Part One – Chapter 5

Link's boots kicked up the ground as he walked, his face hidden by his dirty-blonde bangs. He trailed the edge of the Earth Realm where he could be alone. As soon as the black Giant Dragon had left, all mutiny and violence died down almost immediately. Link would have helped out with repairs and such, but after what happened, he really wasn't sure what he could do besides sulk.

Zelda was gone.

Tears silently slid off his cheeks as he forced to place one foot in front of the other. He had no way of knowing whether Zelda was still alive or not, and even if she was, he couldn't just go rescuing her willy-nilly. He didn't know where she was, he had no convenient way of travel, and all he had was a measly bow for a weapon.

Wait.

That bow was her father's.

The father that died believing that Link could hold his promise and protect Zelda. He couldn't have failed worse.

"Why… Why does NOTHING GO RIGHT FOR ME?!" he cried, kicking a tree stump that he was passing. He let out a huff and chose to sit down on it instead, letting his head collapse in his hands. Goddesses…this is all my fault, he thought. He couldn't see where else the blame had to go. It was all on him, and he gladly accepted it. He had witnessed the deaths of Druid, Zelda's father, several innocent people, and possibly Zelda herself. Just face it, Link. You're never going to see her again…

His head snapped up to a small rustle in the bushes not too far away, so he decided to get up and keep going.

As he plodded on through the thin forest, he removed the bow from over his shoulder and gently traced the wood with his fingers, admiring the simple beauty it held. He then took one arrow from the quiver and studied the tip.

He might as well relieve some stress.

Link grunted as he pushed the rotting log upright. The thing was surprisingly heavy for its size, but it would make for good target practice. Once he made sure it wouldn't fall over, he jabbed the arrow into the wood and carved several different sized circles. He stood back, satisfied with his work, and went to find a good spot to shoot from.

With his foot, he brushed away the leaves scattered on the ground and drew a small "x" in the dirt so he could remember his position. Now that he could finally do what he came for, he twisted his body so he was facing left and kept his feet evenly spread apart. He lifted the handle of the bow with his right hand and brought it level with his eyes. Then, with his dominant hand, he nocked the arrow he held and drew back the string until it touched his cheek. His elbow was raised high and his back was as straight as humanly possible. He let out several slow breaths, both in and out, before inhaling sharply. His eyes did not blink as his fingers released the string and the arrow went flying. It hit dead centre and the sheer force of it managed to rock the log slightly.

Hmm, I guess I overestimated myself, Link thought as he smirked to himself. His gaze searched for anything that might prove a challenge for him, and he soon spotted a gold skulltula sitting comfortably on its web in the trees above him. SCORE! his thoughts cried out. Gold skulltula shells were very hard to come by and were often used in making jewelry, armour, and other exquisite items. Link in particular had wanted to make his very own Dragon Whistle from one, and even without a Dragon to call with it, it was still a useful item to have.

The teen garbed in green nocked another arrow onto the bow and repeated his process from earlier. The arrow hit right in the arachnid's soft underbelly, and the creature fell to the ground at Link's feet. Its legs curled inward as it continued to twitch, making him cringe a little. When its movements finally came to a standstill, he picked it up and examined the gold exterior. It was just the right size for crafting the beloved instrument; now all he had to do was remove it from the bug's back.

He yanked the arrow that he had used out of its body and stuck it underneath the rim of the metal-like casing. He then carefully began to pry it from the skulltula like he had seen others do, and after a minute or two, he had a perfectly intact gold skulltula shell. He dropped the arachnid onto the ground and held the shell in the air, giving an enthusiastic, "Yeah!" His gaze then fell to the dead creature. "Okay… Nothing else to do here…" he said as he quickly stepped away. He really wanted to get the sight of the sticky and gooey back of the spider out of his head.

Grabbing a large leaf, Link wiped the icky substance from the inside of the shell. He then tossed the leaf aside and turned the shell over and over, staring at it as if it were a trophy.

"Heh, just wait until I tell Ze-"

That was the last thing he needed: the memory of Zelda being ripped from his grasp playing in his mind on repeat. This instantly returned the depressing guilt to his being, and so he trudged along having completely forgotten about his victory with the skulltula.

For another half-hour he walked, thinking of nothing else but Zelda and how he failed to protect her. He wasn't sure if he was glad that her father was dead, because he would rather die himself than tell the captain that his daughter was gone, especially after promising that he would keep her safe.

Another rustle sounded from behind him as he kept going. This had been continuing for a while now, and he was certain he was being followed. By who though, he didn't know. Maybe Pokot if he was still alive.

