Chapter Two
Princess Zelda had excused herself from the meeting to check up on Paer. Not the best mannered of advisors she must admit, but she had to see if he was all right. She was about to go down the stairs when Xanath met her half way.
“He’s fine,” he spat, looking rather stern. “Nothing too serious. Doesn’t seem to be in a lot of pain.” An obvious lie. He enjoyed seeing that snake in pain.
“Where’s Link?” she asked. The man motioned with his head to the growling boy before the door Paer was in. ‘He really wasn’t kidding about his temper’, Zelda thought. She’d never seen him act so violently, and especially with little provocation. It was…scaring. Before, she had merely shrugged the nagging behaviour off like everyone else in the castle. But it had become worse and worst. The attack on Paer would not be shrugged off; it will not be regarded as an exception.
“I think it’s time to go,” Zelda murmured to Link. He glanced over to her, looking curious.
“Where to?” he wondered.
“The old witch in Kakariko Village.”
* * *
“Welcome, welcome,” the old witch said once the trio entered the shop. “Well don’t just stand there, you’re letting the cold in.” Zelda was the first to walk over to the counter and explain their reasons for being here.
“Ah, this is about the boy huh?” she glanced over at him and nodded slowly. “I remember now. You’re the same lad from a while ago that had to run some errands for me right?” Link nodded. “I’ll be back with the needed items.” A few days ago, Zelda had discreetly sent a letter to the old witch concerning an issue, hopeful that she had a solution.
“Can we trust the witch? What if she’s only in it for the money and nothing else?” Link asked to whomever listened.
“I know you’re naturally suspicious, and she isn’t always truthful but she’s the only one we’ve known so far that has some knowledge on things like this,” Zelda said. Link turned his head away, growling softly.
“I’ll gladly paint the walls with her blood when I find that she’s been lying,” he said in an ominous tone. Princess Zelda winced at the thought. The look on his face showed that he really wasn’t bluffing.
Shortly afterwards the witch appeared holding various bottles and objects. She lay them down on the counter top.
“Come ‘ere boy. I need you to show me your bite wound,” she ordered. Link tensed up and stared at her from the corner of his eye. “Well, what are you waiting for? I don’t have all day you know!” Xanath reported a stern look.
“Do as she says. The quicker you do, the quicker we can get out of here,” he said. Reluctantly the boy complied, exposing his upper body. There, between his neck and shoulder was a large bite wound, a red contrast to his complexion.
“I must warn you it will hurt. You can ask that big guy to hold you down,” the witch explained. Link narrowed his eyes at her.
“What are you implying?” he asked, almost cold.
“C’mon Link. This is no time for arguments. You’ve already had a go at Paer today,” Zelda snapped. He turned and growled at her, and she shut up. She looked upset, but her anger was visible.
“I don’t want to cooperate! Just shut your mouth!” He roared.
“I have no idea what’s gotten into you right now, but you better apologise,” Xanath ordered. His only answer was a guttural growl. It seemed futile to force an apology now. The witch chuckled to herself.
“Something must have upset the poor boy. I suggest you go out for a bit and cool off,” she said. Link was all too happy to leave.
* * *
The witch was right. Being outside helped him cool down and get back to his senses. And he finally felt regretful about yelling at Zelda. ‘She was only trying to help, and all I did was tell her to shut her mouth like she was nothing…why’d I let it get the best of me?’ He hated being manipulated by the curse. He wasn’t evil. He knew he wasn’t.
/Still burdened with my blood…/
Link sat down on one of the steps leading to the windmill and directed his attention to a group of children playing around the well. Just watching them made his belly ache, and he was forced to chase away the feeling. No, how could he bring himself to think like that? Killing a child would be…
One of the children tripped up and started bawling instantly. Link looked around himself. No one seemed to care for the child’s predicament. Sighing he walked over to the girl, knelt down and comforted her.
“Hey, it’s okay. It’s only a little cut,” he said soothingly. The girl sniffed a couple of times and calmed down enough for him to tend to her knee. There wasn’t anything around, so he tore a thin strip of tunic and tied it around the little girl’s leg. “See, don’t you feel better?” She nodded while rubbing her eyes and Link helped her on to her feet.
“Thank you mister,” she mumbled. It hurt to hear those words. He remembered her so clearly. A few months ago he had killed her grandmother and attacked the girl when she tried to protect the old woman. He felt like kicking himself, hard.
“Get away from her!” a woman screamed as she ran to them; Link knew that was the mother, they smelt alike. “Don’t talk to him Sera. He’s that wolf monster.” And the girl’s trust seemed to deteriorate and she went into a trance of fear.
“I wasn’t going to harm her. I meant well,” he tried to explain, but the woman didn’t buy it.
“Why would you even give a damn you cold hearted cur,” she hissed. The commotion was now starting to draw bystanders’ notice. “We don’t want you around us, you have a taste for blood.” The boy glowered at her with an intense stare.
“I wasn’t going to do anything. She hurt her knee and I simply helped her out,” he attempted again.
“Quiet. If the lady says to leave, leave already. We don’t trust creatures like you around us,” someone snapped. Link emitted a low growl within his chest, although he didn’t intend to. He hated being called a creature.
“Do I really look like an inferior beast in your eyes?” he questioned, voice thick with emotion. “I am not an animal…” The villagers grumbled.
“Stop it. We all know you’re no longer ‘Hylian’. Stop denying it, you’re hurting more of yourself,” another commented. Link clenched his fists, too angry to say anything else, and he figured it was wise to leave. It was clear that they didn’t want him to stay any minute longer. He turned his back to them, started back.
“I’m glad his mother is dead. If I were her, I would be ashamed to call that my son,” Sera’s mother muttered spitefully. Yes, she muttered, but it didn’t escape his notice.
* * *
It was late evening when they had returned to the castle, in the same sullen mood that had plagued them for weeks now. The witch had tried numerous concoctions to see what reacted with the blood sample from Link, and none had worked. Cursed…forever? How could he possibly cope? He thought about ending it all, but there was no desire in that. And Link nearly jumped the witch for not helping. ‘Animals don’t have suicidal thoughts’, he told himself. ‘So, am I accepting what I have tried to deny, accepting what the villagers see?’ A long weary sigh escaped his lips.
/And even if you’re free you’re still burdened with my blood. What would the people think? / Repeated a voice that belonged to a black haired girl he knew all too well. /They fear you because you’re so much more superior to them/
Sleep didn’t come to him this night, just like any other. He found himself clutching the bed sheets, shivering and wincing. The need was worst this time, sadistic almost.
/Ripping apart helpless people, tearing at their flesh…crunching down on their weak bones and sucking out the red, blood engorged marrow…all the while laughing with ecstasy./
Link sat up. His mouth was already wet, and his gut ached persistently. Nothing could suppress it. ‘Flesh…I need—no, not that’. He wouldn’t succumb; he wasn’t a…cannibal. He’d never really eaten flesh, just merely enjoyed its taste. Bah, he blamed those damn villagers for putting him in this foul mood. When that woman had said that awful thing to him, he’d wanted to hit her. But he hadn’t, and he hated himself for keeping quiet. The woman, and those villagers, had no right to talk to him like that. And that Paer…he made things worse. But in all his anger and loathing, Link couldn’t ignore his sadness. Seemed like the more he hated them, the more this sadness would grow, the less normal he would act. It was like a chain reaction. And it was nearly inevitable. The majority of the people made it worse. Maybe he was better off staying away from them, just like most had insisted. Maybe…
