TP: Aftermath 3/?
Title:Twilight Princess: Aftermath
Chapter Title: Chapter Three: The Face of a Hero
Fandom: Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
Pairing: Gen
Summary: The Hero's duties should have ended when he saved Hyrule, but the nobility, once again embroiled in politics, have other plans.
As always, this chapter could not have been completed without the help of my very dear beta, zalein. Thank you to all those who commented.
Chapter Three: The Face of a Hero
Even at a casual trot, the sound of hooves upon the dirt road made conversation difficult, the horses and oxen kicking up puffs of dust that would announce their presence to any enemy watching for them. Brennan would have liked to go faster-Hyrule field was not a place a wise person spent any long time in-but they were limited by the wagon of supplies behind them, something even the Hero had said contained items that could not be moved by horseback. He frowned briefly. It was true that they had the advantage of the Hero to protect them, but thus far Brennan had seen no evidence of the great warrior the Hero was supposed to be, for all that he was at Brennan’s side near constantly now.
In the legends, the Hero had always been said to work alone, blending into the populace without ever revealing who he was. Isolation seemed to appeal to the Legendary Heroes of old, and from what he saw, the current Hero was no different. Though it was obvious to Brennan that the boy disliked every moment of the fawning he received, to the people he kept a pleasant front. It was only in the evenings when things became more obvious. There were times at night when the boy was no where to be found, only to mysteriously reappear in the morning. Brennan had no doubt that the boy was using those nights to deal with whatever feelings he’d been forced to hide during the day.
It had been a month since they’d begun their journey. In between that time, they’d gone through thirteen villages and spent the night at five different large towns. The response from the people at each stop had all been gratifyingly appreciative. Brennan tried not to be a self-satisfied man, but it was nice to be proven correct, and the princess would soon receive a report saying just that, though not in such plain words. The people had been starving for reassurance from the Crown, and the presence of the Hero had been accepted without question.
“We will cross into Eldin province in just a few moments Milord,” one of the escorting soldiers said, pulling up next to Brennan.
“I see. Tell your men to increase their guard,” he said quietly back.
“Yes sire.”
Eldin province. It was the largest province in the eastern quadrant, a problem area if there ever was one. Even before the Twilii invasion, the area had suffered from constant raids from the beasts of the dark. When there weren’t raids, the land itself was a problem. Much of the land was inhospitable to humans. Only the toughest grasses grew on the mountains bordering eastern Hyrule, and those were few and far between. The Gorons, being what they were, thrived in the mountains, but they were a temperamental bunch, subject to unpredictable moods. Brennan was glad that his area was to the south. If he’d been assigned to watch over this province, he may very well have ended up as short-tempered as Markis.
“Hero,” Brennan said, watching the boy closely. On his left, Link rode his chestnut mare with ease, showing no obvious sign of what he was feeling at the moment.
“Yes, Lord Brennan?”
“How familiar are you with Eldin province?”
There was a pause, as the boy seemed to assess his question. Brennan bit back a chuckle of amusement. Link had taken to doing that in his presence lately, no doubt because he’d grown tired of Brennan’s verbal jabs.
Pausing won’t stop them coming, boy.
“Assuming that nothing has changed, both bokoblins and bulblins occupy the southern entrance into Kakariko village, though they remain largely on foot. Bulblins riding bulbos patrol the ruins near Eldin bridge, and beyond the bridge lies the territory of several kargaroks, though they often enter Eldin province,” the boy said quietly, seemingly unaffected by the monsters he had so casually listed. “They might avoid a large group, but I can’t be sure.”
“You’ve gone up against them before.”
“Yes.”
Again, with the too neutral tone. The boy mentioned nothing of how many there actually were, nor did he mention how difficult they were to fight. He’d left it out on purpose of course, and as Brennan continued to study the carefully neutral façade upon the boy’s face, he had to wonder what that meant. Either he was struggling to hide his terror-understandable, if he had faced them before-or perhaps the monsters truly didn’t matter to him. Unbelievable, if that was the case, and Brennan would have a great deal more difficulty dealing with the implications of the latter than the former. Then again… He suppressed another frown. The boy was the Hero.
“We’ll have you to count on then, should the monsters attack our party,” Brennan said, forcing out a smile he did not feel. He was a realistic man, but the boy’s clear and succinct description of the beasts was unwelcome news. “We’ve been lucky until now,” he added, secretly hoping the boy wouldn’t confirm his statement.
“Yes, very lucky.”
“Then let’s hope we reach Darunia Town safely.”
The boy said nothing in reply.
***
Link felt Lord Brennan pull away, but derived no satisfaction from knowing that in this verbal battle the lord had come off second best. Even in loss the older man won, an aspect of verbal battles Link was growing to hate. There had been nothing in the older man’s smooth smile, nothing to indicate that anything Link had said had struck home. At least in a physical battle, even a mistaken blow had sent the Golden Wolf to the floor. Dealing with monsters was much easier.
He could not sense any enemies on the road directly before them, but that meant little in an area as wide as Hyrule field. They had entered the field a week ago, and the field throughout that time had remained suspiciously clear of beasts. Even the sky was empty of them, though Link had always been able to spot a few kargaroks in the sky no matter where in Hyrule field he went. Link highly doubted this was because Ganon’s defeat had wiped them out. That meant they were gathering somewhere, preparing for an attack.
Which also meant it could happen at any moment.
His muscles tensed in anticipation. A part of him looked forward to such an attack, and for once Link didn’t even need to think about why. The past month had been doubly frustrating and stressful, and Link longed for a legitimate reason to let it out. If only the enemy could be obliging and attack while they were still on the road.
No such luck.
