Story Title: Our Wind Will Shake the Earth and Stars
Disclaimer: I don't own TP. I would've made it available on the Switch.
Author's Notes: A much longer wait than I expected on this one. Between work keeping me away, one chapter on another fic turning into three chapters, and family drama on parade, progress on this fic kept getting delayed. I had missed working on it and missed writing ShadLink in general. I'm feeling a little rusty, but all I need is the fic writer's equivalent of a big kitty stretch to get going again. Still, the chapter ended up shorter than what I prefer to do, but a lot happens so that evens it out.
Thanks for everyone who stuck around waiting and to everyone for reading.
Special thanks to hyrulesferalhero for commenting and to anyone who faved since the last chapter.
-o-
Chapter Thirteen: Rage Against the Dying Light
-o-
Shad could not recall the last time he had made camp out in the open in the eastern section of Hyrule Field. It had been one of the more dangerous locations to travel during the Shadow Invasion, what with the bulblin parading and patrolling about. Best time to travel had been the hottest portion of the day or late in the night when the foul creatures slept. Otherwise, it had been best to adhere to routes with plentiful coverage and hiding spots.
The Shadow Invasion was the closest to an official term for the period of time when the Dark King threatened Hyrule. The Dark Times were how the laypeople of Castle Town awkwardly referred to that time in polite conversation. Frankly, all talk of those days of seemingly endless night were avoided unless absolutely necessary. Shad wondered how future historians would look back on that stretch of time.
He wondered how history might look back on their actions.
Shad sighed, bringing emptiness rather than relief. Two Light Spirits gone, two left. Ordona had been an accident, an unintended consequence of a heated battle. Faron had been killed in self-defense. One might argue that all their clashes with the Light Spirits were in self-defense. Except, while neither Shad nor Link wanted to eliminate the Light Spirits, they were on their way to Eldin Province to face off against its namesake spirit. One could hardly claim self-defense if intention was present.
Shad laid his head on his bedroll and gazed at the stars above. How he had missed them in that world of fading twilight… Out here in the open sky and away from the city's braziers and fires, the multitude of stars were clearly visible. A band of light arced across the sky illuminating dark purple and blue star clouds. Nights like this were his favorite. He had spent many a night with his father stargazing. His father had often remarked how they couldn't see skies so clear like this in the city. And he was right.
If he and Link kept flying upward, how far might they reach? Would they see the stars for what they truly were? Where might they end up? In the Sacred Realm? Or perhaps the world of the Singers? Both were amusing to suppose, but impossible to achieve.
Then again, many things Shad thought impossible were happening with ease. It was hard to say what his frame of reference for the impossible was any more.
It was difficult to find rest when Shad's mind was convinced that the hawk spirit was going to appear at any moment and set the field ablaze. While all the Light Spirits were determined to stop Link, Eldin's attacks possessed a particular ferocity in comparison to the others, in Shad's opinion. Their wings did afford Eldin greater mobility and range than the other Spirits. None of their previous fights had been easy, not by any stretch of the imagination, however Shad was positive facing Eldin was going to be their most difficult battle yet.
And not a place a scholar should be.
Link was going to leave him somewhere to hide. Shad didn't blame him—it was the most logical and safest place for him. He was just a soft target if he rode on Link's back into the fray. What could the scholar do to assist Link in the fight? Throw rocks at Eldin's talons? As if he could throw a rock high enough. Shad just wanted to be more useful. When he had dreamed of adventure, he had thought that he would have more to contribute.
Link returned to their camp. He sat down by Shad's head and peered down at him. There was no particular expression on his face. He was simply watching.
"Oh, I'm just fretting, old boy. As if that is anything new," Shad explained.
Link laid his head down by Shad's. He sighed soulfully like a tired old dog.
"Are you fretting too?" Shad asked, a hint of amusement in his voice. "Well, you have every reason to."
