CHAPTER 10
They searched the ruins of the old fort for hours. However, nothing was found of the two adventurers, and eventually even Wynn knew that they never would. Fami came up to him, and placed her hand on his shoulder. "Wynn, we have to go. We can do no more here." she gently told him. He sighed, not looking at her.
Wynn glanced at her over his shoulder. "I will come soon. Go on." When she hesitated, he nodded. "Don't worry." She went, but looked none too happy about it.
He watched her go. When he knew she was gone, with the others, he turned and stared into the night sky. He then yelled a vow to the world, and all that could hear him.
"I herby swear, I will not let this injustice continue! I will not rest until I see the murderers of my friends dead! I will avenge them, or die in the attempt." he swore.
"Tane did not deserve this fate, nor did Shezarah. Both were good people, honest. But the murderers of these good people will not survive to do it again. I will see to it." Wynn stopped, looking into the sky. A solitary tear rolled down his face. He then continued.
"Icarnos, beware. I now have extra motivation to destroy you. Yes, I know you did this; I could sense your magic being used to destroy the fortress, the ruins of which I now stand on. I now have another reason to kill you, besides my parents and the sake of Hyrule. Yes, old one, you will regret killing my friends. It is a costly mistake, and the cost is your life."
Wynn stopped. Without another word, he turned, and walked after his friends.
******
He caught up with them soon after. They progressed up, and then down the mountain. They walked silently, each deep in thought about their deceased friends. They soon enough reached Kakariko. Lead by Wynn, they went to the house he had once rented for the night, and entered.
They were greeted by the owner, who recognized Wynn. A look of concern came over his face when he saw that they all were injured. "We would like to rent four beds, if you would let us." Wynn started.
The owner nodded, and then turned to the other person in the house, another man, and said, "Hey, these people are hurt. Go get that girl with the cuccos, she has had training as a healer, I think." The other man nodded, and started for the door. Wynn began to object, but Jier stopped him, placing a hand on Wynn's shoulder. Wynn looked at him; Jier was smiling. A grin formed at the ends of Wynn's mouth. A few minutes later, the girl ran into the house. She had a worried look on her face. She ran straight to Jier, ignoring the others. She started her work, making Jier lay down, cooing to him gently. When she wasn't looking, Jier shot Wynn another smile. Wynn laughed.
Then Wynn noticed the presence of Nerah and Fami at his side. He turned to them. "Wynn, you need just as much attention as he does." Nerah started.
"Yeah, those gashes the dragon left you could kill you if not attended to." Fami said, concern in her eyes.
Wynn laughed. "Okay, go ahead. Do your healing magic, so in the morning I won't have to listen to your griping." he quipped. The girls began, and it wasn't long before they were finished, and all were asleep.
******
Wynn woke the next morning slowly. His side still ached, but most of the pain was gone. He sat up. Fami was awake, and smiled at him. Nerah was snoozing peacefully. Jier was also asleep, the Cucco Lady in a chair beside his bed, dreaming with him. Wynn slowly got up, and walked over to Fami. "How is everyone?" he whispered.
"Fine, we're all fine. You?" she said, gazing into his eyes.
He grimaced. "I feel as if I had gone a couple of rounds with a mad Iron Knuckle without a weapon, but other than that I'm fine."
She laughed lightly. "That is one of the things I like about you, your humor even in serious matters." Her smile grew. Her face tilted up, and Wynn's face moved down to kiss her. They were interrupted by a cough from behind Wynn. He turned. It was the owner of the house, and a smile was on his face.
"Don't let me bother you." the owner said knowingly, and looked up at the roof.
Wynn coughed into his hand. "Oh, don't worry. Say, what do I owe you?" he asked, moving over to the man. He noticed behind him Fami stood with displeasure on her beautiful face
"Don't worry about it." the owner said, staring at the roof intently.
"No, I insist."
"Well, I will take 20 rupees, no more."
Wynn reached into his pouch for money. He found it empty. "Perhaps I can work it off..."
"Wait, I have the rupees." Nerah said from her bed. She stretched luxuriously, and then stood. She handed the man the rupees. Wynn started to object, but she shook her head, telling him not to worry. Wynn agreed, and moved to wake Jier. They left a few minutes later.
The man was still staring at the roof as they got ready to leave. He could swear he had felt a drop of rain on his head a moment ago, yet he could see no leak. He watched as they left, noticing two things: the fact that it wasn't raining, and the smirk on the face of the Zora girl.
******
Wynn stepped out of the house and looked at the village. Everything was normal, with everyone going about their business. Wynn's gaze fell on the stairs where he had first seen Tane. Tane, who Wynn would never see again....Wynn shook his head. Now was not the time to mourn. He had a task to complete first. But Wynn didn't even know where they were to go next. Perhaps...he knew he had to. He dreaded it, but he had to go to the Gerudo Fortress. He had to tell the Gerudo of Shezarah's death.
But he had another stop first. He looked down at his dark armor. It was ruined, gashes running completely through it. His Zora Tunic could be seen through it, as it had replaced the one that had been destroyed through the armor. He motioned to the others, and instructed them to wait for him. He stripped off his old armor, and walked into the Bazaar.
He was greeted by the owner inside. The owner was a huge man, powerfully built. His arms were thick with muscles. He greeted Wynn with an enormous smile. "Well, what do we have here?" roared the large man.
Wynn smiled slightly. "I'm looking for armor, since mine was destroyed. Do you have any to buy?"
The shopkeeper's smile grew. "Yes, I do. Hold on." He reached under the counter, and pulled out a set of armor. It was brown, much lighter in color than Wynn's previous set. Wynn nodded, satisfied, and moved to take it. He looked at the shopkeeper again, and paused.
