Chapter Text
Link glares out the window of the carriage. The occasional jumble caused from rocks below the wheels make him shut his eyes tight. He could have been given an assignment practically anywhere else in Hyrule. To do anything else. Instead he has to trapeze across a goddess forsaken desert looking for a Princess that most likely does not exist.
“ Oh c’mon Link! Lighten up a little! “
Gruuse’s voice sounds like nails on a cheese grater. On most if not all occasions, Link wouldn’t mind Gruuse’s upbeat take on life’s annoying little moments. This one, however, leaves Link wishing they had left his friend at home. Just a few minutes off of the correct time they would have left by.
Link opens his eyes and glances at Gruuse. A look of expectation was clear on his face.
“ I mean, this is like, maybe not the best of the best. But we did not join the Hyrule Forces for comfort now did we? “
That..that is a fair point. Link finally fully faces the half gerudo man that sits across from him. Said man seems to smile much more now that the attention is fully on him. He leans back in his seat. That stupid grin is even more clear on his face.
“ There’s my boy! “ Gruuse boasts. “ I’m not wrong about what I said though. “
“ Which part? “ Another voice chimes in and Link blinks at the source. He almost entirely forgot that they were not the only two in the carriage.
Bazal flips the page of a report without glancing up from it. There is a subtle smirk on his face that surely came from the remark he gave just seconds ago. His royal knight’s uniform has different alterations than Link’s or Gruuse’s, they give off a more flowy robe-like impression.
Gruuse seems to give off a comical scowl at Bazal. “ All parts, obviously! I’m like never wrong! “
Now Bazal seems to peek up from his work. His eyebrows sit almost on his eyes to increase the smugness of his smirk. “ Ever? “
“ Ever. Ever. “
“ If you insist. “
“ I do actually! “
Link playfully rolls his eyes at the two of them. Bazal could always get a rise out of Gruuse by playing on his own energy, oddly enough, without having the same outburst that their friend has. Perhaps that is why Gruuse always gets more quickly rallied up with Bazal than he does with Link.
The carriage bounces rather roughly this time. The force sends all three of them somewhat into the air before plopping right back down. Link’s hat manages to slip to the front of his face. He grabs hold of it and brings it down to his lap. The frown right back on his face again.
This time at least, the other two were almost as nearly bothered by it as he was. Bazal gawks at his report now having a big spalt of black ink where he was just writing in information. Gruuse clicks his tongue and sits forward so he can reach the window on his left. He tugs the curtains away and partially sticks his head out.
“ Can we not make the ride any smoother? “
The couchman hunches his shoulders. “ In a moment! We are just departing the mountain now. “
Gruuse’s eyebrows knit in disbelief but he forces himself to be cherry. “ Swell news! Thank you! “
He slips back into his seat and claps his hands together. “ Soon, brothers, we’ll be sailing as if on the Hyrule Seas! “
Bazal casts an annoyed look before turning his attention to his paperwork. Link’s expression is a bit more skeptical but a bit more at ease now, willing to partake in whatever Gruuse was on about now.
“ Have you ever even been on the seas, Gruuse? “ Link questions, already knowing the answer.
The half gerudo man seems to pause like a deer in an arrows flight path. His ears twitch slightly as his eyes stay wide a moment too long. “ Well..okay..no..” he stammers before shaking his head and slamming his hands onto the seat, making Bazal jump slightly. “ BUT WHO SAYS I WON’T ONE DAY!? “
“ The general, the chief, the zora military, the zora-” Link begins counting on his fingers. Meanwhile Bazal looks like he might snap Gruuse’s neck any minute now. Link will just quietly not add it to his list.
Gruuse scoffs at him and turns away in a dramatic sort of manner. It makes Link chuckle as he sits back a little against the seat. With them settling down, Bazal too seems to finally soothe back down as well.
Then the sound of something popping cracks into the air. The hair on the back of Link’s hair instantly rises. His eyes narrow quickly. Gruuse merely becomes perplexed. Bazal can tell just from Link’s expression that something is not right. While perhaps not nearly as long a friend to Link as Gruuse is, Bazal has been around when Link’s apparent ‘instincts’ have taken flight.
