Chapter Thirty-Three
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Link stood off to one side of the portcullis, watching Ceifeiro advance through the bristling ranks towards the main gate.
"Throw down your weapons," the ex-mercenary called out threateningly. Reluctantly, spears and swords thumped to the ground as the guards released them. Eloisa seemed on the verge of fainting, but at least Ceifeiro had lightened the pressure of the dagger against her neck. Miles fidgeted nervously beside the Hero of Time as more guards joined the others to open the main gate, which was heavily damaged.
"Is this the end?" whispered the Selintan soldier. "Have we surely loss, then?" The blonde Hylian said nothing; he did not want to lie, yet he did not want to tell the young man how he truly felt. Perhaps they had not lost entirely, but.... victory would be nearly impossible.
"Ah, so good to meet you, Queen Eloisa," sighed King Viru, smiling maliciously as he marched through the now open gates with his horde as hit back. The queen glared at him but said nothing. "Well now, it seems that you all have lost the battle /and/ the war. When that fool Edward returns, he will surrender willingly, for he shall see that we have his precious queen and castle. And you," the King of Tophet added, glancing warily at Link, "I will let Ceifeiro have the honor of slaying you." Viru turned to face his troops. "Soldiers! Gather those weapons and march them to the dungeons." He beckoned to Ceifeiro. "I'll take care of Queen Eloisa. You handle Link; seclude him from the others and make sure he doesn't have any weapons on him." The Dinesenese fighter's eye flared as he unceremoniously shoved the queen towards Viru.
"You promised me a fight with him. I will have it now."
"No, Ceifeiro. Patience. We will make sure all of my soldiers can witness his defeat. Now go."
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After searching Link for weapons, Ceifeiro calmly led the silent nineteen-year-old down the stairs of the inner castle grounds to the oubliette. His captor seemed to know what he was about; no doubt Cheyanna gladly supplied the blueprints of Castle Dythia to King Viru.
"You will wait here," the Dinesenese fighter ordered, indicating the tiny cell littered with bones. "When we have cleared the castle, I will fight you." Link said nothing; there was nothing to say.
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Miyako heard the Tophetian fighters marching about just outside her chambers, but there was nothing she could do. What good would it do to be caught? No doubt she would be thrown into the dungeons with the Selintan guards.
`I have to find the Master Sword,' she thought suddenly, making no noise from beneath her bed. `I don't know where Lance is, or where they've taken Link, but maybe--' The young Kreyan held her breath when the door opened, and Tophetians walked in.
"Nobody in here, Squire Intol," reported a soldier.
"Good. Make sure to kill all the serving staff you find; King Viru has no need for them." The door shut, and she could breathe again.
Now there was another problem; they wouldn't throw her into the dungeons, they would simply kill her. Yet... something told her that if she found the Master Sword, she could find Link. Or at the very least, help the other soldiers. Quietly she crawled out from under her bed and coughed a little from the dust. Standing up, she crept to the door and opened it slowly, peeking out.
`Now, I saw him drop it near the Great Hall, and just my luck, I bet that's where most of them'll be,' she thought sourly. Looking left and right, she was satisfied that she saw no one in the hallways, and darted out.
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King Viru looked about the Throne Room, and nodded his satisfaction. He pointed to a corner, and his Tophetian soldiers immediately dragged Eloisa to the location and threw her on the floor.
"Careful now, we wouldn't want my new throne room to be soiled by blood," clucked the monarch disapprovingly, though he was smiling happily. The queen put a hand to her neck and winced as she tried to staunch the thin trickle of blood.
Viru seated himself on Edward's throne and sighed with contentment. Surely, a royal seat fit for a king. Selinta was his now; it was official.
From the right side-entrance, Ceifeiro came storming in moodily, obviously disgruntled that he would have to wait for his "reward."
"Ah, don't look so unhappy, my dear right hand," the king called out. "You will have what I promised you, be patient." The Dinesenese fighter only glared at the Tophetian king, then seated himself in one of the council's chairs. "When I am sure this castle is fully mine, we will bring Link up here for a proper execution."
"No, Viru," snapped the ex-mercenary. "I will not chop his head off like some lowly butcher. I will fight him, as one man fights another. You promised a fight, and you will let me have what is due."
"In all foolishness, Ceifeiro, do you really think you can best him?" challenged Viru, narrowing his eyes at his hired fighter. "Ganondorf, the Evil King, could not even best him."
