Rodan heard Link calling his name but there was nothing to be seen ahead of him except the endless crush of bodies, jostling and pushing against him. He felt like a leaf carried on raging rapids, fighting desperately for the surface. Thankfully, he was short enough that he largely escaped the monster's attention until he was right next to them, by which point he only had to poke at them with his mother's sword to push them back, and then he was gone, swept away by the tide, as the creatures swarmed onwards. There was no room for more advanced swordplay. It was all he could do to stay on his feet, as he ducked and weaved between the lanky limbs of the monstrous crowd, and not be sucked down to be trampled underfoot.
"Link! Where are you?"
There was no response. Dimly, over the many bestial grunts and whoops of the monsters, Rodan became aware of human voices, yelling over the throng. There were cries of pain, but also commands being issued, and shouts of "For Ordon" and "Chief Boru!".
Good, so there's still some soldiers yet standin', Rodan thought hurriedly, as a monster spotted him and attempted to run him through. Rodan gave another creature, nearby but oblivious to his presence, a hard shove into the path of his attacker. He was pulled away before he could see the outcome, but a sudden cloud of purple mist told him he was successful.
"Vaelin, I need a birds-eye view. Fly up, and find me a way to the defenders".
"Okay okay, I'll try" said the fairy who had been flying along anxiously just overhead, calling out threats as he saw them. He shot up and surveyed the battlefield. "I don't see Master Link anywhere" he called down.
"He can take care of himself. Just find the Ordonians!" Rodan yelled back. Another monster took note of this exchange but Rodan pushed his sword up through its throat and its squeal of alarm died with it.
Vaelin flew down, and took refuge in Rodan's coat. "It's hopeless. The defence is completely scattered. I saw several soldiers cut down just while I was up there".
"What direction?" Rodan pressed.
"The same direction the Bokoblins are moving, obviously".
This time Rodan ignored the fairy's jibes.
"Can we reach the edge of this group? Maybe we can sneak around the sides".
"Impossible. You'd have to be magic to get through, and as a magical being I have some expertise in that area".
"Fat load of good yer expertise is doin' me" Rodan grunted, fending off another suddenly interested creature. He made a stab at the Bokoblin, as Vaelin had called it, but it grabbed his arms roughly, snarling in his face and covering him in spittle. The two wrestled, and just as it looked like the monster might throw him to the floor, Vaelin popped out from Rodan's lapel, fluttering in the monster's face and blinding it with his glare. Rodan felt its grip loosen, and seized his chance, breaking free to slash upwards, opening the monster from navel to neck.
The bokoblin let out a blood-chilling screech, but did not perish. Instead it toppled backwards, thrashing its skinny arms. The commotion drew the attention of the adjacent crowd, and Rodan realised with a shiver that many squinting, amber pairs of eyes were now fixed hungrily on him.
He gulped. It was all that time allowed for, before he was pounced upon. His sword flashed in the cool morning light but before he had even struck a blow it was ripped from his grip by greedy hands.
Desperately, he raised his shield, but now the attacks were raining down on him from all angles, and he couldn't spin fast enough to ward them all off. He felt claws tearing at his back, cutting through his winter hides and stabbing white hot at his flesh. Then a blinding pain to his calf, as a Bokoblin spear pushed its way into his leg, staggered him, knocking him to his knees. He pulled the shield up over his head, and just in time too as he immediately felt a savage thud as a club smashed against it, the shockwave rattling his bones. Then came another blow, and another, and they kept coming as Rodan was forced all the way down until he was lying foetal position in the mud, his arm aching and shaking with the strain of keeping his thin shield over his body. Every time it was rocked with another Bokoblin attack, Rodan expected the shield to splinter and break, leaving him at the mercy of the horde, and he had a suspicion that mercy was not a virtue valued highly by these monsters.
Despite his dire situation, Rodan felt a strange sense of calm wash over him, supplanting the cold horror pumping through his veins. He was vaguely aware of someone calling his name, but it sounded a million miles away. I guess I'll be seein' you again sooner than planned, Ma'. He observed the stomping feet surrounding him and listened to the cruel, guttural voices of his attackers with mild curiosity. Of all the ways to die, trampled by a bunch of pig-men wasn't high on my list. At least I tried… to do my duty.
Dreamlike, Rodan saw now, boots trampling the earth that were unlike the flimsy wrappings the Bokoblins wore, and voices, real human voices, calling out to him. The deluge of hits to his shield stopped, and Rodan lay frozen, his body tense with anticipation, too dazed to do anything but wait and see what happened next.
