Between the Lines || Link x Mipha

Chapter 29: Thread of Loyalty 4/4

"How'd you find me?" Klay asked between breaths.

"Your friends," Valik smiled and took a couple tired steps forward. Klay felt his heart go warm at the thought. "You know where Serdin's room is? Etch, I think it was, told me there was a way to escape through the room."

"Yeah, follow me!" Klay rushed passed Valik, and the tired prince ran after him.

After many twists and turns, and a couple fights along the way, the two soldiers made it to Serdin's room. They both rushed in and Valik directed Klay toward the ceiling, explaining what Etch told him. Klay couldn't help but pout, as he tried to feel his hand on the ceiling, "I wish I knew about this when I first got here!"

Valik stood up on a stool on his tiptoes and pushed up on the ceiling just to the left of Serdin's bed. A square slab lifted up and Valik groaned slightly as he tried to push it to the side.

"Klay, I need a bit of height here," Valik said, a bit strained. The Zora hurried over to his friend and pushed the slab into the ceiling. It left a hole, just big enough for a Zora as big as Klay to crawl through. "This is it. Hope you aren't claustrophobic."

"Hey, whatever it takes to get out of here," Klay shrugged. "You need me to lift you up there?"

"Wait," Valik jumped up and gripped the edges of the hole. He pulled himself up slightly and ducked his head as he squirmed himself into the tight space. "I got it! You'll have to pull yourself up on your own though. I don't have enough room to turn around."

Klay grunted as he jumped and pulled himself up. He did begin to feel quite claustrophobic as his shoulders seemed to fit snuggly right inside the small cave. However, he would rather feel claustrophobic than spend another day with Nadri.

"Lead the way," Klay insisted.

The two crawled and wriggled their way through the small, thin cave. The rugged edges of the walls would scrape the sides of their bodies and the air was stale and musty. Both of them complained the whole time, but pushed through it anyway. Luckily, their hopes immediately rose as Valik noticed a small ray of light on the ceiling in the distance. He crawled as fast as he could and peered through the small hole, seeing the clear afternoon sky.

"I think we can try to get out here," Valik grunted as he tried forcefully pushing up against it.

"Can you fit a finger through or something? Maybe the the ground right there is soft enough," Klay thought.

Valik tried doing as Klay suggested, but he had no luck, "Ugh, it's too stable. We might have to keep going forward."

"Please, no! I don't know how much more my shoulders can take."

"We don't have much of a choice. Sorry, man."

"Incoming!" A voice came from above. Through the small hole Valik could see a figure diving straight towards the hole with a big sword. He quickly scooched himself forward and motioned Klay to crawl back slightly. In moments the sword piereced through the hole and the wall above cracked. "One more time! Hang in there you two!"

"Is that...Latch?" Klay's mouth dropped.

Klay's question was answered as the sword broke through again, toppling and breaking the ceiling above them. John and Fletch helped unbury the two and lifted them above ground.

"Oh, sweet freedom!" Klay held his arms out to his side and spun around. "Oh my goodness! Thank you guys so much!"

"You guys came back to help us?" Valik looked to Etch.

"Of course," Etch laughed. "Besides, Klay forgot a lil' something."

Fletch stepped up to Klay and handed him the Zora necklace. He gave the Zora a big smile and used hand signals to say, "Thank you, friend."