Disclaimer:
The Legend of Zelda is property of Nintendo.
Author's Notes:
This chapter's not up quite as fast as the others but it's longer than usual to make up for it. I also decided to take the time to give credit to my sources for this story.
Calatia: This country appeared in Split Infinitive's story 'Legend of Zelda: Rebel Assassin' (it's one of the best stories out there). I've also seen it in another story, but I credit him with coming up with it, though I'm not sure.
Dwarves: Most of the customs and various ways of the dwarves that I have described were derived from J.R.R. Tolkien's Lord of the Rings trilogy. There are a number of phrases in my story that are partly taken from either the books or the movies (Return of the King looks incredible!) but they're just small lines. So, if you think you've heard something before, maybe you have.
Dek: This is just a little trivial information, but I got the idea for the name Dek from Star Wars. One of Luke's friends was named Dak, if that's how you spell it, and so I decided to vary the name a bit and use it for Link's friend.
Oh, and if anyone's wondering what's happening with the Gorons, the next chapter should clear things up, so look forward to it. And Sareth: Cool quote. Thanks for taking the time to write stuff like that.
Everyone read, enjoy, and PLEASE REVIEW!"
The Legend of Zelda: The War of Power
Chapter 16: Capture
"Thanks," Dek said as the three companions exited the building. The dwarf inside grunted, grabbing the rupees that had been laid before him. The elves had managed to find the exchange building in less than an hour after the two males had finished eating, and Link now held a bag of silver coins in his fist.
"Well, that guy was nice," he said sarcastically, "Maybe we'll meet even friendlier people today."
"Everyone's so afraid of us," Dek commented, "I know there's been a lot of trouble lately, but they're taking their fears to the extreme. I'll be surprised if we're actually able to buy food in this place." Link and Dek had learned of Croub's past and the paranoia that gripped the city from Touka before they had left the inn.
"Do either of you actually know where we're going?" Zelda asked. Link and Dek looked at each other.
"No, not really," the Hylian confessed, "A weapons shop should be easy to find, but I'm not sure about food."
"There's a place," Dek said, pointing. Link saw a building up ahead with a model of a sword carved out of the stone located just above the doorway. The three approached the shop and went inside. Link's eyes immediately went to the many axes suspended on the walls.
"What can I get you?" a dwarf asked from behind the small counter at the rear of the shop. Link surveyed the weapons selections once more, finding not a single normal sword. Large axes and crossbows of all types were displayed in the building, and the boy assumed that the dwarves did not possess much of an interest in smaller blades.
"Do you have any swords?" he asked the shopkeeper. The dwarf bit his lip in thought before replying.
"Not too many," he said, "We don't get elves in these parts much anymore, but I'll see what I have in the back." He disappeared through a door behind him and Link could hear him rummaging through stores of weapons. He emerged after what seemed like an hour, holding a blade wrapped in cloth.
"This is all I have," the dwarf said, presenting the sword to the boy, "Test it out to see if you like it." Link unveiled the weapon, pulled it from its sheath, and gazed upon a slightly rusted blade which looked to be many winters old. The handle of the sword seemed to have been very ornate but was too old and worn to retain its former beauty. Link took a few swings with the sword before handing it to Zelda. The princess studied it carefully.
"It's old, but it has a nice feel to it," Link said, "How do you like it, Zel- I mean, Lunari?"
"It's so light," she said, twirling the blade in her hand, "And it almost feels like it's perfectly fashioned to fit me. It should work fine."
"We'll take it," the boy said to the shopkeeper, "How much?"
"Well," the dwarf said, "I'm pretty lucky that I'm getting rid of it, so five silver pieces should do." Link laid the coins out on the table and the three left the building and emerged onto the street. Zelda fastened the sheath around her waist.
"That's an elven blade," Dek said as the companions trekked through the streets of Aldoren.
"And you're just telling us this now?" Link asked, raising an eyebrow.
"That shopkeeper would've sold it at a far higher price if I would have said something," the elf explained, "He didn't know its true value. It's worth at least a hundred times more than we paid for it."
"It just looks like an old sword to me," Link said skeptically.
"It's old, but it's still a well-made blade," Dek said, "Few of the swords of the High Elven escape the confines of our hidden city. I don't know how the dwarves were able to attain one. It must have been many years ago."
"Well, it looks like you just got lucky," Link said to Zelda, "Though the thing could use some cleaning up."
"We don't exactly have time for that," the princess said, "I'll have to worry about making it look nice later."
