Chapter no. : 35
Chapter title: Alpha Male
Story rating: T (for now...)
BETAed: Unbetaed (Mistakes imminent)
Disclaimer: Me no own Zelda. I mean, come on - how stupid are you? If I did own Zelda , it would contain much swearing, blood, sex and rock'n'roll. And Yaoi. Don't forget the luffly yaoi. But since I don't own it, I have to settle for entertaining you guys with my stories and OCs - which is fine by me.
Warnings: Not any at the moment. Apart from that this is a shounen ai/yaoi story and contains spoilers from TP.
Thanks for the reviews...
Ryukai-MJ
JtheChosen1
NC-chan
Daciamian101
Lil' Miss Spookiness
Greenikat (Oh-em-gee, please excuse me whilst I bum you. I loved your review -humps-)
Notes: I apologise profusely for the woulda-been-up-sooner update; I couldn't get hold on my dearest (mahoa)kitti and then my internet died: fuck you tiscali.
Behold! Somewhat angsty-fluff... what an oxymoron... moron... hah...
Totally irrelevant quote of the update - or is it?:
I can only please one person per day. Today is not your day... tomorrow isn't looking too good either.
"Well, this is just great, isn't it?" Hero muttered, nearly with a groan.
Before us was a wall of vines. There is no other way of describing that monstrous, thatched bundle of green, thorned tendrils, which pulsed with life and spattered purple acidic blood when struck (though it healed quickly and so we were not able to merely cut or bomb our way through). This obstruction, however, isolated one of another two paths we were faced with; the river had once against forked, and the second stream, which was not blocked, mysteriously flowed uphill to somewhere unknown…
And it was as if on cue that a particularly large, opaque cloud drifted across the once-visible moon and all the light disappeared, throwing us into complete darkness. Both Lyall and Hero cursed, though the elder Wolf's curse seemed to one filled with discomfort, an obscurity I quickly understood when Hero successfully lit his lantern; Lyall had reverted back into his human form, obviously due to the loss of the full moon, a feat which was probably painful for him. He had collapsed against one of the many oversized trees, sliding down its rough surface to the ground, knees drawn to his chest upon reflex of feeling the pain.
"Are you okay?" I asked him.
"Ah, gods…" he growled. "Yeah, I'm alright… things just get better and better, don't they?"
I looked back at the barricade of vines. "Indeed they do…"
"That…" Lyall began, before breaking off to groan; he rubbed his heavily defined chest, nursing the pain incurred by the goddess-blessed arrows that Hero had struck him with. "Fuck… ugh, that stream going up the hill… it flows into Faron's sacred pool."
"How do you know?" Hero asked, suspicion clear in his voice.
"I know because I've been here for at least a week, with Imp – we've scouted the area. Best to know your home, however new, isn't it?"
"Home?"
"Pup, it's not as if we could go back to Xiomar, is it? This forest is… was the safest haven for us."
Hero suddenly snarled. "It's your fault that my village has been invaded then and the Kokiri attacked then?" He drew the Master Sword and held the point against the werewolf's throat. "The Xiomaran were looking for you."
"Pah, kill me if ya want, Pup. I doubt the li'l Cub would be happy…"
Realisation hit me. "When Ashei got Imp out of Xiomar, he attacked her and that's why she lost him… he went back for you, didn't he?"
"Indeed he did." The elder sighed. "He's known me since the second of his birth - scrap that, the second of his conception… he said he could nay leave me to die." He looked back at Hero (who had raised an eyebrow in uncertainty, obviously at the 'conception' comment). "Put the sword away, Link. Killing me would do nought to help you. Perhaps I am to blame of Faron and Ordon being invaded - there are many maybes in the world. But even if I were to blame, I'm trying to mend that hurt, y'know."
Hero glanced at me, but I did not reply; I just returned his gaze levelly. He sighed and, finally, re-sheathed his blade, looking disgruntled all the while.
"So, it's true that King Prazuil's right hand man's ever-faithful daughter has been awarded the title of the ultimate traitor of Xiomar?" Lyall drawled, earning a nod from me. "Good on her… Prazuil needed that metaphorical kick in the groin…"
"You need a kick in the groin…" I hear Hero mutter.
The werewolf ignored him. "So what's our plan, Sheik?"
"Here." Hero threw one of his magic small pouches at the elder. "First of all, you put your clothes back on."
"Pup, that cloud'll budge in a minute or two and then I'll turn back, ruining my only set of clothes – the latter is nay gonna happen."
"Though I hate to prove certain people wrong, that cloud isn't going to budge. It stretches right across the sky, towards Ordon, and it's sending out very strong signals of shadow magic," I corrected.
"Cub…"
"We'll get him back, Lyall," I told him. "We have to."
Lyall sighed, rubbing his eyes. "You go on…" he murmured. "I'll catch you up… Don't stray too far into the village – chances are Maralah's taken it over, if the Cub's in there; and if that cloud is reeking of shadow magic, he will be."
Hero's eyes widened.
"Pup, don't. Listen to this five hundred and something-year old bastard – charging in there will only do more damage. Scout, but don't be seen, alright?"
