Hey guys! Happy Thursday, hope y'all are staying safe. It feels like somebody's knocking on my skull with a sledgehammer so imma make this quick. I hope you guys enjoy!
Zelda stared up at the Heights, a brow raising. "And you've taken us here . . . why?"
Howler was unfazed, heading for the birches ahead. "An old friend lives here. He's always been up for adventures before . . . I figure now might be a good time to pay a visit."
Zelda watched the trees, eyes flicking over the tall tops, swaying in the wind, the wide expanses of branches interwoven with each other, the egg-shaped houses built around the trunks halfway up.
Wooden paths connected the houses between trees, and above, their owners flew around in circles. Smaller shapes flew beside them. Zelda did the math in her head as she walked; it was past breeding season. The chicks ought to have been flying by now--or learning.
Coming closer to the trunks' bases, Zelda realized that was exactly what was happening above. But her attention was diverted as Howler whistled a loud, clear note. Beside her, Mania scowled.
A large shape detached from the group, followed by two others. They landed in a rush of wind and suddenly she was looking at not hawks, but humans.
"What brings you to the Heights?" the first demanded.
Howler was as cool as ever. The dawn sun made his golden hair look paler, and his golden eyes stand out. He shoved his hands in his pockets. "Just here to see an old friend."
The first squinted at him. He was tan, with dark hair slicked back and red paint around his eyes. A thick, furred tunic kept the cold out--they were in the north, after all--and he wore feathered earrings. Flight feathers, Zelda realized. A skilled archer, then.
"Might you be . . . Howler?"
Howler smirked, rocking back on his heels. Beside him, Sunset cocked her head. "Good to see you, Hawkeye."
The hawk anima smirked back at him. "Well well, it seems the years have not done you any favors. And your company has only gotten stranger, I see . . ."
The hawk trailed off as he focused on Zelda and Mania. His arms and hands had been bound with cuffs they'd found buried somewhere, and he'd been gagged after one too many smart comments on the road.
Hawkeye focused back on Howler, and they'd both lost their jovial expressions. "What is the meaning of this, Howler?"
"I'd like to speak to Night Vision, if that's all right," Howler said.
But Hawkeye shook his head. "We cannot allow anyone close. He is . . . near the end."
Howler and Sunset stiffened. Zelda stepped forward. "Then the virus is here already?"
Hawkeye was grave. "He was struck with an arrow not three days past. Since then, his feathers have wilted and fallen off, and his skin flakes and turns black. We are not sure how to fix it, but it is certainly the virus. We fear he will be gone within the day."
"I can heal," Zelda said, stepping forward. She ignored the shocked expressions of her companions and held Hawkeye's sharp yellow gaze. "I . . . haven't done it in some years, but . . . please, let me try."
Let me save him, the way I couldn't save her.
Hawkeye searched her gaze, then nodded slowly. "We will fly you there. He has been relocated to a secluded area."
Zelda nodded, but Howler grabbed her arm. "I don't mean to be insensitive, but somehow I don't think herbs are going to do much," he said, and she was shocked at the worry in his gaze.
Zelda ignored the way her heart slammed against her chest at his proximity, at the musk in his scent, and gently removed his hand. "I won't be using herbs this time," she said softly, and accepted Hawkeye's gesture to follow.
It was clear Howler didn't agree, and Zelda wondered about it as she walked. Why did he worry? Why did her heart flop in her chest whenever he spoke, or came in close, or . . . or did anything? It was especially infuriating, and if she wasn't fighting down a blush every time he opened his mouth, she might have taken her frustrations out on him.
And then there was his taboo subject: abandonment.
Zelda mused about it as they passed through a heavily wooded area, complete with a blanket of leaves on the ground. Red, gold, orange and green shone in the sun, making the birches around them stand out like slim, white fingers.
He hadn't displayed any sort of reaction comparable to the one from the swamp when she called him vile or foul, though he had met her gentle prodding with a scowl. So his beef had to be with being abandoned. Had he been left by his parents? By his tribe? Was that why he was here?
But no, she thought, as a dull roar came steadily closer. He'd mentioned to her when he'd come to Running Wind that he hadn't wanted to leave his pack. So what, then? A past experience?
She didn't really see what else it could be, but then they had exited the birch trees and stood on a rocky outcropping. The dull roar she'd heard was the ocean beating against the coast, and out on the steel-gray water stood a lone spit of rock.
A single house had been constructed, and on the coast where she stood, several other hawk anima stood guard.
So it was there, Zelda figured. Where Night Vision lay dying.
The seas were too wild for a boat, so Hawkeye and the other two hawks prepared for liftoff. They could only take two, Hawkeye explained, so Howler asked Sunset to stay with Mania while he and Zelda went to see the dying anima.
