The Legend of Zelda
Legacy of the Sages
Chapter 7: The Fire Within, part 2
Link hiked quickly behind the massive figure of the Dinolfos, Karnak. He still had no clue why the Dinolfos was helping him, or why the overgrown lizard knew so much about him, but somehow he did. Link just had no choice at the moment but to follow the Dinolfos down to Dodongo's Cavern, and hope that he wouldn't become hostile around the Gorons, or vice versa.
Biter was enjoying himself. The little Lizalfos was obviously enjoying the freedom of being away from his parents. Though the mother was a bit kinder to him, it was obvious that the father wasn't exactly the nicest of individuals, as displayed by the way he roared at his son while Karnak had protected him up at the ledge. It was obvious that Biter didn't really like his parents, or was abused by them, because the way he stood defiantly with Link was probably the bravest thing he had ever seen.
It was a little while before they got to level ground. Karnak turned and made for the path back up to Dodongo's Cavern. Link and Biter followed suit, and Darin flew by Link's shoulder, still kind of nervous about being near the Dinolfos.
"So," Link said, "how is it that you know my great grandfather?"
Karnak paused and looked down at the boy, then smiled. He continued walking before he said, "I had the honor of dueling him once, though it was during a time when I was much younger. It was also a time when I was a mighty warrior, and enslaved by the monstrous demon known as Ganondorf."
"Ganondorf enslaved you?" Darin asked, "I always thought that you went to him willingly."
Karnak laughed, the sound like a cross between a bird's squawk and a crocodile's hiss; though it was rather scary at first, the sound turned out to be rather amusing. "My kind are a very proud race," Karnak said, "We are not like the Gerudos, who will join any side if the price is right, nor like the Zoras, who are bound solely by loyalty and royalty. My kind are an old race, one that existed long before the Kingdom of Hyrule was ever thought of. We are bound by codes of honor, and the ways of the warrior. That has always been our way, though Ganondorf swiftly changed that when he discovered how to control our minds and souls to the point that we become nothing more than his lap dogs!"
He snarled menacingly. Link almost backed up a ways, though Karnak's expression soon changed to let him know that he had nothing to fear.
"Your great grandfather," he continued, "once pierced me with his mighty sword. Though the blow should have killed me, it instead left me partially crippled in my left arm, my sword arm. Thanks to that, my days of the warrior were done, though Ganondorf's hold over me had been diminished. I had followed your great grandfather for a time after my defeat, and I even managed to meet him face to face in my later years, though we had become much older at the time. Although the meeting was short, I found it honorable to speak with the one who had laid me low in my younger days, and in doing so freed me from my imprisonment."
Link could only stare at the Dinolfos. Did his great grandfather really have that kind of influence on people? Link felt a swarm of questions go through his mind, though he dismissed them as the entrance to Dodongo's Cavern came over the rise.
When the Gorons spotted Karnak, the reaction to seeing a Dinolfos approaching them was pretty much expected. At first there was slight panic, then anger, and then there was a sudden uproar when he came into full view. However, they were surprised to see that Link was standing next to the two-legged lizard, along with a baby Lizalfos at his heels.
"Link!" Gongoron shouted, "Quick, get away! That's a Dinolfos! It'll rip you to shreds if you get near it!"
"Calm yourself, young Goron," Karnak shouted, slamming his staff to the ground. The Gorons were surprised at the speech of this particular Dinolfos, for he spoke common Hylian as if he were one himself. "I have not come here to harm, but to help. I am called Karnak, and I come in peace."
"You come to kill us in our sleep, that's what you've come for!" a Goron shouted.
"Link, come away from that monster!" another managed to say.
"It's alright," Link said, "He helped rescue me. He's a friend."
"Where's the bomb flower?" a Goron asked.
"There is no bomb flower," Karnak said, finally managing to get his voice to speak out over the din, "There never was for at least a few decades. I came here to help you, now unless you are willing to starve then you should listen to what I have to say."
The Gorons reluctantly fell quiet. Karnak took full advantage of it. "Now," he said, "A group of Lizalfos did this to you, yes?"
The Gorons nodded.
"Did they come here seeking an object of great importance, such as a stone or a jewel in your possession?" Karnak asked.
The Gorons nodded again.
"Then it is as I have feared," Karnak said, "Gorons, I am afraid that a tribe of Lizalfos has come from up the mountain, and that they are under the enslavement of a very powerful wizard. I do not know all of the details exactly, though I do know that they are the ruthless Shadow Claw tribe, who will stop at nothing until they get what they want. Also, I do know that whatever darkness that has control of this tribe will stop at nothing to get what he wants. Now, I need you all to stand aside."
