Among the Ashes Chapter 5

Among the Ashes

I’ve been looking in the mirror for so long
That I’ve come to believe my souls on the other side
The little pieces falling, shatter
Shards of me
Too sharp to put back together
To small to matter
But big enough to cut me into so many little pieces
If I try to touch her
And I bleed
I bleed
And I breathe
I breathe no more
~Evanescence “Breathe No More”


Chapter 5
Vale

“This is exactly what they want, you know,” Link said as they dismounted and unpacked some food. By dawn they were far from Bellek and both in need of some rest. “They’re looking for you, and you’re asking me to let you go walking right into their hands.” Link looked at her with genuine concern.

“No, I’m asking you to walk right into their hands with me,” Zelda replied with a wry smile. “If something’s wrong in Hyrule, with my father, we have to go back. What other choice do we have?”

“We have to go back,” Link agreed resolutely. Neither of them was eager to return to Hyrule, but knew that they could never turn their back on their home, no matter what had happened in the past. “It’s going to be dangerous, though. We don’t know what we’ll find there.”

“Well, if we don’t go we’ll never know,” Zelda replied.

There had been a time when Link wouldn’t have given it a second thought, but he was no longer alone in the world. He was far less willing to risk Zelda’s safety than his own. Despite himself he worried about her, and so he pushed once more. “We don’t even know what to do once we get there.”

“We’ll just have to figure it out as we go,” Zelda said.

Looking at her Link couldn’t help but smile. “I’ve created a monster,” he said proudly.

“You didn’t create it,” Zelda replied with a grin. “You just set it free.”


******


Link and Zelda rode long and hard and the closer they grew to Hyrule a feeling of gravity overcame Zelda. She had put Hyrule from her thoughts for so long, but now there was no denying it. While she didn’t know what was happening she knew that her Kingdom was in grave peril: she could feel it deep inside her.

It was a cool, drizzly day in March, weeks after their departure from Bellek, when they crossed into Hyrule’s boarders. They made their way around Lake Hylia, and as they both noticed the conspicuous absence of Zora in the area they grew ever more cautious.

Link gave Zelda a bracing glance and they pushed forward, warily. They climbed to the top of the cliffs that shielded Lake Hylia from the broad, open expanse of Hyrule field. Looking out over the ridge into the distance both of their hearts sank. Even from a distance they could see the towns below held a strong military presence.

Zelda had thought she was prepared for the worst, but seeing it was almost too much to take.

“I can’t believe it… what is happening here?”

Link shook his head. Even from afar he could see the towns were ravaged and scarred, but now subdued. The soldiers milling about the perimeters seemed to be the only sign of life.

“Where do we go from here?” Link asked finally, breaking the silence as Zelda continued to stare down in utter disbelief.

“Kakariko,” Zelda replied. “We have to find Impa. We need to get some answers.”

The journey across the field seemed to take twice as long as it normally would have. The rolling hills and wide open space had once signified freedom to them both. Now, though, the openness was threatening and dangerous. Now they only rode at night, keeping off the roads and treading carefully and silently, periodically changing their course or being forced to hide altogether to avoid being spotted by the groups of soldiers dotting the land.

They came to a point, however, where they could no longer keep under cover. To get to Kakariko meant having to cross the field, dangerously close to the castle, nonetheless. They left in the middle of the night, traveling as swiftly and as discreetly as possible.

All seemed to be well. Link’s keen eyes constantly scanned the area for any sign of danger. It was Zelda, though, who stopped suddenly, gazing in the distance, her blue eyes illuminated in the white moonlight.

“Link,” she gasped.

“What?” Link instinctively went for his sword, glancing around suspiciously.

“Look…” Zelda pointed toward to the east and Link followed her gaze to Lon-Lon Ranch.

The sign above the ranch gate had been torn down and the gate smashed in. As though entranced, Zelda spurred her mare forward, riding to the open gate, peering in cautiously. It was deadly quiet and still beyond and she and Link ventured in further, winding down the path and then stopping suddenly. The corral was empty, the gates ripped off their hinges, no sign of the horses which once lived there. What drew their attention though was that where the barn and house should have been only a charred, skeletal structure remained. Even then most of it seemed to have been smashed to pieces which lay scattered about the ground as though the house had exploded.

