The group of Heroes led by the Goron Patriarch finally entered the Fire Temple. Atop a broad, timeworn staircase sit three imposing totems, their faces chiseled with eerie, mocking grins that seem to sneer at anyone who happened to notice them. Their hollow eyes stare blankly forward, but it's within their gaping mouths that flames from deeper inside the volcano burn endlessly, casting a hellish light across the chamber.
In front of the totems lay a chalice and a small dagger. The chalice was a heavy silver cup, darkened with age and engraved with strange runes. The inside of it was polished like a mirror, meant to reflect the drinker's face in the blood. The dagger was a curved blade made of obsidian-like metal, the handle wrapped in worn leather, and the pommel bears the carving of an open crying eye, with three triangle shaped eyelashes.
LINK POV
The influence of the Sheikah tribe is more than clear.
*Don't you find it odd that they were responsible of amazing technological advances, but still came up with this retrograde ritual? *
No, it kind of makes sense. The Sheikah were very smart, but still encourage physical development… meaning they also were accomplished fighters. They dwelled in a grey area where they encouraged technological advance while married with tradition.
Link was thinking as he picked up the small dagger, twirled it and asked "Who goes first?"
Li raised his hand as 3 strips of cloth hung around his neck, Darunia hand given them to him.
["Use them to stop the bleeding after you are done filling the cups, I don't want any of you bleeding out on me"] Li could still hear Darunia's worry behind the warning.
Link took the strips of cloth from around Li's neck and surrendered the dagger "All right then, just remember that you don't need to cut too deep… who gets to drink the first cup?" he says as the group of heroes sat around the chalice.
Robert reached for the dagger, hence claiming that he was going to bleed first, and then stared intensely at Link "You drink first, and then I fill it again for Zid"
Robert said as he griped the dagger with practiced ease. Then he started cutting his right wrist up to the cubital fossa, the narrow blade slowly slid between skin and muscle. Blood already seeping out from the open tissue, but he didn't flinch, his face remained stoic as he started to collect the red drip into the chalice.
Fuck, this guy is doing this like it's nothing… feels like he is giving me and Zid silent instructions on how to do it.
*You seem to forget where he comes from. Things like seppuku must be an everyday occurrence to him. For the Engineer, this bloodletting must feel like a child's game*
Once the cup is filled, Link quickly snatches it and gulps it down. He then places it back for Rob to fill it again. A few minutes later, the chalice is full again, but Robert was looking pale and a little shaky.
Understandable… he just lost like 2 pints of blood; my favorite engineer should be fine as long as the rest of us don't take too long.
Zid pulls a strip of cloth from Link and wraps it tightly around Li's upper arm, just above the wound. Then the Pirate pulled hard on it ignoring the screams from Robert. Soon, the skin beneath began to pale as the blood flow slowed to an almost stop.
"He will live I think" Zidane says before hurriedly gulping the blood making a face. "Now my turn and let's hurry this for Li's sake, you know how to apply a torniquet right?" the Pirate asks exuding confidence on the surface. But in reality, he felt uncertain about the whole thing, especially now that he was looking at what the bloodletting did to Robert.
Link smiled "Go ahead, I won't let you bleed out, don't worry"
Is he scared?
*Yes… but not for himself*
Wrong. If he were not scared for himself, he would not have request to be the next. He is making sure someone still healthy and strong to torniquet his wound.
*It's never black or white with Zid. I believe what he really fears is that he will feel worse than Robert, since he is the one struggling with the intense heat. Zid knows that he will be weakened after this, so he won't be able to help you, but Robert may… why do you think he adjusted Li's torniquet so strongly?*
Damn… he made sure to completely prevent Robert from losing blood so he can start recovering and be the one to help me. Zid is a wild card, but at least he plays in our favor.
The Pirate was fiercely avoiding having to yell curse words as a drop of sweat dripped from his brow and fell on the chalice.
"It's ok bro, I have always preferred my drinks with a little salt" the Hero winked at him and smiled, causing the Pirate to burst out in laughter.
Link stared at the cup "That is enough" the Hero said as he quickly lifted the cup and drank all the content in 3 big gulps. He then placed it back for Zid to fill it again.
"Is it just me, or is your blood shying away? since it's taking longer to fill the cup for you" Ziel stated.
