Hello there. I'm still alive! Hope you enjoy this new installment, and I'll see you at the end.

An evening fire crackled and sparked at the small campsite situated just south of the great fiery behemoth known as Death Mountain. Here, a collection of strangers took turns exchanging stories, adding to the ever-growing firestorm of rumors regarding the exploits of one mysterious Hylian hero. Kairo, a dark-colored member of the goron tribe, was just finishing his own round of storytelling with his newfound friends - a Hylian girl named Gaile, and a grumpy old man known as Caid.

"I heard he's already torn through the Gerudo Desert," Kairo said, "laying waste to an entire colony of moldugas! He single handedly saved Gerudo Town! Amazing stuff."

Gaile nodded in agreement. "He is amazing! I heard he's a bit of a monster to boot! Seven feet tall, superhuman strength, and not to mention... dashing good looks!" She winked.

Caid rolled his eyes. "Yeah yeah, and he can shoot fireballs out of his eyes, and lightning out of his… well, y'know. I mean, gimme a break. How can you even be sure this is all true?" The old man waved a skewer of fish in the air like a sword as he spoke. "Silly legends of so-called 'heroes' have persisted for decades already. And every single time, it ends up being some weirdo in tights who maybe got lucky and slayed a monster or two. I'm sure this guy's no different-"

"Hahaha!" A nearby peal of laughter suddenly interrupted Caid. "That's amusing! Truly amusing." The trio turned their attention to the source of the laughter: a tall, accordion-wielding Rito standing just outside the camp.

"Something funny over there, bird boy?" Caid snarled.

Kass shrugged his shoulders. "Ah, pardon my intrusion." He walked over to the fire and sat down with the group. "But you see, there really is a great hero out there. Someone brave, bold, and far stronger than any of you truly know. You would be wise not to doubt him…"

Kairo smiled. "So you know of him?!" The goron clapped his large hands together with excitement.

Kass returned the smile. "Know of him? I've met him! In fact, he has already reclaimed two of the four divine beasts. I'd imagine he's even in this area now, ready to take on the beast of Death Mountain…"

As he said these words, a light crunching noise alerted the group to a looming presence just outside their camp. A short, black-hooded stranger slowly made his way to the campsite, face shrouded in darkness. He arrived next to the fire, exhaled deeply, and crossed his arms.

"Excuse me…" the stranger began, "But do you all mind if I rest here a while? I've... traveled a pretty long way."

Caid waved him off. "Ah, buzz off, little boy. We've already got too many weirdos filling up the place as it is-"

"Enough already!" Gaile held up a hand to interrupt him. "Don't mind him, he's just grumpy. As usual." She held her hands open towards the stranger. "We welcome all sorts of people here. It is a public fire after all! Sit on down."

The stranger nodded in gratitude, then took his seat on the ground near Kass. "Much appreciated," he said. From his bag he produced a skewered hunk of meat, holding it up to the fire to warm it up. With his other hand he pulled his hood back, revealing a great mess of dirty-blonde hair. Kass began to chuckle to himself with recognition.

"Ah, and just for the record…" the blonde stranger said, with a warm grin across his face, "I'm only about five feet, six inches. The bit about the lightning bolts is true though."

Kairo's eyes widened. "Wait a minute, so you're… it can't be, are you-"

"This… is Link," Kass interrupted, as he stood up and walked over to shake hands. "The legend himself!"

The trio's jaws all dropped. But after a moment, Gaile was the first to speak up. "So...so… so it's true? You're the great tamer of the divine beasts? The hero who was sent to save us all?"

Link shrugged, taking a huge bite from his meat skewer. "I mean, I wouldn't call myself great or a hero anything, but…" he said, mouth full of chewed food, "...taming the beasts is definitely one of my main objectives."

Caid rolled his eyes at this. "Bah," he scoffed. "I don't believe it. Where's your proof?"

Kass held up his hands and smiled. "Oh, just ignore him, Link. You have nothing to prove."

Link finished chewing, swallowed, and dusted his hands off. He held his left hand in the air, holding it there for a few seconds. Then he snapped his fingers. Instantly, a bolt of lightning shot down from the heavens, exploding a large boulder near the group with an earth-shaking boom. The group of campers all recoiled in fear, nearly soiling their pants in fright. Link produced yet another meat skewer from his bag and began to cook it, barely staving off a half-grin as he did so.

As the group recovered, Kairo turned to Caid and sneered. "Anymore stupid questions, wise guy?" Caid shook his head vehemently.

"Actually, I've got one." Link said. "Any of you fellas have any salt?"

Kairo and Gaile pointed towards Caid with a laugh.

