Hyrule's Elite

alinkbetweenportraits:

Link chased this strange being, slowed down by the sand that caused him to sink under his own weight. Dammit all, this wasn’t working! He was falling behind as this… whatever it was, ran off. Was it running? It was hard to tell. The figure was drifting across sand, leaving a faint trail behind. It didn’t matter whether it was drifting, flying, or crawling. Bottom line this thing was getting away before Link could catch it. 

“Sheerow! Ack–” Link stumbled, barely able to regain his balance. “Sheerow hold him off! Try to slow him down! I don’t know use your head!”

Sheerow nodded, flying off ahead of Link to try to catch up with this thing. He was just as determined as the Hero to stop that thing and get some answers hopefully. It was easy for the bird to catch up, unhindered by the sand. It was then Sheerow flew ahead of the creature before making a U turn in air and zooming directly at it, ducking his head down to bash the creature dead on. If this didn’t work, he didn’t know what would! Besides, Link did say to use his head, no?

askraviostuff:

Ravio also took the time to have something to eat before dealing with shelves and shelves of books. He was a bit less annoyed about researching the monster, but knew that Link just didn’t have the attention span. His friend preferred to physically involve himself in the action. Ravio didn’t mind researching in a library. He’d spend hours in Lorule’s when trying to help Hilda come up with a solution to the kingdom’s problems (prior to Yuga infiltrating).

The sense of not minding the library turned on its head when they walked in and saw Kirron talking to crude dolls of the boys. Ravio was instantly creeped out. The unceremonial plop of papers at their feet didn’t help any. God, he would actually take Arlan’s help over this weirdo. Green eyes glanced towards his friend then back at the councilman. “Uh…..thank you….?” he wasn’t sure if he was actually thankful though.

Link just gawked at the councilman as he proceeded to make a show for the two boys. Was he… trying to hint at something? To go out and ignore Luru? He didn’t understand. And how did he figure this out so fast that he could make these dummies? Link looked down to the papers and scanned them over. They were complex, for sure. Tozom had made sure to keep the area tightly guarded, as expected from someone who was an aggressive leader among the soldiers. Still, he could make out the general idea. Maybe there really was a way around it… Blue eyes looked up to Kirron as he swayed from side to side, snickering with his hands over his mouth.

“Do you… want us to go out there ourselves? Is that what you’re trying to do?” Link mused, lowering the documents in his hand. Eventually, he shook his head. “Listen, if you need someone to go, I’ll gladly do it. But Ravio stays behind. I don’t want that thing anywhere near him if it’s out for his life. But if you’re gonna push me to go out and fight this monster, at least tell us what you’re planning. You know something we don’t and I’m not in the mood to play games if lives are on the line.”

Kirron’s smile and otherwise odd demeanor fell as soon as Link and Ravio seemed to question his motive behind the strange actions. The councilman stepped back and moved to the Ravio dummy, slapping it to the ground and making way for the merchant. His face grew more cold as his eyes wandered to the floor. Letting out a sigh, green eyes shifted to the boys, his gaze now firm as his voice became calm.

“Truthfully, there is so much you can figure out from that single spider’s thread. You can sense the intent, the anger, the emotion and maybe even piece together the desire judging by the aura it emits. Thread is powerful in magic, after all. But intent doesn’t say enough, not in this instance. You’ll have to find more if you hope to speed up the progress. Otherwise, we’ll be here grasping for straws for days, weeks, maybe even months. Even I, the Great Kirron of Whispers, knows that there’s limits to my incredible knowledge and magical prowess. And random guesses are not worth risking the life of my fellow councilmen or her Highness the Princess.”

Kirron stepped forward, his face still serious as his cape flowed dramatically behind. Though since it was a little on the short side, he looked more ridiculous than dignified. Still, there was no changing the heaviness in the air as he finally spoke to the two boys like adults.

“This magic… It isn’t normal. No, very few people have access to such a powerful spell. It worries me. It’s entirely possible the culprit is closer than we believe. And we simply don’t have the time to be playing guessing games. No, no! Heroes must act and jump in the belly of the beast! We need more evidence! More samples and proof! Something to help us trace down the original user! Blood curses are powerful and only grow stronger over time, my loyal sidekicks.”

Kirron turned around and slammed both hands on the table, his gaze locked with the hero and merchant as his voice went low.

