Marth's Theatre (pt. 1): Encountering the Bloody Plague of Altea
This is it, folks. We're on the final theatre of this story. Let's see what's been going on in Altea. Oh, and just before we begin, this theatre is where the story will start having the sexual overtones I mentioned back in the prologue, so just read with caution.
Also, I'm surprised that Johan hasn't shown his face for a few hours now. I haven't told him to go away or anything like that, but maybe he's got other matters to attend to…
Sexuality is a tenet of life that is non-monolithic in character…
It has many different faces, with numerous orientations and interactions possible…
Some men and women are attracted to the opposite gender, others to the same gender, and still others to both sides…
It is dependent on how the person's body was formed and what interests said person seeks to fulfill…
Furthermore, many souls come together as one for differing reasons, including reproduction or simply to increase their emotional connection with each other…
Sexuality is a wonderful thing if it is used and treated correctly…
However, if such a thing is recklessly abused or plagued by deliberate antagonism, such as in the case of violent homophobia or non-consenting intercourse, the beauty can quickly fade away and turn ugly…
The dizziness was very real to him indeed.
His breakfast felt like it was about to regurgitated from the depths of his digestive tract.
His brain was on the verge of exploding with total agony.
Loud noises, including screams from Pit and Toon Link, pierced his ears and almost shattered the bones within.
With nothing shielding him or his allies from being tossed all over the portal's unseen walls, Marth felt like he was in a disorienting hell. Numerous colors, some bright and some dark, swirled across his face in shapes that defied all standards of what a shape was supposed to be, complete with constant distortion and reformation. Gravity was non-existent in this environment; the blood in his body was no longer confined to a certain pathway, but because the Hero-King was getting dragged in all directions, or maybe even despite the event, this change was unfelt. The other Smashers in his group, including the winged Pit and even the fearsome Ganondorf, were under the shadow of extreme physical forces. All swordsmen were at work to prevent their respective blades from soaring out and potentially killing someone.
WHAM!
The snow-covered ground was swift to deliver a pain-filled landing for all seven fighters. The terrible and cacophonic atmosphere, though quick to fade away, left behind a painful residue in the form of continuous ringing. Loud was its volume to the point that it muffled out the faint breeze that bestowed upon the mystical land of Altea a winter, a winter that was more than capable of freezing entire lakes solid.
"Ow…" Pit quietly moaned. The young angel from Skyworld blended in with the snow, more so than the other Smashers, because of the color painting his wings and robe-like garment. Only his brown hair, shining bow of gold, black shorts, wrist-mounted rings, and solitary wreath allowed the others to distinguish him from the frozen environment.
"Dear Nayru, that portal is unnecessarily violent," Zelda moaned. The crown monarch of Hyrule was a brunette woman of fair complexion, with elven ears and blue eyes that spoke volumes of deep-seated royalty. Her dress was colored white and light purple, with golden shoulder plates and a long stole bearing Hyrule's coat of arms to complete the elegance of her form. Not to be forgotten was the small tiara on her forehead, which harbored a blue gem and the same external color as the plates.
"Even I cannot deny that the portal is something I would rather not face again," Ganondorf grunted in a deep voice. The fearsome King of Evil was recognizable by dark skin commonly present among his native tribe, the Gerudo, a worn cape that appeared tattered at the bottom, dark armaments across his body, red hair, and a terrible demeanor that would leave any lesser being frightened out of his, her, or its mind. The armor spoke volumes of the more macabre sort due to its dark coloring and subdued details, and it only fueled the evil aura the wearer himself exhibited.
"Where are we at now?" Ike asked. His sword had slightly slipped from its sheath, forcing him to slide it back into place.
"We should be in Altea," Marth replied. He was about to continue his comment, but abruptly fell short upon noticing a majestic castle to his left. Separated from land by a partly frozen body of water spanning several meters outward, the central palace of the ancient hero Anri and his descendants was a form of beauty that was not faded by the winter's dull haze or, when considering the wars in this country, the brutal skirmishes of years past. The light gray body and blue roof were simplistic designs on their own, but the combination of the two traits, coupled with the castle's grand size, created a structure that was far greater than the sum of its parts. Smaller buildings and a continuous wall surrounded it, but the snow's strong mist, produced endlessly by the winter spirit herself, rendered their influence relatively insignificant. While the others thought almost nothing of this sight, Marth was filled with an irresistible burst of nostalgia that he had not felt in a long time.
It felt so good to be reunited with his true home. His dear sister would be crying tears of joy upon noticing his return. His wife would be filled with overwhelming joy. The common folk would unleash waves of bombastic and unified rejoice…
"Are you okay, Marth?" Ike asked, having noticed the awestruck expression on the Altean monarch's face.
"Oh, I was just getting lost in thought for a moment…" Marth answered. "No matter, we should keep moving. There is a bridge on the other side of the island, which is a much better alternative to swimming in cold water and risk frostbitten limbs."
"I'll be waiting for you at the other side…" Ganondorf whispered in a dark tone. With nothing else to do or say, he tapped into his dark magic to float across the lake and reach the central palace first. The remaining Smashers, including the flightless Pit, were forced to travel long meters across the edge of the chilling lake to reach the bridge; the angel was unable to take flight because of the lack of a certain goddess's magic. It was during this moment that they were introduced to a major portion of the province's landscape: distant mountains that were currently snow-capped, hills that rolled with vast distances, a few distant villages that failed to notice the foreign travelers, and a lengthy bridge that was painted white by the falling snow. Most of the heroes were not visibly affected by the cold temperatures, but there was an exception to this…
"T-t-this cold is h-h-horrible," Toon Link moaned. Like his adult counterpart, he was a native of Hyrule, albeit from a different timeline. His appearance was among the more distinctive ones in the entire organization of Smashers; his coloring and complexion were certainly of the more cartoonish sort, closely resembling what was common in cel-shaded animation, and his stature was lesser than most of his friends and comrades. Even with the darker lighting of the early morning and the snow's white haze, it was very easy for him to be singled out in the environment. His eyes were marked by black pupils against white sclera, standing in stark contrast to the older Link's blue equivalents. His equipment, although reminiscent to what his counterpart had, was decorated with the same coloring style of his world. He appeared slightly older because of the five long years that had passed, but he was still who he was before.
"It is, but we must head to the castle if we are ever to seek warmth," Marth sighed. He also felt the winter's harsh effects, and it was only thanks to his greater tolerance of the cold that he avoided showing signs of weakness. Time seemed to drag on for the group during the travel, and by the time the destination was reached, it almost felt like an entire hour had faded into the endless trail of history. Of course, this was completely overlooked when the common people of the capital city noticed their returning leader and predictably burst into waves of joy, not considering the foreigners that accompanied him.
"King Marth has returned!"
"My word, the magnificent son of Altea returns!"
"It's him!"
