Back at it again so soon, huh? What can I say? I'm motived! Anyway I really like this chapter, it kinda does a lot to set up Link's mindspace for a lot of the fic and kicks off a lot of the struggles he goes through. But I won't keep rambling on about that here, I'll let you read it for yourself! Let's get started!
Chapter 4: Emerald
In the deepest depths of a forgotten, forsaken temple resides the demon that has claimed it as its own. There, it hides the remains of its victims, the bodies and bones of those unlucky enough to fall prey to its insatiable lust for Life Force. The beast guards its domain well, devouring anyone foolish enough to intrude upon it by cutting them down through the Phantoms it has come to control. Since it conquered the temple many years ago, not a single soul who has entered its walls has made it out alive to tell the tale. So great is the beast's power that no one can even hope to challenge it.
At least, no mortal can.
The beast's latest victim is nowhere near as easy to drain as any of its past prey. Usually, it only takes a matter of days for it to wear a soul down to nothing, to steal every last trace of Life Force from within. But this boy, this so-called 'hero' is different. His Life Force sings with incredible power, built up across hundreds of years and countless past lives. As much as the demon covets it, it finds it cannot claim it so quickly. So it takes tts time, stealing his Life Force little by little every day, every week, and every month until the time comes when there will be none left. And when that day arrives, the demon will do as it's always done: move onto whatever pitiful soul is next.
Little does the demon know that its latest catch has caught someone's attention. Someone even more powerful than it is, who has stood by and watched her hero suffer long enough.
So one day, when the boy is on the verge of losing his life altogether, she finally decides to strike. The demon senses her divine presence almost immediately, sending every monster at its command to try and oust her from its keep. She sweeps through every obstacle in her way, making it to the basement with ease. There, the demon awaits, along with the stone-turned body of the boy she's come to save.
"So… I see you've finally arrived to liberate your chosen…" the demon greets her coldly, coiling its tentacles even tighter around its prize. "I must admit, he is quite remarkable. I could tell he was one of yours from the moment I first sensed his soul. And oh, what a delectable soul it is…"
"That soul is not yours to claim," her voice echoes through the walls. She hasn't come in any sort of physical form, but her presence lingers, strong and steadfast, even in the face of a vicious demon. "Release him at once."
The demon laughs, a wicked, ugly sound that stands in contrast to her soft, melodic tone. "Even if I wanted to set this child free, it would prove meaningless. I have consumed enough of his Life Force that even if he were to awaken, he'd be just a few steps away from death's door. You have come too late to save your Son of Courage. Far too late."
She's silent for a moment, letting the demon believe it has won. At least until she lets her pure light unfurl to cut through the shadows the beast has created. "No… There is still great strength–great courage–in his soul yet. All he needs… is to remember that courage is there…"
Her light swirls through the chamber, wrapping around the hero's petrified form and driving the demon's tendrils away. She calls out to him, trapped inside a prison of cold, unfeeling stone, lost in a mire of darkness so deep for far too long. She pushes her way past it all though, finding the fragments of his fading soul and mind and calling out to them to bring them back from the brink. Despite how much the demon might try to stop her.
"No," it growls, flushing with all its stolen power to try and force her out. "No! You will NOT take what belongs to me! The boy, and all of the rich, vibrant Life Force his soul possesses, is MINE!"
She ignores it, knowing she has much more important work to do than arguing with a simple demon. Her presence envelops the boy, warming his waning soul as she whispers words of kindness and love to him. As she fills his heart with all of the things it hasn't known since he fell under the demon's sway.
"Link… wake up…"
"Stop it!" the demon screeches, fighting to keep its poisonous tendrils tightly tied around the boy. "He will NEVER awaken again, I'll make sure of that!"
