Chapter 11 - The Final Battle

Snow drifted down over the cliffs surrounding the Zora River, all but covering the teleportation stone where Lyonel eagerly awaited the arrival of Link and Princess Zelda.

Sadly, the chance to see his son again wasn't the only reason for his wait in the cold. There was also the matter of the Myriad Stone in the conference chamber of the outpost which had recently turned black, a worrisome development preventing communication with the Sage of Light.

So he'd adjourned to the top of the cliffs along with Impa, Arden, and Tenio to wait for Zelda and Link.

Nissa had joined them, and was presently sitting upon Impa's shoulder, quietly watching the sky. Neither of them had any idea when the Hylians would arrive—days could pass before they made an appearance—but with Ganondorf blocking the Stones from use, they all had the distinct feeling something significant happened, and it wouldn't be long.

Each remained silent in the meantime, wondering what could've provoked the King of Evil to make his most recent move and whether Link and Zelda were well in turn. Such thoughts left their moods in a somber state—at least until Arden broke the silence.

"I hope that kid shows up soon," the big soldier groused. "It's cold out here."

Despite his concern, Lyonel snorted in amusement, asking, "A big man like you? Surely you have enough insulation to keep warm in this."

Now able to see with the help of an amulet Impa crafted and imbued with the sight of shadow, Arden sent a stern expression at the Hylian through his blindfold. But as Lyonel met his sour look with a knowing smirk, the blind warrior cracked a grin and laughed.

Standing nearby, Impa smiled at their idle chatter designed to pass the time, though she couldn't ignore the situation. It was a quiet evening, almost eerily so, and with her newly returned powers as the Sage of Shadow, she could sense the truth behind the state of the weather.

"This is no normal cold. There is evil within it."

The three men with her seemed to agree, Tenio qualifying, "I was just considering as much. This cold is much too sharp for early winter, almost biting."

Lyonel cast his gaze downward with a single thought emerging in response to their talk—the dawn of battle was upon them, and it could quite possibly be their final fight.

Turning his head toward Impa, he caught her carnelian gaze, knowing from that single look that the Sheikah was aware of the same thing. Thankfully, they were as prepared as they could possibly be, and all that remained was to hope it would be enough.

Yet Impa had something to relate that Lyonel hadn't known before.

"There is some good news, however. I can sense that a new Sage has arisen in the element of Spirit. She'll be coming with them when they arrive."

"This is good news," Tenio remarked. "It means the Sage Powers have all found proper masters to serve."

He was right. It had taken time, but after nearly two decades, Hyrule finally had six Sages again. With this newest Sage of Spirit and after Myriad mentioned Kioson as the Sage of Fire, they'd discovered a new Sage of Water in Esair of the Zora.

Last, Nissa had recently taken her place as the Sage of Forest, announcing cheerily from her place upon Impa's shoulder, "Yep! So now we can all assist Link and Princess Zelda with kicking that evil king's rear end!"

Everyone smiled at the fairy's enthusiasm, and though they shared in it, no one had a chance to comment before someone pushed the hatch doors open behind them and emerged from the outpost below.

"Sweet Goddesses, it's gotten cold out here!" Dorrel exclaimed as he ascended the steps, his boots breaking the fresh snow now blanketing the surface of the cliff as he regarded the four now standing in wait and asked, "Any sign of them yet?"

Lyonel parted his lips to respond when his words were interrupted by a distant whirring. The sound was barely audible above the whipping winds, but it was growing in volume, and everyone looked up to see a twinkling of light in the distance.

Instantly, Lyonel's lips curved in a relieved smile that only grew larger at Arden's exclamation.

"Din's fire, Dorrel, you couldn't come up and summon them sooner?"

Dorrel let a loud belly laugh in response as the twinkling light grew brighter the closer it got, flying down toward the surface to land upon the marker currently buried beneath the snow. That's when it took the shape of Link, Zelda, their horses, and a woman Lyonel had never met but knew was the Sage of Spirit.

With their arrival, Link lowered the flute from his lips and looked up, surprised to see so many people waiting. He simply didn't get the chance to say so before Nabooru abruptly exclaimed, "You've taken me to a Yeti Cave!"

Helping Zelda down before dismounting, he smiled—though he had to admit, it seemed a lot colder than expected. Even he felt the need for a few extra layers of clothing, and he was wearing thicker garments than Nabooru at present.

Not that she wasn't wearing more clothing than her usual bandeau tops and thin skirts, but it still wasn't thick enough to offset the chill in the air.

So once Link returned the flute to Epona's satchels, he tugged his cloak free and handed it over, remarking, "Sorry, Nabooru. I should have warned you, but I kind of forgot."

