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PLEASE NOTE: As of this upload, the two previous stories to this one have been re-written.

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Rook lurched awake with a gasp, his heart was thumping in his chest. This was the fifth night in a row he'd woken from the same nightmare, pinching his brow he fought hard to push the image from his mind, tensing his body to control his violent trembling.
He slumped back onto his bed, the last several days had followed the same routine. He would wake from a nightmare and stare at the ceiling until dawn broke, Eru would emerge several times throughout the day to tend to his injury, sometimes just to chat. Rook was grateful for the company, even if he flatly refused to admit it, the silence of his medical prison was maddening, with nothing to look at and long periods with nobody to talk to, he almost longed for Pam's shrill voice, anything to break the boredom.
Rook lay still, his heart still pounded in his head, he took a deep breath, and as the cold night air swirled inside his lungs the final images of the nightmare faded. He sat upright again, tapping his fingers on the mattress, there was a long way to go before daybreak, placing his talon against the cold wooden floor, and carefully stood up. A brief, sharp pain shot from his stomach, but just as quickly faded, with another deep breath, he took a few tentative steps towards the window frame.
The waxing moon hung quietly outside the window, high up in the night sky. A soft breeze brushed Rook's feathers as he gazed longingly into the sea of stars. Just how long was Eru going to keep him cooped up in here? He could walk just fine, albeit with caution, and he no longer suffered any dizzy spells. But, he knew full well the futility in arguing with an expert, he smiled, remembering fond memories of the bickering matches Heroth would have with her chief healer, Hobbs, about the state of her arm. She never won any of them, begrudgingly returning to the medical tent for treatment after hurling all sorts of colourful expletives, now he was beginning to understand how she must have felt.
He leaned against the window, peering down into the market street, despite it being so late, there was a gentle hum of activity. Dimly lit market stalls dotted the road with small crowds of people flitting between them, so there was a night market after all.
The door creaked open behind him, inviting some much-needed distraction as Eru crept inside.

“I thought I heard some movement. Seems you're making a good recovery-” He paused, and quickly turned away. “-Ah! Sorry. I thought you might be, well, you know. Dressed.”
“Oh please.” Rook sighed. “It's not as though I have anything to see. Don't be such a prude.”
“You really ought to be resting-”
“I've done quite enough of that. There's nothing to do, nothing to see, and nothing to say! And if I stay cooped up in here much longer, I'm going to go insane!”
Eru stayed silent for a while, a ponderous look was plastered on his face. “Alright. Sit down on that stool and let me have a look at you, if I'm satisfied you can come with me and Pam to the night market.”
“Oh good lord. Do I need your permission to breathe?”
Reluctantly, Rook sat himself down on the stool, it was uncomfortably low, but it certainly beat sitting on the floor. Eru silently began his ministrations, pressing the area that was bruised and gauging Rook's response.
“You know. There's something I still don't understand about your sister.” He paused, looking the young Hylian dead in the eyes. “Why is she so hell-bent on the lab in Akkala? She's been babbling about it since we met on that carriage.”
Eru sighed heavily and glanced out the window. “She's desperate. She wants more than anything to become a respected scientist, to better peoples lives, but few are willing to take her seriously.
“Pam's been dedicating herself to finding out the cause behind the climate shift and the growing presence of monsters. She's been fighting hard to secure resources for her research, but so far nobody has given her the chance. That's why she wants to get to Akkala, that's her last, best hope.”
Rook went quiet. Pam was just like him, fighting to prove her worth in a world that couldn't care less.
“She's resilient, that's for sure.” Eru continued. “She's been laughed at by most major scientific figures, saying she's chasing nothing but superstition and fantasy. But she hasn't given up, and I don't think she will.” He went silent for a few moments, continuing his examination. “Anyway, you seem to be in good shape, if you want to come with us to the market get yourself dressed and meet us downstairs.”


