Among the Ashes

Chapter 16

Beast

Zelda shut her eyes tightly beneath the darkness. Deep silence throbbed against her ears, but she welcomed the emptiness. Her cheek pressed against the cold, hard stone and she ran her fingers slowly over the smooth floor beneath her.

She opened her eyes, and her gasp echoed through the wide hall. She knew this place – she could never forget the home of her childhood, the place she had grown up.

Zelda gazed up at the walls of Hyrule castle.

It must be a dream.

A few flickering torches lit the way as she wandered down the hall. Orange light danced on the walls and made her reflection shimmer on the polished tiles of the floor. Not a sound carried through the stillness. Even her own footsteps fell silent as she passed through an open doorway and stopped at the base of a long, winding staircase.

Her heart beat faster as she placed her hand on the railing, and lifted her foot to the first step. As though drawn by some force beyond her own body she climbed up, and up, to the top of the tower. The last torch disappeared around the bend, and she ascended blindly into the darkness. With her heart pounding in her ears, she stepped up onto the landing and stopped dead, in front of a large wooden door.

Six years had passed since she had stood in this dream, but the old terror came to life as though she had never left it.

Always the same threshold – passing through the same door.

As Zelda extended her hand to grasp the knob, the floor trembled. The door grew before her eyes until the knob had lifted nearly out of her reach. Fear closed in around her as she craned her neck upwards.

She had never felt smaller or more helpless. Nothing frightened her more than the prospect of opening that door. She wanted to scream and turn away, to run as far from this place as possible, but she couldn’t move. Her feet stood rooted to the ground, and she reached up, high above her head, straining herself up onto her tiptoes. The small, stubby-fingered hand of a little girl gripped the knob, and the door creaked open.

Silence returned as she peered into the shadowed depths of the room beyond. She took a step forward, and the door slammed shut with such a crash that it sent her heart into her throat. She whirled on the spot and threw herself at the door. Her hands searched blindly but no latch remained, no way to get out.

Zelda pressed herself to the barred entrance and fought back tears of dread. Each terrified gasp of breath rattled through her small body, threatening to choke her. Her heart beat so loudly it echoed off the walls and back into her ears, deafening her.

She turned slowly, keeping her back securely flattened against the door.

I want to go back. I don’t want to see. I don’t want to know.

Let me out!

But no one answered her silent plea. She had been here before, in this very room, trapped in the dark, with no where to go.

Her hands, now long and slender, pushed off the door. Clothed once more in her traditional gown, Zelda stepped forward. Light bathed the room. Torch after torch lining the walls sprang to life, illuminating Zelda’s bedroom. She knew every inch of this room, though she never thought she would see it again.

She glanced from wall to wall, and walked forward with hesitation. Her eyes fell on her bed, and the solitary flower lying in its center. It lay withered and dead, its petals burned down to mere stubs protruding from the brittle and blackened stem. Zelda picked it up gently, though she could feel it crumbling beneath her fingers.

One of the charred leaves broke off as she brought it closer to her. She knew it couldn’t last must longer: it was far too fragile to touch. Her fingers tightened.

The longer she held it, the more terrified she became. It wilted in her fingers and she searched frantically for somewhere to discard it, just to get it out of her sight. She turned around and a let out a strangled scream.

Marth’s crumpled body lay at her feet, blocking her escape. His vacant eyes stared up at her, foggy and dead. She shut her eyes to escape the gaze of the corpse. Gasping for breath and trembling, she stood for a moment wishing with all of her soul that he would be gone when she opened her eyes.

Her eyelids fluttered, and she glanced tentatively at the floor. Her stomach plummeted. This time she could not scream. No sound would come as she stared down in horror at the corpse of her father, lying in the spot where Marth had been just seconds before.

Blood pooled around the still, broken figure. Crimson flowed over the floor and reached out to touch her feet. She tried to step back, but her knees buckled and she fell to the ground. Warm wetness seeped through her clothes as she sat in the middle of the ever-expanding puddle.

“No,” she half-whispered. “No!”

Zelda fell across her father’s chest as wept.

“Don’t leave me…” she begged. “Please don’t leave me again.”

The corpse remained motionless beneath her. She cried until the terror in her heart outweighed her grief. Zelda blinked her tear-filled eyes and caught a glimpse of her hands, gripping her father’s robes.

She jerked back and stared at her hands, now covered with blood. Her heart thundering within her, she crawled backwards through the pool on the floor. She tried to wipe the stains onto her already blood-soaked clothes, but she couldn’t get it off.

In desperate search for escape, she fell backwards, panting and crying. She scrambled to her feet and ran blindly away from her father’s dead body. Zelda bounced back with a gasp as she barreled into a tall figure. She stepped back and looked up. A scream of abject terror tore from her lips.

Marth’s mangled corpse stood before her. Rotting flesh clung to his bones, and he stared at her now from the depths of two blackened, empty sockets. One skeletal arm swung lifelessly from his shoulder, handing by a thread. His skull, with its thin covering of pale, decaying skin, had a deep, bone shattering depression in one side.

