Chapter Eight

"It's about time you woke up…" Vonndrake murmured to the waking princess. She felt terribly groggy. Had the brute drugged her with something? Zelda tried to move, but found her hands bound behind her back. Ankles too were bound, and the rope bit into her flesh.

Vonndrake had carried her off into a secluded tent outside of Hyrule's boundaries. Judging by the soil type around these parts, she was able to determine that they were several miles away, where exactly?

"Sick bastard…"Zelda hissed. "You're no different from the others. Everyone wants to fulfil their twisted desires to rule Hyrule…how boring." The black garbed man began to chuckle.

"Yes it may seem boring, however I am quite different. Did the previous wanna-be-rulers-of-Hyrule ever consider enslavement?" He looked at her lazily and smiled when her mouth gaped.

"That's sickening. What gives you the right to turn people into slaves?" Zelda questioned. Again the man chuckled. "Damn it! Stop laughing!! These are people's lives you're toying with!" Vonndrake backhanded her, leaving a red mark against her cheek. Zelda hissed between her teeth and stared at him with malice.

"I'm Hyrule's future leader and I do what seems fit," Vonndrake murmured.

"And what about me? Why are you still holding me captive? Are you going to rape me?" the princess sneered. Vonndrake grinned. He held her chin up to his face.

"Oh no. As for you my dear I have bigger plans. I'm not letting you out of the picture just yet…" he said, his eyes plunging deep into her soul. Zelda didn't like the sound of that one bit. She wanted to ask…demand why, but Vonndrake pressed his index finger against her lips. "Hush child…in time you'll see."

"Wait, do you have a second?" someone called out. Link turned his head in the general direction and found a black haired girl looking dead at him with red eyes. Really red eyes…they resembled windows into hell. Regardless, she looked rather shy. "Please? I just want to talk to you for a bit…" Link didn't want to stay. He was needed at the castle, yet he figured he could delay for a while. The path he had chosen through the Lost Woods wouldn't take that long to the castle, no more than five minutes at the most...

"Alright then," he said nicely and came to sit next to her. The girl's face brightened up immediately. "What are you doing here all alone?" She looked away, saddened.

"It's my father. He's so obsessed with acquiring new land…I couldn't stand it so I'm just taking a break from him. He always pressurises me to continue on our heritage and so forth," she said, and then blushed. "I'm sorry. I must have rambled for too long. My name is Nisih."

"Nice name," Link smiled and that made her heart pick up. She couldn't help smiling back. "It's not from these parts is it?" Nisih shook her head.

"You're right. I'm not from Hyrule. I'm from a kingdom called Sadaen," she explained. Link twisted his mouth to one side. 'Sadaen, the cursed land?' he wondered. 'It's a land nothing more than an old wife's tale. Could she be mistaken?' Link's thinking was broken when Nisih rested her head against his shoulder.

"As long as you're here I don't have a reason to go back," she murmured, looking him in the eye. Link sighed and rose up. "Where are you going?" He gave her a small smile.

"It was nice meeting you Nisih," he said. "But I am very much needed. I have to go." The girl bit her bottom lip, shook her head and took hold of his arm.

"No you can't leave me! Not now…" she pleaded. Link gently eased her grip off his arm.

"I'm sorry. But I have to go. Princess Zelda needs me," he expounded. The name caused an ill reaction in Nisih. If only Link knew the pain the princess had caused her. Zelda was a barrier, an obstacle, always preventing Nisih from seeing Link. . 'Zelda…that bitch'.  Her whole frame began to tremble, her red eyes blazed with anger. "Are you okay?"

"Fuck her!" she roared and her flesh began to shed. Link's face twisted with disgust as the girl transformed into something monstrous. Black fur covered her; claws replaced fingernails, oversized fangs gnashed. Link immediately recognised the creature. 'A werewolf…so she must be from Sadaen…' Howling, the beast knocked him over and pinned him down at the chest. The impact bruised his ribs. Link pushed upwards, but it did no good. The werewolf weighed at least five hundred pounds, and her strength was overwhelming. He stared up into the beast's dark face.

"You're mine now Link. It's inevitable," she growled, fangs inches away from his throat. 'How is she able to talk?' he wondered. 'Damn what am I thinking? She's going to kill me!' Grinning, Nisih began to froth at the mouth. The secretion was tainted with blood. "You see this Link? This is how we werewolves curse a victim, through blood contact. Thankfully I am blessed with such ability. Not all of us are gifted with this."

