(Author's note: Working on editing Chapter 4, should be uploaded SOON! (lots of things happening sorry guys!)
It's been three days since Link and Chase left Faron woods and now they were halfway through Southern Hyrule Fields, heading north still. Night had fallen, and they created a small campfire underneath a protected cliff. Nursing their wounds from fighting off a pack of bulbins earlier, they dug into some of their provisions, bringing out some Ordon Goat beef jerky to chomp on.
Chase stared at the measly portion and groaned.
"Hey, I didn't ask you to come along, you already went through more than half of the food already and we have only been at this for barely a week." Link said, tearing a chunk out of his jerky with his teeth. Chase grumbled in response and sighed.
"What do you think Raina is doing right now?" Chase whispered as he stared unblinkingly at the flames.
Link snorted. "Dunno."
Chase groaned again and stretched his arms in the air. Laying down against the soft grass he used his cloak as a pillow.
"I wonder if she's thinking about me." Chase said, frowning thoughtfully. Link picked up a rock and threw it him.
"Ow!" Chase yelped, "What the hell was that for?!"
"Just shut up, your voice irritates me." Link said, finishing off his food.
"Ass." Chase mumbled and turned over.
Licking his fingertips, Link stood up and went to the nearby creek away from the firelight. Tugging his boots off, he threw them to the side and stuck his feet into the cool water. He shivered.
Link rolled up the sleeve on his left arm and examined the long gash on his arm, a gift from a bulbin that had caught him off guard when they were attacked. It throbbed and appeared inflamed around the edges.
He ripped off a long piece from his shirt and dipped it into the water, tying it around the injury. Of course, that wouldn't do much, but at least the coldness of the water would take away the heat that burned away at it. A branch snapped behind him.
Jumping up he unsheathed his sword and investigated the origin of the noise next to a tall tree.
A squirrel scurried from a pile of leaves and ran up the bark.
Sheathing his sword, he yawned and went back to the campsite, curling up and falling fast asleep.
Zelda's heart pounded audibly in her ears. Luckily her clothes were dark enough to blend in with the leafy branches at the top of the tree. When the man below put away his weapon, she sighed, relieved. She continued to hide until the man was fast asleep.
Close one... She thought to herself, sliding down the trunk and landing lightly on her feet.
Zelda had spotted the two fighting off bulbin mercenaries and was prepared to ignore them, but something sparked inside her, telling her to watch them. There was something about the blond headed man. It was then, she decided to stealthily follow them.
The blond man appeared to be around her age, ears pointed as is the Hylian trademark, but the clothes he was wearing didn't look all too familiar. The way the man handled a weapon was impressive, and not at all forced like the companion he traveled with, who was slightly clumsier.
It struck her as odd that the two barely had any words to say to each other, but she eventually was able to hear their names. Chase and Link.
The two knew how to cover their tracks and hide very efficiently, making her realize they were people who dwelled within the trees of Faron Woods. They seemed quite comfortable camping out so rawly in the wild, it was impressive. They had two horses so it was hard enough to track them on foot, but she managed. She thought that she had lost them after night had fallen, but then she saw the flicker of their campfire.
She couldn't help but notice the man who called himself Link was very attractive. His eyes were a sharp icy blue, his face soft but masculine, and fresh stubble was growing on his cheeks and chin. There was something else about him, that she couldn't quite put a finger on. Perhaps a feeling of familiarity she could closely compare. As she watched him bathe his feet in the water, there was a tingle against her chest, where the Triforce rested. It suddenly flashed red hot, and she gasped, stepping on a stray branch at her feet, instantly alerting him. Before he could see her, she scaled up the tree she was hiding behind. Luckily, she had disturbed a squirrel rooting for nuts.
After Link had fallen asleep, she drew out the Triforce. To her surprise, it was glowing stronger than usual, but as soon as he walked away, it dimmed back to it's normal glimmer.
Curious, she creeped closer to their camp. As she closed in on him, the heat began to surge once again, and standing over him, the light of it sparked to life. She had to muffle the light with her cloak, but not before Link began to stir.
