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Shad’s spine protested as he pulled himself up straight. He’d been hunched over the texts littering the dining table all afternoon. He couldn’t be sure how long he’d been immersed in his study, but the fading light told him it had been many hours since lunch. No wonder his back ached.
He stood up, stretching himself out. Gazing out of the window across his tidy garden he watched the orange glow of the sun give way to blue shadows. Little lights from the town began to flicker on, the village in the valley losing light faster than his vantage point atop the hill. In the far distance the peak of the highest tower of Hyrule Castle was just visible beyond the hills. Shad had relocated from the city many years prior, much preferring the slightly slower-paced village life but close enough to the trade routes from Castle Town that one could still enjoy some of the luxuries that city life could provide.
As he watched the last rays of sun bouncing off the river that wended its way through the centre of the village he caught a movement at the edge of his periphery. Living alone and not expecting any visitors he felt his pulse quicken slightly. Something about the movement set him on edge, like something was trying to get by unnoticed. He snapped his head around to the window that looked out over the wooded area that his house backed onto. He readjusted his spectacles and focussed. Sure enough he saw something hunched, stalking across his lawn between the rose bushes.
Tense, but now somehow rather curious, he headed for the front door, picking up the fire poker on his way out. He snuck around the house, tiptoeing so as not to alert whatever it was trespassing on his property to his presence. Poking his head around the corner he saw the figure by the back garden wall. He crept forward, poker raised, gripped tight with both hands.
Closer now he saw it was a person, crouched down where they seemed to be inspecting the grass.
Shad lowered the poker, trying to see what the person was looking at in the blades of grass.
“Errr… excuse m-“ Shad was unable to finish his sentence, abruptly cut off by a hand over his mouth as he was pushed against the garden wall. He was pinned fast to the brick, the trespasser holding him against the wall with his own body, the hand not covering his mouth holding fast the wrist of the hand still holding the fire poker. The most intensely blue eyes he’d ever seen stared back at him, inches from his own. He lost grip of his improvised weapon, the metal poker falling to the ground with a dull thud.
The stranger tilted their head, eyes darting to an area beyond the back gate. Shad felt a strange kind of relief at being free of his intense gaze but an even stranger sense of loss from no longer being the object of those beautiful eyes’ attentions.
The man’s fingers were soft against his cheek, the soft leather of the fingerless gloves he wore warming against his skin. He had sandy-coloured hair, a little shaggy where it had grown longer at the back. Longer certainly than current fashion dictated. He deduced that the man was not from the region, and highly unlikely to have come from the city. The remarkably handsome face folded into a frown and the man turned back toward Shad. It was only when their eyes met again that Shad became aware that he was incredibly aroused. His face burned in humiliation as he tried to think of anything other than the heat pooling between his legs.
Attempting this of course only seemed to make things worse. He tried in vain to shift his hips, desperate to hide his untimely erection but this just made the man press himself closer.
Heat from the man’s body was leaching into him, the muscular form practically engulfing his own wiry frame. An involuntary whine came from low in his throat as he realised that most of his body weight was being supported by the other man.
The stranger let go of Shad’s wrist and brought his index finger up to his lips. Shad nodded showing he understood the request to stay quiet. The man nodded back and released his grip over Shad’s mouth. He pointed his index and middle finger in a ‘V’ shape first towards his eyes, then over to the woods beyond the back garden gate. He nodded again and shifted his bodyweight off of Shad. As he did so, Shad felt the man’s thigh brush against the stiffness in his trousers and willed the lawn to grow over him, taking him down into the dirt to hide him from his shame.
If the man noticed, he didn’t show it as he stalked toward the back gate which Shad now noticed was ajar. The huge sword that lay on the ground had also escaped his notice until the man picked it up as he crept beyond the garden perimeter. Shad realised he was holding his breath as he watched the man stalk down the slope toward the tree line. After several minutes where Shad had begun to struggle to discern the trees from one another in the ever growing darkness he made out the figure of the man coming back up the slope, sheathing his sword as he did so.
“I’m really sorry about that,” the man spoke for the first time. His voice was softer than Shad would have guessed with an accent he couldn’t quite place. “I was tracking something, I didn’t want to alert it.”
“Something dangerous?” Shad asked. It seemed a little unusual for someone to be hunting rabbit or deer with a sword.
“I’m… not sure yet,” the man answered rather cryptically.
“Heavens. Well, perhaps we should head indoors in case it comes back. You can tell me all about… whatever it is you’re doing,” Shad noted the large bag shoved under the bushes and the man’s attire suggested he had been travelling for some time. “I see you’ve been on the road, would you care for a hot drink?”
“Oh! Yes, that would be… Yes, thank you.”
Shad led the way, welcoming the man into his home. He lit lamps while the stranger pulled off his boots and rested his pack down. The traveller was clad in a green tunic, adorned with various tactical belts and pouches. He was most definitely someone prepared for almost anything. He hovered awkwardly by the front door.
“Make yourself at home,” Shad insisted, gesturing to the dining table. The man shuffled over, settling his athletic frame into one of the wooden chairs that sat around the table. The man wasn’t any taller than Shad but his presence loomed much larger thanks to what Shad suspected were substantial muscles beneath his well-worn travel clothes.
“Do you usually invite people who ambush you on your own land for tea?” The man quipped as Shad set down a copper pot on the table.
Shad laughed, suddenly realising how he may have let his rather strong reaction to the man override any sense of self-preservation he possessed.
“You would be the first,” he admitted, feeling a flush of embarrassment that blazing blue eyes and a gentle face was all it had taken for him to go weak at the knees.
“Well, thank you. And sorry. Again.”
Shad waved his hand, dismissing the need for the man’s apology. “Not to worry,” he assured him, “I suppose I should be thanking you for seeing off whatever it was creeping through my garden. Speaking of, what exactly was it? What has caused you to venture after it?”
“Well… I’ve sort of… Been sent to seek out things that are causing some problems around here.”
The man’s explanation did little to clue Shad into what was going on, the man himself seemed uncertain. He continued.
