CHAPTER 6
In the shadow of Death Mountain, the ruins of a fortress lay quietly. It hadn't been long since the wizard, Icarnos, had destroyed it. Far below the fort, a large platform still showed the signs of the epic battle between a hero and a dragon that had taken place there.
On this day, the ruins were not surrounded in silence. Many wolves circled the crumbled remains of the fort, howling and looking up at the sky. They seemed to be expecting something...
They weren't disappointed. A figure formed out of darkness slowly appeared above the fort. "My monsters!" the figure called. "It is time!"
The wolves gathered around the figure, yet stood a cautious distance away. They made a great show of growling and howling. It was obvious they were afraid of something. Finally, one walked straight up to the figure, eyes burning. It bared its fangs, and raised a paw, revealing sharp claws.
"Insolent! You will pay!" The shadow figure raised a hand, and a blast of magic slammed into the lead wolf. It fell to the ground, howling in agony. The others turned to run, but the magic caught them as well, and they followed their leader. The dark figure laughed quietly over the mayhem of painful howls and yelps.
Slowly, the wolves returned to their feet. However, it was obvious they had been changed. They now stood on their hind legs. They were about as tall as a man, and were covered with a scruffy fur. Their eyes glowed a demonic red, and their fangs now jutted far out of their horrible maws. Their claws were as long as daggers.
The dark man looked over them, appraising his work. He then turned back to the leader of the wolves, which was still writhing on the ground in pain. It finally stopped, and stood. It was like its followers, except larger. However, it had one major difference. Red wings sprouted from its back, and stretched outward. In fell to one knee in front of the figure, bowing its head.
The dark figure chortled quietly. "Now, go. Destroy the hero. I will not accept failure."
The monster nodded. It knew its destiny. It knew that he must face the hero, and only one would emerge.
The figure watched them leave. "Go, my Wolfens. You must succeed, or my plans will be for naught." And then, without another sound, the figure vanished.
******
Nerah sighed quietly as she watched the people bustling around in Kakariko. Her mind, as usual, was on Wynn. She missed him terribly, and was worrying herself to death about him. Why, those marauders could have beaten him, or tortured him...or...
She shook herself, cutting off the thought. Wynn isn't dead! She walked back towards the house where she, Jier, Tane, and Shezarah were staying. None of them had been the same since they had lost Wynn, Tane especially. He had spent all of his time wallowing in self-pity. Even Shezarah had been devastated, and spent most of her time thinking alone. At least, when she wasn't watching over Tane.
"Hey, you!" Nerah turned, looking for whoever had called. It was the Hylian soldier Jier had talked to before the battle. He ran up to her, and looked her over. "Are you that Zora girl that was with those adventurers in the Battle of Zora's Domain?"
She nodded. He smiled, and then introduced himself. "I'm Kesler. I'm looking for the Sheikah. Do you know where he is?"
"Jier? Why yes, he's...oh, that's right! He's at the windmill with the Cucco Lady!" Nerah said, remembering where her friend was.
"The windmill? Well, thanks." Kesler started to leave, but Nerah caught up with him.
"Why do you need him?"
A grin tugged at the corners of Kesler's lips. "He has a person looking for him. Someone I think he will be very interested in talking to."
******
Jier looked his beloved in the eyes. Their faces slowly moved together, closer...
"Hey, Jier!" Jier whirled around, much to the Cucco Lady's displeasure. It was Nerah, with the Hylian Kesler.
Jier sighed in frustration. "Yes, Nerah?"
"Someone's looking for you. Kesler here said the person is waiting at the gate to Death Mountain Trail. He also said," Nerah said, smiling, "it was someone you really wanted to see."
Jier's eyebrows rose. Nerah flinched as she noticed the Cucco Lady glaring at Jier.
"Who is it, dear?" the Cucco Lady asked, an edge to her voice.
Kesler stepped in, eager to stop a possible spat. "It's a friend, or at least a friend of a friend."
"Well, let's not keep them waiting. I'll see you later, love." Jier followed Kesler and Nerah away before the Cucco Lady could get another word in. She watched him go, then walked back to her cucco pen, calling for her precious chickens.
