Chapter 50: Good Intentions
Ten days earlier...
Rakam scanned the crowed streets, bewildered at where he was. The cacophonic scene was more than he could take on at once, being kin to a small, discrete tribe of nomadic people. Further more, he felt highly insecure without his comrades, Silar and Ainurad. For Retarcs like them, it was customary for a group to stay together, acting as one. Retarcs were almost never seen without their comrades. The Fathers, however, assigned all Retarcs to find out who the Hylian Hero was, and that meant that each group had to be separated in order to keep suspicion from rising in the minds of the patrols of Castle Town. The only thing that kept him feeling somewhat safe was that his face was hooded. Though it was not often that Retarcs were separated from one another, it was absolutely taboo for one of the Ranul to show his face before an Elitneg, one who was not of the Ranul. The face could not be revealed because of the many secrets it held, and not just to conceal identity.
Rakam was assigned, along with a fellow Retarc by the name of Eroraf, to the South Side of Castle Town. Silar was assigned to the West Side, along with Uryan, and Ainurad and Nid to the East Side and the Town Center. Eroraf, Nid, and Uryan were members of a different sect of Ranul. In their tribe, there were nine sects: Yrucrem, Sunev, Sram, Retipuj, Natit, Nrutas, Sunaru, Enutpen, and Otulp, each governed by a Father, with Grandfather as the ruler over them all. Rakam and his comrades were of the Yrucrem sect, while Eroraf and his group were of the Sram sect. Members of each sect had different attributes, such as power, wisdom, courage, or another. Rakam's sect was of courage, while Eroraf's was of wisdom, although they seemed to show other attributes as well. Their tribe was not, however, born into magic, but rather each member was blessed with magic by a series of markings all over their bodies, as given by the oracle of the tribe. Each person's marking was unique and gave them a certain magic that no one else could imitate. Though Rakam's comrades were from a different sect than Eroraf's, they were still under one tribe, and ergo, were brothers.
Rakam had no idea how they were supposed to identify the Hero, but if they were sent out to find him, then there was likely some way that they would know.
"Anyone of these people could be the Hero."
Hundreds of Hylians he passed, each one looking similar in some way. Though some were fat and some were skinny, they all looked the same to him. Their tribe had their markings to identify each other by, but these Hylians had no form of individuality other than what they wore. In addition, the weather there was also colder than the weather that they had grown used to in the Desert west of there. As he walked, he wondered why all of the people on the streets ran from place to place as if in a hurry. Where were they going so fast? And he also could not understand why people stood behind stalls, exchanging items like food to people who pass by for different colored gems. It was all foreign to him. His tribe did not trade items for food like these people. They all caught or found their food and shared it among other tribe members. Everything to him was different than what he was used to.
As he ambled through the crowded streets, he noticed a sign protruding from one of the buildings that read, "Telme's Bar". He had heard talk around the town about a bar or some kind of social pub dedicated to mercenary work. Since the Hero was supposed to be some kind of brave warrior as the Hylian legends told, this would be a likely place to start. He made his way into the alleyway where it was located and found the entrance.
Once inside, he saw a multitude of people of all kinds, from the fearsome and large, to the mysterious and hidden. The pub was a cozy place, yet it was apparently large enough to provide space for these dozens of fighters. Though his tribe did not particularly take to alcoholic beverages like these people did, he knew that usually people became drunk around the afternoon tide, so the bar wasn't full of rambunctious stupor. As he walked through, he noticed a billboard with a bunch of papers stamped to it. Upon further inspection, he noticed that these seemed to be job offers, ranging from task like being someone's bodyguard, to hunting for something. As he looked on, an arm suddenly stretched in front of him, reaching for a post.
"Oh, excuse me," the man said. He was dressed in a black suit with orange lining. He was the only one he had seen around the town who wore a cap.
Rakam slid out of his way, meeting the man's sky-blue eyes with own. The man pulled a post from the billboard and examined it briefly before walking away. As the man walked off, Rakam suddenly felt a strange sensation come over him. He started seeing images flash through his head, images of a warrior clothed in green. The images flew through his mind at a blazing speed, yet, he comprehended every one, right down to the last detail. Suddenly, one last image went through his conscience, depicting someone in a black cloak attempting to kill the warrior in green with a ferocious aura surrounding his flying fists. The mystery man's cloak design was very similar to – no, it could be him. After that image, the sensation ceased, and he watched the man approach the exit.
