Chapter XV: Strife

Chapter XV: Strife

Link collapsed when he came ashore. He took in air ravenously, hands upon his thighs. He arose and looked back across the lake which antagonized him and seethed. yet expelled a sigh of reilef for he didn't have to swim across it again.
'The desert could not best me. Nor the mountain, none of those wretched monsters could either. Agahnim himself fell before me. What made you think you'd stand a chance?'
He took leave of the area, his steps slow and weary for his legs may as well have been crafted of lead. Still his jaw was held aloft inspite of his weariness.
'West, she told me to go west'
The wind ran upon his chest, as cold and unwelcoming as it ever had been. No light was upon his path as the sun was still concealed. With each step his legs grew heavier, as the distance he took became smaller. It was perhaps by day's end when he came into a parched knoll.
Link found he could go no further and soon found himself face down in the ground but he knew he had to get up. However the ground he lay upon felt as soft as his bed as he had not laid in a bed for what seemed years. He had not been warm for so long, he couldn't recall what it was like. His eyes fell as gradually as sand in an hour glass. He had to arise, but it he could push himself no further. He tried to summon within himself, whatever strength remained.
He thought of his uncle. And how he nurtured him, how he taught Link to hunt, and how to live in the wild. He remembered how his uncle showed him how to handle as sword, and his wits. Link had to arise. He recalled seeing his broken form lying within the wash of the rain, cold, dark and alone. He recalled how his body grrew cold in his arms when he drew in his final fleeting breath. Link pulled himself up, came to a single knee, and kept pulling. He came to his feet, and took a step, only to find himself upon the ground again.
He thought of Zelda. Link remembered the warmth of her hands. He remembered how they felt within his own. He remembered how her pulse and his always seemed to fall in the same rythym. He recalled the gentle serenity in her smile. It was a smile that shone for him and him exclusivly. Link thought of how the heat of Zelda's breath would fall upon the skin on the back of his neck. It made the hairs stand on end and dance.
He remembered how she felt in his arms when the two of them danced upon the floor. They were like two interlocking pieces of a jigsaw puzzle when they danced. Complete. Link even remembered the time Zelda proposed that he should be king. He remembered how her lips felt upon his own; they warmed him to the very core of his heart. He remembered how excited he felt as she stirred within his arms. He remembered how the scent of her hair took him away. He remembered how her eyes glowed in the moonlight.
Link remembered the urgentcy in her voice when she first called out to him. He remembered how her eyes beamed with relief when he unlocked her cell. Link remembered how Zelda's scream pierced the very essence of him. He remembered how desperate he was to get to her. He remebered how helpless and unconscience she was when Agahnim cast her away.
Link came to his feet. He took in deep heavy breaths; his shoulders and chest heaving like the tide and each breath served as a reminder of how severly his ribs were broken. The sweat poured into his eyes, and stung like the bite of a spider. Link took a step foreward but the simple task of putting one foot before the other was more formidable than he had anticipated; as he found himself again upon the ground.
His lungs were empty. His arms and torso felt welded to the ground. He felt his frame being pulled slowly into the earth and Link could not distinquish where his body ended and the ground began. All of his pains merged into one, as his body began to throb. He took in long legato breaths, yet pulled in less air as he lay.
'Link'
He said nothing.
'Link arise'
'You again?! Who are you?!'
'Link, arise'
'I cannot. I am empty'
'Did I not promise to strengthen you when you grew weak? Did I not promise that the darkness has no chance against you? Have I not guided you safely thus far? I will not bring you this far to have you fail. I began a work in you, and I will see that it is completed. Now arise Link'
Before he could protest, Link found himself upon his feet and he began to walk. He walked through the barren meadow, pace augmenting with each step. Before he knew it, he was running.
Soon Link found himself standing before a grand rock. He stopped to regaurd it as it was the size of a football stadium. It's surface was smooth, and he could tell that no feet had stood upon it's lofty pinacle and it stood unconquored in a desolate realm. It stood unweathered inspite of a constant assualt by the wind and it's sediment for it had withstood the ages.
'Are you weary Link?'
'Yes I am'
'Come and rest.'
Link found a cleft in the rock and tucked himself inside it. It was warm and comfortable like a favourite coat.
'I'm thirsty'
He felt a stady flow of clean, fresh, living water cascade onto his brow, anointing him. Link opened his mouth and took it in and the water filled him and satisfied him. When he could take in no more it ceased. Link hid himself with in this rock and somehow he knew no harm would fall upon him. He knew that it had withstood the ages, and it was almost as though the rock was cleft for him. The wind howled furiously as Link rested inside. It slammed itself upon the rock, but it would not break. The wind poured out all of its rage and fury in an attempt to get Link, but it could do nothing.

He covered a vast amount of ground, it was almost as though he flew there. Somehow in spite of the area Link, covered, He was not weary. By the end of the next day, Link found himself at the heart of a swamp. His feet squidged upon the ground with every step he took. The humidity clogged up his throat for the swamp itself reeked of methane. The raucious stench of decaying bodies floating in the water sat upon the bog and the air he pulled into his lungs, would have caused his stomache to empty it's contents if there were any. The ground was a carpet of vomit green, and shifted like sands blown by the wind.

He stood before an opening in a great tree, and surveyed the bog that glared at him the same manner as the lake had. Link glared back.
The darkness has no chance against you
He knew what to expect from this Swamp Palace. Much as the others, it had vast cyclopian corridors which Link could not reach the other side with an arrow. He saw a balcony on which there were two doors but was unable to find access to that balcony. In the center furthest room there Link did see a door.

