Chapter 6 - All Wrong

Link arrived in Castle Town after rapidly dismounting Epona, not even stopping to thank her. His heart wouldn't let him be still.
Running through heavy rain, he nearly lost his footing more than once as he turned corners hard, shouting at people who dared enter his path. Several annoyed yelps and complaining came from a small crowd of people as he rushed right through the middle of it.
He didn't care. Ilia and his baby were not with the villagers and he would have answers.

Several guards, alarmed by his speed tried to halt him but he was too quick for them. He jumped out of the way with enough ease and even jumped up and off of a wall to clear a gate. Security in Castle town had been greatly increased since Zelda had taken her throne once again. Why did they have to be so active today?
Link ran as fast as his lungs would allow. His abdomen hurt with each footstep, but pure adrenaline was helping him ignore most of it. Taking rapid breaths, he found the alleyway leading up to Telma's bar. He didn't even take the stairs, electing instead to jump over the wrought iron fences.

Almost slamming into the door, he threw it open and dashed inside.
As soon as he had heard the news from Renado, he leapt out of his bed and threw on his clothes, strapped the Master Sword to his back and hastily grabbed the still damaged Hylian shield as he ran past the two without saying a word. He remembered Luda looking utterly frightened as he ran past her without a second thought. He had been too wound up to worry about courtesy. He would make it up to her later. Renado hadn't even bothered to try and stop him. Link assumed he knew such an effort would be fruitless.

He had reached the edge of Kakariko village and used Ilia's charm to whistle the sweet melody that would alert Epona to his needs. Within an agonisingly long few minutes, she arrived in a full gallop. Link didn't even motion for her to slow, instead grabbing her reins and jumping into the saddle so she could keep running.
Time was not on his side, so he had pushed Epona hard to Faron Woods, aiming for Ordon Village. Whilst she ran faster than he thought was possible, Link managed to calm himself slightly and realised he had no information other than Ilia and his child were missing. He swore as he realised he would have to divert to Castle Town where the Ordon Villagers were likely being cared for. He needed details whilst they were still fresh in peoples minds. If anyone knew where they would all be, it would likely be Telma. Turning Epona, he quickly changed course as the rain started its onslaught.

As his vision adjusted to the brightly lit bar, he found the entire room was packed with people. It looked as if the villagers were all here. Ordon was a small village, but Telma's bar looked like it was at capacity with everyone there.
He paid no mind to the shocked gasps of Telma, Shad, Ashei and several of the villagers alarmed by the sudden entrance. He needed to speak to someone he trusted.
He managed to spot Rusl pushing his way through the crowd to meet Link. In the moment it took him to breach the crowd, Link saw that everyone was almost as frightened as Luda had been. He wondered why they looked at him so differently. He only wanted to find Ilia and his child, so why was everyone so worried?

"Link! Have you heard?" Rusl asked quickly, ignoring the fact that he hadn't seen him in over a year. His dependable father had always been straight to the point when he needed to be.

"Obviously." he snapped, louder than he intended. He carried on, powered by fear. "What happened?"

Taken aback, but not wasting time, Rusl continued.

"We were all being escorted through a cave in the woods by soldiers. We went in with Ilia carrying the... baby."

Link knew he would need to talk about the child, now wasn't the time though.

"When we emerged from the other side, she was not amongst us."

"What!? She just vanished?!" Link shouted as Rusl winced.

"How could nobody notice her disappear? You were all together and just like that, you weren't?"

"Link..."

"How did nobody notice?!"

Link was panicked beyond belief, he couldn't think straight. He needed immediate answers. Anything else was a waste of time.

"I... don't know..." Rusl stammered, clearly hurt.

Link hadn't noticed the room had fallen silent and nobody dared approach him.

"Who saw Ilia last?" he shouted at the entire bar.

He couldn't stand still. His muscles were tense. He needed to move. To take action.
Everyone was in shock. They had never seen Link this furious before.

"I did." Said a small but firm voice from near his side.

It was Colin.

"What did you see?" Link said whilst trying hard to reign his voice in, whilst not even greeting him.

"It's just like Dad said. We entered the cave with her, and when we left, she wasn't in front of me." he said, defiantly, a spark of anger welling up in him now.

"I know that! What I want to know is how she could have been in front of you and you didn't notice her disappear!"

Link could barely contain his frustration. How on earth could a mother and her newborn child just go missing without an explanation?

