Chapter Fourteen: The Cannons of Tyfiria
Link awoke the next morning an hour before dawn. He woke up the others and they all headed down to the docks. They loaded Balris's ship up with a few food supplies as well as some merchandise Balris had acquired in town. Balris's ship was very small when compared to other commercial sea liners, however it was exactly the type of ship Link was hoping for. The small size of the ship would allow it to slip past Tyfiria's military ships relatively unnoticed. It was also extremely fast and maneuverable.
"This ship has outrun countless pirate vessels," Balris said to Link as they were loading some small crates onto the ship, "That's why I built her the way I did. I sacrificed size for speed. I figured if I'm constantly being ba'rded by pirates I'll never make enough rupees ta get by." Link nodded his head slightly.
Balris still did not fully trust Link as his companions did and Link's silence only added to Balris's uneasiness. "Ye better not be lying about the Hyrulian government paying me for me trouble," Balris said sternly.
"This ship is precisely what I need. Your kind deed will not be forgotten," Link said to Balris as he boarded the ship. Balris picked up his feet and quickly followed after.
"How exactly do ye know the Hyrulian Royal family?" Balris inquired.
Link sighed, "It is a complicated story," he said, "besides it is not something I enjoy talking about."
"I'm going out of my way to take ye to a known death trap," Balris said, "Not to mention I barely know ye and ye've made me a promise that, frankly I don't think ye can keep. If ye can't tell me how ye know the Hyrulian Royal Family, I can't take yer word on how I'll receive me payment. Now tell me how ye know them or no deal."
"Very well," Link said, "I will tell you once we are out to sea."
"No, tell me now!" Balris said as he looked at Link distrustfully.
"It is a lengthy story and not one I am to eager to tell," Link snapped. "I want to leave as soon as possible, so let us load the ship up and set sail before we worry about anything else." Balris looked coldly into Link's eyes, which were full contention.
"Fine," Balris said angrily, "but once were at sea, ye will tell me everything, including exactly what General Ormek's plan is and why he is after you."
"Agreed," Link said. He then scowled at Balris and quickened his pace, leaving the seaman behind.
As soon as the ship was loaded up, the four companions boarded and set sail. Balris took the helm and Chiron stood close by. Vialla lay down on the deck and closed her eyes, allowing the sea breeze to lull her to sleep. Link stood at the ship's stern with his arms folded and watched the land disappear over the horizon.
Once the last trace of land was gone, Balris turned to Chiron and said, "Bring yer friend up here, it is time he told us what the importance of his mission is." Chiron nodded and began making his way to the stern, but Link had already come to the helm on his own. "Ah, master Link," Balris said once the mercenary had arrived, "are ye ready to tell us why we are sailing you to yer death?"
"If you are ready to hear it," Link said emotionlessly. "Have you ever heard the legend of the Triforce?"
"Aye," Balris said without turning his gaze from the ocean. "Those are supposed to be the golden triangles with the power to govern all the races of this world and grant the wishes of the one who holds them, right?"
"Yes," Link replied, "The whole Triforce, has that power, but the three pieces that make up the Triforce are also quite powerful by themselves. For centuries robbers and thieves have sought the sacred relic, hoping to master its immense power, but somehow a part of the legend was lost, for General Ormek has found what appears to be a fourth piece of the Triforce."
"Ye expect me to believe that?" Balris laughed.
"It's true!" Chiron interjected, "I saw Ormek come out of some strange portal in the desert and when he emerged he bore the symbol of the Triforce on his hand."
"Ah, but how can ye be sure he actually has a piece of the Triforce?" Balris inquired, "A symbol on one's hand does not mean anything."
"I know because I have a connection to the Triforce myself," Link answered as he held up his left hand. Suddenly the symbol of the Triforce began to radiate through his brown leather gauntlet, but the bottom right triangle glowed much brighter than the other two. "I am the keeper of the Triforce of Courage," Link said boldly. Vialla, who had been listening in on the conversation from the start, sprang to her feet and gazed in awe at the symbol on Link's hand.
"When Ormek stole the Triforce of Knowledge I was able to feel the disturbance. Now I fear he plans to destroy Cyntir with it. The only way to return the Triforce of Knowledge to its rightful place is to locate Soarlec's Talon, which is hidden within the Blizzard Temple, situated in the midst of the Frozen Fortress.
Chiron, Balris, and Vialla all stood speechless. The revelation of Link's power was, to say the least, intimidating. Finally, after several moments of silence, Balris spoke. "Perhaps ye are not as crazy as I thought. Maybe it is possible that you can make it through the Frozen Fortress. Though, I still hope to receive payment for transporting ye to yer destination."
