Disclaimer:
The Legend of Zelda is property of Nintendo.
Author's Notes:
Okay, so here's the deal. In a desperate attempt to attract more reviewers, I'm going on a writing blitz. Everyone can expect the next few chapters each done in two days or less. Now that the real story's starting, I can write new material faster than usual. I'll try to make sure these chapters aren't rushed, though. I'll never say I'm going to quit because I'm not getting reviews, since that's not fair to my loyal readers and reviewers (you guys, and girls, are awesome!). I had a few ideas to get my review count up. One of them was kind of underhanded. I realized that if I wrote really short chapters, those people that review every chapter would review more often and I'd update really fast and get more reviews. That seemed kind of cheap, though, and I don't want to exploit my loyal reviewers. So, I decided to use the second plan and keep the chapters long but still update fast. I'm going to try to keep my story on the front page for as long as possible so it'll be noticed by more people who are just browsing the site. I'm new at this, but maybe reviews just don't come until the story is pretty far along. I don't know.
Anyways, I hope everyone enjoys the chapter and PLEASE REVIEW!
The Legend of Zelda: The War of Power
Chapter 9: Two Paths Collide
"You let them what!?" Gahoch yelled at a terrified assassin.
"They got away, sir," the Solatian assassin said quietly.
"How could one boy and a princess escape two-hundred trained assassins!?" the sorcerer screamed, "You are a disgrace to the entire nation of Solatia! The princess must die!"
"I'm sorry, sir," the assassin said, "but they escaped on a horse, and we had no means of catching them." Gahoch turned his back to the man and fumed silently.
"Sir?" the assassin asked, his voice trembling. Gahoch suddenly screamed, whirled around and shot the man in the stomach with a blast of energy from his staff. The Solatian fell over, dead.
"He will disgrace me no longer," the sorcerer said, gazing at the still body.
"My apprentice," a voice said from within Gahoch's mind, "You have done your job. It is time for you to return."
"No!" the sorcerer yelled, "The princess still lives!"
"Her time will come," the voice said, "But you and the assassins must return to Solatia and prepare for the war. You may be stronger now, but I warn you not to disobey me."
"Yes master," Gahoch said, defeated, as another swirling vortex appeared above Castle Town. The sorcerer and the remaining assassins were lifted into the air and disappeared into the portal, leaving the people of the town confused and frightened.
***
Two days earlier
"So Solatia's going to attack Hyrule?" Hawehn asked. Amir nodded. "And there's already a team of spies and a sorcerer who have infiltrated Castle Town?"
"Yes," the Calatian said, "If I've been out for three days, they're most likely already in the castle or the surrounding area and they may have already accomplished their task. And I doubt they would have been recognized as Solatians; that sorcerer was powerful and he probably disguised them."
"This isn't good," Hawehn said, stating the obvious, "Hyrule's completely unprepared. We'll be wiped out."
"That's why I need to get to the castle," Amir said, "I can't wait until I get in prime condition."
"You can't even move," the woman said, "There's nothing you can do until you can at least ride a horse."
"I know," the man sighed, defeated. The two sat in silence for a time, their thoughts centered on the problem at hand.
"I'll go," Hawehn said decisively, "I can make it to-"
"No," Amir said, cutting her off, "I will not let you risk your life. I am planning on meeting the sorcerer once again on this journey, for he would not let Solatia's plan be so easily ruined."
"We have no choice," the woman said, "If the king is not informed of the plan, Hyrule will fall in an instant. We cannot wait until you recover."
"We?" Amir asked, raising an eyebrow. Hawehn blushed slightly.
"Well, yeah," she started, "I thought that if you were going to go, I could, um, come with you or something."
"No," the Calatian said, "You've done far too much for me already. It is my duty now to return the favor and protect you."
"Look," Hawehn said, narrowing her eyes, "I am free to do what I want. I am under no obligation to listen to some stranger I just happened to find nearly dead on some rocks."
