Chapter 6 – A Demonstration
"Hey Link?"
Link stopped his march and turned to Nate, who had also come to a halt. They had been trudging through East Hyrule Field for most of the day now; at present, they were nearing what was left of the Bridge of Eldin and the late afternoon sun was glaring heated daggers down on their exposed flesh.
Nate was looking at him in a very peculiar way, and Link could not, try hard as he did, read his expression at all.
"Yeah?" Link said as he turned and began walking again.
Nate jogged to catch up again and then said quietly, "I was wondering...you know, that is a very nice sword of yours, I just...I-"
"Nate," Link said with a small grin. "If you don't untie that tongue, I'm gonna untie it for you."
"Well," Nate said tentatively. "Link, can you use it for me? I really want to see what it's like in combat. And I want to see you in combat because I think you know a bit more about it than you are letting on."
Link turned his head, looked at Nate's begging face and could not help but feel a little confused.
"You, erm..." Link said slowly. "You want to see me fight something?"
"Yeah." Nate replied, nodding his head fervently.
"But..." Link said, looking around the field. "I don't see anything living and moving around here, besides you, me and Epona. So unless this is your way of challenging me to duel, I can't."
"No, I know that." Nate replied, perhaps with a bit of disappointment. "But a tribe of goblins lives in the pass on the other side of the Bridge of Eldin. Would you be willing to do it there?"
"I don't know, Nate." Link said hesitantly. "I don't want to kill unless I am provoked, even then I don't really want to kill. Killing for the sake of entertainment…that is just something that I don't think I can do."
"I know it is a lot to ask, Link, but-"
Link turned to face Nate again. "Nate," He said quietly. "Have you no idea what it's like to take a life?"
"I…" Nate replied slowly. "I do."
Link was very taken aback by that answer. "You…huh?"
"Back before the all the strange stuff started happening, there was a troupe of us in Castle Town." Nate explained. "We would meet every once in a while and just duel, you know, for fun. We used fine swords too, for a more realistic effect. It was all done in a controlled setting, no one ever got killed. We all wore overly elaborate armor, and we all struck to disarm only, nobody aimed to kill. But…there was this one time; it was just an accident…"
Link remained silent as Nate's voice trailed off and his eyes became unfocused and began to gloss over. He stared far off into the distance of Hyrule Field, lost in some deep memory.
After a moment, Link replied, "I have killed much more than my share of lives on this land. Mostly goblins and such, but does that make it any less wrong? If it were, why does the face of everything I have ever killed still haunt my sleep? Why do I still hear every scream of agony ringing in my ears at every second of every day? Every morning, I try to justify it by saying that it had to be done; it was either kill or get killed. But where does it end?"
Nate slowly came out of his trance. "I never meant to do it. His armor was strapped on too loose, and it slipped off as I made my strike. I can still see his pleading eyes as his life slowly slipped away…"
Link could not help but feel a considerable amount of pity towards Nate. To kill in defense is one thing, but an accident? The guilt in that must be something that Link couldn't even imagine. "Then you know as well as I the gravity of what you are asking of me." Link said definitively.
"Link," Nate said quietly. "I feel your pain, I really do, and I know that this is a lot to ask of you. I am not asking you to kill; no person can honestly expect that of another man. Just find something you can duel. Show me your skill, and the skill of your blade."
Link sighed. "Nate, I gave up that life a long time ago."
"Then bring it back just once." Nate said with determination. "For me."
"I don't know." Link said sheepishly. "If we run into a goblin and he attacks, then perhaps. I'll have to think about it."
The next morning, the two of them and Epona woke from their slumber at the base of the Bridge of Eldin. Despite the fact that the repair work Midna had done on it was quite hasty, the bridge looked very nice. There was usually a noticeable clash between man and nature in such elaborate structures, but not in this one. The bridge actually looked as if it was meant to be there, as if the scene would not be complete without this miracle of man.
Link and Nate set off early that day without having had breakfast, and Epona only got an apple that was starting to go bad in Link's pack. Food was a necessity to be desired where they were heading, it was best to be sure they had enough in the days to come rather than waste it all in one day and leave themselves in the mercy of the goddesses.
The three of them crossed the bridge in near silence; the only noise came from Epona's hooves as they clack-ed lightly against the cold stone of the bridge below. Link was still in deep thought about what had been said last night and he was also sure that, if he asked, Nate would claim the same thing.