"It was dark, Link. I could barely see her in there. The soldiers with lanterns were ahead of the group and we were near the back."

"So you weren't holding on to each other? Guiding each other in the dark?" Link demanded harshly.

"Yes. We were. Once we got to the end of the cave, it was lighter. I...blinked. Then she was gone." Colin explained, his voice getting quieter.
He was realising he wasn't giving Link any decent answers. His bravery was faltering.

"How?!" Link shouted, venting all of his frustration and anger into his voice which echoed around the room.

"Link! Stop!" Rusl shouted from right beside him.

Link didn't flinch. The lack of progress only made him more wound up.

"He's a child, Link! He's just as lost as you are about this." Rusl tried to explain.

Link turned his head to face Rusl. How did he not see the urgency? Ilia and his baby were still missing.

"I don't care!" Link shouted, hurting his throat with the outburst, only fuelling his anger.

"How. Did. Nobody. See?"

Rusl was wounded deeply. His expression emanated sadness and helplessness in equal measure.

The entire bar was silent. Except for some soft crying, coming from Link's side.

Colin was in the middle of the room, surrounded by the entire village and Link's friends. Link had shattered his bravery, even though he was trying his best to help.
Looking around the room, he saw that everyone had fear in their eyes. Shad. Ashei. Telma. Fado. Uli. Beth. Talo. The normally indifferent Malo. Even Mayor Bo, who had the most reason to be upset.

Link's heart lurched and pulled him harshly back to reality. He hung his head in his hand out of shame. How in the goddess's name could he have been so horrible to Colin, a brother to him...to Rusl, a father to him.

The fight went out of Link in an instant. He was still filled with fear. But now he had piled shame on top of it, all by himself.
Lifting his head, tears falling from his eyes after his outburst, he looked around the room and then down to Colin. He would not meet Link's eyes. He was still crying helplessly into Rusl who was now ignoring Link and trying to soothe his son. His heart hurt. What kind of hero was he to stoop as low as this, he thought.
Link's shoulders slumped.

Barely summoning the nerve, he at least managed to speak.

"I'm sorry..."

Unable to manage any more, he turned to leave, knowing he probably wouldn't be welcomed back openly amongst the villagers for a long time.

"I'll find them both. Then bring them here..."

Then he left the bar, quietly closing the door behind him.

He began to walk slowly away from the bar. He felt too bad to summon more effort. As he climbed the stairs, he saw a familiar looking guard round the corner.

"Master Link!" he exclaimed.

Link looked up. Even through the intense rain, he recognised the man to be Karlsman. He had saved him from an ambush when he journeyed back to Castle town.

Glad to see someone who hadn't witnessed how he had just acted, he greeted him.

"Hello Karlsman." Link wondered why he was wearing the guard's uniform. He had told him that he was employed as a mercenary.

"Why the uniform?"

"Well, my previous employers didn't care that I couldn't protect my charge. They were paid in advance and said that the result didn't matter. So I quit, enlisted with the guard and didn't even have to do the basic training. My Sergeant knew the company I came from and gave me the uniform. Seems like a lot of people quit mercenary work with that company..."

Great, more people who couldn't care unless rupees were involved. Link couldn't bring himself to be angry though.

"My squad was about to get lunch," Karlsman continued, "so why not join me?"

"Your squad?" Link asked.

As if on cue, three more soldiers turned the corner. Their helmets offered cover from the rain. Link felt a pang of jealousy as his tunic was already soaked through.
He recognised one of the others as Sergeant Hol, who had advised him about forest fires before he rode into the burning Faron woods.

"Oho! Master Link!" Hol was quick to salute formally. Link had no idea how to salute back properly, nor did he feel like it.

"Without you tearing a path into the forest, evacuating the villagers would likely have been much more difficult. Luckily, the fire suddenly died out... Like all the fury just dissipated. I know one of your villagers and their child went missing too..."

He seemed deflated to mention it but perked up again.

"I've gotten special permission from my superiors to conduct a rescue operation. We were just about to get some food and head back to begin a search." he explained.
Something stirred in Link. With more people looking, perhaps they could find Ilia and his child faster. A little glimmer of hope rose in him. Thank the goddesses that people besides him were taking action. He was getting tired with having to run around alone. He wished for Midna. No matter the distractions, she was always in his mind. He wondered if she thought about him, an entire dimension away.