The crackling in the air only seems to get louder. Hoofsteps now appear in the mix. Then shouting. Suddenly one did not need to be a hero of legend to take a concern in the moment.
Link stands up and tries to peek through the windows. At this moment though the carriage suddenly lurches to the right. Link is thrown onto his friends. He tries to mutter an apology as he tries to get back up. The carriage is suddenly moving far faster than it was just moments ago. Bazal struggles to his feet as he slips his head out the other window.
“ Driver! What’s the issue? “ he calls out, hoping it is all an ill joke of their fellow soldiers.
“ I’m afraid we-” the driver seems to duck. Something or two flies past him. His grip white on the reins of the carriage horses. “ We are under attack! “
These four words seem to fully unlock the scene for the trio in the carriage. The crackling, the pop, the shouts, the sound of horses, and now the sound of swords drawn and arrows fired became too loud. The carriage feels too small now.
Gruuse practically shudders as grabs at the curtains of the left window and yanks them off. Light burns into the carriage. “ Oh goddesses where the hell are our steeds!? “
Bazal stuffs his papers into his bag. His glasses almost falling off his nose as he moves. “ In the back of the group! “
“ Why would they be back there! “ Gruuse demands in a gasp.
Link feels about ready to tug out his hair. It was his idea. The mountain roads were getting narrower and they had already been riding for days. They were back there originally when they had left as a simple starting formation. Eventually he wanted to sit. So it was best to bring them to the riders in the back of the changed mountain formation so they could retire to the carriage. It seemed like a good idea at the time! Curses! This is what he gets for seeking comfort instead of toughing it out. He could at least try to rectify this mistake.
With unsteady legs he steps to the door of the left window. He manages to yank said door open. He sticks his head out and clears his throat. “ Release the horses! “
He can’t tell from this distance if the soldiers in the back can hear him or not. Or if they had done as he had asked. He must have faith. Link lets out a loud and sharp whistle with his fingers. His heart beats away as he waits on bated breath. His eyes glance amongst the soldiers defending against unknown men in darker garments, the lower half of their faces hidden behind cloth.
To be unrecognizable. Link thinks bitterly.
Now he hears the hoofprints he wants to hear. He glances to the side to see unmanned horses running towards him. He ducks his head back inside the carriage. He turns his attention to Gruuse and Bazal. His gaze stern.
“ You two leap to your horses. “ he orders as he steps away from the door. “ Join the fight. “
Gruuse’s eyes practically bug out of his skull. “ Pardon!? “ he snaps back. “ And what about you huh? Just leave you!? “
Link’s gaze hardens. “ Epona is not at the front. Nevertheless, I gave the order. We need to get out without issue. So go! “
Gruuse visibly hesitates. His mouth agape as he looks from the door to Link, to the door again, to Bazal now, then Link once more before he looks at the door for the last time. His expression darkens and he dips his head almost like a curt nod.
“ Fine. “
The taller man of the three moves with far more confident steps. He grips the edges of the opened door and then leaps from the carriage. His almost slow movement and stop had been timed. He needed to see that his horse was in just the right position. Once sure, he lept. A drill that Link told him he needed to master but always felt silly in his eyes. Now as he grabs hold of his large brown horse’s reins and cringes at the pain, he is grateful he knows how to do this.
With Gruuse gone, Bazal is next up. He did not have as nearly the same experience in training as his friends did. He adjusts his glasses and tugs back at his sleeves. His eyes lock onto Link for a moment. Not to dissuade his orders but a look of unsureness.
Link gives a nod but his expression at least softens. “ You can do this. And you are needed out there. The magic you weld is no doubt a turning point in this attack. They might not expect it. “
Bazal’s eyes grow wide. A spark burns within them now, the nervousness seeming to hide away. A small smile graces his lips and he gives a nod. Although he does grab hold of Link’s arm. “ Do be careful, alright? I know you are bound to come up with a dangerous stupid plan. “
“ Me? Whatever could you mean? “ Link responds in mock innocence. His face plays it up as he pats Bazal’s hand.