She swiftly ran away before he opened his eyes to look around, hiding behind the other side of the cliff. Her heart began to race.
Surely, this means... She squeezed her eyes shut, attempting to summon her magic from deep within her chest. That familiar comforting warmth rose and caressed her insides. She let it swim through her entire being. Concentrating on this feeling, she looked through the darkness behind her closed eyes. Something was definitely there, a green kind of energy. She turned her head slightly, but the focal point of that green energy remained in the same spot, pointing toward Link.
It suddenly hit her, the source of the familiarity. This was the same energy that she caught sight of the day before her father's death. The light that reflected from the trees of Faron. This man was swimming in that energy. He was the source.
Sliding down to a seating position against the cliff, she breathed a sigh of relief. This man possessed the Triforce of Courage. The chosen one from the gods, and quite possibly the descendant of the hero of time. Adrenaline spiked in her, she looked back at him excited, noticing he was back deep into slumber.
Zelda wiped away the tears that began to swim in her eyes.
"I found you." She whispered, joyous. Why on earth did she not sense him before? The first time she sensed the magic, was... When Ganon showed up to offer his services to the King. Could it be that his magic had lain dormant until the tides of fate had changed and Ganon began to make his move? Zelda's ability was inherently there, never changing, as is the way of the succession on the female line of Hyrule. Perhaps the gods had taken it upon themselves to mask the power of Courage until the time Hyrule needed their hero. So if that was the case, where is the Triforce of Power? She knew the answer was there, but she couldn't quite pick at it.
Searching her memories, back to the day that Ganon arrived, she was sure she could sense something. Gritting her teeth, she massaged her temple.
Think, dammit. She thought desperately.
Then there it was. So clear, as the light of day. Right in front of her all along.
Ganondorf. She realized in horror. Of course, it all makes sense. That magic he possessed wasn't natural. That strength that resided in him.
A mixture of despair and anger washed over her and dissolved her into tears. Pointless. Fighting a man bestowed with the ultimate blessing of the gods. An unconscious feeling that she immediately regretted leeched off of her, telling her that maybe this was a fight that Hyrule would lose. That it was time for Hyrule's demise.
NO! She screamed internally. Burying her face into her knees she tried to torch these new negative thoughts that plagued her. The heat of the Triforce faded again upon her realizations, but then something peculiar happened.
There was a wind, but it didn't feel like a natural wind. She lifted her head again and closed her eyes. The wind caressed her face, as if invisible fingertips were attempting to comfort her. Then there was a point of light high up in the sky. She squinted, attempting to make it out. It was blue. Then suddenly, it shot downwards. Afraid, she tried to jump out of the way, but it found her and struck her. Expecting pain, she opened her mouth as if to scream, but the complete opposite happened. It hugged the entirety of her body protectively and warmly. This was a holy light sent down from the gods.
Suddenly, she was falling... Falling down. Spiraling into darkness.
She opened her eyes, but there was nothing there. Just the black.
"Hello?" She called out, voice trembling.
There's no need to fear, child. A voice echoed in her head, gentle and sweet. That same shining blue light appeared before her again.
"You are the goddess Naryu!" She exclaimed, awestruck.
You know in your heart the truth. To maintain stability in life, there has to be balance. The Triforce exists for this purpose. You are blessed with my magic, and two others are blessed with the others, Power and Courage. Do not fret... For when all seems forsaken, Courage will take a stand. Hyrule once was and remains a holy land. Believe in your divine right. The voice began to fade far away.
Suddenly, a strong light pierced her eyelids, and she was thrust into reality. The light was piercing and she cowered in a ball, covering her face. She was breathing in the cold winter air, and the ground was hard beneath her. The grass prickled roughly against the bare parts of her skin.
"She's awake." A man's voice said above her. Alert, she rolled over and stood up against the cliff. Her eyes watered when she opened them from the sudden exposure from the sunlight. Unsheathing her sword, she pointed it ahead at the two figures in front of her. Then she realized it was Link and Chase.
"Woah there." Link said holding up his hands. Zelda nervously tucked the hood of her cloak tighter to conceal her face. "All we want to know is why you were following us, mind you, we have our own weapons so I think you're pretty much outnumbered, two to one." He continued, lifting his cloak slightly, revealing his sword.
