Chapter Twenty-Five:
Intervention

Ventus

Ventus sat next to Farah, watching her gently encouraging the fire to grow in size with each breath on the kindling. He still expected Rini to simply will the sparks to life — a hack she had developed while living in the forest to make cooking easier despite not knowing any fire spells.

But Rini wasn't here anymore.

Well, she was , but the fire didn't expand quickly on her command. If she was even commanding it to. Still, he could feel her eyes staring into the fire, just like they did in life. There was no point in telling her not to get close now, however.

As much as Ventus hated to admit it, the small building that Jamal managed to find was decent, even if it was a bit cramped if all of them were going to be spending the night there. He still wasn't completely sure on the Gerudo outside of Farah, and wasn't sure why one of the boys was watching him more than Farah trying to coax the fire, but they didn't seem threatening. And, well, that's more than he had in a long time outside the forest.

"Okay, there we go," she sighed, and took a pouch off her side and looked to Ba'al and Eiji. "Either of you remember where we put the beans? I'm thinking bean and jerky stew on my end."

The Gerudo turned to find their supplies, opening some satchels and pawing through them to search for the requested items. He bought over a sack of beans and a sack of jerky. He sat down on the ground with them by the fire, content to watch. The longer he had to observe Ba'al, the more obvious it was that he had some kind of high status, even if he had to judge him just by his clothing.

Like Eiji, Ba'al was mostly bare-chested, showing his clear lack of breasts, though his were more tan and athletic, toned pecs. His blood-red hair was braided back in many small cornrows that were pulled back into a high-ponytail. This braided mane of hair was adorned with beads of gold, amber, and bronze. In one or two braids, there was a feather or polished piece of bone woven into it. There was also the larger stone of polished amber set into gold at the crest of his hairline, smaller gold chains wove it into his braided hair and place. Ba'al had a strong jawline and the prominent nose of his people sat handsomely on his face as did an easy smile.

The male Gerudo also had more gold, silver, bronze, and amber beads and hoops pierced through both of his rounded ears. On his left shoulder and arm was a gold armor piece with a black sleeve attached to it and a gold bracer on his forearm. A crimson silk shawl was drawn over his shoulder and across his chest and back, tying off at his waist. He wore black, puffy, Gerudo-style leggings tucked into knee-high, black boots.

"Thanks," Farah said, pouring some water from her skin into a pot she seemed to pull out from nowhere as Ven studied Ba'al closer.

Shaking his head slightly to clear it, he suddenly flinched as a jolt of pain ran down his back. On instinct, he put his fingers to where the injury was and could feel that it was beginning to get sticky. He had reopened the wound, no doubt when he fell from the rafters. Or when he pulled himself and Ba'al out of the collapsing barn — something he still wasn't quite sure why he did, but was silently relieved he somehow managed to catch his humanity in time.

"You okay, Ven?"

Ventus looked over at Farah, somehow barely managing to catch the fact she was talking to him. Ba'al was staring in his direction again, his brow pulled together with concern this time.

"Oh, uh, yeah. I'm fine," he lied instantly, dropping his hand, though it landed on his bag where the medication was. He itched to reach inside this second and take it, to quiet the snarling of the claw marks which seemed to squeeze his spine.

The gravel-like softness of Eiji's words came without concern, merely stating the fact. "...he is bleeding…"

There was a pause as Ventus looked at Eiji, shocked he would rat him out like that. That and how did he know? Was it staining his clothes? It was probably staining his clothes, fuck . He would need to get some cold water, and damn it, where was he going to get some lye-

"You're what ?" Farah demanded, wheeling on Ventus

"I'm fine!" he protested instantly, plans on cleaning his clothes momentarily forgotten as the need to hide the extent of his injuries came first and foremost to mind. However, that didn't last long as Farah dropped the pot and placed her fingers gently on where his was seconds ago. Ventus hissed in pain, his own body betraying him.

"Clearly fucking not! Goddesses damn it, Ven!" Farah turned to the other two Gerudo, overriding his own protests. He could feel Rini's eyes glowering into him as well. Suddenly he was glad that Ceres was with North and Jamal, so he couldn't get an earful from them as well. "Get the water boiling and the bandages out. We have to clean it out, so the wound isn't infected. It's dirty here, so we can't take any chances. Ba'al, can you or Eiji make sure his injuries are taken care of?"

Eiji tilted his head curiously at Farah. Underneath the haze in his bronze eyes he seemed gently shocked. "...I was not made for healing."

Uncertainty brought his gaze back to Ba'al, his eyes expectantly dull. It was almost as unnerving as the sense of multiple eyes coming from Eiji. Almost.

The Gerudo had been turned toward their supplies again, pulling out a metal tin and a water skin. He was turning back to face them when Eiji spoke and looked at him. He smiled softly. "I can take of his wounds."

"Thanks Ba'al," Farah said as Ven wondered if he actually heard the word made or if his pain was making him somehow mishear things. The more Eiji spoke the more he was beginning to wonder if he really was a Gerudo who got fucked over in an accident. Something deep inside told him, "No. "

It wasn't something he wanted to linger on at the moment being alone and vulnerable.

"Eiji, if you want to learn, just watch Ba'al," Farah continued, as if everything was normal with Eiji. But Farah was the type of person to be nice to everyone, especially those she considered kids. And it was clear from their earlier conversation, she considered herself the eldest of the group. "Knowing basic first aid regardless would be good to know. In the meantime, I'll get dinner started. With the blood loss, getting food in is now more important. Actually, I'm going to need to make something faster."

