DISCLAIMER: SEE CH 1

AN: Sorry it took so long. I spent more time thinking then writing… This one also starts slow, with an action scene tacked on at the end.

Review Responses:

Runic Tunic: Damn, that would have been awesome. Wish I had thought of that…

LinkIsaacANDLloyd: I guess I didn't really explain that well. The idea was supposed to be more that she thought her dad, the king, would defend her. And uh, he didn't. But now that you mention it, it could be read either way…

ZombieDragon: Not many more chapters… two or three more, I guess. But there's gonna be a sequel, I just wanted to split the story up because Link's not a gladiator now, and that's the title. No huge wars, that's for the sequel. As for the rest, read on…

As soon as they reappeared in the field, Elisa collapsed on the ground. Link felt like doing the same. He was drained of magic and strength. He struggled to pick her up, but couldn't manage it. He looked towards the forest. Were they even there? If not, Link and Elisa were both going to die here. Elisa had lost consciousness. Link fell to his knees.

"Link?" A voice called.

Link looked up. Agraros was running out of the forest.

"Take her. I can walk." Link said, hobbling to his feet.

Agraros didn't question him; he picked up Elisa under her arms and legs, and carried her into the forest, to hide her from view. Link followed, stumbling a few times.

"Kasha!" Agraros called. Kasha ran towards them. "I need something to lay her on."

Kasha looked around. Link pulled his goron tunic out of his pouch and laid it out on the ground.

"It'll do." Agraros said, lying Elisa down on it, on her stomach. "It's a big wound. I don't know what I can do without supplies. She needs an actual hospital."

Kasha pulled some bandage from a pack that was strapped to her waist. He placed it carefully over Elisa's wounds. "She's lost a lot of blood, and she will lose more. We have to get her to Hyrule. Red potions are her only hope." Kasha said.

"Then we must fight our way into Hyrule." Link said.

"Yes, clearly." Agraros said, "But you must realize Link, you cannot help us. You are far too weak. I don't know what happened, but whatever you did, you were pushing yourself too much, and too often."

Link was silent. He knew it was true. He took out his green potion, and drained it. He felt renewed, mentally at least. Using the Fierce Deity's mask had its downside.

"Alright, if we're going to do this it's going to be tonight. They will only get stronger." Agraros said to the crowd of soldiers and gladiators.

Everyone nodded. Link did an approximate count. They had only lost a few in Jarmania. There was about ninety of them, total.

"Can you stand, Link?" Agraros asked him. Link got to his feet. "Your powers of recovery are impressive. I still want you to stay in the back, behind the main fight."

Link nodded reluctantly.

"OK. We leave in four hours, after nightfall. I suggest you all get some sleep." Agraros called out.

Everyone nodded. Some exercised; some sat and thought, and many slept. Link was one of those.

"Link. Wake up, Link!" Link awoke, still feeling tired. It was very dark. Link shook himself, and stood quickly. Now that he was up, he did feel much better. Gorem had woken him.

"You look well. You may be ready to fight, I don't care what Agraros says." Gorem said, walking off to wake others.

Link walked over to Elisa. She was still unconscious, and her breathing sounded ragged, and irregular. "What about her? How are we going to get her there safely?" Link called out to Agraros.

Agraros looked down. "We don't really know… I suppose she will have to be carried, but I don't like it. She isn't really safe to move."

Link looked down at her. "How long?" He asked.

Agraros knew what he meant. "Well, bandaged up like this, I reckon maybe two days, if we're careful. Even then, she would require some luck and excellent treatment at a hospital."

"We don't have two days. The journey through the desert takes that long on a camel, and we are on foot." Link said.

"I know. I hate to say it, but she's in trouble." Agraros said sadly.

"If only I had the Ocarina of Time…" Link said quietly.

Agraros looked at him oddly. "What do you know about the Ocarina of Time? You are not one of us, or a member of the royal family."

