In Which the Past Refuses to Stay Buried

by by_writers_for_writers

Chapter 1: In Which the Hero Returns

Zelda looked as regal as ever sitting atop her throne. When she’d first agreed to be the queen of Hyrule, the throne had dwarfed her, as had the shadow of her fathers reign. It had taken nearly a year for her to feel worthy enough to sit on the throne and call herself the queen. Link had been there for her the whole time, standing in as whatever she needed him to be: a warrior, an advisor, a friend. He filled any and every role she asked of him. 

 

When the Chain had approached him with their offer of him joining them, he couldn’t give them a confident answer. He and Zelda had talked it over for a fortnight before Link felt like he could leave Zelda on her own, despite her assuring him that she’d be fine on her own, and that she could take care of herself just fine. As he had walked out of the castle with the others, he had looked back at Zelda, almost wishing that she would change her mind and call him back. But she didn’t, and he was whisked away to other worlds to help where he was needed.

 

He couldn’t tell from where he was standing, but Link thought she looked older. It may have been the light, or how serious her face rested, similar to the face she made when focused on figuring out how the guardians worked. Despite how much he wanted to run up one of the side staircases, Link held himself back, instead dropping to kneel on one knee, bowing his head. Behind him, he could hear the clanking and rustling of metals and fabrics as the others hopefully did the same. It was awkward for Link as he no longer had the majority of his right arm, so the remainder of it dangled at his side.

 

The Sanctum was silent, save for the occasional clink of metal as one of the Chain members shifted, causing their sword and shield to bump against one another. Soon, Zelda stood and approached the railing in front of the throne. She rested her hands on the rail, surveying them. Link watched her through his bangs, distantly thinking that he needed a haircut. 

 

“Esteemed guests, Champion, Hyrule welcomes you. As long as you are here, know that you shall be received with open arms within the castle. Our resources and facilities are available to you should you want or need to use them. If there is something you need that we do not have, simply ask and you shall have it. We want you to feel at home as much as you can. You have all been given servants for your time here. They will help guide you and get you the things that you need. 

 

“Champion, I trust that you have no such need, even after time away. However, should you need one, tell me and you will be given one as well. As of right now, you all are free to retire to your quarters, except for you, Champion. You and I have much to discuss.” As Zelda spoke, Link could see the familiar twinkle in her eyes amidst the stern gaze. “Please, follow me to my study. The rest of you are free to leave. Come find me if there are any concerns or needs.”

 

Link stood up, the others quick to do the same. While everyone else began to talk to one another, he looked up again at Zelda, who nodded. He returned the gesture then turned around to face the rest of his group. A nervous-looking group of servants had gathered, seemingly afraid to try and approach a group of eight heavily armed warriors. Since he was closest, Link tapped Warriors shoulder to get his attention. 

 

“What’s up?” Warriors asked, stretching his arms out in front of him. Link opened his mouth to speak but found that no words would come out. He tried again and failed. Frustrated with his mind and body, he pointed to the servants that still hadn’t stepped forward. Everyone turned to look at the servants, who shrunk back even further. No one moved. Link rolled his eyes, walking over to grab one of the servants and walk him over to the Chain. He pointed at the servant, then at the group, as if to say “tell them” .  Thankfully, the servant understood and stepped forward.

 

“My name is Akakios. What I believe Sir Link is trying to convey is that you all are to follow us to your rooms. Correct?” Akakios turned back to Link, who grinned and nodded. The group made collective sounds of understanding. Link patted the man's shoulder then made a shooing motion to let him know to lead the way. As the group began to walk out of the main doors of the Sanctum, Link stayed behind trying to remember how the restored castle looked in order to get to Zelda’s study. 

 

“Hey, Wild! Are you coming or what?” Warriors asked, lingering behind.

 

“Sir Link has an important meeting with Her Majesty. He’ll join us later, once they are finished. Please, this way.” Warriors’ servant explained, gesturing towards the group that was walking away.

 

“Wild?”

