CHAPTER 9: Inside the Castle
"Ow!"
"baby..."
"It actually does hurt being yanked around by your wrist!"
"Shut up we're almost there."
Zelda had kept a tight grip on Link's wrist all the way from the market place to the magnificent wide castle entryway. Zelda took a sharp left down a narrower perpendicular hallway.
"Holy Sage! Please try not to do that again!"
"You sure whine a lot."
"Well if you'd just let go..."
"It's just down this hallway right here..."
Another sharp turn, another squeal from Link.
"Sweet Din!"
Zelda finally stopped facing a set of enormous gold plated doors.
"Just shut up, it's bad enough that you took up an attitude with me, but I will not tolerate such insolence towards mother and father!"
brat...
Zelda pushed both doors open with two outstretched hands and strutted into the room.
"Not now princess" A weak voice said from the side.
"Jorge!" Zelda identified the man.
"They just finished a long meeting discussing the rumor that has spread about the healing magi and need there rest ... oh, and who might this be?" Jorge finished as Link shyly poked his head thru the doorway.
"Oh, yes, Link this is Jorge Terros, the family butler, and Jorge this is Link of Koriki Village, he may just be the answer to all our problems, send for me as soon as Mother and father wake up."
"Most certainly, your highness."
"Well then Link, I guess we'll have to come back later. I'm starving how about you. What do you say to finding Shief and getting something to eat?"
Link didn't know who Shief was but at the moment he didn't feel like talking to Zelda, still rubbing his tender shoulder after it had been ripped around in it's socket for the past 15 minutes. So he just shrugged his shoulder and forced a "Sure, whatever."
Zelda grabbed his hand again which Link quickly pulled away. He stared directly into her eyes, a stern look on his face, "No way in Hyrule."
"Your such a baby."
To Link's relief Zelda let it go and he was able to just follow her.
"Shief's not the best cook but with everybody else sick she's been taking care of me a lot lately. I mean she's been my body guard since I was born, but she didn't used to make me meals and stuff. Yeah, it's kinda annoying to not have eaten anything good for such a long time, but it's not like Shief is the worst cook in Hyrule. Like this one time we had a Goron chef over. He made this Dodongo soup, Have you ever tried Dodongo soup?"
She turned around for a response, Link just shook his head slightly.
"Well it's gross, and he put some rocks in the bottom, said they added seasoning, it was uncivilized. Speaking of uncivilized, don't you ever talk. Maybe you didn't realize put I'm the princess of Hyrule and I think your being very rude!" She placed her gloved hands on her hips, pouted out her lip, and let out an obvious "hmph!"
"sorry," Link lied.
"Well just try to make better conversation. It's only polite."
"k"
"Alright then, you said you're from Korikii was it?"
"yeah"
"Small town next to the woods, right? I was supposed to go there a while back but then the sickness happened. I've never been outside of the Castle walls you know. I was really looking forward to it. I don't know why everybody had to get sick, it ruins everything ... oh! Where is that Shief! I think I'm about to die of starvation! Shhiiieeeff!"
The two eventually found Shief as they wandered thru the castle courtyard, or rather, Shief found them.
Sorry Princess, I hope you were not searching for me too long. I was momentarily ... occupied.
Link spun around to the direction of the voice only to find well trimmed bushes and extravagant flowers in front of him.
Zelda giggled "Shief is among the last of the Shiekah, their line was long thought dead but apparently they had just been in hiding for a long time, Well, that's what she tells me anyways. Just know that you won't be able to find her if she doesn't want to be seen."
Zelda was slightly disappointed to find Link relatively unfazed. She expected him to be a bit more taken aback from the bodiless voice. Link simply furrowed his brows slightly as his eyes wandered about the general direction he assumed Shief to be. "Uh, it's nice to meet you, Shief." He offered.
"Impressive" a voice to Link's right returned, "Perhaps you've had contact with Shiekah before?"
Link jerked his head to the side, this time slightly taken aback, "No, er, at least I don't think... it's just my best friend back in Koriki Village did that all the time, his name was Draiden. But he never moved around so fast..."
"Peculiar, can't say I know of any Draiden, and with so few of us left we know most the others by name."
"Ok! Now you've met each other, wonderful. But I'm starving, could you please fix us up something to eat?"
Shief slowly emerged from the shadows. Her face was the first thing to come to light. Link could have sworn he saw two ice blue eyes blinking at him a few inches above Shief's shoulder.
"Oh you brought along..." Zelda shrieked happily but was soon silenced by Shief as she drew a finger to her lips.
