Chapter 3: Save the Princess!
Princess Zelda's head swam as the sedative worked its way through her body, and she couldn't remain on her feet. She couldn't walk, falling to her knees as soon as her captor released their grip. She remembered the flash of light, and a feeling like she was being pulled, but not by a person but by a force that evenly pulled her entire body, and then they were no longer in the garden, and she fell into tall grass nearly up to her elbows as she caught herself on her hands.
Her vision was swimming, like looking through distorted glass, and she fought to keep her wits about her, but she still wasn't sure what she was looking at before her. A low clearing in-between hills on all sides, and a stone construction in the middle. A circle of stones laid out in the pattern of a five pointed star that was inside of a circle. And in the center of the star was a flat stone slab, which was stained with something, but in her swimming vision, she wasn't even certain of the color.
She assumed the worst, that the stain must be blood.
And gathering around her were more of of the white masks, a crowd of at least twenty people, all dressed identically in white robes and hoods to match the masks. One of them handed her kidnapper a robe as well, that the masked woman pulled on over the gardener's clothes she had been disguised in.
Zelda felt a hand grip her chin, forcing her to look at the mask of another captor, who was knelt down directly in front of her. She hadn't even noticed him move toward her, her head was so groggy now. But no, he wasn't knelt down. He must have only been three and half feet tall. A child? But the cold detachment in his eyes through the slits in the mask said he was anything but.
And his voice was that of a man as well when he spoke. "Take her to the center of the circle and lie her down on the altar," he said without looking away from her face, "Gently. We don't want any harm done yet."
Hands gripped her under her arms, and she was carried toward the circle by two of the figures, and lay her down on her back on the stone slab. She couldn't even muster the strength to try to stand up, so no bindings were needed to hold her there.
The short figure came up to her side, looking down at her. He reached toward her face and slowly ran his fingers along her cheek. A shiver went down her spine in revulsion at the touch, and the sight of the grotesque blue skin of his hand. "A shame it has to happen to a beauty like you," he whispered, then reached into his robe and drew out a vicious looking curved knife that he laid down on the stone slab next to her head.
For how groggy she was, Zelda felt her heart pounding, and could almost hear it like an earthquake in her ears.
"You don't know what you're starting," she managed to say, "The knights will be coming for me and they will find you."
"Oh, my poor child," the figure said, "That's exactly what I'm counting on."
The alarm was spread quickly through the castle grounds. The main gate and side entrances were locked down, and guards placed on high alert, searching the grounds, the storerooms, and the walls themselves. Meanwhile, patrols began combing the streets of the city, searching every alley and road for the kidnapper and the princess. The outer gates of the city were all locked down, barring passage in or out until the searched was complete.
"How did they get in?" the queen demanded of the guards as she approached the area where the fight had occurred.
"They were disguised as gardeners, your majesty," the guard leading her said, "They likely came into the castle with the regular staff this morning."
Two of the kidnappers were still alive, and on their knees in the garden with several of the ninja standing guard over them with weapons drawn. The prisoners' hands were bound behind their backs and their masks had been removed, but none of the witnesses recognized the two men.
Walking behind the queen, Link and Kilishandra took in the sight. Six bodies still lay where they fell on the grass and walkways, and blood had been splashed on the surrounding plants and a statue of the goddess Farore. At least one of the bodies had been decapitated in the fighting, and a large pool of blood was visible near the corpse's neck.
"Where was the kidnapper standing when she disappeared?" Kilishandra asked on of the ninja, and he motioned for her to follow, and led her over to the spot behind a bench.
Sure enough, the grass had black scorch-marks in a circle. Either it had been a powerful flash bomb, or some kind of magic, and fortunately for them there was no one in the kingdom more naturally sensitive to magic than Kilishandra. She could feel it as she approached the spot, like a lingering sensation in the air that made the hair on her neck stand on end. They'd reported a crystal that the woman had crushed in her hand, causing her to vanish, along with the princess.
"Give me a few minutes," she said, and the ninja nodded, stepping away so she had room.
Damian and Lance were following behind the others, and had watched her break away from the group. They walked behind Link and the queen as they approached the prisoners.
"Where is my daughter?" the queen demanded as she came to a stop in front of them.
"We beg your forgiveness, your majesty," one of the ninja said, bowing deeply, "We did not react quickly enough and she was taken. But we will find her with all due haste. And we have these two to tell us."
Zelda bit her tongue, holding back the anger she felt. The ninja had been nothing but loyal to her family since they came to Hyrule with her over two decades ago. Taking out her fury on them would accomplish nothing, so she instead turned to the prisoners.
"Where is she?" she asked again.
"The master has her now," one of the prisoners said, "His plan is in motion."
"And what plan is that?" Zelda asked.
