Chapter 26- Song of Storms
Picture credits: https://www.deviantart.com/therealraki/art/Song-Of-Storms-Tshirt-Design-544709867
Chapter 26
Song of Storms
It had been a long trek back to the Kokiri grove. Their recent journey from the desert hadn't been kind to the Kokiri. Many were malnourished and suffering from ailments ranging from rattling coughs to infected, blistered feet. Moriko provided healing to those who needed it, while Link ended up carrying one girl who fell asleep as they neared the grove. Others required coaxing from their fairies to keep them moving. They kept glancing into the trees as if certain they were being pursued, but nothing stirred from the silent woods.
As Link approached the Great Deku Tree's grove, he saw Forenz perched anxiously amidst the lower branches of a tree. At the sight of his approaching kin, Forenz gave an ecstatic whoop and clambered down to meet the others, who were just as pleased to see him. Link smiled upon seeing their tired but happy faces, the sight of home lifting their weary spirits a little.
The celebration didn't last long. Some of the Kokiri soon settled down to sleep around the Sheikah's fire, while the others either made a fire of their own or found a niche amidst the knotted roots of the trees surrounding the glade. Before long, the clearing was quiet once more, but the silence only pressed upon Link's weary mind. He should have felt much happier, but recent events still weighed heavily on his mind, leaving him despondent. As Sheik and Rin retired to their tent, Link preferred to remain outside, listening to the crackling fire. He laid out his bedroll in the grass and settled down to rest.
But rest, it seemed, would not bring him solace this night. Instead, his dreams were blighted by nightmares of fire, of blood, and of a city in flames...
He saw a spear, stained not with Mido's blood, but Saria's. He sprinted through an endless fog, the Phantom's laughter echoing around him. He was running... suddenly, he was fleeing not through woodland but through ruined buildings. Crackling flames rose around him, and the mocking laughter was replaced with screams. He stumbled, tripping over the body of a young girl. But this time, she wasn't dead. She looked up at him, her eyes angry and accusing.
"Why didn't you help me?" she demanded. "You left me to die! What kind of hero are you?"
"I'm sorry," Link cried out, stumbling back and turning to flee. He had to get away. To escape the smoke, the searing heat, and the corpse-strewn street that was slick with blood.
Link screamed and ran, desperate to escape, but he didn't get far, almost running headfirst into Saria and stopping just short of crashing into her. Relief might have flooded him, if not for the death glare she aimed his way - an expression he had never seen on her face before.
"Why didn't you save her?" Saria demanded. "You left her to die!"
There was no warmth on Saria's face now, no smile, and her voice was cold. Nearby, a loud groan and the snapping of timbers rose above the roaring inferno. He looked to his left and saw a wall leaning dangerously toward him. The groaning intensified, and with a roar of burning timber and blackened stone, the wall came crashing down. Saria saw the danger an instant before the debris slammed into them both, and her final, desperate shriek chased him into darkness.
Link woke, gasping for air, his heart racing frantically. It took him a moment to realise that he was safely within the confines of a Kokiri grove, and instead of flames, he beheld a star-speckled sky and the full moon that peered through the canopy.
Sheik stood against the tree beneath which Link had been sleeping. The moonlight cast a faint glow upon her face, revealing the concern in her red Sheikan eyes.
"Are you well?" she asked. "You were yelling like the demon king himself was after you."
"I'm fine," Link lied as he pulled himself up, his cheeks burning with embarrassment. He looked out at the clearing, the shifting shadows of the trees doing nothing to help his nerves. Could he see shapes lurking between the trees? No. He shook his head and sighed.
"I'm sorry if I disturbed you," Link told the Sheikah.
"You did not," Sheik said, and Link noticed an odd hesitancy in her usually assured tone. She shifted position, looking towards the meadow. "I couldn't sleep either." She paused before asking, "Would you care to sit by the fire for a while?"
She gestured towards the nearby fire, which had been recently stoked, judging by the crackling flames that now hungrily snatched at some unburnt kindling.
"You've been awake a while?" he asked, surprised.
"Not that long," Sheik answered. "Dawn is not far off. Shall we?"
Link hesitated, aware that she was awaiting his response, but then he relented, deciding he could use some measure of warmth and a little comfort.
They sat silently, the fire's warmth easing the night's chill. In the firelight, he saw Sheik's expression better than before – worry lines on her brow, a slight tension in her shoulders, the way her fingers idly tapped at something hidden within her clothes, only to stop when she caught him looking.
"Did you get any sleep?" he asked at last, knowing she too carried burdens of her own.
"You are far from the only one plagued by dreams," Sheik said after a short pause, reaching down to a small bundle of supplies that included her harp. "To be a Sheikah is to be hunted. The night is both a friend and a foe."
Her unsettling words drew Link's focus away from the fire. It seemed strange to see this side of her. Not a warrior devoid of feeling, but a woman with fears of her own.
"What happened in this dream of yours?" Sheik asked. "It didn't end well, I take it?"
"No," Link admitted. "I keep thinking of the night Castletown fell, of everything that has happened." Link looked back towards the crackling fire, imagining the burning buildings. The screams. He barely noticed Navi fly down to land on the log beside him. "I keep seeing..."
The fire vanished, and Saria's body disappeared in a blaze of brilliant light, all while the Phantom's laughter went on and on...
"I..." Link's voice cracked. He squeezed his eyes shut, banishing the memory, then opened them again and sucked in an unsteady breath. "I saw Saria, but..."
