a heartbeat. He also felt certain that he knew exactly what was going on and so wasn't about to show any fear or any hint that there'd been a disruption.

Link turned back to his friend. "Minor inconvenience," he said. "Awfully sorry."

The Kokiri gaped at him, her miniscule form trembling. "Link!" she whispered. "What's going on?"

The Shadow Lord's mind raced for a suitably appropriate explanation. It wouldn't be wise, he decided, to admit that his nemesis had found him so easily exposed. "It's rabbits, see. It's rabbit hunting season and sometimes the hunters –you know, in all the rush and whatnot - they tend to forget things, and so when they're wrapping their meat up in salt and all that, they somehow manage to leave their bows and arrows behind. Up pop the rabbits, now that it's all safe and everything, and the poor lil blighters find the weapons, get excited, and start thumping with their with feet to tell the others, then - whoosh! - arrows flying everywhere."

Saria's voice took on a dull edge. "Rabbits?"

Link's own voice dropped and his expression and posture took on a serious demeanour. "Heard one young, long-eared fellow wiped out his entire warren." He shook his head, touching his temples with the tips of his fingers. "Tragedy."

Saria looked at Link. Then she looked at the window. Then, she glanced down at the arrow, still protruding from the dragon's head. Finally, she looked at Link again, shook her head, and shrugged, regaining her composure. "Is it," she continued, trying to steer the conversation back onto familiar ground, "really all that bad if she wants to run things her own way? She is, apparently, a good person after all, or so they say at least."

Link smiled. "She's beautiful. And the best person ever."

Saria cocked an eyebrow, surprised at the earnest boyishness in his voice. It reminded her of the Link that she'd known back in the Forest. "And how would you know that? The two of you have barely spoken in the years since…since Time was 'reset.'"

Pulling on his tunic, the Shadow Lord felt the heat of irritation itch at his heart. "Of course I know what she's like. We…were…" He paused, searching for the right words. "The time I spent with her while we were both saving Hyrule, it was…it was..." What? Special? Perhaps, but no one but him needed to hear that. "You wouldn't understand."

Saria, however, hadn't finished. She leaned forward, propping her chin up with one hand. "So you grew a little attached to her because neither of you had anyone else left after Ganondorf had had his own little way with the world; the pillaging and plunder and all that. But I don't think even then you'd spent enough time to really get to know her. After all, you thought she was Sheik for most of that time." A pause. "What do you know about her, Link? I mean, on a personal level."

Tiring of the conversation, the Shadow Lord turned away. "She's beautiful," he mumbled.

Saria tapped her chin. "That's it?"

"And," he added, less audibly now, "she sent me back."

"What?" the Kokiri asked, blinking.

"Hate her guts, though," Link said, perhaps a little too loudly, though definitely a little too quickly. He turned back. "Never mind," he added hastily. His easy smile returned. "Going back to your little query, I don't think – as well-intentioned as she is – that she has the mental tools required to run a city this big. No tools, see. Just mental."

Saria could feel a headache coming on. "She's just...mental?"

"Don't be rude now, love" Link replied. "Let me explain so that even you could grasp it."

Bristling, the Kokiri felt the heat rise to her face. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"See her problem is this," Link said, cutting his friend off. "Beautiful as she is, it isn't enough to just 'be good.' Leave that to the regular people so that they can go to Bliss after they die. No, a true leader, a good leader, has to be responsible; he has to look at the bigger picture. She just can't do that – she gets too tied up in everybody's little drama, and so she feels she has to solve everybody's little dilemma, make every single person happy and smiling. That's impossible."

Saria laughed, a light, tinkling sound, and idly curled a strand of her hair around her finger. "Responsible?" she giggled. "You? I heard that you sold Talon some steel that bites. Bites! Heard his clients weren't very pleased, and that you hadn't even informed him of the exact nature of the merchandise you were selling him."

Raising his hands, as though trying to calm down an unruly crowd, Link said: "The metal was cursed; goodness knows where it came from, but it had flooded Castleton within a week. It was brightly coloured, you see, and the little children obviously couldn't keep away. It's a wonder one of them didn't get their arms ripped off. You know what Talon did with it?"

