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Legends of Rasul: Hands of Darkness

DekuNut

I play my drum for you
Joined
Jan 30, 2011
Location
Tangent Universe
It seems I forgot to upload the last two chapters and have already written the next one
... well, may as well do that now.

Chapter 11: Paradise Lost

Mailan found Tennor and Iris walking alongside the border wall. With them, as seemed to be the constant case during their short time here, was Dente. The gravedigger was the first to notice her, and he gave her a wide grin, but it faded a little when he noticed the serious look on her face.

“What seems to be on your mind?” the long-haired man asked, alerting the other party members to her presence.

“The Queen and I are leaving the city,” Mailan told him flatly, “We have matters we need to attend to. Iris, Tennor, I’ve been authorized to offer you both the chance to join us as members of her royal escort.”

All three of them gave surprised reactions. Dente in particular looked worried.

“But… but she can’t!” he replied, “This village is one of the last safe havens in all of Hyrule! If anyone else were leaving I would have no qualms, but Queen Zelda is arguably the most principal personage among us! What if she’s killed? No offense to your skills or anything, but this is the safest place for her.’

This surprised Mailan. She had those same thoughts echoing in the back of her mind, but she hadn’t realized just how much Dente seemed to care for her lover’s wellbeing.

“While I agree that this place seems safer than anywhere I’ve been in quite a long time,” Tennor admitted, “If she has her mind set on leaving, then it would be my honor to make sure she stays safe on her trip.”

Both Mailan and Tennor looked expectantly at Iris, who nodded.

Dente sighed, composing himself, “Well, if I can’t keep you folks out of danger, would you at least be interested in some provisions for your journey?”

Mailan gave him a thankful smile, “That would be very helpful, thank you.”

“I can have them come morning. Just take another day or so to rest up and get prepared. I don’t know what business her majesty has to attend to, but surely it can wait slightly longer?”

“I’m sure she’d be happy to wait for something like that.”

“I suppose I should begin my work quickly then. I have plenty on my plate today, and I want to make sure you get your rations in a timely fashion. And so I must bid you all adieu .”

He jogged away, then after a short distance slowed to a walk, obviously regretting his decision to run. The gravedigger looked back and noticed everyone staring at him, and gave a sheepish grin before disappearing into the village proper.


The rest of the day was spent in preparation for their journey. True to his word, Dente delivered their rations just before dinnertime, to much gratitude from the group. He really did seem torn up that they were leaving; Mailan could only guess that he had enjoyed having the company. She hadn’t noticed anyone spending time with him during meals or visiting him in the graveyard. It seemed like he was on the edges of society here. It almost made her sad, but she understood the point of keeping the group small.

Finally, at the end of the long day, they went to bed, utterly exhausted. Mailan sank deep into her bed, content with knowing that everything was going according to plan. She was ready to wake up the next morning to the light of the sun and begin an adventure with her beloved. But when she woke up, it wasn’t to the sun, but instead a scream.

At first she thought she’d dreamed it, but as she shifted between various states of awareness, she began to hear more and more screams. Quickly grabbing her sword, Mailan raced out of the building and into a warzone. The wall had given way. The mutants were coming.

This gave her pause. She’d tried to fight these things before, but they’d hardly given it a scratch when teaming up three on one. As she surveyed the city, she figured that the city currently had similar odds, and even more were pouring in as she thought that.

Looking around, she took stock of her surroundings. Tennor had heard the screams about the same time as she had, surprisingly calm for someone who’d been woken up from a deep sleep to the sight of an oncoming zombie horde. The people around them, however, were less level-headed on the matter, pushing past each other and racing for the edge of town. The two guards made eye contact and moved towards each other, standing back to back, their weapons poised in attack formation. A defensive stance that was common when surrounded by enemy troops. It was usually a last-ditch effort, but the guards were seemingly out of options.

“Everyone!” Tennor yelled, his voice carrying over the crowds of people, “Stop running! We need to work together!”

His words, however, fell on deaf ears, as the people around them continued scrambling for safety.

