Chapter 5
The Next Day
The Ordon group spent most of the morning traveling through the woods. They were heading to Rusl's suggested destination: A settlement called Dekuna Village, hoping to find sanctuary there. Link and Zelda were on their horses, and Rusl was again driving the wagon containing his wife, Ilia, and the children. A thick fog covered the woods, making it hard to see what was ahead.
"How far is this village, Rusl?" Link asked.
"It's hard without a map, and fog isn't helping matters, but if I can remember, we shouldn't be too far."
"How do you know that place?"
"I know their mayor. Oswin is his name. He was my mentor when I was young. He taught me everything I know. Oswin used to visit the village when you were young until his age started to catch up to him. Oswin is practically my father. I trust him with my life. It'll be good to see him again. Though I wish it were under better circumstances."
The group noticed a small path that trailed away from the main one. A trail sign with three arrows stacked on top of one another, each pointing in three directions, was stationed between the main and a side trail. Its sign read'Hyrule Field' on the top arrow, 'Dekuna Village' on the second, and 'Ordon Village' as the last.
As a sting struck the group's hearts at the glance of their village's name, it was quickly washed away by relief as they began traveling down the trail that led into the town.
"Odd…" Link heard Rusl's voice after they traveled for a bit. "Usually, someone is patrolling this trail throughout the day."
Now that Rusl mentioned it, Link couldn't help but feel something was wrong.
"You guys smell that?" Ilia sniffed.
Link took a deep breath through his nose. A stench filled his nostrils. It wasn't the putrid type of smell. Instead, it had a burning scent, like fire.
The beating of Link's heart grew increasingly inside his chest. He glances over to see the older group members worry struck expressions. Everyone picked up the pace, praying that the smell did not indicate what they feared. A clearing ahead became visible. The burning smell was now more prominent. The worst-case scenario the group feared is real.
Rusl whispered a "No..." as his and everyone else's eyes locked in disbelief.
What should've been a bustling village was nothing but the charred remains of burnt-down homes. Piles of rubble and burning wood planks were scattered around. Smoke still emulated from the debris. There was no sign of any life.
"Uli, Ilia, stay with the kids. Link, Zelda, come with me."
Rusl jumped off the wagon as two friends unmounted their horses. The trio slowly walked through the destroyed village.
"I'm going to look for Oswin. You two look for survivors." Rusl dashed forward. Link and Zelda decided to split up and went in opposite directions.
Link looks around the charred remains of houses. Debris from a nearby structure collapsed, making him jump in fright. It took Link several moments to relax before he resumed searching. He searches for any sign of life, whether human or insect. His search resulted in being futile in the end.
Meanwhile, Zelda entered the remnants of a house. As she explored the ruined home, she felt something under her foot. Removing it revealed a small child's doll with burn marks. Zelda bent over to pick it up and look at it. Emotions flooded her when Zelda noticed one drop of blood on it.
Footsteps from behind snapped the young woman out. Rusl walked up to her.
"Did you find anything?"
Zelda shook her head.
"Guys! Over here!" Link's voice reached their ears.
The pair went in the direction of where Link's voice originated from. They Link with a horror-struck expression standing at a hilltop as he pointed to something below. Zelda and Rusl got the same horror look when they went to where he was.
Dozens of bodies which contained men, women, and even some children, lie scattered across the small field. Rusl dashed below as the friend's eyes remained on the sea of corpses. Zelda silently thanked Nayru that her sister and the kids were not here to see this.
From the corner of his eye, Link noticed Rusl looking around before the man stopped next to a body, kneeling next to it and lowering his head mournfully. Judging by the look of anguish on his face, Link made a good bet that the body was Rusl's friend. He built up the courage to walk through the field, trying to ignore the smell of burning flesh surrounding him, approaching Rusl and placing a hand on his shoulder.
"...I'm sorry."
Rusl looked at the young man before looking back at the body. The older man then closed his friend's eyelids and uttered: 'May the Goddesses welcome you with open arms.' Link's hand never left his shoulder as they returned to the wagon.
