Pre-chapter note(s):

Hyrulean vs. Hylian - I've made an error in the previous chapters, as I used Hylian to refer to both the race and the nationality. They are in fact both distinct, Hyrulean being the nationality (e.g. when referring to something/someone as Hyrulean) and Hylian being a race of people. I will make proper use of these distinctions going forward.


3 - The Wild Hunt, I

I awoke in a dark, moist room. The flickering flames of a few candles lining the foot of the walls gave enough light to let me recognize that it was a cave, or perhaps a very rocky building. Underneath me was a worn rug, red in colour, embroidered with strange tribal markings. I hear a drop of water, and as I look up to the ceiling, a droplet splashes onto my nose, causing me to blink.

Where am I?

Standing up, I begin following the candles along the walls, discovering that they lead further into a hallway or a tunnel of some sort - I can't tell at the moment, it's too dark. I use the wall to guide me and also to support my footing, as eventually the floor becomes a shallow staircase, almost ramp-like.

As I progress further and further down this corridor, I begin to hear the faint echoes of what sounds to be chanting. No… It is rhythmic, but there is melody. A hymn? The closer I get to these sounds, the more uneasy I feel. It is in a strange, archaic language, and its tune makes the hairs on my neck stand straight.

Eventually, I see an orange glow at the end of this tunnel. The song is much louder - this is where it's coming from. I creep up to the exit, crouching as I approach the room.

I emerge from the corridor onto a small ledge overlooking a long chamber. My hunch was right earlier, this was the inside of a cave. The chamber is set up almost like a church; crackling braziers lined up against the wall and a long carpet leading to an altar. There is an entire sect of worshippers of some sort; they wear blood red cloaks, candles in one hand and prayer books in the other, belting this hymn at the top of their lungs. On the back of the cloaks embroidered in gold is this strange symbol of an eye with a long tear drop, only upside down. Hung from the ceiling are banners depicting this same logo, along with the triangular Hyrulean royalty crest… Only that was upside down too.

Lying on the altar is a young Hylian woman, her arms shackled at the wrists and her legs shackled at the ankles. She is completely in the nude - I can barely see from my perch on this ledge but she was past the point of calling for help, tears streaming down her cheeks endlessly as she groaned from the tightness of her bindings.

Behind the altar is woman; a buxom and curvaceous figure is visible under her robes, much more form fitting than the rest of these worshippers. I can see only half her face from underneath her hood, but her skin was a light brown. She holds the same prayer book in one hand, a wicked sickle held high in the other.

A bead of sweat runs down the side of my face as I furrow my brow. It seems I've landed right in the middle of a cult's disgusting ritual. But why?

They stop singing.

The woman in the front snaps close her book, setting it down on the altar next to the girl. My eyes widen: on the back of her right hand is the same triangular birthmark that I have on my left.

"Ahem…" She clears her throat, the worshippers listening intently. Through the silence I can hear the faint sobbing of the girl strapped to the altar. "We come to the end of another lunar cycle," She has a sultry, powerful voice - one that I do not recognize but nevertheless is once again familiar, "The full moon is when we are able to connect the closest to the chosen one - when his strength is at its height," She waves her hand in emphasis, "But! He has not nearly the amount of energy needed to manifest himself. As such, as his loyal followers, we must be diligent to offer him a sacrifice brimming with youthful energy, on the day when we connect with him the closest!"

Well, I wouldn't imagine anything less with a poor girl strapped to an altar like that. I have no weapons and even if I did, charging into a room filled with crazed cultists was tantamount to suicide. I can do naught but watch in horror.

"My brothers and sisters in arms," The woman announces, raising both of her arms, "Let us begin the ritual, and let us bring Hyrule one step closer to true salvation!"

The followers begin to sing again, and the woman begins to chant something under her breath. She clasps the sickle with both hands, her robes beginning to flow as she is enveloped in a sinister energy. Behind her a magic circle begins to manifest in thin air, glowing a bright purple. A sorceress, she seems to be.

Swiftly, she brings the sickle down into the girl's stomach, blood spilling all over the altar. She runs the blade across her abdomen, making a clean, wide, and extremely deep gash. The girl screams bloody murder, her cries of wretched agony much louder than the hymn the cultists are singing. The blood flows over all edges of the altar, painting it red.

I need to cover my face as there is a sudden shockwave, the magic circle emitting a powerful force. The cult's chant grows increasingly loud and frantic. The girl is now levitating above the altar, her body writhing and contorting as her eyes roll to the back of her head. The magic circle is now constantly sending violent billows of wind throughout the chamber.

The birthmark on my hand is glowing now, as is the woman's.

Suddenly, the girl's body stops contorting, her body spread out rigid. The blood begins to defy gravity as well, streaming around the leader woman into the magic circle. A purple energy begins surrounding the girl's lifeless body as both her lifeforce and her blood is siphoned out of her. I watch with my mouth agape for the entirety of this process.

A few seconds pass, and after what felt like an eternity, the girl's lifeless body flops back onto the altar like a discarded doll. The magic circle glows brightly for a split second before fading away.

The woman is now panting heavily, hunched over the altar. "The chosen one has accepted our sacrifice." She announces, "He is nearing rebirth!"

In unison, the crowd of cultists cheer.

"Neither the Princess nor the false hero will stop the rise of the chosen one." She scanned the crowd, "But we must make sure they cannot try. We must search harder!"

The crowd once again cheers, but it is an energized cheer.

"The chosen one has your gratitude. You may now return to your duties."

The cultists then disperse and begin filing out of the chamber. A couple of members begin unshackling the dead body from the altar, presumably to dispose of it. I look over once more at the woman.

She is looking at me. Her eyes are covered by the shadow of her hood, but I can feel her gaze. Her mouth turns into a sinister grin, sharp canines glowing under the fires of the braziers as she begins to laugh.

What in the hell did I just watch?


Off the side of the road, Link was hunched over a small stream, carefully cleaning his sword. His brows were furrowed in thought, remembering the dream he had last night. While he'd had vivid and bloody dreams before, that one was particularly more unsettling than the rest. It was also the first time he'd seen anything of a cult of some sort, with that sorceress making her first appearance in his visions. It felt incredibly foreboding, considering that they may have locked eyes. He wasn't sure what the dream meant, and more he pondered about it, the more confused he became. At this point, he was unable to tell whether these visions were dreams or reality.

