escordvi | Been Locked Inside This Cage and I Don't Think I Can Break It

[ Zelda was not at the forge when Darin was arrested. Although she is a regular presence (one of those workbenches is hers, after all), she's not there every day like Darin is. At the time of his arrest, she was at their cottage home, diligently working on some things for Hand and Hearth. She expected to see Darin when he returned home that evening after closing up shop...

So Zelda was not prepared when she opened the shellphone network a few hours later to find it spammed with a dozen recordings of the same grim event-- Darin, in chains, being escorted out of the forge by armored Paladin guards.

The sight made her blood freeze in her veins. She felt sick.

But Zelda isn't the type to sit idly by and wait for things to be resolved. She acts.

It had to be a misunderstanding. An error of some kind. Darin hadn't done anything to warrant his arrest. Yes, he was a member of the Corsair armada, but that wasn't a crime-- no matter how tense things had become between the Corsairs and Paladins. Whatever had happened, Zelda would sort out once she arrived on Elah. Maybe they wouldn't listen to a Corsair like Darin when he claimed his innocence (even though they should), but they would listen to another Paladin-- especially a Captain.

It took three days before Zelda was even allowed to see Darin.

He will probably hear her before he sees her. She's giving her two Paladin escorts a thorough dressing-down as they bring her down to his cell. ]

--As I explained to your Lieutenant no less than twice this morning, I am Mr. Altway's commanding officer and you do not have the authority to bar me from seeing him. In fact, you did not have the authority to arrest him in the first place without first serving the warrant for his arrest directly to me. Do not presume that, just because I am a riftfarer, I do not know the Armada's bylaws.

Edited 2025-03-12 03:40 (UTC)

[The Paladin guards escorting Zelda look as annoyed as one would expect. They have their orders and one of them has no qualms with making that fact known.]

Listen, Captain, you're presuming a lot. Your status as captain doesn't give you cart blanche to flout our laws. A warrant was issued shortly before deployment. We can't exactly make a document like that public otherwise the accused stands to flee. Secondly, you were going to be notified once the paperwork was processed. Bureaucracy isn't subjected to the whims of a spoiled riftfarer.

[The other guard snorts, barely hiding a chuckle.]

You should be thankful we're even allowing you to see him. Your little cabin boy's a real menace. We're bringing in special magitech to seal this bastard up good and tight.

[They don't care. After all, they're doing their jobs They stop in front of Darin's cell but they don't open the barred door. Zelda's only allowed to see him through the metal bars unless she can convince them otherwise.]

Here he is. Safe and sound and nice n'comfy. You satisfied?

[Darin doesn't move. He doesn't even act like he's aware Zelda's there. Save for him lowering his head more.]

[Out of shame.]

[ The words "spoiled riftfarer" make Zelda's scowling lips twitch, but she doesn't respond. How ironic; even when no one knows she's a princess, she's still accused of acting spoiled.

As Zelda approaches the cell and gets her first look at Darin, she abruptly stops dead in her tracks. She suspected that she might find him in restraints even inside his cell, so she was already steeling herself for an unpleasant sight. (She didn't want to give the jailors the satisfaction of her shocked reaction.) But even the worst scenarios her imagination conjured pale in comparison to the reality before her eyes... the man she loves, shackled and chained to the wall of his cell like some kind of rabid beast.

Or a monster.

Zelda is frozen in place for a moment, unable to hold back the look of horror that washes over her face as she takes in the scene. It's only thanks to a century's worth of self-control that she manages to keep everything else inside... even though it feels like someone just squeezed all the air out of her lungs. Goddess... what have they done to him? She fights back the urge to fling herself at the bars or fall to the ground, sobbing and begging the guards to free him. She would do anything! Pay anything! Just let him go!

But she knows her tears and pleas would not sway guards' hearts. They would see her love as weakness and they would mock her for it.

So Zelda falls back on the lessons she learned as a child. A strong leader does not cry. A strong leader remains stalwart, unbowed in the face of opposition. She clears her throat in an effort to make herself start breathing again. She schools her features so that not a hint of emotion can be read on her face, save for her lips pressed together in a thin line. Then, she approaches the cell.

