Chapter Eleven - The Need For Protection
It was not until he had realized that he was not alone, a feeling that he had felt ever since leaving Kokiri. He looked around wondering who or what it could be but as hours passed, he just gave up guessing, knowing that soon he would be confronted by this eerie presence. For now all he could do was go on, towards the mountains and beyond to the marsh.
The sun had fallen hours earlier and darkness covered the world, each step he made brought memories of those nights seven years ago. Remembering the skeleton warriors that would suddenly appear out of nowhere. He wished that he carried his Hylian shield, its protection at the time brought him to believe him to be safe from all those creatures that would attack him. But a greater safety was that of the mirror shield, that would also guard him from dark magic. He found himself in need for a shield, especially now.
Hours had seemed to pass, Link did no t want to waste time resting, especially with the feeling of someone being around him. He was to afraid that whoever it was might cause more harm than good, after fighting evil as much as he did, the feeling of an evil presence is somewhat around him when danger is near.
Links feelings grew deeper so he decided to take out his sword, the blue tint on the blade glistened in the moonlight. Only seconds from taking out his sword a figure suddenly appeared in front of him, Link not knowing what to do put down his sword, but before he had time to ask the stranger who he was, the figure disappeared.
From behind him Link heard breathing, not deep or menacing, thats what was scaring him. Knowing that someone that is relaxed before a battle has no fears of losing so easily. Link raised his blade to protect him, and as he did the first strike hit him hard knocking him back. His grunt was met with a second attack, this time Link lost his footing and stumbled backward, hitting the floor hard.
The shadowed figure suddenly appeared over the fallen Link, stepping over and around the hero, the tip of his dark blade never always pointing at Links face, never moving away.
Link was unable to see his attackers face which was covered by a facial garment, similar to one of the Shiekah. The figure merely gave of a faint moment of laughter. His dark purple eyes showed Link all he wished to know, how much his attacker hated him, and to Links horror, he could sense alot of anger towards him, if only Link knew why.
Hidden in the darkness Links attacker lifted his blade, away from his face and took a few steps away from the fallen Link. His eyes did not move from Links, deeply looking into his soul.
"Get up and pick up your weapon. If we fight it will be fair on both sides."
At first Link was unsure of what was happening, taking the opportunity to regain his composure. Link dashed for his sword, but as he turned from the figure to obtain his sword, to his amazement the shadowed figure was standing in front of him, laughing with his foot on the blade of Links weapon. This settled Links mind giving him the answers he wanted.
"You are a Shiekah!"
The figure took his foot of the blade and stepped back, and before Link could blink the figure was gone. As Link span around to find where he had gone, the figure disappeared once more. No one could be seen but a presence was felt, and a voice was heard.
"What do you know of the Shiekahs, you are not allowed to speak of them, you have no right to say their name. The Shiekahs are your enemy, do not think otherwise."
Link was now very confused, seven years previously and in the alternate present, he was the one who helped the Shiekahs. Impa gave him the title 'Savior of the Shadows.' Why was this man saying otherwise, did he know of Links journey into the darkness, to battle the Redead Lord Bongo Bongo? If not, then he was in trouble, the figure surrounding him was a fine fighter, even more experienced than Link himself.
"Your people have never thought bad of me, I fought and defeated the Redead Lord in the Graveyard entrance to the Shadow Realm. Impa was honored to be in my presence for saving her people. Why do you think otherwise, I have not harmed the Shiekahs, only helped, risking my own soul to protect them."
No reply came, Link used this time to pick up his sword, but as he did the shadowed figure appeared just steps away from him, with his blade ready for an attack, pointing at Links heart.
"I am Shade, son of the Shiekah Lord. I am here to kill the one called Link, the one raised by the Kokiri. For one who brought pain to my people. Your words are nothing but pathetic lies and you will die by my blade, your blood will spill on this night."
Shade lunged at Link, the blades met, the metal deafening the two in battle. Each attack made by Shade, Link did not want to return, he did not want to fight, knowing that Shade was mis-informed. All he did was guard himself as each attack grew stronger. Link was knocked back, and his sword hit hard, being knocked from his hands, leaving the Hero of Time without a weapon, no way to protect himself.
The misty blackened blade of Shades sword brushed against Links skin on nearly every swipe. Each attack grew more and more incontrolled, anger was taking over in this fight. Shade lunges once more knocking Link off balance, Link stumbles and falls back to the floor. Shade looks at Link and laughs, ready to make his final attack upon the fallen hero.
"This is for my people, this is for my mother."
And the blade swiftly moved through the air, Link watching as if his world was once more stuck in time, moving slowly as the blade got closer to his unprotected body. His eyes closed when he realized his fate.
Clank!
"You will not harm Link anymore. He is no Shiekah betrayer, at my mothers commands, you will not touch the 'Hero of Time.'
