First Contact
Rolondrof walked through the camp towards his half-brother's tent. It was two days since his meeting with Zelda, and since then he had not left the dwelling. That could only mean that Ganon's plans had finally hit a snag. It was only a matter of time, Rolondrof mused, before something went wrong. Apparently that time was now.
He had followed Ganon's orders faithfully, and had found no fault in them. But Rolondrof was not encumbered by the code of honor that kept Skorn in line, or the gut-wrenching fear that earned the obedience of the army. He had his own ambitions and designs, and he followed Ganon so long as it suited him.
At least that's what he told himself.
He was just about to open the tent flap when three naked women came out before him, clutching their clothes to their bodies in an attempt to cover their modesty. Rolondrof took a deep breath and entered the tent. Ganon was standing with his back to him, bare from the waist up, glaring down at two maps, one of Hyrule, the other of the second front of his massive campaign. Rolondrof cleared his throat and began. "Brother?"
"What is it Rolondrof?" Ganon barked impatiently.
"My lord, you have not left your tent since you returned from your meeting with Zelda. I have been…" he paused as he searched for the right word, "…curious."
Ganon rose to his full height and turned to face him. "Well said, brother. You are right; I haven't left this tent. I have been working very hard at winning this war."
"But brother, we have already won! The Hylians, Gorons, and Zoras are confused and unfocused. Link is in the Sacred Realm. You have already succeeded in half your conquest…"
"Half is not all!" Ganon snapped, his eyes glowing red with fury. "As long as Link and Zelda both still live, there is a chance I will fail. Nothing is certain as long as they draw breath." He turned away from Rolondrof and again examined the maps. "Which is why I have been in contact with Necron. He will halt in his pursuit of the Triforce, for now. I have ordered him to put all his power into destroying Link and his companions. I have decided to speed up Link's journey to his destiny."
"You speak of the prophecy of Link's death…"
"Of course," he looked over his shoulder at Rolondrof, a devilish grin splitting across his face. "It is already determined he will die this year. I just want to make sure it happens sooner than later."
* * *
"We've been walking for two days, Link. Where in Nayru's name are we?"
"For the last time, Zakro, I don't know. All I know is that we're closer. Maybe if you spent as much energy walking as you do complaining we'd be there already."
The companions were making their way through the dense forest they had been in since fleeing the castle. Link was in the lead, occasionally looking at the mark on his hand to gauge its brightness. Shrike was a few meters ahead, scouting the area. Link and Zakro had been sniping at each other almost the entire journey, and Malon, Mattalla, and Numaru had long since given up trying to stop it. "It's a shame that we can not draw power from their griping," Mattalla whispered to his female companions. "No enemy in the universe would be able to stand against us."
"Could be worse," Malon offered. "At least they haven't killed each other."
"We could only be so lucky," Numaru groaned.
"Excuse me,"
Shrike suddenly dropped to the ground behind them, and Malon couldn't help buy yelp in surprise. "Stop doing that!" she cried.
"Sorry," Shrike smiled beneath his mask. "We're almost out of the forest, and I found something up ahead that might interest you."
Indeed, the sight the beheld a few minutes later was of great interest to them. They had reached the end of the forest, which opened onto, of all things, snow and ice. The grass and foliage of the woods clashed with the barren glacier before them. Cliffs of ice, rock and snow could be seen in the distance. "What's going on here?" Link wondered aloud.
"Look off to the west," Shrike instructed, pointing. The followed his finger, and saw what seemed to be a huge fortress made of ice. It was blocked in by a huge wall, with three jagged spires reaching towards the sky. "When I first saw it, I thought I saw several large gray birds flying above it, along with some people walking along the walls," Shrike explained. "Perhaps they can be of help to us. Then again…"
"They could be more of those rat-men, or something worse," Link finished. He led them back into the protection of the forest, where they could still see the castle. He was amazed to find that the temperature of each area was a different as the landscape.
"So what are we going to do?" Malon asked. "We have to cut across the ice anyway, don't we?"
"And doing so without being seen will be impossible in the snow," Numaru pointed out. "We'd stick out like sore thumbs."
Link sat there a moment, lost in thought. Finally, he said. "We'll have to risk an encounter. Shrike and I will go to the fortress and see what that's about; we can sneak in more easily than the rest of you. You'll wait here for us to return. If we're not back by nightfall, continue in the direction we were heading, and we'll do our best to catch up with you."
"No," Malon protested. "We're sticking together. You have no idea what's in there. What if you get trapped?"
"It's a lot easier for two people to escape than six," Zakro said. He looked over at Link. "We'll wait here, Hero. Just make sure you get back here. Or at least send your hand."