It was late afternoon when the roofs of the tiny town of Darunia appeared in the distance. The town appeared prosperous despite the dull red of the mountains that sheltered it. Link had never gone near the town during his travels, choosing to camp outside instead. During the winter months Epona had been warm, and Midna had been a better night guard than anyone else he could have hoped for. His heart sank when it became clear that there were banners, though they still looked like nothing but flapping shadows at the moment. Somehow, word had reached the town, which meant that there would definitely be a long ceremony and festival tonight, and Link would be obligated to make his presence felt.
“They’re expecting us,” Lord Corac said. “Fen, Pahmer, you ride on ahead. Unfurl the banners.”
Two of the soldiers immediately departed, carrying large green triangular pennons with the golden mark of Hyrule’s royal crest stitched in the center.
“Are you ready, Hero?” Lord Brennan said quietly beside him.
Link wished with all his heart that he could honestly say what he felt.
“Yes,” he said instead.
He did not see Lord Brennan’s smile, but felt it all the same. The man knew it was a lie of course. There was little the lord missed.
A crowd had gathered at the town entrance, a solid wooden gate bound by thick iron attached to walls that were the same sandy red as the mountains shadowed in the background. The scouts had done their job, and a path had been cleared all the way to the town center, which Link could see even from the entrance. Though Darunia was one of the bigger population centers in Eldin province, it was still small. Much of the town structures had been dedicated to defense building, resulting in the thick wall surrounding the town itself. It looked formidable enough, but then, the red cliffs that had protected Karariko village had been formidable also.
“…do you see?”
“…wonder who’s the Hero…”
“…silly, one wearing green…must be…”
“He’s handsome…!”
Lord Brennan’s face was bland, though Lord Corac had a twinge of a smile. The two lords or course, found it extremely amusing, viewing the villagers’ and townsfolk’s awe and worship with a kind of patronizing smugness that Link disliked. By now Link had begun to grow resigned to the worship, though he could not yet suppress the tension he felt under the attention of far too many people. He schooled his expression into something he hoped was suitably Hero-like: serious, but not to the point where it was frightening.
They reached the town center quickly, with the townsfolk closing behind them to all gather in the center. There weren’t many of them. Certainly no more than several hundred people. Link estimated no more than five hundred, perhaps a little less.
In a small town like Darunia the town center was simply an open area of empty space. Several townsfolk had attempted to make it more than that. A crude stage and podium stood in the center, decorated with simple yellow banners with the triforce hastily stitched in the center of each. Someone had even used up precious water to slightly wet the area to keep the dust down. Link sighed. As if they weren’t covered in road dust already. A little more wouldn’t make a difference.
Next to the podium stood an excited looking man who betrayed his true feelings with the nervous wringing of his thick, sun-browned hands. He was not a big man, though he did not look unused to hard work, and wore a simple white tunic with a green vest and trousers. No doubt they were his best. Link spotted creases where someone must have hastily ironed it.
“M-my Lords! Welcome to the humble town of Darunia! We are honored by your presence,” he said, becoming smoother the more he talked. “I am Baldwig, mayor of this town.” He finished with a clumsy bow, the thinning brown hair on his head revealing that he may soon accurately match his name.
Lord Brennan returned the bow from his seat on his horse, a palomino gelding that looked brown from all the travel dust.
“We are glad to be here in the honored town of Darunia,” Lord Brennan replied cheerfully, with just enough solemnity to make it feel like a formal proclamation. He dismounted immediately, and next to him, Lord Corac followed. Immediately two townspeople came forward, eyes wide as both men handed the reins of their mounts over. Link also dismounted, though he stayed near Epona’s side. “I am Lord Brennan, Lord of the Southern Provinces, and next to me is Lord Corac, The Royal Minister of Defense.” At the awed murmurs that rose from the townspeople, he paused, smiling, flashing white teeth. Lord Corac smiled also, but his lips remained closed.
“Milord, your mount?” Link heard a tiny voice from next to him.
“Thank you. I will see to her myself,” he said quietly.
The owner of the voice, a boy just entering adolescence, was about to utter a noise of protest when both lords turned to Link.
“And of course, as you’ve no doubt heard, we’ve brought Hyrule’s Hero with us!”
Link tried not to look at the boy’s automatic transformation. One moment the boy was nervous, and the next his eyes were glazed with both excitement and worship.
The crowd of townsfolk burst into cheers, and Link was obliged to wave and smile at them. In the crowd, he caught a couple girls push their way forward to look at them, and mentally prepared himself for the squeals that would soon accompany the cheers.
“Milord Hero…” the boy tried to speak again.
“Thank you for offering,” Link said quietly, offering an apologetic smile, “But Epona won’t let anyone else care for her.” He wondered if this would cause resentment, but the boy continued to stare at him with wide-eyed awe.
“Hero, Mayor Baldwig is to lead us to the inn we’ll be staying at tonight,” Lord Corac said. “We’ll get settled in our rooms then return here. A feast will be laid out in your honor.”
“Ah,” Link replied, not missing the warning. A feast in his honor meant he’d be required to say a few short words, though not a speech. Thankfully, the Heroes of the Legends had not been famed for their inspirational speeches, and no one seemed to expect him to do more than several lines; mostly empty phrases of how happy he was to see the people safe, and that everybody should work together to create a greater Hyrule. Then a wave a guilt went through him. What was happening to him, to think that such things were empty? Didn’t he want Hyrule to prosper? Link bit his lower lip, disturbed by this uncharitable side of him.
The other soldiers were still astride their horses, and would remain so until they reached the stables. Afterwards they were to stand on guard, though once Link and the two lords began to eat they were allowed with the rest of the villagers to join in as well.
He felt the eyes of hundreds following him as he left with the others, a feeling that he knew he would never get used to. When he’d been with Midna, nothing good ever came after he’d felt the stares of watchful eyes. Now he had to suppress a reaction borne out of too many close calls as he walked in a crowd where he was the center of attention.
