Hello everyone, and welcome to another chapter of…
"A Hero's Dream"!
So, something I want to say before we get into Reviews is that I think I have found my stride. I've set up specific times of day where I feel I am writing at my best and do nothing but write. At first it was more of an experiment to see if it would help at all…
Two chapters, each over 10,000 words long, later within a period of two weeks, I'd say it's working.
Now, this is still an experiment, so I'm not going to say stuff like a new chapter every week. But, I thought I'd let you guys know that I am killing it lately!
So with that said, on to the Reviews!
Inheritance1990: To be perfectly honest, I had been excited about Timothy's reveal for a while. In the show, I was always disappointed that we never got to meet someone who knew previous Maidens other than the main cast. So, I thought it'd be pretty awesome (and sad, mostly sad) to have someone who was married to a previous Maiden, and meets what he thinks is his wife's soul reincarnated.
Thanks for all the praise of last chapter, and I hope you enjoy this one too.
V1602: I glad you like my story. Fun fact, a lot of the characters I've made are passed off of people in movies. For instance, Timothy is based off of Morgan Freeman's character Red from Shawshank Redemptions. Ed, the Hyena Faunus, is from Lion King, and even Carol is based on Christine Daae from Phantom of the Opera.
darkmist111: Yeah, they're totally in love. Even if that isn't quite as important next to "saving my universe from it's imminent destruction", they still have each other in both their thoughts and hearts,
silverhawk88: I'm glad you like my story. Though the hood itself is a reference to TP Zelda, this is actually an AU (Alternate Universe) Zelda. Basically, she's my own Zelda.
If you want to know about Link, why not find out yourself?
Dragonlord001: True, true… except for, like, changing the weather. But that will be explained eventually, so hold on.
Machia: Sure, or it's just something I use to further Zelda's placement in the story while keeping herself unaware of her importance in this world.
TimsonShay: Yeah, after rereading it I can see what you mean. I'm working on it with practice though, and hopefully this chapter is much better.
Gojiradon: Well you can certainly read it that way, but I was aiming for the more 'My dead wife's soul has been reincarnated into a new body, giving me a chance at redemption' and less 'my wife's in a younger body (breath check)'.
JackWhitenight: Yeah, that can trip people up sometimes! Lol!
Axccel: Really?! I thought LoZ was just all over with that. In Skyward Sword they're called humans most of the time, but in OoT they're usually referred to as Hylians. In the manga, they were always called Hylians too, so I just called them Hylians. I didn't know it was both!
thekingsfun: Well here you go my friend, enjoy this new chapter.
Now then, onto the story!
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Choose your Character!
— [Link]
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Chapter 7: No Rest for the Weary
It started with a sudden light, sounds passing through my ears in indecipherable words.
I felt my eyes open, searching through an unfamiliar interior of a house. They wouldn't stay open though, as the world seemed to pass by in a blur of colors and lights.
I turned my head, but my body wouldn't respond, as if every muscle wasn't mine to move. They didn't respond to my will, only my instinct that was hard to pin down and use.
"Shit," Someone said, as I felt a bump almost take me off of my resting place, large arms pushing me back in place. "Carol, he's up!"
My head rolled side to side, unable to handle the sudden movement as I felt my body turn left. I felt the top of my head press against something, groaning as I felt my bones crack with the force.
My eyes were open again, as I saw the large hands holding me in place. My eyes moved without my say so, looking up at the large blurry figure of a Goron, too big for the carriage he was in.
Daruk, my mind told me. I don't know why it did, but I knew this man.
Is that why I was so sad?
"Dammit Delsen," I heard a woman say somewhere else, my mind unable to decipher what was going on. "What did you do!?"
"N-Nothing!" Daruk began, looking down at me with worried eyes, his large hands holding me in place. "I swear! He just started crying, honest!"
"Bullshit," Someone said, my mind fogging over, colors and lights floating into and through my mind. "Did you aggravate his wounds or something!?"
I tried to speak, ask the Goron why he was here and not with his Brothers? Before that though, I felt the vehicle bounce in the air.
All the pain went through my head, my body already screaming in pain before I could tell it to.
"Sweet Oum Jane!" A familiar voice shouted at the top of her lungs, as my hands tried to cover my wounds. Tried being the key word, as my arm moved like an Octorok's tentacle, flailing everywhere in an attempt to do what I asked. "Pay attention to the road!"
"Sorry!" A quiet voice began, as my head finally seemed to move as I wanted to. "Is he alright!?"
The fog in my mind was still there, I peered through it the best I could, trying to figure out what was going on.
But they couldn't be there, it wasn't possible…
"Goddamit," Daruk said over me, as someone tried to climb over him to see what was going on. "I can't be sure, his clothes are too thick to tell at a glance!"
"Move over you dumb gorilla!" The woman climbing over Daruk spoke, roughly pushing back the man that could crush her like a grape. As she came closer, I was sure I was dreaming…
Why else would Midna be taking my clothes off?
"Whoa!" Daruk began with a look of shock, as my face tried its best to replicate such a look. Before anything else could happen, Darmani grabbed Midna's arm, stopping her in her tracks. "Slow down there sister! Wait till you can take him to dinner at le-"
Before he could finish that sentence, Midna already slapped him upside the head, more annoyed than upset. "Don't be a prude! He could literally be dying in the backseat of our van! Like hell am I going to let that happen!"
Before Daruk could say anything else, Midna had already lifted my shirt up. Looking down at my skin, they both recoiled, their eyes wide with a horror I had seen a few times before.
When people had caught a glance at my scars.
"Holy shit…" Midna said with a gulp, looking between me and my scars. "This… this is…"
"Is he alright!?" The familiar voice spoke again, as I saw some hands reach over the seats in front of me. "Jackie is h-"
"Help Jane with the roads…" Midna said, as I saw a glimpse of red hair behind the seat, the familiar voice now having a name.
"Wha-? Jackie is h-" Marin tried to ask, peering over the seats, her eyes filled with worry. That is, before she too saw the scars all over my body, her mind freezing in shock.
Midna quickly covered my body back up, as she practically jumped out of her seat to cover Marin's eyes. "Help Jane with the roads Carol." She told the girl simply, turning to look me in the eye as she did. "Our new friend is fine. Seems he's survived some tough shit way before he met us."
I tried to speak, tell them sorry for what they had seen. But what came out of my mouth wasn't even words, just pure gibberish.
"Calm down dude…" Daruk began, his eyes still filled with the sight of my scars, even as they were covered. I also saw Marin turn back towards the front of the vehicle, her face a little green. "You're safe now…"
I believed him. How could I not when he spoke with the Goron Hero's face…
That was why I was unprepared for the next huge bump.
