Free to Love - A Zelda x Link Fanfiction

VII: Rude Awakening

Link's Perspective:

Epona's braying woke me up. The first neigh caused me to bolt upright. The second was when I snatched my sword and stood. The third was when I heard Zelda wake. I didn't have time to reassure her as I ran towards the opening of the cave. Panic welled in my veins as I unsheathed my sword. Epona was still screaming, mixed with the sound of her galloping and what sounded like Storm. My eyes burned as I rushed into the fresh sunlight.

The man's red outfit was tight against his body, with the exceptions of the light black-accented armor. He was tall and slim, holding a large sickle in one gloved hand. What really intrigued me was the white mask with the red symbol painted on it.

"Yiga." The name escaped my mouth with a snarl. He chuckled, hand tightening around his weapons as he began to circle towards me.

"So, the legends are true," the Yiga chuckled as I drew away from him, sword at the ready. "The esteemed princess has finally left her ivory tower." I growled at his mocking tone. "We assumed she was too good to walk among us peasants?" My blood boiled.

"Don't talk about her like that," I muttered, the words escaping my mouth in a low growl. The air stilled to silence as my focus sharpened. There was nothing but me, my sword, and his voice. His sickle flashed towards me, silver blurring as it headed towards my chest.

He was quick, but not quick enough. My sword moved, like an extension of my arm, blocking the sickle. The sound of metal against metal sang, accompanied by a high-pitched scream. The sickle scraped down the blade, aiming for what I assumed was my knee.

I tipped my sword up swiftly, knocking off his grip. I was able to push his weapon away, without being wounded. He backed away.

"You're better than assumed I assumed you to be," the Yiga chuckled, his wrist flexing. I wanted nothing more to rip his face off, play dirty, but I wouldn't resort to that. I wouldn't stoop to that level.

"Come closer and I'll show you how good I really am," I snarled. He chuckled as he launched again. His sickle was aimed towards my right side, which I managed to parry. I wasn't suspecting his foot however, which sped towards my ankles in order to trip me. I managed to dodge them, only stumbling slightly for half of a second. That second was long enough for the blade to tilt just enough to slice a long gash onto my forearm.

I grit my teeth as my blood pounded in my ears. He made another lunge towards me, this one from over head. If he was going to play dirty, fine. Morals be damned. I'd end him. My adrenaline forced my arm so quickly, that the Yiga was almost unable to detect my parry before I stepped forward, close enough to kick him in the side.

His entire balance was thrown off, knocking him over. I sped forward, my forearm angling to block the kick he aimed. I grabbed his foot as an icy calm washed through me, a merciless thing. I didn't think about snapping his knee, bending the joint at the right angle to break his bones like they were nothing but straws. A crack sounded through the air, followed by an agony-filled screech. I released his ankle, pointing the tip of my sword at his throat. It would be so easy...

The sickle was far enough way that he couldn't grab it without me slitting his throat first. His scream fell quiet, followed by heavy breathing. He yanked off his mask, showing his agony-filled face. I couldn't focus on his features, not when his eyes were bulging and bloodshot, tears streaming from them. Still in pain, he angled his eyes, still filled with unfathomable hate, towards me.

"Link!" My ears sharpened, my other senses returning. "Don't." Zelda's voice was high-pitched and anxious, clearly exhibiting that she was crying. I wanted to kill this man, who had insulted the princess to her face, who had attempted an attack on her life. I had every right to kill him. "Be better than him."

The Yiga's eyes flicked to her quickly, returning to me. "You won't do it," he taunted. Those words were enough to nearly send my blade down till it split the Earth. But I leashed my temper. I grabbed it with both my hands, shoving it down into my gut, where I could store it until I needed it. "You're too good to kill me, aren't you?"

I used all of my self control to pull my blade away, sheathing it. His lips curled, but I couldn't tell what his expression depicted.

"Why?" He spat the words like poison. Almost like he couldn't believe I would walk away, leave him to rot, without doing a single thing.

"Because I am neither judge, jury, nor executioner," I responded, even though we both knew the truth. Every court in Hyrule would say I had the right to execute this man. He knew I wanted to. But I wasn't for Zelda's sake.

"I'll tell my clan," he hissed. One last attempt to corrupt me. "I'll tell them and we'll waste no time on returning here. We'll kill you. And the blonde whore you've sworn to protect." I twitched.

"Then its a good thing we'll be long gone when you return," I said, grabbing Zelda's arm and dragging her onto Storm while I quickly leaped into Epona's saddle.

I could still hear the Yiga's seething in my head as we rode away.