Hello readers! Chapter 156 is here! This week Link and his friends have a meeting with Impa in regards to a certain cult that's been causing them trouble for a long while now...
"More tea Ms. Aviel?"
"Sure thing, fill 'er up Brad!"
An older gentlemen took a nearby tea kettle and filled up Aviel's cup, and she took a slow sip of it.
It was the day after Link and his friends had solved the mystery of the Widowmaker. Link was now out in Hyrule Market Town with Aviel and Nemisa in the late morning. They were at the local Hylian Academy to meet with an old acquaintance of Aviel's.
His name was Professor Bradson, also known as 'Brad' to Aviel. He was a researcher and scholar for the academy. Two years ago he had been captured by the slavers known as the Wyvern Keepers until Link and his friends saved him and a number of others from them. Aviel had befriended the man, and it was because of him that she had gained the knowledge of the Rito village of Dhaijialoft.
"I'm glad to hear that you reunited with your parents Ms. Aviel." Bradson spoke, jolting down notes as Aviel told him the tale of what had transpired in the mountains, "And to think you'd find the last of the legendary Loftwings, and that they have evolved into a race of such fascinating bird people!"
"I couldn't have done it without your help Brad." Aviel said grinning, "I learned so much while I was there." she thought about how she had spent her time there as the supposed 'chosen priestess' and becoming Link's fiance, "...and it's helped me grow a whole lot more."
"That's truly what knowledge does for mankind." chuckled Bradson, "Its why I decided to become a professor in the first place."
"So I was curious about something," Nemisa spoke up, "Who supplied you with all that information about the bird people of the mountains? The Rito seemed to go out of their way to remain in isolation to protect the Great Fairy of Balance."
"I obtained it from a colleague of mine," Bradson spoke, "He had met a certain stranger who informed him about the location, as well as those notes I gave you about the Roc, coincidentally he was accompanied by a Gerudo if I remember his story correctly."
"Did this source give you a name?" Link asked.
"The name was… Rusosh I believe." Bradson answered, "He didn't get a good enough look at him though since he was wearing a cloak. Why do you ask?"
"Just as I thought." Nemisa nodded, "He was that adventurous Rito the mayor mentioned, the one who brought imported good there from across the land."
"Including the Quake Medallion." Link said, referring to the stone attached to a belt buckle that Nemisa won for him during the Rito's festival that allows him to generate seismic waves.
"So it was a Rito all that time?! How fascinating." Bradson said in astonishment, "I would had loved to meet one myself!"
"And if he was accompanied by a Gerudo, that might have been his wife." Nemisa spoke.
"Indeed. A Rito and Gerudo, a balance of sky and earth…" Bradson pondered."If they had a daughter, they could very well be the Great Fairy of Balance's 'chosen one' who would sing the Melody of Sky in order to open the door to meet her, as you mentioned."
"I wonder whatever became of Rusosh and his wife?" Link wondered, when a thought occurred to him, "Speaking of which, I recently learned my mother worked here at the academy before she married."
"Is that so?" Bradson sipped some tea, "Hm, that would had been a little over twenty years ago then, that wasn't too long after I started working here."
"Did you happen to know her? Her name was Aleena." Link spoke.
Suddenly Bradson froze up, and they could hear his teacup smash into pieces on the ground.
"B-Brad?" Aviel asked.
"O-Oh dear…" Bradson spoke, getting down on one knee and started to sweep up the shards of the cup, "I do apologize for that."
"What's the matter?" Link asked, "Are you okay?"
"Ah yes… it was just the shock that settled in." Bradson said, "The truth is… I was a student under Professor Aleena back in my youth, and when I graduated, I decided to work as her assistant."
"Oh wow, I'm sorry. I didn't realize…" Link spoke.
"Ha ha, it's quite alright." Bradson chuckled, "It was as much of a shock for me to find out she was your mother." he clutched at the compass strapped to his outfit, "She actually gave me this compass as a graduation gift, and I've kept it on me all these years."
"Oooh, I always wondered where you got that!" Aviel spoke.
Bradson hung his head down, "When I heard the news that she had disappeared during that monster attack on Mabe Village, I already had a feeling she wasn't of this world anymore…"
'Mabe Village… so that's the name of my hometown.' Link thought.
"How awful." Nemisa muttered, "I wonder why those monsters would even go after a merre village in the first place?"
"It's hard to say really..." Bradson then brought his head up with tears in his eyes, "...but to think she had a heroic son that's working to keep the peace of this land, I'm sure she would be so proud of you, my boy."
"I wouldn't call myself a hero, but thanks." Link grinned sheepishly.
"Well we didn't get a whole lot of information about the Great Fairy of Balance, but we did at least learn a few new things." Link said as he, Aviel and Nemisa arrived back to Hyrule Castle, the guards letting them in after recognizing him as the Gerudo King.
