-- CHAPTER 8: And there were more sick --
spiders ... spiders, they're everywhere ... No! Stay away! AHH! Get off me! No! No!
The entire ground seemed to be moving ... it was the black fist-sized spiders scurrying towards Link. They were so many the actual ground wasn't visible. It was like this as far as Link could see, the darkness obstructing his visibility some 20 yards away. The mass crawled up his leg, eating his flesh. Link stomped hard hysterically. Some fell off, but there were too many and others quickly took there place.
"No! No! Get off! Get off me! No!" Link cried out in his hysteria.
Then he saw it, emerging from darkness was the mother. It stood a full 20 feet tall. It walked up to Link slowly until their faces were inches away. Suddenly Link noticed what made it's face.
"A skull! No! Get away from me! No! No!"
And then – nothing but the bright white of the skull floating in a black abyss. Link's view panned slowly around the entire skull until it got back to the front. The skull shot a wide sinister smile at the same time it sprung up so close to Link's face his nose all but touched the wretched thing. In a flinch Link fell backwards to the ground. The skull began to laugh, as it did Spiders crawled out of the its mouth. In fact Link was surround by about a dozen skulls standing twice as tall as he did, all laughing spiders. Once again the spiders covered link's body. This time much quicker as Link was grounded.
"Get off! Get off! Get off! Oh for the love of Nayru! Somebody get them off!"
One spider crawled right up to Link's face placing it's two fore legs on Link's nose it brought its head forward slowly and glared menacingly into Link's eyes. Link screamed. The spider backed off and crawled into Link's mouth, he could feel it moving down his throat, and then, eating away at his insides
THUD!
Link dropped off his pew to the cold stone floor, and his eyes snapped open.
"Spiders!"
Link jumped back on the pew. His eyes darted around the dark room. He could barely catch his breath, a cold sweat drenched his entire body, and he couldn't quit shaking
Nothing...
Link laid back down, but his eyes stayed open, and he still couldn't keep from shivering. He was scared. This wasn't like his other nightmares, this one stayed with him. Hoards of spiders still scurried about in the back of his mind. He didn't want to go back to sleep, so he continued to lay there, eyes open. It was a good two hours before Link finally unintentionally fell back asleep.
It was 10:00 when he woke up the next morning. Seeing as how he fell asleep at 8:00 the night before and was awake for two hours in the middle of the night that made for a full half a day's rest. He was now groggy from too much sleep. He rubbed his sleepy eyes and groaned to himself. After sitting there, staring at nothing for about five minutes, he finally built up the energy to rise to his feet and walk out the door.
It was nearly noon and still the market place was empty.
Of course! Every one is sick here too. I hope the wood smith is healthy enough to carve me up that staff and shield Tingle suggested. Link smirked to himself. Fairy dust, I don't think I'll have too much of a problem. I guess the problem is finding him.
Link surveyed the area looking for any clues for a wood smith. Eventually he came across a building with a banner over the door post that read "SUPER SMITHERY" and in smaller letters just beneath it " black smith, wood smith, magic smith ... anything that can be carved, shaped, or molded, I can turn into the deadliest of weapons or most defensive of protective gear " After further inspection Link saw a note strung to the doorknob saying "Closed until further notice. –Gath the Upbeat"
"Of course, that would have been too easy..." Link mumbled disgruntled.
Link began asking around, or at least he tried. He went from door to door knocking. Many people didn't answer, Others managed a muffled "go away". Link, getting frustrated about 50 doors in, finally caught a break when he saw a boy a couple of years his senior slowly stumble out the door, leaning heavily on the walls. Link shrieked with joy and ran over to the other boy. Link was about to inquire about the "super smith's" whereabouts when he saw the boy's skin. It was dry and cracking ... everywhere and resembled scales more so than it did actual skin, dried blood covered most of the cracks, others still bleeding. The other boy seemed at a loss for words too, apparently at the sight of a fully healthy Hylian. After a long awkward pause it was the other boy who spoke first.
"I thought the Princess was the only healthy one..."
"The princess? There's another healthy person in this town? Huh..." Link couldn't keep his eyes off of the boy's skin. When he finally realized what he had been doing he quickly turned away in shame. The voice of his father rang thru his head 'Don't stare at other's who look different than you, it's impolite. Now go apologize to the Goron, he came a long way to sell us these fireworks.'
"You're wondering why I'd be outside like this aren't you?"
Looking at the ground "I, um, uh..."
