A/N: The new title, if you haven't noticed it yet, is ultima-owner's 'The Fanged Hero from the Sky'! Thanks for everyone's votes as well as their suggestions for the poll.
Now enjoy!
Temple of the Light God
The midday sun was shining hot and bright on the beautiful land below. The sky was clear and the day was calm, not a single leaf stirred in the trees or plants growing by the small stream that sparkled in the light. The blades of green only rustled when the bodies of living creatures disturbed them as they passed through.
The sound of running water was soon accompanied by the lapping of thirsty tongues and the song of an ostwark.
"Drinking! Drinking!" Hefnir sang before he dipped his crimson beak in the stream, scooped up some water, and reared back his long neck and head to swallow his drink. He did this a few more times, singing cheerfully before each gulp.
After Link had quenched his thirst alongside the big bird, he quietly watched the ostwark in amusement. To the wolf's right was Mula, noisily slurping, and beside her was Big Joe, equally as loud.
Big Joe was Erza's borrowed mount who was a large, male caribou with a light brown coat, a white underbelly and beard, and an impressive set of antlers. On his shoulder was a patch of white fur in the shape of Fairy Tail's crest, signifying he was owned by the guild and was one of their main forms of transportation. The four-legged, hoofed animal was just as tall as Mula, bulkier in build, and, surprisingly, just as quick as the mare. He had a carefree temperament and a deep, hearty laugh that resonated within Link's chest when the wolf had first heard it.
Behind the animals were the four mages of Fairy Tail, resting, chatting, and eating their lunch under the shade of trees that stretched along the main road. Riding atop the three mounts with Link keeping in pace, the group had been travelling non-stop for two hours straight, running most of the way over hills and through vast open fields of green. It was time for a little break before continuing on. According to Bisca, their destination was another two hours or more.
The land of Fiore was full of surprises. During the past two hours on the road, Link had encountered many different things he had never seen before. There were magical carriages that could move without horses or any other animal to pull them, there were people single-handedly pulling magical carts that could carry goods that were stacked as high as the roofs of houses, and there was a man riding on a strange contraption that had two wheels and two pedals on gears in which he used to kick in circles to power his ride.
Most intriguing of all, was the huge, long, metal, smoke-spewing machine that could pull multiple carriages down a railed path along the countryside at an incredible speed. Link had seen it thundering around the hills not too long ago before the group entered the first cover of trees.
Curious to know what that thing was, he asked Mula right after she finished her drink.
The mare, licking her wet lips, tilted her head slightly at Link and blinked. She stomped her front right foot in the mud when she finally understood. "Oh! You mean the train?" she said, neighing with laughter at the other's cluelessness.
"Train?" It was the wolf's turn to tilt his head to the side in confusion. To him, 'train' meant to hone one's skill with something, such as a bow or a sword or a trade. It was odd to call an object by that term.
"Train is train," said Hefnir, happily joining the conversation. The bird always had a certain joyfulness in his high tone, making him a pleasure to talk to in spite of his simple speech. "Train bigger than ostwark," he faced Link and spread his silver wings wide to elaborate, "Train faster than ostwark. Carry more short time."
Link's eyes widened in disbelief. "Even faster than you, Hefnir? It looked just as fast as you can run."
The big bird squawked humerously and stiffly shook his head twice, making his feathery crown of deep blue sway with the motion. "Train beat ostwark, brother. Does not tire," he chirped before going on to preen the feathers of his right wing. "Preening! Preening!" he sang as he worked.
"You've never seen a train, Link?" Mula asked, lowering her head to be at the wolf's eye-level.
"No, where I come from, there is no such thing," Link replied. He was bewildered by the existence of a mechanical contraption capable of pulling multiple carriages full of people at once at an incredible speed.
"Ho ho, don't go out much, do you, fanged one?" teased Big Joe in his deep, burly voice, giving the canine a yellow-toothed grin. His white beard was soaked and dripping.
The wolf grunted in response and didn't bother to explain himself because Hefnir beat him to it; "Brother from far away land."
The caribou stepped around Mula and approached Link curiously. He sniffed the air in front of the wolf and hummed in thought, his throat rumbling. "You do have a peculiar smell. I've been nearly all over this country with our humans and yet I don't recognize your kind of scent. How far have you come?"
"The sky!" the mare exclaimed in excitement at the same time Hefnir cried out, "Brother from sky!"