“The councilmen of Hyrule are brothers, even without the bond of blood. We were once close friends of the king, and we followed him to the ends of the earth. Each of us made an oath to keep her Highness Princess Zelda safe and guide her to the bright future he imagined for us. No, it goes further than that for me. She has been my pupil for as long as I can remember. Her happiness is my own. I dedicate my studies and research to Hyrule, for the sake of the council and Princess Zelda. To see someone use my profession and hard work against me just irritates me to no ends!”

Kriron’s face lit up as he slapped the table a few times in excitement, his eyes now bright with excitement.

askraviostuff:

“T-Thank you…” Ravio mumbled, blowing his nose loudly into the hankie. He felt kind of dumb for bursting out into tears like that but he so honestly appreciated that Link treated him as good as he did. That he deserved to be a hero. No one honored him like that in Lorule. Hilda did, but, no one else thought of him as much else but a nuisance. Once calmed down and Luru out of the room, he glanced at Link, “I guess we have to go back to the library then…Kirron or whatever seemed to know something we don’t…and we don’t have much choice in the matter…We need to find out anything we can.”

“I guess…” Link muttered, staring down at the tea and pastries. He hadn’t even touched them. His mind was riddled with questions, and the more he thought about it the more they seemed to pop up. It was frustrating. He couldn’t even see what this thing looked like! The fact that it was a spider was just a guess judging by the only clue they had on the incident. He wasn’t satisfied with just studying and reading, not after almost drowning with Ravio. Link picked up a tea sandwich and chomped down on it, weighing his options. Hey, like Ravio said earlier, they missed out on breakfast. “At least lets get some food in us while we can. I think I’m starting to feel the mistake of skipping breakfast like that. Maybe we can pull something together for Sheerow too while we’re at it.”

It seemed breakfast was the only relatively relaxing part of today, and thankfully the castle was generous with the portions. However, it was odd to be served in such a way. He hardly picked up anything or took care of himself. Someone was standing by the entire time taking care of everything for him. It wasn’t bad or wrong, he knew it was just how things went. But it certainly didn’t make it any less awkward. With that, the little hero and merchant went back to the library, ready but unenthusiastic to simply read about the problem instead of acting. 

“Hey, Kirron. Luru said that… you’d uh…”

Link stared at the table ahead. There were two dummies sitting on the chair, both of which were crude attempts at Link and Ravio. They looked less like the hero and more like sad potato sacks with buttons as eyes and hair made of yarn. The boy simply blinked before looking up to Kirron, who was trying to add his “finishing touches” to the dummies.

“… What are you even doing?”

“Oh! It’s the Hero and his weirdly colored friend!” Kirron chirped, seeming unusually happy about their arrival. He tapped his fingers together as he let out a stifled snicker, though instead of looking playful he probably looked more like a creep. After a moment of awkward silence, he clapped his hands together and turned to the dummies. “I mean... How is the research going, fellow sidekicks?”

Kirron raised a hand to his ear up to the Ravio dummy before suddenly letting out a laugh, one that was maybe a bit too loud. 

“Oh, you certainly are a ridiculous one! And well behaved instead of going out and blatantly disobeying Luru’s orders. Such wonderful children, both of you.” Kirron picked up a pile of papers, his hands shaking as he stepped closer to the boys. He continued to snicker, staring down at the two boys as he hardly contained his excitement. “Now while you two work I’ll just carry these important updates on Tozom’s guard position in the desert region. This is highly classified, you know. Why it would most certainly be a shame if I happened to lose something so valuable as a councilman. But not to worry! Kirron, Hero of Love and Justice, is a man of competence and trust!”

askraviostuff:

Ravio stared at Link while he explained what was going on. Link did that for him? Why didn’t he want to take the thanks and the glory for himself? He definitely did more work! And besides, Ravio could have just given the weapons to Link, but he charged him (hey a guy’s gotta make a living some how). He was more selfish than Link and he didn’t feel like he deserved to be on a painting with a well regarded hero.

Still his eyes welled up with tears and he wrapped his arms around his friend like the biggest doofus.

“L-Liiiink! You shouldn’t have done that!” he whined, though it was obvious he was flattered and embarrassed. “I don’t deserve that! I really don’t! I lied to you every step of the way! I could have done more! I don’t deserve to be on a portrait with a hero!”