The Gorons stood still, some unsure what to do.
"Stand aside," Karnak said again.
"Move, guys," Darin said, flying over to where the Gorons were standing, "I don't think he's exactly in the mood for idleness."
The Gorons reluctantly moved aside. Link could see that now they had a clear view of the blocked entrance to Dodongo's Cavern. Karnak let out a great sigh, muttered something in a strange language, and then struck his staff to the ground. The skull on the end of the staff glowed bright blue. With a mighty war cry, Karnak aimed the staff straight at the cavern entrance, sending a tremendous bolt of lightning straight in the direction of the stones.
Normally, a person would tell you that the lightning would have no effect on the stones, because rocks repel electricity. However, lightning can be a rather strange phenomenon, especially when summoned by magical means. So it isn't too surprising that when the lightning struck the rock that it shattered into dusty fragments, opening the entrance to the caverns.
At first, the Gorons were speechless with such a display of power. Then, someone started clapping, and then soon there was an uproar of cheering; the Dodongo's Cavern was open again!
Link smiled up at Karnak. The Shaman looked a little weak from his effort, but he smiled, his task complete. He looked down at the young boy in green with wise eyes, and said, "What are you waiting for, boy? Go forth and help defeat the Lizalfos."
"Aren't you coming?" Link asked.
"I need rest," Karnak said, "Besides, it wouldn't be right. My kind take on an initiation test when they are young, one that requires them to take on any creature much larger than themselves in order to be accepted fully as an adult into the tribe. You may not be a Lizalfos, but you should consider this a rite of passage for yourself. It would be wrong for me to enter with you, though you and your fairy friend should be enough to handle whatever dangers my brethren pose."
"But how can I defeat a Lizalfos?" Link asked, "They are a lot bigger than I am, and probably stronger too!"
"They are relatively easy," Karnak said, "Since the spell of enslavement is taking effect, their reflexes and strength have dulled. They are also much less cunning, so they can be easily dealt with if you use the right moves. With your big shield you should have no problem with protecting yourself from their attacks."
Link could seriously doubt that he could match a Lizalfos in combat, but he smiled nonetheless. Saying his goodbyes to the Gorons and to Karnak, he was just about to turn to the cave when he heard a small whimper.
Biter stood right behind him. Link bent down on one knee to look at the small Lizalfos. The Lizalfos almost looked like he was about to cry.
"Don't go, Warra-Link," Biter whimpered, "You get hurtcha bad-bad. Please stay!"
"It's alright, Biter," Link said, "I won't be gone long. You mind Karnak, alright? And do me a favor and don't get in trouble with the Gorons, okay?"
Biter looked nervously at the very big Gorons. He thought they looked rather scary, though they did look kind of funny with their fat bellies and rocky backs.
"Okay, Warra-Link," Biter said, "Me stay. No get in trouble."
"Good," Link said. He scratched Biter playfully behind where he assumed his "ear" would be. The little tyke of a Lizalfos giggled. Link got up, turned around, and walked to the entrance of Dodongo's Cavern.
The Gorons muttered words of thanks and wishes of goodwill to the green boy as he marched silently into the entrance of the cave. Darin flew to his natural place on Link's right shoulder, and the two went solemnly onward into the cavern, hoping that they would be able to quell the evil within.
In Hyrule Castle, another evil was hiding within its walls, though this evil hid in not-so plain sight. Prince Vaati of the revered kingdom of Minikus was currently staying within the castle as a goodwill gesture by the King, and as such he was going to be there for quite some time. Though some found his everyday actions suspicious, all of the ladies within the castle adored him and his regal handsomeness, and many of the knights praised him for his skill with a blade. Even the court magicians, who he revealed some hidden truths of his agenda such as his powers over arcane winds, considered him a very grand spellcaster, and praised him for his efforts.
Pathetic fools, he thought, they are as gullible as their ancestors before them. To think that their kind wouldn't learn a few lessons in discipline and awareness after what happened here a hundred years ago. What is destined to come will certainly teach them once I and my partners are masters of this castle.
He chuckled slyly to himself. There he was, boosting his ego once again. One would think that after living a semi-life of hard knocks and instantly becoming one of the most powerful beings in all of Hyrule would have made him into a more self-controlled being, but Vaati had all of the aspects that he had when he began his life; vanity, selfishness, a lust for power, and all of the talent that a being such as himself needed to get what he wanted. He didn't just boost his own ego just because it felt good; he relished in it!