The pent-up tension in Rook's body began to fade as he took his first steps outside in several days, the cool wind wafting over him, the trickle of the river that ran through the village, how he'd missed the outdoors! Around him, the hubbub of the market was in full swing, almost all of Hateno must have been gathered, browsing through all manner of exotic goods brought from all across Hyrule. He followed behind Pam and Eru as they wandered between stalls, his eyes flicked between them, noting the various oddities being peddled. Stones from the luminous rocks of Zora's Domain, relics scavenged from the remnants of the Yiga Clan hideout, (most of which being fossilized bananas) and a variety of other finely crafted goods all on display.
After an hour or two of wandering aimlessly, the trio settled by the village square, Rook leaned against a large stone post, munching quietly on a nut cake he'd bought a moment earlier. He took a moment to take stock, the square itself had been quite a recent addition by the looks of it, the cobbles were pristine and smooth, unlike the ones on the road which were worn with time and coated in moss. The post he leaned on supported a large, old-looking bell, around its rim an intricate pattern weaved it way around the circumference, an array crossing of lines and swirls. Beside it sat a small table with a large mallet, someone must be repairing this old thing, what was this bell for?
He stretched his neck, casting his gaze skywards, it was then that he spotted something odd. In place of the waxing moon he'd seen earlier, shining above them was a brilliant full moon, and it seemed to be larger than before. Rook stared at it silently, his feathers bristled. A deep sense of foreboding permeated every inch of his being.

“Hey, are you alright?” Eru asked. “You look as though you've seen a ghost.”
Rook raised his arm, try as he might, he couldn't tear his eyes away from the sky. “I'm not going mad, am I? We shouldn't have a full moon tonight-”

There was no response, no sound at all. The entirety of Hateno Village fell into a deathly silence as more and more people turned their gaze skyward. Almost imperceptibly at first, the moon began to shift in colour, bathing the world in a sickly red haze. Rooted to their spots, the villagers could do little but stare in horror at the spectacle, until a voice pierced the silence.

“There's no need to panic! This is a perfectly natural phenomenon!” Bellowed a wizened old man, his hair was wild and unkempt, stained a bright pink in the moon's crimson glow. He made fierce eye contact with Pam. “Unlike some, I understand the natural processes of this world. After all. I'm the foremost scientist in Hyrule. This is just a normal celestial event So let me repeat; There's no need to... to-”
Unfortunately for the foremost scientist in Hyrule, the moon had other plans. As if in defiance to his statement, it pulsed, glowing brighter by the second. A sudden chill lurched up Rook's spine, it continued to pulse, almost rhythmically like a beating heart until the moon resembled a glowing ball of fire.
His trance was broken as something brushed against his foot, he leapt backward. A small pool of thick black ooze was forming on the ground, it writhed on the spot, before coalescing and rising into the air, breaking apart into thin wisps of black and purple.

“That's... Impossible.” Pam whispered as she watched the wisps rise and fade. The silence was broken yet again, when a watchman came crashing into the crowd, his gaunt face pale with terror.
“M-Monsters! A horde of them! Coming this way!” He gasped. “Hundreds! Thousands!”

Rook froze. He could taste the rising panic in the air as people began to mutter. “We've got to get out of here!” One man cried. At any moment, the crowd would snap. “Where is Gus?!” Cried another. There would be screaming and shouting, people would be trampled, chaos would ensure. Someone had to take charge, to calm them down before people were killed, but as he scanned the crowd for someone, anyone to look to. He found nothing. Only the endless sea of terrified faces and panicking children. Then it clicked. If nobody would step up. He would.
Without thinking, he lunged for the mallet, seizing it in his hand he swung at the bell as hard as he could. As it boomed over Hateno, yet another silence fell upon the crowd, and all eyes were turned towards him.

