Hey, everyone. Hopefully you're all doing well as we head into what's looking to be a very chaotic spring. This idea came to me in the days leading up to Halloween and a bit of a Death Battle binge. Link, Hero of Hyrule and last of Hyrule's Champion and Mirajane Strauss, the Demon of Fairy Tail, after several years of writing I figure I could write a good fight sequence between them. And that they'd make for an interesting romantic pairing. All those things came together and thus this story was born. From that, well...a whole bunch of other story ideas starting with this one.
For clarification, this story takes place after BotW and the end of Fairy Tail, in addition, Link will have a majority of his memories. There'll be some references to AoC, albeit given this is what I guess you could call a "downfall timeline" you can expect some things to have played out a bit differently. Now that all that's settled and if you're interested, then please enjoy this little story of mine!
I do not own anything.
Ballad of the Hero & the Demon
Chapter 1-Dark Descent
"Alright…shields up!" Link shouted while conjuring up the image of his old instructors. He never thought that he would be drawing upon them for inspiration. He never thought that he'd be playing the role of combat instructor at all. At heart, he was a soldier meant to go out and fight, not train others to do the same.
The task had fallen to him though, because he was quite literally the last remnant of Hyrule's Pre-Calamity army. He was the last living remnant who remembered the army's training drills. At the very least he still had dozens of manuals to help him in his teachings. On top of that, Link could say that he had good students.
Even before he'd fought and defeated Calamity Ganon, people had begun to take up arms, learning formal combat training. There had been a few before his awakening, though nothing widespread such as what he triggered. As his quest to reclaim Hyrule picked up speed, people began to recover hope and the willingness to fight. Those two things were vital for the land of Hyrule to ever become a nation again.
"The army is the backbone of the nation." Was the motto passed down through his family, and perhaps dozens of other military families like his. A hundred years ago, that backbone had been broken, but Link watched it slowly piece itself back together.
He was helping piece it back together.
Right before his eyes, the twenty soldiers raised their shields in perfect unison. The first row of five were the first line of defense against the incoming holographic boulder that rolled their way. As Link hoped, they held, somewhat buckling underneath the mystical hardlight construct, but they held, and pushed it away. Link called for them to slash forward with their swords, and that's exactly what all twenty did, all in perfect unison. It'd taken them two days to reach that level of coordination with each other, pretty good time all things considered. Overall, they were making good progress. That progress gave hope that the country would have a functional army some time in the future. Without being too optimistic, that future was still defined in years, preferable five or six at best.
When that functioning army took form, Link quietly wondered what his place would be in it? General? Master instructor? Personally, he would have preferred the latter to the former. Being a general meant one had to have a certain amount of charisma and leadership ability, both of which weren't things he felt he had, or would develop in the coming future. He'd always been something of a loner before joining the rest of the Champions of Hyrule. Even then, Urbosa was the undisputed leader of the group. At times, Link sorely missed his redheaded ally as he felt she likely could have been a better army leader than her. Her Gerudo heritage wouldn't have mattered much once one saw her in battle.
She's not around though, so you're going to have to make do. Just plain old, quiet, unassuming you. The analytical and at times cynical part of his mind whispered to him. Yeah, I know…but I like to think that I'm doing pretty well so far. Link knew the real test of his words would come when his students were put in a real life-or-death battle and only had their training to fall back on. Link couldn't exactly say he was eager to see such a thing come to pass…but he knew that it would one day. Hyrule was at peace now, but that peace was going to end eventually. From what he'd learned of his country's history, there was almost always something dark lurking around the corner in the future. That said, there would always be a light waiting to confront it. Link had been that light for so long, and he would remain so.
From this point onward though, the light of a natural army would be there as well.
"If you're up for a break, then I'd be more than happy to take over. Heh, actually, I'd think I'd like to ask you if I could take over. Watching you has gotten my blood pumping again."
Link looked to his left, straight into a pair of worn yet blazing green eyes. They belonged to a wrinkled face dotted with a vertical scar running down the right cheek. It was a face that spoke of a long life, a life filled with fighting. In spite of that, the face bore a warm smile that put Link's heart at ease.
"Gladly. I think the rookies could use some…veteran guidance, Sir Ingram." The blond Hylian assured.
The fifty-year-old threw back his head in a laugh that rung out across the field. It quickly became a source of interest for the dozens of army recruits in front of the two. They could feel the change over about to happen in their bones and it left them giddy with excitement. Link was by no means a bad teacher or even remotely a poor one, far from it in fact. The army recruits were eager to learn, and they had good figures to learn from. Old warriors like Link…and Sir Ingram; between the two of them though, only the latter looked the part.
At fifty-five-years-old, it was undeniable that his prime was behind him, but that didn't mean he wasn't a force to be reckoned with. In exchange for his youth, the brown and gray-haired former mercenary had accumulated battlefield wisdom that he was eager to pass onto the next generation. Thankfully, the next generation was eager to learn. They'd learned under the yoke of Link, it now seemed time for them to learn from the veteran that looked the part.
Link was more than happy to watch from the sidelines, wiping a few beads of sweat from his brow. Being given a water-filled canteen, he took a swing of the drink, letting the cool water wash down his throat. Ironically, it further fueled his thoughts like oil to a fire.
As of the last report that he'd read, the Army of Hyrule stood at a modest eight-hundred. From his mostly recovered memory, that was less than one-fifth of the original army. Link was genuinely doubtful that he'd see the "new" Hyrule Army reach that size by the time he looked like Ingram. That said, a part of him was hopeful. Plus, an army didn't just need size, it needed to be capable. From where he was sitting and what he'd seen over the last two months, they were working their way toward that. It was certainly a boon that a number of their recruits had military experience. They were like Sir Ingram, mercenaries turned professional soldiers.
He disliked being called "Sir", but the title had fallen into his lap once it became known that he was descendant of former nobility, of knighthood. Link had just a faint memory of the Serres Family, another lineage of knights of equal prestige to his own family. When he heard news of a man bearing the name, he felt hopeful that it was a descendant of the same family. Indeed he was, and when word went out that the Calamity Ganon had been slain and Hyrule was rebuilding, he was amongst the first to show up to pledge his service to the recovering nation. It certainly helped that he came with his own mercenary platoon of a hundred and ten men, all now official Hyrule soldiers. They were amongst the most professional they had, and everyone knew it was thanks to Ingram Serres. When he proved his mettle in a fight with bandits and Lynels, the "sir" part became solidified.
"Ah, this is indeed good news. It means you won't have to continue to shoulder the burden of building our military strength back up on your own." Leave it to Impa to point out what everyone had been thinking. No one, not even Zelda, refuted her since her words were dead-on.
There was a time when he couldn't do this, felt like he couldn't afford to do this-take a break. He watched from the sidelines as a just as capable instructor drilled into the recruits the basics of combat, and beyond that, some of the more advanced tactics of combat. A spring sun beat down on all of them, creating a thin layer of sweat on everyone; for the practicing recruits, their uniforms were damp with several sweat stains. They would only grow now that Ingram was the one leading their training.
On a larger scale, Link knew that there was a time when this entire thing may have seemed no more than a fairy tale. Indeed, he'd heard something like this whispered in taverns and nurseries as exactly that, something that was never going to happen. So strong was the Calamity Ganon's hold on Hyrule, almost everyone had accepted that Hyrule as a country with all that implied was never coming back. For a solid year and a half, it had been on a comeback.
"Ahem, um, Link? Would you mind if I joined you?" Came a new voice that roused him from his inner thoughts.
"Hoping to score some more tips?" The blond Hylian asked of the male brunette who stood to his left. When it came to Zelda, everyone kept in mind that she was royalty and the fledging country's leader. When it came to him, everyone remembered that he was a century's old warrior, Hyrule's last surviving Champion, and the reason why they were all here. Respect had came in abundance, and with it a sese of awe that left Link feeling more comfortable than he thought possible. Really, he'd preferred it if he could just be an ordinary soldier.