Jier followed Kesler up to the gate marking the beginning of the Death Mountain Trail. He looked around for a person, but in vain. The only odd thing was a boulder sitting near the gate. As they neared it, it grunted, and then stood up. Jier grinned. It was only a Goron, and a familiar one at that.
The Goron was a typical one of its race. It was a young one, so it only stood up to Jier's chest. It was brown in color, and rock-like in texture. Its plain face had a broad mouth and beady eyes. Its mouth curved upward when it saw Jier and Nerah.
"Hi! It's me, Link of the Gorons! Do you remember me?" the Goron child asked innocently.
Jier nodded. Link was the son of Darunia, leader of the Gorons. He had been named after the hero of the Gorons, but had never felt he had earned that name. However, Wynn, a friend of the Gorons, came to him one day, accompanied by Jier and the others. The Gorons were under attack, and Wynn had fought the monster, King Dinolfos, that had besieged them. Link had helped them, and in the end had earned his name by killing a Dodongo, an enemy of the Gorons.
"Yes, Link, of course we remember you," Nerah said softly.
"Good! Well, I have good news! Its about Wynn!" the Goron said excitedly.
Nerah's and Jier's faces fell. "Link..." Jier started.
"Don't say it. I heard." Link's gaze fell to the ground, and he looked up again. "But if they took him to their hideout, I think I know where he is."
The two adventurers looked at him in surprise, and then started asking questions before he could answer. Finally, Kesler stepped in, and calmed them down.
"You know the location of the marauder's hideout?" he asked, a wary look in his eyes.
Link nodded slowly, uncertainly. "Yeah...sorta..."
"Sorta?"
"Well, I don't know exactly. I only know what Biggoron told me."
Jier and Nerah's eyebrows shot up. Biggoron was the largest Goron of all, so large he couldn't even fit in the Goron City. He lived on the peak of Death Mountain, where he could survey all of Hyrule. Now that the heroes thought of it, Biggoron was the most obvious choice to monitor the marauder's movements. He was also a talented blacksmith, and made some of the most lethal swords on Hyrule.
Kesler looked at the young Goron in shock. "You know what that means! Now, we can take the fight to the marauders! We'll hit their base, and this war will be over!"
Link shook his head. "No, the entrance can be sealed, by what Biggoron told me. Plus, their are other exits, some we know about, some we don't. If you attacked them, they would be free to slip away and take Kakariko, or Hyrule Market."
Kesler nodded, his hopes of a quick end to the war dashed. Unlike Kesler, though, Jier and Nerah were ecstatic. Wynn may be alive, and now they could rescue him!
"Hey, let's go tell Tane and Shezarah!" Nerah said, running towards the house the two were in. Jier followed, close behind her.
"Well, I'm going to return to the city. Here's the map to the entrance to the marauder's hideout. Bye!" Link said, and started the hike back up the mountain. Kesler watched him go, and then looked to the map, figuring out the crude drawing in a matter of seconds. The entrance was near Lake Hylia. It would take most of the day to get there. Kesler frowned. It wouldn't be smart to go now, right before nightfall. They would be swamped with monsters before they could even get far from town. It would be wiser to leave in the morning.
He, of course, would accompany the four others. He would find out what he could about the marauder's base, then report back to Greer. Kesler sighed as he walked after Nerah and Jier. The end of the battle with the marauder's might be in sight, and he was relieved. War, after all, wasn't good for one's health.
******
Hearing a loud clatter around the corner from the prison, Gold Knuckle whirled around. Fami, realizing a chance to escape, cast her magic. Vines sprouted from the floor, wrapping around the villain. Gold Knuckle struggled, ripping and tearing at the vines, but they overcame him, and pulled him to the floor, encasing him totally.
Wynn raised his hands, and an aura of white magic appeared. The magic blasted outward, eliminating the door. The two heroes stepped out of their cell, and into freedom. Fami stopped, thinking about freeing the other captives, but Wynn rushed forward, taking his Biggoron sword and mace from the table. He raised the sword over his head, ready to finish off Gold Knuckle, rage in his eyes, when Fami moved herself in front of Wynn.
