Fan Fiction Friday: The Man Behind the Masks – Part 28a

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Of course, Kakariko is the village of the Sheikah tribe! 

As a race they were tall and slim, however, no one could miss the lean muscle packed into those arms and legs. Their tight clothes emphasized this fact, the Shadow of the Royal Family were not to be taken lightly. Some of the females had painted the same tearful eye from the Gossip Stones on their foreheads. The males preferred a more subtle tribal print below the lower eyelid.      

“What peril have you brought to our doorstep?” one of the Sheikah demanded. 

“I had no choice, Robbie,” she replied tartly. “We take responsibility for our own.”

Robbie had white hair that stood on end as if in permanent electric shock. A pair of enormous goggles with one of the lenses looking left and the other to the right, which reminded me of some demented chameleon. 

The male Sheikah stared at Bongo Bongo in disbelief. “Did those desert barbarians do this to him?” 

“No, the latest Gerudo King. So this Happy Mask Salesman tells me.” Impa jabbed a thumb in my direction. 

He glanced over and I smiled awkwardly. “Hmm, no doubt the thief wants that. After all the trouble we took to get it back from the Gerudo, he can whistle.”      

Unsurprisingly, they spoke in riddles. Should word of their secrets reach the ears of treasure hunters they would be overrun. Even I wasn’t immune to the intrigue of hidden Sheikah treasure.     

“Never mind the past. We need to deal with him, now.” Impa made a collection of hand signs. The villagers nodded and dispersed. “Ronri, wait over there.” She pointed to a quaint, little well. The creak of the windmill’s sails eerily wound like clockwork behind it. 

Guru Guru’s home, I reminded myself. I must protect it. 

“When the shadow beast comes bind him with all your strength.” 

I hurried over and stood beneath the sloping tiled roof. Giving the rope a tug, the wooden bucket rattled. “Why here?”

“I have my reasons,” she replied. 

“Care to share?” 

“Have you never heard curiosity killed the Mask Salesman?” 

“I may not be a Sheikah,” I said, rolling up the sleeves of my ruined purple shirt, “but I’m very good at keeping secrets. We all have them you know.”  

Impa gave a wry smile. “I bet you do. Fine, where this well stands there used to be a house. His house. Strong seals require blood, hair or skin. In his current form, there is nothing left of the man. We have no choice but to perform it here.”        

Great flashes of light came from the graveyard and then the path to Death Mountain. 

“Good hunting,” Impa said, before dashing away. 

A chilly breeze stroked the goose pimples on my arms. I squeezed the magi-clay which oddly brought relief to my jumpy nerves. 

When Bongo Bongo materialised at the top of the watch tower, however, my breath hitched. I crouched low and clung to the rugged stones. They dug into the side of my leg as the trousers were moth eaten thin. He’s too high up, I realised. Come closer, come closer… 

But the monstrous hands stayed stock still. A gigantic red eye appeared; the suggestion of its sickly yellow iris darted like a cornered wild animal. Despite my powers, I fought to control my shaky breath. Beneath the ground, I felt a surge of uneasy energy. I know the Sheikah built a well to erase Bongo Bongo’s existence, but there is definitely something else down there…   

Movement. Hand over hand the shadow beast descended. I crawled around the well, hunched over my toes. I just wanted this whole nasty business to be over. My coiling vines of black and gold snaked down the cobblestone steps. Licking dry lips, I waited and waited…

Now!

My magic pounced, but only caught one hand. Bongo Bongo gave a cry that made the nearby wooden crates smash apart. His other hand tore at the strands of magi-clay.  Sudden pain made me feel quite faint, for the shadow beast may as well have been tearing at my own flesh. 

“I can’t hold on much longer,” I slurred. 

Sheikah flew from the rooftops and hidden corners. Encircling the enemy, they carved symbols into the air with swords. Bongo Bongo punched one into the watch tower. Another immediately claimed the space. There would be no stopping the ritual. 

“Hear me.” Impa stepped forward conjuring a different spell of pulsing blue runes. “You will never darken this land of Hyrule again.” Bongo Bongo pounded the ground in anger with his free fist. “You have dragged our name through the mud. A thief. A traitor to our race. Conspiring to save your own skin. Unforgivable.”   

“Get on with it,” Robbie snapped. “This is hardly the time for chapter and verse.” 

As if in agreement, the rogue hand lunged at Impa. 

No! With a futile effort, I whipped further ribbons of magi-clay to try and catch it. They fell short. 

The enormous hand drew back, preparing to slap its captor into next week. Impa didn’t flinch. She continued to recite the spell. Words charged over words. The body caught the full brunt of the attack and ploughed into one of the houses north east of the well. 

My mouth gaped open. The impact so destructive that the roof and walls immediately collapsed on top. I thought the Goddesses protect their faithful… How could she, the Royal Family’s General be unworthy? 

At once, Bongo Bongo’s hand snapped away from my grip. Along with his ghastly eye, the hand floated to be reunited with its twin. I scrambled for the strands, but it wasn’t that my magic was broken, more like something stronger had taken over. 

A chaos of blue runes, gold and black strands and red symbols criss-crossed each another. They formed rings, rippling out from the well. A sight I had never seen nor saw since. The power of the Shadow is truly remarkable. 

At their end, the rings sparkled before slamming back into Bongo Bongo. A pitiful wail echoed as his aura was sucked down to the bottom of the well. 

His final resting place. 

Featured Image: Alison Patten

Alison Otwl continues her fan fiction at Zelda Dungeon. She likes reading manga and collecting Japanese wind chimes. Her favorite Zelda game is Ocarina of Time. Check out more of her fanfiction over at: Otwl.