"Looks like you're getting quite the powerful reception here," Ike remarked. Link, who had been silent since the departure, nodded in agreement. Ganondorf, who was waiting by the extreme left side of the gate, reunited with the group and traveled through the waves of cheering and joy. Some of the Alteans took the time to glance at the other Smashers, but they were in a minority that was easily overshadowed in seconds. The fact that the place was still in the early morning phase did little to quell the now-vibrant atmosphere of the town. Hundreds of people, ranging from elderly citizens to young children, flocked around the group to earn a glimpse of the youthful king and his allies, but Marth's eyes were locked onto something, or rather, someone special…
Standing at a sky-high window in the palace was a woman who bore a strong resemblance to the former prince himself. Like him, her hair was colored with the vibrant color of the pure seas of Archanea, with her blue eyes also exhibiting this trait. Her clothing was an embodiment of her status as one of the country's Pegasus Knights; silver armaments with golden details were mounted on her shoulders and almost mixed with her gloves to create the appearance of entirely white upper extremities. A crimson tunic loosely resembling Link's and two belts across the waist coated much of her upper body, with the former cutting off a few centimeters where her brown trousers started. Her complexion was delicate for someone of her royal heritage, but underneath was the strong spirit that allowed her to assist the Hero-King in winning two vicious wars.
Upon noticing her husband in the crowd, Caeda Lowell felt a wave of joy and relief wash over her, for he was needed for something very important…
Inside the castle, first floor…
"Dear husband, you have finally returned to this fair kingdom," the kind-hearted Queen of Archanea proclaimed. "We've been anticipating your return for years now, especially since disturbing events have been happening as of late."
"Disturbing events?" Marth mumbled in a confused manner. Upon further inspection of the main hall, he noticed that someone was missing from the picture, for some bizarre reason. "And where's Elice?"
Caeda's face darkened as soon she was asked about the elder princess's status. The answer was not going to be pleasant, she believed. "She… She's had something terrible happen to her. And it's connected to the events. Come with me, all of you, and you'll see the full picture."
"What…?" Ike whispered to himself. Even with Elice's condition left in the dark for the next minute or so, the Crimean fighter already realized that Marth was going to become extremely upset upon reaching the destination. As far as his knowledge went, Marth was very protective of his sister, even going so far as to risk dying, and would never allow any evil being to murder or torture her in any fashion. Tension loomed over the group as Caeda led them to the room where Elice was resting. The cold winter chills from before refused to fade with time, hearts were pulsating at a slightly faster rate, especially in Marth's case, and nerves were more sensitive than usual. The torches scattered throughout failed to banish the cold air. Upon reaching the bedroom…
"Damn it… Elice!" the wielder of Falchion gasped, rushing over to his sister's side. None of the other Smashers could shake off their temporary immobility as they noticed what was wrong with the princess. She, now dressed in a white nightgown, was colored an unhealthy pale, almost as if Death had already stolen her life energy. Movements were virtually non-existent except for the slow rising and falling of her chest, with even her eyelids failing to visibly twitch. The silver blanket of the fanciful bed, which was decorated with an overhead curtain that was parted, wrapped itself over a large portion of her body. Close to her side was Malledus, a trusted advisor to the royal family.
"It's about time you showed up, Your Highness," he spoke. The elderly man in gray robes, whose hairline was slowly receding, stood by a table decorated with a small replica of Falchion. "I was afraid that she might not make it before your arrival. And it looks like you've got some guests with you."
"I'll introduce them to you later," Marth replied. But before he could question his advisor about Elice's condition, he was suddenly frozen by the presence of bite marks on her neck. Blood oozed out at a slug's pace, slowly contacting the pillow case and staining it with a bright red shade. The trails were wiped clean by the elderly advisor, but on each occasion, the blood still poured down. Meanwhile, the other Smashers gathered around the bed, and they also noticed the disturbing detail; Caeda remained close to the door.
"Vampirism…" Zelda remarked. "Is this what we are dealing with?"
"Correct, my lady," Malledus answered. "We have been experiencing incidents like this during the past two years, but the situation has gotten worse as of late."
"Can you tell us how the whole scenario started?" Ike demanded.
"I shall. The attacks were initially rare occurrences, happening no more than once every two months. Because they were spread out, we thought they were merely isolated coincidences by a breed of unseen vampires. Most of the victims died, while the survivors succumbed to vampirism. Queen Caeda sent out a few Temple Knights to search for the killer or killers, but the searches all proved to be fruitless. I feared that the queen and Elice were at significant risk for falling victim to the mysterious string of vampire-related incidents, so I advised them and the townspeople to remain a close distance to any one of our towns and to never be out in the open during the night. But then…"
"Things grew worse from there, right?" Pit finished.
The advisor's expression suddenly became tainted with a grim overtone. "Correct. Five months ago, the attacks became more vicious and more frequent. The murder victims starting dying in more violent ways, including disembowelment, quartering, burning, and so much more. Attacks came at a more frequent pace, which has also led to the creation of more vampires. The townspeople were in a panic by then, and so, I approached Queen Caeda to come up with a plan of action. She initially intended for the common folk to retreat to Archanea, the former kingdom of Hardin, but just as she was beginning to finalize her plans, Elice was attacked."
"When did this happen?" Link asked.
"The young princess was only attacked yesterday. She has lost nearly half of her blood and, due to a strain of magic invading her body, is slowly transforming into a vampire."
"Elice, no…" The distraught Marth could not resist the urge to shed a tear. His beloved sibling was slowly becoming a bloodsucking being, and if she fully succumbed, especially if the full transformation was permanent, then he would be left with almost no choice but to perform the unthinkable…
"So, now we must deal with a horde of vampires in addition to what we're supposed to be fighting off," Toon Link sighed in nonchalant yet annoyed manner. "And already we're hitting a huge roadblock in our adventure."
"Unless those vampires are part of the Orm's Lords," Ike added, suspecting that the evil group was connected to the attacks.
"Hmm?" Malledus mumbled. "And what do you mean by "Orm's Lords", sir?"
"The Orm's Lords are a diabolical group of cultists who are seeking the components to the Staff of Björn, a holy artifact responsible for banishing a highly destructive creature known as the Svärtad Orm. A long time ago, this snake-like demon left entire civilizations in utter ruins and consumed the lives of millions. One of the pieces is in this kingdom, and if the Lords get to it first, our worlds are nearly guaranteed to be plagued with death and indiscriminate destruction. Now, it's possible that the vampires are members of the Lords, though I can't say that's absolutely true."
"How can you be so certain?" Pit asked. "I mean, seriously. We can't tell for certain if those creeps are actually-"
The muscular swordsman silenced the angel with a hand wave. "I never said that the vampires were definitely associated with the Lords. I only said that was a possibility. Either way, we need to handle our foes before the situation worsens."
"Speaking of foes," Malledus added, "When the attacks began to grow worse, disturbing messages scrawled in blood starting appearing at most of the sites. One kind artist was able to conjure these images for future reference."
As the elderly advisor pulled out a group of small murals from a nearby drawer, Ike and every other Smasher who was not Ganondorf directed their attention at the grief-stricken Marth. From the stories that were told to them by the Hero-King himself, it was already clear that Elice's condition was beginning to affect him in a profoundly negative way. If the transformation were to come during the adventure, and if a remedy was not present then, nothing would prevent serious sorrow and regret from tearing apart his mind.
But what was not clear, however, was the motive behind the attack. How could someone, Lord or not, attack the Altean-born princess in such a manner that was transforming her into a vicious being of the night? What was the attacker's motive for such a horrendous thing? And why was she selected to be recruited, out of all possible choices?