"I was so happy to speak with Brad again. Between the slavers and the rebels kidnapping him before, he's been through a lot." Aviel chirped happily, "And it's cause of your mom that he became a scholar!"
"I wish I could have met your parents myself Link." Nemisa said gripping his hand, "They sounded like wonderful people."
"Yeah…" Link spoke distantly.
"There you all are, glad to see you made it here safely." spoke up Nabooru, standing at the hallway's door frame, "Listen, I know you just made it back, but Lady Impa has a request for us to see her in the meeting hall, there's a certain matter she's finally prepared to indulge us in."
Link raised an eyebrow, having a feeling he already knew what it was, and followed her.
Nabooru escorted them into the room where there sat Lady Impa of course, along with Princess Zelda, Prince Darius and his counselor Xebes, along with his fiances Saria, Togau. Sarami, Reirousa, Kesuta and Korume.
"Hi everyone, what's all this about?" Link asked as he sat down along with Aviel and Nemisa, "It's not my birthday again is it?"
"Not quite yet." Saria shook her head, "Lady Impa says she wants to tell us about those awful people from before… The Order of Reyahm."
"I see…" Link frowned, having a feeling they would finally be brought up again.
"Those bastards who killed Ruto's mother, caused all that trouble for the Rito people in Dhaijialoft…" Nemisa spoke with a scowl, punching her fist into her palm, "...and tried to turn Link into the Fierce Deity."
"Hmph, sounds as though they've been making even more trouble in Hyrule than they did back in Fargent." Counselor Xebes spoke, absentmindedly twirling a finger in his beard.
"Ruto…" Zelda whispered sadly as she recalled attending the funeral of Ruto's mother. It was the one of the first times she really got to know her personally. "Very well Impa, please proceed."
"Thank you." Impa nodded, taking out a small book and some other scrolls and papers, "I'll get right to the point, I've been doing research on the past history and legends of the royal family, and after consulting the strange little book Nabooru obtained from Marceau the Mirror back when he infiltrated Gerudo Town, I believe I've finally discovered their origins."
"At last. After that bastard almost brought about a war between the Hylians and the Gerudo, I think it's high time we understand the method to their madness." Nabooru spoke, "Go ahead Lady Impa."
Impa nodded, "To start, are any of you here familiar with the tale of the 'Four Sword'?"
"Never heard of it." Link shook his head.
"The Fore Sword… sounds like some sort some sort of mystical golf club." Darius speculated, causing Zelda to splutter a little in restrained laughter.
"Uh, it's nothing of the sort." Impa sweatdropped, "It's an ancient golden sword that lays deep within a scared place known fittingly as the Four Sword Sanctuary."
"Tell me something Impa," Nemisa spoke, "That sword, does it have any relation to the Four Bracelet?" she brought up her arms to show the bracelets she took from 'Big G' Jousak back when the rebels briefly took over Gerudo Town.
"That's right Nemisa. In fact it was when you showed me your bracelets that I had a thought to look into this legend." Impa nodded, she pulled open a scroll and everyone looked to see some drawings of tiny beings gathered around various weapons and tools drawn on it,
"The Four Sword, as well as the Four Bracelet, are said to have been among many items manufactured by an ancient race of extremely skilled craftsmen, staying in isolation from humans so that no one can learn their secrets."
"I've heard many a tale of those people. They're said to be called the Minish." Counselor Xebes commented, "They would only emerge from their hiding place every few centuries or so."
"The Minish, huh?" Link pondered, "I've done a lot of traveling and even I've never heard of them."
"When you're as old as I am you learn a lot about this sort of thing!" Xebes laughed, slapping at the table, "Do go on Lady Impa, what about the Minish?"
"...according to the scriptures I've consulted, shortly after the birth of Hyrule, one of the Minish's own people once sought out the power of the divine light that was within the young princess of that era." Impa spoke, pointing to a picture of a girl with a radiant aura around her,
"That Minish… went by the name of Vaati."
"Vaati… I've read that name before in the Historia of Hyrule…" Korume pondered, "I believe he was known as the 'Demon of Winds'."
"Yes, said to be fueled by jealousy and desire, Vaati used a power created by his people to turn himself into a demon to try and claim the princess' light." Impa explained, "And he almost succeeded if not for a hero wielding the power of the Four Sword, a weapon forged by the very race that Vaati originated from, by harnessing the holy power of the four elements. It allowed him to split into four heroes who defeated and sealed Vaati away."
"Split into four, just like my Four Bracelet!" Nemisa noted.
"The fact this maiden's bracelet even exists is proof there's truth to this tale." Counselor Xebes said, "Still, I'm curious as to where the Ebony Sisterhood rebels even obtained it from…?"
"They do have connections to the black market on account of Commander Imono having the Soulbinder sword, it's possible it might have gone through to them there." Nabooru theorized.