He expected to be lead into another long corridor, which he was. The end of the corridor he found three doors; none of which were locked. He chose the door to his right that held nothing to speak of. When Link turned about to exit, he saw the door slam shut. He turned about again, and saw five bats coming towards him. Link rolled his eyes, weary from endless bouts. They descended upon him like missiles, but each were met by the sting of the Master Sword. Upon thier destruction, a chest dropped from the celing. Link took the small key which it concealed, and found the door had opened.
Link then turned into the center door and before him stood a stair well, the top of which held another large room. There sat three statues and three floor switches that looked identical to each other. Link placed the statues upon the switch closest to them, but nothing. He tried different statues upon different switches unill something did happen. As with the last room, he found a key.
Link tried not to let this labrynth intimidate him. He told himself he'd keep his wits about him as he began to wander about pretty well aimlessly. He tried not to become frustraited as he lost the ability to discern one long, deep corridor from the deep, long corridor he just came from.

Every time he had to enter in one of these ancient structures the same thing happened. He was quite glad that he had only this one and another to conquor. He still could not help to wonder as to who built these places and why? No one could live in a musty stone edifice. The only purpose it had was to antagoinze him; which it was very deft at. And who exactly would leave thier key with a pack of bats?
The third door brought him into another long hall, which lead him to the balcony. The second door was locked, but luckily he did have a key. This door led him into yet another deep long corridor. Inwarly he hoped that a stafols would jump down, simply for the satisfaction of hammering away at it. When none came, Link screamed.
'THIS IS JUST STUPID'
When he finished, Link found that he could see more clearly, It was like the place became suddenly illuminated with a vivid white flame.

He walked to the end of the coridor and there he found nothing, but a wide gaping abyss. He threw an arrow down and heard a splash. He looked around for some way to ford it. Of course, Link found nothing.
He stopped and took in a hearty breath. He scrutinized his surroundings for anything that could provide a means of crossing. His eyes came onto the celing and he noticed that one of the tiles was a shade or two lighter than those surrounding it. Link notched an arrow, and fired it. When it struck, he could hear the waters begin to rise. He watched as it ascended and leapt in and began to swim. He could not discern why though; consdiering his experinces with water just a brief time ago.
When Link reached the other side, he had to use the second key. Link gasped when he saw the challenge before him

It was a beast the size of a van It rippled with waves of muscle, like a finely toned as a tiger on the Serengheti. It possessed the body of a lion with three heads; one was a ram, another was a lion, and the third was a jackle. It's tail was a winding serpent. It glared at him, all eight eyes burning with contempt. It charged at Link like a battering ram.
Link rolled beneath it, leapt up and clave off it's tail. For nothing more than good measure, Link stamped upon the serpent's head like a drum. It winced and howled like it was beset by a seizure. Link took this oppertunity and thrashed away at its side with the rage of a tempest.
It regained itself, and batted Link away. Just as Link regained his feet, it rammed him into the wall. It lowered it's heads and charged again. Link dashed to his left and it crashed into the wall. He took advantage of his oppertunity and unleashed another flurry of blows.
It lashed out a claw, catching Link's side. He winced, and dropped the Master Sword. At point blank range, all three heads, shrieked a blood curdling howl. Link buckled over as a malphony racked his head, blood pouring from his brow and temples. OUt of desperation, Link dove to the side, just out of its reach. His vision was blurry and shifted like the static transmission of an old tv. Through the haze, Link could see it chrage at him. He ran foreward and dove beneath it, his skin scraped the stone floor. He sprang to his feet, recovered the sword, and delivered a potent stroke to its size. The Chimera batted Link away, knocking him against the wall.
Link saw the Chimera had gathered itself, and he backed off. He stepped over to the side of the other wall. It kept him in it's gaze, yet it did not charge. Link cursed. They circled each other warily, neither wanting to appear weak or fearful. He charged in and Link feined a high strike to the left head, but plunged his sword directly the center head. Link jostled the sword wildly; east and west, up and down, north and south.
Link yanked out the Master Sword. He brought it across to his right, furious like a lightning bolt, and knocked off the ram's head. Link wheeled about as he pulled the sword out and slammed it into the jackel's head. The entire Chimera shudered and dropped to the floor.
Link stood grimacing, as his old pains began to remanifest. He wiped the sweat off of his brow, realizing the fight had not lasted too entirely long. He saw the radiance of the crystal that descended from the celing. He watched as it broke, and closed his eyes as he felt a gentle, warm yet vibrant energy flow into him.

'Thank you Hero.' said the plesant voice of a comely young woman.
'Think nothing of it.'
'All that remains now is only one of us. You will find her in the North East at Turtle Rock.'
'yeah she told me. Thank you Though. Let me ask you this, what happens after I rescue the last one, after I free Zelda?'
'You will restore the Sages' seal upon the realm, preventing his invasion into Hyrule. THen we will open the citadel of the Dark King, allowing you to enter and defeat him.'
'So what happens after you leave here?'
'Well, I'll return to Hyrule with the others. We will wait untill the Dark King has fallen, than we can reinforce the seal for good. As we wait, we will pray, pray and pray that you are victorious. We can offer the Sages power along with yours, and Ganon will fall.'
'just who is Ganon? Why does he want Hyrule.'
'Ganon was once a god of the desert theives. He once conquored Hyrule during the imprisoning war, but was ousted by the Hero of the Ages, who banished him here.' 'Yeah I've heard all that. There has to be more. If he was defeated those many ages ago, why is he still a threat?' 'We do not know the exact reason why. Some speculate that it is the Triforce that sustains him. Others believe he made a pact with the Abyss. Others say he is a demon in earthly form.'
He nodded, 'So when I defeat Ganon, will this place be retored?' 'I cannot say. But I must return now. Thank you again. May the way of the Hero lead to the Triforce.'
She kissed him upon the cheek and was gone. Link stepped into the crystal shards and found himself out again in the bog.
'I am coming Zelda'

End Chapter