"The Destiny Stone"
Disclaimer: I don't own Zelda or any characters, places, or events thereof, so there! Of the original characters, I came up with Timbre, Kat, Aka, Benz, Vulcan and some various bit characters here and there. Sond owns the rest. Thanks Sond! Rej is © FogFrontier!
*****
Here I am, here I go! It's about time I had another chapter with some action in it, though in this case I felt the battle was, rather sadly, one-sided. Comeuppances will be brought, though. Oh, and due to my erratic schedule of updates, Sond and I have cooperatively stared a community, so readers can know what we're up to. I'll append the address to that at the end of the chapter, in a lame attempt to make you read the chapter. See, a kind of reward' thingy. Or something. I dunno.
*****
"The Destiny Stone" — Chapter 26: Imprisonment
*****
"Stand before me, male."
Link couldn't help but shuffle uncomfortably as he found himself before what he could only label humorlessly as a gaggle of Gerudo. Some, like Nabooru, sat in front of him, with what appeared to be identical twin bodyguards on either side of her. The Gerudo leader herself sat, legs crossed primly on a carved wooden seat that somehow denoted one of status without implying over-indulgence.
Link wanted to smirk, but decided it probably wouldn't be a good idea at the moment. He was surrounded by females. He was on dangerous ground.
Very dangerous ground. And not just because they were warriors.
The male's neck hairs prickled like ice shards as he felt the incisive fire-eyed gazes of all the lesser Gerudo behind him. Although he currently couldn't see them, he felt himself flush slightly. He didn't dare turn around to look at them, afraid of what expressions he might actually witness. He'd heard enough tales of those unfortunate (or fortunate, depending on the viewpoint) enough to be kidnapped and then subsequently subjected to Gerudohospitality. Although he'd been young at the time, he'd been old enough to somewhat understand what that could imply. And knowing that, he wasn't exactly sure which category to put himself into, yet.
He, and with him the entire contingent of thief-women, was currently situated in the largest room in the complex: the mess hall. The ceiling was slightly higher than it had been in the infirmary, and was shored up by long rafters. The floor was smooth and rubbed raw, though a few carpets lined certain parts, probably to improve traction. The hall was sparse, furnished with angular stone benches and tables, also rubbed smooth with continuous use. There was little to no evidence of anything made of wood, which made sense in a desert. But it only made Link feel all the more foreign.
Nabooru's eyes were still on him, and he tried to swallow without moving too much. After having been given the opportunity to clean his wounds (thankfully by himself), a lesser guard had arrived, curtly requested him to follow her, and started walking. Link had tried to appear as dignified as possible as he entered the contingent's presence, but he was finding it very difficult, under the stare of the matron Nabooru and her followers. Those gazes, though some of them were quite curious (too curious, for his comfort), clearly labeled him as alien, an intruder, and that he and his maleness clearly did not belong. This only made the pit in his stomach more agitated.
"So." Nabooru said, as if she were about to proclaim sentence on him.
Link opened his mouth to speak, but then thought better of it.
"Huh, what is this skinny rabbit the hunters have brought us?" he heard someone murmur behind his back. This comment was greeted by a roar of laughter that make Link's sunburned face glow bright crimson with embarrassment and temper.
"Silence!" Nabooru didn't exactly shout, but the word echoed sharply about the room, stinging the ears all the same. The laughter died instantly. Nabooru apparently commanded a lot of respect as leader. "Now," said the Gerudo, her eyes riveting behind his shoulder, "I will ask the male his business here. Will he answer?"
The eyes focused back on his face. He took a deep breath, not exactly sure how to explain himself. "I-I beg pardon, if I have intruded-"
"Will he answer?"
The retort seemed to hit him as sharply as if she'd shot him with a bow and arrow. Uh-oh. The awkwardness seemed to be affecting his tongue, now. "Y-yes, he will." He finally stammered out.
Apparently this had been the right answer, as Nabooru sat back, her posture becoming much more relaxed. Crossing her legs, she nodded. "Speak then of this, stranger. Tell us his story."
This last statement nearly puzzled him, until he recalled a half-forgotten Gerudo custom. When speaking formally amongst strangers, he remembered, males often had to refer to themselves in the third person. Drawing up any courage he had left (apparently that virtue was useful in things other than battle), Link drew himself to his full height, and tried to keep his voice as even as possible. "He was separated from his companions on a long journey," he stated clearly. "He found himself in the Desert, and became lost."
"And from there he was found?" the Gerudo leader asked.
"Yes."
"He is a warrior, yes?"
"I-He is."
"Where then, is his weapon?"
Link swallowed, feeling foolish. "Lost, I fear."
The eyes narrowed. "And why would a warrior find himself in the Desert? Does he not know that it is death ordained to attempt it?"
"It wasn't his plan to enter it."
"And yet he found himself there despite this?"
"Yes."