"Just calm down, lady." Chase said. Zelda glared at him suspiciously for a moment, then lowered her sword.
"Honestly." She tutted, delivering her sword home. She leaned against the cliff, sighing deeply.
"Who are you?" Link said, lowering his sword as well. "Again, why are you following us?"
"I've come on a mission, to find the chosen one." Zelda responded, absently pulling off her shoulder bag and opening it. She rummaged around a moment, and brought out an apple. Hungrily, she bit into it, the juices bursting deliciously in her mouth. She wiped the drippings with her cloak.
Chase and Link looked at each other incredulously, before looking back at her.
"This is gonna be a long story..." Zelda murmured and beckoned them back to their camp, where they all sat down to listen to her. Link nervously ran his fingers through his hair as she continued on.
"Ganon will stop at nothing to gain the mystical power of the holy land. He will transform Hyrule, an age of darkness is soon upon us." She said, fumbling with the strings on her cloak.
"Guess this means we are in no rush to deliver this package." Chase mumbled, tossing it on the ground in front of them. Zelda reached over and picked it up. She loosened the strings and unwrapped the cloth, revealing a beautifully garnished sword with the seal of Ordon (a pair of ram's horns) imprinted on the hilt.
"I see, so you were to be the messengers of Ordon." She said, smiling. "It is a beautiful weapon." The smile faltered from her lips as she wrapped it up again, handing it back. "It is comforting knowing we have allies in the folks of Ordon, however times have changed. Ganon will stop at nothing to strike down the people and cities of Hyrule. Soon he will see to it that the forests of Faron will burn."
"What is our hand in this matter?" Link spoke up, his voice strained. Zelda tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear.
"Link, I believe that you are the chosen hero of the gods." She said, pulling the Triforce over her head. "Only those blessed by the god's divine magic can touch a piece of the Triforce without pain." Link pressed a finger against it.
"It's warm." He whispered, taking it in his palms. It glowed contently. Suddenly, he yelped. Turning his fist, the three of them watched as the light of the Triforce spread through his hand. When it faded, a mysterious triangle appeared, then faded to an outline.
Awe inspired, Zelda gingerly placed a finger on the outline. "You've been officially marked as the Chosen one."
Chase shook his head, incredulous once again.
"Him? Chosen by the gods?" He stood up, brushing the stray grass from his pants. "I'm going to go treat the horses to some water. I'll leave you 'chosen ones' be." Kicking a rock aside, he led Pan and Epona to the creek.
Link handed Zelda back the Triforce and stared at his fist.
"I know it's a lot of information to process." Zelda said, comfortingly. "But now is the time to act. We have to save Hyrule, and to do that, we need to find a way to search for the Triforce. We need to invoke it and defeat Ganon once and for all. Are you aware of the lore?" She asked.
Link thought for a moment, then shook his head.
"There are three spiritual gems hidden in Hyrule. Once united they will open the gates to the Sacred Realm allowing access to the Blade of Evil's Bane. The Master Sword. With this mighty weapon forged by the gods themselves, the wielder of the Triforce of Courage can strike down the enemy of light. Ganondorf is the enemy of light." Zelda's voice lowered. "The path to salvation will not be an easy one, I'm afraid. But with me by your side, we can fight together."
"Part of me wishes I could run and hide, but in my heart, I feel the truth." Link said, a new look of weary determination on his face. "But honestly, where do we even start?"
Zelda opened her mouth to respond, but then closed it, confusion shadowing her face. She pondered for a moment, searching her deepest memories, perhaps some old lore Impa had told her as a child. She blinked.
"There is a Priestess in the village of Kakariko to the north east. She can help us find the answers we seek, I'm sure of it." Zelda said.
"Kakariko, huh..." Link said, frowning. "It will be a long journey, maybe a week on horseback."
Chase returned with the horses. Link looked up at him as he fed the horses some carrots. They then began to graze on the grass.
"So, come up with a plan?" Chase finally said, sitting down with them.
