5 - The Princess' Temperament
A young girl ran through the streets of a modest town, between the townsfolk and around the merchant stalls lining the boulevards. In her arms were a pile of red apples, a few rolling onto the cobblestones every so often as she sprinted down the road.
"S-somebody stop that thief!" cried a portly man, heaving greedy breaths as he lumbered down the street as fast as he could, chasing after the girl.
The girl sniggered, turning her head to stick her tongue out at the pursuer she was leaving behind.
Cackling to herself with her head still turned, she did not see the cloaked pair leading their horses in the middle of the boulevard, slamming into the legs of the taller figure. "Oof!" She was knocked backwards onto her rear, the apples spilling from her arms and onto the street.
"Hm?" The figure leaned down towards the girl, a strand of silver hair escaping from her hood. The girl looked up, immediately going pale when she saw it was a bronze-skinned woman, a sheathed sword about as tall as a man in the hand that wasn't holding onto the reins. From behind her, a less imposing figure appeared, kneeling down to pick up the apples.
"You two!" The merchant called out, finally catching up to the girl. Taking deep laboured gasps of air, he hunched over to catch his breath. "That girl… Stole those apples… From my stand!"
The girl looked at the kneeling figure, the colour in her face returning as she managed to look at the newcomer's visage. So beautiful… She thought, seeing the person's deep blue eyes and lustrous blonde hair.
"Stealing from people isn't very nice..." Came her voice, matching her beauty with its gentle and tempered cadence.
Suddenly, the girl was picked up by the back of her tunic, her legs flailing as she was helplessly lifted into the air. "You little rascal!" The merchant growled, holding her up, "How are you gonna pay for all these apples now that they're all dirty?!"
"I-I'm sorry!" The girl cried, still flailing, "Me and my brother have no food!"
"Then maybe you and your brother should earn your food, instead of going around town stealing it from hardworking people!" The merchant was fuming, his face going red as his eyes looked like they were about to pop from their sockets, "If I turn you into the guards, you and your brother will be eating, alright… In a cell!"
"That's enough." The woman had finished gathering up all the apples on the ground, holding them in her arms, "We'll pay for the apples. Let her keep them."
"But, your hi-" The taller woman began to retort, to which the shorter shook her head.
"It's alright. We've more than enough for our journey." She turned to the merchant, motioning to the child, "Let her go."
The merchant's eyes darted between the trio before huffing, "Fine. But if this mutt gets caught stealing again, she won't be so lucky."
The woman leaned down, putting the apples into the little girl's hands while the taller woman began fishing out coins to give to the merchant.
The girl's eyes lit up as she saw the apples in her arms, "T-thank you, miss!"
Unfortunately, the woman's face wasn't so pleased. She gave the girl a stern flick on the forehead, eliciting a yelp from the child. "No more stealing, okay? People work hard to be able to sell these - you would do well to keep that in mind."
"I understand…" The child replied, downtrodden.
The woman nodded, "Good. Now go home."
The pair watched the girl retreat into the crowd before resuming their walk down the street.
"Was that so wise, your highness? What if the girl goes back to stealing tomorrow?"
Zelda laughed, "That is possible. But if you've taught me anything, mercy can be a great tutor in itself."
Impa shrugged, "I might have said that before, even if I don't well remember it."
"Regardless, it's our duty to help the people, isn't it?" The princess gave her white stallion a rub on the neck, eliciting a whinny.
"And if they are thieves?" Her retainer asked, lifting her chin.
"Then we reform them. To the best of our ability, that is. It's what separates us from barbarians."
"True. Hyrule is lucky our princess is a quick study." Impa remarked, smirking. "Although your father is probably the one going barbaric right about now - now that he's found out you're no longer in the city."
Zelda hummed, "Probably. Unfortunate, but I've told him several times - I can handle myself."
"That may be, but your father has much to worry about at the moment. Having you disappear is only adding to them." Impa looked further down the street, pursing her lips, "A war is brewing."
"Then we must find the hero quickly, so that he can aid us in the war against the dark one."
"Your highness…" Her retainer began, shaking her head, "You know that negotiations with Galanar have been going less-than-swimmingly. It isn't about the dark one. Not yet."
Zelda then put a boot to a stirrup, hoisting herself onto her stallion's saddle. Astride her horse, she looked to Impa to do the same. "Then it is even more urgent. Father can worry about Galanar. Whether he likes it or not, we must take finding the hero into our own hands."
Impa strapped her hefty Shiekah blade to her black mare's saddle before mirroring the Princess, smirking, "If it must be done."
"How far are we from Faron City?" The princess asked as their horses began trotting down the road.
"A week I would say. Maybe less if we took a ship downriver. But why Faron City?"
"Well, after eavesdropping on some of the soldiers in town, I think we might have a solid lead on our hero." Zelda looked over at Impa, "The Beast of Faron was slain a few days ago."
"And..?"
"The military's had trouble with it for weeks, suffering casualty after casualty," A wry grin made its way onto her near-perfect visage, "And it was killed by a young man. A bounty hunter."
Her retainer had begun to see where she was going with this, "This bounty hunter could be our hero."
"Exactly." The walls of the town were close; they would soon be back on the road. "Let us make haste for Lake Hylia. We'll board a ship for Faron, and the hero will soon be within our grasp."
Impa nodded, and they set their sights on quickly leaving the town.
Looking down at the parchment sitting on the table, Rhoam pinched the bridge of his nose with his free hand as he tapped the back of a fountain pen on the tabletop with the other. He sat on one end of the large marble conference table - extravagant in design and purposed both for dining and for seating esteemed guests. There were platters of meats and fruits scattered on the table, as well as a tall jug of wine that sat very close to himself.
His weathered and spry eyes took a gander at the table before him. Seated around the conference table was the Council of Hyrule, and they were amidst their monthly meeting to discuss the affairs of the realm. There were other men and women of advanced age - career politicians of both Hylian and Human descent. There were the four generals of the Hyrulean army, clad in extravagant blue and gold armor. Then, there were representatives of all the other races; Gorons, Gerudo, Zora, and Rito alike. Apart from politicians and generals, some were priests, merchants, and those with so much wealth that even their words had begun to hold value.