There were muffled sounds, as if the Gerudos behind him were murmuring quietly amongst themselves. Though Nabooru's brow furrowed slightly in annoyance, she didn't silence them with words this time. She merely waved her right hand briefly, and the sounds quickly ceased. As she affixed him with her most intense gaze yet, Link froze, feeling pinned, as if those eyes were actually bindings about his legs.
"The warrior, he has possession of a most important artifact, does he not?"
This last accusation made his indignation flare up, and he lost his concentration. For a moment, he almost mis-interpreted her words, and flushed horribly. Remembering the fact he was the only male in the room suddenly made him nervous. "What? I don't know what you're talking ab-"
Nabooru's eyes focused on him-but not on his face. He watched, eyes slowly widening as her eyes slowly settled themselves on his left hand.
"The Triforce, male. Its mark is clearly shown upon your left hand."
Even worse, then! Link swallowed, unsure of what to say in response to this, third person or no. The voices behind him started up again, and this time, the Hylian was unable to keep his head from turning. A squadron of forty Gerudo stared back at him, all fire-haired, copper-skinned, yellow-eyed, some with scimitars drawn and scowls on their faces. Suddenly, he very much missed Sond. He glared back at the women, sick of the way he was being treated.
"I apologize for my intrusion," he finally said in his clearest voice. "It was never my plan to disturb the Gerudo."
"Yet here he is, mistake or not. Face me." Link did so, and found Nabooru's face still calm, despite any breach of custom. "Here you are, and with you, the Triforce of Courage."
"How did yo-"
"Because there are only Three, the one with Power in the hand of the King, and the one with Wisdom locked away where no sight from this world can penetrate. So it is that the third, the one with Courage, thought lost in time, is found again."
"If you're in allegiance with Ganondorf-" he started, preparing himself for the worst. His muscles, still weary from his previous injuries, strained painfully as they suddenly tensed.
"I see you are a warrior, though a foolish one." Nabooru said, smiling. "Would you fight all of us, despite your overwhelming odds?"
"I would," Link said with gritted teeth. "I fight against Ganondorf's rule," he added fiercely, feeling reckless. He curbed his tongue, not ready to speak any more on the subject, just in case.
"Well said, then. You do carry Courage within you." Nabooru stood, and with her, the entire room. "Warrior who apposes the King, we represent all of those left behind when the King took power from the Hylian Royal Family."
"L-left behind?" Incredulousness was replaced by confusion.
"Indeed," Nabooru stated, stepping down from her high chair. Although her underlings said nothing, Link felt the air move about him as they stiffened. Their leader took no notice of this, drawing closer to the only male in the room. Link drew back slightly. Nabooru's eyes were strangely hooded, but she was staring at him as if he were an equal, not an object.
"The Desert was sealed," she said, as if beginning a long story. "When the King of the Gerudos left his own kingdom forever, he took only those completely loyal to him. Those whom he did not find fit to rule alongside him were left, and the Desert sealed up around them. They were cursed to this ever-stormy wasteland, never to see the green fields of Hyrule or the sea ever again."
Link stared back, unsure of how trustworthy this woman was. She's speaking as if she's rehearsed this for a long time, he thought. But she's a thief, and a Gerudo. And female, to boot. I can't just trust her, no matter what she might have said or done. For all I know, she might just be trying to get the Triforce.
Or something else.
"what does this have to do with me?" He finally said, confident that he would no longer be rebuked for breaching custom.
He was right. "The seal was put in place by the witches Twinrova, and we were left here to rot. The witches are powerful, and their seal is impossible to penetrate. No womanor mancan pass."
Link thought this over, until his mind hit a snag — "If that's the case, how did I get here? And how did-" Link realized he didn't know the name of his rescuer in mid-sentence.
Nabooru shrugged. "We are not sure how you passed. Your rescuer passed because she is not human."
Heh, foiled by a loophole. Link sardonically grinned inwardly. Those witches probably would be pretty mad if they knew that.
"But if you passed the seal once, you may be able to do it again. And perhaps-"
"What do you mean, do it again?" Link arched a moody eyebrow.
"The key to the seal lies somewhere deep in the Wasteland, guarded by the witches' stronghold. However, to reach the seal and dispel it, one needs to pass through it. "Then why don't you send-"
"She can pass, however, she cannot dispel the seal."
"Then wha-" Uh oh. Link swallowed, and stared. "Youyou don't think I'm able to break this seal, do you?"
"You have the Triforce." Nabooru nodded. "I believe it to be so. This may be what allowed you to come here in the first place."
So that was what they wanted. Link breathed out, relieved and dismayed at the same time. They wanted him to go and break the seal — somehow — because of who he was — no, because of what he possessed.
Nabooru spoke again. "Therefore, the Gerudo request that you would attempt the seal."
Link looked around at all the Gerudo, who were all staring at him with a kind of curiosity mixed with respect that made him cringe. He hated letting people down. Nabooru inclined her head.
Inside, Link seethed. He didn't trust the Gerudo. He had no reason to, save that they had not yet caused him any harm. But that doesn't mean anything, he thought to himself. They might just throw me out the moment my purpose is fulfilled. Wasn't that what spiders did?