Shief led them to the kitchen where she disappeared for a moment. She returned shortly with a covered tray. She lifted the lid to reveal an entire cucco roasted to perfection. Link's mouth watered, just now realizing exactly how hungry he really was. And she complains about never getting anything good to eat... Shief cut them both off a slice and placed them on a plate which she handed to them.
Link reached for the plate politely as he said "Thank you."
Shief paused for a moment as she cocked her head to the side.
"Your hand? Of course, Link of Koriki! I don't know why your name eluded me for so long. I recognized it as soon as I heard it, but only in the back of my mind. I must apologize ... bearer of the Triforce of courage.
Zelda gasped audibly as she reached over the table to grab Link's left wrist with her right hand, the same combination, she realized, from when she was yanking Link along to her parents room. She turned the hand so the back, complete with glowing Triforce insignia, was facing her.
"How did I not see it before Shief?"
"I was wondering the same thing. For one, it doesn't glow nearly as bright as yours."
Zelda's face sunk as she looked up at Shief. "about that..." she pulled off her right hand glove to reveal a similar mark on the back of her hand. The difference was that the bottom-right triangle was filled with the golden aura as opposed to Link's bottom-left. It glowed no brighter than Link's.
"Why didn't you tell me?" Shief looked sadly at Zelda.
"I don't know, it happened so slowly over time that at first I didn't notice, and then, well, I know there was nothing I could do about it and it wasn't my fault, but I was ashamed ... what do you think it means?"
"Many strange things are happening lately, the sickness, the healing magi, the sudden discovery of ages forgotten Fairy dust, the back of your hands... none of which I have answers for."
The rest of the meal went with relatively few words. So many questions ran thru everybody's mind, but each knew that the others where asking the same questions and didn't have answers of their own.
Once they had finished there wasn't much to do so Zelda decided to take Link on a castle tour. Link was generally uninterested in just about everything Zelda had to say but none the less he constantly found his eyes wandering in her direction much to his shame. It didn't even have anything to do with what his father had taught him. He was just confused as to why he couldn't keep his eyes off the little brat. Shief seemed to appear and disappear on any random whim, but over the time that she was there Link was certain he saw, on multiple occasions, the same cold blue eyes he briefly glimpsed when Shief stepped out of the shadows. He couldn't explain it but those eyes really unnerved him, not quite to the point of the Tektite, but enough to make him flinch slightly every time they blinked to life in front of him. The tour went on for about five hours when, after a particularly long absence, Shief returned informing them that the King and Queen had awaken. Zelda quickly reached for Link's hand but this time he was quick enough to fling his hand back before she even had a chance to grab it. Zelda harrumphed and muttered "follow me." Link grinned in triumph.
As they approached the room link heard, even thru the heavy door, a rather loud one-sided dialogue.
"Oh Lillith, what do you think? Do you think there really is salvation from this curse? Oh wouldn't that be magnificent? I could hold you in my arms once more! And our daughter! Oh, I would not hesitate to show her my love if I were given a second chance!"
Zelda burst thru the door, a single tear in her eye.
"oh father," she cried as she ran over to hug the king about his belly, gently of course. And then in a whisper, "I know you love me."
"Oh, Lillith! Lillith, it's our daughter. And she's as strong and healthy as ever. Zelda, I'm so glad your here!"
"mmrrww murrmmle" the barely audible voice of the queen mumbled from the other bed.
"Mother!" Zelda cried and ran over to hug the queen as well. Link, prompted by Shief slowly walked into the bedroom.
"Nice to see you again master Link!"
Link turned his head to notice Jorge sitting in the same chair as before smiling at him.
"likewise' Link returned with another smile.
Then from behind him Shief cleared her throat loudly.
Zelda perked up her head and walked back over to her father. She bent down so that her mouth was right next to his ear. "Father, I have some wonderful news, there's a boy her from Koriki Village that brought some very powerful medicine that could heal your people.
"Who is this boy?" the King inquired
Shief bent down low to whisper in Link's ear, "you will address him as King Fontain, he is blind and cannot hear well so will speak up to make yourself know." With that she shoved the nervous boy forward.
"I...I'm Link from Koriki Village. I've come, uh, come with some Fairy dust. It possesses magical healing properties that may be able to cure your people...it's just...well...I don't know how long it might last." Link said as loudly as his self-conscience side would allow.
"Bring forth this 'Fairy dust' young sir" King Fontain ordered.
"Uh, well, it's um, in my bookbag... back at the smithery..."
Link flinched as a bag fell into his open palm. He looked up to see the Shiekah smiling down at him.