Impa continued, "Even now, Vaati is said to remain sealed away in the sanctuary, with the Four Sword acting as the lock to the seal."
"That's not too different from the Master Sword keeping the Sacred Realm closed up." Link noted, "They probably use the same type of magic seal."
"Well that was a nice little history lesson there Lady Impa, but what's all that gotta do with them Reyahm cult guys?" Togau asked.
"Because after consulting the book Nabooru found for me, I've finally discovered the truth I've sought for all these years." Impa said, opening the small book and showing a drawing of a figure with a large single eye standing in the center of a ring of hooded people.
"What went untold in the story of the Four Sword, was that while Vaati's reign of terror was very brief, he still managed to hold onto a few followers." Impa spoke, "One such man previously swore loyalty to the king of that era and worked under him as his advisor…"
"He went by the name of 'Sokou'. He was…" Impa took a breath, "...a member of the Sheikah tribe, and would eventually become known as the High Patriarch of the Order of Reyahm."
Everyone gasped out in shock.
"The Order's leader was a Sheikah?!" Link exclaimed.
"I knew it." Nabooru spoke.
Impa nodded, "According to the ancient text in this book, Vaati rewarded Sokou with the gift of immortality, and even after Vaati's defeat he remained loyal to the Demon of Winds. Sokou sees Vaati as a virtuous deity who was far superior to that of the gods that watch over the land, and desired to bring about more godly beings like him."
"He used the ancient Sheikah words 'Reiy' meaning 'rising', and 'Aham' meaning 'salvation', and christened his organization, the Order of Reyahm."
"So that's where that name came from." Nabooru spoke, "The order of rising salvation…"
"Destroying the gods of this world and replacing them with new ones…" Korume muttered, "That's what that Chaplain Iktiakh fool spoke of when I fought him back in the Rito's village."
"In what could only be considered a mockery of Sheikah's creed to protect the Royal Family, Sokou even went so far as to design his order's symbol off of our clan's crest." Impa said, showing a picture of the symbol, "It's meant to represent Vaati's demon form of a one-eyed bat."
"That's the same picture I saw on the archery gallery posters." Link spoke, "So it does have the same eye as the Sheikah's symbol."
Impa continued, "To go about his goal, Sokou sought out those who feel they had been wronged in the past by the gods to work with him. Specifically individuals who possess the potential to become the gods of their ideal world, using countless hexing rituals and blood sacrifices to go about granting them incredable power."
"I remember how they killed that one member of their cult back in the Rito's village to awaken the power of the storm dragon Geelorokhi..." Aviel shivered, "They even tried to make Link into one by using the Fierce Deity…"
"To think they'd go that far. How loathsome…" Prince Darius muttered.
Impa continued, "Even Sokou himself participated in those rituals, using his signature hexing tool, a bongo drum in order to communicate with demons of otherworldly darkness." she turned a page to show a cloaked figure sure enough playing a drum with their hands. Said hands seemed to have eyes on the palms.
"He specifically recruited only those of Sheikah blood to the Order in order to utilize our people's ancient abilities in his rituals. Even today the Order of Reyahm consists of half-blood Sheikah."
"That would explain their use of ninja skills." Nabooru said, recalling how Marceau escaped them back in Gerudo Town using a smoke ball made from Sheikah techniques.
"Then that acrobatic lady I fought who captured Pecoli might be a half Sheikah too?" Aviel wondered, "She was pretty touch, she even had this amulet that let her flip stuff."
Impa nodded, "Not just limited to the shadow ninja skills, they obtained dangerous spells and artifacts from our ancestors as well. And when that failed to yield results, they would go out of their way to seek out new forms of channeling true godly power, even starting blood-soaked wars over it…"
"Like when Ruto's mother was killed by them to try and obtain the secret of her family's purification rite." Link narrowed his eyes, "Using a powerful poison that not even a Zora Queen could survive…"
Impa spoke, "While they still relay on magic for most of their rituals, as of the last century or two they've adapted to biological science to meet their ends as well, utilizing all sorts of advanced surgical procedures and alchemy. Even mutating human beings into monsters in their pursuit of godhood."
"How awful!" Sarami gasped in horror, "That's so inhumane, and an insult to medical science!"
"As of late they seem to have gone further with their science division, they must have recruited someone of great talent to assist them." Impa said.
"Hm, I wonder..." Nabooru pondered, she looked to Impa, "And yet after all this time, they've had no success in actually creating new gods?"
The Sheikah shook her head, "No. Since they first started, the Order of Reyahm has failed to make anyone into a true god, and at the most have only created dangerous fiends and creatures that have brought pain and torment to the people of the land for eons."
"We have many like them imprisoned at Arbiter's Grounds." Zelda said.
"To think they've been around since near the birth of Hyrule..." Link pondered, "And they're members of the Sheikah clan… now I understand what you were talking about back at the Goron Hot Springs."
