The night sky blackened the city streets with shadow, the rumble of thunder could be heard from the southern mountains. Clouds, already covering the sky with their unforgiving cold seemed to become heavy and set the land of Hyrule into a dark night. Rain began to trickle into the cobble stone roads of Hyrule castle town. The guards made their routine inspection rounds, covered with heavy cloaks to protect themselves from the fast growing storm.
The patter of horse feet came over the gate as the young man on his trusty black steed rode into a slow trot over gate. Link looked back and forth from the look out posts. His eyes looked a little worried for the soldiers who had to stay and watch the gate.
“ Sir Link!” Came a rough voice. Link stopped his horse; lifting his cloak from his head and watching as three soldiers came to a stop in front of him.
“ What’s the news?” Link asked seriously, his voice low and exhausted from the errand he had to run at Lon Lon ranch.
“ Sir Link, queen Zelda asks that you return to the castle immediately, she told my officer that she had some important business to take care of.” The soldier shouted, trying to raise his voice above the rattling of the thick downpour. Link stared at the soldier, then shook his head.
“ No, tell her that I’m taking watch tonight.” Link responded, waving his hand for the three men to depart. The man hesitated, then came forward as Link dismounted his horse.
“ Sir Link…your, your cousin Sheik has also ordered you to come.” The man insisted. Link stopped at Sheiks name.
“ Tell him I’ll be there later, I have a bad feeling tonight, I don’t know why. Believe me, if anyone, Sheik would understand what I’m doing.” Link responded, looking the soldier straight in the eye and tying his horse’s reins. The soldier was about to respond, raising his hand to stop Link as he began to walk away. But Link turned his head around. And the man bowed, defeated, ran the other way towards the castle.
Link pulled his horse into a nearby alley street, and pushed him into a sheltered patch. “ Stay here Lev, and watch out for anything, remember your sister Epona.” Link whispered in the tall horses night black fur, rubbing his muzzle. Link sighed as he remembered his horse Epona, she was the most famous and loyal friend he had ever had, but horses only live a maximum of ten years. Two years ago Epona passed away, but Link was glad to have her brother, who was as strong and smart a horse as Epona, but he was incredibly stubborn, even more then his proud sister.
Link ran quickly through the back alleys to the look out post. Link took in a deep breath and whistled loudly up to the men. Heads swerved over the rail and a hand wave indicated that Link was clear to come up.
“ See anything suspicious tonight?” Link asked as he reached the roofed tower, throwing off his cloak.
“ No, not really, just…that I haven’t seen any stale children wondering around, and there usually out and about in storms more then ever.” Said one bearded man. His voice tinted with a little more worry then usual.
“ I knew something was wrong about this storm.” Link whispered to himself, he had felt that a strange presence was here ever since Link had seen those black clouds on the horizon. And Link could even smell danger; to him it was like a sixth sense. Link looked up as a far off lightning bolt hit the ground over Hyrule field, lighting up the sky eerily.
“ Sir Link, I thought you were requested back at the castle?” The man asked finally, frowning at Link in confusion.
“ I don’t want to go back to the castle yet, and besides Zelda has more to worry about the my safety.” Link grunted casually. The man chuckled and shook his head.
“ Disobeying orders again Link, but I believe yah lad, I can feel something in the air too.” The man snickered understandingly, finding it amusing that Link had chosen once again to stay on look out duty. Of course, Link was their hero and vowed to protect his people at all costs. “ You really do love your kingdom kid, good to know we’re all not alone on that!”
* * * * *
“ WHERE IS HE!! This is the fifth time he’s been late this week!” Zelda shouted across the council meeting table, several people flinched as the angry queen rose up in her chair. Sheik watched the woman, not the slightest bit intimidated by her angry outburst. Sheik had been the queen’s guardian for a full four months now. Sheik remembered the day he came here, with Link leading him away from his homeland of the town of Ca’mbella, far to the west. The Sheikah was a strong man. He grunted and pulled at his white sash that was raped over his face as he protecting mask to get the queens attention.
Zelda noticed Sheik’s red eyes on her from the corner of her eye. Zelda felt safe around Sheik, and knew him more like a friend everyday. But he was so mysterious to her. Always quiet unless he felt he needed to intervene in anything. Zelda heard him give a low rustle and she turned to look up at him. The Sheikah lowered his head towards her slowly.
