Chapter 101: Cantabiles of Command and Restoration

…

Layna was upon Link in an instant, and Link found his back pressed against the remains of his technoworks doppelganger while his legs stretched across the floor before him. His whole body felt heavy from fatigue. He was barely aware that he was still bleeding from his leg. Actually, he realized that he was relatively calm about it. He had dropped the Lokomo Sword somewhere nearby, but it seemed to just blend in with the darkness around him. He had yet to realize that Layna was still in front of him.

Until he felt her tugging at his clothes. He focused his eyes on her. In the dim light of the surrounding room, he saw that she was still in her usual, emotionless state. Her hands prodded around him until she started removing the belts around his waist. He thought that she was doing it to get at his wounds, whatever they were anymore. He knew about the gash in his leg, but he could not remember if he might have taken a strike to the chest or the shoulder as well. Or maybe even a blow to the head; he recalled that he had taken a hit to his face recently.

"Oh crap oh crap oh crap oh crap!" Irleen chanted as she hovered over the two of them. "Is-is that Link's blood on the floor!? What are we gonna do, what are we gonna do!?" Layna, either out of a lack of understanding or interest, ignored her as she reached her hands under Link's tunic. Link felt a tug and semi-consciously reached his left arm around the Technomos remains behind him to keep from being pulled onto the floor.

And Layna yanked his trousers down around his ankles, exposing the bottom of his black bodysuit. Although he was still clothed, Irleen immediately shrieked, "Good Spirits, woman! what the hell are you doing!?"

Her voice was loud enough to make Link's ears ring for a moment. "Take it easy, Irleen," he told her in a tired voice.

"Nonononononono! No! Link, this is all wrong! You're bleeding, and the first thing she thinks is she gonna r-r-rr-rr-r—"

Kkkkkkhhk!

"Aah! She's tearing your pants off now!" Link looked down to see that Layna had used one of her blades to slice the leg of his bodysuit further open. Irleen dropped down into Layna's face, causing Layna to pull away from Link for a moment. "You leave Link alone, you-you sex fiend! You wh—" Irleen found herself immediately silenced when, with two sharp moves, Layna relieved Link of his cap and caught Irleen inside of it. Layna then took Link's right hand and closed his fingers around the cap to hold Irleen inside.

Link used both of his hands to open the cap just a little so he could tell her, "I don't think she wants you to bother her."

"How are you being calm about this!?" Irleen snapped at him, jumping free of the hat before Link could close it.

"Irleen," Link said in an even voice. "Look."

Both he and Irleen looked down to see that Layna was holding one of her small pouches over the large gash in Link's bare thigh. They could barely make out some type of gelatin substance settling into the wound. Layna then used the pouch itself to spread the substance to cover not only the wound but the area of skin immediately around it. Then she threw the pouch away, discarding it with an urgent motion. After examining the leg she had removed from Link's bodysuit, she used a small blade to cut away the bloody portion. The rest, she then sliced apart to make strips of cloth. She layered them over the wound, and Link realized that she was making a bandage. She used her knife to then slice the other leg of his bodysuit, cutting it up to about the middle of his other thigh so that the bodysuit was symmetrical again. After taking time to make another bandage strip, she pushed on Link's foot so he would be forced to bend his knee up. Link felt the bandage going around his thigh from the pressure she applied to it; somehow, the pain itself had dulled to a manageable throb. When she was done, Link had a black bandage covering his pale thigh.

"Wow," Irleen said. "I… suddenly feel like an idiot. How does it feel, Link?"

"It doesn't hurt so much," Link said. Then he twisted his face when he set his leg back on the ground. "Although… it's-it's kinda… gooey."

"Link…" Irleen groaned in a disgusted tone.

Link gave a small chuckle. "Sorry." Layna offered him another of her pouches, and Link took it and said, "Thanks." He found that, similar to the pouch of green substance she had given him before, this one was extremely tart. But its flavor was different, and Link consumed it without coughing anything up this time. He returned the pouch to Layna and rested against the blocks behind him. "Whew. Close one."

