Legend Of Zelda Fan Fiction ❯ The Return ❯ Desert Resolve ( Chapter 9 )

The Return

 

Chapter 9

 

Desert Resolve

 

 

Link and Malon trotted alongside the carriage on Epona's back. Epona was such a fine horse. A stead so strong, so powerful, that even under the blazing sun, she never panted or showed signs of weakness.

 

Malon had fetched the heat stone from Epona's pack, a heat stone is a stone that is a super conductor, and it takes the heat given to it and amplifies it. Many women use them to curl and style their hair, since the heat from the stone is so intense it can soften the structure of hair so it can be re-shaped. Malon never had one before, due to its expensive cost, but Link insisted on buying it for her. Today she had to be careful with the stone and leave it in its white case whenever she wasn't using it. Not just because the excessive heat of the desert, but Malon was feeling more exothermic than usual. Like a fire had sprung up inside her body. It was strong enough in fact to make Link sweat exuberantly, from no real exertion.

 

“We have just a few more hours to go before the checkpoint comes into view. Be on guard Link, those other bandits seem to have nested near here.” Chari called from the back of the carriage, using the term nesting as a way to show disdain and inferiority.

 

Link's back straightened and Malon leaned into him, feeling tired at the lack of movement. She had been horseback riding many, many times before, but never for this period of time. “Watch your back Malon, those bandits are just dishonorable enough to strike a woman, in the back.” Link's eyes darted around the cliff face on either side of them. A few small pebbles clattered down the steep walls as Link reached for his bow and arrows. “I can smell them.” Link said. His face grimaced in disdain, like he actually could smell the bandits.

 

“Link?” Malon began to ask, but she heard the loud “thwap” as an arrow twanged in a bow. Link's bow was out and used before Malon could contemplate a though. A loud scream was heard as a body came crashing down the cliff face. The whole group stopped to look at Link and the bandit's limp body fall to beside the carriage.

 

The strange-cloaked figure stepped out of the carriage and inspected the body. One shot, one arrow, straight through his brain, between his eyes. The cloaked figure looked at Link after it inspected the body, kneeling by it. Link couldn't tell very well, but he sensed the figure was watching him. Something about the way the mask of darkness moved and curved told Link the figure was studying him like a Hawk.

 

A predatory gleam made its way to Link's eyes as he stared right back.

 

The figure stood suddenly and turned toward the calm Chari, sitting calmly on the step of the carriage. The figure moved its hand over its neck, or the area around there, hard for Link to tell, in a straight-line fashion. Dead.

 

The cloaked person made its way back to Chari and whispered a few things. “There may be more, Link. Good work catching this one, but we must hurry to the checkpoint.”

 

“It was the only one Chari.” Link told him, Getting off his horse with Malon to inspect the body for himself. “It was a scout.” Link lifted the man's body by the collar and flipped it onto his front. “See here? A telescope. It was spying, waiting for someone to come by, so he could use this.” Link held up a box with a string on one side. It had a sticker attached to it, with some writing in an ancient lettering that neither Link, nor Malon could read.

 

Chari, for the first time seemed surprised and made his way to Link and Malon, who were studying the box intently. “It says “Signal Box” on it.” Chari told them. “It's written in an ancient form of Zorekian.” He gently took the box from Link. “Its made from a desert Lizard's skin, and its later al edges--” Chari ran a finger along the sharp corners and edges of the box. “—are made from the bones of the sand viper. A poisonous snake unlike any other.”

 

Chari took the box with him into the carriage. “Link, this find is quite precious. Not only will I allow you into the tournament, but I will sponsor you as well.” Chari told him, his calm façade returning slowly.

 

The cloaked figure nodded at the strange old man driving the carriage. The carriage started up with a loud neigh from the horses, as the reigns whipped slightly. Link hopped on Epona's back and grabbed Malon's wrist, jerking her up in front of him. His arms on either side of her, he lifted the reigns and motioned Epona into a slight gallop; to catch up to the carriage before they trotted once more. Malon leaned back against Link, her head resting on his shoulder. “I hope they have a bath there at the checkpoint.” Malon muttered.

 

“I am sure they do, but you smell, fine.” Link breathed in deep. “Divine even.” He breathed out of his nose, onto Malon's exposed neck.

 

Malon giggled a little at the slight breeze caused by Link. He placed his lips to her neck softly and kissed. Malon didn't react visibly, but he could feel the tightening of her neck muscles under his lips. He continued to kiss that one spot, gently sucking and licking the area, until he felt her hands slide up his side from in front of him. Her breathing quickened with every trotting step from Epona. His teeth nipped at her neck softly, gently biting, causing Malon to moan out in pleasure.

 

Link stopped suddenly and perked his head up eyeing the ledges for any sign of movement. There was a small clatter and the hooded figure burst out of the carriage, hopped up the huge cliff face in two great leaps and lopped off the head of a bandit. The head and the body came crashing down the cliff.