"You satisfied?" asks one of the guards. ]

No. [ She doesn't look at the guards; she keeps her eyes locked on Darin. ] This is excessive. Why is he chained like this when you already know he could break these restraints if he chose? One of you run and fetch the gaoler to have these removed.

[The guards look at one another as if to say 'Is she serious?' The second one turns back Zelda's way, an uncompromising scowl on his face.]

What, you think this was our idea? The gaoler is the one who put these restraints in place.

[They can't argue with the fact that Darin could break the restraints at any time, so the second one speaks up.]

We need to make a strong statement to assure the general populace that something as strong as he is can be contained. Whether he can break out isn't the point. He's a deterrent to the rest of you riftfarers.

[Some"thing." Not some"one." Darin's not a prisoner, he's a statement. He's not a person, he's a monster being chained as a show of strength to quell the worries of the people. He's propaganda.]

[Inside the cell, Darin stirs slightly when he hears himself referred to as 'something.' Without even looking, Zelda can probably tell what it is.]

[A wince.]

[An attempt to curl up and withdraw further into himself. He still hasn't lifted his head.]

And for the record, we're under orders to have at least two guards here at all times. Sorry, Captain, but you'll just have to do your little visit like this.

[ Zelda is watching Darin as she listens to the guards. He hasn't lifted his head or done anything to acknowledge her presence, even though she knows he can hear her voice. She sees him wince when the guards call him a 'thing'.

She wants to shout at every one of them that Darin is not a 'thing'-- he is a person!

But she controls herself. ]

"A deterrent." Your officers are trying to make a show of strength by putting in chains a man who is capable of breaking them without effort? That he tolerates this at all is a show of compliance. All this does is show that the Paladins treat even their most cooperative prisoners like dogs.

[ She turns to the guards. ] I thought we were supposed to be better than that.

[ The use of "we" is not just to remind the guards that she and they are supposed to be on the same side. It's also because she genuinely believes that the Paladin armada is supposed to be fair and just. Criminal or not, chaining a man to a wall and using him to make a statement is not just. ]

We are. [Said dryly. Cold enough that the temperature in the area almost drops.]

But you're not from this world. You've been allowed to join our ranks and the Corsairs have their own rules. This one impersonated a commanding officer. He stole aboard a ship and damaged it severely because he couldn't keep himself in control. He should be thankful this is the worst of what he's getting.

[The guard steps up, looming over Zelda.]

You want his chains loosened? Speak to the gaoler yourself. Though I'm sure he won't be too happy about it. You're the one who didn't keep your monster on a leash, captain. Don't blame us when we do your job for you.

[There's a rattle of chains from the cell. What little of his arms and shoulders that can be seen beneath the avalanche of chains and shackles are tense and rigid. He's not trying to break the chains. He's suppressing his own emotions. Spiraling. Because now Zelda's involved. Everything she's worked so hard for is going to be tainted because of him!]

[Darin's eyes clamp shut. It hurts. She never should have gotten involved with him. This is his fault. He should have kept her away. She would have arrived at Hand and Hearth eventually on her own! And then she could help people the way she wants and not have to be associated with a monster like him!!!]

[The slightest choking sound escapes his lips.]

[A barely perceptible sob.]

Edited 2025-03-12 22:09 (UTC)

[ Zelda catches that tiny sound from Darin and it drives a knife right into her heart. She can see his hurt written plainly on his face and not allowing herself to react to it might be one of the hardest things she's ever done in her long, difficult life. What horrible thoughts are going through his mind right now? Zelda can see the tension in his arms, but it's not because he's trying to break free. He's not fighting at all. It's more like he has simply given up...

When she responds to the guards, there's a quaver in her voice that she can't fully suppress. Watching him suffer is chipping away at the princess's self control. ]

The only "monsters" I've ever seen are the ones flouting the armada's ideals law and justice by using children to grow some silly little rocks whilst shielding themselves from scrutiny by hiding within our ranks. I should think the Admiral would be more concerned with sussing out the perpetrators of those crimes than wasting time chasing a few riftfarers.

