Chapter Fifteen
"Come on!" Link snatched Miyako's wrist and sprinted past the fallen princess. They bounded down the spiral staircase, around and around and around. The redheaded teenager wasn't sure if her legs would ever work right; they simply felt on fire. Link, however, didn't seem to notice the distance.
"Hey, slow down," she panted, but the blonde took no heed of her. Soon enough (before she felt as though she would just allow herself to be dragged along), they reached the bottom. Link yanked open the door and ran out, still clutching her wrist.
'We've got to find Lance,' the Hero of Time thought disconnectedly, his mind whirling. 'Where could he be...'
As if on cue, the friendly sailor walked into the hallway and was promptly smashed into the wall by them. There was a moment of confusion, and then all three of them sat up. Lance's face was slack with surprise.
"Matey!" Then, with even more shock, "Miyako!"
"There's no time," the nineteen-year-old panted, staggering to his feet. "There's monsters coming, I heard it."
"Aye, many!" Lance climbed to his feet then awkwardly helped Miyako to her own, although she was already half way up. "Miyako, what in the blazes be you here?!"
"I'll answer that later, for now—" Before she could finish her sentence, panic broke out and all hell ensued. Guards and soldiers began pouring out of every room as the alarm bells were tolled, their brazen voices singing over the shouting and screaming.
"What have I done?" Link muttered to himself, turning and sprinting after the mass of warriors. Lance and Miyako followed suit.
"What monsters come?" Miyako asked Lance breathlessly as they chased after Link. The sailor shielded his eyes and fazed towards the west.
"Too many to separate 'em, but I'd say we'd be better off gettin' the people in their homes." Indeed, the city folk had begun to panic and run about aimlessly. The sight might have been funny if it hadn't been life threatening.
Before Link could reply, King Edward came trooping out of his castle, a regiment of soldiers behind him.
"Rally the citizens and get them behind the castle walls," he shouted to a platoon to his left. The soldiers dismissed and headed towards the city. In the distance, dust rose in an ominous wave as the monsters neared. The king noticed Link and the others and motioned them over. He frowned curiously at Miyako but turned his attention to more important matters. "What is going on?"
"I... don't know, to be sure, but the safest bet is to protect the townsfolk," Link replied somewhat truthfully. He didn't honestly know what was happening; he'd thrown the black orb, it had broken, and now monsters were coming. That was all he knew.
"Here they come!" A guard shouted nervously, stamping his spearbutt on the ground. Not all of the townspeople had made it safely to the castle, but...
"Curious," the king uttered, as the monsters slowed to a halt near the gates. Tektites, ReDeads, even a Dead Hand... creature that could not stand the light of day, yet there they stood, quietly, at the gates. "...Archers, do you see that blue Tektite? Fire an arrow as close as possible, but do not hit it." Two archers stepped forward, nocking arrows to their bows, fired. The missiles landed within several inches of piercing the Tektite's front right leg, but it did not so much as twitch.
"If you really have control over the monsters, Link, then do something," whispered Miyako impatiently. "Maybe they're waiting for orders."
"It sure looks like it," muttered the Hero of Time. "...King Edward? May I try something?" The monarch nodded but said nothing, only looking curiously at the mass of monsters. They made no movements, and that in itself was eerily disturbing.
Link stepped forward somewhat nervously; he could feel the puzzled gaze of hundreds of people switch from the monsters to him.
"If you are not here to hurt these people," he started, then stopped. What could he ask, or rather command, them to do? "Then... sit down," Link finished weakly. There was not much he could command them to do, but a spark of an idea was catching flame in his mind...
All of the monsters, even the ones that could not have possibly heard him, sat down immediately. The king made a strangled noise in his throat, shock etched on the lines of his face.
"Sir," Lance stepped forward and waved a hand vaguely at the monsters, "if this ain't against a code of honor or something, then mayhap this is an advantage we may have over King Viru." King Edward turned to Lance and nodded.
