The Legend of Zelda: Curse of the Zonai - Chapter 11

 

Chapter 11

 

“What does it mean?” Zelda asked. Everyone watched the oily pitch-black darkness swirl farther and farther across the malice-filled moat. 

“It’s moving in all directions. A soldier shouted on the bank far to the left. 

“It’s the blood of the Zonai.” Danue commented. “It’s why they all had to leave so quickly, it was their spell that made the darkness and their blood that feeds its power.”

“What Zonai?” Geth demanded. Luro stepped forward. 

“The instructions must be in that mist somewhere.” Danue waved at the darkness.

“How do you propose we find it in that stuff?” Geth grumbled.

“Link.” It was the Princess’s voice. “My champion has traversed this place before.” The man Mie had seen so many times at the castle, the one who could take on any knight, guard, or soldier on the training field, stepped forward. He had a quiet dignity about him, you’d never know by looking at him that he was the most revered warrior is all Hyrule.

“Majesty?” Mie spoke for the first time. The princess’s attention turned to her. “I can’t see any darkness.” Everyone stared at Mie in open amazement. She looked out across the black pool of malice. “It’s as clear as day to me.”

“Blind to spirit…” Danue whispered. He strained to remember the rest of the line, but was certain Mie fit the description.

Zelda did not question the young woman’s statement. “Time is of the essence. Guide us and my champion will guard our way.”

“So will I.” Luro called out, drawing his sword and stepping up to Mie. “I won’t leave your side.” 

With Mie in the lead, they crossed the bridge. Link and Luro took up positions on either side, with Zelda and Geth in the center. A detail of soldiers followed, one supporting Danue who could now almost walk on his own. 

“Take us to the center, there should be a court or open area.” Danue called out. Mie walked forward, sure of the direction. She was aware of the others casting their heads about as if it were a dark-moonless night. 

“We’re here, I think.” Mie stated. “There’s a large stone alter just over there.” She pointed in the direction of her sight, but it did no good, no one else could see it. She led to group over to the spot and placed a torch in one corner. Others placed torches in the other corners and lit the bird-shaped stone lamps circling the area. They brought Danue to the front.

“That who is blind to Spirit heals with blood the land. That who is slave to Spirit heals with light.” 

“The sacrifice.” Geth commented. “I read about that.”

“But I’m not blind.” Luro stated in confusion. Mie trembled as if her whole body was electrified. She felt something deep inside herself, clawing to be let free it grew as she stared at the earthen alter.

Danue read the tablet on the alter. “The one who is blind but sees, blood taken by the warrior of Zonai, body consumed by the earth, heals the land, and lives upon the land once again with the blessing of spirit’s slave.” 

Mie’s legs gave out as he finished. There was something in her, a wild manifestation of desire and knowledge. It was fire in her blood and thirst for the land around her. 

“It’s me.” She stated, shakily pushing herself back up.

“No, Mie. It can’t be you.” Luro shook his head, trying to think of something to say. 

“It is. I’ve never felt the presence of anything spiritual.” She paused and swallowed hard. She began to breath harder, the heat and electricity inside her rising by the second. He put his hands on her shoulders. Her whole body was trembling. “I can feel it now. I can feel it. I can feel this whole place screaming at me.” She said quietly looking up into his eyes. “I feel the very land we’re standing on calling to me. I can’t describe it, it’s overwhelming.” Luro’s lips fell open but nothing came out. He caught her up as she fell yet again, unable to control her own body.

“Blood taken by the warrior of Zonai.” Danue repeated. “Luro, the sacrifice isn’t the warrior himself, it’s the warrior who makes the sacrifice.”

Luro shook his head. He thought he was finally prepared to do something great, to die if he must. In no way was he prepared to kill. He pulled her into his arms and cried. 

“What about the other person, this ‘slave to spirit’?” Geth interrupted. 

“The Zonai often use the words “blind’ and ‘slave’ as complete opposites. If Mie is blind to spirit, then the slave to the spirit is someone with great spiritual power. 

“Someone like me.” Zelda filled in. “I can bless her.”

“That’s right!” Danue looked up at the alter again. “blessed by the slave to spirit,…and the last line,…and lives upon the land once again.” 

Mie was trembling again, barely able to contain the fire she felt inside her. 

“I don’t like this.” Luro said.

“We can think it through, we still have some time.” Zelda reasoned.

“No, I can’t! I can’t hold it here.” Mie shouted. “I’m trying, but I’m not strong enough, if it kills me, I’m afraid it won’t come back. We’ll have lost our chance.”

“What is it?” Zelda asked.

“I don’t know, the land, or me. It’s my desire to see the wild, to see everything, to grow every plant and flower, to dig in the earth with my bare fingers, but magnified like the sun. It’s me but isn’t me.” Pain registered in her face as she focused on the words and she struggled to hold herself upright. “But I know it needs to be released.” 

“Released.” Luro said in a hollow voice.

“I will hold her with light and protect her the best I can.” Princess Zelda affirmed.

“I want to protect you too.” Luro said softly. 

“You will. I’ll be alright, I can feel it.” Mie replied in a moment of lucid calmness. 

Luro glanced at Zelda for confirmation. The princess held her light around Mie and nodded. In an instant Luro drew his sword, but hesitated. He knew everyone was watching, counting on him, but he couldn’t. “Too soft.” A gruff voice growled and suddenly Geth gripped Luro’s sword hand firmly and drove the blade forward, piercing Mie’s chest. Luro dropped his hold on his sword and caught her with both hands as she stumbled forward. She smiled at him.

“To die in the arms of the one you love.” She whispered with the last of her strength. The light from the princess’s hands flashed and gathered around Mie’s body, flooding her from view. When it dissipated, the girl was gone. 

“Wh-where is she?” Luro asked, his eyes frantically darting around. Almost instantly the darkness fell to the ground like thick oily rain and gathered around the spot where Mie had fallen, sinking into the earth. The sun shown down on the Thyphlo ruins for the first time in thousands of years. There was a small mound of earth where the girl had fallen next to the alter, from it sprung tiny white flowers on the tips of stems no bigger than a blade of grass. They formed a low white blanket that covered the mound. 

“Where is she?” Luro repeated. 

“lives upon the land once again.” Danue repeated solemnly.

“Oh no.” Zelda whispered. “She’s alive, but not literally. She’s most likely alive in the plants that sprang up.”

Silence fell on the group as they made their way back out of the ruins. The tiny flowers already beginning to spread and absorb the malice-tainted waters.

 

Princess Zelda planted the small flowers in pots in the lab, reserving one last flower for the window of her study. Unlike the Silent Princess, the Blind Maid grew plentifully and was given well to propagation and study. Within weeks all of the soil samples in the test pots had been cleansed of toxins. The princess ordered the flowers to be planted at the cathedral site where a new statue to Hylia was being erected.