Author's Note: WHAT IS UP MUCKAAAACHUNGAAAAS!? IT'S TRAVEZTY! And Today, I'm going to be bringing you the entirety of Session 1 for the Legend of Zelda: The Dragon's Rathe! Now I know this story has only just gotten started, but honestly, my first real review is actually quiet encouraging, so thanks for the vote of confidence, TheRealD3lp0xL0v3r! Every little bit helps. Now today, I think I'm going to have to explain myself just a little bit and describe my thought Processes when it comes to this story, the Characters, and my specific Style of DMing Combat Encounters!
So just a bit of an explanation of this story's Setting, just to make sure everyone is on the same page: This Story takes place in the same version of Hyrule as Breath of the Wild and Tears of the Kingdom, but with one major difference: It takes place on a massive Country Sized Island in the Great Sea. I won't spoil everything too much, but let's just say the previous battle with Gannondorf, decades before the start of the story, was so violent and catastrophic that Hyrule was disconnected from the continent, taking everything within BotW/TotK's interactive map structure out into the sea, even the surrounding islands were taken with it, still in their original positions before the disconnection, give or take a few tens of feet.
For the Characters, here are the major things everyone needs to know:
For Link, as I had said in Session 0's Author's Note, I had chosen him to be a mix of Hyrule Warrior's Volga and a few other inspirations. However, there was one other reason why I chose this, and this reason is simple: The Master Sword. In some Depictions, the Master Sword is a Longsword that Link wields with one hand, in others, it is actually an Arming Sword (Short sword in D&D Terms). Now while Monks can't initially wield Longswords, they can wield Short Swords, which is actually perfect, so for the version of the Master Sword that I will be providing in this story, I will have it be a Shortsword.
For Rita, I was actually divided on how I wanted to make her in this one, as I was torn between a Paladin of the Oath of the Open Sea, a Cleric of the Tempest Domain, and a Cleric of the Life Domain. It was hard, but considering the first major injuries (spoilers) at the end of this chapter, I'm glad I decided to make Rita a Life Domain Cleric, making her take more after Mipha.
For Zelda, there is a very good reason why I had decided to go with Zelda as an Artificer, and that was due to BotW, HW: AoC, and TotK, Zelda, for the most part, is the stereotypical Artificer, a scholar who is interested in the machinery of the Ancient Sheikah and Zonai. I mean she practically builds Terrako from Scratch, she's intensely interested in the Sheikah Slate, and she is fascinated with ancient tech! So it's a bit of a no-brainer. Plus I have constructed my own version of the Sheikah Slate and Purah Pad for Zelda in this one. However, to sort of balance her out, I mixed in a bit of Linkle's character traits into Zelda as well, so she has some cute moments, as well as some quirks that make her a bit more interesting. Plus, this gives me a chance to bring in Terrako, which I'm all for!
For Impa, I'll just come out and say it, I made Impa a Shadar-Kai because of the fact that the Shadar-Kai are the Elves of the Shadowfell, just like the Sheikah are the Clan of the Shadows. Plus I am using a similar build to that of Gaijin Goombah's Greckles from the first Unexpectables Campaign, as well as his Which Ninja guide to create an Authentic D&D Ninja
For Corvus, I actually had some help in building this with my co-founder of this story, TheRealD3lph0xL0v3r. When I had asked which of the Zelda Races they liked most, they immediately said Rito, specifically that of Kass from Breath of the Wild. Thanks to this, we came up with an idea for a bard, but considering that a bard is next to useless without their musical instruments, I came up with a work around thanks to the College of Spirits, as that College allows you to use a Deck of Cards to act in place of your instruments. That is how I came up with Corvus's obsession with a Card Game that allowed him to use his gaming cards as a medium in place of a Tarokka Deck. This will also create a few interesting Side Quests later in the story!
Finally, for Daruma, Delphox and I actually had an interesting time developing him, and while we had been throwing around what kind of class he would be, Delphox actually suggested an Ancestral Guardian Barbarian. Given how the Combat encounter went in this Session (Again, Spoilers) I am so glad I listened to them on this one. Plus, I based Daruma on the Hyrule Warriors Darunia, so his use of a hammer in this story is based entirely on that.
Now as for my Combat Encounters Style, I'm actually going to level with you guys, when I'm playing with others, I'm always making sure I'm on the level with my players about my rolls, or, if I think the situation would be more interesting, I lie about my rolls, mostly for those that are interesting enough that warrant it. However, when I am playing by myself, I do tend to roll multiple times, hoping to get the result I want, but I always limit myself to 5 rolls, so that if I don't get the one I want, I punish myself by taking the lowest roll I got within those 5 Rolls. Aside from that I have one other homebrew rule that I like to utilize due to the fact that everyone fluctuates by saying "Draw goes to the Attacker" or "Draw goes to the Defender". My answer to this is that, like the Roll that met the draw, "we let chance decide", specifically I flip a coin to determine which direction the Tie goes. If it is Heads, the Tie goes to the Offender, if it's Tails, it goes to the Defender.
