Chapter22: It's a Violent and Terrifying World

The sun rose over the wide fields of Hyrule, Link sat watching it with Navi resting on top of the ocarina beside him. It was not quite as impressive a view as it had been when they climbed on top of the barn, but it was still beautiful.

"A bit more clouds this morning than I'd like," Link said.

"Yeah," Navi responded. And that was it. Nothing more to add, nothing else to say. She had been like that since they left Castle Town. Link wasn't even certain if she was really watching the sunrise or just stewing over all the problems they faced. The fairy had barely spoken since they left the city. She told him to avoid traveling on the roads, and then hid herself in the ocarina. And sometimes when things were quiet he thought that he could hear her crying.

"But I still like the color," Link tried to get her to open up. But Navi didn't say anything. Not knowing what else to do, Link opened his rucksack and pulled out some dried pork to eat for his breakfast.

The pack had been a gift from the princess, along with the food inside. It was great. Not only was it easier to carry everything, but now the Emerald was in the bottom of it, it no longer bounced around in a bag on his belt, smacking into his thigh every few steps.

The princess seemed alright, as far as he was concerned. A bit stiff, maybe. And he got the feeling that she did not really know how to talk to other kids all that well. But she seemed a good ally to have. She was smart, maybe not as smart as she thought she was, but still smart was good in an ally.

And she was definitely an ally. She hated Ganondorf nearly as much as he did. Maybe they weren't the best of friends straight from first meeting, but he would get her to open up. He was certain of it.

The dried pork wasn't nearly as good as the cake he'd had at the festival, but on the whole he definitely preferred it out here. Near a week away from the city, and he could still feel the crowds pressing in around him. How anyone enjoyed it, he'd never know.

Sure the festival had been fun enough, and he'd gotten to see real knights fighting. Not to mention how delicious the food had been. And Malon…

But he needed to be out in the fresh air. Where everything didn't cost those silly rupees. Just him, his mission, and Navi. That's all he really needed.

"So anything you want to talk about?" Link tried again.

"Not really," Navi said. "Actually, I'm a little tired. I might just go back to sleep."

"Ok," Link said. "Whatever you need." He hoped to not hear her crying again. She was still so sad.

And he couldn't blame her, he wasn't stupid. He could tell how weak she had gotten, she had never really recovered from the spider, nor healing Epona. And now finding out that their mission had changed, that they couldn't give up the Emerald. Well it wasn't a surprise that she took it hard.

He'd need to do something for her, something to show how much he appreciated all the help she'd given him. All she sacrificed. But for the life of him, he could not think of what to do. Years of living with fairies and he never really thought about what they needed or wanted. They had all just done their best to raise and protect the other Kokiri. Sure they had their quirks, Junmi had loved listening to music and watching the children dance. Yulyu enjoyed the smells of fresh-cut grass and flowers.

But what about Navi? Maybe he'd know if he knew her better. But in the village Navi had always been the Great Deku Tree's second. Of all the fairies she was most often away, or working on something important. She rarely took part in the telling of stories, or the playing of music. Really the first thing he'd found out that she truly liked was watching the sunrise. And he was already doing that with her.

It would be something he'd think about. The only other thing that had really made her happy was some days when the work was low on the ranch and she had been free to talk to Talon, or watch him and Malon playing.

There he was, trying to think of what to do to help Navi and his mind went straight back to Talon and Malon. That wasn't helping.

Link picked himself off the ground and reattached the ocarina to his belt. Navi already crawled inside.

"Remember," she finally said. "Stay off the roads. We don't want to attract attention."

"I know, I know," he said.

For the next several miles of walking it was only him and his thoughts on how to cheer Navi up. Perhaps if he painted her a sunset? That would show her that he cared, and would give her something pretty to look at.

Of course, he had no paints, nothing to paint on, and there would be no way to do it while he marched every day. So that wasn't going to work.

Then he thought about trying to get another magic item from somewhere. Something to make her feel stronger. But the only magic item he could think of was the Ruby. He could try asking the various farmers and townsfolk he passed if he could have any magic items they had. But he was pretty certain they'd just say no. Which means if he was going to get anything from them he'd have to become a robber. And he was not going to become a thief.

Just bad plans on top of bad plans, really. He should have asked the Princess for more magic items. How dumb could he be?

"Link," Navi's light came out of the ocarina, her voice strained. "Link we need to move."

"What? Why?" Link stopped, and looked around him. There was nothing around but the occasional tree and the rolling hills and mounds of grass. Then he realized that he had done exactly the opposite of what Navi had asked him and started moving again.

