Author's Preface:
Recommended Background Music - The Legend of Zelda: Majora's Mask- Pirates' Fortress [EXTENDED]
"Sir! Dawn's breaking at last!" was the sound that Fassil awoke to. The man then proceeded to shake him. The lieutenant cursed at the soldier above him, shoving him off.
"Alright. I'm awake. Get the others up." His subordinate nodded in acknowledgment and headed off towards the other two bundles wrapped up in blankets. The troop had created a small camp the previous day after searching for the traitors for hours. However, with only four men to scour several miles of boulder land the search had been completely unfruitful. Fassil had considered sending his crossbowmen into the rocks to help the search, but he knew that he needed their eyes to watch the boundaries of the rocks in case their targets tried to flee back into the woods.
Fassil donned his chainmail, once again forgoing his helmet. He hated those stuffy buckets with a passion. Looking down into the great expanse of ruin-like rock formations, he attempted to conceal the great anger he felt. Yesterday had been all smiles and good fortune, right up to the point of slaying Link.
Curse Letz and his newfound backbone, Fassil thought to himself, not for the first time. This morning promised a continued misery, and Fassil had no patience or humor for it. His men seemed to sense this, only talking to him when completely necessary. Fassil sighed as he saw nothing move in the rocks below.
If he was being completely honest with himself, Fassil was not prepared for a manhunt. He had always been a desk soldier, content to fill out forms and detail supply needs. These skills were a great asset in Vinwaka, where a well-placed blackmail could solve so many problems. Garsus had certainly appreciated Fassil's ability to compose 'official' Hyrulean documents and 'recite' laws that he devised on the spot. Fassil prided himself on knowing how to make anything sound pompous and determining the best way to control others.
Take the two people they currently hunted. While Garsus had masterminded the deception of Link, Fassil liked to think he had kept Letz in line for a very long time. The man was moody and in love with some girl in the village. A few comments here, a whisper there, and Letz was having nightmares about the girl being in danger. Fassil almost let a smile break through as he considered that Letz had even been doubting his abilities with a spear. It seemed he would've never stepped out of line if not for the arrival of that cursed green dressed traveler.
Link was a strange man, to be certain. He was young, and that immediately made Fassil think he was nothing more than some troublemaker posing as a 'great warrior'. Garsus had made it clear to Fassil in private that he thought Link had some talent with a sword. Perhaps that was true. But the hylian seemed too young to have faced any extensive combat, and yet he carried himself with a confidence that spoke of experience.
The stranger seemed layered in mystery and had completely dedicated himself to ridding the village of the lizalfos. Despite his short time in Vinwaka, he had technically succeeded. Garsus had wanted to be rid of the driven young swordsman before they accidentally garnered his attention. He should be dead right now, not hiding out in those barren rocks. The man sneered to himself before mentally tagging on his proverb of the last few hours. Curse Letz.
"Sir, the crossbowmen report no sighting of the deserters." Fassil was shook from his thoughts by a reporting soldier. He grunted in response.
"Get all the men ready. We are marching in there and ending this farce." The lieutenant thought for a second before adding on to the command. "And recall the crossbowmen, I have special plans for them." The soldier saluted but hesitated.
"What about the horse?" The soldier asked, indicating the brown and white mare the stranger had rode. That animal had been another debacle. Why his men couldn't mount and ride a single domesticated horse, he would never understand. But even he had seen the insane way the horse had kicked and bucked at any attempt to ride her. Even now it seems to be eyeing me evilly, as though plotting my demise… Fassil shook his head to clear his thoughts.
"What about it?" he replied angrily as he stomped towards the rocky terrain without waiting for a reply. The soldier stood stunned for a second, left behind by his commander. Suddenly, Epona neighed loudly. The man jumped, turning in an instant and fearfully backing away from the demon horse. He quickly moved to follow his orders without any more delay, keeping the horse in his peripheral vision.
It took around fifteen minutes for Fassil's men to assemble. The lieutenant took this time to consider the situation and chew on a small meal of a ration biscuit. In a perfect world, Fassil knew what he would do.
