Chapter 22: It's a Violent and Terrifying World
Navi rested atop his ocarina, while they both watched the sun rise over the wide fields of Hyrule.
"A bit more clouds this morning than I'd like," Link said. Though even with a clear sky the view could not compare to what it had been atop the barn of Lon Lon Ranch.
"There are," Navi agreed. And that was it. Nothing more to add, nothing else to say. She had been like that since they left Castle Town. Link wasn't even certain if she was really watching the sunrise. She barely spoke since they left the city, only telling him to avoid traveling on the roads before she hid herself in the ocarina. And sometimes when things were quiet, he thought he heard her crying.
"But I still like the color," Link tried once more to talk to her. But Navi didn't say anything. Not knowing what else to do, Link opened his rucksack and pulled out some dried pork for breakfast.
The pack had been a gift from the princess, along with the food inside. Both of which he was very thankful for. Not only did it make carrying everything easier, but now the Emerald wouldn't bounce against while he walked and smack into his thigh every few steps. As to the princess herself, that was a strange girl. Not bad, but stiff. He got the feeling she didn't really know how to talk to other kids all too well. But she seemed a good friend to have. She was smart, maybe a bit impressed with herself, but smart was good in a friend.
And she hated Ganondorf near as much as he. Mutual hatred wasn't the best way to start a friendship but was something. He would get her to loosen up a bit later.
The dried pork didn't taste as good as the cake at the festival. But overall, he preferred it out here. A few weeks away from the city, and he could still feel the crowds pressing in around him. How anyone enjoyed it, he'd never know. Sure, parts of the festival had been fun. Not to mention the delicious food. And Malon…
But he needed to be out in the fresh air. Where everything didn't cost those silly rupees. Just him, his mission, and Navi. That's all he really needed.
"So," he tried once more. "Anything you want to talk about?"
"No," Navi said. "Actually, I'm a little tired. I might just go back to sleep."
"Whatever you need." He hoped not to hear her crying again.
He didn't blame her, he wasn't completely stupid. He could tell how weak she'd gotten away after leaving the forest. She hadn't truly recovered from the spider or regained her strength after healing Epona. And now that their mission changed? It wasn't a surprise that she took it hard.
Perhaps he could do something for her to show how much he appreciated all her help. All she sacrificed. But for the life of him, he could not think of what to do. Years of living with fairies and he never thought about what they needed or wanted. They raised and protected the Kokiri, but they only ever asked to be listened to and obeyed. Not to break the rules or cause trouble. And Link had never been good at that. Sure every fairy had their quirks, Junmi loved listening to music and watching the children dance. Yulyu enjoyed the smell of fresh-cut grass and flowers.
But Navi? Maybe if he knew her better. But in the village Navi spent most of her time with the Great Deku Tree. Of all the fairies she spent most time away from the children, or working on something important. She rarely took part in the telling of stories, or the playing of music. Really the first thing he'd discovered she liked was watching the sunrise. And that didn't work.
Though, now that he thought back to it. She had always taken time for him. When she stopped by the village between whatever important business she attended, she always found him and asked how he faired. At the time, he took it for pity, or just checking up on the troublemaker, making certain he wasn't going to cause a problem. But now? He didn't know.
Link picked himself off the ground and reattached the ocarina to his belt. Navi already crawled inside.
"Remember," she said. "Stay off the roads. We don't want to attract attention."
"I know, I know," he said.
For the next several miles of walking it was only him and his thoughts on how to cheer Navi up. Perhaps if he painted her a sunset? That would show her that he cared and would give her something pretty to look at.
Of course, he had no paints, nothing to paint on, and there would be no way to do it while he marched every day. So that wasn't going to work.
Then he thought about trying to get another magic item from somewhere. Something to make her feel stronger. But the only magic item he could think of was the Ruby. He could try asking the various farmers and townsfolk he passed if he could have any magic items they had. But he was pretty certain they'd just say no. Which means if he was going to get anything from them, he'd have to take it. And he was not going to become a thief. Well, except those scrolls. But that didn't count.
Just bad plans on top of bad plans, really. He should have asked the Princess for more magic items. How dumb could he be?
"Link," Navi's light came out of the ocarina, her voice strained. "Link we need to move."
"What? Why?" Link stopped and looked around him. There was nothing around but the occasional tree and the rolling hills and mounds of grass. Then he realized that he had done exactly the opposite of what Navi had asked him and started moving again.
"There's magic nearby. I can feel it."
