Chapter 8: Fate's time

"This is the end for you my new enemy!" Grehadel said. "I wish that this didn't have to happen."

"As do I Xilic, as do I." Link responded.

"I told you not to call me by that. I'm Grehadel! The four star general of the Master's assassins!" Yelled Link's new foe.

"Of course, sorry but I'm afraid I'll never get used to screaming that name." Link responded. Grehadel swung at Link who blocked the blow. Link flipped over Grehadel and stabbed at the exposed flesh. The red blade intercepted the attack. Grehadel tried to hit Link with a thrown dagger. But Link rolled out of the way. Grehadel pulled out a bow strung with a poison arrow and shot at Link. Link swung his blade to knock the arrow astray. Grehadel ran at link swinging his blade in a confusing series of chops and swipes. Link barely managed to use Faeroe's wind to escape.

"You magic tricks can't keep you alive forever!" Grehadel called. Link ran forward to strike him, but Grehadel moved out of the way and attacked in turn. Link blocked the blow and back flipped far enough to give himself a slight second to recuperate. Grehadel was on him in seconds. Link strifed with his oppenent for a few seconds and looked at a figure who was walking through the gates.

What now? Link thought angrily. The new figure raised it arms and a ring of fire about a liege in diameter sprung up. Link tried to use Faeroe's wind to escape but he found that he couldn't work the spell anymore. The figure was blocking Link's magic abilities. Grehadel took advantage of the distraction and kicked Link hard in the head. Link coughed and some blood fell out then Link wiped his mouth. Link grabbed the fallen dagger and ran at his opponent stopping the attack of the red blade and trying to stab Grehadel with the dagger. But Grehadel grabbed the dagger and flicked it out of Link's hand.

Link bashed the red blade with the Master Sword so hard that it escaped Grehadel's grasp. But Link's enemy didn't stand for that. He kicked the Master Sword clear out of Link's hand. As his past brother reached down to pull up the blade Link tackled him. Grehadel the used a magic spell to let fire dance on his hands, he then grabbed Link's face. The pain nearly blinded him. But Link caught a look at the figure who was now standing arms crossed looking rather amused.

"The boy has spirt General Grehadel you must give him that." Grehadel smiled grimly.

"He won't for long Master I assure you." Link kicked Grehadel in the face which made him release Link's face. Grehadel picked up the fallen sword as Link ran for the Master Sword and as he grabbed the handle a pain entered his back and left through his chest. He looked down and saw Grehadel's red blade extending from his midsection. Grehadel had stabbed him in the back and ran him through. Link turned to face this man and saw that he was grinning and laughing.

"It's over Brother, You have lost Commander." Grehadel gasped tired from the battle.

"It's not over until either you, I, or both are gone and can't breath anymore." Link responded and ran Grehadel through with his blade. The figure at the gates started, but then seemed to consider something and resumed his previous position. Link gritted his teeth and pushed the Master sword a little harder but the sword didn't budge. Grehadel grabbed the metal and pulled himself closer to Link and laughed pushing the blade in deeper in the process.

Link gathered what remaining strength he had and pulled the red blade out of his back and cut Grehadel's left arm off, and now Link saw that Grehadel did bare a striking resemblance to the man, and he would die as his predecessor had, Link tried to stay up as he pulled a red potion out of his pack and started to drink it. However, before he had even lifted it to his lips Grehadel grabbed the bottle and drank the healing medicine. Grehadel flung Link from him causing Link to drop the red blade. The man who had been Link's brother came running as quickly and hard as he had at the beginning of the battle. Link backed away blocking every strike and suddenly used a split second opening to grab Grehadel's arm and beheading him. Staring at Xilic's blood on his hands Link thought, It may be Grehadel's spirt I killed but it was Xilic's body. Link didn't have long to morn his spirt brother. The man who was Grehadel's master was apparently ticked off at having one of his best assassins destroyed.

The man drew a golden blade and tried to stab Link but doing so required him to release his hold on Link's magical abilities. Link quickly transported himself to Koriki Forest. Automatically Link was forced to stop a blow to the head from and Re-dead's blade. Link flipped over the thing and beheaded it. He then knocked two arrows that were heading for him astray. Link looked to his right and saw what had been several Koriki children but was now several bodies laying in blood.

A pain stabbed at Link's heart, all those children from his past destroyed. The Koriki were a peaceful bunch, and didn't like to fight. He had a feeling that they'd been killed in their sleep. knowing that it wouldn't have mattered either way but it felt good to blame the man rightly. Link didn't have long to brew he soon was forced to flee from a legion of Re-deads both sword wielders and archers.

Link went to Zora's domain and Death mountain all over it was the same slaughtered natives and covered with enemies not all were Re-deads though, several were human and Link figured they were the assassins the "Grehadel" had lead. Every place he'd been forced to flee before he paid for this information with his death. Link did manage to steal a fairy from one of the men and used it to heal himself. He thought long but eventually thought, Xilic had said that they were all controlled by a sort of spell that the Master had placed on them, if I destroy him then everyone will be free... hopefully.

So, as soon as the sun rose Link ran towards the gates to see that the gates were open. Link wasn't stupid and knew that an ambush could be waiting, so he drew his sword and stuck it into the wall pulled himself up with it stuck into a higher position and pulled himself up until he could grab the castle-wall top. he pulled himself onto the roof and sheathed the Master Sword. Link ran forward hopping from roof to roof until he saw the castle that Zelda was supposed to have run one day. Now it was all black and dark lightning came from the heavens and several of them struck together to form a circle and several beings came from it, Re-deads and trolls. It was a spell, a true one not like Din's fire but a summoning of the dead to inhabit a form from other worlds.

Link ran into the door of the castle and saw that it was guarded by hundreds upon hundreds of enemies. Link drew his sword and prepared knowing that he couldn't win but he would die with the satisfaction that he had tried. But suddenly the Re-deads and trolls all stood with their backs to the wall and stood respectfully. A figure came walking down the hallway. It was one that Link knew, Grehadel's Master.

"Ah, The Hero of Time, I find it unique that you managed to live after you were swept away and even more surprised you came back. Tell me how was it done?" Link didn't want to tell him but knew that it would be found out eventually, so he told him everything about the afterlife he'd had.

"So you didn't do it? You used no magic to bring yourself back. I'm sorry to hear that, I thought that you'd managed to drag yourself back here epically." The figure drew a sword that was golden with a blue handle and a crystal set into the palm of the handle.

"I have no more to say to you, Hero of Time meet your fate."