Hello everyone!
First off, I have to apologize for the lateness of this chapter. I've had it written for months and I've read it many, many times. But then I put my editing hat on and thought well crap...
However, I've cleaned it up to the best of my novice ability and I'm pretty happy with what I got.
Just a reminder that this story is rated T as mature themes will frequent all upcoming chapters.
And lastly (but never leastly), thank you, thank you, thank you to everyone reading this story!
Disclaimer: I don't own LoZ. Only my OC's and plot.
I left the hut smiling; the blaze within my chest still strong and bright at the outcome of the meeting. There was a way to get the Triforce of Power from Ganon; a way to get back home! What that was exactly... I had no idea. I sifted through my memories of the games, trying to remember if there was ever an item like the one we needed, but I came up short and a small flutter of uncertainty swept across my heart.
However, if Zelda believes that there could be something in this world that can separate an evil soul from a divine relic then I should have no reason to worry. From now on I'd just have to treat this like playing the games: find the clues, solve the puzzles, and... defeat a demon king.
Well, there's no need to worry about that just yet...
The air was cold as we headed back to the inn, and I had to rub my arms to keep the goosebumps from surfacing. While the days were nice and warm, the nights cooled down significantly. I decided it would be a good idea to grab a coat from the storage house in the morning.
The four of us walked in silence, our footsteps the only sound disturbing the quiet of the night. I stared up at the sky, watching the foreign stars shine brightly as small wisps of clouds glided past. They looked like thin veils of sheer cotton, trying to hide the stars from sight; but the stars wouldn't let their light be cloaked and seemed to burn brighter than ever through the shrouds.
As we neared the inn, Charlie turned his head over his shoulder to look back at me. "So... you're an oracle now?" he asked with a hint of a sarcastic smirk on his lips.
I stopped walking, and the others stopped too. We stood under the light of the oil lamp that was in front of the infirmary, the warm glow revealing my sheepish grin as I fiddled with my braid.
"Yeah, what was that all about?" Calli asked as a beautiful mix of bewilderment and amusement played across her features.
I shrugged. "Divine intervention?" I said for lack of a better explanation. I wasn't sure if I could ever really explain what happened tonight as everything happened so fast. One minute I'm just me, and the next, an oracle.
But if these people wanted an oracle then from now on I'll be Del, Foreign Oracle of the Goddesses.
My stomach did a weird flip-flop at my self-proclaimed title, but I didn't know if it was a feeling of apprehension or certainty over my choice.
"Well, whatever the hell that was, it was awesome! You had them hanging on your every word," Charlie said, impressed.
"You're going to tell them the truth though, right? That you're not really an oracle," Parker said with a light chuckle. He most likely found this situation to be rather ridiculous- which he wouldn't be wrong, but I felt my defense over my choice start to rise, nonetheless.
"Well you see, about that, I-"
"Del, you can't be serious?" Parker said in a disbelieving tone.
"Why not?" I countered, crossing my arms.
"What do you think will happen when they find out you can't really talk to their gods?"
"They won't," I said with confidence, and then I uncrossed my arms and placed my hands on his shoulders. "Come on, Parker. You can't tell me that you didn't notice something changed in them when they called me an oracle. And it's like Charlie said, they listened to me."
Parker raised his eyebrow skeptically.
"Okay look, I swear that if it gets too out of hand I'll stop. I'll say that I've lost the gift somehow- or something. But until then, I plan to use this "oracle card" as much as I can if it will help us get home," I said with conviction.
And in that moment, any apprehension I felt was drowned out by a flood of certainty. I knew I would be taking a big risk pretending to be something I'm not. But people are right when they say "desperate times call for desperate measures", and this was a risk I had to take.
Parker remained quiet as he stared at me. His dark eyes were hard to read as they reflected the soft glow of the lamp light, causing them to change and closely resemble the colour of my eyes- our dad's eyes. But I just stared back, silently asking him to trust me.
He took a deep breath and let out a puff of air. "Fine. Just don't start reading out of crystal balls or conversing with dead animal bones, okay?"
I smiled brightly at him as Calli started to giggle.
"So, Oracle Del, what are the gods telling you right now?" Charlie asked with a playful smile.
I stepped away from Parker and stared up at the sky, raising my hands to the heavens. Once I lowered them I looked back at the others. "They tell me to find food, because I'm starving."
With that said, I ran past them to the inn, up the ramp, and through the doors.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
The inn was busier tonight.
Malo and Talo were running around the main floor with the other kids in tow, brandishing wooden swords and shields as they played. Three women sat around the fireplace drinking tea and talking in hushed voices, while two men sitting at the bar were joking and laughing loudly.
"Have you come back from the meeting?" a soft voice asked as we neared the chairs.
I looked to my left to see that the voice belonged to one of the women by the fireplace. She was sitting in the chair that faced the fire and had to turn her upper body to look at us. She was very pretty, with short blonde hair and warm brown eyes; but I was having trouble recognizing her.
"Yeah," I said with a nod.
"Are the others not with you?" she asked as she shifted her eyes to the doors.
"No, we were excused early. I'm not sure how long the others will be," I answered.