Still, despite the unease he felt from Eiji, there was no mistaking the concern which hung around the room. It was a familiar feeling, living with the Kokiri for all these years, and the vague memories of living with his parents in Castle Town, but he didn't exactly expect to find it with the Gerudo. Not before and certainly during.

Well, that wasn't true. Farah always had been like this, concerned for him. It was like finding the blanket which used to guard his bed exactly the way he left it. An unchanging comfort in all the chaos.

"I have some supplies for first aid," Ventus said after a moment, slowly peeling his forest green shirt off his back, wincing both in pain and when he saw the fact it did soak up a lot of blood. It was going to take so long to clean it off.

It would be quicker to just make a new shirt , he thought mournfully, rubbing his thumb over the linen. It was such good material, and he doubted he could find anything comparable easily out here. It was a shame to just discard such quality cloth.

He could just hear Saria starting to scold him for thinking of his clothes rather than his body. He didn't have the heart to tell her in the end it was a just punishment for his sin. Reaching into his bag, he pulled out a small vial with a brown powdery substance in it. Saria had grounded it up for him before he left since they weren't sure how easy it was to find outside the Lost Woods and downed it without a second thought.

Ba'al watched him with a raised red eyebrow, pouring some water from the skin into the tin to heat on the fire. More concern made his face frown.

Eiji seemed to have taken Farah's suggestion literally. Settling Ba'al with a softly interested stare, he let his attention settle on the young Gerudo, offering only a cursory glance at Ventus' curiosity on those bronze eyes died down to a haze again as he kept his eyes on Ba'al.

The Gerudo hung his tin of pot of water over the fire on a makeshift spit. He grabbed a clean cloth from their supplies before scooting over to where Ventus sat, studying his injured back.

"If it's not too much to ask, how did you get these?"

"It was one of those mutated wolves," Ventus said, seeing no real reason to lie. Those beasts had been around since even before they disappeared into the forest. It felt like a lifetime ago though. "We got surrounded. Rini …"

At the memory he paused. His sister reaching out toward him, the familiar golden hue of her mana flying past him, saving his life as he failed to save hers. Even now he could feel her stinky warm blood on his hands. The wound on his back was a reminder of his weakness, even if he could feel Rini's eyes looking at him. He wished he could talk to her, like Eli and Mom talked to ghosts. Even though he apologized, it just wasn't the same even with Ceres acting as their go between.

"She did what I was supposed to do," he finished, his voice choking up.

The fire snapped and crackled in the brief silence as Ba'al with him in it.

"Before the war started," the masculine Gerudo began. "My mother went into the wastelands for something important she had to do. She hasn't returned since."

"I'm sorry," Ven said genuinely, taking a deep breath, both to control the tears which were coming out of his eyes and the fact his back was beginning to scream louder in pain, and it took a lot of effort to not keel over on the floor.

It took a bit for the wood spider powder to kick in, and right now he wasn't sure what hurt more; his back or his heart. "If she's anything like you, she must have been pretty nice."

Ven hadn't known Ba'al long, nor any of them outside of Farah for that matter, but he seemed like a decent enough guy. He wasn't sure what a noble Gerudo was doing running around in Hyrule Field, but he didn't think it was anything bad. If they wanted to kill or hurt them, they would have done so by now.

It was all he really had to go on right now. To trust. His instinct.

"Thanks, she was… or is … I don't really know which one." Ba'al moved behind him as he spoke, pulling the tin from the fire and setting it on the dirt to cool now that it had boiled.

Ven didn't say anything to that at first. He had lost both his parents, and if one of them was missing, he wouldn't want to be placated by a total stranger to say one way or another. At least he knew his parents were dead. There was some closure in that.

After a moment, he asked quietly, "What's the war like for you?"

There was another quiet pause from Ba'al, filled in by the sounds of the fire burning and Farah bustling as she made dinner. A soft chuckle escaped the Gerudo though. "Not nearly as difficult as it's been for you."

Ven glanced toward Farah, weighing in if he wanted to ask her the same question. But he wasn't sure if the answer would be different. So, he tried a different approach.

"I mean, what is a Gerudo noble doing out here traveling and staying in a run down building in the Hyrule Plains?" Ven asked, deciding to take his stab in the dark. "Farah told me a bit about your culture before the war."

Mostly about clothing, which, thinking about it, he turned his head to better study the materials of Ba'al's clothes and to look at his designs. Farah said that the more wealthy the Gerudo, the more gems they tended to wear, but Ven wouldn't know what were actual gems and what was costume jewelry like Farah liked to wear.

She had explained it to him once, he was pretty sure, but back then Ventus wasn't really interested in the worth of such things. All he was interested in was the way accessories matched with the clothing, and even costume jewelry was too expensive for his own meager allowance.

The Gerudo smirked a little at his question and words. "Oh, did she? Well, I'm just avoiding my noble duties. It's difficult to have a passion for it these days."

"The only thing you ever listened to was when I talked about clothes and anything connected to it," Farah snorted, placing a wooden cup of warm tea in front of him before handing one to Ba'al and Eiji. "We'll wait for the others to get back to eat, but I put something quicker together to account for the blood loss."

Ven wasn't paying attention to what she said. He heard her, yes, but honestly what he was focusing on was a chance that they could be against Ganondorf. Still, he decided to play it safe, for now. Last time he trusted someone quickly, he and Rini got locked in a cellar.