Suddenly he felt hands grasping at his clothes and arms. He yelled and struggled, risen from his stupor, but as he was hauled to his feet, a familiar face calmed his terror. The pointed visage was shorn of its usual sneer, and his blonde coif was matted with mud and blood, which was trickling steadily from a dirty bandage wrapped around his crown, but Rodan's heart lept with joy seeing Ruslan again. Though he had always disliked the pompous soldier, now he greeted him like a long lost brother. Around them, the Ordon soldiers cut down swathes of screaming creatures, until all were wreathed in smoke.
"Cheifson! What are ya doin' down there? No-one's seen hide nor hair of ya since last night. Come this way, quickly".
"Ruslan! How did you find me?"
"My men saw some sort of light in the air above the horde, and heard someone callin' yer name. I thought it a fool's fantasy until I saw you layin' there with mine own eyes. Now move yerself, quick-like".
Rodan looked up, hoping to see Vaelin bobbing about overhead, but there was no sign of the fairy, and his search was cut short as the soldiers bundled him away. Ruslan pulled Rodan along, protecting him with his own, much larger and more substantial looking kite shield. He was flanked by several tall, bulky soldiers clad in mail and plate, armed with matching shields and long halberds. They had driven a wedge into the monster's ranks, forming a wall, driving back any Bokoblins brave enough to attack. After the first handful fell to the Ordon weapons, the others kept a wary distance, but their jowls drooled with intent, and more and more were becoming aware of their presence.
"Wait, my sword!" Rodan suddenly remembered. He hunted the churned earth frantically, until he caught a glimpse of its iridescence, laying just beyond the shield wall. Nimbly, he dropped to the ground, avoiding the soldiers that grabbed for him, and shimmied his way forward on his belly, arms reaching for the fairy-forged steel. Just as his fingertips brushed the cold hilt, a monster broke away from the watching pack, darting forward and raising its club, ready to bring it down on Rodan's skull.
"Bluurkkghh!". Green blood splattered Rodan's face and the Bokoblin slipped sideways, falling to the floor with a squelch and then a soft poof as it exploded into choking, purple mist.
"Gods, it's a miracle you've lasted this long out here. That must be a pretty special sword to make you do summin' so stupid" Ruslan grunted, wiping his own sword on his thigh before extending his free hand to Rodan.
"It is," he replied simply, taking Ruslan's arm and pulling himself up. He examined his mother's gift, which still shone brightly, the mud seeming to just slide straight off the otherworldly blade like water from a duck.
Ruslan gave him and the incandescent sword a focused, searching look, but instead of replying, called out to his men. "Fall back to the mound, we can't defend here. Hedgehog formation!".
The soldiers roared their acknowledgement in unison, and moving together, formed a defensive circle around Ruslan and Rodan, sharp spears poking out from behind the shields on all sides. They shuffled slowly forwards, while hundreds of pairs of ravenous eyes followed them. A few more charged the unit, seeking to burst through the shield wall, but were beaten away by the watchful defenders.
Rodan looked at the burly soldiers surrounding him, battle-hardened warriors all. All were of an age to have served in the great war, and their experience showed in the composure with which they faced down the monsters, yet Rodan saw too, fear and worry lining some faces. They've never seen creatures like these, nor faced such overwhelming odds.
"This is a stout group of lads you've got here, Rus" Rodan said brightly, trying to sound like his father would when addressing his war buddies.
Though Ruslan walked next to him in the centre of the circle of men, he did not look at Rodan. Instead his head was swivelling constantly, surveying the battle. "This 'stout group of lads' are what's left of the Brilton Lancer Regiment. The Bloody Goats they called us durin' the great war. Those damn Hylians thought it was funny, but we earned the name all right, and they weren't laughin' at us come the war's end."
Rodan cleared his throat. "Well, umm, I know if my father were here, he'd like to thank you all for your service and umm…"
Ruslan gave a hollow laugh. "Outdated tradition might make you heir, but you've got a long way to go to bein' Chief if you think a few platitudes are all it takes".
Rodan swallowed, feeling very small next to the imposing warriors. "I was just tryin' to…"
Ruslan suddenly seized him by the collar, and fixed two staring, paranoid eyes on him. "We don't need you tryin'. Now is the time for men to act. Men who actually know what war is like. There's only a handful of us real warriors left. Most of the boys we got are greener than cow's puke".
