Argorok's lair was within the ruins of an old stone barn at the edge of a large field that was bordered by similar farm buildings. It was one of many islands like it, connected to the outside of the main island where the city lay, but only a few of them were used by the Oocca to grow food. This particular island still had the rusted frames of grain silos and a few windmills standing on it, and the ancient metal blades turned slowly in the wind. The wind itself was far stronger out here, since they initially teleported to one of the leeward islands. Link almost lost his hat, so he decided to remove it and put it away into one of his pouches. As stupid as the hat was, and despite the amount of fun Ashei poked at him over it, it had still grown on him. He felt as if it shouldn't be blown over the edge of the flying island.
They stood in an archway just before the bridge to the dragon's island, the archway being another exit in the thick wall of the city. There were no Oocca living here; in fact the buildings were damaged or falling apart. It appeared that the Oocca did not have the numbers to maintain the entirety of the ancient Hylian city, and only focused on the small area they lived in. The edges of the city had become derelict, and the outlying islands abandoned. Link wondered if it was possible to have some Hylians return here to live with the Oocca, and attempt to fix up the city while learning of their history.
Who would want to live in this place, though? It was cold, windy and lonely. Being stuck on an island would drive Link stir crazy, even one of this size. He'd probably have nightmares about falling over the edge if had to live here.
He gazed out across the rippling green grasses and at the barn, which was missing half of its roof. So far, he didn't have much of a plan. This was going to be one of those "wait and see" fights, and he had no doubt that it would turn into fight, if the previous two mirror shards were any indicator. "All right. This is what I'm thinking...I'm going to go out there and at least try to talk nice with the dragon. He probably won't be happy, just like anyone else who held a shard, so I expect he'll attack me. I'll fight him for a while, and all of you watch to see if you can spot something I can't. You too, Sword."
I will do my best to aid you, Master. the Master Sword said within his mind.
"Just one thing before I go out there, Ooccoo. Does this dragon breathe fire?" He was really hoping that there was a variety of dragon that didn't.
She raised her face and her red eyes to him from her roost in the satchel. "Of course he does. He's a dragon, isn't he?" Well, so much for that hope. "You're quite quick on your feet. After watching you fight the phantom Ganondorf left behind, I think you'll be fine."
"Probably, but I still need to figure out what to do. That's the hard part. Midna, stay back here in case you need to do anything to protect them." At this point he probably didn't need to tell her, but he did so anyway. Sometimes she would follow him if left to her own devices.
"All right, but if something else damages my beautiful face, I'm going to make you feed me peeled grapes once I'm back in my normal body." She crossed her thorny arms. "Get to it, hero."
He remembered something, and turned to Shad. "I forgot to warn Rusl about it, so I'm going to warn you. When that mirror shard drops, don't touch it. Holding it can corrupt a person's mind."
The young scholar looked worried. "Oh, dear. Did that happen to Rusl?"
"Yeah. I had to figure out a way to get it away from him, and I wound up hurting him. I really don't want to hurt you." He didn't want to go into details, so that explanation worked well enough. "I picked up the first one too, and know how tempting the shards are. Please leave it alone and let Midna get it."
The other man nodded, not asking questions about Link's own experience holding a shard. "I'll be sure to leave it be if I happen to see it. Good luck, Link."
"Thanks." He looked back at the grassy field, took a deep breath and started walking over the bridge towards it.
The field itself was a bit larger than the enclosure that they had for the goats back in Ordon, so there was plenty of room to fight the dragon if needed. It had the advantage of not being in the city, and not being near any Oocca. It also had the disadvantage of only having two ruined barns, the skeletal remains of silos and three windmills on it, with nothing else other than the tall grasses that waved in the wind. There wasn't much for him to work with in the environment if he needed to get creative. He noted that the grass that came up to his thighs looked like some kind of oat, no longer planted in neat rows and gone completely wild. It was an ancient breed of oats that Hylians had cultivated thousands of years ago. If he was a historian, this place would likely excite him. Shad certainly seemed wide-eyed as he had gone through everything.
He stepped around a deer skull that was still attached to its spine. Looking around he could see the white of a few other scattered skeletons laying in the tall grass, past meals of the dragon before he went mad from the mirror shard. The bones all looked like they belonged to game, and not domesticated animals. Ooccoo had said that this dragon was peaceful before he became violent, so it was possible that he wanted to avoid humans and thus avoided their livestock. The bones worried Link just a bit. He had been confident that he was too large to be eaten by the dragon before crossing this field, but now he wasn't so sure.
He then spotted something that wasn't a bone in the grass: the shine of metal. Link walked towards it and saw that it was a sword, laying near the body of a dead Aeralfos. Half the body of the winged lizard creature was charred and blistered, and the other half had began to decay. Nearby were similar bodies of a few more Aeralfos, all laying amid burnt patches of grass. The creatures were known for being stronger and more deadly than their Lizalfos cousins, and here the dragon had killed a group of them. He needed to be careful.
The cold wind blew through his leggings and the sleeves of his linen gambeson, chilling his skin. It could have been around freezing, but he couldn't tell. It was far too windy for him to be able to see his breath up here. The sun was hidden behind dark clouds that were both above and next to the floating city, gray clouds that looked fat and full of moisture. Did it rain up here? Probably, if they grew crops. He walked out in front of the barn until he was about twenty paces away from it, and then cupped his hands to his mouth to shout at the dragon resting inside. What a brilliant idea. Go shout at the sleeping dragon. You're full of great ideas, Link.
"Argorok!" he called. The wind whipped the grass around his legs, and after waiting several seconds he raised his voice again. "Argorok! I've come to talk to you!" Despite the wind, he knew that his voice carried well. All the shouting he had to do at the Hylians had proven that. The dragon could most likely hear him.
He waited a moment and was about to call out again when there was a low rumbling sound emanating from the barn, like a growl or a groan. There was a slithering, steely sound, as if a bunch of metal was rubbing on metal. Then suddenly the dragon hopped up through the ruined roof of the barn to perch on its stone wall, like some kind of armored bird. Argorok stared at him with unblinking eyes that were full of intelligence, and Link couldn't tell if he was angry or not.
