Summary: Battles continue across Hyrule as forces work to contain attacks originating from corrupted shrines. A massive group of monsters moving south from the Hebra Region poses a future threat to Rito Village and beyond. Link and a contingent of Zora guards reach the shrine in Ulria Grotto, freeing Ruta for other tasks. Linky takes center stage as he makes an ill-advised trip to help liberate Hateno Village that goes awry.

After finishing his review of the list of shrines Zelda had sent him, Link had gone back into the water and fell into a deep sleep as he floated alongside Mipha inside Divine Beast Vah Ruta. His mind drifted off into a strange dream.

Link was floating in a large body of water alongside Mipha, but she looked different: her skin was a brighter shade of red than he remembered. She also looked incredibly beautiful, even more so than before. How could he not have noticed that? He couldn't take his eyes off her!

"You're staring, sweetheart, like you don't remember me," said Mipha. "Again, I might add."

"It's just that you're so breathtakingly beautiful!" said Link.

"What a funny Hylian expression, but thank you!" Mipha laughed as she extended her hand. "Come, join me."

Link took her hand, and Mipha pulled him underwater with her. He started to panic that he couldn't breathe. Then he suddenly stopped worrying. He didn't need to breathe somehow. The water was cold, clear, rejuvenating even, and felt perfect to be in. Sunlight filtered through the waves above them as a small school of Hyrule Bass scattered upon their approach. He could hear everything in the water now, the click of crab claws, the splash of fish breaking the surface to snare an unwary insect, the scraping of sand along the lakebed. Mipha looked over at him and smiled. Her smile had changed a bit too. It was still the same sweet smile he couldn't resist since their first kiss, but it was more confident now. She knew he loved her, that he was all hers, and he certainly was. And he knew that she was all his, and knowing that felt incredible. Her eyes glowed gold in the sunlight, and it gave him a warm feeling that grew inside him as he gazed into them. They both coasted to a stop underwater as if they could read each other's thoughts. Then they pulled each other close, embraced, and as they closed their eyes, their lips met. She caressed his cheek lightly as they held their mouths pressed together, their kiss seemingly endless. He felt his desire for her growing with each moment, his pleasure kissing her similar to what he remembered but different too. He pulled her tighter and caressed her impossibly soft, smooth skin.

Then Link gasped and woke up. He was floating in the water inside Ruta, and Mipha was awake and looking over at him, smiling. She brushed his hair back from his forehead.

"You were dreaming, weren't you?" said Mipha.

"Yes, and it was a very sweet dream," said Link.

"Did it involve water?"

"We were together underwater," said Link. "Like we were once upon a time."

"Ruta can have that effect on you," said Mipha. "Maybe we should sleep in Ruta more often. I'm glad we slept, though. We both needed it. But we should get up now."

"Yes," said Link. "Zelda called while you were asleep. She wanted me to remember what the trials were for some shrines. Have you been up long?"

"Not long," said Mipha. "Sidon said our defenses are holding, and we are being attacked only from those two shrines. But the continual combat is putting a strain on everyone, and he has to rotate forces often, letting guards rest. He's also worried that stronger monsters might start appearing, which will take even more guards to contain and risk casualties. Fortunately, Ruta has been able to bottle up the Ulria Grotto shrine, at least. But Sidon needs to rest too. I will need to take over from him for a while."

"Yes, that's fortunate, and I understand," said Link. "If stronger monsters appear here, I can help out. In the meantime, I can lead a contingent of guards to the shrine in the Ulria Grotto if the forces in our way have been thinned out by now. That would free up Ruta. By the way, Zelda said there were fifteen shrines in all where attacks are originating. I should probably also check in with her to see what's new."

Meanwhile, it was mid-day in the Hebra Region as two Rito warriors named Tebra and Makon flew high toward the Hia Miu Shrine in the Icefall Foothills situated at the very northwest corner of Hyrule. Not that you could really tell it was mid-day, as clouds blanketed the entire sky and a steady heavy snowfall made visibility poor. The two Rito warriors banked with the air current, using the wind to glide.

"We're going to have to fly lower," said Tebra as he shook his head. "I can't see a thing from this high up with all this snow."

