CHAPTER 44: LIGHT UNTO WISDOM
The rhythmic ebb and flow of water filled a new world. The endless tide of liquid light met a screen of darkness upon the horizon. The black veil stretched to every horizon and to the highest peak of a starless sky. Only the golden white light at Link's toes filled this dead world with light, and with its essence everything existed within nothing. As he stood upon its surface, its spirit filled him with such peace that it was like living weightless on a cloud. Life--pure life, of every soul and wind known upon Hyrule--filled him to the brim.
Gazing into the water he spied only light, the radiance, the life force of the spirits and the goddesses. He saw the light reflected in his eyes, and for a moment he forgot all earthly troubles. He closed his eyes, and breathed in the wonder, breathed in the life of the world.
Link opened his eyes when he heard the familiar singing and humming of the light spirits. In perfect harmony they seemed to dance around him. All four were there. Ordona, Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru. Each gave their voice to the song of light, each adding a layer of perfection to the whole.
As their graceful and godlike dance continued, Link watched as they blossomed into simple, radiant light. Within seconds they became the very treasures Link had seen them guard, orbs of whirling light. Their ballet continued as they skipped across the ocean underfoot to the only other human body present within their world. They coalesced around her, Princess Zelda, and as she breathed they splashed into her in a great flash of white.
Link approached her as the light of the spirits dimmed yet left her skin glowing brighter still than her natural essence. He did not know what depths this magical ocean reached, whether he walked upon its surface or if it was an ocean floor mere inches beneath its beauty, but he felt weightless as he stepped toward the princess. With each step he took, the droplets splashed from his soles and into the water again like a fairy's dust trailing behind him.
Zelda's head remained bowed for a long moment, and Link came to a stop just meters from her. The light pooled around his boots and tethered him there gently. When the princess raised her head and looked upon him, he saw in her gentle eyes a wisdom far beyond her youth. He had seen it within her before, but now it seemed truly awakened. For a sliver of time she looked like a true queen. The lines of worry and the weight of her rule were written across her face, but the glow of her spirit allowed no wrinkle to steal her fair complexion.
A moment later she breathed out in a small smile. Collecting herself, bringing herself to the full height of her office, she spoke Link's name and it rang out across the void of light and dark like it had on Eldin Field.
"You are the Chosen Hero," she said, and as she spoke, it was as if the spirits spoke through her, a vessel of their--and the gods'--great wisdom. How many times they had called him this….
Link looked into her eyes and could see all the ages reflected back onto him. She knew how much he had given to her kingdom already, and an apologetic gleam came into their sparkle. With a most regal and humble bow, she asked in solemn grace, "Lend us the last of your courage."
Link stood unmoving for a moment, understanding what it was, truly, that the princess requested. He had given up his personal dreams to attend to the needs of Hyrule and its people long before he had known the truth of his blood. Not only did the princess bow to him in respect in her call for aid, but he knew that her gesture also proved to be a crossroads. She wanted, needed, his help, but she was so kind in providing him the offer to refuse, to turn away and find peace in whatever life he could forge in the ashes of the battle to come … win or lose.
Yet, he did not hesitate when he presented his hand to her. Win or lose, he would fight. He would never forgive himself if he chose this moment, the climax of his journey, to turn away.
He held his hand out to her, and Zelda straightened her back and cupped her hand over his.
Her graceful wisdom met his unmatched courage and the warmth of light enveloped them in a crystalline hum.
In that very instant they were returned to their reality.
Link had left Hyrule when its dawn was nigh, but when he opened his eyes to its sky once more, orange had deepened and darkness had bled anew from its clouds. Crimson rivulets painted the green stalks around him, and the somber yet fierce choirs of steel disoriented him. Their echoes against the surrounding canyons entrapped him, bringing him into full awareness of the massive battle that had broken ground since his and princess's disappearance.
Link's nausea wore off slowly as he turned in circles, taking in the sight of the Hylians crossing blades with dark warriors of all
manifestations. The pawns of Ganondorf's army, the mercenary bulblins and bokoblins, had no doubt taken the brunt of the Hylians' brute force. Dark knights and phantom riders also flitted in and out of the two armies. One swing from these foes ended in death or near-mortal injury to all those in its path.
"Your Highness!" a scream called. Link turned to the voice, as did Zelda, who stood beside him.
He immediately recognized this man. The square-jawed general of Princess Zelda's army. When the general had called out, many of his soldiers had also taken notice, and without need for command, they had immediately redirected their battle tactics to create a defensive circle around their sovereign and the Hero. After butting a bokoblin across the temple with his shield, the general approached his princess.
Link heard murmurs from the line of men, comments of, "I thought they'd abandoned us!" or "The Hero returns!" and even "The gods have answered our prayers!"
The general, his eyes severe and difficult to read, came to a stop before them. Though he seemed indifferent to the fighting occurring all around them, he spoke with an urgent quickness. "Princess, you should not be on this battlefield. My men will give
this force pause while the young hero takes you to refuge in Kakariko."
The way he regarded Link told Link everything he could have guessed. The general was still not pleased that Link had deceived him, especially since his con had not resulted in the death of their foe. Had Link been successful in his plot he thought perhaps his reception would have been much warmer. A reluctant concession, but recognition all the same. Put plainly, the general had no reason to trust the hero with the art of battle. Yet, since he wished to charge Link with the protection of Hyrule's most prized
possession, he thought there was some approval in him.
"I will not abandon my people," objected Zelda.
"Princess--" the general began, but another voice interrupted his scolding.
It was Rusl's shriek that alerted them. "Another force approaches!" The blacksmith pointed to the west, the place in the sky where darkness always began with each turn of the sun and moon. Now, near morning, darkness spawned out of season. When Link turned to look, he recognized the shapes immediately.
Shadow beasts.
An entire army of them.
At the foreground stood the usurper king of shadow. Zant. Revived and born into this realm by the power of his god. His sickly shriek announced his presence to all and sent shivers throughout the battlefield. Many Hylians quaked in seeing a support force and squealed in terror, begging their general, their princess, their gods, for mercy. None of these men had witnessed shadow beasts or their slavemaster king. Fear for the dark unknown shattered the spirits of most, but Link had met these creatures. He had fought Zant.
Link glared in the direction of the helmed creature of night. This was the unkempt, unruly king that had stolen Midna's rightful
place.
Zelda knew this monster as well. It was he who had impregnated her castle with his darkness, commanded his enslaved pets to strangle the life from her finest men, the false king who had stolen her kingdom with her surrender.