"Human." the dragon rumbled. His voice was deep and resonant, and the fanged mouth moved strangely to pronounce the Hylian word. It was almost like watching a parrot talk. "Why have you come here?"
"I went and got the Dominion Rod from the Sacred Realm so I could come here. I had heard about you, and I want to talk to you." He took a few steps towards the dragon while trying to make sure his body language did not appear threatening. "Do you have a minute to talk?"
Argorok turned his head to peer at him with one eye almost like a bird, his round black pupil widening as he examined Link. "You have the Sword of Evil's Bane. You are the current hero of the humans."
"Yes, that's me. If you know who I am, then you can probably understand why I've come here. It's for an important reason." He had no idea what he was saying and performed without a script, but so far talking to the dragon was working. "An important relic has been damaged, and I'm searching for the parts of it. I was hoping that either the Oocca or the dragon who lives in the sky with them would have a clue as to where it is."
The dragon blinked once and narrowed his eyes at Link. "You lie."
He didn't expect that. "What?"
"The hero of the humans tells lies. How suitable for the spawn of Hylia." Argorok spoke with contempt, although it wasn't clear if he hated humans, Hylia, or both.
He could tell when Link was lying? This seemed to be going south quickly. He focused and used his power to see where the mirror shard was on the dragon. As he did so, Link kept talking. "Okay, that's not the exact reason why I'm here. You are."
The dragon drew in a breath with a hiss, his long talons digging into the stone wall. "You would dare use shadow magic in my presence? The magic of trickery? It fits in with your lies, pathetic hero."
Link's focus dropped and he stopped using his innate magic. Not only could the dragon tell when he lied, Argorok could also tell when he used magic and what kind it was. He was starting to understand why dragons were so dangerous, and it wasn't only due to their size. It didn't matter; he had seen the shard's location, through the dragon's body itself. It was on his back at the base of his wings, beneath the lobstered armor. Now if only he could think of a way to remove that armor.
"All right, I'll stop beating around the bush. I'm searching for the fragments of the Mirror of Twilight, since I need to get to the Twilight Realm. I'm certain there's one here, and that you have it."
Argorok jumped down from his perch and landed in the grass in front of the barn, and planted the top joint of his wings on the ground like a second pair of legs. The creature jumped farther than expected, and landed halfway between the barn and Link. Argorok drew his head back and flattened his long neck on his back, like a heron. The metal of the armor creaked and rustled. "And if I do have it? Then what?"
"Then that's a concern, because the shards slowly kill those who hold them. They're dangerous." He looked the dragon over now that he was a bit closer. There were still no obvious straps or buckles that held the armor on. In fact there were little round dots near the ends of the armor, at the edge of each segment. Link realized that they were rivets, and the armor was not held on by straps at all. Whomever or whatever had put it on Argorok had fastened it directly to his thick scales. Now how was he going to remove it?
"You are looking at the gift the Aeralfos gave me." Argorok was perceptive, far more than a human could be. "This will protect me as well as my shard. It is not dangerous, despite your misgivings. If anything it has given me power." He extended his neck and lowered his head to stare at the Hylian with his large yellow eyes. "Your kind are no longer a threat."
So that was it. Even though the Oocca had mentioned that Argorok was nearly a century old, he was still a younger dragon, and a smaller one due to it. Dragons had actively been hunted by all the races due to how dangerous they were, but Hylians in particular were known for it. That was likely the reason why it lived up in the sky instead of down on the ground. The dragon had actually feared humans in the past, and now that it had the shard in his possession, it had no reason to be afraid of them anymore.
And here was Link, a human talking to this dragon.
"You are the hero despite your lies and trickery, so I will let you walk away with your life. Leave me." The red dragon turned and started to walk back to his barn, unconcerned with Link.
Well, here came the crazy part of the plan. "I can't do that."
Argorok stopped and swung his head around to glare at Link. He didn't say anything, but a low rumbling growl came from his throat.
"I told you, that shard is dangerous. You can tell when I'm lying, so you know that's not a lie. You need to give it up." He was trying to keep his voice level. Hero or not, he found this dragon terrifying.
The red dragon turned quickly and opened his mouth wide to reveal rows of sharp teeth and a long, forked tongue. He hissed at Link like an overgrown cat. "I will not. It gives me strength." His pupils shrunk to pinpoints within his yellow eyes. "I can smell the fear on you, the one who is supposed to be the strongest of your kind. You fear me, hero!" He growled, the growl turning into speech. "The shard is mine!" Argorok lunged forward like a snake with his mouth open as he struck.
Link dodged to the side, avoiding the dragon's bite. Argorok's jaws snapped shut loudly in the air next to him. One bite of those teeth and he could be in trouble, and he'd had enough of being chewed on by large creatures with large teeth. He quickly drew his sword, unable to set his shield with the dragon rounding on him again. There was another lunge and a bite, which he narrowly escaped. He wasn't using Courage, not yet. It was far better to watch and see what the dragon would do, as scary as that was.
What could he do against this thing? Sword? Did you ever fight any dragons?
Yes, Master. Multiple times, yet only one I was aware for. In fact, it was the dragon your ancestor fought two hundred and forty-two years ago. Or perhaps it was two-hundred and thirty-five, if you consider the time travel used. But I digress.
Sword! Hurry with that info! Link jumped back as the dragon swung one of its armored wings at him.
Forgive me, Master Link. I am sometimes verbose. He fought a dragon that was armored with lava that had hardened into rock, and used a heavy hammer to crack that armor so he could damage the dragon.
Link didn't have anything like that. Midna did, but she was busy protecting Shad and Ooccoo at the moment. He possibly could smash his shield into the dragon with the strength of Courage, but that might not do a thing against its armor. They had bolted it to its body, so it was far different than rock stuck to a dragon's hide. Perhaps if he found a way to get onto the dragon's back, he could pry off the armor with the Master Sword. The sword was indestructible, so he probably could use it that way without damaging it.
Affirmative. You could...although that is an unconventional way of using me. It was difficult to tell if the sword approved or disapproved of his idea.
