Chapter 24

Liberations: Part 3

It was a massacre. Those who weren't immediately killed were rewarded with witnessing the sheer destruction of the onslaught around them. One deafening explosion after another rang out, accompanied by flashes of blinding light that made the whole area appear to be engulfed in a fiery thunder storm.

Simon spurred his horse ahead desperately, trying to save what was left of his quickly diminishing army. "Halt! Pull back and take cover in the ruins!" he ordered. Soldiers continued to charge past him, his words getting lost in the commotion. "RETREAT!" he tried once more, to no avail.

His horse lost balance as the ground shook violently from a particularly close blast. After nearly being tossed off, he momentarily readjusted himself and settled his steed. Looking up and around him, time seemed to slow down. His orders were too late, he realized. Another combustion, muffled to his ears, swallowed the horseback soldiers riding ahead of him in a billowing cloud of soot and fire. All Simon could do was observe helplessly. He was losing this battle.

Suddenly, the battlefield began to quieten. It felt as though they'd passed into the eye of a hurricane.. Those lucky who were left behind the line of Simon tried to find their vision through the smoke filled fog that engulfed the air, all that they could see what remained were residual blue contrails that glowed omnisciently all around.

In the air they flickered and streaked across the battlefield before fading away and dimming into silence. If they hadn't seen such destruction firsthand themselves, just before the lingering lights, they may have thought them almost beautiful. Something out of a mythical story forgotten on the tongue. But any such short feelings of awe and wonder that may have captivated them, quickly pitted into unimaginable terror as they saw their true reality before them.

Simon waited with bated breath while the smoke cleared from the destroyed gate in front of him. What he saw shook him to his core.

Filled with an unshakable fear that he has never felt in his entire life, Simon's eyes wandered slow from the low of the hallowed ground, up through the hanging clouds above them. And that was when his eyes rested on their doom towering and looming over. Nothing remained of the men who charged through the castle wall.

He paled at the sight of the nightmare before his eyes, reflexively pulling his horse back a few steps. His soldiers were waiting for his orders, but he couldn't make himself speak. His once confident hand directing orders high above his head began to droop. He was stricken.

What stood between them and their only route through the castle wall appeared to be a massive Hinox. Simon could hardly believe it. They were the villains of children's bedtime stories, a minion of Ganon from a much darker age long ago. But this was no mere myth, it was real. Despair hung thickly in the air, what little hope he had left was quickly evaporating.

"Goddesses… What do we do?" a cavalier spoke beside him. "My Lord, what are we to do against something like...that!?" he questioned again when he got no response.

Simon was frozen. They were all doomed, and he knew it.

Link descended from the keep as quickly as he could, heading to the castle wall where he could see a massive Hinox far too close to his fellow soldiers for comfort. It was unlike any other Hinox he had encountered before while on his quest to free the Divine Beasts. This one was far larger, and appeared to have been resurrected by the use of twisted means. Whether it was wicked magic or forbidden technology, he couldn't say, and frankly, didn't have much time to ponder it.

From what he could see, the titan's eye had been reconstructed from what he guessed were guardian remains. Even the armor it wore looked strewn together using disassembled guardian husks. Given that the guardians were fortified with advanced Sheikah engineering, Link knew even the best modern weaponry of the army would be useless against it. So he made haste. He had to help them.

The Hinox was enjoying itself. It paraded around the fallen entrance of the castle, picking up trespassers from the backs of their horses and gleefully tossing them in the air before watching them fall to their deaths. Those who might have thought themselves safe to be out of range of the titan's grasp soon found its deadly gaze upon them. An incinerating blue blast razed everything in the Hinox's line of sight.

At their lord's command, the army's advance came to a grinding halt and began to pull back. They awaited their new orders as the massive beast gathered up energy for the next attack. It took a considerable amount of time to charge the beam in its eye, perhaps providing enough opportunity for Link to intercept it…

"Is that…?" One of Simon's men glanced .The officer lifted his arm to point at the monster-infested ramparts behind the towering Hinox and shouted, "Look there, my Lord! It's that knight of no banners! The Princess' own guard!"

"What?" Impossible, it can't be! Surely, you're imagining things," Simon countered on his horse at the preposterous claim.

"I'm positive! It's him m'Lord, tearing through all those beasts up there," the officer assured.

And that was when Simon saw for himself where he was pointing towards.

The man continued, shaking his hand erratically for the others to see. "And, he's coming this way! But how?…He's just charging through the lot of them on foot, taking them all on, unafraid!"

