Chapter 5 As shadows churn….

Chapter  5

 

 

As shadows churn….

 

 

“So why can’t we use our powers yet?” Sheik asked again for the fifteenth time. Calhan rolled his eyes and threw his hands up.

“It’s because we haven’t had a traumatizing experience yet.” Dahrin patronizingly replied as he put his hand on Sheik’s shoulder.

Sheik seemed to digest this explanation then turned to Gerad, “But we were all in that stalfos battle.”

Dahrin rolled his eyes as Aerica shrugged, “Maybe we didn’t have the need to?”

“Well whatever the reason it’s time to call it a night,” G-Link cut in before Sheik could counter, “it’s supper time.”

“I agree with rocky there it’s the time for nourishment.” Lucius said walking after G-Link.

“My name’s not rocky!” G-Link yelled back at him.

The rest of the group followed them with Sheik pouting slightly. The sun burned the sky a fiery red as it set slowly behind the high canyon walls. The temperature was dropping noticeably as the group made its way down the path to Sheik’s house and toward the smell of Impa’s cooking.

Gerad stayed back for a bit and pulled Calhan with him. “Calhan, I’m not a sage so I won’t have any power.”

After thinking for a moment Calhan responded, “True, but did your father ever tell you that the sage’s gave him medallions?”

Gerad nodded, “Yeah, but he never said anything about them doing anything for him.”

“That’s because the sages’ manifest wasn’t awake then. If it had been then your father would have been able to use all of the sages’ powers, but to a lesser degree of strength.” Calhan explained folding his arms holding the book to his chest.

Gerad ran his hand through his hair, “So you’re saying that I could use the same powers as everyone else, if I had the medallions?”

“Sort of,” Calhan thought for a minute on the best way to phrase the explanation, “I’m not sure you could use the exact same techniques, but it would be similar.”

“I see.” Gerad nodded in understanding then set off after the rest of the group, Calhan followed behind him.

 

“So how was practice?” Impa asked them as they sat down at the table to eat. The table was low to the ground so they had to sit on their knees to reach it. The table was rectangular and large enough to seat them all comfortably. The food spread out in an array of different things, there was roast coucou and fried fish, crisp vegetables, and gravy. Sheik swallowed the huge chunk of coucou he had been chewing on and nearly choked for his troubles. 

Meria slapped his back as Aerica answered. “Well, Selene was the only one able to use her powers thus far; we’ll be training diligently to acquire ours.”

Meko sat on the table next to her plate. He attempted to take the last piece of roasted coucou from her fork, Aerica grabbed it from him and cut it in half and gave him the smaller piece. Before he could object she stuffed the other piece in her mouth and chewed. Meko glared at her but munched on his piece.

“Yeah, we weren’t able to break no rocks.” Sheik gasped out holding up a finger.

Impa chuckled, “I see well maybe we could use your powers for some chores.”

It took a minute for what she had said to sink in. When it did the room fell silent as everyone stared at Impa in surprise.

“I was joking.” Impa let out a deep throated laugh that set everyone’s nerves on edge.

Sheik smiled and shook his head, “Only you mom.”

Impa shrugged as she took a sip from her wine glass, “What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t embarrass you on occasion?”

Sheik grinned as he turned to his friends, “I have something to show you guys.”

He started to rise but Impa pulled him back down with a thump, “Not tonight you aren’t.”

 “But mom,” Sheik pleaded, “tonight is perfect.”

“Oh no you don’t, don’t give me those puppy eyes, no- no- no-GAH- Sheif talk some sense into your son.”

Sheif looked at his son, “No.”

As his dad returned to eating Sheik seemed to deflate, he didn’t argue any further. The rest of them, thoroughly confused, went back to eating. After dessert the children shuffled off to bed after the dishes were done. The girls headed to their room while the boys minus G-Link, who slept downstairs, went to theirs. Impa saw all of them safely tucked in then retired to her own room with her husband.

 

Years, too many years have gone by. I will make him pay!

 

Sheik woke to the sound of his own voice screaming. His flailing arms were caught by his father who stared down at his son in concern. Sheik’s eyes were wide with fear.

