Ocarina of Time Chapter 37

 

Chapter 37

Unlikely Allies

The deafening cacophony of noise that assaulted Link's ears dragged him painfully back to reality. He shut his eyes, trying to focus on something other than the chorus of shouting. Amongst them, he recognized the distant guttural calls of bulblins, horses neighing shrilly, and an ever-present rumble of passing carts. The noise rattled his throbbing skull and Link couldn't help but wonder why he felt so ill after he'd been healed. It was worse this time, perhaps because the damage had come so close to killing him.

Ironic. He wondered if someone could actually die from being healed too many times. It was not a comforting thought.

He was tied to a pole by his wrists, the cold metal digging uncomfortably into his back. Taking a better look at his surroundings, he saw that he was in a tent. It was sparsely furnished, except for a table. There was a cage perched on top, a glowing ball of light within its small confines. In his disoriented state, it took Link a moment to realize the ethereal light was Navi. The sight of her sent warm relief through him.

He wanted to check she was okay, but trying to twist his hands free of the restraints was impossible. All he succeeded in doing was reopening fresh scabs as the ropes cut into his skin. Gritting his teeth as his hands throbbed anew, he realised he must have been struggling in his sleep.

Sheik was the only other person in the tent. She was bound and secured to a second pole. She looked in no better condition than he was, an ugly cut running across the side of her head where she'd been struck. On her left arm, the sleeve of her odd dark blue exoskeleton was melted, the skin red raw and blistered. It must have hurt, but if she was in pain, Sheik was hiding it well.

"Are you alright, Hero?" Sheik asked him.

Link didn't realize that he had been staring.

"Not really," his voice was hoarse, his throat dry. "What about you?" He glanced meaningfully towards the cut on her forehead.

"It is nothing to be concerned about," Sheik assured him. "My injuries are only minor."

"Don't suppose there is much chance of some water?"

"Not likely."

Great, Link thought. This was a situation that he had dearly hoped never to find himself in. His heart pounded like a trapped bird trying to escape from the confines of his chest. He took a few breaths to calm himself and then perked his head around to have another look at Navi. Was she sleeping or was something else wrong with her?

Sheik must have noticed the worry on his face because she added, "Navi assures me she is fine." Her eyes flickered back to him, concerned. "You, on the other hand, were in an awful state when the Gerudo brought you in here..." she paused, her voice going unusually soft. "Navi told me what one of the witches did."

Navi stirred from her sleep when she heard Sheik, and quickly jumped up at the sight of Link conscious. ""Link! Are you okay? I wasn't sure what to expect after..."

Navi's voice trembled, and Link had no doubt she was lost in the memory of what the witch had done. He was glad she had at least been spared the sight of him coughing up blood. The mental image this conjured made him feel cold and sick.

"One of the Gerudo made her stop... It was horrible-" he choked, stumbling on the last few words as he remembered the agonizing pain. 

"At least it's over," Navi tried to reassure him.

For now.

Link's cheeks flushed as he forced back the tears that threatened to come. Becoming so emotional in front of Sheik was embarrassing. Shame gnawed at him. He wished he could be more like the Sheikah, appearing to maintain a completely cold and emotionless exterior. It would make his task far more bearable. 

"I don't want to go through that again," he said, swallowing back a sob. He didn't want to cry in front of Navi or Sheik. Especially Sheik.  "I can't... It seems a futile thought, but sometimes I wish none of this had ever happened and keep wishing it were different or wondering what I could have done better."

Sheik sighed.

"You are not alone in that," she said, the remorse in her voice catching Link by surprise, startling him. 

Link blinked back tears, looking up at Sheik whose fierce red eyes came level with his own. "Why do the Goddesses make us suffer like this?" he asked. "It's one thing knowing I can do something, but now... Stuck here..."

He tried to gesture at their surroundings but only tugged helplessly at his restraints. 

"Did you say one of the Gerudo helped you?" Sheik asked.

Link nodded. "Yes. She made them stop."

Sheik frowned, her brow furrowed in a rare display of puzzlement.

"I don't know what happened," Link's voice shuddered as he recalled the pain. Feeling as though his newfound courage had abandoned him, Link found it was an effort not to break down into sobs, his wracked nerves stretched beyond their limits.

"Curious," Sheik murmured.

"What's curious?" Link asked.