“Ack! Ravio, calm down!” Link jumped as his best friend practically clung to him. He of course expected a big reaction, but not tears. The last thing he expected was tears. The little hero awkwardly placed his hands on Ravio’s back in order to soothe his friend. It was getting a little weird to have him get all snotty and weepy. “It’s really fine. It’s not that great of a painting and it’s the least Zelda and I could do.”

“Oh my...” was all Luru could manage as he watched the merchant burst into hysterical tears. Eventually, he managed to offer the two boys a small but warm smile. He recalled the foreign boy’s adventures along side Link, at least from what Princess Zelda had explained upon her return. And the little bird looked nearly identical to the one on the wall. The councilman reached into his coat pocket and offered Ravio his handkerchief. At the very least he wouldn’t have to use his sleeve. Luru finished off the last of his tea before eventually standing up on his feet. “Well then, unfortunately I have a very busy schedule, so I must be returning to work soon. Kirron should be more complacent with following orders, so do feel free to use the library as needed and ask him for assistance in the meantime. Any information you can provide would be most valuable. And if there is any trouble, be certain to let me know and I will do what I can.” 

The elder bowed his head before making his way to the exit. 

askraviostuff:

“Thank you…I promise we won’t cause any trouble. If we find anything out, we’ll tell you.”

Ravio honestly felt safer just with Link’s declaration of protection than from Luru’s. He would trust his best friend with his life, but not so much these strangers. It was weird how they talked to Link, though. Being a hero, Ravio had imagined all this pomp and circumstance, a lot of glory and idolization but Link was being treated like any other kid. Well, maybe not any other, after all, they were in the castle having tea with a councilman, regardless, Link was not heralded as some kind of prodigy knight. 

Actually, it was a bit similar to how he himself was treated by the council in Lorule, save for the unprovoked scorn he tended to receive from Arlan. They acted in authority, as they should, but didn’t place any sort of burden on Link’s shoulders. In a way, he was happy for that. Link deserved all the glory in the world but above all, he deserved an average life. He knew that Link would never have been comfortable with the sort of heralding that comes with statues and trophies. And, Ravio knew it helped himself feel a bit better. He was never going to be the hero that saves the day. It was something he had come to terms with a long time ago. But, he could still be like Link, still try to be as kind, forgiving, and honest.

At that moment, Sheerow popped out of Ravio’s hood, having smelled the treats that were on the table. Without being invited, he unceremoniously landed on a plate of tea biscuits.

Unlike Ravio, Link wasn’t entirely satisfied with being asked to sit by and wait. There had to be something more they could do. At the very least he could fight back somehow, or just look at the thing. Dammit all anything was better than grasping for straws in the library!

“Wah!” 

Link was thrown off completely and jumped away from the merchant when Sheerow fluttered out of his hiding place and began pigging out on as many treats as he could. The greedy little bird stuffed his face with pastries, cream, and jams of all kinds as he flapped about and peeped in gluttonous bliss.

“Geez, you’d think he’d have some sense to wait…” Link muttered in annoyance, staring at the bird. All these secrets were pouring out at once, and it was getting more and more awkward. “Or at least maybe have some manners since he’s supposed to be smarter than a  normal bird.”

One second Luru was enjoying tea, the next a bird plopped his fluffy butt onto a dish. It certainly broke some of the tension in the air. The councilman let out a warm, hearty laugh at the display, a bit enamored by the bird’s behavior. Even at his age he found animals to be rather endearing. But something else about it was familiar. 

"... No. both of you have good reason to be concerned over such a creature. Actually, this information could prove valuable to us," Luru explained, taking a deep breath before opening his eyes. "We actually received a report this morning from the patrol team the desert region. Some of the wildlife had been bled dry and there have been cobwebs hanging around caves. No spiders in Hyrule could create this much of a mess in such little time."

He fixated his gaze on the two teenagers, his warm voice growing a bit darker as he continued to explain.

askraviostuff:

Kirron was even less ridiculous when he was trying to be funny. Ha ha. Missing Link. Idiot. Even his own jokes weren’t this awful.

It sure was taking a lot of energy to not sock this guy in his face, but most of his mind was focused on the dread of all this. Nothing seemed to get better. It all just seemed to get worse. There was some kind of spider monster with some weird powers after them and not only that but it wasn’t just idly waiting, it’s threat was literally following them everywhere. This wasn’t just a lunging strike, it was whittling them down in spirit. 