It wasn't always like this. Once, long ago, he was an orphan without wanting, one who was raised by a powerful sage and taught the basics of magic. He began to delve deeper into the mysteries of life, and began to discover the potential of his dark side. In the end, after the sage that had cared for him all his life had created a rather special "cap" that could grant the user a single wish when place upon, Vaati stole it from his master, and wished for absolute power.
Prince Vaati the Wind Mage was the result. Vaati had become an ultimate sorcerer in the ways of Arcane Winds, and had begun to gather many loyal followers. In due time, he would be approached by the leader of the now Seven Sorcerers, and he joined their ranks as the third of the Seven.
Vaati made a captivating look at one of the maidens in the castle. He almost laughed in spite as the maiden suddenly fainted out of the mere sight of his handsome looks. Every last one of them are fools, he thought, though I'll admit that there are many fair roses in the bush, every last one of these wenches are all weeds compared to the true prize.
The one thing that Vaati sought after other than power was beauty, and someone to share his vanity and stare at him from hours on end; someone who was beautiful enough for him to stare back at with equal lust and desire. He did not desire just anyone, however, for in order to ascend into power, one must find the perfect bride to do so, and, as such, he only sought out the elite of royalty.
This was one of the reasons why he had asked for Princess Zelda's hand in an arranged marriage the other day to the King. The girl was rather pretty; by the Goddesses, she was probably the fairest maiden he had ever seen yet on his travels; but his desires weren't the true reason for his coming here.
The Sorcerers all sought one person; Ganondorf. They all agreed unanimously that Ganondorf was a key fixture of power, and that he can be used as a conduit to control the world. Though the idea seemed far-fetched at first, their leader, the Chaos Sorcerer, claimed to have had direct dealings with the former king of the Gerudos through magical means. Although Vaati said no magic could make its way through the spell of the legendary Sages, and no matter how many times he had pursued the subject of such power, their leader would always say the same thing…
"Chaos has no limits, or boundaries."
And so, the Wind Mage was stuck with the mystery of his rather secretive business partner, at least for the time being. He vowed, however, to learn all that he can from his "leader," as such power as to be able to pass between spells would be rather useful in the future. However, Vaati knew how to bide his time, and he would wait patiently for the perfect moment to strike…
Which was exactly what he was doing here, in Hyrule Castle, though for different reasons…
Vaati made his way into his room. When he got inside, as was expected, he found many different flowers, letters, and objects of goodwill towards the prince of Minikus, all from the pretty maidens of the castle, who were all jealously stricken by his handsome appearance.
Vaati took a couple of moments to smell the flowers in the room; he always sought out the most pleasuring of experiences for all five of his senses. Though he admitted that the smell of flowers was rather nice, it was nothing like the smells of the Lost Woods, nor the scent of the mighty sea spraying upon his face…
Nor, indeed, the smell of his enemies' fresh blood upon his hands.
He laughed wickedly. Making sure that his door was closed, he summoned a bit of wind magic. With his powers, he carefully plucked every last object that had been left for him by those foolish damsels, and used his powers to turn it all into dust. Silently and steadily, he cast the dust out of the wind, spreading it out for no one to find it.
He looked pridefully at his room; not a speck of dust in sight. He walked over to the trays of food left behind by the maidens; enough to feed a small army.
He looked on much of it in disgust. What did these maidens expect him to do; eat until he got fat and ruined his lovely body? What then did they have to love, other than to obey the desires and wills of gluttony?
He felt that it would be a waste just to toss it all, though, so he sat down and took a bite of some Cucco meat. He almost spat it out. Dreadful stuff. Didn't these fools know how to properly baste and roast a bird? He tossed the bitten leg back on the plate, and took up a piece of fruit. Though most of the fruits and vegetables in this country were dreadful, the fruits that he did enjoy here at least a small bit was the grapes, and the strange, orange-looking fruit that the Hylians called peaches.
He bit into one right then, savoring the sweetness of the morsel. He was done with it in seconds, feeding until all but the pit was left. With expertise that even a champion marksman would be proud of, he cast some wind magic and tossed the pit out of the window, looking on with pride as it struck a songbird dead center in midflight before it fell, stunned.
A pity that I hadn't killed it, the dark prince thought, I do love a good songbird for luncheon.
