Falling Worlds; Zelink, Modern Magic AU (The Legend Of Zelda)

The Guard (21)

8/26/16

Zelda felt the woman's arms trembling around her back.

"Tel-" she started.

Her savior withdrew, shaking her head. "No, don't try to talk me out of this, I've made my decision, and I will not change my mind," she said.

Zelda dipped her head slowly, sad to lose the woman she had become close with in the past weeks. "I don't know how well you knew my father, or if it will mean much to you, but he would be eternally grateful for everything you've done for me," she said.

"Goodbye, Zelda," Tel said.

"Goodbye Tel." She turned on her heels and ran from the top of the fortress. As she looked back one last time, she saw people taking flight.

The Remnant's evacuation had begun.

Zelda started across the open space, aiming to reach the trees. The moonlight flickered, and she glanced upwards. Her breath caught as an innumerable amount of silhouettes passed in front of the moon. The force was so vast that she knew it was the Guard. That's what I'm up against? she felt weak at the knees.

Her legs only brought her to the shadow of the forest before she collapsed against a tree. After a moment of panicked breathing, she peered around the trunk.

The enormous cloud of winged warriors hovered above the open field with the moon behind them, casting a huge, amalgamous shadow on the fortress.

"Where is it?" she distantly heard.

Tel stepped to the edge of the fortress, her wings materializing behind her as she walked. "We let her go the moment you reneged on our arrangement!" she roared.

As Zelda watched, the hovering mass of the Guard shivered and split like a nest of baby spiders that had been poked. Flowing in a terrifyingly smooth motion in all directions.

What seemed like dozens of them flew towards the forest. Two of them on course to the area she had just entered.

No, no no, nope, I'm out, she thought as she started to run again, going deeper into the trees.

She knew, or at least hoped desperately, that the trees would slow her winged pursuers. Even then, she wasn't sure if she could outrun them on foot. Her stamina was nowhere near what a trained knight would possess, but she ran as hard as she could manage. Should I try to hide? she thought as she pushed herself to run harder, but she was already at her limit.

Every stumble over the uneven ground, every breath of the wind in the air, every rustle in the trees sent a panic through her. What could she do? There were so many of them... There was no way to escape them all. If she hid she might only trap herself with no escape.

She started to run to the right, changing her course every few seconds in a vain attempt to shake off anyone who might be following her; running down paths made by who knows what. She looked behind her, and then the illusion of pain burst from her chest.

Holding in her cry of surprise, she clutched the branch she had ran into to keep herself from falling down.

She looked forwards and her knees started to shake.

Nothing, there was nothing.

If that branch hadn't been there she would have run right off the edge of the island. The fear poured off of her in waves. Terror at her whole situation incapacitated her, and all she could do was struggle to keep herself from making any noise.

Zelda feared that even her heartbeat would draw the attention of those chasing her.

Was it even worth running anymore? Just how much longer could she hope to be free? How could she run from everyone who wanted to make her theirs? She didn't even know what she was running from... how could she hope to evade her fate forever?

"Found you."

Zelda's insides dissolved. She felt sick, her chest tightening as the little hope that she had left died inside of her. She turned around slowly, seeing two of the guard blocking her only way back.

"A blundering girl like you couldn't seriously have expected to get away," sneered the one on the left.

She was still clutching the branch with one hand, and she ducked underneath it to stand on the other side, as if the branch could offer her protection.

The knight on the right stepped forwards, "she's mine," he growled.

Zelda's eyes widened, her nails digging into the bark of the branch. As distorted as the voice was by the helmet he was wearing, it was distinct.

"You had your chance. You don't deserve a redeem," the other knight growled, stepping past him towards Zelda.

The knight left behind held out a hand, a sword already materializing between his fingers. With a sharp motion of his arm, he threw it through the air to strike the other knight in the back. He fell to the ground with a scream.

The traitor stepped forwards, removing his helmet and throwing it to the side as he approached the downed knight. Link's face was a mask of rage as he stepped on the man's wing and grabbed the hilt of his sword. "I'm not looking for a redeem," he said as he pulled the blade free.

Her eyes were wide as she stared at Link and then to the man. Zelda couldn't breathe, she couldn't think. All she could hear was the screams of the knight on the ground. She was moving though, stepping away from the anguish. Away from the blood, away from Link; away from everything that she couldn't understand.

The edge came up to meet her.