Chapter Three

"So this is the Spirit Temple?" Garen asked, shielding his eyes from the sun as he looked up, "It's huge!"

"That's true, it is large, but most of it is inside there," Seiya said with a laugh, pointing to the doorway.

"Who's that?" Garen asked, looking up at the woman that had been carved into the cliff face.

"That, my son, is our Goddess, Suna," Seiya said, smiling as she looked up at the statue, "She is our guardian deity. She is the one that gave us life."

"Is that what she looks like?" Garen's eyes widened slightly.

"No one knows for certain what the gods and goddesses look like," Seiya replied, laughing softly, "They can alter their appearances, and it is unlikely, if not impossible, to capture the true essence of the divine in any form of art save for their own."

Garen looked to Seiya in silence, then turned back to the statue. "Well, she must be really pretty, then," he said. He turned back to Seiya and took her hand in his. "Let's go inside now."

Seiya led Garen into the temple, and the boy was surprised by exactly how majestic it was inside. He shivered a little. It was cooler inside the temple, and for someone who was used to the desert heat, the cool air in the temple could actually be considered cold, although the night winds were much colder in comparison.

Seiya led him through the temple, and Garen looked around in wonder. This place was... strange, for lack of a better term. It wasn't the way the temple was set up, or the different decorations found in the different rooms. This place just felt... different. It made him feel funny. It felt like something inside him was reacting to the temple, seeming to grow in strength. It reminded him of three years ago, when he was seven.

...When he was almost killed.

Garen inched closer to his mother as they came to a large room, possibly the largest in the temple. Against the far wall was a giant statue that nearly reached the ceiling. Garen could see that this was a statue of the goddess. Because the statue was inside, much of it was still intact, giving the goddess a more magnificent appearance.

Garen took a few steps forward, looking around in amazement. "...All this is dedicated to the Goddess?" he asked, "Wow... Do you think she's happy with it?"

"I think she might have been when it was built," Seiya replied, "But something happened that nobody expected or intended, and we fear that we have lost her favor and respect because of it."

"...Was it me?" Garen asked, frowning.

"No," Seiya said sharply, shaking her head as she watched him, her eyes widening slightly. "Why would you think that?"

"...Because the Goddess doesn't like men or children... and I happen to be both..." Garen replied, his face falling.

"My son, the Goddess created our tribe and placed upon it a spell so that only women are born to the Gerudo. However, there would be no true way for us to live without bringing children into the world, and men and women together are needed for that."

Garen cringed involuntarily, remembering exactly what he had been told had to be done. Kaya and Seiya had told him maybe half a year ago.

"So, the same spell ensured the purity of our race, but, with time, the blood runs thin, even with the spell's effects. Therefore, one male is born every one hundred years, and he has the credentials to be the King of the Gerudo. His purposes are to ensure the safety of the tribe, making sure that we don't fall out of our Goddess's favor, and keeping the bloodline strong and pure."

"...And I'm supposed to be this King?" Garen asked, looking up at Seiya.

"Yes," she said, placing her hand on his cheek. "...There is a belief that the Goddess creates the Gerudo Kings herself. Every King we have had as far as our legends go has been a wise and powerful leader that has brought us hope, health, and prosperity. You can be just like them, possibly greater."

For a fleeting moment, Garen found himself wishing that he didn't have to be just like the others, wishing that he didn't have to be their shadow. He found himself wishing that he could be different, that the world would know and remember his name forever. This soon passed, and Garen forgot it in an instant.

"Now," Seiya said, patting his head, "Wait here. I'll be right back. I need to go check on a few things, all right?"

Garen nodded and watched as she left. Once he was alone, he looked up at the statue and shivered in the cool air. He seated himself at the base of the statue, curling into a ball. He stared blankly at the floor before yawning softly, closing his eyes. He felt like he was drifting, floating away. He had a vague feeling that he was being watched, but this was concealed by overwhelming tiredness.

'

He stood atop the hill, looking around in confusion. The sky was blue, the clouds fluffy and white. A cool zephyr wafted by, caressing his flesh. The ground was solid, although it felt soft beneath his feet. He looked down in surprise. The ground was green. It was completely covered with green as far as the eye could see.

...Save for the areas that were stained red with blood.