“Listen up! All you of! There's no time for panic!” He yelled. He had to think quickly, this moment of calm wouldn't last long if he couldn't rouse them. He took a deep breath and put on his best impression of Heroth. “You! Watchman. Where are they approaching from?!”
“F-from Maple Point! South gate!”
Rook nodded, he remembered seeing the gate on his way out of the Inn. It was one of two entrances to the village, overlooking the expanse of ocean to the south.
“How long until they arrive?”
“A-about an hour.”
“Get yourself to the west gate. I want to know if we're being surrounded. Report back post-haste!”
As the watchman scurried off, he scanned the crowd again, his eyes settled on two guardsmen, he recognized their armour immediately, they were members of the Hylian Military Order. He turned his gaze to the younger of the two.
“You! Head to the south gate, I want to know what kind of defenses we're working with!”
The young man took a step forward. “And just who the hell are you? I'm not being bossed around by some puffed up Cucco!-”
The older man cuffed him hard on the back of the head. “Hold your tongue boy! That's not how you address a Captain! Look!” He thrust out his hand, pointing to the sword at Rook's hip.
Confused, Rook glanced at his blade, it glistened in the crimson light, and then it struck him. This was a Captain's sword, and they thought he was one.
“Oh yeah? Then where is his armour?” The younger soldier quipped.
He had to think fast, the crowd began to murmur. “I was on leave!” Rook snarled. His mind was swirling, impersonating a Captain was quite a grave offense, but it presented the only opportunity to maintain order, and he'd be damned if he let this snotty little upstart get people killed. “And unless I am mistaken. I just gave you an order! Now MOVE!”
The young man froze, He looked like a rabbit caught in a trap, Rook's bluff had worked. “Y-yes, sir!” He shouted, before vanishing off into the crowd.
Rook's focus turned to the older man, who stood to attention. “Name?”
“Hudson, Sir.”
“Congratulations, until tomorrow, you're now my second in command. How many soldiers are garrisoned here?”
“Twenty, Sir.”
Only twenty? Rook's heart dropped, he wasn't a tactician, but even he knew the odds were heavily against them. He had to stay resolute, if he lost hope, everything was over. People were depending on him to act. He turned to the siblings.
“Pam. Head to the west gate, find the mercenaries, and bring them here. Go!”
Pam was about to protest until Eru grabbed her arm. They stared silently at one another for a moment, yet it seemed to convey a message, as Pam nodded silently and set off. Rook glanced at her brother.
“Eru. Get these people organized, find them someplace safe to shelter, and be ready to evacuate if things go wrong. Is that clear?” He turned back to Hudson. “Rally the guardsmen. Bring them here. Now!”
With a salute, Hudson too vanished into the crowd. Behind him, Eru was already gathering the people. He let out a sigh of relief. He'd averted one disaster, the villagers were calmed, if scared, and he'd managed to maintain the facade. Now only one threat remained; the monsters themselves. The young man returned, and addressed Rook with a cautious salute.
“Sir! The south gate is well fortified, there's room for archers atop the gatehouse, and we're atop a hill. It's a good position.”
“Good. Now. You are to protect the people, stay with Eru, and do as he tells you.”
“But-”
“I gave you an order! So unless you want to know what a furious Cucco can do, I suggest you follow it!” He roared.
The young man scampered off. A sting of guilt rushed through Rook's bones every time he yelled an instruction. There was no joy in pretending, he merely hoped the keep the image up long enough to see this siege through.
Pam returned soon after, with no good news. The mercenaries had vanished completely. It seems once they got wind of the approaching horde, they'd packed their bags and left. There was however, one shred of good news. The watchman returned, the western front was clear, not a monster in sight. There was at least one route of escape in case of emergency.
Rook waited quietly for Hudson to return. His eyes were screwed shut, this was a hopeless scenario. Hundreds, if not thousands of monsters were marching towards them, and while the western path was clear now, there was no guarantee that more monsters wouldn't pop up, meaning he could only evacuate the village as a last resort, and with only twenty soldiers to guard the gate, the odds were far worse. All these people were depending on him, their hope was placed upon his shoulders with an almost crushing weight. But he had to stay strong. Above all, he couldn't let others see him falter, if he lost hope, how could he expect anyone else to keep it?
Another shiver ran up his spine, he glanced upwards, the moon had nearly tripled in size, pulsing like a beating heart, enveloped by a swirling red mist. His chest tightened. What if Hateno wasn't the only settlement under attack? Was his home in danger? Would his family, his brother, be safe?
His brooding was cut short as Hudson arrive in tow with a group of tired, scared-looking soldiers.
“I've told them the situation, Sir. We're ready.”
“Good.” Rook scanned through the guardsmen, he spotted at least four archers amidst the group. The rest were clutching their swords and shields. He was about to address them when a voice spoke out behind him.
“We want to fight!”
Rook whirled around. A small handful of people stood before him, clutching makeshift weapons and farming tools. They wore fierce expressions, yet he could see the fear in their eyes. Among them, a young woman stepped forwards.
“This is our home, and we'll be damned if we let some monsters take it from us!” She yelled, lofting her rake into the air. “Let us help!” Cried another.
Rook paused. They were short of capable fighters, but these people were just villagers, they had no training, and he knew that some of them would be killed in the battle. But. Was it right to sacrifice one life for another? He had to decide, and quickly.
“I will not have any of you throwing your lives away on the front line. But. You can still help us prepare. Quickly. Let's move.”

