Master Search V - Remembrance
Posted: Tue Sep 27, 2005 8:30 am
OOC: Okay, this one's long, but, then again, it isn't meant to be replied to. I think you'll all find it interesting.
IC:
‘Alright, this is it,’ thought Alpha. The month was up; it was finally time to meet with the Hakiems tribe and get them off his tail. He smiled at the thought.
Alpha strode into Ruto Town, and walked several blocks before hearing someone say, “Al-Alpha.” He slowly turned around, shielding his eyes for a second as the morning sun’s red rays began to peak over the horizon. His vision stopped on a man at the corner of the street, the only one in sight. So this was the Hakiems’ contact. Upon closer inspection, Alpha was shocked to see that he was actually a young teenager, no older than fourteen at the most. ‘This is their messenger?’ He was forced to wonder why the professional Hakiems would send a boy he could have easily killed. The guy wasn’t even armed! However, Alpha did happily note that his scar never let off so much as a spark.
“I am he,” the caped Sheikah replied. “You work for them, I assume.” The boy nodded, and Alpha starred into his brown eyes, seeing great fear in them. “You are afraid of me? You have no reason to fear,” he said solemnly. “After all, we face a common enemy.”
The boy’s eyes widened with surprise. His voice still wavered, but his curiosity overrode his fear now. “Common enemy…this Zaris guy is your enemy as well?” He seemed to suddenly remember his mission. “Then take me to him. Master Karunik told me you would tell me where he is, and then I will tell him.” Despite his curiosity, the boy’s tone told Alpha that he still didn’t trust him.
Alpha let out a sigh. “Unfortunately, I don’t know. But I have a contact who does. You see, Zaris knows that I hate him. He has hidden himself from me. But he has failed to realize that his new apprentice shares our hatred. She will meet us here, and serve as our guide to his hideout,” he said with a voice that was loaded with spite.
The boy could no longer hold back his inquisitiveness. “Why…why do you hate him? I was told he once trained you. He was your master! How can you turn on him, and betray his trust?”
Alpha stared at him, and if eyes were Beamos the boy would have been dead in a second. “How can I betray his trust!” he practically yelled in anger. He looked around, afraid someone might have heard him, but was glad to see that the streets were empty. Still, he leaned in close before he spoke again. With malice evident in his voice, he continued, “Because he betrayed mine. Because he never told me the truth.” He returned to his full height and forced his breathing to slow down. “Once I discovered the reality of my situation, I left him. Your masters didn’t tell you that, now did they?”
The boy shook his head, in awe at Alpha’s anger. “What…what did he do to you?”
The older Sheikah sighed. “My story isn’t one that I like to discuss…but in this case I will make an exception. If you want, I will tell you of how evil Zaris truly is.” The boy nodded shakily, his mouth still hanging open at the outburst. “Very well,” Alpha said.
And he began his tale.
[flashback]
“Come on Keyru! Where are you?” shouted a young girl. She was only six years old, but her brown hair had grown quite long, reaching down to her knees, and her mother often tied it in a long braid so that it would stay out of her face.
“Duh, Shada!” came a reply from above her. “I’m up here in my room.” The young Shada looked up at the blue house that served as Keyru’s home. The boy, only seven years old, was struggling to stand tall enough so that he could lean out of the window on the second floor. He finally balanced himself on the window. “What’s up?”
Shada put her small hands on her hips, trying to look grown-up. “Key, everyone’s waiting for you! We’re all at the pond, and here you are playing.”
“Practicing.”
“Whatever!” she yelled, stamping her feet on the dirt road in frustration.
Keyru laughed as he always did when he contradicted her. “Be right down!” he yelled and turned away. He left his room and slammed the door shut, causing two of the three people in the living room below him to look up. He hardly glanced at those two as he started down the stairs. One was a tall, skinny man with black hair and a short beard: Keyru’s dad. The other was a tall, slim, and beautiful woman with chestnut hair that only reached to her shoulders: Keyru’s mother.