“I’ve been following rumours through towns and villages, they all seem to come through and down here. Something is drawing these strange beasts to this valley. I say strange, but they’re all normal animals, they’re just behaving oddly. Nocturnal animals out during the day, deer and rodents walking through towns, seemingly dead-set on travelling in this direction, oblivious to their own safety or natural cautiousness around townspeople. There’s no stopping them, tramping over anything in their way. Herds of boar careening through classes of school children, bears running through peoples homes, breaking down windows and doors to get through the villages. I’ve tracked all the disturbances…”
The man reached inside his tunic and pulled out a folded piece of parchment and spread it out flat on the table. Shad could see it was a map of Greater Hyrule. It featured villages and provinces all the way out to the far reaches of Gerudo Mesa and Ordon. He noted the inked notation and trails made, presumably by this man, were concentrated around the regions from the South - Ordon, Faron, all the way up through the country to the valley they currently occupied.
“Do you come from Ordon?” Shad asked, interested to find out more about the stranger. The other man blushed a little as he nodded in response.
“Yes, but I do know what I’m talking about. I’ve been tracking and caring for animals my whole life.”
Shad was caught a little off guard at the man’s sudden defensiveness and shyness. He knew of the Faron region. It was rural but steeped in a rich history of animal husbandry and naturopathic healing methods. He knew some closed-minded elitists from the city found them to be backward, uncultured people. Shad suddenly felt a pang of guilt hoping the man did not take his curiosity to be questioning his ability, realising that there must have been others on his travels who asked him the same question in order to dismiss him.
“Yes I can quite believe it,” Shad replied. “Can you imagine anyone from the central city being able to undertake this kind of analysis? They wouldn’t even notice a badger walking through the market square in broad daylight as an odd occurrence.”
The other man smiled reservedly and fiddled with the corner of the map.
“I should have recognised your accent, but I’m afraid I’m not as well travelled as yourself. I’ve never been farther from Castle Town than here I’m afraid. I’ve read that the Faron region has several dialects branching from Ancient Hylian. I note your writing in a mix of a few different systems,” Shad pulled the map slightly closer. He leaned across the table, hovering his finger over some of the script. “Place names are written in Hylian and your notes in…” He leaned further, his nose hovering inches above the paper now absorbed in one of his favourite subjects, “a local script perhaps?”
“Erm… yeah. Can you read it then?”
“Oh yes, it seems to be a similar structure to a near-forgotten Hylian script, a few substitutions here and there. All written in a rather beautiful hand, I must say.”
The other man was shifting awkwardly in his seat.
Oh Gods, here I go again. I’m making him feel like an object of study.
“Do forgive me, I have no manners!” Shad sat up and pushed the map back across the table. “It’s rather exciting to see first-hand materials rather than what others have copied into books. Study of languages and histories tend to go hand-in-hand, that’s my area of expertise I suppose you might say. My name is Shad, by the way, it’s a pleasure to meet you. I apologise for getting a little ahead of myself!” He held out his hand. The other man took it in a delightfully firm and warm shake and replied.
“I’m Link. I’m a goat farm- an… err… I’m not actually sure what I am at the moment,” A small frown creased his brow and he looked lost in thought. Shad didn’t pull his hand away from the now forgotten, slowly moving handshake. He had hesitated, not wanting to disturb the other man’s train of thought and now it was too late to pull away without making it obvious he’d left his hand there for Link to hold for entirely too long. He decided to just keep nodding encouragingly, as if this were a totally normal amount of time to be gripping a stranger’s palm.
Eventually Link seemed to snap back into focus, the handshake speeding up again as he gave a warm smile which caused a few sparks to crackle in Shad’s stomach before finally letting go.
“Tell me, Link, what are your plans now?” Shad lifted his long forgotten cup to his lips, drinking the cooling tea before it became too unpalatable.
“Well, it’s gotten too dark to do much meaningful tracking. And I’m pretty tired. Is there an inn in the town? It’d be nice to sleep indoors for a change.”
“Oh yes, there’s a rather nice establishment called the Mill House. You can’t miss it. Follow the road that leads into town, just across the bridge over the river, it’s on the left. Big water wheel should tell you you’ve got the right spot. I recommend their game pie - their pastry is simply the best I’ve ever tasted. Buttery with the perfect flake. I’ve never been able to make anything that comes close!”
“Well, that sounds perfect,” Link smiled again, a closed lipped grin that spread across his face, puffing his cheeks and leaving little dimples. It was rather disarming, and Shad again felt foolish for being so easily swayed by a perfect stranger, but there was something about this man he trusted inherently.
A sucker for a handsome face, he thought to himself as he wished Link a good night and waved him off at the door.
*
On his way to the greengrocer the next day, Shad spotted the Ordonian politely listening to the fishmonger about her cats’ sudden propensity to spend time on the water.
“Terrified of it they were! Now they come skittering about, leaping into the river as we set out to fish! I’ve had to start bringing them with us,” the weather-worn lady was proclaiming. Shad seemed to catch Link’s eye, the man looked up and smiled that adorable dimpled smile, his eyes pressed into small crescents. Shad froze after being caught staring. He waved awkwardly and tripped over the flat stone floor as he shuffled past.
By the time he’d returned laden with fresh fruit and vegetables, Link was browsing a market stall that sold various trinkets and jewellery. He looked up as Shad approached and waved cheerily.
Oh Goddess, he’s coming over. But I like his attention do I not? Why am I embarrassed?
Shad couldn’t understand why he was suddenly humiliated to be carrying groceries, furiously arguing with himself in his head as the other man approached.
“Let me help,” Link said, coming to stand before Shad who had frozen in place. Without waiting for protest he took the basket Shad was having to hoist with both hands easily over one arm. Shad blushed at his own feebleness but also at the thought of what else Link could lift so effortlessly with those well-built arms. He already knew he could pin a grown man helpless against the wall.
Am I sweating?! Get a grip!
Link was talking about the various people he’d met that day as he walked alongside Shad back out of the village centre and up the hill towards his house.
“Thanks for the tip, the inn is really nice. And the pie! You’re right, best pastry I’ve ever tasted,” he smiled warmly, Shad couldn’t help but return his own grin.
“Oh, fabulous! I’m glad it met your expectations. They do a rather wonderful breakfast. I treat myself on occasion to their egg muffins.”
“Do you spend a lot of time in town? You live further out than most,” Link enquired.
“Well, I suppose it is true I am a little isolated. I do enjoy my own space to think and write. But it is nice to be in amongst the buzz of the town every now and then. I used to live in Castle Town, but that truly is far too busy for my liking. Have you been?”
“Not yet. I imagine it’ll be an adjustment for me. I live on the outside of my village too. I’m definitely not used to a hectic crowd. Goats outnumber people in Ordon,” Link laughed, the warm bubbling noise caught on the breeze and lifted Shad’s spirits.