"I have no rupees, but I do have this sword. I would be willing trade it for the armor." Wynn said, pulling out the sword. It was the one he had used before he had received Biggoron's. It had once been his father's sword.
The shopkeeper admired the sword. It was worth much more than the armor, but he was not one to complain. He nodded. "Deal."
Wynn turned, and left the shop, muttering a farewell over his shoulder. The shopkeeper watched him leave, then turned away, smiling at his good fortune.
******
Wynn sighed to himself as he walked toward the place where his friends were waiting. He had not wanted to lose his father's sword., but he would need the armor in the coming confrontation with Icarnos. Perhaps he could later buy the sword back, if he survived.
He arrived where his friends were standing, and nodded at each in turn. "Are we ready to go?" he asked quietly. They each nodded. He turned, and looked toward the exit of the town. "Next stop, Gerudo Valley."
******
They traveled all day, and it was dusk when they arrived at the Gerudo Fortress. They were greeted by the guards, although much more peacefully than the previous time. Wynn avoided the eyes of the Gerudo, wanting to delay having to tell them of Shezarah as long as possible.
When they were escorted to the tables of the Gerudo, and given food, Wynn began his tale. He maintained his composure, his voice only cracking once in the tale. Each Gerudo's shock was mirrored on the face of their leader. They were silent for a long time, and then the leader nodded solemnly. "She died honorably." She spoke, and then rose from the table. "Excuse me, but I am going to go to my quarters now." All were silent until she was gone, and then each Gerudo muttered to the people close to themselves.
Wynn looked around, and then turned to the Gerudo nearest him. "By the way, do you know anything about a wizard named Icarnos?"
The Gerudo thought for a second. "I know nothing of a wizard, but there was an old man that passed through here by that name. The guards let him pass into the desert, although I do not know why. Usually, no one is permitted to enter the desert without the permission of our leader."
Wynn nodded slowly. "So...Icarnos is in the Spirit Temple? I'll have to pay him a visit tomorrow. My group is going to retire for the night. Before I go, however, perhaps I should...console her mother, or at least give her some encouragement. Who of the Gerudo was her mother?"
The Gerudo looked at him, surprised. "You didn't know? Her mother is our leader."
Wynn was startled, but then nodded. "Thank you. Perhaps I will talk to her tomorrow, since she is already in her room. Farewell." He then left the the table, accompanied by his friends. As they walked to their rooms, they passed a door, shut tight. Beyond it, they could hear the sounds of a quiet sobbing. Wynn sped up at the sound, and then they reached their rooms. Wynn and Jier entered their room, telling the girls good night. They were each soon asleep.
******
They awoke the next morning a little before sunrise. They gathered supplies from the Gerudo storehouse, and left just as the sun began to ascend into the sky. Saying their good-byes to the Gerudo warriors, they departed for the Spirit Temple once again. Once they reached the gate that lead into the desert, Jier stopped. "Wait. How are we going to cross the desert? Between here and the temple is quicksand, and it is likely we will get lost, due to the sandstorm I see boiling ahead."
Wynn shook his head. "No matter. We have to stop Icarnos. There is no telling what kind of evil he can brew up in the Spirit Temple." he said, a determined gleam in his eye. Together they walked into the desert.
******
Someone was watching them go. From his post on a cliff high above them, a menacing figure stared at them. The person was concealed by the shadows of the rocky peak next to him, but silently stepped half-way into the light. It was a young man, dressed in black. He had an evil grin on his face, and a cold look in his eye.
"So, Wynn, you are going to try to stop Icarnos? You are a fool." Seron murmured to himself. Seron grimaced at the memory of his now-former master. Seron had not received a warm welcome from Icarnos after Seron's last failure. Icarnos, who had been upset by the loss of the Verr, had taken out his anger on Seron. Seron had been lucky to escape with his life. Now he was on his own, no longer Icarnos's toady. He was now free to do as he wished. And the first thing he desired was revenge. Wynn and his friends would pay for Seron's humiliation, unless Icarnos destroyed them first. Seron turned, and walked away.
******
They came to the first obstacle in the desert: a river of quicksand. It was too long to jump across, but the other end was near enough to throw their lighter equipment to the other side. They could see that, past the river, the air was dark with gusting sand.
Wynn looked around, searching for something to help them cross. The only objects in sight that could possibly help were a pair of wooden poles, each with a red flag on top. These were guideposts, used to help the lost find their way back to the fortress. Wynn went over to one, formulating a plan. He called Jier over, and together they constructed a method of crossing the quicksand. They tied the posts together tightly, and pushed it over the quicksand. It was a bridge, albeit unsteady and only a foot's width wide. Wynn crossed first, walking the bridge like a tightrope. He barely made it across, but he was finally able to sink to his knees at the other side. Fami crossed next. She made nearly made it across without incident, but, near the end, started to slip. She lunged for the end, and Wynn caught her. He lowered her, and they watched Nerah cross. Her crossing was eventless, and she smirked at Fami upon her safe landing. Jier was last, and nimbly made it over the river of the mirery quicksand. They walked on, toward the temple.
Soon they were blinded by the sand that was seemingly everywhere. They were in the thick of a sandstorm. They clutched each other's hands, hoping not to become lost in the arid desert. Wynn lead them, although he was as blind as the others. He had no idea of where they were going, but they could not turn back, or they would still be lost. They had to move quickly, or their feet would sink into the sand. Fami stumbled once, but she stood again, and on they marched.
Wynn thought as he walked. They were hopelessly lost, with nothing to guide them except for Wynn's instincts. Wynn fervently hoped they could find their way out of the desert, and they did not fall into a pit of quicksand or fall victim to other such desert hazards. He walked on, grasping Fami's hand.