"You speak of what happened in the Forest Temple?" Sheik asked, the harp momentarily forgotten in her lap.
Link looked up, the shock jolting him out of his thoughts. His jaw dropped before he could hide his surprise.
"How-" he began weakly before pausing and looking at Navi. Her anxious, almost guilty, expression told him what he suspected. "You told her?"
Navi nodded. "I did."
A rush of anger seized Link. He felt betrayed. How could Navi divulge something like that to someone they barely knew?
He pushed the thought aside. Vaspin would have let it slip at any rate. He turned his attention to the fire, staring into its flames. Even this close, he still felt cold.
"I'm sorry, Link. It's just... I'm worried about you-" Navi's voice trembled as she sensed the tension between them.
"There's nothing wrong with me," Link replied testily. "I'm fine."
He could almost taste the lie.
Evidently, Navi could sense it too. "No, you're not," she retorted. "You can't lie to me, Link. I'm your fairy."
Normally, Link would have been grateful for her concern, but he did not want pity. Not now.
"Navi, I'm not even Kokiri-" he began.
Navi flew within an inch of his nose, her hands on her hips as she scowled at him. Link flinched at the fairy's sudden anger.
"I don't care if you're Kokiri or not! You're still my friend," she snapped before taking a deep breath and calming herself. "I love you, Link, and no matter what happens, I always will."
Link's cheeks burned at those words, and he was thankful the night almost hid his reddening ears. He turned his head away from her, shame gnawing away at his gut. It was wrong of him to be angry at her; she was just trying to help. If Saria were here, she would have had a long talk with him.
"I'm worried," Navi continued. "I want to help you. I don't want to see you tear yourself apart... not like you nearly did at that temple. Please let Sheik help you."
She landed on his shoulder, and Link swallowed as a lump rose in his throat, aware of her concerned gaze.
"You must not feel ashamed for what happened," Sheik said. "You lost control, but given what happened, and that you believed your friend died before your eyes, your reaction was not surprising."
Given Navi and Vaspin's reaction to seeing him hacking the Phantom's body into ribbons, Link wasn't sure he agreed with her.
"The main thing is that you do not blame yourself," Sheik continued. "Navi is right. You cannot bottle up everything that happens to you-"
"I don't just bottle everything up," Link muttered, finding it was easier to stare at the ground.
Navi made an irate noise. "No," she said. "You become an emotional wreck and make decisions you would not ordinarily make if you were a little more level-headed."
"Like what?"
"Like charging off into the woods and almost getting lost."
He knew she was right, but he couldn't help feeling angry with her. How could she expect him to be level-headed after everything they'd been through? It wasn't like anyone had prepared him for what he'd face after leaving the Temple of Time. No. He'd simply been told to go and find the Sages, as if it wasn't a big task or likely to be even the slightest bit difficult.
He closed his eyes, breathing through his nose as he tried to direct his thoughts elsewhere. It was true; he'd been thrown into the deep end without being asked if he could swim.
"Do you recall that I told you my family died in the sacking of Castletown?" Sheik asked after a lengthy silence.
"I do," Link said quietly, pointedly not looking at Sheik.
She continued regardless, her voice low enough to make sure her words wouldn't carry far. "I was only ten. The same age you were when the Master Sword sealed you away. You wanted to know how I coped? Well, truth is I did not cope well, not at first."
Link looked up in silent interest at this, which Sheik took as a prompt to continue. "Rin taught me something. How would your loved ones want you to live your life once they are gone? Do you think they would want you to move on and be happy or to tear yourself apart because you cannot stand the thought of living without them?"
Link didn't reply for some time; he knew the answer. Saria would want him to be happy. To move on. The Great Deku Tree would have wanted that; he had implored Link not to grieve for him, after all.
"They would want you to move on," he replied quietly.
"That is the strange thing about loss," Sheik murmured. Link wasn't sure if she was addressing him or merely pondering aloud. "You tell yourself you cannot go on; the pain is akin to a grievous wound. Yet it heals in time. But you have to let it heal. Dwelling on it is like aggravating a wound so that it bleeds anew, and a wound that cannot heal will only fester."
Link cringed at the mental image this conjured. He turned his eyes to the leafless Deku Tree at the centre of the glade, its lifeless limbs mostly hidden in shadow.
His first struggle. His first failure.
"I'm afraid," he whispered, aware of Sheik watching him. "In my dreams, I see the dead. Those I couldn't save. Now, when I see someone bleeding, I panic. What was the Great Deku Tree thinking, Sheik?" His voice rose, wavering unsteadily. "What was Rauru thinking? I..."
He stopped, unable to continue as a lump rose in his throat.
"Only a fool has no fear," Sheik said. "There is no shame in being afraid. Fear cuts deeper than any blade ever can, but you can overcome it in time."
"I haven't overcome anything," Link muttered. "I don't feel courage at all, only fear."
"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the ability to conquer it. You are the Hero of Time. You have that courage in you even though you may not believe it now," Sheik replied. "The Master Sword would not have chosen you to wield it otherwise."
"I wasn't courageous when I saw Rin kill a Gerudo," Link said, trying to block that awful memory. "I almost passed out." He gave a shaky, mirthless laugh. "Really, Sheik. How am I supposed to use the Master Sword if I'm going to faint every time I draw blood?"
Sheik sighed, leaning back against her hands as she gazed towards the starlit sky. "That is hardly unexpected given the circumstances that have been thrust upon you. You're a ten-year-old in a seventeen-year-old's body. I had time to adapt, and as cold as that might sound, you have not."
