Hyrule spurred Epona on even as leaves and branches scratched his face. He is running at pure adrenaline - his mind barely his at the desperation to get away. Who are they? What did he do? What do they need from him? He did not know this era, his pursuers, or what he had done to be chased down like this. The Traveler is used to running and hiding - all for survival - but this is different. His chest burned with each stride of the mare - the twisting feeling of danger, danger, danger thrummed in his veins. His instincts were going off the charts, too. If there is one thing that Hyrule learned after all these years, that is to listen to it. The Traveler could tell they meant ill, and he would not stand there to find out more.
The Hero of Hyrule urged Epona faster as he steered her away from the beaten path. Mud and murky water sprayed behind them as they galloped through the lush rainforest they had been stuck in for a week now. He had traveled through jungles in other eras, but this place was more untamed than Sky's. The presence of magic is subtle, engraved deeply within tree trunks, running along the streams, or even flowing freely with the wind. It has remained untouched for years - its free-spirited nature reminded him of their Hero of the Wild. Perhaps, this might be the Champion's era.
"HAHAHAHAHA!"
Hyrule yanked back the reins just before the mare ran into a flashing swipe of a sickle. A white mask with an inverted eye stared at him in that briefest moment. However, he did not linger and pushed Epona to start moving again. It was the most he could do - he is nowhere half the rider most of the heroes are. It is a blessing that Twilight's steed knows that they were in danger and immediately responded to the unsaid command. They swerved away from the man and deeper into the rainforest. He did not know where they were going or what dangers they would face, but this was better than letting themselves be captured.
The Traveler gritted his teeth as his eyes darted around for a way he could lose their pursuers. He caught a glimpse of a familiar tower northeast - it seemed close, but the hero knew better than to trust the distance perceived by the naked eye. Plus, Epona could not possibly climb such a high place, and he is not as half as an adept climber as Wild either.
Their second choice would be to turn right or left, but the Traveler could see an imposing cliff face blockading their path from either side. Going back is a no-go, so his only option would be to continue forward. He could hear the crashing of water from that direction - A river, perhaps? A waterfall? - but it meant little about their safety. The worst-case scenario would be that they will be unable to cross, and it will be a dead end.
The hair on Hyrule's neck rose, and a man clad in red and black broke out from the tree canopies and landed on the steed's croup. The Traveler yelped and ducked as hands tried to grab him. He reached behind him and gripped the man's arm. The hero did not dare look as a brilliant light burst behind him, and heat licked his backside and singed his tunic. A gurgling scream was promptly cut off, and a charred body fell off the mare.
Hyrule did not dare look back - he had to stamp out any guilt from what he had done. He did not know these people, but he had to fight back if they meant harm. He has to survive. He cannot get caught here. He must NEVER get captured!
The flora grew thinner and the falling water louder as they pushed forward. The jungle broke into a waterlogged depression fed by multiple waterfalls. A crude bridge connects either side - one wrong move, and they will plunge into the watery death trap underneath. The Traveler could see bright lights peeking from between the foliage just at the other end. His hands tightened around the reins, trusting Epona's speed to retain their distance from the rest of their pursuers and get them to safety quickly.
Please please please! Please do not let them catch up!
Hyrule had known, no, he had always known how cruel fate could be with the heroes. No amount of prayer could change that fact. They were nearly at the end of the bridge when more of the masked men appeared from bursts of red paper talismans and blocked their path. Epona reared back with an alarmed whinny and turned around, only to meet the rest of their pursuers from where they came from.
They are trapped! Hyrule's jaw clenched as his eyes darted to and from either side. Their pursuers inched closer - their laughter ringing in his ears as they caged them in. Epona backed towards the semi-circular platform at the bridge's center - one hind hoof kicking at the air.
What should he do? Where should they go? Hyrule did not know, but he had to do something. He debated casting his Thunder Spell again, but using that on this many enemies would completely drain him of his magic. Collapsing now would be suicide, especially in a place he is entirely unfamiliar with.
"Don't worry! Don't worry, Mister Hero's brother!" A high-pitched voice cheered by his ear. "It's here! Mister Hero's friend is here!"