Then he felt it.
It had been the first time in months, but Link recognized it instantly. That all too familiar baleful glare, coupled with the flitting of shadows that were anything but chance. Link did nothing to move his head in the creature’s direction, but his eyes wandered cautiously upward nevertheless. Now would not be the time to let the creature know that Link was aware of its existence.
Above them, so small as to be nearly invisible, was a kargarok, wheeling in the wind.
***
“He’s still not used to it,” Lord Brennan murmured quietly while they sat on the best chairs Darunia Town had to offer, presiding over a large table filled to the brim with food. Lord Brennan sat at the head sipping a mug of very questionable ale, while Corac sat to his right. The Hero, after saying his few words to start the feast, disappeared immediately once the feasting actually started, his seat conspicuously empty amid the festivities.
Unacceptable behavior of course.
Someone would have to find him before the townsfolk started asking questions, though many of them were making rapid inroads in both the beer and ale. Those would probably not notice until too late. He’d tried to warn the Hero earlier already, yet still…Corac decided he and the young man would need to have a quiet talk tonight on what was considered responsible behavior. No matter what the young man thought, he was no longer the hidden legendary Hero, but a public figure now.
“No soldier enjoys being stared at,” Corac said. “You think the Hero is like one of the young foolish bravos at court. He is nothing of the sort.”
“Your soldiers are enjoying the attentions of the ladies however,” Lord Brennan said. Almost immediately they heard an excited squeal of a young girl chased by the raucous laughter of several men.
“Perhaps he’s been alone for too long,” Corac said, frowning at the noise behind him. It was probably Hode. The man had far too high an opinion of himself, though he was by far the best swordsmen of the soldiers who’d managed to survive the Twilii invasion. “I think it’s time to pick up the Hero wherever he is and remind him that the feast had been made in his honor.”
“Of course,” Lord Brennan said with a slight chuckle. “I apologize for always sending you out to find him.”
“Next time, it will be your turn,” Corac said, standing up.
He never got around to searching for the errant young Hero though, because the next thing he heard was a scream.
“Monsters! They’re here! Attacking!” Two young men burst through the celebrating crowd to fall on their knees in terror.
“What?” Mayor Baldwig, face red from alcohol, struggled to get on his feet. “The gate…”
The crashing sound of shattering wood and iron reverberated through the town, followed by the call of a horn, and the heavy hooves of… something. Perhaps several somethings. Loud inhuman squeals sounded from the town entrance, and several dark shapes emerged from the dust and growing shadow of twilight. First to appear were a pair of tusks-yellow, curved, and impossibly long- things that shouldn’t belong on any creature that walked in the light. Corac tried to swallow, and found that his mouth was too dry to do so. He’d heard of bulbos of course, but to see one up close… no one had ever told him how big they were…
Once again, the horrible sound of trumpets filled the air.
Corac turned around, catching Lord Brennan’s eye. The older lord, though unused to battle, managed to retain his composure, though he’d gone several shades paler.
“They’ve broken through!” another voice screamed, and this time the voice was accompanied by several others. Those in the back of the crowd began to scatter, screaming in terror.
“Hode! Fen, Rakins, find the others and arm yourselves. You’re to lead the townsfolk to safety, the others are to come here and help us kill th-”
Something shot past him barely a hair’s breadth away. Half a second later went another, so swift he could hear the sharp whistling as it moved through the air. Corac opened his mouth, and turned back toward the monsters just in time to see something small topple off the monstrous boar-like creature’s back like a ragdoll. The second hit home as well and fell off in a similar manner.
“Hero…!”
Link ran past him so fast he was but a dull green blur to Corac’s vision. The young man paused right in front of the podium, and shot off two more arrows in rapid succession. Both hit home, and yet two more creatures hit the ground, one limply bouncing and rolling along the ground before something stopped its movement. Like frightened mice, more townsfolk scattered to hug the sides of the square, including Mayor Baldwig.
The Hero had unsheathed his sword immediately after firing the shots, and stood his ground, left hand holding the gleaming blade upright, legs crouched low. Then he rushed forward, hitting the bulbos from a curved angle and skewering the monster neatly, but as he did so, the young man spun. To Corac’s utter amazement, the creature spun with him, and it flew off to the right just in time to impact the second bulbos, unskewering itself to leave a floating trail of black blood. There was the sickening sound of bones cracking as both creatures squealed in pain, then fell silent.
Corac remembered where he was, and that he had a duty to do.
“What are you doing standing there watching him?” Corac shouted angrily at his men. The gathered soldiers had been watching the Hero dumbly where they stood. All of them had their mouths hanging open. “Those can’t be all of them!” He turned back to the Hero. “Hero, do you know-!”
The Hero was on the roof of the town blacksmith, sword sheathed. Corac blinked, unable to comprehend how the young man had gotten up there so quickly. There had been the sound of chains and metal, but that explained nothing. Displaying incredible balance upon the unstable clay tiles of the roof, the Hero easily stood where he was, bow full drawn, with an arrow nocked and ready.
Corac bit back his words, glaring at the young man furiously. He must have known! The Hero must have known that this was coming.
Why hadn’t he told us?
“Go along with the villagers and see to their safety,” he ordered the soldiers.
They nodded nervously, and ran in the direction of the townsfolk, who hadn’t moved much from where they were, clutching the walls of the buildings surrounding the town center and shivering where they stood. Perhaps aside from outside the town, there was nowhere else for them to go, but Corac doubted it. Like him, they were mesmerized by the Hero, who had appeared from nowhere and without warning.
The rest of the soldiers joined them, turning their backs to the villagers and unsheathing swords and shields. They stood their ground, though each man shook beneath their armor. These were not creatures any normal man could stand against.