"Don't do this Nisih! Cursing me will not make me fall head over heels with you…there's an alternative to everything!" Link shouted, still trying to push the beast off. Nisih grinned.

"There isn't one in this case unfortunately. Zelda will disown you with my blood in your veins. Besides, Hylians hate our kind…and you'll find that out first hand." Link screamed as her fangs plunged into the flesh between his neck and shoulder. 'What have you done...' His body suddenly succumbed to nausea; his strength began to drain. His struggling limbs flopped to the ground. Nisih bit down harder and crooned when she tasted his blood. "You're of my kin now Link. There isn't a solution in your world. We're the only ones who know of one…"

"No…Nisih…no…"

"No!" Link screamed, instinctively grasping the neck of the person looming above him. His eyes opened, soaking in the environment around him. The forest was gone; there was no scent of blood or any sight of the black wolf. 'A dream?'  He was in a barn and lying down on a flat bed. A stack of hay was in one corner and the redolence of farm animals stank up the place.

"It's nice to see you awake Link…but can you do me a favour and let go? You're kinda cutting of my air supply," a badly recognisable voice said. He saw the farm girl's face immediately. Gingerly he released his vicelike grip. Malon rubbed her neck before saying more. "Dang Link that hurt…" Regardless she smiled.

"How…how did I get here?" Link questioned her, baffled. The girl put her index finger on her chin, thinking.

"Um, well Epona found you lying unconscious in the battle field, amid some other bodies. She could sense your helplessness and managed to carry you back to the ranch. If it were not for her you would have perished with that arrow in your neck," Malon expounded and gave him another smile. "But you're okay now! She found you in time and I nursed you back to health." Link's fingers touch his bandaged neck. Damn that Paer. He was responsible for his near brush with death. The bastard had ordered those two werewolves to attack his weakened state, and it took him everything to evade their strikes. Thankfully they grew bored, claiming that they would return and continue their 'little' fight.

Link attempted to sit up but Malon prevented him from doing so. Firmly she pushed him back down.

"You can't go anywhere just yet. You're still not healed," she explained. Link pushed her aside.

"I'm fine," he said in a low tone and got onto his feet. Malon frowned.

"You're not healed. Moving around will make your injuries worse," she scolded, wagging a finger in front of his face. "Besides, where do you think you're going looking like that?" Link stifled a growl. Maybe she was right. He could still feel the wounds in his flesh; yes werewolf bites hurt like hell, much worse than a wolfos bite…

Reluctantly he complied and lay back down. "You wait here and I'll fix up some food. You look well enough to eat."

"Wait Malon. Did you by any chance see any other survivors?" he asked. She shook her head no.

"I haven't been out since the battle. A bunch of creeps were trying to take us away but some boy helped us out. I believe any other person wondering around met the same fate," Malon sighed and opened the barn's door. A warm draft of air entered the room. "It's really sad." Link was left in silence. Why had this war taken place? Who was responsible for it? He was still angry over the fact that the others had kept it a secret from him. He could have saved them from their foolish mistakes…

"Hi I'm back. Hope I wasn't gone too long…" Malon said in a happy manner. "Sorry about this but our food reserves got broken into, and the thugs took all the best stuff. I'm afraid this is what we have for now." She had a bowl that seemed full of soup. Link realised how famished he was. It had been ages since he'd eaten; usually he would forgo eating any normal food and had, somewhat, turned to eat forest creatures instead. Yes it seemed feral, but he had no other choice. It was either that or Hylian flesh, there wasn't a way around it.

"Thank you," he murmured and took the bowl from her. He sighed heavily when he looked down into the brown liquid. Its very look made him feel sick. Malon immediately noticed his nauseated expression.

"You don't have to eat it if you don't want to…" she said quietly. Link groaned and lowered his head, ashamed. 'I don't want to offend her…but I can't explain my reluctance to eat either.' Malon took the bowl from him and laid it to rest on a makeshift table. "Have it later, maybe I suggested food to soon."

"I'm sorry…it's just that…" No. He couldn't say it. He was afraid of losing her trust. He'd seen that hateful look in just too many people's eyes. And to see that look in Malon's eyes…

"It's okay. Gosh Link, no need to beat yourself up for it. It's just freaking soup. My dad will be too happy to eat this," the girl said. She made for the door but paused. "I'll see you in the morning okay? Get some rest." Link didn't bother looking at her.

"I will Malon," he murmured.