PART TWO - THE WILD HORSE CHASE
"This looks like the place," Link said, squinting with a hand to shield his eyes.
The arena was built into a crater just down this long slope. The wide crater was modeled with natural shelves to serve as viewing platforms. Rocks rose around them in twisting pillars, the sun gleaming between them. He could hear the cries and shouts of the crowd, metal clanging against metal.
He was getting pretty excited.
"I don't like this," Katie muttered. "This silver mercenaries…"
Link cracked his knuckles. The trip to Dethal had taken several hours, and then some considering all the monsters that greeted them. The troupers paid for Link's lounging and for his breakfast.
First thing in the morning, him and Katie needed to make another trip. This arena was just outside of Dethal, past a small mountain. At least with these silver bastards around, monsters kept themselves out of sight.
The very grands of recruitment. The arena was highly regarded by the villagers of Dethal while others were anxious over it. Apparently, the violence tended to stay strictly on the other side of this mountain, but with recent events the villagers were now starting to feel its heat.
Link couldn't blame them. Hell, this arena was something. Large and imposing, skulls on spears, broken swords and axes. The marks of the fallen. A warning to the living.
Katie sighed.
"What?"
"Why is it that this sort of thing excites you?"
He realized that he was practically bouncing on his toes, like a child waiting for sweets. "Can you blame me? Finally, a real challenge!" He started walking to the large gate where its portcullis was raised halfway. This place looked like a fort but without a roof.
"I thought you liked fighting Bokoblins."
"Yeah, but that's like playing with children." He rubbed his hands together. "I want to play with the big boys now."
The sun glared down, showing figures standing above the battlements. Archers and more silver mercenaries. Blood stained over at the side, fresh from the looks of it. They don't play around.
At the front, an entry fee was required, along with general interrogation about his business. When Link explained himself, the two men laughed.
"We really need to speak to him," Katie said quickly before Link could give them a few words that could've ended with swords. She specially told him not to start anything and reminded him that these people were Banard's comrade. He can't expect to beat down everyone that gets in his face.
"Listen, sweetheart, if I get every rupee for every bastard who wants to see 'em then I wouldn't be stuck here guarding this here gate."
Link felt his anger bubbling.
"And 'esides," the man with the thick beard and, beady eyes continued. "What business do you 'ave with 'em?"
"Important business," Katie stressed. "We just need to talk to him."
Link knew they weren't getting anywhere like this so he asked the right question. "How can I get his attention?"
The man in the front looked impressed, favoring Link a yellow-teeth smile. "Got some steel in you if you want to see him this bad." Link said nothing and the man scratched his stubble chin thoughtfully. "Now if you really want to meet his lordship then you could try beatin' our champion."
The bearded man laughed curtly. "Let him try gettin' in first."
Katie reddened. "We just paid you!"
"And now I want interest for wastin' our time with this shite!" the man snarled and stood in the way imperviously.
The other man just sighed. "Do you know the kind of man Lord Henrick is, lad?"
"The kind that thinks he could buy the moon right next to the sun," Link replied.
The man laughed. "And the stars as well just 'cause he don't want anyone lookin' at it!"
His friend looked at him reprovingly. "Keep talkin' like that and he'd cut your tongue off."
The other shrugged, his silver earring swinging. "Ah, let the lad in. He could watch and piss himself."
Link clammed his mouth shut. The bearded man wasn't happy about it but didn't protest. Though when Link walked up the gate, the man put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him.
"Cause any trouble, just a little bit," the man said softly, "and I'll break your skull."
Link stared at the man. Oh, I can make enough trouble that'll have you crying, old man.
"I'm not here to cause trouble," Link said steadily.
"You think I'm born yesterday?" the man spat. "You look like fuckin' trouble."
"Not today I'm not. I'm here to talk to Henrick," Link gritted and slapped the man's hand off. "I'll beat the shit out of your champion if that's what it takes."
The man's face blackened. Link stared at him straight in the eyes, unflinching. Even with the soft whispers of arrows being pulled from above, he didn't move from his place.
"Let him through," the other said softly. "This one could be with us soon. Look at him."
The bearded man sneered but this time he didn't stop Link from passing through. Once Link was away from them, he felt his muscles relax and tried to calm himself down.
Over his shoulder, Katie flickered nervously, drawing a few eyes her way. "What was that?"
"A test," he said as he climbed up the stairs that were just rocks hammered to the steps.
She brightened curiously. "A test? How could that be a test?"
He felt a smile tickling his lips. It was always nice to know that she didn't know everything. "I'll tell you about it later. Can you lower your light down or something?"
"What am I, a lantern?"
Link laughed. "Why not? But seriously people are staring at us."
She tried and her color scumbled a little. Link scanned over the crowd. The arena was shaped like a semi-circle, a bowl with benches around. Just at the edge was a platform where fighters waited for their turn, a small medical tent near them. And at the very bottom, a vicious fight took place.
As he climbed up the stairs, Link snuck glances at the fight. A large, masculine woman with only bronze breastplates and trousers swung a massive club at a smaller man. The man was short but lithe, leaping away from the club like a graceful dancer.
Link tittered when he nearly tripped. In a muttering apology, he made his way across toes, squeezed through bodies and nearly choked at the sweaty smell. It wasn't as bad as the compliments he got about his mother and his face.
The man dodged another of the woman's aggressive blows. He stepped backwards smoothly in the sand-covered ground. Broken bits of metal sparkled like shattered glass.
"She's fast for a big woman," Katie said, flickering a little white. "And scary."
Link snorted. "Scary? Didn't we face a commander and a crazy king?"
"Yeah, but look at her. Whoa!"
Link couldn't stop walking as he was still in the way, but he did peek up from his shoulder to see that the woman lifted the man by the shirt with one hand and threw him to the ground. Her hammer soon followed but the man rolled away. He put a hand to the ground and threw himself to his feet in time to dodge back from another blow.
Finally, Link reached the middle walkway, and got down to the platform that perched at the edge of the crater. The small tent nearby was supposed to be bustling with doctors and patients. Funny enough there were none of that.
