CHAPTER 14: RUBBLE

It had been two days since the prison guards found Jack's jail cell empty. Since then, the castle was practically hysterical, scrambling to send out search parties to find the former general. The nobles were in a complete frenzy, beginning to pack their things and move out of the castle to their extra homes. They were fearful.

Link was star-struck when he heard that his son had escaped from the dungeons. Deep down, he felt a large sense of relief, even though he could not say that out loud. As long as his son was gone, he could not be executed. Link saw that as a very positive thing.

Link still wondered how Zelda was doing. He was informed by Jessica that Zelda refused to come out of her room, unless it was for booze from the brewery. Jessica said she wasn't eating, and she wasn't drinking enough water. This worried Link deeply. He wanted so badly to see her. However, Jessica refused to let him into her chambers when he tried. She claimed that it would only make the Queen's conditions worse.

Ralio and Barnes attempted to give Link the best support they could. Although they both were afraid of his son, they understood why Link was feeling the way he was. They couldn't imagine what he was going through. His own son was now the most wanted man dead or alive in Hyrule. His own son was a murderer.

Link appreciated his friends' concern, but he quite frankly wanted to be left alone. They didn't understand what he was feeling. They didn't understand the pain of watching his own child grow up to be a malicious man. The only person who understood was Zelda, but he couldn't talk to her.

"Sir Link?"

Link jumped in his chair, startled by the sudden voice behind him. Link was sitting at his desk in his chambers, with a glass of liquor in his right hand. He turned around and faced the person standing behind him.

"…D-Damien? Hey!"

Damien stood a few feet away from Link, studying his face closely. He noticed how heavy Link's eyelids were, and how his mouth lazily hung open.

"Your door was open, so I decided to let myself in and check on you. Are you alright?"

Link moved his gaze towards the glass in his hand and swirled the liquid around, ice cubes clanking against the glass as he did so.

"Yeah, I'm fine." Link began to laugh. "You're always creeping up on me. Still scaring me like you used to." Link's eyes suddenly became cloudy, lost in thought. He frowned, worry lines beginning to form onto his face.

Damien studied him with a sad expression. "You didn't come down for supper," he said. "I wanted to ask if you needed anything to eat."

Link lazily shrugged and placed his cold glass of liquor on his desk.

"Eh. I don't care really."

Damien noticed that Link was slurring his words a bit. Was he drunk?

"Your high—I mean, Captain Link, would you like some water?"

Link lazily shrugged again. He reached back towards his glass of liquor and quickly downed the rest of it.

"Nah."

Link turned back around and rested his head on his desk, softly shutting his eyes. Damien decided that he was definitely intoxicated.

Damien walked over to Link and placed a warm hand on his shoulder. Link lifted his head slightly off the desk and peered at him out of the corner of his eye, his blue gaze boring into Damien's skull.

"I'd rather you sleep in your bed than on your desk," Damien said softly. "You don't want your neck to be sore tomorrow, would you?"

Link simply groaned in response and placed his head back on the table. He shut his eyes again, ignoring Damien's requests for him to sleep in his bed.

"Captain Link, it's time to get up," Damien said, shaking Link's shoulder slightly.

Link groaned again and lifted his head off the desk. He then stumbled out his chair, brushing past Damien and leaping onto his bed face first.

"I'm going to grab you a glass of water," Damien declared, grabbing Link's now empty glass of liquor off the desk. Damien walked into Link's bathroom and turned on the sink, letting the water fill up Link's liquor glass. Damien shut off the sink as soon as the glass was full and walked back to Link, who was still lying face down on his bed.

"Here," Damien said, tapping Link on his back. "Drink, please."

Link pushed himself up onto a sitting position with his hands and faced Damien. He reluctantly took the glass from his hands and began to drink, his adam's apple bobbing up and down as he swallowed.

"I never knew you to be a drinker," Damien stated.

Link said nothing and placed his glass of water on his nightstand.

"I don't recommend drinking in a time like this," Damien continued. "It can start some bad habits."

Link shrugged and looked down at his lap. He then lay back onto his bed, pressing his face into his pillow.

"You don't have to call me by my formal title anymore," Link suddenly said, his voice muffled by his pillow. "You've never just called me by my first name."