Big Joe laughed, his loud chortles reverberating in Link's chest and deafening his poor ears. "I suppose you wouldn't be able to see any trains up there!" he joked, obviously not believing them.
"Friend, why laugh?" Hefnir demanded of the laughing caribou, and yet his tone was still cheery. "Sister and ostwark say true."
The wolf internally smiled. "It is fine. It is a tale that is difficult to believe. Even you thought I was lying."
The bird sadly lowered his head, his sharp, crimson eyes flashing with guilt.
"Do not apologize," Link politely interrupted, knowing what his feathered companion was about to say, "It is not every day that you meet a wolf that is truly a man who fell from another realm from the sky."
"What's this now?" Big Joe asked, still giddy from before. "You're a man, you say? Amusing! You amuse me, fanged one!" Again, the burly beast broke into a fit of laughter.
Link bared his teeth in a grin, remembering Nene saying something similar.
They left the stream and went their separate ways, wandering around in wait for Bisca and her team to finish their lunch. Mula and Big Joe foraged around for edible plants while Hefnir strutted over to the small circle of mages.
Link decided to trail behind the big bird out of curiosity. From afar, the wolf observed as Hefnir approached Alzack and gently prodded the man's back with his beak, silently asking for a snack.
The dark-haired man glanced over his shoulder at his two-legged mount with feigned annoyance before smiling soon after. Alzack ripped off a piece of bread from his sandwich which was quickly plucked from his fingers and gobbled up by a hungry ostwark before he could even properly hand it off. Hefnir immediately begged for another tasty morsel, making the man sigh.
"You already ate before we left, Hef," Alzack grumbled, giving the bird a stern look. The man eventually gave in to Hefnir's pleading gaze. "Fine. One more."
Bisca giggled at the pair before quickly noticing Link slowly approaching, catching his watching gaze. She waved and called him over, and since the wolf had nothing better to do, he padded towards the mages, interested in meeting the rest of the mistress's team.
The young boy named Romeo greeted Link with a friendly smile, his wide, dark eyes admiring the beast as the wolf sat between him and Bisca. The child looked no older than Talo, and rather than learning the way of the sword, Romeo was learning the art of magic. It was astounding to see children as young as or even younger than Romeo capable of conjuring spells and the like.
Across from him was the armoured woman, Erza, who simply raised her brow at the beast's arrival as she finished the last bite of her meal. This would be the first time the two had actually met person to person – or to be more precise, person to wolf – since they had left Magnolia Town.
Up close, the 'alpha-female' of Fairy Tail did not appear as frightening as the first night Link had seen her. She was a bold woman going by looks alone, dressed in steel plating and having a face that was both beautiful and fearless. But looks were deceiving; Erza was strong enough to knock out her own guild mates with a single fist, burying their faces in solid stone with a fury that matched a demon's.
Knowing this made Link wonder how merciless she was against her enemies. It was a curious and somewhat frightening thought.
What interested him most was if she could defeat a Goron in Sumo. He could somehow imagine the scarlet-haired woman easily throwing her large, rock-eating opponent out of the ring like he was only a sack of feathers…
The delicious aroma of the group's food was starting to make Link's mouth water. His peckish mood did not go unnoticed under the keen eye of an animal keeper.
"Are you hungry, little guy?" Bisca asked, perking an eyebrow at Link.
Not wanting to trouble her, he shook his head.
Bisca chuckled and lightly brushed her knuckles against his furry cheek, drawing a slightly annoyed grunt from the beast. "Don't be shy, Links. I know you're hungry. Here." Out of thin air, she magically summoned a ceramic plate that already had a few chunks of roasted turkey on top in her hand. The magic of conjuring objects out of nowhere didn't surprise the wolf anymore having witnessed it so many times.
Magic in Fiore was abundant; from what Link had observed and from what Nene had told him back in Magnolia Town, it seemed like magic and magical objects were used in everyday life for the people. Heat for warmth and cooking, sources of light as bright as the sun, storing food and fresh ingredients in a cold box – all these convenient things were provided by special crystals called Lacrima and enchanting runes.
And then there were the mages, people born with magic. They were not just street performers, entertainers, or fortune tellers; they were the skilled warriors, the mercenaries, the protectors of peace and bringers of justice in this land, according to Nene's stories. Guilds consisting of mages, much like Fairy Tail, provided a service for the people by maintaining order and helping others upon their request.