“Well that sounds delightful, actually!” Shad smiled, enamoured at Link’s openness. He hadn’t realised how far they’d walked until they reached Shad’s front gate. He had planned on taking the basket from Link at the edge of town. “I must apologise, I’ve made you carry this all the way up the hill.”
“It’s no bother. I’ll help you take it in and then I’ll leave you to your work. I promise I won’t throw you against the wall again.”
Shad felt his face burn bright red. He certainly wouldn’t mind if Link did exactly that again. He coughed a little, choking on his own breath. Choosing not to respond lest he reveal more than intended, he opened the door and stepped inside to allow Link entry.
Link effortlessly lifted the heavy basket onto the kitchen counter and headed back to the door. Once again Shad was confronted with those glistening blue eyes and he was reminded that they were the same height, the other man’s build and posture making him seem taller. Link stood before him, almost too close. Shad assumed it was just because they were both cramped in the doorway, though he allowed himself the thought that perhaps Link was standing closer than strictly necessary to both fit in the entryway.
That moment of madness set him on autopilot before he could stop it. He’d raised his hand, ready to cup Link’s face and lean forward to take him in a kiss. His brain screamed to stop himself and he managed to awkwardly drop his gaze and mechanically and unnaturally pat Link on the shoulder instead.
“Well, thank you again, old sport!”
Old sport?! What in the blazes is that?!
“Good luck with your investigations! Ha ha ha!” Somehow he hoped increasing the volume of his voice would hide the horrendous faux pas he’d almost committed.
Link smiled, his grin a little lopsided, his eyes sparkling. He bid Shad farewell and headed back down the garden path. Shad called a cheery goodbye, promptly shutting the door and slamming his forehead against it. He groaned, replaying the scene in his head. He continued groaning as he unpacked his shopping. Unable to do much more with himself he lay down on the rug where the groaning continued louder.
*
Blissfully preoccupied with work the following day, Shad had little time to think of the buff gentleman who had caused him great inner turmoil. As night fell however, his mind roamed once again. He felt it had been long enough that his little snafu would have been forgotten, if noticed at all, and he admitted to himself that it was purely his own self-indulgence that was driving his want to see Link again.
Despite having plenty of provisions to make his own breakfast he planned to make his way towards the Mill House the next morning, hoping he could ‘accidentally’ run into Link there.
Elated to see his plan had worked, Shad’s heart leapt when he entered the inn and saw Link in his striking green tunic, hunched over his map.
“Morning, Shad,” The innkeeper called, “You’ll be having breakfast?”
“Yes please!” Shad replied warmly. Link looked up as he spoke and caught sight of him. Shad nodded in recognition and sat at the table offered. He placed his order and saw Link out the corner of his eye folding away his map and make his way over.
“Good morning, Link!” Shad said in what he hoped was a casual tone. “Please, do join me,” he gestured to the chair opposite. Link took a seat looking rather cheerful.
Not completely abhorred of me then, Shad thought hopefully.
“Morning. Didn’t see you around yesterday,” Link noted.
“Ah, yes I was rather engrossed in my work. Got rather a lot done actually.”
“Makes sense to treat yourself today then,” Link smiled.
“Y-yes! Quite!” Thank the Goddess his true plan had gone undetected.
“Will you be taking your breakfast here, Master Link?” The inn-keep had returned holding Link’s food.
“Yes, if that’s ok?” Link directed to Shad.
“By all means,” Shad responded, “I’d appreciate the company.”
The keeper nodded and set the plate in front of Link. “Yours won’t be a moment, Master Shad.”
Shad thanked the inn-keep and turned back to Link who was politely waiting, his food untouched.
“Please do start. Would be a shame to allow the eggs to go cold.”
Link smiled and eagerly picked up his cutlery.
“What are you working on, if you don’t mind me asking?” Link said, digging into his breakfast.
“Not at all. I’m working on some translations to decipher an even more ancient form of Hylian than the current standard. Possibly a progenitor to the form we recognise today.”
Shad continued to talk throughout the meal. Only after both of their dishes had been cleared away did Shad realise he’d been talking the entire time.
“Oh, Goddess. I’ve talked your ears off haven’t I?” Shad groaned.
“Not at all, it’s fascinating. I can tell you enjoy it. Always nice to hear people talk about what they love.”
A grin crept across Shad’s face. He felt oddly at ease with the man who was becoming less of a stranger.
“Well, your turn. Tell me what you’ve been up to since you got to town.”
“It might be easier to show you,” Link said rather cryptically.
After some back and forth with Link trying to put breakfast on his tab, and Shad finally succeeding in paying for both meals they made their way to the edge of town to the woodland that sat behind the village proper. The woods stretched along the length of the village and up the slope to Shad’s house where Link had unsuccessfully stalked his quarry a few nights prior.
As Shad picked his way carefully over the undergrowth he thought briefly how it would normally be a foolish idea to follow someone he didn’t really know alone into the woods. In all honesty he wasn’t really concerned, he trusted Link. The man had an honesty about him that Shad found to be quite clearly uncynical and entirely earnest.
The trees began to thin and a clearing opened up. Link had stopped ahead of him. As Shad caught up he peered around the other man and gasped.
The clearing itself wasn’t a natural opening but he hesitated to describe it as man-made.
Trees had been felled and the ground was covered in scorch marks, the bodies of wild animals lay strewn around. The marks were not random or left by wildfire that would course through in any old path. They seemed to follow deliberate lines and curves, though to what end Shad couldn’t make out. They formed an illegible almost-pattern in an roughly circular area around a charred, hollowed out tree stump that sat conspicuously in the centre of the opening.
“Heavens,” Shad breathed. He realised he was clinging to the back of Link’s tunic. The other man either didn’t notice or didn’t mind the intrusion.
“This seems to be where the animals are heading to,” Link said, pulling out his map and unfolding it to their current location. Sure enough his tracking lines converged on this area of the woods. He tucked away the paper again and took a step forward.
“No!” Shad reached out to grab Link’s arm, preventing him from going further. “Be careful! We don’t know what this might be! What if it’s cursed?” Shad pleaded, panicking slightly at Link crossing into this clearly sinister display. Link’s face was painted with surprise, but he nodded placating, stepping back from the scorched earth and standing next to Shad.
“I’ve copied out the marks, I’ll probably spend some more time trying to investigate the areas beyond here, further into the woods.”
“Oh, heavens, do be careful! This all seems rather dangerous!” Shad was unusually put-out by the whole situation. He had a horrible feeling about all this.
