Chronicles of Zelda I: Darkness Rising
Chapter 27: Unending Pursuit
Disclaimer: The Legend of Zelda is property of Nintendo.
"What's going on?" Zelda asked in wonder as the travelers wandered the busy streets of Calticia, barely dodging the masses of people that ran past, all seemingly headed in the same direction. It was easy for someone to deduce that something was happening in the city square.
"Probably a hanging," Rayen muttered, "Or they're using the guillotine. Seems to be a lot more of that lately."
"Why?"
"It's all part of this effort to generate more loyalty for the king," the hunter explained, "Whatever he's planning requires the backing of the entire country, so he's making an example of those who are disloyal with public executions. Last I heard they've been having one every day. I doubt all of the victims are really terrorists."
Link stared ahead, barely registering Rayen's words as his thoughts remained elsewhere. His feeling of unease had only grown over the past days, and he knew with an eerie certainty that something was wrong in this country, something deeper than the frequent executions and fear of foreigners. It seemed unlikely that the once kind King Tawahn could so quickly become a tyrant and imprison his own son. In every town they had passed the population would frequently gather in the town square to hear the new proclamation of the king and news on the progress of the king's attempt to "root out" the disloyal. When the king was joyful, his people were as well, and when he was angry, they seethed with fury. Link found it strange that they had not encountered or even seen any foreigners in the country, as Calatia was well known for its diverse population. He darkly assumed that they had been the first to be branded disloyal.
The travelers quickly neared the city square, and soon found themselves amidst the immense mass of Calatians, the people trying to push their way to the front.
Link grabbed Zelda's arm to stop her from making her way toward the head of the crowd, quickly telling her it would be better to not make themselves obvious. The princess desperately wanted to see what was happening, though, and she quickly found a pile of crates hidden in the shade beside a general store on which to stand. Lunari joined her upon the boxes, but the males, being slightly taller, could see the platform above the heads of the Calatians.
There it was…
The killing machine created to be efficient beyond belief; a quick pull of the lever and the blade drops, severing the prisoner's head cleanly. The blade is raised and the machine is immediately ready for another victim.
Link had never liked the guillotine, or any form of capital punishment. He figured the feeling was the result of his sheltered background with the Kokiri. He could remove an enemy's head in battle and not give the gruesome scene much thought, but to see a bloodthirsty crowd screaming in delight as the victim was secured beneath a blade troubled him.
The silence that had descended over the square exploded into cheers as the prisoner was brought upon the dais, led by guards dressed in black. The prisoner was young, and his attire suggested that he was an outlander. He looked bewildered and terrified, his eyes darting back and forth frantically for any sign of someone that would help him. They came to rest on Link, and the grief in them tore at the Hylian's heart. A sack made of black cloth was tied over the prisoner's head and Link looked away, ashamed. He had been ready to run out there and save the stranger but, he reminded himself again, he could not jeopardize his mission. That thought sounded so hollow…
"Corrupt bastards," Rayen muttered, "They probably just grabbed the guy off the streets as he was passing through."
The king appeared as the prisoner was secured to the guillotine machine, dressed in majestic robes and a glittering crown. He held his hand out to the Calatians and they bowed immediately.
"Citizens of Calatia," he spoke in a booming voice, "This man has betrayed our country, and the punishment for this crime is death."
The prisoner struggled uselessly, a muffled cry escaping into the air through the cloth as the executioner held him down. The crowd cheered, blood lust evident in their inhumane cries.
"This isn't right," whispered Lunari, horrified, "Can't we stop this?"
"We don't even know if that man is actually innocent; he could be guilty of all their charges," Rayen pointed out, "And besides, you'd be dead before you got a chance."
"Hey guys," Link began, his eyes sweeping over his friends, "Where's Zelda?"
Zelda wove between the crowds, quickly making her way to the dais amid the throng of Calatians. She didn't' know what she was planning to do once she got there, but she knew that the execution must be stopped. She had slipped away unnoticed because she realized that Link wouldn't want her to put herself in danger. But she couldn't stand by and watch the gruesome spectacle.
The look in the prisoner's eyes, the look of despair, had triggered an eruption of anger and sadness in her heart. Perhaps her friends had seen executions like this before, but she had been sheltered; few crimes in Hyrule called for punishment of death, and the executions were usually private; not public spectacles made to appease blood thirsty mobs.
She was almost out of time; the prisoner was securely tied down and the executioner's hand rested on the lever of the guillotine, two Calatian guards flanking him. The king had only to give the order…
Zelda reached the base of the dais, and, with a Sheikah leap, landed upon it.