A sudden burning sensation on his left hand made his brows furrow. The Triforce doesn't even like thisand I certainly don't. Therefore-
Link took a deep breath. "No," he said finally.
Nabooru's face twitched very slightly. "If there is any reward you request-"
"No, no, I can't," Link said. "Even if you say you are against Ganondorf, even if you did rescue me — I cannot trust you, I'm sorry. My quest is much too important to risk going off-"
"And what would that quest be?" Nabooru almost purred.
Link was resolute. Can't trust them"It is none of your business," he said in a hard voice.
"That is unfortunate," Nabooru said in a similar tone, walking back to her seat. She reclined, waving to her two bodyguards at the same time. They suddenly advanced like well-oiled machines. "For you see, because you have not yet decided to help us, I must hold you prisoner."
"What?" The blond flinched, as a third guard he was completely unaware of suddenly clasped him from behind. He felt calculatingly cold fingers suddenly depress into the back of his neck, and his legs buckled.
A pressure point! Ican't move! The two bodyguards caught him roughly under each arm, saving him from an ignomious fall. Though it seemed they would have rather dropped him than save his embarrassment.
The back of his hand burned again, but Link ignored it, staring rebelliously back at Nabooru. "You've got no right to do this-"
"I do understand that I have every right to do this, male," she replied smoothly. "By Gerudo law, you are a male, and an intruder, and you fell at our threshold - therefore, you are now our prisoner. Of course I would be more than happy to set you freebut only if you agreed to my request."
"No!"
"Perhaps a few days' imprisonment will change your opinion."
Link just glared. The Gerudo leader laughed quietly.
"Maybe longer than that, then. No matter, we can be patient. We've waited ten years already, after all"
"You can't do this to me!"
Nabooru just shrugged at this shout of rage. "I can, male. And I have. Enjoy your stay."
These sardonic words hit like a blow to the face, and suddenly the Hylian realized the situation he was finding himself in. Link calmed as desperation replaced anger and shock. "Look, it's not that I don't want to helpit's just I have a responsibility — wellto others. And I'm the only one who can help them. Please."
The Gerudo leader sadly shook her head. "I really must apologize, then. You have your priorities, and this I respect, but given the opportunity for freedom you now provide for my people, I cannot simply allow you to slip through our fingers. I, too, have my responsibilities to others. I thought you would be more understanding of that." There was an actual tone of regret in her voice, though as the guards walked — make that dragged - him out of the hall, this emotion was not reflected on the faces of the lesser Gerudo.
Link swallowed. He had a feeling that if they'd had their way, he'd be dead or worse by now.
**
He was roughly thrown into a dark room, colliding with something before skidding forcibly into the cold stone ground. The barred door slammed shut behind him, and he heard the sounds of a bolt being slid into place.
Link didn't even have time to collect his equilibrium, when he suddenly felt both his shoulders grasped by whatever he'd collided with. Panic slapped him like a whiplash, making his back arch.
"Gyah! Get off!" Link flailed, ripping himself away from the touch. Although his limbs were still rather limp and numb from the pressure point, he managed to strike his assailant several times, and tear away from-
"Ow! Ow! Oy, mate, calm do' a bit, will ya?"
The familiar accent made Link stop in mid punch. "N-Nick?"
He heard a pause, as if the owner of the voice had grinned sardonically.
"On'ly one bout, eh? Righ'?"
Rubbing his shoulder, Link rocked onto his knees, which felt rather scabbed. "What're you doing here?" He asked bluntly, still too flabbergasted to be surprised. "And where's Kafei?"
"I'm here too," came the quiet solid voice, from somewhere in the corner. As Link's vision got used to the dark, he made out a faint outline or two. Apparently both Nick and Kafei had arrived here, and were no longer fairies to boot.
"Well, that answers that questionwhy are you both here?"
Nick's shroud seemed to shrug noncommittally. "Tried t'find elp, t'find you," he stated. "Saw y' go down wi' th' Guay, in th' san'storm"
"Tatl was rather upset, and we tried our best to look for you," Kafei explained further. "But there's no way to see anything in that desertand we were almost out of ideas, when we saw this place."
"Sowe lan'ed ere."
"that was a bad idea" Link muttered.
"A' th' time, we din' ave much've th' option, did we?" Nick snapped back. "Sheesh, y'try an' actually do somethin'" the Volcanian's accent thickened considerably, until Link couldn't understand him anymore.
Link chewed his lip, and took a deep breath. "Ok, sorry about thatI would've done the same thing. I'm assuming that the Gerudo didn't take very kindly to you, either?"
"Nope," Kafei said. "They were kind of intrigued, though.that we'd somehow made it though their barrier-"
"Not theirs, actuallyI'll explain later," Link added.
"Well, the short of it was that we ended up in hereand we've been here a while-hard to tell without too much lighta few days, maybe."
