Not much to say here, um, just...watch out for the language in this chapter. Normally I try to keep it at a minimum, but with the characters I'm working with, it just kinda...slipped out...

Poison

"Nice," she murmured in a soft, smooth purr, pacing slowly around the man that stood there in the light of a single, low burning torch. He was tall, he had grown taller than her, thanks to her magic. His red hair was now hung down to the lobes of his rounded ears, each strand spiking outward from the center of his scalp. His face had become more angular, with a strong nose and chiseled jaw. "Very nice."

Her bare feet padded softly against the rough cobblestones, barely making a sound as she continued around him, examining ever feature with harsh, scrutinizing green-rimmed eyes.

"Do you remember who the enemy is?" She asked in a voice as smooth as freshly melted butter, stopping beside him and laying a delicate hand against his well-muscled chest. Her sharply pointed nails tapped against his dusky skin, gently dragging against him, but he did not even bother to flinch, only a slight nod of his head in response to her question proved that he was alive.

"The Fierce Deity Incarnate."

"Yes," She breathed, a crooked grin pulling at one corner of her mouth. "Where is he?"

"He is currently at Snowhead, waging battle against one of your disciples, Mistress."

"Excellent. And what must you do?"

He swallowed, his Adam's apple bobbing, thick muscles tensing.

"I must go to the northern mountains, before the shadows get there," he answered, pale yellow eyes staring vacantly ahead. "And kill him."

She smirked, and lowered her head, a few strands of her violet shaded hair hanging loosely in front of her eyes and brushing against him. She looked up again, and patted his cheek with the other hand before striding away, lips gently parted, revealing the pointed teeth that hid beyond.

"Garo Master!" She called in a deeper voice, one that carried through the empty, hollow hallways of the Stone Tower. She allowed one hip to dip slightly in posture, resting her hand against the thin layer of deep magenta fabric that clothed her lower half, the darker waistband hugging low to her hips. She waited with an impatient tilt to her head, licking her lips lightly as a quick, stealthy padding met her sensitive ears.

Moments later, a cloaked figure emerged from beyond a tall archway, lengthy strides practically eating up the dark cobblestones beneath him. And in one fluid motion, he came to a halt, kneeling before her, cloaked head dipped in submission.

"Garo Master," she said again, eyes narrowing. "When I return, I want Malikai's steed ready, time is of the essence. The shadows are planning something, he has to get there before they do."

"Yes, Mistress Majora."

Smiling as the cloaked man straightened himself, she shouldered past him, heading for the archway, breathing deeply as the dank, spine-tingling scent of death met her nose. She took it in, eyelids fluttering shut. She actually enjoyed the scent. It smelled like victory. When the scent was particularly strong, she could see visions of battle, of her warriors charging the enemy, mercilessly striking them down until only her disciples remained.

"Malikai. Come."

His gait was swift, and with every step, his muscles tensed and stretched. His jaw was set in a firm, grim line as he followed her down what seemed to be a dozen dark, narrow passageways. Her steps made no sound as she trotted ahead of the younger man, long hair gently swaying with her bouncing, exuberant movements.

The hallways of the Stone Tower were damp, and occasionally, a droplet of dirty water would fall from somewhere above, or a gust of wind would whip savagely past the tower, whistling as it rushed past the rough stone walls. However, once in a blue moon, an even more frightful sound with echo through the empty halls. A bitter, lonesome moaning, a human's voice, a heartbroken cry that would send shivers down any normal person's spine.

But he felt no fear. He felt nothing at all. His pale eyes were focused entirely on Majora, watching her intently, following her as obediently as a dog. He followed her down several sets of stairs, keeping his footing despite the slippery moss that covered the steps.

She led him finally into a room near the bottom-most level of the tower, below ground, where it was so dark that despite his newly heightened senses, he could barely see a thing, and the scent of rotting flesh and dried blood was so strong it burned his lungs and threatened to choke him. But Majora seemed to not be affected in the least. She kept her gait, trotting through the dark with ease, and making several soft, bumping noises, which he could only assume was her looking for something.

A task that would have been impossible for him, given the pitch-black atmosphere.

But she seemed to have no trouble finding what she wanted. He couldn't see her, but when her hand came to once again rest on his shoulder, he could tell where she was. Her hand slowly trailed up his neck, until it found his ear, flicking a few stray locks of his hair aside.