Irleen glanced at the Technomos remains behind him as if just realizing they were there. "What was it?" she asked.

Link managed a small shrug. "Dunno. It… It didn't really act like a Technomos. And… well, it kinda looked like me."

"'Kinda'?" Irleen asked.

"Yeah," Link said with a nod. Then he pointed with his left hand to one side. "I think its head's over there somewhere."

"This I gotta see."

Irleen drifted away. Layna retrieved the Lokomo Sword and, despite the dark, expertly replaced the sword in its sheath. She then decided to take a seat next to him. He watched as she stared at the wound. When she caught him looking, she immediately turned her eyes forward. "I'm glad you're here, Layna," Link told her with a smile. Layna looked at him with her usual tilt of curiosity. "Just… wanted you to know that." Link was sure she had given him a smile in return, but she turned her head away in the next instant.

Irleen returned right away and told Link, "You weren't kidding, Link. It was you. Your face, your hair… Except for being made out of the technoworks, it looks exactly like you."

"Yes, but…" Link paused to sigh. "How? How did the technoworks know what I look like? And why only me?"

"It might've had something to do with those ring things back when we first came in. The technoworks might have seen you as a threat and, up to this point, decided to send a duplicate you to kill you before you reached the interface. Or maybe even whoever happens to be controlling the technoworks, really."

"Well, I'm noticing something wrong with that theory," Link said. He pointed up to the control columns. "There's no one here but us."

Irleen was silent for a moment. "That's right… Okay, I'm out of theories, then."

Link pushed on the bandage. "Well, let's get…" he started to say while moving to stand. Then he trailed off and had to sit on top of the Technomos. "Ooooh… um… my-my leg's numb."

"What?"

"My leg's all numb," Link repeated. "You know. How, if you've been sitting for a long time, and then you just lose all feeling in your leg? And you feel kinda funny getting up to walk?"

"Oh, that kind of numb," Irleen replied. "I thought you were saying that we were going to have to cut your leg off."

"Wh—no!" Link snapped.

"Can you stand?"

Link pushed himself up and wobbled a moment. Layna immediately stood and grabbed his right arm. She positioned his arm so that he had it wrapped around her waist. Then she grabbed the back of his regular belt and lifted, taking some of the weight off his right leg. "Thanks, Layna," he told her. He leaned over and pulled his trousers back up. Layna retrieved his belts while still holding him up by hooking them on her foot. Link pointed at the columns. "Let's go."

The walk across the room felt as if it took forever. Naturally, Link had experienced walking on a numb leg before, but he had never experienced walking on a numb leg that would not return to normal. He spent more time looking down at his leg than looking up, forcing Layna to redirect him twice. He was also exhausted beyond anything he had felt before. Whatever it was that Layna had given him, it did not seem to be affecting him like the first time.

Layna positioned Link so he was standing in the usual space between the columns. However, he asked Irleen, "Do I have to stand to control them, or can I sit on the floor?"

"Well, it's easier for you to stand so you can push the controls, but… I'm sure Layna won't mind doing it for you," Irleen said. Link nodded and fished into one pocket for Irleen's translator gem. He held it for Layna to take. Layna's immediate response was confusion, but she took it. "Layna, 'inu yayxwotak wabnik zatciyb 'inoy," Irleen told Layna. "Mathsya'ak max?"

Layna nodded. "'Inu mimaythasak, 'Afi'il Cayminnadhiyf Irliyn."

Irleen gave an annoyed sigh. "Salya salya… Faysolwan Liynk may' coylwayjixiykak." Link was just removing the blues harp from his pocket when Layna stepped out of his grip. However, she still held onto his belt and helped him sit back on the floor. It was awkward due to his numb leg, but he managed to sit with his legs outstretched. He wished he had something to rest against, but he managed and sat with his back straight. He pulled on the usual note, and the particles on the columns gathered together as before. However, Link had to pause to release his breath four times before the list fully formed. He looked up and saw that some of the items on either side of the column were bright purple instead of blue.