Atop the gatehouse, Rook surveyed the land ahead of them. In the distance, the formless mass of monsters could be seen marching perilously towards them. As the young man had said, the gatehouse was at the top of a large slope. The path leading up was narrow and winding, it's surface uneven from centuries of neglect. His heart was racing. Were these people seriously going to follow him against that? He gazed upwards, black clouds had formed in the sky, racing erratically towards the horizon, the air itself was filled with wisps of malice dancing in the wind as they rose, he recalled stories of this event. The blood moons of the Calamity, four hundred years ago. When its power reached its peak, the world was bathed in a sickly crimson glow, and slain monsters were returned to the flesh. But. The Calamity and been sealed and destroyed, how was this happening?
Rook shook his head. There was no point dwelling on it, he had to focus on the fight ahead. He turned back to Hudson, all eyes were fixated on him, each face waiting with bated breath for their instructions. Rook clenched his fists. There was no time for doubt. Not anymore, he'd spent his whole life training to be a swordsman, and now was his chance to prove his worth.
“Archers. Step forward. I want you up here on the gate, your priority is to kill any monster wielding a bow. Keep your eyes sharp, they'll be hard to spot.”
“Yes, Sir!”
He paused. He tried his best to recall the formation Heroth used whenever they fought monsters. “Swordsmen, you'll be with me in front of the gate. Keep your shields raised, and watch the backs of your fellows. Under no circumstance is a single monster to get past us. Understood? We'll stand our ground, and let them come to us. And when this day is done, we'll all return to see the sunrise.”
“Sir!”
He glanced to the villagers, who shuffled anxiously in their places. “And you lot. Half of you head down to the market, find anything you can use to barricade the gate. Once we're outside, lock it behind us. The other half, start collecting anything heavy enough to throw. You'll be up here with the archers. Let's go!”
Preparations went swiftly. The archers tested and oiled their bows, counted their arrows and readied themselves. The barricade was prepared and multiple heavy rocks, pots, and pans were brought as makeshift ammunition. At last, the monsters were close enough for the defenders to see their eyes glowing in the moonlight. Rook could sense the fear starting to spread, sword arms were trembling, teeth chattering, and armour clanking. He had to rouse them, and quickly. Before moral broke down entirely. Closing his eyes, he took a few steps forward and raised his sword into the air.

