Author's Notes:
While I stick very closely to the HTTYD movie/TV show lore, I take liberties with the LoZ elements. Please read with an open mind, as if this were a new game.
New chapters on Wednesdays. The whole thing, 30 chapters plus Prologue, is written and will be posted!
Castle Hyrule gleamed like a skeleton of bleached bones against the shadowed mountains. The walls leaned in a crumbling disarray while a few tired posts held up what remained of a roof. A wide perimeter of black dirt surrounded the Castle; the wild grass did not dare claim this part of the countryside, nor could it do so for the heavy foot traffic from Ganon's forces.
Hiccup swallowed. Crossing the miles of empty withered field to the Castle left him longing for a place to hide. Besides the underground passageways, the only way in or out was across Hyrule Field, and Impa and Link said those passageways had all been destroyed in their earliest attempts to retake the Castle. As far as entering the Castle itself, the bulblins had dug a deep trench all around the walls, making the grand staircase leading to the front doors the only entry point.
As Hiccup drew closer, details came into focus. Mulberry banners, charred and shredded, lay strewn about the grounds and hung limp from the battlements. Chunks as large as a house were missing from the walls; smoke stains scarred whatever was left. And the unpleasant odor of smoke, filth, and rotting meat was steadily growing stronger. The clicks and grunts of bulblins, likely hiding behind the countless pieces of rubble, made Hiccup wish he had a weapon on him.
The moment Hiccup crossed from the grassy field to the naked earth a single arrow whizzed towards him. He froze as it plunged into the hard packed dirt at his feet. Then, the landscape erupted. Scores of bulblins scrambled over the rocks, gullies, and overturned war machines. Hiccup raised his hands as the circle of monsters closed around him, brandishing all manner of weapons.
"I'm here to see Ganon!" he shouted, raising his hands. The two gems of the bracer sparkled. The bulblin forces stepped back a moment, looked at each other dumbly, and then continued to press in, weapons aimed at his throat. Hiccup lifted his chin. A spear tip nicked his neck.
"Let him pass," a voice boomed.
Immediately, the bulblins scuttled away. Hiccup looked up to the source of the command. At the top of the stairs stood a dozen Yiga clansmen and at the forefront was the Captain. The pale masks sent a shock of fear through him. His muscles tensed as if he was strapped again to that table.
Look past the mask. During the whole of his interaction with the Captain, Hiccup had noticed one startling difference between him and the rest of Ganon's agents: the proximity, as intense as it was, hadn't sent his skin crawling like Vabblin and the other bulblins did. That, coupled with those out of character statements and what Impa had told him of his history, gave Hiccup the hope that there was a shred of humanity left in the former Sheikah. There had to be, or they were already doomed.
Hiccup took a breath and climbed the stairs, halting a few steps from the top. The Yiga masks bobbed around him like so many bloodshot eyes, but he kept his own eyes locked on the one in the center.
"You know why I'm here," Hiccup said. The Captain twirled a finger in the air and marched into the Castle. The Yiga prodded Hiccup forward with their sickles, and together they passed through the doorway into the foyer.
At the end of what must have once been a great hall, a pair of giant wooden doors, now charred, stood partially ajar. The throne room lay beyond that. He knew his window of opportunity was running out, and his whole plan hinged on this element.
He cleared his throat. "Kogah." The Captain's stride stuttered. The slightest ripple of movement from the pale masks indicated the clansmen had taken notice as well. Hiccup took a breath and continued. "Kogah, it's not too late. You could still save Hyrule."
The Captain sighed darkly.
"Okay, maybe that's too big. But think about it. If Ganon wins, you'll be forced to kill everyone who resists. Link, the Princess, Impa." Hiccup nearly bumped into Kogah as he stopped short at the end of the corridor. Two Yiga sprinted ahead and began pulling the wooden doors wide.
"You don't know what you're dealing with," the Captain said. "This is beyond any of our control."
"You told me you didn't want to do this," Hiccup reminded. "Were those just words or did you mean it?" The Captain sighed again, a long and dangerous exhale, and took a step forward.