The Kokiri shook her head, waiting as she kicked the air with her heels.

Satisfaction flooded Link's face. "He made swords," the Shadow Lord explained slowly. "Swords with mouths. Swords with little teeth. Cute, really. Yes, his first clients weren't pleased. But his later ones," and here Link grinned, his voice almost gloating, "they were very pleased. Talon's a rich man now; oh, he won't admit it, but I know. He's a clever one, too – I knew he was the only one that could pull it off." A pause. "The town's safe, the blacksmith's coffers are overflowing, and somewhere someone is going to challenge somebody else to a duel – somebody else who happens to have a Talon-made speciality sword, and that someone is going to find himself somewhat at a disadvantage." Another pause, as though to let the words sink in.

"So, who did…"

Anticipating her question, Link cut her off. "See, he sold his swords to the Gerudo Desert Enforcers, so the only people that are going to suffer are the thieves and the rotters that would so otherwise have gotten clean away without a scratch."

Saria shrugged, though she looked suitably impressed. "Why not tell him in the first place?"

Link raised his hand and pointed, his finger trembling. "That's exactly what I mean. You don't understand people."

"Why, thank you," the Kokiri said flatly, feeling some of her goodwill dissipate.

"You're welcome," Link murmured. "So, yes…most don't understand how others think. She doesn't understand people. I do. I knew Talon would just laugh off any plan that I'd give him, and no way in the Pit would he take on that kind of volatile material." Eyes narrowed, the Shadow Lord grinned again. "But since I forced him to take the horrid stuff, he had no choice but to make use of it. I knew that he'd have it in him to do what's right. It might look despicable to someone on the outside, but a lot of things in life look bad on the surface, but are really quite beneficial once you peel away the skin and take a really good look inside." Link was almost swaggering now. "Innit?"

A sharp whistle left Saria's lips. "Very sagely," she said, her voice soft. "But," she added, an evil glint in her eye, as though she'd just thought of a foolproof trap. "What about Darunia? Blow up Death Mountain? What were you thinking?"

"I'd just had the best scholars and craftsmen in Hyrule construct a sewer system for Castleton," Link explained, not missing a beat. "Rats were getting in, see, but when we traced 'em to their source –"

"You found," Saria cut in, suddenly understanding, "that some of them were coming in from Death Mountain."

"Right," Link said, looking pleased. "Not just some of them, they'd infested the bleedin' place. Not only that, but it was rife with all sorts of other parasites. Didn't bother the Gorons, of course. Had to smoke the rats out in the end, but detonating the Mountain would've been more permanent."

"And the Gorons themselves?"

Link shrugged. "Plenty more mountains in the sea." His smile abruptly vanished as he'd realised what he'd just said. "Um, in the valleys. Plenty more mountains in the valleys. They have a population of around fifty; you know how they're like, they live to be two hundred or something, so they're not in the habit of having large families. I, on the other hand, have over a thousand people in Castleton. It was no choice, really."

Saria slid off the top of the skull, landing daintily on her feet. "So, why the 'eyesore' explanation?" she said, making her way round to where Link stood.

"Well," the Shadow Lord said, looking sheepish. "It is really, isn't it?"

Snorting softly, the Kokiri still managed a smile. "You're still full of surprises, Link, even after all this time." She licked her lips, as he swaggered some more. "And stop that," she added. "I'm not some petty official that needs to be cowed just so you can impress on her mind just who's in charge. I know some of your tactics, Link, and I know it's just for show."

Link shrank back, looking suitably chastised. "Isn't."

"You like being underestimated," she said slowly, as though the revelation had only just come to light. "It gives you an advantage, an edge."

"Doesn't," he replied, scowling.

Another set of conclusions ripened in her mind. "And all these horrid stories about you. This whole 'Shadow Lord' thing – fear is a good way of keeping people in line, isn't it, Link? In fact, that's why you didn't tell Darunia the whole story…you hoped that should – oh, I don't know – some Goron with pretensions beyond himself would one day take over that he'd remember that you exiled them and wouldn't dare to ever challenge you." Another small frown flickered across her face. "But, then…how would you know if he wouldn't seek revenge instead…?"

