Ocarina of Time Chapter 16

 

Chapter 16

The Portal

As the putrid stench of vomit, bile, and the burnt barinade swept over Link in a nauseating wave, the apparent hilarity of having a fish empty its stomach onto him rapidly faded.

He was sore, exhausted, and covered in Din only knew what. His limbs trembled and ached with fatigue, protesting as he practically crawled his way over to the lakeshore and doused himself with water, hardly caring that it was freezing. He wiped his face clean of Jabu Jabu's slime and proceeded to scrub his arms as best he could. There was nothing he could do about his tunic or leggings. They'd just have to stay smelling like dead fish.

"How did you cast that fire spell?" Navi asked as he finished.

"I don't know," Link admitted with a bewildered shrug. "I just sort of thought about it, and then, whoosh!" He managed a weak smile, and then looked at Navi. "It was kind of cool."

"Uhh... yeah," Navi didn't sound like she quite agreed. "Sure. Cool."

Link wasn't sure he could repeat what he'd just done; he didn't know how much of the gem's power he had exhausted, or even if he could restore it. He wasn't even sure what he'd done. Could it have been the spirit inside the ruby, the one the Great Deku Tree spoke of?
Wait...

Where was the Goron Ruby? His pockets were empty. Worried, Link checked his satchel. It wasn't there either.

Oh no.

For an instant, Link's heart raced at the horrible idea that the stone was still in the fish god.

"Navi, where is the Goron Ruby?" he asked worriedly.

Before Navi could reply, Ruto came over holding the red ruby in her hand. Link heaved a quiet sigh of relief. That would have been hard to explain.

"Looking for this?" Ruto asked, holding out the ruby in the palm of her hand.

Link went to grab the stone, but Ruto snapped her hand away with a cheeky grin. Link went to snatch it, but Ruto drew her hand closer to her chest.

"Say please," she said in an annoying sing-song voice.

"All right, please?" Link asked with a feigned smile.

He snatched the slime-coated stone from Ruto, almost dropping it in disgust. Ruto giggled, but Link wasn't nearly as amused.

"Ughh... it feels like bogies!" he exclaimed, wiping the gem on his tunic and pocketing it.

"You still have the sapphire on you, don't you?" Ruto asked, not seeming to notice that Link was trying to brush the slime off his hands. "Do you?"

"Uhh, yeah," Link said distractedly, retrieving the Zora Sapphire and showing it to her. They both locked eyes on the gem, admiring the sparkling blue sapphires. It was pretty, Link thought. He was in half a mind to copy Ruto's game, just to be annoying, but to his surprise, Ruto shook her head.

"I want you to keep it," she said. "You almost died saving me from that weird monster. I won't forget that. I... I'm sorry I was so mean."

She sounded genuinely sorry, and it showed plainly on her face.

"Umm..."

Link tried to think of something to say, but half his attention was on the opposite shore. He could hear shouting and was certain they were about to have company. He was less certain that he'd receive a warm welcome.

"I never told you the real reason I ran away, did I?" Ruto seemed oblivious to Link's worry. "It was silly, really. My nurse once told me that if I was sad, all I had to do was look into the sapphire and I could talk to our ancestors, and I could tell them all my troubles. I took the stone, stuffed it in a sack, and tried to sneak somewhere quiet. I slipped crossing the waterfall and then woke up in a tangle of driftwood, fortunately with my bag still on me."

Ruto broke off as she too became aware of Zora shouting from across the still waters of the lake. A troupe of Zora were exclaiming to one and other, pointing in the direction of the duo. None of them seemed eager to disturb Lord Jabu Jabu. The giant fish was dwelling on the bottom of the lake, no doubt troubled by a rather sore mouth.

Link wondered how pleased the guards would be to see him alive; they had no way of knowing he'd just saved Ruto's life.

Ruto seemed to read his mind. "Don't worry. My father will have to free you now." Her words weren't reassuring, despite her intention. "Besides, the final decision lies with Lord Jabu Jabu. If he says you're innocent, my father will have to free you."

