Thicker Than Water
Chapter Three: The Calling
In that short time at the ranch I realized I had broken my first rule my father had taught me when I was young.
"Never grow attached to any person in this life Alistair. They will all betray you, manipulate you, and stab you in the back over little."
I would soon realize he also included himself in that list…
But I couldn't help it. I had fallen in love with her.
--Alistair.
There it was again. Just as he remembered it. The Master Sword…
Once again he saw himself in the Temple of Time, in the audience of the sword who's sole purpose was to defeat evil.
It was calling him… He felt like something was tugging upon his very soul. He was being pulled toward the blade. He was in awe of it's perfection.
Perfect Balance. Perfect width. Perfectly sharp.
He had wielded many blades in his adventures. The Great Fairy's sword, His gilded blade, The Noble Sword, and a blade forged by Biggoron.
But every sword failed in comparison to this one here. He felt the longing in his wrist as he wished to take it up once again. He moved slowly to the pedestal and felt his grip tighten around the cold metal hilt. He pulled it effortlessly out and then the blinding light hit him.
His eyes snapped open as he found himself in Zelda's bedchambers once again. It was the middle of the night still, and she wasn't next to him in bed. He ran his palm over the spot where she lay when he dozed off into sleep. It was still warm…
She couldn't have gone far. He pulled the royal blankets off and began to collect the crumpled articles of clothing he had recklessly left on the floor of Zelda's room.
Then the feeling washed over him again. The same feeling to collect the Master sword and wield it once again. Perhaps it was strong enough to send him that dream?
No… It would be irresponsible to go wield the blade with no reason. He fought the feeling down and put it out of his mind.
He opened the door noiselessly, and noticed that the torches in the hallway had gone out. It was pure darkness. Link doubled back into the room and retrieved some flint and a small jug of oil used to light the torches. He lit one of the torches in the room, then proceeded back out into the hallway.
With the light to guide him, the fear set in as he noticed something glimmer on the crumpled rug.
As he picked it up, he realized it was Zelda's necklace that he had given it to her, after his journey involving Major's Mask.
She hadn't taken it off since that day.
As his heart pounded the scene unfolded before him. The Crumpled rug, the handprint on the wall, and… oh no… blood on the wall. He ran hastily into the hall, flying down stairs, franticly searching for her.
He found himself at the door to the cellar that contained the blade Nasser had been talking about.
Instinct told him his search was over. Fear hoped he was wrong.
Down into the cold depths of the castle's heart he went, armed only with his torch to fight of the darkness that wished to consume him. Upon his reach of the last stair, he noticed a faint purple light illuminating from the secret sword room. It was already opened.
What he saw inside shocked him. Nasser had himself and Zelda barricaded behind a wall of dark magic. She was on the floor, still. Hopefully breathing. Nasser turned and faced Link.
"I'm afraid you're a little late Hero of Time." His flashed Link a sly grin. "It's hard to believe I operated under your very noses for so long… how did my seed turn to this?"
Link was confused. His seed?
Apparently Nasser saw the look of confusion and nodded. Then he removed the mask he had on.
One second he was the old man that walked with a cane that Link had seen many times. The next, he was a tall man in black robes, that had blonde hair… just like him…
"That's right boy, I'm your father. I didn't even know you existed until I came into the castle. Then I realized you must be the product of my mistress of the castle. I thought you would have died when she did, but apparently not"
Link's whole world was shattering behind him. He was staring into the face of his Father, someone he had longed to know his whole life.
And his father was a product of Evil, and had probably already killed the one good thing in his life.
At that moment, Link snapped. He rushed back up the stairs franticly, as if nothing could possibly stop him from his newfound mission.
Kill Nasser.
As he rushed up the stairs, he made his way into the Kings room. On the pedestal there rested the three jewels with the Ocarina in the middle. He collected the objects, and as he took in a huge gasp of Air he played the Prelude of Light.
He felt the balls of light warm his body as he was teleported to the Temple of Time.
He was in too much of a hurry to take in the awe of the place again. He placed the jewels in their pre-ordained spots and played the Song of Time once again.
The Triforce symbol glowed and became a solid gold once again. And the doors willfully opened to his song.
There it had waited for him to return. And so he did.
He walked the familiar path to the Master Sword, as he did at a younger age. He felt his grip tighten, and then he pulled it from it's sleep. The blade, as remembered, felt light as a feather in his hands. The balance was perfect. As soon as the blade was free of the stone, a sheath appeared on his back. The blue and gold one he remembered. The sheath of the Master Sword.
