Hello everybody! Here's another chapter. I honestly can't believe that I'm able to belt these out as fast as I can. I'm now in the middle of my one week break between quarters in college, and I'm forced to go through work training for my summer job at this time. At least the training isn't so demanding or unfamiliar. I have had the same summer job for seven years, but the summer training is always mandatory. So it's not so hard as it is annoying to always have to review the same thing over and over. But I guess that's necessary since I'm a lifeguard and have to keep up-to-date with rescue techniques.
But yeah, this week is really my only time for a break before work and school officially start. Boy, it's going to be another hectic summer for me. But until this week is over, I'll continue to get these chapters out as fast as I can. And when this week is over, don't be surprised if you see a drop in the speed I'm able to update this story. Just warning you all of that before that happens. I know I said something along those lines in the last author's note, but I just want to repeat it in case some of you forgot or didn't read the other one. Chances are you might not read this one, too, but at least you can't say I didn't try to warn you of it.
SoulC: Finally, I've seem to have attracted a hardcore Zelda fan whose a "bitch" about details! Of course, I'm saying that in a joking manner. But yeah, I know what you're talking about with Zora's Domain having it's own source of water in all the Zelda games. However, I'm taking a different approach for this story. In essence, forget about whatever Hylian geography you might know from the Zelda franchise; it doesn't exist in this story. There might be small connections that I make, but the overall land is different. That and all of the beings here are basically human and not the fantastical creatures that the Zelda creators have created. I'll try to explain it more later in the story if and when I find the chance to squeeze it in. Still, thanks for the review and having such a keen eye to Hylian geography! And in terms of Xagrun's questionable level of authority, I'm going to have a short explanation of that at the chapter's end. I hope it'll be enough to show why he's able to do what he does.
Skittycreamstar: Isn't that the truth? Unfortunately, the last thing she wants is to start a war simply because she bitch-slapped Xagrun. Xagrun can get away with his earlier slap because he literally has the entire castle in the palm of his hand. But don't worry; I'll try my best to have Zelda see some action in this story. That's what I intend to have happen; I just need to find the right time and place for it to happen. Unfortunately, now is not the time.
OlegEqualzName: Thanks for taking the time to read my story for the first time. Don't worry about Link; he's going to have a proactive role in this story much like he does in his games. I'm glad I got you thinking about the hooded figure. I purposefully didn't make any mention of his name or even facial features as I made the chapters. And I hope the hood over his head and his mask shows how far he's going to keep his identity hidden. Is he Ganon, or is he another OC? He's an enigma to us all for now, and I don't know what exactly to do with him yet. But in case you don't know, I like to write without planning ahead. So even though I haven't connected the details now with future details, I always manage to make it work. Thanks again for your review!
ESopre: Well, I promise you now that their meeting is going to be in this chapter. The coveted action is getting closer, but please be patient until then. I've already got a bit of the scene planned out, but it doesn't come up until later. And thanks for supporting me in my decision to call the Triforce of Power as Strength. If you're really a hardcore Zelda fan and are willing to overlook a relatively minor detail, then I must be doing something right with this story! But yes, thanks for yet another review!
And that's it for my reviewer shout-out. I'll leave you all alone to get on with the story. Please enjoy reading this new chapter. Until the next update to this or any of my other stories on here!
Chapter 3: A Tyrant's Bite
It was late in the afternoon by the time the boys started making their way back home. Despite the rather abysmal start to their fishing trip, they were both able to catch a fish. Both catches were rather large, but Connor's was the largest. He was proudly holding it in his hands as though showing off to the world what he caught, his fishing pole laying on top of it. Link merely kept his fish on the hook and had it hanging over his shoulder.
"I still can't believe we caught these!" the young boy excitedly bragged. A few people they passed by actually did a double-take upon seeing their unusually large catches. "And I got one that's bigger than yours, too. We're so going to eat well the next couple of days!"
