Hi! I feel like I actually made good pace with this chapter. I mean sure, I probably could've written more one day than the other, but I mean, I'm not trying to cramp myself into a little hole. Just a warning, I've been able to write consistently even during school, but it's often one of the major factors to me sort of sidelining this story a bit. Depending on how I feel, video games are unfortunately my chilling activity most of the time and not writing. I start backup school in a few weeks. I'll try to keep on this sort of rhythm because it feels a lot better actually working through the story than forgetting about it for a month. Either way.
Enjoy
The first flurry of snow glided down from a cloudy sky. Fur lined my coat and warmed me as we pressed up the side of the mountain, inching each hour to the top. We rode Epona wherever easy and flat, but had to walk beside her when the cliffs turned steep or rocky. Link would pass by me and place a hand at my waist, guiding me along with his touch. It lead to much blushing, but luckily my cheeks were already rosey from the cold.
"So if Vox also had the capacity to use great power, then you should have the same capacity too, right?" Link helped me set a scarf around my neck as I shivered. He'd listened carefully when I started to explain what Vox had told me all this time. It seemed to fascinate him somewhat.
"Probably," I responded.
"You should ask." Midna played with the shackle in her hair, running her fingers around its grooves.
I sighed, shrugging my shoulders as Link took out a string of bandage and tied off the sleeve of my empty arm. "Vox?"
Technically.
"But like, what?"
Tanek could summon lightning, like you did. I did it once or twice. What you did to Destrian too, wielding that much magic.
"He says I can summon lightning," I relayed, shivering at the memory of striking Destrian through his heart. The thud as he hit the ground still reverberated in my ears.
"What you did that night? When he...sliced your arm off? Vinderendetta can't just do that?" Link finished off the knot and stared at me.
Normally I liked his gaze, but this time it watched me questioningly. "Electricity must be one thing. The lightning is different, maybe I just...I don't know I panicked and it must have shot through me."
Your soul sort of jolted. I didn't translate that, you stole it from me.
"I know the feeling. It's like a tension builds up and then you rip out the plug. Using my hair takes a lot out of me, but in the moment it just works." Midna added, tossing back her ponytail and shifting on Epona's saddle.
Link fit his foot into the stirrup and she floated aside for him. His boot was covered in snow and dirt, mixing into that ugly greyish-brown. "You should ask Vox more about your abilities. He knows better than anyone else. Besides, you can't stay mad at him forever. You're stuck with him, like me."
Stuck with him. Except Vox told me he'd be gone when it was all over. I wondered for a moment if he would know when he had to go or if one day his voice would go silent and I'd never know if he was truly gone or not. Shaking my head, I jumped on Epona's back with Link and left behind the thought with the falling snow.
A ways out we saw the first sign of the yeti. His feet marks sat shallow in the ground, covered up mostly by the flurries. They passed the road and disappeared back into the woods we avoided.
We stopped periodically for food and rest, stretching out our sore legs before getting back on to trudge into the ever growing cold. My boots kept my feet covered, but my toes quickly went numb anyway. During one of our breaks, Link asked if he could try wearing my leiyn under his coat to keep warm. I handed it over under the promise that he keep his coat open enough that my leiyn could poke out in case I needed it.
Under the shelter of a cave, our day lulled to a stop. Link built a fire and took out some food to cook. As I sat next to him, I leaned into his shoulder and shut my eyes, feeling the heat of flame warm my eyelids.
"You said tomorrow afternoon, right?" Midna, in her opaque form, snatched a piece of stale bread from the cloth on the ground, chewing it contemptuously. Her jaw worked it for a moment and then she swallowed hard. As she set the bread back down, she mumbled, "I don't need to eat anyway."
Link nodded. "We should have time to ask around the town before we go to the mansion. I might get more layers too. Damn it's way too cold for the summer."
I grasped at the thread of a memory, trying to piece together the story. "Well, Zora's Domain was frozen over, Zant's magic must have something to do with it."
"You think he put a curse over the mountain?" Link asked.
Midna jumped in, "Absolutely. It's actually not that hard. It won't hold for more than a season, but I think his plan was to finish this up pretty quickly. He used to help heat the realm at times when my father asked. He was also shit at it because he liked it cold."