He would sit out here and let the two of them starve to death alongside the dinolfos. They may be able to exit the far side of the rocks without being seen, but it was a ridiculously long trek back to Hyrule from that side. No, they would have to come back past Fassil and his men. As much as starving them out appealed to Fassil's supply officer perspective, Garsus needed his men. He could just leave the crossbowmen of course to try and bottle them in, but the stranger had his bow. He didn't want to allow the outcome of this standoff to be decided by a long-range duel. That's if the stranger even still lives, Fassil mused to himself. The hylian had taken a direct hit from a crossbow. Fassil didn't count on such an outcome, however. Link seemed to have a demon's luck.
His men arrived slowly, throwing on gear as they came. The crossbowmen checked their strings and mechanisms while the swordsmen readied their one-handed pavises. Fassil still had six men under him, more than enough to deal with their adversaries.
Then why do I get a feeling something is going to go wrong? Fassil pondered. With this thought in his head, Fassil decided he would be cautious with his resources and not underestimate the troublesome duo they faced. His men were now all at attention, awaiting his orders.
"Alright men, today we finish this cucco chase. Foot soldiers, we'll be taking the front. Spread out in a general loose line to sweep the area. I want everyone twenty or thirty yards apart. Remain in eyesight and call out every few minutes. I want no surprises or ambushes." Fassil thought these orders would be satisfactory in ensuring one of his men didn't get jumped while the rest of the party was unaware. However, his next orders would help their awareness even more.
"Crossbowmen, I want you to drop the watch of the rocks from the forest line. Instead, you will directly support our search. Scale rocks as we move forward and scan the area from higher elevation. Remain in visual and auditory contact with each other and call out targets if anything is spotted. Remember men, we are searching for any living thing, whether it be one of our defectors or a lizalfos contingent. Am I clear?" A series of salutes and spoken acknowledgements were returned to the lieutenant. Fassil grunted in satisfaction.
"Then let's finish this."
The gray clad soldiers advanced into the scattered rock formations. The troops followed Fassil's orders well, keeping a good spread and remaining in communication. The gravel crunched under their boots as they progressed through the boulders and jagged rocks. The sun meanwhile continued to climb, bringing with it a searing heat. Fassil once again was pleased he had left his muggy helmet behind.
Hours passed as the men scoured the rocky wasteland for any signs of their targets. Fassil knew he had decided to be cautious, but even he was disappointed in the pace they made. The foot soldiers constantly had to wait for the crossbowmen to reposition and climb rocks. Remaining in visual contact was also difficult and slow within the rocky boulders. Eventually though, his patience paid off.
"Sir! I just saw something!" One of the crossbowmen said from above, his voice only loud enough for Fassil to hear. Fassil immediately recalled his soldiers to him with a hand signal. The crossbowman who had spoken slid down the boulder's edge where he had been positioned, his chainmail scratching the rock on the way down. Fassil's swordsmen hurried over, and the officer urged them to crouch under cover when they arrived.
"We may have something lads," Fassil told them. He then turned to the crossbowman. "What did you spot?" Fassil's voice was dry and scratchy from the hot environment.
"I saw a flash of light, like the sun on armor," The man replied excitedly. "I don't know anything else that could light up like that out here." All the troops were becoming tired of the lack of results and seemed excited to finally have a possible enemy to fight.
"Where was it?" Fassil asked while scanning the rolling hills ahead of him.
"See that hill to the Southeast? The one with all those jagged rocks surrounding it. Got some bushes around it too." Fassil nodded in confirmation. "Saw a gleam over in it, like somebody's camped out there."
Fassil grinned for the first time that day as he considered the hill the crossbowman had pointed out. It seemed just like a location Letz would pick. The hill was tall and defensible, with lots of jagged rocks for cover.
Link may have been a woodsman, but Letz was not. The former sergeant was unused to hiding in the wilderness. Letz would have difficulty keeping his gear out of the sun and away from eyesight. Fassil realized his quarry was probably ahead of him, scheming at the top of that hill. Even if the man had not spotted the light, it was well worth checking. Fassil suddenly realized he could ensure their quick victory with an ambush.
"Did he see you do you think?" Fassil questioned the crossbowman. The man shook his head with resolve.