“ My queen, I’m sure Link will arrive soon, it is not a matter to anger yourself, be patient with him.” Sheik insisted calmly, his voice low and soft. Zelda narrowed her proud blue eyes at the man and grunted.
“ You don’t have any idea how stubborn Link can get when he’s ordered to do something, Sheik.” Zelda growled. Sheik sighed and his kind ruby colored eyes smiled.
“ I know how stubborn Link is, Zelda, but I also know that he is a very strong and smart man, you need not worry about him now, trust me,” Sheik continued, smiling even more at Zelda as she looked at him. Zelda noticed everyone in the room was starring at her now, Zelda broke off from the whispered conversation and stood up.
“ I believe that this meeting may go on without Link with us tonight, I’m sorry. You all must feel guilty about not having him with us, but the meeting has to go on.” Zelda said with her strong speaking voice, surveying the crowd as the Zora representative stood up. “ Yes?” Zelda said, letting the man go first.
“ My queen, I must inform you that the meeting was about Link in the first place. I think I speak for the rest of my peers when I say that isn’t it impossible to have a meeting about Link when he isn’t even here!” the Zora said, his voice tired and annoyed from his journey to the castle through the storm. “ I didn’t want to travel through the rain and wind tonight to have a meeting that isn’t going anywhere, my wife and children expected me to be home tonight!” the Zora said, raising his scaled hands to the air and almost shouting at the rest of the group for opinion on the subject.
Zelda bit her lip, not knowing what to say back to suppress the councils’ nods and angry murmuring that began to spread across the long table. The torch lit room smelled heavily of burning tree sap and ash that had begun to fill the air since the council had been waiting so long. One of the two Goron spokesmen stood up after the Zora. Zelda nodded for him the speak.
“ My queen, I agree with the Zoras, I too did not want to have a meeting that could not be started on time because of Link being so late…I too would much rather be in bed and eat my dinner of rocks right now then sit here and do nothing all night!” The Goron seconded the opinion of canceling the meeting. Zelda sat back in her chair, her head stung with a heavy headache.
“ All right, council is over, you may all leave.” Zelda said as calmly as se could, feeling depressed, angry, and defeated all at the same time. The Three Guerdo, five Hylian, one Zora and two Goron council members walked exhausted from the room, talking with each other. The room quieted, leaving only Zelda and Sheik to talk about the details.
“ Do not feel guilty my queen.” Sheik said softly, as usual. Zelda stood up in her chair, leaning her hands on the table and looking over at Sheik, her eyes full of worry.
“ I feel like none of them trust me as their queen Sheik, even after five years. When my mother died she left me with nothing to lead my people with. I don’t feel like I can take this on. And now I’m going to be stripped of my duties, Sheik, because of that damn MARRIAGE LAW!” Zelda said threw gritted teeth, pounding her fist on the table.
“ Zelda, you must focus not on your weakness, but your strong points now. Believe me when I say that you are…well…” Sheik paused, not sure how to say this. “ You are a very bright and able woman.”
“ Who else thinks that about me?” Zelda scowled, her attitude becoming bitter.
“ I am very sure Link would, Impa, and….” Sheik was interrupted suddenly.
“ LINK!” Zelda remembered suddenly. “ I need Link here right now to talk with him for disobeying my orders once again. Sheik, you know him well enough to find him easily in the storm. I’m certain he’s somewhere in Hyrule castle town.” Zelda stood up proudly, her jeweled crescent crown atop her head. Sheik sighed deeply and bowed to her in respect.
“ Yes my queen.” And quickly ran out of the door towards the gate entrance to the town, where Sheik knew Link would be waiting.
* * * * *
The tower’s torch flame lit the dim lookout posts moderately. Link still sat alert by the window, the rain pouring outside. It was quite late into the night now. Link was sure it was past midnight ever since he had gotten in to town again. Link watched as the lightning flashed silently inside of the clouds.
“ Lad, there’s nothing out there tonight, come and have something to eat, you must be stravin’ from your trip.” One of the men said with a low sigh, the rest of them sitting in a circle eating small portions of bread. Link shot a short glance over his shoulder at the men, then just looked back to the sky; his instincts told him that danger was in the air.