Shiek stood over Link with his shadow sickle stopping Shades blade from killing the chosen one. Link looked up with relief, his life saved by a friend. Especially one he thought he would not see again, he did not understand why Zelda was dressed up as Shiek again.
Shades blade disappeared in a cloud of mist, and the Shadow Shiekah stepped back, his eyes looking at the two before him, he squinted.
"Believe me, if not for my people, his death will be for my family."
With that Shade disappeared, leaving only a cloud of smoke. Link looked up at Shiek, who had reached down to help him up. As Link looked into his eyes, he noticed something different, this was not Zelda. Who could this be, if not Zelda, who was it?
"You are not Zelda. Who are you?"
Shiek removed his mask and hood, revealing revealing himself to the confused Link. Link did not recognize the face before him, yet did not sense any danger from him.
"I am Shiek, true son of the Shiekahs. My mother Queen Impa sent me to aid you on your journey. Princess Zelda guided me only so far before heading back to Hyrule Castle. She told me to tell you to go on without her, saying you would understand. Please accept my help Hero of Time."
Link looked at the Shiekah before him, remembering what Xylas had told him about the help he would receive from another. Now that Zelda had left, the quest seemed almost doomed to failure. He decided to go no alone.
"Shiek, my journey is one of solitude, you should not come with me, it is dangerous. Leading me through places only in your nightmares, travelling even through time. I thankyou for aiding me in that last battle with Shade, but I cannot ask you to journey with me, I have to do this alone."
The Shiekah just stood and looked upon the weakened figure before him, the supposed Hero of Time. He laughed to himself, putting his mask back on and wrapping his shadow sickle around him.
"It was my destiny to fight the Redead Lord, and you defeated him before I could do so, you interfered in my life, now I must in yours. You have no choice but to accept my aid. I am banished from my home for joining you, so with or without your consent, I will journey with you, through darkness and light, even through time, there is nowhere I wont follow."
With that Link turned and started to walk away from Shiek, in the direction of the mountains in the east. As he walked he shuck his head, stopping in mid-step. He turned to the Shiekah.
"Come on. I hope you will not fear what is ahead of us."
Shiek was not to be seen, and Link noticed something in Shiek that he once felt in Zelda. The two were very similar. And as Link once more turned to continue his journey he noticed Shiek ahead of him.
"Link, lets go, we have no time to talk."
Link laughed to himself upon hearing this and caught up with Shiek, continuing his journey, no longer alone.
Next, Chapter Twelve - Fallen City.
It was not until he had realized that he was not alone, a feeling that he had felt ever since leaving Kokiri. He looked around wondering who or what it could be but as hours passed, he just gave up guessing, knowing that soon he would be confronted by this eerie presence. For now all he could do was go on, towards the mountains and beyond to the marsh.
The sun had fallen hours earlier and darkness covered the world, each step he made brought memories of those nights seven years ago. Remembering the skeleton warriors that would suddenly appear out of nowhere. He wished that he carried his Hylian shield, its protection at the time brought him to believe him to be safe from all those creatures that would attack him. But a greater safety was that of the mirror shield, that would also guard him from dark magic. He found himself in need for a shield, especially now.
Hours had seemed to pass, Link did no t want to waste time resting, especially with the feeling of someone being around him. He was to afraid that whoever it was might cause more harm than good, after fighting evil as much as he did, the feeling of an evil presence is somewhat around him when danger is near.
Links feelings grew deeper so he decided to take out his sword, the blue tint on the blade glistened in the moonlight. Only seconds from taking out his sword a figure suddenly appeared in front of him, Link not knowing what to do put down his sword, but before he had time to ask the stranger who he was, the figure disappeared.
From behind him Link heard breathing, not deep or menacing, thats what was scaring him. Knowing that someone that is relaxed before a battle has no fears of losing so easily. Link raised his blade to protect him, and as he did the first strike hit him hard knocking him back. His grunt was met with a second attack, this time Link lost his footing and stumbled backward, hitting the floor hard.
The shadowed figure suddenly appeared over the fallen Link, stepping over and around the hero, the tip of his dark blade never always pointing at Links face, never moving away.
Link was unable to see his attackers face which was covered by a facial garment, similar to one of the Shiekah. The figure merely gave of a faint moment of laughter. His dark purple eyes showed Link all he wished to know, how much his attacker hated him, and to Links horror, he could sense alot of anger towards him, if only Link knew why.
Hidden in the darkness Links attacker lifted his blade, away from his face and took a few steps away from the fallen Link. His eyes did not move from Links, deeply looking into his soul.
"Get up and pick up your weapon. If we fight it will be fair on both sides."
At first Link was unsure of what was happening, taking the opportunity to regain his composure. Link dashed for his sword, but as he turned from the figure to obtain his sword, to his amazement the shadowed figure was standing in front of him, laughing with his foot on the blade of Links weapon. This settled Links mind giving him the answers he wanted.