What he didn’t like was the implication that they had to kill someone to stop this. Sure monsters were one thing but killing? Even as much as Ravio hated Yuga, even with all the chances he had to attempt to murder him, he’d never had the strength to do it. Would Link do it to save everyone? When he defeated Yuga, he wasn’t really a person…and Link didn’t attack Hilda when she revealed it all either. He just wasn’t like that. An eye for an eye wasn’t really justice…

His thoughts were interrupted as he heard the coming footsteps. Shit. Ravio looked at Link then scrambled to hide so he wasn’t seen. It was one thing for this doof to find out, but he didn’t want more people to. And hopefully, Kirron of Weirdos Everywhere kept his yap trap shut.

Link panicked with the hero. Where would he hide? It was impossible to see anything in this darkness! Dammit, the only thing here were bookshelves and tables! They had to hide him and they had to do it now! As Kirron counted down, Link bolted forward. However, since it was impossible to see anything, the little hero ended up smacking right into Ravio as he ran into him, striking their noses against each other. They both crumpled to the ground, groaning in pain as the councilman hit zero. Great. This was going to be hard to explain, and Kirron was going to enjoy every moment of their torment, wasn’t he?

Kirron laughed as the two boys fell to the ground. Oh yeah, he was having a blast watching them scuttle like confused bugs. Still, it seemed like they needed a bit of help. After all, if the angry one got a hold of Ravio, he wasn’t sure what would happen. Whatever, this would be more fun if both boys were alive and trying to figure this out. This was a once in a lifetime chance to watch both drama and potential data upfront, and he wasn’t about to ruin it for the sake of knowledge.

“Listen, all I’m saying is shouldn’t you at least try to ask him to come with us? At least this once?” A gruff voice asked. The annoyance in his voice was obvious by the exasperated sigh that followed his statement. “I mean, this wasn’t just some routine meet up. This is serious! But he’s not gonna listen to me. He’s not gonna listen to anyone but you.”

“While I do agree he should be more attentive of meetings, I highly doubt anything can be done with Kirron. He prefers to work on his own, after all. And he still left us with all the information he could dig up on the issue. We’re leaving him with quite an unusual task, after all.” The other voice was calmer, maybe a bit more cheerful. But there was some age in his tongue, sort of like listening to a grandfather speak. “Besides, your men are already occupying all entrances to the desert. I’m certain Hyrule is secure for the time being.”

“Those lazy bums are hardly competent,” the gruff voice growled. “Weak, cowardly, easily distracted, and hardly even men, the lot of them. By the goddesses golden if they mess this up and we find a corpse by sundown--”

“Patience, Tozom. You’ll find that things tend to come in place if you just relax a little.”

The voices stopped when there was a loud clatter and thud. All the candles suddenly went out and the four were left in darkness. 

“What was that?”

“I’m... I’m not sure. Was that from Kirron?”

“If he summoned another strange creature I swear--”

“Tozom, there’s no need for violence! Put the sword away!”

The door swung open, offering little light to the dark room. But they could see enough. They saw a flipped over table hiding the two injured boys. Blood was streaked from one end to the other, possibly from the man rolling over it. That made sense since the blood had stained the robes he wore. Despite looking like a bloody mess, he still laid on his side, using one hand to support his head and resting the other on his hip.

“... Kirron? What the hell are you doing?” The man with the sword was tall, muscular, but clearly aging. The wrinkles on his face and dark yet graying hair all made it obvious. “Why’s it so dark in here!? And where did all this blood come from!?”

“Just another feat of the greatest man of mysteries! A flawless success!” Kirron beamed, offering a thumbs up as he hid the boys behind the flipped over table. 

“I erm... Kirron, are you quite alright? What happened?” This man was somewhat taller, but unlike the other, who was more intimidating, the expression on his face was far kinder and gentler. He stepped closer to observe the councilman as the other began opening the curtains and lighting up the room. “Did you hurt yourself?”

“You can’t hurt the iron fist of truth and justice! For I am the greatest hero!”

“Yeah, he’s fine...” the grumpier councilman muttered. Once he turned around. He noticed something out of place. Two boys on the floor, practically twins if it weren’t for the hair color. And it wasn’t a face he was particularly happy to see. His voice boomed as he sheathed his weapon and crossed his arms. “BOTH OF YOU! ON YOUR FEET THIS INSTANT! Do you realize trespassing a secure area such as Hyrule castle is punishable with life imprisonment or execution!?”

