A.N: Thank you for all the reviews, I'm working hard at the moment to get chapter 13 ready for next Monday.

Chapter 12: Gathering of revived dragons and War

A rain of arrows suddenly streaked across the dark grayish blue sky, landing a couple of meters from the base of the far off hill.

Watching from horseback at the front of the ranks, Liam saw Gerudos crumple to the floor, collapsing as arrow heads were buried in their flesh. The larger, all-woman army had finally decided to attack the Hylians with their infantry, which were now marching towards the Hylian men.

"Come on then. You'll find that we Hylians have not lost our courage"

The Gerudos were rapidly advancing, already half-way across the plain and now drawing scimitars, spears and shields.

Another load of arrows were sent out, knocking down a few more Gerudos, but the army was still larger than the Hylians, with far more mounted women riding on either side of the army, a few yards in front of the infantry.

With a quick movement of his hand, Liam signaled for the remaining cavalry to move forwards and try to take out the Gerudo women on horseback.

The Gerudo infantry had gained a few more meters, and the thud of each perfectly timed footstep that rose and fell with the hundred or more others, beat in time with Liam's heart. He watched as they came closer, closer, closer. Closing the gap, first breaking into a jog, then a flat out run, and watching the horses of the remaining Hylian cavalry and their riders, clashing with the Gerudos.

Liam saw it all in near slow motion, watched as his men drew their swords and other weapons, the first few rows of shields being put up.

With a shout from the back of the group, he retreated to the back of the ranks meeting up with the other knights, telling them what to do, how to attack.

Finally, he turned just in time to witness the Gerudo army smashing into the Hylians with loud battle cries. Turning back to the knights, he moved into position, closing his eyes and praying before drawing his sword and shield and watching the battle, hoping that Link was going to reach Ganon soon.

Link ran round the corner at full speed, Maxi and Sheik following closely behind. He knew in his heart that the Gerudo and Hylian armies were in full battle. Only just started maybe, but it didn't take long for armies to heat up and the Gerudos were swift, merciless killers.

Desperate to find Ganondorf, Link tore through the corridors, making his way deeper and deeper into the fortress. He was so close now, he could feel it, could sense the power of the Triforce resonating as he raced towards Ganon's chambers.

Maxi ran just behind Link, desperately trying to keep up; the Hylian boy had gone into a sudden frenzy and raced off saying something about the Hylians being attacked. Confused as he was, Maxi kept running, panting madly, while Link was practically untiring. There were also inhuman growls sounding around the fortress, but it didn't sound like Astaroth.

Running through a training room of some sort Maxi didn't notice him until they were almost out.

"Going somewhere, worms?"

Leon was wandering around the fortress on his own, trying to find Sheik and Yunsung. The two had kept going when he thought he had heard something outside and had stopped to listen. They had apparently wandered off, and now he was lost.

"Damnit!"

He cursed under his breath and continually muttered to himself as he walked around corners, took random turns and entered several empty dormitories of the middle class Gerudos. He frowned at the rooms, gingerly stepping over women's underwear and pushing some less-than-wholesome books out if the way with his foot and trying to avert his eyes from the pictures in them, feeling almost disgusted. Swallowing, he exited the room… to enter a shower room sort of place.

"Sh…"

Growling, Leon turned around and sprinted back through the bedrooms, retracing his steps up the corridor and away.

Yunsung and Sheik stopped at the sound of a semi-conscious groan, peeking over the top of a stack of crates at the origin of it.

Yunsung by now had recovered from his wounds some, and was starting to get some if his energy back, along with his excitement. When he saw who the cause of the groan was, he smirked and snorted, walking around the crated and kneeling down next to the fallen man and rolling him over.

"Well, Siggy, you really don't look so good," he commented, kneeling over the top of the blonde German, who seemed to have suddenly come back to his senses. He glared up at the Korean and swiped irritably at his face, knocking him out the way. Climbing to his feet shakily, Siegfried steadied himself, using the wall to prop himself up.

Sheik was examining the corpse lying on the floor.

"Cervantes," Yunsung commented "He was a Spanish pirate; he held Soul Edge before Siggy did. I guess he wanted it back."

"No kidding," Siegfried muttered pushing himself away from the wall.

"If you're well enough, we should move on," Sheik said to Siegfried, who nodded, if somewhat unsurely, and pointed at the direction in which Link had gone.

Maxi turned slowly at the sound of that voice, slipping the nunchaku from around his neck and into his hand, before flicking the other piece into his armpit.

Glaring at the giant, purple man for a moment he replied to Astaroths comment.