"No way," the soldier replied. "The gleam came from the center of the rocks, not on the perimeter like someone on watch." Fassil grinned.
"Alright, time to kill some traitors. Each of you advance on a different side of the hill. But remain under cover for Hylia's sake! We'll jump them and end them in one fell move. Crossbowmen, stay back here in case they somehow slip out." His men moved with renewed enthusiasm to follow his orders.
Fassil and one of his swordsmen took the longest route around the hill they could manage. The entire time, they kept their heads down and behind the scattered rocks. Fassil felt the excitement of the possible fight rising in him. His heart beat faster, and his hands became sweaty in his gauntlets. The lieutenant still preferred desk work, but maybe field action did have some perks. He drew his sword and waited at the base of the hill as his other swordsmen found their way to their own positions.
Finally, he received a hand signal saying all the men were in place. He quickly replied with a 'forward' command. The three soldiers and their lieutenant began a quiet advance up the hill from all sides. Fassil grinned to himself at the near perfect execution of the surprise attack.
Reaching the top of the hill, he too saw a gleam of light in the croft of the jagged rocks. The lieutenant moved closer, remaining silent as he maneuvered to within a few feet of his target. Fassil licked his lips in eagerness as he realized he was looking at the back of Letz's Hyrulean helmet. The sergeant never took it off. The man was slouched over, as though he had fallen asleep. Apparently, watching over a wounded man had left the former soldier tired and unable to stay awake in the afternoon heat. Fassil raised his sword and readied himself.
"Die traitorous fool!" Fassil screamed as he leapt forward, sword swinging in a smooth action. The blade hit solidly in Letz's neck, sending the helmet flying. The piece of equipment went a fair distance, landing with a loud clang and denting the exterior on a sharp spike-like rock. Instead of a shower of blood however, a cloud of gray dust arose. Fassil blinked in confusion, taking a closer look at the corpse of 'Letz'.
Gravel had been roughly wrapped in a field blanket where Letz's chest should have been. The helmet too had been filled with gray gravel, which had been thrown when Fassil had struck. Fassil lowered his sword slowly in disbelief. A trick… I've been tricked by a blanket of rocks, Fassil realized. He cursed in anger and confusion. His men gathered around, saying nothing as they too took in the sight of the fake duplicate. But… what did this accomplish? My men are ready for them now.
That's when he heard shouts from far down the hill, at the position where the crossbowmen had remained. Curse you, Letz! the Lieutenant screamed to himself in a panic as he ordered his confused men back down the hill.
Link watched the hylian soldiers advance up the hill as he crouched in a cluster of small bushes. His eyes narrowed as he examined the crossbowmen. All three of them remained high in the rocks, but their focus was completely on the hill where Link and Letz had spent the previous night. It had been Link's idea to lure the foot soldiers away from their ranged support, but Letz had suggested the decoy. It all seemed to be working perfectly, and Fassil's attention was completely fixed on the hill.
Link shifted slightly, ignoring the pain in his torso. He drew an arrow from his quiver and laid it across his bow. The green-clad hero then closed his eyes, breathing deeply and getting a feel for the wind. Opening his eyes, he stood up and took aim in an instant. The Ordonian fired three shots in quick succession, trying to ignore the pain from his wound.
Two of the shots immediately found their marks. The first crossbowman was struck in the neck, the limber arrow going straight through the chainmail the soldier wore. He made a gurgling sound as he fell off the rock and to the ground ten feet below. The second arrow clanged off the next crossbowman's helmet, and the soldier lost his footing in a panic. He dropped twelve feet on his face and did not get back up. Link suspected he broke his neck.
The last crossbowman was the farthest away and heard the other hits land. The soldier turned, either in confusion or alarm. The arrow that Link had fired swept past his head in an instant, missing its mark. The man shouted in surprise and dived onto his stomach, still high above ground level on the rocks.
The multitude of boulderlike structures allowed the armored hylian to move a few feet and find cover behind a smaller rock perched on the boulder. From this sheltered position, the soldier scanned the rocks below, spotting Link in an instant.
