Chap 14: The Sacrifices We All Make
(A/N) Hello everyone! Last chapter, Link was horribly damaged but appears to have fixed himself and risen up, once again. Is this all just a show? Is he actually okay, or is he just putting on a show for his troops? I hated how long it took to write this chapter, especially considering it had a minimal amount of Link actually in it. This writing style is exclusive to this chapter. Chapter 15 will be back to normal.
Italics means thoughts or someone is speaking sharply, or it means someone has spoken Hylian. It can also mean a flashback. Bold means an author's note or some sort of text, which I will seldom use. Underlined text implies importance. I am unlikely to remember that. Have fun!
Oh, and I don't own any piece of The Legend of Zelda. I own, literally, more air than Zelda.
It was a cold November day. It's been about two weeks since Link gave his speech. The runners Link had sent had, from what I heard, all returned back with their respective parties, minus the Zora who were nearly wiped out by Dimesia. Dark Link, Link's right hand-and-arm, and Ruto had a tearful reunion. It was very sweet and heartwarming to most everyone (including myself) who saw them and their inter-species love. Some were naturally repulsed, and everyone eventually left, but most enjoyed the sight of love in such troublesome times. The Kokiri were hard at work making armor from the trees that surrounded their now-burning town. Mina was relocated to the Hyrulian Home for the Criminally Insane. She's not expected to be released any time soon. The Gorons were working on weapons and other such defenses. They had already built the outermost of three stone walls, each to be twenty feet thick, from the border of Kakariko Town to Mt. Nohansen, a mountain claimed under the rule of (obviously) King Daphnes Nohansen Hyrule. Dimesia would be hard pressed to find a place to breach through easily. Given that she is a demigoddess with short-distance teleportation abilities, it shouldn't be too difficult for her to get through the walls. Her minions should have some trouble.
Currently, Link is in a tavern the town has deemed our base of operations. He is, technically, our acting leader, so he is the one giving orders. A friend of mine, a knight named Dominic, was pretty upset over being led by a kid half his age. Dominic, one week ago, challenged Link to a fight. Link soundly and quickly beat Dominic, who refused to accept defeat until Link snapped his arm. In all honesty, I don't believe the arm-breaking was necessary. I thought for a moment that I had heard Dominic ask me for help, which was strange since Dominic was one of the strongest and best fighters I knew, so him being beaten so quickly by a fourteen-year-old shocked anyone who saw it. The creepiest part is that Link didn't have any sort of reaction to breaking Dom's arm. Currently, Dominic is sitting inside his home, being assisted by an ugly woman twice his age in basic things, like writing.
The King is currently hiding out in a special hidey-hole only him and a few of his top knights know about. Luckily, Dom knew a guy who knew a guy who was one of the knights, so I at least know about the places existence. He has, well and truly, abandoned us. I would pray for his safety, but I never liked the man in the first place.
I suppose it's been a bit rude to talk so much without even introducing myself. I am Sergeant First Class Isaac Cox, Knight in His Majesty's army. I am a bisexual man (If you have issues with the LGBT community, skip this chapter. There's a small yaoi scene later on.). In exactly two months, four days, five minutes I will be twenty-six. I've been told by several of my friends and family members that I'm "too punctual" or "obsessed with time", but it's bullshit. If anything, they just don't understand the importance of being on time.
At the moment, Link was going over strategies with Dark while Ruto sat in the corner, reading some book about Dark Clones. I thought for a moment about asking her about it, but she talks a bit too much for me. "Isaac?" a voice I don't quite register calls out.
"What? Who said that?" I ask. I turn around to find one of my closest friends holding his clock out to me.
"It's me, you idiot. Rex? We dated during training?"
"Oh, hey Rex. What do you need?" I ask, feeling my face turn ever so slightly red at the thought of us dating. In the end, he was the one who broke it off, thinking he was dragging me down. He had some minor depression issues back then. I remember one time I walked into his room, only to find him, knife in hand, ready to slit his wrists.
"I need you to set my clock. You're the only person I know who always knows what time it is."
"Oh, shut up and hand me the clock." He did so and, after a brief period of undoing his damage, I set it to the exact time: 14:31:28.
"Thanks!" he exclaimed before walking off. I couldn't help but stare as he walked off. I clearly had something to do this weekend: get over Rex.
"Okay, Knights, listen up!" Link shouted, "Dimesia will most likely be coming from the south or east sides of our walls. I need the following knights to report to the East Wall: Sergeant Max Ryder, Lieutenant Jacob Reys, Sergeant First Class Isaac Cox, Staff Sergeant Rex Shepherd, and, when he gets back, Captain Dominic Shepherd. All East-Wallers, dismissed!"
Rex and I decided to talk on the way there. However, we didn't make it but eight feet from the door when Link came after us, message in hand. "Sergeant First Class Isaac Cox?" he asked me.
"Yessir?"
"Letter for you. Farore be with you," he said as he slapped his chest with his fist. Then he was gone.
"Who's it from?" Rex asked.