The goblins who once patrolled the bridge were long gone by now. Since the fall of Ganondorf, more and more people have come out of hiding and were traveling all over Hyrule again. As a result, the mountain pass, which had been all but deserted by man, was now used more and more frequently. The goblins realized this and many of them went back into hiding deep in the mountains.
Once they had finally crossed the serene, albeit dangerous, bridge, Link stopped and turned to Nate.
"Two days, at least, it will take to make it through this pass." He said grimly. "Ready?"
"Definitely." Nate replied quietly. "As long as you have thought more about what I said."
Link frowned. He had been hoping Nate would drop the matter entirely after all that was said. He was about to open his mouth the respond, but something in the distance caught his eye and made him catch his breath.
The goddesses have a funny way of responding to their people's prayers. Sometimes they grant the most heartfelt desire, sometimes they completely ignore it. But in Link's case, they did neither; they gave him the complete opposite of what he had asked them for.
There, standing at the entrance to the mountain pass, was a lone goblin archer. Wearing as dim-witted an expression that you would expect from a goblin, this particular goblin seemed to take pride in the fact that it was wearing three chicken feathers and a squirrel hide on his head. And though Link and Nate had taken no precautions and made no effort to hide themselves and render themselves quiet, the goblin still didn't notice them when they were only ten feet away.
"I'm not going to force you to do it, Link." Nate whispered as he eyed the goblin lazily grazing through the rocky outcrop. "But if you are, now is the time."
Link was never given a chance to respond. The goblin had heard Nate (Link assumed that Nate wanted him to hear, to grab his attention) and was now staring down the two of them, just as they were to him.
It was something that he hoped never to do again. Take up a blade in opposition of an enemy. After experiencing quite enough swordplay for a lifetime in his quest to bring down Ganondorf, he was quite ready to put down his sword for good. Of course, he trained diligently still, even to this day, but this was very different.
To once again engage in combat, it was something to avoid. Fighting just started a wildfire of chaos and destruction, and Hyrule had just recently put out that flame. There was no need to set fire again that which is already charred.
But he was given no choice.
The goblin made the first move. He began to latch an arrow onto his bow and was taking aim while Link was still standing there, deliberating what to do.
With a slight swish, the goblin let go of the arrow and it came speeding his way. But Link was ready for it. Just as the goblin let go of the arrow, Link jumped into stride. Quick as lightning, he unlatched the Hylian Shield from his back and used it to shrug off the arrow without much effort, and the arrow fell harmlessly to the ground. He continued in stride and was on top of the goblin before he was even close to getting another arrow ready to fire.
The goblin stood no chance against the terrible might of a great sword wielded by a great swordsman. He held his feeble bow in one hand and a rock tipped arrow in the other, but he did not get a chance to fire again. The Master Sword, glimmering off a strong reflection of the sun's rays from its clean and metallic shaft, was raised in anticipation over the young goblin's head. A strong sense of fear, one which was not common of goblins, flashed across his face, however brief, as he saw the divine slash of a noble sword aimed right for him. In a combination of terrible beauty and righteous dishonor, the sword planted itself in the goblin's shoulder, and farther still, until it lay directly over a heart which beat no longer.
Removing the sword with a simple tug, Link watched in both horror and pride as the lifeless form of the goblin fell to the ground, now subject to the whims of Nature.
All life, the squirrels, birds, and little critters that made their homes in the ground, nearby the scene stopped to watch the awesome spectacle. In awe, they looked on, and in fear, they cringed. The Master Sword, now tainted by drops of evil, radiated a new quality, a quality which required reverence. All life worshipped the sword because it was more powerful than they could ever hope to be.
And yet, it still was held in the hand of Link, untarnished and not vengeful in the slightest. Now tainted on the exterior, the Master Sword still emitted an unmistakable aura of good and justice; the true Blade of Evil's Bane.
The stench of the aftermath, emanating from the unmoving corpse discarded on the ground, rose into the air and filled the nearby landscape. The breeze, a commonly found messenger capable of efficiency unknown of by humans, brought the news of the power wielded by the Master Sword to Hyrule.
The solemn trees of old, yearning for more knowledge to prosper on their age-withered bark, stuck their branches out in desperation. The rocks, motionless forces of nature and of coercion, watched with a blank stare, silently applauding a man for his abilities. Why, even the water, flowing down a nearby stream, ran from the area, in cowardice of the power that a man can wield in a single blade.
