Chapter XVI:  Deliverance

Link took his leave of the bog, and headed NorthEast, as he was told to do. He recalled Zelda telling him she was being kept within Turtle Rock. What she did not tell him that Turtle Rock lay on the other side of the realm. Link felt the wind blow as hard as it had that first night, pushing with all it's might to keep him from his destination.
The first couple days of his trek, were done at the same speed as was from the Rock to the bog, his steps wre weary, as his feet felt heavy. LInk did notice that He felt no quaking inside his stomache, likewise the thorns which plaugued his shins were gone. In much the same manner, Many of the knots which nearly caused him to drown had been untangled. Even his throat was missing the abrasive texture. Still, the distance did begin to take its toll on Link.
Link travesed over the brown, dewless knolls, the gloomy, humid groves. A good four days or so after leaving the marsh, Link needed a place to rest for the evening. He came into a cave within a grove that was damp and cool and Link heard the gentle trickling of water nearby. He found the sourse and drank. It wasn't as satisfying as the water he took from the Rock, but nonetheless, he was glad to have anything. He knealt down before the spring, and brought the water to his face. The water was cool, and refreshing, so much so he plunged his entire head into the water. Link was unaware that he was being watched.
'You there. Young man.' said a melodious female voice.
'Yes.' He looked up and saw a faerie, she was at least as big as he was and hovered just a few feet above the ground. She was clothed in a luxurious emerald robe, which was framed by her strawberry blond hair that cascaded upon her shoulders and to the middle of her back. She had the figure which men would dream about, and the face which could start a fight. She had two sets of wings, the colour of a rainbow.
'Who are you?'
He bowed as any gentleman should. 'I am Link. Please do forgive me, I did not know this cave was inhabited.'
'That is quite alright Link. I see that you are no monstrosity, so I know you mean me no bane. But please, Tell me what you are doing here.'
'Very well. I am thirsty and I am in need of a place to rest, because I am on my way to Turtle Rock.'
When he said that, her ears perked up. 'Turtle Rock? For what purpose?'
'To free someone.'

'The Dark King holds his hostages there. Do you wish to free this someone from the grip of Ganon?'
'Yes.'
'I suppose you also wish to depose him as well?'
'Yes. I do.'
'I have heard rumours among us of Faerie, and within the wolves' night songs. The birds have spoke of this, as have the trees. They all speak of the Hero arriving. Are you he?'
'Indeed I am.'
'All of us in Faerie have sworn our services to the Hero. I am Celteria. She came over and landed next to Link, then bowed down. 'Here. I give you this.'
She pulled out a small bead of amber, and handed it to Link. He held it, regarding its simple subtle beauty. He thought back to the star he plucked from the sky, and smiled.
'Should you need me, hold up this, and call for me.'
'Thank you.'
'It is an honor to serve the hero in any way I can. Your efforts are thanks enough. Come let us eat.' Celteria gave Link some food, A tray of friuts and bread, fresh and sweet and delecitable.
'So Hero, tell me of your journeys.'
Link told her of all that he had been through. He began with Zelda's desperate plea that sent Link charging into the violent storm. He told of how is uncle had fallen alone in the cold wash of the rain. He spoke to her of his rescuing of Zelda and their flight through the sewers. He narrated to her the events of his test and of the monsters he slew. Link told her of the dance that he and Zelda shared. He spoke of how he claimed the Master Sword; and his fierce battle with Agahnim. He told her of his greuling bouts, and the arduous plights through the dungeons as well his despair and renewal. He even spoke of the pale king and The Rock that fed him.
Incredible.' She whispered. Celteria remained silent even after he finished. 'You must be the Hero.'
'So Celteria, tell me of how Ganon has oppressed this realm.'
'There have been entire librairies written. The prophets and philosophers weep upon hearing his name. Generals and emperors tremble, knowing how easily he can devestate their domains. His power has caused the very arches of Heaven to quake. This realm was once called blessed, now it has been ravaged and stripped of all of its former glory. He has enslaved entire races for resisting his will, and eliminated others entirely' Celtaria continued, her eyes moistening, and voice quivering as she spoke. 'Please, you must deliver us. 2000 years has been far too long.'
'I had no idea.'
'You should rest now Hero. The road still is great and arduous.'
'Please, just call me Link.'
