IV

Trials

Link chafed at being shackles once again. Being captured was not something he enjoyed, let alone having it happen to him twice in one day. Gritting his teeth, he continuously tried to find a weak spot in his bindings. To his side, the mages stood calmly, awaiting what would happen next. He let out a harsh huff and glared at them for a second before returning his attention on their captors. Damn sorcerers, he thought, his feelings for magic-casters not changing. Figures the day I deal with their kind just gets worse and worse. Link already knew he would curse this day for the rest of his life.

"What shall we do, your majesties? They were clearly trying to escape," commented one of the guards. Link grunted in protest as once again his armor and weapon were taken away.

"We proceed as planned," nodded Alden. He eyed the three Hylians, a wry smile crossing his face. "They are back in our care. What's the difference if we met them out here or in their cells?" The Prince glanced over to the Princess who agreed with a silent nod.

"Very well, your majesties." Two of the guards bowed and led the procession through the halls. Looking upon the prisoners one last time, Zelda took Alden's arm before the two of them followed in line, their royal clothing swishing softly on the stone floor. It was with a harsh shove that Link, San, and Veknor followed. All were silent as they made their way out of the prison, for a time, at least.

"Why the hell don't you guys use your magic to get us out of here?" hissed Link, glaring back at his unwanted companions. "I've seen you sorcerers flee like that before, so why not now?"

Veknor eyed the mercenary coolly, but it was San who answered: "There are wards encompassing the entire city, preventing anyone from using magic to teleport in or out. Besides..." She let out a soft sigh. "Even if those wards weren't there, it's as though there are other wards around us now, preventing me from casting even the simplest of spells." Shaking her head, the young mage placed her hands on her temples, as if trying to get rid of a headache.

Link blinked in confusion. It had been a long time since he had seen a sorcerer so helpless. Since he had no magical abilities of his own, things that would disrupt a sorcerer's powers often left him alone. The last time he had seen something like this happen was back during the war. When fighting against the Demon Horde, there were times when any magic wielder could not cast a single spell due to the monsters that seemed to devourer the very essence of magic.

He almost felt a shred of sympathy for them for a second. Having the one thing they relied on for everything stripped away, it must have been a horrible feeling. It was one thing for him to lose his weapon and armor, for he knew he could still fight without them, but a magic-wielder was generally useless as long as they could not cast spells. The second he felt the sympathy rise, he shook his head and remembered what they were. "Blasted sorcerers," he nearly growled. "What good are you then?" San shot him a look, but while he expected it to be anger or some sort of frustration, Link was greatly surprised to see the sorrow on her face. She and Veknor could do nothing for them at the moment, and she knew it all too well.

"Keep quiet!" barked a guard as he shoved Link. The mercenary stumbled for a few steps, but managed to keep his footing. Anger rose up in Link. He had had enough.

"Peace, sergeant," soothed a caring voice. Link went tense for a moment when a hand touched his shoulder gently. That only lasted for a second, though, for he soon felt at ease. It was as though all his bad feelings were being washed away. The sergeant huffed once before bowing and returning to his place. Like Link, a hand had also been on his shoulder. "There is no harm in talking. Besides, there is no way for them to escape at the moment." Her hand slipped from Link's shoulder. Turning around, the mercenary watched as Zelda returned to Alden's side. There was such pureness from her that Link wondered if there was any darkness in her being at all.

As the procession stopped, Zelda turned back and smiled at the three. "But, Princess Zelda, this could be some Balyzian trickery! We must be careful!"

The peaceful princess studied the three for a moment longer. "I sense none of the magic that the Balyzians use." Her voice was as soft as silk. Her words and the smile she wore made all in the vicinity calmer. "Whoever they may be, I do not believe that they are of that kingdom, nor do I sense they have any mal intents for us. Friend or foe, that is what the sages and my father shall decide." With a nod, her observations were done.

Smiling, Alden took back Zelda's arm back. "I do believe Princess Zelda is normally right in these situations. There is no need to be harsh with them. Come, the sooner we reach the throne room, the sooner this matter shall be settled." Quick to salute, the guards followed the new orders to the letter. Link, San, and Veknor were relatively left alone, save for the odd shove to made sure they kept up the pace and direction.

The sun was warm as it shone down on them when they reached the streets. The inhabitants of the city were quick to scurry to the sides, creating a path for their group. Everyone that could see the group bowed or gave some gesture of respect to Zelda and Alden. Smiles were present on the faces of those who gazed upon the royal members. Many of the people said greetings to the prince and princess, their words filled with praise.