"Hey, it was just a fluke you got the bigger one!" Link replied with a playful nudge to his brother's arm. "And don't forget I helped you reel it in. You probably wouldn't have caught it if I wasn't there to keep the pole steady."
"Whatever, Link. You're just sore that you caught the smaller one!"
The blond merely rolled his eyes and allowed the other to bask in his moment. It was not often that he would brag about something while having good reason to do so. That and moments like this usually happened only once, so he wanted to savor it as long as he could.
"…you're doing?!" Link heard a man yelling some distance away. Connor seemed too engrossed with his fishing victory to take notice. "I'm not… …you bastard of a…!"
"…Connor, could you wait here for a bit?" the blond asked as he placed a hand on his little brother's shoulder.
"What's up? You see something?"
"Not really. Just stay here and keep watch over our fish. And don't even think about following me!" With that stern warning, Link made his way to where he heard the argument taking place. The other did as he was told and sat himself against a tree, making sure to not needlessly bruise either his or Link's fish.
"…an injustice, you fiend!" the angry voice continued ranting. His voice grew clearer as the teen got closer to a barn belonging to one of the farmers. When he reached the wooden wall, he hugged against it and sidled to the corner in order to get a look at what was going on.
"Come now; my demands have nothing to do with injustice," another voice, this time one that held a sense of power, haughtily replied. "All I ask is that you pay the fine for having spread ugly rumors about my men. To deface them is equal to defacing me."
"I don't know what you're talking about!" Carefully peering around the corner, Link saw a middle-aged man next to a wheelbarrow full of crops quite beside himself. Across from him was a man with short but thick black hair with a black cape clasped around his neck. From the side he could see, the person had a sword strapped to his belt with a hand resting on its hilt as though ready to use. He had two soldiers with him, men dressed in black armor that looked light yet durable enough to withstand a good blow. Each also had a sword on them, although they seemed more content to watching the exchange before them unfold.
That must be Prince Xagrun! the teen thought as he made sure not to make a sound. Never thought I'd see him out here. What's he doing harassing the farmer?
"Do you really think I believe that?" Xagrun asked with an obnoxious chuckle. "In a village as small as this, I'm sure that a story by a single man would resonate through the people by the day's end. It's even reached all the way to the castle that my men are the center of some loathsome rumors. 'The prince's men have nothing better to do than to bully us villagers all day!' 'They're probably trying to steal or wares when they check our wagons!' 'They're just looking for an excuse to usurp the Hylian soldiers' position and make us look bad!' I could honestly keep going, but I won't. Do any of these words ring a bell?"
"Whether or not I knew anything about them means nothing to me!" the man exclaimed. "I've nothing to do with those rumors. But even if I were the one who started them, you have no proof nor right to be demanding payment from me! Hyrule is not a part of your kingdom!"
"That's true; but I have a duty as prince to look over the wellbeing of my soldiers. If I feel that they have been threatened in any way, then I have a right to exact due punishment upon the citizens. I'm allowed some modicum of rule here provided my soldiers or my name becomes sullied."
"And what about the king? He would have your head the moment he hears about this!"
"Fortunately for me, His Majesty has granted me full pardon to do what I believe to be necessary in this. I'm sure you know we're currently in talks about a peace treaty. Just as the presence of my men are a sign of goodwill on my part, him giving me limited power over this kingdom is his goodwill gift to me."
"Of all the asinine things I've heard…! I was a little boy when he first took the throne. Not once did he ever give a royal emissary the amount of power you claim to have over us. If there's one rumor I believe to be true, it's that you cast a spell over him and his royal council! There's no other explanation for this!"
"Or perhaps he simply wants there to be peace between the Hylians and Gerudos. You can't deny the possibility. However, I'm not here to discuss politics," the prince added while letting out a yawn. "All I care about is your payment of a hundred and fifty rupees as penalty for insulting my soldiers and, by extension, me."