"Hmm. Well, let us hope that they are not there for half the night again," she said with slight disapproval toning her soft voice. Then she looked back at us and smiled sweetly. "There is dinner for you on one of the tables in the dining hall. The chef likes to leave some food out for those attending the meetings. He prefers not to cook more than the scheduled meals," she said, rolling her eyes.
I smiled. "Thank you."
I was hungry so I pretty much ran to the dining hall, the others close on my heels. The table closest to the serving window was where the chef left our dinner. It wasn't much. There were a few pots of lukewarm tea (which would most likely be cold by the time the meeting ended), a large bowl of those weird apple-kiwi fruits and small, rock-hard bread rolls, enough for one per person.
"That's all?" Parker said, baffled.
"I'm never going to another meeting again," Charlie huffed as he picked up a fruit.
We all grabbed one of each item and then headed up the stairs to our rooms. As the long day took its toll on the four of us, we mumbled our goodnights with food still in our mouths and separated for the night.
Once I lit the lamp in our tiny room I put my empty tea cup on the bedside table and was about to change into my nightgown when I noticed that there were a few items on my bed. My own clothes were cleaned and folded neatly next to my crumpled sleepwear, and sitting on my pillow was a wooden stick, about the size of a pencil, that had a tuft of white bristles protruding from the end of one side. Next to it was a clay pot, which was a little bigger than a quarter, with something white inside.
"What are these?" Calli asked, picking up her own stick and examining it in the dim light.
I shrugged as I ran my finger over the hard bristles and picked up the pot to look at the white stuff. It had a spicy sort of smell and felt like a thick glob of congealed paint.
"Maybe it's some sort of toothbrush and toothpaste?" I offered as a guess.
"You think?" Calli said hopefully and dipped the bristles into the pot. "Well, whether it is or isn't, I'm going to use it anyways. I don't think I've ever wanted to brush my teeth so bad in my life!" And just like that, she was running out the door.
"Hey! Wait up!" I called after her and followed her through the hall, down the small flight of stairs that connected to the balcony, and into the bathroom. We stood side-by-side, our faces almost squished together as we tried to share the tiny mirror to see what we were doing as we attempted to brush our teeth.
The toothbrush felt awkward in my hand as a picking motion had to be used, and the toothpaste left a bit of a sting on my tongue. But Calli and I could not stop laughing at how much we were struggling with this simple task. Calli poked her gums so many times that they started to bleed, and I brushed so hard that the stick slipped and went up my nose, the toothpaste making my nostril burn more than my tongue.
After about five minutes of dental torture we both deemed our teeth cleaned; then we washed our faces, took turns to use the toilet, then headed back to our room where we changed into our nightgowns and turned off the light.
As I settled into bed (Calli was pretty much out cold already) I heard the noise from downstairs rise. The meeting must have just ended as more and more voices could be heard echoing off the stone. Bo's boisterous laugh streamlined up the stairs and through the rock walls, making me smile in spite of myself.
What a day, I thought as I yawned widely, the corner of my eyes starting to water as I was unable to keep them open any longer. With a soft sigh I snuggled deeper into the sheets and drifted off to sleep.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
I couldn't have been asleep for more than ten minutes when my stupid alarm started blaring, dragging me back to consciousness. Then the noise stopped, only to wail again, even louder this time, and I jolted awake as I realized that this was not the sound that my alarm clock made- this was something else. I looked around the tiny stone room and remembered where I was: Hyrule.
"What was that?" Calli asked as she sat up in her bed.
"I have no ide-" but I was cut off by the noise going off again. It sounded like the signal bell the chef used when meals were ready, but this one was louder, more urgent- as if it was screaming a warning into the night.
But the soft gray light seeping through the skylight told me that it wasn't night anymore, and that dawn wasn't too far away.
The bell went off another time and the sound of slamming doors and the pounding of feet were added to the clamor. Calli jumped up and ran to the door with me on her heels. She flung it open and we both stuck our heads out into the hall. I caught a glimpse of Malon sprinting down the hallway in a white nightgown, the tail end of her red braid whipping behind her as she rounded the corner; the sound of her heavy foot falls receding as she went down the stairs.
Guess Malon has a room on this floor. Great...
Every time the bell rang it seemed as if it got louder and louder. This time it had Calli and me covering our ears.
The door to Parker and Charlie's room swung open and the guys stepped into the hall, hands clamped to the sides of their heads, confusion and apprehension apparent in their eyes. It was the first time that I've seen them in their borrowed sleepwear and I would've laughed at their matching outfits (long, full-sleeved, cotton-like night shirts and loose-fitting, capri style pants) but the bell swiftly rang again and I swear a couple of my teeth loosened from the fierce vibrations.
"What's happening?" Parker yelled over the noise.
"We have no idea," I yelled back.
The ringing stopped.
"I'm going to find out," Charlie said and ran down the hallway and disappeared around the corner. The rest of us quickly followed.
The bell didn't ring again as we made our way down the stairs and onto the main floor of the inn. It was unsettling how eerie it was here as the cold light filtered through the front windows, mixing oddly with the dark glow of the embers in the fireplace. It looked as if the place had just been abandoned. I shivered.
"Where is everyone?" Calli asked, her voice hushed and trimmed with fear.