The man who had spoken looked up into her face. What she saw terrified her. No fear, no concern, and a confident smile as he spoke.
"To bring God to this world."
"What does my daughter have to do with that?" Zelda asked.
As angry as she was, her phrasing was deliberate. Always referring to her daughter as just that, to try to sow a seed of familial connection. It was a technique that tended to create sympathy, and possible turn the mind of the listener, but the smile on his face showed it wasn't working.
"A sacrifice is necessary to open the gateway."
That tipped her over. Those gathered may as well have heard an audible snap in the air. Zelda snatched the belt-knife she wore and struck the prisoner across the side of his head. There were gasps from those thinking she had stabbed him, only to realize a second later that there was no blood as he fell, and she had struck him with the hilt, knocking him cold.
"You," she said, pointing the blade toward the second prisoner, "Where have you taken her?"
The prisoner just shook his head and smiled.
But before Zelda asked again, Kilishandra called out, causing those gathered to turn to her.
"I have it," she said, "It was a short-range travel spell. Furthest they could have jumped is about ten miles." She paused, turning in place, then pointed over to the west wall. "That way."
"Send word to Captain Darren," Zelda said, turning to a nearby guard, "I want men and horses ready to go as soon as possible. As many as can be raised."
The soldier saluted and turned, sprinting for the guard house.
"Link," Zelda said, turning to him, "I want you and Kilishandra to go ahead, find them and see what we're going up against. Don't engage them if you don't have to, and I'll have an army coming to help you as soon as possible."
"We'll find them," Link said with a nod, and looked toward Kilishandra as she moved toward them.
"I don't care how many of them you have to kill," Zelda said, "Just bring my daughter back to me."
"Let's get the horses," Link said to Kilishandra, "We don't have time to waste."
"Right behind you," Lance said, motioning to Damien, who nodded.
Link glanced at them as he walked past. "You two just try to keep up," he said.
Their path was immediately blocked by two ninja stepping in front of them, both giving a simultaneous salute.
"Hey there!" the first said, her voice almost sing-song, "We're the scouts the queen ordered to join you."
"Wait a second," Lance said, looking closer, "Lilith? Natalya? How did you get here so quickly?"
"Well, we were in the city," the second of the pair said, "We came straight to the castle when we got the message."
Lilith and Natalya were the twin daughters of Alexander and Silviana Ragefaust, a pair of retired adventurers now living in Ordon, and old friends of Link and Kilishandra. The twins were about five years older than Lance, and their mother had taught them everything she knew about survival, which included skills such as tracking and moving unseen. This made them natural recruits for the ninja when they both elected for military service.
Lance hadn't seen much of them since joining the army himself, but he'd grown up with them, and their presence brought reassurance. They wore the same black leather armor as the other ninja, with hoods and masks down at the moment so their faces were visible. They had their mother's snow-white hair, but lighter skin, what could be described as a chocolate brown due to their mixed blood. They were also identical twins, so similar in voice and appearance that most couldn't tell them apart, though Lance could see with just a quick glance, because Lilith had a small scar on her upper lip that Natalya did not. It was small and had healed well since the event that had given it to her, to the point one was unlikely to notice it unless they already knew exactly where to look.
"We were also told to give you this," Natalya said, offering a small wooden box to Link.
He took the box and opened the lid. "Oh," he said, "Are these the new model?"
"We were told they should have an effective range of up to thirty miles," Natalya said, "Beyond that, the signal gets distorted, and the further you are the worse the distortion gets. And the queen already has hers."
"Excellent," Link said, and reached into the box with his free hand, taking something and offering it to Kilishandra.
It was an earring that Lance saw as she took it. And in just a second, she removed the earring she had been wearing from her right ear and replaced it with the new one. Link did the same with his own as well, and they deposited the old ones in the box.
"We'll need two more in the future, for these kids," Link said, gesturing toward Lance and Damien, "They're coming with us now as well."
"Oh, new Eyes of the Queen?" Lilith asked, clapping her hands together and smiling, "We'll have to have drinks to celebrate!"
"No time," Link said, "Come on. We need to get the horses and get moving. I'll explain on the way."
As quickly as they tried to move, it was still nearly an hour before they were out of the city, six horses pounding the earth under their hooves, Kilishandra leading the way toward their destination at full gallop.
"Sounds like the guards need a bit of a shakeup," Natalya said over the sound of the pounding hooves, "If strangers walked right in, dressed as gardeners or no, they should have known something was up."
"You know as well as I do that guards and gardeners both come and go," Link said, "Every time I'm in the castle, there's new people around."
"That's because you're gone for months at a time, off saving the world again," Natalya said, "So what do you think we're walking into?"
"Well, they wore the same mask is this death cult responsible for recent murders," Link said, "So I'm expecting fanatics, but no idea how many of them will actually be trained to fight."