"Stop!" she yelled, standing straight and glaring at King Tawahn.
The crowd immediately quieted and the king's many archers aimed the head of their arrows at the disruptor, standing beside the Calatian king on the royal dais overlooking the square. The guards beside the executioner pointed their swords at the Hylian princess and King Tawahn held up his hand, giving the signal for his men to hold their attack. Every eye was trained on the princess, whose identity was veiled by the hood over her head.
"What is this?" the king demanded.
"What crimes has this man committed?" Zelda asked defiantly, "Surely nothing worthy of death!"
"He is a spy and a danger to this country!" the king bellowed, "The Calatian council has decided his punishment after long deliberation; it is well deserved."
"Give me proof," Zelda argued, disbelieving the words of the king, "Only then will I step down."
"You speak as if you have authority here, stranger," King Tawahn said mockingly, "Now; you will either step down or you will be killed where you stand."
"A metallic ring sounded across the square as a sword was drawn, and the king suddenly felt cold steel at his neck.
"I don't think so," Link spoke coldly, his blade hovering beneath Tawahn's chin, "If you do so much as move your hand this sword will carve you a new breathing hole. Call off the execution."
"Sorry, boy," the king spoke calmly, "But that can't be done. You can choose to lower your blade or suffer the consequences."
Link followed the king's eyes to the back of the crowd, where Dek and Lunari had been bound by Calatian guards who held their swords at the elves' necks. Rayen was crouching, his crossbow in one hand and a long dagger in the other, in a standoff with the guards encircling him.
Link looked at Zelda, whose eyes showed her unspoken apology. Hesitantly, he lowered his blade and immediately felt the blow to the back of his head. Zelda screamed as the hero fell.
"Your highness," Tawahn's advisor whispered, "I believe that is the Hylian princess."
"Good," the king replied, "You know what to do."
"It's good to see you alive and well, Princess," Impa bowed before the Zoran monarch, "Did you encounter any trouble on your way?"
"The Coshraks had the lake patrolled better than anticipated," Ruto spoke, "We had to go out of our way to reach the Great Sea, hence our late arrival."
Impa nodded in understanding. The band of Zora had arrived in the Northern Lands just a day after the Hylians, but the Gorons had not appeared and it was assumed they were still on their way. The Sheikah suspected that they may have had trouble securing a vessel on which to travel.
"The Halflings have agreed to allow us to stay here for a limited time," Impa explained, "They don't want to put themselves in any danger."
"Where are you planning to go, then?" Ruto asked as she walked down the hall of the governor's mansion, the Sheikah, Mikau, and her bodyguards beside her.
"I was hoping we could discuss that when Darunia arrives," Impa said, "I doubt the Halflings will provide any transportation out of here. Hyrule's old ties with the Northern Realm are weak; I fear it was a mistake to come here." The group continued to walk until the Sheikah stopped in front of a door. "You have been given temporary quarters in this mansion, Princess," she explained, "Hopefully we won't be here long."
Ruto nodded and was about to speak when the call of a horn rang out across the city, startling her.
"It sounds like a warning call," Impa decided, "It could be an evacuation order. General," she nodded to Mikau, "Come with me. Princess, stay here." Ruto was about to argue but Impa and Mikau had already left. She angrily entered the room, leaving her personal guards to stand faithfully by her door.
Impa and Mikau quickly reached the edge of the small city and were confronted by the mayor who stood there as well, staring into the snow covered lands before him.
"This is all your fault," he said as a greeting, looking toward a small group of Halflings carrying several of their wounded into the city, "Those monsters did that; those things followed you," the mayor said in disgust, "They're after you, but they will tear our city apart and kill us as well," he directed a hard gaze at the Sheikah, "We will evacuate the city, but it is useless. They will get to us when they are through with you. By running you have brought this plague upon us; none will escape their destruction."
Zelda groaned as she opened her eyes, blinking to adjust to the light that greeted her. She sat up, observing that she was on an extremely large canopy bed, and looked around. She was in a huge, majestic looking room with expensive furniture and an immense glass window through which sunlight filtered in. Everything was ornately decorated, and a blue gown that looked to be made for royalty was on a stand in the corner.
She rubbed the back of her head in confusion and grimaced when her fingers skimmed over a large knot hidden underneath her golden hair.
She must have been hit over the head…
Events started returning to her memory then; the execution, her interference, Link falling…
What had happened to her friends?