Even to veteran warriors like Trevor Serres. A good five years in his father's mercenary company and a trained warrior, a good warrior, yet compared to Link, he was still an amateur. To be fair, he wasn't alone in that feeling.
Chuckling, the male brunette joined the Hylian on the bench. It was clear that he was Sir Ingram's son; their faces had the same basic design, albeit Trevor obviously had his youth. At first glance, he and Link looked to be the same in age, like half a dozen other army recruits. In truth though, he was actually older than the lot of them, older than their fathers and grandparents.
"Well, you're always willing to give out advice. I can say that it's the sort that's to be taken to heart." The green-eyed warrior remarked. "With all due respect, I was watching you. It looked like your mind was elsewhere while you were training them. It's not the first that I've seen you like that." Sunlight shined on his youthful face as he looked at the Hylian with a thoughtful expression. "You were…reminiscing I guess?"
"That obvious?" Link jokingly asked.
Trevor gave him a benign smile. "Yes, it is, and you're far from the only one. It's a commonality around here. To be fair though, it's entirely reasonable." His green eyes looked up from his father and the soldiers to the azure sky above them. Link recognized that thoughtful expression on his face, he'd seen a dozen times and he'd had it on his face an equal amount of times. "I grew up on stories of Hyrule, just like my father. To him, to me and my brothers and sister, that's all they were, stories. Here we are though, living in Hyrule, building it up. At times I feel like I'm living in a dream, and I can only imagine how it must feel for you. Waking up after a hundred years, slowly getting your memories back, and now…here we are at peace."
"Right on the mark as usual, Trevor." The blond laughed.
His brown-haired friend laughed with him. "On the mark with words, not so much with a bow and arrow. If only though."
"Sometimes words can be a bit more effective than arrows. You know how to use your words, and that can go a long way." Link stated.
"You're not going to tell me to go into politics, are you?"
Link threw back his head in laughter. "I like to think we've still got a decade or two before we start getting into that. Still, I'd put you down to being the sort that we'll need. You and Zelda. Leave the fighting to me."
"Hey, you're not the only one who needs how to handle himself with a blade! Personally, I'd like to think I'll have made platoon captain or something in that time."
"Oh? That sounds like one of my boys! But you're going to have to earn that position!" The two teenagers simultaneously whipped their heads around to stare at Ingram. It was clear that he'd kept an ear open to their conversation, and upon hearing talk of their futures had chosen that moment to call them up.
All eyes were on them, though neither Link nor Trevor shirked from the collective gaze. They were far beyond such things, even if they sometimes felt like they weren't. Azure blue and leafy green met one another, a silent understanding passing between them. A mutual smile came to adorn the faces of the two teenage warriors; their blood began to race with excitement as they walked over to the senior knight.
Their excited expressions came as no surprise to Ingram, who grinned with anticipation. His gaze lingered on his second born son as it always did. Even though he'd long since mastered the art of remaining neutral, there were times when the father in him rose up in combat training. He knew that by the time he took his last breath, Trevor and his brothers and sister will have made him prouder than he already was.
With only a few words being said, an exhibition match was set up between the Hero of the Wild and the second-born son of Sir Ingram. As usual, the pair were given all the space it was thought they would need, a ten-meter-wide circle for them to brawl it out. All around them, the army recruits were giddy with excitement. Both Link and Trevor were well-known fighters. Trevor was undoubtedly a cut above the rest being the veteran of many battles. Link, on the other hand, was several dozen cuts above that. It used to be common that some recruits outright refused to even enter the ring with Link.
Trevor had never been one of those people. Sure, he'd been nervous as hell, with every right to be, but in the end, he stepped forward. Link had always respected him for that, and from that respect had came friendship.
Both of them were given their preferred weapons-Link a sword and shield and Trevor a spear. The current score was fifteen wins for Link and four for Trevor. Amongst all of Hyrule's new recruits and warriors, Trevor's win score was one of the highest. Everyone was clearly eager to see if it'd be another win or loss to his record. As for Link, his goals were mainly to have fun and give a good demonstration of sword and shield fighting. It was the fighting style that he was the most familiar with, and frankly the most skilled with.
It was basic, it was traditional, and most importantly, it was reliable. Link was excited to show that again.
"You all know the rules, one blow is equal to one point and the first one to three wins. None of you are to spend all your time gawking at these two, you're to be taking notes! This'll come up later on with your studies!" Ingram boomed as he stood between the two warriors. His dark green eyes scoured the audience, ensuring that his words had been heard and his order was going to be followed upon. He knew just how excitable it was to witness two top-class warriors fight, even in a sparring match. That said, it was important to learn from such a clash.
The former mercenary raised his hand as Link and Trevor got into position. Both of them had their focus entirely on each other, their bodies tense and ready for action the minute his hand fell. The second it did, they sprung into action.
THUNK!
Trevor's spear slammed against Link's shield, the latter of which pushed forward knocking Trevor back. The eighteen-year-old turned that fall back into a spinning slash that knocked aside Link's attempted sideways slash. Their metallic blades gave a brief rung as they bounced off of each other, then they were back in motion again. That metallic clinging quickly began to fill the plain as Link and Trevor began to fight each other in earnest.
As expected of a spear fighter, Trevor moved like a storm, fast as lightning and hitting with the force of thunder. Like a mighty mountain, Link stood strong in the face of the storm, raising his shield to deflect every attack Trevor made. Every blow was in actuality two or three, such was the speed of the younger fighter. His green eyes constantly moved between his enemy's shield and the rest of his body; in the span of seconds, he was searching for an opening and pouncing on it with the ferocity of a wild. At times, his spear would push deep into the metallic surface of Link's shield, leaving dents and nicks that were further testaments to Trevor Serres' might.
Likewise, Link's own constant defense was a testament to his. Not one blow had landed on him. While Trevor's spear was fast, so too was Link's shield. In spite of weighing more, he moved it remarkably fast, along with the rest of his body. Even slightly shifting his waist allowed him to block numerous blows. One could have gotten the impression that he could see every attack coming; that was because Link could. What seemed like a blur to quite a few onlookers was only somewhat fast for the Hylian. He was waiting for his moment to strike.
THUNK!
Trevor kept calm as he felt his arms rattle. He knew what came next, as did everyone else. Internally screaming, he concentrated all the strength he could to get his body to move. He managed it just in time to block the first of a barrage of blows from Link's sword. Instead of being displeased, Link's lips curled into an excited grin. To him, it was so boring when an opponent would go down at the first onslaught of his Flurry Rush; when he met an opponent who didn't he always felt that flower of joy bloom within him. That was undoubtedly the warrior in him jumping for joy at the thought of a challenge.
That same part of him was screaming in near ecstasy as he found himself on the receiving end of a stream of attacks. Trevor had not only weathered his attack, but was now going on the offensive as well, and doing a good job of it. His spear repeatedly met the hard surface of Link's shield, the pure power concentrated in the blade coming ever closer to penetrating it. The blond Hylian had learned how to tell these sorts of things given how weapon durability was on his own journey. As his shield's durability was wilted down by the strength of his foe's blows, Link continued to fall back. Seeing that, Trevor continued his forward advance.
THUNK!
Until his spear tip was meet the energized surface of his shield. Yet again, Trevor felt his arms seize up with tremors that left him feeling paralyzed. That would have been the opportune moment to strike, and Link took it. His sword arm moved like a viper, the steel sword in his arm flashing as he struck at Trevor face. He ended up cutting nothing but air as the younger soldier jumped back. As his did so, the paralysis in his arms based and he went back on the attack. This time, it was a single thrust with a spear shimmering with blue energy. That same energy coiled around Link's sword as he swung it in an upward arc that connected with the opposing blade.
Sparks and swirls of blue light erupted from the brief collision. More followed as the two soldiers repeatedly clashed, their energized weapons creating a fierce but short symphony.
In the midst of the flurry of light and sparks, Link and Trevor smiled at each other.
