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Chapter Fifteen – Into an abyss
Mali's POV
Varjo's black hair slumps over his face like a veil as he pours over the huge map he has spread out on the grass. He looks like a child today, eagerly playing with a new toy. I smile at the thought and allow my eyes to wander over him. There is no doubt he has an amazing physique. He seems to be made of pure muscle. Even the light shirt he wears cannot hide the sinewy lines of his back and the strength in his arms. I feel myself blush and turn away.
Really I don't know what's come over me recently. Ever since that incident at Link's ranch, I seem to have developed an insatiable appetite for all things Varjo. Of course, he has not helped matters. He is perfectly aware that my eyes are often fixated on his skin, or that my thoughts very often make me blush, they are so inappropriate. I think he enjoys teasing me. Sometimes he will allow his fingers to brush against my neck as we walk side-by-side. Sometimes he will glance at me, his strange eyes lit with amusement. He has even taken to wearing skin-tight breeches, knowing that I find such rather impossible to ignore.
Even his attitude now, pouring over that blasted map is intentionally provoking. He is his leaning on his side, his back to me, in a deliberate sprawl that shows off his toned back and muscular arms to the best advantage. I can't help but ogle him once more before taking my habitual seat by his side and asking the inevitable question – "What's the plan?"
He traces a route on the old map with a long finger, again in a deliberately slow manner, of course he knows that I would much rather have that same finger running over my skin…oh help – stop it, Mali!
I'm positive he can read my mind for as I reprimand myself mentally; he glances up at me and smirks knowingly.
Damn that bloody…
"I am still tracing the route." He says, interrupting my thoughts. Which is a good thing as I'm getting a bit flustered. He even uses his voice to tease me. It's like everything he says is a hidden innuendo meant just for me.
I really do wonder if he's enchanted me somehow.
I force myself to concentrate on the map, and not him – a difficult but not impossible task. It is very old and faded. It was in the library of his mansion and had apparently been drawn in the age of the imprisoning war. Why he needs it, I don't know.
I suppose to a cartographer, it would be incredible to see how the land has changed. Even I find it quite interesting to see that the land has altered over these last how-ever-long years. Hyrule is much bigger than it was then. To me it seems like the whole thing has shifted southward. It is quite bizarre. Varjo is studying the seals on the map – there are five of them, each representing some kind of element and I think he's transposing them onto his new map.
I have no idea what we are doing but I don't care. As long as I can somehow sever the connection between Link and the Princess, I am satisfied.
"Hmm," I hear him murmur to himself and I have to quell the very improper thoughts that travel with alarming regularity through my mind at the sound. I don't know what kind of attraction I have for him – it feels almost unnatural – but I cannot get enough of him.
I glance at the map again and see that his finger is resting lightly against one of the seals. It is right in the middle of the ancient Lake Hylia. He strokes the symbol lightly and smiles. "I remember this…"
"Remember what?"
"The water temple…" He murmurs again and continues stroking that faded blue mark on the map. It is right slap-bang in the middle of the ancient Lake Hylia. There are no discernable bridges crossing to the point at which his finger rests lightly, nor is there any indication that that temple-thing that he is talking about is somehow floating on the surface – so how the heck would he have visited it, if that's what he means.
"The lake had almost dried completely." I suddenly get the impression that he's forgotten I am here. It's like he's lost in a memory or something weird. Somehow, that scares me.
"Do you mean when Daphnes dammed the river?" I ask.
"Dammed…" Varjo jumps in surprise and glances at me. His red eyes are gleaming eerily again. I take a step backwards, almost tripping on a tree root as I do. A frown mars his beautiful face and he watches me in a predatory manner. Strange man. Suddenly he grins at me. I am relieved, for a moment there I was getting seriously worried. "Daphnes didn't dam the river."
"So why was Lake Hylia dried up?"
"The Zora's domain had frozen."
I rack my brains to recall the last time the Zora River had frozen over but I can't think of any occasion. As far as I can remember, it's only happened twice in the history of Hyrule, once in the era of the very first Link and once in the era of Twilight. I am confused. And so I tell my companion.
Varjo's grin widens. Obviously he finds me hilarious. I sometimes wish he'd share the joke with me but I doubt he ever will. Still he is so attractive that I can forgive him.
He cracks his knuckles and stands. He stretches deliberately and turns to me. I'll bet he's noticed that blush on my face again. Why oh why am I filled with such improper, and downright dirty thoughts when I look at him? My poor father would be appalled if he knew what I was thinking right now. He flicks my cheek carelessly with a finger and says, "Warm, isn't it?"
I nod, even though it's actually rather cool this afternoon, inside I'm on fire.
A lazy smile spreads across his face and his red eyes glint in the sun. "I always knew you were far too pretty to be wasted on Link." He murmurs as he pulls me towards him. I can't tell if he is being tender or sarcastic. I don't care though. I feel his lips brushing the nape of my neck and I shiver with delicious anticipation. I allow my body to go limp in his arms.
