A Couple of Trials (ZeLink)

Chapter 5: Meeting with the Mayor

"Look at you, living a peaceful life..."

Link's eyes snapped open. He sat up from the bed and looked around, quickly realizing that the girl who had fallen asleep in his arms had disappeared. He threw the covers off his body and jumped to his feet. Standing on the mattress, he furrowed his eyes as anger began to fill his chest.

"The night passes... The day ends... Over and over again..." the shrill voice came again. "And with each passing day, you refuse to hunt me down."

"Where are you?" Link growled as he looked around. "Where's Zelda?"

"So impatient... So angry..." the voice taunted. "Heart so pained... Spirit so weak..."

Link felt a burn on his shoulder. He winced and brought a hand to the searing sensation, only to retract it as the pain moved to his palm. He looked down to see his hand burning with a darkened pink and purple substance. He looked up to see the roof beginning to drip with the thick, disgusting liquid. He flipped off the bed, ignoring the malice beginning to infect his body.

"Anger... Resentment... Pain... Fear... Viciousness..." the voice chanted. "Now you know how we feel."

Link turned around towards the staircase to see a tall, lanky individual. He stood with an arch in his back, a skin-tight black and burgundy suit that clung to his body, and a cracked white mask with the rageful, upside-down eyeball painted in blood red against its surface. An excessively curved sickle hung loosely, yet threateningly, in his hands. Link's eyes began to glow red as he bared his fangs toward the fury-invoking figure before him. The figure's laughter began to echo in his head. He glanced over at the desk near the staircase, noticing the Sheikah Slate sitting on top of its surface.

"I will ask you one more time, Yiga," Link said, ignoring the burning sensation in his hand and shoulder. "Where is Zelda?"

"Why are you asking me?" the Yiga asked, unnaturally bending and cracking his body. "It's your fault. Your fault. Your fault–your fault–your fault–your fault–"

Link listened to the words echo throughout the home before two more words could be heard through the splashing of malice against the floorboards and the Yiga's shrieks: "Please... Link..."

He felt another drop of burning malice land on his forehead, yet Link didn't react. Slowly, he looked directly up above him at the dripping roof. His eyes widened in horror. Stuck with her back to the ceiling and covered in burning malice, was Zelda, still dressed in just her Hylian tunic. Every point on her skin the malice touched was burned and infected. She looked like she was in so much pain, so much that it looked like she would pass out at any moment. Tears and malice dripped from her body, both of which fell onto Link's horrified face.

"L-Link..." Zelda uttered. "Please...it hurts..."

Link violently screamed before jumping up, reaching his hand out to her to pull her down, yet, before his fingertips could reach, her body disappeared into the malice pool above them. The loft shuddered as he landed. Instantly, with bloodshot eyes, he looked at the deformed Yiga in front of him. With another screeching battle cry, Link charged. In immediate response, the Yiga's grip on the sickle tightened. With incredible strength, the assassin swiped, but Link was ready. He leaped over the blade and landed on the writing desk, where he crouched and grabbed the Sheikah Slate. After a few quick taps, Link's palm began to glow blue. Strings of light continued to form before a purple-winged handle appeared. Throwing the slate to the side, Link raised the sword skyward as purple energy began to encase the blade.

He brought the blade down, firing a massive beam of holy light towards the Yiga. The assassin leaned unnaturally far back, allowing the strike to pass by before lunging toward Link with deadly force. Link blocked the sickle, but the force of the attack still sent him flying over the loft's rails. His back slammed against the dining room floor. Link pushed himself to his feet, coughing up purple and pink blood, yet he still stood ready.