Wow! Once I started writing this chapter I could not stop. I love it when the story just flows like that!
NOTICE: I made a mistake last chapter. I got my characters mixed up, and so told something that never happened, haha. Coincidentally something already talked about in the second chapter. I've gone back and deleted it, but for those that have already read it this ""The punishment for disobedience will be just like the old days. I'm sure you know what I'm referring to? I know you do, Sephora, you were there." / "Yes," she smiled and inclined her head. / Rolox chuckled darkly. "Just like what you did to Talisman. I like it."" That is wrong. The correct version is in chapter 2 when Sephora tells Link "After [Talisman] locked away my father, he tried to rule himself. But his son saw him for the traitor he was. He branded a 'T' in his face, so that the world would know what he had done."
Sorry about that!
Thank you to Screen, Snowyflakes, Kamil the Awesome, Sbirney, and ZeLinkFanGirl for your reviews! You make my rainy days bright!
Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda
CH. 10
Six months later . . .
Zelda stayed low to the ground, her body hidden by the thick brush. She felt a particularly pointed limb digging into her side, but she ignored it. Her blonde hair was tied back into a braid, and she wore a make-shift Sheikah outfit of blues and grays. It consisted of knee-high boots wrapped in cloth, traveling pants and shirt, a tunic with a hood, and bandages wrapped around her hands to prevent them from becoming slippery or getting cut. She rather liked the set up of the outfit, and thought that she'd have to try to keep the same design as she grew out of it.
She glanced at Impa to her right, who gave her the signal to look. The both peered over the top of the ridge and out to the village below. Night fell heavy over it, the lantern lights barely breaking the dark. It wasn't a big village, but it was in a strategic location. Just on the border of the woods, where the Southern and Western Kingdoms met. Which was why the general in charge of the Western Kingdom – Rolox, if their information was correct – had the village inhabited by soldiers.
"See that?" Impa whispered, pointing. "That is the supply building. You can tell because it's the only one locked with a guard in front. We'll have to come around the back and onto the roof. From there, we can take the guard by surprise and break in. We won't have long, so only grab the most important things, and only what you can carry quickly back."
"Got it," Zelda said, nodding. She felt adrenaline start to warm her up. It was her first mission, what she had been training for for almost a year now. She wanted everything to go perfectly.
Impa glanced behind them at the man dressed in light armor. "Reego, if something appears to be going wrong, come down and get the princess back to the cave. Don't worry about me, I'll rescue myself."
Reego's laugh sounded in the darkness. "Of that I am certain."
The Sheikah favored him with a smile before looking back to Zelda. "Let's go."
Staying low to the ground, they silently moved through the foliage toward the back of the village. Zelda had learned just how to walk and balance her weight so as not to make noise. Impa had told her that soon it would become second nature to her, but for now the princess had to concentrate. The air was cool and crisp, with the faint smell of roasting meat from the village. A hazy covering of smoke from the meal still lingered over the buildings.
Once they were to the proper side, they had to leave the cover of the plants and go across the open space to the back of the building. Luckily it was well shadowed. Following her guardian, Zelda ran in a crouch as quickly as she could to the storage building.
Impa brought her hard, angular face close to Zelda's young, soft one and whispered, "I'll take care of the guard. Come around in ten seconds."
Wanting to question how Impa could possibly know how long it would take, the princess just nodded. She could ask later.
She watched Impa crouch and then jump an impossible height to the roof. It was a Sheikah skill she hadn't yet learned. She waited anxiously, counting in her head. She didn't hear any noise. Once she reached ten, she darted around the side of the building and to the front.
She saw Impa rise up from where she'd landed on top of the guard. She then turned to the door and broke the lock with two fingers. Zelda's interest was piqued. Wow! How did she do that and when can I learn it?
Glancing to be sure they hadn't yet been seen –soldiers mingled about the village, but hadn't yet taken notice – Impa pushed the door open just enough to allow them both to slip inside before closing it behind them.
It was pitch black, but Impa seemed to know just where to find the lantern. She lit it and illuminated a square room stacked with supplies of all sorts. There was food, clothes, tools, weapons, armor, and even basic supplies such as dishes and mirrors.
A mirror would be nice, Zelda thought. I haven't seen a mirror since I left the castle.
Impa immediately went over to the weapons and began picking out a selection, the lantern light gleaming off of the metal. She stuffed smaller ones into her bag, and she was working on hooking swords to her back securely.
Unable to resist, Zelda went over to the hand mirror and stuffed it into her belt. She turned to the armor and grabbed two smaller helmets that would fit in her bag without taking up too much room. She grabbed a handful of cups and two towels and oh thank you Nayru there was soap!
The noises of voices drew closer to the building, and Zelda felt her heart start to pound as she shut her bag and tied it around her.
"Let's go," Impa said calmly, waking in long strides over to the princess.
"How are we going to-"
Impa grabbed hold of her arm and struck two fingers against the ground. With a flash they were gone.
