The Heir to the Sword

Chapter 3

A Return Home

Erith looked around and looked back at the building she had emerged from and smiled at the sight of it being a large windmill. This was her favorite town in all of Hyrule, Kakariko Village. She walked around the windmill to see a small drop which led to the rest of the town. She climbed down as Tacka followed by gracefully just jumping straight off while rolling on the ground for his landing.

Tacka upon finishing his roll and standing up looks back at Erith with a quirky smile. "Impressed?" He asked.

Erith responded, "If both my parents knew how to do that, why would I care if you can?" She walked right past him and gave no sense of care to what he had just accomplished. Her smile faded upon thinking of what her mother could do, and for all she knows her father could be dead as well.

Tacka saw this and asked, "Why so glum?"

She said in reply, "I have a broken wrist and my mother is most likely dead. So if you're done showing off like an asshole, I would like to get ready to counterattack Vaati."

"Alright then. Touchy touchy" Tacka said and then he pointed to the stables by the entrance of the town. The two walked over and Tacka walked straight up to the second horse stall. He put his hand out and a mustang nuzzled its nose in his palm. He looked at Erith and said, "This is Aqua, my only friend who survived the first of Vaati's raids."

Erith was instantly consumed with guilt upon realizing that Tacka had lost friends to Vaati as well and she was selfish enough not to ask. "I'm so sorry." Erith stuttered.

Tacka brushed it off, "It's really nothing, I promised myself I would avenge them so no point in feeling down about that unless I fail. The way I see it, people would prefer to remember them as they lived and not mourn their passing."

Erith burst into tears once again, "I… I can't… It's just…"

Tacka threw his arms around her once again. "It's okay, it took me a while too so don't think you aren't strong because of this." Erith sniffed in his shoulder as Tacka continued. "In fact, You've already proven that you are stronger than me. You faced Vaati all on your own. There was no way he could kill me because there were just too many people. But you, you showed true courage even in the face of death."

Erith drew back from his embrace. "That doesn't change the fact that I was scared. I wasn't strong enough to save my mom, so if I'm stronger than you, why do you think you can stop Vaati?"

Tacka shook his head, "Erith, having no fear is not what being a hero is about, it's what you do in those moments of fear that count. You choose to stand and fight which already makes you a hero. And as for stopping Vaati. I'm really not sure if I can to be honest. However, I can't give up before I try." He smiled at the young girl then added, "And we won't ever know if we can together if we don't fix your wrist so I say we should get going."

He jumped up on Aqua and extended his hand to help her up. To his surprise however, Erith backed up to get a running start and leaped onto the horse. She caught the foot brace on the opposite side of the saddle to stabilize herself as she perfectly balanced on the horse's back.

Erith said, "Alright, let's get going."

Tacka looked at her in disbelief at what she had just done for a couple seconds, shook his head to get focused, then finally replied, "Yeah we should. Where do you live?"

Erith answered, "Only place in the center of Hyrule Field."

Tacka said, "Oh, so you're a farm girl huh?"

Erith nodded and said, "Best ranch in all of Hyrule if I do say myself."

Tacka laughed, "More like the only one." Before Erith managed a comeback, Tacka kicked his horse's side and said, "Alright, let's go."

Aqua sprinted out of the stable and rushed out the gates of the town. The guard at the gate yelled at them as they past because they were riding so fast.

In Hyrule Field they ran a long ways. Erith looked at Tacka and saw his joy in his face. She thought to herself, "He must have just as fun as I do when I ride, maybe even more."

A couple of horses going to Kakariko Village passed them but they were going to fast to hear any interaction they may have had along the way. Five minutes had passed by the time they had reached the entrance to Lon Ranch.

The two dismounted their horse at the gate and tied her down to the fence. Aqua neighed as she laid down in the grass. Tacka looked at Erith and said, "Yes I know horses shouldn't lay down too often, but Aqua just really doesn't care.