"You shall have your payment," Link nodded.
"Good," Balris said, "Now if ye'll kindly tell us of how ye know the Hyrulian Royal Family, I shall be completely satisfied with taking ye to the Frozen Fortress."
"Very well," Link sighed as he prepared to tell a part of his life he wished he could forget. "I never knew my parents, they were some how killed in a war that ravaged Hyrule twenty years ago. Before my mother died she found a settlement of forest children known as the Kokiri. Knowing that death was not far off, she asked the Great Deku Tree, the guardian of the Kokiri Forest, to watch after me. He took me in and my mother passed away. I was raised as a Kokiri and though the Kokiri were children like I was, they never grew. They stayed young forever. I could always sense I was different from the others, as could they. Most of the Kokiri accepted me regardless, but I always felt I did not belong.
"When I was ten years of age, a curse befell the Great Deku Tree and he asked for my help. I was able to break the curse, but I could not save the Deku Tree. Before he died the Deku Tree gave me a sacred stone of the Kokiri and sent me on a quest to find the princess Zelda of Hyrule. Knowing deep down that I did not belong in the forest and hoping to prove something to myself, I accepted the quest and left the forest for the first time in my life.
"I made my way to Hyrule Castle and located the princess. She told me of an evil gerudo man named Ganondorf, who sought the power of the Triforce, which was located in the Sacred Realm. It was the same man who had cursed the Deku tree. Zelda also told me that the entrance to the Sacred Realm was guarded by a stone door, called the Door of Time, that could only be opened by the Ocarina of Time and the three Spiritual Stones, one of which the Deku Tree had given to me. That same stone was the reason Ganondorf cursed the Great Deku Tree.
"Zelda feared what Ganondorf would do if he ever got all the keys, so she sent me on a quest to find the other two Spiritual Stones. I still do not understand to this day, exactly why I embarked on that quest. Perhaps I wanted to prove to myself that I was worth more than what the Kokiri had thought me. Maybe I craved adventure after spending my childhood in the sheltered Kokiri Forest. Or perhaps I felt I was destined to stop Ganondorf. Whatever the reason it proved to be a mistake.
"I managed to secure the other two Sacred Stones, with much effort. As I was returning to Hyrule Castle, I saw Zelda fleeing from Ganondorf with her attendant. Zelda threw the Ocarina of Time, the final key to the Door of Time, to me, hoping I could use it to protect the Triforce. I went to the Temple of Time praying I could gain access to the Triforce and use it to defeat Ganondorf. I opened the Door of Time and behind it I found the legendary Master Sword. I impulsively pulled the blade from the pedestal and was engulfed in light. I felt myself drifting into a deep sleep, but before I completely lost consciousness, I heard the laugh of Ganondorf. I then realized all I had succeeded in doing was leading Ganondorf right to the Triforce.
"Through some strange magic, I was sealed away in the Sacred Realm for seven years. When I finally awoke I learned that Ganondorf had taken the Triforce and used it to conquer Hyrule. I was also informed that the only way to defeat Ganondorf was to find and awaken the six sages of Hyrule. I did not believe what I had been told at first, I did not believe seven years had truly past, but when I saw Hyrule Castle Town decimated and infested with undead monsters, I knew what I had been told was true.
"I knew that the fall of Hyrule was my fault, I lead Ganondorf right to the Triforce. It was for that reason that I set out to find the sages. It was a painful journey, as I traveled through out Hyrule I was forced to see all the destruction and pain that Ganondorf caused and every person I met I knew deep down their suffering was partly my fault." Link ceased to speak after that. His mind retreated back to the events of the alternate past. Balris stared at Link in awe. He thought Link's story was a bit far fetched, but when he looked at Link he could almost see the mercenary's inner turmoil. Link suddenly became aware of the awkward silence. He turned to Balris and noticed he was starring at him. Link then realized he had revealed more about his past than he intended.
Link cleared his throat loudly, in an attempt to break Balris' concentration and continued his story. "Anyway, I was successful in awakening the sages. I was ready to finally confront Ganondorf when I was called back to the Temple of Time. There I met a young Sheikah named Sheik who had occasionally pointed me in the right direction to find the sages. However, Sheik was not who he appeared to be. He was actually the princess Zelda who was posing as a young Sheikah man to hide from Ganondorf. She informed me she was the seventh sage. She also revealed Ganondorf only secured one of the three pieces of the Triforce and the other two pieces had been scattered. Ganondorf kept the Triforce of Power, I received the Triforce of Courage, and Zelda was the holder of the Triforce of Wisdom. With the power of the Triforce of Courage and the help of the seven sages I was able to banish Ganondorf to the Sacred Realm.