Zelda felt a sickening sensation before the world reformed around them atop the ridge at the edge of the woods. She shook her head to clear it. Teleporting always made her feel dizzy.
Reego stood up as he saw them. "How did it go?"
"Perfectly," Impa answered. "It couldn't have gone better."
"Glad to hear it," he replied, green eyes shining in the dark. "Let's get going, shall we? Before we're caught."
They turned and began heading back into the woods.
"How did you break that lock? And when can I learn to jump that high and teleport?" Zelda asked.
The Sheikah chuckled. "All three are advanced Sheikah techniques. The first you will learn is how to jump much higher and further than you could before. The last you will learn is how to teleport. It is the most difficult of the lessons and draws upon all your training."
Zelda huffed impatiently. "It's so useful, though! And how did you know that it would take you ten seconds to knock out the guard? And how did you find the lantern so easily?"
Reego laughed. "Learned a lot from this mission, did we?"
"She never stops asking questions," Impa grinned, "I fear it shall only get worse. Through your training you'll learn to quiet your mind and become aware of your surroundings. You won't panic when thrust into a dark room and will be able to reach out and feel for the lantern with serenity. I only knew how long it would require to stop the guard because I've done that maneuver countless times in my life."
"You're so amazing, Imps," Zelda said.
Her guardian gave her a warm smile and a one-arm hug. "So are you, my dear." She abruptly stopped. "Wait."
Suddenly two soldiers from the village stepped out of the darkness in front of them, walking casually as if they'd just gone to take a break. They, too, slid to a stop upon seeing the group.
There was a beat of silence before Impa drew out two knives for each hand and darted forward. She killed the first soldier with a clean slice across the throat, the blood seeming bright in the dark. The second soldier drew out his sword and swung with a cry. Impa ducked, letting it glide over her head, before plunging her two knives between gaps of armor on both his sides. He crumpled.
"Whoa," Zelda breathed.
Impa retrieved her knives. "That could have ended badly. Good thing there was only two of them. Let's hurry back to the cave."
As they began to jog silently through the woods, Zelda thought that it hardly mattered how many there were, Impa would have been able to take on army.
.
LoZ
.
Link was becoming restless.
Ever since his parents had died, he'd never stayed in one place for too long. Despite the fact that he hadn't yet stayed in Hyrule Castle for a year, he was restless. He didn't think he necessarily wanted to leave. He would miss the generals and wanted to be a part of this change in Hyrule that he helped bring about. But the fact that he was becoming less and less certain that he had done the right thing made him anxious.
Throughout the last six months, he'd carried on with the routine. Hassin taught him more and more about Hyrule's history and language, books, mathematics, science, geography, theories of magic and even about all the races and creatures of the land. Logon kept him working hard in his training, adding some hand-to-hand combat and different weapons into their lessons.
The generals would stay again at the end of every month, and it was something Link always looked forward to with excitement and trepidation.
He loved the time spent with Ganon and Acroff. They would talk about what was going on in their lives, though the conversations had never gotten serious about Mordecai since the first incident. They would watch him train and even eat private breakfasts with him.
But Sephora always treated him like he was her child; overly sweet and loving, at times giving him a conspiratorial smile. She never made another mention of taking her father's place on the throne again, for which he was thankful. And Rolox avoided him whenever possible.
The relationship between himself and Mordecai was tight. There was tension and suspicion in every meeting they had, and Link found it to be an exhausting process. He was always trying to gauge whether Mordecai was truly good for Hyrule, and it felt like the man was weighing Link's trust and worth.
The boy stood up from where he'd been lying on his bed, letting out his breath heavily. Evening light slanted in through the windows, making his room glow as if it was lighted by fire. Dark shadows were cast behind his furniture.
"Okay," Link said, gesturing in the air. "Either Mordecai is actually good and I'm worrying too much . . . or he's actually bad and has just been lying."
That also brought to question on why the generals had told him how good Mordecai was, but that was a topic for another time. He needed to sort through this web of words and actions to see the true Mordecai.
Link began to pace, recalling things said that had cast the Master in a good light.
There was a man once, a long time ago, who went by the title of 'the Master'. The entire world was under his rule. There was no violence, there was no war. Only peace.
The Master needs to overthrow this rule if he's to bring Hyrule back into peace.
But there won't be any more fighting, now that the Master is in charge.
He shook his head violently, pacing in his room. But that hadn't yet come true. Sure, Mordecai had strong control over people, but there was still resistance, still violence. How long until peace truly reigned?
And what had he been told about Mordecai that cast him in a bad light?
There's too much to tell right now. Just know that there are people coming to kill me, you, and a bunch of other people.
Link, you can't believe a word that they say.
Never assume the Master doesn't know. That's the quickest way to-Well, it's bad.
He still does it, kid. It's his insurance policy. It protects him from those who want to take his power. He has anyone in service to him allow him to lock a part of their spirit inside the blade.
Don't trust anyone.
I can't go against his command.
