Well... it would seem "Sunday" that I promised certainly didn't happen. I've finally learned my lesson, though—don't make promises. I got some written that day, but then I got sick. And then I got a new job. And then I got Soul Calibur III. So it wasn't my fault! Okay... Soul Calibur was my fault.
Anyways, I couldn't find any way to fit a review of the previous chapters into this one, so I'm going to do something else. If anyone wants me to write a review of the story so far, separate from any regular chapter, just let me know in your review. If I get at least one request, I'll do it. So, if you want to be reminded of what's happened, let me know, and your wish is my command. Well, that's that. On to reviewer responses.
Chips Dip: I'm so sorry I keep taking so long. I'll try to do better, thank you for being so enthusiastic and faithful. Your reviews always make it worth writing.
Ri2: Hmm indeed. To borrow Robert Jordan's ever-popular answer, RAFO (read and find out).
Talimthewindwaker: Thank you for such a compliment! And yes, much to early to reveal anything. Well, one hint, perhaps. You're question assumes that Fait is Zelda's father. Whether this will be the case is still quite unknown (to the readers, anyways).
Winged Knight: A chase scene, eh? Maybe so. Thank you for reading!
Depprium: That makes me so happy to hear! Update, I have. Soon, not quite. Sorry, I'll try to do better...
Sakume: I missed you too! I was worried you had given up on me, but I certainly would not have blamed you. I really need to catch up on your stories!
The path leading from the Temple of Time to the wall surrounding Hyrule Castle Town was narrow, walled on the left by a cliff that rose to meet Death Mountain in the north, and on the right by the backs of Castle Town houses. There was not a single gap between the buildings, and they formed a solid wall the entire length of the path.
Ganondorf hurried Nabooru, wrapped in his cape to replace her missing shirt, pulling her by hand along the path. After several minutes, they reached the end of the path—the high stone wall that surrounded all of Castle Town. The two of them scaled the cliff to their left to reach the top of the wall, then leapt over, landing in the shallows of the river bordering the wall. Swimming across, Ganondorf was the first to climb to the adjacent shore, and he turned to help Nabooru out. She remained on her knees, panting heavily.
"We must not tarry," Ganondorf said to her, concern in his voice. "Shall I carry you?"
Looking up, she seemed surprised at his question. After a moment's pause, she shook her head, and stood. "No, I can keep up."
Ganondorf nodded, and pointed west. "There is a forest there, looks to be only a few miles away. We can find cover." With that, he set toward it at a steady jog, Nabooru keeping pace beside him.
They had been running for only ten or fifteen minutes when they heard the sound of horses behind them. "They have caught our trail," proclaimed the Gerudo king. "We must run again."
The two Gerudo abandoned their energy-conserving trot and broke into a full-out sprint. Only several minutes behind them, a full score of horsemen crested a hill in full pursuit. At the sight of the Gerudo, the archers released a hail of arrows, but they fell short of their target. Two lancers then broke from the group, pushing their horses even faster, and gained quickly on Ganondorf and Nabooru.
Just as the fleeing pair neared the edge of the forest, the two lancers overtook them. Urging Nabooru ahead, Ganondorf allowed himself to fall behind. The first horseman approached him at full gallop, stabbing his lance toward Ganondorf. The Gerudo leaped over the thrust, dealing the soldier a solid swipe with his broadsword, which threw the man from his horse. At the same time, a long chain seemed to materialize out of the trees, wrapping around the front legs of the second soldier's horse. The horse's front fell out from under it, and as its face impacted the ground in a burst of soil, it flipped forward, breaking its spine and crushing its rider beneath it. Just as quickly as it had appeared, the chain pulled back to the tree line.
The wielder of the chain stepped from behind a tree. He was tall, only slightly less so than Ganondorf, and quite thin. He wore a simple cloth white robe and cape. Matted brown hair fell to his shoulders, and a reddish moustache and goatee framed his mouth. Ganondorf observed that his long chain was attached on one end with a handle, and the other with a wicked-looking curved blade.
"Into the tent!" he shouted, beckoning the two Gerudo past him. They had no room to argue, or even wonder who their savior was, and obeyed without hesitation. A few yards behind him, hidden among the trees, was a rather large yellow tent, which they entered, glad for the respite from their pursuers. Peering out the front flap, Ganondorf watched the young robed man confront the twenty-some mounted and fully armored soldiers.
The leader of the soldiers—not Dorcas, Ganondorf noted, who rode beside him—raised his right hand, ordering a full halt. The Hyrulian phalanx came to a stop several feet away from the man blocking their advance.
"We have no business with you," Dorcas informed him. "Move aside and allow us to apprehend the criminals we pursue."
The robed man's mouth turned to a half-smile. "That was your test, you know. Had you simply asked nicely, I would have handed them over."
The other leader of the knights, who had ordered the halt, moved forward, removing his helmet. He had to hold Dorcas back to prevent him from charging the man before them in a fury. "I apologize for the rashness of my colleague, but we do not have time to delay. I am High Lieutenant Daphnes Nohansen of the Royal Hyrulian Army. If you would allow us to apprehend the Gerudo fugitives, we can possibly overlook your—" he turned to the soldier who was crushed under his horse—"indiscretion."
The young man twirled his chained blade idly. "That was a little better. You could probably teach him a thing or two," he commented, pointing the blade at Dorcas. "But, I'm afraid there's no second chance on this test, so you're out of luck."
Nohansen frowned. "I see. Then you force my hand." With a flick of his wrist, the archers behind them nocked their bows, calculated the arch to their robed target instantly, and released.
Their target, however, was not cooperative. Reaching into his robe, he pulled out a small sheet of paper, and threw it into the air before him. "Barrier!" he shouted, and the arrows falling toward him bounced harmlessly off of the air before the paper and fell to the ground. With a quick salute, the young man turned and ran into the trees. Stunned by the halting of their arrows, the knights lost a precious few seconds before giving chase.
