Hello hello~ I'm back with another chapter! Sorry I've been mia for so long… Had a rough semester and have been struggling a little with my (clearly non-existent) work-life balance, lmao.

Anyway, I have many MANY ideas to come for this fic! Lots of story and drama is coming, I promise! I will do my best to give life to these ideas whilst finishing a master's degree with an engineering department that is unfamiliar with the concept of having a life outside of uni *laughs but also low key cries* (Any other dying students out there, desperately clinging to the hope of the botw sequel in 2022 to survive? lmfao)

In better news, I'm SO excited for the sequel to botw! I'll be picking up my preorder of Skyward Sword and the cute ass joy cons tomorrow morning ehehe~ Been waiting SO long...

Hope you guys are keeping safe and happy, wherever you may be! Enjoy the chapter xx

Chapter 6

Braced against the clay walls of Captain Suma's quarters, the sandstorm continued to swirl. Like a demon possessed, it howled and bellowed relentlessly. There was no end to the slicing sand that swept into the room, nor to the heated wind that continued to berate the town. Link could only watch as chaos fell upon what had once been a tidy office. The chairs had long been blown to the ground, books and papers were stripped from their shelves, items were strewn across the floor and buried into the sandy grounds. Sand sought out each and every last cranny in the room, filling in the corners and collecting against surfaces. Like a plague of malice, it latched onto everything in sight.

Link could feel the nervous pattern of Zelda's breathing. Tucked between his arms and protected from the bulk brunt of the whipping sands, Zelda's head rested upon his chest as they waited it out. Link's own heart was beating quickly, and though he didn't yet fear for their lives, he was very much worried about just what had caused the sandstorm. And the howling he could hear still…

"It's been too long, Link…"

Zelda's voice was slightly raspy from the dry air and muffled by the mask she wore, but he heard her. He didn't disagree, either. With each passing minute, Link thought the sound of growling drew nearer. It had gradually grown louder, and considering how the sand had yet to relent even the slightest bit, Link knew something was amiss. He shifted his weight and brought his feet closer to his centre of gravity, intending to stand. He wondered if he needed to ask Zelda to move, and yet as soon as the thought crossed his mind, he felt her head lift from his chest. She pulled away just a few inches, giving him more space without removing her hand from his arms. In a moment of silent cooperation, Link pushed to his feet and Zelda followed.

"Are you going to go investigate?"

Her voice was small. Afraid. When Link felt her remove her hands from him, he answered by reaching down to take her hand. He gave her a small squeeze, silently telling her he had no intention of leaving her here.

"I have a bad feeling," Link told her, after a moment's hesitation. Each time he spoke, he felt a spray of dry sand entering his mouth. It was sharp and prickly, dry and coarse. He covered his nose and mouth with his other hand and opted to jerk his head in the direction of the open door instead, silently telling Zelda he wanted to go outside.

"It's okay, you don't need to talk," Zelda called out. Unlike her, Link didn't have a mask to stop the sand from getting into his face whenever he spoke. "I'll follow you."

She'd always been used to Link not speaking, after all. She didn't think that holding his hand and following him through a sandstorm was going to be more difficult than trying to ask him what he wanted to eat.

Link gave her a grateful nod. Shielding his eyes, he leaned to peer out the door again. He could hardly see anything further than two feet away, even if he remembered what it should have looked like. He could tell from the silence of the courtyard that if the sand hadn't already buried the women alive, the soldiers had most likely exited the area to assist their townsfolk or investigate. He gave a gentle tug of Zelda's hand.

"It's the sound, isn't it?" Zelda asked, raising her voice to battle the noise as they stepped out of the door. Link glanced backwards at her, to answer with a small nod. He fought against the strong winds, ducking low to reduce his size. It made things easier, and bit by bit, Link guided them out of the military training grounds.

At the arched entrance to the training grounds, Zelda felt the wind pick up. With little to shield her, the sand scrubbed and scoured at her skin. She jumped towards the wall and flattened herself against it, finding just a small scrap of relief as she watched Link peer out into the town.