I felt my head hit the side of the vehicle, my mind instantly going back into the fog of unconsciousness. Even the others hit their head, as I finally saw who was driving the vehicle.
But that didn't make sense either…
Who would let Saria drive a carriage?
"Jane!" Midna shouted her teeth gritted together in what could only be pure anger. "I swear to god if you crash my van...!"
"I'm sorry!" Saria said with desperation in her voice, my mind slowly shutting down as it did. "Oh god, how do paramedics do this?!"
With that, the world went deaf to my ears, as my eyes started to close again. Daruk saw this, as he shouted something that I couldn't hear. My eyes closed as he began shaking my shoulders, trying to get me to wake up…
But this had to be a dream, so what was the problem w-
I woke up again in a house, Daruk carrying me in on his back.
The first thing I heard was the excited call of a child.
"Mom!" I the young girl shouted out, as someone ran up to Marin in a huge hug, which she returned. "You're back!"
"That's right honey," Marin said with a big hug back, as the girl just enjoyed the warmth of her mother.
Marin had a kid… that didn't…what?
"But right now I have something important I need to talk to daddy about," Marin told the girl, as she forced the loving embrace early, her tone very serious. "Do you know where he is?"
The girl seemed to understand this, as she looked past her mother.
That was when I saw the girl… she was familiar too...
Medli?
The small Medli looked at Saria and Midna, seeing the very serious faces they were wearing. Then she looked towards Daruk and saw me…
She practically shrieked in fear, running to hide behind one of the chairs. But even in this hazy state, I could still see her glancing over the chair, looking at me in fear and unbridled curiosity.
"Honey," Marin began, making her way towards her daughter with a small smile. "This is… a guest that will be staying with us."
Marin said this with a smile, trying to comfort the small Medli. Instead…
"Dad!" Medli yelled, running off somewhere, shouting at the top of her lungs for her other parent. "Mom brought home a Zombie!"
"Eva!" Marin yelled after her, as I felt
Daruk start to laugh from under me. All of this happened as my eyes closed once again, my mind going hazy again.
What a nice dream….
I woke up because there was a light in my eye, as I forced myself to try to shift away. It was still there though, no matter how hard I tried to get away.
The light clicked off, my mind still active in the haze of fog.
"His eyes seem ok too." Someone said, as my eyes blurred back towards reality, my head shifted to see what was going on.
"Mom, mom!" I heard Medli say in a hushed whisper, though I couldn't see where they were. Even this new room I was in seemed too blurry to get any details. "The zombies awake!"
"Shush Eva." Marin told the girl, as she stepped into my view, looking down at me as she did. "How is he Dad?"
"I can't believe I'm saying this but…" Someone said as they stepped into view, their eyes looking down at me in bewilderment. "But this man… it's a miracle he's alive… Everything I know says he should be dead."
Gaepora… he was here too?
"Dad!" Marin said in shock, glaring at Gaepora as she did. "He can hear you!"
"Not quite Carol…" Gaepora said simply, as he looked down at me with a frown. "He's there but he's not quite awake yet… He's merely slipping in and out of consciousness. His mind may be active, but his body will force his mind to shut down soon."
"So… He won't remember this?" Marin asked Gaepora, her eyes wide as she tried to understand what he was saying.
"Maybe… but considering that we're talking about him…" Gaepora began, bringing a hand to his chin in thought.
"Of course the Zombie isn't dead!" Medli began, as she jumped up onto the bed, as my body moved ever so slightly. "He can't die! That's how Zombie's work Popop!"
"Maybe…" Gaepora said with a smile, as he grabbed Medli and gently placed her down on the floor. "If gunshot wounds to the stomach and chest, four broken ribs, a broken sternum, broken arm, heavily injured legs and a concussion can't kill him… maybe he is a zombie…"
"T-that's…" Marin began while looking down at me, as she seemed horrified by the news. Despite that though, she shook her head, turning her head back towards Gaepora. "How long will it take for him to heal?"
"Over six months…" Gaepora said, looking down at me with a curious glance. "At least, that's how long it would take a normal person. For him… I can't be sure…"
"What do you mean?" Someone new asked, as he too came into view next to Marin.
Ricky?! What the?
Right… it's just a dream….
"I mean some of his minor wounds have already healed over, as impossible as it sounds." Gaepora began, turning towards Ricky with a look of exhaustion. "Without Aura, it would take at least three weeks to heal a small burn or a cut. This man already has most if not all of his cuts and bruises healed over, even though he doesn't have Aura."
"Then we can get this stranger out of our house as soon as he wakes up?" Ricky asked, as I felt my eyebrow raise to the top of my head. Was Ricky always such a jerk?
"Will!" Marin exclaimed in shock, as she glared at the kangaroo with eyes that could melt Snowhead.
"I'm afraid not." Gaepora answered honestly, returning his gaze towards me. "With all of his injuries and close experience with death, I need to make sure there aren't any other problems with his health. I need to make sure he hasn't sustained permanent mental damage, or if his body is even starting to heal right. He'll need to be in my care for the first few days, and needs to see me immediately after he wakes up. Until then…"
"He stays here." Marin finished for Gaepora, glaring at Ricky as she did so. Ricky flinched as he heard it, taking a step back.
Ricky stood there in silence, as he seemed to want to argue about this. But, he simply sighed, giving a small shrug as he did. "Fine… but we still need to work and take care of Eva! How are w-"
"Don't worry Will." Gaepora interrupted, as he placed a hand on the kangaroos shoulder. "I'll be staying for the next few weeks to take care of my patient and my granddaughter. Take all the time you need…"
With that, the tone in the room seemed to calm down, as everyone seemed to relax. I followed suit, letting my mind drift back into sleep…
This dream was so strange….
"And what would you like in your tea, Ms. Stacy?"
This wasn't a dream.
I felt my eyes open wide, the sudden light that seemed to strike them blinding and painful. I was tempted to lift my hand and block the light, but my right hand was broken and my left…
I was already holding something in my left hand.
So instead of moving my body, I just closed eyes again, squeezing them hard so I could block out any of the light that tried to assault my eyes.
"Three sugars!?" The voice said again in fake surprise, as the sound of something being placed in something echoed in my head. "That's way too sweet for your little cup Ms. Stacy!"
Was that… was that a child?
Slowly but surely, I let my eyes open, letting them get used to the light. When they were finally able to open without forcing me to wince in pain, I could finally see the room.
It was plain, that was the first thing that came to my head. It was plain with barely any decorative touches or any furniture. There was a simple wooden chair in the left corner of the room, but other than that this room was empty.