Several fighters rimmed at the edge of the platform, eager, nervous. From the corner of his eyes, Link spotted a few men and women wearing silver earrings. They didn't cheer or shout, just watching assiduously.
Katie gasped loudly and Link snapped his eyes back to the fight, grateful that he could now watch it properly. He saw that he missed a lot as the woman bore a gash on her cheek, blood sliding down like a tear. The man was doing a little better until the woman slammed her forehead against his. He staggered and fell when his adversary delivered a kick to the chest.
The crowd reacted violently at this, while Link cringed. A blow like that, coming from a behemoth like her, could break a man's ribs. The man choked out a gasp, withering on the ground. His sword was far from his reach.
And that was the end of the fight. An announcer will call her victorious and people will cheer while the man will be shamed out of the arena to be tended by a doctor. Or he could summon the strength to drag it out.
Then Link remembered what Jen told him, just as the woman raised her club and silenced her opponent's screams. Blood sprayed like a fountain, coloring the sand. Katie screamed, flaring into a bright white. The woman brought down the club again and again until the man was no longer recognizable. People screamed enough to make Link's ears ring.
Now the announcer got to his feet. "And we have a winner!" he cheered, clapping as he went to her and raised one beefy, bloodied arm. At the same time, the silver mercenaries that watched nodded their head in approval.
Link just stared at the fight dumbly. "Well, that was quick," he said, and winced when Katie beamed like it was freaking Hylia's Night. He was about to chide at her but saw just how white the color was. "Hey—"
"Sh-she just killed him," Katie uttered, trembling. "She just killed him. He was asking for mercy. You heard him. He was begging her." Then she turned to a flush of indignation. "Why didn't you do something?"
Link regarded her with a blank stare. "I don't know, maybe I don't want to get my ass butchered? Didn't you say not to do something stupid?"
She still trembled. He considered taking her into his hand like the twins have done to calm her down but he thought against it. It would've been weird.
He sighed. "Listen, the man knew what he was signing up for."
How long has this been going on though? Arenas and fighting tournaments were allowed so long as they didn't do what they just did now. But now…well, the Silver Company took over things, and Link sure as hell not going to save a man who signed his own death warrant.
Now that he thought about it, this place was a lot more civilized than he anticipated, aside from the bloody fight. He heard from the troupers and Cett that the Silver Company was in a precarious state but it was functioning normally. That village was quiet enough that you wouldn't think there were any bloodthirsty commanders and insane general.
The struggle for leadership must be an inside job, and it seemed that this arena was far too important to get in the way of it.
Watching the brutal execution killed off the other contestants' courage. They feigned bravery but tension rose in their shoulders, and from the way their eyes darted from one another, they wondered who would go first.
A man with a ledger book kept waiting with eyeglasses resting on the tip of his nose. Link had signed his name in with flourish, proud of it.
The woman raised two red hands up, her square face sneered. "Who's next?" she shouted as two mercenaries removed the unfortunate competitor.
"That's the tenth one," someone uttered. "This bitch is crazy."
Link saw elevated assent from the silver mercenaries. Seems like they were getting themselves a new member.
"Are you really going to fight her?" Katie asked as Link rolled his shoulders. Her color was still pale but mixed with anxiety. "Link—"
"Oh no. Don't you start worrying for me. This will be fun," he said with a grin. After a good night of sleep, a hearty meal, and a cold cup of sake? Give him an army. He was ready for it.
Her color stayed, persistent. The fight shocked all the color out of her, which he found it odd since she didn't show that much horror when he played around with monsters.
Then again, watching a man's face get turn to a mashed potato was not an everyday thing for everyone.
"Alright, look," Link said after a moment, "I won't kill her."
Her color changed. "Really?"
"Yeah, I'm not here to join the club." He eyed the mercenaries that sat at front row seat. Silver sword, silver earring, hell why not just dye their hair and color their skin while they're at it? "Yeah, not my style."
This mitigated her color. "Okay but you have to be careful."
Link rolled his eyes. "You can't stop worrying?"
"Not when it's about you," she chided. "I swear, if I leave you alone for five minutes you'll have the whole town after you!"
Link grinned before shocking the man with the ledger. "I'm up."
"You?" the man sputtered.
"Yeah, me. That a problem?"
The man put on his glasses, blinking. "Ah, er, well, by all means…"
Link wrapped the Master Sword in a woolen shirt before he left the inn. Now this wasn't the kind of place where you want to show off a fancy sword, especially if that sword is evil's bane. He set it and his other belongings in a box given to every fighter, locking it with the key on his person. If he died, everything in here would belong to the champion.
As if.
Rather than silver, they gave him a bronze sword, the lowest one. He narrowed his eyes at the tiny little cracks across the blade, and knew that he wasn't being taken seriously. They wanted a blood bath, not a fight.
Oh, I'll give you a blood bath, you shitty bastards…
"Is everything okay?" Katie asked.
Link remembered his promise. "Yeah, yeah. Just wish they gave me a silver one." But maybe this could work too. Hell, if he won this fight, he might have Henrick invite him over dinner.
But already, he started to miss the sword. In a dark and cold box, ready for the taking if he fell…
He shook his head. None of that. Besides, it might be do him some good to be away from it. He'd been relying too much on its power.
The champion kept bellowing for another challenger. Best not to keep a lady waiting.
Link swung himself over the railings, landing with one knee on the ground, a puff of sand rose up. The announcer introduced him in a clarion voice, noting his youth but complimented his boldness.
The woman stared at him and wasn't happy by what she saw. "This? This is what you send me?" she shouted. "A boy with no hair on his face?"
"And this is what they have," Link shot at her, "some woman who wandered off the kitchen?"
A wave of chuckles rolled off from the crowd followed by a hoot and whistle.
The woman turned to him. Link gave her a smile, his blade leaning on his shoulder. "Say, wasn't I supposed to fight a champion? You his wife or mother? Can you bring him out for me please?"