As though worried that he'd lost control of the conversation, Link drew himself up to his full height. "Think what you like, sunshine. The only one who knows what goes in this head of mine is me."

"Of course," Saria said, ignoring him, "you don't think that she would be able to match all your achievements?"

"Of course she wouldn't," Link replied with a dismissive snort. "Miss I'm-So-Good-Because-I-Can-Stand-Around-And-Look-Sagely-Even-Under-The-Most-Direst-Of-Circumstances wouldn't be able to sleep at night imagining all the horrors that she'll have to deal with. Let her tend to the urchins and orphans that need a bit of that kindness that she so ably can provide - in fact, I wouldn't mind a little of that myself - but leave the responsibility of thousands of people to me. I know what I'm doing. My conscience is clear."

Leaning back against the skeleton, the small Kokiri traced a finger over the curve of Volvagia's skull and gazed at her friend, her lips pursed. "I think you underestimate her." She shook her head, though not really believing her own words. Saria knew, from her brief visits to the Palace, exactly how sheltered the Princess had become. She remembered how the Princess had once pulled all the guards from their duties just to rescue a cucco trapped in a drain – admirable from one aspect, but it had left the Palace woefully vulnerable. Thankfully, nothing dire had resulted. But still…there was, if not friendship, a begrudging respect between the two of them due to the two of them being Sages.

"In fact," she went on, "I'm not even sure why I'm listening to this."

"Hear me out," Link replied, holding up a hand. "Life…life is a little bit more complicated than she thinks and just being nice isn't enough. You have to have insight. Like me. It was me that cleaned up most of the streets of Castleton, not just of unsavoury people - in fact, the only place they feel safe now is in Thieves Alley; the rest of the city is free - but unsavoury diseases, too. "

"Modest as well," Saria said, under her breath. "Do you really think she'll try and kill you?"

Link shrugged. "Maybe not. Perhaps maim me or something, so that I look bad in front of the King." he replied. "Unless I kill her first, of course."

Laughing, Saria folded her arms across her chest. "You're no murderer, Link."

The Shadow Lord's face stiffened, and he put on his most haughty expression. "I am no weakling either, Saria."

"But you're still the Hero of Time," his friend said, pointing. "You saved that little girl, after all."

"Only because no one else was going to," Link countered.

Saria grinned. "But you did it anyway."

"The way I see it is like this," Link said quickly, as he began to pace once more. His heels squeaked against the polished floor and he seemed all the while like a scholar addressing a group of his most enrapt students. "There's no good versus evil, no; that's just fairy-tales. You think Ganondorf was evil? The man was doing what he thought was right, given the circumstances he was in."

A shadow of doubt fell across the Kokiri's face. She said nothing, though, intrigued by her old friend's words and ever-contradictory demeanour. Link had never been one to open himself up to anyone like this, at least not since he'd left the forest long ago, and she felt privileged to see it happen now.

"And that's what I mean," Link continued. "The only thing that matters is to do what's right in whatever situation you find yourself in. You - we - owe it to ourselves to find out what 'right' really is. Ganondorf didn't. But," here he stopped, spinning to face Saria, and wagging his finger in her face, "even if you do know what's right, you have to know your limits and your strengths. One person's strengths could be in alleviating the individual worries of the man on the street, another person's strength," here he pointed to himself, "could be in making sure that society is running smoothly."

"So everyone has their own role to play. If they do it…"

"Everything goes peachy. And if they don't…" Link paused, sniffing.

Saria cocked her head to one side, eyebrows raised. "And if they don't…?"

Link's face darkened, his voice dropping to almost a whisper. "Then I make them do it," he said. "Or, I stop them from doing harm – either to themselves, or to the people. I've got no time for wastrels who are in love with themselves, or those whose heads are filled with idealistic nonsense, bless their little hearts nonetheless." He took in a deep breath. "You either pull your weight, or find yourselves a cave where you can shy away from the world in peace. " Link kept his gaze level. "Something I learned by analysing Ganondorf's life. It's what I live by now." He paused, then added hastily: "His methods more than his principles, naturally."

"From Ganondorf?" Saria said, blinking.

"Yes," the Shadow Lord said. "Nasty blighter - but a very smart man. Of course, I won't make the same mistakes that he made. Like I said, he didn't know what was truly right. I, on the other hand, do."

