Chapter Text
Falling was commonplace when you were in the air. It was freeing, to simply fall through the rushing winds. It was never made to last, considering she would splatter on the grassland’s green ground if she didn’t call her mount soon.
She stuck her pinky fingers into her mouth, letting out a sharp whistle that resonated through the air. A melodic roar answered, and she landed on the back of her winged mount, the beast letting out a roar as Lilith grabbed ahold of the saddle’s handle.
“Good girl, Tora,” Lilith said, positioning herself a little more securely on Tora’s back, closing her eyes as Tora leveled out, the air pushing past her, caressing her face with a soft bite. “The elephants should be back, now,” she told her mount, “Want to see if they’ll race with you? Tora warbled, her head tilting up slightly as her crown of feathers perked up, lifting the front of the rich green and purple mane upward. Lilith laughed, tugging the saddle a little and turning the beast toward the well-ran path of the elephants.
It was always exciting to see them return from their homes, running the grassy lower plains of the Hithlaerian Mountains, emerging from their southern home down the valley to warmer weather, blowing water from their trunks and kicking up dust. They truly were beautiful creatures. Gentle giants that weren’t just found in myths and legends.
She looked over Tora’s beautiful wings, the green and dark purple feathers beating against the wind as the sylphwing flew. Her kin flew here too, descending with their young to introduce them to the world below the floating island they lived on up above, the smaller sylphwings’ plumage still dull in comparison to the adults.
She wondered if the Koroks would return to Aeshyra this year. She hoped so, she adored the spirits, and so did Talya and Link. Aeshyra wouldn’t be the same without them coming year-round.
The sound of a trumpet filled the air, and Lilith smiled as she found the herds of elephants and their young running down the grassland’s endless plains, the sun bright and shining along their backs. "There they are Tora!” Lilith exclaimed. Tora roared, clacking her jaws and spines together. “Let’s go say hi, shall we?”
Tora dove, weaving through the elephants as they ran, roaring a greeting to the large beasts. The majestic creatures trumpeted in response, as if saying hello back. Lilith smiled as Tora leveled out just above the beasts, following the herds as they continued their way home.
“Look at them all,” Lilith said, “They’re beautiful, aren’t they?” Tora chittered, turning her head back slightly. Lilith patted her sylphwing’s head. “Don’t worry, you’re still the prettiest sylphwing out there.” Tora grumbled, shaking her feathers a little as she continued to fly.
Vain beast.
The wind was freeing as the two flew above the rumbling herd below them. She leaned back slightly, tilting her head up to the sky. She missed flying. She didn’t get to do it very often anymore, not like this, at least. She always made time to fly around Aeshyra, often carrying out duties for her mother.
Being the Wind-Speaker was hard when you didn’t have your other half, Lilith supposed.
She blinked away the ash-coated memories, looking at the cloudless sky above them. Winter was gone, and she had a little free time on her hands. Maybe she could visit the Korok Forest soon. See how the Master Sword was doing. It wasn’t going anywhere, not on its pedestal at least, but she just thought a wellness check was in order.
Tora warbled, pulling Lilith away from her daydreaming. “Sorry, lost in thought,” she apologized, patting her friend’s feathered neck. “How about we stop at the Equinox River? See if the animals have finally emerged there?”
Tora rumbled, shaking her head slightly. Lilith hummed, looking out over the plains as the tusked animals below galloped through the infinite space. The river wasn’t too far away, by flight anyway. Tora flapped her wings hard, pushing them higher into the skies as they flew over tall trees, reaching up and up and the river fed them.
Tora chirped, lowering down and beating her wings as she landed, the Equinox River rushing over the rocks and trees sprouting at its banks. Lilith hopped off Tora, letting the winged beast lower her head and drink from the river. Lilith patted the beast’s head, adjusting the colorful woven armor atop the sylphwing’s head, fixing the feather that matched Lilith’s.
The river sparkled under the light, antelopes drinking from the water. She could see movement below the surface, the large, aquatic cows of the animal world floating through the water, their faces breaching the surface as Aeshyra’s famous pink dolphins jumped up from the water, splashing down and flowing with the river’s rushing current.
Lilith took in a deep breath, crouching beside the riverbank, running her fingers through it. Fish darted below the surface, dancing through the river’s small waves and it rushed to the Caspian Sea, the eastward wind ruffling the impossibly tall trees above her.
A manatee breached the surface of the river, grunting a greeting to her. Lilith smiled, placing a gloved palm on the gentle beast’s head. “Hello there,” she said, smiling gently. It chirped back at her, its tail lazily paddling in the water. She ran her hand up and down its smooth, round head, smiling softly as it ducked back under and swam away, rolling in the water lazily.
She could stay here forever, if the goddesses would be so kind. The forest whispered around her, telling its secrets to the wind. She sat there, listening to the river rush lazily, fish jumping from below its surface and splashing, the soft mist of the morning delisting her face, saving the humidity for the late morning and early evening. The flowers around the riverbank dance freely, red and yellow petals glowing in the morning light.
She breathed in the wet air, looking up at the sky through the leaves above, vines dangling in the air. It was peaceful, and it wasn’t just in her bubble. Aeshyra was healing, already halfway reconstructed, working around the burned rock and cracks in the spires. Zora and Gorons had moved in, adding new life to Aeshyra, and Aeshyra’s ways and culture were spread to them, new caretakers of the forest and the spirits within it. Her little brother had turned ten during the late winter, and Talya’s birthday was in two weeks, born on the earlier days of spring.
or, at least that’s what her mother believed to be true.
Life will always find a way to survive through the cracks of darkness, Lily.
