Been a sec. I got slow starting it but here we are. I don't have much to say this time but I hope you
Enjoy!
The next morning, Link went out for supplies while Midna and I cracked jokes to each other at the house. Vox contributed a few which we found particularly funny. Midna tried to talk through her fit of laughter, chuckling out something about Vox but I couldn't make it out.
"What?" I questioned after a giggle.
"I think I like this Vox guy," she repeated and sighed to calm herself. "I had a friend like that when I was little. He was cute and he told some nice jokes."
So you liked him?
I relayed Vox's question and Midna looked away, crossing her arms. "Princesses don't have time for romance," she stated, then smiled. "He was really nice, though. And he used to make me food because he knew my mother wanted me on a stupid diet. I mean, a guy that can cook for you is someone you should keep." Her eye flashed towards me and her lips upturned in a smirk. "Right Maizy?"
"Huh?" I scratched my cheek and tried to agree, "This guy sounds nice yeah."
"That's not my-" Midna started, then huffed, "You know what, nevermind. You're a ditz"
Tell her I get what she means.
I lowered my hand from my face and shrugged. "I don't know but Vox gets what you mean."
"That's cause Vox isn't stupid."
"Thanks Midna," I laughed.
"No problem."
Link came back later when I was lying on my back, rambling about the rules of volleyball to Midna and Vox. He raised an eyebrow at the sight, but quickly shook his head and told me to get up. We were both back in our usual garb, looking much more put together. At the same time, I missed seeing Link in his lighter clothes. Whether that was because I liked looking at his muscles or just seeing him more relaxed, I was too flustered to know.
We went to the spring where Midna warped us outside of the Castle Town walls. As Link stood up next to me I breathed in the humid air. There were traces of ash mixed in with the breeze, but it was barely noticeable against the smell of grass. He stretched and I heard a crack pop from his back.
The guards at the East Gate let us through, although they didn't recognize either of us and Link had to show them his birthmark. It seemed all of their rounds were back to normal. No smoke rose from the housetops and the soldiers remained posted exactly where they were when I first came. The small level of order they did have was restored, but it was still a mystery who was calling all of these shots. An image of the man from the castle flashed passed my eyes as I looked at them and turned away.
On our way to Telma's we passed by what looked to be a shop whose outside was draped in ornate curtains dyed in purple. A beautiful rug led to its door next to which stood a sign and a woman holding sheets of paper. My eyes involuntarily shifted to hers and a huge smile spread over her face. She stepped towards me, shoving the paper between us. Without much thought I grabbed it in my fingers and turned it over to the front.
"Must be pretty wealthy if they can afford that much paper to make flyers," Link remarked.
There was a picture of a crystal ball in front of a beautiful woman, words written in Hylian above and below the drawing. I squinted at the letters, then gave up and offered it to Link as we walked. "What does it say?"
"Can't you read?"
"English, not Hylian."
He sighed and took the paper from my fingers, scanned it over, then started folding it up. "It's just a dumb fortune teller. These things are usually scams."
"So Salato is a scammer?"
As he shoved it in his pocket he scowled, "That's not what I mean and you know that."
"We should go check it out, just for fun."
"Maize-"
"I know, I know." I twisted my head to look back then met Link's eyes. "Sorry."
He paused for a moment, stopping to glance at the store. Reluctantly, he said, "Later," and kept walking.
We reached Telma's, the sun beating on our backs. The tavern was busy, full of burly men and gruff women. The bar itself was almost vacant, but the seating area was swamped. Everyone crowded around one specific table where two men sat, fists clamped in a tight hold. As their hands went lower and lower, the crowd started cheering, belting out in cries of frustration and excitement when they finally hit the table. They parted ways to exchange rupees, fulfill bets. In that moment, Link saw the man on the left clearly and went to run to him until another guy stepped in the way.
"Uncle Rusl!"
As the other man passed by, I saw Rusl's eyes shift toward us, stopping on Link. He smiled and ushered him over, shouting over the din, "Link! I hoped you come sooner or later!"
"What are you doing?!"
Rusl laughed, "Making a quick bit of money. Come here, I'll do one last arm wrestle with you."
Link grabbed my wrist and worked us through the thinning crowd to the table where Rusl smirked. As he sat down across from him, I gingerly rested my hand on the back of the chair and watched the two set their elbows against the wood. A few people behind me discussed bets as Link and Rusl clasped hands. Rusl counted down from three, each number closing chattering lips as all focus drifted to them.
The moment he said one, a tension erupted in their arms. At first, their fists wavered back and forth, both of their faces laced with frustration. Eventually, the back of Link's hand started falling towards the table. I leaned over the chair, biting my tongue as their fists continued to lower.
Wait, he's not even using his dominant hand.
"Wha-" I suddenly noticed that they were arm wrestling with their right hands. As the back of Link's fist hit the table, I just stared gaping at the spot, even after they let go and shook hands. I didn't know why I was so surprised, maybe because I wondered why Link would even agree, maybe because I'd forgotten he was left handed. Nonetheless, when Link turned around to me, I just shut my mouth and gave him a weak smile.
