"... Well... I wasn't expecting this..." The little Deku Scrub girl began. "Where is everyone!? I was expecting, oh, I don't know, to be jumped by a bunch of scales-for-brains by now."
She glanced around at the inside of the fortress. It was completely empty, aside from a couple dead lizalfos laying on the ground, which caused Iris to give a silent "Ew..." It looked like they were attacked with claws, not weapons. As their armer had clean slices going through them.
She began to step forward, growing farther from the safety that was the exit. "Something's not right Skits... There were thousands of 'em last time, I could've sworn it."
The black bird, Skits, that was perched on her head gave a low bird-like moan in agreement.
"...Vitani?" She called "Orion...? Kyutah...? Are y'all here...?" ... Silence was all that she got as a reply, as she continued her steps forward. Then suddenly, a chill of discomfort ran through her. This completely screwed up the plan that the goron leader had... To start it off, Iris needed to lead all the lizalfos away, but there were none… She guessed that was a good thing, since no one was in here. They could just run right in now, right? An other-worldly gurgling began growing louder, as it echoed through the empty fortress. Iris took a step back as she began to panic. "Uhh..."
Stomp...stomp...stomp! The loud stomp grew closer. The sound of large claws clicking the floor with each step... Then a sudden utter silence fell onto the room once more.
"What in then name of Din...?" Iris questioned under her voice.
"Groooaaarrrr!"
"YIPE-!" Iris squeaked, nearly falling backwards. The large steps began growing once more, this time, at a faster pace. From a corner, peaked the large head of a dragon-like monster! It was no lizalfos, nor did it seem like a dragalfos. It was wyvern-like. It had two back legs and no front legs, and sported two large wings. It's horns curled around it's head. It's unusual features were it's four eyes! All of which had it's sights set on the little brown deku scrub below it. It growled and gurgled as it sniffed towards her.
Iris was now scared mindless, shaking mildly. "If I get out alive, I'll kill Darmorn... STUPID PLAN!" She shouted as she began to back up against the wall.
"H-hey... look big guy, when I said scales-for-brains earlier, I wasn't p-pointing it at you... Y-you look like a sociable guy-er girl…" She peaked down at it's underbelly for a moment, then looked back up at it. "What ever you are... So maybe we could just forget we met, and leave our own ways?"
It roared loudly, lunging down soon after, snapping it's jaws at Iris. She hopped out of the way, as Skits flew up. "I'll take that as a no!" quickly, she headed for the hall the beast had come from. It didn't take long for it to realize where she'd gone, and soon began persute. "Help!" Iris screamed. She looked back, as she saw it catching up quickly.
"...What.. Is that...?" She asked with worry in her tone. Inside it's mouth, she saw sparks. "Oh gosh... It can breathe fire!"
Just as she'd finnished, a large stream of fire came shooting from it's mouth, and onto the floor next to Iris. She screamed and hopped away, and turned down into a room ahead. The beast attempted to follow her, but the room was to small for it to even get it's head in. It breathed fire once more. Iris was squeezed up in a small corner, as far from the flames as possible. The beast eventually gave up, and left.
Iris shakily looked back out, to find it was all clear. She looked back towards the entrance... All was quiet again. "W-what was that about...? That thing wasn't here before, Skits..." She walked out, dusting herself off. Skits hopped out behind her.
"C'mon, forget the goron's stupid plans, I'm finding the others.
As she continued down the hallway once more, her fiery colored orbs were set ahead of herself as she listened to her quiet steps. It seemed the walk went on forever. She was paranoid that dragon would show up again, though. That still worried her, because there were no signs before of a large dragon living in the stronghold before. Skits, as usual, perched up on her head, watching behind Iris. He suddenly shot his head up and made low caw.
"What is it buddy?" Iris asked. Skits hopped off her head and onto the floor, and pointed his beak toward a room further down. With caution, she stepped closer to the room ahead. "Do I hear... Fighting?" Before she could open the busted up door, the wall next to the door came crashing open into a rubbled mess, as a lizalfos was thrown out into the hall. Iris' eyes grew upon seeing the lizard-like creature being thrown through the wall.
Iris slowly looked back to the hole in the wall, as a hand with extremely sharp claws stepped out of the dust that was kicked up. The figure of a large creature had grown visible. Gripping the wall was a paw-padded hand, equipped with sharp knife-like claws. The features in the face? A long muzzle complete with sharp canines. It appeared to be a type of biped wolf. It's thick-furred tail swung back and forth vigorously. It's fur was dark red with a black muzzle, underbelly, and black coated it's arms and legs.
