Chapter 6 Wrath of the Hergon Blade
Hey everybody. Howsit going? I am very happy with this chapter, and I hope you all are as well. Cause this one gets really cool in my opinion. Ri2, glad to see you will still read this story, because it has never been my intent to drive people away from my story for the soul reason that I tossed ina few theological elements.
The Gatekeeper looked out through the darkened fields of Hyrule. Through the pouring rain and the darkened sky, he could barely make out anything. But then he felt a dark presence around him. He turned this way and that, looking for a hidden enemy. But he saw no one. The feeling then passed, and the Gatekeeper relaxed. He failed, however, to see the Ghostly figure which appeared behind him, smirked, and then disappeared again.
"That's it," Link said, looking up at the gates of Lon Lon Ranch.
"Yeah," Navi said. "Are we going to go in?"
"Not yet," Link said, "give me a second."
"Why?" Navi teased. "Preparing a pickup line?"
"No," Link said. "Please stop talking, it hurts me to talk."
"Why would it..." Navi stopped, when she saw Link's chest heaving up and down heavily, the blade crackling dangerously.
"Oh," Navi said, worriedly.
The rain had stopped, but the sky was still dark. Link thought about Malon. Over the seven years she had matured into a very attractive young women. She was even sexier than before, Link thought to himself. Then a sharp pain shot through Link's stomach.
"Ugh," Link grunted, placing a hand right above the weapon.
"What just happened?" Navi asked, with motherly concern.
"The blade..."
"What were you thinking about?"
"That's none of your business," Link said.
"Usually pain from a Hergon blade will increase if one allows more evil into himself. You were thinking about something bad, weren't you?"
"No," Link said, quite sure of his answer. "I was thinking about Malon."
"That doesn't sound evil to me," Navi said with a small chuckle.
Link grunted again, and whipped the reigns.
"I don't feel so good," he said, still holding his hand against his stomach.
"We'd better get you into the Ranch before you collapse," Navi said.
"Collapse?" Link suddenly said? "Why would I... Augh!"
"Ride Epona," Navi said, and the horse obeyed.
The tomb of the Sheikah was now closed up. Nothing could be seen inside of it, not even the lustrous fractured bones in the now open caskets. But suddenly, a faint gray light floated down through the roof of the tomb, straight through the dirt. The light extended to form a ghostly figure. The spirit looked down into the coffins, seeing that they were torn open. It then looked over at the altar to Ganon. Its whitish gray eyes flashed as it saw the altar, and it bowed slightly. Then, it rose back through the roof of the tomb.
The Potion shop on the far end of Kakariko village seemed to be tranced in some deep sorcery. For whenever anyone entered, a deep, dark melody seemed to follow them through it, even though their were no instruments inside to make music. The Potion shop owner was a twenty three year old women named Hailey, who dealt out a large array of potions, hexes, and other forms of magic.
"Welcome to the Potion shop of Kakariko," she recited her lines to herself. "The only supplier of Magic spells, Potions, and hexes in Kakariko village."
Business was slow, however. The people of the village didn't trust her, or her business, so they stayed away. The Gatekeeper and the Mayor had both politely asked her to dismantle her business, but she had refused. The town would be meeting in a week or so to vote on whether to legally force her to stop dealing in magic.
"Why do you care?" Hailey had shouted at the Gatekeeper when he had spoken to her. "You practice magic all the time! Why are you complaining?"
"I don't practice what you call magic," the Gatekeeper had calmly replied. "The Lord of Light gives me his abilities, and tells me to use them in specific ways. Your magic does not involve the Lord of Light in any way. Look, please, your business has drawn several Poes out from the Graveyard into the town already, and we can't allow that to happen. Please, we have numerous jobs we can offer you with good pay, and a good work schedule. Just dispel of this sorcery."
But the girl had refused, and the towns people had become nervous.
"We can't allow the powers of Ganon to exist in our small town," one man had argued. "If we do, then can we say we are a pure town, devoid of the darkness? No, we cannot."
Hailey smiled sadly, and looked around her room.
"Savor it," she said to herself, "for it will soon come to an end."