 

“Well it seems like my vassal is doing your job Link.” Chari stated, picking at the body, looking for anything valuable among the equipment and weaponry of the bandit.

 

“Chari get back in the carriage, there is more than one.” Link ordered, and Chari looked up at the cloaked figure that nodded his confirmation.

 

“I expect you to do your job exceptionally well Link.”

 

The blonde hero merely nodded and hopped off the horse, and put on the deku mask. Link was now tall and very light. The brown of his skin seemed to contrast with the beige of the sand. His eyes were no longer blue but a sunset orange and the spout like mouth the deku kid used to have was replaced by a slit much like that of Malon's Deku Form. Using one of his developed powers, he planted a deku seed that sprouted to a flower instantly, digging into the ground, he used the flower to burst him high into the sky. One of his arms held onto a huge flower, easily holding Link high in the air, the other seemed to squirm around into the shape of a crossbow. Those were not deku seeds he was packing.

 

“I see them!” He said in a warbled voice. “There are no more than 15. I should be able to take out more than a few from here.” Link lifted his arm and saw the cloaked figure charge with two blades showing from it's baggily clothed arms. He took careful aim and then shot a bolt of deku wood, a scream was heard as the bolt landed in a bandit's red clad chest.

 

The group was heavily armed with axes and broad swords, but lacked clothes in the immense desert heat. Link shot off two more rounds as the charging cloaked figure slashed and brought down two of them at the same time. Link continued to fire, floating gently in the breezeless desert. Near the end link had killed nine bandits while the cloaked figure had brought down six.

 

Link was about to change when he saw one more come toward the cloaked figure. He used his flower to direct him to the field of carnage where the sand had a dirt-like texture due to the blood spilt on it. He took off the deku mask and gently fell to the ground, his sword ready. “That's the leader isn't it?” The Hero of Time asked, and the cloaked figure merely nodded next to him.

 

The leader stepped into view, with his bronzed skin and huge bulging biceps; he wasn't a force to be reckoned with. The head was bald and shiny, the face specked with a rough beard, and a nose that looked like it had been broken many times before. The eyes were completely black. He was at least six feet and seven inches tall, a giant. He wore nothing but loincloth, a scabbard for a huge bastard sword and a leather thong on the loincloth for a huge battle-axe.

 

“This is going to be fun!” Link murmured to himself.

 

Again, the cloaked person nodded. The bandit roared a deep, guttural roar and charged, bringing out both of his weapons. Link parried the first sword swing as the cloaked figure jumped over the swinging axe.

 

---

 

“Anyone else hear fighting?” Malon asked, but no one answered.

 

“What is going on up there?” Chari had asked aloud.

 

“I am going to find out!” The red headed lass swung her fine leg over the horse and over to the cliff wall, intent on climbing up it to view the battle in full.

 

“You can't do that Malon! Link would kill me if he found out I let you do that!” Chari called out as Malon began to climb the face.

 

“Can't hear you!” she shouted, ignoring the fish's orders to return to the ground.

 

---

 

Link used the huge forearm of the bandit as ground and jumped off it to land a slashing blow at the man's shoulder. The blade cut only the smallest of gashes into the giant's hide and then was pushed out by muscles. “Dammit this thing is like a fucking fortress.” He cussed and spat, landing in a roll as an arm swatted at Link.

 

The cloaked figure wasn't doing much better, its twin blades were sharp, but they were small, and the figure obviously didn't have the strength to pierce the skin of the giant. The three were locked in a dance of destiny. The two bodyguards were too fast for the huge giant, but the giant was too big and strong to be sufficiently harmed.

 

“We are going to die at this rate. We can't hurt him, and he is used to this heat.” Link shouted to the figure, and the giant merely chuckled, and continued to swing his weapons at the two warriors. Link's foot fell awkwardly on the ground and he stumbled over the body of a dead bandit. He sat up to see a huge bastard sword come down on him. There was no time to dodge or bring his shield up, not that the shield would help him much.

 

---

 

“Whew!” Malon panted as she made it to the top. Her eyes scanned the horizon until they saw Link and the cloaked figure, as they danced a dance of death with a huge giant of a man.

 

She began to walk towards the battle with her sword at her side and the shield on her back. She saw as Link's slashes did nothing to the huge giant, and as the cloaked figure had done most of its best techniques to no avail. The giant couldn't hit her lover or the cloaked one; they were too fast for the heavy hitter. “They have to be winning, they have to be.” She told herself, moving faster in the sand and heat.

 

She watched as Link stumbled and landed on his back. She watched as the giant reared up for a huge slash at her defenseless lover. “NO!” she screamed and held her hand out. She had to save him somehow, but she was too far away. Malon ran as fast as she could, her arm held out in front of her, and everything seemed to run in slow motion as a light erupted from the front of her hand. “LINK!”

 

The cloaked figure noticed the light and hopped off the giant's back. The light burst forth a giant spurting wave of flames. The wave bit straight through the giant.

