Heartless Courage Book One: Kingdom Hearts meets Legend of Zelda

Chapter III: Conspiracy

Link pushed through the dispersing people, bumping into one dirty looking woman who just gave him a cold glare.

"Watch where you're going, brat!" She growled, clearly pissed from not getting her lynch game on today.

Link knocked gently on the caravan door.

"Go away! If you can't appreciate our work, then don't show up to our shows!" Link knocked again. Metal scraped against wood as the lock was unchained and the door swung open. "Gods dammit what did I jus-" Pitri stopped, looking down at the young boy no older than ten, staring back up at him with wide, sapphire eyes.

"Oh uh, an...actual admirer of theater perhaps?" The man gave a chuckle. His whole frame shook as he did, and he motioned for Link to come inside.

It was a cozy little room, surprisingly roomy from how small it looked on the outside. Without choking the air, the scent of herbs and cinnamon incense could be smelt drifting through searching for a path out. Pitri sat on a large cot, motioning Link to do the same, and said

"So let me guess. A kid like you, seeing a man such as I and a woman such as Nana besmirching the royal family's name must be thinking 'why'." Link nodded, his interpretation being close enough, and sat positioning himself a comfortable distance away from the odd man.

Nana came in from the nearby room. She eyed Link with a cool glance.

"Ah, Nana, we have a little guest 'ere with us!"

"Hmph. So I can see."

"Ah don't be like that! He seems brighter than that group of dimwits out there." He defended.

"So you say. It wouldn't take much for them to convince this impressionable kid that we're the dimwits for 'dare speaking out against the royal family' for what they have done."

"We tried. We failed. However If we try again, the guards may be using their lances on us next time."

The large man grabbed Link by the shoulder, and his naturally jovial tone got very serious. "Listen lad...that little show you just saw...It wasn't just for entertainment." He stood back up (releasing Link in the process) and slowly began to pace around, shaking the caravan a little every time he reached opposite ends. He was energetic for such a large fellow!

Pitri continued "As much as I care for our kingdom, it is a kingdom built on lies. It was not some assassination attempt on our King that sparked the old war. The King had traveled to the Gerudo desert with a full battalion of men at his side. 

King Alvo had commanded that the Gerudo stop their ways, claiming it was blasphemous to the goddesses. They refused to conform, of course, and had no choice but to defend themselves as our King's men assaulted them. Apparently a spear was thrown from one of the defenders, and it grazed the King's cheek. 

King Alvo's men were eventually successfully fended off, leaving many dead behind as they retreated back to their kingdom."

He paused, giving himself time to take a breath. Link wasn't expecting this to be a history lesson.

"Their courage to stand up for what little they had left is what caused the King to call all out war on all opposing factions. And as you can see, it was King Alvo who eventually won. 

Now the Gerudo are forced to do trade to get even the most basic resources, as their own are drained away on a weekly basis."

Looking back at Link, he nearly acknowledged the fact that he was speaking to a kid, and was almost tempted to take his one-way conversation to a more appropriate topic. Almost. Nana watched her father as he went about his rant, seemingly ready to jump in if he got too exited. She decided to take a seat beside beside her guest.

"It's the Triforce kid. The Goddesses and their light. We're obsessed with it, assuming any and all who follow their own path are against it... and in essence, us. Gerudo were forced into their life of shadow, thievery and stealth. Regardless of who threw them into their way of life, it is now their heritage, and they will always fight to defend that heritage.

So we must be against them. It's the cruel way of our world, but dammit it doesn't have to be! If the King would jus-"

At that moment the caravan door was kicked open. Two armed guards ran in and aimed their pikes at Pitri. A third ran in and grabbed Nana by her arm and began to pull her out.

"Wait, no! H-hey let me go!"

"Nana! Stop, you bastards!" Pitri tried to grab her, but was held back by the spear tips digging into his chest.

"Argh dammi-!"

"Pitri, you and your daughter are under arrest under section ][][][-VI of the Hyrulian Doctrine, for Conspiracy against the King. Come with us quietly or face public corporal punishment." 

The guard on the left ordered. Before Link knew it, both actors were dragged away by the guards and he was left alone. 

Unnerved by this sudden turn of events, Link left the caravan and headed back towards the castle. His mind was swimming with what he just witnessed.