I'm sorry for this delay, but this chapter is the longest I've ever written so far and typing it was a huge pain. Regardless, I hope you really enjoy chapter 11!

-

Chapter 11: Molgera

"Suto . . . Master has called for you."

The reddish-brown haired boy turned his head to gaze at his visitors. He had separated himself from everyone else the morning of Sean's departure. He refused to see anyone, say anything. He simply sat and stared at the wall, his back to the only door.

His golden-green eyes shone in the torch light of the hall —no torches were in Suto's solitary room— with the whites of his eyes red from constant tears.

"He won't come back . . . will he?" His soft voice asked.

Lilith walked over to him placing her hands on his small shoulders, trying to give him a little comfort.

"Sean has only been gone a little more than a day," She answered; unwilling to tell the poor child the truth.

Suto laughed bitterly and pulled away from the Gerudo, walking to the side of the room farthest from her. "Somewhere deep inside me . . . it tells me he's left me."

"Don't be so down on yourself, Suto," Lilith cooed, trying to coax him to come to her.

Suto wrapped his arms around himself, shoulders hunched with his face at the wall. His jaws were clenched tight and he lowered his gaze from the black bricks, eyes closed.

"There are only two people who have ever truly cared about me," He whispered, eyes opening slowly to stare at the floor, "and they are Sean and my father." After saying so, his eyes watered up and he bit his lip; eyes shutting again.

"Come, come now," Lilith said softly, remaining where she sat on the cot. "I know you miss them both, but we cannot keep Master Link waiting much longer."

Suto gave a snort when Lilith said "Link", but otherwise, walked over to her; willing to be led to the Evil Lord.

"I'm sure Sean is missing you terribly right now, but for his sake, Suto, be happy."

Suto forced a bitter smile, but it was immediately swept off his face. He couldn't be happy. Before, he could only be sad, but now he was to be only angry. Without giving the two adults a chance to catch him, he started down the hallway, ready to leave them both in the dust with his fast pace.

Lilith gave a sigh and glanced at Reo who only shook his head in response. She turned her head to look over at Suto, a defiant air in his stride. He did not want to go, but was not about to defy Link's word. Lilith caught up in pace with Suto, he ignoring her presence; lost in his own thoughts.

"I had a little sister once," The Gerudo whispered softly. "She was about your age at the time," She gave a pained smile, Suto glancing up at her through uninterested eyelids, "and she was some what like you. Only three years ago, Link destroyed her body; his face covered in my younger sister's blood, smiling in the sheer delight of it."

Reo walked up to Lilith's side and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, making sure his arm fins were pointed away.

Suto watched the Zora try to comfort the Gerudo. Sean would have done the same if it had been him, perhaps his father as well . . . but his father had changed too much.

The trio walked in silence until they came across the doors that led up Link's chambers on the upper level. The doors' surface glistened in the torchlight, reflecting its visitors as if it were a dark mirror. A carving of Volvagia, in all its fiery glory, flowed across the black stone; deadly flames erupting from its toothless maw.

Lilith glanced down at Suto when they paused before the forbidden doors.

"It's funny," She said, gaining the boy's attention, "but I see Gerudo in you."

Suto blinked as if he had no idea on what she meant.

"Never mind," Lilith said eventually and began to take a step towards the door.

The corner of Suto's lip curled up in a silent snarl and he darted in front of the woman, blocking the way.

"Why did you say that?" Suto asked, standing defiantly between the door and Lilith. He would stop her himself if she tried to push past him.

"It will all be explained if you go up those steps," Reo replied, much to Suto's dislike, opening the doors that led to Death, "and I know you want to know. We both," He motioned to himself and Lilith, "know about as much as you, and would like to learn more."

Suto's eye narrowed dangerously at the Zora and he turned in a huff, stomping up the stairs. How dare Reo talk to him like that; no one talks to him like that . . . no one.

Lilith and Reo glanced at each other, wondering if it was the right thing to go up those steps that so few have ever descended. Reo's shoulders sagged with a sigh and, with a surrendering smile, motioned for Lilith to go up the stairs.

Suto could hear them following him, he growled; teeth gritting in anger. First Sean leaves and now this! Could his life get any more screwed over?

"What's wrong, Suto?" He heard Lilith ask. She sounded concerned. Why would some like her feel concerned for a person like him? There was nothing about him that was wrong . . . it's where he was going.

