Right, so, in the last chapter, we got to see the 'friendly shadow' from the other side. Through her own clumsiness, she managed to alert the boy to the fact that he was being followed, and then, in the end, had to show herself anyway, in order to save him from a Rito man named Judas, who seemed to take a fancy to the young hero. Of course, we're just going to go and see how Rufus is getting along in that cage. (It's oh so wrong…and yet, oh so right…) :Smirk:.
Thoughts in : single colons :. Visions or dreams are in italics.
Side note: I've become addicted to this game called 'Pikmin'. So, if I start writing about carrots…hit me. Hard.
Rufus: Taking Orders
"Come on then," the girl said calmly, and Judas was happy to comply, his rapier glinting in the late afternoon sun as he prepared for battle. With one hand, he summoned over his 'minions', as I now thought of them. The moblin quickly stopped to throw me into the cage, and chained it shut, before going over to the scene of the impending battle. Medli grabbed onto my arm, but I shrugged it off, too intrigued to care what she had to say. :How's she going to fight all of them at once:
There was another tug on my arm, and I turned around quickly to tell her to stop bugging me. However, when I saw just how scared she was, all I could do was remember Aryll, and how scared she'd been in that cell, and how useless I was. I took a deep breath, and then smiled gently, putting one hand over the winged one on my arm. "Yeah, what is it?" I asked, listening out for the sound of clashing weapons…it was still quiet, which was weird…
"Who's that?" she asked, nodding to the girl wearing indigo. "Do you know her?"
I shook my head, "No. I have seen her before though – when I was on Windfall island."
"What do you reckon she's doing here then?"
"That's a good que-" suddenly, there was the sound of metal clashing against metal, and Medli let go of my arm so that I could turn around and see what was happening. She rushed forwards as well, and wrapped her small hands around the bars, nudging me over a bit. I obliged and made room, staring agape at what was happening before me.
Judas had taken to the air (which I thought terribly unfair), and was attacking the girl from above. The bokoblins were coming from either side in a pincer movement, and the moblin was heading for her straight on. However, she didn't seem at all worried, and, when she made her first real move of the battle, I could see why… One leap took her literally over the head of the moblin, and she threw a handful of small, shining needles at its back, where they promptly exploded, causing the large creature to howl, and fall to the ground, twitching slightly before becoming still. :So, that was her back with the kargorok:
This left her with the two bokoblins and the black-haired Rito man to contend with. He chose that moment, when she was still slightly off-balance from her landing, to swoop down, and swipe at her with his thin sword. She turned around, and just managed to duck under the swing, the metal only a hairsbreadth from her head. She carried on, and tumbled along the ground, getting up again smoothly after the manoeuvre. :Wow…: was all my mind managed to supply, and I leant against the bars of the cage more heavily as I tried to get a better view.
Suddenly, there was a clicking sound, and to my surprise, the cage door swung open. "How did that happen?" I asked aloud, scratching the back of my head in confusion. Medli, however, once again grabbed my arm, and hissed,
"Go and help her, it's three against one!"
"What about you?" I asked, slightly worried about leaving her there. "Are you sure it's safe over here?"
"Yeah, I'll be fine – go help her out!" she shoved me in the small of the back, and then retreated to clutch onto the iron bars of the open cage door, using it as a sort of cover. I smiled at her, and she returned it, pointing to the battle sternly. Following the unspoken order, I took my sword and shield from my back, and went to meet with one of the bokoblins. The girl, whilst parrying with Judas, caught sight of me, and I saw shock come into her eyes. But, then, she had to return her attention to the battle, as he tried to trip her. She jumped over the low swipe of his leg, and then managed to get him about the head with the hilt of one of the two daggers she now held.
When a hissing sound came from my right, I automatically swung my sword around. When I turned to follow its path, I saw, with some surprise, that I had managed to impale the creature without any effort… It struggled, trapped on the blade, and I pulled it out, reducing the monster to fine dust that blew in the wind. Medli cheered, and I looked briefly over my shoulder to ensure that she was still safe.
The girl was now running backwards, away from Judas, her feet moving so fast across the ground that I couldn't even see when her feet actually touched it! The other bokoblin was behind her, and about eight feet away from it, she stopped abruptly, and turned around so that she was facing it. Then, after taking less than a second to bend down and tense her leg muscles, she jumped… But, it was no ordinary jump – she must have flown up to nearly fifteen feet in the air, and as she came sailing back to the ground, she extended a leg out below her, the sole of it at a right angle to the rest of her leg.
The bokoblin looked up, and shock flittered across its face, just before her foot connected with it. There was a loud, sickening snap, and it fell over, disintegrating as soon as it touched the ground… The indigo wearing mystery girl landed in a crouch, the foot that had done the damage extended out to the side, and the other one underneath her. Judas landed as well, and I could see blood coming from the wound she had inflicted on his earlier with her dagger hilt. She swivelled around on the ball of the foot she held underneath her, and looked up at him, still having to crane her neck slightly over the distance between them.
"You can still give up you know," she offered, not even short of breath after all the exertions she had been through. "All you have to do is say the word, and this won't have to go on any further." Her voice was still soft, as gentle as it had been when I'd knocked into her on the steps in the market. :I could listen to her talk all day…: I thought dreamily, and then shook myself for being an idiot – even if it was just inside my own head!
