Chapter 24: Homecoming
Purifying the Deep Coppice Arc
Disclaimer: I don't own The Legend of Zelda, this is just a Fanfiction.
Featured Music: "Neutiquam Erro" - Fire Emblem 10: Radiant Dawn OST. Chapter Briefing.
"Sacred Grove" - The Legend of Zelda: Twilight Princess OST. Scene 2 (First Half).
With the addition of the re-awakened Link to their forces, the small band of heroes that operate as a liberation force for the conquered Hyrule have their morale raised exponentially. Having worked under cover of night and darkness for seven long years, at last they reveal themselves to the desperate public of their country. In gifting them the knowledge of the hiding princess Zelda's safety and, now, the appearance of her 'Hero of Time', the people of Hyrule finally begin to learn what it means to hope again.
Although he meets with Sheik after his rousing from a seven year sleep, Link's affinity for the rebellion and its people is non-existent; having promised the Sheikah that he is committed only to fighting with them as far as his old childhood home, the Kokiri Forest, he dashes all hopes of ending the tyranny of king Ganondorf's grip over Hyrule. In spite of this however, the young Kokiri agrees to assist the troubles of Lon Lon Ranch; in forcing the new ranch's leader, Ingo, into a hastily made wager, he manages to free it of Ganondorf's rule. With the knowledge of his saved farm, Talon gives many thanks to the hero in green.
Now armed with supplies gifted by Lon Lon Ranch Link and Raynard, led by Sheik, make their way directly south. Passing through the beautiful fields of Hyrule and into the treacherous oddities of the forest, Link hopes blindly for more than just wasted lives and fallen friends but he soon learns...
… in the darkened reign of the Dreadlord Dragmire... none are safe...
Scene 1
"Ditch the horses."
With the hardened tone of the similarly baritone voice ahead of him, Link furrowed his brow at it only to find the young Raynard stepping off of his steed. Although he found himself intensely disliking the brash youth that he met with Sheik earlier in Kakariko, he agreed to work with him under the impression that it wouldn't be for long.
For indeed, once he had cleared his childhood home of Ganondorf's threatening grip he was as gone as the wind.
Sneaking across the once long and open Hyrule Field, Raynard narrowed his eyes as he kept his form low. Raising a curious eyebrow as he watched Link merely followed behind nonchalantly, an unsure frown on his face.
"Raynard... we're going to Kokiri Forest," he reminded the youth before him, tilting his head ever so lightly as he did so. Snapping his black-haired head 'round to face the blonde, Raynard shot him with an annoyed glare. "Not Hyrule Castletown."
"Get down you idiot!" The mercenary hissed urgently. "You're disobeying a direct order from Sheik!"
Rolling his eyes Link opted to concede regardless; he lowered his tunic-wearing back and frowned forward as the pair slowly advanced into the Lost Woods' bridge.
I feel stupid, he thought.
Almost as if sensing his very fears however, as they passed through the trunk of wood, the trio of heroes found their paths met with with the leaning form of their leader. The blonde Sheik lay his sleek body against the bridge's support beam, his bandaged arms folded as he lay his red-eyed gaze upon them. Re-raising himself to face the Sheikah, Link frowned back as Sheik similarly leaned off of the bridge and walked over to join them.
"Good; you both made it," he greeted as he glided toward them, barely making a sound with his light form. "How were things getting here?"
Though Link opened his mouth to respond, his partner seemingly cut in before he could. "Without incident," Raynard replied, a hard-eyed glare to match his firm look. "Place is dead out there."
"Much as our scouts tell us...," Sheik sighed lowly, emphasising his disappointment with a brief shake of his head before about-turning and nodding forward; a quiet gesture to be followed. "I'm afraid things are much worse than we hoped for..."
"What do you mean?" Link questioned suspiciously behind the blonde Sheikah, furrowing his brow a second time. As they passed through the next wooden trunk however and back into Kokiri Forest did Sheik finally elaborate.
"That's what I mean."
Double-taking in the Sheikah's intended direction, Link's oceanic eyes widened in pure shock and horror; before the group of four stood an incredible sight indeed. A huge plant-like creature growled intensely back at them and one that looked rather familiar absolutely; an absurdly large form of the Deku Baba, a hostile plant class fiend.
"What the hell...?!" Raynard hissed out, glaring over at the growling flower-like creature. Reaching for his massive halberd, he held it with both hands and pointed the axe's blade threateningly.