"Either the witch's hold over her was broken, perhaps by Moriko, or their spell is weakening."

"How does that help us?" Link asked heatedly, the sudden anger in his voice causing both Navi and Sheik to stare at him. He drew a deep breath and lowered his voice, "One Gerudo cannot help us escape, and the rest... they did nothing."

That wasn't quite true. One of the other Gerudo had tried to stop the witches.

Navi must have been thinking the same thing because she spoke up. "They asked me if we knew were Zelda was, or at least one of them did."

"And?" Sheik asked without inflection.

"I told them Link knew, so the witches would stop what they were doing, but it was a lie."

"A necessary one, perhaps," Sheik replied evenly. She paused, considering something, her head cocked slightly to one side, red eyes staring into his own. It was not a comforting gesture. "The Gerudo did mention something about you blocking the witch's magic? Do you remember how you did that?"

Puzzled, Link shook his head. "No. I don't. I..." something had happened when he'd blacked out, but he couldn't wrap his head around it. "Sheik," he began, sure he'd sound mad. "Do the Triforce shards ever... speak to their bearers?"

"Speak?" Sheik echoed, sounding puzzled by the question. "No. Not that I'm aware of... why?"

Great. Now she probably thinks I'm crazy.

Try as he might, Link couldn't dismiss his recollection of seeing that strange apparition again. For a moment, its mind had touched his own, leaving him with the distinct impression that there was still much it hadn't told him. Link could sense the Triforce shard, like a faint hum of magic, but when he tried to reach out, it didn't respond. He could sense the spirit within it and there was something else too. He could sense some kind of emotion... was it... reproach?

Is that even possible? he wondered, baffled. Why would it be upset with him? How was that even possible?  Rauru had never mentioned anything of this, and nor had Impa or Sheik.

"Link?"

Link almost jumped, realising that Sheik was staring at him.

"I... It's nothing," Link said hastily. Trying to change the subject, and curious to know how Sheik had been captured, he asked. "How did you get caught?"

Sheik was giving him a calculating look, probably wondering whether or not to probe his question further. She relented. "Impa and I were ambushed on our way to Kakariko by the witches. They are wearing a pendant that blocks another mage's ability to touch the Flow."

"Moriko had something that could do that," said Navi.

"I guessed as much. She may have inadvertently given them the idea," said Sheik.

"What happened afterwards?" Link asked.

"The witches gave chase as we fled to the forest. The last I saw of Impa, she crossed the wards into safety but... she was wounded, and by that stage the Gerudo attacked."

"You don't think she is dead, do you?" Navi breathed.

"She may still be alive, but of her fate I am uncertain." There was a flicker of uncertainty in her eyes, but her posture remained unchanged, and her voice was flat.

Seeing Sheik's unspoken fear, Link shared an anxious glance with Navi. He couldn't bring himself to believe Impa was dead.

"I'm sure she is okay," Link said, hoping it was true. "You'd know if she wasn't."

If Impa had made it into the woods, there was a chance she could reach the Kokiri or even the Zora. "Any idea on how to get out of here, Navi?" Link asked, hoping for some comforting words.

"Without any outside help, our chances are slim at best," Navi answered. "There's always the 'my cellmate is ill' trick. You know, attract the guard's attention and escape when he thinks you're no threat."

Sheik was not amused. "They would just bring a troop of guards in here and a few healers, and probably knock you out if they were annoyed enough. No guard would be caught dead falling for that."

"Well, they probably would be dead if they fell for it," Navi joked.

Ignoring Navi, Link tugged at his bindings. They cut deeper into his wrists, drawing blood.

"Just what are you planning to do if you get those off?" Sheik asked, watching him. "If you are going to attempt to escape, you should at least have a plan."

"We have to get out of here somehow," Link said through gritted teeth. He continued trying to find some way to loosen his bindings. The Gerudo had not made it easy; there was nothing he could use to try and get loose. "How close are we to the lake?"

"We're nowhere near it now," Navi answered.

"Right now our best option is to wait for one of the Sages or Impa to get the word out, or one of Zelda's allies to reach us," Sheik answered. "I could live with myself if Ruto was the one who rescued us."

"Navi told you about that?" Link asked, surprised that Sheik knew.

Sheik nodded. "Yes. I take it Ruto kept the medallion with her?"

"She did," Link replied.