"Can you see anything?"

She didn't think he would be able to, and the shake of Link's head confirmed it. She clutched his hand tightly, suddenly afraid that he might jump away or disappear into the sand. Twice in the past week, Lady Urbosa had disappeared into danger. Was this what always happened to the people she loved? They disappeared from her life. Sometimes it was death… Other times it was duty which dragged people away. It was cruel, Zelda thought, that fate seemed determined to keep her alone for all of eternity. Was this the cost of inheriting a power she still had no access to?

The sudden clap of thunder overhead made them both look up. Another beastly roar, much louder and closer than the last, caused the skies to darken. If Link hadn't known differently, he would have thought a rainstorm was looming. But there would be no rain. Not in a desert, and certainly not at the hands of such a mysterious sandstorm.

When Zelda looked more closely at the darkening view above their heads, she could see the swirling pattern of the winds. Another crack of thunder darkened the skies further, giving dimension and depth to the moving sand. This time, Zelda thought she saw a tinge of purple. The winds spiralled above her, twisting this way and that like a convulsing dragon. Something was coming, and fast.

The sharp, sizzling crackle of electricity across her fingers made her jump. Her other hand tightened on Link's instinctively, alerting him immediately. His eyes snapped onto her, wide and alarmed. He saw Zelda cradling her hand, with an expression that betrayed her shock and pain. He didn't have the time to think on it before a quick flicker of light, white but tinged with purple, crossed his vision. This time, it struck the golden bangle upon Link's wrist. He never felt it, though this time, it was a strong enough jolt that Zelda yelped out loud. She tore her hand away from his and snatched it back to her side.

Link stood in stunned silence, his eyes wide as he struggled to come to terms with the situation. He took in the sight of Zelda, trying to evaluate what was wrong. She stared at him with stunned, accusatory eyes.

"You didn't feel that?!" she exclaimed. "That hurt!"

Link had a feeling he knew what was happening. He didn't understand it, but he'd picked enough fights with Lady Urbosa in the past to know how electricity tended to behave. He extended a hand immediately, grabbing Zelda's arm and pulling away from the wall.

"Don't… touch the wall."

Zelda spun around quickly, trying to see what had happened. She saw nothing wrong with the wall, at least not upon visual inspection.

"…why?"

Link gave an unconfident, sideways shake of his head. He looked up at the skies, searching for the source of the growling noise. He felt a beast approaching, and yet, the sandstorm denied him the ability to see anything. He could, however, hear the distant and heightened volume of screaming voices.

"I… don't know," he stated. "Electricity… Something about grounding…"

He spoke the words distractedly. Another spark of light, entirely purple this time, shot through the air and illuminated something by the wall. Link squinted at it, taking a moment to peer through the sandstorm and focus on the purple light that had settled to rest there. It was a metal shield, resting against the clay walls, almost entirely buried by the sands. If not for the purple light that encircled it, Link would never have spotted the shield.

"It's… Naboris."

She recognised that purple light. It was one of Naboris's abilities, one which Lady Urbosa had demonstrated only once to her before, but something Zelda would never forget in her lifetime. She remembered the way Lady Urbosa controlled its aim, selected a target, and eliminated it entirely. Why was Naboris here, targeting Gerudo Town? Had they already lost control of the divine beast?

Link's eyes were wide and glued to the purple light. He had never seen such a phenomenon before, and he certainly had never seen purple electricity. He watched as each passing second caused the circle of purple to decrease in size, and before Link could even begin to guess at why the light had chosen such a target, a thundering crack of purple electricity split the metal clean in two. The metal was left charred and blackened, while the wooden handles were set alight and burned to a crisp. The small fire it had caused was extinguished almost instantaneously by the smothering sands. The ferocity of its results scared Link, and he felt his muscles jerk involuntarily in response. He whirled to look at Zelda.

"It's Naboris!"