Erith wasn't listening, she was looking at the sign to her ranch which now just read "Ranch". Erith tried as hard as she could to hold back tears.

Tacka saw this and said, "Hey what's wrong? I know it's a little soon…"

The young girl could no longer hold her emotions in. She fell to the ground crying.

Tacka ran up to her and threw his arms around her, "I'm so sorry I should have never brought you back here."

Erith shook her head. "Tacka, do you even know what this place was called?"

Tacka nodded and replied, "It was Lon Lon Ranch right?"

Erith told him, "It was, before my grandpa Talon passed away. We cut the first "Lon" out because it was now just my mother Malon's ranch."

Tacka looked at the sign that just read "Ranch" and shuttered. If the last Lon was taken out, he realized that it basically confirmed the fate of Erith's mother to her. He turned back to Erith and told her, "You know you don't have to come in right? I can get the medicine for you."

Erith exclaimed, "NO! I need to see what Vaati has done. I don't care if I'm not ready for it. I need to see what he has done that will have changed my life."

Erith stood up incredibly fast and sprinted into her farm. Tacka followed as fast as he could. The two ran until they came to the pasture in the middle of the ranch. That is when Erith collapsed to her knees and began to vomit. She was right, she wasn't prepared for what she saw. In the center of the pasture there stood a wooden post that held up a mangled body with no head. Erith could tell it was her mother's instantly because it was wearing her mother's favorite work dress. On the top of the post was a sign that read, "Never forget who's fault this was".

Erith's sadness was replaced with pure rage at the sight of this. "Vaati you asshole!" She yelled this in the air. Her left fist was clenched and shaking in anger.

Tacka saw this and just backed up as he didn't want to be anywhere near her while she was angry, especially since she had a sword sheathed on her belt.

Then from what seemed to be nowhere came a laugh, it grew louder and louder. To Erith it sounded all too familiar. She turned around to see none other than Vaati standing at the gate of the pasture.

Vaati gave a menacing smile. He then said, "Well if it isn't the two brats that managed to escape. I had a feeling the girl would be back soon but I could have never predicted that she would bring the Triforce of Wisdom as well. Or I should say half of it, isn't that right Tacka?"

Erith drew her sword and sprinted in at him, "Shut up you sick bastard!"

Vaati replied, "How rude." He vanished from his position then reappeared directly to the right of the running girl. He just held out his leg and tripped the girl.

Erith plummeted to the ground. She tried to catch herself and put out her right hand to do so. The moment it hit the ground, pain sprung up her arm, her elbow collapsed and she landed on her shoulder.

Vaati shook his head in disappointment. "I pre-assume you got your mouth from your farmgirl mother. Well let's see where that got her." He motioned his hand towards the post with the corpse on it. Then he added, "Well as much of a pleasure it was to see you both again. This will most likely be the last time I will see the two of you alive."

Tacka ran in with his own sword now drawn but as he sliced down at Vaati, the wizard disappeared. His voice lingered and said, "Goodbye you annoying brats."

"Damn it." Tacka said under his breath.

Erith slowly worked her way to her feet again. She yelled into the air, "YOU COWARD!"

There they stood in silence with the wind blowing in the background. After about a minute the two kids started to hear a buzzing. They looked around confused as it kept getting louder. Both of them decided to stand back to back to guard each other. In the buzzing came a voice, "Death is no coward. Death has nothing to fear." The kids saw in the distance a black wave of unknown creatures. The creatures were upon them in an instant giving off high pitched frequencies that were so loud the kids had to cover their ears. The small insect creatures then grew silent as they swarmed into one mass. A second wave of the insects approached carrying a giant black sword. Writing on the side of the sword read "Death's Caliber". When the second swarm dropped the sword near the mass of other bugs and merged with them they suddenly all disappeared. The sword was brought into the air by a mysterious power and seemed to be floating. From nowhere the voice said once again. "Death consumes all. Death will find all life and end it. Death now comes for you children."