"'Least we're fed," Nick grumbled, apparently accepting the apology. "Though I dun' like thislike we's been penned, y'knowuntil they need us, any'ow." Nick had never been to Gerudo Valley before, as he'd been absent from their group the time that everyone had gone. But he, too, had heardstories.
All three didn't say anything more until Link changed the subject. "So, where's Tatl?"
Kafei's voice lowered confidentially, in case they were overheard. "She wasn't caught with us, we split up right before."
Link found a wall, and leaned back with a groan. With any hope, she's gone for helpeven if she made it there in a day, that's still a long journey for anyone to respond, plus the fact this desert seems to be impenetrable unless under odd circumstancesThat reminded himguess she was right about the seal," he mused aloud.
"Oro?"
Link turned his head in Nick's direction. "Nabooru told me a bit about this place's position before she chucked me in here. She said the desert was sealed by Twinrova, and that it was impassable to humans."
"Just humans? Rather odd," Kafei remarked. "Still, if the witches were trying for a seal as powerful as thisthey would probably consider narrowing its focus to conserve power."
"Hm? Where's this coming from?"
"WellPamela's father had a small stint with mage-study a while back, so I picked up a few lores here and there," Kafei mused quietly. "Seals are especially tricky. They're immensely complex to make, and rough in the upkeep, so any seal-maker'll try and narrow a seal's focus as much as possible, to keep it economical. Better to have a strong seal with a specialty, than a big broad one that drains all your magic and could be more easily broken."
"So apparently non-humans don't have trouble passing through," Link said. "So it wasn't the Triforce after allit was just the fact we weren't human when we came through."
"Wai'they know bout th' Triforce? Ow?" Nick cut in, sounding alarmed.
Link stared at the back of his hand, which was glowing dimly. "Dunnoshe just knew. Nabooru, I mean. It was kind of creepyugh." Link made a face as his hand started throbbing again.
"Something up?"
"Probably notjust a twinge. Anyhow, any thoughts as to get out of here?"
Kafei grunted. "I don't even know what time of day it is, let alone the way out."
Link's fist painfully ground itself into the wall. "Damn."
"If'n y'though there we're a easy way outta ere, sorry t' burst y'dream," Nick drawled.
Link pulled his hat over his eyes. "I'm jus' plain exhausted, that's all," he said. And he was, and aching to boot. Although the medicine and wash had soothed his wounds a little, they still stung. He'd noted that the wolfbite on his arm had been neatly bandaged at some point, probably while he was unconscious. He groaned. As much as he hated being a prisoner in a strange place, he knew the best thing he could do for himself at the moment was sleep.
Though seeing he'd been through in the past few days, he was sure all he could look forward to were more dreams of disorienting clangs. He pressed fingers against the back of his throbbing hand, and tried not to think about it as he tried to sleep.
*****
There was a reason that Link's hand was throbbing, though he himself didn't know why. That reason currently was soaring closer and closer along the eastern Hyrulian shores.
And he wasn't the only one.
Ganondorf had spied the dragon more than a day ago, hardly even a shadow in the sky, skimming the waves below it like a seabird. But the Gerudo prided himself in being perceptive, and the moment he identified his quarry, he'd given full out chase.
That's the one that devoured my stallion!
A lust for vengeance had drawn him towards the flying creature like a magnet, and he'd made his presence fully known as he'd charged.
The red dragon, of course, had right away tried to avoid him, probably because it feared what retribution Ganondorf might bring. So, predictably, it had abruptly spun off its original course, and flown away at top speed in an attempt to evade the Gerudo who flew on his undead steed.
However, Ganondorf was relentless. He wasn't ready to let anything go without undue punishment — and in this case, the lesson would be a harsh one for the dragon.
He'd flown directly at the red-winged creature, powering up a blast. His first blow had landed square on its nose, and the dragon had turned in rage.
It had a lot of spunk, he'd give it that. But it clearly was callow and inexperienced. At first, it had tried in vain to fight back, though defensively. Its main train of thought was still obviously tuned into getting away. Ganondorf denied it that privilege.
So it was he'd forced the thing to stay airborne since he'd spotted it, nearly two days ago now. Whenever it tried to circle to land or veer away, he was there, herding it back up into the sky with tiny but painful red shocks of Power — hardly even bites — to keep it from getting any rest. Part of his plan involved trying to exhaust it as much as possible.
Ganondorf knew that dragons didn't tire easily — unless they were forced to exert themselves without the proper energy. If this dragon wasn't able to regain that energy — be it through rest, feeding, or whatever — then it would tire even more quickly.
And just to make sure it would tire when he wanted it to, he'd reminded it of its plight with a few moderately strong blows to its nose, again care of the Triforce of Power.
One night and day without rest didn't bother Ganondorf too badly — he could stand it — and his steed was as tireless as it was undead. The only loser in this waiting game would be the red dragon. His dragon, now.
