The Hero's Mercy
BoTW; Post Calamity. While traveling through Hyrule, Zelda notices Link grow troubled. He tells her of his encounter with a dangerous foe and an offer of mercy. Rated M for language, violence and sexual content.
Author's Note:
Not intended for commercial purposes. The Legend of Zelda and all its characters belong to Nintendo.
Tell me what you think! Reviews welcome!
Chapter 1
"It was lovely to see Lurelin Village. I had only been there once before, you know. We came here when I was a child. My father, I mean. And our guards. I think your father might have been with us."
Princess Zelda glanced skyward and smiled at the waning sunlight. Dusk was soon approaching and they would need to make camp for the night. Yet, despite the aging day, they were in no hurry.
She led the way, her horses' bridle in her hands. The rocky terrain of the Atun Valley made them reluctant to ride, and besides, the horses deserved a break. Several paces behind her, the Hero of Hyrule followed. Silently, a lazy smile on his face as he drew along his own horse.
"Apparently it's common for this region to get quite the rainstorm. I hope the evening doesn't bring rain. Although…I suppose we do have the raingear. Still, a shame to have to take it out when we might not need it."
She glanced back.
"I'm talking too much, aren't I?"
Link's eyes twinkled and his smile made her blush.
"Not at all, Princess. Not at all."
Zelda quickly looked away. Since traveling together after the defeat of Calamity Ganon, she had come to find Link's attention both refreshing and slightly addictive. Perhaps it was the plain and simple fact that he was her appointed knight and – let's face it, the Hero of Hyrule. It was only logical that he follow her through Hyrule as she makes contact with the denizen of her Kingdom. He was also the only real member of Kingdom's government, aside from her.
A Princess and a Knight. It was easy at times to forget that one hundred years had passed since they had last traveled together. The people of Hyrule were quite alien to her, as she was sure – she was to them.
Of course, that was all practical, logical, even obvious. It didn't explain why he made her blush so often.
She glanced down at the sheikah slate and tried to focus on the map. But a small part of her questioned her own naivety. Was it really a mystery? A small part of her asked. Of course it wasn't. But Zelda could be coy, even with herself. So what if I like Link's eyes on me when he follows me?
"Link." She nearly blurted out in an effort to find distraction. "Link… uh – what do you think of Lurelin Village?"
She waited for Link's measured, patient response. She waited. It didn't come. She came to a stop. Her horse gave a soft snort as he too shuffled to a stop. "Link?" She glanced back. She didn't know what she expected to see, but what she saw was certainly a surprise.
Link was more than a dozen paces back. He stood – no, transfixed – staring off at the western edge of Tuft Mountain. He stood with hands at his side, his horse was back on the road, absently chewing some grass.
His expression was unlike anything she'd seen on his face before. He stared with an intensity that implied some threat. But his stance, his posture, his demure, suggested something else entirely. Pain? Sadness?
Concern filling her, Zelda hurried to his side, pulling along her horse who neighed with confusion at the sudden pace. "Link?" When he didn't seem to hear her, she reached to touch his shoulder. Before her fingertips could brush the Hylian tunic, he turned to her.
Zelda couldn't contain a gasp. His eyes. He looked… haunted.
"Link… what's wrong? Are you unwell?"
Zelda's heart seemed to jump to her throat while she waited for him to answer. He swallowed and spared another glance at the cliff.
"I'm alright, Princess."
For a moment, he looked into her eyes. Despite the pain she saw there, she wanted that moment to last. But then he nodded. "Yes, I'm fine. Shall we continue?"
He turned and walked back towards his horse. Turned and strolled away as though nothing had happened.
The fire crackled and Zelda hugged her knees and stared across at Link who busied himself, poking the flames with a stick. The horses stood side by side, secured for the night, their heads were dipped to the ground, as though in some sort of reverence.
They were only a few hours away from where Link had his reaction. They could still see the cliffs of Mt. Tuft, nestle as they were under an outcropping of rock.
The sun had set and the sky was slowly being lit by moonlight.
"Link." She tried again and while his eyes drifted up to meet hers, and a small smile of assurance crossed his face, she was wise enough to know it was a deflection.
"Link, talk to me."
"I would only bore you, Princess." He said shyly.
"When we first met, you barely said a word to me." She let him drop his gaze back to the fire. But she continued nonetheless, "I had to yell at you to even provoke a response. You took your duty to me very seriously. You kept your thoughts to yourself, as a knight should. But that… that was a long time ago." She stared helplessly at him.
"There was a time when you spoke to me of things that troubled you." She said gently.
"It's… I don't know if you'd want to hear this." He finally offered.
"Try me." She smiled as comfortingly as she could.
Link glanced over the fire at her.
"Okay. This was back before… before Hyrule Castle. I had only just returned from Zora's Domain…"
Link made his way along the road, leaving Lurelin Village. It had been a productive trip. The Vah Rin Shrine, the warm bed, the loot from the sea. The food.