"Says it's from Antle Town. That's where my folks are." I said as I opened it. It'd been a long time since I got my last letter from them; I was getting a little worried.
"'To the remaining son of William and Mira Cox, we leave in your bank account five-thousand Rupees. We regret to inform you of the death of one or more members of your family. We apologize for your loss.'", I flipped it over, looking for a dog's name or something, but only found the names of my parents and little brother, "No. No, this isn't possible. This can't be! They can't be dead! It isn't possible!" I screamed, feeling the tears push themselves from my eyes.
"I (my nickname), relax. It's gonna be okay," Rex said, but I could just make out the tears in his eyes as well, "It's gonna be okay… It'll be okay…"
"Tell the East Wall Captain I'll be there tomorrow!" I shouted as I ran to the drawbridge. I had to see for myself. I had to be sure…
It took me nearly two hours to get to Antle Town by horseback at full gallop, but I made it. The morgue was, luckily, still open. I opened the door to find several crying people and families. "What happened?" I asked.
"Didn't you hear? She attacked us; blew up a whole neighborhood. We all lost people in the explosion," a man, maybe thirty-seven, said, unable to meet my eyes. I just stood there, shaking my head. What else was there to do? Then I remembered why I came here in the first place. I walked up to the receptionist and asked if he had a Cox family, which he snickered about before leading me to the morgue itself.
It was frigid in there, that much I'm sure of. The stench of slightly decomposed flesh and muscle lingered in the air. It was easy to tell there were dead people here. But that wasn't why I came. "Here is a Mr. William Cox," he said before pulling a drawer filled with (what was left of) my father out, "Mrs. Mira Cox," he said before pulling my mom's drawer. She was missing her left arm and part of her left side entirely, but was otherwise intact. I think my father died trying to protect her. "And, lastly, Mr. Luis Cox." It was Luis' corpse that sparked me. He was one of two people who supported my military career choice. And he was dead. Fully intact, yes, but dead. It was his completeness that unnerved me. That, and his slightly black veins. His was the strangest of them all.
"Sir, please leave. I need a moment with them."
"I understand," he said while giving the universal sign for "give me money". I just shot him a look that said "leave or I'll gut you", and he left. I just remained silent. I couldn't bring myself to actually speak. I had nothing to say. It was my decision to leave. Maybe, if I was there for them more often, I'd have been able to convince them to move to Castle Town. But it was too late. Finally, I broke the silence. "Hey, Mom, Dad… Luis. It's, uh, been a little while, hasn't it? Sorry I missed your birthday last year, Lulu. Sorry I missed your anniversary celebration, mom; dad. Tests and all that bullshit. How long has it been, two years? I've been a knight for four. The tests were a lie. I just didn't want to visit. I didn't know that the last time I'd see you would be two years ago," the tears started back up again.
"I was planning on coming this weekend, actually. I bought Lulu a wooden sword so he could play knights with his friends. I bought you, mom, a sapphire ring. I know blue is your favorite color. Dad, I bought you a new pipe. Yours was gonna start rotting soon. I'm sorry I wasn't here sooner. I wish I could've at least seen you all… one more time…" and with that I set all of their gifts on top of them, except moms. I put hers on her hand for her. "I'm so sorry…" I said before I began sobbing loudly, probably loud enough for the people in the lobby to hear.
"Hey," that familiar voice said. I didn't even hear him coming. I guess that's why he was assigned a scout position in our company.
We just stood there, my back to him, him at a comfortable distance, my sobbing now almost inaudible. "I?"
"Why are you here? I gave you a direct order…"
"When have I ever reported to you?" he asked.
I turned around, a slight grin on my face. "Good point."
"There he is! Oh, you got a little hair there. Let me just get it for you," he said while brushing some of my long, brown hair away from my eyes. I was about four inches taller than him, but at that moment I felt two inches tall. "I?" he asked again.
"What?" I asked, though I felt as though I knew exactly what would happen. He stepped forward once, stood up a bit, and kissed me. It was exactly what I needed at this moment. "Rex… thank you!" I exclaimed before I restarted our romance. No matter what, I knew I would always have Rex on my side. And Dominic, too. And all of A Company, East Wall, 15th Battalion. I would always have their support, no matter what I decided or did. They were my family now. My only family, not my replacement. I would see to it that, by the end of this, Dimesia's head rested on a stake. She was going to pay.
"I! It's seven o'clock! We gotta move!" Rex yelled when he looked at his clock.
"What're we waiting for then? Let's move, Sergeant!" I shouted behind me after closing the drawers and bolting up the stairs. In that moment, I had a vision: Rex and I, standing atop a mountain of Dimesia's forces, declaring our victory to all of A Co. We would win. I was almost sure of it. Almost.
Hello, anyone who stuck around! I hope you enjoyed that chapter and, like me, have no issue with anyone of a different sexuality. How'd you guys like having a Bi character? Did you enjoy him? Did you hate him? PM me, give me feedback. Please review, it lets me know whether or not I suck. It also lets me know if I rule, which I'd love to hear about. Until then, if there are no questions, I'm out. Peace.