Moving On Chapter 8
"Maybe staying within the town walls is best for now, maybe call for the aid of other regions?" Barta suggested.
"Mmh, maybe, but with the strength of the enemy we may not be able to hold out for long." Liana responded.
"What do you suggest then?" Riju asked.
"Retreat to Kara Kara? Or maybe the old canyon stable." She proposed, earning herself some foul glares from her peers.
"I don't see that ending well at all, taking that many people across the desert would put them at high risk, and what would moving even earn us against an enemy such as the Yiga? Only shame from what I see." Ploka retorted.
"What if we were to seal ourselves underground in the shelter? We'll be safe down there and at least we'd be safer down there for longer than we would be with guards on the surface." Marta suggested, getting a few groans in response.
"Do you remember what it was like down there during the gibdo crisis? Another month down there and I'll go insane. Besides the Yiga would figure a way in too, just as that voe did." Smaude groaned, others agreeing with her.
"Maybe sticking do defense isn't the right idea." Ploka thought out loud, getting some confused looks from the others save Babi.
"Yes, just what I was thinking! We have a good opportunity for an assault. We have information on where they are and what the interior looks like, additionally we still have lots of firebombs and spears left over from the gibdo crisis, such weapons would be perfect for raiding their hideout." Babi proposed, getting rather excited about the idea.
"Yes exactly! And with lady Riju and Link we could wipe them out before they have a chance to bring harm to Gerudo town!" Ploka agreed with the idea, though clearly the others would need some more convincing.
"Are you mad? What about the people? If there are no guards here what's to stop the Yiga from sending a raiding party to the town? Even if we manage to destroy their leader and hideout, if we've no town left then there's no point." Smaude pointed out the obvious flaw in their plan.
"Mmh, what if we were to bring in the guards and vai from Kara Kara? They could hole up in the bunker underground and watch over the people while we're away." Marta said, recycling her idea from before.
"What of the voe? Many voe seem to have set up at Kara Kara, some seem to think it'll get them into town. While they are a bit of a nuisance sometimes, we cannot ignore them." Barta interrupted.
"We could send them to the old canyon stable. I believe there is one of our guards out that way too so she could watch over them." Liana added.
At that moment Link walked into the throne room, donning the desert voe set, Riju still wondered how he knew where to get that. Master sword, hylian shield and royal bow all strapped to his back, he looked ready for battle. By the looks of it, she already knew which side of the argument he'd sit, probably the same as her.
"Sir Link." Teake nodded to him respectfully, he nodded back.
"We've reached something of an impasse at the moment. Marta, Babi, Ploka and Liana seem to believe an offensive strategy is our best option to defeat the Yiga before they can defeat us, though the others, Barta, Smaude, Kotta and Katta believe a defensive strategy would be better, to hold out while we can and not risk our people." Riju explained. "Of course, the vai themselves could explain their ideas better than I." She motioned to the guards who had just recently been arguing.
"Of course." Kotta was first to present her "side's" plan, bowing her head in respect as she began to speak. "We believe it is best to stay on the defensive for now as to not risk the people's safety. We know not what the Yiga are planning, and an offensive may be falling right into their plans." Link listened carefully, hearing her out. After finishing her case, she lifted her head and let the others speak.
"Link, we believe that with yours and Lady Riju's combat prowess along with us warriors we should attack the Yiga base soon, defeating them before they have a chance to bring our people any more harm. Our plan is to bring in the guards and vai from Kara Kara and keep them in the shelter while the voe go into the old canyon stable with the guard from the area keeping watch over them." Babi bowed and laid out her plan. While he never liked to play sides, Link was clearly more moved toward the offensive strategy. Those with the heart of a warrior. Riju thought to herself.
"I think an offensive is our best option."
Just as she'd suspected. Riju nodded and agreed.
"I agree, I've decided, a fast offensive it shall be. Tomorrow morning, we leave as the sun rises." Riju ordered, soldiers bowing to her command and quickly leaving to begin preparations.
