VOLUME II: The Revenge Of The Forsaken
)) Chapter 6: Dead Lights ((
Great Stone Tower, Termina, 0:45am, Second Day
It was too quick, too sudden. Ankoku had barely managed to regain any energy after climbing the Stone Tower up to the top, and he had already been discovered?
How? Might have been that Garo who had shot his balloon down? Or another he had not glimpsed? Maybe even the one he had accidentally knocked out. He had hoped that he could have at least gotten an initial look at his surroundings, maybe in hopes he could formulate a plan… and instead that glimmer of hope had been silenced by a few familiar notes.
A – B – A – F – A – D - B
That one… that was the madness-inducing elegy which summoned Fang Boy's misshapen and blood-thirsty army of wooden and stone puppets with dark energy rushing through their body. Already back in the twilight it was disturbing. And now, even more unsettlingly, in the dark their eyes seemed to gleam of the same light of the flares which had flickered now and then while Ankoku was climbing the way out of the Great Stone Tower, its core as cold as the night, the cruel and hard rock which made up the place, and the shadows of the formations which hinted at more grotesque form for whoever possessed a glimmer of creativity or fear .
A laughter echoes as a puppet appeared before the child trying to overwhelm him, its light steps clacking against the floor as if an unnatural music to accompany what they predicted to be a massacre. This time, though, Ankoku had already gotten a fighting stance, a weapon and, even better, those enemies, being mindless constructs of wood and magic, they were not really alive, which meant he could use lethal force to break them.
Seeing the first marionette oncoming with its thin arms extended and aiming at his neck, Ankoku hit it with the Grapple Hook taking it by the joint of where the neck should have been. Exploiting the momentum, the Sky child swung his foe twice: the first time he sent it against a large columns, destroying most of its joints and then throwing it into a second puppet, breaking it as well. A third one tried to exploit the fact Ankoku had to take back his weapon to attack and successfully scratched his cheek, all of this to receive in answer a kick which made it back off for enough time to give the Skyloftian an opening and run off away from the monster.
Inwardly thanking Her Grace for the puppets' frailty and mindlessness, the youth further rushed inside the building, through a stone hall with decorations he did not manage to fully glimpse, for he was focused only to find Dodo, to the point he had failed to notice the Poes rising out of the destroyed monsters and leaving with a chilling laughter, knowing of the boy's foolishness: by going further inside the stronghold, the less would have been his chances to return alive.
Ankoku turned back at the source of that eerie sound and all of sudden fell face fist onto the floor_ when his eyes shifted to look why he had tripped all of sudden, he yelped in surprise as he saw a grinning Fang boy hopping around, his flaming blur aura flicking in contrast with the darkness looming over the Great Stone Tower, the Moon Steel tied to his back forming reflecting the light in a crescent moon shape.
"Sky Children don't know any better, do they?" - the imp mocked as the boy stood up while rubbing his neck in nervousness, remembering already the sorcery he had been greeted with – "All there, along, with just an excuse of a disguise? No wonder Hylia made your kind escape from the Demon King"
"Quit all this squabbling around, you fiendish trickster" – Ankoku said, despite his voice kept cracking in anxiety – "lead me to where my Loftwing has been sealed… please"
On a second thought, muttering that last word was somewhat unnecessary, but the Skyloftian's instinctive etiquette had taken over by then, due to the massive tiredness he had accumulated. In the meanwhile, Fang Boy raised both hands and started levitating in the hair, the faint dark blue flames surrounded him and gave him an almost ghastly appearance as let out a sardonic chuckle, almost feminine in its high pitch.
"Loftwing? I have no idea what you are talking about. What I see is nothing more but a frightened child who is going to become food for Garo", he mocked relentlessly at this, a thing which made Ankoku somewhat regain a small sparkle of energy, as if he wanted to avoid the demon to get the last word.