"Did you grow up with him?" I wondered.
"He's a good twenty or so older than me. I still remember bumping into him in the palace halls. He was a lot happier back then."
I let Creota out, watching her play around with stray embers. She stuck her nose into the fish Link pulled off the skewer. As he swept it around, she ran back and forth, trying to grasp it with her claws. His soft chuckles chased her tail and patted her head, hugging her close in his content.
After eating, Link insisted I touch my leiyn again, but just like before I only felt the cool surface of the crystal. However, as my hand brushed his shirt, I felt a heat like an imprint in the fabric. Pressing my hand into his chest, I found a warmth like fire burning there. He scooped up my hand and pressed the leiyn between our palms where I could only feel the temperature on his glove.
Midna made a hurling sound then snickered loudly, "If you two need to have a moment at least tell me to evacuate first."
I drew away sharply, though Link wasn't as swift to let go. His arm dragged after me, but I had already found a spot further from the fire, my face flushed.
"I'm sorry," she retreated.
No amount of blankets could keep out the winter-like cold. I fell asleep snuggled up tightly against Link and Creota, occasionally woken up by his shifting when he stirred the fire throughout the night. Our morning started out fine until the first snows started falling, growing more violent as the day wore on.
Initially, I had my leiyn back to charge it, but later I used it to try to produce energy that could warm us or make a shield to block the raging blizzard. We stopped a lot less, plowing through the vague path as Epona started fidgeting.
"I can't tell if we took a wrong turn or not." Link pulled his hood back up after it'd blown off.
"The trees wouldn't part like this if we weren't going the right way, right?"
"I don't know."
The "path" narrowed to a dead end and we turned around. Eventually, taking a few twists and detours, we found some markers and hiked up along the correct road. Our stomachs growled at the first sight of buildings, smoke pouring out of their chimneys. We stopped door to door, asking around for Ashei, each house pointing us to another. The correct target ended up being a cozy cabin on the other side of town, her black braids swinging into sight in front of the heavy dark wood door after we knocked.
"Link and Maizy!" Ashei opened it the rest of the way, shuffling outside and closing the door. "Why would you come up here in the middle of a blizzard?"
"We're here for the mansion. The yeti visited Zora's Domain while we were there and we left immediately to go after it," Link explained. "Do you have a stable?"
Ashei nodded, gesturing for us to follow. Epona trudged gratefully to an enclosed stable where two other horses weathered out the storm. Running from the ripping cold, we went back to the house and slipped inside towards the fireplace. The small family that lived there greeted us politely, but hesitantly.
"Most of my siblings have left home, but my youngest brother and his wife stayed. My niece takes after her grandpa like I did so I'd watch around in case she runs in with a sword." Ashei grabbed some mugs and poured us hot cocoa while we took off a few layers. "You must've heard I was up here."
I reached out for the mug, but Link's arm grabbed it first and set it down on a side table next to one of the chairs. Brushing it off, I replied, "Uh, yeah we did. We wanted to help. And the mansion has something we need."
"Have you investigated it at all?" Link added.
Ashei shook her head as I sat down and took up my mug with glee. "No, the monsters attack if you get too close and I'm just one girl. I was going to send message for some help, but then this blizzard started and the messenger said he wouldn't leave until it was over."
"We'll take care of it, don't worry." Link took his hot cocoa and sat across from me as she did the same.
"It's a bit of a trek unless you sled down," she mentioned.
"Sled?"
"I can show you the way. You'll need the help down there besides."
"We normally work alone."
"And I do too. Just take the offer."
The two glared at each other, sipping bitterly meanwhile the bubble of a child's laughter diffused through the wall. Ashei set down her cup and stood up to rouse the fire with a poker.
"I'm a warrior and I will not miss this opportunity. My father didn't teach me for nothing." Her somber eyes narrowed as her lips frowned.
I took a gulp, sighing once the warmth hit my chest. With a breath, I pleaded, "Just let her tag along, she knows more about this place than we do."