"After I defeated Ganon, I returned the Master Sword to the Temple of Time and I was returned to my original time. I do not know exactly how, but Ganondorf was gone, when I returned to Hyrule Castle it seemed that the gerudo king had been banished to the Dark Realm in the past as well. After I met with princess Zelda again she told me that she and all of Hyrule was indebted to me.
"Before I left Hyrule, Zelda returned the Ocarina of Time, which had been under the protection of the Hyrulian Royal Family for generations, to me." Link pulled the Ocarina of Time from its compartment on his belt and showed it to Balris and the others.
"Now do you believe I am connected to the Hyrulian Royal Family?" Link asked.
"Aye," Balris replied. He trusted Link quite a bit more after the story, he doubted anyone could have simply made up such a story and told it with such emotion. Balris quickly returned his attention to the sea as Link stood up and made his way beneath deck. Chiron watched Link closely until he disappeared from his view.
"Do you think we can trust him, Balris?" Villa asked the sea captain.
"Of course we can trust him!" Chiron interjected. "He wouldn't just make that story up."
"You're still young and naïve, Chiron," Villa replied, "You should not be so trusting of people."
"Whether you trust him or not does not matter, Vialla," Balris said, "I am taking him where he needs to go. I trust Chiron's judgment on this matter and we will leave it at that." Vialla simply nodded and made her way to the stern.
Link tried to avoid the other people on boat as much as possible for the rest of the trip, but due to the small size of the ship, it proved to be rather difficult. Link had revealed much more about his past than he wanted anyone to ever know. He had never told anyone that much about his past, including Calrith. He hated the fact he allowed himself to reveal so much, but at the same time he felt a bit relieved. Other than Navi, he had never told anyone about how guilty he felt about leading Ganondorf to the Triforce, not even the princess Zelda. Telling his companions about his past ordeals somehow allowed him to find refuge from the inner chaos that plagued his heart. However, Link still avoided the others, for he knew they could never truly understand his pain. After all, they had never seen what he had seen, the suffering he caused. They were like everybody else in the world, ignorant of the alternate past and the alternate dimension of Termina, but Link, Link was different and he knew it.
The journey to the Frozen Fortress was mostly uneventful. The weather remained clear and a fair wind blew eastward, allowing Balris' ship to make the entire journey in just over four days. Throughout the journey Link managed to dodge the others on the ship mainly because the others knew they should keep their distance.
On the morning of the fifth day of the voyage the Frozen Fortress appeared over the horizon. The fortress rested on an island that stretched one hundred miles across at its widest point. The fortress was merely a large circular fifty-foot wall made of ice and encircled most of the island, with turrets every hundred yards. The wall occasionally left small stretches of beach or forest, but for the most part the wall prevented any vessels from landing. Beyond the ice wall the land was covered with snow and ice. The Blizzard Temple was located on top of a large mountain in the exact center of the fortress and within the temple laid the object Link sought.
"Finally," Link thought to himself as the island came into view, "I only hope I am not too late!" Balris' ship was fast approaching the Frozen Fortress when the crew heard a loud noise like thunder, the four companions turned their heads to the north from where the noise came and saw a large ship sailing towards them. The thunder was followed by a high pitched whistle and then the water on the port side of the ship erupted as if it were a geyser.
"What in the world was that!" Balris yelled as the ocean water splashed on his face. Another loud crashing sound and another eruption of water on the starboard side soon followed Balris's cry. Link turned his eyes to the south and spotted another ship fast approaching.
"Turn the ship to the port side!" Link cried.
"Are ye nuts?" Balris screamed, "The last thing we need is to get closer to either of those ships!"
"Those blasts are only going to get closer to sinking us if we hold our present course!"
Link retorted, "If you do not want to lose your ship do as I command!" Balris grudgingly obeyed and quickly changed course. The next shot careened just over the deck and fell harmlessly into the sea.
"Keep zigzagging!" Link ordered. "These ships must have been sent here by Ormek," Link thought to himself. "Whatever weapons these Tyfirians are using must be Ormek's creations."
Balris did his best to keep an unpredictable course, the ship's impressive speed managed to save itself from being sunk, but each of the Tyfirians' shots was closer than the one that preceded it.
"Head for the enemy vessel on the port side!" Link ordered after a few minutes of evasive sailing.
