Chapter 30: Shadow Pass Massacre
Zelda couldn't move.
Her heartbeat pounded in her ears, her fingers twitched spasmodically, her eyes widened as 'Going to die, going to die, going to die,' rang through her mind. Going to–
MOVE! Came the desperate internal scream, breaking up the mantra.
A wild adrenaline kicked her body into motion, and Zelda sprinted forward.
Arrows and knives began whizzing through the air and no amount of running could help Zelda outrun them…
Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!
Link viciously swung his shield every which way, blocking the projectiles. Yes. Link. The Master Sword was back in its sheath, and his free hand snatched Zelda's flushed one, yanking her faster.
Her eyes darting side-to-side, they widened as through the darkness, the shadows moved with them, easily keeping up with their pace. Another arrow aimed for her throat. Link, still running, pulled her down, and she heard it whistle through the space where her head used to be.
Laughter echoed through the trees, funneling to a point on the trail ahead of them. Link slid to a stop, blocking Zelda from what lay ahead. She peered over his shoulder, all the breath leaving her at once.
The thickest, tallest Yiga member she had ever seen advanced towards her and Link, sword wickedly long and sharp. He took his time, giving Zelda the chance to turn around searching for another way out…to find they were surrounded. Again.
Two Yiga members with Demon Carvers crept towards Zelda, and she pressed her back against Link's, warning him. Out of the corner of her eye, the archers were back, hidden among the trees.
This is a game to them, Zelda thought horrifyingly. Like a cat with a mouse, letting the prey escape, only to pounce effortlessly upon it once more, death more certain with each capture. One of the Yiga holding a Demon Carver tilted his head, as if considering the best way to flay Zelda.
Her hand reached back towards Link, gaze still focusing on the creeping Yiga. His hand was free, and she grasped it tightly, wanting him to know, pleading with him to know that if this was the end, she wanted him right here next to her. It was a selfish request, but in between the stammering of her heart and terror soaring through her right now, Zelda didn't care. She was afraid. And she didn't want to die alone.
Ever so slightly, Link inched his head toward her, eyes flickering to hers in the briefest of instances.
It was only a second.
Only a second that their gazes met, that a silent, unknown communication passed from Zelda to Link. Because the next moment, he released her hand, Zelda desperately reaching for it again.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
Arrows fell to the ground around Zelda, and she whipped around in surprise to shrieks of pain from one, two, three Yiga archers, all turning still on the ground with arrows sticking out of their chests.
Enraged, the demon carvers lunged towards Zelda, spiny circles of metal promising death as they struck down in sync. She stumbled back, crying out, but then suddenly, Link was there, whirling between the two Yiga, Master Sword cutting through their backs. Link was gone again before their bodies fell lifeless to the ground.
Blood…so much blood. Zelda's hands rose to her mouth, stomach revolting at the severed bodies.
Around her, Yiga screamed in fury, attention honing in on the Hylian Champion. Four of them appeared right behind Link, vicious sickles trained on him.
The knife, Zelda. Remember the knife you took from the castle. Reaching into her boot, Zelda withdrew the knife, faintly remembering the way Sitkel held his kunai and shifted the weapon in her hand to mimic his. This time, she wasn't just going to use it for cutting branches.
The vicious sickles struck down, Link leaping out of range. Another Yiga member, waiting for him behind a tree, swiped at his side, Link bouncing away at the last minute. His mouth tightened slightly, and Zelda could see the rip in his Champion's fabric, the line of red slowly forming on the left side of his waist.
Link had seen it. He had seen the fear in Zelda's eyes, the desperation to be saved. And he wasn't going to let them go down without a fight.
Something steeled inside Zelda. And neither was she.
So when the arm snaked around her exposed neck, hot breath of the Yiga on her skin, Zelda jolted into action. She thrust her head back, smashing into the mask of the Yiga. They stumbled back, but his grip remained, though not as tight as before. It was enough of an opening for Zelda to nuzzle her chin below the Yiga's forearm and bite down hard through the costume's fabric.
He yelped and Zelda thrust her elbow in his ribcage, the yelp exchanging for a grunt. Spinning, Zelda brought her leg up, kicking him squarely in the chest. The Yiga fell backwards to the ground, groaning.
Finish him, a voice urged in her mind. Zelda glanced at the knife in her hand. She had imagined using it so many times in so many instances like this. But…she had never killed someone before. Monsters, yes, but they were different. Yiga were people underneath the mask.
It's kill or be killed.
She knew Link wouldn't have hesitated. Urbosa wouldn't have hesitated. This Yiga before her, vicious sickle in his grasp, wouldn't have hesitated.