"Don't! If you kill him, you'll be a murderer, just like him. Let's go, before any guards get here!" she yelled to him. Wynn slowly lowered his sword, then ran after her, silently vowing to avenge Solan later. Gold Knuckle watched him go, hatred in his glare.
******
Seron looked down upon Deihawk, who was struggling futilely in the grasp of his dark lightning. He let out an evil chuckle. The mercenary scum couldn't dismiss him so easily this time.
"Ready to talk now?" Seron asked.
"Izar...Tozar...get him!" Deihawk growled. From behind his desk, two wolf-hounds appeared. As one, they lunged at Seron, fangs bared. Seron let a blast of lightning fly, and it hurled the two into a nearby wall. They hit with a yelp, and were still.
Deihawk watched the two with despair. He then turned back to Seron. "Release me, or-" A tendril of lightning cut him off as it zapped him mercilessly.
"Just listen. The deal is, I join your group as an equal to you. You don't give me orders, and I don't give you any. From every strike, I get double the normal share. You get my monsters, the Tekitons, at your disposal, as well as my powers as a sorcerer. Do you consent?"
For a second, Deihawk hesitated, considering refusing. Suddenly, the lightning tightened, cutting off all his air. He clawed at his throat as his face turned red. "Do you consent?" Seron repeated, an edge to his voice. Deihawk nodded desperately, then gasped for air as the lightning left his throat. Seron smiled down at him. "Nice to know you are easy to bargain with. Now, let's discuss your failure at Zora's Domain..."
Deihawk glared at him angrily. "It wasn't a failure!"
Seron laughed. "Oh, not a failure? You didn't gain anything from that battle! You didn't even take a single prisoner!"
Deihawk lowered his gaze. "Actually, we did get two prisoners..."
"What are their names, then?"
"Uh...Wynn, I think, and Fari, or Fadi, or something."
"Wynn? Fami?"
"Yes, I think. I left my right-hand man, Gold Knuckle, to guard them." Deihawk said, wondering what was Seron's interest in those two.
"Where are they?"
Deihawk stood as he told Seron the location of the dungeon. Seron nodded, formulating a plan, and then dashed off. Deihawk watched him go, then frowned. After that display of Seron's power, perhaps it would be better to get rid of his new partner as soon as possible. His eyes narrowed as he remembered his previous battle. Maybe he should wait a while, employ him until he lost his usefulness. Deihawk sighed as he moved to check on his wolf-hounds. Yeah, just a while longer...
******
Seron stormed into the dungeon, searching for Wynn and Fami. His Tekitons trailed obediently behind, chittering nervously. He spun around, finding no sign of his rival. He did find one unwelcome sight: Gold Knuckle, wrapped up in a neat bundle, struggling futily against the vines that bound him. Seron let out a howl of anger, recognizing instantly Fami's handiwork. They had escaped!
"Go, Tekitons! Hunt my enemy down!" Seron ordered his minions. "Bring them both back alive, and Fami unharmed." A gleam entered his eye. "And use whatever means necessary to catch Wynn."
One Tekiton, the first one created and therefore the leader, gave him a sloppy salute, then left, followed by the others. He watched them, a group of about twenty, turn and rush away. He knew they feared the wrath of their master if they were too slow, and rightfully. Next time, he sighed, he would make more competent monsters.
He turned back to Gold Knuckle. The vine-encased fiend looked at him imploringly, mumbling something inaudible through the thick vines, probably a plea for help. Seron chuckled, and walked away, planning his revenge on his greatest foe.
******
Wynn and Fami ran away from the exit of the marauders' base as fast as they could, fearing recapture. It was nearing night, and, even if they escaped the marauders, they would be prey for the monsters of the darkness.
Wynn looked around. He knew where they were! They were near Lake Hylia, and Lon-Lon was only a few hours away! He then grimly looked up too the sky. They didn't have a few hours. It would be dark all too soon, and they would have to spend the night outside.
They ran and ran, never taking the chance of looking back. They were very near one of the outer walls of Lon-Lon, but unfortunately, they couldn't climb it, and there was only one entrance to the ranch, still quite a distance away. The sun had recently set, and darkness was rapidly coming, making it harder and harder to see.
