Chapter Seven:

New Dawn, Red Dawn

"Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened." ~ Romans 1: 21

The mighty wind fought against him like a worthy battle opponent. His wings were his swords as they cut through the air's defenses and caught on the updrafts. The clouds cooled his leathery skin, and perspiration began to form on the rough surface of his scales, building until it dripped in streaks down his long, narrow face. Every inch of him buzzed with adrenaline, from the horns on his snout to the long, pointed tip of his tail, from the tips of his arcing wings to the end of each reptilian toe.

Caine had never felt so alive.

He tossed his head, feeling the extra weight of the horns on his head, and cackled. The laugh was low, and throaty, and he couldn't help but think how masculine he sounded. How strong, and intimidating, and insurmountable. Up here, amongst the previously-thought-untouchable clouds, no one could own him. He had no ties, to limits, no rules, no stifling code of etiquette to follow.

He was free.

He never wanted it to end. He watched from the best viewpoint he'd ever had in his life as the sun tainted the grey of early morning with its sweet golden light. It was as if the dawn was for his life, as well. A new chapter in the life of Caine Taurë. He let the light wash away of his old life. He began anew, right here, right now.

Not that he had much of a choice… He still had traces of blood between his scales. Though he couldn't remember how it had happened, the image of the guard's mangled body in his claws as the red fog cleared would remain permanently etched in his mind. If he ever returned to Hyrule… He shuddered.

No. Now was not the time to be thinking about that. He would never return anyhow, and in no way was he willing to spoil his newfound freedom.

Swiveling his gaze, his eyes found the small black dot of the strange bat that guided him. Its voice had matched that of which had told him to draw the sword, and it had confessed to the scratched message in the tabletop. Now, it led him to a great leader, whom the bat claimed welcomed all castoffs and society rejects. The creature had been right in its judgment thus far; what reason did Caine have to distrust it now?

Caine shifted his grasp on the sword hilt he clenched in his fist. With the extra muscle and strength of a dragon, the blade now felt light as a feather. It amazed him how quickly something of such grand history, the source of myth and legend, could be so easily stolen away.

Ah, what could his parents possibly be doing at that very moment? They'd probably already heard of the Master Sword's disappearance… Scrambling for answers, beginning a nationwide search for the sword, worrying over poor, sick little Abyll…

But not concerned for me. The thought threatened to dampen his amazingly cheery mood. No, his parents wouldn't be looking for him… In fact, they probably hadn't even realized he was gone. They'd be so busy with their affairs in everything else that it could even perhaps be days before anyone took notice.

But that was no longer any of his concern. What his parents did about the nation's squabbles didn't merit his interest any longer. He shoved the thoughts aside, and buried them beneath mounds of self-indulgence. The brightening skies, the wind in his face, this was his reality now. And nothing was going to take away from the triumph he felt.

The bat fluttered about like a drunken butterfly ahead of him, weaving to and fro as if dodging something, though there was nothing to dodge. Caine watched him with mild amusement until a great blue mass below drew his attention.

The Great Sea. It stretched out before them like an endless mirror, reflecting the morning sun's glorious light, and the pale pink of the sky in a display of color and beauty that would rival any artist's greatest work. Truly, nothing compared with the beauty of nature. Caine inhaled the crisp air deeply; he could smell the sea salt. Far below, he heard the faint caw of the gulls on the shore.

"Where are we going?" he called ahead to the little black creature. It didn't react in the least.

"Hullo? I asked, where exactly are we going?"

"Dragon Island." The answer was short, and curt in its raspy little way.

Oh, of course. Silly me; thank you very much. Caine rolled his eyes. While his guide had had a tendency to be repetitive back in Hyrule, it had obviously taken a liking to being silent and elusive.

No matter. He could wait. He was in no hurry to get back to solid ground, and as the wind whipped him upward like a kite, he released a laugh of pleasure. Angling his wings, he turned to arc into a downward spiral. The thrill of freefalling made his heart leap to his throat, and upon extending each wing, it dropped to his stomach as he jolted to a stop. The stop and go of his now much greater momentum was something to get used to, but he didn't mind so much.

As his gaze darted about the clouds surrounding them, he could imagine it a great obstacle course. Oh, the possibility of fun was endless! A particularly tall hill of a cloud caught his eye and he dove for it, laughing as he soared through the air. He waited until his claws just barely brushed the condensed moisture before angling his wings and shooting right up the incline, over the crest, and down the other side at high speed. He let out a whoop as he bucked, and dodged, and spun like kid goat out to play.

"Hush, hush, foolish boy!" screeched the bat, just barely able to move out of the way before Caine collided with it. "Humans will see you."

Caine slowed, flying alongside the little creature, and his smile lingered. "Why? We're miles from the surface. Besides that, we're over open seas. No one can hear me out here!"

