Fan Fiction ❯ The Legend of Zelda: The Ballad of Fallen Angels ❯ The Eve Of War ( Chapter 19 )

[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]

Chapter 19: “The Eve Of War”

Saetoushei hurried about the Knife Chamber in the Grand Pot Hotel, grabbing anything that could be of use to him. He needed to move and now; Descrod's forces were always drawing ever nearer to Clock Town.

Even with Keeta's forces and the Clock Town militia, there were just not enough fighters to successfully defend the town. Saetoushei was about to leave Clock Town and head for the Northern Mountains. The Gorons had always been a peace-loving people who would fight like demons if threatened. Saetoushei had reasoned that no one knew where the rest of the assassination force had fled to since Mikhail was forced to escort them from the town. Their only hope, Saetoushei had argued, was to raise Goron support forces and lead them back to Clock Town before it was overrun.

Seeing that nothing else in the room would help him on his urgent journey, Saetoushei turned to leave, only to find Takeru blocking his way.

“Come with me,” T.K. said. “There is something you should have.”

In his room, T.K. opened a foot locker at the base of his bed and withdrew a folded outfit. Saetoushei took the clothing from T.K. in awe.

“My Bomber uniform.” Saetoushei mumbled, stroking the well-worn crimson jacket. Saetoushei looked up at Takeru, only to see that he was already in his uniform. The black pants with the red stripe down the sides fitted T.K. perfectly, and the crimson jacked was neat and pressed. T.K.'s medals and line's of rank were in perfect form. The arm bands he had worn as a lieutenant still looked like new.

Takeru had cut his hair, and his disfigurement was in plain view. Slowly, T.K. slipped a black eye patch over the empty socket. “Wear your uniform, Link. I haven't donned this since the Ravine. Now is the time for such things. We may never see each other alive again.” With that, T.K. left the room.

A few minutes later, Saetoushei stepped out of the room. He looks quite dashing in that uniform, Tatl thought as she flew down beside him. T.K. stepped up to him and held out his arms. “For you.”

Saetoushei smiled and lifted his Mirror Shield from T.K.'s arms. The ruby-red metal and reflective plate had been polished. Saetoushei strapped it to his back over the Great Fairy Sword.

Takeru handed Saetoushei another item. Saetoushei gasped and took up the long, thin sheath. “My old sword.” Reverently, Saetoushei unsheathed the blade. Each bomber had had his own custom blade made by the Mountain Smithy. Saetoushei's was long, thin and dangerous. An effigy of the Triforce was etched into the handle.

Saetoushei re-sheathed the sword and clipped the sheath to his side. Then he embraced Takeru, who hugged him back.

“My old friend,” Saetoushei whispered into T.K.'s ear, “May your destiny be full of joy and prosperity.”

Ten minutes later, Saetoushei and Tatl rode away from Clock Town on a horse they had borrowed from the militia's personal stable. Saetoushei looked behind him to see the dark mass of Descrod's army. He had made camp for the night, Saetoushei thought, seeing the dozens upon dozens of campfires that dotted the landscape. “I cannot stop tonight, nor tomorrow, nor until I reach Goron Village,” he announced to Tatl. “If you get tired, sleep on my shoulder, for I will not stop.”

As the morning sun poked it's head out of the morning mist, in the complete opposite direction from Ikama Canyon, another large military force strode out of the canyon that led to the Western Ocean. Romani, Cremina, Hikari, and Tael walked in front with Kaiser Reguge Zarana and Anastasia.

“Are you sure about this?” Reguge asked Cremina as the pirates and Zora trotted up the beach towards the stairway that led up towards Clock Town.

“What could go wrong?” Cremina retorted good-humoredly. “We show up with a big `ole task force and demand to see Doyour. He'll come to his good senses when he learns from other rulers about what's happening.”

Kari said, “Well I certainly hope so. Otherwise, we might have to take on Descrod by ourselves.”

“I wonder what happened to Saetoushei?” Romani muttered.

As they began climbing the stairway, Cremina felt a hand come to rest on her shoulder. She turned around to stare deep into Localo's red eyes.

“Very shortly now, human,” the Zora growled into her face, “we will sit down and have a very long chat.”

“No, I refuse to go!” Tatl protested. She and Saetoushei stood at the top point of the staircase that led to the path towards the Northern Mountains. “You need help. I won't let you go alone!”

“Damn it Tatl, it needs to happen this way. Right now, Keeta and Mikhail are completely outnumbered. We don't know if Tael and the girls survived to raise more help. You need to fly back to the palace of Ikama,” here, Saetoushei took from around his neck a strange circular medallion on a silver chain, “and insert this into the slot in the back of the throne in the main chamber. It will bring more, much needed help to Clock Town.”

“I can't believe I'm agreeing to go back there but fine.” Tatl agreed, and, dipping low enough for Saetoushei to place the chain on her, added, “You'd better come back alive.”

With that, Tatl spun in the air and raced back towards the Eastern Canyon. Saetoushei smiled, and turning back towards the rocky path in front of him, set off for the Goron Village.

“Romani, I must protest!” Cremina yelled at her little sister as Romani jumped into the saddle of the horse that the Wave Brethren had provided. “You can't go off by yourself.”

“I agree perfectly,” Romani countered, “That's why Tael's going with me.”

“He's what!?” Cremina exclaimed, rounding on the purple fairy. “Tael!”

Tael floated up and down, searching for words. “Um, yeah, that sounds about right.”

“Cremina, stop being childish,” Kari scoffed. “Romani's a big girl, and she can take care of herself.”

