The Legend of Zelda: Dimensions

"Aaron! Catch!" Link yelled over the clanging of swords and the thunderous seas. He cocked back and threw the pouch of Rupees in Aaron’s direction.

He gasped quickly as he saw Aaron fumble the pouch, his hands slippery from the pouring rain. Miraculously, the pouch remained closed, and none of the Rupees spilled onto the ship’s deck. One of the pirates saw the pouch hit the wooden floor and he bolted right for it. As he lunged for the treasure, Aaron kicked him square in the face and he hit the deck five feet away with a hard splash. Quickly, Aaron picked up the truant pouch and turned back to Link.

Link let out a sigh of relief when Aaron gave him the thumbs up, but he couldn’t be relieved for long. His legs were taken out from under him and he fell hard on his back. Above him, he could see a blade ready to deliver an overhead blow to the Hero of Time that would surely decapitate him. Reacting with almost uncanny speed, Link rolled to the right, out of the reach of the downward stroke of the pirate’s blade. He got to his feet quickly and readied himself for the oncoming attack.

The pirate lunged at him, and Link successfully defended himself. Calmly, he turned away attack after attack, all the while moving steadily backward. His foe was becoming furious at the apparent ease that Link repelled his attacks. Becoming desperate, the pirate ran at Link at full speed, his sword held out in front of him. At the last possible second, Link stepped aside and stuck out his right foot, tripping up his overmatched opponent. The poor soul was sent over the side of the ship into the raging waters below.

Link watched the man plummet to the sea below. As he turned away, he saw William fending off one of the pirates. The two exchanged thrusts before William was successful in disarming the man.

"Get the hell out of here and I’ll spare your life!" William ordered his fallen foe.

The man eagerly accepted the offer, nodding his head quickly and numerous times. He got up and turned to run.

"Well done, William!" Link yelled over the rain.

William turned to Link and bowed to him. "It was no problem, Link." They both laughed slightly, but Link’s laughter faded fast as he saw the pirate turn around, pulled a dagger from his boot, and ran toward William.

Link pointed passed William while yelling, "William! Look out!"

William turned quickly and pushed the dagger aside before the pirate could score a blow. With no mercy this time around, William screamed and cut off the man’s head.

"I think you got him," Link stated as the head rolled around on the ship deck. "I think that was a little uncalled for."

"Hey! You were the one who picked out this boat to make it to the Forbidden Island!" William yelled back. "So I’m just doing anything, and everything, I can to make it through this alive!"

"I’m sorry!" Link shouted back. "How the hell was I supposed to know that this was a pirate ship!"

"Doesn’t matter!" William yelled. "Let’s just find the others!"

Link nodded and the two of them ran to the bow of the ship where they found Nick, Robert, and Zelda fighting. Nick and Robert were faring well, but Zelda was less skilled at hand-to-hand combat and was struggling some. Running to her aid, Link cut through another pirate. Zelda stepped back as her husband battled with the remaining pirates.

Nick finished off two more pirates with swift moves, while Robert finished off the last of his opponents with relative ease. As Link finished off his enemies, he turned to them.

"Where are John and Michael?"

"They’re at the stern!" Robert replied.

"Then go there! All of you!"

"And what about you?" Nick yelled back.

"I’m going to find the captain!"

Nick nodded and he, Robert, and William turned and ran to the stern of the ship. Zelda remained.

"Link, let me come with you!"

"No Zelda! You go with them. You’ll be better protected with all of them at your side!"

"Link!"

"Go!" Link repeated as he descended below deck.

Zelda flinched toward the stairs, but decided to listen to Link. Quickly, she ran to join the others.

Link walked down the wooden stairs slowly, each board creaking with age as he stepped upon them. He held the Master Sword out in front of him as he walked in the dimly lit hall. Passing by what had been their quarters, he made his way to the captain’s room. There was only the sound of the rain beating on the deck above, and the thunderous roar of the lightning as it streaked across the sky. Placing his full concentration on the area in front of him, Link left himself vulnerable.

Smiling in the darkness, the captain prepared himself for an ambush. He watched on as Link walked directly passed him, yet failed to notice him. He slowly reached for his sword, and as quietly as he could, he unsheathed it.

The new sound rang in Link’s ear as if it had been his own sword that had been drawn. Stopping abruptly, he relaxed his concentration and turned his head to the right. Without turning his body, Link looked behind him out of the corner of his eye. For a brief instant, the lightning flashed, and Link could make out a shadow approaching him from behind. But just as he realized that it was the captain, the shadow was already swinging.

Link dropped to the ground quickly, and the captain swung right over his head. The force of his swing made his sword smash through the nearby wall. Shards of wood fell to the ground, and as the captain swung again, Link raised his sword to defend himself.

The clang of the blades rang loudly, although the sounds of the storm drowned them out to all those outside. The two battled up and down the hall, Link surprised that the captain had such good swordsmanship. The captain lunged forward, but Link stepped aside and pushed him passed him, further down the hall. He stumbled, but was able to remain on his feet. As the captain turned back around, Link could see rage in the man’s eyes. Breathing heavily, the captain charged at Link again, swinging wildly in a desperate attempt to score a hit.

Link was forced to pull back a step at a time. With each of the captain’s attacks, Link steadily moved backward, out of his enemy’s range. Several times he needed to duck to avoid a blow. Losing track of where he was, Link stumbled and fell backward over the stairs that led above deck. The captain stopped swinging momentarily and stood over the Hero of Time.

"Clumsy, Link. Now you shall never reach the castle or see your son again!" he shouted as he raised his sword up for the final blow.

"How do you know my name?" Link yelled back as he quickly moved the Master Sword to deflect the deathblow from the captain. Reaching deep inside himself, Link mustered up the strength to throw the captain back and onto the floor, his sword flying out of his hand. Standing up, Link asked, "And how the hell do you know where I’m going? And about my son?"

The captain didn’t answer. Ignoring Link, he crawled on the floor, hoping to find his weapon. Knowing what he was doing, Link calmly walked up beside the fallen man and stood on his outstretched wrist. The captain cried out in pain.

"I’ll ask you again," Link said through clenched teeth. "How do you know all this?"

"I’ll never tell!" the captain answered between his pathetic cries of pain.

Link placed his blade across the man’s neck, and the captain’s cries ceased immediately. "I think you will. That is, if you value your life. Now, why are you after me? Is it just riches you’re after?"

"It was a job."

"A job?"

"Yes, a job. I was to bring you to the castle on the Forbidden Island, dead or alive. In return, He would guarantee the safety of my family. Plus, I was to keep any riches that you had with you."

"A mercenary? Is that all you are?"

The man’s voice became pitiful again. "Please, don’t kill me. I had no choice! He told me he would kill my family if I didn’t comply!"

"More like a forced mercenary," Link said under his breath. Sighing, he removed the Master Sword from the captain’s neck. "Get up," he demanded.

The captain complied without hesitation. Standing up, he rubbed the front of his neck, as if he was shocked that it hadn’t been slit.

"Call the rest of your men off."

The man nodded and headed up the stairs, Link directly behind him. The storm continued to make the seas wild, but for the most part, it had calmed some. They made their way to the stern of the ship, where the other Knights were still engaged in battle with the remaining pirates.

The captain raised his hands. "Lay down your weapons!" he shouted to his men. "This battle is over."

They did as they were told. Exhausted from the fighting, the Knights lowered their weapons and took a breather.

Link turned to the captain. "I expect that you will still take us to the Forbidden Island."

"If you wish. I will take you to the southern coastline. From there, I dare not venture any further. It is a very dangerous place. You must be careful."

"We have a knack for getting out of trouble," Link said with a smile. "Just get us there. We’ll do the rest."

The captain nodded.

* * * *

Shortly after, the raging storm died down and the seas returned to their usual calm. However, the storm had knocked them slightly off course, and the captain was busy trying to relocate the island with his subordinates.