"Let's go to the back to talk, yeah?" Rusl offered.
Link nodded and stood up from the table. We made our way to the drawn orange curtains in the back. Rusl held one aside and ushered us through before coming in behind and dropping it. Three people sat in the small area, a girl with black hair in pigtails, a guy with red hair and round glasses, and Telma, as intimidating and beautiful as ever.
"Ah! Link and Maizy, I was just about to send a letter but I guess you made your way here anyway." Telma exclaimed, then motioned to the two others, "This is Ashei and Shad. There's one more of us, Auru, but he's investigating an issue in the desert."
The girl, Ashei, placed her palm on the table and rolled her eyes. "Honestly, Rusl, you need to relax with the arm wrestling. All the noise is giving me a headache."
Shad shut the book he had been reading and waved at Link and I. "Glad you two could make it."
Ashei wore pieces of armour over her arms, mid section, and lower legs. Her maroon pants brought out the brown, almost red, in her sad shaped eyes. At her left hip was a thin sword. Shad on the other hand wore a thick purple jacket, formal clothes, not something to move around in. He had a very defined jaw and his hair swept neatly to the side except for one stray strand. His features were the textbook definition of handsome.
Telma crossed her arms and explained, "This is my little resistance here. If none of the guards are gonna do anything about all the disappearances and monsters, then we'll be the ones to get down to it. We've got your back if you've got ours."
Link nodded and walked over to the table, looking down at the map splayed to its edges. "Of course. You mentioned an issue in the desert?"
"Yes," Shad interjected, "Auru has been gathering information around any disturbances. People were complaining that they couldn't reach the desert settlement because of bulblins and, well, ghosts."
"Ghosts?" I blurted.
Ghosts out in the middle of nowhere? Strange.
"He wants to set off for the old prison to investigate, but he needs an escort," Ashei added. "Not a guide, you know, just some protection."
"We'll go right away then. Any idea where he might be specifically?" Link asked.
Telma nodded, "He should be at the stables in Lake Hylia. They sell boars which are the only creatures we have that can cross the desert. Bulblins steal them all the time."
"Before you go Link-" Rusl interrupted, "Have you seen Uli recently? How's the baby?"
Link assured him, "She's fine. She said Fado's been checking in on her a few times a day. She also says she's convinced it's a girl and to tell you you're wrong."
Rusl laughed heartily, crossing his arms. "That's cause Lilith and her read each other's palms for fun one day and Uli still believes in it." He patted Link on the back and opened the curtain, his blue eyes sparkling in the torchlight of the tavern. "See ya later, kid."
"See you around." Link waved and ducked back out to the seating area. I followed him closely behind with a weak wave, trying to ward off their eyes from my figure. When we were out of the tavern, I turned to him.
"Who's Lilith?"
Link frowned. "My mom."
I felt the blood drain from my face. "Oh, no I'm sorry."
He smirked, placing a hand on my back as he started walking me into the marketplace. "No, it's fine. My uncle and my mom were siblings. She was an orphan and his parents took her in at a young age. He doesn't like referring to her by anything other than her name. I guess it was this thing when they were kids, I don't know."
As we passed into the street where the fortune teller's was, I tried to steer us closer to the door. Link gave me a look when the large curtains came into view, but I brushed it off and walked ahead of him. The same woman who stood by the door, perked up at the sight of us. She smiled sweetly, greeting me in earnest.
"You came back for an appointment?" her voice chimed, "The room's available right now for a session."
"How much?" Link asked, deadpan.
"Between ten and fifty depending on what you ask. She accepts payment inside."
I almost told Link to forget about it, but I would be lying if I said I wasn't curious. I'd never been to a fortune teller and the idea that it might even work made me forget where we had to be in the first place.
Link sighed, "Alright."
The woman gestured to the door and opened it for us. As I stepped inside, my eyes tried to adjust to the lighting, but I couldn't see anything save for the rug around the entrance. The woman shut us in, casting the room in complete darkness. I grappled for Link's arm, but by the time I found it, a ball of light illuminated, bringing light to the dark blue and gold drapings over the wall. Behind it sat a gorgeous plump woman who wore golden jewelry and piercings. On her forehead was a sheikah emblem, under which sat wide red eyes.
She neglected to speak, staring at the two of us as we sat and watched back. Finally, she stood up from her chair and asked with hesitation, "You're-you're the two who Salato helped, right?"
My eyebrows drew together and I looked over to Link. "Oh, you're her mother?" he recalled. "What's wrong?"
The fortune teller visibly shook, her forehead riddled with wrinkles. "Yes, yes, you can call me Fanadi. She went away the other day talking about you two and never came back." Something dug into her heart and she appeared to wince, but continued, "I've since been trying to see if she's in anyone's visions, but she's yet to turn up."
The end of her vision.
