See chapter one for disclaimer.
Of Wind and Forest
"It's been a while hasn't it," the Golem spoke in a gravely voice, "Nightmare." The shard monster had been like nothing to him, falling to his might like so many others. Now the golem Astaroth had more power, enough he felt, to defeat the current wielder.
"Yes it has," the soul of the sword spoke though it's host, "I thought that you had fallen to that pitiful pirate?" Nightmare felt the power that now resided in Astaroth, he knew that the golem had been busy gathering the shards on it's own.
Astaroth however knew nothing of Nightmare's power now that he had defeated the pirate Cervantes. Until recent Nightmare had no use for the golem, it had no soul and as such could not nourish him. It did now posses a rather large number of shards that it had incorporated into it's body though. Nightmare would relish the power that Astaroth would provide for him, then when the battle would be over he would take his old servant again, knowing the suffering he would cause it.
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It was early morning when he had arrived at the town, the people were still asleep in their beds as the sailors that docked in the ports left the taverns and brothels to return to their ships. It had been a long road to the west, through his own Island nation and that of it's warring foe.
Any that passed by him knew that he was a mercenary, one that had been give the name 'Demon' and 'The One Man Army'. He had come here feeling the energies of his metal shard pulsate. He was not under the influence of the shard but he could feel that something was about to happen here.
He was a patient man, he would wait. He knew that whatever it was it would lead him to the Sword of Heroes that he sought, the Soul Edge.
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The name of the town... didn't matter, it was one of many places that have been forgotten in time. Link and Talim had been traveling for weeks since the confrontation with the extra-dimensional creature that had lead them to acquiring another piece of the Soul Edge. They stood at the outcropping of a forest over looking the town. It was a small town located somewhere on the Indian Ocean. Their travel had been swift and silent with Link now fully healed from his initial injuries.
The town itself had only one noticeable feature, a port. There in that port were about a half a dozen sailing ships, one of them was bound to allow passengers. There was a small bazaar at the wharfs that looked like it had numerous trade posts.
"What do we do now Link?" Talim asked from his side.
"You need to go into town," Link spoke quietly, "I don't want a repeat of the incident with your tribe, so I'll stay here for now." They hadn't said much until then, they had no need to.
"Maybe I should get a cloak for you while I'm there," Talim offered, "something to hide your ears. That way we don't have to worry about what they think."
"That's a good idea," Link said as he reached into his sword belt. When he found what he was looking for he placed something into Talim's hand and said, "this should be enough."
"This is," Link had placed in her hand three green sparkling jewels, "what is this?"
"Rupees," Link said plainly, wondering why Talim was at such a lose for words, "I know that it isn't the currency here but I think that these will do."
"I think they will," Talim knew little of matters of money. In truth she knew nothing, but she did know that the traders that the Wind Tribe dealt with were always more concerned about it than anything else. Emeralds, she believed these green stones were called. To some they were worth more than their lives, but the only value Talim had placed on them personally were that Link gave them to her.
Leaving her travel bag, Talim and Link parted wordlessly, their eyes saying more than words ever could. Talim trekked down that outcropping to the town, leaving the youth in green alone for the time being.
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In her time Talim had seen many villages, but never once had entered. Link had told her that this village hadn't been very different compared to one from his own world, but still this was her first time ever seeing this many people outside of her tribe.
As she roamed the village Talim's senses were assaulted by various sights, sounds and smells. Everything here was so strange and new. Talim saw many peoples selling their wares saying how much of a bargain or how rare their items were, many had assaulted her in this manner. The priestess though was intent on her task, however new and different this experience was she longed to return to the familiarity that was the Hylian boy.
"Excuse me," Talim leaned over a counter to get the attention of a street vendor, "hello sir?" The merchant was intently studying a small diamond that he had come into the possession of. This merchant wasn't the most reputable looking of the lot, but he was the closest. Drawing in a deep breath Talim prepared for her next move. "Hey, old man!" She screamed right into the grimy merchant's ear.
"What?!" The merchant looked up at Talim, startled at the loud noise that she had just made. "Oh," he began relieved that it was just a young girl, "what can I get for you little miss?"
"I want that." Talim pointed to a light looking, dark green cloak. She didn't know what Link liked to wear, but she knew that he had an affinity to the color green. The cloak she was sure, would be able to cover enough of his face that he would go unnoticed.
"Fine choice missy," the merchant looked her over thinking that he could get a good price out of her, "that one costs about ten gold pieces." He had bought that cloak from an old tailor for less than half that, but sizing up the strange girl he figured that she would probably pay around that much.
'You'll only take gold huh?" Talim asked the nodding old merchant, sullen, "then I guess that this isn't going to work out after all." When Talim opened her hands she revealed the largest emerald that the grimy old merchant had seen in a long time. "Sorry for wasting your time." Talim smiled brightly as she began to walk away.