She quickly got out of the bed and headed for the door, opening it only to bump into somebody just outside, knocking the stranger to the floor. She apologized and helped the Calatian, whose attire revealed her to be a castle maid, to her feet.
"Ah, Princess," the maid said smiling, "No need to apologize; you must be confused. The king will explain everything once you're cleaned up. His Majesty has provided a gown for you; he wants you to wear it to the banquet tonight."
"I don't care what the king wants," Zelda said angrily, "I was brought in here against my will; I need to find my friends and then I'm going straight to King Tawahn to find out what he was thinking."
"Sorry, Princess," the maid said, "His Highness told me I can't let you by until you're ready. He says you have to look nice for the banquet tonight. The leaders from many countries will be there. You're the Hylian representative."
Zelda was about to retort but she stopped herself, thinking.
Well, if it's for Hyrule…
"Fine," she said indignantly, turning around and going back into the room.
"Thank you, Your Highness," the maid said, bowing, "My name's Leila; if I'm not here when you come out just ask one of the guards to fetch me."
Zelda nodded and closed the door, walking into the luxurious bathroom connected to the bedroom. She turned a valve above the bathtub and water poured out.
Even has hot, running water…
She quickly undressed and sank down into the steaming water, trying not to enjoy the comforting feeling it gave her. She had more important things to think about…like what was going on in Calatia.
She knew that the king's new kindness toward her was not simply to make amends for his actions earlier. Zelda was too experienced in politics to believe that. She was actually surprised she was still alive after the earlier ordeal; the king must have somehow known her true identity…yet another mystery. Zelda was also extremely worried about Link and the others; they would not have received the same treatment she had, and she desperately hoped they were still alive.
She had to talk to the king in private, before the banquet, but she wasn't even sure if she could trust him.
Something about him just didn't feel right…
"Soldiers, in formation!" Mikau barked and his order was immediately followed as the slim number of Hylian and Zoran soldiers lined up before him.
There were so few…
So many had died…
The Zoran general walked up and down the ranks, inspecting the soldiers carefully. He stopped in front of one particular Hylian who was older than the other soldiers and clad in dirty farm clothes.
"Who are you?" he asked.
"Ingo Haelstrom, Sir," the man answered, "I am a soldier, Sir. I served in the Hyrulian Civil War under General Scot. I can fight, Sir."
"General Scot?" Mikau asked, receiving a stiff nod from Ingo, "So you're Colonel Haelstrom, otherwise known as Colonel Falcon."
"Affirmative, Sir." Ingo thought back to when he had been given that name because of his sharp eyes and quick wit in battle. He had been well respected, for good reason, in the older days, and had helped General Scot lead his men to many victories.
"You were good, Colonel," Mikau said, "But your time is past. You do not belong in battle anymore, Falcon."
"With all due respect, Sir," Ingo spoke, determined, "You're wrong. I may be old and I may not look like a soldier, but I have not forgotten my training. I made a promise that I would do all that I can to protect my people, and I plan on fulfilling it." The Zoran general studied the farmhand for what seemed to Ingo like hours before responding.
"I have been given command of all forces," Mikau smiled and placed a hand on the Hylian's shoulder, "You will be second in command only to me, Colonel Haelstrom," he turned to continue the inspection, "I trust that you'll prove yourself in battle."
"There are not enough of us," Mikau looked at Impa, "Those beasts will be here in less than a day, Darunia has not arrived or may already be dead, and our only defense consists of less than one hundred weary soldiers. I need more men."
"I will not allow Hylian civilians to fight," Impa stated strongly, "Enough have died as it is. The Hylians will have no future if the men all die in battle."
"Neither will the Zora," Ruto said, seated in a chair at the far side of the room that had been made her private quarters, "But our men are warriors, and they will all fight, whether this leads to our demise or not," she stood, facing Impa, "These are dark times, Sheikah, and sacrifices must be made so that others may live peacefully. The Zora are ready to do what they must to accomplish this dream of peace."
"I am not ruler of the Hylians," Impa said, "I do not have the authority to tell them to sacrifice themselves."
"Then ask them," Ruto proposed, "If they have any honor in them they will rise to meet the challenge."
"People of Hyrule!" Impa spoke loudly, standing before the Hylian refugees, "These are evil times, when kings are thrown down and good men massacred. I come before you to ask if you have the courage to give your lives as others have done for the sake of the world. The Halflings have abandoned their city and the Coshraks steadily approach. We cannot continue to run; there is no place safe from these beasts. We must end this battle now. I ask all of you men to consider if your country is worth fighting for."