"You did not hire me because you thought I was weak. I say I will fight Link, and I will win," replied the young man haughtily. "He may be Hyrule's kei, but I am Ceifeiro, and I reap my foes." [Author's Note: Kei is "hero" in Dinesenese, and lei is "heroine." Just thought you'd like to know.]
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The Great Hall was littered with Tophetian guards, but the total head count was less than twenty.
`Maybe I can get away with it,' she thought, looking across the vast hall towards the other side. [From the entrance of the Great Hall, to the left were the guest chambers, and to the right were the royal chambers.] `But how? There's not many of them, but I stick out like a sore thumb.'
[Use your mulciber...] A soft voice murmured in her mind. Miyako jerked and threw a quick glance over her shoulder. Had someone said that aloud?
`Use my fire...' She scanned the Great Hall for something that would burn very well and attract the soldiers' attention. Then the red-haired Kreyan spotted a row of the large benches the Selintan guards had dragged in earlier that day. Several Tophetians were lounging on them. `Those will do nicely.' Miyako stared at the wooden benches, asking them to give in to her fire. The benches went willingly, and soon were merrily ablaze.
"What in hellfire?" shouted one of the soldiers, leaping off the bench with a started yelp. Almost at once all the other soldiers had gathered around, beating at the flames. Miyako took a deep breath and sprinted across the back wall of the Great Hall. No one noticed her.
She saw the Master Sword lying, as though forgotten, on the marble floor near Queen Eloisa's chambers. Throwing a swift glance in all directions, she crouched down and tentatively reached out to touch it. Legend had it that only the Chosen One could bear the sword. Evil ones could not use the blade, nor could ones not worthy. Miyako wondered if she was one of the latter as her hand grasped the hilt.
The balance of the Master Sword was perfect, even for a girl like herself who couldn't handle them. She made an appreciative murmur as she tilted it upward to catch the light from the flambeaus. Miyako could almost feel the raw power of the energies residing within the sacred blade; the bones in her hand began to ache slightly.
`Maybe I'm worthy, but that still doesn't mean I can hold it for long,' she thought, wincing at the ringing in her arm. `I've got to find--'
`Who's there?' A voice accused. Miyako jumped and spun around, but no one had found her still. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest and she took a deep breath. `I heard you!' The voice... was familiar...
`...Link?' A surprised silence, then suspiciously:
`...Miyako?' Relief swept through her.
`Yes, it's me! I found your sword, and I picked it up. Is this normal?'
`I wouldn't know, I've never let anyone hold or even touch it before. I was afraid it might... you know, strike them dead or something.'
`Well,' she thought, smiling, `I'm still here, even if the power of this blade's aching my arm. How do you stand to hold it?'
`It's never hurt my arm before,' he replied, sounding a little baffled. `I was sitting here, and then suddenly I hear a voice talking in my head, about not being worthy or something.'
`Where are you? Where's Lance? I can't stand around here for long,' she thought anxiously, creeping further away from the Great Hall.
`Ceifeiro took me into this small cell in the inner castle grounds. It's outside the portcullis,' Link said helpfully. `Lance... he.... he felt something calling him, so he left.' That stopped her.
`And you let him?!'
`Well...' Miyako shook her head.
`Never mind. The point is, I've got to find you before they find me. And it's easier for them, because they've got more people on the prowl. Now, where are you again?'
`Outside the castle, there's a small door to the far left of the portcullis. Behind the door there's a small staircase leading down. I'm in here.'
`How in Nayru's name am I going to get out there unnoticed?' She thought to herself, turning around and heading back to the Great Hall. The red-haired Kreyan could still hear the sounds of soldiers shouting. Apparently, they hadn't put the flames out yet. `...I don't think there's anything left to burn...'
`Wait a minute!' Link thought, slapping his forehead and wincing. `Fuck, I completely forgot!'
`What?'
`My gauntlets! Ceifeiro didn't bother to take my gauntlets. Argh!' Miyako put a hand to her mouth to cover a smile, although there was no one to hide a smile from. `Never mind... meet me in the Great Hall. I'll be there in a few minutes.'
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Link could have kicked himself had he the time, but now he had to hurry. Besides, there would always be later to beat himself up. Working quickly, he grappled the steadfast iron bars and tugged them apart. They bent like soft cheese under the influence of his gauntlets, and the blonde Hylian managed to squeeze through the small gap.
`Link?' Miyako again, this time she sounded frightened.
`What?'
`They... they... King... I mean... the.... there's... La...' Her voice stopped suddenly.
