Kingdom of Power, of Courage, and of Wisdom

Interlude - Slave again

Link woke up screaming at Len's cove again. He looked around, but the centurion was lost gone. Link fell into the water and struggled to get out. He climbed out of the water and collapsed.

"I lost?" Link muttered. Somehow he expected this, but the thought only made him grin. The thought of the centurion holding him back made him focused and angry, and the two combined to present to him a short-term objective, one that was more within his reach. Link had dreams for the far future, and now he knew what his next step was.

He would overcome the centurion. Then he would leave this place.

Link was briefly tended to by Len, who chastised him for his stupidity and foolishness. Link could only apologize for worrying her and take it. In a way the chastisement made him happy, he remembered the other boys in his village would be berated by their mothers and it reminded him of that.

"I promise, I will be more careful the next time I fight him." Link said.

"There won't be a next time! Just leave! Leave this place and return to your home!"

"No," Link replied. "I swore on my honor I would serve him, and I will not go back on my word. However, that doesn't keep me from continuing to challenge him."

Link left after being berated yet again, and made his way to the warrior cave. Immediately what he saw, he did not like. The warriors lazing about were being served by the Lesser Zora.

Another part of the warrior cave was a deeper pool of water. The centurion was idly floating in it chatting with his comrades. Link walked over and said, "I lost the first duel, as promised, I am here to serve." Link once was a slave, and knew how to act as such.

The centurion snarled at the sight of him and jumped out of the water. He grabbed Link by the shirt and shoved him into the wall. "You dare show your face around here, Huma?! I lost face because of you! Why did you accept when you were already nearly broken?!"

"It was you who requested, if you recall, master." Link replied flatly, avoiding eye contact, like a good slave. "And if there is one thing you will come to learn about me... I never back down from a proper challenge."

"Is that so?" The centurion dropped him. He turned around, scanned around briefly before pointing. "Then you can babysit her for me."

Link looked around him to see the Siren Ruto. She was among the Lesser servicing the warriors, only worse. She was pushed around and snapped at and mocked at worst, and was ignored at best. She took it all meekly and silently. Not like she had a choice with the clamp around her jaw.

"Ruto!" The centurion called out. "This boy wants to serve, so he will serve by being the one to put up with you!"

The other warriors laughed and mocked Link in their native language. Link ignored them. The centurion had called it out in the tongue of Qin to mock him with his knowledge. Link whispered, "Just guard her basically? Make sure she stays out of trouble?"

"You got it, huma." The Zora spit as if 'huma' was a curse. "She is more important than you. So her needs are to be met before yours. Now get to it and get out of my sight."

"Until next time, master." Link bowed.

"Next time..." The Zora scoffed. "If you are truly a fool seeking punishment, then I will accept putting you in your place whenever you want. Just ask."

Link ignored him and walked up to Ruto. And... not much else. Ruto stared at him uncertainly, and Link wasn't much better. He had been a slave once, but he could not grasp how one could look so defeated. He had been a strong willed slave. 'Course he wasn't treated badly as a slave. He was treated very well. That was something Link found he had not fully understood nor appreciated till now. Now that he had a reference for comparison.