Link
and Riku finally got a place where they could stay overnight at a local farmers
house inside the city. Link had a sense
of nostalgia when he saw the ranch life firsthand again after a long while. They woke up the next morning and got all
their gear together and prepared to head to the gate. A messenger from the elder came to the house
where they were staying and delivered a letter to Riku and Link. It stated that there was going to be an
escorting party of soldiers and mages to show them the way to the great gate,
and to make sure that they had the utmost protection on the way to the
cave. The letter also stated that they
were able to take about three different troops with them down into the caves to
give the two of them backup. According
to the elder, it would take them about a day to complete the trek down into the
mountains to where the gate was, and that they would likely meet with several
monsters while they were down there.
Link seemed a little concerned about the fact that a whole army was
going to escort them to this cave entrance, but Riku seemed to be just fine
with it. Riku told Link that this would
be a good opportunity to become better friends with these people and also gain
powerful allies in case if they ever needed them. Link was a bit unsure, still feeling like it
might be a trap, but decided to move past it and get the provisions he, Riku, and
whoever else would go with them needed.
As he went around town, he became even more and more surprised that
there were no other races than half-elves in the whole village. Link went up to a vendor and was shocked. He didn’t know what to say. The shopkeeper gave him a funny look and
asked,
“Are you okay sir? You look pale.”
“You…weren’t you the
half-elf I saw the other night sneaking out of town?” The shopkeeper fell silent, and had a look of
fear on his face. Link noticed this and
said,
“Don’t worry friend, I
don’t say that as if I am here to take you back to that town. I was hiding in the alleys when I saw you
heading off into the mountains. Then the
watch came along and said they were searching for half-elves. Care to tell me what this place is supposed
to be?” The shopkeeper was silent for a
few minutes, but finally nodded, and began to tell Link all about himself and
this town.
“I was a slave to a ship
maker at the port of the village where I used to live. Me and my family had been in this service as
long as we can remember. This land used
to be a country comprised purely of half-elves, all of us thriving in each of
our own small towns. However, when the
other nations discovered our lands, they began to enslave us because of the
fact that we were different than them.
They said that because we were not fully elf and yet not fully human
made our kind unholy. They captured all
of our people, and took some of us back to their countries, but also set up
different colonies on the shore of our nation and kept our people as
slaves. This was all about 5,000 years
ago. About 2,000 years ago, a family of
half-elves escaped into the mountains and started this village. None of the slave-masters tracking parties
could find them so they just assumed them dead.
Therefore, the family was able to hide away and live their lives in
freedom and peace. After a century or
so, they decided that all the half-elves should be able to experience this
freedom. So, once a month for each
different village along the shores of this great country, they would sneak into
the village at night and free slaves and their families to help build this
village. Time has passed, and this town
truly became the rival of the great Guerian capital as far as population. However, their secret was almost destroyed
when that stupid group of archeologists discovered our sacred land. They were making a mess of it, and this town
was forced to play its hand. We created
an avalanche illusion that made it seem like an avalanche sealed the entrance
to the cave where the gate was hidden, supposedly allowing the outsiders to
leave and never come back. But the
outsiders didn’t give up on their discovery.
They began to try and find a way to dig a hole through the “rocks”, and
we knew that if they found out it was an illusion, and then they would never
give us peace. So our troops went up to
the highest point on the mountain and started a real avalanche. They had planned it to simply cover up the
entrance to the cave, but it instead buried the explorers in its wake. The people were devastated. They didn’t want to destroy their lives but
simply made sure that they had peace.
This action destroyed the hearts of our people, and some of them wanted
to split from the main village right here.
Those who wished this went to the other side of this country and started
their own town where they thought they could start a new life. But due to the fact that this town was so
close to the Guerian capital, the mages of the enemy discovered them in a
heartbeat. Our sister town was only a
few years old when the enemy finally destroyed them in a three-month long
siege. We wanted to help them, but the
elder at the time didn’t want to risk our village’s secret existence on just a
whim to help those he called “deserters”.
Time went on, and our village began to grow again, as we freed more and
more slaves, myself and my family included.
Despite some dark spots in our town’s history, we still have a good
system here. I mean, me and my family
are happy with where we are now. We
don’t really care about what happened before as long as we are happy now.” Link snapped back awake after the shopkeeper
finished his story having dozed off about halfway through it.
