Night fell over the Sacred Realm just as it fell over Hyrule. The stars flickered into view and the full moon rose into the evening sky. It was in fact quite beautiful, and that beauty was not lost on the companions seated around the fire. They just had other things on their mind.
They had fled the strange castle, running deeper into the forest for the entire day, and had decided to stop in a small clearing at the edge of a low cliff. The castle was no longer in sight, so they decided the risk of a fire was worth a little warmth. Malon, Zakro, Mattalla, and Numaru sat in silence, lost in their own thoughts. Shrike eventually joined them, emerging from the area where they had left Link to rest. He had not awoken since the battle in the castle.
"How is he?" Numaru asked as Shrike took a seat between Mattalla and Malon.
The Sheikah pulled down his mask to reveal his entire face. "He is awake," he said, instantly putting a hand on Malon's shoulder to keep her from getting up. "But he wishes to be alone, for now. He has much to think about."
"As do we," Mattalla interjected. "Like now that we are here in the Sacred Realm, how are we to go about finding Necron?"
It was a question they had all considered, but had not put voice to until now. Zakro replied, "The same way you find anything: you look."
"Easier said than done," Numaru said. "We have no idea how large the Sacred Realm is, nor what lives here, apart from those beasts in the castle. And we do not have enough time to search every nook and cranny. We may not have to eat, but Ganon will not wait forever in making his move against Zelda and the others."
"We know, Numaru," Zakro said impatiently. "Not all of us are completely thick headed."
"And what, my fishy friend, is that supposed to mean?" Mattalla said, leaning forward.
"Enough of this!" Shrike interjected. "If we're going to act like children about everything, we may as well have stayed in that castle and let the rats eat us."
Malon had been growing uncomfortable with the exchange, suddenly said, "Does anyone know any campfire stories?" They all stopped and looked at her with puzzled expressions. She cleared her throat and went on. "Whenever my dad and I went camping, he'd tell me stories around the campfire to pass the time."
No one said anything for a while. Finally, Numaru said, "That sounds like a very good idea, Malon. And I will start." Numaru shifted slightly, getting comfortable. "My story is about a young woman, born the younger sister of a queen. They were always close, and did everything together. But as they grew older, the elder sister began her training for leadership, and gradually they were forced to spend less time together. To pass the time, the younger sister began the study of warfare, and to everyone's surprise she excelled at it, rivaling even her sister. When her time of ascension into womanhood came, she undertook a task unheard of in over a hundred years. She went out into the desert, far past the usual boundaries, with nothing more than a skin of water and her knife. One week later she returned, the skin of five leevers slung over her shoulder. She was greeted with open arms by her sister, who had recently become the sole leader of the people, and forever gained the respect of her people."
"A well-told story," Mattalla said when she had finished. "But let me tell you one even greater. It is also of a younger sibling to a ruler. This youngster was an outcast among his peers, due to his unnatural size and strength. He isolated himself from everyone save his brother, afraid that he may cause someone harm. He joined the army as soon as he was old enough, but still kept to himself. His commanding officers called him a Lone Hunter, thinking that he would not survive the training. They were wrong; he excelled, graduating at the top of his class. Shortly after, he received his first assignment. It was dull, a routine sentry position on the outskirts of the Death Mountains. But the boy and his companions were unexpectedly attacked by a group of Dodongos. Of the six of them, two were killed and three badly injured. The Lone Hunter battled on, buying his comrades time to escape. He killed the attacking beasts, and carried the bodies of the dead back to his city where they could be properly buried. Ever since, he has been hailed as a great hero, though he has always been loathe to believe it."
"That's nothing," scoffed Zakro, "compared to mine. My hero was raised from birth to be a great warrior, even though his parents were simple fishermen. And he was great. He excelled in everything he did, never failing. He attracted the eye of the Royal Guard, and soon rose up the ranks. One day, he and his men were assigned as escorts to the queen. They were making a routine trip from the capital to Lake Hylia, when all of a sudden they were set upon by a group of rebellious upstarts. The hero and his men fought valiantly, and soon defeated the assassins. However, one of the assassins managed to shoot off a poisonous dart before he died. The queen didn't see it in time, and would surely have been struck, if not for our hero diving in its path and taking the barb in his own throat. The poison should have killed him, but he recovered. He was knighted for his valor, and shortly after he married the queen. And so the son of a fisherman became ruler of an entire race."