Zelda stayed staring over the small field moments afterward, still clutching onto the doll. She knelt and placed it on the hilltop, taking that moment to mourn the dead villagers. Soon, Zelda slowly returned to the others, seeing Uli comforting her husband.
"Rusl...I'm so sorry about Oswin."
Rusl looked at his wife. "I just don't understand. Who did this? Why did they do this?"
A sudden thought came into Zelda's mind. "Do you think...whoever attacked here attacked our village?"
Rusl stood quietly for a moment as he thought about that possibility.
"Zelda brings up a good point," Link acknowledges. "Our village was attacked last night. The burn marks in this village look recent. It's no coincidence."
"One thing is for certain: Something bigger is going on." Rusl paused as he looked around the ruined village. "And we're caught right in the middle of it."
"What do we do now?" Zelda spoke up.
The group stood quietly for several moments. Before any one of them could speak, Talo suddenly shouted, "Guys, look!"
Everyone looks to see a small figure running behind a tree.
"Did you see that?" Link asked.
"I did," Ilia answered.
"Me too!" Colin followed.
Uli glanced around. "Where did they go?"
"Maybe we should check it out?" Zelda suggested.
Rusl also wanted to look for the figure, but his gut told him not to. "I don't think that's a good idea."
"Rusl, that could be a person. They probably need help. We need help," Uli brought up.
"I'll go check it out," Link offered.
Everyone agreed silently, though Rusl was still unsettled with the idea.
"I have a bad feeling about this."
Link went over to where the figure vanished too. He saw nothing as he looked into the surrounding forest. That is until he heard strange noises around him, along with scampering footsteps. The fog made it hard for Link to see who or what was making them. Then it suddenly got quiet. Too quiet. Link turned his head when he was then jump scared by a small green creature with horns on its head and red eyes. The creature held a large club, swinging it at his head. Link barely dodged it by several inches.
"Bulblins!"
Link scrambled to get back with the group. A whole horde of Bulblins emerged and had the group surrounded. Link & Rusl got their swords out, and Zelda prepped her bow. They stood before the wagon, where Ilia and Uli coaxed the kids to remain calm.
Unlike their cousins, Moblins & Bokoblins, who kill everything in their path, Bulblins are intelligent monsters. They stalk those who are unfortunate to get caught in their sights. It's believed that they kidnap children to enslave them, only to kill them when they reach adulthood. These creatures planned their attacks carefully, including blocking off any escape routes. That had done so to the way the group had entered.
Link saw an opening in the forest that could be their only chance as the Bulblins grew closer to the Ordonians. He gestured to Zelda there, and she nodded over to Rusl.
"When I say go, we run," Link whispered.
The other two knew what Link had in mind. Rusl instructed everyone to stay in the wagon while waiting for Link's signal. Moments later, Link shouted, "GO!" Rusl and Zelda quickly got on their rides. One of Bulblins attempted to attack as they rode away, but Link quickly swiped his sword at the creature. He promptly got on Epona and quickly caught up with the others. However, more Bulblins emerged from the fog riding on boar-like animals and gave chase.
Everyone stayed alert as they navigated through the foggy forest. Uli and Ilia tried to keep the children safe as the riders fended off the monsters. Zelda saw a Bulblin approaching Rusl. The older man seemed unaware of the creature riding in his blind spot. Zelda shot an arrow into the Bulblin as it attempted to attack Rusl. The man gave her a nod of thanks to her.
In the wagon, Ilia saw a Bublin riding in tow of them. It was twirling a lasso before throwing it in the wagon's direction. Colin was the lasso's target. Ilia pulled the boy out of the lasso's way, but consequently, the rope wrapped around her neck. A hard tug pulled her body halfway off the wagon as she tried to free herself. Had Uli not grabbed her arm, Ilia would've fallen out.
"Hold on, Ilia!" Uli's grip tightens, trying to be careful. One wrong move could result in the young teen's neck snapping.
Link saw the tug-of-war between Uli and the Bulbin. He races over the wagon's rear and cuts the rope, freeing Illia. The teen moved back to the safety of the wagon, coughing for air as she threw the loop of the lasso off of her neck. Link then kicked the Bulbin off the creature it was riding.
