Okay! I did it! I finally finished the chapter for Dark Side of a Writer, finished the chapter for Yu-Gi-Oh! Soul, finished these chapters, and I finished Sacred Soul chapter one. You can find the new story on Fiction Press under my name thing… I worked long and hard on it so… please don't hurt me… constructive criticism is nice, but don't bash it like it's your rival in Super Smash Bros. I'll post the link after this little thing if you want to read it and on my profile page right at the top. Thank you all for your patience and for continuing to read my stuff. I hope you enjoy. s/3284217/1/Sacred-Soul

Chapter 10
Lost

Hyrule Castle appeared over the horizon as Link could practically feel his pillow on his face. It was a wonderful feeling of being so close to his bed. Their trip after the discussion was rather silent as their two guests thought over the situation. A few Kargarocs came and died from Seto's dragon which Link quickly found out it was a female after getting an earful from the dragon's master. Seto wasn't obsessed at all with the dragon; he probably had some statues made of it if he had the money or even an aircraft if he could. The thought amused him then, but now he was ready to let the two do their own thing once they had found a good place for them to stay. Zelda had offered a place in the castle, but Pharaoh insisted someplace with a lot of traffic. They stopped at the bridge into Castle Town and Seto dismissed his dragon and it disappeared. Link was about to ask where it went, but he got distracted at the fact they still had to deal with an unconscious woman they promised to place in a cell. He ordered two of the squad members to take her and they obliged. Link got off Epona and handed her off to the guards posted at the gate, he doubted that he would need Epona for quick access for the rest of the night, but just in case. Zelda did the same and two of the guards disappeared. Seto walked passed him to one of the other guards stationed and Link facepalmed himself. He could hear the armor start to rattle with each step the tall man took and it was only a matter of time before he noticed as well.

"Are you trembling in fear?"

There it was.

"Yes-I mean, no…" The guard stuttered. "You aren't scary with your dragon and are most definitely safe in
Castle Town."

The tall man turned to Zelda. "Who does the hiring around here?"

"Dead," She answered and Link winced at her sharp tone, though he doubted anyone else noticed. It was a tone that she gave a subtly of notice to when she wasn't happy about something, usually when she was being questioned or in this case, talking about her commander that died in the Faron Wood Battle.

"Oh, I can't imagine why."

"It's not their fault, Hyrule was at peace for a long time so the guard's quality was for the sake of patrolling and keeping up laws." Link explained hopefully trying to keep his queen from outright murdering the man in front of them in cold blood with a blade or light arrow. "Not monsters, but they are improving."

"I don't want to know what they were like before."

"Probably a little like you when I beat you in Duel Monsters." Pharaoh grinned.

Link smirked as the tall one glared. He didn't know what Duel Monsters was but it sounded like a fun game, at least, that's what he thought it was. Seto turned back to the guard. "Have you seen a brunette girl with blonde streaks with green or blue eyes about this high come through here?"

Link gave him a questioning look. It was one of the weirdest descriptions he had ever heard. How can someone have two different eye colors? Perhaps in different lighting like Zelda's were. Sometimes they were green and other times, blue. He looked at where the man was holding his hand for a few moments and realized the girl was particularly short compared to the rest of them. Regan must have been just a child. He looked up at the tall man. No wonder he was that concerned about his companion, and not just because she was injured, she was just a kid. Suddenly he felt bad for not helping more than he had.

"N-not since I started, Milord… Please don't hurt me with your dragon."

Milord? Gods, his night guards needed work on their courage if they were scared of Seto, not that he wasn't intimidating, but not enough to be called a title of the highest respect.

"It would be insulting to my dragon to attack you with her. I'd be using someone on your level, like a puffball."

"Stop picking on the guard, Seto." Pharaoh intervened. "Maybe we should ask the last patrol group to see if they saw her."

"Yes, they might know, very intimidating lots, they do most of the fighting and keeping track of who comes and goes." The guard replied still shaking in his armor.

Link stood next to Zelda. "I apologize for not getting our troops prepared faster."

"You're doing the best you can, they are better than before."

"Still, the night guard are inexcusable, I know they are great for warning, but the day guard needs to rest as well."

"What do you intend on doing then?"