"Wrong! I'll tell you what's wrong!" Suto planted his feet down and pivoted on the large step to glare at the two people tailing him. "I don't want to see my father! That's what's wrong!" Without even giving the Zora and Gerudo and chance to recover from his shouted words, he whipped around and continued up the stairwell.

"Father?" Lilith asked softly; slightly shocked by the boy's tones and the words he spoke.

Reo didn't reply, just as shocked as she.

"Does he mean . . .?" She didn't finish the question.

Reo shrugged, pulling her up the stairs after the young boy. By the time they reached the top of the stairs, Suto was already in Link's chambers; his young voice ringing off the walls.

"What do you want?"

"Is wanting to see my only son a crime?" Link asked in return, using his unearthly calm voice.

"I've gone through enough as it is! Having to see you is not improving anything!"

Link approached Suto, kneeling down to see eye-to-eye with the small boy.

"Go tell Reo and Lilith to quit hiding behind my door and to come in here."

Suto's golden-emerald eyes drifted to the door, watching the Gerudo and Zora slowly walk out from behind the door; staying close to one another.

"Don't be shy now," Link said calmly . . . too calmly.

Reo and Lilith came into the room as far as a little beyond the door. Link paid them no attention since it now belonged to his son.

Suto's golden-emerald eyes drifted back to his father.

"What do you want from me?" He asked in a low, hateful, voice.

Link stood up, arms folded behind his back. With one of his scheming grins on his face, he walked over to the large central black table and leaned against it on his hip; arms loosely folded over his chest.

"I think the question is what you want from me," Link answered slyly.

Suto's eyes narrowed dangerously.

"What would I want from you?" He hissed, wanting to leave more than anything else, to be back in his room of solitude.

"What everyone else wants, child . . . freedom," The Hylian replied, once again moving his arms to a different position; left resting on the table near his hip and the right free to do as he willed. "Sadly," He continued, "freedom is something I do not hand out."

"You gave Sean his freedom!" Suto shouted. "Why can't you do the same for me?"

"Sean escaped me, my son, and is now in the iron clutches of my dark twin. Free of me, he may be, but he is not anymore 'free' than you are."

"If it's freedom you cannot give me, why not tell me what I want?" Suto asked, in a tone almost identical to that of Link's cunning.

Link smirked; almost highly impressed.

"You truly are my son, Suto," He said, grinning dangerously. "Your mother would be so proud to hear those words pass my lips."

"That's just it," Suto replied, an almost reflection of the Hylian man on a smaller scale. "Who was my mother? Lilith said that I looked a little like a Gerudo as they brought me here."

Link's dark blue eyes locked onto Lilith, causing her to shrink from under his glare. Satisfied by her fear, he averted his gaze back to Suto.

"I've tried to forget for ten years, but it was in vain." Link's bodily composure seemed as one of a person in deep sorrow (shoulders sagging without strength), but he was quick to cover it up and return to himself.

"Your mother," He continued, "was a Gerudo woman by the name of Nita, a very beautiful woman I might add and a very sweet one too."

Suto did not like the tone in Link's voice, or where this answer was going to lead.

"I, you could say, acquired her from a Costal Village I once visited. Her sister and she were given to me if I spared the pathetic lives of the villagers." He gave Suto a smile that made the boy's upper lip twitch in disgust. "There was no downside to the deal, so how could I refuse? I took them both back with me," Link paused, no longer needing to describe the matter.

Suto could read Link's body language —the way he leaned against the table, chewing his thumb gently for a few moments— and hated the way the adult Hylian was smiling.

"You sick . . . " Suto muttered, but Link didn't seem to hear him.

"Within one year, your mother was my concubine, but then she died giving birth to you."

The red light of the sun glistened in Suto's eyes, a perfect match to his hatred; red shining in a thin red line across his narrowed eyes.

"Not quite what you expected?" Link asked, a smug smile on his face. "But then you'll find that life is full of surprises and disappointments."

Suto didn't reply; fists clenched at his sides. His shoulders and arms shook with the rage that ran in his veins. Being the son of Link was bad enough, but to find that he was just the end result of pleasure between two people and caused the death of one made his blood boil.

"You've got Gerudo blood in your veins, kid. Live with it."

