A Link to the Heart Chapter 12
The Gerudo came at him with a flurry of strikes, her twin scimitars slashing for his face. Link was forced to skip back, let they cleave his head in twain, and as he did so he deflected one away with his shield while thrusting with his sword. This Kinesha however moved like lightning, dropping her right arm to deflect his blow away as she pursued. Another blow came at Link and another but he countered each one as he retreated, blocking and denying every attack. In moments a dozen blows had been traded between the pair, yet not a drop of blood had been drawn.
Suddenly Kinesha relented, stepping back into a crouched stance as she held one Scimitar over her head and the other across her knees. Link kept his shield high and his sword close as his heart thundered in his ears. Such a furious exchange would test the stamina of the greatest Knights and usually resulted in one or the other being dead, the fact neither of them was yet slain meant this duel would not be over quickly. Link knew both of them were preserving their energy for the next attack and he stared at his foe, looking for a weakness.
Unfortunately Kinesha looked to be in her prime, she was strong enough to swing a sword and fast enough to dance around counter attacks. Like most Gerudo she scorned the heavy plate of Hylian Knights, favouring speed over strength. It was a style that favoured them, men had greater upper-body strength so usually assumed victory belonged to the biggest warrior, the Gerudo laughed at such notions and many a foolish fighter had died to their swift blades. Link had already seen Kinesha's speed and skill at play and learned she knew the point was to kill the foe, not bang up against their blade. Yet he suspected her style had evolved on horseback, she was a rider and he may have more practice fighting on foot. And he might just have an advantage she didn't.
Kinesha held perfectly still, her eyes looking him up and down as she hissed, "You're good."
"Flattery will win you no favours," Link hissed, playing for time as he reached deep within himself.
"Among the Gerudo a sister's glory is measured by the worthiness of her foes," Kinesha growled, "When I kill you my fame shall spread across the land."
Link knew she was stalling, as she looked for an opening, but he too was playing for time and he snapped, "You shall die for what you have done today."
As he talked he felt the last dregs of his magic stir. He was no mighty sorcerer, to draw power from the world, all he had was the magic in his body but it was enough. He sent the crumbs of his remaining energy into his sword, charging it with latent power. The energy built within the blade, enough to smash through Kinesha's defence and end this fight in one spinning attack. All he needed was a few more seconds to build his might and this would be over, but he wasn't going to get it.
Suddenly Kinesha's right leg bunched and Link saw she was about to strike. Sure enough an instant later she sprang high into the air, spinning with an undulating shriek as her blades whisked around her body. Link was forced to abandon his own strike, letting the last morsel of his power spill away as he moved to block the attack. He wouldn't win this one with magic. A blade came at his head and he hefted his shield overhead to deflect. The blow crashed off with a ringing impact that numbed his arm but it was only a feint. The other sword stabbed downwards, angling for his spine and Link was forced to throw himself forward, hitting the ground with his shoulder and rolling over. Mud clung to his shirt but he ignored it as he came up and spun about, weapons raised in readiness for the next strike. Kinesha however had landed hard, her knees buckling as she bowed low. Her momentum had been too great to shrug off and she needed a second to recover.
Link saw his opportunity and sprang forward, thrusting with the point of his sword. He stabbed straight for her heart, intending to skewer her on his blade but the Gerudo reacted with blinding speed. Her scimitars swept across her body, deflecting the blow to one side as she bounded back. Link wasn't about to let her go and gave pursuit, slashing and stabbing with his sword. He hacked and stabbed repeatedly, going high then low, then sweeping in from the side. Each attack had the full weight of his fury behind it, driven by his outrage and determination. He fought for the dead and for the sundered peace of Hyrule, seeking to end the one who had slain the helpless without mercy. This Gerudo had rampaged over good and innocent lives, indiscriminate as the most brutal monster, and his determination to end this filth grew and grew.
His world shrank to a pinprick. He saw not the burning buildings or the growing crowd of Gerudo, coming to witness their leader's duel. The noise of fighting did not reach his ears and the light of the fires served only to illuminate their duel. In his eyes there was only the flashing steel and the clash of sword on sword. Only he and the enemy existed, their dance of death consuming his attention. On he pressed, filled with ire and wroth, heart pounding in his chest with the need to end this monster once and for all. He poured it all into his sword arm, lending deadly force to his blows.
Sadly for all his fury he could not break through Kinesha's defence. She wove like a dancer, twisting her body from side to side and deflecting with her curved blades. She was every bit as good a fighter as Link and she seemed never to weary or make a mistake. She seemed to have as many feet as a spider and she wove an impenetrable web of steel before her. Her form was cool as ice, precise and balanced and for all his anger Link could not land a telling blow. All they could do was dance across the burning remnants of Lon Lon Ranch, their faces lit by firelight.
Suddenly a dark wall loomed out of nowhere, the side of a barn, and Kinesha found herself pinned with nowhere to go. Her dance of defiance was brought to halt as she ran out of space and one of Link's thrusts got through her web and slashed across her shoulder. Kinesha snarled in pain and anger but Link grinned as he realised he had found her weakness: in the open the Gerudo was ferocious, but she depended on having enough room to manoeuvre freely. She had trained in the open deserts and did not have any form suited for tight confines or cramped dungeons.
It seemed Kinesha saw this too for she sought to break out, desperately throwing her weight forward in an attempt to get clear. She was within the arc of Link's sword but he caught her mass upon his shield. The weight of the impact nearly bowled him over but he had height and weight on the woman and dug his feet in. The two wrestled for a heartbeat then Link threw her back into the wall with a cry of, "Hyargh!"