Eiji looked momentarily startled as Farah handed him the cup but recovered quickly, wrapping his long, taloned hands about the small vessel. Watching the steam roil off the surface of the tea drew a soft, almost child-like smile over his expressionless features. Bringing the cup upward just a bit, the strange Gerudo let the scent of steeping leaves waft into his nostrils.

Ba'al took the cup, muttering his thanks to her as he did. He smiled at Farah's words it seemed, but he was also observing Eiji out of the corner of his eyes. He asked her, "Oh? What did you make?"

"Back then, nothing fancy. I think I made a scarf once for Farah to help her with the winters. It wasn't until later did someone think to let me know that the desert gets cold at night as well. The pattern was pretty difficult back then, making sure the lines were straight. I also had the bright idea to embroidery instead of to weave it in," Ven said, launching into the first chance he could to talk about clothes. "I made the ones I'm wearing right now from flax and linen. It's perfect for keeping you cold when it is hot out, and warm when it's chilly out."

"Chilly and cornbread," Farah interrupted, seemingly not getting the memo that this was a talk about clothes.

Ba'al blew on his tea as Ventus spoke. After a moment, he set his cup carefully aside and picked up the clean cloth he had collected before. He smiled softly as he did so, keeping his eyes and most of his attention on Ventus as he moved.

"I should clean your wounds before you eat."

Oh. Yes. That. Despite knowing it was necessary, Ventus didn't exactly want to go through that again. He took a deep breath and picked up the damaged shield and held it close like Rini used to do for Anna.

"Okay. I'm ready," he said, trying to convince himself more than Ba'al.

The male Gerudo kneeled behind him, dipping the cloth in the water in the tin pot. Fingertips were felt first on his back, touching the undamaged area of skin nearby. Then he brushed that damp cloth over his first claw gash.

Pain once again screamed across his back, and Ven had unfortunately forgotten how much it hurt when Saria had cleaned his wounds. This somehow was ten times worse. Gasping in pain, Ven clutched the shield tighter as he tried to not cry. He wasn't doing a very good job considering it was beginning to become hard to see with how much tears filled his eyes, but at least he didn't faint like last time.

Ba'al continued until the first gash was clean, and then he paused, letting Ventus rest. "How are you? And don't say 'okay,' I mean, are you going to pass out or what?"

Ven paused to think about it. That and to try to get as much air into his lungs as possible. "I … don't think so. The medicine might be kicking in."

"Okay," the Gerudo answered. "I'll start on the next one then …"

Ven didn't say anything to that, not trusting himself to speak. Part of him feared if he did, words wouldn't come out but what remained of his lunch. Or worse yet, his medicine. Then like before, Ba'al continued cleaning the second gash.

With each movement, it felt like fire was licking his backside. A couple of times he could feel his vision fading, and Ven wasn't sure if he fainted or not. If he did it wasn't for long because the pain never went away. Ba'al paused after finishing the second one, like he had the first. Finally, he moved onto the third gash.

The pain returned like before, until the Gerudo said, "There, just don't lay on your back, obviously."

He stood with the now bloody bowl of water and red-stained cloth as North and Jamal entered their dilapidated abode. It was North who approached Ventus quickly, probably to examine his wound as well. He offered out his hand, in it was a scrap of bark.

"Chew on this if you can," said the forest boy. "It should help with the pain too."

"Thanks," Ven said weakly, taking the bark and chewing on it. Jamal walked over, peering at his back before whistling.

"You got fucked up pretty bad," he said, before turning to North. "I can see why you were in such a hurry, now."

Ba'al returned from tossing out the bloody water. "You really shouldn't be traveling with an injury like that."

North sighed at the comment softly, sitting down with a dead rabbit in his other hand. He pulled out his obsidian knife and started skinning the creature. "He was told."

"I'm not surprised he didn't listen," Farah said, placing some stew in front of Ventus before the other boys. Ceres circled around before landing on Ba'al's head, looking at Ventus in what really felt like a look of disapproval.

"Sitting around and fiddling my thumbs isn't going to do anything," Ventus growled, picking up the soup and sniffing it. He had gotten used to the scent of the forest, and it was odd to not really pick it up. Taking a tentative slurp, his stomach growled at the most inopportune moment.

"Were you also skipping meals?" Farah asked Ventus, before turning her attention to North. He only shrugged vaguely.

"You're not much good to anyone if you get an infection and die," reasoned Ba'al, glancing at him.

Ventus suddenly wondered if he was hallucinating from the paint or having a fever dream because Ba'al was sounding just like Saria. Part of him wondered for a brief moment if he even left the forest. Ceres certainly gave a chirp in the same way she agreed with the Kokiri's argument.

"And what, just do nothing when there is this corruption across the land?" he snapped, the claws on his back feeling like it was reaching through his skin and making its way toward his heart. "Me being injured isn't going to stop it! Nothing is going to just stop unless I step up and do something!"

"You, huh?" Jamal snorted. "A kid who got his ass beat by a wolf?"

" Jamal. "

Ba'al kneeled down in front of Ventus, looking him in the eye with his golden bronze ones. His gaze was serious and earnest. "So this is how you want to die? Helpless from fever when your wound becomes infected because you were too impatient to let it heal. Because that's what's going to happen."

Once again, Ventus got a flash of Rini in Ba'al's eyes.

