Chapter 15
First of all his name was Lon. The old Oracle had not been given the name of Kasuto. He had an older brother and the family magic was supposed to have been passed on to the elder son as was the woman who ended up being Lon's wife. What his brother might have been was hardly relevant. He hadn't had the patience for the proper study of magic.
Lon's brother had accidentally ended his own life and killed two friends of his by screwing up an ancient and complicated chant that even his father wouldn't have attempted. This is why Link had been taught only one-word spells. He had picked up the best this field of magic had to offer. The more complicated spells take years of training as well as an understanding of science.
Lon's father had been so grief stricken at the loss of his favorite son that he renounced magic forever. Lon grew up without love or direction from the man he called father. His grandfather had been the one who helped lead him through life. He learned to be self-reliant at a young age. He was taught and firmly believed in a lack of conventionalism for the sake of conventionalism. When he himself married and had twelve children, he was to them the devoted father he himself had never had. And he named none of his boys Kasuto. The one who ended up his heir in magic and the Oracle of New Kasuto was named Elan.
If it sounds a little like I'm eulogizing Lon that's because I am. He was not far from death. Link had raced back to New Kasuto to fetch Elan. The two were now on their way back to Old Kasuto to see if the old man still drew breath. Now Link could see the Moas on the street as clear as day even when Elan could not.
"Papa!"
It had been ages since father and son had been together. Oh, had that reunion only been a happier occasion! Such a noble and proud man Lon had been in life. Here was a man who had willingly risked his life and lost his eyesight fighting for the lives of his neighbors. And here he was at the end of his life lying on the floor of a cold stone basement in his own filth covered with a few ratty blankets.
"Link, give me the Cross," said Lon weakly. Link complied at once. "Oh treasure of treasures. I can see. Nothing is hidden to the one who grasps this cross."
Lon sighed deeply and smiled. "Hello sonny boy."
"Hey dad."
"Been a while since I've seen your face, Elan. You're getting old."
"I know dad."
"How are my children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren?"
"They're all fine. Every single one of them."
"You lie. It's alright. Don't tell me. In all the evil that's happened I know some of them must have faced misfortune. I gave the secret of the Thunder spell to this one and yet I have never taught it to you. Are you angry?"
"No papa. I learned to walk my own path as you did. I have developed my own way."
"You will have to walk that way a long time, my son. Don't stop walking just because the times become hard. Even if this young man wins it all today, tomorrow things will still be hard."
"I will."
"I know. You probably didn't even need me to tell you that. The word is AFIERNA. Pass it on. Not all traditions are without meaning. Link?"
"Yes sir?"
"Take this. This is a diagram of a direct route through the Great Palace. Without this you would become hopelessly lost. It is my last gift to you. Small compensation for bringing me my son."
"Dad…"
"I love you son…. Hmmm…. My joints hurt. Think it means we'll get some rain?"
With that a magnificent life ended. Elan was grief-stricken beyond words but shed not a tear. "You're right. Not all traditions are without merit."
Softly, Elan sang an old song of mourning his people had passed on for generations. It was a song traditionally reserved for the time after a battle in which the victorious dead were honored. But his father had passed through the greatest fight of all and had not perished.
"I'm so sorry," said Link not to Elan, but to the body of Lon. "I need this." He picked up the Magic Cross which had fallen from the old man's hand when he expired. "By rights you should have been buried with this, old man," he whispered softly.
Link turned to Elan. "I have to finish what I started. Now. Time is running out. There was but one hour of daylight today."
Elan merely nodded in reply. He watched sadly as Link climbed the stairs out of the basement. But he understood the excitement and the dread of what was about to transpire. This was it! Today had to be the day.
The Valley of Death is a misleading term. It's actually a series of valleys surrounded by jagged rocks. Ganondorf must have felt right at home in such an uninviting place. It was like walking into hell. There was certainly an abundance of fire and brimstone as far as the eye could see.
No path existed in this terrible place that any mage had enchanted. The enemy roamed freely everywhere. And without the Cross, Link wouldn't have had a chance, for the majority of the enemy consisted of Moas. These latest Moas were blue in color. They were more efficient attackers than their red or orange counterparts and could take two hits before dying.
Onward! Onward through legions of Moas, Eyes, and Lizalfos.
No light penetrated the evil dank which rested upon this place. It didn't matter. The sun would not shine its light again until the deed was done.
Miles away in the Southern Kingdom, the Cult had finally made its move. A boy king of twelve in a kingdom that was no longer united could not possibly defend his land. Especially without his greatest knight. Ships of these foul traitors reached the shores of Hyrule under the cover of darkness and immediately began attacking the local villages.
The very idea of leaving young Fabian on the throne was a testimony to the inherent flaw in monarchies. Fabian himself could not be talked out of directly participating in battle. Tender though his years may have been, Fabian had always been a good eavesdropper. When he hadn't been picking fights with Zelda (which always resulted in him getting slapped upside the head by Impa) he'd be spying on his father and his council (which, if he was caught always resulted in him getting slapped upside the head by his father). One thing his father's conversations had taught him was that a king can never stay behind while his generals march into the field of battle and win all the glory. Good way to get overthrown.
