Link, Zelda, and the triforce are owned by the people who own them…  which is not me.  And I give Beowulf's credit to the person who created him…  (the mysterious unknown person…)  I honor you.  Gorideu, however, is a creation of me…  as strange as he is.

Eino here!  Thanks goes out to my reviewers.  The second chapter is finally here, and it's a bit longer than before.  Of course, it starts out slowly again…  (sorry 'bout that.)  It's a really bad habit of mine.  Anyhow, I'm not a very good writer, fundamentally, so I love when I get reviews.  After all, reviews will keep Link alive… ::grins evilly::

Beowulf:  You know what to do…  Read on and review!

Eino:  BTW, Natsu, Grendal will be in this story.  In fact, he is a very important character later on.

Beowulf:  Grendal…?

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Chapter two:  the sage's face

            "Which way is it?"  A gloved hand smoothed through the man's greasy hair. 

            "A good twenty miles away from here," another man coolly replied and pointed to the crinkled map.  "This is where we are right now."  His crouching companion looked up at him with questioning eyes.

            "Are you sure?"  With a strong set of legs, he pushed himself up with ease.  "Well, I'm not gonna fight ya'.  If we get lost, it's on your head anyway."  And he was right.  It wasn't that he didn't trust Beowulf, the great hero, but he sort of didn't.  As if that made sense.  He had heard rumors that the Great Beowulf had forsaken many of his own closest companions for the sake of 'glory'.  It made him sick to his stomach thinking about it. 

            "Gorideu."  Beowulf frowned and rested his head on his thick arm.  "This is my home territory.  Are you saying that you doubt ME?"  His gaze seemed fixed on his little 'temporary' companion.  Feh, he'll probably go back home and brag to his friends just about being next to me for a few lousy days…  might even score him some women.  His thoughts couldn't have been more wrong.  In fact, Gorideu couldn't wait to get away from him.

            He didn't like warriors.  Fat, sloppy pigs; that's what they were.  The whole lot of them.  They'd come unwelcomed into a house and eat your foot or sleep in your bed.  Some would sleep in your bed with your wife!

            Gorideu gritted his teeth.  The exact thing had happened with his older sister, the slut of the family.  Nine months later, a child had been born, and fortunately died three months later.  He could remember his father complaining that it was a waste of milk and cloth for a baby that didn't last long.  Goridue was starting to believe him.

            The smaller man looked up at Beowulf, who sat cross-legged.  A bored expression was written all over his face, most likely because he wasn't killing anything.

            He REALLY hated warriors.

            "Gorideu," Beowulf's voice broke the long silence.  "Did you hear that?"

            "Huh?"  he snapped back into reality.  "Oh, I wasn't paying any attention.  Did YOU hear anything?"  He sarcastically replied, not at all interested in anything to do with the Great Hero.

            A scowl crossed Beowulf's face.  "I was pretty sure that I heard a scream."  He shrugged and turned his gaze again.

            "Are you going to investigate then?"  There was a long pause before Beowulf moved or made any effort to show that he was listening to him.

            "I guess I could," his monotone voice chilled Gorideu to the bone.  "But we're in a hurry to reach the city, aren't we?"  Gorideu's jaw dropped down in disbelief.  Was this the legendary hero?  Some hurry they were in…  they had been sitting around all day… for some reason.

            "Perhaps it is a demon.  I've heard that there are an abundance of monsters in this area."  Beowulf's eyes lit up.

            "Alright, I'll go."  Beowulf had known that demons lurked in this area, but he had never actually encountered one.  They were cave demons who nested underground, and the hero had never actually thought of burdening himself to find one.  He had always been preoccupied with monsters who would come to HIM.

            For a split second, though, Beowulf was satisfied.  After all, someone was going to die.

