The Legend of Zelda
The Winged Ones
Chapter 10: Dragons

The trio arrived at the Guredo fortress by late morning having left the castle before dawn. They briefly stopped to refresh themselves and their supplies before passing through to the desert.

Link was finally able to fill in Nabooru on all the details both about Ganon and the history behind the medallion her ancestors hid in the Spirit Temple.

"So, it would seem our King is gone for good this time." she said with relief and sorrow, there was a time when she was in love with the Guredo King Gannon…
Nabooru spied Sheik and was snapped out of her saddened gaze, "Well now here is a face we have not seen here in this timeline." she said "It's a shame only I remember you, the girls found you quite the item in the future that almost was." Sheik's eyes rolled in exasperation and the Sheikah silently got back on the horse, Zelda within once again irritated by the gender confusion that followed the warrior's body. Nabooru giggled remembering the time Sheik spent a night as their captive and then won them over in much the same way Link did in the future that almost was.

The trio continued by horse back to the temple "So...Sheik?" Link questioned "What Nabooru said..." Link went flush knowing that his immature approach on the topic upset Sheik before, "Seriously. Which are you right now." Sheik looked pissed.

The Sheikah's eyes closed and turned away "Impa once told me with a heavy heart that Sheik was a hero to the Sheikah, he was also the Prince of Ikana, being born a prince meant he he was given the same name of his people.
Sheik sacrificed much to save who he could from the fate that faced his clan in the land of Termia. She said that it was through Sheik's actions that the Sheikah found their way to Hyrule... but in the end the Prince's actions claimed his life...
With his sacrifice the mask came into being... and Impa's family has cherished it ever since..."

The warrior glared at Link
"Sheik was a young man... but I as Zelda was born female and for you to even think otherwise of me is not only insulting but it's also infuriating!" the Sheikah snapped "Now lets drop the subject before I push you of your horse" Sheik said as the white mare trotted forward ahead of the group.

"Well... that didn't answer my question..." Link mumbled tapping Epona asking her to move a little faster. Navi was just as frustrated as Link, and Chirin just kept his mouth shut.

The Hero of Time, the Hero of the Sheikah and the new Hero to be reached the Spirit Temple and left horses to roam free by the oasis.

Link set down his sheath, sword and shield before taking on the Tenshioni form, he somehow retained the rest of his items as he changed shape but this time he did not want to rely on the Tenshioni weapon.
After Link took on his winged form he stowed the double helix blade safely in the Spirit Temple and donned his more familiar gear, with flames involved Link had a feeling he would really need a shield this time.

As Chirin called upon the form of the Tenshioni Link promptly scooped up Zelda in the form of Sheik supporting the Sheikah across the back and under the knees. Sheik was a little disgruntled over having to be carried away in a fashion similar to a maiden in distress but the only way to get there from this point forward was by air.

Father and son took flight soaring over the huge desert colossus, their wings casting bird-like shadows over the female form entwined by a serpent.

Zelda looked down through Sheikah eyes at the dead land below shocked to see a desert more horrible and baron than the one they had just passed through.

As they approached the temple Link gasped in shock, the sandblasted and sun scorched Temple of Wind now lay in complete ruin, smashed into the earth and crumbling to dust.

The group promptly landed, Kaepora's translucent form appeared "Oh I figured as much." he scowled "The demon saw you when you saved your son did it not? It must have figured smashing the temple to bits would be enough to make you turn around and go home. Thankfully the wretch likely does not know you have met me and thus would not expect you to know the real temple lies underground."
Link watched as the ghostly form took a few steps towards the ruins, the sage stopped and stared. Link could tell that despite not being the true temple the loss of the once grand structure was an emotional blow to the sage.

"Link The fire demon within is very cunning and very powerful, you must be careful. When it first appeared long ago I went along with my warriors to see just what it was, we approached it intending no harm... My five closest warriors were killed instantly, I called for a retreat but two more of my comrades fell before we could get away. We could never manage to get close enough to perform any sort of magic upon the demon and we were helpless."

"The demon continued to seek out and kill the enchanted Giant Wolfose, and without them the demons power easily made the land a dessert. We called upon the loyal ice dragons for they can tolerate even high heat to a certain extent."

