*Kehia Island is a place mentioned/visited in the prequel, just FYI.

Chapter 8

Talk of War

"Poor little hero lost his way? My, that's too bad." The raven-haired woman, elegant and refined, circled like a vulture as she spoke. "I'd like to know how it came to be that this hero of legend was so outdone, and so undone by his opponent." With arms folded neatly, her eyes remained fixed on Link, tugging at him as she crossed in front. As she slipped behind him, he turned his head and lowered his gaze. His fingers coiled and fanned as he kept an eye on her, distrusting her every move.

Pacing the floor, she glided behind once more before settling in front of him. She shifted onto one foot. A look of astuteness overtook the curiosity on her face. Link watched as her irises sparkled devilishly.

She examined him once more, staring at him so shrewdly that he could feel her green eyes cutting right through what little clothing he had left. A standoffish expression masked his ambivalence. He observed her as she added a sly grin to her already wily face.

"I'll tell you what," she said, her neck swaying lightly as she looked into his eyes, "you give me what I want, I'll give you what you need." Her grin broadened, showing a flash of bright teeth. "And what do I want?" Link remained stationary, listening hard to her words. "For you to give me a reason to respect you. Because right now, I don't have one. And I don't help those whom I don't respect." Link watched her tongue twist around. He hoped she wasn't as good at reading him as her parlous aura seemed to suggest.

"Time runs short for you, hero. I suggest that you comply. What do you say? Can you earn my respect?" The woman tapped her foot. "Come on. Let's talk for a minute. Then maybe you can eat something…" Her tone was seductive. She came nearer. "And drink as much water as you need to hydrate that mouth, which appears to be more parched than the Lanayru Desert itself—in its driest season." Link shut his mouth, refusing to let on that her honey-tongued words were affecting him. He was by far more hungry and thirsty than he'd ever been.

"I can tell just by looking at you that you won't talk unless I introduce myself. I guess I can play your little game." She paused. They both looked at each other.

"So," she began, loosening her arms and holding them behind her back, "I'm sure you're wondering what my name is." Not ready to start talking to this coquettish woman, Link kept quiet.

"Okay," she said, "it's Lilith."

Blinking, Link mentally sketched the woman's face. He logged her name in his memory, determined to never forget. "I bet you're wondering why I don't look like everyone else around here," she said, twisting at the waist and running her hands under her dark hair. Link watched as it caught the lamplight with a shimmer. "Any guesses?"

His eyes sank to her feet before rising again.

She snickered softly. "Not very perspicacious, are you?" she asked. "Or intuitive. Not much of a creative thinker?" Link's face slackened as he sighed. "Looks like I'm gonna have to hand you everything, aren't I? Silly thing." She placed her hands on her slim hips and tilted her head. "Well, here's the answer you seek: I'm not a demon, per se. At least not fully." Link was struck by a bolt of wonder. "We have something in common, hero. My father was a human."

Link was floored by the unexpected information. He looked at her black hair again. But he was skeptical. If there was one thing he'd learned tonight it was that being anything other than wary was stupid. Falling for the skullduggery of a female demon sounded just as bad, if not worse than being duped by the demon lord.

"I know you've formed an overprompt opinion of me. Your knowledge is insufficient, though, so get rid of it." She stepped closer. "And I do believe you're staring at my uniform." She stood up proudly, puffing her chest out a bit. "Wondering what I do for a living?"

Link stepped back, perturbed by her forwardness. "Well, here's one thing I can assure you of," she said. "I do it far better than you." He spotted a two-bar gold insignia below her left shoulder. It glimmered in the flickering light, contrasting the scarlet fabric that it sat on.

"I'm a soldier, human," she said, "and have been for sixty-five years."

Link observed her, paying extra attention to her youthful appearance. She looked to be about the same age as him. She couldn't possibly be that old.

