Chapter 20: Colossus
Link led the battalion through Hyrule Field to the northwest corner of Hyrule, where the Desert Colossus could be found. The first night of the journey was approaching fast. Link could see little flecks of sand in the grass; the landscape was getting dryer as they approached the desert quicker.
"It will be a long journey," said Xak, as if reading Link's mind.
The entire battalion had been provided with horses, so it made things much easier on them when it came to speed and fatigue.
It was that night that they ran into trouble.
Link was sound asleep in his tent that he shared with General Chaucer, Xak, and Master Ronin when a soldier woke him. As soon as he was awake, Link could hear the clang of swords.
"What is it?" Link asked, sitting up in his bedroll quickly.
"Stalchildren!" said the soldier. Without another word, he exited the tent and assisted his brothers in the fight. Link awoke his tent mates.
"Xak! General Chaucer! Master Ronin! We've got trouble," Link cried as he snatched up the Sword of Light from his pack. His tent mates were aware of trouble, so they quickly took up their weapons and aided in the fight.
Link burst out of his tent, wearing naught but a thick pair of pants. His hair was tied back so it wouldn't gag him while he slept.
There were Stalchildren everywhere. Link took action and struck one in the head with a bolt of lightning. The head was knocked clean off, and the body shriveled shortly afterward.
Link then cut another Stalchild in half that ran past him after a soldier. Another Stalchild came straight for him in a blind charge, cackling hideously, bones rattling. It didn't stand a chance. Link could see its decayed organs through its ribs. He saw the heart pumping, and he dove to his knees, sword outstretched. The holy sword pierced straight through the heart, making the Stalchild wither up into the air.
The fight was quick, and there were no casualties. But Link feared that they would encounter Stalchildren every night.
The next morning, camp was packed up onto mules and the journey continued once again. Everyone was tired from the lack of sleep the previous night, but still they trudged on. Luckily the horses had gotten some sleep.
General Chaucer had to wake up several soldiers on the way there.
"Sorry, sir," said one soldier groggily.
"It's fine, soldier, just don't let me catch you falling asleep in battle," the general replied. The soldier was too tired to laugh.
They made it to Gerudo Valley around noon, when it was hottest. Link found himself joining several soldiers who had stripped off their shirts. It felt good, but with the sun beating down on his rather fair skin, Link ended up putting it back on for fear of sunburn.
Xak, on the other hand, looked almost dark enough to be a Gerudo. When Link asked him about it, he simply replied, "I just tan really easily."
They got rather nervous when they crossed the wood bridge that lay across the canyon. They had officially entered Gerudo territory, and the Gerudo were not very friendly with the Hylians at the moment.
"All right, men," said the general. "From this moment on, keep yourselves ready. I want everyone in his armor, right away. Be on edge. There's no telling if the Gerudos will decide to attack us. I assure you, they'll look for the slightest excuse. Do not give them that excuse."
The soldiers nodded as their individual squires suited them up. The process took about an hour, but it wasn't full armor they were wearing. They were wearing much like what Link was wearing; chain mail shirts, plate mail greaves, and plate mail shoulder guards, and a thick leather shirt over the chain mail shirt. If they had been donning a full suit of armor, they would have been there all day.
After they were all suited up, they continued through the Gerudo Valley and into the territory of the Gerudo Fortress. They passed through the small path that led straight to the Haunted Wasteland. Link had heard stories about that place.
There was a bluff above them to their right, and several Gerudo soldiers were staring down at them. They glared menacingly at them, several soldiers brandishing weapons. Link gulped. This didn't look good.
They arrived at a large gate that led to the Haunted Wasteland.
"Halt!" cried a Gerudo guard. General Chaucer wheeled on her.
"We are a battalion from Hyrule City, sent on a private mission by King Daphnes Johansen the third to the Desert Colossus. We must be allowed entry," he said with authority.
"Well, I'm sorry," said the guard snidely, "but that's not going to happen. You see, the Desert Colossus is off limits right now. A whole bunch of our guards there got taken out by some freaky guy with weird eyes."
"That's Xaar," said Link. "That's who we're after."
"That's too bad. You're not getting in," said the guard. Several of the surrounding Gerudo guards were beginning to close in on them. Link suspected that if there were a fight, it would be far too easy.
"You try our patience, madam," said General Chaucer threateningly. "You realize that you do not stand a chance against us, do you not? If you do not raise this gate, we will take it by force!"
