Well, here is! As promised! It is not as long as the others though...


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Termina Field ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Is it something wrong?"

"Don't you smell something funny around?"

"Umm, no… why?"

I insisted her that we shouldn't have passed through the grassy field…

"Uh... nothing…" How come she can't smell that horrible odor?

I turned back at the weird shaped rock at the distance. (Maybe it's just me…)

I glanced forward to the current direction of the carriage. Milk Road. I frowned at the sight of the gates at its entrance.

When I set off with Cremia to Clock Town to make a delivery of hers, well… first, Milk Road was blocked, so we had to take a detour through the Gorman Track. I don't like that place in the very least. Don't know how to explain it, but could feel the malice of the two big nosed brothers miles away.

Then these two 'masked' bandits showed up. They tried to steal Epona, but I drove them away easily.

We passed through Milk Road's gate, and to my relief, that infernal smell has gone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Milk Road ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Cremia commanded Epona and her horse, Jack to stop.

"Mmm…"

"What do you see up ahead?"

"Yup, the road isn't blocked anymore."

I stood up from the inside of the wagon and arched my back. "They knew it was for the better." Then, jumped out from the wagon and glanced at both sides; no one else was around. It's safe now.

"You see? It wasn't necessary to accompany me all the way here…" Cremia said.

"I wanted to get sure that the road wasn't blocked anymore so you could pass without worry."

"But I feel like I'm slowing you down…"

"Your safety is above everything else."

She went red after I said that and turned away casually, and so I did after realize what I said.

Why I tend to be romantic with people that I don't see like an actual crush? Why can't I be like this with Mia? Or maybe Cremia is…

I blushed even harder at the thought.

(Umm, no time for existential matters now)

"I… better leave now…"

"You won't be taking Epona with you?" She asked with a concerned tone.

"Nah, the swamp isn't too far away from here. She'll come to me if I call her anyway. She can stay at the ranch meanwhile, right?"

"Of course she can! You are always welcome too."

"Really? Thanks! I appreciate it a lot!"

I approached Epona and petted her head. "Goodbye girl, see ya soon."

"Neigh…" (Just don't get killed.)

I waved at Cremia. "Bye!"

"Come back soon to know that you are Ok Alex, please…" She worriedly said while waving.

The carriage started moving and so, I started walking towards Termina Field.

I sighed. "A little walk always does good…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Termina Field ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I tried my best to not go near the grassy field, just stared at the strange shaped rock pinned in the ground far away in the middle of it. I was far enough to not smell the scent.

I was still puzzled because Cremia couldn't smell that odor of burned plastic that highlighted above everything else around. Maybe it's my imagination?

No, it can't. It's authentic because I smelt it before many times in that same area. There's no mistaking it.

But still, am I the only one who can smell it?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Southern Termina Field ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Anyway, to other things, Mr. Barten was the same as always, mocking me.

(Flashback)

Just before leaving the last milk container to the bar, which I was carrying to the table, Cremia and Mr. Barten were talking about their business, when…

"…Yeh… and when you two are getting married!?" Mr. Barten said, out of the nowhere.

"Mr. Barten!" Cremia shouted in sheepish way and blushed.

I, on the other hand, struggled to not make the container fall after hearing such embarrassing words.

Mr. Barten was more than satisfied to see our reactions. He was on the floor, laughing like a maniac…

(Sudden end of flashback)

(…Someone is watching me…)

And near. I continued walking, aware of the surroundings, until I heard dog-like panting just behind me. I stopped walking.

(A Wolfos?)

I turned. It wasn't a Wolfos though. It was a simple wolf. No, it wasn't simple. This one was had golden colored fur and red, piercing eyes and radiated a strange looking light all around its body. I was still at awe, looking it with defiance.

It just sat there, looking at me.

(What does he want?) I took a step back.

He reacted badly to that, he snarled with the same defiance and charged towards me. I had to act fast. I didn't know why, but didn't actually wanted to hurt him so, instead of unsheathing my sword, I got my right hand to my back, searching for my shield.

To my misfortune, I didn't have my shield on my back that time.

My eyes widened when the wolf was just inches away from me and realized that I was screwed.

The golden wolf jumped to my face, launching a bite that didn't come. In that thousandth of second, I felt the wolf's breath in my face, and everything that my eyes could perceive faded to white, a white that consumed everything in my sight.

….

When I opened my eyes, I immediately stood up from the floor to see that I wasn't in the same place anymore.

Everything was covered in a deep mist that made my sight pretty limited. White was the perfect word to describe this place. Despite the mist, at the distance, I could see a castle, a castle… and a mountain…

"What kind of swordsman is one that doesn't have a shield ready to protect itself?" A ghostly voice said at my side.

I turned. It was a talking skeleton with armor and sword and shield ready on its hands. Decayed flesh was to be seen. Its gaze was penetrating with its left eye glowing red. I took a step back scared.

"W-where did you bring me?"

"This place is known as the Ghostly Ether by the living…"

"I've heard before… you were in my dreams…What are you…?"

"I want to see if you are worthy of your linage…Bring your shield out." He said without missing a single beat.

I obeyed him. I got out my shield from my endless pouch and got it ready on my right arm.

He then got in battle position. I reacted unsheathing my sword. He covered himself with his huge shield, like waiting for me to do the first hit.

(If that's what he wants…) I tried an horizontal slash, that made my sword bounce against his shield. He then send a vertical slash at me that hit me right in the head.

"Ah!"

That hurt a lot. Luckily, his sword didn't had a sharp edge, and just left me with a huge hit on the head.

"You don't have reflexes."