All the more reason to keep pressing forward.

Once he was satisfied with the blade's sheen, he flicked the water off of it and returned it to his sheath. He began walking back to Epona, who was waiting on the road, rubbing his hands together as he did so. It had begun to get mighty cold. Underneath his tunic he had added a black turtleneck undershirt to aid against the chill. Earlier in the morning, there had already been a light sprinkle of snow.

Fortunately, he was about an hour away from Faron City, where he would be able to take shelter in a warm inn for a bit. The traffic on the road had increased, further evidence of his proximity to the city, with all sorts of travelers and merchants passing him by as he trudged along. For the first time, he'd seen squads of military patrols on the road as well, clad in silver plate mail adorned with the Hyrulean royal family's coat of arms. It seems that the military's presence was much more prominent where there were more people.

Eventually, after lazily continuing down the road, he could see the high walls of Faron City above the treeline. There were throngs of people coming up and down the road in both directions, and as he neared the gate, makeshift shops at the sides of the road also appeared, merchants selling their wares to the passersby. Seagulls gawked overhead, signifying his closeness to the water.

To put it simply, Faron City was huge. The height of the stone walls alone had dwarfed the size of any man made structure he'd ever seen in his entire life. The gate itself was as tall as the wall; iron and wood doors that swung open with the operation of a pulley at the foot of the walls by the guards. In a city of this size, the guards barely kept track of people coming in and out, not even bothering to greet Link as he went through. He'd never seen this many people before, not even when large caravans would pass through Ordon. The excited chatter coming from all directions was almost nauseating.

As the largest settlement in the Faron province, home to tens of thousands of residents, it commanded most of the economic power in the region. The Zora River, both the longest and the widest river in Hyrule, ran right through the middle of the city. The river brought trade from deeper into the mainland and from overseas, with fleets of ships bringing fish, spices, furs, and other exotic goods from both directions. It was one of the main stops for sailors, and the Hyrulean navy even had a permanent fleet stationed on the banks of the river. The two largest boulevards in the city ran over the river with two mechanical drawbridges, massive constructs that were a couple of the city's signature features. Even though he was relatively distant from the ports, Link was still able to hear the gongs of ship bells.

He didn't even know where to begin. The cobblestone streets seemed to stretch on forever, multi-story buildings hugging each other tightly on both sides of the boulevard.

"Ah, Mr. Traveler, come check my wares!" Called a merchant peddling from the stand on the side of the street, holding up a vase.

"Mr. Traveler, you look like you can use some of this!" Called another merchant, dried herbs hanging from the top of her stand.

Link could do naught but to shake his head politely and hold up a hand. It was not hard to spot travelers like himself on the street, and even then he was a bit of a special case since - apart from the city guard and caravan guards - he was one of the few that were visibly armed.

As he aimlessly rounded a corner, he saw a large open space at the end of the avenue - what he assumed to be the town square. Link decided that he would find a place to lodge in this area before he began exploring the city a bit more. It was getting well into the afternoon, and he wanted to make sure he wasn't sleeping on the street once the sun fell.

Most establishments had signs hanging off the front; he made note of a blacksmith with a weapons shop next to it, as well as what seemed to be a medical herbalist.

Near the town square, as he predicted, were a multitude of lodgings for travelers. He picked one at random, trotting up the front of the building with Epona. It was much larger than the inn he'd stayed at before; very wide with four stories. An alleyway next to it also led to a large stable at the back. Shrugging, he dismounted Epona, once again tying her up to a post on the street.

With a chime, the front door swung open and he stepped into the foyer. The bottom of the inn was more of a restaurant than a commons room, raucous laughter coming from the tables of already drunk patrons. There was a small desk manned by two pretty hostesses in the corner, a very large bar at the back of the establishment, and a set of stairs which he presumed led up to the lodging areas. Here he did not feel so much out of place, as there seemed to be all sorts of travelers dining at the tables: sailors, merchants, soldiers, and even a tall Gerudo woman sitting at the bar.

"Good afternoon, sir! Welcome to the Sarina Inn." One of the hostesses greeted, waving Link over to the desk, "Have you come to stay or to dine?"

"To stay," Link replied, walking up to the two.

"But of course. For how long?" The other one spoke, flipping open the guest book, "One night is fifteen rupees, but if you stay for three or more nights we charge twelve rupees per day."

The young swordsman put a hand to his chin, thinking for a bit. He wasn't sure how long he would be in town for - originally he just wanted to pass through and see the sights, but if he found some work, he felt it would be beneficial to make some more money before heading back on the road. "Three nights, for now." He reached into his wallet, and put down the necessary coins to pay.

"Absolutely. Thank you for your patronage!" Both of the girls gave a deep bow. The wall behind them had a set of keys, and one of them turned around, thinking before grabbing Link's room key. "Here you are, sir. Room 302, on the third floor. Please bring your horse to the rear, somebody will get it set up in the stables."

"Beautiful. Thank you." Link gave the two a nod before heading back outside.

As she'd said, there was a young man working in the stables, who promptly took Epona's reins from Link.

"Be careful with her, she's a good horse." Link warned with his arms crossed.

"Ah, of course, of course, sir." The young man said, bowing earnestly. Link gave a snigger as he watched the stablehand scurry away. He wasn't much different himself not too long ago.

Deciding to check out the shops, he ducked out of the alleyway and headed back to the street, wanting to check the weapons shop that he'd passed by earlier. However, as he got back into the avenue, he noticed a large crowd beginning to gather within the square. Raising a brow, he quickly abandoned the idea of shopping and made to follow the townsfolk.

The large fountain in the square had two guardsmen standing on a crate next to it, addressing the citizens that were crowded beneath them.

"Hear ye, hear ye!" One of them announced, reading off a piece of parchment. Link, despite being a taller young man, was having problems being able to see clearly over the mass of people in front of him. He began squeezing his way through the crowd, the villagers surprisingly giving him little resistance as he did so. "It has come to the attention of the city guard that an extremely dangerous beast is roaming the forests of the north."

Link managed to get as close as he could, and upon hearing this his ears immediately perked up.

The other guard cleared his throat, continuing for his partner, "Anybody travelling that way should exercise extreme caution, as it has reportedly killed over fifty people, civilians and military alike."

"What does it look like?!" cried a worried villager.

"Unfortunately, we haven't a clue yet. There have been no survivors," the guard shook his head solemnly, "The only evidence we have is the remains the military patrols have managed to come across."