However, when Link didn't turn around, the rustle's volume increased, followed by heavy lumbering footsteps. Link rolled his eyes and hunched his shoulders, now knowing who it was immediately.

"Quit following me, you overgrown thorn-vine…" he said darkly to the reptile behind him. The footsteps didn't cease, and the Giant Dragon continued to follow him. Link stopped at last and turned harshly around, throwing his arms in the air. "What do you want?!" The Dragon did nothing but stop and stare at him with curiosity in its eyes. "If you came to eat me, then now is a really bad time, because I'm afraid I'm a little bitter right now." The serpent slowly lowered its bulky head down to Link's level and purred lightly. Exactly what Druid did on the day of the Choosing Ceremony… the boy thought, his eyes widening and his left hand unconsciously reaching for the Giant's snout. No sooner had one finger rested upon the rough scales, Link felt a bizarre and strong energy surge through him, much stronger than when he connected with Druid. Is it because this is a Giant Dragon? Wait, what am I thinking?! HOW AM I EVEN CONNECTING TO TWO DRAGONS?! his mind screamed, but he no longer cared once his whole arm was stroking the creature softly.

It had become his new Soul Dragon.

The wind smacked Link in the face as he rode atop his Dragon, but he was used to that by now. They were heading back to the centre of the Earth Realm to see what could be done, and now that he had a Giant to help him, he could possibly find out what happened to Zelda and where she was.

"Hey, Thorn-Vine, think you could go a little faster?" Link called out. He had taken much amusement in constantly using a sarcastic insult to address the Dragon, and now he couldn't resist using it at all.

"I will when you stop calling me that," the green serpent growled, clearly annoyed by his companion's nickname that he was now forced to adopt.

"Aw, come on, I think it suits you!"

"You're just taking advantage of the fact that we can now communicate without confusion."

"No, I'm serious! It really does suit you!"

Thorn-Vine merely snorted in response.

"Gee, are all Giant Dragons this up-tight?"

"Don't make me regret ever choosing to bind our souls."

Link raised an eyebrow. "Wait, you chose to bind our souls? So does that mean that any Giant Dragon can bond with anyone? The souls don't have to be compatible?"

"No, you have the wrong idea. After I dropped you off, something made me want to stick by you to see if you were okay, so I followed you. It was then I realized that our souls were compatible and were destined for one another, but I could have chosen to just leave you. Now do you get it?"

"Yeah, thanks. But, hang on a second… How are our souls destined to bind if I was already bound?"

"Already bound? I sense no trace of a Soul-Binding. You should know as well as I do that none can be bound more than once unless you're a Dragon Whisperer."

"I…" Link couldn't believe what he was hearing. It was as if Druid had never connected with him at all.

"…Are you saying that you already had a Soul Dragon?"

"Well, yeah, I mean… On the day of the Choosing Ceremony – you know that that is, right?"

Thorn nodded.

"On the day of the Choosing Ceremony, I was bound to a Soul Dragon. His name was Druid. However, he and I had only been together for a day before I…foolishly entered the training program to become a knight. We were at the last stretch…and a rock fell…"

Link needed to say no more. Thorn completely understood what had happened.

"Hmm, perhaps we were able to bind due to Druid's passing. The Dragon's soul leaves this world and a spot then becomes available."

"Yeah, that makes sense, I guess."

Silence endured as the smoking Great Tree approached rapidly. Thorn-Vine dipped his wings downward and gracefully skimmed along before coming to rest on the ground. The duo caught the surprised attention of everyone in the area, and Link was immediately bombarded with questions. He tried his best to answer them all, but people just kept nagging him about it. Thorn noticed Link's struggles and hissed loudly whilst flaring his wings, letting everyone know to back off.

"Heh, thanks, buddy," Link said quietly, patting his Dragon on the neck.

"Don't mention it," Thorn replied.

Link slipped off the serpent's back and unclipped the gold skulltula shell from his belt.

"Hey, if you don't mind, I'd like to head over to the smithy to get a Dragon Whistle crafted. Or at least somewhere that I can make one if the smithy no longer exists…" He showed the shell to Thorn, who nodded in approval.

"Lead the way, then. Now that we're bound, a Dragon Whistle sounds like a good idea."

Getting through the crowd was a breeze thanks to the large lizard trailing after him. Anyone who was in his way gasped either in awe or terror and stepped back, allowing Link to pass.

