A Link to the Heart Chapter 33

A whirling dervish of blades came at him, flying steel blurring across his vision. Kinesha's assault was a deadly ballet of sweeping strikes and flashing edges, graceful, swift and utterly lethal. She tore through the air like a hurricane, bounding from side to side with mighty leaps as her twin scimitars wove through the air. She was beautiful to behold, performing a dazzling dance that Link could hardly match.

Link frantically fended her off as best he could, blocking with his shield and sword. Strikes came from high and low simultaneously and he was forced to jump lest he have his legs cut out from under him. He was fighting to his utmost but was keenly aware that the balance was slipping against him. On his best day he and Kinesha had been evenly matched, but now he was weary and wounded. His desperate sprint, the frantic fighting, his still bleeding wounds and the nagging void in his soul where his magic had dwelled was slowing him down. He was exhausted and weary and kept on his feet purely by adrenaline.

Around him the village burned, houses collapsing into themselves as fires raged. He heard fighting as the last of the Gerudo duelled with Jortan and Malon was shouting something, but he had no time to look. The duel consumed his whole attention, demanding every last morsel of strength he had left in him. One mistake and he was a dead man.

Kinesha grinned as her blades drew nearer and near to his skin, each strike aiming to slice him apart. Link saw the triumph on her face and he knew he couldn't win by fighting defensively. His only chance was to attack. His shield rebuffed a blow meant to take his scalp off and then he threw caution to the wind and barrelled forward. The other sword came within an inch of his neck as he crashed into her, throwing Kinesha back with his mass. The Gerudo was forced back a step and Link pursued, his sword slicing over her arm. He pressed his attack with everything he had left, tearing and slicing at her arms and legs. His blade was fast and strong but the Gerudo moved like a serpent, slick and deceitful. She evaded every killing stroke, taking no more than minor injuries, and Link hissed in frustration. Then her swords beat his blade away and he staggered back in exhaustion, feeling his limbs faltering as his strength ran out.

He had never felt more weary and cold, his muscles seizing with cramps as the rush of combat took its toll. His endurance was not that of the Gods, he was only mortal and he had passed his limits long ago. Only stubborn defiance kept him on his feet as he stalled for time, "You... can't beat me."

Kinesha grinned as she held her scimitars high and low and needled, "You're slowing down, I have you now."

"Never," Link hissed playing for time, "I've beaten worse monsters than you can imagine."

"Not in this condition," Kinesha crowed, "You shall die and the liberation of the Gerudo will be at hand. Freedom from tears, and sorrow and fear itself!"

"You…" Link wheezed but too late saw she had been deceiving him. As they talked her weight had been shifting onto her back leg, preparing to pounce. Suddenly Kinesha exploded into motion, bounding high as she whirled about and brought her blades slashing around. Link saw the move too late and desperately tried to get his sword and shield up to block. His sword deflected one strike but his other arm was too slow and a blade slipped past his shield, tearing a deep wound into his arm.

Link yelled in agony as his right arm went limp and he began bleeding profusely. He staggered from the blow and then Kinesha's feet struck the ground and she leapt at him. A blur of silver light darted past his guard and suddenly her scimitar tore into his left side. Skin and bone parted as Link bellowed in pain. His side felt like it had been rent asunder and blood flowed freely from Link's flank, gushing out from the terrible wound, slick blood painting his left leg the dark hue of vital fluid. It was a fearsome blow and Link staggered as he realised he was going to bleed out, slowly and painfully, but without a doubt his life was measured in minutes.

He doubled over in pain and Kinesha shrieked wildly as she raised her scimitar high and brought it down in a vicious sweep across his face. Link screamed as the sword's edge carved across his head, slicing from his right temple, across his brow and eyeball to tear a deep and terrible wound all the way down to his cheekbone. Link felt his face light up in agony and knew only pain as his right eye was reduced to ruins. Then a kick to his chest sent him stumbling backwards, tripping over his own feet as he toppled over like a drunk.

