Thicker Than Water
Chapter 1: The will to survive
The day that I escaped from my long captivity among the female cutthroats only known as the Gerudo, I knew the next step in the chain of events that would forever change my life. The Sword has chosen me. I had studied it's lore under the tyrannical rule of my father. Ironically, his underestimation of his enemy (Me at the time) is the reason I escaped to the castle of Hyrule in the first place. Little did I know, that I had a bother. And little did I know that he would be at the Castle where my destiny lay, lodged in the stone wall of the Castle. The Fierce Deity was the forger of the blade. It was aptly named, "The Destiny Sword".
--Alistair.
The sun shined upon her golden hair, making her seem almost ethereal. Her head lay down in the book the was reading before she was seduced by the world of dreams. Her ivory skin glowed in the light from her window. Slowly, a man clad in a green tunic and much to the same golden hair, ran the back of his fingers slowly across her forehead, moving her hair our of her eyes. She awoke to his gentle touch.
"Mmm… I was dreaming about you". She said in her beautiful voice.
"I'm flattered, but shouldn't the almighty princess be continuing with her studies instead of dreaming about the run of the mill warrior?"
At that statement, she flashed her eyes open.
"Your not a "Run of the mill warrior", you're a hero to the people. And most of all, you're my hero."
Zelda, the princess of Hyrule, got up from her humble desk and put herself in the Hero of Times strong embrace.
Sneaking around the castle had become a favorite pass-time of Links ever since he had come back from defeating Majora. He was seventeen, along with Zelda, and their relationship seemed always in the life of secrecy. The king of Hyrule knew about them. Zelda was always off with him somewhere and every suitor that declared an audience with her was instantly sent away, even before she looked at them.
"Unless there is some sort of ancient scripture located upon that boys tunic, I suggest you get back to your studies."
Both Link and Zelda jumped. Zelda's educator, Nasser, was standing in the hallway. Most of his hair was gone, and he walked with a cane in his older days. Link can attest to its sturdiness, for Nasser often smacked Link with it when Zelda was supposed to be embellished within her studies. For one as old as him, he had eyes like a hawk and hearing like a bat.
Or perhaps Zelda and Link were more noisy then they gave themselves credit for.
The frown written upon Link's face was contagious. Slowly he released Zelda from his loving grasp and turned to leave the same way he had entered, through the window.
"Wait Master swordsman, I have something to show you… both of you."
As the two lovers traveled in tow of the strange teacher, Link marveled at the paintings on the walls. Of great kings and warriors. Fabled people long forgotten by the outside world, but forever preserved within the halls of royalty.
"Shouldn't I be continuing with my studies?" Said Zelda, her voice coy.
"This is part of your studies. It sword we are going to set our eyes upon is in the book you decided was less important then an afternoon nap." Nasser was ruthless in the art of verbal battle. It was amazing Link still talked in his presence, after being insulted (subtly of course) by the old man. Although, Link has a sneaking suspension that Nasser actually liked him, seeing as he would often come to his defense when the king gave his speech about "Royalty should have higher standards."
Link thought he was an interesting character, to say the least.
Nasser entered a corridor that Link had never noticed upon his numerous castle exploits. Then he opened a door with a large rusty key, and lit a torch to guide them down into the belly of the darkness.
"My fathers private cellar?" Zelda said, Shocked.
"Secrets are best kept where no-one would think to look." Nasser replied.
Into the darkness they went, with only Nasser's torch to guide them.
As they came to the bottom of the cellar, Link beheld a field of barrels and crates that were surely filled with items "fit for a king". As he began to daydream about drinking expensive wine all day, Nasser moved on.
Zelda tugged on Links sleeve. Link followed.
Nasser was staring blankly at the stone wall, obviously looking for something. Zelda and Link stared at the wall, wondering what he could possibly be searching for. Nasser thrust the business end of his cane into a brick of the stone wall. The brick fell noiselessly back into the depths of the wall. Suddenly the wall groaned in dismay, and part of the stone wall fell back and to the side.
Someone had gone to a lot of trouble to hide whatever lay within.
Nasser entered the room, and upon his entering several torches in the room lit. In the wall was lodged a beautiful sword. It looked like two different metals had been forged together to make it. Green and Blue intertwined up the length of the blade, and Link remembered seeing a blade much similar to it before…
Without warning, the room erupted in a flash of blue and green light. The sword was glowing. As soon as the light flooded the room, it was gone. The blade lay motionless, still.
"This sword has an ancient history to it." Nasser said.
"Well, why is it glowing?" Link asked, his curiosity roused.
"As far as I can tell, its wielder is in some sort of danger. It's been doing this all day." Nasser explained.
"Well, who is it's wielder?" Zelda asked.
"If you hadn't fallen asleep with the scriptures I gave you, you would know."
Zelda's eyebrows furrowed.
Nasser sighed.
"Long ago, a warrior aptly named "The Fierce Deity" forged two blades. One, was his sword that he used himself, and the other was for his brother. The Fierce Deity and his brother grew apart in the years of their separate travels, and The Fierce Deity was shocked to learn that his brother had chosen the path of good. He had become enlightened. He wished to protect the people. This is where their climatic battle ended."