"Yes, but... using monsters to fight out enemies, that would be seen as weakness, and cowardice as well. I am no coward. These monsters, however, have terrorized our land too long, and it would be fine to be rid of them." His eyes sparked with the mischief that most men never lose from their boyhood. "Link, could you ask these... creatures to leave the people of Selinta alone? Forever?" Link glanced over his shoulder and nodded.
"King Edward has asked that you leave all Selintans in peace, and never harm them." A cheer rose up from the other citizens; apparently this idea was fine with them.
The monsters left in a surging crest of thunder, howling and trumpeting, leaving the city immediately. Link wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and found himself relieved; no one had died and all was well.
A screech from the castle turned anyone's attention to the main doors. Cheyanna stood in the stone doorway. The hem of her dress had caught fire and she looked more than a little angry, but it was her, nonetheless.
"Cheyanna, what—" Before the king could finish his statement, Cheyanna pointed at Link furiously.
"You! Oh, that was clever, that black ball of yours, you've stripped me of my magic! I should have never let you discover the East Tower!"
"What, may I ask, is going on?" King Edward growled. Cheyanna stomped her foot angrily.
"He freed that prisoner, that spy, and then he threw something at me and ran out of the cell! It stole my magic, all of it!" The king glanced at Link, then Cheyanna, and finally fixed his gaze on Miyako, who fidgeted uncomfortably.
"We will discuss this inside. Now. Soldiers, to your stations. The townspeople may return to their homes."
Blarg. This is such a short chapter, and there's not much activity. Because of the last chapter's shortness, I posted this one right afterwards. The next chapter is discussion and interrogation, so... _ I apologize. There will be much more action later on, I promise. I like building up to things, so if it takes a while to get there, bear with me, Faithful Reader. You've come such a long way; patiently, too, might I add.
A quick note: Bringer of the Belua, the name of the chapter, means Bringer of the Beast(s). Belua is Latin for beast (I hope I didn't mess it up out of context!)
"Come on!" Link snatched Miyako's wrist and sprinted past the fallen princess. They bounded down the spiral staircase, around and around and around. The redheaded teenager wasn't sure if her legs would ever work right; they simply felt on fire. Link, however, didn't seem to notice the distance.
"Hey, slow down," she panted, but the blonde took no heed of her. Soon enough (before she felt as though she would just allow herself to be dragged along), they reached the bottom. Link yanked open the door and ran out, still clutching her wrist.
'We've got to find Lance,' the Hero of Time thought disconnectedly, his mind whirling. 'Where could he be...'
As if on cue, the friendly sailor walked into the hallway and was promptly smashed into the wall by them. There was a moment of confusion, and then all three of them sat up. Lance's face was slack with surprise.
"Matey!" Then, with even more shock, "Miyako!"
"There's no time," the nineteen-year-old panted, staggering to his feet. "There's monsters coming, I heard it."
"Aye, many!" Lance climbed to his feet then awkwardly helped Miyako to her own, although she was already half way up. "Miyako, what in the blazes be you here?!"
"I'll answer that later, for now—" Before she could finish her sentence, panic broke out and all hell ensued. Guards and soldiers began pouring out of every room as the alarm bells were tolled, their brazen voices singing over the shouting and screaming.
"What have I done?" Link muttered to himself, turning and sprinting after the mass of warriors. Lance and Miyako followed suit.
"What monsters come?" Miyako asked Lance breathlessly as they chased after Link. The sailor shielded his eyes and fazed towards the west.
"Too many to separate 'em, but I'd say we'd be better off gettin' the people in their homes." Indeed, the city folk had begun to panic and run about aimlessly. The sight might have been funny if it hadn't been life threatening.
Before Link could reply, King Edward came trooping out of his castle, a regiment of soldiers behind him.