As if in response to her question, muffled voices could be heard coming from outside. And they sounded panicked.
Charlie got to the front doors first, pulled them opened and the four of us rushed outside onto the porch. All the lamps along the road were extinguished, but the silver light of predawn illuminated the area enough that I was able to see what was going on.
People were running about, their shouts and yells coming from all over the village and echoing off the mountain walls. I saw Shad and Telma grabbing weapons from a wooden cart that was in front of the infirmary then dashing towards the passageway to the entrance.
Suddenly, a roar like thunder rose through the air and all the horses from the stables emerged into the village. One after the other they stampeded down the dirt road, followed by Talon (who was riding Ai) as he guided them further into the mountain.
What the hell is happening?
Charlie took the lead once more and quickly walked up to a man who was rummaging through the weapons in the back of the cart. Even though I haven't met this man yet, I recognized him as a villager from Ordon. He was wearing his Ordon clothing (a white tunic over a long, dark green skirt, with a thick red wrap around his middle) and had small, beady black eyes and a squashed, upturned nose that made him resemble a pig. He looked us up and down as we approached him.
"What weapon you using?" he asked gruffly. He even sounded like a pig.
"What's happening?" Charlie asked.
"Bokoblins," the man grunted as he eyed Charlie, turned to the cart, pulled out a sword and thrust the hilt into Charlie's hand.
"What about them?" Parker questioned, his face going pale as he started to rub his left arm.
The beady-eyed man looked at us as if we were all idiots. He pulled two more weapons from the cart, examined both and then settled on giving Parker a sword as well.
"Why are you giving us weapons?" Parker asked, eyeing the blade in the soft, pre-morning light.
"Need weapons to fight," the man said as if it was the most obvious thing in the world.
"Fight? What's going on?" I asked, my own confusion and apprehension growing.
Suddenly a loud, piercing sound, like someone whistling, ricocheted off the rocky walls.
"It is time," the man said darkly, a wicked grin spreading across his lips; then he yelled, "Fado!"
A tall man of herculean proportions came bounding towards us, holding a small ax.
"Put them in the back," the man said.
Fado nodded and then turned to Parker who was standing the closest. With one hand, he picked my cousin up from the back of his shirt and dropped him into the cart, causing the few remaining weapons to rattle from the impact.
On pure instinct Charlie and I both took a few steps away from this giant man, but Calli remained frozen where she was, starring. Fado approached her.
"Lady," he said, his voice deep and rumbly. He bent forward and handed her the ax, which she hesitantly took. He then picked her up from her waist- as if she was nothing more than a feather- and placed her gently in the back next to Parker. Then he turned to me and Charlie, and we backed away even more.
"Leave them. There is no more time!" the beady-eyed man snapped as he jumped into the back and sat in front of Parker and Calli- whose eyes were both round with fear. Fado then jogged around to the front of the cart, grabbed the two wooden handles, and with impressive speed, ran towards the mountain's entrance.
"What are you doing? Stop!" Charlie yelled as he started to race after the cart.
I took off after him, only to come crashing to my hands and knees. Dazed, it took me a couple seconds to realize that the reason I was on the ground was because I was tripped... by my nightgown. I stood up (dusting the dirt off my hands in the process) and spread my feet to see how far the material would stretch. It didn't go far. The base of the gown was a lot narrower than it looked and the stitching had no give at all. Cursing under my breath at the ridiculousness of the situation, I grabbed the material and hiked it up to my thighs so I could get my motion back, and ran after the others. Charlie- being the fast runner that he was- was already far ahead of me and rounding the bend of the mountain pass, still chasing after the cart that was no longer in sight.
As I approached the Eldin Spring I made a silent wish to the vanished Light Spirit that whatever was happening out there we would all be okay. I then put on a burst of speed and ran as fast as I could to the entrance.
OoOoOoOoOoOoOoO
Once I reached the opening I slowed to a walk, my chest heaving and my legs burning from running too fast.
Fado was standing to one side of the entrance, the cart right behind him, but no one was in it. He was staring out at the open field and as I got closer I noticed that where he stood was just inside Zelda's barrier. He turned his head over his shoulder as he heard me approach. He looked at me, then his eyes started to widen and his cheeks turned dark crimson in the gray light.
At first I was confused by his reaction, but then I noticed that he was staring at my bare thighs, as I still held the material of my nightgown in my hands. I glowered at him and let the material fall back to my feet.
He blinked his gawking eyes and whipped his head forward.
From where I stood I looked out at the field and saw that beyond the Kakariko Gorge there was a line of people spread widely apart. Before I could make out who they were, something caught my attention as I noticed movement just off to the side of the entrance.
Walking towards the gorge was the beady-eyed man, who stopped and stood to the right of the bridge; and then I saw Charlie come from the opposite side and stopped to stand on the left. His head was turned and seemed to be focused on whatever was passed beady-eyes.
I started walking to opening and was just about to leave the safety of the barrier when Fado called for my attention. I turned to look at him and his eyes immediately lowered to the ground.
"What?" I said, not sure whether I was amused or irritated by his behaviour.
"Can't go without a weapon," he said and walked to the back of the cart. He pulled out a long sword and offered it to me, his eyes staring hard at the ground and nowhere else.