Onto the field of battle young Fabian XVI led the royal army of Hyrule. Three thousand of his men against a little more than twenty-five hundred of the enemy. And now all swords were drawn. The enemy was in sight. Fabian's generals screamed out last minute words of encouragement to their troops. A couple of cowards upon seeing the enemy tried to turn and run. They had been shot down with arrows by their own troops before they had gotten fifteen feet.
And now the fight was on! Fabian's troops took early command of the battle. Hyrulian archers are the deadliest in the entire world and among them young Fabian himself was the best. What else would you expect from royal blood?
But no sooner had the tide seemed to turn in Fabian's favor than the enemy sprung its trap. Legions of demons had remained at a distance unseen before the battle. In the chaos and confusion they had gotten close enough to surround the Hyrulian troops.
Shouts of joy suddenly arose from the ranks of Fabian's troops. Ships had arrived from the Western Islands. This time they had not abandoned Hyrule. Victory was at hand! The archers from the west took their places. They took aim…
NO!
It couldn't be! How could they?
The very first arrow launched struck Fabian and it hadn't been an accident. These vile creatures from the west were as they always had been: without one shred of virtue or honor. THEY HAD SIDED WITH GANON! And of course they had made darn sure to poison the tips of their arrow heads and blades, a practice forbidden in the generally accepted rules of war in those days.
Every Hyrulian soldier was now outnumbered four to one. And they didn't have the Triforce of Power with them either. As per Fabian's instructions, the two Triforces had been secretly transferred to the North Palace a few days before in response to Impa's secret correspondence via carrier pigeon.
But never under any circumstances play dirty when dealing with Hyrulian soldiers. They were outraged beyond words and took their fury out on the enemy. Perhaps this wasn't to be such a mismatch after all.
The rocks grew hotter as Link trudged onward. This area wasn't volcanic. There seemed no reasonable explanation as to why there was all this lava. There was no sunlight here. Link depended completely on his candle and the glow of the lava. Towers of glowing red rocks surrounded him on the sides.
Enemies were now attacking Link almost constantly. He could barely walk ten feet without running into a swarm of Moas. Every so often he would encounter Lizalfos as well. Now Link had a slight advantage over these freaks. Every time he faced one it was at a time when he was standing on a slightly higher piece of rock. If he squatted he could nail them right between the eyes. His position seemed to confuse them and they couldn't block him in time.
And now there was a large cave dead ahead. Link was surprised not to see any Aches but so far he hadn't encountered any of those things on this part of the island. So far the cave had presented him with no new challenges. Just Eyes and Moas. There was a Scorpion up ahead. Link hated these things. They were well-protected by a thick exoskeleton and only their eyes were vulnerable but often they kept their eyes closed.
Of course. It had all been too easy so naturally something had to come along and screw it up. Link had seen Orange and Red Lizalfos so it was logical to assume Blue Lizalfos existed but he had hoped not to run into one. No such luck. It's unlikely there was a better swordsman alive than Link but this thing gave him a run for his money. It was armed with Doomknocker hammers. Link could handle that but it also had a shield with which it was quite skillful. And even when he landed a hit, the Lizalfos had great endurance. To make matters worse, it seemed to know about his jump and slash strategy and positioned itself well to deal with it. It was like fighting a guardian. Already he was forced to use up a Reflect spell. But wait…
"AROKA!"
Aw crap, it didn't work. And now he had wasted another spell. Link tried to fake it out but it didn't flinch. But with one last jump timed just right he nailed it. Well perhaps it didn't have quite the endurance level he thought it would.
Link found himself back outside. No need to shield his eyes like he usually did when leaving a cave. There was no light to adjust to.
Determination will only take you so far. The Hyrulians were now getting the raw end of the deal. The reason for bringing about the darkness in the sky was clear now. Wizzrobes didn't seem capable of handling sunlight. An entire division of Wizzrobes and Magos was weaving in and out among Fabian's troops. Demons Link had encountered in both quests were everywhere.
Fabian himself was tough for a kid. An arrow dipped in poison had nailed him in the gut but he refused to die. A sympathetic fairy had been able to heal the wound but she couldn't do anything about the poison. They had given him every sort of neutralizing agent they could think of but nothing worked.
"I'm glad Link decked that piece of crap at the wedding," he muttered. "I hope he's here. I hope one of our guys takes his head. How's the battle going?"
"It would going a lot better if not for the Wizzrobes, sire," replied one of his generals.
"I think the poison's wearing off," said Fabian. "I can feel my legs again."
"You're not going to try to get back into the fight, are you?"
"I only said I could FEEL my legs," replied Fabian. "I don't think I could stand up just yet. Good."
"Good, sire?"