Zelda felt physically ill. She looked away before she could glimpse whatever lay within the depths of the hole. She couldn’t look. She couldn’t bear to see the way Marth had looked when he died.

Zelda turned to flee once more, but stopped before she took the first step. The withered flower slipped from her fingers, and she let it fall to the floor without a second thought. A nearly soundless squeak caught in her throat, like a helpless, wounded animal. Her heart crumbled.

Her father had vanished.

Link lay on the floor in his place, bathed in blood.

Dead.

The spine-chilling sound of Zelda’s breaking heart echoed through the empty room, and she screamed until she could no longer breathe.

She fell to the ground, clutching his cold, dead body against her own.

“No,” she sobbed, gripping his bloody tunic in her hands. She pressed her forehead to his and let her tears rain down on his face. “Link, don’t go… don’t leave me! Please….”

She felt a boney hand wrap around her arm, and pull.

“No!” she shrieked, holding tight to Link’s body as the strong force pulled her back. “Let me go!” She thrashed and kicked, but still it tore her away. “No! Link!”

Link’s tunic slipped from her hands, and Zelda fought the death grip that held her. She whirled around, and screamed again. Marth’s living corpse stood beside her, holding her tightly in his dead arms.

Zelda lurched from his grasp. She could feel her skin crawling from his touch. He stopped and stared. Zelda trembled with fear as the decaying body lifted its arm and reached out to her.

Along the walls, the torches erupted into an inferno. Sparks flew and the flames burst outward, burning from the floor to the ceiling. The door, her only escape, began to smolder as the fire raged on.

The corpse’s arm stopped and offered her its rotting hand, still clutching the dead flower.

“No.” She shook her head frantically and backed away from the horrific creature.

She turned back to Link, and tried to run to him. But her legs would not move.

“Don’t go.”

The tiny, pitiful voice made Zelda’s heart skip a beat. She looked down.

A golden-haired little girl stood clutching Zelda’s skirts and gazed up at Zelda with fretful desperation.

“Don’t go,” her younger self pleaded again. Tears streamed from her eyes and she seized Zelda’s legs more tightly. Blood spread from the child’s hands to Zelda’s skirt, and seeped up the fabric like running water.

Zelda whirled frantically, with a cry rising in her throat.

“Link,” Zelda called. “Link!”

Her legs would not budge. The little girl wept and pleaded. The corpse offered her a lifeless flower.

Link lay dead on the ground.

“Link!”

Zelda tried to reach him. She fought and raged and struggled but she could not move a muscle.

The little girl would not let her go. She would not stop crying, and Zelda could not stop screaming.

“Please don’t leave me alone.” The child clawed at Zelda with her bloody hands.

“Link!” Zelda shrieked helplessly.

Still the child buried her face in Zelda’s dress and begged with all the fervor of her tiny heart.

Zelda shut her eyes.

“Don’t let go.”

The frightened voice of the little girl mingled with a new, far more threatening voice.

“Do not let go.”

The voice froze Zelda to the core. It spoke again, not pleading, but demanding – threatening. It echoed through the rafters above, closing in from all sides. Zelda hugged the little girl close, and the two fell still and silent. Zelda’s wide, tear-filled eyes searched the room for the source of the sound.

A deep, red light filled the room. The walls rumbled around them and the floor shook beneath their feet. Zelda stepped in front of the child. The little girl buried her face in her skirts, crying. Zelda placed a hand on her quaking shoulder.

The voice resounded again, deep and overpowering – and terrifyingly familiar.

”Look.”

A brilliant flash of red light exploded overhead. Zelda shielded her eyes, but she could not block out the voice as it shook through her, more terrifying than anything she had ever heard.

“You will look!”

Through the blinding light a vision opened before Zelda’s eyes. She could see herself in Marth’s arms, kissing him. It forced her watch, presenting the same nightmare it had shown her before. But, this time, her blood ran cold. She tried to scream, but she could not stop it from playing before her eyes over and over, killing her from the inside.

“No.” Zelda’s voice cracked. She shook her head and tried to block it out, but the images persisted. Her heart nearly pounded a hole in her chest, and she could not breathe.

“Look at what you have lost!”

“Stop it!” She sobbed. Tears trickled from her eyes, but she could not escape it. Torment beyond any physical pain wracked her soul and she stood powerless to stop it. “Please…”

“Please…” The child echoed her cry.

“You – will – not – let – go!”

A soul shattering scream tore from Zelda’s lips, and she jerked out of her fitful sleep.

Loud, gasping breaths caught in her throat, and she could feel every beat of her heart pumping terror through her veins. Still, she screamed. Her voice echoed off the rock walls and bounced against the rain-soaked canvas flapping in the breeze beside her.

“Zelda?” Elice leapt up and her eyes locked on Zelda with terror. Zelda sat just feet away from her, as pale as a ghost. With her eyes bulging from their sockets, she continued to scream as though she had been set on fire.