The former moved faster than the latter. Trevor only had the slightest sense of Link moving behind him. The Hylian was faster than him, but he still had his instincts to alert him. Those instincts screamed for him to raise his spear up vertical, and that's exactly what he did to save himself. He grunted feeling the impact of the horizontal slash. Trevor countered his next attack, a shield bash that would have left him stunned. Raising his lance, and bringing it down, he knew that this next attack was going to open him up to a counterattack. He was right as Link countered his shield, then went in for the attack with his sword.
Link's sword was fast, fast enough that he could cut almost any enemy to pieces in the blink of an eye. It took a sufficiently fast and skilled opponent to avoid that fate, or someone just incredibly sturdy. He counted himself on the former side, so he was able to dodge the attack. Relaxing his grip on his lance, he twirled out of the way while still maintaining a hold on his weapon.
Feet sliding back, he reeled his Soldier's Spear back, his life energy swirling around it as he readied another thrust. Said thrust came with speed so great it broke the sound barrier. Link felt the corresponding force with his shield arm.
THUNK!
Grimacing, the Hylian felt himself hurled backward, a good ten feet or so. As he was thrown backward, he channeled energy into his sword, readying an attack of his own. He saw Trevor coming at him with another empowered attack of his own.
KLANG! KLANG! KLANG!
The Hylian's sword and the human's spear sung a new symphony. Jaws that had dropped remained on the ground as the two soldiers continued to exchange blows, orange sparks and blue swirls exploding about. Simply watching was proving to be exciting, breath-taking, even arousing. The looks of several observers were that of warriors who wanted to dive right into the battle. In the stands, some snickered that if they joined in, it'd make the battle against Link a little more even. Others shot back that Trevor was holding his own, and he was doing better than several of them had.
KLANG!
Link moved fast again, forcing Trevor to rely on his instincts to stay in the battle. Sweat pouring down his scalp, he swung his spear to the right. He hit his target alright, and his target hit him, the resulting vibrations once again traveling up his arm. This time, he wasn't fast enough to counter it, either with an evasion or a parry. This time the blond swordsman was able to land several blows on him, blows with the blunt side of his sword. Trevor grunted in pain, feeling the impact of each blow. Were he a lesser fighter, he'd have been brought down by those attacks, but he powered through them.
His left arm shot out, grabbing Link by the scuff of his shirt. Once he felt his grip was true, he twisted his body and pulled, pulling him over his head and slamming him into the ground. The move sent forth a wave of awe over the crowd. It was a direct ad gutsy move, one that had finally bore fruit in the form of a solid blow, and what a blow it was. At the edge of the stans, a murmur of affectionate excitement went up from the ladies. Several had seen Trevor Serres' shirtless before, but it was always a treat to see his strength in action.
The same could be said for Link, who raised his sword just in time to block the downward thrust of Trevor's spear. From his position on the ground, he fended it off, then leaped back to his feet. Shorter than seconds, the Hylian was back on his feet and slashing away at his sparring partner. Their weapons howled a new as they met each other in a flurry of encounters that left sparks in their wake. It seemed that neither fighter had lost their stride in spite of the sweat that had poured down their faces and begun to taint their shirts. Not to mention the intense, battle-hungry smiles they wore on their faces were proof of their still substantial energy. That energy was on display in their clashes, ringing out throughout what seemed to be the entire field.
"You never fail to impress, Trevor." The Hylian said as they locked blades and stared into each other's eyes.
"Ah, what a compliment to hear from the Hero of Hyrule." His feet planted firmly in the ground, he pushed back with all of his might, thinking he could overpower the Hylian. Muscles bulged and veins pimped as the green-eyed warrior attempted to push forward, knocking aside the Hylian in front of him.
The problem was that his opponent wasn't the type to go down easily. After all, he had trained with Gorons, and he could compete with them in terms of raw strength if he pushed himself.
Spider-web cracks formed beneath the two fighters' feet as their respective Force auras exploded around them, igniting like a pair of azure candles. Fierce winds were whipped up as they continued to try to overpower each other. Within seconds, one began to overpower the other's-Link's was the one to do that.
"Gaaah!" Roaring in triumph, he was the one to push Trevor back, his aura flaring up. The Hylian's expression turned fierce as he dashed forward, his aura condensing into his sword as he swing it in a horizontal swing.
Rather than tank the attack, Trevor jumped, leaping a several feet into the air with his own aura coating his weapon. Shouting a battle cry himself, he swung his spear and unleashing several energy slashes directly at the Hylian below him.
WWWHSSSH!
It was a spectacular sight, an explosion of blue sparks that signaled the collision of two attacks. Or one attack and a series. Link's signal energy slash was able to counter the barrage Trevor sent down. He was still in the air while Link was on the ground.
But that wasn't the case for long.
Strength was amassed in the Hylian's legs, then put to use, launching him several feet into the air where he met Trevor. The dirty blond wasn't surprised in the slightest that his opponent had met him in the air, he knew that even without the use of Revali's Gale, Link could still jump pretty high. Enough to meet him and still have enough strength to clash blades with him. A small shockwave fanned out from Trevor's counter strike to Link's counter strike. Both soldiers were briefly pushed backward, landing several feet apart from each other. That short distance was covered as they ran at each other, their weapons colliding as usual. Locking eyes, the two young (or seemingly young) warriors' eyes met and their faces morphed into an excited grin.
Link's aura flared, condensed into his sword. Trevor did the same, realizing what was coming. It turned into another contest of strength, one that the audience was more than happy to see. Bodies leaned forward, eager to see the results of this latest clash. Somehow, people could sense that this clash would be different, that perhaps this would be the final one.
Within seconds, those assumptions were proven right as neither fighter backed down, only continuing to press against each other. It was like watching two bullies opposing each other, neither willing to backdown. Something was going to have to give, and one would have assumed that something was going to be their weapons.
Link was very aware of that, and he hated it with a passion.
The Light Force within Link flared up, causing the energy around his sword to flare up like a geyser. It was breathtaking, even to Trevor who had a front-row seat to it. The human was temporarily shocked, but quickly regained his composure and tried to force him away. Link, on the other hand, wasn't going to be forced back, he bore down on Trevor.
CRA-ACK!
Link felt the instinct to keep on going, to cut deep into the opponent before him. The opponent though wasn't an enemy, that's something he had to remind himself of as he looked into the fearful yet resolute eyes Trevor Serres.
This is a spar, not a real battle. Link told himself, fighting every piece of combat instinct that was firing within him. Instead of his sword, Link focused his might into his shield, which he shoved forward. He felt the force of impact and knew he'd scored a direct hit. Realizing that, he continued to push his arm forward, launching Trevor backward a dozen feet. He heard the pain-filled gasp of his opponent, and watched Trevor's body skid across the ground. Instinct once again took over, Link leaped forward, reversing the grip on his sword and ramming it straight down.
Trevor's stared up at the Hylian's blue eyes with amazement in spite of the battered state he was in. This wasn't the first time this had happened, and the human warrior knew that it wouldn't be the last. There was still a massive difference between him and the warrior above him; though he was a little intimidated, Trevor felt a strong desire to close that distance. Had this sparring match helped him close that gap? He honestly didn't know, but he knew that he had a hell of a lot of fun in fighting him.
So had Link.
"As usual, Link takes the victory."
"Yeah, he did, but damn if Trevor didn't put up one hell of a fight. He was pretty good!"
"Damn right he was, nothing less than what you'd expect from the son of Sr Ingram! He's probably the only one who can take Master Link on though."
"Think anyone's ever going to be able to take him on at full strength? You know, with…the Master Sword?"
"Has anyone ever actually sparred with Link using the Master Sword?"
"Are you kidding? It's the Sword that Seals the Darkness! Using that thing is an instant loss for anyone!"
"Hey, I'd actually love to see him use it. There's so many stories about that sword and the heroes who wielded it…I…I really want to see those legends come to life. Heh, honestly, I kind of wish I'd came when he was still fighting the Divine Beasts."