The blonde glanced at the demolished homes and their still-burning embers along the way, some of them still containing carcasses that were yet to be carried off. There were Zoras running frantically about the place with their Dragons, trying to extinguish all the remaining flames before more real fires started up again.

"I can't imagine how frightened the Zoras must be. They're used to travelling the Realms to help put out fires and help with water problems and such, but having to travel with rogue Dragons roaming around? It must be terrifying," Link commented as he walked.

"They probably won't be here for long. They'll want to return to the safety of their Realm as soon as possible," Thorn replied.

Rounding another corner, the usual location of one of the Earth Realm's blacksmiths came into view. Link breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing that it was still standing and not just another pile of rubble, ash, and burnt wood. Or at least, for the most part it was still okay-looking. A section of it had been visibly smashed, probably where a Dragon had crashed into it.

Link poked his head in the doorway and lightly racked the wood with his knuckles. A familiar and tired face soon greeted him with the utmost glee. A face that wasn't the blacksmith.

"Ah! Link, m'boy! You're alive!"

Link's eyes widened in both surprise and relief. "Mr. McCarp!" The old man chuckled.

"I know, I know. Ya must be thinkin' that 'twas impossible for an ol' crab like m'self to have lived through that. Well this brittle figure still has some fight left, it does!" Mr. McCarp cried joyfully.

"Whoa, I'm just glad you're okay! But what are you doing in here, anyway?"

"Ah, the smithy's been runnin' around like no tomorrow since the attack. I offered ta help him keep this place goin' while he does the deliveries."

"Deliveries?"

"The main armoury's been destroyed, m'boy. He's been gettin' orders for new weapons from all over. But enough of that, I wanna know what's been happenin' with ya! So, what's crackin' nowadays?"

"Well…" Link said no more as Thorn's head protruded through the doorway, giving McCarp a sudden fright.

"ACK! Link, what-?!" The blonde boy chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head before moving his hand to stroke the Giant. "Boy, is that Dragon…yours?" Link nodded and began to explain what happened in the Giant's Sanctuary, however he wasn't able to finish due to the old man's scolding.

"Look, I'm sorry, okay? I've already apologized to-" Link said, cutting himself off.

"To…?" McCarp raised a suspicious eyebrow.

"Uh, several people already. Listen, I know this sounds a little odd, but going into the Sanctuary just might have saved my life." McCarp stayed silent, indicating for Link to continue. "If I hadn't come across Thorn-Vine here, then he probably would have killed me during the attack."

"Hmm, I suppose that makes sense." His tone suddenly lightened up, returning to its former jolly atmosphere. "Well, I bet Zelda's impressed of him! Where is that gal, anyway? I'm surprised she ain't with you."

Link inhaled sharply and froze on the spot, tears stinging at his eyes once more. Three Goddesses, I really need to get over this whole emotional thing, he thought, angry that he was about to let himself cry again. He looked down and let out his breath, swallowing his negativity and gathering the strength to tell the fisherman the rest of the story. The elderly man's jaw dropped upon hearing that Zelda was carried off.

"There was nothing I could do… Goddesses, I feel so helpless right now…" Link finished, hugging his torso and squeezing his eyes shut to stop the salty water. Thorn purred with sympathy and gently nudged his companion for reassurance.

"Oh boy, the captain's gonna be grievin' for months, he is."

Link looked up at McCarp with sad eyes. "…Her father's gone, too…"

"HE WHAT?!"

"We were up on the Great Tree. There were flames all around us…and the branch started to break…"

McCarp was left speechless. Link hoped that the silence didn't mean that the fisherman was mad at him for all eternity now.

"…Oh, what dark times have befallen us…" McCarp said at last. "Well, it appears that there's nothin' we can do about it now, son. At least there's the hope that poor Zelda's still alive n' all."

"Do you really think she is?"

"Boy, ta worry is ta pray for a future ya don't want. As long as ya believe she is, then all will be fine."

"He has a pretty good point," Thorn added from the doorway.

"Ah, and before I forget, let me know if that Dragon o' yours says anythin' about me that I won't approve of." McCarp winked at Link, earning a hearty chuckle from the boy and an annoyed growl from Thorn.

"Watch it, old man. My bite is worse than my bark."

Link laughed even harder upon hearing his Dragon's response.

"Thanks for cheering me up, Mr. McCarp," Link said, shaking the elder's hand.

"No problem, m'boy. Say, what is it that you're here for? Surely not another weapon."

The young Hylian shook his head and held up the skulltula shell.

"I'm here for a Dragon Whistle, actually. But since the smithy's not here, I suppose I should come back later."