The crowd was howling. The woman's face clouded like a storm. She lifted her blood stained club. "You want to die, boy?" she asked.
Link saw the club, saw the blood, and got excited for it. "Not today or any other day. You sure you're a woman though? I'd hate to hurt you."
"Oh I'm not the one that'll be hurting."
"Oh so you're a man! But why the breastplates?" Link laughed when the hammer was brought down. He leaped up and seamlessly landed on his feet. "I bet when the Goddesses were making you, they didn't know which gender to pick so they chose both!"
His quip earned him a thunder of laughter. The woman reddened in fury.
The woman, Lucy, was alarmingly quick despite the massive size of her club. She swung it horizontally and Link reeled back, going for the right but she quickly countered it. When the club completed its first wide swing, it rebounded as she changed her grip. Link was forced to get back.
The attack sent wind at his sweaty face, brushing up a sheet of sand back. If that landed on him, his skull would've cracked open like a walnut.
Now this was a fight he was waiting for.
The horrifying image reverberating in her mind. The man's desperate face flattened beneath the ruthless club. The woman killed him. No hesitation, no pause of compassion, nothing. This extent of cruelty was expected from monsters like Louis and General Charles but…Hylains? Not even Banard had been that callous!
And for the crowd to approve of something like this?
She felt herself sway a little, feeling as if something heavy tugged her down. The moment of dejection nearly led her to be captured by the onlookers. With the sun shining out intensely, Katie took them out with her hammer, and it took a few more hits to discourage the others from trying.
Focus, you idiot! She thought to herself. You need to stay focused!
Finding Henrick here was nearly impossible with so many people here, all who have nothing to with their lives. The entrance fee wasn't that much. Not too low that the company would suffer losses, but not too high to discourage people from coming. The whole idea fixated on showing off the strength of the Silver Company, to show promise to those loyal and to warn those who oppose them.
It sickened her.
This place should just blow up, she thought darkly. How dare these people take it as a good sport. That man could've had a family and that woman…she just orphaned his children, widowed his wife, ruined everything.
Stop thinking about it!
A man close by her whistled. "The boy's pretty good! He's dancing circles around her!" He nudged to his friend. "You'll need to pay up."
His friend scowled. "She smashed that man's head! That little bastard won't last for three seconds!"
As if on cue, Link recoiled from the swing of the club. He ran passed her, his sword raised up, the tip of it ran beneath Lucy's underarm. A thin line of blood drew out like a red ribbon, but that hardly mattered to her. She swung the club down. Link jerked back and then rushed in, bringing his sword down and got her arm.
Katie froze, gawking. Rather than cut through her, the bronze sword was stuck like axe to wood. Link wasn't surprised, just frustrated. Lucy punched him off.
"Why didn't that work?" Katie exclaimed, glowing a dashing color of pink and white. "She should've been maimed!" She felt sick by the thought. Would she really want to see something like that?
"They gave 'em the shitter ones," someone replied. The man looked eagerly at the fight, one scar matted over his eye, sealing it closed. "The blades are dull, the clubs break easy, the shields are cracked…"
"What? Are they trying to kill their recruitments?"
The man laughed. "Not all are getting recruited, lass. Only one out of fifty at least."
"So you try to kill them off?"
"They're not giving you it to screw you over."
"Okay then what good reason can they possibly have to ruin the equipment that keep their fighters alive?" she demanded.
The man sighed. "You don't come around often, do you?"
"I'd rather not," she said stiffly. "I've rather not get stuck with you people."
He threw his head back in an explosive laughter. "Oh, you're a good one! Say, shouldn't fairies be sweet?"
"Shouldn't Hylians be intelligent and productive?"
He scratched his head. "Point."
"You didn't answer my question about the weapons."
Link was hyping up the crowd. He somehow managed to take back his sword. Fun time was over. She saw it on her face. Since the club belonged to Lucy, the man was explaining, it wouldn't break when she used it. It's alright if you bring your own weapon, which a lot of people preferred.
Lucy put muscles into the next swing. Link skidded to the side quickly, but it was a very narrow miss. The club threw up sand. Link didn't give any levities. He kept his mouth shut, eyes focused.
"How do you think the company gets to be on the top?" the man asked.
"By being ruthless?"
"Darling, this place is a saint compared to other companies," he said dryly. "Really, you won't find such a, ah, fine and civilized company."
"The contestants are battling to the death," she said flatly.
"I didn't say it was perfect."
"Then what? If they're looking to hire people with strength, shouldn't they give fighters the best quality weapon?"
The man shook his head promptly. "No, you're flying off the point. The strongest don't matter, but the fastest, smartest, the cleverest." He tapped his temple. "They give you shit weapon, and people say it's dumb, but they testing you, you see? This company is made from smarts, not the strong."
He pointed at the woman who bellowed at Link. "This one's hell of a fighter, scarier than my third wife. She killed our last champion and been hacking the others, but do you think she'd make a quick assassin, a nice mercenary?"
The woman was more of a brute, masculine with a face wrinkled with angry marks. Next to Banard? She wouldn't last a chance.
"Oh she'd be a good bodyguard," the man continued. "Has the face to scare off the dogs and make babies cry, but these people, see, they not looking for dummies to put in front of richies. You get it?"
"I get it but still that doesn't mean you give fighters poor equipment! What happens if they die?"
The man shrugged. "They know the rules." He chuckled. "Or maybe they are trying to get him killed. Who knows? They usually throw that in every now and then. Keeps folks on the edge, you know?"
It was clearly the latter with how horrible his sword was. Despite that, Link returned back to teasing and smiling. Having seen him fight many times, Katie knew that he often defaulted to this tactic in order to frustrate his enemy.
"You with the kid down there?"
"Yup," Katie said with a tired sigh.
The man hummed. "He's strong."
"Too strong." She thought of the Master Sword and how quick this battle would've ended if he had it, or if he had any proper weapons. "That's the problem. He doesn't know how to use it right."
The man had his arms crossed and shrugged. "Aw, that's boys for you. They're a bunch of little dogs. Way too much energy in them. Gotta let them hit the fields every now and then."