“It’s no use. Their pack mentalityhas taken hold.” called a voice from above.

Iris sat on the roof of the building, watching them, obviously unsure about coming down, “They wouldn’t listen to anyone, least of all a couple of random people in the middle of a crowd.”

“What would you suggest then?” Mailan asked, annoyed at her friend’s bluntness.

“They obviously won’t work together, so I say we do as they do and flee, though in a more mindful fashion. Avoid the mountains, see if we can make our way to the field.”

There was something else going on with Iris she began to realize. Unlike her usual demeanor, Iris’s words were tinged with emotion, if not… was that fear?

“Are you alright Iris?”

“I... “ Iris’s voice cracked a little, “I don’t want to become infected.” her eyes flashed a look of terror as the hordes grew ever closer.

“Don’t worry. You’ll be fine. I promise.”

Just as she said that, a figure that appeared not too dissimilar from a Zora came towards them. Its skin had turned a sickly green, and its body had bloated, despite the arms and legs retaining a vaguely similar size, coming together to make an equally hilarious and disturbing image. It grabbed a nearby runner, slamming him into the wall of a nearby building. Tennor turned toward it, brandishing his spear, with Mailan taking up the rear guard.

With a loud clang of metal and a pained grunt, the creature dropped the limp corpse of its victim, obviously dazed. Then, a bright yellow light showed from behind it, followed by the creature getting knocked to the ground. Emerging from the other side of the creature, to everyone’s shock, was Dente, wielding a hefty shovel and a wicked grin. Behind him, Zelda was hitting any creatures that came near them with a ball of magic. Dente seemed surprised to see them for a second, but his smile shown even brighter after the initial shock. He waved them over, and as suggested, the group came, Iris leaping roof to roof as Tennor and Mailan simply ran for the pair.

“What happened to your guards?” Mailan asked as they got closer.

“I couldn’t find them when I got up. They must’ve perished before I could leave the building… the poor souls.”

“It was only by chance the Queen and I came across each other,” Dente admitted, “I probably wouldn’t have made it this far without her.”

“We can save conversation for later,” Tennor reminded them, “We need to get out.”

“Right,” Mailan replied, “I’ll take up the lead. Tennor and Dente, you get behind me,” she craned her neck upwards, “Iris, how’re you holding up?”

“About as well as I can,” the ninja admitted.

“Do you think you can… do whatever you did the other day to get out of here? And could your bring Zelda with you?”

“I can try,” Iris promised, “But I haven’t done it with another person in quite a while,” she gave a wary glance down at the ground before nimbly dropping off the building.

“Meet us out in the field. Where we left that mutant the other day.”

Awkwardly grabbing Zelda’s arm, Iris nodded to her before disappearing in a flash of light.

“All right,” Mailan told the group, “I’ll start towards the main exit. Don’t focus on killing mutants… just on getting out alive. We’re no good to anybody if we die.”

The three fought their way through. Luckily for them, it seemed that the mutants were more interested in less aggressive meals. Outside of a minor scuffle with the shriveled remnants of a Hylian, which seemed to be going after them more because they were slow and it was hopelessly decomposed, the group was somehow able to reach the main plaza near the front gate. The group neared safety, but their hopes fell when they saw the gate.

Guarding the gate was a huge, lumbering mutant. Its skin was a sickly yellow-brown, and unlike the others, its hulking form seemed to fit with its body type.

A goron.

The things were scary enough on their own, without the additional strength and endurance from being infected. People around them would approach the center, see it, and turn around to look for another exit. There was no way anyone would be able to scratch its rock-hard skin.

“Any suggestions?” Mailan asked, watching the creature. Seeming to hear her voice, the Goron-mutate turned towards them and began to lumber in their direction.

“We run!” Dente yelled, breaking rank and running towards the wall while the thing focused its gaze on Mailan and Tennor.

Mailan knew she and Tennor wouldn’t be able to do anything to the thing, but they couldn’t just give up. They needed to get out.

“Go!” Tennor told her, “I’ll keep it distracted!”

“But you won’t be able to beat it!”