"That's the Fairy dust is it not?" she explained.
Link untied the bag. Sure enough, he found the golden glimmering powder that he had come to know as Fairy dust. He reached in to grab a pinch and was about to sprinkle some on the King when Jorge objected from behind him.
"I think not! Forgive my cautiousness, but I insist that the Fairy dust is tested on me first"
Link shrugged and powdered the Fairy dust on Jorge instead.
"It does take a while sometimes..." Link explained
Before long Jorge blinked his eyes a couple of times and then slowly stood up, by the shocked expression on his face it was obvious he was amazed with the relative ease he was able to do so.
"Why Link, I think I owe you an apology. I am most satisfied."
With that Link sprinkled some fairy dust on top of King Fontain and then walked over to Queen Lillith and did the same. The group waited there for, what was soon become apparent, a much longer time then they had waited for Jorge. Suddenly the King began to cough violently as blood began to ooze out of his mouth. Shortly following the Queen let out a loud scream of pain.
"What madness?!" Jorge cried, "You two out now!" he said looking at the two children, "Shief, what is the meaning of this?!"
"The only possible explanation I have is ... no, that couldn't be possible, it wouldn't make any sense..." then she turned to Zelda. "Take Link to the guest room, it is late and you need your sleep "
"but!..." Zelda protested.
"You will go to your room for now, you can do nothing here but get in the way." Shief sensed another 'but' coming, but silenced it before Zelda had a chance to speak, "and that's final!"
Crying and completely confused Zelda led Link to his sleeping quarters, a guest room just across the hall from Zelda's bedroom.
Link lay in his bed, a burning candle on the dresser to the side, unable to sleep. He too was confused. He had no idea what just happened, and it scared him. After a couple hours of blankly staring at the ceiling blankly, Link licked his fingers and put out the candle.
But his eyes did not shut; the sounds of thousands of imaginary spiders scurrying about kept his eyes open. If you had happened to be observing Link's mind at the moment it would have been impossible to tell when he fell asleep because that which haunted him when he was awake flowed seamlessly into his dreams. That night Link tossed and turned madly about his bed with but one break in his restless slumber.
- - - - -
Link stood in the middle of a brilliant green meadow. Everything is so beautiful. Why am I so filled with fear? Link watched as the trees around him scrambled to get away. He's coming. Link was indeed afraid, but nonetheless he stood his ground courageously as the giant black dragon crashed to the ground in front of him. He heard countless other thumps as the other black dragons crashed to the ground entrapping the Treants. This is it, Link thought, but I'm not going down without a fight.
"You know why I've come," The black beast in front of link rasped as he grinned sinisterly.
"And the answer is still 'no,'" The Link returned.
"Very well Aonque, you leave me no choice."
The beast spat an apocalyptic fire of shadow consuming the forest floor. Link felt the base of his trunk go numb as the black fire crept up his body. He swung his thick wooden fist at the dragon's head. The blow connected with a resounding !KA-RACK! The dragon's head whipped back in response to the force and the black beast stumbled backward. The tree quickly swung again but the dragon was now out of reach, and paralyzed from the fire, Link could not advance. The dragon roared in laughter.
"HAHA! It is hopeless now, I have won!"
The screams of the surrounding Treants confirmed this as they wailed thrashing about wildly trying to reach their out of range opponents.
"You, have, not, won, Dragmire!" The owner of the voice was revealed as she glided into the meadow.
"Flo'ondia" Dragmire, the great black dragon, spat thru gritted teeth.
Flo'ondia, a water spirit, glided closer, a wide spiral of water spinning madly from the ground to her mid section. The rest of her body was also made of water but held a more constant form resembling that of a humanoids upper body.
"I cannot allow you to take the essence of the Triforce."
Thunder boomed with every word she spoke, and as the rain poured from the heavens dousing the black flames Dragmire was only vaguely aware of the screams of his fellow dragons as they were attacked by the armada of water spirits.
"I will not be stopped!" Dragmire growled, "It is my destiny to obtain the Triforce entire!"
"stuff it" Flo'ondia responded matter-of-factly as she let loose an onslaught of enchanted water bursting from her outstretched arms. Dragmire roared in pain and struggled as he beat his wings taking flight to the safety of the sky. The rest of the dragons quickly followed suit.
"They're escaping..." Link whispered.
Do not worrying about them, we will take care of them later. You must stay here and prepare the Deku, the second age is fast approaching, of which their importance, I sense is greater than any of us know. I offer to you this lake. Once the rains have stopped and the flood subsided it shall be completed. May you finish this age in peace Aonque.