"Give up? When the only reason you escaped alive the last time was due to a freak rock fall? I think not, somehow," he scoffed, swinging his weapon easily in a figure of eight motion. "Besides…I can't afford to lose my commission on this." He stopped swinging the steel instrument of battle, and I saw his eyes move towards the cage. They widened when he saw that it was empty, and he looked around desperately to try and seek me out. Medli had hidden behind the rocks near the empty barred box, so it appeared as though he'd lost both of us. :Hey, maybe I could help after all:
Readying my shield arm to take blows, and my sword arm to return them, I yelled out, "Hey! You, with the feathers! Looking for me?" The girl in indigo stared at me, but I couldn't read her expression because half of her face was still covered. I could, however, see her eyebrows lower, and suspected she might be angry. :Why? I'm helping her out: Judas launched seamlessly into the air, in a complete contrast to the take-offs I had seen from Quill, and I backed up a little, nodding to the young woman to attack him whilst his back was turned.
Keeping my eyes trained on the Rito man all the time, I started hurrying sideways as well as backwards, and threw one look over my shoulder to check that I still had room to retreat. The girl still hadn't moved, she was just standing there, staring, doing nothing at all… :What by the Gods is she doing: I wondered, now afraid that my plan was about to backfire on me.
It was when I came to the edge of the platform of rock, and had nowhere else to run to, that Judas alighted on the ground. He smirked triumphantly. "I see the Sheikah has decided to give up herself," he drawled, rapier held warningly. "Such a pity – killing her just won't be quite the same joy as it would have been in a fair fight." I growled at this, and darted forwards, short enough to duck beneath the rapier and shove my sword point to the underside of his chin. "Well, what are you waiting for?" he asked, looking down at me with those amber eyes…
They suddenly flew wide open, and stared straight ahead – there was a clattering sound as his weapon fell to the ground. I took a step backwards, sword still trained on him, but he didn't even look at me, just continued to stare right ahead, into the blue, blue sky. "Rufus, get away from him," the girl commanded, her voice sounding strained. :How does she know my name: I questioned, but didn't move. "Hylian, move!" she said again, this time sounding slightly angry.
I backed away a few paces, and then sprinted off towards the cage. Almost as soon as I reached it, I saw the 'Sheikah', as Judas had called her, collapse onto one knee, panting slightly. Her whip fell from her hands, and she quickly retrieved it, heaving herself to her feet with obvious weariness. Medli crept out from her hiding place, and her hand once more found my arm; her tiny fingers curled around my forearm, and she looked up at me worriedly, chewing her lip. "Is she all right?" she asked, indicating the girl in indigo.
"I don't know," I admitted… "I hope so…"
There was the sound of shifting gravel, and looking around, Medli and I saw that Judas had fallen flat on his face on the ground. The girl was walking towards him, whip held firmly in her right hand, and a shining dagger in her left. She paused, and made her way over to us. When she got nearer, I registered again how much taller she was than Medli and me. She looked down at us, blood red eyes framed by skin that was covered in a layer of sweat, and the few strands of blonde hair that had come astray from the headpiece she wore sticking to her forehead. "Rufus, I'd suggest you take this young lady further up the mountain. Finish helping the Rito – and I'll make sure this man doesn't bother you again."
"But…why? Why are you helping me, and why've you been following me? Who are you?" I could see Judas' hand extending for his shining blade from the corner of my eye. She seemed to see it also, and merely said,
"Just hurry and go. It shall be explained later."
"Wait – can't I at least have your name?"
"Come on Rufus, let's just get out of here!" Medli urged, tugging me along towards the main body of the mountain. I looked over my shoulder to try and see exactly what was going on behind us, but Medli managed to somehow grab my head as well, and turn my gaze so that I was watching where we were going. She led me through a small pass in the rock, that led to another, much smaller section of the plateau.
Here, she stopped, and proceeded to uncoil a length of rope from her bag. "Here, you're going to need this."
"Nah, I'm fine, I've already got plenty of rope," I told her proudly, beginning to take off my bag to get some.
"Rope? This isn't just rope – this is a grappling hook!" She finished taking the thing from her bag, and held it up, so that I could see the heavy metal hook attached to the end of the rope. "This is how all Rito get around before they can fly. We have to use these to get to Valoo so we can get our wings!" she explained, pointing up to some handily placed wooden bars, probably screwed into the rock to serve just the purpose we were about to use them for. "Do you want me to show you how it's done?"
Normally, if anyone asked me this question, I would have said 'no', and gone right ahead to try by myself. However, Red did say that time was important here, so I just nodded politely, and said, "Yeah, that'd be good, thanks." She smiled, and took out another of the grappling contraptions. She stepped up to almost the very edge of this level of the ground, and began to swirl the grappling hook around and around in a circle, holding it next to her, so that when it was at its topmost position in the circle, it was going towards the pole she was aiming for.
Then, she let go, and it arced perfectly through the air, and hit the pole dead on – the hook wrapped around it, and she tugged on it to make sure that it was secure. "Then, all you need to do is swing out," she said, jumping off and doing just that. She yelled back, "You need to climb up on top of the pole, and then go to the next one!" I gulped as she shimmied up the still shaking rope, and then stood on top of the pole, with obviously perfect balance, and repeated the actions.
