Waiting Seven Years
Written by Becki
(C) Legend of Zelda: Ocarina of Time
All ideas and characters (except Kiehs) belongs to Nintendo.
Year Two:
My memory just vaguely remembers those days upon finding my lodge. I learned so much from Kiehs, not from his words but his actions. He was one of few words, soft-spoken, but I knew he had a quick wit. He gave his music as simply as the forest gave life. I learned the magic of music, as well as some spells of the Sheikah Kiehs was willing to share.
And I found time had passed so quickly. It was just one quarter of a moon until a year since the siege of the palace. I knew I had little time. I knew not of what had happened to Link, and I knew he knew nothing of my fate. It was impossible for him to find where I was, the forest hiding me and the Sheikah's magic disguising.
I told Kiehs I needed to gather information. There was a time when nightmares in my sleep grew. I knew I couldn't hide forever, but I was afraid. Kiehs did me a great relief by offering to accompany me. He knew these lands better than I did, which to me seemed ironic because I was to rule it someday. Someday..
I would not waste any more time. A year had already passed before I could blink. But it had not gone for naught, I knew many things I had not known upon leaving the palace. I knew few spells held sacred to the Sheikah. One spell Kiehs called Glamour, the ability to use one's channel of magic to place a shield of illusions on themselves. I could easily change my appearance with such magic. When he told me of it, I was alarmed.
"How can I know that how you stand before me now is truly your appearance since birth?" I queried incredulously. He simply raised an eyebrow at me.
"You don't." It mattered little, but I was still shocked. I suppose if I had the eyes of truth like he did, I would know how he truly looked. But I doubted he was using the Glamour this whole time, it was impossible. Glamour drained your magic rapidly. I was told to use it lightly.
I had also learned to fight. I knew a few weaponry spells learned at the castle by my tutor, but physical fighting was far different. I had a short dagger adorned with the Sheikah's eye symbol clasped at my side, and a pocket of long throwing needles. Both were weapons of an assassin, quick, deadly, silent. My hands and fingers were covered in thick bandages for handling the needles, and the once soft skin of my palms were hard with blisters.
It was time. I stood at the edge of the circle of our enormous trees, swallowing the large lump of fear in my throat. Iarth stood next to Kiehs, panting heavily as the Sheikah pet him. The dog had grown used to me and accepted the fact that I would not leave for a while. He even let me pet him once, but all of his attention was towards Kiehs.
"Ready?" I said softly. It was dark, one of those starless, moonless nights. If we were to sneak back into Hyrule Market, it would be during a time nobody and nothing could see us. Things have changed, I knew. No more music in the square, nor would there be any liveliness from the people.
Kiehs did not respond. He simply whispered something to the dog, drew his dark cloak around himself. I did the same. Iarth winced once and sat obediently on his haunches.
Tracing the path of the trees, the two of us trailed through the forest. I followed him carefully, keeping my fear quenched deep inside. It was harder for me to navigate in the dark.
The only time I stopped was when I heard a deep howl echo through the trees. I froze, it sounded so close. I swore I saw something move, but before I did anything, I felt Kiehs' strong grip clamp around by wrist and pull me along.
I kept his pace, I wasn't sure whether he was slowing down to adjust to mine or my agility had suddenly quickened. Whatever it be, I had no trouble keeping up with him. My hair constantly went into my eyes as I ran, and I irritably wiped it off my brow. The night was strangely still.
When we reached the outskirts of the forest, I immediately heard the Zora's river. It was still dark, I couldn't see a thing. Kiehs seemed to be aware of this, and whispered a few words I couldn't catch under his breath. A small globe of light ignited above our heads, as bright as a firefly, subtle yet durable. It reminded me of the fairies of the forest. The fairies that were like a sphere of light with delicate wings as a dragonfly.
As I followed him, the light followed us. I remembered this path as it had been the path Impa and I had taken just a year ago. I thought of her often, I wondered what worry I had caused her. As of now, she could have thought me dead.
I shuddered off the guilt and focused on keeping up with Kiehs. We would reach the castle by midnight, he had told me. I couldn't help but feel apprehensive at the thought. Midnight, at a night so still I could hear my own heart shudder. Something.. wasn't right.
When I saw the castle coming fast, I felt all fears fall with a silent crash. The thought was indeed terrible enough, but when I actually had to return to this place--the home I had been forced out of--it was far worse. Both Kiehs and I were prepared to fight if need be, but first, we would have to scale the walls to get in.
Ah, but only one of the two was really necessary. I saw in surprised as we approached how the drawbridge had split in the middle. The chains had broken, the links had fallen into the murky waters of the moat. I shuddered, and looked to Kiehs as we hesitated. He quenched the light by catching it in his hand with a simple word, and looked through the gate.
"Let's go." He said so soft I thought the words lost in the wind. He hurried across the caved in bridge with his cloak flashing behind him. I nodded gently although nobody could see, and followed suit.
What horrors do one witness when returning to their hometown to see it in ruins? How could I stop the overwhelming sadness as I saw what destruction had been done in a single year? I stared appalled at the blackness of the town, my own town. The signs creaked above the doors on the shops, the ground was covered and black. I half-expected to see corpses decorating each corner. I was not far from wrong.
"Behind you!" Kiehs hissed.
Something with a high pitched voice screamed behind me, my ears vibrating with that horrendous sound. Instinctively my hand reached for the dagger that hung at my waist, and I slid it out with trembling hands and swung around with the blade before me. Successfully the blade sliced through flesh, I shuddered and expected the warm crimson flow to flood my hands. None came.
As my eyes adjusted I saw dark holes as the eyes. Scars at the hollow, gaunt cheeks and a short, gaping mouth. Instantly I pulled back with my knife as I stared in horror. It blindly groped for me with long, bone-less arms and I covered my mouth to stop a frightened and astonished yell.
