Chronicles of Zelda I: Darkness Rising
Chapter 26: Destination Reached
Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is property of Nintendo.
"There it is," Link said as the companions stood at the apex of the mountain. The Emerald Mountains stretched on behind them to the north, and before them to the south lay the massive nation of Calatia, covered in grassy fields and rolling hills. From his vantage point, the hero could see multiple villages and larger cities, and, back against the ocean, the capital city, Calticia. The towers and spires of the enormous Castle Calatia could be seen vaguely through the morning fog, and Link was awed by the immense size of the country.
"It's huge," Zelda said, "Hyrule is almost like a city compared to this."
"It should take just another couple days to reach the capital," Dek said, surveying the landscape, "Calatia's size is greatest traveling east to west, but we don't have to go that way."
"I don't know what kind of a reception we'll get when we get there," Rayen said, drawing curious glances from the other members of the party. "Calatia's been pretty unstable lately," he quickly explained, "The king's not the same as he used to be, and some of the country is opposing his recent actions. It's split pretty evenly on either side; the nobles and the upper-class, of course, support the king, while the middle and lower classes generally oppose his new way of ruling. Rumor has it that the king had his own son thrown in prison for his opposing views."
"Prince Tawahn!" Zelda gasped, "He's imprisoned?"
"Nobody knows if it's true or not, but that's what's being said."
"That's not good," the princess sighed, "I've known the prince for a long time, and I was counting on his friendship to aid us."
"Is it really such a good idea to meet with the king?" Lunari asked, "I mean, if he's not too happy with his son and you were friends with the prince, wouldn't he kind of dislike you right now?"
"She's right," Link said quickly, "I don't know if we should go through with this."
"We have to try," Zelda spoke quietly, her eyes pleading, "We've come this far, haven't we?"
"The girl's right," Rayen stopped Link from replying, "The disagreements aren't to the point of bloodshed yet, and I doubt there's any truth to the rumor about the prince."
"I guess," Link sighed, and the group began the descent down the mountain. The hero repeatedly attempted to shake off the feeling of dread that hung over him, but his efforts were in vain.
There's something hiding here, Link thought grimly, and I'm not so sure we want to unearth it.
***
"Mercenaries for hire?" Malon repeated, raising her eyebrow skeptically.
"Yeah," the lizard-creature, apparently known as Slick, replied, "Travel all over the world, do good deeds, beat up some bad-guys; you know the deal."
"For a price, of course," Alria said coldly.
"Hey, gotta make a livin'," Slick took a chug from his ale.
"Just out of curiosity," Malon started thoughtfully, "Why call yourselves 'mercenaries for hire'? Aren't mercenaries always for hire?" The creature spit some of his drink onto the counter in surprise and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Well, yeah…" he said nervously, "but 'mercenaries for hire' just sounded so much cooler, ya' know?"
"Alright," Alria said suddenly rising from her stool at the counter, "Let's go Malon, we're through here." Malon moved to follow the ex-Gerudo but was stopped by Slick's almost desperate shout.
"Wait!" he called, hanging onto the girl's arm. Malon shook him off, but looked at him, silently urging him to continue. The lizard cleared his throat and tried to sound as professional as possible, "It seems to me that you two ladies could use a couple of fighters like me and my pal to aide you on your 'quest', to wherever it is that you're going."
"What gave you that idea?" Alria turned to leave again, but Slick persisted.
"The world ain't always safe out there," the lizard said, "Especially not for two ladies such as yourselves. And I can tell you're not from around here. Me and my partner, we know our way around, and we'd be willing to help you get to where you need to be going, as fast as possible…for a slight fee."
"That's it!" Alria began to walk away, trying to ignore the creature's shouts.
"But you owe us!" Slick yelled, "Think about what would have happened if Brigade hadn't saved your friend over here!"
"She could've taken care of herself," the former Gerudo said without turning around, and continued to leave. She was stopped, though, by Malon's hand gripping her forearm.
"He's right," the ranch girl whispered, "That guy did kind of save me, and paid for the damage…we could at least let them tag along."
"How will we pay them?"
"I'll get Link to pay them we find him in Calatia."
"We can't trust them," Alria whispered in reply, "We can't trust anyone; especially not some mercenaries we found in a bar in a place we've never set foot in before."
"We don't have to completely trust them, but if we travel alone we'll just end up lost again. We need someone who knows their way around here, and who can get us to Calatia."
Alria sighed in defeat, looking back at Slick who was grinning at her from ear to ear. She groaned.