"I have no idea why you are so delighted in belittling other, cursed Fang Boy… or whatever your real name is, but remember this: I shall free Dodo, might that be the last thing I will do", the Sky Child said holding his hand against a wall and clenching the other fist, trying to intimidate the imp. It was apparently a success, as he seemed to have frozen weirdly enough, the eye lightly twitching. Finally, after a brief pause, the demon answered.
"As you wish…", were the words Fang Boy let out in a soft and almost friendly tone as he moved closer to Ankoku, really seeming to wish to support him. The Skyloftian was about to draw a sigh of relief, in disbelief that finally happenings were going in his favor… only to return frightened as the imp did nothing more but play again the Elegy of Emptiness in front of his him… he turned away and started running as fast as he could, everything to avoid those cursed puppets after him. But no matter the speed, he could not escape the last words of the imp
"… it will be", the voice, which was getting deeper and weird echoing effects, concluded as he teleported away, all accompanied by the mad laughers of the puppets and the Poes; along with banging of the stone floor made by Ankoku's fast running as he tried to escape.
He was running deep down the place of the Great Stone Tower. Now he understood what kind of nightmare it was: the air smelt of humidity and blood, the stone felt cold and rough against touch, and only glimpses of ancient sinister carvings could be seen through the light of the midnight sky. And all this was happening in an aria of creepy cackles flooding through every hall of the fortress, as if to imply that there was no escape to him.
And yet, scorning all the dangers which were creping all through the place to get a hold of him, he simply rushed away, going so far to bit his lips and mutter a prayer.
"Please, older ones" – he was muttering caressing his neck as if trying to replicate the sensation of his scarf – "aid me, give me a sign"
To his amazed, they seemed to answer, for, as he narrowed his eyes, managed to glimpse a carving of the familiar image of the Triforce on a wall. In a hope-induced haze, he stealthily moved at what seemed to be holy symbol of his land, childishly hoping it might have somehow brought him safety, or at least, some kind of luck.
However, such delusions were immediately shot down as the Skyloftian looked at the whole engraving. The fact that Triforce seemed to be laying upon a weird 'carpet' was weird…. Then he realized it was being licked by a demonic creature… which was holding it on its crotch. At the image, Ankoku nearly felt gag.
'I had already supposed in my mind this place seemed gigantic to the point I could not help but wonder if its building was a challenge to the Heavens… yet I could not expect… such blasphemy. It's not just a temple. It's a crude and vulgar insult to my Deities' – he thought disgusted looking away from the place – 'my wonder is just whoever could be this Goddess Mocker'
A spindly wooden arm crept up breaking his flow of consciousness and grabbed it in a moment of panic to repeatedly slam it against the wall depicting the act of blasphemy until the puppet was nothing but a pile of broken woods… and yet, from the still intact engraving an hand rose and spouted, revealing a Poe hiding inside it and swing his sinister lantern at the youth, as if it wished to burn his soul.
Ankoku was running away in fear, trying to hide by pulling down the hood of the pathetic Garo disguise the fright on his face, chills sent further down his back as Fang Boy's voice echoed through the halls, coming from every direction and accompanied by the sick rhythms of the marionette's crackling noises.
"For your information, Sky Child who does not know any better" – the imp's voice quipped sardonically - "I told our Garo Master of your presence. Guess what? Wasn't he busy elaborating strategies, he would come after you immediately. Therefore, he politely asked me to… be an escort to you through this Black Tower. So don't worry, little child, I will play with you for the time being. Just watch your back, because…"
Before the voice could continue, Ankoku understandably looked back, only to hear the trickster's laughter. This caused him to run faster, understanding his game.
"Let me guess, you turned at this trick?" the imp mocked as the aria of the Elegy of Emptiness filled again the halls of the Stone Tower. Ankoku, instead, could not simply quick back, horrified at his attitude. Why such smug malice was befalling on him? Whatever reasons that demon had simply started bullying him around for, they seemed meaningless and sadistic. Why didn't he just kill him?
