Disclaimer: GrimGrave does not own any of the characters featured; they belong to their respective franchises of Nintendo and Shouzou Kaga, Namco Bandai and Arc System Works. GrimGrave does not make money for writing fiction.
Didn't think I had forgotten this, did you? ;)
To Hunt Down a Hylian
Chapter 12
Stranded in the Unknown?
The young Hylian stirred. His body was numb and ached all over, and his head and mind was in a cloudy haze that threatened to rob him of consciousness again. Cracking his eyes a bit more open, Link forced himself awake as he struggled to get up from the mud and grass on wobbly limbs.
Senses still being dulled, the Hylian looked around regardless, peering curiously around to see trees, fog, and more trees – trees that stretched boundlessly and skyward, blocking the light of day with gangly, leaf-clad arms. What little sunlight that managed to filter through faded quickly against the mist.
Rubbing his left temple in a vain attempt to quell the throbbing pain, Link's eyes suddenly shot wide open as he took a second look around in a panicked frenzy.
Where was everyone else?
And where was he?
Link got up on unstable legs, heart racing. He remembered the old man – Mau – cast his dreaded spell, and his final words came back as if the warlock was right behind him and whispering, ´Begone, and perish in the void between dimensions!´
"The Void between Dimensions?" The Hylian's heart sank. Had their entire group been sent away to other worlds? Had they all even ended up in different ones? In his panic, the young man's head began to spin, forcing him down to his knees to ground himself as nausea kicked in. His vision swam and for a moment, Link was sure he would throw up, but the agony vanished after a few minutes. He got back up again.
"I should get moving…" Link thought out loud and strode off. He wouldn't find any answers by standing idle –
Then the silence broke; loud explosions went off and the Hero turned to the direction of the noise. Perhaps-
´Noel!´
Link dashed, running as fast as he could on his tired legs, following the noise of explosions.
The gunslinger's eyes narrowed, soft lips drawing a thin line as her guns went off, blasting apart a monstrous wolf-creature and crashing into a group of small skeletons – the size of children – with a smouldering smash.
"What are these things?" She took aim, the muzzle of her weapons blasting away yet another group of skeletons and keeping a second wolf-monster at bay. "The more I shoot, the more keeps coming back."
Noel was surrounded. With a thick tree behind her and the endless waves of monsters barring any escape routes, the gunslinger kept firing into the enemy masses, but each gap was soon retaken by the steadily growing numbers of monsters, yet she didn't bat an eye.
"NOEL!" The blonde saw the green-garbed Hylian from the corner of her eye.
"Link…" She nodded at him, and her guns fired off another round. As she cleared the monsters to her right, Link's Spin Attack cleared her left side. "You're here as well?"
"Seems like it," the Hyrulian replied as he bashed his shield against one of the creatures. "Let's talk after we get rid of these monsters!"
"Gladly." Olive-green eyes glanced occasionally at the young man. ´Funny…Seeing him like this…´ She shot a skeleton right in the head, but the blast-radius sent nearby ones flying. ´Rikku was right… he's kind of…´
She shook her head. It was pointless to dwell on anything else right now, but the thought was filed away for later – and Noel knew that the thought would come back, whether she liked it or not.
The duo proceeded to make short work of the creatures; Link slashing those who got close, whilst Noel shot those at the back until, finally, the last of the monsters scurried off into the mist.
When the coast was clear, Link slumped against the tree to catch his breath, and the gunslinger observed him carefully. They made a good team, she noted. Besides, watching the Hylian like this, sweaty and out of breath, was kind of… enticing to watch. She imagined he'd wear a similar look on his face if they were-
Quickly holstering her guns, Noel's face was suffused with heat and quickly looked away as she occupied herself with buttoning her cloak. ´What am I even thinking?!´
"Noel…" She turned around, but didn't reply. "You wouldn't have happened to see any sign of the others, would you?"