Link . . . I am extremely disappointed in you. My chamber guards reported to me that you went into my room looking for a list I never asked for. I'm also very disappointed in them, and they have been punished accordingly.
Link swallowed at that memory. He'd never seen those two guards again.
He had read about Mordecai in a book over evil in Hyrule. And he didn't like that the Master locked parts of people's souls in the Sword of Spirits so he could send them into the Realm of Eternal Darkness at his leisure. And then he had sealed his own wife in the Realm of Lost Souls . . .
Link, you don't understand everything that is going on here.
His eyes widened as he stopped his pacing, recalling Talisman saying that to him the last time he'd seen him. Right before he was about to draw the Master Sword and free Mordecai.
Link, you don't understand everything that is going on here.
He was right, the boy decided. He didn't understand. For once he wanted the entire truth, and he was going to get it.
Making up his mind, he turned and left his room to go see Mordecai.
.
LoZ
.
"I'm sorry, but you can't-"
Link pushed past the guards that moved to stop him as he approached the throne room doors. He didn't care why Mordecai wanted privacy right now. In fact, he'd rather walk in on whatever it was he wanted to be kept secret.
A soldier reached out to grab him. "We cannot allow you to enter!"
Link ducked quickly from his grasp and sprinted for the doors. He skidded to a stop before them as he heard the guards running up behind him, their metal armor clanking. He wrenched the door handle and bounded into the room.
He blinked in the change of light. It was surprisingly dark in the massive throne room. All the torches were out, and outside the sun had just set. At first it made the three people in the room difficult to make out. But as his eyes adjusted, he saw that there were two children a few years younger than he – a boy and a girl – standing at the foot of the stairs that led to the throne. Mordecai stood a few steps above them, holding the Sword of Spirits.
All three looked over at his entrance.
"Help us!" the little girl shouted, her brown curls bouncing as she whirled around. "We didn't do anything wrong!"
Link frowned, feeling a nervous feeling clench his gut. "Mordecai . . . what's going on?"
The Master heaved an exasperated sigh. "You need to stop calling me by my name, Link."
Anger flared up, hot and bright. "And you need to tell me everything that is going on! No more secrets. I want to know the truth."
There was a moment of silence, his voice still seeming to echo through the grand room.
"The truth?" He couldn't fully see Mordecai's expression in the dark, but he could hear the malice in his voice. "You want the truth? Very well then. These two children were caught stealing food. And you know I have zero patience for those who break the law. That's what you wanted, right? Strict enforcement of the laws so there would be no criminal acts."
Link opened his mouth, but was stunned into silence. He looked at the kids.
"We were hungry!" the boy protested, his voice shaking. "Our parents are dead and we can't buy any food!"
Link felt like he'd been stabbed through the chest. That had been him, only four years ago. Both parents dead, afraid, no way to take care of himself. He'd stolen a few times, too.
The Hylian sighed. "Mordecai you can't possibly punish them for this. They were-"
But he never got to finish. With one smooth, swift swipe Mordecai had sliced off their heads. They tumbled from their bodies and landed with a sickening thud on the floor. Their bodies crumpled after that, blood beginning to stain the marble.
Link felt as if the floor had dropped out from underneath him. He desperately reached out and grabbed one of the columns that bordered the doors for support. He blinked wide blue eyes at the macabre scene, his breathing coming out heavy and his heart seeming to stop and race through his chest at the same time.
Oh Goddesses . . .
He lifted his gaze to Mordecai who was wiping his sword clean. The fading light from the windows caught in his eyes, and they flashed coldly as he gazed back.
Feeling like he was going to be sick, Link turned and burst back into the hall. He didn't see the guards there, but perhaps they had run off thinking they, too, would be punished for allowing Link to go somewhere he wasn't allowed.
The boy ran through the corridors, tears blurring his vision before he blinked them away. A few servants called out to him in concern, but he didn't answer. It seemed too long before he made it into his room, hurrying inside and locking the door behind him.
He collapsed onto his floor and vomited, his arms shaking and sweat rolling down his temples. Once done, he sat back against the door, struggling to catch his breath.
He killed them. He killed them. He killed them.
It was too much. He felt like he couldn't breathe if he stayed in the castle any longer. If he stayed with Mordecai any longer. He staggered to his feet and ran over to where his boots were set by the bed. He pulled them on, and the task suddenly seemed difficult. He lost his balance and sat back on the bed, wrenching the shoes on. He then fumbled for his sword and strapped it to his back.
He glanced once around his room, wondering if he should bring anything. But he really didn't have anything special to him. Just clothes and equipment he'd been given.
Link ran over to the window and threw it open, the cool night air hitting his too hot face. He looked at the courtyard below, two stories down. He examined the ridges along the wall and decided it was safe to climb. Swinging his leg out the window, he maneuvered out and onto the wall.
