The Hooded Man sat in a newly bought golden dragon hide armchair reading a thick tome as his partner stood in the far corner of the room. The short man started to hum and snicker quietly to himself. He finally looked up and raised an eyebrow as he glanced over at his shorter companion when he raised his voice and started to talk and laugh to himself. Perfect, so this little maniac was irritating and weird?
He rolled his eyes but jumped once a dark aura suddenly sprouted from all around the purple robed man. He narrowed his eyes once he felt the strong pull of this magic. He was trying to send someone here! Was he crazy?!
He hurriedly set his thick tome down and was storming his way over to his companion when suddenly the purple robed man jumped as his dark magic began to spasm from all around him, making him stumble back several paces before suddenly a person came crashing into him.
The Hooded Man stood shocked for a moment as this person quickly jumped to their feet and stumbled back before catching sight of him.
"Sheikah…" hissed the Hooded Man before sending a bolt of holy energy shooting toward Sheik.
The Sheikah threw himself to the side, barely missing it before bolting down the nearest pathway between the bookshelves. He ran in random directions trying to lose his pursuers. He cursed once he realized something prevented him from teleporting and even using magic.
He flew around a corner and ran along the wall until he saw a window. He bolted toward it, thinking that as long as he saw something outside then he might be able teleport somewhere out there if he happened to find a blind spot in what he guessed was a ward around this place. He was almost there when he realized something. How was he still alive? This place mustn't have been that far from the Lost Woods then…but that didn't feel right. It took him several seconds to reach his destination. That was at least fifty miles away.
He skidded to a halt when the purple robed man ran up and stood at the other side of the window. Sheik swung around when he heard the Hooded Man ran up from behind him. He cursed as he took a quick glance out the window. It was too high up for him to jump out of it. Unless he somehow survived a six story fall but he wasn't going to rely on his luck.
"Finally…didn't know you…could run so…fast…" wheezed the purple robed man as he leaned on the wall for support. He took a deep breath and then pointed a finger at Sheik.
"But it's over now…so just…give up…" said the purple robed man. Sheik rolled his eyes but kept most of his attention on this new enemy that wore a black cloak with golden seams all around it. He didn't seem out of breath at all and even was able to keep up with him. Something that most Hylian's could only dream of doing. Just who was this person?
Sheik narrowed his eyes when the Hooded Man raised a hand toward him but then hesitated. He quickly glanced at his smaller enemy that was still currently in a long winded rant but noticed that he hadn't used any magic against him. He swung his head back toward the Hooded Man when he noticed movement and was puzzled when the man shook his head at the smaller man when he raised a hand toward Sheik as well.
"What!? What am I supposed to do if I can't use magic against him!" exclaimed the purpled robed man angrily. Sheik quickly weighed his options and decided that the smaller man would be the easiest to get past. So, he spun around and leapt on the windowsill and summoned two daggers before hurling one toward the Hooded Man and the other toward what Sheik now guessed was actually his minion.
The smaller man panicked and threw his arms up to summon his dark magic to shield himself. It swirled around him protectively and it immediately swallowed the dagger. Sheik was startled how quick his magic reacted to danger. It was as if his magic reacted to the smaller man's fear of being hurt instead of waiting for him to command it to react to what was threatening him. He didn't think magic could operate like that.
He backed up against the window when the smaller man started to curse as his dark magic continued to swirl around him like a vicious snake waiting to strike an approaching predator. The smaller man didn't seem able to control it and soon the dark magic expanded and effectively knocked over several bookshelves. Sheik winced and braced himself as the waves of shadow washed over him. He quickly opened his eyes when heard the window shatter but he didn't feel any pain. The dark magic didn't hurt him at all. In fact, he felt energized.
He narrowed his eyes and peered through the darkness of the swirling magic and noticed the Hooded Man was easily protected by some sort of magical shield was shone brightly among the dark magic around it. His first dagger bounced off the surface of the shield but now the taller man seemed to be more worried about the damage his smaller companion was doing. He could hear him shouting to the smaller man to stop. The purple robed man certainly looked like he was trying to stop but the way he was frustrated and confused made the Sheikah think that this hasn't happened before. Sheik quickly summoned his two dagger back but was surprised that only one returned to his hand. He frowned but summoned another one and crouched in a defensive position on top of the windowsill when the Hooded Man turned and advanced toward him.
The Hooded Man looked torn as he glanced from Sheik to his smaller companion that continued to have trouble controlling his magic. The Sheikah couldn't tell if he knew why this was happening but he was powerful enough to be a threat. His bright shield moved with him as he cautiously approached the Sheikah. Sheik narrowed his eyes when the taller man raised his hand toward him but hesitated. The divine magic he tried to summon seemed to fizzle out whenever he tried to create it. But it seemed more because he was overly cautious about adding to the damage that his smaller companion was already making.
So, they were trying to be quiet and hidden? He could use that. This would be a good time to use the chaotic environment to his advantage.
Sheik took a deep breath and then turned toward the swirling dark magic that had started to lash out at the bright shield that surrounded the Hooded Man. He closed his eyes and leapt toward where the strongest waves of darkness blew from. As he entered the core of the mass of dark magic, he suddenly felt like time had slowed down. It became silent and colors faded away and he saw shades of grey all around him.
The same dark power that lashed out at the Hooded Man didn't hurt him at all. It pushed and pulled him randomly through the air until he suddenly dropped to the ground a few feet away from the smaller man.