"But they've been murdering farmers and the like," Damien said, "Why'd they come for the princess specifically?"
"No idea," Link said, "Let's just get her back safe, then we'll worry about the why."
"We're getting close to where they'd have landed," Kilishandra said, "Keep your eyes open."
The group refocused their attention to their surroundings, leaving the conversations for later. The sound of the horses' hooves and panting became the only sounds they could hear even as they tried to listen for anything else at all.
All except for Kilishandra's horse, that is, which did not even seem slightly winded by the pace. Those who knew what the beast was would understand, though. Ebony was pure black stallion's name, and he was originally the mount of the now legendary wizard, Ganondorf, who was also Kilishandra's adoptive father. Ganondorf had gifted Ebony to her several decades ago, calling it a form of coming of age present.
Ebony was otherworldly in more than just his stamina. Ganondorf had revealed to her that the horse was in fact a lesser demon from another plane entirely. This was also confirmed by the stallion's burning red eyes, and the fact when he snorted, small jets of flame tended to erupt from his nostrils. And he was deadly smart. Link's old mare, Epona, had been smart for a horse, but Kilishandra swore that Ebony could understand every word spoken to him.
But time passed and Epona got old, and was now spending her twilight years peacefully in a pasture in Ordon. Ebony was still strong and seemingly ageless. In fact, while the royal horses the others now rode were fine examples of the species, she was having to hold Ebony back to keep him from leaving them behind.
And their destination came into sight as they crested a hill, and six figures were visible in the distance, near a black scorch mark on the grass of the field. But there was immediately something wrong with the figures ahead.
"Looks like they're hanging around," Lance said, reaching for his sword.
"Hold on," Link said, "Those aren't the same people."
The figures turned at the sound of the approaching horses, but made no effort to flee. Two that had been kneeling next to the scorched grass rose to their feet. Three of them held spears, but kept them upright with the butts resting on the ground, and the others made no move for their swords or bows.
There were also six horses, one for each, nearby, stopped to get at the grass while they could.
Kilishandra pulled Ebony to slow down, and the others followed, coming to a stop about twenty feet away from the new group and approaching more slowly.
Now they were close enough, Link was certain of it. They were Gerudo.
"What the hell..." Damien whispered, causing Lance to look over at him, but he added nothing else.
The all female race of the desert, their skin darker than any Hylians, but were also easily identifiable by their sheer size. Each of these women was about eight feet tall, and stacked with enough muscle to make Hylian men feel insignificant. And looking them in the face, their eyes had a far harder shape than most Hylians, and their sharp noses stood out among their other features.
But the fact was, the Gerudo had not been seen outside their desert for thousands of years. Until Link and Kilishandra had encountered a group of them about twenty years ago, they'd even been thought to be extinct.
"Sav'aaq, travelers!" one of the Gerudo said, raising a hand in greeting then gestured to the scorch mark behind her, "I assume you're here about this, judging by your hurry."
Her posture was non-threatening, in spite of the curved sword hanging from her hip and bow over her shoulder. Link also spotted her quiver hanging from the opposite hip from her sword, and numerous feathers visible within.
Link moved his horse up next to Kilishandra. "This the place?" he asked.
"Yes, this is where they'd have landed," Kilishandra said.
Taking that initiative, Link addressed the Gerudo. "Aye," Link said, "Did you see what caused that burn?"
"Not personally," the Gerudo said, "A scout reported a flash of light and bang like thunder. We were sent to investigate."
"What are the Gerudo doing this far from the desert?" Link asked.
"We're part of a delegation sent by Warchief Naveila," the Gerudo said, "We were coming to your capital bearing gifts and greeting, in order to introduce ourselves to your people. Twenty-two of us altogether. The others are about half a mile that direction," she added, pointing to the southwest. "You can call me Areil. I'm a scout, mainly, but part of the escort for the diplomats."
"Well, this is an interesting day, to say the least," Kilishandra said, low enough that only Link could hear.
"You can call me Link, then," Link said to Areil, "But you'll pardon us for not having time for pleasantries, our task is quite urgent. We need to know if your other scout saw anything else, beyond the flash. Were there any people here?"
"In fact, the scout did report seeing two people, moving away from this place, but she returned to our caravan to report," Areil said.
"Which direction?" Link asked.
"I can tell you better," Areil said, pointing to the ground near the scorch marks, "The people you seek made no effort to conceal their tracks."
"Let us look," Natalya said, and she and Lilith stepped down from their saddles without waiting for permission, walking toward the scorch mark. The Gerudo parted, allowing them through.
"May I ask what this is about?" Areil asked.