The fox had rolled her eyes, but nodded, barely appeased with the admittedly-lame comment that she was the only one who could keep the troublesome lion under control. So Howler and Zelda were both gripped by the hawks and borne to the lone island.
It was freezing, a stark contrast to her home on the plains, and by the time she reached the island, Zelda was shivering. Howler glanced at her, shifting a little as the hawks notified the guards about the foreign animas' presence.
He leaned in to her ear and murmured, "I'd offer you my hoodie, but I think that might make you mad."
Zelda shivered again, fighting the insane urge to pull his head down to meet her, and forced a laugh. "You would have been right."
Wrong. So wrong. By the Holy Three, she thought, gripping her arms as Howler laughed softly, but didn't move away, why does he have to be so bloody attractive?
Her thoughts derailed as the door opened, and Hawkeye escorted them in.
The smell hit them first.
Zelda was accustomed to foul stenches as a healer, but this . . . this was the odor of death, times a thousand. What could possibly make it smell this bad? She wondered, approaching the bed. Then she saw the body.
Unbidden, tears sprang to her eyes. Night Vision was a mess. He was in his human form, the better to fight the virus. He must have been a mountain of a man in health, but now he was shriveled, his skin black and flaking, rotted flesh exposing the bone beneath. His breath rattled out of him, the only sound in the small room. His hair was gone, and even his skull had cracks in it.
He was close.
Zelda rushed forward, Howler sticking close. "Where's the arrow?" she asked.
One of the hawks presented her with a cloth-wrapped item, which she passed to Howler. She hovered her hands over Night Vision's chest, making sure to avoid contact, and concentrated.
Please, she whispered in her mind. Now, at least, grant me your grace.
Zelda swallowed, memories unbidden careening to the forefront of her mind. Of years ago, when her power had been at the tip of a finger, when she'd been merely a cub, and Sheik had not been born.
A miracle from the Holy Three, her mother had said.
Zelda's lips parted in a soundless gasp, and she knew without looking that Howler had pressed even closer. His warmth seeped into her back, making her shiver. Please, she begged, holding back tears as she saw her mother's face for the first time in years. Please, please, please.
Something within, deeper than she'd ever dared to delve, flickered. Zelda tried not to stiffen--fear made her power hesitant.
You must be loose, her mother said. You must welcome it. Make it come to you.
Come to me, she whispered, and in the back of her mind, dully, she heard Howler murmur something. Her name, maybe.
But she could feel it now; it was coming closer with every breath, every intonation. Zelda swallowed and forced herself to relax further, and the light within undulated, hesitant in its approach.
Do not be afraid, that voice said--and now Zelda found it was her voice, and she was speaking not to herself, but to that golden light. You are needed.
She felt it the moment it touched her seeking fingers. Lightning arced through her, and her body jerked--but then her hands were glowing, she knew without opening her eyes because she could feel it, a soft, warm light at her fingertips.
Zelda opened her eyes, and a smile broke the look of concentration. Sudden exhaustion made her want to stop, but Night Vision was getting weaker. She was running out of time.
"Night Vision," she breathed, and those hazel eyes, so tired, so weak, drifted to meet hers. "I need you to tell me what happened."
Her power wasn't healing him, she could sense it. Nothing would save him now.
But she could find out who shot him. It was clear now this was no accident, the outbreak. The shadow at the house, the unfamiliar scent Howler and Sunset had chased, the deaths in opposing territories . . . and now this.
Night Vision was struggling to speak. Zelda coaxed more power to flow into him, sending it to his lungs, his throat, the muscles in his mouth. He coughed, spitting blood, then rasped, "Anima. Scents . . . unfamiliar."
Zelda shared a quick glance with Howler. "Did you see them?" she asked softly.
Night Vision shook his head. "Glimpses . . . flying . . . overhead. Looked . . . red. Black. Then . . . pain."
"In human form?" Howler asked, ignoring Zelda's sharp glance.
But Night Vision nodded. "Human. S-Small. Chattering . . . loud. Pack . . . animals."
Pack animals. "Can you describe the scent for us?" Zelda asked, gritting her teeth. He was getting harder to hold onto.
Speech was becoming increasingly difficult. "F-Foul. Rot, and . . . some k-kind of . . . fruit."
Zelda shared a glance with Howler, confused, but then her power stuttered and died out. She gasped and clutched her head, and on the bed, Night Vision coughed abruptly, violently, and his body gave a shudder, then was still.
Zelda stared for a moment, sucking in a shaking breath. She swallowed and stood, meeting Hawkeye's eyes. "I . . . I am sorry," she whispered, gathering her hair over a shoulder. "I could not hold him any longer."
Hawkeye took a very deep breath. "There is no need for apologies, Spitfire. You have done more than we could possibly ask for. I wish you luck with your mission."