"Then at least she can tell the Sages what has transpired," Sheik replied, sounding as though being stuck in a Gerudo camp was nothing more than a minor inconvenience. Link found her calmness was grating against his frayed nerves, and he gritted his teeth, still fighting with his bonds.

"If only we had some way of getting to the Desert Colossus," Sheik said quietly. " We could activate the portal there, and that would be our way out."

"We have no way to open it," Link pointed out. "You said so yourself."

Sheik didn't seem fazed by this, her face still a mask of calm. "We may not be able to use it to travel elsewhere in Hyrule, but-" here, she lowered her voice. "Did you ever wonder what Ganondorf's phantom was trying to do with Saria when he captured her?"

Link swallowed, Sheik's words opening the gateway to a host of unwanted memories.

"Well... yeah, I did," he said slowly, looking at the floor.

"Rauru believes that the temples act as a portal."

"A what?" Link broke in, surprised. "As in... the entire temple? How does that even work?"

Sheik ignored the interruption. "Using the medallions, the Sages can open a gateway to the temple's counterpart in the Sacred Realm. We think it allowed them to quickly travel there in the event of danger. From there, Rauru could reach them, and perhaps he could reach us as well." Link was aware of her gaze falling on him, but he didn't meet her eyes. "That is why I asked if you wondered why Ganon chose to kidnap your friend. At first, I thought it was because he suspected she was a Sage, but that was only part of it."

Link was still digesting this information when Navi spoke up.

"Ganon must have found out," she said softly, sounding a little disturbed. Her words sent a chill through Link's veins like tiny threads of ice. "If only a Sage can use those portals. That means he  wanted to use Saria as a puppet so he could gain access to the Sacred Realm..."

"And kill Rauru," Link finished, suppressing a shiver and finally looking into Sheik's red eyes. "So once we find the Sage of Spirit, we can use these portals to get into the Sacred Realm and make our way to one of the other temples?"

"Provided we find the medallion and a Sage who can use it," Sheik answered.

"Not much of a plan," Link muttered, looking towards the tent flap. "We just have to escape and get there, but I can't see any way out. Not unless someone rescues us before-"

Link trailed off, his final words left unspoken. Even the fear of being handed over to Ganondorf seemed a pale threat in comparison to the torture he'd endured at the witch's sorcery. The pain made even the agony of being possessed by Dark Link seem tolerable. "I'm not ready to face Ganondorf yet... I know I'm not... Think of it, Sheik. How many people has he personally killed? Hundreds? Thousands? Not even the Sheikah could best him, and how does my skill compare to their own?" His voice became the barest whisper as he spoke his greatest fear. Both Sheik and Navi stared at him in pity. "I've faced him twice now, out in the open, and both times I've been unable to beat him." He laughed without humour. "I even wet myself the first time. Not exactly what you'd call heroic."

The tent fell silent at those words, and Sheik looked away from him.

"Link-" she began in a voice so soft Link struggled to hear her. "I-"

"That's where they're taking us, isn't it?" Link demanded, finding the strength to force the words out. "To Ganondorf?"

Sheik still didn't look at him, her face tight, as if she was in pain. He had a feeling that his last words had struck a painful blow.

"Sheik?" he asked, concerned.

"I do not know," Sheik replied, whispering the words. She turned to look him in the eyes.

Was it just his imagination, or were there tears in her eyes?

"Whatever happens Link, you must not give up the hope that we will be rescued."

"Not much chance of that," Link muttered, but this did give him an idea. He regarded Navi, wondering if they could somehow get her out. 

Navi noticed him staring. "What's wrong?"

"We can get Navi free," Link said. Judging from the way Sheik looked at him, her brow furrowed in concern, she understood. Before she could reply, Navi objected.

"Do you really think the Gerudo are going to ignore an escaped fairy?" she asked with an angry squeak. "We agreed to stick together. Besides, I can't take my eyes off you for a second without you trying to get yourself killed."

"That's not fair," Link retorted, earning a reproachful look from Navi. "Besides, you need to get help, and you're the best chance we have."

Their argument was cut abruptly short when they heard footsteps outside the tent and Sheik silenced both of them. Then someone laughed. It was an eerie and unnervingly familiar chuckle that made Link's hair stand on end.

"You have met with a terrible fate haven't you?"