Link smiled reassuringly. “Don’t worry about me, this is what I’m supposed to be doing.”
“Seems rather inequitable to make it one man’s job to put himself in danger, no? Who in Hylia’s name decided that?”
“I suppose she did,” Link laughed wryly.
Shad didn’t know exactly what he meant by that, but he was more preoccupied with putting as much distance between them and this accursed clearing as possible.
*
Shad had copied out Link’s rendering of the patterns on the floor. He was interested in how some of the arcs and lines ended mid flow rather than continuing into the next, like one would expect for a pattern or design. He had a hunch there may be a pictographic basis to it. Perhaps even a yet-unknown text.
His stomach clenched at the thought of the hunter continuing to travel through the woods. He hoped there was nothing to find, that this was all a strange natural phenomenon. A freak series of lightning strikes. Some interferences with natural migration patterns. A blip in the usual order.
Shad had almost convinced himself when he found himself in the centre of town three days later. He’d not seen nor heard from Link since he’d lead Shad out of the woods. He’d had a swirling of unpleasant emotions in his absence, rippling from disappointment to anxiety. He’d come back to town for a break to his worrying, in need of fresh bread and fresh air. He’d spent the last few days holed up working back and forth on his own study and trying to pull something out of the strange markings Link had shown him. He’d copied it out so many times now he’d become quite accustomed to the curves and lines, where they crossed and joined, where certain shapes were repeated or similar.
It was a rather hot day, the kind of bright sunny afternoon that held the promise of a glittering summer around the corner. Most of the townsfolk seemed to be out as it neared midday. Those who had been on the river were mooring for lunch, others meeting friends, children pulling on the arms of reluctant parents to the market stalls that sold wooden toys, sweets and fresh fruit juices. Shad had bought himself a juice and had paused to drink it beneath the shade of a great gnarled oak that stood in the centre of town. The ancient tree provided much welcome cover to those in the market square, its great canopy casting dappled shade over the cobbled square.
As he went to take another sip from the bottle of papaya juice, something about the bark of the old tree caught his eye. Initially he thought how queer it was that he had spent so long looking at those markings from the clearing that he was now seeing them in the random growth of bark. He traced his finger along the wooden skin to prove that it was just similar as any random scrawl or line would be. It was uncanny!
As he traced over the lines he noticed yet another arc and intersecting line that looked familiar. And another.
The sounds of children’s excited high pitched squeals as they ran along the river banks faded, the content hum of conversation of the people in the square hissed into a buzz in his head. The clamour of carts and boxes be unloaded were drowned out by his heart beating in his ears.
The tree was covered in the same markings Link had shown him. Every inch of the trunk. None of it was the random swirling of bark growing as was its want. Every curved and crack followed the same patterns and form as those scorch marks.
His finger tip was still pressed carelessly against the rough wood. Suddenly scorching hot, he instinctively yanked his hand back.
To his horror he saw the lines darken, a black he had never seen so deep giving way to an intense glowing red.
He looked up, the whole tree was covered with the criss-crossing red scorch marks, a horrendous rumble coming from deep within. Or was it coming from below?
He looked up at the canopy and saw the branches pulsating. The wood seemed fluid. It expanded and contracted, glowing hot and darkening pitch black with each pulse.
Water was dripping from the tips of the branches. A drop came splashing down onto Shad’s glasses and another across his cheek. He soon realised it was not water. His vision now impaired by the dark, sticky substance that covered one of his lenses, he stumbled backward, trying to wipe the scalding hot fluid from his cheek.
People around the square were shouting in surprise. They too were being showered in the tree’s unnatural emissions. Some shouts turned to screams.
A hum of intrigue built in those further from the centre as they started to notice the blackening oak towering above the town.
A deafening crack splintered through the previously calm afternoon air as the tree split open. Or was it growing?
Shad couldn’t take his eyes away from the atrocity before him. The trunk was expanding sideways, a new form filling the space the bark was leaving. The lines that were carved and glowing widened, a hot glowing flesh forming inside them. He couldn’t tell if the bark was being pulled apart or it it was turning into the demonic form that now stood in the centre of the square. It was hideous. An abomination to nature.
Towering as high as the oak that it once was, its entire body glowed intense red-hot and pitch black. It two malformed legs, short in comparison to its body if one were comparing it to human ratios. It brought to Shad’s mind a bear reared on its haunches, or perhaps a wolf, its large clawed feet more similar to something lupine than ursine.
Its arms were uncomfortably human-like. Large, strong, with terrifying clawed hands, fingers the size of a grown man.
Shad immediately regretted looking into the beast’s visage. The hollowed-out eyes, the gaping mouth. A fear gripped him that he never imagined possible.
His body was running before his brain could recover from seeing the creature’s face. No particular direction in mind, just away. He sprinted across the cobbled square, the rocks beneath him were shifting as he did so, he sensed rather than saw them splintering apart like the bark, could feel the heat rising from the ground.
He made it to the river bank and cursed. He couldn’t swim. He had no way of crossing from here, but he could not turn back. He tried to think quickly but felt the panic rising in him. He turned to run along the bank, away from the square. His stomach lurched, expecting his foot to meet solid ground it instead sank into the boggy silt. He was up to his knees, trying to tug himself free.
Gods, how was this happening? Why was he so useless? How had he managed to get stuck running on land?
The screams of the townspeople layered onto his own panic, he was breathing heavily, his brain unable to muster up a coherent thought under what felt like continuous noise inside his head.
The dreadful scraping of metal dragged through his soul. Almost against his will he turned back to the square to see what was happening.
The creature was walking now, pulling an enormous clawed hook on a heavy chain. It paused, hoisting the chain it began swinging the hook in circles above its head. Shad realised the creature was staring at him. If that gaping blackness tinged with fire could be described as seeing, its direction was unmistakably toward him.
He knew he was stuck. There was no running or hiding, there was nothing he could do. Knowing what was to come, Shad made the decision to not cower down into the mud. Bitter tears tracked down his cheeks as he turned to stand tall. His entire body shook, he could barely see the beast now, the dirt smearing his lenses and the salty fear filling his eyes left the world in a blur.
He felt the hit, the air being knocked out of his lungs and heard the deafening clang of metal.
He thought it would be more painful. Perhaps if a hit killed you the Goddess spared you the pain of impact.
Why could Shad still feel his body then? Why did he hear the sound of metal scraping along metal? Why did he feel a hand briefly touch his cheek? He opened his eyes and saw the cloudless sky, the sounds of screaming filled his senses again.