Hyrule had bounced back, and there was nothing left for her to save. Nothing needed her anymore. The world was okay. It had moved on, and it would continue to spin. No Ganon, no Wolfram, no death, no undead. Well. There was undead, and monsters, but it wasn’t like they were taking over civilization like they were before. It was relatively safe to wander around the wilderness, just maybe take a sharp object with you.
The water brushed her knees, making her back up a little and snap out of her daydreaming. She laid back, laying against Tora, who had laid down. She reached over across her body, putting her right hand on Tora’s hard head, rubbing the silver scales. Tora rumbled, closer to a cat’s purr than anything else.
“I don’t think there’s anything else for us, girl,” Lilith said. “No more camps to raid, no more curses, no gleeoks to slay, no spirits to save. Just the stray monster or two.” Tora’s yellow eyes looked at her, a soft rumble coming from the beast, an inquisitive noise. “Do you think we could go on a proper adventure?” She asked.
Tora shook her feathers, her mane and feathery crown fluffing up. Lilith sighed, scratching behind Tora’s tendril. “You’re right, I can’t just leave mom. She needs us, and so do my siblings.”
Link. Her little brother who was all too kind and all too innocent. He couldn’t fight, not enough to beat someone anyways. And Talya was gentle, she could wield a bow, and she had her moments of rebellion, but she wasn’t like Lilith, wasn’t made to be a fighter.
She closed her eyes, listening to the sounds of the life around her, Tora breathing softly under her hand. “I do wish I could go see it, though,” Lilith said, “Hyrule. Just the two of us, go see what Hyrule has to offer outside death and mortal danger." Tora sneezed, shaking her head. Lilith laughed, patting Tora’s head. “Or maybe across the Caspian Sea. I always wanted to go see Labrynna. Or maybe Holodrum, I hear it’s lovely this time of year.”
Tora chirped, her yellow eyes blinking slowly as they closed, the beast lightly napping. Lilith closed hers too, settling into the dew-coated grass and listening to the forest sing its secrets, the mist from the river spraying her softly, cooling what would be a hot spring morning.
She really could stay here forever, she thought slowly, the quietness of the morning catching up to her. A few minutes wouldn’t hurt, would it? Her mom could find her if she really needed her.
No. A few minutes of quiet wouldn’t hurt at all.
—
The evening was hot and wet, waking Lilith up from her nice nap in the morning sun. Spring and summer brought the cool mist, but the heat was the worst. She’d take the dry heat of the Gerudo desert than the water she could swallow straight from the air. She sat up, blinking away the sweat falling into her eyes. Tora stretched, getting up and shaking out her feathers.
What time was it? Surely it was past lunch. It was too hot to be anything else. She looked at Tora, the beast letting out a yawn before blinking at her. She rumbled, shaking out her vibrant green and dark purple feathers, nibbling at the skin between her wings before snorting.
“I know,” Lilith said, wiping sweat from her brow, waiting for Tora to lower herself a little before swinging up on the saddle, balancing on her feet. “Come on, let’s go back, I’m sure my mother probably thinks I’m dead by now.”
Tora chirped, taking off and shooting out of the canopy, leveling out as they began their northern flight back to Aeshyra, the rainforest below drifting into clouds as they climbed to Aeshyra, the trees thinning out as they flew over the treacherous landscape that isolated them from Hyrule, the only danger having to come from the sky above.
Aeshyra was just below the cloud forests of Rengenglong Peak, nestled within the Dragon’s Spine. It wasn’t safe from the torrential monsoons during summer, nor the frozen hail of the winter, but it was relatively safe from monsters. Unless they were gleeoks of any kind. Or flying monsters in general. Kargaroks were pretty common to see between a sylphwing’s jaws. Lilith supposed it made sense why people flocked to Aeshyra during the crisis. Safe from flooding, volcanic eruption, and generally lightning.
She could see the floating islands from where they were, Aeshyra not too far from the forests below on sylphwing. Draconis island was the biggest one, a large tree root connecting it and its brethren to the mountains, the ones higher in the sky only accessible via sylphwing.
She had always wondered what those islands came from. Were there always floating islands this high up? Did her people come from one way above Hyrule?
She supposed it was in the past for a reason. If she was supposed to know, she would have known. No reason to poke at remains.
Tora warbled, beginning to descend down below the clouds, Aeshyra buzzing as they flew over it, the outside spirals holding old homes and scorch marks, the stone bridges and stairs leading down into the center of town, the coliseum at the highest point of the bustling city, the beginning of a plateau between two mountains, the stone-carved stair case the subject of most of Aeshyra’s construction, wooden posts and platforms secured into the ground, Gorons, Zora, and Hylians alike working on the construction sites, waving to her as she passed over head.
The influence of their new members showed. There was more mining than ever, the Gorons figuring out how to best utilize the natural minerals their mountains produced, and the Zora had lended their use of luminous stone to Aeshyra’s infrastructure, creating beautiful, bioluminescent posts to illuminate the paths in the early darkness of the mountains. Her mother had finally cleared the start of creating a proper path to their home, to make the mountains a little safer. The Ranger Enclave had expanded, newcomers happily joining to help Aeshyra open its doors.
Lilith didn’t know how to feel about it. She supposed it was good, but she didn’t want people trying to convert Aeshyra into the stone city of Castle Town. There was a reason her people had survived for so long, working with nature instead of destroying it.
Not that it was likely to happen, Aeshyra was mostly forest and cliffs, and even with a clear path, it was hard to navigate the intense foliage and humidity of her home. Nevermind the animals and potential camouflaged monsters. Then the spirits.