Link raised a hand to his ear, to show her he couldn't hear her. The roaring sandstorm was determined to deafen any living being, and with each growl of the divine beast growing louder and louder, they were both blind and deaf to just about everything around them. Link didn't even have the time to ask her to repeat herself. No, he saw another circle of purple light marking his vision, and this time, its target was Zelda. It was drawn to the golden belt at her waist, and every now and then, a small spark of electricity arced towards the shining metal surface.

Link dived for her. He grabbed the gold belt and with a sharp jerk of his hands, he snapped it clean off and tossed it aside. The purple circle of light followed it, and mere moments later, they both watched a bolt of purple lightning strike it down. Just as it had done to the shield, it split the metal into several smaller pieces and charred the surface. The jewels that had adorned the piece of jewellery were split and shattered to dust, lost to the sandstorm.

Zelda felt the breath exit her body. Link didn't give her time to process what she had seen before he set to work tearing every last piece of gold off her body. He didn't care that he was breaking the clasps of each small bracelet, or of the necklace around her neck. The thin metal chains snapped readily in his hands, and he was glad for it. He hurled them away from her, as far as he could. He reached for the sapphire circlet she wore on her head, too. He was more careful as he removed the circlet, but once it was free of her golden hair, he cast that aside too.

"Link…! Link!"

He couldn't hear her over the deafening roar in his ears. The tight grasp of Zelda's hand as she shook him was what made him finally pause to look at her. Was he hurting her?

"Link, your sword…!"

He barely heard her, but he read the words from her lips. He didn't stop to look, either. He didn't care that he was the target. He cared about removing the last golden bangle from Zelda's left wrist. It was a stubborn one, ever so slightly too narrow to be removed easily. Link was aware he was probably hurting her as he twisted it around, trying to work it off her hand. He could feel the light but sharp sparks of electricity upon his back, and he suspected he didn't have much time left. With a final grunt of effort, he tore the final bangle off Zelda's wrist and sent it flying into the void.

"Link—"

Her voice was cut off when Link shoved her. There was no finesse to his actions, not this time. It was hard, and it was desperate. It toppled her balance and Zelda was sent stumbling backwards. At the same time, Link leapt away from her. Neither of them touched the ground before the purple light enclosed Link entirely, drawing a bolt of lighting upon them. The electricity struck Link's sword first, illuminating the entire area in a sphere of blindingly ethereal and white light. Then at the very same speed of light, the electricity shot through his heart. Link never felt the pain. It was beyond what he could fathom. Beyond what his nervous system could possibly comprehend. He did, however, feel his heart stop.

Zelda crashed across the dirt ground, skinning her elbow and bruising her hips as she landed. She tumbled twice before she was able to push to her hands. She was vaguely aware of the stinging pain in her grazed elbow, and the distant throb of her aching body. But the roar of the sandstorm and the thudding of her own heart silenced everything. Numb to all sensations except sight, she ran in search of Link.

It didn't take her long to locate him. He had fallen only a short distance away from her. But unlike her, his eyes were closed. His body didn't move. His hands, empty and limp, lay on the ground beside him. Even his sword remained sheathed upon his back. Instead, there were faint, ragged lines of red over his neck. It extended over his chest, through his sternum, and trailed off into a web at his lower ribs.

Zelda rushed to his side. She felt a scream tear itself from her throat, though she didn't hear it. She grabbed his shoulders and shook him, begging him to awaken. He didn't respond to her touch. His body didn't breathe. His heart didn't beat.

Fear began to grow within her. Deep down, she had always feared such a day. They lived in volatile times, where there were countless assassins and monsters after them. But to die like this? To Vah Naboris, under the control of the enemy? It seemed too cruel a twist of fate. And perhaps even the goddess Hylia wanted to agree, for the earth beneath them began to shake as well.

