Impa ascended the stairs, mindlessly putting one foot in front of the other, letting her mind wonder, and her thoughts were not pleasant. She was only sixteen when the last war began, and what she felt now brought up feelings she had hoped were long buried. Though she would never admit it, or even show it, but she was afraid. Not scared or fearful, but afraid. She exited the stairwell and headed towards the council room. When she arrived, however, she hesitated at the door. Something felt wrong. She turned around to assess the empty corridor, her mind racing, trying to discern what had caused her unease. Then, it hit her. She was alone.
Where were the guards?
In a moment of panic, Impa burst into the room in a panic only to find herself in the same corridor. Confused, she turned to see the door had shut itself behind her. She tried to open it, but it was sealed tight. She planted her back against it and flicked her eyes around the room. It was far darker than before, as if the sun was blotted out, making it harder to see. The wind outside picked up, echoing through the chamber like ghostly laughter.
"Reveal yourself." Impa commanded, but was only met by more ghostly laughter.
Impa drew her dagger and readied herself. Her senses felt numb, blocked by some external force.
Slowly, her eyes fell on an unassuming point on the wall. Keeping her eyes glued to the area, she began to inch her way closer. When she crossed half the distance, she froze.
There was something in the shadows.
Not shifting her gaze, she carefully picked a candle from the wall and, with a sliver of magic, lit it. Immediately, the shadows were repelled.
Except for one.
The shadow of a hunched over hylian remained, their head turned to face Impa. Immediately, she threw her dagger at the shadow, which ducked down as the dagger buried itself in the wall. The shadow darted underneath Impa and shot under the door that she entered through. Dropping the candle, she dislodged her weapon and chased the shadow, only to step on something and stumble. She spun to see what had tripped her, dagger held at the ready. In the flickering light of the candle, she could see a flattened dome made of wood. Cautiously, she picked it up, revealing it to be little more than a mask. She contemplated dropping it, but it hadn't been there before. It was related to the shadow. With that, she attached it to her belt and gave chase to the shadow, bursting through the door.
Into the council room.
The room quieted as Impa entered the council room.
"Ah, Impa." The King smiled. "You're here. Good."
Impa blinked. She looked out into the corridor, where two sheikah stood guard. "Lady Impa?" One of them prompted.
"How did this door open?" She barbed.
"You opened it." Replied the guard, confused. "Quiet forcefully."
"I did no such thing."
The guards frown deepened. "But you just did."
"Is everything alright Impa?" Queried the King.
"I…" Impa took a moment to think. Her senses were no longer hindered, and she felt no presence near them. Eventually, she simply shook her head. "It's been a stressful day."
"Aye." The King agreed.
Impa walked over flopped into the nearest chair without the pose or refinement that she was so insistent on maintaining, adding to the unease that filled the room.
"Forgive me." She muttered. "I'm exhausted."
The King nodded. "Yes, we understand."
The room was significantly less filled than before. With all of the knights and commanders defending the town, this left only the tacticians, strategists and those that insisted on staying. They talked and planned about what to do if defences fell, how to maintain defences, and how long the siege will last. Without anything to add, Impa let her mind wander towards the mask. She removed it from her belt and held it up to get a better look at it. It had an uncanny resemblance to a Deku Scrub, and was expertly crafted. The dark wood was smooth while still maintaining the appearance of a rough tree. The eyes were made of fossilised amber, and fit so well into the mask it was as if they had formed inside it. It's round mouth seemed a part of the mask itself, not something made independently. Impa was rather impressed. Whoever had made it was clearly an artisan. If she determined it to me harmless, it could be a good gift for Zelda. Though it would be after weeks of magical testing, of course.
A knock at the door reeled back her attention. The guards opened the door to let in a scout, and by the looks of things, they had sprinted there from the town walls.
The King raised an eyebrow. "Yes?"
"Captain Graves…" The scout panted.
The King came to full attention. "Graves?"
"Yes, your highness."
He gestured for them to hurry up. "Well, don't keep us waiting. This is clearly important."
The scout wheezed. "The army, you highness. It's- it's splitting up."
"What do you mean? Has command been lost?"
They shook their head. "Doubtful, your highness. A faction… a fairly big faction… is breaking off."
The King stroked his chin. "Where are they headed? After the Zora? Gorons?"
"That's just it, your highness." The scout coughed. "They heading into the forest. By the look of things, into the cursed wood."
Impa's pulse surged. She felt panic build up in her chest, and turned to the King, who had gone pale, but otherwise unmoved.
"I see." He said slowly.
"We don't know why they would go there. There's nothing there."
"Yes." The king muttered. "Regardless, I believe that this makes the task of protecting the Castle Town that much easier. You are dismissed." The scout bowed curtly and left the room. Once they had left, everyone turned to the King. "That applies to you as well. The forest has nothing, and we have strategised for the siege we face. I recommend you get somewhere safe. You are all dismissed." Confused but loyal, everyone left the room, leaving only the King, his attendants, and Impa. He turned to Nelo. "Nelo, I must ask you to leave us as well."
The young woman blinked. "Your highness?"
"I cannot give you the details."
"Nelo, would you please guard the princess?" Impa interjected. "I would feel at greater ease knowing you were protecting her."
Reluctantly, Nelo exited the room. Once the three of them were sure Nelo was gone, they huddled together, speaking only in whispers.