Damien looked at Link with a soft expression in his face.

"Okay. Not a problem."

A smile smile appeared on Link's face.

"Thank you."

Damien slowly stepped closer to Link and sat on the edge of his bed. Link fluttered his eyes open and lazily looked up at him, his blue eyes softening.

"I'm sorry I left you," Link murmured, his voice barely audible.

Damien immediately shook his head.

"No, it's alright," he replied. "I don't blame you for anything. I'm not angry at you."

Link sighed into his pillow quietly.

"Why?"

Damien rubbed his face tiredly and sighed.

"What happened between you and your family was a long time ago," he answered. "You're only human. We make mistakes. It's not something we should dwell on for too long. It's something we should learn from."

Link shot Damien a skeptical look and shook his head in disagreement.

"It doesn't matter if it happened a long time ago," he slurred. "I left you. I left Zelda. And my own son."

Link closed his eyes again and clenched his jaw.

"This is my fault," he continued, his voice barely audible. "My son wouldn't be this way if I didn't leave him."

Link fluttered his eyes open again. His eyes were glossy, glistening in the dim light.

Damien didn't know what to say. He silently stared back at Link with a look of sadness in his eyes. After a few moments of silence, he opened his mouth to speak, finally figuring out what to say.

"You think you ruined him. Maybe I agree with you."

Link scoffed and shook his head.

"Thanks for the nice talk," Link began sarcastically. "If you want-"

"I'm not done yet," Damien cut in. "Whether or not you think you ruined him, that's up for you to decide. However, what is sulking over your past mistakes going to do for you? It's not going to reverse time, and it's certainly not going to make things any better. You might as well lift yourself up and start anew. Start fresh. Learn. Instead of sulking, maybe attempt to fix the things you still have a chance with."

Link sighed. His mind immediately wandered to Zelda. Although she seemed a bit angry at him, his relationship with her was something he could actually attempt to fix. Damien was right. He was getting nowhere by just being angry at himself.

"You're a wonderful man, who's made some mistakes in the past," Damien continued. "That still doesn't taint my view of you. I still love you like you're my own son."

Link felt a warm, wet trail running down his right cheek. He hadn't even noticed that he was crying. He quickly wiped the tear away and shut his eyes.

"I'm gonna go to sleep," Link mumbled, shutting his eyes closed again. "It's late. G'night, Damien."

Damien smiled down at Link and patted him on the back.

"Sleep well, Link."

Damien reached over and shut off Link's lamp on his nightstand. He then got up from his bed and walked softly to the door. He opened it quietly and shut it behind him, leaving Link alone to sleep.

Thunder cracked in the distance. Lighting flashed through the night sky, illuminating the grass and mud. It was pouring, with rain practically flooding the large field of grass.

Two horses ran through the heavy rainstorm, their hooves digging into the mud beneath them. They were caked with mud and soaking wet, along with the two men riding atop each horse. Thunder cracked again, causing the horses to neigh in fright and gallop faster through the mud.

In the distance, an enormous castle stood. It was dark grey and made of stone. It was extremely tall, with multiple towers in the castle. The castle was grand, possibly even grander than the Hyrule castle itself.

Lightning flashed, illuminating the massive structure. The horses galloped even faster, heading straight towards the castle in the distance.

The horse galloped for another five minutes until they arrived in front of the enormous castle. The slowed to a stop and let their riders climb down off them. The riders landed in the mud, their feet immediately sinking into the ground. They trekked through the muddy terrain and finally reached the stairs of the castle leading to the entrance.

They both ascended the stairs, with their feet tracking mud up the crystal-white steps of the castle. It was an enormous staircase, leading to a pair of enormous double doors. The men finally reached the top of the stairway, now standing in front of the huge double doors. There were two guards, both blocking the entrance to the castle.

"Who goes there?" one of them boomed, stepping closer to the two men.

One of the men reached up and lowered their hood. Dark waves were framed perfectly around his face, and his smooth skin glowed in the moonlight.

"General Jack of Hyrule…" the guard said in shock. "…what are you doing here?"

Jack narrowed his eyes between his other cloaked companion and the castle guard in front of him.

"We are here to see King Aiden."

