Arc V: Path of the Hero
Chapter 54: Brave New World
People say that when you're fast asleep and dreaming of falling over, you're probably about to roll off your bed to faceplant on the cold, hard floor.
Jaune's experience was slightly different, more a bouncy back-and-forth that made it harder to get up when it felt like the adult version of a rocking cradle. The tropical temperature and early morning training with Oscar tended to make a man groggy, and when combined with a breeze that was cool but not cold enough to be chilly, the stars aligned to give him the perfect nap.
"Clear skies, summer heat...are we on a quest to save the world or sailing to a next-level beach resort? This is the way. Thank the Goddesses I don't get motion sick as much these days."
He had a feeling Link raised an eyebrow as Jaune lay down on the bridge's roof during break time. The S.S. Linebeck churned ahead rain or shine, the same sights blurring the days together. Sure, there were one or two run-ins with Grimm, yet the journey so far had been remarkably smooth for an ocean known as one of Remnant's most dangerous.
Best not take it for granted. Sighing, Jaune gazed at the white ocean birds that kept pace with the ship -
"Hoy!"
Only to hear a metallic whirr, followed by a startled yelp. Jaune glanced at the deck to find Oscar hanging from a tall, clawed crane that sprouted from a trapdoor.
"A-ah! Help me!"
"Oh! Oh no! I'm so sorry!" The perpetrator sputtered. Ruby had adjusted to the heat with a simple black combat skirt and red t-shirt beneath her prized crimson cloak while he and Oscar wore beaters. The latter continued flailing, making Ruby look like she was trying to snatch apples from a tree in a hurricane. "H-hold still so I can pull you off!"
It was no use. He was completely at the mercy of the salvage arm, which thrashed about until she jammed a wrench into some gears through an open panel. Ruby ran below him as the arm froze up, dumping Oscar on her like a sack of potatoes.
Jaune snorted.
"Ah, the joys of youth and having expendable - I mean, reliable crewmates."
Somebody clambered onto the roof, followed by the sun being blocked by a familiar sailor in his ocean blue overcoat. "Also, what are those pipsqueaks doing to my precious salvage arm!?"
"Trying to fix it? They've been at it since you ordered them two hours ago."
Linebeck nodded sagely. "Yes, that's right. A good captain must always keep control of his crew."
"Just because we agreed to help around the ship doesn't make us your slaves."
"Leader, boss, it's all the same difference, squirt," the captain scoffed, plunking down cross-legged. "My patient seafaring nature allows me to overlook some trial and error if it means getting my treasure in the end. Besides, that doesn't mean I'm not thankful. Because of you brats and my stellar teaching skills, things around the ship have been repaired -"
He raised his index finger to interject.
"- and she runs smoothly like never before, all for the price of nothing!"
"Weiss would call that indentured servitude," Jaune quipped.
Linebeck darkened at her name's mention, then returned to his usual self. "Not if you're getting paid with a share of the treasure. What's in it for you guys, anyway? Other than the ride, of course."
Oh boy. His first instinct was to give Linebeck the short answer: to find the second Goddess Medallion and piece of the Triforce of Wisdom while searching for clues regarding the Princess' identity - all while avoiding an undead ancient Hero, his sorceress handler and her two huntsman-tier lackeys. Once the unofficial Team FLME was dead, they could finally complete the third part of both sets, restore the Master Sword and the Princess' connection to the past, then strike back against the forces of darkness.
Perhaps it's best you didn't.
Jaune agreed, deciding to go with the customer service response instead. "We have business in Vacuo that requires us to find things and kill monsters along the way. Otherwise, we're just trying to help people while saving the world."
Linebeck gave him a side-eye before turning back with a humph. "Well, whatever. I don't really care if you don't wanna share, so long as you uphold your end of the bargain."
Maybe it was curiosity. Maybe it was boredom. Jaune decided to indulge him. "What about you? Why go treasure-hunting in the middle of nowhere?"
"Oh, so you're a badge now?" the captain retorted. "It just so happens that the most precious loot can only be found in the most dangerous places. I mean, you of all people should know this. It's the most basic rule of adventuring."
"Sure, that and high explosives solve everything. But why this specific ship? Better yet, why become a sailor at all?"
"Because I want nothing more than to get filthy rich. Doesn't get any simpler than that, squirt. It really, totally doesn't..."
An oddly stiff look crossed Linebeck's face and disappearing in an instant. "Well, there's also the fact I always had an affinity for sailing and that there's less competition on the high seas. Grimm-infested waters? New monsters emerging from long-lost lands? Sign me up! Ain't my fault if people aren't brave enough to go the extra mile."
"Or greedy enough to be distracted from common sense. Your dedication is almost admirable."
"If it works for you, I guess," he shrugged. "Anything else we can expect once we come across this..."
"...Ghost Ship?"
"...treasure ship?" came out instead.
Linebeck's response was interrupted by a high-pitched shrill from a nearby megaphone, followed by an overly calm, almost put-upon voice.
"Um, general quarters, general quarters. All hands man your battle stations. Contact bearing four-thousand mils."
An alarm replaced Blake's bored voice. Both captain and first mate turned southwest to find a distant shape breaking the surface, the former tossing him a red telescope after taking a peek. "Nope, nope, nope. Not again."
Glancing through it revealed the Big Octo returning underwater. Its dark shape remained easy to track as it closed the distance, and he took a second to breathe deeply. "Ah. Sushi."
"I-is that all you can say!? That thing will tear my precious baby apart!"
"Not if we can help it. I don't wanna swim to Vacuo," Jaune grunted, grabbing the captain and jumping back down. They were nearly knocked over by Qrow when the older huntsman rushed past, and inside the bridge, Ren stood over a large radar screen, Blake helmed the steering wheel and Weiss oversaw the weapons controls.
Linebeck ignored the first two and steamrolled straight for the heiress, deactivating the alarm along the way. "What are you doing, squirt? Hurry and get the cannon up already!"
"Excuse me!? I have a name, so use it! And can't you see that I've been trying?" she snapped, flicking various switches to no avail. The warning lights continued blinking. "Your ship simply refuses to work!"
Fear dawned on Linebeck's face, more so when everyone looked at the deck to find the salvage arm half-jammed in the trapdoor. Ruby, Oscar and Qrow were busy wrenching something else out of an open panel, the former sparing them a helpless expression.
But no one commented, for something massive and heavy passed underneath the ship while rumbling the interior. Jaune barely had time to brace for impact when the water erupted a hundred metres portside off the ship, filling the bridge with startled yelps; it dissipated to reveal the tallest, bulkiest squid he'd ever seen, with eight beady eyes, two purplish tentacles and enough mouth suction to draw the S.S. Linebeck into a massive whirlpool.
