...Link’s P.O.V... We barely had time to draw our weapons before the sky erupted.A hail of purple energy beams rained down from the descending sky island, tearing through the newly rebuilt structures of Lookout Landing. Hundreds of corrupted Zonai Constructs—hulking soldiers made of ancient stone and dark magic—marched through the smoke."Link! We have to get the Princess out of here!" Sidon shouted, using his water barrier to deflect a blast from a heavy flying Construct."I'm with you!" Riju yelled, her scimitars flashing as she cut a path through the robotic soldiers. Tulin swooped down, grabbing Zelda by the hands and lifting her into the air. "Hold on, Princess!"We were completely overwhelmed by the sheer size of the sorcerer's army. Realizing we couldn't win this fight on the ground, I signaled for a tactical retreat. Sidon, Riju, and I dashed toward the outer walls, leaping onto our horses to make a break for the treeline.But as the smoke swirled, a desperate cry echoed from the center of the courtyard."Link! Help!" ...Zelda’s P.O.V... I looked down from the sky as Tulin flew us toward safety. My heart shattered.Yunobo was trapped. Three massive, heavily armored Constructs had pinned his arms, while a towering, hooded figure floated down from the sky. The ancient Zonai sorcerer’s eyes glowed with a terrifying, absolute violet light."A champion of the rock," the sorcerer murmured, his voice sounding like grinding stone. "You will make an excellent puppet."Before Yunobo could curl into a ball to escape, the sorcerer placed a glowing, purple-clawed hand directly onto Yunobo's forehead. Dark, jagged energy surged into him. Yunobo screamed in agony as the warm, golden protective glow of his ancestors power turned a toxic, jagged purple. His eyes snapped open—but the kind, friendly eyes of our friend were gone. They were entirely blank, burning with dark malice."Now," the sorcerer commanded, pointing a finger toward the woods where Link and the others had fled. "Crush them."Corrupted Yunobo let out a monstrous roar, his entire body igniting with dark, purple fire. He curled into a massive, heavy boulder and launched himself forward, smashing through the stone walls of Lookout Landing with terrifying speed, hunting down his own friends. The roaring wind whipped against my face as Tulin flew us higher into the sky, away from the smoke of Lookout Landing. Below us, Central Hyrule was a blur of chaos. I watched in heartbreak as a massive cloud of purple dust swallowed the camp, and Yunobo's roaring, corrupted form dashed into the woods after Link, Sidon, and Riju."I have to get you to safety, Princess!" Tulin gasped, his wings working furiously against the sudden, violent updrafts caused by the sorcerer’s storm. "Rito Village is the best place to regroup!"As we crossed the border into the chilly air of the Hebra region, the dark violet clouds from the sky island began to follow us, blocking out the sun.Suddenly, a group of sharp, feathered silhouettes burst through the fog ahead of us."Tulin! Princess Zelda!"It was a patrol squad of Rito warriors, led by Teba and Harth. They quickly flew into a defensive formation around us, their bows drawn as they scanned the stormy skies. ...Tulin’s P.O.V... "Dad! Harth!" I cried out, letting out a massive sigh of relief as my wings started to ache."We saw the purple lightning flash all the way from the flight range," Teba said, his expression grim as he adjusted his grip on his bow. "Then we saw the smoke rising from Lookout Landing. Tulin, what happened down there? Where are the other Sages?""An ancient Zonai sorcerer attacked us!" I yelled over the howling wind. "He brought a whole army of purple constructs! Lookout Landing is gone... and Yunobo... they captured Yunobo and turned him evil with dark magic! Link, Riju, and Sidon are still down there trying to hold them off!"The Rito patrol swapped horrified looks. Harth looked up at the massive, dark sky island slowly drifting over the mountains. "Ancient Zonai magic... no wonder our weather instruments went crazy. Princess, we must get you to the village elder immediately. If the sorcerer is targeting the Sages, Rito Village is next on his list."Zelda tightened her grip on my shoulders, her eyes burning with determination despite the fear. "We don't have much time. If the sorcerer's forces reach the Hebra region, we need to be ready to defend the skies."
...Zelda’s P.O.V... We touched down on the wooden bridges of Rito Village, the chilly mountain air biting at our skin. The village elder and the warriors gathered quickly, listening intently as Tulin and I explained the horrifying power of the unnamed sorcerer."If his magic can corrupt a Sage as strong as Yunobo, we cannot face him in a standard aerial battle," Harth muttered, studying a map of the surrounding peaks. "We must lure his forces into a bottleneck.""We will use the Flight Range," Teba decided, his sharp eyes narrowing. "Tulin, you and the archers will rig the updrafts with heavy, hidden netting made of reinforced Baba-fiber. When his flying Constructs dive in to attack, the wind currents will trap them, leaving them completely helpless."For hours, the entire village worked in perfect, synchronized harmony. They strung up the invisible, durable traps across the canyon walls. It was a flawless plan. If the sorcerer sent his army here, they would be grounded instantly.We waited in breathless silence as the purple storm clouds finally rolled over the Hebra peaks. ...Tulin’s P.O.V... I hid behind a snow-covered ridge, my bow tightly notched. The sound of mechanical humming filled the air. A massive swarm of the sorcerer's purple-eyed flying Constructs emerged from the fog, heading straight into the center of the Flight Range.“Now!” I yelled, signaling the archers.We cut the guide ropes, and the massive nets snapped into place directly in the canyon’s path.But the Constructs didn't crash.Suddenly, the entire swarm stopped perfectly in mid-air, hovering just inches away from the hidden netting. The violet clouds above parted, and a giant, glowing magical glyph—shaped like an ancient Zonai eye—appeared in the sky, illuminating the entire canyon.The unnamed sorcerer had anticipated our strategy before his troops even arrived. He didn't even show his face; his voice simply echoed from the clouds, dripping with cold amusement."A clever trick for small birds... but your wind belongs to me now."Zelda’s P.O.V.My breath caught as the giant magical glyph flashed.Instead of blowing upward, the massive updrafts of the Flight Range suddenly violently reversed. A terrifying, unnatural downward gale slammed into the canyon, ripping our carefully placed nets from the rock faces and shredding them to pieces in an instant. The very wind Tulin relied on was completely hijacked by the sorcerer’s supreme intellect.The flying Constructs dived through the wreckage, entirely unhindered. They didn't fire a single weapon—instead, they landed in a flawless circle around the Flight Range, completely boxing us in against the freezing mountain walls.Our trap had completely backfired. We were entirely cornered, and the brilliant, faceless mastermind behind the invasion hadn't even stepped foot on the battlefield yet.
