Chapter 8

Zelda was shoved through the portal. It felt like swimming through extremely cold water. Zelda fell to the ground and landed on hard wet dirt. She let out an ugh and was yanked to her feet. She looked all around her. It was definitely not Hyrule. The atmosphere was far harsher, like the worst winter she had ever experienced. She shivered slightly as a gust of wind hit her. Ganondorf was standing behind her, his hand lightly touching her elbow. She tried to jerk it away, but he grasped it tightly leading her towards a tent to their left.

He pushed her through the curtained doors and released her hands from their binds. She looked over at him, his eyes always looked like they were glowing. She guessed it was from all the evil that poured into him all the time. "Why are you taking up with the Carenherts? They won't give you glory, money, women, anything, they'll just use you to get to the Royal family's magic and then disown you like they do to each other!" Ganondorf hung his head slightly, but she knew it was out of anger, not sadness.

"You women speak to much. If I had the time, I'd cut out that pretty little tongue, but I'll be needing you to keep that so you can perform some services later…" Zelda could feel bile build up in the back of her throat. He turned from her, she watched his movements carefully. She could see he had a small limp, something that he probably got when he was defeated by Link. She figured she could use that somehow to her advantage. As he closed the large curtain, she could hear the magical enchantment he used around the door to secure it. She sat on the large bed, fit for two. How repulsive… Zelda thought as she looked around the room. It was actually quite beautiful, lavishly decorated with fine silks and materials from all over the kingdoms. Zelda felt like she was at home, and realized this would have been home if they hadn't stolen everything from the castle. She got angered, throwing a throw pillow at the mirror of the armoire, her armoire.

The curtain, concealing her from outside, peaked open. It was a maid. She had a black eye and seemed to be in low spirits. Zelda could only imagine how these people treated her. "M'lady, I am here to bathe you and bring you fresh dressings." Zelda stood up and looked towards the curtain.

"If I ran through there, would they kill you for allowing me to escape?" Zelda asked, turning at the small maid.

"Like I told Sir Link, I don't care if I die, it would be a better existence than being a slave." Zelda looked shocked. She had never known anyone to be so miserable. "At least Ganondorf won't hurt you. He loves you too much." Zelda looked at her, she felt a fire burning deep inside her stomach.

"What do you mean? He beat me, almost to death and tried to drown me." Zelda said exasperated. The maid shook her head and looked at her.

"He is but a man, a man who felt resentment towards a woman he loved. He didn't want to hurt you, but you hurt him. It doesn't make sense now, and I don't have time to explain. Now, if you are going to stay and try to work this out, you'll need to blend in and pretend that you are with this façade." Zelda sighed and removed her chest plate.

"Fine, I don't know what you are getting at, but if there is a man that is as docile as you are making him out to be, then I'll be the judge of it. Let's get this over with now. " Zelda followed her into the wash room. It was lavishly decorated, like the bedroom area. It had beautiful wash basin, probably the same one in her room in the castle. She rolled her eyes and undressed quickly. She didn't want Ganondorf to walk in there and see her naked, in a bathtub. No man had ever seen her naked before. The maid scrubbed her down and washed her head to toe. Zelda automatically felt relaxed. She hadn't felt relaxed since this whole ordeal started.

"There, you are finished M'lady. You should probably get out of the tub now and put these on. They are expecting you for negotiations at Sir Carenhert's tent." Zelda looked at her wearily. She sighed and agreed, this was for the best she assumed. The maid bowed her head, letting her hair fall around her face. Zelda felt so sorry for the girl. These people were so evil. She could only imagine what they might do to a girl, a maid at that. Zelda could picture her breaking a glass on accident, and Dorian grabbing her by the throat and pinning her against a wall, shaking her violently, slapping her around, or even worse. Zelda felt heat flush her cheeks. This was a nightmare, and she had no idea what to do about it. Link was kidnapped by a psychopathic Malon, Ganondorf made a deal with the Carenherts, and almost all of her magic was gone. She had to think fast, quickly, and subtly. She looked around the bathroom, for glass, stone, anything that she could cut someone with. She found a mirror, it was very small, but she could work with it. She smashed it against the bathtub, shattering it into a thousand small shards. She scooped a few up, very carefully and put them in her vest pocket. She enjoyed wearing silks and velvets, it made her feel beautiful, but she hated that she had to get them through her enemies. She shook off the benevolent feeling and kept filling her pocket with the glass shards.