"Well, we are going to Kakariko, but you're free to go home." Link said. Chase snorted.
"You wish you could get rid of me." He chuckled. "Unfortunately, I have to keep my promise to Raina. She would have me flayed alive if she knew that I ditched you. So whatever this mighty plan of saving Hyrule is, looks like my hands are tied." Shrugging, he gathered up his stuff and repacked them onto Pan. "So what are we waiting for? Let's get this show on the road."
Ganon kicked a dressing table over and pulled out a dagger. Forcing Impa against the wall, he glared angrily into her eyes.
"Where is she, you stupid bitch?" He spat in her face.
"She is gone." She responded lightly, her face blank.
"Don't think I will harm you?" He punched her in the face. Yelping, she fell to the ground. It felt good to release his anger. "I will get you to talk."
"I do not want to sleep in my bed alone, and because of your insolence, a woman of my choosing will have to endure my insufferable wrath as punishment. Continue to resist, and I will use this dagger." He lifted it as an example. "And make a little slit in her side just enough to where I can dig my hand in and pull out her viscera slowly, inch by inch. Her blood will be on your hands. Cross me yet again, and it will be you who will suffer that agony.
"It will be a slow, excruciating death." Impa withered under his murderous gaze and it pleased him to see weakness. He felt his being shudder with the pleasure of it and grabbed at himself.
"Guards, bring in Denera, she dwells in the kitchens."
Impa stared hard at him, hate blazing in her eyes. It took a while for Denera to finally make her way staggering into the chamber, all but kicking and screaming.
"Unhand me!" She screamed at the guards. The guards threw her inside Ganon's chamber and slammed the door shut.
"You called me, my Lord." She whispered, attempting to mask her defiance. He eyed her wavy ringlets of red hair, hazel eyes, and her delicious figure.
"Take off your clothes, you will amuse me with your body tonight until I grow weary of you." Denera's eyes widened, shocked, looking at Impa, who stared fearfully back.
"Get on with it, my patience is running thin." He barked. Turning to Impa, he smirked. "Old fool, You will watch."
With trembling fingers, Denera unhooked her dress from the back and slid it to the ground. The sight of her made Ganon shudder in excitement. He would enjoy this.
"Come here." He commanded, pulling off his shirt and throwing it to the side. She tried to cover as much of her exposed body as possible. "Now." She fell forward to his knees as a wave of power wracked her body into submission. She looked up at him, paralyzed.
"Unbutton my trousers and take me into your mouth." He leaned his head back and moaned with pleasure as she complied, tears streaming from her eyes. He looked down at her face, her agonized expression intoxicating to him, he grabbed her hair and forced himself deeper into her mouth. She gagged violently. He pushed her off and picked her up, throwing her on the bed.
He threw down his trousers and climbed on top of her, positioning himself over her mouth. She muffled a scream as he began to thrust. Desperate, she clawed at him, a weak attempt to force him off. When she began to lose consciousness, he released her, flipping her over. Weakly, she whimpered, begging him to stop.
"No... I'm not stopping." He said quietly, his hands massaging her behind and spreading it. "Maybe not in the usual place?"
He stroked himself, and pushed it against her dark entrance. He spit on his hand and massaged it all over his tip, lubricating it slightly and pressed it harder against it. She shrieked when he ripped into her. Blood, seeped out, exciting him further. He thrust deeper, forcing her head down against the bed, muffling her cries of agony. He moaned loudly, feeling himself drawing closer and closer to release. He grit his teeth, quickening his pace, until finally, his throbbing member pulsed and released in waves of ecstasy. His body convulsing, jerking with each wave, he breathed hard.
"Please!" Impa cried out, "Stop this!"
"You will tell me what I need to know." He said breathlessly, pulling out his limp member, a pool of his juices mixed with blood dripping from her. He dragged her down to face him, and pushed himself into her mouth, forcing her to taste the cocktail of flavors. She immediately gagged violently again, throwing up.
"Don't..." Denera whispered weakly to Impa. "Don't tell him... I can... Handle this."
"If you can handle it then, I'm clearly not being very efficient." He said, pulling out his dagger. "Time for a new tactic, let's test your pain limits."