With the murals in place for display, the questions pounded minds with an even stronger force as the disturbing details were absorbed. True to Malledus's word, the unlucky men and women depicted in each frame were either dead or slowly transforming. Those in the former group were pale and drained of blood, with some even literally torn apart, gutted extensively, or roasted to a crisp; Pit had to choke back vomit to avoid embarrassment while a few others could not turn away at all, their eyes helplessly glued in place. Most of the respective backgrounds, ranging from a small room to an open field, were drenched in blood, usually in the form of splatters and smears of varying shapes. But what really stood out like a sore thumb was the presence of chilling messages formed from the very same substance on some paintings. One read as follows:
IT IS THE ULTIMATE EMBODIMENT OF DARKNESS
Ganondorf was a mixed bag in terms of reaction, however hidden it was. The message provided a great deal of concern, not because innocents were slaughtered like helpless sheep, but because someone was arrogant enough to claim that the Svärtad Orm was an invincible force of destruction… when the Gerudo himself was a far better example, at least in his mind. If the need were to arise, he would demonstrate to the cultists his deadly power, for even without the Triforce of Power, he was a force to be reckoned with.
But the message also provoked strong curiosity. Lillian did not, aside from describing it as an embodiment of evil and destruction, provide many details about the snake-like demon. Its origin was unknown, its motive for destruction nothing more than a mystery. There had to be a reason as to why this creature was created, a reason why the staff's namesake was forced to seal it away. And was it truly as evil as the maiden claimed, even when excluding the possibility of far greater threats to interdimensional stability? Meanwhile, the other Smashers were obviously chilled at the message. But the horror did not stop there. More murals contained these words:
NO ONE WILL ESCAPE ITS GRIP
SUBMIT WHILE YOU CAN
ALL THOSE WHO OPPOSE ITS WILL SHALL DROWN IN BLOOD
EVEN KINGS LACK THE TRUE POWER IT WIELDS
IT IS HOLY AND GLORIOUS
JOIN US IF YOU VALUE YOUR LIFE
THE CYCLE OF DESTRUCTION WILL CONTINUE
"Looks like something even Hades wouldn't do," Pit muttered in a quiet tone, "And considering everything he's done, that's kinda saying a lot."
"I cannot bear to look at this anymore," Zelda gasped. Like the Skyworld native, she was feeling sick to her stomach, perhaps even more so than he was. Link remained at her side to assist her when needed.
"Do you have an idea as to where the vampires are hiding out?" Ike asked. By this point, his anger from simply staring at the bloody pictures was strong enough for him to seek justice for the fallen victims. All he needed was the location of the vampires' stronghold, for he already felt prepared to slay some foes…
"We have no clue where the vampires are hiding," Caeda answered, "But some of our soldiers have reported a strange red glow emerging from one of the distant mountains. A few of them, along with a few curious commoners, attempted to investigate this phenomenon, but none have returned. I fear that their lives are in great danger, assuming it's not too late for them already…"
"When did this glow started occurring? There must have been a starting point somewhere in time."
The Archanean queen turned away for a few seconds before continuing. "The earliest sighting of this light happened nearly half a year prior to your arrival, but we initially thought nothing of it. When the attacks intensified, we dedicated some of our soldiers to investigate and see if it was connected to the ongoing death plague."
The holder of Ragnell started at a distant mountain for a couple of seconds. "We'll need to head over to the glow so as to stop the madness from continuing. Regardless if the vampires are Lords or not, passively sitting back and watching innocents die is not an option for us."
Pit, not willing to travel too soon, protested Ike's decision. "Are you serious, Ike? We don't know much about the vampires and the Lords, and for all we know, they could be carrying vicious tools of destruction!"
"That's possible, but in a scenario like this, we have no alternative. Besides, we have some tools need to take them down if they do go out of their way to attack us."
"How long will it take for Elice to transform?" Marth, now in a comfortable mood to speak, asked of Malledus. Though thin, his hope of saving his sister before complete transformation remained strong on his mind.
"On average, it will take six days for a person to transform into a full-fledged vampire," the elderly advisor replied. "It should be noted, however, that the fourth day will result in the person reaching the half-vampire state. At that phase, he or she takes on vampire-like qualities and is more vicious, but will not be considered a full vampire. Finally, the magic involved in the process will cause the victim to be loyal to whoever is responsible for biting him or her, and it takes full root at the final stage."
"Then we must head on out," Link sighed quietly. Not a step was taken, however, before Malledus commented again, this time for another vital topic.
"I almost forgot… Marth, can you introduce me to your allies?"
"My apologies," the Hero-King sighed. "These people are part of the Super Smash Brothers."
"Yes… You once mentioned that you had duties to that organization, which made you temporarily abdicate your royal position in the first place."
Marth nodded before continuing. "Everyone, please introduce yourself to Malledus."
"The name's Ike," commented the son of Greil, "And I lead the Greil Mercenaries."
"Call me Pit," the angel chirped.
"…Ganondorf," the Gerudo reluctantly sighed.
"I am Princess Zelda of Hyrule," the monarch added. "And with me here are Link and Toon Link."
The elderly advisor stared at the group for a few seconds; all of Marth's allies seem like a very interesting bunch of heroes from different realms, he believed. "Thank you for letting me know of your identities. Now get out there and put a stop to the attacks."
"Will do," Pit replied with a smirk. In seconds, all Smashers filtered out of the room, leaving Caeda and Malledus alone with the almost-lifeless princess.
"My dear husband…" the queen sighed. "I pray that your valor will triumph over evil once again…"
At a small building in the mountains…
"NO! PLEASE!"
SLASH!
There was no time for an unfortunate man, strapped down to a bloody table made of steel, to say anything else before his abdomen was brutally cut open. Blood was drawn at the command of a blade forged from the cleanest of steel, intestines suddenly became exposed to cold air, and a faint snicker coincided with the victim screaming at the top of his lungs. Such cruel expression of joy was originating from a woman cloaked in a black robe. Like her higher-ranking comrades in the Orm's Lords, her outer layer of clothing was marked by a red variant of the vicious organization's logo. However, compared to even the moderately short Johan, she was small in terms of height, easily surpassed by many others. Another property worth noting was the paleness of her skin, a rare trait not present in the majority of the Lords.
"You should have complied with my personal demand…" she hissed. "I wanted you to help contribute to our cause by giving me both the information of the staff piece and your gift of reproduction, but since you refuse to comply…"
"What are you going to do?!" the black-haired man wailed. He was a thin person around his thirties and was dressed in casual Altean attire, with most components colored in a shade of blue; his brown boots were the exceptions to the setup.
The woman held a knife right at her victim's genital area. "Oh, I will do the same thing that I do to captives who do not obey my words…"
"NOOOOOO!"
Outside the isolating room, two guards could hear organic tissue squishing continuously while the man screamed louder than before. Neither one of them was fazed by the disturbing noise, however, for they were quite used to the action being performed by their assigned captain.