Suddenly, a large rock wall came into view. The group barely had any time to stop before they hit it. They didn't get the chance to run in a different direction as the Bulblins had them cornered.
"We're trapped!" Ilia shouted.
Link and Zelda got their weapons out. They readied themselves as a Bulblin started charging at them. They prepared themselves for would could be the fight of their lives. The Bulblin leaped off the boar.
An arrow struck the Bulblin's chest, startling both parties of monsters and Hyrulians. A figure jumped from above and landed between the Ordonians and the Bulblins. The figure appeared to be a woman that wore a dark scarf that covered the lower half of her face. She was tall, somewhat muscular, dark-skinned, and had light blonde hair tied up in a small knot on the back of her head. A single braid dangled on the right side of her face, arms & legs dressed in armor, and she wore loose blue clothing with an exposed breastplate on her left side that had a painted eye with a teardrop. The woman pointed a weapon that appeared to be a spear with a large blade tied at the top of the Bulblin horde. Link recognized that particular one as a naginata from his years of studying weapons.
"I wouldn't come any closer!" The woman warned the monsters.
Three more figures jumped in between both groups as well. One is a blonde male in tight blue clothing, with the same eye symbol on his chest, several inches shorter than the woman, had a white mask covering his mouth, and tanned skin. In his hand is a long blade.
The other two figures were covered in cloaks, though each had their defining features. One had a feminine figure that held an archer's bow but also had a standard sword sheathed on her hip and wore gauntlets and leg armor. The other had the large structure of a male, was armed with a large broadsword in his hand, and wore some pieces of armor as well.
"I do what she says." The blonde male pointed his weapon at the Bulblins as well.
The Bulblins looked at the four figures for another moment before they scurried away like cockroaches. While the Ordonians were relieved, they stayed alert. Who were these people? Why did they save them? Link and Zelda kept their weapons locked on as the scarf-covered female approached them.
"Are any of you harmed?" The Ordonians shook their heads at the woman. "Where are you from?"
"Why do you want to know?" Zelda asked.
"Not too many come by these parts. These woods are dangerous on days like these."
"Ordon…" Link answered with sadness in his eyes. "We're from Ordon Village."
The light blonde-haired woman's eyes had perked up at the mention of Ordon. "What brings Ordonians out here?"
"Our village was raided...destroyed. We're what's left of it..."
"I am sorry for your loses." The woman gave a sympathetic look, pausing for a moment. "Please, allow me to introduce ourselves."
The woman and the rest of the rescuers uncovered their faces from their masks and hoods. The scarf woman looked in her mid-forties and had a marking on her left eye that had the same teardrop as her breastplate. The blonde male was significantly younger than her, probably late teens at least. One distinct feature they both have are red eyes. The other woman accompanying them had pale skin and raven-colored hair in pigtails. She looked to be in her early twenties. The final member is a Hylian man with brown hair that was greying and seemed to be in his late forties to early fifties.
"My name is Impa." The older woman greeted.
Something about that name seemed familiar to Link, but he couldn't put his finger on it.
The masked blonde stepped forward. "I am Sheik."
"Call me Ashei," the raven-haired girl stated.
"I'm Auru," The grey hair Hylian followed.
One by one, the Ordon group introduced themselves. Zelda couldn't help but notice Impa looking interested when she and Link said their names.
"Now that we're all acquainted, who are you, people?" Rusl questioned them.
The rescuers looked at each other before Impa spoke. "You all heard of a group called 'The Resistance?'"
"I do," Link answers.
"What do you know about them?"
"They're a group who disapprove of King Ganondorf's rule. Why are you asking us?"
"Because you're speaking to its leader."
That made Link tense as he remembered the name 'Impa' was the same name as the said leader of 'The Resistance.' "You're the criminals that the King is after?"
"So you have heard of me? I suppose you heard how I betrayed the Hylian Royal Family and was responsible for their deaths." Link took note of the surprisingly casual tone in Impa's voice. "Allow me to tell you the truth. Ganondorf was the one who plotted the Royal Family's downfall so that he could take the throne for himself. For eighteen years, he brought misery and fear to this country. Destroying those who disagree with him."
"How do we know you're not making this up?"