"Navi... is it...?"
"Yes...," Link's nodding fairy companion confirmed for him, ever close-by. "It's definitely a Deku Baba."
"Why is it so huge?!" Raynard seethed, his amber eyes never leaving the hostile form before him.
"We think that Ganondorf is behind this," Sheik answered for him, leaning his blonde head diagonally as he narrowed his one visible eye at the lunging Deku Baba. "When he overthrew Daphnes at Hyrule Castle he gained access to the holy temples across the country."
"I see...," the listening Raynard sighed as he stood back up straight, a safe distance away from the growling Deku Baba. Spinning the halberd he brandished as he did so he continued. "He's infected the temples then huh?"
Nodding, Sheik frowned heavily behind his turban and scarf. "Precisely," he answered, his tone grave. Listening quietly Link stepped forward, lightly surprising the pair of men. "Link what are you-?"
SCHWING-SLICE-SCREECH
With an effortless horizontal swing of the mighty Master Sword, Link glared back at the screaming plant; in that single savage swipe, the poor Deku Baba found itself retreating rapidly back into the grassy ground beneath itself. Spitting up three small Deku Nuts in response to its defeat as opposed to the regular single, Link frowned as he set the Master Sword and Hylian Shield on his back before reaching down to paw at them.
"You should be more careful," Raynard warned with an emphatic narrow of his tan-like eyes. "If you can't be objective you shouldn't be he-"
"This is my home."
Having interrupted the surprise-expressed mercenary, the listening Raynard found himself gasping very quietly to himself. Narrowing his eyes forward, he listened dutifully and respectfully further as the firm-frowning Link re-raised himself to his feet. Tossing one of the Deku Nuts he gained from the fallen Deku Baba into the air, he re-caught it with the same hand he used to toss it with before raising it up to coincide with the moon's silvery rays. His aquatic eyes narrowed up at it he glared.
"Being objective is gonna be very difficult," the re-awakened Hero of Time claimed boldly before at last lowering the Deku Nut in a frown. About-turning to face the two men behind him, he eyed the folded-armed Sheik. "Right?" He asked, almost as if for confirmation. Raising an ebony eyebrow, Raynard swivelled his head 'round to stare back at his leader.
Sure enough, Sheik sighed quietly to himself as he lowered his head, his eye shut.
A silent sign of agreement.
Satisfied, Link belted the Deku Nut he carried before turning 'round to continue his march through his invaded home.
"Sheik warned you Link." Navi reminded him for what felt like the umpteenth time; as he paced 'round about the empty and vacant house he recognised and knew for so long.
The white carpet he remembered lay in its normal spot; dead centre in the middle of the living area. The cooker he used to burn things on when his companion was sick lay in the right-hand corner of the same place he always remembered, along with the seating area next to it. And, as always, her bed lay just ahead. With a saddened frown, Link stared down at it in his new tall height, barely unable to fit inside the small house.
"I know...," the youth murmured out, a melancholic attribute to his tone of voice. "I only wish I was here when she was..."
Knowing he was referring to Saria, Navi chose to remain silent as if to offer her adventuring partner privacy and room to breathe. Stepping forward Link stood toward the west end of the living area, casting his adult-like shadow over the bed he once slept in when he was sick in his childhood. Reaching down he grasped at the quilt cover and briefly shut his eyes, the feeling of the fabric nostalgic to him. Re-opening his oceanic eyes, the older Kokiri about-turned and stepped over toward the exit. Standing in the doorway to hang his blonde head over his shoulder only briefly, he stared longingly before at last taking his hand off the door-frame and leaving.
–
2
"How the hell do you know where you're going?"
Briefly turning to register his temporary companion's complaint, Link shot the growling Raynard an annoyed frown of his own as he followed obediently behind him.
"He grew up in this place," Sheik advised as he trailed alongside the black-haired mercenary. "Isn't that right?" He asked, almost as if for confirmation.
Though the darkened green backdrop of the Lost Woods they explored through was vibrant enough it was also far too similar to one another. If it wasn't for the well-kept memory that Link had carried all throughout his childhood, the foursome of heroes would have ended up easily lost forever. Frowning business-like as he 'rounded yet another similar-looking trunk of wood, Link turned his gaze upon the first sight that made him realise they were on due course.
