The Pirate Prince

Might's Downfall

The Pirate Prince

Chapter 3: Might's Downfall

The Hylia's Might shook as another cannon ball collided with the Ship's side. Link pushed his cutlass against his opponents, throwing the man off balance, allowing Link to thrust his blade into his opponents' chest.

The ship took another hit, damaging the mast. Link looked up as the mast came crashing down onto the deck of the ship. Darunia, a Goron that had been part of the crew a little longer than Link, threw a damaged canon at a human man.

"Where's the Captain?" Bellowed Darunia, picking up the fallen mast and lobbing it at the attacking ship.

"Search me." Yelled Link, before turning to face another opponent, "HYAA!"

The ship suddenly shook, with, Link realised, an underwater explosion.

The ship went quiet, before Teba, a Rito that they'd picked up a couple months ago, was shot.

The surviving crew turned to look at Teba's killer, and found themselves staring at their own Captain.

"Rodrick?" Gasped Mikau, holding his side, "What are you doing?"

"Showing my colours." Said Rodrick, before pointing his pistol at the Zora, "Funny, how it's always the one you least expect to betray you, isn't it?"

As Rodrick fired, Link tossed a shield at Mikau, making the shot ricochet into the deck.

"Ah, yes, Link," Said Rodrick, walking over to join the other attackers, "I'm going to give you a choice, come with me and live, or stay here and die."

Link placed his cutlass into his scabbard and slowly walked forwards, stopping a couple of meters away from Rodrick.

"You better pray that we never meet again," Said Link, his voice cold and sharp, "Because not even the Great Calamity would stop me from tearing your head from your shoulders."

Rodrick frowned, and sighed.

"Oh, so unwise, boy." Said Rodrick, picking up a lantern, "I believe what you say, but we aren't going to meet again, because, for that to happen, you'd need to be alive."

With those last words, Rodrick threw the lantern below deck. Where, Link understood, was where they kept the gun powder. Link and the other survivors watch as Rodrick and his 'friends' left before Link rushed to check the Gunpowder. To his relief, Link found that the Gunpowder was wet and, as such, didn't light.

Link looked around, noting the damage done to the ship.

"Prepare to abandon ship." Said Link, "I don't know how damaged the ship is but I know that she won't make it very far."

"Who put you in charge?" Demanded Darbus, another Goron.

"Oh, forgive me, what are your orders?" Said Link, sarcasm heavy in his tone.

Darbus was quiet, before looking around him, "Never mind." Said Darbus, making all eyes switch back to Link.

"Well?" Asked Link, looking around, "That's an order, abandon ship, salvage whatever we can, anything that we can't get into the Long boats we can pick up when we have another ship."

Everyone scrambled to follow Link's orders, Alfonzo walking up behind Link.

"What can I do, Alfonzo?" Asked Link, making the human look at him Quizzically.

"What do you mean?" Asked Alfonzo, looking at Link, "You've done what you can, we can only follow you."

"I'm not a Captain, Alfonzo." Said Link, "I'm just a boy who grew up in a desert."

"And Nabooru would be proud of you." Said Alfonzo, making Link look at him, "Don't worry, I haven't told anyone, nor have I told Nabooru."

"Why?" Asked Link, cocking his head slightly.

"I don't know how to write." Said Alfonzo, "I swear if you laugh, I'll knock you on your arse."

Linebeck, the drunk that threw up on Alfonzo's feet when Link first came aboard, walked up to the two.

"Everyone besides us are in the Longboats, Cap'n." Said Linebeck, his constantly drunk face now looking somewhat sober.

It took Link a moment to realise that Linebeck was talking to him.

"Right," Said Link, "uh, very good Mr. Linebeck."

Looking at the crew in the Longboats, Link felt a pang in his chest when he realised that only a quarter of the Crew remained.

Link climbed into a Longboat with Linebeck, Alfonzo and Darunia.

*/TPP/*

Princess Zelda looked out over the Kingdom of Hyrule, searching for signs of the various delegations of the different species to arrive, The Sheikah were already at Hyrule Castle, The Rito were going to arrive tomorrow, The Gorons arrived late the previous night, the only ones left to arrive were the Zora and the Gerudo.

Zelda frowned at the thought of the Gerudo, when they first came, they had brought two children with them, two blond-haired Hylian's a year older than her. A girl and a boy. Zelda had treated them appallingly, going as far as to hit them. The girl had run off after Zelda had pushed them away the first time, the boy, however, didn't. Looking back, Zelda could see that she was acting horrifically towards them. It was shortly after that Zelda found that most of her 'friends' only wanted to be her friends because she was the Princess, nothing more. The next visit the boy had found Zelda again, no words were spoken, they just sat there in silence.

That became the norm over the next three visits, before the boy got bored and decided to throw sticks at a cucco. The result was him being attacked by said cucco, Zelda also found out that he was allergic to cuccos. The boy then told Zelda his name, Link.

Link didn't say much, he just preferred to stay silent when he was around her. Zelda knew that her father was planning something, the whispers of the courts tended to be heard amongst the servants.

Zelda was broken from her thoughts by her mother knocking on her door.

"Zelda, are you dressed?" Came the voice of Queen Hilda, making Zelda jump.

"Mother, it's the middle of the afternoon, why would I be undressed?" Questioned Zelda, making her mother enter the room.

"For the feast, tonight?" Hilda reminded her daughter, "Honestly, I swear, something I say to you go in one ear and out the other."

"Oh." Said Zelda, blushing with embarrassment, "I heard another ship was attacked."

"And where did you hear that?" Asked Hilda, pursing her lips.

"The messenger, the only thing I know is that it was one of the ships that Rodrick oversaw construction of before his death." Said Zelda, standing to her feet.

Hilda was quiet for a moment, before looking at her daughter.

"Yes, we had another ship attacked, Hylia's Might." Said Hilda, sitting on Zelda's bed and gestured her daughter to join her, "What made the attack more important was that she was attacked by one of our stolen vessels."

"Pirates have been stealing our ships?" asked Zelda, alarm in her voice.

"No, whoever these people are, they are not pirates." Said Hilda, her tone darkening, "Pirate have a code, these monsters just take what they want, killing anyone who stands in their way, even their own comrades."

"The Yiga Clan?" Asked Zelda, fear creeping into her.

"No, the majority of the Yiga dispersed when the Great Calamity was destroyed, reintegrating with the Sheikah, after going through trails beforehand of course." Said Hilda, before getting up, "The Gerudo are to arrive in an hour, best be getting ourselves ready, should we not?"

Zelda nodded, before looking out the window.

"Oh, and Zelda?" Said Hilda, heading out the door, "They say that Skyloft is going to be passing over soon, perhaps we'll see the first of the Colossi tonight."

Zelda grinned and called for Impa.