Sheik was disoriented as the sound and color came rushing back to him but he still bolted away just when he heard the Hooded Man shout something at the smaller man but Sheik didn't stay around long enough to hear what it was. He sprinted down random pathways again but stumbled as he ran into bookshelves and small tables. He realized this place must be too important to them because they easily could have just trapped him with their combined power, especially if they were strong enough to block his natural abilities from him to begin with.
Sheik glanced behind him and noticed that no one was following him, so he slowed down and tried to find an exit. He kept his daggers ready to throw at a moment's notice while he crept forward.
The Sheikah tensed as he felt the powerful aura of the Hooded Man come close to him so he pivoted around and bolted the other way but gasped as the smaller man was standing in between the bookshelves blocking his escape.
"Ha! Thought you could get away-" but the smaller man gawked as Sheik leapt right over him and bolted to the right before sprinting down a corridor. The smaller man went running after him spitting insults the whole way. Why didn't he sense that little bastard's aura?! It was definitely strong enough. He should be able to sense that kind of dark power from miles away!
Sheik continued to sprint down the corridor, praying to every goddess that his luck wouldn't cause a typical dead end to show itself. As he neared the end he cursed once he saw an upcoming wall and two doors on either side of it. He rushed to the one on the right and growled when he found it was locked so he jumped over to the other one and tried to turn the handle but hit his fist against the door when he realized it was locked, too. He looked up toward the heavens and scowled.
"Why must you all play with me like this?" muttered Sheik. He spun toward the corridor once he heard footsteps but there wasn't anywhere to run this time so he took a deep breath to steady himself.
He glanced down at the floor as he leaned against the door and sighed when he saw the shadow extending from under the door. He closed his eyes, oddly comforted by the fact it was so near him. Everything he had ever read about his people said that shadows seemed to share a kinship to them.
Suddenly Sheik felt himself falling and hit several things that he couldn't see on the way down before he landed hard on the cold stone floor of another corridor. He jumped up spinning in all directions but didn't see anyone. Taking a closer look around he saw that there were stairs that lead up to the next floor right next to him or those that lead down that stood near the far end of the corridor. Well, since he just fell from somewhere then going up probably wasn't the best idea, so his best option was to go down.
He felt much safer but kept his daggers out just in case. He glanced up at the ceiling as he went past but didn't see an opening anywhere. So, how did he get out of that dead end corridor?
He shook his head and continued to walk down the new corridor. He walked until he noticed several doors along each side of the hallway so he put away his daggers and tried to open them. Most were ether a storage closet or full of lavish and extravagant things that probably belonged in a rich nobles house. There wasn't any real method in how they were placed around the room. It was like the only reason they were there was to show them off. Sheik shook his head and continued onward. He finally reached an archway that had a flight of stairs that went down.
Sheik frowned as he walked through the archway and peered over the stone railing and noted how the stairs curved along the wall around it. A spiral staircase? Just how big was this place…?
He really should be trying to find a way out and going even deeper probably would lessen the chance of that happening.
So, he walked back the way he came and tried the other rooms but they were also just storage closets or just empty. He was curious when he finally ran into a locked door.
"Hmmm…this is interesting," muttered Sheik as he slid his hand along the designs that were carved into the locked door. He felt powerful magic protecting it. What could they be hiding behind this door?
Sheik shook his head and turned from the locked door. Well, he was in no position to be treasure hunting so he started forward but paused when he noticed something strange. He backed up a few steps, trying to spot it again. He stopped suddenly and stared unbelievably at a small section of the wall that met the floor at his feet. Was it just him or did a section of that wall just disappear?
Sheik straightened and walked forward but froze when he lost sight of it. He backed up again and it reappeared. He didn't sense any magic hiding it! He'd never encountered something that was able to be hidden from him before. He didn't think it was possible for something to be hidden from his race because of their gift to see and hear the truth. He suddenly remembered something his mother had told him…
"To hide something in plain sight while using no magic is perhaps the greatest advantage the Mirage Effect has. There is no way to track something that is hidden by it because there is nothing to track…it uses nothing but shadows. But I'm afraid I can't teach you that my dear. Not too many of us were able to learn it to begin with. I've never even seen it being performed before. No need to worry though. As far as I know, we are the only race capable of learning the Mirage Effect."
But if we were the only ones able to learn it then…was there other Sheikah here?
Sheik quickly shook his head. That wasn't possible. If there were any of his kin here then it must have been before the Hooded Man came along.
He narrowed his eyes as he stared hard at where the small hole in the wall was. It seemed he was only able to see it from a certain angle. He started forward again and the hole disappeared from sight but he crouched down to where he knew the small hole was and was surprised to find that when he reached forward, his hand went right through the wall.
He groped around until he found something that felt like a lever. He pulled it down and jumped when he heard something being moved. He straightened and looked around the corridor but didn't see anything different. Maybe it's something inside one of the rooms then?
Sheik walked to the broom closet that stood just to the right of the locked door and went inside. It still had the dusty shelves, wooden crates against the wall and a few brooms in the far corner…just like the last time he came in here. Then he noticed something was off about the pile of wooden crates in front of him. He'd never seen crates that were stacked perfectly on top of each other like that. Especially if put there by castle soldiers. He was quite certain this wasn't Hyrule's royal palace. But he'd seen the people that worked for some of the nobles and if there's one thing they had in common, it was the fact that they were lazy. So he strode forward and quickly climbed on top of the crates until he almost reached the ceiling.
As soon as he straightened, the section of the wall in front of him vanished and revealed a small boxed in space. He crawled inside it before sitting on his knees because the space was too small for him to sit up straight in.