"And why should we listen to you?"
"Because I say so," I replied, glancing at Hero in the corner of my eye, before turning and striding towards the reverse-waterfall. "Come, Hero."
If there's one thing I never thought Hero would do, it would be him attacking me – and that's what he did in Faron's sacred spring.
He knocked me back against the rocky wall and pinned me there with his whole body, a deep frown embedded in his brow; he looked one step away from snarling like a wolf. His blue eyes had turned a deeper shade of cerulean and his body was so tense, muscles near-quivering in tension.
"Hero-?" I broke off when he savagely kissed.
No, not savagely – just extremely passionate. There was no pure ferocity or vehemence in the kiss, but there was certainly a spark of anger hidden within his actions. I inadvertently let out a whimper, eyes clenched shut, and heard a growl deep within my unconscious – Raka was obviously displeased.
But then, his actions softened. He lessened his weight on me and his hands skimmed along my back soothingly, the kiss slowing down to mere butterfly exchanges. He breathed an apology under his breath, before sighing, resting his forehead on my shoulder tiredly. I hesitantly wound my arms around his torso and returned to embrace, silently accepting the request for forgiveness.
"You…" He sighed once again. "You don't belong to me, but I feel the need to show some resemblance of possession, even though…"
"Hero," I murmured, cutting him off. "You don't need to explain your actions… I think I understand…"
He was angry – that was his reason – furious at many things, but infuriated nonetheless. He was incensed at his village's capture and… stupidly irritated by my ease around Lyall – he felt threatened by the other wolfish male, who was an obvious alpha-male type; it was natural canine nature, as Midna had mentioned before, to try and assert themselves as the leader and to protect their mate – me. He felt intimidated and thought he was losing me to Lyall.
He was a fool.
I leaned to his ear and, after a hesitant pause, breathed, "I'm yours."
He tightened his hold on me and sighed for what seemed like the thousandth time that night.
"Always?" He asked.
I chuckled. "'Always' is a woman's word, Hero, and nothing lasts forever. I am yours for as long as you want me."
"And I want you forever," he replied in a childish voice into my shoulder.
We stayed there for Din knows how long, holding each other. This was a big step in our relationship, both at the time and looking back now; an admission of mutual devotion. How ironic that our love was discovered during the time of hate.
"You'll have to put up with him, Hero, even if you don't want to – such is life…"
"I know…"
"And tone down the testosterone until Maralah is vanquished."
I felt him nod and kiss the side of my neck tenderly. "But after…?"
"After… do as you wish…"
"You may regret saying that, Sheik," he whispered gleefully.
"I'm sure I will," I muttered. "But we will continue this later – now is the time for going up against a Xiomaran warlord."
Hero chuckled deeply. "I'll hold you to that… quite literally."
"Hero…"
"Okay, okay, yes, let's go."
He gasped. "No…!"
We were perched on the village's cliff boundary to the north of the hamlet, Hero's house to our backs. The reason for his shock was clear - fire from a thousand torches flickered orange light all around, and outside every house were at least two Xiomaran fighters, and there was a large group of armed men standing guard over the path leading to the Ranch; there were no other forms of life.
"Hero…" I warned in a low voice.
"I know… I know…" He swallowed hard. "We're scouting. That's all we're doing… but what if, say, we're spotted by anyone – can we attack then?"
"No, so don't go getting any ideas."
His glare moved from house to house, as if he was trying to kill each guard with his stare. I, meanwhile, looked to the heavens, gazing emotionlessly at the giant cloud blocking all light from the land – the cloud, though very dark, was clearly not black; it was, at most, a very dark grey, which strengthen my belief that it was shadow magic and not dark enchantment.
"Hero," I whispered, turning to regard him. "If staring at them gets you so agitated, then perhaps we should search for Imp."
He shrugged. "Judging by the amount of armour and arms defending the road to the Ranch, I can only assume he's up there."
"The haze's epicentre is also directly above the Ranch… so shall we?"
"…Wait." He was still frowning. "You go. I'm not really one for stealth."
I couldn't help but cock an eyebrow. "You've infiltrated a heavily guarded moblin lair; managed to hide, even for a minute or so, from over half the temple bosses you have faced and you've hidden successfully from the many doting maids and servants in the Castle – don't even try to tell me you're 'not one for stealth'."
"Uh…" he muttered unintelligently, before shrugging. "What I mean is you go on and find Imp. I'll watch your back and… wait for the dog."
A smile slipped onto my lips, even though I tried to stop it, and it reverberated in my eyes. He returned my affection and brushed the backs of his fingers along my cheekbone, blue eyes twinkling a magical-purple in the glow of the fires; I was suddenly thankful for my cowl and the low light, as I could feel a slight tingle of heat creeping onto my cheeks in the form of a blush.
I nodded and stepped away from him, using my speed to make sure I did not slip down the steep slope and to make sure I was not seen in the unstable shadows. I stopped, however, when I reached the gigantic tree over Fado's house, flattening myself as much as I could against the rough bark. I knew that above me was an arrow-armed Xiomari man sat on the solitary branch, iris-less eyes staring boredly into the red-tinted darkness.