“Okay, so here's our plan,” Romani said, “Me and Tael are gonna ride to the Deku Kingdom. We'll get Melondia to raise an army, she promised she would. Then we'll take the Deku army we get back to Clock Town, hopefully before the fighting starts.”

The pair rode off towards the Southern Swamp. Cremina forced a tear out of her eye. “Good luck, Romani.”

Saetoushei tripped and fell for the third time. The snow was knee-deep and cold as anything. He had fought his way nearly halfway up the mountain thus far, but wasn't sure how much longer he could keep going on.

Finally, just when he thought he saw a shape approaching out of the dark and now in front of him, he collapsed nerveless.

The shape Saetoushei thought he saw coalesced into an enormous, monstrous, humanoid shape. It looked down at the form in the snow thoughtfully, then picked it up and turned around to walk back towards where it came from.

“So what?” Mikhail asked. Mikhail, Takeru, Grammo, Keeta, Keeta's six Captains, and all the remaining members of the Insurrectionists were gathered once again in Doyour's library. This time, however, the council of war was actually accomplishing something. Spread across Doyour's long table were maps of Clock Town, the surrounding areas, and other places, mixed in with inventories and stock-sheets of arms, rations, water, everything and anything that could be helpful in case of a siege of Clock Town.

“We're screwed,” Jovente, one of Keeta's Captains, said. “We're outnumbered by more then fifteen-to-one. We have limited supplies and no way to get more, should Descrod actually lay siege to the town. Eventually, the mortals will starve to death, and the undead will find themselves masters of a town that we do not want.”

Xavier, another Captain, spoke up. “High Captain, the situation is very grave. Jovente is correct. We have no need of Clock Town. If all the mortals should perish, then why should we stay? We are here to protect the living, not also counting in the fact that, thought undead, we can still perish completely from this earth. When it comes to battle, and I am sure that it will eventually come to that, our only advantage might be that Descrod's forces do not know that we are not invincible, and that may give us a brief moment of surprise.”

Takeru mused over a schematic of the town. “Perhaps if we could somehow create some type of catapult, and use it to our advantage. The Bomb Shop in West Clock Town is still in operation, and larger than ever; we have explosive capabilities.”

Suddenly a Guardsman rushed into the room. “Commander Saotome, Captain Keeta, please come with me. A large military force is requesting sanctuary.”

Jovente scoffed, “What does Descrod take us for? Like we're really just going to let him in!”

“No sir.” The Guardsman replied. “Not Descrod. Another force, coming from the sea!”

Takeru peered over the battlements, staring in awe at the enormous party outside. “The Zoras and the Pirates, united? Never in all my years…”

Keeta looked over the wall too. “Do you recognize any of them?”

Takeru looked again. “No, not that I…wait! Yes, yes that girl there! And that Zora woman with her! They were here with Link!” Takeru stood up and waved over the wall. “Welcome back, Cremina! Welcome back to Clock Town!”

Reguge stood with Anastasia and Keeta, surveying West Clock Town. The Guardsmen and undead milled around, mingling with the Zoras and Wave Brethren. Resident stood outside their doors, taking in the spectacle in front of them.

“It's sad, really.” Reguge muttered to his companions. “It takes a war that will cost so many creatures their lives to bring unification and friendship to our races.”

Anastasia nodded. “Aye, `tis a bitter day this be. We best be breakin' up groups `afore they gets it in their heads to go off and party!” Raising her voice, Anastasia called out, “Avast, ye scurvy fools! If yer goin' te be doin' any of the fightin', then get yerselves over here now!”

“We're still outnumbered ten-to-one,” Keeta said, “But at least it's better odds than what we had.”

Saetoushei's face burned as he slowly came back to consciousness. He was in a good-sized room, being attended to by a giant monster. Saetoushei gasped and tried to push himself away from the beast, but small, yet firm hands grabbed his shoulders and pushed him back down.

“Easy with yourself, friend.” A soft, low voice said. “You got scratched up fairly bad out there. What were you thinking, trying to scale the mountain at night?”

Saetoushei turned to his host. “Claudius! Claudius, it's you!”

Claudius Sinclair, the blacksmith who made residence and shop in the valley by the Goron's Ancestral Shrine, cocked his head to the side. “Do I know you? You do appear somewhat familiar, but I just can't put my finger on it.”

Saetoushei reached out his hand and grasped Claudius' firmly. “Of course you wouldn't, mate. It's been over seven years. I'm called Saetoushei now, but it's still Link to you, old friend.”

“Link!” Claudius clasped Saetoushei's hand firmly. “Ah, it's a good day when friends return, even in the condition you did. Grungo, make some tea, and get more of the warm blankets from the closet.”

Saetoushei looked at the monstrosity and finally recognized him. Grungo was a retarded monster of a man, clad in protective clothing so that he didn't hurt himself. Claudius kept him as his apprentice and assistant, giving the fool a place in the world.

“Why does my face burn so badly?” Saetoushei asked, reaching up to softly poke at his burning skin.

Claudius seized his hand and yanked it away from his face. “You've got frostbite in your lips, probably most of the rest of your face too. Relax, you'll survive.”

Saetoushei grabbed Claudius' other hand and pulled him close. “No matter what, I rest for one hour, then I continue on my way.”

Claudius shook his head. “Nay, you'll stay for the morning, at the very least.” Noticing the look in Saetoushei's eyes, he continued, “No matter who you're trying to help so much, you won't accomplish anything by getting yourself killed out here.”

Reluctantly, Saetoushei released Claudius and laid back down. “Fine then. But in the morning, I make for Goron Village.”