Immediately, the crowd erupted into a cacophony of worried whispers.

"We are doing our best to track this beast, but we must warn everybody again: If you come across this beast during work or travel, try to escape immediately!"

Link was about to open his mouth, but somebody had already beat him to the punch, "What is the reward for defeating it?" He looked over to his right and, surprisingly, the voice belonged to a young woman - although he couldn't really see her in the crowd.

"R-reward?" The guard repeated, stuttering. He looked over at his partner, who shrugged, "We did not take into account anybody wanting to defeat this monster…"

The crowd once again began murmuring.

"However, I suppose if you're daring to try, we can discuss a bounty in the barracks." The guard scanned the mob of people, "Does anybody else fancy trying to slay the beast of the forest?"

Link immediately raised his hand. He took a quick look around and, when he saw that no one else had done the same, almost regretted it.

"Alright. Just the two of you, then." The guard rolled up the piece of parchment he was reading off of, "That is all for the announcement."

Slowly, the crowd began to dissipate, the townsfolk returning to their day. Link once again looked over to the right, and saw the only person who hadn't left yet. She was looking right at him; most of her body was obscured by the grey cloak she was wearing, but she had pale skin and thin crimson eyes. Her long black hair was mostly hidden underneath her hood. She didn't seem like the fighting type, but even from where he was standing he could feel an intimidating aura emitting from her form.

"Come with me, you two. We'll go talk to the captain." The guard said, motioning for them to follow.

The pair followed the guards through the streets of the city, around corners and through narrow alleyways. It took almost twenty minutes to get to the guardhouse, mostly because of how crowded the streets were. The entirety of the time, both Link and the mysterious woman had said nary a word to each other, but every so often he could feel her hostile glare on his back.

They stopped at the front of gate of the guardhouse. It was an imposing building that had armored guardsmen in the front yard sparring with each other. Faron City's coat of arms was displayed proudly on the face of the building; every province had a beast associated with their land, and Faron's resident mascot was the grey wolf.

"Wait here." One of the guards ordered as they both entered the building.

Link closed his eyes, dreading the awkward silence that had befallen the two of them. They stood there for what seemed like ages, him doing his best to not look at the woman directly in the eyes, as he could feel her still glaring at him.

"You." She spoke suddenly, breaking the tension. Link finally looked over at her, meeting her piercing crimson gaze, "You've avoided looking at me this entire time." He opened his mouth to retort but she cut him off, "I'm supposed to buy the fact that a spineless bastard like you has what it to takes to kill the beast of the forest?" She scoffed, her glare turning into a look of contempt.

He narrowed his eyes. What a rude girl. "I could say the same. I know nothing about you, and you nothing about me." Link made to stand in front of her, crossing his arms. He was hoping to intimidate her a little bit with his taller stature, but as he expected she did not back down. "You shouldn't judge somebody before they've even said a word to you."

The corners of her mouth moved ever so slightly into what almost looked like a smirk, but it was gone as soon as it appeared.

The guard's voice coming from the front door made them turn their heads, "The captain will come see you now! This way, please."

She immediately turned on her heels, giving Link a small bump on the shoulder as she passed him, "I don't care who you are; just stay out of my way. This is of no concern to you."

Yeah, right. Link immediately followed after her, entering the guardhouse.

The inside of the guardhouse was very busy, with soldiers going about their daily activities along the ground floor. There was a large sandpit in the middle of the atrium where new a group of new recruits were learning the basics of unarmed combat. Two barechested recruits were wrestling in the sand, their sergeant coaching them as they tumbled back and forth. As they passed by, Link made a mental note that he should probably polish his own hand-to-hand combat skills in the future.

They went up a set of spiral stairs to the administrative portion of the barracks, where various officers had their desks set up to do paperwork. The captain's office was at the far end of the floor, and the guard escorting the pair gave its door a curt knock.

"Come in." Called a deep voice from inside the room.

"These are the two that want to try their hand at slaying the beast." The guard quickly led them into the room before slipping out, closing the door behind him.

They stood in a modest sized office, a large oak desk occupying a majority of the space. There were a few battered shields and swords hanging on the walls, along with the taxidermied heads of a grizzly bear and a wolf. Behind the captain were two banners: Faron City's green banner that bore the crest of a wolf, and the Hyrulean royalty banner, which bore the crest of a red bird and the triangular symbol that Link had on his left hand.

Sitting behind the desk was the captain himself. He was a large man in his early forties, with short brown hair accompanied by some stubble along his jaw. Unlike the darker, muted armor worn by the Faron City guard, he wore the same silver armor as the Hyrulean military.

The captain took a second to survey the two of them, folding his hands together as he did so. "You two certainly look capable, although I've lived long enough to know that looks aren't everything."

There was a creak of his chair and the captain stood up, towering over both of the would-be bounty hunters. "This monster has been a thorn in our side for weeks, completely disrupting trade routes on the way to Central," he said, pacing back and forth, "We've had several squads go out to try and subdue this beast, yet none of them have come back alive." He sighed, shaking a head, "If I could, I would go and deal with this personally but they need me here to handle the city guard."

"Do we absolutely have no description of this monster?" Link asked.

"No," the captain began, "But, judging by some of the injuries that we've found on the fallen squads, we know that it has either very large fangs or very large claws - sharp enough to rip through an armored soldier in a single swipe."

"Have these areas been cleaned already?" The woman spoke up.

"Not yet, they're pretty deep into the forest so our squads have had trouble transporting the dead." The captain gestured to a map that sat on his desk. The two hunched over the map as the captain pointed to a couple of grid squares, "These areas here and here… Very recent, as early as a day or two ago. We have outposts set up not too far from these locations, so if you tell them I sent you, they should give you free reign to do some investigating." Link pulled out his own map, borrowing a pencil from the captain's desk to mark down the attack sites and outposts.

"So? How much is the pay?" The girl crossed her arms, "This is clearly no ordinary fiend."

"It is not." The captain made to sit on the edge of his desk, facing the two adventurers, "We'll offer six hundred rupees."

S-six hundred?! Link repeated in his head, his eyes widening. He wasn't even sure if his wallet could hold six hundred rupees.

"But, you must bring a trophy of the beast as evidence. A head is preferable, but a claw or hand would also do."

"Done." The cloaked girl immediately spun on a heel, exiting the room swiftly.