Halvard, the Happy Mask Salesman, stepped into the tent. He was still wearing that infuriating grin, garbed in his royal blue robes hemmed with a pattern of gold. Nobody returned his smile, but this didn't seem to bother him.

"Halvard, you have to help us," Link blurted. His heart soared at the sudden change in their circumstances. Navi did not join in his enthusiasm; her face went sour as five Gerudo walked in behind the mask seller.

Link's mind reeled, his heart sinking as the brief ember of hope inside of him flickered and died, replaced with sickening dismay. Halvard was working for Ganondorf?

As though thinking along the same lines as Link, Navi let out an indignant screech, "You! I knew you couldn't be trusted! You're working for them!"

"Hmm... We have met with a terrible fate it seems," Halvard replied, eyes darting from Link to Sheik and back again.

"You will be the one meeting a terrible fate if you don't tell me what you're doing in the middle of a Gerudo camp!" Link snarled. His throat hurt terribly, and he broke off in a dry cough.

"Oh dear, this will not do at all." Halvard shook his head, still wearing that almost manic grin. "I was hoping you might be a bit more agreeable. And I do believe you might need some water. If one of you would be so kind as to fetch some for me?"

One of the Gerudo gritted her teeth, looking deeply unimpressed, and then nodded to one of her companions who looked all too happy to be anywhere Halvard wasn't. The lead Gerudo meanwhile, directed her attention to her companions, "You four leave us. Wait outside at your posts. I shall gain the truth you seek, if they do indeed know where she is."

Link noted the Gerudo giving orders was the only one wearing a necklace. He vaguely remembered seeing a Gerudo with a necklace when the witches were torturing him - before he had lost all sense of reality.

"The witch is dangerous, Aveil. It would not be wise to question these two alone," said one woman with a glare towards Sheik.

"I won't be alone. Wait outside and I will summon you if the need arises." Without further question, Aveil's companions left the tent.

"Navi was right about you," Link growled, "If I break free of these bindings you will not be smiling much longer."

"That's not helping," Navi warned him as Halvard gave another irritating chuckle.

"Oh, dear. Is he always this... unbalanced?" Halvard asked Navi, earning a glowering stare from her and Link. "This is no way to treat someone who saved your life twice."

Twice? Link could not recall a second time.

"He has the right to be angry," Sheik said quietly, "By siding with the Gerudo you've betrayed your queen and your country."

"Quiet, witch!" Aveil snapped her spear towards Sheik's chest. The latter did not even flinch. "If you wish to keep your tongue, hold it. I shall have questions for you, but that can wait."

Sheik merely looked at Aveil with a cold glare.

"Your words wound me, Sheikah," Halvard replied, his smile gone for a change. "I am only trying to help."

"What makes you think we believe that with her here?" Navi asked, gesturing at Aveil.

"Because I have something you own." Halvard reached into a pocket of his blue robe, withdrawing a familiar sea blue ocarina with a gold band around its mouthpiece."I am not a traitor," he said coolly, "nor do I appreciate being called one."

Link almost gasped. When he glanced at Sheik, expecting to see some kind of reaction, he was surprised to see her face was still a mask of stone. Had she expected Halvard to retrieve the ocarina? Was she merely feigning ignorance so that the Gerudo wouldn't know he'd always been Impa's spy?

"Give that back!" Link struggled against his bindings, a part of him wanting nothing more than to throttle the Happy Mask Man.

Sheik shot him a warning look that bade Link to hold his tongue, and Link's words earned a tsk from Halvard.

"Oh, I will tell you," the man ventured. "But first, you must listen. Listen and believe, if you care so much about your queen's beloved Hyrule."

"What are you talking about?" Link demanded, feeling more and more infuriated by the man's eccentric demeanor. Halvard's sing-song tone did nothing to help, and Link wanted nothing more than to snatch the ocarina from him. If it hadn't been for the fact he'd met the man, Link would have taken his words for the ramblings of a madman.

"Will you listen?" Halvard asked.

"Give me a good reason to," Link asked angrily, ignoring Sheik's reproachful gaze.

"Very well. If you do not hear, then Hyrule will be lost, destroyed in a flood, a paroxysm of sea, earth, and fire. All your efforts will be for naught... I am no traitor; I am trying to save Hyrule... We share that goal in common, do we not?"