"Well, at least you're gentlemanly enough to give me your cloak," she returned with a smile, tugging the garment over her shoulders while regarding the small group of people standing nearby. "Looks like the welcome wagon was sent out as well. Who knew everyone would be so eager to see me?"

As Impa smiled over her exuberance, Tenio asked the Sheikah, "Sage of Spirit, you say?"

"Indeed," Impa returned, though she was distracted from the topic by Zelda when the Princess approached to greet her with a hug. Reaching out to return it, she related, "It's good to see you again, my Princess."

At the same time, Nissa's wings chimed in excitement as she observed, "You're wearing your coronation gown! You look radiant!"

"Thank you, Nissa," Zelda returned, smiling despite her inability to say she felt the same way. Still, as she stood back from her hug with Impa, she couldn't ignore what she was sensing of the fairy, asking, "You're the Sage of Forest now?"

"Sure am!" Nissa confirmed happily. "There's more good news, too! We have a new Sage of Water!"

The fairy proceeded to explain how Esair had claimed that position, though no explanation was needed for Impa's status. During Zelda's previous stay with the revolt, the Sheikah informed her that she was once the Sage of Shadow, but her power slowly dwindled as Dragmire consumed the essences. Afterward, she'd gone into hiding until the source of her lost abilities could be revealed.

Now, Impa remarked, "So, as we were discussing just before your arrival, with the new Sage of Spirit, Hyrule has six Sages protecting it once more, meaning we have all we need to commence with our fight."

Hearing this, Zelda did feel more optimistic than before, even knowing what she would have to do soon. But she pushed that away for now, considering instead what Myriad told them before Ganondorf blocked her out.

Still, she hesitated to ask Impa for more information because Link was preoccupied greeting his father.

Looking over, she smiled to see him giving Lyonel a heartfelt hug, recalling the way they'd parted and how Link found it so hard to say goodbye, even for a short while.

Now, he remarked as they embraced, "I told you I wouldn't be gone that long."

Chuckling, Lyonel replied, "I believe you said to give you a week, but it's only been three days."

A smile curved Link's lips as he finally stood back and qualified, "Well, maybe it'll be a week before we finally end this whole thing."

"I can't say I'd complain," he responded earnestly before turning his gaze to Nabooru when Link offered an introduction.

"By the way, Father, this is Nabooru, the one I told you about who saved my life and took me in when I was seven. Nabooru, this is my true father, Lyonel."

Hearing her name, Lyonel regarded the Gerudo with a serious glint in his sky blue eyes, relating, "I'm truly glad to finally meet you, though I'm afraid there's no way I'll ever be able to repay you for helping my son."

"Don't worry about that," Nabooru returned with a wave of her hand. "The fact that you care about him is enough. He'd always wondered where he came from, and it's nice knowing he had someone out there who loved him, especially after what I just learned."

For a brief moment, Nabooru diverted her gaze toward the turbulent skies to the southeast of their position, her expression a mixture of sorrow and anger Lyonel wasn't certain he understood. But Link did, pursing his lips in remorse for what he knew she was going through.

Yet she had nothing to say on the matter, finally tearing her gaze away from the sight while rubbing her arms for warmth with the words, "But let's skip the formalities. It's colder than an Ice Maiden's bodice out here and I think everyone could appreciate getting the introductions done."

Smirking when her comment drew a few chuckles from Dorrel and Arden, she asked, "Were you really just waiting on us out here in the cold?"

It was Impa who answered, "Yes. There's a Myriad Stone in the outpost, and when it was blocked by dark powers just a short time ago, we suspected Link would likely be returning with the Princess soon. So some of us decided to come up and keep watch."

Impa's mention of the Stones prompted Zelda to capture everyone's full attention by relating the reason for their current state.

"Ganondorf has blocked Myriad to prevent her from providing assistance, and he now knows I'm the Seventh Sage. So he believes I'll only return the Sage Essences to him, and to complicate things, he interrupted Myriad in the middle of instructing us on what we needed to do. The last words we could understand were something about invoking spirits or light guardians now that the Sage Powers are in our possession."

Turning to Impa, she inquired, "Do you know what she meant?"

The Sheikah thought about it for a moment before qualifying, "I'm not as well versed on the subject as Myriad is likely to be, but I believe I know enough to articulate what she wants you to do, which is awaken the Light Guardians of the Realms and invoke their blessing."

Awaken the Light Guardians? Somehow, the turn of phrase sounded familiar, though Zelda couldn't say why, asking, "What are they?"

"They are powerful spirit entities that have protected Hyrule for ages, but they've been held at bay because of Dragmire's interference in the natural balance of power, of this much I am certain, and as the Seventh Sage, you are the only one who can summon them."