Never mind the lost woods, go too far in and it’ll leave you confused, at least transport you back into the forest with no memory of ever going in. Only her mother could navigate it freely. It had even barred Lilith from entering, she had to solve a puzzle and a maze to get in, and she was the holder of the Master Sword.
She finally made it to the plateau, Tora landing smoothly next to her mother’s sylphwing. She put a hand on the beast’s muzzle, the hard, white scales glittering under her hand. “Hello, Mistdancer,” she said. The older sylphwing rumbled, the crown of pearlescent horns in her head glittering as her white tendrils shifted, the beautiful mane of azure and pale orange fluffing out as her tail swayed. “Tora, be good for her, okay?”
Tora grumbled, nosing the larger sylphwing’s side as Mistdancer lifted her wing, folding it over Tora as best she could despite Tora’s large size. Lilith chuckled, walking away to find her mother, no longer sweaty as the altitude bit at her face, blowing her hair back in the mountainous wind, the beads on the braids decorating her hair clicking together.
Her mom was bound to be around here somewhere. She was probably in the coliseum.
Or did her mom say that she was going to be visiting the fairy fountain to check on it today? Or…maybe the mines? Or was it the market she was checking on today?
She frowned, stopping and looking back at Tora as the beast warbled. The sylphwing lifted her wing, biting something before bounding over, a piece of parchment in her sharp teeth. Lilith took it, raising an eyebrow as the beast went back to Mistdancer, preening the older sylphwing diligently.
She opened it, her mother’s handwriting greeting her.
Lilith, if you’re seeing this, it means Tora has performed her job perfectly.
I knew you’d go off flying this morning, so I stuck this on Tora’s saddle before I left. I know you probably didn’t see it, so I asked Tora to give it to you before you left to find me. I will be at the sylphwing rookery today to ensure everything is in place for the Wing Ceremony. I would be happy if you were to join me, so I left Mistdancer to ensure you two got here safely.
Link is with Aledi at Starfall Lake. The two of them are counting the glowfish they see today for me, and Talya is at the flight range with Dreamweaver. Both will be okay.
Love you,
Mom.
Oh. Right. The Wing Ceremony was next week. Lilith rolled up the piece of parchment, walking back over to her sylphwing. “You couldn’t have given me this before I walked off?” She asked. Tora warbled, sounding almost like a laugh. Lilith rolled her eyes, swinging back onto Tora’s saddle. Mistdancer chirped, taking off swiftly as Tora followed, Lilith perched on her back.
Draconis Island was a short flight up, Mistdancer further ahead than they were, the old girl still agile and quick, despite her larger size. Lilith felt Tora slow down though, perhaps out of respect for the regal sylphwing. The sylphwing rookery was on the highest point of the floating island, where the small mountain creased inward and became circular cliffs and spirals.
Her mother stood on the highest cliff, overlooking the waterfalls and the openings of nests in the rocky crags of the rookery. Mistdancer landed, Tora coming in behind her. Lilith dismounted, patting Tora before walking over. She could hear Tora warble, probably trying to initiate a wrestling match with Mistdancer.
“Mother,” Lilith said, her mother’s back still towards her, the emerald green cloak of the Wind-Speaker on her back, the feathers dancing in the wind gently. She stood next to her, looking at her mother for a response.
Her mom looked the same as ever, dark brown hair braided over her shoulder, beads and feathers decorating it, her sun-kissed skin glowing in the evening sun. She was regal, standing taller than Lilith, like the matriarch of an elephant herd, or maybe even a tigress. Her shining emerald eyes were trained on the rookery below, her white and blue robes gently rustling in the wind.
Her mother finally turned towards her, smiling gently as she caressed Lilith’s face. “Lily, I’m glad to see you back in one piece,” she said, gently tugging Lilith’s ear.
Lilith flinched away from it, swatting her mother’s hand. “Mom, I just went flying, of course nothing happened.”
“Hm. Until noon?”
“I…got sidetracked,” Lilith said sheepishly, rubbing the back of her neck. Her mom leveled her with a look, clearly not convinced.
“Mhm. You fell asleep next to the river, didn’t you?”
“No,” Lilith said, “At least…not intentionally.”
“I keep telling you to go to sleep before the dark hour comes, and you never listen,” Her mother said, unimpressed. Lilith rolled her eyes, doding her mom’s swat. “You worry me.”
“You’re always worried,” Lilith said flatly, “Why did you call me out here, anyways? Is there something wrong with the rookery?”
“No, everything’s in order here,” Her mother said, “At least, nothing out of the ordinary. The sylphwings always get rowdy around this time of year.” Her mother hummed, looking out over the spiraling cliffs and rocks. “There’s something I wanted to ask you about.”
Lilith raised an eyebrow, her ears twitching. “I didn’t break the fence, that was Link,” she said, knowing that Link was innocent. Her mother glared at her.
“I know that was you,” Rhea said, “Stop throwing your brother under the wagon. But it’s not that.” Her mother sighed, a serious look overtaking her face. She didn’t say anything, and Lilith felt her stomach drop a little. She grabbed her mother’s arm, her ears pinning down.
“Mom? What’s wrong?” Lilith asked, “You’re not pregnant, are you?”
“What?” Rhea balked, “Sweetie, no. You’re lucky you even have a brother. I’m too old to have another one if I could anyways.” Lilith sighed in relief, even though she disagreed with her mother’s statement. She was only in her 40s. That wasn’t old. “No, I wanted to ask if you’ve noticed any recent monster activity.”
Lilith furrowed her eyebrows, confused. “Uh, no?” She said, “There haven't been any monster attacks in ages. Especially not around here, monsters don’t really like the Lost Woods, if a sylphwing doesn’t eat them first.”