“That’s great man. But back to business, I’ll take some of
these, these and these.” The shopkeeper
gave them to Link and told him to keep the money, stating that this mission
that he and Riku were embarking on was more important than simple coins. Link thought about this for a second, then
thanked the shopkeeper for his generous donation. Link met up with Riku when he got everything
they would need, and informed a member of the town watch that they were ready
to travel. He then informed the elder
and all the troops that would be accompanying the two of them to the cave, and
they all started their trek to the gate.
But Riku seemed puzzled by something.
They weren’t going towards where the normal entrance was according to
the map, but slightly south of it. Riku
approached the leader of the march and asked him why they were going the
direction they were. The man told him,
“The entrance that the
outsiders discovered was buried by our own hand to keep them from getting in
ever again. But there is another
entrance to the south, which is where we are headed. With luck, the creatures that have now
infested our sacred haven’t closed that entrance yet. So it all comes down to our timing and our
luck whether or not you are able to complete your mission.”
“And if the way is
sealed?”
“I have orders from the
elder to escort you to the outskirts of wherever it is you need to go next if
such a thing occurs.” Riku nodded his
head and kept on walking respecting that these soldiers were willing to do just
about anything when they are told to do it.
Something was bothering
Link. As he walked, he saw a giant plain
that reminded him of his dream the other night.
As he thought about this, he wondered what that strange woman meant by
what he told him. Gates are not without
their keepers? He and Riku to put on the
mantle of their destinies? He was so
confused that he didn’t notice when Riku yelled at him to start setting up camp
for the night. As they made camp, the
guide said it would be about midday when they would reach the secret entrance. When Riku offered to take the first watch,
they insisted that he didn’t do that.
Instead, they asked him to make a decision about who he wanted to take
down into the tunnels with him for backup so that those troops as well as Riku
and Link could stay fully rested for the day-long journey into the mountains to
where the gate was. Riku was hesitant at
first since he didn’t really get a chance to know the different troops, so he
asked the troop leader to give his best recommendations and that he would go
with them. The troop leader hesitated at
first, but gave his two best recommendations and they were singled out and Riku
let them be the two members right away.
With that, the troop finished their preparations for the night and went
to sleep with troops that would not be going into the gate’s cave the next day.
Link found himself standing in
the same open field with the same strange woman standing before him. He stepped forward to her and stood about a
pace away from her without saying a word.
After a few minutes (depending on how one describes minutes in a dream),
Link spoke up and finally said something.
“So, isn’t this the part
of the dream where you spout random riddles in my face leaving me in the dark
about who you are and why you are here?”
“The dark brother is
moving swiftly. He will be close to you
soon. Do what you and the Guardian need
to do here, then make haste to Unto, there you will surely find the path to
your destiny.”
“Yeah, that’s great and
all but I don’t even know what my destiny is supposed to be. Is it to help Riku get back to where he needs
to be? Is it to help him destroy
Demise? Is it to finally go home and be
with my family? Can I get some kind of
light on this subject please?”
“Link, listen to me…..”
“LINK! Listen to me you lazy bum!” Link snapped awake to find Riku standing over
him fully dressed and ready to go. “The sun
is about to rise. We must go now if we
wish to reach the cavern by midday.”
Link slowly got up slightly annoyed at the fact that he almost found out
what his dream was supposed to mean.
Then it struck him that ever since he had his first dream with the
strange lady, he was able to remember everything that happened in that dream
like crystal. He began to ponder this,
but Riku’s commanding voice convinced him otherwise.
“When
is this supposed grand meeting for the world’s leaders my lord?”
“Approximately a week from
now by mortal time. So for me, seven
minutes.”
“My lord, I must ask,
while I am opening the portal for your escape, who will guard the gate?”
“Do not concern yourself
about such trifles Elitran. The Guardians are spread out and few in
number. My agents are tracking them down
as we speak. They will all be found and
disposed of soon enough. All that
matters is that we continue with our plan.
Besides, the souls that shall be destroyed shall prove to be a bountiful
harvest. Call in the reapers so that I
might brief them on their new mission.”
“At once my lord.”
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