Typical Crisis
Link stumbled and landed on the cold hard floor. His head pounded with pain. He didn't even notice the person standing in front of him.
When he opened his eyes, a figure came into focus. He saw HER again. This time she stared him straight in the eyes as if she were debating something. Link suddenly remembered that he was being searched for.
His eyes widened. He leaped up and tore down the hall away from her. Link knew he was not fast but all he had to do was get to the lockup.
(I am so close, I can't get caught now)
He was determined to get to that room before the sheikah figured out where he was going. He could hear her feet pounding after him, he didn't dare look back. As he grew tired from running, he wasn't even sure where the lockup was.
Looking at the map would only slow him down, but he dared a glance. Everything in his mind was becoming a blur, he couldn't run forever.
Without warning Zelda grabbed his left arm. He whipped around and tried to claw at her, but she only held harder.
(How the he- )
"Please, your highness let's not make this more difficult" Zelda dully spoke.
She didn't wait for an answer, as she made her way up the hall forcing Link along.
"You can't treat me this way! I am the Prince after all!" he scolded.
"Well excuse me your highness, but you have caused quite a ruckus and worried the Queen. So, I suggest that you sit tight and cooperate" she shot back.
(Wow, she is she is mouthy)
He didn't say anything else, until they rounded the corner.
"Please, I just-please let me go. That's all I am asking." Link pleaded.
"That's a lot to ask" Zelda commented.
She continued walking and Link was becoming angry by the minute.
"I order you to let me go" Link demanded.
The echoing of footsteps stopped. Zelda turned towards him but didn't speak. She faced down the hall, stomping her foot in frustration. She sighed deeply and then glared at him.
"Fine!" she snarled at him.
She loosened her grip on his arm as she put it at her side, it curled into a fist. Then she looked up at him suddenly
"I meant- I meant... yes of course your highness. My apologizes for acting so disrespectful" she hastily added.
Link didn't realize he had his face screwed up in confusion at her behavior until she said this. His surprise faded into arrogance as he rolled his eyes at her.
"Good enough but I will be speaking to my mother about this" he huffed.
He gulped, no his mother would not punish her for this since he himself disrespected his own mother! Link didn't dare look back at Zelda, she would most likely be trying to conceal a laugh or was she?
Then he heard the boots that were just next to him, trail off. He whipped around, seeing Zelda walking away down the hall.
"Where are you going?" Link called out.
She stopped in her trail and peered around at him, furrowing her brows.
"Why would you want to know, your highness" Zelda replied.
"Uh, um I don't really want to go alone" Link stammered.
She raised her eyebrows at him, "but you just told me-" Zelda started.
"Well, I changed my mind" he huffed "I order you to escort me to the location I wish to go to."
Link realized his decision to rush off alone was rash and impulsive. Link realized he'd feel better with an armed warrior at his side should something go wrong.
He gulped as she gave him a puzzled look. She sighed deeply again.
"I cannot disobey orders. Wait I can't let you wander free" she trailed off "No I must take you back to the Queen, its her orders. Now Prince Link please come with me" she demanded.
"No, I am telling you to belay her orders. You have to escort me no matter what." Link spat.
"As you wish, your highness" Zelda snarled without a thought.
When he waited for an apology for her attitude, it didn't come. He huffed in annoyance. He knew it was stupid and that he was jeopardizing her knighthood in ordering her to escort him, he didn't care. Turning on his heel, he heard her groan behind him, but ignored it.
"Where are we going your highness?" Zelda quired
"You'll see" Link replied as he looked back at her.
She bared her teeth and had her fists clenched tightly at her sides. Link looked back and was starting to regret his decision to ask her to escort him. She seemed to be restraining herself from murdering him. A worried expression appeared on his face.
Nearing the end of the hall right where the lockup began, he looked down at the map. He motioned for Zelda to stop walking. he could feel her peering over his shoulder at the map. His finger ran along the passage in the map that they had been walking through.
His finger reached the secret room on the map. It was at this wall that was in front of him. He stuffed the map into his pocket, turning to the wall.
Zelda didn't say a single word. He glanced back at her again. She seemed to be studying the wall. Her eye was twitching violently.
"Zelda?" Link spoke. When she didn't answer. He yelled "Zelda!"
She shook her head and look at him.
"Oh, sorry I just noticed- well your highness, I have a bad feeling about this. Maybe you should have other guards come here in case of emergency." Zelda shuddered.