Her mother let out a soft breath, the cold making it visible. “I’ve just…been worried, I guess,” she told her, “I keep receiving reports of strange shadows in the woods from hunters, and today I hear word about a strangely strong kargarok down in the forest. Any more reports and I’ll have to halt the Wing Ceremony.”
“What?!” Lilith gasped, “Mom, you can’t shut that down.”
“I can’t have my people getting in harm’s way, Lilith-“
“Mom, we wrestle a sylphwing to claim one when we turn twelve, I highly doubt that’s safe.”
“Lilith, no more of this,” Rhea said, holding a hand up as Lilith went to disagree, “For now, it’s safe to hold, but if our recent monster problem, if it is a problem, doesn’t calm down, I’ll have no choice but to halt it.”
“But mom, monsters can’t even reach up here-“
“Lilith,” her mom said, stern and in that voice Lilith could never argue with. She withered, ears pinning down. Her mother sighed, rubbing Lilith’s arm. “Enough with the monster activity, what are your plans?”
“For what?” Lilith asked, confused by the random question, an odd topic to switch to.
“For spring and summer, for your life,” Her mother clarified. Lilith felt rocks tumble around in her stomach, her ears remaining down as she looked to her feet, finding the same brown boots she’s always had on.
“Oh, uh, the same?” She said, but she wasn’t sure, “Help you around the village, help Link with his training to claim a sylphwing and Talya for her Thailon Trials-“
Her mother sighed, looking at her. “Lilith, you don’t need to do that,” she said, “You’re young, you can’t expect to be here forever. Link is fine, and Talya is growing up to be a fine huntress.”
“But what if-“
“What if nothing. We are safe.” Her mother grabbed Lilith’s hands, squeezing them gently, “It’s time for you to spread your wings and find what’s next for you, whatever it may be.”
What’s next for her was supposed to be taking up her mother’s mantle, to wear the green cloak her mother wore now. But her fate as hero took that from her, severing that string and leaving her floating in an endless cycle of confusion and repetition.
She looked down at their hands, squeezing her mother’s back. She couldn’t leave. Link needed her still, right? Her mother still needed her, it was hard managing an entire people by yourself, much less with an influx of new residents and rebuilding. And her mother was too busy to train Talya like she needed.
What was next for her? Aeshyra, obviously. Her family.
But that answer felt like a lie, even to her.
—
The forest was quiet, dark beyond the glowing mushrooms and moss, hanging from the tall trees around them as mist settled in the forest. It was colder than it was in the day.
She didn’t necessarily believe the “monster problem” rumors, but it was worth checking out, right?
Her feet trekked over fallen vine and thick moss, the ground damp from the water hanging in the air. The world was in shades of gray now, her eyes picking up even the faintest wisps of light. The faint glow of the fireflies and moss shined green and blue, interrupting the gray as she walked past. She kept her bow in her hand, stalking through thick foliage as she squinted in the mist. Tora was following her, the beast grumbling every few minutes, jumping tree to tree with her claws.
She ducked under a branch, her feet walking the invisible path to the plains. Walking around town, she heard the most sights of activity around Dracaw’s Sinking Bog. She would have the advantage, with the mist settling in, and having a flying beast to counter the sinking holes.
That, and the mud that was surely on her from the wet ground.
It was peaceful for the most part, the only sound was the nighttime bugs singing their blues. She jumped over a log, looking around for anything out of the ordinary. Just the damp mist and forest floor, the leaves dripping down onto her head. She remained quiet, looking around trees and hiding behind them when she heard something skitter.
Nothing so far, but that could change, especially at night, especially with undead.
She finally made it to the area people were so scared of, the bog bubbling anxiously. The air was stale, mist blanketing everything thickly, the atmosphere wet and humid, the chill biting into her bones.
She didn’t see anything, not immediately anyways. She tiptoed around the edge of the bog, her hands staying on tree trunks, her eyes scanning the monochrome environment.
Slash marks. She felt them under her hand first. They were deep, not belonging to any animal she’s seen in the forests of her home. The silence sunk in, the bog all too quiet for what it was. Not even a mosquito, or a fly. Just the popping of the bog’s bubbles. The claw marks were everywhere, a tree fallen away from the bog, large footprints in the fresh mud, large and like a sylphwing’s. She followed them around, but they only circled the bog, and eventually into it.
Tora sniffed one of the footprints, growling as she backed up. Lilith put a hand on her muzzle, rubbing assuredly. “It’s okay, girl,” she whispered, patting her sylphwing’s feathers. Tora rumbled, looking around. She didn’t see anything, or hear, but Tora had keener senses than she did. She highly doubted that this was a small pack of bokoblins they were dealing with. Maybe a moblin sized beast.
Snap.
Lilith turned, an arrow already drawn in her bow, pointed across the bog. Something stepped on a branch, but even with her vision she couldn’t see what it was. Tora rumbled, and Lilith kept her eyes forward as more branches snapped.
It was quiet for a moment, anxiety lining Lilith’s shoulders as she tensed, her bow quivering in her hands as the magic within it hissed, one of the gems infused in the bones of the bow gleaming with green.
What-
Hiss
A dark tendril rushed forward, several others following as a loud screech resonated in her ears. She yelped, firing the arrow and jumping, landing in a solid part of the bog, mud and decayed plants splashing onto her, staining her red tunic a gross brown.
A little of it got in her mouth.
She didn’t have time to think about it though, nor the mud sticking to her hair as she rolled, grabbing her muddy bow and standing up. Tora had moved, flying through the air and tackling the beast, whatever it was.