“ Something’s coming tonight.” Link whispered, leaning on the stone rail and starring hard out of the window.
A thump on the rooftop sent many of the men in the post jumping, Link grabbed the hilt of his sword, his heart racing in fear. The sound of feet thudded over the rain drenched building as someone swung into the lookout post so fast the torches burnt out. Link stared at the humanoid like thing, who ever it was who would just jump through the window of a lookout post at 2:00am. Link watched it turn its head towards him and a sigh echoed in the room.
“ Be still my cousin, put down your sword,” came a familiar voice. Link quickly put his weapon away and wiped the sweat from his forehead.
“ Jesus Sheik, don’t do that!” Link settled, watching as Sheik lit the torches again with a flint rock that was kept in the tower’s supplies.
“ I am sorry, Link, it is just my way,” Sheik remarked calmly, his voice not even tired from how wet and run down the man looked. Link knew Sheik wouldn’t admit weakness, he thought it might be his greatest fear, but in a way Link liked his calm, logical and wise attitude about the world. Link smirked oddly at him as Sheik’s determined eyes looked over at him.
“ Is Zelda angry at me?” Link asked sarcastically. Sheik narrowed his eyes, not liking Link’s joking right now.
“ The council meeting was tonight Link, and I’m ashamed you didn’t attend.” Sheik said, his voice showing the fierce but in control side of Sheik Link didn’t see all that often. Link sighed deeply, lowering his eyes a little.
“ I’m sorry Sheik, but I felt something about this storm tonight, almost like…”
“ There’s something unnatural about it.” Sheik finished for him, keeping his red eyes on Link the whole time. Link cocked his head, not surprised that his blood relative felt the same way about it, but relieved by the whole thing.
“ Why didn’t you do anything about it?” Link asked curiously. Sort of angry that Sheik hadn’t come sooner if he knew where Link was, and why he was here. Sheik’s eyes smiled behind his mask that glowed in the dim light.
“ Because I did not want to alert the others.”
“ What do you mean the oth…” Link stopped, confused. He hadn’t heard that with his ears, but it had slowly muttered into his head. Link looked behind him to the confused men that stared dumbfounded and a little fearfully at Sheik. Link looked back to Sheik again, whom chuckled lowly and turned to sit down.
Link knew Sheik had the power to use a little telepathy, and he always found it funny to make Link seem crazy in front of other people, seeming to talk to himself when no one asked any questions. Link sighed and leaned against the wall, defeated and embarrassed.
The night wore on, one of the lookouts sharpened a dagger with a smooth rock in the corner, and the noise was the only one besides the crackling fire of the two dimming torches.
Link was fast asleep against the wall, snoring quietly with his arms folded loosely over his slumped chest. Sheik had his head bowed near the other side of the post, the men looking at him more like a threat then a man.
Sheik lowered his eyes and closed them, his legs crisscrossed on the floor and his back up straight. Sheik knew Hylian men hated Sheikah, and had almost massacred his people hundreds of years ago, afraid of them only because of their fierce red eyes.
Sheik heard someone whispering, and the word demon was all the man could make out, not wanting to look back up. He looked over at Link in the corner for a moment. Many people called Sheikah black magic demons, saying they tame the wildest of beasts to put harm onto women and children. But Sheik knew it was all a lie, even though he excepted being despised in this society. He didn’t like it.
“ Hey, Sheikah…” One of the rough voices asked.
Sheik looked up at the men, ready for them to probably insult him while Link was fast asleep. “ Yes.” Sheik replied, tired and calm.
“ Why did you even want to be my queen’s Guardian, we don’t need any of you demons poking around in this land, that women Impa is enough just being away in the sacred realm for me.” One of them uttered, his voice seeming to ask for a fight. Sheik stared at the man for a long while; he wasn’t going to do anything about it as the men stared back at him menacingly. Then stopped as Link began to stir awake, stretching and taking in a big gulp of air.
“ Anything?” Link asked. His voice rid of sleep almost instantly.
“ No.” Sheik answered plainly, trying to keep awake himself, but hardly showing it.
Link stood up and quietly walked to the window, watching and waiting patiently. Link looked behind him as he heard Sheik make a noise. Link looked at his eyes. He was staring straightforward and his body become rigid. Sheik quickly got to the window, crouching on the sill like a cat and peering outside.
