Unseen Hero (2019)

Chapter 2

   The two talked for a while as they navigated the small town of Kakariko. Tallia and Link got along like two best friends that hadn't met for a long time.

   "I'm sorry, but I feel like we've met before. You seem so familiar!" Tallia laughed as they walked.

   Suddenly Link frown, "I don't think so..." he said quietly. Tallia noticed his abrupt mood shift and felt bad. She wasn't sure what she'd said to upset him though.

   "I'm sorry" the black haired girl looked down sheepishly.

   "No! You don't need to be sorry!" Link laughed awkwardly.

   Their conversation resumed as normal, the awkward feeling quickly fading away. The duo made their way back to the inn and by the time they'd arrived back the front desk had a closed sign on it.

   Behind the desk Marcus sat. As Tallia and Link entered the building he looked up at her and grimaced.

   "Tallia." He called out to her. The girl looked over, biting her tongue and hiding her annoyance.

   "You waited for me?" She said as polite as she could muster, but her tone of frustration was still evident in her voice.

   "I'm gonna head back to my room…" Link said quietly and hurried off down the hallway.

   "You need to be here at close. You can't expect Lydia to do everything."

   "Lydia doesn't do anything to begin with!!" Tallia hissed, stepping closer to emphasize her point.

   Tallia and Marcus were only separated by the front desk. Now that she was this close she caught the faint aroma of alcohol on his breath. The black haired girl was almost offended that he'd decided to start drinking at his age.

   "Have you been drinking?" Tallia muttered in disbelief.

   "What I do is none of your concern. You think you have any control over me? I'm the one in charge!" Marcus shouted back at her. He took off his glasses and put them on the table roughly.

   "You need to learn that I ha-"

   "No, Tallia! You have a responsibility!" Marcus cut her off. At this point Tallia couldn't even argue with the drunk boy.

   "He left the inn to you! Not me! You!" Tallia retorted, immediately regretting bringing up their father.

   "You know what else my father gave me?" Marcus asked quietly, peering down at her with a fury. "A bratty little girl that did nothing but take his attention. You're not even family. You're not hylian, you're not shika, you're nothing." He hissed.

   Tallia felt tears in her eyes. She didn't even know how to reply to what he'd said. His words left Tallia with a pit in her stomach, and a pain in her chest. She felt heartbroken by somebody she thought of as a brother.

   "Don't expect me to show up tomorrow." She said flatly before walking away quickly.

   "If you don't work, you can't live here!" Marcus shreeked, chasing after her. Tallia made her way towards her room and found herself blocked by Marcus.

   "Let me go to my room!" Tallia cried out, her cheeks were stained with tears.

   "You don't have a room! Get out!" Marcus replied, standing in front of her door.

   "You're going to scare the guests." Tallia whimpered.

   "I am?! You're no longer a guest at this inn and I am telling you to leave at once!" His voice was loud. Certainly loud enough to wake their sleeping guests.

   Tallia had no more fight left in her. She sobbed, wanting nothing more than to escape this situation. Marcus wasn't going to let her in to her room tonight and Tallia felt hopeless.

   "Get out of her way" a familiar voice called out from across the hall.

   "This is none of your-" before Marcus could finish his threat, he was cut off by the sound of scraping metal. Tallia turned at the noise and saw Link, sword drawn and pointed at Marcus.

   Marcus immediately went pail at the sight of the blade. The sword was long with a blue hilt that bore the royal family crest. At first, Tallia thought it looked like a guardsman's sword, however the blue colour confused the girl.

   "I want you out by morning." Marcus hissed at Tallia before walking away. Tallia watched as he peered at the blonde as he left.

   "Are you alright Tallia?" Link asked, slipping his blade back into its sheath.

   "I'm alright…" she nodded, wiping the tears from her cheeks. "Where did you get that sword?"

   "It was a gift from Princess Zelda" Link said dismissively, walking over to comfort the girl. He embraced the crying girl and held her close. Tallia found herself once again feeling that familiarity.

   "I can't thank you enough" Tallia's voice was muffled into his tunic.

   "Get some sleep. We'll worry about everything when the morning comes." Link said quietly, opening her room door for her and ushering her inside.

   "Goodnight!" She said quietly. Link smiled at her before closing her door and returning to his own room.