"That's…interesting." She frowned. "So...to find out what's right, we have to go to Ganondorf?"

"No, no, no," Link said, shaking his head excitedely. "That's the beauty of it. The knowledge is out there - the things I've seen in the Palace library, the Book of Strangers, for one - but people are either too idle, too content with their little pleasures or too busy wrapped in themselves to go find it, only stopping to be nice when the fancy takes them. And I..." he paused to take a breath, "..am not nice."

Slightly taken back by the potent combination of sneering disdain and venom lacing Link's words, Saria was nonetheless engrossed. It was no news to her that Link would want to do what's right; she'd known that from her time with him when he was a child, and it was no surprise, considering what he later did at such a young age, that he'd take any means neccesary to do so. Yet...she knew that he'd also spent a lot of time alone following his return back home - he'd not come back to the Forest and she knew he'd lost his fairy, Navi, too. A chill took her insides as she wondered how that had affected him. She motioned for him to continue.

He smiled in response. "Knowledge, I've come to find, is really quite beautiful," he said. "And the people I've met that teach and practise this knowledge -let's just say you and your friends are not the only sages around in Hyrule."

"And this is related to Zelda, how?"

"Thought it would be obvious, love" the Shadow Lord replied, a gleam in his eye and a wry smile on his face. "You'd never hand a sick child over to someone who's no healer, even if he was desperate to save her, right?"

Saria nodded cautiously in response. She had a nagging sensation that she knew where this was going.

"Right," said Link. "So. It'd be a disaster, then, to let a naive woman - no matter how truly wonderful she is - to have the reins of absolute power and to be in a situation where she'd be completely out of her depth. Like a fish out of a mountain." He closed his eyes, his temple throbbing. "Out of water. A fish out of water." He cleared his throat. "In fact, it'd be downright immoral - think of all the people she could adversely affect. She thinks she's got the goods just because she was running around in a Sheikah costume for a while. But she wasn't down on the frontline like me. She doesn't know how the common man thinks. She doesn't truly know what's right." That, and the fact that Link had been aching for a challenge for the past fifteen years, but he wasn't about to tell his old friend that. His eye sparkled and his smile grew into his ever-present grin. "What do you say?"

Saria let her tongue run over her teeth as she pondered Link's words, the strength of his convictions washing over the gnawing disquiet in her heart. His words rang true, no matter how strange they appeared and it did seem, despite the fact that he wasn't that close to the Princess, that he'd made a pretty fair assessment of her idiosyncrasies, just from observation alone. Under her breath, too quiet for her friend to catch, she muttered, "You truly are a Hero of sorts, aren't you?"

Silence fell as her old friend waited patiently, and Saria felt the air grow a little thicker. She remembered her time in the Forest with Link, remembered how they'd always explore those areas that only the two of them could reach, remembered how they'd always outsmart Mido in his petty attempts to thwart them. A thrill of anticipation tingled in her chest, the same thrill that she'd felt oh so long ago. It wasn't until now that she realised how much she'd missed it. "You don't know what the tournament's about yet," she said carefully, " so how do you know you'll win it?

Cocking his head to one side, Link's eyes sparkled as the corner of his mouth curled into a lazy grin. "Leave the particular machinations of that little enterprise," he said, clicking his fingers, and then pointing at himself, "to me."

His smile was infectious, and Saria found herself responding in kind. "Alright, Shadow Lord," she said, "you've won me over. Let's make sure that you stay in charge of Castleton."

Link drew himself up to his full height, positively beaming now. He was about to hold out his hand - when he suddenly froze. Something changed in the air behind him, his neck tingling. His head snapped straight, and his eyes went straight to his friend.

"Saria!"

"Yes?"

"You'll be wanting to duck, love."

Saria's face creased with confusion. "What?"

Springing into action, Link lunged forward, grabbing his Kokiri friend and pushing her to the ground. The second arrow split the air with a thwip and cracked straight into Volvagia's cheek.

Tiny bone fragments dropping onto her face, Saria looked up, one eyebrow arched in mild surprise. "Rabbits are frisky tonight."

The Shadow Lord nodded. "Indeed."

