Chapter 11

"What in the name of the Pit are you doing here?"

Zelda stood, unblinking and unfazed, her face and heart calm. She looked at Link, his face twisting as he tried to battle conflicting emotions. In one corner of his temple a vein throbbed rhythmically. She tried not to feel too dismayed at his anger. He looked slightly different. His face was a little more rugged, a little more worn down. His eyes were bulging and a glassy sheen plastered them, betraying the pain he felt.

She noticed the angry, long scar creased on his forehead and she reached for it. "Link, what happened to your…?"

He flinched, jerking his head away leaving her to clutch at empty air. "You have not answered my question," he said simply.

Zelda turned away from him for a moment to look thoughtfully at their surroundings. She saw the platform and the stumps of rope. Lastly, the lever caught her eye. Recognition hit her and she realised what he had been doing here. Her throat tightened. "I remember this place," she said, her voice quiet. "This is where…"

"…where your husband murdered Malon"

She did not respond to his heated retort. He had placed a slight emphasis on the word 'husband' making it sound like he was chewing on something distasteful. She kept her gaze straight ahead. There was no sound, save for their breathing. She swore that she could even hear their hearts beating. Link seemed to be waiting for her to speak. His eyes were locked on her and his fists were clenched tightly. He was ready for a fight. Not physically, of course, but he was ready to defend his opinion.

"I wonder why he did it," she said at last. Her voice seemed to echo dissonantly around the cavern, disturbing her.

Link took a step back. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw shock and confusion fighting to be displayed on his face. Clearly he had not been expecting that. Neither, it seemed, had she. The truth of it had only dawned on her at that very moment.

"So," he said, his voice softer now. He seemed to be pondering, as if he had not quite believed her words. "You know I wasn't lying?" His voice was cracking, like a bridge crumbling under a heavy burden. She realised that he had waited eight long, lonesome summers to hear her say what she had just said and her heart ached for him in sympathy.

She saw the relief in his face, mixed with the apprehension that this was nothing more than a cruel trick. He looked very much like a person who had been reprieved from execution at the very last second, but was not sure if he was dreaming or not.

"I know now that you told the truth," she said, her voice gentle. She saw tears glisten in his eyes. His shoulders slumped slightly as his body relaxed. Slowly, he raised his hand a little; as if he was going to touch her, then let it drop by his side again. She saw that it was trembling. She realised with mild surprise that she was trembling also.

"Your husband cannot be too pleased at this change of heart," he said. His voice was stronger now, more confident. Yet, there was still a cautious, slightly disbelieving tone there.

She turned to face him, her face set in a grim expression. "He is no longer my husband."

Once again, he was shocked. "What happened?" he asked, when he had found his voice.

Zelda paused, swallowing. "He's a murderer. He's scum," she said slowly, repeating the words that he had said to her long ago. She gave him a sad smile. "I lived to regret marrying him." Her voice was little more than a whisper now.

She saw it. A hint of a smile had passed over his face. Her heart gladdened, yet there was trepidation mixed there too. She did not dare hope for his forgiveness. She did not deserve it. All she wanted was to be friends again. Like they had been before Cyle had entered their lives. That would be enough. That would be more than anything she had in her life now. "He's an evil man," she said.

"An evil man," he repeated, his voice sounding hollow. Again, he lifted his hand.

She stood, waiting expectantly. Her face displayed no expression and her posture was still.

He curled it into a fist in mid-air and let it drop, still looking confused. Events were obviously overwhelming him.

"Why are you here, Your Highness?" he asked, his tone formal. Now it was her turn to feel a little confused. Was he building a wall between them? Had he been stricken by the idea that he had been forsaken in preference for 'an evil man'? Saddened, she realised that her hope for friendship may have been nothing more than an immature daydream. Perhaps too much had passed between them.

"I come to visit Darunia," she sighed. She had reverted to her regal tone out of instinct. "We saw you climbing the mountain. I followed you here."

"We?"

"We." He waited for her to elaborate. She stayed silent.

"Why are you here Link, Hero of Time?" she asked.