" It didn't feel like you were doing it for us; it was like you were doing it for you!"

"Shut up, Rini! You don't know what you're talking about!"

As soon as the words left his mouth, mortification and shame filled Ventus. Rini was dead. She was standing behind Ba'al, and he could feel her gaze, but it was like being back in Sakirven Village.

Weak. Useless. Unable to do a fucking thing as the people he loved died.

Pulling his legs closer to his chest, he buried his face in his knees so he didn't have to look into Ba'al's shining golden eyes, wide with shock. The same color as Rini's aura. He felt the Gerudo's hand softly touch his shoulder.

"Rest for now," his voice was just as soft as he spoke to him. "We can talk more in the morning."

Ventus didn't say anything to that. Just stood up and found a corner to curl up into. He could feel multiple eyes on him, but for once, only one of them was dead.

Come morning, the good news was that last night he managed to keep down his medicine.

The bad news was that he didn't manage to keep down anything else. The only thing he managed to keep down in the morning was some tea, but even bread Farah gave him to at least munch on wasn't staying down. When he could eat it in the first place. It tasted like ash, and just looking at it made him feel like emptying his stomach.

The building looked like it was spinning, and when he awoke he was very confused where he was in the morning. Still, it didn't mean the others had to talk in the other room as if he wouldn't hear them.

"He looks worse," commented North's deep voice.

Once Ba'al noticed he was awake, he came over to him, his golden bronze stare returning to his face. He studied him quietly for a moment. "So I heard about this ranch, Lon, I think. The owner offers beds and food to small groups of travelers."

"Lon Lon Ranch," Farah corrected, poking her head into the room. "I know the girl-"

"Of course, you do." While Jamal was still in the other room and was hardly talking loud by anybody else's standards, Ventus heard him as clearly as if he was standing next to him.

"She's a good kid. We're thinking about going there," she continued, clearly ignoring the interruption.

"Okay?" Ventus wasn't sure why they were telling him this.

"It's not too far from here," the Gerudo continued. "So we're going to go there until you're healthy enough to travel again."

Ventus blinked at him dumbly before, saying quite reasonably, "I am healthy enough to travel."

Almost instantly a small feathered head rammed into his. This was quickly followed by loud, angry squawking. While the headbutt didn't hurt much, but the screeching next to his ears was considerably more painful.

"What! Ceres, stop, you're loud!"

"No, you're not," said Ba'al gently after the owl finished shrieking in his ear. "We're not asking either."

"Wait, what?" Ventus asked, wondering if he misheard Ba'al. Farah, however, quickly let him know he didn't with-

"This is an intervention."

Ven sat up suddenly. Being kidnapped by Gerudo in order to make him heal was not something he saw coming, but the indignation coursed through his veins at the same rate of the pain at the sudden movement. "I'm fine!"

"This is why I said we should have just carried him over there when he was sleeping. Now we're going to be listening to this bitching the entire way," Jamal complained.

"He was going to wake up anyway," countered Ba'al. He looked back to Ventus. "So you either can come with us willingly, or Eiji will carry you there. Which he still can, since I doubt you can walk like this. But you can be awake or not for the journey, your choice."

Ba'al's use of his name drew Eiji's head upward. Listless, golden-bronze eyes shifted from the Gerudo to Ventus and he merely nodded.

Ven looked between Ba'al and Eiji, weighing his options. Clearly Farah and North had turned against him, and even Ceres seemed to be agreeing with this nonsensical plan. He didn't even need to hear Rini to know she would have turned traitor on him as well. This sort of thing usually led to fights between them in the past. And if he was asleep, how else would they know of poes and other things trying to sneak up on him? And how else would he show that he clearly didn't need this.

"Fine," he relented after a moment, sinking back into the sheets. Or at least letting them think he relented. All he had to do was wait to show his worth.

Ba'al smiled warmly, but there was a twinkle of humor in his bronze eyes. "Thank you so much. We're going to start packing up so we can head out."

The Gerudo stood up, walking over close to Eiji, he said in a low whisper not meant for Ventus, "Make him sleep if it seems like he's trying anything."

Eiji met Ba'al's gaze and nodded his understanding as he looked up at the Gerudo from where he sat. Eiji had moved barely a muscle since their arrival. "As you wish it."

As Ventus watched the others begin to pack up, he gave a suspicious glance at Eiji. All those eyes which came from Eiji normally fixated on Ba'al. Now they were slowly turning toward him. It was unsettling in so many ways, but more importantly, it presented a wrinkle he didn't actually account for.

What if the Gerudo had magic?

Okay, this might be a bit harder than I thought .

Practicality had won out over pride. It was simply easier for Eiji to carry Ventus, and faster. Traveling at the pace of an injured young man would make the day-long journey to Lon Lon Ranch take twice that. Eiji had tucked Ventus child-like against his chest as though the young man weighed nothing; that added burden didn't even stilt his pace as they walked. Whether out of habit, or to spare Ventus some embarrassment, Eiji had remained stoically silent.

The longer the silence dragged on from Eiji, the more uncomfortable Ventus became. While there was chatter easy enough to listen from the others, including some bickering from the Gerudo, the Hylian boy never did quiet well. It really didn't help with feeling like he was being held against a multitude of eyes. That and everything about Eiji was quiet as well. It was like he wasn't living at all .