"Hahaha, it appears the jig is up…" Kass said. "My teacher was indeed the court poet for the Hyrulean royal family, all those years ago. It's great that you now remember him." He retrieved his accordion from its case, playing a few notes on it before settling it on his lap. "Though I apologize that your experience with him was… less than pleasant."

Link laughed. "Well, that's a bit of an understatement, but there's no need to apologize. It's in the ancient past after all..."

The night grew still for a brief moment. The flame of the campfire crackled and flickered, bathing the campsite in the warmth of its orange glow. Crickets chirped nearby, and the snores of various travelers rounded out the chorus of sounds all around them. As the mood changed, Kass suddenly spoke.

"He loved her, you know," he said.

"Come again?"

"The princess. My teacher was utterly, deeply in love with her. So much so that, after the calamity, he made the choice to devote his life to passing down as many verses as he could in order to help you along the way. Once you inevitably returned, that is." He began to play a quiet song on his accordion, filling the night air with warm melody and comfort as they spoke.

Link sighed. "That's... a shame. I mean, it's not like he had any competition from me really."

Kass smiled. "...And that's precisely why he was so very heartbroken about the whole ordeal. He knew the princess herself only had eyes for her escort, her own knight attendant. It was simply… a classic tale of unrequited love. He was consumed with jealousy, fuming that the knight was neither nobility nor royalty himself. And he dealt with it the only way he knew how - with the power of song, and with loyal service to his princess. He dealt with it by choosing to help you, in spite of his resentment."

A flash of realization spread across Link's face.

"Wait," he began, "So… you're basically telling me… that your master loved Zelda so much that he was willing to devote the entire rest of his life to helping the guy he hated the most?"

"That's more or less correct." Kass laughed. "And... it's beautiful."

"No, it's stupid."

"...Hah! Well, I suppose love tends to make people do rather stupid things..."

Link stared after Kass for a while, then glanced down at his Zora armor and shrugged.

"Ain't that the truth."

"Anyway," Kass said, in an effort to change the subject, "It seems we have ourselves a bit of time to kill. Perhaps you'd like to hear another song? I know one about the ancient hero. It was researched, compiled, and eventually passed down by that… 'stupid' teacher of mine."

Link shrugged. He had to admit that he was beginning to warm up to the sounds of Kass's accordion, but-

"That depends," he said. "Is it going to be another cryptic hint at something or other? Because I reckon I've had my fill of secrecy for two lifetimes."

Kass chuckled mildly. "Nothing of the sort. Just a simple poem. Shall I begin?"

Link paused briefly before finally relenting with a simple nod.

"Very well then." Kass began to play.

"The kingdom of Hyrule is a vast and storied land, Oft grasped in the palm of a villainous hand.

A dark force of destruction, many times undone, Rises once again - Ganon, the calamitous one.

But hope survives in Hyrule, for all is not lost, Two brave souls protect it, no matter the cost.

A goddess-blood princess and a fearless knight, They appear in each age to fight the good fight.

Their battle with Ganon I've committed to song, To keep it through time, no matter how long.

Now begins the second verse, listen and you'll know, Of their battle with Ganon 10,000 years ago.

The kingdom of Hyrule was once a land of lasting peace, A culture of such strength and wit, that suffering did cease.

But Ganon lurked beneath the surface, strengthening its jaws, So the ancient people of Hyrule set out to help the cause.

Their efforts bore fruit in an automated force, To help avert Calamity by sealing it at its source.

Four giant behemoths for which power never ceased, Each of these titans was called a "Divine Beast."

And free-willed machines that hunted down their prey, These Guardians were built to last so they could join the fray.

To guide the beasts in battle, warriors were needed, So four Champions were pledged to see Ganon defeated.

Divine Beasts, Champions, princess, and knight, Their plan to rout Ganon was looking airtight.

And when Calamity Ganon reared its head, Hyrule rose against it, The optimism of Hyrule all the more incensed it.

Ganon raged in its assault, boiling with hate, It gnashed its teeth and thrashed about, but it was all too late.

The Guardians kept the heroes safe through every hour... The Divine Beasts unleashed attacks that weakened Ganon's power.

The hero with the sealing sword struck the final blow, And the holy power of the princess sealed Ganon so.

And that is the story of the brazen attack, On Calamity Ganon 10,000 years back."

The song ended, the still of the night settled in once more. Kass allowed some time for the song to have its effect on Link, and then he spoke. "I'm sure... you've heard this tale several times by now. My apologies if it isn't all that much help..."

Link didn't respond immediately. Instead he stared up at twinkling stars in the blackened sky, still dwelling on the words of the song, still marveling at the sheer magnitude of what his predecessor accomplished - of what he would have to accomplish. "Well... if nothing else," he finally said, solemnly, "it at least puts into perspective just what it's going to take to save this world."