And across the hopes not to meet any of those puppets, ghosts and ninjas, he kept running through the place, the midnight sky through the window and opening of the ceiling the only element soothing the fears which, despite the chilling air of midnight, made his hand sweat uncontrollably. He quickly jumped in the shade generated by the walls, which was seeming waiting for him: the second he nestled inside him, he could nearly feel his heartbeat stabilizing itself and his focus returning on Dodo, and quickly destroyed one more puppet with a sneak attack and, the second the Poe emerged, drove him away with a well placed blow of his Grapple hook, only to notice the now lifeless husk seemed to have something in its hand: a feather and a small paper.
Ankoku, thinking it might have been Dodo's, picked the feather up, only to notice, first to his dismay, then to his terror, that it was at least five times larger than Dodo and of a red tint. And even the notes hinted at its nature of omen.
More to Come
"There is going nothing" – Ankoku said aloud scrambling the paper determined as a challenge to whatever was observing him – "Remember what I told you at the entrance. I might be a Sky Child, but I am one holding my promises"
Core of the Great Stone Tower Temple, Termina, 2:35am, Second Day
Without waiting for Fang Boy's answer, which was just a cackle of challenge, Ankoku kept going through the lower level of the towers, noticing how the level of security was different, likely due to the fact the puppets had been summoned at its top. On the other side, the Garo seemed to be a potentially greater threat, all of this watched over through the Moon Steel by Fang Boy, who was idly in a sitting position by floating around in the air. The room he was in had been considerably decorated, with two Ikanian Skulls at the entrance, several Garo blades hanging at the wall and a massive throne, which would have resulted big even to giants like Captain Keeta, facing a deep pit at the center of the room, and in front of it a giant torch
"Was it necessary to scurry around with this child?" - a figure sitting on the throne inquired the imp, to which he received a mere shook of his head – "I do realize that he is no threat whosoever neither to you in this shape… and much less to me, yet I prefer to avoid nuisances, considering our plans"
Fang Boy turned at him, his flames playfully flickering and answered: "I need to be sure to have any possible plan of backup. Plus, his negative emotions are already empowering what we need the most"
At this, he pointed at the torch, which, much to the other figure's amusement sometimes let out cyan hued sparkles.
"Soon we will harvest the Flames of Nayru's Sorrow, won't we?", the silhouette asked with a smirk, his pointy hat floating due to the wind and his bloody red eyes narrowing into a slit.
The imp turned at the Garo master he supposedly served and laughed as he answered with a grin of confirmation. The figure stood up the throne of his five feet and a half of height and smirked, with a wave summoning four Poes before him, curiously all of them with a lightly feminine shape and their robes of different color from both each other and the other Poes.
"Cubus Sisters" – the leader of the Garo asked in a somewhat affable, almost seductive tone – "report what's happening in the surroundings. How has the King been taking the news of the theft of his heirloom?"
The leader, the green one, bowed down and answered with a cold tone asserting submission to the pitch black figure: "As predictable Your Majesty, the Ikanian King is utterly enraged by what he saw as a mere mockery"
The sister in red asserted with a courtesy: "You know, this time he might even war against you"
"The fool", the purple-clad sister laughed childishly, only to be stopped by a gesture of the fourth blue dressed sisters. The Leader of the Garo nodded and, adjusting his black tunic, smirked.
"Very well, my dears, those were the news I wished to hear" – he affably answered to the sisters, making the red dressed one giggle, and, once he exchanged look with his messenger, further mused – "playtime is over then. Send the King a message. If he wants to shred blood, I challenge him in a duel to death. One on one"
At this the Cubus sisters laughed, and the purple one even went so far to comment just how much fun their leader was. The green-clad sister looked instead somewhat inquiringly.
"Should we even add what the prizes in case of either or defeat might be", the Green Sister asked, at which this time it was Fang Boy to answer.