[ Zelda exhales her breath in a sigh-- one she hopes the guards interpret as frustration instead of an attempt to steady herself. When she speaks again, her voice is not as curt as it has been up until now. She sounds resigned. Tired. She knows she's fighting a losing battle by arguing with these two guards. She'll have to go higher, make her way up the chain of command until she finds the correct person to waive these outrageous charges against Darin and let him go free. ]

Would you please unlock the cell? I would like to go inside.

[The guards look at each other once more and weight their options. Essentially, the question being: "Would allowing Zelda into Darin's cell bypass a potential headache?" The prisoners weren't exactly denied visitors but riling up someone as strong as Darin could be a double-edged sword.]

[One of the guards looks Zelda up and down. She would have had to already been searched before she was allowed in at all. So she shouldn't have anything that could aid in his escape on her person. Magic wasn't exactly ruled out but...]

[The other guard sighs and brings his large ring of keys to bear. He unlocks the door, assuming that one visit will assuage this troublesome captain.]

You've got ten minutes.

[His voice is annoyed but he allows Zelda in then closes the door behind them.]

[To say that Darin looks terrible would be an understatement. It's like all of his life is gone. His fire is out. He hangs there, traces of blue stubble prickling at his jawline. His eyes stare at something that doesn't even seem to be on this plane of existence. They aren't starving him, but it's clear he doesn't feel very much like eating.]

[More worrying are the lack of bruises on his body. The restraints are tight and only allow Darin the barest minimum of movement. Restraints like those would leave bruising, especially if a man was suspended by them.]

[But he can't bruise. He heals faster than a bruise can set in. Zelda knows this.]

[To say that he's in constant pain in some for or another would be heart-breakingly accurate.]

[He makes no movement as Zelda approaches. He doesn't even know what to say.]

[Except one thing.]

...I'm sorry...

[ The only thing Zelda wants in the whole world right now is to throw herself into Darin's arms and embrace him as tightly as possible. The sight of him like this, so broken and lifeless, is twisting the knife still lodged in her heart. She wants to hold him, to pull him back from whatever dark place he has withdrawn to and wrap him up in all the tenderness and love she can muster.

But as she gets a better look at his restraints, Zelda wisely holds herself back. They're much too tight, the iron flush with his skin-- any movement on his part would cause them to bite into him. Normally, such chains would chafe and bruise a prisoner, the evidence of which Zelda should be able to see in raw and blotchy skin around the shackles. But Darin's skin looks fine... which suggests that he is healing from injury at the same rate that he is receiving it. Does that mean he isn't hurt at all? ...Or could it be that he is in unending pain?

Deep lines of worry form in Zelda's brow as she slowly approaches Darin. She opens her mouth to speak, but before she can, Darin does instead.

"...I'm sorry..."

Her heart aches at the sound of those words. ]

Hush... [ She responds softly and quietly. As soon as she's within arm's reach, she extends one hand and places it on his cheek. ] I'm sorry I couldn't be here sooner. I was barred from seeing you until now.

[Her touch is the most gentle thing he's felt in days. It's enough to make him stir just a bit. To lift his head enough that his eyes can barely be seen behind his bangs.]

...Not your fault. You shouldn't...you shouldn't be here...

This is your chance to distance yourself from me. Don't let what I am destroy everything you've been trying to build...

[His heart clenches and twists inside of his chest. It felt like saying goodbye. Something he knew he'd have to say to Zelda one day but he always hoped it would at least be on their shared terms. But this? He had to do what was right for her. He had to leave his place on her crew. He had to leave his home just as he'd done in Alvale that fateful night.]

[After all, it was his fault. He lost control. Hell, even before that, he allowed her to get close to him. He allowed himself to get close to her.]

[He fell in love. He fell in love with someone he was fated to never be with in the first place. Two different worlds, two castes, two sides of a theology— her descended from a goddess and he the reincarnation of dark god.]

[As much as he wanted it to, they'd never be happy. And all he would do is break her heart like he was doing now.]

[He's looking in her direction, but he might as well be looking far past her.]

You need to forget about me... I belong here...