 

Link smiled, giving Warriors a thumbs up. Despite his apparent uneasiness, Warriors followed his servant out of the Sanctum. Alone, Link took the chance to look around the Sanctum. The last time he had been in the room, there had been debris everywhere, and a giant hole in the center of the floor from when Calamity Ganon had fallen through into the astral observatory. It looked the same, yet so, so different.

 

The damage had been repaired, and the circular stone carved with the Triforce had returned. Carpets and banners embroidered with the royal crest adorned the room, and the symbolic Triforce above the throne had been fixed and polished. Link could imagine that it glowed when the light hit it just right. He would have to ask Zelda about the repairs and how long they took when he got the chance. First, there were more important things to discuss, including the new monster camp that would soon be back with the next blood moon. So, Link set off, wandering the long, winding hallways silently until he found Zelda’s study.

 

=========================

 

As they were led throughout the castle, Warriors looked at the empty frames on the walls. There were tens, possibly hundreds of them, yet so many of them sat empty. The whole castle gave him a weird vibe, but maybe he was just reading too far into things. 

 

“During the Great Calamity,” one of the servants, a younger man named Loukas, abruptly said, “when the monsters had invaded the castle, they tore all the paintings to shreds. Originally, our walls were adorned with all sorts of paintings of members of the royal family and weddings and whatnot. Now, we’re slowly trying to recreate them. 

 

“Before his passing, His Majesty had commissioned a painting of the late Queen of Hyrule. It was to be hung in the Great Hall where all would see it. But, unfortunately, the painting wasn’t completed before the calamity, and the man who had started it was killed in the initial resurgence. The painting itself was mostly undamaged, thank Hylia, save for a small tear in the canvas that will be fixed once someone who can finish the painting is found. Queen Zelda is being very particular about who paints it, as she wants the portrait to be as life-like as it can be.”

 

“Huh.” Warriors responded, not sure what else to say to that. Wild had talked about the calamity a few times, though he never went in depth about what it had done to his Hyrule. Each time someone had tried to approach the subject, he got quiet, answering in simple signs or giving vague responses. Eventually they all stopped asking, as they knew Wild wouldn’t give them any sort of tangible answers. 

 

During their walk to where Warriors assumed was where they would be staying until who knew when, they passed dozens of off-shoot hallways that led to more parts of the castle. The whole layout of it was so bizarre, and he realized that it had been built more as a bunker or fortress than a castle, designed to confuse any enemies who might enter by leading them off the right course. The longer they walked, the more impressed Warriors became. 

 

Soon, the servant leading the group turned down one of the hallways and walked up the stairs to a higher level. They entered a large, open room with a high ceiling. Decorative sconces sat just above eye level, none of them lit. Sunlight from the large castle windows easily lit the entirety of the room, but Warriors could assume that once the sun set the sconces were lit by servants. The room was decorated with a few sofas and armchairs. Each was made of a beautiful dark wood and carved with the crest of the royal family and had red cushions that looked pristine and unused. Warriors speculated that this specific area of the castle was hardly used as there were no other Hylian nobles with parties big enough to require it. 

 

Akakios stepped in front of everyone to address the group. “This is one of our many reception rooms. Because of its growing population, Hyrule has gained a number of lesser, yet still royal, families who are essential to helping Queen Zelda make important decisions regarding the wellbeing and protection of her citizens. As such, whenever it is time for the seasonal meeting, they all come to the castle and need rooms to stay in. There are nicer ones for that reason, yet they are being prepared and cleaned for this season's meeting. However, their servants also need rooms to stay in, which are the ones that will house you all during your time here. 

 

“There are four bedrooms in this wing, each containing two beds. You’ll have to pick amongst yourselves who will room with who, but it will be an even split, thank Hylia.”

 

“What about Wild?” Sky spoke up.

 

“Master Link? He has his own quarters closer to the queen should there be an emergency. He’d been offered a larger room elsewhere in the castle, but refused in order to guard Her Majesty, despite having been unofficially relieved of his duties. As I was saying, please figure out amongst yourselves who will stay with who.”

 

Everyone looked around awkwardly. It had been a while since they stayed in a place with enough beds to house them all, let alone somewhere that they’d get rooms to themselves. At Time and Malon’s house, they usually rolled out mats and used spare tunics as pillows. Malon had graciously made enough blankets so that they could have some level of comfort while they were there, but even still. 