"How . . . Why would you do something like that?" Suto forced the question out after a pause.

Link smirked and straightened himself, walking casually from the table.

"I've always thought Gerudo women were more attractive that Hylian women," He answered with a casual, and arrogant, shrug of the shoulders; seeming full of himself.

"You're disgusting," Suto hissed venomously.

"Are you any different?" Link countered, spinning on his heel to face the boy; golden hair shining orange in the red light. "My blood runs in your veins as well. Don't be so quick to judge me when you have a little of me within you."

Lilith was standing close to Reo, arms holding one of his close, in terror. Her suspicions of Link had been confirmed, yet she wished that they had not.

"He's worse than I thought," She whispered softly, watching Link and Suto argue yet was not hearing their words.

"Everyone has their dirty secrets," Reo replied, he too watching father and son verbally fight, "everyone."

"Why did I come up here in the first place?" Suto demanded, arms in the air. "You've done nothing than causing me to hate you more. I should've thrown myself off a balcony when Lilith came for me!"

He turned to leave, but stopped when Link spoke.

"Did Sean tell you he was coming back here, before he left?"

Suto slowly turned around to face Link, who appeared to be examining his fingernails, but was probably finding an excuse to avoid looking at his son.

"Because if he did . . . "

"What are you getting at?" Suto asked slowly.

Link looked up from his fingers, a slightly dark —plotting— smile on his face.

"If you believed him, even for one second, you're a fool," Link answered smoothly.

Suto blinked, but otherwise kept silent; wanting to see what else his father was going to throw at him.

"Do you even know what he is?" Link continued. "He's something even more shameful than you. Things like him cannot be trusted."

It was a while before Suto could get words to form on his lips.

"Are you saying that he's not coming back?" He asked; his malice melting off of his small frame like hot wax on a candle; now becoming the sad boy in the dark room, alone.

"Not only that, but he was simply using you for his escape. If he had felt any compassion for you, he would've taken you with him. Yet, here you stand before me almost two days after his disappearance."

Suto's bottom lip quivered, his cold bitterness becoming no more. He had just been stabbed in his weakest spot. With a wail, eyes squeezed shut, he ran over to his father; wrapping his arms around Link's waist and pressing himself close.

Link, slightly startled by this, simply looked down at the little boy clinging to his pants. A faint sympathetic smile played across his lips and he placed a hand on Suto's small shoulder.

"You've lost someone close to you, haven't you, Suto," He said softly, attempting to comfort the small boy. "I once lost someone too . . . " He trailed off and gently pushed Suto off of him.

Suto looked up at Link, wiping his nose with the sleeve of his shirt.

"Would you like to know how to please you father?" He asked, walking away from his son and a good distance from the window.

Suto remained where he stood, but otherwise said nothing.

Link smiled, "I know you do."

Suto didn't reply, but a few more moments of being hammered by Link's cold stare caused the boy to slightly nod his head.

In satisfaction, Link held his hand in the air in front of his face.

"Beat him," He ordered and snapped his fingers.

A dark shadow suddenly overtook the window, a mighty blue eye gazing in at the small mortals. A taloned paw shattered the glass; grabbed Suto roughly, dragged him through the broken window frame, and bore him down the castle wall.

Lilith, now clutching Reo and him to her, watched the last of Volvagia's muscular tail whip up and disappear with a terrifying roar.

"What are you doing!" She shouted. "You'll kill him!"

Link walked casually to the broken window and picked up a large shard of glass.

"Volvagia is not much of a threat to my son," He answered coldly, unworried. "Suto should be back in a few minutes, at the least."

Lilith straightened herself and took a few steps towards Link.

"How can you be so cold? Your own son was dragged by his flesh out a window to the ground far below and yet you do not care!"

Link didn't look at her, too enthralled with his glass shard. He ran his index finger up and down its sharp edge, red blood running down the clear smooth surface.

"Glass," Link laughed under his breath, running his bleeding finger all over the shard, "so strong, yet so fragile." His blue eyes darted up at Lilith. "It's used for safety and yet can become deadly." He held his blood covered finger before him and watched as the wound shone gold and closed up, as if it was never there.

Lilith glanced down at the glass shard as its sharp blood covered edge began to glisten as the glass began to move in Link's grasp as his hold tightened on it.