[For the first time, he doesn't lean into her touch. He doesn't nuzzle her palm appreciatively. The only warmth she feels is wetness as it touches her thumb. As it seeps beneath her digits and under her palm.]

...Please...

[ Darin finally lifts his head enough that Zelda can see his eyes, but he doesn't meet her gaze. He stares past her, as though looking directly at her would hurt worse than the chains biting his skin. But he doesn't need to look at her for Zelda to be able to read him.

She's never seen his eyes look so empty.

Ever since they met, there's always been a fire there-- one that, for awhile, Darin turned against Zelda in hopes of scaring her into staying away from him. He fought hard to keep her out of his life. But when he finally let her in, he got to see how the spark in her eyes mirrored his. Those sparks found kindling in each other's hearts and before long, they grew into an inferno that engulfed the both of them.

But now, it's like his fire has been extinguished. ]

No. [ Zelda's refusal is gentle, but firm. She notices how he doesn't lean into her touch, but she doesn't remove her hand. ] You belong with me.

[He clamps his eyes shut, as if Zelda's radiance were blinding. As if her gentleness stung his eyes like chlorine. He shakes his head quickly. It's fear. Bluster. Zelda knows all of this by now.]

Zelda, I can't. People are...they're scared of me. And they should be. I'm scared of me. You should be too...!

[He swallows the lump in his throat. This is the most he's spoken in days. What is it about Zelda that just made his feelings fall out of him? How was she so easily able to make him open his heart?]

E-Everything...Everything you're trying to achieve...I can't be apart of that. No one will trust you...you'll just be another Corsair ship...

You have to denounce me...you have to...

[ Zelda knows what he's doing-- what he's trying to do, at least. He's scared. Just like when she first came into his life, he's scared of letting her be too close. He's scared of how he'll hurt her.

She moves a little bit closer, so that she can place her other hand on his opposite cheek. Darin has always responded better to her touch than her words. ]

I "have to" do no such thing. I will never denounce you. [ She shakes her head. ] And if no one will trust us, then we will simply have to find a way to earn their trust.

[ Zelda rubs his cheek with her thumb, his stubble pricking against it. ] I am not scared of you, Darin. I don't think I ever could be.

...I was becoming a monster...I almost...

[He sucks in a shaky breath, his features trembling. He wants to nuzzle her hand. He wants to embrace her. He wants to bury his face in the crook of her neck or her chest and be bathed in her warmth and know that he's safe. He's so ashamed. So scared. She always has to save him! Why can't he save her properly?! Why can't he be her hero?! Her champion?!]

[He's chained to the wall like a monster and all he can think about is how he belongs here and she's fighting for him! She always fights for him! Why the hell was he so pathetic?!]

[His lips snarl up and he clenches his teeth as he bites back all of the horrid, self-deprecating thoughts that bombard his mind. His heart hurts. What he believes and what he wants are at odds and are refusing to reconcile. It's like he's wincing from a migraine.]

Th...They're not. They're not going to let me out of here...

Please, Zelda...I don't know if I can...if I can change what people see me as...

And I don't blame them. I'm...not good enough.

[ Seeing Darin in this state makes Zelda's heart ache fiercely. His hurt makes her hurt at the same time. She would give anything to take him into her arms so that she could comfort him properly. If only she could free him from this cell right here and now; she would take him home to their cottage on Eltrut, cradle him against her chest, and whisper to him that he's safe and he's loved.

But that's just a wish and a prayer to send up to the Goddess. She can't free him right now. Not yet. All she can do is offer him the scant comforts of her words and her hands. ]

You're not a monster, Darin. You never will be.

[ Chained against the wall as he is, Zelda can't get close enough to touch her forehead to Darin's. All she can do is caress his rough, tear-streaked cheeks. ]

And once you're set free, we will return to the forge and tell everyone the truth-- that you are no monster, that the charges levied against you were all blown out of proportion.

[His eyes flutter shut. He knows he can't argue with Zelda. No matter what he does, she won't back down. She'll throw everything away just for him, confident that they could rebuild it all once more.]

[Gods, he wished he had her strength.]