Link fell to the ground as searing pain ate at his head. He could feel nothing but raw agony clawing through his face, tearing his skin and setting a fire through his cheek. Blood poured from his brow, clogging his right eye and he could not see anything out of that side. He feared he had lost the use of that eye forever, left half-blind, yet that was the least of his worries. His head was swirling from blood loss and his limbs were leaden weights, coldness sapping what little strength he had left. His side wept blood freely and his right arm could barely move. He was only holding onto his sword through reflex, but he had no energy left to lift it. Link was done, the fight was over and he had lost.

He heard a desperate cry and pale hands grabbed his fallen form as Malon cried, "Link, no!"

Link battered feebly at her as he gasped, "No… Malon run… run."

But was too late to escape. He heard the sound of Kinesha stalking closer, coming to finish the duel by claiming his head. Link knew he had no chance of fending her off, but he refused to die on his knees. With the last of his energy he forced his elbows down and heaved himself half-upright. Malon's hands grabbed him and helped him to his feet. He was glad for her assistance, though with all his heart he wished she had listened to him and run away. He knew the Gerudo would show no mercy or exception. They were about to die together.

Link swayed like a drunk, as he staggered, leaning on Malon far more than he should be. His head was reeling and the vision in his left eye was going purple, out of the right he could see nothing. He knew he was on the verge of passing out but he could still see his foe closing. Kinesha stalked ever closer. She was bleeding from vicious wounds on her body yet she was still walking upright and held both scimitars in firm grips. Her eyes were pitiless and she had more than enough vitality left to finish this fight. She let slip no trace of mercy as she sneered, "How sweet… you can die in each other's arms."

Malon tugged at Link as she pleaded, "What do we do?!"

Link could say nothing to reassure her, he was defeated and all he could muster was a pathetic, "Close your eyes and don't look. I'm sorry Malon, I failed you."

Malon scrunched up her eyes and pressed against him, her fingers slipping into his right hand as she whispered, "Goodbye... I love you."

It was the words of a final farewell but as her fingers touched his Link felt a jolt of lightning run through him. Red-hot spears of energy shot up his arm and plunged into his chest, making his head snap up in shock. His skin crackled with potential and lightning coursed along his nerves, shocking him from the tips of his toes to the roots of his hair. His heart thundered and vital power filled him, the unmistakable tang of magic: Malon's magic. The girl had done more than mutter a feeble sentiment, she had bared her very soul unto him and in doing so had exposed the magic reservoir hidden in her body.

All the mystical force she had absorbed over a lifetime was opened unto Link: raw, wild and rampant energy and he grabbed onto it with every fibre of his being. Link drank deep of the magic in her soul, sucking in every last morsel of power. He was wanton and ungentle in his hunger, devouring all Malon had to give and leaving her drained to the core. The girl let out a sharp gasp as she stumbled to the ground but Link had no time to check on her. Magic flowed in his veins, lending him stolen strength and vitality. His muscles swelled and his heart beat like he had downed a mystical cure-all potion, spurring him into action.

Time slowed as he flung himself at Kinesha, weapon rising in a roundhouse blow. Kinesha's eyes widened in shock at this unexpected charge and she lifted one Scimitar to block. With the merest blip of thought Link sent a pulse of stolen magic down his arm into his blade and the sword erupted with a fiery red corona, rending energies crackling along the edges like liquid fire. The magic-imbued metal met Gerudo steel and shattered it with ease, cleaving through the length of the scimitar like it was made of parchment. Link crashed bodily into her, throwing his weight against her as he snarled, "Gagh!"

Kinesha gasped in shock as she threw herself back, slicing diagonally upward with her remaining scimitar. Link swung right, blocking the attack and as they touched the other blade snapped in two, rent apart by crackling magic. Kinesha was dumbfounded and she staggered back, holding the broken lengths of her swords before her eyes as she spluttered, "How did you..."

