Chapter 20
It Is Finished
The first thing Linebeck noticed when he came to was the silence. He blinked for a few moments up at the ceiling, wondering if he was dead. Then the pain kicked in and Linebeck bit his cheek to keep from crying aloud. Yup, definitely not dead.
Eyes watering, Linebeck forced himself to sit up and try to asses his wounds. His right leg, the one that was shot, wouldn't bend. His head throbbed and felt sticky. His side, while sore, didn't feel like anything had been broken.
Biting back sounds of pain, Linebeck pushed himself backwards to lean against the wall, trying to figure out what happened after he blacked out.
Linette was still upright and chained to the altar, but her gaze was focused on the other side of the room, expression stricken. Linebeck followed his twin's gaze, immediately realizing what she was staring at.
Jolon laid unmoving on the floor, red staining his entire front and floor around him, with Ciela standing above him, pointing a gun at his head, barely moving as well. Her back was to Linebeck, so he couldn't see her expression.
"Ciela?" He hesitantly called out. Linette gasped at hearing his voice, looking toward Linebeck. Ciela didn't move, didn't even twitch.
"Ciela!" Linebeck tried again. Still no response.
Pressing his lips together in worriment, Linebeck looked off to the side, trying to figure out what to do next. He spotted a long, metal, rusty candleholder and started getting an idea.
"Alright body. You're not going to like this, but too bad." Linebeck thought, reaching for the candleholder.
Using the candleholder, Linebeck forced himself to his feet, leaning heavily on the holder and hopping his way across the room. It was a long, slow, and painful process. The holder didn't have the best of traction against the stone, often slipping on the stone and causing Linebeck to have to briefly place weight on his bad leg. Finally, Linebeck made it to Ciela's side.
Linebeck paused before calling Ciela's name a third time, finally seeing Ciela's front. He froze in shock.
Ciela's left side was soaked in blood from a bullet wound in her shoulder and the rest of her front was splattered in blood. Her eyes stared blankly at Jolon's face, not blinking. The gun was trembling violently in Ciela's grasp, hand nearly white from still holding down the trigger so tightly.
The captain shook his head, composing himself. "Ciela." Linebeck finally tried for a third time, gripping her shoulder.
She violently flinched from Linebeck's grip. Her eyes widen as her chest began heaving with strangled breaths. The gun slipped from hands clattering to the stone. "Oh, Din, Farore and Nayru…" She hoarsely whispered, backing away from Jolon, still staring at his bullet riddled chest, bashed in head, and the neat little hole in the center of his forehead. "What did I do…"
Linebeck caught her wrist, gently tugging her toward him. "Ciela, look at me." Her eyes didn't move. Linebeck let go of her wrist and grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at him. Ciela's stricken eyes met his concerned ones. Linebeck slide up his hand to cup the side of her face. "You did what you had to do. If you didn't, we would all be dead."
Ciela stared at Linebeck before closing her eyes and nodding, taking a steadying breath. Opening back up, Linebeck become unnerved how suddenly calm Ciela looked, but didn't let that show on his face.
Ciela leaned away from Linebeck hand, turning toward Linette. "Let's get out of here." She stated. Turning back to Linebeck, she moved forward him. "Here, let me help."
Standing beside Linebeck, Ciela lifted up his left arm and placed it around her shoulders, hissing when it disturbed her wound, which was now making itself known with her adrenaline wearing off.
Upon reaching Linette, Linebeck leaned against the altar, looking down at his sister. "Are you alright?" He asked.
Linette swallowed, looking up at her brother. She gave a short, jerky nod. "For the most part… I just can't it's… over." She let out a shaky laugh, before drawing in a shuddery breath.
Using the altar as a counterpoint, Linebeck slid down it to be sitting beside his sister. Putting his arm around her shoulders, he guided her to be leaning against him. They remained together for several moments, taking comfort in each other, that they were both alive and now safe. Ciela remained standing, letting the twins have their moment. Meanwhile she studied the ropes around Linette's feet and her various injuries.