"At times, I wonder if the goddesses have forsaken us due to our bloodstained past..."
Impa grimaced, "Yes, since they share our bloodline, we of the Sheikah have bared full responsibility for their actions, and have spent countless generations fighting against them and covering up their evil deeds so that it does not inspire the behavior of future generations"
The Sheikah lowered her gaze sadly.
"I had thought for the longest time that my people had finally put an end to them all those years ago…"
"What do you mean?" Link asked.
"You recall when we saw each other in Kakariko Village, back when you saved Granny Truttlo from the rebels?" Impa asked.
"Yeah, I escorted you over to that old well since you were still pregnant with Shikki." Link nodded, remembering what Impa had told him about it,
"A long time ago, the remainder of my people the Sheikah sealed a great evil within here. It was sealed far, far deeper in here then even one such as you could have gone."
"From what witnesses have said, there was a group of mysterious cloaked people who arrived at the well one night shortly after Ganondorf's capture. I'm not entirely sure what they did, but since then the evil within this well has disappeared."
"That well you see, was the actually a secret hideout of the Order of Reyahm." Impa said, "They were using it to perform their rituals and sacrifices on those they had taken; recruited or abducted… ...into their occult."
"Wait, really?" Link exclaimed, he leaned back in his seat and put a hand to his forehead, "I saw so many disturbing things down there… torture devices, crypts, death traps, a pit of decay, the living dead… I've wondered for years why all that was down there. To think the Order was behind it… that's terrifying."
Impa nodded, "Years ago, back when I was still a child, the last of my people had managed to defeat the Order in a final battle, and even succeeded in capturing Sokou. Thanks to Vaati's blessing of immortality however, they lacked the power to totally destroy him…"
The Sheikah had a rather pained look in her eyes, before she spoke to everyone with a sharp stare,
"...so instead they took away the very means of which he performed his dark rituals, by severing him of his arms. After that, they sealed him away deep within the farthest depths of the well, where he was meant to stay for eternity."
"Kukuku… very cruel, but fitting. I like it." Korume giggled darkly.
"Unfortunately it wasn't without a number of causalities of my people…" Impa spoke sadly, "That's how I became the last of the Sheikah..."
"Impa…" Zelda whispered.
"To think that creepy place I found the Lens of Truth at would have that sort of history…" Link spoke, but then a thought occurred to him, "Wait… their leader used a bongo drum in his rituals… …"
Link suddenly slammed his hands to the table, getting everyone's attention.
"Impa, that Sokou person… could he have possibly been-?"
"I know what you're getting at." Impa nodded, "And I believe you're correct."
"Is this about Link's story of the dark future?" Nabooru spoke, having put together the pieces of the puzzle herself.
Impa nodded, "Yes. It was Bongo-Bongo, the giant ghostly monster you spoke about that cursed the Shadow Temple, the one who had one eye, severed hands and that giant bongo drum…"
"It's very likely that creature was once the Order of Reyahm's leader, Sokou."
"Woah..." Link gasped.
"Ganondorf probably feared the progress you were making in opposing his tyranny, and freed Sokou from his seal in order to assist with stopping you." Princess Zelda said, "But in the end it seems not even his immortality was able to stand up to the Master Sword's power."
"So since Ganondorf never took over Hyrule, Sokou's followers must have figured out a means of undoing the Sheikah's seal and freeing their leader instead." Nabooru deduced.
"And then after they freed him, they retreated to my own kingdom of Fargent, in order to try and rebuild their organization." Prince Darius spoke, "I managed to thwart them there, but now Sokou has returned back here with the last remnants of his group."
"As dangerous as Ganondorf and the Ebony Sisterhood are, Sokou and his Order of Reyahm are arguably just as bad." Nabooru said, "And the fact they know about the Fierce Deity dwelling within Link makes them an even greater threat to us."
"So what became of Sokou anyway?" Link asked, "Do you have any leads?"
"Unfortunately no." Impa shook her head, "He's quite an evasive individual, though I suppose it makes sense since he's a full-blood Sheikah like myself." she hung her head down, "…full-blood or not though, he's a traitor to our creed, and we've denounced Sokou as one of our own." she clenched her fists and narrowed her eyes, "He must be stopped, at all costs."
"Then we'll do everything we can to support you in fighting him." Nabooru nodded, "Right Link?"
"Yeah. As the Princess pointed out, if Sokou really was the monster Bongo-Bongo... I can potentially use the Master Sword to destroy him, even with his immortality..." Link said, looking to Impa with a gentle smile, "...and with that, we can finally put an end to your people's burden."
"Th-Thank you Link…" Impa spoke with a light blush, something Nabooru and Zelda both quickly caught onto.
"Very well." Zelda spoke, "I shall consult with my father later on about what we need to do in regards to the Order."