"Eh, I'm going to have to split with you on that one. Besides, I hear he didn't even wield the Master Sword until the last Divine Beast."
"Huh? I thought it was the third one!"
"Doesn't really matter though, Master Link's incredible with any sword as we just saw. You guys oughta to have seen him wielding a Lynel's sword."
"Hey, has Trevor ever used a Lynel's spear? I've seen what he can do with a normal spear so I think he could use one. He'd be a hell of a lot better with it than Tomas."
"Heheh, I'll let him know you said that."
Link looked back at his sparring partner, he too wore a look of quiet amusement on his face. It was proof that he'd been listening to the chatter of the crowd just as Link had been. "So, how do you feel about it? Sparring with Lynel weapons?"
"Eh, I think I'd rather hold off on those. Not really a fan of those giant monstrosities, even if they've got some good crafting skills." The younger warrior confessed. As a kid, he'd been intimidated by stories of the part-lion and part-horse monsters who could so easily tower over a normal man, and crush them like a bug. Though he was a trained and capable warrior when he came face-to-face with one, the dislike remained. It grew when he walked away alive and victorious, but with a broken arm and several bloody scratches.
Link could understand the sentiment, even though he saw Lynels more as…worthy opponents one might say. It felt like the feeling was mutual when he came across packs of Lynels, many of whom seemed to recognize him. At a glance they could tell he was different from other Hylians, other humans, other creatures. When he stood his ground and fought, when he attacked, they seemed to immediately know they were facing a predator of equal caliber to themselves. Looking around at the stands, he once again wondered how many of the young and middle-aged fighters present would be able to take on a Lynel in head-to-head combat. Link already knew that there was quite a few as the reforming Hyrulean Army wasn't to be underestimated in times of crisis.
Hmmm, one day I might find out. Hopefully a day long, long off from this one. Offering his hand out, he helped Trevor rise to his feet. Both turned to Ingram, who walked over with a calm smile on his old face. He'd just witnessed quite a battle between two of his strongest soldiers, one of them being his son. He shot Trevor a quick look of fatherly pride that had the dirty blonde.
"As usual, boys, well done. You put on quite a show and showed these youngsters what they should be aspiring to be." Boomed the former mercenary. He looked back to the audience, now quieted down and ready to listen. The simple level of discipline was worthy of praise in itself. "The level that these two fought at is the goal, people! We are the sword and shield of Hyrule! The vigor in which Link and Trevor fought with is the same in which we use in defending this kingdom! Never forget that! Take pride in that, and when the time comes…show those who would challenge that vigor how powerful it can be!"
"Yes sir!" Went up the thunderous shout, rolling across the entire training field.
It was certainly loud enough to leave one's ears ringing, small ears to be precise.
"Well, that's reassuring to hear! Even more reassuring is that you'll be doing that with the latest in Sheikah weaponry!"
At once, all eyes went to the Sheikah envoy headed by the land's smartest and smallest scientific and magical mind, Purah. Link waved at her and she waved back with Trevor following suite. Like many others, it'd taken him some time to accept that the child-like girl was actually almost as old as the man beside him. Whereas time had stopped for Link thanks to the Shrine of Resurrection, it had been the reserve for Purah; contrast to her sister, who truly showed her age. Seeing the bespectacled woman put her genius to work had dispelled many doubts that he had about her.
Ingram looked over the carts filled with Sheikah weaponry. His aged eyes expected each of them before settling on Purah. "I'm assuming these are the latest batch with the bugs worked out?"
"The latest batch, yes, but to see if the bugs have truly been worked out, they need to be put to the test. While Kojiro said he could work on the swords, he pointed me toward the army to get a more general idea." Answered the white-haired woman. "Ingram, I can assure, I fine-tuned the weapons myself, but again, a true test won't come until they're in the hands of warriors."
"Hehehe, then you've come to the right place, Director." He answered. Though he tried to appear stern, he looked to his audience of recruits with a twinkle in his eyes. The second that Purah and her team had arrived, everyone knew what was coming next. "Alright, seems like you lads will be getting some ancient weapons practice in! Link, Trevor, come show these younglings how to wield these weapons without stabbing themselves!"
Both teenage boys looked to each other and chuckled. "So much for a break." Trevor mused. He was quite familiar with his father's methods. Sure, they could be overwhelming, but more often than not, the results were worth it.
"Hey, just means the break we do get after this will be all the better. Come on!" Laughed the blond Hylian beside him.
Aside from the sweat, one never would have guessed that either Link nor Trevor had fought such an intense sparring match. They gave quick but great demonstrations on how to use Sheikah weaponry for the audience. Both boys of course went with their preferred weapon-the sword and shield for Link while Trevor the spear. For the latter, quiet awe remained in him as he took hold of the futuristic weapon that was unlike anything he'd ever wielded prior to coming to Hyrule. Those students that followed after him openly let their mouths drop as they were given Sheikah spears of their own to practice with. The same went for those who followed after Link.
Within minutes, the training area was filled with the sounds of weapon drills and practice matches. This was another normal day for the slowly reforming army of Hyrule, the military wing of the slowly reforming Kingdom of Hyrule. It had the basics of any kingdom: territory, a population, a monarchy, and an army. That said, the measure of each was somewhat up for debate. Such a thing was especially true when one looked at the kingdom capital of Castle Town.
While the army practiced in the east of Castle Town, the rebuilding of the city itself along with the castle went on unimpeded. The distant hum of mock-battle and military training mixed with the old-as-dirt sound of hammer and nails, wood and block being moved in careful arrangement. From a bird's eye view, Castle Town was still a shadow of its former self, no building above three-stories rose and the castle itself was still a translucent skeleton of its former self, but it was all improving. Up in the castle, builders and even small Guardians diligently worked to repair the castle, just as their counterparts on the ground and in town were working on doing the same to the area. Intermixed with the builders and mystical machines were the people of Hyrule going about their business, many with laughs and smiles on their faces.
All of it was still a pale reflection of the past a century ago, but it was something. Most importantly, it was a stark difference to the state the entire country was in almost two years ago. No longer were pools of Malice rotting the air and tainting the shattered remains of the city. No longer was Castle Town a decayed corpse of stone and Malice. In fact, not a drop of the latter could be spotted anywhere in Hyrule thanks to the slaying of Dark Beast Ganon. At last, the infection that had plagued Hyrule had been cleansed, and all the people couldn't be happier for it.
Or at least, that's what the populace, including the Hero of the Wild, thought. While the root of the corruption and much of its taint had been cleansed, traces still remained. They hid in the shadows where all things dark and deadly did, quietly binding their time until they could seize the light and plunge the world into darkness.
Restam Forest, Late Night…
The cold touch of darkness had frightened away almost every animal within ten miles, all the way down to the insects. Even they knew in their tiny bodies that what was being conjured in the heart of the forest was an unspeakable evil that they wanted no part of. Instinct told them to flee, and instinct told every animal to stay as far away as possible until the ominous feeling had passed. Still, there were times that instinct could be overwritten by sheer curiosity.
For one young lone wolf, that's exactly what had happened. A night of hunting with its pack had been interrupted by the sudden and near suffocating sense of dread that washed over the forest. Fleeing was the only thing it could do along with every other animal in the vicinity, including would-be prey. The laws of nature had temporarily been set aside in the name of collective survival. Even predators prioritized their own survival above a good meal, even if they were starving. For the young wolf though, all of that had been driven aside in the name of some previously unknown curiosity. The strong scent of magic in the air, the malicious sense of dread…where was it coming from? The carnivore wanted to know, thus it broke from the others and headed into the forest.
It followed its nose as the smell guided it through Restam Forest's interior. Yes, the heart, that's where this malicious feeling was coming from. What was particularly unnerving was that it wasn't entirely foreign. No, though young, the wolf had felt this feeling before-it was the same foul odor that was emitted from Malice, a substance that every living creature knew to stay away from. The humans had called it the byproduct of the monstrosity known as the Calamity Ganon, an abomination that had finally been cleansed. Or so everyone had thought.