Link settled back, surrendering to the idea with a low grunt. "Fine. But you'll have to come to terms with something before we get there. I'll show you tomorrow." He lowered his cup and set it down, rummaging through his pouch to pull out a wallet. "You can go out and scrounge some general supplies you think we'll need. You're used to the cold anyway."
The wallet flew through the air and gracefully landed in Ashei's open hands. Peering inside, her expression soured. "Not a lot. It'll do, I'll get some stuff later, hoping the blizzard lets up anyway."
We transitioned into less heated conversation, discussing legends of the yeti and the mansion. As her family came in to cook dinner, they explained that the mansion used to be owned by a duke who wanted a vacation home in the mountains. Eventually, the royal family used it as a fortress during the Hylian Civil War, so its interior transformed into barracks and the town below sprouted up out of seemingly nothing.
Yetis were a different story. No one knew their origin, only that they traveled the mountains looking for their lifetime mates. The yetis of the mansion were well known to be peaceful creatures who sometimes stalked the town at night for food. They rarely interacted with humans and in turn, their mansion was left alone.
"People still venture up near those parts. It's dangerous because of the cliffs, so no one goes too far," Ashei clarified.
"And we're sledding down it?" Link raised a brow.
"Just go with it." I finished my hot cocoa with one last swig, setting the mug down with a ceramic thump.
They'd decorated their cabin in a cozy manor. The rugs were a deep red, most oriental and a few plain in areas where they saw more wear. Scarlet curtains matched the theme along with the dark wooden furniture. With a blizzard, the house's windows, naturally, were firmly shut and the only light was from the fireplace.
Dinner came awhile later. Link and I profusely thanked them, apologizing for showing up randomly. Ashei's family insisted it wasn't a bother, but I knew the food would likely be deeply missed in a climate like this. Abnormal weather certainly didn't allude to the best conditions to obtain food.
Ashei kept us company for the rest of the night, lost in her stories about her father being a knight and the mountain being her home. Oddly, Link mentioned his own father a bit. He said he was a knight too, high up and well respected. Before he left completely, he'd come home haphazardly, teach him some swordplay, make dinner for the family, then be off again by week's end.
His mother assured him that his father loved him but he couldn't remember hearing the words.
"My dad's a musician. He doesn't travel a lot, but sometimes his violin takes him outside of the city. People love when he plays more modern music, but he hates it." I leaned back, smiling as I pictured his face, tried to smell his expensive cologne. He was out of reach, but I could still hear him teasing me. Every summer his skin would darken to an almond brown and would look almost golden in the sunlight. My mother loved that about him.
The morning marked the end of the blizzard for a bit. Snow still fell, but lightly and enough that people poked out of their houses and tried to shovel out their doors. The messenger popped by to confirm the message with Ashei, with her quickly telling him to scrap it. I recognized the man's protruding lower jaw anywhere, his big red hat and skimpy white tank and shorts. It was the postman.
"You must be Mr. Link. Blonde hair, strong jaw, scar on your hairline, I think so," he rambled.
Link touched his forehead skeptically. Right above his fingers, a dark spot of skin I'd never noticed, or thought was just a birthmark, shone. Most of it was hidden under his hair anyway. "You've got a letter for me?"
"Indeed I do," the postman dug into his pack and presented a small letter, "ta-da!"
Taking it into his hands, Link scanned the back then opened it. I tried to peer over his shoulder, then realized once again I couldn't read Hylian. "Malo...Malo started a store in Castle Town?!"
"Isn't Malo one of the kids from your village that got kidnapped?" Ashei interjected.
"Yes, and he's like five, how did he manage to run a store in downtown?"
I chuckled, "Trust me, I don't get it either."
The postman gave us a wave, "Well, my business is concluded! Onward to mail!" His labored steps through the snow crunched into the horizon.
Ashei went out after the unexpected visit and bought us provisions, some woolen socks, and thicker clothes. Better dressed, we moved out into the mountains once again. The trail to the mansion trekked up to a peak where a tree sat alone with huge icicles hanging from its branches. As we began to crest it, the imposing white figure of a creature came into view.