I grabbed the hilt, but as soon as Fado let go the blade dropped to the ground like a cannonball, the sudden momentum pitching me forward hard enough to have the end of the hilt ram me in the gut.
"Don't you have anything lighter?" I wheezed.
"That's the last one," he said as he walked around me and took his post once more.
I tried to lift the sword with both hands but I was finding that I could only hold it up for a few seconds before my wrists wanted to snap in half.
What is this blade made of?
I looked over at Fado to see if he was carrying a smaller weapon- one that he'd hopefully be willing to switch- when I noticed that he didn't have one. "And what about you? Where's your weapon?"
"Don't need one," he said, and I detected a tiny hint of smugness in his tone.
"Of course you don't," I mumbled under my breath as I looked him over. His appearance reminded me of a Hollywood version of Hercules, wearing just a simple, belted, white tunic with strappy sandals on his feet. And his muscles were so bulging that I can't say I'd be surprised if he were able to punch a hole in the mountain side or smash a skull between his palms. He actually looked that strong.
I decided to give up trying to hold this sword properly and settled with dragging the blade behind me as I left the mountain pass, watching out the corner of my eye as Fado disappeared behind the barrier.
The high-pitched sound the blade made as it gouged the hard earth was shudder inducing; but I saw that Telma was walking briskly towards me and I walked faster to reach her, causing the noise to get louder.
"Telma, what the hell is going on?" I asked loudly over the scraping of the blade.
"Shh! Stop making so much noise!" she said in a harsh whisper as she approached me.
I stopped where I was and waited for her answer, but all she did was take the sword from me (which she lifted with one hand!) and grabbed my upper arm. She started to pull me towards the gorge where we walked past Charlie and down to the far end where she set me a good ten feet away from Shad. She lowered the sword to the ground and then turned to face me.
"Now, just stay here and do not make a sound," she said gently as she cupped my face. She kissed my forehead then whispered, "The goddesses will keep you safe."
A shiver went up my spine as she walked away and situated herself between Shad and Charlie, picking up a weapon that looked like a double-bladed ax with a long handle.
My nervousness started to rise as I took in my surroundings.
I looked to my left and saw nothing but the vast shadowed landscape that was Hyrule. The mountain range and field ran parallel to each other, only to be separated by the dark gaping mouth of the gorge that went on for miles.
I turned my head to the right and looked at Shad. His skin was gray in the silver light and his face was tense as he stared straight ahead. He seemed anxious; his hands fidgeting with the two weapons that he held. They looked like sickles with their short handles and curved blades. I could see a dark colour staining the metal that had a bit of an orange tinge. Whether it was rust or dried blood on those blades I really didn't want to know.
I looked past Shad and Telma to see Charlie staring at me. Even with the distance between us I was able to read the look in his eyes, asking me if I was okay. I nodded that I was. I saw his shoulders relax a little and then he turned his head to stare off to his right once more.
The beady-eyed man was still in his spot on the other side of Charlie, by the far end of the bridge. Something small was glinting in his hand, but I couldn't get a good look at it as he was whirling it around so fast.
As I inclined my head to see passed beady-eyes, my eyes fell upon Calli standing a fair distance away from him, clutching the ax that Fado gave her to her chest. Both her hair and face were a shock of white in the predawn light, giving her an almost ghostly appearance. My stomach clenched at the sight. Then she shifted slightly and I saw Parker standing at the end of the line, the sword he was given held tight in his hands.
I didn't like the distance between me and my friends. It was too large, and it made me nervous.
"Shad?" I said just loud enough for him to hear me, "Please tell me what's going on."
He turned towards me and let out a shaky sigh. "A horde of bokoblins have come too close to finding the village."
"But I thought this place was well protected?" I asked, shocked.
"It is. But the horde is too big to not be a concern. It's safer to eradicate them now than risk them finding us. Besides, there's the probability that some could be scouts for Dojan."
I remembered Rusl mentioning that name back on the cliff the day we arrived. "Who is Dojan?"
"He's Ganon's right-hand man. A Hylian Knight who betrayed his Royal Oath for a small amount of dark magic," Shad said with disgust.
As curious as I was about this Dojan character, now wasn't the time to be asking about him.
"Why are we here? What are we supposed to do?"
"Fight," he said, swallowing loudly.
"What?" I yelled. Telma stepped forward from the line and put her finger to her lips. I nodded my head in apology then turned to face Shad, whispering harshly, "Fight? I don't know how to fight! None of us do!"
"Not to worry, bokoblins are not the smartest creatures in all of Hyrule; nor are they the best fighters," he said (although it sounded more as if he was trying to reassure himself than assure me).
"Is that supposed to make me feel better?"
"Uh, no I guess not," he said sheepishly then cleared his throat. "Technically, we are the Second Line of defense, and only need to fight if the bokoblins can make it pass the First," He gave me a timid smile, hoping to have eased my mind.
"Who's the First?" I asked.
"They are," he answered with a small amount of awe in his voice as he pointed to the line of people standing on the other side of the gorge and far into the field.