"Have ye lost it?" Balris yelled as another shot was fired. "We'll make ourselves easier targets than we already are." Link knew Balris' unwillingness to cooperate would be lead to the ship's eventual destruction, so he punched Balris in the stomach and knocked the wind out of him. He quickly took the helm and steered the ship towards the northern most ship. He kept a zigzag pattern, but it was much more predictable than Balris' course was. Balris tried to stand up in order to tear Link from the helm, but Link heard him coming.
"Touch me or the helm and I will kill you." Link said with a lifeless tone. Balris had no doubt Link was not lying, so he sat back down on the deck and began to massage the area Link hit. As Link sailed closer to the northern ship, the shots fired from that ship came closer to their mark, but the southern ship ceased firing in fear of hitting the other Tyfirian boat. Once Link's ship was within twenty feet, he grabbed his hookshot and fired it at the mast of the Tyfirian vessel. The hook lodged itself in the mast and pulled Link aboard. Moments after Link hopped ships, Balris' ship took a cannon ball through the deck. The force of entry blew out a large piece out of the boat's hull. The vessel was submerged within seconds. Balris, Chiron, and Vialla all abandoned ship unharmed and kept themselves afloat as Balris shouted whatever cursing he could think of at Link.
Link drew his sword and shield and sprung into action immediately after boarding the enemy ship. He quickly cut down the two Tyfirian seamen manning the two cannons, he lopped off the head of the first and ran the second one threw with his sword, but his enemies soon encircled him. Link fired his hookshot at the ship's mast again and was swiftly carried away from his foes. Link hit the deck running with his blade in hand.
About twenty Tyfirians were also on deck, Link knew he would fall quickly if he attempted to take all his enemies head on, so he applied the first rule of combat, capture the high ground. He made his way to the ship's riggings and began to climb up them to the crow's nest. Many of the Tyfirians rushed the riggings to catch Link, but Link was too fast. He reached the crow's nest before the Tyfirians were half way up the ropes. Link was then able to knock out the ship's lookout by bashing him in the face with a quick punch.
With his position set, Link reverted to his archery skills to pick of the Tyfirians as they climbed the ropes. After he killed two Tyfirians and wounded two more, the soldiers regrouped for an organized assault on the ship's mast. In the brief time the Tyfirians were regrouping Link noticed the second of the ships was now within an arrow shot of the first. As the Tyfirians began scaling the riggings again, Link realized he could not take all of his enemies down with arrows. He did not fire upon the Tyfirians during their ascent to the crow's nest, but instead was frantically scanning the ship for a way to escape. The only thing that caught his attention was the ship's cannon. He had previously noticed a small fiber dangling from the rear end of the cannon when he first boarded the ship. Link guessed the fiber was the cannon's triggering mechanism.
Link notched a single arrow and aimed for the rear end of the cannon. The tip of the arrow emitted a bright orange flame as he pulled back on his bow's string. Praying the arrow would find its mark he let his arrow fly. It landed very close to the cannon, but barely missed striking the explosive weapon. The Tyfirians ignored the shot and continued to climb. Seconds later a thunderous crash was heard followed by a deafening roar and bright flash of the second Tyfirian vessel blowing apart from the inside. Link's arrow had been right on target. It ignited the cannon's wick as it flew by, causing it to fire. Because of the close range of the second craft, the cannon shot plowed through the ship's hull and struck its munitions storage deck. Because of the vast amounts of bomb powder, taken from the famous bomb flowers, the ship was torn to shreds.
Much flaming debris blew from the second vessel and landed on the deck of the ship Link was on. The sails were soon engulfed in flame, and the Tyfirians advancing on Link's position began abandoning ship. Link soon realized the ship he was on probably also carried the same explosive powder the other one had, so he did as the rest of the Tyfirians and headed for the water. Link quickly climbed down from the crow's nest, but before he jumped from the burning boat, he noticed the familiar sight of a fleeing zora. He was dressed similar to the one he saw shortly after he found Calrith dead. Link began to pursue the suspected murderer of Calrith, but soon lost sight of him. Reluctantly Link gave up the search for the zora and abandoned the ship. Once he was in the water Link began swimming to the shore of the nearby island along with the few terrified surviving Tyfirians.
The first ship's mast cracked at its base and fell to the deck and ignited the ship. It exploded a short time later and threw even more rubbish into the water. As he swam through a sea of flaming debris Link searched frantically for Chiron and the others, but he could not find them. Link was left with no choice, but to make his way to shore and hope his companions would make it too.