"No, we cannot invade Galanar..." One of the generals spoke, a bit exasperated. General Wallace was the commander of the main ground forces, the longest-tenured general apart from Rhoam himself. He was of similar age as the King, had a cleanly trimmed grey beard, and wore a royal blue cloak over his armor. "Starting a war on suspicions has done nothing good for nations in the past. It's one thing to piss off your enemies, but it's another to piss off your citizens and soldiers that you send to a war they know nothing about."
An old councilwoman narrowed her eyes, "That Emperor Volga has been nothing but an arrogant child - if we do not take initiative, they will have the upper hand should they launch an assault on Hebra."
"I can assure you that such an assault would not be successful," Among the few Rito ambassadors was the colonel of the Hyrulean Air Cavalry, Yevan. They were a regiment of the military that employed a mix of most of the races of Hyrule (Gorons withheld for obvious reasons) that specialized in airborne operations, "We keep a tight security line all along the border, reinforced as far as the Tanagar. Should they make even a shuffle towards Hyrule, our scouts will know about it."
"As will ours." Another general spoke up, this one wearing muted dark steel instead of the extravagant gold - he was the commander of the Rangers. This was Alistair; a tad younger than the other generals, he still had a nice black colour to his hair. "We have scouts posted throughout and within Galanar." He shook his head, "Tell me, Madam Laine, where do you think our intel of Galanari unrest even comes from?"
The councilwoman pursed her lips, refraining from speaking and instead opting to just glare at the Ranger.
"Tariffs then?" A Goron merchant spoke, "While it is true that invading Galanar would be unwise, perhaps we can force them into submission before the head of the beast gets too large."
"I have considered that," Rhoam said, not taking his eyes off the parchment in front of him, "But Galanar is still a great trade partner that brings in hundreds of thousands of rupees in Coal alone, a resource we need for both military and industrial purposes. Losing their trade could impact our economy much more heavily than you would think."
"So we're supposed to just wait around until they decide to do something?" The Gerudo ambassador, Jazeera, inquired; of all the seats in the council, the Gerudo always held the youngest members, if only because their life spans were a bit shorter than the other races. While brash, their gung-ho views on affairs were often valuable in moving discourse in directions that would not have been seen by the older members of the council.
"Alistair," Rhoam began, addressing the Ranger commander. "Since Volga took the Emperor's seat last month, what has been his main campaign focus?"
Alistair began shuffling through the papers in front of him, "Let's see… To reduce taxes, bolster the economy, provide better training to the military… Fairly reasonable promises, if I could be so honest." He looked pulled out one more piece of parchment, "But what's been giving him so much traction is his goal of reclaiming the lands that used to be theirs."
"Which are?" Jazeera asked.
"The lands north of the Tanagar to the border." The Rito elder, Kaneli, answered.
"And that is not a reason to go to war?" The elder councilwoman, Laine, asked snarkily with an eyebrow raised.
"Not yet." Rhoam replied, lifting his head. "I've a scheduled meeting with Emperor Volga in about two weeks time - depending on what we discuss there, I will then make the decision on whether or not we begin war preparations."
"Your majesty, wouldn't it be too late by then?" General Wallace spoke up, "What if he plans to assassinate you?"
"Of course, that is also highly likely," He nodded, "but I've already enlisted Hyrule's finest to accompany me. Volga would do well not to underestimate the nation that has gone undefeated for the last century."
"And what of the Major?"
Rhoam shook his head, "She has gone with Zelda to search for the hero. Whether they return by the time I depart for Galanar is something to be seen."
Alistair cleared his throat, "Regarding the hero…" He once again shuffled through papers, "Reports say that a pair resembling the Princess and Major Impa passed through the town of Pasloe yesterday morning, heading in the direction of Lake Hylia. Lieutenant Roland of Third Platoon in Faron reported that a young bounty hunter managed to take down the beast that was terrorizing the forest. If our speculations are correct-"
"Then that's where Impa and Zelda are heading." Rhoam finished for him.
"That's right, your majesty, sir."
Rhoam hummed, "My daughter has always been keener than she let on." The council did not respond to his musings.
"It would be much quicker to let our scouts find this bounty hunter and bring him directly to Central, sir."
"It would be, but only Zelda knows what the hero truly looks like." The King shook his head, "We'll not waste resources or time trying to find this bounty hunter that might not be the real thing."
"Does this hero even exist?" An old councilman asked, raising a brow, "What grounds do we have to believe those ancient legends?"
With a deep sigh, Rhoam turned to look at the stained-glass windows that surrounded the conference room. The windows bore depictions of the goddesses Farore, Din, and Nayru, along with images of what were supposed to be Hylia herself. But the scenes that stood out the most vividly were the ones of a boy clad in green, fighting a fearsome boar with a fiery red mane.
"These windows…" He began, gesturing towards the stained glass, "Are older than you or me. They are older than your grandparents, and their grandparents, and their grandparents' grandparents."
He stood up, putting his hands behind his back. "The legends of yore are merely that: legends. Whether they exist or not is something we decide for ourselves. But what if it is the legend that chooses us?" Rhoam gave a gravelly chuckle, "Zelda had pestered me for months; she was tormented by all manner of visions. Premonitions. Dreams that often had her questioning reality by their vividness."
"No disrespect, your majesty, but we are basing the hero's existence on Princess Zelda's… Visions?" asked one of the Zora.
Rhoam turned to face the window directly behind him, the sunlight shining through its lustrous coloured glass. The hero stood triumphantly, holding up the Blade of Evil's Bane, the Triforce above him, illuminated by the brilliant lustre of the sun. "When Zelda was born, she had this quaint birthmark on her hand. A light-coloured splatter of sorts... I did not think much of it - we are imperfect beings, after all." He took a longing gaze at the window, his eyes fixated on the Triforce, "But as time wore on and she grew, the birthmark had slowly changed. She began having those strange dreams a little under a year ago now, and it was then that the mark on her hand had manifested itself into the shape of the Triforce."
Rhoam turned to the council, "That mark is bestowed to those chosen by Hylia herself, a mark that distinguishes one's role in the never-ending battle between the dark and the light. If our Princess bears the sign of the goddess then, in accordance with the legends, the hero must have been chosen as well."