"S-surely there's more on the way. Did we send messengers out?" Rodan stammered.
Ruslan gave another crazed, empty cackle. "So a few farmers might get here in time to join us in death. The only other real soldiers are with Portcher out in the western borders, but monsters came from that direction as well as over the bridge to the north. If they're alive, it could be days before they arrive. No, Ordon Village stands alone, and the way things are goin', will fall alone by sundown".
Rodan could see the other soldiers looking at him out of the corner of their eyes, and felt his face going red.
Ruslan's cold sneer was back. "Come on kid, we're gettin' you and yer fancy sword out of here, though it'd be a better use of our time to just toss you in a ditch and be done with it".
He turned his back on Rodan, who looked meekly to the floor, but something in the veteran's tone had caught his attention. He's scared too. For all his experience and big words, he thinks we've lost already. I might not know much about war, but I know you can't win anything thinkin' like that.
Rodan felt a surge of confidence, and clenched his fists, raising his head to give the soldiers - his soldiers - a defiant look. "That's enough Ruslan!". His voice was steady, controlled, but he let a tinge of his anger show, to give his words some steel. "You may not respect me, nor can I force you to, but you will not speak to me like that in front of my men".
"Your men?" Ruslan scoffed. "I have commanded these warriors since you were still crappin' yer nappies. They follow me".
"Be that as it may, had this invasion not occurred, today would have marked my ascent to Chief while my father remains incapacitated. Therefore, you and your men owe your fealty to me and it is my duty to lead the defence of our village, as best I can, in Chief Boru's stead".
Ruslan came right up to him again, to leer in his face. "Oh, you don't know? Your Father leads the defence himself. He holds the old ranch with the bulk of the survivors as we speak. So you see, we have no need of you, boy".
Rodan's breath caught in his throat. "The Chief is awake? He's out there fightin'?
"For now. Sick, old man that he is, I doubt he'll last long though," Ruslan grinned wickedly. "And in times of war, when the Chief falls, the most senior member of the army takes command. I think for my first act as chief, I'll have you and yer shiny sword cover the army's retreat. At least then you might earn some honour in death, you traitor".
"Traitor?" Rodan's mind was racing. He felt something light, and unseen, nestle itself inside his coat, but he was too distracted to pay it mind.
"Oh come on, you and that long-eared runt disappear the same night an army of demons attack? I don't know if he bewitched you with his Hylian sorcery, or if you're just a naive little fool, but make no mistake, once we regroup, Valderich and all of Hyrule will pay for this treachery. Startin' with that Link once I get my hands on him. I knew we should have wrung his neck when we had the chance" Ruslan spat, all pretences dropped.
Rodan wanted to shout back, to defend himself and his friend who was out there risking his life for Ordon, but one look at Ruslan's maddened face was enough to convince him to save his breath. With the Chief on the field, they'll never respect me. I'm just another kid. Oh Da', I wish you'd stayed in bed where it was safe.
The party had reached what Ruslan had called the mound, though it was little more than a short incline to a small grassy hillock. The bodies of Ordon soldiers littered the foot of the mound, but more still held their position atop it; a forest of spears pointed down the slopes.
"You still have so many men," Rodan said, staring up at them. "Why have you not aided those fightin' in the other districts, or joined my father to bolster the defence?"
"Why waste good men on lost causes?" Ruslan grunted, waving his hand dismissively. "Any survivors left can join us when we fall back. The important thing is that we live to fight another day. Ordon will never die as long as those of us with a warrior spirit remain to fight the good fight".
A rousing cheer went up from the watching soldiers at Ruslan's words, and he beamed, drinking in the adulation. All this did was fuel the fury bubbling up inside Rodan, twisting his stomach and making him tremble with unbridled emotion.
Through gritted teeth, he said, "So, the brave warriors of Ordon…your big plan is to run away…to abandon the village and its people to be burned and beaten and trampled and gods know what else. Our greatest heroes. While our friends and family are slaughtered, you cower here on top of your little hill, abandoning your chief…cheering for this…this snake!". Rodan had never felt rage like this before. Every muscle in his body was screaming out at him to punch something, and Ruslan's smug face made the most inviting target.
He advanced on the wiry warrior, seething. "Of all the arrogant, self-important, two-faced…"
WHACK
The blow from behind made Rodan sink to his knees, his eyes clouded and head swimming. He felt two strong hands pinning his arms to his sides. Blearily, though the rest of the world was dark and fuzzy, he could make out Ruslan's yellowed teeth as he gloated over him.