Kass studied Link's face, hoping to glean a better idea of what precisely was going on behind the troubled blue eyes of this young Hylian. It seemed that the hero was not at all how Kass's teacher had described him; stoic, unreadable, silent, rude. Well, perhaps the last bit was still accurate.

But the young man who sat before him was otherwise quite different than he'd expected - playful, outspoken, unreserved, impatient, and genuine. Kass wondered if his teacher had simply pegged Link completely wrong. That was certainly possible, what with his clearly biased opinion towards him. But perhaps the ache of failure and the passage of time had actually uncovered the man who'd been present inside Link all along. Perhaps, Kass dared to think, the events of the last one hundred years were carefully arranged by fate to produce the ultimate version of the hero who would rid the world of Ganon's malice once and for all.

Kass shook his head, brought his thoughts back to the earth. If nothing else, he at least realized one thing as he studied Link; that the power of music was still very much alive indeed. Something about the song had clearly stirred something within the young Hylian. So Kass chose his words carefully, and then he spoke.

"There is… an air of heartbreak in you," he said. "The ache of profound loss is quite evident on your face."

Link gave no immediate response, so Kass continued. "I will not pry, as it is not my place. But all I will say is-"

"Sometimes I find myself asking what the point of all this is," Link interrupted. He was surprised by his own words, but was still quite comfortable uttering them. There was something about Kass that left him in a disarmed, contemplative state. He figured he'd at least take advantage of the convenient soundboard before him.

"All my life, the only thing I've known is to fight, to struggle, to strive for victory. Maybe it's a selfish thing to say, but I've been wondering more and more lately, if maybe I'm not the one who is meant to save this world. All I know is that I have this stupid sense of duty to get it done, no matter the cost. So again, what's the point of all this? What is the true purpose of my life, of my experience, my very existence?"

Kass shrugged. "Beats me, Link. I think I'm still figuring that out myself to be quite honest." He paused. "It's... a long life. There will be twists and turns, moments of heartbreak and mourning, yet moments of singing and dancing just the same. And it all leads to the same place - a better end." He walked up beside Link and joined him in his skyward gaze.

"So I can't tell you precisely what it looks like to find meaning in this life. All I can tell you… is that you must never stop fighting, must never stop striving and growing. You must simply never stop. And perhaps, with time, you will find your answer."

"I suppose you're right," Link said. "I guess I'm just finally starting to realize... that I can't simply charge in without question and strong-arm my way through every single obstacle like I used to do…" Link rolled his eyes as he realized what he'd just said. "Ugh. I'm starting to sound like Zelda now."

At this, Kass offered a small laugh.

"Anyway," Link continued, "I think that, in the end, I just hope to Hylia that I have what it takes to finish what we started all those years ago."

"You do!" Kass said. He offered a supportive clap on Link's back as he spoke. "I swear you do. And remember, you have the faith of an entire country pushing you forward. You have all of my support as well, meager as it is." He turned to Link, smiling down at him. "If you are ever in need of anything, just ask."

Link scratched his chin absentmindedly, considering the offer. "Well… there is one thing." He gestured towards a mountain in the northeast, atop which the vibrant orange glow of an unclaimed Sheikah Tower stood, piercing through the night's darkness.

"I need to make my way to that tower in the morning, get my bearings on the area. And as you can see, I'm currently without a horse. So I was wondering… maybe you could… well, you know..."

Kass blinked. "Surely, you must be joking."

With a yawn and a stretch, Link woke up at the crack of dawn, well-rested and ready to start the day. He found it somewhat amusing that his best sleep always seemed to take place on the rock-hard ground rather than the supposed comfort of a soft bed. But he figured it was simply in his nature to be more accustomed to overall discomfort. He hoped to break that habit when this whole thing was all said and done.

Link quickly gathered up his belongings, then made his way over to Kass - careful not to wake up the snoring strangers strewn about the camp. His avian friend was standing at the edge of the hill nearby, watching the sunrise and singing quietly to himself. Kass turned his head and smiled as Link reached up to offer a friendly pat on his shoulder.

"I'm all set," Link said. "Did you sleep well?"

Kass shrugged. "Ah, I'm not much of a sleeper these days…"

Link nodded apologetically. "Ah, sleep deprivation. I'm all too familiar with that," he said. "But I guess there's really no rest for the weary. "Shall we go then?"

Without warning, Link secured his rucksack, made sure his weapons were properly secured, then hopped upon Kass's back.

"It would seem…" Kass said, grunting in discomfort, "...that this isn't the first time you've tried something like this…"

Link laughed, recalling the memory of himself and his Zora friend Gruve riding Link's glider together - and their subsequent crash landing into the Zora river. "Yeah well, last time I was the one who ended up doing the flying by the end of it, if you could even have called it that. And I'll just say... there's probably a good reason I don't have any wings."