The ancient scholars of primeval generations could never have predicted such devastation. Yet, it happened, proof of it lay of Nate's genuinely shocked expression and his air of wonder about him.
"That…" Nate muttered quietly. "That was amazing…"
To Link, it was a simple slash that had been powerful enough to take down a weak goblin. In reality, though, it was much more than that. The power of not only Link's strength, not only the Master Sword's strength, but also the power of the Hyrulian race was manifested into that strike.
Everything is expected to have a summit. Everything is supposed to have a point where it can grow no more. But Link, accompanied with the Master Sword and in the great nation of Hyrule, had no zenith. He could grow more and more powerful every single day, and that was the scary part.
Using a spare rag that he always brought around with him on Epona's back, Link cleaned the stains of imperfection and evil off of his sword and put it back into its sheath on his back.
Grabbing the reins of his beloved horse once more, Link turned around, expecting to see Nate right behind. But Nate was still rooted to the spot, back where he had been previously as he watched the astonishing flow of events.
"Are you coming?"
Still Nate stood his ground. He did call back though, "Link…Where did you learn to do that?"
Link shrugged. "Experience, I guess." He replied. "Now can we go?"
Nate took one final glance at the goblin's unmoving body, and then jogged to catch up with Link as they continued into the mountain pass. "Who taught you to wield a blade like that?" He asked.
Link hesitated slightly. Somehow, he knew that Nate would find it hard to believe if he told him that he was taught by the living corpse of a former hero of Hyrule in a separate dimension. Instead, he shrugged lightly and replied, "I taught myself."
"But…" Nate said doubtfully. "Your form…it's flawless! You really learned how to do that on your own?"
"Nate, can we just drop it?" Link said impatiently. "Please?"
For a moment or two, the walked in silence. Soon, though, Nate cleared his throat and said, "Hey Link?"
Link turned to look at Nate while he kept walking. His face this time was quite easy to read. He was still stunned over what just happened, but his eyes were full of awe and wonder.
"Thanks." Nate said finally.
Link sighed deeply and looked ahead down the pass again. "No problem." He said lightly.
The rest of that day, and the entirety of the next day, went relatively uneventful for the pair and Epona. They got through the winding paths surrounded by rock without much harm or exposure to danger. They had not passed a single goblin in the heavily goblin-infested crevices and caves. Perhaps they had seen Link's run-in with the other goblin, or maybe they just detected an air about him; either way, they were not seen at all in those two days.
On the night of the second day, though, the two had made it to the base of the mountain leading to the Zora's Domain. It was a beautiful sight, seeing the grand waterfall in the background. Link passed a number of familiar and happy sights on his trek to the pinnacle, where the Zora's Domain was at. They passed the fishing hole and the bomb arrow river game, though Link had forgotten what they were actually named and who actually ran the places, it had been so long.
The afternoon of the third day after crossing the Bridge of Eldin found Link, Nate and Epona at the foot of the majestic waterfall home to many Zora. It had, in no sense, lost any of its formal royalty or elegant beauty he had come to expect of it in his brief, frequent visits to the place. It was always a beautiful sight, to see the picaresque reflection of the sky above him in the water below him. The river was, for the most past, flat, making the view all that more realistic.
Getting to this pretty landscape, though, was quite a challenge. He had to enter from the high road, as he could not get to the throne room from the base of the waterfall now, without Midna. And they did not, in any way, get a warm reception from the Zora Guards. Though they could not deny them entrance, as they were not provoked, the guards obviously recognized him and passed him a cold shoulder as he passed many of them by.
From the well-designed hallway in the mountain, they continued on.
"Hey, Link." Nate started. "What are you going to do here?"
"I've got a friend here," Link replied. "And I figured it was time to pay him a visit."
"Really?" asked Nate doubtfully. A nearby Zora was looking at Link suspiciously, but he quickly turned his head away when he noticed Nate watching him. "Not to sound mean or anything, Link, but it seems to me that you don't have any friends here."
"Not many, no." Link admitted. "But I do have one. Come on, just a little farther."
After finding somewhere to tie Epona down, as a horse would not be welcomed in a throne room, Link led Nate up the two sets of stairs and out on top of the waterfall. They went against the flow of the river, into the source and into the throne room.
"Halt." A guard stopped them before they actually got in the room that was basically a big pool of water. "State your name and business."
"Link, and I'm here to see the prince."
"And him?" The guard asked, pointing at Nate.
"Nate, and obviously, he has the same business as me."
"To see the prince?"