"Please…" she implores, her voice like sunshine after an endless storm. "You must wake up, Link… Your life will not end here, I promise you. I will do all I can to save you, but before I can, you need to-"
"Wake… up…" he echoes weakly, his thoughts as hazy as his soul currently feels. But amidst it all, he still manages to heed her. He may not know who she is, but he knows enough to trust her; somehow, he knows that she's the only one who can save him now. But just as she said, he needs to put in the work to save himself first.
And so, the first crack is made in the solid stone encasing him. The first of many more.
"NO!" the demon screams at him, desperate to keep its hold on such precious prey. "Let go! Let go! LET GO!"
"Hold on…" she counters, her calmness a stark contrast to the demon's rising mania. "Hold onto yourself, to your memories… to the ones that you love… Let them guide you home…" She conjures that very image of them, of the way he knows they all should be, not the way the demon portrayed them as. Aryll, Grandma, the King, even Tetra, all smiling at him, all reaching a hand out to help him. He remembers not that long ago when it was the other way around, when he was the one helping all of them. He almost feels ashamed to be reaching back for them, begging them to save him when he's far too weak to do it for himself. Until…
"You have everything you need, Link…" she tells him right when his hand connects with Tetra's. "You have all along…"
What was once just a few small cracks turns into something far more. Stone splinters, whole pieces breaking away from a body that hasn't moved in months. The demon screams, foregoing words to fiercely fight with everything it has to cling onto the boy. But even it is powerless when pitted against her, against the might of one of the Golden Three themselves.
She uses that might to silence the demon, casting a seal upon it to freeze it in place. It won't hold forever, but it should stand just long enough for the boy to escape its clutches. And though she knows she's already interfered far too much, she's going to ensure that he does, that he lives to see the sun and sea somewhere beyond these cursed walls.
Because like any good Mother, she won't stop until her Son is finally free.
He awakens slowly, to a pounding headache and a cold hard floor beneath him. His body feels stiff and strange, his limbs too long, his joints tight, his skin rough and ashy. It takes awhile for his vision to completely clear, but when it does, he's met with a truly chilling sight. The blazing golden eye of the very demon that's been tormenting him for what feels like forever.
A frightened shout slips out of him as he bolts upright, ignoring the pain rattling through his bones as he crawls backward as quickly as he can. He soon realizes that his arms and legs are no longer bound, and even more surprising, the demon doesn't try to restrain him again. In fact, it isn't moving at all. Its massive body looms high above Link, hanging from the ceiling as if stuck in time. He doesn't know why it isn't attacking him and he doesn't care to find out, especially as an all new voice echoes out through the dark, round chamber.
"Link… Link, can you hear me…?"
"W-who's there?" he stumbles to his feet, only to fall right back down to the ground. He searches for the voice's source, only to find not a single other soul anywhere–aside from the demon hanging precariously over his head.
"Fear not… I am a friend."
"O… kay," Link winces at the sound of his own voice. He doesn't remember it sounding as deep and rough as it does. "Where… are you?"
"I hold no physical form in your world," the voice says. Though he hasn't the faintest idea who it could belong to, he finds it strangely comforting all the same. "But rest assured, my presence is with you and so it shall remain until you escape from the confines of this place."
"Uh… thanks?" Link finally manages to stand, though he's still unsteady. His clothes aren't fitting him right; his shoes are too tight, his tunic is too short, even his cap isn't sitting on his head the way it should. But as puzzling as that all may be, he knows there are much more important matters to focus on now. "What is this place anyway?"
"It was once known as the Temple of the Ocean King, until the fell demon Bellum conquered it in its foul name."
"Bellum…" Link repeats, daring to glance up. "Is that…?"
"Yes," the voice's tone turns grave. "But you have no reason to fear its wrath now. I have placed a seal upon it, halting its movements. But it will not keep it at bay forever; you must flee from this temple before the seal breaks. Otherwise, Bellum will be able to reclaim you as its prisoner and I will not be able to help you again."