Another terrible growl from the beast beyond the sand made Zelda look up. She expected another lightning bolt to strike her down, though it never came. Instead, the wall between them and the town exploded. Several metres of the wall section were blown apart, crumbled into debris, reduced to ash. Between the newly formed gap, a thick line of red colour passed by. Where the light passed, the ground was split into two. It dug a trench through the earth, uplifting the dirt where it lay. In the ground alone, the red light left a metre-deep trench that stretched two metres wide. The buildings in its path stood no chance. When the burning red light descended upon its walls, it too was blown apart. Like a carefully baked cracker in the hands of a hungry child, it crumbled into small pieces.

Zelda sat in the sand, eyes wide as her hands clutched at Link's body. She stared at the crumbling walls that crashed to the ground in clouds of dust. She watched as the line of destruction continued further. She couldn't see much past the sandstorm nor the freshly levelled buildings, but she could hear it. She could hear the crunch of clay, screams of terror, and the sound of death. Even the earth groaned beneath her, incessantly shaking as if cowering in fear. And then she saw it. A small glimpse in a tiny clearing through the sand.

It was Vah Naboris, marching through the desert. From its head, a red beam of destruction swept across the land. Zelda didn't have a compass, nor could she see the sun through the sandstorm. She didn't have any idea where north pointed. But she knew the beast was marching for Hyrule Castle. She just knew.

It felt as if someone was beating him. Was it a bat? Perhaps it was a rudimentary boko club, one which could potentially kill if used in the right fashion, but otherwise only helpful for delivering bruises. But it didn't quite feel painful enough. No, it was more like a fist. Two of them, to be exact. Small and soft, but angry and trying to achieve something.

Oh.

Link remembered this sensation. It was one he hadn't felt in a long time, but one he would never forget. The pounding of her hands upon his chest as she tried to wake him up on a Sunday morning.

He remembered those pink and round cheeks. Those bright, blue eyes that mirrored his own. It was the only face in the world that could remind him of what his mother looked like. And yet… Her name alluded him.

…Link. Wake up, Link!

Aryll. How could he forget his own sister's name? Link wondered what she wanted this time. Hadn't he taught her how to tie her own hair? Or perhaps she was hungry, and their father had placed something in the pantry too far above her reach. Or maybe another pig had escaped, and she hadn't been able to chase it down.

Link! Please…!

And yet… It wasn't Aryll's voice he heard. No, this was the voice of a young woman. There was such anguish in her voice, too. There was a trace of fear perhaps, but Link thought she sounded terribly sad. She sounded like she was crying.

Please… I need you.

She had the accent of a noblewoman. One who shouldn't have had any need for a person like him… He was an ordinary citizen, born and raised in a small farming village. His father was the one who had served as royal knight, and even then, he seldom ever dealt directly with nobility. Link was just a soldier. Born to serve Hyrule, born to die for Hyrule.

Link…

And yet the sound of her voice… The sound of her sadness brought him such inexplicable sadness. He couldn't place it, but the aching throb within his heart was undeniable. It pulsed through his body, his mind, his soul.

Zelda.

The name struck him like a thousand volts of electricity to his heart. And then he felt it. The pain. The pain of lightning burning through his flesh, through his blood, through his heart. He'd felt it stop, and remembered the way his mind cut into a deep and hopeless silence. Was what he experienced death itself? He always thought he would have been ready. But he remembered the moment the lightning struck him. All he had felt was fear. Pure and unadulterated fear.

Link opened his eyes. He saw the skies above him, clear and blue. He felt the earth beneath him, warm and hot from the desert sun. And he saw her. Her shadowed face as she leaned down over him, eyes wide and frantic. She was crying.

He raised a hand and touched her face. Lightly, tentatively. He swallowed, trying to work his throat, only to find it uncooperative. Perhaps for the first time, he had things to say. And now he was being denied. He closed his mouth and offered her a half smile instead. He wiped the tears from Zelda's eyes and combed his fingers through her golden hair, sweeping it behind her ear.

Don't cry. Please.