"Away from your stench…so, do you remember me this time, freak?"

The creature snorted, and hefted its gigantic axe from off its shoulder, toting it with one hand, propping himself up with it.

Standing at the doorway, Link found it hard to believe that Maxi was so confident in taking Astaroth on with just two sticks.

Turning his neck just enough to see the two Hyrulians, Maxi said:

"You should get out of here and get to Ganondorf. I'll take care of worm boy here."

"You sure?" Link asked, glancing uneasily at the weapon in Maxi's hand, which seemed to have all the offensive might of the Andrex puppy, and then at Astaroth and the huge weapon he held.

Nodding at Link, Maxi casually turned back to Astaroth and twirled the Nunchaku in his hand and then swung it back into place, under his arm.

Stopping to look at the two warriors one moment more, Link turned and ran out of the training room, circling down the dark stairs to Ganon's personal chambers.

Raphael trotted down the corridor, stepping nimbly over a few bugs creeping over the floor, frowning at them in disgust before missing his footing and treading on one. It crunched underneath his foot and he scowled before lifting his foot and scraping the scarab like creature off his boot with a small dagger he kept with him, wiping it on a nearby crate.

Grimacing, he walked on, trying to avoid any more offensive creatures.

Maxi backed up to a wall, right inside on of the weapon cupboards, finding a small crate and crouching down on it. Astaroth stood in the middle of the room, his back to the pirate, apparently deciding that he wasn't a threat, despite the fact that he had killed him twice before.

Holding a position for a minute and watching Astaroth, Maxi knew that the giant was waiting for him to make the first move, which would be a bad idea. However, it was the only way to get the battle started. Breathing in deeply to gather himself before the attack, Maxi closed his eyes for a moment. As he did, images of dead men lying on a blood stained deck of a ship flashed through his mind, and that was the end of patience and waiting. With a high pitched war cry, Maxi flung himself towards Astaroth, brandishing the nunchaku.

Turning around to face the on-coming pirate, Astaroth lifted the axe, ready to crush Maxi. Too late. He had just enough time to see the nunchaku coming slamming down onto his shoulder, knocking him backwards.

Steadying himself, Astaroth snorted at the human in front of him.

"You all look the same to me, little bug."

Growling loudly, Maxi took a few steps back, jumping up to avoid the knee-height horizontal swing that Astaroth took at him. Landing, his feet were only on the floor for a couple of seconds before Maxi launched himself towards the golem. Dashing towards and thrusting his weapon into Astaroth, the pirate slammed into him, the thick wood pummelling into its chest with a solid slapping sound.

Roaring in pain and anger, Astaroth took a step back, eyes narrowing at his assailant and raising the giant axe, Kulutues. Hefting it above his head, he sent it crashing to the floor, splintering and ripping through the floor in a firework display of black stone, cement and slate, churning the ground.

Maxi brought his arm down from over his face, which he had raised to protect himself, he studied the enraged giant, checking him for injuries. Some slight bruises on its chest and shoulders…that was all. It was a pity that nunchakus didn't hurt Astaroth as much as a normal person, because they would probably be in a fair amount of pain by now. Unfortunately for Maxi, Astaroth didn't feel as much pain as a human being, leaving him at a distinct disadvantage. Using a nunchaku was hard, it took a lot of strength, skill and speed to inflict any real damage, and while it was a good weapon to prove you had those qualities; it didn't bode well for you if you had to use it in a battle to the death. Especially if you were fighting against a six foot three golem, with arms like tree trunks and using an axe that Mars, the god of war himself would use. The nunchaku was designed to beat your opponent by crippling them with pain and soreness, and shattering bones. But of course, this didn't work on a golem whose bones were probably at least five times stronger than is natural. Enraged, Astaroth walked to a corner of the room, readying himself for an attack.

Liam glanced down at the line of knights extending to his left and right. 98 men, not including himself, and Link wasn't here at the moment. 98 men, trained to the highest Hylian standards, all high ranking men; all honoured and trusted. 98 men, all older than him, and all looking at him to lead them into an attack.

Glancing at the battle, only a matter of 300 yards or so in front of him, Liam wasn't sure he could. He was a kid really, a seventeen year old lad who relied on his 'twin' brother, Link, to lend him strength and courage. When Liam had last seen his father, the man had stated that he relied on Link too much, that he needed to learn to live without his closest friend, because he wouldn't be around to 'hold his hand' forever, as he put it. He had not said it out of concern for Liam, but merely as a spiteful comment directed towards the 'screw-up' and 'mistake' of the family. Nevertheless, Liam wished he had taken his comment to heart more than ever now. He was alone again, and Link wouldn't be back for a while yet. He couldn't help him out right now.