So yeah that is pretty much everything I've got to say right now, but before I start us off, I want everyone to know that I am thankful that you have taken the time out of your day to read this experiment of mine! I don't know how long I'll be able to keep this series going before I eventually take a hiatus and forget about it entirely, but I'll go for as long as I can, and if something comes up, I'll let you guys know! Welp, I think that's enough out of me for now! Please be sure to Follow, Favorite, Review, and Share this story with anyone and everyone you know who likes Legend of Zelda and Dungeons & Dragons Content! Catch ya on the Flipside! ZODIA!
Session 1: Don't let it Drag-On
It is a beautiful day in the Kingdom of Hyrule, especially in the Lost Woods of the Korok Forest to the Northeast of Hyrule Castle, where the Koroks are going about their day, being merry and playing their musical instruments to greet the sunrise. Somewhere, in these woods, surrounding a cooking pot as a young woman smiles as she tosses her ingredients with a smile, a little mad scientist trying out a new recipe she had concocted thanks to Daruma's suggestion of using Rock Sirloin. Much to the surprise of Zelda and the others, while it is known that the Goron Races eat "rocks" it turns out the actual "rocks" they eat are a form of powerful and dangerous bird that only the strongest of the Gorons actually hunt, the birds just carry a very similar sounding name to actual rocks. Add to this that the skin of a Roc is actually much tougher than it looks, and has an appearance similar to stone, it is actually quite hilarious when people think about it. Now Gorons do actually eat rocks, as, on death mountain, though a very particular kind of stone, one that actually contains plant matter after it has been burned. 'Had they the ability to farm or grow fire resistant vegetables in their region, they wouldn't resort to eating rocks to supplement their diet!' Zelda thinks to herself as she tosses some safe mushrooms into the mix.
That is when she hears a loud sniffing sound and sees mop of red hair through the steam as her twin brother, Link, smells the concoction being made. "Another experiment, little sister?"
"Who's the younger sibling? I don't think our parents ever told us!" Zelda smirks at her brother coyly.
"That's true! Still, it smells good!" Link says, smiling as he looks at her mix the ingredients, the smell getting everyone up.
"Good morning everyone…" A floofball of feathers says as he ruffles himself up before settling his plumage, revealing a rather handsome Rito in the shape of a Blue and Gold Macaw, "That smells good, I'm starving!"
"Good, cuz I think it's going to take a bit before it is finished!" Zelda says, smiling as she takes a spoon and starts turning over the ingredients before adding onions and eggs into the mix. "Aside from this, how did you sleep, Corvus?"
"I slept rather fine, actually, still, it's surprising we didn't have an enemy attack us in our sleep!" Corvus says.
"Ugh…" A voice says, stepping out of another tent, a loud and gruff voice. "Morning…"
"Daruma!" Link says, "How're you this morning brother?" Link asks, walking up to the Goron and smacking his chest with a smile, the gray skinned and black marked Goliath of a Creature, smirking, though tired.
"Exhausted, I took a watch last night and I forgot to wake somebody up to change shifts…" Daruma says, "You got anything to perk me up?"
"I am actually brewing some coffee in the pot while making breakfast, it should be ready soon!"
"Good, I could use a coffee…" Daruma says, to which he takes the tea pot that is on the fire, and pours himself a hot, Hylian-sized, Cup and sips the warm and bitter liquid. "Ah…" He then immediately perks up. "GOOD MORNING!"
"WOULD YOU BE QUIET!?" A voice shouts from within another tent, and stepping out is a woman with silver hair and red eyes, not from a lack of sleep, but her natural eye color. "Some people don't like having such a boisterous man waking them up every morning!"
"Good morning to you too, Sister Impa!" Daruma says, laughing, to which Impa snarls as she grits her teeth.
"Good morning…" She says, snarling while gnashing her teeth together.
"Breakfast is almost ready, so please relax Impa."
"Fine…" Impa relents, trying to calm down.
"Has anyone seen Rita?" Link asks, looking around before a pair of hands covers his eyes.
"Right behind you!"
"Oh there you are!" Link says, smiling, to which Rita giggles as she moves in front of him, removing her hands from his eyes. To those who could see the party around them, one could see the difference in their races. Link himself is a Gerudo, or at least half-Gerudo, though his physical features are purely Hylian, the rest of his features, those of his hair, skin, and eyes, are purely Gerudo. He has long fiery crimson red hair that falls down to just below his shoulders, starting out as the signature Hylian gold near the roots before turning orange as they stretch out, before turning a brilliant fiery crimson red, all of his hair wavy yet curling at the tips, making it look like a mane made of fire. His skin, when described appears to have the coloration of sand, it is not completely brown, but more of an Olive-Tone, a shade of tan with a golden undertone, whilst his eyes are that of an amber yellow, but if one were to see the light reflected in it, some would say his eyes are more that of a metallic gold. Upon his head is set a beautiful Gerudo Style Circlet, which indicates that, for all to see, he is the Prince of the Gerudo Tribe, which, in comparison to the crown he will one day wear, is rather simple in design, with it's only stand out feature being that of a red gemstone set a it's center in the middle of his forehead, with the rest of it being engraved with symbols of the Gerudo's defiance of Gannondorf.