“Who could have done this?” Zelda whispered, her voice carrying loudly over the dense silence.

Link could only shake his head. There was no sign of anyone and no way of knowing if there had been any survivors.

Zelda could not take her eyes off of the dismal and chilling sight. Despite herself she felt tears welling in her eyes. The abject destruction, the terror that seemed to have befallen her people; it struck her to her very core.

“Let’s go,” Link touched her arm gently, his voice somber. “There’s nothing we can do here.”

Zelda nodded dismally, following him back out into the field. Her resolve was set. She did not know who or what had taken hold of her Kingdom but she knew now that she would risk anything to stop it.

The sun was sinking by the time they reached Kakariko village, buried in the foothills of northern Hyrule. Since their grim discovery of Lon-Lon Ranch Zelda could not help but fear what they would find when they reached Kakariko. She couldn’t take the sight of more decimated homes and crumbled buildings, but immediately they knew that Kakariko had not been spared trouble. Link and Zelda dismounted their horses and crept over the knoll. Two soldiers stood blocking the narrow staircase that wound up into the rocks: the only entrance to the village.

“Why are there only two?” Zelda whispered. One of them even seemed to be asleep, leaning against the wall with his head tilted back.

Link didn’t reply but furrowed his brow, thinking it through.

“Do you still want to go in?” He asked.

Zelda nodded.

“Then let’s go.” Link stood up and strode down the knoll straight towards the soldiers as casually as could be.

“Link!” Zelda cried in a harsh whisper but he didn’t stop. Zelda just sighed and decided to follow his lead.

He was quite close before the conscious soldier even noticed him. He looked up lazily at the sound of footsteps coming nearer and did a double take when he saw Link, as though the sight of a man walking right up to him the open was unfathomable.

“Stop!” the soldier cried, leaping to his feet while his companion slept on. Link didn’t say a word but pulled out his sword and attacked. Zelda vanished from the knoll in a puff of smoke and reappeared beside the dozing soldier, still clutching his spear against his chest. She would have thought the commotion would have awakened him, but he didn’t move a muscle. Zelda pulled out her sword and clubbed him over the head and he slumped harmlessly to the ground, still in slumber.

“Done yet?” Zelda called to Link.

“Almost!” Link landed a heavy blow to his opponent and he too fell unconsciously to the ground.

“You got the easy one,” Link quipped as they tore up the stairs and around the bend, but they both stopped dead when they caught sight of the village. The huge wooden gate in front of the town, usually open, was shut, fortified and barricaded. The buildings beyond bore battle scars and there was a distinct tension in the air that gave Zelda a chill.

“It’s so quiet,” Zelda said in a hushed voice, peering around apprehensively, the silence bearing a frightening resemblance to the quiet they had encountered at Lon-Lon Ranch. “You don’t think-“

“Shh,” Link hushed her. His eyes were narrowed and he reached slowly for his bow, though there was still no sign of life in front of them. The city looked utterly dead.

Zelda didn’t see the arrow coming, but she knew it was there. She could sense it the moment the sniper’s hand released it from his bow. It whistled through the air and she threw her hands up, creating a shield around herself and Link in less than an instant. The arrow hit the crystalline shield and bounced back, but before it had hit the ground twenty more were hurtling through the air in its wake.

Zelda’s heart sank as she was forced to admit that Kakariko had been taken as well. There was nowhere left to go; nowhere they could be safe. She threw up another shield and Link put up his shield up as well, taking his own shot the moment he had an opening. Link’s arrow narrowly missed but he took the opportunity to grab Zelda and dive for cover behind a nearby crate.

He fitted another arrow and Zelda did the same, both peering cautiously over their barricade.

“Ready?” Link asked loudly over the din.

“Ready,” Zelda nodded.

“Now!”

Zelda leapt up, cocked her arm back and then swung, hurtling a blinding beam of light across the road and the courtyard. The beam of light flashed in the eyes of the snipers and they cried out, jerking back and shielding their eyes, momentarily incapacitated. Link pulled back his bow string, took aim and was suddenly pulled back. Zelda grabbed his arm and tugged him down to the ground.

“Stop!” she shouted. “Those aren’t soldiers!”

“What?”