But soon, those greetings changed.

Murmurs rose that dealt not with the members of the royal family, but the prisoners, instead. Link cocked an eyebrow as he watched the people looking at them. They seemed to grow silent for a moment when his gaze fell upon them, but other than that, they continued to whisper. Those whispers, though, began to change. The comments from the citizens began to change from those dealing with the royal family members to the prisoners that followed. The mercenary could not catch them all, but a few reached his ears. One, however, stood out above the rest:

"Are they related to the Gods or Goddesses?"

The young mercenary's brow furrowed in confusion. "Gods and Goddesses?" he questioned to himself. He did not care for bouncing ideas off of the sorcerers at that time. Frankly, he wished he had never met them. That question from the citizens seemed to ripple through, making Link tense as he fell their eyes fall upon him and the mages. He did not understand why the citizens would relate them to such deities. Unless... Did their ears really make the three of them stand out that much? Such thoughts continued to run through Link's mind as the small procession made their way through the city.

Eventually the Hylians were brought into the throne room. What they had thought grand in the city was mediocre in comparison to the throne room. Despite their current predicament, the three could not help but stare in awe at their location. Alden, Zelda, and each of the guards around them were quick to bow before the old man sitting on the throne atop the incline of stairs.

"So that's meant to be the king, huh?" muttered Link as he rose an eyebrow at the old man. He never was one for royalty, especially feeble-looking ones.

"Show some respect!" hissed the guard next to the mercenary before he was pulled to his knees. San and Veknor received the same treatment while Link grumbled out a curse under his breath. Every second that passed made Link regret taking the job that day.

"My Lord, here are the prisoners you requested to see," announced Alden as he rose. With Zelda by his side, the two joined the king's side. The king raised his head and seemed to take a moment before fully focusing his attention on the newcomers. Link sighed in annoyance as they waited for the king to say something rather than just running a hand over his beard thoughtfully. Along with magic-users, members of royalty were also people that tended to annoy him. What was it that made them so different from the "common" people? Sitting around in their palaces all day...it was the people that got stuff done, anyway.

"This truly is an eventful day," commented the king as he sat up straighter. "We have our first marriage between the royal lines of Lynaria and Ryshalaa. And on top of that, we have some very interesting guests that just so happen decide to show up on this day."

"This was clearly an attempt on the princess' and prince's lives!" came a voice from above. Confused, the three Hylians looked up and saw the six balconies evenly spaced around the room above them. A man stood at the edge of each, a different symbol behind them. The colour of their garb was different for each man, the range being green, red, blue, violet, gold and white. "Only those from Balyze would come up with such a plot!" continued the man in the red robes.

"We cannot know that for certain," responded the man in white robes, his voice calm and steady. "We've never seen anyone like them before. This situation must be treated with care."

"Are you serious? This is a time of war!" voiced the man in the violet robes.

"And as such we must tread with caution," responded the green-robed man. The argument continued on, drawing in each of the men standing on the balconies. After a time, the people below began to grow annoyed, Link being the first to reach that point. Only when the king raised his hand did the men stop bickering.

"As you can see, this matter is quite different than what we're used to, even in this time. It would do us a great deal if you explained to us who you are and what you are doing here," instructed the king as he leaned forward, peering at the three Hylians.

Link began to take a step forward so he could denounce knowing either of the sorcerers. He would rather face whatever this kingdom had to throw at him by himself than with two spell-casters. Though what he planned to do was quite different from what happened. Blinking in confusion, Link looked back to San who had placed a hand on his arm. Staring back at him, her gaze unwavering, she lightly shook her head. In a second her eyes darted over to where Veknor stood by them and then focused back on the mercenary. With just her look alone, Link could surmise what she had wanted to say. He only sighed in annoyance before backing up slightly, Veknor being the one to step forward.

"My Lord, I am Veknor, this is my protégé San, and our guard, Link. We are but explorers who come from a land very far away," began Veknor, his voice reaching every inch of the throne room. "You have our deepest apologies for it was not our intent to cause such concern."

The king narrowed his eyes slightly. "And what is this place you speak of?"

"We come from a place called Dalin," answered Veknor without a moment's hesitation. Link grew tense at the mage's words. To say they all came from his home when they were akin to those that brought the destruction to it sickened Link more than he liked. It was only the hand on his arm that kept him from speaking out. Frustrated, he shot a glare to San who met his look with sympathy. He only hoped that Veknor had a damn good reason for saying they were from his home.

