Chapter 3: Battle in the Temple of Time
Link dashed as fast as he could towards a tremendous cave pulling out a hammer. He told the Gerudo to look for an egg and destroy it. She just nodded and leapt away. Link ran to a door on his left and opened it. A roar joined with a blast of fire greeted him. He pulled out his shield and blocked the blast. Thinking fast Link rolled to his side and pulled out his bow he put an arrow to the string and pulled back. He just needed it to open it's mouth again, He began grabbing his magic power and forced it to assume the from of ice and his arrow started to glow. The Dragon baby opened it's mouth and Link released the string the arrow went into it's mouth. The baby gave a shuddering gasp. Running fast he pulled out his sword and stabbed the monster. The Gerudo woman had jumped on the dragon's back and plunged her dagger deep into it's back. The monster let out an ear splitting roar. Link drew back his hammer and threw it. The hammer struck the dragon's neck. The dragon let out a shriek and dived into the lava pile.
"Not this time." Link muttered. He grabbed a bomb lit it and threw the bomb as high as he could. He hit his target one rock exploded causing thousands to fall... right on top of the lava they piled up high.
"He'll never get out and slowly burn up." Link explained. The woman just nodded as if Link had done the most reasonable thing. Link shook himself mentally. There was only one more race that could help them now, the Zoras. The Zoras were fish-like people that new a lot of recent events. He told the Gerudo to fallow him. Then he returned to the cave and waited for the others report.
The Gorans were attacked because of me. Link thought. This did seem logical, almost everyone knew Link had a good relationship with the Gorans. As soon as the group had gathered Link asked for their report but, none had seen a thing.
He explained the situation the said, "Gather the others and head to Zora's Domain." Holding out a map he said in a low voice, "It's right... here!" Link explained to Xilic who nodded then left. Xilic could take care of the others. He needed to find Zelda, now. He gave a sharp call to Snowfire who came fast to Links side. Link hopped on her back in deep thought. If Zelda, Terra, and the others were dead too, Link wouldn't know what to do.
Link rode into Hyrule market. After dis-mounting Link asked if a group of riders had been seen. A few men claimed (after a large bribe) the riders had been to the Temple of Time. Link found no other leads so ran up to the old temple. Nothing, no unturned stones, no graves, no tracks, no signs of battle, just ground. Link walked into the temple and kneeled on the floor confused. Eventually he got up and walked to an old alter and pulled an odd object off of it. The Ocarina of Time. This instrument had helped Link countless times in all his adventures. He returned it to the alter and sat down.
A few hours later Link was leaving the temple and stopped suddenly he saw a shadow. A man flashed out in front of Link clothed in black. The man draw his sword and swung at Link's head. Link ducked the attack back-flipped and drew his sword. Link stared into the eyes of the man facing him. They looked so lifeless... suddenly the black clothed man swung at Link vertically. Link rolled to his left. He was now facing the man's unprotected right hip. He struck at it but the man re-acted and blocked the attack with inhuman speed. This man was unusually good. Link had fought far too many people but he had never ever been this out classed even in his fight with Ganon. He suddenly remembered an old trick he had once used on a wolf it would only work once but hopefully it could give him the leverage he needed.
Just give me a half-second with an opening. That's all I want. Link thought as he flipped over the man's head and struck at the exposed back. Again the man turned to block his attack but instead of meeting the blade Link rolled between the man's spread legs and slashed upwards as he went. Of course the man saw his mistake of slashing forward and turned it into a roll but Link's sword still left a large gash on his leg. Link got up and laughed. The tricked had worked now the man would be slower and Link could overpower him after the man got slow and sluggish.
Assuming I live that long. Link thought jumping over the man's swipe at his feet. Link struck out at the man's un-damaged leg. The man sidestepped the trust and slashed down at Link's head. Link caught the blow on his shield then struck out at the damaged leg with his sword. The man jumped over it, or nearly the blade struck his heel. The man rolled backwards as he howled. All of a sudden the man ran towards Link swinging then flipped over Link's head pushed off the wall behind Link and everything seemed to slow down. The man's mouth was opened in a soundless snarl. Then there was an unbearable pain in his gut.
Blackness threatened to engulf him the last thing he heard was: "Master I succeeded. I found him but he met an... accident." Link lay there for what felt like an eternity though it might have only been a day or two. Dreams came to him though he did not sleep. He could feel that his eyes were open but he saw nothing. He thought he felt hands touching his wound but it wasn't real. He would lay and die there, the Gerudos would fight and die, Zelda and the others would would be tortured to death if not already dead. All Link's effort was for nothing no, that could not, would not happen.