“I saw them- they’re just civilians, you can’t hurt them. They’ve probably taking refuge here and think we’re intruding,” Zelda rushed.

“Are you sure?”

“Yes!”

Link looked wary and ventured another glimpse, jerking back down behind the crate just as another arrow whizzed dangerously close over their heads.

“You’re right,” he agreed loudly, but suddenly all had begun to go quiet again.

“Cease your fire!” they heard a voice shouting in the distance.

The twanging of bows and the rushing of arrows faded but was quickly replaced by the sound of a gate opening. Link and Zelda exchanged a wary glance, not trusting the silence and staying ready to defend themselves if needed.

“Zelda,” Zelda heard the familiar voice and shot to her feet. Impa stood in the midst of the gate, looking to the Princess with tender eyes that were in direct contrast to the rest of her appearance. She was heavily armed and in all other ways looked dangerous and menacing, but Zelda ran into her arms and hugged her affectionately.

“Look at you,” Impa said. “I would hardly have recognized you. I’d know that face anywhere, though.” Impa clapped Link on the shoulder. “I wondered if you two would come back. I had half hoped you wouldn’t. You should not be here.”

“My Kingdom is in toruble,” Zelda replied. “I can’t turn my back on that.”

“I know,” the faintest smile crossed Impa’s solemn face. “It is good to see you again.”

“You too,” Zelda said. “We came as soon as we heard, but I must admit we weren’t prepared for what we’ve seen. What is going on, Impa?”

“Come inside,” Impa directed them through the gate which was immediately shut and barricaded once more behind them. “There is much to tell you.”

Impa led them through the streets which were quickly filling with people as word spread that the Princess had returned. Zelda could feel their eyes on her and hear them whispering, some looking on in awe some with hope and other with apprehension.

“Princess!” a woman cried joyously, rushing to Zelda’s side and bowing. “You have returned!”

“We’re saved!”

“You will help us, won’t you, Princess?”

A crowd was forming around her, people gazing at her anxiously, awaiting her reply. Zelda felt like a stranger in her own land: an imposter. She didn’t want them to look to her. She didn’t want to be their Princess. She would have given almost anything to go back to the way things had been just weeks before. It was all she could do to not turn and run on the spot. She wanted to… she wished she could. Looking into their faces, however, something latent in her snapped back into place: something she had thought was dead.

“I will help you,” Zelda swore. Something in her eyes had instantly changed and she was royalty once more. Even her voice changed in tone and authority. “I will do everything in my power to set these wrongs right. I will-“

“Ha!” the derisive laugh sounded from the edge of the throng and the crowd seemed to part around the scoffer.

“Pardon me?” Zelda said.

“You,” the man spat, “are a traitor just like them. You abandoned us and let them take Hyrule right from under you!”

“Dalton, you are out of line!” Impa barked, angered further by the few nods of assent that Dalton was getting from some members of the crowd.

“No,” Dalton continued to push his way towards Zelda, the venom in his eyes growing. “It is because of you that we have nothing left. We’re living like dogs, trapped and starving in our own city. You’re nothing but a spineless, pathetic, weak little-“

Link hurtled himself at Dalton, knocking him down into the dirt cursing and shouting at him with such fury he was barely intelligible. The two exchanged blows but Impa quickly grabbed Link and pulled him off of the man while a few other villagers took hold of Dalton and held him.

“You’re still hiding,” Dalton scoffed furiously, blood running from a cut on his lip.

“Get rid of him!” Impa shouted as she struggled with Link. “Link, calm down.”

“Are you just going to let him say that?” Link growled, wrenching himself out of Impa’s grasp.

“He will be dealt with,” Impa said firmly. “At the moment we have more important things to focus on than that fool running off his mouth. Now, come with me.” Impa turned and the crowd parted around her. She marched towards a nearby building and wrenched open the door. Zelda followed her with a blank expression glazed over her face. Still fuming Link reluctantly went after them.

“Alert me if there is any sign of them,” Impa told an armed man who nodded and went back to his post.

“Don’t you listen to him,” Link said as he sat down roughly beside Zelda.

“But he’s right,” Zelda’s voice sounded hollow and resigned. “Everything he said is true.”

Link pounded his fist on the table causing the dished and cups to dance and clatter before he jerked to his feet. “What is the matter with these people?” he raged. “You try to help them, you give them everything you have and it’s never enough! All they want to do is see you hang!”

