Hero's Trail - Chapter 19

Chapter 19: A Loyal Hero

"No."

The single word rang like a bell, catching Nayru's attention. "I'm not leaving Farore in there. I won't pass the place she's being held captive when I know I can free her." He turned from Nayru, to Sheik, to Aveil. "Say what you will. Do what you want. But I'm going to free Farore." He turned towards the canyon, focusing on the Hover Boots on his feet.

"If you try and stop me, it's your funeral."

He started over the canyon, nothing but a plane of air under his feet. He kept his pace even after he cleared the canyon - the only difference was that he could spare the focus to draw his blade.

Zelda sighed. "You're right," she stated. "He loves her."

Aveil turned to them. "You're not going to help him, are you?"

"We don't stand a chance against the Gerudo," Nayru replied. "Neither does Link. He knows it in his mind... but his heart can't accept it." She sighed and got to her feet. "Let's go. We need to get the tools from the Desert Colossus."

"You go," Aveil replied. "I'm going to help Link as best I can. It's my fault he's broken like this - I'm not going to let him walk in there alone."

"Then let's go," Zelda stated. She snapped her fingers, and when she spoke, it was the voice of Sheik. "We'll be back to help as soon as we get what we need. Until then, try not to let him die."



Link met the Gerudo Fortress with caution. In his rage, in his determination, he was cunning, and so he made his way through the grounds carefully, catching the eyes of none. He kept to the shadows, swiftly travelling through enemy territory until he arrived at the edge of the stronghold.

Magic. He could feel it as he neared the area. Strong magic - desert magic. As soon as he stepped into the building, the Gerudo would be alerted to his presence. He needed to find a way inside through a different structure.

"Need some help?"

Link spun around, blade outstretched, only to be met with a sandbronze blade. "Shh," Aveil warned him. "Twinrova lurks, and Nabooru has enforced the stronghold. If you want a way in, you want to take a different route."

"How?" Link demanded.

"The buildings of the Gerudo are cooled by a single wind chamber underground. It interconnects them - if you can get into the wind chamber, you can get inside unnoticed. She'll have placed the spell over most of the buildings, but there will be some that will be unprotected - mostly the unimportant buildings."

Link's mind raced. "Farore," he muttered. "Nabooru was trying to make her one of you. Did she have quarters within the stronghold, or outside?"

Aveil smiled. "Outside. Nabooru would never risk a magic user being within range of her and Twinrova. Come with me, I'll lead you to her quarters."

The two of them swiftly made their way through the desert, eventually arriving at a small stone building. Link stepped inside. There was a palm-leaf bed within, and though the floor was sand, Link could tell there was stone beneath it.

"Farorewind."

Wicked wind whipped around him, causing Aveil to yelp. Link lowered his blade and touched it to the ground, causing the wind to swirl around it and dig a narrow hole through the sand - and eventually, through the stone. Link let the hole widen, then turned to Aveil.

"I'm going under. I'll make sure it's clear before coming to get you. Count me to a hundred and fifty - if I'm not back, take a different route and free Farore." His eyes blazed. "Don't worry about me. Save her first, or it's your life as a price."

Aveil gulped and nodded. Link turned and dropped in. Aveil fingered the sandbronze blade and began to count.



Link touched down in the wind chamber and was sent buffetting against a wall. The wind was not the gentle wind that Farore could make - it was a harsh reaction of hot and cold, with an added touch of cold to ensure it would cool the Gerudo buildings. Link reached down and snapped his fingers, prompting his Hover Boots to be replaced by a pair of Iron ones.

With metal weighing him down, he started through the chamber, looking for a way into the stronghold.

Unknown to him, he was being watched. Nabooru was standing before a reflecting pool, which had been roving the Gerudo buildings when Link had dropped inside. She had instantly redirected it, and the sight of Link advancing through the desert's cooling system intrigued her.

"Curious," she mused. She snapped her fingers, prompting the Sorceress Sisters to emerge from the shadows. "Koume, Kotake, I want you to go after him."

"Don't bother sending both of them."

Nabooru turned to the single figure at the far end of the room - hardly visible, although the reflecting pool cast an eerie light on it. "He is weakened by fire already. Only send flame after him, and you will subdue him far more easily."

The words seemed oddly warning, but Nabooru nevertheless nodded. "Koume, then. Kotake, stay here." The Sorceress of Fire vanished, leaving the Sorceress of Ice to retreat back into the shadows.