Without another word, General Chaucer drew his sword and jabbed it into the Gerudo's throat. Her throat spewed crimson, covering General Chaucer and his sword, and the surrounding Gerudo leaped in. They never stood a chance. Not a single Hylian soldier was harmed. The Gerudo charged in with their halberds blindly and foolishly. Their weapons were sliced off at the tip and they were all instantly killed.
"That didn't last long now, did it?" said Master Ronin.
"Link, would you open the gate for us?" General Chaucer asked. Link nodded.
"It would be my pleasure," Link replied. There was a ladder that led to the top of the gate in front of him. He reached the base of it and began to climb. It was a rather tall ladder, but he scaled it quickly.
Suddenly, right before he reached the top, a scimitar sliced the wood right in front of his fingers. Link instinctively let go with one hand, causing his body to flip over and smack into the wall.
Reacting quickly, Link swung over with his free hand and let go with his other to avoid another swing of the scimitar. Then, with an effective speed spell, he was able to leap to the top in the blink of an eye and draw his sword. The Gerudo guard in front of him swung her sword, but Link dodged effortlessly. Another swing, and Link ducked and rolled under her legs. This caught her by surprise, and Link wheeled around, still on his knees, and thrust his sword through her back. The sword penetrated her flesh and came out on the other side of her stomach. With a screech, she fell off the gate and landed on the ground below, instantly coloring the sand scarlet.
There was a gate winch in front of Link. He took hold of one of the handgrips and pulled. It was fairly easy, and the gate began to rise. Link pulled a couple more times and the gate was high enough for the battalion to pass through.
"You handled yourself quite well up there, Link," said General Chaucer when Link reached the ground.
"Thank you, General," Link replied as he climbed on Epona's back.
"We ride for the Desert Colossus!" cried General Chaucer. "Hyaa!" At that point, the army rode at a swift canter across the Haunted Wasteland. As soon as they passed the gate, a harsh wind blew into their faces. While riding, many soldiers reached into their packs and drew out scarves to cover their faces from the sand blowing everywhere.
The path was pretty straightforward, although difficult to travel through. Sometimes the path ahead of them was impossible to see, but wood posts with red rags tied to the tips helped them along the way. They followed those posts for a while until they came upon a small stone structure. The trail was gone, and the only posts that could be seen were surrounding the structure.
Link, who had his own scarf wrapped around his face, surveyed the area. There wasn't much to see. There was a recess in the front of the structure that led underground, how deep however Link did not know. There was also a walkway that spiraled around the structure to the top. Link led the battalion to the front of the structure and dismounted. He then went up the walkway. When he reached the top, there was a small altar. Link couldn't make out what it said due to the wind.
Suddenly, a floating form appeared in front of him. Link gasped. It was a Poe!
"Greetings, great Hero of Light. I was informed that you would be here. The only way to make it to the Desert Colossus is by my guide, and I deem you worthy. I can feel the power coursing through your body. Come, follow me!"
Without another word, the Poe began to float off. Link hurried and jumped off the structure, landing on top of Epona's saddle.
"Follow that Poe!" Link cried. He broke into a gallop, the rest of the battalion following him.
Link followed the Poe, who made many dips and weaves and tried to confuse him, but he stayed with him. A few soldiers were lost to the wasteland, but most of them were able to follow the Poe into the place they needed to be.
It took about fifteen minutes to reach the Desert Colossus, and once they did, the wind stopped immediately.
Link beheld the most enormous statue he had ever seen in his life, which was probably why they called it the Desert Colossus. It was a statue of a Gerudo woman, sitting cross-legged and holding out both palms.
Link instantly saw the same portal that Xaar had opened with the Sword of Darkness. It was contained within a rock arch, which stood directly in front of the Desert Colossus and the entrance to the Spirit Temple.
Link made his way toward the portal, transfixed. The battalion followed him, equally mesmerized. When he stopped in front of the portal, he touched it with his finger. He felt a strange sucking sensation on his fingertip, and instantly pulled it away. Then, nervously, he led Epona forward headlong into the portal.
The process of going from Hyrule to the Dark Realm was jarring. Link found himself yelling out loud, and heard several other people screaming as they fell through what felt like an endless pit.
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A/N: How'd you like it? I can't know if you don't review, so please, if you would. I don't really have anything to say, so just read and review please.