Ganondorf entered the tent. His huge boots made a ruckus, mud dribbling all over the fine carpets. Zelda hated seeing good craftsmanship go to waste. "ready?" He growled, taking her by the hand, loosely.

"Fine, but don't think I'm going along with this." Ganondorf tugged her through the door outside. It was so cold. She could feel her face get rosy as the wind whipped her hair across her eyes. Her hair was soaking wet and made her feel even colder. She knew she would get sick if she stayed out here too long. She could see Dorian in the distance, he was talking to a red head. It was Malon, Zelda could feel herself get hot with anger. She hated that woman. She was powerful, beautiful, and perfectly evil. As the neared, she felt Ganondorf tighten his grip, shaking ever so slightly. He was terrified of her as well, and Zelda thought that this could possibly weaken this man.

"M'lady Zelda." Dorian bowed slightly. Zelda nodded her head, although it felt like her hair was freezing to her skull.

"Make this quick, I don't much like being held prisoner and forced to marry." Dorian chuckled and took a quick glance at Malon. She had her arms crossed against her chest and smiled at Zelda, her eyes looked like embers.

"Well, I'll make it quick. There is one last storage of magic left in Hyrule, unfortunately there is some sort of defense surrounding it and we cannot locate it. You need to tell me where it is so I can continue to correct your kingdom in the ways of the Carenhert Clan." Zelda stood motionless, staring at this beast of a man, his hair frayed out, his eyes wild with sleep deprivation and skin stretched worn from the climate.

"I will never surrender what we have built. I will protect my people, my allies, and my land. I will die before I let you take that from me…" She seethed, looking at Malon now, knowing she was in control.

"Oh, sweet Zelda, the guardian of Hyrule. You are always sacrificing yourself for the greater good. I guess you'd sacrifice yourself over and over again because that is who you are, who you were built to be. I guess if I killed something else, that you dearly care about, then you'd have a change of heart…" Malon snapped her fingers and Dorian went into a large tent. When he came out, he produced her weakened father. He was barely able to stand. He was wearing underclothes that were bloodied and mud stained, his face was worn and weathered, his eyes dull from pain. Zelda gasped and looked at Malon with horrifying anger.

"Release him immediately!" Zelda screamed, reaching for a sword that wasn't there.

"Hah, you think I will just bow down to you? You demand me, I'll do the exact opposite. So you better not ask me to not hurt him, if you know what's good for him…" Malon smiled, her teeth white as Hylian Water Pearls. Zelda growled and felt Ganondorf tighten his grip even more.

"You bitch… Father… If you can hear me. I love you, but I will not sacrifice our family, our legacy, and our lives for this… They are never going to find it, they will never use it, and they will never win…" Zelda could see a small smile form on her father's face. He looked up, through his hazed eyes and mouthed the words I love you the moment Dorian grabbed him by the hair and held a large blade to his throat.

"Last… chance… princess." Malon said cautiously. Zelda stood stern, tears hitting her cheeks like small embers.

"Go to hell…" Malon nodded and they slit his throat. Blood poured to the ground and melted the ice beneath his boots. Zelda screamed silently and felt herself drop to the ground.

"I love you too, father…" Zelda whispered, she could feel the tears streaming down her face. What had she done? How could she ever forgive herself for allowing her father to die? She looked up at Ganondorf, her eyes fixed on the hatred she learned through years of battle with this man.