The guard skeptically narrowed his eyes back and fourth between Jack and the cloaked man.

"…I suppose you may," the guard finally said after a few beats of silence. "A friend of the King's is a friend to Volagio. Come in."

The guard then walked towards the enormous double doors and pushed them open. They creaked loudly, the sound echoing into the castle. The two men walked inside.

As soon as they walked in, the double doors behind them immediately slammed shut, the sound of the door slamming echoing around the castle. Jack and the cloaked man took a look at their surroundings, practically in awe.

There was not a single soul roaming the castle, considering that it was nighttime. The castle was extremely grand, giving Hyrule castle a run for its money. Its ceilings were sky high, with classical art painted on the center dome of the ceiling. Although the castle was made of grey stone, the interior of the castle was crystal white. White marble sparkled on the floors, as well as on the large spiral staircase going up to the second story of the castle.

"Wow…" the cloaked man next to Jack marveled. He lowered his hood to get a better look around the castle. "…this is even cooler than the last time I saw it! Look how big that chandelier is! That staircase is huge! Look at that-"

"Hagen, please," Jack cut in. "Be quiet. I told you I'll do the talking, not you."

Hagen immediately shut his mouth.

"Good." Jack looked around the castle. "Where on Earth is he?"

As to answer his question, footsteps began to echo around the castle. Jack and Hagen looked towards the stairs, trying to see who was walking.

A tall, lean man was standing atop the staircase. He began to descend the stairs, his footsteps tapping lightly.

A small smirk began to grow across Jack's face as the man walked down the stairs.

"King Aiden," Jack greeted lowly.

Aiden got off the stairs and walked towards them, stopping at about a few feet in front.

"General Jack. It's good to see you."

Aiden was a thin man with wide hips. He had dark curls that fell in between his eyes and grew to the nape of his neck. He had long, dark eyelashes and black eyes. His skin was pale, and he was very well-kept for a man. Some even would dare to say he resembled a woman because of his feminine features. His features were soft, making him seem approachable. He was the same age as Zelda, but he didn't look a day over thirty.

"Ah, yes, it's a pleasure to see you as well. I believe the last time I saw you was two years ago."

Aiden nodded his head in agreement, thinking back on the memory a bit. Aiden had met with Zelda in Hyrule's castle to discuss relations between their two kingdoms. However, it was not a peaceful meeting, considering their history. Jack was fully aware of this situation.

"Yes," Aiden said, putting a finger to his chin. "I remember that very clearly. You treated me with respect that day. It was a relief compared to how your mother treated me."

Jack nodded, thinking back on the memory. They had first met that day. Jack immediately gained Aiden's admiration, and they quickly became acquaintances.

"What brings you here?" Aiden asked curiously. "And who is this man you are with?"

Hagen's eyes snapped wide as he was finally addressed.

"This is Hagen," Jack introduced, motioning his hands towards the fidgety man standing next to him. "He helped me find a quicker route to Volagio. He claims that he used to deliver my mother's letters to you when she was a teen."

Aiden stepped towards Hagen and squinted at him.

"Ah, yes, I do remember you," he recognized. A kind smile grew on his face, crinkling his eyes in delight. "You look much different than how I remembered you to be when I was a young man."

Hagen shifted nervously on his feet, unsure if he was allowed to speak or not. He wanted to speak. King Aiden seemed kind.

"Him and I are currently on the run," Jack admitted.

Aiden raised his eyebrows in shock.

"Wow," he marveled. "That is quite unexpected. What happened?"

Jack blew out a puff of air in frustration. Hagen began to tense up, desperate to know why Jack was truly thrown in the dungeons.

"A guard found one of my books," Jack explained. "So I killed him."

Hagen's jaw dropped in shock. He was suddenly very fearful for his life, even more fearful than the night when Jack attempted to kill him. Why would he kill someone over finding one of his books? Was it that serious to take someone's life?

Aiden, however, seemed completely unfazed. There was no reaction, no fear, nothing. His face was exactly the same as it was before Jack had admitted why he was on the run.

"Oh, really?" Aiden asked maliciously, the kind tone of his voice disappearing. Suddenly, a wicked smile began to grow across his face, his kind features melting away in an instant. His devilish grin was wide, showing off his pearly white teeth.