"So that little assling survived after all…" Simon muttered, eyes locked on Link. The warrior was clearing a path through the swarm of monsters on the wall as though they were merely vines in a jungle.

Simon's mood soured further. "What does he think he is? Some sort of one man army?" he growled loudly.

"It would appear so, my Lord," another officer murmured, leaning and grabbing the attention of his ear.

Simon turned to glare at him. "That fool is going to get himself killed, that's what's going to happen," he scowled.

On the wall, Link deflected blows with his ax in one hand while dealing perfectly placed strikes with the dagger in his other. Moblins and bokoblins fell one after another, some even over the edge of the wall. Once he had defeated the last of the hordes in his way, he focused his attention on getting down to where the Hinox was standing between him and the army.

Next to the broken edge of the wall where the gate had been, he spotted an old tapestry hanging just over the entrance to the castle yard. It would have to do. Without hesitation, Link jumped off the wall toward the weathered fabric, catching hold of it. The fragile cloth tore apart easily in his grasp and broke his fall. He landed on the ground with a forward roll.

He looked up just in time to see that the Hinox had noticed his presence.

Spinning around the monster glared at him with its lone, corrupted eye. Link realized he knew what that red center signified. His stomach plummeted. Not only had the titan recharged its death beam, Link was about to become the direct target.

A blue blast shot towards him as he scrambled to take cover.

"Look out, you fool!" Simon shouted from across the battlefield, eyes wide.

He watched in horror as a massive explosion consumed the entire area where Link had been standing just a moment before. The rest of the army saw too and fell still at the sight of the rogue hero vanishing in the devastating explosion that engulfed him.

On the northeastern side of what was once a district containing numerous homes for the nobility, Zelda scurried about an estate that had belonged to one of her kin a century ago.

Being a royal daughter herself, she was privy to some hidden knowledge that only a few may have known about. One such secret that she remembered was that in the graveyard there lay a specific tomb which wasn't a tomb at all. It was a cloaked entrance and secret passageway to the castle itself.

She had been told various tales about its history as a child. One such story she heard of was that it was originally used as a rendezvous point for a pair of star-crossed lovers. A place where they could fulfill their passions to one another by the cover of night.

You see, back then, their relationship had not been ordained by the Kingdom at that time, nor would it ever be due to their different social classes. She wished she could ask how they endured it.

Shaking the memories away, Zelda refocused on her task. The past wasn't important right now. She needed to find Link as soon as possible.

She cautiously poked her head through the stone archway to check for any foes that may have discovered the graveyard. Once she confirmed she was alone, she cuffed her chin and faced the rows of her ancestors' neglected gravestones.

Her mother had shown her how to find the correct one when she was a little girl. There was a special marking only those of royal blood could understand the significance of. But… It had been so long since her mother passed away, and she was so young at the time of the lesson…

Zelda began to worry. She couldn't remember what the marking looked like. The more she dug into her memory, the more she second-guessed the details. An intrusive thought of Link possibly wounded somewhere, bleeding and alone, entered her mind. She feared that every moment she wasted looking for the right tomb was a moment closer to losing him.

Stop, focus, she thought to herself. She needed to calm down. Zelda knelt on the ground, closed her eyes and cleared her mind.

She whispered. "Hmmm… If I recall, each of the insignias on the royal lines are identical, except for one…The black sparrow… But how, How am I to know which one?"

She felt something was missing. A piece of the puzzle she hadn't yet discovered. But as she pondered deep in remembrance, like an answer to her prayers, the memory of her lessons from over a century ago came flooding into her mind's eye.

Aha! She thought. Its not that the insignias are all the same, its that only one is true and the others are false! She smiled, proud she remembered the formalities that were drummed into her when she had to walk the grounds as a child.

Zelda whispered her mother's words aloud."'Through which the light doth shine, there, the path you'll find'"

"But how?...How do I get any of them to shine?" she asked herself.

"The one that shines…" she sighed. "How do I get any of them to shine?"

Looking around for anything that may jog her memory, she spotted something nestled above her. An old sconce affixed to a tall stone pillar that used to hold a torch stave beside it. Below it was a large rounded bowl that still held some dirty oil, likely for the keeper of the grounds to light the path at night.

Zelda hopped to her feet, bouncing over leaves and cobblestones until she met up to the old sconce. Dipping the tip of a nearby stick into the bowl, she also found a small wooden box at the foot of the pillar that contained a pair of flint stones. She used them to light the makeshift torch.

