The Legend of Zelda: The Warrior Prince
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Chapter 36: Unwitting Traitor
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Link cinches his belt just a little tighter and smooths out the enchanted chain-mail covered by a fine layer of red fabric. He remembers what seems like ages ago when his favorite clothing was a green wool tunic, but armor is much more comfortable than cloth against blades. He's just about to ram his feet into his Pegasus Boots when an excited Dunlarian dwarf bursts through the door.
"Sir Link! Oh, I'm so glad I found you before you departed!"
"What is it?" the knight asks, eyeing a paper package the dwarf is waving around.
Slightly out of breath from running, the dwarf notices where the Hylian's eyes focus and he beams. "Sir Link, this is a gift from the Kai Dwarves on behalf of us for your heroism at this fortress last night, and the day preceding."
Curious, the knight takes the paper-wrapped package, noting that it seems rather light. He opens the folded parcel and is surprised to find a gray, scaly pair of boots inside. Faintly like his Pegasus Boots, a wing is patterned into the sides, but this wing resembles the broad, powerful wings like a dragon and the pattern continues along the side of the sole, like claws stretching from the wings.
"This treasure was hand-crafted by the most skilled hands in the empire, made of the highest quality wyvern pelt. They will aid even the lamest to become fleet of foot, and hold some of the powers of the wyvern." The dwarf beams again and Link resumes his examination.
The scales are remarkably fine and he has to confess that the quality of craftsmanship is something he rarely even sees on the Royal Knights of Hyrule. The sole is unusual, instead of the ribbed, rugged leather like on the bottom of the Pegasus Boots, this looks almost like it is set with teeth, it feels hard and rubbery. Knowing that he can always go back to his older boots, he decides to slip into the new boots.
They go on much more easily than any leather boots he's worn before, and they seem to wrap tightly yet comfortably around his feet like a third sock. The rough, tiny gray scales on the outside feel cool against his hands, and just like his Pegasus Boots he has a curious feeling of weight being taken away from his body. Link looks up at the dwarf with a twinkle in his eye. "You had these made specifically for me, didn't you?"
The dwarf averts his eyes and blushes in modesty as only a dwarf whose craftsmanship is being praised can. "Well, we may have happened to come across just the right dimensions, sir. Do you like them?"
The knight slides his silver kite shield across his back and with that last piece of equipment set, he stands, immediately suppressing a pleased groan. How I wish I had these on guard duty when I was a squire. I could stand for hours in these things. "I'm sure I'll get a lot of good use out of them." He suddenly straightens, realizing that this being a Kai dwarf . . . "Could you do something for me?"
The dwarf bows low. "For the knight who slew the revived dragon lord Arimas, anything."
"While I was fighting him, he knocked away my golden noble sword. If you could find that, I would be extremely grateful."
The dwarf, just coming back up, bows again. "Nothing would be too much for you, good sir." With that, the dwarf stands back up and hurries out of the room at a not-quite-scramble speed. Link smiles and sets his purple chain-mail cap on his head, then heads out to join the others and the dwarf he sent to get the fairy lamp from Agahnim's room.
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Princess Zelda, Prince Raidon, and Agahnim stand under the yawning gateway leading out of Fort Turma, a handful of Morihoth and Dunlarians with them. Link notes that Agahnim is wearing his white silk and green felt robes, looking every bit the magus he once was. Raidon doesn't appear any different, just a light-brown tunic over his elegant steel armor. Princess Zelda stands in the shade, a new Dunlarian silk dress over what he can immediately tell is different armor, even without a reflecting sheen it looks closer to turquoise than any steel would.
Link bows deferentially as he nears her. "My lady. I see that you've acquired some new armor?"
Zelda nods nonchalantly. "Raidon sent out an order to the nearest armory and had some mithril armor brought to replace my steel, since mine is still being repaired. I actually rather like it, the steel wasn't ungainly but this feels light as a feather and they tell me it's strong enough to break iron spears before taking a scratch."
A voice from within the fort calls, "My lord!" Raidon nods to the others and jogs back inwards.
Link takes advantage of the prince's temporary absence to lean closer to the small group. "Where's Dimitri?"
"Shhh!" one of the Dunlarians motions for him to hush, fearing that the warrior prince might hear despite the distance and distraction. "His royal steed spent the battle engaging one of the wyverns you shot down, but the dodongo, well . . . he may not live to see the next sunrise. We've been trying to keep the prince busy so he won't be distracted, you must not tell him."
Link nods in understanding and not a moment too soon. Raidon jogs up, swords bouncing against his sides. "Well? I believe we have an appointment with the Green Palace."
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The proconsul to the emperor clasps his hands behind his back as he watches Agahnim step into the poorly-lit room. "Vanis bites are especially deadly because with their venom they also inject a lethal bacteria that incubates over a few days."
The magus snatches at the small, yellow vial and snarls, "You bastard, Marcus."
The chief imperial advisor turns the vial containing a treatment in his hand and smirks. "You don't get the cure for the bacteria until emperor Thesalon is dead. After that, we can work on Naku's . . . offer." The smug smile spreads and it takes every ounce of self-control not to fill him with dark plasma right there and then. "I know you won't disappoint . . . wizard of the Golden Land."
He holds up the vial and Agahnim rips it from the haughty man's fingers. Sarah, you'll never have to know how close you came to dying.
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Raidon closes a door and nods in acknowledgement of two soldiers standing guard as they bow to him. The elves remain standing at rapt attention and the prince starts to pace around the dais. He lifts one hand in a dismissive gesture, "It's all right, you two can make your rounds. I need to adjust the device."
Both hesitate, but the prince's stride slows minutely and a venomous, impatient glare sends them scurrying. Raidon reaches the other side of the dais and makes a sharp turn for the control device as the guards disappear through the door.
Back at Fort Turma, the silver-tongued Agahnim summoned Raidon and impressed on him the danger facing his people. A series of events had already begun that could destroy the empire, he was the only one who could save the empire. It would be such a grand gesture. If his father was still lucid he wouldn't help but praise him. It would even impress the foreign princess . . .
Raidon sets his jaw, dragging his mind back to the present. It's time to do this.
The device controls an independent shield that seals off the Green Palace, shutting it down would only require turning the large stone, gear-toothed ring a few inches from the top. Three similar metal rings extend around the top for precise adjustment.
The young warrior doesn't know how to use those, so he grips the heavier stone ring fourth from the top and gives it the requisite quarter turn left. The semi-transparent dome atop the control pedestal, a magic projection representing the shield, folds inwards and disappears.
Then he hears fire and shouting . . .