The general recognized the shadow king from reputation and descriptions from his men who had suffered when Zant had first taken hold of Hyrule.
But Zelda and Link both knew that to kill Zant was futile. He would simply rise again as long as the heart of the true sinister king continued to beat.
Zelda turned back to the general, her eyes empowering the words her soft, small voice spoke. "You and your men must continue to press the attack. We must make our stand together. But it will mean nothing unless Ganondorf is defeated," she said, and the general knew better than to oppose his princess at this juncture. She had always had a wisdom beyond her years; he had even known her to have outwitted her brilliant father a few times. "Link and I will engage Ganondorf while the army provides us recess from his forces."
She could tell that the general wished to object for her safety, but he did not disobey. Perhaps there was even a twinkle of pride in hearing her words and seeing how her strength and her courage bolstered the resolve of the surrounding men. He had always held devoted loyalty and affection for the princess, but in this moment his reverence of Princess Zelda was magnified a thousand fold.
As the general bowed and turned back to his men, Zelda turned to Link. Now, they needed to locate Ganondorf on the battlefield.
Link's veins throbbed with a renewed jolt of vengeance that was hard to calm. He had already found the demon king, riding through the masses a great distance from them. He and the sage-blade tore through the army in wicked turns. As his phantom riders picked through the pieces of his massacre while others still fanned out behind him to rain despair into the hearts of other Hylians.
Steeling himself against his rage, Link bottled its power and allowed it to refortify his strength. Using it as an ally instead of letting it poison his heart against his mind would mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Link whistled a three-note melody.
A familiar neigh answered, followed by the eager clomps of Epona, who broke through the lines of soldiers within seconds. She came to an abrupt halt at the sight of her master. Just as he had prayed that there would have been a response to his call, it seemed that Epona, too, had wondered where Link was.
He patted her cheek and smoothed her brow to calm her and sent a silent thanks to Midna. With the smoke suffocating the air, no one knew if the castle--or even the town--had survived, but even if the town still remained, the shockwave alone could have killed his horse … and anyone else left behind.
Link moved to mount Epona when Zelda cupped a gentle hand over his shoulder. He turned to her and she removed her hand but kept it extended as she asked, "Please, lend me your bow."
He lifted the bow from his shoulder without hesitation, but as he got ready to pull off his quiver as well, he realized that it carried no arrows. He could not remember if he had spent them all or if they had perhaps tumbled free during his dance with the Dark
Beast, but one thing was sure. Zelda could not use a bow without arrows.
Link opened his mouth to apologize, knowing the weapon would now be no use to her, but she interrupted him before he could even speak. "Do not worry. The bow is all I need. Now, let us make haste."
He was not sure how the princess planned to attack without a single arrow, but he did not waste time in arguing. He had spent little time with the princess over the course of his journey, but it was enough to know that she had wisdom in all grounds of life.
Zelda felt the weight of the bow in her slim hands and memories of a thousand dawns and evenings broke into her, memories of a young girl, lady, and woman practicing for hours in the courtyard of her father's castle. She could remember every arrow she had ever nocked, every target she had hit--and missed. She could remember the smile of her bearded father when she had made her first perfect mark, and the memory brimmed in her eyes. It filled her not with the need to avenge her father's kingdom, but to make him proud … to show him how fearlessly she faced the threats to Hyrule and how she was willing to defend her people with her life at the front of the guard.
A hand shot down to her then and she realized it was Link already settled in Epona's saddle looking down and waiting.
When she took his hand it seemed like a million things happened at once. The reality of the battle washed over the princess as she was hoisted to sit behind Link the Hero. She heard the chorus of war cries and the stampede of a thousand hooves. Near her left she saw a dark knight hack its way through three Hylians that had been protecting her and Link from the swarming hordes. It was at that moment that Epona tore away and bolted through the crowds. Zelda tightened her legs around the animal and held one hand firmly to the back of Link's saddle while the other grasped the bow.
As they sped through the masses, they gained more and more attention from the surrounding armies, both friend and foe. The light that seemed to shine from every pore and stitch of Zelda was a beacon to all. To some she was a last hope, riding with the Hero, but to others she was an angel of vengeance carried by the wings of her ruthless warrior. Thus, as they garnered notice, they fell privy to more and more attacks. Link's focus then switched from steering them through the obstacles of the battlefield, which Epona could manage, to protecting them from the quick succession of attacks that befell them.
Mere seconds passed before Hylian soldiers on horseback came to their defense, slashing and stamping out the life of those even trying to close in on Epona and her precious passengers. Link waved the Master Sword once as thanks to the Hylian riders, and with their protection he returned his concentration to seeking out Ganondorf.
Link spotted the dark rider billowing through the masses some distance ahead. Ganondorf stalled his horse to run the length of his stolen saber straight through the heart of one of Hyrule's lieutenants, and the fire in Link's belly was rekindled when the demon king's eyes found the Hero. Those cold, heartless yellow eyes…. Eyes that had ripped apart the soul of Midna. The wicked, spiteful smile stretched the lips of his square jaw … daring Link.
A defiant scream burst from Link as he raised the Master Sword toward the god king, and his war cry was echoed through the ranks of Hylian riders beside and behind him.
Ganondorf raised a fist and the phantom riders that had been scattered throughout the Hylian army disappeared only to rematerialize behind the king. They galloped toward the small Hylian cavalry like a fog of death. Their weapons, however, were more than a mere mist. Zelda watched as a single touch knocked a rider from his horse, dead before he even flew from the saddle. She guarded her emotions from the pain of losing so many good men and women to the dark armies, holding tightly as Link guided them with deft skill through the host of phantoms.
Emerging from the line of phantoms was Epona and only three other horses of the nine they had once had. Ganondorf had turned his steed about and bolted away across the field. Whenever he turned his head to see Link and Zelda following after him, his expression was not one of panic but one of pleasure. He wanted them to follow, wanted the thrill.
It was all a game to Ganondorf, a game that he chose to savor because he knew victory would be his in the end.
But this was not an ending either Link or Zelda would allow.
"Keep pace with him!" Zelda cried over the thundering rain of hooves and clinking steel.
Link could feel the princess adjusting herself behind him, and with a quick glance behind he realized why she had dismissed his absence of arrows. The Hylian in line with him gasped at the sight and hollered renewed cheers and war cries that ricocheted into the furthest corners of the battlefield.
When Princess Zelda lifted the bow and pulled back on the bowstring, an arrow carrying the brilliant golden shimmer of the spirits materialized with the motion of her hand. Thus, she took aim of Ganondorf with her magical light arrow nocked against the bow.