Link clutches his chest, trying to shake off the dull pain still lingering through it. He tries to focus on what the voice is telling him, but everything, even standing and breathing, is proving to be a struggle now. How she expects him to escape an entire temple in the sorry state he's in, he has no idea. But that doesn't mean he isn't going to try. "O-ok…" he sighs, fighting off his pressing exhaustion. "How do I get out of here then?"
"Right now, you are on the temple's bottommost floor. There are several levels you must ascend to reach the exit, and I'm sorry to say that won't be an easy task. The demon controls countless monsters throughout the temple, and has placed a curse upon it that continually drains the Life Force of all who enter. You have already lost so much of your Life Force, Link. You cannot afford to lose much more. That is why I shall do what I can to guide you to safety."
"Ok, uh… not that I'm not grateful, but… why are you helping me?" he asks, thoroughly confused. "Why won't you tell me who you are?"
She's silent for a moment, as if hesitating. What she tells him next isn't something Link is so sure he believes. "To explain myself properly would take more time than you have on your side. But please, trust me when I tell you that I am a friend."
Now it's Link's turn to hesitate. After what Bellum just put him through, using the faces and words of his friends and family against him in such a cruel way, he isn't really keen on trusting anyone. But right now, with his body on the verge of failing him altogether, he's afraid he doesn't have much of a choice. He'll take all the help he can get. "Fine," he sighs, facing the long staircase leading upward. "I'll trust you–if you tell me your name."
"...I cannot say my true name to you, not yet," she says softly, almost sadly. "For now, you may call me… Faron."
"Faron," he echoes, grinning. "It's nice to meet you."
"...Yes," Faron says and Link can almost hear the smile being her voice, gentle and kind. It's enough to convince him that perhaps he really can trust her–even if he can't see her–after all. "It is."
Link manages to limp his way over to the stairs, daunted by just how many of them there are. Faron was right about one thing though; time isn't on his side, which means he might as well get started. He scales them, slowly yet steadily, but by the time he finally reaches the top, he's on the verge of collapsing. He has no choice but to stop and take a break to catch his breath, using the opportunity to voice one of the countless questions weighing on his mind.
"Hey, Faron?" he begins, taking a seat on the uppermost step. "I don't think I understand… w-what did that… thing do to me? Why do I feel so bad, so… so-"
"Weak?" Faron finishes for him.
"...That's not the word I wanted to use," he rubs his arm, frowning. "But… yeah."
"As I've said, the demon has drained you of much of your Life Force," Faron explains. "It is energy itself, that which sustains all living things. Your soul teems with it, in a way no others do. This made you a prime target for Bellum, a creature that feeds upon Life Force. Your body has been weakened because the demon has spent the past year slowly draining it from you-"
"Wait, did you just say year?" Link interrupts, alarmed.
"Yes…?"
"As in… I've been trapped here for a whole year?!" Link presses in rising panic.
"Yes," Faron confirms again, seemingly confused. "Bellum turned your body to stone to entrap you physically while it tortured you mentally and emotionally in an attempt to break your spirit. But because of your spirit's great strength, its efforts took time–much more time than it would take to break most. So it–Link, are you alright?" She stops herself when Link jumps up from the stairs, pushing through the door ahead of him in search of something.
He doesn't answer her as he finds what he's looking for, a piece of discarded metal lying on the ground. Fortunately, it's reflective, allowing him a glimpse of himself. And what he sees staring back at him is just about the best proof he can get that what Faron just told him is somehow true.
He looks so much older, that's his first thought. Of course, he isn't; his thirteenth birthday had just passed a few weeks before they found the ghost ship. If a year really has gone by, that would make him fourteen now. Even though he'd apparently been turned to stone, his body had still grown, making him taller, leaner, just a touch more mature. It would explain why he felt so unsteady when he first woke up and why his clothes feel so uncomfortably tight. And yet, for as disconcerting as that all is, it's not what's really bothering him.
"A year…" he leans against the nearest wall, overwhelmed. "It really took an entire year for me to break free from that thing…"
"I'm afraid so…" Faron says, sympathetic.