I heard the familiar ring echo off the cliffs as Midna's form solidified into her shadowy ghost. Often she used the stone to resume her opaque form, but in her haste, she'd forgone it. "Yeti!"
"What the fuck is that?!" Ashei shouted, springing away from us. Her face contorted in horror, her fist at the hilt of her blade.
Throwing up his arms between them, Link pleaded, "Whoa whoa whoa! Hold on! Don't panic! This is what I told you I wanted to show you!"
"A demon?!"
Midna put her hands on her hips. "Most people call me an imp, actually," her eye rolled as she continued, "but that's not the point. I'm with Link, don't worry about me."
"I'm just supposed to accept this?"
The yeti turned, his big round tail sweeping aside snow as he revealed a huge red fish in his other hand. His wooly, cream fur covered him head to toe except for his hands, face, and feet which were grey. On top of his head, he wore a horse saddle for a hat, his beady black eyes peeking out below it. "Uh-"
I moved in front of all of them and gave Yeto a pleasant smile, dismissing the others with a wave. "Hi! Don't mind them."
"Why humans arguing, uh? What doing up here?" Yeto frowned.
"We weren't," Link assured, "we want to go to the mansion. We're looking for something."
Ashei's hands were at her hips, but Yeto continued with his pleasant demeanor. "Have humans come to try soup? Zoras made big ruckus when I take fish, uh. Had to run."
As I opened my mouth to talk, Link made a sound to start, but I quickly hushed him and explained, "Look, we heard you were having trouble with monsters and we think it's because of your mirror. We were hoping to see it."
"Uh! Why you not say so before!" he laughed heartily. "We sled down, uh. Come, try soup too! Uh. This way." The yeti nailed his fist into the barren tree, shaking it so viciously that it dropped a few of its huge sheet-like icicles. He hopped one foot onto the makeshift sled and started edging down the hill, wobbling but keeping balance. As he went faster down the trail, we peeked over the top to see him disappear into the valley.
Link went over and pushed one of the ice sheets towards us. "Come on."
"Hey, you still haven't explained this!" Ashei motioned wildly to Midna who scowled at the gesture.
"Ashei, Midna. Midna, Ashei. Midna's on our side, she's being attacked by what we're all after, that's why she looks like that. Alright?"
Reluctantly, Ashei agreed and dragged over the edge of a sled. "Whatever, just stay on the trail and follow me. It's a little hard to navigate, so maybe sledding is the wrong word. Don't let your butt touch the board or the ground and you'll be fine." She set up, stepping onto the base of the ice and pushing off with her foot like a skateboard.
Before she could careen out of view, Link and I jumped on ours, Midna disappearing into our shadows that hugged against each other on the snow. My stomach dropped at the first dip, our board slowly inching onto the slope until it sped up to a whip. I reminded myself to bend with him as the first turn came up.
The wind ripped cold against my cheeks, biting with each added gust and swipe. Blue sky peered out behind the heavy clouds that had crowded since yesterday, showing glimpses of the bright sun. My braid and leiyn flicked as we dodged trees and rocks, following the shallow imprint of Ashei's path through the steep valley. She was long gone ahead, but somewhere in the distance I could hear her board in the snow through the sound of wind tunneling into my ears.
In the distance I caught sight of the mansion, it's grey brick soft behind a winter mist. The sun seemed to show down on it in rays. It sat on an opposing cliff, nothing but a bridge to lead to its sprawling expanse from here. For a moment, I assumed it might be close, but a second later I realized it was simply huge. We still had a ways to go.
I took in the scents of the frozen forest. Occasionally I'd see a deer or a bear somewhere far off. On a straight slope, we barreled down smoothly, at peace with the wind and nature. My mind soared until I heard it in the air, a static. The mansion came steadily into view between the trees, but before we could reach it I saw too late a green glow shooting towards us.
A huge heat smacked into me, knocking me flat into Link and throwing us both spiraling into the snow. My body fizzled as the energy fully zapped through my system. As I pushed myself up, I scanned around for the source, catching a figure zooming down the slope after us. His clothes were disheveled, covered in rips, holes, and blood. His normally neat blonde hair was covered in dirt, his face smeared.