"Those images are somehow connected to this man. I can't let him get away!"
Rakam moved through the crowded bar to get near him, but not close enough to be noticed by him. They left the bar and out into the street again, and the man began walking east, into Ainurad and Nid's territory. Even though it wasn't his area to explore, he couldn't let their only lead get away. Maybe there would be repercussions, but it was now or never to decide. He summoned up his courage and continued his chase.
"I believe I have found him, Grandfather," said Rakam.
Rakam stood before a large man in a cloak that seemed to be pure darkness, wearing an iron mask over his face. Beside Rakam, were his two brothers, Ainurad and Silar, and the other group of Retarcs, Nid, Eroraf, and Uryan. Standing with the man called Grandfather, were nine other men, all cloaked similarly to Grandfather and with iron mask of their own. They were all inside of a rented apartment in East Side, so they wouldn't have to travel back and forth between the Desert and Castle Town.
"Where did you first see him?" the large masked man asked.
"I first saw him in a pub in South Side called 'Telme's Bar', looking at a post on a billboard," Rakam answered.
"Did you pursue him after you noticed something about him?"
"Yes, I did."
"Where did you follow him?"
"He walked toward East Side."
"Did you follow him?"
There it was. The question that he knew was coming that would decide his fate. He couldn't lie to him. Most of Grandfather's questions had been ones that Rakam was sure he already knew the answer to, so this one would likely be the same. Either way, there was only one way to find out. "Yes, I did."
Ainurad glanced over to him and Nid eyed him almost as if he had sentenced himself to death.
"You continued to pursue him even into territory that was not assigned to you? You do have a clear understanding of our instructions to you all, correct?"
Rakam gulped. "Yes, I do."
Grandfather shifted his position slightly and said, "And where did you track him to?"
"Good, so he isn't angry."
"I followed him to a building near the Town Center. I believe it's what is called... and apartment."
"Good..." murmured Grandfather. "I am going to reassign all of you: Rakam and Eroraf will take the East Side and Town Center, Nid and Ainurad will now have the South Side, and Uryan and Silar will remain West Side." Grandfather turned to Rakam. "Do I make myself clear?"
"Yes, Grandfather," they all said.
"You may all go."
The Gibbous moon silhouetted the quiet town with the help of thousands of visible stars that filled the black backdrop. Rakam, Ainurad, and Silar all stood on the rooftop of the apartment building that they were in, staring out to the gargantuan splendor of Hyrule Castle.
"According to the legends of the Hylians, the Hero only appears when evil arises. What kind of evil do you think we will have to help to Hero combat?" Silar asked, looking up to the stars through the shadow of his hood.
Ainurad looked to his clenched fist and said, "Whatever it is, it won't be able to stand to us, or the Hero."
"Usually in the legends, the evil threatens the sanctity of the Triforce, an item that is said to be made by the Goddesses Din, Nayru, and Farore. It holds a power that is said to be like that of the gods," said Rakam, resting his head on his arms that lay on the stony rails of the rooftop.
"If we really are the ones to protect the Hero like the oracle says, then I would be willing to give my life to protect him if it meant saving everyone else," said Silar.
"Silar, you know that none of us will die. With our powers along side the Hero, no one will need to die," Ainurad said with his usual fire and confidence.
Rakam focused to the Hylian Crest at top of the large chapel structure in the distance. "I certainly hope so."
Once again, Rakam found himself on the streets of Hyrule. He was actually able to see the street itself this time, since the sun was just rising. He stood outside of the apartment that he saw the man go into, waiting for him to appear. A scarce number of people wandered the streets, going to places that he had no idea about. He did not understand many of the Hylians' customs, but he didn't need to understand any of them to do his appointed task.