He was rather surprised to suddenly emerge from the sandstorm, and step into clear air. He wiped sand from his eyes and looked around, bewildered. He spied something a short distance away, and squinted, trying to make it out...it was the Spirit Temple!
He looked back at his friends. They were still half-blinded by the sand encrusting their faces, and had not realized what had happened. Wynn grabbed Fami's arm, and turned her to face toward the temple. She looked around, confused, until she saw the temple. She let out a cry of joy, and flung her arms around Wynn. They had made it!
CHAPTER 11
Wynn turned to Nerah and Jier, who were still unaware of their triumph. He silently motioned toward the temple. They looked for whatever he was pointing at, and then were stunned, not believing they had finally reached their destination. They then all started running for the temple, unaware of any danger.
They were almost half-way there when they were attacked. Several monsters rose up from the sand, and lunged at the heroes. The monsters seemed to be plants. They were short, reaching up to Wynn's waist, and rounded. All of them were a brilliant green color. Their faceless heads were crowned with feelers. They surrounded Wynn and his friends, the feelers reaching for them. Wynn drew his sword, and sliced at one of the monsters. It was cut completely in half, and sunk back into the sand. Jier attacked the one next to the one Wynn had slain, killing it. With a gap in the enclosing circle of monsters, Wynn was able to lead his friends away from their pursuers.
They made a mad dash for the protection of the temple, the creatures on their heels. More rose up to stop them, but the adventurers brushed them aside. The monsters steadily gained on them, but it was too late. The heroes made it to the safety of the temple's door, leaving the monsters behind in the sand.
Once inside, they stopped to catch their breaths. Wynn looked around the interior of the temple warily, now on guard for any more attacks. The inside of the temple was dimly lit, but light enough to see. Nothing was in the room they were in, except for a large staircase. On each side of it was a serpentine statue with writing on it. Wynn waited for the others to become rested, and then they walked toward the stairs. Suddenly, two clay pots that had been resting in front of the statues ascended into the air, and flew toward Wynn. Wynn's Biggoron sword was in his hand in an instant, and he destroyed the pots in one swipe.
Even more cautious now, Wynn progressed up the stairs. Fami and Nerah stood near behind him, and Jier drew his short sword. At the top of the stairs, they found a landing. There was a path the lead to the right near them, and in front of them were two more statues, although different in appearance. Wynn scowled at the sight of them. He turned to his friends.
"Stay away from those statues. They are monsters in disguise, called Armos. I have encountered them several times working for the Gorons. They won't attack, unless someone touches them." Wynn said.
He paused for a second, and then started to point to the right. "I guess we go..." He was cut off by the arrival of an elevator platform, descending from the floor above. It landed between the two Armos. "I guess we go up that elevator." Wynn finished. However, the elevator was only big enough for one of them to go up at one time. Jier walked up to it, and climbed on.
"I'll go up first, to make sure it is safe. When I yell back, send the girls up." Jier instructed, and the elevator whisked him from sight. A short wait later, the elevator descended once more, accompanied by a shout from Jier, "It's safe!"
Wynn turned to the girls. Both looked at him stubbornly, arms crossed over their chests. Neither wanted to go up the elevator first and leave Wynn alone with the other. They would only go if he told them to, Wynn knew. He sighed. Nerah was more likely to hold a grudge, so he had best send Fami up first. He nodded at the Kokiri girl. "You're first, Fami."
She frowned, but started toward the elevator. She saw Nerah smirk at her, and stuck her tongue out at the Zora. Nerah simply smiled...and stuck her foot out in front of Fami. Fami tripped over it, and stumbled right into one of the Armos. She jumped back as the thing started shaking, and a roar sounded from the once-stone statue. It was now metallic in appearance, and the features on its horrible face could be seen. Its two eyes glowed red, and its mouth was full of triangular, sharp teeth. Twin horns protruded from the sides of its head. In its hands were a sword and shield. It had no normal legs, but its bottom resembled a spring. It made a short hop toward Fami, but Wynn leaped in front of her, Biggoron sword in hand. It hopped at him, but he stopped it with a slash. It roared again and started flashing red and spinning wildly. "Get out of the way!" Wynn yelled. He dived out of the path of the creature, as did the girls. It exploded into a fiery red cloud of debris, and was gone.
Wynn slowly pulled himself off the floor, and sighed. "I hate those things." He helped Fami to her feet, and urged her toward the elevator. She climbed on, and was gone. Nerah stood across from Wynn, warily avoiding the inactive Armos. Wynn nodded to her. "You're next." She consented.
Minutes later, they all were on the elevator's destination. They grouped together, getting their bearings. They were in a large passageway, which made several serpentine twists before ending at a door. Jier in the lead, they went through. The next room was a massive chamber, with an immense statue of a woman taking up one wall. When Wynn saw this, he smiled. "Alright! I know where we have to go next!" He pointed to a platform hanging by chains from the roof in front of the face of the statue. "My father once described this room to me. He said that a very important room was up there, somewhere near that platform."
Nerah's expression soured. "Uh, right, but how do we get up there?"
Wynn's face fell. "Oh, yeah. My mace isn't long enough. Fami?"
Fami frowned. "I think I can manage it. Here goes." A green aura surrounded her, and then a vine as thick as a tree sprouted from the floor. It grew upward, until it reached the platform. The four quickly climbed it, and stood cramped together on the small platform.
"Now what?" Fami inquired. There was no entryway of any kind near them, just the face of the statue.
Wynn smirked. "Nerah, would you please use a spell for me? That statue's face looks awfully dirty, and it needs washing."
Nerah looked at him as if he were mad, but complied. To everyone's surprise, except Wynn's, the face dissolved with the water. Behind it was a small passageway, closed off by a metal grating. Fami waved her hand, and a vine thick enough to walk on sprouted from the platform, and ran to the grating. Careful not to plummet to the floor far below him, Wynn walked across, with the others trailing him.
