The One Who Stole the Sun
By Intemporel.J
Chapter 2
"Link, you can't journey to Hyrule, that's insane. What the hell were you thinking when you agreed to the king?"
Link shifted in his seat, visibly annoyed, as he always was, by Linus' tone. The man was always the first to go against what he said, although this time he had a good point. Despite his constantly patronizing attitude, he was a good man with sound logic that was always in contrast to his own rash decisions. Not to mention, he was a genius with the sword and had been the difference maker in many battles.
"Linus, I have already discussed this with the others. Why can't you just agree with me like everyone else?" he exasperated. With a sigh he continued, "Look, while I'm gone Rusl is going to be put in charge. He may be old, but his wisdom is what we're going to need. Don't worry about me, Midna and Colin will be coming with me to Hyrule."
Silence filled the conference room.
"Link, we do not fight for the king nor the kingdom." he said, breaking the silence. "We fight for the people who cannot, we fight so that they might live in peace. We shouldn't be wasting our efforts on a wild goose chase. Do you know if they would even listen to the pleas of our people?"
Link adjusted his tunic uncomfortably. He did have the doubt that Hyrule may be indifferent to the plight of their people. However a promise had been made, and he was not one to break promises.
"I will take my chances with the crown of Hyrule. It's better than fighting this losing war."
With that he left the conference room and a conflicted Linus. Alone in the room, Linus whispered to himself.
"You do what you believe is right. As I will also."
As Linus left the conference room, unknowingly a piece of parchment fell out of his pocket and landed overturned on the dusty floor.
The ravaged northern border of Eloeinia was devoid of it's once thriving animal life. The multiple scorched patches of earth littered the beautiful landscape gray, in contrast to it's natural greenish tone. Three horses galloped down the now forsaken trading route, rays of sun beating down on them. Despite the disfigurations of the field, it was still quite beautiful.
The three travelers packed lightly, for time was not in their favor. The journey had to be quick before the Ikanians made their final push.
Link was accompanied by two of his most trusted allies, Midna and Colin.
Midna was a fierce valkyrie who had roots in the arcane art of magic. Her diminutive size was not one to be taken lightly for it was she who rained hail on the unsuspecting Ikanian soldiers during their retaking of Northern Eloeinia. Her impish attitude often got her into tight spots, but her skills in sorcery more than made up for her mistakes. Although she wasn't native to Eloeinia, her previous life had been destroyed by the growing Ikana empire and she vowed to avenge her fallen city. Her motivation and perseverance, not to also mention her anger at the Ikanians, showed itself in battle when she had rescued a small scouting squad from capture. Ever since then, she had been a vital member of the freedom fighters, irreplaceable for she was the most adept at magic.
Colin was the youngest of the freedom fighters, being three years younger than Link. His boyish face and short frame didn't boast his genius with the blade. He was a true prodigy. He had gained the respect of the freedom fighters when he was only ten years of age. In the midst of the siege of eastern Eloeinia, the newly orphaned child was seen holding his own against an Ikanian soldier in what can only be described as a sick gladiator match to play with the boy. Before he was almost struck down by the soldier, Rusl had rescued him from. Ever since then, he was taught the ways of the sword by the old man who treated him like the son he never had.
As dusk was about to settle its presence on the land, the trio caught the first glimpses of the large expanse of Hyrule Field, or rather what used to be Hyrule field. The once lush terrain was strewn with tents and carriages, all bearing the insignia of what they least expected. Link raised his hand and balled it into a fist, the signal for them to quiet down and stop their trek.
"Ikanians."
The wind began to pick up, causing swirls of leaves to float softly around the garden. The young princess uttered a sigh as she once again heard the raised voices from the nearby hall of council. It was inevitable really, the kingdom of Hyrule had ignored the ever growing number of atrocities of the Ikanians for far too long. It was only when the Ikanian troops had marched into Hyrule field that the council had begun considering war.
She was quickly pulled out her thoughts when she heard the slamming of the door, followed by an angry looking man.
"Father!" she yelled to get his attention. When he turned to see his daughter, the look of frustration was replaced by a gentle yet tired one. "I presume that the council meeting didn't go as planned?"
The king sighed and ran a hand through his gray head. "Half the council don't see the Ikanian army as a large enough threat to warrant any safety measures and the other half sees the need for a full scale retaliation. No one is even considering sending an envoy to diplomatically settle this."
Zelda lightly bit down on her lower lip as if in deep thought as her father continued his ranting to himself while walking down the hall of the garden. Lately her dreams and premonitions have been reoccurring again. She had predicted the coming of the Ikanian army but wasn't sure of to what extent.
She bent down and picked a daffodil from its stem. Breathing it in, she felt a pang of sadness ache her heart in a way she had never experienced before, not even in her mother's passing. Recollections of her recent dreams filled her mind as she clutched her tightening chest.
'A yell. No, more of a roar. Loud and authoritative. Conflict. Two factions meet in Hyrule field. A blood bath. Despite the many deaths, the battle is evidently won. Premature celebration, an innopportune distraction. A rain of fire, the army looks up in fear. The man dressed in the aged Gerudo battle armor is responsible. Casualties, so many have fallen. The crown, bloodied and dented. Chaos fills the kingdom, the once golden land now forsaken by the goddesses. From nowhere, a light shines. A hero? No. The light is quickly consumed by the shadows of a flag. A flag, surprisingly not Ikanian, but Hyrulean. The light is extinguished, the Hyrulean flag hovering over it with pride. Soon enough, it is torn asunder, an inevitable fate.'
She dropped the daffodil and stood up quickly, visibly shaken by her premonition. They haven't been wrong thus far, yet this was somehow different from the others. This vision was cloudy and filled with uncertainty while her previous ones were clear and beyond a doubt. Her doubts of her dream's accuracy curbed her instinct to mention it to her Father or the council. That would only cause more disarray. She slowly walked towards the library, all the while biting her lower lip.
The daffodil laid still on the dirt, now dead yet still vibrant.