He has several other pieces of jewelry around him, arm bands, stylized arm and leg bracers, all of them carrying large rubies in them, but the most stand out piece of jewelry on Link is that of a beautiful gold choker necklace that he has around his neck, and hanging off of it is a beautiful gemstone amulet made of three large and beautifully cut sapphires set into an amulet of gold shaped like three connected crescent moons. This image brings a smile to the Zora Princess's face, it is the only item of blue on him, yet it stands out so beautifully in the contrast of it. Speaking of the Zora Princess, she is rather different from your typical Zora.
Like Most Zora of the Modern Times, her appearance is not set in stone, but where the main differences lie is that she was actually born with traits typical of that of her ancestors or close relatives to them. Like Queen Rutela, she has a long head of, somewhat curly, "hair" that is made up almost entirely of her the scales from the top of her head, and the fins on her lower body flow around her like that of a long trailing robe or dress, giving her a rather sensual appearance. Like her ancestor, Princess and Sage Ruto, her forearms have very long fins that, though the base stretches from her wrists to her elbows, look like sleeves made out of some gossamer material, but, unsurprisingly, are actually much tougher than they appear. She also retains Ruto's hourglass figure and rather well endowed appearance, both above and below the waist, and fin-shaped "ears". However, from her favorite distant relative, Mipha, through the Princess's younger brother, and Rita's Ancestor, Sidon, Rita had been born with a beautiful crimson and cream coloration that is spread just like Mipha's. Aside from this, she also wears a beautiful piece of cloth around her body to give those Hylians around her a sense of ease with her, presumed, sense of modesty.
For Impa, she appears no different from your average Hylian, she is of a modest build with pretty average features, save for her beautiful face, her crimson red eyes, and head of silver hair that she often tied up in a bun, though some of it is left to hang free down to her shoulders. Other than that, she is dressed in the usual Sheikah garments of navy blue with mixes of brown leather armor, a white cloth wrapped around her neck, and, most importantly, a lower face mask that she only takes down to eat or sleep. She often carries a shortsword attached to her hips, resting against the small of her back and on top of her hips, parallel to her back. For Daruma, much to the surprise of all those who know about Gorons, but Daruma is shown to be a Goron that is more tall than girthy, as well as leaner and more muscular than most Gorons in appearance. According to Daruma, he is one of the "Marked Ones" who were born with a more Humanoid appearance, but with stone gray skin covered in black markings and some large bumps across their skin that give them a minor resemblance to their more common cousins. According to Daruma, Marked Ones have the ability to predict the future if they manage to interpret their markings correctly, specifically their own future, which is the reason why the Marked Ones refuse to get any of the Goron's tribal tattoos, as getting any sort of tattoos from the tribe, according to their lore, has drastically warped the destinies of "Marked Ones" for the worse in the past, and there is even evidence of this in their stories.
Aside from this, Daruma, when he hasn't shaped himself in a while, often has a pure white beard and head of hair atop his head, and, due to this more Humanoid appearance, has to wear clothing, namely that of a kilt with undergarments, and, during times of intense cold, a thick coat. Aside from that, he is often seen carrying his Megaton Hammer, which has the molding of a Dragon's skull upon it, much to the surprise of most. Next we come to Corvus, who, despite his name meaning Crow, is actually are Rito in the shape of a beautiful Blue and Gold Macaw, and, for a Rito, he is extremely handsome, or cute, depending on when you catch him, as he is known to fluff himself up every once in a while to get something out of his feathers, to help scratch an itch he can't reach through his feathers, or just because his bored. Aside from this, he carries, at all times, his trusty accordion, though in recent weeks, he has switched to the much simpler, and easier to fix, concertina, namely due to the fact that in their last battle with a group of Bokoblins outside of Zora's Domain, the sudden appearance and sneak attack of a Moblin badly damaged his accordion in the process. Thankfully, Link knew somebody in Zora's Domain who could fix it, but they were missing a key ingredient to do so, a special wood that only grows in these parts is needed to upgrade the Accordion's durability so that this doesn't happen again for a while. This is the main reason why they are here, to gain permission from the Koroks to cut down a few of these trees to gain the wood they need for the Accordion's reeds.
As Such, due to Corvus's specialization in the Accordion, the Zora Instrument Maker had lent them a Concertina, a much smaller and more compact version of the accordion. Right now, thanks to the sound of the instruments in the distance, they knew they were close to their village. With this though, the Princess serves them breakfast, which, much to the surprise of the group, is actually scrambled eggs mixed with onions, mushrooms, and roc meat, which is then spiced with some salt they bought at Zora's Domain, as well as some wild spices. The group actually enjoys Zelda'a cooking with a smile as Link actually scarfes down the food with a smile on his face. "Delicious!"