He ducked under a wing that the dragon swung at him, and then slapped the toothy mouth away with the flat of his blade as it moved its neck in order to bite him. He didn't want to kill this dragon. It was young, and was probably afraid of him. Or it would be, if the shard hadn't made it crazy. So far his plan to pop off the armor using the Master Sword was his only one. It seemed somewhat disrespectful to the legendary weapon, though.
I am not offended. You do what you must, Master Link.
Argorok recoiled from the smack to the face with a snarl. Link doubted that he had hurt him, and if anything the dragon looked aggravated more than anything else. It hissed and then launched itself upward, its back legs clawing at the air as it struggled to fly with the added weight of the armor. That might be something to consider. If it had problems flying, he could use that to his advantage. Link didn't weigh all that much, only about the weight of the average man when factoring in the weight of his gear, but even so his added weight might be enough to bog the dragon down and distract it long enough for him to pry some armor off. Hopefully Midna would understand what he was doing and make a grab for the mirror shard once it was exposed.
Rain began to fall, blowing diagonally in the wind as it hit the grassy field and the stone buildings. The dragon was in the air now, and it circled around the island before turning to fly at him. It swooped low and spat a stream of fire at him as it passed. This time he had to use Courage to have the speed to move out of the way. Argorok recognized that he had used magic, and likely understood that it was a piece of the Triforce. He roared angrily, frustrated that this human had more power than he had expected, and started circling again.
Link was now facing the city and could see Midna watching him with Shad and Ooccoo back by the wall. Their forms were indistinct and gray through the rain, which helped them remain hidden for the time being. So far, they were safe. With how perceptive the dragon was, he didn't know how long that would be true, rain or not.
Argorok dove down to slash at him with his talons, but Link was too fast and the dragon only grabbed at the ground, picking up clods of wet dirt and grass as he dodged out of the way. If he could get the dragon to dive-bomb him like that again, he could possibly use Courage to leap onto its back. He had combined strength and speed a bit when fighting the phantom, and innately while fighting with the rage of the beast in Old Kakariko, so he knew it was possible. He kept his body turned to face the dragon as it circled around again, ready to make the jump the next time around.
The dragon didn't do what he expected, however. It was smart and wasn't about to do the same predictable things over and over, unlike so many of the other beasts and monsters he had fought. Argorok spread his wings to the full extent of their span and somehow hovered in the air without flapping them. It was then Link felt power coming from the dragon, and he realized that it was casting magic. Argorok extended his wings back behind him, air faintly shimmering around them, and then flapped them towards the young man with a loud, booming sound.
The force of the air that hit Link was almost like a punch. It sent him flying, bouncing and rolling on the wet ground of the island, and he heard rather than felt his shield go flying from the impact. He was painfully stunned as he rolled to a stop, and the rain pelted his face as he grimaced at the dark sky. He grunted and it took a few seconds for him to start to rise. That time was far too long, because there was another boom from the dragon, and the force of the magical wind knocked him into the air and clear over the edge of the island.
Link's heart jumped up into his throat as he fell, his eyes terrified as he watched the underside of the floating island grow smaller and farther away as he fell. An involuntary scream escaped his mouth, but it was snatched away by the rush of the wind. He had the strange perspective of watching himself fall faster than the rain, and the droplets looked as if they were rising up past him. His left hand held onto the Master Sword with a white-knuckle grip, the only thing he could possibly hold onto. He couldn't think, he couldn't react, he could only seize up as he fell. He was too far away from the island to do anything. Was he about to die? Would he plummet to Lake Hylia below, and Hyrule fall into darkness after his death? What would happen to Zelda or Midna? To Ilia? His eyes filled with tears when the seriousness of his death hit him. He feared what would happen to the people important to him more than death itself.
There was something moving towards him from above, rapidly growing larger as it approached. At first he thought it was the dragon, but then he could see it was a mass of shadow moving faster than he was falling, and catching up fast. He reached up towards Midna desperately, overwhelmed by fear even though he knew that she had come to save him. She surrounded him as her shadowy orbs circled his body, then she coalesced into her small imp form next to him and grabbed him with her hair. She slowed their descent, and then brought him back up towards the underside of the island. It took a few minutes, and he hadn't realized how far he had fallen until they finally came to the island. At first he thought she would bring him back up by Shad, but she didn't. The support structure on the underside of the bridge that went to the dragon's island had a stone walkway, and she brought him there.
Midna gently set him down on his feet before withdrawing her hair. "Are you—" she began, but Link tightly wrapped his arms around the Twili, feeling the need to hold onto something solid. To someone. "Hey, are you okay? You're shaking like a leaf."
He was trembling from head to toe, his body full of adrenaline. "No, because that was terrifying!" Even his voice shook. "I thought I was going to die, and then I thought what would happen after that…" He didn't want to think about it. A low rumble of thunder sounded around them. Great, they were in the sky in the middle of a thunderstorm. Yet another thing to worry about.
She probably could feel his muscles tense up in response to the sound, because she turned her head towards him and spoke in a soothing tone, her face not far from his ear. "It's okay. Don't be scared."
"Easy for you to say…" he managed, still shaking.
He felt her little hand pat the back of his neck as she patiently stayed put and let him hold onto her. "You're all right now. I told you I'd protect you." She had done as she promised, just as she had in the Arbiter's Grounds, and in the Queen's Keep. "I'll give you a moment to calm down, but I don't know what that dragon is doing up there. Hopefully it hasn't noticed Shad and Ooccoo."
He stood there with her for another minute and took deep breaths as he slowly calmed himself, and listened to the rain as it slashed against the sides of the city wall and the bridge above. It wouldn't do for his arms and legs to be shaking when he tried to fight. Link was afraid the dragon might knock him off the island again, even though Midna had assured him that she would keep him safe. He took in a final deep breath and let it out slowly. "Did you see it? He used wind magic on me."
"Yeah, I saw that. Your magic sword isn't useful against that, is it?" Midna gently patted him again. "Are you okay now?"
"Yeah." He finally felt as if he was in control of his fear, so he let her go.