~*~*~

            "…nk…  Link…." A soft voice echoed through his mind as he tried to regain his senses.  One bite shouldn't have caused him this much pain, but it did.  Link couldn't feel the lower half of his right arm, and he prayed to the Goddesses that he still had an arm left.  "…Link…  listen to me…"

            "Zuh-"  His voice was a bit strained.  "Zelda?"  Zelda's hand touched his wound carefully and pulled him off his shaking knees.  He seemed so lightheaded as he stood, wobbling, in front of the princess, but the pain had miraculously ceased tormenting him.

            A pitiful smile crossed the lips of the princess and she helped to hold her friend up.  "Link, you have entered the forbidden world.  I cannot be there to help you on your new journey, but I will be watching out for you."  Her words confused the hero at first.  New journey?  Where?

            "Princess, what is going on?"  Link stepped forward, unsuccessfully, and collapsed on Zelda's shoulder.

            "Something is happening with the triforce.  I'm afraid that the pieces may be calling for each other… so it is best that I will not be there."  Link's body stiffened.  The triforce?

            Ganon.

            "Link, a friend will be coming for you, so don't worry."  Link watched her lips move, as if she was saying more, but there was no sound.

            "Zelda?"  Link watched as Zelda's image slowly melted away from him.  Suddenly it hit him…  a shockwave threw his body back and Link clenched his teeth.  It was his arm again!  He tried to open his eyes, but he found that he couldn't.  After several gasps of air, his eyes shot open.  What he saw, though, made him wish that he was still dreaming.

            "Did that hurt, Hero?"  Blood dripped from the demon's mouth and stained Link's bare chest.  So it was a dream after all…

            There was something different than before, however, and Link could see it.  A pale blue light surrounded his body, and by the looks of it, the demon couldn't see that it was there. 

"Nayru's Love…"  Somehow, the power had been activated while he was unconscious.  At any rate, this would give him time to think of an escape.  Link didn't know how long the magic would last, but he figured that he'd make every effort to use it wisely. 

~*~*~

            Beowulf surveyed the land in front of him.  He had been trying to pinpoint where the demon could have been (if it was a demon at all).  Now he could remember why he never chased after these cave creatures.

            If only that person would scream again.  He had tried to hide his impatience, but it was no good.  His arms crossed, bunching up his thin leather shirt.  He couldn't go back to the camp empty handed, however, as Gorideu would spread the word around that Beowulf couldn't even catch a simple cave demon.

            But it wasn't that easy…

            "To hell with this," he rotated his body around and walked off.  This kid just doesn't want to be saved then.  He stopped, however.  A warm light seemed to envelope his body, and Beowulf paused from saying or thinking anything.  The light seemed to be radiating from what seemed to be a small patch of  blue grass.  Curiously, he pulled the tangled plants aside to reveal a hole, about two feet in width.  It was too small for him to fit through with his armor, but it would be worth it.  After stripping his armor off, he strapped his short sword tightly around his right leg and entered the lit cave.

            What has Beowulf discovered?  Is it really Link or could it be something else?  Why is Gorideu so cold and why is he traveling with Beowulf?  All of these questions and more might be answered in the next episode of…  "Only Hyrule's Hero".

***Author's note***

Eino:  Again, special thanks goes out to my first reviewers…  ::wipes tears from eyes::

Beowulf:  And yes, I AM THE Beowulf.  Who else would I be?  ::insert throaty laugh::

Eino:  ::Hits Beowulf for being rude::  Anyhow, I know this chapter is short, but it is an improvement on length (compared to the first chapter, at least.)  Anyhow, since I really like writing this story, I'm going to continue on and hopefully push out more chapters really soon… (cuz I love both of ma' babies)  ::hugs Link and Beowulf::

Link:…

Beowulf:  Now ladies…  and you men too…  since you've amazingly sat and read this much of Eino's  "writing", you should review.  It's the right thing to do.

Eino:  ::ignoring Beowulf::  Right, or Linky-poo dies!  Mwaahaaahaaaaaa!!!

Link: …   ::still glowing from Nayru's love::

Gorideu:  Kill BEOWULF instead!!!  ::runs through fanfic screaming::

Link:…

Eino:  I'm…  going to have to do something about him…  ::sighs::

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