"Rally the citizens and get them behind the castle walls," he shouted to a platoon to his left. The soldiers dismissed and headed towards the city. In the distance, dust rose in an ominous wave as the monsters neared. The king noticed Link and the others and motioned them over. He frowned curiously at Miyako but turned his attention to more important matters. "What is going on?"
"I... don't know, to be sure, but the safest bet is to protect the townsfolk," Link replied somewhat truthfully. He didn't honestly know what was happening; he'd thrown the black orb, it had broken, and now monsters were coming. That was all he knew.
"Here they come!" A guard shouted nervously, stamping his spearbutt on the ground. Not all of the townspeople had made it safely to the castle, but...
"Curious," the king uttered, as the monsters slowed to a halt near the gates. Tektites, ReDeads, even a Dead Hand... creature that could not stand the light of day, yet there they stood, quietly, at the gates. "...Archers, do you see that blue Tektite? Fire an arrow as close as possible, but do not hit it." Two archers stepped forward, nocking arrows to their bows, fired. The missiles landed within several inches of piercing the Tektite's front right leg, but it did not so much as twitch.
"If you really have control over the monsters, Link, then do something," whispered Miyako impatiently. "Maybe they're waiting for orders."
"It sure looks like it," muttered the Hero of Time. "...King Edward? May I try something?" The monarch nodded but said nothing, only looking curiously at the mass of monsters. They made no movements, and that in itself was eerily disturbing.
Link stepped forward somewhat nervously; he could feel the puzzled gaze of hundreds of people switch from the monsters to him.
"If you are not here to hurt these people," he started, then stopped. What could he ask, or rather command, them to do? "Then... sit down," Link finished weakly. There was not much he could command them to do, but a spark of an idea was catching flame in his mind...
All of the monsters, even the ones that could not have possibly heard him, sat down immediately. The king made a strangled noise in his throat, shock etched on the lines of his face.
"Sir," Lance stepped forward and waved a hand vaguely at the monsters, "if this ain't against a code of honor or something, then mayhap this is an advantage we may have over King Viru." King Edward turned to Lance and nodded.
"Yes, but... using monsters to fight out enemies, that would be seen as weakness, and cowardice as well. I am no coward. These monsters, however, have terrorized our land too long, and it would be fine to be rid of them." His eyes sparked with the mischief that most men never lose from their boyhood. "Link, could you ask these... creatures to leave the people of Selinta alone? Forever?" Link glanced over his shoulder and nodded.
"King Edward has asked that you leave all Selintans in peace, and never harm them." A cheer rose up from the other citizens; apparently this idea was fine with them.
The monsters left in a surging crest of thunder, howling and trumpeting, leaving the city immediately. Link wiped a bead of sweat from his forehead and found himself relieved; no one had died and all was well.
A screech from the castle turned anyone's attention to the main doors. Cheyanna stood in the stone doorway. The hem of her dress had caught fire and she looked more than a little angry, but it was her, nonetheless.
"Cheyanna, what—" Before the king could finish his statement, Cheyanna pointed at Link furiously.
"You! Oh, that was clever, that black ball of yours, you've stripped me of my magic! I should have never let you discover the East Tower!"
"What, may I ask, is going on?" King Edward growled. Cheyanna stomped her foot angrily.
"He freed that prisoner, that spy, and then he threw something at me and ran out of the cell! It stole my magic, all of it!" The king glanced at Link, then Cheyanna, and finally fixed his gaze on Miyako, who fidgeted uncomfortably.
"We will discuss this inside. Now. Soldiers, to your stations. The townspeople may return to their homes."
Blarg. This is such a short chapter, and there's not much activity. Because of the last chapter's shortness, I posted this one right afterwards. The next chapter is discussion and interrogation, so... _ I apologize. There will be much more action later on, I promise. I like building up to things, so if it takes a while to get there, bear with me, Faithful Reader. You've come such a long way; patiently, too, might I add.
A quick note: Bringer of the Belua, the name of the chapter, means Bringer of the Beast(s). Belua is Latin for beast (I hope I didn't mess it up out of context!)