“ Sheik...Sheik?” Link started. Sheik quickly lifted a finger to silence Link as he walked over to the window. Sheik looked outside, his eyes wide and alert.
“ Do you hear that.” Sheik whispered harshly. Link felt his stomach turn over in fear as he listened, first he just heard the rhythmic sound of rain, but then something else. A noise like almost like a moaning sound oozed through the air, it was quiet at first but then became louder. Then it stopped, Link narrowing his eyes through the storm towards the source of the noise. His heart filled with fear at the horrid cry. A bolt of lightning lit up the sky and Link watched as a black figure raced over the rooftops of a far away building. It was even blacker then the night, disappearing again with the fading light. Then the figure turned its shadowing head towards the tower. Link jumped back at it’s glowing red eyes. It seemed to stare him to his soul. Link came short of breath, looking away to stop from passing out.
Sheik seemed to be affected by the creature too, but not as seriously, the moaning noise rose slowly again into the air, becoming louder then before as the shadow disappeared into the blackness again. Sheik regained his balance and leaped from the six-story tower to the nearest roof. Link gasped, thinking the man crazy, even though he had a reputation for appearing out of the air at no scheduled time and jumping through windows instead of using doors.
Sheik landed unhurt on the roof far below, Link peered over the rail, looking down, amazed that he wasn’t even hurt by the jump. “ SHEIK!!” Link yelled, but the Sheikah didn’t even hear him. Sheik was running towards the creature in no time, fast. Link was caught with amazement at how quick Sheik could be on his feet, of course Sheik caught an arrow with his bare hand once, so Link wasn’t totally surprised by what he was capable of. “ SHEIK WAIT!!” Link yelled after him.
Link watched as he glided from the roof of the house, almost twenty feet into the air, flipping once and landing in a run over the next house. Link let go of the breath he was holding and stood on the windowsill, ready to go after him. Link leapt from the ledge and rolled to a painful stop on the shingled roof, the cement roof tearing his tunics back and giving him a few cuts from the long fall. Link stood up and ran after him, yelling for Sheik to stop. Link slowed down at the roof, slipping on the shingles and almost going over the edge. Link peered down the forty feet to the ground, watching helplessly as Sheik bolted like a fox from roof to roof.
“ KRAKOW!!” Another lightning bolt struck the sky with white light. Link could see the creature gliding like a ghost over the roof, leaping into the air just like Sheik and landing unhurt on the wet roof. Link knew he wasn’t going to be involved in this fight.
* * * * *
The rain beat down on Sheik as he ran threw the storm, leaping effortlessly from one building to another, trained in the ancient ways of his people; Sheik knew every trick in his people’s book about moves that seemed to be impossible to the untrained eye. Sheik came forward to the creature, it’s laughing turning into high pitched jitters like a demented demon, it came to the edge of the roof, glaring at Sheik quickly and snickering, it’s voice like that of a sandstorm. The Creature’s body was more like molding smoke-like cloaks then anything else; it’s eyes laughing at the Sheikah as he stumbled back from its hideous laughter and heart-stopping glare.
Sheik turned his head away from it, not looking it in the eye.
“ Demon, speak to me, tell me who you are!” Sheik shouted. The thing laughed higher, back flipping twenty feet up and landing on a rooftop on the other side. Sheik leaped after the thing, coming down hard onto the stones, his feet almost slipping, sending the man stumbling back, but he dared not to fall off. He looked forward at the creature, it seemed to be gone from his sight, Sheik quickly darted around his quick eyes for any sign of it. Sheik heard the laughter from above. Sheik gasped and rolled forward for his life as two long scimitars dug into the concrete right where he had been before. Sheik got up quickly as the levitating creature freed the swords and came to a stop on the rooftop. It whipped out at the man with it’s blades, thrusting madly and slashing wildly, laughing as Sheik wasn’t quick enough and got cut on his right shoulder painfully. Sheik reacted quickly, flipping as one almost came barreling forward into his stomach, it nicked his foot painfully in the process though.