The two men watched her leave, the younger swordsman shaking his head. The captain raised a brow, "She wasn't with you?"

Link shook his head, "On the contrary, it seems she wants nothing to do with me."

Returning to his seat behind the desk, the captain gave a deep chuckle, "It is what it is." He took a pile of papers from the corner of the desk, scribbling down some notes, "If you need anymore information, the guards in the forest should be able to help you out. Good hunting, soldier."

Link nodded, taking this as a cue to also leave.

When he got back onto the street, the girl was nowhere to be seen. Regardless, the sun would still be up for a while and the shops seemed to be open, so he decided that he would finish gearing up before heading out to pursue the leads on the beast while the trail was still warm. Six hundred rupees would have him set for the remainder of the journey and then some, but he was now in a race against this mysterious woman. She seemed like a seasoned bounty hunter, and Link's experience in fighting fiends was limited to a handful of bokoblins and scaring away wolves while he was on the road. As he made his way through the streets towards the weapons shop near the inn, he wondered if he might have been in over his head. Fighting a beast that was formidable enough to slay several squads of trained soldiers was a challenge above and beyond some measly bokoblins.

Time to earn my stripes. He thought, approaching the weapons shop. It was a much quicker walk back to the avenue he was staying on, thanks in part to the people on the streets thinning out a bit. Smoke billowed out from the top of the blacksmith's building, and the weapons shop itself had a wooden sign hanging out front, a painting of a sword fading away on both sides of it. The front door was very heavy, and it swung open with a loud creak.

The inside was rather dim, and every footfall on the weathered wood of the shop's floorboards squeaked as Link approached the counter. There was the strong scent of iron and charcoal lingering in the air, a fragrance that oddly felt very calming. The shop itself was quite wide with a high ceiling, the open space being dominated by shelves and displays full of armor and weaponry. Lined up along the walls were mannequins equipped in full sets of armor; platemail to chainmail, leather to fur, and a wide assortment of accessories like bags, gloves, boots, and so forth. There were racks of swords, spears, shields, bows, crossbows - literally anything that Link could imagine, there was a variant of some sort in the shop.

A door in the rear of the shop led to the blacksmith, and Link could hear the faint clanks of iron striking iron through the walls. As he was perusing through the racks of weaponry, the shop owner had appeared from the door, taking perch behind the counter.

"Welcome, welcome!" To Link's surprise, the shop owner was a woman. She was a bit taller than himself, probably in her mid-thirties, and sported charming red hair. She was wearing a patchy apron on top of a simple flannel shirt and trousers. "What can I do ya for, traveler?"

Link hummed, "I just need an quiver and a bundle of arrows. If you've got any chainmail that's strong and light to go under my tunic, that would also be great."

"Sure thing!" The shop owner walked around the counter and began towards a rack that was next to the bows and crossbows. There were an assortment of all kinds of quivers here, in different sizes and finishes.

"Ah, I forgot to mention; I'd need to be able to have the quiver slung somewhere on my back where it doesn't get in the way of my sword or my pouches." Link undid the latch on his cloak, removing it so that she could see the set up he had going on with the gear on his back.

She did a quick look see of his gear, tugging on his sheath and belt. "Left-handed, huh? Pretty rare for a swordsman." She put a finger to her chin, "Do you really need all these pouches? I feel like one or two would do the job... Your bag seems big enough to hold any important stuff."

"Well, I guess I don't. But I thought having extra storage space would come in handy." Link said, his back still facing her.

"If we got rid of a couple of the pouches on your backside, I could get a pretty decent twenty arrow quiver set up on your belt. How's that sound?" Without even waiting for a reply, she pulled out measuring tape, getting to work on the measurements on the small of his back. "I could make it modular - you could swap them on and off as you please."

"Wha - really?!" Link had to admit, tradespeople were really incredible.

"Oh yeah, piece of cake." The woman replied, waving him off. "Should take less than an hour. Just need to leave your belt here." As she instructed, Link obliged, undoing his utility belt before handing it to her. She walked back over to the rack of quivers, pulling out dark leather quiver, with very faint flourishing on the embroidery. "How's this?" She flipped the quiver around, showing him the inside, "Notched, helps keeps the arrows secure during fast movement - running, jumping, rolling, the whole lot. Pretty nifty, right?"

"That's incredible. Don't think I've seen a quiver like this before." Partially true, only because he'd never seen a quiver in his entire life. Still, that didn't stop him from being impressed as he rotated the quiver in his hands. He wasn't sure if all weaponsmiths in the large cities were this particular about their craft or if he'd stumbled into a really good shop - either way, he wasn't complaining.

"They aren't used very often. Archers in the military care more about volume than mobility. Adventurers like yourself need to be light on their feet!" Link placed the quiver into her outstretched hand, nodding gratefully at her perceptive deduction of his needs.

"I don't suppose you guys tailor holsters for bows either, do you?" He asked, a little unsure if such a thing was possible.

She immediately understood what Link was referring to, "So you can have a bow on your back without getting in the way of your sword, right?" As expected from a professional. The shopowner laughed, giving him a big grin, "Of course, I can do that too. It might get a little awkward carrying all that gear, though."

He shrugged, "It's gonna be a pretty long journey so I wanna make sure I'm ready for anything."

"Understandable," She gestured to his sheathed sword and the straps that was attached to, "Let me take a look." He obliged, turning around again so that she could study his equipment. She hummed for a second and nodded, "I can definitely make something work. As long as you ain't carryin' a longbow around, I could squeeze a holster in next to your sheath here."

He undid his sheath and strap, handing it to her, "That would be great."

She took the belt and placed on the counter, next to the quiver. "I'll have to fashion something custom so it works in tandem with your sword." She ran her fingers the length of the sheath before nodding to herself, "You wouldn't mind if it matched the quiver right?"

"Not at all, in fact that would be preferable."

"Gotcha. As for arrows…" She led him to a shelf full of bundled arrows of different shapes and sizes, "Anything in particular catch your eye?"

Link reached for a bundle of arrows with slim heads and wicked sharp points, "These ones are harder to pull out once they've gotten into something right?"

"That's right. Pretty effective against armor too since the heads are streamlined."

"I'll grab forty of these." said Link, nodding. He placed the bundle in her hands.

"Forty? You huntin' a bear?" She asked, half-joking as she walked back to the counter.