"…But, I have to lead this army. I can't bail out now, not after what I said to that soldier." Glancing up, Liam caught a glimpse of that same young soldier; saw the look of scared determination on his face. Scared but stubborn, the way of the Hylian soldier. The fear is what kept them alive, the instinct to keep fighting; to survive. Watching the boy for a few seconds longer as he prepared to run into battle, Liam saw him draw himself up, set his shoulders back and raise his head.

"If that boy can be willing to risk his life in battle, when he has so much, then surely I can lead these men without Link's help."

Following the boys example, he straightened up, and brought his sword to his heart then his lips. Kissing the blade lightly, in the Hylian knights symbol of loyalty, he rested his forehead against it for a second. Seeing the men follow his example through the corner of his eye he whispered,

"For Hyrule."

The last few ranks joined in the battle, and Liam raised his horse up on its hind legs, before bellowing

"FOR THE GODDESSES!"

Surging forwards, he lowered his sword into position and sighted in on the battle.

Maxi hit the floor, gasping for breath, blood pouring from the wound in his stomach, his body involuntarily twisting in pain. Lifting his head, he stared at Astaroth through tear blurred eyes and pulled himself to his feet. Scooping up the dropped nunchaku, he tried to settle back into position, trying to ignore the sharp agony slicing through his stomach. By the time he was concentrated again, the golem was rushing at him, axe lowered so the blade faced the floor. Charging forwards, he knocked Maxi back into the wall, the bricks behind the pirates back shifting from the force. Sinking down slightly and taking a step to steady himself, Maxi glared at Astaroth, watching him warily as it charged up an attack granted to him by the god, Mars, its body starting to be webbed with a sparkling neon green light. When it decided it was ready, Astaroth attacked, slamming the axe down mere inches away from where Maxi's foot had been only seconds before. Using the giant's sudden decrease in height to his advantage, Maxi jumped for Astaroth, swinging the nunchaku at his head as it stared up at him, looking suddenly scared. The wood fully impacted on the side of Astaroth's head, hitting the ear of the creature with a slight cracking sound. His body falling, Maxi hit the floor heavily, tucking himself into a late shoulder roll, hitting the wall with his shoulder blade. Twisting quickly to right his body, Maxi pushed his legs off the wall, so that he was lying on his back. Hearing the sound of Astaroth getting up, Maxi struggled to get to his feet. As his waist bent, he cried out loudly at a bolt of fiery pain that roared through his stomach. Rolling to his side, he pulled himself onto all fours, stumbling upright, only to be slammed back into a wall and pinned there by the weight of Astaroth.

Astaroth grinned down at the pathetic human who was desperately struggling to push away the axe handle that had been placed across his neck

His smile widening, Astaroth began to repeatedly thrust his knee into Maxi's wounded stomach. When his legs began to tremble he pulled the axe away, letting the dark-haired man fall to the floor, but not before he smashed him across the head with the axe.

Lying on the floor Maxi whimpered pathetically, blinking away the blood that dripped into his eye from the wound on the side of his head. He saw a shadow being cast over him from some weak light, felt Astaroth's presence leaning over him, his heavy breathing loud in Maxi's ears. Dreading what was going to happen he shut his eyes. Astaroth's massive hand grabbed the back of his neck, hefting him to his feet. Grimacing at the feel of the cold, clammy hand on his neck, he began his struggles anew. Turning Maxi around Astaroth glared into his face and spat out at him,

"Stop struggling, worms."

Glaring at him Maxi felt around the floor with his feet, and feeling something wooden, flicked it up with his foot. Catching it in his hand he pushed against Astaroth's chest, forcing it away from him. With a last ounce of strength he jumped over Astaroth's hunched form, grabbing it by the shoulder and swinging himself onto its back. Astaroth screamed in fury, trying to grab Maxi from off his back.

Maintaining his grip with his legs, Maxi raised the nunchaku over his head, clasping the two pieces of wood together and slamming them down into Astaroth's skull.

A jet of blood spurted out onto Maxi's face and he dropped off Astaroth's back, hitting the ground with a gasp, the breath forced out of his lungs.

Out of the corner of his darkening eyes, he saw Astaroth fall to the floor, the massive purple body thudding heavily, blood still running from the caved in bone.

Giving a self satisfied smile at his accomplishment, Maxi closed his eyes.

"Link'll be fine…"

Breathing deeply, he slipped into unconsciousness, thoughts of his friends and comrades playing over in his mind.

-

Thanks again I hope to see some more reviews soon.