[He doesn't have the heart to refute her. He wants to. He wants to push her away for her own sake. Declare that she'll be happier without him.]

[She's already planning on leaving him someday, right?]

[But he's too weak. And there's still a part of himself that he can't seem to deny any longer. That he loves this woman so much.]

[He just...wishes he could be worthy of her. He wishes she could look at him with awe and pride. With a blush on her cheeks as her heart thumps in her chest while he does something he can finally be proud of.]

...They're going to seal me away...

Edited 2025-03-14 21:28 (UTC)

[ Darin is right; Zelda won't back down. She'll throw away everything for him... because he's worth everything. And she's unflappable in her conviction of that. She came here today to make sure he knows that. She is fully prepared to counter his arguments at every turn, because she expected him to try to push her away.

And it was work... until he uttered a word Zelda didn't expect. ]

S-..Seal?

[ For a fraction of a second, the face cradled between her hands isn't Darin's, but a gruesome visage from a lifetime past. A monster that was once a demon king, sealed away for a century along with a young princess who had just lost everything.

Zelda's hands flinch involuntarily on his cheeks, but she somehow manages to stop herself from yanking them back. Don't. It's just a memory. Calamity Ganon is gone. This is about Darin.

She clears her throat in attempt to regain her composure.]

H-How do they intend to do that?

[Fortunately, Darin's far too far gone in his trauma to notice that brief flicker of fear and hesitation. He doesn't catch the hitch in her voice.]

...Magic.

S..Sometime last year I was abducted by the corsairs. Some weird...test. I woke up in a cell with these...shackles. They suppressed my power. Made me...normal.

They've requisitioned more. Gonna...put me in those since they know I can break these.

...I heard the guards talking. Once those are on...that's it. Don't think they'll be letting me out...

[The guard mentioned to Zelda something of that nature. That they're requisitioning special magitech for Darin. Gaoler's orders.]

Honestly...might be for the best...least I can be 'normal' in prison...

[ Sealing magic. Shackles. Suddenly, she's picturing the glowing rings of her sealing magic in place of the restraints on his wrists, arms, and neck. Her divine magic, sealing away a demon king... the duty of all the women in her bloodline, going all the way back to Hylia herself.

Zelda's heart begins to race as Darin describes his previous imprisonment, her face filling with fear. Abduction by corsairs. Suppressing his powers. Darin has never told her about this before; she would definitely remember this. It must have happened before they knew each other.

It's a horrifying thing to learn, but there's one thing in particular that he says which makes Zelda's stomach churn: the shackles made him 'normal.' ]

N-No... No, Darin, that's-- [ Zelda can feel herself growing agitated. ] Suppressing part of yourself isn't 'normal'-- it's horrible! Your powers--... I know you hate them, but they're a part of you! If not for them, we--... I--!

[ She cuts herself off from finishing those sentences. "We would not have met," she wants to remind him. "I would not be alive." ]

[He withdraws into himself as he sees how upset Zelda is getting. Gods, what is he doing? All he's doing is making her more upset.]

[Hasn't he hurt her enough?]

...I overheard the guards. They'll be here in a couple of days...

[He's...not sure why he's telling her this. They're not going to let him go and even as a captain, Zelda's pull is limited.]

I don't...know what to do. What should I do...?

[ Zelda notices the way her agitation is effecting Darin, how he's withdrawing from her. Is he blaming himself for making her upset? But she's not upset at him! She's upset at the Paladins for requisitioning these horrid shackles, and at the Corsairs for abducting and experimenting on him in the first place. How could they do this to him? Suppressing him... it's inhumane!

Okay, deep breaths. Calm down, Zelda. Panicking won't help anything. There are still a few more days until those shackles arrive-- plenty of time to keep making her case for Darin's release. All she has to do is get higher up the chain, talk to one of the fleet admirals, or even the grand admiral of the entire armada. They're the best of the best; they'll listen to reason. They have to. ]

Darin, listen to me. [ Zelda uses her hands to turn his head to look at her and keeps a firm hold so he can't look away. ] I am going to get you freed, I swear it. I will go all the way to the Grand Admiral if I must. I will bring you home with me... where you belong.