Even in broad daylight, the tall flame were like a beacon. She knew she had to act fast or she could be discovered, so she hurried. One by one, Zelda thrust the torch in front of the headstones, above the spot where the royal crest was engraved. Nothing happened, except for her flame dimming in the wind.

She hummed in annoyance, growing impatient. Why isn't it working? It appears they need some kind of catalyst, something to cause a reaction in one of them and light the way… ugh, I don't remember such a thing. All I know is that only a member of the royal bloodline can find it, she pondered.

She chastised aloud, "Well, I am the Princess, am I not? I am of Royal blood? So why? Why won't you reveal yourself to me!?" But the stone was lifeless and didn't answer. Time slipped away.

Her frustration quickly devolved into despair. Her eyes watered a bit. "I don't understand," Zelda spoke softly. "It wasn't like mother to fill my head with such fairy tales. She wouldn't have made up such a grand story just to get a rise out of me." Zelda recalled, had been a precocious child, chasing after her coattails and asking question after question about how the world worked.

Her mother would spend hours feeding her curiosity, teaching her all she could about how things were and what made them went the way they did. All the mysteries she craved to understand were answered to her.

"Mother…She was always so…serious…Almost as if she knew…Knew all along, that this would happen. That this day would come... That I would need to know this…So, why? Why can't I remember this one detail? Why!?"

Zelda felt her knees buckle and she fell to the cold, lifeless ground beneath the stones, still holding the torch that went out, saddened by the sudden memory of her late mother.

She wept softly. "Why can't I ever do anything right? I don't have time for this! Link needs me… Please…"

She racked her brain for answers, and instead found herself going through memories of everything and everyone she had ever cherished in her life. Friends she had cared for and lost, those she met along the way, her family, her people, and even the one she grew to love. It was as if she was letting them all down again.

She had failed 100 years ago when they needed her the most, and she was failing again now, she thought. All she simply had to do was open a hidden door that she should already know how to, deep down. It was trivial. It tore her to her core.

With her head hung low, breathing softly, a few silent tears dripped from her chin onto the gravestone she was curled against. One thing Zelda was certain of, was that crying would get her nowhere.

With her eyelids closed, breathing softly as she was about to wipe her tears and move on, she saw a faint glow suddenly light up over them, awaking her. She opened her eyes in astonishment, rubbing them to make sure what she was seeing was real. One by one each engraved triangle burned brightly gold on the gravestone she leaned against.

Even more mysteriously, she swore she could hear the chime of a musical melody coming from deep below the stone. It was low and only a few notes. She knew she never heard the song before before but somehow felt she knew it all her life. She couldn't explain it.

A moment later the ground beneath her feet began to rumble. Startled, Zelda stumbled away in fear. Somehow, the headstone was moving on its own, sliding backward to reveal a staircase that led into darkness. When the tomb finally quieted, Zelda peered into the entrance tentatively. She couldn't see anything past the first few steps.

The passage was daunting, to say the least. It peered to a black infinity, or so it seemed to her. Nonetheless, Zelda found her resolve and quickly re-lit her torch and steeled herself for whatever awaited her in the depths. Whatever terror lurked in the shadows mattered not to her, only Link.

She also cared not to figure out how she'd opened the tomb. It didn't matter. After all, there was no other path ahead for her to take, and going back was not an option.

I'm on my way, Link.

For a moment, Link felt the world slow down. As soon as he realized the Hinox's intentions, he desperately searched for cover of any kind. In front of him, he spotted the corpse of a soldier and that a metal shield lay next to him. Link bolted for it, kicking it up into his hands to intercept the beam heading straight for him.

Though the worst of it was successfully deflected toward the ground in front of him, the massive explosion still sent Link flying backward. He was engulfed in smoke, dust, and heat. A deafening boom reverberated through his whole body.

What had just happened occurred so quickly that anyone would have assumed the worst.

Until…

Sprinting through the smoke at rapid running speed, heading right for the giant in zig zag formation, ever so fierce, came into view the lone hylian champion.

The Hinox roared in frustration when Link leapt from the cloud of dust and began sprinting toward it. It stomped its enormous feet, shaking the ground violently under them. Without being able to attempt a second beam attack before it could charge up the necessary energy, the Hinox resolved to throwing stones and even carcasses at him. Each projectile missed him a he dodged ever so elegantly out of the way.