Bazal shakes his head. His black hair collided lightly with his glasses. He pushes his glasses up once more as he pulls away from Link. He stands steps away from the door before he makes a sort of running start before his leap. He makes a much more graceful land onto his horse. With his being far slimmer than Gruuse’s the presion needs to be better. He smooths his hand through the waves of his horse’s black hair, muttering gently before grabbing hold of the reins. With a gentle kick the shadow of a horse takes off like an arrow in the wind.
Now Link is alone. He swallows with his nerves steadily rising before he hears a clap of lighting. His eyes glance to the door and sees that now clouds are gathering where there had not been a hint of them beforehand. He smirks, Bazal wastes no time it seems. Nor has he really ever.
With careful steps Link peers out the door, ready for his own sort of take off. But-No..no that is not right. Epona is not there! He leans out the door and sees no sight of his beloved mare. Now his heart hammers in his ears like a drum. He curses under his breath. The carriage lurks forward and he barely manages to stand firm. He must figure out another plan. Quickly.
Link moves to the door now. His steps were measured. He grips onto the edges of the door but far more tightly than his friend had. He then turns and starts to climb up the small side of the carriage. He tries not to let the sounds of fighting disturb his concentration. He reaches up and tries to pull himself up onto the roof of the carriage. It lurches to the side again. His grip starts to make his hands burn red, still, he manages to get up. Ignoring any potential for injuries.
“ Can you hold this thing steaderer? “
The couchman practically laughs. “ If I didn’t have thugs thrashing the side and the horses, just maybe I could! “
Link rolls his eyes at the sarcasm. It is fair though. He could not argue against it. His legs wobble as he moves toward the back, where the luggage would be. He lowered himself down as best he could and reached his arm down. He unlatches the chest and tries to open it without everything flying out as he searches inside for what he needs.
“ Hey! You can’t loot yourself! That’s our job! “ a voice calls.
Link glares daggers down at the thief on a thin almost ailing looking horse. The thief, on the other hand, almost looks like a human version of said horse.
“ Oh oh shivers! What a gaze! “ the thief both cackles and genuinely looks nervous.
Then Link feels it. Something deep within him connects to something else as his hand grabs the hilt of a sword. A wild look enters his eyes and the thief’s face turns to genuine fear for a moment. What could make a man look like that?
Then the smaller thinner man sees the blue glow. Then the blue sword as it is pulled from the chest and sleeve. Now, he knows why. He tightens the length on his horse’s reins and he darts toward the back of all the fighting. " NIRRANK!! “ he screeches all the way.
Link, feeling a bit satisfied, grabs the straps and scabbard that will keep the sword on his back. Then he struggles to grab his bow and arrows as well as his shield. The carriage lurches again and Link feels his body almost shift to the side. He struggles to maintain a firm position on the carriage. He tries not to snarl but his lips were surely pulled back, prepared to do as such. He manages to pull out his bow and a few arrows as well as his shield before he can pull away from the luggage. Which becomes even more of a good thing as the chest slams shut and is thrown with a lot of the other luggage after a rather rough bash from the left side of the carriage. Link only just barely able to cling to the carriage still. As he hangs from the other side of it now.
“ Are you still alive sir?! “ the couchman shouts but Link can swear he hears the panic in his voice.
“uh-” Link glances around from his hanging position before he tries to pull himself back up. “ Pretty sure! “
He readies his arrow onto his bow. He pulls the string back as he looks for a target to aim. This was not a major skill of his. He was alright with a bow, almost any weapon really, but to avoid being a jack of all trades and master of none, he made sure to be the best with a sword. His sword. He breathes in as he locks onto a raider that tries to swing a mace at an unarmed soldier. He releases the string and the arrow flies. Yet there is little time to make sure it makes contact with the intended target as he turns his bow quickly for another one.
He spots a rider about to make a strike at the carriage he was on and fires another arrow. If he gets knocked off of this thing—oh Hylia will not be able to stop his vengeance when he is on the ground with them. He gives the land a quick look over to try and both find a target and his damn horse! His thoughts just about cover this when he finally sees her. The almost red coat and creme colored hair is stuck between deep brown and yellow. He sees the ropes that were not on her before and now he lets out a snarl.
“ Get away from her! “ he shouts.