"I do not know how many will choose to fight," Impa told Ruto as the latter paced back and forth across the room, "They are not soldiers; they are terrified of the beasts."
Ruto opened her mouth to reply but was stopped by a pounding at the door. She opened it quickly and Mikau stepped in.
"You two will want to see this," the general said, dashing away down the hall. The Sheikah and Ruto quickly followed him out of the mansion and into the town square.
The sight that greeted them was grand enough to startle even the collected Sheikah. The male Hylian civilians were lined up in military formation, standing strictly, their faces stoic as they faced her. A single man stepped forward.
"We have decided, Miss," he said, keeping his face straight, "We will all fight."
Rayen's eyes snapped open and he leapt onto his feet, reaching for his crossbow that he discovered wasn't strapped to his belt. The pain in his head suddenly made him stumble and his hand found a wall on which to support himself. He blinked his eyes to adjust to the darkness that surrounded him. He looked around.
Aw, crap…
He was in a dungeon cell.
The bounty hunter moved toward the enclosing bars of the cell but had to catch himself when he almost tripped over an object on the stone floor. He looked down to see a faint outline of a person. As he knelt down to study the figure recognition flickered across his eyes.
The elf…Dek; that was his name. The hunter looked around the cell again and spotted another shape in the opposite corner. As he moved closer he recognized her as well.
Lunari…
The city square…
The guards came up from behind and grabbed the two elves. We heard them coming but there were too many. I was ready to take out a few when Link surrendered. Stupid kid distracted me. They must have thrown us in here…at least we're not dead. Where are the Hylians, though? Could be in a different cell…
"You're awake," the voice startled the hunter and he pinpointed the origin of the sound, whirling to face the shadowy figure in the cell across from him. "They threw you three in here a few hours ago. They must have hit you pretty hard."
Rayen moved forward and stood at the edge of the cell, studying the stranger as best he could in the dim lighting of the dungeon, provided only by two small torches at either end of the corridor.
"Just three?" he asked cautiously, "There were no more?"
"No," the stranger answered, sighing, "You're the first ones to be put in here in a long time. This is the deepest dungeon under the castle." Rayen then suddenly realized who the prisoner really was.
"Prince Tawahn?" the hunter asked incredulously, "You're really imprisoned?"
"I'm afraid so," the prince sighed, "Something's come over my father, it seems. I'm in no better situation than you three."
"We have to get out of here," Rayen stated, "We came here escorting the princess of Hyrule on very important business."
"You were with Princess Zelda?!" Tawahn exclaimed in a hushed voice.
"Uh…yeah," Rayen answered, "But then she tried to stop some killing in the city square and the next thing we know the three of us are in here. I don't know where the princess or her bodyguard are."
"Probably already in the hands of my father," the prince said bitterly, "I was supposed to be out of here by now so that I could warn Zelda before she did something crazy. I don't know what he needs her for but it's not good. We-"
"Wait," Rayen interrupted, "What do you mean you were supposed to be out of here already? Your father was going to release you?"
"No," the prince sighed, "I've been in here for months and it will be many more if I leave it up to my father to come to his senses. The same most likely goes for you; you wouldn't have been put in the same dungeon block as me if they weren't planning on keeping you a long time. They don't want the public to know I'm in here."
"So how were you gonna get out?"
"I have some friends," Tawahn's voice dropped down to a whisper, "They were going to get me out of here, but now I fear they were discovered; they could be dead."
"Well Link will look after the princess if he's free, but we still need to get out of here."
"Link?" the prince said, confused.
"Her bodyguard."
"Oh."
"Now these friends of yours," Rayen whispered, checking around for any guards nearby, "You say they're probably discovered?"
"The escape should've happened yesterday," the prince explained, "We had it planned out perfectly, so something must have gone terribly wrong so that they weren't able to even attempt it. They're all royal guards and they serve my father; maybe he knew they weren't loyal to him."
"I guess we'll just have to take a more direct escape route…"
Author's Notes
Sorry about how long it took me to get this chapter up. The good news is that I think I'm finally getting past my writer's block. The next one should be up quicker. Please forgive any mistakes in the chapter since I haven't had time to edit it; this is my last chance to post it for about a week and I'm trying to go fast. I'll go back and edit, though. I thank everyone who still continues to review and put up with my lateness, and I thank Regulus Deathstorm and Sareth for emailing me during the time I've taken to post this.
Thank you.