"Wait," the merchant called out, stuttering, "I think that maybe something could be arranged." Talim smiled even brighter as the two traded goods. She had gotten Link a cloak and only used one of his rupees to do so.
As Talim left the town to return to Link, she thought of how nice it would be to see the sights of this hamlet with him. She dreamed of the two walking arm in arm smiling at each other. The chances of that happening were small since Link did not like the crowds in this world, but she knew that a girl could always dream.
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Link was starting to worry, Talim had taken far too long to get a simple cloak. He had originally intended on having her purchase passage on one of the ships then go to the ship some time after dark. Her idea of going to buy a cloak had seemed like a good one. With the exception of his ears Link knew that he could pass for a normal human being, so hiding them under a hood did not seem like such a bad idea.
She was taking too long. Perhaps someone had felt her pieces of the Soul Edge again? It had happened before, who's to say that some other force wasn't after her again? She could be injured right now and need his help. Yes she had handled herself well before, but he still worried.
Just as Link had decided on leaving the outcropping and going to save Talim she had appeared on the horizon, a dark green bundle close to her breast. She ran to him, a smile so bright that all Link could do was try not to stare was on her face.
"Link!" Talim called out waving a free hand at the boy.
Link then placed his hand on his face and shook it. He really needed to stop being amazed every time she had smiled. He knew that it was impossible though, in spite of everything Talim had kept her smile. It was something he was grateful for. Though his mind wavered he heart never did, he would protect her and return her to her people. This he promised himself.
"Link," she repeated herself a little out of breath. They were closer together now, Talim had placed the green bundle behind her back. "Here," she produced the bundle to him with both hands, "I got the cloak and I only used one of your rupees to do it." Talim beamed with pride at her accomplishment.
"Thank you," Link said taking the bundle from her. Talim shot Link a look then, her cheeks red as her mouth was slightly agape. Underneath the bundle Link had taken Talim's right hand with his left. He smiled into her eyes then as he squeezed her hand gently. After he smiled, Talim immediately smiled back.
Things had been going slowly between them, each afraid to make the next move. In spite of all that they had been through, together and otherwise, they were still teenagers. They both knew that they had a strong bond with the other, but neither wanted to test that bond to it's limits. It was an awkward situation that they found themselves in, everything seemed to move two steps forward only to move one step back.
"Let's try it on then," Link said, breaking the tension. The cloak was a good fit, with the hood down it barely scrapped the ground. The hood up was another matter, no matter how hard Link tried he could not get it to cover enough of his head that his ears would not show.
"I think it's your hat," Talim innocently spoke pointing to the offending piece of clothing, "maybe you should take it off." Talim knew that it was impossible however, ever since they had left Link had never taken off the cap. Even when she caught him bathing in a river he still wore that hat and if he noticed her he would turn several shades of red, yell for her to go away then almost faint, it was a very tiring process.
"You're probably right," Link said with some regret. Taking off the cap proved Talim correct as Link was now able to fully conceal his ears under the hood.
"Much better," Talim said, leaning forward with her hands behind her back to get a better look at his face, "but now what are you going to do without your precious hat?" Link smirked at her, then using both hands he put the green cap on Talim, covering her eyes with it.
"I think that look is pretty good for you." Link laughed. When Talim lifted up the hat she first pouted, then seeing Link laugh the way he did she joined him. It was a strange sound, one that Link had just discovered despite the fact that they had spent so much time together. Talim's laugh was pure, angelic, a sound that he found himself wanting to hear more of.
"Hey Link," Talim broke him out of yet another trance, "let's go I want to show you the town."
"Sure," Link smiled, "sounds like fun."
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The sun was still high in the sky as the pair entered the hamlet. Although this was a small town it was surprisingly busy, the bazaar was just as lively as Talim had left it. People of many walks of life all gathered here to trade goods and news. When the merchant that sold Talim the cloak saw her he smiled and waved at the girl.
"Hey Link," Talim turned around from his side to look at him, "is there anything you want to do?"
"What do you mean?" Link asked, confused underneath his cloak.
"I mean that this is our first time in a new town together," Talim giggled, "we should have a fun date."
"Date," Link stuttered, "I, uh, I think that..." Link was rubbing the back of his head above the cloak, "We should probably try to find a boat first." Link spoke too quickly he knew, he just hoped that Talim didn't notice.
"You're probably right," Talim said looking into him, "then what?"
"Uh..." Link thought of his options, "we eat?"
"Sounds like a good idea," Talim smiled as she started walking ahead of him to the docks, "you'd better hurry up." She said without looking back. Did she know? Did she know that every time she did something like that it made him squirm? More to the point did she enjoy it?
Link dismissed the thought, saving it for a later time. First they needed to find a boat, but that should have not taken too long. Too many firsts had happened to him since arriving on this world, his first serious injury, his first time seeing a naked girl... his first kiss.