Nick returned to his quarters below deck. His room was no longer well kept, as the severe rocking of the ship tossed his little belongings everywhere. He picked up his clothes that had fallen on the floor. Still holding them, he gazed out the porthole to the west (that is, if the ship was still headed north). He stared out the porthole for several minutes, without a single movement from the rest of his body. He became lost in his thoughts, so lost in fact, that he never heard William enter the room.

"Nick?"

Nick jumped slightly and he turned around quickly to see who had startled him. When he saw that is was William, he relaxed.

"You scared the hell out of me, William," he explained.

"Sorry," William apologized. An awkward silence fell between them as they both stared, not at each other, but through each other, as if both were lost in the own worlds, and the other wasn’t part of it.

Nick broke first. "Was there something you wanted?"

"Huh?" William responded, breaking out of his little trance.

"Why did you come in here?"

"Oh," William said, as if stalling for time. "No real reason. I was just walking by and noticed you staring out the window."

Nick sighed. "Yeah, I guess I was."

William could tell from the tone of his voice that something was bothering Nick, and although he never really knew what to say to someone who was slightly depressed, he felt that he needed to.

"What’s wrong?"

Nick turned and looked out the porthole again. "I was just thinking," he finally said after a long pause.

"Thinking?" William repeated. "About what?"

"Lots of things," he replied. "But," he paused again, "mostly Celes, and Charles."

"I see."

The awkward silence fell between them again, and William cursed himself for not being better at these situations. Robert always knows what to say, he thought to himself. Indeed, Robert always seemed to have the right response no matter the situation, and for that, most everybody went to him when they were feeling down.

"It’s just not fair," Nick abruptly said, a hint of anger in his voice.

"What’s not fair?" William asked.

"Link has Zelda with him. Why were the rest of us forced to leave our loved ones behind?"

"You know we couldn’t. It’s too dangerous."

"So?" Nick pouted. "It’s still not fair! Our loved ones are in another world, and who knows if we’ll ever see them again!"

William had no clue how to react to the sudden outrage from one of his oldest friends. Consoling people was not something he found easy, and when they got angry, William never knew what to do. And this time was no different. Instead of trying to console Nick, he made himself feel worse.

"At least you had someone to leave behind," he said softly. "I had no one…"

William’s self pity shocked Nick back to reality. He realized that William was right. At least I have them, he though. William had no one when they left. In fact, everyone he cared about was here in this world with them, but they were all thinking of others.

"I’m sorry," he apologized.

"Don’t be. It’s not your fault," William said. "The only person that’s made me feel good about myself was Alexandra, and she was already dead. What does that tell you about me?" he whimpered as he sat on Nick’s bed and buried has face in his hands.

Nick knew that William was at an emotional low at that moment, and he needed to say the right thing. Otherwise, William might never recover.

"Don’t you see?" he said. He waited for William to look up.

"See what?" he asked as he raised his head up, tears in his eyes.

"Your love for her saved her soul, as well as all the other poor souls that were wandering around that ghost town."

William failed to see the point. "So?"

"Trust in the Goddesses, my friend. They wouldn’t tease you with love that you couldn’t share if there hadn’t been a greater purpose to it." Nick was making it up as he went, but there was truth in his words. "I’m sure you’ll find someone."

"I don’t want someone else, I want Alexandra."

Nick knew how he felt. It was the same way he felt about Celes. There could never be another in his heart. "She’ll be waiting for you in the Heavens."

William calmed down a little as he began to realize the truth.

"Besides, after all this, maybe the Goddesses will grant her life in our world. Then you would never be alone." Nick knew very well that it was unlikely, but he would say anything to make William feel better.

William too knew that what Nick said wouldn’t happen, but he took comfort in it. For at least there was some hope, misguided as it may be.

"As someone once said to me," Nick continued, "Live your life the best you can, and you will be rewarded."

William sighed and wiped his eyes clear of tears. "You’re right, Nick. No use sulking about things that I have no control over."

"That’s the William I know! Now, what do you say we get some food?"

William smiled a little. "Sure. I could use some food." He still felt a little down. But he didn’t want Nick to know.

"And when this adventure is over, we’ll find you a woman!"

William couldn’t help but laugh. Shaking his head, he stood up and the two of them walked out of the room.

* * * *

"Bull’s eye!" Aaron yelled as his dart imbedded itself into the red center of the dartboard. "Beat that!"

"Nice shot," John conceded. "Now get that dart out of my spot!"

Aaron walked up to the dartboard and removed his dart. Standing to the side, he watched on as John threw. The dart hit in the exact center, a perfect bull’s eye if there ever was one. Robert and Michael cheered as John matched Aaron’s throw. John simply held out his arms as if it were no trouble at all.

"Thank you, thank you," he said while bowing. "Piece o’ cake."

"Sure," Aaron said, disappointed. He turned to Robert and Michael. "Which one of you two is next?"

Robert and William looked at each other. "I’ll go," Michael said. "But I’ll warn you, I’m not very good."

"Just throw the dart," John said as he gave the dart to Michael.

Michael stepped up to the crudely drawn line and took aim at the dartboard. From habit, he stuck his tongue out slightly as he concentrated on the red dot. With a quick movement of his arm, the dart flew and hit the target.

Everyone cheered again. That is, everyone except Robert. Now that all three of them had hit the bull’s eye with what seemed to be relative ease, he was growing anxious. He wasn’t about to be shown up by three younger, less experienced Knights, friends they may be. Not wanting his concern to be visible to them, he strode confidently toward the line and demanded a dart.

"Now I’ll show you how it’s done!" he exclaimed as he readied himself.

As he was about to throw, Aaron sneezed.

"That was fake!" Robert yelled. "You’re trying to cheat me out of a good throw!"

"I am not!" Aaron shouted back, although shortly afterward he laughed under his breath. Across from him, Michael and John were smiling, holding back their laughter.

Robert took aim at the dartboard again.

"Hey Link!" Michael yelled just as Robert was about to throw.

He stopped short and was able to hold onto the dart. He turned around and searched the entertainment area for any signs of Link, but there was none.

"Come on!" he yelled. "You’re messing me up!"

All three of them laughed now, and Robert tried to shut it out so he could concentrate on the bull’s eye. He got ready to throw.

"Don’t miss!" John yelled, receiving a glare from Robert. The three of them laughed again, and Robert was becoming furious.

"Shut up and let me shoot!"

They all shut up, at least the best they could. A snicker or two left their throats every now and then, but for the most part, they were silent. Robert breathed in deeply, trying to fend off the tension that he felt throughout his body. Relaxed, he threw the dart.

It stuck into the wood above the dartboard.

There was a short silence before laughter filled the room as Robert stared at his terrible shot. Aaron fell on the floor, holding his sides as if he was going to burst from laughter. John was bent over, slapping his knees with he palms of his hands. Michael remained standing, but was clapping sarcastically in Robert’s direction.

"Good shot!" John cried between laughs.

"You almost had the bull’s eye!" Aaron yelled from the floor.

The laughter continued for several minutes longer. When it started to die down, Michael went up to Robert, who was now sitting at the nearest table.

"It’s okay, Robert," he said. "I’ve seen lots of people miss the board." He paused. "Of course, most of them were little children!"

The laughter started back up again, and none of them could stop. Aaron was now rolling on the floor and John had to sit down, but he continued laughing. Robert didn’t say a thing, knowing full well that anything he said would just be turned around on him. Besides, it wasn’t something that he needed to worry about. After all, it’s just a game of darts, he said to himself. So he endured the laughter for several minutes more.

"Okay, that’s enough," he said, hoping that they would all stop.

Slowly, they did. But the event was something that Robert would never be able to live down. Just then, William and Nick walked in.

"What’s so funny?" William asked, always glad when he wasn’t the butt of jokes.

"Nothing!" Robert yelled.

"I’m sure it was something," Nick added, curious himself.

Aaron burst into laughter again. "Robert missed the dartboard entirely!" he cried out.

William and Nick chuckled, but didn’t think it was that funny. When they failed to laugh, John spoke up.

"I guess you just had to be there."

