Chapter 22 Broken promises…

Chapter 22

 

 

Broken promises……

 

 

“So, now you’re all caught up.” Sheik said to Lucius as he passed him. Lucius ducked another spear and then blocked one with his.

“Thanks for the update.” Lucius grunted.

Sheik dodged Zara’s tail as it whipped at him then he jumped in closer and managed to slice her arm. His dagger deflected like her skin was steel. He cursed and tried to get away but Zara backhanded him and sent him flying. He hit against a column and took off chunks of stone.

Sheik landed on his hands and knees and coughed up blood into the water, “Crap, that was my rib.”

“Sheik!?” Meria called to him.

“I’m fine.” Sheik said standing back up clutching his side.

“Says you.” Zara whispered in his ear as she coiled around him.

She squeezed and Sheik cried in pain as she cracked more of his ribs. His sage energy gathered and he phased out of her grasp through the shadows.

She uncoiled confused and looked up just in time to see Meria’s staff slam across her face.

“You may not be able to be sliced but I can sure whack the crap out of you.” Meria said hitting her again. She went for another blow but Zara caught it and looked at Meria. She didn’t even have a bruise.

“No you can’t.” Zara hissed with a sinister smile. She gripped the staff harder and put dents in it then threw it along with Meria. She scooped up a chunk of stone and threw it at Meria as she landed. Meria saw it coming and rolled to the right so it missed.

Zara was just about to throw another one when one of Selene’s light spears hit her on the side of the head making her drop the stone. Selene threw another one but this one wasn’t as powerful and the next was less than that one. Selene realized she was running out of energy. Zara came for her and Selene brought up her morning star to fight.

Zara closed in but a stream of water whipped up and wrapped around her throat. Selene dodged back as Zara was clothes lined. She followed the stream and saw it was Lucius who had made it.

“You stay out of this, I’m doing this to keep you safe.” Zara screamed at him.

“I can’t do that Zara, they’re my friends.” Lucius retorted and used another water whip to latch around her left wrist.

“They’re going to take you away from me!” Zara screamed at him again and threw a spear at Meria’s general direction. Meria cried out in surprise and dodged to the right but Zara threw another one right after the first and it was heading straight for her. Sheik’s top half appeared through the shadow of the column next to her and he pulled her through in time to dodge the spear. They emerged behind the fallen column.

Zara glared at Lucius like a wounded puppy, “Don’t leave me, I’ve been so alone.”

Zara slashed at the whips with her free hand and severed them but they came back again. She cried in frustration and moved to hit Lucius away. Lucius dodged back losing his concentration and making the whips go back into the water. Selene came from behind Zara and slammed her morning star into Zara’s back, the points dented. Zara backhanded Selene who blocked the initial strike with her shield but still flew back from the force of it.

Gerad picked Selene up and moved her behind a column, “How can we defeat her?”

“Well, I wish we had G-Link, maybe fire could do it.” Selene said holding her arm and rubbing some life back into it; her hand glowed and healed the bruised muscles.

“Well, I have his medallion, and Calhan said it would lend me powers.” Gerad said hesitantly as he pulled it out.

“Well, give it a try, what’s the worst that could happen?” Selene asked.

Gerad couldn’t help but think of all the things that could possibly happen, “Oh, you know, it might explode, or make lava and kill us all, or-“

“Ok I get it. Then go stand over there and try it.” Selene said pointing to the other side of the room.
Gerad glared at her, “Gee, thanks.”

She smiled at him in sisterly affection and stuck out her tongue, “Anytime.”

Selene left him there and went back in to fight along with Meria and Sheik. Lucius tried to fight but Zara kept pushing him away.

‘Ok, I don’t know how to activate you, but please, help me out here.’ Gerad pleaded with the pendant in his thoughts. The Fire medallion started to glow red as Gerad stared at it in his hands.

Gerad cried out in surprise when his fists caught fire. After a minute of trying to put them out he discovered they weren’t burning, they were just on fire.