"Something like that. I'm in for a bounty on the beast of the forest."

"Well, if that's the case, you're gonna need a lot more than some chainmail and some measly arrows." The shop owner placed the quiver down and began humming to herself.

"Oh yeah? What're you thinking?"

She reached behind the counter, dropping small milk crate full of spherical objects. "These actually came in not too long ago. Prototypes from the Gorons up in Eldin." She pulled one out; they were perfect spheres about the size of a grapefruit, wrapped in navy parchment. A metal ring hung loosely at the top.

"Is that… A bomb?" Link asked, moving his face closer to the crate.

"Yes, and no." She handed one to Link so he could take a better look, "The Gorons call them 'grenades.' Hard ceramic casing that's completely waterproof, and instead of an external fuse, you just pull this pin-" she pointed to the metal ring hanging from the grenade, "-and it starts a timer on the inside instead. They said they had 'em rigged for five seconds, but I haven't had a chance to test 'em yet."

"And then they explode...?" said Link slowly, curiously looking at the bombs.

"Well, yeah. Not sure what the yield is, though." She took back the one she gave to Link, "You wanna field test 'em? I'll give 'em to ya for cheap since I don't really know how well they work. If you're going up against some dangerous beast then you'll for sure need something with a little extra 'oomph!'"

"Sure, why not? I'll take a few, and I'll come back after I've tested them out." Link said, nodding.

"If ya aren't dead by then, at least." She said, chuckling as she placed the milk crate back onto the floor. Link couldn't help but twitch an eye at this. "Although, it would be a lot better if you did take care of the beast. This is the only batch of bombs that I've gotten since the trade routes are all messed up."

"I'll take four, then."

"All right!" She began stuffing four of the grenades into a sack, adding it to the pile of goods on the counter. "Now, let me just get you all measured up and I'll get the smithy to fit you some chainmail."

She had Link take off his gear and his tunic, getting him to pose with his arms outstretched next to the counter while she recorded his measurements. "You're really thorough." He remarked as she circled around him.

"Sure am. Might not look it from the outside but you're standing in the shop of one of Faron's best armorers. And the blacksmith next door? He ain't half bad neither." She stood up, patting Link on the shoulder, "Besides, I can tell you ain't no ordinary wanderer."

"And what makes you say that?"

"Call it a woman's intuition," She said, putting her hands on her hips, "Well that, and you gotta be some kinda crazy to be going against a manslaughterin' beast with a sword and some chainmail."

Link chuckled, "I just might be."

The shopowner stretched out her hand, "The name's Nico, owner of the best equipment shop in the city."

He accepted her hand, giving Nico a firm handshake, "Link. Pleasure doing business with ya."

"Likewise." She returned to the counter, taking inventory of what Link had lined up. Nico drummed her fingers on the counter, "Normally, this stuff would run you about a hundred and seventy rupees, but since you're a new customer and you're willing to field test the grenades for me, how's one fifty sound?"

Still quite pricey, if Link was being honest, but the quiver and the chainmail were investments for the rest of his journey so it was justified. He had brought three hundred to start off with, spent around seventy on lodgings and food, and made fifty from the emergency in the no name village from a few days ago. He would still be in a pretty good spot financially after this.

"I wasn't expecting a discount, so I would take any deduction at this point," said Link, bashfully scratching his head, "Sounds good to me."

"Perfect. Just make sure ya come back when the bounty's over and done with, yeah?" Nico clapped her hands together, smiling.

"No sweat, I got this." He began unloading the coins in his wallet; hundred rupee coins were exceedingly rare - the largest he had was a fifty rupee coin, which was a large slab of gleaming circular silver with a beautiful purple gem in the middle. The soft purple glow was enough to make a person's knees go weak, and Rhoam's embossed visage made one proud to be Hyrulean!

After Nico had gathered his equipment for tailoring, Link decided to retreat back to the inn to fill his stomach before setting out. He hadn't eaten since waking up in the morning, and he didn't want to be hungry when he was out in the field. Fighting on empty stomach spelled death for any adventurer; at least that's what he thought.

When he swung open the doors to the Sarina Inn, he was not surprised to find that it was just as populated with patrons as before. What did surprise him, however, was the cloaked figure sitting alone at a table, tearing through a giant turkey leg from a platter that was overflowing with equally impressive meats.

She noticed Link the second he walked in, momentarily choking on her food in surprise before snarling at him. "Don't you dare sit here!" She shouted, catching the attention of a few of the patrons for a split second.

Link was not the instigating type, but her snarky attitude towards him earlier had compelled him to do exactly the opposite of what she'd ordered. He sauntered over to her table, pulled out a chair, and plopped onto the seat in front of the cloaked girl.

"What surprise! We're staying at the same place!" said Link, overtly jolly. He called over one of the servers, grabbing a menu so he could begin to eat as well.

The girl immediately began inhaling her food, trying to finish it as fast as possible, before choking on a chunk of ham. She began coughing violently, the piece of meat in question ricocheting off of Link's forehead. "I thought I told you not to sit here!"

"Hey, relax," He replied, putting up his hands in an attempt to placate her, "We should be working together, not fighting!"

She slammed her hands on the table, causing her plate and the utensils to rattle, "We are not working together! I already told you, this bounty is none of your concern!"

"And why not? You think you can go out there and kill this beast that's already slain fifty of the military's finest? By yourself?!"

The cloaked girl stood up, her crimson eyes piercing his cerulean. The gaze was ice cold, and for a second Link felt as if she was looking straight into his soul. She grit her teeth, and for the first time, he could see the wicked sharpness of her canines. "I have to try." She said, barely audible. Leaving her platter half-finished, she began walking towards the entrance of the inn. "This is the last time I'm going to warn you: stay out of my fucking way." She stormed out the door, slamming it behind her.

Link, and the rest of the patrons, all watched in confusion, flinching when the door was slammed shut.

The server returned, still looking at the door, "Uh… A lover's quarrel?"

Link sighed, shaking his head, "Definitely not..."


Epona's hooves thundered on the dirt as she galloped down the road. A thin layer of mist had begun to envelop the forest, and Link did his best to bite back the chill as they made their way towards the guard outposts. It was a twenty minute ride from the city at full speed, and if he wanted to make the most out of the day then they would have to at least finish investigating by the time dusk had rolled around.