"As it should be…" one commented. "The poor man is suffering for his refusal to comply…"
"Does he not realize that resistance is pointless in the long run?" the second added. "He deserves whatever may fall upon him. And with our dear Captain Lindqvist having the tools necessary for inflicting pain, nothing will stop a slow, painful death from setting in."
"LET ME BE!" the man screamed again. But his words fell on deaf ears, for the woman's hand, now inside his mutilated pelvic area, proceeded to pull a certain pair of organs out of his body…
SQUELCH…
"You certainly have no use for these anymore, eh?" his torturer commented, referring to the removed organs in her left hand. Though the blood and dim lighting made them difficult for anyone other than the woman to discern, they were a pale pink in appearance and were rounded in shape, barring the string-like extensions at one end. After placing them into a small box at a table sitting at the far end, she was ready to execute the final step of her current plan with the pain-stricken man. With her dripping blade, and ignoring the cries that rang throughout, she brutally slashed his throat open.
"Ah, so good to feel the taste enter my tongue…" The woman allowed the red spray to enter her mouth in full, her lips preventing most drops from escaping. That unforgettable taste, that one flavor she had always enjoyed… It overwhelmed her mind with a sweet, pleasant escape common among her kind, her native kind. She almost forgot that the man was slowly having his life force drained away, and by the time she stared into his face, he was already beyond the point of salvation.
"Just like all those who have gone before you, you may not have provided information about the staff piece, but you do make a great supply for my own kind…"
The cold loomed over the Smashers for the second time as they departed from the confines of the town and began their journey toward the mountains. Differences were seldom noticed, and for good reason; aside from village placement and a few aesthetic alterations, the scenery was essentially the same, blanketed by a heavy layer of snow. Had they not kept in mind where they were heading to, some of the fighters would have fooled themselves into thinking that they were traveling over the same stretch of land.
Man, if I didn't hate the cold so much, I'd probably fly with some help from Lady Palutena… if she can connect to me in this world, Pit pondered. His wings began to gather a bit of frost, even if the problem itself was not too visible due to coloring reasons.
I hope that red light shows up soon, Ike sighed to himself. If not, we will be lost and more than likely become victims of frostbite.
"…" the chilled Marth breathed. In all honesty, he was still feeling tired from waking up very early in the morning; he was not an early bird compared to high-energy Smashers like Toon Link or Pikachu. Plus, the freezing temperatures were making him sluggish in regards to speed.
"Hey, what's that?" the cartoony sword-wielder pointed out. All travelers were pulled out of their stupor to noticed a tiny yet significant change in the scenery: a red light on one of the mountains, fitting in with the description by Caeda. Despite its small size, the speck's luminosity was far greater than anything encountered in the villages, perhaps being at least twice as bright as the next most powerful source of light. Ike and Ganondorf nearly squinted upon starting into the source, but their sharp eyes accommodated very quickly. The way the redness appeared did not bring out the peaceful vibe of red roses or everlasting love, but a sinister revenant that was ready to strike fear into nervous hearts. The seven united fighters were concerned, though not completely frightened, by this event; outside of what was already discussed, there were no details as to what could be emitting this potential omen. It was possible that a trap was awaiting up ahead, especially if the Lords were involved, and if any of the Smashers were to fall for it…
"Okay, now my eyes hurt," Pit groaned as the light wreaked havoc on his sight and head.
"Zelda, can you get a reading on this light?" Marth asked. He knew that the Hylian princess was an expert at reading magic, so she could be of some help in this situation.
"Give me a few seconds," the monarch replied. With the Triforce of Wisdom's power flowing through her body and spirit, she began to concentrate on the light, unhindered by the cold. Her eyes were closed in the world, but her mind was introduced to an ethereal place unseen by the ordinary eye. The sky was a black void lacking any distinct characteristics whatsoever, almost as if a void had swallowed the world down its long throat, and the only thing that was visible was the now-white terrain, also lacking any detail. With each passing second, the red light slowly began to form a shape that was initially not obvious. When the red mist emerging from the source did assume its final form, however…
Vampire's magic… This must be a sign of an ongoing ritual… Such a mental comment was appropriate in response to a moon with random splatters, supposedly representing blood, forming from the mist. While the exact details were not yet clear, there was something involving the usage of blood…
"How 'bout it, Zelda?" Pit asked, becoming a bit impatient. "Are the results in yet?"
"There is a vampire-related ritual taking place either inside or on the castle. I haven't been able to discern the exact details, so we must get closer to find out."
The angel dusted the snow from his cold wings. "Thanks, because the sooner we get inside, the better off my wings will be."
With nothing else to say, the septet continued with the journey. However, none of its members were aware that a silent force was stalking them, far away from the clear sight of the open fields.
"More wandering souls, I see…" a female vampire, who was dressed the common attire of the Lords, whispered. "They appear different from the common people of this kingdom, not to mention potent in strength. But it will be all for naught, for they will fall to the wrath of the Holy Serpent…" After speaking, she directed her group, some vampires and the remaining members being ordinary cultists, to a further part of the thick assortment of trees. Their red eyes, filled with the blood of malicious intent, stared right into the Smashers, waiting patiently to introduce fear. And it would be the kind of fear encountered right before the Reaper was to take his claim…
Back at the castle, a few minutes later…
"Is she still unconscious?" Queen Caeda asked.
"I still have gotten no response from her," Malledus sighed with a heavy heart. He had been patiently waiting for the blue-haired maiden to wake up since the initial attack, but hope's rays of light were slowly fading away. The future was still uncertain. "It's possible that she may not wake up until at least the midpoint of her transformation."
"And what about the cure? Please, for my sake and hers, tell me that our experts have been making progress with it."
The advisor felt discomfort as he struggled to force the answer from his mind. Caeda was certainly going to be disappointed, he thought. "Sadly, every attempt at creating a cure has been an utter failure. The only hope for our dear lady is that whoever kills her attacker will erase the corrupting strain of magic. Marth and his allies are not informed of this, but I am almost certain they will figure it out anyway."
"Then let's hope that Marth is able to save Elice in ti-"
The older monarch and wife was cut off upon hearing a slow, barely audible moan from the young princess herself. Both bystanders were washed with a wave of relief as the event unraveled, with the only point of immediate concern being the strange color of her eyes; instead of the usual ocean-like blue, there was now a shade of red coloring her irises, a sign that her condition was progressing unhindered.
"Where… W-where… am I…?" she moaned. Exhaustion resided in her body as she attempted to sit up.
"Try not to push yourself too hard, Princess," Malledus spoke in a soothing tone. "You still need to rest up for a while."
"Where is… the vampire-"
"Marth is taking care of the problem," Caeda answered. "And he has several allies from different worlds to assist him.
"Wait… Marth has returned…?" The young woman paused to reflect on her sister-in-law's words; if what she was saying was true, then there was a reason to be filled with a sense of joy, however temporary or small it was. Hopefully, the mighty wielder of Falchion would provide a way for yet another rescue.
"Yes, he is heading over to where the red light is shining from. As soon as he exterminates your assailant, your vampirism will be reversed. I have confidence that he and the others will succeed at this task."