Sheik instantly recognized the thing’s technique, these where Sheikah swords, and Sheikah fighting moves. Sheik stayed cautious, studying his opponent carefully. The creature jumped into the air, coming down for another jump attack. But Sheik was ready for him. Sheik rolled backwards and then bounded off of the roof with his strong arms and kicked the creature in the back as it plummeted to the ground. It hit it bang on in the spine, hard. Sheik heard what sounded like a moan of pain, but it sounded human for a second. One of the swords went flying over the roof edge, into the blinding rain and wind as it picked up. Sheik panted, he was cold and hurt, stumbling on the wet stones and showing signs of fatigue.
The creature waited, resting on the sword and turning its red eyes back to Sheik. Another lightning bolt hit the ground, lighting up the sky. Sheik could make out the curves of a hood over the things head, it’s eyes red and cloak that fell down from it’s head to it’s feet showed exactly what it was.
“ You’re a Garo, a dead Sheikah warrior.” Sheik whispered, his eyes wide. He had never seen such a creature but had heard about them from Link in his travels to the land of Termina, Sheik knew little about the creatures, but knew they where evil beings that had been murdered and enslaved by a curse. “ Demon.” Sheik shouted at it.
It’s eyes widened and it screeched at the word. Whipping its metal weapon towards Sheik, twisting its wrist and cutting a deep gash in Sheik side. Sheik bent over in pain, gritting his teeth and just trying to stand up. Sheik looked up, pivoting backwards and pressing one of his hands over the wound. The Garo took the sword up and wiped the blood from the blade with its skeleton fingers. Sheik walked as well as he could, his side stinging with the deep gash and blood trickling down his leg. The Garo walked forward slowly, keeping pace with Sheik as he backed off. The Garo’s sword held at his side.
Sheik tried to keep his yelp of pain inside as the Garo came around for a quick slap in Sheik thigh with it’s broad side of the weapon, knocking Sheik to the ground with his buckling knee. The Garo turned its head down at the man, lifting the sword up into the air and pointing it for Sheik’s skull.
Sheik gasped and jumped to his feet. Feeling new strength, he fought off his bleeding gash and bruised leg. The Garo looked surprised as his sword dug into concrete instead of flesh. Sheik leaped into the air, coming down and stomping on the dead thing’s back, crushing it into the roof. Then the frustrated Sheikah grabbed the Garo’s legs and yelled a battle cry as he tossed it in a full circle over the roof, it slid to a stop on edge, the other sword flying away into the storm. The Garo bounded to its feet, setting them widely apart and sitting in a ready Judo fighting pose. Positioning Sheik in its range. Sheik ran forward and twisted into the air, his foot going for its head. The creature caught the attack with both hands and flipped the surprised Sheikah over. Sheik caught his fall and landed perfectly on both feet.
The Garo narrowed its eyes, laughter rising from its demented features that stayed hidden within the cloak. “ You fight well.” The thing hissed. It’s sandstorm voice echoing in Sheik’s mind.
“ I was brutally trained when I was a child, demon.” Sheik threatened, narrowing his eyes as well, seeming fiercely out of character then his usual calm self. “ My brother was killed by one of your kind, and I’m not letting my cousin have the same fate.”
The Garo’s eyes widened and it shot a glance over its shoulder, seeing Link running over one of the tower roofs, trying to get to the fight. “ I am not after that boy.” The Garo hissed airily. It changed forward; Sheik stood his ground ready for the attack. The Garo swung its foot around and Sheik bent back to avoid it. Sheik came under its defense with the momentum of his back bend and plunged his fist into its stomach. The Garo didn’t even seem to be phased by it, and clasped its hands together, driving them into the Sheikah’s back, forcing him to the ground. The Garo leaped up and bent so it’s knee was just above Sheik’s back, intending to break it into he cavity of his skull. But again Sheik surprised the demon by rolling to the side.
Sheik back flipped and rolled twice in the air, landing and then leaping backwards into the Garo’s side. Grabbing it before it even hit the ground from jumping at him. The two rolled over the roof, Sheik jumping off and letting the creature go off the end, but it didn’t, it just recovered as quickly as Sheik and jumped forward, fifteen feet up. Sheik landed and swerved his head around, the Garo’s foot met his face and Sheik stumbled backwards and slid down the side of the building. The rain started to gain speed, and Sheik felt his wounds pain sting him even more as he slid over the edge. Sheik grabbed onto the gutter with his right hand just in time. His arm strained and felt like it was going to be pulled from its socket by the force of his body rolling over the roof side.