She then grabbed a spoon, and began mixing an array of liquids in a large bowl.
"Narcaga sag," she chanted. "Fargo kierzencha! Come Spirit. I call you!"
Hailey remembered what the Gatekeeper had said about performing such ceremonies.
"You spend your time calling to Spirits and demons, and they obey your very command. But soon their will come a day when they will not obey you, but force you to obey them."
"Narcaga sag!" she continued. "Fargo kierzencha!"
Suddenly the wooden door to her shop suddenly began to glow with ethereal energy. It shone, bright yellow, glowing as a spirit glows.
"Aen su caya! You have come!"
And it had. The yellow light then diminished, and a ghostly figure stepped right through the door.
"Spirit," Hailey said. "Tell me your name."
A low growl echoed from the spiritual body, but its lips did not move.
'Nargasa,' the spirit spoke right into her mind.
"Nargasa," she said, "who were you before your death?"
'I have never lived.'
"That's what all of you say to me," Hailey said, disappointed. "Do not hide the truth from me Nargasa. I wish to know what happens after death. Tell me! I am a witch, my power is great. You will obey me!"
The spirit suddenly smiled, its cold, dead lips lifting up in an evil smirk.
'I am a spirit. What ever made you believe I would obey you?'
The girl took a step backwards. She had never had a problem like this before.
"Tell me what death was like."
'Why would I tell you what death is like? So you can write a book and make a fortune?'
"All the other spirits before have always done as I said."
'Only because what you asked of them served their purpose!'
"Why did you come here then?"
'You called for a spirit, and I happened to be passing by.'
"Why did you come if you weren't going to do as you were told?" the girl snapped.
The spirit then glared at the girl, causing her to step back. The spirit smiled when it saw that it had the power. It took a step towards the girl.
'I don't like people snapping at me.'
"Don't touch me!" Hailey shouted.
'If but I had a man here at my command, I would do just that. But since I don't, I'm afraid I will be forced to do something else.'
"Leave me," the girl said. "Go back to the Spirit World!"
'I will go where I please.'
Then Hailey turned around, and grabbed a knife off of the wall. She then chucked it at the Spirit. But it just shot right through him, clattering to the ground across the room. The Spirit continued walking towards the girl. Hailey fell back against the wall. The spirit looked straight into her eyes.
'It is time for you to die.'
Hailey began whimpering, and covered her face with her hands. The Spirit smirked.
'Oh I won't harm you.'
"What?" Hailey removed her hands from her face, and looked up at the Spirit.
'No. I'll leave that to my little friend.'
The spirit then opened his hand, and a small purple flame floated out of it.
'Meet the Poe.'
"No," Hailey said. "A Poe? A Poe is a guardian spirit. A guide?"
'How easily you humans are deceived.'
The Poe took on physical form, and turned towards the girl on the ground. Hailey just stared at the Poe, unsure of what to do. Her assurance that Poes were spirits of light had now been shaken, badly shaken. She now was face to face with death. The Poe then drew a yellow sword out from nowhere.
A scream shot out from the potion shop, rising up above Kakariko village. A few villagers were startled by the scream. They stood up, and walked to their windows to see what was going on. When they saw that it came from the potion shop, they returned to whatever they had been doing before. They had often heard screams like that from the potion shop. It was Hailey, performing another ritual, and the Spirit she called up was screaming. It happened quite often.
The Hergon blade stung as it tugged at her soul, causing her body to jerk uncontrollably. Hailey couldn't stop screaming. The Poe before her pulled the blade roughly, causing a shock to shoot through her spine, and causing her eyes to shoot open as she felt darkness close around her. The pain was incredible. It felt like someone was cutting her heart out, but no. Someone was cutting her soul out. Suddenly a figure crashed through the door to the potion shop, and the Poe released the blade, causing it to crash painfully back into Hailey's soul. The girl moaned, and crumpled to the ground. Her eyes closed, and she fell into unconsciousness.
The Gatekeeper crashed through the door, causing the ghostly figure to turn from its victim. Its eyes widened in fear when it saw the Gatekeeper.
