Hero by Heart

Chapter 12

When Link finally reached the Tech Lab, the first thing he noticed was Epona standing near the door, unsaddled and brushed, a bucket of water in front of her and the remains of some hay on the ground.
He was thankful for whoever had taken care of her, but couldn't help but feel disappointed at the lack of a second horse.
Before he could walk through the doors, Symin appeared from behind the house, looking slightly distressed as he approached Link.
'You're back!' He said. 'We didn't know if you would be, but Purah said you would never leave your horse.' As he came closer he could obviously see the look in Link's eyes, for his steps faltered and he cocked his head questioningly. 'Where is Zelda?'
Link only stared at him, trying to find an explanation for everything, but no matter how he tried, it all sounded terrible.
'Link? What happened?' Symin asked, worry now plain in his voice.
'She is not here...' Link mumbled, more to himself than to the Sheikah.
'No, she is not.' Symin said, a strange expression on his face. 'We thought you two had just gone to your house, but then this morning we found Epona standing here, unsaddled and all.'
Link shook his head as realization set in. 'We didn't. I have to go after her!' At that he ran into the lab, where a startled Purah rose from the table, confusion written all over her face.
'I need the Slate!' Link almost yelled, grabbing it from where it lay on the table.
Purah started to mutter something, but he didn't listen, already on his way out.
Back outside he turned towards Epona and started preparing her, while Symin ran after him, completely confused.
'Link! What happened? Please explain what's going on. Where is she?'
'I... I messed up,' Link said, as he heaved himself onto his horse. 'She is gone. I have to make sure she is safe. I'm sorry Symin, I don't have time to explain.'
     Before the man could protest, Link pushed Epona into a gallop and raced down the hill.
Looking at the map on the Sheikah Slate, he decided not to follow the regular path that led so far back east. Instead he would try to take a shortcut and catch Zelda somewhere on the road to Zora's Domain.
     He never even considered a possibility of her going anywhere else.
     Galloping through town, while rain poured down as if it tried to wash him away, he did not slow. He called out to the few villagers that were outside to get out of his way, hoping they would forgive him for his rudeness.
     When he reached the Ginner Woods he stopped following the road and took a sharp turn right, cutting straight through the trees and onto grassy slopes, which led him to the right bank of Nirvata Lake.
     Link stopped and dismounted Epona, rummaging through her saddlebags and pulling out his Zora Armor. He quickly got changed and patted his horse on the neck.
     With everything going on with the Sheikah technology and his Slate, he really hoped the ancient horse gear still worked.
     With one last stroke over Epona's nose he turned and jumped into the cold water. With big, swift strokes he quickly swam towards the waterfall.
     The usual wave of adrenaline washed over him, not unlike the massive wall of water did. It felt good to be moving, to cover such a distance with relatively little effort. Maybe he would find Zelda before she could get into any trouble, not knowing how many monsters were scattered around the Domain.
     At the top of the waterfall he climbed the slippery slope on his left. Up on the safety of grass he whistled for Epona and felt an immense relief as she appeared before him. It still worked.
     He hugged her neck quickly, before changing back into his tunic and riding up the steep slope of Nirvata Plateau. He made good progress now, riding flat out over the sodden grass.
     Eventually, as the moutainslope got rockier and steeper, he decided not to risk Epona stumbling and breaking a leg. He dismounted and jumped down the last part of the cliff to Lanayru Road.
     Link grimaced as he noticed the gate on his left, where everything had changed so long ago. Both on their way up as on the way down.
     He turned to the right and looked up at the mountain, a lonely, ragged peak in the grey skies. A blue dragon circled around it, flying gracefully and completely unbothered by the cold. The sight made Link feel just the slightest bit more at ease.
     Suddenly the brief moment of peace was disrupted by a loud roar. All the little hairs on his neck rose, as he instinctively grabbed for his sword. He didn't even have to look to find out where it came from.
He knew that sound.
A Lynel.
     He drew his blade while turning around, now face to face with a giant, imposing and very angry Silver Lynel.
     Its mane was huge and wild, with two curved horns protruding through the hairs. The giant horse-like body showed bright purple stripes and needed to be tremendously strong, carrying all that weight. The chest was just a massive block of pure muscle, littered with scars.
