Chapter 2: Set Sail for the Island
Link, the now wanted mercenary, and Raiku, his companion, left the city of Hyrule towards the port town of Deltora where they would meet up with their new employer. After two days of traveling the duo managed to reach the town without any problems whatsoever. The town of Deltora was a really busy place with many merchants who travelled all over the seas of Hyrule. The docks were full of many different types of galleon ships; some used for commerce, others as battleships. Its streets were full of many merchants fighting each other in hopes of selling their own products be it fish, fruits, leathers, etc.
"So where are we supposed to meet this guy?" Link asked Raiku as he scanned the town.
"Well, Captain Leone should be preparing his ship in the docks. Let's head there first," Raiku replied.
Link nodded and followed the green haired youth down to the docks, evading any merchant who would try to force them into buying their products. The docks weren't as busy as the market place but it was still full of people, mainly sailors who would be either exporting or importing goods.
"Now let's see," Raiku mumbled to himself as he scanned the surroundings, "Ah! There we go!" He pointed at a large ship in the last dock. "That's his ship!"
Link gazed upon the huge galleon ship in the distance. It was made of dark wood making it the darkest ship in the harbor and its sails were bright golden with red tribal designs. It was truly a sight to behold.
The pair made their way towards the ship. At the end of the ramp that led to the boat stood a large muscular looking man with messy black hair and black eyes yelling at what seemed to be the crew of the ship. He wore a sleeveless brown leather jacket, long black pants, and a pair of sturdy leather boots.
"Put yer backs into it men! We must be ready to sail at the break of dawn!" the man shouted.
"Captain Leone!" Raiku waved as he ran up the ramp.
The man turned to stare at the teen and grinned. "Well well, if it isn't my favorite little thief!" he let out a loud laugh. "I presume everything went smoothly?"
Raiku smiled and pointed at Link. "Yep, I managed to rescue this guy from a bunch of pissed off soldiers and now he wants to return the favor by helping us."
"Hardly," Link mumbled.
Captain Leone's grin widened. His face reminded Link of a very hungry looking shark showing his teeth before finishing off its prey. "So you are the famous Link "The Anarchist," the most feared mercenary in all of Hyrule. It's an honor to have you working for me. I assure you the pay will be well worth it."
"As long as I achieve my goal, the pay doesn't matter," Link replied coolly.
The captain let out another hardy laugh. "I like this guy! Where can I find more of you?!"
"In hell," Raiku commented. "Anyway, what time does the ship set sail?"
Captain Leone turned towards Raiku. "Well, you're here earlier than expected. I still need to load some cargo so why don't you two take the day off and relax while I finish up here. We will be ready tomorrow morning."
"Oh I see," the young thief turned towards Link, "how bout we go get a room at an inn and rest from our trip?"
Link nodded. "Whatever is fine."
"So he managed to escape," Vincent mumbled to himself as he looked out the window of his study, "troublesome little rat."
Just then, one of his soldiers appeared through the doorway. "Milord," he saluted, "we have confirmation on the mercenary's location. It seems he is in the port town of Deltora."
Vincent's gaze did not leave the window. "In a port town… Is he trying to escape or… is it possible?" he whispered.
"Orders sir?"
Vincent turned to face the soldier, a mischievous smirk plastered on his face. "Gather up a group of your best men. Your orders are to head over to Deltora and stop Link at all costs."
"Dead or alive milord?"
Vincent chuckled. "Impress me."
"Sir!" The soldier saluted once more before dismissing himself.
The red haired noble turned to face the window once more. "Who will achieve their goal first, Anarchist?"
"There's nothing like the fresh smell of the ocean," Raiku smiled to himself as he laid on the small room's bed, "don't you agree Link?"
"I'm not a big fan of the sea," Link replied in a cold manner.
The green haired teen stood up and walked over to the small window that showed the setting sun over the ocean. "Now look at that view! How can you NOT like that? It's romantic!"
"It's only a waste of time."
Raiku pouted. "You need a girl man."
Link glared at the young thief. "The only thing I need is the power to kill that noble bastard. Then I can be happy."
"You think so?" Raiku sighed and watched as Link laid on his bed. "You know, being the only guy in a whole tribe of women has its perks. I could hook you up big time! How bout it?"
Link placed his hands behind his head and stared at the ceiling. "Right, the male of the Gerudo tribe who will eventually become king. If you live with only women, how is it that you're still a virgin?"
