PURSUED
"Please, you must listen to me! Pirates are coming!" Link called out, squirming uselessly against the tall wooden pole he was tied to. Beside him, Kin did the same.
"You have to believe us! You're all in danger! Please!"
All across the wide village field, they received looks of hatred and contempt.
"You're all going to die if you don't listen do us!" Link yelled. His vision blurred as one of their two guardsmen cuffed him in the jaw.
"That's enough out of you," the man said. "You're starting to upset innocent folk."
The guard's partner sneered. "I don't get why they aren't dead yet. We should just cut their throats and be done with it."
After being herded down the mountain, Link and Kin had been greeted by an enraged Bruchis, who ordered them to be tied as they were until he could decide what to do with them. That had been almost two hours ago. Link knew time was running short for all of them.
"Listen to me, please," Link said to the guardsman. He could taste blood in his mouth. "Just send someone to look. You have some sort of watchtower, right?"
The man raised his fist threateningly.
"Maybe we should send someone," the first guard muttered. "What if they're telling the truth?"
The other man rounded on him in a flash. "You bloody fool! These two were found trespassing in the temple! Their word is worth nothing!" The man spat on the ground. "And why would pirates attack us here? We have nothing of value. It's obviously some sort of ruse so they can escape."
The first guard shrugged. "Yeah, you're probably right." He jabbed at Link with the butt of his spear. "Keep your mouth shut this time, hear?"
Link sagged against his bindings. It was hopeless. The only person in the village who might listen to them was Pashli, and they hadn't seen a hair of him since being captured.
"How did he find us?" Kin asked. By her face, she was talking about Captain Teas.
"I have no idea," Link replied, his expression dark. "I expected the crew to tear him apart."
Some activity at the far end of the field caught his attention. Bruchis had finally emerged from the house, a collection of priests in tow. He finally decided what to do with us. From the look in the chieftain's eyes, their prospects didn't look good.
"You have been found guilty of trespassing within our sacred temple, which is understood as treason against the people of this island," Bruchis announced, coming to stand before the two hostages. "Due to the exact nature of your crimes, we have decided to forgo the usual process of trial by council and sentence you in a private session."
The priest from before sneered at Link from over Bruchis' shoulder.
"We have a right to defend ourselves!" Kin exclaimed.
"You have forfeited that right!" Bruchis roared. "You forfeited it when you betrayed our people!"
Link watched on without a word. There was nothing they could do now. He knew that Bruchis was about to pass sentence on them, and then it would be too late. The pirates would have to be satisfied with jeering at their corpses as they swung from the gallows.
"In accordance with your crimes," Bruchis recited. "You are to be hanged by—"
He was interrupted by a loud boom in the distance. Almost as one, the group turned toward the ocean.
"What was that?" wondered one of the guards, peering around for the source of the noise.
Link's breath caught. "Canonfire!" he yelled, but it was too late. His words hadn't even begun to fade away before they were rocked with an explosion that showered them in bits of rock and wood.
Dazed, Link could only stare at the crater that had once been a small house about twenty meters ahead of them. All around him were the sounds of women screaming and children crying. Two more explosions sent mounds of earth flying into the sky.
"Evacuate the villagers!" Bruchis' voice barely rose above the cacophony. Everywhere was panic and mayhem. Dotted among the wreckage were signs of people dead or dying. Another explosion. Another.
"I can't get free!" Kin cried out, struggling against the cords that bound her. Link pulled at the pole behind him without success. Three more explosions. The village looked like a battlefield. Bruchis and the priests had disappeared. A lucky few townsfolk were beginning to flee up the mountain path, but it was not enough. Too many people were wandering the field, dazed and confused.
Suddenly, he could feel something pull at his bindings. He swung his head around, trying to see what was happening.
"Shay?!" Kin cried out. "What are you doing here? Get to the temple!"
Abruptly, Link's arms snapped free. Without wasting a moment, Shay dove at her sister's bonds. "Thank you," Link said, rubbing his wrists. "But we need to get out of here now!"