"I'd get going if I were you," Link hissed in a low tone.

"What about Suto?" Lilith protested.

"He's no longer of any concern to you," Link replied. "Out . . . now."

Reo took the hint, grabbed Lilith by the arm (despite her protests), and dragged her out the door.

-

Suto landed with a thud on the ground, coughing from the dust that had shot up his nose and into his lungs. He was on his hands and knees on the dry ground, trying to recollect what had just happened. His head was throbbing and he wasn't entirely aware of his surrounds, but there was one thing he knew was there. A loud roar from behind brought him back into reality and he was up and running as fast as his body could take him. His hands were soon cut and bleeding from his constant tripping onto sharp rocks that littered the ground; plus the occasional bone. A new panic tore through his body, a panic far worse than anything he had ever experienced before, when the sunlight over him was suddenly banished by a large scaled body that he did not see.

The boy's ears picked up the wheeze of the great dragon inhaling deeply, its flight so silent that he had not sensed its presence until it was upon him. Squeezing his eyes shut, Suto launched himself to the side as a wave of unbearable heat blasted the ground where he had been standing not too long before. The heat began to come closer to him and he was up and running again, the searing heat of Volvagia's fire driving him mad.

Soon Volvagia ceased its fire and glided on ahead of the boy to cut him off, Suto looking up at the dragon's glowing belly. With the dragon's head turned away from him, Suto slid to a halt and took off in the opposite direction. He had absolutely nothing to fight the dragon off with and even if he had, he wouldn't stand a chance. With horrible fright, the boy scanned the horizon looking for a place to hide; any place to hide. Much to his pleasure, he found some rubble and rocks piled up in what seemed like a small cave. Without a moment's hesitation, he dove in.

Soon after he fell silent, the earth shook with the impact of Volvagia purposely landing hard to volt the boy into showing himself. Suto's body felt the tremors, and he could hear, the subterranean-lava dragon driving its talons into ground and dragging its serpentine body across the dead dirt. Suto knew Volvagia was completely capable of moving without a sound and —Din knew how!— not even setting its surroundings aflame if it wished. The dragon was trying to scare him so he would flee.

Suto listened intently as the digging and scraping grew louder and stronger, him staying as still and silent as he possibly could. The sounds and tremors stopped and he knew that Volvagia was right on top of him now. The boy jumped slightly when he felt something move next to his hand. It was a cold, dry, scaled body. A bead of sweat ran down his face.

"Uh-oh," He whispered and fell immediately silent.

Volvagia's shadow blacked out the red sunlight and the cave went dark. The dragon began to hiss deeply with each breath, a sign that it was in extreme frustration. Its sky blue eyes scanned the barren land; the boy had to be nearby. Once it spotted the rocks, it lowered its mighty head and peered inside with one large eye. It saw nothing. With a deep throated growl, it brought its head back up and continued its search.

Suto was on the verge of wetting his pants, or he already had; he wasn't sure. When the dragon had looked inside, his entire body had been drenched in a panic sweat, soaking his clothes. He jumped again when the scaled body returned and began to rub his arm and wrap about his hand. Suto glanced down and saw a large snake coiling about his arm. He felt his breath catch in his throat. His father had told him that the snakes that lived in the Wasteland were poisonous and one bite could kill a man in a matter of minutes.

He watched the snake for a few moments more and quickly grabbed its head. It let out a threatening hiss and Suto pulled it from his arm and threw it as hard as he could out of the cave. Once ridding himself of the snake, he realized the mistake he had just made and fell still with fear.

At the soft landing of the snake into the dust, Volvagia's head snapped up and around to the small dust cloud. The boy was in the rocks, since snakes don't normally fly from stones on their own accords. With the silence the dragon was known for obtaining, it slithered over to the rocks; coiling softly about them.

Suto watched several small rocks, and sand, fall down on top of him as the dragon's deadly coils squeezed the large rocks. He had been found and there was no way he could escape this time. As he heard the dragon inhale, a sharp, hard, body pressed up against his and wrapped over him; taking Suto completely by surprise.

Volvagia slammed the rocks on top aside and released its fiery breath down on the boy. When the flames subsided, there was a charred black, spiky body that crumbled to ashes to reveal Suto curled up in a ball and unharmed. The dragon watched Suto look up, it looking back with eyes of hatred.