Link swerved to avoid a cluster of enemies and the three riders alongside him kept their speed, deflecting every attempt of a bokoblin or shadow beast to attack their hero and princess. Zelda held her hands as steady as she could, her legs the only thing
keeping her rooted to Epona as the animal veered in response to a threat or command of her master.
The seconds in which it took Zelda to find an opening to release her light upon her mark felt like minutes. The instant she let loose the light Ganondorf changed direction suddenly. The discharge of energy crackled through the air and kicked up only dirt and the blood that stained it.
Link urged Epona forward, and she responded with a new burst of speed, closing the new distance between her master and his target. Ganondorf fluttered through the warring armies expertly, but Epona gave chase with just as much dexterity as the red-eyed steed. Her hooves clomped along and leapt up and around obstacles, and Link guided her to come alongside Ganondorf, and though there were standing ranks between them, they were on horseback and Ganondorf was in perfect view to Link's right.
Link entrusted Epona with plowing through the ranks ahead as he tossed his saber to his right hand and defended Zelda, all while he minded the reins and tugged on them once every so often to realign Epona so that she did not veer from view of Ganondorf.
Nearly seventy meters lay between Zelda and Ganondorf, but she had practiced with much farther targets before and struck bullseyes as often as her father's best archers. She nocked another arrow of light, the energy of the magic coming from within her like before, and this time she felt a slight drain on her nerves. She did not know how many times she would be able to pull forth a weapon cast in the spirits' power, and so she closed her mind to all but her target. Epona was staggering only a few meters behind in her stride, and so the princess was forced to lean out from her center, which put a strain on her muscles.
Zelda ignored the pain in her body, the cries of her tightened joints, as she held her aim and calculated the path of her shot. The fingers against the ridge flexed as those on the bowstring remained taut for a second more.
Then she took in a quick breath and held it, her posture as steady as she could manage, and she let the arrow fly.
A deep humming vibrated through the air and land as the arrow of light sailed through the plagued field as fast and as bright as a shooting star.
Ganondorf had no time to react to the masterful shot, and in the next instant the light pounded into his side. Its warmth sent a chill up his spine and it burned in his veins as the static of its current clung to and bounded through and around him. Its intensity was paralyzing and he found difficulty in breathing. As he gasped for breath, he saw the light hanging onto him like circulating strikes of lightning. The hum of its power quivered through his spine and into every joint, and he nearly dropped his sword as his other fingers loosened slightly from their grip of the reins.
Link took the opportunity to hone in for the attack as soon as he had seen Zelda's arrow of light soar through the air. A tug of the reins and a cry hungry for the end had redirected Epona's footfalls, and Link's rearguard of three riders followed close behind.
Just as they closed the gap, cutting and leaping their way through the swarm separating them, Ganondorf recovered from the blast. Gaining control over his stiffened nerves again, he tucked his legs in, yanked the reins to his right, and as his beast swirled about, he swung his sword in a backward arc. The blade landed in the jaw of one of the Hylian riders, and the resulting crunch of bone brought with it an agonizing death.
Link swept his sword for Ganondorf's head, but his blade cut only air. Had he attacked only but a few seconds sooner, he would have hit his mark, and the Hylian now lying in a pool of crimson at Epona's feet would likely still aloft and breathing.
Instead of retreating from Link, however, this time Ganondorf circled back around to puncture the throat of a second Hylian rider. Zelda watched helplessly as the black-haired man, who looked as young as twenty-three, gurgled to his death, grasping at his sticky neck in the few seconds he had clung to life. When the rider fell motionless, trampled by his own horse, the image of Ganondorf reappeared behind her, a depraved sparkle glinting in his wide eyes. Zelda tried to reposition herself to take aim once more, but Link pulled Epona through such a chaotic string of twists and turns in an attempt to shake the king from his tail that she could not both fight and keep her balance.
The princess heard the echoes of a hollow neigh then, and when she looked ahead, she found that the phantom riders had once again graced the field. They were riding straight for them, and Link had little reaction time to escape. Instinctively, Zelda wrapped her free arm round Link's middle and held on as tightly as she dared.
That was when the third Hylian reappeared nearby, with a fresh force of four additional riders, and they each tumbled into the scene at different angles. Three thrashed through the phantoms, collecting their attention--and for one rider's misfortune, a spear point through the gut. The other two Hylians raced sidelong toward Ganondorf.
The distraction was enough for Link to yank Epona to the left and out of the fray … but at a high price. The two Hylians who had attacked the demon king now lay crushed beneath the hooves of his steed, and only one of the other Hylians remained alive. Even so, however, that soldier had galloped to a stop some distance away and half-collapsed onto his horse's mane from the agony of his pierced shoulder.
Link pulled on the reins to bring Epona about, facing Ganondorf once more. The demon king merely sat there, still and gloating with that smile that already claimed victory. Link brought his horse to a stop, mirroring his enemy's stance, collecting his nerve for his next bold move. He took a moment to lay a reassuring hand overtop Zelda's hugging fingers. At his touch she looked beyond his shoulder to the sight of Ganondorf sitting and waiting. He twirled the stolen sage-blade in a grand gesture, and the phantoms drew up behind him in perfect formation.
Epona tossed her head and Link steadied and calmed her. Zelda could feel the tension within the sinews of the animal as Link stared down their ultimate foe.
Link's brow furrowed in response to the clenched smirk of Ganondorf, and his fist tightened over the Master Sword's hilt as he returned his other hand to the reins.
The moment the demon king raised his sword for the charge, Link responded in kind. Master Sword and Sage-Blade glinted in the darkened dawn light as they reared and raced headlong toward each other. Stained dirt and grass parted in rivulets as the hooves of their mounts beat against the earth, and neither adjusted course as they charged through the masses.
Space closed quickly and Zelda readied another shaft of light. Link had bowed his body closer in to Epona's mane to allow the princess more room to take aim, but she still had to duck to the side partly to get a clear shot. Right before she fired the phantoms had overtaken Ganondorf, forcing Link to divert his course to avoid their weapons and sending Zelda's shot well to the side of the dodging demon king.
Ganondorf sped past the pair as the phantoms faded into thin air behind them. Link's reflexes were quick, though, and he jerked his horse round to the left and gave a yelp to urge her forward. Faster and faster Ganondorf bounded across the plain slashing through unsuspecting victims. Link hardened himself against the fall of each proud Hylian warrior and the callous way in which he forced Epona to leap over their corpses. He sent a silent apology to each soul he passed and promised in return to make their sacrifice worthy of the storybooks that were sure to follow this day.