McCarp gasped melodramatically and exaggerated a look of hurt.

"Ya want the smithy to make a Dragon Whistle for ya? Why, he only specializes in weapons. It's this ol' barnacle that knows how ta make real Dragon Whistles!" Link shot him a look of disbelief. "Have ya forgotten that I've seen many generations pass? I made my first when I was about ten! Back then ya had ta do everythin' yourself if ya wanted ta learn. I'm the best in the business!"

The blonde blinked several times. "…I thought the smithy made Whistles?"

"Naw, he don't know nothin' about craftin' such beauties. 'Tis I who knows what's what. People have been comin' ta me for many a year to get their precious instrument made."

"Oh, well then! Make me a Dragon Whistle!" Link replied, smiling with glee and handing McCarp the shell.

"I thought you'd never ask!" He hobbled over to an anvil at the back of the room and placed the shell down while he grabbed the necessary tools. "'Tis gonna take a bit of time, boy, so why not entertain yaself for a while, eh?"

Link nodded and thanked him before exiting the blacksmith.

"HEYYY, LIIINK!" The boy clad in green turned to the unexpected voice. Not long after he and Thorn left McCarp to work, they bumped into a Zora that had to make a last water delivery to another section of the Earth Realm, but it was too heavy for his Dragon to carry, so he asked Link if Thorn-Vine could deliver it instead. The Giant Dragon agreed, and so now Link was leaning against a small tree waiting for his scaly companion's return. The voice that called out to him was none other than Pokot; his extensive knowledge of Dragons was probably what kept him alive. The serpent-nerd landed his Dragon next to Link and slid off. He approached the bored-looking teen with a look of concern.

"Pokot! I'm glad to see you made it," Link started with a friendly smile.

"Yeah, last night was hectic, huh?" Pokot replied. "Hey, listen, I just came by to see how you were doing. I heard what happened and…I'm so sorry. It can't be easy with the attack that took place either."

Link sighed and looked down. "Don't be, it's not your fault. I'm the one who allowed it to happen, and I highly doubt I can do anything about it right now. I talked to Mr. McCarp about it and he helped me get over it a little."

"Ah, that's good then. That you talked to McCarp, I mean. I know that you and Druid were close, and a bond that special most likely won't be easy to replace, let alone forget."

"Oh, wait, you were talking about Druid?"

Pokot raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Uh, yeah? What else?"

"Uhm, okay then, never mind."

"…Is there something going on here?" Pokot continued to press Link for this lie that he had now caught him in. "If you don't tell me I'm going to assume that you killed Druid yourself. It would explain why you're so nonchalant about it."

Link waved his hands in front of him in defense. "Whoa, whoa, whoa! I swear to Din I didn't do anything to hurt Druid! It was a dumb rock that fell on his head during the training program; how was I supposed to make that fall if I was riding him?"

"Hmm, good point. Okay, proven innocent."

Pokot's Dragon, Equinox, gave a small roar from behind them, indicating that he was talking to his rider.

"What did he say?" Link asked.

"He reminded me to ask you what's the real reason you're sulking right now."

"Ah." Link hesitated before continuing, contemplating on how to bring the news. He decided to just be blunt with it. "…Zelda's gone."

Pokot seemed to freeze in time as he was processing what he just heard.

"So she's…gone, gone?"

"No, at least I hope not. She was carried off by that huge Giant Dragon that attacked the Earth Realm. That was the last I ever saw of her."

The knowledgeable youth turned and looked up at the sky as if Zelda were about to fall from it.

"I see. But why wasn't she killed?"

"That's what I was hoping you would know."

Pokot brought both of his hands to his face and began pacing slightly. "Oh man… I know this is going to sound a little morbid, but being kept alive probably isn't a good thing." Link looked at him as if he had just eaten a pile of mud filled with worms and slugs. "Yeah, I know. But if she wasn't killed it's most likely because she's needed for something, and judging by last night, if whoever's behind this succeeds, we're done for."

Link's breath hitched. "…Needed for something? Needed…for what?"

"How should I know?"

Now Link REALLY began to panic.

"Oh no… No, no, no, nononononono…" He gripped his hair and squeezed his eyes shut. He did his best to maintain his composure on the outside, but inside, he was a monkey lit on fire performing a crazed dance on ice. "This can't be happening… Pokot… WHAT'RE WE GONNA DO? WHERE COULD SHE BE BE? WHAT'S EVEN HAPPENING TO HER? ISSHEOKAYOHGODDESSESIHAVETOFINDHERNOW!" The panicking teenager had lost it was now running in circles, getting right up in Pokot's frightened face every now and then.