"I'm sorry," Amir asked, "I didn't mean to offend you. I just don't want you to get hurt."
"Oh," the woman said, "Well, thank you."
"You're welcome," the man said as he got up from the bed, "I'll have to be going now." Hawehn just stared at him, amazed.
"How," she started, "How can you move already?"
"I don't know," Amir answered truthfully, "Maybe it was the soup, or maybe I just heal fast. At any rate, it's been a pleasure, and I'm sorry to leave but I have to do this."
"I know," Hawehn said, "But it was nice to have some friendly company. If you wait for another hour, I'll get my father to let you borrow a horse."
"I'll walk," the Calatian said, "I don't want you to go through any more trouble."
"No, I insist," the woman said, "A horse will make the trip a lot faster, and even then it's a good two day's journey to Hyrule Castle Town."
"Alright," Amir said. He then looked down at his bare torso. "Um, excuse me," he said awkwardly, "But would you happen to have my clothes?"
"Oh," Hawehn said, blushing again when she too noticed the man's shirt was missing, "Sorry, I took it off so I could work on those wounds, and I forgot about it." She promptly left the room, embarrassed, and returned a moment later with Amir's tunic.
"I mended it while you were sleeping," she said, "It was torn up pretty badly, but I managed to get it together. I would have just given you one of my father's shirts, but you're a rather large man, and we didn't have anything that would fit."
"Once again, thank you," Amir said kindly as he donned his tunic and slipped his sheath and sword over his back.
"No problem," Hawehn said, then added, "Now that you're somewhat better, I want you to meet my father. He'll surely let you borrow a horse if we tell him your story." The woman left through a door in the room, Amir following. As the Calatian emerged into the outside air, he looked at the house. It was a small, single floor cottage, but there was a smaller building annexed to the side of it, which Amir assumed must be the stables. As he observed his surroundings, he noticed that the house was part of a small village, with other similar abodes dotting the hilly landscape. Trees were present, though scattered about, and there was an abundance of grass covering the land. Amir could also see the beginning of the Great Sea to the west.
"Father!" Hawehn said, cupping her hands around her mouth, "Our guest's awake! Where are you?"
"In the stables!" a voice called from the small building next to the house. Hawehn lead Amir into the stables and stopped in front of a horse stall. As the Calatian looked inside, he could see a man grooming a large horse. Amir studied the man he assumed to be Hawehn's father, and he noticed that the man was heavily built, in contrast to the slim Hawehn. His face was covered with a short beard and mustache, and the man had brown hair that was cut barely above his scalp. He had broad shoulders, and was only about half a foot shorter than the large Calatian. The man wore a dirtied yellow shirt, plain brown pants, and high reaching black boots. He looked to be over fifty winters old.
"Hello, Gem," the man said, addressing Hawehn before turning to look at Amir, "I see our guest has awoken. Good to see you up and about, sir."
"Pleasure to meet you," Amir said, shaking the man's hand, "I am Amir son of Haldamir, of Calatia. I must thank you for your hospitality."
"I am Cletts son of Howehg," the man said, shaking the Calatian's hand firmly, "And it was a pleasure having you here, though you must have just risen earlier today. My daughter over there seems to have taken a liking to you. It's nice to see she's interested in someone so noble." Amir cast a glance at Hawehn, who was blushing furiously.
"Um, father," she said, stammering, "Sir Amir is on an important journey, and he may be in need of transportation."
"Really?" Cletts said, "Well, then, I'd like to hear about it, if you don't mind." Amir nodded and began his story once again.
***
"So we're really going to be attacked?" Cletts asked as Amir nodded, "That seems hard to believe. I thought Solatia was always considered a weak nation, and we've by no means stolen from them."
"Trust him, father," Hawehn said, "He's not lying."
"Don't worry, Gem," the man said, "I believe him, and I think the least we could do is let him borrow a horse. I'm going to need this beauty back, though, so try and be swift."
"I'm eternally grateful," Amir said, bowing, "At this rate I'm going to be trying to pay back my debt until I die." Cletts smiled.