`What is it?' He asked, vaulting up the stairs three at a time. `What's going on?' There was no reply.
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Lance struggled angrily against the grips of the Tophetian soldiers who were dragging him into the Throne Room. He cursed them colorfully in Kreyan and in common tongue as he fought to free himself.
"Stoppit, d'you hear me?" snapped one of the soldiers, whacking him over the head with his spearbutt. "Else it'll go worse for you!" Blood trickled into his eye from a light gash on his forehead, and the sailor winced, but stopped struggling.
"What is this?" King Viru asked, standing up and looking down at the dark-blue-haired Kreyan as they threw him onto the floor in front of the throne. "He's not one of the castle workers, is he?"
"No, sire, we found him climbing over the east wall," one of the soldiers replied nervously, bowing so deeply he nearly fell over.
"You, what is your name?" He prodded Lance with his foot. The sailor lashed out with a dagger that had been concealed in his boot and stabbed Viru fiercely in the leg.
"That's none of your business, you craven cur!" The King of Tophet grunted as he tugged the knife out of his leg and smarted kicked Lance in the chest with his uninjured one.
"Stupid fool! You'll die before your precious Hero of Time! Guards!"
"Stop!" Miyako shouted, wielding the Master Sword at the far end of the throne room. "If you kill him, you're next, Viru!"
"What's this, a little lei?" Ceifeiro chuckled, both eyebrows raised. "My, King Viru, you know how to conquer a castle and its people." The king glared venomously at the ex-mercenary, who was chortling silently to himself.
"Put down that sword, little girl, and maybe I won't make your death painful," growled Viru, his right hand reaching for his own blade. She didn't wait for him to say more; darting forward, she weaved past the guards to attack the King of Tophet. He barely managed to draw his machete before she was swinging at him.
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Ah.... FF.net seems to be ignoring the extra spaces I put in between new paragraphs, so lines must suffice. Please review, and thank you to those who have reviewed recently. Your comments are much appreciated, especially after a rotten time at school. But you know... there's nothing quite like a few good Styx songs after a bad day. ;D
-----------------------------------
A further note; there are only two more chapters after this, for Part One. Sometime tomorrow (February 8th), expect to find the prologue for Part Two up. ^_~
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Link stood off to one side of the portcullis, watching Ceifeiro advance through the bristling ranks towards the main gate.
"Throw down your weapons," the ex-mercenary called out threateningly. Reluctantly, spears and swords thumped to the ground as the guards released them. Eloisa seemed on the verge of fainting, but at least Ceifeiro had lightened the pressure of the dagger against her neck. Miles fidgeted nervously beside the Hero of Time as more guards joined the others to open the main gate, which was heavily damaged.
"Is this the end?" whispered the Selintan soldier. "Have we surely loss, then?" The blonde Hylian said nothing; he did not want to lie, yet he did not want to tell the young man how he truly felt. Perhaps they had not lost entirely, but.... victory would be nearly impossible.
"Ah, so good to meet you, Queen Eloisa," sighed King Viru, smiling maliciously as he marched through the now open gates with his horde as hit back. The queen glared at him but said nothing. "Well now, it seems that you all have lost the battle /and/ the war. When that fool Edward returns, he will surrender willingly, for he shall see that we have his precious queen and castle. And you," the King of Tophet added, glancing warily at Link, "I will let Ceifeiro have the honor of slaying you." Viru turned to face his troops. "Soldiers! Gather those weapons and march them to the dungeons." He beckoned to Ceifeiro. "I'll take care of Queen Eloisa. You handle Link; seclude him from the others and make sure he doesn't have any weapons on him." The Dinesenese fighter's eye flared as he unceremoniously shoved the queen towards Viru.
"You promised me a fight with him. I will have it now."
"No, Ceifeiro. Patience. We will make sure all of my soldiers can witness his defeat. Now go."
-----------------------------------
After searching Link for weapons, Ceifeiro calmly led the silent nineteen-year-old down the stairs of the inner castle grounds to the oubliette. His captor seemed to know what he was about; no doubt Cheyanna gladly supplied the blueprints of Castle Dythia to King Viru.
"You will wait here," the Dinesenese fighter ordered, indicating the tiny cell littered with bones. "When we have cleared the castle, I will fight you." Link said nothing; there was nothing to say.
-----------------------------------
Miyako heard the Tophetian fighters marching about just outside her chambers, but there was nothing she could do. What good would it do to be caught? No doubt she would be thrown into the dungeons with the Selintan guards.
