The Legend of Zelda- Ocarina of Time

Requiem of Spirit

Chapter 41Requiem of Spirit

As Link approached the Desert Colossus, the harsh desert sands rose in a whirling tempest, coming upon them so suddenly that Link was certain something, or someone, had conjured it.

He pressed Epona onwards towards the rocky plateau that rose from the desert sands like a giant table. It was flanked by columns of sandstone and wreathed by a formidable wall. As they neared their destination, the wind died down, and Link could see more clearly the mileposts with their red flags along the road. He couldn't help but feel a sense of relief at seeing the lone flat-topped hill.

"The Spirit Temple is protected by far more than just a few illusions," Halvard cautioned as they approached the wall.

"That makes me feel so much better," Link muttered, his brief flicker of elation swept away by Halvard's warning. "Now all we need is to find out the Great Fairy of the Desert is really some kind of axe-wielding maniac."

In his defence, knowing that some sorcery had been messing with his mind and could easily do so again was not doing wonders for his mood.

His comment earned him a very dark look from Navi.

"I was only joking," he said sheepishly.

"I said she's a little whacked, not crazy," Navi said crisply.

She didn't speak to him again for some time. Link heaved a sigh; he hadn't meant to hurt her feelings. She was usually the one getting sarcastic these days, but he reasoned that she was just exhausted. It hadn't been an easy few days for either of them.

Sheik was murmuring something, her voice almost inaudible. Link placed a hand on her forehead, brushing aside a few stray threads of golden hair. Her skin was still far too hot. The wind was probably helping her a little; she was still dripping wet from being doused in water.

"Come on, Epona, hurry up. We're nearly there." Link was worried they were nearly out of time. At least Sheik was talking; that was better than nothing.

Epona snorted in agitation. To be fair, she was accustomed to a plentiful supply of water and good food. Even during their trek up Death Mountain, he'd been careful not to tax her too much. Now, they had no choice.

"Just a bit longer, Epona," he coaxed her, patting her mane.

Sheik's murmurs became steadily louder until he could finally make out her urgent words.

"The castle is ablaze, an unholy funeral pyre of roaring flame... Oily smoke chokes the night... The last members of House Nohansen are gone... The screams... I hear them... all of them. Why are we riding away? We have to save them... We have to..."

Link wished he had not heard those words. They threatened to tear open old wounds that had never quite healed. With them, memories stirred in his mind, echoes of an all too familiar nightmare. The girl. The fires. The screaming.

The candle flame, he thought fiercely, squeezing his eyes shut. Remember the candle flame.

It didn't work. For a moment, he was sure that he could hear those cries too, as if he were somehow sharing Sheik's terrible dream. He blinked, staring at the wind-blown dunes. So quiet. Almost peaceful. It was easy to deceive himself that he was alone in this vast wilderness, so far from the events of that terrible day.

Vaguely, Link recalled Sheik mentioning the horror she witnessed the night of Castletown's fall—the death of her family. Focusing his attention back on her, he shook Sheik's shoulder gently and called her name. He had hoped to break her out of her nightmare, but his efforts were useless. Sheik merely moaned and kept speaking.