"It's all about the shrooms, Link, it's all about the shrooms!" Zelda says as she takes a bite of her food. "Mushrooms, as it turns out, from what the Kingdom's Sheikah experts could understand, are more animal than plant, but contain the properties of both, making them the perfect way to get nutrition when you're lost in forest regions. If you know what you're picking and what you're doing!" Rita just gives her a look of displeasure as she gnashes her shark-like teeth together as she glares at the woman. Of course, this "Linkle" isn't who Link says she is, but when he said she was his twin sister, she could see the truth in his eyes. She knows it's Illogical since the two are siblings, but she can't help but feel like she is a rival for Link's attention.
"It's really good all the same!" Daruma says, smiling as he eats his massive serving.
"You've certainly improved your cooking skills…" Impa says, eating with a stoic face, although, internally, she is beyond happy at the meal. Corvus just silently contemplates the food, thinking about his precious accordion. "Corvus, cheer up, we're going to get your instrument fixed!"
"I know but… That accordion belonged to my master… I can't believe I got so careless as to get it damaged…" Corvus says, sighing as he looks at the food and eats.
"Hey…" Zelda says, putting a hand on his shoulder, "Everything will be just fine!" She smiles, and Corvus cheers up as he nods and cheers up a little more and they begin to eat. After eating, it takes them a few minutes to pack up their things and clean their dishes before they make their way towards the Faron Korok Village. Following the sound of the musical instruments, everyone begins to sense something is amiss… Link stops the group as he twitches his ears, "What is it? What do you hear?"
"The music, it's slowing down…" Link says, to which he then starts to sniff the air, at first picking up nothing through the morning mist, but then, he smells it. "Is that incense… No… That's wood smoke!" Corvus looks at Link with shock and opens his wings.
"The Koroks are in trouble!" Corvus says, flying towards the general direction from where the music came from.
"Corvus, wait!" Zelda shouts, but then the group chases after him. For Corvus, he soon hears the screeching of the Koroks as they rush past him, with Corvus looking into the mist as a group of creatures walk towards the Koroks menacingly. It is a small group of Miniblins, and, as they approach, they whisper their signature phrase: "nigh" repeatedly.
"Miniblins… Not too much of a challenge but maybe defeating these morons might earn me into the good graces of the Koroks." Corvus says, smiling as he dives down, and lands before the Miniblins. "Hear me, you Creatures of Darkness, and Servants of the Calamity! You shall not pass and bring harm to these Koroks further!"
He then brings out the Concertina, "I challenge you!"
"Nigh nigh! Nigh nigh!" One of the Miniblins says, obviously giving the orders.
*Rolling Initiative*
Corvus: 24 (Nat 20 on initiative!)
Miniblin Mage [Nilbog Stat Block] (17)
Miniblin 1 [Goblin Stat Block] (15)
Miniblin 2 (15)
Miniblin 3 (2)
Smiling as he begins to play on the Concertina, and begins to play Zelda's Lullaby, creating a melodic tune that creeps across the forest, and one that lulls three of the Miniblins to Sleep. However, the Miniblin Mage smacks itself in the head with it's own staff, fighting off the melody, glaring at the Rito Bard. "Tch, tough little bastard, aren't you?"
"Niiiiigh!" The Miniblin snarls, raising it's Staff, then chants in a malicious melody, "Niiiigh-nigh-nigh-nigh-nigh-nigh-nigh-Niiiigh!" The moment the Miniblin finishes it's chant, Corvus then snorts as he feels a sense of euphoria and hilarity sweep over him as he begins unkeash a Hideous Laughter like the Gerudo Desert creature called a Hyena.
"Craaa-ahahahahahahaha!" Corvus says as he collapses to the ground holding his stomach, watching the Miniblin Mage make his way over to Corvus with a wicked smirk.
"BACK FOUL THING!" A voice echoes above the laughing Rito and the cackling Miniblin. They both look up to see Link jumping into the air, diving down with one foot extended. 'I have no other element than Fire to aid me… Please Goddesses, don't let this Sacred Forest catch ablaze!' Link's outstretched foot glows with flames as the Gerudo-Hylian dives down and lands a powerful kick, "ELDIN'S TALONS!" The Miniblin screams as it is set ablaze and rapidly becomes nothing more than a pile of ashes. Link lands next to where the Miniblin was as Corvus, who feels the effects of the spell waning, begins to calm down from his laughing fit.
"I-heheh had this!" Corvus says, calming down, but is more ashamed himself than angry.
"Obviously." Link says, offering the Rito a hand up, who smirks as he takes the hand, standing with the hybrid's help. That is when they begin to hear music playing, and the cheering of many Koroks as they rush over to the two of them.