"Yeah, sure," Nick replied.

John, Aaron, and Michael laughed some more.

"Anyway," William interrupted, "we’re going to get some food. Care to join us?"

Robert stood up. "Anything to get out of here."

The other three didn’t reply as they were caught in a fit of laughter again. Shrugging his shoulders, Nick turned around and headed back out of the room, William and Robert right behind him. Still laughing, the other three made their way out.

* * * *

The six of them entered the dining hall (if you could call it that; it was merely a room that was slightly larger than their quarters) to find Link and Zelda already eating. Upon seeing them, Nick’s heart sunk as his thoughts returned again to Celes. Reluctantly, he pushed his feelings aside for now and sat down across from Link. The rest of them went to get food.

"Hey Nick, what’s on your mind?"

He didn’t want to tell Link what was really on his mind, so he made something up.

"I’ve been meaning to ask you," he started. "Are you sure that we can trust the captain and his men?"

Link finished his drink with one big gulp. He put down the mug and answered, "We can trust them now that we’ve shown them we’re stronger. Besides, I told him I’d give him a little more money if he treated us better."

"Using his greed against him, are you?"

"Just exploiting a weakness."

Nick smiled. "That’s fine by me. Seems to have worked, and I’m enjoying the calm around here."

"Sure beats the stuff we’ve been through," Zelda interjected.

"Indeed," Nick agreed. "Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to get some food." He got up and excused himself from the table.

Walking to the kitchen, the thoughts of Celes and Charles came flooding back. He hated himself for it. Not that he hated the feelings; far from it. He just didn’t need to have these feelings now. In the middle of a long, often dangerous journey, these feelings would just get in the way and cloud one’s judgment. Trying desperately to push the thoughts aside, he entered the kitchen.

"…and that lobster on the right," he heard William say. William was smacking his lips at the large, juicy lobster and his eyes widened as the cook placed it on his plate.

William walked by him without so much as a glance. He was completely fixated on his food and, in his mind, couldn’t get back to the dining hall fast enough. Nick chuckled and got in line behind Aaron.

"William and his food," Nick simply said.

Aaron laughed a little. "He can’t get enough. But he took the best lobster! I wanted it!"

Nick laughed. "None of us are any different from him when we’re hungry, it seems."

"You’ve got that right," Aaron agreed. There was a slight pause. "Nick?"

"Yes?"

"I was wondering… about the Forbidden Island. What do you think we’ll find there?"

"The usual, I suppose. And since it’s the location of our Hyrule, we might find," he sighed, "the ruins of all the towns and landscape."

Aaron nodded. "Yeah, that’s what I thought. Not to mention," he started, but the cook was waiting on him. "Two potatoes and that lobster in the middle. Not to mention," he continued, "creatures and other things that Ganondorf probably introduced to the wild."

The cook placed Aaron’s food on his plate and looked at Nick. Pointing his finger at Aaron’s plate and nodding, Nick informed the cook that he wanted the same. Nick turned back to Aaron.

"I’m sure it’s nothing we can’t handle. We’ve been through a lot before."

They walked out of the kitchen and back to the dining hall.

"You’re probably right," Aaron said as they walked down the hall. "It’s just that… I’ve got this weird feeling…"

"So do I," Nick said, "but I’m sure it’s nothing. We’ll pull through."

Aaron nodded as they re-entered the dining hall and sat at the table with John and Michael. Robert and William had sat at Link’s table.

"How much longer until we get there?" Aaron heard Robert ask.

"According to the captain, we should get there early tomorrow," Link answered. "So eat up."

"Why do you say that?" John asked from the other table.

"Because we most likely won’t have this luxury once we get to the Island. From all accounts, it’s a barren wasteland."

With that, William ate his food faster, jumped up, and headed back to the kitchen. They all laughed.

"We laugh," Robert said. "But in about two minutes, the rest of us are going to do the same thing."

"I did it three times," Link said, leaning back in his chair and patting his stomach.

They all laughed again, and went back to eating.

"Totally out of the question!" the captain yelled as the group of eight travelers debated their course of action. They had already left the ship and were standing on the beaches of the Forbidden Island.

"Why?" Link asked. "Going north would be the most direct route."

"Aye, it is the most direct route… to your deaths!"

John and William chuckled a little to themselves when he said this.

"’Tis no laughing matter!" the captain yelled, apparently hearing them. "Many evil creatures roam this country. They guard the path to His castle well, and there is very little chance you could get by them. Aye, death is what awaits those who travel that path."

"Then what do you propose?" Robert asked.

"Head for Old Lake which lies northwest of here. From there, you can follow its river north. You’ll need to travel through desert, but believe me, it’s much better than going through the woods to the north."

"Woods to the north?" Nick repeated. "There aren’t any woods to the north. He’s lying to us! He’s leading us away from the castle in order to turn us in as part of his ‘job’!"

"I speak the truth!" the captain shouted. "I no longer have a reason to capture you. If He wants you, then He can come and get you! But you must listen to me! Don’t go north!"

"Thank you," Link interjected. "We shall go to Old Lake." Upon saying that, Link caught a stare of disbelief from Nick. "Don’t worry, Nick. We can trust him."

Nick went to speak out again, but Link silenced him.

"Aaron," Link continued, "give the captain what I promised him."

Aaron nodded and reached into the bag on his side. He pulled out three red Rupees, four blue, and five green. It was a substantial increase from the original bargain back in Pomina, but Link felt the man could use it. Besides, there wasn’t much use for them here.

"Aye, I thank you," the captain said as Aaron placed the Rupees in his hands. He made his way back to the rowboat and stood in it. He turned back to the eight travelers. "May your journey be successful, and may we be rid of such dark times."

He sat down and began rowing himself back to the ship.

"Well," Aaron sighed, "I’m glad that’s over."

"You can say that again," Robert said sarcastically.

"I’m glad…"

"Oh, shut up!" Robert interrupted him, and they all had a good laugh.

Several minutes later, they all calmed down.

"Getting back to the task at hand," Link said.

"Should we go the way the captain told us?" Zelda asked, finally breaking her silence, which had been brought on by deep thoughts of her children.

Link shrugged his shoulders. "He seemed pretty adamant about us avoiding the woods to the north."

"But can we trust him?" Nick asked. "After all, he and his crew tried to kill us at one point."

"We came to an understanding," Link said, defending the captain.

"You may have come to an understanding, but I know I still don’t trust him," Nick voiced his opinion. "What makes you think that a simple man like that could easily disobey the terror that lies on this island? His life is in danger since he didn’t kill us. Perhaps he’s just planning our deaths a different way?"

Link seemed taken aback by the allegations that Nick put on the captain. "You make a good point, but I think that we can trust him."

"Well I don’t," Nick reestablished.

"Neither do I," William agreed, moving beside Nick.

Link sighed. "Shall we put it up for a vote then? Let the majority rule?"

"Seems fair," Michael agreed.

"Alright," Link conceded, "We’ll do this by a show of hands. Who thinks we should follow the captain’s advice and go to Old Lake?"

Link raised his hand, as did Zelda and Michael. Link paused and looked at each of the other five, hoping that more would come around. They didn’t.

Just as a formality, Link continued. "And who thinks we should go into the wood to the north?"

Five hands were held up toward the sky.

Link sighed deeply. His body was telling him that they should trust the captain, but that wasn’t enough to convince the others. So he gave in.

"Very well. We’ll head north."

Without saying another word, the eight of them picked up their supplies and headed north off the beach.

Aboard his ship, the captain watched on as they headed in the direction he told them to avoid.

"Damn fools," he muttered. "May whatever force that resides on high have mercy on your souls."

* * * *

The sun beat down on them severely. The heat of the afternoon was more than they had seen since leaving the island of Shakar so long ago. The landscape matched that of Shakar’s as well, with the exception of the large wood that they were heading toward. They had left the beach nearly eight hours ago, and the wood hung in the distance. Off to the west, they could see cliffs, most likely that of the river that opened up into Old Lake, or what most of them had already deduced, Lake Hylia. In the east rose a massive mountain chain, one that seemed to have expanded from the time that they had once known. The peak of Death Mountain was higher than any of them had remembered.

