A/N:
Without fail, a massive thank you to the marvelous Norkix (here on FFnet) for beta reading this chapter! I couldn't tackle this story without his help!
Thank you, also, to everyone reading and favoriting/following the story! It never fails to make me smile when I get those notifications. I'm really happy seeing people entertained by the writing and premise that I've conjured up so far, and I have plenty of twists and turns planned for down the road!
Enjoy the new chapter!
XXXXX
Trapped in the confines of Minister Potho's office, hours continued to trickle away - evaporating like water over an open flame.
Zelda's disdain for planning the Picori Festival crested early during the inceptive process, and as time sloshed along, exhaustion quickly took its place and perpetually reared its head. She sat with her back hunched awkwardly in one of Minister Potho's shallow chairs; her only comfort being the map of Hyrule strewn above, juxtaposed with the obnoxious pile of papers concealing any visible patches of desk below. Her palms ached from scrawling wet-inked comments on each formal document pulled from the disorganized stacks, which only served to raise undue resentment against everyone involved in this affair. Her eyes would often stutter closed whilst mulling over the fruitless desires of the townsfolk, and she'd catch herself nearing a bitter slumber amid the arduous imprisonment.
It was absolutely grueling.
King Daltus and Minister Potho sat in opposite corners of the stuffy room, each fumbling with different stacks of bemired books and huddled by their own personal wick of waning candlelight. Both they and Zelda worked in absolute silence; only the turning of papers and book pages, as well as the clinking that came from Minister Potho repositioning his glasses, ever breaking the suppressed overtone.
It wasn't until the overhead clock pealed with an ardent ring, announcing midnight's stale entrance, that King Daltus finally spoke up, "I trust we can call it a night."
Zelda's head shot up at a frenetic pace, her hand vaguely smearing a trail of ink she'd freshly branded on a document. "We're done?"
Minister Potho nodded in silent agreement, languidly closing the book spread out in his hands and chucking it into a wayward pile of similar unkempt readings. In the dull room, Zelda noticed the growing eyebags and crease lines spoiling his skin; with lethargy pleated into his every action. Is he really this stressed out by just the Picori Festival planning alone? she faintly wondered.
"We'll meet tomorrow evening again, I presume. We have a lot left to finalize and we barely made a dent in any of it," Minister Potho commented, fatigue shadowing his speech.
They parted afterward with little fanfare, leaving their papers and books in disheveled heaps scattered throughout his office. The group's promise of a return tomorrow evening was the final hushed remark that ricocheted within the walls of the cluttered room, right as the large double doors waved farewell in a tacit close.
Now back in her room, Zelda hurried to rid herself of her constricting royal gown. She felt sapped of all energy, spent from every possible reserve, but she knew she had no other choice than to traverse into the wild stretch of Hyrule's corners to pursue the Four Elements. The more she allowed time to whisk away and vaporize into the swollen clouds, the more she allowed time for Vaati to establish whatever frightful scheme he was surely plotting.
Shivers racked her body as the biting midnight air cradled her bare flesh, causing Zelda to quickly pour herself into a pair of tactical pants and a long-sleeved shirt in search of reprieve. She presumed that the sylphlike, figure-hugging silhouette would allow for nimble movement, and would also assist in camouflaging her appearance amongst the limitless land that would be stretched before her
The plush threads of her new ensemble gradually diffused much-needed warmth, tickling her skin and enlivening her once again. Using this momentary jolt of energy to her advantage, she carefully tugged the old, concealed storage chest she had used to hide the items Master Smith lent her out of the shadows of her room. After opening it just as scrupulously, she pulled out the Hookshot, Grip Ring, and the pair of clunky gloves, piling them on the floor at her side. With a final rummage, she dug her hand into the chest again, eagerly reeling it back and hoisting up one of her most prized possessions: A single scrap of chest plate armor - something she maintained as a trophy, as she had successfully nabbed it from just underneath the watchful eyes of the castle knights long ago.
The chest plate was simple; constructed with aluminum and hardened steel, and made to protect only the most delicate areas of the torso. It was embellished with Hyrule's royal crest, painted with a glossy maroon color that emitted a faint glow under the moonlight. The shoulders housed thick, textured straps to tighten the garment, which were perfect for accommodating her quiver, helping to pin the felted cord to her body.
In one seamless move, she cinched the chest plate atop her shirt, having practiced in secrecy many times before.