Zelda's fingers closed around his clothes as she buried her face against his chest. The sense of relief she felt was so crushingly overwhelming that she didn't know what to do anymore. She could hear his heart beating again, and she felt the rise and fall of each breath he took. She felt his arm circle behind her back, warm and alive. She felt the touch of his fingers, rubbing her up and down soothingly as he tried to convince her he was fine.

"Zelda…"

His voice was so hoarse and dry. Yet to hear him speak her name… Another burst of tears accompanied the rising sobs in her throat.

A soft groan betrayed the pain Link felt, but he forced himself to sit up. Setting a hand down into the dusty earth, he pushed his body off the ground. His muscles ached and burned in protest, his entire back felt bruised, and he felt light-headed. Though there was no blood to be had upon closer inspection, Link felt as if fire continued to burn over the surface of his skin. He saw the red and inflamed trails that had burned down the length of his belly, cutting more lines over his already scarred body.

He took a few moments to assess himself. He could feel his legs and his feet. When he wriggled his toes, he could see them move in response. Each movement ached, but his body was responsive. His hands seemed to be working fine, too. He could feel the soft touch of Zelda's hair, and he stroked over it repeatedly, hoping he didn't lose the sensations. He felt the warmth of her body against his arm, trembling and shaking with every quiet sob. Although he knew he was solely responsible for her grief, it helped cement him back into reality.

He traced his hand over Zelda's shoulder, then to her arm. He gave her a gentle squeeze, partially to test his hand's response time, and partially in a silent query for her to look at him. He felt the softness of her skin, the dampness of her wet cheeks. When he leaned forward to kiss her, he could taste the saltiness of her tears.

Link didn't know why he was still alive. Perhaps the goddess had been merciful, or perhaps it was because he had yet to fulfil his duty and it was simply not his time just yet. Whatever the reason, Link didn't care. He only cared that he was still alive. When he moved to grasp Zelda with both hands, he could feel her body gasping softly in response. He threaded his fingers through her hair, feeling the dampness of her sweating skin and the gritty sand from the storms. He felt the warmth of her body, radiating through his. And when he kissed her, he felt alive. It was all he needed.

By the time Link pulled away, he was just a touch breathless. His entire body ached, and yet the fact he could still feel everything was a sign that he was still alive.

"Are you hurt…?"

A choking noise arose in Zelda's throat. It was a cross between a laugh and a sob, one which made her splutter. She shook her head and threw her arms around his neck tightly, clutching him close.

"No. I'm fine."

The weight of her body forced him to put a hand down for support, but he did his best to return her embrace. Zelda's touch was a comforting one, even if it brought him mild pain.

"Shit," Link muttered under his breath, turning to look around him. "…that hurt."

He was growing more and more aware of the burning desert sun upon his back, and as his body began to sweat again, he started to realise the sandstorm had ceased. The skies were clear again, and with the light shining over the earth once more, he swept his attention over the landscape. It struck him that he didn't recognise where they were. He didn't think Zelda was strong enough to move him while he was unconscious – or dead, whatever he had been – very far at all. His last memory told him he had fallen within the Gerudo military training area. And yet…

The walls had fallen. The buildings were no more. Dunes of dry, golden sand had swept over the ruins and buried half of them already. There was even a deep and vast groove, entrenched through the ground, extending for as far as the eye could see. Even the screaming of human life, which Link had distinctly heard at some point during the sandstorm, had been silenced. There wasn't an identifiable object in sight that could prove a civilisation had stood there only hours ago. It felt as if he were in the middle of some ancient ruins, left behind from a forgotten era that existed hundreds of years ago.

"What in the name of Hylia happened here…?"

Link stared at their surroundings, trying to process the images he saw. He couldn't.

"…Naboris."

The soft whisper of Zelda's voice was weak in his ear. His eyes widened even more.

Vah Naboris. All of a sudden, it made sense. Only a divine beast could possibly have the power to etch a trail of mass destruction through the landscape. As if a holy beam of pure evil could destroy everything in its path, Link now saw the sheer scale of the destruction.