"Don't worry about it," he said, "This is Roundhouse," the man patted the horse next to him, "He's old, but plenty big enough for you. He's pretty fast so you should be able to reach the castle in just under two days. If you go inside for a while, I'll get him ready, and Hawehn can get you some food for your journey."
"Thank you," Amir said, bowing once again before following Hawehn back into the small abode.
"I noticed he calls you Gem," the Calatian said once he and Hawehn were inside the house.
"Yeah, he does," the woman answered, "It's kind of embarrassing, but he's called me that for as long as I can remember. He says I'm a 'gemstone among the people of the earth'."
"I'd have to agree with him there," Amir said, causing Hawehn to blush once again.
"Thank you," she said quietly as she opened one of the wooden boxes in the corner of the room.
Hawehn picked out a loaf of bread and various vegetables from the crate, as well as a glass bottle of clear water, before stuffing the food into a brown leather pack.
"There you go," she said, handing the pack to Amir, "I would give you milk, but it would spoil. The only kind of milk that doesn't spoil is Lon-Lon Milk. You'll have to try some when you're done saving Hyrule," she said with a wink, "Lon-Lon Ranch is centered in Hyrule field; it's impossible to miss. I have some friends there; Malon, the rancher's daughter, is really nice."
"Thank you," the Calatian said as the two walked outside, "What's the name of this town, by the way?"
"Oh, this is the town of Rok," Hawehn said, "It's small, so it doesn't show up on most maps." As they walked around the house, Cletts emerged from the stables leading a saddled Roundhouse. The horse really was quite beautiful, Amir thought, even if he was old. The animal had a shining, dark brown coat and deep, black eyes. Roundhouse was powerfully built, and Amir thought the horse suited his needs quite well.
"He's all ready for you," Cletts said, handing Amir the reigns, "Just be careful with him, okay. He's an old friend."
"I will, and thank you," the Calatian said, bowing one last time before mounting the horse, "Lady Hawehn, do you think you could point me in the right direction?"
"Yes, of course," Hawehn said, "Follow me a little ways and I'll show you what path to take." The woman walked off down the dirt road, Amir following on Roundhouse. They soon reached a fork in the road, and Hawehn pointed to the left branch.
"Just follow this road northwest," she said, "It branches off in a few places, but if you stay on the larger path you'll be fine. It should lead you past Lake Hylia, and then you just have to follow the road to Castle Town. You should be able to see Hyrule Castle once you enter the field. It's really grand."
"Thank you for all your help," Amir said, as he turned towards the left path, "I won't forget your kindness."
"Make sure and visit us sometime," Hawehn said as he left, "I'll miss having someone around."
"I will, then," the Calatian said, "It's the least I could do. Goodbye." With that, he kicked Roundhouse lightly and the horse shot off down the road.
"Goodbye," Hawehn said quietly before turning to walk back to the town.
***
Link looked behind him to see another large portal appear above Castle Town in the distance. He realized that the assassins must be leaving, their mission mostly accomplished.
"Run home, girl," he whispered to Epona, assuming that it was safe to go to Lon-Lon Ranch now that the assassins were gone.
"Are you okay, Zelda?" Link asked, aware that the princess had not spoken a word during the two hours they had been traveling. Once again, the princess said nothing, but Link could tell by her breathing that she must have fallen asleep, though she still gripped his waist tightly.
"She's been through a lot tonight, Epona," he said, explaining the matter to his horse. The Gerudo mare neighed understandingly.
They had not run straight for Lon-Lon Ranch because Link did not want to put Malon or her family in danger, but rather had headed south for Lake Hylia. Now that the assassins had left, Epona turned around and headed for the ranch. Link ran the horse had a mediocre pace, not wanting his friend to tire after running nonstop for such a long time, and in another hour he could see the ranch just over a small hill. Epona picked up speed when she saw her home, and Link soon found himself passing through the front gates of the ranch.