He thought about his own words for a moment, then sighed involuntarily. He knew that If Revali were here, he'd most certainly never hear the end of thatone.

With everything in order, Kass spread his wings and took to the skies with a powerful flap. Fortunately for the pair, their flight to Akkala Tower was one without any real turbulence or struggle. Aside from a jest by Kass about Link's surprising weight, they remained mostly silent and observant as they flew, taking in the breathtaking landscape around them. A part of Link's heart was aching for Mipha, wishing she could see the same beauty he saw from this vantage point. But he refocused his attention to the looming mountain growing larger and larger before him.

And that's when he finally saw it clearly: Akkala tower, his destination atop the mountain. But something was… terribly wrong. Even in the dim light of the morning, he could still make out the piles of swirling red malice clinging to the tower's outer surface, presenting a deadly obstacle to any who would dare come close.

The tower itself pierced straight through the enormous Akkala Citadel, which at one time was the pride of the citizens of eastern Hyrule. It was now but a shell of its former self, its crumbling walls and platforms jutting out of the sides of the mountain upon which it was initially carved out of, all in varying states of decay. Most concerning for Link, however, was the glow of spotlights spiraling around the mountain, which seemed to be searching for any potential intruders. These were none other than airborne guardians, hovering about the cliff sides with their ancient motorized propellers.

Link shook his head in disbelief. "Those things… can fly now?!" he shouted.

Even Kass himself gulped. "That's… correct," he said. "This is the closest I have ever been to one, however. Quite menacing indeed…" he veered right, then caught an air current which sent them high above the Akkala Tower. "Let's seek out a safe place to land, hopefully we can avoid any unnecessary encounters. I can't imagine we'd last very long against them up here…"

Link and Kass scanned the area, eventually swooping down and settling on a carpeted platform just in front of the main entrance to the citadel on top of the mountain. It seemed the guardians weren't bothering to patrol the main structure, what with the oozing malice itself providing the necessary defense there.

After they landed, Link hopped off Kass's back and looked over the immediate area. He found it baffling that this particular Sheikah tower was being defended so heavily, and it only made him all the more curious as to what happened here all those years ago. As if reading his mind, Kass spoke.

"I was told by my teacher… that the Akkala Citadel was the location of the final stand of Hyrule's brave army after the Calamity," he explained. "As you can see, they were largely unsuccessful. But if the legends of them are true, then I'm certain they fought valiantly to the last man."

"Ain't that the truth," Link affirmed. He could personally attest to the strength of Hyrule's former military; even if they had seemed bumbling and ineffective at many times. But even at the height of their collective buffoonery, their bravery was simply unmatched.

As Link took stock of the tower before him, which was surrounded by crumbling stone walls and chambers, Kass turned to face him. "My dear friend," he began, as he unlatched his accordion and sounded a few notes. "I have one more song for you, before my departure. My hope is that it will aid you going forward…" Link nodded and closed his eyes, and Kass began to play:

"In the valley of the ancient spring, between earth and sky,

Lies a dormant shrine where the goddess cries,

Tremendous power, wielded ever true,

Shall gain the treasure meant for you."

"Link, I will be frank," Kass said, as he stopped playing. "This song alludes to the Spring of Power in the North Akkala Valley, which I'd imagine you've visited long ago in your previous life. It is guarded by the ancient Spirit of Fire, Dinraal. Seems all signs are pointing in that direction for you…" He glanced around the mountaintop, and sighed. "I wish I could provide more assistance, but alas - I'm a musician, not a fighter. Still, I have no doubt… that you will overcome whatever terrible evil lurks here."

Link nodded. "You've done more than enough Kass." He patted his avian friend on the back as he spoke. "And I thank you for your help."

"No, no, thank you ," Kass replied, "for your willingness to lend an ear. I've grown used to being ignored or forgotten by most everyone these days. So I appreciate… well, your patience. And of course, your genuine friendship."

"Likewise," Link said with a nod. He abruptly turned and began to make his way towards the citadel entrance, ready to face whatever monstrosity lurked behind its oozing walls of malice.

"Farewell, my friend!" Kass shouted.

With a flurry of his wings, he took to the skies, and then he was gone.

Link wasted no time. With the magnesis rune of his Sheikah Slate, he pulled old sheets of metal and rusted boxes into position in front of him, allowing him safe passage over the bubbling pools of malice which formed a makeshift moat around the citadel. He climbed through a small opening in the rusted metal gate that blocked off the entrance, and soon he was inside.

Much to his surprise, there wasn't any resistance when he entered - no floating, ghastly skull monsters, no bokoblins or lizalfos warriors. Only a couple of strange eyeball-like creatures protruding from the malice itself were present. These weak enemies were promptly destroyed with arrows from his bow, dissipating the small pools of poisonous red goo they were connected to.