Two more sounds of flying arrows came from above. There was a pause, and then Corac lost count as the Hero repeatedly shot his arrows into the sky at an enemy Corac hadn’t noticed until now. Belatedly he remembered that not all monsters came from the ground.
Seconds later two giant flying monsters looking like an unholy mix of raptor and bat fell to the earth next to the monstrous boars. Kargaroks. Almost immediately there began the sound of rhythmic cracking as dozens of smaller, black birds followed to lie in a growing pool of black blood. Corac had never seen guays before. He suddenly realized that he never wanted to see a guay again.
With a neat jump and a roll, the Hero was off the rooftops and back in the square. He didn’t seem to notice Corac or anyone else as he stood quietly in the middle of the square, but Corac had caught a faint glimpse of the Hero’s eyes as he had passed him. Flashing a violent blue, there’d been something in those eyes that had made the Hero otherworldly, and nothing in them felt remotely human. What’d he’d seen… Corac shook violently as he tried to erase the image from his mind.
The Hero’s a monster.
Then they came. Out of the dust, Corac made out dozens of screeching monsters, carrying rusty blades nearly the monsters’ height, their mottled skin purple and black under the shadows of the setting sun. The front line paused, as one of them shrieked a challenge, brandishing its blade. He’d heard tales of bokoblins from some of his men of course. They were stupider than the bulblins that had ridden the bulbos, but tended to be tougher and stronger. No sane man went against more than one. As more walked out from beyond the shadows, Corac counted at least thirty of the creatures, each armed with a similar blade.
The Hero unsheathed his sword again. It glowed orange from the setting sun, flashing white for a brief second as he lowered it toward the ground. He held his shield in his right arm, an insignificant detail that startled Corac for a moment despite the gravity of the situation at hand.
“He can’t mean to…” Corac heard Lord Brennan whisper behind him.
Link rushed forward. The sword flashed again, and Corac’s eyes followed the route of the severed head of the first bokoblin as it arced into the air. It hadn’t reached the ground yet before another attacked, raising its rusty blade upwards. A second later it screamed in agony as its guts spilled out onto the earth in a tumble of green ichor. No creature waited after that, rushing in until the Hero was practically hidden in a sea of monsters, but like a demon, the Hero avoided their blades. Each flash of the blade was followed by screams of dying monsters along with the Hero’s battle cries. His moves seemed choreographed, too perfect to be real, moving with a rapid fluidity that was as deadly as it was beautiful.
In a few marks only three of what had been over two dozen bokoblins remained. Two of them charged him from opposite directions, but the Hero spun, sending them both flying. A severed leg skittered across the ground to rest near Corac’s feet. The last one, seeing the others all dead, turned to run.
With a running leap the Hero knocked himself into the monster from behind, sending the creature flying where it fell face first. The creature let out one terrified screech that was cut short as Link violently skewered it, its feet beating staccatos into the blood-soaked earth beneath before it finally stilled in death.
When it was all over, the town fell into deathly silence.
***
Link felt the last shudder of the bokoblin as it vibrated up his sword. It would have to be resharpened, for all that he’d spent the time during the feast doing just that. There were far too many nicks along the edge, though it had cut well enough during the battle. Putting one knee against the rapidly cooling body of the last standing bokoblin, Link tugged. The sword, caught in the bones and tissues of the creature, refused to budge.
“Hero.”
He looked up to see Lord Brennan. In the growing darkness it was hard to tell what expression was on the lord’s face, but Link doubted that it was pleasant.
“Yes, Lord Brennan?”
“Are you hurt?”
There were the normal aches and pains that came after a battle, but Link felt no lancing pain that would have indicated that he’d been stabbed or cut. At least not yet.
“I don’t know,” Link said. With one hand still on the hilt of his sword, he gave another tug. This time the sword was more responsive, managing to slide out completely, accompanied by a squelching noise and the bitter-sour smell of bokoblin blood. He wiped his sword against the trouser leg of the creature, but did not sheathe his sword.
“You don’t know,” Lord Brennan said evenly.
“It takes time to feel these things,” Link said, knowing that the explanation would do little for the lord.
“You saved us all. Without you we would have all been killed,” Lord Brennan said. “You have my gratitude.”
For some reason the lord refused to come near him, staying several feet away. Link noticed Lord Corac also standing away, though he could see the displeasure clearly on the defense minister’s face. Why, he had no idea, but Link didn’t want to hear it, whatever it was.
“Hero… did you know that an attack like this would occur?” Lord Corac said.
“I had some idea.”
“Then why, in the name of the Three Goddesses didn’t you tell us?” the man said growing louder with every word until he was shouting. “You left yourself without support, little reinforcement, and what’s more yo-”
“I’m not one of your soldiers, Lord Corac,” Link interrupted, his voice sounding uncharacteristically harsh even to his own ears. The man fell silent, and Link caught a twinge of something in the man’s eyes. He felt the fear like a blow to the gut, but the adrenaline from the battle was still there, and it sustained him. “As you no doubt know, my lords,” Link continued, trying to ignore the fear now coming from both men’s eyes, “the Hero fights alone.”
He left both men there as he made his way past the bodies of the rapidly decomposing monsters. It was an odd property of all of Hyrule’s monsters, but once killed, they begin to decompose almost immediately. There was nothing of the bulblins left other than the weapons they’d carried. The same went for half the bokoblins, and nothing remained of the kargaroks or the guays. Soon there will be nothing left-but the townsfolk-they will never forget.
Following him were the watchful eyes of the townsfolk. Until now, Link had not thought anything could get worse, but he was wrong. This time, they held something worse than awe or worship.
The people of Darunia Town had welcomed the Hero with open arms.
In the morning, they will see him off in fear.
