The Legend of Zelda: Transient (third book in the Timeless series)

Chapter 26

"I'll be home soon," Link said, kissing the top of his wife's head, "But right now, I have to get our home back." Zelda looked as though she wanted to say something, but no words came out. Instead, she just nodded stiffly. He then turned to his son, who's worry was written in his face. Link sighed, glancing at Zelda, "Erick, you're coming with me."

"What?" Erick and Zelda asked simultaneously, both shocked. He nodded,

"It's time. You've gotten great at your bow, and I trust you to assist us." Erick hesitantly turned to go get his equipment, and Zelda approached him,

"Please tell me your plan is not to throw our son into battle." She whispered. He smiled softly,

"Of course not. He will be protected at all times, but I figured that if he saw firsthand the kind of darkness we're facing, it will give him more drive to keep it at bay." Truthfully, he was terrified of bringing his son that close to danger, but he knew that it would only hurt him more to sit back with nothing to do but think.

When Erick returned, his bow was on his back and a sword on his hip, "Let's do this." He said with a tone of determination, and Link chuckled before bending to hug Mira. Zelda pulled Erick into a tight hug, no sign of wariness in her demeanor,

"Be safe, both of you." She said. With a nod, they both mounted horses and followed the other soldiers out of the safety of the Hidden Village. Link was slightly uncomfortable, as he now rode an unfamiliar horse. He had refused to get another for himself after Epona died, so the palace horse was not in tune with his riding style, so it was a bit rocky. As they slowly rode towards the castle, Link directed his horse closer to his son,

"Ok, so here's how this is going to go. I have contacted that sorceress friend of your mom, and she agreed to meet us at the castle. When we get close, you will go with her to a vantage point, where you will use your archery skills to pick off any you see. Here, this will help," He then reached in his pouch and pulled out his Hawkeye, "It's a bit worn from age, but it will take your aim to a new level." Erick took it,

"Wait, so I'm not going in with you?" Link shook his head,

"No, but that doesn't make your job any less important. You're our eyes and ears on the outside. If reinforcements are called or something, you and the sorceress are our first line of defense. Take it seriously." Erick nodded, looking forward as he took a deep breath, and Link continued, "She has spent the last few days constructing special arrows for you. Those should help, but make sure you don't waste one shot, because you have a limited amount." He paused for a moment, "And one other thing. If the sorceress tells you to come back to the camp, you do so, without debate or hesitation. Do you understand?" The boy locked eyes with him then, a hint of confusion in his features,

"Why are you telling me that?" He asked in a softer tone,

"We don't know for sure what we're heading into. If things don't go the way I would like, I'm not going to risk your safety even further. Do you understand?" Link asked again, a bit more stern,

"I'm not just going to leave everyone there when I know I could-"

"If you can't agree to that condition then you need to go back now." Link interjected, slowing his horse to a stop. With that, Erick sighed heavily and after a long moment he nodded stiffly.

As they approached the castle, Link noticed a figure, and he realized it was the sorceress. She stood with her back to them, and as they approached, she spoke without turning,

"Are we ready?" Link glanced at the other men,

"Yeah." She turned and looked solely at Erick,

"Then let's not waste time. Come with me boy," She said simply, turning and walking briskly away. Link watched them leave for a moment, trying to swallow his dread, before flicking the reigns and turning to rejoin the group. There was an element of fear burrowed down deep inside him that he couldn't shake, but it didn't touch his outside demeanor. As he joined the rest of the riders, the blight surrounding the castle came into clearer focus. Dark shadows slithered around the stone walls, screeching with a frequency that was unsettling, even at their distance. The castle itself seemed to tremble, barely able to contain the darkness within.

As the group reached the outskirts of the castle, the air around them seemed to thicken as the bright sun diminished, darkening the area as though it was twilight, though it was barely noon. The unnerving noise coming from the castle walls immediately silenced. Link slowed his steed to a stop, lifting his hand to stop the men around him. For a long moment, nothing moved. Even the grass below them seemed to still.

Then, as quickly as the moment came, it was over. Several feet in front of the group, the air shifted and swirled, darkening into the shape of a man. His eyes were hollow and his neck was bent at an unnatural angle, but as his vacant gaze bored into Link, he recognized it.

"Sarth." He muttered, eyes wide. In response, the shadow screeched so loud it shook the earth. It was followed by a thud as two men slid off their horses, hitting the ground. Link's eyes shot over to where one laid. His name was Ran. He had accompanied Link to the desert all those years ago. He was a decent man with a loving wife and a toddler son. Now, he was slumped in the dirt, fresh blood covering the sides of his face from his ears and eyes, breathing stilled.

Link didn't have time to process what had just happened before the shadow streaked forward towards him. He reached for his blade but as he locked eyes with the shadow, he froze. That moment of hesitation was all it needed to fly over him, wrap it's cold hand around the back of his tunic and yank him upwards. His horse squealed and took off, disappearing in mere seconds. The rest of the group frantically looses arrows on the spectrum, but to no avail. It lifted him towards the castle at a speed that made him nauseous, but as they neared the stone walls, a glowing arrow stuck into its head, causing it to shriek and explode, sending Link crashing into the center pillar. He frantically grasped for something as he slid downwards, but only managed to slow his fall a bit and soon dropped with a thud onto the top floor balcony.

With a groan, he slowly stood, lightly touching the blood on his cheek. He looked over towards the hill where the sorceress and his son waited, waving so they would know their efforts saved his life. Then, he reached for his sheath to discover his blade had fallen out during the joyride. He sighed. So much for the plan.

With that, he pushed open the balcony door and walked inside.