He saw Link above him, could hear him shouting, telling people to head to the water. Link’s eyes turned down to him and warm heavy hand lay on his chest. He looked fierce. Shad could never have imagined the soft-spoken man he’d met could look this way. It was even more intense than the look he had when he had disturbed him mid-hunt. He nodded to Shad resolutely, then turned and ran toward the demon wreaking havoc on the town, directing people to the river as he went.
Shad tried to sit up, his feet still stuck and now a large part of his lower body. He turned to pull himself free but was unable to get much of grip on the reeds and long grass around him that slipped through his wet, muddy hands.
He saw people standing, staring at the scene unfolding. He was too scared to look in the same direction, each clanking of metal sending shards of fear through him. The beast’s roar seemed to pull the onlookers from their stupor and they stumbled backward. Shad shouted to them as loud as he could over the din.
“Get in the water! Go to the river!”
The message seemed to be making its way around the dispersed crowd. Many were already in boats, others swimming to the other shore or treading water in the river.
Shad braced himself and flicked his eyes to the struggle taking place between Link and the creature.
The ground was littered with what looked like dead animals. Link was ducking beneath blows from the beast’s fist and swings of the chain.
Any time his sword landed a hit on the creature its barked skin splintered, deforming, revealing a grotesque form of wild animals seemingly merged together into one hideous being. Rabbits, wolves, boars, all dead-eyed beasts stuck in a horrific fresco. Another pierce from Link’s blade and the creatures would fall apart, freed from their haunted prison, their lifeless forms tumbling to the ground. It was sickening to watch. He noticed Link was pouring something over his blade from a water skin at his waist before moving back in to strike again. When he swung again and made contact with the deformed bark-skin there was a loud hiss and steam rose from the newly inflicted wound. Water. Everyone was safe in the water.
Shad struggled to keep his eyes on the scene, every swing of the chain made his heart seize, terrified it would meet its mark and Link would end up as lifeless and glassy-eyed as the helpless animals that lay scattered at his feet.
Frustrated at his own immobility he tried hoisting himself up again. He felt his foot slip a few inches as he did so. Twisting his body had caused a momentary pocket of air to form before the cloying mud filled the space and gripped him again. He struggled in this fashion for some time, working himself free at a frustratingly slow pace. He was sweating and exhausted, but the fear in him perversely kept him going.
The clamour from Link’s struggle was increasing. The sounds of metal scraping were increasing in frequency and intensity. He saw now the beast had much less bulk than before. It was still enormous but was undoubtedly reduced from its initial size. Shad surmised the beast was losing its mass as more of the deformed bulk was cut free with Link’s strikes.
A blow from the demon’s fist connected and Link was thrown sideways. Shad’s voice cracked in a broken shout of terror as Link’s body slid across the cobbles. He rolled wildly, finally skidding to a stop, slumped and unmoving.
The beast flamed red, its gaping mouth twisting into a snarl. Was it grinning? Shad’s lungs were burning from holding his breath. He gasped, taking in huge gulps of air, tears of relief racking him when he saw Link lifting himself up. Sword in hand, the green-clad figure turned back toward the blackened beast.
There was a commotion from the streets behind the battle, several people were pulling a cart filled with what looked to be crates of bottles. They were shouting, bottles clinking, the wheels of the cart struggling over the haphazard upheaved cobbles. One of the men took one of the bottles in hand and threw it with as much force as he could muster at the beast. The glass shattered, water exploded over the gnarled fiery skin of the demon. It growled, the skin hissed and deformed. The men began throwing the bottles in earnest, the sound of shattering glass and hissing steam drowned out only by the men’s shouts and taunts.
Refusing to lay helpless while Link risked life and limb and others coming to his aid, Shad pulled harder at his own trapping. He couldn’t be so pathetic in the face of this fearlessness.
The creature’s skin was patchy, black expanses mixed with the grotesque collage of lifeless animals. There was barely a patch of glowing red left. The men had exhausted their supply. Link started running. He picked up speed quickly, now sprinting toward the demon. He slashed its legs, following through with a strike to its back. The beast made what could be interpreted as a howl of pain. For the first time since this ordeal had began, Shad felt a spark of hope.
The creature swung its fist wildly, Link leapt backward dodging the colossal hand. Each swing he leapt from the reach of its great claws. Link was moving further back with each evasion, just to run back in slightly, goading the beast to swing again only to move even further out of reach. The monster flexed the chain in its other fist. A few more failed attempts to strike the figure dancing effortlessly out of its way and it let out a terrible roar and began swinging the iron claw hook above its head.
Shad could see that the beast was struggling. When the creature first swung the deadly weapon and aimed at him, it circled through the air like it was simply swinging a rope. Now it was taking effort. The creature had become slightly faster with less weight, but it was also weaker.
The great iron claw swung and arched through the air straight at Link. For a split second Shad feared it had hit its mark. In actuality Link had moved only a fraction, staying close to where the hook had landed, wedged into the upturned rock and rubble of the square. The next few seconds went by so fast and were such a miracle of athleticism that Shad would never believe it had happened had he not been witness. Link leapt onto the chain being pulled fast by the creature. The giant links were wider than Link’s boots, but the manoeuvre was still an astonishing feat. The hook held fast, the beast too weak to pull it back from where it had dug into the ground. Link was sprinting so fast up the chain that the demon didn’t seem to register what was happening until it was too late. The green clad figure leapt the last few feet, grasping onto the beast’s hand.
It was precarious, Link was hanging on by his finger tips. The beast dropped the chain. Out of shock or curiosity, Shad couldn’t be sure which, the creature raised its arm above its head, staring intently at the comparatively tiny figure dangling from its hand.
The brief pause was all Link needed. He dropped directly onto the beasts’ head with astonishing commitment, the blade of his sword pointed directly down. Link landed, the full weight of his body driving the point of his weapon into the gaping maw of the demon.
A heart stopping pause followed, Link crouched on top of the beast, sword plunged into its throat.
Sickening gargling noises came from within, it stumbled, falling to its knees, grasping its neck. Link remained, resolute, grimacing as he twisted the blade.
The demon fell forward. As it hit the ground its form exploded into a tumbling pile of dead wild animals that bounced and scattered across the square like shelled peas spilling across a table. Shad spotted Link among the clamour, tumbling across the ground amongst the carcasses.