"Captain Lilith at your service, hero," she said with a small curtsy, batting her thick eyelashes. "Company commander works just as well. I command a company of one-hundred-and-fifty archers; crossbowmen and long bowmen. We're part of a much larger regiment, and we specialize in cavalry-archery tactics." She proceeded to close the gap between them that Link had made. "Do you even know what that means, Skyloftian?"

"No," Link said, disliking the censure in her voice.

"Ah, you're finally speaking. We're making progress. Good." Her eyes remained glued to his. "Horses, human. Large mammals that can be trained for war. While the average horse on the surface can gallop as fast as forty miles-per-hour, our exceptionally bred animals are capable of galloping up to sixty."

She grinned. "Can you imagine it, hero? The wind in your face; the rippling muscles of a powerful beast stretching and contracting underneath you as it carries you into the fray? A weapon so incredible in your hands that it can claim the life of your enemy with such silent swiftness that it's simply incomparable?"

"I have an idea," Link said.

"Don't compare your feeble bird to the powerhouse that is a horse, hero."

"I'm not," Link replied, keeping to himself his amazement over how much she seemed to know. "I just know what it means to have a strong bond with an animal companion."

"Not only are you humans weak, but ignorant," Lilith said with a headshake. "You know nothing of us, yet we know all about you."

Link looked up into her haughty eyes. "For someone who knows so much," he said, "there's a lot you're blind to." The two glared challengingly. "Humans aren't weak."

"Who better to represent the inadequate human race than the Goddess's hero? Are you not among their finest? If not the finest?"

"If you mean the best fighter, then I don't know."

"The hero of prophecy, the one who will rise up at the forefront of the apocalypse is supposedly a man of unmatched skill. One who will lead a vast army in war."

Apocalypse, war, army—these were words he'd recently heard.

"And as of right now," Lilith said, sneering, "you are not much of a representative. Especially compared to the greatness of him."

"Who?" Link asked.

"Why, your lover of course," she said.

Link marveled at her serious tone. "My…what?"

"Lord Ghirahim," she replied, no longer smiling. "The one who brought you here and awarded you the privilege of being his companion. Why he hasn't killed you or sent you to prison is beyond me. He doesn't normally keep humans around for very long. He must be quite fond of you. You're lucky."

"He's not my lover," Link stated.

"Well, you are his, at least. I've observed the two of you. I watched you in the stairwell." She leaned forward as she spoke. "And you, human, failed to resist his advances."

Link stepped back again, angry. "You don't know what I've been through today. What choice do I have? I already tried to run twice—"

Lilith scoffed. "You attempted escape? More than once?"

"Yes. Both times I almost died. Escape gets me nothing but more humiliation. Why shouldn't I be allowed to choose the lesser of two evils…?" His voice quieted. "I guess I'm just looking ahead to when I can finally leave this place."

"Biding your time," Lilith said, "hmm, I see…" Her voice reeked of disapproval. Link narrowed his eyes, sure that a plethora of disrespectful thoughts was soaring unabatedly through her mind. "Well, one thing that my people will never blame you for is succumbing to Lord Ghirahim's affections. His touch is unlike any other, even to another demon." She cracked a questioning grin. "You really don't enjoy his touch?"

"Am I supposed to?"

Lilith simply shrugged. "Well, you are the hero, after all," she said. "Perhaps you have innate immunity. And besides, the stigma that comes from sleeping with the enemy can deter you even from absolute ecstasy."

"No, I just don't want anything to do with him," Link told her.

"No matter," Lilith interjected. "You can deny it as much as you want, but you and I both know quite well that there is chemistry between you."

Hmm. The kind of chemistry that results in the little volcano erupting everywhere.

"I felt it as I watched you," she continued. "In fact, I've never sensed such valency between his lordliness and another demon. Or human. Or anyone."

"Well, that's horrifying," Link grumbled, looking off to the side.

"Consider it an honor," Lilith said with a smile, "even if you are the enemy's hero."

Link shook his head. Lilith giggled. "Lord Ghirahim will be back for you soon," she said, her eyes sweeping his chest. "You're running out of time."