The bat turned to glare at him, and Caine's brows raised. "Pirates sail unknown waters. Besides, clouds echo loud noises. Very easy."

Picking up its pace, the black thing darted ahead and only slowed back down when it was a good ways ahead of him. Caine cocked a confused brow, staring thoughtfully at thin air. He lifted his shoulders in a careless shrug, and sped up as well, falling into a steady flight pattern just behind the bat.

Caine could only guess how many hours had passed judging by the sun's position in the sky. Tracing along its path, he thought it to be just before luncheon. Perhaps about the same time as his father's morning ride…

Why do I keep thinking of them? Caine clenched his jaw as the bat began to descend, shaking the thought from his head. They didn't merit any wasted headspace. It only served to ruin his mood.

As they broke through the clouds, Caine finally laid eyes on their destination – a great, circular island that looked like one, giant crater. A volcanic island, perhaps? They swept in low, skimming over the water of the surf before angling over the jungles lining the beaches. There wasn't much vegetation on the island, it looked like, but what was there was so dense that Caine couldn't see through the tops of the trees to the ground below.

They hovered over the treetops until the jungles came to an end, and what lay beyond was nothing more than a barren wasteland. The heart of the crater, most likely. Steam rose in great columns from geysers along the bottom, and both he and the bat dodged several before they reached what looked like the mouth of a cave. The bat didn't hesitate, and Caine looked about in awe at the sheer size of the opening. One could've fit the entire throne room of the castle in that entryway, with a little extra space on all sides!

Why on earth would they need such a massive door? Then again, perhaps they didn't put it there. Perhaps it was an old magma vein that had burst there on the side of the mountain, or something of that nature. Yes, that would explain a few things…

It soon grew so dark that Caine could barely see the bat ahead of him. Only the occasional glint of its strange scaly hide told him of its location, and he constantly altered his flight to keep from falling behind or worse, running into some unseen obstacle. He didn't know how that bat… Oh, that was right. Echolocation. Now wouldn't that be a handy talent… If only dragons could do the same. That would be grand.

"Take left tunnel," rasped the bat from ahead, and the fluttering of its wings grew distant, to the left. Caine barely had the time to angle his wings before he collided with something hard. The stone wall.

Dazed, he gathered himself off the smooth surface of the floor and shook his head to clear the stars. Oh, brilliant; now he was all turned around. Which direction had that little imp gone…?

"This way!"

He jumped at the voice that sounded just by his ear. How on earth had that wretch gotten so close without him hearing? He rubbed the side of his head, which still throbbed from the bat's loud voice, and he stood, this time following on foot. For the longest while, only the lonely sound of his claws clicking on the stone accompanied him.

Then, a light grew ahead, steadily coming closer. It wasn't long before he could make out the silhouette of the bat ahead of him, and Caine picked up the pace, shifting into an easy trot. Aha! I'm trotting! I never thought I'd be able to do that.

Just as they neared the exit of the tunnel, a great plume of steam shot up before them. Having no time to slow down, he closed his eyes against the scalding water and jumped straight through it. He felt the heat through his scales, but otherwise, emerged on the other side unharmed. Ah, the benefits of dragon scales.

Shaking the hot water off his face, Caine swiveled his neck about to take in the cavernous room. His eyes widened as the room's main inhabitant stole away his gaze.

Treasure. Mound upon mound of it! It covered the floor like a heavy carpet, and light from the cracks of magma at the edges glinted off the billions of coins and jewels. It died the room a fiery red.

"Boy!"

Caine tore his gaze from the riches and found the bat. His gaze only flitted over it, however, as a colossal black mass demanded more attention. And quite suddenly, he felt like crawling into a hole and disappearing from sight. He curled into himself, making his body as small as possible in the shadow of the great beast before him.

The black dragon, as big as the castle of Hyrule itself, stared down at him with an empty expression. Its eyes, though, were intense as it seemed to stare right through him.

"Welcome, Prince Caine of Hyrule… to my humble prison."

~-LoZ-~

Link's stomach churned. But he, unlike most of the others, had seen many gruesome sights in his time as Hyrule's Hero, and the great pool of blood about the cold body only served to remind him of the evil that wandered this world. He hung his head, and let his breath out in a quiet sigh.

"Take the body to the Pit, and alert the clergyman that there will be a burial service with the ashes tomorrow morning."

He tried not to look at Sir Arron as two soldiers hurried to do as they were told. Shem and Arron were apparently second cousins and close friends; Link now understood why the man had been so distraught upon his arrival to the castle earlier that night.

As his men set about cleaning up the sickening mess, Link made his way deeper into the Hall, where the Pedestal of Time sat empty, sword-less. He approached the platform, and stepped up onto it, looking about the room. His gaze swept over the floor in search of the sword, which Arron had said laid on the floor just in front of the pedestal. But there was no sign of it anywhere.

