Chapter 59: The Silent Guardian
Link set down the pail and stretched his hand. The walk to reach the Path of the Guardian was not too long, only a couple miles. But carrying a steel bucket filled to the rim with fish the whole time made his fingers ache. He was all too happy to set it down when the soldiers behind the barricade forced Miashir and him to stop.
"Are there any problems, watchman?" Miashir addressed the soldier.
The guardsman's head peaked out through an opened square latch carved from the top of the wall of stone and wood. The barricade filled the entire tunnel, from top to bottom with nothing but that small hole to see through. At first, Link thought the Zora must be a giant, since his head stood ten feet high, at least. Only when the man wiggled halfway through the hole to reach down and take a note from Miashir, did Link realize he must be standing on a platform.
"Give me a moment," the guard muttered as he glared at the seaweed paper. His lips moved as he read. His sharklike eyes lifted once he finished, and found Link and Miashir. Link looked away, and hoped the guard could not see how ill at ease he felt. What if it didn't work? Miashir assured him it would, but Link didn't know how these kings and lords wrote their letters. Princess Zelda had used some strange seal on the one she had given to him. She pressed a little ring into hot wax and left a small symbol of three triangles with wings beneath them.
Miashir had done the same with this letter, but what if he did something wrong? What if the wax was the wrong color, or he picked the wrong symbol to put in it? Or who knows what other problems may occur from the process?
What if the guard simply smelled the lie on them? Would Link and Miashir need to fight their way inside? Could they get through the barricade? Maybe if he crawled up fast he could get through the hole before the guard realized what was happening. He could fit, he was certain, but not with the guard's face in the way.
"Leradon," the watchman called over his shoulder. "Put your brush down and get over here."
A huff and shuffling noise came from behind the barricade.
"No don't rush," said the soldier. "Take your time."
"I'm moving, aren't I?" Came a nasally high-pitched voice. "What is it?"
"Take a look at this." The head of the Zora soldier ducked out of sight. "Does this look right to you?"
As the sound of crinkled paper reached them, Link glanced at Miashir. He did not look any more comfortable than Link. He was sweating. Or maybe, that was just the water in the air pooling on his skin. Everything was so damp here. It had been nice when he had fished for food while waiting to get into the palace. But now it just made his clothes cling to him.
"This doesn't make any sense."
Link reached for his sword. Only the Captain's slight shake of his head made him take his hand off the hilt.
"I know it doesn't make any sense, I'm well aware it doesn't make any sense."
"Then why did you call me over?"
"What are we doing?" Link whispered.
"Waiting."
"But it's not working."
Miashir lifted his finger to his mouth to shush him.
"I want you to tell me if that looks right!"
"Watchman," Captain Miashir said. "Are you saying you do not trust the king's own seal?"
The guard's head popped back up. "You hold on. I'm trying to figure out if that's what I'm looking at." He turned to look down at whoever was with him. "Well, is it?"
"I think so. It looks like the king's seal. See it has the fish over the-"
"I know what the seal looks like. But can you tell if it's fake or anything? And what do you make about the signature?"
"I don't have the king's signature memorized. It's a signature, what do you want from me?"
"Aren't you an artist? You paint all day can't you tell if the stroke of the pen is the right way or … something."
"Lieutenant," came the exasperated nasal voice after a moment, "you don't know anything about painting."
"If you two have finished," Miashir said, "I have given an order from the king. His Majesty expects it to be obeyed."
"And we recognize that, Captain," the Zora's head reappeared through the hole. "It's strange, is all. The king gave us orders not to let anyone through. And well, I can understand him sending a captain of his guard, such as yourself. But alone? No support but a small Hylian child? I can't reason why."
"I'm here because I'm a messenger," Link said. "From… my king to help. With this… thing." That didn't sound convincing at all.
The guard frowned and looked back to Miashir. "And how does a child messenger fit into all of this again?"
Miashir's eyes fell hard on Link. They had gone over what he was supposed to say. Why was it so hard to lie and be convincing? "He is more than just a messenger."
"Yes," Link swallowed and tried again. "I am one of the few people in all Hylia with knowledge of the great guardians and the sacred gems they hold. You know of the Lord's Jewel, the Will of the Waters do you not?"