"The dragons charged along with my own, Yubreit, (you-bree-it) ready to attack, but the demon fired first and half the dragons perished with one blow. The dragons retreated, though I am not sure where. Only Yubreit stayed behind…but I have no idea where he is now, I was attacked and cursed by the demon before I could do anything for him."

The wind mage shook himself out of his depressive state and spoke with a new intensity "The demon is larger and stronger than ever, Ganon treated it like a pet when he claimed my home as his own secret retreat and it only grew off his power. Your magic is strong but I fear you may need help and physical help is something I cannot give. All I can do now is lead you to a cavern that will take you into the lower depths of the temple, and then you're on your own…"

Kaepora flew a short distance to the north, the trio followed him on foot their bodies heavy laden with weapons and supplies, Chirin wishing there was a magic way to carry everything so as not to have all this stuff strapped to his back and belt.

They arrived at a large obscure crack in the mountain wall "If you see a beam of blue light come from the demons mouth do all you can to avoid it or you may find yourself trapped in the body of owl… or worse, that same magic I saw change me I also saw lay waste to the land… Remember the task ahead is no easy one for the demon of fire is the original embodiment of dark magic."

"I will not be here with you" the sage continued "I am going to be keeping my essence as far away from here as possible from this point forward…I got lucky the last time I met that demon and I dare not test my luck again."

Chirin and the queen in the form of Sheik made their way into the crack in the mountainside. Link was last to follow but was stopped by Kaepora's words "Link, destiny has chosen to give both you and or son a way to take on the form on my people. My people's magic is strong but we were never able to get close enough to the demon to use our magic for even a warm day in your land can harm us…Let us hope that the forms you take are the secret to the creatures downfall….Link." he said his kind eyes held both the look of dread and hope "Good luck." With his last sincere words the ghostly form vanished. Link turned to follow his family into the cave, but stopped as motion caught is eye, the form of a huge brown owl was perched upon the edge of a cliff in the distance.

As they descended into the darkness the air became very cold and a deep grunting noise below reached their ears, they looked at each other and then cautiously entered a large cavern. Even with the specks of light coming in through small cracks it was still very dark and Navi's little blue glow did not help much.

They could make out huge shapes in the dim light, suddenly one of the shapes moved and came towards them giving out a deep rumbling growl, Link and Chirin readied their swords and Sheik a large knife. But suddenly the huge dark form stopped just in front of them and sniffed the air.

The creature became excited and they could tell by the sounds that it was jumping around in the darkness like an excited dog. The creature then ran right past them and out to the opening Chirin ran after it with Sheik and Link hollering at him to wait. The beast had stopped at the entrance and was squinting in the sunlight, it was here at the mouth of the cavern that the warriors got their first look at the creature.

It was a huge animal bigger than a horse but it's build spoke of a riding animal, it's neck was long and slender as was it's tail. The dragon was bluish off-white with deeper blue eyes, large stark white horns and a row of white spikes down it's neck that tapered to nothing as they reached the shoulders. Its skin was smooth and cold to the touch, a strong chill radiated from its body as if the creature was made of ice. The dragon shimmered with iridescent pearl and silver scales, a silver and gold harness was around his chest and large wings were folded at its side, the wing style a combination of bat and bird, the webbing coated with scales that grew larger towards the edges as they shifted into feathers.

Chirin took a step towards it, as the dragon looked at him and snorted like a horse Chirin could make out faded gold letters on the metal plate that adorned the front of the harness that held a riding saddle "Yubreit"…
Chirin reached out and hesitantly touched its nose, the dragon breathed heavily through its slit like nostrils, its breath was freezing cold making Chirin's fingers numb.

Chirin looked up at the creature and for reasons unexplained to anyone but himself took hold of the harness and swung himself up to the saddle, with the weight of the young Tenshioni on his back Yubreit took off galloping back down into the black tunnel towards the underground temple. Navi had grabbed the end of Chirin's hat as he mounted the great beast and her little glowing light was Sheik and Link's only guide as they followed in near panic after their son.

They all arrived at the underground temple gates Yubreit lowering himself so Chirin could slide down, "That was fun!" he said not even noticing his parents disgruntled faces.