Link glanced at Kilishandra. She gave only a slight shake of her head, almost imperceptible. And she was right. Telling strangers that the princess had been kidnapped would not do, though they were likely hoping for the impossible that the news hadn't traveled outside the castle walls yet.
"We're chasing a kidnapper," Link said, "That scorch mark is where they arrived after a short-range teleportation spell."
"From the city? That's short-range?" Areil said, turning toward the mark, sounding incredulous.
"What we call long-range would be going to the other end of the world," Kilishandra said, "But now's not the time to discuss meta-physics."
"What do you see, girls?" Link asked, looking up to Lilith and Natalya.
The two of them had circled the scorch mark, and now Natalya leaned down, squatting low and leaning on her hands.
"Grass is broken here, torn by something, or someone, being dragged across it," she said, leaning her face low to the ground, eyes on the trail, and she crawled on her hands and knees as she followed it, "Footprints here, pressed into the earth. Then here the same feet, but deeper in the ground. The drag marks vanish. They picked up a weight, likely our victim, to carry them. Long strides. They were in a hurry. They went that way," she pointed to the northwest as she rose back to her feet.
"Their mother has taught them well," Kilishandra said quietly to Link.
"That one at least," Link whispered back, then said louder, "Back on your horses. We don't have time to waste."
"Wait a second," Areil said, "Someone's in trouble, obviously. Looks to me like you could use some more bodies, since there's only six of you."
"Trust me, six is plenty," Link said as the two ninja climbed back on their horses, "Go back to your caravan. Maybe we'll see you in the capital in a few hours."
"I don't know how you Hylians do things, but when one of our tribes needs help, we help them," Areil said, and motioned to the other Gerudo, then said something in their tongue that was lost on Link and the others, which was acknowledged by several shouts in their own language.
The Gerudo all moved toward their own horses, climbing onto their mounts and while those with spears moved them to easy positions to carry them, others checked that their swords were free in the scabbards and tested the tautness of bowstrings.
"What did you tell them?" Link asked.
"That one of your tribe has been taken against their will," Areil said as she climbed onto the back of her own horse, "Like it or not, we ride with you this day, voe."
"We can't promise your safety if you do," Kilishandra said.
"Didn't expect you to," Areil said, "Shall we?"
Link shook his head and let out a defeated sigh. "Very well," he said, "Let's get going, before they get more of a lead on us."
Far from Hyrule at that time, in the east, stood the great capital of the Riastad Empire. A city numbering more that eight hundred thousand people, more than three times the size of Hyrule's capital, and above it rose the six spires of the Crimson Palace. Home of the emperor and what remained of his family following his father's death and the civil war.
The palace was nearly empty. Capable of housing nearly one thousand people, but there were less than one hundred inhabitants these days, including both the castle staff and royal guard.
The walls echoed their footsteps ominously as the young emperor walked with his two personal guards. He remembered walking these halls as a child, filled with people, both servants of the crown and civilians. Merchants and politicians, citizens coming to hear their grievances heard. These halls had always been filled with voices and sound, like being in the heart of a city market.
But the civil war had damaged the empire, and left these halls as still as a tomb.
It was a reminder to young Maximilian that while he may have at last done away with the rebels, there was much to do yet to rebuild the damage of the past decade on the nation.
He was passing through the central hall. It was the large waiting room in front of the actual throne room, and the waiting space for those who had come to attempt to speak with the emperor on the open forum. It was also where the palace defenders had thought they'd be making their last stand during the initial coup attempt eight years ago.
That was when the impossible had happened, at least according to the storytellers. When the new emperor, barely fifteen years old, led them to victory over vastly superior numbers, and started the loyalist movement that would finally end the rebellion almost a decade later.
It was far from impossible, however. Maximilian had been educated to be a leader and ruler every since he was young. He didn't have the idyllic childhood of the common folk. At age six, commoners would be playing tag and have not a care in the world. At six, Maximilian was learning combat formations and troop maneuvers. He was studying ancient nations that no longer existed, learning not just the how, but also the why that led to their collapses.
Fifteen was merely the age when he proved himself. He had taken command when the captain of the royal guard had been felled by an arrow through his throat, and he had used his limited resources wisely. He had his troops perform a rolling retreat through the vast halls of the palace, peppering their attackers with arrows and bolts until began to come too close, then withdrew further, blocking doors and erecting barricades in their path.
It wasn't a fight that could be won by courage and direct combat, but by cunning and whittling the enemy's numbers down while minimizing his own losses.
Live soldiers were more useful than dead heroes. That had become the policy of his military going forward, and he adhered to it to this day. Never throw lives away to accomplish a goal that can be achieved by other methods, even if it would take longer. He could have ended the civil war much sooner if he'd been willing to spend lives more freely, but chose not to.