He held onto it for a moment, a sense of vertigo pulling at his gut. The wind whipped at his pants and dark blue shirt. He stared down and slowly began to climb. He stepped down and balanced his feet on uneven stone. Lowering his hands to other holds, he moved his center of gravity further toward the ground. He continued this process slowly and meticulously, a couple times his feet slipping on narrow surfaces.
At last he was only a few feet from the grass and he hopped down. He took in his surroundings before noting the direction of the stables. He ran for them. He knew any soldiers on guard that saw him wouldn't question him, so long as Mordecai didn't know he was running away. He had to be quick about this.
After a few turns he found the wooden building of the stables. He knocked persistently on the door until an overweight, older man opened it.
"Wha- Oh, Link. What can I do for you?" the man asked.
"I need a horse," he responded.
"Sun just set. You sure you want to go riding now?"
He nodded. "Yes." Please, please hurry!
Everything the man did seemed to be too slow as he found a suitable horse and saddled it up. Link thanked him quickly and mounted. The brown animal was slightly too big for him, but he would make do. He was happy for the year he'd worked at Lon Lon Ranch; he'd become a fairly good horse rider there.
Link couldn't seem to get out of the castle grounds fast enough, and as soon as he saw Castle Town open up before him he took a huge gulp of air, as if he'd been suffocating.
He kicked the horse into a gallop as he sped toward the exit.
.
LoZ
.
Sephora closed the door behind her into a small, private room of her castle in the Northern Kingdom. She pulled the curtains closed until all light was gone. She then drew her dark purple skirts that were slit in three different places about her as she sat down. The marble floor was cool on her thighs, her boots reaching up to her knees. She calmed her breathing and centered herself.
Just a few minutes ago she'd felt Mordecai trying to contact her. They hadn't used their magical connection since he'd been released from the Realm of Eternal Darkness. She was curious what could be so urgent that he had to speak to her immediately.
Tossing her long black hair from her face, she closed her eyes and opened herself to the magic. She reached out to meet his connection.
Master? she inquired.
Sephora, there is a problem.
Oh?
Link has run off. The man in the stables told me he got a horse about a half hour ago, Mordecai told her. I need you to contact the other generals. All of you must find him and bring him back to me.
She frowned. Master, I've never attempted to magically contact the other generals before.
Can you do it? His tone was cold.
Yes, I can. But it may take awhile.
There is no time. We must find him before someone else does. Do it now.
She sighed. Yes, Father.
The connection was severed and she sighed. She felt like all she ever did was run his errands. It was interesting that Link had run off, but then again she supposed it was only a matter of time.
Clearing her mind again, she prepared for some tiring efforts to contact the other generals.
.
LoZ
.
Zelda and Impa entered the cave and were greeted by a few of the Rebellion members who had stayed awake to keep watch.
"Where's Captain Reego?" one asked, lounging against the rocky wall.
"He stayed behind to check the security of the forest borders," Impa told them. "Expect him back in a few hours."
"Yes, ma'am."
"I'm pretty tired, Impa," Zelda said. "I think I'm going to wash off and then go to bed."
The Sheikah nodded. "Alright. You did wonderful tonight."
Those words warmed her heart. "Thank you."
Zelda headed out of the wide main cavern and into one of the numerous twisting, narrow tunnels. She had learned her way around the cave expertly, and no longer got lost, even in the places where light was slim. It was quiet now, most of the Rebellion was asleep.
Impa had informed her that they had close to one hundred members now. And that, to have a chance against Mordecai, they would need hundreds. Zelda couldn't imagine the cave with hundreds of people living in it. It was busy enough as it was. People were always coming and going, doing chores, bringing in food, eating food, making weapons and furniture and clothes. It reminded her of her days back in the castle, only much dirtier and less civilized.
Anymore, her days in the castle felt like some sort of dream. Something she could remember, but only in a detached sense. It was so hard to compare that life to this one. This one was real, that one had been a fantasy.
As the members of the Rebellion grew, it became more difficult to personally know each one. She was still good friends with the first five members that had joined them – Mitch, Scout, Tal, Ruby, and Megan – and also some of the ones that had joined them in the third month. But people just kept coming in every few weeks. It was strange that she was no longer recognized as a princess. She simply blended in with the rest of the crowd.
Reego and Impa kept strict charge of the Rebellion, giving weekly meetings and keeping a paper on the wall that listed things that needed to be done, what they were short on, and any upcoming training sessions and missions.
Reego trained everyone with the help of experienced fighters that had joined them. Missions were relatively simple and included small raids, going undercover to find new members, and checking the security of the forest. But Impa had promised her that as their strength grew their missions would get more serious. They would aim to challenge Mordecai more, rather than just protect themselves.
Zelda entered into the oval cavern that contained the pool. It was an area where an underground river broke the surface. The water was always warm and the sides were shallow enough to relax on. Some of the more artistic members of the Rebellion had arranged rocks artfully around the water and had hung up some decorative blankets.
Zelda pulled one such blanket over the entrance and hooked it on a nail that had been stuck into the other side. A symbol that someone was currently occupying the bath and not to enter.