"I trust you shall be able to deliver this to the guardswomen at Kara Kara." Riju spoke to Link, handing him a letter she'd somehow already written. He nodded and took it without a word, turning and running out the building. Those with the heart of a warrior. Riju sighed. She had to accept his feelings, but it did hurt, to see how alike they were knowing that things would never progress from where they were, they may never even get back to where they were in the first place. She regretted that move, propelled by foolish feelings, though knew there was nothing to do about it. In battle you can't dwell on anything, or you'll end up dead. It wasn't late yet, but considering the sun rose at 3am in the desert, she'd have to get to bed soon, she needed to be well rested for the day ahead.
He delivered the letter and left Kara Kara, the guardswomen soon to follow in his footsteps back to Gerudo town. With Ganondorf's defeat the road was much clearer of Lizalfos and bokoblins so he didn't have to worry about a fight on his way back. At least, he didn't think he would. He also didn't think he'd miss the desert rift in broad daylight, but a mirage had tampered with his vision. He tumbled down the rift, luckily landing on sand which softened the impact of the fall, though it still hurt. He stood up carefully, reaching to his pack to grab a baked apple, stopping as he noticed a wolf sitting patiently in the shadows. Its feral blue eyes pierced his own. Slowly, Link reached for his bow, seeing this the wolf charged him. He hastily switched grip to his sword, but he was too late, and the beast pounced on him, knocking him clean out.
Drearily, he opened his eyes, greeted by a twilit sky. He must be late, he panicked and jumped to his feet, to find them landing on cloud. He was standing on a sea of clouds, the floating Hyrule castle watching over him from the distance. Ahead of him was a skeletal figure. Shadowy bones encased with shattered gold plating over bronze chainmail, tatters of a green tunic overlaying the plating, greyed wolf fur over the shoulders. Ancient battle helm of gold and imperfect jewels adorning the front. Vines grew all over the ancient warrior. Hollow eye sockets glowed feral blue as the thing breathed steadily. It turned to face him, bathed in twilight, the figure unsheathed an old sword and shield and readied for battle.
Though confused, Link steeled himself and unsheathed the master sword. He knew of Stalfos, ancient warriors risen from the dead by their sorrow from wishes unfulfilled in life, though he'd never encountered a Hylian one before. Link approached slowly, sword and shield in hand, readying for an attack to counter, but it didn't come. cautious, Link tested the waters by hitting the shield, only to have it thrust into his face, pushing him off his feet and onto his back.
Looking up into the sky, he watched the warrior leap into view and dive toward him, sword in hand ready for a killing blow, he rolled out of the way and dodged the killing strike, hopping back to his feet and moving onto the offensive with a jump attack, hitting the warrior in the back and earning a retaliatory vicious spin attack which he dodged and hastily moved in for a flurry rush afterward, catching the warrior off guard and knocking him to the floor. He rolled to the side and landed on his feet before Link could make another move, once again ready with sword and shield in hand. Link hit the warrior's shield with a thrust attack, parrying his shield bash before it could knock him down, though before he could land any attacks, the warrior rolled to the side and around him, knocking him off his feet onto his back once again, though strangely the attack didn't hurt, and left no wounds.
Link kicked himself back up again, readying sword and shield again. This time he pushed the offensive, raining down attack after attack on the warrior before he could retaliate, countering every shield bash sent his way. But he blocked efficiently, not a single attack hitting, he was clearly biding his time for a counter, and as he had clearly anticipated, Link eventually ran out of energy, but he wouldn't be so easily read. The warrior retaliated, but Link jumped backwards readying for another flurry, only to see the warrior had vanished. He knew this move now though and was able to parry the attack coming straight for his back in a second, hastily moving in for a retaliatory thrust, though stopped when the warrior vanished, and he felt an intense weight upon the blade. He was shocked to see the warrior atop the master sword, balancing upon it perfectly, he kicked Link in the face and backflipped away, almost knocking him off his feet again.