Link began to feel confused as he looked at her, the wall and back at her.
"What do you mean? There is no way in Hyrule I am going to call the guards. They're going to take me back to be scolded! That's the stupidest idea I have ever heard!" Link fumed.
"Your highness, I seriously believe there is something not right here. Where did you find the paper?" Zelda demanded.
"I found it in an old folklore book as a matter of fact!" he argued.
"Give me it!" Zelda growled.
"No and you have no right to talk to me that way! I suggest you keep your mouth shut until I figure out how to open this!" Link scolded.
He mumbled to himself angrily. Zelda's eyes flashed with fury. He ignored her. As he scanned the map again, scrutinizing the tiny words.
Link gulped and looked over at Zelda, who was shaking her head. Link rolled his eyes as he turned back to the words.
He exhaled and began reading it aloud. "Ostende faciem tuam et daemonium tenebris. An vereris omnes a subito, ut dignum faciem meam. Ite nunc oportet nos certare usque ad mortem".
As he was reading aloud, Zelda was staring at the wall as if it was going to jump at her. She was now clutching her left hand as it twitched violently. He felt she was overreacting and continued reading. As he spoke the last word, nothing happened.
He scoffed and turned to her "See nothing even happened, perfectly sa-".
Rumbling from behind him proved him wrong. Swirling black and red smoke crept out of the cracks in the walls. It snaked like a growing vine as it ran across the stones. It weaved around the center creating an oozing red and black door.
The door became solid as the residue from oozing red and black spilled onto the floor. The wall was dripping with this substance and the door began to pulse like a heartbeat.
"No...stop Prince Link, we can't go in there. Please get other guards or sheikah researchers! It isn't safe, only a fool would go in there!" Zelda yelled.
"Well, I'm no fool, and I am going to go in there. Getting other people is out the question." He scoffed.
"Then dismiss me your highness, for I do not want to be possibly killed or be held responsible if you die in there." she demanded.
"No, I am not dismissing you, I am not going to die you idiot." Link snapped.
He stared down at the ooze that was moving across the floor towards them. Link gulped as he carefully placed his boot down on the muck to move towards the door.
Pain streaked up his leg as the ooze started to crawl up his boot. Link let out a bloodcurdling shriek and stepped back immediately clawing at his boot in panic. As he tried to claw at it his hand touched the substance and he screamed again.
Streaming tears spilled like a waterfall down his cheeks. Zelda quickly and smoothly ripped the boot off his foot with her left hand. She threw it into the muck and the substance consumed the boot. It disappeared into the sinister scene.
Link held his heart as he began to hyperventilate. Zelda's face was a ghostly white as she stared at the muck and furrowed her eyebrows as if she were thinking deeply about something. She held her left hand with her right, she looked down at it, then at the black muck and then back at Link.
As soon as Link calmed down and was able to breath steady again, his hand touched his face. He wasn't aware he had been crying until he felt the tears. Link quickly started to rub his eyes attempting to get rid of the evidence.
(A prince is never to cry, Stupid Link. You can't cry in front of a mere guard!)
"Prince Link, I suggest we go back to safety. This thing has injured you. The hospital should examine it before you do anything else." Zelda suggested.
"No, we are not going back", Link spat. Zelda turned in his direction and stared at him "I must explore it before the sheikah get here and claim my discover!" Link insisted.
"Prince Link, it's clearly unsafe. Stop it! You're mad if you try again!" Zelda pleaded.
"I am not mad!" Link protested. Then he thought of when Zelda had grabbed his boot it was almost completely infested with that muck.
(Why didn't she injure herself? Was she immune to it? Wait...)
"Why weren't you injured when touching that muck on my boot? You took it off. Why aren't you hurting like me!" Link yelled as he pointed at the black substance.
"I don't know..." Zelda mumbled looking down at the oozing muck.
As Link tried to get up, he fell over onto his knees. His foot burned in anguish when he applied pressure. He sat back against the wall and rolled up his pant leg, to his knee.
Link winced at the sight. The wound was swollen up with a nasty shade of red. The more concerning part was that little spots of the muck were littered around his foot. It did not fully cover his foot, but it looked like sprinkles and specks.
Link was determined to carry on, though a part of him nagged him that he should not continue. It was as if his injury only convinced him he had to complete his uncovering of this room, with Zelda as his only backup.
