LOZ:Twilight Princess:Ch.5

---- Chapter 5: A Dark Transformation


The glowing darkness bolted into his eyes painfully. He was not used to such a splattered spectrum of light, semi-shadowed and quite luminous in the brighter areas. Yet perhaps his focus hazed due to the hand that gripped his neck, causing him to gasp for air. He struggled as the long sticky fingers throttled him unknowingly in its inspection of him. The face, or at least what Link thought resembled the face, came closer to his as if to peer into his eyes, yet there were none that mirrored Link’s reflection. Its hair was long black tentacles that hung down from the back of its crest-like head.

Link raised a hand to the beast’s fingers, attempting to pry the coils from his neck, and as he did so, his hand began to burn with new life as it had done so just days ago. A piercing light shown from it for a fraction of an instant, and the dark hand released him and scampered off in an uneven walk.

Link fell hard to the ground, yet relieved that the monster had freed him. He choked in new air, and with it, his life restored. He looked around from his place on the ground, noticing similarities of this woodland to that of Faron. It looked so much like Ordon's forested neighbor, only a new haze lining its life. He then realized ... he was in Faron. But this darkness ... why ... how...?

He began to push himself up to search for any source of Faron's new state, but a thunderous pain seared his hind legs, an agony that spread like fire in a thicket up his spine to span out to the rest of his nerves. He felt his heartbeat pulse in a rhythmic beating, which deepened his anguish. He faltered, his hands barely holding him up. The pain filtered out from the nerves in his appendages to his very bones. A crackling within forced pained grunts from him, as he felt his legs breaking under an invisible pressure. It was as if a boulder had suddenly landed upon him and was slowly rolling overtop him, reshaping his body in grotesque ways. The throbbing continued and intensified at the feeling of his very jaw bones stretching and cracking. Unable to acknowledge what was happening and unable to bear the suffering any longer, he cried out in a raucous shriek and fell into stillness.

The symbol upon his hand faded and was as if it had never marked him.

Out of sight high upon a rocky ledge, a small imp looked on as he was dragged away by the creature that had first yanked him into the shadows….

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When Link awoke he spied cornering grey walls, and as he searched about him, he discovered that these ominous walls and barred entrance encased him. Frightened and unknowing of what was happening to him, he moved to search for a way out.

But he felt himself restricted to only a small area of the cage, and looking to see what bound him, he found a chain slithering from the floor to a bolted shackle upon his wrist. A wrist he realized to be inhuman. Shocked, he looked over his hands and body and saw his shape transformed. Near to the birth of the chain, he saw a puddle of collected water and looked into its mirror only to see his figure misshapen at the head as well.

Long fangs and a bright coat of silver, black, and white stunned him. His blue eyes remained, but they had grown more intense and savage. His nose had been molded into a long snout, with strange markings adorning his forehead. Unsure and afraid, Link confirmed that he had been reformed into a beastly wolf. He tried to call out, but all that met his fuzzy, pointed ears was a bark which echoed off the dank walls.

At first, Link cowered, fearful of what other sorcery would befall him next. He was in a strange new world, his past existence erased. The only trace that he had once been Link was due to the remaining blue earrings that adorned his ears. He could feel the new power behind his piercing blue eyes, the intensity in which they could now view his surroundings. He still felt the buring edge that had plagued his bones upon his initial transformation into his beastial form. The simmer would not leave him; it was a constant itch that he could not banish.  

But when he heard the whimper of his lupine form, he snapped together and, taking it within his sharp teeth, wrestled with the chain that confined him to the small area. He had to escape from this strange new reality.

He heard something then, and looked into a corner of the cell. An odd, short figure approached him, feet hovering above the floor. Its head was large and embellished with an eccentric headpiece, long pointy ears jutted out from its face. Long yellow and orange colored hair dripped from the piece, tied together near the end with a strange grey pin. Its one large yellow and red eye was narrowed as it looked onto him; the other was hidden underneath the headdress. Suddenly, the eye popped open and a smile stretched across its face, one jagged fang poking out of its mouth.

The small body, splotched with white and black designs and decorated with glowing green markings, suddenly came to life and hopped over Link to stand on his opposite side. “I found you!” it said in a strange cracking voice, but oddly, he could understand it. He growled at it. “Oh, aren’t you scary,” it sneered. Crossing its arms, it continued, “Are you sure you want to be doing that? Snarling and glaring at me?” Link continued and backed away as far as he could. “Well, that’s too bad. I was planning on helping you … if you were nice, that is.”

At that, Link stopped glaring at it and perked up. He did not care what this creature was. He did need help, for could not comprehend anything that had taken place. Maybe it could prove to be useful.

“Ah, that’s better,” it said, still smiling slyly. “You humans are obedient to a fault, aren’t you? Oh, but wait,” it added, patting his chin, “you aren’t a human anymore. You’re a beast!”

Link barked and snapped at her tiny hand, but she only leapt back, laughing in a girlish chuckle. “There, there. You be a good boy and calm down. No need to bite.” Then she brought her hands before her. Concentrating, she conjured a glowing black and red ball of energy. With a flick of her wrists, the ball dispersed in a pop of crimson light, and the chain that held Link in place snapped from the shackle. This caught Link of guard, and he looked in amazement to his freed paw.

“You look kind of surprised!” the little creature said, dipping her head before him. Then she leapt away again, hovering back toward the bars. “So, I bet you’re wondering where exactly you are….” Bubbles of dark and green and orange surrounded her body, and in a twirl she propelled herself directly through the beams. She looked at him from beyond, “I’ll make you a deal. If you can get over here, maybe I’ll tell you!” Laughter reverberated.

Looking around, he could not find any route to the other side. But then he drew his gaze back toward a pile of crates and hay. There was something odd that drew him to that spot. He examined it closer and tossed the crates out of the way. Behind their bundle he found a spot where the previous captive of the cell must have dug his way out. Taking advantage of this, he slouched and struggled through the manmade indention.

Once on the opposite side, he heard pleased laughter as he shook his coat free of dirt. Next, he felt the creature land upon his backside, and he circled around trying to toss her off. “I guess you’re not completely stupid after all!” she congratulated. This remark made Link cease in his movements, growling. “Listen,” she calmed in a crude voice, “I like you, so I think I’ll get you out of here.” Surprisingly then, she grabbed his ear. “But in exchange for my help, you have to do exactly as I say!”

He shook himself free, grunting. He did not know where he was, so he knew he would need her help. Reluctantly, he barked in agreement.

“Good! Then let’s get moving!”