It wasn't as if the dragon was even that old, anyway — for all its huge size, Ganondorf figured that it was probably only into young adulthood, not even old enough to have yet secured a mate. Which would explain why he had initially seen it with that older male, as opposed to with a mate of its own.
Ganondorf had kept a sharp eye out for the silver dragon, but it hadn't reappeared, even when he'd begun his campaign to punish its younger sibling. Maybe I did manage to make that last blow fatal, Ganondorf thought smugly. Good.
He spurred his lich to wing alongside the quarry. From nose to tail, the creature was at least 45 meters long, and it's humongous wingspread spanned more than twice that length. Although the wings were its main source of propulsion through the air, the entire dragon's body undulated as if it were swimming rather than flying.
The pied black and white mane (unique, Ganondorf thought) streamed backwards from the wind force, waving erratically amongst the two curved horns on either side of its head.
As the lich steed drew level with the dragon's eyes, Ganondorf saw himself reflected in that morass of reddish-violet. From this close, he could even see the slit-lined pupil dilating as it tried to focus better on him.
Ganondorf just smiled. Magnificent. Especially when I break it in as my new mount.
As if reading his mind, the dragon suddenly squawked, twisted and snapped at his tormentor with long bared teeth. Laughing uproariously, Ganondorf evaded the expected attack, and gave the dragon another shock to its nose for its expense.
It roared in complete maddened temper, and veered away, closing its wings into a death-dive. It was trying to escape again.
"No you don't," Ganondorf chided, and stretched out a fist. He could try and control the entire dragon's body at once if he so desired, but he felt it more interesting to see how much control he could exert with as little effort as possible.
As it was, one wing was sufficient. Mentally grasping it, Ganondorf pulled his fist back as if he were yanking something.
The red aura surrounded the dragon's left wing, and twisted it upwards in a similar motion. The dragon screeched, tumbled slightly, but managed to regain its balance and remain airborne.
Good. I don't want you falling yet
Hyrule proper was already drawing close enough for Ganondorf to set sights on his quarry's ultimate destination, and new pen. Rising in the distance, still not clear enough to see completely, was Death Mountain.
It had once been the home of the rock-eating Gorons, but they'd long since fled to the north of Hyrule, nearly coincidentally with the advent of Ganondorf's reign.
Pity they're all gone, thought the King. I could have fed some to my new pet.
It was growing dark again, the end of the second day had come. The King looked up for a quiet moment, contemplating the stars. They'd been behaving as of late, much to his contentment. No more brightening during the day, or flashing during the night. It still made him slightly curious as to why it was occurring, or, if were just his imagination, why he'd come to such a fancy.
Though both fliers were chasing the sunset, the sun was inevitably sinking, plunging the world behind them into dark, and the skies before them into a brand of pale orange-yellows, marred only by the bandings of clouds, which in highlight appeared to be made of gold.
Just like the Golden Land's sky, when I first arrived, Ganondorf mused. Though it only too quickly turned black.
Ganondorf noted his position. Near the woodsit might try and escape by force landing in the Field, though. With this idea in mind, the King forced his quarry to lower altitude. Directing his steed to pull higher than the dragon, Ganondorf charged another blast. The flaming batwings of his temporary steed folded inwards, and the King dove elegantly, his fist crackling with Power.
The dragon screeched and bit backwards as it felt the rancid claws of the lich horse scratch against its red scales. Predictably, it descended, trying to rid itself of the unwanted contact.
Part of it was a bluff, on the Gerudo's part. The dragon's scales were far too tough for Ganondorf to want to have to chisel though them to cause the creature pain, but it did serve him to know that the dragon was now afraid of his touch. All the better.
Nowto start its first lesson
Below them both, the Lost Woods had slipped under like a massive green-fringed cloud. Ganondorf descended his steed for another touch onto the dragon's back. He wanted to show it just how much control he could muster over it, before he finalized the capture.
The dragon was now forced to fly so low that its wingtips were clipping some of the higher branches, sending whirlwinds of leaves up with every stroke. Its head turned back and forth, both eyes darting wildly as it panicked, looking for an avenue of escape.
No. Lower. Ganondorf reached out again, and focusing his Power on the dragon's back, gave it a little push.
The dragon descended onto the treetops belly first with a deafening screech, and Ganondorf had to hastily shield himself from the stray branches and boughs that threw themselves up at him from the impact. But the extra use of Power was worth it, for the lesson it was teaching.
The dragon's snout crashed through treetops, causing it to flinch as branches, boughs, and sometimes entire trunks were bulldozed painfully into its face. The dragon wavered, and probably would have completed a full deadly somersault followed by crash landing into the Lost Woods itself had Ganondorf not used his same Power to pull the dragon back up out of its death-plunge. Disoriented, the red dragon wheeled in midair, snapping at nothing as it felt itself driven back up into the sky. A long, weary, angry roar escaped its throat, filling the twilight with a kind of sad echo, as if it were cursing its tormenter.
The Gerudo King just smiled. He wasn't done yet.