Instinctively staying low and hiding in the bushes, the wolf moved closer to the source of the disturbance. Once it was close enough, the wolf was able to get a look at what had cast this darkness over the forest.
Some would have called it predictable and fitting humanity was at the root of it. Several humans stood around a magic circle that was cackling with dark energy. Tendrils of smoky red-tinged darkness swirled about, rising from the circle. It was the source of the absolutely foul stench polluting the air; what made it worse was that it was growing stronger by the second. The humans around the circle were chanting in a unified magical incantation.
What was most striking was one of them was holding some sort of spherical object. It was radiating the same foul darkness that the magic circle was, potentially even feeding it as its glow strengthened the circle. Various yellow marks dotted the sphere; they almost resembled stars. Every several seconds, they flashed bright furthering the comparison. They would have been mesmerizing if not for the overall sinister tone of the ritual at hand.
Running would have been the smart thing to do, it's the thing that the wolf wanted to do, yet it couldn't. A toxic mixture of fear and curiosity stayed the animal's body. The beast was the lone observer, the lone witness to the ritual that was taking place. It alone saw precisely what sort of ritual it was-a summoning.
Several glowing golden dots shimmered into existence, resembling the ones on the sphere. Around them formed a solid sphere of swirling darkness that seemingly sucked all the air into it. Arcs of red lightning shot out as a figure began to take shape within the dark sphere. It was a human shape that wreathed ad screamed in agony as if the darkness that it'd been summoned into was toxic. Given how the nearby plant life was seemingly being burned out of existence, that was probably the case. The cries of agony broke the wolf from its stupor. They were so painful to hear that the animal flattened its ears against its head in an attempt to block it out. The effort was wasted as the screams grew even louder, as did the chanting.
None of the hooded humans seemed to care about the human's shrieks of agony. They continued chanting, especially the seeming leader. They held up the sphere as it glowed brighter than before, like a miniature star in hand. Rather than radiate light, wretched darkness shot out from the sphere and sunk into the figure like a pack of angry vipers. The figure's screams magnified.
Shutting its eyes, the wolf did anything to look away, but the imagery created by the sound was too much. The wolf cursed its curiosity for leading it astray to this scene of horror. Finally, its instincts won out, making it rise and tur around. Just as its legs took the first steps to getting away, a shockwave that uprooted the trees and very earth. The world spun as the wolf helpless flailed about, unable to do anything except howl in fear.
That howl turned into a pathetic yelp as it landed on its side, body aching with pain all over. Senses were a mix-matched blur making it impossible to move. Gradually though, sight returned to the black-furred animal. What it saw was a blurry image, albeit still a terrifying one.
Encased in an aura of malicious dark stood the strange figure, two bat-like wings spreading out from it. Eyes red as blood pierced the darkness, seemingly staring into the soul of the downed creature. They inspired fear the likes of which the wolf had never known; not even the threat of a human hunter could invoke this level of terror. That fear forced the beast to rise as best it could, every fiber of its soul was screaming for it to get up and run. Running was the only way to survive as this…this…demon was a threat to all life.
The aura of darkness lightened up revealing a face that almost looked human. It could have been human, but it wasn't. No human could have such bat-like wings, murderous eyes, and an aura that seemed dark enough to block out the stars. The creature opened its mouth revealing a set of sharpened fangs on both sides of the jaw. It was the insidious grin of a monster, albeit one that was under some sort of control.
The hooded figure with the sphere-like object stepped forward, a deep masculine chuckle sounding from beneath his hood. With his free left hand, he reached out, stroking the face of the creature, a woman. That stroking existed all the way down to her chest.
Having finally gotten to its feet, the wolf quietly began to back away, doing its best not to arouse suspicion. It wanted to leave as unnoticed as it had arrived. If it was discovered, death would be painful, that the carnivore knew for an absolute fact. Turning around, the wolf finally found the strength to run, and run it did. Every second it put more distance between itself ad the wicked specter that the hooded humans had summoned.
It was a demon. They'd brought a demon into the world, and the wolf knew that the entire land of Hyrule was going to feel its wrath. There was a chance that nowhere would be safe, but the creature would be damned if it didn't try like all the others.
A pillar of dark energy shot up into the sky, like a beacon announcing the return of darkness to Hyrule once more. It would be unseen, but felt in the coming days by all, including the hero of the land.
Miles way, in the safety of Kakariko Village, said hero felt a tingle at the back of his neck causing him to roll over in bed.
Kakariko Village, One Day Later…
"Alright, everybody ready?"
"Yes!" Rung out the chorus of young voices.
With a big smile, Link called upon the power of his late rival and comrade, thus bringing forth a mighty whirlwind that lifted him and the five other children up into the air. Ever so faintly, he heard the haughty but still amused huff of his old rival. His spirit didn't seem to mind having his powers tapped to entertain a group of children. Matter of fact, he was sure that Revali had used his prized wind magic for such a task before.
In a single burst, the children were carried upward with Link at the center. His control over Revali's Gale had grown to the point he could control the strength of the upward draft as well as the strength of the wind. He was rather proud that he'd practiced enough he could topple over a building with it then send himself high enough he felt like the tips of his fingers could touch the clouds. That would have been too high for the children, so Link settled on maybe twenty feet or so.
"W-W-Wooooaaah!"
"This is so cooool!"
"Higher, come on, Link, take us higher!"
Grinning, Link decided to heed the request, albeit to a limited degree. Waving his arms as if he were a conductor, he commended the magical whirlwind to lift them even higher, and to fan them out. The five children happily flapped their arms, almost like birds. They were learning what it felt like to be birds, or perhaps even leaves in the wind.
Link knew what they were feeling as he'd felt it himself. He remembered the first time he activated Revali's Gale and felt his feet leave the ground. The spirit of his departed comrade both chastised him and encouraged him to get used to the feeling, remarking that the air was far better than the ground. There were times that Link felt his feathered comrade was right.
"Come now, give the children a real show. Do it, perhaps you've improved enough that you're maybe better than before." Challenged the specter of the Rito Champion. Times like this, he was deeply happy that some trances of his comrades lingered on in their respective abilities, abilities they'd granted to him.
All five children were happily waving their arms about, seemingly happy with the air time that they'd achieved. In spite of that, Link knew that they were up for going higher. He'd take them up higher one last time before bringing them back down to the ground.
"You kids really wanna touch the sky?" The Hylian shouted to the Sheikah children.
"Yes!" They all shouted in unison and with smiling faces.
Spreading his arms out, he channeled the wind magic Revali had bestowed upon him. In his mind, he saw the magical power flowing through his arms and flowing around him, intermixed with the very wind. Controlling it hadn't come natural to him, but he'd worked and worked these last two years to make the power of the wind his own. From time to time, he was reminded and encouraged by the spirit of his former rival. Link even tried to mimic Revali's moves when pushing the wind magic to his limit.
Was this one of those times he did that? Maybe, but he was confident that he could pull it off.
Fingers spread out, he swept his hands about, commanding the wind to condense and launch them even higher. It did sending the Hylian and six Sheikah children even further up into the sky. The later wailed in excitement instead of terror, in sharp contrast to some of the adults on the ground. Link couldn't see their faces, but he had a feeling he'd be getting an earful when they came down. The smiles of the children he received made it worth it, very well worth it.
"Master Link, this is so awesome!" Exclaimed one of the children, Taiichi. He was one of the most excitable children and the more eager to learn from Link. Of course, he surely enjoyed the demonstrations that Link gave such as this. "Teach me how to do this!"
"And me too!" Another, Kaki, shouted. She was looking between the ground and the sky, finding great in the limbo she hung in between the two. It seemed like she couldn't tell which one was more fabulous. "I never knew people could fly so high! I want to be able to do this too! I wanna learn wind magic!"