Makon nodded, and they both did a graceful dive to a lower elevation. From there, you could make out the silhouettes of the barren birch trees that dotted the landscape, as well as the odd shrub and cluster of rocks that jutted through the snow. Looking down, they could now see hundreds of Lizalfos who had been invisible from higher up, blending in as they did with the snow. The Lizalfos seemed to be making their way south along the western edge of Hyrule.

Just then, there was a whirring noise.

"Look out!" shouted Makon, and both jerked to the right as a Lizalfos Forked Boomerang sliced through the air.

Tebra cried out in pain as the weapon grazed him in the leg, then returned to the Icy Breath Lizalfos, who had thrown it from below.

"I'm hit!" Tebra cried. "It got me in the leg!"

"Climb!" shouted Makon, and they both flapped their wings and flew higher as quickly as possible.

"Can you make it back?" Makon asked once they were safely out of range.

"Yes, I think so," winced Tebra. "It's not too bad. Thank Hylia, their weapons are not poisoned."

Just then, they heard a voice from their Tabs.

"Both of you return at once," said a Rito warrior at headquarters. "We got the video feed from your Tabs."

"Understood," said Makon as they both steered a course for home.

Meanwhile, a somewhat similar scenario was playing out near Hebra Peak as two Rito warriors named Hudd and Lafton flew toward the mountain.

"Holy, Hylia!" Hudd exclaimed as they neared the mountain slope.

He and Lafton could make out dozens of four-legged creatures that seemed a mix of horse and beast. Several stopped to look up at them, staring defiantly, as if daring them to approach.

"Do you know what they are?" Lafton asked.

"No, but Master Revali should," said Hudd. "I'm told creatures like these once roamed the land."

One of the creatures took out a bow and launched three Ice Arrows in one shot. The arrows arced toward them, barely missing them wide, then fell harmlessly into the snow.

"Let's get back!" said Lafton. "Those arrows were a lot closer than I would like, and our mission was to observe and report."

Three more Ice Arrows flew by them as the two Rito banked to the left and headed toward Rito Village. They, too, had captured video from their Tabs.

Another pair of Rito had captured enemy movements by the Biron Snowfield shrine, recording a mix of Lizalfos and Moblins heading toward Rito Village. Their surveillance was interrupted by a cloud of Keese that headed their way until they scattered them with a Bomb Arrow. At headquarters, Revali and the Captain of the Rito forces looked over the video streams as they were received.

"There is an enormous number of enemies approaching!" said the Captain in alarm. "We need to discuss our defense plans before they get too close."

"Yes, we will in a moment, but Lynels?" exclaimed Revali, as he examined the video from Hebra Peak. "That's interesting. Do we know if Lynels have been spotted anywhere else in Hyrule?"

"No, Master Revali, at least not so far," said the officer monitoring communications. "Why do you ask?"

"I just wanted to confirm what I should have expected all along," said Revali proudly. "Ganon knows his enemies. Naturally, he would reserve his most powerful monsters to battle his strongest adversary."

"Strongest adversary?" said the officer, looking puzzled and missing Revali's point.

"Me!" said Revali as he gloated a bit. "Please forward our findings to Hyrule Command. Captain, now let's discuss our battle plans."

The Captain nodded as he and Revali stepped aside to confer.

Meanwhile, in North Hyrule, Linky awoke to Tara sleeping in his arms in a slumber pool and Tila watching them. Linky rubbed his eyes as he eased out of the water. He and Tila kissed, then moved away from the slumber pool to talk.

"Any news?" said Linky.

"Yes, Faray and I are receiving regular reports from Zelda," said Tila. "There are monsters emerging from fifteen Hyrule shrines. Faray dispatched a squad from here to deal with the Lizalfos approaching Hateno Village from Tenoko Island. They have the island contained and are seeking out any Lizalfos that left the shrine before they arrived."

"I should have gone with them," said Linky, shaking his head. "I'm still a knight in the service of Hyrule, and I have combat skills. I have a duty to Hyrule, and I should be helping."

Tila looked at him and took his hand.