A handful of arrows are launched in direction of his captive horse. Two strike into the shoulders of the men trying to snatch his mare. Mouths open in screams but too far away to be heard. They slip from their steeds and into the sand that picks up into the air. He sees his horse start to run towards him now as he hears another strike of lightning and a battle cry he is familiar with. He looks over to where he thinks Gruuse may be or even Bazal when the carriage suddenly gets thrown to the side. It crashes into the ground and slides a fair distance. Link cannot tell if the horses ran free or if the couchman is alright. Instead he is feeling far too much from his own shoulder now.
He groans as he rolls back onto his chest. He pushes himself up but his arms shake and almost buckle under his weight. His head spins as he manages to get to his feet again. His vision seems to share the same problem as his head when he tries to get a sense of where he is. Everything sort of blends together before his gaze finally seems to snap back into place. Just as he hears footsteps approach.
He whips around and notices two things. One, his bow is busted. Two, a man taller than he stands before him. Link narrows his eyes at him. He wears all dark leathers across his body. This time, much curious to Link, he doesn’t shield his identity from him. No, he merely wears a dark wide brimmed hat with a dark leather that wraps around the part Link assumes connects the brim to the rest of the hat. A look of pure malicious satisfaction graces his face.
“ So..I guess you are the man I have been looking for? “
Link carefully switches his bow for his sword and shield now. The sword looked pale in the burning sunlight. “ Most likely. “
The man starts to walk around Link and he quickly mirrors him. He looks him up and down but he doesn’t quite seem to react in any way at all. He barely even seems bothered that Link sports the sword of legend. Link tries to keep his mind level.
“ Can’t say I am very much impressed. “ the man says, his voice giving off that he was disappointed and yet found it all kind of funny.
“ And who might you be exactly? “ Link snarls at him.
Now the facade seems to crack. The man’s cool smile seems to lessen. A tenseness places itself at the edges of his lips. His eyebrows furrow as he scowls at Link, who hopes this may be the advantage he seeks in fight with him.
“ You don’t know who I am? “ the man breathes out in the form of a hiss.
Link shakes his head sharply. He twirls his sword in his grip, letting the blade shine a light at the man. “ I think I would have addressed you if not..you seem like every other common criminal. “
The man’s posture tenses now. His eye gives the slightest twitch when Link is able to see it from under the hat.
“ You think I’m just like..” he pauses before loud rough laughter rips into the air. “ Oh you must have a hard time keeping up with all us normal folk! Held up in that silvery tower of yours! “
Link tries to resist the tilt of his head he could feel coming. The comment buzzes in his mind and it makes his stomach turn at the possible implications it could have about him. He stops the movement they have been making about each other and gets into a fighting stance.
“ Oh did that get to you, Sage Knight? “ the uncomfortable smile returns to his face and it looks far more psychotic now.
The man gets into a fighting stance of his own. His is far more removed from what Link would call an actual stance. Even an untrained fighter would have a sort of tell tell sign. He looks like he is mirroring Link but in a more joking way as he reaches for something. The hair on the back of Link’s neck rise up but he was already uneasy as he was watching the man’s movements. He tries to raise up his shield when he spots the weapon.
“ The name is Nirrank. “
The weapon is raised.
“ Remember it. “
There's a click. Two actually. One when the weapon is almost fully raised and one after. Link's shield manages to block the first automatic arrow. He doesn’t stop the second one in time. It lodges right into his already injured arm. He takes the hit with a painful grunt as he stumbles back some. Blood oozes down his arm and onto his sword. His grip becomes incredibly unsteady.
Several shots fire at him once more. He tries to fit as much of himself behind his shield, as he maneuvers it to catch the arrows. He tries to shift his weak arm amongst the chaos to put his sword back in its scabbard. He tries to whistle as loud as he can. For Epona. For aid. For something!
Hooves hitting sand and rocks greet his ears. A sense of relief washes over him. He waits for the sound of what he thinks is reloading to shift his grips around. He’ll need his good arm free to grab hold of Epona’s saddle. While waiting for Epona to be close enough he peaks over the edge of his shield. Of course just as Nirrank wacks Link’s shield with the bottom of his automatic bow.