Suto jumped up and ran again as Volvagia once again inhaled, lighting the fires of its bowels. Flames licking the dragon's lips, it released the hellish air in hopes of scorching the boy this time.

As his only means of escape from the fire, Suto launched forward into the ground; hoping the fire would pass over him. Much to his surprise, he was still moving and gaining speed though he was lying on his stomach. He risked a glance up into the dusty air and saw that he was riding on the back of some creature. Its body was brown and spiked, yet he was not hurt by them. Its jaws were the home of many long and needle sharp teeth that could not fit in its mouth. Its body undulated through the ground, like a dolphin's body in water, going faster than any horse could possibly run. What got to Suto the most were the creature's three sky blue eyes; one near the snout and two above it.

Behind him, Volvagia had taken to the air and was soaring after him. Suto looked back over his shoulder to see a fire ball making its way for the back of his head. He let out a yelp and the creature zipped immediately to the right; the fire missing them easily. Out of sheer terror, Suto grabbed onto the creature's spikes and held himself close.

He glanced up ahead and about five more creatures, identical to the one he rode, dug themselves from the ground. Just as he passed, he saw them launch themselves upwards and heard Volvagia roar and almost fell off what he now believed to be a worm, when the ground shook after Volvagia slammed into it. The worm slowed into a turn and halted so Suto could see what was happening.

Volvagia was coiled up defensively and struck, like a rattlesnake, at the small worm creatures zipping about its large body. The small worms acted like dolphins as they leapt in and out of the sand, nipping at the dragon's glowing skin. After having had enough, Volvagia inhaled and spat out a wave of fire, incinerating the five worms.

Before the smoke had even cleared, Suto's worm spun around and zipped off at a break neck speed; Suto turning his head around long enough to see Volvagia erupt from the smog in chase. Suto grabbed the worm tighter and squeezed his eyes shut. His body was forced backwards, but he held on tight, as the worm shot off ahead of the dragon; filling the air with dust. It easily out distanced the dragon and halted abruptly, unmoving as the dust of its passage cleared.

Volvagia searched about in the dust for its prey and soon spotted it. Before the dragon got far, a dark blue tentacle shot from the ground and wrapped about Volvagia's thin body and held it fast. Volvagia let out a shriek of surprise and whipped about to meet its new foe. Upon seeing what held it, the dragon released another wave of flame, but to no avail.

The ground beneath the dragon suddenly jerked upwards and then shot into the air in a cloud of dust and debris. Suto watched a shape rise from the dirt, the new creature's head only a third of Volvagia's length. Its mouth opened from a vertical part instead of the horizontal part that other creatures had; maybe this was the only creature with such a mouth. The mouth was opened wide, revealing long dagger teeth; the smallest only a length of six feet. Its small eyes were green on green with yellow pupils blazing in anger. A fin-like appendage hung from its chin, twin dorsal fins on the top. Two large fins stuck out from the sides of its face (away from the mouth and eyes) and gave the head the appearance of a large manta ray. The back of its head, and the rest of the body, were covered in spikes like the smaller worms, but the large one was tan splotched with a dark teal. The dark blue tentacle about Volvagia's body was really the large worm's tongue which, in its own power, was very strong.

Suto was in awe watching the huge worm dwarf Volvagia in size. The dragon seemed to be in some state of shock because it was doing nothing but stare at what held it.

The giant worm took advantage of this vulnerability and drew in its tongue and crunched its jaws around Volvagia's thin body. Luckily, for the dragon, the worm's teeth were stopped by its prey's rock skin. Seeing that biting was not going to work, the worm closed its jaws around Volvagia once more and, with the dragon shrieking the entire way, slammed its head straight into the hard ground.

With the quake that followed, Suto tumbled off the small worm and flopped onto the dry earth. He sat up, shaking the dust from his hair, and looked around for signs of the two giant creatures. They were no where to be found, only air-borne dust just beginning to settle.

"Where are you?" He asked in a whisper.

As if in answer, the giant worm's head exploded from the ground, Volvagia still clenched tightly in its jaws. With one swing of its large head, it tossed the dragon that landed in an eruption of dust and didn't move afterwards. With a mighty exhale, dust flying from its gill slits, its head turned back to Suto to gaze at the boy with one eye.