"Are you going to...?"

Link's grin returned. "Excuse me one moment."

Taking two large leaps, Link somersaulted through the open window, his vision flashing with a bolt of searing light, before being smothered instantly with inky darkness. Blinking, Link found himself on the flat rooftops of CastleMount, a cool breeze, carrying the promise of rain to come, stroking his face, pinpricks of cold starlight piercing the night sky.

Link took a glance back at the large rotating crystal held aloft by wooden pillars directly above the window. The Pearl of Nynard was unique in the fact that it collected the sun's heat and light during the day, then let it free during the night, giving the interior of certain rooms in the castle the illusion of perpetual daylight.

No guards, then – he'd have to deal with their incompetence later- and no archer, either. Eyes narrowed and sword drawn, the Shadow Lord scanned the area for his would-be assassin. Nothing. All was deathly still, the silence coiled like a scarf.

A piece of metal dropped to the ground, the sudden sound shimmering in the distance. Link grinned. Splendid.

The Stalfos, bone-grey, armour-clad and with yellow eyes blazing, made a run for it, leaping and flipping over the various hatchways and strewn debris that littered the landscape high up above Castleton. Link gave chase, his heart ablaze with excitement, smoothly dodging each obstacle with practised ease.

The Shadow Lord glanced down at his belt. No fairy. No red potion. His eyes flicked back up, his easy grin returning yet again. No problem.

Somersaulting over a chimney that puffed smoke straight from the kitchens, Link saw that the Stalfos had reached the outermost edge, coming to a stop in front of a large gap between the main castle and the armoury. The Stalfos gave a quick glance behind, his glowing eyes narrowed to slits, then taking one step forward, he leapt, arms pirouetting, and landed safely on the other roof.

Determination rushed through the Shadow Lord's body, his muscles tightening like a vice. Picking him speed, his sword swinging from his hand, Link sprinted to the edge. Closer and closer it came in his shaky vision till, at last, he felt the ground vanish beneath him, as he leapt with all his strength. The other building rushed up towards him, far too fast. His eyes bulging, Link began to yell, half in fear, half in a maniacal battle cry. Quickly he shifted position in mid-air, the roof now swinging up a hair in his line of sight. He was going to make it! He was going to –

Link's face slammed into the side of the building, making his vision spin instantly. His free hand scrambled for to find a hold, relief finally washing away the pain as his fingers sank into hard grit. Link smiled as he pulled himself onto the roof – his luck, no doubt sent from on high, had held as usual.

The Stalfos stood, waiting, tossing his blade from one bony hand to the other. "Not so tough, are you?" he said. "Perhaps I will yet emerge victorious this night with but only a few of my bones shattered."

Link gave a thin smile. "Try 'defeated,' and with all your bones shattered, my misguided friend."

The creature's eyes seemed to turn inward, as though pondering. "Yes," he said finally with a slight nod. "You're probably right."

Frowning briefly, Link pushed his confusion away, and sprang forward, sword at the ready. A flurry of frantic movement followed, hands thrusting and withdrawing fluidly, blades slicing and blocking, bathed with a silver glow in the pale moonlight.

They pushed each other across the rooftop, stopping midway as Link spun away gracefully to catch his breath.

"You're nimble with your hands, though not your feet, I'll grant you that," the Stalfos said. "No doubt you'll beat me to within an inch of my life before I defeat you in a most convenient and, most likely, highly coincidental manner."

Link pointed at his opponent with his sword. "You're not looking too healthy, mate," he said. "Need a little meat on ya."

The Stalfos lunged, crouched, then swung low, forcing Link to jump to safety. Twirling himself back up, the Stalfos aimed for the Hylian's head, but missed, catching the Shadow Lord's hat and leaving it with a small slit.

Link glanced up, aghast. "Hey!" he protested. "Watch out for the merchandise, sunshine!"

Indignation fuelling his movements, Link spun his sword, tearing the air, then jabbed once, twice, thrice, hitting home each time, sparks erupting as metal met bone. Clearly, Link mused, this Stalfos was a lot tougher than any other he'd ever faced.

