Familiar Foes
(Arnen…)
Zelda gritted her teeth and held her sword more tightly. Her eyes narrowed at the prince being held hostage by the scrawny looking thief. Stupid Arnen hadn't shown his face yet which she supposed he was too much a coward to do so.
(I'm going to kill him! How dare they threaten the prince.)
"Give me all your gold and I'll let him go," demanded Misko.
Zelda thought it best to not reveal Link's identity if possible though Arnen may have already told Misko. She hoped that Arnen wouldn't recognize Link's appearance from when they carried Link to the hospital. Considering Link was the prince and often appeared in public in Castletown that was an incredibly pitiful hope.
"Let go of him and you can keep your lives." Zelda snarled.
"Oh threatening, are we? Let's not forget who has your little friend captive," Misko laughed as he gripped Prince Link's hands together tighter causing the prince to wince.
"Then what's stopping you from letting them send all their flaming arrows at him and me." She glanced to the arrows flaming tips pointed at them. The figures holding the bows were obscured by the night sky, "That is of course if all of you are not dead at the hands of my blade."
"I would but I am a reasonable person. Surely, we don't have to resort to true violence." Misko gave a sly smirk with still a tight hold on Prince Link.
"Oh, really! Get off me you peasant!" Prince Link shouted at him and tried to kick him but utterly failed as Misko told hold of Prince Link's ponytail and yanked at it causing Prince Link to wince.
Zelda rolled her eyes.
Like that was going to stop them.
"We don't have any gold." Zelda lied.
She was pretty sure that Prince Link had brought some. Though he was a forgetful and unpredictable person she was sure his luxurious tastes would have impelled him to remember to stock his purse with gold.
Zelda's hand lingered by her waist preparing to draw her blade. Her eyes glared at the bandit that held the very duty she swore to protect, captive.
"If you want him back then I suggest you restrain yourself from stabbing me with your foolish toy." Misko taunted.
"It's not a toy."
"Swords are wielded by warriors and toys are played by children. Obviously, you are not a warrior or else you would have noticed a very dear friend of mine approaching from behind."
Misko's devilish laugh sliced through the air. Zelda felt a pair of rough fingers grab the arm that was about to draw her sword. A growl of rage escaped her tight lips as she swung around to meet the crystal eyes of her opponent. Though the opponent failed to realize that they had forgotten to also grab her left hand.
Within seconds, her left hand had reach out to grab the collar of the attacker's shirt in a bunched-up fist pulsing with fury.
"How interesting to find you here, Arnen." Zelda snarled with all the disgust and dislike she could.
"Well, I can say the same." Arnen snorted and glanced over at Misko.
"Do you two know each other?" Misko blurted out, his grip on Link lessened.
Prince Link peered over curiously at the scene and stopped kicking at Misko.
"Too well." Zelda and Arnen scoffed in unison.
(What on earth is Arnen doing in Goron of all places? He's going to pay for this!)
(I hate him so much.)
(Why does he have to show up at such a 'convenient' time! Hm…I wonder what he is doing in Goron. Wait…)
What she hadn't realized, lost in her thoughts, was that her gloved hand was slowly and slyly squeezing Arnen's neck. Though the clawing hands and strangled screams were hard to miss.
A pair of rough fingers pulled her hands off Arnen's delicate neck. Shrieks and cries filled her blood pounding ears though they seemed distant. A feeling of fear seemed to surround her at all sides.
But what was the fear?
A feeling flowed through her though she wasn't sure what.
Zelda simply glanced down at the gasping thief within her grasp. As soon as she locked eyes with Arnen's wide crystal eyes, a wrenching feeling in heart thumped with horror. Her body froze up, what was she doing?
"Stop! You're hurting him!" Misko's angry voice screamed at her.
Zelda forced her hand slowly to let go of the traumatized thief. The bandit collapsed on the steaming grounds seemingly not noticing at the moment the scorching heat and letting burns mark streak up his knees. Arnen was bent over his knees, clutching his neck which was scarred with a red and a few specks of black littered on his neck. Sweat ran down the sides of his face and heavy breaths wracked his body.
"Go Zelda! Beat him up!" Prince Link's voice yelled over the angry screeches.
