Blighted Memories

Chapter 29. Lullaby for the Lost

   Sidon slept well for the first part of the night, especially considering everything that had recently transpired. He was in a nice soft bed under some nice soft covers, snoozing peacefully. It was the sort of rest he'd needed for a long time, and one he hadn't gotten since the last time he was in Zora's Domain. He even intended to sleep in as much as he could that night, possibly well into the afternoon, so sleep could take his troubles away.

   He unfortunately awoke early from a sudden chill that pierced his blankets. He pulled them closer to him, hoping that would solve the issue. It did no such thing, sadly. It felt as though the temperature had suddenly dropped dramatically around him, to the point where it became so cold that the blankets were no longer helping him.

   Sidon grumbled to himself about the sudden nighttime weather change and huddled up as warmly as he could. He hated the cold, especially when he was trying to get cozy in bed. He turned over and tried to get comfy that way, but all he could do was shiver. He just wanted to get back to sleep.

   Then, he heard the strangest thing. Somewhere in the distance, the hum of an instrument echoed. It was difficult to place exactly what it was, but the tones it sounded were akin to some sort of wind instrument-perhaps a flute. It was far away, but he felt he could at least hear a basic melody from it.

   Sidon sat up and rubbed the sleep from his eyes. He hated that he was being forced to get up, but he was hoping that one of the night watchmen could've helped silence the noise. Its volume was relatively gentle, but Sidon didn't like noise when trying to sleep. He had a pair of earplugs he used back in Zora's Domain to blot out the sound of rushing water, but they were all the way back in his room at home.

   He opened his eyes slowly. Then they went wide when he saw his surroundings.

   The inn around him had disappeared. In fact, everything around him had. The bed he was sleeping in, Rito Village, the Hebra Mountains, Hyrule, the entire world was nowhere to be seen. Sidon swore that everything was present less than a second ago. But everything was gone.

   Everything except the murky gray waters and the thick white fog that now surrounded him. They both spread out in all directions on a neverending plane into a void that only continued on and on.

   Sidon leapt to his feet, staring around him in horror. He recognized this place all too well, as a former denizen of it.

   The Dark Knight's nest, he thought. But what am I doing here!?

   Sidon paused for a moment to think. Perhaps he was dreaming? It wasn't too far-fetched of him to think that this was just another one of his nightmares. But it was hardly a comfort to him, as his nightmares were often vivid and distressing enough to affect him in the waking world, even if he had a kernel of awareness that it wasn't real. But still, it was his only explanation for his current situation.

   Things seemed calm now, and he had gained enough lucidity to realize he was asleep very early on in this nightmare. He considered it a favorable start, though he preferred to just wake up before all hell broke loose.

   But one thing he couldn't figure out was that flute playing off in the distance. A slow, soothing melody sang out softly from the instrument, one that brought the warmth of passion to the desolate, cold dimension Sidon found himself in. He found himself touched by the tune, entranced by the effort and soul of the player.

   Yet it only made things stranger still. Sidon had never heard the melody before, yet it was in his dreams. His nightmares never started pleasantly either. Was he awake after all?

   He pinched his arm to check. He felt absolutely nothing, like his mind simply didn't register that anything had happened. Sidon took that as a sign that he was most definitely asleep, but he had no clue what exactly to do to wake up.