That worked better. Invoking the name of the Sapphire made the guard narrow his eyes. But he still did not open the barricade to him. Link was so close! There must be something more to do or say. Some way to convince the watchmen to let him through. What would the princess do when she was ordering people about? She had a way about her, a voice used to making commands and having others follow them. Or Bethe and Nabooru, when they ordered their soldiers. They all had a similar manner, a means of holding themselves which told everyone else they were not to be argued with. Link drew himself to his full height, which, did not make him near tall enough to his mind. But any bit would help. "I do not want to do with, Lieutenant, but I feel you've given me no choice. What is your name?"
"My name? Why?"
"As I said, I am a representative of the King of the Hylians. By not letting me in, you're disobeying not just your king but mine as well. And he will not like that. Not at all." It wasn't perfect. How would the others have phrased that? They'd probably use big, impressive words. But those were the best he had. No way to correct that now, he locked eyes with the guard and set his jaw.
"Very well," the soldier shook his head. "Leradon, go open it up for them."
"You're closer."
"Just get them! Useless."
There came a shuffling sound, and the wooden section of the wall was pulled away. The planks revealed a gap between the massive stones. Oh. We could have gotten through that.
"Well come on then," said a new Zora that Link figured to be Leradon. He did not look like much of a soldier. With a thin humanlike head and great fins drooping over the side of his face as if they were long hair. His fingers were long, but instead of the callouses so common among the Gerudo, they were covered in paints.
Link hid his smile as he picked the bucket back up and walked beside Miashir to the other side of the barricade. Four Zora were on the other side; the lieutenant and Leradon, and also two others sleeping away from the wall.
Leradon put the wooden planks back into place. Beside them were three heavy stones. Grooves on the ground told Link they were meant to be rolled behind the wood to seal it shut and prevent anyone from forcing their way in. But Leradon did not bother to put them in place.
"Aren't you on duty?" Link asked as the soldier sat down beside several pots filled with paint and an easel. Weapons, presumably Leradon's own, lay in a heap further down the narrow path.
"What of it?" Leradon wiped his hands on his breastplate, leaving a new splotch of colors. Nabooru would have skinned him alive if she saw one of her own do that. And Bethmasse would have done worse, she'd have made the painter drink their painting first.
"Nothing," Link muttered as he passed him. "It's very good." That much was true. The soldier worked on the image of a crab that looked so lifelike it could have jumped off the page and pinched someone.
Link stuck close to Miashir as they left the barricade behind them and moved through the tunnel. He stopped only a moment when they passed the two sleeping soldiers, who also had their weapons strewn about in a pile, rust clearly eating away at the edges of their swords and spears.
"I don't get it," Link muttered when they were away from the group.
"What's that now?" Miashir asked.
"None of your soldiers seem like soldiers."
Miashir glanced back toward the troupe. "Do they not?"
"I don't know, I've lived with soldiers before. And well, they can be rowdy and silly, and they can definitely get some sleep when they want it. But, I don't know, they all just seem so undisciplined."
"The Zora army was always like this. I bet half of our forces don't even know how to hold their weapons."
"What? Then why would anyone want to be a soldier?" Imagine having those swords and spears and shields all around and not even wanting to swing them about? It didn't make sense.
"Most probably don't, not truly. They want a cozy job that's easier than being a shopkeeper. And some are wastrel sons of wealthy families forced to join to get some discipline in their life."
"But they don't have any discipline."
Miashir shrugged.
"How do you fight then? In a war?"
"We haven't. Not for many, many years. The Gerudo only attacked our lands once during the last war, and Lord Jabu-Jabu turned them away from us, as he did all our old enemies." Miashir frowned and glared at the ground while they walked.
Link swapped the pail of fish to his other side, reached out, and took Miashir's hand in his own. The guard stopped and gave him a confused look.
"We're going to fix it."
"I hope so, Link."
"I'm glad you aren't like them. You care." Link smiled at the soldier.
But Miashir did not smile back, if anything he looked more ashamed.
"When I was little," Link said, as they continued down the path, "Navi would tell me that our mistakes don't matter. Only that we fix them."
"That's your fairy?"
"Yep! She's so smart. You'd like her, she could make sense of everything that was going on. It's all a little bit too big for me, sometimes."
"Little wonder that. It's hard to believe half the stories you told me the last few days. Were you anyone else, I'd think you a liar."