A single pool of water with a building of white marble stone; a classic spot from his childhood where he and Saria used to spend countless hours playing together.
Casting a light saddened smile over at it, he wrenched his eyesight away from it before double-taking when he caught a surprising sight indeed.
The folded-armed, scowling Mido stood to block his, and his companions', paths.
"Mido..." He mouthed out, his brow furrowed and his eyes eyes widened in a mixture of shock and realisation.
Although he knew from his exchange with Rauru back in the Temple of Time that he had, without explanation, grown up he still had not had it sink in; not truly.
Not until now.
Upon witnessing his towering size over the once intimidating childhood bully he had spent years running from, Link at last made the realisation of his new age.
I still can't believe it, he thought.
"Yeah... that's my name," the young Kokiri began in his hard-eyed glare; raising an auburn eyebrow upward in curiosity, he pressed the older young man before him. "How do you know it?"
"I-"
"And why are you wearing Kokiri clothing?" His childhood bully pressed him further with a suspicious narrow of his eyes. Realising he was referring to his green-garbed tunic, Link found his hands softly resting on the torso of it, a wistful frown to his expression. "You don't fool me mister!" Mido insisted, unfolding his arms to thrust an accusing finger forward at the youth before him. "There's no way I'll let any of you through!" He boldly called forth with an emphatic horizontal wave of his left hand. Link couldn't help but smile as he watched; a mixture of nostalgia and pensive longing washing over him to match the familiarity of Mido's personality.
"We don't have time for this Sheik...," Raynard grunted over his shoulder, placing his right muscled arm across his right hip, amber eyes narrowed. "Can't we just...?"
Shaking his blonde-haired head, the Sheikah leader was disinclined to agreement. "No; I refuse to resort to the same measures our enemy uses to advance our negotiations."
Rolling his eyes in what seemed to be frustration, the listening mercenary turned back to face the seemingly hopeless situation they were confronted with.
"You should all get out of here," Mido informed the group of men, frowning firmly as his purple guardian fairy flew 'round his head, ever loyal. "These woods... they ain't safe these days. And if you don't have a fairy and get lost..." He began again in a warning tone however, with widened eyes, the young boy double-took in Link's direction to his left. Seemingly surprised he re-faced the tall blonde swordsman and darted his eyes at the blue ball of light hovering in the air. Realising he was staring at Navi, Link's eyebrows rose in worry.
He can't know who I am, he thought.
"W-Why...?" Mido whispered out, as if unable to believe what he saw. Perhaps sensing his silent suspicions, the flying form of Navi flitted over to hide behind the tall figure that was Link. "Does he have a guardian... fairy...?" The self-elected Kokiri leader managed out disbelievingly.
"It's not who you think it is."
Still in his horrified state, Mido swerved his wide-eyed and open-mouthed frown on the source of the interruption; the hard-eyed Sheik. Shaking his head a second time Sheik continued.
"That man is not Link," the Sheikah insisted, a serious tone in his words. "I promise you."
Perhaps doubting him, Mido narrowed his eyes briefly before slowly re-facing the youth once more. "But he looks... so much..."
"Like him; I know," Link laughed nervously, raising his right hand to rub the back of his head. "I get told that a lot."
Re-affixing a switch to his expression, the listening Mido changed to a half-suspicious and thoughtful crease. "So what is your name then? And how do you know Link?"
Gulping down the saliva that anxiously spawned around his inner mouth, Link briefly eyed the witnessing Sheik, as if for answers before turning back to face his childhood bully.
"Malek."
Surprising even himself with how quickly he came out with the name, Link spoke as if recalling a distant memory.
In actuality, the name did come from memory.
An old book of adventures that Saria had once told to him.
"Malek... huh?" Mido repeated with a dubious raise of his auburn eyebrow. Seemingly swallowing the information he was given however, the Kokiri folded his arms once more as he faced the adult. "So you know Link then?"
Realising he was asking him, the listening Link chuckled lightly as he nodded. "Y-Yeah I know him I think... kid about your size?" He asked as if for confirmation. "Wooden shield?"
"Yeah...," Mido breathed as he nodded, a frown on his face. "How... how is he...?"
"He's...," Link began, unsure initially as he swerved his eyesight in his well-to-do smile. "Doing... well," he finished in a light smile. "He's living in Hyrule Castle now."
