A Link to the Past
Chapter Thirty Six: Cold Storage
"Bring the first one over here." Captain Stalfos said to the other, smaller skeletons. "Yes, I believe this one will complete the aesthetic nicely."
Without the ability to use his frozen sword arm, it didn't take long before Link was captured and shackled like the others, and together all of them were led across the frozen island to what looked like a small, stone structure. It might have once been a temple or a warehouse, but now the empty, ice covered room served only as a cover for the downward staircase hidden within. Somehow, the air got even colder as the whole group traveled down into the lower level, and now this place looked a lot more like a frozen temple, complete with two lines of decorative statues in front of the entrance, and… wait a second, those weren't statues at all.
As the line of captures creatures were marched past them toward the entrance on this level, the young man could see that the identically posed figures were frozen creatures of a few different types, chained and gagged like the current prisoners, all with expressions of terror in their eyes. More of these frozen creatures were waiting beyond the doorway as well, randomly posed inside of yet another empty room, some by themselves in ways that almost looked like they were actively doing something, while others were in pairs or even in groups as if all these trapped, frozen people were being used as decorations, including the most recent one who was being taken toward a larger group.
"Take him all the way to the top, now." Stalfos continued while the skeletons urged the prisoner forward. "In the center… now pay attention, cattle, I want you to stand with one foot raised and your arms up and out like this, got it? Bleat for me if you understand, cattle."
The creature in question, one of the goat guards, had been taken toward the center of this large underground room, over to where a whole bunch of others had already been frozen. First there were about eight of them standing on the floor, frozen in a pose that was sort of leaning inward toward each other while raising their arms toward the ceiling, and standing on top of their hands was another, smaller group in a circle facing each other with all of their hands stacked up in the center. All were shackled and gagged like the others, including the goat guard, who was being made to get into the desired pose after a bit of time struggling with the smaller skeletons to get himself into position, and then in a flash of that cold blue rod, he was trapped as just the latest piece in a really… really disturbing display.
Once this was finished, the big skeleton gasped at the completed… whatever this was supposed to be, sort of reminding Link of how that moth creature had acted while turning people into mummies in the dark forest. A moment was all that was allowed for this, however, and then the line was pushed forward, showing the young man just how big this frozen place really was when they passed through another doorway into yet another large room. Whatever this building had once been, it was like Stalfos had emptied the whole thing out in order to store dozens, if not hundreds of posed prisoners, with no end to the creativity of the way they were posed, and… wait a second, there were also placed where it looked like the ice was broken like some of the trapped prisoners had been removed… mistakes by this great artist?
More rooms, hallways, and even lower levels, each one lit up with a dim orange light which was apparently all from the ice constantly reflecting the light from the door and windows on the top floor all the way down like a million mirrors. And in each room more of the prisoners were separated from the line, their collars released so that the smaller skeletons could get them into position, or simply kill them if they tried to fight back. It happened with a couple of them after seeing what happened to the others, but it was pretty hard to avoid getting stabbed while their wrists and ankles were chained, so the resistance didn't last long. Even Link was still helpless since his sword arm along with the Master Sword was still frozen in a single block of ice.
"I know what you're thinking, my friend." Stalfos said, putting his long, boney arm around the young man's shoulders. "Beyond the obvious expression of artistic realism, what is the point of all this? Why would Ganondorf grant the power of ice to someone who already has it all, and why would his work be hidden away on this remote, frozen island? Survival, that's why."
Although first confused by this, the big skeleton pulled Link along while more of the prisoners were being positioned, before explaining to him that one of the problems of living in the Dark World was that nothing really grew there. While it was true that no one aged, and there was plenty of water as long as one could stomach the murky stuff, there were no plants that bore fruit, nor were there any animals wandering around… none expect the transformed people who wandered in through the cracks. Part of what Stalfos was saying didn't completely sink into the young man's mind until he saw some of the skeletons chipping out one of the trapped prisoners who looked like they had been there for a while, carting him off toward the surface, and leaving Link with a sinking feeling as the tour continued.