 

After a brief moment of discussion, they settled on Sky and Wind, Time and Twilight, Hyrule and Legend, and Warriors and Four. While it probably wasn’t perfect, they all agreed that it would work for the time being. The four rooms were split into twos, each in their own small hallway, the doors separated by a large fireplace. It was cozy, despite the brick walls almost resembling a cellar or dungeon. None of the rooms besides the big main room had windows, and Warriors thought back to the castle being designed more as a fortress than a castle meant to house a royal family. 

 

Warriors first impression of the room was small . It fit two beds, two bedside stands, and two chests, though only just. Still, it was better than sleeping in the wilderness where they’d be at the mercy of monsters or thieves that just happened upon them. He didn’t have much to put in the chest, besides his shield, as everything else stayed in his belt pouches. Given that they all had been on similar journeys, he imagined everyone else was in the same situation, keeping their personal belongings in their magically enlarged belt pouches. All of the Heroes had them, except for Wild. Even Wind, who’d had to prove himself to the gods, shared the magic pouch, claiming that it was something he always had. Everyone agreed that it was probably something that came with being the chosen hero, yet it still didn’t explain the lack of magic for Wild. 

 

Warriors wondered where Wild had gone, but he knew that it probably wasn’t smart to wander off on his own, even in the castle. And besides, Wild was meeting with his Zelda, and who knew how long that would take. Did he actually talk when it was just the two of them, or did he remain almost completely silent, only speaking in dire situations like he had in the gulch? More questions lingered in Warriors mind, yet he knew that the answers might never come. 

 

“You okay?” Four asked, his voice falling flat against the stone walls. 

 

“Sure.”

 

“What’s going on? You gettin’ the heebies from this place?”

 

“What? No. Why do you ask that?” Warriors looked up at him, confused.

 

“I don’t know. Somethin’ about bein’ here is settin’ me off. I feel on edge.”

 

“Oh. I guess I’ve been preoccupied.”

 

“Thinkin’ ‘bout Wild?”

 

“Yeah. I just… the kid just lost his arm, yet he doesn’t even seem to care. Maybe it’s how he was trained here, but even still. Sky nearly lost it, and he was trained in a knight’s academy too. Even Time was shaken, yet Wild has stayed so… disconnected, in a way. I don’t know, I’m just worried that he’s not taking the time to think about what happened. And you and I both know that he has a tendency to just bottle things up, rather than tell anyone what he’s thinking.” Warriors sighed, taking off his hat and anxiously folding and pulling at the fabric.

 

“I know what you mean. But he might not want to be pressured into talkin’ before he’s ready. Talkin’ can’t be forced, ‘specially not after the kind a’ trainin’ he went through. He might be tryin’ to work it out in his own mind before he tries to talk to any of us ‘bout it. Can you fault him for that?” Four countered, leaning forward from where he was sitting on his own bed. 

 

“No,” Warriors sighed. “I can’t. In all honesty, I probably would be doing the same thing. I just want to make sure that he’s doing what’s best for himself.”

 

“Me too. Maybe when we see him later, we can talk to him. We can’t do anything now, so try not to worry too much ‘bout it. Wild can take care of himself alright.”

 

“Okay, you’re probably right. Did anyone say what time dinner would be held?”

 

“I don’t think so. Let me go find one of the servants and ask.”

 

“No, it’s fine. We’ll probably find out later. I’m just going to rest for now.”

 

Four looked torn between leaving the room to find someone and staying. After what looked to be much mental contemplation, he sat back on the bed, turning to face the wall. Warriors also laid down, preferring to stay on his back rather than sleeping on his side. He didn’t know if he actually would fall asleep, but he sent a quick prayer that he would. 

 

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Three sharp knocks on their door sent Warriors to his feet, instinctively pulling out his sword. Four remained fast asleep, the noise not even stirring him. Instantly Warriors remembered where he was and put away his sword, crossing the room to open the door. There stood Akakios, face and overall demeanor pleasant.