"It's ok, You see, my entire body aches, but it doesn't really hurt any worse to walk around. So you know, might as well enjoy a walk if I can."
Seeing how much the boy depended on the wall for support, Link found that statement a bit ironic but chose not to say anything. Instead, remembering his priorities He asked about Gath.
"Oh," the boy returned, "he lives in his smithery, big wooden banner across the doorway, says "Super Smithery," you can't miss it."
"He lives in his shop? ...figures..."
"It's just, I don't know why you're looking for him, but he's useless as a smith right now."
"Oh that's ok I got some..."
Link stopped mid sentence. ...Fairy dust, I've got some Fairy dust and I have yet to offer this poor kid any.
Then finally continued, "I, um, well, here..." Link had reached into his bag and grabbed a pinch of Fairy dust and sprinkled it on the boy. Seeing as how the effects weren't immediate, the boy had a slightly baffled look
Link seemed to have a knack for creating awkward moments. Which was unfortunate because he really hated them. "Um, you'll see soon enough, uh, Ivegottagettothesmithbye,"
With that Link turned around and took off in the direction of the smithery. Finally reaching it he pounded on the door. He got an answer after the third knock.
"Whossit?"
"Uh, it's Link, I mean, that's my name, you don't know who I am, I'm from Koriki Village"
"Korki Vlage eh? My berther's frum Korki Vlage, mehbe jou knowim."
"Uh, maybe, can I come in? We can talk all about your brother, just please let me in."
"Sure help yurselv, s'not log't"
Link open the door and peeked his head in. and that's all it took...
"Up 'ere." A voice called from atop a set of stairs along the left side of the smithery. At the top Link saw a light coming from an open door and poked his head in.
"Why, 'ello ther s'wazzit jou want. F'raid the smithry bizness iz closed righ' now."
"Um, yeah." Link said fumbling around in his bag, "Uh, just, uh..." Link found the bag of Fairy dust. "Ah, I'm just going to..." Link sprinkled some Fairy dust on the old man without finishing his explanation. Immediately after this Link spotted the chair at the foot of the bed facing sideways from it towards the door, took a seat, and focused intently away from Gath. The first thing he noticed was the ledge above the door. There were a dozen or so jars – all containing tektites. What kind of creep would keep tektites for pets?
"Achoo! ...stuff kinda tiggles dunnit?"
"yeah, kinda, I guess..." Link said not really paying attention, unable to avert his gaze from the Tektites.
At that moment there was a loud boom and a rush of thud's as somebody raced up the stairs. In no time at all the boy who Link had met earlier burst thru the entrance.
"You?! Holy sage! ... what'd you ... I feel so ... how'd you ... it's just increa ... What was that stuff!"
Link's focus was drawn from the Tektites. "Uh, well, it's Fairy dust."
It was like a spring released beneath Gath's back as he suddenly sat up. "Fairy dust! You don't say!"
And then, as if remembering he wasn't quite 100 yet he clutched his forehead with both his hands and whined "gah ... oh, my head"
"Sometimes it seems to take a while to fully work." Link stated the obvious.
"guessso...ohhh"
"Wait, woah, Fairy dust?"
"Yeah, they used to use it as medicine a long time ago. Then the Fairies just disappeared. Well, that's what people thought, apparently they were just hiding deep in the forest, which is where I found it."
"Oh, of course," the boy said, finding nothing else to say.
Over the time since the townsboy barged in Link 's visage was reverted to the tektites. Without warning Link got a good whack in the back. Turning to the culprit he found standing Gath grinning from ear to ear. Link hadn't noticed before but Gath was sickly thin. However, for a 120 pound 80-year-old who had been bed-ridden for at least the past six months he packed quite a wallop.
"Nasty little boggers aren't they," he said referring to the tektites, "Ideal for lacing arrows and swords with non-lethal poison. Put a chap to sleep in a snap they will. It's the huge fangs of a fully grown tektite that's the real threat. Caught that bunch a good eight or nine months ago I'd say. Trade secret, catch as babies an' they're hardly a threat, they're fangs won't even penetrate human skin yet. Remarkable creatures, even as newborns they can survive without food for a full year s'long as they've stored up enough. Heh, seems they've outgrown that jar of theirs a couple of times over though. 'An it's quite a good thing they haven't escaped yet am I right." Gath gave Link another 'friendly pat,' "could've been quite disastrous."