"Find some rope. It would be a shame if our wannabe chiefling did somethin' stupid. The battlefield isn't safe for dumb, little kids".
Link ducked and weaved between bodies, stabbing left and right, throwing out his boomerang to try and create some space for himself; an opening to allow a brief chance to catch his breath, and observe his surroundings. He needed to find his companions, or Odo, or really any face that didn't have fangs and a snout attached to it. It hadn't taken him long to realise that Rodan and Vaelin were no longer following him, but even still it was too late to do anything about it though he had called for them until his voice was hoarse, as trying to move against the flow of monsters streaming into the village was like trying to swim up a waterfall. Based on what few landmarks he could see over the towering creatures, and his own internal map of the village, he estimated that he must be nearing the front of the procession, though there seemed to be as many monsters around him as ever.
Sweat stung at his eyes, and his limbs were sore and tired. A hot, sticky sensation on his leg told him that his wounds were leaking through the makeshift bandages that Rodan had made for him. Still, he forced his aching arm to raise the heavy sword again and again, spurring himself on through the never-ending horde, to what he hoped was the Ordon defence. He might have taken down fifty, sixty, a hundred monsters on his way, he wasn't sure, and yet it barely seemed to have put a dent in the numbers thronging the little village streets, and it certainly hadn't impacted the ferocity with which they swarmed on, raiding and burning and killing.
The gale boomerang whistled through the air, spewing forth forceful winds, blasting monsters aside. Through the small gap in the bodies it created, Link spotted something in the distance. Apart from the rest of the pack, a gang of Bokoblins had amassed in a circle, all their attention focused on whatever they had surrounded. A terrified cry for help cut through the din and spurred Link into action. He burst forward. Monsters stepped in front of him, trying to close the breach he had made with the boomerang, but they too fell upon his blade. Link had seen little of battle since his time in Termina, but the sound of innocent people in danger had awoken in him a strength and ferocity that the Bokoblins had no answer to. Internally, he thanked Rodan and his friends for giving him the chance to train his swordsmanship, even if only briefly. He needed his skills to be at their sharpest right now. How he hoped that they had all escaped the violence unharmed, but there were others who had need of him now.
With a final spin move, the magical attack taught to him by the Great Fairy of Power, obliterating any monster unlucky enough to come into contact with it, he finally broke free of the suffocating crush of bodies. His feet found solid earth, not yet pulped and made boggy by the marching army, and Link used it to push himself forward, reaching top speed even though his leg wound screamed at him to slow down. He bellowed at the mob in his sights, half in pain, half fuelled by the adrenalin and bloodlust that coursed through his body. A few of the creatures turned and squealed, pointing their weapons at their attacker, but it made little difference as Link closed the distance, leapt high into the air and brought his crackling, magic-infused weapons down on the little circle like a bolt of lightning. The fight was over in an instant.
Two young children, a girl who had thrown her body over a younger boy to shield him, timidly looked up from the ground where they were huddled and crying to see that their assailants had all disappeared. In their place, their wide, tearful eyes instead saw the Hero of Time, mud-stained and bleeding, outlined against billowing purple smoke by the golden light of dawn at his back. To them he looked no less than a vengeful god, arriving to answer their prayers. In one trembling hand was his sword, dripping green blood. The other was outstretched towards them.
"It's going to be okay. Are you hurt?". Link forced a gentle smile.
"We're okay" the girl replied shyly as Link helped them to their feet. The little boy, whose mouth was hanging open, seemed too awestruck at the sight of Link to speak.
"Where were you heading before the monsters attacked? Where are your parents?" Link asked, trying to keep his voice calm and soothing, though he kept checking over his shoulder for monsters. It wouldn't take long for them to be spotted out in the open like this.
The girl sniffed noisily and rubbed at her puffy, red eyes.
"We were with Ma'. We got lost when the pig-men came. We were s'posed to be goin' to see Pop-pop when…". A lump had obviously formed in the little girl's throat because her words were choked off.
Pop-pop… A light went off in Link's head. "Is your grandfather Odo by any chance?"
The two children nodded in unison.
"Great, I'm going to see him too! Will you come with me? I promise to keep you both safe".
The little boy again nodded excitedly. The girl seemed to deliberate on the matter for a moment, then slowly, she nodded too.
"I'm glad," Link said, flashing another smile at them. "What are your names?"