"Let me ask you this. Before your village got attacked, did you see a bird with green tail feathers beforehand?"
The entire group slowly nodded.
"And were there figures wearing dark armor?"
Some members of the Ordon gave a nod.
"And did some of these figures' warriors look to be redheaded women?"
"I fought one," Link revealed in an uneasy tone.
Impa shot a glance at the young man with a curious look. All Link could do was give an unsure expression.
"Do you know what they all have in common?" No one from the Ordon nodded or said anything. "They're all under the command of Ganondorf. My best bet is that they destroyed your village under his orders."
"What makes you so sure?"
"Your village wasn't the first," The one called Ashei answered Zelda's question. "Trust me, some of us speak from experience."
"But why would he destroy our village? We're not criminals!" Ilia protested.
"Regardless of whether or not your village was guilty, Ganondorf felt it necessary to have it destroyed," Sheik stated before continuing. "Ganondorf doesn't care whether you're innocent or guilty. He'll destroy anything he considers a threat to his rule."
"And we are trying to protect this country from him," Impa affirmed.
The Ordon group was baffled at all of their statements. Sure, they might've had their issues with the king in the past, but they had never heard of him being such a monster.
"You all must come with us."
"What?" Link looks at Impa with bewilderment.
"I understand if you are still skeptical of us, but if Ganondorf finds out you escaped, he will hunt you all down to kill you, or worse..." Impa had stated with a grim tone. "Our base is hidden. And we're well equipped. We have food, water, shelter, medicine; all the necessitates for survival."
Link glances at his group, taking note of the uncertainty on their faces. "Can you give us a few moments?"
Impa gave a nod of an understatement. The Ordonians turn away from the other group to discuss among themselves.
"Do you think we should go with them?" Rusl wondered. "We're dealing with a group of known criminals here."
"But they did save us. If they wanted to hurt us, they would've done so by now…." Ilia trailed off
Ilia's words reflect the Ordon group. Link quickly glanced over to the rescuers. Their words seem very genuine, and they care about their well-being.
"Ilia does make a good point," Zelda admitted. "These guys seem sincere enough. If they're all offering shelter, we should at least check it out."
"I agree with Zelda. We should take that offer if they're willing to help us out. Besides, I think we have better chances with them than those guys." Link looked over to the dead Bulblin with an arrow in its chest.
The group all nodded their heads. Link addressed Impa's group
"We'll go with you."
"Good. Then we must get moving. The Bulblins may return with reinforcements if we don't leave now."
Impa put her fingers in her mouth and whistled. Four horses appeared out of the fog to which she and her companions mounted. Impa gestured for the Ordonians to follow as both groups started to walk into the foggy woods.
Castle Town.
Guards and Gerudo patrolled the streets of the country's capital. Civilians did everything they could to avoid them at all costs. Hyrulean Soldiers were unafraid to go above the law to do what they pleased. However, The Gerudo Soldiers could kill someone before the unfortunate soul realizes it.
Between the city is a massive gate that blocks a bridge that goes over a large moat before turning into a trail that leads to the gates of Hyrule Castle.
At another time, it was home to the Hylian Royal Family for many generations. Now it housed Ganondorf Dragmire, the land's current king. The castle played as his base of operations for the past eighteen years, where he handled kingdom affairs and plotted the downfalls of his enemies and ways to keep the citizens into submission.
In the castle courtyard, several high-ranking members of Hyrulean society gathered around, watching sword fighters dueling each other. At the head of the audience, sitting on a massive chair, a large tarp hanging overhead to shield him from the sun, and two Gerudo guards on each side, is King Ganondorf Dragmire. The reason for such a gathering is part of a week-long celebration of his eighteenth year as Hyrule's King. Although it's been years, Ganondorf remembered everything that happened after the night of King Daphnes' death leading up to the day of his coronation as if it occurred only recently.
After killing Daphnes, Ganondorf searched for Queen Lydia. A whole month he had spent searching until he found the queen and killed her. With her out of the way, Ganondorf was officially crowned King of Hyrule. It's a memory that Ganondorf likes to look back to. Were it not for his actions back then, he would not be here today in control of massive armies who would follow his orders without hesitation, having unlimited access to valuable resources and spreading his influence in every corner of the kingdom.
