In the center of the group stood Saria and Mido. They had smiles on their faces, not the happy kind.
"Saria, what's going on?" Link asked stepping forward.
She started to run around in circles, her laughing echoing eerily throughout the forest.
Link left his sword in its sheath, nothing would get him to use it against what once was his family.
They began to approach them, sharp rocks were held in their hands as they suddenly lunged at them.
Link swerved out of the way as much as he could keeping Zelda behind him as he did so.
"Zelda, I can't..."
"I know." She pulled him toward their horses hoping to escape a violent confrontation, that wasn't necessary.
"I don't know what exactly is going on but it is'nt anything good." Link stated as they reached a horse and found that the other horse was missing.
Link jumped on his and pulled Zelda up in front of him.
"No time to search for the horse. Sorry Princess, I think it's important we reach the castle."
Zelda sat silently, involved in her thoughts.
Link looked at her from time to time but said nothing.
...He peered out his balcony window listening to the strange noises coming from town. it sounded like screaming but he couldn't be sure.
"Guards!"
The ones standing post at his doors entered.
"Go into town and see what's going on."
They nodded and exited in a hurry.
Ten minutes passed and all went silent and dark in town.
The King peeked into the hallway to find it completely deserted.
"Guards!" it just echoed off the walls.
He went back to the balcony but could see nothing but the red moon in the sky.
"What is going on?" he muttered to himself.
He paced back and forth for another ten minutes or so when he decided to take a chance and leave the safety of his castle.
He stepped out of his room as a few guards came from down the hall, their faces hidden in their armor.
"What the devil is happening?"
They kept their pace until they saw him standing there.
"What is happening in town?" He yelled as they quickened their pace.
He just watched as they came upon him with no sign of relent.
They plied him to the floor, he screamed in surprise.
"What are you doing?!"
Through their masked faces white smoke escaped from the openings and onto the kings face, forcing him to enhale it.
...They reached the castle to find the gate closed and the torches unlit. But no sounds came from behind the gate.
"Open the gates! it's Princess Zelda!" She called out.
Link put his hand over her mouth to signal for her to be quiet.
"What is it Link?" She whispered quietly.
"I sense something is going on but I don't know what."
She looked at the posts where the guards usually stood. Then she looked up at the blood red moon.
"Princess....Zelda..." He touched her hand and she looked at him.
"Are you okay?" He asked noticing the blank look on her face.
She snapped out of it.
"I'm sorry. I don't know what happened to...." She stopped midsentence as she heard the bridge come down.
Link pulled her behind him as he unsheathed his sword and waited to see who'd opened the door.
They were met with darkness. no one stood there and no torches were lit in the town.
"It doesn't feel right Link."
He nodded in agreement but kept silent as they walked to the entrance of the kingdom.
They treaded softly over the bridge and into town.
No buildings were visible because it was so dark, only the glow from the castle lit their way.
"I don't understand what's going on, and i'm not sure we really want to know." Link whispered.
"Link where are all the townspeople?"
That's a good question, Link thought to himself.
They continued on until Link nearly fell after slipping on a puddle of what he thought was water.
He dipped his finger in it and brought it to his face, feeling its thickness between his fingers.
"Blood." He said loudly.
Zelda clamped her hand over his mouth and pulled him into an alley.
"Someone's coming." She said taking her hand from his mouth and pointing in the direction of a torch approaching from the castle roadway.
They watched quietly as a castle guard neared their spot, his torch giving light to the ground and showing even more bloodstains.
"Midnight is close! All to bed!" He called out after having fallen asleep in a barrel by the castle gates.
Then footsteps could be heard, they were quick, almost frantic.
The guard swung around in time to catch sight of the townspeople running toward him, clothes ripped to shreds and covered in blood. They circled him and stared up at the moon.
"To bed! What happened?" He said alarmed, fearing he'd missed an attack on the castle.
They were laughing and dancing about then one of the men smacked the torch to the ground as the others jumped the guard and began tearing him to shreds.
Link held Zelda tightly to his chest as the guards screams echoed throughout the town.
He pulled her to the ladder by their side as the guards screams finally died down and came to an end.
"I'm sorry Princess but I can't slaughter them, there was no other way without putting you in danger." He said apoligetically.
"I didn't expect you to Link. But we need to find out what's going on. I have a feeling that that red moon has something to do with it." She said as they climbed onto the roof.
They stood there and looked up at the moon before continuing roof to roof.