The Kingdom of Hyrule paled in comparison to what the land of Fiore was capable of in terms of magical advancements that vastly improved the lifestyles of the common folk. Even the architecture of buildings was well-advanced with metal pipes that brought clean, fresh water to homes, eliminating the need to draw water from a well or stream. Then, of course, there was the train; travelling from one major town to another did not require days on the road, but only hours. (However, it did not beat teleportation by the power of Twilight.)
Everything in Fiore was truly fascinating and full of new wondrous things, but in spite of it all, Link still yearned to return to his homeland.
He had a duty to fulfill and a promise to keep.
Bisca placed the plate of food on the ground in front of Link and said with a kind smile, "Enjoy the little snack, my friend. We'll be leaving soon, don't worry."
The wolf quietly snorted, always impressed by the woman's ability to sense what was on his mind. He politely nodded at her in thanks and began to devour his turkey, loving the taste of her cooking.
While he enjoyed his meal, Erza remarked, "You're right, Bisca, he really does have gorgeous blue eyes."
Link stiffened, but pretended not to hear the comment as he kept his attention on his plate, suddenly feeling uncomfortable to be the centre of attention. If he had the face of a man, his cheeks would no doubt be red with embarrassment…
The green-haired woman giggled. "They're as blue as the sky that he fell from," she said, gently stroking the back of the wolf's mane, making Link mentally grumble. She let out a big sigh. "Oh, I wish I could keep him! He's such a smart fellow too."
"Is that so?" the other woman asked, sounding intrigued.
While Bisca went on to list some of Link's 'unique behaviours' that defined him as intelligent from her point of view, he raised his head to meet Erza's stare once his plate was empty, seeing her studying him closely with her brown eyes. She was a warrior through and through; carefully assessing new friends and foes alike was a trait possessed only by skilled fighters and veterans of the battlefield. This woman had likely been involved in many battles in her short life. In a way, Erza reminded Link of Ashei.
Erza smiled at Link. "So this 'Divine Blade From Heaven' is what you're looking for?" she asked him personally after hearing Bisca's explanation.
Link nodded, confident that the stolen sword was truly the Master Sword.
The woman's smile twitched into a bemused smirk and her eyes narrowed inquisitively. "And this sword belongs to your master?"
Its one true master is the Hero spoken in legends… He bowed his head which was mistaken for a nod.
The armoured mage crossed her arms and leaned back. "A holy sword from the sky…" she wondered aloud, looking towards the clear blue space above. "I'd like to meet him."
Link wanted to laugh, to bellow out as loud as Big Joe, but could only manage an amused snort.
He is here before you.
A few minutes more and the mages of Fairy Tail were ready to continue on. Back on their respective mounts, the group travelled down the worn dirt path that led deeper into the forest, moving at a casual pace for the first hour so not to tire the animals too quickly.
Link had gone ahead, exploring the woods as well as scouting for any possible dangers. He ran through the wilderness like it was his home, feeling wild and free, as if a true beast. Perhaps it was because he had spent such a long time in the body of a wolf, something that had never happened before since his adventure in Hyrule had begun. He had forgotten what it felt like to run on two legs and to see, listen, and smell like an ordinary Hylian.
His heightened wolf senses could distinguish the many different songs of birds and the many different scents that made up the forest. The smell of the surrounding woods seemed familiar and it took a couple more heartbeats before he realized why. This was Vespera. He slowed to a prowling stride, recalling the day he had fallen into the river that was somewhere deep within.
He was back where he had started, but this time, he was neither lost nor alone. There were no hunters to track him either. The Master Sword had fallen in the same region, but now it has been taken. He prayed to the gods and guardians of Fiore that he would find his blade before it was too late to ever see it again.
Long after Bisca had grown bored of the same scenery consisting of nothing but trees and bushes and a dirt road, the forest had finally opened up to reveal the giant body of water sparkling under the sun that was bordered on one side by tall, rocky mountains and the thick, green forest on the other. She straightened in her saddle, her breath taken away by the serene landscape. Her wide violet eyes soaked in every detail that captivated her.
Lake Hemlock at last, she thought with a pleased smile. She heard her husband voice the same thought behind her.