The Twili moved back just a bit to hover in front of him. "Did you have a plan? Most of what I saw was you dodging things."
"More or less. I doubt I can shoot explosive arrows with this wind and rain, so I'm going to have to get onto the dragon's back somehow. Those plates aren't strapped on like armor normally is. It's actually riveted to his hide." He ran a hand through his wet hair, a habit he had during these liminal moments before he did something decisive. "I plan on using my sword to pop it off. The Master Sword can't be destroyed, and I doubt it can even be damaged. I should be able to pry the armor off, and then you can get to the shard. It's on his back, between his wings. I saw it with my power."
She smirked at him. "That sounds like the typical Link plan. Did you need me to do anything else? Or did you want me to hang out in your shadow until I'm needed?"
He considered it, and heard a growl from somewhere above. Argorok was still up there. "You still have that heavy ball and chain, right? Maybe if you smack the dragon with it, you can knock some of the armor loose, or at least stun him."
"It wasn't too hard to do with Yeta because she wasn't moving much, but Argorok's pretty quick. I can give it a shot." She didn't sound confident.
"I don't suppose you have some kind of magic that can help me against that wind spell of his, do you?" There was very little he could do against that, and as she had said, the Master Sword wouldn't be useful against it.
"I don't, but you do. Remember that boomerang? You never use it, but it summons wind. It might be able to do something, if you use it right."
He hadn't used the enchanted boomerang in a while. The last time he had used it, he wasn't exactly respectful to the fairy that lived inside of it, ordering her to put out the fire on Telma's wagon while he was fighting with the fury of the beast. Link touched the green and white boomerang that sat in its holster on the right side of his baldric. "Are you able to help us?"
He could sense something from the boomerang beneath his fingertips, as if the fairy inside had been resting and was now awake. "Yes." she said, speaking to him for the first time since he had found the boomerang. "My power can be used whether the boomerang is thrown, or if you simply hold it in your hand. I doubt my magic is as strong as the dragon's, but you can use it to knock him back before he finishes casting his spell. His magic needs to charge up, while mine is instant."
There was another growl from above, sounding as if the dragon was on the bridge. "I can smell another human. Where are you hiding?!"
Link looked to Midna. "Let's go."
She picked him up and carried him back out into the rain and to the top side of the island with her orange hair, setting him down in the tall grass a little ways back from the bridge, and down next to his shield. The Twili helpfully picked it up and hung it from his baldric, and then the two of them looked around for the dragon. Argorok had crossed the bridge and was standing just within the walls of the city, sniffing at the air like a bloodhound. The dragon was where Shad and Ooccoo had been just minutes before, so the two scholars had found someplace in the ruins to hide.
Link had no idea where they had hidden, but he knew he couldn't let the dragon find them. "Hey!" he shouted.
Argorok craned his long neck back to look at him and narrowed his yellow eyes. "You survived. And you have a disgusting little shadow creature with you." This dragon sure had his opinions on shadow magic. "You have tested my patience. I will not let you live!" He whirled around and charged at the two of them with a roar.
Link was able to avoid the snapping jaws, and he saw that Midna had dodged by turning into a mass of shadows until the dragon had passed. He kept on running and stretched out his leathery wings to take to the air. There was a clanking sound to Link's right, and he saw the ball and chain held in Midna's magical hair. She nodded to him. Time to see if they could remove the the armor from the dragon like a shell from a boiled crab.
The dragon circled around and swooped down at them while vomiting fire, but he missed. The fire on the grass went out immediately in the downpour, which had turned into a proper storm. He turned and held out his wings, hovering in the air with water dripping from his vermilion scales and black armor, and Link now knew what he was doing. He quickly pulled out the enchanted Kokiri boomerang, planted his feet, and reacted. He didn't ask the fairy to do anything but simply willed the spell to happen and it did. A strong blast of air flew in front of him in a cone that he could see due to the rain, and Argorok was knocked back. The dragon struggled to right himself by awkwardly flapping his wings, since he had fell a few feet and was near the ground.
Midna used this opportunity to dart in close and whirl the heavy spiked ball in a circle, and sling it at the dragon. It connected with his flank, slamming into him and knocking one of the pieces of armor loose on one side, and the ones on his left wing entirely. Argorok staggered and fell to the ground with a crash. Link ran and vaulted himself into the air, Courage flashing briefly to give him just enough power to make the jump and land on the dragons' back.
He put the boomerang back in its holster and held on to a piece of armor with his right hand as the dragon stood, shaking water off itself like a dog. The beast ran a few steps and took off, his ascent even more cumbersome now that he had the added weight of a human on his back. Link wrapped his legs around the dragon's armored body as best he could and clung on.
He had kept his sword drawn after Midna had saved him, and now he set the point of the Master Sword underneath the piece of armor near the dragon's neck that she had loosened, placing the sword close to the rivets. He leveraged the sword and the piece of armor popped off and fell away. Argorok turned his head around on his long neck and fixed his yellow stare on Link. The dragon opened his mouth and the back of his throat lit up with a fiery light.
Midna was suddenly there, and she caught the chain in between the dragon's jaws like a bit on a horse. She planted her small feet just behind Argorok's head and pulled back with the metal ball held in her hair and the end of the chain, which was wrapped around her small arms and hands. The dragon thrashed his head back and forth, but he was unable to dislodge the imp. He was no longer focused on breathing fire at Link, and now his attention was on the infuriating creature riding on his head.
Link adjusted where he sat and moved down to the next segment of armor, and slid the Master Sword beneath it. He struggled and groaned as he tried and failed to remove it with his own strength, then used Courage. The rivets at either side popped off easily. Now he could see the edge of the black mirror shard embedded in the scales of the dragon's back, between the secondary shoulder blades. He almost fell off then, finding it difficult to hold on to the wet armor with his legs as the dragon dropped some in the air, struggling to fly with even more weight on its back. Link held on until Argorok had steadied, and then slid even farther down the dragon's back and past the flapping wings to wrap his legs around the armored waist. One more segment should do it.