The warrior swiftly charged into a great jump attack; a move Link had heard of once but never learned himself. As the warrior leaped towards him, he hopped to the side and moved into a roll, swiftly moving around the warrior and striking him from behind as soon as he landed, knocking him off balance. Link quickly moved into spin attack and finally knocked him to his feet again, then attempting the move he'd seen before, leaping into the air and stabbing the master sword through the warrior's chest, seemingly killing him. Though a skeletal hand grabbed his on the hilt of the master sword.
"A sword wields no strength unless the hand that holds it has courage." He spoke in a hoarse voice, shocking the hero. The shade slowly stood up, Link carefully getting off, with a confused look on his usually cold face. The shade stood slightly hunched with the master sword in his chest, looking at Link with those feral blue eyes. He moved with such speed that Link could not react, unsheathing the master sword from his chest and swinging for Link's neck, stopping a second before the killing blow.
"There is no counter. This is the mortal draw." He told him. Link wasn't sure what to be more shocked about, the fact that he was a mere centimeter away from death or that the shade held the master sword, clutched firmly in his left hand. Not only could he hold it, but it also seemed natural to him, like returning to old ways. The shade withdrew the sword, giving it a swing, before dropping it through the clouds. Link glared wide-eyed down at the falling sword. He couldn't lose it again.
"Worry not, your parting shall not last long. You need a moment without it." The shade spoke, grabbing his own sword from the floor and letting it rest back in its sheath, rusted and adorned with ancient patterns even Link had never seen.
"Your sword is weak. Skilled, quick and smart certainly. But strength is still key in battle." The shade spoke facing away from him. "Fear has robbed you of your strength. Your courage is diminished hero." Link gave him a neutral glare, hiding his inner turmoil.
"Like all of my kind, I am bound to this realm even through death, by the weight of tremendous regret." He continued, taking an unexpected personal turn, though it was a stretch to say any of this was expected. "Someone held my heart, someone who did not belong in this world. Never again did I see her, never again, did I feel that sort of love."
"You." He turned, facing Link, fierce blue eyes holding gaze with his stormy blue. "You deny yourself peace, even with it right before you. Fear, guilt, regret, they bind you like chains to an eternal storm of turmoil." Link kept his neutral exterior, still caging the turmoil within.
"It is only with the strength of courage, that you will have the power to let go of these chains you have bound to yourself. The dead do not want your guilt." He told him coldly, not in hostility, but in harsh truth, something Link understood despite not wanting to hear it.
"You are needed. May we not need meet again." The shade turned away once more, the clouds beneath moving upward and engulfing all with their cold softness.
"Go forward, and be brave, hero."
Link awoke to the face of a gerudo guard looking down at him with concern.
"He's awake!" She shouted, the others running over to him. Twilight settled in the sky, casting a great thick shadow over the rift he was caught in. "What happened?" The guard asked him, he told her he was tricked by a mirage and fell in - the truth, though not all of it. He stood up and dusted himself off, sand showering from his bare toned chest and sifting from the shoulder plating on his right shoulder. He told them he'd meet up with them at Gerudo town. Come to think of it, it was lucky the Yiga hadn't attacked while he was unconscious, maybe some sort of good luck ward had prevented it.
The master sword stood proud just before him, resting in the only part of the rift not engulfed with shadow but glowing in the twilight. Link walked over and carefully drew it from the sand. It felt slightly heavier than before, maybe he had grown weak. He looked in front of him, a rough wall of rock carved out of the desert by the upheaval. Link held the master sword up to the rock and carved into its young face.
"Dedicated to the memory of a legendary hero, bathed in twilight."
Link carefully returned the Master sword to its sheath afterward, and kneeled down in respect, remembering his parting words. He had to be more courageous, take more risks once again, seek out a better life.
"Thank you."
He stood and walked away carrying the memory of this warrior long passed with him.