“Sheik what’s wrong?” Sheif asked as he shook his son awake.

Sheik got a hold of himself slightly as he answered his voice quivering, “I don’t know. I had this dream where I was in this pitch black room.”

“In the dark I could feel a presence,” Sheik swallowed, “an evil presence, I think it knew I was there, it recognized me somehow.”

Sheif waited patiently as Sheik took a deep breath before he continued, “Green flames appeared, illuminating the room, in the middle was the most horrible creature I’ve ever seen. It was a woman with the body of a spider, it feels like I’ve seen her somewhere before, but I know I haven’t.”

Gerad, Dahrin, and Lucius sat on the edges of their beds listening to their friend in concern as he recited his nightmare. Finally calming most of the way down he accepted the glass of water Impa handed to him.

After he had drained it his mother hugged him close as she had when he was a child afraid of the dark. Sheik composed himself just as the girls burst into the room demanding to know what had happened.

“Sheik had a nightmare, nothing to worry about.” Impa told them as she stood up and began shooing them back to their rooms.

The girls looked at Sheik with concern as they shuffled back out the door. Sheik shuddered and pulled his knees up under his chin hugging his legs. Sheif put his arm around his son and squeezed his shoulder. Sheik looked at his father then leaned his head against his father’s strong shoulder silently thankful for his father’s presence.

Sheif held him a moment longer then patted his son’s back and stood up. “Well try to get some more sleep, and try to forget the dream. Ok?”

Sheik nodded and lay back down under the covers. The other boys glanced at each other then followed Sheif’s advice themselves rolling back into their beds. Despite his father and mother’s reassurances Sheik didn’t fall back to sleep. Dawn slowly crept its way through the window and as the first rays of the sun appeared Sheik was out of bed. He dressed in a plain gray shirt and black pants, shoved on his boots then headed out the door and down the stairs.

Hearing activity in the kitchen Sheik quietly peaked through the door. Impa was making breakfast softly humming to her-self. Slowly Sheik came to stand behind her and looked over her shoulder at what she was cooking.

 “Smells good mom.” Sheik suddenly spoke causing Impa to jump slightly.

“Sheik!” Impa sighed, “I really shouldn’t have taught you to be so quiet.”

Sheik smiled at his mother, “Then dad would have all the fun.”

“True,” Impa gave her son one of her rare smiles, “did you get any sleep at all after the nightmare?”

Sheik nodded and took a piece of bread as he walked past to the door. Once outside he stretched as he breathed in the early morning air. The crisp cool air felt good on his skin as he headed to the stables. He thought back to the nightmare and the words he had heard. Sheik shuddered and opened the stable door.

Something black with wings shot out of the dark at him with squeaks of terror. Sheik froze to let the bat navigate its way around him. The bat flew off with more squeaks into the early morning. Sighing Sheik entered the barn letting the door close behind him.

In the back of his mind warning bells went off at the complete silence. As the hair on the back of his neck stood on end Sheik’s hands went for his daggers. After finding them not there Sheik shook his head in disgust at his panicky attitude. But as he walked further into the stables he started to become uneasy again.

The air in the stables seemed off from the air outside, where the air was crisp outside in the dark stables it was dank and wet like a cave. Breathing slowly Sheik stood still in the darkness, his senses slowly adjusting.

Suddenly there came a hiss from the deepest shadows as a green flame appeared in front of Sheik. He held up his hand in front of his face, the light from the flame hurt his skin causing him to retreat back into the shadows. In the comfort of the shadows he exhaled in relief.

“So…. My old friend, Janor. It’s been quite some time. Hasn’t it?”

Sheik’s eyes widened as the monster from his nightmare stepped into the ring of light cast by the green flame. As she regarded him the light danced in her multi-faceted eyes and glistened off her white fangs.  

Finding his voice Sheik replied confused, “Janor? I’m not-“

“DO NOT LIE TO ME. I SEEE YOUR SNOW WHITE HAIR AND EYES RED AS BLOOD.” The creature screamed in rage, “You were the one who sealed me away underneath the Shadow Temple, and I despise you for it.”