When Wynn approached the grating, it opened by itself, beckoning them inside. Wynn stepped into the passageway, hand at his sword. But there was no danger, just the remains of what appeared to be an ornate door blocking their way. Wynn and Jier strained to move it out of their path, and were rewarded by its quick collapse that permitted entry into the room beyond. They entered into a short hall, with columns lining the main path and the end shrouded in darkness.
"So, young one, you finally arrive. A pity." A ghostly image of Icarnos manifested itself in front of them. "I had hoped I wouldn't have to kill you."
Wynn's face contorted in anger. "Murderer!" He leapt at his greatest foe, sword in hand. Instead of harming the wizard, Wynn's sword, and Wynn himself, passed through him. Wynn smashed into the floor behind the wizard. Icarnos laughed evilly.
"Murderer? I suppose I have earned that name, but not that you would know how. Why, who is it I have killed?"
Wynn scrambled to his feet, glaring at Icarnos. "You killed Tane and Shezarah, you slime." Wynn growled.
Icarnos chuckled. "Me? I would not waste my time killing insignificant gnats as those. No, you are quick to jump to conclusions. Why, you're friends are alive! Maybe not well, but alive, anyway. Behold!" The shadows cloaking the end of the hall vanished abruptly. Two figures stood at ready, visibly armed. Wynn blinked. It was Tane and Shezarah!
"So, Wynn, I will leave you to your friends. Goodbye, and good riddance." And with a final, lingering laugh, Icarnos's image faded. Wynn looked to where the wizard had been, and then to his friends. A smile lit his face, and he started toward the people he had thought dead.
"Wait..." Jier started, sensing danger.
Wynn suddenly stopped, his mouth opening in shock. His friends...were acting funny. Suddenly, a red glow began to shine from the eyes of Tane and Shezarah. A wicked smile grew on their faces. They hefted their weapons, and charged at Wynn.
Wynn yelped as Shezarah's blade narrowly missed his side. "Hey! Watch it!" He yelled as he ducked under the ax Tane was swinging.
"Let's help him!" Fami yelled. The trio dashed to the aid of Wynn, who was barely dodging his former friends' fearsome attacks. The girls activated their magic, and Jier drew his short sword.
"Try not to hurt them!" Jier yelled to the others. He then flipped over Tane's wildly swung ax. "If you can..."
Fami's vines spiraled toward Shezarah, but she sliced them out of the way, and jumped over Nerah's water spout attack. Her scimitar was at the ready to carve up Nerah, but she was knocked flying to the side by a side kick from Jier.
Wynn had his hands full with Tane. He couldn't use his sword without hurting Tane, but he was not able to keep dodging the slices from that ax. He jumped to the right, avoiding a fatal injury. Luckily, Tane's weapon became lodging in one of the columns. Wynn spared a glance to his other friends.
"Go on, stop Icarnos! We can handle them! Go!" Fami yelled. Wynn nodded, and ran for the door at the end of the hall. Shezarah rose to stop him, but Jier kicked her legs out from under her. She fell, hitting her head on a column, and lay there, knocked out.
Tane turned to the others, and glared at them. He obviously couldn't decide whether to stop Wynn or finish Jier and the two girls. Jier made the decision for him by charging, yelling a battle cry. The two friends clashed, each striving to stop the other.
******
Meanwhile, Wynn was entering a impressively large room. In the center was a large stone platform, a good distance above the floor. At each of the sides, separated by a short space, was a much smaller platform. Wynn could hear voices coming from the top of the platform. He could see a corner of the platform was rough enough to climb. He ran to it, and speedily reached the top.
Near him, Icarnos was conversing with two ancient-looking Gerudo women. The Gerudos were cloaked in a bright white light, and were ghostly transparent. Wynn noticed Icarnos had not his usual evil grin, but instead, the wizard was practically beaming. Icarnos began to laugh jovially.
"So, the spell is that easy? Ha! I will rule Hyrule in no time, with that power. Now, I am off to Hyrule Castle! Ha ha ha!"
One of the hags looked warily to the other, and then to Icarnos. "I thought you were going to bring us back first!"
"Yeah!" the other crooned, "You promised!"
Icarnos glared at the two. "I lied." He waved his hand, and a ball of energy formed. The Gerudos looked at each other, and then wailed pitifully. The ball struck them, exploded, and they were gone, back to from where they had come.
"Now, to deal with you, son of Baro. I will offer again, become my assistant in the place of Seron. Together, we will rule Hyrule."
"Never! Turn my friends back!" Wynn yelled.
Icarnos frowned. "You are insolent, and will regret that. But first, I must insure that my plans are successful. So, I will keep you occupied. You want to save your friends? Here!" A small pendant appeared in his hands. "Just destroy this." A mischievous gleam appeared in his eyes. "But that would be too easy. Here, how's this?" The pendant suddenly disappeared, and, in its place, a Iron Knuckle twice the size of Silver Knuckle stood menacingly. "Well, good luck. I will be fulfilling my destiny! HA HA HA!" The wizard again vanished.
The Knuckle glared at Wynn. Without speaking, it charged, swinging its ax, which was taller than Wynn. Wynn dodged, and again, and struck at his attacker, but it did no damage. The Knuckle was surprisingly agile, and drove Wynn to the edge of the platform. Now Wynn was trapped, and both knew this. The Knuckle charged him again, with the intent to slice him in half.
Wynn had expected that maneuver, however, and had a solution. Tucking himself into a tight ball, he rolled between the legs of the monster, and behind it. His mace was in his hands as he rose, and he cast it. It wrapped around the leg of the Knuckle, and Wynn pulled. Off balance, the monster fell, not letting out a single noise, to the floor.