Link nodded. He had known a small amount about the dimensional evil known as The Fierce Deity. After all, his mask was still locked away with all of his other magical trinkets. And the Sword looked like a Longsword version of the Deity's great sword that shot off magical beams.
"Wait." Link said. "His wielder? Isn't he long dead?"
"His previous one, yes. But his new wielder has yet to claim the blade." Nasser ran his fingers over the blade longingly. "For many years I've tried to pry the blade loose from the stone, but to no avail. It's already chosen it's new wielder, and I'm sure that he will come to release it from it's prison.
-----------------
Far away from the castle walls, into the desolate heat of the Gerudo desert, that same man who's life was intertwined with that sword, was still asleep in his holding cell. The bars of the cell were of a thick blue metal, probably mithril. The guards had inscribed runes around it with their own brand of dark magic, to make sure their prisoner wouldn't be able to summon his magic against them. There were no other cells in this room, just his. And there was a hallway full of magic glyphs to make sure if he stepped foot outside his cell with his collar on, the room would implode, taking him with.
Of course, the prisoner was flattered they had gone to such lengths to make sure his escape was a fools hope.
The giant door at the end of the hallway began to click and clack, as the gears inside of the complex lock opened to it's masters key. The prisoner heard it, but didn't care and tried to find a more comfortable position in the rough stone corner of his cell.
He watched as all the glyphs in the room glowed purple, then faded away.
Then a woman clad in fine silks and with a beautiful scimitar at her hilt entered with an entourage of four guards, all wearing the common Gerudo attire and with the spears that the prisoner was all too familiar with.
"Well well well… hello Alistair." She looked down at the pitiful from laying in his cell. His white hair had been caked over with grime and sand for most of his stay here. His face was covered in the same dirt stains. His eyes were bloodshot from the lack of moisture in these weather conditions. And yet he still gave her that look of defiance. "I've been waiting for this day for a long time…" She continued. "I've finally received my orders to execute you. You should have told the master what he was looking for, I might have made it quick."
Alistair managed a dry chuckle. "What, no last meal? You're a band of female's, I'm sure one of you can cook." Even in the face of death, he would never give his enemy the satisfaction of fear.
The silk garbed Gerudo sneered. "Get him up."
The other guards opened the cell and pointed their spears at Alistair's neck. One grabbed his wrists and bound them with a thick piece of blue rope. Obviously a mobile magic disrupter. Alistair laughed as they weaved it around and around again, terrified that he would all send them to the next world with his spells.
One of them forced Alistair up. His rags tore in several places during the process.
As they finally reached the outside world, Alistair squinted harshly. It was the first time he had seen the sun in… too long. He was captivated by the clouds moving across the sky. Then his eyes beheld a large piece of stone in the center of a mass female crowd. Slowly, he was pushed to it. He watched as the silk clad woman sharpened her scimitar as he was pushed down, his head forcefully resting on the stone. His neck, exposed.
"Put… put a blindfold on me. I… don't want to see it coming. Please…"
The two guards that were holding him down exchanged a look of pity. One of them tore off a piece of her fine cloth shirt, and wrapped it around his eyes.
"Thank you…" Alistair said, hoping that they fell for his ruse.
The two guards found it unnecessary to hold him as his head left his body, and backed off several steps to let the silk woman do her duty.
The woman clad in silk stepped slowly up to Alistair.
"Any last words?"
Alistair used his hearing to paint a mental image of where she was.
"How about Good-bye?"
She chuckled. Then she raised her sword up for the killing blow, and slashed downward with all her might.
It was truly amazing how fast Alistair moved, Laying on his back and putting the rope at his wrists right where his neck was only a split second ago.
The scimitar was razor-sharp, and cut through the rope like butter. As soon as Alistair felt the freedom in his appendages, he kicked out wildly with his legs, scoring a hit to the silk wearers exposed stomach. She dropped to the ground, and Alistair heard the clang of her scimitar.
Blindly, he felt for the blade around the ground where he heard it drop. He felt the sandy rough texture quickly turn into the smoothness of the gold hilt, and wielded the blade. He heard a "Woosh" coming in from his left, and he quickly parried the spear as it came to finish the job that the woman in silk could not.
Alistair tugged the blindfold that was around his eyes down to his neck, and he looked at the various angry Gerudo that aimed their spears at him.
He grabbed the silk-clad woman by the hair. She screamed in pain.
"Get me a horse or she'll share the fate you had planned for me."
Even though he looked like a poor beggar in the rags that he was clad in, and the dirt that was caked all over his body, he still looked like a figure of authority. He was not to be argued with.
Swiftly, one of the guards left to retrieve his mount. And to get the bow-riders to be ready once he tried to escape. He expected that.
While he was waiting, he decided to make conversation with the angry women that surrounded him.
"So… how are you ladies doing this fine summer afternoon?"
He was answered with silence.