She swallowed hard. "…No. I-I w-w-w-woke up a l-little while a-ago…"
"I see…" Link sighed. "…We need to find them as quickly as possible. There's no telling where they might've ended up… But I'm kind of confused…"
"W-what is it…?"
"These monsters… I've met them before. Those were wolfos' and stal-children. If they're here, then we must still be in Hyrule… or at least in the same world." He rubbed his temples. "I suppose we are lucky… The problem is that we still don't know where we are."
Noel gulped nervously. "…P-perhaps w-w-we… should m-move and s-see if we f-find any c-c-clues…?" she suggested quietly, not meeting the male's gaze. She heard a soft chuckle and suddenly there was something warm on her shoulder, and the blonde looked up to see Link smiling at her.
´He's close-!´
"That's a good idea, Noel. Let's get moving – we have to hurry."
Heart racing underneath her breast, Noel nodded, struggling to her joy as she quietly followed behind the Hylian and stole glances in his direction as they strode into the mist…
x.X.x.X.x
"How is the fire going?" Cassandra asked as she returned to her rest area. It was a miracle that an unoccupied cave had existed in the vicinity – an area consisting of snowy mountains – that provided shelter from the frigid winds. Bewildered and scared, the Grecian would've perished in the snow had not the cobalt-haired swordswoman found her.
"I managed to get a fire going, but it'll die out if we don't get more wood," Lucina replied. She frowned at the small flame she had managed to create. "Did you perchance find anything?"
"There's just snow and rock out there, but I managed to salvage a little," Cassandra said and beamed. "It should last for a little while."
Lucina nodded but didn't look too pleased. After the events with confronting the warlock, it had seemed that his spell was intended to teleport his opponents to different areas – that much was clear – but the most important questions remained; were they in the same world? And where were the others?
As the few twigs were fed to the flames both women let out pleased sighs from the rising level of warmth.
"I really needed this," Cassandra stated. "But this won't last forever."
"…" Lucina only nodded.
"So what do we do? We can't stay in this cave forever." There was anxiety in her voice – impatience, even. Lucina understood.
"The winds will eventually calm down," the blue-haired swordswoman commented. "It'll be less cold, so we should be able to travel and find a way to get down from this mountain."
The blonde didn't look convinced. "What if it gets colder as we traverse the mountain? We might not find another cave." She quickly shook her head. "No, sorry! I should remain positive! We'll find the others and give that warlock a piece of our minds!"
Lucina let out a soft chuckle. "…That's right. We will get out of here. But until the winds die down, we should plan our next move."
"Gladly!" Cassandra answered. She studied her comrade's face a moment. "You seem so…unfazed, Lucina. Were you in the military forces in your world?"
The other swordswoman looked away. "…Kind of. But I had this… uhm… friend who was a skilful tactician – always thinking several steps ahead. I tried to learn from her and thought; "what would she do in this situation?" you know?" She smiled weakly as her gaze settled on the fire, her eyes vacant, distant for a moment. "And I think if we are quick enough, we should be able to cover a lot of ground so we don't have to deal with the winds."
The Grecian nodded and pondered. "…It did look like we weren't too high up…"
"I noticed it as well. However, the tricky part is to find safe passage down. I suggest we rest for as long as we can and when the snowstorm calms down, we scout for a way that can lead us down the mountain."
"I suppose you're right…"
They fell into silence, the only sound breaking it being the howling of the wind and the crackle of fire. The maidens sat there and watched absentmindedly while they brooded.
After a small eternity and a few more twigs fed to the fire, the blonde shield-maiden broke the quietness. "I wonder where he is."
The bluette looked up. "Who, Link?"
"Yes. Wherever he is, I hope he is alright and safe…" Her expression became somber as she continued, "I need to find him again, and quickly."
"We need to find everyone, not just him." Lucina's gaze returned back to the fire. She noticed the other female shift opposite her, but missed the second-long moment of hurt in bright green eyes. "We'll need all the help we can get when we relocate the warlock."
