VIII
Link stopped, realizing it was fruitless to chase after him. He wasn't quite sure what was going on. Why did Sefia want Link dead, besides the obvious reasons for revenge? That didn't take into account the bloody sword. And what did he mean by slay.... Link's mouth dropped open as realization and dread came over him. A few years back, the knights of Hyrule learned that the remnants of the Underworld wanted Link dead. By sprinkling his blood over Ganon's ashes, the king of evil would be revived. And now they have it. The slayer's blood was in the hands of a wizrobe, who was undoubtedly on his way to Ganon's remains. The nightmare was about to begin again.

He'd have to stop him again. There was no one else. Roam was done for, the knights were still underpowered, and the country couldn't rely on another outsider again. But how could he stop him? The Triforce barely gave him any more power, and Ganon would surely be much more cautious this time around. His eyes looked to the Master Sword. It was said to repel all evil, but that very few could use it. Was he one of the few? There was only one way to find out.

He slowly stepped up onto the pedestal. His hands approached the hilt. At first, he felt a slight repulsion, as if some substance was between him and the sword. His spirits started to fall, but he pushed harder. Instead of pushing back harder, the repulsion faded, and Link's hands fell on the hilt. The blade slid out of the stone surprisingly easily, the vines sliding off the still shining blade, and Link felt the power of the Sword flowing through him. The Master Sword had chosen him as a hero.

Link knelt down by Reni, who was still gasping for breath. The healing arts drains one of its energy, sapping the fairy's power and focusing it into the fallen person. Link reached out for her, but she angrily batted him out of the way. "Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Go get that stupid wizard!" Link nodded, muttered his thanks to the fairy, and went over to Roam. To his surprise, the general was not dead, and his eyes fluttered open as Link turned him over to examine him. He coughed and looked up at Link, surprised to see him alive. "Go... stop 'im," he rasped out before another coughing fit took control of him. Link nodded. "Stay well, good sir." Roam nodded at that and then slipped back into unconsciousness. Link turned a quizzical look to Reni. She sighed and finally nodded. "Yes, I'll take care of him. Just go!" Link smiled. Everything was taken care of here. And with that, he raced back into the woods. He had a wizrobe to hunt as the fate of Hyrule came once again to rest on his shoulders.

But it would be a long march, as Link knew exactly where Sefia was going. His final destination would undoubtedly be Spectacle Rock situated in the southeastern parts of the Death Mountains. For that was where Ganon had fallen, and his ashes would not have been moved. Knowing his destination did not give Link any reprieve from his worries, as he had a dangerous trail to blaze. These woods were thick and treacherous, and finding his way out without Reni might take some time. And then he would have to travel back through the great mountain ranges. He had no time to return to Garamonde and look for a guide back through the Goronians, and he doubted any would take him in any case. Instead, he would have to brave the mountains by himself. Besides the obvious dangers of the strange Lynels and Dairas that made their home in the mountains, Link also had to worry about rock falls, landslides, and impassable cliffs and ridges. And the likelihood of finding food and water on the journey was slight as well. And Link was no tracker; he could easily find himself lost in the mountains. By all accounts, this was an impossible hunt.

Link did his best to put these thoughts behind him as he ran through the woods. But something strange was amiss, and these problems seemed to melt away from Link. Visions in his mind told him the path through which his quarry ran, and he instinctively followed it. It all seemed rather bizarre, but the more Link thought of it, the less clear the path became. He forced all inquisitive thoughts out of his mind as he tore on, blindly, until he reached the edge of the woods. His apparent sixth sense did not fail him, and he saw the first peaks of the Death Mountains in front of him, with the misty peaks of the Goronians far to the north. He continued his race, knowing the wizrobe could use his magic to sustain himself without need for rest or food. Link would be hard pressed to catch up with him before he made it to Spectacle Rock.

But once again Link felt a peculiar sensation. Something besides the obvious danger was urging him onwards, keeping him from rest. His legs did not grow weary as much as they should from the run, and he was neither hungry nor thirsty. With superhuman stamina, Link continued on, only vaguely wondering what was happening to him. He had concluded that it was some side effect of Reni's curing spell that did this to him, and he tried to put it out of his mind, afraid that the spell would fail. But that did not take into account his ability to choose a path through the mountains safely and to avoid the numerous dangers within. At last, after a two day chase, Link stood before the entrance to Spectacle Rock, the former lair of Ganon.