Lightning crashed nearby, startling him. Being in the sky, holding a sword all while riding on a dragon wearing metal armor was probably the least safe place to be in the middle of a thunderstorm. It was time to finish this before the three of them got fried. He put the Master Sword beneath the next section of armor and Courage lit up on his hand as he used the strength to pry one side free, then the other. It fell to the main island below, since the dragon had started to circle out over the abandoned part of the city. The piece of the Mirror of Twilight was now fully exposed.
He knew that Midna was too busy riding around on the dragon's thrashing head to pull it out, so he decided to pry the shard loose instead. He slid the point of his sword beneath the piece of black glass and did his best to wiggle it loose. The dragon shivered in pain; the keen edge of the Master Sword cut through his scales despite Link's attempt to not hurt him. It was still far better than killing him.
The shard popped free and fell to the streets of the city below, its descent accompanied by a rumble of thunder. He hoped that the Oocca were nowhere near where it fell, but odds were that they wouldn't be out in a thunderstorm. The three of them started to descend as the dragon feebly flapped his wings, the sudden loss of the shard weakening him. The two of them clung to his back as he crashed to the ancient stones of a street with a painfully jarring impact. Argorok slid to a halt on the wet stones with a metallic screech, and then stopped moving. He lay there stunned for a moment, and then lifted his horned head to look around at the rain-soaked city, looking baffled as to why he was there.
Link sat there on the dragon's back, his wet hair clinging to his head and dripping over his eyes as he held tightly to a segment of armor with his right hand, while he still held onto the Master Sword with his left. "Argorok! Are you yourself?!" he called out over the sound of the wind and the rain.
The dragon turned his head to look at him with one yellow eye, then shut it and sighed. He nodded once and lowered his head and neck to rest them on the ground, a sign that he was no longer aggressive. Link climbed off his back and held his sword ready just in case, and carefully watched the dragon as Midna made the ball and chain disappear in a flash of black squares before darting away from the dragon. Argorok did not move and continued to lay on the ground submissively, his jaws now closed without the chain in between them. He kept his eyes shut and heaved another heavy sigh, most likely feeling remorseful just as both Yeta and Rusl had.
Midna turned to Link and shouted over the downpour. "Can you see the shard?!"
He understood what she meant, and looked around the wet streets while using his magic. It lay next to one of the many buildings, and he wouldn't have spotted it through the rain without using his ability. Link pointed and ran over to it, his feet squelching wet inside his leather boots. Midna followed him and picked the shard up with her hair when she finally could see it. She flashed her fanged teeth in a grin at him, and he found himself grinning back. They had done it. They had found all the pieces of the Mirror of Twilight. There was a flash of light and then a crack of thunder nearby, but the two of them still grinned like idiots at one another, feeling triumphant.
There was a shout nearby, and they turned to see Shad standing in the open doorway of a nearby building, beckoning them over with his hand. Link ran over and into the shelter of the building, and finally sheathed the Master Sword. He was completely soaked, and when he looked at Midna he could see that she was dripping wet as well. Shad looked like he had fared a bit better and was only damp, although he had pushed his glasses up on top of his head. They had fogged up again.
"Did you get it?" Ooccoo asked from near the man's hip. Her golden feathers were slightly damp.
"We got it." the Twili told her with a smug smile. "I'm not bringing it back out for you to see. The Mirror of Twilight is far more dangerous than I thought. It's better off I keep its pieces safely hidden away until I need them."
"I'm relieved." Shad's shoulders relaxed. He had looked tense when he had waved them over. "When I saw you get blown off the side, my heart just about stopped."
Link laughed weakly. "Yeah, mine too." He pushed his wet bangs out of his face, which were down to his mouth now that his hair was soaked. "I guess I need a haircut." He glanced around the building that they were in. It had a large front window that still held a few panes of glass, and a large doorway. It was difficult to tell what it used to be in the gloomy light coming through the window, but a rusted metal stove stood along the back wall. He shivered and wished that they could use the stove to heat the room. He was soaked to the skin, and it wasn't exactly warm up here in the sky.
"Hero." said a rumbling voice from the doorway.
Link turned and saw Argorok there, standing just outside in the driving rain. The dragon had his wings folded tightly and placed the tops of them on the ground like a bat. His posture was not aggressive, and his body was slunk low to the ground. If anything, he looked guilty. "I'm sorry I hurt you." Link told the dragon. "I was doing my best to get that shard out of your back, but I can't help how sharp the Master Sword is."
The dragon hung his head. "No, it is I who should apologize. I attempted to kill you and your comrades. I am ashamed."
"It's all right. The mirror shards corrupt whomever holds them. I made the mistake of picking one up, and I almost lost myself to it. If I didn't have the golden power, I probably would have become dangerous." That would have been a worse-case scenario. After seeing how powerful he had become, who would have been able to stop him if he fought without any restraint?
"Is that so?" Argorok raised his face to look at them through the open doorway, and lightning flashed somewhere nearby before a rumble of thunder was heard a few seconds later. "If the hero's soul can become corrupted, then this relic is a dark power indeed. I hope that you do not plan to use it for ill."
"No." Midna told him. "I'm going to re-assemble it so I can return to the Twilight Realm, which is my home. There are some things Link and I need to do there in order to help both the people of that world, and the people of this one."
"Ah, then that is admirable." Argorok took a tentative step forward and put his head through the doorway. "May I come in? I must ask you a favor, despite all that I have done. I understand if you refuse."
Shad looked nervous, but he stepped back to give the dragon room. Link did the same and waved the creature inside, and the large red dragon squeezed through the doorway, his armor scraping on the frame as he pushed his way in. The building was large enough for the four of them since it had been some kind of shop, or perhaps a restaurant. Argorok stood there calmly, dripping water on the floor in the same manner as Link and Midna. Link had read that while dragons were dangerous, not all of them were aggressive towards people. He had his suspicions that Argorok was that way, and it appeared that he was correct.