"Sergeant, I want to join you. The missing girl is the mother of my child."

Link didn't feel like explaining any more. He hoped his reputation would give him some leeway.

"Oh! Certainly, Master Link..."

"Just Link is fine..."

"Very well. Are you ready now?"

"Yes. I want to start as soon as possible."

"Please allow us a few minutes, and we shall head for the stables. Our horses will be much faster without having to haul a water wagon."

Link nodded and let the soldiers pass. Karlsman looked back over his shoulder, concern etched on his face, but continued.

He found some overhead cover and tried to get some relief from the cold rain. He started checking his equipment. Thankfully, the Master Sword never seemed to need any maintenance. For all the enemies he had cleaved or stabbed, there was never rust or discolouration. The scabbard had materialised on his back when he first pulled the sword from its plinth in the ruined temple of time. It seemed equally as sturdy, despite all he had endured.

Dismayed, he saw his shield still had a chunk of metal missing from the bottom of it. Not a huge chunk, but enough to make him feel incomplete. Still, he was grateful he hadn't taken an additional wound. He resolved to buy a new one once he found Ilia.

His mind wandered back to her. She had endured having a baby by herself and looked so naturally suited to being a mother. She would likely be a wonderful parent. Her gentle nature and love of animals could make any child happy. He prayed that she was alright.

Then, he started thinking of the baby whose name he didn't even know. He didn't even know if it was a boy or a girl. Ilia had encouraged him to go and find a way back to Midna in a bid to find his happiness again, which he had begun pursuing with haste.

He could not and would not ignore his own child. He had been lucky to be raised by Rusl after his parents were killed. He wanted to be there. Though Midna was always on his mind and he had plenty he wanted to say to her, something beyond intuition told him that the right thing was to look after his child. He would figure out how to balance the two once he found Ilia and the child.

A moment later, the squad of Hylian soldiers came out of the bar, each of them looking a little less energetic.

Link figured that they had seen the villagers all upset. He clenched his fist hard, hating himself and his poor decisions.

"We're ready Link. Those poor villagers are lost without this young girl and her child... I assure you, we lack no motivation, do we men?" Hol said to his soldiers.
His voice carried authority and a sense of determination. Perked up, they snapped out of their low morale. Having a job to focus on seemed to energise them.

"No Sergeant!" they all chanted back in unison, Karlsman included.

Link felt a little better too. Perhaps working with soldiers wouldn't be a bad idea.

They all began walking to the stables. Feeling his legs move helped Link clear his mind, so he walked with them. As the soldiers mounted up, Link asked them to meet him outside the southern entrance. He would be waiting for them.
Hol nodded and resumed inspecting the soldier's gear and equipment. Though it cost more precious time, Link knew good preparation meant there was less chance of anything going wrong.

Breaking into a light jog, he made his way through the rain-soaked streets and back alleys. He was much more careful to avoid people this time, apologising to everyone who moved out of their way for him.

Soon enough, he found himself outside the southern entrance to Castle Town. He tugged the whistle Ilia had made out of his tunic. Looking at it closely, he saw the rough carving had been sanded carefully and was treated with a lacquer to help protect it against the elements. It shined a little, even under the dim light of the rain clouds.
Worrying more, he placed it to his mouth and played the familiar soothing notes that Epona loved.

He knew she would be nearby, she always was. As he waited, he sat on the large stone steps out of town. He continued looking over the handmade whistle. So much love had been poured into it. Link felt honoured to have been given it.

True, the Master Sword had chosen him, he had collected many useful items that aided him and he at least hoped that Midna had lied when she said she didn't love him. But the whistle was a personal gift. Real thought and care. It reminded him of home and the easy life he once had.
Just before a melancholy set over him, he heard Epona whinny as she raced over a hill a short distance away.
Of course, Epona reminded him of Ilia too. Link realised Epona would want to help however she could too. She was a smart horse after all.
As she slowed and stopped before Link, he walked straight up to her and hugged her thick neck.

"I'm so sorry I was so rough with you earlier. Please don't hate me." he said honestly.

Epona rasped and nuzzled him. Of course, she never would. Links shame and fear melted away, almost entirely.
As he took her reins and walked her under some overhead cover, he began to brush her mane and fed her a carrot that he had kept in her saddlebags. She seemed much happier.
Afterwards, four strong horses dressed with the Royal Army colours cantered out of the main gate.
Seeing Link, Hol shouted over.