“Until the day I die, I will protect the weak and the vulnerable. My sword will never be raised against them. I am their shield. The wall that shall stand between them, and the darkness outside. This is our oath. And the one we shall always follow.” He turned to face the soldiers. His soldiers. He could see a fire starting to burn in each of them, deep in their hearts. “Hear me, I see the courage in your eyes, in each and every one of you. We swore an oath, we have our duty, and our bodies will break before this gate will! Think of those huddled inside these walls, their very lives lie with us, our swords shall not, cannot falter, our shields will not fail! Stand tall, and show the world what the greatest military in Hyrule can do!” He roared. The soldiers looked at one another, no longer did fear seize their hearts, their swords turned steady, their shields held strong.
“I'm with you, Captain. We'll show those bastards they picked the wrong village to invade!” He yelled. Drawing his own sword and raising it high into the air, soon, several blades and bows were raised, pointed in stout defiance towards the red moon. The small group of villagers began banging pots together and cheering. Hudson walked up beside him, and nodded. This was it. He took one last look at the bleeding moon, staring in mute defiance at its furious glow. These people would follow him to the grave. And he was going to make sure none of them did.

The next few minutes were a whirlwind of violence and disorder. Arrows rained from above, pelting the raised shields of the soldiers, dust choked the air as the horde of Bokoblins charged, the archers let loose a volley of their own arrows, silencing beasts as they ran. As they fought, all Rook could hear the clattering of steel, the shrill screams of monsters, and the battle cries of his soldiers. One cry stood out, a pained yelp. He spun to his side, a young man was grappling with a club-wielding Bokoblin, beyond them, another was taking aim. There was no time to alert his archers, he had to move, else that arrow would find its mark. He charged forwards and with one savage swing laid the club-bearer low as the archer in the distance loosed its arrow. Rook heard a dull thud, and felt a sharp pain in his shoulder. It's nothing! He leaped forwards, thrusting his sword into the archer's throat. With a flick of his wrist, its severed head flew into the throng. Another thud, this time the pain struck his leg. It's just a scratch! His blood pounded in his ears, from the corner of his eye, he saw Hudson rushing towards him, Rook's eyes widened, his second in command hadn't seen the Moblin that was lumbering towards him, swinging a tremendous cleaver in its grip.

Time slowed.

Rook hurled himself forwards. Each step felt like an eternity, he could hear no noise besides the beating of his heart ringing in his ears. He watched as the cleaver swung towards Hudson, who had noticed far too late its descent. With one swift motion, he landed between them, catching the giant's blade with his own. The force threw him into the air, and landing hard on the blood-soaked stones, he yelled in agony as the arrow in his leg was driven into the bone. Fighting the pain, he dragged himself upright. He looked to the gatehouse as a shower of rocks, pots and pans rained down, pelting the Moblin as it tried to strike the soldiers nipping at its ankles. Gasping heavily, and with the metallic taste of blood filling his beak, Rook ran forwards. The beast was distracted, this was his one chance. He slashed at its leg, and as it crumpled to the ground, he spun, his blade embedded itself in the monster's neck, gripping the hilt, Rook roared, throwing every ounce of strength he had left into the sword. The beast screamed, and fell silent, its severed head sailing into the air as it crumbled to dust. Shortly after the world itself began to change. The moon ceased its rhythmic pulse, and slowly but surely, the crimson glow faded, leaving behind a small white pearl floating in the night sky. Rook glanced around him. The last of the monsters had been slain, and with it, the end of the blood moon.
A frantic cheer broke out behind him, but it was short-lived. He heard the clatter of his sword on the stones as it slipped from his hand, glancing down at his body, he saw an arrow stuck out of his breast and his leg, and a large gash across his torso. Blood was seeping through his leather armour. As the adrenaline faded, a crippling pain enveloped him, forcing him to his knees.
“Captain!” Hudson shouted “Captain, are you alright?!”
“I'm fine-” Rook gasped, his breathing felt heavy and laborious, he struggled to his feet, but as he put weight on his leg, the arrow embedded within it dug deeper. He yelled in pain, before slumping back to the floor.
“Don't worry about me!” He sputtered, coughing blood onto the cobbles. “Get the wounded inside!” His vision was blurring, the only sounds he could make out were muffled at best. He felt several pairs of hands take hold of his body, he tried weakly to push them away, but to no avail, before long, he slipped from consciousness once more.

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