After a while, her body was covered in neat lines of bleeding shallow cuts. There was a knock on the door. Ganon flipped his knife away, and in a bored voice, he said, "come in."
A guard threw in a man, who's blood drained from his face as he took in the sight of Denera's weak body. He looked sick.
"What is this?" Ganon said, irritated at the new interruption.
"Please..." The man whimpered quietly. "I know where the queen is, just please spare my wife." Ganon's face brightened with interest.
"Impa you are dismissed." He said, shoving her out the door, slamming it in her panic-stricken face.
Approximately four days later, the sky was gradually growing darker as dark storm clouds converged, threatening to flood the land below. The wind was picking up, billowing through the trees and slamming into the trio, forcing them to slow their progress. The horses whined anxiously, fighting to continue the path forward. They were currently riding through a narrow winding path between two mountains, close to entering Kakariko Gorge in the Eldin Province.
Zelda was gripping Link's midsection, her eyes squeezing shut every time they were battered by the gales.
"Maybe we should take cover!" Chase yelled over the loud roar. Thunder cracked and echoed as a few stray drops escaped from above.
"Where though?" Link responded, shielding his face as another huge gust whipped at them. The path opened up in front of them, revealing a wide valley surrounded by mountains and plateaus. The drops turned into the first onslaught of rain that quickly gained in power, drenching the thirsty earth.
They galloped as fast as they could coming to a large wooden bridge. A giant bottomless rift in the earth stretched from east to west, and they began to cross the bridge that connected the two outcroppings of land. The horses proceeded slowly, nervously whining as the bridge shook violently from the wind.
"Come on... Easy does it, girl." Link whispered urgently into Epona's ear. She stumbled a moment, almost teetering both Link and Zelda over the edge.
"Almost there." Chase said, urging Pan forward. They finally made it to the other side just as the ropes on the bridge snapped, and cascaded into the darkness below. A lump rose in Zelda's throat as she saw the boards break against a rocky pillar.
Somehow the already torrential downpour grew in intensity.
"AT THIS RATE, WE'LL DROWN!" Chase shouted out, his voice masked by a loud crack of thunder rolling, causing the earth to rumble.
"OVER THERE!" Zelda screamed, pointing to a close by cave in the rocky mountainside. Throwing themselves in the shelter, they hide behind a giant boulder, as a powerful gale whipped up. In the distance they saw flying debris of trees and boulders whipping around in the air as a cyclone touched down. The horses screamed in fright and cowered in the furthest part of the cave, huddling close together. The three clung to the boulder as they felt the air being sucked in violently around them, threatening to pull them out into the fury of the storm. Then suddenly, it dissipated. The rain continued to pound the world outside with less intensity as the storm began to move on.
Eventually, breathing sighs of relief, they set up their camp. The darkness outside began to deepen as dusk began to settle in.
After a welcoming campfire roared to life, Zelda sighed. Shivering, she pulled out some clothes from her pack that where moderately dry. Chase and Link did the same.
"Don't look." She said, glancing at them. When their backs where turned, she peeled off her drowned clothes and shrugged on a long sleeved blouse. She tugged the strings a little tighter to conceal her cleavage and pulled on her trousers. After laying her wet clothes out in front of the fire to dry, she turned her back as Link and Chase got changed as well. She combed her hair out while she waited, and rolled it up into a messy bun; her long bangs framed her pale face.
They finally settled closely to the flames and distributed the last of their rations.
Chase looked pitiful, wincing as he took a bite out of a loaf of stale bread. He eyed an apple suspiciously, warily squeezing it between his thumb and his forefinger. His finger slid through like butter. Wrinkling his nose in disgust, he threw it into the flames.
"Nasty rotten fruit." He mumbled, stubbornly biting another chunk out of the bread.
Zelda nibbled at her portion then sighed.
"If the storm eases up by morning, we should arrive in Kakariko by midday."
"That was some storm..." Link said, finishing up and shaking out the crumbs. "Weird seeing you in normal clothes." He added, looking Zelda up and down. "Not that we didn't appreciate the leather."