The weight of the chainmail that peeked underneath his tunic was a new sensation, but it felt comfortable underneath all his gear. The quiver he had bought was now hanging from his belt on the small of his back, and his traveler's bow was strapped in tandem with his sword, the end of the bow a bit longer than the grip of his sword. Fortunately his cloak was very spacious, so he had little difficulty maneuvering with all his gear equipped.

The forests surrounding Faron City, part of the ecosystem that was supported by the Zora River, were largely the same as those near the Ordonian border; beautiful swaths of verdant green conifers that stretched for miles and miles. It was a rich habitat for all sorts of fauna, and was especially suitable for large fiends to be hiding in.

"Slow up, girl!" called Link, pulling on the reins slightly. They were nearing one of the military outposts that he'd marked on the map, but it wasn't directly on the road - he would have to consult with the map to see how far into the forest they were stationed. As Epona slowed to a trot, he reached into his satchel, pulling out the aforementioned map. "Hmmm…" He hummed, tracing his finger along the paper, "About a click eastward." He began leading Epona off the road and into the forest.

Grass and branches crunched underneath her hooves as Epona navigated through the trees. After a bit, they eventually found a small foot trail, presumably used by the soldiers coming to and from the main road. Following it at a moderate pace, it eventually became more defined, and a distance away through the trees, Link could see slivers of what seemed to be a set of palisades.

"Halt!"

Link instantly gave a firm tug on Epona's reins, causing her to whinny in surprise as she came to a stop. The underbrush in the forest rustled, with two rangers suddenly rising from beneath the bushes. They were lightly armored, with twigs and branches strapped to their pauldrons and helmets. With their crossbows squared up directly with Link's head, they slowly made their way to the road.

"State your purpose!" One of them ordered.

Link raised both of his hands, "Just here on recommendation of the captain. I'm on a bounty for the beast of the forest."

The rangers looked at each other before nodding, lowering their weapons. "Here to investigate the attack sites, are you? We got word to expect a couple of bounty hunters."

"There was another?" The temporary bounty hunter asked, hoping that the woman hadn't come through here yet.

"Not here, no," One of the rangers replied, "But a messenger told us that a bounty hunter had come in through our other camp in the forest maybe ten kilometers out from here - a little over an hour ago now."

"Lieutenant Roland could give you some more details in the outpost. He'll be in the big tent, just ask for him." The other ranger directed Link towards the outpost, to which he quietly gave his thanks. Curiously, the two rangers retreated back into the forest, reassuming their positions underneath the brush.

It was a short trot to the palisade gate of the outpost. Link left Epona to graze near the pathway as he made his way through the encampment. The scenery here was very similar to that of the guardhouse, only on a much smaller scale. There were about six tents in total with a larger, tarp-covered area that acted as sort of a mess hall that contained dining tables and stools, as well as a fire going with a large pot atop. A larger tent near the back of the outpost was the acting operations room. Soldiers were littered about the outpost, doing chores or practicing on dummies lined up along the palisade. He guessed that there were maybe thirty or forty soldiers stationed here at the most. They all wore light and heavy variations of the standard silver military armor.

There was a soldier loitering in front of the operations tent who Link nodded to, "Hail, swordsman. You're here to see the lieutenant, correct?"

"That's right. Only briefly, though - just need some intel on the beast of the forest."

"Aye, he should be free to talk for a second." The soldier opened the flap to the tent, letting Link see briefly inside. There was a large table with a map of the region spanning the surface of it, with little figurines lined up on various parts of the map. He could also see a cot and what looked to be the lieutenant's personal work desk, covered in papers and his own belongings. "Sir, bounty hunter's here to see you."

The lieutenant was hunched over the map along with another soldier. He was around the same height as Link, only much more built. Curiously, he was wearing the same light armor as the rangers before, dark muted steel that reflected almost no light. His black hair was short and cropped, and his face was much younger than Link was expecting. "Come in."

He entered the tent, walking up to the lieutenant and giving him a firm handshake, "I'm Link."

The lieutenant nodded, "Roland. Good to meet you, bounty hunter - although I'm hoping you understand what you're getting yourself into."

"I'm aware of the circumstances." Link replied.

"So be it." Roland gestured to the map, "I'm sure the captain's briefed you already, but this beast has been taking a serious toll on our guys," He shook his head, "Soldiers been dropping like flies, I tell ya. We've got half a platoon of rangers sent in from Central to help track the monster, but the bastard is fast as all hell."

"So you've seen it then?"

"Scouts only caught glimpses of it in the middle of night. Thing is huge they say, about fifteen feet tall, walks on all fours." He pointed to a circle in the map, "Judging from the locations of where our men have fallen, we estimate it hunts in a twenty to twenty-five kilometer radius here. Rangers across the Zora think it swims across the river here-" He pointed to one of the narrower portions of the Zora River, "-and probably has its nest somewhere along the foot of Mount Koro."

Link borrowed a pencil from the lieutenant, marking his own map. The supposed hunting grounds of the beast was massive, covering a huge part of the forests north of the city, along with a sizeable portion of the forest across the river towards the base of the Faron's mountain range. Looks like it was game season, only this game was the size of a house and could tear a person apart with a single swipe. "Does it hunt animals or fiends?"

"Yes, it feeds indiscriminately," Roland nodded, "The roads are popular because of the high amounts of traffic, so you might be able to get the drop on it during the day. Otherwise, we think it roams the forest most of the night."

Link hummed, before folding up his map and returning it to his bag, "I think I got enough intel. I still need to check the previous attack areas."

"Roger that. We have rangers in the forest keeping a lookout - if you run into any, let them know you've spoken to me and they should have no problems letting you investigate."

"Got it." The lieutenant gave Link a curt salute, sending the young swordsman on his way.

Soon enough, he and Epona were back to traversing the forests. As he got deeper into the trees, they gradually began spreading out, making it easier for them to pick up the pace a little. In the late afternoon like this, the forest was still pretty dim, light having a difficult time passing through the canopy of the conifer trees. It was alive and well, however, the sounds of birds and wildlife coming from all directions, adding to the rhythmic thumping of Epona's canter. He'd seen nary a fiend, only the occasional silhouette of a deer or two between the trees.

After about ten minutes or so of solid riding, he was nearing his first site of investigation. In the distance, he could see the brightness of the sun as the forest opened up into a small clearing. However, it seems there was already company waiting for him.