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Chapter Title: Chapter Three: The Face of a Hero
Fandom: Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess
Genre: Adventure, Fantasy
Pairing: Gen
Summary: The Hero's duties should have ended when he saved Hyrule, but the nobility, once again embroiled in politics, have other plans.
As always, this chapter could not have been completed without the help of my very dear beta, zalein. Thank you to all those who commented.
Chapter Three: The Face of a Hero
Even at a casual trot, the sound of hooves upon the dirt road made conversation difficult, the horses and oxen kicking up puffs of dust that would announce their presence to any enemy watching for them. Brennan would have liked to go faster-Hyrule field was not a place a wise person spent any long time in-but they were limited by the wagon of supplies behind them, something even the Hero had said contained items that could not be moved by horseback. He frowned briefly. It was true that they had the advantage of the Hero to protect them, but thus far Brennan had seen no evidence of the great warrior the Hero was supposed to be, for all that he was at Brennan’s side near constantly now.
In the legends, the Hero had always been said to work alone, blending into the populace without ever revealing who he was. Isolation seemed to appeal to the Legendary Heroes of old, and from what he saw, the current Hero was no different. Though it was obvious to Brennan that the boy disliked every moment of the fawning he received, to the people he kept a pleasant front. It was only in the evenings when things became more obvious. There were times at night when the boy was no where to be found, only to mysteriously reappear in the morning. Brennan had no doubt that the boy was using those nights to deal with whatever feelings he’d been forced to hide during the day.
It had been a month since they’d begun their journey. In between that time, they’d gone through thirteen villages and spent the night at five different large towns. The response from the people at each stop had all been gratifyingly appreciative. Brennan tried not to be a self-satisfied man, but it was nice to be proven correct, and the princess would soon receive a report saying just that, though not in such plain words. The people had been starving for reassurance from the Crown, and the presence of the Hero had been accepted without question.
“We will cross into Eldin province in just a few moments Milord,” one of the escorting soldiers said, pulling up next to Brennan.
“I see. Tell your men to increase their guard,” he said quietly back.
“Yes sire.”
Eldin province. It was the largest province in the eastern quadrant, a problem area if there ever was one. Even before the Twilii invasion, the area had suffered from constant raids from the beasts of the dark. When there weren’t raids, the land itself was a problem. Much of the land was inhospitable to humans. Only the toughest grasses grew on the mountains bordering eastern Hyrule, and those were few and far between. The Gorons, being what they were, thrived in the mountains, but they were a temperamental bunch, subject to unpredictable moods. Brennan was glad that his area was to the south. If he’d been assigned to watch over this province, he may very well have ended up as short-tempered as Markis.
“Hero,” Brennan said, watching the boy closely. On his left, Link rode his chestnut mare with ease, showing no obvious sign of what he was feeling at the moment.
“Yes, Lord Brennan?”
“How familiar are you with Eldin province?”
There was a pause, as the boy seemed to assess his question. Brennan bit back a chuckle of amusement. Link had taken to doing that in his presence lately, no doubt because he’d grown tired of Brennan’s verbal jabs.
Pausing won’t stop them coming, boy.
“Assuming that nothing has changed, both bokoblins and bulblins occupy the southern entrance into Kakariko village, though they remain largely on foot. Bulblins riding bulbos patrol the ruins near Eldin bridge, and beyond the bridge lies the territory of several kargaroks, though they often enter Eldin province,” the boy said quietly, seemingly unaffected by the monsters he had so casually listed. “They might avoid a large group, but I can’t be sure.”
“You’ve gone up against them before.”
“Yes.”
Again, with the too neutral tone. The boy mentioned nothing of how many there actually were, nor did he mention how difficult they were to fight. He’d left it out on purpose of course, and as Brennan continued to study the carefully neutral façade upon the boy’s face, he had to wonder what that meant. Either he was struggling to hide his terror-understandable, if he had faced them before-or perhaps the monsters truly didn’t matter to him. Unbelievable, if that was the case, and Brennan would have a great deal more difficulty dealing with the implications of the latter than the former. Then again… He suppressed another frown. The boy was the Hero.
“We’ll have you to count on then, should the monsters attack our party,” Brennan said, forcing out a smile he did not feel. He was a realistic man, but the boy’s clear and succinct description of the beasts was unwelcome news. “We’ve been lucky until now,” he added, secretly hoping the boy wouldn’t confirm his statement.
“Yes, very lucky.”
“Then let’s hope we reach Darunia Town safely.”
The boy said nothing in reply.
***
Link felt Lord Brennan pull away, but derived no satisfaction from knowing that in this verbal battle the lord had come off second best. Even in loss the older man won, an aspect of verbal battles Link was growing to hate. There had been nothing in the older man’s smooth smile, nothing to indicate that anything Link had said had struck home. At least in a physical battle, even a mistaken blow had sent the Golden Wolf to the floor. Dealing with monsters was much easier.
He could not sense any enemies on the road directly before them, but that meant little in an area as wide as Hyrule field. They had entered the field a week ago, and the field throughout that time had remained suspiciously clear of beasts. Even the sky was empty of them, though Link had always been able to spot a few kargaroks in the sky no matter where in Hyrule field he went. Link highly doubted this was because Ganon’s defeat had wiped them out. That meant they were gathering somewhere, preparing for an attack.
Which also meant it could happen at any moment.
His muscles tensed in anticipation. A part of him looked forward to such an attack, and for once Link didn’t even need to think about why. The past month had been doubly frustrating and stressful, and Link longed for a legitimate reason to let it out. If only the enemy could be obliging and attack while they were still on the road.
No such luck.