The air stilled, murmurs started, people shouting, crying, cheering uncertainly. The clamour grew as people realised the beast was felled. Shad wasn’t about to start celebrating until he had his hands on Link and knew he was still in one piece. With a final surge of effort he wrenched himself free, crawling clear of the weeds and dirt.
Panting, he looked up to see Link running toward him. He tried to get up and slipped, falling back to his knees. Link threw his sword to the side and sank to his knees, skidding across the grass in front of Shad. He was covered in blackened ash, blood and heavens knew what else. He grabbed Shad’s face and forcefully pressed their foreheads together. Shad gripped onto the forearms that framed his face. He really was there, solid, whole.
“I have to leave,” Link was breathing heavily, his speech coming in short bursts, “Tomorrow. To Castle Town. I can’t be sure this is the last of it. I fear there’s more to come. I need to warn others.”
Shad nodded, his own breath shaky and weak.
“Don’t leave without saying goodbye,” he whispered. “Come to mine tonight. I don’t want you to leave without saying goodbye”
“I will. I’ll come. I won’t leave without saying goodbye,” the desperation of Shad's plea was mirrored in Link's promise.
The commotion from people making their way back to shore grew. Shad released his grip on Link’s arms and the other man pulled back, standing and helping lift Shad to his feet. He scraped the infernal mess from his sword with his boot and wiped it on the grass before re-sheathing it. He stood up straight and turned to the oncoming crowd.
Shad was in awe of his ability to cut such an impressive figure. Surely everyone who saw this man, still standing tall after such a display was filled with hope and comfort after such horror.
The town centre was a desperate mess. Animal carcasses lay in an enormous heap in the centre of the cracked and scarred plateau. Various other dead animals that had been released during the fight were flung far and wide across the market square, the tree that once crowned the area now conspicuously missing. There were splintered tiles and shattered windows from the structures closest to the square, market stands flattened with their wares scattered among the bloody, ashy mess.
People’s sense of relief seemed to outweigh their despair at the damage and loss. Things could have been far worse. A handful of minor injuries and burns was all that was suffered by the townspeople.
Link was gratefully accepting medical attention for the burns he had, though he seemed to be surprisingly unharmed all things considered.
Townsfolk were getting to work, building a pyre to burn the animals. No one really thought it appropriate to retain their pelts or any other parts of them. There was an unspoken agreement that any further desecration of their lifelese forms would only bring more cursed luck. The only way to handle this substantial loss of nature was to burn them all, returning their ashes to the grounds they should be roaming.
After hours of shovelling debris Shad trudged home. He was ready to wash the day off him, as well as the dried mud and thick layer of ash. Thinking he might just burn his heavily soiled clothes, he left them in a pile outside the back door. He lit the fire beneath his copper tub, letting the rainwater collected in a tank flow into the tub.
The relief that flooded him as he sank into the water was immediate and immense. He dipped his head beneath the water, wetting his hair, enjoying how it felt like being in a whole other world in the warm embrace of the water.
It took a lot longer than usual to clean himself, scrubbing the black ash from his nails, skin, and hair. Watching the filthy water drain from the tub he felt renewed. Cleansed. The images of the horror he witnessed surely just a terrible dream.
The sun was sinking low in the sky as he massaged oil into his skin and dressing in blissfully clean, fresh clothes. He felt relaxed as he looked out over the town. From his window he could just make out the blackened and scarred centre. The mill wheel continued to turn, the river still flowing as usual, as if nothing had happened.
What would happen next? What were they going to do if another creature appeared? What in the hells would they have done if Link had not been there?
Link. Goodness! A gift from Hylia, certainly.
Shad felt rather conflicted and slightly ashamed of how his level of yearning and arousal had only grown after the events of the day. Surely he should be giving appropriate time and space to process his near-death and the death defying feats of the object of his lust?
As much as he admonished himself, he couldn’t deny how his body reacted to the mere thought of the other man. His stomach clenched at the memory of Link’s hands over his mouth, gripping his wrist. The tender way he had held his face after the battle. Shad was certain he was not alone in his want, it was not entirely one-sided.
The clank of the front garden gate snapped Shad from his reverie. His heart leapt. Trembling legs carried him to the door, wrenching it open.
Link stood just inside the gate, heavy pack on his back, considerably cleaner than Shad had last seen him and seemingly relatively unscathed by the whole ordeal.
Barefoot, Shad ran down the path to meet him. He threw his arms around Link’s neck and pressed their foreheads together, their noses rubbing against one another. A breathed a laugh of relief, disbelief, and a dozen emotions Shad couldn’t name.
Link was smiling. He placed his hands on Shad’s waist, squeezing his body gently.
Shad led Link by the hand into the house where he shrugged off his pack and pulled off his boots. When he stood back upright they both stood, eye to eye.
“So,” Link broke the silence first, “You want me to shove you up against the wall again now?”
The last thread holding on to Shad’s sense of decorum snapped and restrained him no longer. Barely able to take a breath after speaking, Shad was tangled up in Link, kissing him frantically, pulling at his shirt. Their lips crashed together in wild disarray, Link’s hands roaming across Shad’s body.
Shad groaned and pressed in harder. A hand pulled at his thighs and he wrapped his arms around Link’s neck, allowing himself to be lifted. He clamped his legs around Link’s waist, his back slamming against the wood panelling. He let his head fall back against the wall, exposing his neck, giving Link’s roaming lips better access.
He whined and rocked his pelvis against Link’s which earned him a pair of hands gripping his ass tighter, the sensitive skin of his neck sucked harder between Link’s teeth.
“Let’s go upstairs,” Shad croaked, his voice gravelly. Link pulled back his head, his deliciously kiss-swollen lips parted slightly. Shad yelped as Link hoisted him further up his body, carrying him effortlessly up the stairs.
“First door on the right,” Shad giggled, realising Link would not know where his bedroom was. Link grinned and kicked the door open. He practically threw Shad onto the mattress before clambering on top of him.
They wasted no time in rejoining their lips once again. This time a little less frantic, but still incredibly intense. Link’s lips were achingly soft, the taste of him delicious as his persistent tongue tangled with Shad’s own. Shad writhed in pleasure under the weight of the other man, rutting against him, his desire bordering on desperation.
Link pulled back, hastily removing his shirt before tugging at Shad’s. He yanked it over his head, clumsily but delicately trying to replace the glasses that had been knocked askew in the process.
“Shit, sorry,” Link said, an adorable look of concern on his face.
Shad laughed softly, “No need to apologise,” he said, taking Link’s lips with his again.