Behind him, Zelda had nocked another arrow of light. Sweat poured from her brow and her fingers were tense, numb to the exhaustion that now poisoned her body. Using the power the spirits had gifted her was taking its toll. She was not sure if she would have another burst of energy left after this attempt.
"Keep him within range!" she called, and as she aimed, Link pushed Epona hard.
They were only a few meters behind Ganondorf now, and Zelda let loose.
And missed.
Breathing hard, the princess tried to cast away the distress of her failure. Her head throbbed and she could hear every cry of pain, every defeated scream, every last sob in memory of a fallen comrade. Just as loud were the howls of the shadow beasts and squeals of the attacking army. But perhaps louder than any was the shrill voice of Zant, the usurper king. The sound of his cries of rage and glee heaved a memory into her mind's eye once more.
"Surrender or die," Zant had demanded.
Zelda's blood boiled. Today she would not surrender. This day no other would fall at the hands of her enemies. On this day she, together with the Hero of Hyrule, would cast out this evil and banish it from the lives of her people.
She pushed her tangled brown and blond locks from her brow and lifted the bow once more.
As Link pulled out to the right of Ganondorf, still keeping pace with him in whatever direction he turned, Zelda reached within herself for the last reserve of her strength. The light with which she nocked the bow was brighter than any previous magic she had conjured. Its energy enveloped her, warmed her hands, for it came from somewhere deep within her … as if her very soul had been drawn from her body to light the dark of this morning.
The arrow of light seemed to hum with the song of the spirits themselves, and when Zelda released it its pure melody rang out and reverberated against every hilltop. When it crashed into Ganondorf, the blow nearly knocked the king from his saddle as the chorus of the spirits chimed throughout the land.
Golden sparks of light once again paralyzed the demon king. His body convulsed under the strain of the pure energy of the light and struggled to regain control. In his mind he could hear the singsong of the spirits, and it echoed in his head like a bad dream. He could feel the agony of every soul he had destroyed, not only in this time but from a time long ago of a Hyrule ruled by another long dead king. The pain fueled his rage and he released a mighty roar that flooded the battlefield. He had every right to take the land of Hyrule from this feeble princess. A kingdom required a king suitable for a throne so mighty … not a princess who had merely inherited her father's lands. He had been fighting for that right far before she had even been conceived. Her very existence was just a cruel joke conjured by the gods.
His fury broke the bonds of light encompassing him so that by the time the Master Sword swirled for his head, he thrust out the sage-blade to block its deathblow. He could tell that the parry had surprised the Hero, and with all the wrath the years had given him from the time he was a babe tumbling through the golden sands of his motherland to his years as a proud king and warrior he shoved his blade forward with such vicious force that Link was knocked from his horse.
Zelda nearly tumbled on after Link, but she managed to grasp the saddle and quickly scrambled to scoot forward to clutch the reins. Epona had galloped quite a distance away from Link and Ganondorf by the time the princess had gained control.
Link landed hard against the bloodied ground, and he thought for a moment he had dislocated his shoulder. Lying on his side, he grunted through the stinging ache. The landing had knocked the wind from his lungs and the momentary vertigo muddled the images of the clashing soldiers surrounding him. Above and around him he could see the weapons of dark knights and Hylian soldiers meeting in harsh, brutal strokes and the clanging steel boomed like a hundred quaking cymbals inside his ears.
He rolled onto his stomach, the world still shaking in his perspective. The disorientation was deeper than anything he could remember feeling. He thought perhaps he had struck his head upon landing, but when he reached back he felt no jolts of pain. Raising his head once more, he looked upon the battlefield, and the rushing figures made him feel as if he were walking in a nightmare. He could not reach out to help them, but he could not rub their screaming images from his eyes either.
Link shook his head and gathered himself to his knees slowly … only to collapse toward the ground shortly after. He caught himself with one hand while the other cradled his forehead. When his mind had finally settled it felt as if minutes had ticked by, but he knew that if he had gone undefended for so long he would have already been struck dead. Blood tinted his palm when he lowered his hand, and he understood the reason for his prolonged stupor. His forehead had been cut, and it still made him dizzy when he moved or blinked, but he had to push past the pain, past the tiredness that such a wound welcomed.
He felt a shadow over him then, and looking up he saw the silhouette of the demon king. A sneer stretched his features from one side to the other, and the white teeth of the devil greeted Link at the edge of the world.
Gazing into the water he spied only light, the radiance, the life force of the spirits and the goddesses. He saw the light reflected in his eyes, and for a moment he forgot all earthly troubles. He closed his eyes, and breathed in the wonder, breathed in the life of the world.
Link opened his eyes when he heard the familiar singing and humming of the light spirits. In perfect harmony they seemed to dance around him. All four were there. Ordona, Faron, Eldin, and Lanayru. Each gave their voice to the song of light, each adding a layer of perfection to the whole.
As their graceful and godlike dance continued, Link watched as they blossomed into simple, radiant light. Within seconds they became the very treasures Link had seen them guard, orbs of whirling light. Their ballet continued as they skipped across the ocean underfoot to the only other human body present within their world. They coalesced around her, Princess Zelda, and as she breathed they splashed into her in a great flash of white.
Link approached her as the light of the spirits dimmed yet left her skin glowing brighter still than her natural essence. He did not know what depths this magical ocean reached, whether he walked upon its surface or if it was an ocean floor mere inches beneath its beauty, but he felt weightless as he stepped toward the princess. With each step he took, the droplets splashed from his soles and into the water again like a fairy's dust trailing behind him.
Zelda's head remained bowed for a long moment, and Link came to a stop just meters from her. The light pooled around his boots and tethered him there gently. When the princess raised her head and looked upon him, he saw in her gentle eyes a wisdom far beyond her youth. He had seen it within her before, but now it seemed truly awakened. For a sliver of time she looked like a true queen. The lines of worry and the weight of her rule were written across her face, but the glow of her spirit allowed no wrinkle to steal her fair complexion.
A moment later she breathed out in a small smile. Collecting herself, bringing herself to the full height of her office, she spoke Link's name and it rang out across the void of light and dark like it had on Eldin Field.
"You are the Chosen Hero," she said, and as she spoke, it was as if the spirits spoke through her, a vessel of their--and the gods'--great wisdom. How many times they had called him this….
Link looked into her eyes and could see all the ages reflected back onto him. She knew how much he had given to her kingdom already, and an apologetic gleam came into their sparkle. With a most regal and humble bow, she asked in solemn grace, "Lend us the last of your courage."