Sheik didn’t even have time to think of what had just happened, he looked down, all fifty feet down to the cobble stone road. All the Sheikah could hear was the sound of the rain, thunder clashed angrily overhead, as if outraged that the Sheikah hadn’t fallen to his death just then. The Garo leaned its hooded face over the edge of the roof, red eyes glowing. It grunted in disapproval and lifted back over then. “ You are weak.” The Garo hissed. It put its foot over Sheik slipping fingers, ready to stomp on it. “I can’t believe that you have become like this Sheik.” The Garo leaned over even more, his eyes narrowing and his voice low.
Sheiks eyes went wide with confusion, what was it talking about? And how do it know his name? “ Who…who are you?”
The thing chuckled, leaning closer so it’s glowing eyes where right in front of his.
“ Come now, don’t tell me you can’t remember who I am?”
“ What?” Sheik gasped, trying not to let go of the gutter with his surprise.
“ Your dear little brother, such a smart child, Greenfox was the better of you Sheik, I always believed that!” It sighed. “ I was so lonely, so lost…” it ran it’s skeleton fingers threw Sheiks golden hair, tangling it and then grabbing his hair by the roots. Sheik clenched his teeth as it lifted him to its level.
“ Blaze…Raven…” Sheik said threw his straining voice, clenching his side as the blood trickled down his legs, and fell to the road fifty feet below him.
“ Yes, that’s my name Sheik, your memory is coming back now.”
Sheik felt his fingers slip off, his body rolled into the air. The Garo whipped it’s hand out and caught his wrist, his body dangling, and bleeding from the tower, Sheik tried to cry out as the skeleton fingers dug into his wrists.
“ Greenfox died…because of your betrayal!” Sheik shouted, narrowing his eyes as the other, amazingly strong hand came out and tore of his cloth mask. The Garo cocked its head, and narrowed its hypnotic red orbs.
“ You look so innocent without that mask on, so young…” It mumbled.
Sheik looked away, almost ashamed at his features. How much he resembled his dearest friend Link, his blond locks fell down his shoulders and his facial profile was angular and more elfish, like Links.
“ You murdered my brother!!” Sheik yelled, swinging up and grabbing at its hood, then pulling it down, smashing its face into the shingles. It moaned in a humanoid voice and Sheik was just able to grab onto the gutter again, almost screaming as his heart raced.
The Garo stood up slowly, it’s fiery eyes seeming to smoke they where so frightening and large. “ Stupid mortal, you don’t know what you could have missed coming with me, the power that courses through your every vein…it’s so indulging and pleasurable…I’m sure Greenfox would agree if he was still alive!”
Sheik gasped at that statement. “ What have you done with my BROTHER?” Sheik screamed, trying to swing over the edge, his mind becoming a thick tangle of dark thoughts, only of killing this thing for insulting and teasing him so much.
“ Oh…don’t worry dear Sheik, you will meet him soon enough in hell, for you see…” It set it’s foot on his white knuckled hand, sheik felt his fingers slip. “ You are about to share the same fate as he did….” Sheiks breathing came in short gasps as his fingers slipped even more. “ Goodbye Sheik….do die quickly, for it would be to much for me to watch such a strong person like you suffer…MUCH!” The Garos foot smashed into Sheik knuckles, making him cry out in pain, The Garo threw it’s head back and laughed as Sheik fell. Desperately trying to correct himself so he could land safely, sheik felt the wind whistle in his ears.
The Garo watched as Sheik’s body hit the ground, smirking in delight and chuckling at it lay still. The undead creature looked back over its shoulder as he heard the voice of another man.
“ Sheik! Sheik where are you?!…Sheik…” Link yelled, walking over the roof with the shortly made grappling hook from the guards from the look out tower in his hand.
“ Sheik…where…oh…no…blood.” Link whispered, bending over and running his fingers over the black puddle, the rain was quickly trickling it down the slopped roof, Links mind suddenly filled with horrible images of Sheiks death. Link skidded to the edge, calling out his name and looking for his moving shadowing body on any of the nearby houses. But no response, only the rain and wind replied with drizzling sounds.
Link finally looked down, and his mouth dropped open. And their the proud Sheikah lay, face down, and not moving.