***
"Can you help us?" Mikau asked the small scientist.
"Maybe," he said, "Did you bring a sample of the water with you?" The Zora handed the man a small glass bottle of the water taken from Zora's Domain. He watched as the scientist peered at the liquid through an instrument that resembled a telescope. The Zora had arrived at Lake Hylia earlier that morning, and Mikau and Ruto had immediately left the group to meet with the strange scientist in his laboratory.
"What's he doing?" Ruto whispered to the general.
"I don't know," Mikau answered, "Just be patient." After Ruto waited for what seemed like an eternity, the man finally spoke.
"Your suspicions were correct," he said to the Zora general, "A fatal toxin was used to contaminate the water. It's a strange kind of poison. The chemicals seem to duplicate as time progresses. It would have taken only a small vial of toxin and a few days to poison the waters of Zora's Domain. My guess is that it will spread to Lake Hylia within a week. I suspect that a dark magic must have been used in creating this toxin, though I usually do not condone such beliefs. But whereas a normal poison would only be spread by the fish in the waters and would take much longer, this poison duplicates itself. It's really quite a wonder."
"But can you find an antidote?" Mikau asked, somewhat annoyed at the old man's rambling.
"Maybe," he said, indifferent.
"My people are dying!" Ruto said suddenly, emotion heavy in her voice, "And all you can say is 'maybe'?"
"I'm sorry, my girl," the man said, "But science is a delicate art that requires things to be done slowly and exactly. These things take time. The antidote may be done in a week, and that's hoping for the best."
"We don't have a week," Mikau said, "In the last week we've lost three quarters of our entire population. In another week there will be no one left."
"Don't get angry with me," the scientist said, "I will try my best, and it's possible that I may devise something to slow the poison in a day or two. You're just going to have to wait and see." Mikau angrily exited the laboratory, Ruto following, and slammed the door behind him.
***
"So what else do we need?" Dek asked, examining the supplies that the three had gathered, "We just wasted an entire day searching for food and equipment in this huge city, so I really hope we have everything." Link and Dek searched through their packs and located the assorted food that had been purchased that consisted of a few vegetables and some bread. They had decided that if they desired meat it would be easier to hunt for it rather than delve into their limited funds. Link counted the three bottles they had managed to find in the large city. The containers were made of tough, stiff leather so that they would be light yet still retain their shape. They were planning to fill the bottles in a river that near to the city.
"We've got everything," Link said, sighing, as he leaned back in a chair at the 'Aldoren Inn', "Finally."
"We better get going as soon as the sun rises tomorrow," Dek said, "We've lost way too much time as it is."
"Man, I'm tired," Link said, yawning.
"From what?" Zelda asked sarcastically, "It's not like we fought any dragons today."
"Yeah," the boy said, "But fighting takes less effort than shopping. I worked hard today." Zelda laughed at the remark.
"Goodnight," Dek said as he extinguished the flames within the small lantern in the corner of the room. The three quickly fell into a state of deep sleep.
***
Who is that? My eyes can't focus on him in the dark, but I can see he's standing over Link. What's he doing? Is that an axe! Link! Watch out! Why am I not making a sound? Link! Move! He can't seem to hear me. I have to do something! I can't move! What's happening? Stop! Don't hurt him! Wait. He's looking at me. I know who that is. I've seen him somewhere before. I try to scream but nothing happens.
It's Croub. He's come after us, and there's nothing I can do. He's raising the axe above Link's head. No! I'm helpless! Why can't I do anything! Link! No! The axe begins its descent. Link! Look out! NO!
Zelda awoke, gasping and sweating as her eyes scanned the room for any signs of danger.
"Link," she called quietly, "Link, are you okay?" She picked out the bed of the sleeping hero only to see a shadow looming over it. The shadow was holding a weapon above his head, preparing to plunge it down into the boy's chest.
"Link!" Zelda yelled, "Watch out!" The princess leapt out of her bed and charged the attacker. The axe-wielding dwarf turned in time to see her foot flying at his face. He fell back from the blow, staggering and letting out a cry of pain, but managing to retain his balance. Zelda turned and grabbed her sword from its spot on the floor beside her bed and faced the attacker.
"Croub," she spat, glaring at the large dwarf.
"You will die for that!" he shouted.
"Why isn't Link waking up?" Zelda thought, "What's going on?"