Numb to even the touch of Zelda's hands, Link stood to look over the landscape. Beyond where Captain Suma's office had once been, he saw a gaping hole and a vast view of the desert land. When he turned the other way, he saw the devastation of a town destroyed. Walls were crumbled into piles of sand. Buildings were levelled. Market stalls were flattened. The bodies of civilians, unlucky enough to have been standing in the way, had been pulverised to oblivion. Pieces of their bodies, still intact, sat at the boundary of the trench through the earth. There was a hand. A leg. Half an entire upper body, with a head and expression frozen in shock. And yet as quickly as they had met their fate, the sand had already begun to erase their existence.

"High…"

Link's voice disappeared into the wind like a breath of air. He wondered why his voice refused to work. He'd seen death before. He was a soldier, wasn't he?

Zelda saw the way Link's hand groped the empty air, searching for something. Chancing a guess at what it was he wanted, she reached forward and took his hand. The moment her fingers brushed over his palm, his hand latched on and grasped her tightly.

"Highness."

Zelda could see his throat moving and working to speak. She saw the way those blue eyes of hers studied the devastation before them. He gave the smallest tip of his head, silently asking her to follow him. When he took a small step forward, she followed him. Slowly but surely, his feet began to move. If the movements hurt him, it didn't show.

Link's eyes swept the landscape. There were a small handful of people peeping out from the few buildings that remained standing, and two small children running about in search of their mothers. He didn't particularly care about them. Rather, his attention was drawn to the bodies strewn across the main square. There had to be at least fifty of them, all in various states of burned and charred flesh. Some were mostly in one piece, with red and vicious lightning strike marks scarring their skin up and down. It was a sight that made Link look down at himself, at the similarly red lines that marked his neck and check faintly. He'd been lucky.

The less lucky ones were hardly recognisable. Hair and clothes had turned to ash, while flesh and bone were burned to a crisp and left to desiccate in the sand. Some were hardened pieces of black charcoal.

The ones left alive wept over the dead bodies. They were crouched in grief, mourning the losses, trying to resuscitate their loved ones. Others scavenged the sands, trying to salvage what was left.

"What…"

Link's voice was flat and lifeless as he spoke.

"…what are my orders?"

He thought that Zelda might want to stay and help the townspeople. Above all, she probably wanted to seek out Lady Urbosa and make sure she was safe. But he also knew that in her position, staying to help a few straggling survivors was the least of her concern. There were a number of things she could do, and staying to help the townsfolk or search for a lost friend was certainly not the correct choice for a princess. He prayed that she knew whatever she chose, he would not judge her.

"Hyrule Castle," Zelda uttered. She swallowed and turned to point in the direction she had seen Vah Naboris marching. "We head to Hyrule Castle."

Link answered her with a small nod.

"We will attempt to rendezvous with our troops," she said carefully.

Link nodded again, but this time, his eyes fell to the ground. His sense of direction told him that if the trail of destruction through Gerudo Town had continued in a straight line, it had likely struck the Kara Kara Bazaar. And if it had… He didn't think it was likely they had any troops left. The soft squeeze of Zelda's hand on his made him look up.

"We will take what is left of them," Zelda uttered. "And we will march. We have no time to waste."

Link swallowed. She knew, he realised. She'd probably known all this time. Her troops had likely fallen. Lady Urbosa was probably dead. Gerudo Town was no more… And Hyrule Castle? It was her home. Link had no doubt a divine beast could destroy the castle, too.

"Yes, Highness."

Though the mountain of debris left behind in the town was impassable by foot, the path of Naboris's beam of destruction provided an easy track to follow. Once Link and Zelda exited Gerudo Town and made their way back to where the trail continued, they were faced with two tracks. First was the singular line of destruction etched across the land. Second were the footsteps of the beast itself, imprinted across the sand and headed in a man-made, north-western direction. Someone other than Lady Urbosa herself had to have been piloting the beast and commanding it – directing it straight towards Hyrule Castle.