The princess pulled off her Sheikah clothes and waded into the warm water until it reached her neck. As she washed herself with the new soap they had gotten (oh thank you Nayru!) she felt pride soar in her.
She had been on her first mission! It was quite exciting. But it also showed her how much more she had to learn to be a Sheikah. She hoped to go on many missions after this and learn more quickly.
Once done bathing, she climbed out of the water and to one of the many silk robes hanging up along more nails driven into the wall. A middle-aged woman they'd found roving across Hyrule in a carriage had brought them. She was a vender and was hoping to find more business in another city outside of Castle Town where, according to her, things had gotten "too spooky". There really wasn't much use for silk robes in the hard lifestyle of the Rebellion, but she had given them all to bathing purposes, "so people can just head back to their room to change into new clothes, rather than carry them along". And it was quite convenient, given the size of the cave.
As Zelda wrapped a blue robe around her, tying the sash, she glanced down at her body, frowning. She had turned thirteen a week ago and begun to notice her body changing. It really was embarrassing, she thought, especially when Impa had sat down with her and given her The Talk. But it had answered some interesting questions.
Grabbing her Sheikah clothes, she left the bathing room and headed back through the winding tunnels into the main cavern. From there, she entered the Southern Neighborhood, thus named because it was a series of tunnels in the southern part of the cave that housed lots of small caverns now used for rooms.
Zelda had gotten her own room one month ago, a fact she was very glad of. Since Impa was the head of the Rebellion, people often came to her room (that was connected to the main cavern) to ask her questions. Zelda had gotten very annoyed of her privacy being breached when she just wanted to be left alone in the room for awhile.
By the time she had gotten to choose her own room, the ones closest to the main cavern had already been taken. She had found hers off of a branching left tunnel and at the very end. It was a nicely sized circular one, and she had the entrance covered with a blue sheet.
She entered into her room and sat down on the bed, which was a frame of wood Reego had made with deer skin stretched across. She had a real pillow brought from a raid, for which she was very thankful. She also had a large chest, something Reego had bought on a trip to Labrynna, in which she stored her things. She opened it up, folded her Sheikah clothes, and set them atop her clothes stack, which occupied one half of the chest. In the other half were set her weapons – two daggers - , the photo she'd taken from her room of her and her family the night she'd fled the castle, and two fiction books Impa had bought for her on a trip to Castle Town. Zelda also set the hand mirror she'd acquired inside.
Such a meager set of belongings, but they were all very important to her.
Pausing for a moment, she reached back in the chest and pulled out the mirror, looking at her reflection. She was somewhat startled by what she saw.
"I look much older than thirteen," she whispered.
Feeling weariness tug at her body, she put the mirror back, closed the chest, and lied down on the bed. She pulled her covers up over her and drifted into a heavy sleep.
.
LoZ
.
The wind tore at Link at he rode his horse quickly through Hyrule Field. The night sky opened up over him, a full moon making him feel too exposed. He could see mountains in the distance, and knew the woods covered those. That's where he was heading. It was a good place to stay hidden, at least temporarily until he decided where to go. Right now he didn't care. He just wanted to get away from Mordecai.
He murdered those children.
Link really couldn't believe what had happened, knew it had been happening for awhile now. He just hadn't wanted to see it. Mordecai wasn't good for Hyrule. He was power hungry and ruthless, just like the book on evil had said.
How much of what he'd been told was the truth, and how much was a twisted version of it? How much was an outright lie? Sephora had told him most of what he'd based his decision to help Mordecai on. Ganon and Acroff had supported her, but Link didn't want to think they would lie to him.
Would they?
What hurt most was that Zelda had been right all along. And he had betrayed her trust.
Why didn't she just tell me the whole story? he thought. Why won't anyone tell me the whole story?
He knew now why Mordecai and the generals had never told him everything. Because then he would know the truth. And Zelda and Talisman hadn't told him everything because they didn't think they needed to at that moment. They thought Link would do what they said and there would plenty of time later to explain.
He choked back a sob, tears blurring his vision again. He'd been angry that the previous king's rule had been ineffective so that his parents had been murdered.
But now, he'd helped seat a king that was doing the murdering himself.
.
LoZ
.
Ganondorf glared out at the stars, standing atop the Gerudo Fortress. The wind whipped his cape back from his muscular body, and he could see the forms of Gerudos on patrol around their home.
He saw the flash of light and heard the noise of a portal opening and closing behind him. He knew without looking who it was. Only Acroff's Demon Staff could warp places.
"Did Sephora contact you?" Acroff asked, sounding uncharacteristically worried.
Ganon nodded as the gaudily dressed white-haired man came up beside him. "She did, just a few minutes ago. I assume you've come to warp me to the other two generals so we can track Link together?"
Acroff gave a cry of frustration. "I don't want to track Link down! If he's run off, then good for him! He's safer that way."