What the-? The Traveler whirled around to find the source of the voice when a gale slammed against them. A low roar reverberated across the jungle and rattled the mossy wood beneath the mare's hooves. Hyrule's ears popped at the sudden pressure, and the smell of ozone filled his nose. Epona bucked and neighed, and the Hero of Hyrule peered down in time to see a luminous green and gold dragon surfing beneath the bridge. Orbs of electricity flitted out from its scales and headed straight to masked men. The wind drowned the screams and shouts - just like how the bodies were claimed by the electrified waters below.
Hyrule should be afraid of this powerful being, but strangely enough, he was not. A part of him knew that he would not be harmed unprovoked. Keep your distance. Do not approach closer than necessary. Respect its boundaries. The Traveler urged Epona to calm down and watched as the dragon passed beneath them and ascended over the waterfall on the other side. The glowing creature left as fast as it arrived, but the hero swore he saw it briefly glance at him with regard. It was only then that he noticed the fading golden light on the back of his hand. His Triforce of Courage had lighted up, but why?
Before the Hero of Hyrule could ponder on it further, something metallic flashed at the corner of his eye. He turned to see their last living pursuer closing in with his sickle raised for the kill. He does not have time to draw his sword and block the attack when a loud THUNK! reached his ears. The masked man stumbled forward with a choked gasp and collapsed beside Epona's hooves. Blood seeped out from the lifeless body from where an arrow embedded itself on the back.
"HYRULE!"
The hero's head snapped up at the sound of his name and saw a familiar colorful tunic running towards him. A sob choked its way into Hyrule's throat as the figure approached, and the Traveler nearly tripped on his feet when he climbed off and ran toward the Smith. He engulfed the smaller hero in a bear hug before the latter could even check upon him.
"Hey, hey. It's okay." Four whispered reassurances as he patted him on the back. "I'm okay. You're okay. I'm sorry it took long to get you back."
Hyrule sniffled and shook his head on the Smith's shoulder. "I-It's fine. I'm just glad you're safe…."
And alive. Hyrule did not say it, but Four knew what was left unsaid. They are in the same boat, after all. "Me too, Traveler. I'm glad you're here with me now."
They clung to each other for a moment longer before pulling away. The Hero of Hyrule wiped the tears from his eyes and gave the Smith a wobbly smile. The Hero of the Four Sword squeezed his arm before turning to his companion, whom the Traveler had just noticed. The blonde woman had her bow out - she was probably the one who shot down his unknown assailant earlier. She caught him staring and smiled kindly.
"Hero of Hyrule, isn't it?" The blue-clad archer asked. "My name is Zelda. I would like to say more, but this isn't the right place to hold such a conversation. Lakeside Stable is just over there," She gestured at the lights that the hero saw earlier. "It's a safe place you could rest and get fixed up."
The emphasis on the word 'safe' had not gone unnoticed by Hyrule. He glanced at Four, who gave him a reassuring nod. It is okay. They are safe now. The Smith gathered Epona's reins and gently tugged the other hero to his side. Hyrule leaned his weight against him - exhaustion slowly creeping in at the familiar feeling of security.
This era's Zelda led them to an odd-looking yurt just past the signpost and a lookout post at the end of the bridge. A painted wooden head of a horse protruded atop and towered over them like a guardian deity to travelers. Pennant banners of many colors were strung from the affixed bits like reins. A delicious aroma wafted in the air - Are those fruits? Maybe glazed meat? Hyrule swore he had smelled it before from one of the meals Wild cooked for them before.
Zelda waved at a man climbing down from the lookout post before turning to address the smaller hero. "The healing elixirs should still be where we left them a while ago, Sir Four," She said. "I'll leave you to attend your fellow hero while I speak with the stablehands."
"Understood, Your Highness."
Hyrule noticed Zelda's ears twitched at the title. He had seen that movement from Wild's before, and from the looks of it, the princess seemed uncomfortable being addressed in that manner. No, she looked more exhausted than uncomfortable. It was as if she had been holding back from telling the Smith off for some time now.