Clenching her fist, Zelda raised the knife, and immediately was knocked to the side. Lashing out to fight her attacker, she froze, the moon outlining Link half on-half off her, his breath quick and fast, sweat gleaming on his forehead as he stared at something beyond them.
Zelda twisted her head and spotted the same burly Yiga member, sword pointed towards them. He lifted it above his head just as Link's arms encircled around Zelda, jerking her sideways into a roll.
Link was off her in a moment, and Zelda shoved herself to her knees, cracking noises drawing her focus. Right behind where she and Link used to be, was a tree, bark splintered and jagged from what looked like an enormous cut down the middle of the trunk. Unable to hold itself together anymore, the tree split apart, the halves crashing to the ground.
Wide-eyed, Zelda's gaze riveted to the sword in the Yiga member's hand. A windcleaver. That's right. The sword could cut through anything including the wind. Zelda swallowed thickly. She would have been that tree if not for Link.
The big Yiga member and Link were circling each other, swords drawn. Yet, Link's eyes kept darting to the dark spots of the forest and her. He couldn't afford to allow his whole attention to be on a single attacker. Not when so many of them still lived with his death and Zelda's death on their minds. Zelda could hear them now, closing in, whispering like breezes through the trees. Link could not be entirely focused. Not when there were too many threats at once.
I need to help him. Zelda thought desperately. Eliminate some threats so that he can focus on this fight because…she gulped as her eyes flitted to the decimated tree. Link was going to need all his attention on just this enemy.
Knife still in hand, Zelda rose cautiously seeking out the nearest Yiga member. But even as her ears strained to hear any noises, Zelda knew her knife was no match for a trained assassin hell-bent on her destruction with a weapon of his or her own. Her hand shook, but she only gripped the handle tighter.
A sudden snap of a twig behind her came too late as Zelda turned, a Demon Carver slicing for her head. The attack abruptly stopped as the Yiga member jerked backwards, a single arrow lodged in his throat. The body thumped to the ground. Whipping around, Zelda beheld a bow in Link's left hand, the only sign he had been the one to shoot as he dove to the side, avoiding another cut of the Windcleaver. The tree directly behind Link cracked as it took the hit, eventually snapping in half with only the stump remaining.
That was a close one. Zelda bit her lip, head turning this way and that for more hidden Yiga members, pushing the thought of her and Link's dead bodies far away. That was too close for both of us. Link had his bow put away again, Master Sword out as the burly Yiga member stalked forward. Seven arrows flew at Link from the sides of the trail, but he spun and blocked with his shield, all the while sashaying in a circle, never letting himself get too far from Zelda.
Zelda's eyes widened. I'm his biggest threat. He can't fight his best if he's worried about me.
The next time Link met her gaze, Zelda gave a small nod, grimacing. She had to trust that he could take care of himself. Shoving the knife back into her boot, Zelda sprinted in what she hoped was the direction of the stable, purposely dodging in and out of the trees to harry followers.
And followers did come.
Shouts sounded among the woods, footsteps pattering behind Zelda.
"Where do you think you're going, Princess?" unspooled the velvety voice again, this time closer to her ear than before.
Zelda cried out, her arm wrapping around a tree trunk, swinging her body sharply around the tree as a kunai sunk its point into the trunk, opposite from where Zelda was currently but where she had been milliseconds before.
She only had a moment to admire her reflexes before the Yiga member belonging to the blade appeared, yanking the weapon out of the wood.
Two POOFs of smoke sifted into her nose, alerting Zelda that she was hemmed in. The one holding the kunai, twirled the knife through the air. Briefly, Zelda wondered how the Yiga had gotten his hands on the Sheikah's choice of weapon. The Yiga usually refused to have any connections to the people they had abandoned and only used their own four types of equipment.
With his mask hiding any sort of facial features, he dipped his head side to side, and Zelda had the eerie feeling he was sizing her up like a vulture about to eat a long-anticipated meal.
Sweat soaked her skin, cold where the blade of the knife rested against it in her boot, and Zelda's fingers itched to retrieve the small piece of metal, knowing full well no amount of wielding it would stop the end from happening. But it was a small comfort she wanted nevertheless.
"Next time you find yourself in that situation, and there is no way to run away, you will at least have more than just a knife to use…"
Gaiy's advice came with startling clarity, and Zelda immediately struck out with the bottom of her foot, kicking the Yiga in front of her farther away from her. The Yiga fumbled in surprise, before Zelda whirled, kicking one of the Yiga members behind her right in the ribs as hard as she could. From years of studying anatomy, Zelda knew this was a weak point in the body.
The Yiga member grunted in pain, dropping to her knees as she clutched her side. The other Yiga from behind Zelda, raised his weapon overhead, cutting it down towards Zelda.