The interior walls of the citadel were cracked and even outright destroyed in various spots, likely from the ancient battle that was fought here. He carefully made his way down a long hallway, careful to avoid the poisonous mounds of malice that seemed to pop and sputter in response to his presence. At the far end of the hall, he could already make out the climbable stone latticework of the Sheikah Tower, which had apparently exploded straight out of the citadel roof when Link had activated the first tower on the day of his reawakening.

This was almost too easy. To Link, this clearly indicated that he was due for an ambush at any minute.

His eyes scanned the hallway around him as he walked, searching for signs of anything amiss. He just knew that something was coming. He could sense it. It was the same feeling of dread he'd experienced each time he encountered one of Ganon's monstrous incarnations, a sharp feeling deep down in his gut, the familiar pressure of darkness and evil pushing down on his stomach, squeezing him, threatening to snuff him out for good-

GROOOWWWWL.

Link's stomach roared loudly, reverberating off the interior walls of the citadel.

...Or maybe, I'm just really really hungry, he thought, with an audible laugh. He opened a small pouch on his belt, producing some leftover meat from the previous night's meal. But before he could even take a bite, another low rumble began to sound. This time it wasn't his groaning stomach.

The malice around him began to sizzle and bubble like thick boiling soup. Then it began to move slowly in all directions, collecting itself into tall mounds around the citadel hall. Link sighed, put away his food, and quickly drew the ceremonial trident from his back. His eyes narrowed, his jaw clenched as he took up his usual battle pose. Soon, the malice around him began to form into vaguely humanoid shapes. Dozens upon dozens of armor-clad entities soon emerged, holding spears and swords of various size.

Link scanned each one, feeling some bizarre sense of familiarity. There was something about the monsters' postures, their stances, and even their gait, which seemed somehow familiar-

He gasped quietly in shock.

These were the remains of Hyrule's soldiers, reanimated by Ganon's putrid malice. And they weren't just any soldiers at that. They were members of Hyrule's Royal Guard.

Link's old comrades.

His grip tightened around the shaft of his trident. His heart was filled with despair, with utter sorrow at his failure to save these men a hundred years ago. But this despair quickly gave way to furious anger, as he began to make his way closer to the phantom creature nearest to him.

Sensing Link's approach, each reanimated soldier suddenly unleashed a blood-curdling shriek, deafening him. But Link didn't dare flinch, as each one immediately charged straight after him. He focused his attention on the soldier nearest him, catching its overhead sword swing with the fork of his trident.

Up-close, he could see every disgusting detail of the results of this reanimation: pulsating red flesh composed of pure malice, bones protruding from the torso and limbs... and buried in the chest of each soldier: a large eye-like creature serving as its heart.

Link spared no hesitation. He kicked the nearest phantom in the stomach, stepped back, then speared his trident straight through the eye in its chest. The malice inside instantly lost its form, the possessed soldier's bones falling and scattering across the floor.

Link had no time to process all of this. Another trio of sword-wielding phantoms converged on him immediately, so he crouched, then swung his trident in a sweeping circle around him, knocking the enemies to their backs. With a quick leap, he turned and stabbed one of the soldiers in the chest then rolled past it in the same motion. He began to backpedal towards the entrance of the citadel, hoping to avoid being flanked from any of his blind sides. Fortunately, it seemed these corrupted soldiers only retained their host's fighting capability and not their capacity for tactics.

...Or so he thought. Suddenly, each of the phantoms stopped in-place, as if they were calculating their next move. After a moment, one single soldier emerged from the growing cluster. It wielded a rusted shield in its left hand and a royal guard's sword in its right. Atop its skull was one of the few things identifying its origins: a torn and stained guard's cap. But these features weren't what gave Link pause. Instead, it was what this wretched thing bore around its neck.

It was a pocket watch. Lieutenant Relk's pocket watch.
Oh, Hylia...

The phantom seemed to snarl at him through its lips which, like the rest of its 'skin,' was composed entirely of malice. A hollow hole was present where a nose used to be, a pair of bottomless holes instead of eyes stared right back at Link, straight down to his soul. But despite the sheer absence of facial features, the sick grin of his old friend Relk was unmistakable.

Link gritted his teeth with fury. His hands shook with seething rage, with furious regret. This was no longer just about achieving victory anymore. This was about giving his old friends the final rest they deserved - and annihilating whatever horrible entity was responsible for this cruel abomination.

Link replaced his trident on his back. He reached towards his waist and drew a long curved sword from behind him. It was the Scimitar of the Seven, Urbosa's old weapon and a gift from Riju back in the desert. After a hundred years of rest, the weapon would finally see its triumphant return to the glory of battle.

