Fan Fiction Friday: The Silence Within the Stone – Chapter 11

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Chapter Eleven

Link’s eyes began to flicker as his senses returned to him. He lay still for a bit, examining his surroundings as best as his field of view would allow. He gathered his strength, pushed himself up, and brought himself to a sitting position. Every muscle in his body was in agony. The trek through the desert had begun to take its toll. He wasn’t immobilized by any means, but there would surely be a more concerted effort to exert himself should the need arise. Although in his current predicament he wasn’t pleased with his odds should such an event arise. His equipment was gone. All he had were his sweat-soaked clothes. He found himself at the very least thankful that whoever his captors were, they gifted him the small mercy of maintaining his modesty.

He looked around the room in full and immediately realized he was in a prison of some sort. Patches of the red sand that made up the flooring adorned the stone walls. No doubt this was a result of the occasional dust devil that might have wisped its way inside, or perhaps from former tenants that might have made their feelings on being held in captivity known through the pounding of their fists on the walls.  Save for a bundle of rags and a clearly porous wooden bucket in the far-right corner, there was little available in the way of comfort or amenities.

He stood and walked to the iron bars that made up the front “wall” of his cell. Unsurprisingly, their construction was a step above the rest of his environment, a clear indication of what was prioritized in its construction. He dragged his fingers downward along the bars, the grit of the iron rubbing against the calluses on his fingers. He pressed his forehead against the bars and exhaled deeply. Where were Epona and Rukio? How was he going to get out of this place? What would happen to Hyrule if he failed here?

Doubt swirled in his mind, contesting with his resolve. He snapped to attention as he heard the sound of fast-moving footsteps down the hallway to the left. He trained his ear on them intently, and could hear faint voices as they drew closer. One of which was quite familiar to Link and brought a smile to his face. He grew anxious as the voices drew closer, and was elated that somehow it seemed, Rukio had escaped. He stood back a bit from the bars expecting to see the form of his friend come within view, but was instead met with a different figure altogether.

Standing in front of him was a woman, tall and well-built. Her crimson hair flowed across her defined shoulders, contrasting with the sky blue of the garments she was adorned with and her dark skin. They were form-fitting, and helped to accentuate her muscular stature. If her build was not a dead giveaway that she was a warrior of some sort, the twin scimitars that were affixed to her lower back were. He looked at her face intently, taken aback by the immediate recognition of an eyepatch covering her right eye, a scar tracing roughly an inch below its edge.

“This is him, yes?” she asked as she looked to Rukio at her side.

“That’s him! That’s my brother Link!”

She studied him for several moments. “I see,” she said finally, sounding nonplussed. “He’s shorter than I imagined given your description.”

“He might be a bit smaller than you Gerudo women are used ta seein’, but trust me, he’s as fierce as they come!” He gave Link a wide smile.

“Who are you?” Link asked as the woman began unlocking his cell. The door opened with a loud, metallic creak and she stepped forward.

“I am Jenoa, and we do not have much time. We must get your equipment and leave this place quickly!” Link nodded, and began to move forward. She placed a firm hand on his chest and pushed him back slightly. “It is my aim to escape as well. Be warned that I will not be slowed down. Is that understood?”

“Understood,” Link said as he gave Jenoa a stern look.

The three continued quickly down a series of hallways, taking pause when Jenoa would raise a clenched fist, indicating the need for silence. When at last they reached the hallway that led to the storage chamber where their gear was deposited, she stopped them.

“Stay here and remain quiet,” she said in a hushed tone. She peered around the corner and spotted two guards at the doorway to the storage chamber, halberds at the ready. “I will dispatch these two. You will then need to arm yourselves quickly before we head for the stables. We will need steeds.” Link and Rukio looked at each other and gave Jenoa a quick nod. She turned, placed both hands on the hilts of her scimitars and dashed around the corner. Link shook his head a bit in disbelief at the speed that she exhibited. He and Rukio quickly peeked their heads around the corner to see a dazzling display that had put their previous encounters to shame.

Jenoa parried and slashed with elegance, her movements having a mesmerizing rhythm. A guard came in with a hard thrust, prompting her to bat the halberd’s blade away and kick off of the wall to deliver a slash with her second scimitar. It connected with the neck of the guard, and she dropped her halberd to place both hands on the wound trying desperately to stop the bleeding. The effort was futile however, and within moments, she crumpled to the floor, her eyes and mouth wide and still. Jenoa ceased her onslaught and began to square off against the other guard in earnest. Both combatants swirled their weapons in front of them, as though they were vipers poised to strike. The guard launched first, thrusting and swiping upward, trying her best to catch Jenoa off guard. Jenoa brough her scimitars in front of her in time, the blades grinding against each other cleanly, emitting a piercing sound throughout the hallway. Jenoa forced herself toward her opponent, sparking a momentary flicker of fear in her eyes. The guard, realizing that she may be outclassed, called out behind her for reinforcements. Jenoa pushed her backward hard and turned her head quickly in the direction of Link and Rukio.