"But I couldn't even do that on my own," Link pushes himself away from the wall, frustrated when he almost falls to the ground again. "You're the one who really saved me, weren't you?"
"I… helped, but-"
"Then it was right…" he sinks to the ground, running a hand through his now-longer hair. "I really am weak…" He grabs the piece of metal again, noticing that Tetra's scarf is still tied tightly around his neck. What would she think if she could see him now? If she could see how utterly pathetic he really is?
"No," Faron quickly counters. "Link, you are anything but weak. The fact that you managed to survive this long against Bellum's might is proof of that. You must believe that your soul is stronger than you might think; that your heart holds more courage than even you know."
Link sighs, wishing he could believe that. But right now, when he's barely able to even stand, when he's lost an entire year of his life because of a trap he stupidly fell into… it's hard to see himself as anything other than what the demon said he was: a failure.
"Uh huh…" he mutters, forcing himself to trudge on ahead. "I just want to get out of this place. I think I've been stuck here long enough…"
Faron doesn't argue. In fact, she doesn't say anything else until Link steps through the next door… only to find himself struck by a fierce, and familiar kind of pain.
"Link!" she calls above his anguished cry as he falls to his knees. "It's the demon's curse upon the temple! You must find shelter from it before it can drain your remaining Life Force!"
If Link didn't feel like the air was being sucked straight out of his lungs, he might have argued that's easier said than done. He isn't able to take too much stock of his surroundings in his current state, but he can tell that the corridors ahead of him stretch into a winding, complicated maze. A maze that he knows he won't be able to navigate if he can't even walk.
He quickly finds he has no choice but to move forward though. The telltale sound of a brandished sword rings through a nearby hall, accompanied by heavy metallic footsteps. Before Link can even try to figure out what they could belong to, he sees it round a corner just a few feet ahead. It can't be described as anything other than a living suit of armor, massive and sturdy as it wields one of the largest blades Link has ever seen. Upon first glance, he doesn't know what to make of it, until it spots him lying on the ground ahead of it. And the second it does, it charges straight for him, its sword drawn and ready for a devastating attack.
Despite the brutal pain pounding through his bones, Link still manages to hurry to his feet and break into as much of a run as he can. He nearly trips several times over, his vision tunneling as he struggles for air he somehow can't seem to get enough of. Faron shouts some kind of warning to him, but with the blood rushing through his ears, he can't make out what it is. Each frantic step he takes makes him feel like he's walking straight toward death itself, and the bloodthirsty knight at his heels isn't helping anything. It catches up to him in no time, tossing its large, heavy sword at him to send him flying to the ground. He slides far across the rough floor, finally crashing against a dead-end wall. Strangely enough, he can suddenly breathe easily again, but he finds no consolation in that fact when he sees the knight's sword hanging just a few inches over his head.
And yet… it never hits him.
Instead, the knight pulls back, glancing around as if confused. From his spot on the ground, Link watches it breathlessly, knowing all too well that he has nowhere else to run, and without any sort of weapon to speak of, he has no chance of fighting it off either. Miraculously though, he soon finds that he won't have to. Because instead of killing him like it so easily could, the knight simply turns… and walks away.
"W-what… was that thing?" Link asks once the shock wears off and he's finally able to speak again.
"A Phantom," Faron says. Once again, Link finds himself grateful for her peculiar presence; if he has to be trapped in a place as frightening and foreboding as this, at least he isn't entirely on his own. "They once served as sentries, created to protect this temple from intruders, until Bellum took control of them. Now, they roam these halls with ill-intent, ready to cut down anyone they see."
"So… why didn't that one?"
"Because, you found your way to a safe spot." Link looks down and quickly discovers what she means; the floor beneath him carries a faint, warm glow. It emits some sort of energy, soft and healing, far different from the toxic aura lingering over the rest of this place. "There are several throughout the temple; areas untouched by Bellum's malice. In these areas, you will find respite from the demon's curse and from the Phantoms alike. Use them well."