"Focus Link, focus." He shook his head then quickening his pace he caught up with Talim.
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"So where you heading?" The Mariner asked. The two had asked the first ship that they came across in hopes of getting to their destination as soon as possible.
"West." Link said from underneath his hood.
"That's pretty vague," the mariner chided, "where west, Europe? Africa? There is a lot of west after all." Link sized up the mariner. He appeared in his late twenties, his hair was jet black with a single odd bang in the front and long sideburns. His eyes were a light brown, that matched his tanned skin. He wore a white and black vest with a gold trim that had tails on his bare chest with gold bracers on his wrists. His white pants ended in metallic shin guards and boot. Next to him was a barrel of water that he was bringing up to his ship.
"Europe," Talim said, "to Germany if possible."
"Germany miss?" The mariner said, eyeing the girl in a way that Link did not appreciate, "that's a ways away from here."
"Can you do it?" Link asked the mariner.
"No," he said plainly, "but I can get you to Italy if you have the money."
"Here," Link produced two shimmering red jewels from his cloak, "this should be enough to cover our travel expenses." The mariner whistled when he saw the jewels, it had been a long time since he had seen rubies like them. These two gems were enough to cover their passage and back.
"That'll do," he said, "we leave in the morning, be ready." Taking the gems the mariner went back to his work. "My name's Maxi by the way." Hefting the barrel on his back the mariner named Maxi left.
"Now what?" Talim turned to look at Link. He had been avoiding this as much as possible, he did not know what to do. This had never been on a date before, he had recalled Zelda telling him about what she did on her dates but he never paid attention, why would he want to listen to his sister's dating stories.
"What do you want to do?" Link said hesitantly, he could not think of anything so he figured that maybe Talim had some kind of idea. This was getting to be too much, why couldn't they just act like they normally did.
"I don't know," she said, still wearing his hat, "whatever you want." She was not making this any easier.
"Well," not knowing what else to do Link just said out loud his first thought, "I'm hungry."
"Good idea," Talim said apparently not noticing his anxiety, "let's get something to eat." Link smiled despite himself, somehow his luck had held out.
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As the day wore on Link had discovered that this date wasn't much different than what they normally did. Talim ate and spoke of the traditions of the Wind Tribe while Link listened intently. Then when he talked of Hyrule, Talim did the same.
They sat in a dark corner of a local tavern on the edge of the town for obvious reasons. The two had been silently talking, ignoring the comments and glances of the other patrons as they did. Most likely it was due to the outfit that Talim wore, it had been too revealing for Link's comfort but Talim liked it the best. It was the same one that she had worn the day they met, but now amongst all the strangers it was beginning to draw too much attention.
As if to draw attention away from the two in the shadows someone walked into the tavern. He was around the same age as Maxi, that much was obvious. He wore his own jet black hair in a pony tail, a strange hair piece holding it in place. His skin was tanned as many were in these parts and he needed to shave, but it was also obvious that he was not from the area. His chest was covered in armor, as was his shoulder and at his left he wore a sword of eastern design. At his waist he wore a pair of thigh guards. One of them, the right one, was inscribed with characters that neither Link or Talim could read. he gave off the same feeling that the creature Necrid had, this man had a piece of the Soul Edge.
Keen brown eyes scanned the common room, settling on the two in the corner. With steady firm steps the man made his way to the two. Taking the open seat without an invitation he settled himself in.
"So your the two?" The man spoke casually.
"Yeah," Link said under his hood, "who are you?"
"I'm Heishiro Mitsurigi," he pointed at himself with his thumb, "age twenty nine and I'm here to challenge you to a duel." he smirked at the two.
"You've got to be kidding," Link said while he shook his head, "we don't have time for this."
"But you have time for this." Mitsurigi said, placing his hand on the table. When he removed it a metal fragment was seen glowing on the table. "I'm sure that you know what this is," he went on, "I'm also sure that you have a few of these yourself. I want them and I know that you are unwilling to give them up. So I will fight you for them if I have to."
"We're not interested," Link said, he could not believe that this man had the gal to waltz in there and demand a fight.
"We can either do this like civilized men," he said, his left hand drifting down to his sword belt, "or we can do this the other way."
"You're serious aren't you?" Link stared down the mercenary as he nodded. "Then there's no other way." Rising from the table Link walked outside the tavern with Talim. Mitsurigi soon followed, knowing that they had accepted his challenge.
"At a boy," he said as he took a swig of the drink that Link left behind, soon he himself left.
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"Link is this okay?" Talim asked as they waited behind the tavern, "I mean, do you really want to do this?"
"No," Link said, "but it's obvious that he does. If we don't do something to get rid of him then he may attack us when we aren't prepared like he was planning on earlier."
"Ready?" Mitsurigi said as he entered the clearing where Link and Talim waited, "Prepare yourself!"