"...and the Hero of Winds had to fight six of these alone?"
The big boy roared, a sound that was somewhere between a foghorn and bleating elephant, followed by schools of Gyorgs swarming from behind the not-Kraken.
"O-okay, this is really, really bad!" Linebeck sputtered, shaking Jaune roughly by the shoulders. "Do something!"
"Man the bridge, then! Everyone else, on me!" Jaune grunted, heading outside. The Gyorgs rammed the hull in an arrowhead formation. "Oscar, Qrow, we need that cannon!"
"Easier said than done, kiddo!" The latter retorted as they lined up across the railing. The shark monsters regrouped for another charge. Seemed like the miniboss had to wait just a little longer - appetizers, after all, came before the main meal, and filleted Gyorg looked mighty enticing.
Jaune charged his weapon with his Semblance while Ren, Blake, Weiss and Ruby brandished their own.
The Gyorgs darted forward to spear the damaged hull -
And the S.S. Linebeck unleashed a volley of broadside small arms fire that scythed through the shark monsters. They stood no chance against fiery Aural sword beams, Weiss' icicle glyph machine gun and actual dust bullets, taking out so many so fast that the air grew somewhat purple-tinted from all the dissipating Malice.
The Big Octo was unimpressed, regurgitating a massive ball of fossilized matter that knocked everyone down. Blake roped herself back in with Gambol Shroud after falling overboard, and Jaune leaned over to see water seeping in through a sizeable hole.
"Ruby, Weiss! Bucket duty! Everyone else, aim for the eyes!"
"Aye, aye, cap'n!" Ruby saluted as she grabbed Weiss' wrist and sped inside with her Semblance. It proved just in time since the Big Octo fired another ball that hit the stern, pivoting the ship further into the whirlpool before slamming the deck with a tentacle. Jaune stabbed it, causing the squid to recoil while gunfire from Blake and Ren blinded several eyes.
"Thanks, Weiss. Alright, guys, full force! Give it all you've got!"
Squids didn't exactly evolve with gun-toting predators in mind, and so the Big Octo shielded its eyes with a tentacle while swatting with the other. At one point, Jaune perfect-parried a tentacle away from the salvage arm onto the bridge's windows, startling Linebeck until Blake yanked it away with her sword's whip for Ren to cleave in half. The Big Octo roared, doubly so when Oscar and Qrow finally unjammed the salvage arm for it to be replaced by a cannon that looked like a car's stick shift.
"Alright, let's see what this baby can do!" an eager Yang cackled from below the trapdoor. "Load!"
Something weighty clunked in place, followed by maniacal laughter Jaune wasn't sure came from Nora or an unknown creature.
"Ready!"
The cannon swerved to aim at the Big Octo.
"Fi -"
In hindsight, he shouldn't have stood by the cannon since the blast knocked him over for the second time. Was it annoying? A little.
Was it worth it?
The shocked Big Octo seemed to think so, judging by the three-foot-wide hole in its chest. In fact, it floated deathly still long enough that the cannon fired again, this time with a high-explosive shell that converted the squid into chunks of biomass.
With the whirlpool gone, the S.S. Linebeck sailed away amidst a chorus of cheers like a pirate ship celebrating their victorious bounty. More water then exploded from the Big Octo's carcass, revealing a massive Grimm Megalodon that devoured the last Gyorgs before disappearing beneath the waves.
Never forget, Jaune, that there's always a bigger fish.
Such was a day in the life of seafaring huntsmen.
And just like the rest, it didn't take long until the adrenaline faded. Routine had that effect when the spoils of war were even more chores, from fixing the hull, maintaining the cannon and charting their course around clusters of Grimm activity. Keeping busy also meant spending hours of daylight, and soon enough, a calm, beautiful sunset greeted them through soft clouds on the western horizon. Lightning danced beneath northern thunderclouds, and where they once spotted the day's encounter to the southwest, the first stars twinkled through dark blue skies.
"Do you think that the Hero of Winds sailed the same waters and looked up at the same stars?"
Hmm. From long gone times, for I, too, remember the same constellations as I look through your eyes. The Big Dipper. The Vain Queen. The Hunting Hero.
Part of him could picture Link leaning on the railing alongside him, as if a younger boy with sunkissed skin and hair flowing freely in the wind. The land and people were no doubt different, yet you share the same mission and have slept under the same sky.
Jaune continued gazing up above. "Must've been...peaceful. And if not for the monsters, really quiet."
Energetic laughter proved him wrong, and Jaune turned to find everyone sitting around the fire of a dust-powered brazier. Oil dripped from a spitroasting mutton, which was circled by benches and lawn chairs while tables lined up across the side held various fruits and veggies. Here, Ren was busy chopping more, Qrow manned a smaller grill behind him with beer reserved for battered fish while Ruby and Nora took turns rotating the mutton. The rest counted down to zero hour to pounce on their meals.
It didn't take long for Qrow to arrive with the first plates of dinner, holding them high when his nieces surrounded him like a pack of feral children. Family or not, he was no match for the combined strength of their puppy eyes and quickly surrendered to the others' amusement. Nora fed Ember bits from her plate, and Ren taught Weiss how to fillet a fish from behind the table. Ruby and Blake laughed with Oscar as he told a rather embarrassing childhood story while Qrow and Linebeck shared stiff drinks by the railing.
Link was right.
Out here, hundreds of miles from civilization, he had never felt so whole.
The instinct was strong enough that it led Jaune to draw the Goddess' Harp. He started quietly, more as random notes than an actual song, though they soon began adding their own lyrics. One eventually gained traction - something about rolling an old chariot along, courtesy of Yang, Ruby and Oscar - and Jaune fell into a rhythm that almost inspired him to dance like the Skygors. Yang and Nora had no reservations, the latter almost succeeding at pulling Blake up to join them.
After a few not-so-successful attempts at freestyling, the atmosphere and tempo mellowed enough to transition into the Goron's Lullaby; through his peripherals, Jaune noticed Ember curling on a bench with a sleepy expression and Blake nodding along to the music.
When he finished, Jaune waited a few moments before continuing with the Song of Healing. The weight on deck was palpable, one that briefly reminded everyone of their burdens, their scars and the long road ahead...until it lightened ever so subtly. Even the taciturn Ren relaxed a little, and Qrow put away the flask he'd been thinking of using.
The girl beside him cleared her throat as the song ended. "Music from the past?"
"Thanks, and yeah. Sorry, I...don't know what came over me."
