Rise of the Goddess

Chapter Three - Zariah

Raeden caught up to Zariah just before she managed to escape Castle Town. She groaned as his dark horse sidled next to Sappho. At least he had changed, he now wore the same dark colored pants as the Royal Guard's Uniform, now with black boots, leather armor covering his entire torso, save for a dark blue scarf and cloak, his hair stuck out crazily without a hat keeping it down.

"You weren't going to leave without me, right?"

She glanced over at him, and then back at the road, "Actually I was. Congratulations," she sneered at him, "You have foiled my plans,"

As soon as she got out of range of castle town, she squeezed her legs against Sappho and the horse broke out into a full run. Wind rushed through past her, pressing her down against Sappho's mane, she embraced it. A giddy smile began to spread wide across her face. The exhilaration that rushed through her in that moment, racing past the trees and the fields of Hyrule, was one of the greatest feelings she knew. She turned back behind her, to see Raeden staring at her, shocked, before pushing his horse to a full sprint as well.

At that moment, she didn't care about how irritating this boy was to be, she didn't care about the tasks her mother set out for her to do, she didn't care about a single thing at all, only the joy that horseback riding gave her, and the feeling that she could do anything in the world.

Gradually, Sappho slowed down again, tired of racing by at a full sprint. Raeden and his horse came galloping next to her again.

"When did you learn to ride like that?" he asked, almost in awe.

"It came to me naturally,"

They rode on.

"So do you know where the springs are?" he asked

She turned to him, "How did you know we were going to the springs?"

His face flushed, "I— uh—"

"My mother told you, didn't she?"

He nodded.

Zariah tilted her head back and groaned again, "The Spring of Courage is in Faron, the Spring of Power is in Akkala," she recalled the books she'd found on the springs all buried in her backpack along with her clothes and other belongings.

She could see Raeden's mind racing in her periphery.

"Those are both to the East," he said, confused, "Why are we heading west?"

She scoffed internally as he said 'we'.

"Because, I'm not going to the springs, at least not yet," she said, fixing her eyes on the canyons before her, "I'm going to the Gerudo Desert to check up on an old friend,"

"The Gerudo Man you were talking to in the library the other day?"

"Yeah," she said, not tearing her eyes away from the road for a second, "His name's Aadil, Chief of the Gerudo and Champion of Hyrule,"

She could see his eyes widen beside her, realization hitting.

"You're also a Champion, right?" Raeden asked, "What was it like, then? Fighting against Bahum—"

"Right, so this is how it's gonna go," she said instantly, stopping Sappho right in his path, her eyes locked on to his in her anger, "From this point on, you do not try any small talk, you do not ask any stupid questions, you do exactly as I say, and most important of all: you do not mention his name," her eye twitched just at the thought, "You understand me?"

Raeden was struck back, he bowed his head, "Yes,"

"Good,"

She steered Sappho back onto the road and they rode the rest of the day in silence.