Sinking Sickness: Chapter 4

.Blood.

Just as promised, Link had left Ordon. It was in his favor how it was summer in full swing, leaving the days warm while the overall mood of the wilderness was upbeat and lively. And the flow of nature's balance was infectious. Despite the fact he'd been forced away from his village due to the possibility of being tainted, there was a broad smile upon his features. He'd done it. He'd found the cure and everything was going to go back to normal. No more worry about that damned virus.

However, the sky and sun and trees suddenly all vanished, leaving Link in a black void where he stood dumbstruck. Turning, he glimpsed Urik out of the corner of his eye, but something dashing in front of him made him face front once more. It was none other than the feline that Link had seen the very first day the virus had even been mentioned, and it still had an ugly, bleeding wound in its side.

Where are you going, Link?

"Back home. I am not sick and I made a promise."

Not sick? The creature laughed as its red eyes narrowed. You are as diseased as they come! Go away from the others. Turn back now…leave…or you will kill them all.

"No. I am better. I told you that."

The creature merely laughed and Urik joined in, the pair mocking the hero as he stood quivering with anger.

You expect to beat us? Urik would sneer, malevolence etched into every word.

Yes! And then I suppose he thinks the virus will go away and never be heard from again! Jeered the feline.

The pair would keep laughing as Link looked down to a convenient pond of water having magically materialized at his feet. His hair was white, his eyes red, and fangs emerging in his maw. Horror awoke in Link, writhing inside of him like a biting, desperate animal wanting to deal as much damage as possible. Looking up towards the beast and man that laughed before him, they slowly began to fade, everything blacking out as their voices rang out one last time.

You're next, hero!

Flinching, Link sat bolt upright, blinking rapidly to clear his vision as he awoke. A dream…and nothing more it seemed. Shaking his head, he slowly settled back down, his mind churning as he peered towards the entrance to the shallow cave he'd bedded down in for the night. It had been a month since Urik had attacked him, yes. And still he was free from any sort of corruption despite the fact there was no discovery of a cure. Yet…it ate at him. A nagging worry that things would turn when he least expected it. Perhaps he shouldn't go back to Ordon just yet. Perhaps it was best for him to wait just a few more days…

But his mind wouldn't relent in its bombardment of possibilities that may have occurred during his absence. What if they needed his help and he wasn't there? What if the virus threatened the livestock or, worse, the very people themselves? Grunting, Link would lay back down, closing his eyes while his brow remained furrowed. This wouldn't do…he'd have to return. For the sake of not only their minds and wellbeing, but his own as well. Surely he'd drive himself mad with all this nonsense. All this…fear. His eyes shot open upon this new realization. Worry was only a mild version of fear, but it had him in a vice, controlling his actions and clouding his judgment. Fear struck into the heart of the Bearer of the Triforce of Courage? How pitiful.

Huffing with irritation, Link mentally willed his mind clear and tried to find sleep again. He was going back to Ordon. There was no doubt about that anymore.


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"Was it scary?"

"Did you fight a lot of monsters?"

"Where did you go?"

"Are you here for good now?"

Laughing, Rusl would gently urge the children back and away from Link as he dismounted from Epona, the horse snorting softly at the action.

"Forgive their eagerness, Link. It is just good to have you back."

"It is no trouble. I am happy to see them again…to know that nothing terrible has befallen Ordon."

At this, Rusl would look a bit more serious before he'd glance back at the kids all standing a few feet away and staring with a mixture of impatience and curiosity. Link could not help but smile at the sight, feeling a wave of gratitude towards the youth of this village. It was their purity and innocence that made him feel so at ease, so welcome…so at home here. But, before he could do or say anything on the matter, Rusl was shooing them farther off much to the children's complaint. Grumbling, they all retreated out of ear shot, but refused to budge any farther than that. Chuckling, Link would return his attention back to the man before him.

"Nothing has happened here…but did you happen to find out anything while away from Ordon? Anything at all on this virus or its origins?"

At this Link looked a little taken back, certainly surprised Rusl was so quick to get to this issue. As for the answer, Link regrettably wasn't going to provide the news he was sure Rusl wanted to hear. For that duration he was gone, Link had avoided civilization like a plague, only studying what he could from the wildlife and the rare traveler. It was perfect logic, really, to have done things this way. After all…should he have been corrupted he would have forsaken a village either way. Maybe not his own, but that hardly mattered. Life was sacred and was never to be taken lightly, well known to you or not.

"I am afraid I don't have much to tell you other than the virus seems extremely hard to find. I never did once see or hear of it while outside of Ordon."

Rusl would frown at this. "But then how could Ril and Urik of known so much on it if this disease is so rare and new?"

"I don't believe they were from Hyrule. Perhaps it originated elsewhere, but is slowly spreading. It's certainly possible."

Merely nodding at this point, Rusl would otherwise not reply and the silence would fall between them once more. There was a small touch of tension, for practical reasons, when it came to speaking of the virus. It was sensible enough seeing as what had happened to Urik. But why hadn't it taken toll on Link then? Both men were soon to be torn from their thoughts though as the children's patience had reached its limits. They slowly approached, tired of standing around but at the same time not wanting to leave now that Link was back. A slight grin and Rusl would shake his head before speaking, nudging Link to ensure he had his attention.