“Zelda!” Elice cried. She rushed to Zelda’s side and took her by the shoulders. She called her name over and over in growing panic. “Zelda, please! What is wrong?”

“I can’t,” Zelda sobbed. “I don’t – please, no…”

“Zelda!” Elice shrieked, and shook Zelda in complete desperation.

Zelda jumped as though struck by lightning. Her screams became pitiful gasps, and she looked around frantically trying to take in her surroundings.

“Zelda, what happened?” Elice pleaded. “What’s wrong?”

But Zelda couldn’t speak. She sputtered a few incoherent words, but nothing more. Elice watched helplessly as she succumbed to her tears. She could do nothing more than put her arm around her friend and try in vain to comfort her.

Elice tried to pull Zelda into a hug, but the second she drew her near Zelda exploded.

“No!” She jerked out of Elice’s arms and scrambled backwards, slamming her body against the rock wall. She huddled up, hugging herself tightly as though trying to shrink out of existence.

Zelda looked so completely devastated that Elice didn’t dare draw any closer or even make a move to touch her. She didn’t know what had happened after she had left, but in her wildest imaginations she could not think of anything that could reduce Zelda to this – and it scared her.

Eventually, Elice fell back into an exhausted sleep, but Zelda could not. She stared ahead into the darkness, seeing nothing, thinking nothing as the hours crawled by.

If she shut her eyes, she knew what she would see. She couldn’t face it again.

*****

Link tromped with heavy footfalls over the damp forest floor. As the night wore on, the thick downpour had slowed to a light drizzle. Now, only a few sporadic raindrops fell from the sky. With the storm moving on, the night stretched out cold and silent but for the sound of Link’s boots splashing through the mud.

The clouds parted overhead, revealing the pale light of the moon. Dim as it was, it penetrated the darkness and faintly illuminated Link’s path through the trees. In the distance, the long, baleful cry of a wolf echoed across the sky.

Link pulled his hood back and turned his face to the stars.

He felt as though he had traveled back in time, wandering through the wilderness alone on yet another quest. Defeat the monster, scale the tower, and save the day. He had done it all before. But this time he knew he had a Princess waiting for him at the end of the road. Somehow, it only made the way feel longer: the destination far more desirable than the journey.

Somewhere under this same sky Zelda would be waiting for him to come and find her. He hoped she had shelter, that she was warm and dry. He thought of their child, the little life growing inside of her.

Link bowed his head and plunged ahead, more quickly than before.

He pushed his way through the thick brush, and tuned his ears to every detail of the night. He could feel each leaf crunching beneath his feet, hear the distant hoot of an owl and the hum of insect wings hovering in the air around him.

A gust of wind brushed across his face, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. Silence closed in heavily around him. He could feel it - a slight tremor in the ground; a soft rustling in the leaves.

Link turned his head slightly to the left, then stopped. Not a muscle twitched in his body. The forest seemed to freeze around him. Even the wind fell dead.

Behind him now. Circling – closing him in.

His fingers flexed near the hilt of his sword, and he waited.

Link’s blade flashed and he spun in time to see the beast pounce from the shadows. Its dark figure hovered overhead for a split second. Link fell to one knee and rolled out of the way. The creature sailed over his head, landing heavily on its massive clawed feet. Link raised his shield as the beast tensed and hunched its powerful shoulders.

The wolfos twisted its head slowly and locked its yellow eyes on Link. It stood four feet high at the shoulder, far taller and twice as broad as the common wolfos of Hyrule. The long, steely grey hairs bristled along its arched back and it snarled through sharp, barred teeth. A threatening growl rose from the pit of its throat, echoing through the silence. It turned, prowling low to the ground, eyeing Link hungrily. Link tightened his grasp around the hilt of his sword, planted his feet, and stood ready.

A rush of anticipation coursed through him. The beast pounced, and Link flew into action. He swung his sword and caught the creature with a long swipe across its shoulder. The howl of pain ripped through the trees, amplified by the forest’s silence. The wolfos landed heavily on three feet, and buckled slightly on the fourth. It shook its head, whirled around and attacked again.

Its claws beat against Link’s shield, and he stepped back, gained his footing and waited for an opportunity to strike. He swung wide, but the beast threw up its paw for protection. Link’s sword clanged against the monster’s claws, sending a shudder through his arm. He didn’t see the opposite paw come sailing towards him.

Three razor sharp claws ripped across Link’s chest, tore through his tunic and shredded his skin. He stifled a grunt, but the wolfos seized his lapse in concentration and knocked his sword from his hand. It sailed through the air and landed on the ground just feet away. The beast crouched back on its feet then sprang for Link once more. He dodged, rolled to the ground, and reached for his fallen sword, but too late.

His foe fell upon him, pinned down his shoulders, and dug its claws into Link’s flesh. It lunged for Link’s throat, but he caught hold of its snapping jaws and held the animal back. The wolfos snarled and leaned closer as Link fought to keep its teeth as far away from him as possible. Hot, rancid breath shot down on Link’s face, and he grimaced.