After slinging her quiver onto her left shoulder and positioning it tightly under the thick armor strap, she plucked her cherished bow from the corner of her room and latched it onto the bow sling concealed at the base of her quiver. Her fingers tenderly smoothed over the burnished oak of her weapon, and she couldn't restrain the grin that emerged on her features at the contact. Although she was nervous about exploring unknown territory, there was a part of her that was exhilarated; the part of herself that she often tucked away deep inside, accustomed to being scolded for uncivilized manners when she allowed it to shine through.
Deep down, though, Zelda was truly enraptured with the thought of adventure.
With her weapon finally situated, she kneeled to the ground and proceeded to cram the Hookshot, Grip Ring, and pair of gloves into a thin satchel, followed by her hefty compass and Link's old map. Employing a gentleness that was woven into her movements, she hoisted the bag onto her right shoulder, testing its weight to ensure she could maneuver covertly and inaudibly.
At that, she was finally ready.
One step closer, Zelda inwardly cheered. She inhaled an extensive lungful of air, attempting to corral the unease swimming through her blood. Zest was present in her bones, but her mind was still wary of the untold possibilities awaiting her in the open fields of Hyrule.
She edged toward her grand balcony window, keeping her figure out of observable sight. Just from peering through the thick glass alone, she recognized the armored silhouette of a guard stationed in the area right outside of her balcony, poised and vigilant. He's standing guard to ensure I don't escape, she mused. Though any minute now, he should be swapping shifts…
Zelda unlatched the window and inched it forward with restraint, ensuring no sound flooded the bitter air in doing so. She pressed her body to the wall, away from sight, and huddled with her ear pinned to the crack - biding her time.
Heavy footsteps, weighted by layers of iron and steel, rattled across the outside garden pathway, amplifying with each passing second. Zelda's elongated ears fluttered at the brassy noise.
"Ah, Rorro, just on time to switch shifts as always, I see."
The second guard, the one who had approached only moments ago, chuckled. "You know me too well." A friendly pause permeated the starlit night before the second guard spoke again, "You've been requested by King Daltus to go search for any signs of the Four Elements tonight, haven't you?"
Zelda rolled her eyes. Of course, they're searching for them, too.
"Yeah," the first guard replied. His tone was cheerful, though an edge of distress was snarled within it. "King Daltus has been relatively on edge, don't you think? I understand his concerns, but it's troubling that we've been told to suppress any information we find from the other castle staff and Hyrule Town's citizens. Not even the full assembly of knights know what we're doing… only a small group has been selected for this task, it seems."
A dissonant clatter of metal rang out, indicating that one of the guards was likely shrugging his shoulders or fiddling uncomfortably.
"Yeah, I agree with you," the second guard murmured, "I just returned from searching, myself. Still not even the faintest sign of that heinous sorcerer."
Silence calcified in the atmosphere, thick and chalky. Zelda was confident she needed to escape soon, maybe even now. But she was fully absorbed in the conversation - curious if the smothering silence indicated that there was something dreadful that the knights knew about. Something that she needed to know, but didn't.
A sharp intake of breath, fragile and uncertain, traveled to her pensive ears. "King Daltus is really concerned about Princess Zelda. He seems to think that Vaati is planning some devious scheme to hurt her again, like last time… I almost wonder if he knows more than he's letting on," the first guard murmured, weariness caught in his throat.
Zelda chanced a daring look outside, getting a glimpse of the two guards fully engrossed in their conversation, stationed just at the crust of her window. They were pivoted perfectly out of sight, and they had generously provided her just enough space to slink into the bushes lining the pathway, fully hidden from their view. Her mind was drifting and wrinkling; confused and curious. She wanted to listen further, learn if there was something her father knew about or if they had any more clues on Vaati's whereabouts, but if she didn't worm her way out now, her opportunity would be lost. I didn't come this far to surrender on the first night, she thought.
She further nudged the balcony window open, allowing herself a slightly thicker crack to dissolve through. With a final peek at the guards and a gentle frown plastered on her face, she surreptitiously padded into the open air; into the dead of the night.
Traversing unnoticed in the contours of Hyrule Castle's gardens and evading the eyeshot of the guards that dappled the outdoor pathways was effortless for Zelda; it was something she had become all too familiar with executing by now.
What wasn't simple, though, was roaming Trilby Highlands at night, cloaked in the misty moonlight that became her only clear guidance.
Zelda tightened her grip on Link's old map, her eyes fixed on the minimal shapes and symbols inscribed upon it. In her other hand, she held her old, tawdry compass, resorting to shaking it in exasperation when the copper dial became frozen, its hand lingering maliciously on a single false direction; an issue that, annoyingly, occurred more often than not.
