CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Another Passing
Smoke could be seen over the horizon. Derek and Jacob ran forward, fearing the worst. Nothing could prepare them for this.
As they neared Kakariko Village, Sarah ran towards them, fire and destruction her backdrop. She was sobbing uncontrollably. She was limping; her leather outfit was torn in several places. She ran into Jacob's arms and began to sob onto his shoulder.
"What happened?" Jacob asked.
"The Gerudo attacked, they killed most of the Hylians." She said in between sobs. Derek stepped forward.
"Where's Anastriana?" Derek asked, fearful of the answer.
Sarah sobbed more. "They took her."
Derek looked to her. "Which way did they go?"
"South."
Derek ran off, Jacob cried to him but it was to no avail. Derek jumped up onto a horse and rode past a group of Sheikah putting out fires.
"Stay here, I'll be back." He yelled to Jacob and Sarah. He kicked the horse to go faster and rode hard into the desert.
"C'mon, let's get you laying down," Jacob said to Sarah as it looked at the gash across her stomach. He carried her into one of the tents nearby and laid her down on a cot. He looked at the tattoo on her stomach and noticed for the first time that it was similar to the Kokiri symbol. He let it go for now and went to examining her cut.
* * *
The sun had already begun to set as Derek's tanned steed raced off. He could barely see for the sun and the tears in his eyes. He could only imagine what had happened to her.
The stone mesas and rocky terrain raced past in a blur, it had been almost an hour since he left the village. On the horizon Derek could see a woman walking. He pressed his horse faster and came up on the woman. She cut her eyes over to him, but continued to walk forward. Derek brought his steed to walk at pace with the woman, she wore a cape and cowl over an off- white tunic and pants. Her hood was set back on her head, showing her red hair and small ears.
"Excuse me?" Derek said. The woman turned her head and answered in rough English. "What?"
* * *
Jacob and Sarah lay in a spoon position on the cot. Jacob had his am over Sarah's waist. In Jacob's mind, a dream of Sarah, she stood before him, her arms outstretched towards him. He ran forth, but as he neared., her black highlights stretched and her green hair was black. Black raven's wings stretched from her back and stretched out. Jacob stopped; her hands came close to her chest, as if to hold an invisible weapon. Then, as if to remedy it, a wooden shaft appeared in her hands, and from the top sprang a giant scythe blade, shining in the unseen moon's light.
Jacob stepped back, the winged being arched the scythe over her head, then, smiling devilishly, brought it crashing down on Jacob's head.
Jacob's eyes opened, he looked around, Sarah was still next to him, curled in a ball, Jacob smiled, and then closed his eyes again.
* * *
Derek crouched on a ledge above the Gerudo camp, the sun had set and night crept forward. A chill ran through the air.
He watched the camp as he slipped off his armour; he wanted stealth in the mission. He slipped his axe onto his belt then began to climb down the ledge. The sharp rocks bit into his palms as his clambered down.
His feet finally touched ground, and in that same instant he dropped into a prone position. He surveyed his surroundings and the camp.
The encampment was not much; small dome tents and huts surrounding a large pit fire. Several troops surrounded the fire; all of them were female. Derek eased closer, staying low in a prone position. As he neared the camp, a large male came out of the largest hut. He had green tinted skin and flaming red hair. Derek stopped and listened as he barked orders to the ones sitting around the camp. The women immediately jumped up and listened intently. He spoke in a strange language. The women ran off, obeying whatever orders the male had given them. The larger male mounted a large black steed and rode off and Derek eased closer yet again, as he neared this time, faint screams reached his ears. He followed the wails until he came to a hut annexed from the rest. He peered around the edge to witness a couple of redheads leave.
Derek raised his axe and etched a hole into the hut, then kicked it in and stepped through.
Anastriana was there, bruised and beaten and bleeding. She was shackled to the hard ground. Derek rushed over to her, lifting the axe, he severed the chains that held her to the dirt. He then dropped the axe and lifted her into his lap as he knelt down next to her.
Her eyes slowly peeled open, her iced gaze met his.
"Derek?" she said weakly.
"I'm here." Derek said, he held her close, he could feel her muscles tense up as she struggled for breath.
"I'm sorry." Anastriana said.
"For what?" Derek whispered.
"For what I did. I never really wanted to hurt you. I was... just... afraid."
"Don't worry about it, I'm going to get you out of here." Derek said. He attempted to lift her but she stopped him.
"Don't ." She urged, "Just know that..." her breath was beginning to shorten. "...I love..." Her eyes clouded and she fell limp in Derek's arms, her last breath escaping her body.
Tears welled up in Derek's eyes but were squinted away. "I love you." He said through clenched teeth. Then a shadow fell upon his face, sadness and depression was replaced with anger and rage. His eyes looked to the hut's exit, darkness filled his eyes, hatred, ferocity, all filled him.
* * *
Jacob sat up, he watched as the orange sky surrounded a beautiful Hylian sunrise.