Taking the lead, the sharpshooter pressed her heels into Mula's side and snapped her reins to break the horse into a run. Steel hooves pounded the dirt. The path led straight down where a number of log cabins were built near the lakeshore and continued on, winding through a thin stretch of trees and towards the mountains. Somewhere up those tall rocky cliffs was the Temple of the Light God and their client.
Using her tracking spell, Bisca could sense Links up ahead, already by the lake water's edge. She proceeded in his direction, passing by the only man-made structures she had seen in the past four hours.
At first glance, the twenty identical average-sized cabins lined up in two rows of ten on either side of the wide path looked like ordinary leisure cabins often used by campers, but upon closer inspection, Bisca noticed some differences. There were fine details carved into every wooden log and plank, depicting an overlaying pattern of elaborate feathers. Even the clay shingles on the roofs were shaped into feathers, making it appear as if the wings of giant birds were protecting the insides of each building. Mounted above every door was the carved head of a majestic falcon that had a halo of white wood above it and a shining Light Lacrima orb clamped within its beak. There were rows of bell chimes tied on white rope hanging under the roofs, softly ringing in the gentle breeze, and on the top step of each cabin were old tin cans filled with ash and the ends of incense sticks.
Behind the cabins, Bisca spotted laundry poles with newly washed clothes hanging to dry under the sun.
These cabins were likely the homes of the religious group and it didn't seem like anyone was around.
"They're all probably at the temple," said Alzack when Romeo had voiced the same question that was on Bisca's mind.
"You guys go on ahead," Bisca told her team, giving them a wave without looking back, "I'm going to get Links."
She heard her husband and Erza soundly agree and directed their mounts to follow the trail that would take them to the mountains.
Bisca steered Mula off the dirt and into the tall grass towards the lakeshore. It didn't take long to find her canine friend sitting on the sandy beach, gazing across the expanse of deep blue water, seemingly entranced by the calm scene. His ears pricked at the sound of their approach, but his attention remained on the lake.
Mula went straight for the water for a quick drink giving Bisca some time to hop off her saddle to stretch out her stiff legs. Sighing in content, she joined Links on the warm, white sand and stared off at the glistening lake, listening to the calls of water fowl and birds and the splashing of waves. The cool wind felt like a blessing over her hot skin covered in a thin sheen of perspiration. Off to the side, near the muddy sections of the shore, she could see the abundant growth of plants the lake was named after, all in full bloom. Hemlock was pretty on the outside, but poisonous on the inside. She had to be careful that Mula and Big Joe would not venture over to eat them while they were here.
"Beautitful, isn't it?" she quietly asked Links.
The wolf nodded, the gesture always bringing a smile on her face. She wanted to stay there for a little longer to enjoy the moment of peace; however she didn't want to keep her team waiting. The mage reached over and gave her furry companion a little scratch behind the ear.
"The place we're looking for is somewhere up the mountains. I'm not sure how high it is. Ready for the climb?"
Links stood up and met her gaze with his pretty blue eyes that flashed with eagerness. He nodded twice, indicating he was more than ready.
"Alright!" Bisca jumped to her feet and dusted off her behind. She hopped back onto Mula's saddle and turned the mare around. "Stay on the trail going towards the mountains!" she shouted after the wolf that sprinted ahead.
Links stopped, looked over his shoulder and nodded, once again making the woman smile.
When he disappeared from sight round a bend behind some trees, Bisca's smile turned sad. "I'm going to miss him," she said to Mula, speaking of when Links would reunite with his master. The mare softly whickered and bobbed her head up and down as if to agree.
It could still be a while before the time comes. As selfish as it sounded, Bisca was hoping to have Links for just a little while longer.
The trail snaked through the thicket. Dirt gradually turned into hard rock. The mountain pass was a gentle slope that winded around patches of trees and boulders. With Mula trotting along the way, it was easy to catch up with the others who were moving at a leisurely pace.
It felt like an hour before the group reached the temple waiting at the end of the trail which, judging by the terrific view of the lake far below, was over half-way up the first mountain.
Bisca was in awe the instant she saw the temple; it was an enormous structure carved right into the dark gray mountain side. It was nearly as grand as the Caldia Cathedral, but simpler in design. Perfectly symmetrical, the temple had a large domed roof under the main body with two pairs of bell towers on either side, each one holding a large, golden bell. Carved artistically into the mountain wall above and behind the roof was a stylized falcon with its wings spread wide and its haloed head turned to the left, superimposed over a radiant sun.
