Amongst a clutter of books and a lighted oil lantern, Phyra sat quietly hunched over the star map that rested on a page of an opened tome. She had spent all day studying the carved mural along the map’s edges. Her eyes were weighted with weariness while she fought against her head succumbing to the lure of exhaustion. Phyra’s stomach still felt warm from the curry Link cooked for her in the cold and rainy evening. The lingering spice that tingled in her mouth was the only thing that kept her sense alert, as she endured long hours hardly moving. She reached for a half eaten loaf of bread from the empty bowl and took a few small bites while remaining fixated on the map. The bread had gone cold and stale, but it alleviated the curry’s spice in her system. Phyra would always bounce with childish excitement whenever Link cooked. Whatever meal he prepared for her, she savored each bite with loving satisfaction. Thinking about it made Phyra forget about the aching soreness in her joints. A content smile graced her beaming red face, and turned behind to see Link fast asleep in bed. She held her gaze on him before she rose from her seat and quietly walked towards him. Phyra softly sat at the edge of the bed where Link slept, and gently brushed the bangs of his blonde hair away from his closed eyes.
Her hand trailed across his cheek as her relaxed face bore a peaceful expression with a smile. Phyra’s gleaming eyes spied on his bare torso and the many scars that ran across his chest and back. Her smile solemnly faded while she softly ran her palm over his old wounds. Link rarely spoke of them, and Phyra felt too timid to even ask. Each scar was a foreboding reminder of his nature as a warrior and hunter. She reminded herself with reluctance that every wound was his first and never his last, but could never bring herself to lead him out of such a dangerous profession. Phyra knew better though. She saw the spark in his eye that craved adventure and to help those in need, especially if it costed him his life. For the many months they travelled, Phyra was too distracted by Link to ask him why he left Hyrule. She only knew that the mention of it brought a bitter frown to his face and a silent answer. The mark of the Golden Goddesses was another such scar. Link kept it covered whenever they travelled to populated areas. As Phyra held his warm hand, she wondered to herself if he felt ashamed of bearing such a burden. She chose to leave Zora’s Domain on her own volition to join Link on his journey, leaving behind her lonely father and little brother without word. Phyra knew full well Link adored her company, but an itch on the back of her head led her to believe she added to his burden.
A sudden drift in the cool wind alerted a startled Phyra, who jumped from the bed and reached for her crossbow. She brought her attention to the door in the unlighted hall of the cabin. The lodge let out a wailing creak that moaned from the push of the wind. Phyra moved cautiously towards the cabin hall with her crossbow readied. Her sight was limited in such darkness that her only guide were the rays of moonlight that shined through the glass pane windows. She remembered the traps she planted around the perimeter of the lodge, but all was silent. It could have been just a simple gust in the wind, Phyra thought, but she knew better than to dismiss her paranoia, especially after their raid on the Arbiter’s Grounds. It wouldn’t be long before the Kingdom dispatched its agents to apprehend Link and take back the star map, but Phyra held her trigger finger firm, determined to protect him no matter what. She motioned further in the hall, but a chill in her nerves forced her to a stop. Out from the corner of her eye, Phyra spotted a shadow that lingered near the window. She shifted her weapon in the direction of the intruder. The figure made no hostile motions, but stepped into the light that unveiled the silhouette from her body. Phyra’s gut tightened and signaled her to lower her crossbow as the woman towered over her with her arms crossed and her tattooed face frowned with a stoic expression. Her thin body was wrapped in dark blue silk garments fitted with asymmetrical plated armor, and an ornate odachi blade holstered over her back. Her silver hair gleamed from the moonlight and a single, braided bang hung down past her collarbone.
“Impa!” Phyra choked from her surprise, “How did you find us?”
Impa paced passed Phyra and glanced through Link’s bedroom door.
“It doesn’t take much effort to track down Hyrule’s most wanted fugitive after sabotaging military outposts, stealing a powerful artifact, and bedding a Zora councilmen’s daughter.”
Phyra’s flustered face burned red as her voice stammered.
“That is absurd!” She protested, “Link and I have never-
“Who are you trying to fool, Phyra?” Impa calmly interrupted.