The third figure did catch his eye, though. As he hit the first of the stairs, he found himself staring at the man like he had been doing since his arrival three days ago. He wore a black cloak that stretched to his waist and black pants. He had snow-white hair and a short white goatee. He was currently sitting in a wooden chair at the family’s dinner table, using his left hand to hold a spoon for his soup. On the back of the chair also sat a beautifully decorated sword in its sheathe. Keyru couldn’t deny that that the man, although old, seemed to possess incredible power. His mysterious air made Keyru worry too much to talk about him to anyone except his closest friends, like Shada. Keyru was also certain that, at times, the man let off a golden aura. But it seemed only he could see it; no one else ever noticed it.
“Whoa!” Keyru shouted as he suddenly tripped and fell forward. Suddenly he was caught up in his father’s arms, for his dad had appeared in front of him.
“Whoa indeed, son. You need to be more careful, okay?” his dad said as he dropped Keyru off on the ground level. Keyru nodded and dashed outside to go off with Shada. His dad chuckled as he watched him go, then turned to the elderly man. “You really think he can be your apprentice?”
Master Zaris looked up for the first time. He spoke slowly, but with a very serious voice. “I don’t think; I know. He will be my successor.”
That night, after a day’s worth of fun and games, Keyru and Shada raced back home. “How is it you always beat me?” she asked afterwards, panting from the long run.
“Practice.”
“Argh…”
They both laughed before separating, Keyru going to his own house and Shada to hers across the street. Keyru closed the door behind himself and walked up the stairs to his room. But not before eying the old man who still sat at the table, staring at a half-empty bowl of soup. He thought he saw the man glow again, but if so it lasted only for a second, and so he dismissed it.
After the door to Keyru’s room closed, Zaris looked up. “Yes…he will be mine,” he muttered to himself. “Everything is almost ready…by tomorrow he will be my student. He’s the only one who can take on this power. No matter how tragic the departure from his home, he will have to come with me.” He gave a small smile, and then returned to his meditation.
Hours later, in the darkest part of the moonless night, Zaris was jerked out of his thoughts as his senses came to full awareness. “What?” His glow returned, and this time became so bright that it was like daylight. He looked out the eastward window, as if seeing something in the night. And though it was impossible to see into the darkness that had descended, fear suddenly came into his sight as he realized what was happening. “He’s here!” he yelled, then leapt up – then stopped.
It wasn’t just him…
The windows suddenly smashed inwards, spraying Zaris with fragments of the glass. As he threw off the shards, he looked up, confused. “The Hakiems tribe? What are you doing here?”
Surrounding him were ten Sheikah warriors, swords held in different stances. “We have been charged with the task of killing you, Golden Sheikah. Prepare to die,” said one. Before any had the time to blink, that one flew into the table, and fell limp on it, obviously dead. And it appeared that Zaris had not moved an inch, even to the skilled senses of the Hakiems tribe. Their eyes widened as they realized that they had bitten off more than they could chew. Suddenly two more fell to the ground by punches caused by Keyru’s parents, who had appeared as if from nowhere.
Upstairs, the crash of the table awoke the young Keyru. At first he thought he was having a bad dream, but the next few bangs and crashes assured him that he was awake. He rubbed his eyes as he opened the door to see nine people lying on the floor, either unconscious or dead. His parents and the old man stood above them, and the last one was scrambling out the door, constantly tripping over himself. “What’s going on, Mommy?” he asked. His mom ran upstairs to him and gave him a big, loving hug. “Don’t worry sweetie. There were just a few mean men here, and we had to protect ourselves.”
Still half asleep, he rubbed his eyes again and yawned. “Okay Mommy.”
“They are not done yet,” the old guy said. “I’ve killed some of them. Now they will be after me.” He turned to the table and picked up his sword, swinging it over his back. “I must leave. Now.” He turned and rushed to the doorway, only to stop short as he was confronted once again, this time by a much larger Sheikah. “Jinur, leader of the Hakiems tribe,” the old man said in recognition.
“Zaris, one of the greatest Sheikah, so much so that you were chosen to be a ‘Golden One’.” Jinur replied. “You have killed some of my men. Prepare to die.” With a lightning fast move, he dove at Zaris, punches flying. But they hit only air; Keyru was shocked to see how fast this Zaris guy could move.
“Jinur!” came a yell from outside. Somehow Zaris had slipped in between the Hakiems leader and the doorframe, a space of only a few inches, and now stood outside. The family, led by Keyru, rushed to the door to see what would happen next – and they were shocked by what they saw. Beyond where Zaris and Jinur were fighting, the Hakiems’ men were looting the entire town to avenge the life Zaris had taken. Amidst the burning of buildings other Hakiems fought against the Sheikah townsfolk.