But Link gave her no respite. With magic thrumming through his veins he pulled his arm back and then drove his sword straight into her belly, ramming the sword right through her with a cry of "Hyragh!"

Silence fell as Kinesha staggered back, blood pouring down her front. Link let go of the sword, feeling the vital rush of magic draining from him. The Gerudo looked down at the length of metal buried in her abdomen and her hands slowly rose to grasp the hilt. She looked like she wanted to wrench it out, but her palms were too slick and she slowly slipped to her knees as her lifeblood poured out. Her head rose and a look of disbelief crept over her face as she whispered, "But… all we wanted… was… to…" Then she toppled to the ground and spoke no more.

Kinesha was dead but Link was in no condition to celebrate. Link slumped to the ground and rolled over, coming to lie on his back with his blood-soaked face to the sky. He felt the magic leeching from him, spilling out along with his lifeblood. His wounds were many and he knew all too well what they heralded. He had taken too many injuries and lost too much blood. His limbs were going cold and his vision was darkening as his heartbeat slowed in his ears. The cold hand of death was coming for him and he could not fight it anymore.

There was a flurry of motion as Malon staggered over to him, teetering like a toddler as she tried to adapt to having all the magic sucked out of her body. She almost fell upon Link as she grabbed his head and shouted, "Link! Are you alive?!"

Link reached up with a cold hand and numbly touched her wrist and whispered, "Malon…"

Malon shouted frantically, "Stay with me! Link don't you let go! Tarren, Jortan do something!"

A faint voice called back, "Hold on, I'm coming!"

Link knew there was nothing they could do and breathed, "It's.. too late. Fatal wound… no magic can…"

"Shut up!" Malon yelled tearfully, "You're not going to die now. You hear me, don't die!"

There was a stomping noise as the Knights rushed to his side and a male voice growled, "Hold on, don't quit on us."

Link spared no time for them, his one good eye fixed on Malon as he gasped, "Don't cry… I saved you…"

"Link," Malon gasped, "I can't lose you again.."

"I…" Link murmured, "I chose this fate, I chose you."

Malon frowned deeply as she said, "Errr... Link?"

Link however continued speaking, "I thought I had no choice, but I did. I always did."

"Link," Malon said in vexation.

Link explained, "I didn't see it until it was almost too late, but when I finally did you were all…"

"Link!" Malon snapped, "Stop talking and look at yourself!"

Link's head rose and with his one good eye he saw the wondrous sight of a Lesser Fairy working on his injuries. The tiny magical creature was fluttering over the rent in his side, filling his wound with healing magic. Even as he watched the blood stopped flowing and the rent closed, skin pulling taut over the gap. His other wounds closed as the fairy made good the injuries, restoring his body in moments. His right eye remained blinded but he was in no position to complain. Even as he watched the Fairy poured out the last of its energy, expending its life force to fulfil the purpose it had been made for. The last of it to evaporate was the wings, dissolving into tiny pink motes that burrowed into his body and rejuvenated his aching frame.

Link tried to sit up in wonder but was still too weak so he flopped back onto the ground as he wheezed, "Where did you find that?"

Jortan's face loomed into his line of sight, waving an empty jar in the air as he said, "There's a big store of them that got broken open. They spilled everywhere."

Link frowned from his prone position as he exclaimed, "But my wound, it was fatal. I was dying."

"You were probably dying," Jortan replied, "You weren't certainly dying. That's enough wiggle room for the healing magic to work."

Link breathed in wonder, "I'm... going to live?"

"Oh, you are an idiot," Malon snorted affectionately, "But you're my idiot."

With that the ranch girl flung herself onto him, holding him tight as if she would never let go. Link's nose was filled with her thicket of red hair and his wounds ached in protest at her weight, but he wouldn't have objected for a mountain of rupees. He simply placed his arms around Malon, letting himself sink into her embrace as the scent of spring enveloped him. So he flopped back, luxuriating in the joy of being alive.