Shadow of the Fallen Lands

~Hyrule~

"Okay, everyone, status?" Warriors picked himself up, brushing sand off his chest with an elegant sweep. "Preferably not too injured, though you never can truly prevent the unexpected."

To a dissonant chorus of "present," I walked my palms up the rough rock to my left, standing quietly. I had to be quiet. We didn't know what might be waiting further in. Though, the beams of light scattered over the floor were tickling my brain just right, the urge to explore among the pillars of rock that supported the gentle slope of the ceiling. I could just reach up and snap my fingertips in the uneven surface, climb up into whatever awaited upwards. One hand up and-

Time's lone-eyed stare of disapproval singlehandedly stuck my feet to the ground. Oh well, another opportunity to get some adventuring in would come up soon enough.

 Sky's easy voice soothed the tension like cool balm on a wound "We're in my Hyrule, Lanayru Desert. Uh, in the caves, I think," He helped Legend up with a subtle check over the older boy. "Yes, the caves. The middle of the system is just this way. Don't worry, that portal caught us off guard, we're all alright."

As he set off down the tunnel, Twilight's thick arms lifted the prone form of Four, draping him onto my back. Sharp eyes traced  before leading us through what felt like a never-ending labyrinth of rock tunnels. Marching through the dry passages, everyone's steps stirred sand that billowed out from the impact of their boots, dry grass crunching as its dead stems were flattened. Shifting Four's weight, his chin fell between my shoulder blades. The boy's glassy eyes stared vacantly at nothing, breaths barely dusting the nape of my neck. Though he was still, I could tell that he wasn't unconscious; his breathing was too steady. A regular in-out, in-out pattern, missing any gasps or stutters. 

"Here we are!"

Wow. Just... wow.

Reminding me of the caves I grew up in, the walls of the cavern curved up into an arc of sandy stone above our heads, slits letting beams of sunlight spot the floor like spots of holy energy. Despite the cavern's stifling heat, thick air making every breath a slight exercise, it awaked my fluttering soul.

Bundled as a group, Four's tiny feet limply hitting the bones of my hips, we stepped down the hall, we reached a small opening which led out into a sort of hub with more tunnels leading off of it. An orange creature, round-bodied with a back covered in rocks, was knelt before a weathered pedestal. I crossed to its side, admiring the way that the stone-carved bird stared proudly out, light swathing the rock. 

"Its... beautiful," I looked to the creatures' kind, hard-worn face. "What is it?"

Surprising me with a passion-filled voice, it regaled me for a while with tales of a land in the sky, giant birds bearing the Goddess' people upon their backs. 

"Brother, you're okay! You're okay!" It shouted, crushing the Chosen Hero in a gentle, yet very much rib breaking hug. "Zelda was furious that you'd vanished, brother."

"Golo, I'm glad to see you too, brother! Now please put me down." Sky hissed in a strangled voice. "We can deal with Zelda's worrying later, but for now, we have to rest."

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 Shifting Four on my back, making sure his body remained as still as possible on my shoulders, I felt the moment he returned to reality.

"Does anyone mind staying down here? I think Four's ready to rejoin the land of the living and we'll get nothing into him if we're halfway across the desert." His nose tickled my nape, gently ruffling the whispy brown curls. "Besides, have you ever trekked through a desert?"