"Hush you little nuisance!" Misko yelled at Prince Link's cheering. "He acts like such a stupid flamingo," an angry murmur crossed Misko's lips.
Zelda glanced down on the hand that had inflicted her rage upon Arnen. Slowly, she bent her gloved hand back and forth. Zelda knew what lay under the disguised that cloaked it, a hand not of her own.
The world of reality bended under her eyes with only her figure standing in a blurred place of the world and distorted figure of the scene stood before her. The voices of the thieves and her Prince faded in her mind.
Zelda looked down at herself, but she found herself to be solid unlike the the Prince and the thieves who were blurred in the lines of reality.
"You liked it, didn't you?" a strange voice whispered in her mind.
Zelda's mouth parted but she shut it quickly. It wasn't exactly a wise decision to talk to a malicious voice in your mind. Though… was it malicious? Wait… of course it was malicious. What was she thinking?
"You would think the one who holds the very sword that represents courage would know how to speak" the voice laughed.
"You would think that any being would have the decency to introduce themselves. Hm?" Zelda tossed her words back at the strange voice.
"But you already know me."
Zelda was about to scoff, but then her world dissolved into reality.
A rumbling noise shook the ground that supported her shaky knees. The shadow of a fiery boulder coated the once dark night sky. In the distance a volcano spat out lava and molten rock. Shrieks and screams boomed in her ears once again.
One glance up to the sky told her Prince Link would be sizzling on the Goron soil like scrambled eggs if they didn't move fast.
(But who was that? How do I know them?)
Prince Link's shriek made her ears perk up and her neck snap to the right were his cry echoed.
A terrified prince huddled in the pathway, frozen with fear as a lava coated boulder hurtled towards them. Zelda glanced one last time at the danger and rushed to Prince Link.
His fearful eyes slid to her as he exhaled a sigh of relief. Before either of them knew it, Zelda had snaked her hand into his own, leading him out of molten boulders range.
A faint spark jolted up her hand at his touch, though she quickly shook it off. Prince Link burned with a shade of red, but Zelda as usual didn't notice.
"Where are the others?" Zelda yelled over the crashing of the chaos behind them.
"They were screaming about 'Vah Rudania' or something like that and took off up the trail to report what they saw. And to report us for attaching them. That is ridiculous!" Prince Link yelled back.
"Apparently those archers are fake. A genius trick but the bright light from the lava boulders gives it away." Prince Link added before pointing at what seemed to be a holed-out part of the valley. "There, we can take shelter there, maybe."
Zelda glanced up at the rim of the valley. Sure enough, makeshift barrels and rocks were stacked up with torches sticking out of them. It was convincing enough to look like archers at night, but the daylight or bright light would be its downfall.
Clever but easily weakened.
Zelda wondered how many travelers they frightened into giving their belongings.
She shook her head, knowing Arnen…too many to count.
Quickly, they dove into a nearby shallow cave. Zelda pulled Link down and huddled in the darkest spot. Through an opening they could still see the falling lava boulders and the fiery danger stirring in the once quiet valley.
Suddenly, her eyes snapped back to Link.
"Are you alright? Did he hurt you?" Zelda worried, gently pulling Link's arm towards her.
Link's eyes widened as his eyes darted down to the incredibly small gap between them. He buried his face in his knees and the rosy color in his cheeks seem to brighten.
"I'm okay," he mumbled rubbing his arm.
Quiet never suited Link yet he was as silent as one could get.
Zelda shook off her strange thoughts. She would think through everything later after she got Link to safety. She glanced up at him and then proceeded to inch his sleeve up his arm.
Slowly, a mark of sharp nails appeared on his once unscathed arm. It could have been much worse since usual bandits would have used dangerous weapons. But apparent from the threatening of using their 'archers' and holding Link captive those two nasty bandits had done no damage except for the marks on Link's arm.
"It could have been worse." Zelda muttered.
As soon as the words escaped her mouth, she felt she should take it back. After all there were molten lava boulders bombarding the valley just outside.
It was bad.
In addition to the immediate physical danger, a weird most likely evil voice had an interest in talking to her and somehow, she knew the voice already?
(Hylia…)
"Prince Link…" she began. "I heard a voice." Zelda hesitated and turned to look the beet red Prince Link in the eye.