Dodging strike after strike tossed from the colossal titan, Link reached for a lone banner that gleamed from the corner of his eye, impaled to a century old corpse not too far away ahead of him. Although it was rusty and its royal blue flag threadbare, it gleamed brightly in noon day sun to him as the only hope to take down the beast once and for all. So, he went for it.

Ripping it out as he ran by at blurring speed, Link used all the power he could summon up from within himself, furled the banner and launched the spear skyward, hurling it high, whizzing inches past the beast's face. So fast that it flew by and shrieked across the sky like a blue bolt of lightning that tore through the clouds, until it disappeared far beyond the towering monster.

Across the battlefield, Simon had gathered the last of his forces under the cover of some ruins to rethink their plan. From there, they watched Link launch the large banner through the air.

Simon gasped simultaneously at the throw. "He missed! How could he have possibly miss at that range!? It was right in front of him!?"

The giant jerked to watch the spear fly past its head high into the sky. While it was distracted, in that same breath, Link tossed the shield he carried at his side in front of himself as he sprinted, dashing onto it. And in a flawless display, he crouched down as he skidded across the ground, surfing by at breakneck speed to all those who watched. By the time the monster realized how close Link had gotten, it was too slow to react.

The Hinox reached down to claw at empty air as Link shot by its legs. Twirling his dagger and ax at the ready, the knight slashed at the only exposed flesh he could access. The only place that had no armor. The beast's ankles.

Simon and his soldiers watched in awe as the titan collapsed to its knees, wailing in agony. Black, putrid blood spewed from the severed tendons at its heels.

"There! Up in the sky! What's that!?" a man shouted next to Simon on his horse. Frantically, he pointed just beyond where Link was skidding on his shield.

As if on cue in perfect timing, falling like a star, the old spear rained back down from the sky, mighty and true. And as it did, Link spun around and flipped off of his shield, twirling back through the air toward the disabled beast.

And as he leapt high toward the gift from the heavens, he clenched it as it fell.

All the monster could do was watch in horror as it saw what could have only been its final moments.

One of Simon's men shouted in amazement where he watched. "But…but How!?"

"He's so fast. I can hardly follow his movements." Another concurred.

Elegantly like a piercing arrow, Link dived with the elongated lance through the air, stabbing it deep into the eye of the crippled behemoth as he landed, taking it down for good.

He drove the spear through the monster's skull using all his might. It flailed erratically as he did. The monster clawed, throwing death throes as it collapsed, tumbling down what remained of the entrance of the wall, quaking the ground beneath all their feet yet again.

The smoke of rubble and debris filled the air. The silent defeat of the dreaded beast echoed throughout the entire castle grounds. Not a sound was made after. Friend and foe alike all watched in stunned suspense at what just took place, unsure what they witnessed was even real at all.

And then, when the belief settled in, and all they could see was the faint silhouette of their hero through the dust cloud; and above him a fluttering, torn, royal guard banner that was attached to the spear; sailing down softly in wind, right where the knight stood stabbing the beast, one of the men in line broke the silence.

"He lives! The knight of no banners lives! He still stands!" he decreed to all those watching.

A thundering chorus of cheers erupted from the army at the sight of Link standing victorious. And as the banner gently fell overhead of him, the glare of the sun lit up it's sacred golden crest, the Holy Triforce, illuminating its glory to all those who saw.

"Look, the old flag of the royal guard! It still shines bright! Hyrule still shines bright!" Another soldier shouted to the rest of the army, spear raised high up in the air in a rally.

The dust settled and as their champion came into clear view from the smoke. The shouts quieted and they waited for what he would do next.

Fatigued, out of breath and with a trail of blood-soaked sweat holding the bangs to his brow, the knight growled as he rammed the spear deeper into the eye of the fallen giant to guarantee his kill; shortly before ripping it out, breaking the ancient spear in two as he did.

And, once Link turned to see for himself the remaining soldiers whose lives he just saved, he felt he needed to say something. The men were looking at him expectantly, though for what, he didn't know. He was just so deeply relieved to have arrived in time to rescue at least a portion of the army.

He contemplated his words while looking out at the battlefield once more. As the dust settled, Link spotted the flag to the spear that was planted victoriously in his foe. It flapped gently in the wind as it was falling above him, catching the light of the afternoon sun and making the faded triforce glint.

Even from his distance, the triforce decorating that flag was as magnificent as ever. The golden thread still shined in spite of a hundred years of weathering. Link found himself mesmerized by it, when suddenly, an all too familiar feeling overcame him. His ears pulsed, ringing painfully in his head. Light intensified until everything around him faded to white even as he shut his eyes tightly.