"I'm not!"
"I know, Link." This time the smile did reach his eyes. Just for a moment, but it would have to be enough.
They would fix everything. Whatever happened they would not leave until Lord Jabu-Jabu was back on the side of the Zora and acting as their protector again. He was a guardian; he must want to guard his people. They just needed to figure out what had changed.
The path through the tunnels was old. How old, Link could not say. The solid stone on the ground was grooved, shaped by the weight of centuries of footsteps all seeking the guardian. How long does it take to trample down stone? Hundreds of years at least.
Much like the Crystal City, artwork covered the walls. But not the paintings and frescos of vivid and elegant shapes that mirrored nature. The art within the tunnel was carved into the rocks and some looked near as worn down as the path itself. Those that still held their shape depicted streams and fish and Zora. Flecks of paint clung to some of the work higher from the floor, but most of the stone stood plain, the color wiped away by the waters.
The tunnel twisted and angled upward. Link saw sunlight peak below one massive final engraving of a gargantuan fish-thing. Perhaps a whale? It radiated great beams that soared into a dozen smaller Zora figures bowing beneath it.
That must be the Lord Jabu-Jabu.
Beneath the engraving lay the arched entrance out of the tunnel and onto the steep sandy beach. Miashir led Link across the sand and into the water, moving a few paces deeper before he stopped.
"Here?" Link asked as he set the pail down, making cold water splash up his leg.
"Here," Miashir looked down. "Be careful, don't step too far."
Link did not mean to. He could barely see his feet through the water. But a step further he could see nothing beneath the black waves. Link took a deep breath. Time to work. He picked up one of the fish and threw it into the water. It swung back and forth as it sunk, swallowed into the dark. "Is that it?"
"Sometimes it takes more than one fish to get his attention."
Link tossed in another. Then one more, just to be certain. The bucket had at least six more. No reason to be stingy. "Do I say anything?"
"Not normally."
Link picked up another fish, before Miashir grabbed his arm. He had not even noticed how high the water had risen. Half a foot up his leg at least.
"He's coming." The guard pulled Link away and forced him back, almost to the tunnel entrance.
White foam and bubbles rose in a ring just off the beach, growing wider and wider. It can't possibly be that big, can it? The water swirled down into a vortex, so deep it revealed the drop-off where Link had stood. From the spiraling maelstrom teeth pierced the water's surface, as long as spears and just as sharp. Then came the jaws that held them, as big as mountain peaks. They rose high into the sky until they covered the sun and cast the entire beach in shadow. King Dodongo had been the largest creature Link had ever seen. He had been so big, he could have eaten him in one bite.
But that was nothing compared to this guardian. The leviathan could have swallowed three of the lizard kings side by side with room to spare.
"Is that him?" Link asked. Stupid question, he knew before the words even left his mouth. What else could it be? What in all the world could be as powerful as this? As the head sank back down, it angled itself so its head stayed above the water, with the rest of its body hidden beneath the waves. Forget the Dodongo, it must be bigger than the Great Deku Tree.
But it did not seem aggressive, or angry. If it had wanted to crush them, it could have without any effort. There was no malice as far as Link could tell. Nothing that made Link wish to draw his sword and strike. He could have spent the day just marveling at it. But they did not have a day to spare. Link stepped forward and bowed. "Hello, um, Lord Jabu-Jabu."
"Link," Miashir did not let go of his arm, the guard positioning himself between him and the creature, spear at the ready. "Be careful."
"I don't think it wants to hurt me." The eyes of the guardian bulged out of its head resting on stalks that moved independently, searching the beach before they rested on Link. They were not human eyes, and yet, when Link looked into them all he felt was sorrow and guilt. And pain. It was in pain.
"Lord Jabu-Jabu I am a son of The Great Deku Tree, the Guardian of the Woods." The eyes focused on him, unblinking, judging. "Well, not technically his son, I'm not a Kokiri -but- but no. I am his son. And he sent me, well, he sort of sent me. You see, I had the Emerald. No, can I start over?"
The titan's head bobbed in the water, letting it swirl through those massive teeth. Did it talk? The Great Deku Tree talked. And trees don't normally have mouths. Yet Jabu-Jabu stayed silent.