She could remember it all…
Her initial rescue from the clutches of the deceitful Gra…
The brave younger brother slaying Medeus with his sword…
Another rescue, this time from friend-turned-enemy Hardin and his forces…
Even with the seemingly bleaker circumstances here, there was still a light at the end of the tunnel, and that light was the end of the murderous plague and subsequent restoration of peace in Altea. Doubt was now a distant thing to her.
"Marth, my dearest brother… I have faith in you… I believe in your ability to restore peace again…
An hour and a half later, with Marth and his group…
"Looks very foreboding indeed," Marth whispered to himself in a volume inaudible to the others. After a long period of climbing up the mountainside while simultaneously enduring raging snow and freezing temperatures, he was now face-to-face with an ominous structure that was foreign to the Altean segment of the continent-wide kingdom. Black and white sharply contrasted with each other; the bricks used to construct the walls were colored with a soot-like shade, almost as if a volcano had discolored them, but the flat roof was exceptionally pale. Some of the snow had created a permanent residence some time before. For how long, he had no clue. The Archanean ruler was reminded of, after a few seconds of observance, one of the images created by Lillian at the Smash Mansion: the image of a neo-Gothic cathedral containing a few Lords, to be more exact. There were features that called this building home: a rose window with subdued coloring, two frontal towers that were overseers in a sense, flying buttresses littered across the sides, a transept spire that was king of the whole structure, and many others that were lucky enough to be included. The spire also possessed what appeared to be a metallic carving of the wicked organization's logo at the very top. Closer to the rear was a third tower containing the red glow, which was now dying away. With all things considered, all seven Smashers, Ganondorf included, could not deny the haunting vibe of it all.
There was no doubt that something hellish was lurking underneath the surface.
"Hey, I was just thinking..." Pit chirped. "Once we go inside the structure, we may not come back out. Anything you guys want to-"
"Don't be so negative, Pit," Ike grunted. "We may not have much of a clue as to how powerful the Lords are, but that is not to say we're powerless against them."
"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you."
"We better move in," Marth ordered, undeterred by the winged fighter's comments. Against the pull of the steep hall, the Smashers traveled all the way to the massive front doors, the rusted doorways adorned with the same symbol as the spire. A gentle push was marked by a disproportional amount of creaking, with an unusually large number of noises for a small push, but this was hardly bothersome to the ones entering. There was something larger capturing their attention.
"By Farore's word, look at the size of this hall," Toon Link quietly commented. The main hall was but a massive room that diminished the presence of all travelers, providing an architectural allure. The curved ceiling was marked by arches extending from left to right, and the bases of each was marked by a small statue resembling a common Lord. The rose window from behind now had its colors on full display, ranging from black to a dark red. Given the near-monochrome appearance of the dark walls, it was a very colorful addition to a morbid place. Columns reached upward to support the ceiling and provided a division between the larger pathways and the small doors off to the sides. A network of pipes with open vents attached itself to the ceiling; the Smashers assumed that it was part of an air conditioning system. Candles, mounted on the walls and placed onto a few chandeliers above, illuminated the room at several locations, but even with their moderately strong influence, some areas remained in blackness. Further up ahead was a hallway that crossed with the main pathway in a perpendicular fashion.
"Where do we start?" Ganondorf whispered, carefully attempting to avoid unwarranted attention.
"We'll have to split up to get a full sweep of this place," Marth answered. "It's a risky move, I know, but I feel it is the most efficient way to go."
"How do you want us to be grouped?" Zelda questioned. Given the grim atmosphere of the place, she felt like she could have a bit of company by her side.
The Altean whirled around to make sure his voice was clearly projected. "Zelda, take the Links with you. Ganondorf, you'll be with Pit. Ike, you're coming with me."
Must I be with the annoying angel…? Ganondorf pondered in disgust. In all honesty, he could not withstand Pit's usual behavior for even a couple seconds, and the fact that Marth, of all people, was forcing the two into a group only fueled the Gerudo's anger. Externally, he gave off a small snarl.
"Okay, Ike and I will go ahead to the front," Marth commented. "Ganondorf and Pit, you will search the right side of the building. Zelda and the Links will search the left. After we've searched this place, we'll meet back here. Understand?"
The others nodded in the affirmative, with the split following immediately afterwards. With Ike and Marth, both swordsmen felt the ongoing tension around them become even heavier in their minds. With only the support of each other, it was now easier for them to be overwhelmed if an ambush was to occur. As they progressed to the front, marked by a stairway leading up to a set of chrome-colored doors, neither said a single word. Not only was there nothing interesting to speak of, but there was the possibility that enemy forces were nearby, which, unbeknownst to both, there were.
"Intruders…" one of the hidden Lords spoke. "They have foolishly made the mistake of separating into groups. With their unity broken, they will stand little chance against our mighty troops. Our troops shall strike like the fiercest of hidden blades…"
With Ganondorf and Pit…
"I swear, that winged fool will annoy me to no end," the Gerudo growled out of Pit's range of hearing. "If this goes out of control, I will make Marth regret his decision."
"It's, uh… kinda dark in dark, don't ya think?" Pit nervously asked.
"Yes, thank you for pointing out the obvious, kid." Ganondorf proceeded to stroll ahead without regards to the distance between himself and the angel; in fact, the red-haired fighter increased his walking speed to reduce the amount of annoyance received. Passing through a door, he came to realize that the room ahead resembled a library of sorts.
What do we have here? The Triforce of Power's holder was amazed by the number of books held in this place, with almost every shelf containing at least a hundred in supply. With the help of the candles, it was apparent that none of the books had titles on their spines, although each shelf was marked by a sign indicating a certain range of authors by the first two letters of their last names. There were no windows in clear sight. Farther away was a staircase leading to the upper two floors of the room.
"A fountain of knowledge," the King of Evil sighed. "Fascinating."
"I wish I could read one of these books right now," Pit commented. "Who knows what I'll find?" He grabbed one of the books from a nearby shelf, but luck would slap him in the face when he realized what language the pages were written in.
"Well, this sucks… I can't understand these words."
"…" Ganondorf sighed. Ascending to the second floor, the scenery did not change by any significant amount. It was essentially the same as the first floor, excluding the presence of a dull-colored door right in front of him. He silently passed through it without even waiting for the unbearable Pit to catch up. What awaited him was a stone esophagus with a few doors in the vicinity. The pathway was no snake that curved around continuously, for there was only a single turn to the left. Silence was but a specter looming over the dark area and squeezing the Gerudo's ears to the point of borderline deafness. With nothing else to consider, he began with the closest door to his left.
"Hmph, just a simple barrack," grunted he. Indeed, there was only an assortment of beds spread out across the perpendicular walls, paired up with a few two-meter-high containers. There was a door at the opposite end, supposedly leading up to a washroom of sorts. To be certain, Ganondorf approached it before swinging it open. And he was right, because all he witnessed were a few sinks, several stalls, and a lone mirror. The search resumed as soon as he exited the barrack, but most of the doors were revealed to be locked.
"I better keep going," Ganondorf quietly spat. With the left turn, he was introduced to two more doors, one to his right and another at the very end of the hallway. The former was locked, but just as the Gerudo was about to advance…
"Tremble in fear…"
"Hmm?" the warlock vocalized. The voice he just heard was of unidentifiable origin; the gender was subdued by the raspy coldness of it all, and it was so quiet to the point where he could not discern the speaker's overall timbre. The all-directional vibe of the words almost fooled him into believing that the voice was inside his head.