Hagen tensed up at the King's sudden change of facial expression. It was so different than his kind expression that he wore when he first walked down the stairs. His smile was terrifying. Hagen's heart began to thump out of his chest, becoming even more fearful for his life. Why on Earth was he smiling? Did he think it was funny?

"Yes," Jack replied, his own mouth curving upwards in a devilish smile. "I left his body in the castle because I assumed nobody would find it where I put it. It was in a room where nobody but royalty was allowed in. I was out purchasing acid to dissolve his body, but some other idiotic guard got to him first."

Aiden nodded in understanding.

"They didn't think I was guilty of the murder at first, until some servant found another one of my books in my chambers," Jack continued. "It was the red and gold one, remember? I was going to deliver it to you. I apologize that I couldn't get it to you."

Aiden waved him off.

"It's not a bother," he said. "You've already sent me so many books anyways. It is no problem. I have plenty."

"Wonderful," Jack said, clapping his hands together. "Anyways, the servant showed my book to the court. They figured out about my practices and eventually put the pieces together that I had killed that guard."

Aiden raised an eyebrow at that statement.

"How?" he asked confusingly. "The head of the court is working with you, as I recall. Did he fail you?"

Jack shrugged. "There was only so much he could do. He couldn't blow his cover by trying to convince the other members that I was innocent. That would give himself away. He let them throw me in the dungeons, and then he freed Hagen and I the next night."

Hagen's heart was leaping out of his chest. He could not believe that he had even gotten himself into this situation. What situation particularly? He had no idea. There were so many questions running through his mind. He wondered why one of Jack's books had blown his cover. Was it a journal? A diary of some sort?

Suddenly, Aiden's wicked expression disappeared, his kind features forming again.

"Would you all like to talk somewhere more comfortable?" he asked politely, the malicious tone in his voice completely gone.

"Yes, of course," Jack replied just as politely.

Hagen stared at King Aiden in shock. Did he have a split personality? Why was he acting nice again?

Aiden began to walk away from the two men. Jack and Hagen both followed, their footsteps echoing behind him. Aiden led them into a narrow hallway, with small torch lights hung on the walls. He then took a turn, leading them into a large room with a fireplace.

There was multiple fancy red chairs and couches, as well as a large table in the middle of the furniture. The material of the ground was changed from marble to stone, now grey instead of a white. A fireplace crackled in the front of the furniture. It was the only source of light in the room.

"Please, sit," Aiden persuaded kindly, motioning his hands towards two cushiony chairs. Jack and Hagen walked over to each chair and sat down in them.

Aiden walked over to another chair across from them and plopped right into it.

"Now," Aiden began, folding his hands in his lap. "Where were we?"

Jack cleared his throat and began to continue talking.

"I was telling you that Darrien freed both of us," Jack explained.

"Ah," Aiden mused, nodding his head in understanding. "That's right. And you two came here. Why?"

Jack narrowed his eyes from Hagen to Aiden.

"Hagen agreed to work for me, which is why he is here," Jack stated. "I am here to propose that we shall take the castle back."

Hagen raised his eyebrows in shock, refraining himself from speaking.

"What?" he thought in panic. "He wants to invade the castle? What the hell?"

Aiden again gave no reaction to the shocking words that Jack had just spoken. His facial expression remained unchanged.

"I know you want the throne," Jack said slyly, leaning forward in his seat. "You want it bad. You've wanted it for years."

Aiden's expression was emotionless. Not one feature on his face had changed. Moments of silence passed as Jack waited for Aiden's response. Finally, Aiden opened his mouth to speak.

"Your father has returned there, correct?"

A wicked smirk formed onto Jack's face.

"Yes, he is there." Jack's smirk grew even wider. "I know you want him dead just as much as I do. We could accomplish that. You could finally get what you've wanted. What he stole from you so long ago."

Suddenly, that same terrifying expression formed onto Aiden's face. He grinned widely, and his eyes bulged out of his head in excitement.

"If I send my army to invade the castle, I claim the throne," Aiden declared. "And I get to kill Link myself."

Hagen's mouth hung open, his jaw practically dropped to the floor. He could not even believe what he was hearing. The king wanted Link dead? And so did Jack?