 

“Good evening. Her Majesty Queen Zelda has invited you all to dine with her. If you accept her invitation, I shall lead the way to our dining hall.”

 

“Yes, of course. Thank you, let me get Four up.”

 

“Yes sir, take your time. I need to inform the others.” Akakios walked to the door just down the hall, and Warriors turned back inside the room, shutting the door behind him. He walked over to Four’s bed and shook the boy awake.

 

“Hmm? Whuh?” He mumbled, the words not making any sense.

 

“Wake up. We’ve been asked to dine with the queen. Akakios is getting the others, grab whatever you think you’ll need.”

 

Four nodded, eyes still struggling to stay open, and stood up. Warriors debated over bringing his sword, but ended up unhooking the entire scabbard and left it laying on top of his bed. As he turned around, he saw Four doing the same. He hoped that the others would all share similar ideas in that sense. Though he didn’t know how Wild’s Hyrule worked, in Warriors’ Hyrule someone bringing a sword to dinner was seen as the person feeling unsafe around the other nobles, and was highly disrespectful. 

 

He and Four walked out of their room, Warriors shutting the door. Everyone else had already gathered in the main room. No one said anything, yet the silence wasn’t awkward. Akakios stood at the front of the group, waiting patiently then doing a quick count of heads.

 

“If everyone would please follow me, I will lead the way to the dining room.” He said simply, turning to lead them out through the door to the left of the big window. 

 

The hallway was crowded, servants milling about. Occasionally, Warriors would catch a glimpse of possibly a nobleman, but they were scarce. It wasn’t for another five minutes of walking that they started seeing more people dressed in noble’s clothes. Men dressed in deep blue fabrics with gold and white accents, women in full-length gowns with gold trimmings and hair done up in curls. Warriors couldn’t remember the last time he saw other nobles besides those in the royal family walking around inside the castle. He did his best not to stare, but frankly, they all stared at the group as they passed through the halls, so he stopped caring.

 

Warriors knew they were near the dining hall from the smell alone. It brought him back to meals at his Hyrule Castle, yet this was far beyond what he was fed as a soldier. Knights there were kept on a strict diet with accommodations only being made for those with deficiencies or allergies. He’d been stationed to guard Artemis while she ate, yet he was never permitted to eat alongside her despite being the Wielder of the Master Sword. With the memories in his mind, Warriors looked forward to eating whatever delicacies they would serve up.

 

The dining hall was crowded, both with other nobles and servants alike. It seemed as though each table was fully occupied, save for the table at the very front of the room where Zelda sat with another woman who looked like she was a Sheikah scientist, at least with how Wild had described them. Akakios led them to the table, letting them all get seated before walking away, the other servants in tow. In his peripherals, he saw Sky looking around the room; not in awe, but searching for something.

 

“Your food will be brought out shortly. I hope you’ll forgive me, I simply couldn't resist eating whilst Purah and I chatted.” Zelda explained, as well as gave a name for the woman she had been laughing with earlier. 

 

“It’s quite alright, Your Highness. My companions and I were exhausted, so we hope that you’ll forgive our tardiness.” Time spoke eloquently, seeming to almost take charge of the conversation without even meaning to. Zelda smiled kindly, glancing around the table before looking back to Time.

 

“Please, no apology is necessary. After what Link told me, it’s no surprise that you all needed some time to yourselves. I wouldn’t have sent Akakios to fetch you, but I thought it might be wise to feed you all, especially after the great service you’ve done for Hyrule. Of course, do not hesitate to turn down the invitation if you feel like you’d rather rest instead.” At this, Zelda leaned in slightly. “I shall admit, there are several times I do not attend meals merely because I would rather be sleeping.” She laughed heartily, the sound brightening the table. 

 

“Be that as it may, Highness, we would never turn down an invitation to eat, especially food from a royal kitchen.” Time responded, accompanied by a charming smile that Warriors had only ever seen when he was trying to get out of scolding from Malon. 