Zelda followed closely behind Link as they traversed through the sandy desert. The noon day heat continued to beat down upon their backs, making their journey through the sand more difficult than it already was. They travelled at a brisk walk, and though Link was the one to have chosen their pace, she saw him glancing backward to her frequently to check she wasn't too tired. Except whenever he looked forward again, Zelda thought he looked to be in pain. She couldn't quite place her finger on what it was that seemed off, though she was quite certain Link's gait wasn't as confident as it usually was. She worried that perhaps he was still in pain, or perhaps she should have allowed him to rest first. Even then, she suspected his sense of duty would have kept him on his feet. He would never voice such an opinion, but Zelda was sure he knew how useless she would have been on her own. He was the hero the Hyrule needed. His sword was what they needed.

"Are you… Are you sure you're alright, Link?"

Link didn't immediately respond. He continued his half-walk, half-jog across the desert sand, his hands swinging by his sides with purpose. Just when Zelda was beginning to wonder if he'd heard her at all, he glanced backwards at her.

"I'm…"

He trailed off. He chose silence over deception, and in that small moment, he suddenly wasn't sure how to answer her.

"…I'm worried," he said instead.

Zelda sped up just a little to catch up with him. She saw that small crease between his brows, which had become a semi-permanent mark upon his handsome face at some stage during the last few hours. Even the corners of his mouth were downturned slightly.

Normally, Link's preferred mode of transport across the desert would have been by sand seal. Without the encumbrance of troops to command, he found it to be a much faster and comfortable method of traversing the hot sands. Plus, he'd always loved shield surfing. But now that the divine beast was on the loose and most of the immediate area had been shredded to strips, there were no sand seals in sight. With no horses in the desert, their only way to cross the land, reunite with whatever was left of their troops, and to reach their horses at the Gerudo Canyon Stables was to walk. Painstaking step by painstaking step, it was the only way they could possibly leave the desert and reach the mainland again. Of course, Link had every ability to outrun the princess and to reach their horses first. He could cover the ground in half the time if he had to, and there was a small chance he could catch up with the divine beast.

And yet, even if his duty wasn't to defend the princess, Link wasn't sure he could have done it. He felt the aftermath of being struck by lightning still, and it continued to ache throughout his body. Each step he took came with a small hint of pain. Even his healing shoulder seemed to be protesting. The twisted, concerned expression upon Zelda's face was what softened his resolve.

"…I'm a little sore," he admitted, in a quiet voice.

But I'm trying to be strong, because that's what Hyrule needs.

Those were the words he wanted to say. That he didn't feel he lived up to what his duty required of him. That sometimes, he didn't feel as strong as he should have been That above all, he feared he would fail. It was just a small confession, and quite frankly, Link didn't think Zelda would even be surprised to hear him say it. Even so, the words refused to come. His mouth opened, only for his throat to constrict, stopping the sentence from flowing.

Zelda could tell there was something Link wanted to say, though he simply couldn't. There was such pain in those blue eyes of his. Forever watching, forever waiting. There must have been things he wanted from life, and fate would never allow it. She only wished he trusted her enough to tell her such things.

"Link…"

His eyes immediately looked up to the sky, as if seeing something. Zelda followed his gaze, to see only the shining blue skies above. Shading her eyes from the burning sun, she studied their surroundings in confusion.

"Link?"

Link's brows furrowed deeply as he stared upon the horizon, his attention fixed on something Zelda couldn't locate.

"…I thought I heard my name."

Zelda retracted an inch. She placed a hand on her chest. Was he even more confused than she thought he was? Perhaps asking him to travel such a great distance on short notice had been the wrong choice.

"I… I called your name. It was me."

Link shook his head. He stepped past Zelda, his arm extended as he brushed her behind him and faced north.

"No, I know," he murmured. "I heard you. I meant… Something else."

He squinted into the distance and suddenly, his eyes widened again. He lifted a hand and pointed at the skies.