"Well, I have been hearing screaming and yelling from those idiots" Prince Link interrupted and held his head in his hands.
"Hylia, they lost their minds when you were defending yourself! Why? They attacked us! They shouldn't be allowed to escape and to go make a false report claiming to have been attacked by the prince and his appointed night. Their boss is probably some loony." Prince Link ranted, his honey blonde hair clutched in his flustered hands.
"They did what?!" Zelda sat up and forgot her sentence from before.
"Do they really believe that anyone will believe some thieves! You are the Prince. You will tell them what happened," Zelda yelled and shook Prince Link's shoulders.
"Look, I don't know but if the authorities don't recognize us, we may be in big trouble." Prince Link recoiled from his hunched figure and scratched the back of his neck.
"How wouldn't they? I have the Master Sword-" Zelda began but was soon cut off by Prince Link.
"It doesn't matter. The Master Sword hasn't been seen for the last decade. I bet the Gorons didn't receive the news that the Master Sword chose you. My mother wouldn't bother to notify anyone and would rather not risk the life of a mailman to travel through this desolate terrain than notify as she says 'uncultured Goron's.'" Prince Link finished with a note of mockery.
"Why wouldn't they recognize you?"
"They haven't seen me since I was a 7. I doubt they'll recognize me now, a decade later." Prince Link scoffed as though it was obvious.
"Well then were in trouble." Zelda muttered, her eyes darted to the floor and her arms somehow had crossed over her chest.
"Uncultured Goron's she's such-" Link repeated his words over in a low voice as if turning them over.
"Would you like telling that to my face, sonny?" a booming voice echoed into the pit.
Two large hands reached into the pit taking Zelda and Link by surprise. Massive hands grabbed the scruff of both of their necks as though they were mischievous puppies that had been digging a ditch.
Murky hot air glimmered in the lines of her vision, blotchy and a distorted rippled air danced before her blinking eyes. The comparative cool of the small ditch slivered down her sleeves and dissolved into the her boiling, unbearable heat.
Somehow, the sound of the magma ceased before them, and the shattered lava oozed throughout the valley. A pair of watery eyes glared at her. At first, she thought it was Arnen, but these set of eyes were brighter.
"Are these the thieves?" a voice questioned.
Zelda's eyes darted to the source realizing it was the owner of the hand that had grabbed her.
She looked up again meeting the watery eyes. A short white beard flowed down the creature's face stopping at the beginning of their chest. The steel strung around them reaching from their shoulders circled around to their back. A medallion of three red points designed as a fire gleamed in the steaming sun.
Zelda wasn't sure if she was hallucinating or not, but she swore that the person before her was made of rocks. Tinted by the harsh lava and horrendous heat. Just like the voice maybe the heat was getting to her.
But didn't it resemble a Goron?
Maybe she wasn't going crazy.
Or was she?
"It's the female blonde one." An awfully familiar voice entered her midst.
Her teeth gritted.
(Arnen.)
Arnen and Misko stood too close for comfort to her and the prince. Though it was a few feet away any closeness with those thieves made her blood boil.
"How can I tell, Arsonny! Point to her." the Goron before her yelled.
(What does he mean 'I can't tell!'. It's so obvious! And who is Arsonny?)
"That one." A long finger pointed at her.
Her eyes gazed at the thief Arnen, with his signature rat nest like black hair and blue eyes that reminded her of the murky waters of lake Hylia.
Zelda took a last glance at Link. His eyes were wide and his body seemed frozen in place. His face resembled either confusion or worry.
"Explain yourself, miss." the Goron fumed.
"Explain? I believe I was defending myself, the Hero and the Prince of Hyrule." Zelda cut straight to the point, glaring.
"Prince of Hyrule? Defending? Hero? Even I, Daruk wouldn't fall for such a bald-faced lie." The Goron, Daruk gave a hearty laugh. "I'm sorry but that doesn't check out."
(Daruk? The Great Leader of the Gorons? Why would he be dealing with this kind of thing.)
"Arnen attacked me and the prince! Not to mention his little friend who so kindly took the Prince hostage." Zelda deadpanned and gritted her teeth at the two supposed 'victims'.