`I have to find the Master Sword,' she thought suddenly, making no noise from beneath her bed. `I don't know where Lance is, or where they've taken Link, but maybe--' The young Kreyan held her breath when the door opened, and Tophetians walked in.
"Nobody in here, Squire Intol," reported a soldier.
"Good. Make sure to kill all the serving staff you find; King Viru has no need for them." The door shut, and she could breathe again.
Now there was another problem; they wouldn't throw her into the dungeons, they would simply kill her. Yet... something told her that if she found the Master Sword, she could find Link. Or at the very least, help the other soldiers. Quietly she crawled out from under her bed and coughed a little from the dust. Standing up, she crept to the door and opened it slowly, peeking out.
`Now, I saw him drop it near the Great Hall, and just my luck, I bet that's where most of them'll be,' she thought sourly. Looking left and right, she was satisfied that she saw no one in the hallways, and darted out.
-----------------------------------
King Viru looked about the Throne Room, and nodded his satisfaction. He pointed to a corner, and his Tophetian soldiers immediately dragged Eloisa to the location and threw her on the floor.
"Careful now, we wouldn't want my new throne room to be soiled by blood," clucked the monarch disapprovingly, though he was smiling happily. The queen put a hand to her neck and winced as she tried to staunch the thin trickle of blood.
Viru seated himself on Edward's throne and sighed with contentment. Surely, a royal seat fit for a king. Selinta was his now; it was official.
From the right side-entrance, Ceifeiro came storming in moodily, obviously disgruntled that he would have to wait for his "reward."
"Ah, don't look so unhappy, my dear right hand," the king called out. "You will have what I promised you, be patient." The Dinesenese fighter only glared at the Tophetian king, then seated himself in one of the council's chairs. "When I am sure this castle is fully mine, we will bring Link up here for a proper execution."
"No, Viru," snapped the ex-mercenary. "I will not chop his head off like some lowly butcher. I will fight him, as one man fights another. You promised a fight, and you will let me have what is due."
"In all foolishness, Ceifeiro, do you really think you can best him?" challenged Viru, narrowing his eyes at his hired fighter. "Ganondorf, the Evil King, could not even best him."
"You did not hire me because you thought I was weak. I say I will fight Link, and I will win," replied the young man haughtily. "He may be Hyrule's kei, but I am Ceifeiro, and I reap my foes." [Author's Note: Kei is "hero" in Dinesenese, and lei is "heroine." Just thought you'd like to know.]
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The Great Hall was littered with Tophetian guards, but the total head count was less than twenty.
`Maybe I can get away with it,' she thought, looking across the vast hall towards the other side. [From the entrance of the Great Hall, to the left were the guest chambers, and to the right were the royal chambers.] `But how? There's not many of them, but I stick out like a sore thumb.'
[Use your mulciber...] A soft voice murmured in her mind. Miyako jerked and threw a quick glance over her shoulder. Had someone said that aloud?
`Use my fire...' She scanned the Great Hall for something that would burn very well and attract the soldiers' attention. Then the red-haired Kreyan spotted a row of the large benches the Selintan guards had dragged in earlier that day. Several Tophetians were lounging on them. `Those will do nicely.' Miyako stared at the wooden benches, asking them to give in to her fire. The benches went willingly, and soon were merrily ablaze.
"What in hellfire?" shouted one of the soldiers, leaping off the bench with a started yelp. Almost at once all the other soldiers had gathered around, beating at the flames. Miyako took a deep breath and sprinted across the back wall of the Great Hall. No one noticed her.
She saw the Master Sword lying, as though forgotten, on the marble floor near Queen Eloisa's chambers. Throwing a swift glance in all directions, she crouched down and tentatively reached out to touch it. Legend had it that only the Chosen One could bear the sword. Evil ones could not use the blade, nor could ones not worthy. Miyako wondered if she was one of the latter as her hand grasped the hilt.
The balance of the Master Sword was perfect, even for a girl like herself who couldn't handle them. She made an appreciative murmur as she tilted it upward to catch the light from the flambeaus. Miyako could almost feel the raw power of the energies residing within the sacred blade; the bones in her hand began to ache slightly.
`Maybe I'm worthy, but that still doesn't mean I can hold it for long,' she thought, wincing at the ringing in her arm. `I've got to find--'
`Who's there?' A voice accused. Miyako jumped and spun around, but no one had found her still. Her heart was pounding wildly in her chest and she took a deep breath. `I heard you!' The voice... was familiar...