Wynn braced himself for the impact. It felt as if the entire temple had shook when the creature hit the floor. Wynn cautiously stepped to the edge, and peered down. There the monster lay, not moving and surrounded by an evil light. Then, the light left, and the Knuckle collapsed into dust.
******
Wynn stepped into the hallway where his friends had been doing battle. He smiled as he saw no one was hurt. Shezarah was struggling at the vines binding her to a column, and Tane was shouting protests as Nerah sprayed him with a water stream.
"Hey! Cut...(blub!)...cut it out!" Tane yelled.
"Where am I? What's going on?" Shezarah demanded.
Wynn smiled. "Good to know you two are back to normal. Nerah, you can stop drowning Tane now."
Nerah stopped, and Jier moved to cut Shezarah loose. They rose, and stared at Wynn for a second, and then simultaneously exploded with questions. Wynn smiled, waved for them to stop, and began, "Now, I bet you're wondering what just happened..."
"There is no time." a voice cut him off. A Gerudo woman, older than Shezarah, appeared with a flash of tan light. "We must stop the wizard immediately!"
"Great Nabooru!" Shezarah yelled in shock. Wynn looked at her quizzically.
"Yes, Shezarah, it is I. I am the Sage of the Spirit Temple. Since I must cleanse the temple of the evil power, you must help our people by destroying the source of the evil, Icarnos. Go, all of you, and good luck!"
Suddenly, everything disappeared. The next thing they knew, they were standing in front of the gate of the Hyrule Marketplace. The group knew something was amiss. It was the dead of night. The gate always closed at sun fall, and it was now wide open. As one, they all dashed into the marketplace, fearing what they would find.
CHAPTER 12
The group stared at the damage surrounding them. People lay all around them, in the sleep of Icarnos's spells. The buildings wore the scars of ax strikes, from monsters laying siege to the town. Fami stared at the diner where they had seen the man dressed in Kokiri clothes. Wynn stared coldly ahead.
"Let's go. The only way we can save these people is to stop that wizard."
Together they walked up the path to the castle. The carpenter's were strewn across the path, like the people in the town. Wynn flinched at that sight. They continued to the castle, but at the gate they were met by guards. They all drew their weapons, or charged their magic, and waited for the guards to attack. The guards, six Iron Knuckles, strode toward them menacingly. Fami's vines wrapped around one, picked it up, and slammed it into the ground hard enough to crush it. Nerah's water blasted one into smithereens. Shezarah pounced on one, and used quick swipes to eliminate it. Tane used his ax to chop one leg of another like a tree, then removed its helmet from its shoulders. Jier used a strong kick to remove the head of the fifth. Wynn destroyed his with his Biggoron sword, limb by limb. With their enemies destroyed, the heroes moved to enter the castle. Directly inside was a huge room. And standing in the center, Silver Knuckle, flanked by a dozen Iron Knuckles. And behind them, several Knuckles, twice as tall as a normal Iron Knuckle.
"So, weak one, you have come to battle. Well, it shall be quick. You all shall die, and I will serve as my master's right hand man, and rule Hyrule with him. I shall kill you myself, son of Baro. Soldiers! Kill the others!" He raised his weapon. "Come on!"
Wynn attacked, but cautiously. The last time they had fought, Wynn had fought with his rage, and it had nearly killed him. He would not make the same mistake. Wynn fought using both mace and sword, but his foe's armor was impervious. He was having a tough time dodging that large ax. Each time, it seemed he was missed by a smaller and smaller distance. For what seemed to be hours, the battle waged between the two foes. They seemed to be equal in skill, but Silver Knuckle had the advantage in armor. Wynn was quick, but Silver Knuckle had a longer reach, and a more powerful attack. Once, Wynn was knocked down by the other, but was able to dodge the next attack, and make a few of his own.
They clashed together again and again, attacking and defending, slashing and blocking. The struggle was sapping the energy of both, and soon, one would make a fatal mistake. Finally, they broke apart, glaring at their mortal enemy.
"Ready to meet your parents?" Silver Knuckle asked cruelly.
Wynn smiled slightly. "I know they're alive. Your master told me."
Silver Knuckle's glowing red eyes widened. "But...my master told me he killed them..."
Wynn laughed. "He lied." With those words, he flipped over his enemy and attacked with the mace. Silver Knuckle turned quickly, but it struck him on the back. He grunted loudly, and his attacks faltered. Wynn laughed. "Oh, a weak spot?" Silver Knuckle roared, and swung wildly, but to no avail. Wynn cast his mace, wrapping it around the legs of his armor-clad enemy. He then flipped to his enemy's unprotected flank, and drove his sword deep into one of the slits in the armor. Silver Knuckle couldn't turn, due to the chain tying his legs together.
"Argh!" Silver Knuckle groaned, and fell to his knees.
Wynn removed his sword, and circled to see his enemy's face. He looked grimly at the helmeted face.
"So...you have vanquished me. I...I was wrong to call you weak. Farewell....Wynn." And with those words, the villain collapsed to the ground. Wynn was shocked to see that this Knuckle, like the others, was just an empty, armored shell.
"Farewell." Wynn said. As he spoke, he noticed a small bug crawling out of the helmet. He smiled humorlessly. "My rival...a mere bug. Unconceivable." He watched as the bug burrowed into the ground, then turned away.
Meanwhile, most of the other Knuckles had fallen, and, without a leader, more were destroyed. Soon, only the largest ones remained.
"Go! Wynn, we can hold these off, you stop the wizard!" Tane yelled to his partner. Shezarah also urged the others, as well. Wynn nodded. Together with Jier, Fami, and Nerah, he ascended the stairs to his destiny.