The plains, frustratingly, were quiet as well. There were no poes in the fields of tall grass around them, and from his vantage point in Eiji's arms, no wolf lurked in the tall grass either. There wasn't even any undead. It was like there wasn't a war going at all. With every passing minute, which dragged on agonizingly slowly, the need to move, to prove himself became stronger.

Ventus would later learn it was only an hour into their walk, though he would swear up and down it was longer, when he couldn't take it anymore.

"Look!" he called out with a point in a random direction, hoping Eiji would take the bait as he put his hand next to his head so the next word wouldn't affect the eyed man.

" Kaze ," as he attempted to launch himself away dramatically, and professionally as he would later tell it, landed on his feet.

Ventus' outcry and gesture barely ruffled the Eiji's stoicism. The only indication that Eiji had even heard him was a listless, hazy glance in the direction the boy had pointed to. Confusion put a gentle crease in his brow as he looked down at Ventus cradled in his arms, head cocked almost doggedly as the boy called out 'kaze'.

A sudden but short-lived breeze ruffled Eiji's crimson veil of hair as he peered down at the boy; it made him draw back, gently he looked down at Ventus with something close to regret as he freed one hand enough to raise it to the boy's face. Those eerie, taloned fingertips were surprisingly gentle as he rested a thumb against Ventus' temple and literally took the side of the boy's head in his immense hand.

"... be still …"

As Ventus stared at the paltry attempt to do wind magic, mentally calculating if he put enough mana in it, suddenly even his bones felt heavy and his eyes were impossible to keep open. The last thing he saw as his head lolled to the side was Ceres just looking at him.

When his eyes blinked open again, Ba'al was walking next to them. They were still trudging through the plains. He smiled sheepishly and offered out the water skin.

"Thirsty?"

Ven held it for a moment before taking a sip, wincing as pain shot up his back. He was still being carried like a damn child by Eiji, and judging from the sun in the sky it had been some since he was knocked out.

At least I'm not locked away in some creepy underground dungeon again.

"I thought it uncommon for Gerudo to have magic," Ven said after a moment, wiping his spit politely off the water skin before handing it back to Ba'al with a murmured thanks.

Eiji craned his neck a bit to look down at the young man in his arms with hazy gold eyes. "I am…not Gerudo." The creature stated simply, his voice the only sound reverberating in his empty chest. Not a breath. Not a heartbeat.

The silence of Eiji was making him uncomfortable. The eyes were making him uncomfortable. The coolness of his body was making him uncomfortable. It was like he was a walking corpse, able to speak. Ventus had been doing his best to assume the best, to have an open mind. But being around Eiji rattled him in ways that even the threat of impending storms didn't.

Finally, he blurted out what had been in the back of his mind the entire time but too nervous to ask, "Are you a lich?"

The smile Eiji offered Ventus was almost shy. There was no show of teeth, just a tugging at the corner of his lips. Slowly, the creature shook his head, sending a curtain of red hair into motion. "I am not."

"How about this," interjected Ba'al finally. "I promise to tell you more about Eiji when your back is healed?"

"How can he not be a lich?" he asked in alarm. Ventus could feel his own body starting to heat up and heart rate spiking, as if to make up for what Eiji lacked. "I mean he has no heartbeat, he has eyes in him, his body has the same heat as someone who recently passed away! Oh, and he said he was made !"

With each point, Ventus was ticking them off on his finger.

Ba'al sighed, tucking the water skin away. "Has he hurt you? Yes, he made you sleep, but he only did that because I told him to. So don't blame him for it."

"I know you did; I heard you!" Ventus usually kept the fact his hearing was sensitive closer to the chest in order to eavesdrop, but he wasn't exactly thinking at the moment. "And also thanks for not locking me in an underground dungeon like the last person who did that to me!"

The male Gerudo blinked, his red eyebrows raising up on his tan forehead and his bronze eyes widening at what he said. Though it was hard to determine which part he was shocked about. His expression became more solemn, wrinkles pulled on his forehead as he thought for a moment.

"I'm sorry," Ba'al said, looking back up at Ventus. "But the people who do know you, Farah and North, they agreed we should do this. You need to rest if you want your back to heal. If you don't rest, then it won't. It'll get infected, and you'll die."

Ven wasn't mad, not really. His own sister would have agreed with this plan. However, it didn't exactly make him any more comfortable about the fact he was being carried by a lich , despite what Ba'al said. Especially since he was supposed to be a Sheikah warrior. He couldn't even activate the ability to see or speak to the dead, how was he supposed to handle a lich?

"Look, I don't know what the Gerudo view is on necromancy, and it was probably really hard to lose whoever Eiji was before he died, especially since you two seem really close, but I'm part Sheikah! I'm supposed to be helping spirits move on! And Eiji is nice, yeah, but he's very quiet! And the spirit inside him is probably hurting too!"

" Spirits. " Eiji's correction was gently somber.

"Before I was as I am now I was not a person. And so…" Eiji's features were patiently indulgent though his bronze-gold eyes seemed miles away. "...there was nothing to miss. Ba'al…"

The next words came carefully, as if his tongue was unsure how to shape them. "...did not want me. Do not misjudge him."

Ven looked surprised at Eiji's words, not getting any of them, especially the fact he wasn't necessarily a person. But a different question entered his head. "Dude, are you in pain?"

"No." He stated simply. "I am not."

"… Right," Ven said, not believing him for one moment. He had spirits, plural, inside him, and he could feel something from the eyes. Ven couldn't put his finger on it, not like he could with Rini, which he could clearly see her face in his mind's eye shaped in both embarrassment and agitation.