"My little angel?" Daruk reached for Arnen and brought him to his side. "My tiny little nephew would never harm a fly! Such a pure soul and gold of heart. Daruk gave an affectionate rub on the top of Arnen's black hair which Arnen did not appreciate.
"What!" both Prince Link and Zelda exclaimed.
Zelda was instantly captured by confusion.
(A Goron of all people would have this mischievous thief as their nephew?)
(No, it has to be a joke. Gorons are kind and brave people! Daruk is the great leader of the Gorons of all people! Arnen's is a thief and an arsonist. He is the absolute opposite of the mighty Daruk! Not to mention Arnen is a Hylian and Daruk is a Goron! And where are Arnen's parents? How did this happen? This has to be a joke. It has to be a horrible, awful joke.)
"Now, look at him! Thanks to what you have done he's going to have a nasty bruise for WEEKS! You're going straight into the guards hands the second I get a hold of them." Daruk shook his head and pointed at the weak Arnen.
Zelda peered closer at him, still being held by the scruff of her neck. She could see that his lip had swelled in size and was nasty to look at. Not to mention that his eyes were a blood red and the blue iris, nothing but a hazy past.
She diverted her gaze from Arnen and scanned for Prince Link. Who, she found very quickly had both feet on the ground. Prince Link had his nose turned away from the Goron's and his arms crossed firmly under his chest.
"Daruk, don't you think we should do more than just hand her over. She did something terrible while we did nothing. That crazy woman assaulted, Arnen!" Zelda could just make out Misko in the steamy weather, his face crinkled in rage, and he spat the words onto her face.
"Misko, it was not right what she did but we're going to do this the rightful way. You may be angry, but more violence is not the answer." Daruk turned to Misko with his rock arms patting him on the back.
"Is pinning someone behind their back and threatening their life nothing, Misko?" Link spat back at Misko.
"Oh, I was threatening your life? My friend was choked by your psycho girlfriend." Misko snapped at Prince Link.
Zelda felt like slapping herself.
She was obviously his guard.
Why didn't everyone see that?
(I am going to be surrounded by idiots my whole life, aren't I?)
"N-no. She was protecting herself and me. If you didn't stop, we'd be more injured. And then this whole situation would have fli-flipped." Prince Link stuttered.
A deep crimson had spread across his face. Zelda as usual was about to blame it on the heat or some natural phenomenon. She peered closer at his face.
There was no denying it, he was blushing like a schoolgirl.
(Welp, its probably Misko's embarrassing 'girlfriend insult'.)
She couldn't blame him. It was utterly humiliating such as a noble guard and hero as herself. Though Misko may have thrown that into the equations to fluster Link and get under her skin. Anything other than professionalism would be a violation of her oath to Hyrule and to the prince.
Zelda straightened her back and stared daggers at the two little 'victims.'
As she straightened Daruk let his hold on the scuff of her neck go. She landed gracefully on the ground while keeping her eyes on the two thieves.
She would have to prove to the Gorons that it was she, the Hero, and Prince Link's to get them out of this terrible mess.
But how?
Zelda knew she had done nothing wrong, only fulfilled her duty to Prince Link. She had inflicted harm for his protection and for her own. Well, her hand acted of its own accord but for the most part she was acting protectively. The Goron's would never believe them without real proof.
The sword?
She shook her head.
"It doesn't matter. The Master Sword hasn't been seen for the last decade. I bet the Goron's didn't receive any news that the Master Sword chose you. My mother wouldn't bother to notify anyone and would rather than risk the life of a mailman to travel through this desolate terrain than notify as she says 'uncultured Goron's", Link's voice from earlier echoed in her mind.
No. It wouldn't work.
Her face wasn't familiar. She had no memories with the Goro's. No connections.
Link said that the last time he had visited was when he was 7 which was exactly 10 years ago. Zelda doubted anyone would be able to realize it was the same boy.
Then she got it.
Kindest, rightfulness and courage are what the Goron's value in an individual. It is the very thing that binds them together. They do not depend on blood to defy their family rather their character and moral.
It was not perfect but not a terrible plan either, though perhaps incredibly shaky.
It is the thing that they came here to do in the first place before all this chaos had happened.
