The Legend of Zelda: The Magician

5: Goron City

Wait, would I? I wonder, astonished at my own thoughts. I still don't even know the significance of it... I snap from my mind when I need to show the letter from the King to the guard guarding the way to Death Mountain. With a curt nod, he opens the large metal gate, letting Ghirahim and I through before he closes it behind us.

"Who is this 'Ganondorf'?" Ghirahim asks, falling into step beside me.

I look up the mountain path, scanning for falling rocks or Tektites, forcing myself to speak despite my lingering embarrassment. If I'm to have Ghirahim help me for this entire journey, I can't have him in the dark over what we are fighting for, no matter how Princess Zelda may feel. Now, it seems, I can add breaking royal decree to my habits that are thrown out the window for a man I only met a few days ago.

"He's a Gerudo King who's a reincarnation of a demon from long ago. He stole the Triforce of Power and took over Hyrule for a time. I killed him once and saved the world. But, to do so, I had to travel back and forth in time. In the end, Princess Zelda felt it was best to send me back to the time before Ganondorf took over Hyrule, so I can warn her and the King of Ganondorf's plans so we could avoid the deaths and destruction he caused. And so, I can have a normal life, apparently," I explain, continuing to check the area for any dangers.

"You are not thrilled with the outcome outside of saving lives it seems, Skychild," He comments, concern hinting in his tone again and I feel a rush of exhilaration dangerously pulse through me.

Clenching my teeth, I stop in my tracks and look to the ground, focusing on calming my searing body and my ragged breaths.

Ghirahim pauses beside me as I whisper, "Please, don't call me that in public."

I can see Ghirahim tense beside me through my peripherals and I feel a pang inside of me for being the cause of that. But I'm still so confused about these feelings, especially after that dream or memory or whatever it was last night. I'm torn between what to feel and what to do. And I hate myself for it in so many ways. As an Imperial Guard, I ought not desire anyone. And who is Ghirahim to me that I desire him so? I can't even believe I'm entertaining the idea that I do desire him! But I can't think of any other explanation for the reactions I'm having toward him. And that shocks and bewilders me to the point that I almost feel stunned.

"As you wish, Link," he says my name, but the tone in his voice is dejected as he walks a bit ahead of me, sounding as if I'm breaking a piece of his heart off.

I'm about to ask what that nickname even means, why he sounds so upset over this when we only met a few days ago, but I stop myself when I notice a rock plunging down the pathway, shaking the ground and heading straight for Ghirahim. My eyes widen, adrenaline pumping through me with every beat of my heart and my reflexes kick in. I grab Ghirahim and push him against the rock wall beside us, pressing myself against him so the shield on my back is facing out to take some damage if the rock barrels against us. I know it won't protect against much. In fact, if the rock does hit us, we'll both be squished like bugs. But it's better than nothing.

Luckily, the rock barrels passed us, bouncing off the wall across from us. It hits the wall we are on, but a few feet away, continuing to barrel down toward the village. However, it hits another wall at a fork in the path and rolls down a different pathway that leads somewhere I don't know. With the danger gone, I realize Ghirahim's magic would have prevented the rock form harming him. Honestly, it's more defensive than my shield against something like a giant bolder. But something about seeing Ghirahim in danger awoke my protective instincts more than with any other companion or person I've saved before. Why?

Still looking down the pathway the rock went, and my mind still mulling over this bizarre occurrence and my turmoil of feelings, I temporarily forget that my body is against Ghirahim's. At least, until his body heat seeps into my skin through my clothes and my mind clicks back to reality. My body stiffens in shock, and I don't know how to react. Part of me wants to stay close, to drink in this moment, and part of me wants to deny these unexpected feelings that have only arisen since I met him, to run away and never look back.