As an afterthought, Impa added just as Zelda recalled the information for herself, "I mentioned them to you during a lesson once a few years ago, but we never got the chance to discuss the topic in depth."

"Yes, I remember now," she admitted, turning her gaze to Link when he stepped over with a puzzled look on his face and explained, "These guardians are like deities that are neutral to all causes and only protect the balance of power between the realms, though they do allot gifts if favors are done for them—possibly even powerful gifts."

As he nodded in understanding, Impa further qualified, "And by restoring the Sage powers to their proper place, you and Link have done them a favor. Ganondorf knows this as well, and if he blocked Myriad before she could inform you of it, he did so because their gift will undoubtedly be instrumental in bringing him down."

Zelda knew she was absolutely right, and whatever boon the Light Guardians provided was sure to be significant. The only question was whether she could safely perform the task of awakening them without incurring Ganondorf's wrath.

Would he be aware of what she'd done and hold it against her?

The situation was one where his stipulations were putting her between a rock and a hard place. She still had over an hour to reach the palace, so time wasn't a huge concern at present, but he also didn't want her to alert Link to the situation, and refusing to awaken the Light Guardians would certainly seem suspicious enough to make him ask questions.

So it seemed she'd be taking a risk no matter which way she went. If she didn't awaken them, and Link found out why, Ganondorf would use it against her. If she did, and the false king was able to sense it, he'd only do the same.

That aside, she also had to wonder if he'd play by the rules regardless of the path she took—and in a strange way, the no-win situation made her choice seem easier to make. If she was taking a risk in either scenario, she chose the one that provided her friends and loved ones the best chance to survive.

Not that she had any intentions of denying them from the start.

With the thoughts in mind, she gave a nod and turned to face the edge of the cliff, stepping toward it with the words, "Then I'll awaken them now and perhaps it will send a message to the King of Evil that we're not as lost as he hopes."

Coming to a stop a few feet from the cliff's edge, Zelda's eyes closed as her hands began to glow a brilliant blue green with her full focus on the task she wished to perform. Soon, the glow encompassed her entire body, and the Sages present felt a calling for support.

In turn, Impa, Nabooru, and Nissa all provided it, and they weren't the only ones.

Across the land in Goron City, Kioson could also sense the call for aid while Esair added his strength from Zora's Domain. The only one unable to provide support was Myriad—not that she was unaware of the call.

Despite being locked away in the Sacred Realm, she could still sense Princess Zelda's efforts to awaken the Light Guardians, as well as the rest of the Sages providing support.

And it gave her hope.

With five Sages aiding the seventh, the clouds overhead grew brighter, the mass slowly beginning to swirl. Though unseen by those standing in wait atop the cliffs, the Light Guardians started to rouse, a fact proven when a bright burst of light came from the center of the swirling clouds.

In response, the once blue green glow of Zelda's body turned golden as the Sage Essences culminated in a rainbow of light that enveloped the Princess. A loud whir of energy sounded in turn as Zelda lifted her hands before her face, her fingers folding together as if in prayer, and the whirring faded.

But the ensuing silence lasted for only a moment before the power the Sages had gathered shot from her body and into the swirling clouds above.

Each person present watched the sky intently as the snow dusted down around them, waiting for a response—and it didn't take long.

Suddenly, the clouds began to swirl much faster, rotating downward as if to swallow them all in a storm. Yet there was no force of wind, and only a rumbling in the atmosphere sounded as a glimmering beam of light encompassed Zelda, blotting her image out from the others entirely.

Flinching at the brightness of the ethereal glow now enveloping her, Link raised a hand to protect his eyes until the glow faded. Once it did, he looked back to see Zelda still standing at the edge of the cliff, and when she finally turned around to face everyone, the quiver of arrows she clutched in her hands proved the Light Guardians had been successfully awakened.

With the clouds returning to normal overhead, Zelda took the projectiles to Link and handed them over while explaining their purpose.

"They're light arrows, which will be quite effective against any creature of darkness, especially the King of Evil."

Extracting one from the quiver to see each arrow was finely crafted with golden tips that almost seemed to glow, Link nodded, coming to a simple conclusion. And I'm going to save them all specifically for him.

Before he could comment however, Impa remarked, "Then it seems we're now ready for anything."

Everyone seemed to be in agreement on her point, though Arden mentioned from the back of the crowd, "I've always been ready, so when the fighting starts, just point my blind arse in the right direction."

A round of laughter passed through the group, and once the mirthful sound began to fade, Link told the warrior, "I'd have you watch my back any time."

With a wide grin, Arden gave a respectful nod proving he had no intentions of letting anyone down—not that he had anything left to prove in Link's eyes. After freeing Impa and helping her pull him from the barbs to be taken to River Town, he'd never once made an attempt to cause anyone harm.