The two of them gazed at the stars in silence. Shad's hands rested folded on his stomach. Shad hoped for a shooting star to wish upon, not that Link would be restored to humanity by the piddly magic of a star. All the stars falling at once, maybe. Shad was not going to rule out the possibility. By the end of their journey, the sky may very well fall.
I really should have more hope… the scholar thought, though it was not exactly in his nature. Hope for the best, but expect the worst, yes, with hope being his secondary response.
"We should warn the villagers. Give me some time to evacuate everyone before the fighting begins." Did Goron City need to be evacuated? Most likely, notably when he and Link sought for the Feather. There was no telling how much of Death Mountain was going to be left once they removed the linchpin. However, that was a whole other matter, a task farther on down the scholar's mental list. First was Eldin.
"You can defeat Eldin, can you, old boy?" Shad asked. Link's big, expressive eyes looked over at Shad and then back in front of him, conveying an uncertainty. It was a pointless question, Shad realized. If they were going to gain any progress, Link was going to have to defeat Eldin some way.
Knowing the importance of rest and mental preparation, Shad left Link alone for the rest of the night to do what ever it was he did before a big battle. Which appeared to be remaining by the scholar's side. Link's eyes were closed and remained closed all evening, and his breathing indicated that he was possibly sleeping at times.
Shad spent the night gazing into the stars and wondered if it was too late to discover what lay hidden within their dark clouds.
-o-
Kakariko Village had been a dry, dusty town famous for its healing hot springs in Shad's mind, but in recent months, it had seen a bit of a revival from its tragic days. A few new faces had taken up residence. Hanging baskets and wooden barrels filled with thriving flowers decorated the front of the inn, bringing a rare sight of greenery in the otherwise red clay-colored town. Two women had made a space to sell their handmade jewelry. A Goron was chatting about some pretty but inedible ore they might be interested in.
Shad made his way over to the Sanctuary, a large, rounded stone structure where Renado, the town shaman, and his daughter and assistant, Luda, worked. Shad had spent a good three weeks investigating the owl statue in their cellar, though his excavation had yielded nothing more beyond the statue itself and the broken sky cannon.
An austere man with unshakable faith in the Gods of Hyrule, Renado had tolerated Shad's discussion of the Oocca during his stay, but he had refused to amuse the speculation of their role in the creation of Hyrule. Luda, however, had treated his research as nothing more than a story with no real historical significance. At least, she had been curious to hear more of his findings—if nothing else, it was an interesting fairy tale during a time when visitors to the village had been few and far between.
Shad knocked on one of the Sanctuary doors. He knew that he wouldn't be heard inside, however it felt wrong to his sensibilities not to knock first. He cracked open the doors and greeted the room. Renado answered back and invited him inside. He was tending to a large fire between a large stone effigy of the Light Spirit Eldin. The four torches along the walls were all lit. The sweet scent of burning resin hung thick in the air, as smoke rose up and through an opening in the ceiling. Luda sat idly nearby atop one of the stone steps leading to the effigy. A basket of fresh and dried herbs and flowers laid next to her. Shad felt as if he had intruded on a ritual. He recalled the brazier in front of the stone effigy being much smaller during his previous visit.
"Good to see you, Shad. Have you come to investigate the owl statue in the cellar some more?" Renado asked, the friendliness in his expression and tone present but muted by his serious nature.
"Actually, I require your assistance. Both Link and I do," Shad said, approaching the center of the Sanctuary.
"Hmm..." Renado nodded in understanding, "so it has come to Kakariko."
"Yes," Shad said and then realized it was unclear to him as to what Renado referred to. "I mean...what might that be?"
"We have heard whispers in the wind of evil enshrouding the land once more. Link is here to prevent Kakariko Village from falling back into the Demon King's shadows, I presume?"
"Link is here to kill the Light Spirit," Luda said matter-of-factly.
Divine lightning would have shocked the shaman with less intensity than the look of utter disbelief on Renado's face. He swayed a bit, as unsteady on his legs as his reeling thoughts, as he tried to reclaim his stoic composure.