Iris stuttered and stumbled aback until she fell backwards.
"W-w-wolfos!? It's h-huge!" Her distinct fear of the creatures left her terrified of the sight before her, as this creature gazed down at her. It's crimson orbs looked over her as it snorted lightly, as if catching it's breath after the fight. It seemed a bit roughed up, but no serious wounds. Iris backed up more, still laying on the dusty floor. The wolf bent down to look at Iris. Skits could a see kindness in the wolf's eyes, and hopped to it as he cocked his head slightly.
Iris closed her eyes as she shook. "Just get it over with!"
"Get what over with?"
Iris peeked an eye open, before looking ahead of her. Bent down in front of her now was a woman dressed in blue, black and red. She bore the Triforce symbol on her clothes above her chest. She had long red hair and had six black feathers that were on each side of her head in her hair. She had the same crimson eyes the wolf had, however.
"W-where'd that wolfos go...?" Iris stuttered in question.
"Lycan, actually." The woman kindly corrected. She reached a hand out to Iris. "That was me... Sorry if I scared you."
Iris gazed up at her, before nervously taking her hand. "Y-you?!"
She helped Iris to her feet. "My name is Ryuko."
Iris looked down at Skits, then looked back up at Ryuko "Um, I'm Iris."
Ryuko walked back into the room that the lizalfos was once in. Iris followed close behind. "So uh, how'd you end up here?"
"These lizalfos captured me." Ryuko replied.
"Same with me. Though, I escaped." Iris replied.
Ryuko looked back "Then why'd you come back?"
"To save some friends of mine. I shouldn't have left them here." Iris replied with guilt in her tone.
Ryuko drew her attention ahead once more. "I'm looking for some people too. I'd met with four others in the underground tunnels, they were under attack by lizalfos and dragalfos. We were seperated though, when a dragon attacked."
Iris simply listened. She soon spoke however "Was there a purple haired guy with them? He could use spells and stuff?"
Ryuko approached a corner that led two ways, one down stairs and one up stairs. "Vitani?"
"So you know them!" Iris stopped. "Wait, four?"
Ryuko gave a small nod "A woman about my age was with them, her name was Grayson."
"I guess they met her after I split." Iris replied.
Ryuko and Iris turned to the stair case leading up. "This place is huge. I wonder how long it's been here?" Ryuko asked.
"Don't know. What I want to know is where all lizalfos went." Iris replied back.
Ryuko began closing in on the end of the stair case above. "That I can't answer I'm afraid- aside from the ones I killed, of course."
Once on the top floor, they examined the surrounding area, checking for any of the fortress dwellers. It was abandoned, as everything was dusty and covered in cobwebs. "I've got a better place than this, and I live in tree..." Iris stated.
"None of this has been used recently, I don't think we'll find anything up here." Ryuko said as she wiped her hand across a busted up weapon rack, leaving her hand covered in dust.
Iris looked around, then continued forward.
Ryuko caught a familiar scent in the air using her lycan senses. "Hold up..." Ryuko looked around "There's something above us, Iris, C'mon!" She took to her Lycan form, and lifted Iris up off the ground, and climbed the wall. Iris grew wide eyed the further they got off the ground.
Sure enough, Ryuko had found a hidden area above them behind an old torn flag high up the rugged rocky wall. She ripped the flag off, and climbed into the tunnel. Iris dusted herself off when Ryuko sat her down. "Wow, you're good!"
Ryuko detransformed. "Thank you." They continued through the hidden passage. Silence befell the whole way through. It was a long walk. The tunnel was empty and seemed to have been forgotten long ago. It appeared a couple fights had taken place up here, due to some carcasses. Ryuko spotted light shining through another bit of cloth ahead, another flag no doubt. Iris was holding Skits and scratching his neck.
Ryuko grabbed the torn up flag and moved it out of her view, to see a huge chamber ahead.
"Well, I found all the of them."
crowded into the chamber, were the hundreds of the missing beasts. "It's huge in here... Things aren't looking too good, this is one big army they got." Iris said. She gazed over, and looked into a hall way as a dragalfos had been forcing someone into the room. "Hey, Look!" She pointed out. "It's Orion!" Iris looked down.
"What're you doing Iris!" Ryuko asked. Iris began climbing down the wall "Get back here, wait!" Ryuko continuously looked out, to make sure no one saw her. She realized if she were to follow Iris, the dragalfos would notice her. And seeing the count of this army, she would just wear herself out trying to fight.
Iris weaved through the countless beasts unnoticed, thanks to size, and ran into the room.
Ryuko turned, figuring there might be another way of getting to her without running into trouble.
