The Legend of Midna: Clockwork Darkness
Chapter Ten
"Alright, so what now?" said Eoghan, once the trio had once again returned to Telma's bar.
"Well, we find a way to save our parents and Zelda, obviously," chided Siobhán.
"Obviously," he retorted, "but where do we start. What brilliant idea have you got for that?" She sat silent for a moment. "None," she finally stated.
"Ok, then," he said. "What about you, eh Cal? Got any ideas?"
"Hmmm…." She let herself go in thought. Finally she came back to reality. "The only thing I can really think of right at the moment is to drop in at Ordon. There may be something or someone there that could be useful."
"Well," said Siobhán in resignation, "we've got no better options."
"Let's do it, then," said Eoghan. Together they made their way out of the bar into the buzzing streets of Castle Town.
The sun was setting on Hyrule, giving way to a warm summer night. The sounds of the city were far behind them, replaced now by the sound of insects and the night. They had set up a small camp in the southern portion of Hyrule Field, and were sitting around the fire Siobhán had produced.
"Why is it green?" Eoghan mused as he stared into the fire. "Every time you make fire, it's always green."
"I like green," she answered with contempt. "You got a problem with it?"
"No," he said as he hung his head.
Cailin had been sitting in silence, listening to the twins go on like that for nearly an hour. Finally she had had enough.
"Are you always like this?"
"What do you mean?" Siobhán said, looking affronted.
"I mean, ever since we started this endeavor you've been so bitter. I know you've got some problem with me even though you won't admit it, and you've always got something nasty to say to Eoghan, even though he's done nothing wrong."
"I haven't the slightest idea what you're talking about," Siobhán said with disdain. "Furthermore, I'm appalled that you would slander me like that with such accusations."
"Alright, look," said Cailin, shaking her head, "I really could not care less about whatever you have to say about me, but I don't understand how you can sleep at night knowing how you treat Eoghan."
"You think I owe you an explanation for anything?" Siobhán cried as she got to her feet, her voice cutting through the still night. "Well, I don't. I'll see you two in the morning. I've had enough of this." She turned on her heel and stormed off.
"I can tell you exactly why she's like that," said Eoghan once his sister was out of earshot. "She thinks she's better than us."
"But why, though?" Her eyes still lingered where Siobhán had just stood. "What reason could she possibly have that would make her better than us?"
"She resents her Hylian blood. She thinks the Twili are superior to the people of Hyrule, I guess because up until the thing with Zant there was never any war among the Twili, and there hasn't been since. You're definitely Hylian, and I look Hylian enough to pass for one."
"That's ridiculous," said Cailin as she furrowed her brow. "Blood doesn't make anyone better than anyone else."
"Try telling that to her," Eoghan spat, "not that it'd do you much good."
"I know…" Cailin let her voice trail off. "Well, we might as well bed down for the night. We've still got a ways to go."
"You're right," he said awkwardly. "Well…I guess I'll see you in the morning, then."
As he made his way over to where his sister lay sleeping, Cailin couldn't help but wonder how two people so unalike could be related. Then again, it wasn't a thought that couldn't wait until morning…
None of them spoke the whole rest of the way to Ordon. Siobhán was still fuming from the events of the previous night, and Eoghan was afraid of what his sister might say to him if he tried to speak to her or Cailin, who didn't feel like hearing the sound of Siobhán's voice. She knew that confronting Siobhán would do no good, and she also knew that speaking to Eoghan would result in having to listen to Siobhán rant and rave until she was bluer in the face than she already was, so she remained silent. When they finally spied the forest ahead of them, something seemed amiss. It was Eoghan who recognized first what was wrong.
"There's smoke coming out of the trees," he said. "I wonder, was there a fire?"
"Of course there was, you idiot!" Siobhán chided. "There can't be smoke without fire."
"You'd be surprised what there can be," Cailin said dryly. "Well, we'd better go check it out."