"There's magic nearby. I can feel it."

"Oh, isn't that good? Maybe they could help?"

"No! Magic can be dangerous, head to your left."

"But, that ways the road, I thought we were avoiding it?"

"We'll just have to take it for now, until we get away from whatever is causing that magic."

"Ok," he wasn't going to argue with her. He was just glad she was talking, even if it was about the dangers of magic. He made a steady pace back toward the road.

There was a noise a bit over the distance. Not off to the side where the magic was supposed to be, but before him. Which was not altogether unusual. It had been nearly a day since they passed the last little farming village, and now would be about the time to pass another.

But then he heard another noise. Something like a scream, but much lower than any voice he had heard before and gravelly. Link ran toward the noise, his hand on the hilt of his sword.

"What's that?" Navi said from inside the ocarina.

"I don't know," Link said.

"Maybe we shouldn't be running toward it," Navi said. "Link, don't run from one danger to another!"

But Link ignored her, someone was in trouble. The voice screamed again. He reached the road, and saw a cart. In the front of the cart, Link could see the massive shape of a Goron frantically moving about. Around it, three shapes dashed around it. They were much smaller and green. They looked like oversized geckos that held spears and swords.

"Lizalfos," Navi said. "Oh, certainly, Princess. The roads are completely safe. The enemy are all in the high places."

The lizardmen attacked that Goron, swinging in, stabbing with their weapons then jumping back before the Goron could respond. Though the stoneman seemed mighty, this one didn't look like a warrior. He frantically swung his fists, not landing a single hit.

"Let's go," Navi said. "There's nothing we can do for him. You don't need to see this."

Link did not even stop to consider her words. The next thing he knew his sword was in his hand and he ran over the road screaming a wordless warcry as he went. It was foolish. He knew it was foolish. That was something that he didn't think Navi quite understood. He knew exactly how insane his actions were, but that didn't matter.

The Goron was in trouble. And he was not going to just watch these monsters kill someone, someone that he could help.

The shout was entirely unnecessary though. He figured that one out when before he had even halfway reached the fighting the Lizalfos turned and saw him. They hissed to each other, and one of them leaped toward Link while the others continued to pick at the Goron.

The creature landed about halfway between Link and the cart. By the Goddesses, he did not know they could leap that far.

Link skidded to a stop and pointed his sword at the creature, it's point still shaking in his hand.

"Link," Navi pleaded. "This is our last chance, get out of here."

But it was already far too late for that. The lizardman dropped down to all fours scurrying over to him. Link barely had time to lift his blade when the Lizalfos reared up and smashed downward with his sabre.

The force of the blow made Link's sword ring in his hands and nearly knocked him over. But by the time the creature wheeled it's blade around for another strike, Link had already rotated his shoulders, and his shield swing around so he could grab it.

The Lizalfos' sabre came down, and the Deku shield rose up to meet it. A chip of the wood flew through the air as the blade cut into the rim of the shield. The creature hissed as it started to pull at the sword, now wedged in the wood. For a moment Link was lifted into the air, still gripping the shield with all his might.

The Lizalfos shook his sword, causing Link's feet to shake and knock together. His weight must have been too much for the lizard to lift for long, and the creature lowered him. The sword still stuck in the shield. As Link's feet touched the ground, he did not wait for the creature to move again. He swung his sword forward. The image of how the knights cast out their blades in his mind, and his body followed. The steel cut into the lizardman's arm. The monster screamed and fell back, tripping on its own tail.

The sabre was still stuck in the shield. Link tried to shake it free, as the monster hissed and wiggled on the ground. Link glanced up the road and saw the Goron, hunched over, trying to shield itself with his massive stony arms. He did not even try to defend himself anymore. Link needed to get to him now.

He swung his shield down, so the grip of the sabre struck the ground hard. The blade took another chunk of wood with it, but it dislodged. He gave one glance down at the Lizalfos, still writhing on the ground, clutching at where its arm had been.

It was unarmed, and no danger to him. There was no reason to kill it. Link ran forward, leaving the creature behind. Perhaps without an arm to swing a sword it would go on to do something else with its life. He hoped so.

This time as he ran, he did not scream at the creatures. He went in fast and quiet. They were too focused on torturing the Goron with the prodding of spear and the slashing of sword. The stony carapace of the Goron chipped away, until the skin cracked and blood started to spill from its shoulders and arms.

Link leaped at the nearest lizard, pushing all of his weight behind his shield as he slammed into the creature. The Lizalfos sprawled away, leaving Link to tumble into the dirt. He landed hard on his knees, and pushed himself back to his feet. Thankfully his attack had worked, the Lizalfos he struck tumbled into the other and they fell into a heap of flailing weapons, arms, and tails.