The sun's golden light fell upon the rooftops of Castle Town as Rakam waited. The traffic of people on the streets grew more and more as time went on. He was beginning to think that he had missed his appearance by chance. Grandfather wouldn't be too merciful to him this time if he returned to him at the end of the day without report. Suddenly he felt that strange sensation that took over him the other day retake him again. Scenes flashed in quick succession, as he understood each scene's contents. He did not understand the relevance of each scene, nor did he understand who the people were in the scenes, but they had significance. Suddenly, one particular image immediately startled him when he saw it. It was the same warrior in green he saw the last time this happened to him, only a sword with a blue scabbard struck through his chest as he was suspended in mid-air. He suddenly recognized the warrior's eyes; they were the same as the man that he was waiting for. Without warning, the imagery stopped, allowing him to regain his immediate senses. Just then, he saw the man as he stepped out of the doors of the building. He couldn't exactly explain it, but he suddenly got the unmistakable feeling that this man was the Hero they were searching for. Rakam grinned briefly before following him.
"So, you say that you definitely believe that this man is the Hero, Rakam?" asked Grandfather.
"Yes, I do," answered Rakam.
"Why do you think so?" he asked.
"Both times I've seen him, images run through my mind at an incredibly fast pace. Every one of them seemed to depict a man that looks exactly like the one we have been watching."
Grandfather paused for a bit, apparently pondering on what Rakam said. "Listen to me, all of you. Our next course of action is to aid him now that we know who he is. Use any method necessary to gain his trust and support him on his mission. I trust that you all understand the legends and what the Hero himself must do in order to gain the Blade of Evil's Bane?"
"Yes, Grandfather," the all said.
"Good. And remember not to allow him to see your faces. Even though he is the Hero, that does not mean you can become familiar to him. You may all go."
All of the Retarcs exited the room and walked out. As they walked down the hallway to their rooms, Rakam suddenly realized that he neglected to ask Grandfather about the image he saw portraying the Hero falling to that blue sword.
"Silar, Ainurad, I'll meet you two soon. I forgot to ask Grandfather a question."
The other two nodded as he turned down the other way. As he approached the door of their room, he heard discussion going on in the room.
"What could you tell from the boy's thoughts?" he heard one voice say.
"He was telling us the truth: the man he's been following is the Hero," another voice sounded.
"So how do you plan for us to act now?"
"We need to make ourselves known to the Throne of Hyrule to do anything further. We can't go through with our plan if we leave the Kingdom in its current state."
Leaving the kingdom in its current state? What did the Kingdom have to do with the Hero?
"And as for those Retarcs?"
"They need not know of what our actual plans are yet. Let them continue to believe that they are aiding the Hero. It's much easier than having to explain to them our true intent, plus, them knowing of how to obtain the Triforce would only run the risk of one of them becoming greedy."
Rakam's heart skipped a beat, maybe two. All this time, they were being lied to. Did the oracle's prophecies suddenly mean nothing?
"So you say that we need the Hero to collect all of the Spiritual Stones and gain the Master Sword?"
"Yes, and then we need to lure him to the appointed spot so that we can perform the rite with the Master Sword."
A rite with the Master Sword? As he thought of that statement, the image of the blue sword piercing through the warrior suddenly rushed through his mind. He finally understood what these images were: premonitions of things to come. If these were true, then the Hero was in great danger unless someone warned him. He stepped away from the door, only to cause a weak floor board beneath his feet to squeak loudly.
"Someone's at the door."
The door to the room suddenly flew open at the motion of one of the Fathers, but Rakam was long gone by then.
"We're being lied to? What do you --?"
"Keep your voice low, Ainurad," said Silar, sitting on his bed with his arms crossed.
Ainurad stood up from the chair he was in, clearly indignant at Rakam's revelation. "What do you mean by us being lied to?" he said.
"When I went to ask the question that I had for them, I heard them talking in the room about their plans to take the Triforce for themselves," Rakam said, still quite disturbed at what he had just heard.
"Did they say how they were going to do it?" asked Silar.
"They said that they need the Hero to collect the Spiritual Stones and find the Master Sword so that they can perform some kind of rite at a certain place."
Ainurad's eyes flashed lightly, "Rite? What do you mean?"
"I don't fully understand, but I think that they plan to kill the Hero with the Master Sword in order to do it."
"Did they say why?" Silar inquired.
Rakam thought for a second before he said, "No, but I think that they have some kind of plan to take over Hyrule, because they said that they had to make their presence known in Hyrule Castle before they gain the Triforce. Why they want to do this, I can't answer..." Rakam stared into the wooden floor of their room.