"Wee-hooo!" A rather large one says, "Thank you! You saved us!"
"It was nothing!" Link says, smiling as he rubs his nose with a happy grin. The rest of the group finally catches up as they see the rest of the Miniblins, then begin to just put them to sleep, permanently…
"So what brings you strangers here?"
"We were hoping to speak with your elders for permission to cut a few trees of a certain species." Zelda says, stepping forward. "Our brave friend, Corvus, has a musical instrument that needs to be repaired, due to damage sustained by a surprise attack from a Moblin." Zelda turns on the charm with the Koroks, knowing how much they love music. The tree people look at each other and start whispering among themselves.
"If you wish to harvest some of the trees, you will need to speak with the Sage…!" A rather large Korok that looks rather elderly. "They were going to join us for the festival tonight, but they are never this late!"
"We can search for them!" Zelda says, "We were going to seek out the Sage at a later date anyway…!" The Koroks then cheer as they go to prepare to celebrate, while they turn to see little creatures flitting about. "Are those… Fairies?"
"Indeed they are, there are even some Kokiri here as well…!" The elder Korok says. "In any case, we thank you for your assistance, both with stopping those Miniblins and for volunteering to find our Sage." The group nods but then notices the Miniblin Mage's weapon is still intact. "Oh the Miniblin's Rod!"
"This rod seems familiar!" Zelda says, bringing out a little handheld device, one that looks like it carries some sort of ancient Sheikah Technology, but unlike the old Shiekah Slate and Purah Pad, both of which stopped working ages ago, Zelda reverse-engineered them into a smaller, more compact device that could easily fit into a pocket. This object was about 2.25 inches wide by 5.5 inches long, and about a quarter inch thick, with a protective casing. Zelda, seeing how the Sheikah Slate was named after the tribe's ancient technology, and the Purah Pad was the next generation variant named after it's Creator, Zelda decided to give it a name that she thought made sense, the Smart-Linkle. However, of this, the progress bar is actually finished and reveals the object is… "A Dominion Rod!"
"Dominion Rod?" Link asks.
"It's an ancient piece of Sheikah Technology that could allow the Ancient Sheikah to take direct control of inactive Guardians, certain types of statues and a few other things. However, if attuned by a person or creature aligned with the Shadow Element, they can use it to cast Illusions and Enchantments on people from a greater range than normal." Zelda explains, "However, to utilize the special feature, you need to be aligned with the Shadow Element and attune to the item, which, as you know, a person can only attune to 3 Magic Items at a time, with only a few outstanding exceptions."
"Heh, gotta hand it to ya, sis!" Link says, "You sure are smart!" Zelda smiles, with Rita getting a smirk.
"If only she could use that big brain of hers to read a map and use a compass." Rita teases, causing the undercover princess to give her a look.
"When you least expect it, Rita…" Zelda says, but keeps her cool after that. "Speaking of which… Impa!" The Sheikah looks to Zelda, who tosses her the Dominion Rod. "I think you should use it!"
"What? Me!?" The Sheikah asks.
"Of course, the Sheikah Tribe are all born with the Shadow Element, so it is a no-brainer!" Corvus says, smiling, to which Impa looks at the item with a bit of concern. That is when they hear a bit of chuckling. "What is it?"
"It is just amusing, and nostalgic, to me. I was around during the days of the Previous Hero, and he was surrounded by a merry band of adventurers just like you. He had 7 companions joining him… The students of the Seven Sages from each of Hyrule's provinces." He then looks to Link with a smile, "However, it seems that the Hero's line has ended, and now we need the Sages to step up in his place."
"But, I believe I know who can become your 7th Companion to complete your group."
"Who?" Zelda asks.
"Her name is Spryte, she is the student of the Faron Sage, and Guardian of the Great Deku Tree!" The Korok says, to which Rita feels a vein pulsing in her forehead at the mention of another girl, but the Korok then begins to look into space, only to begin singing in a language the Zelda recognizes:
The Hylians bear the inner Light…
The Rito race with the Wind…
The Gorons are Bathed in Fire…
The Zora are Blessed by Water…
The Sheikah walk among the Shadow…
The Gerudo hearts refine their Spirit…
The Kokiri are one with Earth…
The Dragons are born of Time…
Hylia… Hebra… Eldin… Lanayru… Necluda… Gerudo… Faron… Akkala…
Eight Dragons in All, One Each of Four…
Din… Nayru… Farore… Majora…
Six guised as Mortals… Two Dead and Reborn…
Hylia, Lady of Light, Wise by Blood
Hebra, Knight of Wind, soaring ever on…
Eldin, Father of Fire, sleeping amongst Death…
Lanayru, Wisher of Water, Singing of Love…
Necluda, Stalker of Shadows, Hidden forever more…
Gerudo, Guide of Spirit, meditate within Sand…
Faron, Mother of Forests, Singing and Dancing…
Akkala, Hero of Time, Courageous in Spirit…
Eight in all, One Each of Four…
The group then claps as they hear the Korok finish his song, as do all of the Koroks who stood to witness… "That was amazing!" Link says, "I never heard a song like that before!"