What he did catch sight of, though, was the subtle glint of blue along the wall. He quickly leapt off the platform, his boots clomping on the smooth stone of the floor, and strode toward it. Stooping down, he clasped his hand around the Ocarina.

So Caine had been here… But still so many questions remained. Did he have the Sword? Had the dragon gotten hold of him? If so, where had it taken him? There were no other signs of a struggle, or a kill. Caine, the dragon, and the Master Sword all seemed to have vanished into thin air. There had to be more… Something, something he was missing. But as he studied the room, scrutinizing every corner, only blank stone met his probing eyes.

Heaving a much heavier sigh, he sank against the wall, clutching the Ocarina close to his chest. He hung his head, letting his chin come to rest on his knuckles. Oh, God, guide us… We're lost… And so is Caine.

~-LoZ-~

Months passed. Though they refused to acknowledge it, hope was beginning to fade like the evening sun, sinking slowly behind a horizon of troubles, and despair. Autumn came, and rain hadn't fallen since that day of the fire in Ordon. Crops were meager; many barely had enough to feed their families. The royal storehouses were opened, and they lifted morale for a while, but more effects soon arose.

Ponds and rivers shriveled. Many were forced to dig their wells ever deeper just for sufficient water supply.

Then, a new plague. A disease began to spread through the cattle, and other livestock. Farmers claimed that animals that appeared perfectly healthy one day were found dead the next. From goats to chickens to cows, and even a few horses, none were exempt from the strange sickness, and the market suffered greatly from the losses. And because of the unknown origins of the virus, no one dared eat the remaining livestock for fear of being infected as well.

On top of it all was the issue of the dragons. Since the fire, more and more citizens had begun to demand open war on the dragon race. And so far, the only thing keeping them from it was the lack of dragons to declare war on. They were elusive, like phantoms, coming mostly at night and only to set fire to the dry fields. No stock was taken, and the fires killed very few. But it was enough to set the people into an uproar. It had gotten to the point where the people were threatening upheaval, and the overthrowing of the monarchy if only to be able to declare war themselves.

Hyrule was floundering, struggling just to stay afloat in a sea of hardships. And it only made matters worse as foreign conditions became strained. Ships, particularly merchant craft from Termina, were disappearing at sea, and the countries began to blame Hyrulian pirates, and accused the monarchs of becoming lax in their punishment of such terrors of the high seas.

"We dealt with the pirates years ago." Zelda's voice startled Link out of his train of thought, and he physically jumped. His wife laughed.

"Where on earth were you, Link?"

He rubbed a hand over his face wearily. "I'm sorry, love. What were you saying?"

"You were in Herclia again, weren't you?" said the queen with a smile. Link cocked a wry grin at her. Though, in truth, he hadn't thought of the country beyond Termina in the longest time…

"No, actually. I was just… mentally summing up Hyrule's troubles." He sank further into his stuffed chair by the hearth, simply wanting to disappear between the cushions and sleep for a few hundred years.

Zelda got up from her place at the vanity, tying off her braid before she gently eased into his lap. "Link…" There was a hint of worry, and chastisement to her voice.

"Not blaming myself, Zelda…"

"You must not have gotten to Caine, then, in those thoughts of yours, hm?" She knew him and his thought process well. She knew he would've reached that subject quickly, and added it to the things whose blame he shifted to and tried to bear on his shoulders.

Link swallowed and dropped his gaze away from her. The worst part of the past few months in Hyrule was Caine's lengthened absence. No one had seen hide or hair of the young prince since that fateful day, and most of the kingdom's subjects had, to their monarchs' horror, resigned to the theory that he had simply been carried off by that dragon as an easy meal.

And as Zelda knew very well… Link did blame himself. He simply hadn't tried hard enough to resolve things between them, and it drove Caine away. Maybe for good…

"Link," she said it more insistently this time, clasping his face in her hands and forcing him to look at her. "Stop it. It is not… your fault. Understood?"

He couldn't answer. He searched her gaze, as if he could grab a hold of the faith and love he saw there, but it slipped from his fingers. He felt alone, though he knew very well that he was anything but. And in the intense stare of her eyes, it was as if she could stare right through his mental defenses into the depths of his soul.

"Promise me you'll stop blaming yourself." He voice had dropped in volume to a near whisper. "It's so dangerous, Link… I can't lose you, too."

His immediate reaction was indignation. "Of course you won't lose me!"

"Link…" Something in her voice stopped him. He could see every detail of her lovely eyes, and he saw moisture brimming on the edges. "Please."

Ugh, I'm such an idiot… How dare I waste all this time wallowing in self pity while she needs me to be strong… Like she always has… He may not have been holding a sword, but he was still her protector, and both of them knew that. He folded his arms about her.

"All right… I promise." He sighed into her hair. "And I'm sorry; I shouldn't have snapped at you, or… thought those things in the first place."