That didn't comfort Link either. He exchanged a worried look with Navi.

"Link?" Ruto looked him squarely in the eyes, looking uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, up at him. "I wasn't very kind to you when we first met."

Link blinked, sure he'd misheard. First, she was apologising for nearly having him devoured by a fish, and now she was showing some humility? This was not a side of Ruto he'd expected to see. He had the strangest sense of something brushing against his mind, similar to the sensation he'd experienced while holding the Emerald. He almost jumped, but only Navi noticed anything amiss.

"I wasn't even very nice when we first got sucked into Jabu Jabu's mouth." Ruto started wringing her hands, looking awkward and downcast. "You risked your life to save me, more than once. I... I admire that. You were very brave."

She gazed back up at him with moist eyes and a sheepish grin. Link thought she looked far more pretty when she wasn't scowling.

He blushed, his cheeks going hot as Ruto stepped close to him. For a horrifying moment, Link thought she might kiss him.

"Come on." Ruto gestured to the sword and shieldYou might want to collect the rest of your gear before my guards catch up to us."

Link turned away and collected his various utensils. He made sure the Spiritual Stones were securely within the pouch Darunia had given him and then stashed them in Saria's satchel. He heard the quick footsteps of the guards as they approached and braced himself for the torrent of questions that was certain to come. The column of Zora froze on the spot when they saw the dead barinade. If it were not for the tentacles, the charred corpse would have been unrecognisable. Most of the Zora quickly overcame their shock. Two took guard of Link while the rest made sure Ruto was okay.

"Princess Ruto, thank the gods you're alright. When Lord Jabu Jabu swallowed you, I was sure the king would make him eat us all for good measure," one guard exclaimed.

"Does my father know where I was?" Ruto asked.

"He does, Princess Ruto. You and the boy are to come with us to see him, now." The guard's tone left no room for argument.

Miraculously, Ruto obeyed without comment.

Link only managed several steps before his tired body gave out, his legs buckling beneath him. He fell to his knees, and only his two guards stopped him from falling. Without a murmur of concern, they hauled him to his feet.

"Are you okay?" Navi asked.

Link wanted to say yes, but he was getting light-headed, and the world drifted in and out of focus. A moment later, his nausea became unbearable, and he vomited at his guards' feet. The Zora wrinkled their faces, grimacing in revulsion.

"Well, that's not as bad as Lord Jabu Jabu, at least," Ruto remarked.

Thanks, Link wanted to say, but he was too busy retching.

Navi flew over to him, her face a mask of worry.

"Oh no."

"What's oh no?" he rasped between a bout of gagging.

"You might be having a reaction to using too much magic," Navi said anxiously. She flew up and down, examining him closely.

One of the guards offered Link a waterskin filled with lake water. He rinsed his mouth and spat, careful to avoid anyone's feet.

After that, Link willed himself to keep going, even though he was shivering from a chill and felt clammy. He didn't want to appear weak in front of the guards, so he kept going.

"What do you mean I used too much magic?" he asked. "Elisia never mentioned anything about that."

"She probably did not expect you to use the magic in the stones. Drawing on too much magic, especially when untrained, can make you unwell."

"How unwell?" Link asked, dreading the answer. He felt too exhausted to get annoyed at Navi for not warning him sooner.

"Very unwell." Navi's response alarmed him even more. This prompted her to hastily add, "You needn't worry about that. The amount of power you have to draw on to do that would kill you instantly. You might get a fever, but you will be okay in a few hours."

"That makes me feel so much better," Link muttered.

Their conversation drew to a close as they entered the tunnel leading back to the Zora throne room. As they neared the chamber, Link could hear voices raised in a babble of arguing.

The entire Zora court, consisting of about twenty Zora and just as many guards, were squashed into the chamber. When Link first entered with Ruto and their escort, the room was in an uproar. Each member of the Zora court was shouting a different suggestion on how to rescue Ruto. Others were discussing whether she could have survived. That quickly ceased when Link and Ruto appeared.