"I'm your opponent," Link said as he removed his cloak and grabbing his sword and shield after replacing his hat, "if you win you get my shard, but if I win we get your's and you never bother us again."
"Not from around here are you?" Mitsurigi asked seeing the uniqueness of Link's features.
"The Soul Edge has much to do with all forms of life," he said, "I'd like to get this over with now."
"Fine," Mitsurigi smirked as he unsheathed his sword, "now let's begin." Mitsurigi charged at Link with his sword at the ready. Using his shield Link blocked the blow and at the same time swung his own sword.
It missed the mercenary completely and forced him to block another attack. This time Link used his sword. As they backed away Mitsurigi made a stab at him. Link barely averted this by back flipping even further away, then pushing himself forward Link kneed the mercenary in his stomach.
Mitsurigi's armor did it's job as it lessened the impact of the Hylian's knee. Sword met sword again as Mitsurigi's Shishi-Oh clashed with Link's Master Sword causing sparks to fly. Each blade pushed on each other as the two vied for positioning, leaning into their struggle.
Talim watched in abject horror as Link battled the mercenary. Link had just healed, she didn't want him to get hurt again. Link had been miserable when he was injured, unable to fight or protect anyone. She worried almost nightly that he would do something drastic. She remembered the frustration that he felt, the fear. Talim cared deeply for him and didn't want him to get hurt again... or worse.
Mitsurigi had backed away from Link, sheathing his sword. he smirked at Link who did not let his guard down in this. Instead he knelt down and positioned his shield in front of him, his sword still at the ready. Mitsurigi inched his way forward as he prepared his attack The attack would come from above, so he knew that the boy's defense was futile.
As the Demon unsheathed his sword and brought it down on the boy he leap. The two blades clashed, negating either attacks. Link continued to gain altitude however, as he did this he sheathed his sword and pulled out something else from behind him.
Mitsurigi saw this coming and bent his head to the left, narrowly avoiding the weapon. Link then landed on the ground and with his sword still sheathed he used his shield to block Mitsurigi's own attack. Shifting his weight Link off balanced the mercenary and backed away. As he regained his balance Mitsurigi did not notice the next attack until it was too late.
The weapon that Link had let fly earlier had returned and this time he could not prepare a defense. It hit him squarely in the temple and knocked him to the ground. he heard the sharp sound of metal come at him as he rolled to dodge Link's attack. The sword sunk into the ground and Link had to pull it out while Mitsurigi returned to his feet.
Using only one hand Mitsurigi made a vertical slice at Link. He dodged it completely turning his body so that he faced the right side of the mercenary. Seizing his chance the Hero of Time grabbed on to that arm, then kicking off the ground he twisted it as he flipped over Mitsurigi's body. As he shot his head back in pain Link prepared his final attack, using the flat end of his blade the boy slammed his sword into the side of the man that was called the One Man Army's face sending him flying.
When Mitsurigi had enough of his wits about him he tried to move to continue. He could not as he felt the tip of the Master Sword graze against his throat.
"I win," Link said as he breathed heavily, "now keep your end of the deal."
"Hmp," the warrior looked directly into his eyes, there was no malice in either, though Mitsurigi had been enraged by his defeat by the gun Tanegashima he now felt strangely peaceful. "Good fight." He said simply, then he raised his hand at the boy.
"You too," Link said as he lifted Mitsurigi by his outstretched hand.
"Right," Mitsurigi said as he reached into his pocket and gave Link his shard of the Soul Edge, "we should fight again sometime." He laughed as he picked up his sword and walked away. As he walked past Talim he spoke low, something that despite Link's sharp hearing he did not catch. As he spoke Talim's breath caught in her throat.
"Are you okay Talim?" Link asked when the Mercenary was gone.
"Yeah," Talim shook her head to dissuade any fears that Link had, "I'm fine."
"C'mon lets go," he said as he replaced his cloak, "we have an early morning ahead of us." As they returned to the village Mitsurigi's words played over and over in her mind.
"You'd better take care of him," he had said, "someone needs to." Feeling her own inhibitions lessen Talim moved closer to Link, so much so that they almost touched. She kept her distance though, not knowing what to do next.
Link felt her near him and acting on his own instincts, those that lead him to kiss her that night all those weeks ago, he wrapped his arm and cloak around her. Talim leaned her head on his shoulder and almost fell asleep right there.
As they walked back to the tavern Link thought about his dreaded first date, it had been awkward, confusing and ended in a big fight, not that different from many other first dates he thought. Still he had someone who he would wake up for.
- To Be Continued
Well I hadn't intended on this one being so long. Still I think that it has turned out well.
I might not be able to update as planned next sunday night or monday morning, things are getting pretty heck tick with my life outside the internet, still I shall do my best to keep this story going until the end, so please be patient?
Things are now continuing to move in the world as Nightmare and Astaroth squared off, who won? I'm not telling until later, until then feel free to review.