Kin fell forward as the cords that held her fell away. Link ran forward to grab her, ready to carry both girls to safety, but something made him hesitate.
"Come on!" Shay yelled, pulling Kin from the dirt.
"No, listen," Link said quietly into the silence. "They've finished." His heart raced; he knew what was coming next. He spun toward Shay. "Where's my sword?"
"What are you talking about?" the girl yelled. "We should get to the temple before they start firing again!"
"They aren't going to start again!" Link replied, frantically watching the beach for any signs of movement. He tried to ignore the sounds of people panicking all around him. "That was just to scatter and confuse the villagers." He turned back to Shay. "Where is my sword?!" he yelled again.
"It—it's in our house," she stammered. Before she had even finished speaking, Kin was at a full sprint for the chieftain's hut. "Where are you going?" Shay called.
"Shay, listen to me," Link said, taking the girl by the shoulders. "I cannot begin to thank you for cutting us free, but we are not safe yet. The pirates will be here in minutes, and they will cut down everyone in their path. You need to get the rest of the villagers away from here. Now."
The girl hesitated for only a moment, then nodded. "Fine. Don't die." With that, she left. "Everybody, follow me!" she yelled, running from person to person and herding them toward the mountain. "Get to the temple!"
Link turned his attention to the remaining guardsmen as they struggled to regain their senses. "They are preparing to attack!" Link yelled, taking the nearest guardsman by the shoulder. "Muster up your remaining troops! We need to hold them off until the rest of the villagers escape!"
The man looked at him with empty eyes. Next to him, one of the other guards drew his sword. "You're a prisoner! An outsider! Why should we listen to you? This is probably your fault!"
Link leapt forward and grabbed the man by the front of his armor, swatting his sword away when he tried to swing at him. "Listen to me you pathetic excuse for a soldier, in just a minute you are going to see an entire crew of seasoned brigands appear on that beachhead. Then, you are going to watch as they sweep through this town, killing every last woman and child before swarming up the mountain and butchering everyone up there too." Link threw him to the ground. "You can all kill me later, but for now we need to protect this village! These are your mothers and wives around you! The time has come to rise up and protect this place that you love!"
"Swordsman!" Kin yelled, sprinting up behind him. She held the Master Sword in her hands.
Link took it from her with a thankful nod. Drawing it, he turned back to the guardsmen. "I am Link, knight of Hyrule Castle! Follow me to victory!" A few of the men cheered. Turning back to Kin, he added, "Help your sister evacuate the rest of the villagers, then get to the temple."
For a moment it looked as if she was going to argue, but to Link's surprise she nodded agreement and ran off.
Link didn't waste any time. Looking around, he tried to take stock of the situation. Over a dozen craters littered the field, and debris was everywhere. Several of the remaining houses had caught fire and were burning away unchecked.
"Who is the captain here?" Link asked, turning back to the guardsman.
"I am," said the man he had thrown to the ground.
Link pulled him to his feet. "Then act like it," he said. "Get your men into the craters. Tuck in against the west side, where you won't be seen from the beach. Wait for my mark."
The man hesitated, glowering at Link. To his surprise though, the captain nodded. "You heard him, men!" the man barked out. Soon, they were all situated. Link remained on the field in plain view. He would have to hold the pirates' attention until the charge.
Link tried to lounge where he stood, laying the Master Sword across his shoulders and donning a bored expression. His leg throbbed. Farore, don't fail me now.
Navi floated out from Link's hat and begun to glide around him. "Are we going to have another swordfight?" the fairy asked excitedly.
"You bet," Link said with a grin. "You ready for it?"
"Always!"
The last of the villagers disappeared up the mountain path. Together, Link and Navi stood alone, surrounded by fire and destruction.
That was how Teas and his pirate crew found them: a demon and his fairy standing guard against the world.