     Link knew that they were a sign of superiority. The more a Lynel had, the more powerful it was. Seeing the countless ragged lines covering its body, Link knew he was in deep trouble.
     As they stood still, both staring the other down, it grew deadly silent. Link felt his body prepare for a fight, his senses highly alert.
     That was probably the only thing that saved his life, as the monster suddenly charged and slashed its giant sword in a horizontal line, ready to cut off Links head in one swift stroke.
He jumped up and backwards, narrowly avoiding the sharp edge.
     As the blade passed beneath him, time seemed to slow down, enabling him to see every little line on the Lynel's body. He took a deep breath and lurched forward, slashing the Master Sword down on the front legs.
     He got a few cuts in before the Lynel jumped back and took some distance, putting away its weapons. Link, having some experience in fighting them, knew what it was about to do and braced himself.
     When the Lynel ducked down, its horns pointing forward, and charged at Link with a speed that was almost too great to follow, he waited for the last moment. Link then quickly jumped aside, immediately turning and slashing at the hindlegs.
     He managed a few slashes, but the beast was too tall and too strong for it to do much damage, its skin incredibly thick.
     Before he could do more, the Lynel erected its back to its full height and sucked in air, its chest expanding.
Link opened his eyes wide and turned to run. Just in time he jumped behind a tree, as the surrounding area seemed to explode in a ball of fire, the Lynel at its center.
     Link was still panting, both from exertion and fear, but he did not allow himself any time to let it sink in. He quickly grabbed his bow and an arrow. Barely even taking time to aim, he let it fly.
     The Lynel was still recovering its strength after its outburst and did not see it coming, as the sharp point cut straight through its manes and into its ear, almost ripping it off.
     It buckled forward, catching itself on its massive hands, and Link took the chance to run towards it and jump on its back, getting a greater vantage point. He manoeuvred his sword with some difficulty between his own body and the muscled back, then managed to make a deep slash in the shoulder.
     The Lynel roared and started to stagger, making it hard to hold on. With a last desperate attempt, Link stabbed the point in its back and held on tightly as he slid of the beast, tracing the sword through skin and muscle.
     The monster now arched its back in pain and fury, turning again and piercing Link with its fiery red eyes. Dark blood slowly trickled down its flanks, leaving the white fur stained and sticky.
     As Link produced his shield and raised his sword, he waited for the beast to do something.
He was glad he had fought these monsters before. That he knew which signs to look for. If not, he might not have realized what it was doing as it sucked in a deep breath.
Link instantly dropped his fighting stance and sprinted left, describing a large circle around the Lynel. Behind him, so close he felt the hot air scorch his back, great balls of fire passed him, roaring across the field.
     Link stumbled on until the last explosion of fire died away, sizzling in the snow. Then he turned back to the Lynel, his jaw set and sword raised.
     This time the Lynel ducked its head and charged forward, using its hands to claw at the ground for greater speed.
Link jumped aside again, but a little too slow. His foot got hit by its shoulder, which felt like a boulder slammed into him. The force sent his body spinning and he tumbled to the ground, groaning in pain.
     The Lynel was already approaching again, so he quickly got up, relieved to feel that his foot still supported his weight, despite the throbbing pain.
     As the sword came crashing down in a vertical swing this time, Link jumped forward and to his right. While the Lynel was pulling the sword free from the ground, he stabbed his own into the softer skin right under the front leg.
     The blade disapeared about halfway, before hitting something hard. With two hands Link grabbed the hilt as tightly as he could, while the Lynel staggered and roared, turning towards Link with its front legs kicking the air. Its own movements now caused the blade to slash further into its leg and when it came back down on the ground, it buckled under its weight.
     Link quickly jumped away from the massive monster to avoid being crushed. He managed to free his sword and step back, panting heavily. Sweat was dripping down his back and over his face, but he simply raised his arm and wiped it on his sleeve.
      The Lynel was supporting its weight on one fist, its head bent down as it recovered its strength. After a few seconds it struggled up to its hooves and lifted the sword once more, muscles bulging.
     A little slower now that it was on three legs, it still managed to charge forward, rapidly slashing at Link.
     He had to throw himself onto his back as the blade came flying over his head. Still trying to crawl away, he was now helplessly watching the blade move as if in slow motion.