Howler gently released Zelda and stood up straight. "Hawkeye, I was going to--"
"I know what you wanted, Howler," the hawk said, a sad sort of smile growing. "And I cannot accept. I must stay and lead my tribe. Our leader has passed; if I were to leave . . ."
He trailed off, but his meaning was impossible to miss. Howler chewed on his lip, then sighed. "I get it. I'm . . . sorry, Hawkeye."
The hawk bowed his head, the only gesture of the sorrow he was feeling that he would allow. He strode to the door and prepared to bear them back to the mainland. "I wish you all the luck in Hyrule, old friend," he said, and he and Howler clasped arms, pressing their foreheads to the other's. "I wish I could join you."
"Me too."
Hawkeye laughed at the dry comment, then shifted. Zelda shivered, cursing the northern weather. On the outside, she was the same as usual--she'd mastered the art of pretending everything was fine. But within, she was a mess.
She'd used her power. For the first time in years, since that day, she'd been able to heal someone. The real way, at least a little. Without herbs or poultices, or any sort of crutch. She nearly burst into tears right there.
I did it, mom.
Zelda swallowed hard, suddenly elated. Despite what had just happened, she couldn't wait to go back to Running Wind and tell Sheik about it.
Then she saw the cloth-wrapped item in Howler's hands, watched him jerk his head at Sunset and Mania, and the elation was gone, repressed by what they'd learned.
Someone was spreading the virus.
She followed the group to a small place in the field. It was open, so Zelda felt at home, but soon Howler dragged them into a copse of woods to the side. The sound of rushing water reached her. The Zora River was close by.
Zelda tried not to grimace. The Zoras were . . . less than welcoming. They wouldn't take well to outsiders on their banks.
Howler didn't say anything of it, and against her better judgment, Zelda sat across from him, the water on her left rushing. Sunset pushed Mania down, ignoring the snarl he sent her way. Howler watched him, a frown playing on his lips.
Zelda knew what he was wondering. Why didn't Mania just shift and escape? What Zelda hadn't told any of them was that the first night with the four of them, Mania had done just that. He'd broken free of his bonds and tried to steal Zelda away in the night.
And Zelda had almost let him. The thought of staying away, of letting her father and Blazing Sun think she'd been taken, or that she'd run away, had almost been too much. The knowledge of their teaming up, for her . . . she'd stood on the edge of the clearing, watching Howler sleep, seeing Sunset knocked out, courtesy of Mania, and thought about all she was leaving.
The chance to save them all. Possible friends, if she let herself open up. If she dropped her guard and forgot the lessons drilled into her: trust no tribe but your own.
The wolf that twitched in his sleep, whose blue eyes seared right through her soul, who somehow managed to make her want to kiss him and slap him at the same time.
Zelda had thought of leaving behind Howler and his obnoxious, sexy smirks, and the way he tugged at her soul, and . . . couldn't do it. She'd turned to Mania and shaken her head.
I can't leave.
Mania had stared at her a long while, the way he stared at her now. She'd been uncharacteristically silent in the discussion so far. Worry for her family was twisting her up inside, and as Howler glanced at her, he must have seen some of it in her face.
Sunset asked him something, and reluctantly--Zelda could see it in his expression--he turned back to her. Zelda kept one ear on the conversation--they were deciding on their path from there--and the other on the river. She didn't want to be surprised.
Minutes passed and no Zoras appeared, and chewing on her lip, Zelda thought maybe they wouldn't show up. She'd thought the Zoras would sense outsiders in their territory, or close enough to it, and come to ward them off, but perhaps she needn't have worried.
Casting one last glance to the river's rippling surface, Zelda said into the conversation, "If we go further north, we may run into the Hebra tribes--"
The river exploded beside her, drenching her, and she whirled to see a giant red Zora standing half in the water, holding--
"Let him go!" Zelda shouted, unthinking. The Zora's golden eyes narrowed.
Mania squirmed in the Zora's grip, but his captor was strong, and he dug the point of his spear into Mania's side. "I'm getting tired of being held prisoner, so if you would do something, mutt, that would help!" he shouted, glaring at Howler.
"And what exactly do you expect me to do?" Howler muttered, standing. He approached the river calmy, though Zelda could tell he was ready to attack.
The Zora clutched Mania tighter at Howler's approach. "What are you doing in Domain territory?"
"Let him go, Zora, and we'll talk."
The Zora's eyes narrowed, but a smaller Zora stepped out of the water beside him. Zelda was struck for a moment at the stark contrast between the two: both red scaled, but one a giant, the other petite. One fierce, the other benevolent.
At least she looked that way. Her scales dripped with water, making them glitter and shine in the morning sun, and her chest, head and wrists were adorned with jeweled chains.