It would've been perfect, except for two issues.
One was the lost princess.
Ganondorf had told the kingdom that the princess had shared the same fate as her mother, but that was to ensure a secure link to the throne. The queen died before Ganondorf forced her to give the princess's location. It was one of the biggest mistakes he believed to have made. A mistake Ganondorf vowed never to make again. Throughout the years, his allies assured him that the possibilities of the princess claiming the throne were slim, assuming she was alive. Even then, the Gerudo man would not take any chances and always looked into possible leads.
The second more critical issue is the organization 'The Resistance.' They are a group of rebels led by the former bodyguard of the monarchs, Impa. Ganondorf remembered her from his time as the royal adviser that she was a Sheikah, a tribe of skilled warriors who served the Royal Family. Impa fled with Lydia the night Daphnes died and stuck around with her until her death. After he killed Lydia, Impa escaped again before Ganondorf could capture her. He declared Impa, and the Sheikah tribe traitors and, as far as the general populace knew, had the tribe exiled from the country. He also made her a high-ranking fugitive who, at all costs, needs to be captured. Impa is the face of 'The Resistance.' If she dies, it dies with her. Yet every time he came close, Impa had always managed to escape his grasp.
But matters such as those aren't on Gerudo's man mind at the moment. Focusing himself back on reality, Ganondorf resumed watching the duel, taking a sip of wine in his glass.
Everyone's eyes focused on two figures wielding swords in the courtyard's center. One of the duelers wore a complete armor set and held a simple shield & sword. Fighting him is a tall Hylian man with bright blonde hair stylized in an undercut, with his bang drooped on the left side of his face, covering one of his reddish-brown eyes; he had blue diamond-shaped earrings and wore a white but rather tight suit with diamond patterns. In his hand is a long, slender black sword.
The armored soldier made a swipe, only for the tall Hylian to dodge him. The soldier blocks a strike from the tall Hylian with his shield. The soldier then attempted to strike the man at close range several times. The tall Hylian grabbed the sword's blade with his hand, which earned some collective gasps from those watching.
"So predictable." The tall man kicked the soldier in the chest and onto the ground, pointing the black sword at his neck, symbolizing his victory. The Hylian gave a sadistic smile. "And just like that, you're dead." The poor soldier could only scramble away. The Hylian turns his attention to the applauding crowd, soaking in the praise. "Thank you! I hope you all enjoy my stellar victory! The seventh one in a row, might I add!"
As the crowd began to chatter, the tall Hylian approached the king.
"I hope his majesty enjoyed the duels."
"There were all well struck, Lord Ghirahim." Ganondorf drank from his wine cup.
"What kind of second-in-command would I be if they weren't? No one else can rival my skills. Except for Aveil, and you, of course." A servant helped place a four-pointed crimson cape onto him.
Ganondorf took another drink; whatever had remained before it was empty. "You there!" Ganondorf shouted towards a servant boy, who cringed at the sound of his voice. "Pour me and Lord Ghirahim some wine."
The servant fetched the pitcher and a wine glass for Ghirahim and poured their drinks. After several minutes of talking and drinking, a man in armor approached them.
"What do you want? Can't you see that the king and I are talking?"
Ganondorf lifted his arm to calm his second-in-command down. Ghirahim does tend to get easily angry sometimes. "What brings you here, soldier?"
"I'm sorry to interrupt, your majesty. Nabooru has requested your presence in the throne room immediately."
The throne room was perhaps the most prominent chamber in the castle. On both sides of the lay massive pillars keep the room standing, and large windows. A long stretch of carpet lay in the center of the room, leading to the throne. Pacing in the middle of the massive room was a young Gerudo dressed in pink named Nabooru. For many years, She had been at the service of Ganondorf ever since he took her in as his ward when she was a child. Her duties usually involve making sure everything in the castle stays in order.
Footsteps echoed and entered the room, catching her attention. "Your majesty. Lord Ghirahim." She bowed to the king and lord.
"Rise, Nabooru," Ganondorf commanded.
"How are the festivities? I heard Lord Ghirahim was quite the victorious one."