"Isn't that good? Maybe they could help?"
"No! Magic can be dangerous, head to your left."
"But the road is that way. I thought we were avoiding it?"
"We'll just have to take it for now, until we get away from whatever is causing that magic."
He wasn't going to argue with her. Just glad that it got her talking, even if it was about the dangers of unknown magic. He made a steady pace toward the road.
A noise came from off in the distance. Not to the side of the road where Navi felt magic, but before them. Which wasn't altogether unusual, they passed the last little farming village about a day ago. Now would be about right to pass another.
But he heard another noise, something like a scream. Much lower than any voice he heard before, and gravelly. Link ran toward the noise, his hand on the hilt of his sword.
"What's that?" Navi called from inside the ocarina.
"I don't know," Link said.
"Maybe we shouldn't be running toward it," Navi said. "Link, don't run from one danger to another!"
But someone was in trouble. The voice screamed again. He reached the road and saw a cart. At the front, one of those massive stone creatures that Malon called Gorons frantically moved about. Around it, three shapes dashed around. They were smaller and green. They looked like oversized geckos that held spears and swords.
"Lizalfos," Navi said. "Oh, certainly, Princess. The roads are completely safe. The enemy are all in the high places."
The lizardmen attacked the Goron, swinging in, stabbing with their weapons then jumping back before the Goron could respond. Though the stoneman had strong arms and a stout body, this one didn't look like a warrior. He frantically swung his fists, not landing a single hit.
"Let's go," Navi said. "There's nothing we can do for him. You don't need to see this."
Link did not even stop to consider her words. The next thing he knew he held his unsheathed sword and ran over the road screaming a wordless warcry as he went. Foolish, he knew it was foolish. As Navi yelled at him, he didn't think she understood. He knew how insane this was, but it didn't matter.
The Goron was in trouble. And he wasn't going to these monsters kill someone that he could help.
Still, next time, he wouldn't shout. He decided on that when before he even halfway reached the fight the Lizalfos turned and saw him. They hissed to each other, and one leaped toward Link while the others continued to assault the Goron.
The creature practically flew, landing between Link and the cart. By the Goddesses, he did not know they could leap that far.
Link skidded to a stop and pointed his sword at the creature, the weapon shaking in his hand.
"Link," Navi pleaded. "This is our last chance, get out of here."
But it was already far too late for that. The lizardman dropped down to all fours scurrying at him. Link barely had time to lift his blade when the Lizalfos reared up and smashed downward with his saber.
The force of the blow almost knocked him over, and though he managed to stay on his feet his sword rang nearly out of his hand. The creature wheeled back its blade for another strike. With a grunt, Link rotated his shoulders and his shield swung around so he could grab it.
Again, the saber came down, and the Deku shield rose to meet it. A chip of wood burst out as the blade cut into the shield's rim. The creature hissed as it pulled at its sword, now wedged in the wood. Link left the ground, as he gripped the shield with all his might.
The Lizalfos shook his sword, causing Link's feet to shake and knock together. His weight must have been too much for the lizard to hold for long, as he touched back to the ground. The sword still stuck in the shield. As he regained his footing, Link did not hesitate. He swung his sword, the image of the how the knights cast out their blade in his mind, and his body followed. The steel cut into the lizardman's arm. The monster screamed and fell back, tripping on its own tail.
The saber still attached down the shield, its added weight making it almost too heavy to use. Link tried to shake it free, as the monster hissed and writhed on the ground. Up the road, the Goron hunched over, trying to shield itself with his massive stony arms, no longer trying to fight back. Link needed to reach him now.
He swung the shield down, the grip of the saber struck the ground. The blade took another chunk of wood with it, but it dislodged. He gave one last glance at the wounded Lizalfos, still clutching at the bleeding mess where its arm used to be. Unarmed and no longer a danger to him, no reason to kill it. Perhaps without an arm to swing a sword it would do something else with its life. He hoped so, at least.
He bolted toward the Goron and the other two Lizalfos. This time he didn't scream, he went fast and quiet. They were too focused on torturing the Goron with the prodding of spear and the slashing of sword. The stone skin of the Goron chipped away, until it cracked and blood spilled from his shoulders and arms.
Link leaped at the nearest lizard, pushing his weight behind his shield as he slammed into the creature. The Lizalfos sprawled away, leaving Link to tumble into the dirt. He landed hard on his knees, and pushed himself back to his feet. Thankfully his attack had worked, the Lizalfos he struck crunched into the other and they fell into a heap of flailing weapons, arms, and tails.