His eyes widened as the scene before him changed. The sky turned dark as it was covered in black and grey clouds. There was a loud, booming noise in the distance: thunder. The air smelled of smoke and burning flesh. The greenness of the ground beneath his feet had become a dry brownish color.

'...What is this place...?' he wondered, his eyes widening, '...What happened here...?'

He looked down at himself in horror. He was fully grown, an adult. His armor weighed heavily on him, its ebony color splashed with various shades of dark red blood. He bore two weapons, a dagger, which remained sheathed, and a long, double-edged sword. The sword was in his right hand, and the blade was stained with blood. He would have dropped the sword in revulsion, but something told him not to let go. He opened his left hand, having had it clenched in a fist this whole time. It, too, was stained with blood.

'...What does any of this mean...?'

He heard the sound of footsteps and the whisper of a sword being drawn. He lifted his head, narrowing his eyes. He could see the figure of a person, possibly a young man, but the figure was shrouded in shadow. All he could see was the blade of the sword, seeming to shine against the darkness of the overcast skies. He didn't like this light. It pained him, and aggravated him.

He would have moved, but he found himself rooted to the ground where he stood. His legs would not obey him for any reason. He tightened his grip on the sword, raising it to a defensive position. The man leapt forward, swinging his sword in a wide, downward arc. He blocked the attack, staring into the man's eyes, which burned with pure hatred.

"I won't forgive you for what you did...!"

He scowled, forcing the man backwards. "I've done nothing," he mumbled, although he barely heard his own words. The man leapt at him again, unleashing a barrage of attacks, all of which he blocked. "Get away from me!" he snapped, finally countering with his own attack, the man dodged, and took the opportunity to strike...

'

Garen cried out as he felt a sharp pain in his left shoulder, forcing him into consciousness. His eyes shot open and he clutched his shoulder, cringing as pain shot through his arm. His flesh burned, and he could smell burning flesh and cloth. He leapt to his feet, pulling his tunic off and throwing it on the ground, kicking sand on it to kill the burning embers. He heard a sharp cackle and he looked up in time to see something disappear in a burst of red light.

'...What was that?'

Garen flinched, touching his shoulder tenderly. The flesh had been burned to the point where blisters were starting to form and the upper layer was starting to peel away. He bounced lightly on the balls of his feet, grimacing in pain.

"Garen...?!"

Seiya appeared in the doorway, a concerned, almost fearful look on her face. She ran over to him, kneeling down in front of him. "Are you okay?" she asked, placing her hand on his cheek. She frowned when she saw the burn. She picked up his sand-covered tunic, and swept him into her arms. She carried him outside to the nearby oasis. She spread his tunic out on the rock and seated him on it, so the stone wouldn't burn him. She pulled a small piece of cloth from her pocket, soaking it in the water.

"Momma... what was that?" he asked as she withdrew the soaked cloth and set it on his shoulder. It was icy cold, but the coolness eased the pain of his burn.

"...A witch," Seiya replied coolly, "One of two twins that reside in this temple. They are supposedly Gerudo, but it is debatable."

"...what's that mean?"

"...That means that some people don't think they're Gerudo."

"How come?"

"Because they can use magic," Seiya said, removing the cloth, which had turned red. Apparently he was bleeding a little. She soaked the cloth in the water again. "...Gerudo are not suited to use magic. If it was possible, then we wouldn't be a dying race, suffering from the heat and the cold, and on the brink of dying out from starvation and malnutrition."

Garen blinked and looked at his hands. He remembered three years ago... the assassins... how they died. Had that been... magic?

"...So I'm not a Gerudo...?"

"Of course you are," Seiya said, replacing the cloth, "Whatever would make you think that?"

"Um..." He fidgeted, looking away. He felt ashamed.

"...No matter," she said, placing her hand on his cheek. She gave him a smile and kissed his forehead. "You will always be my son. That should be enough." Garen looked up at her and smiled, wrapping his arms around her neck.

"...'Kay."

'

Author's Notes: Yay! All hail Suna! o.o Wait... nvm.
Suna: TT glare
:p Beeeh. Anyways, I like how this chapter turned out. The dream wasn't originally gonna be in there, but I threw it in anyway. o.o It made it longer, didn't it? It's also symbolic. ...I think. Anyway, my biggest shock is how... motherly Seiya is acting. o.o I think her maternal instincts kicked in kinda late.
Seiya: glower
Emmm.... ya.... okaygottagobai! runs