Volume One: The Rescue of the Saviour

By Gabriel B

Chapter Sixteen: The Plight of the Prisoners

There was a silence between them, steady and absolute, punctuated only by his raspy breath and her muffled tears. Moments turned to minutes as the silence continued, with what felt like increasing vigour. "A-are you ok-okay?" she finally asked, and the sound felt strange to her ears, but that sound, too, was swallowed up by the stone walls. There was no response.

She stretched out her arms, even though she knew she couldn't reach him, and she heard the clanking of chains as the clasp on her wrists halted her movement. She spotted the half-empty bowl of water sitting to her side, and had what she knew to be a terrible idea, but she would try it anyway.

"Hey, Link," Zelda whispered urgently, finally having controlled her breathing, and she saw him clenching his fists. She knew that throwing the bowl would only spill what little water was left in it. Instead, she tried sliding it across the stony floor, but a loose tile knocked it over and, while the bowl sat itself upright again, its contents spilled onto the floor, undrinkable. "Dammit!" she said to herself, but Link opened his eyes at her exclamation.

"I told you already, I'm not answering your questions," Link mumbled, as he struggled to push himself upright. Shards of glass mixed with droplets of blood and water fell from his face, and his already-dirtied blond hair now had sickening patches of orange. What a shame, Zelda thought to herself, the Hero of Time, the greatest hope Hyrule had ever known, is trapped in a dungeon, and subjected to torture. "Where are you, you bast—"

"Calm down, Link," Zelda whispered, "you need to save your energy if you're going to get yourself out of here." She looked down, and saw her plate of meat and bread that she had abandoned during the thrashing, and then back up.

Link winced as he continued to pull broken pieces of the jug out of his face, and said sardonically, "Ow; and how do you propose we do that?"

"Next time Arden comes down here," Zelda whispered frantically, "I'll, uh, distract him… somehow… and when I do, you can hit him in the head and knock him out. You can use the clasp-thing on your hand to make it hurt even more. Then you get his keys and get yourself out of here."

Link looked at her and blinked, and Zelda got the feeling that her plan didn't go over so well with him. "That – that's never going to work, you realise, right?" he said, dumbfounded, after a short pause. "Can't you just go back in time to before this happened and stop us getting caught? We wouldn't even have to worry about Arden or this stupid dungeon in the first place." Link yanked on the chain, but the end was firmly fixed in the wall, and he only managed further to hurt his wrists.

Zelda looked down sadly, and said, "I tried that already, but it doesn't seem to be working here – there's some kind of force in this room stopping me. And I don't think that time travel works that way – when I sent you back to stop my father from working with Ganondorf, well, he banished you. And we both know how that turned out in the end, don't we? I don't think we could change any of this anyway, even if I could do something."

Link was sitting down, no more than twenty feet away from her, and he was eyeing the plate of food by her feet with a savagery she hardly realized existed in him. "You must be starving," Zelda said, and a faint smile appeared on Link's face. It was only an echo of the warm, friendly smile with which he had first greeted her, all those years ago when they were children, but it was a start.

"What gave it away?" Link asked, and for the briefest moment, Zelda forgot how hopelessly screwed they were.

"Here, I know it's not much, but it's better than letting you not eat." She grabbed the plate, with its half-eaten loaf of bread and cucco meat, and tossed it to him. Neither the meat nor the bread was on-target, but neither did they fall too far away from Link, who quickly picked them up and started wolfing down what he could.

Now that she thought about it, however, Zelda knew that everything was her fault, or at least very not his. It had started two years ago, when her head advisor died of a nasty seizure, and she promoted the next-in-line, the promising young man Ixian, to take the role.

But he had seemed distrustful of the things that she felt were the safest – he insisted that the Temple of Time be sealed off, 'not because of what could escape, but because of what could enter'. Reluctantly, she had a superficial fence built around and above it, giving the illusion of further protection without actually providing it. However, Ixian's paranoia didn't stop there; "Ganondorf surely hadn't acted alone," he had warned. "You need to be very careful from now on." He even provided references for 'trusted' security.

Zelda felt her stomach tighten once again as she blamed herself for not seeing through his deceit. It certainly had been quite a long con, one that, in its fragile state, Hyrule had been all too eager to believe. As she heard the familiar sound of the dreaded dungeon door, she kicked herself again for being caught in this trap. "'Trusted security' my ass," she mumbled.

Zelda's stomach sank as the dreaded voice echoed on the walls, "Alright, girls, time's up. Are you going to cooperate nicely now, or am I going to have to start getting my toys? Today makes a whole month since we've started enjoying each others' companies, so the Queen, long let her live, is growing a bit… shall we say…" Arden reached the bottom stair and stuck his angry head in the outer doorway, and finished, with a hideous glee on his face, "antsy." His shoulders were hunched even more than usual, and the light stubble he was sporting seemed somehow to amplify his rage. The crowbar he was toying in his hands, instead of his usual spear, certainly didn't help, either.