Link pointed the sword out towards the phantom Relk, nodding grimly. Unsurprisingly, the phantom returned the favor. This was a gesture from the pair's old days, back when he and Relk would spar daily, when Link would unleash beatdown after beatdown on the clearly overwhelmed soldier who always seemed willing to come back at Link for yet another round.

The phantom Relk screeched, then charged. Link considered doing the same, but decided to take a defensive position instead. He figured that the moment he engaged with Relk one-on-one, the remaining dozens of phantoms would instantly converge on him. With luck, he'd be able to dispatch this first opponent before that happened.

Relk's phantom lifted its sword, leapt into the air, and swung it down for a helm-splitting blow - its host's trademark move. Link's muscle memory kicked in automatically. He caught the overhead blow with his sword, rolled onto his back, and with both legs he catapulted the phantom up and into the ceiling where it ricocheted and fell to the floor with a painful thud, dropping its weapons with the impact.

The skeletal creature immediately climbed back to its feet, used its hands to center its twisted head on its body with a sickening crack, then retrieved its weapons from the ground. It seemed that, in addition to possessing its hosts fighting habits, the phantom also picked up on Relk's stubborness as well.

Link spared a glance behind him, and exhaled loudly. At the very least, the remaining phantoms had not yet budged from their surrounding positions after all. But he knew that it was only a matter of time before they found their opening and would attempt to exploit it.

So he quickly hatched an idea. If they were all waiting for the right moment to strike… then perhaps he'd have to strike first instead.

He swung his Sheikah Slate around, frantically navigating through his runes out of the corner of his eye. By this time, Relk recovered and began to creep towards Link, this time much slower than before.

Link tapped a button, and suddenly a glowing blue orb materialized in his hands: a remote bomb. He turned his attention to the waiting phantoms behind him, heaved the bomb in the air above them, and detonated it.

The sound of the resulting explosion echoed through the chambers of the citadel, deafening Link once more. Blobs of malice and projectile bones rocketed out from the center of the mass of soldiers as Link sprinted down the hallway towards the epicenter of the blast. Unfortunately, the explosion had only disassembled the soldiers instead of destroying their cores; but at least he now had an opening. He stabbed a few solitary eyeball creatures rolling to and fro in front of him, then charged straight for one particularly large soldier in front of him.

He pulled his trident from his back and threw it forward like a javelin, piercing the tall soldier straight through the chest and knocking it to the ground as he charged after it. But a group of phantoms to Link's right side, unaffected by the blast, began to lash out with swords and spears. He managed to slide to his left, dodging an awkward jab from one spear while parrying a sword strike at the same time. He countered the sword with a stab of his own, piercing one phantom's chest and killing it. After retrieving the monster's dropped weapon, Link began to dual wield his swords, parrying strikes from all sides as he attempted to make his way to the other side of the hallway. He slid between the bone legs of a pair of phantoms charging after him, stabbing the first one through the chest as he did, then he hopped to his feet and spun to face the crowd once more.

His back now to the opposite wall, he once again no longer feared being flanked by any of the creatures. What he feared now, however, was the possibility of their tactics changing.

...And his fears indeed came into fruition. Several of skeletal beasts regained their form and took up a loose formation before him. The spear-wielding soldiers took point, with the remaining warriors assembling behind them. They stood before Link, unleashed another phantom shriek, and began to charge towards him all at once.

But one particular soldier was sprinting faster than the others, easily outpacing their approach. It was the husk of Lieutenant Relk, back for more. Link observed with bewilderment that his phantom seemed to possess a mind of its own. In seconds, Relk had closed the gap between them and began to engage Link in a sword fight once more, well before his fellow soldiers had even arrived to back up the assault. Link easily parried Relk's first couple of blows, but he was growing tired. It was only a matter of time before he'd make the wrong move, before one hasty swipe would leave him open for a strike-

SHUNK!

Relk's sword pierced Link's shoulder, dropping him to the ground. His skeletal face inched closer to Link's, bearing a twisted, menacing grin as if taunting him. But Link returned the grin himself. Relk's face suddenly frowned as he traced Link's outstretched left hand towards his chest, where the Scimitar of the Seven lay pierced inside. The phantom began to laugh in defeat as the malice around it melted away. And soon, the bones of Relk lay scattered across the floor in front of Link - just as the remaining soldiers descended upon him.

Link sighed in exasperation. He was now completely overwhelmed. His mind spinning wildly, his thoughts clouded with pain, he glanced up at the broken stone window just above him. Without hesitating he leaped to his feed and scaled the wall, just as a wave of spear tips pierced the ground where he'd just laid. He stood atop the windowsill, activating his Sheikah Slate again.