Iris hid when she saw the dragalfos walk back through, then once he was out of sight, she made a break for the end of the hall. At the end of the hall, she came to a door around the corner. "Shoot..." Iris quickly zipped back behind the corner and groaned. There were two lizalfos guarding the door. "Is there an end to these things?" She whispered.
She then gazed down at Skits "Why don't we give 'em the ol' run-around?" Iris asked. If she could show expression with her mouth, she'd have a wicked smile on right now to match her tone.
Skits gave a nod, before flying out toward the two lizalfos' guarding the door, and began to poke and peck at them. In a rage, they took off after the bird as he flew away down into the another room. Iris chuckled, walking to the door as if she'd just accomplished something big. She jumped off the ground to grab the door knob, and weakly turned it. The door slowly swung open, and just then, she let go of the door knob, and continued her way through.
Vitani looked up and sighed. "Another cell... Wonderful."
Once again, the four: Vitani, Orion, Kyutah and Grayson, found themselves bound in chains in yet another cell, except it was a little cleaner.
"I'm growing fed up with this." Grayson said as she moved a stick around the dirt below her.
Kyutah nodded "You're not the only one."
Orion gazed outside the cell, as if thinking of a way to get out.
"Hello!?" Called a familiar squeaky voice.
Vitani suddenly rose his head "Huh?"
Orion seemed to look up some, before realizing who he'd heard.
Around the corner came the small Deku Scrub girl in her bright petal clothes. Her eyes lit with excitement when she spotted the four.
"Y'all are alright!" Iris shouted with glee in her voice.
A smile spread across Vitani's face "Iris! It's so good to see you!"
"What do you know!" Kyutah added in.
Orion smiled "It seems you're okay."
Grayson gazed out "You all know her?"
Vitani looked to Grayson "We were all stuck in the same cell when I was brought here."
Skits came gliding back in.
Iris crossed her arms "Now, to break you all out... How?"
Skits dropped a shining thing on the floor in front of Iris. She glanced down at it, and picked it up "Keys?"
She gave a quick glance at Skits "You little thief you." A chuckle mixed with her tone. Skits gave a 'proud' pose.
With keys in hand, she stood on her toes, just barely getting the key in the key hole. Iris removed the key once the door came open, and ran into the cell. She went from all four, unlocking the shackles. "You all helped me, so I plan on helping you."
Once she released Grayson, she gazed up to her and asked. "You must be Grayson?"
She smiled lightly "Yes, how'd you know?"
"A friend told me, nice meeting you." Iris finished.
Grayson bent down and shook her hand "Likewise."
Vitani stepped to Iris. "Where've you been? We searched pretty far for you."
Iris blinked "You were searching for me...?" She seemed a bit taken aback at first, before answering his question. "I was able to escape... I felt awful leaving you all here though, so I came back. And even brought the Goron tribe and a friend of mine named Orange. They're somewhere around the fortress grounds, they had a plan, but I kinda' ditched it and came looking for you all." Iris paused and kicked the dirt at her feet "Sorry for leaving you all behind, I should've stayed..."
Vitani listened closely, before smiling once more "It's okay, you had me worried though. Glad you're okay!" He paused, then spoke "I say we find the goron tribe and Orange, and get out of here!"
Joy filled Iris at the moment "Agreed! Termina is driving me mad, I want to go back to Hyrule."
SLAM!
Iris jumped, and hid behind Vitani. It seemed her courage faded a little.
The door Iris had entered through was now closed tightly, and stalking toward the five were the two lizalfos guards. "The little brat and her flying rat, I see you've returned..." One cackled.
"Hey!" Iris snapped "He's a bird, not a rat... Idiot..."
Orion unsheathed his sword.
Vitani, with his hands free now from the shackles, grabbed his staff, conjuring up a wind spell. "Everyone stay behind me!"
Vitani set forth a enormous gust of wind, knocking the guards off their feet. And now that they were off guard, Vitani signaled those behind him to run.
In the midst of their escape, Grayson felt a tight grip grab her leg. She looked down, as one of the lizalfos were trying to pull her down. Orion took his sword and jabbed it's tail when he came running by, causing the lizalfos to release Grayson with a shriek. Grayson soon followed everyone out. Orion shut the door behind him, and locked it.
"Now what!?" Iris shouted. flooding in from the halls, were lizalfos, all being led by a few dragalfos. "Gosh, de-ja-vu!" Iris stated, looking back on the time she was surrounded by guards in Hyrule Castle a while back.
