Sorry it has taken me so long to get back to this! Nursing school has been pretty intense and I didn't have the time to spare to work on this until now :/ I'm off for the next three to four months though, so I'm hoping that I can publish one chapter a week before I have to focus on my classes!
To further clarify, today is Sunday, May 1, 2016 and I'm hoping that around this time, I will post a new chapter. If things go as planned, you'll see a new chapter in seven days! :)
Anyway, in this chapter, we're getting closer and closer to some pretty big events! In another chapter or so, we'll be arriving in the era of the female Hero. How have things truly changed since the era of Twilight? What is going to become of our heroic duo once they make it through their passage to the future? We'll just have to see for ourselves! Hopefully they'll both be ready to evade a terrible fate!
Note!
If you guys have been paying attention, I've been mostly following the structure of the areas in the Wii version of Twilight Princess. In this chapter, I've made some alterations to the outer area of Arbiter's Grounds due to scenario that the silver haired baddie of our story has been expecting out Heroes' arrival and such. Just a warning for those who have been enjoying the realistic depictions of the land and areas as represented by Nintendo c:
As usual, I hope you all enjoy!
Please read and rate/comment, I'd really love to hear what you have to say! Every time I get a new review, it gets me even more pumped and inspired to keep at this story!
The Other Hero of Time
Chapter 23
Five towers… and it looks like they're building a bonfire in the middle. I frown, taking off my Hawkeye, letting it rest just above my bangs. "Those red eyes…"
"They're the same type of Bokoblins we fought before." Link grunts as he urges Epona to go faster. "Unfortunately, there's only one way to get around them and we're still going to be at risk of being spotted."
I nod, expecting that the silver haired man would leave little room for error in his plans. I slip my Hawkeye back over my eyes, focusing on the group of Bokoblins that are gathering around the now lit bonfire. "There's nine of them out there. Five on the towers and four on the ground. It looks like they have a boar with them, too."
"This is going to be difficult if we don't do something about those towers." He frowns looking out towards the setup. "This formation is a common one. They likely have archers at each of those posts."
With a smile, I pull a bow and an arrow from my quiver, attempting to balance my aim while still staying on Epona as she gallops forward. "I'm on it."
Link looks back at me and nods, "Try to take out the ones further from us. The Bokoblins are generally very gullible without guidance, so they'll think we're coming from the other side."
"Right." I nod, focusing as best I can on the pair of glowing red eyes that hasn't recognized us yet.
I take in a deep breath, letting my arrow fly with hope that my skills are better than I believe they are. Before my arrow reaches its target, I pull another from my quiver and ready it for my next target, aiming for a tower next to the one I just aimed at. The enemy in the first tower lets out a distant last scream, falling from the tower as I release the next arrow. I continue with my heart racing my muscles moving out of instinct, grabbing another arrow and aiming it at the tower on the other side of the first. Again, I let it fly with the scream of another falling enemy.
The group of Bokoblins begin to wonder towards the west to inspect the area of their three fallen comrades and I have to calm myself to prevent from firing another arrow. Looking over at Link as I push back my Hawkeye again, I see a bright smile shining towards me, helping me relieve the rush of the adrenaline rush I'm having. I wrap my arms around him again, not knowing where that burst of precision and skill just came from. I'm not sure if it unnerves me or not. I don't recall ever wielding a bow or is it just that I haven't recalled it yet? Maybe it could be the skills of Heroes past or even the Goddesses lending their hand to aide me in my journey…
We continue past the bonfire, venturing towards an area of rocks that seems to be the very outer entrance of Arbiter's Grounds. As we speed past, I look back to see that they haven't caught on yet, but I'm not certain that they'll be staying that way for long. Coming to a rock formation that leads to higher grounds, Epona successfully jumps over and continues into a narrow path carved out of the desert rocks. It's another narrow winding path, with dark corners everywhere, making me very cautious as I look around, prepared for an enemy to strike.