Medli quickly reached the other side, and then called over to me, "Don't worry, it isn't too bad a fall if you miss or drop!" she assured me, and I walked over to see what she meant. Thankfully, she hadn't just been messing around – the drop from where I stood was only about six feet, and the hollow below was filled with slowly flowing water, that went underneath a rock arch, and then tumbled over a waterfall about twenty yards downstream. :So, as long as I don't fall over that, I'll be OK: I told myself.
I stepped up to the edge of the level, and began swinging the hook. On my first attempt, I managed to hit the floor, and myself. Medli covered her mouth with her hand, but was unable to stifle the giggle that came out. I tried again, and this time managed to get some momentum going – however, when I threw it, it fell short, and splashed into the water. I reeled it in, and tried again, letting out more rope this time.
And, as they always say, 'third time's the charm'. The hook sailed over the pole, and then snapped backwards, wrapping around it and creating a perfect grip for the rope. Then, after a deep breath, I did as Medli had done, dropping off of the ledge and holding onto the rope for dear life as it swung backwards and forwards. Panicked, I yelled, "How do you make it stop?" I thought I heard laughter, and screeched, "Laughing doesn't help!"
"S-sorry," Medli chuckled. "Just hang on and it'll slow down eventually – you went too fast, that's all!" She sniggered some more, and I managed a scowl when she next came into my field of vision. It took ages, but finally the swinging had subsided enough to allow me to climb up the rope, and sit on it. I didn't dare stand, because I knew I'd fall over if I did, so I performed the spin and throw motion sitting down – surprisingly, it went right first time, and I again dropped from my perch, and this time managed to swing all the way across, and land (quite gracefully I might add) next to the Rito girl.
"Great," I said, dusting off my hands. "Now…how do we get them back?"
"Oh, that's easy," she said, waving a hand. "Just tug on it really hard three times, and it'll naturally release – like this." She grabbed my swinging rope when it next came towards us, and then tugged on it three times – the hook unclipped, and I helped her drag the thing in and coil it up, putting it back in her bag. "I may as well look after them for now – we're going to have to go on together as it is, or else you wouldn't find your way." I was about to mention the map, but she grabbed hold of my hand, and started tugging me along, so I wouldn't have been able to get it out anyway.
"Medli, do you know what's making Valoo play up?" I asked, when we had stopped for a rest after an exhilarating climb up a very steep section of steps. Luckily, there hadn't been any monsters bothering us, but I hadn't heard or seen the indigo girl at all since we'd left her behind with Judas. She panted slightly, and looked over at me, shaking her head,
"No idea. I mean, there isn't anything wrong as far as I can see…" She chewed her lip, and both of us were jostled when Valoo threw yet another of his tantrums – they'd been becoming more frequent as we climbed higher. When it was over, and everything was quiet again, Medli suddenly seemed to have an idea. "Maybe – I don't know if this would matter – but, maybe if we checked the cavern below… I remember walking through it once when I was learning how to care for Valoo, and seeing his tail hanging down…"
"Do you think there might be something in there then?"
"Well, there could be. And that would explain why he's so angry – wouldn't you be if someone pulled on your tail?"
"I don't have one…"
"Huh? Oh, yeah, you don't, do you!" she laughed, and I joined in. "Sorry, I just keep forgetting… Well, let me tell you, it really hurts when someone pulls on it!" she pulled a face, and then we both laughed again.
"So…do you reckon if there was something, and we got rid of it, Valoo would calm down again?" I asked, looking out at the view the high altitude gave us. The climb up had been hard going, requiring the use of the grappling hook in several places. (I think Medli only used hers to keep me company, because her wings were already fully grown.)
"Well, we could always try. I mean…I think it would…yeah," she said, pausing in between each word to contemplate what she was saying. "I don't see why it wouldn't work… Yeah, we should try that!"
" 'We'?" I raised an eyebrow, and she frowned,
"Yes, 'we'. Why not? Don't you think I can handle it or something?"
"No, it's not that – it's just – it'd be really dangerous," I said, cowering slightly under her angry gaze. "And, well, I wouldn't want you to get hurt or anything."
"But I could help you! I mean, two people would be better than one if you had to fight something, surely?"
"Not necessarily," Red's voice suddenly launched into the tense air between us, and Medli blinked, her mouth still open. I fished the stone out of my pocket, and held it up so that she could see it. "Hello Medli – this is the King of Red Lions," Red explained kindly. She blinked some more, and then raised one hand to mutely wave at the stone.
"She says hello," I interpreted, guessing that Red hadn't seen her gesture. She flushed slightly, and then dropped her eyes back to the green gem.
"…Right… Well, Medli, I'd suggest that you let Rufus fight whatever creature he finds in the cavern alone. Because, if he has to look out for you as well, then he might get very badly hurt because he's distracted. I know you mean well, but you've never fought properly before, and this would not be the best time to put your skills into practice…"
"But, what if I-"
"No buts, Medli. You may accompany Rufus to the cavern entrance, but then he must go on alone. Do you understand? This is as much for his safety as it is for your own!"
"…OK…" she said dejectedly, and I reached out a hand to pat her comfortingly on the shoulder. She looked up, and smiled wanly at me.
"Rufus, I want you to be careful, do you understand me? Keep your wits about you, and you'll be all right. You've come this far, and I have complete faith that you can get through this with ease," Red assured me. I just swallowed loudly, and remembered all the slip-ups I'd already made. :Gods, if it weren't for that girl helping me, I would have been a goner: Suddenly, I remembered back to the last time I'd talked to him through the stone. :He was talking to a woman back then…I wonder if…no…the voice wasn't right. It wasn't the same…but then…who is she:
"Uh…thanks Red," I answered, and then, before he could close the link again, I threw caution to the wind, and asked him about the girl. "Red?"