Quickly, he set it atop his back and rushed out of the chamber, out of the Temple and out into the cold night. He was running as fast as his legs would take him.
Through the town. Across the path. Over the bridge. Into the Castle. Through the door. And finally, before he knew it, he was once again flying down the same stairs with the sole purpose of saving the woman that he loved.
As soon as he reached the room where the other sword still rested, he saw the man that reflected himself at an older age talking in a weird language, obviously casting some sort of dark magic on the blade. Once again, he stopped and turned around.
"The unwanted child returns." Nasser said coldly. Link couldn't find any words to say. So he did the only thing a man in Link's position could really do. He drew his weapon, calling for blood.
Nasser laughed.
"I hate to tell you this little one, but you would never be able to defeat me. Although you are of my blood, you are insignificant. All you've done with your life is train with the sword. I am a practitioner of the arcane. Weaver of the elements." He finished that last part with a voice filled with glory and ego. "No, the only one that can stop me before my plans with the Mast you stumbled upon are complete, would be your brother. And when he comes to free the sword seeking to stop me, he will be met with an unfortunate end. That is the price he pays for betrayal."
And with that, he turned around begging his incantation again.
The information passed through Link's head, but he didn't really feel like reflection on Nasser's words. Link slashed at the barrier of Dark energy. It gave out a dull groan, but held. He slashed again. And again. Throwing all of his force behind the swing of his sword.
Nasser turned around with a face of horror.
"What are you doing!"
Link slashed wildly, hot tears escaping from his eyes. Nothing would stand in his way. Nothing.
As the barrier continued to decay under Link's crippling blows, Nasser tried to rush his spell, shooting dark bolts of energy from his hands into the blade itself. The Sword's magic tried to fight the evil energy, but was simply overpowered.
Link raised his sword high above him and focused his own brand of magic into the blade. The Sword glowed with a blue energy, then erupted in a wave of orange. He slashed downward with the blade, aiming at the barrier.
It was simply too much, the barrier collapsed in a flash of dark purple light.
The next thing Link saw was balls of dark energy being thrown at him. He swung his sword at them, deflecting them into the walls of the room. Nasser was fast, too fast. He didn't have time to re-direct his blasts back at him. He was simply fighting to stay alive.
As Nasser continued his onslaught of Dark power, Link began to notice a slight pattern in his attacks. He adopted the same pattern to his sword swings and watched as the balls of energy were deflected instantly without the split-second it took to watch the ball come at you and aim accordingly. As Nasser noticed this change in events, he was about to switch up the game with a more serious brand of magic. That was until a stray ball of his own power knocked him into the wall with tremendous force.
As Nasser saw Link charging him, he whispered words of a spell.
"Vita Et Morte Ingnosos!"
A sword writhed in flames was summoned into Nasser's left hand as he quickly scrambled to regain a standing position.
As Link's feet charged to their mark, Link raised his sword above his head and started his own attack. Nasser deflected the first few flurry of moves with his own sword, but Link found an opening and slashed out at the side of Nasser's waist. The Blade only was able to cut a flesh wound, nothing deep enough for Link's liking.
Nasser realized that his swordplay was no match for Link's superior speed and agility. Nasser waited for Link to execute another downward strike, then pushed out with his own blade, knocking Link back. Then he threw his sword. Link deflected it, and as soon as his blade met with Nasser's, a explosion of flames slowly engulfed Link. Then Nasser was gone.
Link quickly dropped to the ground and rolled, trying to put the fire that was searing his flesh out. Then he leapt up, rushing to Zelda.
Alive. She was alive.
He noticed a large gash on her forearm. He had needed her blood for whatever he was planning.
Wait… A brother? Yes. That's what he had said. His brother was the true wielder of this blade. He then realized that he was a descendent of the Fierce Deity, and his father must have some ancient plan to conduct upon the Mast that he had stolen from Link.
And it was only natural that one of his son's would be the wilder of the blade that belonged to the Fierce Deity's brother.
This was all too much to absorb. He scooped up Zelda into his strong arms and climbed the stairs once more, screaming for help. When he reached the top, he found a guard had come to his cry for help. He saw the prone princess in the hero's arm's, and ran to retrieve a healer.
She would live.
So would he.
- - - - - - -
As he heard the welcoming sound of the dinner bell, Alistair whipped the sweat from his brow and ran to the house where an expected meal lay.
He had forgotten how much he loved food. You take things for granted before your captured by a gang of all female cutthroats, torturing you for years of your life.