"I know," Link sighed. He looked over at Navi, who was gazing at him anxiously. "Navi didn't have a chance to adapt either."
"It won't be easy," Sheik said, her face still impassive. "But I can train you."
"What?" Link asked, now meeting her eyes.
"I can help you learn to control your emotions, to focus in a fight, but it will take time," Sheik answered. "I won't be able to turn you into a trained Sheikan warrior overnight, but I can at least teach you the basics. In the meantime, get some rest. Are you sure I cannot give you anything to help?"
"No, it's fine."
He got up and left the fire, returning to his bedroll. Navi still had not left his side and was gazing at him in silence.
"I'm sorry if I upset you, Navi," he began, turning over to see her. "It's just-"
"I know," Navi interrupted him. "It's all right. I don't blame you. Just get some sleep." She flew close to his hand. He held out his palm so she could land, and was surprised by how warm she was. "I won't be far away if you need me."
She flew towards a nearby tree to rest, while Sheik quietly played her harp, strumming a peaceful yet lonely melody. Link found it vaguely familiar. There was a stirring of motion in the trees, but it was just some curious onlookers listening to the music. If Sheik noticed her audience, she didn't call them out. And so they listened, as did Link.
His eyes grew heavier as the instrument lulled him into a dreamless sleep.
~ 0 ~
Over the next few days, Sheik kept her word, attempting to teach Link to quiet his thoughts and remain centred despite his emotions. Each morning, they found a secluded spot in the forest, away from the curious eyes of the Kokiri. Rin didn't join their meditation, insisting she needed to replenish her stock of potions, and there was no shortage of helpers.
By the morning of their departure, however, focusing on training was proving rather difficult. Meditation, in particular, seemed an art Link was not destined to master. By Navi's judgement, he was far too attached to breaking things.
"You are tense, Link. Try to relax and focus on your breathing," Sheik said, watching him from across their small clearing.
He couldn't help gritting his teeth at her words, feeling like every instruction reminded him of his ineptitude. For three days, they had tried this exercise, and three times he had failed.
With a flustered sigh, he opened his eyes, feeling on the verge of a sarcastic comment or two.
"You try it..." he snapped.
"I have done this many times over the last seven years," Sheik answered, and though her tone was patient, there was a firm edge to it.
"Can't we just make a practice dummy or two?" he asked petulantly.
"No," Sheik said, her tone forbidding any argument. "Now, let's try again."
Link sighed and tried again.
After another hour, he was still struggling to focus on his breathing and empty his thoughts. While he did not succeed, he did manage to fall asleep.
Something tapped his shin, jerking him to awareness.
"Focus, Link. Empty your mind," Sheik chided, her voice strained.
"Sorry," Link grunted.
Closing his eyes again, he tried to ignore the loud rumble from his stomach. In his present mood, he doubted Sheik would even let him stop to eat. Slowly breathing in and out, he focused on shutting out his surroundings until all he could sense was the rhythm of his heartbeat. He was nearly there, his breathing steady, and then...
A shrill caw cut through the glade, and Link flinched, eyes snapping open as he looked up to observe a crow with a message tube attached to one of its legs. Its ruffled plumage was oily black, save for one mottled wing.
"Sheik!" it squawked, startling Link. "Sheik! Sheik!"
"How does that thing know your name?" Navi asked, distaste clear in her voice as she hovered alongside Link.
"It's Rin's," Sheik replied.
The crow called once more, and Sheik whistled in response. On cue, the bird swiftly flew down to her so Sheik could snatch the leather tube from it.
Its errand done, the crow landed with a clumsy thump on Sheik's pack. "Food!" it demanded, snapping its beak at the bag's straps. "Food! Food!"
Sheik glared. "Go hunt your own."
The crow squawked indignantly and dropped an unwelcome gift directly onto Sheik's pack before flapping away.
"That's so unhygienic," Navi muttered.
Sheik was already unfurling the scroll before Link could ask what it was, her eyes swiftly scanning its contents. Her jaw clenched as she read, her shoulders tensing ever so slightly.
"What is it?" Navi asked, flying close to Sheik and then hesitating before looking at the scroll, as if unsure whether she should read it.
Sheik sighed, a sharp exhale.
"The Gorons are threatening a rebellion," Sheik answered, not looking up.
"Rebellion?" Navi asked, looking ready to forgo her earlier reluctance and read the parchment herself.
"Ganondorf enslaved them," Sheik answered grimly. "They've been working for him under threat of being fed to Volvagia."
Volvagia?
Link swallowed hard, feeling any calm he had achieved earlier unravel faster than a ball of twine. He recalled the battle by the drawbridge - Volvagia's desperate struggle against Ganondorf's magic, his final flight onto the bridge, and the destruction that followed.
"But..." Link coughed, forcing the word past the sudden constriction in his throat. "I thought Volvagia was dead."
Sheik shook her head and grimaced. "He isn't."
"What happened to him?" Navi asked hesitantly. "Last we saw, Ganondorf attacked him, and he plunged into the Zora River."
"Mind control," Sheik answered, almost spitting the word. "It would take more than a tumble to vanquish a creature of Volvagia's might. The temple on Death Mountain is the source of his power. That is where you will find him."
"Darunia hasn't tried to..." Link trailed off, feeling a bitter taste in his mouth. "Stop him?"
He couldn't bring himself to voice the idea that Darunia might be forced to slay the once benevolent dragon.
Volvagia had been their ally. A friend. How could he even contemplate such an idea?
