Hey everyone. Sorry I've been so quiet. I'm just so tired! I haven't been getting very good sleep lately, and things are just crazy and hectic and stupid here, so I haven't had much writing time. I have an important notice for everyone who follows, reads this story at the bottom.

But while I'm here...

Shout out to Courage of Awesome! Check out her DeviantART page. She's a great artist, I hope everyone takes the time to check out her "Awesome" artwork! XD

I don't have much time for editing, so I apologize in advance for any typos, grammar mistakes or misspellings!

Beyond The Veil

"You are very strange," the thick, rumbling voice mused aloud from beyond the veil of shadowy darkness. It was a loud voice, echoing against the cave walls and hurting his ears. There was no backing out now. "You are neither human, nor god. What are you?"

He swallowed. His throat felt thick as he did.

"My name is Luca. Son of fallen war hero Luca, and patron Goddess of Hyrule and Goddess of The Heavens, Hylia." He answered, keeping his silver-hued eyes trained intently on the shadows just but twenty feet away from him. If he watched carefully, he could see an occasional shimmer, the sheen of a claw catching the sun's rays, or an eye glinting through the darkness as the creature hidden moved.

"You are a demigod."

He merely nodded, wondering what the voice belonged to. The legends had never mentioned the face of the deity of the mountains. There were multitudes of legends telling of the creature that presided over the mountains, but no man had ever laid eyes on the creature's face. Or at least, no man had ever laid eyes on it and lived to tell the tale.

Legends told that the Creature of The Mountains was an all-mighty deity, blessed with its power by the Goddesses of Hyrule, Termina and The Dark World.

"Why call upon me, child of mortal and divine blood? Have you not heard the legends that surround this place?"

"No doubt you have seen the sky, O Mighty Beast." He answered curtly, letting the faintest shadow of a grin curl across his lips.

"For a thousand years, I have remained in this cave, never to step outside the safety of the shadows. I can sense a strange force beyond this place that I call home, but I dare not step beyond the veil. You will have to be more specific."

"Outside the safety of your cave, the moon looms overhead even in the light of day. With each passing hour it grows larger. Soon, it will fall, and all life with cease to exist. I have come to seek your assistance."

"I do not assist humans. Humans are not trust worthy." The creature said, venomous annoyance evident in his tone. But Luca could only smirk softly.

"You yourself said that I was not human. And if you refuse to help, then you shall die as well."

From beyond the shadows, a frustrated huff, rumbled from inside the creature's chest, and as he stood there, at the entrance to cave, a clicking sound came from in front of him, also from the creature. The sharp tips of massive claws suddenly broke through the veil of shadows, revealing the deadly weapons that belonged to the creature that still remained hidden. But that too, would not be for much longer.

Next, it was the thick bases of the creature's legs, massive and muscular and covered in transparent white scales. Each scale rippled as the muscles beneath flexed, slowly bringing the creature into the light of day for the first time in a thousand years.

He stood his ground as the creature came into full view, striding easily toward him on its massive legs. Its head was angular, coming to a point at the tip of its lengthy, scale-covered muzzle. When it opened its mouth, one hundred yellowing fangs revealed, blocking in its long, forked reptilian tongue. Its eyes were narrow, with black slits for pupils, a mixture of yellows and greens making up the color of its irises.

It was a dragon.

"The legends that surround this place say that any man who could kill me would have my powers bestowed upon him, and by fashioning my hide into armor, they would become immortal. Many men, hundreds, perhaps even thousands, have called upon me, challenging my strength."

He glanced subtly over his shoulder, toward the jagged, switchback path that was carved into the mountainside, the path that had led him here, to where the dragon now stood before him.

"There's no one here," he said, almost in an undertone, to the beast. To which, the beast lowered his great head, his forked tongue flicking out like a snake's would, and an almost demonic look shone unsteadily in its greenish-yellow reptilian eyes. "I never passed a village."

The dragon lowered his head further, until the pointed tip of its massive snout was only inches from his face. Its breath was steamy, and hot, and smelled distinctively of sulfur. The beastly dragon licked his yellowing fangs, and smirked devilishly.

"I ate them all."

He reached out and touched the dragon's scales, not flinching as the beast snapped his fangs together, threatening him.

"Why would you risk your life to save your world, half-blood? What have they done for you?" the beast questioned, watching his face intently. "Your body is littered with scars, and your chest is wrapped with bloody cloth. The people you strive to protect are trying to kill you. They see you as a monster, a demon. Why should you care for them?!"