They were met with horror once they entered the forest. Where Coro's house had once stood, there was burning rubble. Coro, on the other hand, was in several places around the area. His arms, legs, and other body parts lay scattered all over, and his head was mounted on a pike in front of them, a look of pure terror on his face. They cautiously passed Coro's head and continued on through the forest, the smoke getting thicker and thicker the further they went. Finally they reached Ordon. There stood Link's old house, the ladder torn away, and the gate to the village was missing as well. The smoke was so thick now it was hard to breathe, and even more difficult to see. They crouched lower to the ground, beneath the smoke, and crept into the village. What they saw there made Cailin vomit.
"This is horrible," said Siobhán, with a hint of what sounded like sympathy for the people of Ordon. The village lay in ruin, with every house burned to the ground and debris everywhere. "What could have done this?"
"That!" shouted Eoghan, and immediately they saw what he had seen. A huge, hulking something was lumbering across the village towards them. Its four legs carried it with an odd, jerking gait. As it came closer they could see it in better detail. It had the shape of a sort of four-legged scorpion, with two long arms protruding from its front and back, and a massive tail curling over its enormous body. Its carapace was smooth and shone like brass. Its tail was segmented and covered in rectangular armored plates. At the end of its tail, where there would normally be a sting, there was instead a kind of hollow tube with its end open. At the end of its arms were massive, wicked blades. The two on the back were straight, like the swords carried by the Knights of Hyrule; those on the front had curved double blades, reminiscent of two sickles facing each other. Despite its size and jerking gait, it moved with incredible speed, and soon it was close enough to see that it legs ended in deadly spikes, and it had no visible eyes. Before they had time to register what the thing was, a great jet of fire exploded from the tube at the end of its tail, directly towards them. Without thinking, Eoghan seized Cailin and his sister and vanished into the shadow of a nearby tree, emerging on the other side of the village.
"Dear Gods," panted Cailin, "what is that thing?"
"I don't know," said Eoghan, in a steady voice that belied the terror that his eyes showed. "I'd hate to get on the wrong side of it, although I think it's safe to say we know what ruined this village." Then he got to his feet and drew his sword and shield.
"What are you doing?" his sister demanded.
"I'm going to kill it," he said. "It's what Dad would've done. He wouldn't have given it a second thought."
"Well, you aren't Dad," she insisted, "so just stay put."
"No!" he protested. "I know you think I'm worthless, but someone has to do something."
"I don't think –"
"Don't give me that," he spat. He didn't want the words to be coming out of his mouth, but it was too late. "You talk down to me all the time, you don't really care about what happens to me, and you treat me like a servant. Well, it won't happen anymore. I'm taking charge while that thing is out there trying to kill us, since you aren't doing anything."
"Is that so?" she hissed. Her words were filled with venom. "Well, Mr. Hero, what exactly do you propose we do about that thing, huh?"
"I already have it worked out," he said. "I just have to get in close to it and avoid its blades."
"And how do you plan to do that?"
"I'll summon a force field to keep its arms from reaching him," Cailin interjected.
"And you," said Eoghan to his sister, "will use the magic of our people to plug that fire spout on its tail."
"Oh, will I?" Siobhán mused. "Hmm…you know, I don't think I'm up to it. I'm awfully tired, and magic uses up a lot of energy. I think I'll have to sit this one out."
"Whatever," was Eoghan's response. Without another look back, he rushed towards the monstrosity with his shield held high. Although the thing had no eyes, it somehow was aware of his presence, and with unprecedented agility, turned to face him. In a flash its tail was arched over its back, and Eoghan had just enough time to duck behind his shield before another stream of fire was upon him. When it ceased, he darted in and out, trying to get near its core, but a blade caught him at every turn, with just enough window of opportunity for him to evade. After a few rounds of cat-and-mouse, the brassy scorpion leaped backwards, allowing it enough room for another blast of fire.
"He's doing good," Cailin said to no one in particular. "If he could just get in close enough, he could do it."
"Well," Siobhán said to herself, "he's not doing good enough." With that she shut her eyes, raised her hands, and began to work the magic of the Twili. Shadow energy from all around gathered to her, and once she was satisfied, she thrust her hand towards the scorpion.
Again the monstrosity backed away from Eoghan. He raised his shield, waiting for the blast of fire, but it didn't come. He looked up over the rim of his shield, and to his surprise he saw the beast's tail arched over its back, but the hole at the end of its tail was covered in a thick black substance.