"You'd be surprised how many people from Hyrule just wander into this world." The big skeleton continued. "Most are willing to follow Ganondorf right off, others can be broken with a little time under the Village of Outcasts, but for those who just won't play nice… or who fail like the goat guards over there who were supposed to be guarding Hinox's estate… well, they get put down here until needed. Boney things like me and mine aren't of much use, but you'd be surprised how much you can get a lot out of a goat."
If not for the gag in his mouth, the young man might have said… well, what could be said about what Stalfos was suggesting? It was true that all the plants Link had seen were dead and withered, and there were no animals, but how did one even address the possibility when the big skeleton referred to his prisoners as cattle, he meant it in the most literal sense? This was insane, there were over a hundred people down there, transformed by the Triforce's power and then trapped by that ice rod until…
"Don't worry, you're not on the menu… yet." His enemy said, almost laughing as he unlocked the collar and pulled him along. "Ganondorf wants you intact, and I mean to claim the reward he's offering, so for now you get to spend some time with our less edible residents, you lucky, lucky person."
Now pulled to the side so hard that he was nearly lifted off his feet, Link was moved across the frozen floor to yet another downward staircase, but this time instead of a large room with frozen creatures inside, there was just a narrow hallway with a single row of frozen holding cells kind of like underneath the Village of Outcasts. Surprisingly, all of the cells except for the one on the very end were empty, the last one's two occupants consisting of a larger creature made of what looked like brown clay or maybe wood, and, uh… a smaller one that rounded like a, uh… bouncing ball with eyes and feet. The bigger one was kicking the smaller one against the wall so that he would bounce twice and return for another kick, but this stopped when they spotted Stalfos.
"Don't stop your game on my account, dear fellows." The big skeleton laughed, taking a key from his belt. "I merely bring you both a new friend to…
Stalfos used the key to unlock Link's restraints before inserting it into the frozen over door's keyhole, but at that moment the big skeleton's words were interrupted when the young man swung his frozen sword arm like a club. Catching his captor completely off guard, the full weight of the ice, arm, and legendary sword trapped inside came down on his skull, collapsing the whole pile of bones just like what had happened outside, and now Link was reaching for the metal rod with the blue diamond at the end, when something else caught his eye. The distraction of seeing a familiar looking crystal hooked onto the back of the big skeleton's belt only lasted for a second, but it was enough for a boney hand to grab onto the young man's wrist to stop him from reaching the rod.
No, Stalfos's bones were already rolling back together by the time he was even able to react, and before Link knew it, his enemy was fully formed, able to pick Link up and toss him into the cell, slamming shut and locking the frozen door again before he even hit the ground. The ball creature rolled away from the bigger one so that the young man could harmlessly slide to the other end where he came to a stop against the frozen wall, and now the big skeleton was laughing, telling Link what a nice try that was, and then shooting his already frozen sword arm with another cloud burst from that ice rod. There wasn't any additional pain, but the already thick layer of ice seemed to increase, making the whole thing a lot heavier to the point where he could barely lift it from the ground.
"I shall miss the power of ice, and the permanence of its expression." The big skeleton said, putting the key back on his belt next to the crystal. "But after I hand you over to Ganondorf, perhaps I will find a way to start my expression again when I return to Hyrule."
"I can't believe all of you believe that." Link replied, coughing a little after removing his gag. "Ganondorf can't send you back to Hyrule, he can't even get himself back to Hyrule."
But Stalfos didn't listen, probably feeling the same way about it that Hinox did, that this was probably his only chance to ever return home, and he had to take it no matter how slim that chance was. The big skeleton just scoffed at him, turning away and the sound of his footsteps vanishing a few seconds later when he started back up to the upper levels. As for the young man, he struggled to get to his feet, using a burst of power from the glove to get his doubly frozen arm off the floor, and then having to use everything he had to keep it from falling again. The other two creatures, the monster and the ball kept their distance, just kind of looking him over but saying nothing as Link hobbled with the frozen arm over to one of the benches that was available for sitting.
"So." The monster creature said after several minutes of silence. "What are you in for?"