"Dalin? I have never heard of that place, and I know these lands well."

"It is quite far to the west."

"To the west? Impossible!" barked out one of the men from above.

"To the west lies Ryshalaa, and beyond that The Great Sea. There is no place called Dalin to he west," sighed another.

"We are from beyond The Great Sea!" answered Veknor strongly in attempts to remove any cynicism from the men. His plan did not work so well.

"Beyond The Great Sea? How did you then get here?" asked the king, his voice giving away that he was, in fact, intrigued.

"Our people used a great spell to send us here, that is how we were able to cross the waters and the land between here and there. I'm afraid returning will be no easy task."

"Then why did you come here? If you really are explorers, isn't there some desire to return?"

"Of course there is," answered Veknor with all honesty. "You must understand, we have just come from a war ourselves. We are in search of allies who could possibly aid us. If we found them, then we hoped, along with their aid, we would be able to find a way home. If not...well, there are always risks in enterprises like this."

The king sighed wearily as he rubbed his forehead. "Seems as though many are in wars these days..." Regaining his composure, the king sat back up straight and peered down at the Hylians. "If you are who you say your are, then what of the fourth person who was with you?"

Though Veknor did not speak out, Link could tell by the split second of hesitation and uncertainty that the mage did not know what the king spoke of. How could he? Link had not mentioned to either of them about the sorcerer that had brought him into this mess. Freeing his arm from San's hold, Link took a step past Veknor. Though she had put no spell over him, the mercenary now felt as though he could speak freely again. It was a good thing too, for he was the only one of the three who could make sure their cover story was kept up.

"He turned traitor on us the moment we reached this land. We should have seen it coming," explained Link, not afraid to let his hated for sorcerers to show through. "We have no idea what his intentions now are, all we know is that he's no longer with us."

"And what was this man's name?"

"Vaati."A gasp met his ears, but not from where he thought. Glancing behind him, Link saw the look of surprise on San's face. There was more than just surprise in her eyes, there was concern as well. Concern for him knowing that name? Link began to grow confused at her reaction. As the mercenary turned to face the king again, he saw the look Veknor was giving him. Though concerned, San's had still held some kindness in it, Veknor's on the other hand...it seemed more like he was judging whether or not Link could still be considered an ally.

"By deserting us, he is no more than a traitor now to his people," continued Veknor before Link could say any more. A moment of relief came over Link for he knew that the older mage could handle things once more. The matter that the two of them seemed to know of this Vaati as well would have to wait for another time. "If you are to come across him in the future, I would ask that you left us to deal with him."

"I can make no promises for you at this time," sighed the king, waving a hand, "for we still do not know whether you are friend or foe."

"Father," spoke Zelda, her voice bringing a sudden peace to the room. The young princess walked down a few steps to stand between the Hylians and those of the kingdom. "I believe them when they say they are not from Balyze. Not only that, but they do seem to be honest when they say they are from far away and do not wish harm for us. Would it not be best, to protect a possible relationship with their people, to not treat them like enemies right now?"

The old king eyed his daughter with a pensive gaze. Raising his head, the king looked up to the six sages above them. Each of them slowly nodded their heads, albeit some of them grudgingly. "So be it!" nodded the king, his voice ringing strong. "If you three truly are who you say you are, I can only ask that you understand that we are in a cautious time now where it can be hard to distinguish friend from foe. But if you are from Balyze," he added as he raised a finger, "then you shall find no protection in your new disguise. Take them to the other cells." The guards were quick in taking hold of the Hylians so they could carry out the new orders. "Just...one more question..." Placing his hands together, the king leaned forward and eyed the Hylians with care. "Do all from this Dalin have ears such as yours?"

"Yes," answered Veknor. "All of our people do."

Leaning back, the king gave a thoughtful hmph and waved them away. Unlike when they were taken to the throne room, the Hylians travelled in silence as they were taken to new cells. Link wondered for a moment why they were being taken to different ones, but quickly surmised it was due to how easily they had escaped their previous prison. Well, nearly escaped. Crossing paths with new guards and the royal family had not exactly helped with that.

Link grunted as he was shoved into a prison cell once again. Rubbing his sore wrists, he did not even try to rush for the door before it closed, locking him once more within four walls. An annoyed sigh escaped the mercenary as he headed up to the bars of his prison and rested his arms on them. He calmly eyed the two magic-users across from him, each of them in their own separate prison. San sat down on the bed in her cell while Veknor eyed the guards as they left the cell block.

