Hero by Heart

Chapter 69

Zelda watched in horror as Link collapsed to the ground, slashed open by that horrible sword of Onox and pierced by one of the knives of Lady Maud.
Her heart lept when he pushed himself up again, but every hope was shattered once more when he crashed into the woman and fell over her.
She watched him roll off, but he did not get up again.
With all her strength she beat her fists on Yunobo's rock-solid chest, but he wouldn't budge. He had her in an iron grip, even as he swung his flagpole at the huge captain.
Onox was still standing, even though his right arm was nearly severed at the shoulder. It hung limp at his side, but his left hand still managed to lift the enormous blade.
Zelda let out a startled gasp when the sword came swinging down on her, but it bounced harmlessly off Yunobo's shield.
Just when the Goron stabbed his pole forward, Zelda felt his grip weaken, and quickly ducked from under his arm.
She noticed Buliara engaged in a terrible fight with that other Gerudo woman, and they hardly seemed to notice anything around them.
     They both possessed the typical Gerudo Spirit, and they were strong, fast and relentless.
     Zelda could only hope that Buliara would come out on top, because she didn't expect either of them to back down.
     The other woman lay on the ground, frighteningly close to Link, but she was staring up at the ceiling with dead eyes, her own knife embedded in her neck and a pool of blood underneath her.
     Link himself was also lying in a terribly large pool of blood, but his eyes were closed and he seemed to be breathing at least.
     Zelda worked her way around Yunobo, wanting to get to Link as soon as possible. She had to help him. He had to live.
     Unfortunately, there was one more enemy in their tent, and General Shihin was not someone she could simply ignore.
     The man had stepped back when his captains started the attack, and she could see him standing against the flap covering the entrance.
     Their eyes met and he smiled viciously at her, before turning and leaving the tent.
     Zelda cast a glance around in despair, hoping that someone would help, but it seemed that her luck had run out.
     Sidon and Dorian were standing side by side with Yunobo, busy fending off the large brute, even with one arm.
     Nell was slumped against the table, clasping his arm with one hand, his face a mask of pain and horror, while Teba stood beside him, bow in hand, searching for an opening to shoot.
     Riju had joined Buliara, and together they were dancing around Ramella, their weapons clashing and shimmering in the firelight.
     No help would come from them, and by all means they would be too late.
     So Zelda cast one last, longing look at her knight on the floor, and ran out into the night.

'How could you?!' She yelled at Shihin's back, as he was walking towards the gate.
The general cast a look over his shoulder, but didn't stop.
'Have you no respect for the rules of war? You attacked under a ceasefire!' Zelda was outraged.
Finally the man slowed down, and turned to face her. 'As I'm sure you are already well aware, we don't care about playing fair.' He laughed nastily. 'You naive little girl.'
Zelda's eyes shot fire, as she stamped over to him, until her face was within inches from his. 'You're a monster.'
General Shihin shrugged. 'Call me what you want, Princess. Words don't hurt me.'
Zelda clenched her jaw, but smiled grimly. 'Maybe this will.' She punched him in the face. Hard.
Shihin's head snapped back, and a stream of blood started to pour from his nose. His hands shot up to grasp his face, but he stopped them halfway.
He grinned at her through red teeth, then spat out some bloody slime. 'You are going to regret that.' His voice was soft, full of menace, but Zelda simply shrugged.
In normal circumstances she would be terrified, fully conscious of the kind of person in front of her, of what he was capable of, but not now.
She was furious. She had never in her life felt this kind of rage before, and she didn't care what it would cost her. He would pay for this.
Before the general could make any sudden moves, she punched him again, resulting in a satisfying crunching sound as she broke his nose.
Shihin grunted in pain, and hissed at her angrily, but she had already pulled her sword and pointed it at his throat.
'I'll give you one last chance,' she said icily. 'Give up now, before I really hurt you.'
General Shihin made the foolish mistake to laugh, spraying little droplets of blood in her face. 'You think I'm afraid of you?' He spat. 'Without your little knight to protect you you are nowhere. Helpless.' He grinned again, full of arrogance.
Zelda shrugged. 'Suit yourself.' With a quick, underhand swing she slashed at his body.
Shihin's eyes grew big and he let out a satisfactory yelp, as he stumbled backwards. Still, the blade caught him in his thigh and left a bright red line, soon running out and staining his trousers.
Zelda could see the anger flare in his eyes, as he set his jaw and pulled free his own sword, his eyes carefully tracking every movement of hers.
She did not let her attention slip though, and quickly started the attack.
With a series of fast cuts she managed to push him back, so that the general was forced to defend and dodge her blade.
Deep down, Zelda knew that this man was way better, with much more experience, but she refused to be scared. As long as she could keep him in defence, she actually stood a chance.
She had been fighting all day though, and she was tired, hungry and thirsty. Her body was exhausted, and lifting her blade became a struggle on its own.
Her blows became slower, and lost their precision, until finally the general stepped back one last time.
He caught her sword on his, pushed it down, and stepped forward again, using his longer reach to stab his blade forward.
Zelda could only just jump aside, but still felt the sharp sting as the metal cut through the skin at her waist.
She hissed, her anger flaring up again, and she threw a wicked horizontal cut, catching him across the chest.
It wasn't deep, but she had hit him, denting his self-esteem and giving her a boost of adrenaline.
     She started pushing again, and slowly a look of doubt started to show on Shihin's face.
     She smiled grimly, but never ceased her movements. She needed to go faster.
     With every cut, every swing, she thought of Link. He had taught her to fight, he had believed in her. He was lying unconscious in a pool of his own blood, because he would give his own life to save hers.
     Now it was her time to give her life for him. She would win this fight, or die trying.
     Full of determination she stepped forward, her sword a flurry of flickering metal, making the air hiss where it passed.
     Shihin no longer looked nonchalant and cocky, but frightened and confused.
     He had underestimated her, thought she would have been an easy target, and to be surprised in a fight was never a good thing.
     Even in the dark, Zelda could clearly see him, every detail of him, as if illuminated by a golden light. The world around her had blurred, and there was only one thing that mattered anymore.
     General Shihin never stood a chance.
     Zelda swung her sword from left to right, right to left, diagonally up and down, and then jumped forward.
     She used all her strength and weight to make the jump, two feet at a time, as she aimed the tip of her sword at his chest.
     Shihin's eyes went wide, his mouth hung open, as he watched the blade coming, a golden light reflected in his large pupils.
     That light seemed to explode when Zelda's blade sunk deep into his chest.
     The general was thrown backwards, wrenching the sword from her fingers, and flew through the air, landing hard on his back. His head smashed against the ground and suddenly the world around them went dark.