Surprised by his comments, the frowning Raynard and eye-narrowing Sheik swivelled their curious expressions on him. Similarly inquisitive, the listening Navi watched the exchange from behind her charge. Mido's auburn eyebrows rose up in recognition, as if surprised. Link soldiered on; emboldened by his own words.
"He's still trying to help princess Zelda in protecting the Triforce," he claimed, a kind of disheartened smile on his face. Listening intently and with a similarly melancholic quality behind his crimson eye, Sheik watched him silently. "Sheik, Navi, Raynard and I, we're...," the older Kokiri began again, briefly sweeping his eyes in his temporary companions' directions before re-facing the wide-eyed Mido's. "We're all working together with Link and Zelda," he illustrated and, with the briefest of smiles, the adult Kokiri eyed the watching pair of men to their sides. Tracing his temporary peering, Mido flitted his frown across the frowning Raynard and the indecipherable expression on Sheik's face. "We're hoping to break Ganondorf's hold on the Kokiri Forest by getting through to the Forest Temple." Link clarified in his sociable smile as he faced the surprised boy below him.
"Ah...," Mido murmured out, briefly lowering his similarly blue eyes as if in thought. "How...," he began lightly, seemingly almost hesitant, before he eventually re-faced the blonde adult before him. "How... how is he?" He ventured to ask, an unsure frown dotted around his similarly tentative complexion. "Link I mean."
Realising he was referencing him directly, Link at first smiled in recognition before re-eyeing his old clansman to respond. "He's... he's good," the youth claimed in his smile. Though silently curious, the watching Sheik and Navi listened to him speak, intrigued. "He misses you," he claimed; almost as if affected by his words, the heeding Mido's oceanic eyes widened in surprise, positively shaken. "He misses everyone in the forest."
"Is...," the quiet-toned Mido began, lowering his head as he ran his left forearm across his nose, sniffling. "Is that... so..."
Giving the young Kokiri some room, Link merely shot the youth a sad kind of smile, his heart tugging at what could have been.
A close friendship.
Mido's form seemed to stutter, as if he was sobbing in his straight-standing stature. Realising it, the smiling Link dropped his expression to give way to a melancholic frown of his own before stepping forward. Though the watching Raynard and Sheik narrowed their eyes and made ready to interfere, they were seemingly too late.
The frowning Link bent down on one knee to reach the crying Mido's level; reaching forward with his big arms he took his former childhood bully into his soft grip to embrace him.
"I'm-I'm so sorry...," Mido stammered out, his words almost unintelligible in the sorrow he was exhibiting. "I was... wrong about him."
Link chose to remain silent in his shut-eyed frown as he held the young boy close, listening intently.
"I sh-should never have said... those things..."
His words, full of regret and wistfulness, managed to pierce through the hardened exterior Link attempted to display. Though he managed to keep a straight face, he found his lower lip quivering ever so slightly.
"It was...," Mido began one final time before ending his confession. "It was all my fault... I'm so sorry..."
The two remained in a friendly but grieving hug together for a few more moments, Mido's blubbering voice echoing against the hardened walls of the Lost Woods.
Travelling through the Kokiri Forest's Lost Woods became a mournful march for the group of four; Sheik, Raynard and Navi all grew deathly silent as the party of adventurers moved on from their discussion with Mido. Having passed by the young Kokiri after Link's engagement with him, the group continued on their advance through the dark woodland area, the Sacred Forest Meadow their destination.
"Shouldn't we say something?" Raynard hissed over in a hardened frown, stepping along with a healthy distance between himself and the marching Link. "I'm not diggin' the silence."
"Neither am I...," Sheik answered, narrowing his fiery eye forward at the back form of the Hero of Time. "But this is his home. I'd rather not provoke him any further if at all possible."
Sighing through his nose, the annoyed-expressed mercenary turned his black-haired head to re-face forward just as the group of adventurers stepped through the last wooden trunk. Walking on through the darkness they emerged into a similarly shaded grassy wonderland with a long wall before them. Narrowing his oceanic eyes at the labyrinth placed before the wide patch of long grass, Link couldn't help but listen quietly.
Sure enough, he heard the far-off sounds of armour clinking and steel echoing. Sheik was right, he thought.
There must be at least five units of men in there.
"Okay...," Sheik at last spoke, perhaps thankful for the opportunity; stepping forward he stood next to the similarly frowning youth as they waited out the entrance to the maze ahead of them. "You remember the strategy, yes?"
