Chapter 13:
Gods and Demons
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The claws shred armor like paper, the soldiers screaming as the black hordes wash over them like tidal waves.
It began a matter of minutes ago. Hordes of beasts, black as night, with claws sharper than the greatest arrows, swarming from the distant woods.
Arrows felled them easily. The mistakes began when the soldiers retrieved their arrows.
The beasts rose, roaring in anger. The arrows broke on the skin once so easily broken, and slaughtered the soldiers with ease. The beasts made the knights hark back to the days when the toughest creatures were moblins and centaurs, and broke their ranks to massacre them.
Then, the Knights of Hyrule could only do one thing.
Ward off the enemy, if only for time for one of their numbers to teleport back to Hyrule via magic, and warn the King.
And Sir Ethan Maroen, wounded beyond measure, recites the incantations, and is gone.
There's an air of uneasiness as Link walks into the King's chambers, Zelda and her daughter right behind him. Partly because he's just gotten back from a rather memorable night with the Princess. Partly because the King's granddaughter wants him as a new father, mourning period be damned.
But mainly because the king is standing there with a claymore in his hand.
"On your knees, Link."
He looks to Zelda, swallowing down his dry throat as she gives him an uncertain look, walking over to the King and falling to one knee.
And the King smiles.
"For your acts of bravery," he says, raising the sword, "In saving innocents at the Lon Lon Ranch and saving Our granddaughter..."
He touches the sword to Link's shoulders.
"We now knight you Sir Link Alrik, Knight of Hyrule."
He takes the blade back, sheathing it.
"That takes care of that," he says, "You are now a noble. You can marry my daughter any time you wish."
Zelda sighs, shaking her head as Link rises to his feet, turning to her, then back to the King.
"Thank you, Your Hi-....Petre," he says.
"It is my pleasure, Link.", the King says, walking past him, "Nina! You've been downstairs, again!"
The horse trots along the town, along the streets toward the castle.
The commoners of the castle town quickly move out of the way, recognizing the astride figure, paying their respects with their bows and their consolations, the man simply nodding before urging the horse along.
They all recognize him the moment they see him.
Blue eyes, groomed black hair. The elder brother of the deceased Prince Jacob, and brother-in-law to Princess Zelda.
The guards are waiting for him as he rides his horse through the castle gates, dismounting with a somber expression as he sees the golden-haired woman waiting for him.
"Nicholas," Zelda says, walking to him, "Thank you for coming."
"I could do no less," he responds, gathering her into a tight hug, "My parents have matters to attend to, so they could not come. Is the King available?"
"Yes. He has no duties to attend to for a while."
"Good. I have horrible news to report."
She looks up to his face, furrowing her brow.
"What news?"
"It's bad, Zelda. We've been invaded."
"I cannot say why the spell misfired, or if he intentionally teleported to my father's land," Nicholas says, standing before the throned King Petre Harkonian Hyrule, "He died moments after delivering his report. Monsters, black as coal, have invaded Hyrule. They adapt to whatever method hurts them and they heal quickly. They are endless in number and strong as horses. We cannot say when they will reach the castle."
"We...have faced these beasts," the King says, sighing heavily, "A group of nine attacked a horse ranch under my protection. A brave warrior nearby saved the ranch and we acquired corpses, which healed and ran amok throughout the castle. If not for the work of my newest Knight, my granddaughter and your niece would have been killed. Link?"
Nicholas turns to the plain-clothed man standing beside the King, his amber hair tied back into a sloppy ponytail as the 33-year old commoner nods.
"They're vulnerable to fire and holy magick.", Link explains, "When you kill them with an arrow, it won't affect them again. Seperate the head from the body when you kill it, like you would a vampire. And these things are demons. And whatever you do, do not let them scratch you. It's poison. I survived through luck and a knack with archery. I can't say you'd do the same."
He turns back to the King, nodding.
"Link, see to my daughter," the King says, "And see if you can help her."
Link nods, walking out the exit behind the throne, as Nicholas turns back to the King.
"Zelda is looking into an references to the demons," he says, "While the attack has seemingly had no effect on my granddaughter whatsoever, she feels safe around her godfather."
"That man is Nina's godfather?"
"Zelda chose him personally. I know why."
Nicholas nods, sighing.
"I am not one to question her judgement...but, still. That decision has always baffled me. I only hope she's been recovering from Jacob's death."
The King smiles, knowingly.
"More than you would believe."
Link hurdles down the stairs into the royal library, spotting the only person there as she looks over a familiar tome on a table.
"I take it..."
"Yes. The book you stole," Zelda responds with a slight smile, "Link, I think I may have found something."
He nods, walking over, wrapping his arm around her waist as he looks over the book.
She turns to him, watching as he takes a pair of glasses from his belt and sliding them on, looking over the passage.
"When did you learn to read?", she asks.
"I taught myself. Or did you not notice the massive book collection in my cabin to which you have been so often?"
"Oh, no. I was just wondering when."
"About thirteen. I was wondering if intelligence would woo you if my ability to bench-press boulders or my willingness to eat anything anyone would cook didn't."
She smirks, tapping him on the nose.
"I think it's something else," she says, turning back to the passage, "Link, you have more experience with those...things...than I did. Well?"
"Black as coal, a skin which the sharpest sword can only once flay, beasts beyond even the touch of death...yeah. Yeah, that would be them," he says, "Great. Ma'athras. I take it that name has no pleasant meaning."
She nods, sliding out of his arm, sitting in the chair.
"It means 'Beast's Fangs'," she responds, shaking her head, "It was a ghost story, a legend. 'There shall come a time, after the banishment of the King of Evil, that the Darkest Lord shall take to our lands. Death itself shall poor forth, covering the land in a veil of blackest night. Their numbers shall darken the skies in their passings, and consume us in eternal flame. Our kingdoms shall fall as one, and we shall be bathed in our own blood. And so the End Times come.'"
She shudders, wrapping her arms around herself.
"My God...it's true," she whispers, closing her eyes tightly, "We saved Nina from that monster, only to have thousands..."
He leans down, wrapping his arms around her, pressing his lips against her hair.
"Sh...sh, Zelda. We got through the last one. We'll get through this one."
She nods, steadying her breath, a pair of tears running down her pale cheeks.
"Worst week of your life, isn't it?" he asks.
She nods, giving off a slight, pained smile.
And he simply tightens his hold on her, whispering in her ear as she slowly calms herself...
Malon dismounts Epona as they enter the clearing where the embedded sword is, quickly walking to the pedestal.
"Alright!", she yells, "Come out, now! I want an explanation, and I want it now before whoever's running around in my mind comes out again!"
The gems on the sword's hilt glow faintly, light dancing around it…
And the ground underneath her rumbles.
She steps back, swallowing down her dry throat…
And a demon bursts from the ground, its burning eyes locking with hers.
"Goddess…", it growls, "Enemy…die…"
It leaps at her, baring its claws…
And a bolt of lightning from the sword burns it to ash.
Malon. Host of the Goddess.
She looks up as an orb of energy appears over the sword, silver in its color.
"Huh…wha?"
Bring before us the Hero of Time. The Time of Destiny has come. The Circle is near to close. Bring him before us so he may reclaim the Sword of Evil's Bane. Now go. Battle awaits.
The orb flashes, and she finds herself on Epona…
And back on the ranch.
"The castle, girl," she says, "Take me to the castle."
Hero of time?, she thinks, I have to be drunk. This has to be a hangover. I must've been drinking Dad's entire liquor supply…but at least Link would know someone who can tell me what's going on…