"Come on!" Link shouted to the Goron. "Get up we can fight them off."

The Goron peaked out from behind its massive arms. It was terrified, it's face contorted into a mask of pain and fear. It's eyes barely taking notice of Link, in fact Link wasn't even certain if the Goron heard what he had said.

"Free!" the stone man shouted. "Flee!"

"What? No!"

But it was too late. The Goron pushed himself to his feet, jumped into the air and tucked its head down, its stubby feet in, and wrapped its massive arms around itself. It landed so hard, Link thought it would shatter the ground. But the momentum carried the creature forward and it rolled away. Leaving its cart and Link behind.

Link's first instinct was to shout at the creature to come help him fight. But the Goron moved fast, and Link didn't think there was any chance he would do that. His second was to take the sword and fight.

"Get out of here!" Navi shouted. "Run, Link, run!"

But it was too late for that. The two Lizalfos got back to their feet and had their weapons in hand.

Am I really going to fight for a cart? It isn't even my cart.

The Goron had abandoned it. He had been willing to go fight to protect an innocent Goron from being attacked by these monsters. But even he thought fighting to death for a cart was a step too far.

"Alright," Link said, keeping his sword pointed toward the two lizards. "Let's make this the end of it. You let me leave, and you can have whatever is in the cart. Ok?"

One of the Lizalfos stepped toward Link, and opened its mouth wide and roared. Then the one beside it roared as well.

"Oh, that's not a good sign."

The two charged at Link.

"No!" Navi shouted. A blue speck shot out of the ocarina and rushed straight toward the Lizalfos. She stopped before their eyes and tried to glow, the same thing she had done with the spider.

But now she moved too slow and her light was nowhere near as bright. The Lizalfos ran past her, Link could not tell if they even noticed her at all. It would be up to Link then. Well. He could do it. He could beat them.

I hope.

He put the cart to his back, so the Lizalfos could not easily get around him. The one with the spear thrust its weapon first. It scratched against the shield, but slid off past Link's shoulder.

He stepped forward and tried to strike at the spear-lizard's arm, like he had with the first opponent. But the spear was far too long, and he did not get near close enough. Before he could do anything else the other lizard with a sword lashed at him. The first Link managed to block with the shield. But the second he needed to parry just to keep up.

Before he could even think of an attack to make against that Lizalfos, the spear came at him again. No way to block it, Link dived back. His rucksack smashed into the cart, and the force went up his spine. Why am I even still wearing it? Flashed through his mind as he fell to his knees, catching himself with his hands.

The sword-lizard wasted no time and struck. But the blade struck the rucksack and smashed into something hard. Two more strikes and the sound of something tearing filled his ears.

Link screamed as he pushed himself forward, scrambling between the swordwielding Lizalfos' legs. The creature screeched and tried to stomp at him. Link bound forward, and swung out with his blade before he got out from behind the creature's tail.

The edge nicked the Lizalfos' leg. The monster roared again and fell down to its knee. Link did not hesitate any further, he thrust the blade forward and stabbed the lizard in its back.

The monster's scream cut short as it fell to the ground. Link pulled his sword from the creatures back. Navi screamed something he could not understand, but he looked up to try and see her.

Instead he saw a spear.

He tried to lift his shield up to knock the spear aside. And it worked. Almost. The point of the spear missed Link's chest, but pierced deep into Link's forearm. The spearpoint cut up and out, leaving a bloody wound over his arm.

Link let out a breath of pain. His sword drooped and almost fell from his fingers. "Oh." he said as the lizard jumped back away from him and readjusted its spear.

He tried to lift up his sword, but, his left arm wasn't moving.

The Lizalfos charged, Link lifted his shield. If he got within the spear, maybe he could do something? But how? With only his shield there was little chance of ending the fight quick. He focused on the Lizalfos' arms the way it moved as it thrust. The spear extended from its hand, reaching toward Link. His shield caught it, let it scratch over the shield. Link took one step forward and tried once more to lift his sword.

Too slow. Too weak. His arm barely lifted before the lizard spun around, slamming its tail into Link's side.

The air burst out of Link's lungs, his feet left the ground. For a moment he flew, before his body toppled over and slammed into the dirt. Pain sprung through his side and the back of his head as he gasped and choked, trying to fill his lungs. His mouth was wet with the iron taste of blood.