Something sharp, sharper even than her nails, pressed against his earlobe, and seconds later, he involuntarily flinched as it was suddenly jabbed through his skin, making a hole clean through the bottom of his ear. He felt her pull the thin metal from his skin, only to press something else to the fresh wound. This time, he heard a subtly click, like a latch being closed, and felt whatever she had pressed into the wound stay there despite her hand being drawn away.

"There," she whispered, stepping away from him.

"What did you do?" He asked boldly, reaching up and feeling the strange object that was now attached to his ear.

"That's an earring, and a special one at that. Its called a Fire Shield Earring, and it will protect you from flames. Useful, given the path you're going to take to Snowhead."

He remained silent, thinking the strange piercing over as she moved silently around him. After a few minutes, she again broke the silence.

"Now, your steed will be waiting for you. I trust you can find your way to the entrance on your own?"

He merely nodded, only half listening at this point. The earring had begun to burn, and the surrounding area felt like it was on fire.

"Travel quickly, talk to no one, and get the job done. I'm counting on you," she was suddenly leaning against him, so that her lips were only inches from his ear. He could feel her steamy breath against his wound, only making it feel worse. "Fail me, and I will kill you myself."

And with that, she strode away from him, leaving him standing in the dark chamber alone, wounded ear still burning despite the earring's supposed protection…

They raced after the strange teenagers, hearts pumping, lungs burning, and legs stretching as far as they could go, trying desperately to get themselves as far away from the demon as they could. The two teenagers seemed to know the forest well, dodging expertly around tree after tree and leaping with reckless abandon through the thorny bushes, threatening to pull away and disappear into the dark.

Was that the plan? Was this all a hoax that the demon had plotted? What if the two teenagers were nothing more that mirages, and they were merely leading them to their deaths? Malon wondered, only able to form half-thoughts as she ran, the rest of her mind being used to try and keep up with the swift pace. A soft glance to her left assured her that Jack and McKenna were keeping up, perhaps a little better than she was even. That was, until McKenna suddenly toppled forward, landing on her hands before anything else. She let out a cry, one more of shock than one of pain, but regardless, hit the ground with a soft thump.

Jack was the first to suddenly skid to a stop, by her side in an instant, and already gathering her in his arms, quick to scoop her up, bridal-style, and continue running, waving her to continue on as well.

"Jack-!" she could hear McKenna gasp in a breathless tone. "Jack, I can't feel my legs!"

"Its ok, I've got you." He breathed in reply, huffing as he ran.

She could still hear the demon, loud, rumbling grunts of frustration behind them, crashing through the thick forestation without any hesitation as to the damage it might cause. Yes, it was definitely still following them. She returned her gaze to the two fleeing backs of the teenagers, one scarred and bruised and burned, the other with the thick braid down her back.

But as she bolted around the trees, two glowing orbs suddenly caught her eye. She jerked her head to the left as she ran, and caught fleeting sight of two glowing yellow eyes, like miniature full moons piercing through the foliage, peering straight at her, and seeming to follow her as she moved. But she was forced to move on, and as she ran onward, the eyes vanished into the black of the night, as if it had been only a figment of her racing mind.

It very well may have been, she didn't completely believe anything in her current state of mine.

The teenagers made a sudden, breakneck turn to the right, skidding around a particularly thick willow tree and continuing to race along the wet, muddy shore of a massive river. The river was a great deal wider than the river that McKenna had gone to, and twice as deep, but one thing was the same.

The water's color was a sickly pink, bubbling and sloshing and in some places splashing ashore. When this happened, the two teenagers seemed to quickly change course, avoiding contact with the water at all cost.

Not a one of them understood why the two would avoid the water's touch, but not wanting to find out, given the possibilities, they too followed suit, jumping aside when the water splashed toward them. In the distance, a strange shape could be seen, a few high points clawing at the night sky like the claws of a monster unseen. And the pair seemed to be headed directly for it. The river suddenly took a jarring turn to the left, leaving them behind as they continued straight.

As they neared the strange shape, it became clear to Malon that it was the ruined remains of a palace. The wooden walls that had probably once stood, tall and proud, were now charred and fallen to the marshy ground below, lain to waste, and nothing more than shadows of the past. The teenagers bolted through the burned, collapsed remains, further into ruins, bounding over the ground with swift, heavy strides, running so fast the appeared to eat up the ground.

They were led through what appeared to be several burnt hallways, probably corridors at one time, until they suddenly disappeared down a rickety flight of stairs that led deep down below the ground.