“Tozom! Tozom, enough!” the thinner man jumped, hurrying over to see Ravio and Link on the ground. He had a look of shock. Of course he was familiar with the little hero, but Ravio? He’d never seen him before. And it certainly raised quite a bit of questions along with concern. “Link! And... A friend?”

“More like another urchin, if you ask me. Some nerve walking in on here like you own the place.” Tozom muttered, rolling his eyes before his gaze was set on the boys. “Do you not have any respect for the royal family, boy!? And you! I’ve never seen a twin of this brat! You’d better explain yourself soon!”

“Oh for goodness sake...” the councilman muttered, rubbing his temples in annoyance. With Kirron’s mischief and Tozom’s anger he was becoming more and more irritable. “Tozom. If you’re done interrogating children, bring some ice from the kitchen for their heads. Perhaps some tea or... Oh goodness just ask to bring something to keep them from passing out.”

“Wha-- You can’t be serious, Luru!” Tozom jumped, throwing his arms in the air. “They walk in without warning and now you’re throwing a tea party for them?”

“So long as they are under our roof these two are our responsibility, audience or not. You of all people should understand that, Tozom.” His last words struck hard. Hard enough that the former warrior flinched a bit at the jab. He let out a small sigh before turning to Kirron. “And who might our newcomer be?”

“No idea, boss.”

“And you let him in here without asking anything!?”

askraviostuff:

Ravio raised an eyebrow as he watched the crazy lunatic hem and haw over the sight of the spider’s web. Even more confusing was when Kirron started talking almost in metaphors. She? Who? What home? He glanced at Link, though not really looking for an explanation, more of a ‘is this guy for real?’. He nearly jumped in surprise when the loon was now scrambling around the library and shutting the windows.

“Agh–!!” he yipped when Kirron sprung up behind them with a match. What was wrong with this guy?? Could he act normal for two minutes? Honestly, he didn’t really want to sit down, but Link did so he followed. The more that Kirron talked, the more anxious he became. Of course the guy could be spouting a load of shit but they didn’t have any other kind of lead at the moment. This was it.  This was all they had.

“What do you mean a spider lady? You aren’t making any sense! And besides who the heck would want Link dead. He’s the hero!” Ravio argued, a bit fed up with the other’s fits of ridiculousness. Not to mention that he just kept laughing at them!! Anyone with a sound mind would be more concerned than amused!! Meanwhile he’s sitting here, stomach churning from anxiety because someone wanted them dead for no good reason at all. “Would you stop laughing this isn’t funny!! Tell us something that makes sense!”

He didn’t mean to raise his voice, but he was getting frustrated and worried. It was obvious in his voice, now shaking slightly from fear. 

There was a spider, lady spider, who was pissed off, and because she was pissed off she was coming after them. It intended to kill or seriously injure them and if they didn’t rely on each other for protection at all times, this thing could strike. Who could want this? First Link was a pretty friendly guy that didn’t usually get on people’s bad side, and he himself never left Link’s house too much, He didn’t recall angering anyone recently. Generally when dealing with others he was masked and generally acted a bit aloof. What exactly was going on here?

Link listened patiently as anxiety welled up in his stomach. The boy wasn’t sure who or what to believe. Kirron was a crazy man, that much he can gather. But at the same time, would he go this far for a joke? There was no telling. As Ravio yelled, he simply stared at the blood soaked spider’s thread. The little hero was at least relieved it was unlikely it would target anyone else in Hyrule or Lorule. The targets seemed clear, for the most part. Or at least limited. But that didn’t mean people around Link could be used as a means to an end. But the biggest question of all was who. Who would go this far if they hated Ravio and Link so much? And why is Ravio a part of this when nobody knows who his true identity was?

“Listen,” Link chimed in, his face becoming stern as he looked to Kirron. As much as he disliked this man, he really was the only person who could offer some sort of clue. “You’re saying someone’s after me, and now Ravio since we’re closely related, right? If what you’re saying is true, tell us what this web means and what can we do to stop it? There has to be something else you know, right? If this is a curse or something from an angry spider, can’t we fight back somehow instead of waiting around? Even if it’s just us as the targets, this thing is still dangerous! It shouldn’t run around Hyrule causing a rampage like this!”

