Chapter Text
Chapter 1
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The room smelled of incense. Elaborate tapestries hung on the walls and braziers were set up at each corner. The floor had an ornate rug with a diamond motif. Link personally found his master’s taste to be tacky, but he kept his opinion to himself. He simply walked into the room and knelt in front of the throne. His master lounged more than sat in the throne. He leaned against his palm and his legs were crossed. He studied Link casually. Link kept his eyes on the floor and waited.
“I have another assignment for you, Link.” His master finally said. Link kept his face neutral, but inwardly, he rolled his eyes. There were only so many reasons his master would summon him. But his master had a flair for theatrics and would do what he wanted.
“I think you’ll like this one; it’s in Hyrule.” His master continued. “Our agents have discovered a valuable artifact. You are to retrieve it and bring it here.”
Link kept his face to the ground as he struggled not to frown at the news. He hated going to Hyrule. It was a reminder of what he couldn’t have. Having that taste of freedom before having to voluntarily turn back was absolute torture.
Of course, his master knew this.
Once he felt confident that he could control his face, Link raised his head up to his master for further instructions. The demon smiled as he stood up. There was a piece of paper in his hand. He held it out to Link who took it without question. He opened it and quickly scanned it. On the paper was a picture of a sapphire. Carved into the gem was a symbol of three crescent moons with circles inside.
“Our agents on the other side will give you further information. The council considers this to be top priority. You have two weeks. Do not fail me.”
Link nodded as he folded the paper and shoved it into his pocket. Eventually, his master dismissed him with a wave of his hand and Link stood up and left the room. He had to prepare before he left.
The demon watched the human leave with a mixture of satisfaction and unease. He didn’t want to send Link on this particular mission due to the risks, but the council overruled him. They wanted the best for this, and Link was the best. Yet, Ghirahim couldn’t help but feel amused as Link would be instrumental in bringing out the destruction of the world he sacrificed so much to protect.
Even if Link couldn’t remember that.
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Link walked past the other clay homes until he reached his own. It was a hovel that had only two small rooms for what he needed. Slaves didn’t need much after all. He opened the closet in his bedroom and took out his bag. He had only spare clothes and a bedroll to pack, the rest of his gear would be given to him when he arrived at his destination. He then started putting on the black leather armor that showed his status as an assassin.
“Link!” A voice cried out. Link turned to see two little girls running up towards them. Their names for Nemi and Pai. Link had taken the twins under his wing when they were first brought here. Small acts of kindness went a long way in this realm.
Nemi saw Link’s armor and frowned. “You’re going on another mission.” She pouted. Link nodded. They all knew there was nothing that could be done, but Nemi and Pai hated it, nonetheless.
“How long do you think you’ll be gone? Days?” Pai asked. Link shook his head. “Weeks?” Link nodded. Nemi groaned in annoyance. Pai elbowed her sister in the side to stop her. “We’ll make sure to prepare a huge feast when you get back!”
Link smiled appreciatively. The closest thing to a feast he could expect was an extra portion of meat jerky to share between them. He patted their heads and walked past them. The sisters shouted their goodbyes even as he left the house towards the portals.
After the defeat of the demon king countless millennia ago, the goddesses separated the demon realm from Hyrule. Yet they only had enough power to stop demons from crossing. The demons quickly learned this and employed the use of monsters and eventually, human slaves, to do their bidding in Hyrule. They slipped through cracks between worlds, bringing terror and misery before they returned back to the demon realm.
As Link approached, he saw someone already talking with the portal keeper. They heard Link’s arrival and turned. It was a young man a bit older than Link with black hair and purple eyes. He wore similar armor to Link. His lip curled when he saw Link. It appears the council were bringing Dreyza along the mission as well.
“I should have known they would assign you as well.” Dreyza sneered. “That makes you the third one.”
Dreyza was the slave of one of Ghirahim’s rivals on the council. He was good at what he did, but Link was better. Dreyza’s master constantly punished him for failing to surpass Link, which led the boy to view Link as a rival. The feeling was not mutual. They were all in the same situation together. There was no need for animosity among slaves.
Yet, the thought of having to work alongside Dreyza made Link hate this mission even more.