It was winged, akin to a bat’s as it wrestled with Tora. Lilith drew another arrow, this time allowing the magic within the bow to spring to life, letting it consume the string and bow with lightning, the arrow becoming consumed by it. She let go, letting to crack as it flew straight, embedding itself just as Tora jumped off the creature, right next to her first shot.
Boom
The lightning exploded, sending fire and ash out into the bog, making the creature squeal. Tora screeched, flying up and circling.
The thing rumbled, roaring as it shook off the lightning, and Lilith finally got a good look at it.
It was a winged beast, larger than a sylphwing and built like one, but its hide was smooth and featherless, and it lacked eyes, its mouth consuming most of its face as it opened like a flower, teeth lining the enter inside of its mouth, if you could even call it that, five icky tendrils flying out of its mouth, heading straight towards her.
She rolled again, praying she hit physical ground and didn’t land in the deeper part of the bog. Mud skidded and began to coat her in a second layer, and she heard Tora swoop down. She skidded into the bog, the decay coating her hair and skin, watching as her sylphwing grabbed one of the tendrils with her mouth and pulled, ripping it out in a spray of blood.
The beast screeched in pain, shaking as it opened its mouth, closing it and focusing back on Lilith.
She went to get up, to move and see if she could take a stab at it, but she found her foot lodging in the ground, sinking deeper as she tried to pull.
“Shit. Shit-shit-shit,” she cursed, panicking as the monster lunged forward, mouth open and smelling like a corpse.
Talons grabbed her shoulder, ripping her out of the ground and throwing her on a saddle.
“Go go go!” She told Tora, pulling the handle and thanking Hylia that her foot was still intact. Tora turned quickly, more agile than the monster was. Lilith perched on Tora’s back, balancing meticulously as she pulled an arrow, fire consuming her bow and string.
She released it, letting it fly into the creature’s open mouth. It struck true, exploding inside the beast’s mouth as it screeched, falling a little in flight and losing altitude.
It recovered quickly, much to Lilith’s dismay.
“Damn it,” she hissed, grabbing another arrow. Lightning consumed it, and she repeated her first shot as it nailed the beast in the side, Tora turning around to enable Lilith’s clear shot.
It connected, exploding in a fiery rage of electricity and ash. The monster didn’t fall, resilient as it continued to chase them. Tora roared, jerking and ignoring Lilith’s command to pull away, quickly turning and diving straight down to the beast.
“Tora! No!” Lilith said, but her sylphwing was stubborn, twirling as Lilith pressed herself close to her spirit.
Tora made contact, body slamming the monster and clawing at it with her talons. The monster’s mouth opened, tongues flying out and wrapping around Tora.
Her sylphwing screeched, head-butting the monster straight in the mouth with her horns, her spined tail wrapping around a wing and beginning to try and tear. Lilith pulled the dagger from her hip, stabbing it into one of the tongues to try and get it away from her mount.
The monster was stronger though, rushing forward and going to bite down as Tora wrestled it. Her sylphwing rolled, getting above it as she dug her claws in, ripping flesh.
Lilith was too busy trying to dislodge the tongues to notice the thing’s tail until it was too late. It had flown up and wedged itself between it and Lilith, knocking her straight off the saddle and into free fall, tongues still wrapped around Tora.
She was sure she screamed, but the wind and darkness were too loud as she uselessly tried to reach for Tora, her bow falling from her grasp and her dagger still lodged in the thing.
The last she saw of her sylphwing before the air turned her was Tora managing to get away, flying off as she threw the beast into the forest below, one of her wings clearly damaged.
The next thing she saw was forest, trees and limbs connect with her as she grabbed onto them and vines, slowing her fall as best she could. Vines tangled around her foot, making her world halt harshly and it stopped her from hitting the hard forest floor below her.
She groaned, pain hitting her body as she swung uselessly. She didn’t see her bow anywhere, which was very bad. She needed that back; she couldn’t lose it. It was too important.
Hylia, please don’t let it be broken.
She twisted, pulling herself forward and trying to fight against the vines wrapped around her body. That beast was still out there; she’d be lucky if it didn’t find her before she found it.
The vines weren’t very pliant, and she didn’t bring her second dagger or her sword with her.
“Damn it,” she hissed, “Way to go, Lilith.” She grunted with effort, the arrowhead not cutting through it quick enough for her liking.
And who knows where Tora was. She could be gravely injured and Lilith would be dead before she ever got to her.
The vines gave way, dropping her before she had the chance to register. She hit tree branches, landing in thick bushes before she fought her way out, letting out a frustrated yell.
“Stupid forest,” she cursed, “Stupid monster, it should’ve gone down!”
It didn’t make any sense, that shot in the mouth should have killed it. And now she was covered in bog, dead plant, monster saliva and blood, and leaves and twigs. With no bow to boot.
She put her arrow back, looking around. It shouldn’t be that far, she saw it fall.
She saw a glint of light above her, and she found her bow tangled in tree branches above her.
It was easy to climb the tree and retrieve it, jumping down and bouncing off the nearby, thick trunks from the trees above.
Snap.
Snap.
Snap.
A deep rumble that was most definitely not Tora sounded, uncomfortably close and accompanied by heavy footsteps. She ducked behind a tree, peeking out and seeing the same beast from before meandering about. It sniffed the air, growling deeply as its footsteps continued to near, heavy thuds disrupting the songs of the crickets, causing them to disperse in fear.
There weren’t even any fairies out, which struck her as odd. Even when there were monsters heavily populating the woods, they’d be fluttering around at night.
She looked around, trying to find anything other than her bow that she could use. Clearly the magical arrows weren’t working. She needed something to stab it with. No dagger, no sword, no-
Aha!