This was obviously the guest room of whoever's house this was.
In fact, the only thing of interest was the object to the right of my bed. A bag filled with liquid turned upside down, with a long thin cord leading directly toward my arm. The bag itself said 'IV Fluid', and a lot of other words that were too small to read.
" 'Well perhaps you should have fed me earlier, dear Eva!' " The voice kept going, it's voice changing to sound like an older woman. " 'While you were at school, my sweet tooth was aching for more of your delicious tea!' "
But of course, the most important thing that was in the room was the little girl at my left.
Her back was turned to me, so I couldn't see her features really well, but I could tell she was young. Way too young to be next to someone recovering alone.
Next to her were a bunch of dolls, some blonde, some brunette, and some with multicolored feathers instead of hair. They were wearing different dresses, each of them sitting on a chair with a teacup in front of them on a mini plastic table. The girl too was sitting in one of the plastic chairs, though I couldn't see if there was a tea cup in front of her.
"Too much sugar isn't good for you!" The girl continued to speak, taking a plastic tea kettle and 'pouring' some tea for her dolls. "You should be like Mr. Zombie, he doesn't take any sugar!"
I felt myself lift an eyebrow, as memories of a dream and everything before filled my head. So this was the girl, the one that looked like…? Who did she look like? The name was on the tip of my tongue.
Perhaps It'll come back to me later.
Still, this was that woman's home, as well as her daughter…
I shifted up ever so slightly, feeling my body ache with each movement, as stings of pain shot through me. Despite that pain, I leaned my back against the head of the bed, feeling the cool wood relax my body.
That was when I realized that I, thankfully, still had my Tunic on. I looked down, checking the holes that were all over my Tunic before I had fallen in that lake. Luckily, the magic was already working, as the clothes had already stitched themselves back together again.
A part of me was tempted to leave now, continue on the journey to find Zelda in this incredibly dangerous world. If I had slept too long, she could already be in danger of her abilities being discovered… Of being killed, her magic taken.
So could l, in fact.
But still…
They saved me.
I was only here, now, thinking about this, because this girl's brave mother had saved my life. Had saved me from almost dying in some lake, and had been kind enough to treat my wounds and keep me here till I was better.
Just leaving without a proper thank you, at least? It was the least they deserved.
Besides, a part of me was still curious…
Who was Marin?
An image of an island with a giant egg atop a mountain entered my mind, but just as quickly as it came it was gone. In fact, many images passed by, all as a soft tune seemed to play in the back of my head.
"See, Mr. Zombie takes his tea pl-"
Before I could even think deeper about what I had just seen…
Our eyes met.
Now I was finally able to get a good look at her, and the first thing I noticed was that her eyes were practically piercing through me.
The girl before me could be no older than seven, and she dressed like it too. She wore a small pink shirt and dark blue pants made of a material I hadn't seen before. The shirt itself had a childish design on the front of what seemed to be a mermaid? Her brown hair was long and straight, with her eyes being a deep sea green.
But her eyes… It was like staring straight into the eyes of a bird of prey. They seemed to lock onto my every move, making her seem ready to pounce.
Which was why it was such a surprise when the girl gave a small 'eep', and hid under the bed.
I took a second to blink as the girl disappeared, as I heard her moving under the bed, crawling under it. Despite the situation, I gave a little chuckle, soft enough that I hoped the girl didn't hear it. Though, I immediately gruntled in pain afterwards, as my ribs made certain for me to know that I was still recovering.
She heard that though, as I could hear her start to crawl out of the room, before closing the door.
"Way to make a first impression Link…"I began, frowning as I gave a small of my head at my own actions. "Good start on thanking them for saving your life…"
Giving a small sigh, I looked around, searching for the partner that had always been at my side.
Except, she wasn't here.
I moved swiftly in the bed, shifting my weight and stretching my to see if it was here. Despite the incredible pain in my chest and legs, I looked over the ends of the beds.
Nothing. The Master Sword wasn't here.
I frowned again, looking out the window to see what time it was. The window was covered though, the only light in the room coming from what seemed to be a magic light at the top of the room.
Though, he could understand why it wasn't here. These people didn't seem to be warriors, and they didn't know who I was. In their minds, I could either be a knight or a brigand.
Or whatever else matched those titles in this world.
My mind froze again, before it restarted, my hand already rubbing in between my eyes. That was going to take some getting used to…
Before I could go any farther into that memory though, I heard the door open slowly. A quick glance towards the door told me what I needed though, as it immediately shut again.
Staring at the door for a while, I gave a small smirk before looking out the shaded window again. A few seconds later, the door opened again, almost too quiet for my own ears to hear. Despite the door opening though, I kept my eyes on the window, purposely ignoring the predator-like eyes that peered in from the door.
When she felt comfortable enough, she slowly walked in, as I kept pretending to not notice her there. She seemed to relax in the corner of my eyes, as she went towards her toys, trying to pick them up and leave.
Before she could though, I held out the tea cup that had been in my hands from the moment I woke up. She jumped up a bit, once again hiding behind the bed so I couldn't see her.
Still, I pretended like I didn't notice her, as I just kept the tea cup extended in her direction. Eventually, she peeked from behind her bed, staring at me as she wondered what I was doing.
Then, I finally spoke.
"Usually I do just take my tea plain," I told her, as she just kept staring at me from behind the bed, though I wasn't returning the look. "But I think I'll treat myself with some cream today."
I could practically see her eyes widen in shock, as the idea of a grownup playing with her seemed to shock her. Then, her eyes seemed to shine bright, as she grabbed the teapot and 'poured' him some tea.
"Of course Mr. Zombie," She said as I simply rolled my eyes at the ridiculous nickname the girl had given me. "You seem more… more…"
"More lively than usual?" I answered for her, as her furrowed brow lifted with a bright smile as I began slowly turned my head towards her.
"Yeah!" The girl responded brightly, as she went to grab her own teacup from the small table, her other dolls forgotten. "Popop was worried Mr. Zombie would never wake."
"Well, I am glad to prove him wrong, Ms…." I began, holding my tongue and waiting for her to give me her name.
At first, she didn't realize what it was I was trying to get at, as the girl just stared at me confused. I resisted the urge to chuckle, just keeping the unasked question in the air.
She seemed to get it though, as she gave a bright smile, hitting her cup against mine. "Eva!" She chirped, before slurping down the imaginary liquid.
I followed suit, silently drinking it instead of slurping it like the small girl.
"So Ms. Eva," I began, putting my tea cup down onto the bed with a quirked eyebrow. "Where are your parents? Are they here?"
Eva shook her head, as she grabbed some of her dolls and tea cups, placing them gently onto the bed. "No, Dad's at work. Mom is at practice, working on a new song with Aunt Jackie."