"I must tell you how I came to possess the shard." the dragon said, steam rising up from his hot body in the chilly building. "I am not normally a cruel dragon. I do not eat sentient things, and I try to leave the races of Hyrule alone. The Oocca accepted me as their friend and neighbor, and I have lived here for nearly a century." He folded his armored legs beneath him and lay on the stone floor, but he didn't look very comfortable due to the armor. "I was asleep, and when I woke I was surrounded. There were foul beasts of shadow that held me down, as well as a group of Aeralfos. I did not understand what they did at the time, but now I understand that they put the mirror shard on me. Then they attached this damnable armor to my scales. It was painful and I killed many of them, even though I sensed that the shadow monsters were once human. Only but a few of them escaped, and the Aeralfos did not." He gave a rueful sigh. "After that, I only remember hunger. Hunting. Killing and consuming the Oocca who had befriended and accepted me."
"It's all right." Ooccoo said in her kind, motherly way. "I saw another human pick up a shard for only a moment, and when he was under the influence of its magic, he attacked his own son." He was glad that she hadn't mentioned that human was his step-father. "Those corrupted by its power behave irrationally. Once I explain to my people what has happened, they'll understand."
"I do not deserve your forgiveness, but thank you." This apex predator that had nearly killed them was now calmly laying on the floor in the same room with them, and speaking in a civilized manner. It was surreal. He turned his horned head to look at Link. "Hero, here is my request, if you will hear it. You have great strength, and I loathe this armor that is stuck to me. Will you please remove it? It is fine if you hurt me. I will deal with the pain if it means I never have to wear it again."
It was a reasonable request, and he felt sorry for the young dragon who had been forced to wear the shard and the armor. "I'll see what I can do." Link stepped up to the dragon and examined the segmented plates that were riveted to his sides. The heat coming off of Argorok felt stronger now that they had been within an enclosed space for several minutes. The dragon had felt warm beneath his legs despite the rain, and now he felt even warmer out of it. He tentatively reached out to place his fingers on Argorok's red scales to see if he was too hot to touch. The dragon was hot, but not unbearably so. "I think I can just use my hands, so I won't hurt you with the sword anymore." Argorok turned his horned head to look at him with his yellow eyes, but said nothing.
Link reached out to grip one of the plates on the dragon's back and slid his fingers beneath the metal that had been warmed by the beast's body. Courage lit up on his hand, and he pulled straight out, yanking the rivet free while bending the metal slightly. Using that much force with his bare hands made his fingers ache a bit, but he could deal with it. He walked around to the other side and repeated the process, and tossed the heavy metal aside with one hand as if it weighed nothing.
He was careful and as gentle as he could be as he removed Argorok's armor piece by piece, and then threw the pieces to the side with his enhanced strength. Midna picked them up with her hair and hurled them outside into the rain in order to clear the floor as Link worked. Once the plates on his back were gone, Argorok rolled over and exposed his belly. If there was ever a sign that the dragon could be trusted, it was that. Link carefully removed the rest of the armor, and pried off the thick piece that was attached to the top of the dragon's head last.
The ran slackened and then turned into a misty drizzle as he worked, and the thunder gradually faded into the distance. He stepped back, still holding the black piece of metal that was just on the dragon's head seconds before. "There. I think that's everything. Hopefully I didn't hurt you too much."
"No, you did well. It was far less unpleasant than having it attached." Argorok sat up and scratched at his neck with one of his legs like a dog, and then gave a satisfied sigh. "Oh, finally. It is maddening to have an itch that you cannot scratch, and it can drive one to insanity if that itch lasts for days." He shook himself off in the manner that cats or dogs do, and stood while raising his head to his normal height. His silvery horns nearly touched the high ceiling, but Link didn't feel threatened. Even though the dragon loomed over him, he knew that they were safe in his company. "Hero, I can see why you are the mightiest among your people. Your strength is not only physical and magical, but your heart is strong as well. I believe that you can return things to the way they once were, before this ill dark magic infested our home."
"Thank you." Now he was getting praise from a dragon, of all things. He never could have guessed that this would ever happen in his lifetime. He looked down at the black metal he still held in his hands, the steel shaped to fit the skull of the dragon. Maybe he should keep it.
"I wish to return to my lair to rest. I doubt I can turn in this building without knocking you over, so I will ask that you all please exit so that I may do the same." The dragon patiently watched as they filed out of the building one at a time, his head following them as they went, and then he turned with his long tail scraping against the stone wall. He squeezed through the doorway with less difficulty now that his armor was gone, and followed the group out into the misty rain.
It felt much colder outside now that Link wasn't in the building next to the warm dragon. He was cold, hungry and tired. Still, his spirits were high. They could repair the Mirror of Twilight and finally confront Zant. He still needed time to rest, since he had used Courage often today, as well as did something with the wind fairy's boomerang. Perhaps another day in Kakariko was needed.
Perhaps. the Master Sword told him. You did use your Triforce fragment many times, but it appears that your body is quickly becoming acclimated to doing so. Master Link, you may not realize it, but your magical skills are rapidly growing. It is as if they were locked away until you began to use them. The Fairy of Winds was not the one who cast that spell on Argorok, it was you. You channeled your will through her, and summoned the wind yourself. If you are concerned about being rested before going to the Twilight Realm, do not worry. I will let you know if you are strong enough to go.
"Ah, so it is true. The sword does speak." Argorok said. "I had heard that it has a soul."
"Yeah, it tends to tell me important things. It was just talking to me about my magic right now." He squinted up at the rain. "I want to get out of this weather, and it's a bit of a walk back to the teleporter. I think this is where we part ways." He turned to the dragon. "Goodbye, Argorok. No hard feelings, and I'm glad you're free."
"Goodbye, Hero of Hyrule. I will remember you for centuries to come." The dragon bowed his head formally, ever polite. "If you ever have need, you may call on me for aid. I owe you for all you have done for me. Farewell." Argorok raised his head and fixed his intelligent yellow eyes on Link's, and the look in them was the same as it had been with all the others he had earned the respect of. Then the dragon turned and walked back through the ruined city to his island, his bright red scales standing out in the midst of the gray city.
Shad giggled deliriously while staring down the road to where Argorok had disappeared around a corner. "What in Hylia's name just happened? Have I gone mad?"