"This isn't a good way of taking it out," she said dryly, and the man laughed. "Besides, he doesn't want to take responsibilities, and—" She paused then scoffed, turning away from the man.
They watched the fight in silence. After a moment of Link's taunting and hair-raising dodges against the woman, Katie noticed a woman standing a few faces away. The woman bore a hood over her head but vibrant, red hair cascaded down the sides of her face. She stood out with how lavish her clothes were, a silk top with a long skirt that split at her thighs from the knees down.
"Who is that?" Katie asked as the woman suddenly withdrew.
The man gave her an idle glance at first then whirled and saw the woman with shock. "That's Henrick's whore. What she doing here without him?"
Henrick's mistress? Katie watched the woman leave hastily. The fairy turned to the fight then back to the woman, an idea sprouting in her head. She zipped down to the battle, ignoring the man who called out to her.
Link dodged back with a roll. The blade he held wasn't doing too well. The cracks were spreading, bits of metal chipped away. Link kept a firm stance with sword held in both hands. His eyes flickered to find her by his side.
"I saw Henrick's mistress," Katie said hurriedly. "She's leaving already. I think she's going to see him."
"And?" He quickly jumped back from the furious series of attacks. He got away, giving them only a few seconds to converse.
"I'll follow her. Maybe I could learn something," Katie said. "You finish up here. Maybe you'll get to him before I do, but either way it's better than just relying on this fight. We'll meet back at the inn!"
"Sounds good!" He rushed in on Lucy with his sword raised. "Don't get killed!"
"Same to you! Don't do something stupid!"
"Can't promise that!" He laughed.
Katie gave him a suffering look before flying away from the crowd. For a moment, the mysterious woman was gone and Katie nearly began to ask until she heard people complaining and saw the woman making a hasty exit.
Now where are you going?
Link skipped to the side. The club sailed over his head, the wind of the attack billowing his tunic.
Blood swept over Lucy in long streaks, dripping into the sand. They didn't do any real damage, only that it made her real angry. Link earned himself some fans as he heard his name through loud energetic waves. He didn't pay them mind; too much noise.
"Come on, darling," he said archly, as Lucy paused to wipe the blood from her eyes. "That all you got?"
The battle prolonged but he had to put on a good show. An important man like Henrick would be too busy to pay attention to some green bastard; Link had to make it worth his time. Hopefully, the show would amaze him so much, he'll return Epona free of charge. Maybe with a bottle of sake to go with her.
Lucy yelled, lunging forth. Link stepped to the side, letting her pass by him, his blade extended out. She twisted out of the way just in time, swinging her club into a wider arc. Link ducked, the wind rushing above his head. His hair stuck to his face by sweat.
He wished for his sword, a real sword. This one was so dull, it can't even cut paper! How the hell could he hurt her with this?
The opponent exposed herself and by instincts, Link lunged out and got right into the trap. Just as before, the sword got stuck on her arm, which gave her the opportunity to plunge her fist into his stomach. He gasped sharply. She kicked him back and he rolled into the sand.
He grunted, cringing and the shadow of a club fell on him. Rolling over, it missed his skull, throwing up sand.
The crowd hushed. Men and women leaned close to their seats. Those around the rim of the balcony stepped dangerously to the edge. Some even stood up on their seats, restless. Link rolled back, getting to his feet as Lucy lifted up her club, resting it on her shoulder. She smiled in a smug satisfaction.
"What's the matter, boy?" she asked. "Getting a little tipsy?"
"Not yet. I'll celebrate later."
She snorted. "I doubt any barkeeper would let you one foot in. You look like a babe."
"I'm eighteen!" he snapped, and bristled when she snorted again, as if it was absurd. He pointed his blade at her. "Better than being some fifty year old who looks like she borrowed the face of a pig!"
None of her wounds held her back. If anything, they seem to only encourage her. Link backed up and the club sent a wave of sand in all directions. It rained down at them, hitting his skin, getting into his eyes.
He couldn't stop and kept moving, hoping she wouldn't recover from that but he was proven wrong once more. Lucy dropped her club between herself and his sword and once again, this piece of shit bronze got stuck on it. She chuckled and without warning, she brought her head straight into his.
He stumbled back and fell, the world exploding into back stars.
Moans of disappointment came from his side. Link coughed out sand, rolling on his stomach. It took him a second to see the grains jumble up from its place, vibration traveling through him. Lucy advanced like a bull, club raised up, roaring a battle cry.
Link's fatigue vanished and he rolled to the side. The sand blasted, striking his skin like blunt needles. With the shower in the way, he managed to crawl out and reach for his sword. Shouts of assent and complaints rang in the air.
Much to his horror, when he pulled the sword out of the sand by the hilt, he saw that the hilt was the only thing left. The rest of the sword finally shattered from the impact. He turned and found that some of the blade stuck into the club, glinting dully against the wood.
Lucy grinned, her face looked like wax melted off from a candle before freezing into place. "You look like a boy who got his toy taken away ."
"Yeah something like that," Link admitted, irked. This reminded him a lot from his time in the catacomb, in the puzzle where he had all his stuff taken away. He had people to guide him through it, but now he was stuck in an arena, in a death match with many people screaming to see his blood over her face.
So he decided to do something crazy.
Lucy blinked when he started to run at her. She shook off her surprise and swung her club horizontally. He didn't stop and ducked through it, appearing in front of her face. He brought up the hilt to her chin in a hard smack. She staggered back and he used that to grab her wrist, the one holding the weapon, and used both hands to twist it.
She howled and the back of her hand sending him to the ground. He fell hard, narrowly escaping the club. When she brought her weapon to the ground, the blade on it shattered, pieces flew across the field, sparkling like shiny rocks.
The champion tried to lift the club, cringing as she finally realized the hilt of the sword, with the sharp pieces of metal left, stuck on her arm. Link managed to pull it off.