"There."

Zelda looked in the direction that Link was pointing, to see only birds in the sky. Confused, she squinted and stared into the distance. If nothing else, she was thoroughly impressed by his sharp vision. Maybe all the time she spent reading books late into the night was beginning to take its toll…

Link surprised her when he raised his arms and waved them above his head. Whatever it was, he was trying to get their attention. Zelda looked to him in alarm, unable to identify what was happening.

"What?" she asked anxiously. "What is it?"

Link took a step away from Zelda, giving himself more space to wave his arms without hitting her.

"Rito," he answered. "And judging from the bow… It's Revali."

Zelda whirled on her heel to look back in the direction Link waved his arms. Another half minute passed before she saw the Rito upon the horizon, flying towards them. There were three of them, carrying bows in their claws as they flew. She realised they must have seen Naboris go berserk from their village, high in the Hebra ranges. They had to have come to investigate. How Link knew at such a distance that it was Revali leading the scouting group, Zelda had no idea. But his words would prove true, because within a few minutes, it was Revali who touched down in the desert sand first.

He flipped his great eagle bow over his shoulder and landed with a flamboyant skid through the dunes, showering the two Hylians in hot sand and forcing them to shield their faces. Two other Rito, one blue like the Rito champion himself, and the other red, landed much more softly behind him.

"Well, well."

Zelda was coughing when Revali spoke. He folded his wings behind his back and puffing out his breast, he stepped forward to examine Link. The knight stood still, unintimidated, while he wiped the sand off his face and neck.

"I see your knight has survived the ordeal, Highness."

Not once, did Revali look at Zelda. His eyes were pinned on Link, scrutinising him up and down. He saw the pink lines that scarred his neck and chest afresh, along with the dozens of fresh scrapes that proved he had survived a rough sandstorm.

"A shame," Revali remarked, "…considering the state of Gerudo Town."

Zelda clutched her hands into fists as she stepped forward. She opened her mouth to address their Rito champion.

"Revali—"

He silenced her with a sharp wave of his wing.

"But first I must ask!" he proclaimed, turning his head suddenly and dramatically to Zelda. "Your Highness. Are you in need of medical attention? I must assume your knight has failed to keep you safe. We expected you in our village days ago."

Zelda put a hand to her chest. "No, Revali," she answered, wondering if he was about to interrupt her again. When she saw those green eyes of his pinned on her, scathingly, she assumed he was done talking and was waiting for answers. She nodded and continued.

"I am fine," she answered. "I meant to send word to you much earlier, and never had the opportunity. Gerudo Town came under attack, you see. And today… A second incident has occurred. I assume you have seen it."

Revali whipped his head away from her and turned to look north-east, in the direction that Naboris had marched.

"Do you doubt me?" he asked. He gave no time for anyone to answer him. "Of course I saw. That is why I came, Highness. You must be in need of my aid."

"Yes," Zelda answered, pausing briefly to check if Revali was finished speaking. When he said no more, she went on, "We must pursue Naboris immediately. If you are able to provide assistance—"

"Unlike this knight of yours," Revali cut in, "…us Rito warriors can fly."

He gave a wave of his wing, motioning for the two other Rito to step forward. He gestured first at the blue male.

"This is Neva," Revali stated. Then, pointed to the red Rito. "And that is Adia."

Revali gave a resolute nod of his head at Zelda.

"They will carry you where you must go. Seeing as I am strongest, I will scout ahead and eliminate any enemies I see."

It was all he said before he lifted off into the air again with a burst of gusting wind. It caused a small vortex of sand to form vertically, forcing the two Hylians to once again brace against the flying sand. By the time Zelda coughed out the dust in her lungs and waved away the clouds of sand that impaired her vision, Revali was already a small speck in the distance.

Link glanced over and gave a small jerk of his head.

"Never mind him," Link said finally, offering a small smile to show he wasn't offended by Revali's usual behaviour. "Let's go."

Chapter 7 will be here soon~