Kinesha's back slammed into the wall and an instant later Link's sword swung overhead, aiming to split her skull open. It was a good strike but at the last instant Kinesha got her scimitars up, forming an 'X' over her head, catching the blade in a vice. Link grunted as the blow was halted but he pressed downwards with all his strength, grinding her arms lower millimetre by millimetre. Kinesha grunted as she fought to hold his attack but Link's strength was greater and he pressed his advantage, seeking to finally end her. The blade was mere inches from her face and another effort would see him slay this monster once and for all.
Victory was close at hand but suddenly there was a scream from Malon. The world snapped back into focus and out of the corner of his eye Link saw an elderly woman on horseback, her hand blazing with power as she flung a fireball at him. Link had no choice but to throw himself back, desperately swinging his shield into the path of the bolt. The fireball struck the barrier and by all rights should have punched through, but this was no ordinary shield. Forged in a distant land, and claimed from the ruins of a dead civilisation at great cost, it was bound with ancient spells of protection and shelter. The mirrored surface took the bolt without harm and deflected it, sending it flying upwards into the sky where the flames spluttered out harmlessly.
Link had thwarted the attempt to stab him in the back, but he had other problems. Kinesha had rallied in his moment of distraction and threw herself at him, blades lashing out. Now it was Link desperately backpedalling, fighting to keep her at bay. He parried and blocked as fast as he was able but his limbs were growing heavy with exertion and his stamina was not limitless. A fast blade weaved through his defence, tearing across his bicep and another cut his thigh. His defence was faltering and he saw Kinesha grin as she closed, intending to finish him.
Link prepared to attack once more but then a great cry went up and shadows loomed out of the firelight. Kinesha paused her assault and Link could not help but look to the side. From the burning buildings came a crowd of Hylians, led by the surprising form of Ingo. They were battered and bruised, covered in soot and ash but they outnumbered the Gerudo twice over and in their hands were pitchforks, flensing knives and shears. They charged at the assembled Gerudo in a great wave, making up for their lack of discipline with their fervour. Suddenly the Gerudo were fleeing, spurring their horses to gallop away into the night before the tide of vengeful Hylians could rush them. A woman rode past, leading a spare horse by the reins and Kinesha leapt into the saddle with practised grace. She swung her leg over its back even as the horse galloped beyond Link's reach and the Gerudo disappeared into the darkness with a clatter of hooves. The last Link saw was her turning in the saddle to yell, "This isn't over!"
Link was left standing helplessly in the mud as he watched the Gerudo retreat. The day was won but he felt hollow. He had failed to kill the monster; she would surely retreat to lick her wounds and be back to plague the innocent another day. Never had his sword and shield felt so heavy and his legs trembled with fatigue as his heart hammered in his chest. He doubled over, wheezing for breath as the rush of the fight drained away, the debt he owed to his muscles catching up with him.
All around him Hylians waved their pitchforks in the air and jeered at the fleeing Gerudo. A few gave chase but Link knew it was pointless, they were gone. He pulled himself up with a weary sigh and turned to speak to Ingo but then he came up short as he saw what had happened behind him. In a circle of onlookers, Malon knelt in the mud and wept. Cradled in her lap was the head of Talon, her father pale and breathing rapidly as his eyes fluttered. Sticking out of his back was a sundered glaive and one look told Link it had sunk deeply into his body, the pool of spreading blood testament to the fatality of the wound.
Malon looked up at Link with tears streaming down her face and pleaded, "Please help… magic… there has to be some magic to help him." Link couldn't answer, he knew the rules of magic too well. Healing magic could cure diseases, remove poisons and restore grave injuries but it could not reverse death. Talon was too far gone and not even a Lesser Fairy could prise him from death's grip. The Gods were not so kind as to bring the dead back to life and those who sought to defy them would be doomed to become wandering monsters.
Link dropped his weapons as he knelt next to Talon and took a cold hand in his own. His throat was dry but he managed to wheeze, "I'm sorry… there's nothing I can do."
Malon's face crumpled as she wept, "No… no…"
Link couldn't answer her but Talon's fingers fluttered as he gasped, "Malon…"
"Father?!" Malon cried in desperation, "Please Link, do something!"
Link could only whisper, "I'm sorry, there's nothing that can save him."
"No!" Malon cried in dismay, "Please Goddesses no!"
Talon's last moments were at hand but he found the strength to whisper, "Malon…"
"Father?!" Malon yelped in desperation.
Talon wheezed, "Live… promise me you'll… Link you… protect… swear…"
Link lowered his head and swore, "I'll protect her, I swear it to you. I'll make sure Malon gets to safety."
Malon's voice was filled with sorrow as she wept, "Father, no. Please no!"
But Talon's eyes were no longer looking at this world. His spirit was releasing its hold on this world, passing into realms undreamt. His hand grew limp and fell away as he breathed his last word, "Lyna…" Then he was gone.
Link's head dropped in lament as the old man died and the surrounding ranch hands bowed their heads in respect. Malon's head was low and red hair hung over her face as she sobbed, cheeks wet with tears as she mourned her father's passing. She cradled his head and tearfully closed his eyes, stroking his cheek as if he was only sleeping. Link had no words to comfort her, he could only place his arm around her shoulders, feeling how utterly inadequate the gesture was to ease her grief. He wished he could say something to make it better but there was nothing he could do, save hold his friend as she wept. So they mourned the passing of Talon, as Lon Lon ranch burned to the ground around them.
