Chapter 9: Nice To See You

     

Link was on his way now. He and Jamar had made a few surprises while they were with the Gnomes, now they had one of the war galleons. Most of the close ones had been sabotaged. Jamar was laughing hysterically while Link kept the slaves from other races at bay and rowing. Jamar ran to the back and front of the dock over and over while Link kept poking his head up from below to see if they were being chased yet.

"Jamar! How far to the island!" Link yelled over Jamar's laughing.

"S-s-soon! Soon boy! Have you met my wife? She-she-she's my wife!" Jamar cracked up and began running again. Link looked back at the slaves rowing and grunting.

"Link! A boat! My wife saw it!! There!" Link swung his head to where Jamar was pointing. A ship was far on the horizon, but it wasn't Gnomish. 'Hylian!' Link thought. He didn't change pace, though. The ship was getting faster. Zelda must be on board. She was seemingly heading the naval fleet. Now, Link had to show that it was him. But, turning toward them would be an act of war. Link yelled at Jamar.

"Jamar!!? Get down and watch the rowers! Take your wife with you!" Link jumped put of the hole.

"Okay, boy, I'll go below, we'll behave," Jamar began to walk. Link jumped to the crow's nest half climbing.

Zelda was watching from the ship. There only seemed to be one person on the ship, in the crow's nest. The ship didn't turn, but seemed to speed up. This was very not like the Gnomes. This may be a rouge ship, after all Hyrule was raiding the island string that the King Ne~Chin was staying. Zelda was leading the raid, now she was after this ship, maybe Ne~Chin was on it. Zelda grabbed the Triforce, she had taken it against all security precautions.

Link yelled down to Jamar, ho had come up, "What are you doing?!"

"The island is right here, just over the horizon, just over the waves, just..." He started laughing. Link looked back at the ship. He saw a small green ball coming. Link saw in slow motion, a green magic fireball, shooting toward his ship. Link couldn't blink, he heard the muffled running and words of the hysterical Jamar, Link heard a yell from Jamar and a splash. The fireball was pretty close now. Link regained his since long enough to jump from the crow's nest. A long way down, Link felt wind slamming against his ears. Slaves were still rowing, with no idea of the upcoming doom. The fireball hit and as Link was about to hit the water, blew him forward.

'Got it,' Zelda thought. She turned to a soldier near by. "Soldier!" She called.

"Yes?" He walked to her.

"Take us back to the island string," Zelda said.

***

The King lifted his head from his hands. Bad news had come to him. So far, Hyrule had had a rainy season to stop the storm, but, now, a drought. The storm was expected to arrive in two weeks, no more stalling, no way to stop it. He got up, told a guard to fetch Impa.

"Your highness?" Impa walked in.

"Impa, I assume you've heard of the drought," The King said.

"Yes, a tragic turn of events."

"Impa, this Kingdom, is my life, now it's going to be eaten inside out to jelly, and there's nothing I can do about it," The King bit his thumb.

"Nothing? That is a strong word. Perhaps, you can do nothing, but others may do, something."

"Do not speak riddles to me," The King was annoyed.

"I do not, I say what I mean," Impa smiled.

"Also, I'm going to have to pronounce Link dead since-"

"Ah, a mistake!"

"Why?"

"Do not believe for a second that someone is dead until you see the body, and question it then, too! Death is not magic, and many are afraid of it, but what happens when you die is either something, or nothing," Impa growled. The King didn't quite understand, but got the message.

"Link would've reported back, any way they found his tunic in the Gnomish dungeons."

"Your highness, did you not hear me? I shant believe it until Hyrule is safe, he won't die until then," Impa bowed and walked out. The King took a shaky breath. Drought.

***

Paul and Zelda walked onto the land where the Gnomes had kept the stronghold. A charred wreck smelling of decaying bodies. Zelda took Paul's hand.

"Paul?"

"Hm?"

"Do you think Link is dead?"

"No."

"Why not?"

"Because dying isn't his style."

"Gee, great reason."

"Zelda, I haven't known him as long as you, but I know him better."

"No you don't!"

"I do, he was always a bit uncomfortable around you, you know, he sits on the other side of the tree when you talk, right?"

"So, what, he told me everything, we didn't keep secrets."

"That's moblin shit and you know it, Link wouldn't tell you everything about himself."

"And he told you?"

"I didn't say that, I said I know him better, we are friends, you and he are, um, just, two different people with common interests." Zelda rolled her eyes and walked on leaving Paul examining a dead body's position.

***

Link had slammed into the mud of the bay of the Keeper's Island and been knocked out. Jamar and his friend Kaor spotted his crumpled body.

"Who's that?" Kaor asked.

"That's boy, Link, get my wife, I'll get him out of the sun!" Jamar ran up to Link and drug him into the trees. His wife came with some water and some medicine. Jamar took it and started to apply it as he learned as a boy from his father. His father, what a great man! He led a tribe of desert dwellers known throughout the south sand sipe land. He was going to make a reputation in the north, made it across the dried crevice that Gerudos occupied. Gerudos, evil things, they were banished to the desert lands from Hyrule. His father, a great man.

"Will he be alright?" Kaor asked.

"I don't know, he was thrown here by a fire blast, I swam," Jamar said. He'd known Kaor since he was a boy, a small boy, in fact, Kaor introduced him to his wife, Gwana. That was when he was in the S'tintol tribe, he saw Kaor in the Kler tribe, he met his wife there, then when he married, he moved to the Kler tribe. Good days, then, of course, he became a famous desert dweller for single handedly taking out a tribe of armed unknown creatures, moblins they called themselves. Then he became a peace symbol for the west tribes.

"Jamar, I'll get some more water," Gwana got up and went back to the stream. Kaor sat down.

"How'd you meet this fella?" Kaor asked.

"I met him, um...." Jamar thought hard, where did he meet him? On a boat? No, he wouldn't have been on a boat, would he? He lived in the desert, and this, an island? When did he leave the desert? Jamar was confused.

"Hey," Kaor said, "somebody's comin."

"Who?" Jamar looked up, three robed men were approaching him. "Who are you?" Jamar asked.

"I am Olosk, and I'm afraid I have to discuss something with you," one of the men said.

"Who are the others?" Jamar asked.

"I am Evere, we are ambassitors of the Keepers of Evolution on that fact that Link is of our interest," Another of the men said.

"I am Jamarsonal, son of Excbsonal, and I shant give you the body of my dying friend, bonded by the desert dwellers!" Jamar took a step forward and wiped sweat from his face and threw it on the ground. A challenge in the way of the desert.

"My dear Jamar, that is unnecessary, now listen to me," the one called Olosk said.

"Damn you and your keepers!" Jamar sneered. The one who hadn't spoke walked to Link's body. Link's eyes fluttered open. His vision cleared to see the sneering, bloody face of Ganon.

"Nice to see you," Ganon laughed. Link sighed and closed his eyes.

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