"Yeah...," Link muttered back, his aquatic eyes very briefly narrowing as they faced the blonde Sheikah on his left before briskly walking forward. "I remember."
Stopping just shy of the entrance itself, Link watched and waited carefully.
STOMP... STOMP...
Just as the sound of the approaching force to his right echoed on, Link reached slowly up for the sky-blue hilt of the Master Sword.
STOMP... STOMP...
As the tall and intimidating form of the Moblin 'round the corner stepped into frame, Link's cerulean eyes widened as he reached back for his weapon.
SHIING-CLANG
With eyes widened, the tall Moblin rose up his long spear; the steel clashed heavily with the holy material of the Master Sword. Sparks of fury clashed between the pair of warriors and, acting on his compatriot's morale, Sheik used the wall of the labyrinth to leap up off of. Forward-flipping ahead he dove down a bird's-eye-view of what appeared to be near-invisible projectiles. Bearing down on the growling pig-like creature, the Moblin squealed as the sheer force of the needles barring his vision sent him skewered and stumbling a few steps back in the maze he resided in. Pressing on with the group's momentum and force, the wide-eyed Raynard used the walls around him as a vault to flip backward into the air. Descending down on the shock-faced Moblin he grunted once as he spun savagely in a turbulent twisting technique; his halberd sung a steel-like tune as it swung painfully across the screaming monster. With the last strike, the Moblin was sent sprawling across the ground, a sickening mixture of blood and light-green shaded fire left in his fallen wake.
"Good...," Sheik nodded in approving, having landed earlier. Stepping forward and past the hard-frowning Raynard he bent down as if to examine the stained green-grassy ground, eye narrowed. "As long as we all work together...," the Sheikah began thoughtfully in his hardened march before swiftly stopping at the end of the corridor. "These men don't stand a chance."
Though there was little companionship between the two men, the listening Link and Raynard merely briefly glanced at one another before slowly pressing forward under the guiding leadership of their commander.
–
3
Having navigated successfully through the maze-like labyrinth, thanks to the grateful research of the knowledgeable Sheik, the group party of four managed to come to the last trial; a staircase and the endeavour laying in wait for the warriors.
A humongous-class Moblin that easily towered to the cramped walls' tops; in noticing the party of young men and their blue guardian fairy, the pig-like creature pulled its similarly colossal hammer up. With a trio of three snorts, presumably deduced as derisive laughter, the Moblin rose up its weapon threateningly; a warning in and of itself.
Exchanging a look, all three men shared an understanding nod with one another, similarly frowning together. Grunting lightly, Sheik shut his flaming crimson eye to stand up straight; pulling his bandaged hands up to form hand signs he seemed to focus quietly to himself. As if in response, a visible aura of golden Aegir began to form around the outline of his slim body; reaching forward to grip at the mysterious youth's two shoulders, both the narrow-eyed Raynard and Link appeared to join with him in some odd combination. Snapping his flaming eye wide open Sheik glared forward, surprising the silently watching Moblin.
"Now!"
On his word, the pair of adventurers tied to the Sheikah's sides shot off like arrows, golden Quintessence trailing along behind them. Gasping as he watched, the Moblin bore witness to the super-fast forms of his enemies; barely able to follow their movements he caught what appeared to be a pair of golden flashes zig-zag across each wall in an attempt to reach toward his current position. Panicking he grunted as he rose up his mallet and wildly swung it around the small confined space in an attempt to swat the two away. Unfortunately for him however the duo shot straight by his inaccurate assault, leaving behind golden rays of light. As they passed by his humongous form the super-fast Link and Raynard sliced their respective weapons into the Moblin's flesh.
Turning his gruesome head skyward to scream in mortal pain, the mallet-wielding warrior was finally done in when the similarly swift Sheik shot in the scene brandishing a sharpened dagger. Having skid across the grassy ground, successfully evading the Moblin's strike, he struck the creature himself with a well-placed horizontal cut. Seemingly having been taken down, the Moblin gave out one final grunt of agony before dropping with a thunderous crash.
DROOM
Even as his enormous size crumbled into the same green fire his comrades did, the hard-frowning Link, Raynard and Sheik all slowly marched up the second staircase before them. Entering into the Sacred Forest Meadow's most hidden area the adventurers belted their weapons, all striding in single-file.
"Do you recognise it?"