 

“Cheers to that!” The woman, Purah, exclaimed, holding up an intricate golden goblet. She looked to be drinking some sort of wine, yet it was hard to tell for sure without actually looking in the goblet. Her face had a slight red tinge, and while that could be how her face normally looked, Zelda’s insistence at taking away the goblet revealed more than probably intended. Her outburst elicited a few chuckles from several at their table, including Zelda herself. Warriors noticed Sky again looking around, even going as far as to turn in his seat to glance behind him. Warriors wondered what he was looking for.

 

“Purah, please. Control yourself. We don’t want this to be your first impression on our guests, now do we?” Zelda asked, her voice barely hushed.

 

“Oh, Highness, I am per fectly fine! Besides, this is a night for celebration! Our Linky has finally returned, so why not enjoy ourselves?” She asked, yet refrained from trying to grab the goblet back from Zelda.

 

Zelda rolled her eyes, but smiled fondly at her friend. “I’m terribly sorry for her behavior, but she is right; this occasion does call for celebration. We have all missed Link’s presence, so our spirits are lifted!” 

 

Sky cleared his throat. “Your Highness, I don't want to interrupt, but I would like to ask where Wild is?”

 

The group turned to look at him, a sudden gloom settling down. They forgot. How could they forget ? Zelda looked around, her confusion at the mood change thinly veiled. 

 

“He… felt unwell. He is resting in his chambers.” Zelda spoke hesitantly, as though she didn’t want to give away too much information. She glanced awkwardly at the group. “Though, I suppose it wouldn’t hurt to have one of you bring him some dinner? Not all of you, unfortunately. I don’t think he would appreciate having all eight of you trying to talk to him at once, at least not right now. Wouldn’t you agree?”

 

Time, who the question had been directed at, sighed. “Yes, Highness. Having seen similar things, it would be best not to overwhelm him at the moment,” He looked at the others in the group. “Who would like to take him dinner?”

 

As if on cue, the servants returned, carrying plates of food that somehow looked better than it had smelled in the hall. They set the plates down in front of everyone, replacing Zelda and Purah’s plates as well. Once the servants had walked away, Sky quickly spoke up.

 

“I’d like to take Wild’s food to him, if that’s alright with everyone else.”

 

Warriors blinked, feeling a brief twinge of jealousy, though he didn’t know why he would. Zelda nodded, handing Sky her own plate, along with a goblet filled with water.

 

“If he requires anything else, please inform the servant. And let me know if- how he’s doing.” She caught herself on the word if , and Warriors didn’t like the implications behind that word. Sky must not have picked up on it, as he took the plate and cup silently, only offering a nod as his servant appeared to lead him to Wild’s chambers. They all watched him leave before turning back to their plates. The air felt heavy, thick with something Warriors couldn’t identify. “Well,” Zelda cleared her throat. “Where were we?”

Chapter 2: In Which the Enemy Wears Familiar Skin

Summary:

Sky spends some time with Wild.

Sky was led through the castle by his own servant, a man named Elias. He looked to be about the same age as Sky, yet he already had gray streaks in his hair and small wrinkles in his forehead and around his eyes. While they walked, Sky stared at the floor, barely paying enough attention so as to not run into anyone else. What had happened in the short hours that had passed between them entering the castle and dinnertime? He didn’t want to think about it, but had Zelda done something to him? If she had, she wouldn’t have offered one of them to take him food. 

 

There wasn’t much time to dwell on it as Elias soon turned them down a corridor and stopped at another set of double doors. 

 

“Here you’ll find Sir Link’s quarters. Please, take as long as you’d wish talking to him. I’m sure he would enjoy the company. I’ll be right outside when you’re ready to return to dinner.”

 

“Okay. Thank you.” Sky muttered before turning to knock on the door. He couldn’t hear any movement from inside the room, but then again, the walls were thicker than he was used to at the Knight’s Academy. The door slowly crept open, squeaking on its hinges from disuse. Wild looked at him from behind the door, his eyes droopy and expression blank. He waved, saying nothing. “Mind if I come in?” Sky asked, holding the food out as a sort of peace offering. Wild looked from his face to the food, then nodded, opening the door wider to let him into the room.