He daintily poured for himself a glass of wine. He knew that it would be a failure to even try drinking it, though bad habits die hard and he took a sip nonetheless. He winced in disgust. The maidens and winery attendants said that this wine was the oldest in the country, passed down by the first King of Hyrule himself. He almost spat it out. The wine had barely begun to receive its potential flavor, and it tasted almost as bland as water to his lips. He preferred the spicy wines stolen by the Gerudo and left to sit and ferment for hundreds of years before consumption, and when it is drunk its spicy sweetness almost burned out the mouth; and the hangover to follow suit-oh how he savored and longed for such pain and ecstasy.
He grabbed a bottle of milk. Instead of pouring it into the glass, he uncorked the bottle and poured it into his mouth greedily. Of all the beverages that claim to be the best in Hyrule, Vaati had a soft spot for Lon Lon Milk, the stuff that grew out on the screwy ranch out in Hyrule Field. The glass claimed to have healing powers, and although it didn't bring any hangovers with it, he did enjoy the sloshing liquid as it caressed his throat, much like a woman would caress his neck just before a soothing kiss.
There was a knocking on the door. Vaati knew who it was moments before they came; his private guards made enough noise to wake an entire castle. Although it denied stealth, the way he had them patrol his hallways tortured every living being in the vicinity without earplugs, and he felt that it was good to be tortured every now and then.
"Enter," he said with a bored sigh.
The two armored guards opened the door, making sure that no one was present, and then shut it, locking it quickly behind them. Vaati used a string of magic to seal the door from unwanted ears, and then turned his chair about. He leaned casually backwards, allowing his feet to rest upon a small desk next to his table.
The two knights saluted. Vaati was eager to hear the news that his two minions would bring, though he was still bored from the disgusting food that he had eaten.
"Well, my loyal servants," Vaati said, "What news does my mighty entourage bring to their mighty prince?"
"My lord Vaati," the first of the two exclaimed, "the King has requested a meeting within the end of the week to discuss the final arrangements for your prize…"
"You know very well what I meant, Drakis," Vaati nearly hissed, his fingers pressed calmly together as he sat.
Drakis stood unmoving. "It is as you expected my lord. The guards have grown weak in this kingdom's current state of peace. This kingdom is like a rich plum, ripe for the picking.
"Yes," Vaati said, "but even plums, though rich they may be, have within themselves a rocky core full of remorse, to the point that it becomes virtually impossible to break. Are there any specific weak points to this castle that we have yet to discover?"
"None, my lord," the second knight said, "So far, the castle is virtually impregnable by all forms of attack. It also seems that the top parapets have spots that are virtually invasion proof, such as hidden spikes on the walls. It seems that, though the Hylians may be weak, they are not as stupid as to not forget the first people who last tried to invade this castle. It makes this place a rather tough nut to break."
"And yet," Vaati said, plucking a fine grape from its stem, "even such a nut can become infected from the inside, becoming dull and impossible to eat, almost to the point that there is no point in opening it, because decay and neglect will open it for us." He swallowed the grape, and tossed the rest of the vine back onto the plate arrogantly. "You have done well for now," he said, and then pointed to the food. "Help yourselves. I have no need of it."
He got up and stood aside as his servants feasted upon what was his meal with a violent gluttony. They didn't even take off their helmets, but instead opened them up so that they may feast upon Vaati's neglected morsels with gusto. Vaati was glad that he couldn't see his servants' faces, for they were not just ugly but hideous at the best of times, and when they are eating is no exception.
When they were done, there was barely anything left. Even the bones of the Cucco had been torn apart, reduced to tiny fragments as the smallest bit of marrow had been sucked dry from its confinement. The two minions wiped off their still hidden faces, and then closed up their visors, once again becoming the automatons that Vaati expected of them. They remarkably didn't even make a mess upon their armor, which was more than what could be said of the food.
"Anything else?" Vaati asked. He held the jug of Lon Lon Milk in his hands; he had managed to grab it before his men could get their hands on it.
"Master," the second knight began, "why don't we take these men by force now? Why all of this secrecy and wait? Why ask for some dumb brat's hand in marriage, when there are plenty of wenches back at the fortress for you to toy with?"
Vaati smiled wickedly, and laughed. He admitted it to himself several times; while his servants lacked a potential to increase in anything that Vaati had potential in when it came to satisfaction, they did have one quality that not even Vaati's associates could match…
The desire for bloodshed.