“I know. But you’re more important right now. Zelda needs you.”

Mailan stared at him for a second before whispering, “I’ll get you out of this,” and following Dente’s path.

While the Goron began to turn towards the fleeing Mailan, Tennor took a large rock and threw it at the creature’s head. It didn’t cause any damage, but that snapped its attention back to the appetizing bit of seafood on its plate.

Reaching the gateway, Mailan stared back at Tennor and the Goron. She had a plan, but she didn’t know for sure if it would work.

Doing as Tennor had done, she threw a large rock at the Goron. She was a little less accurate, hitting its neck, but still getting its attention. However, this new prey was much farther away than the old one, and the single-minded beast knew just how to catch up. Rolling into a grotesque, ball-like form, it began to follow her.

Mailan ran down the stairs, not sure how it would work, as she heard the thing roll down behind her. With sickening crunches, it bounced down the stone steps, wildly out of control. Which was exactly what she wanted.

Ahead of them, seemingly an infinite distance away, was her goal: the river. If Goron mutates were anything like their living counterparts, then that would be the only chance they had to get rid of it for good.

As the goron struggled to keep control as it roughly landed in the field, Mailan was able to regain some of the distance she’d lost going down the stairs, but in seconds it was on her again. Its stomach gurgled loudly, turning Mailan’s stomach.

It was coming closer… closer…

Now!

She jumped aside, away from the river. Unfortunately, the much faster and heavier Goron was unable to do the same, its momentum still going forward.

Mailan heard a loud splash, and felt cold water cover her. It should’ve been refreshing, but somehow the smell from the Goron had permeated the liquid, making her gag on impact. But she was alive.

Somehow.


Chapter 12: Better Than Nothing

Mailan swam to the shore and rolled up onto it, completely exhausted. That had taken a lot out of her. Once she was safe, she warily looked back into the river. It was dark and the water was deep, so she wasn’t able to see the creature itself, but she could only imagine what it looked like down there as the rough water slowly began to calm. Within a few minutes, once more, the river was still. Still as death.

Standing up and ignoring her aching body, she began walking back towards the stairway to Kakariko. On the way there, she spotted the group. To her relief, nobody seemed to have been harmed in the attack. It seemed that a few more survivors had joined the group too. They all, like her, looked saddened, pained, and exhausted, though her appearance brought joy to a few faces - most of all, that of Zelda. The two of them shared a look that whispered, “I’m glad you’re okay”. With so many people around them, that was all they were really able to do.

“How many survivors do we have?” she asked as she walked over.

Dente piped up with the answer, “Outside you all, there are around thirty refugees from the village.”

“Though sadly far fewer than we’d had before tonight,” Zelda finished morosely, “Thank you all for the work you did. Without your help in defending the unarmed and distracting the creatures, I’m sure the casualties would have been much larger.”

Everyone sat in silence for a minute, mulling everything over.

“What now?” Tennor asked.

“We’ve had plans in place just in case,” Dente responded, “There are other places for us to found a new encampment. Once we make sure nobody else is coming down, I imagine someone will lead us off to the new location.”

“As for us,” Iris pointed out, “We should probably get heading towards the woods pretty quickly. As much as you all enjoyed spending time with the townsfolk, we have a job to do.’

Mailan nodded, “Of course.”

“I guess I’ll be the one to speak to whoever’s going to be leading this little brigade about your departure,” Dente told them, “It’s been a pleasure.”

“Wait!” Mailan called, surprising the older man. He turned back to look over his shoulder, “Yes?”

“Would you like to come with us?” Mailan asked.

Dente laughed, “I’m flattered, but I’m simply a gravedigger. I doubt I would be more than a hindrance to your cause.”

“I don’t think so,” Mailan told him, “You proved tonight that you have strength and wits about you. Even if you don’t have training in battle, I see potential in you, if you’re willing to try.”

Dente considered her words for a few moments. When he met her gaze, there was a spark in his eyes, “If you believe in me so much, how could I say no?”