Michael stopped momentarily to take a swig of water from his water skin. It was then that he felt that they were being watched. By whom or from where, he didn’t know. But he had that feeling, and he couldn’t deny it.

"Aaron," he said, since Aaron was the closest to him. "I feel as though we’re being watched."

"Are you sure?"

Michael looked all around them. "I’m quite sure."

Aaron looked around as well, but just like Michael, he didn’t see anything out of the ordinary. Everything seems fine, he thought; Well, besides the fact that this place is decimated. He scanned the landscape a second time, just to be sure. Nothing.

"Maybe your imagination is starting to run wild, Michael. Perhaps you should drink some more water, and try to keep a level head," Aaron suggested as he jogged to catch up to the others.

Michael looked around again, but still couldn’t confirm what his gut was telling him. "Maybe he’s right," he said to himself. "Maybe you’re just losing your mind, Michael." He chuckled. "Great, now I’m talking to myself."

He ran to catch up to the others.

"This place feels strange," Robert said. He was directly behind Link and next to Nick.

"Definitely," was all Nick could say.

Link heard Robert as well. "There doesn’t seem to be any signs of life, other than plant life. I haven’t seen a single animal on the ground."

"Or in the sky," Zelda added, looking up at the cloudless, bird-less sky.

"I’ll bet that we’ll find plenty of creatures in the wood," John called from the back.

William smiled. "Let’s just hope they’re friendly."

They each smiled and were thankful that at least one person still had their sense of humor. Once that is gone, despair runs through all.

They continued toward the wood, the sun unrelenting in its heat. Walking two by two, they each wished for the coolness of the shade, but dreaded what they might find in the wood. But that made no difference. They needed to pass it in order to reach the castle.

The will of Link and Zelda pushed them all.

* * * *

"These trees look strange," Aaron commented as they strode up to the outer edge of the wood. "Almost like…" he started, but couldn’t find the words to express it.

"Like they were tortured," Robert finished.

Aaron squinted his eyes and slowly nodded. He raised his arm and extended it, his hand poised to feel the twisted, rotten bark of the tree. As his hand came into contact with it, a sudden surge of feelings leapt into him. His body reacted to it by convulsing quickly for a few seconds before he was able to release his grip. He fell backward onto the ground and stared up at the sky.

"Aaron!" William yelled as he ran up and knelt down beside him. "Are you alright?"

Aaron moaned in agony as the other six made their way over to him.

"Are you in pain?" Zelda asked, frantic.

Aaron placed his hand on his forehand. "Physically, no. But what a rush!"

Nick was confused. "What do you mean?"

"Feelings. Intense feelings. I felt them, but they weren’t mine."

"Oh great," John whispered to Michael. "He’s gone insane." They shared a small laugh.

"I have not," Aaron said, surprising both John and Michael. No one else knew what they were talking about.

Link reached down, grabbed Aaron’s hand, and pulled him up. "So, would you care to enlighten us?"

"I felt… pain, agony, suffering… anger…"

"You said these weren’t your feelings," Robert said. "Then whose are they?"

Aaron shook his head. "I have no idea."

"This is looking more and more like a bad idea," commented William. "Maybe we shouldn’t go into the wood."

Link sighed. "We’ve come this far. Going the other way is not an option anymore. Besides, the sun is about to set."

"He’s right," Nick agreed. "We need to set up camp. And I’d rather not do that in there," he said as he pointed to the dark, mysterious wood.

They set up there camp and relaxed for the remainder of the day. Although, none of them could really get comfortable while they were sitting in the shadows of the daunting forest that lay in front of them. They made a small fire to cook some of their provisions with, but as soon as it wasn’t needed, they put it out. Even though that hadn’t seen anybody (or anything for that matter) all day, there was no need to risk being found out. Michael, on the other hand, figured that it was already too late for that. Upon his request, they set up a rotation to keep watch over the campsite and the surrounding area. Michael himself volunteered for the longest shift, and even when his shift was over, he didn’t sleep. He sat up in the dark, constantly surveyed the surroundings, looking for any sign of spies or scouts. He hated this place with his entire body - no, his entire existence hated it.

The second fire slowly burned out, and Michael was thankful. Despite the strong disapproval of himself and Aaron, another fire had been constructed. He kept on telling them that there was something out there, watching them. But no one (besides Aaron) believed him.

And why should they? He thought. We haven’t seen anything since we left the ship. He sighed. But there’s definitely something out there.

It was William’s watch when the second fire burned out. He got up from his post (merely a spot in the dirt just beyond their camp) and went to start a third one. As he was about to strike it, he was interrupted.

"Don’t," Michael said.

"Why not?"

Michael looked out into the darkness. "I just have a bad feeling. We shouldn’t be drawing anymore attention to ourselves."

William shook his head. "Well, it’s my shift and I want the fire lit."

"Then I’ll relieve you of your shift."

"What?"

"Get some rest. I’ll stand watch."

"Are you crazy, Michael? You haven’t gotten five minutes of sleep. I think you need it more than me."

Michael shook his head. "I’m not going to sleep anyway. So you might as well get some rest."

William stared at Michael the best he could in the dark. He tried to see the man’s face. He tried to figure out what was making him so worried that he would lose sleep over. Michael stared back, and William could see in his eyes that there was no convincing him otherwise. The cold, dead stare sent shivers down his spine.

"Very well," he conceded. "I’ll leave the watch to you. But if you hear anything, or see anything, you wake me first." He laid down his conditions while pointed directly at Michael’s face. "Agreed?"

"Agreed."

William threw done the wood that he held in his hands and made his way over to his dirt bed. Michael moved to the outside of the campsite to continue William’s shift. There was only an hour until he would need to wake up John. But that hour never came.

He sat in the darkness for half an hour, and although he tried his best to fight it, sleep was beginning to win him over. He remained on the edge of sleep for ten minutes, his mind playing out scenes inside his head that he wished would never happen. He knew he was dreaming, and that he had fallen asleep.

He tried to wake himself, but it did no good. It was like some magic had taken him over and there was no way to break the spell. He fought hard, but in the end, it was the sudden sound of a twig being snapped that awoke him.

He jumped up off the ground and looked in the direction he thought the sound had come from. Curious, he slowly advanced, leaving the camp behind. He made his way through the darkness, searching desperately for the source of the sound.

He heard the sound again, and narrowed the location down. Quickly, he ran in its direction. But he never found it. On his way over, he stumbled on a raised root, fell, and hit his head on a rock. All went black.

Aaron bolted upright. He didn’t know what it was, but something told him that not everything was right. His sleep seemed strange, as if he was forced to sleep. He looked around, but saw no one standing guard. Getting up, he looked around. Deciding against waking the others, he went off into the wilderness.

He had made it almost two hundred yards from the camp when he heard movement from behind him. Dropping to the ground quickly, he saw numerous creatures emerge from the wood and run into the camp. Reaching for his sword, he contemplated whether or not he should attack. He couldn’t just let them be taken, but their numbers were far too great for him to do much good. Instead, he was forced to watch on as the creatures took the remaining six away.

I’ll have to wait until morning, he thought. Then I’ll need to find whoever was left behind.

Sighing deeply, he slept under the moonless night.

* * * *

The morning sun rose, and Aaron opened his eyes in response. He lay there with his face looking into the sky, in the exact spot he had been in when the creatures from the wood took his friends. He sighed deeply and forced himself up. There was much to do. He stretched his arms and his back. It was quite stiff from the uncomfortable sleeping position he had been forced into. Despite his best efforts, there was still a dull pain in his lower back, but he pushed the pain to the back of his mind. There were more important things to worry about.