As practical as her plan seemed on paper, it was very different when put into action. Having never experienced the world outside of the castle grounds or town square before had only served to submerge her in the throes of doubt and hesitation. Even the dented outline of Mt. Crenel mocked her on the horizon, muted in a bleary swatch of blackness. She had the faintest inkling of a desire to surrender winking solemnly in the recesses of her tumultuous mind, and yet she remained firm. No matter how strenuous this adventure became, Zelda had pledged to herself that she would not give up.
I must do this for Link, she incessantly admonished.
Crows clamored overhead, blurting nonsense that seemed to reach the marbled stars above. Zelda flinched at the jarring noise, losing her footing and scraping her heavy shoes atop a bundle of loose, raspy rocks.
A hollow grating raked through the air on contact.
Immediately, all signs of wildlife seemed to dissolve; bugs swallowed the crescendos of their chirping tunes, and the rustling of overgrown grass blades dulled into obscurity. In the growing tenseness, Zelda first focused on stabilizing her tremulous body and recovering from her slippery blunder before taking action.
Cautiously, she glanced around the desolate field she had wound up in. Nothing seemed amiss, but the atmosphere felt suddenly dense; opaque.
Then, her ears jerked. In the distance, she caught onto a low vibration that seemed just in reach, swelling with each passing second. From the dredges of silence, a faint murmur began to grow sickeningly louder; the scuffing of claws digging amongst the crusted ground, accompanied by a ripple of incoherent growls poured into the air. Her breath seized in her throat.
She swallowed the anxiety that threatened to spill out of her, scurrying forward and crouching behind the first sizable object she found. A boulder, one that looked dipped in molten silver and tinged pearl under the moon's glow, provided her sole refuge from the grating noises that had emerged from nothingness. With dread pulsing through her veins, she carelessly stored away her compass and map, choosing to instead clutch her stocky bow for reassurance.
The unsettling snarls grew louder, morphing into garish chortles and puffy wheezes. Zelda hesitantly peeked her head out from behind her shelter, chancing fate to find the source of the cacophony that drew closer still.
A sizable group of armored Yellow Keatons now scrambled around the field she had previously inhabited, intensely sniffing the area. They were presumably looking for what - or in this case, who - had caused the harsh grinding of rock that reverberated throughout the broken treetops seconds earlier, no doubt aiming to find rupees and other potential treasures.
Keatons weren't dangerously powerful, but they made up for their lack of strength with their astonishing speed. Zelda was positive that if she nocked an arrow and made an effort to strike one of the monsters, she would be sent tumbling in no time from the others who were left unscathed - undoubtedly losing ownership of her valuables in the midst of the disproportionate battle.
She grimaced. With her unwavering grip still tightened on her bow, she surveyed the land spread out before her, hoping to find a discreet pathway she could utilize as an exit. In her peripheral sight, the faint outline of a cobblestone bridge atop a bed of water stuck out amongst the neverending fauna, and mercifully, the trek to reach it was short and sufficiently shaded with bushes, boulders, and bloated trees.
Another look back at the Keatons proved their ignorance of her presence, as they continued to stalk the field at a sluggish pace. Their harsh muttering overtook the entirety of the open pasture, blinding it in their destructive ambition.
Zelda sent a silent prayer to the goddesses above before noiselessly creeping underneath the undulating greenery, scurrying into the hesitant gloaming.
Mere minutes passed, though time seemed to stand still. She felt like she was wading through an ocean of condensed glue, with her feet gummy and inert. Each crackle of twig or rock that whispered behind her, and each footfall that was not her own cascading on the sunken grass, sent with it a flutter of fear in her heart.
Salty beads of sweat began gathering on her forehead, but her vision tunneled to the bridge ahead. She was close, only evidenced further by the crunching of withered leaves and scraping of loose gravel that faded into the charred night sky behind her.
Just as she was about to emerge from the cover of the protective foliage, a stomach-churning thump sounded right beneath her heavy steps. Her eyes widened and her heartbeat soared; all but expiring. Zelda looked downward, catching sight of the unmistakable copper detailing of her compass glinting in the low light, resting on the grass below.
The loathsome feeling of nausea crept down her throat, settling in the very core of her being.
Her eyes frantically darted around the shaded area she was in. Snarled thoughts inundated her mind, but her sole focus became finding cover. A bulky tree came into view, nestled between a bosky patch of land, and she flitted to lodge herself behind it. In this mask of obscurity, one of her hands covered her roaring heartbeat in an effort to silence the bursting knock, whereas the other never relinquished its hold on her bow.