This is it, she thought; now or never. Arden spotted Link, having awoken, and no longer bleeding, and Zelda knew that 'never' was not an option. "You – you said w-we had two hours, did-didn't you?" Arden looked away from Link, at whom she gave a quick glance, before she closed her eyes.

Arden smirked at her, and said, "Time just seems to… lapse when you're enjoying yourself, doesn't it?"

Zelda felt her heart pounding furiously, but couldn't let it show. If ever there had been a story she needed to sell, this was it; she didn't need to use her power, she just needed Arden to believe she could. "It's only been thirty-eight minutes," she announced after a moment, and with much more grace than she'd felt cumulatively in the past month.

There was a definite falter in Arden's expression, from which he quickly recovered with his usual sneer. "And how would you know something like that, princess?" he asked, and Zelda could sense a slight wavering as he spoke. He glanced around the room, making sure everything was in order, before his gray eyes returned their glare to her face, and he took a threatening step forward, just out of Link's reach.

Zelda pointedly looked to the side and waved her hand like it was nothing. "Oh, knowing the passage of time is basic for the Sage of Time," she said. "Take a step back and I can give you a demonstration." She heard slight clinking of chains as Link tested just how far he could reach, and waited for Arden to comply.

But instead, his face grew into an even more contorted smirk as the guard leaned towards Zelda, and away from Link. "Oh, you're not fooling anybody, little missy," he said in a low growl. "Do you really expect me, your keeper, not to know of the Twinrova's enchantments? You've no more power in that room than a drowning Deku Scrub." He took another step forward, and Zelda's mind raced, trying to think of a way to force him backwards, to spring the trap they had planned for him.

A movement behind Arden caught her eye, and she shifted herself slightly to get a better view of Link without looking away from the guard. He was holding the plate and pointing with it into the hallway, and after a moment's pause, a tiny smile appeared on the corners of her mouth. "Then how do I know about him?" she asked, nodding her head to the right.

For the briefest moment, Arden's smirk vanished as he turned to look to his left, seeing just the stone wall of the dungeon. "I think dehydration is starting to give you hallucinations," he said, wielding the crowbar threateningly, but Zelda remained nonchalant.

"Cut the pretence, Arden," she said, and Arden's arm paused. Zelda stood up slowly, to look at the man at eye-level. Despite his physical strength, Arden's height was less than noteworthy. Then she grew quiet, and Arden had to lean in closer to hear what she was saying. "We both know I'm talking about the man who came down with you, and who's standing in the hallway, listening to our conversation right now. Who is it, your superior, come to hear our confessions firsthand? Or is he your replacement, because in the month we've been down here, all you've managed to get out of either of us is blood?"

Suddenly, Zelda felt all her breath forced out of her body, accompanied by a blunt but forceful jab to her stomach. "Do not speak to me that way," Arden said, almost growling. The crowbar had been tossed carelessly to the side, in favour of the brute force of his fist. "There is nobody out there!" he added, more for his own self-assurance than for correcting Zelda. After a moment's pause, he continued, seething, "Now, if you're finished with your interruption, let's get talk–"

"Maybe he didn't come with you," Zelda said between gasps of breath, and she stood up defiantly. She spoke loudly now, so that everyone present could hear, and her voice echoed through the chamber. "But he's there now, and he's listening to every word you're saying!" She finished rather louder than she had been trying, but the point got across – the sound of something crashing in the hallway was loud and clear, and Arden froze.

Slowly, he picked up the crowbar and walked back toward the hallway. Zelda could feel her heart racing as he inched closer and closer to Link, who was waiting for the perfect moment to strike. At last, he stood before the door, his weapon raised defensively, and ordered, "Identify yourself!"

"Now!," Zelda screamed, and Link delivered a solid kick to the inside of Arden's right knee. Arden yelped in pain, immediately dropping the crowbar, and buckling under his own weight.

"That's for calling me a wolf, you ass!" Link shouted, and raised his shackled wrists above Arden, who stupidly turned around to look. "And this is for being a perverted son of—!" His last words were drowned out by Arden's second scream of pain as Link threw all his weight into the iron shackles on his wrists, and them onto Arden's face. Blood leaked from Arden's nose, mixing with Link's blood, already puddled on the floor.

There was an eerie sound in the room. Link's and Arden's breathing were laboured; that, mixed with the dripping of his blood into a pool, unnerved Zelda almost as much as the fact that Link was standing still. "Take the keys, already!" she whispered urgently, and Link snapped out of his trance. He knelt down, and pushed Arden over, looking for a keychain, and listening for the sound of clinking metal beneath his fingers. Instead, however, he heard a groan.

"Stop it; we'll get you food when we get out of here!" Zelda said, nervously watching Link fumble.