"You are a Shiekah!"
The figure took his foot of the blade and stepped back, and before Link could blink the figure was gone. As Link span around to find where he had gone, the figure disappeared once more. No one could be seen but a presence was felt, and a voice was heard.
"What do you know of the Shiekahs, you are not allowed to speak of them, you have no right to say their name. The Shiekahs are your enemy, do not think otherwise."
Link was now very confused, seven years previously and in the alternate present, he was the one who helped the Shiekahs. Impa gave him the title 'Savior of the Shadows.' Why was this man saying otherwise, did he know of Links journey into the darkness, to battle the Redead Lord Bongo Bongo? If not, then he was in trouble, the figure surrounding him was a fine fighter, even more experienced than Link himself.
"Your people have never thought bad of me, I fought and defeated the Redead Lord in the Graveyard entrance to the Shadow Realm. Impa was honored to be in my presence for saving her people. Why do you think otherwise, I have not harmed the Shiekahs, only helped, risking my own soul to protect them."
No reply came, Link used this time to pick up his sword, but as he did the shadowed figure appeared just steps away from him, with his blade ready for an attack, pointing at Links heart.
"I am Shade, son of the Shiekah Lord. I am here to kill the one called Link, the one raised by the Kokiri. For one who brought pain to my people. Your words are nothing but pathetic lies and you will die by my blade, your blood will spill on this night."
Shade lunged at Link, the blades met, the metal deafening the two in battle. Each attack made by Shade, Link did not want to return, he did not want to fight, knowing that Shade was mis-informed. All he did was guard himself as each attack grew stronger. Link was knocked back, and his sword hit hard, being knocked from his hands, leaving the Hero of Time without a weapon, no way to protect himself.
The misty blackened blade of Shades sword brushed against Links skin on nearly every swipe. Each attack grew more and more incontrolled, anger was taking over in this fight. Shade lunges once more knocking Link off balance, Link stumbles and falls back to the floor. Shade looks at Link and laughs, ready to make his final attack upon the fallen hero.
"This is for my people, this is for my mother."
And the blade swiftly moved through the air, Link watching as if his world was once more stuck in time, moving slowly as the blade got closer to his unprotected body. His eyes closed when he realized his fate.
Clank!
"You will not harm Link anymore. He is no Shiekah betrayer, at my mothers commands, you will not touch the 'Hero of Time.'
Shiek stood over Link with his shadow sickle stopping Shades blade from killing the chosen one. Link looked up with relief, his life saved by a friend. Especially one he thought he would not see again, he did not understand why Zelda was dressed up as Shiek again.
Shades blade disappeared in a cloud of mist, and the Shadow Shiekah stepped back, his eyes looking at the two before him, he squinted.
"Believe me, if not for my people, his death will be for my family."
With that Shade disappeared, leaving only a cloud of smoke. Link looked up at Shiek, who had reached down to help him up. As Link looked into his eyes, he noticed something different, this was not Zelda. Who could this be, if not Zelda, who was it?
"You are not Zelda. Who are you?"
Shiek removed his mask and hood, revealing revealing himself to the confused Link. Link did not recognize the face before him, yet did not sense any danger from him.
"I am Shiek, true son of the Shiekahs. My mother Queen Impa sent me to aid you on your journey. Princess Zelda guided me only so far before heading back to Hyrule Castle. She told me to tell you to go on without her, saying you would understand. Please accept my help Hero of Time."
Link looked at the Shiekah before him, remembering what Xylas had told him about the help he would receive from another. Now that Zelda had left, the quest seemed almost doomed to failure. He decided to go no alone.
"Shiek, my journey is one of solitude, you should not come with me, it is dangerous. Leading me through places only in your nightmares, travelling even through time. I thankyou for aiding me in that last battle with Shade, but I cannot ask you to journey with me, I have to do this alone."
The Shiekah just stood and looked upon the weakened figure before him, the supposed Hero of Time. He laughed to himself, putting his mask back on and wrapping his shadow sickle around him.
"It was my destiny to fight the Redead Lord, and you defeated him before I could do so, you interfered in my life, now I must in yours. You have no choice but to accept my aid. I am banished from my home for joining you, so with or without your consent, I will journey with you, through darkness and light, even through time, there is nowhere I wont follow."
With that Link turned and started to walk away from Shiek, in the direction of the mountains in the east. As he walked he shuck his head, stopping in mid-step. He turned to the Shiekah.
"Come on. I hope you will not fear what is ahead of us."
Shiek was not to be seen, and Link noticed something in Shiek that he once felt in Zelda. The two were very similar. And as Link once more turned to continue his journey he noticed Shiek ahead of him.
"Link, lets go, we have no time to talk."
Link laughed to himself upon hearing this and caught up with Shiek, continuing his journey, no longer alone.
Next, Chapter Twelve - Fallen City.