Far ahead and to my left was Renado, who was no longer wearing his shaman's robe, but a black, long-sleeved shirt, tucked into black pants. He was holding a long wooden staff that stood just above his head. Something glinted dully in the grass at the base of the stick, but I couldn't see what it was from here. A spearhead, maybe?
Next to him was Rusl, then Nobu, Link, and last Ashei. It was hard to see them properly from where I was; however there was no doubt in my mind that they all carried swords.
As I looked at everyone around me I noticed that only Nobu and Ashei had any armour on (as they were the only ones who shined when they moved) while everyone else were either still in their clothes- like beady-eyes and Telma- or in their sleepwear.
Those in the First Line were all spaced out quite far from each other- spreading out to protect more ground, I guessed. None of them moved a muscle as they stood watching the vast field beyond, and I thought that they resembled stone warriors, carved to be forever at the ready.
"Is this it? Just two lines to defend the whole village?"
"No. There's also the Final Defense and The Eye. Fado and Bo are the Final Defense- the muscle- and are hidden behind the barrier to protect the entrance if an enemy is lucky enough to find it and walk through. The Eye is Princess Zelda. She is the best archer we have, and as such remains high and hidden to try and keep the enemies at bay." Shad turned to look at the ridge of the mountain range. His head nodded at two spots and I guessed that Zelda had to be standing on top of one of the sides of the opening, invisible behind her barrier.
Shad turned back to face the field and fell silent, his face becoming tense once more as he started to fidget with his weapons again. Following his lead, I turned as well.
The heavy sword was still lying at my feet and I bent to grab the hilt, lifting it so that it would stand straight at my side. As I propped it up, the tip of the blade sank into the ground, deep enough that it could stand on its own. I rested my right hand on the handle and looked up at the sky.
At some point during the night the clouds overtook the stars and their light was smothered by thick sheets of gray. The soft gossamer wisps were replaced by dense shapes that were harsh, jagged, and sharp like steel- as if the clouds were also preparing for battle. A sense of dread started to form in the pit of my stomach.
And then I froze.
The sound was soft at first, like the hushed whisper of the wind through dry grass. Then the hush was overcome by a harsh shuffling that grew closer, filling the air and sending chills over my skin.
At that moment, the-darkness-before-the-dawn settled over the landscape and the silver light of predawn dimmed. As I stared out at the field what I saw made my heart pound with fear.
A rolling, black mass was steadily coming towards the gorge, its shape shrinking and growing as it got nearer. It stopped advancing, staying a good distance away from the First Line, but close enough that I could see hundreds of tiny pinpricks of cold light, flashing in and out of existence throughout the blackness.
The world became still.
There was no wind in the distant trees, no early-birds chirping in the sky, no grasshoppers buzzing through the grass. Nothing moved.
Then a single cry- like a mix between a growl and a squawk- roared into the emerging dawn.
And a thousand roars echoed back.
My breath hitched in my chest at the sound; as if the echo itself flew towards me and squeezed my lungs. I gasped lightly as the pressure receded, and I gripped the hilt of the sword beside me more firmly.
The mass started to shift once more, rolling and expanding as a loud twittering noise replaced the roars. Then the blackness burst and scattered like hundreds of insects onto the field. The way they moved was horrifying, skittering across the grass with their knees and elbows bent, weapons held high as they darted with a sickening speed towards the gorge.
All at once the First Line sprang into action, yelling their own battle cries into the air. And as a soft, pale light started to slowly creep its way up from the mountain, chaos erupted.
I couldn't move as I watched with fascinated horror at the fight that was going on before me.
Even though the First Line had to be outnumbered at least forty-to-one, the glittery dust clouds that followed after a bokoblin's death was growing more and more by the second. Screeches and roars were overtaken by sonorous floomps of disintegrating flesh.
Renado was still the closest in my field of sight, and I couldn't take my eyes off of him. The wooden staff he was holding turned out to be a scythe (the glinting metal hidden at his feet was the overly long blade). He wielded his weapon with precision, whirling the scythe around his head and bringing it down to slice one bokoblin in half from the shoulders, and whipping it around to scalp another. My awe only grew as I watched how he was able to make the blunt end of the staff just as deadly as the blade, as jaws were cracked nearly clean off and skulls were split wide open. In this moment he was no longer a shaman of healing but the embodiment of Death itself.
As I stood mesmerized, I didn't notice the dark creature that broke away from the mass until it was too late. A loud growling squawk shattered my trance, and I turned to see a bokoblin leap over a narrow portion of the gorge and land some fifteen feet away from me. It looked at me and opened its mouth with a scream. In the blink of an eye, it flew towards me.
I tried to turn and run towards Shad, but my feet were once again hindered by the narrow base of my nightgown and I stumbled and fell onto my side, my hair flying over my face.
The bokoblin was right above me when a flash of light came out of nowhere and pierced its heart. This time the creature didn't fall towards me but disintegrated where it stood.
Just then, another two flashes of light streaked across the sky. I watched as they found their marks within the chests of two more bokoblins who were able to slip passed the First Line and were heading for my side of the gorge.
Those were light arrows! Zelda is using light arrows!
I quickly picked myself up from the ground, my hip smarting a little as I moved. I looked up at the ridge closest to me and smiled with gratitude. Knowing that Zelda was standing behind me with her light arrows made me breathe a sigh of relief.