 

The room was… tidy, to put it nicely. There were very few decorations around the room that would distinguish it as belonging to someone. Had Sky not been let in by Wild, he probably would have assumed that it just belonged to someone random in the castle, or even was used as a room for someone noble. It had a wooden bookcase with a few books adorning the shelves, as well as a table and chairs in the corner. The bed, while simple, was spacious, made of the same wood as the other furnishings. A small fireplace sat embedded in the wall across from the bed. Around the room, banners with the crest of the royal family adorned the walls, each in the royal reds and blues that Sky had come to recognize. 

 

Still holding the plate, Sky looked around awkwardly. Wild held out a hand, a gesture for Sky to hand him the food. He walked over to the table, setting it down with a small clink of the fine porcelain as it touched the wood. The food had stopped steaming about two minutes into the walk it took to get to Wild’s room, so Sky could only imagine that it probably was near cold now, or at least lukewarm. Regardless, Wild started eating the food as if he hadn’t been fed in days. Sky felt his stomach rumble, though the thought of food made him nauseous. In a matter of minutes, Wild completely cleared his plate then set his utensils down. 

 

“So,” Sky started awkwardly. “How… are you?”

 

Wild sighed, his left fist clenching. Sky imagined that Wild was thinking how to sign with only one hand. Instead, he cleared his throat. “I’m– I’ve been better.” His voice sounded deep and scratchy, and Sky started to wonder if that’s just how it normally was. Wild cleared his throat again. “I’m sorry for… bailing out. On you all.”

 

“You don’t need to apologize. No one’s upset with you. We understand that you need some time, okay?” 

 

“Hmm.” Wild nodded. He looked towards the ground, avoiding looking right at Sky. He knew that Wild wasn’t particularly talkative, even when he could sign, but this was a whole new level of silence. “Tomorrow, I’m going to be… training with the other guards. And I– Zelda would like to extend an invitation to you all. To train with us. She said you don’t have to, of course. But if you’d like to, then…”

 

“Yeah! I mean, of course, we would be honored. I’ll tell the others once I get back.”

 

“Okay. And tell them that I’m sorry. For bringing them into all of this. Okay?” 

 

Sky hesitated. He knew that Wild was in no way at fault for anything that had happened, so there was no real reason for him to apologize. On the other hand, he knew that Wild was more critical of himself than the others ever were. To Wild, this apology was more than just a simple “I’m sorry”. After a little bit of internal debate, Sky agreed to pass it along. Wild’s eyes crinkled at the edges, an attempt at a sort of half-smile.

 

“Are you all… enjoying your, uh, time? Here?” Wild asked, changing the subject.

 

“I think so, though it’s weird actually staying in a castle again after spending so long setting up camp somewhere in the elements and hoping not to be attacked. I tried to take a nap earlier but I just couldn’t.”

 

“It’ll get better.”

 

“Let’s hope so. Hyrule’s only hope can’t be a group of sleep deprived maniacs with swords and bombs.”

 

Wild huffed, a small smile pulling at his face. “As if that’s not what I was.”

 

“There was only one of you, though. Now there’s nine of us, and Hylia knows that we get into enough trouble as is. I think Her Majesty would be furious if one of us blew something up as opposed to if you did it.”

 

“Maybe. Or she would be… more mad. Since it is me.” Wild replied, the smile turning fond.

 

“Either way, I’m not too keen on finding out how she would react, whether it would be good or bad. I don’t know about the others, but I for one am not looking forward to going back to sleeping outside.”

 

“To tell you the truth, I kind of miss it. I feel… out of place here, now. I don’t belong with all these fancy people.” He said it lightly, but Sky understood the message behind it. To hear Wild admit this shocked Sky. Not about missing the outside, but rather feeling out of place. From what he had told the group, Wild was the image of a royal soldier; poised, quiet, loyal to a fault. But Sky understands the feeling of returning home after the journey is over only to find that you’ve somehow been left behind in time, that everyone and everything else has grown and changed, yet you haven’t. It’s something that each of them understands better than anyone else ever could. 

 

“I’m sorry, Wild. It doesn’t help that you’re essentially being kept away from everyone else, besides Her Majesty.”

 

“Being near Zelda was something I asked for. But it’s not my home.” Sky picked up on the casualness of Wild calling the queen “Zelda”, and he had to briefly scold himself for the correction that he almost verbalized.

