The Legend of Midna: Clockwork Darkness

Chapter Three

"Are we staying in the castle?" asked Eoghan eagerly. "I hope so…" Midna had warped them from the Arbiter's Grounds straight to Hyrule Castle. Zelda had said that they would always be welcome there, and they had their own private quarters set aside for their personal use.

"Yes, of course," said Link, "but I do plan on spending one night in my old house and living a day of my old life."

"Why?" piped Siobhán. "Why would you want to go back to being a goat herder?"

"Well," he said, "to be honest, I kinda miss it. I mean don't get me wrong, I love my life, but there was a lot less pressure back then."

"Well, it seems silly to me," she said, looking bored.

"I'm sure it does," said Link, "but one day you may miss your younger days."

"Whatever," she said. Siobhán was bored by just about everything that she didn't take a personal interest in. However, she took what her parents said seriously, whether she showed it or not.

"You think you can still do that?" said Midna. "Link, you haven't herded a goat in fifteen years."

"Eh," he shrugged, "I'd say I've still got it. So what if I'm a bit older?"

"I wonder if they'll still recognize you," Midna mused.

"Why wouldn't they?"

"Link," she said, "you haven't been there in years, and you have a beard now. Speaking of which, you need to shave that thing off."

"Why?" he retorted, looking abashed. "I like it. It makes me look more like a king."

"Well, I hate it," she said, "and as everyone knows, it's the queen that really calls the shots. So when we get home, the beard goes. Period."

"Oh, dang," Eoghan sneered. "You just got burned, dad!"

"Yeah, yeah, enjoy it while you can, son. She won't get one over on me like that again for a while."

"She gets more over on you than you think," said Siobhán. "You just aren't around, Little Link."

"What do you -" he stopped, and then looked at Midna. "Oh, come on! What are you doing, putting things like that in her head? And besides, that's not even true!"

"Aren't we supposed to be going to see Renado?" Midna said quickly, clearly trying to change the subject.

"Yes," he said, "but this isn't over."

"Link," said Renado with a smile. He had aged considerably since Link had last seen him, or maybe it was just that it had been so long, it seemed more drastic. "It is good to see you again. What brings you here?"

"Well," he said, "I thought perhaps you could help me. I've been having these dreams, you see, troubling dreams. I've seen the best doctors in the whole Twilight Realm, but they haven't been able to help. They're incredibly gifted in the way of medicine, curing illness and healing injury, but that seems to be all they're concerned with. You understand this stuff, so that's why I thought maybe you could help."

"Dreams, you say…" Renado considered him for a moment. "Perhaps we can gather the cause, or a meaning. Describe them to me."

"They don't happen very often," Link began, "and they aren't regular, either. Usually I see a black castle during a thunderstorm. A few times I've seen a figure, like a man, but I've never been able to make out any details."

"Hmmm…" Renado considered this for a moment. "I'm not sure, Link. I believe, if there is meaning to be taken from these dreams, that the black castle you have seen represents some type of evil. Whether or not it poses a threat to Hyrule or the Twilight Realm, I cannot say."

"Well, you did better than any of the doctors from the Twilight Realm," said Link. "Well, now that that's taken care of, we can get down to visiting."

"Rise," said Zagros. An armed and armored skeleton rose to its feet to face him. "Are you the one they told me about?"

"That depends," said the skeleton. Its gravelly voice had the quality of stone rubbing against stone. "What is the name you were told?"

"Igos du Ikana," stated Zagros.

"Then the one you seek, I am," said the skeleton. "Now if I may speak, who are you to approach the king of the Ikana?"

"My name is Zagros," he said, "and I am the man who is going to turn this world upside down."

"Why do you need me, then, if you are so confident?" Igos said warily.

"I need an army," said Zagros, "and I believe you can provide me with one. I have already convinced the Garo to run as spies for me, but I need foot soldiers. I believe you can help me with this, because if the stories are true, war was the specialty of the kingdom of Ikana."

"No!" snarled Igos. "I will never ally myself with the Garo. My kingdom was at constant war with the Garo nation, and that war continues even in death. Never will we fight side by side."

"Oh, I think you will after I show you what you have to gain." Zagros broke a shifty half-smile.

"What could you possibly offer me?"

Zagros raised his hand, palm up. With his other hand, he performed a complex gesture and faced the palm towards the king of Ikana. "Look at yourself," said Zagros.

Igos du Ikana raised his hands. The shock of what he saw left him speechless. He had been dead for countless years, yet there were his hands, flesh and blood once more. His hands groped at his face, feeling the flesh and the hair. He placed his hands on his sides, feeling his ribcage expand and relax with every breath. He felt his heart beat for the first time in centuries.

"You see?" said Zagros. His eyes flashed. "I can give you life again." He let his hands drop to his sides, and immediately the king of Ikana was reduced to bones once more. "But I will only give you life if you swear allegiance to me. Put aside your war with the Garo. My plans are bigger than all of us."

"How can I be sure you will uphold your end of the deal, assuming I agree?" Igos was once again on the defensive.

"Well, that's the thing, isn't it?" Zagros was clearly amused. "You can't, but if you want to live again you have no choice but to trust me. Now, what say you?"

Igos du Ikana grunted. "I suppose I have no choice. I accept."

"Excellent," said Zagros. The wheels had begun to turn. Everything was going according to plan.