"Volvagia cannot be killed by ordinary means," Sheik answered, making Link's stomach sink with every word. "Every time Volvagia is wounded, Ganondorf warps him back to the Fire Temple to be revived, but Darunia believes we can use that to our advantage."
"How?" Link asked, confused.
"By ending it." Sheik's voice lowered. "Cursed as he is, Volvagia cannot truly die. Each wound is mended, his strength restored... and that will happen again unless we trap him in the temple and end the curse."
Her gaze shifted to the Master Sword. Understanding her meaning instantly, Link recoiled as if burned.
"We trap him?" Navi repeated, giving voice to Link's thoughts. "You want us to finish Volvagia?"
No, Link thought, feeling sick.
His last encounter with a fully grown fire-breathing reptile had almost ended with him becoming a Dodongo's lunch. He could see it lunging forward, recalling the blistering pain of his injured leg, fleeing down a tunnel as fire roared towards him...
An encounter with Volvagia would likely end with him becoming a dragon entrée.
"You want me to fight a dragon?" Link asked in an almost strangled voice. "But-" he struggled for words as he recalled Volvagia tossing a Dodongo off the side of a mountain trail. "Even with that sword..."
He'd be little more than a charred corpse.
"Other paths may reveal themselves," Sheik replied, her voice growing sharp. "No one else can wield that blade except you."
Her eyes never left Link, even as he got up and started pacing. This was insane!
"Sheik is right," Navi said, watching him. "Besides, you took an oath as a sworn brother."
Link whirled on her, halting her as she flew toward him.
"How?" he asked in disbelief. "How can you even say that... you were there! You saw what happened on the bridge..."
Navi fluttered closer, unperturbed by his outburst. "Darunia needs your help, Link," she said softly. "He made you one of his clan. Don't squander that honour."
"Whose side are you on?" Link asked, exasperated.
"Darunia has already found the Fire Medallion," Sheik added calmly, "so at least you don't have to look for it."
Link laughed, but it was not from humour. "I'm supposed to fight a dragon, and you think I'm worried about that?" He almost kicked the dirt in frustration. "When do I get a choice in this?" Suddenly, the anger drained out of him as he slumped against a tree, squeezing his eyes shut as if that was all it took to deny what he'd heard.
Navi buzzed close to him as he opened his eyes, but he looked away, preferring to stare at the ground.
"Who was it that did a suicidal run into a giant Gohma queen?" Navi asked, looking directly into Link's eyes.
Link sighed. He didn't want this. "I took her by surprise-"
Navi didn't relent. "Then you took on a giant lizard-"
"With your help."
It had been a stupid lizard anyway, dumb enough to jam itself in a tunnel barely wide enough to accommodate its girth and then swallow several Goron bombs.
"I was unconscious, Link. Remember?" Navi reminded him. "Darunia told me you found a way out through a tunnel that must have been a mile long."
"But-"
"You even tried to take on a Gerudo with nothing but a dagger... more than once! I bet you didn't think you could do that, did you?"
Link stepped away from the tree, gritting his teeth. "Things were different back then, Navi. Besides, it didn't end well when I tried to take on Ganondorf, remember?"
The fairy and the youth stared at each other. Sheik watched in silence.
"My point is, Link, you can do it," Navi persisted.
"No, I can't."
Navi made a noise of frustration. "Yes, you can!"
Link looked at Navi stubbornly, which only infuriated the buzzing sprite. "All right, fine! Why don't we go and hand in your resignation to Zelda or the Goddesses? Or both, even."
"Navi!" Sheik's voice was a reprimand.
"How do you expect me to take on a dragon?" Link demanded of them both, raising his voice. "Ever since I first left the woods, I've been told what to do, and so many times I've nearly died because of it! Not that I would expect a Sheikah to care."
Sheik actually looked hurt then, and a deafening silence fell between them. Breathing hard and unable to ignore the reproachful look on Navi's face, Link spun around, intent on walking off to find some solitude in the woods.
"Did you know Darunia even named his son after you?" Sheik asked, her tone soft.
Link stopped short, the question snagging him like the branches of a thornbush. He turned, slow and wary. "Did he?"
Sheik met his gaze, chin lifting a fraction. "To honour the boy who braved a nightmare to save his people. Or so the Goron elder told me."
Link flinched as though struck. "I'm not... that's not who I am now."
Sheik's voice dipped low. "And your friend, Saria? She confronted a demon, knowing that it might be her end. All to help her people. To help you." The last part was a quiet accusation. "By letting her courage go to waste, you dishonour her."
Link's jaw clenched. He was about to retort, but stopped as Sheik's words cut deep.
What would Saria think of you now? he thought. Maybe Mido had a good reason to call you a wimp.
And that voice - the one that haunted his darkest moments - was back again. It had been silent when he rescued the Kokiri, but it was never far.
Sheik was right. The Sage of the Forest had risked her life to save the Kokiri, and Mido had died trying to help her.
"The hero's path is a difficult one," Sheik said more softly, almost apologetically. "If I could take that burden from you, I would."
"No," Link managed, his voice hoarse. "It's all right," Link murmured, almost too softly to be heard. "It's mine to bear."
Returning to his sword, he reached for the Master Sword. "What you said... I appreciate it, but I wouldn't wish this burden on anyone." He gripped the hilt of his blade, and he lifted it, scabbard and all. It felt heavier than usual. "I have to do this."
"You don't have to bear this alone, Link," Sheik said, stepping beside him.