"Wait!" Hiccup touched Kogah's shoulder. In a flash, the Captain grabbed Hiccup's wrist and wrenched it around his back. Hiccup grimaced as Kogah hissed in his ear.
"There's nothing you can do. Why did you even come back?"
"There's still a chance. For Hyrule. For you."
"Your naivete's going to get you killed."
"Captain!" A deep voice rang out from the massive room.
There was a pause, then Kogah growled. "You shouldn't have come back." With that, he shoved Hiccup into the throne room.
Hiccup stumbled forward into a patch of sunlight filtering in through one of the many gaping holes in the roof. Sparkling dust motes floated through the air, giving almost a magical quality to the space, holding his attention until his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Beyond the light, broken stones from walls, the ceiling, statues, and what remained of a colonnade littered the floor. Discarded Hylian weapons and shields lay strewn about, too, as if the bulblins were too lazy to remove them after the last battle. Exposed rafters crisscrossing the ceiling lent a sense of vulnerability to the once stalwart castle. A wooden balcony circled the room, and a double set of stairs flanked the dais on which a lonely throne presided. Despite the damage, though, Hiccup could imagine the grandeur this place must have held.
The only thing jarringly out of place was an ugly, bloated pillar rising behind the throne and towering even above the balcony. It bulged in odd places and was coated in a rough texture that made it look like it was covered in scabs. Amidst the forsaken beauty of the room, it was a strange disfigured centerpiece.
The Yiga fanned out behind him, blocking the exit.
The bass voice spoke from across the room. "So, you came after all. You must be eager to return home." Deep in the shadows, Hiccup barely made out the form of a man sitting on the throne. Though clad in armor instead of a cloak, he recognized the voice and amber eyes from his nightmare. A chill raced up his spine.
He had planned on having the Yiga on their side by this point. Maybe he could still change Kogah's mind.
Hiccup did his best to keep his voice level. "You're right. I am eager to go home, but I won't. Not until I know this world is safe."
"Such noble aspirations. You think you can save the world?"
"Not really, but it always starts with one." Hiccup cast a meaningful look at the Captain. If only he could see what was going on behind that mask.
Turning back to the Desert King, Hiccup said, "You think you've won, but the Princess is waking up the fountains." The King inclined his head, the glare intensified. "That's right, I've seen it. A fairy even showed up!" Hiccup felt confidence swelling inside him. "The world isn't as dead as you think. It's coming back. And the people who live here, they're coming for you."
"And I will crush them as I did before."
"Funny you should say that because I'm pretty sure you can't do squat without this," Hiccup said, twisting the bracer back and forth. Hiccup cocked an eyebrow knowingly. "Why else would you want it so badly?"
"Presumptuous, insignificant child," Ganon spat. "This is not some simple machination. Plans were set in motion long before you were even conceived."
Great, Hiccup thought with a smile. He'll monologue on his own.
As the Desert King drolled on, Hiccup squinted into the darkness. There was someone behind Ganon, but all he could make out of the cloaked figure were a few whisps of white hair and equally pale fingers that clung to the throne. A strange thought tickled his mind, that he had met this creature before, though not quite her or maybe not quite him.
Ganon's final sentence drew Hiccup's attention. "You cannot comprehend the forces at work here."
Hiccup cast a combative grin. "Try me."
Ganon considered, then leaned back and laced his fingers. "I think not. I invited you here for an exchange."
Hiccup squared his shoulders. "I'm not giving it over."
The Desert King leveled his gaze at Hiccup, the amber eyes glowing. "I wasn't asking," Ganon rumbled.
Hiccup pulled the bracer back and clenched his fists. Ganon raised his hand. Clad in a gauntlet of spikes and dark metal, the fingers stretched out like talons. Suddenly, a jet of red mist shot from his palm, encasing the bracer in a crimson crystal from Hiccup's hand to his shoulder, yanking it forward and locking it straight in front of him. Hiccup's breath went shallow, and his heart felt like a fish flailing about on the shore. Memories of being trapped in amber flashed through his mind, but unlike his nightmare, the crimson crystal did not grow further. Instead, the misty tether pulled him slowly and steadily forward. Hiccup braced with his feet, strained, grit his teeth, but despite all his efforts it dragged him toward the throne. He could feel sweat dampening his shirt and the harsh thump thump of his heartbeat. This is not good.