Oops. Ordinary people weren't supposed to know about the Ocarina, let alone have used it. Link didn't answer. Agraros's eyes darted to Link's shoulder, where the handle of the Master Sword was clearly visible. He looked back to Link's face with awe.

"You are… The Hero of Time…" He said.

Link didn't answer. Agraros didn't question him further. Link stepped away from everyone. He sat down on the ground, leaning against a tree. Hero of Time… big title, meant nothing. He had a piece of the Triforce, but he couldn't use it. Zelda could use hers, Ganon could use his, but Link didn't have the power. It wouldn't help him here. Or would it? Link remembered something Zelda had taught him about the Triforce. When divided, as it was now, the three pieces stayed linked by a beam of energy, visible only in the sacred realm. Which meant Link, Ganon, and Zelda were all linked by energy. Surely he could use that. He remembered, a long time ago, two years or nine years ago depending on how you looked at it, when Ganon had captured Zelda. He had spoken to them in their heads, from a distance. Zelda had eventually explained to him that it was through the Triforce, through that link.

So it was possible to send telepathic messages through this link. Did he have to use the Triforce's power, or could he just use the link? He closed his eyes. He visualized a beam, no, two beams. One was red, and shot off a ways before vanishing into the sacred realm. There was also a blue one, he followed, or visualized following down through this beam, across the plains, over the desert, through Gerudo valley, across Hyrule field, and into the castle. Zelda was conversing with her father. Link felt as though he was hovering above her, but of course he was way back at the outskirts of Blood Fields. He tried speaking. His mouth moved, but no sound came. But that should happen; the sound had to follow his mind along this link.

Suddenly he heard it, and it seemed Zelda did too. Blood Fields… near jarmania… help, someone dying… supplies, red potions… cut on back…I'm here…information…come… His message had been fragmented, but it was understandable. He felt himself withdraw, zipping backward along the same path. He saw himself for a moment, and…

Link awoke with a start. He looked around. He was in the forest, still. Had he done all that? Or was it a dream? Oh well. If it had happened, there would be help. If not… Well, Elisa would die. It was in the hands of the goddesses. Link stood, and went back to the group.

"There you are. We were just about to find you, it's time to leave." Agraros said. Elisa was being carried by a large former gladiator. Link looked around at the group. None were any of the warriors he had spared. No doubt they had been executed, like he almost had been. He gritted his teeth.

They set off, across the field, a large clump. Many camps saw them, but none attacked. Each camp only had a handful of soldiers. They sent messengers though, up to the groups blocking the mountain paths. It wouldn't matter. A surprise attack wasn't what they had in mind. Link led the charge, with the three royal knights up there with them. Behind them, the soldiers and former gladiators clumped without any particular formation, weapons sheathed. They jogged across, as night fell. It took somewhere between four and five hours, some of the men were a bit out if shape. Link reckoned he could have done it in three, alone. They slowed to a stop, just outside of the range off bows at one of the mountain paths. Link walked forward alone, as did the leader of the camp. They met halfway, and shook hands. Link realized this was being treated as a large clash of armies. It sort of was. So this is what being a general was like.

"Name's Lance. I guess you're here to take this pass." The man said.

"I'm Link. Damn straight I'm going to take this path." Link replied.

"Link. You're the one who freed the gladiators, hmm? I though your army looked a little… cobbled together. Good luck then." Lance said, turning and walking back to his camp.

Link turned and headed back. War had bizarre traditions. They had just been talking as if this would be a friendly game, and now they would fight to the death. Link took his place at the front of the army.

There was silence, and Link realized they were waiting for him. He ran forward, unleashing a war cry. The rest followed suit, each one yelling out, everyone full of adrenaline. The arrows came, quiet whistles that brought death. Someone behind Link fell and was trampled. Everyone with shields charged to the front and held them up. Enemy spearmen were assembling in the darkness up ahead. Link hadn't realized quite how many there was, they were outnumbered two to one. Link ran at the line of spearmen, parrying the spear head to the side with his shield and stabbing him. His army collided, dodging or blocking the spears and attacking. The noise was deafening, men screaming, and metal clanging. It was a blur of movement, swords glinting in the dim light of the moon.