“They’re desperate, Link,” Impa said. “They’re looking for anything or anyone to blame for their circumstances and, unfortunately, Zelda makes a fine scapegoat. They’re scared and angry and irrational. You can’t listen to them.”

“But they’re right,” Zelda emphasized. “I did turn my back on them. I didn’t want to come back here at all. When we left I intended on coming back some day, but now I see that if this hadn’t happened I don’t know that I would have ever returned. So, there you have it. I am a traitor. I left and I was happy I was gone.” Her voice was both defiant and shameful, the conflict still raging within her.

“But you did come back,” Impa replied. “Despite everything you wanted you came back.”

“And for what? Tell me what happened after we left,” Zelda begged.

“For a long while nothing. Life seemed to go on as always once the people tired of gossiping about your marriage and subsequent disappearance. Then your father began to grow ill and weak and once more stories began to fly throughout the kingdom. I will not lie to you,” Impa said. “His failing health was directly related to your disappearance. He knows he drove you away and the guilt of that knowledge has about destroyed him. It only grew worse as time passed and eventually he was no longer able to rule the Kingdom. Power passed to Kiernan, the General of Your father’s army. At first it was benign, Kiernan advising your father and aiding in keeping law and order while your father remained a figurehead. Somehow, almost imperceptibly, he took over fully. Your Father is no longer in control of this Kingdom. He, and you, now have no authority whatsoever in Hyrule.”

Zelda sat in shocked silence for a moment, absorbing this news but not fully able to accept it. “My Father’s soldiers, they just turned on him? I cannot believe it. I cannot believe that Kiernan would betray him like that.”

“It seems unimaginable but when you witness what they have done in the name of the crown it becomes impossible to deny,” Impa replied. “We have seen cities ransacked, civilians forced from their homes, innocent people arrested for resistance, destruction, mayhem and violence all perpetrated by the men who once swore an oath to protect you with their lives. The entire Kingdom is under military rule, Kiernan’s iron fist clenched around Hyrule’s neck.

“Kakariko is the only free city left. They’ve tried to take it but we have driven them off. They leave a few guards to watch our movements. They know we’re trapped here with no where to go but they will be back. They won’t let us stand for long, and when they do return in full force we won’t be able to hold out for long. These men aren’t soldiers. They want to defend their homes and their families but they aren’t trained in warfare. It’s only a matter of time before Kakariko falls as well.”

“I don’t understand this,” Zelda stood and began pacing, unable to sit any longer. “How could this happen? What about my father? Where is he?”

“We assume he’s being held in the castle,” Impa replied.

“We have to rescue him,” Zelda looked to Link for confirmation but his expression remained blank and pensive.

“It is not that simple,” Impa shook her head. “What they really want is you. They’re looking for you everywhere, moving from town to town, questioning anyone thought to have a connection to you. They’re trying to get to me simply to see if I can lead them to you. If you go anywhere near that castle they will take you and that will truly be the end. Though some have lost all hope most still look to you, Princess. The only thing that has kept anyone going is the thought that you might return and save them.”

“I will,” Zelda stated, “but first I have to save him. I can’t leave my father to die.”

“What do you suggest we do?” Impa asked in a tired voice.

“If they want me, I’ll let them find me. They’ll take me to my father and then I’ll-“

“No,” Link said emphatically.

“You come with me,” Zelda explained. “You follow us and once I’ve found my father I’ll let you know where we are and then-“

“No,” he was resolute. “I won’t risk you like that.”

“What other choice do we have?” Zelda burst.

“We don’t even know why they’re looking for you,” Link pointed out. “What if they hurt you? What if they kill you?”

“I have to save him. I have to save my people.”

“They aren’t worth it,” Link replied adamantly. “They aren’t worthy of you.”

Zelda was silent for a moment, looking at him carefully, trying to understand. “You don’t mean that,” she said gently. “You have risked your life time and time again to save them. You don’t believe that life is worthless and that innocent people aren’t worth saving. I know you.”