Tacka and Erith jumped back from the sword as it swung down where they stood. Erith retaliated and swung back. But in the end there was nothing to swing back at and she stumbled to regain her balance after the missed swing. Then she was drug into the air by what she felt as an invisible hand. The black sword was brought back and looked as if it was prepared to cleave the small girl in half.

"Oh goddesses! This is it." Erith thought to herself frantically. "Wait unless…"

The invisible figure threw her in the air, cutting her off mid thought.

"Erith!" Tacka yelled as he helplessly watched what seemed to the final moments of his new friend.

The black sword flung around as Erith fell from in the air. The girl flipped around and put her left hand in the sword's path. A bright yellow flash occurred as the sword made contact with her hand. Regardless of the blow being deflected, Erith was still thrown incredibly fast to the ground.

The voice shrieked in disbelief at what just happened. Tacka stood there in total amazement at what he had just witnessed.

Erith was slow to get back to her feet. The triangle on her left hand was still emitting a great amount of light. Then a huge flash of light came from her hand and shown on the black sword. The creature that was holding it had now been revealed. It was a black cloaked monster with shadows surrounding its body. It's flesh was rotted away and a skeletal structure of a ram's head took the place of the creature's. It's eyes burned a crimson red. It gave a horrifying wail as it became visible to the children.

Tacka ran up to Erith to see if she was ok while the monster staggered around. Erith seemed to just be shook up about the blow she took. The triangle was still resonating on her hand. The boy pulled Erith by the shoulder to get her to run but she stood firm on her feet.

Tacka exclaimed to her, "Erith, we have to go."

The girl shook her head, "I'm not going anywhere. Not until this thing is dead."

Tacka responded, "You're injured and in no condition to fight. Erith, live to fight another day."

Erith completely ignored Tacka's last comment and yelled at the creature. "HEY!"

The skeletal goat shifted its gaze to stare the little girl directly in the eyes. "Death will end you now." It shot directly at her ready to finish what it had started. It's speed was incredible and it floated as it thrust in her direction.

Erith yelled again, "Stop and hear me out damn it!"

Right before reaching her the cloaked figure stopped. Its gaze never left the girl but it seemed to have relaxed.

Erith spoke, "You said you have no fear right?"

The monster responded, "Death has no fear."

Erith nodded and asked, "And you are Death, are you not?"

The monster replied. "Death is this sword. Death and the sword are one. Death is Death and nothing more or less."

"I'm just gona take that as a yes to you being Death." The girl responded. Then she added, "If Death has no fear, let me fight you at full strength. Right now I'm injured and am not ready to fight you, but let me use the medicine in my house and then we can have our duel."

Death slowly floated above the kids in front of them and was silent for a while. Then it finally replied, "Death has honor. Death allows for a fair fight."

Tacka's grip loosened on Erith's arm as he sighed with relief. Erith got out, "You won't regret it."

The two children walked to the farm house. Erith searched the cabinets and remembered that the medicine was actually in a jar in her parent's bedroom. She walked in and saw the jar. She felt the urge that she had since a child, the urge to break fragile pots. She picked it up and threw it, and it shattered against the wall. Inside the remains there lay a bottle with a blue liquid in it. She opened the bottle and drank the entire substance. Then next came a hideous cracking sound that came from her right hand. She yelled for a brief second but then her breathing became calm.

Tacka asked, "Did that do it?"

Erith rolled her right wrist and eventually whipped her hand forward. The girl smiled and replied, "Yep, it worked alright." Then she looked at Tacka and said, "Leave this fight to me ok?"

Tacka was shocked, "You can't be serious can you? That thing is literally Death incarnate. You can't beat him on your own."

Erith walked over to the closet in her parent's bedroom. She pulled out a blue shield with Hyrule's symbol on it. She strapped it on her back. "Just watch me." She replied. She drew her sword and walked back outside to see the floating shrouded figure waiting for her.