"No need to" – the imp quipped with his toothy grin – "Actually, if he even goes as far as to ask about this, disappear. Make him wallow in his ignorance and rage. He will be nothing more but vulnerable. King Igos is a hot-blooded warrior. He should learn keep his head on the shoulder… before it's too late"
Surprised by the imp's order, the imp simply kept playing with the Moon Steel, playfully directing the moon light it reflected first to the four Poes, who dodges the rays with fear, then playfully directed it at the leader who acted annoyed at such, shielding his eyes from it with his arm, then all of sudden stopped with a shake of his head. At this weird show, the Cubus Siblings did not react until their leader approved the motion of the imp with a nod and, lifting their lanterns, the four Poes disappeared to comply their leader's bidding.
"You know how to keep your servant loyal, don't you?" Fang Boy asked the leader, using his power to defy gravity and lean against the ceiling.
Nodding, the Garo Leader answered with a solemn nod and a light bow of his head: "I am many things. To humans I am fear. To Poe worship and adoration on par with the Goddesses"
"That is true" – the imp answered him – "but remember that you avoid conceitedness, you know there are things in this Black Tower who don't take such reference lightly"
With a further bow of his head, the black figure acknowledged his mistakes with a nod and, while turning alight with a gesture a lantern set on a side of the gigantic throne, answered: "Tue. The King is still something not to take lightly. We will prepare for such right now: with his death, the Flame of Sorrow shall be alit by the disgrace which will befall upon Ikana. But first… Let's get rid of that nuisance scurrying around"
Fang Boy sadistically cheered at this, going down to float at the level of the mysterious figure's eyes: "I'll call back the puppets then. Nothing personal, I just want to lull that boy in a sense of either fake safeness or paranoia. I am sad my Helmaroc Queen is not here yet to witness it. She enjoys seeing people squirming like the little mouse they are"
Without commenting on Fang Boy's sadistic monologue, the Garo Leader picked up a ceremony mask from a chest and answered: "I will call the priests, then. At least that boy will be a nice sacrifice for the Black Tower"
With a nod, Fang Boy nonchalantly snapped his fingers and, in a silent wave of magic, all the puppets fell lifeless across all the tower, their eyes dulling out and the tension Ankoku had been accumulating for all that time dropped in surprise as he saw, much to his confusion, the end of those creatures.
Lower Levels of Great Stone Tower Temple, Termina, 3:00am, Second Day
"How in the" – he muttered puzzled poking one of the lifeless husks, surprised there was no Poe coming out of it – "what on this Godless world is that cursed trickster's game now?"
The answer came up immediately as he realized the obvious: it had to be a trap. Was he going to fall for that? Common sense had been telling him to run away from that blasphemous stronghold ever since he had set a foot on it, but first of all, his Loftwing had to be freed. If Ankoku disliked that place, then his poor Loftwing, so panic-prone, had to be suffering a breakdown there. He had finally reached a dark place scarcely lit by a few torches, which from the chains hanging on the wall, seemed to be an ancient dungeon. Scared, he managed to turn his lips upward only because it meant he was in the right way. Finally, he heard the blessed squawking.
He had done it, Dodo was there, his beak trying to poke through the bars of the prison with a Garo guard pushing him back with his cage by pointing his blades. Without thinking of it twice, Ankoku forgot everything about stealth and threw the unlit bomb on the Garo, knocking him unconscious. Running to get the key, the Skyloftian smiled at his steed and as soon as he was able to open the cage, he shoved the hands through the cage to hug his steed, wrapping his hand around his plumy neck. They had been separated for less than a day, yet the Sky Child had been already missing petting what was his only friend
"Don't worry Dodo" – the youth said seeing the bird's eyes had swollen up in tears - "I am here… and…"
The moment was cut short as he heard the unsheathing of different blades.
"Did you really think you could disguise as one of us through such a ridiculous makeshift hood?" - One of them, taller and wearing purple robes – T"his to us Garo is a dishonor… a dishonor to be cleansed off immediately"
While Ankoku's shadow, still inhabited by Aria, looked somewhat… upset at the insult of the creation she was so proud of, the Skyloftian panicked for a second and with a bow he immediately… apologized.