“So you’re going to heed my words of true wisdom? Clever. Very clever indeed! For I, Kirron of the Whispers, seek and speak nothing but the truth at all times! Nothing less from the Hidden Hero of Love and Justice!” 

Kirron placed both hands on the table, staring intently at the web, he prodded it, once more with a candle stick, dribbled black wax on it, at one point he even bent down to poke it with his tongue. Once he stood upright, there were streaks of blood streaming down his mouth from the cut as he hummed in thought. 

“I suppose you could always put up a protection spell in your home, or at least have some sort of blessing. But that only goes so far. They don’t tend to last for very long and usually ward weaker beings. Of course, those with strong light magic such as the royal family are capable of a stronger barrier or attack of sorts. But the only living descendant is Her Highness, and I highly doubt it’s a good idea to ask her to put so much energy into protecting you two for so long.” He clapped his hands together and rested his cheek on them, snickering to himself as he looked at the two boys. “After all, isn’t it the hero’s job to be protecting the princess and her defenseless citizens?”

As Link shot him a glare, he simply beamed in response.

“Khihihihihihi! That’s the spirit! Your next option is breaking the curse yourself. And that one is a bit more troublesome, but it’s better than just waiting for your death. Yes, this could definitely be very, very interesting! That or it would lead to the after life. Either way it seems like there’s a possibility of you two dying. How troublesome,” Kirron muttered, gritting his teeth as he tapped a nail on the table. “If you two die then how else will I prove that the hero’s spirit can be reincarnated!? You’re both no use to me dead now, so you’d better live! Even you, you weirdo. You might be my missing link!”

Kirron paused, then began laughing seemingly out of nowhere.

“Ha! Missing Link! Get it? Get it cause you’re a Link look alike! And nobody’s ever seen you!” The laughing died down as none of the boys reacted to his joke. “Oh, fine. None of you are very much fun now. And I suppose you’ll want answers on how to break the curse, yes?”

Kirron sat upright, tapping a long nail in front of the spider web.

“So this web, it’s so old there’s no source anymore. The trail has gone cold some time ago. No, not that it’s cold, more like... It’s spread so far it’s hard to locate it. Even as we speak in this room, bad energy is beginning to well up. Do you feel it? That feeling of dread? The fear in your stomach? Anxiety chewing your tongue so you don’t speak? This is only the beginning for you two. As if now that it can see you, it’s going to creep into every aspect of your life. Buuuuuuut,” Kirron began, smirking at the two concerned teenagers. “The spider is docile in nature and only acts when provoked. Therefore, who you should look for isn’t the curse itself. No, the only way to save each other and live? Find the source of your misery. The one who put this curse into motion. I suppose if you want to end this, the best thing to do is find your true horrible villain and figure it out from there, yes? I believe if it’s your deaths this curse is after, it’s only fitting you return the favor to your culprit, is it not? An eye for an eye, they say. And I, Kirron of Whispers, shall bring him to justice with the iron hammer of truth and the--!”

Kirron stopped once he heard something from a distance. Chattering, then incoming footsteps. There were a couple of men speaking, though it was hard to make them out. Instead of doing anything, he simply smiled at the boys, leaning back on his chair.

askraviostuff:

Ravio’s face was a look of pure disbelief at just how strange another person could possibly be–and that was saying something considering he dealt with Yuga. This guy was just…well. Maybe delusional was the word he was looking for. Some weird grandeur of heroism in books and knowledge. Yeah, buddy, if that had been the case, he never would have had to rely on Link. This guy was a grade A crack pot. Honestly, how was he a nobleman? He would probably fit more as the town fool. Though, Link did say he was considered a crazy person. Maybe you weren’t condemnable if you had money. Man, Hyrule was weird sometimes. 

It was hard to even be afraid of him at this point, honestly. Well, then again, the guy just admitted to trying to poison Link so maybe not all that unharmful. Of course, just as Ravio was thinking this, the weirdo pointed at him menacingly before full charging at him. He took a few steps back, Kirron getting waaaaaaay too close for comfort.

“T-Test subject–What- No! I’ll…pass thanks!” he replied with a great deal of anxiety in his voice. “I’m pretty sure Hyrule is fine. I’ve already got a sidekick. So. Uh. No thank you??”