But I couldn't stay here, not when Parker and Calli were so unprotected. I had to bring them over here where Zelda's magic could keep them safe.
Just as I was about to take off at a run, my feet got caught once more in the restrictive material and I had to hop a few times to keep upright.
Curse this fucking nightgown!
Having enough of this gown, I almost stripped out of it in my frustrated state; but then I saw the sword still standing in the ground, the sharp metal catching the brightening light of dawn, and I got an idea. I tilted the sword at an angle; and taking the material that sat over my left leg, I placed it on the blade and pulled downward. The gown split smoothly, but I applied a bit too much force because once I stood up the slit that I made ran to just below my hip.
But I had more dire things to worry about than the possibility of people seeing my purple and pink underwear…
I turned to make my way to the others when I noticed Shad staring at me, a puzzled look on his face as he observed my ruin nightgown. I just shrugged my shoulders, and with my new found freedom, raced past him.
Telma yelled at me to stop and to get back to my post, but I just ignored her and kept going. As I approached Charlie he was staring at the field, seemingly just as mesmerized by the battle as I was, and I left him where he stood. To say I wasn't worried about him would be a lie, but with both Telma and beady-eyes beside him, something in my gut told me that he would be safe.
I picked up my speed and passed beady-eyes- who was shuffling back and forth, spinning a small dagger and punching the air as he watched what was happening in front of him.
But I quickly stopped in my tracks as I saw who was in front of him.
...Link.
Whatever I was about to do vanished from my mind as I walked closer to the gorge and watched him with wide eyes.
There was no denying that Renado was skilled and deadly with his scythe, but watching Link use his sword was beyond anything I've ever seen before.
Five bokoblins were heading in his direction and he ran to meet them halfway. Taking a running jump, he leapt into the air and brought down his sword, slicing the first bokoblin clean in half. Remaining low from his landing, he swung his blade in a crisp arc to gut another. He stood and stabbed the third in its chest then swiftly side kicked the fourth, which allowed him to gain some time until the third bokoblin turned to dust, releasing his sword where he separated the other's head from its body.
The fifth bokoblin, holding a giant cleaver, swung its blade at Link. Link managed to block the hit with his sword but the force of the blow sent him flying. He landed with a thud on his back, but used the momentum to roll over his shoulder. He sprung back up and charged at the creature- and with a speed that was borderline inhuman, spun around the bokoblin and sliced his sword upwards along its back, its spine severed as the creature suddenly lost mobility and crumpled to the ground before bursting into dust.
He had a moment of relief and turned towards the mountain, scanning the area with focused eyes. A small breeze blew past and the remaining dust that was attached to him streamed off his body like soft, dark ribbons of victory.
His chest was heaving through his nightshirt, and I could see small beads of sweat glinting along the side of his face and neck. He lifted his forearm to wipe away the moisture from his forehead and froze mid-action as he caught me staring at him.
I couldn't look away and I smiled brightly.
This is who he's supposed to be. This is what he's meant to do. And my heart pounded wildly at seeing my hero in action.
He lowered his arm from his forehead and turned to fully face me. His eyes were uncertain as he looked at me, but I didn't mask the amazement on my face and I saw the ghost of a smile grace his lips.
But my smile fell and my heart turned to ice as I heard Calli scream. Whipping my head in her direction, I saw that another bokoblin had managed to jump the gorge and was advancing on her. Then, quick as lightning, its hand struck out and grabbed Calli by the throat, the ax she was holding dropped and forgotten as it lifted her off her feet.
"Calli!" I screamed as I ran towards her. I watched in horror as the bokoblin started to crush her neck, her face turning red as she clawed at the hand holding her.
I was almost to her when I heard a shout pierce the air and saw a flash of silver. Calli suddenly fell in a heap on the ground with a severed bokoblin arm still attached to her neck. Parker was standing in between her and the creature, the tip of the sword he was holding resting on the hard earth as he breathed heavily.
Stunned, the bokoblin dropped the giant blade it was holding and looked at its missing appendage. Blood, black and thick like tar, started to ooze out of the wound and glopped to the ground. It snapped out of its stupor and roared. Parker backed away, his sword pointed at the bokoblin as it started to advance on him.
I heard Calli coughing, and I quickly knelt beside her, noticing that the severed arm had already turned to dust. I lifted her up to a sitting position and held her in my arms as she gained the ability to breathe again.
I heard the pounding of feet behind me, but before I could turn to see who- or what- it was, Charlie came into view. He grabbed for Calli, his eyes huge with fear and worry, and I let her sink into his arms as I returned my gaze back to Parker.
The panic in his eyes was overwhelming; and I knew what I saw was reflected in my own as I watched the bokoblin keep step with Parker, a growl emanating deep in its throat as it slowly stalked him. It pitched forward, causing Parker to jump back hastily and away from its remaining arm. The creature then went back to slowly stalking, a dark gleam flashing in its eyes as it pitched again, only to return to its slow advance.
It's- it's playing with him... This thing is playing with him before killing him...
Horrified, I yelled for help. I pleaded to whoever would listen. But no one came running. I yelled for Telma and Shad, but if they heard me they didn't show it as their eyes were focused straight ahead at the battle before them.