*****
The red dragon's roar was so loud that it was heard clearly even in places as far away as Castle Town and Kakariko Village. It jolted Timbre straight out of a relaxed position, causing him to land stiffly on all fours, bristling and snarling from alarm.
Kat drew back, startled both by her friend and by the sound. They were on watch that night, true, but it was hard to keep calm if one heard a noise and wasn't sure were it came from. But both of them recognized the sound, if not at least fundamentally.
"W-what?" Kat murmured dully, not understanding why she'd suddenly hear a dragon's roar, and from so close.
Dink, who was clinging to Kat's shoulder, shuddered. "That isn't good."
Meanwhile, Timbre had seemingly frozen completely, both his ears cupped forward, and his tail stiffly bristled behind him. Kat turned to her friend just in time to see him leap away like a creature possessed.
"Tim? Where are you going?! Tim!"
Timbre didn't seem to hear her, as he bounded madly past the tree in the square, and with a phenomenal set of leaps, alighted up on the roof of the forge. There, eerily silhouetted by the darkening sky, he threw back his head and howled, loudly.
If the village hadn't been alerted by the initial dragon's roar, this second, though different signal, certainly did. People were soon piling out of their houses, fearfully peeking around doorjambs, trying to block their children from spilling out of doors into the twilight.
As Kat stood, still dutifully trying to locate the sound, Sond came running up, the blue fairy Cyrus clinging to a stray strand of her hair.
"Kat, was that-"
"Yeah," Kat murmured quietly. "It was. If I wasn't convinced myself, than Timbre just did. That's definitely a dragon."
"Where's it coming from?"
"Don't know, I can't tell."
Sond's hushed voice soon whispered back, confirming that she and Kat were currently thinking the same thing. "Do you think its-"
"I wouldn't knowdragons might just all sound the same. And even if it was himor-"
"If they didn't remember anythingoh Nayruthey could be-"
Kat bit her lip. "Tell everyone to get indoors. Now."
Sond nodded, and turned back towards the villagers, who were now peering upwards as if expecting rain.. "Everyone, get indoors! There's nothing you can do to protect yourselves otherwise."
The villagers muttered amongst themselves, sounding like arguing Guays in their growing panic.
"Tol' you there was bad luck there," Sond heard someone mutter.
"All started when that cripple smith came"
"Aye, she came outta nowhere-"
"An' that beast of theirs"
"Bringin' sorts've troubles that Gerudothose ghosts"
"How do we know they didn't bring-"
A shadow emerged suddenly from amongst them, silencing the grumbling instantly. Impa landed with no sound, and turned her head coldly towards the villagers.
"Do as she says. There are no traitors here. Anyone who has a problem with anyone from this village should bring the matter straight to me, and not waste time spinning lies or rumors. This is not a peaceful time, I fear. Shield your children — and protect yourselves. You know what is at stake."
These words, though cold, somehow managed to calm the villagers without cowing them, and they suddenly flew into action like well-oiled machines. Apparently a defensive system had been developed for the village in case of any emergency, and now that plan was going into good effect.
Children were quickly sorted out, and brought back into their proper homes. Doors and windows closed tightly shut, some were even barred. The lights in those windows still uncurtained dimmed considerably. The villagers knew it was the best they could do.
Nodding, Impa turned towards Sond and Kat. "Dragon. So said the wolf. He's on the forge roof, trying to spot it."
Sond bit her lip, and nodded. "That isbut if it-he attacks"
Impa shook her head. "The barrier wasn't constructed to repel something of that much force or strength," she admitted. "Keeping Chiron out is one thing. Keeping a berserk dragon at bay — it is nearly impossible to do, unless one has an inconceivable amount of power."
Kat swallowed, and stared out into the dark.
There was suddenly a second echoing roar, and above it, they heard Timbre's voice, shrilly.
"To the south! Look!"
There was a distant crash as something red seemed to bloom like blood flowers from the twilight. At first, it appeared to be some huge, reddish, amorphous thing, growing and swelling in size as it quickly cleared the distance between the forest and the village.
"By Farore's Wind, it's huge!" Dink shrilled from Kat's shoulder.
And it was. The huge red thing was quickly clarifying into a clear draconian shape, wings unfurled as it soared in a beeline towards the foot of the mountains, dangerously close to skidding the ground.
Kat's eyes widened. If it didn't pull upit was going to slam directly into the village. "It's gonna hit us"
"Even if it does pull up," Impa observed with quiet morbidity, "the downdraft it will create from doing so will tear through here like a cyclone." For the first time since Sond had seen the Sheikah, she realized that Impa was looking very worried.
"The barrier won't hold?"
Impa shook her head, wordlessly. "It wasn't built to keep out weather, or changes in pressure. I'd been hoping Chiron wouldn't try any weather magic-"
"You don't think Chiron-"
"He has been absent for several days. Whether he plans to attack again or not, I don't believe this is his doing. To control a dragon-"
Kat wasn't listening anymore. She'd been in motion since she'd heard Impa say the barrier wasn't going to hold. Ignoring the protests of Dink, she ran full tilt down the inclined stair, out towards the village's exit.