She picked up a rather long and sturdy branch, grabbing an arrowhead and sinking down, praying she had enough time to make it into a rudimentary spear. She whittled away at it quickly, holding her breath as the footsteps continued, the monster sniffing and growling.
She stuck the arrow back into its quiver, figuring the branch was sharp enough now. She peeked around the tree trunk, trying to see if it had any weak-looking spots.
Its mouth consumed its face, teeth lining its jowls all the way to its neck. It had deep claw marks in it, Tora’s work no doubt, its wing torn and ragged. It didn’t have eyes, clearly relying on other senses to navigate. That’s why it couldn’t find her, not immediately anyways, she was covered in acidic mud and dead plants.
But there was a spongy spot right under its jowl, where it became underbelly. She figured it would be soft enough to receive the make-shift spear beautifully.
She took her chance was it sniffed the air, throwing her javelin and rushing forward as it dug into flesh, making blood spew from the thing’s neck.
She jumped off a thick log, landing on its back and grabbing her new weapon, jabbing it into the same spot on the other side, putting enough force to stab all the way through.
The creature bucked, screeching as its face opened and its remaining three tongues flailed, her dagger still in one of them. She let out a cry, wrenching her stick out and surging forward on its back, jumping as it bucked up and forcing it down, putting all her weight on the spear to skewer the creature through the head, blood splattering up and into her face.
The creature flailed uselessly, quickly collapsing as whatever brain it had ceased to breathe, its body turning boneless as it sent up a cloud of mud.
She pulled the spear out, jumping down and grabbing her dagger out of its tongue.
It was dead, and now her home was safe from…whatever this thing was.
Why did the air still feel so heavy?
She went to go clean the dagger, but stopped as she finally took a proper look at the blood dripping from it, the ichor too dark to be red, too…
Rotten.
That’s what it smelled like, the iron smell blood usually carried turned sour, smelling like rot. And it wasn’t the decayed plant on her, she smelled like normal mud and earth before she took a bath in that thing’s life source.
“What…” she breathed. This monster, as weird as it looked, should’ve bled a normal color. Now that she was looking at it, this beast was, at least at first glance, a normal dreadwalker. It should’ve bled red.
Why was its blood black? And why didn’t it die when she sent that fire arrow into its mouth? Tora shouldn’t have had to wrangle it. And she shouldn’t have had to skewer it.
Something wrapped around her foot, pull her down as the dreadwalker’s head swiveled up. Lilith screeched, stabbing her spear into the ground.
The beast roared, getting up as it pulled its tongues back into its mouth, except the one around Lilith’s foot. She grabbed an arrow, grunting as she swung it and severed the tongue, making it release her.
Why didn’t it die?! She stabbed it through the brain!
She looked around frantically, trying to come up with a way to kill this thing, for a second time. All she had was the vines and her spear, her dagger, and arrows, and two of those had proved ineffective.
She huffed, grabbing the vines next to her and throwing the end, sending the spear out and pinning them to the tree. She grabbed the other end of the thick jungle vine, rushing forward and skidding in the mud under the beast as it lunged forward, jumping up and off of a tree trunk as she wrapped the vine around the beast’s neck. She dashed forward in front of the beast again, pulling the slack as she slid, giving a cry of exertion as the beast screeched, the vine pulling its head tight and cinching.
With a final roar, the beast’s head severed from its body, the vine a noose pulled tight as it decapitated the monster. Blood soared, the smell of rot suffocating as it landed on her in a wave, making her nearly vomit as she released the vine.
She heaved, standing up and looking at the beast, wincing at the grim sight.
A dark wisp came from it, dancing in the air before wrapping around her feet, sending a chill through her before it wandered off.
It was dark magic, she recognized it anywhere, akin to the Curse of Wolfram and the undead he brought.
“No wonder you didn’t stay dead,” Lilith said softly, looking at the decapitated creature. It didn’t explain the black blood, though. Even Wolfram’s demons didn’t bleed black or smell like rot.
Against all better judgement, she followed the dancing black wisp, intent to see where it was going. She hurried after it, mud kicking up and coating her further.
She was sure she reeked.
It took her through the thick of the forest, back to the bog, bubbling and acidic. The canopy was thick, the smell of rotting vegetation thick and suffocating. Her head rang, and the cursed mark on the back of her hand burned as it glowed under her glove, golden in the dark, moonless night.
No...
No no no no no.
She can’t do this again, she just defeated Wolfram, she can’t pick that sword up again.
A dreaded whisper entered her mind, and her wide eyes looked up to find a dark, swirling mass of magic, open like the dreadwalker’s maw, beckoning her in.
It seemed Hylia didn’t care what she wanted. What she could or couldn’t do. The mark burned, and Lilith clenched her fists.
She took a step back, taking another until she completely turned around and ran.
It’s time for you to spread your wings and find what’s next for you, whatever it may be.
It can’t be another adventure. She can’t do it again. She can’t lose another person. She can’t-
A roar stopped her, and colorful plumage eased her fear a little, calming the dread slamming into her ribs over and over. Tora warbled, nudging her before gagging, her split tongue exiting her mouth for a moment.
“Yeah…yeah I know,” she said. “Let’s just…go home.”
—
It had been a week since then, and every night she saw the same thing over and over again in her dreams. The open, dark mass of magic, swirling and beckoning her forward. She saw the Master Sword on the back of someone else, a white cape with what looked like the symbol of Hyrule’s royal family.
She can’t do it again, she couldn’t. She was done being a hero. She was done losing people. She wanted to be Lilith again. She nearly lost her last time, in the lonely darkness of Wolfram’s deepest sorrow.
Ash fell from the skies in her dreams, and blood stained her hands in her every waking hour. She couldn’t add another thing that followed her around like a shadow. She can’t do it again.