"Father!" Ruto rushed to the king's side while Link's guards escorted him to the dais he'd stood on earlier. The king looked at Ruto, astonished, and it was a moment before he spoke.

"Ruto, my dear daughter, what happened?" he exclaimed. "I was told Lord Jabu Jabu had eaten you."

"He didn't mean to," Ruto said earnestly. "Link saved me, and he killed the parasite that was making Jabu Jabu sick."

A hush fell over the Zora court and all eyes fell on Link. Still being supported by two guards, he stood tall- or as tall as he could manage- and met the king's gaze.

"Is this true? You stopped the curse on Lord Jabu Jabu?" King Zora asked him slowly. Judging from his tone, it was apparent that he did not believe a single word of his daughter's claim.

"It is," Link said. He forgot to say the king's title and almost winced at the expectation he would be scolded for it. To his surprise, no one told him off, not even Grop.

The king scratched the bottom of his lip, quietly thinking. "We will need to converse with Lord Jabu Jabu once his attendants have seen to his needs."

Link felt a hot surge of anger. He had almost died trying to save Ruto and Jabu Jabu, and still the king did not believe him? He swallowed, forcing himself to remain calm with what little strength he had left. Ruto had other ideas.

"Verify this?" she spat.

The members of the Zora court gasped as one. Again, Link had the oddest sense of something touching his mind, but there was no time to ponder this.

"This boy saved my life!" Ruto yelled at the top of her lungs, deafening the Zora nearest her. "I saw him kill that parasite! If not for him, that thing would have killed me and our own guardian deity!" Ruto was positively livid now. "Lord Jabu Jabu would be greatly displeased that you dishonor Link in such a way."

All eyes were on her as an unnatural silence fell across the room. The king recovered first, his eyes narrowing as he went rigid. Nobody spoke to him like that, not even his daughter.

"Princess Ruto, listen to me carefully. This is no time-" he said in a futile attempt to calm his daughter's volatile temper.

"No, you listen! You promised to let Link go if he killed the parasite! I demand you honor that promise!"

The king stared at her, his eyes almost the size of dinner plates, utterly gobsmacked.

It seemed like hours before anyone spoke. One guard who had escorted Link bravely stepped forward to break the stony silence.

"Your majesty, I can vouch for the Princess and Link. I saw the remains of the barinade. I knew it was the same creature. I saw it before when... when I fought it last time." The Zora's voice cracked as he finished and Link felt a pang of sympathy for the guard. He must have been part of the ill-fated Zora party that failed to kill the barinade.

The king broke eye contact with the icy gaze of his daughter and turned to the guard.

"Thank you. I will consider this matter-"

"Father, let him go! Now!" Ruto demanded. "Or we can go to Lord Jabu Jabu right now and ask whether or not we should free him."

"Must we disturb him right now?" one Zora asked. "He is greatly weakened and not himself."

The Zora were looking uncomfortable as they started shuffling to clear a space between Ruto and her father.

Grop stepped forward, and Link gritted his teeth, certain he would have nothing good to say.

"Your majesty, the princess is tired. I am certain this has been a dreadful ordeal for her. Might I suggest a sleeping draught?" Grop said with a bow. He reached out to grab Ruto by the arm.

"I am not tired!" Ruto snapped angrily, jerking away from him.

"No. My daughter is right. If this boy cured Lord Jabu Jabu, he would want us to grant Link mercy and clear him of the charges he stands accused of," King Zora said, while keeping his eyes on Ruto. When she opened her mouth to add something, he quickly cut her off as he addressed Link. " I will have a healer attend to your injuries, and I will permit you to rest here until the morrow. In the meantime, I will need my attendants to assess Lord Jabu Jabu's health."

Ruto, who was positively scowling at the king, seemed pleased with this and made no objection.

"Thank you, your majesty." Link hoped Lord Jabu Jabu would be all right. Otherwise, leaving would be difficult.