The villagers had been happy to share the bounty of the sea. I never knew crab could be so tasty. He'd have to remember that next time he prepared a meal.
As he considered his next direction, he instinctively reached over his should and drew his most recent longsword and swung it through the air absent mindedly. Impa had mentioned four divine beasts… Perhaps heading south was in order?
He didn't get to finish his thought, the scream pierced his mind and he whirled in the direction the cry came from.
"Help!" A prolonged cry of anguish erupted from Temto Hill as a woman in traveler's clothes ran with panicked strides towards the mountain, followed by – no chased, by a Bokoblin.
"Shit." Link muttered. But he was already moving, sword and shield drawn. The wind whipping at his face as he moved to intercede between the woman and the monster.
The woman, for her part, looked in bad shape. She had multiple scrapes and rips to her gear, a cut under one eye and part of her left boot was torn which slowed her dash. The Bokoblin snarled and drooled savagely, as it glared hungrily at her. It never tore it's eyes off her, even as Link shouted, trying to draw its attention away.
If she had been a seasoned warrior, like Link, she would have run towards him, but like a panicked traveler, she turned and darted toward the mountain. Putting it's slick and wet frame in front of her. Maybe she hoped to climb but Link could see that was no escape route. She was only making the Bokoblin's chase easier.
He took a deep breath and dashed forward, if he was lucky, he could get between them and maybe use the hill to his advantage if he could send the Bokoblin tumbling. With some dismay, he saw the monster was wielding a sharp scimitar, and had rudimentary armor. Link swore again. This is really one of those days…
The woman was staring back at Link, hope springing forth from to her eyes – she nearly ran into the grass and rock covered cliff of the mountain. She didn't fall, but ran her hands frantically over the earth, as though she might find some hidden secret entrance.
Link nearly slipped as he dashed, and that would have given the monster all the time it needed to move in for a kill, but it slowed its pace, either realizing Link's presence; or wanting to savor its victory over its victim.
But the monster's hubris was Link's opportunity. With a leap and a shout, he landed between the woman and the beast. Sword and shield out.
"Not today, filth!" He growled at the Bokoblin.
The silver and red skinned monster only leered back, it's toothy jaw widening in a fierce grin.
"That's right, the Hero has outsmarted you…" the woman said from behind him. "Yes, he's far too cunning for us."
Link paused, us? "Oh shit."
He whirled in time to deflect the attack. The woman, her long brown copper colored hair, hazel eyes, grim covered face – suddenly and magically transformed as the familiar garb of the Yiga armor and mask replaced her features. She launched a volley of attacks with two jagged sickles. Link deflected one with his shield, but failed to get his guard with his sword in time and felt that slash of pain along his forearm as one of her attacks connected.
He didn't have time to fume. He immediately rolled forward as the Bokoblin behind him – which of course wasn't a Bokoblin, launched forward with a devastating slice from his windcleaver.
A deep-throated laugh answered Link's dodge as he found himself, back to the cliff with the Yiga blademaster and foot soldier flanking him on either side.
Since waking up in the Shrine of Resurrection, Link had learned that the heat of the battle is not the time for making tactical battle plans. The blademaster came at him. Battle was the time where you let your instincts and training take over. The windcleaver came down with a heavy thud on his shield. Experience and patience, they were your greatest allies. Link braced himself and turned as the foot soldier whirled towards his exposed flank. He parried the first blow, ducked under the second and swung a counter attack and caught the Yiga member in the armor and sent her back.
Link put some distance between himself and the cliff. Creativity was hallmark of victory. The blademaster came charging towards him. Link, used the slick ground to slide out his attacker's range and sliced into the Yiga's side. The blade bit through the leather armor and into flesh. A curt shout of pain and a trail of blood splattered to the ground. Link would have used his momentum to deliver a finishing blow but the Yiga vanished in a puff of smoke.
He won't be far. A mocking laugh was warning to spin and bring his shield up to deflect an arrow as the foot soldier took a turn with a charge, sickles back out and whirling. Link was ready this time and absorbed both blows with his shield. He went for a return strike but the Yiga had already vanished in smoke.
The Yiga needed time to recharge their teleportation ability. The foot soldier would put distance between them so she could fire her bow once or twice before switching back to her sickles. The blademaster would be closer. He would try to knock Link off balance with an earthstrike from his windcleaver.
He was already countering him. When the blademaster appeared about eight paces away, Link threw his sword. The blade broke in two but the damage was severe. A piece of the blade impaled the Yiga in the shoulder. He staggered off his feet from the impact and – landing and sliding – down the hill. A trail of blood left in his wake.
Surging forward, Link reached down and collected the fallen windcleaver. Two arrows shot into the ground on his heels.
As the blademaster, now heaving, struggled to his feet, Link slide his left arm through the buckles of his shield and deflected the next arrow as he took the windcleaver in both hands.