He paused now, looking at the memorial that stood in the center of the chamber. It was a relic, from long before even his father's time. A time when the Bahdi had sought to press into their lands. There were one hundred names on the memorial, of all the dead from the battle on the eastern front. Brave men who gave their lives to buy time for reinforcements to arrive.
A foolish waste, he thought. In his time studying the event, he was certain that those hundred, as well as the hundreds more that died fighting afterward, could have been saved, or at least the losses reduced, if they had just withdrawn some distance, let the Bahdi have the small piece of land, and lured the Bahdi vanguard into a trap set by the larger imperial forces.
But the plaque also bore a line of text, a quote from the emperor of that time, that Maximilian read and couldn't help but feel the force of the words.
"Brothers in life, they stood until the end, brothers in death, the few against the fateful horde. Form a wall, live to fall, and live forever."
But even though those words stirred something deep in him, Maximilian dismissed it. Live forever? Their names were written here, but not a soul alive now could recount them from memory. They remembered the event, but not the truth of it. The legend had overtaken the history in the minds of most, and rewritten it as something far grander than it actually was.
And above the names was the statue. Four men standing in a circle, all back to back, their weapons drawn and their shields held ready, but they were just nameless images, though they had once been made to look like the captains that led the final stand.
The old empire had fallen. Its ways had been what led to the very rebellion Maximilian had been fighting for a full third of his years. But while the nations he had studied as a child had collapsed completely, he had managed to salvage what was left of this one. He could not rest, or what he already had would crumble away, like ashes though his fingers.
He had no intention of rebuilding the empire as it had once been. A new empire must replace it, like a phoenix rising from the ashes of its own predecessor. And he had to be the figure that those under him looked to for both guidance and inspiration.
One never realized just what being a ruler meant until one had to actually do it. He had to maintain his fearless, unflappable visage at all times. If his men saw him in doubt or fear, it would affect them as well, and morale was a powerful force.
There was only one person he dared let his guard down when he was with, and then only when it was just the two of them.
As he walked further into the halls, exactly where he expected there were two guards standing outside a door that led into a bedroom. He ordered his own guards to wait outside, and stepped into the room, closing the door behind himself.
"It's me," he announced.
"Oh, there's my little brother," came a woman's voice from further in the room. The room was dark, but that was because the one who lived here did not need light. "I was wondering when you'd come to visit after the news of the Count's death reached us."
Maximilian moved into the center of the room, letting his eyes slowly adjust to the dimness. But right where he knew it would be was the table, with three seats, and seated on one side was the woman in question.
Her eyes stared straight through him, and she did not look at her hands as she turned over an extra cup and reached for a pot of tea, pouring it into the cup, then pushing it across the table to him.
"The worst of that is finally over," he said, taking the cup as he sat down, "But I can't stay long, I'm afraid."
"Hyrule is next on your list, isn't it?" she asked.
Maximilian took a moment to look at her, his eyes finally adjusting to the darkness of the room.
She was Vivian Riastad, his older sister, by four years. She was currently wearing just a simple sitting gown, as she had no reason to entertain guests other than himself. But each time he saw her, he could not help but feel she'd have been strikingly beautiful, if not for her problem. She was pale, but that was because of the lack of sun, as she never had reason to go out. Her hair was blonde, like his own, and her face was immaculate, while his was already becoming weathered by the sun and stress of of the battles he'd been fighting for eight years. While Maximilian was only twenty-three, he looked older than she did.
But the problem he thought of was her eyes. They were milky, like a white substance had covered over their surfaces, and had been that way since she was born. It was also the mark of her blindness. Ever since she was born, she'd been unable to see. As a result, she seemed to always stare into the distance, or straight through whoever she was speaking to.
She had pushed aside the book she'd been reading when he entered, and he glanced down at it but a moment. This book, while to his eyes in the dim light, the pages were completely blank, he knew it was one of many he'd had printed in braille for her. When she had voiced interest in the subjects, he had ordered braille copies of every book on history, strategy, and politics that he had himself been educated by. She had devoured these voraciously, and more were constantly needed. In spite of her other circumstances, she was smart. The dangerous kind of smart. The kind of smart that if she weren't his sister or blind, he'd keep even more careful an eye on her than he already did.
"You knew Hyrule would be next?" he asked, "I don't think I ever told you that."
"But you've spoken of the land itself often enough, and your interest in their queen," Vivian said, "I believe you said you'd love to meet the woman who is the rival for any man as a ruler."
"Well, I've sent the messenger, and he should be in Hyrule by now," Maximilian said, "Now it's just waiting for the return to see if she is willing to meet with me."
"Ah, and what will you offer her?" Vivian asked.
"I think that depends on what kind of woman she actually is," Maximilian said, "If she is as strong as I've heard, it may be worth pursuing a mutually beneficial agreement for our nations. If she is actually weak, then I may simply have to crush Hyrule to secure our border."
