Chapter 4: Dreams of Flame
Hazy smoke filled Link's vision. Red shadows reflected of the walls and wooden floor. He coughed violently, unable to catch a breath of clean air. What was happening did not register in Link's mind; all he could think about was escaping. An animal instinct had taken over, forcing him to do all he could to survive.
Flames danced on all sides of him; he couldn't see past the blur of grays and oranges. "Zelda!" he cried, suddenly concerned that she was there with him, trapped inside this hellish inferno. No one answered his call, and he wondered vaguely if it was a blessing or a curse.
The blaze was getting too close. His skin began to burn. He pulled away from the hungry fire, sweat gathering on his skin. Smoke chocked him; coughs erupted painfully from his lungs, blurring his vision further. He stumbled foreword, trying to find a way out. The flames were all around him, and coming ever closer...
There was no way out...
A slight wave of panic washed through Link. He didn't know what to do. His balance was off from lack of air. Sweat had drenched his face and tunic at this point. He couldn't escape. The heat...the smoke...it was too much.
"Who will save the hero?" That voice...even with the roaring of the flames, Link could recognize it. His watering eyes peered through the smoke, trying to find his enemies figure in the flickering light.
"Behind you."
Link gasped and spun around. Ganondorf stood there, not two feet away. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he was leering down at the weary hero with those dark crimson eyes. In an instant, one of the Gerudo's massive hands shot out and grabbed Link by the front of his emerald tunic, lifting him up off the ground and into the thicker smoke. Link instinctively gripped Ganondorf's wrist with his right hand, his eyes clenching shut. He reached for his sword with his left hand, but to his utter horror the trusted weapon was not there.
Ganondorf smiled maliciously. "What's wrong, hero? Can't fight back? He, you're useless without that sword of yours. I hope you're ready to die." With one last sneer, the Gerudo threw the struggling Hylian into the roaring flames. Link screamed as he felt the blaze engulf him; pain erupted from his arm...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Link!"
The voice shattered Link's nightmare, bringing the Hero of Time into conscious thought much to quickly for his weary mind to follow. A familiar, concerned face hovered over his. Gray hair, and orange-red eyes with silver markings beneath them...
" Impa..." Link realized in a hoarse whisper. He coughed a couple of times, feeling the effects of his dream. His skin still burned, as though he were too close to a flame.
"Are you all right, lad? You were crying out in your sleep."
"I'm fine, Impa...I'm sorry for disturbing you..." Link apologized softly, wiping sweat from his brow as he sat up. Impa frowned and placed a hand on his forehead.
"You're burning up, and I heard you coughing earlier. Do you feel ill?" The Sheikah asked in concern.
"I feel fine, Impa. I just...had a nightmare is all..." he assured with a shrug. Impa sighed.
"All right...but try to get some rest." She stood straight and studied him suspiciously with those eyes of hers, before turning to leave.
After she was gone, Link got up and went to his window. He opened it, and stood there awhile, letting the cool evening wind embrace him. Suddenly, he became aware of a sharp pain on his right arm. Cautiously he peeled his tunic and shirt away from his skin to find it badly burned and blistered. Wincing, he tore a piece of cloth from his white shirt. A quick glance around the room revealed a washbasin on the windowsill. After dunking the cloth in the cold, clean water, he gently wrapped it around his injured arm. His face paled considerably from the pain, and he tried desperately not to make any noise.
Once the bandage was on and the pain somewhat dulled, Link lie back down. His mind was racing at this point. Obviously, these dreams were not normal. He was being affected physically by them, and perhaps even mentally. ~What should I do?~ he wondered. ~Should I tell Zelda? Will she even believe me? She'll have to...I'll show her the burn...~
Some part of him however, wondered if she already knew. It was obvious that she had been hiding something from him earlier. If only he knew what...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Princess..."
Zelda looked up from her breakfast at her attendant.
"Yes, Impa?"