"Well, at least that's something," Link lets out a relieved sigh as he sits against the closest wall. "But how do I stay safe when I'm not in one of these spots?"
"There is a sacred item that was once used by travelers to enter the temple safely," Faron explains. "It is called the Phantom Hourglass. It would be able to keep you safe from Bellum's curse and help you slip by the Phantoms unseen."
"Sounds like that's just what I need," Link perks up. "Where can I find it?"
"...Beyond the walls of the temple, unfortunately," Faron hesitantly replies.
"Of course," Link groans, slouching back against the wall. "Goddesses forbid this actually be easy."
Faron lets out a kindly laugh, "Few feats worth accomplishing ever are. But I know you are ready to face this challenge. As I've told you… you already have everything you need."
His first inclination is to argue, to say that he'd have everything he needs if he had a sword in his hand and if he hadn't spent the past year in the grasp of a soul-sucking demon. But he already knows Faron won't have any of that, that she'll only counter with even more vague, ultimately empty encouragement. And much as he appreciates her guidance and her company, he'd rather risk it against another Phantom than listen to any more of that.
Link waits until he feels like he's recovered at least a little of his waning strength to venture out from the safe spot. Of course, almost as soon as he does, the curse begins to weigh just as heavily upon him as it had before. This time, however, he forces himself to fight through it, refusing to let it drag him down, to let the demon steal any more from him than it already has. Faron keeps a close eye out for Phantoms, warning him well whenever any come too close for comfort. He finds a few more safe spots along the way, pacing himself as best he can, lest he run out of energy entirely. It's slow, tedious work, but in time, he makes it to the next floor of the temple.
Only then does he begin to find the remains.
He's seen bones stripped of their flesh before, though only really from monsters or animals. But the withered skeletons that lie on the sloppy heaps on the temple's floor are undoubtedly human. The curse already has Link feeling sick to his stomach, but an all new wave of nausea hits him when he notices bits of rotting flesh still hanging onto some of those bones. Fresher, more recent victims, he presumes.
"Just how many people has that thing killed…?" he wonders, barely able to speak above a whisper, lest the Phantoms hear him.
"...Far too many to count," Faron says gravely. "But you will not be one of them."
Link only nods as he settles into another safe spot, wishing he had her confidence. He's been in plenty of dire straits in the past, from savage storms at sea to monster-infested dungeons much like this one. And in each of those instances, he had a sturdy sword and more than enough strength to stand behind it. Both things he painfully lacks now.
If it were up to Link, he'd use his time in the safe spots to get some much-needed sleep. Even if it wouldn't restore his strength fully, at the very least, it would be a respite from the waking nightmare he's still stuck in. Faron, however, makes sure to remind him that time is of the essence. Bellum could slip free from her seal at any moment, which means he has no time to lose.
So he presses onward, through exhaustion, the curse, and several close calls against the Phantoms, eventually making it to the next floor and through another. There are plenty of close calls along the way; one of the Phantoms manages to graze his side while another stray monster gives him a few sizable bruises and a black eye. The curse, however, makes all of his other injuries feel like paper cuts compared to the sweeping pain that spirals through him every time he so much as steps foot outside of a safe spot.
That's exactly why he doesn't know what he'd do without Faron. Her guidance gets him through the complex, maze-like corridors, leading him to each safe spot along the way while keeping him out of the Phantoms' detection. As much as she may puzzle him, perhaps even frustrate him, he honestly doesn't know what he'd do without her. Which only leads him to wonder about his unseen companion's true nature even more.
"So…" he feels a bit chatty during one of his breaks. It's a necessary one; he tripped and fell while running from a Phantom, busting his knee wide open. As he wraps the wound up with a torn strip of fabric from his tunic, he takes his mind off the sting of it with casual conversation. "Are you like… a ghost or something?"