"I visit Darunia also." He paused, looking out over the hardened lava. They were silent again. They did not seem to know what to say. Abruptly, he changed tack and said, "She's under there somewhere. She did not even get an honourable burial."

Zelda followed his gaze, looking pensive. Her heart felt cold and her anger grew. "Link," she said, surprising him by the iron determination in her voice. "Cyle must be taken to task for his misdeeds." He waited, listening. "The King has taken control of Hyrule. I need to get it back. I will prepare an army for this." He raised an eyebrow as she looked at him intently. "I need a Knight to lead this army. To inspire it to victory."

Link folded his arms across his chest. "What about all that talk about not needing a Hero? About how the evil only existed because of the Hero?" His voice was quiet, but she heard the emotion in his throat, threatening to spill out.

Zelda flinched at the words. Spreading her arms wide she said, "I was young and blinded, Link. We all make stupid mistakes in our youth." She stopped to look straight at his eyes. "I am sorry."

The muscles in his face tightened and she could not tell what feelings he was fighting with. Suddenly, he turned away and started walking down the tunnel towards the exit. The Queen was surprised by the action and her heart threatened to crack. She closed her eyes and stilled her emotions. She would not let it break.

"Link," she called after him. He was quickly disappearing from view. "Hyrule needs its hero."

He was gone. The silence swallowed her. She stood there, motionless, listening to the beating of her heart. When she spoke, her voice was nothing more than a whisper. Harsh, slow and sad.

"I need my Hero."

*

Link burst out of the tunnel, grateful to gulp the cool, mountain air. He had felt far too smothered in the cavern. He walked rapidly, his head and heart feeling like they had been perforated. The Hero of Time wanted to think about something else. He found that if he focused on one feeling it would instantly be wrenched to another contradictory emotion. Confusion. Hope. Anger. Love.

How could she have been so calm? Did she feel nothing? Her serenity had bothered him and yet, at the same time, her tranquil bearing had made her look beautiful. Dignified. Like a true Queen.

Chitz jumped out from behind a rock. "I tried to stop her! Haha. Truly I did! Haha." Link had no time for the Imp now and walked past him.

The Imp sniffed. "Haha. Who is she anyway?"

Link stopped. Glancing over his shoulder he saw the Queen appearing from the mouth of the tunnel, her eyes blinking in the sunlight.

"She's a…" A what? An old acquaintance? A person who had rejected him to marry the murderer of one their closest companions? "A friend." The word sounded bitter.

"Oooohhhhhh," said Chitz, with a wink. "A friend. Haha. Wait till I tell Tessa! Haha! Yes, I will!"

Link threw him a dirty look, but did not respond. He continued down the path to Death Mountain trail. Waiting at the bottom were two men. That could not mean anything but trouble. Good. He needed to release some tension. He drew his sword and started running.

"Link, wait!" He recognised the voice as Tyron's, an old friend of Zelda's, but it was too late. He had already swung his sword to attack.

The other man crossed his arms into an 'X' position. For a horrific moment, Link thought his sword would slice through the man's hands. At the last instant, two knives popped out of the man's sleeve armour and Link's sword collided into them spraying them with a deluge of hot, yellow sparks.

The man pushed Link back, the sword and knives still entwined. "So…honoured…to meet you…at last…Hero of Time." The man strained and Link saw that his face was wrapped in a scarf.

Not willing to release his grip, Link gritted his teeth and held his sword steady. "The…pleasure…is all…mine."

"Link, stop this." Zelda's voice rang out from behind him as he heard her footsteps come to a halt. "Chizan, release him."

"As you wish," Chizan said. As quick as they had appeared, the knives shot straight back into his armour. Link fell to the floor from the forward momentum.

He felt the arms off the stranger lift him up, but Link pushed him away violently.

Zelda sighed. "Link, this is Prince Chizan of the Freelander Emirate. He is accompanying me and Tyron on our journey."

Link looked the Prince up and down. The man was tall and muscular and he could make out the shape of strange armour under his cloak. He wondered why the man kept his face covered. A Prince was he? Typical.