'Kill him,' the spirit shouted to its Poe, before running towards the other side of the room. The Gatekeeper held his hand up, and launched a bright white circle of light into the spirit as it ran, causing the spirit to stumble, but it ran through the wall before the Gatekeeper could do anything else. The Gatekeeper then turned for the Poe.
"Take your blade," the Gatekeeper said. "Take your blade and fight me. I am giving you a chance."
The Poe turned to Hailey's crumpled body, and grabbed the hilt of the Hergon blade. The blade began glowing brightly, and the girl's body shook in pain. The blade slowly began to release her soul. The, with a mighty tug, the Poe yanked its blade out from Hailey's chest. Hailey's head shot up, and her eyes flashed open. Then she screamed, a loud scream of death. Then, her eyes rolled back, and she fell without a word to the ground.
The Poe held its sword out towards the Gatekeeper, and the Gatekeeper drew a sword of his own from the folds of his cloak.
"Lord of Light," he said. "Please give me strength."
It was then that the Gatekeeper's blade began glowing bright white with the energy of light. The Poe's eyes widened. The Poe then turned, without a word, and shot for the wall.
The Gatekeeper held out his hand, and a streak of bright light shot into the Poe, stunning it. The Gatekeeper then charged, and plunged his blade into it. The Poe screamed, and it was consumed by blue fire. Then, it winked out, and existed no more. The tiny Poe spirit rose up from where it had been.
" Nio cay entrana. Nu hera thorda."
The Poe spirit disappeared in a flash. The Gatekeeper then ran to Hailey's side, and put a hand against her forehead.
"Are you alright?" he said.
Hailey's eyes opened, and she looked up into the eyes of her rescuer. She then began to cry. The Gatekeeper embraced her softly, and she cried on his shoulder.
"I refused to listen to you for so long," she said through her tears. "You could have let me die then. I deserved it. I refused to listen to the truth. I am no longer worthy to live in this town. I must leave and never return."
"Don't say that," the Gatekeeper said. "No matter how far down the wrong path you travel, you can always turn back."
The Gatekeeper then carried the young woman out of the potion shop, towards his home.
"I have an extra room upstairs where you may stay until you get your feet back under you. It should be a few days until you have completely recovered. And you need to discuss your problems with the Lord of Light. And once you get your feet back, we'll find you a good job."
Hailey was amazed at the Gatekeeper's kindness.
"I've strayed too far from what is right," she said. "I don't deserve all of this."
"Nonsense! Does not a shepherd rejoice more when a sheep which runs away returns to him? Does he not cherish it more than the ones which stayed with him the whole time? I am just happy that you have come back from the darkness."
Hailey then leaned her head against the Gatekeeper's chest, and fell asleep.
Malon brushed the horses coat softly while humming a soft tune to herself. Ever since Link had won the horse race against Ingo, the ranch had returned to normal. Except for the fact that her father had not returned. Malon stopped, and let a tear roll down her cheek. Ingo had banished her father from the ranch when was given the ranch, and enslaved Malon. He had forced her to do all the hard work, and to live out in the barn while he lived in the comfort of the home, and took all the money for himself. But then Link came, and forced Ingo to return the ranch.
Malon sighed. Link. She had always loved him, even when they were kids. But now she faced a personal dilemma. The two of them had been childhood lovers, but after seven years had gone by, Malon did not know if Link still felt the same way about her. She smiled a sad smile, and continued brushing the horse. She wondered when Link would return. He had promised to visit soon. But she hadn't seen him for at least two months. It was just then that Malon heard the familiar sound of a horse trotting out into the field from Hyrule Field. She froze, almost afraid to turn around.
"Malon," an all too familiar voice said weakly.
Malon jumped. It was him! Malon turned around, and saw Link slowly getting off of Epona's back. Her heart leapt inside of her.
"Link!" she shouted, before running towards him.
Link seemed to stiffen as he saw her running towards him with her arms outstretched, but Malon didn't pay any attention to this. She intended to hug her friend tightly to her, and welcome him back to the ranch, but things didn't turn out this way. Before she could hug him, Link dodged to the side, and tumbled to the ground. Malon stopped, and looked down at her friend.