"Don't be. It was...serene," Weiss replied calmly. "Would you happen to know more?"
Jaune scratched the back of his head. These were all he learned so far and nothing came up from racking his brain...
"...!"
...except for one.
Jaune exhaled and hoisted the Goddess' Harp once more.
Perhaps it was the gentleness behind it. Maybe it was the gravitas of playing a sacred song on an equally sacred instrument.
Time seemed to slow as Zelda's Lullaby drifted across the deck. Gentle waves lapped across the hull of the ship, and each note felt like a glimpse into the distant past - echoes from ages whose memories that, while long gone, could never be forgotten. A song everyone knew was timeless beyond measure.
Such was his immersion that Jaune didn't even notice Weiss' crystalline voice join him, for it harmonized so seamlessly that it felt natural to accompany the music.
Honestly?
It was beautiful.
When they made eye contact, Weiss coughed and glanced away while he decided to observe the ocean beside him.
The others chuckled and resumed talking with each other, albeit calmly. And all Jaune could think about was just how right everything felt.
A small measure of peace in a world that desperately needed it.
(==|======-
People say that when you're fast asleep and dreaming of falling over, you're probably about to roll off your bed to faceplant on the cold, hard floor.
After a brief flash of Aura around his nose, he peeled his face from the floor amidst the ship's hard lurching, like someone was trying to force open a padlocked door. Glancing through the porthole revealed darkness and rain that pummelled the ship hard enough to make him glance nervously at the huntresses' patchwork hull fix.
What sounded like thunder as well turned out to be the rough equivalent when rudely awakened; he snoozed his 3:00 scroll alarm and lurched between his friends' cots - the faces of whom he couldn't see, yet probably struggled to sleep like he couldn't. Ren and Nora sure didn't, sliding past them upstairs with Ember curled around the latter's neck like a pulsing orange scarf.
It was adorable.
They traded sleepy hugs - Ember eyeing him all the while - before Jaune arrived at the bridge. For a moment, it felt like a movie to be in a control room full of expensive, dimly lit equipment, though a sudden whump of water on the windows splashed him back to reality. The S.S. Linebeck churned at the mercy of the waves, of which they had exactly none.
"You're late."
His shift partner somehow had even less. Jaune pulled a chair out by the ship's radar. "You're right, by, like, five minutes. Since I'm clearly not up to the task, can I be dismissed and go back to sleep?"
"And weasel out of the sentry shift you chose yourself? If I have to stay here, so do you."
"Do I?" Jaune sighed, leaning back and feeling sleep return full force. It disappeared when he shot up from a thin layer of ice that spawned on his seat, and Weiss put Myrtenaster down with a hard stare that convinced Jaune to surrender. "O-okay, I'm up. Quite literally, if you can't tell..."
"Pardon me, what was that last part?"
"I'm sorry. Please don't hurt me."
"Hmph. I figured," she harrumphed, crossing her arms as Jaune sat down. It didn't take long for exhaustion to claim her as well, however, and she rubbed her temples as if trying to stave off a headache. "Though it seems no matter how many times I do it, I'll never get used to being idle after waking from deep sleep."
"Until something comes flying through the window. I actually find this easier when we're in the field. Maybe because it's more uncomfortable."
Weiss perked up. "I can create more ice if you'd like."
Jaune frantically shook his head.
"Relax, Arc. I was joking."
"You didn't sound like you were..."
Weiss' expression was stilted. "I see. Maybe I should work on that, though I understand your point. Forest, mountain, rain or snow, being away from civilization is rough...yet I can't complain. I can only imagine what the desert will be like."
Probably full of sand, immortal insects and enough heat to sweat one's water weight in a few minutes. Harsh conditions bred a harsh society, and while he'd never been to the desert kingdom, the messaging he'd received was mixed at best; Vacuans were blunt, borderline nihilistic and often solemn to a fault. Conversely, most had a dry sense of humour - pun intended - and cared little for others' heritage if they could survive in the wild.
And now, according to Daruk, everyone was at each other's throats.
There was rhythmic tapping, just barely audible above the pounding rain, and they turned to find Ember watching them from the hallway. The little dragon slithered over, sniffed Weiss' leg and tried to hop on - almost managing to fly like his mother - but couldn't quite make it, so the heiress picked him up. Despite her exhaustion, she looked thrilled to have Ember on her lap and scratched his chin as he curled up to sleep, then nodded to Jaune when he relayed his concerns.
"Yes. It won't be easy, though nothing worth attaining ever is. It all comes down to how well we prepare for the worst. What's our plan for fighting Cinder?"
"Our first priority is the Spirit Guardian, so we should see if Shade's Headmistress can help us with the search. Unless they attack a village and take hostages, Cinder, Dark Link and the others will come to us. We just can't let our guard down for a sudden ambush, like she did with Yang and Raven."
Weiss furrowed her brow. "Jaune, have your...previous lives had to deal with someone hunting them down as well?"
He considered it for a moment. "What can I say without revealing I have another voice in my head? Link prefers to stay incognito, as he'd rather guide than directly intervene, though it won't be long until we have to cross that bridge. Anyway..."
"I'm sure a few have. Every now and then I get...flashes of memories that aren't really mine, and when I come upon something from the past, it can feel familiar despite not really knowing it. Makes learning things quicker when you've seen them in a past life," Jaune replied. "There was Princess who disguised herself as a pirate captain and sailed the high seas to hide from an evil king. Though he eventually caught her, she and the Hero of that time defeated him in a fight beneath the sea, amidst her homeland's sunken ruins."
Weiss was quiet until he finished recounting the tale of the Hero of Winds. "To be fated at such a young age...I would never accept such a destiny. Having lived in a golden cage all my life, it's quite disturbing to think about reincarnating to fight the same evil that haunted your ancestors. And generations of Heroes chose this path?"
"I'm sure they chose to protect the people around them, but while a few like the Hero of Time had that adventuring spirit...no one sane would allow a demon god to curse their descendants to wander a blood-soaked sea for all ages. Same goes for the Princess."
"The Princess..." Weiss trailed off, then let out a short bark of a laugh. "The Sage said she was closer than we realized. Imagine if it was one of us all along."
Now that was a scary thought, indeed. How would Qrow feel upon learning one of his nieces was an eons-old soul that made Ozpin look like a baby? Winter would probably be crushed to see such a burden thrust upon Weiss, as with Blake's parents and even Ren, with Nora.
He wouldn't wish the fate of the Goddesses' chosen on anyone else.