"Wow," Malon exclaimed. "My heroine was just a farm girl who was in the right place at the right time. How about you Shrike? Your turn, now."
The Sheikah smiled slightly. "I have no story to tell, because I do not rightly know it's beginning. All I know is that a boy was taken from his family at a young age, and has been learning the art of secrecy and invisibility ever since."
"Trust a Sheikah to tell the most boring story. 'Silence is golden' eh Shrike?" Mattalla laughed, and everyone soon joined in.
* * *
Link sat alone, feet dangling over the cliff, staring into the horizon. There were trees as far as the eye could see. Behind him, somewhere, was a mysterious castle that seemed to know more about his life than he did.
Link was not afraid to die. He didn't want to hurry the event, but he understood that it would happen sooner or later. But having seen the grave…seen the date…that scared him beyond belief. To know when you were going to die, to know that there was no way to avoid it…
"Hey."
He turned at the voice and watched Malon walk up to him, her armor glowing in the moonlight. He forced a smile to cross his face, but said nothing. "How are you doing?" she asked.
"My ribs don't hurt anymore."
A puzzled expression crossed her face. "What?"
"They've mended, thanks to all the treatment I got back in Hyrule, but there was still a bruise there that hurt a little when a moved. Ever since we arrived here it hasn't hurt at all."
"Well this is the Sacred Realm," Malon said. "Maybe traveling between dimensions heals people. Anyway, that's not what I meant…"
"I know," Link said, smiling sadly at her. "It was just easier to answer that way."
"Oh." Malon sat down beside him and snuggled close, resting her head on his shoulder. "You know I'm here for you, right? We all are. That's what Zelda said to do: to look after you, and make sure you know that you're not alone this time."
This time Link genuinely smirked, thinking of how Zelda was worried about him. "I know Malon. And thanks." He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and kissed the top of her head. "How are the others? Shrike wouldn't say."
"Asleep. They're tired," she admitted. "And a little anxious. They—and me—want to know what to do now? I mean, now that we're here, how do we find Necron? Where do we go next?"
"Down."
"What?"
"Down," Link repeated. "To the valley below this cliff. That's where we need to go."
"How do you know?"
Link removed his left gauntlet and showed Malon the back of his hand. She gasped when she saw a glowing mark in the shape of the Triforce. The bottom left piece glowed brighter than the rest. "My Triforce mark has been throbbing ever since we got here. It doesn't hurt, I just…feel it. The feeling gets stronger when I'm pointed in that direction."
"That's a little weird, Link."
"I know," he admitted, "But it's all we have to go on." He looked in her eyes and pulled her close. "Come on. We better go get some sleep. We have a long journey ahead of us."
Malon chuckled. "If we can sleep. Mattalla's snoring could raise the dead."
* * *
Far away, in Hyrule, Saria stared at the stars from her window, watching as the emerged in the fading light, her thoughts focusing on Link. For the first time in eight years, since he had been trapped in Termina, they were completely cut off from each other. Whenever Link was abroad, they could at least communicate through their ocarinas. That wasn't the case now, as Saria's constant efforts over the past day had proven.
Her thoughts shifted momentarily to Zelda. She would be meeting with Ganon right about now. Neither Zelda nor Saria and the other Sages expected Ganon to give in without a fight; only a fool would believe that. The princess had gone to gauge his strength, and hopefully find a weakness that she could exploit. Hopefully.
Saria continued to gaze into the heavens. Her eyes fell onto Mastador, the sword constellation, the sign of heroes and warriors. She blinked once, and then the stars were brighter. Frowning, she continued to watch as they glowed even stronger. They glowed so strongly that she had to squint to look at them. Suddenly, the stars exploded, and Saria instinctively fell back from the window. When she looked again, all she saw was empty blackness where the sword constellation should have been. She gasped and rubbed at her eyes. When she opened them, the stars had returned to their original positions. Saria's jaw dropped and she covered her mouth with her hands. Tears of fear began to drop from her eyes.
"Oh, Link…" she sobbed, "Oh no…"