"Hehehe, I'm sure there's a scroll lying around the village somewhere. Just make sure to practice, and remember to watch yourselves on the way down. Like this." Moving his hands down, he opened his palms toward the distant ground and began to command the surrounding wind to lower them. Link had done it a dozen times before, but he never let himself get overconfident with it, especially when he was carrying someone with him. "Alright, kids, stay together, we're going down."
Gradually, the sky grew more distant and the ground grew closer. All the kids huddled together around him just as they did o the way up. While it wasn't as exciting as going up, it was an incredible feeling-moving through the air via magic. Their little legs kicked out all the while until they finally touched the ground.
The second they did, Link found himself on the receiving end of a group hug by not just the five, but the other children who'd been watching, and waiting for their turn. This was something else that he'd gotten used to, and by the goddess, did he love it. He felt his back touch the ground while a dozen childish voices chirped at him. Laughing, Link attempted to sit up.
"Guys, guys, you know after using Revali's Gale I need a little recharge!' Link said.
"Then show us Daruk's Protection!" Taiichi said. "Or Urbosa Fury!"
Link did a quick look around at the audience. Needless to say, the parents were happy to have their kids back on the ground and would have liked it if they stayed that way. Then there were the other observers, including village residents who were debating rather or not they wanted the Hero of the Wild to set fire to the grass. It's not like Link had ever intentional started a massive fire in Kakariko Village. Really, the worst he ever did was playing around with some Fire and Shock arrows! Not to mention he always made sure the fire was put out when it was started.
Sometimes he'd made a bit of a mess, but those messes could also make for a rather awesome spectacle. A candle light was lit atop Link's head.
"You know…I have been working on those Hanabi Arrows. I just recently finished a new batch that I've been meaning to try out." The Hylian seemingly mused with a thoughtful stare. "Think you kids would be interested in seeing that?"
There was another round of cheers from the children, all save for one.
"Hmm, fireworks are better off at night, when it's dark and they can be super bright." Kaki stated. Her words got the other children thinking as well. Even Link had to admit she had a point. Fireworks were always a sigh to see, but they could be full enjoyed at night when they backdropped against a pitch-black sky. "How's about show us the Magnetism Rune? Or teach it to us!"
A quiet chuckle fell past Link's lips. "You know, Kaki, that's a pretty good idea. After all, all of you will probably grow up to be a bit better at it than me."
"Just a bit?" Taiichi giggled while practically rocking himself back and forth. He didn't seem to mind this new change of direction. "I wanna make a giant scrap-iron sword that can cleave a mountain in half!" The silver-haired boy shouted, jumping to his feet and pumping his arms up into the air.
"Heh? Really? Think you can make one bigger than mine? You're trying to beat a record of twenty feet." The hero coolly challenged. Taiichi's eyes held a passionate glint that was answer enough-the little Sheik was going to surpass him, one day. Link looked walked forward and gently rustled the future warrior's hair. "I'll be looking forward to that day. Here's hoping that I'll be there to see it."
"As will I. It'll be the birth of a new legend." Came a serene voice that immediately drew everyone's attention. Even now, years, centuries later, Zelda was in many ways still adjusting to being a princess. Actually, princess was no longer the correct term; contrary to the simplistic clothing she wore, she was the Queen of Hyrule. Back in her room in Kakariko Village she even had a royal crown crafted for her, albeit she her throne was still being worked on back in Hyrule Castle. Officially, it was supposed to be her home, but it was hard to call a building undergoing heavy around the clock repairs a home, plus Zelda still had her share of uncomfortable memories associated with the place. Like Link, she'd found Kakariko Village to be much more preferable.
The villagers certainly appreciated having her around just as much as they did Link.
Some of the attention Link had received was transferred to the queen. He watched how Zelda's face lit up with joy as some of the children clamored around her. Link's lips curved into a bright smile, that Zelda saw when she looked back to him.
"Based on what you said before, I'm guessing something's come up?" The Hylian Champion summarized.
"Unfortunately, yes. We need you in the main house with Impa." She said with a slight hint of dismay.
The bright moods of the children were immediately brought down as they heard the words. They knew if it was a meeting with Impa in the main house then it was going to be important, and probably time consuming. There was no telling when he'd come out again.
Link honestly didn't know himself, but he didn't want the afternoon to end on such a sad note after going so well. "Guess we'll have to pick this up when I come back. Everyone make sure to practice while I'm away." His remark seemingly came out of nowhere, but was met with widespread applause and cheers, and hugs.
Minutes later, Link and Zelda were walking down the road, side by side. The latter couldn't stop her giggling.
"You know, sometimes I think you're an entirely different person from a hundred years ago. You never would have been able to do something like that." The royal remarked.
"Well…like I told you before, sometimes I don't think I'm the same person I was before." While maintaining his stride, he looked down at his hands. His time in the Shrine of Resurrection had mostly healed all of his scars, but several remained as they'd practically been engrained into his skin. Over the course of his adventure to reclaim Hyrule, he'd gained new ones. Some of them marred his open palms and the back of them. "Most of my memories are back, but…between them coming back and me not having them I just had to make do. I…I still had a world I had to learn to live in, not to mention a world I had to save."
"And save it all you did." Zelda assured. They'd had this conversation before, perhaps too many times to count. Neither of them ever seemed to mind repeating it, probably because in a way both of them needed it. Though they looked to only be in their late teens, they were both over a hundred years old. Some had outright called them temporal abnormalities, albeit Link more so than Zelda as the latter had a title to her name. She still didn't like how that title shielded her from certain things while Link bore the brunt of it. "Before and after saving it, you've learned to live in it." There was a pregnant pause as Zelda gauged rather or not her next words would be appropriate. That was both the politician and friend in her.
Experience though had taught Link how to predict the actions of both. "I'm living better than I was before, aren't I?" She muttered a quiet apology while Link chuckled. "It's alright, Zelda. Besides, it's…true though. When I look at how I am now compared to how I was before, a part of me feels grateful. The old me…I'm not sure how well he would have been able to adapt to Kakariko Village. Staying around here, living here and getting to know the people…I can say all of it helped make a new, better me."
Climbing up the stairs and pushing open the doors, Link was met with an image that caused a knot to form in his gut. Impa was there of course, as was Paya, looking quite nervous-more nervous than usual. The rest of the room's occupants gave reasons as to why: Purah was there with a very serious look on her face along with Ingram, Dorian, and Takakuni. The three warriors had grim expressions as they bowed in respect to him and Zelda. What really solidified the tense mood was the holographic projection cast by three-wheeled portable projector unit beside Purah.
Removing their shoes as they approached the center of the room, Link heaved out a sigh. It had formed and built up in his mouth in seconds.
"Alright, what is it this time? The Yiga Clan?" He silently prayed he'd get it right on the first guess.
To his sadness, Impa shook her head, the ornaments on her straw hat gently ringing. "If only, Link. I'm afraid the threat we're currently facing is of a different, monstrous sort. Purah, if you would."
Via her Sheikah slate, the projection changed to show an overhead view of the land, a village. Or what was left of it. Fire and destruction spread out in all directions, and were added to by the sources of the chaos. Link's gaze hardened as he recognized raiders, bandits, coming into view. They hacked and slashed whoever they could, laughing and sneering all the while. He counted humans, a couple of Hylians, and even a fair number of monsters. Actually, the more the video played, the more he saw of various monsters: Moblins, Bokoblins, Lizaflos, and Lynels. There were lots of Lynels, all seemingly in commanding positions.
A flash of fire caught his attention. The raiders died from the same flames that they'd started, flames manipulated at the hands of a bloodied but valiant sorcerer. He manipulated the flames around him with such expertise, turning them back on the invaders and burning them to charred husks. Link felt little in the way of sympathy for them. He was rooting for the sorcerer, but based on the faces of everyone around him, he had a feeling things weren't going to end well for him.
