Blood Moon: A Story Before the Calamity

Chapter 40

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     As the Champions departed towards their Divine Beasts, Link squeezed Zelda's hand.

     "I will need to get to Hyrule Castle as fast as possible." He explained quietly. "You have your dagger?"

     An icy calmness had settled over Zelda. She nodded, fingering the hilt of her blade.

     "I won't be able to defend you as well as I might have done any other time, so you'll have to rely a bit on yourself if we're in danger." Blue eyes met green. Link was glad that he found no trace of fear in her. 

     "Keep up, all right? Stay close to me."

     "No problem."

     Then they ran, still hand in hand, drawing strength from each other. They cleared the Lanayru Promenade as fast as possible, traveling northwest towards the Castle, not daring to imagine what they might find there. Zelda tried very hard not to think of her father.

     He's alive. He has to be.

     Steeling her heart, she sprinted faster. Somehow, somehow, everything depended on them arriving as soon as possible, and they would work everything else out once they get there...

     They stopped for a small rest at Kakariko Village, which happened to be on their way. There, Zelda explained everything in a rush to Impa, who listened with wide eyes. 

     "I saw it happen, Princess" Impa said. "We all felt the earthquake. We had known that the time was near for quite a while now, we Sheikah. But, Princess..."

     "Defend your town." Zelda was surprised at the quiet authority in her voice. "Don't worry about Hyrule Castle. Link and I--" She spared a glance back at her companion, standing silently at the door, listening. "--We're going to the Castle right now. With luck, Link will be able to weaken it, and the Divine Beasts will strike. And as for my power..." She balled her fists. "It appears that we'll have to do without it this round."

     Impa nodded decisively. "If you're sure, Princess. I'll go post as many guards as possible around the village. Rest assured that we will remain safe."

     Despite the fear pulsing in her throat, Zelda smiled. "Good."

     Impa pressed some food into Zelda's hands, then saw them out the village. Then, Link and Zelda continued making their difficult way to the Castle.

     Zelda kept on tripping over her long dress, shaking her head every time Link stopped to help her up. Dirt specked all over the white fabric, and her face was pale and drawn. Nevertheless, she found that she had the strength to push herself over the limit, to run one more step. Link's hand glowed with warmth in hers.

     Suddenly, she realized that no monster had attacked them yet. They were in a stretch of woods, right next to Hylia River, the best place to spring an ambush. She kept on looking over her shoulder, but the trees were still.

     "Noticed?" Link glanced back at her. "Me too. Suspicious, isn't it?"

     She didn't have the breath to reply back, so she nodded tersely. 

     "Better be grateful." Link turned his eyes back to the road. "Hey, what's that--?"

     They had burst through the cover of the woods, in perfect view of the contaminated Castle. However, that wasn't what caught their attention.