6

I yanked Speculum out of the Darknut's chest. It writhed in pain, wildly swinging its sword every which way. The tip cut across my other cheek, my forehead, my nose, and finally my neck. Luckily it merely grazed my neck and was nothing fatal, but now my face was dripping with blood. The Darknut screeched inhumanly one last time before crashing to the ground. Then it burst into golden flames and then it all disappeared. I was still tensed and alert, my eyes scanning the room for any sign of danger.

Relax, genius. The battle's over.

It took me a moment to make my brain understand the concept of winning and not dying. When it did, a light whoop of relief and joy and shock escaped my throat. Then I started to laugh. I dropped Speculum and sank to the floor. I buried my face in my hands, smearing the blood.

"Oh, goddess... I never ever want to do that ever again!"

Yeah... I'll bet genius. Nobody would.

I shuddered and pulled my hands away from my face and gazed blearily at my bloody palms. My head buzzed oddly.

"That's a lot of blood," I mumbled, dizzy.

Yeah, and you've lost a lot of it. 'Speculum stated. You need to get out of here.

"How?" I stared at the wall where the doorway was. Or... I think that's where the entrance was. Or maybe there... or there?

"Auugghhh!" I screamed grabbing the sides of my head. "I don't know where I am! I don't know where I came in! I don't know how to get the hell OUT! OF! HERE!"

Calm down Aini! Speculum yelled in my mind.

"And who the hell are you?! GET OUTTA MY HEAD!"

I'm not in your head I'm in your sword!

"WELL THAT JUST MAKES EVERYTHING ALL RIGHT THEN DOESN'T IT?!"

AINI RINYU! Get a hold of yourself!

"GET OUTTA MY MIND!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. I hurled Speculum across the room and watched as it smacked against the wall then clattered to the floor. I laid on my back, breathing hard, eyes closed. I reached into my pouch for a Red Potion. I finally found one. I yanked the cork out and gulped down half the bottle. I gagged but held my nose as I swallowed it down. After a few minutes I felt my cuts sealing up. I opened my eyes. Blackness edged my vision. I crawled over to Speculum and heard the voice screaming. I sheathed it and everything was silent again.

"I'm not stuttering," I realized before blackness engulfed my vision.

When I became fully conscious sunlight shone into the room. I groaned and tried to sit up. I was sore everywhere.

Morning, sunshine. A voice said in my mind.

"What happened?" I moaned.

You lost a *lot* of blood and your sanity kinda slipped outta check.

"Oh. Sorry."

It's alright. Besides, we've got some things we need to discuss.

I closed my eyes again and sighed.

"Right..." I mumbled.

Hey! Now is not the time to go to sleep, Aini! You were unconscious for almost ten hours!

This made me sit bolt upright. "Ten hours?!" I gasped.

Yeah.

"How's that even possible? And only from blood loss… Oh, crud." I jumped to my feet but immediately fell to my knees, grabbing my head. I cried out in pain. I felt like a sun had burst open in my skull.

Take it easy! the voice told me.

"Unngh," I managed.

You should take some more of that potion.

"No," I said with a dismissive wave. "I'm fine." I tried to stand again but a new pain slammed above my right eye.

"Auugh!" I shouted. I cupped both hands over my eyes and screwed it shut. "Goddess, that hurts! Why?"

Maybe it's because you just had a battle to the death.

"No," I panted. "No, this pain is different. I feel like something inside of me is... dying."

Silence.

"You there?"

The Glass.

"Come again?"

You're tied to it aren't you?

"What are you talking about?"

The fight with the Darknut... it proved you're a worthy Patron.

"What in Hyrule are you saying?!"

The headache... the return of your voice with no stutter... your choice of weapon... it all makes sense now!

"Answer my question!"

Listen, I think that I can lessen the pain a bit but not for long. You'll have to find the first shard of the Glass first.

"WHAT GLASS?!" I exploded, resulting in another pain stabbing behind my left eye.

Hold on.

After a few moments the pain in my head began to lessen to only a slight throb. I sighed with relief.

That's the best I can do. The voice told me apologetically.

"Oh no, it's great thank you," I said.

Okay, now you have to get out.

I looked around. There was no exit. "Uh... how?"

The windows.

My eyes traveled up to the windows at the topmost part of the room. "Umm..."

Trust me, you'll get up there.

"Okay..." Suddenly a strange wind burst from Speculum. "What the-?!" I cried. The wind wrapped around my ankles and lifted me off my feet.

"What are you doing?" I tried to release my hold on Speculum but my hands felt glued. I shouted in protest as I rose up to the ceiling.

I'm getting you out of here!

"I'm not a huge fan of heights!"

Don't look down.

"Thanks a lot.' I stopped right in front of one of the windows.

Now point your falchion towards the window. It should break it.

"Should."

Very likely.

"Won't I fall?"

Probably not.