“Ok.” Gerad said and went to fight. Zara caught sight of him and turned to face him striking out with her claws. Gerad dodged them and punched her across the face. Her skin blistered from the heat. Gerad didn’t relent as Zara began to retreat away from him. She blocked but every time she did she would get burned.

Gerad was growing tired; the energy was being sucked out of him to fuel the flames. Finally his fists went out and Gerad sank to the floor gasping. Zara was on the floor leaning against the wall panting from the pain of her burns.

“Why, Zara?” Lucius asked her from behind Gerad.

She looked up at him from a burnt and blistered face and smiled, “Because I love you.”

Lucius kneeled next to her, he brushed her hair out of her face, “Zara, you aren’t even real.”

She looked up into his eyes and saw only coldness there, “How do you know?”

“Wait, Zara isn’t real?” Sheik asked from behind the column.

“No, Zara isn’t real, in a sense, she’s the alter ego of Lara and Lara is her alter ego.” Lucius answered without taking his eyes off of Zara.

“So, Zara and Lara are the same person?” Meria asked confused.

“Yes, two halves of the same coin.” Lucius answered.

“When did you find out?” Zara asked him, she coughed and black blood came with it.

“When I was trapped in the crystal, you tend to pay attention to things when you have nowhere to go. I went and visited the previous sages and they told me.” Lucius answered her, wiping the blood from her chin.

“So, Zara and Lara are two halves of the same person who is/was?” Gerad asked coming to stand next to Lucius incase Zara tried to hurt him.

“Aramasha.” Lucius sighed with a sympathetic look on his face.

“She’s gone, been gone for centuries. Once he put her inside of the crystal we took over.” Zara hissed becoming angry again.

“And Aramasha was?” Meria asked.

“The high mystic four centuries ago. Zara and Lara were once a Zora.” Lucius replied looking Zara in the eye.

“They aren’t bad people, Zara. They aren’t trying to take me away from you.” Lucius said softly.

“But they make you leave Zora’s Domain!” Zara cried.

“But I always come back.” Lucius said cupping Zara’s face in his hands, “And besides, you can always reach me.”

Zara stared into his eyes confused by her feeling of hatred and love, “But….”

“You said you love me Zara. Now, do you trust me?” Lucius asked.

Zara thought long and hard about what he was asking her, she searched through her memories of their talks. Looking back up into his eyes she came to a conclusion.

“You want me to help you seal Lara and get Sasha back. You want me to die.” Zara said calmly, she took his hands gently from her face.

Lucius looked at her confused, “No, Zara, I don’t want you to die. We can seal Lara without sealing you too.”

Zara chuckled and gently pushed his hands away, “You’re so naïve, Lucius. Two sides of a coin remember; you can’t take one side from the other.”

“She’s right.” A different voice came from Zara’s lips. Lucius jumped back as Zara looked up. Her eye was in the left socket.

“Lara! Where’s Zara?” Lucius demanded through clenched teeth.

“With me now. You are such a troublesome tadpole, Lucius. But if you want her back you’ll have to defeat me, but if you defeat me, you’ll lose Sasha. Tsk tsk, what ever will you do?” Lara teased him as she started to disintegrate.

“Lara!” Lucius screamed at her as she started to cackle. Lucius jumped at her and got his hands around her throat.

She smiled in sadistic humor, “See you soon.”

She disappeared out of his hands and Lucius cried in frustration striking the wall. He stood there shaking in anger while his friends watched in concern. Selene put her hand on his back and he stiffened.

“What’s the plan?” Sheik asked.

Lucius turned to face them and they all took a step back in fear, his eyes were bright blue and his scales came out to become armor. He walked past them to his spear and yanked it out of the ground.

Looking back at them he hissed, “We kill Lara.”

He struck his spear out to the side then swung it to his front parallel to the floor. The water followed his movements and Lucius started twirling his spear above his head. The water shot up around him in a vortex, the rest of them got sucked into the whirlpool as Lucius rose on top of it. He shot towards the ceiling with the water trailing behind him and the others in the water. He struck the ceiling and shot through to the lake bed outside the Temple.