"Ha'," Irleen uttered as she approached the list on the left column. "Nway dhafinwak…"

"Dhafinwak, 'Afi'il Cayminnadhiyf Irliyn?" Layna asked. "Nway cikwithak max?"

"Ay'a, tigi," Irleen replied. "Wakilwubak nwik lwubbul 'azobci max?"

"Ay'a."

"'Ak Giymadicab nadlwaylayximak nwik maddix."

"Giy-… 'Giymadicab'?"

"Nwik sayfitt than."

Layna nodded. "Nayfsik lwaygalwiynak liyxomtya max?"

"Nadda ay'a. 'Ak Giymadicab goylwanitak 'iytontya xiban 'abothfi naday. 'Idh Liynk laxomak hiyxwolot abbidh dha' 'an Giymadicab." Irleen fluttered to the right column and looked through the list before returning to the top. "'Oynwocan nwik lwabbil wabin cari 'ithab."

"Ay'a, 'Afi'il Cayminnadhiyf Irliyn," Layna responded before pressing a finger to the word Irleen hovered by.

The brighter lettering flashed white before all the lettering disappeared. Link took in a deep breath and looked down at the blues harp in his hands. Right away, he found himself a little intimidated. The notes he was looking at varied in their length by a greater margin than any song he had played before. At some points, they were drawn out. But in between some of these longer notes were small clusters of notes. In his tired state, Link had a hard time memorizing the notes right away. He had gotten a little better about it due to his experience with the technoworks thus far, but the notes these technoworks required him to play made him wish there was someone else who could do this instead. He took his time remembering these notes, perhaps a couple of hours while Layna and Irleen seemed to whisper things to each other despite Link not understanding Geltoan. He wanted to be able to play the song perfectly for as long as it took; if the technoworks were still set up to create Technomos the moment he flubbed a note, he was not in shape to take them on. He did not know whether Layna could handle it or not either, as she showed very little sign of fatigue.

Finally, he took in a breath and began to play. He kept his eyes open to see the emeralds on top to make sure he was following correctly. His playing was a little clumsy, especially since he had trouble dividing attention between watching the notes and actually playing them. He could only hope he was timing the notes at least in a way the technoworks would accept them. He tried to set his fear aside, wanting to forget about the Technomos replica of him that had just about taken his leg.

After what felt like almost an hour of what surely sounded like sloppy work, Link felt his vision narrow until the only things he was focused on were his nose, his fingers, and the blues harp. The rest of the world just melted away around him. At that moment, the only thing he could think of was playing that blues harp as perfect as possible. It became an obsession, and he felt the rest of his worries just fade away. He could almost hear a voice somewhere in the blues harp's notes, singing along as if joining in on his almost empty solo to turn it into a duet. His eyes closed, no longer needing the emeralds on the blues harp when the voice guided him with its gentle tone. The voice had him entranced, and the blues harp was the only tool to use just to match its beauty.

"'Imayn Kyabtin?" Link felt someone place a hand on his shoulder and softly allowed the note he was playing to trail off. He looked up to find Layna standing in front of him, looking quite concerned. Then he looked around to find that light had come to the technoworks, a dull green glow that was much more inviting than the black and purple swirls that had been difficult to navigate.

"'Inu nadbulnya'ak waba nayx nwoyrot, Liynk," Irleen said. He looked around until he found her hovering beside the left column. Remembering that he had to call up the list again, he exhaled and pulled on the necessary note. After it returned, he gave himself some time to breathe while Irleen looked for the right command.

Link looked back down at the blues harp. Then, because neither Layna nor Irleen could understand him, he muttered to himself, "I'll have to do it again."

"You will not have to do it alone." He was right. Rather than the singing voice be some random hallucination, he realized that Princess Zelda had been singing in tune to the blues harp. He was not sure what astounded him more; the fact that she had the musical inclination to follow along was every bit as impressive as her being able to memorize the notes at the same time as him.

In his tired state, he found himself enjoying the memory of watching her sing on the bow of the Island Sonata. "You… you have a beautiful voice," he said to her.