"You should have remained outside our residence…"
"Where are you, fool?" Ganondorf energized his fists with darkness, preparing to fight, but as he entered a battle stance, the voice abruptly ceased to speak.
"It's probably just my imagination." No longer in tension, he strolled out of the room, now completely abandoning Pit. Meanwhile, the young angel was still analyzing the myriad of books available.
"Who knew the Lords could be such dedicated readers?" he chirped. Despite his total lack of expertise in the native language of both the cultists and Lillian, it was very clear to him that there was a lot of information for the knowledge-hungry mind to consume. If only he could have the time and capacity to read every single book there was…
"Well, I might as well get going." But he was suddenly frozen when a voice, the same one that confronted Ganondorf, suddenly spoke out of nowhere.
"You will never escape…"
"Wait, who's there?" The angel was on high alert while searching for his would-be attacker. Without the support of his wings, he carried himself to the highest floor he could go, but even with a sightseeing advantage and the illumination of the candles, the speaker was nowhere to be seen. Nervousness filled his nerves like a mental venom, supplied by an unseen creature that could cripple or even exterminate larger beings in seconds. His blades were out and ready to slice someone up, but the dwindling confidence of their user did not mix well with their ferocity.
"Are you scared…?" the voice whispered. "Do not think that lying will save you from the incoming…"
"What?" Pit retaliated. "You gotta be kidding me, right? I mean, you must be the scared one if you're hiding behind the environment like a little-"
The candles were suddenly extinguished by a cold wind suddenly blowing through the room. With no windows to provide some external light, minimal as it was during the cloudy morning, the darkness now reigned supreme. Nervousness transformed into a nerve-wrecking fear, exacerbated by Pit himself having the bare minimum of supplies needed to battle Lords or similar enemies.
I hope whoever's talking to me doesn't try to surprise me, the angel pondered. Right away, he was proven wrong when an invisible force, most likely a person, grabbed him from behind and began blocking his airflow.
"Yes, young angel…" the voice, much closer than before, hissed, "Sleep…"
After the words were spoken, the angel blacked out.
With Zelda and the Links…
There must be something around here that'll be useful, Link pondered as he and the others traveled up a steep stairway. Maybe we can find something to cure Marth's sister of vampirism, though I could be wrong.
"Well, at least it's slightly warmer in here," Toon Link sighed in relief. "I bet you guys would agree, right?"
"Correct," Zelda answered. "Still, I don't feel too comfortable around this place, especially with the evil vibe still active."
"But I thought the light died down before we went inside?"
The magical princess nodded in disagreement. "It did, but I can still feel its presence."
"I hope Marth and Ike discover what's in that lonely tower." The three Hylian Smashers finally reached the top of the staircase, which led right into what appeared to be a supply room. Various robes branded with the organization's symbol were spread across the right-hand side of the room, hanging from steel hooks. Only a single variable existed between the numerous copies: their size. Some were small enough to fit someone of a petite form, while others were inflated to ridiculously large proportions. In the middle was a large table containing three alchemy sets, complete with a few ingredients sitting right next to them. The components for what could be possible potions ranged from strange herbs to vibrant minerals, some of which even glowed in the dim room. The left side was home to an assortment of stone containers, stacked into columns of three. The same symbol that manifested itself on the robes was engraved onto the front of each storage unit, albeit in darker coloring. On the opposite end of the room, right next to a door, was a solitary container with a lock on the front.
"Well, shall we begin searching?" Zelda questioned. Both Links nodded before initiating a quick sweep across the windowless room. The older sword-wielder, curious about the container, distanced himself from the other two, who were concerned with the alchemy table and boxes. At first glance, there was nothing distinguishing about the elongated holder of items; the poor lighting and lack of engraved symbol were all in support in enforcing this perception. Link was forced to squint his eyes, resulting in a hidden force biting down on them to the point of creating pain, but when he finally earned a clear enough view…
"Oh…?" he mumbled. On the top face was a small and white note written in red ink. The choice of coloring was an appropriate one, for it allowed the young hero to easily examine what was printed on paper. However, the message was in a foreign language, reading as follows:
Besittning av Lina Lindqvist
RÖR EJ!
Lina Lindqvist?
To the Hylian, that name was completely unfamiliar to him. It was more than likely that the person in question was in league with the Lords, but who exactly was that person? Furthermore, what could the message possibly mean? Maybe he could have Zelda help with the translation…
"Where'd all this come from?" Toon Link chirped. Pulling off the lid of each container, he was exposed to various materials of the diverse sort, ranging from the materials needed for alchemy to ingots of an unknown metal; boxes containing herbs had the plants grouped into bags for the sake of organization. Where they all originated from was shrouded in obscurity, all the same as whether the Lords' claim on each group of objects was legitimate or not.
"I wonder what the Lords could possibly conjure with these ingredients…" Zelda muttered. There was nothing on the table to prove her claim right, no spell-related book or the like. It was possible that the Lords earned their information from someplace else, given the lack of instructions here. She was about to finish her search when the older Link called out to her.
"Zelda, can you translate this note?"
The monarch replied, "I will do my best." As soon as she was close to her friend and guardian's position, her magic kicked in once again, this time to translate a foreign note. Such a process was very short, only requiring a few seconds before the message was ready to be revealed in transcribed form. During this, a faint light reached from Zelda's right hand.
"The note says: "Possession of Lina Lindqvist – DO NOT TOUCH!". Whoever this person is really wanted her property to be tightly secured."
"The container looks very sturdy," Link commented, "But I'll see if I can break it open."
BANG!
The Master Sword struck the container with extreme force, but only a small dent formed on the outer surface. No major damage was present.
BANG!
The dent became slightly deeper, but nothing else happened.
BANG!
No notable progress.
"Okay, I think that's enough for now," Toon Link spoke. "Besides, you might catch the attention of an enemy in this area. Let's keep going."
Back to Ganondorf…
"These cultists certainly have some taste for architectural elegance," the Gerudo puffed. "I certainly have to give them credit for this example." Indeed, the dining hall he now stood in was very elegant, more so than most of what he had encountered so far. The wooden table, almost stretching itself across the entire length of the still-longer room, was polished and free of any garbage or dirty dishes. The floor was also composed of polished wood, standing in stark contrast to the stone environment from before and matching with the marble-forged walls in beauty. A red rug was placed underneath the table to provide more elegance. An inactive fireplace, surrounded by two golden vases, stood at the far end of the room and sat right underneath a large clock of iron. The ceiling was decorated with five stained-glass paintings of five different individuals partly cloaked in a black robe. Aside from the fact that each robe was marked with a red variant of the Lords' logo, each person was unique from one another. Going clockwise and starting with the farthest portrait, the first person was a young woman with short, red hair and green eyes; her face, beautiful as it was, expressed a sinister grin. The second was a young man of short stature and fair-colored hair, and his grin was more lighthearted and peaceful. The third was a tall and elderly man with long, white hair, a lengthy beard, and a cold, very stoic expression. The fourth was an obese man with no hair and a noticeable beard; like the second man before him, he harbored a serious look on his face. The last person was a pale-skinned, black-haired woman with red eyes and blood running from her mouth. All figures were illuminated by the chandelier hanging from the ceiling, which did more than compensate for the low external light of a cloudy morning. The Gerudo took strong interest in the second woman when he noticed the blood from her mouth.