Suto began to back up, but bumped into the small worm, who was watching him with triple blue eyes. Suto looked back at it and it turned its gaze to the large worm and then back to the boy. Suto glanced back at the huge worm which began to lower its massive head gently to the ground. The boy looked back at the small worm, which gave a nod, and dove under the sand as if it were water.

He looked back at the large worm and slowly walked towards it, since he had no other place to go. It remained as still as stone as he approached, save for its slow breathing through its gills. Suto kept looking up as he got closer to the large head, yellow pupil watching the small Termian.

Suto walked up to the side of the worm's face, touching the knobbed, dusty, skin. It finally his Suto what the worm was doing. It was going to allow him to ride it. Suto grumbled to himself for not seeing it before. He walked along the side of the head, looking for a place to climb up. He found a few stray spikes near the base of the head and climbed up them as best he could. Once on top, he grabbed hold of a part of one of the dorsal fins, too scared to want to pass the wheezing gills.

"Can you take me home?" He called, unsure if the worm could hear him.

In response, the giant worm turned its head to the right and began to plow through the dirt; slowly gaining speed. The dry, dusty, wind whipped Suto's hair back as he squinted in the attempt to see where he was going; the force of the worm's movement almost knocking him off. He solved that by sitting behind the large fin.

Why had his own father sent Volvagia after him? What was his father planning?

He'd just have to wait and see.

-

Link paced back and forth through the shards of glass; enjoying hearing them crack as he crushed them beneath his boots.

"Where is Suto?" He asked, no one around to answer. "He should have been back long ago," His blue eyes glanced out the window, "Volvagia as well." Eyes narrowed, he looked away from the broken window and walked away from it.

"If you fail me, Suto . . ."

"My Lord, a large creature is approaching the fortress."

Link turned to se Thade kneeled in the doorway.

"Is it Volvagia?"

"No, my Lord, this creature is ground-ridden," The Lizalfos replied.

"Any sign of the dragon?"

"No, my Lord, nothing."

Link gave a frown. "Send a few Moblins and Lizalfos out to find Volvagia before the Leevers do."

"Yes, my Lord."

Thade's golden eyes glanced back at a lesser lizard behind him. With a nod, he sent it off to fulfill its Master's orders.

"As for the approaching creature, let it be. It provides no harm unless its Master is threatened. Understood?"

"Yes, my Lord."

"Go make sure the guards know. Please return once that is complete."

"As you wish, my Lord."

"You are dismissed."

Thade rose, gave a bow, pivoted, and walked briskly away; claws clicking on the smooth stone.

Tired of pacing, Link sat down in his black throne, lightly chewing on one of his thumbnails.

Where was that son of his? His patience was really beginning to wear thin.

A throbbing in his right hand caused him to glance down. The symbol of the Triforce on the back of his hand was pulsating with light in the rhythm of a beating heart. Volvagia must just be unconscious. It'd wake up soon and there'd be food waiting for it when it did so.

Several minutes passed, Link entertaining himself by drumming his fingers on the arm of his chair; foot occasionally tapping the ground in irritation. Suto was taking much longer than he had anticipated. Perhaps Suto had returned on this new creature; he'd have to wait to find out. The familiar clicking of claws caused Link to turn his head to the door.

"My Lord, the boy has returned via the back of a large worm-like creature," Thade stated, giving a small bow before presenting Suto.

"So, you finally defeated Volvagia," Link said, rising from his chair. "Impressive for one of your stature."

"Why did you try to kill me?" Suto demanded, breaking away from the tall Lizalfos.

"Kill you?" Link's face was one of pretend shock. "Why would I do anything like that? It was merely a test."

"A test? A test?" Suto shrieked. "I was almost the main course of some open flame meal! That was no test!"

Link simply smiled patiently. "Not a test, you say," He walked over to the wrecked window, watching the worm take a post by the side of the hill near where he stood, "but you passed with such flying colors. I've never seen a more perfect result."

"Suto approached his father and looked out the window as well. "You mean that worm-thing?" He asked.

"Why of course," Link replied. "It was to see which creature would rush to serve you. If it wanted you strong enough, it would protect you from the threat my dragon possessed." He smiled. "It seems you've made a powerful ally." He turned to his son. "Do you know who it is?"

Suto shook his head. All he knew was that it was a giant-aquatic-wannabe-worm.