"Integrating Hyrule will be difficult," Vivian said, "We have humans of several nationalities in our nation already, as well as Rito and a Bahdi citizens as well. That's already a lot of clashing cultures. Adding the Hylians, Gorons, and Zora would be a major shift in balance."
"That's why I'm curious how Hyrule manages it," Maximilian said, "Somehow they have their cultures working together without the friction we have. It's something I intend to look into."
"And what of their wizard?" Vivian asked, "The one that, according to the stories, can decimate entire armies single-handed? With that kind of power on our side, the empire would be unstoppable."
"Just legends," Maximilian said, "I've had the historians digging hard into that. While there was a figure that was the cause of such legends, Ganondorf Dragmire, they are certain that the legends are just that, and the man was nowhere near that scale. What's more, the idea that he's still alive is absurd. He'd be over four thousand years old at this point."
"I hope you're right," Vivian said, "If he were alive, well, then this tiny kingdom of Hyrule would be a real threat to the Empire."
"Even if it were true, that's going to change," Maximilian said, "I will not let this empire fall to anyone, wizard or otherwise. Hyrule will submit or be forced to heel."
"As interested as you are in her, don't underestimate their queen," Vivian said, "There have been plenty of stories and rumors that have reached our people. Some say she is the deadly wizard we've heard about, while others claim that wizard is the father of her children.
"Though it does stay consistent when they say she is unmarried, her heirs born out of wedlock and she'd execute any who dare call them bastards. An unmarried woman on the throne with bastard children, that makes me curious what she does to maintain that. She must have enemies in court, but her followers may simply be that fiercely loyal that those enemies dare not move against her."
"Well, what reports I have do say she always has a bodyguard at her side," Maximilian said, "But that's not what you meant."
"There's a difference between a soldier who will protect his monarch because he has been trained to, and one who will do so because he truly believes it is the right thing to do," Vivian said, "One may break and run to save his own life, while the other will voluntarily fight to the death if it means the monarch will survive."
"I won't know until I meet her," Maximilian said, "And if nothing else brings her around, perhaps our mutual friends in the white masks will entice her cooperation. Has there been any news about them in my absence?"
"Only that the attacks have changed their outcomes," Vivian said, "The last I heard, they are still targeting remote farms, isolated locations far from help, but they've stopped leaving as many bodies. They've been taking people alive."
"Why that shift?" Maximilian asked, more to himself than to Vivian, "Suddenly changing their M.O. doesn't make any sense at this point, unless they do have a purpose beyond sowing fear and unrest."
"There's more," Vivian said, "All the kidnapping victims have more in common than previous attacks. Everyone they've abducted have been pregnant women."
"That's bizarre," Maximilian said, stroking his chin as he thought, trying to remember anything he might have read or heard that would hint at the purpose, but was drawing a blank. But he had an idea of where to start looking for an answer. "Sorry to leave so soon," he said, standing up, "but I need to look into this."
"I understand," Vivian said, "Do remember to come tell me about the queen after you meet her. I'm curious what kind of woman she is as well."
Maximilian walked toward the door, his thoughts already ahead, silently hypothesizing every outcome he could imagine for why a death cult would want pregnant women. And he was certain one of them had to be true, it was just a question of which one. What he knew beyond a doubt, however, was that it was going to be a very unpleasant subject, and there likely was no saving those that had already been taken.
"That makes twenty-eight of them," Link whispered.
It hadn't been much further until the group came upon the gathering. They had left their horses and crept closer to get a view of what lay in wait for them. Now Link lay on the ground, barely peeking over the crest of the hill looking into the low valley where the group was gathered. All wearing white masks, the group were moving through the clearing, and were clearly preparing for some form of ritual.
He could see the princess, lying on her back on a rectangular stone slab in the center, not moving, but at this distance, Link could see no visible wounds or damage to her clothing, so it was safe to say she was likely unconscious.
Around this slab, the group had arranged a large number of smaller bricks, laid out in circles of increasing size, creating three rings around that center slab, and a fourth was being placed even now.
"I've never seen magic circles like that," Link said.
"Neither have I," Kilishandra said.
A normal magic circle was what some called a pentagram. A five-pointed star with a circle drawn around it, the tips of each point of the star touching that circle, and another circle a few inches out from that, with the gap between those circles filled with drawn runes of various shapes. It had a meaning about the world and nature of life, but it was something Link never worried about. The runes drawn in the circle were related to what it could do, and he had learned to recognize many dangerous ones over the years, but never a user of magic himself, his knowledge stopped there.
But if these rings the cultists were making had some purpose, neither he or Kilishandra, who knew far more of magic than he did, recognized it.