"Well my name is Marlotine, but you should call me Tina. Ma' only uses my real name when she's mad. This is my brother, Gilly".
Link squatted down next to the children. The movement sent shocks of pain through his leg but he made sure it didn't show on his face.
"Tina, you've done an amazing job looking after your little brother. I wish I had a big sister like you. I need you to keep him safe just a little longer. If we get attacked, you take him and hide while I fight them off, okay?
"Okay" Tina nodded, a little confidence coming into her voice now.
Link stood up, and held out his hand again.
"Good. Tina, you take my hand, and then hold on to Gilly tightly. We're going to stay right next to each other the whole way".
"Wait", Tina said suddenly, "I can't hold your hand".
"Why not?" Link asked, puzzled.
"Well…well because…you're…A BOY!" she said, flustered. "Pop-pop says I'm too young to hold hands with boys".
Link smiled again, this time out of genuine amusement. Gilly snickered too.
"Well, your Pop-pop is a smart man, but I'm his friend and I think he'd make an exception this time, don't you?
Again, Tina chewed this over but eventually she nodded and gingerly took Link's hand and the little band of children set off for Odo's house, and they hoped, safety.
Link led the two smaller children to the wooded outskirts of the village, where they had least had some protection from the hungry eyes of the horde. They slunk between the trunks, hiding in the shade of the tall trees, but with every passing second the sun rose higher in the sky, eliminating their scant cover.
Thank the Goddesses these monsters aren't the brightest or most observant, Link thought to himself as they pressed themselves against a tree, hiding as a pack of Bokoblins lumbered past whooping and hollering. I promised these kids I'd protect them, but I'm not at full strength, and if a large enough group of them spotted us… He didn't care to finish the thought.
They made their way, slowly, carefully, quietly forwards. Tina and Gully would gasp and cover their eyes at some of the carnage they saw. Burning houses, dead bodies, ravenous monsters, spittle frothing at their mouths as they cackled wickedly. Link felt pity stab at his heart as he looked at Odo's trembling grandchildren. No kid should have to suffer this. I suppose Tina's not much younger than I was when I left Kokiri forest but still… it's not right. Seeing how small and frail they both were, Link thought back to that day, when he discovered his own destiny. How tiny I must have seemed to the Great Deku tree. And yet he entrusted me with the fate of the entire world. How must he have felt then I wonder?
"Not much farther now" he said as cheerily as he could manage. "You've both been so brave".
They had come to the far edge of the village. Still though, the sights and sounds of battle were everywhere.
"Look, it's Pop-pop's house!" Tina said, suddenly pointing.
Link saw that they had indeed arrived at his home/prison for the last six months. He was overwhelmingly relieved to see that it had escaped the flames that had claimed so many other houses thus far. But it wasn't free of danger. In fact, it seemed to be the source of much of the commotion they had heard on their journey.
A whole crowd of Bokoblins had camped along the path leading to the house, with more joining from the main host every second. Monsters swarmed towards the front door, brandishing torches and weapons, but just as they seemed certain to reach the house, they would suddenly be peppered with arrows from somewhere up high. Link scanned the boughs of the tree the house was built into and saw archers peeking out from the round windows, raining a continuous stream of arrows down on the invaders.
"There's Uncle Kaleb!" Tina squeaked excitedly, stepping forward and waving frantically at a brawny archer in one of the windows. Link pulled her back quickly and put a finger to his lips.
"We're almost there now but it's still dangerous. We just need to be quiet until we can find a way inside".
He turned back and, crouching behind a tree, surveyed the scene. The archers were keeping the monsters at bay for now, but with more arriving all the time, it wouldn't be long until they were overwhelmed, or ran out of arrows.
"How do we get past all those monsters?" he murmured to himself in frustration.
"I know how!" Gilly suddenly spoke up brightly.
Link was taken aback. It was the first words he had heard the young boy speak. "You do?"
"Pop-pop's house has a secret door in the basement. He showed me once'' Gilly chattered excitedly, seemingly pleased to be of use. "He said it's for escapin' from nosy neighbours'…oh only, I wasn't s'posed to tell anyone 'bout it".
"No, I'm glad you did!" Link said, coming over and clapping him on the shoulder. "Where's the entrance, can you show me?
Gilly nodded eagerly and pointed to a clump of trees to the rear of the house. Link took the children's hands again and together, led by Gilly, they tip-toed away from the battle, to the hidden door to Odo's cellar.