'Jackie… right! The one who checked my wounds' I thought with a slight widening of my eyes, as I tried to remember the details of my fever dream. Not much though, as I think I was hallucinating through all of it…
"Oh! But I'm not alone!" Eva corrected quickly, as I was brought out of my trip through one of my few fever dreams. "Popop is here! He's just napping after watching the history channel."
"Well that's good." I told her honestly with a smile, as I tapped my plastic cup with one of the dolls. "A girl like you shouldn't be left alone with a stranger like me."
"You're not a stranger!" Eva said with a glare, as her powerful eyes seemed to give me the impression she was about to kill me. "Mr. Zombie has been playing with me for over a week!
I couldn't stop the surprise from reaching my eyes, as I absentmindedly sipped the 'tea' I was given. Over a week, huh… that was… that was certainly some bad news. That meant that over a week I hadn't searched for Zelda, and tried to return home.
Recognizing the expression on my face, it seemed that Eva understood that I didn't take the news too well. Seeing this, she poured me some more 'tea', and quickly changed the subject.
" 'What about you Mr. Zombie, '" Eva asked me, as she moved the arms of one of her dolls, changing her voice as she did. " 'Where are your parents?' "
"Ah..." That was the only response I could give, as I simply grimaced at her question, before forcing it into a smile. "Well… they… they moved away…" I lied, as I took a sip from the tea cup, turning my head slightly so she couldn't see my eyes.
How was I supposed to tell a little girl that I don't even know my parents, or if they are still alive?
"O-oh…" Eva responded, not even bothering to hide the fact that she saw through my lie, or even use a different voice for her doll.
With that, the room returned to silence, neither one of us knowing how to break the wall that had formed between us.
But brute force always worked well in the past, so…
"You wouldn't happen to know where my sword is, would you Eva?" I asked the young girl, despite all of the awkward emotions hanging in the air. "It's very important to me." I added for safe measure, hoping to move on to something else.
"...You mean the sword mom brought along with you? The purple one?" Eva asked, as she gently climbed onto the bed, looking me in the eyes with her intense gaze.
"Yes, that one." I told her simply, giving her a small smirk, glad that she seemed more comfortable around.
"Well…" She began, messing with her hands and not looking me straight in the eye as she continued. "Dad said he was going to take it away, so that you couldn't use it when you woke up. Mr. Sword didn't like that, and wouldn't move no matter how hard mom and dad tried to lift him up."
"Haha… yeah I bet they didn't." I told her simply, chuckling to myself as I heard the action of my trusted partner. The spirit within the sword definitely wouldn't have taken kindly to someone who tried to take her away from me.
"I tried to pick him up too," Eva continued, frowning as she did so, no doubt recounting the event in her head. "But he was really heavy! He wouldn't move no matter where I pushed!"
"Yeah?" I asked her, as she nodded hard enough for her head to seem ready to fall off. "Well, with how you're treating them, I can see why."
Eva freezes turning to me in confusion, her head turned in a look of curiosity.
"Ms. Sword," I emphasized, as Eva's eyes widened to match the little tea saucers on her little table. "Is very particular about the people who can hold and carry her. I only know one other person she'll let hold her, and that's in very rare circumstances."
That person being Zelda, and those circumstances being when I wasn't well enough to carry her. Zelda would usually just transport her with us, since she didn't really like going into my item pouch.
"No wonder your sword is so pretty!" Eva exclaimed pretty loudly, as I had to fight off a cringe as her voice reached my ears. She was pretty loud at the moment, and I had just woken up a while ago.
"Yeah, she is pretty, huh?" I told her with a smile, as I shifted in the bed ever so slightly. "That's why she doesn't let mean people even touch or even use her."
Eva nodded with me grinning all the while… before her eyes went wide and she pouted. I felt my brow raised, as I could only wonder what I did to make her mad.
"I'm not mean…" Eva said softly, upset at what she assumed was me calling her names. My eyes widened when she said that, before I gave a small sigh of relief. This was something I could easily fix though.
"She also doesn't let people play with her," I told her simply, as I swore I saw one of her ears perk up. "She probably thought it was too dangerous for you to be near her, so she made sure you couldn't move her."
It wasn't a lie. Knowing the sword as well as the back of my own hand, she wouldn't let a child accidentally remove her from her sheath. She'd know I would feel pretty guilty about hurting a child, even if it wasn't really my fault.
"If you want proof," I began, as she turned toward me with her incredibly intense eyes, wondering what I was going to say next. "Just go tell Ms. Sword that Mr. Link wants to see her. As soon as you say that, you can move her around all you want. Though, you probably can't take her out of her sheath."
"... Ok…" Eva hesitantly said, as she got off of the bed, running out the door and from the sound of it, down some stairs as well.
As soon as she was out of sight, I pulled my right arm out from under the blankets, taking a quick look at its state. Something I obviously couldn't do with a child in the room.
The arm was incredibly swollen, and a sickly yellow as the bruises slowly started to heal. It was in a more professional splint than the one I had made in the woods. Despite that, I tried to move some of my fingers, hoping it would be somewhat useful. I only moved them enough to halfway make a fist before I had to stop, my body screaming at me to stop.
My ribs were in no better condition, but with my experience I could tell they were healing properly as well. Luckily, it seemed they also had me on some pain killers, as I could feel the familiar dulled sense of pain move through my body.
So I didn't have to use the Dark Potion, which I was incredibly thankful for.
And my legs… well I'll see how they are eventually.
For now, I covered them all back up, as I could hear some light snoring and a familiar girl whisper.
"Ms. Sword," I heard Eva begin, whispering in hopes that she didn't wake up her grandfather. "Mr. Link said he wanted to see you. And- um… I'm sorry for trying to use you without his permission."
That gave me a light chuckle, as no doubt the girl would try moving his sword. By the sound of a light gasp of shock and awe, I think it went pretty well.
I waited there for a couple of minutes, nothing better to do other than to listen to the sounds that echoed through the house. Of course, the one I focused on the most was the sound of steel being dragged across the wood, and the excited chuckle of a little girl.
Eventually, after she had struggled to drag it up the steps, she came back into the room. And there, being dragged in behind her, was the Master Sword.
And even Eva's intense eyes couldn't mask the look of absolute child-like wonder that seemed to bloom on her face. I almost burst out laughing at the sight of it, but held myself back so I wouldn't rebreak my ribs and sternum.
"It worked!" She exclaimed as she dragged my blade inside, though I felt a small burst of worry move through me. She was dragging the blade by its guard, and didn't seem to realize that if it was a normal blade, the sheath would've fallen off a while ago. "Ms. Sword moved!"