"If you're wondering why they're still sleeping," Croub said, smiling, "Then I suppose I could tell you. They've both been put to sleep with a special herb. The aroma from the plant sends the victims into an almost death-like state. I'm not sure how you avoided it, but I can easily take care of a little girl. After this my master will reward me greatly."
"Your master?" Zelda said, confused, "What are you talking about?"
"I'm sure you would like to know," the dwarf said, "But my master does not desire to be known just yet. Of course, none of that will matter when you're dead." Croub charged the princess, brandishing his large axe with a tremendous amount of skill. Zelda barely leapt back in time to avoid the initial attack and was forced to immediately duck under another. She deflected a blow with her sword, making her arm nearly go numb from the force of the attack, and stabbed at the dwarf. Croub easily batted the smaller weapon away with his axe before aiming for Zelda's neck. The princess spun on her heel, threw her leg outwards, and swept Croub's feet out from beneath him. The dwarf fell to the floor, his grip loosening slightly on his axe, and Zelda leapt upon him. She smashed her foot into the dwarf's wrist, pinning his arm to the ground, and knocked the axe from his hand with a powerful sword blow. The princess pointed her blade at Croub's neck.
"Wait!" the dwarf begged, "Don't kill me! It's my master's fault! He wanted you dead!"
"Coward," Zelda muttered, "Tell me more about your master, and I might let you live."
"I don't know much about him," Croub whined, "He just came to me and told me that I'd become rich if I obeyed him. Then he ordered me to start causing trouble and stuff like that. At first it was just little things like robbery and stuff, but then he gave me the names of certain dwarves that he wanted dead. I killed them all."
"You what?" Zelda yelled.
"You must understand, Miss," the dwarf began to explain, "Nothing in the world is worth more to a dwarf than riches. I saw my opportunity to become wealthy, and I decided I'd do anything I was told to do so that I may possess a vast fortune. It's the way I think, Miss."
"You're a coward," Zelda spat, disgusted with the dwarf's groveling, "You've reduced yourself to murdering for riches and begging for your life. I should rid the world of you right now."
"No!" Croub pleaded, "I'll tell you anything you want to know!"
"I want to know," the princess began, "Who hired you!"
"He never revealed himself!" the dwarf yelled, "He was always hidden in the shadows. I never truly even met him. He would just send an image of himself to talk to me. I don't know how he did it, but you have to believe me." Zelda, in truth, did believe him, recognizing the technique as the one Impa used to communicate with her when she was at the ranch.
"Isn't there anything else?" she asked coldly.
"Yes, maybe," Croub rambled, "He…um…he had this mark on the back of his hand or something. I could never really see what it was, but it always glowed when he talked to me. It was a yellow light, I think."
"A mark," Zelda said quietly, going pale, "A mark on the back of his hand?"
"Yes, yes," the dwarf said, "That's right." The princess removed her sword from Croub's throat and let it hang at her side, pondering the information that had been given to her. The dwarf immediately lunged for his axe, picked it up off the floor and swung upward at Zelda. She saw the attack coming, though, and plunged her blade through the dwarf's back before Croub's attack could connect. The axe fell to the floor and the dwarf slumped over beside it. Croub managed to turn his head slightly so that he could look at the princess.
"The others…" he said, choking, "You think I'm alone….But the others…They will get you…" The dwarf said his last words before his eyes closed and death came upon him.
Zelda quickly moved to Link's bed and attempted to wake him. "Link!" she yelled, shaking the boy, "Wake up! We've got to get out of here!" The boy would not stir, however, and Zelda soon received the same result after trying to rouse Dek. She suddenly heard yelling voices coming from outside the building, and she left the room to investigate. As the princess entered the main room of the inn, she gasped. The bodies of Hould and Touka were lying still on the floor of the inn, blood staining the ground. Zelda rushed to each of them in turn and checked their pulse, finding none.
"He killed them," she said sadly, "What kind of person kills for no reason?" The shouting increased in volume and Zelda could hear the footsteps of many dwarves approaching the inn. She was about to step into the outside air and ask the dwarves for assistance until her sharp ears picked up the sound of their gruff voices whispering in the night.
"What do we do if Croub didn't kill them?" one of the voices asked.
"We can't finish the job ourselves with all these other guards around," the other responded, "That fool made too much noise. If he's dead then the best we can do is take the elves prisoner. We'll keep them in the dungeons until we get the chance to kill them."
"Good plan," the first voice agreed.
"This is what he meant by others," Zelda thought, "That shadow man must have persuaded more dwarves to become his slaves. We could be facing an army of these killers." The princess quickly returned to the room that housed the sleeping elves.