"If you want the money, then you best look elsewhere!" the man vehemently spat as he roughly took a nearby pitchfork and began stabbing at the soil. "Even if I thought I deserve the 'penalty', I don't have that kind of money on me. I'm but a simple farmer who lives by the whims of the seasons. I'd be lucky to be left with that much at the end of harvest time after paying for expenses!"
"You claim to not have the money, but I can see your assets lying before me," Xagrun replied, gesturing with his free hand at all the produce waiting to be picked. One of his men quickly took the pitchfork from the farmer's hands and snapped it in half. "If you can't make your payment in rupees, then your crops will do just fine."
"If you want them, then take it!" the other exclaimed as he threw his hands up in defeat. "Harvest them yourself and get your little bastard self off my property!"
"Hmm, who said I wanted to harvest them?" the prince asked. With a snap of his fingers, one of his guards walked up to the crops with a sizable container taken from his satchel. He then unscrewed the lid and began pouring its contents around the crops.
"What are you doing?" Before the man could say anything else, he suddenly scrunched up his nose in disgust. A few moments later, the scent of lantern oil reached Link's nose. He had to stifle a cough from the sudden onset of the acrid scent. "Wait a minute; you're not going to…?!"
"It was never your crops I wanted, good sir. All I wanted was your rupees. But since you've refused time and again to pay, I'll simply set your crops ablaze in lieu of your money. Wouldn't you say that's fair?"
"Y-You can't do that! You'll raze the land and turn the seeds to ashes! I won't be able to grow anything here! How am I to live if you do this?"
"You should've asked yourself that earlier." With a flick of his wrist, the prince had his palm facing upward. A brilliant blob of violet flames suddenly appeared in his hand. He then threw the magical fire into the oil and watched as the crops rose up in flames.
"Y-You… You…!" The old man could barely get the words out from his mouth as he sank to his knees in despair. In a matter of seconds, all of his crops bent under the heat of the fire and quickly turned to ashes. The oil-slickened earth continued to burn even after the vegetation had burned away. It slowly dried away and hardened up, all of its rich nutrients being absorbed by the ever hungry flames. And even then, it showed no signs of stopping. Link could only watch in horror and helplessness as the poor farmer was cruelly stripped of his hard work and livelihood.
"This is what happens when you choose to default on paying the penalty. The results are much worse than they would've been. Unfortunately for you, I'm not yet done with collecting. If I recall, you've hurled a few insults at me during my visit here. I believe you told me to 'get my little bastard self off of your property' before I burned your crops? Such disrespect calls for another penalty."
"Haven't you done enough?!" the farmer exclaimed, his voice cracking as despair raged through him. "If it's my money you want, then take it! That's what you first came here for. It's all I have left now!"
"No, you still have something of worth on your farm even if I took the money." With another snap of his fingers, Xagrun directed one of his men towards the barn where the sounds of animals were heard calling out in fright at the flames. He then directed the other who had poured the oil towards another building which was the farmer's house. "A hundred and fifty rupees won't be enough for me to forgive your insults. But if I were to combine it with your livestock, I'm sure it'll more than appease me."
"Wh-what are you saying? A-Are you wanting to ruin me?! If you kill my animals, then I'll really have nothing left!"
"You've ruined yourself the moment you sullied my name and purposefully withheld my payment. I'm merely taking back what I'm due. But don't think of this as a total loss. At least you still have your life."
Link could not listen to anymore. He quickly ran away from the barn as the sounds of the animals being slaughtered reached his ears. On top of that, the poor farmer's cries of anguish grew louder as everything he worked hard on crumbled away in a matter of moments. He knew he had to get him and Connor back home. He knew he had to prepare for when the prince was going to try and strong-arm them into paying his penalty tax.
"Come on, Connor; we got to go now!" he called out to his little brother once he was in view. Said boy quickly snapped his head up and carefully collected their things before running towards him.