He was given the first indication of that when the projection, no, the video, focused on a new Lynel. This one possessed numerous scars across his body, which was a tad bigger than the rest. Decorative necklaces jiggled around his neck while his eyes held nothing but ferocious anger that wouldn't be sated until its opposition lay on the ground, death. Link immediately knew he was looking at the raiders' leader. A second later and he got to see why as the Lynel charged the sorcerer, blowing straight through his fire spells and shattering his barrier spell. Though the sorcerer attempted a valiant attempt at resistance, nothing he threw at the Lynel worked. He simply powered through it, giving proof that the scars he had on his body weren't just for show.
From his own memories and what he'd seen in his adventure through "wilderness Hyrule", Link had seen many gruesome things. Death was nothing new to him, but he still didn't take any pleasure in witnessing it. Especially when it took the just and innocent.
Both bloody halves of the sorcerer fell to the ground. The Lynel raised his sword up and let loose a malicious howl that seemingly filled the entire room, perhaps even the entire house.
"Who is he?" Link solemnly asked. Already he could feel the muscles in his body tensing as if in preparation for a fight.
"Irgoll, a mighty and terrible Lynel that caused quite a bit of havoc in Hyrule almost twenty-years ago." Impa answered.
"Actually, it was twenty-two years ago, but anyways, yes. He was a monster, a brute so unruly that eve some of the other Lynels in Hyrule grew irritated with him. For that reason, he was driven out, but it seems now he's set to return." Takakuni further explained.
"And he's bringing company." Ingram grunted. "While he's been away, he's built something of a reputation for himself, enough so that he's amassed a little army like what you're seeing here." To illustrate his words, the projection changed to show the Lynel marching ahead at the front of a small army. They marched and rode through the field, not a soul in sight of monstrous parade. "These images are from last night, picked up by a scouting drone."
"What's the estimated time of arrival?" Link questioned already knowing he was going back into battle. He felt a mixture of excitement and dread at the realization.
"By my calculations, he'll be here the day after tomorrow, coming in from the north west. We can get the Rito to head him off, perhaps even use Vah Medoh to blow them to smithereens."
In that moment, Link caught the furious look between Ingram and Purah. He immediately knew that they'd bee arguing about something. It took him a couple of seconds to realize what that something was. "Um…I…has Teba learned how to pilot Vah Medoh yet?"
"He's made improvements, but he's still somewhat getting the hang of it." Impa explained. She realized that Link knew and let out a heavy sigh of her own.
"To be frank, he wouldn't have to do much, simply point and fire. That's it, not even a Lynel as strong as Irgoll could survive a couple of hits from a Divine Beast." Dorian offered. "Once he falls, and if he were to fall in such a way then it would surely scare off the rest."
"I agree with that analysis." Zelda said. After saying that she saw the slight grimace on Ingram's face, as well as the tightening of Takakuni's. Her mind frantically worked to identify the source of their discomfort. "Um, Sir Ingram, is there…something else? Perhaps you have another solution?"
"If by another solution, you mean a barbaric one, then yes, he does." Purah pipped up.
"Sister." Impa groaned.
"What! Come on, Impa! You too, Paya! This is ridiculous! The Divine Beasts exists for situations like this!"
"So too do armies." Ingram groaned. "We've been preparing for something like this for the past year. We've dealt with raiders like this before. Yes, we've had some setbacks, but in the end we've always bee triumphant. I'm confident that if we stand strong here, we will be again."
"That's a fact." Link affirmed. "But it's also a good idea to have a backup plan just in case." A silent tension seemingly tightened around the room. Knowing he was the one to place it around everyone's necks, Link decided that he had to be the one to break it. "Look, situations like this is what an army and the Divine Beasts are meant for. What we can do is use both. Have an army detachment set up and ready for battle, and have Vah Medoh at the ready to lay down some cover fire. Better yet, how's about an opening attack that softens the enemy up, then we ride in and finish off the stranglers? There's no need to go all in on one option. When it's over with, we'll have a victory we can sell to the public, how's about that?"
A new silence descended upon the room. Link thought to his old self, how he would have immediately backed down after making such a suggestion. In fact, the old him never would have spoken out in the first place.
Slowly, all eyes went to Zelda as it was made clear ultimate authority for any plan of action lay with her. The queen looked to be weighing the options herself. She was no doubt thinking of the timestamp of the recording. They didn't have much time left, every second they spent debating was a second that Irgoll ad his legion drew closer.
Her hands tightened into fists as she sucked in a breath. "We will go with Link's plan. Both an army detachment and Divine Beast Bah Medoh as a backup. Sir Ingram, Link, Takakuni, I'll leave the finer details of the military operation to you all."
Ingram and Purah shared a look between each other, then silently nodded in understanding. Link quietly wondered how passionately they'd been pushing for their respective viewpoints that no one had spoken of a compromise like he had. Quietly shrugging his shoulders, he supposed it didn't matter now. "Then I guess all we need to do now is hammer out the details, and fast."
"True. As we speak, Irgoll is on his way here. We can only hope that the weather helps slow him down, if only a little." Impa said. Beside her, she caught the way her sister flinched and a familiar glint shined in her eyes. "Purah, do you think you have something that can help us?"
"Welll…maybe a couple of somethings." The bespectacled inventor admitted.
"Then whatever it is, I'm authorizing it. If we can stop this threat all the quicker, than so be it." Zelda spoke up. She remembered Purah from a hundred years ago, always the inventor and the barrier-breaker; she was happy to see that hadn't changed, nor had her devotion to the well-being of Hyrule. That hadn't changed. "All of you do whatever you must, but I ask that…we…keep this information within a small circle."
"Agreed. The last thing we need is a panic, especially over a small force like this." Ingram affirmed.
"That won't be a problem. Igroll and his raiders won't be a threat for long." It was obvious that he was going to be a part of the army detachment. The tone of his voice positively affirmed that.
An army of two-hundred or so would be unthinkable for a normal soldier, but Link wasn't a normal soldier. No, he was without a doubt the strongest fighter in all of Hyrule, and he could easily slay two-hundred enemies, even Lynels. He'd killed so many of them that the tribes that populated Hyrule had long-since recognized him as a credible threat, and fully capable of killing them. Dozens of them, including Golden Lynels.
The look on Link's face was equal parts warrior and hunter, it was the face of the Hero of the Wild. By this time tomorrow, he'd be standing at the front of an organized and somewhat well-trained army. While he would be open to fighting alongside them, there was one thing that was undeniable.
All who threatened Hyrule would know his blade, and he would make them regret marching on his home.
Northwestern Hyrule, Early Morning…
"Link! Link! Wake up!"
Popped his eyes open, the Hylian warrior was sitting upright and looking around his cabin. His feet were bounding across the wooden floor and his hands turning the knob on the door. Zelda was standing outside, a frantic look on her face.
"What happened?" He immediately questioned feeling a familiar gnawing at the back of his neck.
"We…we…we don't know, but you need to see this. Come, quickly." The queen pressed.
He didn't ask for anymore instructions after that, he simply got dressed as quickly as he could. That included slinging the Master Sword and his shield onto his back. At the very least he took those things with him for serious occasions like this, even if he'd just been pulled out of bed.
The sky was still dark, not even a trace of light could be found on the horizon. In maybe an hour or two, there might be a few. Even though, the temperature wouldn't rise by too much. The Hebra Region was icy-cold year-round; at the very least they weren't in winter though.
If they had been in winter then Link suspected that Igroll and his marauders would have taken a different route to get to Hyrule. Doing so would have given them more time to prepare.
Thanks to the Sheikah Towers, moving around the country had been made so much easier. Link silently wished that they had the knowledge of their abilities a hundred years ago. It could have made all the difference.
No. Don't think about it. You can't change the past, only shape the present and the future. You've got a job to do, so get ready to do it. He told himself as he stepped into the command tent that had been set up in preparation for the attack.
All the major players were there, Ingram, Purah, and a few other army officers and a couple of Rito. Link noticed that Teba wasn't among them. He wondered if he'd gone out to scout the approaching enemy.