"Yes." Link replied impatiently.
"Hmm, well sorry, sirs," The guard replied unemotionally. "But the prince is accepting no visitors at the moment."
Link sighed. "Look, just tell him that Link is here to see him. He'll let us in."
The guard squinted, eying Link distrustfully. He quietly called another guard and whispered in his ear, clearly telling him to go ask the prince whether to admit them or not.
While the other guard scurried off, the first guard continued to stare daggers at Link.
In the meantime, however, Link waited. Nate, though, still stood shocked over what he had just heard. "Link, you never told me you knew the Zora Prince!" Nate said, clearly shocked, and perhaps a bit jealous.
"Oh, yeah, me and Ralis go back." Link replied. "I know the Goron chieftain as well."
"No way!"
"Yep." Link replied, grinning. "I've got good contacts."
"No kidding." Nate smirked. "What other secrets does Link hold?" He asked rhetorically.
What Nate didn't know was that Link did hold more secrets. Many more secrets. But, maybe, that would be saved for a conversation of a later day.
The second guard returned and whispered something in the first's ear. The first then turned back to Link. "Alright, you may enter." The guard said skeptically. "But just remember, you got about ten guards watching you right now. Any funny business at all and you will be kicked out immediately."
The guard stepped aside to admit them access, and Link and Nate passed him by wearily, half expecting the guard to shoo them away.
The small room, for the most part, was almost exactly the same as it was when Link was last here, almost four months ago. Except for minor shifts in furniture and the major increase in the number of guards, it was just as he remembered it.
Link saw Ralis, looking very bored, sitting on his throne chair at the apex of the Zora's Domain. His face instantly lit up, though, when he saw Link striding toward him.
"Link!" The young Zora prince exclaimed when Link and Nate had reached his throne. "Good to see you again!"
Link firmly shook the prince's hand and replied, "How are you doing, Ralis? It's been a while."
Ralis smirked. "That's an understatement." Though he was still young, Ralis had become a quick leader to his people. A few years younger than Link even, Ralis has been able to keep the Zora tribe in high regard.
"This is Nate." Link said, introducing his red-haired friend. "I met him a few days ago, and we've been traveling together since."
"Nice to meet you, Nate." Ralis said, exchanging pleasantries with Nate. "You two must stay for dinner!"
"Actually, Ralis, we were kind of hoping you'd let us stay here a couple of days." Link replied. "That is, if you have room for us."
"Certainly!" Ralis said joyously. "We always have room for visitors! Follow me, I show you to a guest room we have open.
Ralis lead them to the very back of the room, directly behind the throne, where he opened a door Link had not taken notice of at all when he had passed the spot with Midna many times. It was a door made out of stone that blended in so well with the stone around it that it was hard distinguish. It led into a grand dining hall, with many more doors branching off in different directions. Ralis led them down to the only door of the east wall. It was a small hallway, and Ralis brought them down that, and on the second door on the right, he stopped.
"Here's your room." He said. "It has two beds and a bathroom, so I'm sure you'll like it. I'll have dinner served in an hour, that alright to you?"
"That's great." Link replied.
"Alright, I'll let you get settle in then. I'll see you in an hour."
Ralis then turned and vanished, out of sight beyond the door back into the dining room. Shifting the small knapsack he carried on his shoulder, Link open the door that Ralis had indicated and walked in, with Nate right behind him.
Link threw his sack onto the bed to the left, while Nate crashed onto the bed on the right, looking thoroughly exhausted.
"He seems like a good man." Nate said eventually, after moments of speechlessness.
"Ralis? Yeah, he is."
"How do you know him?"
"Well, you know," Link replied. "I did quite a bit of adventuring, even in this area. And as fortune would have it, I helped out the prince in his time of need."
"Really? What did you do?"
"Well, he was going through a tough emotional time. His mother had just been killed by Ganondorf and his minions, and Ralis was devastated. I consoled him and got him back on his feet."
"Interesting." Nate replied. "He seems to have blossomed from that experience. It looks to me that he is a great leader."
"Yeah, he gets that from his mother, Queen Rutela. Rutela was perhaps the greatest ruler that the Zora's have ever seen."
"He's so young, too, though." Nate added. "I can't believe how much he has embraced this governing role."
"Yeah." Link replied. "But we really should start getting ready for dinner. We don't want to keep out prince waiting."
"You're right." Nate said with a grin. "I don't know about you, but I could really use a shower right now. I stink."