"You always did like the nobility, Your Highness," said Link. "Especially the more muscular ones."

Zelda glared at him and immediately Link regretted his words. What was wrong with him? He had already tarnished himself by walking away when the Queen had made a request of him. And now these silly words. This was not a very honourable way to behave.

He tensed, and then opened his mouth to say some conciliatory words, when the Prince interrupted him. "I mean my words, Hero of Time. You are thought of highly in my homelands. This is a great day for me, one that I will always cherish." The Prince massaged his arms. "My knives are now forever honoured by being touched by the sword of the Hero of Time."

Link thought that that was a little too much. He vaguely knew of the Freelanders. He had heard stories of their prowess in battle. He very much wanted to speak to the Queen and set things right, but the Prince had addressed him and it would be rude to ignore the man.

"Forgive me for my rashness," Link said. "I am not…," He glanced at Zelda, who still looked mildly annoyed. "I am not myself today."

The Prince laughed. "'Tis fine, Hero of Time. We cannot always remain calm every day."

Link raised an eyebrow at the words. From his posture and tone of voice the Prince appeared to be the most serene person alive. He wondered if Zelda had learnt to be so tranquil from him. The thought brought a sudden jerk to his heart that surprised him. How close exactly were the Prince and the Queen?

"Link, my boy, how are you?" Tyron asked, grinning. Link grinned back, momentarily forgetting what he had been thinking about.

"It has been a long time, Tyron," he said.

"Yes, it has." Tyron looked at him, one corner of his mouth twisted in a half-smile. "I see the desert sun has given you a bit of a tan."

"Well, you look the same as always. I sometimes wonder if you were born looking exactly the way you do now."

Tyron winked. "Can't give away any of my secrets now, can I? To look this good takes talent."

His eyes twinkled and Link laughed.

"How is your health?" asked Link.

"I am well, but worrying about the Queen here is sure to slice years off of my life."

Chitz scampered up besides Link, making Zelda jump.

"And who is this?" said Tyron, amused.

"This is Chitz," said Link. "Chitz the Imp."

"Imp?" Chizan said. For the very first time, Link thought he heard the Prince's voice falter from its usual composure. "Pah! Silly creatures."

Link looked over to the Queen, wondering why she was so quiet. She was frowning slightly, looking into the distance. Her head snapped up, catching him looking at her. She smiled, her annoyance with him seemingly forgotten.

"Haha. Don't you 'Pah!' me, Freelander!" Chitz said. He ran up to the Prince's leg and started boxing his kneecaps. Chizan stood there, bemused.

"I am Chitz the Imp. Haha. Friend of Link, who is in turn friend of Fran," he paused to look at Zelda, slyly. "And Tessa."

Zelda looked down at the creature, an amused expression on her face. "Who is Tessa?"

Before he could answer, they were interrupted by a small group of rolling Gorons. The Gorons righted themselves, looking at each member of the party one by one.

"Welcome," one of them said, his voice sounding gravelly. "We have been expecting you."

*

Prince Chizan marvelled at the ingenuity of the Goron Village. No, he corrected himself, Goron City. A breathing, organic habitat built into a mountain. Simply amazing. He found the Gorons to be interesting creatures. Winding paths curved around the inside of the mountain, whereby the Gorons could shape themselves into spheres and roll up and down.

The air shimmered slightly from the natural heat that radiated from the mountain's core. He had watched the Goron children roll around, laughing and playing, while the adults beat drums. There was an eerie resonance to the city. Because of its enclosed location, voices constantly echoed and any other noise was amplified to a greater degree.

The most astounding thing of all though was the crop that they grew. Some sort of explosive vegetable that was so fertile that removing one instantly resulted in another growing in its place.

They were sitting in the Goron Throne Room at the moment, wall hanging torches crackling. He had no fear of being recognised here, so he had taken off his scarf. Had he not the heat would have stifled him. Link had stared at him, wide eyed, when first seeing his features. Chizan was used to that sort of reaction, so it had not bothered him. Then again, this was the fabled Hero of Time and it would take a lot for the Prince to become annoyed with such a renowned figure.