"That means I won't die. I always knew I'd die on my feet and not lying down," replied Fabian. "Aw hell, I don't really know that, but it sounds cool."
Meanwhile, forces from the north were desperately trying to reach Fabian in time. The Death Mountain range, however, was going to be quite an obstacle. The paths were narrow and only one mounted fighter at a time could pass through.
"STOP!"
At the sound of one voice, every single horse obeyed the command and ignored their riders. The makeshift army was brought to a standstill. In front of them stood Impa, accompanied by Marcellus and his people. No one from the north was given an opportunity to object.
"Don't waste your time trying to cross!" she shouted. "You'd never get there in time. You have come to our aid here in the last battle of out time and the hour for all barriers between us to be destroyed has struck. Victory shall be ours today!"
Impa got off her horse and walked up to the mountain while the troops looked on. She knelt down, closed her eyes, and formed her fingertips in the shape of the Triforce. She murmured some words for a moment and stood straight up. She looked over her should for a moment and smiled. Then she turned back to the mountain.
"AIE!"
The center portion of the mountain range blew to bits. The pieces hovered in midair until they reached the sea and then dropped.
With a deafening shout, the army charged through.
The next pass through the Valley of Death was much shorter but more vicious. The monsters were everywhere. Never before had they behaved in a more ruthless manner. A terrible wind blasted Link with such force that it made it very hard for him to move forward.
Countless Moas soared at Link. The heat was more intense. And now it seemed as if gravity itself was against him as everything seemed heavier. His sword and shield seemed to weigh a ton.
Link struggled against the wind and entered one last cave. Two Lizalfos, one Red and one Blue lay waiting. His quest almost over, Link refused to yield here at the end of the road.
"AJIS!"
With an unusual level of aggression, Link tore through both of them with lightning speed.
And now the road was at an end. All sound and light had ceased. Link was standing in front of the Great Palace. The evil aura of this place was infinitely worse than Link had expected. It was horrifying.
The arrival of reinforcement did not result in quite the panic for the Cult forces that Impa had hoped for. But it was certainly a welcome arrival for the Southern Hyrlulians.
A column of Lynels was quickly organized and charged straight at the newcomers. Like the Blue Ironknuckles, Lynels could use the Sting spell and before they had even reached the army, several soldiers had fallen. A massive group of Leevers sprung up from the ground trying to dismount the riders. The enemy had underestimated Hyrulian horses. The Leevers were trampled.
Impa ignored the fighting. She weaved in and out between fighters, her mind on only one thing.
"Fabian!"
She had found him at last. Quickly she pulled a vial out of her robes and made him drink.
"Impa, where's Link?" he asked.
"First tell me if you can stand up yet," she ordered. In reply he stood up. "You're doing your job and Link is doing his. Cross your fingers. Tell me your highness, would it be unprofessional for a mighty king in the midst of a great battle to hug his old nurse?"
Fabian smiled and embraced the old woman.
"I've returned to you at last, child," she murmured. "Fabian, brace yourself. I have something to tell you about your sister."
The forces from the Western Islands were unfazed by the new arrivals. Zelda had sadly played right into the Cult's hands. Having the princess of Hyrule murder the reigning monarch of those islands was the only excuse these people needed to join the war on the side of Ganon.
At the present moment, their chief general had just been knocked off his horse. He was a little bruised but not injured. He easily slew three Hyrulians.
"Is this all they have?" he gloated. "Is this all they can do? No wonder these pathetic idiots were so easily enslaved by Ganon. I'm going to enjoy conquering this land. First thing I'll do is feed a few Hyrulian children to my dogs."
"I wouldn't underestimate the kids around here, jackass," said a voice from behind him. It was Fabian.
"Why do you have tears in your eyes boy?" sneered the general. "Seeing a battle too frightening for a child? Don't worry. It will be the last battle you ever see."
You and I both know why he had tears in his eyes. Fabian wouldn't dignify that remark with a response. Both swords were drawn. The height, strength, weight, and experience all went to the general. But then again, he hadn't just learned that his sister had been killed.
Impa watched helplessly as Fabian and the general traded blows. She almost wished she hadn't helped him now. If he couldn't walk, he couldn't have gotten into this fight.
Fabian and Marcellus were now fighting back to back against seemingly superior foes on the field of battle. Marcellus could see from the reflection on his sword that it was Fabian who was fighting behind him. He lunged forward and killed his opponent. He reached behind him and touched Fabian's neck. In a flash of light, he transferred the thrust ability to the young king as he had done with Link.
When the general finally managed to disarm Fabian (which was inevitable) and cocked his arm back to deliver the death stroke, Fabian went for his dagger and jumped straight up. He flew down faster than an eagle and drove the knife into the general's head.
The rumors over the battlefield spread like wildfire. Princess Zelda was dead and the Cult and the Western Islanders were both responsible. The furious troops from north and south fought the enemy like there was no tomorrow. The bad guys were gonna pay dearly for this. The tide of the battle had turned.
End Chapter 15