Yet, the land remained calm.
Disjointedly, Zelda scanned the starlit terrain from beyond her cover of ripened tree leaves. The indistinct grumbling of the Keatons nearby was absent, and there was no indication that the fall of her compass had reached their pointed ears. I must have gotten far enough away, she thought. The realization barely struck past the palpable fear she had felt mere moments ago.
Her quivering legs stirred, and her feet absentmindedly guided her to retrieve her worthless compass. The soft babbling of river torrents vaguely traveled to Zelda's ears, and she spared a distant glance at the source of the sound. A runnel of water surged over eroded stones, sleeping underneath the very cobblestone bridge she had first spotted when she made her initial escape from that treacherous group of Keatons.
A fog seemed to be muffling her consciousness. Detached, she placed a feeble step onto the textured platform of the bridge, with her senses progressively returning in a lackluster crawl. The breath she had been unknowingly holding broke loose, flooding the chilled air with bands of warmth.
She puttered across the cobblestone bridge, her vision still blurred by fatigue. Surely, when she had planned for and envisioned embarking on this adventure, she hadn't anticipated stumbling across a horde of angry Keatons - or any monsters, for that matter - this early in her trip. It had been a surreal encounter.
After Link had sealed Vaati in the Four Sword, the influx of attacking monsters became all but extinct. Only the rare sighting of a group of Acro-Bandits in desolate dirt fields, or wandering Chuchus by the town border ever appeared anymore, and even those instances were incredibly rare.
If that were the case, then, where had that group of Keatons come from? Why had so many been banded together, seemingly ready to attack at the faintest scuffling of noise? Why hadn't they heard her compass fall?
A twinge of pain gathered in Zelda's head, and she made a mental note to reflect on this issue later, once she was no longer disorientingly wandering further into uncharted territory.
"Ah, right… I need to check my whereabouts," she whispered, jostled by the sudden internal reminder to review her location. Her hand propped open her shoulder bag, snatching the map from the depths of it and pulling it into view. Her steps halted as she screwed her eyes onto the baffling scrap of paper, calculating her distance.
"Based on this, I think I should be right-"
She peered up, her now crisp vision finally taking in the current scenery before her. Just ahead, damp steam bounced off of the surface of green, pellucid ponds, mimicking gossamer threads as they glided above the air. Hearty spring vines were implanted in the pools of water below, twisting up the rocky cliffside and extending their budding leaves in greeting. A craggy cliff wall was settled near the humid springs, with thrashing boulders occasionally spilling from above, plummeting to the ground and bursting into withered scraps.
"-here," she finished, completely awestruck.
This was Mt. Crenel's Base.
"I made it," she murmured to herself, astonished by the bizarre and illustrious sight before her. Clumps of sand, gravel, and dust camouflaged webs of silver spikes that choked various slices of the area's border, signifying the danger bound to this land. Peculiar cavern entrances blotched distinct layers of land above her, and twisting whirlpools of dense air peppered a handful of cliff edges. It was all real; she had successfully navigated Trilby Highlands and traveled to Mt. Crenel's Base. Only a few mountainous walls and spring vines clogged the way between where she was and where the Fire Element would hopefully be.
Seeing this now, excitement immediately drowned out any previous doubt she had. Zelda ardently plucked the gear she had packed earlier from her bag, deciding to leave the Hookshot for now, which had sunk listlessly to the underbelly of her satchel. She slipped the Grip Ring on one of her middle fingers first, dressing the haggard gloves onto her hands quickly afterward. To ensure her grip remained solid and taut, she forcefully curved her fingers in quick succession, verifying her movements were responsive for the coarse climb that beckoned her forward.
With a smile lit ablaze like a crackling bonfire, she bounded up the rugged, splintering wall in dizzying leaps.
"Just… one… more…"
Zelda grit her teeth, with her aching hands firmly curled around jutting rock fixtures. Employing the last shred of strength she had, she hoisted herself up the steep and pitted wall, toppling to the flattened ground atop in a burst of dust. Drained of all energy, she rolled onto her back, granting herself a moment of respite and eyeing the white-gold stars stirring above.
Up to now, she had tackled a rotating gauntlet of hazards.
It had started as soon as she had climbed the first jagged ledge. Scaling it had been easy, largely due to the Grip Ring and gloves lending assistance. In some twisted way, she had even found herself getting lost in the surge of adrenaline racing through her body from dodging the massive tumbling boulders overhead; a beaming smile notched on her face beneath the astral bed of navy and comets.