There were group of a people - five or six perhaps, he couldn't tell from the distance he was at - that seemed to be searching the clearing. Pulling on Epona's reins, he brought her to a full stop, quickly dismounting as he dropped to a crouch. They were definitely not military, the lack of silver armor a dead giveaway. The girl did not seem to be among them as they looked to be all men, so he figured there was a high probability of these people being either bandits or scavengers.

They seemed to be so engrossed in their search that they did not hear Epona's hooves from where they were at, so at the moment, Link had the element of surprise should they have been hostile. Unlatching his bow from his back, he readied an arrow as he slowly approached the meadow.

Indeed, there were six scruffy scavengers, outfitted in mismatched armor that was pulled from both travelers and military. Their weapons were sharp and deadly, all of them wielding an assortment of decent swords and spears. While he expected no less, the grass in the clearing was soaked with blood, ten mangled Hyrulean soldiers strewn about, their body parts and innards scattered on the forest floor. The ruffians were gingerly looting the area, trying to find something that was still useable.

"This armor's been torn to shreds…" One of them said, flipping over one half of a dead body as he tried searching underneath its armor.

"They're military," Another one called out, searching a headless soldier's equipment pouches. This one seemed to be the boss, as he had a large silver claymore strapped to his back, along with better quality armor than the rest of them, "If they ain't got rupees they at least got some decent equipment worth takin'."

"C'mon, man, look at this shit!" A scavenger said, standing up as he threw his arms into the air, "All their equipment's either broken or chewed up! The fuck are we gonna find here?! The beast is gonna find us before we find somethin' worth sellin'."

"You ain't lookin' hard enough." The boss said, pulling out a gold chain from beneath a body's chainmail, "If yer just gonna sit there complainin', you ain't gettin' no cut of what we manage to find here."

They continued to bicker among themselves, tearing through the dead bodies. Link furrowed a brow; while he could care less about whether or not a soulless body lost its material belongings, they were messing up what potentially could have been some solid leads for the beast. Do I get rid of them, or ask them to leave peacefully? He pondered. For all he knew, they could be robbing people out on the road too. They probably had no problem trying to slay him on the spot. However, something inside of him told him that he should try the democratic route to perhaps avoid some unnecessary bloodshed.

Returning his bow and arrow to their holster and quiver, he slowly approached the clearing. His footsteps immediately caught the attention of the six ruffians, them standing up in unison as they turned towards him, their hands ready to draw their weapons.

"Who's that?!" The boss called out.

Link emerged from the forest with his hands out, "Just a bounty hunter. I'm looking for leads on the beast of the forest."

"You ain't gonna find nothin' here. They've all gone and died." The boss drew his claymore, "You better piss off while I'm feelin' nice. This here's our loot."

"I just wanna search the area. Maybe get some footprints or any other clue that could help catch this thing." Link was immediately put on alert as the rest of the boys began drawing their weapons too.

"What, and risk you trying to take some of our shit?" The boss gave a sinister grin, "Not happenin' kid. I'mma warn you one last time: piss off or die."

"Look, I don't want any trouble." Link said, in a futile attempt of placating the bandit, "I just wanna-"

There was the flash of sparks as he instinctively blocked a massive downward swing of the boss' claymore. He had drawn his sword without even thinking, and was now locking blades with a man much bigger than him, wielding a sword much bigger than his own. The pressure being put on him was enormous, and he could only hold for another second before he gave way, rolling across the blood smeared grass.

He just barely managed to dodge the thrust of a spear when he got up, grabbing the shaft with his right hand and yanking the bandit towards him. The ruffian yelped in surprise but it was quickly replaced by a gurgle of blood as Link jammed his sword through the man's chest.

Another scavenger came lunging at him, a decent quality sword in hand. Link used the back end of the spear to sweep the man's legs from underneath him, swiftly following up by impaling the spear through the man's stomach and into the ground. The man cried in agony, his scream echoing between the trees as he clutched at the wooden shaft of the spear that had him pinned to the dirt.

The two dying bandits laid on the grass, their blood adding to that of the fallen soldiers.

The quick display of combat prowess immediately put the other four bandits on alert, cautiously standing their ground as they pointed their swords and spears at him.

"I told you, I don't want any trouble." Link repeated, holding the grip of his blade with both of his hands. Last time I take the 'democratic route...'

"Too late for that, dumbass!" The boss yelled, charging at Link with his massive claymore.

The bandit boss gave a wide, extremely deadly swing, which Link just barely managed to back pedal away from. Despite the man's bulky frame and the sheer size of the weapon, he swung it with surprising finesse and agility, quickly transitioning from a horizontal slash to a vertical one, bringing it down into the dirt as Link sidestepped out of the way.

Link gave the claymore a curt and solid kick, disrupting the boss' balance for a second as the weapon was sent swinging in the opposite direction. He used this momentary loss of equilibrium to move within and past the claymore's effective range, trying to finish the boss off with a stab of his sword.

It was not to be as the man was having none of it, giving Link a boot to the stomach, sending him flying into the grass. He tumbled onto his back, alarm bells in his head going off as two of the bandits came rushing towards his downed form. Scrambling to his feet, he just managed to redirect a spear thrust, sparks flying as the head of the spear ran along the side of his blade. He used his sword to give the spear a snap, giving Link some breathing room for a split second as the bandit also lost his balance as the spear was knocked out of his hands.

A bandit armed with an axe gave a savage battlecry as he quickly closed the distance, wildly swinging at Link, who was trying to backpedal out of the weapon's reach. With a grunt, he met the axe with his sword, more sparks flying as the two weapons ricocheted off each other. The lighter weight of the weapon let the bandit recover a little earlier from the exchange and, while Link was already trying to dodge, managed to land a grazing swipe to the temporary bounty hunter's abdomen. His tunic tore open, but luckily the the axe did not penetrate his chainmail.

In a momentary lapse of focus, the bandit's eyes lit up as he registered a clean strike. Link immediately saw this, punishing his lapse of focus by slicing through the arm holding the axe, the body part and the weapon flopping onto the ground with a spray of blood. The bandit gave a blood-curdling cry, and Link immediately dispatched him by angrily thrusting his sword through the man's unarmored stomach.

Behind the bandit that was currently impaled through his sword, another ruffian was running up to him, this one also wielding a sword. With a cry, Link used all his strength to boot the bandit off his sword and send the body flying into the approaching one, causing the bandit to stumble over as he caught his dying comrade.