"Alright…"
***
A lone stallion roamed the morbid fields of Hyrule, a solitary sign of life among the carnage of the bloody battle fought just hours before. Smoke and ash still rose into the air, eclipsing the light of day, and the stench of death was heavy in the atmosphere. All was still, excluding the stallion, and it seemed to the creature that the world had forsaken this place, for not even the winds would dare touch it, and the waters of the river had ceased flowing.
The beats of the stallion's hooves flooded and echoed over the vast fields, out of place among the silence of the land, and the creature turned, deciding to leave this place that smelled of death and fire. It halted, though, upon noticing faint lights approaching from the east, nothing more than miniscule dots on the horizon. The horse, its curiosity urging it to stay, watched as the lights moved closer, taking the appearance of glowing spheres, each with a small pair of gossamer wings at their back, as they moved toward the aftermath of the battle.
The creatures paused, each hovering over the still body of a fallen soldier, before slowly descending toward the corpse. They passed into the bodies as if they were nothing more than an illusion, and the field was bathed in a warm light as the soldiers glowed, the light radiating from their body. Slowly, the light snaked its way across their wounds, and the injuries closed, the skin seemingly knitting itself together.
As the light continued its mysterious work and the wounds sealed, the fallen soldiers' chests slowly began to rise and fall, the breath of life finding its way into their bodies once more.
The stallion stood, transfixed, as one man rose, his body struggling with the action, and stood shakily on his feet, supporting himself with the sword that had fallen by his side. His body was covered in blood, and the holes and cracks in his armor and clothes revealed the site of his newly healed wounds. His body bore the marks of battle; scars covered his arms and face. His left eye, which was swollen shut, slowly healed, and his mangled leg that hung limply from his right side was mended. His tired eyes surveyed the carnage of the battle field briefly, and his face twisted into a look of surprise when he noticed the soldiers beginning to rise, their wounds slowly healing.
As if to answer his unspoken question, a multitude of the glowing spheres gathered before him, spiraling together and shimmering into the form of a beautiful woman clothed in violet robes, gossamer wings sprouting from her back. She hovered just above the ground, her long violet hair cascading down behind her, and she looked down at the man with compassionate eyes.
"What…happened?" the man choked out the words, his voice hoarse and ragged.
"You have been given a gift," the lady responded, her voice soothing and kind, like music that floated over the silent battle field, "You have been given a second chance, as have your men."
"How…?" the man coughed, "Who…are you…?
"I am the Great Fairy of Life," the being said, smiling, illuminating the darkness that seemed heavy in the air, "It is the power of the faeries that have allowed this to be possible, for we do not desire to see the world plunge into darkness. You will be needed in the future; you will be strength where there is none and you will stand solid when all else crumble. Use this gift of life wisely, General Kard…."
***
"Greetings, outsiders," the Halfling said regally, his personal guards present at his sides.
"Greetings, Mayor Douball," Impa replied, bowing her head slightly and encouraging her companions to follow. Amir, Hawehn, and Ingo stood behind her, representatives of the Calatians and the Hylians.
"I was quite surprised to hear that my soldiers had found a group of Hylians wandering these parts," Douball said, raising an eyebrow, "May I ask what you are doing in our lands?"
Ingo's thoughts suddenly drifted back to the events of the previous day upon hearing the question. The Halfling soldiers had found the Hylian refugees nearly starved in the midst of the frozen wasteland, barely defending themselves from one of the many packs of white wolfos that roamed the land. The farmhand still remembered being surprised at the strength of the Halflings, for, despite their small stature, they had dispatched of the wolves rather quickly. He guessed that they encountered the creatures often.
"As you know, sir," Impa disrupted Ingo's thoughts, "Your soldiers found us yesterday afternoon. Our people were nearly starving and freezing to death, and your men were kind enough to lead us to this city. The reasons behind our expedition, however, are far more complicated…"
"Can't you stop pacing for a moment?" Hawehn said in frustration, glaring at Amir who continued to pace back and forth outside the mayor's office.
"Sorry," the Calatian said, stopping to lean against the wall, "I sometimes forget I'm doing it."
Ingo grunted, laughing quietly, before immersing himself in his thoughts once again. The three were impatiently waiting for Impa to finish explaining their situation to the mayor of the Halflings. The farmhand still found it strange that the people were not ruled over by a monarch but instead by a mayor with not nearly as much power as a king. Their somewhat democratic politics were confusing to a man who had lived his life under the Hylian monarchy, and had never known anything else.
"Do you think they'll help us?" Hawehn asked, looking toward the Calatian.
