Fan Fiction Friday: The Era Without A Hero – Part 42

||  Part Forty-One  ||  Part Forty-Three  ||

Part Forty-Two

The first thing Lord Sagesse did was further tend to Lindsey. There wasn’t much he could do beyond what Laruto had already done, but it made the group feel more at ease when he acknowledged that she would be well enough to travel as soon as she felt it so. Next, he addressed the situation with the hostile Zora.

“Times are hard. I am not so surprised some would fall into such extremisms philosophically. I am saddened though, and disturbed by the actions he and his band took. My men have been doing their best to round up both Hylians and Zora who have been acting in such foul manner as you have described to me.”

“That’s all well and good, but simply rounding them up isn’t going to change anything,” Rassa said. “What happens when they return to the streets and tell stories of their mistreatment or unjust capture? In their minds, you’ve become as crooked as they claim.”

Sagesse nodded, “In some few instances you’re right. It’s a problem I have yet to solve. However, most see the error in their thinking and actions, and reform rather quickly.”

“That is good to hear,” Zelda smiled.

“Might I ask a question?” Sagesse asked, turning his focus from Lindsey and Rassa to the princess.

Zelda nodded, “Yes, of course.”

“How is it that you came to be here? When last I was informed, you were to be with Sir Osmond and Lord Fado heading to Kingdom Bay and the Black Cliffs. Yet here you are, in a Sheikah safehouse on the edge of Castletown.”

Zelda informed him of her mother’s ghostly appearance, the mysterious message, and the decision to split up in the hopes of bringing the conflict to a resolution sooner.

“I see. How fascinating. Why did she appear then, I wonder?” He seemed to get lost in thought as he pondered the question, before returning to the present. “A question for another time perhaps. I will escort you all into the city, have no fear. I come and go through here often now, and it will be no large task to ferry you through the gates.”

Rassa smiled and slapped him on the back, “Atta boy!”

Sagesse, seeming perplexed by the action, simply smiled and nodded uneasily. This gave Zelda a small reason to laugh as Rassa continued to prod the old man. It was as if the two were teenagers again, with Rassa being the attention-seeking nosy one, and Sagesse the shy and awkward elder.

With a little help from Yoon, Lindsey was ready to go as soon as the others. They followed Sagesse’s orders on concealing certain things like their weapons and faces. With each step, Zelda worried about what could happen if they were found out, but she did her best to drown it out. She focused on following Sagesse directly to the gates.

The group moved at a fairly slow pace, so as not to push Lindsey too hard. When they reached the end of the street and turned towards the gate, they caught sight of the troublesome Zora from the day before. His eyes watched them suspiciously, but he remained in the wicker chair he had been seated in.

“Don’t worry, if he tried anything, we could handle it,” Sagesse said over his shoulder, somehow knowing Zelda’s concerns. He motioned his arm so that she could see a small cuff on his arm bearing the Sheikah eye.

It was then she noticed a few other people among the denizens of the street wearing a similar cuff. They were Sagesse’s personal guard and followers.

Partially because of his status as Sage, but also his importance within the Sheikah community, Lord Sagesse had a small group of people dedicated to his use. As it turned out, he had trained many of them in similar skills and magic that he possessed. When he would pass away, one of them would likely be the next to bear the mantle of Sage of Shadow.

When they arrived at the gate, a dozen or so soldiers stood at the ready. One approached from the group and addressed Sagesse.

“My Lord,” the soldier bowed.

“Good morning, would you be so kind as to let me and my entourage pass through?” Sagesse smiled.

“As soon as each of them has been inspected, it would be my pleasure.”

“Inspected?” Rassa muttered.

“Yes ma’am. We have to ensure none of you are a danger to the citizens of Castletown,” the soldier replied, motioning for some of the soldiers behind him to begin their task.

Sagesse held out a hand, “Sir, with the exception of my long-time friend, Rassa, here, my other companions are prospective monks in training. Inspecting them and their belongings may violate certain parts of their vows.”

“My Lord, we have been appropriately charged and educated in the Sheikah ways, so as not to violate any of those. You may rest assured my men will handle this responsibility accordingly.”

A nervous glance flashed across Sagesse’s face as one of the soldiers began rooting through the bags on their backs. Just when the soldier paused to inspect something more closely from Yoon’s bag, a shout came from the road behind them.

“Lord Sagesse!”

They all turned to see the red-scaled Zora from the day before. He thrust a spear in their direction and gritted his razor-like teeth.

“Yes, friend?” Sagesse opened his palms to the Zora.

“I am Telan, of the House of Lulamun. The honorable Queen Rutela was a close ally of yours, and yet you stood against her at the Battle of Lake Hylia. I insist that you pay for your crimes here and now!”

Sagesse’s eyes narrowed as his face turned downward, “My child, you were deceived. I am not the traitor you think me to be. Lady Rutela was a dear friend, and it pains me to think she turned against the people of Hyrule as she did. However, it is also my hope that she can be found safe and sound, and then brought back into the fold of our society.”