“A pleasure to have you with us then, Mr. Frey,” Zelda told him, “Once you announce your intent to join us, then, I guess it’s best we get on our way.”


Before long, their small group, now featuring Dente, was on the road. Mailan found it interesting looking at how their dynamic was starting to form as more people joined them. At the front was Iris, scouting ahead, every once in a while looking back to be sure the others were still coming. As much as Mailan tried, she was still so distant from everyone else.

In the back marched Tennor and Dente. The two of them had gotten along quite well in Kakariko, and having the grizzled gravedigger joined them seemed to lighten Tennor’s spirits quite a bit. She could only imagine how lonely Tennor must’ve been at Lake Hylia, alone with only his thoughts and regrets. It seemed like he really needed a friend right now. And thankfully, Dente seemed to be providing exactly what he needed. The two chatted and laughed, making light of what, to everyone else, was a dark night.

In between those two opposing groups walked Mailan and Zelda, side by side. They were, for the most part, quiet, but in the silence the guard felt a sense of calm rather than foreboding.

The attack had occurred only an hour or so before sunrise, so it wasn’t long into their hike that the yellow rays of Din’s warmth began to creep over the hills in the distance, lighting up the vast field. A little after the sun was fully free of its nightly imprisonment, they decided to take a break. Their adrenaline had finally began to wear off from the fight, and one by one they were starting to realize that they were still exhausted. Not long after, they chose to take a rest.

“So tell me,” Tennor said as he sat down, “Who exactly is it we’re going to track down? I know he’s supposed to be able to help us fix everything, but that’s really as far as my knowledge reaches.”

“His name is Rasul Kazad,” Zelda replied, “He was a hero during the Civil War. His actions led to the end of the war.”

“He was Hylian then?”

“A dwarf actually,” Dente replied, surprising everyone, “He’s a foreigner who got caught up in the war by accident,” in reply to the questioning gazes of the others, he gave a sly smile, “I haven’t met the man personally, but he spent some time in Kakariko after the war, so a few of the older villagers mentioned him.”

Zelda nodded, impressed, “Yes. He came to Hyrule from across the sea in the latter stages of the war. He’s a cunning warrior and, more importantly, a gifted mage. It’s my hope that he has the ability to make a cure for the disease.”

“And why would he be in the woods?” Iris asked, “I didn’t think anyone but the Kokiri could live there.”

“As rumor goes,” Mailan told her, “Rasul’s brothers came to Hyrule about the same time as him, but the three were separated upon reaching Hyrule. After a few years, he was able to track one of them down in the Kokiri Village, and chose to stay there with them. But that was years ago.”

“You talked about multiple brothers? What of the others?”

“Nobody has heard from the third brother since they arrived. My best guess is that he died.”

“So you’re saying,” Iris leaned forward, “We’re tracking down a legend from decades ago who may or may not be where we’re going and might have the ability to do what you hope can save Hyrule.”

The statement was followed b a few seconds of silence.

“It’s better than nothing,” Tennor admitted.
 
Last edited:

DekuNut

I play my drum for you
Joined
Jan 30, 2011
Location
Tangent Universe
Chapter 13 - The Main in the Mist
Mailan had never actually been to the Kokiri Village. The forest people had always isolated themselves from external affairs, so Zelda had never found it necessary to meet with them. She was very interested in seeing what lay within this hidden village, but at the same time remained cautious.

Upon travelling through the giant log that served as the hidden entrance to the village, they noted the first sign that reminded them that all was not as it seemed. Just past the first log sat a small forest-filled canyon, surrounding yet another rocky outcropping with a giant log. At the bottom of the canyon set decaying wood looped together with rope. It was obviously meant to be a bridge, but it had since been relieved of that duty.

“Is this the only way in?” Dente asked, quite concerned at the lack of footholds in front of them.

“I’m afraid so,” Zelda replied, “The Kokiri didn’t wish for more ways to enter their domain. Without this bridge, the Forest is effectively separated from the rest of the world.”

“So they’re probably safe?” Mailan asked hopefully, “They cut the bridges before one of them made it over?”