He walked back to the camp. The creatures had taken his friends, but had left everything else. Each of their swords, and Zelda’s and John’s bow, lay on the ground next to where each had slept. Aaron bent over and grabbed one of the bags that they had brought with them and emptied it of its contents. This particular bag had only some spare clothes in it, and leaving them behind in exchange for the weapons was an easy decision. Aaron grabbed each sword and sheath and placed in gently in the bag, along with the two bows. Once he had all of them, he pulled the string on the bag tightly and slung it over his shoulder.

Not too far from the campfire site, he saw several water skins. Figuring that he was going to need every resource available to him, he grabbed as many as he could and slung them around his other shoulder. His stomach helped him make another decision as it growled loudly, trying to get his attention. He placed his hand on it and squeezed.

He found their rations just where he expected them to be. Each of them had carried their own rations in their pouches, and just as the creatures had ignored the weapons, they left the food. Aaron picked up one of the ration pouches and filled it as much as he possibly could with food from the other pouches. When he filled the first one to its limit, he grabbed a second pouch and filled it. Don’t want to starve to death, he thought.

"Alright," he said aloud. "I wonder who wandered away from camp last night."

He gazed around him and looked at the ground. Throughout the camp there were many footprints, mostly that of whatever kind of creatures had come from the wood. But what caught his eye was a solitary set of prints that led in the opposite direction. From what he could tell, whoever left them wasn’t in a hurry. He followed them.

It didn’t take him long to find where the tracks led. Only a hundred yards or so from the camp, he found Michael lying face down in the dirt. Dried blood coated a part of a nearby rock, and Aaron feared the worst. Dropping to his knees, he slapped Michael on the face.

"Michael! Wake up!" he yelled at the limp body, demanding that he obey him. "Please, Michael! Wake up!"

He slapped Michael’s face a few more times before he decided to roll him over. He did just that, gently, as to not inflict any more damage to him. Once he had Michael on his back, he saw the gash in his head. More dried blood covered the left side of his face.

"You better not be dead," Aaron warned him. "Because if you are…"

He stopped talking and started slapping Michael in the face again. Sliding his hand down to the man’s neck, he felt for a pulse and was extremely relieved when he felt one. To his surprise, the pulse wasn’t weak like he had expected it to be. In fact, it almost seemed normal.

"Michael?" Aaron asked, confused.

Michael finally responded with a groan.

"Michael!" Aaron exclaimed, his voice full of excitement, but most of all, relief.

"Aaron?" Michael struggled to say, his throat dry and scratchy. Aaron helped him sit up.

Aaron smiled. "Thank the Goddesses you’re alive. Here," he said as he grabbed one of the water skins. "Drink some water."

Greedily, he took the water skin from Aaron’s hand and easily finished what remained in it. He let out a refreshing gasp. "Where am I?"

"Just outside of camp. You’re lucky I found you," he said. "Actually, we’re both lucky I found you." Aaron sighed.

"Has everyone been worried?"

Aaron sighed again. "It is us who should be worried about them."

"Why?" Michael asked, his facing becoming full with concern. "What happened?"

"They were taken."

"Taken? By whom?"

Aaron stood up and looked toward the wood. "I don’t know, but they came from there," he said as he pointed in its direction.

Michael turned his neck and gazed into the wood. Looking away, he hung his head. "It was my fault that they were taken. I walked away because I though I heard something, and… well, here I am."

"It’s not your fault," Aaron contradicted. "There would’ve been nothing you could’ve done. You, and I, would’ve been taken along with them if we had tried to stop them."

"So what do we do now?"

Aaron turned his head and looked down at Michael, and smiled. "The only thing we can do." He reached down and pulled Michael to his feet and looked him directly in the eyes. "We get them back."

Michael smiled back and the two slapped each other on the shoulder.

"So where do we start?" Michael inquired.

Aaron didn’t respond. He was now staring off into the distance, toward the east.

"Aaron?"

Aaron remained silent for a moment longer. "We start there," he said, pointing behind Michael.

Michael turned and his heart sunk. Not too far in the distance, standing where it had not been the day before (or even the minute before) was the old man’s hut. Without another word, Michael turned back and grabbed some of the equipment that Aaron was carrying. With one last, deep sigh, the two of them headed off to see the old man once again.

* * * *

Link awoke with a massive headache. He placed his hand on his head and slowly sat upright. His sleep had been plagued by nightmares from which he couldn’t escape, and the dank odor of his surroundings wasn’t helping at all.

"You’re finally awake," Robert said, startling the Hero of Time.

Link squinted in the weak light, trying to make out Robert’s figure. He was sitting across from him, against a wall.

"Robert?" he looked around. He had no idea where they were or how they had gotten there, and he figured Robert didn’t have a clue either. But he asked anyway. "Where are we?"

"A prison cell."

"I can see that," Link answered sarcastically. In fact, his eyes hadn’t grown accustomed to the light level. It was as if some drug was making it difficult to see. "But where?"

Robert shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows. The only thing I can tell you is that we seem to be stuck here."

"Where is everyone?"

Robert motioned with his head to the left, Link’s right. "John, Nick, and William are still asleep over there. As for Zelda, Aaron, and Michael, I have no idea."

Link’s heart sank at the mention of Zelda not being there. "Who brought us here?"

"Quit asking me questions you know that I can’t answer," Robert said sternly.

Link was taken aback. "Sorry."

Robert sighed. "Don’t be. I’m just frustrated at this whole situation. If only we had listened to the captain…"

"It’s a little too late for ‘If only’, Robert. Besides, it does us no good to wallow on our mistakes. We need to figure a way out of here, and not second guess ourselves."

Silence filled the room. The two conscious prisoners racked their brains and their surroundings for a way out. It remained quiet for some time.

* * * *

"Hello again," the old man said, almost too cheerily.

Aaron breathed out heavily. "I’m sick of seeing your face and being given the runaround by you, old man. So let’s cut to the chase."

"My, my, it seems as though your journey is getting to you. That’s a shame."

"Shut up!" Aaron yelled. "You know what’s going on, and you know where our friends are. So start talking!"

"I refuse to be ordered around by someone such as yourself."

Aaron was furious. He reached out and grabbed the old man by his old, beaten, brown cloak, lifting him off his feet. "And I refuse to take this kind of treatment from you! Tell me where they are!"

Michael stepped in and placed his arms over the outstretched arms of Aaron. "Put him down, Aaron. This isn’t helping us." Aaron didn’t respond. "Please, just put him down." Michael applied pressure to the tops of Aaron’s arms.

Slowly, and reluctantly, Aaron placed the old man back on the ground and released his grip on him. The old man fixed his robe and muttered to himself.

"What was that?" Aaron said with a raised voice.

The old man stopped and turned around. "It is none of your concern."

Aaron made a move for the old man, but Michael stepped in his way. "Calm down, Aaron. He’ll tell us what we need to know, but you just need to calm down."

Silence filled the room as Aaron slowly began to calm down. In reality, he was just putting up with the old man because Michael was encouraging him to do so. If Michael wasn’t there, Aaron would make sure that there was nothing left of the old man or his shack.

"Please sit down," the old man finally said when Aaron appeared to be on the level again. "Would anyone care for some tea?"

"No thanks," Michael replied. "All we want to know is where are friends are and how we can get them back."

"Very well," the old man said, taking his seat across the table from them. He waited until they sat down as well. When they were finally seated, he continued. "Your friends were taken into the wood."

"I already knew that," Aaron said condescendingly. Michael motioned with his hand for Aaron to calm down.

The old man went on. "They’re being held in the prison cells of the creatures known as Malfos."

"What the hell is a Malfos?" Aaron asked.

"Simply put, they’re a mix between what you know as a Moblin and a Stalfos. They are as big as a Stalfos, but they have flesh. These creatures are also extremely aggressive, and in the history of their existence, no one has encountered one and lived to tell about it."

"How did they come into existence?" Michael pondered aloud. The old man answered him.

"Years ago, Ganondorf began experimenting with cross-breeding, and this was his first, and only attempt."

Aaron leaned in. "Do they have a weakness?"

"Of course. All things do."

Silence.