“Liar! You are leading the charge to capture and execute her! You have caused much of the suffering here and are responsible to every Zora who clings to their life here and now!”

“The grace of the Goddesses be upon you,” Sagesse folded his hands as if praying. “The fires of Din rage within you, but please seek the wisdom of Nayru to temper those fires.”

Telan fumed at this and raised his spear into a throwing position.

The soldiers that had been busy with the group at the gate suddenly charged out and around them with shields raised and swords at the ready. Atop the wall, the sound of bowstrings being pulled back provided added tension to the moment.

Sagesse, sensing the escalation of the moment, reached through, and lowered some of the soldiers’ weapons. He stepped past them and into the open.

“Telan, there is still a chance to do the right thing here. Lower your spear and know the peace of a thousand years of wisdom. Hurling that spear at me or my company will only bring more hardship on your people. That lone act of hostility will bring pain on your house for generations.”

Telan’s face quivered.

Sagesse stepped closer to the Zora.

“There is much this world has to offer you still. Do not let your thread be cut here.”

Telan lowered his spear with Sagesse now arms reach from him. The Sage of Shadow extended a hand and placed it on Telan’s shoulder that was a bit higher up than Sagesse’s own head.

“Be still and hear my blessing,” Sagesse said, bowing his head.

Telan dropped his spear to the ground, before falling to his knees. Sagesse began muttering a prayer that was inaudible to everyone else. The soldiers all lowered their weapons and let out a collective sigh of relief.

Zelda too let out a long sigh. Under her cloak, she released the grip of her hammer and glanced over to Rassa. She seemed to share in the relief that everybody was feeling.

When Sagesse concluded his prayer, he turned and rejoined the group at the gate. Telan, slowly rose and began walking down the street away from them, leaving his spear on the ground. He said nothing as he vanished around one of the buildings.

A few minutes later, the group was safely on the other side of the gate and walking toward the Temple of Time. Zelda stepped up alongside Sagesse.

“Lord Sagesse, what did you say to him that made him relent and even abandon his weapon like that?”

“I cursed him,”’ Sagesse laughed.

Zelda chuckled in response, rolling her eyes.

“I reminded him of what’s important. Family, loved ones, the life he could still have if he turned away from the path of his current actions. He was hurting, he feels just as betrayed as we all did that day Rutela launched her vile plans. I simply put that reasoning before him, with a compassionate voice, and had to hope he’d hear it.”

“And if he hadn’t?”

“There were a dozen arrows ready to fly, that group of guards at the gate, my group of covert Sheikah all around, and a Goddess reincarnated there. I think things would have worked out,” he winked and grinned.

Zelda smiled and nodded.

When they reached the Temple of Time, they followed Sagesse to his private study in the back of the library. They lowered their covers once inside and let out a collective sigh of relief. Lindsey was given a spot on a lounge chair to rest and recover with Yoon tending to her. Zelda, Rassa, and Laruto gathered with Sagesse and began to discuss their plans for what came next.

“I should return to the Zora refugee camps and continue offering my healing services to those who require it,” Laruto said.

“I agree, but I would recommend waiting a day or so. I could use your assistance with coordinating a better method of bringing supplies and medicine to them,” Sagesse said.

“Zelda, Yoon, and I should head into the catacombs as soon as possible. We don’t know what exactly we’ll find down there but if it gives us the advantage over our enemies, there is no time to waste,” Rassa said.

“What about Lindsey?” Zelda asked.

“She is in capable hands. She will be fully recovered by the time you return from the catacombs,” Laruto smiled.

“I think that would be fine. She can rest here in the Temple,” Sagesse agreed.

“What will you do, Lady Laruto?” Zelda asked.

“I am going to secure some medicine here in town as well as finding some suppliers for general food. It’s going to be difficult with everybody struggling, but I’m sure there’s something I can do.”

Rassa grabbed a small sheet of paper from Sagesse’s desk and scribbled down an address that she handed to Laruto, “Tell them I sent you and they should be able to supply you with a few things.”

“Thank you,” Laruto nodded.

After going over the plan with Yoon, the three set off for the entrance to the catacombs.

 

David Wayne Nystrom is a Staff Writer for Zelda Dungeon. This story is an imagining of the final days in Hyrule prior to the Great Flood talked about in the opening cinematic of The Wind Waker. The story is getting an audio version in podcast form in late 2021 and there’s a complete soundtrack for the first volume here. Head over to erawithoutahero.wordpress.com or follow the story account on Twitter @ZeldaTEWAH where you can keep up on information regarding the future of the podcast, soundtrack, and other TEWAH news that will be coming soon! David’s top three Zelda games are Ocarina of Time, The Wind Waker, and Skyward Sword. He’s also an avid Smash Bros. fan. Every Era Has Heroes…