Luda was old enough to know better than to make light of serious matters. How she knew their intentions was a mystery Shad was keen on figuring out. Not that he had the time to.
"Have you both gone mad?" Renado asked, his deep voice dipping lower and growing cold.
Shad gulped down the lump of fear in his throat. He had known this outrage was coming—it was the sane reaction to such news—but he was never fully prepared to deal with confrontation. "I-It's a very long, complex story that we don't have time to fully delve into," Shad said quickly. "But, yes, that is what we are here to do."
Shad hastily stepped back as Renado marched toward him. "You would damn us to endless night and suffering once more? And for what?"
"Temporarily," Shad said, hands raised in a please-settle-down gesture. "Once Link is restored to human form, we'll figure out a means to restore the world."
Renado stared at him in slack-jawed disbelief. It hurt to see the wise man so utterly dumbfounded. He took three steps around Shad and then paused. "Neither of you have any idea what you're doing, and Kakariko and all of Hyrule will reap misfortune for your curiosities."
Renado wasn't wrong, and Shad did not disagree. They didn't know what they were doing. Not fully. Part of their ignorance was purposefully implemented by the Light Spirits themselves. Why all the secrecy? Why all the obstacles and confrontation? What had the Oocca done to deserve to be all but scratched out of existence?
"Yes, we don't know what we're doing. Every step of this journey has felt as if we are walking down a downward spiral staircase into madness, but it is the only path before us," Shad said. "Every alternative avenue we have sought out has brought us nothing."
"Then seek harder! There has to be other means than killing the Light Spirits," Renado said.
"Were there other means, do you believe we would be here now?" Shad said, finding the strength in his voice to counter Renado's. "The Light Spirits cursed Link, and only magic greater than theirs is that of the Goddesses. The Triforce of Power is in the hands of the Gods once more, or at the very least in a place beyond the reach of mortals. What say you think we should do?"
"If the Gods have cursed Link, then that is the will of the Gods," Renado said. "Clearly, the two of you are meddling in matters that should be left be."
Shad stared incredulously at the shaman. "It's Link. Do you not trust the Hero? Do you not trust the man who defeated the Demon King and saved Hyrule? We don't want to put anyone in danger, but there is something going on, and it is a wrong that needs to be righted, and the duty of the Hero is to make things right and whole again. ...Please, have faith in Link."
"I trust Link," Renado said. "But I will not trust a Hero that puts himself before the world or above the Gods."
The doors to the Sanctuary creaked. Shad and Renado turned to the sound. Link's head was visible in the doorway. His expression was downcast and timid, like a guilty dog caught ripping up the pillows.
"Is that the cursed beast?" Renado asked, awe lining his voice. Luda slid down from her seat on the stone steps.
"That is Link," Shad replied.
Link entered the Sanctuary slowly and with cautious steps. No doubt he had heard their raised voices and came to investigate. His wings lay folded tightly against his body. He kept his tail still. There was more than enough room for Link in the Sanctuary. And yet he had felt the need to guard himself and decrease his size. He was no doubt worried of their response to him in his unfamiliar and undoubtedly monstrous skin.
Renado looked over Link's new form, his expression awash with amazement. "Have you considered that this form is a blessing by the Gods?"
"Any form that is not Link's own is a curse," Shad said.
Link noticed Luda inching closer toward him. He perked up, managing a smile, and moved toward her. Luda sharply stepped back. Understanding well, Link stopped mid-step and lowered his head. He stilled his ruffling tail feathers.
Renado drew his hands into his bell sleeves. "Link, I believe it is best for Hyrule that you accept your fate."
"He did not ask for this!" Shad was not one for outbursts, yet he could not tamper down his disapproval.
"And yet this is his present state," Renado replied tersely. "Choices have consequences."