Link walked up to the heavy doors and pulled them open. The room before them was the same as the room Link had been in before when Dark stole Chirin from him, a room with three doors, only this was under ground, and the doors were ginormous. Link walked to the third door, like before a fourth door appeared only this time it was strung with heavy chains bolted with a huge ornate lock that would need the master key. The only door that laid unlocked was the third down and so they went straight through, the dragon stayed behind for he did not see them leave, he was to busy scratching himself.

The room was full of spikes moving across the floor and the ceiling was too low to fly, the moving spikes formed and were part of an ever-changing maze and at the end was the key. Chirin wanted to try this but Link didn't agree. Chirin argued "I am good at mazes and I am smaller so I can fit through a smaller opening." "Link, let him." said Sheik, Link was shocked, the gaze that met his eyes told Link that Sheik trusted the training the boy had gone through.

Chirin dispelled the wings, Link was touched by a hint of envy because unlike Link Chirin felt no effect upon doing so. The boy dashed through the closing entry and began to pick his way through the maze. There was a close call when his boot got caught but the boy swiftly freed himself, however the brief mishap with the boot made the rest of the maze harder for now his timing was off.

Link and Sheik watched with apprehension but also trust, Link not forgetting what he told his son about how trusting himself was the only way he survived his own trials, and Link knew he must put the same trust in his son.

Chirin made it to the end and opened the small chest before him; he got the key and behind the chest, to his relief, he found a switch that made the spikes move below ground.

They left the room Yubreit greeted them and this time joined them as they entered the second room. This one was filled with hundreds of deku babas "Oh come on this is supposed to be a challenge?" Link said as he stepped closer, Sheik spoke "Well if you were new to all this and decided to lop them off one by one I can see how it would be a challenge…but I think we are all a little more experienced than that" Sheik said annoyed with how easy this really was.

"Chirin, step back a bit, and take him with you." Link said as he stared a little annoyed at the spazzy dragon. Link performed Din's Fire, the ball of flames burned through every one of the viscous plants and with their deaths a treasure chest appeared…the only problem was it showed up on a ledge higher than Link could jump and the shaft was narrower than Link or Chirin could fit their wings into, and on top that they could just barely see it showing for the spot the chest had materialized at was extremely narrow.

"Now how I am supposed to even get to that?" Link said his palm upturned in front of him directed towards the chest in an exasperated motion.
"Just let me deal with this." Sheik said with a sudden leap from the ground, Sheik made the jump in one sweep landing and sliding into the narrow opening with such grace that both Link and Chirin stared awestruck. Sheik laid awkwardly to one side in the gap and reached in to open the chest and retrieve the small key.

The next room was harder for the place was swarming with fire keesee and torch slugs were every where to be found. On top of that the place was surrounded by cooling lava and they knew one misstep would be their doom. Link readied his arrows preparing to pick the small fiery foes off one by one with Navi guiding his aim. Without warning Yubreit got in the way and Link swore under his breath.

But Link watched as the dragon's chest puffed up and his neck grew wider as out blasted small streams water from his mouth which solidified instantly as they meet his freezing breath. More than half the keesee were taken out by this attack, Chirin gasped out an excited "Wow" as he watched an ice shard stab one of flaming bats right in the middle as it screeched and evaporated. Link took care of the rest of the small pests and a treasure chest materialized on the far side of the room…on a outcrop of rocks in the middle of a huge pit of fresh boiling lava.

The group walked towards the edge of the plateau they were on, Chirin stopping with Yubreit when the heat became to much for the dragon. Link was preparing to fly out to retrieve the key but the heat was too great "Link we can't do it." Sheik cried out feeling the pain of the intense heat, skin blistering. They stepped back, Link sorely wishing he had been more prepared "If I just had the Goron's tunic I coul-" Chirin cut him off "Wait, didn't Kaepora say I could use the abilities of the races without the tunics they gave you?" The boy said as he came along side them, Sheik and Link looked upon their child who stood there unaffected by the heat that was growing ever more deadly the longer they stood there. Chirin spread his wings and effortlessly retrieved the key from this third and finial room.