"She did, didn't she." I told her with a small smile, as I watched her slowly drag my sword closer and closer. When she was within reach, I leaned over the bed and grabbed the sheath of the blade. Eva frowned a bit, and reluctantly let my sword go, climbing back up onto the bed as she did.
"Well Ms. Sword," I asked as I set the blade down next to me on the bed, making sure she was in the safest position she could be. "Care to join our tea party?"
I didn't know why, but I wasn't surprised when my sword glowed dimmily, as I swore I heard a whisper reach my ear. It had never done that before...or maybe it did? I had to think about that later, when I wasn't busy playing with Eva.
"Whoa…" Said girl exclaimed quietly, staring at my sword in amazement. Seems she didn't miss the glow that she gave off, even though it was quite dull. "Ms. Sword glows?"
I could only chuckle at her amazement, as I simply grabbed one of the tea cups and placed it next to my Sword. "She says she'd love to."
"She talks?!" Eva said with wide eyes, as I could no longer hold back my laughter.
And so, the three of them just spent the time playing, as I asked the young girl some questions. Nothing major, just where I was and what time it was.
Eva told me I was in a Kingdom known as Mistral, and that it was almost 5:30 in the afternoon. She also showed off a bit, telling me it was one of the Four major Kingdoms in the world.
That was how it was for a while. We would ask questions of each other, some simple, and some pretty silly, like 'what was it like being a zombie?'.
This kept going on, me learning as much as I could about this world that I could, and she learning about who I was and what I liked. Time passed as our tea party eventually evolved into a quid pro quo, not that Eva understood what that was.
That was until…
Two loud sounds echoed throughout the room, as we both froze at the sound. We looked at each other, not quite understanding where that sound had come from…
Until it happened again, and I felt my stomach ache in hunger. I looked towards the young girl I had been spending time with, as she frowned and took something out of pocket.
Them seemed to have shaped and hardened Chu Chu jellies, with fruit-like shapes and many different colors. Eva looked down at them and pouted, as she glared hard enough that I thought the bag was about to light on fire.
That was, until I interrupted her.
"So…" I began, taking one of the little jelly snacks, giving it a taste. They weren't too good, but I swallowed them anyway, before starting my proposal. "You want me to make some real food, or should we keep eating imaginary crumpets?"
By the large bright smile that grew on her face, I think the answer was obvious.
I opened what seemed to be an ice box, looking through the selection of foods that I could use.
It had taken me a while to get down the steps with my injuries, as my legs were absolutely battered and bruised. Nothing was broken from what I could tell, but my left foot was practically purple. My right thigh was a little better than what it was when I had passed out, but it was still pretty bad.
Luckily, I could at least walk on my right leg if I was gentle with it. And using the Master Sword as a crutch was also helpful, even if it wasn't too effective. Though, I had to be quiet as Eva seemed to want to surprise her grandfather with food.
Though, quietly moving past an old man was easier said than done with the inability to use both of my legs. But Eva was pretty smart, and just turned up the volume of the magic box the old man was watching.
Now though, it was time to decide what to make. And in all honesty, they didn't have much I could use.
They had some milk, some eggs, some cheese and some meats and vegetables, and only a few fruits. According to Eva, her dad was going to bring back some more food after he got back from work. And I hadn't cooked in a while, so I wasn't too sure about what to make.
"So…" I asked the girl hovering just under me, as she too looked into the icebox. "Do you like vegetables o-"
"I want bacon!" Eva told me adamantly, as she pulled out a bag filled with strips of thin cut pork. "Oh, and hotdogs, and maybe…"
I watched as the girly slowly picked every piece of meat she could reach, as I simply nodded at her requests. Though I couldn't help but ask…
"Are you a carnivore or something?" I asked her, as I watched her grab a stool to step on and place all of the meats on the table. She turned to me and laughed, as she went back to the icebox.
"No!" She told me, as she scoured the icebox for more meat while she laughed at me. "I'm a hawk, silly!"
I raised an eyebrow at that, before I remembered some of the bandits with animal-like features at Raven's Camp. The most prominent being Ed, the hyena… who seemed to laugh when he was nervous.
Saying she was a hawk… did that mean Eva was an animal person too? Was she a special race in this world?
'Maybe I should find a library or something…' I thought to myself, as I absentmindedly picked out some eggs and peppers. 'I need to start learning more about how this world works if I'm going to find Zelda.'
Though, if Eva was a hawk…
"Does that mean you have wings?" I asked the little girl, as I checked some of the other cabinets for any spices.
"No," Eva answered honestly, as she just followed me around while I set everything up. "But wouldn't that be cool! I could go anywhere, and eat some clouds! Instead…"
That's when she turned to me with a nervous expression, fidgeting in place as she avoided my gaze.
"Instead what?" I asked her, grabbing some pans and fiddling with what seemed to be a stove. I stopped though, as she just shook her head and turned away.
"I… it's creepy." Eva told me, as she went to grab some of the meats she had taken out of the icebox, frowning as she did. "You wouldn't like it… it's not as cool as wings…."
I watched as she messed with her hands, avoiding my gaze as she brought some of the ingredients to me. I took them and placed them on the table, checking on her from the corner of my eye.
"How do you know?" I asked her simply, as she grabbed her stool to stand next to me, as I moved to take a bowl from one of the cabinets. "You could have something I think is really cool, and you would never know."
Eva just shook her head though, growing and turning her head away from me. I frowned slightly, as I tried to think about what a hawk would be that was creepy. Then I remembered her eyes, as the idea dawned on me.
"Ohh!" I exclaimed as I broke six eggs into a bowl, throwing away the shells into a trash can. "I think I got it."
She turned to me, her eyes wide in fear as I said that. She fidgeted ever so slightly, as I kept staring her in the eyes, mixing the eggs best I could with one arm. Eventually, we were in a staring contest as we both watched to see who would blink first.
But it must've been the animal instincts inside of her that brought out her animal trait.
A second milky eyelid came out from the sides of her eyes, wetting her eyes again despite her real eyelids being wide open.
I smiled at my correct guess, as I blinked and let her win our makeshift game.
A predatory eyelid (nictitating membrane), huh. Well, I could see why she thought it was pretty creepy.
"No!" Eva said as she covered her eyes, turning away from me as an added precaution. "You weren't supposed to see!"
"Hey," I frowned, placing my broken arm on the counter in an attempt to hold the bowl in place as I mixed. "It's alright. I didn't think it was creepy."
If anything, I couldn't help but be jealous. The amount of times such a thing could've been useful on my journey was not small. Especially when I was in Rito Village, where the wind always seemed to find new ways to sting my eyes.