“It’s not like it used to be. Everything’s changed now. I don’t care if they hate me or turn me away, but I won’t let them do it to you too. I don’t care what happens to me,” Link took Zelda’s face in his hands. “It doesn’t matter. All that matters to me is you. Everything I’ve done, everything I’ve ever done… of course I wanted to help them, but it always led back to you. If this is the thanks you will get for risking your life for them then they don’t deserve you and I won’t let them take you from me.”

“I can’t be selfish anymore,” Zelda looked at him deeply.

“Then I will be,” Link’s desperation was growing and he held onto her tighter.

“I am in danger whether I sit here and wait or whether I stand and fight them and try to save my father. This isn’t about his approval. This isn’t about chasing after his elusive affection. This is about freeing my Kingdom and saving an innocent man.”

The two sank into silence, their faces weary and frustrated and tired.

“Why don’t you two eat something and rest and then we’ll discuss this in the morning with clear heads,” Impa suggested.

The two consented mostly because they were so exhausted from their long and wearing journey that they could barely keep on their feet any longer. They were given food and a place to sleep which they gratefully accepted.

Zelda lay beside Link and it wasn’t long before she felt his steady breathing beside her. She lay awake, so tired that it hurt but her mind too full to sleep. After an hour of desperate deliberating she finally sat up, looking down on Link’s face. She ran a finger gently through his hair, letting it fall carelessly over his forehead. She leaned over him and kissing him tenderly as he slept, taking in his image: memorizing every line of his face. After a moment she got up quietly and slipped out the door.


******


“Impa!” Link pounded on her door, shouting in utter desperation. “Impa!”

After a moment her door flew open, Impa’s eyes falling on a disheveled looking Link.

“She’s gone,” Link rushed.

“How long ago?” Impa stood up, already fearing the worst.

“I woke up and she was gone! Please tell me you didn’t have anything to do with this… if she-“

“I didn’t see her leave,” Impa immediately sent out an order for the village to be searched for her, though she knew it was useless.

“You know she isn’t here,” Link replied, fastening his belt and equipping his weapons hastily. “You know where she’s gone.”

“And where are you going?” Impa’s voice remained calm though her eyes gave her away.

“To save her!” Link proclaimed, stomping out the door and slamming it behind him.

Zelda had slipped through the moonlit streets silently and teleported outside the gate without notice. She ran as quickly as she could down the winding stairs, running out onto the field right in the midst of a re-massing group of soldiers standing at the entrance.

“That’s her!” one pointed and shouted and in an instant she was surrounded with spears pointed at her from every direction.

“Well, well, Zelda. You’ve returned at last. We’ve been looking for you,” a soldier sneered. “And here we’ve finally found you. We knew you’d try and contact that Sheikah sooner or later.”

“That’s Princess Zelda, Bennett, you traitor,” Zelda growled.

“I no longer answer to you,” Bennett informed her. “You have no power here. Now, come with us, Zelda,” he emphasized her name, the contempt never leaving his face. “By order General Kiernan you are under arrest. There is someone waiting at the castle who is dieing to meet with you.”

Zelda’s hands were tied and she allowed herself to be led to the castle. Her eyes fell upon its white towers for the first time in nearly two years and she felt a clutching in her heart. They looked ghostly pale in the moonlight, towering above her almost threateningly. She had not anticipated setting foot within those walls of stone for years to come, and certainly not now. Not under these circumstances.

The gate was lowered and she was driven through the town which was just as eerily bare and broken as the rest of Hyrule. Despite herself a chill ran up her spine as the front doors were opened and she entered the palace she had once called home. Even it was unnaturally silent. No one moved in the halls. No voices echoed down the corridors. Zelda’s heart was beating against her chest now, anxiety setting in. She knew Link would come for her. She had to trust in him.

She was pushed down the long, familiar hall that led to the throne room. The massive doors were swung open and she was forced inside, walking through the expansive hall, her eyes fixed on her father’s throne and the fraud who now occupied it. There, upon the King’s throne at the far end of the hall, sat an aging man, hooded and cloaked.

“Where is my father?” Zelda addressed him fearlessly, her voice cold and unwavering.

“Zelda,” the man spoke, his voice sounded like a chill wind: thin but gripping, “how good of you to come.”

“Where is he?” she shouted across the hall, marching forward, still bound.

The man in the throne sat perfectly still for a moment, his head lowered, his eyes hidden.

“Who are you? What have you done with him?” She demanded.