"Shut that fucking brat up, whore!" a voice hollered to my left. It was then that I noticed a baby's bawling; most likely Kiska, Rusl's daughter.
Anger bubbled in my stomach in a sudden explosion of emotion.
No, I told myself – stay calm. Letting emotion overtake you is and will be disastrous; remember the teachings you have followed for years upon years…
"I will deal with you, later," I couldn't help but hiss at the unknown Xiomari man, even though he could not hear me. This was very unlike me – and this fact was worrying.
Glimpsing back at Hero, I was glad in the fact that I could not see him clearly; though with my Sheikah awareness, I could just pick him out – I was then reassured that the guards would not see him, just as long as he stayed put. But I knew he would, as he had an arrow resting in his bow, which moved slightly as he gazed around, looking for any trace of a threat to me.
I sighed and, with one quick glance around, darted along in a diagonal manner, landing on Rusl's roof with silent steps, thanking the gods above that his house was cliff-edged and his roofing was slanted – the darkness of the shadows were startling. I hid there for a heartbeat or two, to be sure that I had not been seen after such a daring and long sprint. It was then that I noticed.
The shadows around me flickered. Granted, it could have been caused by the fire, but… no, they seemed to flow, like disturbed water…
He knew I was here – Imp.
"M'Lord!"
I peered over the edge of the house to see every guard within sight rigid and still, stood to attention as a solitary figure strode with confidence from the Ranch's road, long white cape and dark green locks billowing behind him in the light wind and his movements.
"Mm, nice to see everything is in order," Maralah literally cooed to a man standing outside Mayor Bo's house. "Good work, General."
The General bowed. "Thank you, M'Lord."
"Any sign of the Great Hero?"
"No, M'Lord."
"The Sheikah?"
"No, M'Lord."
"…The werewolf?"
"No, M'Lord."
"Oh…" Maralah looked up at the dark cloud. "How disappointing…"
"M'Lord, if you don't mind me saying, but you seem… in high spirits this night."
Maralah smirked, gaze still heaven bound. "I think you know why I am so pleased."
It was at that point that a series of snickers encircled the village, coming from every guard within its walls. Maralah, too, chuckled – I felt sick to my stomach.
"But, General…" The warlord's tone went stone cold and there was utter silence. "I warn you… if anyone even dares to touch him, I will have their heads… if anyone does touch him – I will have yours. He is mine. And I will know if he has been approached… I will know."
"Are… Are you going somewhere, M'Lord?"
"To the Castle – I must meet with Prince Isidor. Tell him of the threat we are facing."
"Won't he be displeased by this news, M'Lord?"
"Yes, but not with me. Already, Pele's general was killed when that damn Sheikah went to obtain the Ruby Shard – Isidor does not want us to underestimate them; though it does not seem this way, he cares for all his warriors, and so think of how he felt when the news of Pele's possible death reached his ears… luckily, she was elsewhere." Maralah paused. "You are in charge of this… village, if it can be called such a thing, until I return. Good night, general."
By this time, someone had led a horse up to Maralah, the steed adorned in silver armour and emerald cloth. Maralah mounted and, without another sound, galloped off, out of the hamlet. I knew he had passed Hero and it would have taken every fibre within his body not to kill the warlord; silently, I thanked him.
"Men, back to your posts. If anyone wakes me, you'll be sorry…" The general disappeared into Bo's house, slamming the door behind him.
I immediately looked up at a light coming from the Ranch. I didn't initiate the action totally – I feel inclined to.
"Help him…" a female's voice whispered in my ear, but upon looking, I found no one there. "I will guide you…"
I felt a tug on my very soul – it directed me back up onto the cliff. I leapt back up and followed the unseen guide, which pulled me up the hill towards the Ranch. I passed many, many guards, but none saw me at all; I kept running until I was hidden safely behind the stables.
"In the tent…"
Peeking around the edge of the barn, I found the very tent this female was talking about – in the centre of the field was a large structure, illuminated in red light by the countless number of torches; and encircling the tent, stationed on each face and corner, was another set of guards: how in Hyrule was I supposed to get in there?
'Sheik,' Raka's voice snapped in my mind. 'Go back to Hero.'
'No, I have to get to Imp.'
'You're in danger, and by going out there, into the middle of it all, you'll only increase the chance of capture.'
"Leave his mind, foul mimic!" the female hissed and I felt the tickle at the back of my head as he was forced out. "You must get him, out, Young One! You must!"
And then it all went wild.
Demi: ...I'm dead, aren't I?
To make up for the cliffie, I promise you that the next chapter will be up within the week - betaed or not... although, admitted, the next chappie is a bit of a filler... kinda... which I hate, but I gotta move on... this story is getting too long -winces-
Oh, by the by - my friend was reading this the other day and she said that she could imagine this being an actual game story; one that could be a sequel to TP, albeit a rather adult one. I doubt so (and I really mean so; I'm not being sickeningly modest) but what's your views? I be curious.
...I still love Lyall -cuddles- smexy werewolf. But he's mine! Well... Imp's... but still mine!
Review -winces again- I'm so ghey...