Chapter Six: Zelda Awakens
Link was contemplating his next course of action, with at least fifty Bokoblins on the way, and many more being alerted. The Bokoblins were chattering and screeching amongst themselves to figure out a plan. Link knew he had only a couple of minutes to get out of Drowned Hyrule.
" Oh, by the Goddesses! How the hell am I supposed to get out of here alive?" said Link, kneading his brow to think of something that would save his skin. Looking up at the ceiling, he saw again the beautiful Hyrule picture. This time, however, the Ganon picture was gone.
Link didn't know what he should have done. Looking back, he probably thought it was a risky and foolish thing to do. It was the only thing he could think of, though. Link walked to the wall behind him, preparing to take a huge run. He looked at the banister he was going to jump over, to land in the foyer. Hopefully the Bokoblins would cushion his fall.
" 1, 2, 3…Go!" said Link to himself. He sprinted forward and took a giant leap over the banister, roaring madly and brandishing his sword high above his head. The unfortunate Bokoblins underneath him didn't know what hit them.
Link jumped up, ready for action. The Bokoblins were taken aback by his manoeuvre, but not for long. Several of the creatures jumped in all at once, surrounding Link. Link struck the monster in front of him, then whipped around to block an attack by the Bokoblin behind him with his shield. He slammed his shield into the head of another to the side of him, but one Bokoblin had thrown its sword aside and had a tight hold on Link's leg. Link tried to shake it off, but to no avail. Worse, the monster sunk its fangs into his flesh.
Link sliced the arm of a Bokoblin that had slashed Link's midriff, tearing his Zora's Tunic. Link roared again in pain, and hacked at the creature's head. He kicked another monster away with his free leg, while banging his shield into the Bokoblin biting into his leg, refusing to let go. Finally, the creature let go but only to let its fellow monsters have a chance at killing Link.
Link was tired, after the fight with the Darknuts and the Moblins, and now a Bokoblin had bitten his leg! Nevertheless, Link carried on hacking limbs off and stabbing bodies. But, Link's hard work was undone by the injured Moblin.
Having watched the battle from afar, the Moblin had picked up its spear, walked around behind Link, and screeched loudly. The Bokoblins turned around, and quickly got out of the way. Link, surprised by the monsters' retreat, felt the spear pierce his torso, barely missing his heart. The Moblin was pleased with its work, and cried loudly in triumph. Link gazed down at his blood trickling out of the wound. He might be injured badly, fatally even, but he would not give up.
As the Bokoblins retreated, Link staggered over to a door that he hoped led out to Lake Hylia. Link, using the last vestiges of his strength, flung the door wide, and let the water of Lake Hylia rush into the castle. Monsters were swept away, and Link felt the cool water drench him from head to foot. Within minutes, the castle was filled completely, and the water slowly suffocated the monsters, drowning them in Drowned Hyrule. Link smiled grimly, and swam out into the open.
Link had been hoping that the Zora's Tunic would still work its magic, but the tear in it was too big. Slowly, but surely, Link began to cough and splutter as water, and not air, filled his lungs. At last, Link's vision faded, and he lost consciousness.
Zelda woke up, yawning loudly. She got up onto her knees and stretched out her arms. Rubbing her eyes, she stood up shakily.
" Wow…I must have been asleep for a while. Where's Link?" said Zelda to herself, looking around for the Hero of Time. He was nowhere to be found.
Zelda yawned again, not bothering to stifle it. She walked out of the room to find a guard that would know where Link was. Stepping lightly down the steps, she spotted the palace guard that had brought her the news of the mysterious stranger.
" Ah! You there…What was your name again?" asked Zelda.
" Me, your Highness? I am Tim Olsen, royal guard of Hyrule Castle."
" Yes, you. Do you know where Link has disappeared to? I can't find him anywhere."
" The legendary Hero of Time? Yes, he went to visit the stranger, the swordmaster from a foreign land. In fact, there is the swordmaster now!" replied Tim, pointing over to the front door.
Zelda looked over to where Tim was pointing, and saw the stranger. He must have been a very unusual individual, for he had pearly white hair, but was dressed in a midnight black robe. Even stranger was the colour of his eyes, a disturbing blood red that somehow burned with anger. The stranger, spotting Zelda, started to make his way over to her.
" Princess Zelda!" said the stranger.
" Tim, fetch my rapier," whispered Zelda to the guard. " I don't trust him, and he knows my name without us being introduced."
" At once!" said Tim, hurrying away.
" You there! Halt!" said Zelda, directing her command to the stranger. " How is it you know my name?"
" Your friend Link told me, your Highness." replied the stranger, adding a bow to the end of his reply.
" Who are you, and where is Link?"
" I am Diego Ferago Bjorgen Gonavolo. In the sword tutor trade, however, I am known as Zephyrian, the Sword Sorcerer."
" Such a name…Why do they call you the Sword Sorcerer?"
"I received my name from my uncle, grandfather and godfather. They call me the Sword Sorcerer because my skill of teaching pupils is almost magical."
" Thank you, but where is Link? I would like to meet with him."
" He, err…had some business to attend to. What, may I ask, has your guard gathered?" asked Diego, looking at Tim giving Zelda her rapier.
" Thank you Tim. You may leave us now." thanked Zelda, taking the rapier gratefully. The guard nodded, and left quickly.
Diego smiled. " Since when did you fight, Zelda?"
" Since I became a pirate twenty-five years ago, under the name of Tetra." replied Zelda, taking a defensive stance.
" Why are you preparing to fight me, Princess?"
" I do not trust you. Link would not have left without returning to tell me what he was doing. I think you have lied to me."
" Well, that's nice. It seems no one trusts foreigners in Hyrule. If we are to fight, why don't we make it interesting, hmm?" said Diego. He drew a blade from his robe that was longer than his arm, and also took up a defensive stance.
" So I was right not to trust you. If you have taken up a weapon with intent to fight, then you are no friend of Hyrule!" replied Zelda. She ran at Diego with her rapier held low to the ground, and swung it. Diego easily blocked her charge with barely a flick of the wrist; his sword clashed with hers and Diego pushed Zelda away. Zelda swung her rapier again, this time at head height, but Diego ducked and laughed. Zelda swung again and again, forcing Diego to jump backwards, until he leaped forward.
This time Zelda had to block the attack, and Diego had the upper hand. He swiped at Zelda, his sword meeting hers, and he continued to make Zelda defend herself until she lunged forward. It would have pierced Diego's body had he not dodged to the side quickly.
" Very good, for a princess. But let me show you why they really call me Zephyrian, the Sword Sorcerer!"
Diego held his sword out, then slowly rotated it, steadily gaining speed until he whipped up a mini tornado. Zelda was taken aback, and Diego took advantage of this by using the tornado to suck her rapier away from her hand. Now defenceless, Zelda could only brace herself for impact as the tornado grew in size and engulfed her. Diego laughed again as he saw the princess fly around in his magic tornado, and took the gong hanging from his bandoleer and set it on the ground. Taking out his silver beater, Diego struck a single note on the gong that made the bells hanging from the gong frame that just touched the gong jingle in perfect unison.
" To the Holy Stage!"
A/N: Again, just so you know, Bokoblins are green/purple coloured monsters that often hide in jars and drop Joy Pendants.