"Thank you," she answered. "And I know you intended to say it this time."

"Than, Layna," Irleen said. She swung side to side next to a bullet on the list she was perusing. "'Oynwocan nway."

Layna pressed her forefinger to one of the bullets, and the room around them darkened a bit. The floor underneath Link lit up with a blue circle, just as he remembered the other technoworks had responded. He set to work memorizing the notes, which were just as complicated and set in an arrangement that did not have anything to do with the first piece.

He started when he felt something settle against his lower back. He glanced over his shoulder to find that Layna had sat with her back to his. He could only get a vague look at her out the corner of his eye, but he took the gesture as an invitation. Carefully, he leaned against her, realizing that her presence helped him relax a bit. For someone who did not speak his language, she seemed to have a knack for knowing what he needed at times.

This gave Link leave to memorize the notes a little faster and with much less weighing on his mind. When he put the blues harp to his mouth, he gave himself a small count before playing so that he would have the notes timed to the emeralds' patterns. Zelda joined in a minute later, her voice as soothing and even as before. It helped Link get into the mindset again, and he found that he could play the blues harp without having to focus on it so much. The song they played sounded a little mournful, a little despondent. Then it picked up at about the middle into what sounded like a cheery tone like Link was used to hearing from a harmonica. He started rocking sideways to the music, causing Layna to adapt to the rhythm in order to keep Link sitting up straight. During the second play, Link felt he began to understand some deeper meaning behind the music. This mournful song started off as such because the technoworks were lamenting some of the changes that it had taken. Then it picked up during the latter half in a show of appreciation that it would soon be returning to normal, the remains of the Technomos gone along with the signs of necrosis caused by Link and Layna.

Then again, he considered, after he finished playing through the song and the technoworks started shaking around him, that maybe it was a figment of his imagination caused by extreme fatigue and serious blood loss.

He used the last few moments of language barrier to whisper to Zelda, "Thank you."

"I am glad I could help," Zelda answered as Link felt Layna stand.

He accepted Irleen's translator gem and looked around. The technoworks had returned to its normal swirl of warm colors, and the particles had disappeared to form the Sky Lines outside. The columns were back to normal. Link twisted to one side to look for the Technomos lying on the floor. Instead, the Technomos was completely gone, eliciting a sigh of relief from him.

He looked up at Irleen and asked, "So. Are we done?"

"Not quite, Link," Irleen replied as she seemed to examine the wall in front of him. "We still don't know who was controlling the technoworks; they could very well start this all over again if we just leave them."

"Well," Link said as he dragged his belts closer, "we know that it is possible for the technoworks to notice when someone's inside. Couldn't we use that?"

"I wouldn't even know where to find that function," Irleen told him. Then she gave a brief pause, during which Link had managed to secure his regular belt. "Although…"

"What is it?" he asked as he worked on his gun belt.

"We may get a quick answer yet," Irleen replied.

Link held off speaking to finish securing his gun belt. Then Layna helped him to his feet. "Really? How?"

Irleen turned to look to the left. "There's a group of floor tiles over here that are still showing signs of activity."

Link cringed. "They're… not gonna attack us, are they?"

"No, I doubt if it's anything like that. Come on, let's take a look."

Link and Layna followed Irleen to the left side of the columns, Layna supporting Link by wrapping an arm behind his back. It was a little easier for Link to move now that he had gotten a little rest; he was even regaining feeling in his right leg and could walk on it properly. Still, it felt shaky, and he was glad that Layna was still nearby.

Irleen stopped near the corner and hovered in place over a set of four tiles. These tiles were bright blue, and the light they generated obscured their surfaces. Link examined it a moment before asking, "What is it? A message, like back on Sagacity Island?"

"No, the structure is all wrong," Irleen told him.

Link stared down at the tiles. Then he looked up with the intention of telling her that there was not much structure behind light. He stopped himself when he remembered that Irleen could see much more in the technoworks than him. So he asked, "Sooo… what do we do with it?"

"It has a receptive structure," Irleen said. "It means that someone needs to stand in it."