"Gather the night guard and start their training, my training patrols can join them, maybe then they will have a sense of dignity."

Zelda giggled slightly beside him and he gave her a confused look. "Sorry, I must be exhausted. I'll join you tomorrow, it would be easier with two leaders instead of one."

"It will probably take two."

Seto turned to them and Link figured he wanted to go to the day guard. Zelda and him led the way for the two to the inside gate. He sighed silently, he had a lot of work cut out for him in the morning and yet, he needed to get through the night. So much for a long night's rest. Link caught sight of the day patrol taking off their helmets and a few stretching as they took off some of their armor. He felt bad for the day guard, there were two groups for the day patrol, but if a raid happened during the evening, their break was usually interrupted to get ready for battle. He was going to have to get the night crew into shape quickly. It had been quiet lately, which usually wasn't a good sign. Zelda stopped next to him and the day guard bowed before her.

"Rise…" She told them and Link realized how tired she sounded. If his search for Seto's and Pharaoh's missing companions was going to last all night and she insisted on coming, he was going to lock her in her room. As unhappy as she would be with him, he was more concerned for her wellbeing. "Any news on today?"

"The woman who attacked Telma's Bar hasn't returned, very quiet for the rest of the day since the events this morning."

"Excellent, any new arrivals?"

"Just a few from the mountains, the monsters have apparently made their way up there. There are two… creatures that were among them."

"Creatures?"

"Yes, large furry creatures, but they could speak. The male one has been making soup for his stay, it's incredible." The solider said with a bit of a smile. Link could already guess on who it was just from the mentioning of soup. "Thankfully he brought his own food reserves; I don't know how long was going to last with the amount of arrivals coming in by the day."

"Most likely Yeto and Yeta. It must be getting pretty bad up there if they have left their home." Link stated just above a mumble to Zelda. He wasn't happy to hear about the food reserves either. If the guard is worried about having enough to last the month and there are still more people coming, would they have enough to feed their army to prepare against the enviable. The attacks from the mountains also worried him. Having to get people from so far away to come to a single location meant only one thing. "They are preparing for an attack."

"Looks like we came at a good time." Pharaoh whispered to his companion though Link doubted he was supposed to be listening to it as Seto grunted but made no comment.

"Hopefully this is just the monsters having a better advantage of getting to and from places and not a planned arrangement." Zelda suggested just above a mutter grabbing his attention.

"Perhaps…" he didn't believe that for a second, and she didn't either. "But in the meantime, I can say personally that the soup is amazing and fulfilling. Do you want to try some before the council meeting you are planning?"

Zelda gave him a look of surprise that he figured she was going to have a council meeting before heading to bed before smiling. "I'd appreciate that." She turned to the soldier, "Anyone else?"

"Electra and Dark Link also returned."

"Electra?" Pharaoh asked, why was he questioning the name now? Link was positive he had said it earlier, so what was different?

"You remember something?" Seto asked and Pharaoh nodded.

"Something familiar about the name… I could have sworn I've heard it before."

Maybe he had missed what he had said earlier and he was just hearing it now. Though, Link was positive he had said Electra's name several times since they met.

"Probably because it's a name of a Greek goddess and a comic book hero."

"Yes… but that's not where I heard it."

"Well, if they're back, either something happened or Dark did something." Link growled in the silence of Pharaoh's thoughts. He didn't know about the origins of Electra's name and found it ironic that it was the name of a goddess, but he couldn't settle with the idea of Dark Link being back so early. The two of them were supposed to be checking out the graveyard. "Please tell me he's in the cells."

"At the bar, Sir Link, drinking his milk." The guard replied and Link was worried on what brought them back so soon.

"Tell me he isn't actually sitting in a bar drinking milk." Seto said. "Because that is the least emo thing I've heard about this guy,"

"It's ninety proof in your world." Link said turning to him, it wasn't exactly what he would use to pour into cereal let alone drink constantly. One or two glasses of it after a rough day was enough to settle any sort of stress he had for a few hours.

"And if he's the same size you are…" he sized up the green hero. "He must be very drunk."

"I wish, maybe he could be arrested for being drunk in public. For some reason he can't get drunk."

"There was the time he got a bit tipsy." Zelda reminded him. "Still able to fight though and won a drinking challenge."