******
Wynn slowly opened the trapdoor to the top of the tower. He looked around him, searching for Icarnos. He noticed he was on one of the four corner towers. He moved out of the way so his friends could get past him. They all grouped together, looking for their target. Wynn didn't see him, but he did see something- on the center tower was a portal, made of a whirlpool of Icarnos's dark power. A stream ran from the portal, toward another tower. Toward...
"There! There he is!" Nerah yelled. Icarnos stood alone on a tower, casting the spell making the portal. His white hair flew madly in the gusting winds. The tower he stood on was on the back corner nearest the one the heroes stood upon. But, it was much too far to cross.
Wynn watched, powerless to stop his father's kidnapper. "Wait! I know a way!" Jier yelled over the wind. "If the girls and I combine our magic, then we can create a bridge to the tower he is on!"
Wynn nodded. "I must go alone." Fami and Nerah started to protest, but Wynn shook his head. "You cannot maintain the bridge, and cross it as well. I will stop him." A grim look clouded his face. "Whatever the cost," he murmured quietly. Only Jier heard, and he too frowned.
"Let us do it, then." Jier said. The three gathered their power, and then let it out. The lines of power, one green, one blue, and one purple, spiraled around each other. They flew until they reached the tower that Icarnos laired upon. They then formed a bridge that Wynn could cross. With his sword in hand and jaw set, Wynn started across.
When Wynn was halfway across, Icarnos noticed the person approaching him. He turned, and began to form a ball of energy. Wynn dashed to reach the other side, hoping to avoid being blasted off the bridge to the ground far below. Icarnos released the attack, but he aimed it for the bridge behind the hero, not Wynn. Wynn barely reached the tower when the bridge vanished behind him.
"So, son of my greatest opponent, are you ready to die?"
******
Meanwhile, Fami, Nerah, and Jier could only watch helplessly as Wynn dashed toward the old man. "He made it!" Fami cried as Wynn stepped onto the tower.
"Yeah, but he is in a lot of trouble." Jier noted.
Nerah was looking around, hoping to find something to help them. Suddenly, she spied something. "Look there!" she yelled.
Riding at full gallop to the castle was a young man dressed in green clothes. "It's Link! It's Link!" Fami yelled.
"Yeah, but can he help Wynn stop Icarnos?" Nerah asked.
"The more important question is, can he stop what will come out of that portal?" Jier asked, a trace of fear in his voice.
******
Tane and Shezarah were battling for their lives once again when the man dressed in a Kokiri Tunic rode by. He stopped his horse, jumped off, and ran into the castle. Tane shook his head, and turned back to battle. Everything was going nuts around here.
******
"I will stop you, Icarnos, if it is with my last breath." Wynn vowed to his father's former friend. The two were staring at each other, searching for a weakness. The wizard's magic powers were ready to blast Wynn, and Wynn's sword was poised to strike Icarnos down. They circled each other, each prepared for the epic battle to come.
"You are powerless to stop me. If I must, then I will destroy you. Your father will be trained in my powers." He cast a look to the tower Wynn's friends stood upon. "Or perhaps one of those two girls."
Wynn tensed at that remark, and the wizard chuckled. "You are weak, Wynn. Weak. You let your emotions rule you. Join me and know true power. With it, you can have anything you want." He again motioned to the tower Fami, Nerah, and Jier were on. "Anything."
Wynn looked to the tower, hesitated, and then returned his gaze to Icarnos. "The only thing I desire is your death."
"Then so be it. You will die, and I will rule Hyrule." This time, he motioned to the center tower. "With the absolute power of Ganondorf himself, I will be invincible."
Wynn laughed grimly. "You can't control Ganondorf; no one can. He will destroy you."
The wizard merely laughed, his blue eyes shining. Now Wynn knew, the wizard was truly mad.
Without warning, the wizard let out a ball of energy. Wynn had barely managed to block it when another flew at him. He blocked again, then again, high and low, side to side. The wizard then blasted him with black lightning. Wynn caught it on his sword, but a tendril zapped his hand. It stung horribly, but he had not time to examine it. The wizard attacked relentlessly, tirelessly, but Wynn was losing ground. He slowly was being driven to the edge. He could not attack, and now the hand that had been shocked was going numb. Icarnos's power was overwhelming him. Wynn battled on, but there was nothing he could do to stop being driven off the edge and to his death.
******
Fami watched the battles progressing with a heavy heart. Here, they could do nothing for Wynn, and they didn't want to return to the battle below, for fear of not being there when Wynn needed them.
Suddenly, Jier yelled out, "The portal! Something's coming through!"
He was right. The dark figure of a man slowly walked toward the portal that would allow him to enter the realm they were in. No details were visible, just a dark outline, except for glowing red eyes and the symbol of a trio of triangles on one hand. One was glowing the same red as his eyes.
"Ganondorf!" Jier hissed. The girls instinctively moved away from the dark thing that would all too soon be with them. Jier himself was paralyzed with fear.
Then, before Ganondorf exited the portal, the man wearing the green tunic, Link, rose from a trapdoor right in front of the portal. He drew a gleaming sword, hefted his sheild, and shouted something to Ganondorf no one else could hear over the wind. The figure of the feared Gerudo Ganondorf seemed to move quicker toward the portal, as if in anticipation of destroying his hated enemy.
Jier shook his head. The King of Evil was going to re-enter this realm, and there was nothing he could do about it.
******
Wynn fell to his knees, feebly defending himself from Icarnos's power. Icarnos laughed, sensing his opponent's defeat at hand. "Soon, you will die, Ganondorf will return, and I will rule Hyrule!"
"You mean, destroy it." Wynn coughed.
"Either way, you will not know the result. Your friends won't find out, either. They will die, right after you. Perhaps," the insane wizard grinned, "They will see a part of his power, in their destruction." He then let out a ball large enough to vaporize Wynn.