A massive streak of pain burns through Link’s whole arm. His grip snaps and the shield hits the sand with a dull thud. He tries to hold back the gasps and hisses of pain but he can’t stop every single one. He stumbles back some as he tries to make quick steps backwards to create distance.
“ What’s the matter, boy? Catch you off guard? Need your army to fight your precious battles for you? “ the man steps forward, cackling.
It's like he is a cat with a canary. Link did not like to imagine himself as prey. He was called many things in his fights. A wolf. A lion. Yet a weak broken bird hoping for mercy is not one he will add to his collection. He reaches his free arm up and back.
“ No, just waiting for a ride. “ he says with a smile.
When his hand feels the slightest touch of that familiar cloth, when the steps are heard deep in his bones, he makes a grab. Link is taken off into the wind, trying his best not to laugh at the surprised look on Nirrank’s face as he becomes further and further away from him. However when he does hear the sound of an outraged scream in the air he finally does.
With great effort, and a total willful ignorance of his pain, Link yanks himself onto Epona’s back. His feet find the stirrups as his hands grab onto the reins. Although he does make sure to pat Epona’s shoulder to silently say ‘thank you girl’ to the horse that very much helps save his life. Although..and it makes Link shiver, he somehow gets the feeling that that man was spinning a wheel to see what would be Link’s fate.
Epona whinnies anxiously and Link tries to pat her with his weaker arm. Needing his stronger one to lead her further through the mess of all the fighting and straight out of it. He needs to regroup and fast. Still he cringes when he notices the bloody print on his horse’s coat and tries to think that it's just his mind unable to tell the difference between the colors of red at the moment.
The air crackles with; dust, sand, shouting, clanking, lightning, and other sorts of battle noises. Link breathes in sharp breaths as he looks around and tries to gather his thoughts. He tries to spot where his friends could be. Gruuse was somehow hard to spot in the scuffles. Even Bazal’s magic was no longer a clear beacon of where he was, most likely he ran out of stamina for his magic. Link steels himself to think it is only that reason.
Link forces himself to take a steady breath. That way he could focus on reaching into the saddlebags for the potions he packed. He feels his fingers grasp around the neck of a bottle-
A fierce gust of wind entangles the area. Sand picks up and into a sandstorm forms faster than Link can get the cork off the bottle. He releases it and grips tightly onto Epona’s reins, trying to get her to back away into hopefully clean air. He sucks in one last breath of air before every next breath would be full of sand. Still it felt like it was getting everywhere despite his efforts.
Then he spots a shadow of something. It is large. It screams-no-roars so loudly it fills the air as well. Although, for some odd reason, it sounds like there is more than one single roar. Epona freezes and Link cannot get her to react and keep pulling away. A whoooosh that almost sounds either like drums or a clap of thunder, can be heard. Link’s failure to urge Epona away is taken away from him now.
The wind becomes violent. They pull and shove. They spin all around while biting at anything that is stuck within its path. When Link thought it couldn’t possibly get any worse-it does. He struggles to get Epona to move. She finally seems to respond to his pulls and nudges and books it as fast as she can. Link cannot quite tell which way they were racing toward. The winds and the worst of it seem to lesson so Link felt a little better about where they were going. Only to suddenly feel Epona’s hooves no longer hit the ground.
He clings onto his horse with a fearsome grip. Yet it also felt like it was utterly useless at the same time. The wind kept trying to snatch him right off Epona and Link didn’t even know how he was actually managing to keep his grip at all. He could feel it weaken by the second. The force of the wind and the pain he had been neglecting act like an attempt to pry his fingers away from something. It succeeds and Link is ripped away from his dear horse. He makes a desperate reach for her but she disappears quickly into the haze.
Link is thrown free of the winds eventually. Time felt funny amongst it all. He felt entirely grateful he was free, until he hit the ground and bounced one too many times. Then the pain became blinding and he half wished to be lost within the winds once more.
Groans switch between gasps as he tries to get himself up again. He hits the gravel beneath him more than once. His eyes glaze over when he tries to see where he is. He thinks he sees something on the horizon. A rider..perhaps? Yet his throat is dry and scratchy and his hand hits the ground again before he can even reach out to signal he needs aid. He slips into darkness before he even notices.