The door had barely enough time to close completely before: "How do you know Vaati?" questioned Veknor immediately, and rather fiercely at that.

Link did not shy away from the question for he had expected as much to happen. Switching his expression to a glare, the mercenary stared back to the older mage. "Me? He's the one that hired me for the job that brought me to this blasted place! How do you guys know him?"

"Why did he hire you for a job?"

Rolling his eyes, Link answered, "Because I'm mercenary. He said he needed someone who couldn't use magic to come along."

"Have you had any dealings with him before this job?"

Link clenched his jaw in anger. This was beginning to feel like an interrogation. "No, this was the first time I had ever met him. Now answer my question and tell me how you know him. Though I guess it comes as no surprise that you sorcerers know each other."

Veknor said no more and sat down on his bed in the cell. He had gotten what he needed to know from Link, and seemed as though he now had much to think over.

"That statement is somewhat true," responded San as she rose. Link blinked and looked over to her. "Those mages that are, or were, of the Az'Rindai Citadel all know each other. Assuming this Vaati you met is the same one we know, then he was banish from the Citadel not long after the war ended."

Link's brow furrowed. He had never heard of such a thing happening before. True, it was not as though he kept up-to-date on the dealings of those in the Citadel, but surely such a thing would have spread around to most in Hyrule. "What would get someone banished?"

San's eyes darted to the side. With how she shifted her weight, Link could tell it was not an easy subject matter for her. "There are only a few things that can get someone banished from the Citadel, and practicing necromancy is one of them."

"Necromancy?" whispered Link back, becoming even more confused. Though he knew of necromancy, and how those of the enemy used it during the war, he did not understand why that was so bad. Magic was magic, was it not? "Why would that get him banished?"

A soft sigh escaped San and she seemed disappointed. Link immediately regretted asking what he did. Perhaps this had been one of those times where it would have been better to just keep his mouth shut and gone along with it. He did not need to know the details of why Vaati had been banished, just knowing that was enough.

"I guess you really don't know anything about us," she muttered, returning to sit on her bed. "Mages essentially use the mana that's in the world to fuel their spells," she began to explain. "But casting spells also requires strength from the caster themselves, so there's only a finite amount of spells one can cast before they must recover. Necromancers, however, can do things a little differently..." San seemed to shudder at the thought of what she was about to say. "They harness the power of demons to strengthen their spells. Instead of using their own strength, it is the demons that lend them power. Doing so over time changes a person...as though their soul is eaten away at. They can be more powerful, yes, and can cast more spells, but it is a forbidden art for a reason. Vaati suggested that we delve into necromancy for the war, despite knowing how bad it is. He thought we should use the power of the enemy against them. He was warned...but he did not listen. After the war, it was proven that he had begun studying necromancy, and was then banished. What he did between then and now is anyone's guess. And having him here...it only makes things worse, wherever here might be."

A sigh escaped Link as he ran a hand over his face. He had not expected such an explanation, but at least things made some sense. It was just is luck that he had to run into the one mage that decided to learn about necromancy. "Here...there..." he murmured to himself. The mercenary pinched the bridge of his nose for a moment. If only they knew where they were. "Wait..." Link looked over to the cell that held Veknor and peered at the older mage. "You know, don't you? You know where we are."

San tried to peer out of her cell towards Veknor's next to her. With how they were set up, she could not get a look at the mage. "Is this true, Master?"

Without saying a word, Veknor shot a look to Link telling him that he should not press the matter further. Link had to hold back a smirk. This time he would not keep quiet. It was thanks to the blasted sorcerers that he was in this mess to begin with, if they knew something that he did not, he wanted to know what it was.

"He at least knows something," added Link, crossing his arms at the silent mage. "I've dealt with enough people as a mercenary to watch out for what they don't say as much as what they do say. Not saying you were from Hyrule... Saying that we were explorers... Just what have you figured out?"

A heavy sigh escaped Veknor as he pinched the bridge of his nose. All was silent for a moment while the mage placed his hands together before him. "I have only a speculation at the moment, but I fear that it is the only reasonable answer for what has happened to us," he finally answered. Link raised an eyebrow at the mage when he paused, telling him to continue. "You both keep on asking where we are, but I do not believe that to be the main point. I believe the question we need to ask is rather when are we."

Link gave a scoff of disbelief. When they were? What was that supposed to mean? "When we are?" questioned San softly while Link rolled his eyes. "Master, do you mean to say that we're in another time from our own?"

