PART I: THE HARP OF THE GODDESS

Prologue

Impa had always protected the princess.

As the carriage rattled on over the sandy ground, the Sheikah woman let her scarlet eyes settle on the young heir to the Hylian throne, innocently asleep against the window. Her mouth was slightly open, and she made an incomprehensible sound. Who knew what she was dreaming? Impa knew better than anyone that only a fool interrupted the princess' dreams. The thin fingers with their painted nails closed tighter on the flat, wide box in the girl's lap, admittedly not the most inconspicuous of concealments; a garish blue embellished with golden clasps and the crest of the royal family.

As the carriage went over another large bump, Impa grabbed her naginata's handle, stopping the weapon from sliding off of her lap. The polishing cloth that Impa had been using moments before fell to the floor, and Impa muttered a hushed curse as she stooped to retrieve it. When she straightened, the princess' eyes were open and looking right at her.

"Good evening, my dear," Impa said fondly, snapping her fingers. The naginata dissolved into shadows, melting into the angular shapes cast by the edges of the windows. The soft lavender light marked Impa's favourite time of day; the time between light and shadow, when she could almost feel someone sitting beside her and watching the sunset with her. The life of a Sheikah was a lonely one. Not many still lived: she knew of only three others. Four, if she counted the king's old guardian, her predecessor, who had died many years before.

"Impa," the princess said.

"Yes, Zelda?" Impa looked into Zelda's blue eyes.

"How long until we get there?"

"There will be another hour yet, at least, provided we are not stopped."

Zelda sighed. "I'll go back to sleep then, I suppose," she said, closing her eyes and curling into the window, the box in between the side of the carriage and her legs. Impa nodded and looked out the window once again, the sky turning navy blue over the dusty landscape. A Wolfos poked its head out of a den, and Impa watched as her cubs followed her into the night air.

"Impa," Zelda said suddenly. Impa flinched and went to manifest her naginata before realising that Zelda appeared calm. "You okay?"

"Yes, my dear," sighed Impa. "You startled me, that is all. What is it, Zelda?"

"I can't sleep. Will you sing to me?"

Impa smiled softly. She had never considered herself a good singer, but Zelda had always loved her voice.

By the time the Sheikah had finished the lullaby, Zelda had once again fallen asleep. Impa leaned her head against the window and closed her eyes.

"We're here," the driver called through the wall. Impa sat up with a start, looking around. Zelda, too, awoke; although certainly less gracefully than her guardian. She made a complaining sound and hurriedly swiped away a string of saliva from her chin. Impa placed a hand on the princess' shoulder.

"Zelda, my dear, we've arrived."

Zelda stretched with a whine. Impa smiled before manifesting her naginata, the leather-wrapped shaft settling into her hands.

"I will be back in a moment. Stay here; I need to check if it's safe."

Impa opened the door and slipped out, latching the wooden door closed again and moving closer to the monument a short distance from the carriage. A worn and battered statue with a chipped beard and a missing arm marked the place. A forgotten hero, or perhaps an old king of an ancient race long extinct. Even in her extensive lessons on Hyrule's history, Impa had never encountered this man. She placed her hand on the pedestal below the man, and knocked twice on the pedestal before reciting a quick chant in Ancient Hylian.

The statue shivered and looked down at Impa with a sound like rocks sliding over one another.

"You hath knowledge of the ancient words, being of shadows," he said in a whispering voice. Impa tightened her grip on the naginata. Even statues might have a grudge against the Shadow Folk. Most did.

"I am Impa of the Sheikah," she said formally, "and I bring a sacred relic for hiding under your care. Would you accept this relic?"

The statue's gritty face slowly moved into a smile.

"I can feel the power thy child holds in her hands," he whispered. "and my queen would be glad to accept it. Go, retrieve the child."

Impa turned towards the carriage and whistled the six notes she had taught Zelda, and the princess came scurrying out of the carriage, box held firmly. She stopped beside Impa.