"Well, what else do I need to do to please you, company commander?" His tone was harsh. He didn't care.

"Oh, I don't know," Lilith said, taking another step. "I guess the question is, how hungry are you? What are you willing to do?" Link took another step back, not realizing how many he'd taken to escape her. As his back hit the stone wall at the room's edge, he jumped.

Lilith cornered him. "At what level is your thirst, hero?" she asked, her face just above his. Her pink lips were so close that he could see how smooth and perfect they were. He could smell her now. The clean scent of new leather intermingled with the perfume of countless hours in the wilderness. A hint of lavender effused her rugged aroma. Her eyes bore a strange weight upon him. Between her natural fragrance and her radiant beauty, this woman was enticing.

It was odd to have someone other than Ghirahim crowding him. He cringed at the idea of feeling a greater sense of normalcy with him over a woman. This had been an odd day, indeed.

"How hungry are you?" she asked again, giving him about as much space as Ghirahim would have. "What are you willing to do to alleviate it?"

Not sure of what to think, Link gave her an ardent glare. "Haven't you people ever heard of kindness?" he asked. "Can't you make this just a little bit easy? Does everything have to be this way? If this is how you live then I don't see how this home of yours is anything worth fighting for."

"That's merely because of who you are," Lilith said, the front of her body brushing his. "But not because you're human. On the contrary, there are humans who reside here. No. It's because you oppose us. You mock us with your very existence. For this, the people here loathe you."

"So you loathe me?" Link asked, sliding his hands on the cold stone behind him.

"I don't know. What do you think?" She tilted her head as if she was going to pull closer.

Link didn't budge. "I'd say you're really close to someone you loathe." Her face was so near he almost didn't want to speak for fear that their lips would rub together. "I also think you prove that beauty is only skin deep."

"You didn't answer my question," Lilith said. Her eyes were stunning but oppressive.

"You didn't answer mine either," Link said, unable to take his eyes off of her. He took a deep breath.

Lilith moved closer. "So what's it gonna be, hero? Are you willing to do what I want to get what you need?"

Link could feel her pulling his mouth toward hers as if by a string. With eyes deadlocked, they breathed on each other for a moment.

Link stared as Lilith pressed her cheek to his. Feeling her heavy exhale against his skin, he closed his eyes. His mouth opened as she brushed his lips and nose with hers. He breathed in. When she brushed the other way, his eyelids fluttered. When his eyes opened he saw a pleased smile.

"You want kindness, human?" she asked with unmistakable passion. "I can give you more kindness than anyone ever has."

Link looked down, watching Lilith join their fingers. Lifting their hands, she gently nudged his chin up. He stared, fixated and wide-eyed.

Suddenly he was jerked forward. He gasped, overwhelmed by the sensation of her tongue in his mouth. He retracted as much as he could, but his somnolent body had no chance to protest. Lilith clung to him, pressing her chest to his bare flesh. The sort of warmth that he'd felt only once before started pouring into his mouth. Part of him felt like melting against the wall.

Earlier, he'd suspected that a large part of his body had grown numb over the course of this horrible day. She, however, seemed adept at ridding him of this problem.

Lilith's hands crept onto his shoulders. His hands traveled up as well, settling near the pocket under her belt and catching her attention. He offered her a stern glance as he sank his hand into her pocket. She sighed before pushing further into his mouth. Her free hand descended between them, almost resting on a place where even Ghirahim hadn't touched.

Whipping his hand out of her pocket, Link rapidly unsheathed an object as his mouth continued to work. Upon hearing the recognizable sound, Lilith's eyes shot open.

With a flash of silver Link jumped behind her and swung her left arm back in one fell swoop. He bent her arm and pushed it to her back with the palm twisted up. She barely had any time to yelp before he circled around, bringing a razor-sharp blade to her throat.

Standing on his toes with his chest pressed against her, he spoke into her ear. "I'd rather drop from thirst and die of starvation in the battle arena than make the mistake of giving you what you want." He squeezed her wrist and crushed the handle of the small knife in his grip.