A shadow loomed over him. Link's eyes tried to focus as the lizard's head took shape, its tongue flicking the air. It's mouth opened and it gave a cluck, again and again. It was laughing at him. Link worked his fingers. He must have dropped his shield when he took the hit. But he still somehow kept hold of his sword in his wounded arm. Little good it would do him there.

Link tried to push himself away from the creature. But his feet slid in the dirt. The lizard lifted up its foot and pressed it down on Link's chest, grinding him down. More of that chortling clucks and hisses. Pressing, harder and harder. It's claws piercing as needles into Link's skin.

He screamed as something popped in his side, then another on the other side. The Lizalfos raised its spear.

Link ground his teeth, trying to get his arm to move. Trying to get that sword to swing. But it was too late, the spear was coming for him. He hoped that Goron would be ok.

"AAAAHHHHHH!" Navi shot over the Lizalfos' head, her light barely a blue speck. She soared at the Lizalfos' face, pulling at its nose. Then he reached for his eyelid and yanked it open scratching at the creature's eyeball.

The pressure on his chest relieved. The lizard swung at his face, trying to wipe the fairy away.

Now! Link rolled out from under his opponent. The clawed foot of the Lizalfos slid off him, scratching at his side. With his good arm he grabbed the sword and spun back around swinging the blade with all his might.

The edge caught the lizard in the leg. It sunk deep. Hot blood poured over Link's hand as the Lizalfos toppled over, screeching. The spear jutted in the air, flailing wildly as the creature hit the ground.

Link pushed the grip of his sword into the ground, raising himself just far enough to land on the creature's remaining leg. With hand and elbow he climbed on top of the monster, as it thrashed. The pole of the spear smashed into his back, then again. But his entire body hurt now, what was a little more?

He got the creature's chest, for a moment he locked eyes with the monster. One of it's eyes bloodshot. It snarled and raised its clawed hand toward Link.

Link stabbed it. The blade plunged through its ribs. The monster's claw reached him, but the hand landed on his head. All fight and energy gone. The creature's head slumped back then rolled to the side.

"Link," Navi flew to him, strangely breathless. "Link are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he said as he got to his feet. He felt so cold. He looked to the wound in his arm, it was soaked and stained red. He was really bleeding a lot. That wasn't good. "I'm fine." He said again, though this time he did not know who he was trying to fool. Something wet was dripping down the side of his face. He hoped it was sweat.

He looked around the battlefield. I won. That sense of pride and joy that happened after he defeated the spider filled him. He could do this. He could be the great hero he had always dreamed he could be. He had saved the Goron. Of course, he'd hoped other people he'd save would be a little more grateful, but still! He had fought three Lizalfos and won.

Then he took a step forward, and near fell to the ground. His knees almost buckled beneath him. He tried to wave his arms to steady himself, but his wounded arm did not move at all.

By the Goddesses, he did feel cold.

"Link," Navi said, her voice almost a moan. "Look."

He staggered about, until he saw what she was talking about. The first Lizalfos he fought, his missing arm now wrapped in a red-stained tourniquet of torn cloth. His sabre now held in his remaining left hand. Just as Link now held his sword in his right.

The lizard hissed, it's tongue darting out tasting the air. It's eyes locked with Link's, before it looked to its two compatriots lying at Link's feet.

Navi flew in front of Link, placing herself between him and the last of the monsters. What was she planning on doing, exactly? She couldn't fight it. But then, he wasn't certain if he could either.

With all the strength he could muster, he lifted his sword and pointed it to the one-armed Lizalfos. "I already beat you once." He tried to sound threatening, but even he could tell his voice sounded weak and unconvincing. But his good arm held steady, and that would have to be threat enough.

The creature's tongue lashed out once more. It didn't move, it was thinking. Link did not know how long he could hold his sword upright.

The Lizalfos gave a rumble deep purr, and seemed to have reached its decision. It slunk to the ground and slithered away.

Link's arm fell to his side, and his sword clattered to the ground. He'd done it. He felt like laughing. He felt like crying in relief. But mostly he felt tired and cold. He'd done it. He was still alive.

"Well, see?" Link said to Navi. "It all worked out."

The fairy flew to him, why did she look so blurry? She started to say something, she was scolding him. He recognized that tone from a hundred mistakes he'd made in the past. But the words didn't quite fit together right. Did something get in his ears?

"Link!" Navi shouted.

Why did she fly so much higher all of a sudden? Or, was he on his knees? Why had he done that?

"I'm fine, really." He was so cold. He just needed to shut his eyes. Only for a moment.

"Link!" Navi screamed again in his ear. And that was the last thing he heard.