"Well!" Teas exclaimed, clapping his hands emphatically. "Isn't this something? I thought we were going to have to burn down this entire goddess forsaken island to find you, and here you are wrapped up like a reekfish for market!" The bulbous captain gestured to a nasty white scar that ran down the right side of his face. "I can't say I took too kindly to that little mutiny you started on mah ship. Thought maybe you and I could sit down and talk about it, eh?"
Link remained silent.
"Scared quiet are ya?" Teas laughed. "Can't say I blame ye. After all, tonight I'll be using yer guts for fishbait."
"Leave now, and I'll probably let most of you live," Link said, sounding almost uninterested with events.
Teas guffawed loudly. "Leave? By my stars, you are a fool!" The captain gestured to his crew. "I got meself nearly two score of men here, but they're mostly just for show. I thought it'd be more fitting if we let you die by something a little more familiar." He snapped his fingers, and out of the mulling throng of pirates emerged three faces that Link knew all too well.
"Sorry Telun, or whatever your name is," Petir called out. "It's nothing personal." Beside him stood Bartell and Trent, swords and hammer drawn.
"Aye," Link agreed. "Nothing personal." In his mind, Link called up the weeks of training he had undergone with the mercenaries before him; he called up their tactics, their strengths, their weaknesses. This is going to get interesting. Link sharpened his focus. Ready.
Bartell barked out something Link couldn't hear. At his signal, Petir shouldered his rifle, taking aim. Link still didn't move.
Click.
Time seemed to slow as the gunpowder ignited and exploded out of the chamber. Focus. As quick as lightning, Link lashed out his sword.
Ting. The blade rang out loudly as the bullet deflected off the central ridge.
Without waiting for the rifleman to reload, Link flew forward – a green blur. Navi zipped ahead, highlighting his target. Leaping over the last crater, he yelled out savagely, and the duel began.
Strike. Parry. Stab. Dodge. The world blurred around him as he dexterously leapt from form to form, focused on Bartell's two blades as they fought to find their mark. Navi whizzed here and there, highlighting weak points in his adversary's stance. Bartell suddenly spun away. Without hesitation, Link dove backward, barely avoiding Trent's heavy hammer as it smashed into the ground. Rolling onto his feet, Link instinctively parried one of Bartell's swords as it struck for his blind spot, then sidestepped to keep the swordsman centered in Petir's line of sight.
No one wasted any time with taunts. There was only the fight.
Dancing backward, Link leapt into the air. He could feel the rush of wind as he narrowly flipped backward over another swing of Trent's hammer. His foot lashed out mid-turn, breaking several fingers on the giant's right hand. His feet barely touched the ground before he was met again by Bartell. Their three swords clashed in a flurry of slashes and parries. It was an orchestra of movement and sound.
Faster! Link pushed himself. He could feel the adrenaline fueled grin that painted his face. Life never tasted so sweet as in battle. Suddenly, Navi zoomed forward. There! Link leapt over a too slow sweep of his legs, simultaneously disarming Bartell's other sword, which was sent twirling into the air. At he landed, Link lashed out with his left foot, feeling the crunch as Bartell's ribcage collapsed. Spinning, he left the ground completely, smashing his other foot into the man's temple. He knew as soon as it connected that the blow was fatal. Now! Still airborn, Link plunged his sword into the ground and used the support to propel himself backward, easily avoiding Trent's slow, one-handed hammer strike. The Master Sword slid out of the grass with ease. With a bloodcurdling yell, Link rolled to his feet, dove forward, and buried his sword into the giant's leg. Trent yelled out in agony. Navi flashed forward: a warning. Link continued his momentum and wrapped his hand around the Trent's wrist, first disarming him, then twisting his huge body around just in time to take Bartell's next bullet as it shot toward Link's head. Dropping the lifeless mass, Link spun one last time, dexterously catching Bartell's first sword as it careened back from its wayward flight. With a quick flick, he hurled the short blade, watching with satisfied detachment as the hilt seemed to abruptly grow out of Petir's breast.