     It climbed into the sky, higher and higher, until it disappeared from view behind the wild manes. He did not have to wait long, however, for it came crashing down again, moving fast even when the world seemed so slow.
     Link managed to raise his shield up and ducked behind it as the blade smashed into him.
     There was a giant crashing sound, echoing between the rock walls surrounding them. A bright flash of light blinded Link and his arm felt completely numb from the incredible power behind the blow.
     The only reason he was not crushed into the earth or split in two was the special power he had received at Death Mountain. As Daruk's Protection flared into life, the power that the Lynel had used was thrown right back at it, making it fly backwards.
     Link used this little moment of relief to get up and shake his arm, which still felt numb. He looked over at the Lynel, which was slowly raising itself to its full height again. There was blood all over its body now and its left arm seemed to be hanging limply.
     Before Link could do anything else, the Lynel came at him again, unwilling to give up. It swung its sword horizontally and Link jumped over it, quickly closing the gap and slashing the beast as high as possible, leaving a gaping gash in its right side.
     He could, however, not move fast enough to avoid the beast as it turned and slapped him with its rear end, sending Link flying through the air. He landed with an almighty crash, knocking all air from his lungs.
     Before he could do so much as gasp, the Lynel ducked its head and came charging right at him.
     In a desperate attempt, Link waited for the last moment to flatten himself to the ground again, raising his sword upward.
     He heard a crunching noise as the still useful front leg landed with full force on his shoulder, shattering it under its weight. Link cried out and temporarily lost his vision, leaving everything in a blinding light of pain.
     His entire left arm went numb again, falling to the ground as a dead weight, while his right hand struggled to hold on to the sword.
     A split second later, as the Lynel passed over him, the hoof of its hind leg landed on Link's thigh, making a second terrible noise as a new source of pain flared in his body.
     His head lolled to the side, his consciousness dimming. He felt his eyes roll back, but grit his teeth and forced himself to stay awake.
     With every last bit of will power Link managed to keep hold on his sword, sticking it out as the last rear leg flew by. The giant force of the Lynel's charge made it cut deep into the flesh, yanking the sword away from Link's limp hand.
     He let out another scream, loud and long, which rolled between the mountainsides. It was, however, suddenly overpowered by the roar of the Lynel.
     Link slowly turned his head to search the beast and saw it a short distance away, lying on its right side and struggling to get back up. The Master Sword was sticking out of its left leg, which was almost cut in two, and the white of its fur was barely visible under all the blood.
     Even though the world seemed to move in and out of focus and the pain was making it almost impossible to think, let alone move, Link pushed himself to stay awake.
     He blinked a few times, took some deep breaths and bit down on his teeth as tightly as he could, before using his right arm to push himself up.
     The renewed pain that shot through his entire left side was worse than anything he had ever felt. It was burning hot and seeped into every fiber of his brain, until it was all he could think about. Link screamed again, but did not give up.
     With his hand and foot he slowly crawled over the earth, his jaw clenched shut so tight he was afraid he might break his teeth. His left side was simply being dragged along, bouncing against every little pebble on the ground, making Link cry out every time.
     When he finally reached the Lynel, it was looking at him, still with fierce red eyes, alert on every motion. The beast was unable to get up and seemed to weaken with every passing minute, as blood seeped out of its wounds.
     Link looked at the monster and saw a flicker of intelligence in those little eyes. It was a magnificent creature, strong and smart, but too powerful for its own good. It was vicious and a threat to every living thing around it. The kingdom would be a better place without this one.
     Slowly Link reached for the Master Sword, his eyes temporarily falling shut. He forced them open again and pulled it free, extracting a loud roar from deep within the massive chest.
     With a grunt of pain Link put the sword with the tip against the broad chest and pushed. At first there was a lot of resistance, which caused him to let out another scream as he had to use more force. Finally it sunk beneath the skin, deeper and deeper, until it reached the heart.
     The Lynel seemed to shudder, its legs twitching. The red eyes looked at Link one last time, before the light behind them seemed to go out, leaving a dull color behind.
     Link sighed in relief, knowing it was finally over, and let his head fall to the ground. He closed his eyes and placed his hand on his chest, feeling it go up and down at his rapid breathing.
He finally allowed himself to let go, feeling the black waves wash over him as his consciousness faded away.