She pressed her forehead against the crook of his neck, burrowing into his embrace. "It's all right… Everyone is under pressure right now. You just… shouldn't go about like it's all because of you. Because it isn't."

"And I know that. Deep down, anyway… It's just… I'm not used to problems that I can't solve. It's second nature to me, saving my country. And now… I'm powerless. It's… a strange feeling."

She stroked his chest. "I know, love… I know."

Prayer was a powerful thing. But though he sent up numerous prayers every day for Hyrule, and for Caine, he didn't feel very strong. Perhaps… Yes, that was how it often worked. It was when mortal men were at their weakest that the Almighty God was able to show Himself strong.

Lord, be our strength. We thank You for Your provisions, Your blessings, and Your guiding hand. I beseech You, on behalf of my beloved country. Our people are suffering, more so than we have in generations. Please… Rescue us. Deliver us. We need Your help.

"Abyll's rather excited for his birthday, isn't he?" Link figured now was a good time to divert the subject to lighter things. Zelda shifted carefully.

"Rather excited? I'd say that was an understatement if I ever heard one. He's talked of nothing else for the past week!"

Link laughed. If there had been one bright light in these times of darkness, it had been Abyll. The young prince never ceased to amaze everyone with his constant faith and optimism, not to mention his gentle, giving heart. Even most of his wooden toys had gone willingly to the children of the families in Keskus that had lost their homes due to lack of income, or the dragon fires.

"Yes, well… I certainly hope his gift meets his expectations."

Zelda grinned. "I think he'll adore it…"

Only two more days. Then, they would have a reason to celebrate, even in these hard times. Though… Truly, they had reason to celebrate every day. They had a home, their health, food to eat – no matter how meager – and water to sustain them. They had wonderful friends, loyal subjects, and plenty more than enough extra to go around. They had a never-failing God, and they had each other.

Link combed his fingers through his wife's hair. When compared to all that… what had they lost?

Caine… The mere thought of the name made his heart ache. Where was he? What had happened to him? Would things have been different if… if he hadn't been so harsh with him?

~-LoZ-~

"We leave in two days' time."

The great black dragon turned, and rested his gaze on the younger one to his left. The prince sat regally with his horned head high and his wings perked with pride. He was proving to be quite the asset. With his extensive knowledge of Hyrule's inner workings, and his assurances that the Hero of Time would be quite crippled without his precious Master Sword, Caine had been precisely what he'd thought he'd be. A formidable foe, and a masterful ally.

The shadowbat quickly departed, fleeing through the exit in the ceiling.

Oh, how he longed to escape this cursed pit. It had been far, far too long. Years since he felt wind whip at his spines and flow over his wings… He was caged like the prisoner of fate he was in this abysmal magma hole, and he felt as if any longer in its rocky confines and it would drive him to insanity. He wanted to see the blue of the sky, feel the heat of the sun, and the soft earth in his claws. As he had once before.

"You've been very helpful, Caine," said he, his tail twitching back and forth. The young dragon bowed.

"Thank you, sir."

"As I have said: my name is Ameas. We are all friends here, fellow castoffs one and all. No need for formalities."

"My apologies… Ameas."

Hylians were so strange. They seemed to have the hardest time with the simplest of things, particularly what they called manners of society. Bah! He was, by all definition, a criminal, a dictator, a captive of his destructive decisions. In this place, this wretched island prison, who cared about manners or society and the like? Here, they didn't exist. Here, they troubled no one.

"How do you feel about this plan?" asked Ameas, shifting his gaze back to the boy.

Caine shrugged his shoulders, shaking his neck afterward. "I don't know… I've never been part of a real battle before. I'm not sure I'll be of much help."

"What, now? You're a dragon! Scales like armor and breath as fiery as Hell itself! Of course you'll be of great help."

"You have other dragons in your ranks."

"Yes, but most of them have been treated as stupid animals for generations long enough to become them. They don't reason well, and doing so hurts their puny little heads. But you and I… we are special. We're capable of conscious thought, meticulous planning and plotting, intricate logics and formulae. We are no mere dragons." He leant his head low, his spines brushing the ground as he brought his gaze level with Caine's. "Do you know what we are?"

After cocking his brow, the prince shook his head. Ameas grinned a toothy, draconic grin.

"We are the future kings of Hyrule. In two days' time, we shall sit in the courts of the great Hylian castle as the royalty we are!"

A/N: Not the best chapter I know… It seemed a bit slow to me; hope it wasn't too boring for y'all. I just sorta pass it off as a suspense chapter, a foreboding chapter. Leading up into the next one. =)

Anyway, I'll try to get the next chappie out a bit quicker. This one took a tad longer cause I wasn't sure I liked the way the first draft turned out, plus we had a big work day here yesterday, so… Couldn't get online for a while.

~Penelope