"So what is it?" Aaron continued, his voice rising in volume a little.

The old man sighed. "They have poor vision during the day, and in order to kill a Malfos, you must strike them in the back."

Aaron chuckled. "Is that it? Just get behind them? That’s easy."

"My dear Aaron," the old man said, insulting Aaron at the same time. "Planning and execution of the plan are two entirely different things."

"In other words, it’s easier said than done," Michael concluded.

The old man nodded.

"So how do we find our friends?" Aaron went on.

"You must enter the wood and find their stronghold. There you will find your friends."

"And how do we find the stronghold?" Michael asked.

"Just follow the path."

Michael and Aaron looked at each other. They stared for several seconds before Aaron turned back to the old man.

"That’s it? Just follow the path? Won’t they be expecting that?"

He shook his head. "No. They detect enemies by way of the trees. That’s why they knew you were nearby. When you touched the tree, Aaron, you alerted them of your presence."

"Don’t touch the trees. Got it," Aaron replied. "Anything else?"

Without so much as a warning, the old man and the hut simply disappeared. The only thing left was a voice in the wind.

"Good luck."

They were back outside, standing where the hut had been. The sun had already traversed the sky and was nearly setting.

"Damn, time sure does fly when you’re talking to that old man," Michael quipped.

Aaron ignored him. "I guess we should settle down for the night. We’ll head into the wood tomorrow morning."

"Sure," Michael sighed.

"What’s wrong?"

"I hope they’re all alright," he said while gazing at the setting sun.

Aaron didn’t reply, but he had the same feelings as Michael. He only hoped that they weren’t too late.

The large metal door swung open into the cell, causing Link and Robert to take a defensive stance. In walked two large creatures, the likes of which they had never seen before. Instead of moving in on the prisoners, the creatures separated and covered the left side and the right side of the door. Behind them, a smaller, yet still large, creature emerged. He carried something that resembled a tray and placed it on the floor near the other two creatures. Making no sound, nor making eye contact with the prisoners, the three of them walked out, the last closing the big door behind him.

Link and Robert looked at each other, and finally relaxed their bodies. Robert walked up to the tray and figured that they were being fed. For what reason, he didn’t know. His stomach growled at him, and he decided that their reasons didn’t matter, just as long as he was fed. Leaning down, he picked up what appeared to be a piece of bread, although the color wasn’t right and the feel of it in his hand seemed off. He took in a deep breath and took a bite.

He quickly spit it out.

"That’s the worst thing I’ve ever tasted!" he said to Link. "Horrible!"

The sudden shout woke up John and William, who had been sleeping until then. Nick remained asleep.

"Is that food?" William asked excitedly, his stomach churning with hunger. He jumped to his feet and ran across the cell, not even taking in the surroundings before he had gotten his hands on the food that was left for them.

"William…" Robert started to say, giving the man a warning. But it was too late.

William grabbed a handful of some sort of meat and nearly engulfed it. There was a slight pause as the taste hit his taste buds.

He spit out a chunk, the piece hitting the door.

"What the hell is this?" William asked, eyeing up the rest of the meat in his hands.

John laughed a little. "You know it’s bad if even William won’t eat it."

William shot him a look, but John kept on laughing.

"Well I’m not eating it!" William shouted, throwing the food back on the tray.

"Then you can just starve to death," Link said matter-of-factly. "Choice is yours," he said as he grabbed a piece of meat. Throwing it into his mouth, Link grimaced slightly at the horrible taste, but continued to chew on it regardless.

William grimaced as well at the thought of the horrible tasting meat. He stuck out his tongue slightly and shook his head. "Yuck," he simply said.

John grabbed a piece of the "bread" and ate it. Robert finished his piece and went for a chunk of meat.

"You people disgust me," William commented as the three of them chowed down. He looked away from them, not wanting to think of the food. It was then that he saw Nick lying unconscious in the corner. He looked around for the other three, but there was no sign of them. "Hey," he said, grabbing their attention. "Where are Zelda, Aaron, and Michael?"

Link stopped eating briefly. "We hope that they’re on the outside, trying to figure out a way to get us out of here."

"And if they’re not?"

Robert stopped chewing. "Then we’re going to be stuck in here for awhile."

"Great," William said under his breath. "Just great."

He went back to the tray and, for the first time in his life, actually forced himself to eat.

* * * *

Michael slowed to a stop and reached for his water skin. They were deep in the woods, but enough sunlight was able to penetrate the treetops to give them good light and more than enough heat. Before taking his drink, Michael wiped his brow.

Aaron stopped alongside him. "How much further could this ‘stronghold’ possibly be? We’ve been walking for hours!"

"Who knows," Michael responded. "But there’s no stopping now. We need to find it and get the others out of there."

Aaron nodded. "I’m completely aware of the situation, and I’ll drop dead before I give up on them. But this is getting ridiculous."

"In that case, I’m in complete agreement."

"Right," Aaron said. They stood there in silence, looking down the path on which they were traveling. "Well," he continued, breaking the silence, "Let’s go."

Michael responded, but not verbally. Instead, he proceeded to continue down the path, determined to find his friends. And find them alive.

Aaron picked up his pace slightly in order to catch up to the determined Michael. The two walked in complete silence. The only sounds were that of their breathing, the leaves rustling beneath their feet, and the soft chirps of a nearby bird.

They continued on for another hour, maintaining a pace that was slightly faster than walking. Neither of them had said a word for some time now, and it was beginning to drive Aaron crazy.

"Are we there yet?" he abruptly, and childishly, said. He could have kicked himself for saying that, but it was too late.

Michael just gave him a weird look, but never changed his pace.

"Sorry," Aaron apologized. "The silence was just starting to annoy me. I know we’re on a mission to save the others from the… the Moflos… Maflos… the Malfos," he said, stumbling for the right term. "But is that any reason to be completely silent? I mean, the old man said that they detect our presence through the trees. So we should be alright to talk, shouldn’t we?"

Michael was growing annoyed at Aaron’s incessant whining, and for a brief moment wondered how such a person had become a Knight of Hyrule.

"I’m sorry," Aaron apologized again, realizing that he had been rambling. "I don’t usually do this." He left it at that, as if it were all that was necessary for him to say. Regaining his composure, Aaron quieted down.

"It’s alright," Michael finally said, catching Aaron off guard. "I was just thinking, and then you started talking. It was a little distracting."

"You always need to concentrate on the task at hand. I’ve often done the same thing as you just did," Aaron assured him. He let out a small laugh. "I’m usually the sane one, at least I like to think I am."

Michael smiled. "And it’s quite annoying." They both let out a laugh, without slowing their pace. When they calmed down, Michael continued. "It’s just that this is the first time I’ve been away from home for so long, I find myself… homesick. Heh… and I thought I had what it takes to be a Knight."

"You do," Aaron encouraged him. "You’ve proven yourself over and over again."

"I guess. But… I don’t know… I miss Catherine. I wish I could see her right now. I wish…"

"Shut up," Aaron said sharply, cutting Michael right off.

"What? Why?"

Aaron shushed him again and looked around. Michael took the hint and began surveying their surroundings as well. He didn’t hear anything abnormal and turned to look at Aaron.

"There’s nothing out there."

"Shh!" Aaron commanded. Michael was taken aback by it, and as a result, shut his mouth once again.

Aaron squinted his eyes and looked further on down the path. In the distance, he could see figures. Big figures.

"Get off the path!" he yelled to Michael. "But don’t touch the trees!"

Aaron quickly jumped into the wood, but Michael was slightly reluctant.

"Sure, jump into the trees, but don’t touch them," he quipped to himself.

He carefully worked his way into the trees, paying close attention to where every one of his footsteps fell. As soon as he was out of sight of the path, he stopped and turned around. Remaining quiet, he could hear the sounds of marching, along with sounds that he had never heard before. As he waited for what was coming to pass, Michael quickly looked for any sign of Aaron, but the other Knight was nowhere near him. Sighing, he returned his attention to the path.