He'd even provided more information on what he knew of locations frequently used by Ganondorf's minions which helped their agents avoid numerous ambushes.

So as Link stored his newly acquired weapons away, he returned Arden's nod with a smile, then looked at Zelda to see that her own lips were curved—and something in the expression captured his attention.

Somehow, it lacked the warmth and jubilation her smiles typically possessed, making him curious. Is she alright?

As he questioned it, Dorrel inquired, "Your Highness, Link, I know Lady Myriad had plans for you, but will you be eating? I could have a meal prepared before you engage in your tasks."

Shaking her head, Zelda related, "No Dorrel, that won't be necessary, but I'd like to have a word alone with Link if it's alright."

"Of course, Your Majesty," Dorrel acknowledged with a bow of his head, motioning at Tenio in a silent gesture to join him in departing. In turn, the rest followed with a trail of purple light glowing in their wake thanks to Nissa, who soon zipped inside through the hatch doors.

The only one left was Arden, stopping when he realized Lyonel had stayed behind to have a brief word with his son concerning their upcoming fight.

"Link," he started, "I know your mother wants you to eventually travel to the palace with the revolt providing support, so come to me as soon as you're ready and we'll hammer out the details."

"I will, father," Link replied, adding with a confident smirk, "Just don't worry about me when I go. Mother said Ganondorf fears me, and I know she's right. So we'll win this fight soon, and I'll be back before you can blink."

Lyonel chuckled, though he realized his son's comment was added more for Zelda's benefit judging by the look he cast in her direction as he spoke. So he patted his son's shoulder with the words, "I wouldn't be surprised, though I have to say you sound more like your mother everyday."

"I'll take that as a compliment," Link remarked, leaving Lyonel grinning as he walked away to join Arden.

Once close enough, the blind warrior inquired while watching how the younger Hylians interacted in the distance, "So, your son has a thing for the Princess, huh?"

Lyonel snorted in amusement, responding, "It seems so. Why?"

As they descended the steps, Arden shrugged, remarking, "Just thinking it's a good thing he's Myriad's son. I can tell King Hadinaru will like the kid, but he's going to need all the help he can get."

Lyonel's laughter rang out, causing Link's brows to narrow with a brief glance over his shoulder. He had no idea what Arden might've said to amuse his father, but supposed he could ask later, too focused on Zelda to give it much thought.

"Is there something you needed to talk to me about?" he started, pointing out, "because you seem a little unhappy."

In response, Zelda's brows wrinkled, her lips thinning into a flat line before she whispered, "I'm just dreading saying goodbye, Link, and … ."

Exhaling, she moved in to hug him and admitted, "I was thinking this would be my last chance to have a moment alone with you, and I'm not ashamed to admit I'm scared."

Realizing why she looked so sad, Link wrapped his arms around her in a tight hug and asked softly, "Are you worried I'll be hurt?"

"I'm always worried about that," she confessed, and he could feel her fingers curling into the jerkin at his back as she continued, "but it also feels like everything's just weighing down more heavily now."

He could fully understand that, whispering, "That's because we're so close to the end." Considering it, he smiled and related, "It seems like it's been years since this all started, doesn't it?"

"It does," she agreed, mentioning, "and it's almost surreal. We've come so far."

As she spoke, her grip tightened with a few sniffles sounding that had Link kissing the top of her bronzed blonde hair. Still holding her close, he attempted to soothe her by stating, "If it makes you feel any better, I don't want to leave you behind when I go to the palace."

Finally, Zelda snickered, countering, "Yes you do."

As she lifted her head and turned her tear stricken gaze up to his, he raised his thumbs to her cheeks to wipe them with a sheepish smile and admitted, "Okay, I can't lie and say I won't rest easier knowing you're safer here. But I still won't enjoy being away from you."

Proving she felt the same, fresh tears gathered to streak down her cheeks. Perhaps she was recalling what happened the last time they parted ways, or she was simply emotional in the face of their concluding fight.

Whatever the case, the sight of her heartache had him kissing her forehead before resting his own against it with the words, "Don't be afraid, Zelda. This won't be like last time. I'll be fine, I promise."

"Link … ," Zelda rasped, trailing for a moment before she leaned up and pressed her lips to his in a thorough kiss as if unable to find another way to tell him how much she loved him.

He simply didn't know it was also an apology for what she was about to do.

Time was running out, and as Link returned her kiss, his eyes remained closed while enjoying her closeness and the sweetness of her mouth beneath his, never suspecting anything out of the ordinary. The urgency of their slow kiss was simply the result of their impending separation, and he intended to savor every moment.