"Death grows impatient little girl." It said.

Erith walked up and said. "Well here I am. One thing quick though. This fight is between us two. Until I am out you can't attack Tacka alright?"

The creature asked in reply, "You wish to fight Death alone? So be it, Death allows this."

Tacka shook his head, "What the hell is she thinking? She's just gona get herself killed."

Erith raised her sword in the air to show that she was ready. The floating monster did the same and the fight had begun.

Dark Being From Beyond

Death Sword

Erith back flipped away from Death Sword as it swiftly flew towards her. Then Death Sword pulled up his sword and swung down with the heavy sword directly where Erith was standing. Erith got on her hands and knees and had the shield on her back absorb the hit. Right after the blow she rolled to the side and got back on her feet. The young girl then hit away another attack with her sword as she ran up and swung her own blade at the monster. But her sword phased through the beast. The monster threw back its free hand and hit Erith off her feet.

Erith fell to the ground and caught herself fast enough to dodge another downswing of Death Sword's blade. She thought to herself. "Shit that was close. I can't even hit it's cloaked body. How do I beat it. Think Erith, Think! Cause at this moment your life actually depends on it."

Death Sword gave a terrifying screech as it swooped in the air and started to circle the girl in the air. The circles became smaller each time he looped around the girl. It eventually continued the circle until he was directly in front of the Erith as it thrust its sword downward at her.

Erith hopped to the side just narrowly missing the attack. The sword lodged into the ground beside her. She thought, "Now's my chance." She back flipped to a better position so she could build up some momentum. Erith took off and ran up the blunt side of Death's Caliber and thrust her own blade into the creature's ram shaped skull.

Death Sword roared in pain as it threw Erith from his sword. She gripped her handle tight and dislodge her blade from the monster's head. She flipped off and gracefully landed on her feet.

Tacka looked on in amazement. "Who is this girl? It seems like fighting is second nature for her."

Death Sword gave a hideous roar into the air as he collapsed to the ground just barely hanging on to its life.

Erith walked up to it and said, "You lose. Now go back to hell."

She jumped into the air and stabbed down into the monster's head one final time. It screamed as its life depleted. It yelled, "ARBITER! ARBITER!" Its red eyes started to fade black. Death's Caliber disintegrated in its hand.

Erith drew the sword out of the skull and started to walk away when she started to hear the buzzing sound once again. She turned back to see the insects flying away from the corpse and scattering into the air. This continued until nothing remained of her opponent and then there was silence.

Erith sheathed her sword and walked up to Tacka. "Well you happy? I didn't die."

Tacka just looked at her for a second. He swallowed and then asked, "What just happened?"

Erith smirked and said, "I guess when you're trained by the Hylian army general you learn a thing or two about fighting monsters."

Tacka shook his head to try and keep his cool. "You were trained by General Link? Why would he teach a little girl like you to fight like that?"

Erith responded, "Well being his daughter has to come with some perks I guess."

Tacka griped both of the girl's shoulders and said, "You are Link's daughter? Holy crap this is just crazy! And if you have a piece of the Triforce of Courage, that means Link must have been the Hero of Time!"

Erith kindly removed Tacka's hands from her own shoulders. "So you're saying that my dad has the other half? Wait, how did you get half then? Wouldn't one of your parents have had to be the bearer of the Triforce of Wisdom?"

Tacka nodded. "My mother was the chosen one by Nayru to bear the Triforce of Wisdom."

Erith then asked, "Who is your mother?"

Tacka stepped back. "Please don't kill me for not telling you who I truly am. I mean my name is Tacka yes but I've been keeping something a secret until the right time. Now's better than ever I guess while we are talking about parents and everything. So in the end…"

Erith covered his mouth and politely asked again. "Who is your mother? I didn't ask for a life story."

When Erith removed her hand, Tacka took a deep breath in and exhaled slowly, "My mother is Queen Zelda of Hyrule."