He wasn’t sure if a ‘no thank you’ would be enough to deter a crazy person.. Green eyes looked to Link, pleading for help. Sheerow, instead, intervened, swooping in at Kirron and pecking at his head.

“Wait a second, you could have killed us!” Link snapped, getting in between Kirron and Ravio and shoving the councilman aside. “Hemlock is deadly you goddesses damned lunatic! What were you going to do if this idea flopped, huh!? Just let me die!? I’m a person, not whatever you’re imagining me as! I can drop dead at any moment, ya know!”

Link grumbled in frustration, putting a hand over his head. Not only was he annoyed, but hunger was making him more irritable. Ravio was right, they should have eaten first. Maybe if they just jumped straight to the point, Kirron would leave them alone and they could grab something on the way home. Or he would find some other weird test for the two boys. Whatever, better than spending another awkward moment with this creep. Link withdrew the bottle with the spider’s web from his bag and showed it to Kirron.

“Look, we’re all busy here and have work to do, you especially. So we’re gonna make this brief. Something weird happened last night and we want answers. Ravio had some crazy hallucinations that almost got him killed. All that was left was this thing, and he wouldn’t snap out of it unless we ripped off what was stuck on him. You’re the biggest occult loving weirdo I know. You got any clues?”

Before he knew it, Link’s hand was pushing the other by the face in an attempt to drive him away. What? Ravio could be a hero if he just offered a bit of time, patience, and maybe some blood samples for ritual purposes. But his attention on Ravio was cut short when Link presented him with a bottle. There was nothing inside though. After a moment, Kirron raised his eyebrows. Wait, there was something. Thread? No, a cobweb? He shook it around a bit, putting a hand over his chin in thought as he let out a few hums. Green eyes were fixated on the two teens as he held the bottle in both hands, anxiously tapping the glass with long nails. A wide yet unsettling grin lit up his face as he snickered in response.

“My, my... I didn’t think you had it in you to ruin a lady’s home like that. Shame on you! Shouldn’t even the spiders of skull woods look up to the Hero of Hyrule to save them? Or are you only exclusive to anyone who looks like you?” Kirron said, holding the bottle close to his chest. “Ah, she must be maaaaaaaad at you and your friend. I bet she is. Why else would she threaten you so much you had to crawl to me? Or maybe, she’s mad for another reason?”

Kirron let out a small gasp as he suddenly ran to the windows, shutting the drapes one by one until eventually they were completely covered in darkness. Was it for magic? Was it for dramatic effect? Was it for both? Who knew but the great Kirron, Master of Whispers! The room was dead silent, and without any of the boys realizing it, a match was struck from behind them. Kirron stood with a menacing look as he lit up a candle on the table. He took a seat and place the bottle directly in front of him as he offered the boys a toothy smile. 

“Hyrule’s Hidden Hero Kirron of the Whispers is at your service, young sidekicks! Though results may vary. I can’t save someone who has a curse hanging above their heads, after all. That’s all for you two to figure out.” 

Once the boys were seated, he moved to light up the other candles, keeping his eyes fixated on the bottle. Once the candles were burning, he took out the spider’s thread and pinched it by one end. Much like with Link, there was blood free flowing. But Kirron didn’t flinch. No, the man was so used to using his own blood for rituals and experiments he’d become numb to the sharp pain from the spider’s web. He inspected it carefully as blood began to dribble down the thread and pool on the table.

“Khihihihihi! Ohhhh this is an angry lady, for certain. A spider’s grudge? Highly unlikely. Those usually follow with illness or misfortune in the house after trampling her own home. No, she’s absolutely furious! And she wants blood from you two. Nothing more, nothing less. Although...” Kirron dropped the web into the middle of the spilt blood on the table, placing his fingers in his mouth. “No, Princess Zelda speaks nothing but kind words about you to the point where she hardly listens to my lectures anymore. And goodie goodie types such as yourself only attract likewise minded people as companions in life. I highly doubt your friend is deserving of such anger reserved for the lowest of low. After all, who would intentionally anger a beautiful and well mannered lady such as the spider? Do you two not sense it? The anger oozing out from a single thread hoping to strangle the life out of the both of you? I can. I can see it as clear as day. Of course I can. After all, I truly am incredible.”