The council could do naught but listen in silence.
The King sat back down, crossing his arms, "A war far beyond the affairs of mortals awaits us over the horizon, which is why we must deal with Galanar swiftly, but also carefully!"
"Yes, your majesty." The room spoke in unison.
Rhoam surveyed the room one more time before nodding, "This meeting is adjourned. May the goddesses bless us all."
With that, the inhabitants of the table began to slowly file out of the conference room. It wasn't long before Rhoam was left by himself at the end of the table, eyes closed. He took a long drink of wine before sighing. He thought that perhaps his rule would be free of having to deal with the wills of the divine. He'd long tried to push it to the back of his mind, denying Zelda's destiny as much as he could. It only took her running away that made him realize that his role in this realm was much smaller than he'd thought.
In the end, he would be nothing but a pawn in the war between dark and light.
There was the clang of metal, sparks flying as Link crossed swords with Mira. Sweat matted his hair to his forehead, and with a grunt, they pushed off of each other. He was given no time to rest as she was already on top of him, bringing her sword down mercilessly. He managed to block it, but just barely, the edge of her blade running along the side of his in a trail of sparks.
"Wide open!" Mira called out, slamming her elbow into his stomach and sweeping his legs out from underneath him.
Link slammed onto the boards of the deck, writhing in pain from the impact as he clutched his back.
"Ohohoho!" They were on the top deck of the ship, surrounded by sailors who were watching them spar. "C'mon kid, she's had your number all day!"
The cargo ship was making its way up the Zora river. While it was considered to be a quick vessel (according to Reiner, anyway), it was making the journey against the current. They had at least a couple days before making it to Lake Hylia, which was situated between the provinces of Faron, Central, Lanayru, and Necluda. According to Link's map, the Zora River forked into the Hylia River, which drained right into the Lake. It seemed like a lot of travel time, but apparently it was quicker to sail up the river than traverse the forests on horseback.
Groaning, the young man peeled himself off the floor, "You couldn't have held back just a little bit with that elbow?"
Mira scoffed, "I was holding back. And here I thought you were kidding when you said you were still learning. You're supposed to be the guy that took down the Beast of Faron?"
"I'd be the first one to admit I'm not a very good swordsman yet," Link said, taking a drink out of his water sack, "And it wasn't like I took it down on my own."
"Damn right, you're lucky I weakened it enough for you to finish it off." She snatched his water sack, taking a greedy gulp for herself. "Five-minute break, then we're going for another round."
"No rest for the weary, huh?" Link remarked, smirking.
"You said you wanted to get better right? When I was learning how to fight, my father would drill this shit into me from dawn till dusk." Mira gave her sword a quick survey, "Didn't matter how tired or beat up I was, we would train 'till I couldn't move."
"Fine by me. I'm used to working all day."
"The farm's a different kind of work, bumpkin," She stated, "The horses aren't gonna teach you how to swing a sword."
"Okay, then instead of just beating my ass every time, could you at least tell me what I could improve on?"
"Ah, why didn't you just ask that to begin with?" Mira sniggered.
She's totally enjoying this. Link thought with his eyes narrowed.
"Get into your stance." The young man did as instructed, hold his sword out in front of him with both hands. "Swing at me."
"Shouldn't you at least have your own sword out?" He asked, unsure.
"Just do it!" The taguel snarled. Not wanting to anger the person who was willingly giving him swordsmanship advice, he immediately obeyed, bringing his sword down. Unsurprisingly, Mira deftly avoided his slash. "Again, horizontal this time!" He did as he was told, giving her a wide slash, one that she, once again, avoided without breaking a sweat.
Putting a hand to her chin, she began pointing out his flaws, "Your stance is too wide; while it makes it easier to lunge at your opponent, your attacks are also telegraphed easier." She began adjusting his arms and legs, "There's zero discipline in the way you swing your sword. That slash was so wide that I could've fit a Goron in it. Might be good for taking out a group of opponents, but against a single adversary you need to be able to contain yourself a bit more, or else they can counter while you're still gathering yourself," She propped up his elbows so that they were a tad more stiff, and she made him grip his hands closer together, "The last thing you need is wasting energy on unnecessary movements."
Once she was satisfied with the way he held his sword, she nodded. Mira unsheathed her sword from her back, gesturing to him, "Again, same moves."
Link obeyed, slashing at her with a bit more discipline. Two curt slashes, both of them blocked flawlessly by Mira and her katana. "How was that?"
"Better," She said, nodding, "Your footwork fucking sucks, though." The young swordsman gave a sweatdrop at her bluntness. "Fortunately, that's something that gets better through repetition."
"Alright, then how about we have another go at it?"
"That's what I like to hear," Mira grinned, "I'm not going easy on you just cause you're learning."
Link smirked confidently, "As if I'd let anyone beat me twelve times in a row!"
While he lasted a bit longer this time, within the minute Link had already found himself face planted back onto the deck. The sailors' raucous laughter echoed through his head as he tried to peel himself off of the ship once again.
Mira looked down at her temporary pupil, putting a hand to her face as she shook her head, "Yeah, we've got some work to do."
Zelda awoke to a dew droplet landing on her nose. Stirring awake, she groggily wiped at her face with her blanket, shivering as the cold morning air made its way underneath. The crackle of a fire made her open her eyes in curiosity, and she was greeted to the sight of Impa prepping a kettle over the fire pit they had made the night before.
"Ah, good morning, princess," her retainer greeted, "I did not mean to wake you."
The princess gave a big yawn, stretching out of the blanket before shaking her head, "It's alright; it wouldn't do to oversleep, anyway." Rubbing her eyes a bit, she scooted closer to the fire, bringing the blanket back over her shoulders.
The pair was just off the main road that connected Pasloe and the maritime city of Port Hylia (their destination). They had travelled for nearly an entire day before being forced to camp under a large oak tree when the sun went down. Zelda wanted to avoid camping out as much as possible - not because she disliked sleeping outdoors, but because it was near-freezing at night.
With a sniffle, she put her hands over the fire and gazed out at the rolling plains of Central Hyrule. The sun was beginning to peek over the horizon, casting a soft orange glow on the grass. There were small groves and forests here and there, but for the most part, Central consisted of gentle hills and flatland.
