Climbing the mountain wasn't easy. The party didn't totally lack climbing gear, but they didn't have as much as they probably should have had, and at many points getting up sections of the mountain safely was a struggle.
They probably could have done it more easily from the west instead of the east, but the rumors of a Lynel were enough to keep them far away from that side of the mountain.
But after almost two days of difficult climbing, they were nearing their destination. There was only one more steppe left to scale.
"Going somewhere, children?" a strange voice asked. The eight of them turned to see a being that looked like...
Well, picture a purple hooded cloak. Picture one too small for the average person, with a gold medallion around its neck, a giant red eye beneath its hood, and dark, bony arms too long for its body reaching from where sleeves would normally be, but aren't. Picture a ring on the thing's right index finger. What you imagine might look somewhat close to what the speaker was.
"Ghost!" Lysithea panicked.
"Who are you?" Hubert demanded, summoning a spell to his fingertips.
"How rude," the thing said. "My name is Wizzro. And you're really going to threaten me before we've even been introduced? I think I'm offended."
"Wizzro?" Kass asked. "The same Wizzro who served Cia during the War Across the Ages—before betraying her for Ganondorf?"
"So you know me," Wizzro said, self-satisfied.
"If you serve Ganon, then you're our enemy," Monica snarled, drawing her sickle.
"Uh uh uh, I wouldn't do that if I were you," Wizzro said.
Ashe held his hand in front of Monica. "Why not?"
"Because, if you do..." he opened his left hand and a lantern appeared. "Your friend's soul goes up in smoke."
Suddenly, Hubert's body violently spasmed, and the others could see his soul being dragged out from his body and into the lantern.
Wizzro chuckled. "Foolish boy, picking up a Poe's lantern. Even the most ignorant of Hylian children know not to do that. I don't really want to burn his soul, but if you attack me..."
"Don't listen to him!" Hubert shouted from inside the lantern. "Strike him down now!"
Monica brandished her weapon, but Ashe held her back. Flayn glared at Wizzro. "What do you want, monster?"
"I want one of your bodies," Wizzro said. "It's been so long since I've had a human body. Of course, I could take your friend's. But I don't want his. Not really.
He looked at Flayn. "I want your body. I want to possess it."
"Why do you want Flayn's body?" Linhardt asked.
"Isn't it obvious?" Wizzro asked. "She's a manakete! She's bursting with magic, and her body won't ever die of natural causes! The rest of you are mere ephemeral mortals, but her, she's special. Shame about that injury that never fully healed, but I'll manage."
"A manakete?" Linhardt asked.
"You're not human?" Cyril asked.
Flayn considered trying to lie, but sighed in defeat. "This isn't how I wanted to tell you."
"Perhaps the story can wait until we have saved Hubert," Dedue said.
Ashe decided to take charge. "No deal, Wizzro."
"You won't get Hubert's soul back," Wizzro threatened.
"No deal," Ashe said. "But we might be willing to make a wager."
"A wager?" Wizzro asked, intrigued.
"A wager. A bet. We both put something on the line, winner take all," Ashe elaborated.
"I know what a wager is," Wizzro said. "What are you willing to bet?"
"A soul against a soul," Ashe said. "You lose, you put Hubert's soul back in his body."
"And if I win?" Wizzro asked.
"You have two souls to bargain with instead of one," Ashe said.
"That's an enticing offer," Wizzro said. "But what are we betting on?"
"How about a game of dice?" Ashe said, taking a pair of dice out of his pocket. "I bought them at Lakeside Stable. They're fair dice. You can check them if you want."
Wizzro looked closely at the dice. "Yes, these are good dice. What are the rules of the dice game?"
Ashe went to a pile of gravel and counted out twenty pebbles. He gave ten to Wizzro, and kept ten for himself. "Eleven and twelve are winners. Two and three are losers. Any other number, we roll again. Hand the dice to your opponent after the hand. We can bet as little as one pebble or as many as ten on a hand. When one of us has them all, that person wins the wager."
"It's a bet!" Wizzro said, excitedly.
"I'll roll first," Ashe said. "Bet one." He rolled a five, then a nine, then a three. He gave Wizzro a pebble.
"Bet three," Wizzro said, placing three stones in front of Ashe. Ashe nodded and matched the three stones with three of his own. He rolled a six, then a four, then a two.
"Bet two," Ashe said. When Wizzro matched his bet, he rolled a four, then a seven, then an eleven.
"Bet three," Wizzro said. He rolled a ten, then a twelve.
"Bet five," Ashe offered. He rolled eight, then twelve.
"Bet three," Wizzro offered. He rolled three, then six, then nine, then eleven.
"Bet two," Ashe said. Snake eyes.
"Bet three," Wizzro said. He rolled seven, then eight, then three.
"Bet six," Ashe said.
"I only have six," Wizzro responded.
"Exactly. You don't go all in when your opponent has less than you do," Ashe said.
"Good point," Wizzro said, placing his six pebbles in front of Ashe's six.
Ashe threw the dice to reveal...twelve. "Looks like I win."
"Just one moment," Wizzro said, smashing the two dice to reveal tiny weights inside. "You cheated."