It was late afternoon when the roofs of the tiny town of Darunia appeared in the distance. The town appeared prosperous despite the dull red of the mountains that sheltered it. Link had never gone near the town during his travels, choosing to camp outside instead. During the winter months Epona had been warm, and Midna had been a better night guard than anyone else he could have hoped for. His heart sank when it became clear that there were banners, though they still looked like nothing but flapping shadows at the moment. Somehow, word had reached the town, which meant that there would definitely be a long ceremony and festival tonight, and Link would be obligated to make his presence felt.
“They’re expecting us,” Lord Corac said. “Fen, Pahmer, you ride on ahead. Unfurl the banners.”
Two of the soldiers immediately departed, carrying large green triangular pennons with the golden mark of Hyrule’s royal crest stitched in the center.
“Are you ready, Hero?” Lord Brennan said quietly beside him.
Link wished with all his heart that he could honestly say what he felt.
“Yes,” he said instead.
He did not see Lord Brennan’s smile, but felt it all the same. The man knew it was a lie of course. There was little the lord missed.
A crowd had gathered at the town entrance, a solid wooden gate bound by thick iron attached to walls that were the same sandy red as the mountains shadowed in the background. The scouts had done their job, and a path had been cleared all the way to the town center, which Link could see even from the entrance. Though Darunia was one of the bigger population centers in Eldin province, it was still small. Much of the town structures had been dedicated to defense building, resulting in the thick wall surrounding the town itself. It looked formidable enough, but then, the red cliffs that had protected Karariko village had been formidable also.
“…do you see?”
“…wonder who’s the Hero…”
“…silly, one wearing green…must be…”
“He’s handsome…!”
Lord Brennan’s face was bland, though Lord Corac had a twinge of a smile. The two lords or course, found it extremely amusing, viewing the villagers’ and townsfolk’s awe and worship with a kind of patronizing smugness that Link disliked. By now Link had begun to grow resigned to the worship, though he could not yet suppress the tension he felt under the attention of far too many people. He schooled his expression into something he hoped was suitably Hero-like: serious, but not to the point where it was frightening.
They reached the town center quickly, with the townsfolk closing behind them to all gather in the center. There weren’t many of them. Certainly no more than several hundred people. Link estimated no more than five hundred, perhaps a little less.
In a small town like Darunia the town center was simply an open area of empty space. Several townsfolk had attempted to make it more than that. A crude stage and podium stood in the center, decorated with simple yellow banners with the triforce hastily stitched in the center of each. Someone had even used up precious water to slightly wet the area to keep the dust down. Link sighed. As if they weren’t covered in road dust already. A little more wouldn’t make a difference.
Next to the podium stood an excited looking man who betrayed his true feelings with the nervous wringing of his thick, sun-browned hands. He was not a big man, though he did not look unused to hard work, and wore a simple white tunic with a green vest and trousers. No doubt they were his best. Link spotted creases where someone must have hastily ironed it.
“M-my Lords! Welcome to the humble town of Darunia! We are honored by your presence,” he said, becoming smoother the more he talked. “I am Baldwig, mayor of this town.” He finished with a clumsy bow, the thinning brown hair on his head revealing that he may soon accurately match his name.
Lord Brennan returned the bow from his seat on his horse, a palomino gelding that looked brown from all the travel dust.
“We are glad to be here in the honored town of Darunia,” Lord Brennan replied cheerfully, with just enough solemnity to make it feel like a formal proclamation. He dismounted immediately, and next to him, Lord Corac followed. Immediately two townspeople came forward, eyes wide as both men handed the reins of their mounts over. Link also dismounted, though he stayed near Epona’s side. “I am Lord Brennan, Lord of the Southern Provinces, and next to me is Lord Corac, The Royal Minister of Defense.” At the awed murmurs that rose from the townspeople, he paused, smiling, flashing white teeth. Lord Corac smiled also, but his lips remained closed.
“Milord, your mount?” Link heard a tiny voice from next to him.
“Thank you. I will see to her myself,” he said quietly.
The owner of the voice, a boy just entering adolescence, was about to utter a noise of protest when both lords turned to Link.
“And of course, as you’ve no doubt heard, we’ve brought Hyrule’s Hero with us!”
Link tried not to look at the boy’s automatic transformation. One moment the boy was nervous, and the next his eyes were glazed with both excitement and worship.
The crowd of townsfolk burst into cheers, and Link was obliged to wave and smile at them. In the crowd, he caught a couple girls push their way forward to look at them, and mentally prepared himself for the squeals that would soon accompany the cheers.
“Milord Hero…” the boy tried to speak again.
“Thank you for offering,” Link said quietly, offering an apologetic smile, “But Epona won’t let anyone else care for her.” He wondered if this would cause resentment, but the boy continued to stare at him with wide-eyed awe.
“Hero, Mayor Baldwig is to lead us to the inn we’ll be staying at tonight,” Lord Corac said. “We’ll get settled in our rooms then return here. A feast will be laid out in your honor.”
“Ah,” Link replied, not missing the warning. A feast in his honor meant he’d be required to say a few short words, though not a speech. Thankfully, the Heroes of the Legends had not been famed for their inspirational speeches, and no one seemed to expect him to do more than several lines; mostly empty phrases of how happy he was to see the people safe, and that everybody should work together to create a greater Hyrule. Then a wave a guilt went through him. What was happening to him, to think that such things were empty? Didn’t he want Hyrule to prosper? Link bit his lower lip, disturbed by this uncharitable side of him.
The other soldiers were still astride their horses, and would remain so until they reached the stables. Afterwards they were to stand on guard, though once Link and the two lords began to eat they were allowed with the rest of the villagers to join in as well.
He felt the eyes of hundreds following him as he left with the others, a feeling that he knew he would never get used to. When he’d been with Midna, nothing good ever came after he’d felt the stares of watchful eyes. Now he had to suppress a reaction borne out of too many close calls as he walked in a crowd where he was the center of attention.