Oh no, not again… he inwardly groaned.

As if being teleported to another place and time entirely, Link found himself back as his younger self, over a hundred years ago. Though of course, he knew he wasn't really there. Link relived a memory version of himself, lined up with several other recruits in the training yard along the west side of the Castle grounds, near the old barracks. The air was brisk and frigid. And, he and the other recruits were still soaked in their gear from a recent training exercise.

A loud, rough voice drilled Link and the other trainees in the intricacies of being a soldier. It was Athelon, their instructor and superior. He was a middle-aged, broad-shouldered man, around Link's height. He should have been retired, but anyone who dared to point such a thing out to him would surely lose their head. Having no family of his own, Athelon cherished his troops and his honor above all else. He never wanted to let that go.

If his tone of voice wasn't menacing enough, the fright of his face would surely make children run away and full grown men stand back in fear of him.

He had a white beard that was unkempt and an eye that had been slashed violently, nearly ripped out. No doubt scarred and left milky white from a veteran battle from the past. Now, if he had that as a forever memento of his victory, imagine what he did to other poor soul who contended against him. There was no debate that this man knew his business. And that, was killing.

To the young aspiring members of the Royal Guard, Athelon was a grumpy guard who excelled at weeding out anyone who didn't have what it took. It was his duty to train would-be guardsmen.

For these were no mere soldiers, or banner-men of the realm. These were what remained of Hyrule's elite force that existed ages ago. Men, who have been given the honor and the distinct privilege to guard the Royal family.

"You all well on your way to no longer being initiate cadets," he addressed Link and twenty of his peers that morning in a somewhat proud tone.

Quickly sapping what pride they may have had by spitting on the grass in front of them before continuing. "You have done well thus far, and soon you will all be Soldiers and men of the guard. But, that being said, there is one final trial you must overcome. It will test everything you have learned thus far. It will not be easy. And dare I say it, some of you may even die performing this task."

No one dared to let their nervousness show. They all wanted to live to see the day they become Royal Guardsmen. Especially Link's tall and younger friend, Sven.

Athelon continued after a pause. "Last chance, if they're any among you who still fear the death of the flesh, now is the time to step back, remove your armor and depart from your fellow initiates.

"There is no shame in quitting, for a life in the guard isn't a calling for the many, but of the few."

When no one moved, he chuckled. "So be it, then." Their instructor unsheathed his sword, swinging the blade elegantly through the air with a flourish. "Now, before the final initiation trial of the flame is to begin, which is a live combat exercise, there is one more skill that will be needed to be added to your quiver of knowledge... before you can truly be named guardsmen of the royal family.

"You have all been taught as soldiers before, and that which is good and well. But now, you must unlearn what you have learned to be true, for it is false indeed. That former way is the path to certain death and failure.

"There is no greater technique than what I am about to show you now. When performed right, none can defeat it, for it comes from the old line of KNIGHTs themselves.

"If you are without shield, then this will be your lifeline in battle. For if the battle does come to you, and indeed we are told that it shall come, you would do well to commit this ability to memory. You must be able to perform this skill to the point that you can do so in your sleep. Am I clear?"

The men just stood firm, listening.

"Good. Now, without further ado, I give you: the High-Hylian Guard." The old master demonstrated the technique expertly. He knelt low, then sprang up while holding the hilt of his sword in both hands high above his head. Then he brought the blade down with a powerful slash. With finesse he diced the air clean and the pristine shine of his blade sparkled in every eye who watched.

The trainees could hardly contain their eagerness to try it for themselves.

""Like the great loft eagles of old, we always guard from on high...This, is an ancient technique passed down through countless centuries that could even be traced back to the KNIGHTs of old who mastered it. Yes, the very same KNIGHTs who you all know to have been the forbearers of this very order you wish so much to become a part of.

"And although none of us are of the KNIGHTs ourselves, we can forever continue to honor their memory by holding true to the Guard they created. Never forget their credo and ours: 'eternal valiance in the face of all evil'!"

"'Eternal valiance in the face of all evil'!" the cadets repeated.

"Because if that devil swine Ganon ever decides to show his ugly mug again, it will be our screeching faces he will have to contend with before he is thrust back down into that inferno pit from which he came!" Athelon assured.

Smirks broke out on a few of the trainees faces, excited to learn.