"Here," Impa said, offering Zelda a mug of coffee, "We've still a few hours before we reach the port. Best to keep your wits about you."
"Thank you." The princess graciously took the hot beverage, bringing it up to her nose as she took a whiff of the coffee's rich aroma.
Their trip thus far had been uneventful. There wasn't a single sight of any bandit troupes or fiends. The military must have been doing a pretty good job of keeping the roads safe the last few months, as it was fairly common to have the odd band of marauders or bokoblins; Central was so expansive that it couldn't be helped.
What worried Zelda the most, however, was that there wasn't any sight of other travellers, or even merchants. They hadn't seen a single soul in the past day and a half that they had left Pasloe. From what she knew, the road they were on was supposed to be quite busy as it was one of the main routes to Port Hylia.
"How far are we to the next village?" Zelda inquired, looking up from the fire.
"I would say an hour. Less, maybe." Impa replied after taking a sip of her own coffee, "Why do you ask?"
"You haven't found it strange that there hasn't been anybody on the road?"
The sheikah brought a hand up to her chin. "Now that you mention it…" She hummed, "You're right, that is quite strange..."
So Impa hadn't noticed. Zelda didn't fault her all too much - they were too focused on trying to make good time, anyway. If it took them this long to realize that they were the only ones on the road, then danger could have been closer than they thought.
After partaking in a small breakfast, they continued down the road at a moderate pace, taking extra care to be alert of their surroundings. They were more than well-equipped (and trained, for that matter) to deal with any vagrants they could come across, but a timely ambush could catch even the best soldiers off guard.
"Princess," Impa called out, pointing down the road, "Houses."
Indeed, up ahead Zelda could see the shingles of the houses of a modest little village. It was situated in a thick grove of large deciduous trees, one of the few wooded areas of this part of Hyrule Field, and was probably a popular spot to rest for travellers.
Interestingly, there was a squad of silver armoured soldiers already investigating the village when the pair got there - the first people they'd seen since leaving Pasloe.
As the squad saw them approaching from the road, they quickly said something to each other before sending a lone soldier up to greet the pair. "We'd advise ye to turn 'round." He said, walking up to their horses.
Zelda and Impa looked at each other. "Why…? We aren't going to rob you if that is what you're worried about," said the princess. She realized that with both of their cloaks on they did seem like rather suspicious individuals.
His armour clinked as he shook his head, "No no, we's currently conductin' an investigation on this here settlement." He put his hands to his hips, motioning his head to the village, "People's just gone up and vanished."
"All of them?" Impa inquired.
"All of 'em." The soldier reasserted. "Matter o' fact, you two's the only travellers we seen all day on patrol."
"Likewise," Zelda nodded, pursing her lips. She turned to Impa, "We should check it out."
"We should, but we are in a hurry, are we not?"
"Didn't we have a conversation not too long ago about helping people?" The princess chided.
Her sheikah retainer sighed, shrugging, "As you wish." She gave her horse a quick tap with her heels, moving past the soldier.
"W-wait! I'm tryin' to tell ye that it might be dangerous!" He sputtered, jogging after the pair.
Ignoring the soldier, they approached the village, dismounting their horses as they stopped in front of a couple of the soldiers looking around one of the houses.
"You two need to leave." One of them said, marching up to the pair, "We've no idea what's happened here and we cannot guarantee your safety should there be bandits or fiends roaming about!"
"We would like to investigate as well, if you don't mind." Zelda said.
"I don't think yer hearin' me all too well, miss. It's dangerous here."
Suddenly, a deep voice came from inside the house they were in front of. "Enough." Emerging from the door was another soldier, except he was taller and his armour was much less lustrous than that of the others. Zelda could see the countless scratches and scuffs that marred his armour, the telltale sign of a seasoned warrior. "Let them do as they please. We're short-handed enough as it is out here."
"Thank you..." The princess trailed, trying to get his name.
"Isaac. Sergeant Isaac." The man gave the pair a quick scan before shaking his head, "Look around all you want. Doubt you'll find anything. Didn't look like there were any fights, struggles - nothing." He crossed his arms, "Almost as if the whole fuckin' village marched out on their own. Never seen anything like it." He sighed, "When we passed by on our last patrol a couple days ago, the village was just fine... Wonder what could've happened."
Zelda and Impa looked at each other before nodding, "Let's look around."
They immediately went to work, disappearing into the village in opposite directions.
There couldn't have been more than fifty people living in this humble town. There were a few crops in the backyards of some of the houses, but Zelda could only surmise that they made most of their money off travellers coming through on their way to Port Hylia. After walking a ways down the road, she decided to check the houses at the furthest corner of the village. It was as the sergeant said: this place was literally a ghost town.
Walking up to one of the abodes, she crept up to the windows, peering inside. A lamp was still smouldering in the middle of the dining table inside the house, but other than that, there was nobody. The front door creaked as she pushed it open; there was no resistance, and the door wasn't even locked.
It didn't seem like anything was out of the ordinary. There was no fallen furniture, the tomes in the bookshelf were still aligned, and the portraits hanging on the wall still hung straight. She ran her fingers over a picture depicting the house's inhabitants; there were just the mother and a little girl.
Her footsteps echoed through the lonely house as she searched the corners, checking the kitchen and the bathroom. Nothing. It really did seem as if they'd walked out on their own.
Suddenly, the light from the lantern finally snuffed itself out, filling the abode with eerie darkness.
"Lumin." Zelda uttered, extending a finger. A small ball of light wisped to life at the point of her finger, basking the room she was in with a gentle glow. She pushed her finger forward into the air, and the ball floated lazily towards the middle of the house.
Using the light from her spell, she began perusing the house's bookshelf, hoping to find some sort of lead. The books were all standard fare; History of Hyrule, The War Between Dark and Light, Hyrule's Bestiary - nothing that would relate to a whole town up and leaving. That is until she pulled a book out of its place.
There was the clatter of jewelry, and Zelda looked at her feet. A small pendant had dislodged itself from one of the books. She widened her eyes when it seemed to be vibrating ever-so-slightly. "What…"
Picking it up, it seemed to be rather simple: an ornamented red jewel with a thin rope to hang around the neck. As she took a closer look, there seemed to be a mark on the jewel, but she couldn't quite make it out. She moved towards her light, hoping to get a better look, but as she began walking closer to the spell, the jewel began to vibrate more intensely.