"Flo'ondria, will we pass thru to the second age?"
"You know the answer to that as well as I do."
"I have no idea."
"exactly"
- - - - -
Link awoke to the loud female cry from outside his room, and then the loud thundering of someone quickly hurrying off. Link groggily rubbed his eyes and forced himself out of bed to see what had happened. Opening the door he saw Jorge leaning against the wall across the hall as he breathed heavily. Apparently he heard Link open the door for his head shot up a glared directly into Link's eyes.
"You!" Jorge 's voice was drenched with hate and thirst for vengeance, "Leave now! Shief made me promise not to touch you, leave before I decide to go back on my word."
Link glanced at the half unsheathed blade that Jorge clutched tightly and took off running in the direction he thought to be the exit. Luckily he guessed right and was out onto the Castle's front lawn in no time. It was still dark out, but judging from the slight light about the horizon the sun was about to rise shortly. He couldn't have gotten more than a couple hours of sleep. Link sprinted down the castle path all the way back to the market place. With nowhere else to go Link ran for The smithery and pounded on the door.
"An' who migh' tha' be?" grumbled the super smith groggily, his voice already noticeable slurred.
"It's Link! Did you finish yet?!" Link gasped between heavy breaths.
"Wadder you doin' 'ere s'early?"
"Listen, I just need to get out of here, everything's wrong, it's all so wrong, I don't know what happened!" Link rambled in a panicked rush.
"Uh, righ' righ', jus' one segond."
Link tried to rationalize that the Smith was deep in sleep until just moments ago and as such would obviously take a while to get to the door, but Din! He seemed to be taking his sweet time.
"Hurry up" Link pounded harder.
He was pounding so hard that he nearly fell over when Gath opened the door.
"Shhh, dun wanna wake up all Hyrule now, jus waita segond, I'm all dun, lemme fetch it for ya"
Link waited impatiently as Gath slowly walked over to get the newly carved Deku shield and staff. Smiling he picked them up.
Awing the staff he said "magnificen' this wood, seems ta absorb magic li' crazy. Put sum magic gem on top o' 'ere an' it'll suck that sucker's magic right up." And then he laughed to himself "heehee, 'suck that sucker's'... "
Link didn't laugh. The joked sucked. That and he wasn't much in the mood for dilly-dallying. Link grabbed the staff and shield.
"Thank you so much," his legitimacy lost in his rushed tone. And with that he sped out the door.
The adrenaline of his confused frenzy began to wear off as he stumbled to the castle gate. He stopped at the shadowed outline of the figure in front of him. Shief.
"Tell me? Did you know?"
know what? Link couldn't form words
"You couldn't have. I didn't even know. And for the sake of this entire land you better had not known. The day the lineage of Link turns against the good people of Hyrule is the day all hope is lost."
What is she talking about? He was on the verge of passing out.
"Understand, forest fairies are only heal those of certain races. The king and queen, they were ... they were ... Shiekah"
So ... so hard to stand...
"I don't know what that means about Princess Zelda. There are so many things I don't have answers to"
Link's eyes rolled to the back of his head and he collapsed to the ground.
-- WRAP UP --
So many questions that Shief doesn't know the answer to?!?! Fear not! For that which evades the knowledge of the Shiekah has not managed to evade my own. And that Zelda girl, quite the little snot if you ask me, but she did seem to have some redeeming qualities, maybe there's hope for her yet. Oh and kudos to anyone who caught the little runner Easter eggs. But anyways, how was the chapter, getting better? worse? Am I moving to slowly? Please do tell.
- - - - -
Snowsilver- So glad to see you back. I'm slowly crawling along in your story "The Destiny Stone" (chapter 15 or so). I absolutely love it so far, I'll start reviewing once I've caught up.
Lee Jun-Fan- Eek! Well I assure you I'm trying my best.
Thag- You know the really strange thing, and I swear I'm not making this up. My Grandpa Olli died Dec 14 six years ago, 2 years after that his wife died on Dec 17, two years, this past Dec after that my other grandma died on Dec 16. I don't remember exactly how many years ago it was but our family cat Alfy died on Christmas Eve, and apparently I've had two other great aunts that have died just a few weeks before Christmas too. Wow, how morbid I am, sorry. Anywho, glad to hear you won't be suing, I have to start saving up for college and stuff. And about the sage's names: I don't want to give too much away of the rest of the story, so let's just say that I feel it could get too confusing or misleading.
And that's a rap! Splendid! Apparently you made it to chapter 9 so...thank you much and g'day!