His cloak fluttered behind him as Link quickly closed the distance to the spearman. He hesitated for a moment, watching as the scavenger reared his spear back, ready to give a hefty thrust. As the spear got into Link's personal space, he deftly sidestepped it once again, this time stomping on the shaft and driving it into the ground. He reached forward, grabbing the spearman's rusty pauldron with his right hand, driving his sword into the man's body.

There was the ringing of metal accompanied with the wet sound of blood and flesh as Link pulled his sword out of the bandit's chest. There were only two left now: the bandit struggling to get his buddy's dead body off of him, and the boss.

"Leave him to me." The large man growled, dismissing his last underling.

Link was breathing heavily, but still stood with his sword at the ready. At this point, he was covered in dirt, bruises, and blood - his sword still dripping at the edges. He used the side of his foot to kick away a loose arm, probably belonging to a soldier, lest he trip on it during his duel with the scavenger boss.

The boss' heavy footfalls thumped through the blood soaked grass as he once again charged at Link, only this time his demeanor was much more subdued. It now seemed like he was taking the younger swordsman seriously.

As he observed the larger man closing in on him, Link took this time to evaluate the situation. The boss was larger and stronger than him, with a greatsword that could end his life with a grazing hit. From their previous clashes, he had the advantage in speed and agility, and even then not by a whole lot. He would have to using his cunning to get his way out of this predicament.

Link moved in. He deemed that he could keep up better if he stayed within the claymore's range, where it was harder for the boss to get full momentum behind his swings. He instantly realized that it was much easier said than done, as he just barely managed to bring his sword up to block an extremely powerful horizontal strike. There was a heavy clang, and the force of the claymore hitting his sword sent him careening into the air.

He managed to catch himself, rolling onto his feet, but he could still feel the reverberating sensation of metal in his fingertips. There was no time to rest, as the boss was already on top of him. As he did before with the spearman, he managed to redirect what was a potentially a life-ending downward swing with his sword, sparks flying as the claymore clipped a couple strands of his blond hair. He dashed to the side, trying to circle around to the boss's exposed flank.

In an impressive display of strength, the scavenger boss swung the claymore in a wide circle, forcing Link to immediately back off.

No good, I can barely get close! He thought, both combatants gathering themselves after the brief, yet intense exchange.

The boss was on his tail once again, this time wielding the claymore with a single hand, trying to slice Link with wide and wild, yet extremely frightening, swings. The increased extension forced Link to begin blocking, no longer able to fully backpedal from the claymore. Clash after clash, sparks lit up the forest clearing. Finally, Link saw a tiny opening, the boss giving a slash that was a bit too high, and he quickly ducked underneath it. Dragging his sword through the grass, he dashed towards the boss, who was wide open for a single moment.

The scavenger boss was no stranger to unorthodox tactics, and immediately knew what Link was doing. He was about ready to backhand Link into the forest, raising his free arm to smack Link on the side of the head.

Gotcha! Rather than following through with his slash, Link threw his cloak into the boss' face, causing him to sputter in surprise as daylight completely disappeared for a moment. There was the patter of Link's boots through the small puddles of blood in the grass as he dashed around once again to the boss's flank, putting all his momentum behind his sword as he plunged it up and through the bandit's exposed back.

Link shouted with all his might as he pushed his blade further and further, until it finally pierced the boss's chestplate, unfortunately puncturing his own cloak as well. The boss coughed once, blood splattering from his lips as he looked down at the sword protruding from his chest. His eyes rolled to the back of his head, dropping to his knees as his claymore involuntarily left his hands.

Panting heavily, Link rested one of his feet against the back of the boss, kicking the larger body off of his sword. He retrieved his cloak from the grass, now half soaked with blood, slipping it over his shoulder and redoing the latch. The last bandit was nowhere to be seen, presumably having fled during the course of the duel.

"What a mess." He muttered to himself, using the dirty rags of what was the boss' tunic to clean his sword.

Shaking his head, he finally began his investigation, surveying the clearing. If there were any footprints, they were probably trampled over during his rumble with the bandits, as most of the grass in the clearing was flattened now.

After painstakingly checking each body and body part, having long since passed the urge to throw up as he was essentially wrestling in blood for the better part of the hour, he came to a deduction.

"It has large claws and large teeth." He stated to himself, matter of factly. He then sighed, facepalming; his search of the clearing left him no better than where he'd started. He did however, manage to find a tuft of coarse grey fur hanging from one of the bodies, and that he thought might actually come in useful in the future.

Link then began searching the trees around the clearing, looking for any trail of some sort to follow. He waded through knee high bushes, tripped over a few tree roots, and got his foot stuck in a puddle of mud, before he'd finally stumbled upon a footprint.

"Finally…" He said to himself, crouching down next the oversized track. It was gigantic, about the size of the meat platter that the girl was tearing through back at the inn. What was really curious about it was its shape, wide base with four stubby toes and claws. It looked almost like a paw. He stared at it for another second before it registered in his brain, "A wolf… A giant wolf? Do they get this big...?"

The tracks led deeper into the forest, coincidentally in the same direction that the other military outpost and the other attack site was. He deduced that the wolf - what he assumed it to be and was going to refer to it as for the time being - probably had its lunch here in this clearing, before going to the next populated area to feed some more.

With a whistle, Epona came galloping to his side. Cracking his neck, he swiftly got up onto the saddle. While he was definitely a bit gassed from the scrap in the clearing, he felt that he had enough left in the tank to follow the tracks. If his guess was right, the girl had probably a good lead on the wolf by now, especially since he was caught up trying to deal with the scavengers.

Despite the sunlight rapidly disappearing, he made an executive decision to press forward with his search. With a shiver from the cold that had begun to settle more severely, Link cracked the reins, Epona taking off as they begun their descent into wild maze of Faron's northern forests.


Author's notes/rambles: Lots of world building here. I really enjoy being to able to imagine a deeper Hyrule than what we are usually given in the games. If you're familiar, then you can tell the mood and setting of this chapter (and the title) was inspired by The Witcher, which in itself is almost like Zelda. When writing that last battle scene where Link sons the bandits, it occurred to me that outside of the Yiga clan members and Ganondorf, Link doesn't really fight other humans, does he? Unless darknuts are also humans in super armor.

To everyone that has read this story so far, has followed, favourited, or left a review, thank you! Please continue to leave any comments or criticism.

- K