A chill slid down Link's spine as though somebody had shoved snow into the back of his tunic. He shivered, shifting uncomfortably against the pole. He'd heard that same story mentioned once before and had taken it as nothing more than Dark Link's attempts to distract him.

Had there been some truth to the demon's words?

"How do you know this?" Sheik asked, her tone threatening injury if the man was lying.

"The Hero of Legends is not the only one destined to traverse the flow of time," Halvard said in that annoying sing-song voice.

"I can vouch for what he says about the flood," Aveil said, speaking for the first time since threatening Sheik. "The Gerudo have long known of it. It was written in prophecy. Our own king saw that future played out in a vision he received in the Spirit Temple. I assure you, Hylian, it is true."

Link's mind went numb. Were the Goddesses truly so cruel? He looked at Navi for some comforting words, but she had none now, having gone rigid with horror.

There was a rustle of movement beside the door and Link gasped as two gangly Kokiri came inside. Their appearances were pitiful, gaunt, and frail. He felt a surge of anger at the sight of the slave brands on their foreheads and the white tunics of their slavery. Both Kokiri gawked at Navi, but a silent nudge in the back by Aveil kept them on task.

"Not a word," Aveil said, her voice hard. The two boys nodded, but Link was sure that the warning was meant for him.

As they unbound his hands, Link caught a glance from Sheik that warned him not to resist. He wasn't stupid; he knew that in trying to escape, he would endanger the two Kokiri and their kin. He longed to promise that he would free them, that he would rescue them from their captivity, but Link knew he couldn't offer them any comforting words. Even if Aveil hadn't forbidden it, his words would be a bitter and cold comfort, especially given the fact that he was in no condition to rescue anyone.

One of the boys undid his bonds and handed him a cup. They cast a furtive glance at Aveil, who was watching them closely and said nothing. Clasping the cup he was offered in both hands, Link sat up straighter against the pole and drank greedily. All the while, Halvard watched him with calculating eyes.

Without another word, the two Kokiri left the tent, their cups in hand. Bound once again to the pole, Link waited until he was certain they were out of earshot before he spoke; he had no intention of frightening them with Halvard's grim omens.

"What you were saying before," Link said slowly, going over what Halvard had said, "Is that even if I stop Ganondorf, we are doomed anyway?"

"I'm not usually one for pessimism, but I have to agree with Link, why?" Navi asked, sounding distracted. She was glancing between Halvard and the tent flap, her mind no doubt dwelling on the two Kokiri captives.

"How?" Sheik asked, her voice ever so slightly pinched with pain.

Halvard seemed unsurprised by Sheik's outcry, uncharacteristic as it was.  He answered without sympathy, descending into remorseless detail. "In my Hyrule, a demon emerged from another realm, a demon thought vanquished, and indeed I witnessed its downfall. Once it regained its power, the seal on Ganon's prison was destroyed, and the two clashed. Ganon emerged the victor, and he cast his eyes once more upon Hyrule. In the chaos that followed, Hyrule was destroyed, drowned beneath a great sea." He cast a glance at the ocarina, turning it over in his hands. "This is truly a remarkable instrument. By drawing on a source of power, like the Triforce, it can send the bearer back in time."

"Was it Majora that caused the flood?" Sheik asked.

"Who?" Link and Navi asked at once, but neither Sheikah paid him any attention.

"Indeed, but I think it best not to mention her name," Halvard's face darkened, looking up from the treasured instrument. "I was certain her powers could stop Ganondorf. Perhaps, they still can. Impa forbade it. The demon couldn't be controlled."

"Hey, what are you two talking about?" Navi squeaked indignantly.

Nobody answered her.

"You told me that demon was dead!" Sheik said in a voice that demanded answers.

"It is," Halvard replied without cheer. "But an Ancient can be resurrected by one of its own kind, such is the scope of their power."

Link just stared at him, torn between confusion and a deepening pit of hopelessness. No matter how he tried to fill that growing void, it just kept growing. It hurt too much to know that all his efforts would be in vain, that the Goddesses really were cruel and callous beings. Or had they not foreseen what Halvard saw? He slumped against the pole, feeling all of the fight and anger leave him.

"Why did Ganondorf resurrect this demon only to kill it?" Navi asked. The Sheikah finally looked at her.

"Ganon allowed Majora to destroy his enemies. Once its task was finished, it was destroyed."