Link adjusted the straps on his sword belt, and then, without looking at her, he offered quietly, "I guess we'd better go then."
~ 0 ~
They left late that afternoon with just enough daylight left to make it to the edge of the woods before sundown. A soft murmur brushed through the trees as the wind ruffled the leafy canopy, and the only other sound was the soft thump, thump, thump of the two horses. A band of Kokiri had found Rin's black horse - Blaze - and returned the animal, while Link's dapple-grey mare was still unaccounted for.
Blaze carried them through the trees, following the white horse Rin was now riding. Both animals were laden with saddlebags. Link's sword and shield were tucked amidst his gear, hidden to avoid arousing the suspicion of anyone they passed on the road.
Leaving his home for the second time made Link feel just as uneasy as it had on the first occasion. As he crossed the stream where he had said goodbye to Saria all those years ago, he gazed longingly at the bridge, as though hoping the Forest Sage herself might appear. The stream beneath the bridge was dry, nothing more than a narrow stone-studded gully.
Soon, the trees began to thin. Link was sure they could not yet have reached the boundary of the woods, but when they emerged from the tree line, he found himself facing a sea of grey, dry tree stumps. Broken bits of twigs and sticks lay strewn across the blackened ground. Bits of bramble and dead shrubbery lay tossed about as though ripped asunder by a violent storm.
"The Gerudo harvested the woods for their fires," Sheik explained, regarding the scarred land with a grim look of dismay. "Be glad the rest of the woods did not meet this fate."
Link recalled the Phantom's words - the Hylians had burned the forest children's homes, leaving desolation in their wake. Was this how it had appeared? To Link's dismay, the Great Deku Tree's successor, the Deku Sprout, had affirmed the spectre's words. The thought that his ancestors had once viewed the Kokiri with such disregard made him feel ashamed to be a Hylian. At least until he thought that the Hylians had suffered enough since then.
An ugly scar of scorched earth, blackened and barren, now ran across the once vibrant hills. Tree stumps dotted the ravaged hillside, shredded branches scattered about them. The cold nipping deep into Link's bones had little to do with the wind. He cast his eyes northward to where Death Mountain's tall peak peered over the treetops. That was when he first noticed the strange ring of glowing red clouds wrapped around the peak, almost as if the heavens themselves were burning. There was something else there too: a dark shape against the sky that was slowly growing in size.
"What is that?" Link asked, pointing towards the approaching thing.
"What?" Rin asked. She slowed, drawing rein as she brought her mare alongside Blaze.
Link pointed to the odd figure. It gained more clarity as it grew bigger, forming a serpentine shape, its scales scintillating like small rubies. Or at least that was Link's first impression. Then he spotted the black bat-like wings and realised what he was looking at.
"A dragon," Navi breathed in awe.
The dragon was diving, reminding Link of a bird descending towards its prey.
"There aren't any dragons in Hyrule," Sheik commented, her voice stiffening. "Except one."
Volvagia.
Rin realised too. "Quick! Back to the trees!"
Sheik obeyed her mentor, and Link held on for dear life as she spurred Blaze into a desperate gallop. Navi managed to take refuge in Link's pocket, and as they dashed for the cover of the trees, he almost forgot to breathe.
"If Volvagia escaped from the Fire Temple, something must have happened to the Gorons," Sheik called out to him.
Link realised she was right; Darunia would not have allowed Volvagia to escape. Not willingly. There was no more time to ponder this as the dragon bore down on its quarry.
Sheik rode deftly between the tree stumps, careful to avoid ensnaring Blaze in the underbrush or the thick tangle of tree roots. Riding as fast as they were, a tumble would likely be lethal. Rin covered their retreat from behind, twisting in the saddle as a blast of magic flew from her outstretched hand, a crackling sphere of energy that shot towards the dragon. Volvagia managed to dodge the attack and kept coming.
Link watched as the dragon tore towards them. Blaze was already beginning to tire, the saddlebags weighing him down. Link considered cutting the bags loose to help the horse, but they were almost at the forest's edge. Surely Volvagia could not follow them into the forest, not with the wards intact. That was when Link realised there was something on top of the dragon. No, not something, someone. They were wearing a mask. A mask in the shape of a skull.
"Navi, tell me that's just another phantom?" Link asked her, desperately hoping it was. As much as he dreaded the idea of facing another one, it couldn't be as bad as facing Ganondorf.
"What?" Navi asked, daring a peek out of his pocket. Seeing what he meant, she gave a frightened squeak and then said, "It's him... I'm sure of it. I can sense his power, even from this distance."
Link tried to swallow. That wasn't what he'd wanted to hear.
Another spell left Rin's outstretched hands and streaked towards Volvagia, missing by inches. Her mare, to Link's surprise, kept galloping on without flinching.
Volvagia swept past, diving for Blaze, his claws bared as he prepared to rake them straight through the horse's hide.
Blaze galloped swiftly to safety, a thick sheen of sweat upon his coat. Link pulled his bow from the saddlebag, nocked an arrow, and took aim. His first arrow went wide. So did the second one.
"Sheik! He's catching up!" Link warned.
"We're nearly there!" Sheik yelled back.
Link was really contemplating loosening the saddlebags now. It would mean ditching their provisions and most of his gear, but at least they would still be alive.
As they reached the shelter of the trees, Sheik checked Blaze's pace and glanced back over her shoulder. Link turned in the saddle, searching the sky for Volvagia.
"He can't follow us, right?" Navi asked.
