Across the Wild | A Zelink Story

Chapter 1: Link

Author's Note: this story contains violence, profanity, and some suggestive content.

Enjoy the story! Happy reading, fellow Zelink shippers!

          I pull myself up the edge of the cliff. Vah Ruta's enormous bulk sat above, glowing faintly blue against the night sky. I look around, and seeing no threats, help Zelda up the last few feet of sheer cliff. She crouched down, breathing heavily after the strenuous climb. Her long golden hair was at odds with her dark traveling clothes, which were the only things we'd been able to get in such a short timeframe.

It's been almost a month since we defeated Ganon. Hyrule was a much safer place now, and the Guardians defended Hyrule against the vast majority of monsters. The other Divine Beasts patrolled their respective territories, defeating all threats. For the past month, Yiga Clan hasn't been seen, so that was a plus. After spending a couple of days at Zora's Domain, it was now time to do our best to fix Ruta.

After she got up, we run together to the Divine Beast. The enormous trunk lowers and we get on, holding tight to its porous surface as it rises back skyward. After the trunk was directly above the opening in Ruta's back, I unwrap a large rope with a hook from my belt. I attach the hook to the grate on Ruta's trunk.

"After you," I say to Zelda.

Zelda looks at me skeptically, then gestures at the hook. "Actually, you can go. You can...test the connection."

I give her a hard look and begin climbing down the rope. I drop to the ground and look around. Ruta is almost exactly as I remember it, which makes sense because nothing can really change it.

"It's been a while, Link." Mipha stands behind me, hands clasped in front of her.

"It's nice to see you, Mipha. Thanks for your help with Ganon."

Mipha smiles. "My pleasure. Annihilating Ganon with you and Ruta was the highlight of my century."

Zelda drops to the floor behind me. "Hi, Mipha."

"Hi, Zelda. I understand that you're here to fix Ruta?"

"Yes. Can you tell what the problem is?"

"There seems to be a..." I'll admit, I tuned them out after that. The only things I really cared about concerning the Sheikah Slate was its ability to explode the hell out of bokoblins. And the best part about the Divine Beasts was the laser. I'll leave all the nitty-gritty parts to Zelda and Purah, thank you very much.

Also, I brought along some snacks, so now I have something to do. I pull a paper wrapped bird drumstick from a leather pouch on my side and start chewing slowly. A Zora gave it to me before I left, and she obviously knew what she was doing. It's perfectly salted, and a dim glow of herbal taste emanates from the perfectly cooked meat as juice—

"Link! Are you eating again?" Zelda shouts from somewhere above me.

"Me? No. Do you need something?"

"Yeah. Haul those barrels up, would you?"

"Okay." I walk over to said barrels. "How come I always have to lift the heavy stuff?"

"Because you're stronger than me." I heft the barrels through a door, up a ramp, over a small catwalk, and to a terminal. Zelda lifts off the top and takes out several arcane components and begins tinkering with the terminal. I watch for a few minutes, then head back to the first floor, take out a miniature bow target, and get in some target practice.

As I shoot, I realize that I'm getting rusty. My innate skill is swordsmanship, not archery, so after nearly a month of very little practice, I'm off my game. But after a good thirty minutes, I'm back to my normal skill level.

A familiar trumpeting noise blasts out from the depths of Ruta, startling me. Zelda exclaims something triumphantly, and Mipha responds in kind. I hear a hushed conversation, then Mipha says, "Link, would you like to ride Ruta?...With Zelda too, of course." I nod. Mipha leads me up to the top of Ruta, with Zelda close behind.

The top of Vah Ruta offers what's probably the best view in Lanayru. Below us rests Zora's Domain. North is snowy Mount Lanayru, with the dragon Naydra circling above. Lanayru Tower glows blue in the distance, ringed by the enormous Leviathan ribs and decrepit structures that are home to hundreds of monsters.

"Come over here, everyone," Zelda says to Mipha and me. We walk over to her, and Zelda takes out the Sheikah Slate. We group by the edge of the Divine Beast, and Zelda takes a picture of all three of us, framed by the night sky and the glowing stone of Zora's Domain.

"Okay, you two," Mipha says. "Get ready!" Mipha makes several gestures with her hands, and with a thundering trumpet, Vah Ruta begins sinking down into the mountain. It somehow projects a bubble of air around us as we sink into the deep lake. After several minutes, we emerge in the river around Zora's Domain, and begin walking to Lanayru Tower, waving at the crowd of Zora cheering us on from the Domain.

As we near Lanayru Tower, Mipha's intentions become clear. Ice blocks fly from Ruta's sides, and hordes of monsters are crushed under Ruta's stomping feet. Mipha's eyes are closed, mouth set in a small smile as the monsters that had hung over Zora's Domain like a thunderhead were obliterated in an explosion of ice and rock.

Zelda begins saying something to Mipha. "Mipha, that was—"

BoomBoomBoom! Explosions rack the side of Vah Ruta, and Zelda and I stumble. I pull the Master Sword from my back and turn in a circle, searching for the cause of the explosions.

BoomBoomBoom! These explosions land on the top of Ruta's head, closer to us. I look up at a hill, and see a clump of Moblins and a battery of primitive catapults, disguised with shrubbery and tree limbs. Bokoblins on small towers aim bows with bomb arrows nocked at us.

Mipha gasps and turns Ruta around to face the encampment as the bokoblins fire. Small circles of fire split the night air and race toward us.

With but a thought, a polyhedric orange shield appears around me, and I dive between Zelda and the projectiles, which explode against Daruk's Protection, leaving naught but scorch marks on the deck. I run toward the edge of Ruta's head and dive off, letting Revali's Gale rocket me toward the monster encampment.

The Sealing Sword strikes down monster after monster, crackling bolts blasting from its blade and smiting each targeted monster with just a thought. Massive icicles whiz over my head, striking the archer towers and catapults. A moblin stalks up to me, brandishing a massive claymore. I strike it down with a slice to its stick-thin chest, the turn around, ready for more attacks.

None are coming. The Master Sword and I had slain many of the monsters on the ground, and Mipha's devastating icicles ravaged the rest. I sheath the Sword and walk back to the cliff nearest to the Divine Beast.

As I walk back to Vah Ruta, Zelda and Mipha shout something at me. I assume it's just Zelda's classic "You could have been killed!" routine, but as I draw closer I see that they're screams of fear, pointing behind me. I whip around, drawing the Master Sword...

...as a wall of wind hits me, almost throwing me off the cliff. I regain my balance, and look into the red eye of the Yiga. A Blademaster stands over me, Windcleaver poised to kill. I raise the Sword as his Windcleaver slices down, and hold his sword with two hands. The Blademaster whips his sword in a circular motion, and the Sealing Sword flips out of my hand and spins off, landing blade-first in the scree about fifteen feet away.

I look to the Sword, then back at the Blademaster stoically. "How might I kill you today, "Hero"?" the Blademaster asked conversationally. "One limb at a time? Or the classic death by a thousand cuts? Or maybe I'll just stab you a few times. The possibilities are endless!" He jabs down, aiming for my stomach, but I roll to the side and he just grazes my side, opening a large gash just under my lowest rib.

I try to get up while the Blademaster's off balance, but he elbows me in the face, and blood spurts out of my nose.

And someone is screaming.