Subdued with her face against the wall, Lilith looked at him out of the corner of her eye.

With no desire to hold a conversation with a woman in a restraining grapple, Link tossed her arm down, withdrew the knife and headed for the nearest open window. Lilith turned and rubbed her neck. She watched as he tossed her weapon into the air.

After peering outside, he glanced back at her. "I'm not interested in what you're offering," he told her. "Why don't you take it and go away. Go hunt down your combat knife while you're at it."

But instead of giving a derisive look, Lilith grinned. "I'll be right back," she said as she turned and walked to the door.

After it shut, Link slowly looked around. The silence could practically be felt. It was the first time he had been alone since coming to this Goddess-forsaken place. He turned his eyes to the window once more.

He could climb down the side of the barony to freedom. He crossed his arms and rested his knuckles against his mouth in thought.

Where would I go? Not back into the woods. But how could I hide in this town, or any town? I could do it, but I'd eventually get caught. Wandering into the barren wasteland doesn't sound very promising, either. And I need my sword. I can't desert Fi, or be without a weapon. I don't even know how to get back to the surface—

"Here you go," Lilith said, derailing his train of thought. He lurched to the side. She held a hand out. He was surprised to see a generous portion of bread. In her other hand was a large glass bottle of water. Unmoving, he raised his eyes.

"It's okay," she said. "I know it's not much; just bread and water. But here, take it." Apprehensively, Link lifted his hands to receive it.

"Here, sit down," Lilith said, pointing to one of the small tables by the window. "You probably haven't gotten to sit in a chair for who knows how long? Enjoy it while you can." Analyzing the bundle of food and water in his arms, Link shambled to the nearest wooden chair. Lilith took the seat directly across from him and rested her face in her hand. Watching him, she grinned.

To Link, the bread looked good but the water looked downright incredible. It was like Kehia Island in a canister. He could almost see the palm trees and hear the calls of tropical birds. The bottle was sweating, even. It made him want to lick it. "Don't be shy," Lilith said. "I know you must be dying for a drink. Go on."

Taking a moment to give her one more look, Link lifted the bottle. Turning away from her to spare her the undignified sight, he started guzzling. The frigid moisture splashed up and sprayed him in the nose. Not caring that the cascade down his throat was a teeth chattering temperature, he downed the entire thing without stopping.

He tilted the bottle higher and higher until it was completely empty. Taking a deep breath, he covered his mouth, basking for a moment in the sheer relief. He could feel the water travel from his stomach to every corner of his body. He rubbed a wet hand all over his face, so contented he could cry.

"Enjoy the water?" Lilith asked. Link looked at her and sighed. "I'll take that as a yes," she said, looking pleased. "You'd better eat something fast before his lordliness returns. It could be anytime now."

Feeling like a new person, Link faced forward once more, exhaling and massaging his face. For the first time, he smiled at her. Not wanting to appear too desperate, he tore a small piece from the loaf of bread before him. He popped it into his mouth.

With a dark, crunchy crust and a fluffy center, although bland, the bread was astounding. He had no clue whatsoever what the grain was that he was eating, but it didn't matter. The dish could have been as dreadful as raw wild Azurian potatoes or as delicious as a god's ambrosia. It would have made no difference. He was beyond grateful for even the sensation of something edible in his mouth.

Still covering his face, he rolled the spongy substance around in his mouth until it dissolved. He draped his arms over his chair. "Mmm," he groaned, "thank you." He suddenly felt like Pipit the night of the party at the Lumpy Pumpkin when he was all but screaming in delight over finally being able to eat something.

"You're welcome," Lilith said, her voice polite but stiff. She sat as a silent spectator for a time.

Link tried his best to eat in a controlled fashion. In spite of it all, he still had his pride. "So…" he said with a food-stuffed mouth, "what is your regiment training for anyway?" Lilith combed her fingers through her hair and chuckled. Already expecting inauspiciousness, his gaze lowered. He took another bite.

