Chapter 5: The First of Many
"Ungh!" Zelda grunted as her Gerudo escorts threw her into a 'prison tent', which was heavily guarded, and at the center of the camp grounds, there was no chance of escape, unless… "Link had better come" Zelda said quietly to herself. "I'm hardly out of the castle for half an hour, and this is what happens, I'm a prisoner of war! Great, I'll never hear the end of this from father…that is, if I ever get to see him again…"
"Argh, I'm wasting way too much time deciding this!" Link said, frustrated, "there's no chance I can get into that Gerudo camp without being caught, but with several thousand other men on my side, I'm sure I can do some damage to the Gerudos at the castle." Link decided that he should help defend Hyrule Castle, and the Zelda would not be harmed, she was smart, and wouldn't allow her identity to be revealed, or at least not right away.
Link sent Epona off to a secluded area that was well protected by trees and shrubbery, and would put her out of sight before he returned. He ran across the drawbridge that, for the first time he had seen, was down and available for passage at night. "This is weird, it's never usually down- well, I guess that explains it," Link said looking at the burnt, and still smoldering, wooden planking that made up the doorway into Hyrule Town. He ran across the somewhat charred drawbridge and on into the remnants of the town.
As he approached the first few building, his run slowed to a jog, and then a stop. Roofs were still showering embers onto house interiors, and support beams crumbled, causing entire floors and walls to collapse. It looked as if there had been an evacuation, for shop carts were un-manned and baskets that were still half-filled with groceries lied about cluttering the stone road. There were only a few dead bodies, this giving absolutely no comfort to Link at all, though it proved that others must have made it to safety. "They had absolutely no warning…they had no chance to escape in time…", he said as he crouched down next to a man that lay sprawled out on the cobblestone road. Link placed two fingers on the side of the man's neck checking for any signs of a pulse, but there was nothing. "Nothing…" was all that passed through Link's mind at that moment, for he needed to prepare himself for the battle that lay ahead, the first of many more to come.
Link adjusted his equipment, belt, and hat, took a deep breath, and broke off into a run, away from the blazing homes and shops. Sweat dripped down his forehead from the inferno that raged along the sides of the path that lead up towards the castle, already up in flames…
"So, Natura, it's been a while, hasn't it?" asked Crenoora as she stood from her couch, and walked over to the side of her tent to look in the mirror. "It must have been a few years since we last saw each other…" she continued, gazing at her reflection in the mirror.
"Yes commander," Natura replied briskly.
"Natura, Natura you know we're friends, stop the formalities," Crenoora assured the slightly-stiff officer as she turned about looking Natura straight in the eye for the first time since their reunion. "Well, seeing as it seems all is well with you, since you're not already complaining about your miseries and woes, lets get down to business."
"Command- I mean, Crenoora, don't you think the amount of forces we have here… are a bit overdoing it in size?" Natura asked. "I mean, shouldn't we have more looking for the sages, or the princess, or doing something other than cooking whatever that rancid food is out there?"
"It's fine, Acuista gave me orders, and the regiments were split out among the missions as they were needed, it'll be fine," replied Crenoora, getting a little impatient like she always did. "Now, tell me, is there any progress on Link, Zelda, or the Castle?"
"Hyrule Castle is currently under attack as we speak, Zelda and Link we're still unsure of, and our troops are almost to each of the multiple temples of the Sages." Natura reported.
"Hmm, I'd prefer if we were further along, and I'd be much happier if we had Link in one of our jail cells this moment. I can't stand that kid!" Crenoora growled as she twisted and nearly tore apart a towel she happened to be holding at the time. "I guess it can't be helped," she continued, loosening her grip on the poor piece of cloth in her hands. "Pass the word to the rest of the captains, we break off into out missions tomorrow at 0600 hours."
"Yes ma'am!" Natura stated, positioning herself with proper posture, raising her right arm for a salute before making her way out of the tent to relay the news to her messengers.
"Link, you'd better be ready, because we're coming for you, for your princess, and for anything that stands in our way." Crenoora whispered.