It was time for Plan B.

A volley of remote bombs began raining down upon the phantoms, blasting bits of malice and bone in every direction. Link regretted having to use such cheap tactics to gain the upper hand - but he supposed the gods of life and death hardly weighed any measure of fairness in their judgement. Soon, a cluster of the disembodied eyeball-like creatures began rolling across the hall, hoping desperately to regain their forms. But it was to no avail. Link began sniping each one with his bow, hoping to mop up the last of these wretched creatures once and for all.

It was then that he noticed something odd. The malice wasn't dissipating as he'd hoped. Instead, it appeared to be pooling towards the center of the room, collecting into a large blob of pulsating flesh and bones. And from the center of the mass, a large soldier stood - the same soldier Link thought he'd dispatched with his trident earlier. His weapon still stuck out from the creature's torso.

Link groaned loudly. I... really should've just stayed in bed this morning, he thought bitterly. He hopped to the ground, took a deep breath, and began shooting bomb arrows at the growing mass of malice. But it had no obvious effect.

As the mass grew larger, Link spared a closer look at the large soldier's head at the center of the cluster. There was something he recognized about this man - the remains of him, at least. And his heart skipped a beat when he finally realized who it was. The helmet this phantom wore was one possessed by only the king's finest general, the golden crest of the Hyrulian Royal Family apparent across the scalp.

This was General Krant. Link's old boss.

You too, Krant? He thought, somberly. But before he could finish his thought, a wave of malice suddenly rushed out from Krant's body, forming tentacles and tendrils that immediately lashed across Link's arms and legs before he could even draw his swords. They lifted him from the ground and pinned him straight to the wall behind. The boiling malice popped and bubbled, burning through his flesh like a powerful acid as Link screamed in fury and pain.

In front of him, Krant began to creep steadily towards him. He ripped the ceremonial trident from his chest and pointed it at Link, ready to slay the now-helpless Hylian with his own weapon. Link flailed against the mass, but found himself unable to pull himself free of its burning grip. The malice holding his arms and legs had nearly penetrated to the bone now. But his severed nerve endings could no longer feel it. His breath grew stilted, and then it stopped. His heart pounded furiously in his chest, and he began to black out. It was here, through tears of terrible pain and exhaustion, that Link somehow managed to find his calm.

In the center of the blackness, a warm light filled his very being. He felt a familiar presence there, the comfort of his dear friends. He saw Mipha, her ghostly face offering him a look of awful concern. He saw Lieutenant Relk, with his grim smile, offering his own brand of cocky encouragement. And he saw Urbosa, standing with her arms crossed before him. She offered her hand towards him, and snapped her fingers.

Link's eyes opened, his vision returned. He could feel Mipha's grace coursing through him, healing him faster than the malice could destroy him. With newfound strength, he wrestled his left hand free, staring daggers at the skeletal form of General Krant descending upon him with his trident.

He glanced at the covered ceiling of the citadel, grinning madly.

Would it work? Could it penetrate such a thick barrier? He supposed that now was certainly not the time to be doubting Urbosa's considerable power.

Krant was now directly in front of him, rearing back with his trident. Link waited, and waited, and waited, and just as the trident stabbed forward to impale him through his head, he held his hand up.

SNAP!

A brilliant flash of light exploded through the roof of the citadel, rocking the entire mountain upon which it was carved. Chunks of rock and debris exploded in every direction as bolts of lightning pelted the interior of the citadel hall, incinerating nearly everything in its path.

Krant's husk shrieked in pain as it fizzed and simmered with the intense heat, then it fell flat on its back. The malice around it began to disappear, dropping Link to his feet. He picked up the dropped ceremonial trident and made his way over to the remains of Krant. The old general's skeletal face stared up at him, as if pleading for mercy. Link paused for a moment, offered a curt nod towards the creature. Krant weakly returned the gesture.

Link raised the trident high in the air, then stabbed the large eye core in Krant's chest with every ounce of hatred and fury he could muster. One final shriek, and the creature burst into pieces, dead.

Link collapsed to the ground in a huff. Around him, the smoking remains of malice began to disappear, leaving only the bones of his comrades in the wake. He sat there for a time, in this sea of skull and bone, as dark clouds rolled above him and darkened the sky - surely as a result of the uncontrolled power of Urbosa's unleashed fury.

And then the storm came, bringing with it a heavy rain which poured upon Link through the gaping hole in the roof of the citadel. He glanced around the room, and with surprise, he realized he could make out the faint glow of the spirits of all the fallen soldiers now standing about, offering Link their respectful salute. Flanking either side him, the ghostly forms of Mipha and Urbosa stood by, offering their comfort.