But Eva didn't see it that way.
"No!" She said, turning to me with a glare and her hands in fists as she began throwing a tantrum. "It's creepy! It's creepy and I hate it!"
"Eva, they aren't that ba-" I tried to tell her gently, still mixing the eggs as I did. But she wouldn't have any of it.
"No!" She interrupted me, her glare now fully set and trained directly at me.
I tried to get another word in, say anything but before I could even begin.
"No!" She repeated, as she crossed her arms, pouting even harder as she did.
I gave a sigh, seeing that this was getting nowhere, and the eggs nowhere near done. Maybe cooking with one hand wasn't such a good idea…
"Alright… fine," I told her simply, as I just made a gesture to the bowl. "But can you hold the bowl in place? I won't be able to without my other hand."
Despite dropping the subject, she still glared at me, studying me as I held onto the bowl. Without a word, she gave a nod, leaning onto the counter and holding onto the bowl with a big pour.
With that, we worked together to make some scrambled eggs, slowly but surely. It wasn't easy, especially when Eva tried to keep grabbing at the still hot bacon. But eventually, we had a good enough meal to have.
When she saw what I made, it seemed like Eva forgot about our previous conversation, as she sat down in a chair. I didn't make anything too special though, just eggs with some peppers, and seasoned with what I assumed were the right spices.
But Eva, she was practically drooling at her omelette, since I decided to put bacon and ham into hers. She didn't even see the peppers and onions, since I made sure the meats were cut into big enough pieces that they were the only thing she could focus on.
With that, we both sat down, the dishes used to make it put away and cleaned, and began to eat.
The first of either of us to take a bite, I was glad to say that I was right about the seasoning. It was balanced enough that it didn't take away from the eggs and peppers, but light enough that it didn't overpower everything.
Not that Eva cared.
"This is really good Mr. Zombie!" Eva exclaimed with her mouth full, as she practically shoved all the food she could into her mouth. "You're a really good cook!"
"Thank you Eva." I told her honestly, honestly happy that the two of us had gotten past that rough patch. Though…
My ear twitched, as I heard some kind of vehicle drive near the house. There were two voices talking amongst themselves inside, so I tuned them out so as to not eavesdrop.
It seemed I had something else to focus on.
"Eva," I told her as I set my fork down, putting my sword to the side, away from my reach. "I think your parents are here."
"Really?!" She asked with her mouth full, her eyes wide with glee. "How do you know!?"
"I have good ears." I told her honestly, as I heard them step out of their vehicle, moving towards the door. My ears twitched again, as another voice reached my ears through the door. "Case in point, your father is asking your mother 'who made eggs?'."
"Whoa! You're so cool Mr. Zombie!" Eva told me honestly, as she ate the rest of her eggs at record speed. With that done, she got out of her chair and ran towards the front door just as it opened.
"Eva, w-" A woman began as she walked into the door, before she interrupted what must've been her mother with a big hug.
"Mom!" She exclaimed as she practically tackled her mother, as I could watch with a smile on my face. I also heard a laugh from the other side of the door, as no doubt the father found something quite funny.
"So bored you were waiting for us at the door Eva?" The voice asked, as I just sat as calmly as I could when the man stepped inside. "Was it the history channel? I bet it was the history channel."
I smiled at the exchange, their actions and warmth towards one another rather infectious. It was a shame that such warmth would be set aside for at least the next hour.
Cause, as soon as the mother's eyes turned to look around the room, our eyes met. She stiffened at the sight of me, as Eva's father just laughed and hugged his daughter.
And with that, I got a good look Eva's parents.
The father looked nothing like Eva, that was the first thought that came to mind. Where Eva had brown hair, the man had black hair with obvious white streaks in it. Nothing from stress, or the usual factors like age to cause it, as the man was only in his thirties. Rather, it seemed it was his natural coloring. He was large, his form powerful and seemed to be made to move through the toughest environments. Which was why it was strange to see him dressed so nicely, holding what seemed to be a suitcase with papers inside.
The only trait that seemed to be passed down was his animal like features, as this man had both two extra sets of ears and even a tail. And, if my memory was correct, those were dog ears and a dog tail. What kind of dog, I wasn't too sure.
Unlike the father, Eva's mother looked exactly like her daughter. The same brown hair, the pale skin, even the same colored eyes. Unlike Eva though, the mothers eyes were softer, less looking at your every move and more passive and kind. Unlike what I assumed was her husband, she wore comfortable but fashionable clothes. Light blue pants made of the same material as Eva's, and a simple red shirt with some kind of logo on it. The font was hard to read, but that wasn't too important.
What was important, was her face.
Her alien yet familiar features seemed to jumble in my brain, as instead of the woman in front of me, I saw someone else. A girl younger than me, with red hair and a tropical flower in said hair. Once again, a song seemed to play in the back of my mind, as a voice kept repeating a name I had never heard before. Waves crashed in my mind, as the song continued, as what seemed to be a memory played in my mind.
Marin...
I blinked and everything was gone, reality going back to normal, as Eva talking to her father reaching my ear.
"I wasn't bored daddy!" She told her, looking up at the huge man as best her little self could. "I played with Mr. Zombie when I got back!"
At this admission, her father turned stern, as he picked up his daughter with the ease of someone picking up leaf. "Honey, Popop told you that you can't play with him, he needs his rest."
"Will…" The mother began, still staring at me and making sure I didn't do anything. Trying to put her at ease, I didn't move, trying not to scare her or her husband.
"But Mr Zombie woke up!" Eva told her father, pointing in my direction with her finger. "He made me some good eggs with a lot of meat in them, and we had a tea party, and-"
With that, Eva listed everything we had done together, all while smiling in her fathers arms. But none of the adults were listening…
Rather, as Eva was in her own little world, me and her parents were staring one another down. Where I remained as calm as possible, the mother staring me down, no doubt wondering how long I had been awake, the father…
Well, the father had already stepped between me and his wife's line of sight. His dog ears were pulled back, his hair bristling as he glared me down, trying to intimidate me. It didn't work much, as even though he was big I could tell with a passing glance that he had never fought in his life.
I gave a simple sigh and put my hands in the air, though my right arm hurt as I did so. I heard a similar sigh be given behind the father, as Eva's mother relaxed somewhat. But the father…
He was mad. Not only at me for wandering around his house with his daughter outside his knowledge, but also at me for not even reacting to his attempts to instill fear in me. Though, if he should blame anyone, it should be his daughter. She was copying me, having her hands in the air as she thought I was playing some kind of game.