If Bisca would have to guess, the Light God was believed to be a falcon-like being.
The entrance was at the top of a flight of stone stairs that looked as appallingly tall as half the distance the group had just climbed. After dismounting, Bisca craned her head and squinted against the sunlight to spot the very last step, feeling nothing but dread at the trial before her.
The sharpshooter was panting and sweating after climbing a quarter of the way and couldn't help but complain.
"Why… so… many… steps?" she rasped, lagging behind Erza, Romeo, and Links. Her husband was nice enough to keep her company.
Alzack chuckled and gave her a sympathetic pat on the back. "What's the matter? Out of shape?" he playfully teased with a snide grin. "You shouldn't eat too many of Mira's cakes."
She glared, suddenly feeling insulted. "Wait, are you saying I'm gaining weight?" she demanded, stopping abruptly to place her hands on her hips.
The man flinched back at her look and tone. He vigorously shook his head and waved his hands before him in defense. "N-No! Not at all! You look just the same as the day I married you!" he exclaimed sheepishly.
Bisca smirked and crossed her arms at his flattery. "Why, thank you, dearest. Now, how about you carry me to the top?"
"What?" Alzack gaped at her in horror.
Bisca's lips curled into a seductive smile as she lightly poked her husband's cheek. "You heard me, Al. As punishment for that previous comment, I order you to carry me to the top."
"But…"
She raised her brow in a challenging manner.
Without a proper argument, Alzack pouted. Knowing him, it didn't take long until he abided. He sighed in defeat before turning his back to his wife and crouching low so she could hop on.
Bisca was giggling in her husband's ear as she enjoyed the rest of the trip to the plateau. It was his turn to complain the rest of the way, but he was mindful not to make another comment about Bisca's weight.
By the time the couple reached the top platform, Erza, Romeo, and Links were already waiting by the closed entrance, glancing curiously at their surroundings. When Bisca hopped off her husband's back, Alzack soundly plopped onto the floor, exhausted.
Erza smirked at Bisca as the green-haired woman approached her waiting team. "Punishment?" Titania inquired, glancing at the man by the stairs who sounded as if he had just run a five-hour marathon.
"That's right," the sharpshooter answered with wink. She peered over at the large stone doors that bore the same carving as the haloed falcon and radiant sun. "Is no one here?"
"We just got someone to notify our client of our arrival," Erza explained. "We were asked to wait."
Bisca nodded and decided to look around, seeing another engraving of the holy falcon and its sun covering the centre of the rounded platform they stood on. There were columns supporting the overhanging ledge above them and bell chimes, similar to the ones seen on the cabins, hanging in single rows. The tinkling music was a pleasant sound to the ears, easily calming all who listened.
She noticed Links sniffing around the columns with Romeo staying close to the wolf.
Bisca was hopeful the wolf had picked up a familiar scent, but after Links wandered from one spot to another and eventually turned back around to join her, it didn't seem like he found anything.
It was another five boring minutes until the lines marking the stone doors began to shine with a white light. Startled, Bisca and Alzack, having finally regained his bearings a minute ago, jumped in alarm since both of them have not seen how the doors operated in the first place.
The two, heavy, stone slabs split apart and slid sideways into their respective walls to reveal two individuals dressed in white robes standing on the other side.
The strangers stepped out and once they were clear of the entranceway, the stone doors slid back into position and echoed with a bam when the two halves collided in the middle.
Fairy Tail and Links gathered around the two people. One was a short, bald, and stout elderly man with a snow-white beard that grew down to his waist and snowy eyebrows that were thick and bushy, hiding his eyes from view. In his hand, he carried a staff that was double his height and composed of beautiful, white, entwining wood that twisted at the top to form the opened wings and head of a sacred falcon. Hovering above the bird's head and encircling its neck were two golden haloes that shone with a holy light. The magnificent staff was something Bisca had never seen before so it took a moment before she could pry her marveling eyes away from it to look over the other person standing beside the old man.
The other was a boy around his mid-teens who had a handsome young face and kind purple eyes. He had long blond hair that was neatly braided behind his back.