Everything came back from Zelda's Kakariko training. She threw her arm up, wincing as it made contact with his arm, but halting the weapon inches from the top of her head. Zelda thrust her elbow forward as the Yiga yelped in surprise, the blow knocking his head back.
"Good. Now you will grab their shoulder by the arm you just blocked, jerk it down, while kicking the inside of their kneecap."
Zelda copied Gaiy's instructions as they flurried through her mind, ignoring the awful 'crack' of the Yiga's kneecap as it moved out of place and ensuing screech as he collapsed to the ground.
Zelda turned back to face the first Yiga member only to receive an immediate fist to her face. Pain erupted along her cheekbone, head flinging back as the outline of everything grew hazy and dark, her body falling to the ground where Zelda barely kept her head from receiving another hard blow against the forest floor.
"A princess who fights back. Unexpected, but still pathetic." Zelda raised herself half-off the ground, blinking hard to clear away the blurry edges at her vision, finally making out the Yiga clan's shape as he strolled towards her. The velvety voice grew sharp. "Where did you learn those moves?"
Zelda scrambled back on her hands to put more distance between her and the encroaching enemy, lurching over something laying on the ground. Her head thumped against soft fabric. The luminous stone inside her shirt fell out, revealing the bloodied chest she was laying on, vacant unfamiliar eyes staring up into the sky.
Zelda screamed, pushing away from the dead traveler. This was why no one else had been on the paths.
"This is your fate, Princess." The Yiga was feet from her now, the blade in his hand reflecting the moonlight. Zelda, knowing there was no way she could get to her feet before he struck, scoured the grass and leaves with her hands, searching for something, anything to help her survive this. But that hope was only embers now as she kept feeling only dirt beneath her nails, not even a stick or a rock—Wait, what was that? Her fingers curled around a long metal pole. A spear? Zelda gripped it tightly. "No matter how hard you fight," the Yiga's velvety voice suddenly pitched higher, "you will not stop the return of Calamity Ganon." He swung the kunai down.
Zelda brought the spear around desperately, looking away and crying out as the Yiga leapt towards her.
Something slid through flesh.
The Yiga froze.
Still looking down at the ground, Zelda held her breath, waiting for pain to splice through her at where the Yiga made contact. She expected the burning, the wetness of blood spilling out of her onto her shirt. But there was nothing except for the racing of her pulse. Why was there no pain? Had she…had she–killed him with the spear?
Feeling like her heart was about to explode from terrified anticipation, Zelda raised her head, shockwaves radiating through her whole body.
The Yiga twitched in front of her, kunai discarded by his foot, as his hands scrabbled at his chest. And the glowing blue sword impaled there.
Stilted, gasping breaths shook through the Yiga's body, awful gagging gurgles soon following. The sword disappeared, leaving the way it had entered the Yiga, and the Yiga dropped to his knees, hands clutching his chest. He fell face forward, inches from Zelda's booted heel. She stared wide-eyed at the Yiga member who breathed in a rattling breath, choking on a low laugh…then breathed no more.
"Zaarol!" shrieked one of the two incapacitated Yiga members.
Zelda blinked slowly, eyes raising to the person standing above her.
In the space the Yiga had occupied, was Link. The Master Sword dripped with blood until the blood sizzled, disappearing as if the sword hadn't just skewered through someone's chest. In the light cast from the luminous stone, Link's face was marked up with various cuts, hair disheveled, and his tunic was torn across the bottom. He looked devoid of emotion, eyes flat and dark.
Until he stepped forward, brushing aside the spear Zelda had forgotten she was still holding out as a shield, and bent down next to her.
Anxious eyes flickered over her appearance, Link's free hand flitting from one part of her body to another, pressing lightly to see if there were any invisible wounds he didn't know about. Zelda felt numb, barely feeling his administrations as her eyes dropped to the Yiga member on the ground behind Link, a dark spot soaking into the dirt below the Yiga. No. Not Yiga anymore.
Corpse.
She flinched, dropping the spear and catching his hand as Link touched the spot below her right eye, right where the Yiga had landed a punch. His eyes widened fractionally, before understanding dawned, and he pulled his hand back, eyes narrowing.
"Please–," Zelda's breath hitched, a sob threatening to take over. The numbness was already fading and the nearness of how dead Zelda truly had been about to be sunk in. She reached out, one hand latching onto his shoulder, the other hand covering her mouth, not sure if she was going to throw up or cry. "Please, let us get out of here."
The Master Sword rasped as it slid back into its sheath, then Link's hands gripped Zelda's elbows, pulling her to her feet. His grip tightened, and Zelda met his gaze, a tear sliding down her cheek. She was still so afraid. Link's jaw clenched and with his gaze locked onto hers, nodded resolutely. He would get them out of here. Alive.