Link couldn't help but smile. "Will do." Malon looked as if she was about to protest some more, but Link covered her mouth with his. When he pulled away, he winked at her. Shedding his cloak, he fastened his sword securely to his back as Shrike did the same. A moment later they were making their way across the ice.
Malon sat there, her mouth trying to form more words of protest. Mattalla placed a hand on her shoulder. "Don't even bother, Sister Malon. Not even I can say no to those dashing good looks." Malon slapped him on the shoulder as the others laughed.
* * *
In fifteen minutes, Link and Shrike were at the fortress and over the wall. They had so far avoided any contact with the birds or people Shrike had seen. Not that that was surprising; they had both been trained together as Sheikah in the stealth arts, and knew what the other would do as almost as well as they knew their own name. This wasn't the first time they had broken into a fortress, and most likely wouldn't be the last.
Though they had run the entire way, the blood in Link's veins still flowed sluggishly from the cold. The fort seemed to be made entirely of ice on the inside as well as out.
They crept through the darkened hallways, a torch occasionally lighting their way. Shrike was in front, with Link watching their rear. They moved steadily upwards, working their way from the bottom up. They encountered no one.
"Are you sure you saw something?" Link asked his companion.
"Positive," Shrike confirmed. The Sheikah stopped at the next door they came across and held his ear against it. They had nearly reached the top of the fort, and when Link stopped as well, he heard voices and the banging of metal against metal, like in a smithy's shop. Shrike gently turned the frozen knob and they entered the room.
The two appeared to be in some sort of large workshop with a high, open ceiling, full of crates and strange machinery. Link and Shrike hid behind a stack of these crates and watched the scene before them. Men and women, wrapped in heavy cloaks and jackets, were tinkering with what seemed to be a bunch of metal vehicles. The contraptions were made of metal, about eight feet in length, with a seat in the form of a horse's saddle situated near the rear. Two handlebars jutted from the front, covered by a glass shield. Several buttons were underneath the handlebars, in easy reach of the rider.
"They look like bicycles," Link whispered.
"What?"
"They have them in Putnia. People sit on them and rotate a chain with pedals, spinning the wheel and propelling them forward."
"Fascinating," Shrike said, genuinely impressed. "But I don't see any wheels on these."
Suddenly, through a door on the other side of the room, they saw a massive man in heavy black armor burst into the room. The armor was carved and decorated in intricate designs, and he wore a full helmet on his head, covering his entire face, leaving only two small holes for eyes. The helmet itself was carved to a Death's Head, a leering skull surrounded by a mane of black fur. A long black cape swept behind him as he entered, and a heavy broadsword was strapped at his waist. Behind him followed a tall, skinny old man wrapped in heavy robes and a long pointed hat. And behind him…
"Rat-men," Shrike hissed.
"And if that isn't Necron and his sorcerer I'm a Goron." Link stood up and began to make his way back towards the door. "Come on, we've got to tell the others."
"Already taken care of."
Link and Shrike turned sharply at the voice, only to be greeted by twelve swords pointed at their throats.
* * *
"How much longer till nightfall?"
"A long time. Stop worrying, Malon."
The four remaining companions sat in the relative warmth of the forest. They were all as impatient as Malon for Link and Shrike's return. "Do you suppose they'll find someone to help us?" Malon asked.
"I doubt it," Zakro grumbled. "I don't think nice, ordinary people live here. Kind of defeats the purpose of banishing a murderous tyrant here, don't you think?"
"We met Navi, didn't we?" Malon snapped back. Sighing in frustration, she added, "Sorry. I'm just kind of on edge. Every time Link leaves us I can't help thinking…"
"That is your problem, Malon," Numaru said, idly twanging her bowstring. "You think far too much. We all feel the same way you do, but constantly worrying and hesitating will keep us from the job at hand. Zelda and Hyrule are still counting on us. We need to find the Triforce before Ganon does anymore damage."
Malon sighed again. "I know, I know. It's just…well, I love him."
"Really?" Zakro said sarcastically, "We hadn't noticed."
"Hmm…"
They all looked over at Mattalla, who was staring out towards the ice-fort. "What is it Mattalla?" Numaru queried.
"I believe I see some of those birds Shrike mentioned." The four of them stood and walked to the edge of the forest for a better look. Indeed, a dozen gray shapes were making their way towards that very spot. As they came closer, Malon heard a soft whining noise, as well as see the sun reflecting off their surface, along with what was riding them. The others saw too.