After waiting for what seemed like an eternity, Michael laid his eyes on what were apparently the Malfos. They were just like the old man had described them. He forgot to tell us one thing, Michael thought, he never mentioned how ugly they were. As he looked upon them, he could see their bulging muscles, as well as many battle scars, either from enemies or friends. The old man had called them "very aggressive," and Michael could only assume that that meant they were ill tempered and quick to anger.

The Malfos were now passing directly in front of him, and he held his breath in order to become as soundless as possible. Even so, the stench of the creatures was overwhelming, and Michael found it increasingly difficult to hold his breath. The line of Malfos was long, and he knew that he was not going to be able to hold his breath much longer. His face was turning blue and soon would be purple. The world around him began to swirl around, his head felt funny.

I’d rather make a noise while still conscious then pass out and be defenseless! his mind cried out to him. His body was in full agreement, and without warning, he exhaled loudly.

Aaron heard him from further down the path. Most of the Malfos had already passed by him, but Michael still had some to go. He jerked his head to the sound of breathing and saw Michael trying to hold his mouth and minimize the noise emanating from him. Aaron heard nothing but the muffled sounds of Michael’s breaths. And that’s when he realized it.

The Malfos had stopped marching.

Aaron frantically looked from Michael to the now idle Malfos. They heard him! Aaron’s own breathing now increased, but the Malfos didn’t seem to pay any attention to him. The entire company, including the ones that had not yet passed Aaron, was now closing in on Michael’s position. But something about their search confused Aaron slightly. They didn’t seem to be looking for him. Rather, they were smelling for him.

An image flashed through Aaron’s mind. Michael and himself were standing beside the old man. "They have poor vision during the day, and in order to kill a Malfos, you must strike them in the back."

So there’s still a chance! Aaron exclaimed in his mind. Relying on that fact, he emerged from the forest and stood in the middle of the path.

He waved his arms around, and when the Malfos failed to move, he knew that he was out of their sight. But the one problem still remained: they would find Michael eventually. Thinking fast, Aaron remembered what the old man had said about the trees. He glanced at the ground and noticed a rock the size of a fist. Picking it up, he looked down the path, beyond the gathering Malfos. With one big heave, he threw the rock passed them and into the forest.

The rock nailed the side of a tree, and the Malfos reacted instinctively.

Their leader (he was identifiable by the many ornaments that adorned his helmet and tattered vest) led them on a charge toward the spot where the rock had hit the tree. Without hesitation, Aaron called out to Michael, as loud as he dared anyway.

"Michael! Come on!"

Michael emerged from the forest and looked at the company of Malfos that were scurrying down the path, away from them. He didn’t know why they had suddenly left him, nor did he care. He ran and joined Aaron.

"What’s going on? I thought I was a goner!"

Aaron chuckled. "Just a little diversion. Now, let’s get going before they realize that no one’s there."

"Right."

They began to jog, all the while trying to remain light on their feet so as to not draw any attention to themselves. They remained well away from the trees, for risk of brushing along one of its smaller branches. They knew they weren’t too far from their goal.

The smell was getting stronger.

* * * *

"I can’t take this foul stench any longer!" John screamed, shattering the long period of silence that had engulfed them all. He jumped up onto his feet and stormed over to the cell door while the rest of them watched him. He had startled all of them, more than any of them would ever admit. "Let us out of here, you filthy, disgusting pieces of rotten meat!" he yelled out through the small opening in the door. He kicked it twice, scoring direct hits on the center of the door, but it barely even moved.

Robert was the first to his feet and he calmly moved behind John, who was still wailing away on the door. Grabbing a hold of John, Robert tried to calm him from his rage.

"John!" he yelled while John tried to wriggle free of Robert’s strong grasp. "This won’t accomplish anything! You’ll only end up hurting yourself!" John replied by straining even harder, and he was beginning to break away.

Seeing this, Link moved in and helped Robert restrain John. Sensing defeat as four arms now held him in place, John gave up.

"Now, breath deeply," Link was instructing him. Obediently, he began slowing his breathing, while breathing deeper. After several breaths, Link and Robert let go of him.

John stood there, his eyes closed, breathing deeply. An awkward silence befell the room, and the eerie sound (or rather, lack of) infuriated John once more. He ran toward the door once again, fully intending to knock it down or die trying.

However, Link reacted quickly, and before John could even get near the door, Link was already restraining him.

"John! Calm down!" Link was pleading as John tried to overpower him.

It was apparent that there no way they could talk John down from his current state, and Nick was becoming tired of it already. He stood up, walked directly in front of John, and looked him in the face.

"Forgive me again," Nick said as he swung his fist, connecting squarely on John’s head. For the second time on the journey, Nick had knocked John unconscious.

"Thanks, Nick," Link said as he caught the dead weight that was John.

"Don’t," Nick said, rejecting the gratitude. "I hate to have to do that to a friend, but sometimes its necessary."

Link dragged his friend’s body over to one of the walls and gently propped him up on it. They fell silent once again.

"Where the hell are Aaron and Michael?" Nick asked. He had meant to just think it, but it came out anyway.

"Who knows," Link sighed. "Hopefully, they’re somewhere out there, making up a plan to get us out of here. Either that or…" he drifted off.

"Or what?" William asked.

Link didn’t respond.

"Hey! Or what?!" William demanded.

Robert sighed. "Either that or… or they’re already dead."

A solemn feeling overcame the room as they all contemplated the possibility of Aaron and Michael meeting their demise, somewhere. Again, silence claimed them for a short while, until Nick broke it.

"Look, we should at least try to figure out a way out of here, just in case…" he cut himself short. He didn’t want to say it, nor did he have to. It was well understood.

"I agree," Link added. "It can’t hurt to come up with some sort of plan. Besides, I don’t want to wait and find out what they’re going to do to us. We need to get out of here… with Zelda."

"Considering that we have no clue as to where she is," Robert said, "it’ll be tough to come up with a good plan."

"It doesn’t need to be good," Link countered. "It just needs to work."

William chuckled. "So we’re going on luck, I take it?"

Link half-smiled.

"Sounds like fun," William continued, sarcastically.

"Have some faith, William," Nick replied, patting his friend on the back. "We’ve made it this far with a lot of luck. Let’s just hope it continues."

"Everyone, come over here," Link called to the three of them. He was already near the back of the cell, crouching down in the dirt, a stick in his hand. "We’ve got a lot of work ahead of us."

Robert and Nick nodded and made their way over to Link. William looked toward the sky, although he could see nothing but crumbling rock.

"Aaron. Michael. I pray to the Goddesses for your safety. And ours." He looked away and joined the others.

* * * *

The stench had become a lot stronger. Its fumes seemed to pierce the very soul, and it was unbearable. Sharp pains made their way through Michael’s head, and he placed his right hand over his temple.

"In all the world, I’ve never smelled anything quite like this," his voice lowered as if the normal volume echoed too much for him to take.

"I’ve smelled some pretty nasty stuff before, but this definitely takes the cake," Aaron agreed. "But there’s nothing we can do about it."

"I suppose you’re right. We’ve come this far."

They stood within sight of the Malfos stronghold, just beyond the tree line, careful not to touch any of the trees. The stronghold was merely a crude labyrinth of shallow caves that intertwined at various sections. In fact, it seemed that most of the Malfos rested and lived outside of the stronghold. Aaron and Michael had been watching their movements for nearly an hour, and every time a company of Malfos came back, only the leader entered the labyrinth.

"That’s our way in," Aaron said.

"What?" Michael asked in disbelief. "You want us to go through the front door?"

Aaron smiled. "That’s right. They’d never suspect it."

"Well, sure. But what about guards and patrol? Surely they’ll see us?"

"Look around. Do you see any?"

Michael did just that. He eyed up the entire area directly in front of the main entrance. He chuckled to himself when he realized that Aaron was right. Not a single guard lay in wait.

"So let’s go now!" Michael exclaimed and he started to get up.