A brilliant mind was clearly turning behind the queen’s soft blue eyes as she spoke, “Possibly,” Zelda admitted, though her regal face whispered words of otherwise.

“Everyone be on your guard then,” Tennor told the group, “How are we going to get over?”

Everyone stopped to think. This really wasn’t an issue they expected to have. Hostile locals? Sure. Mutants? Of course! But a lack of bridges? You didn’t exactly leave home thinking of that as a possibility.

Zelda knelt along the edge of the cliff and whispered a silent prayer. A light shone down in front of her, filling the gap with brightness. When it receded, a rainbow bridge crossed over the canyon. The colors were somewhat faded, but it still held strong. Confidently, the Queen strode across.

On the other side, she turned around, “Quickly now! The power of the sages is not as strong as it once was!”

Not needing much else to push him along, Dente began jogging over the bridge, followed soon by Tennor and Mailan. Iris crossed over behind them, peering down over the edge but walking strongly. Almost as soon as the masked girl reached the end, the bridge shattered into shards of magic, falling to the forest floor. This was the first time she’d seen the princess do such a thing, and it actually stunned Mailan for a moment, though she quickly returned to her senses and peered through the opening to the village.

The encampment was empty, but not peaceful. It looked… dead. Like a long line of dollhouses. It was quiet, in a way that felt stilted and unnatural. It sent a shiver down Mailan’s spine.

“Where is everyone?” she asked

“Among the hordes more than likely,” Tennor told her, a hint of sadness in his voice “It seems that the plague reached the Kokiri before the news did.”

“But then… who cut the bridge?”

Almost as soon as she said that, an arrow whizzed by Mailan’s face, embedding itself in the wall behind her. Dropping to the ground, Mailan surveyed their surroundings, but saw no one still.

“There!” Dente suggested, pointing to a window hewn into a nearby building, out of which sat a crossbow.

Zelda stood up quickly, “We mean you no harm. I am Zelda, Queen of Hy-” she didn’t even wait to finish her sentence before dropping again, another bolt flying out and hitting the same spot in the opposing building, splitting the first projectile in two.

Mailan was officially concerned.

“Mailan, take the queen out of that madman’s range!” Tennor shouted, “Iris, the two of us are going to take down that bowman. Dente! Keep an eye out for any further dangers!”

And that’s how things worked. Mailan and Zelda backed around the corner, out of sight of the window, while the strike force pushed inside the building. They broke down the door and ran inside and up the stairs.After a minute, Mailan dared to peek around the corner, expecting to see fighting inside. Instead, all she saw was smoke coming out - and lots of it. She couldn’t make much out, when suddenly a figure lept out the window, dropping the bow and suddenly somehow carrying a hammer. It dropped a few seeds that looked not too dissimilar to the Deku Nuts she herself carried, enveloping the ground area in smoke as well as the building her friends were in.

“Dente, look out!” Mailan yelled. She couldn’t see anyone. Even Zelda had seemingly gotten lost in the haze. She stumbled around, trying to find anyone, eventually noticing a figure ahead of her. She sprinted towards it, only to stop when she began to make out details.

The person in front of her - it was definitely a regular person, not a mutant - stood only a few inches shorter than her. He had long, oily black hair, and a beard that reached down to his waist. He wore a long robe, hiding his form beneath it. What scared her the most, though, were his eyes. They were silver and wild. Unblinking… yet calculating. She felt as if her opponent was sizing her up.

“Are you Rasul?” she asked carefully.

The man said nothing.

“Are you the hero Queen Zelda spoke of?”

“Zelda…” the man whispered, gripping his hammer firmly. A flicker of recognition ran through his eyes, but nothing more.

“Mr. Kazad, we need your help…”

Upon hearing her say that, the bearded man charged forward. Mailan retrieved her sword and struck at her aggressor, who simply jumped over the blade and swung at her head. Thankfully, the hammer didn’t quite swing far enough, and she dodged it. Before Rasul could attack again, she slid her legs beneath her opponent, knocking him to the ground and the hammer out of his hand.