When he has finished, I manage to raise my eyes back to his and I smile. I can't prevent myself from smiling – I think you'd have to be better than a sage to feel such pleasure and not smirk about it. The way he looks now makes me tremble, there is a hidden depth of excitement in his eyes that I've never seen before, and I'm not entirely convinced it's a good thing. His lips are parted slightly and I realise I am staring at them.
I still don't understand how or why he takes me to the point of madness and then steps back just before I can allow myself to fall into the feeling. It's like he really delights in frustrating me. Take now for instance, he will smile at me, kiss me and cajole me, and then the next moment, he will let go and act as though nothing has happened between us.
True to form, after making me feel like a feeble Red-Chu, Varjo has wandered off back to that map of his. I see his finger tracing lines between one point and another and I find myself thinking that I should ask him to do a similar thing to me and…
Oh god. I'm doing it again.
I shake my head, trying to purge my mind of all these terrible, lustful thought and try to picture Link. After all, he is supposedly the reason I accompanied Varjo on this stupid journey. Funnily enough, when I close my eyes I can see Link, only his hair is dark, like Varjo's and when he opens his eyes and glances my way, his eyes are red, like Varjo's. Now that is worrying. Either Link really does look like Varjo, or my mind has become obsessed with the said Duke of Faron.
I hear his low chuckle coming from the floor at my feet. To my astonishment, Varjo has somehow moved from the map to me without my noticing. He is kneeling before me. For a stupid, improbable moment, my mind thinks of proposals. I successfully curb this ridiculous thought. I wouldn't want to marry him anyway. His red eyes still glitter eerily as he gazes up at me. Doesn't he realise what he does to me?
This is Varjo – of course he does!
He tugs at my hand softly. I shiver, a little because it is cold, but mainly because I feel uneasy. Slowly he induces me to kneel before him. For the first time, we are exactly the same height. I can see right into his eyes and I see that they're flecked with orange and crimson. In their own freaky way, they are beautiful.
He allows me to stare at him for a moment, he's still smirking so goodness knows what he's really thinking, and for once he seems to be in a passive mood. When I raise my hand to do what I've been itching to do all day – namely get my fingers tangled in his long black hair, he only smiles slightly at me.
His hair is like silk. I wonder what the heck he washes it in! Since he's being so passive, at the moment at least, I might push my luck. It feels like time is standing still as I slowly lean my head forward. My whole body trembles with fear, as I cautiously taste the skin of his neck.
He only sighs.
His skin is so cold but so intoxicating.
Softly he pushes me back after allowing me to kiss him for a while. I expect the real Varjo has returned but when I look up at him, ready to see laughter and mockery in his eyes, there is nothing there but surprise.
Perhaps he finds it strange, like I do, that so simple an act as a kiss can have such a detrimental effect on one's sanity.
I don't know what he's thinking and I don't care. I don't care that when I feel him slowly wrap his arms around me, the sun becomes dark. I don't care that his eyes are flaring with almost animalistic passion as they burn into my very skin. I don't care that his fingers are tracing the seams of my clothing or that my hands are doing the same.
I don't care that as he lowers me to the ground and begins to kiss me, that my father would be mortified if he knew what I am doing.
All that matters is this beautiful, terrible pain.
I feel cold again and it is dark. I wonder how long I have been sleeping. As I stretch and look around. I am not surprised to see that I am alone. Somehow I didn't picture Varjo hanging around after our tryst. Still, it is nice to see that he has wrapped me in his dark cloak. It's a sweet gesture, for him anyway. As my senses slowly wake, I notice that I can hear birds chirping in the trees and insects still buzz lazily around the wild flowers. It can't be that late then… but why is it so dark?
I am a little thirsty so I suppose I ought to get up. Besides lying on the grass isn't exactly comfortable. Varjo's maps are still spread out over the grass. It's a little strange not to see him sprawled over them, like he has been these last few days.
I glance around, but still can't see him so I drag myself to the maps. He's been really secretive over them, apart from letting me glimpse them, and I don't know what he's doing. Now would be a good chance to see I suppose. And if my mind thinks for a minute, that I'll let it dwell on how furious he'd be with me if I'm caught, it's sorely mistaken!
The map looks as old as time itself. The lettering on it is strange but looks kind of like modern Hylian, but if it is – the words are totally strange to me. I'm not very good at geography anyway so it's pretty useless me searching for clues on this. The only things I can discern clearly are the symbols – at least, I think I can decipher them.
The water seal, sitting in Lake Hylia is a faded blue. Then in the forest north east of this, there is a green seal – probably earth or something. And then there is a pink one, which was at one time red – got to be fire – to the very north, in the mountains. Below this is a silver one, in what appears to be a graveyard. In the western desert, there is an orange one and finally in the centre of the map is a yellow one and the symbol of the Triforce.
Varjo has drawn faint lines in between each of the runes and has written in tiny letters some names. They mean nothing to me but they do sound a little familiar. The only history lessons I ever attended to were the ones taken by Link, and then I always got distracted after about two minutes of listening to him.
