Though he had been in Hyrule Town Market before, and seen the spires and parapets of Hyrule Castle rising above the rooftops, Lion was unprepared for the actual grandeur of the castle when he treaded beyond the market and onto the path.
"Careful now," Link warned. "These guards are very touchy. Even when I was a messenger for Princess Zelda, they wouldn't allow me to go through. And since I no longer am, we must still sneak in. We'll climb up this vine, and jump down on the other side of the gate. Then we've got to run across that field. Though touchy, these guards are almost as blind as a keese, so if you don't get too close, they won't see you. We climb up a rock wall, I'll show you that when we get there, and swim along in the moat. After that, we're basically home free."
"Good deal," Lion replied, resting his hand on the hilt of his sword. Lion discovered that sneaking onto the castle grounds was far too easy, that even a child could do it. When he mentioned this to Link, Link winked and told him that he *was* a child when he'd snuck into the castle to begin with.
"Now, then," Link said. "To get in, we've got to crawl under that little duct there." Link gestured to a small duct underneath the wall. "It'll be a tight fit, but we'll manage." Link was not exaggerating, considering he got stuck on his way in. Lion did to, but Link pulled him free. "Now, the guards. We've got to sneak past them. These guards are more vigilant than those on the grounds, and will boot you out if they catch you."
"Right," Lion acknowledged, following Link to the large shrubbery beyond the first wall. But instead of seeing a guard patrolling the area, they saw the guard lying in a pool of blood, with a large Sheikah dagger buried in his chest. "Link! Look! A Sheikah dagger!"
Link's brow furrowed as Lion cautiously approached the dying guard. "Hey," Lion quetsioned the guard. "Who did this to you?!"
A gasp for breath escaped the guard's lips. "It-it was . . ." he took a long, burdensome breath. ". . . It was Sheik!" With that last proclamation, the guard died, his eyes wide open.
"Your death, and the others, will be avenged, brave one," Lion said, closing the guard's eyes.
"Did he say Sheik?" Link asked from behind Lion. In response to Lion's affirmative, Link drew the Master Sword from its sheath on his back, and began to cut at the air. "Why, Sheik?!"
"You know this Sheik person?"
"He was a guide back when I was fighting Ganondorf's agents! Though the Sheik I saw was only Princess Zelda in diguise, I knew that there really *was* a Sheik. And now, it seems that he, by himself or under Zagorshida's influence, is attacking the castle!"
"Oh, no!" Lion shouted in dismay. "The Princess! We've got to get to her before Sheik does!" The two of them set off at a dead run towards the courtyard -- Link leading -- and finding more dead guards along the way. When they reached the courtyard, they found Sheik fighting against Princess Zelda's attendant, Impa, another Sheikah.
"Impa!" Link shouted, drawing the Master Sword. Zelda was trapped in a energy cage, floating above the battle, and unconscious. Lion drew his sword, its golden blade gleaming brighter than before. Certainly, Zagorshida's evil presence was in Sheik's body.
The two heroes charged at Sheik, who now was holding Impa in the air by the neck. Sheik dropped Impa as Lion and Link's slashes hit their marks. He spun around and drew a dagger from its sheath on his calf. With incredible speed and dexterity, he charged at Link, and began to slash with the dagger. With a bigger weapon, it was more difficult for Link to counterattack, so Lion did, drawing his sword and coming up behind Sheik, so that Link could recover. Lion and Sheik fought fiercely, their duel taking them around the garden. When Sheik lunged with the dagger, Lion would dodge and slash or thrust to score a hit against Sheik.
Sheik finally managed to score a hit on Lion. When Lion stumbled, Sheik kicked him hard in the chest. With the breath knocked out of him, Lion fell back into the moat, bleeding from the wound inflicted by Sheik's attack. With one final act of dishonor, Sheik drove a small blade into Lion's back -- a mortal wound.
* * *
Link charged at Sheik, slashing expertly with the Master Sword. Sheik lunged at Link, who slid to the side and threw a knee into the Sheikah's gut. Lion was lying face-down in the shallow water, apparently dead, though his sword was still being clutched tightly in his right hand. Sheik recovered immediately from the blow, and let loose a flurry of thrusts and slashes that Link had no hope of blocking with just his sword. Link did a high back flip and landed a few yards from Sheik. Link breathed out, and took a step back, pounded his right fist into his left palm, did a twist of the torso, and then punched the ground. A burst of flame erupted from the point where the fist hit, and spread around Link like a deadly inferno. The Din's Fire spread around to engulf everything, including the unconscious Impa and the startled Sheik. Impa was unharmed by some miracle of the gods, but Sheik was not, and had his clothes caught afire.
With a shudder and a scream, a black cloud drained from Sheik's body, the black coloration in his eyes again red. The cloud rose into the air and hovered, taking a shape . . .
* * *
*Lion,* called a voice from inside Lion's head. *Lion. Awaken!*
*Who,* Lion answered subliminally. *Who are you?*
*Lion, you must awaken. Zagorshida has emerged fully!*
Lion felt as if a fire were flowing through his veins, revitalizing him completely. He opened his eyes, and noticed that he was underneath the water, Sheik's dagger still buried in his back. He felt his muscles tighten, a long-dormant power beginning to build up. He clutched his sword, and stooped in the moat. With a spring, he leapt into the air, and floated above the scene for a handful of heartbeats. He breathed heavily, forcing his oxygen-starved lungs to fill.
"I . . . liiivvve!" he shouted at the top of his lungs, his arms and legs outstretched as he gathered strength. He looked vengefully at the wraith image of Zagorshida as he floated to the ground.
Zagorshida's wraith was immense, at least ten feet tall, and shrouded in thick black robes. He carried a long ornate staff in his left hand, which had a large spherical crystal at the top of it.
"You two," it said, its voice identical to the one Link had earlier in the Colossus. "You two have caused me a great deal of trouble. Don't interfere, or the people of Hyrule will die!" The image vanished, but an air of evil hung.
"Oh, no," muttered Link. He then noticed the once-dead Lion standing next to him. "Lion! You were dead!"
"I was resurrected by Rauru, the Sage of Light." He wasn't told that, but the knowledge was there.
"Rauru?" Link looked at Lion then, at his appearance: black clothing -- pants and vest -- with a Wolfos-hide collar, a gray shirt and green semikilt, the golden hair and . . . and the sword . . . Link then knew who this Lion was destined to become. "By the Gods, Lion. I know who you are!" He swallowed. "You are the mythical Guardian of Sages!"
Lion stood, gazing at the spot where Zagorshida had vanished, and Link, the Hero of Time, stared at the younger man beside him, the one destined to become the champion of the Sacred Realm.
To be concluded . . .