Maybe she's not so bad, he thought as he rushed forward. The scorpion lashed out with its sickle blades, but he rolled and dodged around them. Finally he was able to get close enough to jump up onto its smooth, brassy carapace. With the Gilded Sword in hand, he cleaved through the blade stalks on its back. With a horrible sound, like a cuirass being hewn apart, they fell to the ground. He then drove the blade down into its back. The scorpion hissed and jerked, until finally it fell to the ground. As it lay there, sparks flew out of the wounds on its body, and a shiny black liquid coated the grass around it.
Siobhán and Cailin rushed to him, both beaming. It was almost as if their fight from the previous night had never happened.
"I thought you didn't feel like using magic," Eoghan said to his sister as he pushed the hair that was plastered to his brow back.
"Well," she said, "you were doing terribly out there."
"Thanks," he said sarcastically. He then turned to Cailin. "What happened to you creating a force field?"
"After seeing you move like that, I could see that you didn't need it," she said. "I have faith in you." For the first time in a long time, a genuine smile spread across his face.
"Thanks," he said. "I don't understand what this thing is, though. I thought it was just some armored monster scorpion thing, but it isn't even alive. It's made completely out of metal."
"I don't know either," said Cailin, "but whatever it is, it's dead now."
They stood there, relieved that the metal monster had been destroyed. Unfortunately, their happy moment was cut short, though, because just then they heard voices coming from the ranch.
"How long will it take them to get back to Mechanus?" said a gravelly voice.
"Not long," replied a second voice. This voice, however, sound young and powerful. "If they go straight through the woods to the west of this village, they'll find the path that leads there. That journey takes no time at all."
"Why, again, are they going back to the Bronze City? Why not just follow us to the field?"
"I have greater plans," said the powerful voice. By now the owners of the voices had reached the gates of the ranch. Although they couldn't make out any details, the heroes could see that they were both very tall, and one was wearing some kind of cloak. The other carried a massive sword and a large square shield.
"Master," said the gravelly voice, "why do you keep these things secret from me?"
"Some things are better left secret," said the other. Suddenly the two figures stopped short. "Wait…who are they?"
"Shit," Cailin hissed. "We've been seen."
They turned to bolt, but they were too late. Somehow the figure with the sword and shield had moved from where he stood to directly behind them in a matter of seconds. Now they could clearly see that he was a towering skeleton.
"Children, Master," he shouted, "but one is armed. What shall I do with them?"
"Lock them up with the other prisoner, and be hasty. There's no time to lose."
"Yes, Master," replied the skeleton obediently. He reached toward Cailin, but let out a howl of surprise as Eoghan cleaved his forearm in half.
"Damn you, you piece of filth!" he cried, and struck Eoghan across the face with his other bony hand. "Do you realize who I am? I am the mighty King of Ikana!"
"If you're so mighty, why are you calling him 'Master'?" Cailin retorted.
"Mind your own business," snapped the King of Ikana, "and hold your tongue. You, boy, will regret that strike against me. I can have you all dead in a minute. Now get yourselves up that hill."
"Let's just do what he says," said Siobhán in a very uncharacteristic small voice. "Just this once, listen to me."
"You are wise," said Ikana. "Now let's go, come on. Hurry up."
Begrudgingly but obediently the group allowed Ikana to lead them up the hill to the stable. Once they were inside, he locked the door.
"This door is guarded," he said, "so don't get any ideas of escaping. Elseways you'll have to face the wrath of master Zagros."
Ikana rejoined Zagros at the gate to the ranch. As they continued through the village, Zagros stopped at the ruined fabricant.
"Pity," he said in a bored voice, "I spent so long perfecting its design. Oh well, it isn't as if more can't be made. Besides, I have a better design in the works as we speak."
"Master," said Ikana, "this one has been destroyed. Clearly they are capable. How can you be sure they won't be able to take down more?"
"Oh ye of little faith," chided Zagros. "Some say the world will end in fire, some say in ice. From what I've tasted of desire, I hold with those who favor fire. Mark my words, Igos, this world will burn."
A pound of myrrh to anyone who can tell me where Zagros's ending quote came from.