"Link! Calm down, will you?!"

Link couldn't help himself however. Knowing that Zelda was possibly in a worse situation that he had previously thought gripped his heart and punched his mind.

"Yes, please, calm down…" said a voice.

"HOW CAN I-" The blonde stopped abruptly, his eyes still wide as ever though. "…Did you hear that…?" he asked the Dragon-nerd.

"Hear what? Your intolerable ranting?"

"No, that voice just now!"

"Uh, yeah. I think you're getting a little loopy. You probably haven't slept much, so why don't you head somewhere you can catch some winks?"

"I'm not going crazy! I swear I heard something just now."

Pokot only shook his head and placed his hands on his hips. "Mmhmm, sure. Just – GIANT!"

Link looked up at the sky upon hearing Pokot's sudden scream and waved at the incoming Dragon. Thorn-Vine landed with a thud beside Link and looked like he had just flown a marathon. Equinox screeched in terror and flapped his wings in a desperate attempt to back away from the large lizard.

"Link, are you okay? I heard a voice telling me to return to you as soon as possible!" the Giant asked with worried roars.

"I…what? You heard a voice too?" Thorn's rider replied.

"WAIT. JUST. ONE. SECOND. HERE," Pokot exclaimed, holding one index finger in the air. "YOU'RE BONDED WITH A GIANT DRAGON?!"

"Um, yup."

The intelligent boy rubbed his temples as he tried to piece together the sight before him.

"Okay, one: just HOW is that possible? Two: that explains why you aren't worked up over Druid anymore, and three: OH GREAT BLESSINGS OF DIN, NAYRU AND FARORE AND IN THAT ORDER, I'VE NEVER SEEN SUCH AN ADVANCED EVOLUTIONARY BUILD!" He dashed up to Thorn and held open one of his wings. "Just look at the placement of the scales! The way each are curved to allow wind to pass by just like an eagle's feathers! Ooh! And the horns! This has to be the toughest form of keratin in existence!" He tapped his knuckles on the handle-like horns and stared at them as if they were a secret stash of silver rupees.

"…Am I really that astonishing?" Thorn asked Link with a quizzical look upon his face.

"I guess you are," Link replied with a chuckle.

"Your friend is scaring me."

Link laughed hysterically at Thorn's face. The Dragon's eyes were wide and looked at Pokot like he was a cockroach that wouldn't leave you alone. The teen in green decided to help his Dragon out after his little laughing fit.

"Okay, Pokot, we've established that my Soul Dragon is cool-looking. Now would you mind giving him some space?"

The slightly younger boy turned to Link with wide eyes. "How are you acting so casually?! You know as well as I do that you can't be bound to more than one Dragon! Even if it's a Giant!"

"But Druid's dead! With no soul bound to me anymore, I can bind to Thorn if I want to."

"It doesn't matter that Druid's dead!" Link's mouth was held agape as he stared in shock. Pokot interrupted him just as he was about to reply. "A Soul-Binding is eternal, even after death."

"But…that makes no sense…"

Pokot looked up at Thorn directly in the eye. "Do you sense a bond at all?"

The Dragon shook his head.

"He already told me that, which only adds to my confusion," Link added.

Silence endured between the three. Pokot had one index finger on his chin with his eyes closed in thought, Link rested his forehead in his hand trying to process this new information, and Thorn-Vine's gaze continuously flickered between the two teenagers and Equinox, who was still eyeing him warily with a slight hint of jealously.

"Do you wish for answers?" Link's head shot up as he heard the voice again. He looked to Thorn-Vine to see if the Dragon had heard it too, and from the look on his face, it was definite. "Come find me… The grove where leaves cut rock and fire burns water… Where light never fades and petals never wilt… Find…the Sacred Realm…"

The voice resonated with the echoes of lost souls and sounded with the beauty of a bird's song. It was a dirtied wave of silk that wrapped around Link and Thorn's minds, giving the feeling of pure relaxation as well as the insecurity of a task not yet completed.

Boy and Dragon looked to each other, searching their eyes for the determination that they both yearned for. Once they found it, Link made no hesitation in climbing atop the Giant and situating himself comfortably on the scaly back.

"Whoa, wait, where are you off to?" Pokot asked, breaking out of his trance.

"Sorry, Pok, but there's something we have to do," Link replied, motioning for Thorn to begin taking off. The Giant spread open his magnificent wings and, with one graceful beat, lifted into the ever-blue skies.