marks left unseen

by Ravenmist4

recovering from the calamity, zelda and link found themselves in semi-domestic bliss at his home in hateno village. while the threat of calamity ganon may be gone; there are still many loose ends to be solved. such as the yiga clan, who have decided to finally unleash their revenge on link. after all, what is a knight without his princess?

16. lightning

Snap. The metal dragged another unsuspecting victim to the ground, and as Link drew the chain back he raised it over his head and began to twirl it faster. A gentle whipping noise filled the room as the chain cut through the air unexpectedly, leaving the surrounding Yiga uncertain as to whether or not they should strike. Their momentary uncertainty was all the Hylian needed to charge up his next move through, and when another body lunged at him from the crowd, the chain struck the ground with such force that the last section of links snapped under the intensity.

Strains of green lightning sailed down from the sky, striking the crowd of unexpecting clansmen around Link. The sound of metal weapons clattering against stone filled the room, mixing with a chorus of pained cries that each inflicted individual let out. While they were stunned from the electricity, Link seized the hilt of an abandoned Windcleaver and charged up his second attack. A long jet of wind rippled through the air, tossing his opponents back as the attack was unleashed, and as soon as they hit the ground another round of lightning was unleashed.

Bodies crumpled to the ground lifelessly after the second round of fury that the fallen Champion had released on them, and the few remaining Yiga who were left barely standing took a knee, pressed their palms together, and disappeared. Panting, Link dropped the large blade and stepped over the body at his feet with his sights set on Zelda's collapsed figure. The clan leader had fled during Link's rage, but he couldn't find it within himself to care. All that mattered right now was Zelda ... how long had it been since that blade first zipped across her neck?

"Zelda," he whispered under his breath as his knees slapped the platform beside her. Bright red contrasted horrifically against her fair skin, blossoming with life from the wound in her neck that was drawn clean across. It dripped down her collarbones and the front of what little garments she still had on, soaking darkly into the fabric. The saturation was so great that blood was pooling on the surface, too, and Link felt worry knot tightly in the pit of his stomach.

Try as he might to fight them off, warm tears refused to leave his eyes.

"You're okay," Link added while frantically tearing the fabric of his shirt. His own shaky hands surprised him, and he couldn't even hide it as he pressed the fabric of his ripped clothing to the open wound on Zelda's neck. "You're going to be okay." Was he trying to comfort Zelda or himself in this moment?

His hands were already sticky. The rag he was pressing against the wound was already beyond soaked with blood, and when the hero pulled it away, fat drops of red fell to the ground from it. Without thinking, he desperately placed his hand over the opening with light pressure.

"You're okay," the phrase repeated without him even realizing it. Saying it aloud provided a false sense of security, despite the sideways turn Zelda's current state was taking. "I can't stop the bleeding," he muttered to her, as if she were going to reply. The palm of his hand was already completely covered, and holding it in place only altered the direction the blood dripped when it rolled out of the cut. It was hopeless.