The man did not move, but instead he began to laugh, low at first, but gradually grew into a maniac cackle that too echoed off the walls, surrounding the Princess until she could feel it stabbing at her, freezing her to the bone.

“Allow me to introduce myself,” he spoke in a grating, raspy voice. “My name is Vale. We have waited long for you, Princess Zelda. Your father has waited long. We were beginning to think you didn’t care.” He raised his head revealing a weathered face, his skin ravaged with scars that had never fully healed. His eyes were sunken deep into their sockets, lifelessly staring forward, and though they weren’t even focused on her Zelda felt suddenly exposed before him. She looked at him, and though it sent terror shooting through her she refused to look away.

“Where is he,” Zelda asked once more, unable to hide her fear.

“He is nearby,” Vale said. “If I were you, however, I would not be worried with his welfare but your own. You have something I want and you are going to give it to me.”

“I have nothing for you,” Zelda replied.

“You will give me Anri’s Emblem. Now.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” Zelda shook her head.

“Do not play coy with me, for I will tire of it quickly. I will ask you once more to give me the Emblem.” Vale’s voice remained calm and laced with menace.

“You will get nothing from me until I know my father is safe!” Zelda retorted.

Vale waved his hand and with a flash of smoke a figure materialized beside him, immediately crumpling to the floor. When the smoke cleared Zelda could see her father lying there, heavily chained. He looked thin and shrunken from his captivity, clearly languishing.

“What have you done to him?” Zelda cried, tearing forward.

“My patience with you is wearing thin!” Vale screamed suddenly, his face contorting with rage. He waved his hand and the King rose from the ground, dangling helplessly. The chains he bore began to wriggle and writhe like snakes, pulling themselves tighter and tighter until Zelda could hear him gasping and struggling for breath.

“Stop it!” Zelda shrieked. “Let him go!”

“Give it to me!” Vale demanded, letting the King fall to the ground in a heap, coughing and shaking.

“Give you what?” Zelda screamed back desperately. “Please, I don’t know what that is!”

“Anri’s Emblem, you miserable little liar,” Vale shot back. “I know you have it and I want it!”

Zelda stood in frozen shock for a moment, unable to think, unable to move. Then, suddenly, her eyes widened, understanding hitting her like a splash of cold water.

“Let him go,” Zelda said coldly, taking a step forward. “You will get nothing from me until he is freed.”

“You will both die tonight no matter what happens here,” Vale seemed to be losing his patience. “If I were you I would not be so concerned with him as with the rest of your Kingdom. Until I get that Emblem we will continue our path of destruction through Hyrule. Every man, woman and child will be subject to our wrath until I have what I need.”

Zelda froze, her mind racing. She did not know what importance that necklace could possibly have but she knew that if this man wanted it that badly there must be a very good reason for him not to have it.

“If you will not give it to me, then you will watch him die,” Vale said. He waved his hand and once more the King began to rise from the ground, the chains clutching tightly around him.

Zelda screamed and threw herself forward, throwing a beam of light at Vale but he did not move a muscle. The light hurtled towards him but as it reached him it dissipated harmlessly into the air. Zelda was momentarily taken aback but she recovered quickly, attacking again and again but all in vain. Every attack vanished into thin air as it approached him, nothing able to hit him. He barely batted an eyelash but instead still sat, his gaze fixed forward in the same unnerving manner.

Zelda stopped, panting and sweating; having expended everything she possessed with no effect.

“I thought so. I would know it anywhere… it has been a long time since I have tasted of the Sheikah,” Vale’s face contorted into a wicked grin. Zelda barely had time to work out the peculiarity of this comment before Vale lifted his hand and instantly every bit of energy and magic she had thrown at him was rebounded back at her. She threw her arms up in feeble protection but the blast hit her with such force she was thrown to the ground, screaming as her own power invaded her body. After a moment she was left writhing on the ground. Pulling herself up on shaking arms she glared up at Vale whose fixed gaze still did not fall upon her.

“Give me the Emblem,” he warned.

“No,” Zelda managed through gritted teeth.

Without a response Vale hit her again and again and Zelda screamed and was tossed helplessly about as pain stabbed every inch of her body. Once more he relented suddenly, letting her lie in silent agony.