"Interesting," She mused, holding the jewel in front of her spell, "It seems to react to mana." Squinting to better make out what was etched onto the pendant, her eyes immediately widened and a sense of foreboding crept up in her stomach. There it was, the unmistakable symbol of the upside-down sheikah crest.
Zelda blew the front door open, marching outside with the pendant clutched in her hand. "Impa!" She called out, "I've found something!"
In timely fashion, her retainer had just exited the house she had been investigating, "What is it, princess?"
The princess held up the pendant, handing it to Impa to take a look. "Look at the mark inscribed on the jewel."
The sheikah commander narrowed her eyes as she instantly recognized the unmistakable mark of the Yiga clan. "I see. If it is the Yiga who are behind the disappearance of the villagers, then we are likely too late."
"How so?" Zelda inquired. She'd heard stories of the Yiga but she'd never seen any of their members up close. As a matter of fact, she didn't even know what they were supposed to look like or what they did. From the safety of Central is seemed like they were just boogeymen, scary stories to force children to behave at night.
Impa crossed her arms, "Well, for one, they work incredibly swiftly. They are all agile, silent warriors, not unlike the Sheikah." Gazing at the stone in her hand, she continued, "What separates the two is that the Yiga are well versed in the forbidden arts."
"You mean… Dark magic?"
"That's right," The sheikah nodded, "My grandmother used to warn about how they would abduct people to use as sacrifices in order to replenish their mana supply."
Zelda's eyes widened, "How horrible... Could that be why the entire village disappeared? Stolen away to be used as fodder for their magic?"
"I am afraid so, your highness." Impa put a hand to her chin, pausing in thought, "Although… It is quite brazen for them to kidnap such a large amount of people, in the middle of Hyrule Field no less…"
Abruptly, Zelda snatched the pendant from her retainer's hands, swiftly making for the direction of the eastern gate. Bringing her fingers up to her lips, she whistled sharply, causing her horse to whinny passionately as it began making its way over to the two.
"P-princess?!" Impa blurted, blinking.
Zelda hoisted herself onto the saddle before turning to look at the sheikah commander, "As the Princess of Hyrule and a protector of this realm, I cannot - in any state of consciousness - allow such a deed to transpire under my watch."
"I understand that, your highness, but it is very likely that they are far and away from here by now. What means do we have to chase after them?!" She followed after the princess, who was beginning to trot away.
"This," The princess stated, holding up the pendant, "It reacts to mana." She slipped it around her neck, "If they used any type of magic, then there will for sure be remnants that this jewel can follow."
Impa slouched over in defeat. "... What am I to do with you, princess?" Sighing, she whistled for her own horse, climbing onto the saddle as well. "It doesn't feel quite right to make use of some Yiga charm, but if we must, then we must."
"Thank you, Impa. We should at least try and figure out where they've been taken." Zelda cracked the reins, forcing her stallion into a canter, "Or else… What right have we to stand above the commoners without the respect to even extend an arm in aid?"
Nodding, Impa gave her horse a curt pat on the neck, "It is as you say."
It seemed that along the main road there were pockets of residual mana, as the pendant continued to hum as they galloped down the road. To both of their surprises, the trail was restricted to the main road, Zelda and Impa following it for what seemed like hours.
There was no sign of deviation and before they knew it, the squawking of gulls filled their ears and the briny scent of the harbour filled their nostrils. At this point, they were indeed beginning to pass by trade caravans and travellers, many of whom looked on in intrigue as the duo hurried down the opposite side of the road.
"We are close to the port, Princess!" Impa called. They had begun to slow their pace to a canter and were long overdue for a break.
Zelda furrowed her brows. The pendant was still reacting to the mana in the air, albeit very faintly. As she considered herself to be a proficient caster, she did not doubt the pendant's accuracy for she too could sense traces of malicious mana. It was highly likely that the Yiga had escaped to Port Hylia and, if her suspicions were correct, it would be nearly impossible to keep following the trail with all the people in town. High concentrations of people generally muddled the signatures of mana in the environment due to the mixing of each person's energy, and it gave her a migraine just thinking about trying to separate each and every one.
Eventually, the dirt roads turned to cobble, and farmland began to replace the plains. After passing over a large river, the gates and walls of Port Hylia were in view. So she was right.
Cursing, Zelda motioned for Impa to slow down.
"So they made it here after all." The Sheikah remarked.
"It's going to prove difficult trying to follow them through the city," the princess replied, shaking her head, "They could have very well escaped into the lake by now."
Impa nodded, "We could try looking for some leads. Maybe ask the locals or the taverns if a group of people suddenly appeared. The captain of the guard should be willing to help."
Looking up at the sky, Zelda pursed her lips as she tried to figure out the time of day. The sun was nearing its apex, and if they chose to stay and investigate it would set them back at least a day or two, given that ships generally stopped departing after a certain time in the early evening. Originally, she had planned to get on a ship downstream as soon they got to port, only taking time to restock on supplies.
"Would we have a day to spare, I wonder?" She mused.
"That is your decision to make, your highness," replied her retainer. "The more we delay, the more likely it is that we will lose the Hero's trail as well."
Zelda nodded, "It may do us well to observe the town as we restock. If we find no leads then we set sail by dusk."
"As you wish."
With that, the pair proceeded into the city. Port Hylia was the largest settlement on Lake Hylia, home to more than thirty thousand permanent residents and host to ten times the amount of travellers than that every week. It was one of the most important logistical centres in Hyrule, being the primary trade avenue for ships bringing goods to the landlocked Capital. People of all trades crossed paths here as it acted as a gateway to not only the other provinces of Hyrule, but also the ocean. Aside from the never-ending stream of ships and merchants, the navy used Port Hylia as their base of operations, with the main fleet stationed a bit further up the coast.
Set up on the slopes leading down to the lake, the city had a rare sense of verticality, with the cobblestone avenues and buildings trending downwards, almost like a set of stairs. As such, those entering from the mainland gates were treated to a stunning vista of the city and the lake. Lake Hylia was a lake in name only - it was akin to an inland sea, and even from one's vantage point at the entrance of the city, the water stretched well beyond the horizon.