"I'm not surprised to hear you say that," said Tila. "I hope you won't go, and I'm not sure you're combat skills are up to date. But I won't try to stop you if you feel it's your sworn duty. There is another squad leaving here soon to spell the first squad. You can ride with them if you feel you must go."

"You do understand, don't you, sweetheart?" said Linky.

"I understand your loyalty," said Tila as she took out her Tab. "I just hope you understand how much you mean to Tara and me, how much we want to live our lives with you. I'll let the Lieutenant in charge of the squad know that you will be traveling with them. They are leaving in less than an hour, so you should head for the pier soon."

"It might be best not to mention this to my parents or siblings," said Linky.

Just then, Tara woke up.

"Daddy fell asleep with me again, Mommy!" said Tara.

"That I did," said Linky as he came over to the slumber pool, picked Tara up, and kissed her. "Daddy has to go somewhere to help some people. I'll be back as soon as I can. I love you, you little cutie!"

Linky tweaked her on the cheek, and she giggled, then hugged him back.

"I love you too, Daddy," said Tara.

Then Linky put Tara down and embraced Tila.

"Don't do anything reckless," said Tila as she held him.

"I won't, and I know how to take care of myself," said Linky. "I just can't do nothing for Hyrule. Hateno Village needs help."

Then they kissed.

"My heart goes with you, sweetheart," said Tila. "Return it in one piece."

"I will," said Linky. "Take good care of mine in the meantime."

With that, Linky blew Tara a kiss, then left and headed for the pier. When he arrived, he was greeted by Lieutenant Kalon.

"Ah, Prince Link, Mistress Tila said to expect you," said Kalon. "We're ready if you are."

Three watercraft waited by the pier, and all but the one he was boarding contained five Zora guards. The one he was boarding had three guards. The Lieutenant boarded first and helped Linky to a seat.

"I've never been on one of these," said Linky as he sat down along the port side of the small ship.

"We only built a few of them and only for military purposes, which have been fortunately rare here," said Kalon. "You should hold on when we get past the channel. We go pretty fast, a lot faster than commercial vehicles."

"Can you drop me off onshore near Hateno Village?" said Linky. "I think I can be of most use there."

"Yes, of course, some of us are going there as well," said Kalon. "We have Tenoko Island contained and are eliminating any Lizalfos we find in the water or along the shore."

Link held on as the craft propulsion system started. They slipped quietly out of the harbor and then picked up speed in the channel that led to the Akkala Sea. When they neared where the channel met the sea, Kalon reminded him again to hold on. Then the craft surged forward and began skimming across the water at a speed Linky could not believe. He had never traveled so fast in his life and held on tightly, turning his head to the side to keep the wind from his face.

"Wow!" Linky exclaimed. "Fast indeed!"

Kalon just smiled and nodded as they sped south.

It was only a short time before Linky saw one of the craft veer off and approach Tenoko Island to relieve the guards already there, while his and the other craft headed toward Hateno Beach.

"By the way, the villagers and tourists at Lurelin Village all safely evacuated to the sea," said Kalon. "We're making sure no Lizalfos head their way, and the Bokoblins and Moblins who planned to attack them haven't been able to venture to sea. The villagers took all their boats with them."

One boat veered off again and began patrolling the water while the one Linky was on slowed and coasted into shore. When they reached the beach, everyone got out. Three guards immediately began searching the beach.

"Stay alert," said Kalon. "We don't know for sure how many Lizalfos made it to shore before our first guards arrived. The villagers are largely hiding in their homes now, though some evacuated to the hilltop. There are some Hylian knights guarding the path to the hilltop, and that area seems safe for now."

"Thanks, I will be careful," said Linky as he felt for his sword and bow.

Then, as he prepared to head up the hill toward Hateno Village, Kalon began to accompany him.

"Wait? Are you coming with me?" Linky asked.

"Forgive me, but Mistress Tila told me if I let you out of my sight not to bother returning at all," laughed Kalon. "I think she was sarcastic, but some of my fellow guards have heard her lose her temper with Her Majesty, her sister, and I am reluctant to test the waters."

"Funny, she's never lost her temper with me," laughed Linky. "At least not yet. But I'm glad for the company."

"I think it might be best to avoid the path and reach the village by climbing up the cliffside over here," said Kalon.