They paused for a quick breath, when they noticed the oppressive silence all around them. Suddenly, a wolf's cry sounded, chilling the pair to the bone. Fami moved closer to Wynn, and the hero drew his sword. Another howl came, this time from a different location. Wynn gritted his teeth. This didn't look pretty.
It happened before Fami could tell what was going on. A wolf-like monster jumped out at Wynn, dagger-like claws slashing at him. He fended the much larger creature off with his sword, but another came at Wynn from behind. Fami acted, sending vines from the ground at the monster. It easily shredded them, but her move gave Wynn time to dodge the monster's attack.
"Run!" Wynn yelled, slashing at the beast, which proved itself to be more nimble than its bulky form suggested. He waited until he saw Fami dash away, and followed her, the monsters close on their heels. They were losing ground to the wolves, and their flee was halted when the ground in front of them exploded in a fiery flash.
Wynn and Fami stopped, looking around. The monster that had cast the magic, with several of its fellows, was in front of them, and they were soon surrounded by many others, all around them. Fami watched them come, despairing. There were too many, and Wynn couldn't take them all. It looked bad. Before she could even ask Wynn what they were to do, the wolf-like creatures charged.
Wynn calmly raised his hands over his head, channeling his magic. Twin orbs appeared over his palms, circling each other faster and faster. Wynn didn't lower his arms this time, however. Instead, when the spheres collided, a semi-sphere of light just large enough for the two of them encased Fami and Wynn. The wolves collided with the wall of the sphere, and rebounded. They stood, and glared at Wynn through the wall of energy. Fami, too, looked to Wynn. His face showed his concentration as he tried to uphold his energy shield.
The wolves threw themselves at the shield again and again, trying to break through. When that didn't work, they stepped back, and paused. To Fami's shock, a dark power began gathering at their paws, and they used their dark magic on the shield. Wynn grunted, surprised, but was able to hold the shield up. Finally, the monsters gave up, and began slowly circling the two.
Fami tried desperately to regain her nerves. There was something about these monsters that deeply scared her, a darkness she couldn't explain. She took in a deep breath, and realized what she must do.
One of the Wolfens stopped, sniffing the shield. It knew there must be some way to break the hero's spell, and complete its mission. It raised a paw, to try its magic once again, but, before it could attack, a thick vine wrapped around its leg. It looked at the intruding vine, shocked, and ripped it off, but the one vine was replaced by a dozen more. The Wolfen howled in frustration as the vines slowly overcame it.
Another Wolfen ran up to assist its fellow, but it, too, found itself encased in vines. Before, long, the entire pack was struggling against the overpowering flow of greenery. The magic of the monsters burned much away, but what they damaged grew back, and was more powerful.
Sweat grew on Fami's face due to the immense concentration. She could tell she had almost subdued the creatures, and then...
Fami jerked back, slamming into Wynn, as an enormous explosion sounded against the wall of the shield. Wynn cried out, almost dropping the protective barrier, but was able to salvage it. Fami stopped using her own magic, and looked up. Hovering above them was another of the monster, only this one had wings. It drifted down, landing right in front of them.
Wynn looked at the abomination standing in front of him. It returned his gaze, then turned to its subordinates. Under its gaze, the vines withered, and the other monsters were free. It growled at them deeply, and they turned and ran, almost in fear. The winged one then turned back to Wynn, and raised a paw. It pointed a single clawed toe outward, toward Wynn. Wynn stared at it, and the beast met his eyes. For several minutes, they stood there, Wynn meeting the Winged Wolfen's smoldering gaze. Finally, the monster flew away, and Wynn watched him go.
Fami sighed, dropping to her knees in exhaustion. Wynn looked down at her, and put his hand on her shoulder tenderly, and spoke to her in a soothing voice, never dropping the shield. "Fami, you need to rest. Sleep, I'll keep watch."
Fami started to protest, but found herself too tired. She had used all her energy fighting the monsters. Wynn sat down, changing the shape of the shield to better suit them, and watched as Fami settle herself on the ground. Within moments, she was asleep. Wynn allowed himself a brief smile, and then returned to his efforts for the shield.
