The battle with Waterblight Ganon had left Wild battered and exhausted. His left shoulder ached where the ice spear had struck, and his ribs were sore from the impact of Waterblight's massive spear. But despite the pain, he had won.
Now, they had to keep moving.
Time helped Wild back to his feet as the others gathered near the entrance of Vah Ruta. The Divine Beast had finally settled, its inner mechanisms no longer grinding under the weight of corruption.
"You alright?" Twilight asked, watching as Wild rolled his shoulder with a quiet grunt.
Wild nodded, not bothering with words. His body was sore, but he could still move. That was all that mattered.
Warriors crossed his arms. "You fought like a royal knight back there."
Wild's breath hitched for a fraction of a second, but he said nothing. Of course Warriors would notice.
Hyrule glanced between them, curiosity sparking in his eyes. "You were a knight?"
Time was the one to answer. "He had to be." He studied Wild carefully. "The way he fights... He was trained, disciplined. That's not something you just pick up on your own."
The others looked at Wild now, expecting an answer.
He hesitated. The memories were still blurry—pieces of a life he had lost. He knew he had been a knight. He knew he had sworn an oath to protect Zelda. But the details were still out of reach, buried beneath a century of lost time.
"...I don't remember everything," Wild admitted finally.
That was enough for now. The others didn't push further.
Instead, Sky stepped forward, adjusting his sailcloth. "Where's the next Divine Beast?"
Wild pulled out his Sheikah Slate and tapped the map. A marker blinked to life, hovering over the northwestern region of Hyrule.
Rito Village.
Vah Medoh.
"Alright then," Legend said, brushing dust off his tunic. "Let's go."
The Climb to the Tabantha Frontier
Traveling through Hyrule was proving to be more difficult than expected.
Wild had warned the others about the Guardians that still roamed the land, and they had already encountered one while crossing the plains. It had taken all of them working together to bring the ancient machine down.
Now, they were making their way through the snow-covered mountains that led to the Tabantha region.
The temperature had plummeted. Wild had already wrapped himself in his Rito-designed cold-resistant gear, but the others weren't as lucky.
"Why is it so freezing?" Wind grumbled, pulling his cloak tighter around himself. His teeth chattered as he walked. "This is worse than the Great Sea!"
"Try climbing this in full plate armor," Warriors muttered, rubbing warmth into his arms.
Hyrule sneezed.
Sky, who had been unusually quiet for most of the journey, finally spoke. "Wild, how much farther until we reach the village?"
Wild checked the map again before pointing ahead.
"Not far," Twilight translated for the others.
As they pushed forward, Wild noticed something.
The wind had changed.
The mountains had always been dangerous, but something felt off.
There were no sounds. No distant bird cries, no howling of wolves—just the eerie whistle of the wind.
He stopped walking. The others noticed and did the same.
"What's wrong?" Time asked.
Wild narrowed his eyes. His senses were screaming at him—something was here.
Then—
A screech tore through the sky.
Everyone barely had time to react before a massive shadow swooped down from above.
Wild's heart leapt into his throat.
Monsters. A lot of them.
And they were coming straight for them.