"And that about wraps up what I've learned in my investigation." Impa said. She smiled lightly to everyone. "Thank you all for listening."
"That was… quite a lot to take in…" Nemisa spoke.
She glanced over to Aviel who was now leaning against the table in a puddle of her own drool, her eyes were spiraling as steam rose up from her head.
"Ayeyeayeayeaye…"
"Looks like it was too much for our resident Birdbrain to take in at all." Kesuta snickered.
"Thank you for telling us all this Lady Impa." Nabooru said, "I apologize for how I confronted you about the Order back during your visit to Gerudo Town. I can understand how difficult it must have been for you."
"It's quite fine, I've been wanting to tell you the truth about them for a long time now…" Impa said trying discreetly to wipe away a tear.
After that the group disbanded to go about other matters. Link found himself wandering down a hallway, thinking deeply to himself.
"Hey Link, you holding up alright?" Nabooru asked, putting her hands on his shoulders from behind.
"Yeah, just taking in everything Impa told us." Link said.
"No kidding, to find out those Reyahm bastards have been around for so long…" Nabooru said, "One thing that caught my interest though was how they were moving more into scientific research. You thinking what I'm thinking?"
"Yeah… that Dr. Yissa woman." Link nodded.
Dr Yissa was a half-Gerudo, half-Sheikah woman who had replaced Engineer Meokuro as the head of the Ebony Sisterhood's science division. Not only trying to revert Foluma back into a full android again, but also attacking Gerudo Town with the half-automation insect monster known as the 'Cybermola' just before Link and his friends left to Hyrule. She had apparently left the Order of Reyahm to work with the Ebony Sisterhood some time after the incident with the Fierce Deity.
"Do you think she was the one Impa was talking about?" Nabooru asked.
"Maybe, but why would Dr. Yissa leave the Order for the Sisterhood then...?' Link asked, "I got a feeling there's more to this than we know."
"But on that subject, I think you have something more personal to deal with right now, yes?" Nabooru spoke with a knowing wink.
"Yeah, wish me luck." Link grinned, walking off.
"Heh, go get her, tiger." Nabooru smirked, going off on her way.
"Mmm-hmm-hm Mmm-hm-hmmm..."
Impa was sitting in her room with Shikki in her arms, rocking the baby slowly to try and bring him to sleep. She hummed a little melody that she hoped would help the energetic child relax easier.
It was a much more light-hearted version of the Nocturne of Shadow, a song that was well known in her clan's legacy. A dreary as it could be for outsiders, to the Shiekah it carried a purpose of passion and drive for them.
"Gaah..." Shikki laid back in his mother's arms, enjoying the soft song. It wasn't enough to put him to sleep just yet, so he just enjoyed it for as long as he could.
"Mmm-hmm hmm-hmm-hmm..."
As the nanny hummed the tune to her baby, Impa thought about all she had told everyone, and found herself thinking back to a very important part of her childhood...
Flashback: Forty-four years ago
There was a crash of lightning as rain poured down on Kakariko Village, at the well there stood group of people, the last remnants of the ninja clan known as the Sheikah.
Positioned over the well was a man tied up in ropes and covered in paper tags with Sheikah symbols drawn on them. They were seals meant to keep the figure in place.
It was an old man with a long, thin mustache and a matching beard that was wrapped in ribbons. He wore a tall hat and silver robe, with the Order's symbol on a crest attached to the front of the robe. He glared up at the people surrounding him with narrowed silhouetted eyes.
"Sokou, had the circumstances been different, I may have been fascinated with meeting a Sheikah who lived such a long life as you." spoke one of the people surrounding the figure, a strong and stern-faced Shiekah man with red markings on his face and arms, "But instead you have been charged with the sickest and most heinous crimes this land has ever known."
Some distance away, an eight year old Impa was standing under a canopy, being looked after by one of the elder women of the clan, as well as a tall, pale-skinned man in a green robe with long black hair and a katana by his side. The small child was looking on at the man speaking out to Sokou with awe.
"Watch carefully Impa." spoke an elder, "After all, it was your father there who captured this criminal."
"Yes…" spoke the katana wielding man, "The Sheikah owe a great debt to the great Alkidal's accomplishments."
"Wow…" Impa spoke with wide eyes.
"We could say the same of you, Zaikkin." chuckled the elder woman, "Your sword mastery was what helped him in the end."
"It was an honor to assist that of whom I swear loyalty to." nodded Zaikkin, gripping at his katana, "And soon everything shall be put to rest."
"Is there anything you wish to say before we proceed with your punishment?" Impa's father Alkidal asked the leader of the Order.
"...everything I've done is for the good of this world…" Sokou muttered in a deep but aged voice, "The people will continue to suffer so long as the current gods are allowed to rule over us… That's what the Order of Reyahm strive to change since the beginning."