"I agree," the Gerudo said, facing the other general. "But what can we do? Not look for him? We'd be suspected of betrayal and sent to the Realm of Eternal Darkness faster than you can say 'missing Hero'."
"But if we go after him then we betray Link! I can't do that to him."
"Do that to him?" Ganon shouted. "You've already manipulated him so that he'd do something he never wanted. Apparently he's realized that Mordecai is evil. What do you think you can do? Allow him to run away, then find him and apologize?"
Acroff flinched, eyebrows bent despondently. "Well . . . we could just not look for him and never see him again."
The Gerudo sighed, shaking his head. His tone was softer as he responded, "You already know we can't do that. The Master won't allow it."
Acroff looked off into the distance, biting his lower lip.
"Listen," Ganondorf said, placing a large hand on the man's arm. "We can't get ourselves sent into the Realm of Eternal Darkness. Then we'll never get to look after Link. Right now, the best thing to do might be bringing him back to the Master. We have to play along until we can-"
He broke off, amber eyes glancing around nervously. Acroff looked up at him sharply, but not in shock or anger. His blue eyes shone with interest.
What went unsaid rang in both their minds, and the ex-circus performer nodded. "Agreed. Until the time is right for us to . . . smell the winds of change."
Ganon chuckled. "I never thought I'd be saying something like that. Not when we first started out with Sephora."
"Everything has changed now," Acroff sighed. "Because of Link."
Ganondorf grinned out at the horizon. "Damn that kid."
.
LoZ
.
As the hours passed, Link at last made it to the woods. He allowed the horse to run free and decided to go on foot. He'd be faster that way, and less likely to be noticed. He figured dawn was drawing closer, perhaps a few hours more. He felt exhausted in every sense of the word, but knew he couldn't stop. Not yet.
He trudged through the foliage and around the trees, his scabbard bouncing against his back. He raked his fingers through his thick blonde hair that had gotten messed up from the wind.
A noise up ahead caused him to jump, his head jerking up with enough force to strain his neck. He saw, a few feet away, a man dressed in rugged clothes, light armor, and carrying a sword. He had a thin face with brown hair and green eyes that were wide in the dark.
Link held up his hands. The man looked ready to fight, and he didn't want that. "Wait, wait! I'm . . ." An idea struck him as he assessed the situation: a man in worn clothes, sneaking through the border woods at night. By the way he was holding the sword, he obviously knew how to fight. His armor had the Hylian army crest on it. Had this man run away from the castle when Mordecai took over?
Maybe he has a place for me to hide, Link thought. Maybe he knows where Zelda is, or is part of the organized rebellion Mordecai talked about.
"I'm looking for Princess Zelda," Link finished. He saw the man jerk in surprise, so he continued, "I want to join the rebellion. I'm a friend of hers. My name is Link and she-"
"Link?" A voice called from further off in the woods. The boy recognized the voice instantly: Ganondorf. He felt his stomach drop.
The man must have noticed the fear in his face, because he took off running.
Link began to run after him, bounding over thick roots and thorny bushes, before he heard a growl behind him. His heart leapt into his throat. Rolox!
Knowing he couldn't outrun the general, he skidded to a stop, turned, and yanked his sword out in one swift move. The blade sliced across flesh and Rolox cried out. There was a flash of blood in the darkness.
Link stumbled back, keeping his sword out in front of him. "Stay away from me!" he shouted warningly.
Rolox glared up at him, a line of blood across his cheekbone. He was in his bestial form, claws on his fingers and spikes protruding from his back. In the darkness of the woods, he appeared more animalistic than he'd ever had.
"I warned you not to cross me a third time," Rolox spat out.
He leapt forward and Link rolled out of the way, getting leaves and grass in his clothes. He jumped to his feet as the general sprang at the spot he'd just been. Link swung out with his sword again, but Rolox jumped over it and tackled the boy.
They both rolled over across the ground, roots tearing at their skin. As they stopped, Link under the man, he drew his knees up and drove his feet into Rolox's ribs. The general pulled back but only fractionally, his teeth bared.
"Get off of me!" Link shouted, struggling to free his sword arm.
Rolox wrapped a hand around the Hylian's throat and picked him up, slamming him into a tree trunk. Link gripped the man's wrist, trying to pull it off, and he swung his sword with his free hand. Rolox kicked his arm, causing him to drop his sword with a cry of pain. That was sure to leave a nasty bruise. He struggled to bring his feet up to kick, but the half-beast shifter was leaning in so close that he didn't have room. His knees just banged against the man's shins as he writhed.
Link pulled against Rolox's wrist as strong as he could, groaning with the effort. But the man was much stronger, especially in his bestial form. The trunk was digging into his back. He looked wildly around the dark woods, but couldn't see anyone. Where was Ganondorf? He could still breathe, so the object wasn't to choke him. Was he just going to hold him there until Sephora or Mordecai arrived?
Suddenly he felt sharp claws pressing against his stomach. He stared wide-eyed at a snarling Rolox, the man's dark eyes wild. The claws pressed harder, drawing blood.