"Probably?!"

Mos- well, never mind. Probably not.

"That makes me feel a whole lot better."

Just do it!

After a moment of silent debate with myself I forced my sword up to the window. I felt the wind around my feet disperse slightly and gravity tried to pull me down. Then the wind hammered the window so hard that it cracked and shattered.

"What in Hyrule?!" I screamed in shock. Then I felt like I was in binds again.

Sorry!

"For what?"

This!

And I was thrown out the broken window.

I fell for a few seconds before landing on a banner. Speculum slipped from my grasp and fell on the ground somewhere far below. I grabbed bunches of the cloth in my fists. There was a horrible rip as it came loose. It swung like a vine through the air as I clung to it for dear life. It flung me like a rag doll straight into one of the fruit stands. I smashed through one of the tables and an apple basket fell on my head, dumping apples everywhere. Shockingly, I had been unharmed through that little adventure. I heard anxious murmuring. I slowly lifted the basket up just enough for me to see. A crowd of people had gathered around the wrecked stand and they were all staring at me. I felt my face burn bright red. Then somebody reached down and grabbed my hand. He pulled me up and the basket fell off my head.

"Are you alright?" the man asked. I knew that voice.

"Yes, I'm fine, thank-" I stopped abruptly when I looked up at the man's face. He was smirking. It was the man who had burned the wood.

"You!" I gasped. I wrenched my arm out of his grip. I turned and bolted. I tried to lose myself in the crowd. I stopped when I was in the heart of the Market. I glanced around but I didn't see the man anywhere. I turned back around and saw him right in front of me. I yelped and jumped away.

"I'm not going to hurt you I just want to talk," he said innocently.

"Liar!" I spat and sprinted away. I wormed out of the crowd and slammed right into a blur of blue and white.

"Ow!" I shouted and slapped against the ground. I looked up. My hair was in my eyes and I couldn't see who I'd run into, but I could tell that it wasn't the man.

"Oh! I'm sorry I was in such a hurry and wasn't looking where I was going I-" the person mumbled then suddenly stopped when they saw me. "Valliri?"

I pushed my hair behind my ears. My eyes widened when I saw the half Zora half Hylian. A huge smile broke out on her face. She lunged forward and grabbed me in a hug.

"Oh, Valliri! I'm so happy you're okay! I was so worried. I stopped by the ranch and they said you'd gone missing overnight!" Vivian cried.

"Yeah, that's nice, now can you please let go? I can't breathe." I grunted.

Vivian froze. She let go of me and stared at me in shock.

"Did you... did you just... speak?" she stammered.

I grinned. "Yeah, Vivian. I got my voice back."

Vivian squealed in excitement. "Oh, my goddess! You got your voice back? How? Oh, your voice is so cute! How long have you-?"

"Vivian!" I stopped her. "You're rambling. One question at a time."

Vivian took a deep breath. "What's your real name?"

"My real name is-" But I was cut off as a hand roughly seized the back collar of my shirt and lifted me up. The front of my collar pressed against my throat cutting off my sentence.

"You know it's not nice to run away from somebody who helped you," the man told me.

"Says the guy who burned down my home and kidnapped my brother!" I retaliated.

"I did nothing to that boy. He just made the right choice," he replied simply.

"Right?" I seethed, struggling.

"Yes, and running away is the wrong one."

"Let go of me!" I demanded.

"Why? Your brother wishes to see you."

"If he truly wished to see me he'd come out here and do it himself!"

"But that's where you're wrong. Your brother is a changed man."

"I told you to LET. GO!" I screamed. I lashed out with my foot and hit him in between his legs. He swore and dropped me. I scrambled away. I grabbed Vivian's wrist and yanked her up.

"Come on!" I shouted. She stumbled after me.

"Who was that?" she cried in alarm as we ran.

"He's the one who burned my home," I growled. For once Vivian was quiet. After a few minutes of running I realized that I didn't have Speculum.

"Oh, no," I groaned.

"What is it?" Vivian seemed to panic.

"I lost something," I answered shortly. I double-backed and scoured the streets for my falchion. Vivian followed warily. I found Speculum in some bushes.

"Yes!" I cheered. I fished it out of the shrub and was immediately greeted with the voice.

Dammit! You scared me half to death, Aini! Don't you dare do that again!

Yeah, and you'd better not chuck me out of a window again either! I thought back.

You figured out the thinking thing? Oh, whatever there are more important things you need to think about.

Like what?

Like the man that's chasing you. You need to get out of Castle Town. Now.

Fine. And how did you know about him?

No reply.

I sighed in exasperation and grabbed Vivian's wrist. "Come on Vivian, we gotta go!" I sheathed Speculum.

"Where are we going?" Vivian asked.

"To Lon Lon Ranch!" I replied.

"How?" Vivian panted. "We can't... run there!"

I pulled out my piccolo. "I've got an idea!"