"Lady Impa!" Kat heard Dink calling to the Sheikah woman, but pressed on anyways. If the barrier couldn't hold by itself-
Then maybe I can help it hold.
Less than five minutes had passed since the village's lockdown, and barely two dozen seconds had gone by since Impa's last words, but suddenly Kat found herself able to move twice as quickly as normal, or so it seemed.
"Only one chance-" she gritted, as she reached the river. The barrier shimmered before her, as if trembling. Kat was trembling herself, unsure if what she was about to attempt would help.
But I have to try!
As she stooped and closed her eyes to concentrate, she heard Sond running up. "Kat! What are you doing?!"
"I know more than just how to set things on fire, you know," Kat replied, feeling that strange uplifting sensation she got when she was ready to cast magic. "Magic isn't all destruction"
Sond's head twisted up fearfully as the red dragon drew ever closer. She felt the slight depressurization in the air as its powerful wingbeats stirred up miniature whirlwinds through her hair. Five seconds, and it'll hit
Cyrus was pulling frantically on her hair and yelling, and it hurt.
Four
Kat twisted, and her arms shot out stiffly as if she were trying to push a great weight before her. Dink fluttered helplessly on her shoulder.
Three
Sond felt the stomach-dropping sensation of a huge amount of magical energy being released at once. Kat gasped for air. She'd never tried something this massive before, never this much power at once
Two
Timbre arrived like a fretting wraith, only to freeze in mid-step as he realized just what his friend was about to do. "Hey-"
One!
"NAYRU'S LOVE!"
The dragon pulled up at the very last instant, and Sond saw its entire form pass over her with a scream that robbed her of her hearing for over a minute. She caught glimpse of the massive belly-scales like steel plates as the entire length, nose to tail, sailed overhead. In the wake of the dragon, she saw trees practically bent double from the wind shear. Stray leaves scattered about, and Cyrus fluttered against her face until she waved him away.
Yet she herself didn't feel even a breeze. Instead, she stared in wonder at the blue crystal-latticed form that seemed to embrace the original barrier like a membrane, twisting along inside it, aiding to shore up rather than to completely protect on its own.
Timbre let his bated breath out as the dragon sailed overhead, its climb now nearly vertical as it sailed up towards the peak of Death Mountain. Each massive wingbeat thrummed deeply, and even though the downdraft was absent, the vibrations of the earth from those powerful strokes was still very present.
Kat's eyes were squeezed shut as she forced herself to keep the barrier whole against the massive forces at hand. Outside, the hurricane-winds slammed against the barrier from all sides, and she felt those blows as readily as if they were pounding her skull.
Can't let go yetThe pounding soon became a buzzing, and Kat light-headedly wondered if she was going to just suddenly fade and die like this. She wasn't even fully aware of her friends, though she somehow knew they were still there. It was just her that wasn't. The real world started to become intangible, almost unreal, but Kat refused to let her grip on the barrier go.
Sorry I didn't get to see you again, Kafei
Suddenly, she felt the embrace of arms, and didn't resist as she seemed to plunge irrevocably into dark, warm water.
Timbre caught the senseless girl as she crumpled, Dink whirling about in a frenzy. "Kat!"
Impa had wordlessly grasped hold of the Nayru's Love spell the instant she arrived, just as Kat's hold abated. The Sheikah turned towards Timbre, looking slightly tragic. "I did not know she had the ability to shield the entire village at one time."
Timbre turned his gaze down to his friend. The brown haired girl seemed to wilt across his arms, completely unresponsive. Timbre lifted her easily, brow knitted in concern.
"but she still breathes," Impa observed, and Timbre noted this, relief buoying him slightly. "Keep her close, I must see to the barrier's proper care."
As Impa's eyes shut in careful concentration, the blue parts of the barrier slowly started to fade, leaving only the original purple sheen. Nayru's Love's purpose had been fulfilled though, and the winds that suddenly whisped across the barrier were no worse than those from a thunderstorm.
Timbre suddenly felt Sond's fingers squeeze his arm, her nails digging into him rather sharply. Her voice was very low and hushed. "" He winced as her hand convulsed, and quickly followed her upward gaze.
The dragon had gained so much height that it resembled a miniature toy, topspinning wildly like a butterfly caught in a gale. Its mane whipped around after it like trailing fire, leaving a brand of black and white across the duskin sky-
Timbre's eyes widened to tiny green pinpricks of color. Black and white, red scales"That's-" he choked, as Sond squeezed him even more tightly.
"Tyhino!" Sond screamed.
If the dragon heard her, it had no chance to reply. Something was wrong — although at that height, whatever was tormenting the dragon appeared to be only a pinprick of the reddest light, it was clearly getting the best of the huge winged creature. Suddenly, the light grew in radius, until it resembled a massive blood-red magnetic aura, surrounding the dragon for an instant like a soap bubble. The light then tightened, vanished, and the red dragon stiffened in midair.