It had been years since Zelda had been to Lake Hylia, and for someone who was cooped up in a castle most of her life, seeing the vastness of the lake was like seeing the ocean for the first time. She only indulged for a moment, for they had no time to waste.
As she thought, the pendant did not stop reacting, even in the denseness of the city. Granted, it was faint - minute pulses - but there was enough of a reaction that indicated there must have been some sort of magic used in the area. Having an aptitude for magic on its own was an exceedingly rare gift in the realm, nevermind being able to utilize dark magic. The Yiga were indeed frightening if they could hide their spells in a city packed with people.
"We should let our horses rest before we begin investigating," Impa suggested, pulling the princess from her muse.
Zelda was inclined to agree. Plus, being on horseback would be more detrimental than anything; aside from the wide avenues that lead from the gates to the harbour at the bottom of the city, the streets were narrow and cramped.
After stowing their horses in one of the dockside stables, the pair first began trying to figure out suitable transport to Faron. There was only a single ship planning to travel during the night and it was first come first served. If they tried boarding too late, there was a high possibility there would be no room for them.
Regardless, they both decided it was best to have a look-see around town. In the event they did find evidence or a lead of some sort on their resident village-nappers, then they could very well pass the investigation over to the navy, who took over guard responsibilities in the city proper.
But first, they had to confirm if they even knew this was happening right under their noses.
The barracks were at the opposite end of the port, a lengthy stroll down the white cobblestone of the harbour. Life here was fastpaced, with sailors and merchants moving back and forth from the ships to the streets to unload cargo onto the carriages. Fresh fish stalls lined just about every part of the street; more often than not were fishermen trying to coerce them into checking their wares. Unsurprisingly, there was a significant population of Zora living in the port due to its close proximity to the lake, and it was worthy to note that they were naturally the best fishermen in Hyrule. Zelda kept it in mind to try the food of one of the taverns before they departed; Port Hylia was quite famous in the region for their seafood, and the taverns were held in high regard for their grilled and fried fish.
Before they knew it, they stood in front of the gate of the city's barracks, a white brick building with the familiar sight of soldiers sparring in the courtyard. While it was operated by the navy, it was still separate from the actual naval base further down the coast. The city barracks strictly handled matters within the confines of the city and its extended perimeter.
"State your business." One of the guards ordered.
Zelda and Impa looked at each other before removing their hoods.
"Stand down, soldier." Impa ordered, "We need to talk to the captain."
"M-m-m-major! And y-your highness as well!" Immediately, both of the guards dropped to a kneel, bowing their heads, "Forgive our insolence, we did not recognize you!"
"At ease. We are in a hurry, so please bring us to her at once."
Her...? The princess repeated in her mind, raising a brow.
"Right away, Major, sir!" The guard nodded to his partner before standing up and swinging the gate open.
Not wanting to create a fuss, the pair put their hoods back on as they were led through the courtyard and into the barracks. At the top floor, they stopped in front of a large door, presumably the captain's quarters.
The soldier gave a curt knock, "Captain, you have visitors."
"I'm a little busy right now!" Came an authoritative female voice from the other side of the door, sounding a bit strained.
The soldier sighed, "It's the Major, sir."
"Which one?!" She shouted back.
"Eliza, open the goddamned door!" Impa retorted, extending an arm to the door handle.
There was the sound of shuffling and something being knocked over, before hurried footfalls made their way to the door, the captain swinging it open.
Zelda was taken aback; the captain was a tall and beautiful woman of athletic build, with long and wavy crimson hair, paired with a set of sharp blue eyes. But what really took her by surprise was that she was covered in sweat, wearing only a tanktop and a pair of tights, a towel wrapped around her neck. The sight nearly made her cheeks flush.
The captain, Eliza, blinked when she saw who stood before her. There was an awkward pause as they stared at each other, before she turned to the soldier and motioned back to the courtyard. "Leave us." The guard immediately scurried away.
"In the middle of some exercise, I see." The sheikah remarked as they were led into the captain's office.
"When all you do is sit behind a desk all day, it can be dangerous to get lazy," Eliza replied, padding over to said desk. Off to the side, Zelda could see a mat laid out on the floor, with a toppled chair next to it. The captain noticed this, and immediately propped it back up, motioning for Zelda to sit. "Apologies for the mess, your highness."
"Not at all, apologies for our unannounced visit." The princess replied, graciously taking a seat. Impa's eye twitched when she realized that there was no such offering for herself. The major elected to stand, crossing her arms.
"So to what do I owe the pleasure of having both Major Impa and the princess in my office at this fine hour?" The captain said, taking a seat behind her desk as she wiped her face down with her towel. "If you're gonna ask me if I've seen the hero, the answer is no, and even if I did, I wouldn't even know what he looks like."
Zelda raised a brow, "Word gets around quick, it seems."
"Indeed, but that is a different matter entirely." Impa replied, "We were tracking the trail of some Yiga when it led us to the port."
"Yiga?" Eliza repeated, widening her eyes with genuine surprise, "All the way out here?"
The princess removed the pendant around her neck and placed it on the desk, "Unfortunately. They kidnapped the entirety of the village up the road from here."
Impa shook her head, "Gone. Without a trace. Well, except for the traces of magic, of course."
"How bizarre…" The captain said, furrowing her brows as she lifted up the red jeweled pendant and examined it, "There hasn't been anything out of the ordinary so far today."
"Nothing? No large groups of people suddenly coming in through the gates?" The princess asked.
"No, nothing like that, your highness." Eliza brought a hand to her chin, "Although, it wouldn't be out of the realm of possibility to say that they could've enchanted the guards to sneak through."
"If they've managed to extend themselves this far into Central without us knowing…" Impa began, looking down at the floor in thought.
"Could they still be in the city?" Zelda wondered.
"I'm inclined to believe it's more likely that they would've escaped on one of the ships already." The captain replied. Abruptly she stood up, swinging her towel over her shoulder. "But I wouldn't be doing my job very well if I didn't investigate this myself now, would I?"