"We let you live, we allowed you to thrive in a place where people like you should go. You bastard, son of a bitch, you allowed this to happen. For what? More power and glory? Revenge for being in an internal prison where you belonged?! I hate you so much. I hope I die before I ever have to wed you." Zelda spat at him. She dug in her pocket with her free hand and threw the glass shards into his face. A few shards of glass struck his eyes, he buckled and screamed. He let her arm go, and she had a second to get away.

She took off through a field of tents, looking for the portal which she assumed was guarded, probably heavily. She took off to the nearest tent, entering it quickly. She could hear Malon screaming in rage, "AFTER HER!" Zelda laughed a little, but stopped to feel herself cry. She could feel all her energy beginning to drain through her tears. She knew she had to hold it together and find a weapon immediately before they found her.

She turned quickly and saw a bed, with someone in it. It was Link. She was completely relieved.

"Link, Link please wake up. We need to get help from our allies, now. It's so important." Link moaned and turned towards her. Zelda almost fainted. His face was beginning to deteriorate. He was dying, and in the worst way. Link held his hand out to her, touching her face and making a weak smile.

"I need…. Egg of Sportal…" Zelda panicked, that was an extremely rare antidote.

"I am going to look, but you are going to have to help me. You are going to have to come with me Link, it's the only chance we both have of getting out." Zelda turned away from him, quickly searching the tent for a weapon. She found a small dagger, some magic powder, and some bread. She eagerly stuffed the bread down her throat, she was starving. She kept searching for any sort of health potion, but only found half a vile of low grade health potion. She immediately ran over to Link and forced him to drink some of it. It helped a tiny bit. He was able to open his swollen eye and the infection reduced. He stood up, holding on to her for support. He wasn't wearing shoes and was only wearing underclothes as well. She sighed but had no time to clothe him.

"Zelda… we aren't going to make it like this… Leave me here. I'll try to make it out sometime…" Zelda shook her head and looked at her friend. He was getting worse again.

"No, I will not leave you here to spawn with that disgusting demon." She felt Link grip her shoulder and she immediately felt terrible. That was Link's love, just not her anymore. "I'm sorry…" Link's grip loosened.

They pushed past the curtains and could feel Link shiver. She held him a little tighter and looked both ways before running out of the tent. Link was trying his hardest to keep up, but she knew he was dragging her down. There were guards crawling all over the compound. She bit the insides of her cheeks. Link was getting so heavy now, and she didn't know how much strength she had left. She looked over at him and he looked at her. She shook her head no, but felt like she should have left him. She spotted two guards to her left and sucked in a breath of cold air. She moved Link to a tree and prepared to fight.

The guards moved up on her and she immediately began the fight. She silently flipped, punched, kicked, and cracked her way to the finish. Both guards were dead before they even had a chance to signal for Dorian or Malon. Zelda quickly grabbed Link and kept moving. She looked everywhere for the portal, and then she spotted it. She rushed as fast as she could.

There were about 15 guards watching the entrance, waiting for her. She knew that she would get caught immediately. She had to find a way to go unnoticed. She drug Link into another Tent, it was near by but not close enough. It must have been a guard tent because there was enough food, supplies, and weapons for ten men. She smiled and grabbed garments and food from the small closets. She pulled some clothes on Link, trying to disguise him as an injured guard. She pulled on some clothes, and they surprisingly fit her. She smiled and grabbed a short sword. She was much better with a short sword. It balanced well for her size.

She took in a deep breath and pulled open the curtain, dragging poor Link with her. She covered their faces with the large black bandanas and marched straight for the portal.

"You are not authorized to go through the portal. Why do you have an injured guard?" A man stepped in front her, arms folded across his chest. He was twice as tall as she was.

"Malon sent us to go through. This guard has been injured with some sort of serious virus. Zelda snuck in a poison and killed two men with it. She's a sneaky bitch… I need to get him out of here, into quarantine in Hyrule." The guard stepped back quickly, eyeing both of them.