He chuckled and stopped to notice that a shard of his bronze blade was close by. It felt cold and small in his hand. He hoped that someone would be nice enough to throw something more efficient but no one was in the least bit of interest to move from their place. Lucy, red with rage, decided she didn't need a weapon to kill a boy two times smaller than her.
Each footsteps trembled the sand. At this, Link grinned widely, letting her come fully at him before deftly moving to the side and striking the blade right at the jawline. Her momentum went against her, as the blade skidded up along the cheek and would've caught her eye if she didn't twist her head around.
Finally, like a wild horse, she fell hard to the ground. The crowd erupted. Link was pleased with himself. He hadn't figured he'd get this strong of a reaction. People loved blood but they especially loved when they see the odds work out.
He turned to his opponent to see the energy leaving her. She saw the blood on her hands, more of it sliding down her face.
She's not finished yet, Link thought when he saw that fire burning in those black eyes. He turned to the crowd from where Katie had been watching. He thought of her horror when she witnessed the man's death.
She's not even here…He stared at the shard in his hand, coated in blood. This was how he fought for his life. An eye for an eye. Tit for tat.
But…dammit, he did promise her.
"I win," he said to Lucy. "So show your white flag to the announcer."
One eye was closed from the blood and the other went wide. "You let me live?"
"Yeah."
You'd think she'd be grateful for that but being champion for a while made her full of hot air. She seethed at him, spittle flying out her mouth.
Link fixed her a stern look. "Listen, I don't—"
He yelped in surprise when she threw something in his face. Sand. Lucy toppled over him, meaty hands wrung around his neck. The sun haloed around her head, lines drew on her face like crevices.
The shard had slipped from his hand, inches away. He clawed madly at her hands, lungs screaming.
This all felt too familiar. It served as a well form of retribution for how he fought in the arena at the Zoras's Domain. Didn't he once threw sand at one of the opponents?
Link couldn't scream, couldn't curse. Darkness crept on the corners of his vision She smiled an ugly smile, squeezing the life out of him. The shard. He had to. Dammit, he had to.
But he promised Katie.
To hell with that!
He didn't cheat this time. He tried to fight honorably. He controlled the temptation to grab this bull by the horns and lead it headfirst into the wall. Hell, he could've just used Nayru's blessing to throw her off.
But then he'd see Ruto's face in his mind, see her shaking her head.
Link moved his hand away and groped for the shard. It was warm with blood, slippery enough that he grasped it hard enough to cut himself. Then he raised it up, the sun shining at the tip before he lodged it right down the bitch's throat.
Lucy stiffened, eyes wide. Two pounds of flesh fell on top of him. He groaned, shoving her off of him, gasping for the dry, sweet air, just as he had when Ruto damn near drowned him.
The crowd was silent. Link stayed where he was for a moment, lying there, soaking up in the sun and drawing in steady breath. He got up and delectation rose into the air in a thousand voices. Link didn't smile.
The announcer came over, nearly tripping in his haste to praise him but Link cut him off sharply. "I need to see Henrick." He gave the man a hard look. "Right now."
The announce looked surprised. "He aint' here, son."
"I'm not your son. I need to see him now."
The raucous cheering continued on. The man went close to him so he could hear him, his eyes went dark. "Take my word for it, lad. You don't want to see him. And I suggest not asking him around either."
Link met his eyes. "I need to speak to him," he said slowly. "Not leaving here before I do. He has something that belongs to me." He held the man's gaze long enough for him to see how serious how he was.
The announcer sighed. "I'll take you to one of the bosses here then. Don't say I didn't warn you."
o-o-o-o
They first checked him for any hidden weapon before showing him the way. Link still kept his weapons in the compartment, and checked it out to make sure everything was still as he left it.
Still, he didn't feel comfortable walking into a lion's den completely armless. If this goes south, he'll be relying completely on Nayru's blessing.
In the small round office, animals stared back at him, heads amounted on the wall. A large long shell took over the side, filled with rows of books that piqued his interest. What books do mercenaries read?
Someone came up behind him, laughing. An old, large man bantered with his friend and when he saw Link a grin split the gnarly face. "Link, was it?"
"In the flesh."
"In the flesh!" the large man laughed. He wore a sleeveless vest that soaked with sweat, and each of his fingers held a unique, shining ring. "Bloody 'ell, lad, I thought I'd see your flesh on the outside 'round this time! Been a while since I seen sumin' like that!" He clapped Link hard on the back. "Don here lost a good share of 'is wages."
His friend shrugged, pretending to look bothered but was rather pleased. "Loss well deserved, Ross. Shouldn't have judged ya by the cover."
The men waited. This was the part where Link should've felt as if he'd been blessed by all the three Goddesses. Connections could be made here, connections so strong that no laws on any land could touch him. He could be one of them.
"Take a seat. Take a seat," Ross proffered, going behind his desk. Link didn't sit. Not a good move when you want to make a good impression but he wasn't here to humor them.
The man arched an eyebrow but didn't insist and didn't sit down. He spread his hands. "So do what do I owe you?"
"I've been waiting for an hour," Link said as steadily as he could.
"I'mma busy man, son," Ross said, his eyes narrowing a little. "Don't use a tone with me. We're talkin'. When we stop talkin', someone gets hurt."
Link took a deep breath. Getting testy with a man in a room full of mercenaries was not something a sane man would do. "I'll make this short. I'm not here to join you guys. I'm not looking for a special room with one of your special girls. And no, I'm not here to cause trouble."
The cordial air of odl man disappeared. "Then why the hell are you wasting my time?"
"I want to speak to Henrick."
"Henrick!" Ross gave a hard laugh. "Henrick don't speak to kids."
"I killed your champion." Link locked eyes with the man. "I'm not a kid."
"No, you're not," the gnarly man gritted. "You're a young man who's about to become a dead man. You say you ain't trouble? Are you hearing this, Don?" Don shook his head, chuckling. He seemed to be enjoying this. The gnarly man turned to look at Link seriously. "You've got talent, kid. Would be an awful shame if ya wasted it like this."