Numaru fitted an arrow into her bow. "I don't think those are birds…"
* * *
Link and Shrike were led into the middle of the room at sword point by the pack of rat-men. Their hands were bound behind their backs, but their weapons had not been removed. Obviously they weren't seen as much of a threat. And when they came to a halt in front of Necron, it was obvious why. He was over seven feet tall, and almost a broad as Skorn. He glared down at them from behind his horrible mask, yellow eyes flaming. The sorcerer stood behind him. The old man took a step forward to gloat, but backed away as soon as he saw Shrike, a look of horror on his face. If Necron saw he paid no heed.
"So," he growled. His voice was deep and heavy, every word sounding like a threat. "This is the boy Ganon wants destroyed on sight. Doesn't look like much." He crossed his massive arms across his chest. The wizard pulled on Necron's cape, a pathetic act.
"My lord…" he stammered.
"Not now Shumbo," Necron dismissed the wizard as if he were a child. His gaze never moved from Link's eyes, which more than met it. Necron stared into those eyes for a long while, apparently changing his opinion. "I am told you are the Hero of Time," he said finally. "There was talk of you even in my era. The one who would unite Hyrule and banish all evil. The Chosen of the Triforce. You were supposed to have destroyed me. I was disappointed when you didn't come." A deep noise rumbled in his throat, possibly a laugh. "Then again, I am still alive, so perhaps it worked out for the best." His gaze shifted to Shrike. "And you have brought a Sheikah with you. It has been a long time since I have seen one. You bear the legacy well, boy. You look a lot like…"
"My lord…"
"NOT NOW SHUMBO!" Necron roared. The room shook, and the wizard grabbed his head in pain, as if bombarded from the inside out. Necron's voice lowered once again. "Ganon fears you, Hero of Time. I think I can see why. But I do not. He is weak, and it is only through chance that he bested me. Never forget that. But now I must decide what to do with you. Ganon wants you killed immediately, but perhaps I can use you for my own means…"
Shrike's sudden movement interrupted him. He twisted out of his captors' grip and fell with his back to Link's, kicking wildly and yelling curses. For a moment Link was shocked by Shrike's lack of control; Sheikah were to remain calm at all times. But then he felt Shrike search his belt and then a moment later felt something round being thrust into his palm. By that time the rat-men had regained control of the Sheikah and had forced him to his knees. Shumbo had hid behind his master, but Necron had not moved an inch.
"That was not very becoming, Sheikah," he chastened, giving Link a chance to feel what was in his hand. Trying hard to suppress a smile, he looked from right to left, looking for a target. By that time Necron had decided what to do with them. "Kill them," he commanded, and exited the room, Shumbo hot on his heels, casting a nervous glance at Shrike.
The rat-men and the other beings in the room crowded around, glad for some excitement in an otherwise dull day. Link summoned some of his magic and tossed the object in his hand towards the nearest vehicle. As one of the rat-men raised his sword to decapitate Link, the bomb exploded, destroying the vehicle in the storm of fire. The attention was momentarily drawn away from the captives, which was all the time they needed. Link crouched and spun on one foot, swinging the other. The creature directly ahead of him fell to the ground as his feet were taken out from under him. Shrike fell onto his back, extending his legs and bringing his arms over them so they were now at his front. He grabbed the wrist of a Hylian as she swung her sword. He twisted, breaking the bone and taking the weapon away from her. "Link!" he called.
Link was engaged with three more men, using his legs as weapons. At the sound of Shrike's voice he extended his arms behind him. Shrike severed through the cord binding them and Link drew the Master Sword from its sheath. The blade flashed with blue light, blinding their enemies. He turned and cut Shrike's own bindings, and the Sheikah drew both his blades. They stood back-to-back, warding blows, striking down whoever came in their path. "We can't hold them off forever," Link yelled above the noise. "Necron will be back any minute!"
"We need to try those vehicles! It's our only chance!" Shrike cut down one more rat-man and then leapt a foot into the air. He landed on the shoulders of one Hylian and began running along the heads of the others. He leapt over the last row and jumped onto one of the vehicles. Link continued the battle, holding the attackers at bay. Shrike frantically pressed at the buttons, hoping one of them would start the strange vehicle. He pressed a large red button, and suddenly he felt the machine lift off the ground as magic pulsed through its workings. Shrike took a moment to marvel at the ingeniousness of the contraption then went about figuring out how to work it.
"Hurry up Shrike!" he heard Link call. He pulled back on the handlebars and almost fell off as the vehicle jerked higher into the air. In doing so, he discovered that the grips on the handlebars moved, propelling him forward. Regaining his position, he tried turning the bars towards Link. The vehicle responded and turned in that direction. Elated, Shrike pulled back on the grips and he sped towards Link.