"We'll see. For now, we gotta focus on making it ashore," Jaune sighed. The radar revealed only a small crescent moon-shaped landmass that could've passed for a sandbar, invisible through a storm that made him grateful to be sailing with a roof over his head.
Much unlike a certain Hero.
Thunder boomed as the reminder had him drawing the ancient sea chart. Weiss glanced at it curiously as he unfurled the map -
"Ahhhhh!"
And was promptly thrown off his chair when something crashed into the side of the ship, causing it to lurch. The map went flying, but upon helping themselves up, they ran to the windows to hopefully catch a glimpse through the darkness.
This time, they succeeded.
For half the deck was buried in a thick layer of pulsating Malice, and when lightning flashed, it revealed several bipedal shadows crawling their way out of the demonic sludge.
It proved just in time since a window burst open beside them, letting in wind, rain and an uninvited guest. The trident-wielding imps emitted a mocking sort of laugh and were promptly evicted by a fusillade of Weiss' icicle missiles.
Miniblins. These individually weak monsters often form mobs to overwhelm their targets. Either separate them or rely on attacks with area-of-effect.
Weiss growled when Jaune relayed the information, especially since Ember curled up beneath a desk and the radar still showed nothing that could've been the attackers' origin. More thunder revealed the front now swarming with monsters.
No time to theorize. Jaune tossed one away and deleted another in a single swing, yet two more Miniblins arrived for each one killed. Stepping forward earned a few malicious grins, though he didn't share it on account of the sounds of combat from further below deck. Held protectively by Weiss, a nervous Ember belched a small fireball that left little more than a small scorch mark on a Miniblin's shoulder. "Sounds like they're having some fun down below. Get them over here. I'll carve us a way through."
"Don't overdo it," she whispered, heading down the hallway to a chorus of Miniblin laughs. Perhaps they thought she was a coward or that he was desperate.
That was okay. This time, Jaune returned their smile beneath the light of his glowing sword.
The bridge exploded in emerald green flame when a crescent-shaped sword beam bisected the swarm. Jaune landed on the deck with a jump strike, blowing four away before impaling one and baseball-swinging him into six others that charged him. He then kicked a Miniblin in the face and shield-bashed another when it poked his calf with its pitchfork, only for two more to mimic their buddy as they swarmed.
A localized Bombos blast sent them into the ocean. After a chunk of the horde was chopped down, the smarter ones kept their distance and resorted to more mocking laughs.
He was about to ask why, then hit the deck upon hearing a distant explosion amidst the thunder. A massive ball of Malice splattered across the front, and tracking the source just barely revealed the rocky crescent moon island nearby off portside.
Skirting around it beneath a backdrop of lightning strikes was the silhouette of a double-decker galleon.
Jaune paled.
So it's true. After countless eras and iterations of the world, the Ghost Ship remains to terrorize the high seas. Linebeck must be desperate than we realized.
"So will we, if our gun doesn't get up in time," Jaune gritted when he dispatched the last Miniblin, only for Malice to spawn entirely different monsters. Amphibian, yet bulkier and meaner than any Lizalfos he met before. "Looks like these guys can take a bit more punishment, too."
The Geozards' defensive skills make them tough to fight head-on, though they're most vulnerable at the back. Don't stay still and clear the deck to free the cannon!
The closest one roared as if in reply, only to hide behind its shield against a salvo of buckshot. The others finally joined him on stage, armed and clad in their pyjamas. The shooter snarled. "Listen, Vomit Boy. I'm cold, soaked to the bone and just managed to fall asleep. I want to make these lizards pay."
"Good luck. I don't think they'll let you."
"Oh yeah? Clearly, they haven't met yours truly -"
Yang paused when she followed Jaune's outstretched sword to the Ghost Ship. Pale turquoise lights flickered between the masts. "Ah. I see your point."
The Geozards roared. Everyone else raised their weapons.
"Clear the deck! Let's get that cannon up!" Jaune repeated, and the two sides clashed beneath the storm. Ruby struck first blood, decapitating a line of Geozards in a Semblance-enhanced rush while Blake lassoed up more for Ren to riddle with bullets. The lone survivor sensed an easier target in Oscar, who rolled around its stronger blows until he applied a healthy injection of magic fire to its back.
With their combined efforts, the number of Geozards thinned faster than the Malice could generate, which had almost disappeared due to the rain. Jaune nodded to Yang and Nora, who rushed past a jittery Linebeck as he clung to Jaune for dear life. "M-my precious ship! Hurry up and kill them before it's too late!"
"Brace yourself!" Jaune yelled as thunder and Malice shots cracked overhead. They could now see individual holes in the Ghost Ship's sails, though the tide of monsters receded enough to free the trapdoor. "Prepare the cannon!"
Weiss sprinted back to the bridge, and the deck opened to free the artillery. Jaune planted a foot on the railing as Yang and Nora yelled crew actions from below.
The Ghost Ship swerved to face them broadside.
"Load!"
Something weighty clunked in place.
"Ready!"
The cannon swerved for the Ghost Ship as its gun ports opened.
Jaune swung his sword down. "Fire!"
And the shell whistled past his head before exploding with enough light to rival the noonday sun. In its wake was a massive, jagged hole that invited a flood powerful enough to halt the Ghost Ship in its tracks.
The S.S. Linebeck burst into cheers. Jaune heard his amongst the rest -
And they died an ugly death as Malice quickly snaked in from between the planks like tendrils, plugging the hole and rendering the Ghost Ship seaworthy.
Jaune had never seen such bullshit.
Neither had everyone else, perhaps, though none could dwell on it when the Ghost Ship unleashed its rolling broadside. Thunder, explosions, howling winds and panicked yelling - the deck was awash with it all as Malice splattered across the stern, bridge, water wheels and hull. The last shot was the unluckiest of them all, converting the cannon into wreckage by piercing straight through its barrel.
Jaune saw Linebeck fall to his knees and wail, only to flee when a Geozard charged him from the side. With more clawing their way up from the railing and the Ghost Ship drawing closer as if attempting a boarding, it was clear the tides were against them; lightning flashed, and on the deck of the Ghost Ship were various shadowy figures - chief amongst them a tall, thin man with a tricorn hat and hook for a hand.
Jaune then knew what he had to do.
No! Don't do it!
He sprinted anyway, aiming to make the jump -
The enemy captain slashed down for yet another fire order -
And S.S. Linebeck almost toppled from the force of impact, followed by a horrifyingly ear-piercing scream that cut through the din of battle.
Nora and Blake leaned against the railing - the former on her knees, gasping for air after being drenched in Malice, and the latter's arm was outstretched towards the ocean.
Screaming her partner's name.