Link pulled the Ruby out of his bag and held it high. The eyes of the guardian swiveled to gaze upon it. "This is one of the Sacred Stones. The Goron's called it the Heart of the Mountain. But - you would know this already. Sorry. It was given to me by Chief Darunia to protect because there is one who is trying to take them. An evil man, his name is Ganondorf."
The whale recognized the name. Link couldn't tell how he knew, the eyes didn't change to show emotion, and those massive jaws neither opened nor closed. And yet, somehow Link could tell that Lord Jabu-Jabu understood everything he was trying to say and more that he couldn't put into words. Link could feel something, like emotions, deep in his head and twisting in his stomach.
"He killed the Great Deku Tree. But I promised my father that I would protect the Stones, that I would stop Ganondorf. But I need your help. He is coming. Soon. I don't know how, but he's going to come and take the stone you hold. I've been told that you are smart. No, uhh, wise. That's the word. If you can tell me what you want me to do, how you think it best we can protect them."
"The princess," Miashir took another step forward, his spear still pointed as if the steel would protect them should the guardian wish them harm. "Lord Jabu-Jabu, do you remember me?"
Those massive eyes went to Miashir. It knew him.
"You remember my wish? How could you twist my meaning like that? I did not wish her death! I did not want the destruction of my people. The ones you have sworn to protect! Why, my lord? I do not understand." The speartip wobbled unsteadily, yet it never stopped pointing at the guardian even as the captain advanced.
"Miashir," Link put the ruby away and slung the bag over his shoulder before he went after his companion. "I don't know what happened, but, I don't think he meant to hurt the princess. He seems peaceful."
"He seemed peaceful for thousands of years, that did not save Princess Ruto. Answer me, Lord Jabu-Jabu! I need to know what I did! Why did you punish me? Why have you doomed us?"
The whale's mouth opened wider, the lower jaw sinking beneath the waves. Water swirled into his mouth, splashing against flesh and teeth. Sorrow and pain surged out from the beast, nearly dropping Link to his knees. But the captain did not stop his advance.
"Answer me!" Miashir screamed. Is he going to charge straight into the jaws?
Link reached toward the captain, trying to pull him away from his madness. But before Link reached him, Miashir stopped. His eyes were wide; reverence or terror etched on his face. Which? Link could not tell.
"Help me," came a voice from deep within the guardian's throat. A soft voice, high pitched. Far higher than Link ever expected to come from the leviathan.
Link turned. The swirling water did not look like the dark sea waters anymore. It was clear as a spring pond, so pure Link should have been able to see the red of the whale's mouth. Instead, he saw a Zora's face flickering from within the waves.
"Help me!" the spectral figure demanded. "I know you can hear me! And I am ordering you to help me!"
"Princess?" Miashir whispered.
"She's alive?"
"How can we rescue her? Please, my Lord Jabu-Jabu let me atone for my mistakes. Let me fix the damage I have caused. What must I do?"
The girl disappeared, leaving only the gaping maw of the whale.
"Princess Ruto! Please, bring her back! I don't understand. Why are you holding her?"
The water drained back into the whale's throat. And when there was no more water, Link's cap flew from his head. He managed to snatch it from the air. Link's clothes whipped around him, as the great beast inhaled. Sand and small stones flew past Link into the open jaws.
"No!" Miashir grabbed onto Link's shoulder. "I won't let this happen again!"
The force grew stronger, air ripped past Link's ears. His bag struggled against his body, trying to pull away.
Link's feet left the sand.
"I won't let him take you!" Miashir pulled with all his strength. "Not again! Not again!"
Link was flying, with only the captain keeping him tethered. But it didn't make sense. Why was Lord Jabu-Jabu doing this? "I think you have to let go!"
"That's insane!"
"He doesn't want to hurt us!" It was hard to speak over the roar of the wind. He wanted to explain that the stones were always in the guardians. He had survived traveling through his father and the dead dragon had drawn the Ruby from within as it died. That Lord Jabu-Jabu wasn't trying to hurt them. "This'll work!"
Miashir's squeezed his eyes shut as he struggled against the power of the guardian. His teeth bared, fighting as best he could against the wind.
"I'm sorry, captain," Link shouted, hoping Miashir would understand, that he wouldn't blame himself again.
Link twisted out of Miashir's grasp.