But Hylia always got what she wanted, and Lilith was never that lucky.
Her mother seemed to be Hylia’s chosen agent, and she cornered her daughter in the one place she knew Lilith couldn’t escape.
The Wing Ceremony was a time of joy, and Lilith should’ve been enjoying it, she should’ve been happy for the children who had found their destined spirits.
She was.
But it was like somebody had put a weight on her chest, following her like a storm cloud.
The vibrant green, purple, and black paint on her body matched Tora, the feathers behind her ears woven like crests, proud and extending beyond her head. She was wearing her ceremonial garb, and she wasn’t the Hero of Hyrule then. She was the firstborn daughter of Rhea, and she had responsibilities for the ceremony.
But the dark maw beckoned, and it kept her mind away from the ceremony.
She had to escape, just for a few minutes. The fairy fountain was quiet at night, not too far out from the ceremony site. The roots shined softly, glowing a soft blue, the Great Fairy’s bud open, fairies fluttering around, one resting in Lilith’s scarred hands, the little pink orb of light twinkling softly, as if she was a star in the hands of a mortal.
It didn’t ease the weight on her chest, didn’t ease the soft whispers in her mind telling her the inevitable, the mark that was clear on her hand, marking her as different forever, the cursed mark of her fate.
Tora was napping beside her, chortling every few minutes to look at Lilith with her bright topaz eyes. It was quiet, the only sound the fluttering of fairy wings and the fire roaring around her, consuming her vision and her father’s pale face and—
“I figured you were out here.”
Lilith jumped, startling the fairy out of her hands and turning around to find her mother approaching, white ceremonial robes drifting in the wind, bare feet padding in the water gracefully.
“Mom, I was just—“
“Stop,” Her mother said, raising a hand up. “I don’t want an excuse.”
Lilith felt her words die in her throat; eyes trained on her mother as the regal woman stopped next to her. The fairy returned to Lilith, and Lilith let her rest in her cupped palms again. “What is wrong with you?” Her mother asked. “You’re usually so energetic during the Wing Ceremony, and I haven’t seen you give anyone a smile since it began.”
“It’s…nothing,” Lilith lied, “Truly.”
“Lilith, you’ve been sulking since last week,” Her mother said, “What has happened?”
“It’s nothing, I promise,” Lilith said. It wasn’t nothing, it was something. But Lilith was going to ignore it. The world could figure it out itself. The goddesses could choose someone else to torment.
She couldn’t lose anyone else.
Ash still coated her skin, fire dancing in the corner of her eyes.
Her mother tucked Lilith’s hair behind her ears, cradling Lilith’s face and making her look at her. “Lilith, do not make empty promises, something is wrong. You cannot hide it, least of all from me.”
She knew that, but for once she wanted it to be different. She looked down, and her mother’s hands moved to hold Lilith’s, caressing the mark on the back of her hand.
Why did it burn? What was Hylia punishing her for?
“I…” she tried, but she found her words catching in her throat. “Mom…I can’t do it again,” she whispered pitifully. She closed her eyes tightly, trying to keep her tears in her soul.
“Do what, Lilith? What happened?” Her mother asked, holding Lilith’s hands gently.
“There’s…something dark, out there. That monster, in the bog, I had to kill it twice. The mark—it glowed. Mom, I don’t, I can’t.”
Her mother shushed her, hands burrowing into Lilith’s hair and farrowing her cheeks. “Hey, calm down,” she said. “The mark? The one on your hand?” Lilith nodded, and her mother’s eyes widened, and Lilith could see the faint fear in them.
It reflected her own.
“Oh…my sweet girl,” her mother said, bringing Lilith into an embrace, and she felt like she was seven and asking her mom to check for monsters in her closet because she feared the shadows in her room. “It’ll be alright.”
“No, it won’t, mom—“
“Lilith,” her mom said sternly, making her daughter look at her. “You will be okay.”
“I’m not leaving again,” Lilith said, “Hylia can deal with it herself; I don’t know why I have to-“
“Lilith, I don’t have an answer to that,” Her mother said, "You don’t think I’ve asked her the same question? Why my special, miracle, beautiful little girl had to be the hero she chose?”
Lilith remained quiet, knowing she couldn’t argue against it. This was her mother. How could she? “If she thinks that this…threat, whatever it is, requires your skills, then we cannot argue.”
They could, actually. Hylia was a goddess. She didn’t see why she needed a mortal to help. “You will be okay,” Her mother said, “You are more prepared now than you were three years ago. You are strong, and powerful, and you are my daughter. You are the daughter of the Wind-Speaker, and don’t ever forget it.”
“I don’t want to say goodbye,” Lilith whispered, like it was shameful. Her mom cradled her face again, and it was the only place Lilith felt truly safe in, in her mother’s hands, in her hold, in her arms, in her presence, like the way plants needed the sun, the earth needing its mother to keep it warm, the moon needing the center of its world to reflect its light.
“It won’t be goodbye, my love,” Her mother said gently, “You will return, and your siblings and I will still be here. Aeshyra will still be here, and so will everything else.”
It’s time for you to spread your wings
But what if she didn’t want to? What if she wanted to keep her wings folded. The nest is all she ever knew, and she had been forced out of it twice into a cruel world she wasn’t ready for because the gods wanted children to fight their wars for them.
She wanted to stay in her cage, because at least then she would have her sun to comfort her.
—
She looked at the bag, the weight now one with her chest. The green tunic on her body felt foreign. Her mother had crafted it from Torathorn hide, the scaling hard yet flexible, a softer hide against her skin, and Lilith had added Tora’s vibrant feathers to the bottom and back, the tunic made to fit her perfectly, no matter how tall or short she was. They had even woven the beading and embroidery into it, a sign of her coming-of-age, ready to embark upon Regenglong Peak to visit the Blue Spirit’s shrine.