"Look, no offense Eiji, but you're very quiet. Even if you aren't a lich or whatever, I don't do well with quiet."

Ba'al blinked, bemused. "Now you're mad because he's quiet?"

"Quiet usually means death," Ventus said testily, not wanting to think about the silence in his mother's and sister's chests.

Ba'al stared at him for another moment, something softening in his bronze eyes. "Well, we could talk on the way to the ranch. So long as you behave."

"You sound like Rini," Ventus said after a moment, glancing to where Ceres was chatting with Farah, North and Jamal. Well, more so Farah, who had been asking yes or no questions to the bird like a game of twenty questions. "I think she approves of you. I can tell she agrees with you a lot. She always chewed me out for similar stuff, you know."

Ven wasn't sure why opening up was easier with Ba'al. Maybe because there was so much of Rini in his personality, though not as much as her sass.

Ba'al smiled softly. "I have a sister. Her name is Tali."

"Where is she now?" Ventus asked, noticing the only living girl among them was Farah. And, well, Ceres. But it seemed a bit odd to him, a brother was traveling without his sister. Maybe she also disappeared, like his mom, and they were looking for her?

The Gerudo noble didn't meet his eyes. "She stayed behind at the Fortress. She's not of age yet."

"Of age? How old is she?" Ventus asked, doing some mental math. He began to realize before the war, he didn't really see young Gerudo children in Castle Town or Kakariko Village. Usually the youngest were teenagers, like Ba'al or Jamal.

"Eleven winters," he answered. "Though it is a little less to do with age. She hasn't bled, so she's not considered a woman yet."

"She's around Rini's age then," Ven said softly. "She was 10 … her birthday is in the fall. The 21st day of Wind." A sad smile drew across his face. "We always joked that our birthdays matched each other."

Ba'al smiled with gentle compassion. "Tali was born during the moon of Courage. I was born during the Water moon. When were you born?"

"Month of Fire. The 5th," Ventus said quietly, looking at his shield. The last present Rini gave to him. That and Anna were the only things he really had to remember her by. There was only so much he could carry with him.

All the remaining mementos of his family were with him. His father's sword. His mother's necklace and clothes turned into a pack. His sister's doll and shield. He had to leave Uncle Killian's sword behind as a grave marker, so all he had of him was his memories now.

Farah leaned over and whispered something quietly in Ba'al's ear, but it didn't escape Ven's notice-

"Today is the 27th of Power."

How Farah knew what date it was, Ven didn't know. Then again, she always seemed to remember things with ease. Those golden bronze eyes softened at her whispered words. He glanced at Ventus though, seeming to know he heard.

"We should rest for a bit," said Ba'al, slowing his gait.

Eiji slowed unconsciously, somehow matching his long-legged stride in perfect unison with Ba'al.

"I'm fine," Ventus protested, not really wanting to be outside on Hyrule Plains. They were no longer anywhere near the treeline, which always offered them some modicum of safety. He didn't hear anything approaching, nor sense any Poes around, but it didn't mean much.

Last time he let his guard down, Slyric appeared out of nowhere and attacked them.

"You're also not walking," Jamal snorted. "We'll get there before sundown, but just because you have no consideration for your own well-being doesn't mean the rest of us are going to follow your self-destructive path."

"What Jamal means is that the rest of us want a break," said Ba'al with a straight face.

Jamal rolled his eyes, just finding a place on the ground to sit. Farah sat down next to him, hiding her face from him as she looked through her bag. Though no matter how hard she tried to hide it, Ventus heard the quietest of snorts of laughter.

"Good call. Use small words for the idiot," Jamal said, pulling some food out of his pack and beginning to pass it around. "

Eiji stooped just enough to spill Ventus awkwardly, but gently, to the ground before taking a step back from the small group as they began passing food about. The apparently not-a-lich remained silently thoughtful. Ba'al sat down with them, shooting a chiding glance at Jamal again.

Ventus didn't really know what to say to Jamal. He managed to piss him off in a way only Eli really did in the past. When he was younger, he would have picked a fight. Now, well, there wasn't much point to. Never mind his injuries, while the Gerudo seemed kind enough, who knew how they would react if Ventus started a brawl to protect his pride and prove his worth. It really wasn't worth it.

His stomach gurgled, reminding him that he didn't have anything really to eat since last night, mostly because he lost it all. Farah handed him a small piece of jerky. If he didn't see how good of a hunter Jamal and North were together, he would have wondered where the meat came from.

"So before you ran into us, were you four heading somewhere?" he asked, nibbling on it, hating any silence which settled for too long.

Ba'al also took a piece of dried meat as he considered the question with the same calm and straight expression as before. "Not anywhere in particular."

"You were just wandering?" Ventus asked, unsure if he could believe that. After all, why would people, even Gerudo, just wander around a war zone? Maybe they were going somewhere they can't tell him?

"Even if we weren't, we wouldn't tell you," Jamal snorted. "You and Farah may go way back, but for the rest of us, you're some random Hylian brat we picked up on the side of the road and are keeping from killing himself. The only thing we can really trust about you at the moment is you're a reckless idiot."

Now Ba'al rolled his eyes at Jamal before returning his golden bronze attention to Ventus. "What else is there to do but wander, scrounge, and scavenge while keeping one's head down, hm?"