"I believe I have some news you may want to hear...last night, I heard Link coughing, and yelling in his sleep. After I woke him, he was extremely warm to the touch, and seemed winded, like he hadn't been able to breath."
"Yes, Impa. Get to the point."
"Well, he mentioned a nightmare. I believe this may be connected to his past two experiences. I'm almost certain this is of great importance..."
Zelda stared at the food in front of her for a while, thinking over what she had just heard. "We must find out what's going on, Impa...If we don't, I fear something terrible will happen..." She looked up. "We may loose him."
Impa nodded, but her possible response was interrupted as Link entered the room. His face was pale from weariness.
"Link? Are you all right?" Zelda asked, blinking as she studied him.
"Fine, Zelda...just a little tired."
"Are you sure you are not ill, lad?" Impa asked, a slight hint of concern in her voice. Link sighed.
"I'm fine. If you don't mind, I'd like to go out for awhile..." Without waiting for a response, he started for the door that led to the main hall.
"Link, wait!" But he was already gone. Zelda sighed. "He doesn't look well...not at all...I think there's more to this than what he is telling us." Impa nodded in agreement.
"Would you like me to follow him, Princess?"
"No...he should be fine so long as he doesn't fall asleep. I hope..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
TBC
Author's Note:
Hope there was more detail in this chapter. Not as long as the last one, but I've been thinking about that...length isn't everything. I mean, the shorter these chapters are, and the more there'll be. It's not like short chapters mean a short story, it simply means it won't take you 40 minutes to read one chapter. ^^;; Anyway, thanks for all the reviews!
-Um...I've never heard of nightmare on Elm Street. Sorry.
-Yay! Someone else who thinks Zelda and Link are siblings.
-Um..heh, I'll try to make Link's dreams a little more vivid, but this is PG13, I don't want to have to increase the rating.
Thanks! Please review! I usually check out people's fics when they review.
"Until we meet under the stars' light again, farewell and good luck."~LinkSage
Hazy smoke filled Link's vision. Red shadows reflected of the walls and wooden floor. He coughed violently, unable to catch a breath of clean air. What was happening did not register in Link's mind; all he could think about was escaping. An animal instinct had taken over, forcing him to do all he could to survive.
Flames danced on all sides of him; he couldn't see past the blur of grays and oranges. "Zelda!" he cried, suddenly concerned that she was there with him, trapped inside this hellish inferno. No one answered his call, and he wondered vaguely if it was a blessing or a curse.
The blaze was getting too close. His skin began to burn. He pulled away from the hungry fire, sweat gathering on his skin. Smoke chocked him; coughs erupted painfully from his lungs, blurring his vision further. He stumbled foreword, trying to find a way out. The flames were all around him, and coming ever closer...
There was no way out...
A slight wave of panic washed through Link. He didn't know what to do. His balance was off from lack of air. Sweat had drenched his face and tunic at this point. He couldn't escape. The heat...the smoke...it was too much.
"Who will save the hero?" That voice...even with the roaring of the flames, Link could recognize it. His watering eyes peered through the smoke, trying to find his enemies figure in the flickering light.
"Behind you."
Link gasped and spun around. Ganondorf stood there, not two feet away. His arms were crossed over his chest, and he was leering down at the weary hero with those dark crimson eyes. In an instant, one of the Gerudo's massive hands shot out and grabbed Link by the front of his emerald tunic, lifting him up off the ground and into the thicker smoke. Link instinctively gripped Ganondorf's wrist with his right hand, his eyes clenching shut. He reached for his sword with his left hand, but to his utter horror the trusted weapon was not there.
Ganondorf smiled maliciously. "What's wrong, hero? Can't fight back? He, you're useless without that sword of yours. I hope you're ready to die." With one last sneer, the Gerudo threw the struggling Hylian into the roaring flames. Link screamed as he felt the blaze engulf him; pain erupted from his arm...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Link!"