Mailan planted her foot on the man’s back, “My name is Mailan. I serve Queen Zelda… ” she began.

“Valleo!” the dwarf yelled, struggling under her foot. The smoke in front of them billowed a little, revealing the hammer flying through the air. It returned on its own to the dwarf’s hand, and he swung it at Mailan’s foot. Pain shot through her body as she heard the crunch of her foot meeting pure steel. Mailan winced in pain as she fell to the ground with a thud. Looking back at the figure that attacked her, she was only able to catch a glimpse before he disappeared into the mist.


Tennor readied his spear, looking around. He wasn’t sure where anyone else was. From somewhere nearby, he heard Mailan yell in pain. He quickly turned towards the sound, only to see the agressing figure approach

“We mean you no harm, Wildman. Stand down”

“Callite Pisci, y benvida tu mort”

The hammer in the man’s hand arced in blue lightning as he swung at the Zora knight. Tennor was able to block the blow, but hadn’t expected the jolt of electricity that coursed through his spear and into his body the moment their weapons met in combat. Tennor tensed up for a moment, then dropped to the ground. He felt like he could hardly move. His muscles weren’t responding. And where did that dwarf disappear to…


Dente was just minding his own business. Or at least that’s what he told himself.

I’m no threat to him, Dente thought, I can hardly wield a sword. I don’t even have a weapon. I’m literally just carrying a shovel. No threat at all.

His nervous smile faded when he noticed movement ahead of him.

“Mailan?”

No response.

“Tennor?”

“Ballo”

“Well then… I don’t believe we’ve been acquainted quite yet. My name’s De-”

He stopped as the looming figure raised his hammer.

“Ah… I see. Well then, I’ll do my best. You have a hammer, I have a shovel… it seems like time for the battle of the tools to begin. May the best man win and all that.”

It was over quickly.

“That… went about as well as I could hope,” the gravedigger admitted, still dazed from being slammed in the face with his own shovel.


Iris didn’t know the location of her companions or her opponent, and that was… concerning. She was used to being the one in the dark, the one hiding in the edges of people’s view.

Something moved in the corner of her eye. Pivoting towards it, Iris was barely able to dodge out of the way before a hammer met with the space she had previously stood in. Again and again, Iris dodged, the hammer almost cutting the air in front of her. While the dwarf was fast, she was moreso.

Suddenly, the ground seemed to fall apart beneath her feet. At first, there was solid ground, then just a hole where her foot had been. Despite her best efforts, Iris couldn’t stop herself from toppling over.

Quickly scrambling to her feet, the dwarf paused. They met eyes for a second, and Iris noticed something. A snap of recollection. A piece of humanity.

Rasul lowered his hammer and slowly approached Iris. While still on edge, the ninja felt somewhat appeased by the look in his eyes. She walked towards him. Maybe something about her had gotten through to her opponent.

The dwarf opened his mouth and whispered, “I… Impa?”

A hidden piece of anger inside Iris’s mind suddenly flared up. She raised her foot and kicked Rasul square in the jaw, sending him toppling over.

“I.. am not… Impa.”
 
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DekuNut

I play my drum for you
Joined
Jan 30, 2011
Location
Tangent Universe
Chapter 14 - Hyrule's Last Hope

In this chapter we hear Rasul talk. Storm, who created Rasul, wanted to use his own version of dwarven. It's kind of a mix of modern Spanish and Latin. I've done my best to write it, but I haven't taken a Spanish class in four years and I never learned Latin, so it's kinda two people writing that part. We may just switch to Tolkeinien Dwarvish. We'll figure that out soon enough.

Slowly the group was able to get to their feet, but they were a pitiful sight.

Mailan was limping. While her foot wasn’t broken, it had bruised up terribly, and it didn’t make for easy walking.

Tennor’s heart was still racing. He swore he could still feel the energy coursing through his body, and his senses seemed to be on edge.

Dente was obviously concussed. He was doing his best to help his comrades, but the man really shouldn’t have been standing up.