"Yes? I'm still here lad – what is it?"
"Uh…well… I sort of mucked up a bit earlier, and got into a spot of bother…"
"Oh, don't worry about that, nobody's perfect!" he chuckled.
"No, you don't understand… I mean, like, really mucked up. The only reason I'm still here is because some strange girl helped me. She was dressed all in indigo, and she came in and generally kicked butt and stuff…" There was a gasp from Red's end, and I again heard that woman's voice,
"Hah, should have known! That girl's a spunky one, that's for sure!"
"Red, who's that?"
"Who's what?" Red asked innocently.
"Red, don't play games, who was that?"
"I don't know what you mean Rufus," he said, this time sternly. "Look, there isn't time for you to waste – you need to get in there and sort out that problem now!"
"Red!" I protested, trying to goad him into staying, but he was already gone. "Damn it!" I threw the stone into the rock face in front of us, and it bounced back, still in perfect shape. "Stupid thing!" I stuffed it back into my pocket, and then looked at Medli, who had stood up and walked off a little way during my conversation. Her shoulders were hunched, and she had wrapped her arms around herself. She looked out to sea, to the west where the sun was just about to touch the ochre-coloured water.
As usual, I expected to hear a great hissing noise, and see a cloud of steam come up when the sun dipped below the horizon, but it didn't happen. Medli's eyes were unfocused, and her face impassive, and I wondered what she was thinking. I didn't dare to disturb her, after seeing her temper being pushed earlier. Instead, I enjoyed the view as well, letting the wind chuck about my unruly hair. :Wait! My hair: I almost swore out loud again as I realised what a prat I must look, with all this matted hair sticking up all over the place. As surreptitiously as I could, I slipped my pack off and grabbed my hat from inside, stuffing it onto my head, and holding it there with one hand.
Finally, after not much more than five minutes, Medli blinked her eyes rapidly, and looked over her shoulder at me. I'd gone back over to lean against the mountain-side, preferring the safe feeling of the rock against my back to standing right on the edge of the path. :When you don't have wings, it always seems sensible to stay off mountains altogether: I was surprised to see that she was smiling again, although her eyes were too bright. :She's not going to cry is she: I thought in panic. I'd never been too good with crying people…
"Heh…sorry about…all that," she said, crossing her arms behind her back and rocking backwards and forwards on the balls of her feet. "I guess all the excitement got to me… You know, be a hero and all that," she chuckled, but the sound was distinctly forced. "Just being silly I suppose…it's not like girls are supposed to fight anyway…not Rito ones at least…" she corrected herself, obviously thinking about the 'Sheikah' girl. "Well…anyway…I suppose I'd better take you to the cavern then."
"Medli…"
"Yeah?"
"Just so you know – thanks."
"For what?"
"For helping me out – I – I really appreciate it, you know?" I nodded my head to her, and she blushed slightly, turning around to carry on leading me towards our final destination.
"Don't mention it," she called over her shoulder airily. "Now, come on, before it gets dark – the monsters move higher up at nighttime, so we'd best move quickly."
"OK – hang on, just need to get my stuff." I reached down and picked up my bag, and then went over to where Medli was waiting for me, impatiently tapping her foot. When I was standing next to her, she grinned, and started striding off up the mountain, so quickly that I had to almost jog to keep up with her strides. :Why is it someone shorter than me can walk so much faster: I pondered, huffing slightly as we had to scramble over fallen piles of scree and other debris caused by Valoo's many tantrums.
"Is that it?" I asked quietly, unnerved by the silence of the area in which we stood. It wasn't hard to make out Valoo, sitting only a hundred feet above us, his red scales glinting in the light of the rising moon. The sun had now fully dipped below the horizon, and the sky was quickly turning from lilac to navy, with the stars popping into view all over. The dragon's claws had raked deep gulleys in the side of the mountain, where he had obviously banged his huge fists, and I gulped as he looked down at the two of us with huge, pearlescent eyes.
"Yeah, that's it," Medli whispered back, nodding to the ominous cave entrance in front of us. Menacing looking stalactites and stalagmites surrounded its edges, which made it look almost like a giant mouth. :Which is always a great analogy to make when you're already scared…: I shivered, the strong wind coming from the sea not helping matters. Medli's hand snaked to sit on my shoulder, and she gave it a gentle squeeze. "This is where I have to leave you…"
I turned around, and looked down at her. "You should go back to the city," I said. "It's not safe up here, and I bet Quill and the others are worried about you."
"Don't you want me to wait for you?"
"I…no, I could be in there for…hours… I just…think it'd be best if you went back." I copied her action and gave her a reassuring squeeze on the shoulder. To my surprise, she didn't protest any further, and just nodded.
"OK, I will." Then, as if to add to my shock, she threw both arms around my neck, and nearly pulled me toppling over with a hug. "Just be careful! Don't go getting yourself killed or anything!" I was tempted to tell her that that wasn't the most reassuring thing she could have said, but the sincerity and worry in her voice quelled my sarcasm.