Lance and Damien were on the other side of Link, also looking over the hill into the clearing. Lance spotted two of the cultists standing near the slab. One appeared to be a child, the other taller, but still a slender frame, likely a woman.
"Those two in the middle there," he said to Link, "They're not helping with the work."
"Yeah, I see them," Link said, "Likely that woman is the person in charge. Though a child being there… Either her child or..."
"Or what?" Lance asked.
"I was about to say a dwarf, but they've been extinct for more than eight thousand years," Link said.
"I don't know, we thought that about the Gerudo for a long time," Kilishandra said, glancing over to her other side, where Areil lay, also looking over the scene below.
"Doesn't matter," Link said, "We need a plan for this."
"The queen said she would be bringing an army with her," Damien said, "Shouldn't we wait for her?"
"We wait and there might not be a princess left to save," Link said, and lifted one hand to his right ear, where that blue crystal earring waited. With a touch, it created a faint glow, and he whispered, "Where are you two?"
The voice of Lilith could be heard in his ear in response. "Far end of the valley," her reply came, "Looks like they're short on perimeter guards. Natty and I took care of the ones we came across, and the ones in the middle are unaware."
"I count twenty-eight of them from where we're at," Link whispered.
"Our count is thirty-four," Lilith said, then added, "Well, thirty now."
"Don't get reckless," Link said, "There's too many in the center to pick them off. Wait until I give you the signal."
"What was that?" Lance asked.
"Long distance communication," Link said, pointing at the earring, "I'll explain later. Let's see about this..."
"Even the ninja can't get in there without being seen," Kilishandra said.
"Yeah, broad daylight and no cover," Link said, "We're going to have to charge right in."
"Even with the Gerudo, they outnumber us three to one," Damien said.
"Look who's talking," Areil said, then turned to Kilishandra, "We don't have enough bows here for proper volleys, but we can use the high ground here to cover the group that runs in."
"No offense, but I don't know that I'd be comfortable with archers I don't know shooting in my direction," Lance said.
"How skilled are your archers?" Link asked.
Areil grinned. "We train to hit a perfect bullseye while riding at full gallop," she said, "You won't be hit in the back, I can promise that."
"And if we get their attention all focused our way, Lilith and Natalya can come in the other way and do a lot of damage," Link said, "They might even be able to get the princess out completely. But maybe we can thin their numbers a bit more first. Kili," he turned to Kilishandra, "Nothing too big, we don't want to risk the princess being hurt, but do you think you can do that?"
"I can," Kilishandra said, "I think a ball of fire right into their midst will suffice. If it doesn't reduce their numbers much, it will still cause confusion and maybe make them panic."
"Sounds good to me," Link said, and turned to Lance and Damien, "When I go in, I want you two right behind me the whole way. Even if it looks like we're going to be surrounded, just keep moving and don't let them catch up. Reaching the princess is all that matters, and then we'll have to get back out just as quickly. Last thing we want is to be stopped and forced to fight."
"Got it," Lance said, and glanced at Damien, who nodded his understanding, so he turned back to Link and said, "Lead the way, dad."
Princess Zelda had passed out from the drug, but her eyes shot open with a start when a most unusual sound hit her ears. Like a dull thump, more like sound being sucked away than a sound of itself. A wave of dizziness hit her as she tried to sit up, but as the thump faded from her ears.
It was screaming. Her vision was blurred, the drug still running through her, making even turning her head cause it to swim. She could make out lights, several of them, moving in her vision. One came closer, a scream growing louder, and she saw it come into form as it came close enough to make out even in her current state. It was a person, running and screaming, their clothing on fire.
And then their scream was cut off, the tip of an arrow erupting from their throat, and the princess felt something hot slap her face, clinging to her skin like syrup as the person fell to the ground beside her.
She turned her head, able to see him now, the mask fallen away from his face, only a few feet from her. He was unable to scream, clutching at his throat as blood pooled on the ground in front of him, and still on fire as the life slowly faded from his eyes, squared fixed on hers.
The princess felt a chill, in spite of the heat so close to her, staring into those eyes as the life drained from them.
Then another shape loomed over her, and a hand gripped her arm, pulling her upward, making her head swim again.
"It's okay, I've got you," said a familiar voice as he pulled her upright.
"Lance?" she managed, and then her knees buckled.
"Shit," Lance said, and grabbed her to keep her from falling, "Sorry about this, princess."
He knelt down quickly, and Zelda felt herself upside down as he picked her up over one shoulder.
The group had followed their plan, charging directly into the center in the chaos. Link had led the way, Lance and Damien on his heels, and the two of them could hardly believe it was happening. People on fire made no effort to stop them, and each time one stepped in Link's path, his blade flashed, cutting them down almost without even slowing down.