Iris was simply pissed. She’d hogtied the dwarf, taken his hammer, and left him on the ground where he’d fallen.

Zelda was seemingly the only one who was unharmed and unbothered. She made her way through the smoke when the voices began calling out. As they encircled the one known as Rasul, for the first time they each got a clear look at the man who had nearly wiped out their entire party.

He was dwarven, that was for sure; his beard and build gave him away. But only partly it seemed. For one, he was taller than most dwarves - only around a half foot shorter than Mailan. Not only that, his arms were covered in tattoos. Now, this was normal for dwarves. They often enjoyed decorating themselves with symbols that held deep meaning to them, as a way of making their friends and family a part of their own being. However, one specific tattoo was notable.

Just visible beneath his sleeve was the unmistakable eye and teardrop that was the sign of the Sheikah clan. While he couldn’t see Iris’s face, it wasn’t hard for Tennor to tell that the sight of that tattoo caught Iris off guard. Honestly, it was a surprise to everyone. Even Zelda’s eyes widened a little upon seeing it.

Finally, Dente broke the silence, “As interesting as his body art may be, my friends, just staring at him all day isn’t getting us anywhere. Let’s make ourselves at home while we wait for him to get up, hm?”

Zelda nodded, “Of course. Thank you Dente,” she surveyed their surroundings, “Tennor? Go see if you can find which building Mr. Kazad was staying in. Iris, go on patrol, make sure there aren’t any other mutants about. Dente... “ she gave him an almost motherly look, despite the gravedigger being a fair amount older, “Just go sit down. You do not look well.”

Dente gave a small bow, a look of relief on his tired face, as the three set off to do as they were commanded.

Mailan looked at her love, lines of worry caressing the young knight’s face. Her color had faded more even than it had the day before. Her face more pallid, her lips less rosey. Her eyes, usually full of wisdom, felt distracted. She took Zelda’s hand, “I think you need to go sit down too.”

Zelda sighed, “Yes… I believe you’re right…” the tone in Zelda’s voice was worrisome, but with Rasul as he was, there was nothing they could do, “Take care of him,” Zelda gestured to their captive, “Find him a comfortable place to rest until Tennor finds his bed.”

Mailan looked at Zelda once more, and then leaned in for a kiss. The two shared a not quite long enough moment before being interrupted by a giggling.

Turning towards the noise, they saw Rasul was awake and laughing at them, “Reina et puella in caritate,” he made an infantile smooching look with his mouth and continued laughing.

Mailan looked down at him in annoyance, “Shut up.”

Rasul’s laughing slowed a little, and he looked up at Mailan, almost confused.

“Quid?”

Mailan knelt down, “Do you promise not to attack us again?”

Rasul continued with his stare, repeating the words slowly to himself, as if trying to remember something.

Sighing, the girl pointed to her wounded foot, then touched the red mark on Rasul’s face, then shook her head fiercely.

Rasul nodded, seemingly a little relieved to understand, “Aye, no morta.”

Mailan hesitantly untied the ropes and Rasul sat up, immediately reaching into his pocket and pulling out a pipe. It was an intricate piece of handiwork, carved from a gemstone with a wooden shaft inserted in its back. He pulled out of his pouch three purple petals before snapping his fingers, lighting the pipe. Taking a long drag, the bald man expelled out of his mouth a noxious cloud of lavender smoke, which unfortunately traveled in the general direction of Mailan.

The smoke smelled foul. The only word that sprang to mind was dank - wet and dirty. The girl coughed. Her head was spinning, the ground looked so far away... she’d only heard of vertigo before, and she imagined that this was how it felt.

And then she threw up.

Rasul let out another deep, hearty laugh, then sprang to his feet. Mailan tried to follow, but she couldn’t move very far without falling over. It was getting better slowly - she hadn’t been completely taken in by the leaf-smoke - but she still could only watch from a lopsided angle as the dwarf scurried back into the village.


Nothing. Not a single building in this city looked like it had been touched in months, if not longer. The buildings were almost creepy to stand in. They felt unnaturally silent.