There were different things littering the ground of the small space but what caught his attention were the drawings on the wall. They were messily put in random places, not really having a pattern at all. Some of animals, flowers, and some fat person holding what looked like a giant spoon. On the wall in front of him he noticed two faces were drawn.
Both faces were round with red eyes and bright smiles but the one on the left had long black hair with a purple flower on the side while the right had short white hair that was spiked up like something had blown up in their face. Sheik's eyes widen when he realized something before he took a quick look around the small space. A few bottles full of strange different colored liquids were stacked neatly in the right corner. An open tin box laid against the left wall full of dried flowers but the way they were arranged obviously meant that they meant something to the person that put them there. The ground around him had what looked to him like handmade toys.
There were children here at one point…but what happened to them?
He picked up one of the bottles that had jet black liquid inside it that sat on top of the neat pile and tried to wipe the dust away from it. He then noticed that something was painted on the side.
PCJ x 10 + RCJ x 1 + SS x 4.…..what in the world? Was this some kind of math problem?
These obviously haven't been used in a while…why were they hidden in this little space? What was that monster doing to them?!
Sheik took a deep breath before balling his hands into a fist. To late again…these children were suffering while he sat at home worrying about what his next training lesson would be.
He took another quick glance around the little space and noticed that there weren't any clothes or food there. So was this place just a little hideaway spot for them? Maybe they finally got the courage to run then? Surely they weren't in a place like this willingly?
He sighed. Well, since they weren't here to take care of the things they worked so hard to make then he would have to do it for them.
He picked up each thing carefully and placed them within his suit. The last thing he picked up was the open box full of dried flowers in the left corner but he froze once he closed the lid. In the middle were the words To Lady Lea painted in fancy letters. The writing looked very similar to what was painted on the bottles…
He had a feeling that the child that did the painting was male but he couldn't be sure. He swore once he got out of here he would make sure Zelda was told about this place. Maybe there were other people here that knew what happened to them.
Sheik placed the tin box into his suit before turning to crawl back out of the small space but just before he leapt from the edge he noticed the thin groove in the wall to the left right of him. He leaned closer and peered into the dark groove. So this was what made the noise in the corridor…
Sheik leapt from the top and landed perfectly but stayed where he was for a moment before deciding that it was safe to reenter the corridor.
He walked along the wall to the right of the room until he spotted the hidden space on the floor. He dropped to his knees before reaching where he knew the lever would be and pulled toward him. He heard the sound of something moving again. He would at least make sure no one else came along and found the place these children claimed as their own.
Sheik stood up and turned toward the archway that lead to the spiral staircase.
"Well…no other choice now," muttered Sheik before walking over and descending down the spiral stairs.
As he descended, he couldn't help but wonder how in the world those children were able to make a hole in the wall like that? It wasn't that big but not only managing to make it high enough that no one could just stumble into it but actually making a mechanism that allowed it to remain hidden even if someone did happen to be up that high? And at least one of them was able to perform the Mirage Effect! Maybe someone was helping them? He hoped so, at least that would mean this place wasn't a complete nightmare for them…
He finally reached the bottom and passed through an archway before entering another library.
"Well, this was not what I was hoping for…" muttered the Sheikah. He sighed as he made his way over to the large bookshelves but noticed something different about this library. Sheikah had the natural ability to sense the aura's of people. With extensive training, that allowed them to sense the intensions a person had toward them or what kind of magic they specified in. He had taught himself to harness this gift because his mother wasn't able to. She was good at reading people but didn't possess the entire gift because she wasn't a full-blooded Sheikah.
He was still a novice when it came to reading auras but he had learned that an aura always came with some sort of emotion. Even someone trying to think of nothing would still have an aura. He thought it was part of what made people alive.
But here….it was like he sensed powerful magic but…that was it. No aura, no hostile or curious feelings. It was like the magic was just there…by itself. Every kind of magic had an origin though. The chaotic magic of the Lost Woods had a strong connect to Woody. The ward surrounding Hyrule Castle had a strong connection to Zelda. His mother even said that places where he teleported from had a lingering connection to himself.
Sheik paused and then walked closer to the books on the shelves. His eyes widened as the feel of magic intensified the closer he got to them. Books with magic? He didn't know this sort of thing was even possible! How can books hold magic?!
Sheik shook his head and just started to browse the selves as he walked along the lime green carpets that aligned the pathways between the bookshelves. Really…why such a bright and distracting color? Anything would be better than this sickly bright color.
He rolled his eyes before selecting random books that seemed to reach out to him. There were books on many different topics with some of them even being in different languages. He pulled one with a blue cover out and skimmed through it. He found that it spoke about the Zora people in detail. Even explaining the slight differences between those of Hyrule and those from foreign places such as Termina. That was the second time hes heard that name…
He placed it back in the selves and noticed other books like it, but they were different colors. He figured they must speak of the other races but he continued on until he found a shelf with numerous numbered green books. Selecting a random one, Sheik skimmed through it and found that it explained the properties of different kinds of plants. Even telling how some could be used to make powerful potions or a deadly poison. Hmmm…this might be useful later…
Sheik closed the book and found that the cover said Hyrule. So each book must explain the properties of the plants from each country. Since the smaller man seemed to be the minion, then this place must belong to the other man with the extremely bright aura.
Sheik placed the book within his suit. Normally, he would be against the very act of stealing but this time he could make an exception. He never encountered the Hooded Man before but if he was anything like the smaller one then he was lucky that he was taking them and not setting them all on fire.