"That – that wasn't me, Princess," he said, and her heart sank. Instinctively, Link jumped back, but it was too late; Arden had already grabbed on the chain, and Link was pulled to the ground by his own jump. Following him was a fist that smashed into his already displaced nose, but Arden wasn't done. In a rage that terrified the already scared princess, Arden grabbed hold of Link's right arm. There was a sickening crack, coupled with a yelp from Link, and Zelda saw with horror that Arden had six fingers on – no, in – his own right hand.

"WAIT, STOP!" Zelda screamed, as Arden began choking Link. When that had no effect on the prison guard's unbridled fury, she said, "I'll tell you what you want to know!"

This time, it worked. Arden loosened his grip, and said, "Go on, I'm listening."

"It's called 'The Legacy of Hyrule'," Zelda said, and Arden, still gripping Link's throat, beckoned for her to continue.

Trembling with fear, Zelda closed her eyes as she remembered the age-old legend passed down through the Royal Family almost since the kingdom's foundation, and Zelda knew it well. She began quietly, but quickly fell into the meter of the poem.

"T'was long ago, from nothings, came the powers from above,

The Goddesses, like beacons, bringing Fire, Wind, and Love.

Then Din, her flaming arms alit, turned chaos into calm;

This earth, in all its wonder, thus spun newly in her palm.

Farore's wind erupted! Countless species were unfurled

As Nayru poured her love into the laws that hold the world."

She paused as Link's breathing became less ragged, and Zelda opened her eyes. Arden had relaxed his grip on Link's neck. He was visibly intrigued by the poem that Zelda was reciting. "Don't stop," he said, and tensed his muscle threateningly against the boy's windpipe.

Zelda nodded, and continued, "Now satisfied their work was done, the Three left for the skies,

But still, a relic left behind became a holy prize,

For sitting in their place was the foundation of our tribe:

The Triforce, shining brightly! For it, no words will describe.

But strength corrupts the holiest of folk, with true desires.

The promise of supremacy turned great men into liars.

The bonds that held the world united shattered with a throe:

The races split apart like lightning, fighting toe to toe.

And yet, among the factions' hate, there shone a ray of hope:

A way to end the devastation on our slip'ry slope.

For Man and Kokiri and Goron, Zora, did declare

That none may claim the Triforce whole; amongst them, they must share.

And so the Sacred Realm was forged, to end our awful war;

The slaughtering of millions did both Man and God abhor.

But over time, the keys will fade; a lock they may not fit.

So willing, every race must give a soul to open it.

Thus only by the unity of all this kingdom's kind

Grants access to the legacy that Hyrule leaves behind."

She finished, and there was quiet for a while. Arden said nothing, Zelda volunteered no more, and Link wasn't even in a fit state to say anything if he wanted. With an angry grunt, he got off Link's stomach, and tromped up the stairs without saying a word. There was a slam, and then there was silence.

Knock, knock, pause, knock, knock, went the door, and the Queen of Hyrule turned around with anticipation, the butterflies in her stomach running wild. She carefully placed the book she was reading on the table next to her, trying not to lose the page. "Come in, Arden," she said, barely concealing her excitement. The door swung open, revealing the squalid man on the other side, sporting a black eye and a limp.

As soon as the guard had fully entered the room, he knelt before the Queen, bowing his head. The short silence that ensued began to wear away at her patience. "You know I only allow the most urgent visits from you. What news have you brought? Or is your injury rather more intensive than your eye?" she asked sharply.

"You have my apologies, Your Majesty. At last, I have… broken the dregs." A small, mischievous grin momentarily passed over his face before he continued, "Zelda has revealed the way inside." His announcement was followed by a brief silence as the Queen's anticipation built, almost to the point of agitation. "She said to bring one person, a representative, of each of the seven races to the Temple of Time."

The Queen gave a quick glance to the book she was reading, "The Secrets of the Mirror," but then Arden's words caught up with her. "Did she specifically say seven races?" That couldn't be right – surely even the former Princess knew about the hidden city.

"N–no, Your Majesty," Arden said, looking at his own feet. Her words were, 'The unity of all the kingdom's kind', and I assumed–"

"Do not concern yourself with details, my servant," the Queen said, and Arden fell silent, still refusing to look at the Queen. "Was there anything else that she said, any sort of incantation or prayer needed to open the gateway?"

Arden shook his head, but refused to look the Queen directly in the eye – partially from his injury, and partially because he was afraid. "From what she said, Your Majesty, their presence at the Temple should suffice."

"Very good, Arden, your hard work shall be rewarded in our new world. Is there anything else you have to say, or will that be all?" She resisted the urge to throw Arden forcefully from the room; she had to stay professional in the presence of even the grunts.

"No, Your Majesty, that is all."

"Then that will be all. Dismissed!" she said, and Arden limped out of the room. True, Arden wouldn't know about the Leviathans, but it hardly mattered – she had her own inside man. Together, they already had members from five of the eight races. Only the Kokiri, the Zora, and the Sheikah remained, but her men were prepared to take the first two on command. Only the Sheikah was proving difficult to locate.

"Impa," she muttered furiously, and slammed her fist on her book. "I will have you yet."