A dull ringing clouded his ears, a byproduct of the shock, fear and rage that combined into something deeply unpleasant. Instinct took control, and he led the others in a last-ditch charge so frenzied that they actually thinned out most of the monsters aboard the S.S. Linebeck.
But there was always a bigger fish, and nothing could stop the Ghost Ship from firing at will. Another broadside slammed Jaune and Weiss into the cannon's wreckage, providing a front-row seat to another Malice shot crashing into Nora and sending her into the water. Ren's pained cry was just barely audible above the roars and gunfire.
Heat flared from the back of his hand.
"No."
The mark of Courage shone a brilliant gold.
Jaune felt Weiss tug his arm as he staggered to the edge. The others were no less enraged and kept up the losing fight, more so when Courage's light intensified enough that it began flickering a verdant green.
Nearby monsters backed away at the massive Triforce which appeared on the Ghost Ship's deck -
And with a single cry, Jaune jumped the gap to slam down with the most powerful Bombos attack he could muster. The Triforce erupted as three pillars of fiery light not only eviscerated most of the crew, it parted the stormclouds for a moment to reveal calm, peaceful stars above.
Panting, Jaune leaned against the ship's damaged mast to find the deck permanently scorched from the sacred light. "I...hah...where...is...everyone - hrk!"
Only to be lifted from the neck by the hook-based hand of the enemy captain.
A captain of Malice eyes and iron skin.
The robotic monster delivered a solid headbutt, incapacitating Jaune before the Ghost Ship unleashed one more broadside; he craned his head to catch sight of the now Malice-encrusted S.S. Linebeck, with an injured Ren kneeling by an unconscious Oscar while Qrow went berserk into the centre of at least twenty Geozards. Ruby and Blake were nowhere to be seen.
In the end, his gaze landed on Weiss and a panicked Ember hiding beneath her hair. The look she wore could only be called desperate, and while he was too far to hear her, by the way her lips moved, Jaune knew what she begged him for.
"W-Weiss...everyone...I promise...I'll save you!"
Perhaps he would, in time. Though it was not that day.
For the pain blossomed on his temple and smothered him with sleep.
All Weiss could do was scream when the captain threw him overboard. Thunder boomed, lightning cracked overhead and somewhere beneath the waves, the light of Courage faded into darkness.
(==|======-
...nk. Link. Wake up, Link...
...the flow of time is always cruel. Its speed seems different for each person, but no one can change it...
Distant voices echoed from the void, all rising together in a familiar torrent.
...well...I guess this is farewell, huh? Light and shadow can't mix, as we all know. But never forget that there's another world bound to this one. Link, I...see you later...
...whenever there is a meeting, a parting shall follow. But that parting needs not last forever...whether a parting be forever or merely a short while, that is up to you...
"Up...to me..."
It felt like reading a flipbook to see fracted memories that weren't his flash past - lifetimes spanning countless ages reduced to mere seconds. When he slowly blinked awake, it was hot, the sun was blinding and his vision stayed hazy, though the weakness that racked his body immobilized him. With the tide pushing him into the sand, he tried to stand and not suffocate in the mud.
Wrong move. The sudden pain was overwhelming, drawing a half-grunt, half-whimper as he fell back down. A migraine muted the voices bombarding his head, especially one that seemed persistent in catching his attention.
In the end, an entirely different one cut through altogether.
You've met with a terrible fate, haven't you?
He knew that voice. He also couldn't tell if it came from around or inside his head, for weakness dragged him back to sleep - and someone dragged his body onto the grass. Before he passed out for good, however, he caught one final glimpse of something in the darkness.
Namely, light.
Warm, beautiful light.
Draped around a girl in a white robe. She turned ever so slightly to reveal her timeless smile.
...while it's true I am Hylia reborn, I am still my father's daughter and your friend...I'm still your Zelda.
=I=
The pain returned as consciousness did.
It was night and day. His nerves were on fire, yet every inch of his skin felt clammy to touch, like a human iceberg. One spot in particular was sharp, localized and very, very persistent.
"...ow. Ow. Ow! Can you stop that?"
He blinked to find two beady ones staring back. The bright-eyed crab was neither telepathic nor a language expert, and so continued pinching his cheek with its pincer. It skittled out the open front door when he slapped it, upon which he flopped over to lie down. Something wet leaked through what felt like bandages, and pressing his fingers to the back of his skull coloured them a deep, bloody red.
"I...what? How did this happen?"
Groaning, he sat up to find wooden walls, large open windows, tables, chairs and cabinets set in a circular room that had a palm tree trunk for a centre column. His bed was one of two, opposite the other with a small washroom near the entrance, and oil-lit lamps hanging off the trunk bathed the room in natural orange light.
"Better yet, where am I?"
Dizziness and a fresh wave of pain lanced through his skull, the dull ringing drowning his thoughts and a distant, yet familiar voice. Not that he could discern what it said when he barely had the strength to listen; how could he when garbed in clothes he never remembered wearing? The sandals, thin white pants, blue sash and green-white sleeveless tunic were light, comfortable and completely foreign.
And how could he, when he didn't know the time, date or how he ended up in someone's house? He could hear the ocean and the sounds of a village, but he was too weak to call out. No one was around to help him.
Help...him.
Him.
Who was...him?
His breathing grew erratic.
"...fresh laundry, check. Chicken noodle soup, check. Status of guest - whoa, whoa, whoa!" a voice responded from the entrance, followed by a man with a brown tunic and shark necklace setting a tray down before rushing over. The man helped him recline while replacing his bandages. "Easy, now. Just because you survived doesn't mean you're fit to run around."
He coughed. "I...who...where?"
"You're in Lurelin Village, in western Sanus. I'm Numar, a local huntsman, and you, sir, are quite lucky that I found you on patrol by the coast. If it weren't for your colossal amounts of Aura, you wouldn't have made it ashore alive."
"I...certainly feel...like death."
Numar sighed. "Well, you're not out of the jungle just yet. While your injuries are healing, the worst of the fever is yet to come. Take the time to rest. I saved what was left of your armour, and one of the goat herders down the road was kind enough to lend you some old clothes. You both are quite the tall fellows."
He made a note to wash them and thank the herder later. "That's...kind of him."
"Yes. He and the village also share my curiosity as to who you are," the huntsman replied worriedly, holding a broken shard of glass that looked like it was once a scroll. "Do you remember why you washed up on the beach amidst a plethora of driftwood?"
Silence.
"Do you...remember where you come from, or what your name is?"
His...name?
Yes, he had a name. Everyone did.
So why couldn't he remember?
He almost panicked at the haunting revelation until one came to mind.