The tether stopped as Hiccup reached the foot of the dais, and for the first time Hiccup could see in every painful detail who had brought Link so low. The Desert King rivaled Stoick the Vast in both height and muscle, though with none of the Viking's excessive girth. Metal spikes angled off the boots, forearms and shoulders, and Hiccup could find no gaps in the dark metal armor. Practical as well as intimidating. A matching helmet waited at his feet. The King's nose was hooked like a hawk, and a pair of amber eyes burned below the strong brow. Hair like fire rippled back from the peaked hairline.
The Desert King contemplated the boy struggling against the magic crystal with a disconcerting smile. "You have no idea what you're dealing with."
"It doesn't matter," Hiccup rasped. "You're not getting the bracer."
Ganon clenched his fist, and the misty tether erupted with crackling red energy. Hiccup felt the shock run through his body, centralizing not on his metal leg as it always did ... but on his heart. It burned, tore at his chest, as if trying to rip it out. He sensed a wordless voice, a ravenous will, struggling with his own. The Triforce! That's what it was after! He knew he could let go, give it up, give in, and this pain would be over.
Just when he thought he couldn't withstand it any longer, it stopped. Hiccup collapsed, gasping and trembling, his limp body hanging from the crimson crystal still trapping his arm.
He had barely caught his breath when it started again, even stronger than before. Moments felt like eternity. The energy screamed at him with the intensity of a Thunderdrum, pulled at him like a riptide dragging him out to sea. No. No! He felt himself slipping.
"Hold on, Hiccup."A woman's voice spoke in his mind as clear as his own thoughts with a tenderness that made his heart ache. A moment later, he felt arms, gentle but firm, wrap around his back and a pressure on his chest as if being given a strong hug. The ravenous will still screamed and pulled at his heart, but the effect was lessened, seemingly blocked from its full effect.
At length, the energy stopped. Hiccup gasped for air. He could no longer sense the invisible arms, but the voice had reignited his confidence. Locking eyes with the Desert King, he struggled to his feet.
The smile faded from Ganon's face. "If you will not give me the Triforce willingly, you leave me no choice. Captain!"
With a series of twinkles, the Yiga appeared around them. One kicked Hiccup in the back of the knee, forcing him to the ground. One grabbed his right arm and held it behind his back. Two others held his left arm forward as Ganon lowered his hand, and the crystal disappeared. Hiccup struggled against their grip to no avail. Even so, the clansman holding his arm behind his back changed her grip, wrenching Hiccup's arm back and up. He yelped as a twinge of pain shot through his shoulder and stopped fighting; it wasn't worth it. Panting hard, sweat dripping down his face, he glared up through the fringe of his hair at the Desert King.
Ganon turned his burning eyes on the Captain. "Bring me the bracer." Kogah hesitated. This is it, Hiccup thought, his heart racing. The mask shifted as if he looked at the broken ceiling, the shattered statues, the desecrated castle.
With a sigh, the Captain drew his sword and approached. Hiccup's heart froze.
"Kogah, w-wait!" Hiccup pleaded. Wincing at the pain in his shoulder, he couldn't help but wriggle under the Yiga's stony hands. His palms went icy as Kogah stalked forward and stood above him. "Don't do this! Y-you can turn right now!"
Ganon's laugh resounded from the throne. "Pathetic boy. The Yiga are mine and do my bidding."
Hiccup strained to make a connection with the eyes behind the mask. "Don't ... don't do it." He could barely hear the muffled whisper.
"I have no choice."
The Captain raised the black sword over his head.
Author's Notes:
We're in the endgame now.
Seriously, if you're jumping in here and you like what you reading, I highly recommend going back to the beginning because things are about to ramp up, and it will make a lot more sense with full context. :P
Five more chapters to go!
Thanks to Ari Lewis and Luke for beta reading!