Then he felt it.
It had been the first time in months, but Link recognized it instantly. That all too familiar baleful glare, coupled with the flitting of shadows that were anything but chance. Link did nothing to move his head in the creature’s direction, but his eyes wandered cautiously upward nevertheless. Now would not be the time to let the creature know that Link was aware of its existence.
Above them, so small as to be nearly invisible, was a kargarok, wheeling in the wind.
***
“He’s still not used to it,” Lord Brennan murmured quietly while they sat on the best chairs Darunia Town had to offer, presiding over a large table filled to the brim with food. Lord Brennan sat at the head sipping a mug of very questionable ale, while Corac sat to his right. The Hero, after saying his few words to start the feast, disappeared immediately once the feasting actually started, his seat conspicuously empty amid the festivities.
Unacceptable behavior of course.
Someone would have to find him before the townsfolk started asking questions, though many of them were making rapid inroads in both the beer and ale. Those would probably not notice until too late. He’d tried to warn the Hero earlier already, yet still…Corac decided he and the young man would need to have a quiet talk tonight on what was considered responsible behavior. No matter what the young man thought, he was no longer the hidden legendary Hero, but a public figure now.
“No soldier enjoys being stared at,” Corac said. “You think the Hero is like one of the young foolish bravos at court. He is nothing of the sort.”
“Your soldiers are enjoying the attentions of the ladies however,” Lord Brennan said. Almost immediately they heard an excited squeal of a young girl chased by the raucous laughter of several men.
“Perhaps he’s been alone for too long,” Corac said, frowning at the noise behind him. It was probably Hode. The man had far too high an opinion of himself, though he was by far the best swordsmen of the soldiers who’d managed to survive the Twilii invasion. “I think it’s time to pick up the Hero wherever he is and remind him that the feast had been made in his honor.”
“Of course,” Lord Brennan said with a slight chuckle. “I apologize for always sending you out to find him.”
“Next time, it will be your turn,” Corac said, standing up.
He never got around to searching for the errant young Hero though, because the next thing he heard was a scream.
“Monsters! They’re here! Attacking!” Two young men burst through the celebrating crowd to fall on their knees in terror.
“What?” Mayor Baldwig, face red from alcohol, struggled to get on his feet. “The gate…”
The crashing sound of shattering wood and iron reverberated through the town, followed by the call of a horn, and the heavy hooves of… something. Perhaps several somethings. Loud inhuman squeals sounded from the town entrance, and several dark shapes emerged from the dust and growing shadow of twilight. First to appear were a pair of tusks-yellow, curved, and impossibly long- things that shouldn’t belong on any creature that walked in the light. Corac tried to swallow, and found that his mouth was too dry to do so. He’d heard of bulbos of course, but to see one up close… no one had ever told him how big they were…
Once again, the horrible sound of trumpets filled the air.
Corac turned around, catching Lord Brennan’s eye. The older lord, though unused to battle, managed to retain his composure, though he’d gone several shades paler.
“They’ve broken through!” another voice screamed, and this time the voice was accompanied by several others. Those in the back of the crowd began to scatter, screaming in terror.
“Hode! Fen, Rakins, find the others and arm yourselves. You’re to lead the townsfolk to safety, the others are to come here and help us kill th-”
Something shot past him barely a hair’s breadth away. Half a second later went another, so swift he could hear the sharp whistling as it moved through the air. Corac opened his mouth, and turned back toward the monsters just in time to see something small topple off the monstrous boar-like creature’s back like a ragdoll. The second hit home as well and fell off in a similar manner.
“Hero…!”
Link ran past him so fast he was but a dull green blur to Corac’s vision. The young man paused right in front of the podium, and shot off two more arrows in rapid succession. Both hit home, and yet two more creatures hit the ground, one limply bouncing and rolling along the ground before something stopped its movement. Like frightened mice, more townsfolk scattered to hug the sides of the square, including Mayor Baldwig.
The Hero had unsheathed his sword immediately after firing the shots, and stood his ground, left hand holding the gleaming blade upright, legs crouched low. Then he rushed forward, hitting the bulbos from a curved angle and skewering the monster neatly, but as he did so, the young man spun. To Corac’s utter amazement, the creature spun with him, and it flew off to the right just in time to impact the second bulbos, unskewering itself to leave a floating trail of black blood. There was the sickening sound of bones cracking as both creatures squealed in pain, then fell silent.
Corac remembered where he was, and that he had a duty to do.
“What are you doing standing there watching him?” Corac shouted angrily at his men. The gathered soldiers had been watching the Hero dumbly where they stood. All of them had their mouths hanging open. “Those can’t be all of them!” He turned back to the Hero. “Hero, do you know-!”
The Hero was on the roof of the town blacksmith, sword sheathed. Corac blinked, unable to comprehend how the young man had gotten up there so quickly. There had been the sound of chains and metal, but that explained nothing. Displaying incredible balance upon the unstable clay tiles of the roof, the Hero easily stood where he was, bow full drawn, with an arrow nocked and ready.
Corac bit back his words, glaring at the young man furiously. He must have known! The Hero must have known that this was coming.
Why hadn’t he told us?
“Go along with the villagers and see to their safety,” he ordered the soldiers.
They nodded nervously, and ran in the direction of the townsfolk, who hadn’t moved much from where they were, clutching the walls of the buildings surrounding the town center and shivering where they stood. Perhaps aside from outside the town, there was nowhere else for them to go, but Corac doubted it. Like him, they were mesmerized by the Hero, who had appeared from nowhere and without warning.
The rest of the soldiers joined them, turning their backs to the villagers and unsheathing swords and shields. They stood their ground, though each man shook beneath their armor. These were not creatures any normal man could stand against.
