“Good,” Hito said, “Did you say anythin’ about our mission?”
“Yeah, we told them the whole scoop, and they asked if we could bring back a kidnapped Goron and a blade, for compensation, of course.”
“Are you walking with us?” Sheik asked, and Hito nodded.
“We won’t be flyin’. Not anymore. Not for a day or so, at least. The damn winds ‘ave picked up even worse. We couldn’t fly through this even if we ‘ad all our strength.”
“Right then,” Impa said. “Let’s get moving.”
They all walked slowly down the small path to the expanse of the canyon and silently stepped over its cold stone floor.
***
The walk was long and boring. It was at least three hours before they saw anything but stone. It was a lake, and Link turned his head in confusion. “Uh, what?” He was even more confused when he saw a huge wooden bridge that led to the heart of the lake where an island sat, and on the island, sitting in its entirety, was the Moblin fortress, a twenty-meter high, solid iron-walled death trap, with a daunting gatehouse that accepted the wooden bridge. The walls weren’t crenelated, but each corner of the fortress housed a tower with a bastion at its peak and a catapult sitting there. Beside it, a huge pile of boulders waited to be launched.
“It’s an island?” Link asked stupidly.
“Course,” Hito said, “‘What’d you think it was?”
“Um, a small camp with some defenses…on land. Not a floating death trap!”
“Oh, you be in fer’ a right good treat!” Hito said, chuckling. “Last time we tried stormin’ it we got wiped out. We ‘ave an advantage now, though; we ‘ave you three, and twice as many soldiers!”
Link’s eyes widened as he scanned through the Rito who were accompanying them. There were eleven, counting Hito.
“You tried attacking this with five soldiers?” Link asked, skeptical of their stupidity.
“Those were the days when I was just a new soldier, no longer part of the guard. I alone survived.”
Link grimaced, and Impa decided to step in.
“So what’s your plan?” Impa asked.
Hito pulled a map from his belt. He unrolled it and set it down on a stone, placing two of his arrows on the sides to keep it from rolling back up. The map was covered in markings. The Moblin Fortress was depicted in the center, and movements were drawn out with small lines. Hito pulled an arrow from his quiver and pointed it toward the map. “We planned on flyin’ directly into the fortress, landin’ on the prison, as is sensible. ‘owever, with you three, we are goin’ to ‘ave to be a bit stealthier as we fly in, and we need to make sure we don’t drop you.” Hito laughed.
“Hang on,” Link said. “You plan on carrying us into the fortress? While you are flying?”
“Course, why? You scared?”
“What? Oh, um, no…just, can you carry us?”
He got his answer by the Rito bursting into laughter.
“Back to the plan,” Hito said after a few moments of chuckles. “We’ll ‘ave to ‘ave two of us carry the Goron out, and one can carry the blade out.”
“So we just fly in, get the chief, Biggoron and his blade, and leave?” Impa asked, “Shouldn’t we destroy the fortress?”
“Our priority is getting’ the chief out. If we ‘ad more soldiers, we’d attempt to destroy it, but we wouldn’t attempt somethin’ so foolish with just fourteen warriors.”
Impa grunted in disapproval.
Hito continued. “When we land, I want four soldiers to disperse to the four towers, to disarm the catapults. I want three soldiers watchin’ from the skies, bows drawn and ready to fire, and I want you three,” he pointed to Impa, Link, and Sheik, “to come with me and four soldiers to the prison. I want one soldier standin’ guard at the entrance of the prison, and at every turn we take, I want one soldier to stop and stand guard there. We grab the prisoners and get the ‘ell out of there! We leave none behind!”
One of the Rito walked up to Link. “I’ll carry you in,” he said, and lifted off into the air, flapping for a second before he lowered and offered Link a hand. Link lifted his arm, and the Rito lifted him into an embrace. Impa and Sheik were soon in the air, along with the rest of the Rito.
A thought came to Link’s mind on the flight to the fortress. “Hey, didn’t Hito say you couldn’t fly?”
The Rito chuckled as he flapped his wings. “He meant for extensive distances, like flying to the Moblin Fortress from the Goron Caverns.”