"I know! I just…" Cassandra's words trailed off. Her hands balled up into fists in her lap. "I care about him, and I know he can take care of himself. But if anything were to happen to Link, I… I couldn't take it."
Lucina met the Grecian's eyes curiously. "Do you and Link perchance have a history together?" she asked, and she didn't know what had compelled her to, but part of the bluette wanted to find out.
"…"
Still watching the fire, Cassandra eventually smiled shyly, like a little girl admitting a crush to her parents. "We kind of do; we used to travel together some time back. We bonded well during that time and became close friends."
Something about the way she spoke reminded Lucina of the way princess Zelda had talked about the green-garbed male; it held the same affectionate tone.
"Taki can handle herself – she always has. And while Link is no slouch, I have to find him again. Not knowing where he is makes me worried. I want to watch his back and stand by his side, just like we used to do."
Lucina stifled a gasp from escaping her throat. There was no mistaking it: Cassandra's "caring" for Link ran deeper than she let on. But the Hylian princess was in love with him too, right? This couldn't end well for either of them. And yet, despite learning of this, the bluette swordswoman remained quiet. She didn't understand why she did or why a trickle of irritation settled in her chest.
´We need everyone's help – not just his – if we are to succeed… that's how I feel,´ she thought. Yes, that was it.
Thinking no more of it, Lucina fed the fire some more wood and minded her own businesses.
x.X.x.X.x
Link and Noel ran through the foliage, their pursuers following suit. A small pack of Wolfos had tracked them down and despite the duo's efforts, they kept coming back. The thick forest echoed with the creatures' howls and snarls, but the terrain didn't fair them any better than the human they were hunting, much to said blondes' relief. They were running alongside what looked like a crevasse – the absence of light made it difficult to tell.
"We can't run forever!" Noel shouted without a hint of fatigue, her guns firmly gripped in her hands. "Let's end this already."
"It's too narrow to fight here!" Link retorted. "If we can find a clearing we'll be able to –"
"Not for me – and we will be too tired to fight if we have to run any further." Before the Hylain could muster a respond the gunslinger stopped in her tracks and spun around, graciously like a dancer, and fired away.
1, 2, 3… 3 blasts, 4 painful roars. Link hadn't even turned around before it was over, but the number of Wolfos didn't appear to be any less. He drew the Master Sword from its scabbard and dashed over to Noel –
"Watch out!"
-and pierced one of the creatures just in time, his blade entering and exiting the monster with a sickening noise. With the trees and rocks so narrowly together, the Hylian had a difficult time to properly slash – he could stab, but rarely did the action finish off his foe and allowed it to stumble back for another attack.
Four more shots were heard and just as many corpses of their pursuers fell limply to the ground, but Wolfos' leapt from the bushes seemingly infinitely; for every one wolfos that fell, two more took its place.
And soon, they were surrounded. The monsters that weren't attacking circled around the duo, waiting for their chance whenever one of their own fell. Link understood then that the monsters knew of their predicament; they too knew that they couldn't attack all at once due to the cramped space and sent few in a time in the hopes of tiring their prey out while skulking in the shadows.
Link grit his teeth. This could keep on forever. He scoured the area, despite the absence of illumination. And then he saw it: a tunnel made of rock or wood, he couldn't tell, but it looked similar to the tunnel-paths in Lost Woods. It appeared big enough for the two of them to escape into, but it was behind the creatures.
"Noel!" he shouted. "Aim for the Wolfos' to your left! We can escape through the pathway behind them!"
"Very well."
The monsters were dealt with – shot clean through their skulls – shortly after and the two made a dash for the entrance –
A blood-curling growl caught them off-guard and a Wolfos – this one bigger than the others – leapt at them as if from nowhere. Its massive front paw was raised –
"Noel, watch out!"