Link dismounted Epona and she happily trotted towards the corral. Not seeing Malon in her usual place among the horses or in the barn, Link knocked on the front door of the house, carrying Zelda in his arms. The door opened promptly, and he saw Malon smiling up at him.
"You came to visit!" she said excitedly, before noticing the princess and frowning, "What's wrong?"
"I'll tell you once we get Zelda to a place she can rest," the boy said, "Can we use your room?"
"Sure," Malon said as she and Link walked up the staircase leading to her room, "Just lay her on the bed." Link obeyed and placed the sleeping form of Zelda atop Malon's bed in the corner of the room. Malon took a blanket and covered the princess with it, hoping it would be enough to keep her warm, since winter was nearly here and the weather had been quite cold for the past few weeks.
"Sit down at the table and you can tell me what happened," Malon suggested, "My dad said that the talk around the town is that she woke up weeks ago. I would have liked to hear it from you, though."
"Sorry," Link said, realizing how long it had been since he'd seen his friend, "I was assigned to be Zelda's bodyguard. I haven't left the castle for over a month."
"Oh," the girl said, "Well, I guess that's a pretty good excuse. But why is she like this?" Malon waved her hand towards the sleeping princess.
"I guess I might as well tell you the whole story, considering I have nowhere to go," Link said, sighing. The boy began with Zelda's awakening and proceeded to tell Malon the entire story up to their escape from the castle.
***
"The king's dead?" Malon asked sadly, "And Impa too? Poor Zelda."
"Yeah, I figure she has a right to get some rest," Link said, "It was rough getting out of there with assassins bent on killing her, and she had to deal with the losses of her father and her guardian in the same night. I really hope she's okay."
"I guess I better go milk the cows now," Malon said, rising from the chair, "I was supposed to start about an hour ago. I'll bring some warm milk up for her. She'll probably be thirsty."
"Thanks," Link said as the girl left the room.
***
The rainfall over Castle Town had not ceased as the sun rose slowly over the land. Bodies littered the marketplace as well as the muddy path to Hyrule Castle. Screams and wails floated through the air as those brave enough to venture outside recognized the face of a dead soldier as the face of one of their loved ones. Others still huddled in the corner of their homes, praying that their lives would be spared. The surviving castle guards began collecting the bodies for burial, loading them onto large wagons to be transported to the graveyard in Kakariko village.
On the road that leads to the castle, four men lay alone, surrounded by no other bodies. They were the four who had defended their country against magic none of them could comprehend. They had died valiantly after holding off the sorcerer long enough for Princess Zelda to escape.
If one would have looked upon these bodies at this time, they would have witnessed a strange event. As the rain poured down and thunder rumbled, one of the men stirred. Slowly, his breathing returned to normal and he opened his eyes. The man rose to his feet, clutching his bleeding chest, and walked over to one of the other bodies.
Kard, High General of the King of Hyrule, knelt before his king, and friend, and wept.
***
The guards were forlorn as they piled yet another Hylian body onto the wagon. They deposited the brave soldier on the cart, and moved on to the next one. They turned the next person over onto her back before picking her up after seeing she was Hylian. The two men carried the woman to the wagon and prepared to place her onto it when they heard a grunt come from the 'dead' body. One of the guards nearly dropped the woman in surprise as she opened her eyes.
"Where's the princess?" the woman said, "Is she alive?" The guards only managed to stare in disbelief. "Quit gawking and put me down!" the woman yelled. The two men readily complied, setting the large woman onto the ground so she could stand on her feet.
"We think the princess survived, Madam," one of the men said, "One of the surviving guards stationed at the wall said that he saw a boy and someone who looked like Princess Zelda scale the wall and escape on a horse. He said it was quite a sight."
"Good for you, Link," the woman said to herself, before turning to the guards, "Get back to work. But do not bury the bodies just yet. The families of the brave men who died may wish to look upon their loved ones. When the rain clears up, bring the soldiers into the marketplace. Burn the bodies of the assassins."