It was there that the three of them stopped, Jack looking to her for what to do. Malon peered down the staircase. It seemed to built out of hardened dirt, cut out of the ground to form a narrow passageway deep under ground. She couldn't see the end of the tunnel, and the two teenagers had long disappeared beyond her view. She could only hear their faint footsteps, and even those were rapidly growing fainter and fainter.

She suddenly, however, made her decision to follow them into the dark when a vicious, bloodthirsty roar came from the riverside. The demon had caught up with them, and she was the last person to stay and wait idly by when there was a chance of escape. Albeit, a strange, slightly frightening way of escape, but it was an escape, so she took it.

The dirt steps shifted beneath her feet as she pounded quickly down them, having to duck slightly so as to not bump her head against the low ceiling. The darkness made it hard for her to guess her steps, though, forcing her to go slower than she would have liked. In all reality, she wanted to run as fast as she could, fly so fast that nothing could keep up with her, nothing could affect her, so that she didn't have to think.

She didn't want to think, the only thoughts that came to her mind made her feel quite ill. The shadow Zauz was still locked in her mind despite the new demon that was pursuing them, but now other thoughts were beginning to bother her. Were Kara and Rinku alright? What if something happened at Romani Ranch while she was away? Could Cyrus handle three rambunctious children all on his own? Especially since he was still grieving over Cremia?

Her mind was reeling with terrible possibilities, but to her great relief, she wasn't allowed the time to ponder them any more than she already had, as McKenna screamed behind her, and she could hear Jack gasp, and quicken his pace. Seconds later, the ceiling lifted up from above her, revealing a fiendish wooden mask, old, weathered and peeling red paint lining the edges. A swarm of dust colored moths fluttering wildly around him as he loomed over the staircase.

"The demon-!" McKenna shrieked, turning in Jack's arms, and burying her face against his chest, trembling. A low string of curses slowly passed Jack's clamped teeth as he stared defiantly up at the demon, mind racing to come up with the best escape. After a few moments of thought, Malon made the decision for him, racing further down into the earth below, and trusting her judgment, he followed, missing the demon's spear my only a mere inches' margin.

They ran as fast as their exhausted legs would carry them down the stairs, not daring to look behind them as they raced. There were a few shuffling sounds, an ear-shattering roar, and then silence, only broken by their pounding feet and heavy breaths.

Far ahead, they could faintly make out a light, a small, flickering flame atop a single torch.

The two teenagers were waiting for them there, where the stairs ended and the passageway widened out into a small, rounded-off den. There were a few piles of dried yellow grass on the dirt floor, but that was all, other than a meager pile of food and a few scattered rocks.

"Who are you two?" Jack demanded in a firm tone, tightening his hold on McKenna, and planting himself in front of Malon, whilst the teenage boy placed himself between them and the girl. Both males stared defiantly at each other, Jack silently mouthing a few warnings.

For the first time, Malon got a good look at the boy. He was well muscled, but slender, with large, thick, reddish-gray burn marks that wrapped all the way from collarbone to ribs, and snaked down his arms, tapering off and fusing with his skin-tone just short of his palms. As he stared at Jack, his shoulders tensed, strong tendons in his neck shuddering as he flexed his arms at his sides, brazenly egging him on. His narrow, almond-shaped eyes flashed with a fierce, primal impulse, his youth only fueling the fire that burned inside him.

Jack remained more collected than the younger boy before him, although McKenna could feel him tense beneath her, his body reacting to the strange, potentially dangerous youth in a defensive manner, muscles growing terse and twitchy, the slightest touch causing his skin to jump like a horses' pelt did when a fly landed upon it. His jaw stiffly clamped shut, he stared the boy down, his intense green eyes glinting, cautioning the boy to chose his battles carefully.

His eyes flashed as the boy took one step toward him, yellow, animal-like eyes flaming with territorial anger as Jack refused to back down, or to at least show submission.

"Touch either of 'em and die, boy." Jack barked, backing up so that Malon was only inches from him, and lowering his head slightly, partially shielding McKenna and his arms tightened so much so that he forced an uncomfortable squeak from her.

The boy tilted his head slightly, and a crooked, condescending smile graced his slim lips.

"Me? Want either of them? Pfft. I don't want them. If anything, a little gratitude would be nice. We saved your sorry asses, and now are hideout has been found out, it's the least you bastards could muster up."

"Watch your mouth, kid. One more remark like that and I'll rip that sharp tongue of yours clean out."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Don't make me laugh, shrimp. I could snap your neck like a toothpick!"