"...Link. My name is Link."
Warmth flared from the back of his hand, and Numar's concerned expression adopted a skeptical edge. The latter retrieved the tray, and the warm scent of fresh soup had his stomach growling. "Very well, Link. Please call out if you need anything, though do try and take things easy. Only through deep rest can you stave off the fever and restore your memories."
Not if he could help it. Link attempted to stand a few more times after Numar left, only to collapse exhausted and twice as agitated. Where he was, how he got there, his actual name - the questions prodded his mind like someone stuffed a pufferfish into his skull.
"All I remember is that I woke up in Numar's spare bed after face down in the sand some time ago. Trying to recall anything beforehand makes my brain hurt. The ringing has never gone away. I can't think. I can't move. I can't...I can't..."
The warmth on his hand flared once more, and this time, he glanced down to see the outline of three golden triangles - half of the bottom right pulsing a sickly green.
"The...Triforce..."
Link grunted as waves of pain reverberated from his hand, his skull, his chest - his whole body was on fire, and no one could see it.
Minutes became hours and perhaps days, all blending into a delirious loop as his fever reached its peak. He could recall Numar helping him eat between bouts of consciousness, though nothing could stave off his desire to simply...do. He had to push himself. He had to keep going. Lives were at stake, and if he was too late, then Zelda -
"...!"
Memories of ethereal light crashed into him like a tidal wave. Amidst cloudy skies, vast oceans or ruins in the wild, it was always Zelda. Though he never saw her eyes...her smile...
After what felt like eternity, Link smiled and allowed sleep to finally claim him.
(==|======-
It was the warmth that hit him first.
Link flinched as it bathed his face, only to realize that it did not, in fact, come from the Princess. Sunlight streamed through an open window, bringing a fresh breeze tinged with salt from the ocean. As the ringing migraine had lessened, he could now hear the village bustle better and his sense of smell seemed sharper than before.
Grunting, he used a nightstand to crutch himself up and stand for the first time since he could last remember.
"Feeling better?"
Link clenched his fist and relaxed it, testing his strength. A little weakened, though nothing some rigorous training could fix. "Still kinda groggy, though I don't think I'll pass out anytime soon."
Numar hummed from beside the kitchen table. "That means the worst has passed, considering you've been in bed for almost a week now."
His eye widened. "I...that's -"
"Expected from someone recovering from the edge of a coma," the huntsman replied, beckoning him to a table with bowls of warm soup. The scent had his stomach gurgling loud enough for Numar to chuckle. "You'll get better faster once you put hot lunch in your belly. How does that sound?"
Tempting as hell. Link plopped down opposite Numar and, like his other senses, rediscovered there were more flavours than just "hot", with the hearty prime meat stew almost drawing tears from his taste buds. Being able to feed himself fresh, tasty food on a warm day in a peaceful village...
It was nice.
And deep down, Link knew the nice things didn't last forever.
The notion must've shown on his face since Numar cleared his throat. "What are you thinking?"
"It's just...well, while I truly appreciate what you've done for me, I don't think I should stay longer than I have to."
Numar leaned back. "I doubt you were here by choice, to begin with. Any luck remembering?"
Truthfully, mental fatigue made it hard to stay on the same train of thought, especially when amnesia derailed it the previous week. All he could remember was that beach, which Numar mentioned was also littered with driftwood as if a white steamship sunk via storm or battle -
Link stilled.
"A...white ship? With wheels, in the middle of a thunderstorm?"
Something about that mental image stuck with him. While being shipwrecked made sense, being aboard one, less so. Was he a travelling merchant? A tourist? Leaving the old world to start a life abroad?
Or...what if he was trying to find something?
The migraine returned, and telling Numar had the huntsman humming. "The Agaat Ocean is notorious for stormy weather and undiscovered islands since much of it is unexplored, and since you washed up on the beach, your ship might've suffered some sort of catastrophe."
"Yeah. I'm almost certain of it now," he replied, feeling the Triforce's heat and what sounded like a voice, though it was lost to the wind. If only the Goddesses' power could restore his memories.
Goddesses...?
How did he know it was the mark of the Goddesses?
"And if I was just crossing the ocean, why did I have injuries that looked like I got into a fight? You mentioned saving my armour as well, so am I also a huntsman? Was I trying to find something, or...run away from someone?" Link clutched his temples. "Everything feels right and wrong. I...I don't know. Did I have anything else? Weapons? Items?"
Finishing his stew, Numar grabbed a harpoon and waited by the door. "We can return to the beach if you'd like. Stretching your legs will do your body good. Perhaps your mind, as well."
They soon stepped out into fresh, open air. A pair of kids in islander clothes ran past, followed by their mothers with baskets of fruit in their arms. Other villagers greeted Numar while giving him curious, yet not unfriendly looks as they walked down the sandy path, flanked on either side by palm trees and wooden homes shaped like coconuts with rooftops. Rounding a corner led them to the shoreline, with a storehouse, a small CCT tower beside what was probably the chief's house and small fishing boats moored to various piers.
Numar's route took them further up the coast past a palisade, where they were serenaded by gentle waves and tropical birds while shadowed by jungled mountains to the left. The peaceful-looking Agaat Ocean dominated the horizon from the right.
"Hopefully we can find something that can shed a little light on what happened…"
"Link? Over here!"
He joined Numar past some boulders at the next section of the beach: a stretch of sand where bits of white driftwood were scattered throughout, some being carried out to sea amidst shallow riptides. When the latter pointed to where he came ashore, Link knelt over it and dug away.
"Anything?"
Link shook his head, growing more apprehensive by the minute when the sand yielded nothing. After a few minutes branching out further, however, he paused upon feeling something solid.
"...great. More driftwood. I'm starting to think if I had anything, it got carried out to sea -"
He froze after heaving it aside. There was something beneath it that wasn't wooden.
Like a mole, Link tore the sand apart with renewed vigour until a familiar object came into view - a steel heater shield with black-and-gold engravings and a Triforce crest above two crescent arcs.
"What is it? What did you find?" Numar asked as he headed over. "Ah. That looks rather well-made. Could this be yours?"
Amnesia or not, he knew without a doubt that it was his. Intuitively, Link pressed a button on the handle to generate two plates of hard-light dust from the sides. "Yeah. I think it could be."
Numar chuckled. "We're on the right path, then. All we have to do is keep fanning out and...wait, what's that?"
Link tracked his gaze towards the treeline. There were no bags, swords or anything else that stuck out as being part of a warrior's inventory, though right before he could ask, a large bush beneath a tree began rustling. He and Numar stepped back as the culprit within emerged -
"...huh? It's...it's a -"
"Monkey?" Link replied, half-confused as well. The little creature bounded over, giving them a better look at its grey-blue fur as it sniffed them and...was that a rose on its ear?