"Yes, Madam," the guards said as the woman walked towards the castle. The guards obeyed the order, recognizing the woman as Impa the Sheikah, friend and protector of the royal family.
***
Zelda awoke suddenly from her dream, shaking uncontrollably. She had seen the face of her father and Impa, smiling at her as she smiled back. She had gasped as a strange cloaked man appeared and destroyed the faces with a black staff. The evil man had then pointed his staff towards the princess, laughing. Then the dream had disappeared, leaving only a familiar looking room in its place.
"Zelda?" a voice said from beside the princess. Zelda turned to see Link kneeling over her, a concerned expression on his face.
"Link," the princess said slowly, "Did all that really happen? Is my father really…"
"Yes," the boy said, lowering his head and looking at the floor, "Yes, he is." Zelda threw herself into Link's arms, weeping uncontrollably as the events of the past day caught up with her.
***
Impa had spent the past hour in her room, using Sheikah techniques to attempt to heal her many wounds. She refused to get medical attention, being too proud to admit that the Hylian medicine would do a better job of healing her body than the Sheikah ways would. The Sheikah healing was also far more painful, but at the moment Impa could think of nothing but the princess' safety. She hoped that Link had managed to escape with Zelda, but she was far from sure. The Sheikah had decided quickly that she would use her sagely powers to attempt to contact one of the two. As Impa stood with her eyes closed in her bedroom, a purple, glowing circle formed around her and the Sheikah symbol, an eye with a single tear, etched itself onto the floor in the middle of the circle.
"Zelda…," she said quietly, her mind searching the entire realm of Hyrule for the princess, "Link…Zelda…"
***
Link nearly jumped back in surprise as a shimmering, faded form of Impa appeared in the center of Malon's room.
"What's going on?" he said, causing Zelda to look in the direction his eyes directed her to.
"Impa?" Zelda said, wiping tears from her eyes, "How is this possible. We saw you…die."
"Wrong, dear Princess Zelda," the image said, "You saw me stop and fight and you just assumed that I died." The Sheikah smiled slightly.
"Impa!" the princess cried for joy, "You're really alive! I thought I lost you and…" Zelda stopped, the pain of her father's death causing her to nearly burst into tears once again.
"I'm sorry, Princess," Impa said, "But we cannot talk of this now. I have a limited time to talk with you in this way, and I do not want you returning to the castle. I doubt that the sorcerer died. You must remain hidden so that he will not find you so easily if he dares return. For now, stay at the ranch. You should be safe there for the time being. I must go now."
"Wait," Link said, steeling himself for what he was about to say, "Diggs…Do you know where he is?"
"No, I do not," the Sheikah said, "He was a valiant warrior, though, and I have a feeling that he will be among the survivors. But you must not return to the town to look for him. Your duty is still to protect the princess." Link nodded as the image flickered and disappeared.
***
Amir suddenly emerged into Hyrule Field and beheld the vast, albeit plain, landscape. Exactly like Hawehn had said, he could see the castle in the distance. He could also see the place he assumed was Lon-Lon Ranch. He decided to head there first and hopefully get Roundhouse refreshed after the long journey. He hoped that Lon-Lon Milk was as good as Hawehn proclaimed it to be, and that it would energize Roundhouse quickly since he didn't have much time to let the horse recuperate.
The Calatian kicked the horse lightly, telling him that he would be able to rest soon, and Roundhouse sped off towards the ranch.
***
Link had decided it would probably be good for the princess to move about and get some fresh air, so the two had wandered around Hyrule field for the past hour, making sure to stay close to the ranch and distant from Castle Town.
"What's going to happen, Link?" Zelda asked as the two sat next to each other and leaned against a large tree.
"I don't know," the boy answered, "What do you think will happen, Zelda?"
"I…" the princess said sadly, "I'm just not sure of anything anymore. I don't think the attack was the end of it all, but I'd hate to think that there's going to be a war because of me."