But even through his concentration, one thought nagged at him. He had felt the powers those beasts had wielded, but that magic had seemed all too familiar to him. He finally dismissed the thought, and returned to his work.
But deep into the night, a pair of red eyes watched him. The Winged Wolfen growled softly as it gazed upon its new foe. It was their destiny to one day meet on the field of battle, and both would know the price of failure.
******
Kesler softly knocked on his captain's door. It was late, nearing midnight, but Greer would still be awake. Plus, secrecy was key in this meeting.
"Enter," came the gruff voice from inside. Kesler slipped past the door, and into Greer's chamber. He saluted his commander, and Greer returned the motion. "What is the desperate reason for this late meeting, Lieutenant Kesler?" Greer demanded.
"Sir, you must know of the Sheikah's plans to seek his friend tomorrow morning." Kesler paused until Greer nodded, then continued. "I intend to accompany them." Before Greer could interrupt, Kesler pushed forward. "I have reason to believe we could locate the hidden base of the marauders'. With that, we could easily end the war!"
Greer nodded slowly, to Kesler's surprise. "Yes, and you would have my permission, except for one thing. I am under strict orders to allow no soldier to leave Kakariko, except when called to the castle. These orders," Greer paused, "Come from the very top."
"Rosburn!" Kesler spit the word like a curse. "He is determined to see Kakariko burn, isn't he?"
"Yes, and every other place on Hyrule. Well, I won't stand for it. Kesler, I order you to accompany the Sheikah and his friends."
Kesler's mouth dropped. Greer, disobeying a direct order? Greer noticed his hesitation, and frowned. "It is for the best of Hyrule," he said simply, and then waved Kesler off, obviously dismissing him. "You need your sleep, Lieutenant. Go to bed, and that's also an order."
Kesler gave Greer a huge smile, then came to his senses and saluted the other. "Yessir! Good night, sir!"
Greer watched him leave, and then turned back to his small desk. He pulled out a small scarf, old and slashed in several places, and held it to his cheek.
"This is for you, my dear," the gruff soldier said, and then put it down and moved into bed. If Kesler had come back, then he might have seen the teardrops glistening on his commander's face.
******
Fami slowly opened her eyes under the bright sunlight. She yawned, and slowly sat up. she looked around, and found Wynn lying asleep nearby. She smiled. She could remember waking several times in the night, and seeing Wynn sitting there, using his magic to keep them both safe. He had stayed up till dawn, when he knew the threat to be passed. The shield was now gone, but the monsters wouldn't dare attack during the day.
She moved over to him, and planted a gentle kiss on his cheek. He sighed in his sleep, and smiled slightly. She slowly stood up, stretching, and surveyed their surroundings. They were only an hour's hike from the entrance to that ranch, and there was no one in sight, besides that monster to her right...
She stopped. A monster? She jumped back, letting out a shriek that woke Wynn. He was to his feet in an instant, sword in hand. But before Wynn could attack, the monster let out a shriek of fright rivaling Fami's, turned, and ran for its life. Wynn snorted as he watched the monster scurry away.
"That's some way to wake up in the morning," he grumbled. He dropped his sword, and turned to Fami.
"What WAS that?" she asked, still shaking in shock.
Wynn shook his head. "It looked like a Tekitite, but it walked on two legs, and was carrying a sword. I really don't know." He began to lie back down again. "Whatever it was, it's gone now. Wake me when its noon."
Fami looked down at him, annoyed. "Wynn, wake up. This is no time for napping."
"Listen, Fami-"
Wynn's reply was cut off by another shriek. He looked in the direction of the noise. It was the same monster, with almost twenty of its fellows.
Wynn stood again, and picked up his sword. "Listen, guys, I'm trying to get some sleep here, and if you'd just-"
The monster cut him off again with a sharp motion of its sword, with an almost triumphant chirping. Its followers joined it.
Wynn grimaced. "O.K., now you are getting annoying. If you want a fight, come on, so I can catch a nap before my hike."
Several of the monsters, excluding their leader, complied, rushing at Wynn. He attacked, spinning and slashing, and came from the crowd unscathed. The monsters, however, collapsed in a heap.