"When he was choking you… I thought it was done for then." Linette admitted. "That we were going to die down here."
Linebeck let out a rush of air. "So did I… Course, I should have known that Sparkles wouldn't let me die on her." He looked up only to find Ciela missing.
"Damn right." Ciela called, now across the room. She reached down with her good arm and placed one foot on the piece of wood that still had Linebeck's sword embedded in it. Giving a few tugs, Ciela pulled out the sword with a grunt, almost falling backwards. She also picked back up the guns, keeping her eyes away from the bloody form of Jolon, knowing that she would just send herself back into a state.
Upon returning to the twins, Ciela kneeled down at Linette's feet. "The ropes look like their swollen with blood and tied pretty tight. Maybe Linebeck could untied them, but trust me when I say that it would just be best to cut through them." Ciela began gently easing out Linette's legs, halting when Linette would let out a gasp of pain at her broken ankle being disturbed.
Using only the tip of the sword, and being careful, Ciela began sawing at the rope, ignoring how it was aggravating her wound. Soon, the rope bonds fell away from Linette's ankles and she withdrew them in relief.
"Alright, now for your hands." Ciela said, beginning to shift toward Linette's back. She was losing feeling in her left arm and wanted finish this before it gave out on her completely.
However, Linebeck noticed the pale of Ciela's skin and the cold sweat that covered her forehead as she worked the sword. He reached for the sword, tugging it out of her grip. "I got that, Sparkles. You need to stop working that arm."
"It's fine." Ciela protested, but she gave up the sword anyway.
Linebeck only raised an eyebrow at her, placing the sword beside him. "Right." He dryly responded, before shifting himself to be partly behind Linette. He picked back up the sword and began working at the ropes in the same manner Ciela did.
"I need to make bandages anyway so it's good that you're getting her hands free." Ciela said, placing her back to Linebeck and Linette, starting to untuck her shirt from her pants and unbutton her vest.
"Make bandages?" Linette frowned, looking down at her lap in thought. "How are you going to make bandages? Out of what?" Linette looked up and let out a squeak and turned pink when she noticed Ciela was stripping off her shirt, leaving the ex-fairy only clad in her bra before she shrugged back on her vest, leaving the shirt off.
"When you're stuck in a rocky terrain and already low on supplies, you learn how to make due with what you already have." Ciela explained, citing her time traveling with exploration teams into the unknown parts of New Hyrule. She placed one end of her shirt in her mouth and pulled with her good arm, ripping the shirt apart and into uneven strips of fabric.
"I see…" Linette said, eyeing the eight pointed scar on Ciela's back, the burns on Ciela's neck, the long pale line on her stomach that became uncovered whenever Ciela leaned up, along with the other various cuts and markings.
Ciela felt Linette's questioning eyes on her, but remained silent, knowing that answers would come in time for Linette. She continued ripping up her shirt, thankful that her vest made sure the shirt remained free from blood. The strips that were bloody with her blood, Ciela put off to the side, intending to use them for binding her own shoulder.
Soon, Linette had her wrists freed and Ciela had a pile of makeshift bandages piled in her lap. Plus, Ciela went and retrieved two pieces of wood that were fairly small, sturdy and the same length to help keep Linette's foot set while they moved her.
"Alright, that shouldn't move to much once we start getting out of here." Ciela said, watching as Linebeck tied off the binding.
"How will we do that? With my broken ankle and Linebeck's shot knee?" Linette said, gesturing to said injuries. "We can't exactly walk back to town."
Ciela stared at the twins, pursing her lips. She stood back up before holding out a hand for Linebeck to take. Her left one had gone completely numb, dangling uselessly beside her. Linebeck looked questioningly at her, but took her hand. Using a combination of the altar and Ciela's grip, the captain was soon back on his feet, leaning against the stone altar once more. Ciela did the same with Linette, who decided to trust and follow her brother's example. Soon both of the twins were on their feet, using the altar to keep themselves upright.