Zid wiped his forehead with his left arm. "I am not a psycho like Robert, I didn't cut that deep… DON'T CUT TOO DEEP YOURSELF, THAT IS AN ORDER"
Link grins and salutes him. After a while its Li's turn to drink from the chalice. The Engineer is lucid and mobile enough to reach for it, while Link applies a very tight tourniquet to Zid, earning a few groans from the Pirate.
"Legion, I need to ask, how did they used to do this ritual before? Li is a bit better now, but I don't know how much we will be able to help you after you fill that cup twice… And to be honest, I don't see groups of people surviving this" Zid takes deep breath "it's too much blood to be shared around, or how much of it do the Goron's have?"
It has been years since Li called me that, I thought Zid had forgotten about it.
*Hahaha no, he was just waiting for a situation where you couldn't beat him if he called you that*
Link chuckles "Darunia is taking a risk here; this ritual should be performed between 2, not 3. He is hoping we can pull through without letting each other die since we are young"
Zid nods "That makes more sense"
Link grabs the dagger and made the initial incision at the cubital fossa, sunk the dagger a bit deeper into his flesh to set the reach of the cut. Then, in a quick and precise movement, the Hero of time slit down his arm earning a gasp from the Pirate.
The cut had not been performed slowly and deep like Robert had done; or shallower and meticulous like Zid did it. Link's method was rash, since he just wanted to get this over with.
Filling the chalice was not taking too long, since Link's cut was a bit deeper than Zid's, but not as deep as Li had done it on himself. The Pirate drank the first serving and fell on his back.
"Everything is starting to spin around for me. I am hot and tired, so I will stay on the floor like this if you don't mind" Zid informed them.
Link smiled "You do you. How is everything going on your end Rob?"
"I am tired; I don't feel my arm anymore. But my head is not spinning. I think I could give you a tourniquet, not as good and tight as Zid's and mine though"
"If it keeps me alive for the 5 minutes it takes us to get out this temple, it's perfect" the Hero of time said. "After all, I am sure that Darunia and little Link are waiting for us with the healing salve"
The Pirate started giggling as he lay on the ground arms open "You mean like the super healing goo my sis did? Cuz that thing was the shit; she should have come with some of it"
"NEVER, do you really want to put her through this heat?… It is a similar concoction, but not really the same. The Goron salve will heal us and generate the marking we will now sport in our fore arms"
"May it turn out to be a really cool marking" Robert says chuckling before tapping on Link's shoulder for him to stop so he could drink from the chalice and torniquet his arm.
Meanwhile, Zid stood up groaning, preparing himself to exit the temple as soon as Rob was done with Raziel. He was definitely not going to miss the infernal heat.
In a few minutes the Heros walked out of the fire temple. Darunia and his son rushed to them.
Link lifted his voice volume "Apply the salve on them first, they have been too long wearing the tourniquet and have lost sensation on the arm. I am still good"
Both the Pirate and the Engineer stared at Link with eyes that screamed ¨betrayal¨ but both were pulled away.
The Goron healing salve was not as fast as Zelda's had been, but it was still miraculous how easily the open wound was closing. Then it was Ziel's turn, and the Goron Patriarch made sure to be the one to apply it, so he could kind of beat the Prince up a little, for taking too long with the ritual and scaring him.
After a while, and when it was evident that none of the Heroes was bleeding any longer, a draconic wail was heard before Volvagia descended near them, carrying a very large fish in his maw. He then placed it on the floor delicately.
""This is for all of you to eat. I have heard its good food for the blood""
"This thing is big… we may actually eat our fill, how considerate of you" Zid said to Volvagia in appreciation.
""Leave it where it is for 10 minutes, and it will be sufficiently cooked given the heath in this place""
Link walked towards the dragon smiling "Thank you… I really want to hug you, and scratch your head, but I don't know if you still would like that since you are all big now…"
""I still want to jump on you, but I know if I did, it could kill you… And I am not THAT big; I am still under development you know""
Link turns to Darunia wide eyed.
The Goron patriarch roars in laughter "Yeah, I asked around and searched for information, he will still grow a little bit more"
Fuck… and he currently almost doubles my height.
Link turns to Volvagia with a big smile "Then come here you overgrown Saurian baby" he says opening his arms wide.
Said baby exhales a puff of smoke through his nostrils and lowers his head to press it against the Hero's body. Link circles the dragon's head with his arms.