"I promise I won't." I hugged her back, and then pulled myself out of the embrace. "Now, go on – I want to be sure you're gone and safe before I'll even think about going in!" She put her hands on her hips, and made a face, but then smiled graciously, and went over to the edge of the path. "Go on," I urged, motioning with my hands for her to go. She smiled and waved, seeming unable to speak, and then jumped from the mountainside, letting the wind whisk her away, and tumbling one loop through the air to wave at me again, before disappearing from sight.
:You'd better get back safely: I thought, lowering my hand from where it had been returning her waves. :Right…now to actually go in and kill whatever happens to be in there… I hope that girl's around here somewhere, just in case…: Feeling slightly foolish, I looked around, trying to see if I could spot her. :Don't be stupid! She managed to stay out of sight for all that time, and you think she's just going to be wondering around in plain view now: Sighing at my own stupidity, I made my way towards the mouth-like entrance, taking my sword and shield from my back as I went. The grappling hook Medli had given me was looped across my chest along with my bags, and it bumped comfortingly against the back of my leg as I walked along.
Just as it had the first time I entered the mountain, the heat eradiating from inside the passage was a great shock to my system, especially considering just how cool it had become outside. Here, as well as the rising temperature, there was a strange smell that became stronger and stronger the further I advanced. By the time I had come to the door that Medli had told me about, the stench was so strong that I had to use one hand to pinch my nose to stop myself from retching.
It was a cross between rotten meat and dead fish, as well as something that I'd smelt before, but I couldn't find a name for it. :What by the Gods is it: I thought, fumbling around for the key Medli had given me to unlock the door with. At least here, torches had been placed every ten feet or so along the walls, so I was able to see what I was doing. Directly above me, I heard loud crashing and booming noises, and guessed that Valoo must be in pain again – from behind the door, I heard a strange sound, like many pairs of legs walking along at once. :I hope there isn't more than one thing in there:
Finally, I found the large and ornate key I'd been given… I couldn't help but to stop and look at it for a few seconds, taking in the sapphires that studded the looped handle end of it, and the strange golden spirals that held them in place. Then, after preparing myself for whatever it was I'd find behind the door, I reached up and inserted the key into the keyhole. Then, I turned it, pleased to find that it turned smoothly in the well-oiled lock. There was a click as the bar inside the mechanism moved out of place, releasing the door, and inside the next room, everything fell silent.
Valoo abruptly stopped banging his fists and roaring, and I knew that the creature on the other side of the door knew I was coming…and it was waiting for me. "Well, here I go," I muttered to myself, grabbing the door handle and pulling on it, causing the door to slowly swing open towards me. Everything was still completely silent, apart from the occasional sputter from one of the torches on the walls, and the funny sound the hinges made as they reached the end of their reach, and the door stopped moving.
Peering around the heavy embossed metal, I looked into the room beyond, expecting to be attacked any second. :It's empty…: I registered the fact with disappointment, which surprised even me. :That's a good thing stupid.: But, really, it wasn't. :There was something in there only half a minute ago – where'd it go: All I could see through the doorframe was a large magma-pool in the centre of the room, and some grappling bars and wooden platforms around the edge of the room.
:Maybe it's gone upwards… If so then the grappling hook will be useful: I tried to cheer myself up with these thoughts, and I jostled the grappling hook so that the metal part was at the front, meaning that I'd be able to grab it easily if I needed it.
After a brief few moments of further hesitation, I tentatively made my way into the room, moving slowly and sticking to the shadows, trying to take in the whole room at once as I stepped through the doorway and into the room. It was larger than it had looked from the outside, and looking up, I could just see a vibrant red tail hanging from the ceiling, dangling through a hole in the rock. The whole room was lit by the light of the lava-pit, which bubbled and hissed in front of me.
:Where is it: I couldn't see anything living in the room, apart from the tail. A horrible thought came into my head as I looked around. :It's not invisible, is it: That would be too much to cope with! Swinging my sword a little, I walked over to the lava pit, and peered across the heat-haze it created, to the other side of the room. "Where are you?" I wondered aloud, stepping back from the red-hot rock, and casting my eyes over the room again.
I had just retreated to the wall, where I was looking up to gauge how far the distance was to the nearest wooden bar, when the light in the room change, suddenly flaring up so that I could even see the full extent of the roof. The magma behind popped and sizzled, and I turned around, thinking that some rocks might have fallen from the cracked ceiling.
"Oh my Gods!" I exclaimed, looking up to see a giant…thing…towering dozens of feet above me, the gaze of its one, green and purple eye, pinning me to the spot. It looked sort of like a giant centipede – only with a really thick-looking exoskeleton, and with much scarier looking mandibles around a mouth that I could have used as an archway for a temple or something similar. "Uh…nice monster…?" I tried lamely, raising my sword and wondering exactly what I was supposed to do…
But, the monster soon got bored of looking at me, and used its strong body to propel itself upwards and out of the molten rock (showing me that it was much bigger than I'd first thought). Using its sharp mandibles and equally dangerous looking pincers, it grabbed onto Valoo's tail, and bit down hard, tugging on it at the same time. Blood rained down from the newly inflicted wound, and the creature – whatever it was – lapped it up with a foul-looking black tongue. Valoo growled and roared above, banging his fists so hard against the ground that some of the roof broke off, and hit the monster squarely in the face.