Link was a man stepping on mighty thin ice. The bodyguards were at the back of the room behind the desk and he saw their stances change. Dammit, he should've waited for Katie. She would've tried to calm him down. Even better, she would've amused the men long enough to forget his misconduct.
"He has something that belongs to me," Link said. "Something I need."
"And that would be?"
"My horse." The trouble he was going for that little bitch. "A red horse with white hair. I just want to take her and you'll never see me again."
The surly man frowned. "A horse?"
Don seemed to understand, waving his finger. "He bought a horse, remember? The fine one? You tried to buy it off him that one time."
"That horse? He'd been having that horse for weeks! And where were you then, kiddo?"
Link set his jaw. "I was busy."
Ross shook his head. "Glad I didn't waste a rupee on that thing. Reminds me of a woman, you know? Lovely on the outside, but wild enough to drive a man off a cliff."
"Literally," Don added.
"Tell me about it," Link muttered.
Ross folded his hands in front of him. "I'll tell ya something else here. I'll be a little nice to ya, lad. Ya put us a real good show. People here here lookin' for something like that. I'll tell ya what? I'll buy a nice little pony for ya to take home and even a little pocket change to be your merit."
Anger bubbled in Link. "I appreciate it," Link said steadily, "but I can't accept it. The horse is from a friend. I need to see Henrick."
"And if he don't want to give it?"
Link shrugged. "Why else did I enter the arena?"
Ross scowled. "Don't be smart with me."
"I joined because I wanted impress him. You know, put on a good show for the crowd. If he's one of your patrons, he'd have thanked me for it, right?"
Ross hummed in agreement, sounding somewhat impressed. "Oh, he'd have thanked you alright. Likely, he'd bath you in rupees. So you want to speak to him? Is that what you want?" The tone was warning Link now. It was warning him to choose carefully.
"Yes," he said, eyeing the man. "Where is he?"
"Dead."
Silence.
The bodyguards remained still as if they were a part of the wall. Don let out a tired sigh. The gnarly, fat man didn't move from his place, beady eyes peering at Link like a vulture. It took a moment for the news to sink in.
"Dead?" Link asked.
"You deaf?" Ross snapped. "Dead. Buried. Gone. Off-to-meet-his-fucking-Goddess dead."
"Give him a break, boss," Don said easily. "Kid got his head smacked earlier. Say, how are you still alive with that?"
Link ignored him. He looked at the querulous boss who was quickly losing his patience. "When?"
"Couple of hours ago," Ross said with a tight smile. "Just before your show actually."
"And my horse?"
"Don't know where your fucking hose is," Ross spat. "Alright?"
"That's all I needed to know," Link said, turning to the door before he could really lose his temper.
"You don't wanna know what happened to 'em?"
Link stopped and turned to find a parlous glint in the man's dark eyes. Those eyes belonged to a snake.
"Come on, ain't ya curious?" Ross said with that serpentine smile. "Wanna know how a big shot found his grave?"
Everyone knew how big shots found their grave. The bodyguards pushed themselves from the wall, standing behind their boss. Ross suddenly seemed bigger than before. Tension settled into the room like smoke.
Link snorted. "I don't give a shit. Like I said, not here to cause trouble. Why should I care how some big shot kicked the bucket? I'm here for what's mine."
Ross looked pleased. "Now ain't you a smart one. Real smart."
Link said nothing. The wrong word could cost him a lot of trouble.
"Shame you don't wanna join the family." Ross his head in disappointment. "You coulda been rich."
"I'm not looking for money. Not now at least."
"That serious about your horse, now are you?"
Link shrugged. "It was a gift from a friend. I came all the way here anyways. Would be a waste if I just walked away now."
Ross paused to think for a moment, his ringed fingers drummed against the desk. "Alright then," he said finally. "If that's your case, go check his manor. Might find the mane there."
"Thanks."
Link left the room. Walking away from it loosened the noose around his neck. Well, that didn't go as planned, but could he really be blamed? These suck ups waited to see if he'd faint from happiness. It didn't matter if they were king or even God, he wasn't here to kiss anyone's ass.
That pride is going to kill you one day! he could just hear Katie snap at him.
Maybe that was a good point. Antagonizing the Silver Company was one of the dumbest things he could do, especially when he needed help.
Then again, he had been feeling frustrated with himself. When he walked out of the area finally, the guards there reverently praising him, it then occurred to him that he was still bothered by the woman's action.
She cheated.
In the dry afternoon air, Link spluttered a bitter laugh. The laugh doubled and doubled till his sides hurt. There wasn't anyone around to think that he had lost his mind. He couldn't believe himself. He was salty about that? Really?
He shook his head, the laugh disappearing. He had spent a great deal of time with good people, and that lulled his survival instincts into a false view of how the world works. You don't meet people like the Haidrund twins or the Zora princess every day. That was why he didn't believe they existed.
But this—this was the real world. Where men fought and killed for glory and fame, where mercenaries are coldblooded killers only for the rich. People praise and worship such strength. Where had he been? He was living in a fantasy lately, and that sounded a little too much like Katie.
Hoping to meet good people was just the quickest way to get scammed, enslaved, murdered. There was no honor at this side of the world. There was no fighting for other people, no caring for your family. People here look out for their own skin, and wouldn't think twice before selling out their old mates, even their own family for a couple of rupees.
It was a nasty outlook of life but somehow in some way he felt assured by the truth. After all, this was something he knew very well. It wasn't foreign to him like the kindness and clemency that he'd been exposed to lately. He'd been living in a dream and now it was time to wake up. There were terrible people everywhere and if he wanted to reach Agnes then he better start paying attention to them.
"Time to head to the manor," he said out loud, looking east to where Dethel was. The mountains were bare from any trees. It was just jagged rocks and slopes. Had Katie followed the woman there? Maybe she was at the manor. Maybe she found Epona. Either way, it didn't seem like they were going to meet Henrick.
Maybe that was a good thing. If the man was half as dangerous as everyone said then there was a good change that their meeting wouldn't be as peaceful compared to the talk Link had with Ross.