Ryuhiko@hotmail.com
Of Wind and Forest
"It's been a while hasn't it," the Golem spoke in a gravely voice, "Nightmare." The shard monster had been like nothing to him, falling to his might like so many others. Now the golem Astaroth had more power, enough he felt, to defeat the current wielder.
"Yes it has," the soul of the sword spoke though it's host, "I thought that you had fallen to that pitiful pirate?" Nightmare felt the power that now resided in Astaroth, he knew that the golem had been busy gathering the shards on it's own.
Astaroth however knew nothing of Nightmare's power now that he had defeated the pirate Cervantes. Until recent Nightmare had no use for the golem, it had no soul and as such could not nourish him. It did now posses a rather large number of shards that it had incorporated into it's body though. Nightmare would relish the power that Astaroth would provide for him, then when the battle would be over he would take his old servant again, knowing the suffering he would cause it.
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It was early morning when he had arrived at the town, the people were still asleep in their beds as the sailors that docked in the ports left the taverns and brothels to return to their ships. It had been a long road to the west, through his own Island nation and that of it's warring foe.
Any that passed by him knew that he was a mercenary, one that had been give the name 'Demon' and 'The One Man Army'. He had come here feeling the energies of his metal shard pulsate. He was not under the influence of the shard but he could feel that something was about to happen here.
He was a patient man, he would wait. He knew that whatever it was it would lead him to the Sword of Heroes that he sought, the Soul Edge.
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The name of the town... didn't matter, it was one of many places that have been forgotten in time. Link and Talim had been traveling for weeks since the confrontation with the extra-dimensional creature that had lead them to acquiring another piece of the Soul Edge. They stood at the outcropping of a forest over looking the town. It was a small town located somewhere on the Indian Ocean. Their travel had been swift and silent with Link now fully healed from his initial injuries.
The town itself had only one noticeable feature, a port. There in that port were about a half a dozen sailing ships, one of them was bound to allow passengers. There was a small bazaar at the wharfs that looked like it had numerous trade posts.
"What do we do now Link?" Talim asked from his side.
"You need to go into town," Link spoke quietly, "I don't want a repeat of the incident with your tribe, so I'll stay here for now." They hadn't said much until then, they had no need to.
"Maybe I should get a cloak for you while I'm there," Talim offered, "something to hide your ears. That way we don't have to worry about what they think."
"That's a good idea," Link said as he reached into his sword belt. When he found what he was looking for he placed something into Talim's hand and said, "this should be enough."
"This is," Link had placed in her hand three green sparkling jewels, "what is this?"
"Rupees," Link said plainly, wondering why Talim was at such a lose for words, "I know that it isn't the currency here but I think that these will do."
"I think they will," Talim knew little of matters of money. In truth she knew nothing, but she did know that the traders that the Wind Tribe dealt with were always more concerned about it than anything else. Emeralds, she believed these green stones were called. To some they were worth more than their lives, but the only value Talim had placed on them personally were that Link gave them to her.
Leaving her travel bag, Talim and Link parted wordlessly, their eyes saying more than words ever could. Talim trekked down that outcropping to the town, leaving the youth in green alone for the time being.
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In her time Talim had seen many villages, but never once had entered. Link had told her that this village hadn't been very different compared to one from his own world, but still this was her first time ever seeing this many people outside of her tribe.
As she roamed the village Talim's senses were assaulted by various sights, sounds and smells. Everything here was so strange and new. Talim saw many peoples selling their wares saying how much of a bargain or how rare their items were, many had assaulted her in this manner. The priestess though was intent on her task, however new and different this experience was she longed to return to the familiarity that was the Hylian boy.
"Excuse me," Talim leaned over a counter to get the attention of a street vendor, "hello sir?" The merchant was intently studying a small diamond that he had come into the possession of. This merchant wasn't the most reputable looking of the lot, but he was the closest. Drawing in a deep breath Talim prepared for her next move. "Hey, old man!" She screamed right into the grimy merchant's ear.
"What?!" The merchant looked up at Talim, startled at the loud noise that she had just made. "Oh," he began relieved that it was just a young girl, "what can I get for you little miss?"
"I want that." Talim pointed to a light looking, dark green cloak. She didn't know what Link liked to wear, but she knew that he had an affinity to the color green. The cloak she was sure, would be able to cover enough of his face that he would go unnoticed.
"Fine choice missy," the merchant looked her over thinking that he could get a good price out of her, "that one costs about ten gold pieces." He had bought that cloak from an old tailor for less than half that, but sizing up the strange girl he figured that she would probably pay around that much.
'You'll only take gold huh?" Talim asked the nodding old merchant, sullen, "then I guess that this isn't going to work out after all." When Talim opened her hands she revealed the largest emerald that the grimy old merchant had seen in a long time. "Sorry for wasting your time." Talim smiled brightly as she began to walk away.