And if that wasn't bad enough…
The hum of the magic box was turned off, as the old man that had been sleeping stretched out his back. He got up out of his chair, the first thing he saw as he woke up was the stand-off happening in the dining room. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, as if to make sure what he was seeing was real.
When he figured out that everything was, in fact, real…
He made a joke.
"So…. What did I miss?"
The table was filled with an unseen tension, as Eva sat at the head, looking inbetween everyone with an intense curious gaze.
On the left of Eva, sitting as relaxed as possible in such an intense atmosphere, was me. To her right was both her parents and grandparent, the father standing behind the other two who were sitting. The father was standing up straight, ready to attack if I so much as made one wrong move. They also weren't bothering to hide the fact that this was a situation they had never been a part of, as they were tense.
Well, all except the grandfather, who was eating the eggs I had made.
"This is great." He said after he took another bite, either completely ignorant of the atmosphere or purposely ignoring it. "Are you a cook or something Mr. Zombie? Or is this the only thing you can make?"
"Dad!" Eva's mother hissed in between her teeth, looking tempted to elbow her father in the side.
"What?" The older man asked, taking another bite out of the eggs as he smiled at the flavor. He seemed to realize something though, as he quickly swallowed them and spoke again. "Ah right…"
Before anything else could be said, he turned to me with a big smile on his face, holding out his left hand. "Where are my manners? I'm Joseph, Joseph Lee."
Seeing this, I took a chance to get a look at Joseph.
The first thing I could say was that he was definitely old, as his hair was completely white and wrinkles covered his body. He wasn't senile or anything like that, but he was definitely in his seventies. Through those wrinkles though, I could see some of the traits he had passed onto his daughter, like his eyes and his gentle features. He was just her height too, which seemed to be just under me. His beard was cleanly shaven, as if he had just had it done this morning, though there were patches he missed. Unlike his Daughter and son-in-law though, he wasn't wearing anything fancy, just baggy pants and a loose shirt.
Seeing him try to break the tension, I quickly followed suit, bringing my own unbroken hand to shake his. That was when the illusion broke, as I could feel the tension in his hands, even as he smiled at me.
"Link," I told him simply, giving him the best smile I could under the circumstances. Though, perhaps a joke would help, if only a little. "Link Zombie."
It seemed to work, as the hand relaxed, the smile on Joseph's starting to become a little more real. Though Eva's father scoffed at the joke while her mother simply rolled her eyes. Though she seemed to relax too. "Hear that Eva! You got his last name right!"
"I already knew that Popop!" She said confidently, as she stared down her mother's eggs. Maybe she was still hungry?
"Right, right." Joseph told the girl, pushing his daughters plate closer to the girl, who smiled at the additional food. "Anyway, this is my daughter, Carol Church-Lee," He said, while placing a hand on his daughters shoulder, as she gave a small nod in my direction.
"And my son-in-law, William Church." Joseph added, taking his hand off his daughter and pointing back at the man who was still glaring at me.
"And of course, you've met Eva." He gestured towards Eva, who was already devouring the eggs that were for her mother.
I nodded, as Eva waved to me with her off-hand while shoveling food into her mouth. But before Joseph could say anything else…
I had something I needed to say.
So, I turned to Carol, who tensed at my movement along with her husband…
Before bowing my head as low as I possibly could, almost hitting the table with my forehead.
"Thank you," I told her simply, putting as much gratitude as I could possibly cram into my words. "If you weren't there when I was… I don't even want to think about what would've happen next."
And that was the truth. Even now, thinking about what would've happened after I had died...
A part of me shivered, a wave of cold shifting through.
Zelda would be stuck here, alone...
Hyrule would be ruled by the next Ganondorf…
My home, left hopeless…
Destroyed with their prays unanswered, their Hero never arriving...
If it weren't for her…
I would have failed. Completely and utterly.
And that was not a feeling we could handle once more.
So even if it hurt my ribs, making me want to scream out in complete agony, I bowed.
For by saving me, she had saved the Kingdom Zelda and I fought for.
And that was something that deserved my complete thank.
"Ah…" I heard her start, the tension in the atmosphere increasing, though not through distrust and suspicion. Rather, the very air seemed to squirm in embarrassment, as I finally lifted my head, letting my ribs and other wounds stop screaming.
What I saw was a completely different scene.
Carol, instead of staring at me in an analysing gaze, was avoiding my eyes with a bright face. She was fidgeting in her chair, as I could see her mind racing, trying to figure what she was supposed to do.
Her father Joseph, no doubt knowing the state of my body, seemed simultaneously impressed and worried.
Eva, who had just finished her eggs, was smiling brightly from her completed meal.
Only William remained unchanged, his ears still flat against his head with his glare practically trying to set me ablaze. But, if one looked closely, his stance was no longer that of a dog ready to attack.
"I… your … your welcome." Carol told me, still avoiding my gaze as the words came out in awkward bursts.
From there, the table was silent, as no one knew how to precede. Maybe I should've saved my thanks for last, but it was too late to choose something else. Even Joseph, who seemed to be able to break the tension and just do what needed to be done was at a loss.
That was, until William decided this would be the perfect time to ask his own question.
"How did you end up almost dying in a lake?" He asked me, as both Joseph and Carol immediately elbowed him in the stomach. He doubled over in pain, as it seemed that he didn't have the Aura that many people seemed to have in this world. Eva even laughed at the sudden bit of comedy.
But, despite Carol and Joseph thinking the question was insensitive, I was glad we could get past this awkward tension. So, hiding the bits that were too outlandish for even me to understand, I told them the truth.
"I was kidnapped by bandits," I told them simply, as everyone at the table seemed to turn to me with wide eyes. "They wanted to know why I was near their camp after they were raided, and wanted to… hurt me for information. I fought them off as best I could, even incapacitating their two leaders, but I passed out from my wounds. Eventually I woke and escaped, running away as fast as my legs could carry me. That is, before I ended up almost drowning in that lake."
I expected a lot of things to come out of my story. Surprise at my capabilities, shock at the story I had, maybe even being impressed at my story and thinking it was a lie.
I did not expect pity.
"Mr. Zombie is really unlucky." Eva stated as if it was the most obvious thing in the world, as Joseph just laughed.
I had to sigh at that, as even I couldn't refute such a sound fact.
"I guess that explains the sword…" William stated simply, as he turned his head to gaze at the blade that sat behind him. "If your that unlucky, it's no wonder you'd carry a sword, even if you aren't a Huntsman."
I raised an eyebrow at the title, before returning it to it's proper place. Huntsman… that's what Raven called me…
It's official, I needed more information. First chance I got, I needed to read up on this world.
"Oh…" Joseph sighed, as he finally stopped laughing, taking the chance to get a breath. "Man, that was gold."