"The only challenge he'll ever win."

"This guy sounds like a bundle of joy, now." Seto started grabbing the soldier's attention. "Did a girl with brown hair with blonde streaks with green or blue eyes come through here."

"Besides the queen…" The guard pondered in thought before realization spread across his face. "Wait! Electra and the Shadow did come in with a girl."

"And this didn't come to mind before?!"

He let the worry of their early return leave, if it was one of Seto's companions, it made sense that they would return instead of a bundle of bad news.

"W-well no, the two of them often bring in people who they have rescued." The guard stuttered under his glare. "Now that I think about it, she looked at lot like you, just as scary."

"What did you do to make her scary, look up her skirt?" Seto asked almost sounding curious.

Link was also curious, the guard blushed and Link could see what had actually happened by putting everything together.

"Well I wouldn't say that, one of my men might have pointed it out as it happened when she got off Electra's horse- oh gods please spare my men!"

"You all attempted to look up my sister's skirt?!"

He knew the guards would never do it on purpose, but from Seto's rage, he doubted that the man could tell the difference, especially since it was his sister. Link was about to intervene when Pharaoh stepped in grabbing the taller man's arm.

"Calm down. She probably gave them what they deserved. Besides we know there was nothing to see because it's a skort."

"I swear it was by accident and we meant no offence." The guard pleaded.

"Whatever," Seto said tugging his arm out of Pharaoh's hold. "Where is she now?"

"Also at the bar, Milord, sorry, Milord."

At least they hadn't run in fear yet. Link sighed, he was going to have to have a discussion with the men later about it. Even if it was an accident, it could have been highly prevented. Dammit, he was never going to bed at this rate.

"Next time it happens; you won't have to worry about monsters anymore."

"You do realize it's an offence to threaten a guard," Link sighed, not that he actually cared about the rule, his men were in the wrong and he was too tired to enforce it. "Right?"

"Screw the rules, I have money."

"Do you have our currency?"

"Give me an hour and I'll be the richest guy in town."

"I'd like to see that."

"No... no don't give him that challenge." Pharaoh pleaded. "He is one of the richest men in our world and made a hundred thousand dollars in one investment of ten grand."

"I'll keep my money in my pocket then." Link chuckled awkwardly. He was not expecting that and he was not in the position to lose his money. He moved his rupee pouch out of view before turning to the soldiers. "This better be the first and last accident of this nature."

"Yes sir!"

"Good, rest up, the day might have been quiet but that doesn't mean the night will be. Also, gather the men in the morning in the training square, there are a few things I must discuss." He wasn't having the guard meeting tonight; it could be done in the morning.

"Uh, y-yes sir…"

The guards stood there nervously and Link realized he might have been a little too stern with his tone, but it got the point across. Zelda dismissed them with a nod and they left without a word. She sighed passing a look at Link before turning to Seto, he already knew she had guessed what his discussion will be tomorrow, but needed to be the queen that she was and apologize to their guests. Link was happy he didn't have the responsibility that she held, but sometimes he wished she would share it. "I apologize about my knights' behavior, if it was an accident like they say it was then I believe them. Lies and deceit would have destroyed this kingdom long ago if it was present within them."

"Let's just head to the bar." Seto stated and Zelda nodded.

Link whispered an apology to her as they led their guests to the bar where their companion was waiting.

"I would have as well guessed that they had intelligence enough to not point something like that out loud." Zelda whispered back. "At least you'll have that taken care of in the morning."

"You can count on it never happening again. At least teaching them basic gentlemen manners will be easier than teaching them how to stand against monsters."

"You'll probably scare it into them."

"Well, as quick as that would be, I don't want to come off like I had earlier…" He admitted. "Hopefully just talking to them about it will be enough without pulling rank on them."

"Heh, it's amazing how you refuse to use your title for them to listen to you."

"I can't just swing it around and expect them to follow me, if I did that and I required assistance, they would probably leave me behind. Just as you are kind to your subjects and gain respect through love, I as well do the same. I can't lead with soldiers who have no will to fight with me."

"How is it that I'm just finding out about this?"

"I guess because we've never had any problems with girls in short skirts getting off horses until now."

Zelda smiled. "Probably."