Link gathered his strength and kicked the creature square in the stomach. The wolfos yelped and cringed, and Link felt the claws retract from his arm. Link kicked again, and the monster flew through the air and landed on the ground with a howl. By the time it turned once more on its prey, Link had collected his sword and stood ready for the attack. The wolfos charged but Link dodged and caught hold of its thick neck from behind. Link’s sword sliced across the soft flesh of the creature’s throat, slitting it from side to side.

The beast thrashed violently. Blood spewed from the open cut, ran through the wolfos’ hair and smattered the leaf-strewn ground. The monster pawed helplessly at the wound, howling and snarling in pain and rage.

It rounded on Link, and flew wildly through the air in one last, desperate attack. Its weight slammed down on Link, but he thrust his sword into the heart of the beast. Blood, hot, wet and steaming, poured out over Link.

A last, dying whimper shuddered through the wolfos’ body. Then it fell still.

Link cringed beneath its dead weight, while blood continued to flow down through his clothing. Heat still radiated from the animal’s skin, and the putrid stench burned Link’s nostrils. He pushed the monstrous body off of him in disgust.

Link staggered back against a large rock and bent over his knees to catch his breath. He panted as the rush of adrenaline slowly ebbed from his veins. The deep cuts in his chest burned, and he glared down at the carcass of his defeated foe. Link quickly wiped the blood from his sword and sheathed it.

As he pushed away from the boulder, he looked back and spotted the oddly patterned texture of the rock. He leaned forward to examine the reddish-brown stone, and smiled.

Hurriedly, he withdrew his supply of blasting powder and placed a small pile at the base of the rock. He backed up and sprinkled a small trail leading away into the trees. With a flash of steel against flint the powder ignited, and the flames snaked their way towards the rock. Link ducked behind the cover of a tree and waited for the explosion.

The blast reverberated through the forest, echoing off of the cloud-covered sky and the walls of the rocky cliffs ahead. The force of the explosion blew the rock to pieces, leaving nothing but bits of rubble and debris raining from the sky.

Just as he expected, Link spotted a hole in the ground, left where the boulder had once stood. Without a second thought, he stepped through the cloud of dust, and lowered himself into the pit.

Link fell through the open air in darkness. He could feel the ground drawing nearer, and he braced himself for impact. His knees buckled under the strain and he crouched on his hands and knees to soften the landing. He could feel hard stone and dirt beneath his fingers, but could see nothing. He glanced back up, far above, and could see the opening of the hole, faintly outlined in the moonlight. Even the dark night above appeared bright when compared to the pitch-blackness at the bottom of the hole.

Link stood up and brushed the dirt from his hands. Judging by the thick layer of dust beneath his feet and the heavy, musky air around him, this hole had lain undisturbed for a very long time.

He took a step forward. A faint drip of water in the distance echoed through the empty cavern, followed by a quiet rustling.

Link stopped in his tracks. It took only a matter of seconds for his eyes to lock onto the source of the sound. Two beady red points of light reflected through the darkness, gleaming eerily.

He drew his bow, fitted the arrow and took shot with fluid quickness. A high-pitched squeal echoed through the cavern and the keese fell dead before it knew what hit it. Another rustle, then another. The tremulous beating of leathery wings echoed off the walls of the cavern, making the small pack sound like a raging horde.

Link shot again, and the slain creature squealed. He squinted across the cavern and took aim. Another shot, followed by a scream, and the third carcass fell to the ground.

Link paused, and slowly lowered his bow. For a moment the cavern went silent, then another keese struck. Link raised his shield and felt it shudder as the keese struck against it. Dazed, the flying creature tried to scramble away, but with a slash of his sword, Link cut it in two.

Once assured that he had cleared the way, Link moved forward again, following the tunnel down into the depths of the cavern. He ran his hand over the rocky wall at his side, and brushed up against something. A quick examination with his fingers revealed a tall, metal-framed torch on the ground.

Link stepped back, and raised his hand, feeling the heat of Din’s Fire blaze between his fingers. He thrust his hand to the ground, casting the spell. The circle of flames extended outward from his body, lighting torches along the walls one by one until the entire room stood glowing with light.

For the first time he caught a glimpse of his surroundings. Bare stone walls extended up to the ceiling of rough rock formations and stalactites. The flickering flames illuminated a stone door against the far wall. Even as he watched, the heavy metal bars that blocked the way creaked out of the floor and slid upwards.

Link moved forward and ran his hands over the rough surface. In the dancing firelight he could make out symbols, oddly familiar in shape, but completely indecipherable. He shrugged it off, and pushed his shoulder against the slab of stone.

At first it did not seem to want to budge, but Link grunted and shoved against it until the archway shook and the door finally gave way. Dust and rubble rained down as Link forced the stone across the floor. With the door open just enough to admit him, he slipped through the crack to the other side.

A faint, ethereal light glistened in the distance, and it brought a smile to Link’s lips. He knew that gleam.