"What was all that yelling, Link?" the young boy asked as he looked towards where the black smoke was rising. "Is someone in trouble?"
"Prince Xagrun's in the village," the blond explained as he took everything off of Connor's hands and began walking faster. Connor had to do a mini-jog just to keep up. "I just saw him trying to collect a penalty tax from a farmer for rumors being spread about his men. I got a bad feeling he's going to be at everybody's house demanding the same thing, so we need to get home before he comes by!"
"Was he the one who caused the fire?"
"It wasn't just a fire; he destroyed a farmer's crops just because he refused to pay him the money!" Link purposefully left out that Xagrun used magic to cause the fire figuring that it might scare his little brother. "He basically took everything that man owned and destroyed it. That's why we need to get home now!"
"B-but do we really have to go home? I mean, couldn't we just go somewhere else until the prince leaves the village? He can't try to rob us if we're not there."
"You didn't see how ruthless the man is. If we're not home when he's there, then I don't know what he might do. I'd rather meet with him face to face than come home to all our crops and chickens dead!"
Connor had nothing else to say after that. He just silently followed behind his older brother as the farmer's wails grew fainter the further they walked.
When they both made it back to their cottage, the sun had mostly set. They cooked one of the fishes they caught and ate it with some of the vegetables Malon gave them earlier. They ate in silence as the thoughts of what happened earlier played through their minds. Link was busy trying to think of some way to avoid paying the penalty while his little brother silently picked at his food. While he did not witness himself the horror that Xagrun was capable of, hearing of it was enough to scare him.
They were just about done eating when the sound of chatter reached their ears. The blond immediately made his way towards the window and peeked outside. Although the land was now dark, he could still barely make out three familiar silhouettes in the distance. They were the prince and his men.
"Connor, I want you to stay in here," Link instructed as he blew out the single candle that illuminated the cottage. "Don't make a sound. I'm going to go outside and have a talk with that monster. I doubt it'll do much, but maybe I can convince him to move on from us."
"But how are you going to do that?"
Instead of answering, the teen merely straightened his clothing and exited the cottage. He then waited by the perimeter fence for the small entourage to come by.
"Well, it looks like we've been expected," Xagrun said amusedly once he reached Link's position. Both of his men stood beside him waiting for whatever orders they were to be given. "I guess word of my presence managed to reach such a desolate part of the village. I suppose then that you know who I am?"
"Just get to why you're here!" the blond brusquely replied. He was trying to use this time to come up with a way to get the prince off his back on this, but it was proving difficult. After all, he had never dealt with so ruthless of a man before.
"Humph, you got some bite in you. I've seen that many times over. Let's see how long you can keep up the attitude?"
"Are you going to tell me what you're doing here? I've more important things to do, and I'm sure you do as well."
"Very well then." The prince actually let out a little smirk at how the other's attitude was calm yet also fierce. "I suppose you've heard of the rumors floating about the village concerning my soldiers? In short, they're inflammatory in nature. I seek restitution for the disrespect that the people have shown to both them and me."
"Didn't you already collect enough 'restitution' from the other villagers?" Link asked as he chose his words carefully. He already saw firsthand the prince's ruthlessness; pushing his buttons the wrong way could mean instant loss of everything. "I've heard from someone who passed by that you strong-armed a few of them already demanding the same thing. Don't you think this is overkill?"
"Punishment is punishment, farm boy. What good is it if only one person is punished while everyone else is free of blame? Everybody must pay the price so that they will all know what's being done to me is wrong. Don't you think it fair?"
"It probably would be if you had everyone pay a reasonable penalty. There's probably only a couple of people who could afford your hundred fifty rupee appeasement! I heard that you burned down a man's farm and killed his animals because he didn't pay."
"Well, you seem well-educated with my tactics." Xagrun was clearly surprised and even a bit suspicious at how the blond came across his means of attack so quickly. "You even know how much I've demanded from your neighbors. If you know that much, then you know that this can only end in my favor. The only thing you can control is whether or not I lay a hand on your beloved crops and animals."