But he tried not to reflect on his past too much. He was simply too happy here, with Malon. With her cooking.
He walked into the warm room where dinner lay expectedly for him. He took in the aroma of the freshly prepared meal, and took a seat as she poured him a glass of hot tea out of a family kettle.
The kettle was shaped to the likeness of a cow, and the water poured out of it's mouth. Although it looked brand new, Malon had explained that it had been in the family for six generations.
Falon, Kelon, Pelon, Her grandmother Malon whose name she was given, Talon, and then her, Malon.
Alistair was a little worried that if he had a child with Malon, he would bear the traditional "Lon" name.
As she handed him his tea, she began to pile food on a plate for him.
"You know, seeing as I haven't had decent help around here in a long time, and currently you have no-where to go.."
This was it. She was asking him to stay. He felt the nervousness behind her voice, because he knew she couldn't confess her true feelings for him just yet.
"… I was thinking you could stay here. Help with the ranch. You can have the farmhand's house. And there will always be plenty to eat after the day is done."
Never had Alistair been so tempted in his life. But he knew that his simple life of bliss had to end. He had to finish healing, then seek out the sword that will undo his fathers evil.
"I…" Alistair started. "You have no idea how much I want to… but…"
She gave him a look of sadness and confusion.
"But what Alistair? What more could you want in life then a good home and company?"
Alistair shook his head. "Nothing. This time here has been nothing but paradise. But you don't understand where I'm coming from. I have business I have to take care of first."
"What kind of business?" Malon asked, no longer sad but intrigued. This was the first time Alistair had opened up to her. She craved to know more about where he had come from.
"There is an item in Hyrule castle that belongs to me. I need to travel there, and retrieve it. Then There are four more item's around Hyrule that are hidden, and I must find them as well. Then I need to find someone and… give them to him." Alistair said, struggling to find the proper words for it, as to not alarm Malon.
"Who?" She asked.
"My father. Family business." Alistair said slowly.
"Then will you come back? After everything is over, are you sure you wont forget about me?" Malon had a deep look in her eye, waiting for an answer.
The answer was simple.
"Of course I will. I love it here, being with you, living a life I would have never dreamed possible."
He could tell that she wanted him to say it.
"I.. Love you."
She rushed to him and he held her in his strong arms. She gave him a deep kiss upon which he returned wholeheartedly.
- - - - - - - -
Alistair awoke from the best nights sleep he had ever had, in his entire life. Except, It would have been better if she was still next to him in her bed. He pulled off the covers and searched for her. He found her asleep at some sort of work table, and a various assortment of white fabric was being fashioned into some sort of shirt that appeared to be made for his size. He brought her a blanket, and took a closer look at the would-be shirt.
It looked kind of like a tunic robe mix. The shirt was thin and soft, but also very tough. The sleeve's went down just past the elbow length, then went down in the fashion of a robe. He was touched that she was crafting something of this quality for him. She must have sensed that the journey ahead of him was more perilous then he lead on, and she would feel safer with this to guard him safely back to her.
He gave her a soft kiss on the cheek, and moved outside to ready his horse and prepare a backpack for the trip ahead.
He would leave at midday, and he would make it to the castle just past night.
The perfect time to sneak in and grab the blade. Then he would proceed to the four temples where the four elemental books lay.
Then he would have the power. Power enough to challenge the evil of his father.
He would finally have his revenge.
Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own Zelda. Get used to it.
Note: Ahh! Thanks to the reviewers so far! Blondie is really nice and she keeps feeding my slowly developing ego. Biggoron expected great things, I hope I don't disappoint. Beyond My Mask of Confusion loves me (Oh, I mean the story). Lee Jun-Fan gave me my first Review on this story, and he said it was good. I try…
Random people like "omg" think "omg" about my story. He also appears to like Alistair. Larry981 thinks this story is "Just wow" worthy.
Yay…
Anyway, in the next chapter Alistair finally goes after the sword! What diabolical thing has Nasser, his father, done to it? Will Link be able to save his brother from the trap which will probably lead to his brothers death? With Malon ever see her prince again? Will Alistair stop for a bag of cookies on his way? Find out!
… I know I said something stupid asking for a review, but you all fail to realize how much I like hearing from other people, giving out constrictive criticism. I think it's really neat. So, if you could, you know, maybe review? That would be spiffy.
Spiffy I say…
… It's like 3:20 in the morning and I just finished this chapter. I have decided to celebrate with a piece of pecan pie. Mwahahahahahaha!