Before the five were sandwiched between the hoard of beasts, every single lizalfos stopped, as did the dragalfos. They all looked to the wall above the escapees. There was pounding behind it. Dust fell off the bricks with each pound. Kyutah looked up. "Everyone, move!"
With that, they moved just in time to miss a ton of bricks collapsing onto the floor. The lizalfos stepped back, seeing the black and red lycan, known as Ryuko, peering down at them through the hole in the wall, growling, her canines gleamed in the bit of light that was in the room. Knowing her strength, they ran in fear.
"Where are you going cowards!?" A dragalfos roared. He looked back up to have claws swipe across his face, throwing him to the floor as he roared in pain.
"Get the chief, now!" Another one called. It was soon that the beasts all fled.
Grayson looked up to Ryuko "Thank you!"
Ryuko nodded with a growl. She then pointed to the hole she broke through the wall. One by one, she helped them all get into the tunnel that the hole led into.
She climbed in right after them, and de-transformed. "Is everyone okay!?"
Iris looked down upon hearing clamoring. Now, there were more dragalfos than before coming. "I think check ups will have to wait!" She quickly went running, the others following.
"Follow them!" A dragalfos roared out.
One by one, dragalfos climbed into the tunnel hole, and taking chase.
Iris huffed with each panicked step, she'd look back occasionally to see everyone was still right behind her, but not too far back from them, were the angry dragon-like beasts. Iris threw her view towards the front of her once more, spotting the bones of some unlucky person, but also next to it were two old rusted blades. Once she came close enough, she reached down, and grabbed one- lifting with effort due to being heavy. "Everyone, get out of the way!" Iris shouted.
Vitani was about to ask why, but stopped himself upon noticing Iris holding the blade, figuring she was about to do something dangerous- stupid even. Everyone ran ahead, than stopped.
Iris gave a hard swing to the blade, aiming for a dragalfos' chest, though, only hitting it's leg. It stumbled forward with a pained cry, and soon fell. Others behind it had stumbled over the injured dragalfos, forming a jam in their chase.
"Go everyone!" Iris shouted, as she began pushing everyone forward again. Ryuko was at the front now, then spotted a two way tunnel. "Follow me!" Ryuko made a sharp turn down one of the darkened tunnel ways.
Once the dragalfos got back to their feet and began the chase again, their prey was now gone. They pushed forward anyway, passing the other tunnel that the six had turned into.
Iris clung to Vitani. The only thing that could be seen in the dark tunnel now was Iris' glowing eyes, and Kyutah's slight glow. Ryuko being a wolf of sorts, could see fine in the dark.
"We're never getting out of this stupid fortress..." Iris muttered, holding Skits in her arms.
Vitani looked down where the glowing eyes were "Don't say that, I'm sure we'll be out of here before you know it."
"I hope you're right..." Iris replied.
Orion stuck close to the front, surveying the dark around him, keeping an eye out for any speck of light that meant an exit.
Ryuko continued onward, when something caught her attention "Anyone hear that?"
"No." Orion replied.
Grayson looked around "Hear what?"
"I'm not really sure, it sounds like... hissing. It's far ahead." Ryuko replied. "Wait, I smell a bomb..."
Everyone stopped in their tracks. Iris made a high-pitched squeak upon hearing that. "A bomb!?"
Ryuko backed up. "Everyone run back!"
"You don't have to tell me twice!" Iris responded. They all turned back. Upon the sound of an exploding crash, the whole place was shaking now. Ryuko ducked and covered her face from falling dust, then looked toward where the sound came from. Now far down, there was a gaping hole in the wall. Also, loads of... Gorons? "What the?" Ryuko said to herself. "Gorons?"
Iris stopped. "The gorons!? What're they doing!?" She turned her form to the way of the smoking hole in the wall. Iris began toward the hole.
"Wait, Iris, come back!" Vitani shouted. It was official: Iris doesn't know how to listen to anyone...
Skits was now closely behind Iris in the air as she began approaching the fresh hole. Once there, she tried catching her breath as she peered out at the many gorons. The only person with them that actually stuck out was the hylian in the orange tunic, Orange himself. Iris turned back to everyone within the tunnel "Hey, over here!" She waved them over.
Orange looked up at the tunnel, and spotted Iris. "Hey, you're alright!"
The deku girl turned "Of course I'm all right, you didn't think I'd give in that easily, did you?" She then gazed out at Darmorn. "What're you doing, blowing holes in the wall, you trying to give away where you are?!"
Darmorn laughed "My tribe can take a few lizards, we've fought them before."
Iris facepalmed herself "You don't understand Darmorn, there's more here than you think, there's a whole army in here!"
The others caught up with Iris, and gazed out.