 

“It’s not? I thought that you lived in the castle, since you’re– you were a personal guard.”

 

“No. When I was guarding Zelda, I got certain days off. I have my own house in Hateno Village, about two or so days of travel away. Southeast, towards the Necluda Sea.”

 

Sky stared at him blankly. “Where?”

 

“Oh, right. Um, ride towards Dueling Peaks, travel through them, then continue on through Fort Hateno. It’s pretty much a straight shot from there.”

 

“Right, yeah, I got it.” Sky lied, the directions meaning nothing to him.

 

“That’s my home, or it has been for a good few years now. After I woke up, I kind of… wandered. I visited Hateno, but I was focused on doing task after task that was given to me. After what must have been months, I returned and saw this house that was going to be, um… demolished. I had enough rupees so I bought it, plus all of the renovations and furniture. Apparently, it had been my house in the first place, from before I was laid in the Shrine of Resurrection, so I paid for my house twice.” He chuckled, shaking his head. “I don’t care that I was scammed. The guys who did everything seem to think that they can–” Wild started coughing, each one coming from somewhere deep in his throat. Face pinched in discomfort, he reached for his cup and took a sip of water before continuing. “They think they can sit in front of my house all day long. That bothers me more than the money thing.”

 

“Have you tried to get them to leave? I mean, if it’s your house then they can’t just stay on your property, right?”

 

“Well, they left for a time, to attend a wedding in Tarrey Town, but they just came back one day. They dodge the question any time I ask them to leave, so I think they’re probably there to stay.” Wild shrugged, picking his goblet up again to take a drink.

 

“Wow. We didn’t have anyone like that on Skyloft. I guess, though, that there were never any extra people coming in from travels or anything.” Sky mused.

 

“Hateno has quite a few travelers. Whenever I lived there, it felt like I was seeing new faces every day. That just means that Hyrule is growing, so it’s a good thing that so many people are starting to, um… be… adventurous again.” 

 

Sky didn’t know how to respond. On one hand, he wanted to keep this conversation going since he’d never heard Wild speak this much. But he could see how tired Wild looked, how he had slowly been slouching forward, eyes growing weary. He couldn’t even begin to imagine the toll of how much all of this talking was taking. Briefly, Sky glanced out the window to see how late it was getting. The sky had been lit up with dark blues and hints of orange, but he couldn’t see the sun. He could only assume that the sun had finally dipped beneath the horizon.

 

“Well, I hate to keep you after a long day. I’m going to get going and let you get some rest.” Sky stood up, walking over to the door with Wild trailing behind him.

 

“Okay. Elias should still be out there to lead you back to your room. Thanks for the food and the company. See you all tomorrow for training?”

 

“Of course, we wouldn’t miss it for anything.”

 

“Alright. Good night, Sky. Thank you again.”

 

“Anytime. Get some rest.” 

 

After he bid Wild goodnight, he opened the door and stepped out into the hall to find Elias right where he had been a couple hours earlier.

 

“Ready to go, sire?” Elias asked politely.

 

“Yes, lead the way.” Sky replied, his body already beginning to feel the exhaustion of the day. The little nap earlier had been nice, but he looked forward to the sleep that was soon to come. 

 

Once again, the winding corridors did nothing to help Sky’s already tired state, the monotonous stone walls and red carpets blurring into the same image. The figure of the servant in front of him was the only thing that kept him somewhat grounded, if only a little bit. Each new hallway that Elias led him down seemed to be one more additional one that he hadn’t taken on his way to Wild’s chambers, yet Sky knew that it was just his mind tricking him. Elias took a sharp left turn, his walking speed jolting into something like a sprint. Confused, Sky picked up his own pace.

 

“Is something wr-” Sky asked as he turned the corner, only to be cut off as a small throwing knife shot past him, catching the side of Sky’s ear before lodging itself into the wooden doorframe. Wide awake, he turned to look at the only person that it could’ve come from, and saw Elias grinning madly, the expression pulling his face into a terrible mockery of the kind smile he had shown up until this point. No sooner had Sky turned to look, Elias pulled out a small kodachi blade and charged.