However, by the time Link got the inn, Katie wasn't there, or anywhere. She could be at the manor, but just in case, he bribed the innkeeper to give her a message and had to add more rupees to the pile when the man was reluctant to give out the manor's directions. Henrick didn't like visitors.
No one knows yet.
Or maybe the innkeeper didn't want to show how much he knew. Still, Link had it his way and with an elixir to energize himself, he hiked up the road. The way he was swallowing elixirs from time to time had him a little concerned. He relied on them too much but they were just so convenient. How did he live his life without them?
He whistled a familiar tune, putting his hands behind his head easily. To anyone, it looked like he was at ease but his mind muddled with trouble. This village should've went under with raiders and monsters, but the mercenary company had it in an iron fist. The streets bustled with men and women who wore the silver earring and silver swords.
He offended one of the higher ups and made it out of the room alive. For now he needed to be a good boy long enough to get his horse back.
The mysterious woman kept on stopping to glance over her shoulder. Katie had to keep hiding up behind the sides of the buildings and into alleyways. It would've been easier to hitch over the roofs, but the intensity of the sun dizzied her.
The woman earned herself some stares and whispers. The name Henrick was tossed around in some conversation but people quieted when mercenaries passed by.
That worried Katie. With Link's insufferable and truculent pride, it would be all too easy to offend the wrong people. They might have the whole company on their heads before the day is up! She hoped to finish with the woman and return to him quick.
The woman returned to the village Dethel for some reason, passing by buildings with her hood up. She had taken a short cut from the arena to here, which helped Katie greatly.
It also helped to be away from that arena. Somehow, it was far worse than the catacomb. At least the catacombs was honest in its intentions. All the arena did was show how honorable it was to be a monster. It was a terrible, evil place. She never thought Hylians would cheer for a poor man's demise like that. That brute of a woman kept on screaming for more people to kill. She shuddered to think of what poor Epona had to witness. They needed to get to her and fast.
The fairy spotted the troupers from before and the leader waved at her. She glowed an orange color but didn't stop her pursuit. The woman was pretty quick and it often took a while for Katie to find her again.
The dirt road crisscrossed with wagons, carriages and people. It resembled nothing of Desmera with its cobblestones and high hills. Instead, buildings grew wider, some in tents. Shops displayed their products outside on tables or on wagons. The Silver Company owned this village and these people with the mercenaries as law reinforcements. Nobody seemed to complain about that.
They're just afraid, Katie thought.
That weight returned, heavier than before. It was getting harder to ignore. So far Link hasn't noticed. He was troubled with his own thoughts lately and she didn't want to add more to the table.
Katie thought of Kini and then the fairy fountain. She would be lying if she said she didn't want to visit. A whole community just like her. Fairies who could understand what it felt like to be small in the world.
But it was nonsense, a silly dream. She had a job to do. And secondly, she wasn't anything like them. She wasn't timorous and she definitely wasn't delicate. The way she worked her hammer would prove that. And not to mention that she was aiding an unstable, ill-tempered young man who should be working to save Hyrule.
The woman went inside of a low building. Katie paused. There was no way she could get in. The building was a shop but the display windows were covered in drapes. The door was shut firmly, probably locked.
Katie figured to go back at this point. It really did make her nervous to leave him on his own for this long. Last time she did that, he knocked out the owner of a stable, over some card games! He also loved starting up bar fights and he did it three times. Three.
He'll try to make the battle longer, she thought, and stayed a distant away from the low building. Just a few more minutes of this and then straight to Link.
Curiously, she spotted a young fellow passing by. He kept his eyes down at his feet, head hanging low almost in shame.
He bumped into the shoulders one of the two mercenaries headed his way, and muttered a quick apology. It wasn't appreciated. The guy shoved the young fellow back, knocking him into empty crates that had him buried. He groaned but didn't seem bothered in the slightest. When the guys were gone, he grinned widely and in his hand was a fat wallet.
"You!" Katie shrieked.
The man jumped. "You?" he cried.
The spindly bandit who had given them a world of trouble from Desmera, who freed Louis and nearly stole the red tunic.
Misko.
He jumped to his feet, looking ready to bolt, but then relaxed when he saw Link was nowhere in sight. "What are you doing here?"
"I should be saying the same, you little thief!" she spat. Misko winced at the color. He was lucky the clouds blocked out the sun otherwise he would be knocked into a coma. "Give me one good reason why I shouldn't go and tell those men what you did!"
"Go ahead, please. I'll be gone by then."
She had to stop and think. Glancing back, she saw that the woman wasn't finished with her business.
Misko smiled nervously, stuffing the wallet in his pocket. "So, uh, where's your partner?"
"Oh he'll be here soon," she growled. "And you've got a lot of things to pay for, you dummy!"
"Yeah, about the medal. Now, see, I was going to return it—"
"You stole it!"
"I know—"
"And you sold it!"
"I—wait, you know that?"
She bloomed red. "Yes. We got it back, no thanks to you!"
"Alright then, problem solved! How can you still be mad at me? Can you blame a guy for trying to put food on the table?"
Katie laughed bitterly. "Oh yeah, you can tell all that to Link. Trust me, he's going to be so happy to see you again."
Misko paled slightly then chuckled. "He can't touch me here."
"Oh really?"
"Really," he said with such confidence that made her pause. "You have any idea what this place is, sprit?"
"Don't call me that and yes I know what this place is."
"Then you know that these people don't play around. Break one of their rules and they'll break your neck."
"What about stealing? Wouldn't they be upset?"
He shrugged. "Can't be stealing if they don't catch me."
"It is stealing!" she shouted, glowing bright enough to get attention.
He snorted. "That's the way the world works, darling. You take what you can get. No one is going to be holding your hand for you." He turned to leave.
"What about Sophia then?" she asked, and he stopped. "She really cared about you, you know. I don't understand why she stood up for you. You'll always be a filthy bandit! You don't deserve any friends!"
