A/N: Thanks to alwaysingirl, RoseWing and Kirkysaurus for their reviews!
This is a little bit earlier than usual, mainly because I'm busy this Saturday. No worries, however! New chapters will be updated as normal from next Saturday.
I'm a bit surprised nobody spotted my BIG mistake (Daisy calling Zelda 'Zelda'), but it's fixed now! ^_^'
The beast has escaped from the well! What will Zelda do?
Read on!
Chapter 25 - Breakout
Zelda's scream didn't hold for long, as the hand around her body began to tighten. She started to wheeze. She could feel her lungs beginning to collapse as her ribs were squashed together. She attempted to scream again, but empty air came out instead. The beast released her slightly, but still kept her in its grip.
Thisss is what the Sagesss sent to stop me?
Its voice dripped with venom, causing Zelda to flinch with each syllable. The elongated 's' sounds vibrated through Zelda's skull. She could practically hear the beast's breathing; slow, shuddery and pained.
How disgussstingly pathetic...
It then dragged Zelda over the houses of the villagers. It stopped over one in particular, that burned the most. The flames snarled around Zelda's legs, cracking and whipping across her ankles. She drew them back in fear.
Look at thisss... The village isss burning. Oh so ssslowly. It won't be long before the flames reach the poor, ssscared villagersss...
Zelda was desperately pulling at the beast's grip, trying to get some sort of weapon to escape from the beast's hand. The beast seemed to recognise her struggling, and tightened its grip even more. Zelda's lungs almost burst.
Ssstop that...
Zelda relaxed and stopped flailing. The beast's grip weakened again. Zelda sighed with relief. Unfortunately, the beast's grip was slackening steadily. A few more seconds and it would let go, and Zelda would be tumbling through burning, splintered wood and boiling slate.
'Oh, goddess!' she screamed, and held tightly to her captor's hand.
I see you sssee my point...
Zelda felt the fingers clasp her again.
Now. What would you prefer...?
The beast pulled her back so she was above the central square.
Death by... fire?
It made her face the building again. The wood splintered under the weight of the fire, and the slate roof looked almost yellow with the heat. The beast made her 'face' it again.
Or death by... crushing?
It squeezed her slightly, repeatedly. Each motion caused her ribcage to fall into her chest cavity. She could literally feel the points of the ribs poke at her lungs, knocking, wanting to be let in.
What will it be, eh?
Neither prospect looked particularly promising for her. They also wouldn't have meant a quick death.
Burning: She would have to wait for the flames to claw back her skin, agonising with each scratch. The smoke would fill her lungs. Each breath would hurt. Her lungs would fill with fluid. She would start to choke, and eventually her lungs would be unable to cope with the lack of oxygen. She would 'drown' eventually, her throat dry with the fumes.
Or crushing: If the beast wanted to make her suffer, it would likely crush her chest to the point of bursting her lungs. Eventually, that being the key word, the blood loss and lack of oxygen will cause her to die.
It didn't look good. Zelda was frantically looking around, trying to see any possibility of escaping the beast's hand. Her eyes fell on Link. He had his sword and shield out, and was eyeing Zelda woozily. He looked uncertain (probably wondering where exactly the beast was), and was in a battle stance. The beast didn't seem all that bothered by his presence. Zelda's eyes moved to his sword hand. The Triforce of Courage glowed subtly, and Link twirled the sword around every few seconds, expertly flicking his wrist each time.
A flash of realisation. If Zelda couldn't reach a weapon, why shouldn't she just make her own?
She prayed to Nayru, and felt the steady flow of power shift to her left hand. She had been weakened considerably due to the beast's slight attacks, but there was still enough energy to last her a while longer. The beast hadn't noticed the change in its captive's motive.
I'm waiting. What will it b-
There was an otherworldly shriek as Zelda's hand touched the beast's. Stupidly, while screaming, the beast kept its grip. Zelda had got out her hand now, and was hacking away slowly with her dagger and burning hand. After mere seconds, the beast let go, and Zelda landed on the ground perfectly. Link gasped as she fell and went over to help, but Zelda was adamant.
'Get back, Link!' she shouted, and he complied, running back to the well. She stopped and fell, the pain in her chest making it hard to breathe. The beast's 'throat' was hoarse with screams, but the fire on its hand had gone out. There was an audible 'whoosh' as it turned to its attacker.
You are going to die RIGHT NOW!
It charged, with Zelda still on the ground. Link stood in front of her valiantly, shield raised.
'Wait, Link! Get back!' she shouted. Her voice could barely be heard over the beast's raspy breath and movement. The outline of a burn mark edged ever closer to Link, accelerating. Link planted his feet further in the ground. All the while, Zelda was shouting for him to get back.
The mark was mere metres away. Seconds passed. Everything seemed to slow.
No-one getsss in my way!
Link grunted as the beast grabbed him and hurled him back down the staircase. Zelda seemed to be out of the picture as the beast went in to attack Link.
'Hide, Link! Get away!' Zelda's shouts were hoarse. It was no wonder Link couldn't hear her.
Link got back up, only to be grabbed again and threw into a house wall. Zelda tried to get up, but the effort caused her to wheeze. She had barely taken a step before she collapsed again, coughing and gasping for breath.