Link was still treading through the wind chamber. His small, minor touch of magic allowed him to observe the otherwise indifferent ceiling of the chamber, and he could tell he was nearing the stronghold he was looking for - he just needed to find a low floor so he could get inside. He was about to head back to find Aveil when the temperature of the chamber changed.

Cold was replaced by heat.

He turned as a pattern appeared on the floor nearby - a ring of red magic, in the center of which was a fiery symbol. Link raised his blade as flames razed over the black pattern, and from the flames emerged a single figure - an elderly Gerudo in sorceress robes whose hair was quickly coated into flames.

"Koume!"

The sorceress cackled. "I'll burn you to your bones!" She raised a hand filled with magic and hurled it at Link, who barely managed to leap out of the way. He snapped his fingers and let the boots on his feet shift back to his Kokiri footwear, then drew his blade as Koume raised another burst of magic.

He knew he needed cold to counter the sorceress' heat, but around him was no access to low temperature. He sidestepped the fiery burst, then leapt upward and let the wind hurl him along the passage.

Koume turned towards him and raised both hands. The air in the tunnel swirled with heat, but Link clenched his fist as the Agyru cuff around his wrist came in handy once again - it was the only reason he could counter the heat around him.

"Farorewind," he muttered. The wind swirled around him - cool, but not enough to counter Koume. Instead, he sent a message along it to Aveil, who was waiting for him at Farore's chamber. Then he turned to Koume, who hurled another blow of heat at him.

The heat was rapidly climbing in the wind chamber, and Koume was seething. "How is it you can be unreactive to this?" she demanded.

In response, Link raised his sword arm. The Agyru Cuff on his wrist - bronze outer ring, flamsilver inner ring, a strip ruby through both, and lapis lazuli marking the Goron Emblem - caused Koume's eyes to widen.

She didn't have much time to dwell on it before Link leapt up and struck out, nearly slicing the Sorceress of Fire. She swept out of the way, then swirled magic in hands.

"Wrath of fire, come to me
React the wounds in place on thee
Renew the pain already taken
Cause thy sear to reawaken!"

Flames seethed over Link's body, searing through his body. He gave a wicked shout as not fire, but renewed pain from the burns already on him - fire from Death Mountain, Red Ice from Zora's Domain, dark cuts from the Water Temple, hottest spirit from the Fire Temple. He fell to the ground, his body burning.

"Desert, come to me!"

Koume spun, only for sand to wash over her from every side. It threw off her concentration - the pain from Link's burns faded, the heat in the air vanished, and Aveil stepped forward with sandbronze in hand.

"Stay away from him, Twinrova Koume."

The Sorceress of Flame rose from the sand, glaring at Aveil. "You... you will regret this!" Black magic swirled around her hands, quickly becoming a massive burst of fire.

Aveil brought her free hand close to her. "Desert water, rise!" The desert began to tremble, and through the stone and sand emerged a storm of water that torrented Koume, extinguishing her spell and flatterning her against the roof. Aveil ended the torrent as Koume fell to the ground, gasping. She got to her feet and glared at Aveil.

"What is this?" the sorceress asked. "Do I sense an attraction?"

"No," Aveil replied. "You sense a Gerudo, paying a debt, and assisting the one broken by your very spells."

Koume rose as flames washed over her, quick-drying her clothes before she vanished from the wind chamber. Link nodded, then turned and tensed his magic. He was near a low floor of the fortress, and so he quickly stepped through the chamber until he was at the lowest sector he could be.

"Farorewind." Emerald magic flowed over Link, slowly lifting him and Aveil to the underside of the fortress floor. Aveil watched as Link drilled through the stone, then rose up and ended the spell.

Time to get deadly.



Koume emerged in the core of the stronghold, prompting Kotake to near her. Nabooru had seen the entire exchange, and she was fearful for it. Link was adept in swordwork, and Aveil had shown to be capable of desert magic. Coupled with the fact that her own magic was slowly becoming harder to call upon, she was worried for their chances.

"Damn it," Nabooru muttered. "Kotake, I want you to go after him. Seperate him from Aveil before you confront him, otherwise you won't stand a chance." Kotake nodded and vanished, leaving Koume to remain in the shadows.

The hidden figure said nothing as Nabooru continued to watch the reflecting pool.

Link had made his way through the Gerudo Fortress with deadly cunning. Any Gerudo that saw him met his blade and said nothing. He didn't kill, only knocked unconscious, but he was still ruthless. Aveil followed, careful not to get in his way.