"ENEMY! ENEMY! They're behind us! Hurry back here!" The gray clad crossbowman yelled at the top of his lungs. Link glanced at the hill where the Hyrulean soldiers had been advancing, his blond hair and hat blowing in the slight wind. He immediately noticed that Fassil and his men had reached the peak and would be seriously delayed in returning. He grinned in a predatory fashion, turning his focus back to the sole crossbowman ahead of him. Only to barely avoid a crossbow bolt aimed at his skull.
Link cursed as he rolled to avoid the surprisingly well aimed projectile. His wound roared with agony in protest. Regaining his feet in a pained stumble, he launched two more arrows toward the rocky boulder where the single crossbowman patiently watched. The arrows were poorly aimed in his anguish, and they rebounded uselessly against the rocks. The crossbowman reloaded his weapon as quickly as he could. The soldier's initial fear had apparently turned into a steely resolve to hold his position until help arrived.
The Ordonian swordsman below sprinted behind some nearby rocks. Link was panting. His wound felt like a molten rock in his stomach. He groaned in pain as he watched the soldier's position. The soldier on the other hand seemed like an unnatural bird of prey, watching Link behind his now loaded metal crossbow. The dark visor of the man's helmet revealed no fear or panic as he waited for Link to make a move. The crossbow may have been slow to load, but the soldier barely had to expose himself to shoot it. This fact alone made it difficult for Link to do anything in his pinned position.
Link took a deep breath, slowing his heartbeat. He then slid from behind cover in one motion, arrow knocked and aimed. The green clad hero didn't even loose his arrow before diving back behind cover. Where his chest had been a second before, a bolt flew past. Oh, now they learn how to aim, Link thought to himself, annoyed at his enemy's surprising effectiveness. I thought the Hyrulean Army was supposed to be cowardly and incompetent. Fortunately, Link had foreseen this possibility, and he had drawn the crossbowman's attention for long enough.
The crossbowman up on the rocks didn't even notice the quiet climbing of the now helmetless Letz behind him. The ex-soldier had positioned himself on the opposite side of the crossbowmen before Link had started the combat. The duo's original plan had been for Link to draw their fire and Letz strike them down from behind. Link's exceptional archery had removed more of the Hyrulean soldiers than expected, and Letz had then hurried to flank the remaining crossbowman.
The former sergeant now stood up a few paces behind the hylian marksman, holding his curved knife in his hand. His spear had been left below, too difficult to carry in the climb. The bowman in front of him had finished reloading his weapon and once again renewed his vigil on Link below. The dark-haired man took a few steps towards the marksman, raising his knife for a blow to the neck.
The crossbowman turned around suddenly, trying to fire into Letz's body. Apparently, Letz had made a noise that had alerted the soldier. Instead of striking the man's neck Letz instead shoved the crossbow, and the bolt whirled away into the wilderness while barely missing Letz's side. The crossbowman then punched Letz in the jaw, forcing him back and stunning him for a second.
Luckily, the marksman's attack did not have any weight behind the blow due to his awkward stance. Realizing the crossbow would be no help here, the soldier threw it aside. He then drew his own knife, a long slender weapon with a straight blade. The two circled each other slowly, their gray armor reflecting the sun. Letz's pale blue eyes met the empty black hole of his opponent's visor.
"Listen Marle, we don't have to do this!" Letz said earnestly. "Fassil and Garsus can be replaced. You know they aren't in the right here!" The helmeted soldier in front of him grunted.
"That may be true Letz," the soldier whispered, almost as though to himself. "But I have my orders, and it's not my place to question them."
The man lunged forward, thrusting at Letz's heart. Letz deflected the attack with his armored left gauntlet and struck with his own knife in a wide sweeping motion. The former crossbowman backtracked to avoid the blow.
The helmeted soldier started to circle slowly, his body crouched and ready. Letz did likewise, carefully considering where to place his feet. He was painfully aware that the boulder was only around ten feet wide. Letz glanced sideways at the edge of the rock and considered worriedly the fifteen-foot drop that awaited either combatant who fell. The gray clad soldier before him jumped at him in that moment, seeing Letz's attention split.
Letz tried to block the blade once more with his gauntlet, but the soldier was ready this time. The crossbowman reversed his slash in an instant, cutting Letz in the side. The sergeant fell to a knee, crying out in pain.