"Did I say you could smile?!" Athelon was quick to chastise.

Immediately, their faces turned neutral as cold stone.

"You are not guardsmen yet, you are not soldiers, hell, you aren't even a wart on my backside!" he gruffed. After pacing a few steps, he continued.

"Now, where was I? Ah yes. The Trial of the Flame," he said before beginning to ramble once more about what to expect based on past trials, since he couldn't give them any information about their own. "I judge you all know that this year is a special year?" He gazed to see their expressions before smiling and continuing his speech.

"Her Highness will be hand-picking the victor of said tournament herself. So, which one of you asslings will be the cadet that surpasses the rest and wins the prize of receiving such a high honor from our dear Princess herself?"

Athelon chuckled. "A blessing from the Princess. I wonder what it could be? A chest full of rupees? Land and title? Or perhaps, even…a kiss?" he teased.

Once more, the trainees couldn't help but smile at the thought.

He chastised again, more fiercely. "Stop that stupid smiling at once! All of you! You really think our sweet princess would dare desecrate her fair lips on any of you filthy scoundrels! Keep dreaming!"

Faces neutralized hard as stone in a flash, yet again.

He cuffed his chin and spoke glancing away, one eye squinting. "But..there will be some sort of gift, that can be certain…But, Your guess is as good as mine! Nevertheless, it doesn't matter, because up until that very moment you are mine…I have three more days with you miserable lot. Three more wonderful days of tearing the very soul from your bones! Three more days…to make Royal Guards out of you yet!" he said, finishing with a throaty laugh.

As Athelon paced away from Link toward the other end of the formation, a voice whispered to him from behind. "Do yourself a favor and forget about you or your scrawny friend winning that prize. Something that precious would never be given to some low-blood or no-name." He felt something hit the back of his knee, making him buckle, followed by the sound of a few barely concealed snickers.

Link didn't have to turn around to know who his would-be bully was. A large, broad shouldered boy with hair that reminded him of a cucco's comb. Tall, red, and ugly. His face was ugly too, highlighted by a strange pair of chartreuse eyes. How in the world the boy managed such a level of narcissism with a face like that, Link couldn't imagine. Nevertheless, it was clear Regoso loved himself more than a bear of the forest loved honey.

"Regoso!" The old man shouted. "Why don't you tell me what it is you find so amusing that you feel the need to interrupt my speech with your smiling!" Athelon scolded.

"N-nothing, I'm sorry, sir," Regoso stuttered out. The leader growled in his face and the young lad fell back like a whimpering dog.

Being in the front row, Link had the luck of feeling his fiery gaze on him next. "And you, what's your story?" Athelon glared down at him. "You think you're better than everyone else just because your father is chief captain of the Guard?" he accused. "That's right, I've heard all about you. Don't expect any charity here, boy, because you'll receive none. Because as of right now? You are nothing."

The two other goons who didn't like Link, friends of Regoso smirked at the master's words.

Link didn't respond. He kept his face an unreadable mask, standing firmly at attention.

"Nothing to say? What are you, some kind of mute?" Athelon taunted. "Perhaps, weak, just like your scrawny friend over there," he said as he gestured toward Sven, who was consistently the worst recruit of the bunch. Link refused to take the bait. "Or maybe, you think yourself wise enough to keep your mouth shut rather than challenge me, is that right?"

The man leaned over until he was face-to-face with him. Link slowly met his eyes and stared back hard.

After a moment, Athelon smirked, letting a small laugh escape his lips. "Wise indeed…And fearless too," he commented in a low tone. "I'm looking for a soldier who doesn't buckle under pressure, one who can keep focus against any opposition. If you really think you can fill the bill, then prove it. Or I'll leave you in the dust. There is no second place in the guard. We need to be doing it better than all the rest!"

Behind him, two figures were approaching from the castle's western garden. Sensing the sudden nervousness in the air from the his trainees, Athelon spun on his heel to find himself in the presence of none other than Urbosa and Princess Zelda. He tensed and immediately snapped alongside the rest of his cadets.

"Stand at attention you dogs! Her majesty graces us with her presence!" He shouted. But, he must have forgotten they already were at attention.

Urbosa chuckled at the sudden display of awkward reverence. Zelda smiled behind her.

The gerudo women chimed with a teasing smile. "So, these are Hyrule's finest?"

"Not even close, Chief Lady Urbosa, this slop is nothing but a bunch of boys."

