The Legend of Zelda: Prince of the Sea

Chapter Twenty-Nine: Knights

Death felt soft to the touch.

Link grunted lightly. His eyelids fluttered weakly, but failed to open. Sleep coaxed him to return into the darkness. He didn't wish to face the Afterlife, not again... not yet. He was comfortable where he sat, with his arm embracing the soft warmth of Lady Death, whose hair smelt sweetly in his nostrils. The knight's chin was upon her shoulder, his head against hers, and he could hear her gentle breaths echoing through the hollow emptiness in his ears. Flowers... she smelled like flowers, almost like how... no, that was impossible. There was no way that she was also here in the Afterlife with him.

She was far away. She... was safe. Yes, that had to be it. His heart was only whispering to his senses a sweet memory, a lullaby, to soothe his weariness in death.

Still... he had to be absolutely sure.

The man's eyes cracked open. His blurry vision struggled to focus on the grey landscape that he found himself in. The fingers of his left hands twitched and Link discovered that his palm rested over something that was long and cylindrical. How curious... it almost felt like a sword's hilt... but how could that be? Why would he have a sword if he was dead? Blinking his eyelids lazily, Link shifted his chin and the left side of his cheek pressed against the silkiest hair his stubbled cheek had ever felt. Smiling tenderly, the knight inhaled softly and a pleasant tingle crept up his spine. His senses were filled with the sweet floral scent and euphoria lulled him into an affectionate peace. He didn't want to move, but he did wish to see the face of Death who was seated against him on the ground. Opening his eyes more and compelling his vision to realign, Link turned his head as he pried open his lips. He wished to gaze upon Death and see if she was as beautiful as his queen.

That was his fleeting wish... Until, of course, the man realized that the woman whom he embraced was his queen.

"Zelda?" he whispered, lifting his head from upon her shoulder. He peered at the side of her head and worry clouded his expression. His mind quickly cleared and the knight was jolted with wakefulness.

Coiled with concern, Link failed to notice how his spoken word echoed around through the nearby drifting white mists. All of his attention was on his unconscious queen. Her eyes were closed and she was breathing softly, like she was asleep. She was seated between his legs, with the knight finally realizing that he was kneeling, not sitting. His left knee was raised and the queen was securely tucked against his leg and held securely against his body by his left arm. The Master Sword was laying across her legs and Link still held the sword's hilt. Releasing the blade, its hilt struck soft sand and Link brought his hand to tenderly hold Zelda's chin. He shifted her head so that he could inspect her face properly. The man creased his brows when he saw the drying blood smeared on the side of her cheek. When he tried to move his right arm to turn Zelda more towards him, pain shocked through his being. Grunting and squeezing his eyes closed until the wave of pain ebbed, the man's memory began to reignite and he snapped eyes open wide.

The beach! Dark Link! Kagameera! The tidal wave!

Sudden panic spurred Link to frantically look around and he took up the Master Sword in defence again. The knight saw that they were on a beach of grey sand. He could not tell how far the beach stretched, due to the wisps of white mists that flowed around the range of his vision. The sky was a watercolour painting of greys and whites, with faint shades of various colours whispering through the flowing stillness. Somewhere far away the faint heartbeat of the shore could just be heard, but was hidden from the man's view.

Releasing his held breath, the sound reverberated across the grey beach. Link relaxed when he recognized the space. He set down his sword and once again caressed Zelda's face, his expression thoughtful as he regarded her sleeping form. He knew that while they sat there in the Ghostly Ether that they would be safe. How they came to be in the realm, he had no idea, and frankly... he didn't care. All he cared about was making sure that Zelda was okay.