Sure enough, as he pushed forward, the soft dirt beneath his boots gave way to smooth white tile. The tunnel grew brighter and brighter, until he rounded a final corner and turned into a huge, open chamber that shone with an unearthly light.

Several small waterfalls lined the stone walls of the cavern, and a large, glimmering pool of water stood in the center. A short wall of ancient, white stone adorned with arched pillars framed the circular fountain. At first glance it seemed the bright light filling the chamber emanated from the water itself. But, as Link drew nearer, the light seemed to fracture into distinctly individual radiant points.

Link stopped at the edge of the water and watched the luminous orbs drift across the surface. Here and there he could make out the shimmer of a pair of wings.

The lights of the fairies moved across the water, rhythmically, almost hypnotically, in a kind of silent dance. Link couldn’t help but watch, and despite himself, he felt suddenly at home. He wished he had a bottle but, with his supplies long gone with their lost horses, he had no way of taking any of the healing water with him. Instead he knelt by the edge of the water and extended his hands to take a drink.

Link stopped. He stared down at his hands as though seeing them for the first time. The gruesomeness of his blood-encrusted skin caught him off guard. He flipped them over, only to find his palms coated in the same dark red stains. In fact, it surprised him to look down and clearly see for the first time how filthy he looked. The blood of the slain beast sullied his skin, saturated his tunic and coated nearly every inch of his body. His hands hovered inches from the crystalline water, and he quickly withdrew them, not wanting to dirty it.

He left the water’s edge and moved to one of the waterfalls along the wall. Link stepped beneath the trickling water of and let it flow down over his body. He braced himself against the cold, and let it wash over him. The blood seeped from his clothing and he scrubbed it from his skin. A small river of dark water ran past his feet and drained away.

Once clean, he returned to the fountain’s edge. He cupped his hands and drank long and deeply from the water. Its rich, sweet flavor filled him up from within. It vaguely occurred to him that he had been awake for nearly twenty-four hours with no rest and nothing to eat since the night before. Until he stopped, he had not realized how tired and beaten he felt. But he could feel it now as the water soothed the empty pit in his stomach and eased the weariness from his body.

Across the water, he caught sight of an orb moving closer and closer. No longer drifting aimlessly, the fairy flew towards him, drawn by his pain. The little creature stopped inches from his face and hovered there. Through the brightness of its light Link couldn’t make out its features, but he could feel it looking at him closely. Its wings beat a soft breeze across his face, and he closed his eyes.

The fairy extended a tiny hand and pressed it to his cheek. He could feel its warmth flow over his skin, soothing his external pain and healing his wounds. The fairy’s touch left his face and he opened his eyes.

“Thanks.” Link smiled.

A voice, like a tinkling bell, answered in his ear. In a flutter of wings, the ball of light circled over his head and swirled around him. A wave of motion moved across the water, as a number of fairies drew closer.

The fairies flitted around him for a moment, but he knew he had to move on. Newly invigorated from the effects of the spring, Link got to his feet and turned to leave.

The fountain disappeared behind him, like the sun setting over the horizon. His host of fairies still hovered around him, lighting his way along the dank tunnel as he stepped up the gentle incline. Up ahead he could see the shadows of the flames in the chamber beyond moving along the stone door.

Link slipped back into the antechamber, followed closely by his loyal throng. The delicate little creatures of light seemed starkly out of place here in the sharp, flickering light of the torches. Walking back through the ominous flame-filled room, Link felt as though he had fallen from Heaven into Hell.

He crossed quickly, heading for the moonlit hole in the distance. But halfway across the chamber he stopped. The torchlight danced against the vine-covered wall, illuminating a small alcove behind it in the brickwork. Link approached it curiously, then pushed the thick mass of vines aside and groped in the dark space until his hands brushed against a small wooden chest. He slid it out, stirring up a centuries-old layer of dust.

With a single kick to the rusty latch, the chest sprung open. Link removed a small, weathered scroll from the bottom. He unrolled it carefully, but found nothing more than a page of the same indecipherable script he had seen etched on the door.

He quickly gave up his attempt to understand it. Shrugging it off, he rolled the scroll back up. It looked ancient, and he couldn’t help but be curious. Besides, perhaps Zelda could read it.

Link hastily stored it away, then hurried to get back above ground. He stepped under the shaft of moonlight, pulled out his hookshot, took aim and fired. The claw sank into the rock wall far above and he pulled himself up.

He hoisted himself up onto the forest floor, and let his eyes adjust to the soft light of the moon. The carcass of the wolfos lay just feet away. The wind ruffled the hair across its cold, lifeless body. As Link brushed the dirt from his hands, he spared the fallen beast one last glance before he hurried forward through the trees.

His princess was waiting for him.

*****

A drop of sweat beaded on Roy’s forehead, pooled on his sweltering skin and trickled down to the floor. The salty taste remained the only moisture on his parched lips. He gasped for breath and groaned in his sleep.