"Are those who you were looking for?" Orange asked.
Iris nodded. "Now, let's just get out of here please? I've had enough chaos for one day, and I'm not sure how much more I can take..."
"Same here." Vitani agreed. He approached the open hole, and began climbing down the pile of rocks outside of it. Others were soon to follow. Iris had a hard time climbing down, seeing as how she was so small. Some of the rocks were as big as her, or even bigger. Ryuko reached up, and helped her down.
"Heh, thanks." Iris thanked thoughtfully.
"Anytime." Ryuko replied.
As everyone greeted eachother, Iris looked out into the cold nothingness that laid beyond the gates at the front of the fortress. "...How far are we from Hyrule I wonder..." Iris asked herself. "Wa-ACK!" Iris exclaimed.
"Iris!?" Orange shouted, unsheething his sword. He gazed up at the large dragalfos holding her suddenly. Where the beast came from, no one knew.
The blood-stained armored dragalfos pulled her to where she was held face-to-face with him "It was all fun and games first, but it seems your little friends know too much about our plans to let them go. And as for you, I believe you're the one who sent my men on that wild goose-chase, hmm? Knowing that you're helping these rats escape, I'd say your quite the threat to us. And now you've even brought the goron tribe... Quite a lot of trouble for a deku scrub."
"Y-you shouldn't judge me by my size, S-Scoll!" Iris tried showing as much of her courage.
The dragalfos cackled "Scoll? No. He's merely working for me."
Iris didn't know any better, all the dragalfos looked alike to her.
"Then who're you?" Orion growled, pointing his blade, Sol Blade.
"Someone who's name is of no importance to you. I'm the chief of the dragalfos clan, and that's all I'm willing to tell you." The dragalfos growled. He used his hand and clinched it into a fist, it was then that Orion had been forced to the ground by a strange force. "Wh-!" Orion tried lifting himself up, but the pressure of the force being thrown down on him was enough to make him wheeze. Iris wriggled and fought "Gah! Let him go you jerk!" but his grip was only tightened. "I've had enough of you." He soon grew bored of the deku scrub, and threw her across the snow and into the fortress wall. She gave a pained squeak on impact, and while her vision began to blur, she could see the blured forms of dragalfos swarming around the area.
"Scoll, you know what to do." The dragalfos chief said, before he strangely vanished in thin air, leaving behind dark energy in his place for a few moments. And soon enough, everything died out as Iris passed out.
"...Orion...?" Iris asked, she was a bit drousy. She was waking and looked ahead. She was still outside. It look like outside the fortress. It was fenced in though. She looked up at the sky. The sun was setting. "Hello?"
Iris glanced side to side, trying to find her friends. She eventually saw them scattered about around her. "Orange...? Orion, Kyutah, Vitani!?" They were quiet though. Iris saw that Grayson and Ryuko were out like lights. Everyone looked like they were asleep. Iris shook Vitani. "Hey, c'mon... Wake up." She turned and did the same thing to Orange "What's wrong!?" Iris turned to Orion, then Kyutah. Then tried waking Grayson and Ryuko. "Anyone!?"
"Your efforts are pointless." called a gritty voice, quite recognizable.
"Scoll..." Iris growled. "What've you done to them!?"
Scoll was up on a high ledge, as many dragalfos and lizalfos had surounded the ledge next to him, as if waiting for something entertaining.
"It's a sleep spell. It doesn't seem to work on you, though. How interesting."
"A sleep spell?" She asked.
Scoll scoffed. "Thanks to the great fairy's power." He patting a glass orb that was hooked to his side.
Iris growled, hiding her fear "Where are the gorons!?"
"Don't worry about them. They currently have their hands full with my soldiers." Scoll added "But I've had enough with the waiting. I think they've been waiting long enough as well."
Iris froze. "They...?"
Scoll chuckled "It's about time actually."
Iris turned and saw something rising from the snow. Dripping, blood-dried fangs. Glowing lifeless eyes. The horrid claws. Ahead rising from the white earth was a pack of blood-thirsty wolfos.
Scoll sat back "They can't eat you, but you'd be nice little chew-toy to get their appetite going."
Iris shuttered. Once again, realizing Skits was gone. She was at least relieved he wouldn't see her get torn to bits. Her eyes were wide, as she soon found herself back-to-back with the wall. She gazed up, spotting Vitani's staff in Scoll's hand. As well the other weapons that sat next to him. 'Hmm...' She looked forward again, the wolfos were now running at full speed toward their prey. Iris stood frozen for a moment, before suddenly, she took a firm step forward. "Alright, come get me you mutts!" Determination burned in her eyes as she cut them at the monsters heading her way.