Amazed at the sight before him, Link nevertheless saw the opportunity. He also leapt onto the shoulder of an enemy and then jumped once more to grab onto the vehicle's tail. When Link was safely seated behind him, Shrike pulled back on the handlebars and steered them up through the open roof and out over the castle walls. Beneath them, the room was in a panic.
"They've got an air-bike!"
"After them!"
"Hurry, before Lord Necron returns!"
"LEAVE THEM!" Necron's voice thundered through the room, gaining their undivided attention. "Leave them," he repeated. "This will work out perfectly."
* * *
Malon jumped deeper into the foliage as another bolt of magic seared the ground where she had been. The strange vehicles and their riders had sprung upon them, and had immediately begun firing the magic bolts at them. She had no idea how they had managed to merge metal with magic, and at that particular moment she didn't care. All she thought about now was how to get out of this mess.
"I believe we may have found Necron's army!" Mattalla yelled, hurling logs at their attackers. Numaru had killed three with her arrows on their first pass, but by that time they had begun firing their strange weapons. Zakro was nowhere to be found.
As if one cue, Malon heard the Zora's voice above her. "Malon! Quickly, up this tree." Zakro was in fact high in one of the last trees of the forest. Malon didn't bother asking what he was doing, she just obliged. Grabbing a low branch, she scrambled up the mighty oak till she was on the same wide limb Zakro was. He helped her to her feet, extending his battle fins. "Numaru and Mattalla can attack from a distance," he explained, "But we're useless unless we get up close. Follow my lead." They waited for one of the attackers to fly close enough, and then Zakro sprinted off the branch and leapt into mid-air. He caught the driver from behind and threw the startled man two the ground. He jerked around in the air for a minute, and then he seemed to get the hang of the controls.
Zakro then got on the tail of one of the other drivers and began firing the magic bolts, steering him towards toward Malon's perch. She took a deep breath and leapt out into the air. She grabbed onto the rider's collar and held on tight as she struggled onto the vehicle. She punched the driver once in the kidneys and dropped onto the ground. Like Zakro, it took her a minute to get control of the flying machine. Once she discovered how to steer she began pressing buttons. Pressing a blue one fired the weapon. "Alright," she grinned, "Let's see how you like it…"
With Numaru and Mattalla firing from the ground and Zakro and Malon in the air, the battle was a little more even. Still, their enemies obviously had years of experience in the air, and Malon was hard pressed to keep up with them, considering she had been flying for all of thirty seconds. She managed to get on the tail of one and began firing. She missed every shot, but she managed to drive him closer to the ground. He tried to pull up into the air, but he was caught in the chest by one of Mattalla's logs. He fell off, and his vehicle fell to the ground, resting a foot above the snow.
Suddenly, Malon was in trouble. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a rat-man flying next to her, moving in closer to rock her off. She looked away, looking for a button that she hadn't pushed yet. When she looked back, Link had taken the rat-man's place.
"Link!"
"Hi Malon," he said, getting used to the controls. "I see you've met some of Necron's men."
"Just wait till you meet the real thing," she heard Shrike say as he pulled up beside her. "Three left. And it seems Mattalla and Numaru have joined us in the air." Indeed, Mattalla had taken the air-bike from the man he had felled, looking comical on the metal machine. Numaru was flying one from one of the first three she had felled. Together they converged on the final three.
Their enemies must have figured that their experience meant little against two to one odds and they sped back towards the ice-fort. Malon turned to pursue, but Link's voice called her back. "Not now!" he yelled, "They have more air-bikes in the fort! Head towards the cliffs, that's where we were heading anyway!" With that, he turned his air-bike back in their original direction. The others followed, and within ten minutes they were over the cliffs and out of sight.
* * *
"Are they gone?" Necron asked as Shumbo entered his chambers in the fortress.
"Yes, my lord." Shumbo shuffled over to his master. "We are prepared to follow."
Necron turned his skull-faced mask from the window and onto the old sorcerer. "Excellent. They will lead us right to the Triforce. Ganon was a fool to think they were here to kill me."
"My lord, how can you be sure they aren't?"
Necron just stared at him. "Did you just say something, Shumbo?"
Shumbo choked back his fear and quickly said, "Of-of course not my lord. But the prophecy…the Hero and the Sheikah…they will be the death of you! It has been foreseen!"
"That prophecy was to have come true over a millennia ago!" Necron roared. "The Hero never arouse, which is why that accursed Sheikah only managed to banish me! The prophecy was defeated!"
Shumbo didn't respond. He just cowered. Necron turned back to the window. "The prophecy was defeated," he repeated, mostly to himself. "The Triforce will be mine, and Ganon will lick my boots." He smiled beneath his mask, a sight no one had seen in over a thousand years.
"And then Hyrule will fall to my power."