The crossbowman didn't let up his momentum though, proceeding to knee his former superior in the face. Letz was knocked onto his back and felt himself start to slide off the edge of the boulder. He grasped at the rock in a slight panic, trying to stop his momentum.
The crossbowman stood up tall above the struggling man, looking down at his former sergeant. The soldier then moved to kick Letz off the top of the rock structure. That is until an arrow landed deep into his shoulder. Link had finally found an opening to shoot without risk of hitting Letz. The man screamed out in pain, his attack forgotten. Letz quickly tried to take advantage of the distraction.
The sergeant swept his leg at his opponents' feet, using his hands to leverage himself off the rock. With a shrill cry the man found his footing gone, and his helmeted head crashed against the rock before falling fifteen feet to the ground. He failed to rise, impaled on his own knife.
Link hurried over to the base of the boulder, looking up to Letz who was slowly regaining his feet. Letz looked down at the lifeless body below him. The mustached man sighed and wiped his eyes. Link watched him from below with concern.
"Are you alright?" the swordsman called up to him.
"Yeah… I just hate that so many have to die." Letz slowly climbed down to Link, avoiding eye contact. The former guardsman quickly collected his spear from behind the rock. He then looked at Link, a weariness in his eyes. "I lived with these men for months… to see them die and to think I had a part in it. It's just hard to stomach." Link smiled sadly as Letz rested his spear on his shoulder.
"Sometimes people just go their own way." He saw that broken mirror in his mind once more. Shaking away the thoughts he continued, "But these men knew what they were a part of and continued to follow their leader anyways." Letz frowned but said nothing more. Link sighed, wiping sweat off his brow and clutching his wound in pain.
"We need to scatter and relocate before Fassil gets down here," Link continued. "With my bow we can pick them off from a distance." Letz started to answer him but was interrupted.
"I'm afraid it's too late for that." Both men turned in a hurry to see Fassil and his three men approaching, swords drawn and ready. All the soldiers had their large shields in hand, while Fassil himself only carried an arming sword. The party of soldiers were breathing heavily, but otherwise seemed ready for a fight. All of them still wore their helmets except Fassil, and the gray chainmail shone brightly in the sunlight. Fassil eyes were wild, his face contorted in a rage induced snarl. "I see you've killed all my crossbowmen. You'll pay for that for sure."
Link drew his sword in one practiced motion, slinging his shield forward as he did so. His face twinged in pain as his wound protested the movement. Letz meanwhile lowered his spear into a ready position, smirking as he covered his previous sorrow. The former soldier replied to Fassil in a mocking tone.
"Ah Fassil, if you had led from your typical position in the rear, you would be dead with them. Luckily for your cowardly self, no one was in front of you to fight." The lieutenant glared at the two men before him.
"Funny, the man that is afraid to take off his helmet is accusing others of cowardice. I'll have your head Letz, mark my words." Letz shrugged in response. Link spoke up in the hostile silence.
"All I want to know is why." the green clad swordsman stated. "Why set up all this nonsense and try to kill a man in the back when he is working with you? Where is your honor…? Your courage…?" Fassil snarled at the Ordonian.
"Look kid, Garsus ordered it, so I did it. I don't have the time or patience to spell out to you that naiveness in Vinwaka equals death." Link scowled at that. Fassil continued, "But we can't have you interfering with our setup in Vinwaka. And you've wasted far too much of my time out here." Fassil turned to his men at arms, his posture expressing an eagerness alongside a bitterness at the 'deserters' before him.
"Advance, split into pairs, and kill these fools," he spat vehemently. The lieutenant then waved his sword towards the two hylians in front of him.
The three soldiers under his command charged forward. Fassil followed slightly behind as he angled towards Link, seeing an injured target. The soldiers' chainmail jingled as they rushed forward. Each one approached in a similar manner, with their shield in front and sword at the ready. None of them wasted breath with a yell but approached with a silent determination. They were met with an equally determined defending duo.