I heard a squawk and turned back to see that the bokoblin's movements were becoming faster, more erratic. My heart in my throat, I called out for help again, my cries growing hectic as the bokoblin nearly missed Parker's chest with its sharp nails.
I looked to see if anyone was coming and saw Link standing close to the edge of the gorge right across from us.
"Please, help him!" I cried to Link from across the dark divide. The sky was getting brighter as the thick clouds started to disperse, and in the growing light I could see from his expression that he was having some sort of internal debate. He looked at me, then Parker, then over at a fighting Nobu.
Whether he was going to save Parker or not, I would never find out as a bokoblin, seemingly out of nowhere, charged at Link and took him down. With a swift punch to the creatures face, Link managed to crawl out from under it, pierced it in the back with his sword then took off running further into the field towards the remaining monsters- and away from us.
Any sliver of hope I had about being rescued was annihilated. Not knowing what else to do I stood up, ready to make a distraction or something, when Parker let out a yell and rushed towards the bokoblin. The dark monster roared and raced for him, swiping his only hand at Parker's head. But Parker managed to duck under it and rammed his sword forward, slicing into the bokoblin's gut up to the hilt.
The creature cried in pain then slumped forward, crumbling into dust that rained down all over Parker.
Parker dropped his sword and then fell to his hands and knees, the black glitter flying off his body with every shaky gulp of air he took. His eyes caught mine and I ran to him, kneeling in front of him and flinging my arms around his neck, hugging him tight.
"Are you okay?" I breathed as he held me tightly back. He nodded into my shoulder, and after a moment of holding him close (the fast thumping of his heart reassuring me that he was alive) I lightly pushed him back to look at his face.
He was slick with sweat, his matted hair stuck to the sides of his jaw and neck, and his skin was pale, almost transparent, as the dark veins at his temples were visible. The colour of his eyes were so black that I couldn't tell where the pupils ended and the irises began. Fear, shock, and disbelief were evident on his face, but he managed to raise the corners of his mouth into a small smile.
I choked back a sob as he tried to put on a brave face for me, barely managing to give him a small smile of my own. I took his hand and stood, pulling him up with me, and steadily led him back to where Calli and Charlie were sitting.
The two of them were watching us as we approached. Parker stopped beside Calli then knelt in front of her. She moved her head from Charlie's shoulder and I was able to see the angry red handprint that marked her neck. The sight made me sick to my stomach.
"Are you alright?" he asked her softly. She peeled herself away from Charlie and then pulled Parker into a hug.
"You saved my life," she said, her voice rough and raspy. She let Parker go and smiled at him as she leaned back into Charlie's arms.
"Thank you," Charlie said as he put his hand on Parker's shoulder and gave it a tight squeeze.
Parker just nodded his head and was about to stand back up when Calli reached out to grab his hand. She gave him a look that asked him not to leave. Stunned, Parker looked at their joined hands, and after a moment of hesitation sat back and crossed his legs in front of him.
I felt a warmth spread through my chest as I watched the three of them take comfort in each other's presence. For as long as I could remember, all I ever wanted was for them to be friends. And as terrifying and fucked up as the circumstance that brought them together was, I knew that what was now forming between them would never be broken.
I heard a shout in the distance and turned to see that Nobu and Rusl were standing back-to-back, battling a horde of bokoblins. The creatures were turning into dust faster than the air was able to disperse the glittering clouds, leaving a shadowy haze that saturated the brightening field in darkness. But even though the enemies were quickly dwindling, I could tell that the First Line were starting to get tired- their attacks were getting slower and the pauses between fights were longer.
However, there was one person who didn't let up the fight: Ashei. She was sprinting around the field, chasing bokoblins and jumping into the fray. Her sword, thin and sharp, never missed its target as she gracefully stepped and twirled, creating a dizzying dance as she confused the enemy before taking them out.
However, a small group of bokoblins caught my attention as they escaped from the horde that was being obliterated by Nobu and Rusl. As they ran towards the bridge I saw that Link was standing near the gorge in front of us once more. The bokoblins took notice and headed straight for him with their weapons held high above their heads. Their screams alerted Link of their coming, and he ran out to battle them. But I saw with horror as one managed to bypass him and kept running straight for the gorge.
It reached the edge and leapt over the wide gap as if it was jumping over a small puddle and landed not ten feet from us. Calli and Parker screamed, while Charlie let out a string of oaths as the three of them scrambled to their feet and started to back away.
The bokoblin lowered its long sword, the blade looking as dull as a butter knife, and started to walk towards us. The weapon scrapped along the ground as the bokoblin dragged it behind him, the sound causing the hairs on my arms and neck to rise.
I started to panic as I realized that we were all weaponless, having left them behind in various places, and I stared in terror as the monster got closer and closer. Dread pounded painfully in my chest as I knew, deep in my heart, that no one was going to save us.
I didn't know what to do.
It wasn't until I heard Calli whimper in fear that something inside me snapped.
I wasn't sure if it was selfless courage or adrenaline-fueled stupidity that made me do what I did, but all I knew was that thing was not going to hurt my friends.