I let go of Link's arm and stepped closer to Fanadi. "She was with us. I remember before we went our separate ways she mentioned that she'd seen something else, but she just brushed it off."
Fanadi sighed, muttering, "That's just like her, not telling me her visions anymore." She motioned us forward, gesturing to the cushions on the ground set right before the crystal ball. "Here, here, let me see if I can find her in your future."
I kneeled on the right cushion while Link took the left. Fanadi sat down and started stirring her hands around the ball. "This isn't perfect, but if you keep her in your mind, she should appear somewhere, whether it be from the past or future."
Salato's image rippled in the back of my head, her white hair and brown eyes. I pictured her lips parting, her voice as wild as a lioness in my ears. Her smile, her laugh.
"Gaze into the ball when you're ready."
I averted my attention to the milky white in the ball, but the moment I laid my eyes on it, a searing pain tore through my entire nervous system. Everything went black and I could hear nothing but a fading voice calling out my name.
"Maizy, can you hear me?"
Link.
Then silence.
It felt as if I was suspended in ink. Every imagined movement like drowning, no oxygen. Abruptly, I found a breath. All of the darkness blew away to reveal the desert landscape stretching on for miles before my eyes. In the distance a colosseum like structure reached up above the horizon. Before I could take it in, a cloud of dust whipped up in front of my face.
As it dissipated, I saw a dim room. In its center was a familiar man, his swampy eyes grinning. "Something as valuable as her shouldn't go unchecked," he leered. From behind his back, a girl with white hair walked out. She sprinted towards me, but before I could reach out for her, everything vanished.
When light filtered back over the scene, I saw Link. A sky of blue bathed a field in warmth. He was at peace just sitting there in the grass, watching clouds drift by. I felt my feet step forward, but with every footfall, a scream erupted from somewhere far off. His face contorted into agony, he covered his ears then pounded his head. The scream grew intense, ever present, it was familiar.
It was mine.
With every step I got closer, the scream got louder, I couldn't stop. I came next to him and my arm reached out to touch his shoulder. The moment I made contact, a jolt ran through my body and a searing pain struck into my heart. I shut my eyes, taking in a gasp of breath as they shot open again.
My body lurched forward and onto my feet, breaking through someone's grasp around my stomach. I felt at my heart, wincing again and again as the pain sizzled there, pulsing in and out, fading each time. A pair of hands suddenly gripped my shoulders, grounding me.
Eventually, my nerves settled down and I looked up into Link's eyes. He caught my face in his hands, sighing in relief. "Are you okay?"
I shook him off and marched up to Fanadi who sat behind her crystal ball with a blank stare. My emotions bubbled up, a tension growing in my head and in my stomach. I brought my fist down on the table. "What was that?!"
God, that hurt. Can you hear me?
"I can hear you Vox."
Fanadi held up a palm, taking in an exasperated breath. "You had a full fledged vision. All I did was induce it, anything after that isn't my fault." She waved her hand at the cushions and prodded, "Now, what did you see?"
"I don't know! It all happened so fast I-I-"
"What did you see?" Fanadi repeated.
I tried to take in a deep breath, but it was jagged and uneven. The scream resounded in my head, all of my thoughts fled like a flock of birds and I couldn't find anything there. My teeth clenched, biting down on my heart, telling it to stop beating so fast. Everything else was dull and numb except for the worry.
Stop, just think! Let it go!
An arm wrapped around my shoulders, guiding me down to the pillows where I nearly collapsed into Link. He lowered his hand to my waist and pulled me closer until I could rest my head on his shoulder, until I could smell the dry fabric and sweat of his tunic. After a moment, he asked me, "What did you see?" and I finally found the words upon my tongue.
With a heavy inhale, I started, "There was a desert and then I saw the prison. Then I was in this room and there was a man with green eyes staring at me."
"Green eyes?" Link interjected, then fell silent in thought.
"Then there was this girl with white hair, I couldn't make out what she looked like and I couldn't reach her before she disappeared and I was sent to a field. You were sitting on a hill and all I could hear was my own scream."
Salato must be at the prison then. And the man must be someone we know.
"But...why would she be there?" I mumbled.
Fanadi's voice broke through my reverie, "If you were more trained in foreseeing then you would know that it's important to keep in mind key details about people. That was Salato, without a doubt. I don't know about the man, but I'd be prepared to face someone you know."
"But what about the scream?" My voice quivered with each syllable.
"A bad omen, that's all I could tell you without seeing it myself."
Link let go of my waist and stood up. "Come on, we need to get out there as soon as possible."
I took the hand he offered and got up on unsteady legs. Fanadi waved us along, pleading as we left for the door, "Get my daughter home safe. Please."
The light of early noon pooled out on the floor as Link opened it. I started to step into the sun after him, but I stopped to throw Fanadi a goodbye. When I looked back, her hands were under her chin as she gazed into the ball, tears dripping out of her eyes. Instead, I left softly and soundlessly into the street.