"Link!" she yelled one more time, shaking him furiously, "You've got to wake up! I can't get both of you out of here without some help! Get up!" Zelda sighed deeply when the boy continued to sleep.
"Hey!" she heard a voice yell, "I heard something! Let's get moving!"
"What am I going to do?" Zelda thought desperately, "As much as I hate to do this, I'm going to have to leave them. They won't be killed just yet, and I can do more good if I stay hidden and find out where the guards are taking them." Dwarves could now be heard yelling in the main room and their feet pounded the floor of the hallway. Zelda used Farore's Wind and disappeared in a flash of green light just as the dwarves burst in through the door and grabbed the two elves, unaware as they lay atop their beds.
"We've got them!" a dwarf yelled, "There's another one dead in here! These elves are responsible for the murders! Take them to the dungeons!" Link and Dek were slung over the dwarves' shoulders and carried from the inn, still sleeping soundly. Others grabbed the two's weapons and the entire company of dwarves soon vacated the inn, returning to the castle. Zelda leapt down from the rafters in the ceiling and gave chase.
***
"Sir Mikau! Come quickly!" the general turned his head in the direction of the voice to see a Zora waving his hands about wildly. Mikau dashed over to the scene and saw the pale form of Ruto sprawled across the ground, her chest rising and falling rapidly as she struggled desperately to breathe.
"Princess!" he said, kneeling beside her. Ruto opened her eyes, though it took much effort, and looked up at the concerned general.
"Mikau," she said faintly, "It must have gotten to me. I'm sorry. I have to go."
"No, Princess!" the general said firmly, "You are strong. You must last longer. The antidote will be ready soon." The Zora did not respond but simply closed her eyes as her breathing began to slow. Mikau picked Ruto up in his arms and sprinted to the laboratory. He kicked open the door forcefully and glared at the scientist.
"She's dying!" he yelled angrily, "We need that cure! Now!"
"It's…it's not ready!" the old man stammered, "I need at least another hour!"
"She doesn't have an hour!" Mikau yelled, "Look at her! She'll be lucky to last a few minutes!"
"I have something that might slow the poison," the scientist said, picking up a small vial from his desk, "It should work if she ingests it, but I'm not sure." Mikau ignored the man and swiped the small container from his hand.
"Wait!" the scientist yelled, "It's not tested yet! That stuff could kill her!"
"We don't really have much of a choice, now do we?" Mikau said as he poured the red liquid down Ruto's throat. The dying Zora swallowed, barely, and then lay still. The general looked at the princess in his arms, desperately hoping that he would see life flow through her body in full once again. The old man walked over and placed the back of his palm on her forehead.
"It's working," he said, as Mikau let out a long sigh of relief, "She's in a stable condition, but it won't last long. If she comes into consciousness, do whatever you need to do to keep her awake. If she becomes unconscious again, she's done for. I'll have the antidote done in about an hour. Get her some fresh air." Mikau obeyed and left the building, still carrying the princess in his arms. As his feet touched the green grass, Ruto opened her eyes and blinked.
"What happened?" she asked meekly, "I thought I was dead."
"You nearly were," Mikau told her, "But I gave you something to slow the poison. The scientist says that the full antidote should be ready in about an hour. Don't go back to sleep."
"I'll try not to," Ruto said, "But I feel like I could sleep forever right now. I'm really tired." The general gently laid the princess down on the ground and sat next to her.
"I'll try to help you stay awake," he said, "What do you want to do? Should we talk about something?"
"Sure," the princess said, smiling, "That would be great."
***
Zelda dashed across the rooftops of Aldoren, keeping the running dwarves in view. Despite their small size the dwarves moved swiftly through the streets below as they gained spectators who watched the strange scene from their doorway. Soon the dwarves had arrived at the palace doors and were immediately allowed access to the dungeons. The princess watched from her perch on a rooftop as they disappeared into the massive structure. She scanned the castle for any signs of an entrance but saw none bar the small windows that decorated the tall spires.
"Rousha said that those towers are just for decoration," she thought, "Which either means they're solid stone or they're hollow. If they're hollow I can get in but I'll have to jump down about a hundred feet. Great option." Zelda thought sarcastically. She crouched down and approached the edge of the roof, keeping one of the small windows in sight. The princess suddenly sprinted to the edge and leapt into the air, her body glowing as she did so. There was a small green flash and Zelda reappeared on the ledge of the high window. She looked down, the height making her somewhat dizzy, and was relieved to see that the guards had not noticed her stunt. She turned around and peered into the darkness of the tower through the thin window.