He continued to browse until he noticed a table. Looking around, he realized that this was the center of this huge library. He sighed. Alright, it was time to get out of here. He could always teleport back here later once he'd informed Zelda of this place. He was about to pass the table when a strong presence of magic suddenly hit him.
Looking down at the desk, he noticed several books laying across its surface but one shimmering green one seemed to reach out to him. He walked up to it but flinched as he was suddenly hit with several presences of magic that were of the same magnitude. He didn't find anything along the surface of the desk beside the one green book that even came close to what he was feeling. It seemed as though the other books that held the same force of magic were somewhere else closeby. Sheik couldn't see any of the other books as he scanned the bookshelves, but stopped when the magic of the green book seemed to reach towards him.
Sheik picked up the shimmering green book and tried to make out the writing on the cover but figured that it was in a different language. It seemed similar to Sheikah though. It must be very old then. As he skimmed through it, his eyes widened when every other page showed the image of a long haired woman dressed in green. She was surrounded with plants, animals or magic while she appeared to be holding a bright green light.
Sheik took a deep breath to steady himself, but it was hard to stay calm now that he realized that he was probably within the home of the very person that was attacking the Goddess Farore. It had to be him! He'd never seen a book that spoke only of the Goddess of Life like this! You were lucky to find a paragraph on any of the goddess's even in the royal library! And the feel of the powerful magic this book gave off…he just knew that everything in this book was true. If only he could read it.
Sheik jumped when a sudden shout of "what!" filled the room. He quickly stuffed the book within his suit and then headed in the opposite direction of the shout. He strode down another pathway aligned with the sickly green carpet until he saw a ladder against the wall that lead to a second level. It easily could hide him from view if he were to climb it…maybe he could pass right over them and get out of here while they searched the library for him?
It was worth a shot so he swiftly climbed the ladder and quietly crept along the balcony. He scanned the bottom level for any movement but also tried to stay as far from the rail of the balcony as he could. It wouldn't do him any good if they saw him waltzing toward the exit from the ground level.
He reached the other side but was suspicious of the fact that he didn't see anyone. But he did hear someone so he knew they were in here. Taking a deep breath, Sheik tried to think of a plan but suddenly jumped when his wrist started to burn. Glancing down at it, his eyes widened when he saw the small gold and green leaf symbol on his wrist start to shine brightly but he quickly covered it. He hurriedly looked around to see if anyone saw him. He forgot to cover his wrist back up after they had finished creating the leaf symbol. Was all his small mistakes going to come back to bite him in the ass later?
Woody was trying to summon him back using the bond he created with him, but he realized that the strong presence so many different types of magic within this library were hindering the flow from reaching him. He just needed to get back to the corridor.
Sheik took one step before pain suddenly erupted from every cell within his body, making him shout out in pain and collapse on the floor. He panicked when he realized that he couldn't move.
"Finally found the rat…" muttered the Hooded Man as he walked slowly up to him. Sheik turned his gaze to glare at his attacker. The Hooded Man had his hand raised toward him but he realized that he wasn't putting all that much effort into the attack. It was like the magic he wielded was what hurt him the most.
The Hooded Man humphed before jerking his hand toward the right and Sheik flew in the same direction and winced when he hit the railing of the balcony. His assailant pressed forward still, making Sheik tip over the railing until he fell off the other side.
Sheik fell through the air until he cried out in pain as he hit the floor. He closed his eyes, trying to stay remain calm but the intense pain in his now broken arm didn't help his cause. The Sheikah was helpless as he laid on the floor since he frustratingly found that his assailant's magic kept him paralyzed.
Sheik tried could do nothing as the Hooded Man climbed slowly down the ladder that stood not more than ten feet away from him. The man finally reached him, and Sheik felt like someone was shoving him to his feet even though the other man wasn't touching him. So, a controlling and paralyzing magic…and the presence was just…pure light. It was extremely rare to find someone able to harness this kind of raw power…
Sheik was dragged through the pathways, his feet barely touching the sickly green carpet beneath him but he had made sure to keep his shining wrist covered. He figured the only reason why he wasn't screaming in pain was because the magic Woody was attempting to use to send him back was hindering the flow of the magic currently restraining him.
"Finally! Can I kill him now? He so deserves it! Ignoring me like that-!" but the Hooded Man shushed his smaller partner as he looked in the direction that Sheik had first entered this place from.
"Of course you went snooping…keep an eye on him," muttered the Hooded Man to his smaller companion. He then went down the pathway that Sheik had originally. The Sheikah sighed relieved. It seemed the farther away the man got from him, the less his magic hurt.
He soon noticed that the smaller purple robed man was scowling in the other man's direction.
"Damn bastard…always bossing me around…" growled the smaller man. Sheik raised an eyebrow. A reluctant minion? Well, this could be useful.
"You always listen to what your master says?" asked Sheik. The smaller man swung toward him with a growl.
"That poor excuse of a magical caster is not my master! No one rules me!" spat the smaller man at Sheik. Perfect situation, he just needed to bend it to his advantage.
"Oh, but of course. So, you must take orders because you owe him? Or maybe you're just too weak to stand up to him? I feel sorry for you," said Sheik. He tensed as the smaller man suddenly pulsed with a dark aura. He was able to feel it now. Why couldn't he before?
Sheik's thoughts were cut short as the smaller man pointed a finger at him.