She wrung her hands together in front of her sternum, the beads in the braids dotting her uneven curls clinking together softly, Tora’s feathers dangling behind her ears and tickling her neck. Her ears hadn’t relaxed all morning, pinned down as she tapped her foot on the floor, her boots worn and experienced.
She didn’t want to leave. But she was never that lucky.
She didn’t want to brandish a sword again, more than content with just her bow. But here she was, the metal weight strapped to her back and the scaled bracer on her left arm, covering the brown glove. She popped her knuckles, biting her fingernail’s cuticles.
She’d be fine, right? She’d have Tora.
But did she want to risk Tora’s life? Who knew where that portal would lead her.
She squeezed her eyes shut, rubbing her face.
The only reassurance she had was the beaded cord around her neck, the only weight her father left behind during his time here on earth. Her cord was around her wrist, not holding nearly as many beads as her mother’s and father’s, or as many decorations. Her adventures left her with stories, but not that many happy memories.
She couldn’t dally any longer, unless she somehow managed to successfully talk herself out of this. She turned, exiting her room and heading down the stairs. Trinket was waiting at the bottom, his brown fur shaking with excitement as his body wiggled.
She hopped off the steps, crouching before the dog and smiling, petting behind his ears as he smiled that assuring, Trinket smile.
He was such a goof.
“Take care of them for me, alright?” She told him, smiling sadly. Trinket barked an affirmative, following her as she exited the front door, finding her mom and siblings standing there, her little brother holding a bag.
“You ready?” Her mom asked. Lilith frowned.
“No, not really.”
Her mother put a hand on her shoulder, wrapping an arm around her and kissing Lilith’s head. “It’ll be alright. We’ll be waiting for you to come back.”
How could she be so sure?
“Here! Me and Lya figured you could use this!” Link said, holding the bag up to her. He was so tiny, smaller than he probably should be. The damage the fire did to Aeshyra staring back at her with bright blue eyes and a joyful smile.
What if his illness came back? What if gleeok lung came back for revenge, and she didn’t get to say goodbye? He was so tiny, he couldn’t protect himself. He was only ten. He just turned ten. Link wasn’t made for fighting, he wasn’t prepared like she was.
“Lily?” Link asked, tilting his head, his ears still too big for his head and his eyes big and wide. She grabbed the bag, recognizing it to be the bag the Koroks gave her. Helpful little thing, considering it could hold virtually anything in it.
“Thank you, Link,” she said, putting it on and kneeling before her brother, putting her hands on his arms. He looked at her quizzically, a confused smile on his little face.
“Be good for mom and sister, okay?” Lilith said, “And stay out of trouble.”
“Don’t worry!” Link said, “I’ll be super dillagent.”
“Diligent,” Lilith corrected, smiling as he huffed, “but good.”
Link hugged her, squeezing her tightly. She immediately wrapped her arms around him, blinking away tears. The boy let her go, taking his cap off his head and giving it to her. “Here! So you can feel brave too!”
Of course…
It was his brave cap. The one she gave him before her first journey. He was brave because of this cap, so that meant she would be too.
She stood up, cradling the cap close to her chest. She turned to her sister, grabbing both of her hands in hers.
“Do you have to go?” Talya asked, leaning forward to connect their foreheads together. Link pressed into Lilith’s side, hugging her tightly.
“Yeah,” Lilith sighed, putting a hand on Link’s head and the other in Talya’s cheek, thumb brushing her little sister’s cheekbone. “I’ll be alright, sister.”
“Why does she always take you?” Tayla shook her head, tears escaping from her amber irises. “Doesn’t she know we need you too?”
”I’d ask her if I could, Talya,” Lilith said, wiping the tears from her sister’s face. “I’ll write you, as much as I’m able to. In the meantime, you keep practicing those flight drills I showed you, and when I come back, you better be able to win against me.”
Talya didn’t laugh like Lilith wanted her to, but she cracked a small smile. “Impossible, you’re the best flyer our people have ever seen.”
”That I am.” Lilith let go of her siblings, patting their faces gently before turning to her mother, fighting to keep her tears at bay as Rhea embraced her.
“You are my daughter,” Her mother said, running a hand over Lilith’s hair. “Don’t forget it. You were made to pass through fire, my girl. My blood runs through your veins, and so does your father’s,” she told her, “Don’t let anything tell you otherwise.”
Lilith hugged her mom tight, not wanting to let go of her, not wanting to fall out of her orbit, her protection.
But she had to. She had to be brave; she had to leave.
—
The hardest goodbye was Tora.
Lilith looked at the gaping portal, still in the bog, still beckoning her in. Link’s cap weighed heavy in her bag, that weight suffocating, weighing her down and letting dread into her chest cavity, pushing against her ribs and threatening to break.
Tora rumbled, and Lilith knew then she couldn’t risk it.
She turned to Tora, taking the beast’s head between her hands. She touched their foreheads together, and Tora chirped curiously. “I’m sorry, girl,” Lilith whispered softly, “I can’t bring you with me, not this time.”
Tora rumbled, licking her cheek in a sign of comfort. Lilith hugged her sylphwing, kissing the beast’s head. “Be good, okay? And keep Link and Talya out of danger.” Tora warbled, nodding her head in affirmation. Lilith smiled sadly, turning to the open maw of darkness, dark magic swirling around her feet.
It’s time for you to spread your wings and find what’s next for you, whatever it may be.
She stepped into the dark maw, unsure of what was next for her.