"They were all practically flawless victories," Ghirahim boasted.
"That's good to hear, milord. I wish I had attended, but I've been swamped with work."
"Spare us the pleasantries," Ghirahim scoffed. "Care to tell us what was so important for us to drag ourselves over here?"
"Yes. The guard informed us it was quite urgent," Ganondorf mentioned.
"Your...Vure has returned."
Nabooru moved to the side to reveal what was behind her. On the throne is a large dark purple-feathered bird with large green tail feathers. The creature took notice of the two occupants and flew towards them. The Gerudo man lifted his arm so the bird could land on it. Ganondorf smiled as he greeted the creature.
"Helmaroc, my dear pet. What news do you bring?" Ganondorf gently stroked the bird's head, which nuzzled into his master's touch. Wrapped around its leg is a small piece of rolled-up parchment. Ganondorf removed the paper as the bird released itself from Ganondrf's arm and flew out of the room through an opening in the ceiling.
"What does it say?" Ghirahim asked as Ganondorf read the paper.
"Vaati and Aveil have done their job."
"They took down the threats in the Faron region?" Nabooru ask.
The Gerudo man nodded. "And that means they'll be back in a few days. We must prepare for their return. Nabooru, see that the servants clean their quarters and ensure the castle is presentable. And while you are at it, tell the dungeon keeper to prepare the cells. We might have some 'guests' coming."
"It will be done, your majesty."
"Excellent. Before you go, is there anything else to report?
"I did receive word that Chancellor Cole has recovered from his illness and should return to duty tomorrow."
"Good to hear, but have there been any reports of The Resistance?"
"None, sire."
"That's...concerning. There hasn't been any sighting in months."
"Wouldn't that be a good thing? It's nice they're not causing trouble for once."
Ganondorf gave a stern glare, one that a parent would when they caught their child saying something they shouldn't. "I've told you this many times before, Nabooru. We can never let our guard down. 'The Resistance' is a cunning group. They seek to cause chaos. They'll do whatever it takes to destroy everything I build. If they find even the smallest weakness, they will exploit it and bring it down, including you. Do you understand?"
"Of course, my king. I did not mean to sound apathetic," Nabooru said apologetically.
"Good. Now see to the preparations."
"I will. Sav'orq, your majesty."
As he watches Nabooru leaving the room, the Gerudo man thinks about her words. Ganondorf had known the Gerudo her whole life. While she is loyal to him, he knows Nabooru is...different. Not just her small, scrawny appearance that stood out among his tall, muscular Gerudo warriors; it was her nature that concerned him. She was more soft-spoken than his Gerudo warriors. Often, she showed kindness to those Ganondorf would deem reprehensible.
"Sometimes I wonder why you let her stick around and not send her back to the desert. She's a woman with a child's mind." Ghirahim always had a distaste for Nabooru and was more vocal about it. Disgust was the only feeling he felt towards her whenever she dares shows kindness to criminals. People, he believes, do not deserve such mercy.
"Nabooru may be naïve, but she still has her uses. In time, she will learn her place." Ganondorf affirmed to the lord. "I still expect you to treat her as your equal."
"I wouldn't even think of laying a finger on her unless you command me to."
"Good. You may go back to the celebrations if you wish. I need time alone. I shall rejoin you soon."
"But of course."
Ghirahim made his exit, leaving Ganondorf alone in the throne room. The Gerudo man once again brought his thoughts to the rebels. Wondering what they were up to.
I forgot to warn you guys...I'm not good at writing fight scenes. Even brief ones.
So anyways, here we have the introduction of 'The Resistance' with Impa as the leader. And the (re)introduction of Ganondorf and his gang which consists of Ghirahim (whose a human rather than a sword spirit), Nabooru, and a small mention of Cole.
"Vure" is Gerudo for "Bird"
"Sav'orq" is Gerudo for "Farewell".
Naginata is a pole with a blade on the top.
And Sheik is a guy here.
If you guys want, you can find me on my Tumblr page (Yeah I still have an account on there despite the recent crap they've been pulling)by typing alphagirl404, then .tumblr, then in the URL. You can ask me questions about this story.
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