"Wait," the merchant called out, stuttering, "I think that maybe something could be arranged." Talim smiled even brighter as the two traded goods. She had gotten Link a cloak and only used one of his rupees to do so.
As Talim left the town to return to Link, she thought of how nice it would be to see the sights of this hamlet with him. She dreamed of the two walking arm in arm smiling at each other. The chances of that happening were small since Link did not like the crowds in this world, but she knew that a girl could always dream.
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Link was starting to worry, Talim had taken far too long to get a simple cloak. He had originally intended on having her purchase passage on one of the ships then go to the ship some time after dark. Her idea of going to buy a cloak had seemed like a good one. With the exception of his ears Link knew that he could pass for a normal human being, so hiding them under a hood did not seem like such a bad idea.
She was taking too long. Perhaps someone had felt her pieces of the Soul Edge again? It had happened before, who's to say that some other force wasn't after her again? She could be injured right now and need his help. Yes she had handled herself well before, but he still worried.
Just as Link had decided on leaving the outcropping and going to save Talim she had appeared on the horizon, a dark green bundle close to her breast. She ran to him, a smile so bright that all Link could do was try not to stare was on her face.
"Link!" Talim called out waving a free hand at the boy.
Link then placed his hand on his face and shook it. He really needed to stop being amazed every time she had smiled. He knew that it was impossible though, in spite of everything Talim had kept her smile. It was something he was grateful for. Though his mind wavered he heart never did, he would protect her and return her to her people. This he promised himself.
"Link," she repeated herself a little out of breath. They were closer together now, Talim had placed the green bundle behind her back. "Here," she produced the bundle to him with both hands, "I got the cloak and I only used one of your rupees to do it." Talim beamed with pride at her accomplishment.
"Thank you," Link said taking the bundle from her. Talim shot Link a look then, her cheeks red as her mouth was slightly agape. Underneath the bundle Link had taken Talim's right hand with his left. He smiled into her eyes then as he squeezed her hand gently. After he smiled, Talim immediately smiled back.
Things had been going slowly between them, each afraid to make the next move. In spite of all that they had been through, together and otherwise, they were still teenagers. They both knew that they had a strong bond with the other, but neither wanted to test that bond to it's limits. It was an awkward situation that they found themselves in, everything seemed to move two steps forward only to move one step back.
"Let's try it on then," Link said, breaking the tension. The cloak was a good fit, with the hood down it barely scrapped the ground. The hood up was another matter, no matter how hard Link tried he could not get it to cover enough of his head that his ears would not show.
"I think it's your hat," Talim innocently spoke pointing to the offending piece of clothing, "maybe you should take it off." Talim knew that it was impossible however, ever since they had left Link had never taken off the cap. Even when she caught him bathing in a river he still wore that hat and if he noticed her he would turn several shades of red, yell for her to go away then almost faint, it was a very tiring process.
"You're probably right," Link said with some regret. Taking off the cap proved Talim correct as Link was now able to fully conceal his ears under the hood.
"Much better," Talim said, leaning forward with her hands behind her back to get a better look at his face, "but now what are you going to do without your precious hat?" Link smirked at her, then using both hands he put the green cap on Talim, covering her eyes with it.
"I think that look is pretty good for you." Link laughed. When Talim lifted up the hat she first pouted, then seeing Link laugh the way he did she joined him. It was a strange sound, one that Link had just discovered despite the fact that they had spent so much time together. Talim's laugh was pure, angelic, a sound that he found himself wanting to hear more of.
"Hey Link," Talim broke him out of yet another trance, "let's go I want to show you the town."
"Sure," Link smiled, "sounds like fun."
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The sun was still high in the sky as the pair entered the hamlet. Although this was a small town it was surprisingly busy, the bazaar was just as lively as Talim had left it. People of many walks of life all gathered here to trade goods and news. When the merchant that sold Talim the cloak saw her he smiled and waved at the girl.
"Hey Link," Talim turned around from his side to look at him, "is there anything you want to do?"
"What do you mean?" Link asked, confused underneath his cloak.
"I mean that this is our first time in a new town together," Talim giggled, "we should have a fun date."
"Date," Link stuttered, "I, uh, I think that..." Link was rubbing the back of his head above the cloak, "We should probably try to find a boat first." Link spoke too quickly he knew, he just hoped that Talim didn't notice.
"You're probably right," Talim said looking into him, "then what?"
"Uh..." Link thought of his options, "we eat?"
"Sounds like a good idea," Talim smiled as she started walking ahead of him to the docks, "you'd better hurry up." She said without looking back. Did she know? Did she know that every time she did something like that it made him squirm? More to the point did she enjoy it?
Link dismissed the thought, saving it for a later time. First they needed to find a boat, but that should have not taken too long. Too many firsts had happened to him since arriving on this world, his first serious injury, his first time seeing a naked girl... his first kiss.