They were well enough aware of that already. Shad stood tense, his jaw clenched, trying to swallow the sharp words on the tip of his tongue. He knew they were asking a lot of Renado and yet very little. It was a lot to ask a man of the cloth to step aside and allow them to kill the patron provincial God, to cast the village and the Kingdom in shadow for a time. Shad didn't need to be told all the ways their plan was madness—he knew that already, a thousand times over. All they needed was Renado to have faith in Link, faith that Link would put the world back together when faith and hope seemed nonexistent.
After all, he had done it once already. In theory, it should be easier the second time, right?
Fierce rumbling shook the Sanctuary. Shad's first thought was that Barnes was testing a new formula, but as soon as Link, Renado, and Shad ran outside, they were consumed inside a dust storm blowing throughout the village. Hot, dry wind blustered against their ears, muffling the not-so-distant screams and shouts from the townsfolk and the Gorons. Decorative flag banners were ripped from their hooks. Hanging flower baskets were thrown and smashed against the ground. Link raced off toward the low roar of a wrathful Light Spirit come to clash. Shad and Renado retreated to the doorway of the Sanctuary.
"You need to evacuate the village," Shad shouted over the high winds, "and send word to the Goron to evacuate Death Mountain as well."
Renado nodded grimly in agreement and set out to gather the villagers for evacuation.
The raised fine hairs on the back of Shad's neck informed him to be cautious. Shad circled around. Luda was staring at him. There was a quiet anger in her dark eyes. The rest of her appeared otherwise emotionless. She was a bit of an odd bird at times, but this was peculiar even for her.
"You will die on this journey," she said and then calmly strutted out of the Sanctuary and into the turbulent dust storm, vanishing quickly in the shroud.
And then Shad was alone. He was the only one with nothing to do. He was better off running and hiding. He was not hiding.
Shad grabbed his monogrammed handkerchief, covered his nose and mouth, and raced down the main street. He wished he had his sand goggles. His jacket's high collar helped keep some of the flying dirt out, but some made its way inside his clothes. Minor irritations, he reminded himself.
It was difficult to discern Link and Eldin in the sky above through the whirling dust clouds with any clarity, but he saw their light pursuing and evading one another. They're like two gigantic fireflies dancing, Shad mused, however the humor was fleeting. Shad's hopes that reasoning would work on the third Light Spirit were a fool's folly. The Light Spirits were beyond reasoning. They had execution orders, and poor Link had never even been allowed a trial.
Villagers ran to pack horses and wagons with the essentials. A couple Goron had stayed behind to help load supplies into the caravan. Renado lead the evacuation—the orders being to head to Castle Town. Survivor accounts might say that on this day, the sun fell on Kakariko Village, and Shad agreed, as he watched Link and Eldin fall as a brilliant, burning mass of tangled talons and battering wings toward the center of the village.
The two separated mere feet from the ground, sending up a great and terrible wind that ripped up the canvas on several caravans, frightened the horses, and sent a few folks flying and crashing to the ground. Shad was lucky the post he had dove for and held onto had held steadfast.
Eldin fired off a straight a ray of light. Link avoided the beam with a sharp spiral. It blasted the roof of the original Malo Mart, setting what remained on fire. The scholar winced at the unnecessary damage. Eldin didn't appear to have any regard for the safety of the people that worshiped the Light Spirits. Did any of the Light Spirits? Eldin might very well raze the entire village if that was what it took to stop Link. Minor sacrifices for the good of the many.
The only building in the village that was just as dusty and ramshackle before the revival was Barnes' Bombs. Shad reached and then entered the shop. He was immediately struck by the smell of gunpowder, sulfur, and permeating body odor. The part of Shad intrigued by machines and industry found the smell alluring—the gunpowder, sulfur, and machine oil, not the body odor. However, in his heart were clear skies and green places, which were often consumed or ruined by advancing industry. He credited his father for fostering the juxtaposition.
