The World Of The Undead
Chapter Four: The River Of Sticks
People often told me of great rivers that carried the lives of the dead ones down into good hell, but I always thought that was a myth. The fates who determined everyones lives killed when they wanted to kill, basically shaping the future in what they wanted it to be. I often pondered on these stories from pure curiosity. I personally don't think they ever existed. Now here I am, at a river where ghosts float to the end of time.
I stood there over looking the river that the skeleton leader had told me find. He gave me a blood filled sack and a scroll to look for one called Keaton of northern rock. He was suppose to know the were abouts of Dracula. This blood was suppose to lure him out as I called his name, Kaiten stayed with Malon at the castle to ensure her safety and let her rest.
I sat there by the river of beings and continued calling out the name holding the pack of blood until a strange being walked from it's sures. It was a ghostly figure, but it looked human with firey red eyes and black hair. He spoke in a faint but hard voice," I am the one you seek..." I stood up quickly over seeing this small child. e looked no more than ten years old! And he knows the werabouts of Dracula?
"I am Keaton...and you bring blood?" He asked. I nodded and looked at the red pack I had in my hand." Have come to ask you of a certain beings location...his name is Dracula, king of Vampires." The being thought on this for awhile, slowly rubbing it's chin." First you must cross the river of sticks and enter the valley of the forgoten. Then find a raft that will take you through the rest of the acid filled lake, across the lake will be a portal between the underworld and the world of the living..." The little boy stopped and looked at the blood." Now about that blood..." I handed it to him and he was on his way.
I sat down," This is taking longer than I thought...but I'm still having suspiction about that monk Ajax...how did he know so much about the master sword?" I whispered to no one inparticular. I looked at the red and white sky," I have more to deal with in this Dracula character. And his wives...who were they?" I looked at the wide river and wondered, how was I suppose to get across anyway?
"Malon we should go find Link now...Malon?" Kaiten felt her head, she was burning up!"uh oh...Links gonna kill me..." He muttered. He picked Malon up and put her on his sleeping mat. He then pulled out a small cloth and wettened it with his canteen and laying it on her head." Thats no good, she won't be better until tomorrow sometime...maybe later." I walked back into the room with confidence and the information that I needed, not noticing Malon on the sleeping mat. Kaiten just watched as I took out a sheet of paper and started writing something down, he looked surprised that i didn't really see Malon on the mat.
" Uh Link?" Kaiten called as I just finished writing what I was writing. I turned back to look at him, and then glanced at Malon." Wow Malon must be tired...why's she sweating so badly?" I know that had to be the dumbest question I ever asked, something was definatly wrong with her. Her face was turning bright red and sweat poured down her face ." Hey whats wrong with her?" Kaiten shook his head," She has a fever, we should stay the night here..."
I walkd over to Malon and sat down by her sleeping form. She looked so cute while sleeping, her eyes were just beautiful, no matter how bad the envirnment was in the underworld. It was even better when she looked at you with her eyes open, then she always got me with her head tilted to the side...I do confess I like her a lot, but it ain't no way I'm tellin her that.
Malon squirmed, and for the first time in about an hour her eyes opened. See there they were, those purple gorgeous eyes," Link I don't feel so good...feels like my stomachs about to explode." I shushed her." You should go back to sleep..." She looked delerious, her eyes were swirving from my face to the ceiling, trying to keep focus.
But then I heard something I never thought I'd hear, her small faint voice peircing my ear with words un imaginable,"I love you..." My eyes shot open wide and I finally knew why, it was because I loved her too. My heart pounded harder in my chest, it's not like I ever had a girl tell me that before. It was surprising to me, almost as if it was real, but she was delerious, could she have been kidding?
She slowly drifted off to sleep as I picked her up slowly." Kaiten we gotta go, I know the way to Dracula." Kaiten stood up as if ready to go. He didn't say anything, his eyes were growing baggy but we couldn't rest yet. I looked over to the side of the hallway where I small carrage sat by the wall. Maybe I could use that to carry Malon on. I sat her down in the carrage and picked it up, following Kaiten the rest of the way out of the castle in the direction of the river of sticks. The strange one told me that there would be a raft North up the river. So...thats where we went.
We followed the river for hours until we finally saw the raft, docked by the river. Inside the raft was a standing skeleton of a human being with a pedal in his left hand and a sword in his right. We approached it catiously and stood before it, observing the raft." Well looks like that guys gonna have to go." I said picking Malon up." Yeah wouldn't want him coming to life while we're riding across." Kaiten said jokingly. But then the skeletons head moved and looked in our direction...well I wouldn't say looked because it has no eyes...I have no clue what to say but it's movin! Then after one long minute f staring it spoke," I am your host across the river of sticks, if you want a ride, all aboard now..." It's voice was cracking up and it's bones have way blown away, but it was our ride and we needed it badly, for Malons sake and those stalfos warriors back there.
We all got onto the raft and sat down on the little seats and as soon as we sat down, the skeleton began rowing his raft across the river. I opened my canteen of water and put some down Malons mouth, making sure she isn't as bad as I thought. The river of sticks was very wide indeed, I looked into it and could the souls of many dead ones that died a horrible death or a silent one. Either way, we all would probably be coming here soon no matter what, I just didn't want it to be now. Kaiten slept by the front where the skeleton was paddling the raft while I sat in the back with Malon, she was getting worse.
An hour later I felt the boat jolt to a stop, starling Kaiten and I from our rest, The skeleton had gone silent again, it was then that I noticed that we had hit land, looking up from the boat I realized that this valley was indeed forgotten, the sures were a dealy red and as I looked farther into the island I noticed the acid water on the other side, that was going to take awhile to get to.
"Hey Link, I'll carry Malon for you if you want, just to inherit some of the load. Hey she really is gettin bad." I noticed this and took special care when jumping off of the raft. I had to get her to safetly before she got worse, this fever she's having is rising and I don't know what to do. And I say again," What would Zelda do in this situation."