Suddenly, Epona comes to a silent halt. As Link dismounts, he offers me his hand while placing a finger over his lips. I nod as I dismount as well, sensing the obstacle that lies ahead of us. How could they have known that we were coming here? That guy didn't seem to know how I got to the past, so how would he know how we are to get to the future? There couldn't be any records of these events yet. Could they?
He motions for Epona to stay put and with a nod of her head, Link begins to inch around the rock, looking out at the next entrance. There's more lookout towers and the glow of a fire in the distance.
"Nasia," He whispers, motioning me to look towards the entrance. "We're going to need to take out those two towers first."
I nod, taking out two arrows. I quickly dash to shadows of the rocks on the other side of our path, aiming at the first one that looks away. Releasing the first arrow, I quickly aim and release the second one so that neither could alert the others. Thankfully, the two bodies fall on our side of the boarded up doors before exploding in a burst of black dust.
"You're very skilled with that bow." He smiles at me. "It suits you well."
Not able to stop my face from flushing, I can't help averting my gaze. My only blessing is that I'm in the shadows, so even he can't see it. "It's nothing really. Just more instinctual skills than anything else."
"Then it just means you've practiced enough in your past that you've developed enough muscle memory." He walks over and rests a hand on my shoulder. As I gaze up at his gentle smiling face, I can't slow the beating within my chest as it begins to pound uncontrollably. "I'm sure you'll remember more once we enter your era. Even if you don't, you're more than capable of fulfilling the destiny of a Hero."
Smiling, I give another nod. It eases my mind to know that he has so much faith in me and my abilities. Something seems off to me though. As he turns and begins to walk towards the entrance, I can't help feeling as if there's a distance developing between us. The way he's acting… he swore that he would help me on this journey, but his words seem to be becoming more distant than they were before. It's as if he's guarding himself, but I don't understand. Why would he be guarding himself from me?
Knocking myself from my thoughts, I dash after Link as he pulls the arrows from the sand and hands them for me. "It looks like they're still intact."
"Well that's good." I give a small smile as I take them and put them back into my quiver. "What should we do from here?"
"First, we'll have to scout the area." He begins to slowly push one of the large wooden doors open, not letting it creak so much that it would draw attention. "I have a feeling that we're going to need to take out all of the Bokoblins before we get into the building. Once we've done that, we can call for Epona and make our trek to the top of Arbiter's Grounds."
Then I'll finally be able to return to my era… I'll be able to return home. I follow Link's lead as he slips through the doors. I can't help worrying about how my people have been fairing without me. When I we reach the future, how much time would've passed since my disappearance? Would there be hardly any difference? Would it be the same amount of time that I've spent here? It's only been five days since I started this journey. I hope my people are alright… Please let Tarin be safe…
"Nasia." Link's soft voice breaks me from my thoughts, motioning towards a sleeping Bokoblin down the path to the east. Inching forward, he points towards a tower with another lookout just around the corner.
With a nod, I ready my arrow, firing at the sleeping enemy before immediately firing at the lookout. I wait for him to check the area ahead before continuing after him, making sure to pick up the arrows I fired. Strangely enough, I find two more arrows in similar areas and positions as the ones I fired. I take them as well, placing the four in my quiver before turning to follow Link through an area filled with old, tattered tents that seem to be falling apart.
Tracing my fingers along the cloth of one of the tens, I frown, "How long have they been stationed here?"
"Not long." A pair of shining eyes looks back at me. "These tents have been here since the invasion of the Twilight. They seem to have built a couple new towers, but they haven't started to salvage old materials from these tents."
I can't help a smile from arising on my face in relief. "That should be good then."
"Maybe, but we don't want to take any chances." He looks within the tent on our right, pulling out another quiver full of arrows. He takes the arrows out and hands the bundle to me. "They still can be a threat. For now, this should be enough to hold them off."
Taking the bundle, I put them in my quiver and do a quick count of the arrows I have so far. It's just a hair under forty, but it'll due for now. Looking back at him, I smile again. "We should continue."