"Have you even taken a good look at my farm?" the blond asked, gesturing with his hand to the small field of crops and the chicken coop. He decided to try and use his lack of a thriving farmland to his advantage. "Notice the lack of conventional farm animals and how most of my repairs are subpar at best. And then there's that pitiful space over there I call my field which has considerably less than what other farmers have. Considering my conditions, does it look like I could ever possibly make that much money? I'm already barely able to make enough in a month to keep up my health. You killing my crops and chickens would just make me resort to begging sooner than I'd like."
"Oh, and here I thought you were already playing the role of beggar," the prince replied with a wry smile. "I'm quite amazed how you're still able to call this pitiful speck of land your home. Did you sell yourself to the village dogs so you can maintain what little bit of dignity you have left? It's either that or you stole from someone, and I doubt we'd be talking if that were the truth."
Despite these angering words, Link managed to keep his temper in check. He knew that Xagrun was trying to rile him up like he did with the farmer from earlier. If he opened his mouth and let loose an insult, the prince probably would not hesitate to burn what little there was on the farm. Instead of opening his mouth, he continued to stare at the other in hatred.
"…However, it doesn't change the fact that you need to pay the fine," he continued after a moment's pause. Clearly, he was expecting a hate-fueled rant of some sort that he could use to his advantage but was not going to get it. "I'm exacting punishment upon the entire village, and you are one of its inhabitants. If you don't follow up, then I'll have to take something from you as another means of payment."
"If you want to destroy my stuff, then go ahead! You can turn my place into a bonfire and let the satisfaction be your payment. I already told you that I'm close to being a beggar. I don't make enough to pay you, and everything I have is near worthless."
"It's true that your livestock and crops are less than what I expect. Still, I see other ways on this spit of land for me to obtain alternate payment. Tell me; how much would you say your pitiful shack is worth? It may not be much, but it's clearly what provides a roof over your head. If you truly don't have the rupees, then how about you relinquish it to me? I'm sure I can give it a much needed renovation in a matter of seconds!"
Link visibly flinched when he heard this. After witnessing the senseless destruction, he could only infer the "renovation" to be the total devastation of the farm. The house that he had kept intact since the death of his father would be the casualty if he continued to refuse handing over the money. Were he the only one living on the land, he would be less hesitant at the choice brought before him. He could try squandering a new life for himself either in or away from the village. With Connor also living with him, he was not going to give up the only place that kept them warm at night. Connor was his everything, and he would be damned if he took away from his little brother the only home he knew.
"… … …Wait here," he growled out. He finally conceded his defeat and began making his way back to the cottage. He heard Xagrun give a victorious huff just as he went inside the darkened building.
"We have to pay, don't we?" Connor suddenly asked the moment Link came in. "You guys were talking loud, and I couldn't help listening."
"We either pay him or he takes down the entire farm," the blond explained as he made a beeline for his bed. He got to his knees and stuck a hand underneath it. He then pulled out a cloth bag and poured its contents out. In it were stones of various colors, rupees of different values that he had been saving for emergency purposes. This was nowhere near the kind of emergency he had in mind.
"How much is he making us pay?" the younger brother inquired, his voice wavering a bit in fear at what was happening.
"More than we can possibly afford. This was supposed to be used in case one of us got real sick. I never thought I'd be using to pay off a tyrannical royal's ego… Damn it; I'm forty short!" Link exclaimed. He began to panic as he tried to think of something. His eyes then rested on his rupee satchel hanging on his bedpost. "…I guess I have to dip into that," he sighed as he undid the string and fished out some rupees.
"B-But that's the money for our food! How're we going to eat if you have to take that much out?"
"We have the other fish we caught and the food Malon gave us. We also still have some food leftover from my last trip to the market. It'll be enough to last us a few days, maybe even a week if we cut back a bit. But even if we did that, it won't offset the forty rupees we're going to lose. I don't know what to do now!"