"I'm not sure," Amir said, "They really have no reason to risk their lives for us; they're secluded up here, and probably believe that they will be affected by nothing that happens in the outside world."
"Morons," Ingo muttered bitterly, "Those beasts, Coshraks, or whatever they're called; they're not gonna let a little snow and ice stop them from killing us off."
Amir opened his mouth to reply, but stopped when the door to the mayor's office swung open and Impa emerged, closing the door quietly behind her. She stood for a few moments, seemingly thinking, though it was hard to tell with a Sheikah, until Ingo spoke.
"So…?" he said rudely, raising an eyebrow.
"He agreed to allow us to remain in the village for a short time," Impa spoke dejectedly, "But nothing more. He does not want to get involved in our conflict, and so we must leave as soon as the Gorons and Zora arrive."
"Jerk," Ingo muttered.
"We can't blame him," Amir argued, "He can't just agree to help complete strangers that show up in his land if it risks his peoples' welfare. It makes sense."
"I pray that Darunia and Ruto arrive soon," Impa said quietly, "The snow will not hinder the Coshraks for long."
***
"Anybody else feel like we're not wanted here?" Link asked sarcastically as he lay back on the grass, gazing at the stars. The group had quickly discovered that they were not welcome in the realm of Calatia, judging by the poor reception in the small town they had just passed through. Link and Zelda had both quickly covered their heads with the hoods of their cloak upon entering, in a futile effort to hide their nationality from the villagers. They had passed through as swiftly as possible, and had decided to sleep under the stars rather than risk conflict in any of the villages.
"Is this all we have?" Dek asked, holding up a small bag of coins, "We couldn't have even stayed in an inn if we wanted to."
"Why didn't we ask for some money from the elves?" Rayen questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"We don't really use a form of currency," Lunari answered, "When you're hidden in a mystical forest, secluded from the world, there isn't really any for money."
"Sounds screwed up."
"Just because you enjoy a world where everyone kills each other over riches," the elven girl countered, "Doesn't mean we all do."
The hunter ignored her and lay back into the grass, closing his eyes and quickly drifting into what seemed like a deep slumber. Link stared at Rayen for a short time as the others also closed their eyes and slowly his lips turned upward in a mischievous grin.
"I know you're not really asleep, you know," the Hylian said. The bounty hunter opened an eye, looking toward the boy.
"You're good, kid."
Link laughed quietly as he lay back once more. The two warriors stayed silent for a while, staring at the stars, until Rayen finally spoke.
"I know you don't trust me, kid," he said, laughing slightly, "But you shouldn't lose sleep over it. I took an oath, and I'm bound by my honor to keep it."
"It's not the oath I question," Link stated, "It's your honor."
"Well you don't have to worry about that. You may think bounty hunters to be ruthless scum, but we do have our honor."
"I find that hard to believe. You kill for a living."
"I've never killed anyone that didn't do anything wrong," Rayen paused, "I'm no different than you professional knights who fight for the queen and all that crap."
"I'm not a knight," Link said quickly.
"Really?" the hunter raised an eyebrow, "Then what are you? You bear the mark of the Triforce."
Link looked down to his gloved hand, where the glowing emblem was just barely visible in the darkness. "I used to be a Kokiri…in a way…"
"One of those forest kids?" Rayen said, clearly not believing the story, "But they don't age past ten years old or so."
"I wasn't really a Kokiri; I just thought I was. Turns out I'm a Hylian orphan. The forest that I lived in when I was kid burned down a few years ago, and I've been living with a soldier in Castle Town ever since."
"You're telling me," the hunter began, piecing together the facts, "That you're some orphan from the forest who just decided to run off and protect the Princess of Hyrule and who just happens to be one of the best fighters I've ever seen."
"Yeah."
"You people are strange…" Rayen muttered, closing his eyes and drifting into sleep, this time for real.
***
"So Princess Zelda has arrived," King Tawahn said, stroking his bearded chin thoughtfully. The brown haired, middle aged man was the storybook image of a king; tall, strong, commanding, and even considered handsome by many. He looked to his servant that had just relayed the news. "How soon will she arrive in the city?"
"Just under a day's time, milord," the guard said, his head bowed.
"Good…" the king spoke quietly, "You are dismissed," he waved his hand and the guard exited the throne room.
"What are you planning, milord?" a voice from behind the king asked as a man emerged from the shadows behind the massive throne. The black haired man was short and rather scrawny, especially compared to the powerful king.
"We will give the princess the welcome that she's expecting," the king turned to his advisor, Nahkim, "See to it that the princess's arrival is kept away from public knowledge. The fewer people that know she's here, the better. I trust that she will not reveal her identity to the villagers. I suspect that they know something is amiss."