Disengaging fluidly, the creature made another dash for safety. Link pursued, his mind calculating, then dug his heels in, sliding to his knees in a shower of grit. Fingers tapping on the hilt of his sword, the Shadow Lord pulled his arm back, his eyes tracking the Stalfos' every movement, and then threw, letting his blade fly.

It missed, the other creature diving into a roll at the very last moment, and Link's sword careened off the Stalfos' armour, coming to a halt on the ground. It took only a short sprint for the Shadow Lord to reach his weapon, and another equally short dash to reach his opponent once more.

"I must applaud you," the Stalfos said, his sword slicing the air, "for your far superior skills."

Polished metal flashed in Link's eyes. "That's terribly nice of you."

"In fact," the creature went on, "I think that, scant seconds after I sever your limbs, it would be highly appropriate for you to execute a somewhat nifty, yet entirely improbable, acrobatic manoeuvre before plunging your sword home for the killing blow."

"I'll keep that in mind, mate, thanks."

Again they danced around each other, gleaming blades flying, as they moved across the flat surface until, finally, they reached a steel flagpole, behind which was yet another gap, this time between the armoury and the next building.

Ducking behind the pole, Link whirled away to safety. "If you'd be so kind enough to tell me your name and who sent you, I'd then be able to kill you with a good deal of satisfaction, and before supper, too."

"My name is Rojan," the Stalfos said, and swung again. Link ducked again, and metal met metal as the sword clanged into the pole with a dull ring. "Remember it well, for it will haunt your dreams as you recall how it was I dismembered you just before I suffered the life-ending injury that, I might add, I so richly deserved."

Ignoring Rojan's somewhat skewed worldview, Link pressed on. "The Princess sent you, right? Zelda?"

A hint of a frown – difficult as it was to interpret – crossed the Stalfos' skeletal features. "It was a woman, yes. Princess? I'm not sure about that."

"Blonde hair, green eyes - used to be blue, but she met with a little accident. Nasty stuff, really – and very, very pretty. Ring any bells?"

"Sir," Rojan said, bending at the knee slightly, "you talk too much."

He sprang forward, catching Link completely unawares, and drove into the flagpole, bringing himself, the pole, and Link straight down. The Shadow Lord, his sword flying from his hand, screamed as the gap swooped up to meet him – and then came to a jarring stop, the upper end of the pole landing safely on the other roof, but leaving the two fighters hanging in the middle, feet dangling over empty air.

Link glanced down, and his chest tightened instantly. The ground was a long way down, dizzying in the height that separated its grease stained surface from himself. Link could feel his whole body thump in time with his heart, cold sweat coating his skin, and his fingers stretched painfully as he desperately tried to hang on. Hanging over certain death for the second time in two days – perhaps his luck truly had run out.

The Shadow Lord felt something prod at him from behind. He paused, frozen, then gingerly turned around, feeling the pole tremble slightly as the Stalfos attempted to jab at Link with his sword.

"Do you mind?" the Shadow Lord snapped.

Yellow eyes, burning with fierce determination, stared back. "I have vowed to bring your arm back on a plate," he replied, grinning. "And I shall use whatever means at my disposal to do so."

Link glanced down at the streets spinning below them. "I don't think you quite appreciate the gravity of our current situation."

"Oh, it's no bother to me," the other replied. "I always knew I'd perish most painfully while attempting to grasp at the threads of the most sweetest of victories."

Link stared at the Stalfos coldly. "There's a whole beautiful world out there, mate," he said. "You need to get out more."

"I tire of this idle chatter," Rojan said, bringing his blade to bear. "Let us end this now. If you'd just stay there for a minute longer, I can saw off one of your arms, leaving you somewhat in a pickle, before I slip off this pole and suffer a most horrific fall."

"I like that last bit." Gripping the pole as tightly as he could, Link swung his legs back, then drove both boots into the Stalfos' chest.

A look of pure surprise blossomed on Rojan's face as he found himself flung into the armoury's wall. He blinked, then slid down silently, straight to the ground.

Quickly Link pulled himself to safety, then peered down. The Stalfos glanced up, grinned, then ran off, enveloped by both mist and darkness. The Shadow Lord watched him go, his eyes thinned. "Be seein' you around, mate," he said softly. "Be seein' you."