His chest heaved with exhaustion, but the battle was not over. Turning to a suddenly nervous Captain Teas, Link whipped the Master Sword; blood flew from his blade like cherry blossoms. With eyes like thunder, Link whispered dangerously, "Leave now, or I will kill you."
For a moment, it almost seemed as if the captain was going to run. "Hah!" the man suddenly burst out, his eyes bulging. "You're still just one man! I would rather die!"
"That's fine too," Link hissed.
"Get him, boys!" Teas screamed. And with a thunderous roar, the rest of the pirate crew surged forward, teeth bared and cutlasses drawn.
"Guardsman, mark!" Link yelled over the din, rushing forward to meet the onslaught. For a moment, he wondered if the men would follow.
"Charge!" the captain screamed, and nearly a dozen guardsmen appeared as if out of the ground itself.
The pirate crew barely had time to react. Over half of them were cut down in seconds. As the battle raged about him, Link made a straight line to Teas, who had held back from the initial charge. Any buccaneers who stood in his way met a merciless end at the edge of his blade.
Soon, Link was face to face with the captain. The man, who had once reminded Link of a beach ball, scowled at Link with a mixture of fury and terror. In his hands he held a short cutlass, barely more than a curved dagger.
Their blades met in a shower of sparks. Teas' nimble feet belayed his stout form, and even with his stubby sword he managed to repel Link's initial attack. Together, they danced back and forth, each intently focused on gaining some sort of opening. Navi whizzed to and fro, but Link could never quite find the space to strike.
The duel raged on. It was clear that Link was the better swordsman, but he was beginning to slow, tired from his earlier fight. Suddenly, his injured leg cramped up and he stumbled backward, barely managing to deflect the captain's responding thrust. His leg began to throb in agony, protesting each movement. The handicap turned the tide of the fight. Teas ruthlessly pressed his advantage, using his superior mobility to strike at Link from every side.
But it was still not enough.
With a pain-fueled burst of energy, Link struck, detaching both sword and hand from arm in one smooth motion. Before the captain could make a sound, Link twirled and Teas' head landed in the sand by his cutlass, followed closely by the rest of his round body.
Link collapsed onto his good knee. Around him, the fight had already ended. Six guardsmen still stood. Several meters away, the squad's captain nursed a shallow gash on his shoulder.
"It—it's over," the man said, voice tinged with disbelief. "We won." It was not a cheer of victory. "Thank you," the captain said, turning to Link. "Thank you."
Link shook his head, gasping for air. For several long minutes, Link knelt without moving. Navi bounced around his head, giddy from all the excitement.
"You did well, Navi," he managed to say between breaths. "I couldn't have won without you."
"Yay! Then you'll keep me?"
Link chuckled painfully. "Yeah," he grinned. "I guess I will."
Finally, he forced himself to his feet.
"Swordsman!"
Link jerked around, surprised to see Kin sprinting up to him.
"Crazy bard!" Navi sang out.
"What are you doing here?" he asked, still breathless. "You were supposed to go—"
"Are you hurt?" Kin interrupted, her brow tight with worry. "Why are you limping? And you're shaking! Goddesses, you aren't hurt are you?"
"Kin!" Link nearly had to yell above her barrage. His adrenaline was beginning to fade, but the aftereffects made his hands quiver and his skin feel numb. "I'm fine, just tired and sore."
Kin took a deep breath of relief. Link could see the tension fade from her shoulders.
"What are you doing here?" Link repeated. For the first time, he noticed the blanket rolls under her arm and the rucksack on her back.
"I ran off to collect our things," Kin explained. Her voice was still tight. "The supplies from last night, and your weapons from my father's house." She giggled nervously. "And maybe a few extra things from the pantry."
"What?" Link asked, confused.
Kin gave him an exasperated look. "We can't wait around now that the battle's over. We need to disappear before my father returns or we'll be dead anyway."
Link nearly laughed at her cleverness. "Well said, but I can hardly stand. You'll have to help me to the boats."