“This is what awaits them all,” Vale said. “You can spare them your pain. Tell me where the-“

Without warning the massive doors were furled open and Link hurtled into the room, walking backwards he was fighting off an entire slew of soldiers, finally pushing them back enough to slam the door shut. He stood with his back to the door, panting slightly, a wild look in his eyes. The door thundered and shook behind him as the soldiers began to pound and beat on it behind him.

Link looked across the room, his eyes falling on Zelda, then the King and then Vale. Without a moment’s hesitation Link raised his sword and flew at Vale. For a moment it seemed as though Vale did not realize he was there as he sat stone still, never looking up, but as Link approached he waved his hand and sent Link flying backwards effortlessly. Link landed with a thud beside Zelda and the two of them struggled to their feet.

“Are you okay?” Link asked hastily, never taking his eyes off Vale.

“Yes,” Zelda replied, relieved to see him though she would not stop from trembling.

Behind them the door gave a violent shudder and the wood splintered. The soldiers threw themselves against it once more and the wood gave way completely, the men flooding in like a swarm of deadly insects.

“Kill him!” Vale ordered. Instantly every soldier was upon him once more and Link was in a furious battle for his life.

“And you, my little vixen,” Vale turned to Zelda with a contemptuous glare, “unfortunately, Kau wants you alive. It is a shame these two will have to pay for your mistake.” He reached out for the King once more.

“No!” Zelda shrieked, vanishing and reappearing next to Vale, raising her sword to strike. His hand shot out of nowhere, clutching around her neck so quickly she did not know what had hit her. The King fell limply to the ground, all of Vale’s energy now focused on the Princess.

“Your impudence will be your destruction,” he breathed, his fist squeezed tighter. Zelda choked and gagged, struggling to be let free. She shut her eyes and concentrated all of her energy on teleporting but nothing happened. Her mind went blank, as though a great shadow had overcome her thoughts. She was completely powerless in his clutches. “You will tell me where that Emblem is.”

“Let her go!” Link’s enraged cry rang out, and a gleaming arrow whizzed through the air. Vale dropped Zelda and turned in a flash, raising his hand and stopping the arrow in mid-air. He looked down on Link now, standing in the midst of his fallen foes, bow still raised.

Vale glared at him for a moment, his rage boiling over before he called out, “Keagan, Arda!”

Instantly two beings appeared in a puff of black smoke, one on either side of him. When the smoke cleared they could see a young man with dark, fierce eyes on the left and a young woman, apprehensive and fearful, on the right.

“Kill him!” Vale ordered. “Destroy it all!”

“Yes, Master,” the young man replied with a sinister grin. Instantly an inferno burst up from the ground beneath him, completely engulfing him. A great red wing rose up out of the flames followed by a scaly, horned head and a long, spined tail. The great fire Dragon gave a smoldering bellow, fire spewing from his jaws. Keagan took flight, teeth bared, and dove for Link.

The young woman looked petrified. She didn’t move but stood trembling, her eyes fixed on Zelda, then roving over to the King and finally staring in horror as Keagan tore at Link, Link fighting desperately to dodge the deadly jaws and scorching flames.

“Arda!” Vale shouted, causing the girl to jump. “I gave you an order and you will obey me! Kill him!”

“I- I can’t,” Arda replied desperately. “Please, don’t make me-“

“I spared your life once, but I will not be so compassionate a second time. Do as I say!”

“Please,” Arda begged. “Please…”

“Kill him or it will be your blood upon the floor!” Vale threatened with frightening sincerity.

Still shaking, her eyes beading with tears, Arda silently sank into a flash of flames, a moment later emerging as a smaller dragon with scales of deep gold.

Sensing her chance Zelda quickly made her way towards her father.

“Zelda?” he asked in disbelief. He looked far more ravaged and weak at a close distance and Zelda felt a pang run through her heart. “You came...”

“I’m here, father,” she said. “Come on, we’ve got to get you out of here.”

Zelda placed her hand over a section of chain, concentrating a small ball of fire and then letting it burst with a small explosion that left the chain broken. Instantly Vale jerked in her direction.

“You are trying my patience,” he chided, stepping towards them but Zelda jumped to her feet. He dodged her easily and in an instant his demeanor changed from calm to ravenous. He struck Zelda brutally, then whirled once more and hit her again sending her once more to the ground.