Raiku blushed and began playing with his fingers. "You see, the thing is… I'm saving myself for someone special," he mumbled; his voice barely a whisper.
Link stared at the thief with an incredulous look. "Sure Raiku, let's go with that."
"Whatever man," Raiku sighed. "Let's just get some sleep."
"Close the curtains then."
"Right," Raiku reached out towards the window curtains and took a quick glance down towards the streets, "Oh shit…"
Link looked at him. "What is it?"
Raiku's eyes widened. "WAH!" he ducked as a flying object crashed through the window landing in the middle of the room. "It's a freaking bomb!"
"Damn!" Link quickly grabbed his sword and swung it towards the bomb knocking outside the window once more where it instantly detonated causing the two teens to fly back against the wall.
"Ow! Bombs?! What the hell id wrong with people these days?!" Raiku shouted.
"Raiku, shut up and grab your scimitars!" Link barked.
Meanwhile, outside the inn, a group of soldiers stood at the ready, surrounding the building from all four sides.
"We have him now!" the commander shouted. "Storm the place, kill everything that moves!"
Link and Raiku stood on the second level eyeing the soldiers that entered though the entrance.
"We can't just attack them all at once," Link said. "We need a plan."
Raiku smirked. "They wanna play with fire?" he reached into his pockets and took out a small bomb. "Let's give em fire, shall we?"
Link nodded and took the bomb. Lighting it effortlessly, he quickly threw it down the stairs towards the unsuspecting soldiers. The blast took out the whole first floor and the teens did not hesitate to use that opportunity to escape through the main entrance.
"What the hell happened?!" the commander shouted as he watched the smoke come out from the building.
"It seems a bomb went off inside the inn," a soldier replied.
Link and Raiku suddenly appeared through the front door with their weapons at the ready.
"Don't underestimate us!" Raiku grinned.
The commander growled in frustration. "Kill them!"
The young thief turned towards Link. "You ready?"
The mercenary nodded and began his assault on the enemies. The soldiers would attack Link with any tactic possible but his skills clearly surpassed each and every one of them. One of the soldiers swung horizontally but Link managed to duck and kicked him in the legs causing the soldier to fall on the floor. He quickly took his sword and stabbed him, ending the man's life instantly.
"Now THAT was awesome!" Raiku grinned as he watched Link dispatch his enemies, "Now my turn!" He turned to face one of the soldiers who was rushing towards him. He took one of his scimitars and threw it towards his attacker in a boomerang style fashion. The weapon managed to pierce the soldier's leg. He then followed up with a high kick to the man's face sending him tumbling towards the floor.
"I guess I'll have to deal with him myself!" The commander growled as he unsheathed his sword.
Link turned towards the commander who eyed him cautiously. "You're the one in charge?"
"In charge of your death, yes," the commander replied.
Link scoffed, "try it."
"Hya!" the man charged towards Link bringing his sword down vertically. Link deflected the attack and shoved him back, but the commander's attack did not end there. He continued with a barrage of thrusts and swings, each of which were either dodged or blocked by the young mercenary.
"Stay still you worm!" the commander shouted as he brought his sword down once more vertically.
This time, Link managed to block the swing by placing his broad sword horizontally in front of him while only using one of his hands. The commanders eyes widened in surprise as Link quickly grabbed him by his throat with his free hand. With unseen strength, the young mercenary managed to life the man in the air causing him to drop his sword in the process. His eyes had once again turned into a piercing yellow, any compassion he had was completely gone.
"Vincent made a mistake in sending you filthy dogs after me. Now you will realize just how much of a fool you are," he raised his sword and placed the tip on the man's chest.
"N…no…please," the commander choked.
"Save it!" he thrust the sword clean through the commander's chest causing his instantaneous death.
Raiku finished off his other adversaries and turned to face Link standing next to the lifeless corpse of the commander. "Wow, what'd he do to piss you off so badly?"
Link placed his sword on his back and turned towards the harbor. "I think we better get going before reinforcements arrive."
Raiku sheathed his scimitars. "I guess you're right."
The pair made their way towards the huge galleon ship where its captain was waiting eagerly for their return. Captain Leone stood just outside the ship with his arms cross and a smug look on his face. Raiku noticed him and quickly made his way towards him.
"Captain, is everything ready?"