"What the hell have I gotten myself into?" Hagen thought to himself, his heart beating out of his chest. Reality began to settle within him. He realized how bad his situation truly was. He was with people who were truly malicious, and he had no way of escaping. He was just as trapped as when he was locked in the dungeons.

"No," Jack replied to Aiden sternly. "You can claim the throne and do whatever you choose with Hyrule, but I get to kill him myself."

Aiden paused a moment, considering Jack's words.

"Very well," Aiden said after a few beats of silence. He grinned widely, showing off his terrifying smile.

Hagen's stomach dropped in panic. He wanted so badly to warn Hyrule about the events to come. However, there was nothing he could do. He was trapped.

Five days had passed since Jack's disappearance.

The castle was searching frantically the find him. They were all fearful, and in a complete frenzy. The prizes awarded to find Jack grew bigger and bigger every day he was not found.

The Queen still had not come down out of her room. She was in a complete state of shock. No matter how much Jessica tried to bring her out, Zelda didn't budge. She sulked in her room, barely ever leaving except to occasionally go to the brewery at night.

She was possibly in the worst state of her life at that moment, even worse than when Link had first left. She couldn't even bring herself to get up. She found no purpose without her son.

The worst of it all was her gnawing guilt. She blamed herself for being so foolish after Link had left. She should have stayed strong for her son, rather than isolating herself from practically everyone and drowning herself in liquor. She felt that it was her fault for ruining her son, not just Link. If she was there for him all those years, maybe he wouldn't be the way he is.

She felt bad about her conversation that she had with Link some time ago. Some of it was hazy, considering that she was intoxicated. However, she remembered some parts, particularly the part when she openly told Link that she blamed him for ruining Jack. Truth was, she didn't just blame Link. She blamed herself, and she took it out on him.

Zelda was sitting in the lounge of the castle, completely alone. It was nighttime, so none of the nobles were gathered there to gossip or drink coffee. It was just Zelda, and the crackling fireplace in front of her.

This was the first room she had been to in the past five days besides the brewery. It was a little refreshing, considering the fact that she had been sulking in her room for so long.

She had no liquor in her hand. It was a rare occasion, especially since her son was now the most wanted man dead or alive in Hyrule. She needed to actually think on the situation of her son, without the influence of alcohol. Unfortunately, that made her have to face her own guilt and pain as well.

She sat with her head in her hands. She wasn't crying, but she felt that she was on the verge of tears. It was so hard for her to process everything that happened to her in the past few days. Her hysterics turned to sudden relief as soon as she had heard Jack had escaped from the dungeons. She knew that her son was a dangerous man, but she was relieved that he wasn't executed. She knew that there was only one other person in the castle who felt the same way. However, without the influence of alcohol, she couldn't bring up the courage to talk to that person.

She considered grabbing a quick drink from the brewery. She suddenly didn't feel like thinking about anything anymore.

She planted her feet on the ground below her, ready to push herself up into a standing position. However, the sound of the entrance to the lounge creaking open stopped her.

Heavy footsteps entered the lounge, echoing across the silent room. It sounded like the person was wearing heavy boots on their feet.

"Zelda?" a deep voice asked. Zelda whirled around in her seat, instantly recognizing that voice.

She made eye contact with a pair of stunning blue eyes staring right back at her. Her eyebrows raised in surprise, but she quickly masked her expression.

"Link."

Link was standing in the front of the double doors leading to the lounge room. He wore his Hyrulian army cloak, along with light leather armor underneath. He wore brown boots, explaining why his footsteps were so heavy. He had a small dagger strapped to his thigh, as well as a long sword latched onto his other.

Zelda's heart was pounding out of her chest. She cursed herself for not grabbing a drink from the brewery sooner.

To Zelda's horror, Link began to walk towards the seat next to her. His heavy footsteps continued to echo around the room, as well as his armor and weapons clanking together. He stopped in front of the chair next to her and sat on it, the chair creaking slightly under his weight and armor.

The fireplace illuminated his features as he sat down. His features were masculine, but soft at the same time. His skin was smooth and tan, practically glowing in the firelight. Zelda noticed that his hair was slightly matted onto his forehead with sweat, giving her the clue that he had just gotten done training with the army for the day. She also noticed the scar on his cheek, which was more noticeable in the light of the fire.