Still, as they finally broke contact and he regarded the sorrowful look on her face, something about it was bothersome. Despite his best efforts, he hadn't been able to stem the tide of her tears, and cupping her cheek, he inquired, "There's something else, isn't there? Something's wrong."

Zelda's lips parted with a shaky breath as she took a few steps back and whispered, "I just love you so much, and I'm so sorry."

Shaking his head, Link parted his lips to ask what she had to be sorry about, but the words never came out. Instead, he was distracted when Zelda lifted a gloved hand with a glowing light forming in her palm.

Confused by the sight, his brows narrowed in question just as a dome of magic formed around him.

"What?" he asked instinctively, lifting a hand against the barrier as his confusion faded with the realization that he was now trapped. Of course, that didn't explain why Zelda had formed such a barrier, and he looked through the magical dome at the Princess now backing away through the falling snow, exclaiming, "Zelda, what are you doing?"

"I'm sorry," she repeated morosely, maintaining eye contact with him until she was several yards away at Epona's side.

There, she turned to his horse with the words, "I have to do this."

"Do what?" Link called urgently, hitting his fist against the dome containing him, but it stood strong as he continued, "Zelda, talk to me! What do you have to do?"

Rummaging through one of the satchels tied to Epona's saddle, she freed the flute he'd stored away after using it to transport them from the desert.

Seeing it, Link pressed his hands against the barrier as she took Frost's reins with a million questions rolling through his mind. What was she doing, and why wouldn't she talk to him? The only thing he knew for certain was that she couldn't be returning to the desert, and using the flute, the only other place she could go was Hyrule Field. Wait … .

Suddenly, everything became clear—she was going to the palace. This is what Ganondorf said to her in the valley.

At the thought, Link yelled, "Zelda, stop! He threatened your parents, didn't he?"

Now sitting on Frost's back, Zelda stared down at the flute in her hands and nodded, relating, "I have to go to him alone, Link."

"No!" Turning, Link slammed his shoulder into the dome again, frantic to break free and stop her. "No, you don't have to do anything he says! Just let me out and I'll find another way, Zelda!"

Zelda didn't reply, staring ahead while raising the flute to her lips, though she hesitated to play it. As Link told her to let him out, she found herself ready to follow his advice, but there was simply no time. Though she still had more than an hour to reach the palace, there was no way of knowing how long it would take to get there from the marker in Hyrule Field.

This left no time to explain, or even discuss alternatives, and if she didn't show up alone, her parents' lives would be in jeopardy.

So she started to play.

The notes of her song were accompanied by a low, magical hum as Link used his own recently discovered ability to dispel barriers against the dome now containing him. He'd been so frantic to stop Zelda from leaving he'd forgotten all about the power his mother had gifted him with, though it wasn't easy to put his full focus on the task when the sound of the flute being played hit his ears.

In only moments, Zelda would disappear, yet he still managed to break the dome before her song was complete.

He simply didn't reach her before the last note sounded.

"Zelda!"

Running toward the departing Princess the moment her barrier dispersed, she and Frost shimmered out of sight, his boots coming to a stop where they'd stood a moment before. Alone with Epona now, Link could only watch as the golden orb floated into the air and away from the cliff, traveling in the direction of Hyrule Field and the dark, turbulent clouds hovering over it.

His heart sank into the pit of his stomach as the glow disappeared, his concern for Zelda reaching record heights with a single thought emerging.

The final battle had just begun.

"Link? What's happened?"

Slowly coming to realize his previous shouting had attracted attention, he turned around to see his father approaching with Impa, Arden, and Tenio close behind.

Still scowling over this newest development, Link threw his gaze over his shoulder to regard the distant clouds again and answered his father's question. "Zelda's gone to Hyrule Palace alone at Ganondorf's behest."

In turn, everyone's face went from concerned to grim as Tenio asked, "What? Why couldn't you stop her?"

"Because she trapped me in a barrier I had to dispel with my mother's power while she used the flute, and I'm sure she did it that way because Ganondorf told her that if she didn't go alone, he'd kill her parents. He probably didn't want me knowing anything about his demands either because he knew I might devise a way around them."

Link's fists clenched in anger at the thought, particularly when he considered how badly Zelda must've felt knowing what she was being forced to do. The only question was why she hadn't waited a little longer—unless Ganondorf issued a time limit, which was completely plausible and only redoubled Link's ire.

Grumbling under his breath, he returned his gaze to his father and announced, "I'm going after her. How long will it take if I travel the path of the Zora River?"

It was Impa who answered after stepping forward, "Your journey will be much quicker if you use the same path Zelda took."

"I can't, she has the flute."

"I know," Impa replied, qualifying, "but you are speaking to a Sheikah with the power to utilize the stones after the Zora gifted them to us for protecting their royal family in the face of war long ago."