"Ho there, Link!"

He waved back and walked over with Epona to meet the group.

"My word... your horse is stunning! I saw you ride her but being able to look her over properly now? She's the finest mare I ever laid eyes on. Sorry Lea, but just look at her!"
Hol apologised to his own mare.

Her coat and mane were cared for well enough, but these were bred horses, not tamed wild ones. Their time in the stables meant they couldn't roam, stunting their growth and disposition somewhat. They were not bad horses, but next to Epona, they looked like servants to a queen.

Pride swelling in Link, he scratched affectionately behind Eponas ear, making her shake her head happily.

"Thank you Hol, she's gotten me through a great deal. I would have no other horse."

"I believe you. But I digress. We intended to head back to the cave system where Miss Ilia was last seen. If we find nothing there, then we search Ordon Village and look for any possible traces in a rake formation. My men answer to me, but if you would have us do anything in particular, simply say so."

Link felt a little overwhelmed, but pleased nonetheless. These were professional soldiers and they were eager to get to work.

"No, your plan is fine. Be wary though. A powerful foe likely pursues me and I do not know what forces align themselves with him. If you spot a man with ashen hair, dark eyes and a dark cape then get behind me. His name is Ghirahim and he commands powerful magic. I will have no problem with you all retreating, rather I would insist on it."

Hol nodded plainly. Link was unsure if their training would prevent them from trying to impress him, but he hoped they would listen to their superior.

"You heard him men. Watch for the ashen-haired Ghirahim. Before that, you look for any traces of the girl Ilia and her child. I expect you to find even a single hair on a barbers floor and to be grateful for the opportunity. Understood?"

In unison, the reply came instantly. "Yes, Sergeant!"

Then, Link mounted Epona and the group made for the entrance to Faron Woods over the course of the rest of the day.

The journey went smoothly enough. Ever since the defeat of Ganondorf, the land had seen far fewer monsters roaming the wilds and attacking people. They still existed, but were far more passive. Link, Hol and Karlsman spent some time speaking. The other two soldiers kept to themselves, seeming shy around the Hero of the Twilight Crisis. Link tried to speak to them but they always got shy whenever he spoke. Link didn't like it. He really wanted them to know he was just as much a Hylian as they were. Then he also realised how insane his adventures sounded when he listed them off in his mind.
Giving up, he returned to speak to the two who didn't seem to have an issue with their nerves.

Karlsman had been a difficult child, according to him. He would spend his days trying to make trouble or steal things for the thrill of it. Eventually, he developed a taste for doing things as he pleased and calling nobody his boss. Eventually, he was arrested and spent some time in the castle dungeons. The time he spent there convinced him to take up a profession that still allowed him personal freedoms.
It all changed with the contract to escort the merchant where he had been ambushed. After returning to his employers and learning how little they valued the lives of their customers, he quit to join the Royal Army.
Hol congratulated him on the career change. As callous as the mercenary company could be, they did produce capable warriors.
Link wondered about Hol's background too, so he asked.

He said he had been an apprentice baker in his younger years. However, his father's bakery was often targeted by thieves. Sometimes for the money, sometimes for the food and sometimes both. Frustrated with the inaction of the guard, he joined the local garrison as a recruit and joined city patrols in a bid to curb the rising crime. It wasn't that the working class of Castle Town was too poor and desperate but rather that the merchants were too trusting and friendly. It began with petty crimes and then gradually got worse. Eventually, an elitist demanded a refund for a piece of furniture they had spilt wine on. When the merchant refused, they were stabbed.

Hol had grown up during those times and wanted to do everything he could to protect the people. Despite getting into trouble with his superiors constantly, he always got results. From petty thieves to people aspiring to organised crime were nearly all arrested by Hol. He got promoted rapidly, but somehow never managed to rise above Sergeant. He explained that he kept on turning down promotions as the next rank in line, Second Lieutenant, meant he would be confined to a desk.
He was too fond of the open field or walking the streets, talking with the people.

The group all shared stories from their service as Faron Woods came into view. Hol fondly recalled the arrest of a con man. After weeks of following leads and asking nearly everyone affected, he just happened to turn a corner and overhear a young man trying to sell boxes of 'miracle oil' to a trusting merchant. In reality, it was water with old fruit in it. He gave chase as soon as the young man saw him and ran. Unfortunately, the young man ran straight into the path of a galloping war horse and was knocked down a hill, landing backside first on a lamp post. Crippled with pain, he begged to be arrested, if only to have medical care.