"Why thank you! But it links back to all of you, no pun intended!" The Korok Elder says, "Few Remember, but back in the Elder Days there used to be 8 Sages, before that number, by the era of the Hero of Time, it was reduced to Seven, and then eventually, by the Era of Wild Tears, it was reduced to 6."
"Why was it reduced so much?" Zelda asks.
"Because our ancestors, the Kokiri, and the Dragons were no longer relevant in the songs… The reason for this was because the Kokiri and Fairies died out, eventually giving way for us Koroks when, in the Era of the Temporal Warriors, when Time was remerged, we came into this time and, slowly, we began to regain our old selves as Kokiri and Fairies, to the point that there are a few of them running around the scattered forests…" The Elder Korok says, "As for the Dragons… The Calamity managed to corrupt the younger and weaker dragons into doing his bidding, while those older enough and strong enough to deny him their submission, fought back and fled. However, the damage to the reputation of the Dragons was done… The Dragons that Ganon had corrupted caused severe damage to the Kingdom, and thus Hylians and Humans refused to see the Dragons for what they originally were."
"That bastard…" Link says, clenching his fist.
"Wait a minute…" Zelda says, having thought of something, "Each of those names are the names of the regions of the Kingdom, with Hylia replacing Hyrule! Also, what was with that last Stanza…" Zelda asks, "Where you said "Akkala, Hero of Time, Courageous in Spirit"?"
"Sharp ear, young lady!" The Korok Elder says, "You see Hylia, the Goddess, was actually the Guardian of the Triforce, and, whenever it appears, it is always within a random spot in the Central Hyrule Region… As for Akkala… It is an Ancient Hylian Word… Do you know what "akkala" means?" Zelda thinks on this… Recalling back to her lessons on Ancient Hylian, and then her eyes widen at what she remembers.
"It means… "Link"...!" Zelda says, shocked, causing everyone to look at Zelda with shock.
"That is right… Akkala was the name of the Original Hero, Older Twin Brother to Hylia, who aided the Divine Dragon of Light, Hylia, in sealing Demise, though thanks to his courage, strength, and ferocity, he was given the title of the "Fierce Deity"." The Korok Elder says, laughing boisterously. "But that is enough on the Ancient Lessons for now, we have a dragon to find!" Link stood there, dumbfounded, and looked to his sister, realizing that, in their original lives, not only were they dragons, but they had been twins then as well. Despite the Shock, Link smiles, happy at the coincidence.
"Wait, one more Question, sir?" Link asks.
"Oh?" The Elder Korok asks.
"Who is this, "Majora" you spoke of in the song?" Link asks.
"Majora… She was the Mother of the 3 Golden Goddesses, a Primordial Goddess of Chaos, and she birthed the 3 Golden Goddesses so that she wouldn't be lonely… Her children tamed their mother's chaos… However, Majora wished to do the same thing as their daughters, and created several Parallel Worlds that mirrored Hyrule: The Twilight Realm, Lorule, the Worlds of Light and Dark along with their countries, The Oceanic Realm, and, finally, Termina… However…" the Korok Elder looks down sadly, "When she created Termina… Their version of the Sheikah, the Garo, captured Majora, and sealed her in a Mask… I think the History books tell you enough about how Akkala, reincarnated as the Hero of Time, ended Majora's madness and not only freed her, but allowed her to reunite with her daughters." The group solemnly nod at this, saddened, but also happy that the story reveals that Majora was reunited with her daughters.
With the group still thinking about the story, the six people begin to make their way deeper into the forest. Corvus, taking to the air, smiles as he flies through the air, wondering where such a large creature could have disappeared to. Taking a careful look around… However, the fog makes it rather difficult, though he does manage to notice a grouping of trees having been destroyed in the distance. "Everyone, I think I see something!"
"What is it?" Link asks.
"The Trees further down… There is a cluster of them that have been destroyed… I think that may be where the Dragon is!" Corvus says, "At least I think that is where it might be! It's due north of here!" He floats down towards the group, looking at them, as he lands.
"North huh?" Link asks, but then turns to his sister, who brings out her Smart Linkle and checks the map of the area, finding out that the only locations North of them are the Great Deku Tree at the Forest's Center, and the Mido Swamp. Looking at his sister's map on the device, he looks back towards Corvus, "Was it directly North or more to the Northwest?"
"Straight North!"
"So towards Mido Swamp…" Zelda says, putting her Smart Linkle back into her pocket, "Okay everyone this way!" Zelda turns in a direction before Link grabs her shoulder.
"No, this way!" Link says, pointing northward with his thumb in the opposite direction.
"Right…" Zelda says, blushing with embarrassment. "Maybe you'd better lead." Everyone just facepalms as they continue to make their way into the forest, and slowly, the ground itself begins to become damper.