***
"Prince Tawahn," the whisper came from outside the dark prison cell. The man confined within the bars slowly rose to his feet on neglected legs and moved toward the man on the other side.
"Balk," the prince said, sighing in relief as he looked at his friend, the royal guard, standing rigidly on the other side, attempting not to bring attention to himself, as prison guards stood at the other end of the walkway that led between the cells. "I'm glad to see you," the prince continued.
"I apologize for not being able to make my visits more frequent, sir," the guard said, talking in a very low voice, "I try not to bring suspicion to myself, or to you."
"It's okay, friend," Conun Tawahn smiled, "You're risking enough as it is."
"I miss the old days," Balk said, continuing in a formal voice, "When we were so carefree. Many of the guards miss you, sir. We know not what has come over your father."
"Neither do I," the prince said darkly, "What news is there?"
"The Princess Zelda has entered Calatia, sir. She will arrive at the palace by tomorrow evening."
"Zelda's here?"
"Yes, sir. She has brought four others with her. It appears she made the journey over the Emerald Mountains."
"Things must be grave in Hyrule indeed if Princess Zelda traversed the mountains. I know that her caretaker would never allow such a thing under normal circumstances. How are the Hylians dealing with King Harkinian's death?"
"Your father's spies report that they have fled to the frozen wastelands of the north, to the Land of the Halflings. There were few that survived King Halberd's offensive."
"What of General Kard? I met him personally, and he would be valuable asset if we ever hope to overthrow my father."
"He was confirmed dead a little under a week ago, sir," Balk turned his gaze to the prison guards at the end of the corridor, "I'm sorry sir, but I must be going. We can't arouse suspicion."
"You're right, of course" Conun agreed reluctantly, "If Zelda is here, I must make my escape quickly. Alert the others that the time is nearing."
"Goodbye, sir," Balk nodded slightly and walked towards the exit of the prison, passing the guards without a glance in their direction.
"Took quite a long time inspecting that one cell, didn't you?" The question came from behind.
"Is that an accusation, soldier?" Balk spoke authoritatively, his back still facing the two guards.
"No, sir," the prison guard answered.
"The lock on that one seems a bit rusty," Balk lied in answer to the earlier question, "See that it gets repaired."
"Yes, sir," the guard said as the royal guard nodded and disappeared up the winding stairs.
The two prison guards looked at each other with understanding before the second spoke, "What do you think, Gero?"
The first guard contemplated the question before answering, "We must inform the king."
***
"Will you stop singing?!" Alria shouted, unable to stand the constant tune that the lizard creature had been belting out for the past hour. Slick stopped and stared at her with wide eyes, surprised by her sudden outburst, while Malon smiled slightly, and Brigade, as usual, stood stone-faced.
"I can't stop!" Slick complained, in the high pitched voice that Malon and Alria had discovered he used when he complained, "It keeps our spirits up!"
"You're not gonna have a spirit to 'keep up' much longer," the ex-Gerudo muttered, glaring menacingly at the creature, who cowered away in fear.
"Alright, alright! I'll stop!"
"Good."
Malon laughed silently as the four resumed their trek. They had been on the road for two days now, and she had become accustomed to Alria and Slick's constant bickering, as well as Brigade's quiet demeanor. She realized that the only time he had spoken any more than two words at a time was when he was defending her from the sailors in the bar. Brigade did hold some surprises, though, as the two Hyrulian girls had come to discover when he had removed his hood, revealing himself to be one of the Goron species. Unlike the many of the rock-people, though, Brigade was fit in every aspect; he possessed tremendous strength, but did not have the distinguishable 'Goron Belly' that was a result of eating large rocks. He had apparently adapted to eating the food of humans, judging by the meals that he had shared with the group. When Malon had asked about why he didn't live with his people, the mercenary had responded with a simple "not important" and she hadn't questioned him again.
Malon was snapped out of her thoughts as Slick started to whistle extremely loudly. She turned to Alria, who looked as if she was ready to strangle the lizard creature.
Here it comes, thought Malon.
"SHUT UP!" Alria finally screamed, lunging toward Slick, "I'm gonna kill you!" The lizard screamed and dashed away.
"Heeelp! Aaaaahhhhhh!"
Authors Notes:
Sorry about the lateness of this update, and it's not even a very long chapter either. I've been busier than usual and my computer's been screwing up lately. Don't worry, Sareth, if anybody should feel bad about being late, it's definitely me; and the poem was awesome.