As they left the room they saw the next place to go was on the opposing wall, and was up, way up, about thirty feet or so. Chirin called forth his wings and with Link once again carrying Sheik they flew to the platform. Navi realized something as she looked down at Yubreit "Ut-oh. What about him?" Link looked down "I dunno, Chirin, that shaft is too narrow for him to open his wings, do you think we can some how carry him?" suddenly there was a huge thud as chips of rock and dust came down from the ceiling, Yubreit stood there right in front of them sniffing the lock on the door, his cold breath frosting the metal.

Navi gave out an uneasy laugh shaken by the uncharacteristic ability of such a large animal "Hee he. Heh… I didn't know they were spring loaded."

Link unlocked the door, as they entered they found themselves face to face with seven of the typical nasty, nonenchanted wolfose that plagued the world. This would be Chirin's first battle. Yubreit took on three of them at once, Sheik and Link double teamed on another three, and Chirin took on the last one alone.
Though he only had to deal with one a wolfose is a hard first opponent.

The dragon howled as it defeated one, Sheik reached behind and grabbed the pouncing wolfose as it aimed for flesh and swung it to the ground with a thud and a yelp, Sheik dove upon the wolf-like creature jabbing the blade into its ribs.

The red eyed warrior turned sharply as Chirin yelped, the wolfose had grabbed his arm, Before Sheik and Link could even react the boy cut into its face making the beast let go as it howled in pain, the child went in for the kill and struck it again before Yubreit interfered and snapped the wolfose from the ground breaking its spine in his frosty jaws.

Within the next few minutes all the wolfose had been dispatched. The dragon seemed unharmed, at first he looked hurt but then they realized it was wolfose blood frozen upon his cold flesh and not his own. Link had been clawed at a few times and generally was just bleeding a little…like, all over. Sheik had a smart gash to the face that bled profusely staining the large ruffled collar. Chirin was bit and his arm bled heavily but the pain itself was not too great. Sheik stopped and unwrapped the ornate bandages from one arm and used them to patch Chirin.
"Dad…I dunno about you but I am not sure I would call that fun." The child said with shaky confidence.

The bars came up on the door ahead of them and they found themselves in another high room with a platform over head and once again they flew up, Chirin in the lead this time. A skulluta came down hitting Chirin, caught off guard by the attack he fell to the ground landing on his back alongside the dragon with an ump, Sheik still in Link's arms took care of the skulluta precisely casting a sharpened poisoned needle. Chirin flew back up and Yubreit jumped up to join them with a little more difficulty than last time for this platform was higher and in a more narrow shaft.

Link unlocked the door and found a huge bottomless pit before them, the expanse impossible to jump over. Link and Chirin flew across with Sheik and Yubreit paced back and froth readied as he himself to jump, the room was too narrow side to side for the huge beast to fly in and if he fell the shaft below was equally too narrow for Yubreit to catch his fall. The dragon quit pacing and then reared back like a horse, there was little room for a running start and it was a huge span to cross. Yubreit made the plunge barley managing to grab the edge, he kicked and scratched at the wall and pulled the rest of him onto the platform.

Link sighed with relief and used the last key to open the door.

They stood in a large room with a very high ceiling but no platform was to be seen. Paintings, frightening paintings of a winged being with red hair, cruel intense eyes and huge black wings were on the wall all around them. A large opening was in the opposite wall and in the darkness of the next room glowing blue eyes stared back at them.

The owner of the huge blue eyes roared sounding very much like a ice dragon but when it appeared it was no ice dragon, it was bigger and orange with red spikes and had useless wings too small to support its bulk. Chirin was freaking out "Kaepora never told us about a dragon!" he said ducking behind and grabbing Sheik's arm.

"Is that? The fire demon?" Sheik said "No." Navi sounded out as the orange dragon studied the creatures that had disturbed its slumber "It's a fire dragon, I didn't know any were left. They are the great ancestors of the ice dragon. But this guy ain't friendly!"

The fire dragon came closer and sniffed the air while looking at the ice dragon, it seemed puzzled but its confusion only made it madder. The flame colored dragon made a strong sound as it spewed intense flames from the depth of its being.