"I did not mean to disrespect any of you, for I do not belong to any side to your conflict. Although I do have a score to settle with Fang Boy, it matters not right now. What I wish is my Loftwing back, nothing else", he said with a bow, lightly surprising the six Garo who the leader had sent to catch Ankoku.
The purple clad Garo, implied to be a high rank ninja, nodded and stated in a somewhat professional: "I realize this. You are a victim of fate… but we have been ordered for your capture. Prepare yourself"
Ankoku, dismayed that the ninja understood what he meant, but could not let him go, thought quickly and picked up the bomb he had used to knock out the guard, lit the fuse with a nearby torch and threw it. The move missed any of them, but had forced the group to disband for enough time for the Sky Child to jump up on Dodo and make him run as fast as possible, hoping to outrun the Garo capture team and get out of the Great Stone Tower once for all.
But all of sudden, four Poes, each in different color, ghastly appeared before him scaring Dodo with their sudden appearance. Before Ankoku could get back to control his frenzied steed, a light was deflected straight on his eyes and temporarily blinded him, making him finally fall off the Loftwing. Fang Boy, who had teleported there a few seconds go, could not help but grin at the masterfully delivered blow. He would have loved to plunge a blade straight in that boy's heart as well, but, alas, could not. On the other hand, for once, he had more backup than mere marionettes.
Indeed, as Dodo had gone to check his master's welfare, the duo who had been trying to escape was first surrounded by the diabolical Cubus Sisters, then by a circular wall of flames so bright that his shadow, therefore Aria's power, drastically diminished in that place. As Ankoku struggled to look upward, he was able to finally glimpse see the true responsible of this conflict, Leader of the Garo, holding a lantern akin to a Poe's in one hand and a bomb with a symbol of a skull and crossed bones on the other.
He was a figure of medium height dressing in a form fitting black tunic and underneath that, a white (or light grey) shirt and pants, with tight black boots. He had also elegant white hair and a long pointed hat flowing in the wind.
Ankoku looked in wonder at the somewhat familiar individual, to the point he could not help but mutter a weak: "Link?"
And yet, despite that composed clothing, in sharp contrast to Fang Boy's loose and dirty one, he had black skin which seemed to be made out of living shadows and dark red eyes with a small pupil, not to say he looked a bit younger than how the Hero of Legend had been described, much to Ankoku's confusion. No, that thing was not Ankoku's childhood hero, but a further mockery of that cursed Stone Tower.
"Well done, Cubus sisters. One more step for the Poe prosperity we are longing for", the warped, shadowy younger version of the Hero stated stroking the Blue-clad sister's face, making it eerily giggle. Immediately after, Fang Boy came to his side, grinning at the defeated child.
'I knew it was a trap, yet I could not help but fall into it. And you did this all… for your amusement? Fang Boy, you are a true demon', Ankoku sighed trying to fight back once more even though he now knew his freedom was a lost cause. Only a glimmer of hope had been left.
And yet, before Ankoku could react, or even mutter one more word to question that enigmatic figure of the Garo Leader, he and Dodo were pinned down against the deathly cold floor by the Garo who were hunting him down. Two more Garo came forth as well, this time both of them wearing red robes with purple figures of a dragon sewn over it and a on their face black wooden mask shaped like an heart surrounded with spikes, and hummed a sinister chant from an ancient language known only among demons.
"Please commander" – The Leader ordered to the Garo in purple who was holding Ankoku's arm behind his back – "speak forth the sentence of this intruder for having broken in our stronghold and Temple"
"Yes master", the high ranking ninja answered with his deep voice bowing his head before the dark Link-lookalike, then turned to Ankoku.
This was the sentence: "You are condemned to die… without leaving a corpse. This is the way of us Garo"
DISCLAIMER:
The history of Zelda, Skyloft, Hyrule and Termina, alongside its characters and setting, just like its spin-offs are (c) Nintendo
Aria is (c) LuvIsAThing
The Moon Steel is (c) Kitoma Foxx
Ankoku Yami and the story are all (c) Xantospoc
Thanks you all for having read this fic, read and review please. See ya for the next chapter :)