"We can help you tame Rudania." Zelda blurted out.
"Why would we want your help?" Both Arnen and Misko grumbled with dissatisfaction.
Daruk slowly turned towards her, wide-eyed.
"As much as it would be a great help to stop all the eruptions we can't exactly trust you, can we?" Daruk raised his eyebrow and studied her skeptically.
"You don't have to." She leaned forward.
"I and Prince Link will repay you with our generosity of helping with your Beast problem as long as you give us a chance to prove that we are not the thieves and assaulter you think I am."
"Hey, I think I can negotiate with them-" Prince Link tried to cut through the conversation.
To stop him Zelda sharply jabbed Prince Link in the rib cage with her right elbow.
"Ow!"
Zelda felt the stares, but she was desperate to prove herself to be the Hero and show them who Prince Link was.
She was proud and brave.
Zelda would do anything to protect her honor and some lowly thief wasn't about to falsely accuse her of assault to damage it.
A hero she was, and it was a title she desired to keep.
"Can we strike a deal?" Zelda begrudgingly outstretched her hand to the hesitant Daruk.
"One more condition." Daruk lifted his pointer finger. "If you ever hurt anyone I love again, I will not hesitate to throw you into Death Mountain."
(I don't think I will be doing that but fine.)
"Deal." She firmly shook his mighty hand, though she felt like a ragdoll.
Eventually they broke off with a tense note.
"Deal." Link mocked under his breath.
"I can handle things you know." Link turned to her.
"Just come on." Zelda didn't answer his comment and his shoulders slumped as he followed meekly behind the Goron's.
The Goron's moved ahead and didn't glance once at them. A silent party with a few tense and worry looks thrown to each other. Though she swore when she wasn't looking, she could feel Misko's eyes boring into her skull. Arnen followed silently behind, his head drooped and scuttled closer to Daruk like a small child.
During the long hike to what she guessed was Rudania, her mind wandered. Back through her memories of today's incident turning them over and repeating the encounter with the Gorons in her head. In her mind she heard again Arnen's screams and the feel of crushing his flesh in her hand. His clawing hands and desperate cries for help ripped at the corners of her mind. The familiar scene brought the same feeling she had felt though she hadn't identified it. Link's cheering and Misko's yelling collided, simply dust of the wind. She couldn't make sense of the series of events. She knew she meant to defend the prince but she had been genuinely surprised when she realized she was choking Arnen.
Then she remembered the place.
She returned to the blurred place of her mind.
The world as before became distorted and grew farther away. Link's treading beside her blurred into darkness. Misko's glares diminished into the blurs of life. Arnen's fearful figure was just a shadow in the dark.
"You didn't answer my question."
It was back.
"I think that may have been a wise decision." Zelda replied and squinted in the dark.
"Did you like it?"
"Like what?"
"The power you had."
Zelda gulped.
Nothing good was coming from this voice. The prickling sensation on her skin and sweating told her that it was indeed malicious. The fast pumping in her heart and the weakness in her knees told her it was dangerous.
What was more frightening was….
It was in her mind.
"What power?"
"The power of the life within your hands."
"Um…" Zelda remained uncertain, her hands guarding herself as she glanced at all sides around her.
"What did you feel when you took his life in your hands?"
Zelda wanted to leave.
She wanted to scream and cry and murder whoever it was. If it was a who. Or perhaps it was a what.
All she knew is she couldn't escape it.
"I don't know."
"You know what you felt, Hero."
"Do not deny it."
And it was gone.
The return of footsteps came and the quiet murmurs of the group in reality were a relief to hear. Prince Link was still treading alongside her, hidden away in a daydream with a small smile and his eyes full of life. Though Daruk and the two 'victims' were ahead perhaps plotting how to kill her and Prince Link.
Who was the voice?
Was it her own imaginary anxiety voice? Or was it something external to her? Maybe the stress was finally catching up to her. Though it felt like more.
Like a consciousness, another person.
What it asked was difficult and confusing. What did it mean? More importantly, what did it want?
'But you already know me.'
'You know what you felt, Hero.'
(What did I feel?)
Zelda closed her eyes again.
Hearing the screaming again and cries of help.
No, it wasn't guilt. She had defended herself rightfully so and the prince.