"Come on!" Link shouted to the Goron. "Get up we can fight them off."
The Goron peaked out from behind its massive arms. Its face contorted into a mask of pain and fear. Its eyes barely took notice of Link. Did he even hear what Link said?
"Free!" the stone man shouted. "Flee!"
"What? No!"
But it was too late. The Goron pushed himself to his feet, jumped into the air and tucked its head down, its stubby feet in, and wrapped its massive arms around itself. It landed so hard, Link thought it would shatter the ground. But the momentum carried the stoneman forward and it rolled away. Leaving its cart and Link behind.
Link wanted to shout at the creature to help him fight to not be a coward. But the Goron moved fast, and the tumbling grinding of his stone body against the ground would have drowned out his shout regardless.
"Follow him!" Navi shouted. "Run, Link, run!"
But it was too late for that. The two Lizalfos untangled themselves and sprang to their feet, weapons in hand.
Am I really going to fight for a cart? It isn't even my cart. The Goron even abandoned it. He had been willing to fight to save an innocent Goron, but a cart was a step too far.
Link kept his sword pointed toward the two lizards. "Let's make this the end of it. You let me leave, and you can have whatever is in the cart. Fair?"
One of the Lizalfos stepped toward Link and opened its mouth wide and roared. Then the one beside it roared as well.
"Fair?" Link asked again, his voice a squeak.
The two charged at Link.
"No!" Navi shouted. A blue speck shot from the ocarina and rushed toward the Lizalfos. She stopped before their eyes and tried to glow, the same thing she had done with the spider.
But now she moved too slow and her light was nowhere near as bright. The Lizalfos ran past her, they might not have noticed her at all. It would be up to Link then. Well. He could do it. He could beat them. He hoped.
He put the cart to his back, so the Lizalfos could not easily get around him. The one with the spear thrust its weapon first. It scratched against the shield but slid off past Link's shoulder.
Lunging forward, Link struck at the spear-lizard's arm, like he had with the first opponent. But the spear proved too long, and he could not reach near close enough. Before he could do anything else the other lizard with a sword lashed at him. The first Link managed to block with the shield. But the second he needed to parry just to keep up.
Before he could even think of a counter attack against that Lizalfos, the spear came at him again. No way to block it, Link dived back. His rucksack smashed into the cart, and the force went up his spine. Why am I still wearing it? He fell to his knees, catching himself on his forearms.
The sword-lizard wasted no time and struck. But the blade struck the rucksack and smashed into something hard. Two more strikes and the sound of something tearing filled his ears.
Link screamed as he pushed himself forward, scrambling between the sword wielding Lizalfos' legs. The creature screeched and tried to stomp on him. Link bound forward and swung out with his blade before he got out from behind the creature's tail.
The edge nicked the Lizalfos' leg. The monster screeched and fell to its knees. Link did not hesitate any further, he thrust the blade forward and stabbed the lizard in its back. The monster's scream cut short as it fell to the ground. Link pulled his sword from the creatures back. Navi shouted something he could not understand, but he looked up to try and see her.
Instead, he saw a spear.
He lifted the shield to knock the spear aside. And it worked. Almost. The point missed Link's chest but pierced deep into Link's forearm. The spearpoint cut up and out, leaving a bloody wound over his arm.
Link let out a breath of pain. His sword drooped and almost fell from his fingers. "Oh." he said as the lizard jumped back away from him and readjusted its spear.
He tried to lift his sword, but his left arm wasn't moving.
The Lizalfos charged, Link lifted his shield. If he got within the spear, maybe he could do something? But how? With only his shield there was little chance of ending the fight quick. He focused on the Lizalfos' arms the way it moved as it thrust. The spear extended from its hand, reaching toward Link. His shield caught it, let it scratch over the shield. Link took one step forward and tried once more to lift his sword.
Too slow. Too weak. His arm barely lifted before the lizard spun around, slamming its tail into Link's side.
The air burst from Link's lungs, his feet left the ground. For a moment he flew, before his body toppled over and slammed into the dirt. Pain sprung through his side and the back of his head as he gasped and choked, trying to fill his lungs. His mouth was wet with the iron taste of blood.
A shadow loomed over him. Link's eyes tried to focus as the lizard's head took shape, its tongue flicking the air. Its mouth opened and it gave a cluck, again and again. It was laughing at him. Link worked his fingers. He must have dropped his shield when he took the hit. But he still somehow kept hold of his sword in his wounded arm. Little good it would do him there.