Until then, don't lose hope. [ She rubs his cheek with her thumb again, offering him what comfort she can. If only she was tall enough, she would seal her promise with a kiss. ] I will come back for you.

[ "I love you." ]

[He looks so confused. As if he were wondering why she would ever go to these lengths for him. In this moment, he believes that she would be so much better off without him. She doesn't need him. She has her crew. Her kingdom. Link. He's a stopgap at best.]

[But the way she speaks to him...there's a flicker of something in his heart. Darin is not the most easily swayed person but when she entreats him like this, it's impossible for him to turn his back on her. She still wants to fight.]

[She'll figure something out, right? It's Zelda. She has to.]

[He swallows and gives her the slightest nod.]

I...I'll...

A-Alright...

["I love you too."]

[ Days passed.

But nothing changed.

It wasn't for lack of trying though. Reinvigorated by her visit with Darin, Zelda threw her everything into trying to free him. From the predawn hours until the darkness of midnight, she pursued every possible angle. She met with every commanding officer who was willing to speak with her-- and, eventually, with those who weren't. She presented her case for Darin's release, citing everything she knew about the armada's bylaws and relying on every lesson she ever learned in preparation to become her kingdom's next monarch. She refuted every argument levied against her case, called out every deflection and blatant lie the officers of the armada used to block her.

She did everything right.

But it made no difference. Her arguments fell on deaf ears.

She tried changing tactics-- instead of arguing, pleading; instead of fighting, begging. She grew desperate. She used coin to buy her way into the offices of admirals to entreat them directly. She bribed guards and jailors to give her greater access to the jails than she should've been allowed. She bought all the information she could about the shackles the Paladins had requisitioned for Darin, from the extent of their magic to the day they would arrive, down to the hour.

Each evening, Zelda visited Darin in his cell. She told him of her efforts that day and resolved to redouble them tomorrow. She told him not to give up. She clamped down her growing fears and distress, trying not to let Darin see anything but confidence and resolution in her face.

But every night that she crawled into bed at the inn where she was staying temporarily on Elah, Zelda cried herself to sleep. In those dark hours, alone for the first time in months, a sense of hopelessness began growing in her heart. She would not give up! Not ever! ... but the more time passed, the more despondent she became.

The Paladins had no intention of setting Darin free, no matter how illegal or immoral it was to keep him imprisoned. They only seemed to uphold the laws that benefited them. Justice? Goodness? Altruism? --These were just pretty words they used to obfuscate their true actions. In the end, all they cared about was carrying out their own agenda, regardless of who got hurt in the process. The ideals Zelda founded her crew upon, she thought they were the core tenants of the Paladin armada as well. That's why she was willing to sail under their banner. But it seems she's the only one who cares about those ideals.

On the last night before the shackles are due to arrive, Zelda travels to a small spring far outside of town. She dons a simple white dress she purchased in the market and steps into the water. It's blistering cold this early in spring, but she ignores it. Standing in the pool, she claps her hands and prays to the Goddess for the first time since arriving in this world. Hylia, if you have ever loved your daughter, grant her your guidance in this desperate hour. Zelda is so very, very tired of losing everyone she loves. There has to be something she can do to save Darin. ]

[As the days march on, Darin's hopelessness deepens. Zelda might come to him every evening and tell him her plans, but all he can see is the strain and pressure he's putting on her. Her feelings for him are pushing her to a point of no return. He can see it. Darin's spent his life watching people. He's spent his life wearing a mask— Darin knows when someone is hiding something from him. Especially someone he knows as intimately as Zelda.]

[She's in pain. He's causing her pain. She's trying to give him hope but as the hours tick by, he can't help but convince himself that maybe this is for the best. They would have to part one day, as much as he feared it. And Darin knows himself...when that time came he's not sure he'd be able to tear himself away from her. He'd stand in the way of her duty and her responsibility and that would tear Zelda apart inside.]

[Maybe it was for the best that the world tore them from one another.]

[But even so, he didn't have the heart to rebuff her. He didn't have the stomach to make light of her efforts. He's not sure he'll ever understand why Zelda would go to such lengths for him. Zelda would fight like this for anyone...why was he so special?]