"Boys? You don't say?" Urbosa nudged the princess beside her playfully. "My oh my, quite a selection we have here don't we princess? I really should visit you more often. The scenery back home isn't quite as… nice," she added.

Zelda blushed and looked away. The young girl was adorned beautifully in a green winter dress, tailored just for her. It was light and airy, yet warm, allowing her to comfortably roam the castle grounds that afternoon. It was a chill morning and the boys were visibly cold, trying their hardest to fight back the chattering of their teeth in her presence.

Urbosa turned back to Athelon. "Quite the group of strapping young lads you have here. Though, it would seem they would all do well to have a wash up. Hard to get a proper view of them in their…condition…being all muddied up the way they are." She chuckled again.

"My apologies, Lady Urbosa. They have just returned from the training gr—"

"Chieftain Urbosa." She corrected sternly.

"R-right, please forgive me, Chief Urbosa."

"Just kidding. And, at ease, my good man." She broke in a laugh into her hand. "You may simply call me Urbosa, no formalities needed." She threw a wink at the old man, and astonishingly, a blush rose to his cheeks. Who would have thought him capable? Link certainly wouldn't have thought so.

Athelon cleared his throat. "What I was going to say was that these cadets still have training to do. I assure you, they will be properly taken care of."

"Well then, allow us to leave you to it," Urbosa replied. "I look forward to seeing the fruit of your efforts during the Trial, sir. More importantly, so does the princess."

While Urbosa had been talking, Zelda was distracted by a particular recruit in the front row. The same one she had seen a few days prior. Even with mud streaked across his cheek, and his bangs stuck to his face, Zelda still thought he was handsome.

Zelda's mouth opened and her eyes glistened. Blood rushed through her and the chill rose of her cheeks were replaced by a warm blush. Does he remember me? She thought.

For a moment, the boy allowed his eyes to flicker over to hers. Perhaps he had felt her gaze on him. Her heart leapt into her throat at the brief glance she had into his sky blue eyes. There was so much personality within them, stories she wished to hear.

"Princess? Are you coming?" Urbosa's voice shook Zelda from her thoughts. Noticing her expression and who it seemed to be directed at, Urbosa put two and two together. "Is he the one you told me about?" she whispered as they walked away, hand covering her mouth.

Zelda blushed deeply, and Urbosa smirked. Zelda tried to deny it, but there was no escaping it. "He is…"

Urbosa judged for herself, eyes focused on who Zelda singled out among the crowd of cadets. "He's kind of…cute…handsome even."

Zelda brushed it off and tried to change the subject. But, Urbosa wouldn't let up. Not one bit.

Urbosa then led them over to one of the many beautifully decorated benches throughout the castle grounds, not far from the formation of future soldiers. They sat in the shade and watched as Athelon resumed lecturing his trainees.

Less than a minute later, Zelda began gushing. She couldn't help it. "You should have seen the look on his face the other day! I nearly fell out of my carriage. Poor boy looked like he going to catch fire," she giggled.

"Is that so?"

"Oh yes. I saw him from afar. He was perched on a barrel. He looked so focused, training along with the others," Zelda continued. "At least, I think it was training. Whatever they were doing was beyond me. It was so peculiar, I asked my coachman to bring me closer so I could get a better view… That was when he caught me watching him across the street, just beyond the crowd. Our eyes locked on one another and all his concentration must have evaporated because next thing I knew, he was falling face first into the barrel! The poor boy was drenched and shocked!"

"Shocked?" Urbosa echoed.

Zelda reddened and covered her face. "Yes! The lad was shocked to within an inch of his life! I felt so bad."

"Hmph. Serves him right, gawking at the princess in such a way." Urbosa teased.

"He was hardly gawking at me…and it was I who glanced at him first, remember? Zelda pointed out.

Urbosa gave her a gotcha look. "Ah, so you are interested in this boy, aren't you?"

"No, no, it's not like that. I was just… curious, is all."

"Uh huh. Curious about what it would take to have some alone time with him, you mean? Perhaps, a chance to see and test his strength all up in person?"

"Urbosa!" Zelda laughed. "Of course not…And, even if I was a tiny bit interested, I am far too busy for such a silly thing. With my research at the castle and all… Plus! Father insist that I'm too young to be courting anyone, and even if I did, it could only be a nobleman of his choosing, remember?" Zelda said, trying to convince herself to let these feelings go, still gazing at the warrior among the lineup.

"How responsible and mature of you."

"Indeed. It's not like I know anything about him either. I mean, for all I know, he could be a monster!"