He neared what appeared to be the center of the stronghold with Aveil directly behind him. He quickly threw a door open and found himself in a desert arena, one with caged walls barred with desert magic.

Aveil had no time to follow, however, before the door slammed closed and glimmered with desert magic. Link turned, but the sound of glistening ice caused him to turn as a pattern appeared in the center, with an icy symbol in the center.

Ice frosted over the pattern as another Gerudo sorceress emerged - this one with ice frosting over her hair. "Kotake!"

"I'll freeze you to your soul!" Kotake hurled an orb of ice at Link, who dove out of the way as it frosted over the ground, forming a patch of danger. He stepped back and gripped his weapon, then leapt forward, aiming to strike the Gerudo sorceress. Kotake swept from it, then unleashed a wicked blizzard towards him.

Link rolled under the blast as a freezing wind blew through the arena. It was artic wind, and Link knew he had to move fast or he'd be frozen. He soared forward with an angry blow, but Kotake dodged and hurled ice at him. Link evaded easily, then shot through the air with a burst of wind. He would have struck the Sorceress of Frost if she hadn't formed a deflective barrier of ice that sent him flying to the side.

The icy guard sped up the freezing process, and Link found ice over his calves. He needed to finish this quickly, but how? He saw Kotake swirl magic in her hands.

"Calm of ice, come to me
Still the movements upon thee
End the rage of blade called courage
Still thy wrath and end endurance!"

Ice stormed across Link, seeping into his bloodstream. He gave a wicked cry as his movements began to slow and his blood chilled. His mind slowed; his heart missed a beat; and he felt his soul start to flicker.

A searing heat tore across the battlefield, ending the spell, and Link dropped his head, glaring at Kotake. The Sorceress of Frost spun to see Aveil gathering her energy. Desert sun poured down on Kotake, slowly bringing the witch to the ground. The heat ended as the barrier on the arena dispelled and Aveil stepped inside.

"Stay away from him, Twinrova Kotake."

Kotake didn't respond; she vanished in a swirl of ice. Aveil turned to Link, who nodded to her.

"Two down," he stated. "One to go."

Aveil nodded. The two of them left the arena, and Aveil led Link through the stronghold, making their way to the core.

Nabooru was seething. Link had proven too powerful to be defeated by both Koume and Kotake, and she doubted they were in any state to work in tandem. She didn't want to risk confronting them herself, but it didn't seem she had a choice.

"Send me after him."

The Gerudo mistress turned to see the hidden figure looked battle-ready. Nabooru was impressed with the offer. "Very well then. Go." The figure vanished in a flash, and Nabooru grinned, turning to Twinrova.

"It seems our hypnosis experiment has gone better than planned."



Link was nearing the core when he sensed another presence. He stopped in his tracks, prompting Aveil to halt as well. Link shook his head. "Go forth," he stated. "Stop Nabooru. I'll handle it." Aveil looked wary, but nodded and sped out. Link waited until she was out of sight, then turned and looked around.

"I know you are there."

A soft chink emerged as a figure stepped out from around a corner. It was a figure in streamlined white sandbronze armour that shimmered with magic. Jade stones were all over it - two on each arm, two on each leg, three over the chestplate, and one in each palm. Its helmet was adorned with five jades, and was shaped similarily to the Gerudo Emblem.

"So you have come forth."

The voice was rough and distorted, but definitely female. Link narrowed his gaze. "Yeah, I've come. And I'm here to fight."

"Then fight." The armoured figure reached a hand out, forming a long, wicked sword that looked like flamesilver. But it was improperly forged flamesilver - Link could tell it would break more easily than his own blade. "Show me your real power."

Link took a battle stance as his opponent rushed forward. He waited until she was swinging back for a blow, then thrust his shield out, stunning the armoured one. He leapt into the air and lashed out, striking the catches on the armour, then rolled forward, away from the figure as she spun for a strike. He turned on his heel and took one step to the side, dodging a thrust, then rolled behind her and rose in an uppercut before flipping backwards.

The warrior lashed outward, prompting Link to leap into the air and land on her sword, as he had seen his Darkness do, before kicking off, sending the weapon to the ground. He landed behind her, spin his sword in hand, and jabbed it backwards, catching her in the waist, then spun and raised his shield to block a physical blow. The warrior picked up the sword, then spun and slashed straight vertical, prompting Link to leap backwards.

He struck the weapon once to stun its owner.

He struck it again to send it to the ground.