They spoke as they climbed the cliff.

"I meant to ask," said Linky. "What weaponry do you use, Kalon? You're not carrying a spear or bow as far as I can see."

"Well, I can always use my Tab to create a spear or bow if I need one. But we're using something more advanced for this mission," said Kalon. "I'll show you when we finish our climb if you like, or later. It's a two-handed weapon that fires a pulse of Ancient Energy wherever you aim it. The device is personalized, matched to each person given one, so I'm the only one who can fire mine. Each guard on this mission has one issued to them. It was developed by the North Hyrule Sheikah to protect our land, and they have restricted its use to special situations such as this."

"I can understand that, I guess," said Linky. "Tila told me you had more advanced weaponry but didn't get into specifics."

"You have to understand that our military is designed around the defense of our land, not the ability to conquer others," said Kalon. "We are small compared to Hyrule, and our forces are not large in number. We rely on technology to defend ourselves. Her Majesty is using a good deal of our forces on these missions. This is the first time in history that an armed military force from North Hyrule has entered Hyrule to engage in combat. Only security guards have traveled here in the past."

"I see," said Linky. "Tila has told me some of what you said, and I am sure Queen Zelda is grateful for any help we can provide. As for weaponry, I'm pretty comfortable with a sword and a bow."

"A sword or spear can certainly be handy when fighting at close quarters," said Kalon. "And I heard how skilled you are with a blade, that you won the swordsmanship competition and served as the Princess of Hyrule's personal knight for a time."

"Yes, I inherited some of my father's combat ability," said Linky.

When they reached a flat area near the top, they decided to approach the village through the Retsam Forest.

"If you haven't yet, you should silence your Tab," said Kalon, and Linky did so after sending a quick message to Tila that he loved her and Tara, and all was well.

Kalon pulled out his Tab and showed the screen to Linky.

"This is a map of the area," said Kalon. "The green dots are Hylians and Zoras. The blue dots are larger animals, such as sheep or cows. The red dots are anything else. We need to investigate those."

Linky looked at the map of the nearby area. It showed numerous green dots clustered inside various buildings, blue dots scattered near a sheep farm, and six red dots in three groups of two each at various locations. None of the dots were significantly moving at the moment.

"This is a valuable technology. Shouldn't we share something like this?" said Linky.

"That's above my rank to decide," said Kalon. "Perhaps you should discuss it with Mistress Tila. There are privacy concerns about using it. Our former Queen, Sopha, was fond of technology like this, using it to keep track of people she distrusted. So, like our weaponry, its use is limited to extraordinary situations like the one we find ourselves in. We should still be careful, though, as it's not infallible. Terrain and surroundings can impact the range and accuracy. But those two red dots over there by Zelkoa Pond should be our first destination."

They moved quietly through the woods, Kalon's weapon over his shoulder and holding his Tab now. The wind from the sea rustled the tree leaves, but the forest was still, the only activity the dash of a Hightail Lizard that scampered away into the foliage. They followed along the shore of small Lake Sumac, confirming no enemies were hidden there, and frightening a Hot Footed Frog into the water and a group of four Bright Chested Ducks into taking flight.

A Sheep Farm lay at the end of the Lake. Kalon's Tab indicated it was unoccupied, but Linky opened the door and entered to make sure while Kalon waited outside. The house was indeed empty, but the unfinished remains of a meal for three lay on the table, indicating their evacuation had been sudden. Linky checked the bedroom upstairs, but there was nothing to see there either.

"I hope whoever was here made it to safety," said Linky as he closed the front door behind him.

"It's likely they did so, given the warning came early," said Kalon. "From reports I received, any Lizalfos that attacked the village did so from the main road. Their path would not have brought them this way. Let's go."

They moved through the pasture, where a number of Highland Sheep and Hateno Cows grazed peacefully. The thick grass blew in the wind, and both Linky and Kalon moved more stealthily now. They hopped over a low fence at the edge of the pasture and paused at the edge of an elevated ridge. From there, you could see Zelkoa Pond and the ancient furnace of blue energy beyond it. They moved forward, hugging the cliff face north of the pond as Kalon kept checking his Tab to assure the red dots hadn't moved.