"I wasn't waiting for you to hit me on the head!"

"What a poor excuse. You go around, thinking you are the best swordsman ever known but can't evade a simple vertical slash."

"You know nothing about me! Shut up!" I charged towards him ready to attack.

I tried another horizontal slash, but he jumped rightways out of the way. I quickly turned and sent a stab that he blocked with his shield. He tried another vertical slash to my shoulder, but I blocked it with my shield. That left his guard down and could hit him with a spin attack. He turned his back to endure the hit.

"What you think about that huh?"

In a blink, he spun back to me and pointed his sword to my face. He had just stopped a direct slash to my face.

"See? You are slow."

"Shut up!"

I tried to slash him, but he jumped away. I tried it again, and again, but he kept jumping at the sides to evade my attacks."

"You have to know where your opponent is going to move. It's impossible to perform a slice like you are doing now if your enemy can move swiftly in combat."

He then, after a jump, rolled behind me, and tried to perform a helm splitter, but I knew what he was going to do; I quickly protected my front with my shield.

After the huge noises of steel, against metal, he stopped moving.

"And you think you can gather the elements with such a bad skill of fighting?"

"How do you know that?"

"…"

"Who are you…?"

"I'm here to see if you are capable to take on such difficult quest."

"That doesn't tells me anything, I want you to answer me; who are you!?" At this point I was getting angry.

"I can't tell you just yet." He simply added.

I was sick of hearing that, I want to know the truth! What is he? Why am I here? Why I'm the only one who smells that horrible scent? What does the salesman knows about my grandfather? Who is the salesman? Why I'm having those horrible nightmares? Why do I have to gather the elements quickly?

I have asked all these questions, but I don't know the answer for any of them, thing that enraged me.

"No! I had enough of doing questions and not receiving answers! I want to know the truth!" I spoke with true anger in my voice.

"Yes… get angry… just like that…"

I charged at him, but he kept evading my attacks! I was getting desperate. Anything I do doesn't ends up like I wanted ever since I landed a foot on Termina! And that was driving me insane!

I grunted furiously after every failed attack. The birthmark at the back of my left hand was burning again, and that didn't help me to calm down in the least bit.

"Get angry…"

"Shut UP!" My birthmark burned even harder that I thought that my gauntlet could burst in flames.

He stopped moving, and so I did.

"You are too weak to have that many lives depending on you." The ghostly warrior said with dissapoint, teasing me even further.

That done it. The blood rose to my head. Still, with sword and shield on hand, I clenched my fists very hard. I frowned in anger. The burn of the birthmark was almost unbearable.

But something happened that cancelled my anger from going further.

I got that much angry to the point of almost scream, but stopped when a golden sparkles that didn't lasted long appeared around my body. Those sparkles I saw in just a middle of second drained all the energy of my body in a flash. It felt like an overwhelming explosion inside of me...

I let go my grip of my sword and fell on my knees and panted for air. I was weak. My sword fell to the misty floor.

What the hell happened to me? I don't know… I was at the complete mercy of the of the gosthly swordsman.

I heard his slow, victorious steps until he stopped in front of me. I raised my head and accepted defeat before my opponent. Not in shame, but in respect.

"So… the powers of the Triforce of Courage have been passed to you after all…"

Again, he knows more about the subject than me. I kept silent.

"You have courage boy. You must use that courage to find power… and find it you must. Only then will you become the hero this world despairs. If you do find true courage, and you wish to save Termina from the horror it now faces… Then you will be worthy to brandish the elemental blade! Have this; you will need it soon, my child…"

He gave me a wooden bow with a quiver. It looked like it had been used many times in the past.

Though I l lost the battle, I accepted the bow gladly.

"I'll return you to the world of light now…"

My eyelids felt heavy, my body was weak. I passed out.

"My child…" His fading voice was heard.

...…...

I opened my eyes quickly to see where I was and stood up. "Huh…" I grabbed my head.

I was in the very same spot where I encountered the golden colored wolf. I had the bow that the ghostly swordsman gave me. My body wasn't sore, neither was weak or tired, actually, after getting up from the ground, I felt like if I had a really really really nice rest.

"What was that all about…?" I asked confused, to one in particular. I glanced at the bow that was in the ground next to I stood up.

"Hmm…" I grabbed the bow from the ground. "It serves me well!" And put it inside of my endless pouch. I still don't know how to use it well though, but i'll tell Romani to teach me later. She's a total professional at archery despite her age.

I never knew who that skeleton was… but I have heard him in my dreams before…

What he meant with the power of the Triforce of courage has been passed to me? Why I felt so weak that suddenly? What were those golden sparkles around my body?

Those were the newest additions to my catalogue of questions. I hope that the mask salesman can answer me those once I get him an element…

"The elements! I forgot!"

I continued my walk towards the southern swamp, where the Wind Element is supposed to be.

It's getting dark already. "Hmm… it's getting late… better walk faster…"


The search for the wind element begins on the next chapter! it'll be interesting, you'll see why soon...

Hmm, a couple things i want to point out that doesn't relevance on the story at this point.

1.- Alex DOES know about Link's feats in Termina at this point.

2.-(doesn't matter for the story whatsoever) The encounter with the golden wolf and therefore, almost the whole chapter was intended to occur at Alex's visit to Ikana's graveyard.

What the future holds for Alex in the southern swamp? Find out next week!

...and review if you liked this chapter :D

EDIT: Wow! my first 20 reviews!

EDIT 2: whoa.. I took a much longer hiatus than I intended.. don't worry guys, next chapter will come out soon ;) 25/ene/2014