Link gave a satisfied smile.

"You have just obtained the power of none other than the Master of the Earth himself, Suto. You have made an alliance with the great and powerful Molgera."

Upon hearing his father speak the worm's name, Suto felt the skin of his back begin to burn and crawl. It was painless at first, but it soon turned to fire; his very back beginning to steam. Suto tried his best not to cry out, but he felt like someone was pushing a burning branding rod into his spine, slowly twisting it. Unable to take it anymore, the boy spun around, the pain sending him off balance as he tried to get away from the window; unable to stand.

Steadily, the pain grew worse and worse; Suto's eyes watering uncontrollably, the pain freezing his vocal cords. The fire burned through every vein of his small body; his ears and fingertips burning as much as his back. He felt as if Volvagis had swallowed him and he now resided in its molten bowels. To Suto, the entire room seemed to be aflame and he could not escape the heat or cool himself down.

His hands were strained and frozen, fingers bent like claws. He tore aimlessly at his shirt, unsuccessfully getting it off. Eventually his shirt found its way over the boy's head with him letting out a yowl of pain since his shirt was beginning to melt into his back. He was on his hands and knees, tears streaming from his eyes and beads of sweat rolling off his skin. His entire body heaved up and down with every labored breath he took. His vision was blurred by the tears and sweat in his eyes and he blinked rapidly to rid himself of them.

The pain was gone.

Thick wisps of white smoke rose off his back, filling the air with the aroma of burning flesh. The silence following his scream was only slightly disturbed by the sizzling of the boy's boiling flesh cooling down to normal temperatures. There was only one difference to his back.

A large silhouette tattoo of the Worm Lord was burned into his skin by magical means. Its large toothed maw gaped open wide as if to attack the nape of its Master's neck. The spiked body coiled about the rest of the boy's back and the finned tail finished just above his waist.

Gasping for air, Suto turned a sweat drenched face up in search of his father; lower jaw hanging limply, eyelids half closed. His surroundings seemed like a back blur mixed with red sunlight. Nothing made sense. He could only stare blankly.

"Hurts . . . doesn't it?" He heard his father ask softly.

Link quietly approached his son. "I had the same thing happen, quite some time ago." He sat down in his chair and began to undo two of the bands on his upper right arm.

Suto forced his head up to look at his father, his eyesight somewhat clearing, to see what he was doing. When Link pulled away the unclamped armor, he saw a similar tattoo on his father's arm.

Volvagia's mouth was open in a screech, clear eye glaring at its foe. Its fiery mane billowed over its neck, serpentine body coiled into a circle. It was also a black silhouette.

"All the Masters receive one," Link explained quietly. "Every creature has a different crest that its Master bears and no two people will ever share the same crest. Once a creature chooses a Master, it remains that way until the day they draw their final breaths."

Suto watched Link take one last look at the tattoo before it was once again covered by the armored bands. His elbows shuddered and finally his stamina broke —his branding having taken most of his energy from him— and he collapsed to the ground; his body occasionally giving a small spasm from the surging pain that had tore through his body not too long before.

Link slowly rose to his feet, approaching the small boy's body at his own pace of leisure. He took the boy into his arms, cradling him much like how a mother would hold her infant child.

"You've been though such a terrible ordeal," He whispered, talking to his son's sleeping face. He gave Suto an apologetic smile that only the boy was allowed to see.

Careful not to disturb his son's slumber, Link made his way to his bed chamber; which only a few had the liberty of entering.

"Yes . . . that is what you need," link continued to whisper, placing Suto gently down among the silken pillows of the bed; tucking a black blanket around the boy's small body. "Sleep is what you really need," He said sitting on the edge of the bed, stroking Suto's wet reddish-brown hair. "I'm sorry for what happened to you . . . I truly am."

Through the entire ordeal, Thade had remained in the doorway, letting father and son complete their business undisturbed. When Link had vanished into his bed chamber, he slowly walked into the main room of his Master's quarters; attempting to keep his claw clicking to a minimum. The eight-foot lizard knelt down and picked up Suto's still burning hot shirt. Thade held the ragged cloth in both clawed hands, giving it a few shakes to aid it in cooling down. Silently turning, he made his way to Link's bed chamber door. He'd return the boy's shirt to his Master since he thought the boy may need it.