"You're leaving?" The captain approached, sword drawn. Beside him, Kin tensed. "Please, let me accompany you to the dock."
Link blinked in surprise.
"We owe you for the lives of every person who is still alive," the captain stated. Link was amazed to see that, on the field behind them, most of the surviving guardsmen were already working to put out the fires.
Link nodded. "Your people are made of sterner stuff than I expected. I'd appreciate the escort."
Without waiting, the captain whistled for two more of his men to fall in. "My name is Dowson," he said, introducing himself. "It was an honor to fight with you."
Link clasped his hand. "And with you."
The docks were located barely a half-mile up the coast, but with the battle wearing on them, it took nearly an hour to get there.
Of the five ships moored, Link thought only two of them were meant for open water sailing. He pointed to the one that rode higher in the water. It was a two-masted clipper that looked as if it would be quick on the waves. "Let's get her ready to go," he told Kin, still limping slightly as he made his way onto the pier.
"Stop them!" Bruchis' voice rang out into the air, sending a cold shiver down Link's spine. Together, he and Kin slowly backed down the pier as Bruchis, followed by the priests and several villagers who had escaped to the temple, thundered down the beach.
"Wait sir, you don't understand," Dowson said, carefully moving in front of Link.
"What are you doing, you moron?" one of the priests screamed. "Kill him! Kill him now!"
There was a soft scrape of metal against leather as the captain drew his sword. Without hesitation, the other two guardsmen followed suit. "This man saved both the village and our lives."
"You fool! He probably led the pirates here in the first place!"
The captain nodded. "That may be true, but I cannot hold him accountable for the actions of madmen. He has repaid whatever debt he accrued from that, and from within the temple, thrice over." The captain tightened his grip on his sword. "We will not allow you to take him."
Behind Bruchis, the priest's eyes bulged outward in helpless fury. "You follow me! You belong to me! Kill him, or I'll see you all dead! I'll kill you!"
The chieftain held up his hand, silencing the crazed man. "I do not hold to these men's ideals," he growled, "but it seems we have no choice but to accept their terms."
"You cannot be serious! They must pay for what they've—"
"Be quiet you old fool!" Bruchis yelled. The priest's rant subsided into a muddle of indignant sputtering.
Bruchis turned his attention back to Link and Kin, dangerous fire in his eyes. "You will take a ship and leave," he continued, his voice a growl. "And you will leave forever. If you ever return, you will be killed on the spot." His eyes narrowed. "As will any villager who has ever helped you."
Images of Pashli, Shay, and Dowson flashed through Link's mind. He lay his hand upon the captain's shoulder, indicating he sheath his sword.
"We will not return," Link replied. Together, he and Kin turned away and boarded the ship. As they made ready to sail, a short figure emerged from the crowd and walked up to the edge of the dock. Shay watched them both with the ferocity of newly buried malice.
"Thank you again, Shay," Link said as he secured the boom. "You saved our lives."
"Then it sounds like we are even, but I did not do it for you."
"Then why?" Kin asked.
The girl huffed. "I spoke with Valoo while you were being taken down the mountain. He told me...well, he told me how important you are," her eyes narrowed. "If you die, swordsman, we are all doomed. That responsibility is on your shoulders, and you have an obligation to see this kingdom safe, no matter the cost."
Link bowed. "I am prepared to die for this kingdom. You can at least rest knowing that." His words seemed to pacify the girl.
"But why did you free me?" Kin asked. "I'm not a hero. It's not like I'm going to save the kingdom."
Shay glowered at Kin. She clenched her fists. "Because..." she muttered. Link could see her arms quivering. "Because you're my sister."
Face flushed, Shay spun on her heel and disappeared back into the crowd. Kin gazed after her with wide eyes, speechless. Then her expression softened. "Goodbye, little sister," she whispered.
Not able to hide a smile, Link untied their mooring lines and cast off from the dock. Together, he and Kin unfurled the sails, and together they watched as Ryū Island faded into the horizon.