"Captain…!" The princess said, her eyes lighting up.
"I can't guarantee we'll find anything, but it's worth asking around the harbour," Eliza said, "If they did manage to take a ship, then I'm willing to bet there's a fisherman out there that saw something."
"And your men?" Impa asked.
"If they saw anything I would've known about it before you two stepped into the city. Would be mighty hard to miss a gang of refugees pouring through the gates, wouldn't it?"
The sheikah shrugged, "I suppose it would."
"Look, if they can just uproot an entire village from out there, who's to say they can't do the same here? Kidnap a bunch of my citizens for one of their weirdo rituals or whatever it is they do?" Eliza stood up, shaking her head, "That won't fly here."
"Excellent answer, captain!" Zelda said excitedly, impressed by the woman's sense of justice.
"Don't you worry, your highness, even if they did escape then you can bet I'll track them to Akkala if I have to." With a determined look, she nodded to the princess, "Give me a minute to change and I'll meet you guys on the street."
As the pair were shooed out of the office, the princess couldn't help but pry into the relationship between her retainer and the captain.
"So how do you two know each other?" She asked as they made their way down the stairs back to the courtyard.
Impa smirked, "We've known each other since we were teenagers. Went through basic training together, learned how to sail together, got deployed for a few skirmishes and peacekeeping missions together." She giggled as she reminisced, "That girl was always trying to one-up me. I should say it is quite a shame seeing her cooped up in an office like that."
"She seems capable," Zelda remarked.
"Because she is. Eliza is an excellent swordsman and an even better officer." The sheikah shook her head, "But what she does now is very important as well, even if it does not seem like it."
"I understand. Keeping Port Hylia safe is a tremendous responsibility - smugglers and pirates are sure to be aplenty here."
Impa smiled, "Exactly. If there's anyone up to the job it is definitely her."
The pair waited just outside the gate, on the edge of the street. They sure looked suspicious hanging around with their hoods up, but it was better than drawing the attention of every passerby and their dog.
It wasn't long until the gate creaked open and Eliza stepped onto the road, freshly changed. She had on a long and navy blue officer's coat, embroidered with gold stitches. Underneath was nothing but a loose white blouse, similar to Zelda's, paired off with a pair of dark trousers and high topped leather boots. To top it off, a black tricorne adorned her crimson hair, and a sabre hung loosely at her waist. Zelda concluded that she very much looked the part of a captain in the navy.
As she was bound to the castle for most of her days, it was rare to be in the presence of a tried and true sailor, and Zelda was more than impressed by Eliza's intimidating figure.
"Let's go." The captain said, motioning the two to follow her.
They began up the cobblestone road that lined the entirety of the harbour, once more passing by various fish stands and merchant ships.
"Are we looking for somebody specific?" Zelda inquired.
Eliza nodded, "I have a couple of informants stationed around the taverns up the street. They're an extra pair of eyes that monitor the movement of goods that come in and out of port."
"Extra…?"
"Right, excuse me, your highness," the captain scratched her cheek, "Trade is formally regulated and we keep a record of all goods leaving and entering the harbour. Due to the vast amount of products that flow in every day, it's difficult discerning whether some of these goods are illegal or have been smuggled."
"So that's where your informants come in," Zelda said, snapping her fingers.
"Exactly. Normally I would just go and check the shipping manifests from the harbourmaster, but since we're dealing with what could potentially be foul play involving magic, it would probably be a waste of your precious time."
Impressive. She is the captain after all. The princess was by no means naive - she was well old enough to consume liquor, was well-versed in the art of war and politics, was a formidable swordsman, and was an adept magic user, but the microeconomic workings of something like trade in the port were still beyond her knowledge. She was the first to admit that there were many things in the realm she did not know.
After a bit more walking, Eliza motioned to a tavern across the street from the docks. "Hungry?"
"Surely you can't be serious." Impa deadpanned.
With a grin, the captain led them into the establishment, already raucous and full of drunk sailors from the front of house to the bar.
The bartenders behind said bar immediately lit up when Eliza sauntered in, "Captain! Welcome back!"
"Good to see everyone." She greeted, waving to them as she took a seat. She flagged Zelda and Impa down, who were left standing awkwardly at the entrance, patting on the stools next to her.
Reluctantly, Zelda took a seat, feeling uncomfortable in the rowdy atmosphere of the tavern.
"The usual, cap'n?" A scruffy bartender asked.
"You know it." She leaned over and whispered into his ear, just loud enough for the cloaked pair to listen in, "Need a sitrep on the docks."
The grin on the bartender's face never wavered as he whispered back, "Come round back in 'bout fifteen." Seems he knew exactly what she was talking about.
Eliza nodded, taking the beer from his hand, "Nothing beats an ice-cold brew! You guys want any?"
With a nervous smile, Zelda could do naught but laugh and refuse. Instead, the pair of them got mugs of watered-down wine, which they were more than content with babysitting while they waited for the scene to unfold. The captain seemed to know everybody that staffed the tavern, and she made jolly chatter with everyone that passed by. Soon, a few sets of grilled fish were set in front of them and while Zelda was happy to be getting some real food, she could not help tapping her foot in anxiousness.
After they had gnawed through their lunch, which was admittedly as delicious as the princess was hoping, Eliza stood up, getting them to follow her through the back.
"Apologies for the delay," She said as they weaved through the tight corridors of the building, "but we needed to kill a bit of time before they could be ready to meet us."
They stopped in front of a door at the very back of the building - right next to the door that led into the alleyway - and the captain gave it three quicks rapps. The heavy clack of a deadbolt undoing itself was heard and the door swung open.
A man, presumably another one of the undercover staff in the tavern, led them into a storage room full of shelves and kegs of alcohol. Surprisingly, the back of this room was spacious enough to house what was essentially a strategist's room; there was a large table with several hand-drawn maps, and along the walls were the faces of known pirates and criminals, with scribbled notes pinned up next to them.
"I'm gonna need you guys to remove your hoods." The man said, crossing his arms. The pair nodded before obliging, eliciting a widening of the eyes of the informant. He immediately dropped down to a knee - not unlike the guards before, "Forgive the disrespect, your highness! I'm honoured to be in your presence!"