With a small smile, he nods, but suddenly turns towards the corner ahead of us where I can hear the sound of feet shifting through the sand. Glancing over as well, I see the faint glow of a lantern's light growing closer. Before I could think, Link grabs me and darts into the tent, wrapping an arm around me and pressing me against him, as if preparing to shield me from the enemy. My heart begins to race as I watch the glow of the lantern slowly round the corner. The light of the flame peeks through the space between the front flaps of the tent's cloth, showing the green face of a Bokoblin. I begin to reach back for one of my arrows, preparing to silence them if we're caught, but I find my arm being forced back down. Looking up, Link slowly shakes his head before looking back at the lantern's glow, following it with his eyes.
The patrolling Bokoblin continues at its slow pace, soon rounding the next corner and returning the soft darkness of the night to the area. I let out a soft sigh, letting my muscles relax for a moment. That was close…
After a few moments, the tight grip on my arm is loosened and released. I watch as he peaks out from the tent before he motions for me to follow, putting a finger over his lips before pressing his back against the wall beside us. Peeking over the edge of the wall and around the corner, he grabs my hand and leads me to an open area clear of enemies and towers. As we navigate through this little area, I find myself being very cognoscente of my footsteps, not wanting to case too much of a rustle or crunch in the sand as I move.
As Link pulls away and scans the area ahead, I grab one of my arrows from my quiver and ready my bow. Before following after him, I check behind is to make sure the Bokoblin from earlier isn't heading back this way. Rounding the corner, Link holds his arm out and points towards a Bokoblin's shadow on the wall from around the corner. With a nod, I sneak over to the side so that I could see the back of their head and fire, watching as they fall and explode like their comrades. Seeing the glow of the previous Bokoblin's lantern, I duck behind the wall while Link continues to scout the next area. As the patrol rounds the corner, I make my shot before he can identify me, falling into a pile of black ash as well.
Taking in a deep breath, I continue on, finding that the green clad Hero hasn't moved from his spot, just waiting and watching. I hurry over, shyly rubbing the back of my head. "Sorry."
"No, you did the right thing." He shakes his head, giving a little smile as he whispers, "Your Hero's instinct is well tuned."
I smile back at him, "I have you to thank for that."
His smile grows a little wider before nudging his head towards the path. I nod and follow his lead, making sure to pick up the arrow that I fired just a few moments ago. We continue down the small slope of sand, rounding the corner to shoot down another outlook up ahead. Once Link inspects the area, I go grab my arrow, noticing the scorched structure the Bokoblin had been stationed in front of. The building looks like it was burnt down, but partially rebuilt.
"Nasia." I turn to see a pair of blue eyes motioning me to follow. I look beyond him to see the structure that we had been heading towards this whole time down the long pathway.
I'm not sure whether I'm relieved to see it or intimidated by it. Just beyond this point lies my way home, but I can't help being nervous about that. I'm still uncertain about the exact dynamics to how I got to this era and how we'll be able to travel forward in time. I don't want to lose my memories again, nor do I want Link to lose his. I can only hope that my amnesia was planned by the Goddesses and that the path we're taking is still part of their grand design.
Not wanting to lose another moment, I dart over and follow Link down the passageway, being careful to not trip over the abnormal amount of splintered logs sticking out of the sands. With each step, I focus on my people and what they must be suffering through without a Hero to save them. I can be—no, I am that Hero. The Goddesses bestowed upon me the mark of the Triforce. They can see that I alone have the power, the ability to protect and save my era of Hyrule. I have to be brave. I am to represent the Triforce of Courage after all. Once we make it through the Arbiter's Grounds, we'll continue our journey and destroy the darkness. I have to do it. I'm the only one of my people who can. I have to be brave…
As we approach the entrance of the grounds, Link stops, turning back towards the pathway. I look back at him, then towards the entrance of the camp in the distance. "Do you think it's clear for us to call Epona?"
