The Legend of Zelda: Zelda's Honor

Chapter 34 - Enter the Cyn'Taak

It was absolutely miserable. Zelda surged up from the muck spluttering as she spit out the vile sludge from her mouth. Loose footholds and sudden drops in the murky water of the Negev Marshlands caused many of them to stumble and fall face first into the filthy bog. The group had been slogging through the swamps for the better part of two days after descending from the ridge bordering the desert. The stagnant air was sweltering, making clothes stick to their bodies and their skins perspire copiously.

The worst part was the flies, as big as their fingers and swarming them like they were dead carcasses. Malon erratically flung her arms through the air as they continually bit her to pieces. She even yelped a few times as their bites hurt something fierce. Apolloni cuffed her several times ordering her to be quiet. She feared that Malon was attracting far too much attention to the group.

"Will you quit your bawling?! You want to have the entire swamp brought down upon us?" Apolloni hissed.

Malon sniffed as she brushed off a nipping fly, "I can't help it! They won't leave me alone."

Merin licked her lips, "It's your sweet blood, honey."

"Shut it." Link ordered, irritated at the whole situation.

"You don't talk to her like that!" Aveil stomped up to him, affronted at his cheekiness.

"We're in this together. Let's just get through these awful swamps." Zander offered peaceably.

"Agreed. Now get a move on!" Apolloni growled.

"Says the person who denies her tent to anyone but her own kind!" Link snapped.

Apolloni plodded up to Link, splashing Lorva in the process with each step, "You want to say that again to my face?" Her voice seethed.

"Gladly." Link puffed up, taking on the challenge. "This entire trip, you have been an incorrigible tyrant. You've put Malon down constantly despite the fact she's held her own in several battles already!" Link gestured to Malon, who was currently too busy swatting the flies to truly appreciate the compliment.

"And you have a liar in your midst." Apolloni fired back. Leveling her gaze at Zelda, she pointed in her direction, virulence spitting from her mouth. "That man is a female! I saw her the moment her disguise failed! Just what is it you are hiding from?"

Within moments, Zelda dropped the guise. There was simply no reason to maintain it any longer. If the other Gerudo were shocked at the revelation, they did not show it. "How is this relevant to the issue at hand, which is your bad attitude?" Zelda snorted in contempt.

Apolloni backhanded her across the face. Zelda sailed into the water with a splash at the force of the blow. Within moments Link's sword was out and aimed directly at Apolloni's neck, a bead of blood caressing its tip. The other Gerudo immediately sprung onto Malon and Zelda, their scimitars at the ready, eager to slice them from ear to ear. Malon deftly dodged the first swing; she swung around while unslinging the spear from her back. Doing her best to ignore the teeming flies, she held her ground against the two Gerudo before her, each one looking for a weakness in her defense.

Apolloni assessed the situation with her eyes. A slow, raucous laugh began to emerge from her throat. She sneered, "It looks like we are at a stalemate, my dear boy. What will you do now? You know if you kill me, they will die as well."

Link called her bluff, "I don't care. At least you'll be dead." He stated flatly.

The barking of frogs and crickets were the only sounds heard for several moments. His response was clearly not what Apolloni was expecting. She wanted him to back down. He still held the upper hand with regards to her life. Did he not value his friend's lives? Was he simply conning? What was his game?