Emerging from a large house with a rocky front yard, Tennor noticed Rasul walking through the city. He didn’t look angry anymore though, and there was no sign of a struggle. Zelda followed behind a little ways, giving a nod that said, “He’s fine.” Curious, the Zora approached the pair.

“Ballo pisci,” the two men stared at each other for a moment. Rasul’s eyes were almost unnatural. They were creamy white, as if he were blind, but it was obvious that he could still see quite well. Between that and the fact that they were shot with blood, the dwarf looked like a man possessed… and then Tennor realized that the eyes weren’t really focusing. It suddenly hit him - Rasul was inebriated. It wasn’t alcohol, that was for sure, but this dwarf was on something.

This was the hero who was going to help them save Hyrule? A drugged-up, unkempt hermit in a dead city?

As if sensing Tennor’s frustration, Rasul turned away and began to continue his trek briskly. Following along with the Queen, the two sharing nothing but confused glances, they pursued this new party member through town, past the shop, over a lake, and down a narrow ravine. All signs of civilization disappeared as they traveled. Were they still in Kokiri Village?

Turning a corner, both Zelda and Tennor stopped in surprise. They had entered a large clearing, in the middle of which sat a giant tree - larger than any Tennor had ever set eyes on. It looked long-dead, its bark drabber than it should be, almost stonelike.

Then he noticed it. The face. And it looked so... sad.

Once more, the guard and the queen gave each other bewildered looks before following Rasul through the gaping maw of the Great Deku Tree.

While on the outside the tree was obviously massive, it seemed more so from the inside. The cavernous interior went up as far as his eyes could see, maybe even farther. The ground they walked on, while all a cambrian wood, was mossy and squished softly beneath their feet. What looked like a large hole in the middle was patched up with an enormous amount of wood, with no seeming entrance to whatever cavern was beneath them. Rasul himself continued to the far side, and to an odd bedroom-like setup, with a small table and a bed.

“So this is where you live?” Zelda asked as they caught up, surprised, “I’m ashamed to say that I never knew the Great Deku Tree in life, though I know that the Kokiri revered him as a father to their whole clan... though it seems in these days, nothing is sacred any more.”

Ignoring the obvious distaste in her voice, Rasul reached beneath the bed and pulled out a large bag full of purple leaves. He held it up to his guests, as if offering them some. While it confused Tennor, Zelda quickly shook her head, which he took as a sign, also declining the gift. Rasul shrugged and began to load it into his pipe.

“Rasul Kazad...” Zelda spoke up finally. Her brows were knit together in conversation. She was choosing her words more carefully than she possibly ever had before, “The two of us were only ever tangentially aware of each other, but General Brann spoke well of your time together, fighting during the war of my father’s making. I humbly thank you for your service to our nation.”

No heed was paid.

“However, as you know, times have changed. While I hesitate to ask it of someone retired for so long, Hyrule once more has need of your skills. It’s been said that you’re both a powerful mage and alchemist, and we were hoping that, with your skill, you may be able to find a cure for the curse rampaging through our kingdom.”

Finally, Rasul looked at them. But not with hope, or willingness, but mild annoyance. He waved them away, “Solo,” he stated simply, “Lejos.”

The queen looked down, dejected. Tennor didn’t believe in much coming from this man, but he also didn’t want the last slip of hope to disappear forever.

“Admittedly, we did just invade his home and tie him down. I doubt he’s particularly happy with us. Maybe if we came back tomorrow, he would be more willing to listen?”

Zelda nodded, but even she struggled to hide the fear in her eyes. However, struggles are temporary, and within a moment her look was as steely as ever, as if she had never known defeat, “Excellent point. Let’s leave him be then... come along,” she turned heel and strutted back to the village.

The others weren’t particularly excited about having to wait for another day for Rasul’s answer, but they were accepting. At the very least the village seemed safe. The destruction of the bridge meant that no infected could get in, and with one man living here alone for so long it seemed that there weren’t many coming in through the forest either. So each one claimed a house, and after some time, they one by one entered a fitful sleep.
 

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