Gath walked over and grabbed a jar from the ledge. The tektite jumped up so it was only on two of it's legs and pounded the other two on the glass as it hissed.
"Bogger seems a bit angry to be cooped up so long. Ya' know many people think the tektites're related to spiders. Not so, only four legs, see? Though, there is something of a resemblance if you know what I mean." With that Gath took the jar and brought it towards Link. The tektite stopped pounding and with its two front legs still raised, pressed its 'face' (mostly just a circular mouth with jutting teeth on the underside) and hissed again. Link blinked and when he looked again a skull was starring back at him. Link screamed and jumped back.
"Woah, hey relax, it won't hurt you s'long it's trapped inside here I assure you." Gath brought the now normal-looking tektite closer to Link's face.
Without thinking Link backhanded the bottle out of his face. It went shattering to the floor and the angry tektite scrambled out. Link shrieked loudly and stumbled backwards, tripping over his feet he fell hard to the ground. The tektite turned in the direction of the noise and scampered wrathfully towards Link. Unable to find the coordination to pick himself back up, Link kicked his legs out and flailed his arms wildly as he shuffled backwards away from the possessed bug. As it crept closer it seemed to grow in size, or was it Link who was shrinking? The lights dimmed, there was nothing except him and the tektite. Tektite's don't really have faces, but nonetheless Link felt the creature's demonic glare. Link continued to scoot backwards until he was trapped into the corner of the black room. It spoke to him: I'll enjoy eating thru your flesh and ripping out your insides, as it crept ever closer. All of a sudden a black container reigned down on top of the monster entrapping it.
"Holy Sage kid! It's just a baby still. 'magine it wouldn't hurt more than a needle prick, and it's venom isn't even potent up in it's mouth yet." Link heard the boy absentmindedly, his mind still swimming back to reality. He was both hot to the point of sweating and cold to the point of shivering.
"Not a normal reaction that's for sure." The old man's hand was pressing down hard on the black container. "Something took over this boy's senses." His face pressed in front of Link's "Y'alright boy?"
"It was ... it was horrible ... that thing ... did you see it? ... what was it doing?" Link gasped between heavy breaths.
"It didn't do nothing but crawl towards you, kid!"
It was then that Link noticed for the first time a sharp prickling from his wrist and clutched it in attempt to try to relieve some of the pain.
Gath cocked his head to the side and looked inquisitively, "Let me see that wrist boy."
"I got ... bit yesterday," Link said as he held out his arm palm-side up.
"Aye, 'Curse of the Skulltulla,' scary creatures them skulltullas, One bite and you'll never look at a spider the same again, or anything that resembles one, it's all in the mind, see? Usually live underground, don't much like the surfaace, but every now and then People'll see 'em up in Hyrule field. You know, It hasn't been proven, but some people say a skulltulla's poison is really just a bunch of tiny spiders and after they bite you, you got lots 'o little spider runnin' around inside."
Link, still on the ground, let out a loud yelp.
Gath's hand came down hard on Link's shoulder. "Haha! Only kidding!"
Link forced a very fake smile, but he was not amused.
"Anyways boy, you say you were bitten only yesterday, most people'd be in bed with a high fever right about now. Take it, it was the fairy dust? Must not work to well on curses though. Not to worry kid, the curses' potency should die down a bit over the next couple o' days, usually the time a person is stuck in bed after a bite. Just take my advise an' don't go looking for spiders anytime soon, ok? An' by that, I mean forever."
"No problem there." Link said unhesitantly. Now alert and looking about Link spotted the block of wood he had brought. 'Oh, I forgot! The reason I came here..." Link paused as he got up, walked over the Deku wood, and picked it up, "it was to get a shield and staff carved out of that block of wood!" Link handed the block to Gath."
"Aye! Nice piece o' wood here! Mind if I ask where you got it?"
"In the woods by my house, same place I found the Fairy dust actually."
"Seems to be magic in this wood. Well, seems I owe you one for the Fairy dust an' all. This one's on me, should have it ready by tomorrow."
Link and the boy followed him downstairs as he lead them to the workshop.
"I never did get your name, seems I at least owe you a proper 'thank you'" The townsboy said smiling at Link.
"uh, Link."
"You mean like the Great Sir Link the 1st! Hero of Time! From the legends! I bet your on some mission to save all of Hyrule!" the boy finished jokingly.
"Well, kinda, maybe..." Link said awkwardly
"Thus the staff and shield." Gath said from the front still marveling at the wood.