"The woods?!" The King hissed, venting his frustration. "Why in Din's name would they go there?"
The old sheikah frowned at Impa. "Could it be the fragment?" Impa nodded grimly. "How could they know of it?"
"I don't know." She admitted.
"Do you know where it is?" The King queried.
Impa shook her head. "No. Those tasked with hiding them all took there lives immediately after doing so, as ordered. The exact locations died with them."
"So this sorcerer cannot know if it's existence?"
"We don't know." The old sheikah sighed. "We know they are powerful in ways we struggle to comprehend, so they could possibly feel the fragments existence."
Impa gritted her teeth. "If they find it-"
"They won't!" The king growled, before regaining his composure. "They will not. Impa, who do you trust with this information outside of this room?"
"No one."
"Then you will go to the forest. If they are indeed seeking the fragment, do everything in your power to stop them. If not, return immediately."
Impa thought of admitting she was near exhaustion, but thought better of it. She simply nodded and fell into her chair, only too sit on the Deku Mask, and curse in pain.
The old sheikah winced. "Are you alright?"
Imp glared at the mask and picked it up. "Fine." She turned to the King. "I will return when I can. Until then, I expect the princess will be safe."
The King's warm smile found his face once again. "You have my word."
Impa marched down the stairwell, glowering at the mask. She would have to put it somewhere while she left. Couldn't have it lost the forest. It could still be a dangerous object. She could also grab something to aid in navigating the forest. She had no intention of dying alone in some forest, with the only thing to comfort her being barbaric Deku Scrubs.
She was unsure how well the mask compared to living Deku Scrubs, but it seemed identical to the illustrations she had seen over the years. She had only seen them with her own eyes once, as they mainly took up residence in the cursed wood. Link would know. He was raised by a Deku after all. The "Great Deku Tree," he had called it. Guardian of the forest. They would probably know where the fragment was.
"Oh shit."
Link wasn't raised alone.
Impa closed her eyes in frustration. The Kokiri would be in grave peril, but it wasn't her concern. They were not Hylian. They were eternal children. She had no need to save them.
But they were children.
Impa cursed.
Link would want to save them. No matter how much he complained about how badly some of them had treated him, they were all he had know for most of his life.
Bring Link along then.
Impa scowled at the idea. He was being disciplined for being recklessly heroic, and she was thinking to just making him do it again?
But the pragmatic part of her mind retaliated, reminding her he was raised in the forest, and how of how often he boasted of being the only Hylian able to traverse what he called the 'Lost Woods.'
Hooking the mask through her belt, she changed course for the trainee dormitory.
"Mido! Come out here! I know you took it!"
Saria was searching the Lost Woods for the self appointed boss of the Kokiri, Mido, who had stolen her jar of honey.
"If you want honey, find a beehive and get it yourself!"
"It's no use Saria." Sighed Esco, her personal fairy. "By the time we find him, it'll all be eaten."
Saria pouted. "But we worked so hard for it!"
Esco's wings wilted. "Yeah, it's not fair."
"Should we just go back and wait?"
"Yeah. Lets get everyone make faces at him."
Saria laughed. "No, that's mean!"
"But he was mean to us!"
"Esco." Saria said sternly.
"You're right, I know, but-" Esco's wings perked up and her glow turned yellow. "Saria, hide!"
Saria obeyed immediately, darting up a tree. Moments later, monsters of many shapes and sizes trudged along below her, brandishing weapons both crude and cruel.
"What are they?" Saria whispered. "I've never seen those before."
"Moblins." Esco quivered. "The big scary ones are moblins."
Saria gulped. "And the little scary ones?"
"Bokoblins."
Saria's eyes followed the direction the were traveling. "They're heading straight towards the village." She shifted to climb down. "We have to warn them!"
"Saria no!"
"Esco, we have to!"
"It's too dangerous! Look how many there are." Esco went quiet. "We can't get to them."
Saria shivered. "The Great Deku Tree will protect them, won't he?"
"Of course he will." The fairy said softly. "But right now, he can't protect you. So you have to stay hidden. I'm sorry." A moment of silence passed between them. "Do… do you think Link is ok?"
Saria shot her a smile. "No doubt. He's a hero."
"Think he'll save us?"
"We don't need saving." Saria urged. "I hope."
"And if we do?"
"He'll save us, just in time. Heroes always do that."
The pair of them huddled down, making themselves as small as possible as they could as the animalistic army marched beneath them.
They arrived at the cusp of the Kokiri Village. With a wordless command, the army halted.
The Swordsman shuffled onto a stone jutting from the ground, his arms shaking above his head, struggling to maintain the spell concealing them from the all seeing gaze of the Forest Guardian. Hissing in pain, he could feel the spell deteriorating, along with his awareness. As the spell collapsed, he wordlessly sent out a simple command to the army, one they would easily follow, before he fell unconscious.
Raze it.
Happy New Year! Here's to 2018!
10 months, 20 chapters, over 5000 views, and 1 happy author. Thank you for reading this FanFic. It's been fantastic.
Anyway, enough mushy crap.
You like Saria? I named her Fairy "Esco" after the word "Escort", kinda like "Navi" and "Navigation".
Also, a LOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOT of foreshadowing in this chapter. Wonder who can figure out what means what.
Heheh. Happy New Year.