[The sad and infuriating fact is that everyone involved knows that Darin can break out of these chains at any time. And Zelda isn't the only person to have come to him trying to make Darin see reason. But as the days pass, Darin finds himself at a crossroads.]

[What does he want to be? Who does he want to be? What does he want to represent?]

[The morning of the fated day arrives and the gaoler gets some good news. The sealing cuffs they're requisitioned came earlier than expected. It seems Zelda's efforts have not gone unnoticed and there are people beginning to sympathize with her and Darin's story. If they're allowed to get more traction than they already have...well, it could cause more than a little dissension in the ranks. Riftfarers are already troublesome enough, and given their varying strengths, this whole situation could get a lot more complicated.]

[For now, the most dangerous elements need to be locked down. Whatever is happening with these crystal abductions can be sorted out and pardons can be issued later. The Paladins need to be seen as 'in control.']

[The gaoler arrives at Darin's cell, holding the box that contains Darin's future. A pair of magic and ability sealing shackles, immaculately crafted to make sure that Darin remains off the board for the foreseeable future.]

One size fits all, eh? Don't look so glum. You obviously want this, otherwise you would have left already. Good to see that even people like you have enough sense to put the needs of the good above your own.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------

[When Zelda arrives, Darin's no longer changed to the wall. He's sitting on a ramshackle cot, his arms shackled in front of him. The bands he wears glow and hum as the magitech gearworks click and whirr like a timepiece. He looks...gaunt. Pale. The fire inside not snuffed out, but placed under a glass as the oxygen burns away. His power is derived from his soul. And it's being choked out.]

[He could have fought but what would that have looked like? How would that have reflected on her and the crew? He's so out of sorts and discordant in his desires that he missed his chance to act! And now...?]

[Now he's 'normal.']

[And honestly, he looks like he might be dying from it.]

[ Zelda slept fitfully last night. And while this has been the norm every night for the past seven days-- (struggling to fall asleep, being plagued by nightmares, and then giving up on sleep after three or four restless hours) --there was one key difference last night:

Instead of a cavalcade of nightmares about Darin... Zelda simply dreamt about a sword.

And not just any sword, but the Master Sword.

She dreamt about walking behind Link, staring at the sword in its scabbard upon his back. She dreamt about their home in Hateno Village, with the sword in its scabbard leaning against the wardrobe where she and Link kept their clothes. She dreamt of early mornings, with rays of sunlight reflecting off its gleaming blade as Link performed his drills.

She dreamt of gripping the hilt in her shaking hands, still slick with Link's blood. She dreamt of the way the sword hummed in her hands, how she could feel the buzzing of its magic in her very bones. She dreamt of the Great Deku Tree, who would watch over the sword while it slumbered, healing itself while bathed in the forest guardian's sacred power.

The sword. The sword. The sword. Over and over again, it played in her mind. The sword. Safe in its scabbard, strapped across its chosen hero's back. That's where it belonged, the sword. That was its home.

The sword. The sword. The sword.

--

Zelda wakes when the first ray of sunlight peeks through her window and shines upon her skin. She sits bolt upright in bed, her eyes flying open.

She knows exactly what she needs to do.

When Zelda arrives at the armada's central administrative offices an hour later, there is a sword in a scabbard slung across her back. Extra coins find their way into guards' hands, and the young captain is permitted to keep her weapon on her person-- she is a Paladin captain, after all.

It's a few hours before Zelda finds out about the early delivery of the sealing cuffs. But as soon as she does, she rushes straight to the jails. More coin changes hands and she is allowed to avoid being searched and having her weapon confiscated. She is lead by two guards to Darin's cell.

The sight of Darin sitting on a cot instead of chained to the wall should have had Zelda leaping for joy, but instead it makes her heart sink like a stone. So it's true; the cuffs really did arrive early. She'd been praying that the information she heard would turn out to be incorrect, but she wasn't so lucky. ]

...Darin?

[ She takes a hesitant step towards him. Zelda is not afraid of Darin... but she is afraid of seeing what the shackles have done to him. ]

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