"Oh, this feeling…" Rita says, "Is the ground becoming wetter?"
"Yeah, and my feet are getting all muddy!" Daruma says, lifting his foot up to reveal it is covered in muck. "We must be getting closer to the swamp!"
"Well I am glad I'm sticking to the trees!" Corvus says, flying between branches and landing on them to stay above the ground. "No way in the Demon World am I going to get covered in mud!"
"Afraid of getting your floofy feathers dirty?" Zelda teases, smirking at him, to which Corvus turns his head away.
"I am going to get charged with a cleaning bill for this Concertina if I get it dirty, so no thanks!" Corvus says, the group laughing as they continue to make their way Northward, only for Link… To not watch the first step.
"TYA!" Link says as he steps down and falls face first into some water, coming up for air, Link spits out the water of the swamp, "Blegh, Nasty!"
"You okay, Link?" Rita asks, walking over to the edge of the water, and offer him a hand up.
"Yeah, I'm fine!" Link says, taking her hand as she helps pull him out of the water… However, as she looked up, she saw something moving in the water. "Uh oh!" That is when she pulls Link hard to avoid the jaws of a creature that nearly snaps him up, with two large forward facing horns nearly impaling the two of them.
"SWAMP DRAGON!" Corvus shouts, and everyone retreats for a short distance to collect themselves and prepare for a fight.
*Rolling Intiative*
Rita
Impa
Zelda
Young Black Dragon
Link
Corvus
Daruma
"You insolent monster! You dare to try to take what is mine!?" She then concentrates, summoning a construct in the air made of water. "Trident of Mipha, come to my aid!" That is when suddenly the water rushes underneath the Dragon and erupts from the ground in the form of an ancient Zora Trident that hits the dragon with a mighty blow, shining with energy as it does so. The Dragon Roars in pain, "I'm not done yet!" She then points her finger and sends out a blast of water that generates a powerful burst of radiant energy. Impa, charging forward, rushes to the dragon and swings her kodachi at it, shadow energy erupting from the blade as it cuts through the hide of the beast, who snarls. In this, Zelda thinks about what to do and draws her pistol, firing a shot that pierces the dragon's hide. The Dragon, thoroughly annoyed, inhales deeply, focusing on the two girls who have been pestering it. Both Zelda and Rita look in shock as the creature breathes in deeply and then, with a burst of air, unleashes a torrent of Acid towards them. The Girls, seeing this coming, brace themselves for the pain, though Ruto is the one who is the least prepared, but both of them brace for it and they scream in agony as they are coated in acid.
"SIS, RITA!" Link shouts, angry at seeing their skins badly burned by what they had just endured, "ALRIGHT, NOW YOU GOT ME MAD!" The Gerudo-Hylian's fists erupt into flames, "ELDIN'S BOLERO!" He then unleashes three consecutive punches coated in flames, the Dragon roaring in pain as he turns his attention towards Link and the others. "Impa, We got this, tend to Rita and Linkle!"
"Right!" Impa says. Corvus, growling, looks towards the Dragon and notices something stuck in its hide, it appears to be a scrap of metal.
"Heh! If you don't like fire, then you won't like this!" Corvus says, smiling as he takes out the Concertina and begins to play a song upon it, one that invokes marching and flames, the Bolero of Fire! To this, he then looks to Zelda, "Behold the Mighty Linkle, great descendant of the Hero, though brought low by a blast of Draconic Vitriol, she still clings to life, striving on to fight beside her brother even at the cost of her own life, praise be to her!" That is when wisps of energy fly towards Zelda, who feels the power flow to her, and she groans through the pain. Daruma looks to the girls and grits his teeth as he knows that he had not been fast enough to provide the girls with the protection they needed in that moment, but he focuses his anger towards the best.
"NOW LET'S ROCK AND RAMPAGE!" Suddenly, the spirits of other Gorons, great leaders and protectors before him, appear, glaring angrily at the dragon as he swings his hammer and strikes it firmly on the head as the Goron Spirits launch themselves at the Dragon, doing their best to be strong and sturdy nuisances to the creature. Rita, growling as she picks herself up, feels her body stinging at the damage she had taken because of that Dragon. She had let her anger get the best of her, and she knows this, but notices Zelda lying on the ground next to her. Crawling towards the woman lying on the ground, she places a hand on her and concentrates.
"I can't let you die here… If you do, Link will never forgive me…" Rita says, glaring at the girl, "So get up, dammit…" Rita's healing spreads onto Zelda, in which she uses the magic to target herself and the unknown Princess, who both pick themselves up at this. "Damn it, that thing hit harder than I thought…"
"Agreed… I never expected a Dragon to be so strong… I knew they were but that was stronger than I had assumed!" Zelda says, her skin still stinging and reddened from the acid. "Still, it seems the boys are doing their best!"
"Rita! Z-!" Impa says, stopping herself, "Linkle! Thank goodness you're bother alright, for the most part anyway!"