Hearing this, Link wasted no time turning to grasp Epona's reins with the words, "Then teleport me now."

Impa had no argument to offer, waiting as Link drew his mount over to the stone in preparation to depart. Yet, just before she could commence with the task, a sudden shout from the gorge of the Zora River got their attention.

"To arms! Jackals are heading to River Town from Lake Hylia!"

The warning had everyone looking in the direction of the lake as more shouts ensued the first, though the words weren't always intelligible above the gusting winds. But they didn't need to be understood to know something had to be done, and Arden was the first to respond.

"Those damned things," he growled, wasting no time moving to the hatch doors with Tenio following closely behind.

Link balled his fists. Of all the times those beasts could've attacked, they had to pick now. He couldn't just leave when so many people were in danger, but he also couldn't let Zelda go to Ganondorf alone.

Still, considering that's what Ganondorf wanted, wouldn't it endanger the King and Queen to follow her too closely? It was hard to say, but the risk was there regardless, and it wasn't one he was certain he could take.

So when Impa remarked, "Hurry Link, I can still teleport you before they arrive," he had only one response to give.

"No, they need you now. Go help them."

Impa didn't argue. Instead, she regarded the determination in his eyes and gave a nod, replying, "I'll return to transport you soon."

As the Sheikah turned to join the others in their fight, Lyonel related his own need to go help them protect the town. Yet Link didn't respond, and his father looked to see him rushing toward the edge of the cliff overlooking the gorge where the river flowed from the direction of the lake and called his name.

Stopping at the edge of the cliff, he looked down to see the bridges not far below and called back, "I have to help them, too."

At that, Lyonel's eyes widened when his son didn't bother with the stairs and instead, he jumped from the ledge.

Yelling his name, he rushed toward the edge of the cliff behind Link and looked down to spy him firing off the hookshot in midair. Instantly, the grapple latched onto one of the bridges, allowing Link to swing beneath it and toward another several yards away from the first.

Lyonel knew he needed to join the revolt's soldiers as soon as possible, but found himself too focused watching his son traverse the bridges below as if he were five meters off the ground instead of over fifty. It wasn't until he saw the force of Jackals rounding the bend on the banks of the river so far below that he finally managed to move.

The enemies were moving swiftly, some of them on foot while others were riding horses. With the Zora River flowing between their ranks, the beasts snarled as they drew closer and closer to River Town with no intentions of stopping.

It wasn't until the Master Sword cleaved one of the Jackal's heads from its body that any of them took notice of their immediate surroundings.

Link had managed to swing down using the hookshot, overcoming the beast with a deft slice of his blade that left its body falling to the ground only to be trampled beneath the hooves of the riders behind its mount. Those same Jackals wasted no time taking aim at Link with arrows in response to his attack, but his swift movement swinging on the hookshot's chain caused them to miss.

Instead, the projectiles sliced through the air as Link sheathed the Master Sword just before reaching for the rope railing of a bridge. Grasping it in his free hand, he released the trigger to allow the chain to retract into the barrel of the hookshot while casting his gaze down at the scene below.

Without someone to guide it, the horse belonging to the rider he'd just killed had meandered away from the bulk of the horde. So, before one of the Jackals on foot could claim it, Link fired the hookshot again and let go of the rope railing to swing down onto the animal's back.

Finding himself in the saddle only a moment later, he stored the hookshot on his belt before grasping the reins in one hand and freeing the Master Sword with the other, then kicked his heels into the stallion's flanks to take off riding. With the wind and snow whipping by, he didn't make it far before drawing his blade up against the axe of a Jackal to his left.

Deflecting the blow, Link swiped his sword against his foe's armor with a grunt of force, tearing through it with ease thanks to the sacred power of his blade. The attack forced the Jackal back with an angered snarl, providing Link the opportunity to stab the beast. Taking it, the Master Sword impaled his foe through the torso, black blood spattering the white snow below.

And the attacks kept coming.

Turning right to defend himself from another Jackal, Link barely had enough time to lift his blade, clash after metallic clash sounding with each strike of their swords. The engagement would've gone smoothly as well, but another enemy arrived on his left side in the middle of it.

Yet, just before he could formulate a means of dealing with it, an arrow sliced through the air and pierced his newest opponent's head, allowing him to finish off the first without complication.

Doing so, Link then looked ahead to see Tenio on a bridge above, nocking another arrow to take aim again. Furthermore, a line of soldiers belonging to the revolt now stood sentry several meters up the river, their numbers fully armed and ready to prevent the horde of Jackals from reaching River Town.

Still, Link had no time to celebrate their appearance. Instead, he noticed one of the Jackals scaling the rock walls to the bridge where Tenio had taken up a position to pick off their ranks. Using an unnatural amount of speed, the beast climbed ever higher, coming up behind the Hylian archer from the wall above to bring its war hammer down upon him with malice in its glowing red eyes.