"Weak! I'll show you how weak I am!" shouted the smaller man before a bolt of lightning came hurtling toward him. Sheik closed his eyes just before the bolt hit him but found that it only knocked him backward. The smaller man's dark magic seemed to have canceled out the divine magic from the other man. Finally, something was working in his favor.
Sheik got on his knees and looked up at the smaller man that was grinning at him now.
"Is that all you got? I'm disappointed. A small shock from your master almost knocked me out but I barely felt that. Oh well…" muttered Sheik and readied himself once the smaller man balled his hands into fists.
"He isn't my master! You know what? That's it! You are going to pay for your disrespect! Since he didn't seem to find the time to obliterate you then I'll have to finish the job for him!" spat the smaller man. He brought his hands close together and gathering his magic to create a ball of dark magic but the small size was rather deceiving because Sheik could feel the recoil energy from where he was. This small ball may not hurt him but the damage it caused round him could probably kill him quite easily.
"What in the world is-" started the Hooded Man as he rounded the corner but the smaller man suddenly shot the ball of dark energy right at Sheik. The Hooded Man cursed at his smaller companion. He didn't expect Sheik to suddenly leap from the ground and dive out of the way though. This made the ball of dark energy head straight for the Hooded Man instead.
The smaller man gawked as the Hooded Man hurriedly summoned his magical shield that barely was able to materialize in time before the ball of magic hit him. The blast from the small ball of dark magic expanded before becoming a storm of chaotic wind magic that ripped into every bookshelf within range.
Sheik didn't waste a second to enjoy the sight of both villains gawk at the damage but bolted toward where he saw light pouring from the archway. He hurriedly jumped and climbed over any obstacle in his way.
He heard shouting from behind him but didn't care enough to find out what they were saying. So he sprinted away, finally reaching a part of the library that wasn't in total disarray and soon recognized the tall archway of the exit. He burst through it, heading straight for the spiral staircase and climbed up it as fast as his legs would carry him. He dived toward the wall when he was almost hit with a bolt of holy energy and then stumbled forward when the stairs under him collapsed. He bolted forward again but was almost blown over the banister of the stairs when a powerful gale suddenly erupted inside the narrow round room.
Sheik held the banister in a death grip before peering over the edge and saw that the Hooded Man was having just as much fun with this gale as he was. He cursed once he noticed that the smaller man was climbing the spiral staircase like there was no wind at all. So, he was some sort of wind mage that could harness dark magic as well…
Sheik used the banister to help in his climb but realized the smaller man would reach him before he even got half way there. So thinking quickly, Sheik took out one of his daggers and held it in his left hand. He couldn't throw it. Even if there wasn't a gale blowing in his face. No one is good enough to land a good hit with a broken arm, and again, he wasn't going to rely on his luck to get a lucky shot.
Sheik waited until the smaller man was almost a level below him before he gripped the railing his good hand and flipping himself over the side. He used the momentum to land on the level below instead of down the center where death would await him.
The smaller man never saw him coming until he had landed right on top of him. He buried his dagger deep into his shoulder. The smaller man screamed in pain as he toppled to the ground and Sheik quickly rolled to the right side of him. He made sure he was near the wall and acted like he was going to stab him again. Like Sheik had hoped, the smaller man threw his arms up and attempted to blast Sheik away with his wind magic. He was smashed against the wall, making him cry out in pain but the smaller man went sailing over the railing from the momentum of the blast.
The gale ceased as soon as the smaller man went tumbling over the banister. Sheik bolted up the stairs, not wasting a second to see what had happened to him. He climbed up four more levels before finally bursting into the corridor and sighed in relief when he felt Woody's magic begin to surround him. The Hooded Man rushed into the corridor just before Sheik was teleported away. But not before the Sheikah was able to show him what he thought of his hospitality by flipping him the bird.
Sheik appeared before Woody but then dropped to his knees and clutched his left arm with a sigh of relief. Arms were suddenly wrapped around him from behind.
"Goddess's I was so worried! Are you alright? What happened? What did they-" but Sheik quickly covered Link's mouth.
"I am fine. Well, mostly. But we have more important matters to discuss-" but Sheik was startled as he was suddenly lifted into the air. Link shifted him until he was carrying him bridal style.
Sheik was about to protest until he noticed that Link didn't seem to be in any pain at all.
"Your arm is healed?" asked Sheik. Link simply nodded as he walked out of Woody's grove. The giant tree guardian nodded to Saria before she went running after them.
"Yeah, we used the excess energy from the new ward and combined it with Woody and my magic to heal Link's arm. Then we tried to use the recoil energy to try and summon you back by riding the bond you made with Woody until we were finally able to connect the summoning magic to you. But I guess something was blocking the effect because it didn't work right away," said Saria as they entered the Kokiri Village. Sheik flushed as the forest children turned to watch as Link jumped along the small platforms until he passed the small pool in front of the entrance to Woody's grove.
"I can walk Link," muttered Sheik as he began to struggle but Link just held him tighter.
"Am I hurting you?" asked Link, startling Sheik with the sudden question.
"Well, no-"
"Then what's the big deal?" asked Link. Sheik sighed. They were already halfway through the village so it wasn't like getting down now would save his wounded pride…
"Besides, if I carry you then you won't be moving your arm that much. Yeah, I know what a broken arm looks and feels like so I knew about that right away," said Link as Sheik looked up to give him a surprised look. Sheik then just rolled his eyes as Link climbed the hill leading up to the entrance of the Lost Woods.
"I think if I can handle jumping from the banister of a stairway onto someone else, while almost being swept away by a gale, then I'm sure I can handle walking just fine," muttered Sheik. Link looked down at him with a grin.