"Thanks to Rita here… I wouldn't have gotten out of that without her." Zelda says, to which Rita blushes and turns her face away indignantly.
"Well it's a good thing you're both up and at it, for now though, get back to cover!"
"Right…" Rita says, snapping her fingers as her Trident of Mipha dives back down towards Dragon and hits it hard.
"I'm staying here with you two, can't let you get your asses handed to you again!" Impa then draws her bow and aims for the Dragon, only for the arrow to miss. "Dang it!" Zelda simply smirks as she brings out the Smart Linkle and then taps a rune shaped like a catapult and then aims the device at a nearby branch and then sets the trajectory with a smile on her face. The heavy branch hits the dragon right in the face, splintering but the dragon snarls as Zelda pulls down her eyelid and sticks her tongue out at the beast.
The Dragon, noticing the arrow, sees the girls are getting back up, but snarls as its throat is still recovering from its breath attack, so, instead, it decides to attack the biggest annoyance, lashing out at Link, who puts up his guard. The Dragon then bites down on to Link's side, who roars in pain as he feels the teeth dig into him, however, as the Acid of the Dragon's maw drips into his wounds, Link does something the Dragon did not expect, and begins breathing in as the acid flies into his mouth, the Hero swallowing the acide that touches his body and smiles.
"Thanks for the meal, idiot!"
"You…" A voice comes from the Dragon, stunning everyone, "Are you a Sage's Disciple!?"
"Yeah!" Link says, smiling, "Student of Volvagia Epona!" That is when fury enters the Dragon's eyes as it renews it's attack.
"The Calamity will reward me for taking your life, HERO!" The Dragon says, throwing Link out of its mouth and swings it's claws towards the young man, who prepares to block the oncoming attacks, Link grabbing both Clawed hands, straining underneath the dragon's weight.
"Not likely!" Link says, breathing in deeply, landing a powerful kick to the Dragon's face as it gets close enough, "ELDIN BEAT! Followed by…" Smoke comes out of his mouth as Link opens his mouth as wide as he can, unleashing a massive torrent of fire that burns the dragon. "ELDIN ANTHEM!" The Dragon growls as it backs away, with Corvus playing a few notes again to increase the intensity of the flames.
"Ha! You lazy lounge lizard, did you really think your poultry vomit could take down Linkle and Princess Ruto so easily, you make me laugh!" Corvus says, laughing heartily as the Dragon glares at him, a vein appearing on its head as it looks ready to burst.
"What did you say to me, you overgrown chicken!?"
"NOW DARUMA!" Corvus shouts, in which Daruma laughs as he charges forward and strikes out at the Dragon, who glares at the Goron as a black aura clashes with the red aura of Daruma's hammer, the two auras clashing, as if measuring strength against each other. However, the Goron smiles as he forces it's way through the Aura and lands a powerful blow to it's head once more. This is quickly followed by Rita unleashing a burst of energy from her arms that hits the dragon hard with her Trident, once more, striking the dragon. Impa seeing her opportunity, draws her bow once more, and concentrates as she takes her initiative to strike and fires… The Arrow flies through the air at high speed, a black shadowy aura clinging onto the Arrow as it takes the form of a great shadowy dragon that bites down into the Dragon's chest, ripping through and causing the dragon's chest to explode from the impact. The Dragon then glares at them.
"No… Damn you all…" The Swamp Dragon says, before collapsing… Right on top of Link… Everyone gathers themselves… Well… Mostly, Link is still struggling, and failing, to get the dragon's body off of him.
"Link!" Rita says, trying to push the heavy creature off of him. "Damn it, it's too heavy!"
"Help! Heeeeelp!" Link begs as he feels like he can't get out, his voice muffled by the dragon's body. That is when Daruma walks over and gently lifts the dragon's body a bit so that Rita can get Link out of there, the Gerudo-Hylian gasping for air as he is out, coughing as he is held in Rita's arms.
"It's alright now, Link… You're okay!" Rita says, petting his head.
"I thought I was going to lose you two!" Link says, shedding tears of relief.
"We're both fine, thanks to you taking the heat off us!" Zelda says, smiling at her brother, petting his head. "Well I think we all need to find a place to rest…"
"Yes, preferably somewhere less muddy!" Corvus says.
"Uh before that…" Impa says, she then kicks the boys, "Look away you perverts!"
"Huh?" Zelda asks, but then looks down and sees a good portion of her clothes were eaten away by the Dragon's acid, revealing her undergarments beneath them.
"Oh…" Corvus says, he would've been blushing at this point as he sees something glorious, "A Wolf…" This comment, as innocent as it was, caused the Princess's face to turn bright red… It is to this day that anyone passing by this particular part of Mido Swamp swears that if you pass by the dragon's skeletal remains, you can hear the screech of Princess Zelda echoing in the wind for miles and miles…
What happens after that… Is a Story for Another Day…