Link pointedly looked around the room, causing Layna to do the same with a confused look on her face. "Irleen, we just walked through a large deathtrap," Link told her. Layna, meanwhile, continued to look around.

"I-I don't think it's a trap, Link," Irleen said. "I mean… I-I've never seen this structure before, but I don't think it's a trap."

Link sighed. "Look, after an evening of nearly getting killed by this place, I'd rather check out the other rooms and call it a day."

"Link, if-if it was something dangerous, don't you think it'd be easier for it to go off right as you stood next to it?"

Link sighed again, resigning himself to go with Irleen's idea out of fatigue rather than logic. "Okay, fine," he said. "What do we need to do?"

"I'll get in your hat, and you'll step in," Irleen told him. "Th—… Uh, did… Did Layna lose something?"

"Hmm?" Link looked to Layna, finding that she had twisted so that she could look behind them while still holding Link up. "I don't know. Maybe she hears something." He used his free hand to invite Irleen. "C'mon, let's get moving."

"Right."

Irleen disappeared into Link's hat, and Link said, "Layna." When Layna turned her attention to him, he pointed at the tiles. "Let's go."

Layna gave the floor a frown. Then she assisted Link onto the tiles.

Link had only set one foot onto a tile when he was suddenly ripped out of Layna's hold. He immediately threw an arm forward to catch himself and managed to save his head from striking the floor.

His hat had fallen off, and Irleen emerged from it with a slight stagger in her flight. "Whoa," she said. "Now I know what it's like to get hit with a brick."

"Ugh," Link groaned. "Fun, huh?" He pushed himself off the floor and looked over his shoulder. His eyes went wide when he discovered Layna, having managed to save herself from falling, had switched back to her emotionless state and stood ready with a blade in her hand. Immediately, Link's head swung forward.

Ahead of him was a dais in between two large pools of water. Someone had set up a campfire on the platform along with a fishing rod that had been left standing. Link could not guess at where the firewood had come from, but the fishing rod was glistening like the technoworks around them. A figure covered in rags was hunched near the campfire, although once Link had noticed it, it immediately rose. In its full height, the figure revealed that it was wearing a grey robe with a hood. For a moment, Link thought that there would be another fight.

Then the figure removed the hood, revealing a middle-aged, ebony face under thick, gold plumage. His own expression mirroring Link's surprise, he said seemingly to himself but still audible to the newcomers, "Hīlīħán…"

"What's going on?" Irleen asked.

"Look," Link whispered to her. "We found him. It's one of Captain Koroul's crew."

Irleen turned and rose as Link picked himself up off the floor. "Oh… I-I can't believe it," she said. "And a Grey, too. No wonder he made the technoworks do that."

"A Grey?" Link asked her.

"Any amateur could control the technoworks," Irleen explained. "But a Grey… This guy could make almost anything out of the technoworks."

Link pointed as the Sorian man slowly approached them. "That explains the fishing rod," he said. Then he remembered Layna and gently placed a hand on her wrist to try to convey to her that this was not an enemy. Layna seemed to flinch at the touch, but she was willing to relax her stance for a moment.

"He survived off the technoworks," Irleen said, an air of awe in her voice. "Look behind him. It's part of a garden." Link leaned to one side to see a couple of healthy trees lined up behind the Sorian. Irleen shook in place, causing a ringing sound. "This has to be the best bit of all."

The Sorian stopped just a dozen paces away from Link. "Hīlīħán ħōnkápo… àt kálpāh?" he asked, sounding very confused.

"Uh oh," Link uttered. "Irleen… he's not speaking Hylian."

"Of course he isn't, Link," Irleen replied. "My translator gem only ever translates for me."

"Tilìt cō ahà?" the Grey asked, looking at Irleen with a bewildered expression.

"Okay… Does he understand you?" Link asked.

Irleen sighed. "Probably not. Uuh… Maybe… Yeah. Go ahead and put the gem on the ground."

"On the ground?" Link asked as he put one hand in his pocket.