"Your actions have led only to the corruption and deaths of innocent lives across many generations." spoke the Sheikah male coldly, "Your crimes are beyond unforgivable. But since we can't kill you, we shall do what is needed to remove you of your more dangerous abilities first." he looked to another Sheikah beside him holding a long scythe, "Please proceed."
Sokou remained silent as some Sheikah came up and took him to a wooden block, forcing him to lay his arms down on it. The Sheikah holding the scythe walked up to Sokou, and after a moment of pause, brought up the execution weapon and swung it down at the cult leader's arms.
"GAAAAAAHHHH!"
But rather than Sokou having his limbs chopped off, instead it was the Sheikah who had been stabbed by the scythe through their chest. They groaned out in pain before falling to the ground dead.
"What? Sokou was able to use his psychic control to control the scythe?!" exclaimed one of the Sheikah in the group, "But how is that even possible, his powers were sealed!"
"Heh heh heh… you fell for my act." Sokou grinned fiendishly. He brought up his hands, showing there was glowing yellow eyes on his palms, as he broke free form his binds with a powerful bust of energy, "You thought you could outsmart a genius such as me?"
"Stop him!" commanded Alkidal, as the Sheikah all rushed in to detain Sokou.
But the criminal Sheikah waved his hand and conjured a bongo drum before him, and began playing it with a rhythmic manner, each slam of the drum caused a burst of dark yellow energy. Some portals then opened up around him which released small winged eye creatures with silver and black bodies, as well as similarly colored spider-like creatures also with single eyes.
"Patras, and Tektites..." Impa's father spoke narrowing his eyes, "Sokou's signature minions..."
"Th-They're silver and black colored too…" spoke a Sheikah nervously, "The absolute strongest of their kind!"
"Heh heh, the curtain has risen, now to begin the show!" laughed Sokou, "My minions, attack!"
By his command, the Patras flew up and fired off powerful eye beams that shot through a few of the Sheikah, killing them quickly. While the Tektites scurried out and clung to the faces of two other Sheikah, who tried to pull them off, but eventually fell lifelessly to the ground as well.
"Hold them back!" a Sheikah shouted hurling a kunai at a Tektite, "Don't let them go near the village homes!"
One Tektite lunged at another Sheikah, but Alkidal rushed forward and killed it with a single thrown kunai. Some of the Patra charged and fired off laser beams at him, but the man leapt up and kicked them all to the ground, before flinging more kunai directly into the eyes of the creatures to kill them.
"My father…" Impa whispered with a look of awe in her young eyes, "He's so strong!"
"Not too shabby, you young brat." smirked Sokou, "But lets see how you deal with this!"
Sokou's palm eyes shined yellow, and the Patras fired more powerful lasers at Impa's father, but Alkidal charged forward, dodging past each blast. Sokou didn't let up with the attacks though, and one eye beam managed to graze the Sheikah man's shoulder.
"Father!" Impa shouted, about to run out and help him.
"Impa, keep back!" spoke the elder woman pulling her away. She gazed out at the battle and the fallen Sheikah, "This is terrible… how could Sokou manage to break free? We created those seals to prevent this from happening!"
"Then perhaps he had help in replacing the seals with fake ones?" spoke a voice, as the elder turned to see Zaikkin suddenly come up from behind and stab her in the side with a dagger, she screamed out and fell to the ground.
"Elder!" Impa exclaimed, she looked up at Zaikkin glaring down at them, "W-What are you doing?!"
"Zaikkin, you… you traitor!" shouted the elder weakly, "Sokou managed to coerce you as well?!"
"What can I say? He raised a good argument while I was watching over him." spoke the assailant, "So I've decided to swear loyalty to the side of righteousness."
Impa's legs were shaking as she looked up at the traitorous Sheikah swordsman, she did her best to try and protect her elder guardian, but she wasn't anywhere near strong enough to take on an adult, much less one as strong as Zaikkin.
"Stop him!" spoke some Sheikah, coming at Zaikkin with their weapons.
But Zaikkin dodged past their attacks quickly. He brought up his hand, gripped at his sword, and with one powerful swing, sliced open the throats of all the ninja that attacked him, sending them falling to the ground dead.
"No…" Impa whispered with tear-filled eyes.
"And as for you, the last child of our clan… you're young, but I think with training you could be a fine addition to the Order." spoke Zaikkin, grabbing at Impa's arm, "Or at the very least, with time you'll be suitable as a breeding horse for the next generation."
"N-No! Let go of me!" Impa struggled, "Someone HELP!"
"Fight as you will, you cannot escape your true destiny." Zaikkin spoke, "Now, prepare to-"
But then Zaikkin suddenly gagged out, and Impa looked up in shock to see he had a kunai now lodged right in the center of his forehead.
The master swordsman samurai Zaikkin's eyes rolled back in his head as he fell to the ground lifelessly.