Link had fought through quickly. The spearmen were backed up by a legion of swordsmen. Link was fighting his way through this, back flipping and dancing back in. He fended off two blows, and did a spin attack. Three were killed, and more drew back in fear. The Royal Knights had broken through like Link had, and Kasha was taking out the archers while Agraros and Gorem were fighting swordsmen elsewhere. The rest of the army was finishing the spearmen.

There was a third battle cry. A horde of gerudos were pouring through the mountain path. They hit the enemy from behind, where the defences were weakest. The Gerudos came out of the tunnel and fanned out, killing with scimitars and poleaxes. The enemy's broke ranks, confused. Lance, who was the only man at the back to survive, tried to call everyone to order, but it was useless. The Gerudo army was at least two hundred strong, and they were still coming. Eventually Lance raised the white flag. The rest threw down their weapons.

Link scanned the Gerudo army. Nabooru walked out, in front of the rest.

"Link! Fancy seeing you here." She called out.

Link smiled, and ran forward. They shook hands. "What are you doing here?" Link asked.

"We were, no, are here to take blood fields. The Jarmanians for some reason haven't reinforced the field yet, so I gathered three hundred woman before it's too late. We clearly picked the right tunnel. I thought you were sent alone? Since when were you commanding an army?" She asked.

Link explained briefly, including Elisa's condition. Nabooru called for two gerudos. "Find some red potion. Two bottles." She barked. They saluted, and ran back into the crowd.

"Can I see her?" Nabooru asked.

Link nodded, and led her back into the group. Elisa had been laid down again. Her wound had stopped bleeding, but it had scabbed over, and her whole back was red. She was very sweaty, and her breathing was laboured.

"Blood poisoning." Nabooru said. "Red potion will slow it down, but she needs some magic healing. I know some, but this is beyond my skill. We need Zelda."

The two women arrived with some potion. Link tilted her head back, and poured red potion into her mouth. She coughed and sputtered, but swallowed it. She slowly regained consciousness. He gave her the other bottle, which she drank herself.

"How are you feeling?" Link asked.

"Fine." She lied.

"Just rest." Link said, standing up. He turned to Nabooru. "Take these men, add them to your army. We could use a victory. I'm taking Elisa through the desert."

"Link, you won't make it. I could give you a camel, but even if you pushed it to death it would take a day and a half." She began, lowering her voice, "Elisa may not make the day. She's losing consciousness again, she may not wake up."

"Let's say Zelda knew. How long would it take her to get here?" Link asked.

"Zelda's a sage. She could warp anywhere in Hyrule... I guess she would warp to Gerudo… get a camel. If she knew you were here, she could meet you halfway. That would be best, She could heal Elisa. Is there any way for her to know?" Nabooru said.

"She may already. If so, she could find me." Link said. Nabooru didn't question him.

"I can give you a camel then." Nabooru said.

"We're coming too!" Kasha said.

Link shook his head. "I don't need help, there's no danger you could help with out here. You can come if you want; I'm not your boss. But I think you could be more useful here."

Kasha reluctantly nodded. Nabooru led Link to a camel. He saddled up, and picked up Elisa, laying her on her stomach over the camel in front of him. He sitting with his back crammed to the hump. Nabooru brought four more bottles of red potion.

"Use these when needed, it's the only way she'll survive the night. Good luck. By the time you get there, we will own Blood Fields!" Nabooru said. Link smiled at her confidence.

"It was good to know you, Link." Agraros said.

"Good bye." Gorem said.

"Thank you for everything!" Kasha piped up. Link smiled. His trip hadn't been a total loss. He rode off, waving to the group behind him. He turned ahead. It was in the hands of fate now. If Zelda was coming, Elisa would live. If not, she would die.

Wow, that was long… please review.