Not sadness. She had no reason to feel any remorse for a person that attacked her.
Jealous, pity, angry, frightful, confusion, disgust.
None of it.
Then she touched it.
Amusement.
Zelda wasn't sure what to feel, why that? She felt nothing about it amusing now. But what about then? Why then?
She played it through her head again and again.
Zelda felt the grab all over again and then her hands around his neck.
Amusement coursed through her.
Arnen never had a chance to injury her. She had been faster, quicker and better. It felt like taunting a cat with a fish. It could never quite reach.
His desperate hands clawing at her own showed his despair. Zelda was the one in power. Arnen was a mere a puppet. She had taken enjoyment in his suffering, to have control.
She had felt that.
And she was horrified.
(What is wrong with me?!)
Now, the feeling had passed and gone. The memory faded as the amusement had. Gone as if the Goron heat was burning it away in the soil underneath her feet.
A hero would never take pleasure in one's suffering.
It was despicable, wicked, and evil.
It had bathed in her soul for only a mere second, but it had been there.
It had been in her heroic self, her brave self and her good self.
The voice was right, she had liked it.
And forever she would never forgive herself.
(Self-defense. It must never be for that for enjoyment. But it wasn't. It was self-defense. Only for a second it happened. I can never let that happen again.)
(Never)
Yet she had a strange feeling that she was lying to herself.
"We're here!" Daruk's voice rang jolly over the sorrowful mood.
Zelda snapped out of her dark thoughts.
Ahead, stood what seemed like a gigantic lizard scuttling around the mountain. It was like the last beast, made from ancient materials and the familiar tan stone was haunting. Bits of lava sparkled on its stone armored scales and the silent volcano remained still. Crawling on all fours, its giant red eyes turned towards them.
The second it landed its eyes on the group it let out a howling unnatural roar.
Death Mountain, the volcano, spat out large hunks of lava and yet another assault of the beast began. Boulders scrapped the ground and in the distance Goron City though pretty intact showed where bits off it had been crushed into dust. For now the group was well out of Rudania, the Divine Beast's way.
Boulders smashed here and there though none of them hit them. The group took cover behind a rock just in case a stray boulder decided to crush them. About ten minutes later it suddenly stopped in its tracks. The beast was done throwing its tantrum.
Zelda whipped a stray strand of sweaty hair out of her eyes and Prince Link panted loudly. The others still stayed silent. Eerily silent as neither side trusted the other. No conversation was shared between the two groups. And it stayed that way. Until Misko shout broke it.
"Look it's deactivated!" Zelda looked up to Misko shouting and pulling at Arnen's arm.
Daruk slowly got up and stretched. But Zelda was already next to them. While Prince Link caught up with her fast pace.
Zelda looked upon it.
It looked quite similar to how the bird was deactivated. The lights were cut, and the flaming red had faded. Its joints had frozen in place on the volcano, letting the lava seeped through its medal. Its giant eyes nothing but a blank vacant space.
Then she noticed it.
Something was off.
Though maybe it was a little too late.
One of the giant red eyes snapped open. It gazed upon her. Though it was machinery it felt alive.
Rudania, the Divine Beast let out another earsplitting roar.
Something, unexpected happened.
A red light skyrocketed from an unknown source within the beast. It grew closer and closer. Time slowed down as it aimed for between her luminous green eyes. The brilliant light was beautiful yet dangerous.
Without thinking Zelda felt her hand reach behind her for an old knight shield she had carried with her. It whipped around the silver of medal gleaming in the hazy air.
The light reached towards her, straight for her head. At the last instant she snapped her elbow straight. The shield struck the beam of light.
Instead of the beam blasting between her eyes it went back.
Towards it.
Towards the Divine Beast.
Time sped up and it reached the eyes between the Divine Beast.
A howling cry of pain cut through the skies.
Zelda had done it without hesitating, perfect.
It had come naturally, too naturally.
Zelda glanced at the hand that held the shield.
It was her left.
The one that had a hand not of her own.
"Good job, there. Come on now, let's board it! No time for dallying!" Daruk's strangely positive voice chimed through the hot air.
Zelda followed behind staring at the hand that had saved her.
But it wasn't her that had done it.
It had done it on its own.