Shad informed Barnes of the evacuation orders and that Link and Eldin were fighting in the sky above Kakariko Village. It was not a lie—Shad did omit the little detail of Link being a dragon, however. At the news, Barnes jumped and ran around his shop, throwing things and bits into pair of leather packs all the while muttering, "Not again, can't be doin' this again."
Strong wind rattled the tin sheet exterior of the bomb shop. Barnes assured the scholar that the metal base layer should keep the shop standing. Should.
"I don't know what's become of the ol' bird, but hopefully Link can calm the Light Spirit," Barnes said, as he unwrapped a leather tool roll. He cursed when he found several tools missing. Barnes started another frantic loop around his shop, looking for what wasn't there or a suitable replacement.
Brilliance struck Shad and thankfully not the hammer that came off its post in Barnes' haste and clamored against the workspace beside the scholar. "You're the fellow that assisted Auru with building his bomb launcher, correct? I say, top-notch work there. A solid advancement in the explosive arts."
Barnes grinned. "Heh, I may have added a few tweaks and balances, but it was mostly the old codger's design. I just provided the materials and workspace," he paused his search and then turned toward Shad. "Would you like to see something I've been workin' on? It's based on an ancient weapon used to fight some dark creature called the Impish One." Picking up on Shad's skepticism, Barnes shrugged. "I don't know... Auru found it in some old book."
While the scholar had his doubts on the translation of the creature's name, he was interested in seeing Barnes' project. He followed him up the metal steps to the second floor of the shop, an area that doubled as storage and his sleeping area. In the center of the metal grate floor was a clunky-looking object hidden under a patchwork sheet, oil-stained and aged a grimy yellow. Barnes removed the sheet with flourish and self-praise.
Underneath the sheet was a rudimentary iron catapult mounted on a wooden base with four medium-sized wagon wheels. A lever mechanism released the bucket, and a winch system provided the necessary tension. Frankly, it's simplicity was a thing of beauty. Barnes mentioned that it was a prototype at the moment. He had plans to increase its speed and range and improve its means of transportation.
Shad was crouched, admiring the mechanisms."Could I perhaps use your prototype to assist Link?"
Barnes stared at him quizzically. "Why ever would you want to throw bombs at Eldin for?"
"Well, they really couldn't harm Eldin all that much," Shad said, putting on a smile and a friendly tone. "It's a Light Spirit, and these are mortal weapons. They could merely stun Eldin at best, correct?"
"I guess so..." Barnes said, rubbing his chin. "Never tested my bombs on Light Spirits."
"No time like the present to find out," Shad said cheerily, as he stood up and wheeled out the contraption toward the backdoor and outside onto the hill above the shop. Barnes walked out with him. He was sputtering his words, failing to find the right ones to stop Shad from "borrowing" his catapult. Not that the scholar heard much of what he was saying over the wind blustering in his ears.
Any sort of protest from the bomb shop owner stopped when Barnes saw what no doubt appeared to be Eldin and a monster fighting and no Link in sight. The fire started on Malo Mart's roof had spread to Elde Inn. Barnes' mouth hung open, and to his luck, he stood counter to the wind so no sand or dirt flew in. The fellow would've drowned himself otherwise. Or in the very least scratched and desiccated his mouth to bits.
Shad familiarized himself with the wheel locks. Timing and quick maneuvering was going to be priority. "You should evacuate with the others. The caravan should be leaving any second."
Barnes nodded slowly and then ran hastily, his leather packs jangling against his body, back inside the shop.
The scholar tied his handkerchief around his face to cover his mouth and nose. He took a deep breath. It did not steady his nerves. He felt his heart beating in his ears. He knew this was madness, however nothing in the world made much sense anymore. If his father were here to see this, he'd enjoy the rush and uncertainty of it all. He had lived for this sort of thing. Shad hoped not to die for it.
With a collection of bombs nearby and more inside the shop, Shad placed one unlit bomb into the bucket and started running the math in his head. Shad's own arms were useless, but perhaps with a bit of artillery, he could do more during the fight than simply hide.
