Miracle Boy

Chapter Thirty-four: Bokoblins

Link was dozing in the cart seat at dawn, his sunburn blistering and bleeding. Navi was guiding Epona for him, sitting on the horse's head and tugging her ears. The provisions were spent and there seemed to be no end to the desert; no water to at least soothe their dry mouths, no food to quiet their rumbling stomachs. Fever was beginning to run through the refugee cart, with the young ones being violently sick with heat stroke. Many were even unconscious.

Modesty was a luxury people couldn't afford any longer. Girls ripped off their tops and their skirts to their knees, and several little ones went naked. Timothy had his pocket knife with him, and went about cutting off the girl's hair short, those who would let him. Link awoke, groaning and already sweating. Navi didn't say a word, nor did Link. They couldn't; their tongues were so swollen with thirst that their lips refused to form words.

The sun beat down, blurring Link's eyes and making his head spin. Navi threw his shirt over his shoulders and head to protect him from the sun's deadly rays, but it didn't do much. His hands blistered from the rub of the reins and burns, his bare arms turned crimson. Even his bare feet were scorched a scarlet color. Timothy lost conscious at noon; Malon hadn't woken up from sleep. Soon, Link was the only one still awake. His whole body ached from heat and his felt sick with sun poisoning. He threw up what was left in him, which was mostly just bile, at around two that afternoon. He glanced at the horizon. The cliffs seemed to be getting farther and farther away, as Link's wavering mind drove Epona farther towards the north. Finally, Link's body just gave out. His breath left him in a pained wheeze and he moaned as he slumped back, his head lolling back against the cart seat. Navi glanced back and sighed. Her nose was bleeding from all the dry air and even her wings were sunburnt. She drove the cart until nightfall, when Link stirred again. She patted his blistered nose and he whimpered softly, sitting up and shaking his head. He body tried to throw up again but there was nothing to throw up, so his stomach just heaved painfully for several minutes. He coughed and rested back, breathing heavily, his hand over his stomach. Navi flickered an apologetic yellow and Link waved his flaking hand. His lips were cracked and bleeding. With a spurt, his nose let loose a river of blood. He covered his face and let the blood drip into his hand, seeping between his fingers. A sound made them forget their own miserable states and look at each other in fear. A wavering call, then a high pitched grunt echoed over the plains.

"Bokoblins..." Navi managed. Link snatched the reins and snapped Epona into a gallop. A rumble of hooves behind them spooked Epona into a harder run.

The bokoblins were riding desert boars, a larger, meaner version of the goblin's war boars. Link pulled out his Fierce Deity mask and threw it into the back, so he wouldn't be tempted, and leaned forward, egging Epona faster. Bright red faces appeared beside the cart, sharp teeth bared and gnashing in the anticipation of the taste of blood. One creature crawled onto the cart and wrapped it's stubby legs around Link's burnt chest. With a triumphant howl, he sank his dagger-like teeth into Link's neck. Link let out a scream that nearly split his throat and clawed at the bokoblin, raking out it's eyes with his nails. The bokoblin released him and Link pushed him off the cart. He heard more screaming in the back of the cart as bokoblins crawled in and began gnawing on a little girl. Link handed the reins to Navi and dove into the back, his body ready to do whatever it took to protect those in the cart, those weaker than himself. He smashed into a bokoblin and buried his elbow in it's chomping mouth. He followed up with a fist to it's throat. The creature fell, clutching at his smashed throat, and Link kicked it aside, right into Malon's lap. She awoke with a jolt, screeched so loudly that it woke everyone else up that could be woken, and began pummeling it's face until it was dead.

Link attacked another, using his teeth as a weapon this time. His jaw clamped on the thing's wrist and his legs wrapped around it's bloated belly, pulling back with his head. He punched his fist into the creature's overextended shoulder, breaking the bone without much effort. He took it's head in his arms and leaned back, making it stumble. Both Link and the bokoblin tumbled from the cart, both screaming as they fell.