"I guess that my spell is starting to wane on you two," Vaati said, "You know very well; no killing until I give the word. If any men, women, or even the smallest mouse is dead and noticed, then you shall both know the true meaning of punishment. I do not care if I have to seal you within iron blocks again in order to keep you two contained, but you will show control! Am I clear?"
"Yes master," Drakis and his twin bowed.
"You are free to go," Vaati said, "And guard the door, will you? I am expecting an important call, and I do not want any more maidens coming here asking for a potential love interest."
The two knights bowed once more, and left, closing the door and locking it behind them. Vaati turned back to the table. It took even less magic to toss the walnut than to clean the mess up, the only evidence there was ever a meal was the plates, neatly stacked, and placed on the desk by the door. Vaati reached into a small bag, made sure that his window was shut, and unveiled a large, crystal ball.
He set it on the table, and chanted words in a language only known by him and his partners. He quickly flashed his hands about, and a miniaturized tornado came forth from his hands and was absorbed by the crystal ball. In moments, a vision began to appear, showing a cloaked man in a shady background, his head covered in a helm made of a rather nasty-looking skull.
"Ah," Vaati said, "Necromancer…I was hoping I would catch our leader. How goes the work?"
"Relatively well, no thanks to you," the Necromancer replied, "Malgannis had to speak with the master once again. He requested that I take in the reports. What's the status on your end?"
"The Hylians are as gullible as ever," Vaati said with a smirk, "You have no idea how stupid this race can be. You would think that they would learn after what happened about a century ago."
"Hylians have a history of forgetting past doings," the Necromancer said, "It's what makes their bodies so easy to control after death, for they forget everything about their past lives, making them the perfect mindless slaves. However, I am surprised that even they managed to fall for your forgery. Even one of my Stalfos could come up with a better kingdom name than 'Minikus,' and they are possibly the stupidest creatures that I have created."
"Well," Vaati said, "I didn't see you come up with anything useful. All you kept talking about was bones and disease. Pardon the pun, but your doom and gloom makes me believe that graveyards would be more cheerful."
"At least I didn't take my 'former' racial name and use the first four letters in front of it as the basis for a kingdom's title. Even a child can see past that lie."
Vaati felt anger surge through his veins, but he dismissed the emotion. It would be pointless to lose his temper while in a castle while the person he was mad at was probably on the other side of Hyrule. He soothed the emotion quickly, and was quickly back to normal before the Necromancer could even detect any change in the Wind Mage's features.
"What is the status on our pawn?" Vaati asked, eager to change the subject.
"He still thinks he's a hero, going off on whatever challenge we throw out against him. It's almost amusing that he is completely unaware of what's been going on. Hard to believe that the kid could be that gullible."
Gullible indeed. One child out of hundreds and he stood out most, not because of his race or heritage, but because he was by far the lousiest sop in all of Hyrule. He had the perfect beginnings of a hero; a boring past, a future that looked rather grim, and then when the circumstances were right, he began gallantly traversing the countryside as if he had a purpose, and nobody suspected a thing.
Well, perhaps the princess had some ideas…
"I suppose that some of our friends are rather torqued off at our little chess piece?"
"True," the Necromancer said, "He has been a pain in the ass for some of us, but no matter. Soon, the world will be ours, and nothing will stand in our way!"
"Well put, short and sweet," Vaati said in a mock tone of triumph.
The Necromancer didn't look amused, though he rarely had any emotion anyway. "Now," he said, "continue as planned. We will inform you when we are ready for phase 2 of our plan."
"I certainly will," Vaati said. He broke the connection, and covered up the crystal ball once again. He propped his legs up on the table, and leaned back on his chair. Things were going all according to plan.
All I need to do now, he thought, is win the attraction of the young maiden known only as Zelda. Although she is still young, once she aged a few years she would be quite the woman indeed. All he needed now was to count on the King's royal law to marry her off to him, and then when the trap is set and the walls of the castle come crashing down, poor fatherless Zelda will have no choice but to join her loving future husband to the far off land of Minikus, where they would live happily ever after…
Vaati chuckled. Fate was about to play a cruel trick on both of these pawns indeed…
To be continued…
Kerian: So, while Link descends into the darkness of Dodongo's Cavern, and while he does Vaati continues his shared plot against the land of Hyrule. Why does the Seven want Vaati to marry Zelda? Who is this pawn that they speak of? What's going to happen to Link?
Hmm...things are starting to get rather suspicious...
-Kerian