"Alright, now, since Linebeck's right leg is hurt, you'll go on my left side so your good leg is on the outside. Linette, you're the opposite, so you'll go on my right side." Ciela explained. She walked to the twins and turned around, so she was between Linebeck and Linette. The twins did so, Ciela bending over a little so they would avoid her bullet wound. Ciela placed her right arm over Linette's shoulders, going under the woman's arm.
"Alright, now you're just gonna be using me like a crutch. I'll shuffle forward and you hop after me on your good foot, like Linebeck did with me. Okay?"
"Okay." The twins echoed, almost in unison.
The trio made their way back toward the entrance, not looking back at the bloody remains of the night's horror. It was slow going, with them having to stop frequently to adjust positions and rest before continuing back on.
When the group finally reached the hallway, both Linebeck's and Ciela's hearts dropped into their stomachs.
The torches that had led the pair through the temples tunnels had gone out, not even leaving embers. Looking down the opposite path showed the fact that torches lined the hallway in the opposite direction, fading into the darkness. The only light that remained was Ciela's lantern, sitting beside the doorway. It barely penatrated the darkness, only illuminating the immeadiate area.
"They were old, so they didn't last that long." Ciela uselessly announced.
Linebeck raised his arm and rubbed at his face, breathing in deeply. "Alright, we can still get out of here. Let's keep going. When we'll reach a fork, the torches should be lining the wall we need to go down."
Ciela nodded her agreement. With some finagling, the lantern was soon held in Linebeck's grip, its flame small but steady. Using the same method as before, they made crawled their way along the tunnel.
When they reached the first fork in the tunnel, the group was dealt another harsh blow.
Torches lined both hallways and each one looked equally the same. Due to the rather hurried nature of both Linebeck and Ciela trying to reach their destinations in time, they took no notice of their surroundings while running down the hallways.
"Who the hell even designed this temple." Ciela griped, feeling her eye twitch in bewilderment.
Linebeck remained silent, looking between the two paths. Taking a chance, Linebeck swung the lantern toward the right path. "That one."
"You sure?" Ciela questioned, a biting tone in her voice.
"No, I'm not." Linebeck snapped back. "But, we should be able to eventually make our way out of the temple by chance."
Ciela remained silent, before starting to shuffle toward the right tunnel.
They continued that way for several minutes. Upon reaching another tunnel, they would pause for a moment, before either Ciela or Linebeck would chose a path. But with each turn, the trio only felt like they were delving deeper into the temple, if the stale air and darkness seeming to only become more oppressive as they progressed was anything to go by. When trying to make a decision, Linebeck and Ciela started making more biting comments to each other, with Linette silently observing and judging the interaction. To make the whole situation worse, the wounds sustained were starting to take their toll on the group. All three were beginning to look pale and sickly in the lantern light, and Linette was beginning to stumble more, causing the trio to have to stop and adjust more.
They were going to reach a breaking point and it soon came after what seemed to be the hundredth tunnel taken.
"Linebeck-" Was all Linette was able to get out as a warning before she fainted. Ciela tried to keep her from slamming into the stone floor, but only achieved it partly and while taking down herself and Linebeck. The lanterned clattered to the stone, flickering dangerously.
Linebeck barked out a curse when his knee slammed into the pavement. Ciela echoed the sentiment when she practically fell flat on her face, due to the fact that her left arm being useless and her right trying to keep Linette upright.
For a few moments, they remained on the ground, letting the pain roll over them. Ciela was the first to recover, sliding her arm from Linette's prone form, and pushing herself to be reclining on her knees. She looked to Linette and reached for the woman, pushing her to be lying on her back.
Linette's chest rose up and down in a steady rhythm and Ciela let out a sigh of relief. Ciela turned back to see Linebeck leaning against the opposite wall, looking tiredly at Ciela.
"Take the lantern, and keep going." Linebeck commanded.