Lance of course knew all the stories of his father's prowess with a sword, but he'd never seen his father actually kill someone before, and was actually somewhat shocked by how effortless it seemed.
Now he turned with the princess over one shoulder, to see Link strike down another and Damien manage to turn the blade of one more, using his free hand to strike his attacker across the face with enough force to send him sprawling.
"Move!" Link shouted, and they made to get out of the mess before it closed in on them.
Only for their path to be cut off suddenly. One of the masked people stepped in front of them, lifting a sword in defense as Link struck at them. Their blades clashed, and Link pushed, trying to bowl his opponent over, only for them to push back and he found himself several feet off the ground, flying backward.
Link was no stranger to fighting foes stronger than himself. He used his momentum to turn in the air, turning his fall into a backflip, landing hard on both feet and falling to one knee to prevent himself from falling prone.
Lance and Damien both stopped, readying their weapons for this opponent as they cast aside the white cloak they had been wearing, revealing the feminine figure beneath, protected by hardened leather armor across her body.
"A woman threw me like that?" Link said, rising back to his feet.
Two figures suddenly appeared behind the woman. The curved blade of Areil's scimitar whistling as it passed through the air, only to clash loudly as the woman spun, blocking it with her own sword and pushing forward. The size difference between the two women was severe, the Gerudo towering over the other and at least twice her weight, yet the smaller woman put her free hand out, straight into Areil's chest with a vicious stiff-arm, and the Gerudo's feet lifted off the ground, the wind knocked from her as she flew five feet before landing hard on her back.
Kilishandra was approaching. Link knew exactly what she was doing, getting in close for a spell effective at disarming a single opponent.
"Daem!" Kilishandra's shout came clear striking out with one hand, and the invisible wave of force was heard, like the crack of thunder.
The woman was lifted into the air, flying over Link's head, landing hard on the stone slab in the center. And instantly was up, kicking her legs to spring back up onto her feet.
"What the hell is she?" Damien asked, turning with his sword ready.
"You two take the princess and go," Link said, "This one is beyond either of you."
"And leave you?" Lance said.
"Do as your father says," Kilishandra said, stepping up next to him, "The sooner you're all at a safe distance, the sooner I can use my real magic."
Two more appeared behind the masked woman. Lilith and Natalya both with their swords drawn came up behind her, raising the blades high.
There was a flash, and the circles of stone around them all came to life.
Green light rose high into the sky, circling around them all, and Link tried to shout to run, but couldn't get the sound out. His jaw refused to move, and he realized he couldn't move at all. An invisible force wrapped around his body, holding him perfectly still. He couldn't even breath.
A holding spell? he thought.
The others around him were similarly held. Even Areil was frozen half-way back on her feet. Lance, Damien, the princess, all frozen. The twins were even frozen with their blades held over their heads for the strike they had intended.
"I think that's enough," a new voice said, and a small figure walked into the center of the group. It was the other cultist that had been watching the others work, along with the woman.
He appeared to be no more than a child, less than four feet in height, yet when he spoke, his voice commanded attention, an authority that no child could muster.
The small figure reached out, touching the masked woman, and the spell that held her released, allowing her to move again, and she sheathed her sword.
"Take the princess," the small figure said.
The woman approached Lance and effortlessly lifted Zelda from his shoulder and onto her own.
The small one gestured with one hand and said something in the language of magic, easily recognized by the unnatural echo even in a speaking volume. In an instant, a blue circle appeared in the air before him, widening, and something appeared within. Green plants and hanging vines, A portal to a jungle, Link thought.
Without waiting for and order, the woman stepped into the portal, taking the princess with her, and then the small figure snapped his fingers, the portal closing behind them.
"I must thank you all," the small figure said, turning back to them, "One constant in all the worlds I've seen is the predictability of you heroic types. If you'd been more cautious, I doubt I'd have executed my plan so flawlessly."
Flawlessly? Link thought, You mean you let your people die just to get us here? What are you planning?
"And now," the figure went on, and snapped his fingers again, causing the lights of the magic circles holding them to flare brighter, "I've no further need of you, so to the ends of the earth you go. If you do survive and make it back to Hyrule, I expect it will be quite changed."
A third snap of the fingers, and Link felt something pulling at him. The world around him seemed to melt away. He'd experienced this feeling before. It was a travel spell, used for long distance teleportation. His lungs were screaming for air, and he saw the others around him. Kilishandra, Lance, Damien, Lilith, Natalya, and even Areil, all pulled away from Hyrule in an instant.
And then they landed, released from the holding spell, and Link felt cold earth against his face as he hit the ground, and heard the others crashing down around him.
He silently cursed. A wizard, of course it had been a wizard. He should have been more cautious. And now they had been sent gods only knew where, and that wizard was loose in Hyrule, and no one else in Hyrule even knew of him.