"Yes, but something is off." I watch as he frowns, pulling out Epona's Horse Call. "There was so little resistance here."
"What are you thinking?" My brow furrows with worry as I look back at the structure towering before us.
With a soft sigh, he shakes his head. "I'm not sure yet, but it can't be good. I doubt that he's not expecting us… I can only hope that there isn't a surprise waiting for us once we make it through here."
"No matter what, we'll always make it through any obstacle, right?" I put my hand on his shoulder, smiling as I try to ease his mind. "You said so yourself; we can defeat anything that tries to get in our way."
A wave of relief overcomes me has his eyes shine in a familiar soft glow and a smile arises on his face. "Yeah, I suppose I did."
As he begins to call Epona, I can't help smiling, grasping the Stone of Trials in my hand. Maybe I was just imagining things before. He hasn't distanced himself from me very much at all, has he? Maybe he has just been worried or under the stress of our situation.
It doesn't take long to hear her softened clomping against the sands to grow louder, soon turning and galloping down the path towards us. She's quick to make it to our side, letting out a small huff as she stops. Link gives her a small pat on her snout before turning towards the entrance of the large building towering before us. "Hopefully Epona will be able to make it through this."
"Why do you say that?" I turn towards him with a confused furrow of my brow.
"The last time I was here, there were many obstacles and areas of quicksand that it was difficult even for me to make it through in one piece." He continues to frown, not taking his eyes off the entrance of the Arbiter's Grounds. "I'm confident that I can help you make it through this deathtrap, but I'm not sure about her…"
"What should we do then?" I frown as I look between them. "We can't just leave her here. More Bokoblins are probably going to be summoned and find her."
With a sigh, he looks at Epona. "I know you're going to follow us either way, but please, just be careful."
Whinnying in agreement, she leans her forehead against his. I smile has he closes his eyes and rests his hands against her snout. Their bond is so strong; I can't help feeling a little jealous. Maybe one day I can have a bond like theirs. Where I can communicate with someone through such a simple, but meaningful action. Hopefully I can have that one day. Looking at those two, it sure looks like something incredible to experience.
As Link backs away to look at me with a firm nod, I nod back at him and begin heading up the large staircase to the entrance. He and Epona follow behind me with the careful clomping of her hooves against the stone structure. As we reach the top, I can't help feeling a little uneasy. I'm not sure whether it's my nerves of what lies ahead of me or the building itself. For some reason, something just doesn't settle with me about this place.
Gazing upon it now, it strikes me as odd that such a structure would be built and abandoned in such a desolate place as this. It almost makes my skin crawl to stare into the large door with fire dimly lighting the path down to what I assume is our first death trap.
"Nasia?" I glance over my shoulder to see a pair of worried eyes gazing back at me. "Is something wrong?"
"It's nothing. I guess this place just unnerves me a little bit." I smile back at him, trying to not let my nerves get the best of me. "Something about it is just unsettling. Why would a place like this be abandoned here?"
"This is one of the last remnants of the Hylian-Gerudo War that took place a couple hundred years ago. After the war had ceased, these grounds were built to contain the rebel forces." He looked forward towards the massive structure with an empty haze in his eyes. "After a decade, the Ground's use was lost and it was abandoned to be swallowed by the desert."
The look in his eyes worries me, sensing his dismay and distain for this building. For a long time, I can't think of anything to say. My interest is being peeked by this ancient war, but something's telling me that this part of history is not one that Link is especially proud of. "So, what caused it?"
"Huh?" He looks back over to me with a furrowed brow.
"The war. Why did it happen?"
"The ancient texts say that there was a race of desert dwellers called the Gerudo which was made up of only women. They were uncontent with the harsh nature of the life in the desert and wanted to move to new lands where there was better food and water. The King of the Gerudo saw it as an opportunity to wage war against Hyrule."
Tilting my head, I can't help furrowing my brow. "Wait, if they were only women, how did they have a King?"