Tenio didn't see the Jackal until the last moment, its shadow engulfing him as he spun around—too late. The blur of red eyes was upon him only to be met by the flash of white as the Master Sword stabbed through its neck at the last moment.

Letting a cry of attack, Link used his momentum to knock the Jackal aside after utilizing the hookshot to swing up from below.

Instantly, Tenio exhaled a breath that showed up as mist in the cold air around them, watching as Link jerked his blade from the Jackal's skull with a heavy breath of his own. Following the movement, their gazes met as they exchanged a mutual nod, wordlessly acknowledging what each had done for the other before Link joined Tenio in picking off as many Jackals as possible with his bow.

The entire while, he could only hope Zelda would use her wits to keep herself as safe as possible until he could reach her. This wasn't the first time he'd had to rely on her ingenuity, after all, and he had faith in her, just as he knew she had faith in his ability to see this through.

On the river banks below, the horde of Jackals reached the soldiers now blocking their path, a cacophony of metal pings and shouts echoing throughout the gorge as the battle commenced. Archers upon the bridges loosed flaming arrows down onto the enemy, and the first volley successfully eliminated numerous foes. But more were coming in behind their companions, a swarm of Jackals lining both sides of the river taking a merciless path to the soldiers.

Further down the river, Lyonel rode away from River Town after ensuring the soldiers they could spare were getting the townsfolk out of harm's way if the worst came to pass. Yet there truthfully weren't many—the revolt only had enough men to form two separate companies, one that would handle a direct assault, and another serving as backup for any enemies that managed to cross through their front lines.

The gorge helped immensely in forming a choke hold on the Jackals as well. There was only one direction from which they could attack, though the setting could also prove detrimental if the enemy advanced, which was the sole reason their priority was to keep them held back.

Sadly, it wasn't easy given the Jackals' ability to scale the rock walls without much effort, and as Lyonel joined his men on the front lines, he noticed some of them doing just that.

With the archers posted to the bridges above taking aim at the beasts, Lyonel aided them using his own arcane abilities to set his fist ablaze. Then, throwing his arm out, a burst of fire shot forth to slam into the rock wall at the center of a small group of Jackals. A blazing inferno erupted as a result, chunks of the rock wall exploding around those enemies attempting to circumvent the revolt's forces.

The cascade knocked those Jackals down, some of them landing in the river while the falling rocks did their numbers even more damage. Several of Ganondorf's minions were knocked off of their horses, either killed on impact or plummeting into the frigid waters only to be picked off by the archers.

Still, a handful of riders made it through the front lines on the opposite side of the river, and Lyonel quickly shouted a command for the soldiers manning that bank to intercept. That's when he heard a sharp battle cry from above, looking up to a bridge just overhead to spy Arden rushing in without mercy.

Successfully reaching the opposing side of the river in quick time, the berserker leaped from the structure toward one of the Jackals, bringing his broadsword down to cleave his enemy in two—along with the top of the horse's head.

Ripping his blade back with a vicious snarl, the blind soldier immediately moved to engage the remaining Jackals attempting to ride through the area. As he went, Nissa swiftly darted toward his shoulder, landing on it to plant her hands against his armor and ignite it in a wave of electricity that would incapacitate anything coming into contact with it.

Still, for as hard as each member of the revolt fought to attain success, the Jackals were just as thirsty for blood. While Lyonel and Dorrel both fought and commanded their soldiers, periodic splashing against the river's surface would capture their attention. The sound was caused by the bodies of their archers posted on the bridges above falling after being overcome by a few Jackals who'd successfully scaled the walls.

As they took up the task of firing arrows down at the revolt soldiers on the banks below, their victims were swept away in the current, though not all had perished. Instead, some fought to stay afloat, grabbing rocks jutting from the water's surface to anchor themselves.

One archer managed to grab the support column of a wide dock jutting over the river, holding tight to a rope secured around the wooden beam while reaching out to grasp the hand of a comrade floating by. Witnessing their struggle from nearby, Lyonel rushed in, unwilling to lose more people than they already had.

Diving against the wooden deck, he reached over the edge and grasped the wrist of the man holding onto the rope, clasping it tight while extending his other arm to the woman further out. Working together, their hands clasped in quick time, allowing him to draw her in so she could grab the rope for herself to make it easier to pull both of them up.

That's when a stabbing pain erupted in Lyonel's left shoulder as an arrow fired from above pierced it, the tip erupting from his flesh. In response, he let a sharp yell, drawing the attention of a few Jackals passing nearby.