Their long, flowing robes were pure white with solid gold hems at the ends of the wide sleeves and the bottoms of their robes. They had belts of pale leather with a white-cloth pouch tied by one hip and a string of bells dangling on the other. Hanging down their necks were identical silver-chained necklaces that had a marble-sized Light Lacrima emitting a bright white glow as their pendants. Most unusual about their attire were the pairs of darkly tinted goggles resting atop their heads.
"Ah! Praise the Thirteen Gods," spoke the oldest of the two, clearly relieved by the sound of his tone. "I am truly blessed that you have accepted our request. I am Light Priest Jarron and this is my grandson, Rhyson. You all must be… uh, Fairy Tail, was it?"
"That is correct, sir," Erza answered first, acknowledging the pair with a firm nod. "We came as fast as we could. Can you tell us any more details about the theft other than what you have written on your posting?"
Priest Jarron wrinkled his brow and stroked his long beard as he hummed in thought. "Where to begin…" he murmured.
Bisca glanced at Links, seeing the wolf watching the men anxiously. "How about telling us what this 'Divine Blade From Heaven' looks like," she suggested.
"Ah! The sacred sword that was bestowed upon us," said the old man. Both followers of Light looked skyward, waved a hand over their shining pendants, and closed their eyes as if in silent prayer.
Bisca exchanged odd looks with her teammates, while Links simply tilted his head to the side, one ear twitching.
"A specimen of true divinity. You see, the majestic blade is forged from a metal unseen by this land," Priest Jarron continued, once again (somewhat) meeting the mages' stares. "It radiates a sacred light. White and pure. Its hilt, royal purple and flawless in which there lies a golden gem that glistens as if blessed by the sun."
"There's an engraving on the metal too," Rhyson began shyly, quick to turn red in the face when everyone's attention fell on him. He hastily reached into his pouch and pulled out a small scroll in which he unfurled to show a black-ink sketch. It was an octagon, and within that octagon was a large triangle consisting of four smaller triangles.
The instant Links saw the drawing, he perked up and nudged Bisca's leg with his nose to get her attention.
His blue eyes flickered from the scroll and back to Bisca, telling her that he recognized the symbol.
The sharpshooter gave him a curt nod and asked the pair in white, "Has there been anyone asking about this sword since it fell into your temple?"
The priest and his grandson both shook their heads. "No. No one other than our temple worship knew of the sword," Priest Jarron began, "The holy gift was granted only to us and so we had sworn to protect the sacred sword, keeping it a secret to the outside world, waiting for Light to guide the one worthy to claim its power. But then – oh tragic fate! It was… stolen! Oh, Light God, forgive us! Forgive us!" His pleas for forgiveness dropped to a whisper.
Erza furrowed her brow and brought an armoured hand to her chin in thought. "You wished to keep it secret and yet you have requested the help of mages after it was stolen," she stated. "You have exposed the sword to all of Fiore. Was that your intention?"
"If it meant recovering the holy blade from scandalous thieves, then yes… it was intentional," the elder sighed. Although it was hard to tell due to his thick eyebrows, Bisca was certain he was looking between each member of Fairy Tail standing proudly before him. "Please, I ask you all to find the Divine Blade From Heaven. It is in the wrong hands and we wish to give it to its rightful owner. If it's not Jewels that you want, we have other treasures we can part."
"The Jewels are good enough," said Bisca, giving the pair a confident nod. "We'll do our best in finding this sword." And its owner, right Links? She exchanged a knowing smile with her canine friend by her side.
"Hmm. If no one on the outside has seen this sword, then it's possible that someone on the inside has taken it for their own means," Erza deduced.
Both men in white were shocked by that possible belief. "No, that's impossible!" the Priest exclaimed. "All of us have sworn to Light to guide our ways. We are devout! Never to stray from our shining path. Greed has no place here."
"Well, not everyone can live such a boring life for so long I suppose," Alzack grumbled mostly to himself.
Bisca elbowed him in the ribs for the rude comment. "It's a possibility we can't overlook," she began, hoping neither of the followers of Light had overheard her husband. "Can we see the altar in which the sword was stolen? Maybe there will be some clues that will help us find out who really did it."
"The altar? Yes. Yes. You may," replied the priest as he shuffled around to face the door. He lightly tapped the floating, golden ring of his staff against the stone and activated the spell that controlled the doors. The engravings flashed white and the two slabs of stone soundly slid into the walls.