"I just came here to relax for a bit," Link explained, breaking the tense silence. "I'm done for the day. I didn't know you were in here."

Zelda nervously looked into her lap, ignoring Link's blue gaze boring into her skull. She attempted to look as stoic as possible, but she only came off to Link as nervous.

"How are you feeling?" Link suddenly asked after another few beats of silence.

Zelda shot her head up in surprise, a little thrown off by the question.

"How am I feeling?" Zelda questioned, pointing to herself nervously.

A small, slightly amused smile formed on Link's face.

"Yes. You."

Zelda took a deep breath and exhaled. She then rubbed her face nervously.

"It's—it's hard to explain," she began. "I can't really put it into words. I guess I don't really know how I'm feeling."

Link nodded in understanding, his bright blue eyes softening.

"I feel that way too." Link sighed and leaned back into his seat. "Kind of in a state of shock, you know? Like you're in a dream that you can't wake up from. Everything's hazy."

Zelda nodded her head in agreement. He had described it perfectly.

They both fell back into an awkward silence, making Zelda wish even more that she had grabbed that drink. She looked back down at her lap and cursed herself once more.

Link suddenly cleared his throat, breaking the awkward silence between them. Zelda lifted her head slightly, making eye contact with Link.

"Can I ask you a question?" he asked nervously, fiddling with his fingers.

Zelda tilted her head slightly to the side, indicating that she was listening.

"Um—are you...sober?" he asked.

Zelda nodded her head softly.

"Ah, okay," Link said. "I figured. You don't seem so, um, open like the last time we spoke."

Zelda's face immediately reddened. She remembered how she told him straight to his face that she thought he ruined Jack. Guilt began to gnaw at her stomach.

"I'm sorry," Link suddenly apologized. "I wasn't trying to be rude—gosh, I probably shouldn't have asked that-"

"It's okay," Zelda cut in, interrupting Link's awkward rambling.

Link awkwardly scratched the back of his neck. Zelda wanted him to leave so bad, but at the same time she wanted him to stay.

Of course, Link stayed put.

"I'm sorry about Jack," Link spoke up softly, breaking the deafening silence. "I know you're struggling. I am too."

Zelda stayed silent, processing what Link had just said. A large lump began to form in her throat and her eyes became glossy. She sniffed a little bit and wiped at her eyes, attempting to get rid of her tears.

Link studied her face, noticing how glossy her eyes got. He impulsively grabbed her hand, giving it a light squeeze.

Zelda's eyes shot up in shock at the contact. His large fingers were wrapped around her small hand, his thumb brushing over her knuckles. She stared at his face, becoming lost in the pools of blue staring right back at her.

"Zelda," he said softly, barely audible. "I-"

Suddenly, the doors to the lounge flew open, causing Link and Zelda to both jump in shock. A young man burst through the door, sprinting into the room.

"Captain Link!" the young man shouted. He was extremely out of breath, most likely from running. He wore the same cloak as Link, indicating he was also in the Hyrulian army.

"Hardy?" Link said confusingly, taking his hand off Zelda's. "Is there something wrong?"

Hardy panted heavily, attempting to catch his breath. His chest heaved up and down rapidly.

"T-the castle…" Hardy struggled to say. "…army…under attack!"

Link shot up from his seat, extremely alarmed.

"What?" he asked alarmingly. "Hardy, what do you mean-"

Suddenly, the walls to the right of the lounge exploded, sending all of them in the room flying to the other side.

Link woke up to his ears ringing and his head pounding. His eyes immediately watered as soon as he opened them, blurring his vision. There was an unbearable heat around him, practically suffocating him. He scrambled to his feet and gasped for oxygen, struggling to find fresh air.

He stood up and processed his surroundings, rapidly moving his head all around. He was still in the lounge. An enormous fire was spreading around the room from the right side. Link shielded his eyes from the fire, tears beginning to run down his cheeks from the scorching heat. As he attempted to process what was happening, a thought struck him like a bolt of lightning.

"Zelda!" he thought anxiously. He frantically looked around the room, searching for any signs of her. Suddenly, a figure of a person lying on the ground caught his eye.