"Stop!" Link shouted, increasing his struggles.
The claws began to drag across his skin, ripping his shirt as they did so. Pain sliced through him and he cried out, feeling the warm blood running down to stain his pants.
"Ganon!" he screamed. "Ganon!"
A burst of bright red light shot from the trees and slammed into Rolox. He was yanked from Link, the force sending the boy to the ground and Rolox's claws grazing his neck. He looked up to see Ganondorf walking toward them, face filled with fury and a triangle on the back of his hand glowing red.
"Don't you dare touch him," the Gerudo hissed.
Rolox growled in response. "Don't you use the Triforce of Power on me."
"I will again if you touch him," Ganondorf said, taking a step forward.
Rolox readied himself into a crouch. "Is that how you want to do this?"
Sephora's voice rang out through the trees, short and commanding. "Stop it! Both of you."
She and Acroff emerged from the darkness, and the Demon Staff wielder ran over to Link, kneeling beside him. "Are you alright?"
Link sat up, touching his stomach gingerly. Blood was staining his clothes.
Acroff sucked in his breath. "Ouch. It doesn't look too deep, though. Let me bind it up."
As the white-haired general ripped off part of his dark jacket and began to wrap it around Link's middle, Sephora snapped, "I won't tolerate generals in-fighting. We have to be united. I won't tell the Master about it this time, but if there are any more incidences, then he'll be informed. And I know you both don't want that."
Ganondorf and Rolox just glared silently at one another.
Link knew he had to run, and fast. Maybe he could use their distraction to his advantage. As soon as Acroff finished tying his bandage he shoved off the ground, turned away from the generals, and bolted into the woods.
He only got two steps before something snapped around his ankle and brought him hard to the ground. The wind knocked out of him, he stayed there and gritted his teeth in pain. Hopelessness began to gnaw at his gut. He couldn't escape.
As he heard footsteps approach and he turned onto his side to see Sephora's whip she always carried hooked around his ankle. She pulled it free, regarding him for a moment. He looked up at her and immediately wished he hadn't. He felt himself calming; the adrenaline faded, as did his anger and passion.
"Link," she said softly. "It's okay now. Come back home with us and we'll get everything sorted."
Link pushed himself to sit up, but couldn't find the desire to run again. He stared up at her as Ganondorf huffed in frustration. Acroff and Rolox watched silently.
Sephora kneeled down before him. "It's okay now. Just let me help you up and we can talk about this. Everything will be fine."
He held out his hand and she pulled him gently to his feet. But she didn't let go and instead slid behind him, grabbing his other hand and wrenching them both behind his back. He felt rope bind his wrists together, and at last hot anger burned through him. But he knew resisting any more would be pointless. It would just delay the investable and get him hurt more.
"There's a good boy," Sephora whispered close to his pointed ear before looping a gag through his mouth. He grunted in protest.
"Please carry him, Ganondorf," Sephora said, keeping her hand on Link's shoulder.
The Gerudo walked over to him and bent down so he could grab around his waist. They made eye contact, and Link saw a sadness in his amber eyes. Then strong hands lifted him up and laid him over his shoulder. It was a rather embarrassing position, but the general was at least gentle.
"Acroff," Sephora said, "take us to the Master."
Link closed his eyes as dread took an icy hold of him. This would not end well. At least he had Ganondorf and Acroff with him. Despite the fact that he realized they had manipulated him, and they had helped find him in the woods, he still trusted them, if only slightly. He at least didn't think they'd watch him be killed.
Acroff created a portal with the Demon Staff and they went through, finding themselves in the throne room of the castle. It was warmer inside than it had been in the woods, but not much brighter. Moonlight came in through the windows, and two torches were lit. Mordecai sat atop his throne, and he stood up upon their entry.
"We found him and brought him back, Master," Sephora stated.
Ganondorf sat Link down and moved to untie the rope, but Mordecai held up a hand. "No. Leave it. You can take off the gag, though."
Link was relieved to feel the cloth removed from his mouth, which he sat into a hard frown as he glared up at the man. Mordecai looked as pristine as ever, his black hair smoothed back and unruffled, his dark clothes the epitome of sophistication. Even though Link knew the man must be furious, he moved with slow grace as he descended the steps to the floor. They all stood silently, watching him.
Mordecai took a long, deep breath, letting it out with a tone of disappointment. "Oh dear, Link. My patience has reached its end. I'm going to have to punish you for this. Hopefully that will correct your behavior."
Fear ran icy cold through his veins, but anger also burned in him. Anger at the way he was being treated, and at how this man had lied to him. So he snapped back, "What are you going to do? Put a part of my soul into your Sword of Spirits? Force me to obey you because you can't control me any other way?"
Link knew immediately that that had been the right thing to say. He saw the flash of indignation in Mordecai's black eyes. The Master wouldn't be called out like that; he was too proud. Link thought that as long as his soul wasn't in the blade, as long as he had his own free will, he had hope.