"Wow, you got to tell me what kind of trouble you got into," said Link amusingly. Sheik couldn't help but chuckle before he began to retell his story.
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"It wasn't my fault!" yelled the purpled robed man as he sprinted down the corridor away from the now partly destroyed library. He winced as he swung around a corner and jarred his wounded shoulder.
"This entire disaster is your entire fault!" yelled the Hooded Man angrily as he raced after him. The smaller man yelped as a bolt of holy magic hit the wall just to the right of him.
He spun around and raised an arm to summon another gale. It was a quick casting so it wasn't powerful but it still almost blew the Hooded Man over in surprise. He growled and quickly grounded his feet. He then raised his own hands to hurl a wave of his divine magic to wash over his smaller companion.
The wave pierced right through the gale and knocked the smaller man right off his feet, making him fly backward until he hit a bookshelf. It wobbled with the force of the hit and the smaller man winced as several books dropped off its shelves to hit him on the head. He hissed in pain but then hurriedly struggled to his feet as the Hooded Man came storming toward him.
"You said no magic! So, what was I supposed to do? Throw books at him?" exclaimed the smaller man as the Hooded Man towered over him.
"You could have just alerted me that you found him! And then sat your bumbling destructive arse down while I took care of him because you can't seem to go five minutes without causing some kind of catastrophe! Do have any idea how much this library is worth? What kind of material it had?!" yelled the Hooded Man.
"Ah…"
"I didn't think so. But so help me, you best get your behind down there and help clean that mess up! I want that place spotless when I get back! It won't bring back the books that you and that miscreant destroyed but you can still repair the few that can be salvaged," exclaimed the Hooded Man but then seemed to notice the wound on the smaller man's shoulder, "Oh good god. You couldn't even get away without getting hurt? You'll be useless in that state so just get down there and wait for me. I'll heal you when return,"
He then stormed away toward the locked door at the end of the corridor.
The smaller man stood there, glaring at his retreating back but paused as the other man said something and symbols appeared around the door. He peered closer as the door opened to reveal a hallway where sunlight shone brightly through.
"So, the divine ruffian wants this place hidden so much that he'll place light wards to prevent anyone from entering? Hmmm…I would have taken him to be the type to have a bunch of loyal minions to do his bidding. But then again…he doesn't seem to trust anyone," muttered the smaller man as he glanced over at the entrance to the stairway of the partly destroyed library.
"Maybe something in that dusty old room will finally shine some light on whoever this guy is? And more importantly, help me get back to my former god-like power. It's so depressing…I expected that shadow ball to destroy at least half of that library. I've never lost complete control like that before though…it's probably that bastards fault. He must have done something to me," muttered the smaller man irritably.
The smaller man walked over to the archway and was about to pass through it until he heard voices near the end of the hallway. He tilted his head curiously and then leaned against the frame of the archway as he peered at whoever the Hooded Man was talking to. He couldn't get a clear view of the stranger but the posture and the way the taller man spoke to them told him that the Hooded Man must have authority over them.
The Hooded Man seemed finished with whatever he was saying so he shifted just enough for the smaller man to catch a glimpse of who he was talking to. The smaller man gawked and almost fell over when he saw this person. He quickly straightened and looked up again but the Hooded Man had already closed the door and was walking back over to him.
"Why are you still standing here?" growled the Hooded Man. The smaller man humphed.
"Who was that?" said the smaller man sharply. He swore…if this was some kind of joke they were playing on him…
"None of your business. Now, some servants will join you shortly but you get down there and get to work. But mark my words, if you mess up so much as a page of another book, you'll wish the heroes of old had obliterated you," said the Hooded Man. He then headed back up toward the smaller library but paused and looked back over his shoulder. "And we will talk about the stunt you pulled that began this whole charade later. Now, I will be right back,"
Then golden symbols appeared around him and he warped away.
The smaller man grumbled as he went down the spiral staircase. He used his wind magic to help get passed the few places where there wasn't anything to walk on. He might have miscalculated in his plan when he decided to send his targets here but the destruction of these stairs was entirely that fools fault! If he hadn't been throwing his magic around so recklessly then he would have surely been able to trap that shadow walker! But of course not. He's always right and wouldn't admit otherwise even if the truth was dancing a jig around his head!
But the one he was talking to…surely he was seeing things. That person couldn't have been…no it couldn't have. Surely the very person they were after wasn't secretly helping them? What the in the world was this guy up to?
Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Link sighed as he leaned his back against a tree trunk. He glanced over at Sheik as he laid down near the water of the warp pool. After a ten minute battle of him trying to get his stubborn guide to settle down and just let him take care of his injury, he finally laid down near the edge of the water.
He had to admit though, Sheik may not look very strong but he sure as hell didn't ever want to be on the receiving end of his wreath…it was hard enough having to deal with the punch or four he had gotten from the Sheikah during their little spar a couple days ago. Sheik wasn't even trying to hurt him then! He almost felt sorry for the little maniac that got hurt in his guides little chase around the hornet's nest. Almost.
Link leaned his head back and looked up at the blue sky while he rested the bottom of his right foot against the trunk of the tree.
So, that little ass is just a minion, huh? Though the more I think about it, the more I'm sure that I've seen this guy before. I swear it's like I want him to shut up before he even starts talking. Like I just know that the only thing that's going to come out of that mouth is more monologues. But I'm sure I've never met this guy before he attacked my hometown…I would remember someone like him for sure.