"That is exactly what I believe."

"And just what exactly made you come to this crazy conclusion?" questioned Link, crossing his arms.

"The kingdoms of Lynaria and Ryshalaa, and the empire of Balyze. There are no such places in our time. In fact, the only time this places existed was in the past. And if you're wondering why I did not say we were from Hyrule, that is because they must not know of such a place existing yet. More importantly, Lynaria and Ryshalaa are the predecessors to Hyrule. Their Princess Zelda is proof of that, since for a very long time, each princess in their royal line has been named that. If we truly are in the past, and not some coincidental place that has these same names, then they must not know where we are really from.

"I'm afraid I cannot be more precise for the time we are in. The fact that they are at war with Balyze does not even help for they were often either at war or high tension between the kingdoms and empire. And when I try to remember things from this time..." Veknor sighed and placed a hand on his forehead. "It's as though I'm trying to remember something that has not happened, like there is a fog about those memories that won't clear. It will be annoying to deal with all this as though we were blind, but we must not alter our history any more."

Link reached out for the wall near him and leaned against it for a moment. Were they really in the past? If that were true, then how would they get home? Link did not like being stuck in a foreign place with two sorcerers let alone stuck in a different time. "If we are in the past...then how will we get out of this blasted time?" asked the mercenary.

"I am not quite sure. Before we were sent here, I heard a plea for help that had to have been been sent by the Goddess of Time, for it was sent through time itself. Perhaps the problematic occurrence was the anomaly itself or something is wrong in this time. Whatever may be wrong, if we are able to get home, I believe our only chance at that is to fix whatever problem there may be."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, Link let out an annoyed sigh. With each question of his that was answered seem to generate more and more problems for them to deal with. "Well, I guess we just have to cross that bridge when we come to it. First off, how the hell are we gonna get out of here? Can you just use your magic again like before?"

San shook her head with helplessness. "I can't. There are wards on these cells that keep me from casting even the simplest of spells. I guess they learned from last time and made sure to put us in a prison that we cannot use magic to get out from."

"Great," sighed Link as threw up his arms. Frustrated more than ever, he gave up on talking with the mages for now and went to lie down on his bed. There was no telling how long they would have to wait in their prisons now. Silence fell between them all and Link began to lose track of time. After how long he could not say, but footsteps began to come down the hall to their cells. Getting up, Link saw that San, and even Veknor, were also intrigued by their visitor.

"I hope you three do not think poorly of us for putting you through this. Please understand that this is a difficult time for us."

"Think no more on it, Princess Zelda," responded Veknor to their visitor. Link held back a scoff as he rolled his eyes. If they were truly so confused whether or no the three of them were friend or foe, the least they could do would be to provide better accommodations and not stick them in a prison. "What brings you here and without any guards?"

"I have come to let you free." The three of them blinked in surprise. They had not expected to be let out of their prison let alone by the princess herself.

"And what if we really are the enemy?"

"You may not have told the whole truth when questioned by my father and the sages, but you did not lie about that matter. I believe you when you said you were no enemy to us." The princess took a moment to look at each of them. There was no deceit in her eyes. What she said was as true as Veknor's words about them. "Head to the west gate of the city and you should find that most of the guards are not there at the moment," she explained as she unlocked their cells. "Here," she murmured as she handed Link his armor and weapon.

"Why are you doing this for us?" asked San before she stepped out.

"As we have said, this is a difficult time for us. I believe it would be best for you not to be around for a while. Worry not, I shall deal with this matter. Hopefully the next time we meet, it will not be under such suspicions." Zelda stepped back and motioned towards the door at the end of the cell block. "Please, go now."

The two mages were quick to follow her request with nods of their heads to the princess as they passed by. Link paused for a moment and looked back to Zelda before he too headed out the door. "Thanks," he murmured before following the two mages out.

The princess had not lied to them. As the three of them made their way to the west gate during the cover of night, there were only a few times they had to wait for guards to pass. Faster than they had expected, the group of three were soon outside of the gates and on their way towards the wilderness of Lynaria.

"What are we gonna do now?" breathed out Link as they paused.

"We get as far away from here as we can for now. Once the sun rises, then we shall decide where to go from there," answered Veknor. Link gave a sigh before reluctantly nodding. Though free from their cells, they were not yet safe from being recaptured. Without any further words, the mages and the mercenary headed off as fast as they all could to find a place where they could then decide what they would do next.