`...Link?' A surprised silence, then suspiciously:
`...Miyako?' Relief swept through her.
`Yes, it's me! I found your sword, and I picked it up. Is this normal?'
`I wouldn't know, I've never let anyone hold or even touch it before. I was afraid it might... you know, strike them dead or something.'
`Well,' she thought, smiling, `I'm still here, even if the power of this blade's aching my arm. How do you stand to hold it?'
`It's never hurt my arm before,' he replied, sounding a little baffled. `I was sitting here, and then suddenly I hear a voice talking in my head, about not being worthy or something.'
`Where are you? Where's Lance? I can't stand around here for long,' she thought anxiously, creeping further away from the Great Hall.
`Ceifeiro took me into this small cell in the inner castle grounds. It's outside the portcullis,' Link said helpfully. `Lance... he.... he felt something calling him, so he left.' That stopped her.
`And you let him?!'
`Well...' Miyako shook her head.
`Never mind. The point is, I've got to find you before they find me. And it's easier for them, because they've got more people on the prowl. Now, where are you again?'
`Outside the castle, there's a small door to the far left of the portcullis. Behind the door there's a small staircase leading down. I'm in here.'
`How in Nayru's name am I going to get out there unnoticed?' She thought to herself, turning around and heading back to the Great Hall. The red-haired Kreyan could still hear the sounds of soldiers shouting. Apparently, they hadn't put the flames out yet. `...I don't think there's anything left to burn...'
`Wait a minute!' Link thought, slapping his forehead and wincing. `Fuck, I completely forgot!'
`What?'
`My gauntlets! Ceifeiro didn't bother to take my gauntlets. Argh!' Miyako put a hand to her mouth to cover a smile, although there was no one to hide a smile from. `Never mind... meet me in the Great Hall. I'll be there in a few minutes.'
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Link could have kicked himself had he the time, but now he had to hurry. Besides, there would always be later to beat himself up. Working quickly, he grappled the steadfast iron bars and tugged them apart. They bent like soft cheese under the influence of his gauntlets, and the blonde Hylian managed to squeeze through the small gap.
`Link?' Miyako again, this time she sounded frightened.
`What?'
`They... they... King... I mean... the.... there's... La...' Her voice stopped suddenly.
`What is it?' He asked, vaulting up the stairs three at a time. `What's going on?' There was no reply.
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Lance struggled angrily against the grips of the Tophetian soldiers who were dragging him into the Throne Room. He cursed them colorfully in Kreyan and in common tongue as he fought to free himself.
"Stoppit, d'you hear me?" snapped one of the soldiers, whacking him over the head with his spearbutt. "Else it'll go worse for you!" Blood trickled into his eye from a light gash on his forehead, and the sailor winced, but stopped struggling.
"What is this?" King Viru asked, standing up and looking down at the dark-blue-haired Kreyan as they threw him onto the floor in front of the throne. "He's not one of the castle workers, is he?"
"No, sire, we found him climbing over the east wall," one of the soldiers replied nervously, bowing so deeply he nearly fell over.
"You, what is your name?" He prodded Lance with his foot. The sailor lashed out with a dagger that had been concealed in his boot and stabbed Viru fiercely in the leg.
"That's none of your business, you craven cur!" The King of Tophet grunted as he tugged the knife out of his leg and smarted kicked Lance in the chest with his uninjured one.
"Stupid fool! You'll die before your precious Hero of Time! Guards!"
"Stop!" Miyako shouted, wielding the Master Sword at the far end of the throne room. "If you kill him, you're next, Viru!"
"What's this, a little lei?" Ceifeiro chuckled, both eyebrows raised. "My, King Viru, you know how to conquer a castle and its people." The king glared venomously at the ex-mercenary, who was chortling silently to himself.
"Put down that sword, little girl, and maybe I won't make your death painful," growled Viru, his right hand reaching for his own blade. She didn't wait for him to say more; darting forward, she weaved past the guards to attack the King of Tophet. He barely managed to draw his machete before she was swinging at him.
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Ah.... FF.net seems to be ignoring the extra spaces I put in between new paragraphs, so lines must suffice. Please review, and thank you to those who have reviewed recently. Your comments are much appreciated, especially after a rotten time at school. But you know... there's nothing quite like a few good Styx songs after a bad day. ;D
-----------------------------------
A further note; there are only two more chapters after this, for Part One. Sometime tomorrow (February 8th), expect to find the prologue for Part Two up. ^_~