The Yiga looked up at Link's charge. He pulled two short swords from his belt, or rather; attempted. The wound in his shoulder prevented that arm from holding a blade and it fell to the ground as the Yiga grunted in pain. He rose his one blade to deflect – but Link didn't target him. Instead he brought the windcleaver down, creating a shockwave. The blademaster was thrown end over end further down the hill, but more importantly, the foot soldier, who had been following with sickles aimed for the back of Link's neck - was also thrown back.
He spun as she sprung to her feet. They both swung. The windcleaver caught the sickle and shattered it. She cried out as the blade was ripped from her hand. Link continued his arc and brought the blade back around. Nimbly, she ducked under the swing. She twirled on her left foot and took off in a run. But she wasn't fast enough. Link hacked down, the point of the sword slicing in the back of her leg down to her ankle. She shrieked and landed in the grass, her bow and sickle flying from her grasp.
It wasn't over yet. The blademaster, laboring and heaving like a wounded buffalo took a swing with his remaining sword. Link dodged – and as time seemed to slow to perfect clarity, Link stepped to the side and with quick slash, beheaded the blademaster.
Both head and corpse hit the earth at the same time.
To his surprise, it still wasn't over.
The trail of blood from where the foot soldier crawled, ended in a pool that darkened the grass and weeds as Yiga clan member sat panting. She had tucked her injured left hand under her right arm and was clutching her right hand around her ankle, attempting to pin up the bleeding.
"Isn't it about time for you to poof into smoke and leave behind a pool of blood and pile of… banana's… Right?" Link asked.
The Yiga spat a curse at him. "Finish this. 'Hero.' My brothers and sisters will avenge me."
As Link considered what to say in retort, it dawned on him that this was an opportunity. Every time he had fought the Yiga, they had vanished (or fought to the death) This woman could be my path to finding their base. Maybe even the dreaded Master Kohga!
Link had learned what little he could about the Yiga on his own – which frankly, wasn't much. The mysterious sect of the Sheikah which abandoned service to the Royal Family was good at covering their tracks. And Impa had only known scant bits of lore and history. Not enough to learn from where the Yiga were striking from.
"What are you waiting for? Kill me."
"How about we talk first. I'm guessing your vanishing act needs time to recharge? How do you do that?"
"Ask Ganon."
"Okay, we do it the hard way."
With a grunt, Link dropped the Yiga against the wall of the cave which he found nearby Mt Tuft. He tied her hands behind her back and removed her weapons. Her remaining sickle, bow and arrows, plus an impressive number of throwing daggers.
"I'll add these to my collection." He muttered as he hunkered down across from her.
She hissed something low that Link didn't make out. Not too surprisingly, the Yiga wasn't very grateful for being carried to a dry place (it had started raining as he carried her over his shoulder) Nor did she seem to appreciate him bandaging up her ankle and leg – a wound that she surely would have bleed out from.
Perhaps because Link had also found a small orb on her person, similar to the spirit orbs he found in shrines. This one was smaller and gave off a faint red glow.
"So. Let's start with something simple. Do you have a name?"
Link asked.
The Yiga was partially propped up against the cave wall, but despite her state, Link didn't consider her any less dangerous. Though disarmed, he kept at least five between them. He had his short sword in his lap and his shield laying next to him.
"Not one the likes of you are worthy to know."
"Then you have me at a disadvantage. I know you know who I am."
"That's not the only reason." She said with a superior smirk. Link assumed she smirked. She still had on the white and red Yiga mask.
"Yeah, you know what? Let's get some face time."
"What are you doing? Get away! Agh, fuck you! You accursed filth!"
Link pulled the mask back, revealing (to his somewhat surprise) the same face he saw earlier.
"Wow. I honestly didn't realize that this whole getup was a real disguise." He said, glancing down at the mask, which felt like a light pearl or bone construction.
"What did you expect? A faceless void?" She snarled.
"Sort of." He shrugged and tossed it aside. "So. Name?"
"I am Yiga."
Link sighed. He took in her form. She was younger upon closer expectation. Couldn't be much older than him. Her hair was still mostly tucked into the hood which was still on her head. But it framed her face in a round oval of red.
A gust of cold wind sent a shower of rain drops into the cave. They flickered over Link's shield. The Yiga turned her face in disgust and shivered.
"Cold? How about this, tell me your name and I'll build us a fire."
"You'll freeze along with me." She snapped.
Link grinned and pulled a flask from his pack. Eying her, he popped the lid and took a swing. "Ahh. Spicy crab chowder. Keeps you warm. You can apparently climb a mountain on it."
"Why haven't you killed me?" She asked after several minutes of silence.
"Are you eager to die?" Link asked, reclining slightly at this point.
He expected a snarky reply. Instead she stared at him with a slight quiver. A moment of silence passed. Disconcerted, Link shifted his position.
"I don't kill unarmed prisoners." He stated.
For a long strange moment, the Yiga seemed to hover between fear and despair. Her response set Link at unease. A cold presence settled in his stomach. "What have they told you about me?"
She only stared like a deer caught in a trap.
Feeling no release from the unease, Link set about making a fire.