He noticed that one of the Gerudo's Brest's was now exposed due to part of her shirt being ripped off. He realized that the missing piece was located around his neck.
His eyes met with hers. She had a look of pure hatred in her eyes.
"Guess you didn't like sacrificing your composure to someone that doesn't have his head cut off. But, believe me, I'm happy enough for the both of us." Alistair flashed her a smile as he finished.
The guard that had left returned with his mount, a young white stallion. It had probably been stolen earlier, and they had no use for it seeing as it wasn't a Gerudo mount. They were probably going to kill it and use it for food in case of an emergency.
It appeared that more then one life would be leaving this place.
"Move the horse closer to me, everyone else drop your weapons and step back."
They all stood still.
To make his point, he kneed the silken woman again, and put her own blade to her neck.
"NOW!"
They obliged.
As soon as the horse was within jumping distance, Alistair pushed his captive into the arms of a few guards, and leapt onto the animal that would serve as his key to freedom. Alistair made it safely to the back, and climbed up into a sitting position. He grabbed the mane of the beast and kicked the sides.
"YA!" He said over and over again. The horse apparently shared Alistair's enthusiasm about leaving this place, for it was running faster then any horse Alistair had ever been on. Alistair heard the whistle of the bow-riders. The chase was on.
He looked behind him, and saw the forms of five riders. He heard the "Twang!" that their bows made as they repeatedly fired arrows at him. Alistair decided to move the horse in wild patterns hoping that most of the arrows would miss. He was going off sheer luck to protect him.
Two of the riders had ridden ahead of the group and now chased Alistair with their horses going as fast as their animal legs would take them. Alistair felt his hand grow warm as he summoned a ball of fire and threw it to the left of one of the two riders. The riders mount panicked at the sight of the dangerous fireball, and charged to the other direction, strait into the other rider and his mount. Both horses and riders collapsed in a ball of confusion. One of the riders from the remaining three's horse stopped at their fallen companions, and due to the laws of gravity his rider was flipped forward into the pile of already injured bow-riders.
Three had fallen, two remained. They slowly passed the makeshift roadblock, and proceeded after their pray in a new form of fury.
Alistair wasn't focused on them, he was focused on the bridge ahead.
The riders saw what he meant to do. They hit their horses faster in pursuit.
Alistair heard the sound of hoof on wood as he passed over the bridge quickly. As soon as he was at the end, he turned the horse around to stare down his unwanted traveling companions.
His hand felt the warmth again as he summoned another ball of fire in his palm. He focused his mind, pouring all of his available magical strength into the ball.
The riders were either extremely fearless or extremely foolish, as they didn't stop even in the face of a madman and his fireball.
Alistair threw it.
One of the riders stopped his horse just short of the bridge, the other had too much momentum and was caught in the fiery destruction.
His scream filled the canyon as he fell down to the raging waters below. Alistair laughed, and turned his house around to leave.
As soon as Alistair's back was exposed, he head a distinctive "Click-CLANK" noise. Then he felt the sharp pain in his left shoulder blade. As the searing pain passed through his body, he felt himself being tugged backwards, so he gripped onto his horse and kicked it to make it charge. He turned his head and saw a chain sticking out of his back. On one in was the pointy thing that was now lodged deeply in his back. At the other, was the Gerudo that had fired the device, and was now being dragged to the other side thanks to his horse. Before Alistair could stop his mount, the Gerudo woman climbed up onto this side of the valley.
She gave her chain a tug, and it released its metallic grip from Alistair's back and came back into the device she was holding.
It was a hookshot, Alistair thought. A Gerudo hookshot, only given to those that are the leaders of the bow-riders.
Now, he was pissed. He turned his white horse around, that's radiant coat was now tainted by Alistair's wound.
He stepped off his mount. She drew her blade, waiting for him to charge her. Instead, Alistair had a different idea.
The very persistent Gerudo watched as he summoned a ball of flashing green light, then disappeared. Her eyes scanned where he had been only a moment ago. Where had he gone?
Then she felt a finger tap her on the shoulder.
Then as she turned around, she heard the sickening "Thunk!" of Alistair smacking her on the forehead with the hilt of his scimitar.
She collapsed in a very undignified pose. Alistair noticed the hookshot hanging from her belt. He reached down and took the strange device that was still wet with his blood.
Then he turned, and climbed his mount. He reached back and tried to get a depth to the wound. It was bad, she hadn't hit anything major like a lung or his heart, but he was bleeding a lot. He would have to try to find somewhere that had a medical facility.
If he remembered right there was a ranch just outside of the valley. It was his only hope. Alistair rode to the only chance he had at saving his life, for the second time today.
Disclaimer: (Jesus, I almost forgot to put this in here!)
I, Lancet Mage do not own the Legend of Zelda characters or the land of hyrule or anything mentioned in this story.
Note: Ahh, I bet you all hate me for the Original Character, Alistair. But he's a main character for a reason! Once all of the mystery unfolds that is! Anyway, in case you haven't noticed this is after OOT and MM. But yeah, so… Review? I like reviews. Reviews make me happy.