Once in the lake Lucius continued to rise and burst through the surface of the water. He landed on the island along with Sheik, Meria, Gerad, and Selene, who were a tad dizzy.

“What was that?” Sheik asked trying to stand back up but only falling back over onto the ground.

“If Calhan were here he could tell you. But he might take years to explain it.” Gerad said with a chuckle.

“Oooh, don’t make me laugh.” Selene said, Gerad looked at her and noticed she was a little green in the face.

“Once you are well to fight head to the entrance of Zora’s Domain.” Lucius said pointing with his spear toward the bank. Gerad looked to where he pointed and saw pillars jutting out of the water.

“Why didn’t we take that way in the first place?” Sheik asked standing back up. He swayed slightly but kept his feet.

“What are you going to do?” Meria asked Lucius as he walked to the edge of the island.

“I’m going ahead; catch up as soon as possible.” Lucius answered over his shoulder. He dove off the edge into the water and disappeared from sight. Selene groaned and then gave the plants next to the tree a present. Meria held her hair out of the way as Selene emptied the contents of her stomach.

“She doesn’t do spinning very well.” Gerad said to Sheik.

“Ehk, thanks Meria.” Selene said walking to the water, she cupped some in her hands and used it to rinse her mouth.

“Feeling better?” Gerad asked her.

“A little, let’s go.” Selene said standing with Gerad’s help.

 

Ganondorf’s brat stared at his left arm that was missing from the elbow down. He didn’t cry in pain he just looked in curiosity as the blood pumped out. He looked back at Lara and grinned again as he attacked once more.

“What’s the matter old one? You’re getting slower.” Dahrin cried as Lara tried to block his attacks, some of which landed. Lara slithered back confused as to why this one could inflict damage on her. She looked down at the gashes on her body and hissed.

Dahrin cackled as he relentlessly attacked and unmercifully slaughtered the monsters that got in his way of Lara. Lara fought back and inflicted wounds that should have killed him but only seemed to exhilarate him. Lara turned to run but Dahrin grabbed her by the tail and pulled her back. He took his sword out of his teeth and swung for her neck. She jump forward and bit him on the shoulder.

“Stupid.” Dahrin hissed and punched at her face and grabbed her by the hair ripping her from his shoulder. She struggled to get loose and whipped him with her tail. He didn’t even blink. An arm materialized out of the stump that remained of his left one and a sword materialized into it.

“Crap.” Lara growled.

Dahrin swung and Lara shot a ball of energy into his chest making him let go of her hair and him flying back. Dahrin stood up from where he landed and came for her once more.

Suddenly Lucius appeared in front of Dahrin and stabbed him through the chest with his spear. Dahrin stared at the spear and then at Lucius and grinned.

“Hello, Water Sage. Come to send me back have you?” Dahrin rasped out coughing up blood. Lucius shoved Dahrin back and embedded the spear into the wall. Talons gripped Dahrin from the spear’s shaft keeping him in place.

“No, only keeping you out of the way for now.” Lucius answered turning away.

“Tch. Oi, this is my fight!” Dahrin screamed at him.

Lucius turned a cold gaze on him, “Not anymore.”

 

Gerad swam through the entrance Lucius had shown them to the surface of the lake inside Zora’s Domain. He glanced around to see if the coast was clear and saw no one. He swam to the bank and climbed out, shivering.

“Why, is this water always freezing cold?” Gerad asked to the wall.

Selene, Sheik, and Meria joined him shortly after, shivering as well. Sheik’s lips were blue he was so cold.

“Let’s go. Maybe moving will warm us up.” Meria suggested as she stood. The others agreed and they left heading in the direction they thought the market cavern was.

“Goddesses, what is that smell?” Selene asked covering her nose. They emerged from a corridor into what used to be the market cavern. Corpses lay everywhere, most monsters, but some people.

“Come on, I think I see Meko.” Gerad said moving to the right. The others followed him and they came to the fortification. Monsters, charred and blackened corpses, slowed their pace.

“Yo.” G-Link greeted them as they climbed their way over the dead into the fortification.

“You’re alive!” Sheik called out running up to him.