"Fight," Ventus said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Easy for you to say, kiddo," Farah said, sighing as she looked up at the sky. "For Gerudo, like us, who want nothing to do with the war, we're stuck in between a rock and a hard place. We can't fight our sisters, but Hylians distrust us as well, painting us all with the same brush. Best we can do is pray to find some sort of place, hidden where no bloodshed or hate will find us. But if such a place existed, well, I think it would have been found by now."

"Plus it's a shitty way to live," Jamal added. "Plus I mean look at us. We stick out like a sore fucking thumb among the Gerudo and Hylians. Farah is the most normal one among us, but she's known among the Gerudo as a Hylian sympathizer."

Eiji had been watching the exchange with dull interest but at the mention of war his bronze gaze dropped thoughtfully. The look he settled on Ventus seemed to ache with sorrow, but the glance only lasted a moment. North chewed his piece of jerky thoughtfully as he listened to them discuss. Ba'al munched calmly too, tipping his head back to stare up at the blue sky.

Ven was quiet for just a moment. However, his mind was already spinning. Saying this was taking a gamble. Too much of a leap. Rini would have played it safer. Smarter. But Rini wasn't here right now. She couldn't talk in a way all could hear; only Ceres. All because he didn't know how to unlock his Sheikah heritage.

And there really was only one person to blame for all their shared misery here.

Ganondorf.

"Then we should fight together," Ventus said finally. "You said it yourself, keeping your head down isn't a way to live. And I get you don't want to fight other Gerudo, but there really is only one person responsible for all of this; Ganondorf. Even this land got sick since he attacked Castle Town. There has to be some sort of connection. If anything is to get better, we gotta take down the source."

Ba'al's jaw paused in his chewing when he said that particular Gerudo's name. He swallowed carefully. "That's a lot easier said than done." His hand extended out to brush Eiji's pale and thin shoulder in a muted but gentle gesture.

The sound of Ganondorf's name drew Eiji's rapt attention from the ground and settled those soleful, empty eyes on Ventus. Ventus noticed Ba'al's simple touch brought him back and drew his gaze to the young Gerudo. The nod the Eiji offered in return was so muted it did little more than cause his focus to dip, his eyes to avert. A soft, forced sigh of air escaped his nostrils but he remained otherwise dour and silent.

Jamal and Farah also fell silent at the name, and Ventus noticed Jamal's eyes flickering between Eiji and Ba'al. He could also feel Rini's eyes looking at the Gerudo, and he glanced at North before intertwining his fingers together.

There was something else here. Hidden behind these glances and small gestures. Words not spoken were harder for him to hear. But it didn't mean they weren't said. He knew that, even though Rini was always better at hearing them than he was. Just like Dad was, she always knew what the right thing to say was.

Ven knew some of those silent words too, but only for those he spent time with. It was things he didn't usually vocalize knowing as well, just like his hearing. It was easier to learn things when people underestimated him.

They were afraid of Ganondorf.

Was it because Ba'al changed to a male that he perhaps was viewed as a threat to Ganondorf's claim to the Gerudo throne? After all, when a male Gerudo was born, they were named king according to Gerudo law. And with Jamal also presenting as a male, they could be political rivals of Ganondorf. And Eiji, well, Eiji was just weird. There was a lot to unpack there. He wasn't even sure to begin with Eiji.

But the biggest thing Ven could pull from this simple reaction was they were afraid, for one reason or another.

"I know," Ventus said, pulling at some of the grass. "I was at Castle Town when it fell. I saw him chasing Princess Zelda through the streets and just … blowing up some of the knights. I know how powerful he is. I don't think it's not a reason not to do something. Not to fight. I think it's only more of a reason to do something."

He looked at Ba'al and Jamal.

"I know you two are guys, and so you're probably like political enemies to Ganondorf or whatever it's called. Because of the whole a male gotta lead the Gerudo rule when they're born or whatever. And that probably puts targets on your backs, but nothing is gonna change if we all don't take a step!"

Ba'al stared as Ventus made his speech. He smiled softly again after he finished. "You really don't know much about Gerudos, but you're right, and yet if it were as simple as being right then it would have been done already. You need more than gumption to move a mountain."

"Man, gotta love the passion he has," Jamal sighed. "If anyone could harness that power of delusion, you really could move mountains. Look, the thing you gotta know is that Ganondorf has more magic than your Hylian mages. The shit he could do, I don't think even Hylians with magic could do."

"It's like … combine the skill of your father with the magical prowess of your aunt, and then multiply it by a hundred. Then you'll get an understanding of where we are coming from," Farah added. "You were at Castle Town, Ven. You know he teleported in the attacking force. And that's something which only sages could do. And sages … are practically legends. There hasn't been a recorded one in a very long time."

"So?" Ventus exploded, pain and rage as the feeling of helplessness washed over him again. "I'm not going to just sit around and fucking cower in fear! I'm going to be the hero who saves Hyrule!"

Ba'al sighed. "That's all well and good, but forgive us for not listening to someone who can't even keep himself alive long enough to do what he claims."

Ceres hooted, flying over to Ba'al and gave Ven a very big disapproving look, shaking her head at him. He didn't need to know Rini was also against this. It was something she always had been against. It was part of the reason they stayed in the forest for so long. Because it was safe. Because they could pretend shitty stuff wasn't happening.

But they couldn't.

"I'm alive while my family is dead for some reason," Ventus said bitterly. "All kept on sacrificing themselves so I could stay alive. There is no reason for me to be here if I can't carry their sacrifice forward to protect everyone in their steed."