As if in answer, a burst of fire erupted from Volvagia's mouth, slamming into a tree that exploded in flames. Volvagia followed, another column of flames belching from his mouth. This time, it was directed at Rin.
"RIN!" Sheik yelled as the other Sheikah vanished behind the wall of fire. They heard her horse whinny in fright, but there was no horrible scream of a wounded animal. At least that meant that Rin was all right, or so Link hoped, and he focused his attention on Blaze's path.
Link was still sure the wards would stop Ganondorf. At any moment, he and Volvagia would be forced to turn back. Only they kept coming. The medallion on Link's belt grew hot, almost enough to sear his skin.
Volvagia broke through the trees, crashing through the canopy and diving towards Blaze. Chips of wood, sticks, and branches rained upon the forest floor. The horse broke into a gallop. A large branch slammed into the earth, barely missing Blaze. A few metres to the left, and they would've been nothing more than a stain on the forest floor.
"How did he break through the wards?" Link exclaimed.
"Same way as last time?" Navi asked, her voice weak with fear.
Acrid smoke filled Link's nostrils, and suddenly he was back in Castletown, watching it burn around him. Only it was not the capital of Hyrule that was burning now. It was the Lost Woods. His home. Bile rose in his throat, and he nearly gagged as he forced the vile acid back down.
Now really isn't a good time for that, he growled to himself, hoping Sheik was so busy keeping control of her mount that she wouldn't notice.
Blaze galloped through the woods, nostrils flaring and hooves pounding against the earth. That was when Link realised they were leading the dragon right towards the Great Deku Tree's grove. Before he could scream a warning or consider luring Volvagia away, Blaze broke through the thickets and into the clearing. Several Kokiri were fleeing in the direction of the Great Deku Tree, looking back over their shoulders just long enough to glimpse the crackling inferno that erupted behind them.
Link unleashed another arrow as Volvagia burst into the clearing, sending a cloud of splintered wood in front of him. Another column of fire streamed towards them. Sheik rode behind the massive trunk of another Deku tree as Volvagia's flames scorched the tree.
"We're too exposed!" Navi yelled. "We need to find cover!"
Link looked back to see that not everyone had fled. Forenz was yelling at several Kokiri to run towards the Great Deku Tree's meadow, ushering them on as fast as he could. A strange cacophony alerted him to something else approaching, and he stared up towards the canopy. A swarm of screeching birds descended from the treetops, diving towards Volvagia, shrieking and cawing. Birds of every size swarmed around the dragon, snapping and clawing at its hide, tearing at eyes and flesh. The sudden frenzy took the beast by surprise. Volvagia snapped at his attackers, but still, they came on.
Ganondorf's voice boomed above the frenzy, and a pulse of energy seemed to wash through the air, chilling Link. As one, Volvagia's attackers withdrew. A burst of fire crashed into the stragglers, sending them plummeting to the earth in a spiralling column of smoke and burnt feathers.
Volvagia looked none the worse for wear, and neither did Ganondorf, but the effect had been enough. No Kokiri remained in the glade.
They must be headed for the tunnels, he thought, hoping the Gohma hive was still intact.
Link caught Sheik's eye. She was scanning the trees frantically, apparently searching for some way out. They were clearly outmatched. It would have been sensible to flee, but this was not a fight they could run from. Not now.
Without waiting for Sheik, Link leapt off Blaze, bow in hand, and dashed behind one of the surviving treehouses.
"Link! Have you taken leave of your senses?" Sheik yelled after him. "Get back here!"
"I'm not letting him get near the others!" he hollered back, just before another tendril of flame nearly struck Blaze's flank. Sheik cursed, steering the horse out of danger as Volvagia craned his head around the tree and unleashed a deep-throated growl.
As they fled in different directions, Volvagia went after Sheik. She was too quick, dashing out of reach of the dragon and its tongues of fire. Desperate to draw Volvagia away from Sheik and the others, Link nocked an arrow and took aim. He spotted the wound on Volvagia's side, the one caused by the giant Dodongo long ago. It was now a long, jagged scar.
Link was about to let his shaft fly when a second dragon burst through the clearing. Its scales scintillated emerald green, and its wings could have sheltered a dozen horses when fully extended. He was so distracted by this sudden change in fortune that his shot went wide, missing Volvagia completely.
Another dragon? Link stood gaping in astonishment, right before common sense took over. He could just as well be food to this enormous predator. Except it didn't seem to be after him, and as he spotted Moriko nearby, he guessed she was behind its appearance.
Moriko stood beside one of the trees, her eyes never leaving the emerald dragon as she directed it to attack. How she had summoned the creature, or whether it was merely a conjuration, Link had no idea.
Moriko's dragon gave a deafening roar that nearly made Link's ears bleed. It lunged forward, teeth snapping shut on Volvagia's neck, sending thick droplets of blood splashing onto the ground.
Moriko's eyes never left the dragon she was somehow controlling.
"My magic may not be enough to stop him, and his power repels even the mightiest woodland spirit," she said, her voice loud and clear in Link's mind. "I will need you to help me."
Link nodded, understanding what Moriko meant. Gripping the bow tighter in one hand, he watched in horrified fascination as the two dragons grappled with each other.
He drew his bow taut again and loosed an arrow. It missed the wound, bouncing off the red scales. Volvagia pushed the green dragon back, sending it slamming into a tree, which snapped with a loud crack. The emerald dragon roared its fury. Volvagia hissed, striking the emerald dragon across the flank with a savage swipe. The emerald fell, whipping its barbed tail towards the more powerful red. The barb struck Volvagia's left eye, cutting through it and sending blood and fluid gushing from the wound. Volvagia roared in agony and stepped back, his head twisting as he writhed in pain.