He immediately sprinted over, not wasting a second. He knelt down and studied the person, recognizing them immediately.

It was Zelda, alright. She was motionless, with her legs and arms sprawled across the floor in strange angles. Her eyes were shut, and her mouth hung open slightly. There was a large bump on her forehead, with blood trickling out of it. She obviously had a worse fall than Link.

"Zel," Link called out, shaking her shoulders slightly. She didn't budge.

Link didn't waste any time scooping her up into his arms. He stood up abruptly, anxiously searching around the room for a way out.

"Link!"

Link whirled around, with Zelda still cradled in his arms, to face Hardy standing near a broken window.

"Over here!" he shouted over the crackling fire, beckoning Link to follow him. Link nodded quickly and sprinted as fast as he could to the window.

Link looked out of the window and down onto the ground. There was a tree to break his fall. However, it was a long drop. Extremely long. If he missed the tree, him and Zelda would both be guaranteed dead.

Link quickly looked over at Hardy. Hardy looked completely terrified, his legs obviously shaking.

"I'll go first," Link said bravely, stepping towards the edge of the window. "Do exactly as I do. Copy my movements. Got it?"

Hardy nodded quickly. He was worried for himself, but he was especially worried for Link and the Queen that he cradled in his arms.

"Don't hesitate to jump," Link said to Hardy quickly. He hoisted Zelda over his shoulder, preparing to jump. "We don't have much time."

Link stepped closer to the edge of the window, his hair now blowing in the cool night air. He crouched down and jumped, letting himself fall through the air. Him and Zelda crashed into the tree, causing the leaves on the tree to rustle slightly.

"Thank the gods," Link thought to himself, relieved. He slowly began to climb down the tree, making sure not to drop Zelda off his shoulder. He then finally reached the grass beneath him, sighing in relief.

Link looked around his surroundings, noticing that he had landed on the side of the castle. He then looked up to see Hardy jumping through the air. Hardy successfully landed into the tree, rustling its leaves again.

"Good!" Link shouted. "Now climb down! Quickly!"

Hardy nodded bravely and began to rapidly climb down the tree. Hardy then reached the ground, also sighing in relief. Suddenly, a large explosion echoed through the air, causing Link and Hardy to jump in fright.

"Come on," Link said, not wanting to waste a second. "We don't have the time."

Hardy nodded and took off sprinting. Link followed suit, moving Zelda from his shoulder back into his arms again. Link looked behind him while he was running, noticing the enormous army of soldiers attacking the castle. They shot cannons from a distance, sending explosions throughout the castle. Link sprinted even faster, his legs burning with adrenaline.

Zelda began to stir in Link's arms, groaning softly. She fluttered her eyes open, staring up at Link's determined face above her.

"L-Link?" she murmured, practically inaudible. Link looked down at her in shock, surprised that she had woken up.

"Hey Zel," he greeted, the determined look on his face fading away into a softer one.

Zelda relaxed instantly at his kind face, closing her eyes shut again. She barely noticed the loud sounds of men battling, or the crunch of Link's heavy footsteps while he sprinted. Whatever was happening, she trusted him to keep her safe. She slowly slipped out of consciousness again without a worry in her mind.

Link continued to run as fast as his legs could take him. They were running towards a forest in the distance, seeking a place where they could hide from the unknown army attacking the castle.

Suddenly, a large, stray arrow flew through the air and pierced through Link's right shoulder. He cried out in pain, causing Hardy to turn around in alarm.

"Captain Link?" he questioned, studying Link for any injuries. The large arrow sticking out Link's shoulder caught Hardy's eye, causing him to gasp in shock.

"I-I can't hold her any longer," Link choked out, wincing in pain. He slowly dropped to one knee and carefully placed Zelda on the ground.

"Please, carry her," Link pleaded frantically. "She's not heavy. You're strong enough."

Hardy didn't hesitate for one second to scoop her up in his arms. He grunted with effort, and hoisted her up over his shoulder.

Link pushed himself back up to a standing position with his uninjured arm. He clutched his shoulder, wincing in pain. There was a noticeable amount of blood trickling out of it.

"Come on," he said to Hardy bravely. "Let's keep going."

"Link! Link! Over here!"