Instantly, the two beasts stopped and threw their glowing red eyes in his direction, and the moment they spied the injured Hylian, they rushed toward him, swords drawn. Lyonel barely had the time to stand, much less draw his own blade up, but managed to deflect the first attack while dodging the second quickly enough to prevent further harm.

He simply didn't notice the third Jackal leaping from a bridge above until it was too late.

The beast came down right on top of him, knocking him backwards against the deck with enough force to send the breath sailing from his lungs. In turn, Lyonel's sword skidded across the dock so quickly it tumbled over the edge of the platform and into the river. Yet he was too focused on the enemy pinning him down, watching as the Jackal's maul opened, fangs coated in blood and drool ready to tear into his throat.

Sneering up at the beast, Lyonel struggled while preparing for the worst only to be genuinely surprised when two white orbs slammed into the monster in quick succession. The blast was strong enough to knock the enemy backwards, freeing Lyonel mere seconds before Link rushed by to attack their enemies with the Master Sword.

His weapon and clothing were already stained with black blood, proving he'd done his fair share of fighting since this all began. He made quick work of the three beasts on the dock now as well, though Lyonel was momentarily distracted when he felt someone helping him to sit up and looked right to see Impa as she inquired, "Are you okay?"

"Yes, but those archers in the river need help."

Pointing in their direction, he allowed Impa to go assist them and looked up as a splash sounded to see Link had just impaled the last of their foes on the dock and shoved his boot into the Jackal's stomach, tugging his blade free while sending the beast into the river.

Immediately, his son turned around to face him, calling, "Father?" with concern filling his sapphire eyes. So Lyonel quickly reassured him with a nod while working his way to his feet without help, then took a wary look at their surroundings.

Things had grown strangely quiet and calm.

Once Impa and Link had pulled the archers out of the water, they all stood upon the dock in silence, each able to hear the distant rattlings of an engagement taking place, but the sounds soon faded entirely. Both banks of the Zora River were now littered with the bodies of soldiers, horses, and their enemies alike, while those left standing did so motionlessly in the falling snow.

Their breath came out as steam in the frigid air, the scent of blood thick as an eery quiet overcame the gorge with everyone waiting for a sign. Were more enemies on the way? Had any made it to River Town?

As they all questioned it, a distinct call came from one of the archers stationed on the bridges above—and their message was triumphant.

"The pass is clear! River Town is safe!"

In stark contrast to the silence permeating the gorge moments before, a cacophony of victorious cheers rang out. In turn, Link's arms fell against his sides as he took what felt like his first breath in hours. Hearing the shouts of triumph from the revolt was encouraging, and yet he couldn't celebrate with them, too many conflicting emotions churning within him to make it possible.

They'd won this battle, and he couldn't express his gratitude knowing the people of River Town were safe, nor his relief to realize Lyonel's injury wasn't mortal. The thought gave way to another pertinent consideration—if he hadn't stayed behind, he may very well have lost his father that day.

Yet his fight was far from over, and the next would prove to be the most daunting of all.

Storing his sword and shield on his back with the thoughts in mind, Link wasn't drawn back to the present until his father's hand covered his shoulder. Finally looking up to spy concern in the older Hylian's sky blue eyes, he listened as Lyonel inquired, "Worried for Zelda?"

"Of course," Link replied, though he was quick to add, "not that I regret staying to protect the town."

Nodding, Lyonel qualified, "For what it's worth, I doubt we would've been able to do this without you. As for Zelda, she's ensuring her parents' safety for the good of the kingdom, and I'm certain she's smart enough to protect herself until you can arrive."

"I'm certain of it, too," Link admitted, gazing at the people around them now checking on one another and assessing the situation as he related, "It's one of the reasons I stayed. You needed help protecting River Town, and it was the right thing to do, but I also know she would've wanted me to stay and fight for the people."

Sighing, he concluded, "So I'm glad we've won, but I can't celebrate just yet, not knowing what's still to come."

Turning his vision back up at his father's face, Link found him nodding in understanding. "Then you've learned what I did when I wasn't much older than you are now—every victory is bittersweet, and the conclusion of this fight only means moving onto the next. So I suppose we both know the truth."

"I knew it the moment Zelda left," Link admitted before stating it aloud. "The final battle has begun."

The sentiment stayed with him as they commenced with an assessment of their situation after this newest incursion and prepared for the coming fight—and the revolt wasn't the only party making plans. All across the board, pieces were moving into place, including a very important piece who'd just arrived at Hyrule Palace.

Ganondorf watched the grounds from a window in the throne room, a smug smirk curving his lips at the sight of a rider on a white horse coming through the gates.

And the King of Evil had but one thing to say.

"Welcome home, Princess."

At last, the time had come. Soon now, this war would be won.