"How about you join us tonight for dinner? I think it would do you good to be with some company for a while."

Nodding and giving his own smile of thanks, Link wordlessly agreed before the eager children began their bombardment of questions all over again. Rusl would only shake his head again before heading up towards his house to present Uli with the splendid news that not only was Link healthy, but that he was back as well. Tonight was sure to put many of them at better ease. After all, there was no more threat from Link being turned like Urik had.


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Just as planned, Link joined Rusl and his family for dinner that evening. It was a pleasant experience, with Colin proudly telling Link of a new move he'd learned and how he'd be happy to show him later. In turn, Link was content to just listen rather than talk, feeling for the first time in months a sense of peace creeping into his mind. Sure, he'd been happy since the war ended, pleased that none were suffering anymore from both Zant and Ganondorf. Still, the dull ache that Midna had left had eaten away at him for a good while. The pain of losing her had been immense, confusing, and yet at the same time understood. There was no doubt that Link and Midna had formed a very strong bond during their journey together, to deny it on either party was simply impossible. And it was just as certainly traumatic to both sides when the link to Twilight was severed forever. Perhaps this is why he'd been so disheartened upon his return to Ordon.

Well, whatever the reason, Rusl noticed the change in Link now, the more at ease and calm person that he'd known and respected for years now. It was a sign that Link was healing, from what he couldn't even begin to fathom, but it was good to see him like this again.

"Colin, please take this outside. It doesn't need to be in the house." Came Uli's gentle command, handing her son a rather impressive stick that was little more than debris from the nearby forest. It was nothing special, but Link had the suspicion that Colin used this common object for practicing with since Rusl was still in process of getting him an efficient wooden practice sword. Obeying quietly, Colin rushed for the door, soon exiting into the darkening world outside.

"I suppose I should really finish that sword for him…it would be safer than swinging that around seeing as sticks can splinter so unexpectedly." Rusl commented thoughtfully, glancing towards the door as his son exited.

"Yes…we wouldn't want a repeat of what happened to Link a few years ago." Uli gently teased, making Link grin slightly in embarrassment. She spoke of something that had happened long before he'd handled a real sword, practice or otherwise, and he'd swung a stick towards one of his homemade targets. The impact had been fierce enough to cause the stick to break, a large hunk of splintered wood coming back to hit Link in the face just above his right eye. Though his eyebrow had bled and been sore for a few days, it did not discourage him from his love of sword fighting. Thus, this is when Rusl had made Link his own wooden sword.

Suddenly, the door swung back open to emit Colin back inside, only his entrance was far from ordinary. He came in hauling with him a dead chicken, the feathered beast laying limp in his hands. "Something got one of the hens." He'd pant breathlessly, holding it up so that his dad, who was closer, could take it.

"Looks like a fox may have done it…it is the time of year when they have babies to keep fed." Rusl would comment, not too troubled because this sort of thing happened every now and again. It was natural for predators to be drawn to easy prey, like domestic animals that lived alongside humans. Sighing, he'd glance to Link with a small shrug. "I think its best we remove this…would you mind…?"

Shaking his head, Link held his hand out for it, knowing it was best to rid the house of it before any blood made contact with anything. It was strange, really, to be handling something dead that could have been killed by an infected beast like that feline. But maybe this hadn't crossed anyone else's minds. Or, more likely, it wasn't so concerning now that Link had returned. Whatever the reason, Link excused himself to carry the dead bird outside with him.

The night air was calm and soothing against his skin as he turned to head towards the woods, feeling it best to discard the corpse where the scavengers could have it. It wasn't like it was good for humans anymore, so this was the best course of action to be done. However, as Link looked down to the creature he carried, something stirred within him. The still warm blood had finally begun to drip down to the earth, leaving a thin trace of blood splatter behind. The feel of it on Link's fingers should have meant nothing. But, for some reason, it almost excited him. Stopping a little ways into to forest, he tossed the chicken into some of the tall grass well away from the path before slowly turning to head back.

That was odd, he felt, that the sensation of blood had livened him so, but perhaps it had something to do with his fighter's blood. Yes, the thrill of battle had been strong during his travels, leaving him with triumph and purpose. But now he didn't have to fight. It was almost disappointing really. He nearly missed the challenge of conflict...the usefulness that he'd presented during Hyrule's dark times. He could almost taste war again. Taste the victory he'd once had. Taste…

Suddenly, Link's eyes widened in horror as he realized what he was doing…freezing in mid-stride as he did so. Quickly he moved his arm, thus removing his hand from his face. There, smeared around his lips, was the chicken blood. Had he been licking it from his fingers this whole time? He hadn't even realized it until now. Shakily he wiped his mouth clean and quickly began to remove the rest of the blood onto his pants. No…this was wrong. The taste of coppery blood was strong on his tongue, making his stomach clench as he struggled to understand just why he'd do something like that. But somewhere in the back of his head he already suspected he knew why. He just didn't want to face the reality yet. The virus took people all at once within a certain timeframe, right? This couldn't be it. Shaking his head, he decided that maybe he should just go to sleep for the night. Perhaps that could clear his head. Perhaps that could save him from madness.