"Sorry, but don't expect me to reveal military secrets, hero."

"I thought we were friends," Link said dryly.

"Mmm. Not quite. You might have earned some respect from me, but we're far from friends."

"So a man has to hold a knife to your throat to gain respect from you?"

"Of course not," she said. "What brings my admiration out with fervency is a man who declines."

"Declines?"

"Yes. You turned down what I offered you. I've never even had that happen before. Of course, it could also be because I'm a baron's daughter, and my power intimidates men." She shrugged.

"Nah, it's 'cause you look…" Link began. Looking up at the ceiling, he stuffed a huge piece of bread in his mouth. "Never mind."

"You must have someone special you're saving yourself for," Lilith said with a smoky look in her eyes.

"I guess you could say that. I'd like to think so, anyway." Link paused. "But even if I didn't, I'd still say no. Sorry, but it's not my style." With her head still propped in her hand, Lilith gave him a softer look. "So, where's your real father?" he asked.

"Oh, he died long ago, I'm sure. I never knew him. He stayed in the sky realm."

Link paused as he chewed a few times. "Sky realm? You mean like…Skyloft?"

"Yeah, I'm not sure which state," Lilith said with a shrug.

"So…does that happen often?" he asked.

"Does what?"

"Do humans come here and…" He gestured his hands in various ways in an attempt to get his point across.

"Oh, no. Humans are brought here sometimes, but those occurrences are rare, like yours. So no, what happens most of the time is that women from my realm go to your realm."

"So, that happens a lot then?"

"Sort of. Most demonesses are urged to go, while others venture there on their own accord. Most of them don't advertise their sky adventures. Usually the only indication people receive of such an incident is the announcement of a new pregnancy."

"Oh…"

"Yeah. That's what my people go there for. It's our only means of reproduction."

Link felt hopelessly confused. Lilith laughed. "A male demon and a female demon can't have children. It's not possible. A male demon can't even have children with a human female. Nope, only a male from your realm is able to have children with a woman from this realm."

It was then that Link understood why demonesses went nuts over men.

"A demoness is a master seductress," Lilith said, "extremely adept at selecting a worthy specimen. She is highly proficient at luring an unsuspecting human into a one-night-stand. Here tonight, gone in the morning before he wakes up. He never even knows about the baby. In fact, I'll bet he's left debating whether the incident ever happened in the first place. "

Pipit's fooled around with a strange woman or two. I wonder…

"So what happens to all these human-demons? Do they stay here like you?"

"Mostly. Some never return from the sky realm at all, if their mothers decide to stay there. At that point, though, she's considered a heretic; a traitor to the crown. She and her baby would then be put on the list."

"The list? You mean they're searched for?"

"Yep. So if you're gonna run off to the sky realm and never return, you better have a talent for staying hidden. Those who are wish they'd never gone to the sky in the first place; not to mention they regret ever being born. It's not a good idea to be in the bad graces of our government."

"How does your government work?" Link asked.

"So many questions," Lilith said with a smile.

"What other chance will I have to learn about your realm?" Link asked. "Can't you just tell me something?"

"Okay," Lilith said, tapping her fingers on the table.

Link waited, hoping she would humor him. He slowly took another bite.

"It's pretty different from anything you're accustomed to," Lilith said. "Your states are self-governing, correct?"

Link quickly swallowed. "It's a combination of knight-run and military-run, depending on where you are."

"So, is Skyloft knight or military-run?"

"Knight-run," Link said. "My headmaster is in charge of the Main Island and its surrounding islands. Other parts are military-run."

"So he holds the most power?" Lilith asked. Link nodded. "And I assume there are people under his authority who assist him. Are they voted into office by the population?"

Link nodded again. "Then there's the Skyloftian army general, but I don't know anything about him. I just know that he holds just as much power as my headmaster."