"That I'm not sure of, but it seems like however they did it, there was a strange phenomenon with their race. A male was only born into the clan every hundred years or so and would be raised by the clan to become their King." He looks up at the symbol of the Triforce that is withering above the entrance. "The last one led the Gerudo into war with the Hylian crown. That last king of the Gerudo was Ganondorf."
"How could that be?" I let out a small gasp. "I thought the Princess said that you defeated him only a few years ago! He couldn't have been hundreds of years old and be such a powerful threat to the kingdom…"
"Let me see if I can shorten the story a bit…" He closes his eyes, resting his chin on his hand. "After his troops were finally defeated in the last battles of the war, he and those who were left of his race were led to this building where they were rumored to be tortured and experimented on. Ganondorf was set to be killed immediately, but somehow was able to hide away and escape to the Twilight realm. I suppose he used his Triforce of Power to preserve his spirit until he could make a comeback."
"How awful…" I look away towards the ground, rubbing my arm anxiously. "But, why torture them? I know they were the enemy, but they couldn't have all been bad… Why would the crown even do that?"
He looks at the ground with those familiar sad eyes. "That, I can't answer. The building and monitoring of these grounds was overseen by a member of the royal court at the time. There's many theories of what happened back then, but there's no telling which one is true, if any of them. I doubt there's documentation of what happened in the royal library and if there is, I'm sure it is being well hidden, possibly from the Princess herself."
"You know, whoever's to blame for the torture, I can understand how Ganondorf would be hungry for revenge." I look off in the distance, unable to see anything over the miles of sand dunes. "This land seems so harsh and unforgiving. I don't believe that he was full of good intentions, but he must've cared for his people to some degree. After all, wouldn't that be the closest this to a family that he had?"
"Yeah, I suppose so."
I keep my gaze on the dark horizon. What would I do if I was in Ganondorf's place? There had to be innocent people that were sacrificed or even forced into fighting the war when they didn't want to. I can't say that I would devise such a plan for revenge, but I also can't say that I wouldn't. I don't want to hurt the innocent, but if it was by brother and my people who suffered when I couldn't do anything to help them… I wouldn't know what to do or what I would do…
With a sudden heaviness on my shoulder, I look over to see Link smiling softly at me. "I promise, we will save your people. I won't let anything happen to them."
"How did you?"
"You're always thinking about them." He lets out a small laugh that brings a warmth to my heart. It's so relieving to hear "Now let's get going. We need to hurry before reinforcements come."
I give a strong nod, feeling more urgency than ever to return to my era. "Right."
He looks back behind us for a moment before grabbing Epona's reigns. "For now, we should keep moving before reinforcements find there way up here."
"Right." I nod and follow behind him, feeling a little more urgency to return to my era.
"Promise me something?" He looks towards me as he leads Epona towards the steps. "With time continuing to erode this place away, it is more dangerous than when I last had to travel through here. I need you to closely follow my lead. The path I took should still be mostly in tact, but I don't want to risk it."
With another nod, I smile, hoping it helps relieve him even by the slightest bit. "Of course."
Unfortunately, his face stays grim and his eyes gleam in such a way that they seem to be baring a heavy burden. "And when I tell you to not look, make sure you do everything you can to not."
"Why's that?" I frown as he begins to walk ahead of me.
He doesn't turn back at me to answer, but instead stays still for a moment, as if weighing his words for a precise answer. "There is still evidence of the horror that was performed here all those years ago. Some of these things are going to be unavoidable for you to witness, but there are things that you're better off not seeing."
Link… I don't move for a long while as he begins down the stairs of the entrance with Epona. With a deep breath and a new subject of worry on my mind, I begin to follow behind him. Even though we have such impending doom weighing on us be attempting to make it through here, I can't help but to focus on what Link said and what would cause him to be so grim. You've seen the things that time is trying to erase, haven't you? Things you wish you could unsee… I hope you won't have to revisit those harsh memories…