He exhaled deeply but felt determined. As he slowly got up, he applied pressure only onto his uninjured foot. Link gripped the stone wall for support as he turned to Zelda. He decided that if Zelda was not affected by the muck then she could cross it with ease. If she completed that he would take it from there.
"I need you to get me to that door," Link ordered as he glared at her.
"Prince Link, you're mad if you are telling me to endanger my life! I am not doing it!" Zelda yelled.
"That's an order" Link stated.
Zelda's face froze as anger spilled out onto her face, but she gritted her teeth. Link could see her glaring at him with the most anger he had ever seen in his life. None the less she proceeded to cross the muck.
She gingerly placed her left hand on the muck and closed her eyes tightly as she did so. Her eyes flew open, she didn't seem to be experiencing any pain...yet. Then she placed her foot on it and yet again did not have any pain. Her left hand was twitching as she stared down at the muck. Link felt jealously spark inside of him. As he saw her have no reaction to the muck.
(How can she get across and I can't! It's inconceivable)
Zelda gritted her teeth as she made her way to the mysterious door. Looking back at Link as if questioning if she should open the door. He nodded. Zelda closed her eyes and grabbed the doorknob. But before she could do anything an eye appeared in the door.
The door was becoming a sickening oozing purple, a horrifying yellow eye stared down at her. As if it was instinct Zelda whipped out her sword and pierced the eye at its center. It let out a groan and splattered her boots with oozing purple and yellow. Though it did not move. Suddenly all the muck puffed in purple smoke and disappeared. Link bolted up as Zelda opened the door.
"Let me open it, alright." Link scowled.
He was curious of what was inside. treasure, gold, and wealth filled his mind. Giddily pulling open the door he was disappointed when the room was pitch black. He scanned the pitch-black room. It seemed to be empty as he kicked at the dark. Zelda looked hesitantly as she observed the room. Link had no idea of the danger that lurked in the dark.
Suddenly a pair of pure orange eyes snapped open from across the room. Zelda saw this and started to back away from the eyes. Zelda started to whisper frantically.
Link stayed rooted to the spot as those orange eyes stared him down. He was paralyzed and begged himself to move away. Zelda grabbed his arm and started to pull him away, but the eyes darted towards him.
In the cover of darkness, Link was slammed against the wall with great force. He winced as his back and head screamed in pain. He felt blood trickle down his left ear. A hand was holding Link neck up with his back against the wall.
Those eyes stared into his soul. Link struggled and tried to claw at the hand. As Link turned his head, he saw Zelda was trembling near the door.
The eyes took no notice of her.
Link was losing blood rapidly from his injury on the back of his head, his vision became cloudier. He was gasping for breath as the person held his neck tightly. Link wanted to scream but his airway was getting tighter and tighter. The hand grabbed the map from Link's pocket.
Link looked over again just in time to catch Zelda charging at the person choking Link. When Zelda was about to strike with her silver sword the person held their other hand to the side in a defensive position, not taking their eyes off Link.
The hand threw Zelda back effortlessly and she too slammed into a wall. Link couldn't tell if she was unconscious or not. The orange piercing eyes showed no mercy as Link was trying his hardest not to fall unconscious.
A deep and striking voice spoke, "How dare you come in here and threaten me."
It seems to be a male voice, but the question was who were they.
"You disgusting arrogant vermin. I was thinking about waiting a few more years. But after what you said. I think not. If a fight to the death is what you want, then so be it."
(What is he talking about? I said no such thing)
"L-let me g-g-go I- c-can ex-plain." Link barely got out.
"No there is no need for an explanation you said you wanted a fight to death plain and simple." Link could make out saw a sneer in the pitch dark "But you must know I play dirty."
Link head was pounding, and his face was draining of color. "N-no d-don-t."
The voice coldly laughed "You are mad if you think I am going to kill you now. It wouldn't be that much fun if I were to end you like this. Anyways you and your little guard will have a more merciless fate. Good day, Prince Link"
The hand dropped Link hard on the floor. The cold floor stung Link's skin. The air was cold against his wound. His blood dripped down the side of his face. Zelda was trying to get up as the person stepped away from Link. Before the person made their exit, they kicked Link in the gut with their hard boot. Causing Link to groan in pain.
As the person stepped into the light, Link could make out a tall figure. His vision was slowly fading. Right before he blacked out, Link saw a glimpse of flaming red hair. Then the world disappeared as Link's eyes fluttered shut.