"None of that, please." The princess told him. "Just call me Zelda. The monarchy in these lands had long fallen. I'm just a princess by past title now."
Four shook his head. "A princess is still a princess." He said. "But if you insist, I'll call you Zelda, as long as you drop the 'Sir' in my name. Four's fine."
Zelda sighed. "Very well." She agreed, though she still looked unsatisfied with the response. "I'll be quick. We'll teleport back to Rito Village once the Hero of Hyrule is fit to travel. We wouldn't want Link to wait too long for our return."
The Traveler watched the exchange curiously before the princess left them to their devices. He cast Four a questioning glance, who answered him with a familiar blank mask on his face. "It's a long story. I'll tell you later."
The Hero of the Four Sword handed Epona to an elderly stablehand named Shay before escorting him inside the yurt and ushering him to sit down on one of the beds. Bottles filled with different colored liquids were stacked on one end of the bed with a pile of folded clothes. The place was nearly empty save for a man with a beetle-shaped pack at one corner. The merchant - Hyrule assumed he was one - was busy counting what seemed to be a collection of golden beetles to pay them any attention.
"We're in Wild's era," Four started as he helped him out of his tunic and checked his wounds. "We didn't bring him along since he was still recuperating. His condition hasn't been good since he returned here."
Brief eye contact was all the Hero of Hyrule needed to understand what the Smith meant, though he could tell that the other hero wanted to say more. However, this is just not the place for it. The Traveler kept his mouth shut as the smallest hero gently pressed his fingers on bruised areas that might have broken bones or punctured organs.
"Does it hurt anywhere?"
"Just stings a bit," Hyrule winced. "It's a miracle. The worst I got was one deep cut." He lifted his right arm and placed a hand on a new scar that streaked diagonally on his side. "It's already healed. I found some ingredients to make an elixir, just like Wild taught me. It isn't as good as the ones he brewed, but it still worked like a charm."
"I see." Four nodded and picked up a familiar bottle of red liquid. He uncorked and passed it to the Traveler. "You should drink this just to be sure. Legend will throw a fit if he finds out you missed an injury."
While Hyrule is the unofficial healer of the team, he is one of those that gets injured more often than not. Most of them were attributed to his escapades, which is usually a topic of Legend's nagging and Please, for the love of the Goddesses, bring a FUCKING map! tirade. The Traveler dislikes making his predecessor worry, but he could not help it. He is so used to wandering in his own era that the habit is impossible to change. He was only glad that the Veteran did not force him to do anything about it but simply nagged about his safety.
The question started spilling out of his mouth before he could think twice. "Are they…?"
The Hero of the Four Sword shook his head somberly. "We're still searching for them. The princess had already called in the leaders of the different races of this Hyrule and spread the word, but we still got no information about their whereabouts."
Oh…The Traveler deflated at that. Perhaps, it is too much to ask that the group be unharmed and together every time they jump portals. The smallest hero placed a firm hand on his shoulder. "We'll find them, 'Rule." He assured him. "There's three of us, and we got the people of this era helping us. They'll be fine. They aren't heroes for nothing. We'll get them back no matter what."
Hyrule searched Four's eyes - no lies, no empty promises, just determination - and allowed himself to take comfort in the certainty of those words. "...Okay," He murmured. "Okay."
Four squeezed his shoulder, and the Traveler took a big gulp of the Hearty Elixir. Sweetness bloomed on his tongue - the taste more delicate than the ones Wild made. He watched as his wounds knit back together to discolored scars, and his bruises faded as if they were not there a second ago. The soreness in his muscles will take a while to disappear, but he was more glad that he could finally breathe easy without homicidal strangers coming after him. More so, now that one of his brothers was here with him.
Hyrule drank the rest of the elixir as Four searched the spread of supplies and handed him a new tunic to wear. It was surprisingly snug against his form, just the right size, and soft on the skin - Where did he buy this? He felt like he was reborn despite not having anything proper except a fresh tunic to change into.
The wooden floor of the yurt made scuffing sounds as the princess and the man from the lookout post entered and approached them. Zelda gave Hyrule an approving once-over before introducing the middle-aged Hylian. Kampo, the man's name and a stablehand of the place, smiled warmly at the Traveler. The hero flinched at the sudden attention from the stranger and pressed closer to Four, who thankfully caught on and spoke on his behalf.
