The Legend of Zelda: Zelda's Honor

Chapter 21 - Sacking of the Castle

He stepped over the charred remains of the corpse lying at his feet; the acrid smell of burning flesh was blowing on the winds. Ash flew through his hair and attached itself to his clothes. Hyrule town was burning. The man skimmed the central plaza in disgust. They didn't even put up a fight. Most of the town had been evacuated, save for a few elderly who couldn't travel and those too stubborn to leave their homes. He regarded the castle burning on the higher hill overlooking the town, this certainly would not do.

The man turned to his commander, "Thanan, see to it those fires are put out at the castle. There are valuable resources we need there. I do not want them to be laid waste."

"Yes my general!" Thanan gave a swift salute and was off like a shot, shouting orders to nearby soldiers to help assist in dousing the boiling flames.

General Naar paced over to the side streets leading to his ultimate objective. Even in the dwindling twilight he could see the barrier surrounding the temple. It was a shimmering, translucent field that encompassed the entire grounds of the building, its luminous, orange glow lit up the surrounding area with its light. Several of the men were huddled at the base of the barrier off to one side. They were fiddling with various contraptions.

"What is this?" Naar demanded, frightening the men at his sudden appearance behind them.

One of the braver men stood up amongst the others and gave a hurried salute, "We aren't exactly sure sir! This was here when we arrived. It destroys anyone that touches it."

"Really?" Naar was intrigued. He strolled up to the crackling aura. He could palpably feel the ripping energy coursing through the field. Almost imagining it, he was sure he could see the barrier almost bulge outwards in attempts to touch him. With a heave, he grabbed the neck of the soldier nearest him and threw him into the field. The sudden scream was instantly silenced as the man vaporized into nothing more than a bloody mist.

"Fascinating!" Naar commented, crossing his arms in thought. "Whoever did this is extremely talented. Quite remarkable." He mused to himself.

Naar swept aside the men, cape billowing in the wind of the raging fires, completely indifferent to their frightened stares at his passing. It was clear that they were not going to get through that barrier by any means they had at their disposal. They needed more knowledge about this problem, there was still a lot they didn't know about this temple. Too many questions and very few answers!

His thoughts were distracted when two men galloped up the main street sopping wet. Each leaped off their horses and stalked over to Naar, saluting briefly to their general.

Naar kept walking, "I assume you've come to tell me of your success?"

Keeping pace with him, both men hesitated slightly before the blond one spoke, "We were ambushed by a very powerful Gerudo man and two witches."

Dual swords sliced through the air as each man groaned in swift, sudden pain. Talamir's torso slumped off his waist as his face slammed into the cobblestone street. Timner fell face forward trying to catch himself as he was divided at the knees. Both men were cursing in the pain of their failure, Naar was heaving with rage at these two imbeciles.

Normally he would have destroyed these two idiots for their multiple disasters long before now. Why did he choose to make that stupid vow to their mother? She had died in childbirth. Each boy had grown to full maturity in the womb and had strained the woman every day. When the time came for them to be delivered, complications arose which prevented all from surviving; the doctor made the hasty decision to save the children from certain death. In her final death throes she made him vow to her to protect his nephews. Naar hadn't expected things to turn out the way they did or he would have flat out refused.