"Yeah. I'll let you know when I need you to pick it up." Link removed the gem from his pocket, bent over, and carefully dropped it on the floor near his feet. Irleen turned back to the Sorian and said, "Kakòrōl ahà?"

The Grey looked surprised for a moment. Then he asked, "Rītánìn tán kacō?"

"Ħul. Kátàh cāh ìt kátápì ō, ħàl Rītò táwa tanì. Ħìrlīna táwa."

"Rapùcwáh Ħōntìnico natī Kòrōla Hōwal kīnù Lūtòka Tōkwi táwa," the Grey told her, bowing his head. Then he used a hand to indicate Link and Layna. "Atlīn wāt?"

Irleen bounded in an arc above their heads and came to a hover above Link. "Hōn Ōtàn Ħōnnatápnòhico natī Līnca Hōwal," she explained. Or, at least Link assumed she was explaining; the only word he had understood from that statement was his own name. Then Irleen moved to Layna and said, "Àt nīk Ōtàn Ħōnnatápnòhico natī Līnca Hōwal kīnù Láħìna Tōkwi."

"Līnca Hōwal… Láħìna Tōkwi…" the Grey murmured, nodding to himself. Then he asked Irleen, "Kòl kakòhūt?"

"Rapùcwáh Ħōntìnico tuwìk tìpàn klátàh," Irleen said as Link slowly sat down on the floor. "Ħanùl klácòtat."

The Grey gave her a confused look. "Kárōl ō. Cìpákwáhtū ħáknàtò ħarùk tōt."

"Līnca Kàhīla Tōkwi ħōnàciwátōn ħál."

What Irleen had said seemed to bring up the Grey's hopes. With a touch of eagerness in his voice, he asked Irleen, "Kàhīla kupħùtò?"

Irleen was silent for a moment, and Link thought he could feel a bit of hesitation in that silence. After heaving a sigh, Irleen replied, "Ħō. Kláħònùlat ahà atác… ħatáħōhut àt ħacītat."

"Ħàħ…" the Grey uttered, bowing his head. He revealed one hand and, holding up two fingers, drew it across his forehead. Then he said, "Kátàh Kōtoħa Tōkwi kloħùtòt. Ħa…"

Irleen bobbed up and down in the air. "Ħul," she said in a grim voice.

The Grey bowed and stroked his forehead again. Then he looked down at Link. "Kūlhōwal nūkaħátin."

"Cìpákwáhtū," Irleen replied.

The Grey gave her an embarrassed look. He drew something from his robe and knelt in front of Link. Link took up the translator gem and asked Irleen, "What's he doing?"

"Let him see your wound," she told him.

Link did not want to pull down his trousers again, so he just tugged on the hole in the leg to show him the wound. The wrapping was still tight around his numb thigh, but some of the clear gelatin had leaked into the open. He sensed movement beside him and quickly raised a hand to stop Layna.

The Grey placed the object he had withdrawn to his mouth. When he blew, Link heard a hollow wind escape his mouth. He had only seen an ocarina twice before, so it took him a moment to recognize the instrument. The Grey played a recurring series of notes. Link felt a little uncomfortable about the situation. First, the Grey was doing something strange right in front of him, and he did not understand why. Second, it felt as if he was regaining feeling back in his leg.

Then he felt pressure on the wound. The gelatin Layna had applied was now visibly squeezing out from under the bandage. The sight must have worried Layna as well because she quickly drew a blade and relieved the bandage with a quick stroke. The bandage snapped away, revealing that much of the gelatin had been stained red by Link's blood. But as the Grey played, the gelatin squeezed itself out of Link's wound. Link pulled the bandage out of his trousers and used it to wipe away the gelatin. He barely caught the last sliver of wound closing up into a clean-looking scar and boggled at it for a moment.

"Whoa…" he breathed. He looked up at the Grey after the Grey had finished playing and said, "Thanks."

"How does it feel?" Irleen asked.

Link pulled his knee close and flexed his leg for a moment. "It's still a little numb. But it doesn't hurt anymore. How'd he do that?"