"Or perhaps… a dream come true?" Urbosa winked.

Humor fading, Zelda folded her arms and looked away. "Hardly. And besides, I stopped believing in fairy tales a long time ago…"

Before Urbosa could question the Princess' sudden change in mood, another voice interrupted them. Coming in from the other side of the courtyard, Athelon saw too.

The commander instantly dropped to his knees and shouted an order to the others. "Kneel you peasants! It's his royal majesty!"

King roam interjected, greeting Zelda with a smile and Urbosa as he approached the group gathered there. "That is quite alright Athelon…No need for such a grandiose display…I get that enough in my court every waking minute of the day…The never-ending bowing…It's madness. My neck hurts from having to stare down so often just to address my subjects," the king said, letting out a full belly laugh.

"So, my dear…" King Rhoam turned to Zelda. "Came to get an early impression of the cadets before the Trial too?"

"Yes, that's right," Zelda nodded.

He continued facing the rest. "So, these are the top contenders? I hear High Priest Galivan is working up quite the spectacle for the big ceremony. The old wind bag." He said with a wide grin, stretched ear to ear.

Athelon replied. "Yes Sire. If all goes well, these boys will soon be men by three days. You have my word," he said head hung low to the king, even though he was standing yet again.

"I have no doubt. We are going to need as many good men as we can get for when the great and dreadful day comes."

"We will be ready your highness." Athelon declared.

King chuckled again. "You Athelon have yet to lose a man during the trials. This will be a very good year I predict."

Zelda's curious eyes widened and she interrupted. "Have we before? Lost a man I mean?"

The king spun and answered. "Yes, it was many years ago in fact. I wasn't even a king then. Ask me again the story another time…This is a time of celebration, not of sorrow. For these young men will do great and many things in the guard I just know it."

Zelda looked out once more at the group of boys, wondering why her father was so reluctant to answer her question.

The king continued to smile and marveled at the brave young men before him. Until at last his eyes fell upon Link. And just as he did, Link slipped away out from the memory.

Struck by the fluttering blue banner that was falling above him, Link awoke and found himself standing over the dead beast yet again; and that the army was glancing at him nearby, wondering why he was in a trance.

What had just felt like hours for him only spanned a few seconds in reality. He found the numerous pairs of eyes on him, still waiting with bated breath for him to address them. It took a few moments to recall what was happening.

He cleared his throat awkwardly although he was tired, and parched of thirst.

"Fellow men of Hylia… brothers… of the sword…" Link began. He really had no idea what he was doing. He tried anyway. "Don't be afraid!" he called a little louder and pointed at the massive corpse behind him. "The enemy can be defeated. You see? They do bleed!

"You just have to believe! Believe in yourselves, your families and all that you hold dear and cherish in your hearts! Take back what is yours! For Hylia and all of Hyrule!" Link raised his ax and blade high in the air, pointed toward the bright blue sky. "Join me, and fight for her!"

With their spirits lifted by his words, courage reinvigorated in them ten fold by his glorious victory. They praised the lone knight, roaring again in cheers. Hope filled them once again and they knew now they could win. And by his bravery, they all answered his call to arms in spades, following after his lead.

A soldier among the army gasped as they all began to follow after him. "Goddesses shed their grace upon us, have you ever seen anyone do something like that?"

"Hell, I've never even heard of anyone doing something like that." Another countered in awe.

One of Simon's closest advisors leaned in close to his lord's ear to whisper slyly, "You hear that, my lord? He inspires the men…If you continue to allow this to go on, it could cause some division. Some might even say that it was him who won our victory here today. A young man such as that could garner loyalty from among your ranks. Men who are supposed to be loyal to you, my lord."

"Enough of your forked tongue Villamor, stick it behind your teeth or lose it! I have had my fill of it for one day." Simon nudged him back, hand stretched out for him to hand him him his lance.

"We shall see who takes the glory from this battlefield. The day is still young and I have yet a war to win."

Authors Notes: Hello everyone, sorry for the late posting. I have to split up the next couple chapters at-hopefully the right beats. I hope you agree! Please let me know what you think, your words are what motivate me to continue! Also, if you don't feel comfortable to leave a comment, but still would like to voice your opinion anonymously, then please check out the poll I created. Your insight helps me greatly to craft a better story. It is so much appreciated. And as always, thanks for reading! Please check out the audio version of this on youtube too! I will be posting more episodes shortly. Next chapter should be out by mid September! Stay safe!