A blue cloth was draped around her shoulder, and her golden eyes were soft and kind. She smiled at Zelda and Howler, and motioned for Sunset to relax. "Do not worry," she said, and even her voice was soft and sweet. "We are not here to attack you. Please, Sidon, let him go."
Reluctantly, the giant Zora released Mania, who sent a searing glare at the shark anima. Quickly, as the female anima turned her attention to Howler, Zelda ran through what she knew of the tribe.
As part of the evolution of the Zora, they'd merged their two forms into one. Half human, and half . . . whatever animal they'd chosen. This particular water-dwelling anima tribe had chosen the name Zora, and lived in the water systems inland. Their home ground, however, was unseen by any but the Zora, and they refused to disclose its location to outsiders.
Zelda jerked back to the conversation as Howler shifted beside her. He was rubbing the back of his neck. His face was red.
The Zora girl was smiling. She really was beautiful, Zelda reflected. Her face was framed with red scales, but her skin was milk pale, and her frame was slender and streamlined. Gentle golden eyes set into a heart-shaped face.
Zelda looked back at Link, who was now grinning, and the Zora was laughing, and suddenly it clicked. The confusion shifted into indignation and, surprising herself, a flare of hurt.
She pushed it down savagely, holding herself up. Why should she be hurt? It wasn't as if he'd promised her anything. Besides, he was a wolf and she a cheetah. What could they possibly have?
Nothing. They couldn't have anything, and she needed to stop looking at him the way she did, and stop wishing he'd look at her the same way.
The Zoras turned to her, their expressions now grave. Zelda shoved down the part of her that was glad that Howler was no longer blushing, hating herself a little more. "I assume you've heard, then?"
The girl nodded. "We have seen the virus here as well. It has not made its way to the Domain, but we worry. Unfortunately . . ."
She shared a glance with Sidon. "We cannot join you," the shark anima said. "We apologize, but we cannot be outside water for too long."
Zelda inclined her head, wondering why Howler had bothered asking them anyway. "Don't concern yourselves. We were just passing through."
Whether they noticed the slight edge to her voice or not, Zelda didn't linger on it. She spun around and trekked away from the water, trying not to stomp. Footsteps sounded behind her, and voices further back, followed by splashes.
Zelda kept stomping--she was beyond trying to deny it now--and ignored the voice that called her name.
Suddenly a root sprang up and Zelda tripped on it, landing flat on her face. She snarled into the dirt, swiping it away, and found Sunset watching her coolly.
"I called for you to stop," the fox said, unrepentant.
Zelda screwed her mouth. "What do you want, then? Make it quick."
Sunset snorted, approaching. She pulled Zelda to her feet and brushed her off. "What's your problem?" she asked abruptly.
Zelda jerked. "What's yours?" she snapped.
Sunset glared at her for a hot second before sighing. "That stupid dog's got you all messed up."
Howler. Zelda felt her face twist. "I don't care what he does," she muttered, kicking a few leaves. "He can do whatever he wants."
Sunset raised a brow. "Who said anything about what he does? I was talking about you."
Zelda opened her mouth to retaliate, but settled for glaring at the fox. She merely smirked.
"Trickster, you are," Zelda muttered. The fox laughed outright.
"Listen," she started, but Zelda shifted away, stomping--walking--to where Mania and Howler waited. "I mean it," she said. "I don't care."
She left Sunset behind, ignoring the exasperated sigh the fox let out, and kept her face blank. Howler watched her approach, golden eyes so intent, and she fought down the heat rising to her face.
There's nothing there. Stop.
He took a step forward, but stopped suddenly, head whipping around to the south. To the jungle. Zelda was immediately on guard. "What is--"
Then she smelled it.
She shifted right after he did, her paws leaving imprints on the soft soil. The other two were close behind, but Howler was outstripping them with every leap, and Zelda was tiring already.
They were following the river, she realized, jaws open to catch the scent. With every pace, the ground became less watered down and more vibrantly green, and ahead of them, the tangle of the jungle loomed closer. The river was growing as well, and soon was rushing, slamming against rocks sticking up in the middle of it, spraying Zelda as she raced alongside it.
The scent was getting stronger. She'd never smelled it before, but as Sunset yipped behind her, and Howler barked ahead of her, she realized they knew it well. Too well.
It wasn't hard to guess. It may have been unfamiliar, but it was laced with one she was well acquainted with.
The virus was in the south, and so was the carrier.
Review replies
To StJames1: groose = drama
It definitely is not easy for her but she'll make it through (or will she???) hmmm Dark, aka Trouble... I cant wait to introduce him lol.
To Queen Emily the Diligent: :3 lmaoo it's okay.
NOOO don't be hurt!! I'm sorry haha, I appreciate y'all whether you review or not T_T
Okay lmao I hope you guys enjoy this, I'm going to eat my break food and then try to ignore the feeling of my skull splitting. See ya!