“Who are you?” Sheik stepped further back into the shadows as another flame appeared.

“You mean you do not recognize your old friend?” She hissed moving closer to the edge of the circle as another flame appeared.

Sheik shrank back against a cold hard wall. He felt behind him and his hand connected with rock. The warning bells in his head made sense now. He was no longer in the stables, judging by the visible surroundings he was in a cave of some sort. As this reality sunk in Sheik started to panic.

“I am the fear inside your heart that makes you awake screaming in the night. I am the presence in the shadows that makes your skin crawl.” The monster approached closer to him bringing more green flames with her, “I am Arachnis, mistress of evil of the shadows.” Green fire lit all around the cavern and Sheik screamed in agony as the firelight burned his skin.

He fell to the cavern floor curled into a ball crying from the horrible pain the light caused. Arachnis regarded Sheik’s crumpled form without pity as she slowly approached him.

Sheik looked up at her through tears of pain, “Please bring back the shadows. Please Arachnis. Please.”

Arachnis laughed a horrible screeching laugh as she moved closer to Sheik. Reaching down she grabbed him by the throat lifting him up eye level with herself. Sheik stared into her cold black eyes as she studied him.

“Ah so you weren’t lying were you.” Sheik cringed as she cocked her head causing the firelight to hit his face, “It seems I have been asleep longer than I thought.”

After a few moments of thought Arachnis grinned, “Very well we shall wait till you are fully mature to settle the score between us. I want you to feel the humiliation of utter defeat before I kill you.”

She set him down again and let a few of the fires go out. As the shadows returned Sheik retreated seeking relief from the pain. Arachnis chuckled at the pitiful Shadow Sage before her.

“But here’s a parting gift, till we meet again.” Sheik looked up at her just as her claws came down.

 

Impa was just putting breakfast on the table when Sheik stumbled into the dining room covered in wounds and blood. Sheif jumped up from the table and caught his son as he collapsed. As Sheif slowly lowered his son to the floor the rest of the group rushed over to try to help.

Everyone started talking at once asking the same line of questions. Sheif ignored them as he checked his son over. Impa stood up and whistled loudly getting everyone’s attention and shutting them up at the same time.

“Gerad, Dahrin, you two grab Sheik’s legs, Sheif grab his upper body. Take him upstairs to his bed.” Impa ordered, “Meria and Selene, go get the medical supplies and bring them upstairs. Aerica you and Lucius get a basin of clean water, clean cloths and bring them up as well.”

Impa’s voice was so commanding everyone did as told. She followed those carrying her son upstairs with Calhan right behind her.

“Do you know any healing arts?” Impa demanded over her shoulder to him.

“Only what is taught in the guard.” Calhan replied truthfully as the men set Sheik on the bed.

Sheif removed Sheik’s ruined shirt. Impa was then better able to judge the extent of damage to her son’s body. Most of the cuts were superficial but the ones across his abdomen were deep enough to be of concern.

Impa nodded to herself, “Alright, you assist me on bandaging him.”

The rest of them arrived a few moments later with the things Impa had requested. Impa and Calhan set to work on Sheik as the rest stood back and watched. Few words were spoken as the two of them worked. After the span of thirty minutes, Sheik was cleaned and bandaged. Impa sat on the nearest bed and sighed.

Sheif rubbed his wife’s back and she smiled up at him then leaned her head against him. Sheik’s breathing was deep and even like he was asleep. Lucius left first to go tell G-link, who couldn’t make it upstairs, that Sheik was alright. Aerica, Meko, Dahrin and Selene soon followed.

Calhan rubbed his face with his hands as he sighed, “What could have done this?”

Impa shook her head, “I have no idea.”

Without further comment Calhan made his way out of the room and back downstairs to where the others waited. Meria stood where Calhan had been and stared down at Sheik’s unconscious face.

“Will he be alright now?” Meria asked softly.

Impa managed a small smile, “I think so. We stopped the bleeding; now we just have to wait for him to wake up.”

Gerad thought in silence as he studied his friend’s face. From what he saw he wasn’t so sure his friend would be the same.