It keened piteously, and clutched at its head with its deadly claws. Even from here, I could see that the falling rock had made a crack in the spectacular armour of the thing, and it gave me an idea… It fell back into the lava, sending drops of it sparking across the ground, one of which I had to dodge, lest I become a Hylian bite sized meal for this thing, precooked and all. It sank back beneath the glowing red liquid, and I took the opportunity whilst it was incapacitated, to take the grappling hook off over my head, and start swinging it around in a circle.
The creature was already beginning to get up again, and I threw the grappling hook wildly, praying that my aim would take it straight to the wooden bar above – to my luck, it did. I hurriedly made my way up the rope, and sat on the pole, now on an eye-level with the monster, which was now paying me more attention than the tail of Valoo above (which was still dripping blood). :Now that I have your attention…how do I kill you: I wondered, staring at it's one, huge eye.
Remembering what had happened when it had grabbed onto Valoo's tail, I wondered if I could emulate the same thing – because, well, it was obvious I wouldn't be able to do any damage whatsoever whilst that thing was still covered in that huge layer of armour. :So, how do I do that: I looked up at the swinging limb, and the creature followed my gaze. It seemed to have quite a short memory, because, as soon as it caught sight of the swinging tail, its eye went wide, and I swear it grinned.
I don't know how something with mandibles can smile, but it just did. And then, it gleefully reared up, ready to take a bite at the alluringly waving tail of the great dragon above. Again, whilst its attention was occupied, I took the grappling hook, and threw it to the next wooden pole sticking out of the wall – this bought me about halfway up the room (when I'd climbed the rope), and I was able to hop onto one of the many wooden platforms sticking out of the walls.
I heard the familiar screeching wail as Valoo's tail was again assaulted by the centipede-like creature, and felt the urge to be sick when some blood managed to splatter onto the side of me that was facing the centre of the room. :Gross…really, really gross…: I wiped the warm liquid from the side of my face with the back of my hand, and then had to quickly press myself against the wall when the pounding of the dragon's fists bought down more of the ceiling. Again, the creature was struck on the head, and this time, some of the armour actually fell off altogether.
:I think one more hit would probably make all of that stuff fall off… And then I could get its eye – I bet that's the weak spot. Orca always said eyes were weak spots for most things…: I waited with bated breath for the creature to rear its head again, keeping the momentum going on the grappling hook whilst I did so. :If I can make Valoo angry before it reaches up to bite him again, then maybe I can stun it long enough to get back down and inflict some real damage: That was the plan, anyway…
As soon as I heard movement below, I let the hook fly – it wrapped around Valoo's twitching tail, and pulled the rope taut, holding on as the member thrashed around wildly. Just as the creature was reaching up to get it, I tugged hard on the rope three times, and the hook released – there was a mad rumbling from above, and I stood with my back firmly pressed against the wall, and my shield above my head, as large chunks of the ceiling rained down upon me. :Please let this work, please let this work, please let this work: I repeated over and over in my head, as lumps of rock and debris crashed all around me.
When the noise had finally stopped, I crawled over to the edge of the platform I'd been standing on (which had been dramatically reduced by a lump of rock larger than my front porch at home), and peered over the edge. :There: The monster was lying deathly still on the ground, the only symbol that it was still alive being the harsh breaths it drew through its crushed mandibles. Its head was pinned to the floor by a large pile of rocks upon its neck, and that green and purple eye was rolling madly in its socket.
Carefully, I rappelled down, thankful even more than ever that I had decided to keep the grappling hook, rather than give it back to Medli. :I don't know what I would have done if I didn't have it…: When my feet touched the floor, I felt a great sense of relief that I wasn't suddenly snapped up and eaten. After retrieving the grapple, I turned around to look at the fallen monster before me.
Now that its head was on my level, I could see that the eye was almost as big as I was – the rest of it was just too big to even try to fathom, so I didn't. As I drew closer, it started thrashing around, and reached out for me with one of the arms that hadn't been pinned to the ground by the rock fall. I immediately slashed out at it with my sword, and the pincer on the end fell off, green blood staining both my sword and the ground.
The huge eye blinked at me, and I rose my sword above my head, ready to strike. :Don't.: My arms wavered, and I dropped my weapon. I just…couldn't do it… :It's defenceless.: I couldn't kill something that was incapable of fighting back. :But you have to – for the Rito.: I rose my sword again, swinging both my arms back to give me the momentum I'd need to stab down properly. Again, I paused, looking at the wide, slowly blinking eye before me. My arms shook, and my sword clattered to the warm floor behind me. :I can't…:
"Do it," a soft voice called from the door into the large chamber. I didn't even need to turn around to see who it was… She carried on, and I could hear her laboured breathing, even from this distance. "Don't let it fool you. It'll be able to get back up soon." By this time, she was already standing behind me, and she placed the hilt of my sword in the hands that were still trembling above my head. "Go ahead. Either kill it, or die yourself. It's your choice." I could feel those bright red eyes boring into the back of my neck, and I tightened my grip on my weapon.
:I'm sorry – I have to.: I stumbled forwards, tears suddenly coming to my eyes as I bought up my weapon for the third time. I let it linger in the air, staring into the huge, sorrowful pupil before me, and then swiftly bought my weapon down. There was a sickening squelching, popping sound as I embedded the blade deep into its eye, and then more green blood shot forth when I wrenched my weapon free.