The King of the Gorons slumped on his throne. Chizan recalled that his name was Darunia. His fellows called him Big Brother. A quaint little name. While all the other Gorons were bronze in colour, Darunia's skin had greyed and his eyes had reddened. It was clear that he did not have long to live.

Zelda knelt beside the King, holding his hand. Her expression was tense. On the other side of the room sat Link, his ghastly little Imp friend with him. Tyron was sitting next to Chizan himself. The Prince wondered at the Queen and the Hero. They seemed to be purposefully keeping their distance from one another. Yet, he occasionally caught them glancing at each other when they thought the other was not looking. Strange behaviour for such supposedly old friends. He briefly wondered if all the songs sung about them were true. He still could not believe that the Queen had married such a one as Cyle Narawan of No Heroic Deed.

Vines hung from the ceilings of the Throne Room and little pools of water bubbled from the heat. Infant Gorons scampered around the King, munching on rocks.

Darunia coughed as he tried to speak. "My friends," he said, his voice raspy. The Goron King tried to smile, but it seemed to cause him pain. "I am glad you have finally come."

"You need to rest, Darunia," Zelda said. "We should not keep you."

"No, no." he replied, his expression dark. "This is far too important."

"Your Highness," Link said. For a moment, he thought the Hero was addressing the Queen. Then, he realised that he was talking to the Goron. "You summoned me many months ago. I apologise for being so late."

"No need for apologies, Link. You are here now. Both of you." He gave a weak smile to Zelda. "And that is all that matters."

"What would you request of me?" Link asked.

Darunia closed his eyes for a moment as the silence hung in the air. "What do you know of the Sacred Realm?"

"I do not know too much. It is a … spiritual place. The Temple of Light stands there. It is linked to Hyrule and can only be accessed through the three Spiritual Stones."

The Goron King wheezed as his expression changed. "The Sacred Realm is a living, breathing world. It is populated by creatures, foul and vicious, that were locked away there for our - and their – own good. It is for no small reason that Ganon was imprisoned there."

They waited for him to continue as the torches spluttered and sizzled.

"The Sacred Realm is cut off from our world, the Terrestrial Realm. Yes, the Spiritual Stones can access it, but … there was a back door. Created by Sages millions of summers ago. It was their insurance, in case the Stones were ever lost."

"A door?" Zelda asked, looking confused. "I have never heard of such a thing."

"It is a legend," Darunia continued. "A secret well hidden and protected by blood."

"You speak of the Gate." Everyone raised their eyes in surprise at Tyron's voice.

Darunia coughed, trying to laugh. "Ah. I should have known you would know, Tyron. Please enlighten us and help me to carry this heavy burden."

Tyron's expression was hard and his tone sombre. "A Gate was built. Millions of summers ago. A physical Gate, hidden on an island off Hyrule. This Gate was… is an actual connection to the Sacred Realm. A portal between dimensions if you will."

"How can it be opened? And why has it not already?" Link asked. He had drawn his sword and was polishing it with a cloth. He seemed to be attempting to keep himself busy as he listened.

"The Gate can only be opened by blood. Every thousand summers a girl is born that has, in her blood, the ability to open the Gate. She is the Key. The Gate is opened by having the Key drain her blood into it. The mothers usually recognise the Key. They have dreams, the Triforce tells them the true nature of their offspring." He paused. "Usually the mothers were driven to kill their infant daughters before she could grow and fulfil her purpose."

"What has this got to do with us? Here, now?" the Queen asked. Her eyes were wide now and the Prince could see the flickering torch light reflected within them.

"I fear, my dear Zelda," said Darunia, quietly. "That your husband plans to open the Gate."

Chizan saw the Queen's face pale.

"He wants to release Ganon?" asked the Hero of Time. "Is that it?"