Aaron reached out and grabbed his arm. "No! Not yet! We must wait until after the next wave of soldiers comes back. Otherwise, we’ll be spotted."

Michael sat back down. "And how are we supposed to know when that’s going to happen?"

"One should go by in about five minutes."

Michael squinted his eyes in doubt. "How can you be so sure?"

Aaron smiled slyly. "Just watch."

Five minutes seemed like an eternity, and Michael was growing more anxious by the second. All he wanted to do was storm in there, rescue his friends, and get the hell out of this forsaken place so he could leave it far behind. But he waited.

Time passed, and Michael began to doubt Aaron’s estimate. He turned and went to say something, but was cut off by the sounds of marching feet and armor.

A company of Malfos marched down along the path in front of them. Just as Aaron had expected, only the leader entered the stronghold. The rest of the company broke apart into general disarray and vacated the area. It was time.

"Let’s go," Aaron said, and the two of them stepped out from the wood.

* * * *

The pattern in the dirt was complex, and if anybody other than the five of them had come across it, they wouldn’t know what to make of it. It didn’t help any that none of them knew what the place looked like outside of their cell, but they thought nothing of it.

"Is this really going to work?" Michael wondered aloud.

Their eyes fluttered around the room, each making eye contact with all the others and then quickly darting away. The question wasn’t answered and William’s heart sunk deeper into his stomach. He gulped.

"Why don’t we go over it one more time?" Nick suggested. The tension and overwhelming reality of their situation was almost unbearable, and Nick wanted to take his mind off of it.

Link placed the tip of the stick into the dirt pattern once more. "When the guards come back for a check-up, you two," he pointed to William and John, "start arguing with each other. If you need to, use force on each other. With any luck, the guards will come into the cell in order to stop it…"

"And why would they do that?" John asked. He wasn’t looking forward to purposely starting a fight with William.

"Hopefully, they want to be the ones to beat us," Link responded.

"Hopefully?" John wasn’t convinced.

"Anyway," Link continued, "when they unlock the door, I will be positioned here." He drew an X in the dirt, indicating that he would be on the right side of the door. He then placed another X on the left side of the door, and another at the back wall. "Nick and Robert, you’ll be here, and here. They’re big, so we’ll need to knock them off their feet, otherwise we’ll have no chance."

Grunts echoed from the dimly lit hallway that led up to their cell. All heads jerked around to look at the door. Link turned back.

"Now!" he yelled at John and William. "Do something!"

The two of them looked at each other for a moment, neither knowing what to actually do.

"Now!" Robert yelled as he took his position at the rear of the cell.

William acted quickly now, and he was soon right up in John’s face. "This is all your fault! We wouldn’t be here if it wasn’t for you!"

"I don’t think so, you arrogant pig! We’re here because of you!" John screamed back. He felt stupid.

The feeling was mutual, as William tried to think of what to say.

"It… I… you… You’re a disgrace to the Knights of Hyrule!"

"Am not!" John yelled.

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

Link looked across at Nick, making eye contact. They slowly shook their heads and sighed. In the back of the room, Robert placed his right hand over his face. The childish bantering went on.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

The guards had been at the door the entire time, yet they never even showed any concern as to what was transpiring inside the cell. Link looked across at Nick again.

"This isn’t working."

"And it’s embarrassing," Nick replied as he glanced back at the two Knights acting as children. "So what do we do now?"

"I don’t know."

As John and William continued their argument, Link, Nick, and Robert contemplated what to do next. Their plan proved to be futile, and none of them had the slightest clue as to what to do next.

"Am not!"

"Are too!"

And then a grunt.

John and William stopped immediately, and all five of them turned their heads toward the door. The grunt was followed by another, which was followed by the sound of two giant bodies slamming into the ground. The five of them looked from person to person, each of them completely dumbfounded. Outside, they could hear the rattling of keys.

"Get ready!" Link yelled, figuring that their plan had worked after all.

The first key was tried, and it didn’t fit the lock. A second try failed as well. Link grew confused over the obvious incompetence of the armed guards that sat watch on them. He reached for his sword and then remembered that he wasn’t armed.

On the fifth try, the key finally fit into the lock, and all five tensed up, ready for a brawl. The key turned in the lock slowly, as if the person holding the key was trying to be as quiet as possible. Ever so slightly, the door opened. Nick jumped into action immediately and forced the door completely open before the guards on the other side knew what happened. Link jumped out and Robert rushed forward as Nick did so.

Aaron ducked immediately, but Michael catches Link’s fist square in the face and falls over.

"Wait! Wait! Link, it’s us!" Aaron yelled, all the while holding himself in a defensive position.

As Link brought his fist around for another attack, Robert reached out and grabbed his arm.

"Link! Stop! It’s Aaron and Michael!"

As Link realized what he had done, Michael pulled himself up off the ground, rubbing the side of his face. He grunted slightly.

"Am I glad to see you guys," Nick said, slapping Aaron on the back.

Aaron smiled. "The feeling’s mutual."

"So do you guys have a plan?" Robert asked of the two new additions.

"Yeah," Michael answered, still rubbing his cheek. "We’re getting out of here."

"So what’s the plan?" Robert asked again.

Michael and Aaron looked at each other. The message was all too clear to the rest of them.

"You don’t have a plan, do you?" William asked, sighing.

"We… uh… hadn’t thought that far ahead," Aaron admitted. "We just figured we’d sneak in here, get you out, then bust out of here."

"Great plan," William quipped.

"At least we got you out of your cell!" Michael yelled.

"Let’s not start fighting now," Link said calmly. "Let’s just figure a way out of here. But first…" He turned and looked Aaron straight in the eyes. "…do you know where Zelda is?"

"Yes."

"Is she safe?"

Aaron sighed. Link didn’t like that answer.

"Alright, lead the way. We… I need to get here out of here."

Aaron nodded. "Follow me. All of your weapons are just down the hall."

He ran out of the room and made a right. The rest of them followed one by one, Link directly in front of Michael. As they ran down the hall, he turned around.

"Sorry about that. I thought you were one of them."

"It’s alright," Michael said, rubbing his cheek once more. "Nice shot, though."

Link smiled. "Thanks."

At the end of the hall, they found their weapons neatly stacked and separated. Each picked up their own equipment.

"So where to now?" John asked.

Aaron pointed down the corridor on their left. "We go down there and we’ll get to what we believe is the main chamber. I have to tell you, there’s a lot of Malfos down there."

"Can’t back down now," Link said as he rushed by all of them and headed down the corridor.

"Link, wait!" Aaron tried to call after him, but it was too late. "Damn it!" he yelled. Turning back to the others, he said, "Let’s go. He’s going to need our help."

The corridor was narrow and winding, and Link ran as fast as he possibly could through it all. Up ahead, he could hear the beating of drums and the horrible chanting of the Malfos. The sounds became louder and louder, and he could feel the drumbeat throughout his body. He continued through the corridor, and then stepped into the main chamber.

The drumbeat stopped, as did Link.

The room was massive, with many passages leading in and out of out. Looking around, Link saw dozens of Malfos, all staring angrily at him. They stood completely still, as if they were waiting for some command before they dared to move. Link used the opportunity to glance around the room some more, and then he saw it: the head Malfos. It sat triumphantly on a throne made of dirt, wood, and stone. Link could feel its gaze upon him, and wondered if he was being placed under some spell.

"Link!"

The familiar voice called out to him, and Link looked for the source. Looking to the right of the Malfos King, he saw Zelda, suspended from the ceiling in a cage.

"Zelda!"

"Link!"

He stepped in her direction with the intent of getting her out, but as soon as he moved forward, the Malfos King growled an order. All the Malfos now sprung into action, charging Link. He unsheathed the Master Sword.

As they barreled down on Link, the other six Knights emerged from the tunnel and sprang into action. The Malfos were caught completely off guard by the new wave of Knights, and they began to fall back. Several Malfos collapsed on the ground after being run through in the back as they fled from their enemy.

"You alright, Link?" Nick asked as he picked up the Hero of Time off the ground.

NEXT