"Jack!" McKenna suddenly shouted, squirming in his ever-tightening arms. She grabbed him by the collar, and pulled his gaze forcefully so that it met her own. "Knock it off!"

The teenage girl, who had for the most part, remained neutral in the argument, grabbed the boy by the shoulder, and yanked him back, a reserved ferocity deep in the pools of her brownish-green eyes. Her delicate lips were curled down into a frown, her head tilting forward in an angry pout as she glared at from under her partially closed eyelids.

"Calm down." She commanded plainly, barely opening her mouth and eyes unblinking as he stared back at her. Finally, after several terse moments, the boy's shoulders slumped, and instead of looking again toward Jack, he stamped over to one of the larger rocks and sat down, growling softly, annoyed, to himself.

She, after making sure he was controlled, turned to the three of them, a few loose strands of her hair falling in front of her eyes as she did.

"You're lucky we bumped into you there. The demon you saw would have killed you if we hadn't," she said softly, taking a few careful steps toward them. "Don't mind him," she pointed toward the boy, who at her words, scoffed, looking away. "He's just been through a lot. He doesn't always get along with strangers."

Malon looked at the girl. She couldn't be more than eighteen years old, her face still contained a young, rounded look, especially through her cheeks. But her nose and chin had started to take on the more angular shape of adulthood, giving the girl an air of maturity that should not have come from her age. The anger and threatening had drained from her eyes, and revealed an unsettling look. One of pure unbridled depression, as if at any moment she would break into tears, that she was barely hanging onto sanity, clinging to reality.

"If I may, why did you come here? People have been avoiding this forsaken place for years because of the legends, what brings you to a place like this?"

Malon exchanged a glance with Jack, before answering. "A group of shadows brought me here," she started, looking only once at the young girl, before watching as Jack, gently as possible, set McKenna on her feet, still holding her shoulders. She wavered where she stood, before collapsing against his chest, grabbing the fabric of his shirt, desperately to prevent herself from falling. He gasped when she did, and quickly sunk down to his knees, allowing her to rest her weight against him.

The girl cocked an eyebrow at her, a quizzical expression crossing her face.

"Shadows? What are those?" She asked, a child-like curiosity in her depressed eyes.

"Oh. Shadows, they-uh…they're a different race of people." Malon answered half-heartedly, her attention being drawn away, and instead focusing it on her companions. McKenna had buried her face against Jack's chest, clutching his shirt like a sleepy child. Her shoulders trembled, even as he held her, and as her eyes came into focus, she saw that a thin layer of sweat had covered every inch of her skin despite the slight chill of the underground den.

"McKenna? What's wrong?" She heard Jack ask, and watched as he shook her gently by the shoulders.

"McKenna?"

The teenage girl watched with reservation as they clambered over their suddenly ill companion, somehow desensitized to their worry.

"McKenna?!" Jack's voice had risen in pitch, desperation dripping from his tone. He pulled her gently from his shirt, and found that her eyes were closed, lips ever so slightly parted. Her cheeks, forehead and ears had darkened in hue, to a rosy red color, sweat drenching her hair and making it stick to her skin as she lay limp in his grasp.

"What's wrong with her?" He asked, sincere concern in both his voice and eyes as he turned his head toward Malon. She shook her head softly, not having the foggiest idea what might have caused such a quick decline in health.

"I-I'm sorry Jack. I really don't know…" She said to him, voice dying off. Both she and Jack looked up quickly when the teenage boy rose to his feet, clearing his throat to draw their attention. He padded across the dirt floor, stopping only a few feet away from them and shrugging off the warning look that the girl gave him.

"She's poisoned."

Jack snorted, and laid McKenna down on the ground, resting her head on his lap, running his fingers through her sweat-soaked hair.

"What are talking about, kid?"

"She's been poisoned. Did she touch the water? Or ingest it?"

"The…water?"

The boy rolled his eyes in annoyance, and placed both balled fists firmly against his hips.

"Yes, the water. The water here is poisonous. Did she touch it? Or drink it?"

"I-uh…I don't know. I know she touched it but-"

"You mean you let your girlfriend go to get a drink on her own? In a place like this?" The boy scoffed, his condescending smile returning.

"She's my wife, I'll have you know," Jack retorted, a snarl curling across his lips. "But I didn't let her go anywhere on her own, she wouldn't let me come."

"Hmm."

"Just assume she did drink it, then!"