Link turned back to the Great Fairy. She had slipped out of Ganondorf's sight, but Link could still see her. Her eyes were closed, her face was set in a tight grimace, and sweat beaded on her brow. She was struggling.
The two dragons came tumbling and crashing closer to Link's hiding spot. Sheik joined him, keeping a tight hold on Blaze's reins as she rode up to him.
"Link, get on. We need to move back!" Sheik shouted. Link could barely hear her over the roar of the duelling dragons, which was growing louder as Ganondorf drove the other dragon back.
Sheik extended a hand to Link, but he had another idea.
"What about the Master Sword?" he asked. Another swipe from Moriko's dragon slashed across the membrane of Volvagia's wing. "You said we only need that to kill Volvagia."
"You can't face Ganondorf yet, and if he didn't harm you, you would be crushed!" Sheik sounded aghast at the idea. "Hurry up and get on."
Resigned, Link grabbed Sheik's hand, letting her pull him up, before they dashed for cover, riding for another tree near Moriko.
As the battling dragons rampaged closer to her hiding spot, Moriko didn't run. Link wondered why before realising that it was probably taking all her strength to maintain the spell. She couldn't run. He had to help her and fast.
Even though Volvagia was bleeding badly and didn't look like he could take much more of a beating, Ganondorf was unscathed. He looked annoyed. Just annoyed, nothing more. Blaze reached the trees, and Link turned back to face the battling dragons. He didn't even have time to nock an arrow before a sharp, sickening crack sent a jolt down his spine.
He gasped. The emerald dragon's head hung loosely in Volvagia's maw. A faint, horrible gurgle erupted from its mouth, and the emerald beast went limp, falling to the ground with a thump that sent a tremor through the earth.
He heard Moriko cry out. The Great Fairy was clutching her head, body braced against the tree as though she were too weak to stand. Moriko fell to her knees, gossamer wings drooping. It was as though the thread between her and the dragon had also been snapped, injuring her.
Before Link could even scream a warning, a jet of magic shimmering an eldritch blue left Ganondorf's outstretched gauntlet.
"Mother!" Navi screamed.
Moriko barely had time to see what was coming. She shrieked as the spell hit her, engulfing her in a twisting pyre of purple flame.
"No!" Navi screamed. She started flying towards Moriko's body, watching as the smouldering corpse that had once been a Great Fairy slid to the ground.
"Navi... wait!" Link called. "NAVI!"
Link dismounted and caught up to Navi in a quick stride before she could fly into Ganondorf's sight. He closed his hand around her, trapping her, and quickly darted behind the broad trunk of the Deku tree. Navi's wings beat madly against his hand, but he didn't dare release her.
"No! Let me go this instant! Let me go!" she screamed.
Her shouts ended in a hysterical cry, and he exchanged a glance with Sheik. Her red eyes were like fire.
"Link, I know what you are thinking, but you cannot face him yet," Sheik warned him.
"I know," Link said. The Forest Temple had taught him that, but to leave now would be to betray the Kokiri. They were like family to him, and he wouldn't abandon them to Ganondorf's mercy.
"Is there nothing we can do?" he asked Sheik.
"There is, but it's more likely to harm us than him," Sheik said.
"It's still a chance," Link said, seizing on the possibility.
"I-"
"I know you are hiding, Hero of Time!" came Ganondorf's mocking call. "They call you courageous, but you hide like a coward! Face me, or I will kill every last one of the Kokiri, and I'll make sure you hear when I do."
Link left his refuge. Sheik called him back, but he ignored her, releasing Navi, who took a moment between her sobs to realise what was happening.
"Always the noble hero," Ganondorf scoffed as Link stepped into the open. He dropped from Volvagia's back and drew his sword, his red cape rippling behind him as he strode towards Link.
"I won't let you harm the Kokiri!" Link yelled. "You have caused them enough grief already."
"Just how do you plan to stop me, Hero of Time?" Ganondorf asked, mockery dripping like venom. "You seem to have forgotten your blade. Without it, you are just another man, and you will die just as easily."
There was a rush of movement from behind Link as Sheik dismounted and dashed to his side. She was gripping the Master Sword, still held within its sheath, which she tossed to him.
"You?" Ganondorf paused midstride, his eyes widening. "I thought I killed you and your kin." He sneered again. "No matter. I'll deal with you as I dealt with the others, as I deal with all who defy me."
"Courage is not the absence of fear but the ability to conquer it," he told himself, trying to ward off the panic that threatened to snare him. "Fear cuts deeper than any blade."
He tried to focus on Sheik's words and shut out the torrent of fear that threatened to overwhelm him.
"Link, I'm going to stun him. Be ready," Sheik said quietly beside him, her cowl raised so that it made it difficult for any but Link to hear. "We may only get one shot at driving him off."
Before Link could do anything or ask what Sheik meant, she sent a bolt of lightning arcing through the air. He knew the dangers of drawing too much magic, but there was no time to protest as she unleashed her spell, hitting Ganondorf square in the chest. The Gerudo king screamed, and Link took the cue to dash forward, intending to plunge the Master Sword straight through the Gerudo king's heart.
He never got the chance. A flicker of yellow off to his left caught his eye. Link dropped onto his belly, right before a stream of flames rolled above him, the blistering heat searing his skin.