Faron laughs, a sweet, pretty sound that echoes through the dank dungeon like a soothing song. "Not exactly. I exist on a very different plane of existence, one quite far away from this world or any other you may know. That is what allows me to see you, even though you cannot see me."
"Not gonna lie, that's kind of creepy," Link chuckles as he finishes tying his knee up.
"Perhaps," she agrees, amused. "But I promise, my watchfulness comes from a place of caring. You're quite special to me, Link. You always have been–since the very beginning."
"Okay, that's… a little more creepy…" Link mutters to himself as his smile slowly fades. "What do you mean, 'since the very beginning'? We just met a few hours ago…"
"You just met me," Faron clarifies. "But I've known you for far longer, before you were even… well, you."
"Am I supposed to know what that means?"
"...No. Net yet, at least."
"Right…" Link sighs, knowing that's all he's bound to get out of her. "You know, Faron, you remind me of… someone I used to know. He was mysterious and cryptic all the time too, but… he was also a really good friend. I… I miss him a lot…"
Faron is silent for a long moment, but when she finally does speak, she sounds nothing less than completely sincere when she says: "The King of Hyrule was so very proud of you, Link. And so he would be if he were still with you today. Do not forget that."
Something in Link's chest tightens when he hears that. About a million emotions rush through him, good and bad alike, but he doesn't dare let any of them linger long. Not that there's a chance for that to happen anyway when the entire temple begins to quake from its very foundation.
"W-what's happening?" Link asks, pulling himself to his feet.
"It's the seal!" Faron shouts. "Bellum has broken through it much faster than I ever could have anticipated. You have to get out of the temple NOW, Link! Before it can find you!"
That's all the warning Link needs. He darts out of the safe spot, biting back the crushing pain that the curse brings on the second he does. Fortunately, he isn't far from the next set of stairs, the last according to Faron. He's so close to the exit now, so close to safety and to freedom. All he needs to do now is live long enough to get there.
Of course, that'd be a lot easier if he didn't have three Phantoms and a ravenous demon hot on his trail.
There's no time to hide from any of them, not anymore. The pull of the curse claws at what little Life Force he has left to spare, but still he keeps going, knowing he can't stop, not even for a second now. Not even when one of the Phantoms' blades slams straight into his back.
"Link!" Faron screams his name, but he doesn't hear her over his own anguished cry. He's tossed forward by the force of the blow, his back ripped open and already stained a deep, dangerous shade of red. Even as he falls to the ground, he tries to pick himself back up, but his body refuses to respond the way he wants it to. His limbs lie uselessly on the floor and his spine feels like it's been snapped clean in half. He's not so sure it isn't when one of the Phantoms stomps a heavy metallic foot straight down into the center of the wound, prying yet another agonized scream out of him. The third Phantom makes matters even worse when it grabs his ankle and violently twists it, further ensuring he won't be able to get away. And, making him an even easier catch for their current master.
Link can't see it, but Faron can: the trio of Phantoms have him surrounded, and the one who has him pinned down also has its sword ready to finish the job. But even worse than that, Bellum's tentacles are racing up from the basement, angrily surging to recapture the demon's most coveted prey. They reach him far too quickly, stalling the Phantom's hand from striking Link down so it can do it instead in an entirely different way. The eye on its tentacle flashes with gleeful hunger as its laughter sounds throughout the entire temple, cruel and victorious, confident that it has won this "game".
"See what happens when you interfere where you don't belong, Farore?!" its tendril rushes for Link's exposed back. Now that it's had a taste of his soul, it isn't keen on waiting for more, for the last of the most powerful Life Force it ever has, and likely ever will consume. "Even you cannot protect these pathetic mortals you care so much about forever! And now, you will witness firsthand as your beloved Son of Courage DIES, once and for all!"
"No…" her voice trembles, first with fear, then with raw, unshakable courage. "NO!"