Link was somehow still conscious, and he had gotten up again. His feet were slow, however, and his back arched with what looked like pain and discomfort.
Quite the persissstent one you are...
The burn mark wrapped around Link again and threw him up into the air.
It was silent. All that was heard was the crackle of the houses and the breath of the three life-forms. Link remained at least 100 metres in the air, and was yelling. He seemed to slow, stop, then begin to fall, back into the beast's waiting hands. All the while, Zelda watched with defeated worry. Link's tunic seemed to flutter as he fell, and his sword was still in his hand. He didn't think to use it. He kept falling, flailing his arms, and stopped 5 metres from the ground.
I say stopped, but he had actually been smashed by one of the beast's hands. The impact was so hard he was thrown an extremely long distance. Eventually he came to a stop at Zelda's resting place. His chest relaxed slightly, and he sighed.
Zelda, fraught with worry, scrambled over to him, seeing if there was any life left. He was unconscious, hanging to lift by an invisible, thin thread. It didn't appear that he would wake up any time soon either. The beast shared Zelda's thoughts. Now that he was out of the way...
I will make sure you die!
There was a rush of air. The burn mark was closing in, and Zelda's chest still throbbed. There was nothing she could do. Link was unconscious, and she couldn't move. All she could think about was the pain of the beast, its wretched voice, its shuddery breath. At least... she had gone out fighting.
The burn mark was a mere 10 metres away. Zelda closed her eyes, waiting for the final blow...
...She could have waited all her life, but the blow never came. She opened her eyes a fraction, and noticed the burn mark only 1 metre from her tired face. It was flailing around, though missing Zelda all the same. Her eyes opened fully, and glittered with amazement. The beast, meanwhile, was shrieking deafeningly, thrashing about as hard as it had the power.
Let me... go! What'sss... what's happening?
It was then that Zelda noticed it was being dragged slowly toward the graveyard entrance. It was still thrashing and flailing, but it couldn't quite escape from the new form of magic. The pain in Zelda's chest dimmed slightly, and she stood. The burn mark fluctuated as the beast was strangled by the magic, pulling it ever closer to the Shadow Temple.
Nooo! Thisss isn't... oveeeerr!
The burn mark disappeared around the corner. Zelda felt her chest with her left hand, now only warm instead of burning. Her lungs started to relax, and she breathed in heavily, thanking the goddesses for their gift of precious oxygen. Link groaned slightly in the background, and she scrambled back to him. He woke up after a few shakes, and Zelda sighed with utter relief.
'Looks like you're coming around...'
He stood, and looked with her at the burning houses. After a few seconds, she turned back to him.
'Link... A terrible thing has happened! The evil shadow spirit has been released! Impa, the leader of Kakariko Village, had sealed the evil shadow spirit in the bottom of the well... But the force of the evil spirit got so strong, the seal of the well broke, and it escaped into the world! I believe Impa has gone to the Shadow Temple to seal it again, but... she will be in danger without any help!
'Link! You must destroy the evil shadow spirit and save Impa! There is an entrance to the Shadow Temple beneath the graveyard behind this village. The only thing I can do for you is teach you the melody that will lead you to the Shadow Temple...
'This is the melody that will draw you into the infinite darkness that absorbs even time... Listen to this, the Nocturne of Shadow!'
She swept out her harp, and Link took out his Ocarina. She was surprised that she could even remember the notes of the song in light of all the recent events. The area around them turned into a slight hue of purple. The two instruments complimented each other, and both players were well endowed with the gift of rhythm. The harmony blended with the deceased Lizalfoses souls, mixing perfectly, rising up into the air. As the song finished, the souls and sounds dissipated, and the world returned to normal.
'Let me take care of the village! I'm counting on you, Link!'
Zelda threw down a Deku Nut from her pouch, then scrabbled up a building. Link shrugged casually, as was the case, and ran to the entrance of the graveyard. Zelda seemed very pleased for a second.
Until she realised that someone lived in the graveyard. The very same graveyard that the beast had been taken through, kicking and fighting. The hut and stones could have been in ruins!
Zelda gasped in reflex and jumped down from the roof. While she ran, people began to file out of their houses, congregating in the centre of the village. She entered the graveyard. Everything seemed to be normal, no crumbled headstones or ripped up flowers. The hut, most importantly, was also intact.
'Oh, thank the goddesses,' Zelda breathed to herself, before walking toward the hut. At the very least, Dampé was safe.
'Dampe!' Zelda called out to the hut. And again, 'Dampé?'
This was strange. Dampé always comes out when she calls him.
'Dampé?' Zelda inquired, entering the claustrophobic hut. It was completely empty of life.
Zelda was puzzled, but then noticed a note on the table, where Dampé would write. She picked it up, its tattered folds bending slightly under her fingers' touch. She read.
All of a sudden, everything was silent. The villagers hushed. The Guays stopped squawking. The wind stopped howling. Zelda's eyes brimmed with sadness and confusion. Tears spilled over the edges of her eyelids...
The world reanimated. Sounds were once again heard, shouts of joy from the villagers who had escaped certain death. Zelda was not joyful. She lay the paper back on the table and stood, overawed yet utterly miserable.
Even though she was in the hut, it seemed like the emptiest it had ever been for a very long time.