"Don't... touch me..." Link said softly.
It was then that Malon noticed the long shining sword which was embedded in Link's stomach.
"Oh my gosh!" Malon said, horrified. "You've been stabbed. Oh my gosh!"
For a second she just stood their, too shocked to do anything. But then Malon's common sense returned, and she reached out for the hilt of the blade.
"We need to get this out of you," she said. "Then we can patch up the wound."
"No wait!" Link shouted, but it was too late.
Malon's hand closed around the hilt, and a violent shock shot straight up her arm. But she did not draw her hand away. The hilt seemed as if it was glued to her hand as the Hergon blade shot painful volts of electricity up into the poor farm girl. Sparks shot everywhere, and Malon screamed as her body was filled with dark energy. Then a ball of blueish light shot out and collided with the farm girl's chest, causing her to release the blade, and tumble backwards to the ground.
"Is she okay?" Link said, sitting up.
"I think she'll live," Navi said. "But she took some painful shots of energy. Its lucky I acted when I did."
Navi floated over to Malon's crumpled body, and looked at the hand which had grabbed the Hergon blade. Her flesh was burned badly, and it sizzled under the intense heat. Navi winced as she looked at the damage. The fairy then touched the wound lightly, and her hand began to glow with bright white energy. Navi closed her eyes and began murmuring a prayer. The burned skin crumpled up and came off in flakes, revealing fresh, white skin underneath.
"She will be just fine," Navi said.
Malon groaned, and opened her eyes.
"Are you okay?" Link said, worriedly.
Malon looked up at Link with tear streaked eyes, and then looked at her hand. Link knelt beside the farm girl, and helped her up into a sitting position. Link pulled her up to the barn, and leaned her against it.
"There," Link said. "You can lean against that until you feel better."
Link then sat down beside Malon, and put a comforting arm around her.
"What is that?" Malon asked, weakly gesturing at the blade in Link's stomach.
Malon then told Malon about how he had gone down into the Sheikah tomb where he had fought the Poes, and had been stabbed with the blade.
"I have heard about those blades before," Malon said. "They say only the Lord of Light can remove a Hergon blade."
Link rolled his eyes, but Malon didn't see this, for the sky was beginning to darken.
"I need to go close the gates of the Ranch," Malon said weakly.
"No," Link said. "You need to stay here and recuperate your strength. Besides. I closed them on my way into the Ranch."
Malon smiled halfheartedly at Link. She then sighed, and leaned her head back against the hard wooden barn.
"It sure is a beautiful night," she said, looking up into the now dark sky.
The clouds were slowly breaking apart, revealing the stars and a beautiful full moon.
"How has the ranch been doing?" Link asked.
"Pretty good," Malon said. "Its kind of difficult, because I've never had to run the entire ranch. Dad or Ingo was always here to help. But now Ingo has run away, and I haven't seen Dad since last year."
Tears welled up in Malon's eyes, and Link patted her shoulder comfortingly.
"I've been thinking about you a lot lately," Malon said, hoping to somehow hint on the relationship that had existed between them seven years ago.
"So have I," Link said gazing dreamily up into the night sky.
Malon turned and looked up at Link.
"You have?"
Link turned and looked at the girl beside him.
"Yes," he said with a smile.
Their eyes locked, and their faces slowly inched towards each other. Malon's heart quickened. This was the moment she had been waiting for all her life. Their gaze never broke until their lips touched. Malon closed her eyes, and put her arms around Link's neck. Link closed his eyes, and placed his arms around Malon's waist. Link then deepened the kiss, causing Malon's eyes to flash open in alarm. Link's had slowly began creeping around to her front, and began moving up towards her chest. Malon knew what he was going for, and she wasn't ready for it. Malon pulled away.
"What?" Link asked.
Malon smiled playfully up at her hero.
"I think we should say good night now," she whispered. "Its getting quite dark."
"I don't mind the dark," Link said. "I'm not afraid."
Malon chuckled, as if it was a joke.
