The Legend of Zelda: Zelda's Honor

Chapter 16 - Through the Heart of Hell

The dull, aching pain was what woke him. Link's eyes slowly fluttered to life as the harsh glare of candle light stung his pupils. His wrists hurt dreadfully. He tried his hardest to look up but couldn't manage to lift his head before the throbbing at the back of his brain pounded in full force. He had to stop before he passed out again. He was hanging by his wrists with a hard leathery thong attached to a central pole running the length of the tent keeping its structure stable.

Link gingerly moved his head to examine the space around him and deduced that he was in the heart of the massive army and that it was already night time. He concluded this as the tent flap straight ahead of him gently wavered in the evening breeze; given him brief glimpses of the horrors beyond. He looked around and saw several cages hanging around the rim of the tent. Each one had a fairy in it.

Link was going to ponder this when his hearing finally returned in a crashing onslaught of sound; the noise filled his ears with a deafening roar. A din of talking, screaming, shouting, and clanging all rushed at him from every angle. Link shut his eyes hard trying to block out the immense cacophony of sound, but it was simply too much. The screaming was what disturbed him the most. It was a collage of children, women, animals and men. Resigning to the horrible music of war, he lay listless from the pole.

It was then that Link noticed he was completely naked, his precious Kokiri clothes were casually tossed in the far corner of the tent shredded and ripped. Link groaned inwardly as he lamented his precious tunic, the last remnants of home.

A gust of cold air blasted his naked form sending shivers down his spine as the tent flap opened up of its own accord and four figures entered the tent. The biggest brute stopped directly in front of him, cape sweeping behind as the three commanders lined up abreast just paces beyond. Link recognized those men. The slender one of the three came up to big man's side and spoke in a soft whisper.

"This is the boy they call Link, Dodongo Buster. It is unclear how he was able to do it, but he has once wielded the Master Sword. He is a legend in his own right, but no one seems to remember it." Thanan coolly informed him.

The caped man sarcastically clapped his hands, "It is amazing where you get your information Thanan, but I'm not complaining!" Link quickly made a mental note of the third man's name.

With a mock visage of surprise, the caped man placed a hand to his lips, "Oh my, I have completely forgotten my manners!" A small laugh, "Here are my legion commanders, Thanan, Talamir and Timner. I believe you've met them before. Yes?"

He indicated to the three men Link was already acquainted with. He gestured to the slender brown haired man, then the slightly muscular black haired man and finally the blond haired man who shared a similar build with the previous. Link narrowed his eyes in hatred as he memorized their faces and names.

The man continued, "You may not know who I am, but let me state it for you boy: I am General Naar. Surely you remember what you did to me in the Lost Woods, no?"

Link simply shook his head. The events of that day were a complete blur to him, he didn't remember much of that awful day. A sudden flurry of movement and Link screamed in pain as he swung by his wrists from the tent pole. Naar had punched Link hard in the gut at what the general took for arrogance.

Naar scoffed as he walked up to examine Link's small pale body in the candle light, his boots crunching on the gravel beneath his feet with every slow calculating step. Link tried to contain his raging emotions swirling within him as the swinging finally ceased. He tried his best to ignore the raging chorus of screams still thundering outside the tent. Naar inspected Link from all angles before stopping once more in front of him. He let out a startling laugh which caused Link to jerk involuntarily.