He burst out laughing once he saw the unsettled expressions both boys seemed to have written on their faces. Maybe a bit too loudly judging by how they jolted.

askraviostuff:

Ravio had enough of Link’s laughing and had decided to browse the library a bit too cool off before he punched him in the nose. He too saw the delicious looking treats on the table. Of course, Link could read the dumb note, but he wanted a snack! They did skip breakfast after all. Ravio picked up one of the tastiest looking pastries while Link read the card. Moving to chomp down, he saw Link smack it out of his hand. What! Was he trying to be greedy about this?? Just as he lifted a finger to tell the dumb blonde what’s what, He saw the book peg Link in the face. Before he could even react to that suddenly he was getting whiplash. “Wn-????!!!” he tried to get out but he was getting tossed like dough. Oh man, if this didn’t stop he was going to be seriously ill. Ravio couldn’t even make out half the words, his brain scrambled from the shaking. Finally his body stopped moving but damn he was dizzy, stumbling back a few steps before grabbing Link and ducking behind him for protection. His disoriented vision tried to focus on the lithe, strange man before them.

Sheerow was squawking and beeping at Kirron loudly, settling on Ravio’s shoulder and floofing up so much he was practically just an angry ball of feathers. 

Shit this guy saw him!! And honestly he wasn’t sure if the other was excited or angry but he didn’t really want to find out. “Quick, Link, tell him he’s seeing things! Knock him out! I don’t know!!” the merchant whined anxiously from behind his friend.

As soon as Link steadied himself, he rubbed his nose and made an attempt to stand up straight again. He relaxed his stance however when he noticed just who he was facing. Great, that weirdo was in the library again. Oh of course he was. He practically lived here day in and day out, though it was a treat to see him in broad daylight.

“Relax it’s just Kirron,” he muttered, checking his hand to see if there was any blood. Nothing. But damn did it hurt either way. Link placed both hands on his hips, staring at the eccentric man. Even though his clothes and accessories were of the noble councilmen, the rugged face, heavy dark circles, and overall unkempt appearance was definitely deceiving. “He’s a crazy man. I highly doubt anyone would believe what he says about you. They’ll probably think his brain finally became salt coated or something…”

“How dare you!? I’ll have you know I take my job as Master of Whispers very seriously!” Kirron snapped, crossing his arms as he let out a huff. Even though his voice was stern, his bodily expressions, from crossing his arms to pouting, was fitting of a child. Stomping his foot on the ground, he pointed to Ravio, narrowing his eyes as he shook in frustration. “And your weird clone had to make it all more complicated! I was trying to test out if the hero’s spirit, if it exists as some kind of divine message or scientific breakthrough, can withstand bodily harm more than us normal mortals. That creampuff was laced with poison! Had it been some random child he surely would have died!”

Kirron watched as both boys stared in surprise. They nearly died, of course. But none of that registered to Kirron. At least, not in the way a normal person would process a near death incident. Crossing his arms as he proudly looked down on the teens, he offered the two a wide, yet somewhat unsettling grin.

“I see you two boys are impressed by the risks I take in my search for knowledge. Such is life, a lonely road for a hero undercover,” Kirron took a few steps back, attempting to look cool by leaping onto the table behind him. However, he completely forgot that there were still pastries and treats behind him. Instead, everything was either crushed under his feet or shattered from being tossed to the ground. None the less, the odd man continued to ramble as he turned around and stared out the window. Even though it was hard to take him seriously with ruined clothes and a mess all around him, he faced the window and stood silent for some time. 

“You may address me as Lord Kirron, Master of Secrets in Hyrule castle. But for you two, Kirron is enough. Yes, I truly am amazing, the most knowledgeable man in all of Hyrule!” he shifted in place a moment before quickly pointing a finger upward, shaking it dramatically. “While everyone faces the battlefield, I search deep in the darkest corners undercover! I am the one who seeks not knowledge, but the truth. I remain hidden from the world while sharing my intelligence and discoveries that will save all of Hyrule and beyond! I am the fist of the law that strikes when you least expect it!”

He turned around on a heel, slipping in a bit of cream but still managing to regain his balance to not fall on his face. Once he was steady again, he pointed to Ravio, a sinister but cheerful smile lighting up his face.

“I am Hyrule’s unknown hero of love and justice! And starting today, you shall be my new test subject, you!”

Kirron hopped off the table and ran up to Ravio, getting in his face as he peered for any interesting traits or features.