Link stood unmoving for a moment, understanding what it was, truly, that the princess requested. He had given up his personal dreams to attend to the needs of Hyrule and its people long before he had known the truth of his blood. Not only did the princess bow to him in respect in her call for aid, but he knew that her gesture also proved to be a crossroads. She wanted, needed, his help, but she was so kind in providing him the offer to refuse, to turn away and find peace in whatever life he could forge in the ashes of the battle to come … win or lose.
Yet, he did not hesitate when he presented his hand to her. Win or lose, he would fight. He would never forgive himself if he chose this moment, the climax of his journey, to turn away.
He held his hand out to her, and Zelda straightened her back and cupped her hand over his.
Her graceful wisdom met his unmatched courage and the warmth of light enveloped them in a crystalline hum.
In that very instant they were returned to their reality.
Link had left Hyrule when its dawn was nigh, but when he opened his eyes to its sky once more, orange had deepened and darkness had bled anew from its clouds. Crimson rivulets painted the green stalks around him, and the somber yet fierce choirs of steel disoriented him. Their echoes against the surrounding canyons entrapped him, bringing him into full awareness of the massive battle that had broken ground since his and princess's disappearance.
Link's nausea wore off slowly as he turned in circles, taking in the sight of the Hylians crossing blades with dark warriors of all
manifestations. The pawns of Ganondorf's army, the mercenary bulblins and bokoblins, had no doubt taken the brunt of the Hylians' brute force. Dark knights and phantom riders also flitted in and out of the two armies. One swing from these foes ended in death or near-mortal injury to all those in its path.
"Your Highness!" a scream called. Link turned to the voice, as did Zelda, who stood beside him.
He immediately recognized this man. The square-jawed general of Princess Zelda's army. When the general had called out, many of his soldiers had also taken notice, and without need for command, they had immediately redirected their battle tactics to create a defensive circle around their sovereign and the Hero. After butting a bokoblin across the temple with his shield, the general approached his princess.
Link heard murmurs from the line of men, comments of, "I thought they'd abandoned us!" or "The Hero returns!" and even "The gods have answered our prayers!"
The general, his eyes severe and difficult to read, came to a stop before them. Though he seemed indifferent to the fighting occurring all around them, he spoke with an urgent quickness. "Princess, you should not be on this battlefield. My men will give
this force pause while the young hero takes you to refuge in Kakariko."
The way he regarded Link told Link everything he could have guessed. The general was still not pleased that Link had deceived him, especially since his con had not resulted in the death of their foe. Had Link been successful in his plot he thought perhaps his reception would have been much warmer. A reluctant concession, but recognition all the same. Put plainly, the general had no reason to trust the hero with the art of battle. Yet, since he wished to charge Link with the protection of Hyrule's most prized
possession, he thought there was some approval in him.
"I will not abandon my people," objected Zelda.
"Princess--" the general began, but another voice interrupted his scolding.
It was Rusl's shriek that alerted them. "Another force approaches!" The blacksmith pointed to the west, the place in the sky where darkness always began with each turn of the sun and moon. Now, near morning, darkness spawned out of season. When Link turned to look, he recognized the shapes immediately.
Shadow beasts.
An entire army of them.
At the foreground stood the usurper king of shadow. Zant. Revived and born into this realm by the power of his god. His sickly shriek announced his presence to all and sent shivers throughout the battlefield. Many Hylians quaked in seeing a support force and squealed in terror, begging their general, their princess, their gods, for mercy. None of these men had witnessed shadow beasts or their slavemaster king. Fear for the dark unknown shattered the spirits of most, but Link had met these creatures. He had fought Zant.
Link glared in the direction of the helmed creature of night. This was the unkempt, unruly king that had stolen Midna's rightful
place.
Zelda knew this monster as well. It was he who had impregnated her castle with his darkness, commanded his enslaved pets to strangle the life from her finest men, the false king who had stolen her kingdom with her surrender.
The general recognized the shadow king from reputation and descriptions from his men who had suffered when Zant had first taken hold of Hyrule.
But Zelda and Link both knew that to kill Zant was futile. He would simply rise again as long as the heart of the true sinister king continued to beat.
Zelda turned back to the general, her eyes empowering the words her soft, small voice spoke. "You and your men must continue to press the attack. We must make our stand together. But it will mean nothing unless Ganondorf is defeated," she said, and the general knew better than to oppose his princess at this juncture. She had always had a wisdom beyond her years; he had even known her to have outwitted her brilliant father a few times. "Link and I will engage Ganondorf while the army provides us recess from his forces."
She could tell that the general wished to object for her safety, but he did not disobey. Perhaps there was even a twinkle of pride in hearing her words and seeing how her strength and her courage bolstered the resolve of the surrounding men. He had always held devoted loyalty and affection for the princess, but in this moment his reverence of Princess Zelda was magnified a thousand fold.
As the general bowed and turned back to his men, Zelda turned to Link. Now, they needed to locate Ganondorf on the battlefield.
Link's veins throbbed with a renewed jolt of vengeance that was hard to calm. He had already found the demon king, riding through the masses a great distance from them. He and the sage-blade tore through the army in wicked turns. As his phantom riders picked through the pieces of his massacre while others still fanned out behind him to rain despair into the hearts of other Hylians.
Steeling himself against his rage, Link bottled its power and allowed it to refortify his strength. Using it as an ally instead of letting it poison his heart against his mind would mean the difference between victory and defeat.
Link whistled a three-note melody.
A familiar neigh answered, followed by the eager clomps of Epona, who broke through the lines of soldiers within seconds. She came to an abrupt halt at the sight of her master. Just as he had prayed that there would have been a response to his call, it seemed that Epona, too, had wondered where Link was.
He patted her cheek and smoothed her brow to calm her and sent a silent thanks to Midna. With the smoke suffocating the air, no one knew if the castle--or even the town--had survived, but even if the town still remained, the shockwave alone could have killed his horse … and anyone else left behind.
Link moved to mount Epona when Zelda cupped a gentle hand over his shoulder. He turned to her and she removed her hand but kept it extended as she asked, "Please, lend me your bow."
He lifted the bow from his shoulder without hesitation, but as he got ready to pull off his quiver as well, he realized that it carried no arrows. He could not remember if he had spent them all or if they had perhaps tumbled free during his dance with the Dark
Beast, but one thing was sure. Zelda could not use a bow without arrows.
Link opened his mouth to apologize, knowing the weapon would now be no use to her, but she interrupted him before he could even speak. "Do not worry. The bow is all I need. Now, let us make haste."