On the more recent map, Varjo has written the same names. I can see he has transposed the lines from the ancient map to his new map and the names are written, again in his neat hand, at the end of each line. He has circled the Lake Hylia name and has written something in even smaller letters next to the name Ruto.
My nose is almost touching the page as I try to read what he has written. Even then, I can barely make out what it says. Something like 'Ruaela'.
Now this name is familiar. I know I've heard it recently… My brain hurts as I try to remember it. Something to do with the Zora I know. Of course, that Zora Princess that was killed was called Ruaela. So why would Varjo write her name on the map?
I hear his soft tread approaching and hastily turn away from my spying. I glance up and smile as I watch him approach. I know that he has seen me looking at his maps. I can tell by the way his eyes glitter with malice. For once I don't feel scared of him.
Even when he sits besides me and holds my wrist so tightly that my hand starts to turn red, I am not afraid. I don't know what's come over me. In a strange, probably twisted, way I actually like this feeling of intimidation. Somewhere in the back of my mind I know he's done something terrible to me. But the worst thing is, I really don't care.
His house is completely empty and rather dilapidated. It is dark and dismal but I like it. It is huge. I could quite happily get lost in it. Of course, I will never be lost here, for I am with Varjo constantly. I am like his shadow. I cannot bear to be away from him.
I know I am not in love with him. And I know that he feels nothing towards me, yet I feel like I am a part of his soul and like he is a part of me - a part I didn't know before yesterday.
As I lay at his side last night, in that vast bed, I thought it strange how well we are suited to each other.
I watch him pouring over that map again. His hand rests over Lake Hylia and as I watch, he meets my eyes. That familiar grin is on his face, and it is one that makes my heart flutter with fear. I like this feeling. My companion knows this, and has learnt in an astonishingly short space of time, how to use that fear against me. I can honestly say these last few days have been the most enlightening of my life. I feel detached from him, yet bound irrevocably to him. He stands and crosses to my side.
If I am enlightened, then why do I feel I am living in shadow? Why do I feel I'm sinking deeper and deeper into a darkness I cannot contain?
"The Lord of Shadows." Varjo says unexpectedly.
As I long since gave up on wondering why he can read minds, I don't bother to ask him how he knows what I'm thinking. Instead, I ask the obvious question – "What are you talking about?"
"The Lord of Shadows." He smiles. To him it's probably the simplest thing in the world. He knows what he's talking about. Unfortunately, I don't and I need an explanation.
"Ganondorf is the key to the problem." He muses and looks back down at his map.
"Ganondorf, as in 'ancient king of all evil' Ganondorf?" I ask.
"Indeed. That Ganondorf. He holds the Triforce of Power. Link has the Triforce of Courage and supposedly your precious little Princess Zelda has the Triforce of Wisdom. I think that's debatable, but it matters not. Link believes himself to be bound to Zelda because she has the Triforce of Wisdom and, if that is the case, then he is bound to her. You have not forgotten I promised to help you, have you?"
Maybe I forgot just a little bit. I have been distracted lately.
He chuckles at this thought. "If you are serious about winning back Link, you must sever the connection between him and the Princess. The only way to do that is to harness the power of the Triforce."
"B-but…"
"Hear me out, Mali." Varjo's eyes glitter in that strange excitement again as he watches me. I can sense a strange, and not entirely pleasant, emotion coming from him. "The only thing strong enough to brake the bond between the one you love and the one he loves is the Triforce. It was the gods' will that brought them together, only the gods can break them apart. That is what we must do. We must reunite all the parts of the Triforce, and then, when they are together, you will win your happiness back."
I can't deny that winning back my happiness is a sweet prospect. But I also can't deny that I'd be quite happy to settle for Varjo as substitute Link. In fact, I doubt that Link would even think of half the things Varjo has had me do…
I really must stop doing this to myself.
"If you will not do it for yourself…" Varjo smirks as he reads my mind. "Then do it for me…"
"For you?"
"Why yes." His eyes glint with even deeper amusement as they watch me. "You help me with what I want and I will give you anything that you want. It is a fair deal." I can only nod in agreement of this vow. Something in the way he looks at me has immobilised my mind, so that it is stuck in a rut of thinking of only him. I can't say it's a pure thought either.
When I manage to finally drag my perverted mind away from him, a feat only accomplished when he stops caressing my shoulders, I whisper, "Why do you want the Triforce?"
Varjo grins at me in answer. His eyes almost glow red in the setting sun and I shiver as I feel the cold. I see a shadow pass over his whole body and he inhales deeply. When he looks at me, the danger has passed and he is back to his normal, teasing self.
"Varjo, why?" I repeat. "Why do you want the Triforce?"
He laughs and then replies in a voice that makes my blood run cold, "I don't."
So what's Varjo up to...? You'll have to keep reading to find out! I would be grateful for more reviews, I need to improve my writing...