Roy lay alone in the cave, his body stretched out across the stone floor in a growing puddle of his own sweat. The light of the fire cast sharp shadows around him, filling the darkness with a flickering light.

Slowly, a sensation of pain replaced the numbness in his body. Waves of heat rose upwards around him, curling in the air with billows of smoke. Dark clouds of ash hovered in the air, slowly filtering out into the night sky. The blazing of the wood echoed off the stone walls, crackling in Roy’s ears as the heat pressed against his skin from all sides.

He lifted his heavy lids, and the light burned his eyes. He cringed away, but he couldn’t escape it. Fire, all around him. Dancing on the walls, flaring into his face, boiling against his skin, under his skin. Inside of him, pumping through his veins with every painful beat of his heart. It pulsated through his body, pounding in his head, cutting off his breath.

Roy tried to move, but his muscles clenched. His body lay like dead weight around him – trapping him within himself. But it didn’t matter. He was already burning.

A shudder of pain shot through his chest, and he gritted his teeth against it. The flames swelled from his heart, out through his arms and legs, tingling in his feet and at the tips of his fingers. He tried to call out, but the flames crawled up his throat, and his voice cracked before he could make a sound.

Panic seized him, and he breathed in sharply. The pain in his chest exploded, crushing every bone in his body, blinding him. He wished for the quiet solace and release of death, but the hope of that had come and gone. Death held no peace, no comfort, nothing for him.

So, this was it. He was dead.

Alone, with himself and the flames.

This was Hell.

Roy opened his eyes, wishing, hoping to find some escape – but he knew it was too late. In agony, he tried to turn away from it all, but the harder he fought the more it hurt.

Yellow and orange flames glared in his face, scorching his eyes. And then a flash of red eyes. Roy blinked blurrily, not trusting his vision. Then he saw it again - cool blue, swaying amongst the flames like an oasis in the desert. Roy looked into her face, and she gazed back down at him. His heart beat faster. The flames surged violently.

Then she vanished.

The world around him faded into a haze of light and shadow. Though he searched for her face, he knew he knew it had just been his imagination.

Alone again, Roy shut his eyes against the flames, but nothing could quell the burning. He lay helpless, alone, writhing beneath the anguish of his own regrets. He would never see her again… never. Not here.

A desperate scream tore from his mouth, all in vain.

Roy’s eyes dimmed and he gradually lost conciousness.

She would never hear him now.

His angel did not belong with him in Hell.

*****

The scent of the Hero lingered in the air long after he had ascended back to the world above. The little fairy hovered in the shaft of moonlight, not ready to let him go. She and her sisters had waited for centuries, and finally the Hero had come. Here and there she could see his prints, marks of shimmering light left behind on everything he had touched. She fluttered idly in his wake, intoxicated by his very existence.

Drawn through the forest after the Hero, she could feel a dimmer light. Its shimmer broke through the darkness, calling out for help. She passed under the leaves and wound through the branches until she found it, huddled at the base of a tree. The fairy floated down, watching the light as it pulsated weakly. It was so little, so fragile. For a moment the light tried to shine – but then it stopped, and the fairy went still.

Something else hovered there – something dark. Something choking.

The frightened little creature mumbled restlessly in her sleep, and the light around her dimmed.

The fairy did not like that darkness there, smothering that light. She beat her wings and bared her little teeth. It shouldn’t be here. It didn’t belong.

The light throbbed, and the creature cried in its sleep. As the fairy crept closer, the light leapt hopefully. Slowly, she spiraled towards the forest floor, approaching the looming cloud with caution. She could feel the life inside, crying out in misery, and so she slipped into the fog.

For the first time, the fairy could see the creature clearly, curled up with its face half buried in its arms. She drew closer and she reached out to brush aside the long brown hair. The pungent smell of blood and fear rose from its skin, so strong and repugnant that the fairy cringed away. So much pain….

Gently, the fairy pressed her fingers to the aching creature’s nose. A ripple moved across the battered and wounded flesh. The blood vanished, bruises healed and a sweeter scent seeped up through the skin.

Beneath her fingers the sleeping one twitched. She cried out, quietly at first, then louder, with more fear. The fairy tried to hold on but the creature gave a stifled sob and lurched violently forward.

“Roy!” Manasa’s eyes flew open and she cried out in terror. Trying to catch her breath, she squinted against the morning sunlight and tried to gather her wits. Despite herself, she could not stop shaking. She shielded her eyes against the brilliance glaring in her face.

She gasped quietly. A fairy hovered inches in front of her. The halo of light surrounding it beamed so brightly that Manasa could distinguish nothing but its wings, beating in a blur behind it. She froze, mesmerized by its beauty. A sense of calm radiated from it, more soothing and welcoming than the shimmering, pink light itself. She reached out her finger, wishing more than anything to touch it again.

A mellifluous giggle filled the air and the fairy swirled upwards. The light left Manasa’s face and the world seemed to darken around her. Manasa froze once more. She barely dared to breathe as the fairy hovered just feet away, watching her closely. As though carried on the wind the fairy floated closer again, quietly, softly. Manasa’s hand trembled as the light drew nearer. She could feel the warmth as it settled against her skin – then she jumped once more, and the fairy took flight.