He swallowed again, eyes closing as he mulled over the great lizard's words.

"People are naturally fearful of what they cannot understand. They cannot, or will not, believe who I am, and act accordingly. I do not blame them. They are trying to protect themselves, its human nature."

The beast hissed softly, mocking him harshly.

"You act so at peace, and yet you have come here with the exact same intentions as any other man. You have come here to kill me."

"No, I have not. I didn't come here to kill you, Fierce Deity of the Northern Mountains. I have come here after hearing stories of your strength, hoping that you might be able to aid me. I was apparently mistaken. You are not as benevolent as Mother claimed."

The beast's ears flicked backward, toward the thick base of his neck, and a low rumble came from deep inside his voice box. It almost sounded shameful. He moved aside slightly, and revealed a long, jagged scar that stretched all the way from the two spindly horns that protruded from the rounded base of his skull, to the ankle of his right leg.

"I cannot trust a human, even if you are only a half-breed. Even if you were a full-blooded god, I would not be able to help you, at least not without a heavy price. My powers would kill you."

"I have nothing to lose."

The dragon's head withdrew, tilting to one side and the opposite eye narrowing with misguided curiosity.

"You want me to bestow my powers upon you anyway? Haha! What a foolish half-blood you are! My powers would kill even the most powerful god, let alone a mere bastard child of a fallen war hero and a Patron Goddess. It would destroy you, painfully, and quite utterly. I cannot help you. Leave, or I shall eat you, like the other hundreds of men."

And with that, the beast curled around like a snake, and disappeared once more into the shadows, leaving him to stare, somewhat disgruntled, beyond the veil…

The glowing eyes peered back at her from the dirt staircase, piercing through the blackness and giving Malon the sensation that the pair of topaz-yellow orbs were staring straight through her skin and into her soul.

Every muscle in her body tensed as the orbs remained deathly still, never once blinking as she looked at them, her breath hitching painfully in her throat. Jack was to preoccupied with McKenna to notice, but the two teenagers noticed, the girl jumping to her feet like a fawn startled out of its hiding place amongst the sun-speckled forest floor, greenish-brown eyes suddenly wide with fear. The boy rose more reservedly, but quickly swung a muscled arm out in front of the girl, lowering his head until his neck was no longer visible, one corner of his lip raising in a warning snarl.

"Woman, don't move." The boy hissed through his clamped-shut teeth to her. For a moment, she didn't realize why she shouldn't move, it wasn't until the eyes moved, growing larger as whatever they belonged to approached, stepping from the stairs and slowly entering the amber light of the torch that she knew why.

The miniature moons belonged to a panther. An enormous panther, with a coat of pure, silky ebony, thick, powerful tendons flexing beneath its pelt with each smooth stride it took toward them. It was three times the size of a normal panther, its humped shoulders coming to the height of a fully-grown man's chest with ease, and when it lifted its head, she thought, it could reach a person's throat without even having to jump.

Within its massive maw, yellowing fangs were lodged firmly in the pink flesh of its gums, dried blood clinging to its teeth, a thick, sandpaper tongue running along the deadly sharp points as it approached, as if anticipating its next meal with a cruel, devilish delight. Perhaps it was already deciding on which of them to eat first. Would it eat the first it came to? Or eat the one it suspected would taste the best? Or maybe it did not care for taste, here only for the thrill of a human's dying shriek, the last thrashing of a human's limbs in foolish desperation, and the spurt of fresh, metallic blood within the cavity of its throat.

"What is it?" The teenage girl inquired to the boy under her breath. He merely gave the slightest shake of his head, watching with his narrow eyes as the panther stopped only inches from Malon.

Its breath was hot, and smelled acridly of death and fresh blood, and a shiver ran down her spine as the beast leaned its rounded head toward her, sniffing her face, and then her neck. A rumble rose from its throat, although she could not tell whether it was one of aggression, or kinship.

Glancing aside, Jack then noticed the beast, and let out a reflexive yelp when his eyes met those yellow orbs so intense as to send shivers down the spines of those who looked upon them, and instinctively he shielded McKenna, leaning low over her body to provide a layer of protection from the massive beast.

It became apparent that the beast did not appreciate sudden movements, lunging forward and snapping warningly at him when he moved to protect McKenna. Its fangs clamped together on the air just above the back of Jack's neck, and the muscles in its own neck quivered as it prepared to lunge. Before it could, however, she scrambled to her feet, throwing her arms out wide, drawing the beast's anger upon herself instead.