Lilith smiled. "Okay, well, are you ready to learn why the demon realm is so different?" Link nodded yet again, this time more eagerly. Lilith took a breath. "To avoid vast amounts of technical mumbo-jumbo, this realm is a quasi-monarchy; a form of autocracy. Our leader is sovereign, with the power to do whatever he deems wise in any territory of this realm. With supreme political power, of course, his decisions aren't regulated by external legal restraints, or by popular control, like your state would be. But while he may have unrivaled control, the subdivisions within the government, or the baronies in each town, are left to make all legal and political decisions. That's where my step-father and all of his many associates come into play, and I step away."

"Okay, so everything having to do with law-making and disciplinary action is up to the baronies?" Link asked.

"The baronies govern their respective towns, yes."

"And they're left to manage themselves but still have an overseer?"

"You got it. He steps in if need be."

Link pondered for a minute. "You keep saying 'leader' and 'he'. Who are we talking about here?"

"Lord Ghirahim, of course, silly," Lilith said.

"He's your 'king'?" Link asked, making a face.

"Oh, no, he's just the king's delegate."

"There's someone above him, then," Link said, thinking out loud.

"Yes, the Demon King."

Link pursed his lips, forgetting that he had food in his hands. "Demon King?" he asked, rubbing the side of his face thoughtfully.

"That's right," Lilith said.

"So is he the one ordering you to prepare for war against my realm?" Link asked, his eyes on his hands as he fidgeted.

Lilith looked down as well. She seemed hesitant.

"It's been a long time since the war documented in the sacred texts," Link muttered to himself.

"Over three-thousand years to be exact," Lilith said, eying him closely. Link wasn't able to stifle his look of shock. "Don't they teach you these things where you come from?"

"We know some things about the war," he told her. "But not how long ago it happened."

"Well, like I said, you humans are ignorant," Lilith said. "And apparently your leaders wish for you to stay that way. They've locked your sacred texts away, after all."

Link stared for a moment. "You know about that?" Lilith only nodded in response. Link looked at the wall. "Spies," he said to himself. "That's what it is." He looked back at her. "If demons come and go as they please in the sky realm, then why wouldn't there be spies?"

Lilith only shrugged. Link figured he'd overstayed his welcome in terms of military questions. "Have you ever been to Skyloft?" he asked. "Or any other state?"

"Nope, never been to any of the sky states," Lilith told him. "I've never been to the surface either. In fact, I've never left this realm. I'm only eighty years old. I'm just a baby compared to most others."

"So how old are most of the other demons?" Link asked, shaking his head in confusion.

"It varies," Lilith said, crossing her slender legs. "Hybrids like myself range anywhere from three-thousand years old—coinciding with the end of the Great War—to newborn, really. My people have been working for three millennia to rebuild our population. My tribe was devastated in the war; surely you know that much."

"But the full-blooded demons," Link said, "how old are they?"

"Any full-blooded demon who survived the Great War is what we would label an original," Lilith said. "Originals, such as my step-father and mother, predate the Great War by thousands of years; all the way back to the creation; the beginning of time."

Link looked at her suspiciously, trying to wrap his mind around the scope of what she was saying. "So…full-blooded demons are immortal, but can die in battle?"

"As well as in other ways, yes," Lilith added.

"So if they don't get killed or die in an accident, they can live forever?"

"Potentially."

"But they can't have children?"

"Mm-hm. The only kids here are hybrids," Lilith said.

"So, if some hybrids are as old as three-thousand, does that mean they're semi-immortal too?"

Lilith shook her head. "It's pretty diversified. Some hybrids inherit the lifespan of their human parents. Others are blessed with what your people would call an unnaturally long life. Truthfully, each individual is different, and although we all know that our days are numbered, we don't know by how many."

"So, how many demons do you think are living in Skyloft, or Superna, or…" Link asked, giving it another shot. "Or Twilight?"