Just before Bellum can touch Link and take the last remnants of his Life Force away, it happens. Her power explodes in a shower of pure, emerald light, light that joins together to take on a more solid shape. The Phantoms are blown back by the gale-force wind that surrounds her, wind that never touches the injured boy by her feet. She stands between the demon and the hero, sending a burst of healing magic just strong enough to keep him alive and mobile. As much as she wishes she could fully seal his wounds, it's the most she can do for him now.
The curse still cuts deep like a knife as Link manages to glance behind him. He sees Bellum and the Phantoms, but there's someone else too, though as haloed in light as she is, he can't make out much about her. She takes on the vague shape of a woman, a warrior, with arms outstretched to keep the furious demon before her at bay. To protect him in any way she can, just like she said she would.
"F-Faron?" he asks, awestruck by her radiance.
She glances back at him, with eyes shining like emeralds, eyes much like his own. A single tear streaks down her cheek and yet she smiles at him while whispering in the same voice he's heard all this time. The voice of a friend he's not so sure he'll ever get to see again. "Go."
And so… he does.
He hates that he isn't strong enough to stand with her, hates that he isn't strong enough to even try. But he's no match for Bellum; a year as its prisoner has more than proved that fact. Even now, he struggles to get away from it–Faron's magic has only dulled the pain of his wounds instead of healing them entirely. As a result, he relies on the walls to keep him upright as he limps toward the large set of doors ahead of him, haunted by the demon's furious screams as they echo all around him. As Bellum vows violent vengeance against him and Faron alike.
It takes a bit of doing and a lot of strain on his injured back and leg, but Link still somehow manages to pry the doors open. He expects to find his freedom on the other side of it, but instead, he finds yet another dark, stony chamber lying ahead of him. His heart sinks as his panic starts to rise, until he spots bright light pouring in from a large opening on the far side of the room. A draft cuts through the temple's otherwise stagnant gloom, as sure a sign as any that it's the way out he's been so desperately searching for. And now… it's only a few short steps away.
A small set of stairs leads down into what he assumes is the temple's foyer. As Link begins hurrying down them, he notices that the curse doesn't seem to be influencing this part of the structure; the constant pain he's been feeling throughout the rest of the temple finally begins to fade away. A small, relieved smile breaks onto his face as he realizes he might just make it out of here after all, until–
Until Faron's magic wears off at the worst possible time.
His twisted ankle snaps when it lands on one of the steps, sending him falling forward as agony explodes across his still-bleeding back. He lands in a daze at the bottom of the stairs, on the verge of fainting or vomiting or both. But as much as he might want to, he knows he can't give up now, especially not when he can still hear Bellum's bloodthirsty wails on the other side of the wall behind him. And if he can't walk… then he'll just have to crawl.
Whatever it takes to escape, to keep himself from being anyone's prisoner ever again.
So he pulls himself across the rough ground, biting back groans and cries between tightly-gritted teeth. It's unbearable, some of the worst pain he's ever felt in his life. But all of that pain, all of the fear, everything he's been through since the moment he stepped foot on that ghost ship… it's all worth it the moment he slowly, weakly crosses the temple's threshold.
It's all worth it when he feels the sun on his skin, when he takes in his first breath of fresh air in an entire year. When he realizes he's finally out. He's finally free.
And… he's finally reached his limit.
His eyes haven't even fully adjusted to the near-blinding light of the sun when his arms give out from under him. His head hits soft soil, a bit of blood leaking out of his mouth as the trees surrounding him grow blurry and dim. His breath rattles in his lungs as his eyes slowly slip shut, letting the rest he's been craving all along claim him completely.
Within the confines of the temple, a demon rages over its prey slipping away, promising to reclaim him, no matter what it may take.
Just outside of that temple, a yellow fairy finds her wings guided–as if by fate or some other force entirely–to a boy lying half-dead on the forest floor.
And, from a realm somewhere far beyond it all, a goddess smiles, knowing that at long last, her beloved Son of Courage is finally safe.
Don't forget to leave a REVIEW! Until next time!