The rise of a Hero

Chapter 24

In this smile, I see more than your lips,
more than the delicate folds formed on your cheeks,
more than the burst of light in your eyes.
In this smile, your smile,
I see life, happiness, vivacity.

I see you, as you really are.

oOo

The day before, Link and the princess had returned to the castle after a very long journey. Zelda soon returned to her apartments to rest and recover from the trip. She was satisfied with her work, which she knew was promising and beneficial for the great battle. At least her father would be delighted to hear about it! The slightest additional benefit was welcome. Link took advantage of his evening to clean himself and remove this brown dye that brought back embarrassing memories. By dint of being on horseback, his gluteal muscles began to hurt and he had a beginning of aches in his thighs. A few days would be enough to get back on his feet.

Once the knight was clean, he went to Impa's office to tell him about the Yigas attack. Only she was not there, he called a guard not far away to know where the royal councillor was. Apparently, she would be in the observatory for an inspection. Link went there with a steady step so as not to waste a minute. He too was tired, he needed to sleep as soon as possible. The blond had to cross half of the castle to get to the huge hall. From what he had once heard, the constellations would be engraved on the wall in the shape of a half-sphere. When he finally reached the observatory, Link found the Sheikah watching the surroundings with gravity. At the bottom, a pile of debris littered the ground; The curiosity of the Champion aroused.

"I see you finally came back," Impa began when she saw him. "Is the princess okay?"

"Yes," said Link, who was crossing the distance between them.

The king's counsellor uncrossed her arms, worry could easily be read on her face.

"Link, something very strange happened in your absence this morning," she told him after glancing at the debris. "The floor of the castle began to vibrate strongly for a few moments..."

The Hero's eyebrows rose. An earthquake? Impossible... Hyrule's soils did not belong to a seismic risk region.

"I am afraid that the return of the Calamity is imminent, alas. Within a month, Ganon may... Ganon may attack."

"We are not ready, are we?" ventured to ask Link, uncomfortable.

There was still Vah'Ruta to improve as well as control the Guardians. Impa flashed a forced smile.

"We almost are, really. It so happens that the day before yesterday, seekers of my people managed to make a Guardian work properly. We are getting to the point."

Real relief took a weight off Link's shoulders. He did not doubt his abilities, far from it, but he knew that he could not protect the entire population during his fight. The Guardians would be there to carry out this role.

"How about you? You seem to me worried, Link."

He felt her gaze on him unpleasantly.

"I was attacked by Yigas in the desert," he finally informed her, looking to the side. "They knew I was disguised as a woman."

Impa's eyes widened as a shiver ran down her spine. Now there was no doubt about it. A mole was in the courtyard itself. Who else could have known? Certainly not simple servants. The rest promised to be all the more complicated for the princess's projects. In her mind, the Sheikah went through all his possible solutions and devised a backup option. Suddenly, she grabbed the Hero's shoulders and forced him to take a few steps back.