Two more sounds of flying arrows came from above. There was a pause, and then Corac lost count as the Hero repeatedly shot his arrows into the sky at an enemy Corac hadn’t noticed until now. Belatedly he remembered that not all monsters came from the ground.
Seconds later two giant flying monsters looking like an unholy mix of raptor and bat fell to the earth next to the monstrous boars. Kargaroks. Almost immediately there began the sound of rhythmic cracking as dozens of smaller, black birds followed to lie in a growing pool of black blood. Corac had never seen guays before. He suddenly realized that he never wanted to see a guay again.
With a neat jump and a roll, the Hero was off the rooftops and back in the square. He didn’t seem to notice Corac or anyone else as he stood quietly in the middle of the square, but Corac had caught a faint glimpse of the Hero’s eyes as he had passed him. Flashing a violent blue, there’d been something in those eyes that had made the Hero otherworldly, and nothing in them felt remotely human. What’d he’d seen… Corac shook violently as he tried to erase the image from his mind.
The Hero’s a monster.
Then they came. Out of the dust, Corac made out dozens of screeching monsters, carrying rusty blades nearly the monsters’ height, their mottled skin purple and black under the shadows of the setting sun. The front line paused, as one of them shrieked a challenge, brandishing its blade. He’d heard tales of bokoblins from some of his men of course. They were stupider than the bulblins that had ridden the bulbos, but tended to be tougher and stronger. No sane man went against more than one. As more walked out from beyond the shadows, Corac counted at least thirty of the creatures, each armed with a similar blade.
The Hero unsheathed his sword again. It glowed orange from the setting sun, flashing white for a brief second as he lowered it toward the ground. He held his shield in his right arm, an insignificant detail that startled Corac for a moment despite the gravity of the situation at hand.
“He can’t mean to…” Corac heard Lord Brennan whisper behind him.
Link rushed forward. The sword flashed again, and Corac’s eyes followed the route of the severed head of the first bokoblin as it arced into the air. It hadn’t reached the ground yet before another attacked, raising its rusty blade upwards. A second later it screamed in agony as its guts spilled out onto the earth in a tumble of green ichor. No creature waited after that, rushing in until the Hero was practically hidden in a sea of monsters, but like a demon, the Hero avoided their blades. Each flash of the blade was followed by screams of dying monsters along with the Hero’s battle cries. His moves seemed choreographed, too perfect to be real, moving with a rapid fluidity that was as deadly as it was beautiful.
In a few marks only three of what had been over two dozen bokoblins remained. Two of them charged him from opposite directions, but the Hero spun, sending them both flying. A severed leg skittered across the ground to rest near Corac’s feet. The last one, seeing the others all dead, turned to run.
With a running leap the Hero knocked himself into the monster from behind, sending the creature flying where it fell face first. The creature let out one terrified screech that was cut short as Link violently skewered it, its feet beating staccatos into the blood-soaked earth beneath before it finally stilled in death.
When it was all over, the town fell into deathly silence.
***
Link felt the last shudder of the bokoblin as it vibrated up his sword. It would have to be resharpened, for all that he’d spent the time during the feast doing just that. There were far too many nicks along the edge, though it had cut well enough during the battle. Putting one knee against the rapidly cooling body of the last standing bokoblin, Link tugged. The sword, caught in the bones and tissues of the creature, refused to budge.
“Hero.”
He looked up to see Lord Brennan. In the growing darkness it was hard to tell what expression was on the lord’s face, but Link doubted that it was pleasant.
“Yes, Lord Brennan?”
“Are you hurt?”
There were the normal aches and pains that came after a battle, but Link felt no lancing pain that would have indicated that he’d been stabbed or cut. At least not yet.
“I don’t know,” Link said. With one hand still on the hilt of his sword, he gave another tug. This time the sword was more responsive, managing to slide out completely, accompanied by a squelching noise and the bitter-sour smell of bokoblin blood. He wiped his sword against the trouser leg of the creature, but did not sheathe his sword.
“You don’t know,” Lord Brennan said evenly.
“It takes time to feel these things,” Link said, knowing that the explanation would do little for the lord.
“You saved us all. Without you we would have all been killed,” Lord Brennan said. “You have my gratitude.”
For some reason the lord refused to come near him, staying several feet away. Link noticed Lord Corac also standing away, though he could see the displeasure clearly on the defense minister’s face. Why, he had no idea, but Link didn’t want to hear it, whatever it was.
“Hero… did you know that an attack like this would occur?” Lord Corac said.
“I had some idea.”
“Then why, in the name of the Three Goddesses didn’t you tell us?” the man said growing louder with every word until he was shouting. “You left yourself without support, little reinforcement, and what’s more yo-”
“I’m not one of your soldiers, Lord Corac,” Link interrupted, his voice sounding uncharacteristically harsh even to his own ears. The man fell silent, and Link caught a twinge of something in the man’s eyes. He felt the fear like a blow to the gut, but the adrenaline from the battle was still there, and it sustained him. “As you no doubt know, my lords,” Link continued, trying to ignore the fear now coming from both men’s eyes, “the Hero fights alone.”
He left both men there as he made his way past the bodies of the rapidly decomposing monsters. It was an odd property of all of Hyrule’s monsters, but once killed, they begin to decompose almost immediately. There was nothing of the bulblins left other than the weapons they’d carried. The same went for half the bokoblins, and nothing remained of the kargaroks or the guays. Soon there will be nothing left-but the townsfolk-they will never forget.
Following him were the watchful eyes of the townsfolk. Until now, Link had not thought anything could get worse, but he was wrong. This time, they held something worse than awe or worship.
The people of Darunia Town had welcomed the Hero with open arms.
In the morning, they will see him off in fear.
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