"Hell no." Ciela spat, pushing herself to be standing again. She walked over to the lantern and gingerly picked it up, hearing glass tinkle to the ground.
"Ciela." Linebeck forcefully said. "I can't force my leg to go much further, and how are we supposed to carry an unconscious fully grown woman with our wounds?"
"Then we say right here until help comes." Ciela retorted, standing over Linebeck. "I'm not leaving you behind in the dark here."
Linebeck growled, digging his wrists into his forehead. "Ciela, for once stop being so bullheaded and stubborn. Take the damn lanterns and get the hell out of here!"
"No!"
"Ciela I swear to Din, Nayru and Farore. Get. The. Hell. Out. Of. Here." Linebeck ordered, feeling blackness beginning to creep in his own vision.
Ciela opened her mouth to protest once more, but the sound of something hitting the stone cut her off, the sound echoing in the darkness.
A shiver traveled down her spine as she tried to stare into the darkness, lifting up the lantern in a vain attempt at illuminating more of the hallway. She spun to face Linebeck, hissing at him to give her the sword, only to find him passed out as well.
Ciela swore and dived for him, pushing him to one side. She placed the lantern on the ground behind her, before tugging out the blade, making sure to not slice Linebeck open in the process.
Gripping the sword tightly in her good hand, Ciela turned to face the sound. With the lantern behind her, her shadow looked like a creature in its own right, dancing wildly in the flame. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, visions of monsters that lurked deep below ground.
Then she spotted a bobbing light in the darkness and a small flame of hope was lit in Ciela's chest. Still she remained on guard until whatever was giving off the light arrived in her light. All the while the sound that alerted her grew louder and louder, and a lumbering shape started appearing.
"Hang on… that sounds like hoof steps against the cobblestone…" Ciela thought, finally placing the sound.
Just at that moment, Kato became illuminated in the lantern light, being led by a blue glowing orb. She stopped in front of Ciela, gently snorting and bobbing her head.
Ciela could only stare dumbfounded, at Linebeck's horse suddenly appearing in the temple.
Suddenly a cool breeze swept by Ciela, feeling like something brushing up against her. "I can get you out of here…" A voice whispered. Ciela's eyes widen and she swung the sword toward where the voice came from.
The blue light bobbed up and down, before hovering over Linebeck.
"I must have lost more blood than I thought…" Ciela murmured to herself, letting the sword's point fall to the ground with a soft 'chink'.
The orb floated past Ciela's ear again and the voice came again. "Just trust me… I can get you out of here."
Ciela looked at the orb, realizing the voice sounded a bit familiar… but she couldn't be sure. Unintentionally, Ciela mouthed a name slowly in shock.
The orb stilled then bobbed once in agreement.
Ciela looked at the orb in shock for a few moments. Then her mouth set in determination. She slid the sword in her belt buckle, taking time to be careful. She took ahold of Kato's reins, leading the mare to be standing between Linebeck and Linette.
Using a trick Maris taught her, Ciela ran her hands over Kato's shoulders and held lightly. Soon, Kato bowed, then sat down with her legs folded underneath her. A prime height for Ciela to maneuver both Linebeck and Linette onto her back.
"Good girl." Ciela breathed, running a hand over her head. She dropped the reins and immediately made her way to Linebeck first. She kneeled in front of him, beginning to gently pat the side of his face.
"Hey, come on, I need you to wake up." Ciela pleaded, eyes searching Linebeck's face for any signs of movement. She began slapping his face harder. "Come on, Moron. For once, just do what I say!"
Wearily, Linebeck's eyes fought to open again. "When you listen to me as well." He slurred, staring pointedly at Ciela.
Ciela sighed in relief, ignoring Linebeck's words. "Come on, we're getting out of here." Ciela shifted and swung Linebeck's arm around her shoulders again.
Linebeck looked up and his face blanked when he saw Kato kneeling in the tunnel. "Question. Am I hallucinating?"
"No." Ciela said, trying to pull Linebeck back to his feet.
