How did this even happen? The whole day was supposed to be a supply run and prep the delivery to the Market. Now here they were, in the throes of a crime scene and matted in blood. Link would open his mouth to speak and find no words to explain his nor Malon's mistaken involvement in everything. Lysander on the other hand? His poise was held together with almost no concern for what awaited them. "Surely you all can't possibly believe we are murderers?" His monotone rugged voice broke the still silence of the air.

"Prisoners will not speak unless spoken to." A guard said forcefully before yanking the shackles causing Lysander to stumble. Without much effort, he knew these men would not listen to reason. They'd rather indulge in their ignorance.

By the curtain of nightfall they had reached the gates of Hyrule Castle. The guards approached the lone man keeping watch. "Open the gates!" The lead guard commanded. "Send for the Princess. We request an audience at once!" The nightwatch looked onward to the trio of captives before turning his sights back to his superior. "Well sir," his voice was nervous with a touch of fright, "I'd surely do so but-"

"But what?!"

Lysander looked upon the walls of the massive castle. Truly it was larger than life just as he had heard, the architecture not unlike what one would witness in Londor. While the two men clad in armor bickered over whatever it was his gaze narrowed on one of the upper level windows where he caught the shadow of a figure pulling away.

"What do you mean the gate can't be opened?" The commanding guard was growing impatient with his subordinate. He clasped his spear against the ground. "I can't operate the lever and I haven't heard anything from watchmen on the other side." Link turned to Lysander, then to Malon. "What's going on?" She whispered. "Nothing good that's for sure." Link whispered back.

"No. Nothing good at all." Lysander responded. The gate fell into a brief freefall before stalling just a little ways from the ground. The sudden tug of steel reverberated throughout causing Link and Malon to jump.

"By the Goddesses." The opening hall beyond the dilapidated gate was marred with the bodies of Hyrule knights. Between apprehending the would be culprits from the Market to this point something had gone horribly wrong. Howls and snarling from various abominations like the one before reverberated followed by the cries of unfortunate souls caught in their grasp. An invasion of Hyrule was taking place and already the Enemy infiltrated the castle. Link, Malon, and Lysander were left alone as the remaining Guards stormed in to aid their comrades in battle. Lysander yanked his shackles free, a humored ruse of his capture, and headed on inside.

"He could break those at any time?" Link stared at the mysterious man as he disappeared. He too would then compel the power of Din Fire, namesake of the Goddess of Power to render the cuffs from both he and Malon. Should he take her with him? The castle was surely to be dangerous, having his friend at his side wouldn't do him any good. Malon read his face and nodded. "Just go. I'll head back to the ranch." She said with a half-hearted smile. Link wouldn't argue, he returned a smile and started for the entrance.

The interior was worse for the wear upclose. The bodies of the guards weren't just strewn about, they were eviscerated. Link had endured many traumas in his life, adult, child, and adult again yet this all felt new to him. The air of the castle halls was heavy with despair and wreaked of death. Need a weapon. He'd grasp the sword of a fallen knight as the mangled corpse no longer had further use of it. Down the opening of the brightly lit Foyer into the first corridor straight ahead would lead him to the Throne Room. Link started there first.

He couldn't have been a quarter of the way down before a numbing sensation coursed through his back. "Argh!" He cried out as he stumbled forward. Link found himself on the floor disheveled and completely caught off guard. He grasped at the matted carpet and struggled to focus his sight on the world around him. What the hell is going on? Link gained some of his composure and quickly rolled.. Standing over him was a Hollow clad in Royal armor brandishing a sheathed sword. Its crimson eyes narrowed upon him as it raised its weapon for another attack.

The sheathed weapon clanked against the castle floor as Link rolled to dodge. He scrambled to his feet and drew his own weapon. The Hallow seemed to recognize its mistake and drew the blade. I don't have time for this. Little time to formulate a strategy Link drew his sword and parried the undead's thrust before countering with an attack of his own. He plunged the sword into the undead's chest. It gasped, uttered a gurgled groan, and collapsed pulling the impaling blade with it.

Everything was happening faster than could be processed. Even on previous adventures he could strategize, take a knee and recoup some strength. This though. This is all new. Link pivoted sharply into a full turn towards the Throne Room. He needed to help Lysander, protect Zelda. Princess. His dear friend. How was she handling all this? Was she even still in the Castle? Was she prob-

"No!" Link frantically shook his head as he huffed. The thoughts wouldn't relent. The deeper he dove, the darker his imagination sank. He crashed through the massive chamber doors into the Throne Room. The impact would stop his momentum allowing his previous maddening dash to crash into him.

Link looked up, "Goddesses."

Malon ran back to town the moment Link ran inside the castle. She desperately wanted to help her friend, to be there for him if nothing more than as some sort of support. Just cheering him on? You're a fool. She shook her head, she wasn't a warrior like him. Having her there meant having to look after her and that simply wouldn't do any favors. The young ranch owner reached the cobblestone streets of the Market and still saw it was void of any public life. Not even the usual nocturnal patrons joking amongst themselves were in sight.

To her immediate front stood the fountain, its water flow ceased and the gory scene from that day still displayed. The guards in their haste hadn't even bothered to clear it. A traumatic sight for the next morning to be sure. Malon approached the scene and though her eyes tried to pull away she kept them fixed on the mangled bodies from the incident. She hadn't noticed earlier there was a sense of wrongness in the air. Maybe it struck that moment, maybe it crept in during her arrest. Get out of here. Go! The voice inside telling her to gather her cart and head back home . She rushed to her horse, struggling with the rope to undo the knots.

"Oh dear child. Thou hast endured a most tragic turn of events."

Malon froze. Was she followed? No. There was no one here a minute ago. She dared not to turn around praying it was all a figment of her imagination. She would do this a lot growing up on the ranch. Not many kids would venture out to her home and so she'd make up friends; the birds, cows, coocoos, even the occasional glowing pink fairy that scurried around.

"Dear me. Hast I frightened thou? Was never good at first impressions." The mysterious voice spoke again ending in a laughter that chilled her very being. "Prithee, turn around."

((So it has been almost a month since the last entry. Trying to find my groove and turn something out worth reading. Hope you enjoyed it!))