As soon as the fiery blast subsided, Link was on his feet. Ganondorf was kneeling, one hand clutching his chest, the other resting on his sword. He raised his head, shock crossing his face. Before Link could strike, Sheik unleashed a second, brighter bolt of magic. It soared through the air. Ganondorf raised his hand, his gauntlet glowing as a translucent shield appeared in front of him. The lightning crashed into it. The barrier rippled, and the Gerudo King remained on his knees.
"The darkness... will prevail!" he hissed. "Don't think you've won, mage. You've only delayed your doom."
Just as Link dashed forward, a ring of purple light surrounded Ganondorf and Volvagia. The lightning stopped. Ganondorf regained his feet and stepped towards the rapidly forming vortex.
He was getting away.
"No!" Link screamed.
A wall of fire erupted around the vortex, and Link skidded to a halt, barely avoiding the flames. He was cut off from the Gerudo king. Ganondorf glanced at Link through the wall of fire. "The Sheikah will not protect you forever, boy. As a punishment for your defiance and theirs, I will revive this dragon and return it to Death Mountain, to the temple where its power is strongest. Each day I will feed it one Goron... Perhaps you can make it before one dies."
With that, Ganondorf disappeared into the shimmering vortex, and the wall of fire vanished. The only trace of their presence was the blackened circle of earth, the grass that once occupied it reduced to ashes. Whatever Sheik had done to him, Ganondorf had escaped.
Link turned around to ask Sheik what she had done. Only she wasn't standing next to him; she was on the ground, pale and listless.
Fear choked him then; Sheik was far too still for his liking. He shouted Navi's name, but the fairy sat beside Moriko's broken body on a tree root. She did not leave the Great Fairy's side, still too stunned to react to the sight of Sheik's limp form.
Link did not want to be alone again, not now. He fell to his knees beside her.
Oh Goddesses, please, no! Sheik, please don't be dead!
Remembering what Saria had taught him long ago, he removed one of his gauntlets and pressed a finger against her throat. At first, he couldn't feel anything, and he panicked.
Oh no... no.
He searched again for a pulse.
After a moment of frantic searching, he finally felt a pulse, slow but rhythmic.
Too slow, he realised, his heart sinking. He could barely feel it anymore.
To his relief, Rin burst through the clearing. Her face went white at the sight of Link kneeling beside Sheik.
"Where's Ganondorf?" she asked, dismounting from her mare. Her cloak was scorched, and soot streaked one side of her face. "I lost sight of you both after the dragon attacked."
"He got away," Link answered. "Volvagia too... Sheik's hurt-"
Rin was already kneeling by Sheik's side, one hand placed upon the younger Sheikah's brow.
"Is she-"
"She will live," Rin said softly. "But I will need to tend to her now..." She looked up at him before her gaze shifted to the burning forest. Several trees that had survived the sacking of the village were aflame, and only the Deku trees seemed relatively unharmed. "Boy, pass me your instrument."
"What-" Link said blankly, his mind racing so that collecting his thoughts was like struggling against a fast-flowing current.
"Your ocarina!" Rin said, her voice snapping Link to attention. "The one the princess gave you!"
He complied without a word, handing the instrument to Rin. No sooner had she begun than Link felt something shift in the air, as if something unseen had rushed past, disturbing the wind in its passage. To Link's utter astonishment, storm clouds began to drape the land in shadow. A soft breeze stirred his hair, rapidly strengthening into a howling gale. Within moments, tendrils of lightning arced across the sky, and fat raindrops descended from the heavens. A hiss rose from the burning trees, and plumes of steam rose into the air, thick sheets of rain threatening to drown the land below.
"How did you summon that storm?" Link asked.
"It's called the Song of Storms, but I can explain more later," Rin answered. "Grab the horse, and bring the saddlebag." She turned back to Sheik, just in time to see the younger Sheikah stir. Her eyes fluttered open briefly, and in that moment she spoke a single word.
A name.
Link gasped, but Rin didn't notice. She gathered Sheik into her arms and started for one of the nearby huts without so much as a backward glance.
Stunned for an instant, Link stared after her, but then quickly set about finding Blaze. Thankfully, the horse hadn't gone far. By then, the storm was so heavy that Navi was forced to retreat from Moriko's body and take shelter in his tunic. As he led the horse past the fallen emerald dragon, flames began to flicker across its body. He nearly dropped the reins in shock.
"Conjured creatures don't outlive their caster. Not even their bodies remain," Navi explained.
"Is that what it was?" Link asked.
"Yes," Navi said sadly. "It was."
She spoke no more on the subject, and Link didn't press her for more details. Now wasn't the time, and Sheik still needed him.
Retrieving Blaze's saddlebag, Link joined Rin in the small dwelling. She was still tending to the younger Sheikah when he arrived.
For a time, Link stood watch, but the silence was almost unbearable. He looked out the door, watching as the fire finally sputtered and died beneath the deluge. As it did, his mind drifted back to Ganondorf's threat.
Each day, I will feed one Goron to Volvagia.
There was no way he could make it there in one day.
Next Chapter
Reviews
   Lord Darth Yoda chapter 26 . Oct 17, 2014 |
Ganondorf riding Volvagia is now the most awesome thing I've ever heard! Awesome actionin this chapter and it was a fun read. :D
And hopefully Link puts two and two together about Rin/Impa. He seemed to write Sheik saying Impa off as mishearing too easily. I assume it was the stress of the moment but he isn't that oblivious is he?
SunPraiser31 chapter 27 . Jan 18, 2017
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