"No. If it were only that simple," said Tyron. "An ancient and, I had thought, long forgotten legend tells of the Joining. The Sacred and Terrestrial Realms were always meant to be kept apart. Opening the Gate links one to the other. It is said that if one conquers this world and then conquers the Sacred Realm, they would be Joined. And the one who did this would have access to immense power. The power to warp reality, the power to break through the Heavens and conquer the universe itself.

"The Terrestrial Realm could be conquered by any means – fair or foul. But the Sacred Realm could only be taken by force. By waging war on its denizens." He stopped to sip a crystal glass filled with blueish liquid. "Within the Sacred Realm itself stands the ancient and mighty city of Jaroga. If the King can take that, the whole Realm will fall."

Zelda lowered her head, her voice faint. She seemed to be dazed. "It's all so clear now. All those treaties, always asking for his allies armies in case of an 'emergency'."

"Yes," said Darunia. "I had my suspicions when the King had pushed for his One Hyrule Pact. My fears grew as he gained more allies overseas. He needs to conquer this world first, or else the Joining will not occur. With the armies he gains from his new allies, he can then wage war on the Sacred Realm. Or so he thinks."

Chizan's heart chilled. He had known the King was evil, but the sheer malevolence of the man was incredible. Something nagged at him and he managed to pinpoint it. "He has declared war on the Freelanders," he said. "I refused to join him in his treaty. He plans to wipe us out to further his aim."

"And us Gorons too," Darunia said sadly.

"This means the Key is alive," Link said. "Does he possess her?"

"I do not know," said Darunia.

"I doubt it," Tyron added. "If he had the Key, he would have opened the Gate by now."

"Perhaps he waits to wipe us Freelanders out first," Chizan said. "Then he can focus on the Sacred Realm."

Tyron nodded, his eyes thoughtful. "Perhaps."

"What of Chalance Vance?" Zelda asked. The Prince twitched at the mention of the name. If anything was a creature from the Sacred Realm, it was surely the King's Advisor. "How does he fit in?"

"Vance's motives are unknown," said Darunia. "He is helping the King, certainly. But why? I do not know. He has the power to subtly control weak minds over a short period of time." The Goron paused. "He managed to get my cook to feed me the poison that eats me from within as I speak."

Zelda gasped sharply and was about to speak, but the Hero cut her off. "I saw a village in the Melody Forest. The residents had been slaughtered. It seemed that Royal Guards had perpetrated the deed. Vance's work?"

"Almost certainly," Tyron answered. "The sorcerer is searching for something. I would not put it past him to enchant Guards to do his dirty work."

"Perhaps he was searching for the Key?" Link said.

"Perhaps."

"Do we have any idea who she is?" Zelda asked.

The Goron King paused, thinking. "Think back, my dear," he said, stroking her hand. "Is there any female your King took an unusual interest in?"

Zelda frowned, pondering. "I had an Advisor," she said slowly. "He kept asking for her. She did not like him much." She grimaced. "Then one night she mysteriously disappeared. Zayna her name was."

Out of the corner of his eye, the Prince saw Link freeze at the mention of the name. Chizan saw him open his mouth to speak, but then he seemed to decide against it and stayed silent. Strange.

If the Hero was not going to speak, then the Prince would ask his own queries. "How do we put a stop to this?" he said. "We find the Key ourselves? And then what – kill her?"

"Perhaps this Zayna is the Key, perhaps she is not," Darunia explained. "The legend states that a few summers before the Key comes into this world, a Counter Key would be born. She would have powers that lay dormant within her that could close the Gate if it was opened unnecessarily. It could be that Vance searches for this Counter Key."

Again, Chizan noticed a troubled look on the face of the Hero of Time.

"So we have to find the Counter Key first?" Zelda said.

"If she still lives," Tyron answered. "Know that Cyle and Chalance Vance would stop at nothing to hunt down the Counter Key. They would not hesitate to kill her."

This time Link had his eyes closed and the expression on his face seemed pained. It was like he had come to some sort of realisation.

"Link…?" the Queen asked, her voice gentle with concern.

The Hero of Time opened his eyes, and tears streamed down his face.

"Malon," he said shakily. "Malon was the Counter Key."