Impa turned to see her father whose head was lowered, as he had been the one who threw the kunai while the other Sheikah were trying to fend off Sokou and his minions. Having worked with Zaikkin for so long, it pained him to do such a thing, but he held back his tears.
"That damn fool…" Alkidal muttered, before he shouted, "Impa, are you okay?"
"Father…" Impa whispered, but she saw a Tektite lunge at him from behind, "Look out, behind you!"
Hearing his daughter's words, Impa's father quickly spun around and sliced the silver Tektite in half with a knife, before jumping up and kicking a Patra down before it could fire a laser. He looked ahead and saw Sokou use his Tektites to stab another Sheikah to death.
"Isn't this such a marvelous show?" laughed Sokou as more Sheikah fell to the ground dead or dying, "Watch as the once great Sheikah fall like flies to my master's great power!"
Sokou then sensed something, as he quickly turned and used one of his Tektites to block off a kunai attack by Impa's father.
"Still won't give up Alkidal?" Sokou smirked, "As ever I see, even when all your allies are dying around you… even after killing your dear friend?"
"Try as you might, we shall not allow you to win!" Alkidal shouted, "Since the day we united with the Hylians, we vowed to protect the descendants of the great Triforce goddess Hylia's reincarnation. Even if it means the Sheikah's legacy should end someday, we will never yield to those that bring harm to her kingdom!"
Impa stared out at her father, taking in his words as she did what she could for the injured elder.
"But don't you get it?" spoke Sokou, gesturing to the fallen Sheikah, "The cruel gods see your great effort and sacrifice, and reward you by nonchalantly allowing your all to die. You truly think your lives are worth throwing away to appease Hylia?"
"Regardless of what you think, it is written in our creed, that we shall do everything we can to protect Hyrule, even if it costs us our lives!" Alkidal spoke in an unflinching manner,
"We watch from the shadows, over Hylia's bright legacy."
"Heh, I've always hated that creed." Sokou chuckled.
Alkidal came at Sokou with his kunai, but the cult leader managed to evade the attack before blasting him backwards with a Patra's laser. Impa's father stumbled back, gasping out in pain. He spotted Zaikkin's katana laying on the ground, grabbing it and charging forward.
Sokou brought down his hands and banged his bongo drum, sending out some more Tektites from portals. They all jumped out and were about to slice at Impa's father, but the man managed to cut them down with the katana, but that distracted him just long enough that the Patras were able to shoot lasers from their eyes that impacted right through his body.
"NOOOOO!" Impa exclaimed with tears in her eyes.
But then in a poof of smoke, a log fell to the ground with a drawing of her father's face drawn on it, surprising both Impa and Sokou.
"Tsk, the distraction cloaking technique?" Sokou exclaimed, 'To think he mastered it?!"
The cult leader then felt a presence, and turned just as Alkidal came down at him from behind, swinging down the katana. Sokou managed to blast at the father with a laser, but in a split moment, Alkidal appeared landing to the ground some distance away and holding out the blade.
There was still silence, as Impa and the surviving Sheikah all stared at what just happened.
Then the katana that Alkidal held scattered, and he doubled over in pain, falling to one knee.
"Oh no, father!" Impa exclaimed.
"Heh… foolishness." the cult leader smirked. Sokou brought up his hands to bang his bongo drum again and summon yet another Patra, when he felt a strange amount of pain.
Curiously, he looked down and saw in horror that his arms were starting to come apart at the elbow, and they both fell to the ground with a spray of blood shooting out from his limbs.
"G-GAARRRHHH!"
Sokou stumbled backwards in severe pain, as his bongo drum vanished into mist.
"Without your hands, you no longer can summon your minions." Alkidal gasped as his Sheikah comrades took down the rest of the monsters shortly after that, "It's over for you."
"N-No… my hands…" Sokou gasped as blood leaked out from his wounds, "You'll pay for this you-!"
"Everyone," Alkidal spoke out, "NOW!"
Suddenly the Sheikah, regardless of whether they were still active or dying, performed an incantation that quickly bound Sokou up in new seals. Try as he might, the cult leader couldn't break free with his hands cut off.
"Grk, you… meddlesome…!" Sokou shouted in fury, "Listen well Alkidal, the Order of Reyahm shall not fall! My understudies will watch from the shadows and rise again, just as we have since the beginning!"
"Enough of this Sokou. For the crimes you've committed…" Impa's father spoke with a cold glare, "We shall seal you away within the very hell you yourself created!"
The Sheikah then completed the ritual, and a great vortex formed from deep within the well. Try as he might to escape Sokou was immobilized, and he screamed out in anger as he was pulled into the deepest, darkest depths of the well.
"NOOOOOOOooooooo...!"
When the vortex vanished, there was complete silence aside from the pouring rain. The Sheikah all gave out a breath of relief. Those who had sustained lethal injuries however fell to the ground lifelessly.
