Volink Week II
Disclaimer: I don't own HW.
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Day One: Honor
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Knocked to the checkerboard floor, Volga quickly sat up and snarled at the sorceress Cia, who was very more alive than the last he knew. His wrists were shackled together behind his back and his fleshrender fang remained on the battlefield but he was otherwise unharmed. Cia had brought him to the Temple of Souls, seemingly with the intention to place him right under her power and proceed onward with her charge, with or without an army to advance.
Cia demanded his servitude. Call it honor or call it pride, for either Volga refused kneel before her.
"What does a snake like you know of honor?" Cia said, rhythmically tapping the rod of her spiked staff against her hand as she sashayed toward him. "You disobeyed my last orders, lost yet again to the Hero, and then you defected to our enemy forces. You're no better than the ring."
"And yet here I am, snatched mid-battle to fight for you once more in a war I wanted no part in," Volga said, remaining calm for now, much as he despised being compared to the slimy ring ghoul. "But even as your magic waned, I had stood by you while Wizzro connived to cut your throat. I served you loyally until the very end."
Cia paused in her step. "The end?" she said, raising an eyebrow. "My war is not over. You still fight for me."
"No, I don't," Volga insisted.
"How?" she sputtered, as she pulled the magic-infused chain that transformed her staff into a mace tight between her hands. "How are you not a traitor?"
"Because you were dead," Volga said, rising to his feet. "I was defeated, Wizzro abandoned you to the dark king and took with him the strong-arm of your forces. You had nothing left and you died. Face it, witch. You lost. After that, I was free to choose my allegiance and I did."
Cia scrunched up her face into a mess of wrinkles and bared her teeth. "No, 'til the day you die, you serve me," she said, pointing the head of her staff at him. "I haven't lost yet. I can rebuild my army a thousand times over if I must!"
Briefly, the dragon knight closed his eyes and released his held breath. "Do what you will," Volga said and turned to leave. "I will have no part in it."
"Willingly or not, you will fight for me!" Cia lashed at him. The spiked gateway orb topping her staff slammed into the side of his helmet. His head jerked to one side and he stumbled in his step but otherwise he was more annoyed than harmed. Now if only his helmet would stop ringing in his ears…
Slowly, he turned his head and peered over his shoulder. "It's no longer your war we fight," he spat bitterly, "and I will not fight the dark king alongside you."
"So you would choose Zelda over me? How very heroic of you," Cia said, smiling without an ounce of humor. "Never would I have thought you would believe her drivel about being a noble, honorable warrior… You see what she did, right? Charmed you with praise, told you what a good dragon you were until you rolled over and let her rub your belly. I bet her words weren't so sweet after the Hero nearly split your belly in two."
Cia's account wasn't incorrect. It had been the royal whelp's words that gave him the clarity to expel the witch's dark power from his body and mind. Link defeated him soon after and Volga had been winning up until then.
"But I am a proud dragon warrior, not a sellsword for darkness…" He sounded far less sure of himself than he usually did. Actually he sounded far less sure of himself not even seconds ago. From where did this doubt sprang from?
Cia gazed back at him, her eyelids half-raised. "You're nothing more than an exotic pet to her. I offer you power, freedom," she said, a slick, silky purr slipping into her voice. "Remember how good it felt."
Volga breathed in and felt his deep lungs swell with a potent dark smoke. The sear of fire and the taste of iron-rich blood slid across his tongue and coated his mouth. Slowly, he breathed out. Tendrils of smoke curved over his lips and washed over his nose. Like a strong mystery seed ale, the wave of dark power surged straight to his head, rendering him dizzy.
Volga grinned wickedly. "You think I serve Little Miss Majesty?" His deep chuckle rumbled low in his chest. "For centuries, the Royal Family condoned, even campaigned dragon killings to allow the Gorons to expand their mines for a cut of their resources. I have no issue with incinerating the queen if need be."
"Then what's your problem?" Cia asked and stood with her hands on her hips.
All might and arrogance draining from his face, Volga tilted his head down and scowled.
"Speak, Volga," Cia ordered and snapped her fingers.
The dragon knight refused to answer and continued shrouding his grim face beneath his helmet's shadow. All the while, Cia's anger spiked.
"The boy…" he grumbled at long wait and repeated behest. "It would anger him."
The dark witch scrunched up her face in confusion. "The boy? What boy are you talking—" A bolt of realization sent her reeling. "Link?"
Volga turned his head to the side, which was as much a yes to Cia than an outright spoken yes. He did his best to avoid looking at any of the witch's endless number of portraits of Link adorning her personal shrine room. Only the black and white checkerboard floor was safe.
Holding her hand above her mouth, Cia cackled like a noblewoman. "A dragon with a crush, oh my…" she said. "Lie low, Volga. That's the farthest you'll ever get to him."
Oh, how little she knew… "So it's true then," he said."You can't actually see the future. You can only stand aside and watch it unfold around everyone but yourself."
Cia was not amused. "Now what are you prattling on about?"
Volga's smirk was insufferably self-satisfied. "The Hero doesn't choose you or Zelda this time."
"How dare—" Cia sputtered as her hands twisted and wrung the neck of her staff. "Straighten your forked tongue, serpent!" With a raise of her staff, a wave of dark purple energy oozed out from her and billowed up around her. It shimmered and fluttered like a heat mirage and showed Volga visions of the suffering and near deaths he faced.