Lifted by a unknown strength Link lift himself and struggled to see. Vision finally came to him it wasn't to clear but it was good for the purpose of seeing. He took a few slow steps as pain erupted throughout his body. He gave a small cry and tried to stay up. He took a few more steps ignoring the pain. Looking for the way toward town he walked towards it stumbling often.
Another step... another one... another step. It was all Link could think. He placed a hand over the wound. He was losing blood to much blood. He wasn't going to make it he had to keep going. He saw to potions door and took a few more steps. And kneeled calling in a rasp it was all he could manage.
" Please help... me... please." Gasping he saw two shapes appear over him. A sharp pain in the back of his head and the ground rushed up to meet him. He rose to find himself trapped in a cell weaponless. The next thing he realized is his pain was gone. He tried to move but his hands and legs were bound tight. As Link struggled to remove the bonds a figure approached him but his vision was blurry so he couldn't make out any clear features.
"So this is the great Hero of Time. You have been extremely hard to capture. That fool you met at the Temple of Time thought he killed you but I knew it was untrue and waited for you." The woman's voice was not kind. It was like a seductive snake. Link knew by instinct that he could not trust her.
"If you think I'm a hero your mistaken." If was a bluff of course but it could work.
"Oh silly me," She said. "I must of grabbed the wrong green clad Hero of Time." Or then again the bluff might fail. He tried to get his right leg free, no good. He couldn't get out the human skeleton simply didn't allow it... Wait that was it. The human skeleton didn't allow him to bend like that, now.
"Unless have more lies to tell me I must really be getting on but we will talk tomorrow about your rebel friends."
He wants to get information about the riders. Well he isn't getting it out of me. The woman turned and left. and Link turned his head towards his left arm. It was bound up against the wall. That fit perfectly into Link's plan. Link slammed his own forehead into his left wrist. He did it again. And again. And again. Until... CRACK. Link slumped over and his left hand fell out of the rope. Link had broken his own wrist to get out of of the bind. His hand hurt terribly and he cried out as he un-tied the ropes.
Link stumbled to the door and smashed the lock off with his elbow. Now he need to find his weapons and find the way out of here. Clutching his wrist he walked on to the guard at the end of the corridor. Link slowly crept up behind the guard and reached for the long dagger in the guard's belt as he grasped the handle the guard spun around and swung his long sword. Link parried the blow and stabbed at the guard but the nimble man side stepped the stab and flipped over the Link's head. Pushing off the wall behind Link the guard came at Link mouth open in a soundless snarl.
It's the man from the Temple Link realized. This time Link jumped up and landed on the man's forehead for a split second. Then Link backflipped using the man's forehead as leverage landed on his feet and stabbed at the at the man on the ground. The man rolled away and Link took a quick look at his enemy's feet, they were still injured good. Link paid for his lack of focus when the man grazed Link's upper arm. The man kicked Link down then stepped on Link's right arm. Link dropped the dagger in pain.
"This is the best Hyrule has to offer? Well I will make your ending swift that at least you deserve. Link saw the blade come down and reached for the dagger with his left hand. The blade whistled down faster and faster. Link threw up his left arm but instead of his sword meeting the man's blade Link's dagger went through the man's arm. Even through Link's pain in his left wrist he could hear the man's scream. Link hand felt like it was on fire. Link remembered hearing Zelda's guard talking about a broken leg, but he hadn't thought that it could hurt this much. This pain was beyond anything Link had ever experienced. Link had little time to lay still. He was grabbed by the neck.
As the hand around his neck got tighter Link heard, "If we both die then I will make sure that you are the one who dies first." Link heard the sound of a switchblade. Then pain entered his shoulder. The man had stabbed him again.
"Let me take care of your other hand. The master wanted to question you but it looks as if she'll just have to deal with the fact that you're only good when dead." He was dropped then. There was a grip on his lower arm that got forced down onto the man's knee. Then a loud crack. Link's other arm had been broken. His arm flopped down. He gave a small breath he knew a lesser man would have died.
That must be it, Link thought as the man kicked him over. I dead and don't know it. No living man clever or not, strong or not, young or not could live through this pain. Link stared up into the man's eyes as he was stabbed in the neck.Even though Link no longer had strength to move he saw that the eyes were no longer lifeless. They were full of rage and lust for murder and death.
"Maybe after your dead my master can take care of that girl. Zela or something. You know we caught her? We only needed you because she wouldn't give us anything." Rage such as Link had never felt filled him. Epona's death, Mikio's murder, and now Zelda's pain. Link grabbed the man's arm and bashed his forehead against the man's knee. The man fell screaming in pain. Link got up and grabbed his fallen dagger. Link stabbed the man in the gut. Then Link got up staggered around towards the door... to the other cells that must be where Zelda was.