"Sorry. He's wary around strangers." The Smith apologized. "But we're thankful for your help. My brother would have been in a very bad spot without your assistance."
The man waved it off with a lighthearted chuckle. "Oh, it's nothing. It's an unspoken rule to help anyone being harassed by the Yiga, regardless of who they are and why they were being targeted." He crossed his arms and scowled in distaste. "The Yiga are a nasty bunch, but it's the first time I've seen the lot of them chase people other than the Hylian Champion or the princess."
The Hero of the Four Sword glanced at the princess. "If that's the case," He asked. "Then, why are they chasing Hyrule? What could they possibly want from him?"
"That's what we're here to figure out," Zelda answered, eyeing the Hero of Hyrule with a calculating look. "The Yiga are assassins who made themselves known to the world a century ago, though they exist in the shadows far longer than that. They're former Sheikah who had defected from their tribe and established a cult whose aim is to aid the complete revival of Calamity Ganon."
The princess' expression darkened with barely restrained emotions - a storm that Hyrule was more or less familiar with. "They nearly succeeded. We were forced to take drastic measures - measures not without consequences…or losses." She clenched her fists. "Even though Calamity Ganon was finally defeated and their leader is gone, that wasn't enough to break down their ranks completely. Instead, they turned to hounding Link and me to the ends of Hyrule to eliminate us."
Kampo clucked his tongue. "Those bastards wouldn't stop at nothing just to get their bloody hands on them. They would not even hesitate to commit atrocities beyond imagination - preaching and brainwashing the newer generations to get them to join their cause is just one of them."
Hyrule felt his heart clenched in his chest. Former Sheikah. Assassins. Revive this era's Ganondorf. He did not realize he was holding on to Four for support despite being already seated. It cannot be! Did they know? How did they know? This is not his era! No one here should know! He had not told anyone about the power of his blood aside from the very few people he trusted in his own era. Not even one of the heroes knows about his secret. So, how? How did they? The Traveler wanted to run, to hide - he would have right now if he did not feel someone's eyes on him.
Zelda was looking at him - seeing through him - with eyes reminiscent of her ancestors that bore the Triforce of Wisdom. To describe it as unsettling would be an understatement. "You don't really have any idea why they would come after you?"
Hyrule's fingers tightened their grip on Four's clothes, finally re-earning him the other hero's attention. "I…" His voice was raspy as he spoke, despite having lied the same thing repeatedly. He forced his fear to give power to his words, not his instincts to flee. They cannot find out. "I don't know. They just appeared out of nowhere on the day I arrived here. Like, like they were expecting me. I didn't get to ask when they attacked, and I...we just ran. This is...this is the first time that…."
The Traveler shook his head and mumbled an apology. Four patted him on the back while Kampo gave him a sorry expression. It was a convincing act - something he was used to playing out - but it was not enough to convince the princess. He could tell that she had already picked up on the fact that he was hiding something - Zeldas, no matter the era, were uncannily perceptive that it was terrifying. Still, this princess was gracious enough to drop the subject for now.
"I won't prod further," Zelda said, though the sharp edge in her voice told him that the conversation was not finished. "However, this is an odd case. There's no way that the Yiga should be aware of your or your brothers' presence unless someone tipped them off -"
The princess paused. Her eyes widened as a horrifying realization sunk in. She reached for a similar tool as Wild's hooked on her hip and tapped furiously on the screen. "We're going back. Now."
Hyrule and Kampo shared a look of confusion, but Four had managed to pick up on her alarm. He had already figured out the princess' line of thinking. "If my hypothesis is correct," Zelda explained without tearing her eyes away from the tool. "The answers we seek, where your brothers might be, everything… there's more to it than we already assumed. If I am right, which I hope I am, all of it is connected, like a complex spider web."
"Are you suggesting we 'untangle' it?"
"No," The blue glow reflected eerily from the princess' eyes as she finally looked up at them. "We're going to burn it. All at once."