Darunia clears his throat "Prince, as you can see, Volvagia is now able to fly to the ocean and catch his own food when he needs it, and he is also eating every monster that appears in Dodongo's cavern… making your financial support a bit excessive"
"Anything and everything for my big boy… I will reduce the financial support but will never take it away completely. I want you to be buy him meat from time to time, since variety is good for him"
------------Later that day------------
Link finally arrives at the castle after dropping off his brothers at Kokiri forest. Zelda ran up to him but not to hug him, to inspect on the arm he had used to drain his blood. After realizing that the wound had closed properly, she released a heavy sigh.
"No scares or sudden complications, right?" the Princess asked.
"No, Zid was having a hard time adapting to the heat, but that was all"
She giggled "I bet, I wonder how the mark is going to look, it should be visible by tomorrow right?"
Link nodded. Zelda's happiness slowly started to fade.
"You… look tired. Have you eaten?" The Princess asks.
Link nods again.
Zelda sighs "Good, I will inform the King and Queen of your safe arrival. You head to hell and sleep, ok?"
Wow, thank you Princess, I feel like I am about to faint. Maybe eating so much and so fast was not the brightest idea.
*What you ate was not a meager helping, but it was not an abundant portion either. I think your body is entering recovery mode, it just needs to sleep*
Link entered his room, didn't even took off his clothes or boots; he just fell face down on the bed and was out. Zelda entered hell 10 minutes after him and was surprised that the door had been left wide open. She slowly closed it and approached the Prince's sleeping figure, then she managed to retrieve his cellphone from his pockets and pulled his boots out of his feet before laying down next to him.
---------4:12 am----------
Link suddenly wakes up, he was not bathed in sweat yet, but he was feeling uncomfortably moist, he needed a bath. The problem was that he didn't want to wake up Zelda, but he had to… she was hugging his right arm.
The Prince lifts his torso a little and looks around, trying to find something he could use to get out of the situation he was in. His cellphone was illuminating itself.
I have a message? And a lost call?
Link stretched his left arm to reach for his cellphone on the bureau. Link opened the message and takes a sharp intake of breath, then recklessly pulls his arm free from the Princess waking her up. The Prince stood up and headed to his closet to examine his arm in the mirror.
Fuck, I thought Darunia said the mark was small… this is NOT SMALL. The mark takes the whole arm, from the finger tips to the shoulder.
*More like around the shoulder, it extends a little into the shoulder blade*
A yelped is heard, Link looks at the mirror and sees Zelda standing behind him covering her mouth with her hands. She starts approaching him.
"Does it hurt?"
"Not at all, my arm felt hot and tingly at the beginning, but not anymore"
"But… I thought the mark was supposed to be small. The castle's registry reports that most people get some type of ancient rune"
Link chuckles "Derrick and Darunia didn't"
Zelda rolls her eyes "Yeah, but the claw scratches they got in the forearm are still small compared to this… why?"
Why indeed
*I think that was because of you, you are Legion after all remember?*
[Darunia: the mark that appears is a reflection of your essence; most get runes, others like me and your father got a more savage marking. But it tends to manifest in the forearm area only]
A reflection of my essence, and I am many… fuck.
Link releases a suppressed laughter "I guess that is why this ritual is only done between 2 people, not 3… or more"
*Nice way of telling her why without telling her*
Ziel heads back to the bureau for his phone, and calls Robert.
"Hey there, I just read your message and saw the picture of your arm"
"Figured" Li says rolling his eyes.
"I believe it has grown pass your bicep by now… Is this a cool enough tattoo for you?" Ziel says mockingly.
"Actually, it is. Zid was overwhelmed by it at first but now, he is posing in front of our small mirror. I think he loves it by now. I mean, who wouldn't? What is not to love about black branching Lichtenberg scar that spreads through the arm in tree-root patterns?
Robert chuckles and continues "And how could I forget, there are thin streaks of pale amber running through the center of the darker branches. It gives the illusion that the marking is alive or electrically charged. A cool visual effect that any tattoo artist would envy"
Link smiles "Well, I don't think the marking will expand further… Hope that it didn't cause any type of physical pain to any of you, and… CONGRATULATIONS, you are now proper Hylians"
"Yaaaaay!" the Princess suddenly yells "We need to celebrate this, why don't we present them to Saria and Malon and we do something at the ranch?"