"Those dastards! Why would they betray us! Why would they go against the oracle, or is he a liar also?!" yelled Ainurad, kicking over his chair in rage.
Silar looked over at him as if he was going to quiet him, but he himself was too distraught to say anything.
'If we really are the ones to protect the Hero like the oracle says, then I would be willing to give my life to protect him if it meant saving everyone else,'
Rakam shed tears as he wallowed in fury and anguish.
The once comforting sight of the moon that shone its light on the town no longer gave Rakam the sense of serenity. It seemed like a damning symbol to him. In fact, everything looked much more hateful in light of his new disdainful knowledge. Save the occasional beggar or patrol unit, the streets of Hyrule were empty. Rakam had to warn the Hero of the coming danger, even if it went against the will of the Fathers. He still believed in the oracle's prophesies and sought to fulfill his duty. Rakam finally made it to the Hero's living quarters and scanned the area for anyone. When he saw that the streets were clear, he leapt off the ground and floated up to the rooftop of the apartment. Once there, he closed his eyes and focused his power. The markings on his body began to emanate a soft blue light. He couldn't warn him directly at the risk of raising suspicion from the Hero and the Fathers. The only way was through indirect revelation, influencing his dreams with the scene of the blue sword killing him. Eventually, the markings' light faded, and Rakam opened his eyes.
"I hope this works..."
The three of them sat in the room quietly at the setting sun. Their day had been uneventful and they had made little progress in getting in touch with the Hero. The Fathers didn't call them for a meeting either, so it's likely that they were not ready to make any new moves, and that Uryan, Nid, and Eroraf hadn't found out anything new either.
"Rakam," Silar said.
Rakam looked to Silar.
"Where did you go to last night?"
"Oh, you noticed that I left?"
"Why wouldn't I? We are all brothers," he noted, folding his arms.
Rakam looked out the window that depicted the brilliance of Castle Town in the golden twilight. "I went to warn the Hero about the danger he's in."
"What?" Ainurad interrupted, "You told him about what the Fathers are planning?"
"No, I didn't tell him...I just influenced his dreams..."
Silar stood up. "Rakam, you know how dangerous that is! You could have killed him and for all we know, you did!"
"I didn't kill him, I saw him this morning," Rakam refuted.
Silar took a breath and then sat down again. "I'm sorry Rakam; I didn't mean to become angry." Silar stared at his hands. "I'm actually glad that you did that. Even if they are our rulers, we still can't let them do this."
"Yeah," agreed Ainurad, "They'll pay for betraying our trust."
Rakam stood upon the rooftop of the Hero's apartment building once again. He was determined to awaken the Hero's senses to the situation, no matter how many times he had to repeat the process. He focused his mind on the images that he saw and his markings glowed. After a moment, the markings dimmed and Rakam opened his eyes and felt his heart nearly explode at the sight of Eroraf standing before him. The look in Eroraf's eyes was ominous and deep.
"Rakam, why are you out here?" he asked plainly.
"What do you mean why am I out here? Why are you out here?" Rakam replied.
"I noticed that you left your room so I came to find out what you were doing. So, what are you doing?"
Rakam contemplated on what he should say to him. Eroraf was just like he was; a Retarc who was being used as a pawn in the games of the powers that be. Yet, somehow it seemed as if he knew very well what Rakam had discovered by accident. If Eroraf was going along with the plans of the Fathers, then Rakam would be risking banishment for Silar, Ainurad, and himself, but if he wasn't...
"Eroraf, I have grave news that I think you need to hear," Rakam stated.
"Grave news?" Eroraf repeated with surprise.
"Last night, when we finished our meeting with the Fathers, I went back to their room to question them about a certain aspect of our mission, but I overheard their conversation before I opened the door." Rakam paused briefly. "Eroraf, you must believe what I'm saying when I tell you this, no matter how absurd it may seem."
"I will hear what you have to say," Eroraf said, prompting him to continue.
"The Fathers plan to take the Triforce by killing the Hero in order to do it."
"The Triforce?" Eroraf exclaimed, "The Fathers would never attempt such a thing!"
"I speak only the truth. They plan to take over Hyrule with its power."