Leaves rustled and she felt a shudder run through the tree trunk against her back. Left under the dim light of the pre-dawn sky, Manasa glanced around the forest and finally remembered where she was – and how she had gotten there. Her nightmares came flooding back over her and she winced against the wave of terror.

A muffled groan sounded from the other side of the tree, and she jumped to her feet.

Navarre.

Her heart beat faster, and she fought the urge to scream. She had run, she had left. She had left him all alone.

“Roy,” she gasped aloud, and took a step back. Manasa turned to run, but only got a few steps away before she heard it again – the sound of footsteps moving towards her. She glanced back, and she stopped. Marth stood, half-obscured by the tree trunk, peering after her. For a fleeting moment their eyes met, and he blinked at the rising sun behind her.

The fairy continued to circle round her head, bathing her in light. Marth took a step forward and reached out to her. He opened his mouth to speak, but Manasa turned away. She shut her eyes and hesitated, only a moment. Then she held her breath and vanished into the sunlight, leaving Marth standing beneath the trees, bewildered and alone.

***

Sunrise had not yet reached the riverbed on the canyon floor when Manasa’s feet touched down. Pale grey light shone down from the sky, and a blast of cold air pricked against her skin. The roar of the river thundered in her ears, in shocking contrast to the silence of the forest. She did not linger on the spot for more than a second.

Manasa flew across the riverbank, in search of the cave she had left the night before. She had meant to return so quickly. Roy had been alone for hours - far too long in his state. She struggled across the stony banks, away from the river and back against the cliffs. The cave opened up before her, and she rushed through the doorway.

“Roy?” she called as she slipped into the darkness, and searched the cave. He lay unchanged, as though she had only been gone for a few minutes instead of an entire night. He did not stir at the sound of her cry.

“Roy?” She dropped to her knees and felt for a pulse. The soft beating beneath her fingers sent her heart into her throat. Despite her relief, the heat of his flesh against her skin shot a jolt of fear through her. His fever seemed to have worsened in the night. She felt a pang of guilt.

“Hold on,” she urged him desperately.

Manasa stepped up to the cave door and looked out into the wide, open beach that extended before her. A chilling sense of déjà vu crept over her, as she stood once again at this threshold. Her heart beat faster, and she fought the urge to retreat into the darkness and hide from the world. But there would be no coming back from that.

She hesitated only a moment, but she knew she could not let him win. Manasa she set her jaw, took a deep breath and emerged from the cave. Every step she took forward grew easier, and gradually the beating of her heart faded behind the rushing of the river.

She flew across the stony ground, and cast her eyes along the shore. It did not take her long to spot the fallen water pouch, lying abandoned at the edge of the shore. A cold shiver ran up her spine as she stood once more on this spot, but she quickly shook it off.

Setting her mind on Roy, she bent down and dipped the pouch into the river. She caught sight of her hand, and she stopped. The dark, familiar flesh; the short, slender fingers and wrists ringed in dark bruises. Steeling herself, she looked down at the water and faced her reflection. Her heart clenched as she met her own eyes looking back at her for the first time in weeks, and she blinked in surprise. She bent her head to inspect her face more closely, though she couldn’t believe what she saw.

Nothing – not a single bruise or a scratch on her face. She could remember every strike Navarre had unleashed upon her with terrifying clarity. But, for the first time, she realized the pain had gone as well. As she sat puzzling, she caught a shimmer of golden sunlight on the water, and her mind wandered back to the fairy she had encountered in the forest that morning. The soothing warmth against her skin that had washed the pain away.

It must have healed her, or started to. She caught sight of the deep purple bruises on her arms and cringed.

It must not have gotten past my face.

Manasa watched her watery reflection lift a hand to touch her unblemished cheek, and a sharp pain shot through her forearm. She cursed Navarre silently.

Still, she hadn’t realized how much she missed it – looking down and seeing herself.

It felt like coming home, when she knew that all too soon she would be forced to leave again. As soon as the others came back, she would become Ciara once more.

If they come back. Manasa sighed.

Every moment spent as Ciara was torture, always looking over her shoulder, expecting someone to notice something.

No worse than usual, I guess. She shrugged. I am a Sentei.

What was it Roy called us? Manasa thought bitterly. A clan of bloodthirsty maniacs? Or violent warmongers, as Marth put it…. Elice can’t even say the word without shuddering. The very thought of one of us in her precious Aritia nearly sent her into hysterics.

She smirked wryly. The thought amused her almost as much as it stung.

I wonder what she’d do if she found out she’s been sharing a tent with a vicious Sentei for the last two weeks.

Mansa sighed. She already knew the answer to that. She had met far too many hateful stares, suspicious glances and sharp, cutting remarks to not know what humans thought of her kind. Debris beneath their feet – a plague on their existence. Nothing more.