 

---

 

Link closed his eyes as the giant brought its arm down to slice him up. All he heard was something akin to lava erupting and the heat of a volcano pass him by. Opening one eye he saw the bandit's arms, missing their shoulders and everything above the elbow lying on the ground. The bandit's torso was missing and the waist was smoldering and completely cauterized.

 

Link's head turned to where he thought the lava flow had come from, and along the pathway was a thick sheet of glass in the sand, leading to Malon standing in the middle of the desert looking at the palm of her hand. Her eyes connected with Link's awe stricken face and gave a small, twitching smile before she collapsed.

 

“Malon!” Link called and as fast as he could ran toward his collapsed lover.

 

The hooded figure chipped off a piece of the glass and inspected it. It was clear, of almost superb quality. It took more than one strike to chip off a piece no bigger than a blade of glass. The glass about an inch and a half thick, weighed next to nothing. The figure couldn't tell if it was the burst of fire or the sand of the desert, but the glass, if worked properly could be as strong as steel.

 

---

 

“Malon, sweetheart, please, wake up.” He asked softly, as Malon lay on a soft bed. Her eyes gently opened to see Link's azure eyes looking at her with quite worry.

 

She brought her arms up around his neck and felt light headed almost immediately. “Ugh…what happened?” she asked, holding her head and then looking at the palm of her hand where she remembered that strange light.

 

“We were hoping you could tell us.” Chari asked from a table in the cottage they were in, while Ingo slept at the table, drunk.

 

“Don't question her yet! She just woke up!” Link told Chari sternly, and took Malon's arm, helping her to stand.

 

She felt weak, her knees gave out on her and Link had to help her stand and walk. They walked out the door to see a beautiful sunset on the horizon. “Lets get washed up Malon.” He told her, leading her to an oasis of decent size. He sat her down and stripped down.

 

“Link…um…” Malon said, blushing furiously as Link got less and less clothed.

 

“I don't care if you see.” He told her as he stood before her naked, helping her up so she could remove her dress to wash. She saw his body had much more tone than when she last saw it, his arms had gotten thinner. No. Not thinner, but tighter, like the muscle had gotten stronger, tighter.

 

He removed her boots and took her waist in his arm and slipped off her panties, slowly, antagonizing. The cloth strips holding in her ample chest was next, Malon carefully unwrapped herself. “I don't care if you see me either.” She told him at last and scouted into the water. She sat at the edge, which was already as deep as her waist, and enjoyed the cool water.

 

Link gingerly got in next to her, covering his front slightly. She was so different from their last bath. Her hips were more prominent and you could tell easily her chest had gotten bigger, bigger than her future version even. Her waist had actually shrunk though, and her read had grown into a more heart shaped version of itself. She was stunning. The two washed themselves up in silence, and then sat in the water, side-by-side, enjoying the cool night in the oasis.

 

Malon leaned against, her arm wrapped around his and she felt his arm rub up against the side of her chest. She smirked playfully as Link tensed up. “So tell me what was I like in the future, when this Gannon guy ruled?” she asked at last.

 

“Well your chest was smaller.” He said first and Malon looked at him weirdly. How could her growth be affect by time change? She laughed finally.

 

“How about something less superficial?”

 

“You were kind, very gentle, and more than willing to please Ingo so he didn't hurt you or the animals. You bent over backwards for his customers, and took every chance you could get to leave the ranch. We were very much in love, like we are now.” He told her, leaning his head back to look at the stars.

 

She looked at him with admiration in her eyes; he was so handsome in the starlight. Malon leaned in close and kissed his cheek and the corner of his lips. “I love you Link.”

 

He turned to her and took her chin in his hand, and brought her lips to his. “I love you too.” He whispered and kissed her again. Malon shifted her body ever so slightly to get more comfortable as she kissed Link. Slowly she straddled Link's sitting form and kissed him, her chest pressed against his.

 

“Well I see you two are getting along.” A male voice that was familiar to them both said. The two looked up and saw an owl perched on an old dead tree a few yards away. “Just came to see how the day went.” He searched the two over. “I see you bath have changed quite a bit in a days time. This is a lot of change, even for those seeds.” The owl hooted and flapped its wings in agitation.

 

“Great Owl…” Malon started, still straddling Link. “Something strange happened today. I saw Link in trouble and a large spout of flame erupted from my hand.”

 

“Magic? Already? HOOT!” the owl said and started to hover. “You kids are growing really fast, the energy you must be outputting has to be immense for this much change to occur in you already. Those seeds of life have already begun to sprout and grow, in less than a day. They will continue to grow inside you for as long as you live, like the ones from your mothers are still growing.

 

“Be careful children. There are some powerful people where you are going.” With that the owl took off into the night.

 

“Malon.” Link kissed Malon once. “We have to get up early tomorrow, set out so we can get to that damned city before nightfall.”

 

“Aww, and I was just having fun.” Malon told him, smirking at him playfully.

 

“You think you were having fun?”

 

“You are having just as much fun as me, I can feel it.” She smirked and kissed him once before getting off Link and standing with renewed strength.