The panther let loose a howling screech, leaping at her with paws forward, claws drawn and mouth wide open, lips curled back and yellow eyes narrow with anger.

She stumbled back, dodging the beast's claws by mere inches as it jumped at her again and again, quickly cornering her against the wall, the two teenagers bolting out of the way before her back hit the wall, leaving her no means of escape.

The panther stopped in front of her, lifting its head so that its fangs were only inches from her exposed throat. She stared straight into its yellow orbs as it hissed softly, a few droplets of saliva landing on her skin.

But there was an almost human-like quality to the beast's eyes, as she forced herself not to look away, to stare it down. If she was going to die, she wasn't going to give it the satisfaction of her submission.

"…Do you fear me human?" An ethereal voice rang in her ears, but no one else seemed to hear it. It was deep, and reverberating, but had the air of a female's tone if she listened closely. Looking into the panther's eyes, she came to assumption that it had indeed been the beast that had spoken to her.

After a moments thought, she shook her head, causing the beast to lower its head, eyes narrowing and a wicked grin seeming to pull at its lips despite it's not being human.

"No."

The panther's tail swished softly in thought as it peered at her, as if ruminating heavily over the simple, single word she had given. It's thick pink tongue darted out, licking its lips with interest. She stayed still, back pressed against the dirt wall, breath short and shallow as she watched the giant beast, watched as it swayed slightly on the balls of its paws, and soft, chortling sounds rumbled from deep inside its thick barrel chest.

In a single, swift motion, the beast leapt at her, snarling. She flinched, eyes snapping shut out of instinct and making a soft gasping sound of shock as the beast leapt at her, lunging at her neck with its mouth wide open. She felt a tug on her neck, and waited in fearful anticipation for the beast's claws to rip into her flesh.

But it never happened. She could hear Jack, and the two teenagers gasp, but waited several minutes more before she dared open her eyes. She was met directly by the panther's glowing yellow orbs, only inches from her face. It took only a single glance downward, toward her chest, to reveal what had tugged on her neck.

The panther's jaws were firmly closed around her Mother's pendant. The one she had received six years prior in the Gerudo Desert. The one she still firmly believed had been passed on to her by her Mother's own hands.

With a sharp yank more, the rough white twine the fastened the Gerudo pendant around her neck snapped, and with that, the beast turned and bolted, racing past Jack, McKenna and the two teenagers without a second glance, charging up the dirt staircase and leaving nothing in its wake but large paw prints.

"No! Don't take that!" she shouted after the panther, but by then it was too late. She pushed herself off of the wall, and jumped into a breakneck dash after the beast, up the stairs without thinking about the demon that might be waiting beyond the shelter of the underground den. "Please-!"

"Malon! Don't-!" Jack cried after her, trying to stop her before she left, but with McKenna unconscious on his lap, he was unable to chase after her. Nor was he willing to leave her alone with the untrustworthy teenage boy. But the other, the girl, acted in his stead, hiking up the tattered skirts of her dirt-covered dress and bounding off toward the stairs.

The teenage boy grabbed her arm, sudden fear appearing in his animalistic eyes.

"Princess Morika-! She's not worth it!" He yelled at her. Mere seconds after the words passed his lips, he seemed to realize the weight of his words, and an apologetic look found its way to his face. The girl's head had whipped toward him when he uttered her name, and her elegant eyebrows lowered, till her eyes were nothing more than dangerous slits. Inside, she seemed to be fuming.

"Don't call me that!" she snapped. "That title means nothing! Now let me go Monek!"

She ripped her arm from his grip, and turned once again toward the stairs, quickening her pace to make up for lost time...

Ok so here's the important notice:

I'm going on hiatus. Just for a week, or maybe two. I need some time to catch up on things. I have to catch up with all of Courage of Awesome's stories (Which, btw, are great, check them out too!) and I want to make fanart for both Link'sLily and Courage of Awesome. And I just plain need a little break. Ok? I promise I'll be back as soon as I feel up to it. Two weeks. MAX.

And a little clarification, the first scene, with Luca and the dragon, may seem a bit sudden, but trust me, its important to the plot, and will be tied in with everything else at the end of this part. Sorry for any confusion.

Thank you all for your support and understanding! I can't thank everyone enough! Oh, and more character songs while I'm here!

Character song:

Monek

Supermassive Black Hole by Muse.

Part Two: Anger

Hey I Don't Know by The Kongos