“Zelda!” Link screamed, spotting her from across the room. His momentary loss of concentration left the dragon open to hit him with a blast of flames. Link barely leapt out of the way, feeling the heat graze over him. He pulled out his bow, fitted it with another gleaming light arrow, took aim and fired. The arrow barely left the bow before it was engulfed in flames, falling helplessly to the ground, smoldering into a small pile of ash.

The golden dragon continued to circle overhead, swooping and diving feebly but doing no real harm. The red dragon had done enough damage on its own. Half of the room was now engulfed in flames. The immense doors had taken fire, the flames rising up to the ceiling, slinking from tapestry to tapestry and out into the hallway beyond the throne room.

Zelda lay on the ground, her mind reeling and her head throbbing. She rose up weakly to see Vale across the room, hovering over the king. “I warned you that your defiance would have consequences,” he said coolly. “Their blood is on your hands.”

“Father, no!” Zelda shrieked, trying once more to teleport only to have the fog return to her mind, blurring her thoughts and leaving her helpless. She tore across the room but she was too far away. The King lay on the ground. His chains had been broken but they were still loosely hung over his body. He lay still and unmoving as Vale came over him. Link quickly threw himself in front of the King, and Vale, caught off guard, was momentarily impeded. Link took the offensive and Vale quickly recovered.

Keagan roared and dove at Link, sending a stream of flames at him. Arda stopped circling now. She hovered over them, looking down at Link and Vale as they battled furiously below, Keagan all the while trying to destroy Link. Her eyes locked on, her teeth bared and she let out a murderous growl and threw herself into the fray. Her teeth wrapped around Keagan’s neck and sank in deeply. Keagan let out a painful bellow, his wings thrashing violently. He tore himself out of her grip and threw himself at her with a vicious scream. The two dragons began to tear at each other, teeth gnashing, claws ripping at each other’s scaly hides like two massive dogs in a fight to the death.

“Arda, you worthless beast!” Vale shouted, waving his hand he once more sent Link flying as though he had been struck by some invisible force. Vale’s face was now were filled with manic rage. Zelda rushed to Link’s side as Vale turned his wrath on Arda. He waved his hand once more and the golden dragon gave a great scream, crashing to the ground. Keagan crashed down upon her, his claws digging into her as she screamed. She struggled to free herself from his clutches, finally hitting him with her tail and sending him crashing through a wall, sending a thundering quake throughout the castle. Taking her chance she retreated, taking their fight to the air once more. Arda crashed through the skeletal remnants of the door and out into the castle beyond, Keagan right behind her, their roars growing fainter as they echoed down the hall.

“Kau may wish you alive,” Vale growled at Zelda now, “but accidents happen.” He bore down on her, Link shielding her with his body. “You will give me that Emblem and then you will beg me to let you die.”

Zelda glared back him defiantly, unwilling to back down. She made her way forward once more, Link right beside her, but suddenly her feet seemed to turn to stone, unable to move an inch. Zelda screamed and fought and willed herself to break the spell but nothing she did was any use. Her feet were rooted unyieldingly to the floor. Beside her Link was cursing and struggling to move with no avail. He looked helplessly over at Zelda, wanting more than anything to erase the look of fear and horror in her eyes.

“Vale!” the King’s voice echoed through the hall over the crackling of the flames around them. The King was making his way forward, a blade hanging awkwardly in his hands. Slowly he brought the sword up in threat.

“You will not touch her,” he growled with all the power he could muster.

“Father!” Zelda screamed. “Get out of here, now!”

“I will not let you harm my daughter,” the King shouted as loud as his faltering voice would allow.

“Vale, I’ll give you what you want,” Zelda shrieked through her tears. “I know where it is and you can have it. Please, don’t hurt him. Leave him alone, I’m the one you want!”

“You’re right,” Vale said calmly, slowly turning back to the King, staring at him for a moment. “He is worthless to me.” With a wave of Vale’s hand the King’s weapon flew into the air, turned and hovered before the King. He stared up in horror for a moment, but a moment was all he had left. The drifting sword shot forward suddenly, penetrating quickly and deeply. The King took a deep rattling intake of breath, his eyes bulging painfully. He staggered backward a step or two and then sunk lifelessly to the ground.