"Link, come here. I forgot to show you something," said Sheik suddenly. Link looked over and saw Sheik trying to fish something out of the folds of his body suit. He walked over and sat down next to the Sheikah just when he pulled out a shimmering green book.
"Can you read this?" asked Sheik as he pointed to the letters on the cover. Link leaned over and glanced at the letters. He couldn't read them but they looked familiar. He peered closer but flinched back as a sharp pain pieced through his mind.
"Link? What wrong?" asked Sheik worriedly. His curse was broken wasn't it…?
"I…think that was a memory. But it was different than the ones I've been seeing. Like my mind had to reach…farther then it has been to see them," muttered Link as he rubbed his eyes. He shook his head then glanced cautiously at the book again.
"I'll just peek at it this time. Even I can sense the powerful magic on this thing. So, it might not have been a memory," said Link as he peered cautiously at the cover of the book again. He winced as the pain returned but not as badly. He glanced at the letters and was surprised as the letters seemed to rearrange themselves in a way that he could understand.
"The…book…of….mana," said Link finally and immediately looked away. Sheik tilted his head curiously as Link rubbed vigorously at his eyes.
I don't think these are the memories of my big brother…could this book be channeling someone else's memories to help me read it?
"Hmmm…perhaps Zelda will know how to read it? Or perhaps Saria?" muttered Sheik as he skimmed through the book.
"It's possible. Saria and Woody are busy doing something with the new ward right now though. So, I think we should wait to ask her," said Link.
"What? When did she leave?" asked Sheik as he glanced around for her. He could have sworn that she was there helping Link pin him down not more than ten minutes ago…
"Pretty much right when we both started that fight over that broken arm of yours. I could have handled it of course, but it was nice of her to keep those vines up to aid me," said Link. He grinned at the glare that Sheik shot him. Of course…he should have known. Saria may be a sage of legend but she was also a child…
"Anyway, I think this book speaks of the Goddess Farore. Yes, I'm certain of it now because the magic I sense from this book is exactly like yours," said Sheik as he glanced up at Link. He hadn't noticed it at first, but soon it was difficult to miss the brilliant green aura surrounding the hero. It felt like the wild magic of the forest and pulsed with a fierce divine radiance. He wondered how that curse could suppress such a powerful aura.
The hero may wonder how the twilight wasn't able to twist him but he could see it easily. Nothing short of divine intervention could do anything except suppress such a powerful aura. A fact that both scared and impressed him. That meant that the purple robed man had probably wanted to kill the hero but wasn't able to. He was still strong enough to curse him though.
Sheik turned back toward the enchanted book he held. If the smaller man was this strong then his master was a force to be reckoned with. He figured that if that magical library didn't mean so much to the mysterious man then he would be dead right now.
"We need to find someone that can read this. It may tell us what is happening to the Goddess and maybe even how to stop it," muttered Sheik as he peered closer at the writing.
"Well, if Saria doesn't know then I guess we could ask Shad? Now that I think about it, I need to ask him about the next temple anyway," said Link thoughtfully. Sheik scowled as he tried to find the other objects he'd found in that place. He was sure that the journey would only get harder as they went along so he wasn't looking forward to whatever was awaiting them. Especially if the enemies they were going to face would just intensify with each temple…
"Do you know what any of these are?" asked Sheik as he pulled out several objects from his body suit.
Link tilted his head curiously as Sheik begun to place the objects in front of him. Most looked to him like little knick-knacks such as the few he had saved while he was growing up. But then he pulled out a few bottles with strange designs painted on the side of them on them.
Link noticed many of the bottles were filled with different things. He picked up a bottle filled with a purple substance and popped the cork off. He immediately made a sour face and put the cork back on.
"This one looks and smells like a bunch of stuff mixed with Purple Chu Jelly. I have no idea what could be mixed with it. To be fair though, I didn't really try to find out. That stuff is nasty," muttered Link as he stuck his tongue out because of the rotten smell of the potion.
"I would definitely not drink this. Purple Chu Jelly normally has a random effect on your health if you drink it but I've learned that the stronger the smell, the stronger the effect. What kind of effect normally determines if the smell is pleasant or horrid like this sucker here," said Link as he then set down the bottle of purple sludge. Sheik looked surprised as he popped the cork off but didn't really smell anything.
"That is amazing. You got all that from a quick sniff? I can't really smell anything," muttered Sheik as he peered down at the purple sledge. Link shrugged.
"Yeah, becoming a wolf sorta honed my senses. Especially this here," said Link as he tapped his index finger on his nose, "Most kinds of Chu's can be found almost anywhere but the most useful one's I saw were within hidden places around the land or inside temples," said Link as he looked at the other bottles.
Link grinned as he picked up a bottle full of a sparkling golden substance.
"Oh my Goddess…where did you find this stuff?! Rare Chu Jelly is super hard to find!" exclaimed Link before he noticed something else, "Wait…there's stuff mixed in here to? What did they do to it! I've never mixed anything else with this stuff so I have no idea what it will do. Hell, maybe it's ten times stronger than normal or maybe one sip will turn me into some kind of rabid monster,"
Link took a closer look at the Rare Chu Jelly before gripping the cork of the bottle.
"This isn't some random potion we bought. It belongs to someone and if they are still with us…then I will make sure that these find their way back to them," growled Sheik as he snatched the bottle back from Link before he could open it.
"Hey, I didn't mean any harm, okay? I can't even image what you're going through but there's a strong chance that these kids are still with us," said Link with a smile. Sheik looked up at him.