The boy walked away, over to the meager pile of food in one of the far corners, and grabbed a strange, yellowish fruit, shaped-somewhat like a pear but obviously not the same. He returned, and handed Jack the fruit.

"Mush that up and put it in her mouth, she'll at least get some of the juices. Is she younger than you?"

Jack's face turned to one of suspicion and slight annoyance.

"Yeah, so what if she is?"

"Oh don't get your pants in a twist. The poison affects kids and teens harder than adults. How old is she? Eighteen?"

"Twenty-one."

They went silent as Jack set about mashing the fruit in his palms and ever so gently putting the results in her mouth, underneath her tongue, where she could get the most out of it.

"Is she pregnant?"

His head jerked toward the boy, eyes wide. Heat rose to his cheeks, and as he met the boy's eyes, a strange look appearing in his own green eyes, almost darkening in hue. He held the boy's gaze for a moment, before looking away, back to McKenna's face.

"Uh, no. I-I really don't think so."

"Good. The poison can kill a baby if it's early into the first trimester."

They went silent again, the boy meandering back over the rock and sitting down on it, looking at their group occasionally, but otherwise staying as far as he could from them, only uttering a small, guttural noise of interest as the teenage girl came over to sit beside him on the floor. As Malon looked at McKenna, still nervously glancing toward the boy, she noticed that the fruit seemed to have actually done some good. Her temperature had gone down, the color had faded from her face, and the sweating had slowed, but now her skin was pale, and clammy to the touch.

"Will the fruit counteract the poison?" She asked, not meeting anyone's gaze in particular.

"No."

The boy's harsh tone and even harsher words cut through the silence, forcing both her and Jack to look at him once more.

"It won't counteract the poison. It only stalls the effects. All you can do is hope that she's strong enough to pull through," he said, glancing at her limp form. "Don't get your hopes up. She's so scrawny, I think even the smallest dose would be deadly to-"

"That's enough!" Jack shouted, cutting him off. In his eyes fierce discontent burned, and with a hand on either side of McKenna's face, he growled angrily at the boy, whose head had finally turned toward him, eyebrows raised arrogantly with interest. "I don't know what your problem is, but if you're going to be a moody teenager with a bad attitude, then go do it somewhere else! I've been through more in the last six years than you've been through in a lifetime, so shut the hell up!"

Malon's eyes subtly widened, not expecting such an outburst from him, but still understanding why he would react in such a way. It was how he dealt with fear. He was afraid, and his emotions had come to a rolling boil, spilling over the edges.

She was about to reach out to him, try and comfort him, when a strange, yet soft sound drew her attention away. She looked over her shoulder, toward the stairs that led aboveground, and stiffened at what she saw.

For a moment, she feared that it was the demon peering back at her, but moments' more of watching proved to her that it was not. The eyes of his mask were a soulless and black, making it impossible to see his actual eyes. But the eyes that stared back at her now were bright yellow, two glowing orbs like miniature moons perched on the dirt staircase. Whatever they were, either god or demon, they weren't human…

Character songs:

Jack

I Bet My Life by Imagine Dragons

This song is probably my second favorite from Imagine Dragons. It really fits his character, seeing as in my mind, I portray him as a character that acts carefree but has a lot of demons.

McKenna

Roller-coaster by Bleachers

And this song is a really fun song. Its got a great guitar rift, and a great rhythm to it. I kind of view it as McKenna being the narrator, the song being her talking about Jack. That's just how I view it. I hope you all check these out. And yes, you can all say it. I'm an Indie freak. I'm not a big fan of recycled Lamestream music is all. Frankly I think a lot of the artists on mainstream radio are overrated.

-DJ MICKEY (Guest). Thank you for the review and for being a fan! I'm glad to hear that you like my writing and style, as it is something I doubt occasionally. I'm also glad to hear that you are also interested in writing your own story. Its a great experience, I definitely recommend it. As for any advice to give, hmm...

I guess one of the most important things, obviously, is grammar. Its not hard once you learn it, but it is something that is worthwhile to learn, if you want to write to the best of your ability. Another obvious one is punctuation. Otherwise, plot is very important. I suggest sitting down and thinking through your ideas. Maybe write them down on index cards and lay them out how you want the story to flow. Its not something that I do, but its something I've heard works for others. Also, really think about your characters, give them as many layers as possible, really think about how each character would react when you put them into any situation. I've never been good at giving writing advice, but I hope I helped you. I would've sent advice in a PM, but I'm afraid I can't do that if you don't have an account.