Then he slammed his own against it to shatter it.

He spun his sword in hand and jabbed it into the gem in the center of the helmet, sending magic through it. Cracks spiderwebbed across the armour, and Link stepped back as it slowly shattered.

The sandbronze fell to the ground, revealing a divine figure that glimmered with emerald.

Link's eyes widened, and he stumbled backwards. "F-Farore..."

Farore's eyes flashed, and Link saw they were not her own. The eyes that he remembered as soft, forestial emerald with an otherworldly wind had become darkened with black magic. Aveil hadn't been lying - she had been put under Twinrova's hypnosis.

The Goddess of Courage held her hand out, and emerald wind gathered around it. Link raised the Rutela Shield as the magic pulsed out, but though the shield didn't so much as scar, the spell struck Link right through it, sending him flying. He hit the wall, ricocheted off, and hit the ground roughly.



Aveil stepped into Nabooru's chamber with the sandbronze blade in hand. Nabooru spun in shock. "Aveil!"

"Nabooru, shimai," Aveil mused. Her voice was like syrup for no more than those two words. "Regretting your actions, yet?"

In response, Nabooru lashed out with desert magic. Spiritual energy bolted out like a crossbow shot. The burst came within three metres of Aveil before she threw her hand before it and ended it.

"Time to put what you have left to the test." Aveil swirled her hands back, then hurled a whirl forward. Nabooru threw her hand upward, causing a wall of sand to rise before her, blocking the most of the attack. The brunt of it still winded her, though, and she gasped for air.

"Your magic is not your to bear," she scowled. She brought her hands together before her, then lashed out, sending a shower of spirit outward. Aveil thrust her hand out, then cocked it perpendicular to herself, causing a ring of spiritual energy to stop the strike; then she hurled it like a chakram.



Link hit the roof hard as Farore's wind swirled around him and pulled him back to earth. He tried to counter it, but the goddess' power was infintely more powerful than his own, and he found himself dragged towards her. She thrust her hand out, delivering a windly punch that sent Link flying.

He struggled to keep to his feet. Was Farore going to kill him? Or was Twinrova going to use him alongside her?



Nabooru raised another wall of sand to guard her, but this time Aveil saw it coming. She swung her arm down, and the sand fell, causing the burst to strike Nabooru, sending her flying.

"No... what is this?" She gasped for air. "The desert is mine to command!"

"Was, Nabooru, was." Aveil stepped forward threateningly. "But you have been too dark to deserve it. Now, it is mine."

She turned to Twinrova, who cowered in the shadows. "Reverse the hypnosis," she stated.

"Never." The two of them were synchronized.

Desert spirits seared into both of the witches, causing twin howls of agony. Aveil's eyes blazed with the power of a Sage in waiting.



Farore formed a blade of pure energy as she approached Link wordlessly. Link looked up to her. "Farore..."

"Sayonara," she growled, then raised her blade to strike.

A crack of energy howled through the air, and Farore's fell still. The blade faded from her hands, and she stepped back in shock. "Wha..."



"Reverse... the... hypnosis..." Aveil said menacingly.

Koume and Kotake turned to each other and raised their hands. Dark magic that Aveil recognized - hypnosis magic - appeared, but swirling away from each other - whereas when performing hypnosis, it swirled together.

"It's done," they stated.

Aveil stepped backwards. "Now get out of my desert."

The Sorceress Sisters got to their feet and vanished in twin bursts of frost and flame. Aveil stepped away, then turned to Nabooru, who looked frightful against the reflecting pool.



"Farore...?"

The Goddess of Courage stumbled backwards. The darkness in her eyes faded, and she stumbled forward. Words poured from her mouth - words that sounded like an incantation on rewind.

She raised her head to see Link lying on the ground, nearly dead. "L...Link...?"

Relief washed over the hero. "Farore... you're back..."

"You're hurt..." Farore stepped towards him and knelt at him. She looked appalled at the sight of her immortal wind staining the wounds that covered his body. "Emerarudo no kaze wa, kono burēdo o iyasu." Shimmering emerald energy washed over Link, and he felt a thousand scars fade.

"Thank you..."

Link stumbled to a kneeling position. He looked into Farore's eyes, and she into his, and they both knew what the other was thinking.

"It's good to have you back."

The words came simultaneously. They pulled each other into a tight embrace, desperate to ensure it wasn't a dream.

Then, wordlessly, they pulled back just far enough to catch each other in a tight kiss.