"They're…they're gone." Purah declared once Link's eyes fell on her. She clicked a button on her Sheikah Slate showing a projection similar to the one she had just the day before. The difference between the images was like night and day.
Suddenly, Link felt like he was standing at the top of the mountains, exposed to the bone-chilling cold air. His jaw hung open and his eyes stared at the blurry scene of utter decimation being transmitted through the Guardian scouts. Instead of a band of marauders, his eyes drunk in the sight of a field of corpses dotting a series of craters blown into the earth. He thought he spotted movement, but he couldn't tell if it was the image or a trick of his own eyes. What was undoubtedly clear was that something had hit Irgoll's raiders. Hard.
His fingers flexed and unflexed, eventually settling into tighten fists.
"How far out is this?"
"Link," Zelda cautioned.
"I'm going to go see this for myself. I have to see it." He explained.
Ingram and Purah shared a look between each other. Both knew that there was no arguing with him when he was like this. It'd only serve to waste time, time they may or may not have had.
Heaving out a sigh, Purah gave him an answer. "About twenty miles north of here, at the outer edges of the frontier. I can…input the location on your Sheikah Slate." The hard look that Link gave her was a silent request to download the location as fast as possible. She nodded in acceptance of the request. "I'm sure you're going to ask how this happened, well…we don't know. Almost half an hour ago, we detected a massive surge of magical energy. Once our scouts got a view of the area, well…"
"Whoever or whatever did this, they're long gone." Ingram added. "At least as far as we know."
Everyone could sense the unease in his voice, the veteran warrior didn't even try to hide it.
Link took it as a sign that he needed to get going on the Master Cycle. He was thankfully that he made sure to fill it up, and upgrade it so it could clear twenty-miles in no time.
"Link," he heard Zelda call as he was about to step out of the tent. "Be careful, alright? Call us as soon as you get there."
"I will." No one said anything to him, not that there was much else to be said. Giving a quick glance to his Sheikah Slate, he saw Purah had sent him the location.
He was already awake. Reeving up the Master Cycle Zero and hitting the snowy road got his blood pumping and kept it bumping. Snowflakes hit his face as he made tracks in the snow. Link kept his gaze forward, only occasionally glancing down on his projected map to make sure he was going in the right direction and that nothing had changed. It was a dark, cold ride that gave him time to think. He couldn't help but think about what had caused the devastation that he'd seen. What would it look like up close? Would he be able to catch a trance of what had caused that much destruction?
It all came back to that one simple question, what had gotten to the marauders before them?
Purah's words repeated in his mind. They'd gotten the alert thirty-minutes after the supposed attack had happened. They hadn't felt a thing, or at least he hadn't. Link's eyes occasionally shifted to his left hand, where at times a golden triangle would glow bright gold.
High above his head, Link could see the darkness of the night slowly giving away to the light of day. Sunrise was still distant, but he could see the makings of it. He'd spent enough months out in the wilderness to notice the slight differences between the passage of time. It was one of the many observation skills he'd developed. Honestly, he preferred daylight.
"Link? You there?"
"Teba," The Hylian called back with evident relief. "What's it look like there?"
"Bad, though given who the victims are, I don't find myself shedding any tears. I haven't seen anyone else shedding any either."
"I don't think I'll be adding any myself." Link casually spoke. "Are there any survivors?"
"We've spotted a few, just barely alive mind you. Some of them died on us, babbling about some kind of monster they saw. It's nothing coherent, but we've decided to do what we can for some of them. Perhaps once they're not at death's door, we'll be able to get more out of them."
"Agreed. I'll be there in a couple of minutes!" He hit the accelerator causing the world to zip past him at an even faster speed. Link felt the cold rush of air smacking against his face. His eyes remained deadest on the road ahead, occasionally shifting his bike to the sides to avoid obstacles.
Gradually he saw the columns of smoke and fluttering forms of Rito. Some people liked to joke that he'd developed night vision; maybe Link had, or at least some low-key version of it. Even through his thermal insolated clothing, Link felt his hair stand up on end as a familiar chill assaulted his body. In spite of the cold chill, he felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of his head.
"Farore's Wind…" The Hylian whispered.
Link knew that the video image wasn't telling the whole story. To get that he had to come down and see the carnage for himself. He finally saw it, and a part of him was wishing that he hadn't. His nose twitched with the thick smell of blood and darkness, two things that he'd gotten uncomfortably used to. The former pooled around bodies and body parts, which there were dozens of, hundreds of. They lay scattered about, unmoving and as dead as fallen leaves, several leaves that had been torn to shreds. It was a sight that Link was…disturbingly used to. A hundred years ago, he'd seen a scene like this plenty of times. Each one had grown worse as the tide turned against Hyrule.
Like he told Teba, he didn't feel much in the way of sympathy for the corpses. Still…looking at them…looking at the savaged remains made his stomach rumble in unease. The truth was he was uneasy about exactly what had done this to them. And where the hell it was now.
Based on what he saw, some of the bandits had tried to fight back, but their resistance had amounted to little in the end. Even more disturbing was as he looked at around at them, he began to take notice of their wounds. None of them had died by weaponry-only by sheer physical trauma, dismemberment (likely by hand) and energy blasts. Several of them sported gaping holes in parts of their bodies…when they even had whole bodies. Examining the holes and craters, Link suspected that some bandits might not have even had bodies left behind. Complete obliteration, no body left behind.
Teba landed right beside him. He was keeping a cool demeanor, which was a step above Link's disapproving gaze. "I…take it you've seen scenes like this before?"
"A hundred years ago…brings back memories." He admitted. "Like I said, not exactly feeling pity here, but what caused this…" Link trailed off as a way of asking Teba the question.
The Rito archer shook his head. "So far, we haven't found anything or anyone. Whoever did this massacred these marauders then left without leaving much of a trace. Actually, what trace they did leave was…" He held up Sheikah Slate. "We picked up traces of dark energy, sort of like Malice. Whoever did this, that's how they fought."
Link looked over his slate, examining the readings. As he did, he felt an ever-increasing sense of dread. His brow furrowed, mirroring Teba's. "Great, I've got a feeling that we're going to be-"
"Uuurrggghhh…"
Both warriors went on guard, grabbing their weapons and pointing them at the rising figure. The other Rito immediately readied themselves as well, bows, swords, and lances all at the ready. For his part, Link kept the Master Sword raised, its divine power illuminating the late night. It illuminated the wounded Lynel that had managed to get to its feet, barely. Link took one look at the mangled creature-bloody puncture holes that probably came from fists and a half-crushed skull. He could tell that this creature wasn't going to last much longer.
"D-De…mon…demon…" Came the centaur creature's haggard voice, its lungs punctured and coked up with blood. "Demon…de…mon…ness. N-N-No…more…n-no more…" A final gasp for breath came, then the Lynel toppled over, dead as the rest of its former comrades.
Link and Teba looked between each other, then lowered their weapons. The latter raised his hand to give the signal to his brethren. Afterward, he turned back to Link.
"Would it be safe to say a new evil has descended upon Hyrule?"
Though Link had lowered is sword, it still glowed with a silvery luminance. It was almost like the sword could still sense the residual evil that loomed on the slaughter sight. Either that or perhaps it was sensing the evil that was now lurking around Hyrule. The glow grew brighter as Link looked to the dawn.
"Yes, Teba. It has." He sounded like a man facing a brewing storm, not a tree or bush for cover within sight.
Okay, that's enough for one chapter. So, how was it? This story is set roughly two years after the end of Breath of the Wild so Hyrule's closer to being back on its feet. A shame that it's about to take a magical gut punch that's going to knock some of the air out of it.
The deliver of said punch will be getting their formal introduction next chapter. This chapter was really about showing Link and Hyrule, both in better places. Throughout the story I'm going to show a little more of rebuilding Hyrule, including as the mood shifts. My plan is to have the next chapter posted sometime next week. It'll be the big one that'll include Link's encounter the "Demon" and plenty of action. Until then! Leave your thoughts in the reviews and take care, readers!