They awkwardly worked at removing one another’s pants, trying not to break their kisses. They laughed together when their teeth clicked, foreheads bumped, glasses getting knocked off again.
When they had finally divested one another of their last garments they knelt facing one another, tangling their bare bodies together. Shad’s hands smoothed over Link’s broad shoulders, his immense muscular chest and solid stomach.
Link's body was as stunning as Shad had imagined. Gorgeous golden skin wrapped around bulging muscles, webs of pale scarring, the occasional bloom of bruising here and there a reminder of his perilous activities.
Link gripped Shad’s waist tightly, rocking their hips together, their erect lengths sliding together.
Shad was breathing hard now, Link’s heat was making himself burn even hotter. Reluctantly he removed his hands from Link’s delicious body and fetched his oil. He wasted no time getting back into position and working himself open with his fingers. Link’s pupils blew wide, the blue of his irises pale in comparison to the darkness at the centre. Shad marvelled at being the recipient of such a look from a man like Link. A perfect stranger who openly threw himself into harm’s way. A literal hero, now gazing at Shad like there was nothing beyond the two of them, no other world outside the small confines of his bedroom.
“Kiss me,” Shad demanded as he knelt before Link. Link obeyed, immediately gripping Shad’s face, tonguing him messily, pushing his head back to suck at his neck. He pulled Shad into his lap, rocking their hips together, their hard lengths pressing together once again. Shad moaned softly, rocking himself between the enticing friction of their cocks rubbing together and back onto his fingers.
“Please,” Shad practically begged, “fuck me.”
Link pulled him from the bed and swung him to face the wall, pressing Shad flush against it. Shad’s heart raced, an intoxicating thrill ran through him with his face pressed against the wood, Link’s body leaning against him, pinning him in place. How peculiar it was that mere hours ago his inability to move had caused him such consternation. Now, it sent a pulse of pleasure straight to his dick.
Link began rubbing oil over Shad’s ass and throbbing cock. He poured some over his own length before rubbing the head against Shad’s desperate hole. Shad’s nerves were electrified as Link’s thick heat slid inside.
“Aaa-aaah! Oh, fuck!” Shad whined.
“Is it ok?” Link asked, pausing after sinking himself in fully.
“Yes. It’s ok. It’s… hnngh! It’s good!”
Link pulled his hips back and pushed forward again gently. Shad moaned louder. Link took the cue and began thrusting in earnest.
Shad felt himself hitting into the wall every time Link thrust into him. His face was pressed against the wood panels, his mouth hanging open uselessly, already rendered incapable of speech. Not that he wanted to talk, all he wanted to do was relish the raw and animalistic desire being stoked by the man filling him up. Saliva dripped from the corner of his mouth as he let himself be pounded against the wall.
“Y-yes! Like- like that!” He mewled.
Link grabbed one of Shad’s legs, hoisting it over the crook of his arm. Shad’s face and chest pulled away from the wall as his body tried to adjust. He was helpless to move, now on tiptoes on one foot. Link’s continued pounding was relentless. Shad’s suspended foot dangled uselessly, swinging back and forth with every thrust, his swollen dick swinging as uselessly between his legs.
Shad was practically sobbing, his muscles straining to keep up with the intense pleasure coursing through him. His legs were growing tired, his muscles stretched keeping himself spread open. There was blissful second of reprieve as Link let go of his leg. The relief of having both feet back on the ground was fleeting. Link slipped himself out of Shad, a shiver of loss running through him.
There was no time to complain. Shad was promptly spun around, Link quickly squatting down, holding both his arms beneath Shad’s thighs and lifting him clear of the ground.
Shad yelped yet again, the sensation of being hoisted up so high was quite the shock. Link had thrown Shad’s legs over his shoulders and was now swallowing Shad’s dick whole.
It was overwhelming. Shad braced himself against the wall, his core pulsing at the sensation of being held up with such ease while the head of his cock was being squeezed by Link’s throat.
Unable to move Shad was helpless to do anything but choke a sob at the intense and embarrassingly premature climax that Link was summoning with the irresistible suction of his deliciously warm mouth. He came hard inside the all enveloping heat of Link’s mouth and throat. Link groaned around his spasming cock, swallowing Shad’s release.
Overwhelming pleasure bordered on discomfort as Link continued to suck Shad’s now overstimulated cock. Tears began forming at the corner of Shad’s tightly squeezed eyes. He’d never felt anything like it. His softened cock was flickering back to life, the border between pleasure and pain blurring against Link’s persistent tongue.
Half hard and whimpering Shad gripped feebly at Link who was lowering him down the wall. He knew better than to think Link was done with him and ready to let him feel the ground once again. Now folded practically in half at the hips, his back pressed against he wall, legs hooked over Link’s arms, Shad couldn’t deny the arousal coursing through him as he let himself be at the mercy of the other man’s whims. He moaned openly into Link’s mouth, tasting himself as he kissed him hard and fast. Thrusting his cock back inside Shad’s hole, spread wide open and waiting, Link resumed fucking him like he’d never been fucked before.
Rendered incoherent with pleasure once more, Shad’s mouth lolled uselessly as Link’s dick pounded into him again and again. His head thudded against the wall, his glasses tumbling off yet again, his back pressing harder and harder into the wood.
He gripped wildly at Link’s strong arms, the feel of the taught muscle flexing beneath his fingers literally making his cock pulse in excitement.
Shad went willingly as Link wrapped his arms around his lower back, spinning them both back round to the bed, though he was already missing the feeling of being folded in two and mercilessly fucked into the hard wooden wall. Not that Shad would ever be begging for mercy. He was nearly delirious with the intensity of it all, aching to take everything Link would give him.
Shad’s head and shoulders gained some reprieve, resting against the mattress, his hips still suspended, held high by Link’s strong grip. Shad kept his legs wrapped around the man who stood beside the bed, thrusting into Shad with such force Shad could feel the flesh of his ass reverberate as their bodies collided. Every time Link’s hips snapped forward, their sweat-slicked skin slapped together, the sound adding to the symphony of grunts and gasps passing between them.
Shad watched his red, bulging cock slapping against his lower abs. Frustratingly he couldn’t touch it, being held so high off the bed he needed to support himself with his hands on the mattress. Link towered above him, his chest and arms flexed, his brow furrowed, beads of sweat dripping from his forehead with his continued exertion. His eyes bored into Shad’s, his gaze held a ferocity Shad imagined would not be out of place in the eyes of a wild beast.