Moments away from their mighty jaws, Iris dropped to the ground, dodging the bite. They all rammed the wall. Scoll lost his hold on the staff, and the others fell, dropping them to the ground below. He swore under his breath and looked down where they fell.
Iris quickly picked up Vitani's staff. "I'm not letting you near my friends! You'll have to get through me first you beasts!"
"Kill her!" Scoll roared.
The wolfos snarled and lunged at Iris. She recklessly waved the bladed end of the staff, hurting some of the lunging wolfos. She put up a good fight, but it didn't take her long to grow tired. She managed to dodge them still, and even send in a few thrusts and slashes with the staff. She was slowly becoming engulfed in the raging beasts, her only hope for survival was dodging...
CAWWW! came a familiar cry. Skits came sweeping in, grabbing the glass ball that contained the spirit of the great fairy off Scoll's side.
Scoll roared, giving chase to the bird as he unfurled his wings and took to the sky.
It seems the spell had been broken when the spirit was taken from Scoll. Everyone began waking up. Groans and grunts came from them as they all began waking at their own pace.
Orange gazed at the hoard of wolfos. He instantly jumped to his feet. The others had been given notice. Though, when Orion looked closer, he saw Iris crushed beneath them all. "It's... Iris!"
"What!?" Vitani and Orange both said at once. Orange saw his sword laying on the ground next to Orions gauntlets and sword. "Don't worry, we'll help you!"
Orion slipped on his gauntlets. "OVER HERE!" He called out to the wolfos. A few of them instantly let up and ran to Orion. This caused the rest to focus on the five who're now awake. They got up off of Iris, leaving Iris wheezing for breath. Iris sat up with a few scratches and cuts on her face. She quickly realized she still had Vitani's staff. "Vitani, your staff, here!" She shouted. She shot a deku nut at a wolfos, paralyzing it temporarily when it came running toward Vitani. She then handed the staff to Vitani.
He gave a quick thanks, before using one of his spells on the wolfos.
Iris now found herself fending off one wolfos.
Orion used his sword to slash at a wolfos' back. It cried out with a haunting howl, before falling onto the snow.
The wolfos began to decrease in numbers quickly now that everyone was fighting.
Kyutah and Grayson teamed up, and stood back to back. Kyutah grabbed the sword she found a while back when fighting Scoll before, and thrusted it at a wolfos.
Grayson sent a swift kick to one's face, causing it to cry out with a high pitched yelp.
Orange found himself fighting off quite few. He blew through them quick as he did a spin attack!
All during this, the lizalfos and dragalfos at the top were trying to get the sprit of the fairy back. Skits cawed at Iris. His grip came loose from the glass ball, dropping it.
"Whoa! I got it!" Iris held her hands out and caught it sloppily.
"Be careful Iris," Vitani said "It's one of the great fairy's spirits!"
Iris nodded "Got it!... Um, what do I do with it?"
Scoll dropped in front of her. "You give it to me!" He shoved Iris to the wall. She gasped as she tried prying his hand off her. He grabbed the orb from her, then threw her aside. She squeaked when she landed. "Why you!" She got back to her feet, then shot a bubble at his face.
Scoll grunted momentarily, then laughed after wiping the goop off. "Really!? That's just sad. You don't have chance of taking me."
"But I Do!" Ryuko came dropping down in front of Scoll, slashing her claw's across his armor, piercing through it. She slashed once more, leaving a gaping wound across his chest. He roared out loudly, then whipped his tail at Ryuko, who quickly caught it, using it against him by throwing him to the ground. It was then that the lizalfos and dragalfos dropped down and joined the fight. All around, the sounds of blades and weapons clashing rang out. Roaring and battlecries rose above the field.
Vitani found himself sandwiched between two lizalfos. They charged toward him. He quickly dodged, as they collided into each other. In anger, they just started attacking each other.
Vitani watched "Heh, what do you know?"
Ryuko locked claws with a dragalfos who came to protect Scoll, and threw him to the ground.
Grayson grabbed a weapon that a lizalfos dropped, and started using it against them. It deemed as quite useful actually.
Iris simply watched, the monsters ignored her. A shine in the corner of her eye caught her attention. "There it is!" She ran and grabbed the orb off the ground and ran.
'Little Deku.'
Iris stopped, and looked around "Who said that...?"
'Please... Release me...' came the voice once more.
She gazed down at the orb "Great fairy?"
'Yes, please, release me... I'll help you...'
Iris looked for an opening, but it was tightly sealed. "How'd they get you in here?" She asked herself.