"Well, it's not home, but it is still beautiful." He mused to himself. On the horizon though, Jacob spotted a trail of dust, upon closer look, it was someone on horseback. Derek.
Jacob ran towards him but stopped as he noticed that Derek was not slowing. Sarah ran up and pulled Jacob aside as Derek's horse sped past.
Jacob and Sarah watched as Derek pulled to a stop. He jumped off the horse, his bloodied axe hung from his belt. He lifted a large bundle from the horse's back and lifted into his arms and carried it inside.
"I'll go talk to him." Sarah said as she walked forward. She ran to the entrance and stopped. She saw Anastriana's body lying there, Derek sobbing in the corner, a bloody axe by his side along with Anastriana's rapier; also bloodied.
"Derek." Sarah said quietly. Derek looked up; his reddened eyes gave way to his depression and fatigue. "Are you okay?"
Derek shook his head. Sarah walked over to him and knelt in front of him. "What happened?"
"They killed her." He said inaudibly.
"Is that all?"
Derek shook his head again. He looked at the bloodied weapons, "I killed them. All of them." He sniffed. "I'm a murderer." Sarah wrapped him in a warm embrace as he broke into more sobs.
* * *
Sarah Garrison, Derek Noble and Jacob Swanson stood side by side, many of the surviving Hylians stood behind them. They stood before a freshly dug grave and a headstone, mourning Anastriana's passing.
Derek walked forward, the axe and rapier tucked in his belt, now adorned in his armour again. He knelt and placed a bouquet of Hylian Lotus on top of the grave.
"You were a great warrior, you fought bravely, you helped us when we needed it. May you succeed further." Derek said quietly. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you." He stood and stepped back to fall into rank with his companions. Then, four Hylians stepped forward and commenced in giving their Prayer.
"May Nayru give you wisdom to find your way through."
"May Farore give you Courage to push forward."
"May Din give you power to succeed."
"May the Goddesses watch over you and lead you to the Fields."
Jacob turned to Derek and took his hand into his own and held it palm up and in it he placed Anastriana's Triforce pendant in his palm and closed Derek's fist around it. "You can have it to remember her by." Derek looked away as one last tear ran down his cheek.
"Thank you."
* * *
Derek watched as Jacob held the Chronoscepter before him, calling for Ashla's power.
The familiar blue light surrounded the three journeyers. Derek watched as the blue tinted surroundings slowly disintegrated, after that it was black. Derek looked down and gasped at what was rushing up to meet him.
They were falling into an ocean.
Smoke could be seen over the horizon. Derek and Jacob ran forward, fearing the worst. Nothing could prepare them for this.
As they neared Kakariko Village, Sarah ran towards them, fire and destruction her backdrop. She was sobbing uncontrollably. She was limping; her leather outfit was torn in several places. She ran into Jacob's arms and began to sob onto his shoulder.
"What happened?" Jacob asked.
"The Gerudo attacked, they killed most of the Hylians." She said in between sobs. Derek stepped forward.
"Where's Anastriana?" Derek asked, fearful of the answer.
Sarah sobbed more. "They took her."
Derek looked to her. "Which way did they go?"
"South."
Derek ran off, Jacob cried to him but it was to no avail. Derek jumped up onto a horse and rode past a group of Sheikah putting out fires.
"Stay here, I'll be back." He yelled to Jacob and Sarah. He kicked the horse to go faster and rode hard into the desert.
"C'mon, let's get you laying down," Jacob said to Sarah as it looked at the gash across her stomach. He carried her into one of the tents nearby and laid her down on a cot. He looked at the tattoo on her stomach and noticed for the first time that it was similar to the Kokiri symbol. He let it go for now and went to examining her cut.
* * *
The sun had already begun to set as Derek's tanned steed raced off. He could barely see for the sun and the tears in his eyes. He could only imagine what had happened to her.
The stone mesas and rocky terrain raced past in a blur, it had been almost an hour since he left the village. On the horizon Derek could see a woman walking. He pressed his horse faster and came up on the woman. She cut her eyes over to him, but continued to walk forward. Derek brought his steed to walk at pace with the woman, she wore a cape and cowl over an off- white tunic and pants. Her hood was set back on her head, showing her red hair and small ears.
"Excuse me?" Derek said. The woman turned her head and answered in rough English. "What?"
* * *
Jacob and Sarah lay in a spoon position on the cot. Jacob had his am over Sarah's waist. In Jacob's mind, a dream of Sarah, she stood before him, her arms outstretched towards him. He ran forth, but as he neared., her black highlights stretched and her green hair was black. Black raven's wings stretched from her back and stretched out. Jacob stopped; her hands came close to her chest, as if to hold an invisible weapon. Then, as if to remedy it, a wooden shaft appeared in her hands, and from the top sprang a giant scythe blade, shining in the unseen moon's light.
Jacob stepped back, the winged being arched the scythe over her head, then, smiling devilishly, brought it crashing down on Jacob's head.