In no time they were over the Fortress, and all but seven of the soldiers landed, four each going to a tower, and three staying in the sky. The Rito effortlessly flew down to the ground, dropping the Trio quite unceremoniously. Link then heard the quiet but familiar sound of an arrow sinking into Bokoblin flesh. He reached for his blade, but Sheik stopped him, pointing a finger to one of the towers where he could see a Rito slicing the throat of one of the Bokoblins, unlike the others, who preferred to launch an arrow into their monstrous enemies.
Hito motioned for them to follow, and they all hopped off the prison roof, rolling silently on the cobblestone ground. Two more arrows flew through the air, sliding effortlessly into two Moblins’ skulls. Impa darted over to the guards and caught the bodies with her hands, her strength radiating as she pushed them up and set them on the ground. Hito tried opening the door to the prison, but he couldn’t budge the handle without making too much noise.
Sheik slipped up next to him. “I got this,” she whispered and crouched down, pulling two pins from her belt. She twitched them around the lock for a second, and the lock clicked. She twisted the knob slightly and pushed the door open. She held the entrance while Link, Hito, Impa, and four soldiers slipped into the poorly lit corridor. She let the door close and hurried after the group. They turned two corners before they saw a guard dozing—a Bokoblin. One of the soldiers fired an arrow into its brain, squirting unappetizing liquids to the floor. They walked a few more steps and heard a rustling sound from one of the cells. Link peered inside. It was a monstrous cell, probably four meters high and wide. Inside was a Goron three times Koro’s size; he was clutching a rough blade that was more than half Link’s height long.
“Biggoron?” Link whispered, and the Goron nodded. “We’re gonna take you back to your village.”
Biggoron smiled brightly and lifted one hand, forming a fist with it. Link’s eyes widened and rolled out of the way, as Biggoron thrust his fist through the cell door, collapsing it, but also sending a horrific noise throughout the fortress.
Hito’s eyes lit with rage. “What the ‘ell!?” He whipped around to face the rest of his soldiers. “You and me are gonna get the Chief.” He turned to the Trio and Biggoron. “You clean up this mess. With a brute like ‘im,” he motioned to Biggoron, which caused the innocent giant to both smile and frown, “you can take care of yourselves for a few minutes. We leave as soon as I get into the air, got it?” Everyone nodded.
Link led his party to the prison exit, taking the posted corner guards with him as he went. When he exited, the scene he saw was horrific. At least four Moblin corpses were lifeless, along with a few Bokoblins…and Rito. There were no longer guards in the sky or on the towers. Two remained and were struggling against the might of the Moblins and Bokoblins.
The Trio darted into the conflict, drawing their blades, as the Rito they had brought with them drew their bows. The Moblins were soon lifeless, like the others, but so were the two Rito they found fighting.
Link plunged his sword into a gap between two stones and wiped his brow. He looked at Sheik, who was frantically flopping every Moblin’s wrist around. “What are you doing?” Link asked, and was awarded a glare.
“I’m looking for the Quake Bracelet,” she said, and an arrow zipped by Link’s face, sinking into a nearby Moblin corpse.
Link plucked his sword from the ground and swung his shield to block another arrow. He searched the towers for any Bokoblins.
“There!” Sheik said and pointed to
the north tower. A Bokoblin was firing its third arrow at Link, who sidestepped it and hooked his sword in its scabbard. He reached onto his belt and pulled his claw shot onto his hand. He flexed it for a second and fired it toward the Bokoblin, narrowly missing its head, but startling it enough to give him time to fire it again. This time it latched onto the Bokoblin’s shoulder, and when the chain reeled back, the tendons and bone tore, flinging the Bokoblin off the tower and hitting Link with a disgusting piece of Bokoblin flesh.
Link released the claws, dropping the dismembered arm, and fired once again, this time for the south tower where the claw latched into the cobblestone, yanking Link through the air onto the tower. He placed the claw shot on his bel, and slipped his hidden blade gauntlet back on. He drew his sword and hurried down the wall path to, if the map was right, the throne room.
The rest of his party soon followed, save for Biggoron.
“Where’s Biggoron?” Link asked.
“The chief was released, and he and Biggoron are escaping. Hito and a few of the soldiers are fighting off a few strays.”