Ceres looked at Ba'al, hooted, pointed her wing at Ventus, and then flapped Ba'al hardly seemed to need her gesture. His golden bronze eyes seemed to harden on his suddenly flat face. There even seemed to gleam a flicker of anger in that stare.

"Then why do you keep treating your life as if it's worthless?" he snapped, his words harder than they've ever been. "If you really understand their sacrifice then you would treat it with more worth and respect. You can spout those words but they're empty when void of action."

"BECAUSE IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN RINI TO BE HERE, NOT ME!" Ventus roared, the tears which he had managed to hold back finally escaping, rolling down his face as he hiccuped with an ugly sob. "I was her big brother! I'm supposed to protect her through everything! Dad managed to save so many people from Castle Town! He's the reason that so many refugees managed to escape! My Uncle Killian stayed with us instead of going to find his own family! And stepped in to save me when I was unable to fight off the Gerudo who were going to burn down the barn where all the noncombatants were! They were amazing fighters!

"Mom too! She had awakened her Sheikah abilities, even though she didn't like using them around others because they would judge us for 'em because we're only partly Sheikah! She kept giving Rini and I her food, and then died of starvation in the winter!

"And when I tried to protest against those who were cast out from the village from killing the villagers, they wanted to kill me! Rei saved us by warning us and getting us to run! And it's just been like that after another until Rini died five fucking days ago protecting me from a wolf instead of using her magic to protect herself! Because I know she could have! She was much better with magic than me!"

He curled into a ball, and hiccuped between sobs.

"I promised I would protect her when mom and dad died! Yet here I am because I can't even fucking do that right! And so I have to try to stop all this! So there isn't any more Rini's. There aren't any more Moms or Dads or Uncle Killians."

Ba'al scooted over to him in the grass. His tan hands grasping his shoulders to pull him out of his inward curl. "Then you gotta live! Any way you can. It doesn't matter if you fail now if you can succeed later."

Ventus really didn't say anything to that but hug the other boy as he cried into his shoulder. Ba'al paused only briefly as he did so. Ventus could hear his heart beat louder in his chest as his eyes widened with surprise. Still, slowly his arms held him in return. Ba'al's heart beat was comforting after hearing a whole bunch of none of it being carried by Eiji until a dangerous, predatory sound he had never heard before kicked his senses into high alert. He could hear Jamal say softly to North-

"So you have any trauma you want to share with everyone since that's what seems to be going on."

Ventus only barely noticed Eiji flinching as Ba'al moved forward to the young Hylian as if it had taken some supreme effort to not take a step forward as well. All of the totally not-a-lich predatory intensity had settled on the pair and stilled him, until Jamals' whispering found his ears.

With an uncharacteristic speed and sharpness, Eiji turned his attention on Jamal. Bronze eyes narrowed as he caught the Gerudo's gaze. There was a tautness to his wiry muscles that hadn't been there a moment before and a gruesome, gravelly noise rumbled in his pale chest. Not a growl, no animal made a warning sound like that, it was too ominous to come from the throat of something living.

"Did you just growl at me?" Jamal asked incredulously, and Ventus nearly had jumped into Ba'al's arms in fright at the sudden sound, when Jamal's question made him realize it came from Eiji .

Peeking over Ba'al's shoulder, sniffing and trying not to stain the Gerudo's very nice clothes with snot, he could see both Jamal and Farah looking at Eiji in shock. Even Ceres seemed startled as they all looked at Eiji who looked like a feral dog almost ready to pounce.

That low, rumbling threat hadn't truly stopped, even after Jamal questioned him on it. However, the Gerudo's words did slow it and the last scathing snarl cooled to a mute echo in his throat. Eiji blinked as if waking from a dream. Or a switch flipping. There was a sudden, almost apologetic clarity to that bronze gaze now as he looked at Jamal.

"I…" It was childish how the word died at the tip of his tongue.

There was a slight, confused knit to the chimera's crimson brows. "I don't…" Eiji tilted his head and answered Jamal finally with a, "...yes."

" Why ?" Jamal demanded hotly as Farah clapped her hands awkwardly.

"A lot of feelings are running hot. Maybe we should get to Lon Lon Ranch. I think a warm bed and a roof over our heads will do us a lot of good," she offered, looking between all the boys nervously.

Eiji's eyes flickered with uncertain curiosity at Ba'al, silently asking for an explanation himself. "I…am not certain." His voice held a bland measure of interest.

"Farah's right," said Ba'al quickly, not meeting the other's stare. "We should keep going."

"R-right," Ventus agreed, trying to wipe the tears at his face which marked his ugly weakness. There was an uncomfortable awkwardness which settled in the air. It was loud, but he couldn't hear the true undercurrent of it.

Ceres settled back on his head and he could feel Rini's eyes linger on him for a moment before sliding to each Gerudo in turn, as if searching or seeing something he couldn't. Ceres turned her head in Rini's direction, giving a slight questioning hoot. If Rini answered, Ceres didn't reply.

"We'll get there by the end of the day," Farah said, helping pack up, moving incredibly quickly. "If we're lucky, they might have some health potions we can trade for or purchase."

Slowly, Ba'al lowered his arms from about Ventus as they packed up and Eiji came over to assist him. Ven sat in the clearing, unsure what was going on, but the winds were beginning to pick up. If only he could fully hear them.