It'd been awhile since I last saw him, but no doubt Monich had somehow found us. He hopped off his sheet of ice just before Link and I, his eyes beady and hungry.
"How'd you find us?!" Link got back to his feet, pulling out the Master Sword from its elegant sheath.
"You guys pretend like Castle Town is a safe haven when we have eyes everywhere there." Monich's eyes slithered to me, the edges of his lips curling downward. "And I can smell you."
A huge shiver spiked up my back. My skin crawled with tiny mites like they were eating me alive.
"You...you killed my brother…" he trailed off. In the next moment his eyes went wild, pleading, mouth quivering as he continued to sputter. "You killed my brother! Everything I had, everything we created together. This was supposed to be his job. But he's still with me, somewhere deep."
He can't mean. Destrian must've been alive when we left him, barely. Enough.
"Monich, Destrian is dead." I retreated behind Link, trying to calm my quaking muscles.
"He's right here." His hands stretched outward, palms to the sky. A brilliant bright green burst upward, curving and soaring towards us. I snatched Link's arm and pulled him over into the snow with me, ducking out of the way of the shot. Behind us, a hole in the landscape melted away with the blast.
He must've absorbed Destrian. His powers should be muted, but he's mad so he won't hold back. You should just run, it's too unpredictable.
I dragged myself to my feet, Link springing up behind me. "Vox says we need to get out of here."
Monich screamed, "I'm not letting you get away again."
The snow was too deep to run through, but the board would leave us open. We'd have to go with the board and if anything, I'd have to block us like at the prison. Plus there wasn't anywhere to run to. "Get the board, we're going for the mansion." I eyed the bridge, a beautiful work of stone architecture that likely took painstaking hours to complete...but was I able to control enough magic to do that?
Link jumped on first, swiping the board from where it lodged itself in the ground. I slipped behind him, pushing us to avoid another attack from Monich's hands. The wind buffeted my scarf and obscured my face, but I kept an eye on him, leaning sharply to steer us out of shots.
We tripped onto the bridge, thrown off as the board abruptly stopped at the brick. Monich rushed towards us, but he hadn't been as smart to slide down. Nonetheless, he moved fast and we got up quickly, sprinting for the stairs of the mansion. I flicked my head back, watching his progress inch closer and closer. As his toes hit the bridge I spun around.
"Maize, what are you doing?!" Link shouted, grabbing my arm stiffly.
I shrugged him off. "Keep running, I'm going to destroy the bridge."
"Are you crazy?!"
Remember the lightning, remember Destrian.
My breath froze cold as I heard his name again. The full weight hit me, I felt his body on top of mine, pressing the knife to my arm. But I couldn't stop hearing Monich screaming, I killed his brother, everything he had.
I shook my head, tamping down my emotions into my heart, letting them pull on my leiyn, every bit of magic flying through me and into the stone below. My nerves sizzled with the pulse, slithering through the brick until they freed themselves on the other side. The edges of my vision turned blurry and bright as I tried to steer the lightning to crumble the bridge. As the first crack sounded, an arm gripped my waist and pulled me away.
My connection to the static dissipated, my view clearing up to see the ground beneath us giving way. Monich halted on the other side, running in the opposite direction. I shoved Link away and fell behind him, my heart leaping with every step that sunk down with a brick. The stairs seemed too far, each step pulling me down further and further as I heard rocks thunk together while they fell.
I finally collapsed into the staircase, my hand shaking, holding on to the bottom step for dear life as if it too would collapse from underneath me. Link pulled me up further, then we both looked back towards the other cliff. Just before its bank, Monich made for the ledge, but the bridge was already sunk too low and as he lost all hold on anything, his body flailed in the air. He disappeared into the snowy fog with the rest of the bridge.
"Will he live that?" Link stared into the gorge.
Possibly. Probably.
"Definitely," I nodded. "We need to find Ashei and go in ASAP."
The imposing sculpture that was the mansion lied ahead. Its grand facade structured like a castle stood tall into the mountain cliff, a few stories high. There was little color, mostly covered by the stone. In its center, a singular tower peeked over the walls. At the door, Ashei stood with her arms crossed and her jaw dropped.
