The Scales That Bind

Chapter 12: A Slip Through Her Fingers

Link took a sideways step, placing himself in front of Mipha's raw side, her hand reaching up and grabbing him to push him aside with a firmly polite reply, "Please, I can take care of myself."

"I'm not doubting that," Link explained, "But right now, I'm responsible for this skin here, and I'm not going to allow it to hinder you."

Her eyes jumped up to take a glance at Link's profile, his eyes narrowed angrily as he watched Marco stomp toward them. Her body fluttered at his protective stance, though instead of regaining her own posture, she simply remained at his side, only gripping her trident tighter as she followed her lover's stare. Marco flipped his firearm into the air, clutching its thinner end and slumping the opposite end over his shoulder, his shoulders swaying back and forth as his gait wavered.

His voice escaped with a hideous air, his pitch-black eyes slurring as he spoke, "This vessel will be a blight upon everything you hold dear."

Link could feel Mipha's body trembling as she worked up a response, reaching down to grasp her arm in an attempt to quiet her from replying to this being, but she bit aloud, angrily, "This Domain shall not succumb to anything! Whatever you are, mark my words, we stand prepared to fight; the mightiest machinations ever built will repel you and everything like you!"

Marco smirked a sickly grin, "You talk of that Sheikah junk as though it, indeed, protected them. Take a step back, child; these evils that choose to encompass your world cannot be stopped by mere toys."

He tilted his head to the side, patting his cheek against the butt of his firearm, "These Shiekah toys do seem effective in killing you, however."

As he made his way along further, Link could feel Mipha's body continue to tremble, his chest tightening at the idea of Mipha simply striking out of any sort of tact.

"So how much of Marco is in there?" he asked, changing the subject.

Marco's dark eyes curled up happily, "Enough. I can see you, Hylian, in here..."

Now Link and Mipha's roles became reversed as Mipha turned a quick stare toward up toward him, watching as Link's face visibly grow distant, slowly mulling over this thing's words.

"You were there, down the hallway," Marco murmured, his voice dimming as though speaking, slowly, from deep within memories, "He noticed you there, the only son of the woman in his hands... I can feeeeel her forehead, yeeesss... Clutching it tightly against his body, holding her neck exposed... His other hand with a ssssword, I can feel the delicious tug of skin at its opposite end as his hand shakes with worry, staring down so many soldiers... He wants her to cry out...to cry out for her son, just so he can hear the sound of voice extinguished...but she doesn't do so. She barely even shivers with a sword along her throat..."

Link challenged, heatedly, "You'll get even less from me, you monster."

"Ahhhh," Marco's voice lulled, growing louder and sicker as this being returned to its present reality, "He's not interested in getting any satisfaction from you. He wants the girl; and how lucky that I'm interested in her as well. He wants nothing more than to pierce her for her transgressions; she took his life once before, so-"

"I'll take it again," Mipha interrupted him angrily, her resolve strengthening at being spoke of so lowly, wanting nothing more than to finally resist in a way she wasn't able to before.

Marco's neck cracked as he rolled it around his shoulders in a circle as if to flex his muscles, shrugging finally as he came to a stop, just beyond the end of the bridge, mere yards away from Link and Mipha. He eyed them with ill-moving eyes, their dark spots simply remaining stationary, giving the two defenders a quietly discontented feeling.