"In all of this time travel, did you figure out how to stop the flood?" Navi inquired, her voice a quiet murmur that was nearly impossible to hear over the din of the camp.

"Yes," Halvard replied.

"How?" Link asked, almost demanding.

"The combined power of the Sages can stop it, but you still have two to find. One I can tell you is imprisoned within the Desert Colossus. But as for what awaits you there, I cannot say. Only the Gerudo are permitted to enter by its guardians. The other Sage is someone you both know. You must find them soon, or else terrible, dreadful, things will happen."

"I would," Link replied. "But I don't suppose you have a way to get us out of here?"

"In time, but for now you must be patient" Halvard replied matter-of-factly.

"Can we, err... have the ocarina back?" Navi asked.

"No," Aveil said sharply. She had been quiet for so long Link would have jumped if he weren't restrained. "You cannot."

"Why?" Link demanded.

Aveil sighed, "I cannot arouse the suspicion of the other Gerudo, or the witches. You are to be taken to the Gerudo Fortress. If you want to reach the Spirit Temple, then I suggest you don't give Koume or Kotake any reason to kill you... and if you do resist, I can tell you right now that the witches will drag one of the Kokiri in here and kill them. I would be hard-pressed to stop them."

Link felt sickened to his core. He couldn't gauge the Gerudo's thoughts as she kept her emotions well guarded. What kind of sadistic monsters were these witches? His anger surged, and he wanted nothing more than to kill the two hags. They had killed Arden, almost murdered Forenz, and given the chance, they would have killed Saria and Mido.

"I'm sorry," Aviel said firmly, lowering her voice so it wouldn't carry. "Just do as I say, and I will do what I can to see that no harm comes to either them or you. Understood?"

Link nodded and then dared to ask, "What about Sheik? You didn't mention what was in store for her?"

Aveil grimaced before replying. "Once she has been sufficiently questioned, she is to be executed."

Sheik's face went pale.

"Were you telling the truth about not having an invisibility mask?" Navi asked. "We could use one about now."

Halvard smiled briefly. "I was. Now, if you will excuse me, I must be off."

Halvard turned, striding towards the tent entrance. He had just reached the tent flap when he paused, considered something for a moment, and then turned back around. "Wait for my signal. Both of you."

What does that mean?

Before Link could ask, Halvard turned and with a swish of his blue robes, he was gone. Aveil followed after him without a word.

As his mind buzzed, partially from the confusion the whole notion of time travel was subjecting him to, Link turned to Sheik. Her brow was furrowed in thought.

"Tell me he was lying about this whole time travel thing?" he asked.

"He wasn't," Sheik replied, her voice little more than a grim whisper, but her face betrayed confusion. "But I don't think he traveled through time alone. I suspect he is hiding something."

"He might be hiding something and you think we're supposed to trust him?" Navi blurted. "He's mad!"

"I wouldn't say he's mad. Dangerous, yes, but not crazy," Sheik said to her. This didn't convince Navi at all. "He was right about one thing. The only way to get to the Spirit Temple is to let the Gerudo lead us most of the way. This may be our best chance to free the other Kokiri, and if we break the curse, or kill the ones who cast this tainted magic, the Gerudo still afflicted by the Twinrova Sisters' curse  will no doubt see reason."

Sheik was right, Link supposed. This was his best chance at freeing the other Kokiri.

With that thought, he resigned himself to waiting.

Next Chapter


Reviews

SunPraiser31 chapter 38 . Feb 1, 2017 Okay what now So the mask salesman guy is basically living a Groundhog Day style life trying to stop this flood? Damn that's gotta be depressing. But are the Godesses really the ones for Link to put blame on? How exactly does Majora fit into it as opposed to Ganon? Which one is it that's inside Ganondorf's mask? So many questions, and maybe the chapter explained them better and I just missed it. I'll have to give it another read. Still, that mask guy is shady. It seems he might want to help, but might not? Guess I'll have to find out.

Shaveza chapter 38 . Jun 21, 2015 I'm really loving the way you've tied Majora's Mask in with everything. It's so exciting to see the ties to Wind Waker as well. Lord Darth Yoda chapter 37 . Dec 26, 2014 Kind of confused by what HMS is saying, the time travel thing is confusing ne as I try to figure out what it means. Hopefully once you explain more as the story goes I'll understand.