Link glanced over to the southern mountains and saw Biggoron rolling toward them, the chief soaring not far above him. He nodded, and they entered a small hallway, where a lone Bokoblin was standing. Link cut it down as he made his way forward and found himself overseeing the throne room. The leader of the Moblins was sitting on his throne, armor-clad, behind a small horde of twenty or so Bokoblins. On the Moblin leader’s wrist was the Quake Bracelet.
A Rito moved to shoot him, but the front entrance burst opened, Hito alone firing his bow into the crowd of Moblins. The Trio immediately jumped over the balcony’s edge and engaged the horde while the other Rito fired their dwindling supply of arrows from the balcony. Link could see that Hito was mortally wounded, but he was still fighting strong until a Bokoblin cleaved off Hito’s right forearm. The Bokoblin was met with death by Link’s sword, but Hito still collapsed to his knees, clutching the stump of his arm, ignoring the several arrows impaled in his back.
Link defended him from oncoming Bokoblins, and soon the horde was defeated; only the leader remained. The Rito on the balcony had been crushed when the Moblin leader destroyed the balcony supports and then used his mallet to pulverize them. Link stepped back from the creature in horror and then rushed forward, a sudden surge of adrenaline surging in his veins. He rolled forward and plunged his blade toward the leaders’ torso, but his blade was deflected by a steel cuirass. The monster flung Link away with its free hand, and Link was dazed by a blow to the head on his landing.
The Bokoblin advanced toward Impa. She deflected a few blows before she was tossed aside, clutching a possible broken leg.
Sheik alone remained. She breathed deeply and, when the Bokoblin struck, Shiek flipped over him flicking her wrist out and sending a kunai into the gap between the back of his cuirass and his helmet. He stood for a second, then he collapsed to the ground. Dead.
Shiek rushed forward and slipped off the Quake Bracelet before going to Link’s aid.
He shook his head at her when she slid to her knees at his side, and she pulled him up. “Help Hito,” he moaned. He looked into her eyes for a moment and moved his lips, but nothing came out. His head lolled back.
She grimaced, quickly whispering a spell to his head, healing it, before stepping over to the dying Rito. She sighed, and bit her lip under her mask. She muttered a spell to Impa’s leg, and the bone mended.
“You fought well,” Impa said.
Sheik shook her head. “If I fought well, more than three would have survived,” and Sheik clutched her stomach. Impa frowned
“I can’t do it much longer,” Sheik said.
Impa nodded. “Soon,” she said. “Just another day or so, you’ll be fine.”
Link staggered over to them. “Let’s get out of here,” he muttered, and the other two Heroes nodded.
Ch.11.
The Trio found a warm welcome at the Goron village, where they were honored with a feast for returning their beloved blacksmith. The only edible thing for the Trio was the Dodongo meat. Afterwards, when they set out to return to the Rito village, they were awarded with a sword, which was made of silver alloy and forged by Biggoron.
“Is this the blade you had when we rescued you?” Impa asked, and Biggoron nodded. Its hilt was made from one of the hand grips from Impa’s naginata, which was sadly shattered in the Moblin fortress. The edge of the blade was ridged to make deadlier cuts. “Thank you,” she said, swinging it experimentally. “It’s like it was made to for me. Was it?”
“Yes,” Chief Koro said, “He began forging it a few weeks ago, in preparation for the Hero, but, to be frank, you are the Hero he forged it for, not Link.”
“Hang on,” Link said, “You knew we were coming?”
“Oh, yes. We received a message from the goddesses that the Hero was coming, and they were right,” he said.
Link breathed a sigh of relief. It wouldn’t be good if all of Hyrule knew that the army was marching through their land. The element of surprise would be void.
“Thank you for your hospitality…and the blade,” Impa said
The Trio bowed.
“It was a great honor for you to come here,” Koro said, and Link smiled. “Please do give the Rito tribe our condolences, and apologies.”
“Will do,” Link said, and the Trio turned and walked away.
***
The Trio was still aching after the return to the Rito village and was enjoying the breakfast prepared for them in celebration of their success. The funeral for the fallen Rito would be held once the bodies were recovered, which would be done by a retrieval squad prepared for that task alone. Later that evening the Rito would be honoring the Trio in front of the village.