The portal keeper held out three vials containing a teal substance which Dreyza took. He gave one last glare to Link and made his way to the portal and walked through without hesitation.
Link sighed as he walked up to the portal keeper. The portal keeper shuffled through his bag and took out three vials for Link. Link took them and made his way to the portal.
“Not that one. The one on the left.” The portal keeper instructed. Link stopped and corrected himself. So, the three assassins were sent after different items. Link felt relief that he wasn’t going to have to spend two weeks with Dreyza and whoever else the council sent for this assignment. It would have been nice to know beforehand, but Ghirahim didn’t give him any more details than what he thought was necessary. Without further delay, Link stepped through the portal.
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On the other side of the portal, a group of bipedal pig creatures waited for him in a forest: Bokoblins. They were the main force for the demons outside of their realm. Most of them were pretty stupid and could barely talk, but some were smart enough to lead their kin. The leader of this group had blue skin and had fancier rags than the others.
“You are here. Come.” The creature said and led him towards their camp. It was deeper in the forest. They approached a clearing with wooden barricades and watchtowers to protect the camp. The bokoblin led him to a hut. Inside there was an assortment of items and weapons, most of which were probably stolen.
“It took some effort, but we managed to convince the humans who have the item that it was in peril. They are moving it to what they think is a safer place.” The bokoblin explained. They approached a worn-out map that was hanging on the hut. The creature trailed a line across the map. “They are taking this road; they are just starting on their journey, and it will take a week to arrive at their destination. Once they reach their destination, it will be impossible to take the item. I recommend ambushing them on the road. Would you like some suggestions for ambush sites?”
Link shook his head. His master had basically given him free reign on this mission, and he could execute it anyway he wished. The bokoblin shrugged and walked over the weapon pile. It made Link sad to see the weapons simply thrown haphazardly without care. The bokoblin gestured to the pile. Link shifted through the pile carefully until he found what he wanted. Each human had their own preferences for what weapon they used. Link preferred a simple longsword and shield. Link gripped the sword in his left hand and gave it a few experimental swings. The balance was slightly off, but Link could compensate. With a nod, he sheathed the sword and placed it and the shield on his back. He left the bokoblin camp without looking back at them. He despised the creatures.
He reached the road the humans were taking in good time. He had no idea how long it would be before his target arrived, so Link sat down his pack out of sight and began practicing with his new weapons. Link poured everything he could into his mission. He did not want to look around and see how beautiful this world was, knowing he would have to return to the dark realm of demons soon.
It was three days before his target arrived. It was a squad of twelve soldiers. One held a small box. That must be the gem he was after. Link took a deep breath to calm himself before he stepped out in front of the company.
“Get out of the way, citizen.” The captain of the squad barked loudly. When Link didn’t move, the captain ordered his men to halt. “I said, get out of the way.”
Other assassins favored stealth and ambush tactics to accomplish their goals. While Link did utilize those tools when needed, he didn’t like them. He preferred to give his opponents a fighting chance. So, Link unsheathed his sword and shield, declaring his intentions to the men.
Without hesitation, the men drew their own weapons and launched themselves at Link. Link blocked the first blow with his shield before he kneed the man in the stomach. As the man backed off, Link slammed the butt of his sword into the man’s temple, knocking him unconscious. He felt another attack coming from behind. Link sidestepped, using his sword to disarm the man before he quickly incapacitated him as well. This pattern continued throughout the rest of the battle until the only soldier left was the man with the box. Link placed the shield on his back before held out his hand to demand the box. The man, seeing Link’s strength firsthand, gave it over without question. Link put away his sword before he opened the box. Inside was the gem. Link took it out and held it up to the light to study it.
It was a fake.
Link cursed the stupidity of bokoblins. They didn’t take into account that the humans would use a decoy. He felt someone approaching him fast. He threw the fake gem aside and barely pulled out his shield in time to block the blow about to hit him. He pushed the weapons aside and backed away from his new opponent. It was a woman. She had long white hair and piercing red eyes. In her hands was two short swords in a design Link had never seen before. She wore no armor, but cloth that gave her mobility. Her shirt bore a design of a stylized eye.