Much like prey caught by their hunter, Shad couldn’t look away. He felt trapped, unable to release his gaze, or the tension building in his bulging cock. Link’s own solid length kept finding its way to a spot inside of Shad that was causing him to lose his grip on reality. He surely couldn’t take much more of this, and yet he needed more. He needed Link to tear him apart, to take everything from him and leave him begging for more.
In an eternity that came all at once, something inside Shad unravelled. Every muscle in his body tensed, he clenched around Link’s length, his cock pulsed, leaking feebly as waves of pleasure cascaded through him, his second release shaking from his untouched cock.
Link never took his eyes away. He rode Shad through his orgasm before lowering him to the bed. Practically folded in half again, Shad was covered by the larger man who thrust into him shallow and fast, his hips finally relenting, shuddering to a halt as he spilled himself deep inside Shad’s quivering body.
A delicious tension held them both in place. Hot breaths warming sensitive skin, slick chests pressed close, and the warm glow of carnal satisfaction. Shad closed his eyes, grounding himself in the sensation of the man on top of him, the feel of his strong body on him, still in him. He listened to the slowing of Link’s breaths as he traced his fingertips in meandering circles over the cooling sweat across his back.
Slowly Link rose, and Shad remained where he was, legs dangling off the bed, too worn and sated to even consider getting up. He heard Link padding softly from the room, doors and cupboards opening and closing. Before long the bed dipped and a washcloth ran across his overheated skin.
Cringing now at the feeling of Link’s release dripping out of him, he kept his eyes scrunched shut, covering his face with his hands. Link didn’t seem too put out about it and set about cleaning his body of both their emissions.
Gentle fingers pulled Shad’s hands from his face and hooked his spectacles back over his ears, sliding them up the bridge of his nose.
“You should drink something,” Link said softly. The first words either had spoken in some time that weren’t curses or moans of pleasure.
Shad opened his eyes to find Link leaning over him. He felt his face flush under the watchful gaze of those big blue eyes. He shook a little as he pushed himself up to seating, Link supported him with a firm hand between his shoulder blades. He kept the hand in place, passing Shad a cup with the other.
How thoughtful, Shad thought as he drank greedily, realising Link must have been rummaging around for the water jug and washcloths.
As he drank, Links eyes and hands roamed over his body. He rubbed oil into the skin along his spin and shoulders, a little sore from rubbing against the wood panelling. With oiled hands, Link lifted Shad’s legs one at a time and kneaded the muscles of his calves, rubbed his feet and massaged his thighs. Wordlessly, Shad observed Link’s careful and tender actions. It felt good. He liked the attention.
Putting Shad’s feet back on the floor, Link sat back up straight and looked Shad directly in the eye.
They’d made plenty of eye contact over the course of that evening’s activities, sometimes it had felt like staring into the eyes of a wild animal. It had been thrilling. Erotic. Now, as they sat, naked, no longer in the throes of passion it felt almost too intimate, too intimidating to look into those glistening, tender eyes. He felt his whole body tingle, the hairs across his skin standing on end.
“Oh, you’re cold!” Link said apologetically. He fetched Shad’s clothes from around the room and helped him dress.
“Are you hungry?” Shad croaked, throat tired from the relentless moans and loud orgasms.
Link grinned, “Starving.”
Link hopped after Shad, putting his underwear back on and little else. His hand gripped Shad’s waist as the went down the stairs. Still feeling boneless, Shad was glad of the assistance.
Absolutely ravenous, Shad pulled out everything he had to hand. He kicked himself for dropping the bread he’d gone into town for earlier that day, somehow not appreciating how utterly insignificant it was in the face of all that had happened.
He laid the table with plates and knives, cheese, apples, nuts, fruitcake, biscuits, and beer. He warmed the last of the vegetable soup he’d made with the groceries Link had helped bring back to the house earlier in the week.
They sat close together at the small round table, knees practically knocking together. Shad cut a slice of apple, holding it out for Link to take. His heart leapt as Link leaned in, taking the slice with his mouth. He couldn’t help but note how taken aback he was at the small act of comfort and familiarity.
Link seemed to be none the wiser at how he affected Shad, pouring them both glasses of beer. He smiled with what Shad would describe as a sincere and delicate fondness. Or at least that’s what Shad hoped was shining from Link’s gentle face. They clinked glasses and drank deeply.
“Sorry it’s not as good at the Mill!” Shad said apologetically.
“No, this is great,” Link insisted, cutting another slice of fruitcake. “Really good,” he emphasised, shoving almost the entire slice into his mouth in one bite.
They shared their food alongside stories of their lives, growing up, their hopes for the future. After what must have been hours uncovering as much as they could, Shad felt certain they were both avoiding the inevitable end of their evening together. He couldn’t remember the last time he hadn’t wanted an evening to end, or when he felt the same was true for his company.
His heart ached a little as they rose from the table, finally relenting to their exhaustion. Shad allowed Link to guide him by the hand back up to the bedroom. His insides were once again alight at the intimacy of now sharing a bed to sleep. Where had that wild instinct gone that he’d seemed to summon up when they were pawing at one another just hours earlier? Why was he now flustered and unable to contain his blushes?
Thankful for the low candlelight, Shad hoped Link would not see his flushed cheeks as he pulled him in close. He curled his body around Shad, his front pressed flush against Shad’s back. It didn’t take long for Link’s breathing to slow and grow heavy.
Despite being utterly exhausted, Shad found himself fighting his body’s urge to sleep. He rubbed small circles into Link’s hand and shuffled down further into Link’s embrace. He wanted to be awake for the last few hours they would share together. Eventually his body betrayed him and drifted off to sleep.
*
The morning after was a rather muted affair. Shad stuck with pleasantries to avoid saying anything he was actually feeling. After a modest breakfast of hot oats, Link began the convoluted but clearly well-practiced process of strapping various weapons and pouches to his body. He stood in Shad’s kitchen looking every inch the fearless hero, yet he swayed slightly, seemingly uncertain of what to do next.
Shad moved in closer and cupped his cheeks.
“Be careful, Link,” Shad said, pointlessly.
“I will,” Link lied.
Shad smiled sadly and pressed their lips together. Link’s gloved hand pressed against his lower back as he kissed him back, delicate and deliberate.
“I will come back. I don’t know how long I’ll be, but I will come back. I promise,” Link whispered earnestly, pressing their foreheads together.
Shad couldn’t help but smile. He knew Link meant what he said.
“I’ll be waiting.”