Link and Letz both took defensive stances as the soldiers approached. Letz lowered his spear and stepped back slightly to receive their foes. His once shiny armor was covered in dirt from the day's events, and he appeared much more disheveled than the soldiers facing them. Link meanwhile brought his shield up, trying to better cover his wounded torso. The light wind tossed his blond hair as the young hylian grit his teeth in determination.
The first two swordsmen approached Letz simultaneously, keeping their shields up and attempting to close the distance. Letz struck with his spear, trying to wound the soldiers in the legs and arms. His opponents kept their pavises well positioned however, and Letz found himself giving ground to prevent them from overwhelming him.
The third swordsman charged straight at Link, attempting to bash his shield into Link's face. Fassil followed in his footsteps, apparently hesitant to engage Link directly. Link jump back to avoid the helmeted guardsman's blow. He continued to quickly backstep, creating some space between him and the soldier. The soldier seemed to believe this to be an opening and tried to push forward to trap Link against the boulders where the crossbowmen had been positioned.
However, in his haste he failed to keep his pavise in front of him. Link rolled forward in an instant. The helmeted man grunted in surprise and tried to swing his sword at the sudden action. Before the guard's sword landed, Link completed his movement and thrust his sword while emerging from the roll. His Ordon sword stabbed the soldier through the gut. The gray clad hylian groaned before collapsing.
Fassil watched in horror as his first man went down in only a few seconds. Link calmly regained his feet, his confident eyes meeting the shocked look of the Lieutenant. Fassil staggered back as realized that he had underestimated the wounded hylian. Then Fassil began the fight of his life.
Link rushed forward, ignoring his wound. He began making precise strikes at the lieutenant, forcing the soldier back. Fassil's lack of sword experience quickly became apparent as he struggled to keep up with the green-clad swordsman before him. Link pressed on. A thrust, then a horizontal slice, a feint to the right, followed by hard strike to the left. Link's face was a frown of determination. He held nothing back and didn't hesitate in any of his attacks.
Fassil was clearly panicking, jumping back and only barely blocking one or two strikes. The lieutenant quickly received a deep cut to his left shoulder as Link followed the retreating soldier as quickly as his crossbow wound would allow. Finally, the lieutenant let out a cry for help.
"One of you two forget the traitor. I need help!" He let out a terrified squeal as he barely avoided a slash aimed for his neck. "I need help, now!" he screamed, backing up yet further. One of his men instantly dropped the fight with Letz, still in a standstill.
The armored man rushed to Fassil's aid, sword raised to cut down Link from behind. At the same time, Fassil jumped forward, hoping to kill Link while his attention was divided. As the blades descended, Link crouched slightly and brought up his own sword.
Both attackers were dismayed to suddenly be struck by a swirling spin attack out of nowhere. Neither soldier could fully comprehend Link's speed, it was as though they were moving in slow motion. Link's strike sliced through the soldier's chainmail at his chest, flinging him to the ground where he remained still. Fassil's sword clanked with the spinning Ordonian blade, and he too was thrown to the ground from the blow albeit unharmed.
Link straightened up, panting and swaying with dizziness as his wound protested the ferocity of the attack. He shook his head to clear it, and his eyes focused on the lieutenant on the ground. The armored man was on his hands and knees also breathing hard. Link approached him, sword in hand. Fassil's grasp on his own sword tightened as hero stood over him.
"Enough. Surrender and I'll let you plead your case to a judge. Don't, and I'll have to kill you," Link stated in a calm voice, lowering his sword at the grounded Lieutenant. The soldier sprawled in the gravel hesitated only a moment.
"I won't be killed by you!" Fassil screamed. He jumped up at Link, swinging his sword. Link easily blocked the blade with his own, but Fassil wasn't through. The lieutenant in that moment threw gray dust into the hero's face that he had collected while on the ground.
Link recoiled, eyes burning as everything went black. Fassil let out a triumphant laugh as he kicked Link's wounded torso. Link groaned as he crumpled to the ground in pain. Fassil grinned with lunacy as he stood over the downed Ordonian.
"Ha ha! Now we will end this at last!" He brought his sword up, laughing maniacally. Link remained on the ground, his vision still blurry. Fassil's laugher doubled in volume as he prepared to stab the green-clad swordsman through the chest. He was still laughing when Letz's spear went straight through the back of his neck into his head. The lieutenant stared down at Link for a moment, his grin frozen on his face in confusion as the weapon was driven into his brain.