The monster slowly began to turn to fine dust, and blew around the room in a wind that shouldn't have existed… The lava pool started to cool, and solid rock formed around the edges of the boiling lake, quickly spreading inwards until the floor was complete. I looked behind me to try and see the girl, but she was already gone. :It's not like I expected her to hang around anyway.: Tired, and slightly nauseous because of all the blood I was covered in (including my own), I swayed, and collapsed onto the floor.
There were hands there, hooking underneath my shoulders, and then picking me off of the floor altogether. The air became cooler, and I realised that we must be going outside. I felt the cool of the ground beneath my back once more, and caught someone's hand as they fumbled across my chest, searching for something. "The stone – where is it?" she asked, and I opened my eyes to see a vague outline above me, blotting out the stars.
I reached down, and nudged the stone from my pocket – she immediately grabbed it, and started speaking into it. By this point, fatigue caught up with me, and I just let my head loll onto the ground, knowing that this part of my adventure was over. :And a bloody awful adventurer I make as well, having to rely on a girl…:
Grandma came into the house, holding a letter clutched tightly in her hands. I walked over to pester her, as I was really hungry, and she hadn't cooked dinner yet. "Grandma, I'm hungry!" I whined, tugging on her skirt – Aryll came over as well to back me up, now in the phase of parroting everything I said.
"Grandma, I'm hungry!" she repeated, tugging on the other side of Grandma's skirt. This would usually make Grandma laugh, and then she'd tell Aryll to think of her own things to say…however, this didn't happen, and I felt a little put out that I had been ignored. Aryll let go of her skirt, and then looked at me with wide eyes, seemingly confused by the fact that we had been ignored. So was I… I walked over and grabbed Aryll's hand, and tugged her into the kitchen, where Grandma had gone.
She was sitting at the kitchen table, still staring at the letter in front of her. "What's wrong?" I asked (echoed by Aryll, though my little sister's voice was subdued). There was no response, so I reached up and took the letter out of my carer's hands. Struggling slightly with the longer words (as I'd only begun to learn how to read over the previous year,) I read what it said. When Aryll poked me, I remembered her presence, and read it out loud for her.
"The Voy– Voy–Voyager ship was caught in a typhoon on the Great Sea between – urm, something Isle and Windfall Is land – oh, Island! The ship's w-r-wreck-age washed up on shore along with surv…survivors. It is believed that no one else could have survived. Truly sorry… Somebody or other… And then there's a list of names, see?" I pointed out where the names were to Aryll, who looked at the paper without comprehension. I wondered why Grandma was so upset… Then, suddenly, I remembered the day my parents had left the Isle – the Voyager!
"Grandma! Grandma!" I grabbed her hands, and tugged on them until she looked at me. "What about mummy and daddy? Why aren't their names on the list? They're all right, aren't they?" Her eyes were very bright, and I realised she was about to cry. "They're not, are they? Are they…" I hesitated and looked at Aryll, who had become distracted by a fly on the windowsill. I lowered my voice. "Are they dead, Grandma?" She just sniffed, and drew me into a hug.
My parents were gone…
"Is he OK? Come on, you have to let me in to see him!" A voice cut through my dream, and I abruptly came back to the world of the waking, though I didn't open my eyes straight away.
"No! The lad needs his rest – he's been through a terrible ordeal! Now, go away, before I have to call the guards or something!"
"But he's my friend – he'll need a friend to see when he wakes up!"
"No, I simply cannot allow-"
"Just let her through buddy, alright?"
"Quill, you know I can't do that, what if-"
"Just let her through!"
"Yes sir."
:Ow, my head…: I groaned, turning over and promptly managing to fall off of whatever I'd been lying on. "Ow…" I opened my eyes to see where I was, but closed them again when this caused pain to explode right behind my eyeballs.
"He's awake!" I finally managed to recognise at least one of the voices – after all, who could mistake Medli for anyone else with a voice that loud? I tried opening my eyes again, this time a little more cautiously. I could make out blurred shadows, but nothing more than that. "Rufus? Rufus buddy, how're you feeling?" Medli bent down next to me, and I was able to make out her shocking red hair through the funny haze still over my eyes.
"Eurgh…" was the best answer I could manage to muster with my aching head taking up most of my attention. That, however, seemed to be good enough for Medli, and she stood up again – the world was becoming clearer, and now I could see that I was actually back in the Rito city, in a bedroom somewhere. :This seems familiar somehow…: The thing I had tumbled from was actually a canopy bed, and Quill had padded forwards in order to help me crawl back onto it. A short Rito dressed all in white stood on the other side of the bed, cradling a glowing ball. :Prince Komali's room:
This revelation caused my head to suddenly start throbbing again, and I abandoned my attempt to sit up. "Here, Rufus, take a sip of this," Quill ordered, picking my head up off of the heavy blankets and tipping a cup up against my mouth. Obediently, I swallowed, and had to resist the urge to spit the liquid straight back out again, because it was so bitter. :Red potion: Almost immediately, I was able to open my eyes without it hurting, and I felt all my cuts and bruises begin to fade away. "Better?" Quill asked, smiling down at me and pulling the cup away.
"Much," I nodded, sitting up. I overbalanced a little, not having realised how much of my movement had been restored, and had to grab onto him in order to prevent another tumble off of the bed. :Idiot: I reprimanded myself, and I slowly let go of my grasp on his robes. He just raised an amused eyebrow, and then backed respectfully away when Komali shuffled forwards to stand in front of me. Medli was standing next to him, a fond smile flickering across her face as she nudged him forwards.