Everyone, Link included, couldn't help but laugh at the absurdity.

Karlsman eager to follow up then told of a time he tried to steal a bag of rupees from a wealthy merchant. It turned out the merchant was incredibly paranoid. He had spent an extravagant amount of money to electrify his wallet. As soon as Karlsman had touched it, he fell to the floor twitching. Shortly after, he was arrested for the first time.

Glad for the distraction, Link managed to laugh a little.

Soon enough, the group reached the edge of the woods. They had been riding for most of the day. The rain clouds had parted, but now the sun was setting.

"Link," Hol said, "I would recommend we make camp here. It'll be much harder searching for anything in the night. We will of course defer to you though."

Link thought for a moment. He didn't like it. Every second wasted here was another second not knowing where Ilia or his child was.

"It's a good idea Hol, but I can't sit by. I'm going to go a start searching myself. You all rest here though. I've more experience working in the dark. When you start your search..." Link tried to finish, only to be cut off by Hol.

"We are eager to begin the search. We will join you. We may not be as skilled as you in the darkness, but the whole realm owes you much Link. We're all well aware of how difficult it must have been to face Ganondorf, but you did it anyway and emerged the victor. I don't think there's anyone else who could have done that. So, we are happy to serve, to try and repay our grand debt to you."

Taken aback, Link left his mouth hanging open slightly as he tried to figure out how to respond appropriately.

"Well, let's at least eat something first. I could eat a..." he cut himself off as he looked to Epona, who was looking straight back at him, "...bear."

The soldiers laughed as they began to dismount and take some of their rations out.

Looking over, Link realised they looked fairly basic. They were quite small, however. He would ask them about the rations later. Digging into Epona's saddlebag, he pulled out some dried fruit, dried meat and some cheese. Eating the three in small chunks helped him feel full faster and preserved his supply of rations. Chewing on the dried meat, he missed Uli and Rusl's cooking. A pang of guilt tore through him with the stray thought. He wondered how he was supposed to apologise properly after his outburst in Telma's bar. He put it to the back of his mind, promising himself to put his full effort into it once he had found Ilia. It didn't stop him from missing home-cooked food though.

The group all finished their food and then fed their horses from a selection of large carrots and apples. The soldiers tied their horses to a nearby tree but Link knew he would be fine to leave Epona to wander free. Perhaps she could make friends somehow whilst he was gone, Link thought.
A few minutes later, they all set off into the woods, lanterns out and lit.

They stayed quiet for most of the long journey into the woods. Link was grateful for the silence. He looked forward to when he could finally rest his head and forget about the day's events.

Following the wide path Link had made with the enhanced boomerang, they arrived at the entrance to the cave system a few hours later. Walking in the dark slowed them down as they navigated the unlit path. Though the inferno had extinguished itself, there was still plenty of damage to the whole forest. Animal homes were destroyed in the process and there was no reason for them to return. Their absence made the dark woods a great deal more unsettling. The occasional branch creaking or pile of ashes blowing in the wind startled everyone more than once.

The soldiers refuelled their lanterns with bottles of oil they brought from Castle Town. Link had not needed his lantern in some time, so he borrowed some from the two shy soldiers. They had not spoken about themselves much during the ride. They, like Link, preferred to listen.
They huddled together whilst they discussed what to do. They agreed that the cave could have any number of twists and turns. So the entire group was to stay no more than about ten paces apart from each other. If they discovered something, they would notify everyone so they could all investigate it. If they could not find anything in the cave, then they would trek to Ordon village, retracing the villager's escape path to look for any possible lead.
Once they had all agreed, they drank from their canteens and began the search.

Link went last if only to stop Hol from insisting he go first. He was a good man, but he could certainly talk at length.

As the group walked through the cave, they were all careful to pay attention to the details around them. Sometimes they would see quartz veins in the rocks, sometimes the odd insect or two. As they slowly progressed through the winding tunnels, they found it harder to pay attention after having stared at rock formations for so long. Link realised they were long past the point where Ilia had gone missing. Link had looked closely at the walls and floors for any kind of clue, only to find nothing of note. Not even a stray hair.

