Chapter 8: Bigger Problems

1

Link and Setsune began walking around each other in circles. Setsune was teasing him—he's trying to get Link on edge. Link had fought countless monsters, defeated dragons, and killed the King of Evil. So why was he nervous? Well, never mind those thoughts. He had to focus on the enemy in front of him.

"Link," Zelda's voice was hoarse. "Don't worry about me. Just fight him, and do what you have to do."

"I guess you got your way, Link." Setsune released Zelda. She ran towards Link, and he pushed her behind him. "I don't need to take her life. No, it's not my place to kill this woman. Not yet." Setsune started to swing his sword. Not only was he clever, but ostentatious as well.

"Zelda," Link began. "I want you to leave—"

"—I can defend myself, Link—"

"Leave! I can't afford to put your life at risk. And besides," He grinned at her. "I really don't want to get that guilty verdict."

Zelda cleared her throat. "For your display of courageousness today, I think you have already merited a not guilty verdict." She couldn't help it, but she grinned at him. She ran out of the room.

Setsune swung his sword horizontally which almost cut Link. Fortunately, Link moved out of the way at the last moment, and Setsune only tore his sleeve. If it weren't for Link's reflexes, he would've been dead. Both of their swords collided and clashed but Link wasn't able to land a single attack on him.

Okay, time for a new plan.

Link ran to the other side of the room where a bunch of pouches on the ground caught his gaze. The audience must've left them behind when Aromi was taking them out of the room. This could work to his advantage.

He grabbed the pouches, and threw them at Setsune. Setsune deflected most of them with his sword. Link ran towards Setsune and threw another pouch at him. He deflected it—just as Link predicted—and the moment his sword was away from his body, Link slashed at Setsune's torso with all the strength he could muster. The attack penetrated right through his armor. Setsune fell to the ground.

Link walked up to him. Blood was ejecting from his mouth.

"You don't deserve any of this attention. You don't deserve this luxury. You're just some…some scum from Ordon Village. My family was close to the King! I should've gotten all the attention—" A spear lodged itself in Setsune's head.

A spear? Where in Hylia's name did a spear come from?

A tall, and muscular woman stood at the entrance of the door. Her skin color was a crisp brown, and her eyes were narrow. She had a certain air of confidence about her. Her hair was red. How strange… Hylians don't have red hair. She smiled.

But it wasn't a smile he would expect from Ilia or even Zelda.

It was sinister.

"I'm sorry, was I interrupting something? You see, I had some business to clear up with Princess Zelda. But after seeing your impeccable skills in swordsmanship, maybe it would be best to get rid of you first."

The woman signaled someone to come into the room. "Ladies, come here and get rid of this voe." She looked at Link. "Have fun, swordsman." She walked away.

Once the woman was out of sight, four other women who looked just like her entered the room. They were all equipped with spears and curved swords.

The Triforce of Courage reacted again.

What a day this had been.

2

"I want backup for the hero. He's going up against a very skilled knight and he needs backup." Zelda was frantic—no, she was scared. A great sense of dread and evil filled the air, and she couldn't figure out what it was.

"Your Highness, with all due respect, I've seen what Link is capable of. He can take on one knight." Aromi said, picking out a new sword.

Zelda had gone hoping she would find some soldiers in the armory but all of them either left the castle in fear, or are hiding somewhere. Aromi was the only person who she can find

"Excuse me, am I intruding?" The woman appeared in the armory and Aromi jumped in front of Zelda, with his sword wielded.

"Who are you, and what business do you have with the Princess?" He was shouting.

"Watch that temper, boy. I'm only here to talk with her. Now shush, be quiet." She flipped her spear around, and whacked Aromi on his head. He dropped to the ground.

The woman walked around the room, and traced her finger on the murals on the wall. She was humming some kind of ancient song. Zelda recognized the melody but the name of the song wouldn't come to mind.

Was this woman…?

"So," Zelda began. "you're the shadow of the sand who keeps invading my dreams and my kingdom."

"So that's what they call us? Have they forgotten our names already?" The woman turned towards Zelda.

She couldn't be. But how?

"I know who you are." Zelda said. She pointed at a painting in the room depicting a red haired woman fighting alongside the Hero of Time to defeat Ganondorf. "I thought they died out a long time ago, but there's not a doubt in my mind that you are a Gerudo."

The woman laughed.

"I'm assuming I guessed correctly?" Zelda asked.

She nodded. "I'm here to kill you, Princess Zelda—but not today! No, no, it would be too charitable of me. You'll then have no chance to experience the fear of death constantly looming over you. You haven't suffered enough yet." The woman opened the door.

"Why are you doing this?" Zelda stepped forward. What do you want from me and my kingdom?" Zelda said.

Turning around, the woman said, "Revenge."

3

These women were the toughest women he had ever faced in his entire life. It was one thing if Ilia was angry. It was one thing if Zelda was angry. But with these women? When they're angry—They. Are. Angry.

Link had already taken three of them down. All he had to do was take down the last one.

Link clashed his sword with her spear, and she blocked his every attack. He couldn't lay a finger on her. She was fast, and her reflexes with top notch. Whenever Link got close to landing a strike on her, she would backflip out of the way.

They continued their back and forth fight until the woman slammed the butt of her spear against Link's face. He fell. The woman got on top of him and brought her spear up to his throat. Grabbing the shaft of the spear, he tried to push it back, but the woman kept pushing further.

Link closed his eyes. He didn't have any more strength to use. He couldn't stop the woman.

Link let go of his grip on the spear, and the woman dropped dead. He opened his eyes and looked around.

Wasn't he supposed to be dead by now?

Zelda was in the room, with a bow and arrow in her hands.

"Thank you." Link sat up. The fight drained everything out of him.

"Please thank me later, Link. We have bigger problems on our hands."