"Glad you find my misery hilarious." I told him simply, my expression as serious as I could make it. But telling him that simply sent him into another laughing fit, as I only shook my head.
"Dad, please," Carol began, as she tried to calm her father down, his actions embarrassing her even though she too was smiling.
So now everyone was laughing at me… great.
"I-I'm sorry Link," Carol told me honestly, even though her own grin made me frown. "We really shouldn't be laughing." She told me, even though her eyes were glaring at her own father, who finally seemed to get how inappropriate this was.
"It's fine," I told her simply, waving off her apology as easily as one would swat a fly. "You guys wouldn't be the first. Zelda always finds a way to laugh and blame me for everything that happens to us."
That seemed to stop them in their tracks, as now even William was interested in what I had said. His usual glare was now gone, and his head was tilted to the side. Though it was his daughter, who had the exact same look, that asked the question on his mind.
"Who's Zelda?" Eva asked, as she sat straight in her chair, looking me in the eye with an intensity beyond that a seven year old could make.
Who's Zelda? Well, that was a loaded question. Zelda was a lot of things to me, too many to simply decide one… though, if I had to pick…
I thought about it a hand on my chin, trying to decide the right way to describe her. It was hard, as everything I came up with didn't seem to fit…
A Princess… a friend… a partner… a life long companion…
Nope, none of it seemed to fit…
"Ohohoh…" Joseph began, interrupting my thought process with that laugh that seemed to imply something. "You don't have to say anything, friend. We get the picture." He said with a chuckle, as he simply gave me a nod.
Even William, who didn't seem to like me all that much, gave me a nod of understanding. He also seemed to relax, as every muscle in his body was no longer tense, his ears finally sitting upright on his head.
Me and Eva just stared, confused beyond belief. Yet, whatever they were implying made my ears go pink, as Carol finally took the opportunity to laugh.
I quickly composed myself, turning to all of the adults with a serious expression, as I asked the question that I needed answered. Not at all to change the topic of conversation.
"So," I began, as even though they were still smiling , they turned to me, wondering what I was about to say. "What happens now?"
All smiles left the table, as the conversation we were supposed to have was put back on the table. And so began the questions…
"Do you have anywhere you can stay in Mistral?" Joseph asked me, digging into my past to figure out what we should do. "If you have a place here, then I can simply come check on you every now and than. I may not look it, but I was the one who treated your wounds."
I shook my head at his question, as I answered it the best I could. "I am more of a traveler than a settler." I told them honestly, trying to hide the fact I had never been in this world in my life. "And the bandits that kidnapped me took all my money."
That last one was a lie, but what was I supposed to say? Even if I had what people thought were expensive jewels I could sell, that wasn't a good idea. If the bandits discovered that I was selling my Ruppes, they'd hunt me down, which would eventually bring them here. Raven wanted me and my Sword, for what reason I wasn't sure.
That was not something I could allow to happen.
"Wait," Eva began, trying to get into the conversation as she started to actually stand in her chair. "Wasn't he staying with us?"
Both my eyes and Williams were wide open as she said that, unable to understand what was going through her head.
That was until Carol stepped up.
"Yes he is honey," Carol agreed, as she simply pointed down towards the chair, as Eva obediently sat back down in her chair. "It was decided the moment I brought him here. He's staying until he gets an ok from Dad."
"But Caro-!" William began to say, no doubt trying to convince her otherwise. Maybe it was because he didn't want a stranger in his home? Or perhaps it was something else?
Despite his resistance though, all it took was one glare to get him to stop. His ears then pulled back behind his head, giving a pretty good impression of what I assumed was a kicked puppy.
…Why did this feel so familiar?
"He's staying." Carol said again with a small grin, her gaze frosting over as Joseph seemed to shiver.
"You're too much like your mother Carol." Joseph said simply, as I figured it was my turn to say something.
"Are you sure it's ok," I asked Carol, as she turned to me, and that song started to play in the back of my mind again. "I can go, I don't mind."
… Again, that was a lie. I didn't really have anywhere else to go if I couldn't stay here. I was just trying to be nice.
"Nonsense." Carol told me simply, as she grabbed the only plate of eggs that was left. They were cold now, but she didn't seem to mind that much. "I wouldn't have brought you here if I wasn't going to take care of you. If I really wanted you to leave, I would've just dumped you at the first hospital I saw."
I could only chuckle at what had to be a joke, as I looked around to see if anyone else was following along.
They weren't. Only Carol was smiling, as she was finally eating the eggs I had made with no small amount of enjoyment.
"And now that I know you can cook," Carol began, taking another bite from her eggs, savoring the taste. "I can't simply kick you out. You're going to save me so much time just by making meals for the family. Maybe even more if you stay over for the holidays."
She said all of this with a smile that certainly did not match Marin's. If anything, she was reminding me of a very different, very impish redhead.
"I guess that settles that then…" Joseph said simply, as he got out of his chair and moved back to his chair, as a familiar hum of the magic box entered my ear.
"Now hold on," William began, not yet ready to accept his defeat at the hands of his wife. " What about friends and family? You could stay with that Zelda of yours."
"William." Carol began to say, her expression frosting over again in a way only a few of the women he knew could. Before she could say anything though, I interjected to save him.
"I was traveling with Zelda before we were split up in a Grimm attack." I told him semi-honestly, as I simply shook my head at his suggestion. "And that was before I was kidnapped by bandits."
Everyone but Joseph turned to stare at me, reacting as if I had just grown a second head. Though I knew Joseph heard me, since he started to laugh again.
"Dude…" William said as he turned to me with a shake of his head, unable to believe what he had just heard. "What is your luck? No nevermind, question for later. What about your parents?!"
"My parents…" I continued with a grimace, trailing off as I tried to find the right words.
"Oh, I know this!" Eva exclaimed, practically jumping up and down in her seat. "His parents moved away! I asked him about it early when we were having tea!"
Everyone but me stared at Eva, as she effectively answered my question. Even still, William looked me in the eye, wanting the answer from my own mouth, hoping for some kind of ray of light
To that, I could only scratch the back of my head.
"It was customary at the orphanage to take the last name of the people who adopted you…" I told him with a shrug, trying to play it off. "I… never got that far though…"
I awkwardly laughed, trying to make light of what I had just said as if it wasn't a big deal.
Despite that, the fire of determination was lit in Carol's eyes, no longer able to be convinced of changing her mind.
And William...
William could only sit down and say the only thing a man in his position could say at that point.
"Seriously….?"
"Sometimes, accepting defeat is the only option."
Next Time on "A Hero's Dream"!
"Target Practice"!