Timbre and Sond just stood in frozen, absolute silence, Timbre still holding Kat close, as they helplessly watched their friend topspin, give a cry like that of one grievously injured, then plummet.
The dragon's trajectory had brought it up nearly to the peak of Death Mountain, and they stared as Tyhino descended headfirst into the volcanic mountain, his entire form swallowed up by the angle of the stone monument. Not eyewitness to the actual impact, they instead beheld the unearthly crash, the upset spray of dusty debris, the massive detonation the impact caused, and the earthquake that rumbled though the ground as a result. The rumbling slowly reached a decrescendo, then all was silent once more.
"No! Ty!" Sond started to run towards the village (and through it, to the mountain trail), only to find Impa's hand clamped on her shoulder.
"Stay," the Sheikah said calmly.
"I have to help him!" Sond shook off the hand.
Cyrus flew in front of her face, making her see spot. "You can't."
"Yes I can!" Sond whirled angrily on Impa. "He was my friend!"
"He was not killed," Impa said back sharply, disregarding the tragedy in the younger's voice. "Or did you not see?"
"Of course I saw!" Sond said furiously, and for a moment, it looked like she was going to hit someone. By the bitter tone, it sounded as if she were as angry with herself as she was with everyone else. "He was hurt, smashed out of the sky, and we just watched, and now he's-"
"That light that brought him down-" Timbre started as if from a dream, "what was it?"
"You saw it, then." Impa looked severely at Sond. "I do not wish to rebuke you. That terrible light that brought downyour friendthat was a manifestation of the Triforce of Power."
Sond just stared angrily.
"Attempting the mountain at this moment will only result in a foolish death, and possibly the deaths of all those living in this village. Is that a risk you are willing to take? Is it your right to put others' lives in jeproady?"
Sond bit her lip, and although her eyebrows remained furiously knitted, she slowly shook her head, shoulders bowing slightly.
"I know your frustration, and your anger," Impa said quietly, "But there is nothing you, or any of us together here, can do as we are now against the Triforce of Power. Not until we see the return of the Master Sword and its bearer, will there be any hope of help for your friend."
"That lightIt wasGanondorf?" Timbre blinked down as he felt Kat move unconsciously in his arms, though she didn't wake up. Dink was still orbiting about his head, making him pointedly miss his own fairy.
"It was horrible," Cyrus muttered, and he calmly landed on Sond's shoulder, despite her scowl.
"Yes, he has returned to Hyrule." Impa looked as if she were centuries-old. "This complicates things."
Timbre looked Impa in the eye, then down at Kat. "And her?"
The Sheikah looked down. "Kat — I admit that I underestimated what she was capable of, given duress. She could have killed herself-"
Timbre stood easily. "I would've done the same thing," he challenged.
"Indeed," Impa replied wearily. "Perhaps then, it was appropriate. She will need to rest."
Wordlessly, Timbre started towards the village, turning back to look at Sond. "You should rest too, come on."
Sond nodded mutely and followed him through the darkness.
When they reached the village, the door leading to the forge suddenly burst open, and Benz scrambled outside, glowing eyes somewhat wide. He shook what appeared to be soot out of his leaf-hair. "What in the name of *squeak* my great-aunt just happened?! There was this *squeak* huge rumble, an-"
The scrub paused in mid-squeak, as he noticed Timbre, and the unconscious Kat. Timbre watched as the Deku spun about face as if ready to run, only to stop himself as Tael fluttered up.
"Tim," Tael said, refusing Benz passage back into the forge. "Whatever that was, the Sword didn't like it. Started shaking on its own, nearly wrenched Vulcan out of several hours' work- what the? What happened to her?"
Timbre looked down, not sure where to begin.
Impa took over, and waved Timbre and Sond along. "She will be alrightI hope the repairs are nearly complete?"
"Nearly," Benz stuttered. "Y-yes."
"Now, if only the wielder would show up-" Tael trailed off.
Though Timbre and Sond had gone on, this last statement still reached them both before they'd made it to Impa's house. Paused at the doorstep, Timbre could feel Kat's rhythmic breathing as her frame rose and fell.
She's alright, he comforted himself, though she'll probably be out for a while. Timbre decided that he'd stay up at her side that night, just in case.
"I'll stay up too," Dink muttered in his ear, almost as if she'd read his thoughts. Creepy.
As he thought that, Sond and Cyrus passed by him wordlessly, and his silent friend reached for the doorknob. Timbre didn't say anything, though he did notice Sond's fists, which were clenched so tightly that the knuckles shone, pale white.
*****
I'm gonna leave it there for now, s'pretty long, I think. Now! About that update idea thing I was blabbin' about earlierif you have Livejournal, Sond and I stared a community on the site. The address is: . Or just look up the username timbrefirral' if that doesn't work. Or something. Everyone's free to join or post! Well, hope that helps. Until next update!