"Hold your slanderous tongue!"
"Eroraf, you must believe me!"
Eroraf grabbed Rakam's arm and pulled it close to him. "Why should I believe you?" he said in a threatening tone. "How do I know you aren't attempting to kill the Hero?"
Rakam's eyes stayed firm. "I was up here just now warning the Hero through his dreams. I'm trying to save him from those lying monsters!"
Eroraf punched Rakam in the face, knocking him to the ground. "Traitor! You'll die for your words!" Eroraf created a sword from pure energy in his right hand and thrust it at him.
Suddenly, Eroraf's attempt to kill Rakam was halted by a large figure that stood between them. His mere presence seemed to be the only force holding Eroraf's attack.
"Grandfather!" exclaimed Eroraf.
"Do not kill him," he stated.
"No, he must die! He betrays your honor with his words!" Eroraf said, struggling to free his sword from whatever force kept it from moving.
"It is not for you to decide how one is punished," Grandfather stated. He fanned his arms out, flinging Eroraf with an invisible force. "Besides, our brand of punishment will be much more just," he said, turning to Rakam, who still remained on the floor.
Suddenly, as if from the darkness, the nine Fathers appeared, along with Ainurad, Silar, Nid, and Uryan. Two of the Fathers had holds on Ainurad and Silar.
"Rakam," began Grandfather, "Why would you make such accusations about us?"
"I don't know, Grandfather, why don't you tell us!" yelled Ainurad, struggling to break free.
"Silence, wretch," started Nid, "You've lost your right to speak."
"Grandfather," said one of the Fathers, "What shall we do with them?"
"They need to die!" yelled Eroraf, almost screaming it. He tried once again to charge at Rakam, but was again stopped in his tracks by Grandfather's power.
"I have said it before, they needn't die," said Grandfather. Suddenly, Rakam, along with Ainurad and Silar, were brought to Grandfather and held in place, levitating. "They will be exiled."
Silar's eyes widened and his markings shone brightly. "What? You are banishing us as if we are traitors? You all are the ones who should be banished for betrayal! You are going against the --!" Silar yelped in pain as a mysterious force suddenly assaulted his senses.
"Your heresy will end tonight," noted Grandfather.
Ainurad and Rakam joined Silar in his anguish. Their markings became red as they writhed in agony. The markings on their bodies suddenly started shifting and moving around. This tortured scene continued for at least a minute before it subsided and the three of them dropped to the floor. The markings on them changed noticeably, particularly on their faces. They all now had an X shaped mark on their cheeks; the most nefarious brand a man of the Ranul. It prohibited them from using their magic power to their fullest extent, and they were forced to reveal the curse to everyone they met, even Elitnegs. In more ways than anyone could count, it was worse than death, to live with such shame.
"All three of you will flee from here, and never return to Hyrule or our tribe again," stated Grandfather grimly.
Rakam, Silar, and Ainurad stood on a hill in the midst of Hyrule field, with the shinning moon waxing the darkened plains. The malicious mark of shame glowed softly on each of their faces. They all looked out to Castle Town, staring upon it hatefully, remembering the painful memory of their punishment for doing what was right. Their hard work was paid off with their cursing, their defamation. In Rakam's—no, in all three of their hearts, a seed of abhorrence began to grow.
"Curse those swine," muttered Silar, "Those greedy monsters."
Ainurad punched the ground, sending a spray of dirt up upon impact. He screamed loudly; his voice full of rage and vengeance. "We will have our revenge! Do you hear me you dogs?!"
Rakam's eyes began tearing at the thought of the act of treachery that the Fathers were committing.
"We shall take the Triforce for ourselves, if that's how they want to do things," said Silar suddenly.
"What?" Rakam asked, trying to keep his voice from quivering.
"I said we'll take the Triforce from them. If they are so willing to do this to us, then the only way to get back at them is to take what they cherish most."
"But...that would mean killing--!"
"The Hero," finished Ainurad. "So what? He hasn't done anything for us! If anything, he's the one to blame for all of this!"
Silar turned his back to the sight of Castle Town. "Let's go, we must get started as soon as possible," he said, continuing on into the expanse of the night.
Ainurad and Rakam followed, complete with a new resolve for revenge.