Kiehs acted as I was clearly unable to. In a swift dance-like assault, his blade drew over the dead flesh of the creature. Black stripes covered the brown corpse, but blood did not spill. When his last blow landed, he pulled back with his blade clean. With a shaky groan, the monster fell to the ground, and slumped.
"That was stupid." He said bluntly, keeping his blade out. I recovered, my hand still over my mouth.
"I-I'm sorry. I should have acted." I said humbly, staring at the figure then finally tearing my eyes away. "What was that..?" My hood was undone, my tied gold hair spilling over my shoulders.
"Living dead." He said as I blinked at him. "Redead. They have no thoughts, no emotion. They crave life, they need it. But as much life as they take, they never receive it." Suddenly, he turned jerkily away, then looked back at me. "Come, something stirs." Together we headed down through the once bright court, to go towards the castle.
I saw how burned the buildings were, and how dust and soot together mingled on the ground and polluted the wind. As we passed through darkness and shadow, I kept my eyes on my companion's back, unable to look anywhere else. But what I feared most--but was expecting-- was what had happened to the Castle of Hyrule itself.
Come..
I stopped upon hearing the words in my head. The words were strangely voiceless, I couldn't identify the gender nor any traits of the person who had spoken it. It couldn't be my imagination, I knew it wasn't. An invitation.
When Kiehs didn't hear me run after him, he stopped also and looked at me with questioning eyes. I hardly noticed, because I heard it again.
Come..
"What are you doing?" The Sheikah asked me, his voice hushed, but tight. I turned away, feeling slightly dizzy.
"The.. temple.." I said softly. My eyes looked straight towards the Temple of Time above those dark steps. It, unlike the rest of the town, was untouched. As if invisible hands were leading me, I approached the steps.
"What--" Kiehs began, but I cut him of softly.
"Someone.. is calling.." I was at the top of the steps, I didn't know whether he planned to follow me or not. I looked up at the temple, that bright building reaching for the foggy sky. The symbol of the Triforce was borne above the tall doors. I stood there longer than I had thought, watching that divine symbol, as if expecting something to suddenly happen to it.
Why do you wait?
"It could be a trap." I heard Kiehs' voice behind me. I wasn't sure whether he too had heard the beckon, but I completely ignored his warning. One step, then another. I found myself just before the temple's doors. The Triforce almost glimmered, my hand was weary. I heard Kiehs' almost silent footsteps behind me, and I hesitated no longer.
My foot came down on smooth marble floors. I looked up in mild surprise as three lights caught my eyes. Three differently colored lights which sparkled upon the once-empty altar. I smiled in reminiscence. Kiehs drew in a breath, and I continued forward.
Even in these days of darkness, the Temple of Time was preserved. No evil could taint this place, built by the ancient sages. When I was close enough to touch the three gems on the onyx, I reread the words scratched on the altar. I closed my eyes and hummed the tune in my head. I heard the ocarina's fluid-like voice, I imagined the three Spiritual stones set into place, and the Door opening to welcome it's holder.
But what happened next? Stepping to the side, I climbed up the steps and looked down the wide area the Door of Time once occupied. I saw an eerie light spill down up ahead, and my curiosity swelled. I almost ran forward to see what was there, in this chamber that had been locked away from Hylians for centuries.
A platform was situated in the magnificent chamber. A carved piece of stone stood up in the center, and Triforces decorated both platform and stone. When I stepped closer to see, there was a slit in the stone, it looked designed to hold something of some kind.
Princess.
Shocked, I turned around a little to quickly. The room was completely empty excluding Kiehs and myself, but the voice was vivid now. I could identify some qualities of the voice, stern, serious but yet encouraging. But how could this person know my title? I spoke out loud to respond to the voice that had brought me here.
"Who are you? Show yourself!" I twisted my head to see if perhaps there was some figure in the shadows, hidden from view. Kiehs' hand was on the hilt of his blade.
Do not be startled. The voice ordered me. You will see me soon enough.
I felt magic, strong magic circle around us, at the edge of the platform. How stupid I had been. It must have been a trap as Kiehs had said. I was not strong enough to break the barrier of magic that circled around us now. The light from the magic intensified and grew brighter, a wall of blue surrounded us. I could not see Kiehs, and I couldn't hear him, or the silent screaming protests I made.
When I dared to open my eyes again, I was standing in a room furnished with gold. Engravings and markings of the Triforce decorated the walls, and there was such a warm light. Kiehs stood next to me, and we looked at each other. I had never seen anyplace like this, I didn't recognize it, and it didn't match and descriptions of any places that I had heard.
"What.. is this place?" I felt my brows furrowed in a frown as I searched his expressionless face.
"I'm.. not certain." He replied, his hand still close to his blade. I checked myself to make sure everything was intact. We looked strange, in our dark clothing of the Sheikah in the middle of this golden room.
I studied the chamber, it was rather large. It was a circle shape, and there was an emblem of the sun engraved on the ground. There was a large arc behind us, leading down another gold-plated hall.
"I was expecting you." I jumped uneasily and heard the high ring of Kiehs' blade as it flew out of its sheathe. It was the same voice I had heard in my head, but it was speaking physically now. I tried to trace the owner, and they spoke again. "You came almost too late."
I saw him immediately, it was as if he was standing there the whole time.
An elderly looking man looked back at us with a hard expression. His hair was white, and he was balding, skin was pale. He was a plump man, dressed in a golden smock with frilly white sleeves. He was looking directly at me, and our eyes locked. He stood completely straight.
"Welcome to the Temple of Light." He said in formality's stiffness. "My name is Rauru."
Short chapter! >>;