Soon after, she had entered a damp and colorless cave that had been slotted just ahead. Keese flitted about with wild abandon, providing Zelda with ample target practice. She had dodged crumbling splinters in the floor and ebonized chasms, quickly becoming grateful for her Hookshot, which served to propel her across such pitfalls with grace.
Her confidence had been soaring. Even the small throng of gelatinous Chuchus that ambushed her as she exited the other side of the cave hadn't stood a chance; she had enkindled pure determination.
Several fractured rock cliffs and unappealing caverns checkered her trek to summit Mt. Crenel. At first, with her effortless successes swirling in the snappy air, it had seemed so simple.
But things are never quite so simple, are they?
Lethargy, built from everything that had occurred in the past day and that had been concealed underneath Zelda's vibrating high, started to tentatively peak through. It began with a painless misplaced step that she attributed to the uneven crevices strewn about the arid terrain. It soon escalated to arrows plunged into murky cave walls, and not the troublesome Keese that had initially been the targets. It became the cuts and scuffs that now adorned her blistering skin like tree ornaments, gifted to her during each ledge she unsteadily climbed.
That exhaustion had only amplified, noticeably so after a particularly difficult cave she had barely managed to trudge through. Upon returning to the welcoming glare of the moon's judgment, she had been met with an extensive ladder climb. Her bones had felt like they were congealing; turning into paste. But she had prevailed.
She had laggardly ascended, a sweeping of relief awaiting her entrance at the top. That feeling only extended as she realized there were no more slabs of wrinkling, weathered walls above her. She was at the top.
She had reached the summit of Mt. Crenel.
That feeling of reassurance hadn't lasted long, though, as it had only taken a quick glimpse at her map to verify that she still had plenty of land to cover to reach the circled domain. She had adamantly trudged along, rubbing her wilting eyes.
Then, the worst of it arose. She had just crossed over an endless gap with her Hookshot, landing on a lofty strip of land. Strangely, she had felt the softness of the soil collapse in her fingers as she regained her momentum, though she initially thought nothing of it. Until, that is, the vibrant scent of petrichor had fully wrapped itself around her, and she had caught sight of an inflated cloud overhead that perilously doused the area in spattering rain.
By the time she had finished heaving mud-caked boulders around just to locate the next cave entrance, she was sopping wet. Her hair had clung to her damp skin, and her clothes had dripped leftover rainfall onto the cavern floors with each water-logged step.
Which had all led to now - with Zelda laying in a soft pile of dirt covered in her stiff, wind-dried clothing caked in blood and dust. She felt nothing but depletion.
Pain gnawed at her skin, the cold cupped her sunken face; she wanted to surrender. If she gave up now, she could meander back home, slink into her bed and pretend this never happened.
But, she was fundamentally aware that she couldn't pretend this never happened. Link was still cocooned in stone and Vaati was undoubtedly devising a heinous plan. The only hope left to return normalcy to Hyrule was Zelda herself.
She groaned as she rolled her head, exasperation settling in her jaded heart. Why does it all have to fall on my shoulders?
Her irritation steadily dissolved as her eyesight landed on an odd-looking building, just nearby. Short orange skewers made of stone protruded from the decaying roof, all but enveloping the mottled gravel entrance. A handful of stairsteps governed the stout corridor that led to the opening of the structure, and tremendous oval boulders - greater than any she'd seen by far - sat in welcome on either side of the entry.
Zelda gingerly rolled onto her hands and feet, wincing from the accompanying surge of stinging pain. With difficulty, she rose from the ground, allowing the whipping winds to disconnect the tousled strands of flaxen hair sticking to her face.
The map was in her hands instantaneously, with her eyes scanning the markers underneath the dwindling moonlight. It only took the span of a single breath before she realized she was within the bounds of Link's circled flag; within the bounds of the Fire Element.
She trod across the powdery earth. Her steps were careful and slow as she maneuvered around eccentric dirt infrastructures and chipped, hollow rocks. Despite the journey to arrive here - the journey that had tested every single speck of strength Zelda had - a snag of elation leaped in her body. She was finally nearing the end of this first adventure.
Her quivering steps clambered up the staunch staircase. From the building ahead, twilight's pale luster reflected off of the irregular roof structure, producing an imperfect spotlight that seemed to wistfully anticipate her approach.
Tension flared in her joints, but her resolve remained inflexible. Just inside the looming entryway, corroded by time and remolded by invasive flora, the Fire Element was expectantly laying in wait. If there was ever a time for her to channel raw courage, it was now.
She gripped her bow with a chary reflex and marched into the unknown; into the Cave of Flames.