"You used Her name… I guess she did speak with you." Zelda felt perplexed, what did that mean?

"Yes, she allows me to." Zelda stood there, her blue eyes staring at the guard. He sighed and stepped aside. The other guards backed away quickly.

"What is the disease?" One asked as she drug Link slowly by.

"It's a Hyrulian disease; it progresses rapidly and is extremely contagious. It's called Forianix Disease.
Zelda knew about this disease, she experienced it herself. It was horrible, it wiped out half the kingdom's population. The guards stared at her and right before she got to the portal, she could sense tension. Malon was there, had to be there, or very close. She could hear yelling and commotion. She started to run towards the opening, and the moment she fell through it she could hear a distant voice of someone screaming no. Zelda smiled and took out the magic immediately before anyone could get through the portal, throwing the liquid at the portal and infusing it's power with the magic of the portal. Immediately the gateway began to shake and tremor. She could see someone trying to get through, but it was just in time, perfectly timed, and the portal disappeared. She could hear a faint scream and looked at the ground where the portal originally was. There was a long pale finger left there, with a long red nail. Zelda gasped, it was Malon's finger. She quickly grabbed it, maybe her blood carried some sort of disease that could help them destroy her.

Link was still half unconscious, he looked terrible. Zelda stuffed the finger in her pocket and grabbed Link by the arm, dragging him towards the Lost woods. She prayed to see a stray horse nearby. She decided the idea was lost and continued to pull Link, inch by inch, towards the forest. It would take them a little while to reopen the portal, so she had time to think, recooperate, and fix Link if she could find the Egg of Sportal. The last she had heard of the antidote, it was in a cave somewhere in the Lost Forest, it was being guarded by something far too dangerous to be messed with. She sighed, battle seemed to be so tiresome. She needed to rest, if only for a minute.

By the time they reached the forest opening, it was almost dark. Zelda knew the skeletons and ghouls would be out soon, and she hadn't the strength in her to fight them all off. She quickly rushed Link towards the opening, and the moment they came into the darkness of the trees the clock tower in Hyrule Market Place went off, ringing a sweet melody of the night through the air. Zelda smiled, she made it out, and she made it out alive. Link, however, looked very close to death. She quickly found a source of water and gathered as much as she could in a large broad leaf. She brought the water to Link, careful not to spill any of it. He coughed a little as he swallowed it down, she knew it must have pained him, and she knew she couldn't rest until she found the remedy.

"Link, if you can hear me, I'm going to find Egg of Sportal. Legend has it that it is being guarded here in the woods. I will be determined to get you well, even if I have to die trying… Even if I should die, at least it was trying to save you." Zelda looked over her shoulder, she could hear twigs breaking, something was on its way. She grabbed her sword and took cover behind the large tree Link was sprawled under. She could see a bright light through the large shrubs, and recognized it immediately. It was a Kokiri, it was Saria.

"Oh, my dear sage…" Zelda ran to her, hugging her tightly.

"Link is injured, badly." Saria said, her voice unwavering.

"Yes, I'm on my way to the caves to find a cure. He mentioned Egg of Sportal would be the only way." Zelda turned to look at her friend, his face turning more and more grey and swollen. Saria went to him, pulling his head on her lap.

"Yes, but it's far into the woods. It's deep in the brush, the trees thicken the night air where no stars or moonlight will penetrate them. You need to take light with you, if only for a moment. You also need to take this." She threw a glowing red potion at Zelda.

"Which potion is this? I have never seen one glow before." Zelda asked, rolling the small vile in her hand.

"It's one for excessive power and magic. Take it before you enter the cave. What you will encounter is one of the hardest beasts to defeat…" Saria looked up at Zelda, her eyes still emerald green and shining against her small faerie that fluttered around her head.

"I will do my best… Take care of him, and if I fail, you must try to revive him." Saria nodded and returned her focus to Link. Zelda took in a deep breath and turned. It was time to face her destiny, to save the only man who could possibly save them all.