A sheikah.
He had overheard Ghirahim talking about sheikah to another demon once. The demon spoke of a warrior clan who used speed and guile to overwhelm their opponents. A part of Link was excited to face off against a strong opponent, but he couldn’t allow himself to have fun. He needed to defeat this woman fast and figure out how to acquire the gem. Link took up a defensive stance and the two studied each other. Link’s muscles tensed as he waited for the woman to make the first move.
The sheikah did not disappoint as she charged at Link. She was obviously trying to get behind him and attack from behind. Link leapt to the side as those swords swung out. He went low and went for the woman’s midsection. The sheikah managed to twist away from his attack and swung her swords in opposite directions. Link blocked one with his shield while he deflected the other with his sword. But the sheikah maneuvered the right sword around to get behind Link’s shield as he was blocking the other sword. Link tried to disengage but was too slow as the straps holding the shield to his arm were cut and it fell to the ground with a clatter.
Blood dripped from his wrist. The sword had also sliced through his vambrace and into his arm. It wasn’t a deep cut. Link could keep fighting. The sheikah pressed her advantage and refused to let Link adjust to his lack of shield. Link suddenly backed up against a tree. Seeing her opponent couldn’t back up anymore, the sheikah went for the final blow. Link rolled out of the way at the last minute. He felt the air from her swords as they flew overhead. The sheikah’s sword imbedded themselves into the tree. While she worked to dislodge them, Link went for his shield and threw it like a frisbee. The woman cried out as the shield hit her on the arm, making her drop one of the swords. Link pivoted on his heel and charged at her. She was still reeling from the blow and that left her back wide open.
“Impa! No!” A new voice cried out. Suddenly, Link was thrown sideways. He hit the ground painfully. He skidded a bit before he reoriented himself. Link went to stand up again but stopped. Just as he was about to get off his knees, his opponent was in front of him, twin swords held at his throat.
He had lost.
Link let his sword drop to the ground as he stared into the angry eyes of the sheikah. He didn’t blame her. She was only protecting those she cared for. If his master wanted the gem, then it would be for the best if he did not get it. Link closed his eyes. His only regret was that he was leaving Nemi and Pai alone. They were even younger than he was when he became a slave. They would have no idea why Link wouldn’t return. He had hoped to protect their innocence just a bit longer before the harsh reality of their lives took it from them.
“Stop, Impa.” That same voice from earlier commanded. Link opened his eyes and saw over the shoulder of his opponent was a girl. She was his age with long golden hair. She wore elegant silks that he saw only demon lords’ wear. On her forehead was a tiara. She must have been someone important.
“Princess. This assassin took out twelve men with ease. He needs to be eliminated.” Impa protested. A princess huh? So, Link guessed right.
“He could give us more information about who is after the Goddess Gems and why.” The princess explained. Link wanted to shake his head, but he couldn’t with the swords at his throat. Death was preferable. He looked at the woman, Impa, imploring her to flick her wrists and be done with it. Impa’s red eyes stared back. She was studying him closely. He knew she knew what he wanted. She was debating between following her instincts and listening to her superior.
One side eventually won out as her swords withdrew and something hit the back of his neck hard. Instantly, everything went black.
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Notes
- Skyward Sword has been my favorite LoZ game since it first came out, and Ghirahim is a major factor in that. He's just so... fabulous. He also is one of the few villains who actually accomplished what he set out to do. Not his fault his master immediately got his butt kicked.
- I am not one to use OCs, I usually prefer to use side characters when needed. But here, it felt right to use some OCs for some reason. I hope I can make them enjoyable to read for you guys!
- When I first played Skyward Sword, my dumbass read Bokoblins as Bobakins (Bob - a - kin). I have refused to change my term for them in that particular game. I'm sorry, they look so adorably stupid in Skyward Sword.
- Link's sense of honor will not be squashed!
- The weapons Impa is using are called wakizashis. They are smaller versions of katanas and I believe they are also forged differently as well.
- I have no idea how long this story is going to be. I have a basic idea of where it is going and where it will end, but with most of my writing, the plans may change based on how the story flows.
Please rate and review!