"You think I can't control a child?" Mordecai said softly, walking closer. "You think I can't control you?"
"You can't," Link snapped.
The man kept walking until he was right before the Hylian, forcing him to tilt his head back to meet him in the eye. "We'll see what you think after I'm through with you."
He grabbed Link's arm and pulled him along as he left the throne room, walking quickly down the halls. Link glanced back to see the generals trailing. Sephora seemed calm, Rolox was smirking, and Ganon and Acroff looked worried.
"Master," Acroff said tentatively, "what are you going to do?"
"Punish him in accordance with his crimes," Mordecai said simply.
They reached a staircase and began descending down. With each step, Link's anxiety grew. He swallowed his dry throat, his heart pounding. The air grew colder as they went down and down, dust growing thicker on the steps.
After several minutes they reached an iron door. Mordecai produced a key and unlocked it, pushing it open and yanking Link inside.
What he saw made him feel sick.
They were in the torture chamber. Tables that ran along the walls were filled with sharp metal instruments. There were chains and shackles attached to the walls and hanging from the ceiling. There were chairs with cuffs and tables with straps. It smelled of blood and rust, sharp and metallic.
"What's going on?" Ganondorf asked, his voice tight.
Link looked desperately back at him as Mordecai pulled him further into the room. The Gerudo watched him with a horrified expression. Link dug his heels into the ground, resisting the Master's pull.
"You better cooperate," Mordecai hissed.
Link looked around in panic. He couldn't escape. He literally could not. With Mordecai, Sephora, and Rolox gained up against him, there was no way he could get free. He had Ganondorf and Acroff, but they couldn't win. Not with the power Mordecai had over them.
I just have to accept it, Link thought, the idea making him dizzy and nauseous. I just have to take whatever he does to me.
He stopped resisting almost to the point of being limp, suddenly all energy feeling as if it was drained from him, except that the fear kept his muscles tight. Mordecai dragged him to a wooden table that had been propped up at nearly a ninety degree angle.
"Sephora, help me," the Master said.
She came over, her heels seeming to click loudly in the silence. Mordecai lifted Link up and pressed him against the table. Sephora calmly strapped his ankles into the cuffs, having to pull on them to accommodate his smaller proportions. Mordecai then ripped the ropes off of his wrists and fastened them on either side of his head. Another strap was tied just underneath his chest. It was uncomfortable and Link immediately wanted out.
Sephora stepped back to stand next to Rolox, her expression blank. Ganondorf and Acroff exchanged nervous glances.
"Master, is this really necessary?" Ganon pressed.
Mordecai gazed at Link, who was glaring back. "Oh yes, it is. We can't have this little one thinking he's in control."
Link snapped out, "I let you out of the Realm of Eternal Darkness, and I can send you back!"
Mordecai regarded him in silence, and Link noticed Sephora blinking in surprise several feet away. His proclamation seemed to ring out in the chamber's cold air, fading into silence.
"Indeed," the Master said smoothly. "Generals, I'd like you four to leave now."
"But Master-" Acroff began.
Mordecai whipped around to face them. "I said leave. Unless you want to challenge me, also?"
Sephora and a grinning Rolox walked out and with some hesitation Ganondorf and Acroff did, too. Link watched them go and they kept eye contact with him until they were out of the door. He suddenly felt like he was going to vomit again.
Mordecai walked over to one of the tables, his back turned to Link. "I don't take kindly to traitors. And what you did today was very much an act of betrayal. Back in my day, we had a specific punishment for traitors. Something that would cause them pain not only in the moment, but for the rest of their life."
Mordecai turned around, brandishing a knife. Link swallowed the lump in his throat, beginning to breathe heavily.
As the Master walked up to him, he said, "Back in my day, when someone committed a betrayal, they were marked with a 'T' so that everyone would know what they had done."
He's going to cut me, Link thought in panic. He's going to brand me.
Mordecai stopped in front of him. He hummed in thought as he brought the knife inches away from Link's stomach. His muscles jerked involuntarily in response. Still hovering just above his skin, the knife was brought up, over his chest, past his convulsing throat, and up to his face. Mordecai moved it over his left eye and rested it against the skin, forcing Link to close his eyes. He felt so sick he thought he might pass out, and he wished that he would.
"Yes," he heard Mordecai say. "Right here is perfect."
Oh, Goddesses, please . . .
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LoZ
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As the generals went into the hall, Sephora and Rolox kept on walking to and up the stairs, not once glancing back. Ganondorf and Acroff stopped by the first step, looking back at the door.
"This isn't right," Acroff said. "We have to stop him."
"There is nothing we can do," Ganon replied, sounding tired and defeated. An odd tone coming from such a strong man. "There is nothing we can do. Let's just go."
Acroff still stayed, staring at the door. Ganon began to pull him up the stairs, and by the time they got halfway up the steps Link's screams were echoing after them.
End of Part I
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