Leal shut her eyes against the morning sun's glare, and tucked a lock of windswept straight brown hair back into her bun. When her eyes had adjusted to the sun's blaze, they were pained by another, nearer glare. The scythe blade scared her. Not the weapon-ness of it -- for her own self defense she'd been taught the ways of war from a babe -- but the grandier with which its inscriptions celebrated death. She didn't know Gerudo. But it seemed wrong to her to decorate a weapon.
"Father, aren't the Gerudo so ruthless to make such a lovely instrument of death," Leal whispered to her father as they walked down the road toward the town. Mesmerized, her young, slender fingers brushed the handle. Link's instincts jerked it away from her. He answered, distractedly and looking toward town (or was it the horizon?), "People everywhere decorate weapons. Us as well. You are of woman-kind, who think of weapons as death instruments. To man, they are the means by which we retain our lives."
Leal didn't know what to say, but was saved from the need of a response by the ear-rending screethc of rusting hinges. They reached Hyrule Castle Town gate.
A disapproving glance from Zelda inspired Link to tuck the scythe into his robe, out of sight of the multitudes.
As soon as the gate was flung open, a great applause rang up from the townsfolk. Even suspicious, Link couldn't help but reveal a small smile. It's nice for any king to know his people are happy.
The townsfolk had a whole festival planned. There were choirs, musicians, and dancers, magicians and performers of all sorts. One troupe put on a play. The town smelled sweet, and all varieties of edible delicacies were hcked from storefronts. Booming businessmen shared the mirth of passing children with 3-rupee candy smeared on their faces.
The sun was finally sneaking toward the horizon. The day had gone so well, Link felt mildly stupid at having been so paranoid. His content musings were abrupted by an explosion at a nearby store. Within ten second, the whole town square had changed. Women screamed and groped after their bawling children. Houses all flared in flame. In a daze, Link looked at his grils. Zelda was gathering them into her wide skirts. Their eyes were likewise wide, with fear, as guard surrounded the dais. Link was proud of his daughters; they neither screamed nor cried. Zelda caught Link's eye, and in her face he saw something he had not seen ever in this world -- a flash of red and determination. It woke him from his daze.
The guards at the foot of the dais were defending -- poorly -- against some invaders. In one movement Link jumped into the invaders' midst and slashed the scythe through two of them simultaneously. But they kept coming. There had to be an army of them -- covered in hard black armor -- and the Hyrulian guards seemed totally inadequate against them. Link learned quickly that there was a weak spot in their armor, under their chins where the hauberk was tied. All around Link, heads rolled. But they kept coming. Their tan reptilianskin was armor-like under their armor. Link had never seen anything like them, and he had seen a lot. They were gaining ground. Link heard a proud feminine grunt from the dais. Spinning, he saw Zelda with two arrows in her shoulder. She'd gotten a dagger from somewhere, and had beheaded more invaders than the best of the guards. But there were too many. Then Link's world went dark.