A dragalfos quickly dropped in front of Iris, causing her to drop the great fairy's spirit. "No!" She quickly made her way through the crowd of monsters. "Great! I've lost it!"
She had just noticed a goron step in front of her- and it was Darmorn. It seems the gorons were joining the fight now, now that they found the battle.
"This should even things out a bit." Darmorn said, looking down at the Deku girl. "This is no place for you, Iris, you need to find somewhere to hide, and now!"
"I've got something I need to find first!" Iris headed out on her search once more, dodging the flying blades and swinging axes.
There it was, being kicked around in the middle of a battle between a goron and a lizalfos. "Lovely." She said. She eased in, and grabbed it, then heeded Darmorn's words, and began running. Though, there wasn't really anywhere to hide. She stopped when she came to a dead end at the edge of the battlefield. The walls were broken here, and down below was a long drop off a cliff. If she'd known she was to run to a dead end, she would've just headed back into the battle, and tried making it to the inside of the fortress. Though, there was still the fear of the guardian dragon that was now running amok, which confused her as to how it played any roll in any of the dragalfos' plan.
"This just keeps getting more and more confusing..." Iris complained. "Well, now what great fairy?" She asked, gazing down at the orb in her hands.
The growling huffs from behind her made her turn slowly. Scoll wasn't letting up without that spirit it seems. "I've had it!" He roared. He was all cut up and wounded from the battle, mostly with Ryuko. "The chief gave me an order, and I intend on fulfilling it! Now give me that!"
Iris stepped back. She gazed behind her, aware of the death-promising fall, but also aware of the mad dragalfos ahead of her. Scoll grabbed her, but she grabbed a rock that was sticking from the ground and tried prying herself from his grip by pulling away from him. She looked to him, using her other only known defense: a Deku nut right to the eye. He exclaimed out loud when the exploding nut had hit him in the eye. He was left with blindness in that eye, and threw her across the snow when he roared out, the glass orb landing next to her. He cursed aloud, then glared at her with one eye open, burning with rage. Sparks kicked up in his mouth, indicating the coming of flames. Iris jumped to her feet and ran with spirit in hand.
Out came the river of flames, as he swung his head aimlessly, hoping to hit the quick deku scrub. His sight was still gone in one eye. Though. The flames eventually stopped once he'd lost the gas to the create the flames. He now relied on his claws, he slashed and slashed. Iris was backed against a large stone standing from the ground. She looked to the side, spotting a sword from one of the fallen lizalfos. Scoll was now readying a lunge, his claws pointing at Iris, going for a sure kill.
"ACCK-!?"
The lizalfos and Dragalfos all stopped upon hearing the gruesome sounding stab and the exclaiming groan that came with it. Ryuko lifted her ears, as shock took to her snarled face. The battle soon grew quiet. Along the field laid many fallen monsters, and some injured gorons. The six hyrulians who were once captured all seemed fine, with a few scratches here and there. Horror captivated many of the creature's faces on the field. Vitani gazed at the scene with Orion, looking as shocked as everyone else.
Scoll laid over Iris. It appeared he was now moving off. He stepped back weakly. Iris had a long cut along her face where Scoll's claws scrapped down. It was nothing compared to Scoll's side of pain. His lunge forward had caused the sword Iris had grabbed to impale through his gut. He stammered and muttered weakly. He looked down slowly at the sword that stabbed completely through him, then fell to his knee's "I've... I-'ve -failed you... M-master Ma- M..."
Just then, he fell to the snow backward on his last breath. Iris looked horrified at the sight. She really had no word's to say to the death of the monster.
The remaining dragalfos and lizalfos on the field were all horrified at the sight of their commander's death. "The commander has fallen! r-retreat, retreat!" One called out. And just like that, they all went running out of the fortress, the few dragalfos took to the sky as they unfurled their wings. It all seemed to happen so fast, that no one could really take action in stopping their escape. Iris trembled to her feet, still gazing wide eyed at the dead commander. She then looked down at the orb, and picked it up shakily. She was kind of paranoid, knowing not too long ago, Scoll was trying to kill her.
Orion stepped to Scoll's motionless form.
Skits landed in front of Iris with an expression that asked 'Are you okay?'
Iris looked down to her bird brother, then back up to everyone else.
Later on, time passed as the goron tribe had been informed of the plans that Scoll had. "I see." Darmorn responded. "I'm glad they only got one of the fairies." He looked to Iris. "Though… That large dragon you mentioned isn't there in the fortress, Iris."