"I appreciate the thought but I doubt they were still there. Or even if they are even alive. It didn't look like anyone has been there for years," muttered Sheik as he glanced down at the sparkling Rare Chu Jelly. Link frowned as he tilted his head.
"Ah…that's not possible. At least not regarding the Rare Chu Jelly. You have to understand how rare this stuff is…it's one of the strongest natural boosters in existence next to Great Fairy Tears. So, if these kids were able to get their hands on this and then make a mixture that made it stronger instead of ruining it then these are some pretty smart kids. Kids that can't be dead because that stuff loses its magical boost over a short time. If you just found that now than they must have made it no more than three or four days ago," said Link as he scratched his head. Sheik's eyes widened as he looked down at the bottle. Could it be? Was there really others of his kind still alive?
"I just thought it would be a waste to let it sit there because by the time we find them there's a good chance it's just going to be a useless bottle of shiny liquid. But hey, I understand if it's just the principle you want to preserve. I'll go along with whatever you decided," said Link as he put a hand on Sheik's shoulder.
"We? You don't have to help. You will have enough to worry about," said Sheik as he looked up at him. Link rolled his eyes and then pulled him into a one armed hug.
"Hey, I'm going to help you because that's what friends do. Regardless of the fact if it concerns me or not," said Link.
"And I'm pretty good at multitasking so we can look for these kids while trying to save the world. No sweat," said Lin with a grin. Sheik smiled softly.
"Thank you…" said Sheik but then glanced up once Link started to snicker at him.
"So…even though you seem to like it. I think you should at least bath and I'll ask Beth if she has any stuff that smells only of vanilla?" asked Link amusingly. He laughed at the shocked expression in Sheik's eyes before he quickly had to shield himself from the Sheikah as he dropped the bottle before he hurled himself at Link.
They tumbled around in the grass laughing as one tried to pin the other down.
"You got lucky when Saria helped but she's not here now!" exclaimed Sheik as he locked his legs around Link's chest and pinned his right arm.
"You're the one that's run out of luck!" exclaimed Link as he put Sheik in a head lock with his free arm.
They continued to roughhouse until Sheik had a stroke of luck when Link yelped and jerked away laughing when he tried to grip the hero's side and flip him over.
"Oh, so the mighty Hero of Twilight is ticklish?" said Sheik as he grinned though Link just saw the mischievous look in his eyes. Link grinned back before flipping himself backward and jumping away from the Sheikah. He was amazed when Sheik was still able to get a hold of his right hand.
Link was about to bull rush Sheik but the Sheikah seemed to have decided that he didn't want to try and match Link in strength so he swiped the hat from Link's head and then leapt away.
"Oh, no you didn't," said Link with a smirk. He bolted toward the Sheikah but he easily side stepped just out of his reach and then took off in the opposite direction. Link heard their laughter echo through the hollowed logs they passed.
Sheik continued to sprint throughout the Lost Woods, glancing behind him occasionally as he went through the many giant hollow logs and always found the hero at his heels but never close enough to get a hold of him.
"Damn! How did you get this fast!" exclaimed Link as he raced after Sheik when he darted toward the left. He had to keep a close eye on where he his guide was heading or he would lose sight of him immediately.
"Because I'm good like that! But the rigorous training throughout my whole life did help!" exclaimed Sheik laughing before darting toward the right. Link raced after him but skidded to a halt once he passed through the hollow log and found that Sheik just disappeared.
"Oh, hell no you did not just teleport away," muttered Link as he walked into the clearing.
"And what if I did?" asked a voice to the right of him. Link spun toward it and rolled his eyes when he spotted Sheik sitting on the edge on a high stone archway. The hero took a deep breath and sighed relieved. He was glade that damn curse was finally gone. He felt like himself again. A run like that would have winded him yesterday but he wasn't even out of breath now.
Link strode over to where Sheik's legs were hanging over the edge but didn't make a move to grab them. He peered closer at the stone archway but flinched suddenly when a memory flashed before his eyes.
Huh? Everything was made of rock…similar to how the room where he wiped the floor with Gor Coron when he challenged him to a sumo wrestling match. Huh, if I accidently trigger a memory but don't try to look at it then it doesn't hurt.
"Link? What did you see?" asked Sheik curiously.
"I think…I think this is another warp location," said Link as he continued to peer at the large stone archway.
Where would it lead to? Have I been there?
Sheik jumped off the edge and approached Link. The hero immediately noticed that he wasn't holding his hat.
"Hey! Where's my hat!" exclaimed Link.
"You'll get it back soon," said Sheik as he examined the large stone archway.
"But I feel naked without it…" whined Link.
"How sad for you," muttered Sheik as he peered closer and noticed writing on the side of the archway but overall, it was pretty plain looking. He chuckled at the pout that Link gave him.
"Hey, I'm attached to that thing so you better not have lost it. But I have self-restraint. Keep it. Won't bother me none," said Link as he folded his arms casually.
"Right, that's why you chased me through the Lost Woods," said Sheik.
"Hey, there were several reasons that played into that factor but mainly it was just the thrill of chasing you," snickered Link. He then playfully slapping Sheik's back, making him stumble forward.
"Now, time to show the real Great Hero trait!" exclaimed Link excitingly.
"And what's that?" grumbled Sheik as he straightened from nearly tumbling to the ground.
"Being reckless!" exclaimed Link before bolting through the large stone archway.
"Link!" yelled Sheik, startled. He bolted after him. He swore to the goddesses…if there was the slightest hint of danger in here then he would kill the hero himself!