She kept vigil over Link as he slept, praying and treating his wounds. Upon his awakening, he bade her thanks and was on his way. It was still a couple of days unill he reached Turtle Rock. He crossed through the glades, cloaked in stagnant mist. He scaled hill after hill with slopes that rose higher with each step. Link forded stagnant, fumous streams. The air grew more frigid as he approached. The wind bit his bare skin with a frosty sting, but LInk would not be halted.
He scaled a stone plateau and saw his destination. Link continued up stone mounds that stood above the plain like towering trees. He found himself before a great revine that stretched out like an open wound. It was spanned by a derelict bridge that could not support a bird. He kept his steps gentle and calm, and neither looked down nor clutched to the chaffing ropes.
The slope seemed to steepen as Link approached his destination, soon he arrived. In the shadow of a tall mountain lie Turtle Rock. It was as great as a hill, octagonal in shape, and even had limbs, a tail, and a head. Link approached the head, and looked at Its closed eyes and it's silent mouth

'Turtle Rock. How am I supposed to get in?' He looked for a possible opening, but found nothing. He considered using his sword, but instead called out to the sotne tortise. 'Turtle Rock! I demand you open!'
'Who are you?' inquired a voice as heavy as the rocks themselves.
'I am Link, son of Duran, of the Kokiri house, Hero of Hyrule.'
'That means nothing to me. What do you want?' It's eyes opened as well, their stoney, cold gaze peered into Link's.
'I want in. Did you not hear me?'
'For what purpose?'
'To rescue the Princess of Hyrule'
'I cannot let merely anyone who wants inside of me young man.'
'I demand you let me enter.'
'On what grounds?'
'I defeated seven of Hyrule's most fearsome monsters. I have rescued three maidens from the depths of the dark dungeons. I have the Master Sword in my sheath. I have fought the thunderstorm, the ruins, the desert, the mountain, the icy lake, the bog, and have been victorious over all of them. Agahnim himself could not defeat me. I ask you let me enter.'
'Impressive. If you can solve my riddle, you may enter.'
Link nodded.
'I am light, yet I am dark. I possess life, yet I take in neither breath nor food. I am cold. Yet I am warm. I am clear, yet I am full. I can move mountains and oceans, yet I myself cannot move. What am I?'
Link brought his fingers up to his jaw and thought. He did notice the sharp prickle of hair upon his chin.
'The sky. You are the sky.'
'Very well. Can you survive me though?'
The turtle opened his mouth and Link entered.
Link was expecting to find sinews and entrails, considering his meeting with Turtle Rock itself, instead he found a cave. The humidity came and lodged itself inside his throat, it assualted his skin, pulling pills of sweat from within. Link found him self in a long stretch of the cave. At the end He came to a gaping, yawning abyss. Link stood upon it's perimeter, toes above nothing.
He looked down into it. It gazed back with a stare that penetrated his very essence. He could hear it beckoning; tempting him, daring him. Link leaned foreward, and laughed.
He looked for a means to bridge the gap. On the other side, he could see only darkness. Link fired an arrow, but heard nothing. He looked upon the walls and celing for anything to traverse, but still saw nothing.
'What if?'
He kicked some dirt out into the abyss and smiled when he saw that it had not fallen.
'Of course.'
He took two handfuls and threw them out before him. Before he stepped out, Link filled his grasp with dirt. He kept his eyes caged foreward as he walked. Even when he crossed, he did not turn his head towards his entry. Link entered the door before him and found two large creatures, what seemed like rats, which were satnding erect, and were clad in rustic, creaking armour. They held long pole arms, and stood like manequins. He moved to his right in order to flank one. It also moved to it's right. He circled about in attempts to gain a postional advantage, but each if his movements were shadowed. Link flashed his sword foreward. It also jabbed out it's spear.
Link leapt towards it. As per his expectations, it lepat towards him as well. Just as they past each other, he fired his sword into it's chest. He let go of his sword as it fell, pulled out his bow, and shot an arrow into the other one.
Link recovered his sword, and arrow, and went on. In the next room there was a high wall which paritioned his way. About a foot and a half from the celing, there was an opening. Link looked at the wall, which itself was sheer and smooth, giving him nothing by which he could grasp onto for climbing. Link searched for a possible weakness within the wall, but found none. It was perhaps a good 25 feet high. Unable to find any other options, Link fired arrows into the wall at five foot intervals. After scaling it, he found another door.