"Focus Link, focus." He shook his head then quickening his pace he caught up with Talim.
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"So where you heading?" The Mariner asked. The two had asked the first ship that they came across in hopes of getting to their destination as soon as possible.
"West." Link said from underneath his hood.
"That's pretty vague," the mariner chided, "where west, Europe? Africa? There is a lot of west after all." Link sized up the mariner. He appeared in his late twenties, his hair was jet black with a single odd bang in the front and long sideburns. His eyes were a light brown, that matched his tanned skin. He wore a white and black vest with a gold trim that had tails on his bare chest with gold bracers on his wrists. His white pants ended in metallic shin guards and boot. Next to him was a barrel of water that he was bringing up to his ship.
"Europe," Talim said, "to Germany if possible."
"Germany miss?" The mariner said, eyeing the girl in a way that Link did not appreciate, "that's a ways away from here."
"Can you do it?" Link asked the mariner.
"No," he said plainly, "but I can get you to Italy if you have the money."
"Here," Link produced two shimmering red jewels from his cloak, "this should be enough to cover our travel expenses." The mariner whistled when he saw the jewels, it had been a long time since he had seen rubies like them. These two gems were enough to cover their passage and back.
"That'll do," he said, "we leave in the morning, be ready." Taking the gems the mariner went back to his work. "My name's Maxi by the way." Hefting the barrel on his back the mariner named Maxi left.
"Now what?" Talim turned to look at Link. He had been avoiding this as much as possible, he did not know what to do. This had never been on a date before, he had recalled Zelda telling him about what she did on her dates but he never paid attention, why would he want to listen to his sister's dating stories.
"What do you want to do?" Link said hesitantly, he could not think of anything so he figured that maybe Talim had some kind of idea. This was getting to be too much, why couldn't they just act like they normally did.
"I don't know," she said, still wearing his hat, "whatever you want." She was not making this any easier.
"Well," not knowing what else to do Link just said out loud his first thought, "I'm hungry."
"Good idea," Talim said apparently not noticing his anxiety, "let's get something to eat." Link smiled despite himself, somehow his luck had held out.
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As the day wore on Link had discovered that this date wasn't much different than what they normally did. Talim ate and spoke of the traditions of the Wind Tribe while Link listened intently. Then when he talked of Hyrule, Talim did the same.
They sat in a dark corner of a local tavern on the edge of the town for obvious reasons. The two had been silently talking, ignoring the comments and glances of the other patrons as they did. Most likely it was due to the outfit that Talim wore, it had been too revealing for Link's comfort but Talim liked it the best. It was the same one that she had worn the day they met, but now amongst all the strangers it was beginning to draw too much attention.
As if to draw attention away from the two in the shadows someone walked into the tavern. He was around the same age as Maxi, that much was obvious. He wore his own jet black hair in a pony tail, a strange hair piece holding it in place. His skin was tanned as many were in these parts and he needed to shave, but it was also obvious that he was not from the area. His chest was covered in armor, as was his shoulder and at his left he wore a sword of eastern design. At his waist he wore a pair of thigh guards. One of them, the right one, was inscribed with characters that neither Link or Talim could read. he gave off the same feeling that the creature Necrid had, this man had a piece of the Soul Edge.
Keen brown eyes scanned the common room, settling on the two in the corner. With steady firm steps the man made his way to the two. Taking the open seat without an invitation he settled himself in.
"So your the two?" The man spoke casually.
"Yeah," Link said under his hood, "who are you?"
"I'm Heishiro Mitsurigi," he pointed at himself with his thumb, "age twenty nine and I'm here to challenge you to a duel." he smirked at the two.
"You've got to be kidding," Link said while he shook his head, "we don't have time for this."
"But you have time for this." Mitsurigi said, placing his hand on the table. When he removed it a metal fragment was seen glowing on the table. "I'm sure that you know what this is," he went on, "I'm also sure that you have a few of these yourself. I want them and I know that you are unwilling to give them up. So I will fight you for them if I have to."
"We're not interested," Link said, he could not believe that this man had the gal to waltz in there and demand a fight.
"We can either do this like civilized men," he said, his left hand drifting down to his sword belt, "or we can do this the other way."
"You're serious aren't you?" Link stared down the mercenary as he nodded. "Then there's no other way." Rising from the table Link walked outside the tavern with Talim. Mitsurigi soon followed, knowing that they had accepted his challenge.
"At a boy," he said as he took a swig of the drink that Link left behind, soon he himself left.
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"Link is this okay?" Talim asked as they waited behind the tavern, "I mean, do you really want to do this?"
"No," Link said, "but it's obvious that he does. If we don't do something to get rid of him then he may attack us when we aren't prepared like he was planning on earlier."
"Ready?" Mitsurigi said as he entered the clearing where Link and Talim waited, "Prepare yourself!"