Navi's voice, so soft, managed to take him off guard; Link shook his head of his surprise and faced his guardian fairy with his curious frown before re-facing the front and furrowing his brow. Ahead of him lay the similar-looking stone-like platform he remembered from his childhood, decorated with the Holy Triforce in its centre. To the right lay a familiar sight indeed; a modest little tree stump lay alone in the grassy ground beneath it, joined only by the odd Deku Stick laying nearby. Link found his heart oddly reaching out toward it, wishing for the appearance of his old friend.
He saw the outline of the smiling green-haired Saria sitting atop her favourite spot on the tree stump, playing her tan ocarina.
"The flow of time is always cruel...," Sheik at last spoke, as if reading the young Kokiri's thoughts. Surprised a second time, he held back his frowning grunt as he turned his blue-eyed expression on the marching Sheikah. "Its speed seems different for each person, but no-one can change it..."
Opting to remain silent, Link and Raynard watched on; placing his right hand on his hip, Link merely frowned as his black-haired ally folded his arms in response next to him.
"A thing that doesn't change with time... is a memory of younger days...," Sheik began once more, an odd kind of smile in his tone as he bent down in front of the tree stump. Reaching himself back up to a standing position he pulled his right bandaged hand into the confines of his midnight-blue suit. "Get your ocarina Link..."
Intrigued, the listening swordsman raised a similarly curious straw-haired eyebrow before doing just as he was asked. Raising up the royal-blue instrument to his mouth, he shut his analogous coloured eyes, expecting to play it.
Playing through a series of six notes on the shining-golden harp he carried, Sheik plucked each string as if it belonged to the holiest of institutions. Listening in, Link felt the music carry him away to days of his former childhood.
Pictures of Saria, Mido and even other Kokiri entered his open mind.
Following his instructor through the modestly played tune, Link shut his eyes in firm concentration as he felt the wind of the Lost Woods softly caress his face.
"Link..."
He resisted the urge to stop playing and widen his eyes at the familiarity of the demure voice echoing within the confines of his head.
Saria.
Is she alive?
Her voice sounded very real indeed.
In spite of the interruption the two played through the rest of the song beautifully and without incident; the sounds of their instruments rebounded hauntingly across the walls of the forest they resided in. Pulling the Ocarina of Time from his lips, Link at last re-opened his firm-eyed frown to face the similar-expressed Sheik. Placing his harp back within his suit he nodded his blonde head back at the Hero of Time.
"Yes...," he said, almost seemingly reading his thoughts somehow. "I could sense her also."
"Sense who?" Raynard rudely interrupted the exchange, his arms still folded. Narrowing his amber-eyed gaze into the conversation he darted them between Hyrule's pair of heroes. "Who are you talking about?"
"A... friend of mine...," Link answered softly, lowering his oceanic-eyed frown, his tone defeated and pessimistic. "She sounded so clear..." He finished by emphatically scrunching his eyes shut, passion-filled and all.
"I promise you Link; she is alive," Sheik countered in a narrow of his one visible eye, folding his arms boldly. "Now that the Minuet of Forest has been played... the Forest Temple is at last open to us."
"Finally...," the listening Raynard bluntly rolled his eyes; a display of his youth and impatience. "We can get this done." He spoke stepping around to turn his amber-eyed gaze skyward toward the broken stone staircase presumably leading toward the dungeon. Though he was just as anxious to get the job finished, Link found himself dreading even entering the Forest Temple.
A horrible feeling akin to when he entered the Dodongo's Cavern ran up his spine.
–
4
The sound of a grassy field beneath their boots made the hard-eyed Raynard turn his nose up in disgust; even in witnessing the wondrous sight of the inside of the Forest Temple before him he scowled in distaste.
"Vile...," the mercenary cursed, his tone emphasising his antipathy for the beautifully designed dungeon. "How long do we need to slog through this heap?" He questioned the unit's leader to his left, placing his steel halberd's lower hilt to rest vertically on the ground next to him.
"As long as it takes," Sheik answered over his shoulder as he passed the dark-haired warrior, stepping toward the stone staircase and platform ahead. "This isn't a social visit."
Joining his temporary ally, the similarly frowning Link marched alongside the blonde Sheikah, his oceanic eyes wandering across the two huge trees to his right and left sides.
"AWOOOO!"