Krant and Relk were there too, Krant with his stern grin of respect, Relk with his usual conceited smile. In their previous lives, both had spoken of going out in a blaze of glory. It seemed they had each gotten their wish.

As quickly as they'd appeared, the spirits each vanished one after the other. Only Mipha remained for just a while longer, resting her gentle hand on Link's shoulder, before she too disappeared with a rush of wind.

The relentless downpour continued in earnest. The cleansing waters washed away the dirt on Link's clothes, washed away the blood caked on his scarred flesh, washed away the ceaseless tears that flowed down his face.

Link spent the entire day there, retrieving the bones of fallen soldiers and digging a mass grave for them. It pained him in his heart that he was unable to give each individual their own respectful burial, but he supposed this was the best he could do with the scattered remains. He'd at least managed to keep the bones of Relk and Krant together, but chose not to assign them special graves of their own. They would have wanted their final resting place to be alongside their comrades anyway, he knew.

In the day's aftermath, Link was completely exhausted down to his very core. Urbosa's Fury always seemed to rapidly drain his energy with every snap - but the effect was even more excruciating today, with the sheer amount of power he'd unleashed with it in the battle. Nevertheless, he knew he'd have to grow more accustomed to its usage if he wanted any chance of seeing his mission through. It seemed that Ganon's monsters were growing more powerful with each passing day, hoping to resist Link's inevitable progress towards taming the divine beasts and annihilating the Calamity for good.

With sheer force of will Link overcame his lack of energy, stubbornly persisting in his efforts to give his fellow soldiers the proper burial they deserved. When he finished, he offered a prayer for the poor souls who had fallen at this awful place, and then he scaled the Akkala Tower to activate it and set up camp there. Night had settled in by this time. Link finally granted himself a chance to sit and reflect. From his vantage point up in the tower, he could see an orange, serpent-like dragon arching gracefully through the skies around the towering glow of Death Mountain. This was Dinraal, the counterpart of the lightning Spirit Farosh he'd previously met in the Faron Region before. Link imagined he'd be meeting that behemoth very soon.

But first, it was time for rest. Glorious, merciful rest.

In his hand he gently clasped Lieutenant Relk's old pocket watch which he'd retrieved from his remains in the citadel. He'd thought of burying it with the old Lieutenant, but something told him he'd be better off holding onto it in his memory. During their Academy days, Relk was always 'borrowing' Link's stuff - surely he wouldn't mind if Link returned the favor just this once.

Link turned the watch over in his hands, his thoughts drifting towards the citadel below him. He could hear the rush of wind as it howled through the broken walls and windows of this once legendary fortress. He swore he could still hear the conversations of mingling soldiers, their muted peals of laughter, the echoes of footsteps of a time long passed.

He glanced down once more at Relk's watch, still frozen in time, to the very moment his dear friend had originally met his demise from the malice. His eyes focused on the hands of the watch, the carefully etched numbers on its face, the cracked glass which reflected Link's own somber face on its surface...

...then the air was still. Time itself seemed to slow to a crawl, and then to a dead stop as Link grew cold, still, steady. His eyes focused even more intently on the old pocket watch, whose hands somehow seemed to be moving on their own once again. A melodic ticking began to sound in his ears, hypnotizing him, drawing him down, down, down, into a familiar, but comfortable dream state.

And before long, he found himself standing in the grounds of Hyrule Castle once more, one hundred long years ago.

Next up is Memories of Mipha Part 10: Hylian Warrior.

It's been a busy summer (and autumn!), so I apologize for how long it has taken to get this chapter out. But I think I have a valid excuse this time aside from laziness: I was applying for a Master of Fine Arts program in Creative Writing at Regis University - and I got accepted!

I'd spent a large chunk of the summer in writing workshops, compiling a portfolio of previous original work for submission, so I didn't have much time to focus on this story at all. But I'm super excited to take the next step in my development as a storyteller, and I wanted to extend a personal thank-you to everyone who has supported this fic all this time. Reading your feedback and your reaction to my writing style has ultimately given me motivation and hope that I might just be able to turn my love of writing into something even more in my life.

Still, I've got a long ways to go, so much to learn, so much to improve on... but it starts here. And I appreciate everyone who has checked in on this crazy story along the way, it means so much. And it will continue to mean so much just the same.

The program begins in January, and my hope is to wrap this thing up completely before then, if that's even possible. One way or another, however, I've decided that I will -not- release any additional chapters until the rest of the story is completely written. I don't know how long it will take, but at least know that once the next update is released, it will signal that the story is completely finished and we'll be entering the final phase towards the ending of this story that I so desperately want to reach. You can expect a marathon of chapter releases at that time.

And after all this is finally done… well, my first published book will hopefully be out in 2021, assuming all goes well! Please look forward to it. If you're at all interested, that is.

Until next time, take care.