He was not sure how the princess planned to attack without a single arrow, but he did not waste time in arguing. He had spent little time with the princess over the course of his journey, but it was enough to know that she had wisdom in all grounds of life.
Zelda felt the weight of the bow in her slim hands and memories of a thousand dawns and evenings broke into her, memories of a young girl, lady, and woman practicing for hours in the courtyard of her father's castle. She could remember every arrow she had ever nocked, every target she had hit--and missed. She could remember the smile of her bearded father when she had made her first perfect mark, and the memory brimmed in her eyes. It filled her not with the need to avenge her father's kingdom, but to make him proud … to show him how fearlessly she faced the threats to Hyrule and how she was willing to defend her people with her life at the front of the guard.
A hand shot down to her then and she realized it was Link already settled in Epona's saddle looking down and waiting.
When she took his hand it seemed like a million things happened at once. The reality of the battle washed over the princess as she was hoisted to sit behind Link the Hero. She heard the chorus of war cries and the stampede of a thousand hooves. Near her left she saw a dark knight hack its way through three Hylians that had been protecting her and Link from the swarming hordes. It was at that moment that Epona tore away and bolted through the crowds. Zelda tightened her legs around the animal and held one hand firmly to the back of Link's saddle while the other grasped the bow.
As they sped through the masses, they gained more and more attention from the surrounding armies, both friend and foe. The light that seemed to shine from every pore and stitch of Zelda was a beacon to all. To some she was a last hope, riding with the Hero, but to others she was an angel of vengeance carried by the wings of her ruthless warrior. Thus, as they garnered notice, they fell privy to more and more attacks. Link's focus then switched from steering them through the obstacles of the battlefield, which Epona could manage, to protecting them from the quick succession of attacks that befell them.
Mere seconds passed before Hylian soldiers on horseback came to their defense, slashing and stamping out the life of those even trying to close in on Epona and her precious passengers. Link waved the Master Sword once as thanks to the Hylian riders, and with their protection he returned his concentration to seeking out Ganondorf.
Link spotted the dark rider billowing through the masses some distance ahead. Ganondorf stalled his horse to run the length of his stolen saber straight through the heart of one of Hyrule's lieutenants, and the fire in Link's belly was rekindled when the demon king's eyes found the Hero. Those cold, heartless yellow eyes…. Eyes that had ripped apart the soul of Midna. The wicked, spiteful smile stretched the lips of his square jaw … daring Link.
A defiant scream burst from Link as he raised the Master Sword toward the god king, and his war cry was echoed through the ranks of Hylian riders beside and behind him.
Ganondorf raised a fist and the phantom riders that had been scattered throughout the Hylian army disappeared only to rematerialize behind the king. They galloped toward the small Hylian cavalry like a fog of death. Their weapons, however, were more than a mere mist. Zelda watched as a single touch knocked a rider from his horse, dead before he even flew from the saddle. She guarded her emotions from the pain of losing so many good men and women to the dark armies, holding tightly as Link guided them with deft skill through the host of phantoms.
Emerging from the line of phantoms was Epona and only three other horses of the nine they had once had. Ganondorf had turned his steed about and bolted away across the field. Whenever he turned his head to see Link and Zelda following after him, his expression was not one of panic but one of pleasure. He wanted them to follow, wanted the thrill.
It was all a game to Ganondorf, a game that he chose to savor because he knew victory would be his in the end.
But this was not an ending either Link or Zelda would allow.
"Keep pace with him!" Zelda cried over the thundering rain of hooves and clinking steel.
Link could feel the princess adjusting herself behind him, and with a quick glance behind he realized why she had dismissed his absence of arrows. The Hylian in line with him gasped at the sight and hollered renewed cheers and war cries that ricocheted into the furthest corners of the battlefield.
When Princess Zelda lifted the bow and pulled back on the bowstring, an arrow carrying the brilliant golden shimmer of the spirits materialized with the motion of her hand. Thus, she took aim of Ganondorf with her magical light arrow nocked against the bow.
Link swerved to avoid a cluster of enemies and the three riders alongside him kept their speed, deflecting every attempt of a bokoblin or shadow beast to attack their hero and princess. Zelda held her hands as steady as she could, her legs the only thing
keeping her rooted to Epona as the animal veered in response to a threat or command of her master.
The seconds in which it took Zelda to find an opening to release her light upon her mark felt like minutes. The instant she let loose the light Ganondorf changed direction suddenly. The discharge of energy crackled through the air and kicked up only dirt and the blood that stained it.
Link urged Epona forward, and she responded with a new burst of speed, closing the new distance between her master and his target. Ganondorf fluttered through the warring armies expertly, but Epona gave chase with just as much dexterity as the red-eyed steed. Her hooves clomped along and leapt up and around obstacles, and Link guided her to come alongside Ganondorf, and though there were standing ranks between them, they were on horseback and Ganondorf was in perfect view to Link's right.
Link entrusted Epona with plowing through the ranks ahead as he tossed his saber to his right hand and defended Zelda, all while he minded the reins and tugged on them once every so often to realign Epona so that she did not veer from view of Ganondorf.
Nearly seventy meters lay between Zelda and Ganondorf, but she had practiced with much farther targets before and struck bullseyes as often as her father's best archers. She nocked another arrow of light, the energy of the magic coming from within her like before, and this time she felt a slight drain on her nerves. She did not know how many times she would be able to pull forth a weapon cast in the spirits' power, and so she closed her mind to all but her target. Epona was staggering only a few meters behind in her stride, and so the princess was forced to lean out from her center, which put a strain on her muscles.
Zelda ignored the pain in her body, the cries of her tightened joints, as she held her aim and calculated the path of her shot. The fingers against the ridge flexed as those on the bowstring remained taut for a second more.
Then she took in a quick breath and held it, her posture as steady as she could manage, and she let the arrow fly.
A deep humming vibrated through the air and land as the arrow of light sailed through the plagued field as fast and as bright as a shooting star.
Ganondorf had no time to react to the masterful shot, and in the next instant the light pounded into his side. Its warmth sent a chill up his spine and it burned in his veins as the static of its current clung to and bounded through and around him. Its intensity was paralyzing and he found difficulty in breathing. As he gasped for breath, he saw the light hanging onto him like circulating strikes of lightning. The hum of its power quivered through his spine and into every joint, and he nearly dropped his sword as his other fingers loosened slightly from their grip of the reins.
Link took the opportunity to hone in for the attack as soon as he had seen Zelda's arrow of light soar through the air. A tug of the reins and a cry hungry for the end had redirected Epona's footfalls, and Link's rearguard of three riders followed close behind.
