The Legend of Zelda: Wisdom and Courage

Chapter 28: The Power of the Deity

It took what seemed like ages for the thick crowd in Termina Field to disperse. Most people had fled to the Snowhead Region, believing that they would be safer in the highlands, under the protection of the strong, hospitable Gorons who dwelled there. Though it took longer for the soldiers to take off, they eventually did once all the townsfolk who were still able to had escaped.

In an attempt to find an alternate route into town that was left unguarded, Zelda had been circling the city walls at a safe distance for quite a while. She had to get in there at all costs, otherwise her mind would never see another moment of ease again. She had to know if he was there and most importantly, if he was alright.

Upon finding the entrance to south Clock Town free of soldiers blocking the path, the princess prepared to slip in that way, despite the large amount of fallen rubble lying in the gateway. But before she could even approach the steps leading to the gate, several high-pitched, unearthly cackles rang out across the field. Zelda stopped in her tracks upon hearing them and, noticing the rapid chill that had suddenly come over the area, she slowly gripped the Bow of Light strapped to her back before turning around to face whatever had emerged onto the field.

She gasped when she saw the sizeable army of lantern-wielding, hooded wraiths slowly etching their way across the field towards her. "Poes…" she whispered tensely, already creating a light arrow to send into their flock. Her mind briefly flashed back to her encounter with the wolfos in Hyrule Field and the painful memory that had transpired along with it, but this time, it seemed as though she would have to fend off this attack on her own, since Impa was no longer around to protect her and she didn't even know if Link was still alive at the moment. So, the princess took in a deep breath and sent her first arrow into the crowd of Poes, one of them dissipating into thin air the moment the light-tipped projectile struck it. Zelda didn't hesitate to send more their way, offing several of them in a quick succession. To give herself more space and to make sure she would not be cornered, she moved away from the walls of Clock Town and back down into the middle of the field, keeping a close eye on her targets all the while. With each Poe she defeated, she became a gradually more confident that this was a fight she would breeze out of in a short amount of time. After all, on more than one occasion she had been brazen enough to fire off two or three arrows at once and she rarely missed her mark. But the tides quickly turned against her when another group of Poes appeared a few feet behind her, quickly pairing up with their brethren to circle and surround her. Zelda scowled at the specters in aggravation and determination and shot off another round of arrows, but even so the Poes kept coming.

For several long-lasting minutes, it seemed as if the princess and the ghosts had reached a stalemate; their number did not stop increasing, but they never advanced too far on her. But Zelda knew that she had to end this and fast; time was of the essence right now and she couldn't afford to spend it dealing with a bunch of second-rate phantoms. What she really could have used at a moment like this was an extra pair of hands to help her get the job done twice as fast. What she really wanted and needed at a moment like this was Link.

As Zelda bitterly reminded herself again that he was nowhere to be found, she heard the sudden sound of a horse's battle-ready neigh close by. She looked to the north as she released several arrows at a few of the Poes in that direction and spotted its source: though they were still quite a ways off from her position, a young man, not much younger than Zelda, was using his own bow to shoot down the ghosts from atop his brown and white steed. From what the princess could make out, the boy wore a brown pageboy cap, thick bright red bangs sticking out from underneath it. He was clad in a simple brown hunting jacket with matching brown slacks and leather boots. The only color other than brown accentuating from his outfit was a bright orange ascot wrapped clipped loosely around his neck by a gold broach. The boy plowed his horse through the crowd of Poes, but Zelda couldn't afford to keep her eyes on him. She had the advancing specters to deal with and besides, it seemed like he wanted to help her, which was certainly welcome news.