They took off running back the way Zelda had come, back to the trail that ran through the woods. Zelda didn't know how Link knew where he was going, but he did. They passed by the two Yiga Zelda had beat up, the female Yiga unsteadily getting to her feet, but the other Yiga…had disappeared.
I broke his kneecap. How could he–
"You will die for this!" hissed a venomous voice.
Zelda inhaled for a scream as someone leapt from between the boughs of a tree, vicious sickle carving through the air. The Yiga's aim was true, his timing perfect, Zelda completely distracted, body in mid-motion propelling forward, unable to turn in time to duck.
Then Link was there.
His body shielded hers, forcing Zelda sideways, Zelda almost tripping at the sheer quickness of it all.
A screech of pain.
She looked over in time to see the Yiga falling backwards, his lower leg at odds with his upper leg. The broken kneecap. Link must have honed in on the Yiga's weakness and exploited it. The Yiga was still wailing in pain when Link grabbed Zelda, roughly pulling her forward into a sprint and away from the injured clan member.
They cleared the copse of trees, emerging onto the trail. Link tugged her left, but Zelda looked back down the trail to make sure they were going the right way.
Her heart skipped a beat.
Twelve bodies.
Dead where she had last left Link, including the large Yiga member wielding the Windcleaver, numerous archers with their bows scattered as if misplaced, and vicious sickles lying forlorn next to their masters' bloodied corpses.
It was a massacre.
Zelda was pulled away from the horrible scene as Link dragged her behind him, keeping up a running pace towards what would be their salvation. But what were they running from now? It looked like Link had just killed them all.
A burst of smoke to the side quickly cut that thought short. Arrows flew towards them.
Link whistled high and sharp before pulling Zelda behind a large trunk, the projectiles thunking into the wood. How many more were there? Was there no end to them? Her breaths started coming out panicky and fast, and Zelda forced herself to inhale through her nose, breath out through her mouth. Focus on this moment. You are alive right now. And so is Link. Zelda looked up at him. From pulling her behind the tree, Link still had a grip on her upper arm. Tight. A little too tight. Peering closer, she could make out the taut lines on his face, hear the short, ragged breathing as he turned his face sideways, listening for another attack.
Something was wrong.
Before Zelda could open her mouth to ask him, a loud 'NEIGH' entered the fray. Jerking upright, Link wrenched Zelda forward from the cover of the tree, running full out back on the trail. Furious cries followed them with every footstep, arrows raining around them. But up ahead, storming towards them, was Storm. Zelda almost stopped in surprise if it wasn't for the constant motion Link demanded of her.
If any horse were to come when Link called, it would have been his horse. Yet, here was Zelda's horse, a knightly-white vision of a steed launching into battle. At the sight of the arrows, Storm halted, rearing on two legs as it swung around. Before it could begin to run away, Link jumped forward, grabbing its mane. However Storm had broken free from the stable, it had been without reins or a saddle.
Nevertheless, Link grabbed Zelda around her waist, thrusting her onto the horse. She heard a hiss escape his lips as he swung her up, then soon clambered on himself behind Zelda. Storm, not one to wait around as arrows still flew their way, whinnied, shaking its head and breaking into a gallop.
Zelda turned her head to look back at the pursuing Yiga, almost regretting it as an arrow raced uncomfortably close by her ear.
Are they going to follow us until we're dead?
Link turned around too, but with his bow in his hand. On the string were three arrows. The Yiga were still dancing among the tree lines, making sure not to be seen as targets, a wise move considering how many of them Link had been able to dispatch hand-to-hand, but were still moving towards them. The arrows soared from Link's bow, landing feet in front of the Yiga members, just at the edge of the Shadow Pass.
Fire exploded, roaring as it greedily formed a flaming line cutting off Zelda, Link, and Storm from the remaining Yiga. An outraged scream echoed along the rock walls as Storm raced on, the last remnants of the battle fading behind them, as the horse wound up the valley trail.
Zelda let out a breath she hadn't known she had been holding. She wanted to laugh. She wanted to cry. She wanted to sing. They were alive.
Link slumped forward, his weight startling Zelda. She turned around in surprise. "Link, what–?"
The words died in her throat.
He had one arm wrapped around his stomach, face hidden under his hair in his hunched over position. The stable lanterns came into view, finally promising safety.
Zelda reached a hand back, putting it over his arm. "Are you…" she trailed off, her fingers contacting something wet. Pulling her hand back in front of her face where the lantern light exposed it, Zelda stared dumbfoundedly.
It was covered in blood.