Double-taking to the front, Link's eyes widened in alarm when two Wolfos forms shot straight up from the field beneath them, almost as if having been in wait for the group of warriors.
"Scatter!"
Acting partly on instinct and obeying their leader, Raynard and Link darted themselves to the right and left. Seemingly following his own example the narrow-eyed Sheik disappeared from common view as he shot straight up into the dark sky above him. Though the Wolfos on the left took off with an incredibly acrobatic leap in pursuit of the nimble Sheikah, the watching Raynard glared on as he shot Aegir projectiles via his halberd as a catalyst. His aim was true and, howling in agony, the wolf-like monster found itself careering back down to earth, crashing noisily and savagely into the stone-like entrance ahead of them all.
CRASH
Opting to take advantage of the young man's recovery, the second Wolfos darted forward in an obvious and direct assault; widening his amber eyes, Raynard rose up his halberd but feared he was much too late to make any sort of difference. Suddenly shooting across the sky was the narrow-eyed form of the Hero of Time brandishing the shining Master Sword; with an acrobatic spin in mid-air he swung his big brown boot against the Wolfos' head via its rear position. Spinning around with the roundhouse kick he delivered, the wolf grunted as it was shot off course stumbling toward its initial enemy. Although it turned very briefly to glare hatefully at the narrow-eyed Link the damage was done; the recovered Raynard spun in a similar spin attack of his own through the very form of his wild opponent. Along with the blood and dark-brown fur that came flying skyward accompanied the razor-hot skid-marks along the grass below his form.
In spite of the two adventurers' success however the first Wolfos had seemingly recovered from its earlier injury and, pulling itself up from the ground it shot for the duo before it in a deft leap. In a daring feat however the agile form of Sheik re-appeared in a swift plunging strike; with his knife he easily cut through the shocked lupine-like creature's back, a savage screech renting the air as it dissolved in a shower of blue fire.
"I hate this place already...," the scowling Raynard remarked, twisting his halberd 'round his right arm in a readied position as he stood back up straight. "Is there any way we can get this done quicker?"
"I suppose we could split up...," Sheik suggested with a light sigh as he pushed his bandaged hands off of his raised knees to stand back up. "How do you feel about that, Link?" He asked, raising a light-blonde eyebrow up. Though his tone was thoughtful, hopeful even almost, Link did not deign to notice.
Or even care.
"I just want to get this done, same as Raynard." He spoke back with an emphatic shake of his head, the pitch of his voice almost robotic and toneless; as he did he lowered his cerulean-eyed sight, an unsociable frown plastered on his face. Quietly approving the listening dark-haired mercenary mentioned in question nodded along with his blonde ally, frowning back at the Sheikah as if for an answer.
"All right then...," Sheik nodded before re-opening his mouth to continue. "Then Link and I shall-"
CLICK
Surprised by the youth's movement both Sheik and Raynard turned their heads to find the Hero of Time himself sheathing his weapons on his back before stepping forth to walk, presumably for the stone staircase and the entrance to the temple before him.
"Huh...," the watching Raynard muttered, his arms folded before turning his hardened glower on the similarly silent Sheikah. "Guess it's me and you then, huh?"
"What was that about?"
Navi's voice again; this time he had halfway expected it. Wandering his eyes to his lower right he frowned deeply as he stepped through the first corridor he had entered.
"What was what about?" He pressed her falsely, already aware what she was referring to. The sound of his boots clicked quietly against the hard stone of the surface he marched on.
"Don't make me come out with it...," she muttered, her tone annoyed. Though he did not want to discuss it he found himself twitching in his light frown. "Come on now; you're insulting my intelli-"
"I get it Navi..."
His words, though similarly soft, cut a blow into Navi's own. Briefly halting his walk he stared down at the ground beneath him, his morale low as his mood.
"I just...," he began, his face creasing ever so slightly to make room for an odd kind of sadness and thoughtfulness. Shaking his head he re-opened his mouth. "Seeing my home like this, it's..."
Remaining silent out of respect, the listening guardian fairy frowned back.
"I feel a lot of things right now," the youth claimed as he re-raised up his head to face the door before him. "Mainly anger... I think..."
"Just... remember what Sheik said...," Navi responded, her tone attempting to soothe the listening Link. "Saria still lives."
Recognising what she said, Link's brow furrowed, as if a new destination had been set for them. "Yeah...," he nodded in acknowledgement. "Yeah you're right..."