Leone chuckled. "Of course mate! I heard the explosions in the distance, what happened?"
Raiku sighed. "We were ambushed by some soldiers. They don't like Link much."
"Were they Vincent Infiero's men?"
Link raised an eyebrow. "How would you know that?"
Captain Leone let out a hardy laugh. "Are ye kiddin! There are wanted posters of you everywhere! I don't know what you did to piss off that noble, but he sure wants your head on a platter."
"Funny how we failed to see any of those posters," Link replied in a sarcastic tone.
Raiku turned to face the mercenary. "Relax man, the captain's a trustworthy guy, he won't betray us."
"Captain Leone the Trustworthy they call me," the captain smirked.
The two teens stared at the man with a black expression. "Why don't we board the ship and set off?" Raiku offered with a sheepish grin.
"Right! Cast off! Next stop, the Island of Rebirth," Captain Leone shouted with glee as he walked up the ramp towards his ship.
Link said nothing, but followed the captain and Raiku.
Link leaned on the ship's side contemplating his next move as the sun set on the horizon. The large galleon known as the Nightmare sailed through the dark blue ocean with an uncertain destination. The ship's crew minded their own business, some working around the ship's deck, others lazing around completely ignoring the lonely mercenary. Link ran his hand through his hair as the ocean's breeze caressed his face. To him it was the perfect environment to think.
"An island that holds an ancient power. Just what I need to kill that lowlife," Link thought to himself, "but if it turns out to be fake then I'll be wasting precious time."
"Ahoy there lad!" Captain Leone waved as he made his way towards him. "What are ye thinking about?"
Link glared at the man. "What is your reason for finding the island?"
Leone raised an eyebrow. "What's it to ya lad?"
"Just answer the question," Link replied in a cold manner.
"Well," the captain turned to face the sea, "I've heard stories that the island contains this power…"
Link cut him off. "You're after the power?" He moved next to the captain and quickly took out a knife he hid under his cloak placing it against the captain's chest. He then leaned into his ear. "I will make sure that power is mine. If you get in my way I will make sure you die in the process. I won't hesitate," he hissed.
The captain regained his composure and let out a loud laugh that caught Link off guard. "Yer a funny lad indeed! I like you! Now, allow me to let you in on something." This time, he leaned towards Link. "I have no desire to obtain the power. You see, I'm an adventurer. My passion is to seek and explore new worlds! There is no need for power in my life; I'm content with my ship, my crew, and the sea."
Link stood glaring at the man, speechless. "Wh…Why?"
Captain Leone placed his hand on Link's knife and lowered it down slowly. "Link, if yer want the power then by all means. Nevertheless, yer seek the power for revenge I can tell. Lemme tell you something lad, life is a precious gift from the goddesses. Why waste it on such petty emotions like hate and spite? Once you get your so called revenge, what's next? An empty life? A lonely life?" He dusted himself off and turned around. "Think about it, yer a smart lad."
Link stood speechless as the captain walked away towards his quarters. His voice still echoed in his head. "Hate and spite? My life has been nothing but hate and spite. Vincent Infiero… I will kill you."
Raiku stood on top of the crow's nest overlooking at the young mercenary as he walked off towards his room. "Oh Link," he sighed, "revenge isn't everything." He changed his gaze towards the dark horizon. "A storm?"
"SECURE THE SAILS! KEEP THE RUDDER STEADY! WE HAVE A BATTLE AGAINST MOTHER NATURE TONIGHT MATEYS!" Captain Leone shouted with vigor at his crew as they dashed around the unbalanced ship's deck.
A storm had suddenly hit the Nightmare and now the captain and his crew faced their toughest feat yet. The rain fell hard like rocks on the ship, the waves seemed like vast mountains rocking the vessel back and forth, and the lighting echoed throughout their surroundings like the roar of a fearsome animal, it was as if the goddesses themselves were in an uncontrollable fury.
Link stood in the center of the ship trying to keep his balance as the crew did their outmost effort in keeping the boat afloat. Raiku stood next to Link holding on to a rope that tied the main sail together along with a few others. "A little help would be nice dammit!" he shouted.
Link nodded and grabbed hold of the rope as well trying to keep it steady.
"What are the chances of this eh?! To think im'a die in such a place!" Raiku whined, his voice barely audible with the constant lightning and thunder crashing all around him.
"Shut up Raiku!" Link yelled back.