"If animals developed a sense of fashion, then I'm really out of the loop."
The monkey hooted, though whether in excitement or panic was up for debate. It then sprinted to the treeline and began clapping energetically.
"Is it doing what I think it is?"
"Perhaps," Numar replied, gripping his spear. "I'm not sure about this, Link. You're still not fully recovered and -"
"What if it needs our help? Maybe it even knows where the rest of my stuff is."
Link grabbed his shield and followed the monkey before Numar could protest further. Walking into the jungle felt like passing through a wall of heat with how the ambient temperature skyrocketed, made worse by humidity that fused skin and clothes together. Already acclimatized, the monkey parkoured its way past branches and vines while he was confined to trudging through thick foliage, valiantly ignoring clouds of insects.
Eventually, Link burst into a clearing beneath the shadow of a small ridge with more jungle above it. He could hear Numar slashing his way over, though the monkey paused beside the entrance to a cave. It pointed inside fearfully, and peeking past the threshold treated him to a foul, rancid stench.
This wouldn't do. Link grabbed a tree branch, shield-bashed some nearby ore deposits and lit it with flint before heading inside. The monkey trailed behind, just within light's reach, but natural rock formations often cast shadows that gave the appearance of being followed in turn.
Upon rounding a bend, they scrambled behind a stalagmite as more light reflected off the cavern walls. The monkey cowered, confirming what lay ahead and leading Link to creep between stalagmites until gaining a better view of the source.
"...more torches? Is this a secret cult hideout?"
They were staked around the walls of a circular chamber containing rotting fruit waste. a mostly eaten animal carcass and crudely constructed furniture, on the other side of which three more monkeys trembled.
The confusion was real. Link stepped inside once it seemed all danger had passed, though he froze once more upon realizing their gaze wasn't trained on him - rather, overhead.
Bits of dirt fell on his shoulder, followed by a squelching noise.
He sighed deeply, glanced up and was promptly consumed by burning sticky darkness. Aura flickered as teeth chewed across his torso until he was suddenly spat out, and when Link came to, his left arm felt much, much lighter.
"Oi! Give me my shield back!"
The Like-Like decided to impersonate a machine gun instead, spitting animal bones that raked across Link's back and pushed him behind a broken wood shelf. He then grabbed a sword-sized piece of wood to whack it like a pinata, only for said pinata to prove rock-solid before slapping him back.
More gunfire, and Link took cover beside the monkeys as bones rained down around them. When it stopped, he peeked around to find that it hung like a limp noodle off the cavern wall, exposing its glowing core.
No time to lose. He seized the opportunity by jumping the furniture, grabbing the fallen torch and pummelling said core, eliciting pained gurgles from the monstrous plant. Link then jammed the torch into its hardened skin when it retracted, proving his working theory as the Like-Like combusted like living tinder. It revealed its core a second time, and after a second round of beatings, the Like-Like dislodged to burn in place.
"...nk? Link! What's going on!?" a familiar voice resounded from the tunnel. The monkey entered along with Numar, harpoon in one hand and a torch in the other. "Thank goodness. I heard the noise and rushed over as fast as I could. Are you alright?"
He replied by pointing to the Like-Like's ashes, which soon withered away to leave behind his shield, a treasure chest and the unconscious form of another monkey. The sight encouraged the others to saunter over, hooting in joy until the noise woke their buddy up.
Chuckling, Link almost tripped when they circled around and bombarded him with enough glee that anyone standing by the cave entrance could've heard the commotion. The monkey he freed hugged him tight, though the one who found them at the beach pulled him towards the treasure chest.
The others backed away, excitement in their eyes, and Numar gave an encouraging nod.
Warmth flared from the back of his hand.
"So...who exactly am I?"
Exhaling, Link opened the chest to retrieve his inventory. The first thing he grabbed was more of a pile of things, that being shards of broken, pale blue glass with a string that was probably tied around it when it was whole.
Gazing at the pile brought back an overwhelming sense of familiarity and dull ringing in his ears. Vague images of dark rooms and ancient sages flashed in his head, though Link pushed on and drew the next item - a mask with the face of a Goron.
"Darmani?"
He knew not what Gorons were nor where the name came from, even if it was familiar, and thinking about it reminded him of fire, stone and dragons. The ringing escalated into a headache, especially when he felt the cool surface of something that felt more like...a mirror?
And why do mirrors exist?
His reflection challenged him with that question as it stared back from the Lens of Truth. For a moment, it wore a green tunic and a long, green hat atop dirty blonde hair, though when he stared further, the image settled to reveal him with a black sweater and both eyes intact.
"...you...I know you."
...
"You're...a huntsman. From Vale."
...
"A huntsman who crossed the ocean...from Mistral. From Golow Village, after saving it from a dragon."
He pushed on despite the headache intensifying.
"...but you - I - wasn't alone."
The reflection flickered to reveal his right eye hidden behind a patch. His tunic was replaced by a green tunic and dull, steel armour.
"I had friends with me. They came from across the world to Beacon, where we fought and trained together. Some were in a different team, the others, in mine. I...I was their leader."
Red, white, black, yellow - the colours flashed by before he settled on a light emerald, strong fuchsia and autumn crimson, which morphed into a darker forest pine green.
...ne.
He remembered their faces, now. Their names, too.
He couldn't truly forget Team RWBY, nor the quiet and gentle Ren, and the bombastically earnest Nora.
Nor Oscar, the kind boy who, like himself, was thrown into a world far greater than he ever realized.
And Pyrrha, his original partner and first true love.
"...and what did they call me? It wasn't Link, but -"
Jaune.
The ringing headache vanished.
(==|======-
In its place remained a light, airy feeling tinged with rain and a gentle breeze.
Staring out the window revealed a village still deep asleep, though it wouldn't be long until people rose for the morning. The rooster atop a nearby house guaranteed it, patiently biding its time by enjoying the crisp coastal weather. Gentle waves splashed down by the coast and a dog barked from across the village, all while the sky brightened a light grey. Last night's storm broiled over the ocean, a thunderous mass of dark clouds receding against bluer skies that leaked from mountains to the east. For anyone else, it was the perfect moment to sleep in.
For someone like him, it was the perfect moment to pick up where he left off.
"Leaving already?"
He glanced over to see Numar leaning against the open door with a small knapsack. "Soon. I just finished training and took a shower, so all I need to do is gather my things. Oh, and I washed the herder's clothes as well. Tell him I said thanks."