"What are you doing in there, farm boy?" Xagrun called out impatiently. "I hope you're not trying to plot some way to weasel your way out of this debt. If you don't come out, I'll have my men go and drag you out!"
"We'll worry about this later. Just keep being quiet and don't come out." He then made his way back outside to the prince and his two men entourage.
"It's about time you came back. I was starting to think you ran away. So what's it going to be? Are you going to pay or let me take control over your farm?"
"Here," the teen said as he tossed the bag of rupees to the man. He caught it with ease and tested its weight as though he could tell the amount by it. "That's from both my emergency and food stash. I hope you're satisfied now. Not even selling my crops at market can return to me what you're taking."
"Hmm, it's good to know that you're one of the few who knows his place." The prince handed the bag to one of his soldiers before looking at Link once more. "I'll admit that you're quite different from the other villagers. It really would have been a shame if I had to destroy your land. Now that our business has been taken care of, I'll take my leave of you." He and his group began making their way down the road.
"…How about you answer me something before you go?" the blond dared to asked. The group stopped but did not turn around. "You've already taken most of my money; I think you can give me that much."
"You're a foolhardy boy, you know that?" The prince's tone actually held a sense of intrigue. His back was still turned. "Still, you have proven to be a breath of fresh air after a day's worth of dealing with fools. I suppose I can indulge you in your curiosity for a moment. What is it that you want to ask of me?"
"The king can't possibly be accepting what you're doing. You're just some royal who's visiting from another kingdom. He's a fair ruler; your actions are hardly what he would allow to have happen to his people. Everything he's done since you came doesn't make sense. Tell me; did you put a spell over everyone in the castle?"
Instead of immediately answering, Xagrun kept quiet. Not able to see his face, Link could only assume that he was thinking about how to answer the question. Even the man's two guards seemed confused at his sudden silence.
"…You may be a farm boy, but you're clearly smarter than others of your ilk I've met tonight," the prince finally responded, his wryness falling heavily from his words. "If you can figure out my pattern of extortion without having met me, then you should already know the answer to your question. That's all I have to say on the matter. Now if you have nothing else to say, I shall take my leave."
Without another word, the trio continued on their way down the road. Not once did any of them looked back. Link merely stayed rooted to the fence watching as they walked further away towards their next victim. As much as he was angry at being forced to forfeit a chunk of his food money in exchange for the farm's safety, he admitted that it was not all a total loss. At least he now knew something that has been speculated by many villagers, including the Elder himself. Hyrule Castle was under a spell. Prince Xagrun had control over them and was clearly conducting his business without fear of retribution.
Well, this was an interesting chapter to write. I had to show how ruthless Xagrun could be with Link witnessing it so he can be prepared for later. I'm sure he would've mouthed the prince off had he not seen what happened with the poor farmer. At the same time, I wanted this conversation to be the basis for why he is a worthy recipient for the Power of Courage. I'm sure it's already known that he has that power; I wanted his actions to reflect that. He's brave enough to go against a tyrant while also knowing the limits. It may be just a war of words between them, but I hope I did the exchange well enough to show Link's courage.
And yeah, I hope you don't mind how the story took a turn from light to dark so suddenly. And I hope this answers SoulC's question about Xagrun's level of authority in Hyrule. With a spell cast over most of the castle's inhabitants, they could essentially care less about what he's doing to the people. It should also explain why the king and council were so suddenly wanting to accept his peace treaty at the beginning of the story. I know that it was just a short paragraph of Xagrun basically admitting he had a spell over Hyrule Castle, but I hope it was enough.
So that's it for this author's note. I hope you enjoyed reading this new chapter and liked the dark elements I tried to put into it. And please continue to supply me with your reviews of either encouragement or questions that you might have with the overall story. I'm always happy to try and clear up whatever confusion you might have. Until the next update to this or any of my other stories on here!