-o-
Link had thought they had more time. Time to evacuate with the villagers before the fight. Time for Shad to flee with the evacuating villagers. But Eldin had shown up, and with its arrival, the Light Spirit had summoned a great dust storm and small tornadoes to whip through the village. Link had little other choice but to race out and meet Eldin's challenge.
And so their fight began. He moved quickly from the ground to the air. Link was less confident of his fighting skills in the air, but he had watched Rusl's hawk protect the cuccos from wild hawks plenty of times. He missed those summer afternoons watching the circling hawks in the sky with Rusl, the two of them talking as he eyed the rogue hawks' behavior, the whiny whistle of the hawk grass, and Rusl's victorious laugh as the birds scattered.
Every memory of Ordon poured loss into his hollow bones, weighing him down and slowing his movements. Now was not the time for mourning. A wandering mind mid-battle meant death.
Link tried over and over to lure their flight away from the village, but Eldin was determined to keep Kakariko Village their battlefield. Eldin fired light attacks at the shops and homes, setting what remained on fire or destroying buildings outright. Villagers screamed, their fear unmistakeable. Kakariko Village was burning. Eldin's attacks made no sense to Link. Why was the Light Spirit refusing to move away from the village? Why was Eldin putting the villagers in danger? The people of Kakariko Village, their friends, didn't deserve to be thrown into their fight. It wasn't right to harm them to punish Link for defying the Light Spirits' demands.
Link and Eldin were evenly matched in both speed, power, and damage. He knew to focus on the light orb in the hawk's talons, but Eldin guarded it well. Link still didn't know what all his dragon form was capable of. He had his teeth and claws, yes, and he also had that strange ability that gave him an incredible boost in speed and engulfed him in an aura of white-blue flames, but he had never used it as an attack before.
The surviving Kakariko wagon train was finally out on Hyrule Field. Thankfully, Eldin let them go. Link lunged toward the hawk spirit. Movement in the corner of his eye caught his attention. A stray cucco? No, too large. Link looked over and saw Shad on a ridge with a machine. Link had flown by too quickly to get a good look at what the machine was, but the scholar was up to something. Shad was brilliant, yes, but this was too dangerous for the scholar. He should have left with the others. Why hadn't he left? Now was not the time for experiments!
Link and Eldin collided into another struggle of wings and claws. Eldin snapped its beak at Link's neck, but he dodged its bite. Link kicked Eldin away and distanced himself. Which was fortunate that he had as a large bomb collided with Eldin and exploded. The hawk spirit screaked in pain and shock, the sound short but shrill enough to scrape Link's eardrums. Eldin's wings dropped, and the stunned Light Spirit started falling. Link knew an opening when he saw one.
Link drew his wings forward and together. The white-blue ball of light formed in front of his eyes and expanded into a ring he soared through. White-blue flames surrounded his body, and he rocketed toward Eldin. Already, the Light Spirit was recovering, regaining control over its wings and reorientating itself in the sky. Shad's bomb was just enough of a distraction to get Link within range.
With claw and flame, Link struck the light orb in Eldin's talons. White-blue flames consumed the orb. Liquid strands of light flung into the air and unraveled. Hot embers followed the flow of the Light Spirit's energy throughout its body. The embers slowed and became white-blue spots that burned away and left holes and curled edges like charred paper throughout the hawk spirit's body.
Eldin plummeted to the ground, landing with a hard crash and an explosive burst of wind. It struggled to stand, but it rapidly enveloped its wings around its critically-damaged core. The white-blue flames extinguished from his body, Link landed across from Eldin. Even in its severely-weakened state, he was wary to approach the hawk spirit.
The Light Spirit's chest heaved laboriously for each puff of air. So much of the Spirit was gone, it was difficult to recognize that it was once a hawk. "Hero chosen by the Gods, I die knowing that Hyrule is safe once more. What damages you have already inflicted will be the last. Your fool's journey ends here and now."