However, with a new energy, Wynn leapt over it, then landed in a roll. He stopped directly in front of Icarnos, and stabbed with his sword. The blade buried itself in the wizard's chest.
But instead of falling, or even clutching his chest, the wizard blasted Wynn backward, nearly to the edge of the tower. As Wynn watched, the wound, which should have been mortal, healed itself in front of his eyes.
"Now, do you see? That is just an example of the powers I have gained. You were foolish to turn them down. But it is too late, you will now die, with your friends following you."
Seeing no hope left, Wynn charged blindly at the wizard, determined to die fighting. The wizard charged his power, and unleashed a super powerful beam that slammed into Wynn's chest, burning into the thick armor. The wizard laughed maniacly as Wynn collapsed to the ground.
******
Link was also having a difficult time defeating his foe. His sword repelled the figure, but he came tirelessly onward. Jier watched the battle, wishing he could be with Link in the battle, but afraid even to move. This was the creature that had devastated all of Hyrule. What could he, a Sheikah-in-training, do against that monster?
He was shocked to hear a wail come from Fami's direction. He turned and looked at her. Both her and Nerah were watching Wynn's battle, and both had tears streaming down their faces. He then saw why: Wynn, leader of their group, and a good friend, had fallen.
He was no less surprised than the girls when Wynn suddenly rose to his feet, picked up his sword, and started laughing.
******
"Is that your best? And you call me weak? HA!" Wynn chuckled.
Icarnos was aghast. "That should had eliminated you! Why, anyone without magic powers should have perished in that blast!"
"There you go." Wynn snarled, a glow suddenly coming over him. "You should have known I had inherited my father's power." The glow steadily grew brighter and brighter. The wizard backed up, then started an onslaught of attacks. None passed the glowing light, which was protecting Wynn.
"Your threat to Hyrule has ended." Wynn said in a monotone voice. He raised his arms. The light vanished. In its place, twin globes of light appeared over his head. They began spinning, faster and faster, orbiting Wynn's outstretched hands.
"No! NO! NOOOOOOOOO!" the wizard screamed.
******
Jier watched the events unfolding. The magical glow surrounding Wynn had been a surprise, but the spheres of light were even odder. He watched as Wynn slowly lowered his hands, the globes following. Wynn stopped when his hands were pointing at Icarnos. The globes speed up, now only a blur. Wynn then clapped his hands together. Even from here, Jier could hear the wizard's last shrill shriek. The spheres fused together, and formed a beam. Time seemed to stop as the beam blasted the ancient wizard, and then there was one final explosion of light.
******
Tane was knocked onto his back, and looked up at the Knuckle poised to kill him. It raised its ax, and, as a bright flash exploded from a tower...toppled to the ground with a loud clatter. Tane sat up and looked over to Shezarah. The last Knuckle, the one she had been battling, was lying on the ground, and she was looking down at it, confused. He sighed. Things were always weird when he was around Shezarah.
******
Link, the Hero of Time, was losing the battle against the creature that was once called Ganondorf, now known as Ganon. He was putting up a valiant battle, but even with the Master Sword he could not drive the King of Evil back from the portal. He could only hope that the man battling the wizard won, and quick.
Suddenly, there was a flash of light, bright enough to blind. The portal began shrinking, and pulling everything nearby into it. It was all Link could do to prevent being sucked in. Ganon made a final lunge for the portal, reaching out. His dark hand grabbed Link, and held on.
The two struggled, but Ganon would not let go. The portal was becoming smaller and smaller. Soon, he would be sucked in, or Ganon would be pulled out. Either way, Link's life was forfeit.
******
Jier watched the goings on with trepidation. He could do nothing to save the green-clad hero battling Ganon, and soon, one of them would go through the portal. He shook his head. He was supposed to protect Hyrule, and now he couldn't even save its greatest hero. He was worthless.
"Jier! Snap out of it!" Nerah shouted. "You have to help him!"
She was right, he knew. But how? He dropped his hand to his dagger. Maybe...
Jier stared at the hand that clutched Link. Stared at the red Triforce symbol. He knew what he had to do. In one smooth motion, he pulled his dagger from its sheath, aimed, and let it fly.
The dagger soared for a horribly long moment. And then, it hit its target, sinking into the glowing shape of the symbol of the Triforce of Power. With a cry of pain and rage, Ganon fell back into the dark portal. But there was nothing the Evil One could do, for the portal slowly closed in front of the eyes of the four people watching.
As the portal closed, Jier heard a voice speak, as if inside his head.
I will have my revenge.
******
Everyone felt a sense of relief as Ganon was once again sealed in another dimension. Everyone, that is, except Fami. For she had not been watching this battle, but had stared at the tower where Icarnos had breathed his last. She lowered her head. She had seen nothing of the brave Wynn since the explosion that had killed his nemesis. She hoped it wasn't true, but her mind told her what her heart wouldn't believe: Wynn, her love, was dead.
EPILOGUE
Together, Jier, Nerah, and Fami made their way to where Tane and Shezarah were awaiting. Jier's face was solemn, and Nerah's was tear-stained. Fami was inconsolable. They reached the bottom of the stairs, and walked in silence across the room where Wynn had so bravely fought Silver Knuckle.
Their friends rushed up to them, spouting off questions:
"What happened?"
"Did we win?"
"Who was that guy on the horse?"
"Where's Wynn?"
At that question, Jier tensed. Fami again wailed at the mention of his name. Nerah sobbed, "He's dead!"
Shezarah's face fell. Tane stared at the ground. After all those battles together, the monsters and creatures of all sorts, the traps and trouble they had been through together, his partner had been killed? He couldn't believe it.