"I didn't ask for her to care for me," he said lowly, "But it worked well in the end. Now if you—"
The sun beamed from the clouds. People nearby jolted when they saw a small fairy yielding a sparkly hammer. "This is for Sophia!" Whack. "This is for stealing from us!" Whack. "This is for freeing Louis!" Whack. "And this is because I hate you!"
The final blow was enough to make anyone cringe. She could've gone on until she saw the door opening and the woman leaving the building. First, she looked about herself then walked to the side in a hurry, no longer wearing her scandalous attire but a full-length cloak with the hood up.
Katie left behind an unconscious Misko and someone bent over to him to dig through his pockets.
"Er, is there a problem here, miss?"
Katie, flaring red, turned to see a female mercenary with a silver earring. "No, there isn't," she said stiffly before leaving.
The woman continued to walk east with head low. Katie followed her and the woman's pace quickened. Not too fast to be spotted but it was clear enough that she was trying to disappear again. Katie matched the pace, glowing apprehensively. Then the woman bolted into a run, and turned to a sharp corner.
Katie was at her tail, and turned. She beamed white, screaming when the woman was at her face with a dagger held up. The woman shrieked as well, hood fell back behind her as she staggered. The dagger was long, wide at the bottom and thinning to the top.
Katie didn't realize she had her hammer out and ordered it to disappear in a small burst of sparkles.
"I knew I was being followed," the flushed woman breathed out, her voice very smooth and light. She smiled with full red lips, her eyes bright green gems. "I didn't think it could a cute little fairy."
Katie blushed. "Yeah well…" She didn't know what to say but heavens save her this was humiliating! She could just hear Link laugh at her.
The woman opened her mouth but froze. At the alleyway, two men stepped forward, each wore a single silver earlobe that dangled.
"Ophila," the first one said with eyes like cold daggers. "Where've you been?"
"Does it matter?" the woman, Ophila, said lightly. She was rather a stunning woman, red hair fell to her shoulders, a face leaned and heart-shaped.
"Who are you?" Katie asked.
The man blinked as if noticing her for the first time. He tried to grab her and she moved out the way, puffing red. "Hey, what's with you Hylians always grabbing at me!"
"Fairies come out here?" he asked dumbly.
"Yes, fairies come out here. Is that a problem?" she hissed.
He was surprised and turned to Ophila. "This yours?"
Ophila shrugged, a strand of hair fell over her shoulder. "She had a keen sense of adventure to follow me. But aside from that, why are you two here?"
"Boss needs you back."
"Does he now?" she mused. "And he sends the two of you to deliver me? A letter would have sufficed, you know. Certainly better than baking out into the sun. Look at you boys, like burnt bread."
"And look at you, talking like some noble," the other man spat. "You whore, you'd best come with us now."
"Oh please," she said with a scoff, flippancy gone from her voice. "I know you're here to kill me so why not go with it? Or perhaps the act of doing it out in public shows too much discomfiture?"
The man scowled and he had his hand on the side where a sword was strapped.
The woman, though untenable, was confident with eyes twinkling. "Or are you looking for moment of companionship? I could be very entertaining…for a price."
The man chuckled dryly. "You think you can whore your way out of this one?"
The woman acted quick to take out her dagger but she was a little too late. The first man backhanded her while his friend took out his sword. Katie on the other hand had her hammer and no one expected a fairy to put up a fight.
It took all she had to really knock them out. Thankfully, with how uncouth Link was all the time, she had plenty of practice.
The woman groaned, bringing herself to her feet. A large red mark smartened over her cheek. She glanced at the unconscious men, speechless, and then turned to Katie just as the fairy vanished her hammer. "And here I thought fairies were supposed to heal people."
"You could say I'm an exception," Katie said, feeling bothered by it for some reason.
Ophila picked up her dagger and looked at the men with amusement. "Well, you've certainly showed them a greater service. I thank you for it." She looked at Katie closely. "Though I don't think you followed me here to save my life."
"My friend and I were looking for Henrick," Katie explained. "And I heard that you were his…umm…uhh…"
Ophila laughed. "His whore you mean?"
Katie felt sickened with guilt. Not because of the woman or her situation. It had to do with Katie's first impression of her. The first thing Katie thought when she saw this woman wasn't any form of pity or compassion.
Ew. She's so filthy.
It seemed that she didn't change at all. Sure, people don't change overnight but still, this pattern of thought, this expectation, the stigma against this woman who she had never met in her life….
You shallow bitch, Link's voice hissed in her mind.
Ophila looked at the fallen men with some concern. "Henrick could be in a bit of a scuffle if these good men went through all this trouble to kill me." She looked a bit troubled. "I must see if he's well."
"Yeah…" Katie shook her head, and glowed a strong yellow. No, she will be better be than this. She will do better. "He has a horse with him, a red one with a white mane."
One corner of her lips tugged up. "That horse? When he first bought it, why, I've been under the impression that I've never seen him so furious before. The horse goes right when he tells her left. She bucked him off more than once. He nearly killed me for laughing."
"The horse belongs to my friend," Katie explained. "We've been trying to get her back for a while…"
Ophila hummed. "I could help you there."
"If we could get her back for free…" Katie said meaningfully. "I don't think we could afford to buy her back. My friend is in the arena, trying to make a good impression."
The woman's eyes widened. "Your friend? Against Lacina? I'm afraid your friend has a head too big for his shoulders. He could be dead."
Katie giggled, glowing a lovely deep orange. "Trust me, that lady won't be a problem for Link!"
"Link…" Ophila's eyebrows furrowed. "I do recall hearing a name like that…"
Katie felt exulted. Link's deeds surely must have reached people's ears by now. How well are the stories? She could tell the woman all about him but Ophila lifted up her hood, her eyes growing dark beneath it. "We have to reach Henrick. I promise to gift you the horse for what you've done for me, but there's something seriously wrong if people are trying to kill me."
She said it as if it was normal for a person to have their lives in constant danger. Well, being a mistress of a very powerful man meant she gets the same perquisite as that of a noble lady, and for her life to be in danger like this…
Ophila absconded the alleyways with Katie at her tail, doing her best to grow dim enough to stay unnoticed.