Its remaining corporeal body disintegrated into small wisps of light that soared off toward Death Mountain. Shad joined Link in watching the swirling formation take shape around the volcanic mountain. A thousand points of light burned bright white-gold and then compressed into smaller red glints. A deep carnelian crystal formed from the adjoining points of light covering the entirety of Death Mountain.
The scholar gasped and covered his hand over his mouth. Link didn't know what this barrier meant, but he guessed it wouldn't bode well for their journey.
Only the broken core was left. It looked like runny, raw egg hovering a foot off the ground. A dusty wind wrapped around the light blob. It shaped it and dried it out until it formed the third Shard of Forfeited Light. Shad collected it with no fanfare. Neither of them felt like celebrating. This didn't feel like a victory.
After putting out the fires throughout Kakariko Village, the two of them trudged up the road leading to Goron City and Death Mountain. They quickly reached the barrier at the top of the hill.
"Heavens! What is the point of this now?" Shad tentatively raised his hand and pressed it against the crystal. His hand phased through as if the crystal were nothing more than red light.
Link had known better than to touch the crystal, but he did it anyway. After all, there was a small chance that touching the barrier was harmless. But it never was for Link.
Link touched the barrier with his right claw. Carnelian-colored lightning shot out from the barrier. It spiraled around Link, trapping him in a vortex of burning pain. Try as he might, he couldn't remove his claws from the barrier.
Shad pushed his bodyweight against him. Bolts of lightning zapped Shad but did not wrap around him. Still, he screamed. Link heard his screams. Link could handle the pain. Shad's screams, however, enraged him. How petty and vindictive were the Light Spirits to punish Shad for simply helping him?
Shad frantically dug his nails and fingers in and wedged them underneath Link's claws. Finally, he broke Link's contact, and the two of them fell backwards onto the ground and away from the barrier.
Link was quickly back up and checked on Shad. The scholar was laying on his back. He was breathing deep, slow breaths. Link stuck his snout in his face and breathed out a hot puff of air. He hadn't meant to. Shad opened his eyes halfway and flashed a weak smile. He slowly raised his hand and patted Link's snout.
"Are you all right, old boy?" He sounded a little woozy.
Link sniffed and nudged and licked Shad's face and hands. He was unconvinced that the scholar was okay.
He laughed. "Really, I'm fine. It just stung like the dickens is all," Shad assured him.
Groaning, Shad sat up with Link's assistance. Link didn't know if Shad had actually needed his help, but it was given nonetheless. Shad gazed up at the barrier.
"I wonder if I should be insulted that Eldin saw no reason to prevent me from crossing the barrier. Clearly, they don't consider me a threat." It was unlikely that Shad would collect the rest of the Feathers by himself from here on out, but it wasn't impossible. Small chances were still chances.
"I say, change of plans," Shad announced, rising to standing and brushing off the dirt from his trousers and backside. "We'll finish what we started with Lanayru and deal with this mess once we've made you right once more. Sound good, old boy?"
Link nodded solemnly. He wasn't feeling enough enthusiasm to wag his tail. He was in need of healing and rest. Time in the hot springs sounded nice, if they weren't all dried up.
They headed back to Kakariko Village. Link followed Shad as the scholar walked down the short road that lead to Hyrule Field. The two gazed out across the shadowed land. The light drained from Eldin Province. Darkness seeped from from the earth's gaps and crevasses and stretched out to meet one another out in the wide open. The black and lavender clouds roiled and burned away. In the far horizon was the deep burnt copper boundary line. The air tasted faintly metallic, like iron and blood.
"Strange, I was never able to view the world in darkness the first time. Dare I say there's a serene beauty to it… Must be the Shards or the Feathers keeping me corporeal." Shad peered down at Link. "Or is it your light protecting me?" He gave the feathers on Link's head a friendly tousle. It was such a good feeling Link mustered up enough joy to flutter his tail feathers.