Suddenly, a flash of light, much dimmer than the one that had finished Icarnos, but still dazzling, lit the air behind Fami, Nerah, and Jier. "Who's dead?" Shezarah was the first to see the identity of the speaker, the person that had appeared with the flash of light. Her face lit up, and she let out a laugh of joy.
So distressed she hadn't heard the voice, and wondering what had caused Shezarah to laugh at this serious time, Fami looked behind her. What she saw shocked her to her core.
It was Wynn!
She let out a cry of happiness, and threw herself at him, wrapping him up in a hug. He laughed quietly, and hugged her back.
Nerah smiled to see Wynn, and then turned to look at Jier. He was beaming, glad to see his friend had survived his duel with his father's former enemy. Nerah turned back to Wynn and Fami, and noticed something: She wasn't jealous! She then turned to look again at Jier, and realized why.
Meanwhile, Tane was also beaming at his partner. It was obvious that they had won, and the enemy was eliminated. Tane was glad. He really needed a vacation.
Again, a bright light flashed in the same fashion as the one that had signaled Wynn's appearance, this time behind Tane and Shezarah. They turned, and the others also looked.
Emerging from the light was a young woman, dressed in the robes of a Hylian princess. She, like Ganon, had the Triforce symbol on her hand, but the glowing triangle on her hand was blue instead of red. She had blond hair, blue eyes, and ears distinguishing her as a Hylian. The group knew her identity by sight; it was the noble ruler of Hyrule, Princess Zelda.
"Greetings, heroes. I must congratulate you on your victory. You have done a service to all of Hyrule. Your bravery has saved us all. From the deepest of my heart, I thank you." she said, regally. She then turned to Wynn.
"I especially thank you. You have lead these brave individuals, and formed them into a potent fighting power. Through your sacrifice and strength, you have destroyed Icarnos, and prevented Ganon from escaping to once again devastate our land. A job well done."
"Yeah, you weren't half bad," came a nearly arrogant sounding voice from behind them. It was Link. He stepped up to the princess, and stood beside her.
"And you, too, were brave on your battle with the King of Evil. You were able to delay enough to allow Wynn to complete your task." the princess said, a smile of pride on her face.
Link, too, smiled. "Thanks, Zelda, but how did I get here?"
Princess Zelda sighed. "I knew that Wynn and his friends could not compete with Ganon's powers. Only the power of the Master Sword, and the wielder of the Triforce of Courage. So I had to bring you back, to save Hyrule once again."
Link also sighed, and looked down at the Triforce on his hand and the triangle glowing green. "I understand."
"That's good. Now I must leave. I must make preparations to insure this never happens again. It would be horrible if another wizard freed Ganon from his imprisonment in the future." Princess Zelda said. She hesitated, staring at Link's face, and then disappeared in a now-familiar flash of light.
The heroes looked to Link. He whistled to his horse, and then nodded to Wynn. "Farewell, Wynn. Perhaps we shall meet in the future." With that, he mounted his horse, and turned it to leave.
"Wait...Link!" Fami started, going towards him. But it was too late. Link was gone.
Wynn did not notice Fami's actions. Instead, he stared at the receding figure, and murmured, "Yes, perhaps I will see you again. Perhaps."
******
The heroes walked away, each taking their own path toward the marketplace. Jier, distracted by thoughts of what he had done and what he would return to, didn't notice he was being followed. Suddenly, he noticed someone behind him. It was Nerah.
"So, Jier, where are you off to? Do you mind if I accompany you?" she started, showing a coy smile.
Shocked, he could only step back, and stutter, "Uh...no,...I mean..."
Taking advantage of his confusion, Nerah edged closer to him.
He edged away.
She edged closer.
Having enough of this, Jier stopped, grabbed something from a pouch at his side, and threw it to the ground. It exploded with a flash. When she could see again, Nerah noticed Jier was gone. She shook her head with frustration.
******
Wynn laughed as he watched the progressing events between Jier and Nerah. Obviously, Jier had found a new use for the Deku Nut. He then turned back to his thoughts. He must now search for his lost parents. He would not give up until he found them
And somehow, Wynn knew that, sooner or later, he would succeed.
******
Tane walked next to Shezarah, thinking silently. He had no home to return to, no family. He considered asking Shezarah to allow him to accompany her to the Gerudo Fortress, but was interrupted by Shezarah's voice.
"Servant, you did well in the battle today."
Tane smiled at that compliment, not even objecting to being called servant. He knew that would probably be the best he would get out of her. "You weren't so bad yourself." he commented.
They stopped and looked at each other, smiling. Slowly, their faces moved together, and they kissed. After a moment, they broke apart, and continued walked, standing closer together. But now Tane walked with a proud swagger, and Shezarah noticed.
"Satisfactory." she said in a monotone. Tane sagged, his ego deflated considerably. He sighed quietly to himself. Oh well, you couldn't win them all, he thought.
******
The six heroes stood at the entrance of Hyrule marketplace. Five were grouped together, with Jier far away from Nerah, but Wynn stood apart from the others. The others watched him intently.
"So, Wynn, I guess this is farewell." Tane said sadly.
"For now, yes. I must now find my parents. Remember, I treasure your friendship. I will see each of you again. But I must go. Farewell, my friends." And with those words, Wynn turned and walked east. He had no set destination, but would instead wander Hyrule, searching for his parents.
The others watched him walk toward the rising sun. They each knew they would see him again, and that he would someday find his parents. It was his destiny.
******
Silence reigned over Hyrule Castle. The carpenters were avoiding the place for now, and the glorious castle seemed deviod of life. But that was not the case. For a small bug scrambled over the floor, headed for one of the empty suits of armor that once had been a Knuckle, but was now lifeless with its creator's destruction. The bug clambered over the armor, and into the vacant helmet. Then, twin red glows flared to life, and burned with a burning intensity. And with it, a new life that promised vengeance.
THE END