"No seriously," she said. "I'd better get to bed now."
Link frowned, and stood up abruptly. Malon got to her feet, and began walking back towards the house.
"You can spend the night in my Dad's old bed," Malon said.
"No," Link said. "I'll spend the night out here, thank you very much."
"What?" Malon turned, and looked over into Link's eyes, but he turned away, refusing to make eye contact with her. "Are you okay Link? Was it something I did?"
"Don't worry about me," Link snapped. "I'll be fine."
Malon lowered her eyes, and tears began to form on the edges of her eyes. Link softened, and almost apologized. Malon held in her sadness, but a lone tear rolled down her cheek and fell to the ground.
"Okay," Malon said, before opening the door to her home, and walking inside.
She shut the door behind her, and threw herself onto the couch and cried. Why had Link snapped at her? Malon knew that it was because she had pulled away from the kiss when things had begun to get erotic, and this made her sad. She felt horrible, and she didn't really understand why. The man she loved had just snapped at her for refusing his sexual advances. What did this mean about their relationship? Did Link truly love her, or was he just in it for lustful purposes. Malon layed her head against the couch, and cried herself to sleep.
Outside, Link was kneeling on the ground crying out in his pain. But he was not crying because of the way he had treated Malon. The Hergon blade crackled and hissed as it sent streams of dark energy through Link's soul. Navi floated above Link's head, channeling light energy into her Kokiri, doing her best to stem the flood of dark energy. The Hergon blade then ceased its channeling, and Link fell to the ground, panting heavily.
"The Hergon blade only channel such dark energy when the mind of the victim opens to its dark energy."
Link lifted his head up, and looked at his fairy.
"You hurt Malon back there," Navi said. "You know that, don't you."
"What do you think I'm stupid?" Link snapped.
Another shock shot through his stomach, silencing him again.
"The blade should stop in a second," Navi said. "But I don't think it was your physical actions that enticed the Hergon blade. I think it was your thoughts."
"My thoughts?"
"Why do you think you hurt Malon? You allowed lust to take over your mind."
"I don't know what the heck you are talking about," Link said.
"For that instance when you began to deepen the kiss, you weren't thinking about Malon's well being, or loving her as a person. At that moment, you thought of her as an object. As something to be used, and cast away."
"What are you suggesting?" Link said.
"Malon thought that you loved her when the two of you began to kiss," Navi said. "But now I'm sure that she is having her doubts. You wanted to sleep with her, didn't you? Such thoughts are not of love. Love is the desire to help someone, or to give things to them. The desire to receive pleasure from someone is just tainted, lowly lust."
Link didn't say anything in response. Their was nothing he could say. He knew that Navi was right. A wave of guilt struck him, and he began to realize how Malon must have felt when he had started treating her like that. That was why he had been angry when she had pulled away. If he had been loving her instead of lusting after her, he would have respected her decision.
"The Hergon blade feeds off of evil," Navi thoughts, "even if it comes in the form of small thoughts which seem very innocent, until you see the motive behind them. If a hero goes out to destroy a great evil, and does it simply for the praise and respect he will receive from people, then his intentions are not worthy. Even if he kills the enemy, and saves thousands of people, if he does it simply for his own well being, he is no better off than the man who didn't go out to stop the evil. Only if the hero destroys the evil, and does it out of compassion for the world, then his intentions are good."
Link sighed, and leaned against the barn. How he wished he could rewind time, and undo what he had done. How he wished he could go in there and apologize to Malon. But he didn't feel that he could show his face to her again. Suddenly Link's eyes widened as he felt a dark presence.
"Navi!"
"What is it?"
"Remember the evil that we unearthed seven years ago?"
"Yes."
"I can feel it. It has awoken again."
"How?"
"Somehow it was alerted of my presence. And now it is coming for me!"
Ah-ha-ha! I end chapter now. Whaddaya guys think? What will happen with Link and Malon? Dang, I feel so sorry for both of them. Hope it all ends up okay. Suggestions for future chapters will be most welcome on my review page, and I hope that more of you besides Ri2 will review, cause he's my only reviewer as of now.