A scrawny looking man ran through the main deck towards the captain. "Capn! The deck below!"
"What is it Hanz!" Leone shouted.
"The cannons have broken loose and crashed against the wood. We are taking in water Capn!"
"BLAST IT! Take some men below deck, tie the cannon and fill up those holes, NOW!"
"Aye Capn!" the man quickly took off with others following behind him.
"CAPTAIN!" Raiku shouted. "WE CAN BARELY CONTAIN THE MAIN MAST… I THINK WE ARE IN TROUBLE!"
"Hold on Raiku, I got yer back!" Captain Leone replied as he made his way towards the struggling thief.
Raiku suddenly lost his grip on the rope and fell backwards. "AHHHH!"
Link quickly grabbed hold of his arm preventing him from falling overboard. "You ok?!"
The young thief stared at Link with a shocked expression and slowly nodded.
Suddenly the sky lit up and a flash of lighting came down on the ship destroying most of the vessel's main deck. Bodies could be seen flying across the air into the dark sea. Link was sent flying overboard, but Raiku managed to grab hold of him this time with both hands.
"Hold on Link!" he shouted through gritted teeth.
The carnage, however, did not end there for a huge wave suddenly crashed into the ship making Raiku's hold on Link slip. He could only watch in horror as the young mercenary plummeted down to the cold, dark ocean.
"LIIIIIINK!" He extended his hand helplessly towards his friend.
Link only felt the cold of the water engulf his body and suddenly everything went black.
The young blonde found himself once again in the darkness. Images began to appear as he walked around. The first was the same scene he had dreamt before with his mother.
"Why is the Island of Rebirth hidden mom?" young Link asked with overwhelming curiosity.
"That is because the Goddesses hid a special power in that island. It is said that it's what makes the trees grow, the rivers flow, everything that has to do with nature. It is a magical place where one will find true happiness."
Young Link's eyes glowed with excitement. "I wanna find that island and I'll bring you with me mom! We will be happy living there!"
The woman smiled warmly at Link. "I'll be rooting for you Link."
The image slowly faded and a figure appeared in front of him.
Link's fists clenched. "Vincent."
Vincent smiled viciously at Link. "What's with that face Link? Are you mad because I betrayed you? You were nothing but my puppet and a good one at that, but I have no use for you anymore. It's only a matter of time before I become king and once I do I will make sure to find you and kill you once and for all."
Link growled. "You bastard! I will make sure to cut out your heart and feed it to the dogs. You don't deserve to live and I will make sure that happens!"
Vincent smirked. "How? With the power of that island? Heh heh we will see about that."
Link dashed towards him, but the image disappeared as well. In turn it was replaced with the conversation he had with the captain earlier. It was the words that had stuck to his mind.
"Link, if yer want the power then by all means. Nevertheless, yer seek the power for revenge I can tell. Lemme tell you something lad, life is a precious gift from the goddesses. Why waste it on such petty emotions like hate and spite? Once you get your so called revenge, what's next? An empty life? A lonely life? Think about it, yer a smart lad."
"What's you damn point?! What is with these images?! TELL ME!"
A flash of light engulfed his surroundings and he found himself once again back in the darkness.
Link awoke with a start. He found himself laying on a queen size bed with white and light blue sheets. He looked around the room. To his right was a large wooden dresser with a long mirror, the wall in front of him was full of pictures that depicted different sceneries like a river and a mountain, and the wall to his left was completely made of glass and a slide door that led to a small wooden balcony with a view of the beach and the ocean. He tried to get up but suddenly felt a sting of pain on his chest. He looked at himself and noticed he was bandaged up.
"What the… where am I?" he whispered to himself.
"So you are awake," came a soft voice from the doorway.
Link quickly glared at the door and noticed a girl standing there in front of him wearing a light blue dress holding a bowl of soup in her hands. She had silky white skin, long golden hair, and deep sapphire eyes that seemed to stare straight at his soul.
"Who are you and where am I?" Link demanded.
The girl spoke with her soft, almost angelical voice. "My name is Zelda Harkinian and you are in the Island of Rebirth."
Link's eyes widened. "No way."
The pair stayed what seemed like an eternity staring at each other. She was definitely not an ordinary girl, Link could tell, but what he did not know was that this would be a meeting that would change his life forever.
A/N: The intro is finally done. Now the real story can begin! I hope you enjoyed it. R & R