"I know how you feel. Every time I do something big, I feel like I've taken a sucker punch to the face." Link said, pushing his wet hair out of his eyes, where it kept falling. It felt as if he would never be dry again.
The other man's blue eyes were wide in awe as he continued to stare in the direction of the dragon's island. "I can't believe everything that has happened, and it's not just the Oocca." He turned back to face the young hero and looked at him as if only really seeing him for the first time. "You not only fought a dragon and survived, but you saved him. Then after that, you earned his respect and befriended him. Link, you have no idea how remarkable you are. I've listened to your incredible stories and had no choice but to believe them, but I had no clue how it would be to actually watch you overcome such unlikely odds."
His expression was slightly pained. "Come on, Shad...don't you start too. Every time I have a friend along for these little adventures, they start getting all starry-eyed in amazement over something I do."
"Forgive me for my little bit of hero worship. You're still the same man to me, and still my friend. Yet I'm reeling at the things that my friend can do, things I didn't know that he could accomplish. After all, I didn't know how you were going to do things up here, or how they would turn out." Shad said, shaking his head slightly.
"What, did you think that the guy who be befriended Darbus, Ralis and Hida wouldn't be able to get along with a dragon?" Link nudged the giddy scholar. "Why don't you have a little more faith in me, huh?"
Shad stared at him, not expecting a joke after all that had just happened, and then laughed in earnest.
It took about an hour or so for the group to walk to the teleporter and its island, and the hazy rain did not let up. It wasn't long before Shad was soaked too, and he put the flap of the satchel at his hip over Ooccoo's back in an attempt to keep the bird-woman dry. There were no Oocca outside as they passed through the city on their way back, so Midna continued to float next to them. She was just as soaked as Link was, so there was little point in her hiding in his shadow. Or perhaps she knew how little he appreciated her putting her cold shadows up against his skin, and was attempting to be respectful.
Once they had returned to the platform, Shad carefully took Ooccoo out of the bag slung over his shoulder and set her down. The bird-woman looked up at him with a quizzical expression on her strange human face. She had clearly expected him to see Link and Midna off, and then remain behind. "Aren't you going to stay?" she asked. "You're the Herald of the Heavens now. There is so much we can teach you."
"That information won't go stale. I know how to get here, and I certainly plan on returning before too long." He wiped at his wet face, no longer wearing his glasses on his head. He had decided to risk bumping into things since he couldn't see through his glasses anyway, so they were safely folded and stowed away. "There is more that I need to do in Hyrule first. I want to help Link in any way that I can. I've been working with Zelda for years to try to rebuild our home, and I want to see all our hard work come to fruition." He smiled down at the Oocca. "I'm sure you understand."
"Yes, absolutely. You're an important part of Hyrule's rebirth, and I wouldn't deny you that. Go and do want you need to do, my dear. We'll be waiting for you when you're done." She extended her clawed wings up towards him. "Now let me give you a kiss goodbye." Once he had knelt and picked her up, she put her hands on the sides of his head and kissed his cheek. "Goodbye, Shad. We will meet again before too long. I look forward to that day."
"Goodbye," the scholar said, and then he pronounced her Oocca name. That made her smile in response. "I will likely have more things to tell your people when I return." He gently set her back down. "Until then."
The bird-woman nodded, and then turned to Link and held out her claws out towards him. He set down the piece of dragon armor he had kept and carefully picked up the damp creature, this strange mixture of bird and human that knew far more about the Hylian race than the Hylians themselves. Ooccoo leaned up and kissed him on the cheek, just as she had with Shad. "Goodbye Link, Hero of Hyrule, and Hero of the Twilight. It has been an honor to meet and know you."
"Goodbye, Ooccoo. It might take some time, but I'll return here with Shad one day. There's a lot I need to tell your husband, once everything in Hyrule is set right." He smiled and set her down, then picked up the piece of black armor again. "Please take good care of Junior. He's a great kid."
She nodded, looking proud that the hero would compliment her son that way. Then the Oocca looked up at Midna and held her wings up to her with the hopes of kissing her goodbye. When the Twili didn't move, Ooccoo lowered her clawed hands and clasped them in front of her odd bird breasts. "Goodbye, Midna. I don't know what you have gone through in order to be here as you are today, but I hope everything in your life is set right. I've seen your true heart and I know what a kind soul you are, regardless of how you act at times. You deserve to be happy."
Midna stared down at the little bird woman with an unreadable expression, then alighted on the ground in front of her and gave her a hug. "Thank you." she said, emotion touching the edges of her voice. "Hearing that from you means a lot. Goodbye." She let the Oocca go and stepped back while looking saddened, and then joined with Link's shadows. She wanted to hide for now, and hide her emotions as well. Link gently put his hand to his chest to let her know that he understood, but didn't say anything.
The two men stepped onto the platform, and Link stopped with his hand halfway to the Dominion Rod. "You know what? You do this, Shad. You're need to know how to use it anyway." He stepped back from the relic to allow the other man to stand next to it.
Shad reached out to the Dominion Rod and put his hand on the narrow part of it to activate it. He was still looking at Ooocoo when the machine hummed to life, and they were surrounded by pale green light.
The light faded and they were standing in the teleportation chamber below Kakariko. Link put a hand to his wet head and wobbled slightly. "Ugh. Why? I'm learning all kinds of magic, yet this kind still makes me feel awful. What's the deal?"
"Don't you remember what Ooccoo said when we first got there? It has to do with a part in your head that's affected by balance." Midna said from within his shadows. "It's motion sickness. The way your body feels isn't matching up with what your eyes are seeing."
"That's stupid. Not your explanation, Midna; I mean what my body's doing." He took a few deep breaths, dripping water onto the platform. Feeling unsteady, he stepped down and walked towards the dark doorway that once held the golem owl.
"Link, can I speak to you before we're surrounded by people again?" Shad asked, still standing on the teleportation device.
He turned, wondering what Shad wanted. "What's up? Is everything okay?"
The young scholar put his hand over his mouth and chin and considered Link, giving him a rather uncomfortable stare. "Midna, would you be a dear and please go up into the Sanctuary so I can have a word with him?"