Before anyone could take a step, Rhyson nervously spoke up; "Um… There's no pets allowed inside... if that's okay?" He looked apologetically at Links and the mages.
Bisca could tell the wolf was not very happy. She placed a hand atop the head of her furry companion to calm him down. "You're mistaken," she said, "Links isn't a pet. He's a member of our team. You want to find those thieves fast, right? Well, our friend here has the nose for it. He can track them down."
Rhyson looked bashfully at his grandfather whom nodded. "Very well. The dog can come in," the elder complied, waving them all in.
"He's actually a wolf," Bisca murmured, although only a few heard her. She smiled nonetheless. Links nodded at her in appreciation and followed her into the entrance.
However, he didn't get very far. He let out a startled yelp a second before passing through the doorway.
Bisca twirled around and was kneeling before the stunned beast with worry. "What's wrong? What happened?"
"What's the matter?" asked Alzack as he and the others gathered around.
Links huffed and nodded at the entrance. He then cautiously approached the opening and slowly pawed the air where the doors normally closed shut. There was a brief flash of white electricity coming from an invisible energy barrier that shocked the wolf, forcing him to jerk away immediately.
Suddenly, Priest Jarron pointed the end of his holy staff at the beast and cried with indignation, "A demon?! You dare try to trick us?!"
Bisca quickly faced the angry old man and stood between his staff and Links while Alzack moved to stand protectively before his wife. Over Alzack's shoulder, Bisca tried to settle the unexpected situation.
"Whoa! Hey! Easy there," she said in a firm tone, speaking to the priest like he was a wild animal about to attack. "Links is not a demon! I assure you!"
"Not a demon?" the priest demanded, his eyebrows knitted together in an angry scowl, "Then explain why that creature of yours cannot pass through Light's enchanted gate? Beings of the Dark cannot enter this sacred temple and your beast is one of them!"
It was Bisca's turn to be angry. She gently pushed her husband aside and moved to stand in front of the elder, her eyes ablaze. "So what if he can't enter? That's no reason to judge his nature because of that," she snarled. She glanced back at Links, meeting his bewildered stare. "He is not evil or any other dark creature you believe he is."
"Yeah, there's probably some kind of mistake," said Alzack.
"And he's not dangerous!" Romeo added, but the stubborn old man refused to listen to either.
Bisca knew with all her heart that Links was not a demon disguised as a wolf. He was no monster either. So why could he not pass through the holy barrier? There was no time to ponder over that, leaving her with no choice but to leave Links behind for a brief moment.
"He will stay out here, how about it?" Bisca suggested, keeping a stern expression. "He won't cause any trouble. We'll just take a quick look at the altar while he waits right here. We promise you, there will be no harm done to your people or your temple."
Priest Jarron stiffened his lower lip, obvious not liking the idea, while his grandson stood awkwardly beside him.
It took one tense minute before the old man finally relented. He pulled back his staff, tapped its pointy bottom against the floor, and said in a gruff tone, "May Light smite its wicked soul if it dares to trespass again. You may come in, but that creature must stay far from these doors, understand?"
Bisca reluctantly nodded. She truly did not want to subject her friend to such treatment, but there was little she could do to change the situation. She kneeled before Links and lightly scratched his chin in hope of cheering him up. "Best you stay by the steps, got it?" she whispered to him and he slowly half-nodded, obviously disgruntled by the sudden turn of events.
"We'll make sure to look for every clue we can get, don't worry."
Again he nodded, trusting her.
She gave him an assuring smile. As she stood, she kissed the top of his nose. "Be back soon."
"I can stay with him," Romeo offered, staying on the outside of the entrance while the others began to walk inside.
The sharpshooter smiled in thanks. "Sure. Both of you keep out of trouble," she warned teasingly, hoping to lighten the mood.
"We will," said Romeo, grinning. Links nodded and let out a short grunt.
The doors slid shut behind Bisca and collided with a loud bam that echoed through the wide halls made of polished stone. As she silently followed her husband, she zoned out the priest's ramble about some ancient legend affiliated with their Temple of the Light God. All she could think about was the mysterious wolf she had left on the other side of the closed doors.
A/N: Thanks to Icyicy3 for the idea of Link not being able to enter the temple due to his curse!
Ever seen dog owner's kiss their dogs on the nose. I think it's really cute.
If you have to choose your favorite animal, would it be a fox or a raccoon?
Thanks for reading!