"Wait! You can't be serious! Your just a kid!" the boy cried
"Didn't you see the mark of the Triforce on the boy's hand? He's got a strong destiny mark my words." Gath explained.
The boy was speachless for a while before he finally broke the silence with a lame, "Well, um, anyways, uh thank you Link, and, uh, my name's Bob by the way."
"And I'm Gath as I believe both of you already know."
They finally reached the Smithery work area and Gath placed the wood on a table. He took out a pointy-tong-looking tool and poked at it as he studied it further.
Not looking up he asked Link, "So, you said you're from Koriki? I have a brother that lives there. Maybe you know him? His name's Thag.
Old man Thag?! Link mused as he recalled the town's kook. Crazy old men, every town had them.
"Yeah, I know him." Link said holding back a laugh.
"Well, tell him I said hi if you happen to see him again."
"Sure thing."
At that moment the door from outside burst open and a small girl wearing a white sleeveless silk dress fancily enameled with pink laces patters of flowers walk thru the door. Equally fancy white silk gloves rode halfway up to her elbow.
"Princess Zelda" both Gath and Bob said simultaneously as they bowed their heads.
Link's eyes darted from Zelda to Gath to Bob, and then he too quickly bowed his head.
"So, Shief was right!" Zelda exclaimed commenting on the room full of fully functional Hylians. "Up! Up! Somebody explain to me what's going on. Does this have anything to do with the rumors of a healing magi in the South?"
"I erm, well, not really, I found this Fairy dust, back in the woods by my home, in Koriki Village, seems to have some sort of healing magic."
"And you've come to revive the citizens of Hyrule Castle Town?"
"Well, um, not really..." There was a short pause of which Zelda seemed aghast, "I mean, the Fairy dust doesn't seem to last very long and there's no telling how far it will go in a town this size, but I did come to offer what I could." Link quickly covered himself.
Zelda's face lit up with joy. Link stared at her. There were many girls his age where he lived, about a dozen if you give or take a couple years from Link's age, and none of them looked quite like Zelda. She was just nice to look at, was the only way Link could describe it. Link lurched forward as he was palmed heavily in the back. Link looked over to Gath to see him smiling after another one of his 'love taps' and gave Link a wink. Link quickly found interest in the ground as he realized what had just happened. I'm staring all over the place, first Bob, and now the Princess of Hyrule! My Dad would kill me if he found out...
Zelda giggled, ran over to Link and grabbed his hand. "Come we must tell mother and father! ... and you will be so kind as to accept the hospitality of the Castle for dinner and a nights rest?"
"Of course he will!" Gath called out laughing as Link was being dragged off, 'he's stuck here till tomorrow morning when I finish with my smithing anyways!"
-- WRAP UP --
Sorry, that one took a while. Christmas happened. We, a family of six, share one computer. After all my younger siblings get there new computer games of course they're going to demand some computer time. And my grandma died, that screwed up my schedule. And I'm finally getting serious about college. I know I should have it all dealt with by now, I'm a lazy procrastinating fool. And the relatives were over for a week. And friends kept wanting to 'hang out.' Anyways, what I'm trying to say is, as much fun as I have writing this story it's not my top priority, so, um, deal with it, so spppbbbttt (spbt is the art of sticking out your tongue like a little child and spppbbbbttt'ing)
Anywho, like? Dislike? I think this was my longest update, even including the Christmas special. Oops, I made up a Thag-esque character without asking, bad me, I hide behind the excuse that it's really no different than the entire concept of fanfiction, which I assume most people who read this are guilty of. So, yeah, you can't sue me.
Silly me, I said I was going to reveal the answer to the Kutswinde/Kwunestid puzzle last update, and I didn't. Well, if you jumble up the letters you get Deku Twins! Yeah, I know, anti-climatic, sorry.
So, review, yes, it would make me happy, yes. Oh and have a nice day, yes.
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Thag- Well, I'm glad I done good by your character! I kinda put him into the main story too. I don't know what I might do with him, but he's a fun character to work with so I wanted to make room to weave him into the main story as a second link between Link's (heh link – Link) time and Jaber's time. As for Gath the Upbeat, yeah, blatant rip-off, sorry, I had to come up with a character. And then there's Bob...
message to everybody Bob! What a generic character! See how much I need your help guys! I run out of ideas and I come up with Bob! /end message to everybody
back Sorry, had to vent. As always, thanks for the reviews, they're greatly appreciated.