Ganondorf stepped aside as the man raced into the tent and immediately shouted another command: "Fade!" A large red symbol on the tent ceiling flashed a light blue, but nothing else happened. The galloping horses came to a stop just outside the tent, the shadows playing across the fabric as several of the soldiers dismounted.
Ganondorf was about to rush from the tent in a panic when the man grabbed his arm. Putting his finger to his mouth, he indicated with a wink that the Gerudo should remain quiet. Ganondorf had no option but to obey, and he listened to the voices outside the tent.
"Bloody tricks!" he heard Dorcas curse. "He was mere seconds ahead of us. Where has he got to?"
Nohansen's voice was much more controlled. "They must be hiding nearby." His shadow stretched to the peak of the tent as he waved his arm. "Spread out and find them. Capture if possible; kill if necessary."
Most of the shadow figures upon the yellow fabric shrunk and disappeared as the knights began to disperse throughout the trees. A few of the shadows grew, however, as their owners approached the tents. Ganondorf saw Nabooru fidget nervously, knowing they would find them in the tent. Looking to their mysterious savior, however, he saw only confidence.
As the first knights approached the tent, their silhouettes consumed all of the light that still fell upon it. They walked until they were nearly touching the cloth barrier—and then they walked through it. Nabooru let out a small squeak of surprise before the robed man clamped a hand onto her mouth. One of the knights looked around suspiciously, asking his companions if they had heard anything, but eventually they shrugged and moved forward to continue their search. At this point, Ganondorf decided that it was particularly unsettling to have people walk through him.
The knights continued searching for several minutes, while Nohansen and Dorcas remained where they were and awaited their targets' capture. Ganondorf began to feel lightheaded—or perhaps even "lightbodied" was a better description. His entire being began to feel almost insubstantial, and his mind wanted to black out, though he fought fervently against it. Finally, though, the knights began to return to their commanders. Just as Ganondorf thought that he could fight unconsciousness no longer, the last knight returned, and Nohansen gave his order.
"If we have not found them yet, they must have continued running, and we have lost too-valuable time. We must return to the castle."
"Return to the castle empty-handed, and face Umbar Fait's wrath? Are you mad?" Dorcas interrupted with a scowl. Several knights murmured their agreement, but Nohansen remained as placid as ever.
"Mounted knights cannot give chase through forest. From the castle we can send out trackers. And His Majesty did not underestimate the Gerudo's trickery. He has already formulated a plan in the event of their escape."
Dorcas' scowl deepened at being so easily rebutted by Nohansen, but he nodded in agreement, and turned his mount. The phalanx of knights followed behind, leaving the forest surrounding the tent quiet as the sound of galloping horses faded into the distance.
After waiting several beats, Ganondorf and Nabooru's rescuer exhaled loudly, as if he had been holding in a breath as long as he could. A weight seemed to drop on Ganondorf's body as his feeling of insubstantiality instantly disappeared, reality pulling him back to where he belonged. His head pounded. Looking across from him, he saw Nabooru wincing with her head in her hands. The robed man simply looked exhausted, and panted heavily.
"I've never stayed in the Immaterial Realm so long," he made out between breaths. "I was beginning to worry there would be... consequences." Based on the tone of his voice, Ganondorf did not ask him to clarify what he meant by "consequences."
Still, he had seemingly endless questions that he did want clarified. "Who are you?" he asked. "Why did you help us? How did you do that? What exactly did you do? Where—" he was cut off as the questions all poured out at once, and he choked on his own words.
"Slow down, slow down," the young man urged, catching his breath. "Let me answer those one at a time, if you could. Who am I?" he laughed wistfully, almost sorrowfully. "I wish I could tell you. Why did I help you? Because I was bored. What did I do and how? Well, it's something called "kanji magic," but that's all I can say without a rather lengthy explanation."
He held up his hand, forestalling Ganondorf as he opened his mouth to ask more questions. "Anyways, I did save you, so I think I have the right to ask a question or two, right?" Ganondorf closed his mouth, and after a second, agreed.
The man continued. "Thank you. Well, if I didn't know any better, I would say that you two have made an enemy of Hyrule. How was that brought about?"
Ganondorf glowered, a menacing tinge to his voice. "Umbar Fait seeks to bring all the nations of Hyrule under his grasp. He has killed my friends, and he has killed my mentor—my father. We have not made an enemy of Hyrule. Hyrule has made an enemy of us."
The robed man nodded, his face instantly serious. "I see." He reached his hand out and grasped Ganondorf's, shaking it. "Then you have found yourselves an ally in your battle."
Ganondorf was nonplussed, and could only let his hand be shaken loosely. Nabooru asked the question that his mouth would not form. "Just like that? Why would you defy the strongest nation in Hyrule for two people that you just met?"
He gave her his most charming smile. "Four reasons," he said, ticking them off with his fingers. "First, I am no great friend of Hyrule, and by saving you, I've already made myself its enemy. Second, as stated before, I am bored. Third," he indicated to another red symbol on the roof of the tent, next to the "fade" symbol, "it is quite impossible for you to lie to me while inside this tent. And most importantly," he reached for Nabooru's hand, kissing it lightly, "it is my policy to always help beautiful women." He nodded toward the cape wrapped around her chest, still smiling. "Especially those missing articles of clothing." Nabooru's dark skin reddened at the comment.
"Well, if that's all cleared up, we ought get moving. We have no more than an hour before their trackers show up." He stood, indicating that they should do the same.
"Oh, and I don't believe I properly introduced myself." He smiled jovially, his small, dark beard contrasting the bright teeth. "You can call me Blu."