Zaris finally dispatched Jinur, sending him back with a single crescent kick. The force of the kick lashed out against the burning building that Jinur landed within, causing the entire house to collapse in a pile of blazing wood. Keyru gasped as he realized that it was Shada’s house. His heart skipped a beat until he spotted Shada and her mother running in the opposite direction.
Zaris fell to the ground, apparently wounded from the fight. His left hand grasped his side, but ultimately the blood began to seep out onto his clothes. His pants had also been torn on the left knee, revealing a large bruise. “I can’t fight anymore, unfortunately,” he said, wearing an annoyed face.
Keyru’s dad nodded. “Then take Keyru. Get out of town; we’ll take care of the rest of these guys.” Keyru’s mom got on one knee and gave Keyru a hug. “We need you to go with Master Zaris now, okay Keyru?” Keyru nodded unsurely, not entirely understanding what was happening. She stood up, and Zaris scooped Keyru up, turned towards the edge of town, and took off like a lightning bolt, grunting with his injured knee. Keyru finally realized that he was leaving his parents, and began to squirm, trying to escape Zaris’ grip, failing miserably.
Within a minute, Zaris stopped to tend to his wounds. They were already far away from where they’d started, over a mile away from Keyru’s town. He finally got free from Zaris and started to run back home. “You won’t get back in time to help them,” Zaris said with a smirk. “Might as well just stay here.” But Keyru continued to run.
Another minute passed. The young Sheikah boy was running as fast as his legs could carry him, but it wasn’t fast enough for him. He urged himself to go faster…
Then he stopped as a sound reached his ears. ‘What’s that music?’ he wondered to himself. He slowly stepped out into a small clearing at the base of a hill near the town, then turned back around and crouched behind a tree. Sitting on a stump on the hilltop was a lone figure, playing a soft, touching melody, yet one that seemed to contain evil in every note. Keyru slowly crept up the hill, keeping under cover until he was close enough to see him. There sat a Zora playing a flute. The Zora, sensing Keyru’s presence, turned around and flashed a big, evil grin in his direction. He lifted the flute back up to his mouth and let out a series loud, piercing notes that made the boy have to cover his ears. But his eyes remained open long enough to see what happened next.
KABOOM!!!
With a rumble that shook more than both Hyrule and Keyru’s world, his home town erupted into a massive ball of crimson flames, which flew into the night, illuminating the surrounding area. The Zora stood and turned to the boy, then gasped. A bright light shone from behind Keyru, then a golden beam shot out and snatched up the Zora. He flew back into the night sky landing several minutes later within the town’s remains. Zaris quickly emerged from his cover, picked Keyru up again, turned, and bolted away from the smoldering ruins of the boy’s home. Before Keyru fainted from the shock of what had happened, he managed to hear Zaris say, “Well, now he’s my student, just like it’s supposed to be.”
[/flashback]
“That was seventeen years ago. Master Zaris used the fact that you all were hunting him to destroy my entire life, just so he could get an apprentice.” Alpha’s anger returned. “He spent ten years not telling me that, training me. I trusted him, a boldface liar, with my life for ten long years. Then one day I found out from Jinur’s son, Karunik, what had actually transpired. That day, seven years ago, I left Master Zaris and went out in search of a way to destroy him.” Malice filled his every word. If Alpha had had time to think about doing it, he would have applauded his drama skills. The entire act had been far more successful than he had originally hoped for, judging by the kid’s stare. He forced himself to settle down before speaking to the boy again. “So, do you believe my tale?”
The kid looked at him unsurely. “Then why do you trust the Hakiems? They’re the ones who blew up your home.”
“As the saying goes,” Alpha replied, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend…for now. I hate the Hakiems, but Zaris is a greater evil. So for now I am willing to work with the Hakiems tribe so as to take him down. But once Zaris dies, I intend to come after you all.” For the boy's benefit, he added, "But until he dies, you have nothing to fear from me."
The boy finally looked satisfied. “When will your friend get here?”
“I’m already here,” came Shada’s voice from behind them. She gave them a serious smile as she motioned with her hand for them to follow her. “Are we all ready to exterminate this menace?” Alpha and the boy nodded, rose, and went after her out of the town and towards the Ruto Mountains.