"Now for the leap of faith," she thought, "It's a good thing there's no glass on this window." Zelda stood sideways and forced her way through the narrow slit before falling into the dark abyss. She plummeted face first watching carefully for any sign of the approaching ground. When she saw what she was waiting for she vanished in a green explosion of light and appeared just a few feet above the stone floor. The princess fell the small distance and landed gracefully while searching her surroundings for any danger.
"Well, that was fun," she thought sarcastically. Zelda found herself in a long corridor illuminated with torches set up periodically along the walls. She listened intently for the faintest sound of approaching footsteps. After hearing a small noise from a distance behind her she set off in the other direction. Zelda peered around the corner at the far end of the hallway and saw a number of guards patrolling the corridor. She concentrated and poured forth her magic onto the unsuspecting dwarves. They were quickly sent into a state of paralysis and became oblivious to their surroundings, though the effects of the magic would dissolve in a matter of minutes. Zelda calmly walked past the guards and checked around yet another corner.
"I don't even know where the dungeons are," she thought as she traversed the next hallway after seeing no guards on patrol. The princess paused before looking around the next corner after hearing voices emanating from the corridor.
"Has the time finally come?" a dwarf asked eagerly, "Are we going to proceed?"
"Yes," another voice said, "I'm on my way to inform the others. The attack will come tonight at the banquet. Make sure you're in your assigned station."
"Yes, sir," the first dwarf said, "I'll be ready." Zelda heard the footsteps of who she assumed to be the informant approaching her location. She pressed herself up against the wall in the shadows, desperately hoping that she would not be discovered. The dwarf turned the corner suddenly and marched down the corridor, never laying eyes on the hidden princess. Zelda breathed in relief when the guard disappeared down another passageway. She then chanced glancing around the corner. She saw the first dwarf guarding a large wooden door.
"I must be in the basement level," Zelda thought, "There's probably a set of stairs behind that door that lead to the upper floor. Either that or the door just hides another set of passageways. I could be lost in here for quite a while." She once again used her magic to put the guard into a stunned state before approaching the door. She pushed it open slightly and slipped through before shutting it behind her. To her relief she looked upon a set of winding stairs that were dimly lit by a few small torches.
"The dungeons might have been down in the basements," Zelda thought, "But I don't have time to wander through corridors. If I have any luck at all the guards haven't taken Link and Dek to the dungeons yet. Maybe I can intercept them on the way. Then I'll just follow them until I get a chance to free those two idiots." Zelda smiled as she imagined what Link's reaction would be to being captured in his sleep.
***
"Well, this is great," Link said sarcastically, "What'd we do this time?" The boy walked alongside Dek through a dark corridor of the Aldoren palace. Both elves were bound at the wrists and were being marched along by a small company of palace guards.
"You're under arrest for the murder of Croub the guard, Hould the innkeeper, and Touka, his wife," one of the dwarves said.
"We were asleep you moron," Link said sharply, "How could we have possibly killed them?"
"You killed them and then faked sleep so that you wouldn't be caught," the dwarf answered.
"If we wanted to escape we would have just left," Link argued, "Not go back to our beds like idiots and think we can get away with it." The guard behind Link grunted and forfeited the argument.
"So," the boy said to Dek, "How are we going to get out of this?"
"You don't have to worry," Dek said, "You can just use your love for Zelda to bust us out. You can do anything if it's for her."
"Shut up," Link grumbled as the high elf laughed.
"Quit talking!" a dwarf barked.
"Shut up!" Link yelled at the guards, who immediately quieted, "We'll talk if we want to."
"You're in no position to order us around," one of the dwarves said, "We could have you put to death."
"For all you know," the boy said, "We could have this all planned out. Maybe you morons are walking into a trap. Our band of terrorist elves," he said mockingly, "could drop down from the ceiling at any minute and take your heads off." Every dwarf in the company immediately looked up to the ceiling as Link burst out laughing.
"There'll be no more of that!" a guard growled.
"Whatever," Link said, "But I'd be careful going out in the open if I were you. Our archers have been known to hit a target dead-on from a thousand feet away." The boy smiled in satisfaction as he heard a guard stumble behind them and imagined several other dwarves going pale from the news.
"Are you having fun?" Dek asked sarcastically, "You better not get yourself killed or Zelda will never forgive me."
"Don't worry," Link said, "It's all part of the plan."