"A talking statue," she said in astonishment. "Our statues don't do that."

"I should think not, my lady," the statue laughed, and it sounded like stones breaking. "Enter, young goddess, and lay thy magicks to rest."

The statue lifted his one arm, holding a marble blade, and drove it into his own pedestal. The stone split open and revealed a staircase leading downwards. A single wildfairy fluttered out of the gap.

"Come, Zelda," Impa said, grasping the princess' hand and leading her down the staircase. Though she had read that she should be able to hear music, Impa could hear no sounds except the trickling of water. Despite her doubts, Impa continued down the smooth stairs, wary of falling. Only a faint glow at the bottom produced light. Zelda raised a hand, prepared to make her own, magical light, but Impa gently pushed her hand down.

"No, Zelda," she said. "Don't use your magic until we've hidden that box,"

As soon as they reached the bottom of the Impa knew that something was wrong. To be fair, anyone would have been able to tell something was wrong. In the middle of the pool was the body of a woman, wearing no clothing except tall leather boots, and with red hair fanning out from her face. Her face was painted brightly but her eyes were completely transparent, offering a disconcerting view into the back of her head. Silver liquid stained the fountain's water and the woman's chest. Tattered wings had lost their glow, no more beautiful than the wings of a mosquito. Impa couldn't help but drink in the sight; she had never seen a Great Fairy before. She suddenly realised that the fairy was evidently in no condition to preserve her own modesty, and Impa was about to hustle Zelda away to save her the sight before the hairs on the back of her neck stood up. Impa lifted her naginata and shrugged her half-cape back off her shoulder, red eyes sweeping the cave.

Whatever had killed the Great Fairy was clearly still here.

"Zelda, I want you to go back to the carriage," she said slowly, controlling her voice. Zelda was staring at the Great Fairy in the fountain.

"Impa," she said nervously, "what's wrong with the Great Fairy?"

"Zelda," said Impa again. "you need to go."

Zelda looked at Impa, evidently not comprehending the Sheikah's calm voice; it was the alarm in her eyes that tipped the Hylian off. She turned to flee just as the first monster hurtled out of the shadows. The princess screamed, reflexively jerking backwards, and Impa swung the naginata, slicing the Lizalfos from shoulder to hip. Another three keened and lunged forwards out of nowhere; Impa impaled another and quickly realised that Zelda was still not fleeing. Beheading the Lizalfos blocking the exit, the Sheikah cried out "Run!"

Zelda almost made it before a Lizalfos, shrieking, slammed into the arches of the fountain and brought down a hail of boulders from the ceiling, collapsing the entrance. For the first time, Impa felt a slight trickle of fear. She manifested a Sheikan knife from the shadows, hurling it into the eye of another Lizalfos. Looking around, she realised there were Lizalfos simply everywhere. At least a hundred of them, all emerging from the darkness and wailing their high-pitched noises. No way all those monsters had hidden and Impa hadn't noticed them. This wasn't something done by monsters. There was a sorcerer behind this.

It wasn't long before the fairy blood in the fountain was joined by that of Sheikah. A set of savage claw marks had scored their way straight down her right arm, splitting her tattoos down the middle and staining the wrist wrapping red. They were going to lose. Impa stepped backwards and then a Lizalfos suddenly screeched and recoiled as something struck it on the snout. Who else was in here? Impa's foot landed in the fountain just as Zelda let out another piercing scream of fear.

"Zelda!" Impa yelled, turning, naginata raised defensively, arm outstretched towards Zelda. The beginnings of tears were forming in her eyes; she had failed in her task. Her moment of distraction cost her dearly; a Lizalfos nearly bowled her over and savagely bit her shoulder, another sunk its teeth into her wrist.

And then her muscles locked up, and she could no longer move her fingers. She didn't even manage to look down before her arms froze entirely, the Lizalfos venom working insanely fast, faster than anything she had heard of before. Only magic could have worked this fast.

The tear just had time to slip free before Impa of the Sheikah turned to stone.

17 July 2016