Sentei or Etrurian, it didn’t matter. No one had ever trusted her – except Roy.

Roy!

The water pouch had long ago filled to the brim. She quickly jammed the stopper in the top, took one last look up and down the shore, then teleported back to the cave.

Roy lay still as though she had never left, but she didn’t waste a second. She knelt at his side and carefully lifted his head. She lifted the water to his mouth but he remained motionless.

“Roy?” She shook him slightly until he moaned in pain.

Once more she pressed the water to his lips. Thirstier than ever, he drained the contents of the pouch with long, desperate gulps. When he had finished she pulled the empty pouch away and his hot, sweaty head settled limply in her lap.

Manasa watched as the rise and fall of his chest slowly evened out, though the painful rasping in his throat only worsened. Unsure as to what to do for him now, she simply held him helplessly as he groaned in his sleep.

Carefully, she raised a hand to his forehead and wiped the sweat from his brow. He shifted restlessly, and mumbled once more.

“Elice…”

Manasa felt another painful twitch of remorse, and she looked away from his anguished face.

“Oh, Roy,” she sighed. “I’m sorry…. I’m so sorry about all of this.”

She glanced back down at his face, but she knew he could not hear her. Somehow, she found comfort in that thought. She watched him sleeping in silence, and after a moment she went on quietly.

“None of this was supposed to happen. They didn’t even want you. Just Marth, Elice and Zelda… don’t ask me why, I don’t know.” She sighed in frustration.

“I don’t want to be here, you know.” She said almost defensively. “But Kau… when he tells you to do something, you can’t just say no. I don’t even know why he sent me. I’m nothing but a petty thief.” She tilted her head back against the cave wall and stared up at the ceiling. “I’m just… just trying to survive. You can’t blame me for that, can you?”

She felt silly, defending herself to an unconscious man. But she went on.

“You shouldn’t have been here at all, you know. But you wouldn’t leave her, would you? I knew the second you offered to come with her there would be no point in trying to talk you out of it. It just seemed easier to let you and Link come.” She shrugged.

“I don’t understand why you were willing to put yourself in that position, facing off against Navarre… just to save her. You could have gotten away, he clearly didn’t want you.” She trailed off thoughtfully, and looked down at Roy’s sleeping face.

“That snake,” she growled suddenly. “The Black Fang gives me my first real task and of course he shows up, that backstabbing, traitorous – ” she cut off with a shiver. A gust of wind blew into the cave and she sat in silence, not daring to move. As though he had heard her, as though he could see.

After a moment she spoke up again, quieter than before, and more defiant. “Whatever Kau wants with your friends,” Manasa’s stomach clenched. “They’re better off facing the whole Black Fang than they are against Navarre on his own. I don’t know what they did to get on his bad side but believe me… believe me,” she whispered. “They’re going to wish they hadn’t done it. I’m sure you already do.”

A humorless grin pulled at the corners of her mouth, but her face fell quickly. She wiped Roy’s brow again, and frowned down at her hand. Her deep, rich complexion stood in sharp contrast to his pale, flushed skin.

Slowly, gently, she lowered his head to the floor, backed up against the wall and drew her knees up to her chest.

“Once he sets his mind on something, he doesn’t give up.” She shook her head, no longer addressing Roy. “He doesn’t let anything stand in his way.”

She shivered against some imagined chill, and stared blankly out into the distance beyond the cave opening

“But, I guess that’s what you would expect from a Sentei, wouldn’t you?” She cocked her head, and looked down at Roy once more, as though expecting a response this time. None came.

Manasa dropped her head and wrapped her arms around her knees. She winced in pain, and glanced down at her wrists. The bruises on her arms throbbed, and she could almost feel his hands tightening around her. In the silence she fought to keep the memories at bay. She didn’t want to remember, to relive that pain again. After so many years, she had thought she had finally gotten away, but she knew now that was impossible. No matter where she went, no matter what she did, he would follow her – because she knew he had survived.

It had been foolish to believe the darts could have killed him. But still, somewhere inside she hoped she was wrong – that he was dead. That shehad killed him.

The thought still sent a shiver up her back. Amidst all the terrible things she had done in her life, she had never killed a man. In this, at least, her hands were clean.

Manasa ran her nails up and down her arm, scratching thoughtlessly at the skin. She could still feel him there – everywhere.

Still his… his toy to be played with, and discarded at will.

And now he wants Elice.

The very thought made her sick.

Navarre didn’t care what he did or who he hurt, as long as he got what he wanted.

Her blank eyes fixed once more on Roy. Her throat tightened, and she swallowed with difficulty.

Imagine an entire clan of people just like him.

She scratched harder against her skin, knowing it was already hopeless.

“Maybe you were right about us, Roy,” Manasa whispered, fighting the burning in her eyes. “Maybe you were right…”

Her voice cracked, and the tears spilled over. Manasa buried her face in her arms and let herself cry. Roy lay before her, trapped in his state of broken, lifeless silence. He couldn’t help her now anymore than she could help him.

*****