"Not hard at all. Any more?" The monsters, reduced by five, hesitated. Finally, a much larger crowd ran at Wynn. Several were struck down by Fami's vines, and the rest met Wynn's Biggoron sword. Wynn booted one several feet away, but it jumped up, and rushed him again, only to find itself skewered on Wynn's blade.
"I'm not even awake, and this is easy. Any serious fights?" Wynn taunted.
The leader of the monsters stepped forward, and chittered, obviously offering Wynn a challenge. Wynn never got the chance to accept, however, for a loud roar came from under the ground, distracting them all. The remaining monsters huddled together, scared out of their wits.
Suddenly, something exploded from under the ground in a cloud of dirt and rocks. It was an enormous serpentine head, and a loud hiss lit the air. One Tekititon squealed in fright, and, before it could move, the snake's head speared downward, biting into and swallowing the monster whole. The others tried to run, but another was consumed before it could get away. The last three stopped, then ran back at the monstrous snake, swinging their swords. The snake lowered its head, and the swords glanced off the rock-like scales of the snake, causing no damage. The three Tekitons looked at each other despairingly. Then the snake breathed out, releasing a cloud of flames, burning all three to a crisp. The last of them, the leader, shrieked, and ran as fast as its legs could take it.
"This is not a good morning," Wynn moaned. The snake glared at Wynn, something resembling recognition in its eyes. It then lunged at Wynn, unbelievably fast. Before Wynn could even think of moving, two vines wrapped around him and pulled him aside. Wynn regained his composure, and looked up to the monster. He frowned, formulating a plan. But before he could enact his plot, the snake retreated underground. Wynn froze, then sprinted to his right, moving on intuition. The snake exploded from the ground right where he had been standing. It looked at Wynn, and then again vanished under the soil.
Wynn dashed straight to Fami, without time for words. However, she caught his gaze, and realized his plan. The snake again sprouted from the ground, right behind Wynn. He dodged to the side as Fami's vines flew at the monster. The vines wrapped around it, keeping it aboveground. However, the snake squirmed, and, before Wynn could attack, it twisted its snout to point at some of the vines clutching it. Another eruption of fire decimated the vines, and the snake was gone.
Both Wynn and Fami ran about, while the ground would be smashed upward below them. The snake was now too smart to come out of the protective ground, and only targeted them with fire. Wynn shook his head as he ran. He could not think of any way to save them, and things didn't look good. He yelled out as he tripped. He flipped over, only to see the ground explode near him.
But instead of flames, water gushed from the hole. Wynn looked about, noticing a similar reaction from each hole the monster had made. Finally, he found the source of the water: A short distance away was a group of five, three men and two women, with one of them, a Zora, using magic to flood the underground tunnels. He smiled. It was his friends, with Kesler.
Suddenly, the snake burst from below between Wynn and the others, a roar of pain and smoke pouring from its maw. Before it could move, more vines wrapped around it, pulling it completely from the ground and holding it aloft. It struggling, but Fami wouldn't release it.
Wynn, Tane, Shezarah, and Kesler all ran forward, weapons at ready. They began to hack at the beast, but their weapons only rebounded off it. Finally, Shezarah thrust her scimitar into the creature's underbelly, and it penetrated. The snake hissed in agony, and the four realized their target. They began slashing into the snake's softer stomach. Soon, the snake gave a final hiss, and was finished.
Before Wynn could even say anything to his friends, he found himself encased in a giant hug from Nerah. He chuckled, and she finally released him. "Wynn, do you know how much you had us worried? Why, I..." She yelled at him.
Wynn held his hands up in mock defense. Fami glared at the Zora, and the others laughed at her discomfort.
Tane walked up to Nerah, smiling. "Nice to see you two safe and sound."
"Yeah, but I don't know if we are safe. Another set of monsters attacked us earlier, and one escaped. He may be back, with reinforcements."
Kesler nodded. "Let's head for that ranch. We are near the entrance, and we should be safe there."
Tane grinned idiotically, and his expression was mirrored by Shezarah. Fami, Kesler, and Jier looked at them, wondering what was running through their minds.