The voice shattered Link's nightmare, bringing the Hero of Time into conscious thought much to quickly for his weary mind to follow. A familiar, concerned face hovered over his. Gray hair, and orange-red eyes with silver markings beneath them...
" Impa..." Link realized in a hoarse whisper. He coughed a couple of times, feeling the effects of his dream. His skin still burned, as though he were too close to a flame.
"Are you all right, lad? You were crying out in your sleep."
"I'm fine, Impa...I'm sorry for disturbing you..." Link apologized softly, wiping sweat from his brow as he sat up. Impa frowned and placed a hand on his forehead.
"You're burning up, and I heard you coughing earlier. Do you feel ill?" The Sheikah asked in concern.
"I feel fine, Impa. I just...had a nightmare is all..." he assured with a shrug. Impa sighed.
"All right...but try to get some rest." She stood straight and studied him suspiciously with those eyes of hers, before turning to leave.
After she was gone, Link got up and went to his window. He opened it, and stood there awhile, letting the cool evening wind embrace him. Suddenly, he became aware of a sharp pain on his right arm. Cautiously he peeled his tunic and shirt away from his skin to find it badly burned and blistered. Wincing, he tore a piece of cloth from his white shirt. A quick glance around the room revealed a washbasin on the windowsill. After dunking the cloth in the cold, clean water, he gently wrapped it around his injured arm. His face paled considerably from the pain, and he tried desperately not to make any noise.
Once the bandage was on and the pain somewhat dulled, Link lie back down. His mind was racing at this point. Obviously, these dreams were not normal. He was being affected physically by them, and perhaps even mentally. ~What should I do?~ he wondered. ~Should I tell Zelda? Will she even believe me? She'll have to...I'll show her the burn...~
Some part of him however, wondered if she already knew. It was obvious that she had been hiding something from him earlier. If only he knew what...
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
"Princess..."
Zelda looked up from her breakfast at her attendant.
"Yes, Impa?"
"I believe I have some news you may want to hear...last night, I heard Link coughing, and yelling in his sleep. After I woke him, he was extremely warm to the touch, and seemed winded, like he hadn't been able to breath."
"Yes, Impa. Get to the point."
"Well, he mentioned a nightmare. I believe this may be connected to his past two experiences. I'm almost certain this is of great importance..."
Zelda stared at the food in front of her for a while, thinking over what she had just heard. "We must find out what's going on, Impa...If we don't, I fear something terrible will happen..." She looked up. "We may loose him."
Impa nodded, but her possible response was interrupted as Link entered the room. His face was pale from weariness.
"Link? Are you all right?" Zelda asked, blinking as she studied him.
"Fine, Zelda...just a little tired."
"Are you sure you are not ill, lad?" Impa asked, a slight hint of concern in her voice. Link sighed.
"I'm fine. If you don't mind, I'd like to go out for awhile..." Without waiting for a response, he started for the door that led to the main hall.
"Link, wait!" But he was already gone. Zelda sighed. "He doesn't look well...not at all...I think there's more to this than what he is telling us." Impa nodded in agreement.
"Would you like me to follow him, Princess?"
"No...he should be fine so long as he doesn't fall asleep. I hope..."
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
TBC
Author's Note:
Hope there was more detail in this chapter. Not as long as the last one, but I've been thinking about that...length isn't everything. I mean, the shorter these chapters are, and the more there'll be. It's not like short chapters mean a short story, it simply means it won't take you 40 minutes to read one chapter. ^^;; Anyway, thanks for all the reviews!
-Um...I've never heard of nightmare on Elm Street. Sorry.
-Yay! Someone else who thinks Zelda and Link are siblings.
-Um..heh, I'll try to make Link's dreams a little more vivid, but this is PG13, I don't want to have to increase the rating.
Thanks! Please review! I usually check out people's fics when they review.
"Until we meet under the stars' light again, farewell and good luck."~LinkSage