“Get your things now!” she bellowed before continuing to battle the guard. Link and Rukio dashed at the open doorway and began to look through the piles of loot that were contained within. They were able to find their things and re-armed themselves. Link, his sword drawn made for the door leading to the hallway when a glint caught his eye. He looked at a pile laying close by and began to dig for the item that had caught his attention. He pulled it out and examined it quickly. The device had a handle attached to a cylindrical body with a chain wrapped around its exterior. At the end of the chain, a large, steel hook was attached and protruding out of the opposite end. He knew he didn’t have time to dwell on its use and placed it within his pack. Should they make it out of this situation alive, he would be sure to give it a more discerning eye.

“She’s cool isn’t she?! Good thing she hates Ganon too! I’d hate to be on her bad side!” Rukio exclaimed as he ran by Link, making his way out into the hallway. Link paused at the revelation that Rukio had given him. She knew Ganon? Perhaps getting captured wasn’t the worst thing that could have happened to them. Link knew that fate was quite fickle, and there was no way of knowing what direction her whims would take them. Now if only they could find Epona…

Jenoa was now fighting three different Gerudo women, and four more were entering from the direction that they had. Rukio swung his club over his shoulder and charged forward, taking a large horizontal swing at the Gerudo. They avoided it handily, flipping over it and tumbling underneath as it made contact with the wall next to them, taking bits of the masonry out of the wall. One of the tumbling Gerudo hadn’t noticed Link charging to meet her, and he bashed her backward with his shield. She rolled several times and flipped backward to her feet, locking her eyes on Link with a murderous gaze. She leapt forward, and brought the bo staff she was wielding to bear against Link. They began to strike at one another, Link taking several hard blows to his rib as she flitted about him. He struck outward, growing more and more desperate to land a blow, all the while taking repeated punishment from the warrior.

Further down the hallway, Rukio had stood his ground with the other three assailants. His thick skin was proving to be a point of growing contention among them, as they were finding it difficult to land strikes against Rukio that would leave him reeling. He was thankful for this, as their speed clearly outmatched his. He continued to assume a defensive stance, noticing that they were now showing signs of exhaustion. If he could hold out a little while longer, they’d certainly start to slow down and make mistakes.

Jenoa at this point had dispatched two more of the Gerudo fighters, and kicked the last one hard in the stomach, sending her backward and gasping for breath. She turned quickly to evaluate how Link and Rukio were doing and was slightly impressed as she watched the big Goron begin to swat around her sisters like gnats. The boy was finding his footing, and she could tell he was in the process of calming his mind, looking for the right time to strike. A guttural roar from the soldier she had kicked brought her back into the fight, and she smiled as she stepped forward, eager to resume.

Link, feeling frustrated in his ability to hit the Gerudo raised his shield in front of him and continued to turn as quickly as he could to avoid taking any more damage. He peered over its top and began to watch her movements closely. She was quite fluid, but there was something off in her technique that he hadn’t noticed before. It had a repetition to it, and that was exactly the weak point he had been hoping for. He gave her several more seconds of her routine before bracing himself and lunging forward, hoping that he was correct in his assumption of where to strike. She noticed his sword and tried to skirt around it but it was too late. His blade found its mark, and pierced completely through her left shoulder. A cry of pain erupted from her lips and it gave pause to everyone in the hall. Rukio used this opportunity and swung Evelyn as quickly as he could, extending his arms as far in front of him as he could so as to catch all three of his opponents at once. He too found success in his endeavor, and he caught them all, the impact no doubt breaking several of their bones, and sent them hurtling toward the wall with a crash. They lay unconscious before him, and he turned to Link to see that he had a look of sadness on his face. It was clear to Rukio that Link took no joy in harming others, even if it were necessary.

A rumbling sensation in the ground took them off guard, and within a moment, a cadre of Gerudo soldiers had emerged from both ends of the hall in a pincer attack. Jenoa cursed loudly as she removed the scimitar from what she had secretly hoped was the last of the group she would have to tangle with. She was then filled with a cold dread, as a large Gerudo woman stepped forward, massive gauntlets on her hands. Link looked behind him and saw her slowly walking in Jenoa’s direction. He expected that degree of size from the Goron people, but this woman was easily their equal. The corded muscles on her forearms rippled as she flexed her fingers within the dark gray gauntlets.

“I’d say that’s quite far enough Jenoa,” she said as the corner of her mouth tilted upward into an eerie grin.

Bryan King is an editor for Zelda Dungeon. He loves writing about everyone’s favorite green-clad elfin boy, and thinks Zelda II doesn’t get the love it so rightly deserves.