"I-I know what I saw, Darmorn!" Iris responded "Even Ryuko saw it…"
"I'm not saying you didn't see it, but we went in and looked everywhere. The beast isn't there anymore." Darmorn seemed to wonder about it himself.
"But-…" Iris then sighed. "Well, if you see a huge dragon flying around Termina soon, you know where it came from."
"Don't worry Iris. If we see it, we'll take care of it, right brothers?" Darmorn called heartily. The gorons cheered behind Darmorn proudly.
Iris gave a small smirk. "… Well, alright then."
"Anyway, now to the Great Fairy. I guess it's time to set her free. After the story I've heard, I'm sure you all just want to head home."
Iris nodded, then looked to everyone else. "Let's all go home."
She rose up the orb, before hitting it on a rock. A crack gleamed through on the ball, as it grew and grew. A light leaked through each crack. The light grew so bright.
Iris dropped it in the snow, as it began to grow too bright for her. She covered her face with her arms.
The light was now growing over Iris, and soon washed over the whole field, then just like that... It was gone. In place of the light was a tall, beautiful being who's body was wrapped in foliage. Iris gazed wide eyed. She'd never actually seen one of the fairies.
"Thank you." The light that washed over them all had healed their wounds. Iris rubbed her face where the gash had been, and it was gone!
"My face!" She said in joy.
The fairy smiled warmly at the seven who stood before her. "I'm sorry for all the trouble brought upon you all. My power has weakened greatly, seeing as Scoll misused my power. I have just enough strength to return you all to your homes and times from once you came however. After I have helped you, I must go into rest..."
Iris nodded "Thanks- W-wait, times?
"Yes, some of you were pulled from different times I'm afraid." The fairy replied.
Iris seemed a bit saddened at hearing this, knowing she probably wouldn't see some of her friends again. With this, she turned to the five. "Well then, this is good bye, huh...?"
Vitani looked down some "I'm afraid so."
Iris took a deep breath. "Then... Thank you, all of you. I may not've known you very long, but it was a pleasure getting to know you all. I wasn't much help, but you all did so much to help me out, and I'm truly grateful for that."
"Nonsense," Vitani began "You were quite a big help to us, especially when you busted us out of the cell, we wouldn't be here right now if you wouldn't have done that. You were very brave for a Deku scrub, I'll give you that"
It filled Iris with joy hearing him say that, seeing as usually, people see her as a problem. "Thank you, Vitani."
She hugged Vitani. "That means a lot."
She looked to everyone else. "Fare well everyone."
The great fairy opened up a bright light. "Taking this protal will take you all home."
One by one, they stepped through, giving eachother heartening fare wells. Orange turned to Iris. "I hope I'll see you again Iris, it was nice meeting you."
"Likewise to you Orange, and thank you again for saving me, I owe it to you. You be safe, K'?" Iris replied, she was sad to see him step through, knowing it was good bye.
Orion stepped forward with Kyutah, as they bid Iris a fare well.
Ryuko said her fare well to everyone, and left with Grayson. The last ones left were Vitani and Iris.
Before Vitani stepped through, he gave Iris a wave good bye "Fare well, little Deku."
She chuckled "See ya', Vitani."
With that, he stepped through.
She looked at the Great fairy, then looked back at the portal. Skits sat on her arm, excitedly awaiting to arrive home once more.
"We're going home buddy, we're goi- What's happening!?" Iris exclaimed. The portal began to dim and die out.
"M-my power, it's fading!" The fairy warned. She began to fade, as did the portal.
Iris cried out "N-NO!" as she ran to the portal. But by the time she was about to pass through it, it vanished... She fell to her knees on the snow, gazing out at the nothingness beyond her. Trying not to believe what just happened.
Behind stood the goron tribe. Darmorn had an expression of shock. All was quiet.
Now Iris and Skits were left stranded... Iris remained at her knees... Lost in Termina...
The End...? Less than likely...
This story was rather short, and originally wasn't intended to be continued. In the original plan I had, Iris went home and story ended. However, as I wrote this chapter, I had the idea to continue a story where Iris had been left in Termina- which lead to my first long fanfic, Lost In Termina, which can currently be found on here already. I finished Lost In Termina, and am now writing another story called Shadows over Termina. So The Quest of Seven is kinda what started my love for writing~ ^.^ hope it was an enjoyable read.
Vitani belongs to TheCrimsonKyuubi on DeviantART.
Kyutah belongs to sarcasticAquarium on DeviantART.
Orion belongs to kingofdarkness17 on DeviantART.
Grayson belongs to InsanityStories on DeviantART.
Orange belongs to TeaiX on DeviantART.
Ryuko belongs to XenomorphicDragon on DeviantART.