OOC: Head east for Part 6.
IC:
‘Alright, this is it,’ thought Alpha. The month was up; it was finally time to meet with the Hakiems tribe and get them off his tail. He smiled at the thought.
Alpha strode into Ruto Town, and walked several blocks before hearing someone say, “Al-Alpha.” He slowly turned around, shielding his eyes for a second as the morning sun’s red rays began to peak over the horizon. His vision stopped on a man at the corner of the street, the only one in sight. So this was the Hakiems’ contact. Upon closer inspection, Alpha was shocked to see that he was actually a young teenager, no older than fourteen at the most. ‘This is their messenger?’ He was forced to wonder why the professional Hakiems would send a boy he could have easily killed. The guy wasn’t even armed! However, Alpha did happily note that his scar never let off so much as a spark.
“I am he,” the caped Sheikah replied. “You work for them, I assume.” The boy nodded, and Alpha starred into his brown eyes, seeing great fear in them. “You are afraid of me? You have no reason to fear,” he said solemnly. “After all, we face a common enemy.”
The boy’s eyes widened with surprise. His voice still wavered, but his curiosity overrode his fear now. “Common enemy…this Zaris guy is your enemy as well?” He seemed to suddenly remember his mission. “Then take me to him. Master Karunik told me you would tell me where he is, and then I will tell him.” Despite his curiosity, the boy’s tone told Alpha that he still didn’t trust him.
Alpha let out a sigh. “Unfortunately, I don’t know. But I have a contact who does. You see, Zaris knows that I hate him. He has hidden himself from me. But he has failed to realize that his new apprentice shares our hatred. She will meet us here, and serve as our guide to his hideout,” he said with a voice that was loaded with spite.
The boy could no longer hold back his inquisitiveness. “Why…why do you hate him? I was told he once trained you. He was your master! How can you turn on him, and betray his trust?”
Alpha stared at him, and if eyes were Beamos the boy would have been dead in a second. “How can I betray his trust!” he practically yelled in anger. He looked around, afraid someone might have heard him, but was glad to see that the streets were empty. Still, he leaned in close before he spoke again. With malice evident in his voice, he continued, “Because he betrayed mine. Because he never told me the truth.” He returned to his full height and forced his breathing to slow down. “Once I discovered the reality of my situation, I left him. Your masters didn’t tell you that, now did they?”
The boy shook his head, in awe at Alpha’s anger. “What…what did he do to you?”
The older Sheikah sighed. “My story isn’t one that I like to discuss…but in this case I will make an exception. If you want, I will tell you of how evil Zaris truly is.” The boy nodded shakily, his mouth still hanging open at the outburst. “Very well,” Alpha said.
And he began his tale.
[flashback]
“Come on Keyru! Where are you?” shouted a young girl. She was only six years old, but her brown hair had grown quite long, reaching down to her knees, and her mother often tied it in a long braid so that it would stay out of her face.
“Duh, Shada!” came a reply from above her. “I’m up here in my room.” The young Shada looked up at the blue house that served as Keyru’s home. The boy, only seven years old, was struggling to stand tall enough so that he could lean out of the window on the second floor. He finally balanced himself on the window. “What’s up?”
Shada put her small hands on her hips, trying to look grown-up. “Key, everyone’s waiting for you! We’re all at the pond, and here you are playing.”
“Practicing.”
“Whatever!” she yelled, stamping her feet on the dirt road in frustration.
Keyru laughed as he always did when he contradicted her. “Be right down!” he yelled and turned away. He left his room and slammed the door shut, causing two of the three people in the living room below him to look up. He hardly glanced at those two as he started down the stairs. One was a tall, skinny man with black hair and a short beard: Keyru’s dad. The other was a tall, slim, and beautiful woman with chestnut hair that only reached to her shoulders: Keyru’s mother.
The third figure did catch his eye, though. As he hit the first of the stairs, he found himself staring at the man like he had been doing since his arrival three days ago. He wore a black cloak that stretched to his waist and black pants. He had snow-white hair and a short white goatee. He was currently sitting in a wooden chair at the family’s dinner table, using his left hand to hold a spoon for his soup. On the back of the chair also sat a beautifully decorated sword in its sheathe. Keyru couldn’t deny that that the man, although old, seemed to possess incredible power. His mysterious air made Keyru worry too much to talk about him to anyone except his closest friends, like Shada. Keyru was also certain that, at times, the man let off a golden aura. But it seemed only he could see it; no one else ever noticed it.