The next room held two statues, both the size and form of the hinoxes he fought. They each held a single, emotionless eye and At the end of the room was a sealed door. It was only large enough for him to fit through if it was completly opened. He struck one eye with his sword. He saw a door open up a quarters way. He struck another eye, only to have it close. Link hit another eye. The door opened up half way. He struck it again, and it closed.
Link worked out different combonations of hitting the eyes to fully open the door. It was a fruitless so He paused. After recollecting his thoughts. Link opened the door up half way. He closed it a quarters way, and stopped to think. Link then opened it half way, and closed it a quarter. It was now half way open. He struck an eye again, and it fully opened.
As he progressed he could sense Zelda's presence. He longed again for them to have no battles to wage, no daring rescues to make. He longed for a chance to have no homes lost, no family die. Before he claimed the Master Sword, the only thing Link had was Zelda. She was taken from him the same way as his uncle, his home, his kingdom. He wanted once more to dance with her; free of duty, free of thier burden, free of their anxieties.
As he walked on, his heart's pace hastened. Not one step was waisted for He knew she was waiting. Link did not know why Zelda meant so much to him. He should have let her fend for herself. If he had any sense in him, Link should have just turned his back. What chance would a young, untrained man have against an arcane, malevolent, darkness which was over 2000 years old? Well, someone knew. Link's uncle knew. Before too long Zelda knew. A short while later Sahsrahla and Tellah knew. Eventually Link knew.
Before him was a narrow staircase. When Link ascended it, and saw what lay ahead. Had it been a younger Link, he would have dropped his jaw. But this one drew out his sword, and set his shield in front of him. Three sets of eyes were upon him. A dragon, as large as a ryder truck stood in front of him. It had three heads, each with it's maws salivating.
Link stared into each of it's eyes. From the left head spewed a stream of ice. Link leapt and rolled out of its path. From the right head, burst a stream of fire. Link darted to the side, only to have his feet land upon a sheet of ice. He winced as he felt his ribs fracture yet again.
Link slid over to an area of clean floor, under a constant barrage of fire and frost. He kept moving. Link also noticed that nothing came out of the center head so he had to target it. But how?
He was so lost in thought, that he did not see a blast of ice coming his way. Link raised his shield only to be knocked back into the wall. He felt his shield became as cold as the arctic wind, causing His arm to become numb. He stood up and saw a volley of fire coming. He raised his shield, and angled out towards the icy head. The beam of fire sped from Link's shield and crashed into it, knocking it back.
As he did before, he attacked the icy head with a scalding fury, and the firey head with bitter frigidness. With both stunned, LInk scoped the center head and rushed, steps light, eyes focused, hands eager, Sword thirsting. Link slammed the Master Sword down upon the center head with the force of a meteor. He followed up with a serise of horizontal strokes, each with the shock of a magnum. Link followed by plunging the blade up to the hilt into an eye. Link turned his sword, and ran it across to the other eye. He then yanked out his blade, and sledged it into the the center of it's skull. Link did so a third and fourth time. He followed up with a fifth and sixth strike, to be succeded by a seventh, eigth, and more. The center head fell to the ground, collapsing in a heap of dust and frost and sparks.
The two remaining heads looked at each other, eyes wide as the cavern itself. With out the central head, the elements would mix. Link knew this, but the reality never quite sank in untill he was thrown across the room by a violent explosion that jostled the rock like a fierce crosswind.
The firey head retorted by launching another burst of flames. Link raised his shield and took on the full brunt of the heat. His shield seared like the sun, blistering his arm. When a beam of frost came his way, Link knew what to do. When then blast had concluded, Link charged foreward. He managed one strike before the beast's firey head snapped up his ankle and tossed him into a corner. LInk arose and stepped out only to fall onto a field of ice. He fell prone and saw the dragon pounce, claws descending like a storm of nails. Link slid off the ice as it crashed, cratering the stoney floor. The two faced each other then LInk waited for the flame and frost to stream at him again
He lay upon the ground, as still as fallen tree, barely taking in any air. He was ignorant to the set of footfalls which raced towards him, as excited as a child leaving school for the summer. Link felt a warm familiar hand upon his scarred cheek. Link felt another hand, that fit his to every line and gro0ve in his own, take his.  He smelled a familiar aroma, like flowers washed in morning dew. He heard another set of lungs, rapidly taking in air. Link felt another heart, pacing furiously. Then Link looked up to find an angel before him, smiling greatfully through moistend eyes.
End Chapter
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