~ 0 ~

After his uncomfortable meeting with the king, Ruto informed Link that Lord Jabu Jabu was expected to make a full recovery. When asked by one of the Zora how the inside of Jabu Jabu's mouth was so badly burnt, Link told them the barinade used magic to injure the fish. Telling them that he nearly set fire to Lord Jabu Jabu's mouth in his attempt to kill the barinade did not seem like a good idea. This seemed to satisfy them and, according to Ruto, Lord Jabu Jabu affirmed Link's story. He probably wouldn't have been so kind if he'd known that it was Link who'd stuck a sword in his gullet.

"What is Jabu Jabu?" Link had asked Ruto. "It seems odd that he'd be here of all places."

She'd chuckled at his ignorance. "My mother said he is the reincarnation of an ancient Sage. He's not really a fish. He's a spirit that just took the form of one." With a scratch of her chin, and a thoughtful frown, she added, "I'm not sure if it's permanent."

"Why did he do that?"

"Mother said something about protecting the river from a plague."

"Oh."

"She wanted me to be a healer, like her, but father insisted I remain as his heir."

"What happened to her?"

"An accident, using healing magic."

"I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I was very young, so I don't remember her all that well... I do remember she told me to give the Sapphire to my future betrothed... you do know what a betrothed is, don't you?"

"Umm... no."

"It's what we call someone we're going to marry."

"Marry?" Link asked.

Ruto cocked her head, grinning at the bemused boy, her eyes alight with mischief. "I suppose I could always marry you, now that I've given you the sapphire."

Navi had burst out laughing.

"What?" Link had asked innocently, not entirely sure that he enjoyed being the center of a joke. "What do you mean by marry?"

"I'll explain later," Navi promised, quickly regaining her composure. "It's not something you need to worry about."

"Well, not until you grow up," Ruto added. 

Grow up? Link thought. But I'm a Kokiri. I won't grow up. 

They'd sat staring at the waterfall, listening to the gentle roar of the cascades as it met the river below. It was a beautiful sight and one that set Link's mind at ease. 

It's finally over.

He'd retrieved all three Spiritual Stones. He felt happier than he had in days, as though a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

All that remained was to return to Zelda and give her the stones. Then his part was done. If Navi flew into the castle and found Impa or the princess, it would not be as hard to get in this time. At least he hoped it wouldn't.

It's almost over, I can go home. The thought filled him with a comforting warmth, like a campfire on a chilly autumn's night.

Link had no idea what Impa and Zelda planned to do once they used the stones, but he'd done his part. He knew he couldn't go back to the Kokiri Forest, but he could still go and visit Saria in the woods, couldn't he? Perhaps he could even visit Malon. Her uncle was at the castle, after all.

Link felt refreshed from the previous day's encounter with Jabu Jabu. After the Zora King had dismissed him, he had been taken to a chamber where the Zora tended to his injuries and even repaired his tunic. Later, he'd met with Lord Jabu Jabu again, keeping a respectable distance as he stood upon the now damaged pier. Speaking through one of his attendants, Jabu Jabu had thanked Link, and much to the surprise of the Zora priestess, he'd given Link his personal approval to take the Zora Sapphire. Fortunately, there was no awkward mention of the fish deity's injuries, though he did apologise for ingesting his rescuer thanks to the barinade's influence. Link was relieved when Lord Jabu Jabu finally dismissed him, telling him to send his greetings to Kaepora and Impa.

The following morning, three Zora, including Ruto, escorted him from Zora's Domain. They led him to a dock that stood on the far bank of the river. Zora tended to fish farms nearby, some mending equipment, and others checking for anything tangled within the netting. Link had never heard of such a thing before, and he listened with rapt attention as Ruto introduced the idea to him.

Crossing a bridge onto the far side of the river, Link and his escort reached the dock, where a small boat bobbed up and down in the current. Link wondered if it was steered by magic; there was no need for boats in the Lost Woods, although some of the Kokiri tribes that lived near the banks of the river used little fishing craft. Behind Link, the Zora were muttering in distaste at having to use the small boat, preferring to swim as they normally did.