“Whoa!” Keyru shouted as he suddenly tripped and fell forward. Suddenly he was caught up in his father’s arms, for his dad had appeared in front of him.
“Whoa indeed, son. You need to be more careful, okay?” his dad said as he dropped Keyru off on the ground level. Keyru nodded and dashed outside to go off with Shada. His dad chuckled as he watched him go, then turned to the elderly man. “You really think he can be your apprentice?”
Master Zaris looked up for the first time. He spoke slowly, but with a very serious voice. “I don’t think; I know. He will be my successor.”
That night, after a day’s worth of fun and games, Keyru and Shada raced back home. “How is it you always beat me?” she asked afterwards, panting from the long run.
“Practice.”
“Argh…”
They both laughed before separating, Keyru going to his own house and Shada to hers across the street. Keyru closed the door behind himself and walked up the stairs to his room. But not before eying the old man who still sat at the table, staring at a half-empty bowl of soup. He thought he saw the man glow again, but if so it lasted only for a second, and so he dismissed it.
After the door to Keyru’s room closed, Zaris looked up. “Yes…he will be mine,” he muttered to himself. “Everything is almost ready…by tomorrow he will be my student. He’s the only one who can take on this power. No matter how tragic the departure from his home, he will have to come with me.” He gave a small smile, and then returned to his meditation.
Hours later, in the darkest part of the moonless night, Zaris was jerked out of his thoughts as his senses came to full awareness. “What?” His glow returned, and this time became so bright that it was like daylight. He looked out the eastward window, as if seeing something in the night. And though it was impossible to see into the darkness that had descended, fear suddenly came into his sight as he realized what was happening. “He’s here!” he yelled, then leapt up – then stopped.
It wasn’t just him…
The windows suddenly smashed inwards, spraying Zaris with fragments of the glass. As he threw off the shards, he looked up, confused. “The Hakiems tribe? What are you doing here?”
Surrounding him were ten Sheikah warriors, swords held in different stances. “We have been charged with the task of killing you, Golden Sheikah. Prepare to die,” said one. Before any had the time to blink, that one flew into the table, and fell limp on it, obviously dead. And it appeared that Zaris had not moved an inch, even to the skilled senses of the Hakiems tribe. Their eyes widened as they realized that they had bitten off more than they could chew. Suddenly two more fell to the ground by punches caused by Keyru’s parents, who had appeared as if from nowhere.
Upstairs, the crash of the table awoke the young Keyru. At first he thought he was having a bad dream, but the next few bangs and crashes assured him that he was awake. He rubbed his eyes as he opened the door to see nine people lying on the floor, either unconscious or dead. His parents and the old man stood above them, and the last one was scrambling out the door, constantly tripping over himself. “What’s going on, Mommy?” he asked. His mom ran upstairs to him and gave him a big, loving hug. “Don’t worry sweetie. There were just a few mean men here, and we had to protect ourselves.”
Still half asleep, he rubbed his eyes again and yawned. “Okay Mommy.”
“They are not done yet,” the old guy said. “I’ve killed some of them. Now they will be after me.” He turned to the table and picked up his sword, swinging it over his back. “I must leave. Now.” He turned and rushed to the doorway, only to stop short as he was confronted once again, this time by a much larger Sheikah. “Jinur, leader of the Hakiems tribe,” the old man said in recognition.
“Zaris, one of the greatest Sheikah, so much so that you were chosen to be a ‘Golden One’.” Jinur replied. “You have killed some of my men. Prepare to die.” With a lightning fast move, he dove at Zaris, punches flying. But they hit only air; Keyru was shocked to see how fast this Zaris guy could move.
“Jinur!” came a yell from outside. Somehow Zaris had slipped in between the Hakiems leader and the doorframe, a space of only a few inches, and now stood outside. The family, led by Keyru, rushed to the door to see what would happen next – and they were shocked by what they saw. Beyond where Zaris and Jinur were fighting, the Hakiems’ men were looting the entire town to avenge the life Zaris had taken. Amidst the burning of buildings other Hakiems fought against the Sheikah townsfolk.