Just as they closed the gap, cutting and leaping their way through the swarm separating them, Ganondorf recovered from the blast. Gaining control over his stiffened nerves again, he tucked his legs in, yanked the reins to his right, and as his beast swirled about, he swung his sword in a backward arc. The blade landed in the jaw of one of the Hylian riders, and the resulting crunch of bone brought with it an agonizing death.
Link swept his sword for Ganondorf's head, but his blade cut only air. Had he attacked only but a few seconds sooner, he would have hit his mark, and the Hylian now lying in a pool of crimson at Epona's feet would likely still aloft and breathing.
Instead of retreating from Link, however, this time Ganondorf circled back around to puncture the throat of a second Hylian rider. Zelda watched helplessly as the black-haired man, who looked as young as twenty-three, gurgled to his death, grasping at his sticky neck in the few seconds he had clung to life. When the rider fell motionless, trampled by his own horse, the image of Ganondorf reappeared behind her, a depraved sparkle glinting in his wide eyes. Zelda tried to reposition herself to take aim once more, but Link pulled Epona through such a chaotic string of twists and turns in an attempt to shake the king from his tail that she could not both fight and keep her balance.
The princess heard the echoes of a hollow neigh then, and when she looked ahead, she found that the phantom riders had once again graced the field. They were riding straight for them, and Link had little reaction time to escape. Instinctively, Zelda wrapped her free arm round Link's middle and held on as tightly as she dared.
That was when the third Hylian reappeared nearby, with a fresh force of four additional riders, and they each tumbled into the scene at different angles. Three thrashed through the phantoms, collecting their attention--and for one rider's misfortune, a spear point through the gut. The other two Hylians raced sidelong toward Ganondorf.
The distraction was enough for Link to yank Epona to the left and out of the fray … but at a high price. The two Hylians who had attacked the demon king now lay crushed beneath the hooves of his steed, and only one of the other Hylians remained alive. Even so, however, that soldier had galloped to a stop some distance away and half-collapsed onto his horse's mane from the agony of his pierced shoulder.
Link pulled on the reins to bring Epona about, facing Ganondorf once more. The demon king merely sat there, still and gloating with that smile that already claimed victory. Link brought his horse to a stop, mirroring his enemy's stance, collecting his nerve for his next bold move. He took a moment to lay a reassuring hand overtop Zelda's hugging fingers. At his touch she looked beyond his shoulder to the sight of Ganondorf sitting and waiting. He twirled the stolen sage-blade in a grand gesture, and the phantoms drew up behind him in perfect formation.
Epona tossed her head and Link steadied and calmed her. Zelda could feel the tension within the sinews of the animal as Link stared down their ultimate foe.
Link's brow furrowed in response to the clenched smirk of Ganondorf, and his fist tightened over the Master Sword's hilt as he returned his other hand to the reins.
The moment the demon king raised his sword for the charge, Link responded in kind. Master Sword and Sage-Blade glinted in the darkened dawn light as they reared and raced headlong toward each other. Stained dirt and grass parted in rivulets as the hooves of their mounts beat against the earth, and neither adjusted course as they charged through the masses.
Space closed quickly and Zelda readied another shaft of light. Link had bowed his body closer in to Epona's mane to allow the princess more room to take aim, but she still had to duck to the side partly to get a clear shot. Right before she fired the phantoms had overtaken Ganondorf, forcing Link to divert his course to avoid their weapons and sending Zelda's shot well to the side of the dodging demon king.
Ganondorf sped past the pair as the phantoms faded into thin air behind them. Link's reflexes were quick, though, and he jerked his horse round to the left and gave a yelp to urge her forward. Faster and faster Ganondorf bounded across the plain slashing through unsuspecting victims. Link hardened himself against the fall of each proud Hylian warrior and the callous way in which he forced Epona to leap over their corpses. He sent a silent apology to each soul he passed and promised in return to make their sacrifice worthy of the storybooks that were sure to follow this day.
Behind him, Zelda had nocked another arrow of light. Sweat poured from her brow and her fingers were tense, numb to the exhaustion that now poisoned her body. Using the power the spirits had gifted her was taking its toll. She was not sure if she would have another burst of energy left after this attempt.
"Keep him within range!" she called, and as she aimed, Link pushed Epona hard.
They were only a few meters behind Ganondorf now, and Zelda let loose.
And missed.
Breathing hard, the princess tried to cast away the distress of her failure. Her head throbbed and she could hear every cry of pain, every defeated scream, every last sob in memory of a fallen comrade. Just as loud were the howls of the shadow beasts and squeals of the attacking army. But perhaps louder than any was the shrill voice of Zant, the usurper king. The sound of his cries of rage and glee heaved a memory into her mind's eye once more.
"Surrender or die," Zant had demanded.
Zelda's blood boiled. Today she would not surrender. This day no other would fall at the hands of her enemies. On this day she, together with the Hero of Hyrule, would cast out this evil and banish it from the lives of her people.
She pushed her tangled brown and blond locks from her brow and lifted the bow once more.
As Link pulled out to the right of Ganondorf, still keeping pace with him in whatever direction he turned, Zelda reached within herself for the last reserve of her strength. The light with which she nocked the bow was brighter than any previous magic she had conjured. Its energy enveloped her, warmed her hands, for it came from somewhere deep within her … as if her very soul had been drawn from her body to light the dark of this morning.
The arrow of light seemed to hum with the song of the spirits themselves, and when Zelda released it its pure melody rang out and reverberated against every hilltop. When it crashed into Ganondorf, the blow nearly knocked the king from his saddle as the chorus of the spirits chimed throughout the land.
Golden sparks of light once again paralyzed the demon king. His body convulsed under the strain of the pure energy of the light and struggled to regain control. In his mind he could hear the singsong of the spirits, and it echoed in his head like a bad dream. He could feel the agony of every soul he had destroyed, not only in this time but from a time long ago of a Hyrule ruled by another long dead king. The pain fueled his rage and he released a mighty roar that flooded the battlefield. He had every right to take the land of Hyrule from this feeble princess. A kingdom required a king suitable for a throne so mighty … not a princess who had merely inherited her father's lands. He had been fighting for that right far before she had even been conceived. Her very existence was just a cruel joke conjured by the gods.
His fury broke the bonds of light encompassing him so that by the time the Master Sword swirled for his head, he thrust out the sage-blade to block its deathblow. He could tell that the parry had surprised the Hero, and with all the wrath the years had given him from the time he was a babe tumbling through the golden sands of his motherland to his years as a proud king and warrior he shoved his blade forward with such vicious force that Link was knocked from his horse.