"Um…I…well…Rufus, I just wanted to say that I…what with everything that was going on, I was…well, you see, because of," he stammered, and I had a hard time trying to decide exactly where this was going to go.
"Komali, stop making excuses and get on with it!" Medli hissed, batting him around the head. The guards in the room, instead of pouncing on her for daring to physically abuse their future monarch, just sniggered slightly. Quill frowned, but remained silent. Komali looked over his shoulder at Medli's glare, and blushed slightly, before turning back to look me in the face, still stroking the pearl cradled in his arms.
"Right – sorry. What I mean to say is…Medli told me everything – and – from myself, and my people, I'd like to thank you for what you've done. And I'm sorry I was so rude to you."
"That's all right," I replied, managing a smile even though my head was still throbbing a little.
"And, well, seeing as you managed to figure out what was wrong with Valoo, I think it's only right that I keep my word, and listen to whatever rubbish," Medli coughed warningly. "Uh, I mean, listen to whatever you need to ask for." I blinked, and swayed slightly on the bed as the world insisted on duplicating itself and then overlapping, before returning to normal. :Great, double vision. Just what I always wanted:
"Well…to be honest, all I need is Din's Pearl, so that I can get on with my quest," I finally managed to answer, pleased that I sounded grown up about the whole thing. Komali's face fell, but he was again nudged by Medli. Regretfully, he extended his hands, and dropped the pearl onto the bed in front of me. I looked in wonder at the shining orb, and then picked it up. It thrummed slightly, and as the light pulsated, so did the temperature of the pearl, so that when it was dark, the pearl was cold, and when it was light, it was hot.
"Th-thanks," I stuttered, looking around for my pack so that I could put the beautiful thing away.
"Here, I guess you're looking for these?" Quill handed me first my sword and shield, and then my two bags, which had been placed on the floor next to the bed. A sudden though crossed my mind as I began strapping my weapons on, and I looked to Quill for the answer.
"How did I get here? The last thing I remember is being up on top of the mountain…"
Quill immediately looked away, and cast a sidelong glance at the chieftain, whom I hadn't noticed was standing in the room. He just shrugged, managing to maintain a regal look as he carried out the action. Quill looked back at me, and one corner of his mouth rose in a half-smile. "Well, it was a little bit strange to be honest. I was down on the beach with Red, and then suddenly a girl started talking to him out of thin air. She said that you needed to be picked up from the top of the mountain, and to send someone straight away – so, since I was the only one there at the time, I came to get you."
"Did you get the name of the girl?"
"No…" he looked at me a little strangely, but then seemed to dismiss it. "Anyway… Red told me to say that, as soon as you're ready, you should hurry back to him. He said you two need to get going as soon as possible."
"Figures," I sighed, already resigned to the fact that Red was constantly in a hurry to go anywhere. "Where is he?"
"In the cove, where you landed," Quill said, again acting as a much-needed leaning-post as I scrambled off the bed and assembled myself into a position that was as close to standing up as I could manage. He didn't seem to mind holding me steady however, and for that I was grateful. "Perhaps you'd like an escort down there, hmm?" he whispered, with a small grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.
"If you wouldn't mind…"
"No, not at all. Come on, now that you're up you may as well get going. We all know what Red's like when he's worried," he rolled his eyes, and I laughed, immediately regretting it as it made me ache all over. Before I left, the chieftain held up his arm, and Quill carried on holding me steady as we spoke.
"Rufus, we are indeed in your debt," the chieftain said quietly, his eyes conveying the gratitude that polite conversation cannot quite express. "If you ever require our help for anything – anything at all – then all you need do is ask."
"Thank you sir – it's much appreciated," I said back, my head reeling as Quill finally ushered me out, and past all the royal portraits, into the main city. After that, it all became blurry again, though as soon as we made our way outside, my head cleared just enough for me to decide a few things. :And the first thing I'm going to do when we get to Red is get him to explain a few things:
:Dies: How on earth are you supposed to make a boss battle where you use a dragon's tail as a swinging post to make the ceiling fall down believable? GAH! Stupid, stupid game! So, naturally, I changed it so that Rufus, in a rare fluke, managed to figure out how to kill the monster thing…and stuff. I'm sorry! But, really, look at the material I have to work with here:Strops ala diva style, and is promptly slapped by Sheik:. Ow! Oh…thanks. Heh…I needed that, huh? But…well, I apologise if that fight scene seemed a little – stupid. Because the game is stupid on that part. And – yeah, I'm shutting up. Sorry for the anticlimax…
Medli / Komali shipper has been bought out in me. Sad, but true. And I'm still a quivering Quill fangirl (notice how I had him look after Rufus and all that? I really need to get my fangirl nature under control, or this might spiral off into some bizarre side slash story. And that would be wrong. :Nods: Very wrong…and yet…:grins:.) And I'm still bad at fight scenes.
With love, and other such sappy stuff, Soda
For Lossemare. Because she's going on holiday soon, and I promised her a chapter. I just apologise that it had such a silly fight scene in it! I liked it all up to about page four – and then the boss battle just – gah. Silly Nintendo bosses!
Oh, and I've decided to write Rufus' past…because for some weird reason I would actually like a plausible explanation about where the hell his parents got to! (It also gave me an excuse to write an adorably stuttering Rufus…)