"That woman…" he sighed. "Yes, there are vampires in the Orm's Lords. Malledus and his queen would certainly take interest in this fact."
With nothing else to do, Ganondorf continued his search. One of the exits leading out of the dining room led to a kitchen, which provided nothing of interest. A second pathway, on the other hand, led him even higher up in altitude. The stairway was longer than the first, but the extent of elongation was questionable because of a lack of profound indicators. At the destination, the power-hungry Smasher was introduced to a very short hallway with only one door at the end. Upon entry…
"So, the disciples of the Svärtad Orm gather here, eh?" One of the uppermost floors of the dark structure was home to a chapel-like environment meant to gather loyal followers of the Lords. Pews were lined in an orderly fashioned and extended all the way up to the pale altar. Right above a marble table, which appeared to be used for sacrifice when considering the amount of blood on its top, was an oily painting of the unholy creature itself. The menacing aura behind the demon was much greater here than it was with the image created by Lillian, and it was all due to the darker lighting and far more foreboding environment. Off to the right was a small stand, most likely designed for a speaker wishing to proclaim the return of the demon. Columns separated the fringe portions of the hall from the main area. As the King of Evil twisted his body to face the other side, he noticed two distant stairways leading even higher up.
"I wish to know more about the society of the Lords," he grunted. "That way, I can assess if they truly are a threat as Lillian made them out to be."
Back to the Hylians…
"What's up ahead?" Toon Link asked. After traveling through a long and confusing hallway with no doors, he and the others were finally staring at a door leading to the next room.
"We'll see," Zelda replied. But as soon as she opened the door…
"By Farore's grace…" Link gasped, quickly reducing the openness of the door. "What is that?" In front of the group was a mass gathering of bloodthirsty Lords, circled around a literal pool of blood. A long tube supplied by another portion of the building poured in liters of blood for the cultists to feed their carnal desires. Male and female, each follower reached out and consumed whatever amount of blood he or she could take at one time. Loud slurping noises were present, and while the two Links could maintain a calm appearance upon hearing such sounds, Zelda almost felt very sick to her stomach. If anything, she now was possessed by the urge to vomit the breakfast she had eaten at the Smash Mansion.
"Are you okay, Zelda?" Toon Link whispered as he nearly closed the door. He was the first to notice an unpleasant expression on the princess's face.
"I think I might vomit," was her response. "And just when I thought the murals were bad enough, this bloody event is beyond my level of tolerance."
"Please don't vomit. The last thing we need from those bloodsucking creeps is attention."
While the older Link silently closed the door, the monarch was forced to take deep breaths before the sickening urge disappeared altogether. "Alright, I feel better now. Let's keep on searching-"
"You will go no further…"
The chilling voice, an unseen phantom now haunting the hallway, kept all three Hylians frozen in place. They all attempted to figure out just who was speaking to them, but when a simple analysis of the stone hall failed to provide evidence, Zelda brought her magic into play. The Triforce of Wisdom worked long and hard to decipher the magic behind the hidden speaker, and in stark contrast to the red light emerging from the rear tower, the results were far from immediate. Worse still was the voice constantly circling around the trio, adding on to the confusion.
"Have you gotten something yet?" the younger Link asked, nervous of what was to come.
"There must be something the speaker is using to project his or her voice into this hallway," Zelda responded. "Just give a few more seconds and-"
Whoosh…
The candles in the hallway were blown out by the same wind that caught Pit off-guard. Both Links held their respective swords up in the event of an incoming attack.
Zelda better be making some progress right now, Link mentally spoke. For all we know, we could already be doomed to a damning fate worse than death. Zelda, as if she had somehow overheard the hidden statement, finally completed her analysis of the still-hidden speaker's magic.
"I got it. The speaker is using a form of magic that can amplify the strength-"
SHINK!
"…?!" Link gasped. The disturbing noise and Zelda's subsequent croaking sent a wave of shock crashing down on him. Somehow, an enemy had done… something to her, but there had been no previous indicator of said enemy's presence except for voice. No one else was in the hall before the candles were blown out, so there was at least one type of magic assisting with stealth. The Triforce of Courage's holder and his cartoony counterpart brought their shields out for added defense…
WHAP! WHAP!
…which became all for naught when two separate blows to the head knocked them unconscious.
With Marth and Ike, seconds after the fracturing of the group…
I must not fail this mission, the Altean fighter commented to himself. As he and his Crimean friend progressed to the front of the subdued structure, he began to consider how heavy the mission was to him. If I do not defeat this menace, Elice will succumb and the population of Altea will either be slaughtered or enslaved.
From the stories told in months past, Ike pondered, I can understand why Elice means so much to him. I can relate to this, for my father meant so much to me when he was among the living. Even now, I still feel the initial pain I felt when I first got word of his death, and I can only imagine how badly Marth would react if his sister were to turn…
Rrrrr…
The creaking of the doors echoed throughout the room as the two swordsmen were introduced to a room fit for a monarch. Compared to the previous room, the chandeliers were composed of shining gold instead of dull iron, and there were numerous red-and-gold rugs that dotted the stone floor, many of them containing fanciful designs from the Victorian age of architecture. Window-dotted walls were composed of marble instead of the usual stone, a polished table stood right in the center of the room, and at the far end of the room was, more importantly, a cushioned chair with red and golden coloring. The two Smashers could only assume that the sitting place was for the person in charge of this building.
"I guess this is a throne room of sorts," Ike commented. "But where could the proprietor be? It doesn't make sense for the Lords to leave this place completely undefended."
"That's a mystery for which we have no answer to," Marth replied. "Regardless, I don't think there is anything of interest in here. We should keep going." Silence prevailed as the two traveled into a doorway to the left of the elegant chair, which led right into the base of the rearmost tower. Aside from a distant chandelier on the ceiling, a second door leading elsewhere, and a stairway leading to the top, there was nothing distinguishing about the interior. Faint steps echoed for long seconds as the ascent to the red light's origin started. With the gradual increase in height, the still-heavy tension of the place creeped ever closer to fever pitch; each swordsman tried to conjure the possible scenarios for creating a unnerving sight, but even when he considered the most ideal of situations, the darkest of the bunch would always keep a solid grip on his mental world. Taking into consideration what Zelda said before, Marth imagined a blood sacrifice of the most gruesome sort occurring, with no mercy towards whoever was set to die.
He could imagine the screaming…
A group of vampires ready to feast on a rich supply…
The forbidden magic utilized in the ritual…
The carnivorous faces peering into the victim's eyes and spirit…
And most importantly, the helplessness and hopelessness of the victim…
Ike was virtually no different when it came to imagination. He also could picture a savage ritual in his head, continuously repeating like there was no tomorrow. It was amazing that the loop did not put a heavy strain on his courage; any lesser person would have snapped after a few seconds.