A spark of defeat paralyzed Phyra frozen solid as she hung her head low in embarrassment. She knew Impa’s intellect was far too clever for her to misdirect it. Phyra could feel Impa’s stern, red eyes harshly leering down at her. She had the urge to stand firm and face Impa, but her shame kept her composure withered and closed off.
“Are you here to take us to Hyrule? She asked meekly.
Impa loosened her posture and palmed her forehead with a frustrated sigh.
“While I am committed to further chastise you both for your childish actions, I have been sent by Princess Zelda to deliver a message.”
Phyra pulled herself up and squinted her eyes with a look of dull puzzlement on her face.
“The artifact Link recovered from the Arbiter’s Grounds is believed to be a relic from the Twilight Realm, a world in parallel to our own.”
Her confused eyes widened with awe. Phyra had heard tales of the fabled Twilight Realm and the magic that was harnessed there, but never considered it to be a reality. She knew that the ancient Hero travelled to the world with the aid of its Princess during the Twilight Invasion. Phyra brought her hand to her lips and drifted in thought. She played with the idea that the star map could be a way to enter the Realm. Her heart was all aflutter as she wandered through the possibilities of beholding the mysterious majesty of such a world, until it shook apart by a light smack across the head from Impa.
“Don’t get too curious, Phyra.” Impa growled. “Zelda has gone out of her way against the King’s orders to apprehend you. So, please listen and relay her message to Link.”
Phyra broke from her fantasy and adjusted to an attentive composure as she reached for her pen and a small, leather-bound notebook. Impa raised a questioning eyebrow at her.
“Don’t judge me! Note taking is essential for the sake of mental clarity.” Phyra chirped.
Impa let out a brief sigh and took another glance through the bedroom door.
“Shortly after Link uncovered the map, Zelda had a prophetic, but cryptic dream the other night. Heed the Song of the Harbingers. Look to the Wings in the Stars, and behold the Herald of the Earth’s End.”
Phyra was overcome with a discomforting churn in her gut. A fearful look graced her face from the riddle’s grim message. Her eyes drifted as she contemplated its meaning. Phyra didn’t recall any winged constellations on the star map. She had the urge to rise from her seat and retrieve the map, but did not want to wake Link.
“Phyra.” Impa continued as she placed a hand on her shoulder. “This is as much of a mystery to Zelda as it is to you and I. You must proceed carefully. I have a feeling that a dark force is leading both you and Link on a dangerous path.”
Phyra looked on at Impa with her soft, solemn eyes. She couldn’t bring herself to speak as she desperately wanted to, but before she could utter a word, Impa silenced her as she brought her finger to her lips. The gentle breeze of the wind had died down and the eerie silence settled. A warm sensation tickled Impa’s sharp nose as her pointed ears twitched. She picked up a faint whistling noise. As the sound grew louder, Impa’s instincts kicked in as she leapt towards Phyra and wrapped her arms around her. She pulled Phyra to the floor as the whistling turned into a rumbling explosion that tore through the lodge.
A blazing inferno engulfed the entire cabin as charred logs creaked and snapped from the exposed rafters. Dazed from the impact, Phyra struggled to push herself on her feet. Her head throbbed with pain coupled by a drone ringing in her ears as she faded in and out of consciousness. She managed to regain full perception of what unfolded around her. As her blurred vision came into clear focus, Phyra saw that the entire cabin had been incinerated down to its foundation. The fear settled in her pounding heart while her eyes desperately searched through the thick cloud of smoke. Frozen in her panic, she quickly turned to Impa, who stood above he without a scratch on either of them. Her arms were outstretched with a purple aura that illuminated around her hands. Phyra briefly broke from her shock and took notice of a transparent dome-like shield that surrounded them. They were totally free from harm while the raging fire danced violently in its rampage on what was left of the cabin.
“Phyra, are you alright?” Impa shouted with concern and struggle as she needed to concentrate on her magic.
