#ch.52

"Me?", Link mocked, "I wonder who was the one that made Dotour change his mind?"

Zelda feigned innocence, "He is a rational man, Link, he just came around."

Link laughed and let himself drop to the ground. Zelda clasped her hands and looked down at him.

"I have a gift for you."

Link raised his head and scoffed, "It's not my birthday."

Zelda rummaged through her dress, grabbing pockets Link was surprised existed, "It's for my peace of mind, mostly."

Link smiled and waited. Zelda had something on her hand and looked pensive. "Since you are going near Termina, I thought it wouldn't hurt to have some extra protection."

Zelda moved slowly, as they always did when they closed the gaps to the other. Zelda sat between Link's legs and grabbed his hand, "You only have to break it for it to work."

Link felt a ball in his hand, Zelda retreated her hands and put them on Link's leg. "It looks like jewelry," Link let it roll in his hand and its golden color changed, it was a whirlwind and a sea, shining and warm, "Magic?"

Zelda nodded, "My protective barrier," Link looked at her, worried she would be left without her power, "It will only work for a minute or so and it will encapsulate everything in a three meter radius, so be careful when you use it." Link was still frowning, "I just spent a fraction of magic and I'm fine already, you don't have to worry."

Link looked at the shining ball in his hand, "You don't have to worry."

Zelda nodded and let her head rest on Link's shoulder.

Link encircled Zelda in his arms and breathed her in. "Can I have a kiss before I go?"

Link would have liked to come alone. But Robert had whined and told him that it would look way too overconfident if he did so, and Link agreed, so Robert came along.

Ashei had found them at the stables. It had been short, "I'm coming with you," and she was gone. Link had sighed in defeat and Robert was starting to wonder it it had been a good idea to tag along.

Last had been Loran, she had found them last, right before they set foot outside. She stood in her armor, with a bag at her shoulder that screamed usage. Link had tried to argue, but Loran had told him that she hadn't accepted his money and that he owed her.

Link made Loran promise that this would make them even but the woman had smirked and raised a shoulder saying, "Sure, whatever."

Whatever was the worst.

It hadn't been a day and Loran already wanted to spar. Ashei had given Robert a pointed look, but Robert had raised his hand in apology, "Spare me, please."

Link had jumped in immediately, "Let's have both of you come at me at the same time," the sooner this was over the better.

Ashei trotted with a skip to them and Loran sneered, "Cocky, huh?"

Link was already too tired to argue back, and by the way Loran was smiling she just found his attitude funny.

Link smirked, "Whatever."

Loran was laughing when she dived in to attack.

It was tiring, but the longer they fought the more Link thanked the fact they had wanted to spar.

Ashei was the first to throw her hands up and leave the fight. She had left with a warning, "We better get moving if we want to be in Termina by the end of the week."

Loran stopped soon after, satisfied and with a grin that betrayed joy, "Let's go, Hero."

Link would have liked to come alone.

It was sunny and though Link would mock anyone who asked him if travelling with people was better, the banter that surrounded him was comforting.

It had started as a tingling in his stomach he mistook for hunger. It crept up and down his body and before the rest of the party turned to look at him he knew this was magic.

"Hey, Link, you okay?"

Link's throat was tight and he found himself in all fours the next second.

Loran screamed to be prepared immediately and Link thanked Hylia she had come with them.

"Link!?" Robert was walking to him and the only thing he could do was howl.

He was transforming. Back to his Twilight form. His wolf form.

Now.

He hadn't even touched the stone, so how?

Another howl.

Loran frowned and looked at Link's writhing form, "Magic," she spat.

Uncontrollable. Powerful. Dangerous.

And Link seemed to be transforming into something.

Robert intercepted her and Loran could see Ashei looking around.

"Loran, buddy-"

"Move."

"-Link is just suffering from something and I'm getting worried about the grip you have in your sword."

Loran could finish Robert in a second, but she had become fond of him, "Move."

Ashei pointed to the sky, "We have company, get ready!"

Loran remembered the monsters that had attacked the Castle, how people in the surrounding areas had talked about them falling from the sky. Monsters were one thing, monsters cast by magic was another. They were grosser than she remembered. She stepped next to one faster than Ashei and swung her sword through its neck. The monster fell limp for a second but got back to its feet the next moment. Loran frowned.

As Loran jumped back, Ashei shouted to her, "We have to take them down all at once!"

All at once, Loran looked around, there were three, so fine. "Robert!"

"On it!"

Loran dodged the back claw of the monster, "Ready!?"

Ashei and Robert shouted back and they swung in unison.

The monsters fell and disintegrated in black squares and rectangles that changed form and went back to the hole they had come from. And then Link screamed and a new set of monsters fell.

Loran sighed, "Robert go make Link shut up, if you have to cut his throat then just do it."

Robert ran back to Link the moment a black-bodied serpent-looking monster put eyes on him, "Cut his throat, she says," Link was roaring to the dirt, "Hey, buddy, I need you to chill out, you hear me?"

Robert kneeled beside Link and turned him around. There were golden marks around his face and arms and Robert had to shake off his need to yell for help, "Oh, right, you're shining, great, that's lovely. Magic, great, of all things."

Link bit the air like an animal and Robert slapped him hard, "Get a hold of yourself, you hear me!?" Link looked dazzled for a second, "There are monsters here and I can't have you calling for more, all right!?" Robert looked to the side and the last wave was already done for, Loran had grabbed one monster and threw it to another, Robert shivered.

And Link roared to the sky.

Ashei looked to the up, where a gaping black hole filled the sky, bigger in size to the other two. "That can't be good."

A new bundle of monsters fell and Ashei shouted in unison with Loran, "Robert, do something!"

Robert glared at Link, "Come on, what do I have to do?" Robert touched Link's marking, tried to ask him for help while rummaging in search of something when he touched that shard that had once stung him. It was a gut feeling that made him grab the mirror and flung it as far away as he could. "I swear, if that thing is what's calling for monsters, I'm gonna lose it," the shard was hot but it didn't sting him. Link kept on writhing on the ground. "What? You have something else? For Hylia's sake." Robert took Link's bag and ran far away from Link, "I don't have time to search inside this, buddy."

Link's screaming subsided, his markings faded and when Robert looked to Ashei and Loran they were silent and looking down at something.