Hardy and Link turned around at the sound of a man yelling. In the distance were Barnes, Ralio, and a few other soldiers in a large cart wheeled by a horse. A soldier was atop the horse, waving Link and Hardy to come over.

"Get in!" the soldier shouted, pointing to the large cart strapped to the horse. Link and Hardy sprinted over to the cart and leaped into it, making a loud crash as they landed. The horse neighed as soon as they got in and galloped away, leaving the horrific scene behind them.

Hardy and Link were both completely out of breath, panting heavily. Hardy still held Zelda. He carefully placed her onto the cart, making sure not to drop her too harshly.

"Linky! Hardy!" Barnes shouted happily, scooting on his bottom over to them. "I thought you two were goners!"

He wrapped his beefy arms around both of them, crushing them in a giant bear hug. Barnes' arm was squeezed around Link's injured shoulder, causing him to wince in pain again.

"Get off Link, you idiot!" Ralio scolded, swatting at Barnes' back. "He's got a massive arrow in his arm!"

Barnes quickly jumped off Hardy and Link. He pulled back and studied the massive arrow plunged into Link's shoulder.

"Holy mother of the gods…" Barnes murmured, his eyes wide at Link's wound.

Link reached over to the arrow and ripped it out of his arm, causing practically everybody on the cart to gasp in shock. Link grit his teeth together harshly, surprised at how much more painful that was than he thought it was going to be.

"Get him some bandages!" Ralio barked at the soldiers in the back of the cart.

A few of the soldiers scrambled to find some bandages, looking around frantically. One soldier finally found some in the corner of the cart and tossed it to the front. Barnes grabbed the bandages and turned back towards Link.

"Alright," Barnes said softly, scooting over to Link's shoulder. "I'm going to take off the leather armor. Is that okay?"

Link nodded quickly. Barnes dug his finger into a rip in the leather and tore it open, revealing Link's wound. Some soldiers gasped, shocked at the large wound.

Link's wound seemed to be bleeding an excessive amount. Blood trickled rapidly down his arm and his chest.

"Gods…" Barnes murmured, shocked by how much it was bleeding. "I really wish you wouldn't have ripped that thing out of your arm like that."

Link gave no reaction and just stared at his own feet. Ignoring the pain he felt from the wound made it a little more tolerable.

Barnes reached over and grabbed Link's arm, lifting it slightly. He then started to wrap the bandage tightly around his wound, attempting to cut off the bleeding.

Link seethed through his teeth in pain.

"It…burns…" he mumbled, squeezing his eyes shut.

Barnes raised an eyebrow at Link. It burned? Why did it burn?

Barnes decided not to speak on that and continued to wrap the bandage around Link's shoulder. Silence stretched around the men in the cart, with only the crickets chirping in the night air to break the silence.

"Um, guys?" Hardy peeped, breaking the silence. "W-what even happened?"

The soldiers looked at each other nervously, afraid to break the news. Link fluttered his eyes open and looked at the soldiers curiously, wondering what the answer would be. Finally, Ralio opened his mouth to speak.

"The Volagio army attacked the castle," Ralio finally said. "Their army was strong. Very strong. Much stronger than ours. We were forced to retreat, but most of us didn't make it out alive. We might be the only ones left. That leaves us with the few soldiers that are away at the camp near Kakariko village."

Link's eyes widened in shock. Volagio attacked the castle? Why?

Suddenly, a realization dawned on him. King Aiden. He planned it.

Link's eyebrows furrowed in anger. He hated that man more than anything else in the world.

"Well, what are we going to do?" Hardy asked nervously. "Does that mean Hyrule is in Volagio's hands?"

Ralio nodded.

"Yes," he replied. "Hyrule is not a free kingdom anymore. We will have to fight to gain it back. This is now war."

END OF PART II

And that's the end of Part II! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter. This is my longest chapter yet, reaching at almost 7,000 words. Hope it's not too lengthy for you all.

Anyways, let me know what you guys think. I personally think my writing is a bit rushed, but this is my first time writing an actual story, so just cut me some slack haha. Of course, as I've always said, I do also like some constructive criticism. It's pretty helpful. Positive feedback is always refreshing to see too.

Okay, I'm done. Please review. I'll see you all next week :)