"Father!" Impa spoke in tears, running to to her dad as he gasped out, "Are you okay?"
"Heh... of course I'm okay." Alkidal grinned lightly, patting his daughter on the head with his good arm as some of the surviving Sheikah tried to help heal him, "I'm just glad to see you're not hurt."
"Father… thank you…" Impa sobbed into his shoulder as he held her close.
End flashback
"…' Impa stared downwards, with tears in her eyes after recalling all that had been burned into her memory that day.
"Ah-goo?" Shikki stared up at his mother, wondering what was troubling her. He reached out and grabbed at her hand, surprising the woman.
Impa stared down at Shikki's hand over hers, he had a good strong grip for someone so small and young. It almost seemed like he understood how sad she was, already seeming to have developed a compassion for others, just like his father Link...
Small tears started running down Impa's eyes as she smiled at her son, squeezing his hand back.
"I feel so blessed to have you Shikki..."
"Goo-ga!" Shikki giggled happily.
"Impa?" spoke up a voice, startling the Sheikah woman. She wiped away her tears and looked up to see it was Link, leaning against the door frame with his hands in his pockets.
"O-Oh Link! Did you need something?"
"…" Link just silently walked up to the mother and her child. Shikki stared up at Link and giggled out, waving his little hands at him. Link grinned and stuck his finger out, allowing Shikki to grab and hold it.
"Just wanted to stop by and see how you both were doing. I figured it must not have been easy to find out all that information you told us." Link said.
"You're right about that." Impa nodded, "But after all you went through because of those fiends I felt it was only appropriate that you were told the truth about them."
Link nodded as he tickled at Shikki's stomach, making the baby giggle more. It warmed Impa's heart to see Link take to him in such a way. Rather than just being involved with her for the sake of helping to conceive children, Link was becoming more like a true father to her son.
"Hey, I was just wondering," Link spoke up, "I know we don't have much time before the meeting with the Hylian Parliament, but did you want to... do anything tomorrow?"
"Huh? What do you mean?" Impa asked, "You need training?"
"No, not that." Link laughed, "I just thought maybe you'd want to go out and do something. We could leave Shikki with Sarami and go somewhere together."
"...you mean like a date?" Impa spoke with a light smirk, trying to hide her blush.
"Eh, whatever you want to call it." Link chuckled, "How about it?"
"Well…" Impa whispered, absentmindedly twirling her finger in her braided ponytail, "If you wish, I've been meaning to go out to Kakariko Village. I have some important maters to see into, and…"
"That sounds fine, I'd be happy to." Link nodded with a second thought, "I'll see you in the morning then."
"Th-Thank you." Impa nodded, "Actually, if you don't mind, could you watch Shikki for just a moment? I have to go check on Princess Zelda."
"Sure! Come here Shikki!." Link said taking his son into his arms, the baby laughing out as the young king tickled at his stomach again.
"You've really gotten good with children." Impa smiled fondly, "Nemisa even told me all about that little thief you looked after while you were investigating the Widowmaker killings."
"O-Oh, she did, did she?" Link asked embarrassingly.
"You've grown so much since I trained you as a young lad, Link." Impa spoke, giving him a light peck on the cheek, "And I'm espiecally proud of the fine man you've become."
As Impa got up and left the room, Link stood silently as he held Shikki, taking a moment to gaze at the Sheikah woman from behind.
She had a fine grace to her steps, probably learned through all the years she watched over the royal family. While she had lost most of the weight she gained from her pregnancy with Shikki, she definitely had more pronounced hips now, and her rear end was rounder than before. While the caretaker was somewhat bothered by her weight increase during her pregnancy, Link felt those lovely new curves she gained only added to her stunning beauty.
What really fascinated him though, was back when he arrived at Kakariko Village with Granny, only to see Impa sitting at a bench, with a round stomach swollen with the child he was currently holding. Despite how battle-hardened Impa could behave, when she sat there with her pregnant belly and that lovely robe she wore, she looked more like a maternal goddess, one that he couldn't tear his eyes from.
Link hesitated for a moment until he was sure Impa was gone, before he sat down with Shikki and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small box and opening it up to take a look at what was inside.
"Ooooh…!" Shikki spoke, looking at it as well with wide eyes.
"I wonder Shikki, could it be that time…?" Link asked him, he looked out a window as the sun was starting to set. He closed the box and pocketed it, before turning his attention to his son again.
The baby giggled and waved his arms excitedly, almost as if he was agreeing with his dad, and Link nodded back,
"Yeah, when the time is right tomorrow, I think I'm going to finally ask your mother..."
And that ends this chapter. Next week, Link and Impa go on an outing together, and Link will finally work up the courage to ask her something important...
Thank you all so much for your support! Please leave a like or follow if you're new, or send a comment or private message at your leisure! You feedback is always encouraged!