"I'm your opponent," Link said as he removed his cloak and grabbing his sword and shield after replacing his hat, "if you win you get my shard, but if I win we get your's and you never bother us again."
"Not from around here are you?" Mitsurigi asked seeing the uniqueness of Link's features.
"The Soul Edge has much to do with all forms of life," he said, "I'd like to get this over with now."
"Fine," Mitsurigi smirked as he unsheathed his sword, "now let's begin." Mitsurigi charged at Link with his sword at the ready. Using his shield Link blocked the blow and at the same time swung his own sword.
It missed the mercenary completely and forced him to block another attack. This time Link used his sword. As they backed away Mitsurigi made a stab at him. Link barely averted this by back flipping even further away, then pushing himself forward Link kneed the mercenary in his stomach.
Mitsurigi's armor did it's job as it lessened the impact of the Hylian's knee. Sword met sword again as Mitsurigi's Shishi-Oh clashed with Link's Master Sword causing sparks to fly. Each blade pushed on each other as the two vied for positioning, leaning into their struggle.
Talim watched in abject horror as Link battled the mercenary. Link had just healed, she didn't want him to get hurt again. Link had been miserable when he was injured, unable to fight or protect anyone. She worried almost nightly that he would do something drastic. She remembered the frustration that he felt, the fear. Talim cared deeply for him and didn't want him to get hurt again... or worse.
Mitsurigi had backed away from Link, sheathing his sword. he smirked at Link who did not let his guard down in this. Instead he knelt down and positioned his shield in front of him, his sword still at the ready. Mitsurigi inched his way forward as he prepared his attack The attack would come from above, so he knew that the boy's defense was futile.
As the Demon unsheathed his sword and brought it down on the boy he leap. The two blades clashed, negating either attacks. Link continued to gain altitude however, as he did this he sheathed his sword and pulled out something else from behind him.
Mitsurigi saw this coming and bent his head to the left, narrowly avoiding the weapon. Link then landed on the ground and with his sword still sheathed he used his shield to block Mitsurigi's own attack. Shifting his weight Link off balanced the mercenary and backed away. As he regained his balance Mitsurigi did not notice the next attack until it was too late.
The weapon that Link had let fly earlier had returned and this time he could not prepare a defense. It hit him squarely in the temple and knocked him to the ground. he heard the sharp sound of metal come at him as he rolled to dodge Link's attack. The sword sunk into the ground and Link had to pull it out while Mitsurigi returned to his feet.
Using only one hand Mitsurigi made a vertical slice at Link. He dodged it completely turning his body so that he faced the right side of the mercenary. Seizing his chance the Hero of Time grabbed on to that arm, then kicking off the ground he twisted it as he flipped over Mitsurigi's body. As he shot his head back in pain Link prepared his final attack, using the flat end of his blade the boy slammed his sword into the side of the man that was called the One Man Army's face sending him flying.
When Mitsurigi had enough of his wits about him he tried to move to continue. He could not as he felt the tip of the Master Sword graze against his throat.
"I win," Link said as he breathed heavily, "now keep your end of the deal."
"Hmp," the warrior looked directly into his eyes, there was no malice in either, though Mitsurigi had been enraged by his defeat by the gun Tanegashima he now felt strangely peaceful. "Good fight." He said simply, then he raised his hand at the boy.
"You too," Link said as he lifted Mitsurigi by his outstretched hand.
"Right," Mitsurigi said as he reached into his pocket and gave Link his shard of the Soul Edge, "we should fight again sometime." He laughed as he picked up his sword and walked away. As he walked past Talim he spoke low, something that despite Link's sharp hearing he did not catch. As he spoke Talim's breath caught in her throat.
"Are you okay Talim?" Link asked when the Mercenary was gone.
"Yeah," Talim shook her head to dissuade any fears that Link had, "I'm fine."
"C'mon lets go," he said as he replaced his cloak, "we have an early morning ahead of us." As they returned to the village Mitsurigi's words played over and over in her mind.
"You'd better take care of him," he had said, "someone needs to." Feeling her own inhibitions lessen Talim moved closer to Link, so much so that they almost touched. She kept her distance though, not knowing what to do next.
Link felt her near him and acting on his own instincts, those that lead him to kiss her that night all those weeks ago, he wrapped his arm and cloak around her. Talim leaned her head on his shoulder and almost fell asleep right there.
As they walked back to the tavern Link thought about his dreaded first date, it had been awkward, confusing and ended in a big fight, not that different from many other first dates he thought. Still he had someone who he would wake up for.
- To Be Continued
Well I hadn't intended on this one being so long. Still I think that it has turned out well.
I might not be able to update as planned next sunday night or monday morning, things are getting pretty heck tick with my life outside the internet, still I shall do my best to keep this story going until the end, so please be patient?
Things are now continuing to move in the world as Nightmare and Astaroth squared off, who won? I'm not telling until later, until then feel free to review.
Ryuhiko@hotmail.com