-and swiped at the girl – a short-lived shriek and a dull sound – the force of the attack hurling her towards the tunnel, her head hitting the edge of the archway before she limply stumbled downwards the dark.
"NOEL!" Link froze for a split second in fear, his body unable to respond. Then he ran, and fast, to the entrance whilst he ignored the dangers even as hungry maws closed in around him. His companion had fallen into the shadowy passageway. So dark was it that he could see nothing other.
Ire overtook him.
The growls and howls came closer. Without thinking, Link sheathed his sword. Searching his enigmatic pack, he picked up a single bomb, its fuse already lit as he threw it straight into the heart of the advancing pack. Fire rendered flesh, singed fur, and scorched earth as the beasts were obliterated.
Raising his shield, Link took the shockwave straight on and was soon falling down the pathway as well.
x.X.x.X.x
It was quiet. Only the faint noise of crickets and the wind rustling dead leaves broke the silence.
Link let out a groan as he shifted on the ground; his back hurt all over and so did his head. Bearing it, the young Hylian forced himself up, though he managed only to sit up – any further movement made his body scream at him to stop. Despite this, Link scoured his surroundings, but everything in this forest looked the same. The tunnel where Noel and he had fallen down through disappeared into the rocky outcropping and the trees –
´Noel…!´
The gunslinger was fortunately just beyond arm's reach and Link crawled over to her side. Noel was bleeding from her head; her temple was bruised and soiled crimson.
He gently nudged her. "Noel… Noel." She vaguely stirred, but no response. She was unconscious. Link sighed. "Good thing I stocked up on potions…" Ignoring the pain from the action, he fished up a bottle of red potion and uncorked it as he carefully slid a hand under the girl's head and brought the bottle to her lips.
´There's still time…´
The scarlet liquid poured past her lips, but nothing happened. Link, fearing the worst, poured some more, but Noel's wounds didn't heal. Most of the potion dribbled down the corners of her mouth but the small amount that didn't should have healed her wounds somewhat.
´Is she not drinking it?´
Things looked bleak. There was no telling how long Noel had bled for, and worst case scenario…
Link shook his head. Despite how things started off between them, Noel was a comrade; if there was a chance to save her, he had to take it! And, of course, there was a way… if Noel couldn't drink the potion herself, then –
The Hylian blushed at the thought. ´This doesn't count,´ he thought as he brought the bottle to his lips. The red potion always had a hint of sweetness in its taste, and he smiled inwardly, knowing that he'd have his share after.
He looked at Noel; despite the bruises and the blood, she looked… well, cute – not quite as Zelda – but cute enough. Even if this was for the sake of saving her, the idea made Link hesitant. It felt as if he was about to steal a kiss from her, and who in their right mind enjoyed that?
…Noel is rather cute, though…
Steeling himself, Link leant down and focused solely on saving the gunslinger as their lips touched and the red fluid poured into Noel's mouth. It surprised him how soft Noel's lips actually were; they were invitingly pleasant and the Hylian caught himself brushing them with his own a moment too long. The second he noticed her drinking it down he withdrew and sighed in relied as her wounds finally healed up.
The blonde stirred and tired eyelids fluttered as Noel slowly woke up, olive-green orbs meeting azure. She blinked once, then twice, and her expression – previously groggy and tired, became wide-eyed and blushing.
"Looks like you're better," Link said and chuckled before drinking up the rest of his potion. The sweetness seemed to travel through his whole being and drove the pain away. "How are you feeling? Can you stand?"
She only nodded.
"Okay… Good." Link stood up and dusted himself off. "We should get going… There's no telling if there are any more of those beasts out there."
He continued on talking about something (something about how familiar the area looked), but the gunslinger didn't hear it – she gazed up at him, red as a beetroot, as she touched her lips carefully. He looked very… dashing, standing there.
"…are. …Noel? Are you listening?"
"Ah! S-sorry, no…" she admitted. "W-what did you say…?"
"I said," he repeated, "That I think I know where we are."
To be continued.