Zelda rolled her eyes as Chase snickered. She stood up and approached the entrance to the cave, gazing out at the rain.
"I feel that this was no natural storm." She said. Chase yawned noisily.
"What, you think that Ganondorf had something to do with it?" Link asked, fluffing up his bag and laying his head against it.
"I don't know..." She whispered.
Later that night, she found herself unable to sleep. Stepping away from the rumbling snores emitted from her companions, she sat looking out into the rain. Kakariko village was a small town that nestled in between the mountains on the other side of this valley. It rests at the foot of Death Mountain, an active volcano, and was once a bountiful town. Some time ago, Death Mountain erupted, burning this once flourishing land, and turning the Eldin Province into a rocky wasteland. A few people returned to Kakariko to build it back up again, but eventually it became a ghost town. No crops grew and there was no way to make a living.
She had frequented Kakariko a few times and the townsfolk that do dwell there were kind. They set up an active trade with the merchants of Castle Town hoping to make the town prosperous once again. In exchange for food and goods, the people in Kakariko took to death mountain to mine for valuable ore that could be used to create armor for the knights of Hyrule Castle.
However, in doing so in the past, they disturbed the rest of the local tribe on the mountain, the Gorons. The Gorons were in no way human, as they were a proud race of creatures made of rock and for a while, the people of Kakariko and Death Mountain folk nursed hatred for one another.
Eventually, as supply and demand grew to critical lengths, the people of the village extended a hand of truce. Legend has it, a previous mayor of Ordon had challenged the Goron Leader to a sumo wrestling match, a sport of pride to the tribe, and beat him. The Goron Leader, impressed by his strength, accepted the truce and long since then, the two races dwelt in peace and commerce thrived once again.
Zelda grew weary at long last and settled down, using a cloak as a blanket. Drifting off to sleep, she glanced at Link, snoozing peacefully beside her, and a small feeling of warmth washed over her.
Suddenly, she jerked awake, instantly alert. Zelda's heart began racing as adrenaline coursed through her veins. The horses woke up and began to nervously trot side to side.
"Chase, Link, wake up." She shoved them awake. The sun was beginning to peak gloomily in the horizon, rain lazily falling still. There was a feeling rising in her gut that told her something was very wrong.
She threw all the packs together, scooping up the clothes laid out, shoved them in the bags and strapped them to the horses saddles.
The two sat up, rubbing their eyes.
"What's going on?" Link asked. Chase gawked at her as she paced back and forth kicking dust onto the flames.
"Something doesn't feel right." She said quickly. "Get up, we have to move now."
Something about her tone, scared them. They quickly helped her finish packing and mounted the horses.
A rise of panic stabbed through her.
"MOVE NOW!" She said, taking the reigns and swinging herself on Epona in front of Link. Kicking her heels in her, Epona neighed and galloped full force. Chase urged Pan to pursue them, as Zelda led the way. Without warning, red lightning struck, exploding the cave behind them. The rocks tumbled down, blocking the entrance.
The force of the explosion, rocked the earth. Terrified, the horses broke out in full speed.
"HURRY!" Zelda screamed. They were fast approaching another narrow rocky path, when lightning surged and crashed behind them, too close for comfort. The horses stopped in their tracks, afraid to move forward, despite their urges, when suddenly lightning flashed at their feet. The force of the impact, threw them all off their mounts. Screeching, Epona and Pan fled the scene, leaving the three, knocked windless on the ground. Groaning, they stood up.
"NO NO NO!" Link cried out, whistling a call. The horses had gone through the path ahead, taking their gear with them. Link alone had a sword.
Another flash of lightning struck the ground, catching the earth on fire. In the flames, a figure stepped out.
Zelda's heart stopped as Ganon faced her. His eyes were aflame with rage and victory. He smiled.
"Well, well, well... What do we have here?" He glanced at both Link and Chase, who stood in front of Zelda protectively. Link drew his sword. "A ragtag group attempting to protect a fallen queen? This should be interesting."
With a flick of his hand, lightning surged from his palm, narrowly avoiding Chase, who launched himself to the side.