Jacob's eyes opened, he looked around, Sarah was still next to him, curled in a ball, Jacob smiled, and then closed his eyes again.
* * *
Derek crouched on a ledge above the Gerudo camp, the sun had set and night crept forward. A chill ran through the air.
He watched the camp as he slipped off his armour; he wanted stealth in the mission. He slipped his axe onto his belt then began to climb down the ledge. The sharp rocks bit into his palms as his clambered down.
His feet finally touched ground, and in that same instant he dropped into a prone position. He surveyed his surroundings and the camp.
The encampment was not much; small dome tents and huts surrounding a large pit fire. Several troops surrounded the fire; all of them were female. Derek eased closer, staying low in a prone position. As he neared the camp, a large male came out of the largest hut. He had green tinted skin and flaming red hair. Derek stopped and listened as he barked orders to the ones sitting around the camp. The women immediately jumped up and listened intently. He spoke in a strange language. The women ran off, obeying whatever orders the male had given them. The larger male mounted a large black steed and rode off and Derek eased closer yet again, as he neared this time, faint screams reached his ears. He followed the wails until he came to a hut annexed from the rest. He peered around the edge to witness a couple of redheads leave.
Derek raised his axe and etched a hole into the hut, then kicked it in and stepped through.
Anastriana was there, bruised and beaten and bleeding. She was shackled to the hard ground. Derek rushed over to her, lifting the axe, he severed the chains that held her to the dirt. He then dropped the axe and lifted her into his lap as he knelt down next to her.
Her eyes slowly peeled open, her iced gaze met his.
"Derek?" she said weakly.
"I'm here." Derek said, he held her close, he could feel her muscles tense up as she struggled for breath.
"I'm sorry." Anastriana said.
"For what?" Derek whispered.
"For what I did. I never really wanted to hurt you. I was... just... afraid."
"Don't worry about it, I'm going to get you out of here." Derek said. He attempted to lift her but she stopped him.
"Don't ." She urged, "Just know that..." her breath was beginning to shorten. "...I love..." Her eyes clouded and she fell limp in Derek's arms, her last breath escaping her body.
Tears welled up in Derek's eyes but were squinted away. "I love you." He said through clenched teeth. Then a shadow fell upon his face, sadness and depression was replaced with anger and rage. His eyes looked to the hut's exit, darkness filled his eyes, hatred, ferocity, all filled him.
* * *
Jacob sat up, he watched as the orange sky surrounded a beautiful Hylian sunrise.
"Well, it's not home, but it is still beautiful." He mused to himself. On the horizon though, Jacob spotted a trail of dust, upon closer look, it was someone on horseback. Derek.
Jacob ran towards him but stopped as he noticed that Derek was not slowing. Sarah ran up and pulled Jacob aside as Derek's horse sped past.
Jacob and Sarah watched as Derek pulled to a stop. He jumped off the horse, his bloodied axe hung from his belt. He lifted a large bundle from the horse's back and lifted into his arms and carried it inside.
"I'll go talk to him." Sarah said as she walked forward. She ran to the entrance and stopped. She saw Anastriana's body lying there, Derek sobbing in the corner, a bloody axe by his side along with Anastriana's rapier; also bloodied.
"Derek." Sarah said quietly. Derek looked up; his reddened eyes gave way to his depression and fatigue. "Are you okay?"
Derek shook his head. Sarah walked over to him and knelt in front of him. "What happened?"
"They killed her." He said inaudibly.
"Is that all?"
Derek shook his head again. He looked at the bloodied weapons, "I killed them. All of them." He sniffed. "I'm a murderer." Sarah wrapped him in a warm embrace as he broke into more sobs.
* * *
Sarah Garrison, Derek Noble and Jacob Swanson stood side by side, many of the surviving Hylians stood behind them. They stood before a freshly dug grave and a headstone, mourning Anastriana's passing.
Derek walked forward, the axe and rapier tucked in his belt, now adorned in his armour again. He knelt and placed a bouquet of Hylian Lotus on top of the grave.
"You were a great warrior, you fought bravely, you helped us when we needed it. May you succeed further." Derek said quietly. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you." He stood and stepped back to fall into rank with his companions. Then, four Hylians stepped forward and commenced in giving their Prayer.
"May Nayru give you wisdom to find your way through."
"May Farore give you Courage to push forward."
"May Din give you power to succeed."
"May the Goddesses watch over you and lead you to the Fields."
Jacob turned to Derek and took his hand into his own and held it palm up and in it he placed Anastriana's Triforce pendant in his palm and closed Derek's fist around it. "You can have it to remember her by." Derek looked away as one last tear ran down his cheek.
"Thank you."
* * *
Derek watched as Jacob held the Chronoscepter before him, calling for Ashla's power.
The familiar blue light surrounded the three journeyers. Derek watched as the blue tinted surroundings slowly disintegrated, after that it was black. Derek looked down and gasped at what was rushing up to meet him.
They were falling into an ocean.