Destined to Fight (GhiraLink)

Blood of the Goddess

Shala woke around midnight. Save for the bright, orange campfires that dotted the woods, nothing broke through the darkness that reigned. The dark clouds blocked out the moon, leaving the woods in total blackness. Unbeknownst to her, Zelda had left two hours before. She yawned before relaxing against the side of the Great Tree again, Naroh, her long-time friend and companion still asleep beside her. They were both covered by a warm blanket, but even then the cold could still wake her. She questioned nothing.

Then she heard a sniffle, then a wail. A loud, high-pitched wail of a child. As Shala opened her eyes, the wail escalated to pure, painful screaming, sometimes cut off by a loud sob.

"What in Hylia's name—?" Naroh said, his light hair falling in his face as he stirred from his sleep.

Shala jumped to her feet as many others simply sat up, mumbling and confused. With their brains still half asleep, they weren't yet concerned to find out why someone was screaming so loudly.

She cried out when a child came into view, a little girl with wild red hair and a dress that was very familiar to her; the dress bore the symbol of Hylia on the chest, and it was a cute shade of sky blue. Tears came to her eyes as the little girl fell, hardly able to walk through her hysteria.

With a horror like no other, Shala recognized the child. She was the one that had been with Loria, the little girl that had been so sweet and shy.

"Oh...oh sweet Hylia," Shala said as she ran towards the girl.

Upon being approached, she shrunk away. She was quite the ugly crier; her entire face was red, wrinkles ran along her entire forehead with the way she creased her brow, her mouth hung open, and her voice was terribly hoarse from screaming so much already. Shala also noticed something else--red specked along her blue dress, some in her hair.

Oh goddesses. Oh dear, sweet Hylia. There was no telling what this child witnessed.

--

"Link. Link, wake up."

Ghirahim nudged the sleeping man with his foot. Link lay curled up between the roots of one of the larger trees, still and quiet. He was now curled up tighter since Ghirahim had left him in the cold to investigate when he heard a child screaming. Somehow, Link had slept through the entire ordeal with Ni, and was still oblivious to what had happened.

He dreaded telling him, but he had to know. He had to know that Loria was still alive, and that she was within the woods. And that she intended to kill him.

Link didn't stir. While it was only normal for Link to be difficult to wake up, this only frustrated Ghirahim. "Link!" he yelled, grabbing his tunic and rolling him onto his back.

"Wha...?" Link said, opening his eyes so that they formed narrow slits. Before Ghirahim could answer, they closed again. 

He shook him, growling under his breath. "Wake the fuck up!! This is serious!!"

Link sighed and, much to Ghirahim's relief, opened his eyes. "Did you lose your earring again?" he asked, voice hoarse. When Ghirahim looked even more ready to slap the shit out of him, he quickly said, "I guess not."

When he said that, his tone was grim.

He sat up, running his hand through his thick, messy hair. "What is it?"

Ghirahim inhaled deeply, closing his eyes. Exhaling, he opened them again and looked at Link. "They found Ni this morning. She was hysterical. Only I could get her to somewhat calm down, but even then it was difficult. It was a miracle that I got her to sleep."

Link frowned as he pushed himself into a sitting position. Ghirahim's face was pained. "That's not all, is it?" he said, now feeling the dread build up in his stomach.