"I'm not sure," Irleen said. "Sorian healers are only Greys who decided to change their careers, so I think that has something to do with it."

Link nodded. "Okay then. Uh… tell him that we should get going. We still have some things to do, but we'll get you both back to your home as soon as possible."

After Link placed the gem back on the floor, Irleen turned to the Grey. "Klákī pa," she said to him. "Ħapà nòt lòn kláħál, ħàl kōnwi hì tlāklonōtan."

The Grey shook his head. "Rapùcwáh Ħōntìnico ħōnrotà kánùl tā."

"Klánùl ta tanì," Irleen replied.

The Grey thought for a moment. Then he nodded. Irleen turned to Link, and Link took it as a sign to pick up the gem. "He says he'll go along," she said. "And… I figure, if we're gonna go after your princess, we can help out his crew, too."

Link gave her a hesitant look. "I… don't know if it'll be us going after them," he admitted. "It would be better if we could get together some armed ships to storm Cunimincus' vessel."

"C'mon, no one's that stupid," Irleen told him. "But we will be there, right?"

Link took in a breath and nodded. "Yeah. Yeah, we'll be there." He made to stand, and Layna helped him up by one arm. "Let's go then. We're done here. Do we have a way out? I don't see any doors."

"There's another set of tiles behind you to take us back," Irleen said.

Link turned around to see that there was a little more to the room behind them, including a group of four tiles on the floor which glowed just like the set back in the control room. "Oh, okay." He made to step on it, but Layna placed an arm across his chest. He caught the blank look on her face and sighed. "Yeah, yeah, go first," he said, inviting her with his hands. She nodded and stepped on the tiles. Layna disappeared in a silent flash, only a mist of shimmering particles remaining where she had stepped. "Wow! that looks so weird."

The Grey stepped around Link and, without a word, stepped onto the tiles. Irleen sighed and said, "Poor guy. So far, he, Line, Flower, and, uh… what was his name?"

"Leonard?" Link asked. "Yeah, I know. But… I don't know. Maybe seeing Line and Flower here'll make him feel a little better."

"I hope s—" Irleen was cut off when, as she fluttered over to the tiles, she suddenly disappeared into them. Link could not help snorting. She was gonna be mad when he stepped over to the other side.

"Ah-choooh!"

Link blinked in utter bewilderment. That had not been him sneezing; he had not needed to sneeze for a while. As soon as alarm set in, he spun around with his hand on the hilt of the Lokomo Sword. "Who's there!?" he snapped.

"Whoa, whoa!" a male voice called back. "Take it easy."

Link found the source of the voice standing on the platform at the middle of the room. At first, he was not sure what he was seeing. The human figure shifted and jerked in a very unnatural manner while his body appeared to be constructed of fine, horizontal lines that were constantly shifting either up or down. What he could make out was a young man perhaps five years older than him. His hair was a dark blond mess under a green cap, and his ears stood out further from the sides of his head. He wore a green tunic with sleeves and trousers of a beige material. Link carefully wandered closer, curious about the number of items he was wearing on his belts. One definitely looked to be some kind of pistol slung lower on his waist on his left side. A silver shield no larger than a fist appeared to be clipped on the higher belt, and he also had a holster carrying a small, circular pocket and a long, thin club. A large bag hung on the back of this belt as well. Strapped to his back via another belt similar to the one holding Link's Lokomo Sword was a sword of similar size.

"Who… who are you?" Link asked.

"Well… who are you?" the young man asked.

Having his question repeated back to him annoyed Link. So he responded, "Captain Link of the Island Symphony."

The young man's head jerked backwards in a show of surprise, although his face showed that he was mulling the name around in his head. "Huh," was all the response he gave.

"Who are you?" Link repeated a little more forcefully.

"I'm Constable L—" The young man stopped himself. Link expected him to finish, but he replied instead, "I'm Constable Fieldview of the Watch."

"The what?" Link asked, perplexed by the term.

"The Watch?" Constable (a title Link had heard used by the Castle Island Police on occasion) Fieldview replied. "You know. The City Watch of Hyrulia?" Link slowly shook his head. "You don't know what that is? The police?"