But the terrifying part of this situation was that, upon the two men reaching the very top and entering the next room, the mental images were almost dead-on in matching the chilling scene ahead. In the middle of a window-filled room was a stone table with a corpse lying on top of it.
"What in the?" Marth gasped, rubbing his eyes to assure that he was not hallucinating. "Did the Lords just… do something with that poor woman?"
"There's no doubt about it; she was part of a deadly ritual," Ike replied, also shocked at the sight. The green-haired woman in question was a commoner from Altean territory, brutally butchered by the ritual's performers. Her violet trousers and blue shirt, coupled with a white layer underneath, were drenched in blood, ruining the beauty of her overall uniform. Her hazel eyes were rolled into the back of her head, with lifelessness in the form of white sclera assuming dominance. Numerous stab wounds were pierced into her flesh and beyond it, and their domain extended from the top of her scalp to the bottom of her legs. Even worse, there was a gaping, uncovered hole in her chest, exposing where her now-missing heart used to be. Small bits of her ribcage, and the remaining internal organs, could be noticed. The blood leaking from her body poured into what resembled a massive drain leading to an unknown part of the building.
"Whoever did this is one utterly demented bastard," Ike muttered in a subdued tone. "If we can, we'll have to find him so that we can give him the punishment he deserves."
"As soon as we reunite with the others," Marth sighed, "We can carry that out. Right now, we need to continue our sweep throughout the-"
Ooooooooo…
"What is that noise?" Ike commented. The moderately high humming sound vibrated the walls via constant yet unseen soundwaves. As the swordsmen stood in confusion, a pale red field began to wrap itself around the perimeter of the building, discoloring the outside world and presumably preventing the cold winds from passing through. Something ominous was occurring. What was it…
"What the hell is happening?" the muscular fighter spoke again.
"You got me," his blue-haired ally replied. "I believe someone must be doing something huge to this building, but I have no idea what the red bubble is for."
Ssssss…
The sound of a gas hissing into the room immediately forced both swordsmen into high alert, owing to the omen-like connotations to a disturbing sound. But what they failed to, at first, realize was that the vents above were beginning to spew a dark blue gas into the room. Heavy as it was, the mist sank to the floor and began discoloring the environment. No adverse effects were present in the first few seconds. Time, however, would ultimately prove to be a harbinger of odd sensations.
"My head feels strange," Marth remarked, coughing between statements. "Is this a knockout gas?"
"Marth, do you have anything that can help us get out of here?" Ike bluntly stated, also coughing between sentences. He began to feel lightheaded as seconds passed.
"Wait, what about the others? We can't just leave them in here! They could be in trouble as well!"
The Crimean used his sword to remain standing. "I know, but we have no choice. Do you have anything?"
"I have this staff." Pulled out from one of the monarch's pockets and extended from its compressed form was a small staff with a pearl attached to the top. A carving of a winged angel sat on top of the polished gem.
"Okay then… Get us out of here," Ike coughed. With nothing else to say, the Hero-King tapped into the staff's magic to teleport Ike and himself outside the gas-filled building. Present again were the cold winds and the snow-filled terrain, with the only change being the red bubble. Ike stared at the energy field for a few seconds before an idea entered his head.
"I'll see if I can pass through this barrier." He attempted to proceed with his intended plan, but when his body made contact, he was blocked from going any further. Two more attempts were executed to ensure that he was not imagining things. Marth stared in disbelief as he almost began to feel regret at not being able to save the others.
"I should have known," he sighed. "Can you break down the barrier?"
BANG! BANG! BANG!
"Ragnell's not tearing through the barrier," the mercenary sighed in defeat. "What should we do now?"
"We must head back to the castle. Caeda and Malledus will be wanting to hear some news from us, and we also need to keep the town safe if the Lords try to launch an attack."
"You're right. Let's turn back." Ike followed Marth's lead through the cold fields of Altea, the fate of the other five Smashers now left a mystery to him.
With Ganondorf…
"What is… this?" The Gerudo struggled to remain standing as the gas tore through his conscious mind. The colors around him were even more subdued than they were before, sounds were now muted, and his body lost all sense of feeling, with no way of feeling temperature differences, pain, or even the pull of gravity. In fact, he felt like something or someone was dragging him up to the tall ceiling. Nothing else could be taken into consideration, however, for the next few seconds were marked by a near-instantaneous blackout. Nothing was witnessed or felt afterwards.
Meanwhile, a small squadron of gas mask-wearing Lords, accompanied by the same female captain who emasculated her latest victim, barged into the room through the side doors. As they performed a quick sweep across the chapel, they noticed the fallen Gerudo resting on his back.
"Captain Lindqvist," a female cultist called out, "We have an intruder here."
"Oh, another one for the Snake's Pit, hmm?" the captain, Lina Lindqvist, replied. As she approached Ganondorf, a malevolent grin stretched across her masked face; along with the other would-be victims of her special event, she was going to enjoy watching him suffer before his death. In fact, owing to the Gerudo's gender, she could even drag him into the same treatment as the poor man and other males before him.
"You might think that your powers will be able to save you, but even the strongest of warriors cannot withstand what I will put you through. Once you wake up, you will find that there is no escape."
"Madam," a distant Lord commented via telepathy, "While I was sweeping through the exterior with my group, I noticed two of the travelers outside of the barrier. They were somehow able to escape."
Lina was instantly angered upon hearing the comment. "What?! How can you fools allow a pair of intruders to escape?!"
"I am sorry, but I am unable to provide an explanation. I will-"
The captain had heard enough. There was no excuse for allowing a foe to get away. "Still your tongue! Head back into the building before I have to punish you."
"As you wish." As soon as the link vanished, Lina proceed to issue a single order to her followers:
"Take this man to the Snake's Pit by midnight."
I should've known what would happen as soon as we stepped into that damned place. It appears that the Lords were somehow able to sniff us out without anyone in our group even noticing. Worse yet, the building is now off-limits thanks to the gas. It's possible that the others may die before we can get help, but at the same time, I can't leave the capital town defenseless for any longer. Besides, I have to be there for Elice, just in case she succumbs.
Elice, I will do whatever I can to protect you…
-King Marth Lowell
Do you seriously want me to go into any further detail about what Lina pulled out of the tortured man?
Note that this theatre will have slightly longer chapters in comparison to other theatres aside from Mario's. This mean that, coupled with college coursework, it'll more than likely take longer for me to push out chapters. Just keep this in mind.
A/N:
-The Warp staff used by Marth is generally used in the Fire Emblem games as a means of teleporting an ally to another location. Of course, it's also used (but not shown in appearance) in the Smash series for on-screen appearances by the overwhelming majority of the Fire Emblem characters. The ability to transport oneself with the staff is, in so far as canon is concerned, exclusive to this story.
-Like Agnetha, Lina's name is derived from two people, in this case: John Ajvide Lindqvist and Lina Leandersson. Lindqvist is the author of the 2004 vampire fiction novel Let the Right One In, and is also the screenwriter for the 2008 film based on said novel. I haven't read the novel, but I have seen the film, which is one of the best (and most underrated) vampire films out there. Leandersson was the one who portrayed the vampire (Eli) in the movie.
As always, R&R.
Now, if you'll excuse me, I better go find Johan and see what he's up to…