Zaris finally dispatched Jinur, sending him back with a single crescent kick. The force of the kick lashed out against the burning building that Jinur landed within, causing the entire house to collapse in a pile of blazing wood. Keyru gasped as he realized that it was Shada’s house. His heart skipped a beat until he spotted Shada and her mother running in the opposite direction.
Zaris fell to the ground, apparently wounded from the fight. His left hand grasped his side, but ultimately the blood began to seep out onto his clothes. His pants had also been torn on the left knee, revealing a large bruise. “I can’t fight anymore, unfortunately,” he said, wearing an annoyed face.
Keyru’s dad nodded. “Then take Keyru. Get out of town; we’ll take care of the rest of these guys.” Keyru’s mom got on one knee and gave Keyru a hug. “We need you to go with Master Zaris now, okay Keyru?” Keyru nodded unsurely, not entirely understanding what was happening. She stood up, and Zaris scooped Keyru up, turned towards the edge of town, and took off like a lightning bolt, grunting with his injured knee. Keyru finally realized that he was leaving his parents, and began to squirm, trying to escape Zaris’ grip, failing miserably.
Within a minute, Zaris stopped to tend to his wounds. They were already far away from where they’d started, over a mile away from Keyru’s town. He finally got free from Zaris and started to run back home. “You won’t get back in time to help them,” Zaris said with a smirk. “Might as well just stay here.” But Keyru continued to run.
Another minute passed. The young Sheikah boy was running as fast as his legs could carry him, but it wasn’t fast enough for him. He urged himself to go faster…
Then he stopped as a sound reached his ears. ‘What’s that music?’ he wondered to himself. He slowly stepped out into a small clearing at the base of a hill near the town, then turned back around and crouched behind a tree. Sitting on a stump on the hilltop was a lone figure, playing a soft, touching melody, yet one that seemed to contain evil in every note. Keyru slowly crept up the hill, keeping under cover until he was close enough to see him. There sat a Zora playing a flute. The Zora, sensing Keyru’s presence, turned around and flashed a big, evil grin in his direction. He lifted the flute back up to his mouth and let out a series loud, piercing notes that made the boy have to cover his ears. But his eyes remained open long enough to see what happened next.
KABOOM!!!
With a rumble that shook more than both Hyrule and Keyru’s world, his home town erupted into a massive ball of crimson flames, which flew into the night, illuminating the surrounding area. The Zora stood and turned to the boy, then gasped. A bright light shone from behind Keyru, then a golden beam shot out and snatched up the Zora. He flew back into the night sky landing several minutes later within the town’s remains. Zaris quickly emerged from his cover, picked Keyru up again, turned, and bolted away from the smoldering ruins of the boy’s home. Before Keyru fainted from the shock of what had happened, he managed to hear Zaris say, “Well, now he’s my student, just like it’s supposed to be.”
[/flashback]
“That was seventeen years ago. Master Zaris used the fact that you all were hunting him to destroy my entire life, just so he could get an apprentice.” Alpha’s anger returned. “He spent ten years not telling me that, training me. I trusted him, a boldface liar, with my life for ten long years. Then one day I found out from Jinur’s son, Karunik, what had actually transpired. That day, seven years ago, I left Master Zaris and went out in search of a way to destroy him.” Malice filled his every word. If Alpha had had time to think about doing it, he would have applauded his drama skills. The entire act had been far more successful than he had originally hoped for, judging by the kid’s stare. He forced himself to settle down before speaking to the boy again. “So, do you believe my tale?”
The kid looked at him unsurely. “Then why do you trust the Hakiems? They’re the ones who blew up your home.”
“As the saying goes,” Alpha replied, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend…for now. I hate the Hakiems, but Zaris is a greater evil. So for now I am willing to work with the Hakiems tribe so as to take him down. But once Zaris dies, I intend to come after you all.” For the boy's benefit, he added, "But until he dies, you have nothing to fear from me."
The boy finally looked satisfied. “When will your friend get here?”
“I’m already here,” came Shada’s voice from behind them. She gave them a serious smile as she motioned with her hand for them to follow her. “Are we all ready to exterminate this menace?” Alpha and the boy nodded, rose, and went after her out of the town and towards the Ruto Mountains.
OOC: Head east for Part 6.