Link was speechless; he could not have said anything, even if he wanted to. The castle, the men, they were…obliterated. Corpses of Hyrulian soldiers laid sprawled about at the hero's feet. Castle rubble covered a good deal of the grassy landscape that decorated the front of the castle, with some enormous chunks of wall having broke walkways as well as the drawbridge leading into the castle. Flames were burning sporadically about the site of the battle, only adding to the misery of the scene before Link. The sky was pitch black, not only because it was midnight, but that not the moon nor the stars shown through the thick amount of black smoke that filled the air. And though the inner part of the castle was shrouded by the dark fumes of the flames, the far-off shrieks of those inside the castle as they were slaughtered rung through the air, sending a chill up any passerby's spine.
"I was too late…It's all my fault…why them, why couldn't I have warned them…" Link argued with himself as he tried to recuperate from the shock of the scene laid before him.
It had turned out that the Gerudos brandished many strong weapons. Catapults took out archers and entire portions of defensive walls, battering rams caved any door of gate that stood in their way, and cannons, swords, arrows, and fire took care of the rest, not to mention the enormous amount of numbers that the Gerudos had on their side that the Hylians did not.
Link fell to his knees. He had no idea why this was affecting him so much, he was sorta supposed to be used to these kinds of things. However, this was somewhat different; he didn't expect this at all. Hyrule was supposed to be able to defeat the Gerudos, the soldiers of the castle were supposed to be some of the best-trained soldiers in the lands, and yet…here they lay, on the ground in their own bloodshed.
"…my fault…" that line repeated in Link's head continuously as the screams became more distant, and the flames flickered across his face.
He knew he shouldn't be down here feeling sorry for things, he should be up and taking on those Gerudos, now even, but he couldn't. Until…Link caught a sign of movement out of the side of his right eye. He turned his head and stood up squinting at the limping figure, black against the luminosity of the surrounding flames.
"Are…are you the Hero of…Time?" the man asked as he fell before Link in exhaustion. "Are…you?
At first Link, didn't know what to say, he was still in his little realm of shock. "I- I am, yes, I'm Link," Link stuttered as he replied.
"Please…save Hyrule…they came, and they slaughtered us, I'm sorry I couldn't fulfill my duty. I…I tried, and this is what happened…" The soldier said glancing down to his side. Link's eyes followed the path of the man's, which lead to the empty space where his right arm should have been. The man was clinging onto the upper portion of the arm with his left hand, trying to stop the bleeding, everywhere below the elbow had been decapitated. "I'm sorry…Link…please, protect them, my family, my country…our country. Tears began to form in the soldier's eyes, and soon slid down his stained face. His breaths became short and frantic, as he gasped for air to fill his already smoke-containing lungs.
Link laid the soldier down, looking frantically about for some type of cloth to help bandage up the sever arm wound, as well as the multiple others that were on his body. "…I can save you…I have to save you!" Link yelled in his head, finally deciding to rip some of the cloth from his tunic for bandages. However, the man, laying his own hand over Link's, caused the frantic Hylian to stop.
"No, It's…It's over for me, just leave me here. I deserve to die here, where I fought with all my heart and mind…were all my comrades fell in the heat of battle, this is where…where I must fall as well. Thank you, Link. I'm…I'm counting on…you…" the man said, the last few words becoming no more than a whisper. The man's hand slid from it's place over Link's shaking arm. Link trembled, this man, this husband, this father, this soldier of the kingdom of Hyrule, died in Link's own arms, and Link couldn't save him. Link pulled himself away, and stood up, looking at the dead warrior, with flames surrounding and spreading closer to the body. The hero had no choice but to pull back away, the fire was growing steadily, and coming closer from all sides, he had to get out before he would also be engulfed by the raging inferno that the Gerudos left behind. Link slowly began to walk backwards, and, having to force himself to look away from the fire and the man, Link turned, and having no better places to run to, he made his way toward the nearby cliffs beside the castle grounds.
Author's Note: Well, I just had an urge to write some more, or finish up this chapter at least. I hope everyone enjoyed it. (I hope it was a bit longer than the others, I think it was), Tell me what you think, I'll try to write up Chapter 6 real soon, thanks!