Zelda held a hand up, "Raise your head, you've done nothing of disrespect. Rather, it is us who will need your help."
The captain cleared her throat, "The Yiga have snuck into the port, after apparently kidnapping the entirety of the village up the road from here. We've reason to suspect that they may have tried escaping into the lake; there hasn't been any out of the ordinary influx of civilians trying to board the ships today, has there?"
The informant looked hesitant, putting a hand to his chin as he began to think. "It's hard to say, captain… There are hundreds of travellers that come and go every day."
"Slavers? No slave-looking, unhappy people on the docks?" Eliza asked, trying her best to get something out of her informant.
He sighed, shaking his head, "Not that we've seen. We've primarily been focusing on contraband and illegal transactions. It's almost impossible to sneak slaves onto the ships without attracting half the sailors on the docks."
"I do have something that may aid us," Zelda said, digging out the red Yiga pendant. She held it in front of her, allowing the occupants of the room to observe it, "This jewel has reacted to traces of mana, and it is the reason why we have managed to follow their trail here."
The informant crossed his arms, looking at it thoughtfully. "If the Yiga did escape, we could take that thing to the docks and see where the highest concentrations of mana are. I might be able to cross-reference the dock numbers with our shipping manifests."
Eliza nodded, "It's worth a try - it's all we have left going for us at the moment."
With that, they headed back out onto the street, weaving around the throngs of people as Zelda followed the pulsations of the pendant like a dowser. The informant held a clipboard in his hand as he followed closely behind her, multi-tasking as he observed the goods being offloaded onto the street.
"Stop." The princess ordered abruptly, halting in front of a large merchant rig. The pendant began buzzing intensely, much like how it did when it reacted to her light spell back at the village.
"Is this it?" Impa inquired, peering over her partner's shoulder to look at the necklace.
Zelda craned her head to look at the sheer size of the ship, its masts tall enough to block the sun from beaming into her eyes. She turned off the street and onto the dock, picking up her pace as clamoured down the cobblestones between the sailors carrying crates of goods.
Eliza and Impa looked at each other before jogging after her. Impa, who had been lugging her sword on her back for the better part of the day, swung it around her shoulder in preparation for an engagement.
"This is the one." Zelda stated, stopping right in front of one of the gangplanks that led up to the ship.
"You mean they're still on this ship?" The informant asked.
She shook her head, "I'm not sure, we'd have to board it to check. But this area is oozing with dark mana."
"Get us on board, Eliza." Impa said, nodding over to the sailors that were working away on deck.
"Right, right. You guys wait here." The captain took point, sauntering up the bridge.
The sailors immediately took notice, dropping their crates of luggage before wiping the sweat off their brows. The trio was left to observe as Eliza conversed with them, and it took barely a moment before she raised a hand to usher them over.
"Feel free to look around, but try not to bother anybody. We're on a tight schedule here!" One of the sailors remarked as they boarded the ship.
The presence of two cloaked figures - particularly one holding a frighteningly large blade - immediately garnered the attention of everyone on the deck.
Following the princess, they began walking laps around the ship, watching her as she tried to detect the presence of any more mana. After about five minutes, they were at the top of the ship behind the captain's wheel.
"Well?" Eliza asked, "What's the verdict?"
Zelda nodded, "They're here."
This caught the entire party by surprise.
"Still?" Impa tightened the grip on her sword.
"Yes, I'm sure of it."
Confused looks were exchanged, and the informant gulped audibly. Either they were unable to find a ship that left early enough, or they were confident enough in their operations that they delayed leaving town. Regardless, even Zelda wasn't expecting the Yiga to stick around, especially because they had abducted an entire village worth of people. The fact that they had willingly let the party onto the ship to investigate spoke volumes.
"Let's check the lower decks." Eliza said, turning to head to the stairs.
"Wait," The princess said, putting a hand on her shoulder. "I don't have a good feeling about this."
"They have nowhere to hide, your highness," The captain clutched the scabbard of her sabre, "this could be our chance!"
There was the sound of a crowd of footsteps moving, and in the blink of an eye, the party was suddenly surrounded by sailors and merchants.
"On the contrary," Impa began with a smirk, "It seems we are the ones with nowhere to hide."
"Not only did the captain foolishly waltz onto this ship," One of the disguised Yiga members called out, "But the princess delivered herself to us as well!"
"Where are the villagers?!" Zelda demanded, gritting her teeth.
"How naive," another one said, "the person that's in the most danger here is yourself!"
The sheikah major scoffed, "No, she isn't." The ringing of metal was heard as Impa finally unsheathed her mammoth katana, its black metal shimmering in the dull autumn sunlight. In unison, Zelda and Eliza drew their blades as well. Even the captain's informant, who had unfortunately stepped onto the ship unarmed, dropped to a fighting stance.
In puffs of smoke, the sailors and merchants had their illusions dispelled, revealing for the first time the true appearance of the Yiga footsoldiers. They wore matching dark maroon jumpsuits, in similar eastern style to the sheikah clothing. Leather chest plates adorned their abdomens, and white guards their shins and forearms. And unsurprisingly, their faces were obscured by hoods and cloth face masks.
"Capture the princess, kill the rest!" One of them shouted.
Furious cries came from both sides as they lunged towards each other.
Author's Notes/Rambles: Just over seven months later and I've finally managed to finish writing up this chapter. I've been absolutely hammered the past year with work and school, picking up a contract during the summer that left me with no time trying to balance the two with a full course load over the fall.
But no one cares, so here we are! As Zelda is the other main character of this tale, I really wanted to start focusing on her right away. Developing her character is gonna be a lot of fun, but I was torn on how to showcase her abilities. In the end, it seems that'll have to be saved for the next chapter as the word count for this one was beginning to get out of hand. As for the captain, I took a history course on pirates over the fall so I was inspired to write up a swashbuckler-type character in Eliza, with Francis Drake from FGO as the primary inspiration. Also, the Yiga show up for real! I always thought of them as the rival ninja clan to the sheikah, so that's what they're gonna be like.
I hope you enjoyed the chapter and as always, please feel free to leave any comments/thoughts/criticism.
- K
P.S: I'll be going through the previous chapters to fix any typos or legibility issues that I missed when doing the beta read.