As he and Ruto stepped up onto the dock, Link turned to say goodbye to the Zora Princess.

"Please take good care of my sapphire," she said. "I expect you to come back soon and visit. I'm sorry your stay could not have been more enjoyable."

"Well, it was eventful," Navi added.

Link smiled, quickly forgetting his earlier annoyance. It was a bit too eventful.

He bid Ruto farewell one last time. Behind them, a trio of guards walked up to the wooden jetty, and Ruto looked back at them, realizing she would have to go.

"Are you ready?" one of the Zora beside the boat asked Link with a huff of impatience.

When Link affirmed this, the Zora stepped into the boat. They muttered irritably under their breath, not eager to use this form of transport. The recent rains had caused the river to swell, reaching up to the edge of the shoreline. This meant they could make it all the way to Castletown's docks.

Link clambered into the boat, far less sure-footed than the Zora. The boat wobbled precariously, nearly tipping him into the water.

"Slowly boy," one of the Zora said, offering him a hand. "Never been in a boat before, have you? I don't like them much myself but the king insists we escort any visitors back downstream in this manner."

"A shame most Hylians don't swim well," said the other Zora. "But I suppose Gorons are worse."

The Zora kept talking, grabbing his oar and sliding it quietly into the water. "When Gorons swim, it usually involves a bit of splashing, shouting, and the odd bit of drowning... You can swim, right?"

"A bit," Link replied. He did not find the comment about a Goron's swimming ability particularly amusing.

"A pity you can't swim as well as us," the Zora continued. "It would be a much faster journey if you could. As it is, we should be there by evening."

From the jetty, Ruto waved and called out to him, "Hurry back, won't you, Link?"

He didn't get a chance to answer as the current swept his little boat away from the shore. The small craft rounded a bend in the river, leaving Ruto and her guards behind. Soon the bridge disappeared from view and the sounds of the waterfall faded, giving way to the rhythmic strokes of the oars gently slicing through the water as the boat made its way down Zora River.

~ 0 ~

It had been four days since Nabooru left Hyrule Castle. She remembered the moment she had stormed from Ganondorf's chambers vividly. She had left almost immediately, grabbing her horse from the stables and fleeing into the night.

She had expected Ganondorf to pursue her, or some resistance from the guards, but so far there had been nothing of the sort. That surprised and unnerved her. Ganondorf never took kindly to being slighted and a part of her wondered if he'd prepared a trap for her. Was that why no one was following?

It was just as well that she hadn't poisoned him, and despite all her misgivings about Ganondorf, Nabooru still felt sick that she'd considered such an act. If she had succeeded- and there was no telling if the demon in the Skull Mask would have interfered- her act might have been a torch cast upon a haystack. Her people would have blamed the Hylians, or decided that they'd turned her against him, and that would have sent them all into a precipice of war and bloodshed.

Then again, after what Ganondorf had done, and knowing what he intended to do, war seemed inevitable. She'd considered going to Impa, but knew the Sheikah could not act without Ganondorf having her arrested, even though doing so would cause outrage amongst her allies.

Nabooru's only option was to convince her sisters that Ganondorf should be made to stand down, without making it look like she was attempting to usurp the king's power.

Nabooru pushed her thoughts aside, urging her mount through the grassy hills that bordered the eastern shores of Lake Hylia. There were homesteads nearby and Nabooru could make out the fishing boats clustered by a town that lay sprawled along one side of the lake. Not far from the town, a Zora shrine stood atop a small hill. Nabooru knew that somewhere beyond the hills behind the shrine was Fort Hylia. To the west, the lake was flanked by the Gerudo mountains, its familiar windswept sands beckoning to Nabooru.

That was when she caught a flicker of movement up ahead. She squinted and saw that it was a horse cresting a hill. She felt a slight anxiety then, fearing it could be pursuit, or a patrol from the nearby fort. At that thought, Nabooru considered giving them a wide berth. That was until she noticed something odd about the rider; they sat slumped forward in the saddle, and there was a red stain smearing the left side of the horse's flank. Nabooru frowned, her mind urging her to be cautious.