"Oh, Twilight!" Lilith exclaimed, making Link jump. "Ah, yes. Twilight. Now that you mention it, Twilight is the favored destination of my people due to its mild sun exposure. We are extremely photosensitive, after all."

Link picked at what remained of the bread in front of him. "Yeah, I heard," he said somberly.

"So it's safe to assume that Twilight most likely contains more hybrids, as well as full-blooded heretics than any of your other states."

Link looked around nervously. "Oh, okay, well that's a relief," he said, his sarcasm almost leaking through.

"I can't imagine why any of my people would want to desert this realm. It's far superior to the surface and the sky. You may not agree, but this realm is a sophisticated place. Its people are treated well. They're happy."

"Everyone always thinks that about their homes," Link said. "Everyone's a nationalist."

"Not everyone," Lilith said. "Even here there's an underground movement of anarchists who oppose this war, and have for centuries. I'm not sure how many of them exist but they number in the thousands. Several groups move about in the mountains and wilderness, preying upon military and political leaders. Sometimes civilians. Hundreds have died as a result of their ambushes and raids. It's horrible."

"So you're essentially a target, yourself?" Link said.

"Yup, a target to populists who don't like the idea of overthrowing the sky realm's power structure and turning it into a puppet regime."

Link moved around in his chair and scratched his head. "Can't say I like the sound of that either."

"You know what, though?" Lilith asked. "His lordliness is gonna return anytime. Now that you've eaten, why don't you jump into the bath?" She gestured toward the back corner of the room where Link had originally spotted her. "It's hot and clean. No one's used it. I just checked it for you. If you wash up I can run and find you a fresh change of clothes, like Lord Ghirahim suggested. I wouldn't want to get in trouble for leaving you a filthy mess. He made it clear that he wanted you unsoiled."

"Can't participate in a proper fight to the death if I'm not squeaky clean," Link mumbled. "I would hate to be less than presentable for everyone's favorite sadist."

"You really should watch your attitude, human," Lilith said, standing up. "Don't forget your place. He is the lord of this realm, after all. He has the power to do anything he wants to you."

"Yeah," Link said as he left the table. "If he was gonna kill me he would've done it by now. He already told me he wants me alive for some reason."

"Well, things can change around here," Lilith warned as she walked to the washroom, "faster than you can lose your clothing to a group of overly enthusiastic women." Link shrugged and sighed before following his hostess to the corner.

The wooden door creaked open. Link's nose was immediately filled with the glorious smell of unsullied water. It was mixed with the unmistakable, delicate scent of something that he greatly missed during his travels in the Faron Woods: soap.

Thank the Goddess that even demons have a love for cleanliness, Link thought. He took a step into the small rectangular room. It was just large enough to fit a moderately sized in-ground bathtub and small walkway.

"Well, here we are," Lilith said, presenting the tub. Link looked at the water and then back at her. "Go on." He wavered for a moment.

"Uh," he murmured, placing his hands in his pockets. "Aren't you gonna leave?"

"Maybe, maybe not," Lilith said subversively.

"Maybe not?"

"Perhaps. And maybe I'm still annoyed by what you did."

"Well—"

"You chucked my weapon out the window."

Link bit his tongue and looked at the water. It looked so inviting. All he wanted to do was accept its invitation. "I'm sorry I threw your knife out the window and got angry," he said, hoping she would go.

"Not good enough," Lilith answered.

"Well, what am I supposed to do?" he asked. All Lilith did was point to the water. Link gave her a twisted expression and shook his head.

"His lordliness will be back any second," she advised. "Don't you want to be dressed when he comes back? It seems to me that you have no time to argue."

Link gave her an impatient glare. She smiled. "Come on," she breathed, bringing her chest closer to his, "don't you want something exciting to tell your little girlfriend when you return home?"

Link looked into her eyes before peering into the steaming tub again. Lilith cocked her head and grinned.

"Didn't you just say that you respect a man who says no? And what about those clean clothes?"

"I go nowhere until you're in that water," Lilith said.

"Okay," Link said. "If you insist."