"One step backwards, two steps forward with you, eh? Beacon taught you well, it seems," Numar chuckled, nodding to the folded clothes on the straightened-out bed. "Not one day after you recovered your memories and you're already going full speed ahead."
Even without them, the instincts drove him restless. Now that he remembered why along with how much time had passed, every second delayed meant risking the others. "Keeps me going. I'm gonna need it when I search for my friends."
"Right. After sharing your journey with me yesterday, I know for a fact you're the kind of guy who doesn't give up. I have faith you'll find them. So. What's your plan?"
"Well, I don't have the means to track down the Ghost Ship since I left the chart on Linebeck's ship, not to mention my Pirate's Charm was shattered. The others, however..."
A shrug. "No change at all. Vacuo's still my best bet since I don't have the money to buy a new scroll, and walking the shores of western Sanus will take, what, a few months? Maybe some already made it and are waiting there, and if so, we can search for the others together. Two birds with one stone. If not, then...well, one step at a time. I just gotta start somewhere."
"It's still a solid plan. Which is why I'll help you a little further," Numar replied, setting down the knapsack. "A week's worth of food and enough lien for a few supplies. And this...is the road before you."
Numar unfurled a map across the table. "Follow the road through the mountainous jungles northeast until it clears up. You'll trade humidity for drier heat closer to the Zirco Mesa, a large mountain range that separates the coast from the Toruma Barrens - the westernmost of Vacuo's deserts. It's known to swallow up travellers since its punishing winds tend to shift the landscape quite frequently, so make sure you stock up at Taafei's Bazaar before the canyon pass."
He nodded. "Anything else I should watch out for?"
"Monsters. Grimm. Many Vacuans belong to nomadic tribes, and most of those in the Barrens can be quite hostile." Numar leaned forward. "There is a tribe infamous around here for being able to match huntsmen. They're probably rogue huntsmen themselves, and you'll know since some say they're made entirely of women, too."
He narrowed his eye. Now that was something to remember, and he kept that in the back of his mind as he prepared to go. Not long after, when the rooster finally crowed after the first sunrays peeked over the mountains, Numar guided him to the edge of the village. There, he looked Numar in the eyes and shook his hand. "Thanks for everything. You saved my life. I...I don't know how I can ever repay you."
"You can start by finding your friends and finishing what you've started," Numar grinned. "But if for whatever reason you return to this forgotten corner of the world, don't forget to swing by, eh...Jaune?"
Nodding, he turned and steeled himself for the journey. In the nearby treeline, he could just see several familiar monkey-shaped outlines, perhaps thanking him in their own way by seeing him off. All he had to do was take the first step.
Alone.
It was almost daunting to realize, especially upon feeling heat in the back of his hand once more. Courage pulsed faintly between gold and green, the sight making his temples throb for a second while nearly passing out. When he shook it off, his hand was atop his sheathed sword.
"What's happening to me? Will I be alright...?"
You'll make it through this. You triumphed over worse odds before, and I'm with you every step of the way.
That...was good to hear. Things were going to be alright, and he would make sure of it.
Because in the end, it was the only choice he had.
- AN -
Welcome back to another chapter of A Descendant of Legends!
Not gonna lie, it went a little bit longer than I anticipated since I wanted to include everything written and more, but I felt it would be too detrimental to cut out more than I already did. Especially stuff like their time at sea and the cave mini-quest. Can't have them all in one chapter, I suppose, though it's fine in the long run since we've yet to see the perspectives of the other characters. At the very least, with the start of a new main questline comes three different streams; Jaune has only his wits, the ghost in his head and the clothes on his back, as part of a more traditional Zelda adventure sequence. Kinda excited to see how it goes, which will be somewhat separate from how the other two streams and their characters of interest will go before re-emerging.
I also apologize for the long wait, due to various responsibilities in life and, admittedly, because I'm a little addicted to playing Tears of the Kingdom as well. Ugh. So good. While I don't yet have any concrete plans for adding anything major from TOTK besides new monsters, things aren't always set in stone. The intent is there, along with the challenge of doing so organically.
Otherwise, thanks for reading and sticking around thus far, and I hope to see you next time!
- Reviews -
Dragon lord Syed 101: Oh yes. Bunch of stuff's gonna happen this mini-arc, and I'm excited to see what they'll be!
Super heavy weapons guy: Hell yea, go for it!
Maelaeran: For sure! It feels good as well to write something that doesn't have action popping up every few paragraphs and just focus on interactions. Not that action isn't fun, but there's more to adventure than constantly rushing B.
Guest: Thank you! My beautiful, good boi Jaune, the Rusted Knight. Ah. One of my favourite parts of V9, and it feels so mellowing (in a good way) to think of his progression all the way from V1 until now. Makes me feel old, too, lol. There'll definitely be more Ember in the following chapters as well, and seeing Weiss slowly get used to Roman and Neo's antics is the cherry on top. Though it remains to be seen how the others still left on the ship will fare, though...
guest: Lol, I like it!
SentinalSlice: Oh, yes! I plan for some more outfit shenanigans soon as well, though I'm still seeing what I can include from TOTK and how to do it well.
Just a reader now a writer: Even though I've dunked hours into TOTK, I still go back to watch the final trailer every now and then since it's just so good. While I'd rather not spoil some things, rest assured I haven't given up writing this story!
Monster King: Thank you!
IHateGenericCereal: And now it's out there! Monsters for sure, though nothing concrete on major features yet. We'll see how the story progresses - especially with the Ghost Ship!
Guest: And he'll be front and centre once more!
Guest: We'll see what happens, spoilers!
revan mandalore: We'll see what happens as well. Spoilers!
mastercheif1229: Thank you, I'm glad you like it! Life happens, unfortunately, but while my upload rate isn't like before, I write as much as I can these days!
triscythe59: I've never been to a midnight release before until I went with buddies for TOTK. Now I'm addicted. Worth it!
Thunder Dragon: It's pirate season! Don't wanna waste it, for sure. It's a pretty cool idea too! For Ember to resist that primal nature and be inspired by the dragons of old...
Guest: I like 'em! The biggest issue is maneuvering around what's been set in stone long ago without rewriting 450k-plus words and the 3 years I've spent on this, but that's a topic for another day. I've had similar thoughts myself...good stuff, though!
- Stats -
Upload Date: June 4 / 2023
Chapter Word Count: 9797
Approximate Page Length (Times New Roman, size 12, single-spaced): 24.6
- Disclaimer -
The Legend of Zelda and RWBY are the respective properties of Nintendo and Rooster Teeth.