“I’m wondering how far it is between here and Faron,” Link said.
Impa swallowed a bite of her food. “It’s only a few kilometers from here; we should see it within an hour of leaving.”
“Speaking of leaving,” Sheik said, “when are we going?”
“I was thinking tomorrow morning,” Link said, “but I’m hoping the Rito give us our compensation first; otherwise, we will have to delay out departure.”
“The Gorons gave us the giant’s knife,” Impa said, “and they let me keep the Quake Bracelet.” She motioned to the bracelet on her arm.
Link furrowed his brows. “Ok, just to clarify, that is the bracelet that caused my heart to go nuts, right?”
Sheik nodded. “I thought Impa could put it to use. The Quake Bracelet, along with the Triforce of Power…I think that would be enough to collapse a temple-sized building.”
“Hm,” Link said and glanced at it once more before returning to his meal.
***
The Trio stood beside the chief in front of the amassed village. The chief stepped back, having just finished reading off the list of fallen Rito, ending with Hito. He pulled a large book from his podium and set it down. He opened it and pulled a conductor’s baton from the folds of his cloak. It was short, about half a foot long, and had intricate designs on its handle. The entire baton was made of a silvery material. He placed the baton on the open pages of the book.
“Sheik, please step forward,” the chief said. She did, raising a brow in curiosity. “This baton is named the Wind Waker,” he said, waving his hand gently to the baton on the book. “It was handed down to the newly evolved Rito by the sky god Levias, before he passed. It holds the power to control the winds that blow across the land. With it, we have cloaked our plains in a powerful gust to protect ourselves. However, you have vanquished the threat of the Moblins, so we see no reason to keep the plains a hostile place. We have also decided to hand down the baton to you, as the sky god commanded of us. So please, put your hand on the baton so I may pass it’s power to you.”
She placed her hand on the baton, and the chief began to speak in the Rito tongue: “Levias ui jeongsin ! geudeul-ui-yeohaeng eul wihae pil-yohan i sidaeui yeong-ung
i mabeob-ui seonmul-eul jeondal ! bojwagwan geudeul ! geudeulgwa hamkke ! ulineun seonmul , Levias eul gamsa hago juui gip-eun nun .”
A small gust blew around Shiek, and a piercing wind shot through her, sending a ringing through her ears. She shuddered, and the wind went still.
“The sky god Levias has granted our wish!” the chief shouted, and the amassed village cheered. He turned to Sheik, and she lifted the baton, her fingers somehow in the correct position.
“I want you to imitate my movements,” the chief said, and she nodded. He moved his hand up, to his left, and to his right. She followed the movement gracefully, and a jet of air rushed through the village and struck the baton without moving it in any way.
“Now, to move the wind in the direction and speed you desire, you must only think it.”
Sheik closed her eyes, and the faint whistling of wind overhead stopped.
The village clapped, along with the chief, Link, and Impa.
“Thank you,” Sheik said, after the applause died down.
The chief smiled. “Thank you, Hero,” he said, “We are very grateful for your contribution. Now depart, save this land, and may the goddesses be with you.”
The Trio said a few farewells and was escorted to the east gate.
They turned back to the village once more after leaving the towering palisade walls and made their final departure.
***
Link flashed his blade forward, gouging a wound across the soldier’s chest plate, dropping him to the ground. He spun, parrying a strike to his back and flicking his blade up, clashing the steel together, bringing his sword down quickly and his leg up, kicking the sword from his adversary’s hand. He thrust his sword through the soldier’s chest and glanced around the courtyard, his Hylian commander robes swishing across the grass, their protective armor glinting in the light. He looked up at the courtyard balcony where one of three archers was firing at him. He swiped his blade forward, casting the arrow aside, and set his mind to the balcony. He couldn’t see any unfelled enemy troops that weren’t engaged in battle, so he strode forward, sheathing his blade, and headed toward the short wall. A small group of now combat-free soldiers followed him as he dashed up the wall, dodging a falling archer, and hooked his hands on the balcony, one of which landed on an archer’s foot. He took this opportunity to latch his fingers into the laces, and yank, pulling the archer to his rear.