"Letz…" Fassil murmured in sudden realization. "Curse… Letz…" The light in his eyes faded. Then the skinny lieutenant slowly fell to the side, crumpling into a heap. Letz withdrew the spear, panting heavily. His former opponent lay dead twenty feet away. With only one foe, he had been able to gain the upper hand.
Letz helped lift Link off the ground as Link finally regained his vision. Both standing, they stared at the corpse of Fassil. Link sighed, taking of his hat and running his hand through his hair.
"Thanks," he told the dark-haired man beside him. "That crossbow wound nearly did me in." Letz nodded absently, his eyes glued on the corpses around them.
"We did it…" the former soldier stated with wonder. "We just defeated seven fully trained Hyrulean soldiers…" Link said nothing at the man's shock. If only he had seen Stallord or Diababa, then he would understand an impressive victory. If Link was honest, he just felt empty with this conflict over. So many men dead, and yet so little to show for it.
Link had mostly fought monsters in his experience. Sure, the resistance had him track and attack the occasional bandit group in the last few months, but never had he fought soldiers of Hyrule before. Those men could still have changed their ways and seen past their blind loyalty to their garrison captain. Now, however, they would never get that chance. Link sighed, pushing such thoughts out of his mind.
"We should hurry back to the village," Link told Letz. "There's no clue what Garsus is up to with his strike force out longer than expected." Letz began to nod, but then stopped.
"What about the lizalfos and dinolfos? We haven't seen head or tail of them," The mustached man said as he leaned on his spear heavily, obviously tired from the fight. Link in turn was clutching his wound, which had started bleeding from all the action.
"They've had hours now to get away. Most likely they've left Hyrule all together." Link scanned the many jagged rocks and hills around them. "I think if they had enough forces to threaten the village, we would've seen them by now."
"You're probably right," Letz replied. "Guess we got lucky that they didn't hang around." Link grunted in agreeance. The green clad hero moved towards the boulders that had been occupied by the crossbowmen. He quickly moved to gather his arrows that had missed their mark. He had no idea when he would have a chance to replenish his stock.
Letz meanwhile crouched down and inspected the body of Fassil, his eyes growing somber. "For so long you have been a physical representation of my fear and hatred," the armored man told the corpse. Letz then sighed, staring into the lifeless eyes of his former officer. "I guess now you will only live in my nightmares."
The dead lieutenant made no reply. Letz reached down and grabbed the dead man's pouch. Pulling the satchel off the belt, he poured out its contents. Several baubles fell out, alongside a small knife and a written set of orders. Fassil was a man who obsessed over possessions, and it seemed he had carried some into the field. Letz ignored the various small objects, but he pocketed the knife and orders in his own pouch.
Link returned, having collected his arrows. His tunic was bloody and dirty, but the young swordsman had an air of resolve around him despite holding his wound in pain. He checked the sun's position in the sky.
"We still have several hours of daylight," Link told Letz. "I'm going to fetch Epona and then we can head to the village." Letz looked at him in surprise and frowned.
"Look, I know we need to get to the village, but I think we should take some time to get our gear organized. And more importantly, I need to change the bandages on that wound of yours." Link looked down at his bandages covering his torso, once more blood stained. He shook his head.
"Garsus could kill somebody else or flee if we don't move fast. I don't want to let that happen."
"And what good would it do if it gets you killed?" the former sergeant asked. "I saw you take down six lizalfos with ease, but because of your wound, Fassil nearly got the best of you. And he barely practiced with his sword! Let me check that wound, change the bandages, and gather my supplies. Then, we'll head to the village as ready as we'll ever be." Link hesitated, before finally relenting.
"Alright I see your point, but we leave as soon as we can, even if it's nearly dark. Garsus has a lot to answer for, and I'd rather his reckoning be sooner than later." Letz nodded his acceptance, and the two men began collecting their gear in preparation.
Author's Note:
I think this was my favorite chapter to write. I don't know why, but Fassil's perspective was really fun alongside all the action. See you next week!