Linebeck allowed Ciela to do so, hissing whenever his leg was bothered. "So how the hell did my horse get here and find us?"
Ciela started to open her mouth, to tell Linebeck, but just then the orb darted out from behind Kato's head, bobbing wildly around as if in distress.
"Hey, my sign from Farore." Linebeck stated, staring at the orb that suddenly appeared.
"Your what?" Ciela said, twisting her head to look at Linebeck in confusion.
Linebeck started looking a bit embarrassed. "Before I met with Jolon… I found a shrine to Farore. Being scared shitless at the time, thinking that I was going to die tonight… I started… praying to the Goddess for a sign that she was looking out for my ass." Linebeck gestured at the orb. "Then this showed up."
"I see…" Ciela murmured, eyes studying the orb. "Guess Farore is looking out for us, because that… orb led Kato to us and will lead us out." Ciela started moving the both of them toward Kato.
Settling Linebeck in Kato's saddle, Ciela went for Linette. She tried waking up the bruette woman, but after a couple of minutes, it became clear that she wouldn't wake. Ciela took a breath, then kneeled in front of Linette. The ex-fairy pulled Linette toward herself, ducking so Linette was partly hanging over Ciela's shoulder. Ciela staggered back to her feet, keeping a tight grip on Linette's upper body. Cursing her shortness upon noticing Linette's feet still partly dragging on the ground, Ciela carefully began moving back toward Kato and Linebeck, taking great pains to not disturb Linette's broken foot.
Linebeck reached up and took Linette into his arms when Ciela reached him, settling Linette in front of him. He circled one of his arms around Linette's chest, while gripping the horn of the saddle with his other to keep the both of them steady on Kato's back.
Ciela went back to Kato's front. "Up!" She commanded, signaling for Linebeck's horse to do so.
Kato hopped back to her feet, Linebeck and Linette swaying on her back.
"Thank you, Kato. Good boy." Ciela faintly praised, reaching up her good hand to scratch the side of her neck. She leaned down for the lantern, then reached for Kato's swinging reins. Gently tugging and murmuring comforting words, Ciela turned Kato to be facing back the way she came.
The orb, which had been floating around aimlessly while the trio situated themselves, perked up in height. It darted to be floating just a few feet in front of Ciela.
Following the orb and at a much quicker pace than before, Ciela led Kato along by the reins, holding the lantern up to light the path. Both her and Linebeck remained silent, saving the remainder of their energy to be focusing on getting out of the temple.
Some time later, a cool breeze caressed Linebeck and Ciela's faces, bringing with it the scent of forest and sea. Ciela looked up and squinted, noticing a small square shaped light in the distance. Hope rose in her chest, which grew with each moment the light grew bigger.
As soon as they exited the temple entrance, Linebeck felt an oppressive weight lift off his shoulders, a weight that had been there for so many years. Stepping out of the darkness of the temple and into the dawning of a new day, feeling the cool morning breeze fully upon his face, his sister safe within his grip, Ciela in front, Linebeck felt the faint, hovering presence of Jolon be banished.
Lifting up his head, Linebeck breathed in deeply, and let it out audibly.
"It is finished…"
…
And there it is. It's finished and Linebeck, Ciela and Linette are okay, they're not dead and Jolon won't be bothering them anymore and they can move on.
BUUUUUUT!
More repercussions will come from what occurred in the temple. BIG repercussions that will cause not very pretty outcomes. Linette has issues to work through with being kidnapped for 13 years. Ciela has issues now that she has killed an actual human with no supernatural powers or physical inhumanness for the first time (briefly touched upon in the beginning) Quite frankly, the only one that didn't come out with more issues was Linebeck. He LOST some of his issues really. But now he'll have to deal with Linette and Ciela's new found issues.
So as always, please review below and let me know what you think and any constructive criticisms you have are always welcome.
And wow, I'm getting a chapter out WITHOUT it taking me three or more months and in a timely manner.
It's gonna blizzard here on the east coast come winter.
~Roses