Link tried to push himself away from the creature. But his limbs slid in the dirt, and he didn't move. The lizard lifted its foot and pressed it down on Link's chest, grinding him into the ground. More of that chortling clucks and hisses. Pressing, harder and harder. It's claws piercing as needles into Link's skin.
He screamed as something popped in his side, then another on the other side. The Lizalfos raised its spear.
Link ground his teeth, trying to get his arm to move. Trying to get that sword to swing. But it was too late, the spear came for him. He hoped that Goron reached safety.
"AAAAHHHHHH!" Navi shot over the Lizalfos' head, her light barely a blue speck. She soared at the Lizalfos' face, pulling at its nose. Then she reached for his eyelid and yanked it wide scratching at the creature's eyeball.
The pressure on his chest relieved. The lizard swung at his face, trying to wipe the fairy away.
Now! Link rolled out from under his opponent. The clawed foot of the Lizalfos slid off him, drawing blood from his side. With his good arm he grabbed the sword and spun back around swinging the blade with all his might.
The edge caught the lizard in the leg. It sunk deep. Hot blood poured over Link's hand as the Lizalfos toppled over, screeching. The spear jutted in the air, flailing as the creature hit the ground.
Link pushed the grip of his sword into the ground, raising himself just far enough to land on the creature's remaining leg. With hand and elbow he climbed on top of the thrashing monster. The pole of the spear smashed into his back, then again. But his entire body hurt now, what was a little more?
He got the creature's chest, for a moment he locked eyes with the monster. One of them bloodshot from Navi's assault. It snarled and raised its clawed hand toward Link.
Link stabbed. The blade plunged through the creature's ribs. The monster's claw reached him, but the hand landed on his head. All fight and energy gone. The creature's head slumped back then rolled to the side.
"Link," Navi flew to him, strangely breathless. "Link are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," he said as he got to his feet. He felt so cold. He looked to the wound in his arm, it was soaked and stained red. He was really bleeding a lot. That wasn't good. "I'm fine." He said again, though this time he did not know who he was trying to fool. Something wet dripped down the side of his face. He hoped it was sweat.
He looked around the battlefield. I won. That sense of pride and joy that happened after he defeated the spider filled him. He could do this. He could be the great hero he always dreamed he could be. He had saved the Goron. Of course, he'd hoped other people he'd save would be a little more grateful, but still! He had fought three Lizalfos and won.
Then he took a step forward, and near toppled over. His knees buckled beneath him. He tried to wave his arms to steady himself, but his wounded arm did not move at all. Somehow managing to stay upright.
By the Goddesses, he felt cold.
"Link," Navi said, her voice almost a moan. "Look."
He staggered about, until he saw what she was talking about. The first Lizalfos he faced; his missing arm now wrapped in a red-stained tourniquet of torn cloth. His saber now held in his remaining left hand. Just as Link now held his sword in his right.
The lizard hissed, its tongue darting out tasting the air. Its eyes locked with Link's, before it looked to its two compatriots lying at Link's feet.
Navi flew in front of Link, placing herself between him and the last of the monsters. What was she planning on doing, exactly? She couldn't fight it. But then, he wasn't certain if he could either.
With all the strength he could muster, he lifted his sword and pointed it at the one-armed Lizalfos. "I already beat you once." He tried to sound threatening, but even he could tell his voice sounded weak. But his good arm held steady, and that would have to be threat enough.
The creature's tongue lashed out once more. It didn't move, as it thought. Link did not know how long he could hold his sword upright.
The Lizalfos gave a deep rumbling purr and seemed to have reached a decision. It slunk to the ground and slithered away.
Link's arm fell to his side, and his sword clattered to the ground. He'd done it. He felt like laughing. He felt like crying in relief. But mostly he felt tired and cold. He'd done it. He was still alive.
"Well, see?" Link said to Navi. "It all worked out."
The fairy flew to him, why did she look so blurry? She started to say something, she was scolding him. He recognized that tone from a hundred mistakes he'd made in the past. But the words didn't quite fit together. Did something get in his ears?
"Link!" Navi shouted.
Why did she fly so much higher all of a sudden? Or was he on his knees? Why had he done that?
"I'm fine, really." He was so cold. He just needed to shut his eyes. Only for a moment.
"Link!" Navi screamed again in his ear. And that was the last thing he heard.