Link shrugged. "The only police I know about are the Castle Island Police, and… well, you don't really dress like one."

"Hm. Weird."

"How'd you get here?"

Constable Fieldview tilted his head as if he had not heard the question. Then he said, "Uh… well, I'd tell you, but… I honestly don't know where I am. For once."

"You're underneath Bold Island," Link said.

"Bold Island? Is this still Hyrule territory?" Link nodded. "Huh. I've never heard of it before." Then he turned to look over his shoulder and said in an irritated tone, "Yeah, yeah, I know. I'm trying to figure it all out. But I'll tell you this. This isn't even close to what we were looking for. I don't think they came this way. I mean, Bold Island? Does that sound familiar at all?"

Link leaned to one side to see who he was talking to. When he found no one there, he felt a little worried that he might be stuck in a room with a madman. He glanced back at the tiles and considered running for it if this Constable Fieldview turned out to be bad news.

"Hey, that looks neat," Constable Fieldview suddenly said.

Link turned back around to find Constable Fieldview admiring something on him. "What?" Link asked.

"Is that a Rope on your belt there?" Constable Fieldview asked, pointing.

Link glanced down at his right side. "Oh, you mean my whip?"

"It's a whip?" Constable Fieldview asked, looking interested. "I didn't know you could make a whip out of a Rope. How'd you do it?"

"Uh… actually, I didn't really make it," Link admitted. "It was given to me."

"So, will it snap like a regular whip?"

"No," Link replied, shaking his head. He used a couple of fingers to show Constable Fieldview the handle. "If you throw it at something and time it right, you can grip the whip at the base of the tale, and the mouth will shut tight."

Constable Fieldview snapped his fingers. "You know what? I can use something like that. Will it hold a lot of weight?"

"Uh…" Link replied, taken aback by Constable Fieldview's sudden attention to his whip. "We-well, it's, uh… it's had to move a metal crane carrying three Hylians and a Goron…"

"Are you using it now?"

Link's mouth opened and shut as he tried to think of a reason to keep the whip. When he could not, he replied, "N-no?"

Constable Fieldview started digging into one of his pockets. "Mind if I take it? C'moooon. I'll trade ya." Link considered it for a moment. Then he stepped closer while detaching the leather loop that held the whip to his belt. He had to pause right in front of Constable Fieldview to remove the loop as well and re-secured the whip with it. "Hold your hand out." Link did so with his empty hand, and Constable Fieldview dropped a large feather into his hand. It was blue and looked to have been through a rough period; half of its barbs were scraggly, and the shaft in the middle had been bent at a slight angle.

Link gave Constable Fieldview a skeptical look. "A feather?"

Constable Fieldview grinned at him. "I thought the exact same thing. Trust me, Captain Link, you're gonna love it." He glanced over his shoulder. "Ye—I'm coming, okay?" Then he turned back to Link. "How 'bout it?"

Link felt that he was being cheated, but since the feather was already in his hand, he decided to hand over the whip.

In a flash, he found himself standing in a dark, dank, creepy-looking place. The sudden sight of some strange room caused him to flinch back and release the whip into Constable Fieldview's hand. In the same instant, he was back in the technoworks. He took a stunned step backward. Constable Fieldview seemed to understand immediately because he said, "Yeah, I know what you mean. Personally, I wouldn't mind spending a bit more time wherever you're at, but I got a kingdom to save."

Link managed to let out a strained laugh. "Heh. Yeah. Me, too."

Constable Fieldview held up a thumb to him. "Have fun with that." Then he turned completely around and took a pair of steps away from Link. "Okay, let's try somewhere else. I don't think they went to the magical land of fluffy orange and yellow walls. But I've gotta remember this. If we catch any of these guys, I wanna throw them in a cell that looks just like this."

Then, without so much as a flicker of remains, Constable Fieldview blinked out of existence. Link stared at the empty space for a moment, wondering who he had just talked to.

He also wondered if he was gonna be that annoying when he got older.