 

Acting on instinct, Sky grabbed the blade and ripped it out of the doorway, pulling out a small chunk of the wood with it. It seemed to be a kunai knife, one often used to throw at targets from a distance. Sky had never worked with one himself, but he’d seen people from the other’s worlds use them. He didn’t know if it would even work this close, nor if it stood a chance against the other blade. Sky’s experience with different kinds of blades was limited, a fact he was all too aware of as he braced for impact against Elias. 

 

Despite his smaller figure, Elias was able to ram his body into Sky with enough force to make him stumble, yet not fall. Sky steadied himself, crouching low so as to not give the servant another chance. They circled each other, Elias watching him like a wolf deciding where to bite next. As they waited for the other to make the next move, Sky realized that he had been led down a hallway that was seemingly still under renovation, which meant that they were truly alone. And that meant that if Elias were able to get the upper hand then no one could help him. 

 

Abruptly, Elias stood up, his back as rigid as a flagpole, made a series of hand gestures too fast for Sky to interpret, if the gestures were a form of sign language, and disappeared in a puff of grey smoke. There were no traces of him left behind except for the knife that Sky still had in his hand. He looked around, taking a few steps forward to peek around the doorframe, but still, he found nothing that hinted him as to where Elias had disappeared to. Even more confused, Sky leaned his shoulder against the doorframe, trying to process what had happened. Cautiously, he spared another glance out into the hallway.

 

The cool touch of sharp metal stopped him dead in his movements. He could feel a whisper of a touch on his shoulder where he presumed laid the arm that held the knife against his throat. Sky swallowed, flinching as he felt his throat graze the sharp metal.

 

“You,” A voice that definitely didn’t belong to Elias started. “You and your mystery group of so-called ‘heroes’ would be wise to stay out of this kingdom. You have entered lands that do not want you, and your mere presence will off-set plans that have been coming together for years.” 

 

“Believe me, we’d gladly be on our way, we just don’t know how to-”

 

“Quiet!” The voice hissed, the knife pushing painfully into Sky’s throat, eliciting a sharp gasp. “You will soon be faced with the decision to play at being heroes once again. If you wish for the other members of your group to remain unharmed and alive, I suggest that you refrain from meddling. He is not one to be trifled with, Hero of the Sky.”

 

The use of Sky’s ‘official’ title sent shivers throughout his body. It seemed like an eternity since someone had referred to him that way. “Who are you?” He asked, voice trembling.

 

“We are ones of great influence, both inside this castle and outside of it. Rest assured that your next moves will be watched closely. Believe you me, should you make the decision to fight, the fates of those with you will be too gruesome to ever be replicated. The choice is yours.” With another barely audible poof, the knife was gone from Sky’s neck, as was the pressure at his shoulder. He gasped, falling forward and putting a hand to his throat. It came away with a thin line of blood, but nothing else. Had there not been physical evidence, Sky was more than willing to accept that he’d imagined the whole encounter. 

 

His mind fuzzy from the adrenaline that was slowly ebbing from his body, Sky tried to piece together a clear picture. Supposedly, Elias was about to take part in an act of treason. Sky wondered if it was even Elias that had done that, or possibly someone posing as him? It was well within the realm of possibilities to be a puppeteering of sorts, or even a disguising spell. He was all too familiar with those sorts of things, as were most of the others in the group. 

 

But that led to another question; were the other servants aware of what Elias had planned to do? If they knew then they couldn’t be trusted; if they didn’t know then they might try to accuse the group of conspiracy against the throne. It seemed to be a lose-lose situation either way Sky looked at it. He needed to discuss it with the others, without the listening ears of the other servants. But as of that moment, he had bigger problems, such as how to get back to the main parts of the castle.

Notes:

Sorry for taking almost a month to update this, but I just started a new year of college and that has been a lot! I'm also working on another story right now, and that's been turning up some pretty good ideas. I can't promise an update schedule, other than probably once a month or so, just whenever a new chapter is done.
Thanks for reading, please drop a comment, and kudos are always appreciated! <3

Series this work belongs to:

• Part 2 of To Die, To Return