I took the bokoblin by surprise as I surged forward and shoved it as hard as I could. It stumbled, its arms flailing to catch its balance and dropped its sword in the process. A burning anger blazed in its eyes as it roared, its fury focused solely on me as it started to advance. I hastily moved backwards, keeping one eye on the fallen weapon.
...Yet, the bokoblin never made a move to pick it up.
Shad was right. They really were stupid creatures.
But that didn't make them any less terrifying.
I had to get it as far away from the others as possible. "Come and get me, you ugly bastard!" I yelled then turned and ran as hard as I could towards the empty expanse of landscape along the mountain range. The bokoblin was quick on my heels, the hairs on my neck standing up once more as I felt its presence closing in on me.
Something glinted in the grass up ahead and I realized it was Parker's sword. I put on a burst of speed and then dove to my right, landing hard on my side and sliding up next to the blade (thankfully with some distance between me and the sharp edge).
The bokoblin slid to a stop, but fumbled over its own feet and almost lost its balance. Using its distraction as an opportunity, I grabbed the sword's hilt and quickly stood. The creature steadied itself then turned back to face me and roared its fury at the sky. Then it took off at a run once more, bee-lining straight for me.
Gripping the handle tightly in both my hands, I waited until it was right in front of me then started swinging.
"Leave. Us. Alone!" I screamed, each word punctuated by a slash of the sword. I had no idea what I was doing but I kept slashing and hacking, managing to slice off the point of an ear, taking off a chunk of its long mouth, and chopping off the last two fingers of its right hand. With each swing I made with the sword the creature stepped back, yowling into the air as I maimed it.
It was in this moment that I realized I still held a tiny amount of uncertainty as to whether this was all real- as if I was actually watching the gameplay rather than living it.
But when I felt the soft resistance of flesh, the ripping sinew from muscle, the crack of hard bone, any remaining doubt I harboured was completely eradicated.
Without realizing it, I had backed the bokoblin to the edge of the gorge. The creature noticed where it was standing and tried to get around me but I kept slashing the sword back and forth, slicing and removing chucks of sickly, purple skin wherever the blade made contact. It stopped trying to escape and stood still, its eyes seething at me.
I had weakened it.
All I had to do now... was finish it off.
I gripped the swords hilt tight and quickly raised the blade level with the bokoblin's chest where its heart would be. With a shout that I barely recognized as my own, I thrust the blade forward. But in that moment the bokoblin shifted its body and the blade sliced into its shoulder instead.
Shocked, I let go of the handle and took a few steps back, my chest heaving as I gasped with fear. The bokoblin stared at me as it growled in its throat, dark blood dripping from its wounds, and reached for the hilt with the remaining three fingers of his butchered right hand. A thick, wet, sucking sound was made as it started to remove the sword slowly from its shoulder. It made me want to throw up.
With the blade almost liberated from its flesh, I had one chance to end this before it used that sword on me and then my friends.
The bokoblin took its eyes off me for a moment to see its progress, and I mustered all the strength I had left and kicked him with my freed leg hard in the gut. The creature teetered on the edge of the chasm.
For a moment my heart stopped as for a second I thought that it would balance itself. But a small patch of loose dirt crumbled under its foot and it fell backwards, its screams fading as it disappeared into the abyss below.
My eyes widened as I realized what I did.
I stared at the void, trying to process what happened when I heard my name being called. Breathing heavily through my nose, I tried to calm my pounding heart as I turned to face Parker, Calli, and Charlie. They remained frozen where they stood, staring at me with eyes like saucers.
As I started to make my way back to them I saw the ax that Calli dropped a few feet away and went to go pick it up. It was lighter than the sword- a more manageable weapon. As I held it in my hand I felt brave.
I stayed where I was and called to the others. "Stay back until all this is over." No one moved. "Go," I said forcefully. Charlie looked like he wanted to take Calli and run, but he hesitated and stared at me with worry. "I'll be fine. Look after them." I said directly to him. He finally nodded and led both Parker and Calli towards the rocky wall of the mountain range.
The adrenaline was still strong in my veins, humming straight into every fiber of my being. I wasn't going to go looking for a fight, but I was damn well ready if another one found me.
I headed back towards the gorge and saw that Link was watching me this time. How long he was watching and what he saw I didn't know, but he looked impressed.
If I had chosen to be a part of this battle I would have taken his reaction as a compliment.
But I didn't choose.
I was forced to pick up a weapon and fight for my life, for my friend's lives, by the people who I thought would actually protect us.
As I looked back into his eyes all the fear that I held within mine was gone and replaced by hurt and disappointment. His expression became confused, but I just focused past him.
The bokoblin army was greatly reduced, and only about ten or so remained. Nobu, Rusl, and Ashei were circling around them, while Renado stood back to take out the escapees.
One by one, the bokoblins were destroyed.
And as the morning sun crested over the mountain range, there was nothing left of the dark creatures but soft, lazy swirls of glittering black dust floating over the field.
Well, I hope I did an okay job with this one. Like I said before, this chapter gave me some trouble :S
But it was my first battle chapter, so I can only get better from here!
I hope...
Please review, follow, and fave if you like what you're reading!
~lavender phoenix~