"You'd better not plan on talking about me behind my back." The Twili formed out of shadows next to Link. "I know where you sleep, and I also know where the Gerudo keep their face paints."
Shad laughed in response to that and ran a hand through his wet auburn hair. "No, it's nothing about you. It is something personal, so if you wouldn't mind…" He gestured at the doorway.
"All right, fine. You two have your little man-to-man talk." She glided through the air and into the dark space outside of the teleportation chamber, her aqua runes glowing. "I'll wait up there." Then she moved up and out of view, presumably going up the hole and into the Sanctuary.
"She may have been fine to hear it, since she is always with you, but I didn't want to say anything too personal in front of her." Shad said softly, stepping off the platform to come stand near Link. "Not personal for me, but personal for you." He paused and breathed a short sigh. "I have no idea how to not make this awkward, and I'm sorry. It's about Ilia. I know she sneaks into your room at night, and then goes back to her own room an hour or so before dawn."
Link gaped at him and felt his face turn hot. Great, so somebody did figure it out. He opened his mouth and shut it, not exactly sure how to explain that nothing happened when something did happen, but it wasn't anything major.
"I hear you two talking, so I know that usually it's innocent. Then I hear a lot of silence, and I know sometimes it's not.' The other young man crossed his arms and stared at the wall past Link. "Listen, I'm not trying to make you uncomfortable, especially since I've heard you're a bit of a prude. You should try to avoid doing anything stupid, if you get my meaning."
"We didn't...uh. We haven't done the act if that's what you're implying." Unsurprisingly, it was difficult for him to talk about to anyone other than Midna.
"I didn't think so, otherwise I would hear it." Shad smiled faintly. "I only sleep four or so hours a night, so I'm up reading quite a bit. But listen...you need to be careful. It isn't just her sneaking to be with you, either. Auren saw you."
"Auren saw me what?" He knew what Auren likely saw, but was going to play dumb.
"Don't be coy, Link. You're a terrible liar. She went to the orchard yesterday looking for you two, since she saw you go there. She and the other Gerudo thought that they would invite you to eat lunch with them instead of down in the inn. You know what you and Ilia were up to, and now so does Auren."
He groaned and put his free hand over his hot face, the other still holding onto the piece of armor. "That wasn't planned. I had wanted to speak to her alone about Kasuto and everything else she doesn't know about me and...things just kind of happened. It didn't go anywhere, honestly. I had the sense to stop." He produced another rueful groan. "I had no idea Auren knows." He moved his fingers to peer at Shad between them. "Wait...that means she told you."
Shad pulled out his glasses and examined them before putting them on. "She did, and she was in tears. Even though she knows that you and Ilia are a couple, seeing that broke her heart."
Link lowered his hand. "I doubt it actually broke her heart. That would mean that she actually had feelings for me and not the little crush she really has." Yet he remembered how she had behaved in Old Kakariko, and how she was in tears over the whole thing. Here she was in tears again, the woman that was a brave and strong warrior. "It has to be a little crush, since we've only known each other for a few weeks."
"Gerudo hearts move faster than ours do. Trust me when I say that the woman is in love with you, because she is. The way you fought with your rage because she was injured only made her feelings stronger." He sighed and pinched at the bridge of his nose. "She was so upset she couldn't even joke about things, which is not typical Auren. The other Gerudo don't know, since she knew how they would react, and it's none of their business. It's none of mine either, but I digress. I wanted to warn you to be careful, and by careful I mean don't do anything. I know that's not something you want to hear, but you're the Hero of Hyrule. People forget you're a young man who does the same kinds of things other young men do."
"I know. Hayes told me there's gossip about me around town, and some of it involves Ilia." He pushed his wet bangs back and out of his eyes again. The two of them were still dripping wet from their clothing and hair being so fully saturated with water, and were not drying off very much in the cool and damp ruins. "I imagined some of the things they'd call her if we actually did do anything, and that's what made me cautious. It's not just that either...I'm stupid and lack the restraint I normally have for other things."
"I understand. I was eighteen not all that long ago myself, and I remember how I behaved at the time. Well, maybe how I still behave. At times I feel like I'm still a kid who somehow fell into the life of a grown man." It was strange to hear Shad admit that, after Link admitted it himself. "But anyway, if you already plan on caution, then perhaps I didn't need to make the two of us feel awkward over this conversation."
"No, I'm glad you mentioned that you know some of what's going on, so I can use that when I talk to Ilia about it. Again. She's pretty frustrated and doesn't seem to understand what the big deal is." Link grunted sourly. "As much as I care about her, I know that she isn't terribly mature."
"She isn't, but you're more reasonable. That's why I'm talking to you about it, not her. Whether you mention the bit about Auren or not is up to you. After seeing how red your face was, I can only imagine how Ilia's will be." While Shad was a bit of a jerk when poking fun at them when they fell asleep in the orchard, now he was being more patient and understanding. It was as if his behavior when he woke the two of them days ago was just an act. The man seemed to be a very complex person.
"Well, thank you for the warning, advice...whatever that just was. I planned on talking to her already, but you didn't know that." Link sighed. "Now I don't know if I should talk to Auren about it or not. I hate to make her cry. I did that in Old Kakariko, since I accidentally used magic while singing with Ashei for her, and the result magnified how she felt about me. It was my fault, but Auren was very upset."
Shad raised an eyebrow. "You used a magic song, just like you did in the Temple of Time?" The man had no way of knowing that the same kind of song was used to keep Ashei calm when they were trapped. "I might want to learn more about that in the future, but for now I'm dripping wet and quite cold. Whether you speak to Auren or not is entirely your call, but you do need to speak to Ilia. And as her friend and yours, I really wanted to warn you before you made any mistakes. Remember how the people who aren't your close friends see you. In their minds, the hero is a paragon of strength and virtue, and because of that they're willing to follow you. They have faith in you, and that gives them strength. Don't jeopardize all of that." His words were almost the same ones Link had used to describe himself the night before when he spoke to Midna on the subject.
The young scholar patted him on the shoulder and walked out of the teleportation chamber into the gloom of the ruins beyond, leaving Link with far more to worry about than before.