"Well, I..." Ashe trailed off as he realized there was no other explanation.
"So, that means I win," Wizzro said, and Ashe's soul was pulled out of his body and joined Hubert's in the lantern.
"How about another wager?" Linhardt asked.
"One soul against one?" Wizzro asked. "Keep it up, and I'll have all your souls before long."
"How about two souls against two?" Cyril asked, handing Wizzro a length of rope. "Here's the bet. You try to tie a knot that Linhardt and I can't untie within one hour. But, ya can't use magic. Only a mundane knot."
"Okay, but you can't cut the knot," Wizzro challenged. "The rope must be undamaged by the end."
Cyril was about to agree, but Linhardt cut him off. "The rope will be undamaged except for the usual amount of fraying that would take place untying the knot." He looked at Cyril. "Exact words are important."
"Saw right through my trick?" Wizzro asked. "Good for you. It's a bet. But you can't watch me tie the knot." He hid the rope from view, then showed Cyril and Linhardt a large, misshapen knot.
Cyril and Linhardt got to work right away.
Wizzro had tied the knot well, though. An hour later, the two boys were mostly done untying the knot, but there was still some left. "Time's up." Wizzro dragged the two boys' souls out of their bodies. "How about one more wager to settle things? Four souls against four, winner take all."
"Deal," Flayn, Lysithea, and Dedue all said.
"Hey! Don't I get a say in this?" Monica asked. The three others have her a hard stare until she relented. "Fine. But I'll be the one who plays for our souls, or you're not betting mine."
"What game are you wanting to play?" Wizzro asked.
"Have you ever heard of a game called "Draw Poker?" Monica asked.
"No," Wizzro said
Monica explained the rules. "Kass, you shuffle. Your soul isn't on the line," Monica said.
Wizzro produced twenty-four green rupees. "Six per soul. Winner keeps the rupees, too."
Dedue fished twenty-four green rupees out of the Korok pouch. "It's a bet."
Lysithea looked at Monica. "We're trusting you, Monica."
"My soul is on the line too, you know," Monica said.
Kass dealt the first hand. "Bet two," Wizzro said, betting two rupees. "Give me two cards." He discarded two of his.
"Three cards," Monica said, discarding three and receiving three more from Kass. "And I'll raise you one."
"Call," Wizzro said.
Monica showed her hand. "Two pairs, Knaves over Nines."
"Two pairs, Queens over fours," Wizzro showed his, taking the rupees. "Deal again."
When they got their cards, Wizzro looked at his. "Bet three."
"Gladly," Monica said, matching his three.
"Give me two," Wizzro said, discarding two of his cards. Kass dealt him two.
"I'll keep my cards as they are," Monica said.
Wizzro looked at her suspiciously. "Hand that good, huh? Well, then you won't mind if I raise the bet by twenty-four?"
"I don't have twenty-four. I have eighteen," Monica said.
"You have the bird-brain dealing," Wizzro said.
"Why would you want Kass's soul?" Flayn asked.
"Simple. No witnesses," Wizzro said.
"You may bet my soul," Kass agreed, placing six rupees on the ground in front of Monica.
Wizzro looked at Monica suspiciously, but he seemed to have faith in his cards. "Okay, I..."
"Just a minute," a soft, beautiful voice called out as a woman stepped into view. "She hasn't had an opportunity to raise the bet."
The woman was exceedingly beautiful. She had long, green hair and slightly tanned skin. She was tall, shapely, and graceful.
It was instantly clear to Flayn that this was her kinswoman, but Wizzro confirmed it. "Farosh."
"Farosh? As in, the dragon?" Lysithea asked.
"The very same," Farosh said. "I will bet my soul on these cards."
"Your soul? But...what will I match that with?" Wizzro asked.
Farosh stared Wizzro in the eye. "Your ring. If you lose, I shatter it. Or you can fold, and I swear I will let you leave."
Wizzro looked at the cards, then at Monica. At the cards, then at Monica.
He lost his nerve. "Fine. I fold." He knocked over the lantern and the four souls within returned to their bodies. "Don't think this is over." He vanished in a cloud of purple smoke.
"What cards did he have?" Hubert asked. He turned the cards over. Two queens, three sixes.
"A good hand, but he should be glad he folded," Monica said, showing off her four eights and one three.
"I expected he would call," Kass said.
"You dealt those hands on purpose?" Ashe asked.
"Of course! What kind of bard would I be if I couldn't cheat at cards?" Kass asked. "I wasn't expecting you to raise the pot, Lady Farosh."
Flayn looked at Farosh. "It's really you!"
Linhardt frowned. "I don't understand. So she doesn't summon the Divine Dragon, but rather she is the Divine Dragon? And you aren't human, Flayn?"
Flayn frowned an made to speak, but Farosh held up her finger. "I think we have much to talk about. But perhaps we should do so in my home."
I know you all were probably expecting a battle, but I didn't think it would make sense for Wizzro to try to do battle right next to Farosh's home and risk attracting her attention. Don't worry, Wizzro will get to show his battle skills eventually, just not now.