"Because of you?" Link asked.
"It was my fault that the Solatian rulers got so mad at Hyrule," she said.
"Not even someone as stupid as King Halberd would start a war over that," Link said, "My guess is that those sorcerers are manipulating the king as well as the entire nation. I don't think Solatians would support the king if he just wanted revenge for getting humiliated. The people are most likely being tricked."
"I know Hyrule is much stronger than Solatia," Zelda said, "And we would most likely be victorious in a war, but I don't want any more bloodshed, no matter how small the amount."
"I know," Link started, gazing off in the distance towards Lake Hylia, "Zelda, do you see somebody over there?"
Zelda looked to where Link was pointing, confused at the sudden change of subject. "Yes," the princess said, squinting slightly because of the sun, "It looks like a horse and a rider." Link rose to his feet and drew his sword as the rider neared the tree.
"He's heading for the ranch," Link said, "For his sake I hope he's not another assassin."
The horse slowed as the man approached the two, and eventually came to a complete stop. The rider dismounted, and walked towards Link and Zelda.
"Hello!" the man called in a friendly voice as he came closer, "I am Amir son of Haldamir of Calatia, and I mean no harm."
"What is your business in Hyrule?" Link said, the man standing only a few yards away. He was incredibly tall, towering almost a foot over the boy, and he carried a sword on his back that looked similar to the Biggoron Sword of the Gorons. Link lowered his own sword slightly, but remained wary.
"I have come to deliver a message to the royal family," Amir said, "It is of great importance. I hoped to stop and rest a while at the ranch first; my horse here is very tired. I heard of the famous Lon-Lon Milk from a friend in Rok."
"Rok?" Link said, recognizing the name as a small town just off the great sea. He had been there once before with Malon and her father. They were seeing some friends that lived in the city, fellow ranchers if he remembered correctly.
"Who recommended the ranch to you?" he asked, his blade still lingering at his side.
"A lovely young lady and her father," the Calatian said, "Hawehn and her father Cletts are their names. Hawehn brought me back from the brink of death when I fell overboard on a Solatian ship heading for Hyrule."
Link visibly relaxed and put his sword in his sheath upon hearing the names Hawehn and Cletts. Those were the friends of Talon and Malon that he had met about a year ago.
"Nice to meet you, Amir of Calatia," Link said, shaking the larger man's hand, "Do you bring news of Solatia?"
"Yes," the man answered, "I was hoping to arrive here before the sorcerer did. I'm not too late, am I?" Link frowned at this remark, and Amir noticed the young lady next to him lower her head and stare at the ground.
"They already got here, didn't they?" he said as Link nodded, "What happened?"
"The sorcerer, I think the one you refer to," Link said, "he attacked with a small army of assassins. The sorcerer killed the king, but Princess Zelda escaped." The boy deliberately refrained from revealing the fact that Zelda was standing next to him, still not sure if the man could be trusted.
"I'm sorry," Amir said, frowning, "I should have gotten here sooner. My heart is with the princess in this trying time."
"She appreciates it," Link said, "And perhaps we can hear your story back at the ranch. The rancher's daughter would love to look after your horse. He's old, but still beautiful. And this is Zellie, by the way." Link thought of the variation of Zelda's name off the top of his head and gestured towards the girl.
"It's a pleasure," the man said, "And thanks for complimenting Roundhouse here. Cletts let me borrow him for this journey, and I think he's actually grown fond of me." He patted the horse's nose, grabbed the reigns, and followed Link and Zelda into the ranch.
Author's Note:
Hah hah! You'll notice how in the last chapter I conveniently refrained from using the phrases "Kard took his last breath" or "Impa died valiantly". I did say Kard felt his insides ripped to shreds, but I guess he managed to survive somehow. I'd actually grown fond of Kard as a character. At first, he was basically just put in the first chapter for no reason, but then I ended up developing him more and found I liked his personality. So, any Kard or Impa fans out there no longer have a reason to be mad. Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter!