Chapter 11
The feather and the arrow
By daybreak Link and Zelda were already packed and ready for their trek back to Kakariko. Any day now they should be hearing word back from the Great Houses of Hyrule, which meant Zelda would be needing to hurry back to prepare for what was to come, good or ill.
Though it was already past mid-morning when the pair woke, Zelda felt the need to have one more quick word with the zora king on an important matter before the two travelers left the Domain.
"I still have to speak with Dorephan about the Moon Pearl to find out what he knows about it. If he's even heard of such a thing, that is," Zelda remarked to Link.
A few moments passed without any response from her knight, and the princess turned to find out what was wrong. It was then she saw him struggling to carry all their packs and belongings as they left their room. She must have been so preoccupied with her plans for the morning that it slipped her mind with regard to just how much they had to carry. During their stay, the zora had gifted her a great number of things, and she would be taking a great deal more of such back to Kakariko.
"Oh, dear! I'm sorry, Link. I didn't notice I was bringing back so much. I thought I packed light," she apologized as she made her way to grab some items from out of his arms.
"This is what you call packing light?" Link replied, trying to balance the packs and assorted gear that towered over him as he trailed behind her. He couldn't even see where he was walking, forced to follow steps according to Zelda's voice as she spoke to him. Many of the items were trinkets, more or less, such as the sets of Hylian-zora garments, as well as a variety of ointments and fine oils that princess dearly enjoyed. Other than those, Link also bore a chest given to the pair of them by the Gerudo, which held a formidable amount of precious gemstones and other riches from the desert - wealth that would be sorely needed to fund the rebuilding of the capital when the time came.
Zelda giggled, because he was right to be so sarcastic, after all. She could tell that much when she saw him struggle to hold the chest with one hand, all the while precariously holding four thatched crates stacked on top of each other with a sack on top in his other arm. And that was to say nothing of the backpacks, plural, strapped to him.
"Here, let me help," the princess insisted. He pulled away as she made her way to him.
"I've got it, don't worry," he coolly responded, maneuvering his face against the crates to keep them upright in front of him.
"Link, you look ridiculous trying to carry all of that! Please, let me help you," Zelda demanded more firmly, trying futilely to offer assistance even as he dodged her attempts to grab one of the crates. Before she could manage to finally get hold of one, the two were interrupted.
"You need a hand there, friend?" a voice was heard saying from around the bend of the hallway of their room. It was Sidon, the happy-go-lucky prince himself. Before Link could protest otherwise, the large zora had snatched two of the crates the hylian carried above his head.
"Don't worry, Link. I'll make sure we have a wagon for us to use before we make our way," Sidon said.
"Thank you, Sidon. Yes, I don't believe the two horses we brought would be able to carry these along their backs," Zelda concurred, cupping her chin as she abashedly realized just how much extra belongings they had now.
"Also, I must speak with your father one last time," Zelda asked the tall prince, humbly rubbing the back of her long, flowing blond hair. "If that is alright, of course?"
"Certainly!" he replied with a warm smile. "You are the princess of Hyrule; you don't need to ask permission here. I'm sure he will be more than willing to have another audience with you."
"Then I won't be long," she added.
"Master Link and I will prepare the wagons and horses alongside the others while you speak with my father. We should be ready for the journey as soon you are done," Sidon declared as he and Link stepped away from the princess, making their way down another bridge that led to the open mouth of the Domain.
She smiled. "Ha! You hear that? Take good care of your squire in my absence now, Ser Link!"
The princess giggled, amused again by the thought of Link taking the enormous zora prince under his wing. She waved and nodded to them as she left their presence, now off to see the zora King one last time.
After speaking with the king of the zora, it was apparent Zelda would still be left wondering about the mysteries of the Moon Pearl. As much as he would have liked to help her solve this riddle, he too was unaware of its existence or its significance. However, a stroke of luck might have found her in another form entirely. Upon leaving the presence of the King, she was surprisingly greeted by a noticeably more cheerful Muzu, who just so happened to have an appointment with Dorephan himself.
"Well, hello there. A fine morning to you, Princess of Hyrule. Is there any way that I may be of assistance to you this morning before you embark back on your journey?" he questioned, tilting his head in a show of reverence to her arrival.
"Actually, I came here to inquire on an important matter with the King. But, just like me, he was at a loss when it came to the mystery," Zelda responded, already making her decent from the top of the grand staircase, a glint of sadness in her eyes.
"Mystery, you say?" Muzu asked, his eyes widening at the prospect as he stopped near her. Zelda simply continued to walk past where he stood, the feeling of defeat heavy in the pit of her stomach.
"Perhaps I can be of some help, Princess?" Muzu offered, following after with a warm smile to lighten her dour mood. "After all, I am the overseer and lead scholar here in the Domain. My knowledge is at your behest your grace."
Zelda paused mid-step, spun back around and beamed at him. In that moment, she couldn't have been more thankful for his change in attitude, so willing to help, and so unlike the Muzu from before. "There is something I must know. Have you ever heard of a relic called the Moon Pearl?"
Muzu eyes jolted and he fell a step backwards, as if knocked off his feet by a strong ocean wave. The sight of such a reaction set Zelda's nerves on edge, and her chest began to beat like a drum. What does he know?
The aged zora coughed into his fist to clear his throat. "The Moon Pearl…ah, yes, I do recall such an artifact. A sacred relic safeguarded by the High Priest of Hylia herself, or so I have been told. But…that was a very long time ago. How did you ever come to hear about it, dear princess? And why now?"
The princess gulped, the nervous pit in her stomach seeming to quake. "As a matter of fact, I only heard about it just the other day in Kakariko. Impa told us about it, but she didn't know much on the matter."
She proceeded to tell him about the events leading up to the present situation, as well as the assassin and what he may have been after.
"I see…," murmured Muzu, lifting his head up high to the clear blue sky in contemplation of his words, trying to unravel the mysteries in his mind. "Well, the Moon Pearl is one of a kind in its existence. From the heavens of another realm they say, crafted by your gods themselves. It is said that it was once used by a hero, not unlike the lad you are with now, in order to aid in his own quest countless ages ago."
"And what did it actually do? For the hero, I mean?" Zelda inquired, her pointed ears perked in anticipation of Muzu's words.
"If I remember correctly, the Moon Pearl was a vessel which held a dark and terrible power. One the likes of which this world should never have to see again," the aged zora whispered, taking a step closer to her. "Your High Priest once told me, over a hundred years ago when I was studying under him and his scholars, that the Pearl is the key to a gateway to a lost hidden realm, as well. One where only evil and corruption resides."
"Then why would the hero ever have of need of it?"
"The hero of that era used it to contain a certain kind of darkness."
Zelda's eyes widened at the words, a swift deduction coming to her lips. "Malice?!"
"No one was ever certain if that is what it was. This darkness bore no unique moniker, and there are no remaining records that speak of it, almost certainly lost when the calamity struck, I'm afraid…but that is not all, Princess. The High Priest informed me that the actual Pearl itself was in his care. You might have come to have know it by another name - the Royal Scepter of Hyrule. The Pearl was crowned atop it."
"And to think, this whole time it was under our very noses. Why have it around? Why tempt fate? Why not just destroy it?!" the Princess exclaimed, upset by the logic of those who came before her.
"There is no mortal tool than can so much as scar it or even dim its milky twilight luster, let alone destroy it...it is of godly origin...and only by the gods can it be unmade," stated Muzu matter-of-factly, and he stepped to the side to begin to pace. "That is why those who have come long before us thought it wise to keep in the care of the Royal High Priest. To be forever hidden, and its truths safeguarded for all time. It is for that reason that not many have come to learn of its existence, and for good reason, I might add. If knowledge of its existence were to be known to evil-doers, and if they were to ever manage to unravel its secrets and use it to its full potential…who knows what terrible fate might await the world."
In that moment, Muzu's eyes grew more serious than Zelda had ever seen them before. The sight of it sent a chill down the princess' spine, as she realized just what danger everyone in Hyrule had been placed in even before the coming of Calamity Ganon.
"Agh! That means all this time it was in the care of that whistling fool Galivan! I can't believe we would ever leave him to be in charge of something so important?!" she raged, stomping about at the revelation, back and forth, away from Muzu.
"Yes, and surely he has been long perished since the Calamity, which means it has been lost," the aged zora added, not disputing her exclamations regarding Galivan's lackadaisical nature. "But, if truth be told, I'm not even sure he was even aware of the great significance of the Pearl that was in his care."
"What do you mean? Didn't you say the High Priest told you himself?"
"I said a High Priest told me, not that high priest. It was long before your time, before Galivan was ordained into his hierarchy. Your father was just a young man then, a fresh lord made prince, and soon to be a married King. It was Grand Master Sahasrala of the Citadel who was the High Priest at that time. He was a very wise protector of the divine, and handled his position with the upmost importance and care. A very old, temperate man. Though among the wisest of all, he seemed to many to be aloof and standoffish. Those around the capital didn't take much of a liking to him. To everyone else, he was strange and an outsider, always had his nose buried in his old books, studying and versing himself on the old incantations and scriptures of the Goddesses, trying to solve their mysteries.
"It was believed by those in high places at the time that he might have gone mad in his old age, always muttering whispers through his long beard under his cloak. However, while High Priest Sahasrala was many things, crazy was certainly not one of them. He was of sound mind, simply a man that preferred to spend his time with old holy texts than in the company of others. He was misunderstood, and it filled the people with distrust of him. He was a good man, Sahasrala...but one day, he suddenly disappeared. It was just a short time before your birth, I believe. Many, many moons passed, and he had not returned. Nearly all thought him dead, likely having ventured off to pass on somewhere in the vast wilderness."
"Do you know what happened to him?" Zelda asked.
"I cannot say for certain, but he often mentioned to me when I was studying under him that he had a sacred calling in this life, and soon there would be a time to answer the call," Muzu replied, squinting his eyes in remembrance.
"What? What does that mean?"
"This was a very long time ago, and even my memory, although good for my age, can be a bit swampy at times. I was a small trout in a very big pond, eager and ready to learn the ways of a scholar of the histories. But if I had to guess from what he'd mentioned to me in passing, I'd say that it was likely he journeyed to the Neverending Forest beyond the Stonelands."
"That's where...that's where the Lost Woods originated from correct? The one from legend that is?"
"That is correct. You know your mythos and history quite well."
The princess smiled bashfully at the compliment before Muzu continued.
"Why he would want to go there is beyond me, but he always talked about a recurring dream where he would do so. He would go on and on about some doorway in the middle of the forest, or something of that nature. But as far as I know, those woods go on forever. The further you venture in, the thicker it becomes, and soon travelers find themselves ensnared in thick branches and swallowed up by a deadly swamp mist. And then...you would never return."
"Then why there? Why leave the Moon Pearl unprotected?" Zelda asked, thoroughly baffled by the tale.
"Sahasrala probably thought the Moon Pearl would be safe with the Royal Family until he returned. It was simply unfortunate that he never did, whether he succumbed to old age or had been slain on the treacherous road by bandits or outlaws. In either case, the proper choice was to leave the Moon Pearl in the safety of the Citadel. If he had not, it could very well have been lost right there and then when he perished."
Zelda's frustrations began to boil over. "But it's lost now! And even worse, lost by the time Calamity Ganon invaded Hyrule!"
"Well, there was simply no way anyone could have predicted then that such an outcome would happen, my dear princess. And once several months had passed with no word, and it became widely believed that Sahasrala perished on his journey...well, in the disarray at the sanctuary, young Galivan seized control of the High Priesthood," Muzu explained.
"How did he even accomplish such a thing? My Father would never leave something so important in the hands of such an inept man."
"No, he wouldn't. But it wasn't up to your father, as was the nature of the country's politics then. He'd only just become the king, and he still needed to maintain favor with all the houses. Galivan came from a very powerful family within the capital, and with no other person who was near his rank among the divine servants under the Grand Master, he was hushed into the position. He'd served directly under Master Sahasrala, but unlike his former master, Galivan cared not for the old text or priesthood, and simply sought to use his status to boost his own esteem and power among the courts of the other castles.
"Your father had been close to Sahasrala, and didn't like the idea Galivan serving as High Priest...but in such a peaceful time, why start a quarrel with the other lords of the kingdom? Particularly when most thought the position was ceremonial, anyway? Master Sahasrala knew all too well the importance of the role of High Priest...and that wisdom was lost when he vanished. And with Galivan dead, and him being the last protector of the great relic, I am afraid it has been probably lost forever, Princess. And this is all I know of it."
"I see…but wait a minute. Link said…Link said he'd had the Royal Scepter when he took the disguise of the High Priest, and the Scepter had the Moon Pearl...," Zelda whispered under her breath, suddenly remembering.
"Wha—? What do you mean?" Muzu responded, having heard the whispered realization.
"Thank you so much, Muzu! I have to go now! I have to speak with Link!" the princess declared as she made off in a hurried fluster away from him.
"Whats going on?!" Muzu shouted after her as she took of running in a wild hurry.
Zelda spun back around to give him a farewell wave. "It's alright! You have done Hyrule a great service! Thank you! I must speak with Link now!"
Her face glowed with a grateful smile as she raced off to where the others were preparing.
As she ran up and down the beautifully intertwined zora bridges that made up the Domain, she finally caught up to where the others were. They were all there, Link, Sidon, and the Gerudo company, along with the two Gorons and Rito.
Panting and out of breath, she made her way to where they were just about finished loading the wagons and tying the horses. But as she caught glimpse of Link and Sidon, she noticed the two of them were doing something entirely different from the rest of the group.
"Link, I must have a word with you," she said, wheezing between her words toward her knight.
Link's eyebrows raised as he faced the other away, still able to listen, but he was preoccupied.
"This will only take a moment princess!" Sidon shouted to her, wearing a giddy grin.
Zelda wasn't amused at first by the shrug of response from them both, but after seeing what they were engaged in, she too was easily distracted.
Link stood in the middle of the main pathway that led out of the great city. The wagons and teams of horses were just behind him, whereas directly to his front about ten paces ahead was an overly tall, burly zora man, clad in armor. His stature was so great that he seemed to make the red zora prince appear short.
Along the sidelines of the main bridge were bystanders, some of which were made up of the Gerudo company that had finished their preparations for the trek to Kakariko. Members of the zora guard had turned out, evidently there to cheer on their freakishly tall friend. The situation became obvious - Link and this upstart were about to duel.
"So, you are the big, bad hylian hero that everyone keeps yapping their mouths about, huh?" the overgrown, charcoal-colored zora said to Link, who simply looked him dead in the eyes just a short few feet away from him. "You don't look so tough to me."
Sidon chuckled as he stepped in-between them both. "Now, I must warn you, Seabass; Link did defeat the Calamity, and all on his own I might add. I think you may be biting off more than you can chew this time, my friend."
"So you say. But I think it more likely that he just had a good stroke of luck. I say that without that special sword on his back, he isn't much of anything at all!" Seabass replied with a huff. With his great white shark teeth grinning, he puffed out his chest in a show of dominance as he spun back around to flex his arms to his friends. His companions cheered behind him at his taunt to Link.
"It's alright, Sidon," Link said, breaking the silence after Seabass' display of showboating. Link coolly and calmly smiled back to the zora contender. "I accept your challenge."
"Alright, then! If there is nobody else contesting this duel, then let us begin!" Sidon roared to rile up the crowd with a grin, excited to see the matchup.
Zelda wanted to speak to interrupt them...but she grew intrigued by the thought of what sort of test of skill they would be showcasing. So she thought it best to simply hurry her way over to sidelines to watch and root for her beloved knight instead.
"Now, if you would be so kind as to bring forth the cucco feathers!" Sidon announced aloud, for everyone to hear. No sooner than he said it, two zora guardsmen of normal stature made their way through the gathered audience and handed sidon two plucked, tall tail feathers from a cucco.
The people gathered were hollering and placing side bets on each of the combatants, shouts and debates could be heard among them.
"My rupees are on the big one! No way can the little guy beat our giant, Seabass!" a zora voice was heard shouting over to his fellow bystander.
"I've seen him crush a lizalfos' skull barehanded! The hylian doesn't stand a chance!" Another concurred.
Zelda's head turned towards their voices, hearing them doubting her knight and praising the ferocity of their champion. She felt worried for Link.
Are they to fight? Could Link get hurt? she thought to herself. A nervous pit rumbled in her stomach. But the match was already settled, and she wouldn't be able to stop the contest now. Link's honor was on the line.
Sidon signaled for both contestants to line up and face each-other. They were only a foot or so apart from each other now, with Sidon along the side, hand outstretched between them.
"Now, you both know the rules. We are in agreement, then?" Sidon smiled, asking them both.
"Yes," both unequivocally replied at the same time.
"Then, would you both please tilt your heads?" Sidon asked.
The pair then both took a step back, leaned both their heads to face skyward as the prince carefully placed an upright feather on each of their noses.
"Now, Seabass, since you are much taller, you are going to have to crouch a bit during this next bit to maintain the fairness of the contest."
Seabass simply grunted in compliance to Sidon's request. And with a perfectly balanced feather on each of their faces, both challengers ready, Sidon waved his hand in-between them to signal for the match to begin.
The crowd erupted in cheers, and hoots and hollers for each of the contestants could be heard all around. Hand over fist, bets were made.
Zelda watched anxiously, not certain of what was going to happen next. She had never seen such a contest in her entire life. Raised in the castle, she admittedly never participated in much excitement outside the palace walls, especially in the areas dwelt by commoners or the rough-and-tumble types. She felt an adrenaline rush surge within her from the rowdiness of the people surrounding her. The large crowd that had formed from out of nowhere even started to push and shove their way past her to get a better look at the competitors, and she very nearly needed to shove right back at some of the forceful members just to keep her spot alongside Link.
Link and Seabass were quickly off to a good start, both attempting to lean over into the other, puffing their cheeks and blowing air out their lungs in attempts to blow away the other man's feather, and all the while trying to maintain balance with their own on their face.
This is the contest everyone is so excited about? Kind of silly if you ask me...though it does look fun, Zelda thought to herself.
"C'mon, Seabass! Let him have it!" one of the guards hollered at the two men.
"You've got this one, Link!" Riju exclaimed as she came up from behind Zelda. The competitive spirit in the air was so contagious that Zelda quickly became awestruck at what she was witnessing. She wanted to cheer Link on, too, but for some reason her breath was robbed from her. All she could do was watch in suspense. Both competitors held their own for the moment, each balancing the feather perfectly.
Riju, amidst all the excitement, also managed to show some manners to the ruffians beside the princess, frightening away the smothering crowd with a deadly scowl. The fierce and young Gerudo chief was no woman to be messed with, and they all knew it. She had a fire in her eyes that glowed red hot as the desert sun from whence she came, especially when made angry.
"Thanks, Riju. It almost got a bit too wild there," Zelda thanked her bashfully.
"Don't mention it, Princess. Sometimes, you just have to show these roughnecks who's boss!" Riju said with a smile and a wink. "Next time, you try it, okay? You can do it."
Link and his hotshot opponent were still at it, and just as it seemed Link was about to whistle off his feather, the tall zora swiftly dodged the wind blasted at him and made a crouching lunge over to where Link was. Suddenly, it was over…he'd blown away the knight's feather that Link had so desperately tried to keep in balance.
The crowd immediately went quiet as the feather slowly floated off and landed on the hard-stone floor of the massive bridge. As light as it was, when it hit the ground, it seemed as if it sounded off with a thundering crash throughout the entire crowd, echoing his defeat.
Zelda froze as she watched the outcome of the duel. In a way, she felt relief that it was over, even if she felt a slight hint of sadness at Link's defeat.
Surely, he must be sore about the loss, she thought. Well, she had gotten to cheer for him, even if it was just under her breath.
During the stillness following the duel, she decided now would be the best time to interrupt. Standing straight, she stepped towards her knight. "Now that you all have gotten that out of the way, perhaps I can have a word with-"
Her words were swiftly cut off by a wave of Link's hand from behind his back over towards her.
"Actually, Zelda, that only decides who gets to go first," Link said, turning to face her with a slightly overconfident grin. "This is an old game my men and I used to play back in the training yard when were still trainees. A game of cucco!"
"A game of cucco?" she questioned under her breath, unfamiliar with the game or what it meant. Her eyebrows furrowed in mild annoyance as she pondered on it further.
At that moment, Sidon quickly stepped in to continue moving the duel along. "I'm sorry, Link, but rules are rules. It was fair n' square, so Seabass is up first."
Sidon offered his condolences with a grin, a wink, and a jovial ribbing, though Link just nodded in confident acceptance.
Zelda was stunned. She had thought that was the challenge, but...it was simply a decision round? The the real challenge was yet to happen? The crowd returned to their cheers and shouts as the real match began.
The princess watched as Link stood perfectly straight and still, bracing for whatever was to come. Seabass just puffed out his chest, standing tall and flexing his arms as he readied them a few feet away from Link. The crowd went wild.
"Don't worry! You look like you can handle it, so you should live! But I can't make any promises that you won't get injured, though. No hard feelings, alright?!" he hollered over to the hylian knight.
What did he mean by that? Zelda thought, nervously spectating. What is this contest?!
Link just coolly smiled toward Seabass in response to his taunts.
"I'm going to wipe that smug look right off your face, ya hear!" the enormous zora yelled as he swung back his arm and lunged with all the strength he could muster, placing a perfectly squared punch right into Link's chin.
"Link!" She yelled, her voice cutting through the cheers and raves of the crowd, worried for her hero.
The hit was felt throughout the entire crowd, the pulse of the impact vibrating all around. Zelda's jaw dropped in fear of what she just witnessed. She had to cover her eyes with both hands even as she saw it happen, as if in slow motion, too afraid to look.
Link was hit with the force of a catapult of raw power to the face, but even with that, the knight was only knocked back just a few steps, skipping on one leg until he could regain his footing and stand properly again.
Slowly, Zelda peeked through her fingers and realized that her wonderful knight was still standing, not severely injured from the blow at all. Though Link's face was twisted the other way towards the stone ground, he slowly lifted his chin upright again. As he stood gazing back towards his rival, he swashed his tongue in-between the lips and gums of his mouth, then spat out a small drip of blood onto the floor. Calmly, he wiped his chin and grinned.
The crowd fell quiet and still, amazed by the young man's easy recovery. All bets were off now.
"Not bad...for a braggart. I wasn't sure if you were going to be all talk, but you actually made me bleed a little. I'm impressed," he called over to his challenger.
To emphasize his own words, the knight simply motioned to the crowd behind the lunk of a zora, as if warning that they should clear the way behind him, coolly making to part them with the action as if it were no big deal.
"Gah! Oh no, he's still standing!" Seabass shrieked, worried as Link readied himself.
"Ha, Oh yes! And now, it's Link's turn! You've got this Link, piece of cake!" Sidon hollered from the referee line, throwing up an 'okay' sign with his hands.
Awestruck and captivated by the ability of the hylian contender to weather such a ferocious blow, the crowd immediately obliged his gesture to move, and they all made the way open behind Seabass.
"Th-that's impossible…" Seabass muttered to himself quietly.
Seabass' eyes quivered, staring back to the knight as he was filled with an overflowing wave of fear. Seeing now that Link had his eyes fixed on him like a target, he felt the panic as it shot up his spine.
"No hard feelings, alright?" Link called out to him as he marched over to him in a slow cool walk.
The crowd's attention was glued to the knight's movements as he suddenly, without warning, and full of a raging burst of energy, charged toward his opponent, lunging up into the air directly at eye level to Seabass and returning a mighty blow to his face.
If Seabass' hit had felt like a small tremor that shook the presence of those nearby, then Link's blow felt like a world ending quake that nearly knocked all those in attendance off their feet. The air around them pulsed with a wave of kinetic energy as Link's fist slammed into the chin of his challenger. The impact flung the zora high through the air like a rag doll, and he bounced as he hit the stone floor of the Domain. Link must have launched him twenty feet away.
Unanimously, the crowd's faces were speechless, mouths hung low at the sight they'd just beheld. Among them was an excited Zelda, stars in her eyes for her hero. She raised both or her clenched hands up to her cheeks, a giddy smile plastered wide across her face, and feeling nearly as proud of Link as she'd been when Ganon had been defeated. I just knew he would win!
Slightly worried, Sidon ran over to the zora giant to make sure he was alright. After a careful and quick evaluation, all was well. Link had won the match, and the zora was out like a light, but he would be okay.
"Don't worry. That was only about half my strength. He should be just fine," Link called over to Sidon to reassure him.
"Only half?!" the shocked Sidon replied from over his shoulder to Link, after gazing upon the defeated Seabass.
The prince then gently kicked the slightly incapacitated Seabass on the ground to wake up. As the sprawled out giant began to come to, he just couldn't seem to get his bearings just yet. The big lug was dazed, head spinning and seeing double. Sidon waved his hands over the fallen Seabass.
"This duel is over!" Sidon declared, aloud for everyone to hear. "Link is the winner!"
The crowd erupted into cheers, and plenty of head shaking could be seen for the sake of those who'd lost their bets. Riju and Sidon, both wearing overconfident smirks, quickly snatched their hard-earned rupees from naysayers that had doubted Link's abilities. Begrudgingly, and astonished by the outcome, Buliara slapped a fist of rupees into the hands of Riju, even as Yoru relinquished his own bet into hands of Sidon.
Zelda bolted past the others up to where Link stood, heart fit to burst with excitement and pride. And as she sweetly came up from behind him in a surprise, rubbing his shoulders in congratulations for his win.
"I leave you two alone for ten minutes, and I come back to find you both off having a sport with one another!" She said, wearing a pouty false smile, facing him.
"Well, aren't you glad you didn't leave for an hour then?" Link turned towards to face her, rubbing the back of his head.
Zelda simply shook off his joke with a grin.
But even as everyone had gathered round to congratulate the young man on his victory, a seemingly enraged Seabass kicked himself up off the ground and made his way straight towards the cheerful knight.
"You! You…," Seabass growled as he marched towards Link, eyes narrowed.
Everyone backed away from Link, alarmed by Seabass' actions. Zelda stood by his side, however, unwilling to leave him, and perhaps worried that Link might quarrel with the poor sport. Link gently grabbed both her shoulders and nudged her out of the way, not wanting her to get involved, and stood firm to wait for the zora behemoth to make his way over to him.
Sidon gulped, perhaps sharing Zelda's sentiment that there might be trouble.
"What about me?" Link questioned.
"You…You are by far the toughest hylian fighter - no, warrior - I have ever came across! The stories must be true what they say about you! It was an honor to face against you in a duel! Put it there, champion!" Seabass proclaimed with a smile as he crouched and reached out with both his burly hands attempting to hold Link's in his.
Slightly caught off guard by the drastic change in demeanor, Link was shaken as the massive zora excitedly shook his hands in a firm shake of friendship.
"I can see now why our great prince would want to train under you and learn your ways! One day I hope I will be able to learn from someone as skilled as you," Seabass complimented.
"Ha! See, I told you, Seabass! Link is quite the legend!" Sidon grinned, striking a pose with his red arm flexed skyward. He stood right near them alongside the princess.
"Well, I don't know about a legend. A legend would have prevented everything we've been through," Link sighed modestly.
"Ah, you're too hard on yourself, friend! You have done more than enough to qualify as a legend in my book!" Sidon nudged his chest cheerfully.
Zelda felt the same way as Sidon regarding Link, and threw a cute smirk his way as her eyes met his.
"So, what was it that you wanted to speak to us about, dear princess?" Sidon asked leaning over to the hylian girl. "Sorry that you had to wait, but this just had to be settled, ha!"
"'Zelda' is just fine. Actually, I wanted to speak with Link about something he mentioned from before. It must have slipped my mind to ask him about it back when he first spoke of it," she explained.
"Oh, and what might that be?" he asked.
Link's eyes seemed to wake when she spoke about him, and he returned his full attention to her.
The others gathered who were not coming along for the long journey began to clear out, and Seabass also waved goodbye to his new-found, friendly rival. And as they cleared, Zelda spoke to the three companions who stood by to listen - Link, Riju and Sidon.
"The Moon Pearl. It was on the Royal Scepter when you somehow managed to disguise yourself as the High Priest Galivan. You said you had it with you that day, do you remember?" she said, hands fanned out in an explanation.
Sidon shuffled where he stood and cupped his chin. "High Priest? Moon Pearl? What is that?"
It was the first time he had ever heard of such a thing. Riju also raised a perplexed eyebrow, confused about just what she was hearing being discussed.
"I'll explain in a moment," Zelda smiled to Sidon. "But, Link...can you remember anything from after that day? Anything at all about what happened to the Moon Pearl?"
The princess focused entirely on Link, eager to hear his response.
Link tilted his head and gazed up to the sky, closing his eyes, and using all his focus on his memories from back then. And then it all hit him.
"Yeah, I remember. We freed Storm, just like I promised him, and you gave him a royal pardon," Link winked and faced her. "And so, we left the carriage abandoned in the castle courtyard, since I had to sneak you back to the castle, all the while being careful to go around the dimwitted night guards."
Zelda felt her face glow warm as she heard him retell the events she shared with him that day. The way he led her by the hand around the castle. The exciting rush that she felt drumming in her chest, the possible chance of getting caught from the guards. All of those sentiments she had back then overflowed through her as if they were happening all over again.
Link continued. "But after I safely got you home to your room, and said farewell to you that night, when I made to return to the carriage to gather my belongings, the whole thing was gone from where we hid it. Someone must have taken it. At the time, I had simply assumed it was the guards. I didn't want to get into anymore trouble that I was already in, so I quickly slipped away from the castle."
As he spoke, he tilted his head in disappointment of his past actions, visibly upset that he had allowed the Royal Scepter be so easily abandoned and taken. "I'm sorry. It was taken, along with everything else we left in the carriage. I didn't know it was so important."
Zelda smiled sweetly and slowly walked closer to him. "Hey, it's alright. There was no way you could have known what the Royal Scepter really was. None of us did back then, and certainly not I."
"What an interesting and moving story," Riju interjected with a grin. She perched both her hands on her waist as she leaned confidently. "Well, what's so important about that thing anyways?"
Zelda turned back to face the two eager pairs of ears in attendance, took in a long breath, and explained everything that she knew of the Moon Pearl, the Royal Scepter and its importance.
After she got Sidon and Riju up to speed on what she knew, she also revealed to all three of her apt listeners just what she had recently learned from Muzu.
Link interjected as soon as she finished telling her story, almost cutting her off. It was something he wouldn't do on any normal occasion, but this wasn't normal. "We're not even sure the assassin was even after the Moon Pearl! Couldn't it have been any staff he was looking for?"
Zelda, taken aback by his response to the whole ordeal, reiterated her feelings on the matter. "Well, what else would he be after if not the Moon Pearl? Impa was pretty certain that's what he wanted, and I'm inclined to believe her."
Link just took a step back from the huddled group and stood firm. "Look, I don't know what he wanted, but we can't just assume that was it. It could be any staff or book that he was searching for. What if we are looking at this whole thing the wrong way?"
She just sighed, and knew he had a point but still didn't want to relinquish. "In any case, for now we must assume that's what he was after. At least until we get any more leads."
Zelda glanced to both Sidon and Riju, who nodded in agreement at her decision. "All the more reason to hurry back to Kakariko so we can speak with Impa on the matter. She will know what to do. There we can formulate a plan on what to do about this Moon Pearl situation."
After hearing her final say, Link raised his head up to the three of them and stood at attention like a good soldier. "Well then, let us be off."
The three agreed to hurry the morning onward, said their farewells to those left at the Domain, and then together as one, the band of companions were off. This time it was not just Link and Zelda, but Riju and Buliara, Sidon, Yunobo and Teba, along with fifteen other fine lady soldiers of the Gerudo company. All were embarking to Kakariko, where Impa awaited them.
After making some distance from the Domain, they'd just begun to enter the open plains of Hyrule. They would have to journey cautiously now, as the old road that once easily made its way to Kakariko had been all but washed away in the flood, and was now covered in waist high water.
They would need to find a new route, one of which would bring them dangerously close to the Castle and the evil that began to nest there since the fall of the Calamity.
Zelda shrugged, her eyes heavy after having trudged many miles for the day. The horses were already so overburdened from pulling the wagons that she didn't want to trouble them to also carry her as a rider. Her feet would have to do for now. Besides, she felt it wouldn't be fair to the rest of her companions if she were to ride while they all had to march onward. Even if she was a princess, she didn't like taking advantage of that fact, especially when the resources were at a minimum.
It was a sticky, hot day. The sun had long been burning in the afternoon sky, and they no longer had the comforting cool mist from the Domain that helped to envelope and shield them from its abusing rays. The heat around her made her sweat, and the humidity of the air caused her golden hair and clothing to stick to the her skin. However, she wasn't the only one accursed that afternoon by the scorch of the sun. Everyone was fatigued, and they were now deep into the open wilderness of Hyrule's plains, and far from the shelter of the zora city
Although she tried her best to hide it from the others, Link knew all too well she was still new to these sorts of hardships. And, upon noticing Zelda's shortness of breath and obvious discomfort from the trek for some time, he made the decision to halt the campaign for a period of rest so that they might all cool off and breathe easier.
"I think this is far enough for one day! It will be nightfall soon, and this might be a good place to set up camp," the knight shouted to all the others.
Yunobo, much like Zelda, didn't contest the notion. He, too, felt as though he might soon collapse from the sheer exhaustion of walking for so long. Being a Goron, his issue was not so much a matter of the heat so much as the exhaustion of such consistent physical activity. It was not exactly something he was accustomed to back home.
Link, speaking with everyone, surveyed the surrounding area with his eyes, and drawing conclusions on how safe it was and if it would serve as a suitable place to seek shelter for the night.
The small caravan stopped on the open plains within several miles north of Hyrule's capital and its castle. The site was nestled against a large patch of woodlands to their back, and they would be hidden just beyond a high bluff just out of view from any eyes that might wish harm upon them. Although Ganon had been defeated, his hordes still claimed ownership of the plains. Hyrule, for the most part, was still very much wild and untamed.
Riju also noticed how worn out Zelda was, and strolled over to her from behind one of the wagons.
"Here you go, Princess. You look like you could use some water," she smirked, nudging and handing her a waterskin. The water was warm, but it would have to do. It was all they had until they could stumble upon another stream or spring.
"Thanks, Riju," Zelda wheezed as she reached for the bag.
If Riju hadn't known better, she would have thought Zelda looked like someone that had never drank of water in their entire life. Zelda quickly chugged several large gulps, some of it even spilling out from over her chin and running down her neck onto her already worn out blue jacket, uncaring of any princess-like etiquette.
"I take it, you don't do much adventuring out on the open fields?" Riju smiled, with a few giggles escaping the side of her lips.
Zelda coughed, with some of the delicious water once again spilling over. She placed the sack down alongside the cart she was leaning against. "Actually, Link and I used to adventure quite often one hundred years ago. It's just -"
Riju interrupted. "It's just that you normally would be riding a horse, huh?"
"Most of the time, yes, but it was never so hot back then as it is today. In fact, I can only recall one time that it was this hot. It was before the Calamity struck, and I was locked away at the old citadel, thinking I was never going to escape. But then, to my surprise, something wonderful happened. It ended up being one of the best days of my life," Zelda recounted and looked slightly away from Riju, as if in remembrance. Pausing as she reminisced, almost forgetting Riju was even there, she wore a giddy smile.
Riju smirked again and leaned in. "Well, what has you smiling about all of a sudden, Princess?"
Snapping out of it, Zelda shook herself of the memory.
"Oh, it's nothing," she deflected, reorienting herself in the present.
"Didn't look like 'nothing' to me," Riju prodded. "You sure it doesn't have anything to do with a certain knight we know of?" she ribbed her with an elbow jovially, with a stiff finger pointed towards her hero, who was busily distracted off in the distance.
"Link? Nooo, of course not! What gave you that silly idea?"
"Well, when you were telling your story, you started smiling towards him, did you not?" Riju leaned in, wearing a naughty grin.
"Uh, well, it's just…" she said, trying to keep her voice low so nobody else except Riju would be able to hear. She so desperately wanted to reveal her feelings to someone, anyone! She couldn't bear to keep it hidden for much longer. But, she knew what she desired was forbidden and could jeopardize whatever time that she did have with Link if the secrets of her heart were made public.
"No need to say a word princess, it's written all over your face…more so than his, actually," Riju revealed.
Zelda gulped. "Than his? What do you mean?"
"You honestly can't tell? The way he looks at you, talks about you, protects and watches over you? That boy is in love with you, my princess," she smiled, now orientating herself to lean alongside her by the cart, placing a friendly arm over her shoulder.
"You…really think so?" Zelda's eyes glistened. She had her doubts before, if Link felt that way about her. But, if Riju noticed in such a sort span of time, it must be true, right? She thought.
"And don't you worry, your secrets are my secrets to keep!" she chuckled.
"Thank you, Riju. I don't know what to say…" she sighed, almost relived that she didn't have to lie anymore, even if it was just to one person.
"What you should say is not to me, but to him! What are you waiting for?" Riju chuckled again, this time a little more loudly. Others around them were unloading the gear and were beginning to pitch the tents, while Link and Sidon were off watering the horses and putting them out to graze. Some nearby heads turned toward the sound of Riju's boisterous giggle. Fortunately for Zelda, Link wasn't one of them.
Zelda sighed again.
"Riju, shhh, I can't tell him, I can't tell anybody. Don't you see…I can never be with Link. It is forbidden of me. I would be breaking the old law and be betraying my people if I did something so selfish…I just can't," her voice shook with a hint of sadness at the realization yet again.
"Screw the old law! That's what I say! You are the princess, you should be able to do whatever it is you please," Riju stood back excitedly, trying to lift her spirits with a hope.
"No, Riju…I can't…Even my power is limited to the law ordained and set forth by the Goddesses. And besides, if I did such a thing, what does that say about me to the people I want to follow me? The people I have come to save?"
"It says that you are real, and that you can love just as much as anyone else. And just like them, you should have the right to be with the one whom your heart belongs to," Riju interjected.
Zelda was filled with courage after hearing her words. "Riju, I -"
-before she could finish her response, she was interrupted by a stunned Riju. Just a breath earlier she was standing before her, all smiles, and in a fraction of a moment she was pierced, bleeding, struck from behind by an arrow straight through her abdomen.
Fear shot up Zelda's spine as she looked beyond her as to where it came from. The day camp was under attack. Riju just glanced to her waist and back to Zelda, who stared into her face.
"Princess...I...," Riju collapsed into Zeldas arms. Zelda screamed. And as Zelda shrieked in a pure frightened panic, Link and the others jumped to attention.
Authors Notes: I apologize for the late update. it is just with the sudden release of the teaser for BOTW2, my thoughts have been taken up by all of that. I love this game very much, and with the bombshell news of the sequel, it has occupied me alot this week, coming up with theories on what it is about etc with friends. Don't worry, I will finish this story, even though it saddens me a bit that by the time the actual sequel comes out, I might have to slap "alternative ending" to this story. I'm still super excited for the new game next year regardless. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this story, and if you want me to continue, please let me know. thank you so much! feel free to chat too!