“Why wouldn’t we be?” Aerica asked from the wall behind G-Link.

“I wasn’t trying to imply that you’re in any way incompetent-“ Sheik began but was interrupted by Meria putting her hand on his shoulder, “Foot in mouth.”

Aerica laughed then winced, “Good to see you all alive as well, where’s Lucius?”

“He’s here somewhere, where’s Dahrin?” Selene asked looking around.

Aerica shrugged, “He’s here somewhere.”

“Are any of you hurt?” Kelith asked coming to tend to Aerica’s wounds. Aerica held out her arm for Kelith to inspect, it was covered in blood, most of it her own green.

“I don’t know, I’m fine.” Gerad said looking to the others.

Sheik tried to play off his wounds but he coughed and blood came up with it, “Guess not.”

“Lay down, I’ll get to you soon.” Kelith said as she cleaned Aerica’s arm.

“I’ll do it.” Selene said standing next to Sheik and gathering her energy. She slapped her hands together then put them on his ribs. The point of contact began to glow and got brighter and brighter. Finally it dimmed and she took her hands away and Sheik’s ribs were healed.

“Thanks.” Sheik said with a smile then caught Selene as she tipped sideways.

“You alright?” Gerad asked her helping her to sit down.

“Heh, I guess. I’m so tired.” Selene whispered drifting into unconsciousness.

Gerad started to shake her awake but a hand on his shoulder stopped him he looked up the arm to Kelith’s smiling face.

“She’s alright. Let her be, all of you get rest while you can.” Kelith ordered as she left them to tend to some other soldiers. Gerad chuckled and sank down to the floor next to Aerica. Her arm was wrapped from wrist to shoulder and she just stared at it.

“What’s wrong?” Gerad asked her.

“Remember back when the stalfos attacked us, and my arm was cut off?” Aerica asked him still staring at her arm.

Gerad nodded, “Yeah, not likely a night I’ll ever forget. Why?”

Aerica chuckled, “Yeah, I know. Well, this was that arm, heh, guess I’m just destined to lose it.”

Gerad shrugged, “You haven’t yet despite things, so maybe you’re destined to keep it?”

Aerica looked at him and smiled, “Thanks. I missed you guys.” Aerica leaned her head on Gerad’s shoulder and he leaned his cheek on her. G-Link started snoring and everyone relaxed slightly.

Suddenly Lucius crashed through the opposite wall followed closely by Lara. Everyone jumped to their feet but were blown back down by a blast of water that circled around Lucius. Lucius fought Lara with ferocious force who attacked back with equal force. Lucius wielded a spear made out of ice and also the water that circled him. Lara used her claws, teeth, and tail.

Monsters started to pour into the hole Lucius and Lara had made and the rest of the group fought them with what strength they had left.

Lucius sliced and stabbed with his spear at Lara and managed to do significant damage. Lara glared at him and fought back but wasn’t able to get a hit in. Lara lunged for Lucius but missed when he sidestepped and managed to make her fall. Lara rolled over to see Lucius with his spear to her throat.

“I win.” Lucius hissed at her.

Lara laughed, “This isn’t over by far Water Sage.”

“You’re beaten, Lara. You have nowhere to go.” Lucius said pressing his spear closer to her throat. Lara backed away as much as she could but the ground didn’t let her go far. Lara’s monsters had stopped fighting waiting for instructions from their mistress.

Lara laughed, “I have anywhere to go, tadpole.” With that she exploded into water.

Lucius backed away surprised and looked around him at the startled exclamations from the others as Lara’s monsters exploded into water as well. All the water pooled to in front of Lucius and rose slowly taking on the form of Lara.

Lara’s watery face broke into a grin, “Tootles Water Sage, guess you won’t keep your promise.”

Lucius swung at her but his spear just passed through her. She cackled and the water fell to the ground and washed away toward the lake. Lucius stabbed at it but it did nothing. He slammed his spear into the ground once more and cried out in frustration.

Gerad came up to him and put his hand on his shoulder, “Don’t worry, we’ll get her.”