Zelda nearly tumbled on after Link, but she managed to grasp the saddle and quickly scrambled to scoot forward to clutch the reins. Epona had galloped quite a distance away from Link and Ganondorf by the time the princess had gained control.
Link landed hard against the bloodied ground, and he thought for a moment he had dislocated his shoulder. Lying on his side, he grunted through the stinging ache. The landing had knocked the wind from his lungs and the momentary vertigo muddled the images of the clashing soldiers surrounding him. Above and around him he could see the weapons of dark knights and Hylian soldiers meeting in harsh, brutal strokes and the clanging steel boomed like a hundred quaking cymbals inside his ears.
He rolled onto his stomach, the world still shaking in his perspective. The disorientation was deeper than anything he could remember feeling. He thought perhaps he had struck his head upon landing, but when he reached back he felt no jolts of pain. Raising his head once more, he looked upon the battlefield, and the rushing figures made him feel as if he were walking in a nightmare. He could not reach out to help them, but he could not rub their screaming images from his eyes either.
Link shook his head and gathered himself to his knees slowly … only to collapse toward the ground shortly after. He caught himself with one hand while the other cradled his forehead. When his mind had finally settled it felt as if minutes had ticked by, but he knew that if he had gone undefended for so long he would have already been struck dead. Blood tinted his palm when he lowered his hand, and he understood the reason for his prolonged stupor. His forehead had been cut, and it still made him dizzy when he moved or blinked, but he had to push past the pain, past the tiredness that such a wound welcomed.
He felt a shadow over him then, and looking up he saw the silhouette of the demon king. A sneer stretched his features from one side to the other, and the white teeth of the devil greeted Link at the edge of the world.
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REVIEWS FOR THIS CHAPTER:
~zelda-Freak91 Jun 26, 2012 so Zant is going to be in the great battle, too?!? That will be awesome!^^ can't wait to read on
*Mushkikizou-chan Jun 29, 2012 Ohhh!!! I'm so excited to read moooooooore!!! And - just thought I'd let you know - you're writing style is simply amazing. I never have the patience to tell you cuz I'm dumb, haha. But yah. anyway, the word choice is always superior and I love your fight scenes! I love how they're specific so you can imagine the fight in your head instead of - like how a lot of people do - they sort of describe it the way one of those football speakers do. DX Excuse my lack of vocabulary lol. You're doing an amazing job and you don't get told enough so I'm telling you ^^ You are very talented. your action scenes are awesome! I quite enjoy reading them (multiple times, actually XD) And, I think I've even seen you improve in this story - I remember the earlier chapters (before you revamped them) and you know, I thought they were good, but now they're really good. ^^ hehe~ I just get so excited when I get to read more of your stuff, so keep it up! Maybe someday I'll be seeing your name on the cover of a book in Barnes and Nobles, eh? Probably, you were writing a novel too, weren't you?
~link-zelda22 Jun 29, 2012 this is amazing and so intense!! Its really great how you make it so imaginative! i dont know but im in love with this novel!
~silverheartlugia2000 Jun 29, 2012 Arg i get destracted to easy why didnt i read this sooner!? Awsome horsechase Epona has to have some power herself, its seems like endurance strain alone would stop any other horse frome chasing a literal Nightmare (type of demon horse)
~nasanerd09 Aug 23, 2012 I may have mentioned this before, but I love your battle scenes. They are nothing short of epic, and the way in which you balance the physical actions with the thoughts and emotions of the characters makes you feel like you are in their place. I had to smirk a little at all of Zelda's misses. That was definitely my argh point in the game, because I swear I was within range the whole time and yet Zelda kept freaking missing her shots! Oh well, I suppose if the ordeal had been as grueling as you depicted, I suppose I can forgive her.
~inquisitiveboingz Aug 28, 2012 Recently I've been plowing through a bunch of your chapters and when I came to the bottom of this one and didn't see the link for the next one I was like AGH I have to wait for the next one... I really liked the action in this chapter, so engaging and intense.... describing the battle from Zelda's point of view was really done well, and including the Hylian soldiers and how they fall by Ganondorf's blade makes it seem more real. Just a really well-written chapter!
*Mushkikizou-chan Jun 29, 2012 Ohhh!!! I'm so excited to read moooooooore!!! And - just thought I'd let you know - you're writing style is simply amazing. I never have the patience to tell you cuz I'm dumb, haha. But yah. anyway, the word choice is always superior and I love your fight scenes! I love how they're specific so you can imagine the fight in your head instead of - like how a lot of people do - they sort of describe it the way one of those football speakers do. DX Excuse my lack of vocabulary lol. You're doing an amazing job and you don't get told enough so I'm telling you ^^ You are very talented. your action scenes are awesome! I quite enjoy reading them (multiple times, actually XD) And, I think I've even seen you improve in this story - I remember the earlier chapters (before you revamped them) and you know, I thought they were good, but now they're really good. ^^ hehe~ I just get so excited when I get to read more of your stuff, so keep it up! Maybe someday I'll be seeing your name on the cover of a book in Barnes and Nobles, eh? Probably, you were writing a novel too, weren't you?
~link-zelda22 Jun 29, 2012 this is amazing and so intense!! Its really great how you make it so imaginative! i dont know but im in love with this novel!
~silverheartlugia2000 Jun 29, 2012 Arg i get destracted to easy why didnt i read this sooner!? Awsome horsechase Epona has to have some power herself, its seems like endurance strain alone would stop any other horse frome chasing a literal Nightmare (type of demon horse)
~nasanerd09 Aug 23, 2012 I may have mentioned this before, but I love your battle scenes. They are nothing short of epic, and the way in which you balance the physical actions with the thoughts and emotions of the characters makes you feel like you are in their place. I had to smirk a little at all of Zelda's misses. That was definitely my argh point in the game, because I swear I was within range the whole time and yet Zelda kept freaking missing her shots! Oh well, I suppose if the ordeal had been as grueling as you depicted, I suppose I can forgive her.
~inquisitiveboingz Aug 28, 2012 Recently I've been plowing through a bunch of your chapters and when I came to the bottom of this one and didn't see the link for the next one I was like AGH I have to wait for the next one... I really liked the action in this chapter, so engaging and intense.... describing the battle from Zelda's point of view was really done well, and including the Hylian soldiers and how they fall by Ganondorf's blade makes it seem more real. Just a really well-written chapter!