Phyra could not bring herself to reply, but only gaze up at her with grateful, yet worried eyes. She broke from her gaze when it dawned on her mind which remained fixated on the chaos that she did not see Link anywhere in view. Her heart beat rapidly along with the rhythm of her nervous breath. She wanted to call out his name, but her throat tightened with too much tension to vocalize. Phyra brought herself to her feet, slowly paced the radius of the shield, and peered through the smoke and flames. The sudden mayhem was too much for Phyra, and she fell to her knees and cupped her ears.
“LINK!” She shouted as loud as she could, fighting through the pain in her voice and the tears pouring from her eyes.
In her defensive state, Impa could do nothing to console Phyra, but before she could speak, Impa felt a strong gust of wind that pushed the flames and cleared the smoke. She peered into the sky and beheld a tall figure cloaked in black robes with gold armor plates. The woman’s long, white hair cascaded past her charcoal colored face tattooed with lined designs that parted like a tree’s roots. Her blood red eyes glared down at Impa. They silently stared each other down, waiting for one to make a move. The flames continued to burn and crackle through the cold night, and Impa kept her focus on the shield next to Phyra, who remained unresponsive. All she could do was keep her eyes on Phyra, but did not want to take her sight off of their attacker.
“Who are you!?” Impa demanded.
The woman did not answer, but kept her judging eyes down on Impa. Growing impatient and filled with anger, Impa drew her sword and in the blink of an eye, she arched it over her shoulder and dispelled the flames around her and Phyra with one swoop. She then leapt off the floor and charged towards the figure, who was unmoved by Impa’s quick advance. With her sword raised, Impa brought down her blade on the target. However, the figure had effortlessly caught the blade with two of her fingers, and brought it to a halt. Sweat poured from Impa’s grinding face as she forced her sword through with all her might. It was in vain, she could not budge her weapon from the woman’s seemingly light grasp. The woman revealed an ornamental staff in her off hand, and with a concise motion, struck Impa in her stomach. The blunt force knocked the air out of Impa’s breath along with specks of blood that splattered on the woman’s stern face. The kinetic force hurled Impa towards the ground. Phyra saw her falling and jumped to her feet. She bolted through the flames and reached out to catch Impa’s limp body. She took another jump and caught Impa and pulled her close as they tumbled through the rough ground.
“Such frail and weak creatures.” The woman scoffed as she wiped the blood off her cheek.
Phyra pushed herself upright with an unconscious Impa in her scraped arms.
“What do you want from us?!” Phyra pleaded in her confusion.
“I want you to die.” The woman coldly replied as she lowered her staff at Phyra.
A fiery aura swirled around the staff until it grew into a vortex of fire. In an instant, it collapsed into the head of the staff, and a surge of energy erupted into a streamline of flames. It tore through the air and directly at Phyra and Impa. A defenseless Phyra pulled Impa closer and buried her face away from the approaching inferno. The thought of Link was the only thing that calmed her fear as she braced herself for death. She could feel the immense heat rising as the attack barreled closer. Phyra shielded Impa and closed her eyes to prepare herself for the final moments of her life. She kept her mind on her home, the family she left behind, and the man she dearly loves. The precious things she held dear were what kept her cooled from the raging heat. However, before the attack struck, a melodious hum overpowered the roaring flames. It dispersed into embers and the air had cooled. Phyra opened her eyes and pulled out from her cover. Her heart leapt with joy as her eyes widened with surprise. Link, stood tall and firm in front of Phyra and Impa with a brilliant golden light shining in his hand that blocked the fiery attack. His fierce, blue eyes glared at the woman who appeared surprised at his appearance.
“Well now.” She smirked, “Isn’t this a delight? Who would have thought that I, Artryius, Lord of Desolation, would be in the presence of a Harbinger?”
Link and Artryius kept their sights on one another, and neither moved from their stances. The light of the golden power on Link’s hand glimmered in the starlight of the clear, night sky. Phyra said nothing, but gazed upon Link while he stood guard as her bulwark. She was relived to see him alive, but remained uncertain of how he will handle himself against their new foe. However, she believed in him even if the odds weren’t in his favor. Persistence was Link’s most transparent quality. The two unwavering warriors prepared for one to make the first move. Artryius descended from the air and kept a casual, but confident stance.