Getting frustrated, Link did his best to calm himself with his breathing exercises. He couldn't let his emotions take over now. He needed a clear head if he was to pay attention.
They progressed through the entire cave system after two long hours. The only things noteworthy were a couple of Keese that tried to harass them, only to be cut down quickly.

Finally emerging on the other side, the air grew cold. Disheartened that they had found no clues, they decided to rest and drink more water.
They discussed how they would search Ordon Village. Seeing as it was larger and had buildings in it, Karlsman suggested they split up and search individually. Both Link and Hol had said "No" at the same time. Hol reasoned that in the event they found any hostiles, they would need backup. Link advised that any story where people split up a group to search for something alone, it always ended badly.

Karlsman shrugged but suggested they go in pairs to be kept safe from an empty village. Link didn't like his carefree approach. From his own experience, if an enemy would strike at any point, it would be when they least expected it. He kept his mouth shut though. He just wanted to see what he could find. He was willing to search alone, having faith in his abilities, should he be attacked.

The group crossed the bridge into Ordon. Somehow, it seemed much quieter here than anywhere else in the forest. Link heard to running water of the river, but it was still unnatural.
They arrived at the clearing where Link's treehouse was, only to find it entirely gone. The large proud tree had been reduced to ashes, scattered in a wide area. Most of the trees surrounding the area had burned down too. The fire had reached the village.

A great sadness welled up in Link. His home was gone. All his memories of his time in Ordon, good and bad replayed themselves. Playing with the children, fishing in the river, climbing the larger trees or just working the farm. He suspected the same fate hit the village centre, though he prayed hard for an alternative. Link's heart sank even more when they walked the path into the village centre.
It was all gone. Every house, ashes. Every plot of land was scorched. Every blade of grass, gone. He despised being right sometimes.
Burn marks and fallen trees dotted the wide and now open area. Several charred animal corpses were scattered around the place, including the cat that had spoken to Link long ago, when he had first become a wolf.

"By the goddesses..." Hol said in a whisper. The obliterated village affected him, even though he had never been before.

"This was your home?" Karlsman asked quietly.

Link nodded soundlessly. It was all gone. Most of his childhood and teen years in a place now wiped off of the map. Hopelessness gnawed at Link. He had been constantly on the move since he became the hero. But now he was technically homeless. He would think he could buy a house somewhere with his ample supply of rupees, but nothing ever felt like home. Now it never would again.

He felt Karlsman pat him on the shoulder.

"Sorry. Wish I had something clever to say that would make this bearable..." He trailed off as he looked at the ruined village. A moment later, his eyes widened as he seemed to realise something.

"Villages can always be rebuilt you know." he suggested carefully.

Link looked over wordlessly. He knew Karlsman was right. It was just difficult to see the carnage before him.

Karlsman seemed to realise this and told Link the soldiers were about to split up and search each side of the village.

Shaking his head, he set off for Mayor Bo's home. It was partially built underground, so there may at least be some surviving part of the building.
He was right. A fair amount of the structure remained. Plenty of damage from the fire, but most of the walls remained. Apprehension setting in, he could barely bring himself to open the charred door.

No. He had to find Ilia. He would deal with whatever he saw. As Karlsman had said, villages could always be rebuilt.
Turning the handle and pushing the creaking door open, he looked inside.

Amongst the dust and ash, there were half-burned bookcases. The comfortable chairs were frayed and almost pitch black. The walls were covered in burns, much like the entire village. Realising he wouldn't find much here, he thought to try Bo's cellar, where had learned how to wrestle.
Walking down the stone steps, he saw a glimpse of something ahead. His instinct kicked in, alarming him that something was very wrong.
Rushing, he reached the bottom of the stairs quickly.

Ahead of him, the elegant and unmistakable figure of Ghirahim stood before him. Link stared straight at him, hand on the handle of the Master Sword. Before he could draw it, Ghirahim silently raised his arm in a gesture to stop. The same arm Link had destroyed was now covered in thick armour plating. It had an eerie purple glow around its seams.
Then, he stood to the side.

Ilia and her baby were right behind him, sat in a single chair together. Ilia had her mouth gagged, her baby looked unconscious. She looked wide-eyed as soon as she recognised Link and tried to speak through the cloth gag as tears flowed from her eyes.

Ghirahim drew his sword with his enchanted arm and pointed it straight at Ilia's heart.