He hurtled past those teeth as big as trees into the mouth of the whale.
Captain Miashir stood on the shore, his hand reaching out as those mighty jaws like mountains slammed shut.
And all was darkness.
The enemy lay at his feet, bleeding from a thousand wounds, but still clinging desperately for his life.
Link held his sword high, announcing his victory. All around him, people celebrated his success. The Princess and her quiet frightening bodyguard with red eyes. Talon had Malon on his shoulders as they screamed. Yadunby, Chief Darunia, and his guards applauded and stomped their feet. Even Bethmasse and Nabooru sang for his success as Rosa -now completely healed- joined them.
"Thou must slay him," The Great Deku Tree announced, his branches spreading wide over all of them. Among the leaves, Saria danced with Fado and Helvia and Vernus and all the others. Even Mido was celebrating his success while their faeries all whirled about in joy.
"Only you can do it," Navi said from atop his shoulder. "Kill him."
At his feet, the evilest man in the world writhed, clutching at his split stomach. His ugly face marred all the worse from their battle. He barely looked human, more a monster twisting itself, pretending to be a person. Its lips curled into a snarl. Blood spreading from his hands. Nothing majestic about it. Nothing worth saving.
Except for the eyes, behind their feral yellow glow was something. Fear? Regret?
As if that would stay Link's hand. After all that he had done, what difference does fear, and regret make? No. This was right. This is what needed to be done.
Link angled the point of his sword toward its chest. With a scream of rage and joy, with relief and victory, he plunged his glowing blade into the creature.
Blood sprayed out. Covering Link's hands, clinging to his arms.
Splashing up onto his face.
It was wet. But it wasn't hot.
Cold.
Why was he so cold?
The sounds of his friends and family died away.
Until all he saw was the dying thing.
The dead creature.
The cursed man.
Why was he so cold?
"Get up."
Another splash sloshed over Link's face. Salty liquid ran into Link's mouth. Sputtering, he spat out the blood.
His eyes opened.
The dead man wasn't in front of him. His friends were nowhere around. He rubbed his face and wiped off only saltwater.
"I command you to get up."
Another splash struck him.
"What?" Link's vision cleared, the walls around him were salmon red and pulsing. "Huh?" As he pressed his hands into the slick and slimy ground to push himself up it moved. He yelped and scrambled back, it was alive. The ground was alive. The walls were alive. "Where? What is going on?" Was he eaten? Is this what all the fish he ate felt like?
"You're in Lord Jabu-Jabu," came the voice. "Now get ahold of yourself and attend to me."
"Who?" Link finally caught sight of who was speaking. A Zora girl stood a distance away from him. Shorter than him, her fins wrapped about her like a dress, and her arms crossed over her chest. "Are you- are you the princess Ruto?"
"Obviously." She gave a long and belabored sigh. "This is the best Lord Jabu-Jabu could send to aid me?"
Link managed to stand and steady his legs on the roiling ground of flesh. "People thought you were dead. How are you alive?" He walked to the girl; she must have been in here for days. Maybe weeks. She must be so lonely. He held out his arm.
"Don't touch me!" She held her hand out to stop him. "And of course, I'm not dead. Lord Jabu-Jabu is my protector, and he would never dare harm me. But he could – I don't know-" she glared down and stomped her foot. "Actually, offer me aid! I know you can hear me!" Two more times she slammed her heel down into the whale's skin. "I hope that hurts!"
"Stop that!"
"Or what?" she said, lifting her chin high.
Link didn't have an answer to that.
"As I thought. If you did anything to me, my father would throw you into the seas tied to an anchor. But perhaps you do have half a brain. Maybe you can be of some use. Follow me." She turned and walked toward a… pump was all Link thought to call it. A fleshy valve, a muscle that opened and closed in time with the movement of the ground.
"Where are you going?"
"I am a princess. I don't answer questions to the likes of you. Now, attend me." She stepped through the muscle.
"Princess," Link followed her. "Your kingdom is in disarray. I came here to try and fix that and I-"
Octorok and Bari filled the room. Most of them stretched across the ground, weakened, but still writhing and dangerous. The Bari pulsed with their painful magic, while the Octorok's open mouths spewed bubbling liquid.
"Well?" The Zora princess put her hands on her hips. "Go. Clear me a path."