Then she spotted the black shaft of the arrow protruding from the rider's back and Nabooru knew that the unfortunate rider was dead.

Danger was afoot.

Nabooru brought herself alongside the man's steed, grabbed the reins from his cold hands, and brought the frazzled mare to a halt. Her own horse shifted nervously, catching the scent of blood. Dismounting, Nabooru inspected the deceased horseman. He was lean, dark-haired and would have been handsome when he was alive. His pale, sunken flesh made him look anything but now and his glassy eyes were red.

Red?

Nabooru cursed softly, drawing her hand away from the man's cloak. He was a Sheikah.

What is a Sheikah doing here? Nabooru wondered. Could this be one of Impa's spies? No. The eyes were too much of a giveaway.

There was a scroll tube hidden in the folds of his cloak. Curious, Nabooru opened it and removed a scroll that bore a wax seal with no sigil. She frowned, caution warning her the scroll might be cursed to ward off prying eyes. Sensing no curse, Nabooru opened it. The writing was small and hurriedly scrawled.

Namein,

If you are reading this, then I am surely dead and there is not much time. Even as I write this, an enormous army of undead marches through the desert towards Arbiter's Grounds. Other creatures ride amongst them, their numbers too numerous to count. Their destination would appear to be the ancient archway the Gerudo unearthed and moved to Arbiter's Ground. Our study of the markings on the archway indicates that it is a portal identical to the one found in the depths of Hyrule Castle. I led an expedition, hoping to either destroy the arch or send a warning through, but everyone else is dead. Two witches and a small force of Gerudo discovered us, and I was barely able to escape with my life. I am convinced that these two portals are linked, and Hyrule Castle is in danger. We sent our remaining number to carry this warning, but I cannot be certain that they will ever reach their destination. You must ride immediately to Hyrule Castle, and should you arrive before the others, warn Impa. Tell her to either destroy the archway or bury it. If you fail, and our messengers are dead, I fear Hyrule Castle will fall before the month is out. I pray your journey will be successful.

They are coming.

S-

Nabooru stared at Namien's body. The Hylians believed the Goddesses favoured them over the other races, a view that Nabooru considered arrogant. It seemed that the Goddesses weren't smiling on the Hylians today. Even if the legends of the hero reborn were real, and Ganondorf believed they were, she very much doubted a single lone hero could stop an entire army.

Nabooru read the letter one final time.

- I fear Hyrule Castle will fall before the month is out... They are coming-

She had to warn someone. Against her better judgment, Nabooru threw the scroll tube over her shoulder, thrust the letter back in it, and jumped back into her mount's saddle. The horse gave a startled whine, sensing its rider's worry.

Nabooru turned her mount, spurring her into motion. The horse burst into a gallop and charged towards Castletown.

As she retraced the letter's warning through her mind, Nabooru hoped and prayed she was not too late.

There was no way for her to know how long ago the message had been sent or whether or not the other messengers mentioned in the letter still lived. Nor did she know how close to Arbiter's Grounds Ganondorf's army was. They would likely not be as slow as a conventional army; the undead did not need to stop to rest and required neither food nor water.

Above everything else in the letter, three words kept repeating in Nabooru's mind.

They are coming.

Next Chapter

Reviews

SunPraiser31 chapter 17 . Nov 17, 2016 That's all 3 stones down! Poor Link, he thinks he's done. He's in for a rude awakening. But hey! At least he's engaged now! So he's got that to look forward to lol. Word about an army of Undead is definitely not good. I'm a bit surprised that Nabooru hasn't been found or killed yet. Unless Ganondorf is leaving her alive on purpose? I'm interested to see where that development goes.

Lord Darth Yoda chapter 16 . Sep 3, 2014 All the pieces are coming together now. Links got the stones both literally and figuratively despite a weird farewell conversation with Ruto. The whole engagement thing seems so random in the original everybody runs with it lol