With a single flourish of her staff, Cia directed a burst of dark energy at Volga. Dark power enveloped the dragon knight and infused itself into every cell of his being. He heard the witch's voice echoing from every recess of his mind. Fear me. Love me. Serve me.
Volga was a proud dragon warrior. Being the strongest was all that mattered to him.
Fear me. Love me. Serve me.
Power coursed through his veins. He stumbled back in awe of himself. Why did he ever let the royal whelp convince him to purge himself of his mistress's power?
Fear me. Serve me.
Nothing could kill him now. He could set Hyrule ablaze and there would be no one who could stop him. Not even the boy.
Fear me. Love me.
He could crush him. He had been so close the last time.
Fear me. Love me. Serve me.
All Volga had ever wanted was a worthy challenger. He had found everything he wanted and more in Link. Thanks to all the training and sparring he had done with the boy, Volga was not only stronger than he was that day but he knew how the Hero fought.
Fear.
Why was Volga afraid to face the boy in battle once more? With his mistress's power, he could incinerate the boy without a second thought if he really wanted to… But no, Volga would face him and give the Hero a chance to prove himself on equal footing to Volga's level before the dragon knight crushed him, with all of the boy's allies and his mistress watching.
Fear.
Screaming and shaking in rage, Volga fought against his shackles. He pulled and strained with all his might to bend his metal bonds and free his hands. The dark power pushed his muscles beyond their limit, beyond the pain. For some reason, he couldn't bear the thought of losing the boy.
Serve.
If he kept this power, he wouldn't lose. If he just listened and obeyed his mistress, the boy would be for such a shock. He'd wipe that ridiculous grin of his clean off.
Fear.
Now he was being ridiculous. Sure, his mistress wanted him alive, if at all possible, but that still didn't explain to Volga why he was afraid to put his hands on Link?
Love.
He hated that giant, beaming grin of his. He hated how ridiculous it made him look, and how he always flashed that grin after their every battle or spar, and how it reminded Volga that behind his might and chosen status, there was a young man with a good, noble heart the dragon knight was honored to follow and call friend.
He hated that grin because it made him love him even more.
Volga's searing red aura began to cut through Cia's dark magic.
"Command me all you want. I won't obey." Giant blue-tipped white flames burst forth around Volga and expunged every last bit of darkness from his mind and body. His fire also melted his shackles clean off his wrists. "Not again. Not ever."
Arm raised to guard herself, a horrified Cia stared wide-eyed at Volga engulfed in fire.
"The boy…I see why you fell for him. He is remarkable. Never had I known such a warrior existed among humans. I suppose I have you to thank for bringing us together."
Brought back to her senses at the mention of Link and then flung right back beyond reasoning with again upon being reminded that he was not hers and that he would never love her, the witch plunged her very soul into empowering her magic. Her magic raised her into the air and she hung in place. Dark tendrils of magic sprung forth from the magic circle below her and entangled around her before sinking under her skin.
"You will serve me and you will bring the Hero to me!" she ordered. "Then I'll kill you and then I'll kill everyone and he'll have to love me!"
Volga breathed a bullish snort in disgust. "You think that cheap boost will persuade me to your side now?" he said before knocking Cia's staff out of her hand with a swift sweep of his transformed dragon arm. "Link gave me back my honor. He made me stronger."
The dragon knight roared, sending forth a flare of energy that propelled Cia across the room and slammed her flat against the doors.
What he mistook for the flames crackling by his ear was the sound of the doors behind him opening. Running forth ahead and placing himself in front of Volga, Link stood battle-ready with his sword drawn and shield raised. When he finally noticed Cia laying crumpled on the floor, Link looked back at Volga. The boy then lowered his sword and shield as he gawked in awe at his massive flaming aura. Volga couldn't help but smile at the wonder and admiration glistening in the Hero's big blue eyes.
In time, Link asked the dragon knight if he was all right.
"Yes, I am well," he said, dispersing his aura and extinguishing his flames. "…I see you came to rescue me. While I appreciate the gesture, you need not to worry about me. Nothing can harm me."
Volga stood proud with his head and chest held high. In joy and celebration, Link jumped and threw his arms around the dragon knight's neck. He tottered a bit before regaining his balance, as Link puckered his lips out like a duck and tried to land a kiss, all the while kicking his feet to gain momentum in hopes of helping him reach Volga's mouth.
Volga sighed as if he was annoyed by Link's behavior but he really wasn't. "All right, you silly boy," he said with a smirk as he held Link by the hips and lifted him up for a kiss. Their lips parted with a satisfying pop. "There. You should feel honored."
At his audacity, Link stuck his tongue out and playfully kicked at Volga.
"How…" Cia groaned as she raised her stiff body off the floor and sat up. "Why?"
"Why not?" Volga replied and then he and Link looked back at one another and shared a smile.
Utterly perplexed, Cia stared back at them and blinked her eyes rapidly.
Link asked Volga if he was ready to leave, on account that this place gave him the creeps.
"It always bothered me too," he said as he put Link down. "But yes, we should head back." Leaning forward and bending his knees, the dragon knight told Link to climb on and grab hold.
"Don't wave goodbye at her," Volga snapped at Link, as he put his arm down and grinned sheepishly in apology.
"Idiot boy…" Volga grumbled before dashing out of the room. In a flash of sparks and ash, Volga shifted into his dragon form and leapt into the air, taking flight.